truepundit--2020-12-10--Biden Cabinet Pick Vouched For Judge Who Beat His Wife. He Murdered Her Three Years Later

• President-elect Joe Biden ’ s pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development wrote a letter to local prosecutors in 2015 supporting a judge who had been charged with brutally beating his wife , a sixth-grade teacher .
• Rep. Marcia Fudge wrote in the letter that former Judge Lance Mason was ‘ a good man , ’ and that ‘ something like this will never happen again.
’ • After a nine-month prison stint , Mason murdered his wife in cold blood outside their home in Cleveland .
Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge vouched for an Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for brutally beating his wife , causing her to require reconstructive surgery .
Three years later , the judge , Lance T. Mason , fatally stabbed his wife , Aisha Fraser , at their home outside Cleveland .
President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday he will nominate Fudge , to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) .
Fudge will replace Ben Carson as HUD chief if she is confirmed by the U.S. senate .
Fudge , the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Mason , a former Ohio state legislator and judge on the Cuyahoga County common pleas court , after he admitted to beating his wife in 2014 .
Mason , 53 , was arrested in August 2014 on charges that he assaulted Fraser in front of their two daughters , who were 4 and 6 years old at the time .
According to local news reports , court documents showed that Mason attacked Fraser in their SUV , punching her 20 times , slamming her head against the dashboard , and choking her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sixth-grade teacher , out of the vehicle and drove off with their children , according to the court documents .
Fudge wrote in a letter to Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty on Aug. 9 , 2015 asserting that Mason was “ a good man who made a very bad mistake.
” Fudge offered additional praise for Mason , whom she said she had known for 20 years .
“ I commend Lance for immediately recognizing that he needed help and entering counseling , ” she wrote in the letter , which a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 2018 .
The lawmaker said that Mason accepted full responsibility for his actions and had assured her “ that something like this will never happen again.
” Mason pleaded guilty in his case days later , and was sentenced to 24 months in prison .
He ended up serving just nine months of the sentence , and landed a job in Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson ’ s administration after his release from jail , The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported at the time .
Contrary to Fudge ’ s assurances that Mason was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen between the judge and his wife .
Mason murdered Fraser on Nov. 17 , 2018 outside of his sister ’ s home in Shaker Heights .
He pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 20 , 2019 and was later sentenced to life in prison .
Fudge ’ s support for Mason made headlines in the wake of Fraser ’ s death .
At the time , Fudge was weighing a bid to serve as Speaker of the House .
Fudge has also faced blowback in her community .
A friend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , telling the lawmaker that the victim ’ s “ blood is on your hands.
” “ We ’ re going to unseat you .
You ’ re evil , ” the woman , Mary Ann Lorient , said to Fudge at an event on Jan. 12 , 2019 , according to video published by The Cleveland Plain Dealer .
“ As a black woman , to write that letter ?
At what point did you have empathy for her ?
At what point did you think about her ?
At what point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not respond to requests for comment about Fudge ’ s past support for Mason , or whether choosing Fudge conflicts with Biden ’ s longtime support for the Violence Against Women Act ( VAWA ) .
Biden co-sponsored the 1994 bill , which provided federal protections to victims of domestic abuse , when he served in the U.S. Senate .
Fudge issued a statement after Fraser was murdered disavowing her support for Mason .
“ My support of Lance in 2015 was based on the person I knew for almost 30 years — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislator and a judge , ” she told Cleveland 19 News .
“ The person who committed these crimes is not the Lance Mason familiar to me .
It was a horrific crime.
” The Biden transition team and Fudge ’ s office did not respond to a request for comment .

President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development wrote a letter to local prosecutors in 2015 supporting a judge who had been charged with brutally beating his wife, a sixth-grade teacher.
Rep. Marcia Fudge wrote in the letter that former Judge Lance Mason was ‘a good man,’ and that ‘something like this will never happen again.’
After a nine-month prison stint, Mason murdered his wife in cold blood outside their home in Cleveland.
Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge vouched for an Ohio judge in 2015 who faced felony charges for brutally beating his wife, causing her to require reconstructive surgery.
Three years later, the judge, Lance T. Mason, fatally stabbed his wife, Aisha Fraser, at their home outside Cleveland.
President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday he will nominate Fudge, to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Fudge will replace Ben Carson as HUD chief if she is confirmed by the U.S. senate.
Fudge, the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was one of several Cleveland-area politicians who vouched for Mason, a former Ohio state legislator and judge on the Cuyahoga County common pleas court, after he admitted to beating his wife in 2014.
Mason, 53, was arrested in August 2014 on charges that he assaulted Fraser in front of their two daughters, who were 4 and 6 years old at the time. According to local news reports, court documents showed that Mason attacked Fraser in their SUV, punching her 20 times, slamming her head against the dashboard, and choking her.
Mason pushed Fraser, who was a sixth-grade teacher, out of the vehicle and drove off with their children, according to the court documents.
Fudge wrote in a letter to Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty on Aug. 9, 2015 asserting that Mason was “a good man who made a very bad mistake.”
Fudge offered additional praise for Mason, whom she said she had known for 20 years.
“I commend Lance for immediately recognizing that he needed help and entering counseling,” she wrote in the letter, which a reporter for Cleveland 19 News discovered in November 2018.
The lawmaker said that Mason accepted full responsibility for his actions and had assured her “that something like this will never happen again.”
Mason pleaded guilty in his case days later, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison. He ended up serving just nine months of the sentence, and landed a job in Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s administration after his release from jail, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported at the time.
Contrary to Fudge’s assurances that Mason was a changed man, something more did happen between the judge and his wife.
Mason murdered Fraser on Nov. 17, 2018 outside of his sister’s home in Shaker Heights. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 20, 2019 and was later sentenced to life in prison.
Fudge’s support for Mason made headlines in the wake of Fraser’s death. At the time, Fudge was weighing a bid to serve as Speaker of the House.
Fudge has also faced blowback in her community.
A friend of Fraser’s confronted Fudge in 2019, telling the lawmaker that the victim’s “blood is on your hands.”
“We’re going to unseat you. You’re evil,” the woman, Mary Ann Lorient, said to Fudge at an event on Jan. 12, 2019, according to video published by The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“As a black woman, to write that letter? At what point did you have empathy for her? At what point did you think about her? At what point?”
The Biden transition team did not respond to requests for comment about Fudge’s past support for Mason, or whether choosing Fudge conflicts with Biden’s longtime support for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Biden co-sponsored the 1994 bill, which provided federal protections to victims of domestic abuse, when he served in the U.S. Senate.
WATCH:
Fudge issued a statement after Fraser was murdered disavowing her support for Mason.
“My support of Lance in 2015 was based on the person I knew for almost 30 years — an accomplished lawyer, prosecutor, state legislator and a judge,” she told Cleveland 19 News.
“The person who committed these crimes is not the Lance Mason familiar to me. It was a horrific crime.”
The Biden transition team and Fudge’s office did not respond to a request for comment.


truepundit--2020-12-10--Portland Mayor Authorizes ‘All Lawful Means’ To End Autonomous Zone After Banning Non-Lethal Munitio

Portland Mayor Authorizes ‘All Lawful Means’ To End Autonomous Zone After Banning Non-Lethal Munitions During Months-Long Unrest

Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland , Oregon said he would authorize ending the city ’ s autonomous zone by “ all lawful means ” despite his continued prohibition on the use of non-lethal munitions by police .
The occupation , which has been dubbed Red House on Mississippi , claims to be an “ active eviction blockade on Indigenous land ” and “ not an autonomous zone ” for the purpose of protecting tenants within the city , according to tweets from the group .
The group has erected walls lined with the phrases “ Fuck 12 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BACK , ” local reporter Zane Sparling tweeted .
“ I am authorizing the Portland Police to use all lawful means to end the illegal occupation on North Mississippi Avenue and to hold those violating our community ’ s laws accountable , ” Wheeler wrote .
“ There will be no autonomous zone in Portland.
” “ It ’ s time for the encampment and occupation to end , ” the mayor continued .
“ There are many ways to protest and work toward needed reform .
Illegally occupying private property , openly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not among them.
” Wheeler , who recently won reelection , banned the use of CS gas , better known as tear gas , on rioters within Portland in September because he sought “ a safer alternative , ” according to a press release .
The Democrat ’ s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email that Wheeler ’ s prohibition still stands when he references “ all lawful means ” to end the encampment .
At the time of the non-lethal munition ban , Wheeler ’ s city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and riots following the death of George Floyd in May , according to The Oregonian .
In July , federal agents were dispatched to a prominent courthouse within Portland after violent demonstrators repeatedly attacked it , according to a press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) .
“ According to court documents , since May 26 , 2020 , protests in downtown Portland have been followed by nightly criminal activity including assaults on law enforcement officers , destruction of property , looting , arson , and vandalism , ” ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected President Donald Trump ’ s bid to send more federal agents to quell the nightly violence due to the president ’ s “ politics of division and demagoguery , ” according to a release .
“ I have no confidence that the city will stop the rioting and looting and protect the safety and livelihoods of Portlanders , ” Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner told OPB in early July .
“ I have no confidence that the City Council will guide the Portland Police Bureau forward into a new era of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform and police funding .
I have no confidence that City Council respects and supports its rank-and-file officers.
” The Democrat ’ s office told the DCNF that Wheeler “ has consistent ( sic ) condemned violence and criminal activity of all kinds .
”

Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland, Oregon said he would authorize ending the city’s autonomous zone by “all lawful means” despite his continued prohibition on the use of non-lethal munitions by police.
The occupation, which has been dubbed Red House on Mississippi, claims to be an “active eviction blockade on Indigenous land” and “not an autonomous zone” for the purpose of protecting tenants within the city, according to tweets from the group. The group has erected walls lined with the phrases “Fuck 12,” “No cops” and “LAND BACK,” local reporter Zane Sparling tweeted.
Here are the barricades along Skidmore at the Red House zone in Portland pic.twitter.com/JfaNau3GkS — Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) December 9, 2020
“I am authorizing the Portland Police to use all lawful means to end the illegal occupation on North Mississippi Avenue and to hold those violating our community’s laws accountable,” Wheeler wrote. “There will be no autonomous zone in Portland.”
“It’s time for the encampment and occupation to end,” the mayor continued. “There are many ways to protest and work toward needed reform. Illegally occupying private property, openly carrying weapons, threatening and intimidating people are not among them.”
Wheeler, who recently won reelection, banned the use of CS gas, better known as tear gas, on rioters within Portland in September because he sought “a safer alternative,” according to a press release.
The Democrat’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email that Wheeler’s prohibition still stands when he references “all lawful means” to end the encampment.
At the time of the non-lethal munition ban, Wheeler’s city had experienced 100 days of both protests and riots following the death of George Floyd in May, according to The Oregonian. In July, federal agents were dispatched to a prominent courthouse within Portland after violent demonstrators repeatedly attacked it, according to a press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“According to court documents, since May 26, 2020, protests in downtown Portland have been followed by nightly criminal activity including assaults on law enforcement officers, destruction of property, looting, arson, and vandalism,” ICE wrote.
In late August, Wheeler rejected President Donald Trump’s bid to send more federal agents to quell the nightly violence due to the president’s “politics of division and demagoguery,” according to a release.
“I have no confidence that the city will stop the rioting and looting and protect the safety and livelihoods of Portlanders,” Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner told OPB in early July.
“I have no confidence that the City Council will guide the Portland Police Bureau forward into a new era of policing that prioritizes safety, equity, reform and police funding. I have no confidence that City Council respects and supports its rank-and-file officers.”
The Democrat’s office told the DCNF that Wheeler “has consistent (sic) condemned violence and criminal activity of all kinds.”


truepundit--2020-12-10--Swalwell Refuses To Discuss Relationship With Chinese Spy Who Had Affairs With Two US Mayors

California Rep. Eric Swalwell is refusing to discuss his relationship with Christine Fang , an alleged Chinese spy who cozied up to multiple California politicos and reportedly had romantic relationships with two U.S. mayors before skipping the country in 2015 .
Instead , Swalwell is diverting attention from his role in a story about Fang , reported by Axios on Monday , by claiming he is the victim of a political hit job because of his open criticism of President Donald Trump .
“ I ’ ve been a critic of the president .
I ’ ve spoken out against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that worked to impeach him , ” Swalwell , a Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence Committee , told Politico in an interview on Tuesday .
“ The timing feels like that should be looked at.
” Axios reported that U.S. counterintelligence authorities suspected Christine Fang of working covertly in the U.S. from 2011 to 2015 on behalf of China ’ s Ministry of State Security , which serves as Beijing ’ s primary spy service .
Fang , according to Axios , developed ties with several California Democrats , including Swalwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as city councilman in Dublin , California .
Fang maintained ties to Swalwell after he was elected to Congress in 2012 and raised money for his 2014 reelection to Congress , according to Axios .
U.S. intelligence officials told Axios that Fang planted an intern in Swalwell ’ s congressional office .
She developed close ties to other California lawmakers and also had romantic relationships with two mayors of cities in the Midwest , according to Axios .
She hooked up with an Ohio mayor in the back of a car , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ defensive briefing ” to Swalwell in 2015 , after he was appointed to the House Intelligence Committee , to inform him about Fang ’ s spy activity .
Fang fled the U.S. in mid-2015 , according to Axios .
Swalwell avoided Politico ’ s questions about his relationship with Fang , saying only that congressional leadership was aware of his previous contacts with her .
“ What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are trying to weaponize someone ’ s cooperation , they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do , which is to try and discredit someone.
” “ As the story referenced , this goes back to the beginning of the last decade , and it ’ s something that congressional leadership knew about it , ” Swalwell added .
Conservatives seized on the story about Swalwell , pointing to the Democrat ’ s role in pushing the since-debunked allegation that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Swalwell has long been disqualified from serving on the Intel Committee , ” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote on Twitter .
“ For years he peddled Russian disinformation for political gain , ” McCarthy added , also referring to Swalwell as a “ national security liability.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ] – READ MORE Listen to the @ @ @ @ @ @

California Rep. Eric Swalwell is refusing to discuss his relationship with Christine Fang, an alleged Chinese spy who cozied up to multiple California politicos and reportedly had romantic relationships with two U.S. mayors before skipping the country in 2015.
Instead, Swalwell is diverting attention from his role in a story about Fang, reported by Axios on Monday, by claiming he is the victim of a political hit job because of his open criticism of President Donald Trump.
“I’ve been a critic of the president. I’ve spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him,” Swalwell, a Democrat who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, told Politico in an interview on Tuesday.
“The timing feels like that should be looked at.”
Axios reported that U.S. counterintelligence authorities suspected Christine Fang of working covertly in the U.S. from 2011 to 2015 on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security, which serves as Beijing’s primary spy service.
Fang, according to Axios, developed ties with several California Democrats, including Swalwell, who she first met when he served as city councilman in Dublin, California.
Fang maintained ties to Swalwell after he was elected to Congress in 2012 and raised money for his 2014 reelection to Congress, according to Axios. U.S. intelligence officials told Axios that Fang planted an intern in Swalwell’s congressional office.
She developed close ties to other California lawmakers and also had romantic relationships with two mayors of cities in the Midwest, according to Axios. She hooked up with an Ohio mayor in the back of a car, the website reported.
The FBI provided a “defensive briefing” to Swalwell in 2015, after he was appointed to the House Intelligence Committee, to inform him about Fang’s spy activity. Fang fled the U.S. in mid-2015, according to Axios.
Swalwell avoided Politico’s questions about his relationship with Fang, saying only that congressional leadership was aware of his previous contacts with her.
“What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do,” he said. “But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponize someone’s cooperation, they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do, which is to try and discredit someone.”
“As the story referenced, this goes back to the beginning of the last decade, and it’s something that congressional leadership knew about it,” Swalwell added.
Conservatives seized on the story about Swalwell, pointing to the Democrat’s role in pushing the since-debunked allegation that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
“Rep. Swalwell has long been disqualified from serving on the Intel Committee,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote on Twitter.
“For years he peddled Russian disinformation for political gain,” McCarthy added, also referring to Swalwell as a “national security liability.”
Rep. Swalwell has long been disqualified from serving on the Intel Committee. For years he peddled Russian disinformation for political gain. Now we find out he was involved in an effort by a reported spy to gather info for China. Swalwell is a national security liability. — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) December 8, 2020
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Trump Orders Withdrawal Of Nearly All US Troops From Somalia

President Trump has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the “ majority ” of American troops from Somalia , according to a Pentagon announcement made Friday .
There ’ s an estimated 700 troops currently inside the country .
“ The President of the United States has ordered the Department of Defense and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021 , ” the Pentagon said .
The statement indicated that “ some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa , ” however remaining troops are expected to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ allow cross-border operations ” .
This is parallel to how the draw down from Germany is envisioned – some troops coming home to US soil with others stationed elsewhere in Europe .
The American public might be forgiven for never knowing there are American troops and bases in Somalia in the first place .
After all , the war-torn country in the Horn of Africa only sporadically hits the news when things go horribly wrong , such as with major pirate attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Aden , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CIA officer reportedly during a raid on a suspected al-Shabaab bomb-maker , and then there ’ s the disastrous ‘ Black Hawk Down ’ 1993 mission wherein 18 American soldiers were killed.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

President Trump has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the “majority” of American troops from Somalia, according to a Pentagon announcement made Friday. There’s an estimated 700 troops currently inside the country.
“The President of the United States has ordered the Department of Defense and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021,” the Pentagon said.
The statement indicated that “some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa,” however remaining troops are expected to go elsewhere within Africa Command (AFRICOM) to “allow cross-border operations”. This is parallel to how the draw down from Germany is envisioned – some troops coming home to US soil with others stationed elsewhere in Europe.
The American public might be forgiven for never knowing there are American troops and bases in Somalia in the first place.
After all, the war-torn country in the Horn of Africa only sporadically hits the news when things go horribly wrong, such as with major pirate attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Aden, or last month’s death of a CIA officer reportedly during a raid on a suspected al-Shabaab bomb-maker, and then there’s the disastrous ‘Black Hawk Down’ 1993 mission wherein 18 American soldiers were killed.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Tom Brady Got Million-Dollar PPP Loan For His Sportswear Company And A Yacht

While thousands of small businesses were shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year , NFL quarterback Tom Brady ’ s sports performance and nutrition company , TB12 Inc. , received a loan from the federal government worth nearly one million dollars .
According to the Small Business Administration , TB12 was granted a $ 960,855 loan in April .
The sportswear and supplement company qualified for the lifeline with a 2019 payroll between $ 1.68 and $ 4.8 million .
“ TB12 , INC. received a Paycheck Protection Loan of between 350,000 and 1M through Cambridge Savings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Based on standard PPP eligibility rules , TB12 , INC. ’ s total 2019 payroll expenses were between $ 1.68M and $ 4.8M in order to qualify for the PPP loan amount received .
Unline most businesses , TB12 , INC. did not report the number of jobs retained by their receipt of the Paycheck Protection Loan , so per-employee payrolls can not be estimated , ” SBA ’ s site read .
Brady is the second-highest-paid NFL player of all-time , raking in over $ 350 million during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , $ 50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
Brady ’ s wife , Gisele Bündchen , is reportedly worth $ 400 million .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

While thousands of small businesses were shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year, NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s sports performance and nutrition company, TB12 Inc., received a loan from the federal government worth nearly one million dollars.
According to the Small Business Administration, TB12 was granted a $960,855 loan in April. The sportswear and supplement company qualified for the lifeline with a 2019 payroll between $1.68 and $4.8 million.
“TB12, INC. received a Paycheck Protection Loan of between 350,000 and 1M through Cambridge Savings Bank, which was approved in April, 2020. Based on standard PPP eligibility rules, TB12, INC.’s total 2019 payroll expenses were between $1.68M and $4.8M in order to qualify for the PPP loan amount received. Unline most businesses, TB12, INC. did not report the number of jobs retained by their receipt of the Paycheck Protection Loan, so per-employee payrolls cannot be estimated,” SBA’s site read.
Brady is the second-highest-paid NFL player of all-time, raking in over $350 million during his career. He recently signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady’s wife, Gisele Bündchen, is reportedly worth $400 million. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--“It’s Outrageous”: Bank Of America Flags $2 Billion In Potential Unemployment Fraud Spanning 640,000

“It’s Outrageous”: Bank Of America Flags $2 Billion In Potential Unemployment Fraud Spanning 640,000 Accounts

In September , we noted how California saw a staggering 72 % decline in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ( PUA ) applications after the state started cracking down on suspected scammers .
Yet despite the state ’ s efforts , Bank of America on Monday estimated that fraud in California ’ s unemployment benefits system could total $ 2 billion across 640,000 accounts which have exhibited suspicious activity , and which should be investigated according to the LA Times – which adds that this is “ the highest estimate of fraud yet in a system that has paid $ 110 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of joblessness in California beginning in March.
” Red flags include claims filed in the names of infants , children and centenarians – along with people living in other states , according to a bank official .
Fraudsters typically apply for unemployment debit cards under false pretenses , then immediately withdraw the funds via ATMs as soon as they hit the accounts , officials told Patch.com in September .
“ Due to the pandemic , we have seen a dramatic increase in unemployment fraud through EDD , ” the Torrance Police Department told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in EDD debit-card scams in September .
“ It is outrageous , ” said Jon Coupal , president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association .
“ We understand that there was an effort to push as much money into the economy as possible but there has got to be some controls .
Here it is like they have opened up a bag of cash in the middle of a tornado and hoped that it ends up someplace where it is supposed to be.
” – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas @ @ @ @

In September, we noted how California saw a staggering 72% decline in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications after the state started cracking down on suspected scammers.
Yet despite the state’s efforts, Bank of America on Monday estimated that fraud in California’s unemployment benefits system could total $2 billion across 640,000 accounts which have exhibited suspicious activity, and which should be investigated according to the LA Times – which adds that this is “the highest estimate of fraud yet in a system that has paid $110 billion since the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of joblessness in California beginning in March.”
Red flags include claims filed in the names of infants, children and centenarians – along with people living in other states, according to a bank official.
Fraudsters typically apply for unemployment debit cards under false pretenses, then immediately withdraw the funds via ATMs as soon as they hit the accounts, officials told Patch.com in September.
“Due to the pandemic, we have seen a dramatic increase in unemployment fraud through EDD,” the Torrance Police Department told Patch, adding that they saw an increase in EDD debit-card scams in September.
“It is outrageous,” said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “We understand that there was an effort to push as much money into the economy as possible but there has got to be some controls. Here it is like they have opened up a bag of cash in the middle of a tornado and hoped that it ends up someplace where it is supposed to be.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Restaurant Industry Warns Of “Economic Free Fall” As 110,000 Eateries And Counting Are Permanently S

Restaurant Industry Warns Of “Economic Free Fall” As 110,000 Eateries And Counting Are Permanently Shuttered

The National Restaurant Association ( NRA ) sent a damning letter to Congress today ( Dec. 7 ) addressing the collapse of more than one hundred thousand restaurants across the country this year because of the virus pandemic .
In just the last three months , the letter said more than 10,000 eateries have closed , and thousands of others are in “ economic freefall.
” The letter goes into detail about the association ’ s most recent nationwide survey , which determines that most restaurants are still experiencing a plunge in sales revenue .
Many operators believe more furloughs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted last week , the layoffs have already begun .
“ What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type— franchise , chain , and independent—are in an unprecedented economic decline .
And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress , thousands of more restaurants across the country will close their doors for good , ” Sean Kennedy , executive vice president of public affairs at the association , said in a letter to Congress .
According to the association ’ s survey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent , chain , and franchise ) report an average 36 % drop in sales revenue .
For an industry with an average profit margin of 5 % -6 % , this is simply unsustainable .
83 % of full-service operators expect sales to be even worse over the next three months .
• Although sales are significantly lower for most independent and franchise owners , their costs have not fallen by a proportional level .
59 % of operators say their total labor costs ( as a percentage of sales ) are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58 % of chain and independent full-service operators expect continued furloughs and layoffs for at least the next three months .
The tsunami of restaurant closures and bankruptcies will continue to rise through 2021 – leading to deep economic scarring and permanent job loss .
The association predicts “ as of today , – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) sent a damning letter to Congress today (Dec. 7) addressing the collapse of more than one hundred thousand restaurants across the country this year because of the virus pandemic. In just the last three months, the letter said more than 10,000 eateries have closed, and thousands of others are in “economic freefall.”
The letter goes into detail about the association’s most recent nationwide survey, which determines that most restaurants are still experiencing a plunge in sales revenue. Many operators believe more furloughs or layoffs are imminent. As we noted last week, the layoffs have already begun.
“What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type— franchise, chain, and independent—are in an unprecedented economic decline. And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress, thousands of more restaurants across the country will close their doors for good,” Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs at the association, said in a letter to Congress.
According to the association’s survey,
87% of full-service restaurants (independent, chain, and franchise) report an average 36% drop in sales revenue. For an industry with an average profit margin of 5%-6%, this is simply unsustainable . 83% of full-service operators expect sales to be even worse over the next three months.
For an industry with an average profit margin of 5%-6%, this is simply . Although sales are significantly lower for most independent and franchise owners, their costs have not fallen by a proportional level. 59% of operators say their total labor costs (as a percentage of sales) are higher than they were pre-pandemic.
The future remains bleak. 58% of chain and independent full-service operators expect continued furloughs and layoffs for at least the next three months.
The tsunami of restaurant closures and bankruptcies will continue to rise through 2021 – leading to deep economic scarring and permanent job loss. The association predicts “as of today, 17% of restaurants—more than 110,000 establishments—are completely closed.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Democrat Proposes Tying $1,500 Stimulus Checks To COVID Vaccinations

With Democrats and Republicans still stuck at an impasse on stimulus negotiations , one Maryland Congressman and erstwhile presidential candidate named John Delaney has engineered a novel strategy for killing two birds with one stone : dispersing another round of stimulus funds , while ensuring that enough Americans consent to receiving the vaccine that the US can quickly top the roughly 70 % immunity threshold at which point scientists believe the vaccine will stop propagating .
And that plan is : Offering Americans a $ 1,500 “ incentive payment ” to acquiesce to receiving both doses of the vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Americans , even those who still refuse , because it might help the country crush the virus more quickly .
To be sure , Delaney ’ s plan has virtually zero chance of becoming law .
Republicans and Democrats can ’ t even seem to agree on basic things like the size of the package ( $ 600BN or $ 900BN ) and whether businesses deserve a liability shield to stop them from being sued by people claiming to have been infected in their establishment ( GOP leader Mitch McConnell sees this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently promised Americans that the vaccine wouldn ’ t be mandatory .
Delaney initially conceived of the scheme as a workaround for the widespread public skepticism about the vaccine .
While recent opinion polls show that the number of Americans planning to get the vaccine as soon as it ’ s available has been on the upswing , more than 40 % of the population either has already been infected , doesn ’ t see any urgent need for a vaccine , or simply doesn ’ t trust the data .
– READ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Podcast Below --

With Democrats and Republicans still stuck at an impasse on stimulus negotiations, one Maryland Congressman and erstwhile presidential candidate named John Delaney has engineered a novel strategy for killing two birds with one stone: dispersing another round of stimulus funds, while ensuring that enough Americans consent to receiving the vaccine that the US can quickly top the roughly 70% immunity threshold at which point scientists believe the vaccine will stop propagating.
And that plan is: Offering Americans a $1,500 “incentive payment” to acquiesce to receiving both doses of the vaccine. Delaney argued that the plan would benefit all Americans, even those who still refuse, because it might help the country crush the virus more quickly.
“The faster we get 75% of this country vaccinated, the faster we end Covid and the sooner everything returns to normal,” Delaney said in an interview with CNBC.com.
To be sure, Delaney’s plan has virtually zero chance of becoming law. Republicans and Democrats can’t even seem to agree on basic things like the size of the package ($600BN or $900BN) and whether businesses deserve a liability shield to stop them from being sued by people claiming to have been infected in their establishment (GOP leader Mitch McConnell sees this as a must). President Trump recently promised Americans that the vaccine wouldn’t be mandatory.
Delaney initially conceived of the scheme as a workaround for the widespread public skepticism about the vaccine. While recent opinion polls show that the number of Americans planning to get the vaccine as soon as it’s available has been on the upswing, more than 40% of the population either has already been infected, doesn’t see any urgent need for a vaccine, or simply doesn’t trust the data. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Woke Corporations Who Supported BLM Lobby Against Ban On Chinese Slave Labor

Nike , Coca-Cola and Apple , three corporations that vehemently supported the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd , are lobbying against a US ban on imports of products produced by Chinese slave labor .
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act , which is awaiting a green light from the Senate , bans the import of goods produced in Xinjiang where companies can not prove they were not made by slave labor .
Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang face massive persecution at the hands of Chinese authorities , with many being held in de facto re-education camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and undergo draconian brainwashing programs .
Nike , Coca-Cola and Apple have never missed an opportunity to assert their woke corporate values , with Apple CEO Tim Cook previously proclaiming , “ To the Black community – we see you .
You matter and your lives matter.
” In honor of BLM , Nike also released an amended version of their slogan that said , “ For once , Don ’ t Do It , ” while Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said , “ Companies like ours must speak up as allies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Uyghur lives don ’ t matter because all three corporations are lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act .
“ And yet , for all their performative moralising , these companies are now trying to water down action against the extreme oppression of Uyghur Muslims in China , ” reports Spiked .
“ The New York Times reports that lobbyists seek changes such as the ‘ easing disclosure requirements ’ that would be put in place by the act .
Apple , it says , has proposed extended compliance deadlines , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of giving supply-chain information to the public , preferring to release this information to Congress instead.
” - READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Nike, Coca-Cola and Apple, three corporations that vehemently supported the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd, are lobbying against a US ban on imports of products produced by Chinese slave labor.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which is awaiting a green light from the Senate, bans the import of goods produced in Xinjiang where companies cannot prove they were not made by slave labor.
Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang face massive persecution at the hands of Chinese authorities, with many being held in de facto re-education camps in which they are forced to work and undergo draconian brainwashing programs.
Nike, Coca-Cola and Apple have never missed an opportunity to assert their woke corporate values, with Apple CEO Tim Cook previously proclaiming, “To the Black community – we see you. You matter and your lives matter.”
In honor of BLM, Nike also released an amended version of their slogan that said, “For once, Don’t Do It,” while Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said, “Companies like ours must speak up as allies to the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Apparently, Uyghur lives don’t matter because all three corporations are lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
“And yet, for all their performative moralising, these companies are now trying to water down action against the extreme oppression of Uyghur Muslims in China,” reports Spiked.
Nike, Coca-Cola and other major companies and business groups are lobbying Congress to weaken a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. https://t.co/63B7LyKIAp — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 30, 2020
“The New York Times reports that lobbyists seek changes such as the ‘easing [of] disclosure requirements’ that would be put in place by the act. Apple, it says, has proposed extended compliance deadlines, and is not keen on the idea of giving supply-chain information to the public, preferring to release this information to Congress instead.”- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Another Airline Announces ‘COVID Passports’ Will Be “Essential” For Travel

Yet another airline has announced that it sees so called ‘ COVID passports ’ , proof that travellers have been vaccinated and/or tested negative for coronavirus , as “ essential ” for them to be able to travel .
Lance Gokongwei , President and CEO of Cebu Pacific , the largest budget airline in the Philippines , made the comments to reporters Monday .
“ We do think that ’ s essential , especially as we open up international travel , ” Gokongwei said , adding that there are “ different vaccines and I think we have to work on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that each country respects the passport.
” Gokongwei also stated that without fears of the virus spreading being allayed by vaccination and herd immunity , “ there ’ s nothing to be spoken about.
” “ That has to be the number one priority : to get vaccines in the hands in as much of the global population as possible , and then connecting this to a COVID passport , ” he urged .
Several other airlines have indicated that proof of vaccination , through ‘ COVID passports ’ , will become mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Yet another airline has announced that it sees so called ‘COVID passports’, proof that travellers have been vaccinated and/or tested negative for coronavirus, as “essential” for them to be able to travel.
Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of Cebu Pacific, the largest budget airline in the Philippines, made the comments to reporters Monday.
“We do think that’s essential, especially as we open up international travel,” Gokongwei said, adding that there are “different vaccines and I think we have to work on a single, global COVID passport so that each country respects the passport.”
Gokongwei also stated that without fears of the virus spreading being allayed by vaccination and herd immunity, “there’s nothing to be spoken about.”
“That has to be the number one priority: to get vaccines in the hands in as much of the global population as possible, and then connecting this to a COVID passport,” he urged.
Several other airlines have indicated that proof of vaccination, through ‘COVID passports’, will become mandatory in order to fly. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--California DAs Blast Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Apathetic Response to $1 Billion Prisoner COVID Benefit Sca

California DAs Blast Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Apathetic Response to $1 Billion Prisoner COVID Benefit Scam

Frustrated California district attorneys are sounding the alarm about Governor Gavin Newsom ’ s apathetic response to the California prisoner unemployment scam that ’ s bilked state taxpayers out more than $ 1 billion dollars of COVID-19 relief funds .
Nine DAs sent the governor a second letter which reveals the governor ’ s inaction on what could be the “ biggest fraud of taxpayer dollars in California history.
” The district attorneys from nine of California ’ s largest counties recently called out the governor in an attempt to get him to respond to the huge scam that saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quentin , such as murderer Scott Peterson , get $ 20,000 each in COVID related unemployment benefits .
There ’ s so much fraud and there are so few checks and balances in the Employment Development Department program that PJ Media recently reported about a one-year-old baby receiving unemployment benefits .
Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and others held a news conference days ago to apply more pressure on the governor to address the unprecedented prison scam .
It includes rapists and child molesters , human traffickers and other violent criminals in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will be the biggest fraud of taxpayer dollars in California history .
We need to turn off the spigot .
Right now there is no cross-matching between the incarceration data and EDD on a routine basis like it ’ s done in 35 other states .
Newsom ’ s lack of action on the issue and the DAs calling it out are sending secondary shockwaves .
In addition to Sacramento ’ s district attorney , the DAs from Ventura , San Diego , Fresno , El Dorado , Monterey , Lassen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second letter outlining the “ staggering ” extent of the rip-off and strongly requested the governor get with the program to go after the criminals .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Frustrated California district attorneys are sounding the alarm about Governor Gavin Newsom’s apathetic response to the California prisoner unemployment scam that’s bilked state taxpayers out more than $1 billion dollars of COVID-19 relief funds. Nine DAs sent the governor a second letter which reveals the governor’s inaction on what could be the “biggest fraud of taxpayer dollars in California history.”
The district attorneys from nine of California’s largest counties recently called out the governor in an attempt to get him to respond to the huge scam that saw some of the worst criminals at San Quentin, such as murderer Scott Peterson, get $20,000 each in COVID related unemployment benefits. There’s so much fraud and there are so few checks and balances in the Employment Development Department program that PJ Media recently reported about a one-year-old baby receiving unemployment benefits.
Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and others held a news conference days ago to apply more pressure on the governor to address the unprecedented prison scam.
It includes rapists and child molesters, human traffickers and other violent criminals in our state prisons. It is perhaps and will be the biggest fraud of taxpayer dollars in California history. We need to turn off the spigot. Right now there is no cross-matching between the incarceration data and EDD [the Employmetn Developent Department] on a routine basis like it’s done in 35 other states.
Newsom’s lack of action on the issue and the DAs calling it out are sending secondary shockwaves.
In addition to Sacramento’s district attorney, the DAs from Ventura, San Diego, Fresno, El Dorado, Monterey, Lassen, Marin, and Riverside Counties signed a second letter outlining the “staggering” extent of the rip-off and strongly requested the governor get with the program to go after the criminals. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--FDA Confirms Pfizer Vaccine 95% Effective, Warns Of ‘Severe Adverse Reactions’ After Dose 2

Pfizer and partner BioNTech ’ s COVID-19 vaccine meets expectations on agency guidance and is enough to spur an agency review , according to staff of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .
However , one thing of note in the ‘ risk ’ section includes : The vaccine has been shown to elicit increased local and systemic adverse reactions as compared to those in the placebo arm , usually lasting a few days… The most common solicited adverse reactions were injection site reactions ( 84.1 % ) , fatigue ( 62.9 % ) , headache ( 55.1 % ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chills ( 31.9 % ) , joint pain ( 23.6 % ) , fever ( 14.2 % ) Severe adverse reactions occurred in 0.0-4.6 % of participants , were more frequent after Dose 2 than after Dose 1 and were generally less frequent in older adults ( > 55 years of age ) ( < 2.8 % ) as compared to younger participants ( ≤4.6 % ) .
Among reported unsolicited adverse events , lymphadenopathy occurred much more frequently in the vaccine group than the placebo group and is plausibly related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is on track to be the first shot to get an emergency authorization in the US.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Pfizer and partner BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine meets expectations on agency guidance and is enough to spur an agency review, according to staff of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
However, one thing of note in the ‘risk’ section includes:
The vaccine has been shown to elicit increased local and systemic adverse reactions as compared to those in the placebo arm, usually lasting a few days… The most common solicited adverse reactions were injection site reactions (84.1%), fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%), muscle pain (38.3%), chills (31.9%), joint pain (23.6%), fever (14.2%) … Severe adverse reactions occurred in 0.0-4.6% of participants, were more frequent after Dose 2 than after Dose 1 and were generally less frequent in older adults (>55 years of age) (<2.8%) as compared to younger participants (≤4.6%). Among reported unsolicited adverse events, lymphadenopathy occurred much more frequently in the vaccine group than the placebo group and is plausibly related to vaccination.
The experimental vaccine, BNT162b2, is on track to be the first shot to get an emergency authorization in the US.- READ MORE
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truepundit--2020-12-10--Medical license of Oregon doctor revoked for questioning COVID-19, face mask efficacy

An Oregon medical doctor who allegedly dismissed the coronavirus as the “ common cold ” and blasphemed face masks by questioning their efficacy has now had his medical license revoked .
On Dec. 3 , the Oregon Medical Board issued an emergency suspension to revoke Dr. Steven LaTulippe ’ s medical license .
According to NBC News , the Oregon Medical Board took action after LaTulippe appeared at a “ Stop the Steal ” rally on Nov. 7 in Salem , Oregon , during which he dismissed the seriousness of COVID-19 .
“ I want you to know that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , from the time it was declared till now , ” LaTulippe said at the rally .
“ I hate to tell you this — it might scare you — but I and my staff , none of us once wore a mask in my clinic .
And how many problems did we have in our clinic from that ?
Zero .
Absolutely none.
” “ We have been utterly duped .
And I want you to know that this is insanity and the purpose was only to shut down the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Take off the mask of shame .
It is a mask that is just to design to control and to shut you down.
” - READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

An Oregon medical doctor who allegedly dismissed the coronavirus as the “common cold” and blasphemed face masks by questioning their efficacy has now had his medical license revoked.
On Dec. 3, the Oregon Medical Board issued an emergency suspension to revoke Dr. Steven LaTulippe’s medical license.
According to NBC News, the Oregon Medical Board took action after LaTulippe appeared at a “Stop the Steal” rally on Nov. 7 in Salem, Oregon, during which he dismissed the seriousness of COVID-19.
“I want you to know that I never shut down during the entire COVID season, from the time it was declared till now,” LaTulippe said at the rally. “I hate to tell you this — it might scare you — but I and my staff, none of us once wore a mask in my clinic. And how many problems did we have in our clinic from that? Zero. Absolutely none.”
“We have been utterly duped. And I want you to know that this is insanity and the purpose was only to shut down the American people,” he continued. “Take off the mask of shame. It is a mask that is just to design to control and to shut you down.”- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Minnesota resident’s Christmas light display shamed for ‘harmful impact’ to community in anonymous l

Minnesota resident’s Christmas light display shamed for ‘harmful impact’ to community in anonymous letter

St. Anthony , Minnesota resident Kim Hunt received an anonymous letter from a neighbor on Monday chastising she and her husband for their Christmas light display .
“ I couldn ’ t help but notice your Christmas light display .
During these unprecedented times , we have all experienced challenges which casual words just don ’ t describe what we ’ re feeling .
The idea of twinkling , colorful lights are a reminder of divisions that continue to run through our society , a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don ’ t celebrate Christmas or who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lights of their own , ” the letter , shared by Crime Watch Minneapolis , reads .
“ We must do the work of educating ourselves about the harmful impact an outward facing display like yours can have.
” The letter then challenges Hunt to “ respect the dignity of all people , while striving to learn from differences , ideas , and opinions of our neighbors.
” “ We must come together collectively and challenge these institutional inequities , ” the letter concludes .
“ St .
Anthony is a community welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better for ourselves.
” – READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

St. Anthony, Minnesota resident Kim Hunt received an anonymous letter from a neighbor on Monday chastising she and her husband for their Christmas light display.
“I couldn’t help but notice your Christmas light display. During these unprecedented times, we have all experienced challenges which casual words just don’t describe what we’re feeling. The idea of twinkling, colorful lights are a reminder of divisions that continue to run through our society, a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don’t celebrate Christmas or who can’t afford to put up lights of their own,” the letter, shared by Crime Watch Minneapolis, reads. “We must do the work of educating ourselves about the harmful impact an outward facing display like yours can have.”
St. Anthony resident receives anonymous letter chastising them for their Christmas light display and calls it a reminder of “systemic biases against our neighbors who don’t celebrate Christmas or can’t afford to put up lights of their own.”
It further calls the lights “harmful.” pic.twitter.com/Xh11jbnswz — CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) December 7, 2020
The letter then challenges Hunt to “respect the dignity of all people, while striving to learn from differences, ideas, and opinions of our neighbors.”
“We must come together collectively and challenge these institutional inequities,” the letter concludes. “St. Anthony is a community welcoming of all people and we must demand better for ourselves.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--California Restaurants to Sue Governor Over Lockdown Order

More than a dozen California restaurants are suing Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D. ) over his coronavirus lockdown order @ @ @ @ @ t be forced to close without compensation .
Nineteen restaurants that collectively employ more than @ @ @ @ @ the suit , according to the southern California local news network KGET .
The three-week-long @ @ @ @ @ night requires restaurants to serve only takeout or delivery , while many types of businesses @ @ @ @ @ , based on their region ’ s availability of intensive care units .
The order @ @ @ @ @ most parts of the state , also prohibits private gatherings with people from outside one @ @ @ @ @ “ nonessential travel.
” Newsom has faced a string of lawsuits throughout the year over @ @ @ @ @ businesses to close and prohibited churches from gathering .
Two California counties over the weekend @ @ @ @ @ enforce the governor ’ s lockdown orders .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful @ @ @ @ @

More than a dozen California restaurants are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom (D.) over his coronavirus lockdown order, arguing they can’t be forced to close without compensation.
Nineteen restaurants that collectively employ more than 400 workers will be filing the suit, according to the southern California local news network KGET.
The three-week-long order that took effect Sunday night requires restaurants to serve only takeout or delivery, while many types of businesses are forced to close completely, based on their region’s availability of intensive care units. The order, which is placed on most parts of the state, also prohibits private gatherings with people from outside one’s household and bans “nonessential travel.”
Newsom has faced a string of lawsuits throughout the year over increased restrictions that have forced businesses to close and prohibited churches from gathering. Two California counties over the weekend said they will refuse to enforce the governor’s lockdown orders. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Warnock Voter-Registration Group Received $482,000 in PPP Loans

While Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock has slammed his Republican opponent for “ playing political games ” with COVID-19 relief , @ @ @ @ @ raked in $ 482,000 in coronavirus bailout money .
The New Georgia Project , a @ @ @ @ @ Abrams and helmed by Warnock until earlier this year , took in the nearly half-million-dollar @ @ @ @ @ Program , new data show .
The loan program was created to help small businesses @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Warnock has attacked his opponent , Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler , over the @ @ @ @ @ “ Georgians are wondering when are they going to get some COVID-19 relief , ” @ @ @ @ @ debate .
“ They ’ re wondering who is going to put small businesses in @ @ @ @ @ giants.
” The Senate hopeful ’ s website advocates for greater transparency in the program @ @ @ @ @ are not ignored “ in favor of wealthy corporations that are politically well-connected.
” – @ @ @ @ @ insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

While Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock has slammed his Republican opponent for “playing political games” with COVID-19 relief, the voter-registration group he ran raked in $482,000 in coronavirus bailout money.
The New Georgia Project, a voter-registration nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams and helmed by Warnock until earlier this year, took in the nearly half-million-dollar sum from the Paycheck Protection Program, new data show. The loan program was created to help small businesses struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic.
Warnock has attacked his opponent, Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, over the distribution of the loans.
“Georgians are wondering when are they going to get some COVID-19 relief,” Warnock said during a Sunday debate. “They’re wondering who is going to put small businesses in front of the large corporate giants.”
The Senate hopeful’s website advocates for greater transparency in the program to make sure small businesses are not ignored “in favor of wealthy corporations that are politically well-connected.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--FDA Says 2 Participants In Pfizer COVID Vaccine Trial Have Died

With the FDA expected to grant emergency-use approval for the Pfizer-BionTech COVID vaccine Thursday after releasing a preliminary assessment of the trial data that the panel will use to assess the drug earlier today , the agency has admitted Tuesday that two participants in the Phase 3 trials have died .
One of them was immunocompromised , according to the Jerusalem Post , citing data released earlier .
The FDA is expected to release two separate assessments of the trial data before a panel of experts meets to review the data and either approve Pfizer ’ s request for emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also comes after the FDA warned of a “ severe averse reaction ” frequently seen in patients after taking the second dose .
In the US , there has been at least one other trial participant who reportedly died not long after receiving the second dose .
The participant in that case was a priest in Philadelphia who participated in the Moderna trial .
In the UK , two patients were seriously sickened during the trial of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine ( though Oxford later said the illnesses had nothing to do with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities briefly halted a trial of Sinovac ’ s experimental COVID vaccine after a participant died .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

With the FDA expected to grant emergency-use approval for the Pfizer-BionTech COVID vaccine Thursday after releasing a preliminary assessment of the trial data that the panel will use to assess the drug earlier today, the agency has admitted Tuesday that two participants in the Phase 3 trials have died. One of them was immunocompromised, according to the Jerusalem Post, citing data released earlier.
The FDA is expected to release two separate assessments of the trial data before a panel of experts meets to review the data and either approve Pfizer’s request for emergency approval, or deny it.
This also comes after the FDA warned of a “severe averse reaction” frequently seen in patients after taking the second dose.
In the US, there has been at least one other trial participant who reportedly died not long after receiving the second dose. The participant in that case was a priest in Philadelphia who participated in the Moderna trial. In the UK, two patients were seriously sickened during the trial of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine (though Oxford later said the illnesses had nothing to do with the trial). While In Brazil, authorities briefly halted a trial of Sinovac’s experimental COVID vaccine after a participant died. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Jenna Ellis: Swing-State Legislatures Will Reject ‘False Corrupt Results,’ Switch Electors to Trump

On Monday , President Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney Jenna Ellis predicted that legislatures in four key swing states would reverse their certifications of 2020 election results showing Democrat Joe Biden prevailing over Trump , exercising their authority to change the way electors in the Electoral College are apportioned and handing the president the election .
This legislative approach represents another facet of the Trump team ’ s push to reverse the allegedly tainted results .
“ We do have the parallel paths .
We are continuing on in the judiciary and I do anticipate that we will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Fox Business ’ s Charles Payne .
The legislative approach represents an alternate path to the same result .
Ellis said she and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have been “ going to the state legislators and telling them that they actually have the constitutionally-delegated authority to make sure that they select their delegates in the manner that does not allow for corruption.
” “ When all of these rules and laws in these states have been ignored , it ’ s actually their constitutional obligation , responsibility , and exclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back their delegates and they don ’ t allow these false certifications to move forward , ” the Trump lawyer argued .
Ellis predicted that the legislatures of Arizona , Georgia , Pennsylvania , and Michigan would use their authority over determining Electoral College electors in order to reverse the fraud which Ellis argued was responsible for Biden ’ s margin in those states .
“ So , we ’ re very confident that at least in Georgia , and hopefully also in Arizona , in Pennsylvania , and also in Michigan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity very seriously , they will reclaim their delegates before the 14th and that they will then do their own election integrity independent investigation and then they will certify to the Electoral College the delegates that actually reflects the will of the people , not these false corrupt results , ” the lawyer predicted.- READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

On Monday, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Jenna Ellis predicted that legislatures in four key swing states would reverse their certifications of 2020 election results showing Democrat Joe Biden prevailing over Trump, exercising their authority to change the way electors in the Electoral College are apportioned and handing the president the election. This legislative approach represents another facet of the Trump team’s push to reverse the allegedly tainted results.
“We do have the parallel paths. We are continuing on in the judiciary and I do anticipate that we will get to the Supreme Court,” Ellis told Fox Business’s Charles Payne. The legislative approach represents an alternate path to the same result.
Ellis said she and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have been “going to the state legislators and telling them that they actually have the constitutionally-delegated authority to make sure that they select their delegates in the manner that does not allow for corruption.”
“When all of these rules and laws in these states have been ignored, it’s actually their constitutional obligation, responsibility, and exclusive power to make sure that they take back their delegates and they don’t allow these false certifications to move forward,” the Trump lawyer argued.
Ellis predicted that the legislatures of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan would use their authority over determining Electoral College electors in order to reverse the fraud which Ellis argued was responsible for Biden’s margin in those states.
“So, we’re very confident that at least in Georgia, and hopefully also in Arizona, in Pennsylvania, and also in Michigan that these state legislatures will really take election integrity very seriously, they will reclaim their delegates before the 14th [the date on which electors will cast their votes in their separate states] and that they will then do their own election integrity independent investigation and then they will certify to the Electoral College the delegates that actually reflects the will of the people, not these false corrupt results,” the lawyer predicted.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Rep. Jim Jordan Says There Is ‘No Way’ Trump Should Concede the Election

President Donald Trump has refused to concede the 2020 presidential election and many Republican lawmakers have been silent on calling @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) is speaking out , saying that Trump should not @ @ @ @ @ asked by CNN if Trump should concede next Monday , to which he said , @ @ @ @ @ , no way , no way.
” The Republican lawmaker added , “ We should @ @ @ @ @ exactly what took place here .
And as I said that includes , I think @ @ @ @ @ floor — potentially on January 6.
” On Jan. 6 , 2021 , there will @ @ @ @ @ by the Senate and House of Representatives , where a lawmaker may challenge the electoral @ @ @ @ @ to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

President Donald Trump has refused to concede the 2020 presidential election and many Republican lawmakers have been silent on calling Joe Biden the president-elect.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is speaking out, saying that Trump should not concede yet.
Jordan was asked by CNN if Trump should concede next Monday, to which he said, “No. No way, no way, no way.”
The Republican lawmaker added, “We should still try to figure out exactly what took place here. And as I said that includes, I think, debates on the House floor — potentially on January 6.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, there will be a joint session held by the Senate and House of Representatives, where a lawmaker may challenge the electoral vote returns.- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Ted Cruz says he’ll argue Pennsylvania election case if SCOTUS decides to hear it

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says if the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a case filed by fellow Republicans challenging Pennsylvania ’ s election results , he will be the one to deliver the petitioners ’ argument before the high court .
Last month , a group of individuals led by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly ( R ) and GOP congressional candidate Sean Parnell filed a lawsuit arguing that universal mail-in voting is unconstitutional in the state .
According to USA Today , the petitioners seek to “ invalidate more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots that Pennsylvanians used to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously threw out the case , so Kelly and his co-petitioners filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Sen. Cruz then promptly issued a statement urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Kelly ’ s and Parnell ’ s appeal , saying that the case “ raises serious legal issues ” and arguing that “ hearing this case now — on an emergency expedited basis — would be an important step in helping rebuild confidence in the integrity of our democratic system.
” - READ MORE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Below --

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says if the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a case filed by fellow Republicans challenging Pennsylvania’s election results, he will be the one to deliver the petitioners’ argument before the high court.
Last month, a group of individuals led by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R) and GOP congressional candidate Sean Parnell filed a lawsuit arguing that universal mail-in voting is unconstitutional in the state. According to USA Today, the petitioners seek to “invalidate more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots that Pennsylvanians used to vote in the Nov. 3 election.”
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court unanimously threw out the case, so Kelly and his co-petitioners filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sen. Cruz then promptly issued a statement urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Kelly’s and Parnell’s appeal, saying that the case “raises serious legal issues” and arguing that “hearing this case now — on an emergency expedited basis — would be an important step in helping rebuild confidence in the integrity of our democratic system.”- READ MORE
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truepundit--2020-12-10--Fulton County Commission Accepted $6.3 Million Grant from Zuckerberg-Funded ‘Safe Elections’ Project

Fulton County Commission Accepted $6.3 Million Grant from Zuckerberg-Funded ‘Safe Elections’ Project with No Public Discussion

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a $ 6.3 million grant from the Mark-Zuckerberg funded Center for Technology and Civic Life “ Safe Elections ” project at a September 2 , 2020 board meeting .
It proceeded without asking a single question about the name of the group providing the funding , the origin of the funding , or the details of what the funding would be used for .
As Breitbart News reported , a significant chain of custody security concerns surround absentee ballots deposited in the 300 drop boxes across the state approved by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said it had no idea how many of the 1.3 million absentee ballots ( out of five million total votes cast ) counted in the 2020 general presidential election were delivered by drop boxes vs. delivered by the mail .
According to the most recent vote tallies Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes .
In Fulton County , Biden received 381,144 votes compared to Donald Trump ’ s 137,240 .
Of the 523,000 total votes cast , Fulton County says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were Absentee by Mail , 314,985 were Advanced Voting Votes , and 3.537 were Provisional Votes .
– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a $6.3 million grant from the Mark-Zuckerberg funded Center for Technology and Civic Life “Safe Elections” project at a September 2, 2020 board meeting. It proceeded without asking a single question about the name of the group providing the funding, the origin of the funding, or the details of what the funding would be used for.
As Breitbart News reported, a significant chain of custody security concerns surround absentee ballots deposited in the 300 drop boxes across the state approved by the Georgia State Election Board.
The office of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said it had no idea how many of the 1.3 million absentee ballots (out of five million total votes cast) counted in the 2020 general presidential election were delivered by drop boxes vs. delivered by the mail.
According to the most recent vote tallies Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes.
In Fulton County, Biden received 381,144 votes compared to Donald Trump’s 137,240. Of the 523,000 total votes cast, Fulton County says 59,143 were Election Day votes, 146.994 were Absentee by Mail , 314,985 were Advanced Voting Votes, and 3.537 were Provisional Votes. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Supreme Court denies pro-Trump bid to nullify election results in Pennsylvania

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by Republican allies of President Donald Trump to undo the election results in @ @ @ @ @ state lawmakers had requested their petition to be seen by the U.S. Supreme Court but @ @ @ @ @ any reasoning or offering any dissent to the order .
The allies of the president @ @ @ @ @ legislature had improperly passed an act to allow universal mail-in balloting , which they said @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s constitution .
That was denied by the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court , @ @ @ @ @ was filed too late .
The plaintiffs ’ demand before the U.S. Supreme Court was @ @ @ @ @ million mail-in ballots be nullified in the election , or that the results of the @ @ @ @ @ READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by Republican allies of President Donald Trump to undo the election results in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Republican state lawmakers had requested their petition to be seen by the U.S. Supreme Court but that was denied without proving any reasoning or offering any dissent to the order.
The allies of the president had charged that the Republican-controlled legislature had improperly passed an act to allow universal mail-in balloting, which they said was in violation of the state’s constitution.
That was denied by the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court, which said that the challenge was filed too late.
The plaintiffs’ demand before the U.S. Supreme Court was that either more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots be nullified in the election, or that the results of the entire election be nullified – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Elon Musk: Bye, California, I’ve Moved To Texas

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday , Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed he has left California and moved to Texas .
Musk , who has had more than one home in Los Angeles and one in the Bay Area , made the announcement at the The Wall Street Journal ’ s CEO Council annual summit in an interview with editor-in-chief Matt Murray .
Musk ’ s move comes after months of him openly criticizing the state of California ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
At the end of April , speaking on a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelter-in-place orders around the nation , calling them “ fascist.
” Musk stated , according to The Verge .
“ We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area , and that should be identified as a serious risk , ” said Musk .
“ The expansion of shelter-in-place , or as we call it , forcibly imprisoning people in their homes , against all their constitutional rights , is , in my opinion , breaking people ’ s freedoms in ways that are horrible and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to America and built this country .
What the f*** !
” He continued : “ If somebody wants to stay in the house that ’ s great .
They should be allowed to stay in the house and they should not be compelled to leave .
But to say that they can not leave their house and they will be arrested if they do… this is fascist .
This is not democratic .
This is not freedom .
Give people back their godd*mn freedom … Everything people have worked for all their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think the people are going to be very angry about this and are very angry.
” - READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed he has left California and moved to Texas.
Musk, who has had more than one home in Los Angeles and one in the Bay Area, made the announcement at the The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council annual summit in an interview with editor-in-chief Matt Murray.
Musk’s move comes after months of him openly criticizing the state of California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of April, speaking on a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday, Musk ramped up his rhetoric about shelter-in-place orders around the nation, calling them “fascist.” Musk stated, according to The Verge.
“We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area, and that should be identified as a serious risk,” said Musk. “The expansion of shelter-in-place, or as we call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes, against all their constitutional rights, is, in my opinion, breaking people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong, and not why people came to America and built this country. What the f***!”
He continued: “If somebody wants to stay in the house that’s great. They should be allowed to stay in the house and they should not be compelled to leave. But to say that they cannot leave their house and they will be arrested if they do… this is fascist. This is not democratic. This is not freedom. Give people back their godd*mn freedom … Everything people have worked for all their lives is being destroyed in real time. I think the people are going to be very angry about this and are very angry.”- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Gowdy: Pelosi ‘despicable’ for stalling coronavirus relief for political reasons

Fox News contributor Trey Gowdy slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi Monday for owing her sudden flexibility on coronavirus relief to Joe Biden ‘ s election win , calling it one of the “ most despicable things ” he ’ d ever heard a leader say .
“ That ’ s one of the dumbest and also most despicable things I have ever heard an elected leader say , ” Gowdy said on “ The Daily Briefing.
” “ That because Joe Biden won it ’ s OK to do it … When you are suffering when you ’ re in economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about politics.
” During negotiations over a second coronavirus relief bill , Pelosi had refused to back anything less than $ 2 trillion that included unrelated liberal pet issues , such as a limit to tax breaks for affluent people .
She then signaled her support last week for a bipartisan , $ 908-billion package , citing that “ we have a new president ” and vaccines are on the way .
“ What is missing is if Paul Ryan or John Boehner said or done what she just said , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gowdy , who served under both men as a South Carolina congressman .
“ It really is so outrageous .
It ’ s hard to get me upset but what she just said makes me madder than hell.
” - READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

Fox News contributor Trey Gowdy slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi Monday for owing her sudden flexibility on coronavirus relief to Joe Biden‘s election win, calling it one of the “most despicable things” he’d ever heard a leader say.
“That’s one of the dumbest and also most despicable things I have ever heard an elected leader say,” Gowdy said on “The Daily Briefing.” “That because Joe Biden won it’s OK to do it … When you are suffering when you’re in economic self-defense mode, you don’t care about politics.”
During negotiations over a second coronavirus relief bill, Pelosi had refused to back anything less than $2 trillion that included unrelated liberal pet issues, such as a limit to tax breaks for affluent people. She then signaled her support last week for a bipartisan, $908-billion package, citing that “we have a new president” and vaccines are on the way.
“What is missing is if [former Speakers] Paul Ryan or John Boehner said or done what she just said, there would be media outcry,” said Gowdy, who served under both men as a South Carolina congressman. “It really is so outrageous. It’s hard to get me upset but what she just said makes me madder than hell.”- READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--Texas Sues Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin at Supreme Court over Election Rules

The State of Texas filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court shortly before midnight on Monday challenging the election procedures in Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin on the grounds that they violate the Constitution .
Texas argues that these states violated the Electors Clause of the Constitution because they made changes to voting rules and procedures through the courts or through executive actions , but not through the state legislatures .
Additionally , Texas argues that there were differences in voting rules and procedures in different counties within the states , violating the Constitution ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas argues that there were “ voting irregularities ” in these states as a result of the above .
Texas is asking the Supreme Court to order the states to allow their legislatures to appoint their electors .
The lawsuit says : Certain officials in the Defendant States presented the pandemic as the justification for ignoring state laws regarding absentee and mail-in voting .
The Defendant States flooded their citizenry with tens of millions of ballot applications and ballots in derogation of statutory controls as to how they are lawfully received , evaluated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not , these unconstitutional acts had the same uniform effect—they made the 2020 election less secure in the Defendant States .
Those changes are inconsistent with relevant state laws and were made by non-legislative entities , without any consent by the state legislatures .
The acts of these officials thus directly violated the Constitution.– READ MORE Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --

The State of Texas filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court shortly before midnight on Monday challenging the election procedures in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on the grounds that they violate the Constitution.
Texas argues that these states violated the Electors Clause of the Constitution because they made changes to voting rules and procedures through the courts or through executive actions, but not through the state legislatures. Additionally, Texas argues that there were differences in voting rules and procedures in different counties within the states, violating the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Finally, Texas argues that there were “voting irregularities” in these states as a result of the above.
Texas is asking the Supreme Court to order the states to allow their legislatures to appoint their electors. The lawsuit says:
Certain officials in the Defendant States presented the pandemic as the justification for ignoring state laws regarding absentee and mail-in voting. The Defendant States flooded their citizenry with tens of millions of ballot applications and ballots in derogation of statutory controls as to how they are lawfully received, evaluated, and counted. Whether well intentioned or not, these unconstitutional acts had the same uniform effect—they made the 2020 election less secure in the Defendant States. Those changes are inconsistent with relevant state laws and were made by non-legislative entities, without any consent by the state legislatures. The acts of these officials thus directly violated the Constitution.– READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --


truepundit--2020-12-10--NYC Synagogue Barred By State From Holding Wedding Hosts Around 5,000 For Funeral

A synagogue in Brooklyn , New York , held a large funeral on Monday after the state prohibited it from hosting a wedding in October due to COVID-19 , the New York Post reported .
The funeral for former chief Satmar judge Rabbi Yisroel Chaim Menashe Friedman , 94 , drew around 5,000 attendees , the Post reported .
People stood close together inside the building and outside on the sidewalk and few were reportedly wearing masks .
“ Normally , we would avoid having such a crowd unless it was for something very , very important .
This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendee named Lipa said , the Post reported .
Another man attending the funeral said he believes that the community is immune to COVID-19 because most everyone has already had it , the Post reported .
“ Ask anybody here if they had COVID .
They ’ ll say yes — and they won ’ t be lying , ’ ’ the man said , the Post reported .
“ People from the outside , they don ’ t understand that .
We ’ ve all had it.
” Five New York Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby , according to the Post .
“ This man was a giant , ’ ’ Lipa said about Friedman , the Post reported .
“ He was there from the beginning , when the community was rebuilding after the war .
A very , very holy man .
For someone like him , you couldn ’ t keep people from coming even if you wanted to.
” A crowd of males was reportedly seen not wearing face coverings or practicing social distancing , according to the Post .
An official made face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardly anyone inside wore one .
The Grand Rabbi who oversaw Friedman ’ s funeral , Zalman Leib Teitelbaum ’ s grandchild was supposed to be married at the synagogue last October , the Post reported .
The ceremony was expected to draw around 10,000 attendees , causing Democratic Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo to issue a state order against the gathering .
Indoor religious services are only allowed at 33 % capacity , according to the New York State website .
The synagogue ’ s maximum occupancy , without applying COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the New York City Department of Buildings .

A synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, held a large funeral on Monday after the state prohibited it from hosting a wedding in October due to COVID-19, the New York Post reported.
The funeral for former chief Satmar judge Rabbi Yisroel Chaim Menashe Friedman, 94, drew around 5,000 attendees, the Post reported. People stood close together inside the building and outside on the sidewalk and few were reportedly wearing masks.
“Normally, we would avoid having such a crowd unless it was for something very, very important. This was one of those times,” an attendee named Lipa said, the Post reported.
Another man attending the funeral said he believes that the community is immune to COVID-19 because most everyone has already had it, the Post reported.
“Ask anybody here if they had COVID. They’ll say yes — and they won’t be lying,’’ the man said, the Post reported. “People from the outside, they don’t understand that. We’ve all had it.”
New York City officials are investigating a funeral at a Brooklyn synagogue that reportedly drew thousands of attendees, in what would be a violation of the city’s COVID-19 restrictions https://t.co/LXkxjfmZ8K — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 8, 2020
Five New York Police Department officers reportedly watched the gathering from nearby, according to the Post.
“This man was a giant,’’ Lipa said about Friedman, the Post reported. “He was there from the beginning, when the community was rebuilding after the war. A very, very holy man. For someone like him, you couldn’t keep people from coming even if you wanted to.”
A crowd of males was reportedly seen not wearing face coverings or practicing social distancing, according to the Post. An official made face coverings available to the crowd, though hardly anyone inside wore one.
The Grand Rabbi who oversaw Friedman’s funeral, Zalman Leib Teitelbaum’s grandchild was supposed to be married at the synagogue last October, the Post reported. The ceremony was expected to draw around 10,000 attendees, causing Democratic Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo to issue a state order against the gathering.
Indoor religious services are only allowed at 33% capacity, according to the New York State website. The synagogue’s maximum occupancy, without applying COVID-19 restrictions, is 1,600 people, according to the New York City Department of Buildings.


truepundit--2020-12-10--Biden’s Likely Pick For USDA Tried To Resign From Same Position Under Obama Because He Had ‘Literall

Biden’s Likely Pick For USDA Tried To Resign From Same Position Under Obama Because He Had ‘Literally Nothing To Do’

Tom Vilsack , President-elect Joe Biden ’ s likely pick to lead the Department of Agriculture , mulled a resignation from that same position during Barack Obama ’ s presidency because he had “ literally nothing to do.
” Former Agriculture Sec .
Tom Vilsack informed former President Barack Obama during a 2015 Oval Office meeting that he wanted to resign citing the boredom of the job , The Washington Post reported .
Now , five years later , President-elect Joe Biden is strongly considering Vilsack for that same position he held throughout the Obama administration , transition officials told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have literally nothing to do , ” Vilsack recalled thinking as he considered resigning , according to the Post .
“ Mr .
President , I think it ’ s time to go , ” he told Obama during their 2015 meeting , the Post reported .
Obama eventually convinced Vilsack – who had been the president ’ s longest-serving cabinet secretary , according to Ballotpedia – not to resign and gave him a new assignment to oversee the White House response to the opioid crisis , according to the Post .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rural areas hit hardest by the crisis from New England and Appalachia to Nevada .
Despite his reported issues with the job , Vilsack made several achievements while leading the Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) , according to his official department biography .
He improved U.S. conservation efforts , was involved with drawing up a trade agreement with South Korea , Colombia and Panama and invested in food assistance programs .
Vilsack previously served as governor of Iowa , according to Politico .
He has been an adviser on agriculture and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden had been leaning toward naming either Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge or former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to lead USDA as recently as two weeks ago , according to Newsweek .

Tom Vilsack, President-elect Joe Biden’s likely pick to lead the Department of Agriculture, mulled a resignation from that same position during Barack Obama’s presidency because he had “literally nothing to do.”
Former Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack informed former President Barack Obama during a 2015 Oval Office meeting that he wanted to resign citing the boredom of the job, The Washington Post reported. Now, five years later, President-elect Joe Biden is strongly considering Vilsack for that same position he held throughout the Obama administration, transition officials told Politico.
“There are days when I have literally nothing to do,” Vilsack recalled thinking as he considered resigning, according to the Post.
“Mr. President, I think it’s time to go,” he told Obama during their 2015 meeting, the Post reported.
Obama eventually convinced Vilsack – who had been the president’s longest-serving cabinet secretary, according to Ballotpedia – not to resign and gave him a new assignment to oversee the White House response to the opioid crisis, according to the Post. The new task allowed Vilsack to travel to rural areas hit hardest by the crisis from New England and Appalachia to Nevada.
Despite his reported issues with the job, Vilsack made several achievements while leading the Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to his official department biography. He improved U.S. conservation efforts, was involved with drawing up a trade agreement with South Korea, Colombia and Panama and invested in food assistance programs.
Vilsack previously served as governor of Iowa, according to Politico. He has been an adviser on agriculture and rural issues for Biden’s campaign.
Biden had been leaning toward naming either Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge or former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to lead USDA as recently as two weeks ago, according to Newsweek.


truepundit--2020-12-10--Biden’s HHS Pick Once Said Religious Institutions Don’t Merit The Same Freedoms As Individuals

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s choice for health secretary said in 2017 that institutions do not merit the same religious freedom protections under the Constitution as individuals , video footage shows .
During his 2017 confirmation hearings to become attorney general of California , Xavier Becerra was questioned on religious freedom protections by Assemblyman James Gallagher , according to video footage posted by the California Family Council .
Gallagher pushed Becerra to explain his stances on legislation such as SB 1146 requiring private religious universities to modify their faith-based codes or face penalizations .
“ On religious protections , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Becerra told Gallagher .
“ I think it is important to distinguish between protections that you are affording to the individual to exercise his or her religion freely , ” Becerra said , “ versus protections you are giving to some institution or entity who is essentially bootstrapping the first amendment protections on behalf of somebody else.
” Gallagher later said that Becerra ’ s comments showed a “ fundamental misunderstanding of the freedom of religion and freedom of association , ” video posted by the California Family Council showed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Amendment applies just as much to the mosque as it does to the Muslim ; it applies just as much to the gurdwara as it does to the Sikh ; it applies just as much to the church as it does to the Christian , ” Gallagher said .
“ It applies just as much to religious non-profits , universities , and places of education .
Their religious rights need to be protected just as much.
” Becerra did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominate the California attorney general for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday .
Biden ’ s selection of Becerra “ raises grave concerns , ” California Family Council President Jonathan Keller said in a statement .
“ The Secretary of HHS is one of the most important positions in the federal government , ” Keller said , calling Becerra a “ radical ideologue who rejects First Amendment protections for religious organizations.
” “ It ’ s hard to see how nominating such an activist is consistent with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president for all Americans , ” he said .

President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for health secretary said in 2017 that institutions do not merit the same religious freedom protections under the Constitution as individuals, video footage shows.
During his 2017 confirmation hearings to become attorney general of California, Xavier Becerra was questioned on religious freedom protections by Assemblyman James Gallagher, according to video footage posted by the California Family Council.
Gallagher pushed Becerra to explain his stances on legislation such as SB 1146 requiring private religious universities to modify their faith-based codes or face penalizations.
“On religious protections, the protection for religion is for the individual,” Becerra told Gallagher.
“I think it is important to distinguish between protections that you are affording to the individual to exercise his or her religion freely,” Becerra said, “versus protections you are giving to some institution or entity who is essentially bootstrapping the first amendment protections on behalf of somebody else.”
Gallagher later said that Becerra’s comments showed a “fundamental misunderstanding of the freedom of religion and freedom of association,” video posted by the California Family Council showed.
“The freedom of religion and the First Amendment applies just as much to the mosque as it does to the Muslim; it applies just as much to the gurdwara as it does to the Sikh; it applies just as much to the church as it does to the Christian,” Gallagher said. “It applies just as much to religious non-profits, universities, and places of education. Their religious rights need to be protected just as much.”
Becerra did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Biden announced that he would nominate the California attorney general for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday.
Biden’s selection of Becerra “raises grave concerns,” California Family Council President Jonathan Keller said in a statement.
“The Secretary of HHS is one of the most important positions in the federal government,” Keller said, calling Becerra a “radical ideologue who rejects First Amendment protections for religious organizations.”
“It’s hard to see how nominating such an activist is consistent with Mr. Biden’s pledge to be a president for all Americans,” he said.