westernjournal--2020-07-31--AOC Rails Against Statue of Missionary, Saint in ‘White Supremacist Culture’ Rant

The statue of a Catholic saint who served people with leprosy in Hawaii is an example of colonialism and white supremacy , New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested in an Instagram story on Thursday .
In the video , one of several criticizing the number of white male figures represented in the U.S. Capitol , Ocasio-Cortez refers to the “ patriarchy and white supremacist culture ” and pans to Hawaii ’ s statue of Father Damien , a Belgium-born 19th-century priest who dedicated his life to a leper colony on the island of Molokai and eventually died from the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol .
“ This is what patriarchy and white supremacist culture looks like !
It ’ s not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture & how it impacts the present day , ” Ocasio-Cortez said .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate “ It ’ s not Queen Lili ’ uokalani of Hawaii , the only Queen Regent of Hawaii , who is immortalized and whose story is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This isn ’ t to litigate each and every individual statue , but to point out the patterns that have emerged among the totality of them in who we are taught to deify in our nation ’ s Capitol : virtually all men , all white , and mostly both , ” Ocasio-Cortez said .
While serving the colony , Father Damien built six chapels , heard confessions , celebrated mass daily , constructed coffins and dug graves until he contracted leprosy , according to the Architect of the Capitol .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in October 2009 .
“ Even when we select figures to tell the stories of colonized places , it is the colonizers and settlers whose stories are told — and virtually no one else , ” Ocasio-Cortez said .
Hawaii ’ s other statue in the Capitol is of King Kamehameha I , who became king after unifying the Hawaiian islands in 1810 , according to the Architect of the Capitol .
The two statues were gifted to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Hawaii in April 1969 .
A version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Foundation website .
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The statue of a Catholic saint who served people with leprosy in Hawaii is an example of colonialism and white supremacy, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested in an Instagram story on Thursday.
In the video, one of several criticizing the number of white male figures represented in the U.S. Capitol, Ocasio-Cortez refers to the “patriarchy and white supremacist culture” and pans to Hawaii’s statue of Father Damien, a Belgium-born 19th-century priest who dedicated his life to a leper colony on the island of Molokai and eventually died from the disease, according to the Architect of the Capitol.
“This is what patriarchy and white supremacist culture looks like! It’s not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture & how it impacts the present day,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
. @AOC calls the statue in the US capitol building of Father Damien, a canonized saint in the Catholic Church, a part of “white supremacist culture.” Father Damien died of leprosy after spending his life serving others who had the disease. pic.twitter.com/NVnfCN7EVK — John Gage (@johnrobertgage) July 31, 2020
“It’s not Queen Lili’uokalani of Hawaii, the only Queen Regent of Hawaii, who is immortalized and whose story is told. It is Father Damien.”
“This isn’t to litigate each and every individual statue, but to point out the patterns that have emerged among the totality of them in who we are taught to deify in our nation’s Capitol: virtually all men, all white, and mostly both,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
While serving the colony, Father Damien built six chapels, heard confessions, celebrated mass daily, constructed coffins and dug graves until he contracted leprosy, according to the Architect of the Capitol.
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He became Saint Damien after the Vatican canonized him in October 2009.
“Even when we select figures to tell the stories of colonized places, it is the colonizers and settlers whose stories are told — and virtually no one else,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Hawaii’s other statue in the Capitol is of King Kamehameha I, who became king after unifying the Hawaiian islands in 1810, according to the Architect of the Capitol. The two statues were gifted to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Hawaii in April 1969.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Man Allegedly Opens Fire Because Mother and Son Weren’t Social Distancing, Police Say

The virtue signaling , intolerance for other viewpoints and general insanity in our culture mostly driven by the left has somehow centered around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s coronavirus safety recommendations , making violence against those who refuse to comply almost a commonplace occurrence .
Douglas Marks , emboldened by government edict and perhaps touched by a bit of mental illness ( increasingly difficult to assess in today ’ s culture ) allegedly opened fire on a mother and son because they were not socially distancing at a Miami Beach hotel Monday , according to USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Miami Herald as Veronica Pena , and her family had checked into Crystal Beach Suites Hotel earlier that day .
Pena took her son down to the lobby to wait for her boyfriend .
As the pair stood near an elevator , Marks allegedly confronted them for not practicing social distancing , although reports don ’ t specify whether Pena and her son were wearing masks .
“ You all need to leave , ” Marks said , according to a police report .
“ You all aren ’ t social distancing.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate Pena and her son instead moved to a lobby couch , but recounted she overheard the suspect say , “ Let me take care of them , I have two people not following directions.
” It was then that Marks grabbed a gun , and , claiming that someone was following him , told the front desk to call 911 and fired four “ warning shots ” in the lobby , according to his statements to police , WPLG-TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to scream commands to social distance while holding the firearm and subsequently fired several shots.
” “ The guy came and started shooting , ” a witness told WSVN-TV .
“ The son and the mom were , like , crying , and they were scared.
” “ ‘ Bam !
Bam !
’ Real loud , loud .
I just grabbed everybody and put them on the floor , ” Elio Rodriguez , another witness who was staying at the hotel with his family , told the outlet .
No one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confessed to the crime , was taken into police custody on several weapons and aggravated assault charges .
Video footage obtained by WPLG showed part of the arrest with Marks wearing a surgical mask and lying on the floor of the lobby in police handcuffs .
The lobby ’ s marble floor , dotted with bullet holes , revealed the gravity of the threat that the man and his weapon posed .
RELATED : Dems Blame Trump , Fundraise Off of HQ Arson - Turns Out Ex-Volunteer Admits Starting Blaze Although following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 is typically a wise thing to do , failing to do so should not be punishable by a bullet .
But Marks is not alone in allegedly treating those who don ’ t wish to follow the guidelines with contempt and violence .
A mother and her children were recently bullied for not wearing masks , while others have been maced or publicly humiliated for not complying , even as experts have previously disagreed on whether healthy people need to wear them .
As it is , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Infectious Diseases , has upped the ante by recommending wearing face shields or goggles as well , meaning that all of the face mask-monitoring “ Karens ” of the world will soon be shaming people who dare leave the house with naked eyeballs .
These requirements and some people ’ s enthusiasm for enforcing them are dividing America like never before , and creating the unintended consequences of the burdensome recommendations being politicized and weaponized by people with another agenda .
Even so , the more serious issue is the mentality that drives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon-toting — individuals .
They are often a frightening parody of the worst kind of religious crusading that , ironically , the atheistic left so often breathlessly warn about whenever religious people stand up for their freedoms .
When folks think they have the moral high ground and that anyone not espousing their viewpoint is evil and therefore must be vanquished , they can easily justify anti-social and violent behavior towards other humans .
This is what happens to a society when religious belief is edged out , creating a vacuum that inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While religious ideas and practices are often tempered by a fundamental respect for others that their faith provides , the atheistic alternative dangerously follows the leftists ’ views of the collective over the individual , meaning that lashing out violently is an acceptable remedy since just about anything or anyone can be sacrificed for the common good while stopping the spread of COVID-19 .
Although the atheistic left often cast religion as the culprit for violence and tyranny , it is instead the combination of fundamentalist morality divorced from the love of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanity , whether it is knocking down buildings or shooting at people for not maintaining the proper social distance .
Who will these folks — unmoored from religion , living in the tinderbox of coronavirus-induced poverty , anxiety and insanity — target next ?
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The virtue signaling, intolerance for other viewpoints and general insanity in our culture mostly driven by the left has somehow centered around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus safety recommendations, making violence against those who refuse to comply almost a commonplace occurrence.
Douglas Marks, emboldened by government edict and perhaps touched by a bit of mental illness (increasingly difficult to assess in today’s culture) allegedly opened fire on a mother and son because they were not socially distancing at a Miami Beach hotel Monday, according to USA Today.
The woman, identified by the Miami Herald as Veronica Pena, and her family had checked into Crystal Beach Suites Hotel earlier that day. Pena took her son down to the lobby to wait for her boyfriend.
As the pair stood near an elevator, Marks allegedly confronted them for not practicing social distancing, although reports don’t specify whether Pena and her son were wearing masks.
“You all need to leave,” Marks said, according to a police report. “You all aren’t social distancing.”
Pena and her son instead moved to a lobby couch, but recounted she overheard the suspect say, “Let me take care of them, I have two people not following directions.”
It was then that Marks grabbed a gun, and, claiming that someone was following him, told the front desk to call 911 and fired four “warning shots” in the lobby, according to his statements to police, WPLG-TV reported.
Police reported that Marks “continued to scream commands to social distance while holding the firearm and subsequently fired several shots.”
“The guy came and started shooting,” a witness told WSVN-TV. “The son and the mom were, like, crying, and they were scared.”
Do you think violence against those who don't comply with CDC coronavirus prevention methods will continue to increase? Yes No
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“‘Bam! Bam!’ Real loud, loud. I just grabbed everybody and put them on the floor,” Elio Rodriguez, another witness who was staying at the hotel with his family, told the outlet.
No one was injured, and Marks, who confessed to the crime, was taken into police custody on several weapons and aggravated assault charges.
Video footage obtained by WPLG showed part of the arrest with Marks wearing a surgical mask and lying on the floor of the lobby in police handcuffs.
The lobby’s marble floor, dotted with bullet holes, revealed the gravity of the threat that the man and his weapon posed.
https://youtu.be/Ii6r1WXJ5JE
Although following the CDC recommendations for stopping the spread of COVID-19 is typically a wise thing to do, failing to do so should not be punishable by a bullet.
But Marks is not alone in allegedly treating those who don’t wish to follow the guidelines with contempt and violence.
A mother and her children were recently bullied for not wearing masks, while others have been maced or publicly humiliated for not complying, even as experts have previously disagreed on whether healthy people need to wear them.
As it is, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has upped the ante by recommending wearing face shields or goggles as well, meaning that all of the face mask-monitoring “Karens” of the world will soon be shaming people who dare leave the house with naked eyeballs.
These requirements and some people’s enthusiasm for enforcing them are dividing America like never before, and creating the unintended consequences of the burdensome recommendations being politicized and weaponized by people with another agenda.
Even so, the more serious issue is the mentality that drives these entitled, finger-wagging — and sometimes weapon-toting — individuals. They are often a frightening parody of the worst kind of religious crusading that, ironically, the atheistic left so often breathlessly warn about whenever religious people stand up for their freedoms.
When folks think they have the moral high ground and that anyone not espousing their viewpoint is evil and therefore must be vanquished, they can easily justify anti-social and violent behavior towards other humans.
This is what happens to a society when religious belief is edged out, creating a vacuum that inevitably gets filled by whatever ideology becomes sacrosanct.
While religious ideas and practices are often tempered by a fundamental respect for others that their faith provides, the atheistic alternative dangerously follows the leftists’ views of the collective over the individual, meaning that lashing out violently is an acceptable remedy since just about anything or anyone can be sacrificed for the common good while stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Although the atheistic left often cast religion as the culprit for violence and tyranny, it is instead the combination of fundamentalist morality divorced from the love of neighbor that brings out the worst in humanity, whether it is knocking down buildings or shooting at people for not maintaining the proper social distance.
Who will these folks — unmoored from religion, living in the tinderbox of coronavirus-induced poverty, anxiety and insanity — target next?
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Virginia Military Institute Makes Major Announcement About Confederate Statues and Building Names

The Virginia Military Institute will not remove Confederate statues and building names from its campus , the school ’ s superintendent announced Wednesday .
Retired Gen. J.H .
Binford Peay III addressed the campus community in a letter and said that the school founded in 1839 has a past that “ has been intertwined with the history of Virginia and the Civil War.
” “ Unlike many communities who are grappling with icons of the past , VMI has direct ties to many of the historical figures that are the subject of the current unrest , ” Peay wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is displayed as a statue on campus .
He was a professor at VMI and fought in the Mexican War before becoming a Confederate general .
“ Throughout the years , the primary focus on honoring VMI ’ s history has been to celebrate principles of honor , integrity , character , courage , service , and selflessness of those associated with the Institute , ” Peay wrote .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate “ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much less slavery.
” The announcement comes as many institutions , cities and states grapple with calls to remove Confederate statues , monuments and street names .
The latest calls came in the midst of protests in response to the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes during an arrest .
VMI ’ s superintendent said that he made the decision after “ considerable waking hours trying to make sense of the turmoil and pain we have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unique time in the history of our country that has undoubtedly affected each of us in different ways , ” Peay wrote .
“ I believe we all agree we want to erase any hint of racism at VMI , in our communities , and in our country.
” He added that he had spoken with some African-American cadets and alumni who told him their experience at the school “ did not live up to the standards that it should have.
” “ I am committed to addressing and fixing any areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he wrote .
The superintendent unveiled a plan to make several changes “ to include and highlight more of the Institute ’ s history.
” These changes include moving the tall parade ground flagpoles to the New Barracks , signaling VMI ’ s move to the future , and changing the location of the Cadet Oath ceremony .
The oath ceremony used to take place on the New Market battlefield , where a group of VMI cadets fought for the Confederacy , and involved a re-enactment of the battle .
“ Hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not represent the values of the Virginia Military Institute , and will always be addressed decisively , ” Peay wrote .
“ We will learn from the past and take the best from our predecessors in shaping our cadet citizen-soldiers for today and tomorrow.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The Virginia Military Institute will not remove Confederate statues and building names from its campus, the school’s superintendent announced Wednesday.
Retired Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III addressed the campus community in a letter and said that the school founded in 1839 has a past that “has been intertwined with the history of Virginia and the Civil War.”
“Unlike many communities who are grappling with icons of the past, VMI has direct ties to many of the historical figures that are the subject of the current unrest,” Peay wrote.
One of those figures is Stonewall Jackson, who is displayed as a statue on campus. He was a professor at VMI and fought in the Mexican War before becoming a Confederate general.
“Throughout the years, the primary focus on honoring VMI’s history has been to celebrate principles of honor, integrity, character, courage, service, and selflessness of those associated with the Institute,” Peay wrote.
“It is not to in anyway condone racism, much less slavery.”
The announcement comes as many institutions, cities and states grapple with calls to remove Confederate statues, monuments and street names.
The latest calls came in the midst of protests in response to the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes during an arrest.
VMI’s superintendent said that he made the decision after “considerable waking hours trying to make sense of the turmoil and pain we have seen nationally.”
Do you think that removing statues is erasing history? Yes No
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“We are living in a unique time in the history of our country that has undoubtedly affected each of us in different ways,” Peay wrote.
“I believe we all agree we want to erase any hint of racism at VMI, in our communities, and in our country.”
He added that he had spoken with some African-American cadets and alumni who told him their experience at the school “did not live up to the standards that it should have.”
“I am committed to addressing and fixing any areas of racial inequality at our school,” he wrote.
The superintendent unveiled a plan to make several changes “to include and highlight more of the Institute’s history.”
These changes include moving the tall parade ground flagpoles to the New Barracks, signaling VMI’s move to the future, and changing the location of the Cadet Oath ceremony.
The oath ceremony used to take place on the New Market battlefield, where a group of VMI cadets fought for the Confederacy, and involved a re-enactment of the battle.
“Hate, bigotry and discrimination are wrong, do not represent the values of the Virginia Military Institute, and will always be addressed decisively,” Peay wrote.
“We will learn from the past and take the best from our predecessors in shaping our cadet citizen-soldiers for today and tomorrow.”
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--New Jersey Expected To Pass Bill Releasing Thousands of Prisoners, Violent Criminals

New Jersey lawmakers are expected to approve a bill that would release up to 20 percent of the state ’ s prison population in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus , according to The New York Times .
Around 3,000 prisoners could be released from New Jersey ’ s penitentiaries if they are within the last year of their sentence , according to The Times .
Prisoners meeting this qualification could be released eight months before the end of their sentence , The Times reported .
“ We are not doing very well at all in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey state Senator Gerald Cardinale told The Times .
“ They ’ re prisoners , but they are human beings.
” New Jersey prisons have seen 29 COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 incarcerated people — the highest total in the nation , according to The Marshall Project .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate The state also ranks third in confirmed cases with 1,741 infected per 10,000 prisoners , the data showed .
Forty-eight people in the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections .
Violent criminals , including convicted murderers , will be eligible for release under the program , but sex offenders will not , according to The Times .
The initial voting to approve the bill was scheduled for Thursday , but has been delayed due to new amendments .
The bill , which reportedly has bipartisan support , will be voted on in late August , allowing prisoners to walk as early as September .
New Jersey ’ s chief justice Stuart Rabner signed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 prisoners in a similar move , according to a separate New York Times report .
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

New Jersey lawmakers are expected to approve a bill that would release up to 20 percent of the state’s prison population in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to The New York Times.
Around 3,000 prisoners could be released from New Jersey’s penitentiaries if they are within the last year of their sentence, according to The Times.
Prisoners meeting this qualification could be released eight months before the end of their sentence, The Times reported.
“We are not doing very well at all in terms of protecting people,” Republican New Jersey state Senator Gerald Cardinale told The Times. “They’re prisoners, but they are human beings.”
New Jersey prisons have seen 29 COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 incarcerated people — the highest total in the nation, according to The Marshall Project.
The state also ranks third in confirmed cases with 1,741 infected per 10,000 prisoners, the data showed.
Forty-eight people in the state’s prisons have died from the virus, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
Violent criminals, including convicted murderers, will be eligible for release under the program, but sex offenders will not, according to The Times.
The initial voting to approve the bill was scheduled for Thursday, but has been delayed due to new amendments.
Do you support the release of prisoners due to the pandemic? Yes No
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The bill, which reportedly has bipartisan support, will be voted on in late August, allowing prisoners to walk as early as September.
New Jersey’s chief justice Stuart Rabner signed an order in March to release a potential 1,000 prisoners in a similar move, according to a separate New York Times report.
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 their original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Ocasio-Cortez’s Attempt To Restrict Military Recruitment Crashes and Burns

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York lost her bid to restrict federal funding for the U.S. military to recruit teens by a wide margin on Thursday .
The Democrat proposed amending the annual defense spending bill to effectively ban military branches from interacting with potential recruits via video game streaming services , including Twitch , Fox News reported .
The amendment sought to block funds allocated by the bill from being used by “ the Armed Forces to maintain a presence on Twitch.tv or any video game , esports , or livestreaming platform , ” according to The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuffed by a 292-126 vote in the House .
Branches of the U.S. military can thus continue to interact with potential recruits online through e-game platforms such as Twitch .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate Ocasio-Cortez championed her proposal on Twitter before voting was underway .
“ Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is , ” she wrote .
“ Some context for a few folks getting upset at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitch today .
“ It ’ s totally fine if you don ’ t know what Twitch is .
But tech literacy is becoming an growing need in Congress so we can legislate to protect people ’ s privacy , etc , ” she added in a series of tweets .
“ When our legislative bodies aren ’ t sufficiently responsive to tech , then that means we don ’ t have the tools required to protect people .
“ This is partially why companies know way more about you than you may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legal , and Congress is struggling to keep up.
” RELATED : AOC Rails Against Statue of Missionary , Saint in 'White Supremacist Culture ' Rant Ocasio-Cortez appeared to find a silver lining in her defeat .
“ The good news : a majority of the Dem party supported this amendment .
“ That ’ s a really solid start for this being the first time this issue has been brought before Congress , ” she wrote after the House voted nearly 2-1 against her amendment .
“ We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing , but we ’ ve got a lot of room to still improve !
” Ocasio-Cortez concluded .
In a statement earlier this week , Ocasio-Cortez accused the military of using popular video games to target disadvantaged young people .
“ Whether through recruitment stations in their lunchrooms , or now through e-sports teams , children in low-income communities are persistently targeted for enlistment , ” she said .
The Democrat said after being inundated with recruitment pitches , “ the military stops feeling like a ‘ choice ’ and starts feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , low-income Americans.
” In an interview with Vice , Ocasio-Cortez attacked the military for using video games to contact potential recruits about the life options available to them .
While the United States Marine Corps does not have an online game presence , the Army , Air Force and Navy each operates Twitch accounts .
Ocasio-Cortez scolded the latter three branches in her Vice interview .
“ War is not a game , and the Marine Corps ’ decision not to engage in this recruiting tool should be a clear signal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease this practice entirely , ” she told the outlet .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York lost her bid to restrict federal funding for the U.S. military to recruit teens by a wide margin on Thursday.
The Democrat proposed amending the annual defense spending bill to effectively ban military branches from interacting with potential recruits via video game streaming services, including Twitch, Fox News reported.
The amendment sought to block funds allocated by the bill from being used by “the Armed Forces to maintain a presence on Twitch.tv or any video game, esports, or livestreaming platform,” according to The New York Times.
Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal was rebuffed by a 292-126 vote in the House.
Branches of the U.S. military can thus continue to interact with potential recruits online through e-game platforms such as Twitch.
Ocasio-Cortez championed her proposal on Twitter before voting was underway.
“Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is,” she wrote.
“Some context for a few folks getting upset at this: Congress is voting on legislation regarding Twitch today.
“It’s totally fine if you don’t know what Twitch is. But tech literacy is becoming an growing need in Congress so we can legislate to protect people’s privacy, etc,” she added in a series of tweets.
Some context for a few folks getting upset at this: Congress is voting on legislation regarding Twitch today. It’s totally fine if you don’t know what Twitch is. But tech literacy is becoming an growing need in Congress so we can legislate to protect people’s privacy, etc. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020
“When our legislative bodies aren’t sufficiently responsive to tech, then that means we don’t have the tools required to protect people.
“This is partially why companies know way more about you than you may even be aware of – bc it’s legal, and Congress is struggling to keep up.”
When our legislative bodies aren’t sufficiently responsive to tech, then that means we don’t have the tools required to protect people. This is partially why companies know way more about you than you may even be aware of – bc it’s legal, and Congress is struggling to keep up. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez appeared to find a silver lining in her defeat.
Do you support the military's use of video game streaming platforms to reach recruits? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 97% (591 Votes) No: 3% (21 Votes)
“The good news: a majority of the Dem party supported this amendment.
“That’s a really solid start for this being the first time this issue has been brought before Congress,” she wrote after the House voted nearly 2-1 against her amendment.
“We’ve made great strides since *that* Senate FB hearing, but we’ve got a lot of room to still improve!” Ocasio-Cortez concluded.
The good news: a majority of the Dem party supported this amendment. That’s a really solid start for this being the first time this issue has been brought before Congress. We’ve made great strides since *that* Senate FB hearing, but we’ve got a lot of room to still improve! — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020
In a statement earlier this week, Ocasio-Cortez accused the military of using popular video games to target disadvantaged young people.
“Whether through recruitment stations in their lunchrooms, or now through e-sports teams, children in low-income communities are persistently targeted for enlistment,”she said.
The Democrat said after being inundated with recruitment pitches, “the military stops feeling like a ‘choice’ and starts feeling like the only option for many young, low-income Americans.”
In an interview with Vice, Ocasio-Cortez attacked the military for using video games to contact potential recruits about the life options available to them.
While the United States Marine Corps does not have an online game presence, the Army, Air Force and Navy each operates Twitch accounts.
Ocasio-Cortez scolded the latter three branches in her Vice interview.
“War is not a game, and the Marine Corps’ decision not to engage in this recruiting tool should be a clear signal to the other branches of the military to cease this practice entirely,” she told the outlet.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Mike Huckabee: ‘Black Lives Matter’ Doesn’t Apply to Unborn Babies, Business Owners, Cops or Conserv

Mike Huckabee: ‘Black Lives Matter’ Doesn’t Apply to Unborn Babies, Business Owners, Cops or Conservatives

We all know the name George Floyd , and rightly so .
We also know the names of several other black people who have died while in police custody .
This has ignited the Black Lives Matter movement , and we all agree that , of course , black lives matter .
But the backers of BLM seem to have a very large blind spot about which black lives matter .
They strongly support abortion , which has been a genocide for black babies .
They don ’ t seem to care about black cops killed or maimed by rioters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business owners and homeowners victimized by the violence they encourage .
We barely hear a word about the thousands of black victims of gang killings .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate And they , and the TV networks that promote them , have done little to nothing to help us learn the name of Bernell Trammell .
Bernell Trammell was a 60-year-old black resident of Milwaukee who was a well-known community activist who backed police reform and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had declared that Obama did nothing for black Americans while “ Trump at least had , whether the will of God or his own inspiration , to do something that no president has ever done and that ’ s why he ’ s got my vote.
” And so he had started showing up at public events holding signs supporting Trump .
He knew this might make him a target , but he said , “ No fear , come what may.
” Last week , Trammell was sitting in a lawn chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his office around noon , in broad daylight , when someone shot him to death .
Again , have you heard his name before now ?
Maybe the media will finally cover his murder if Wisconsin Republicans can convince the federal government to launch a civil rights investigation to find out if he was murdered for his political beliefs .
Let ’ s hope they succeed , because his life mattered , as does every American citizen ’ s right to freely express his or her political beliefs without fear of violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerated in communist and socialist nations , but there ’ s no place for it in the United States of America .
RELATED : Op-Ed : Do n't Trust the 'Gen Z GOP ' - It 's a RINO Club Built by and for Anti-Trumpers And in a related story , black conservative journalist Andrew Duncomb went to Portland to cover the “ peaceful protests.
” He says that when word leaked that he was a conservative journalist , he was followed and stabbed in the back .
The assailant ’ s blade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few inches .
The alleged attacker was arrested and charged with second-degree assault .
Duncomb plans to be in court Friday to testify .
Once again , the “ protesters ” have given us an illustration of how , to them , the noble slogan “ Black Lives Matter ” does not apply to black unborn babies , black business owners , black cops or black conservatives .
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal , you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

We all know the name George Floyd, and rightly so.
We also know the names of several other black people who have died while in police custody. This has ignited the Black Lives Matter movement, and we all agree that, of course, black lives matter.
But the backers of BLM seem to have a very large blind spot about which black lives matter.
They strongly support abortion, which has been a genocide for black babies.
They don’t seem to care about black cops killed or maimed by rioters. They show little concern for black business owners and homeowners victimized by the violence they encourage. We barely hear a word about the thousands of black victims of gang killings.
And they, and the TV networks that promote them, have done little to nothing to help us learn the name of Bernell Trammell.
Bernell Trammell was a 60-year-old black resident of Milwaukee who was a well-known community activist who backed police reform and other liberal issues.
But lately, he had declared that Obama did nothing for black Americans while “Trump at least had, whether the will of God or his own inspiration, to do something that no president has ever done and that’s why he’s got my vote.”
And so he had started showing up at public events holding signs supporting Trump. He knew this might make him a target, but he said, “No fear, come what may.”
Do you think the Black Lives Matter movement really cares about all black lives? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 0% (0 Votes) No: 100% (87 Votes)
Last week, Trammell was sitting in a lawn chair holding a Trump 2020 sign in front of his office around noon, in broad daylight, when someone shot him to death.
Again, have you heard his name before now?
Maybe the media will finally cover his murder if Wisconsin Republicans can convince the federal government to launch a civil rights investigation to find out if he was murdered for his political beliefs.
Let’s hope they succeed, because his life mattered, as does every American citizen’s right to freely express his or her political beliefs without fear of violence.
That type of terrorism might be tolerated in communist and socialist nations, but there’s no place for it in the United States of America.
And in a related story, black conservative journalist Andrew Duncomb went to Portland to cover the “peaceful protests.”
He says that when word leaked that he was a conservative journalist, he was followed and stabbed in the back. The assailant’s blade missed Duncomb’s spinal cord by a few inches. The alleged attacker was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. Duncomb plans to be in court Friday to testify.
Once again, the “protesters” have given us an illustration of how, to them, the noble slogan “Black Lives Matter” does not apply to black unborn babies, black business owners, black cops or black conservatives.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Bombshell Court Documents: Bill Clinton Went to Epstein’s Island with ‘2 Young Girls’

In recently unsealed court documents , Virginia Giuffre , a woman who has claimed she was used as an underage sex slave by Jeffrey Epstein , said she once saw former President Bill Clinton with “ two young girls ” on Epstein ’ s island and that Clinton owed Epstein “ favors.
” Epstein died in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while being held on sex trafficking charges .
His death was ruled a suicide .
His associate , Ghislaine Maxwell , is currently in custody as authorities investigate her role in the sex trafficking operation they believe Epstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 2011 meeting with her lawyers were revealed as part of a massive release of information related to a civil suit she filed against Maxwell in 2015 .
During the meeting , Guiffre was asked , “ Do you have any recollection of Jeffrey Epstein ’ s specifically telling you that ‘ Bill Clinton owes me favors ? '
” TRENDING : Lone NBA Player Refuses To Kneel : Does n't Wear BLM Shirt , Gives Perfect Response to Critics “ It was a laugh though .
He would laugh it off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s Bill Clinton doing here [ on Epstein ’ s island ] kind of thing , and he laughed it off and said well he owes me favors.
” “ He never told me what favors they were , ” Guiffre said .
“ I never knew .
I didn ’ t know if he was serious .
It was just a joke … He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors .
They ’ re all in each other ’ s pockets.
” Giuffre was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time as Epstein and Clinton .
“ When you say you asked him why is Bill Clinton here , where was here ?
” Giuffre was asked .
She indicated that along with Epstein and Clinton , those staying on the island included “ Ghislaine , Emmy [ a girl who was supposedly a regular at Epstein ’ s house ] , and there was 2 young girls that I could identify .
I never really knew them well anyways .
It was just 2 girls from New York.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey ’ s house on the island including Bill Clinton ?
” her lawyer asked .
A 2019 statement from The Clinton Foundation claimed Clinton “ knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to , ” according to Newsweek .
“ Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein ’ s airplane .
“ Staff , supporters of the Foundation , and his Secret Service detail traveled on every trip , ” the statement continued .
“ He ’ s not spoken to Epstein in well over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Little St. James Island , Epstein ’ s ranch in New Mexico , or his residence in Florida.
” A lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the Virgin Islands claims that Epstein used his Virgin Islands homes to engage in sex trafficking .
“ Epstein created a network of companies and individuals who participated in and conspired with him in a pattern of criminal activity related to the sex trafficking , forced labor , sexual assault , child abuse , and sexual servitude of these young women and children , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George stated .
The lawsuit said Epstein ’ s alleged trafficking began in 2001 and continued through 2019 .
Epstein brought girls as young as 11 or 12 to Little Saint James , an island he owned in the Virgin Islands , and tracked women and girls through a database , the lawsuit said .
“ Epstein clearly used the Virgin Islands and his residence in the U.S. Virgin Islands at Little Saint James as a way to be able to conceal and to be able to expand his activity here , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In recently unsealed court documents, Virginia Giuffre, a woman who has claimed she was used as an underage sex slave by Jeffrey Epstein, said she once saw former President Bill Clinton with “two young girls” on Epstein’s island and that Clinton owed Epstein “favors.”
Epstein died in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while being held on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently in custody as authorities investigate her role in the sex trafficking operation they believe Epstein ran.
The comments from Giuffre’s 2011 meeting with her lawyers were revealed as part of a massive release of information related to a civil suit she filed against Maxwell in 2015.
During the meeting, Guiffre was asked, “Do you have any recollection of Jeffrey Epstein’s specifically telling you that ‘Bill Clinton owes me favors?'”
“Yes, I do,” she replied.
“It was a laugh though. He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey what’s Bill Clinton doing here [on Epstein’s island] kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said well he owes me favors.”
“He never told me what favors they were,” Guiffre said. “I never knew. I didn’t know if he was serious. It was just a joke … He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They’re all in each other’s pockets.”
Witness interview: Bill Clinton was at Epstein’s island with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and “2 young girls.” pic.twitter.com/NG8PbaZLNt — Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) July 31, 2020
Giuffre was asked if she was on the island at the same time as Epstein and Clinton.
“When you say you asked him why is Bill Clinton here, where was here?” Giuffre was asked.
“The island,” she responded.
She indicated that along with Epstein and Clinton, those staying on the island included “Ghislaine, Emmy [a girl who was supposedly a regular at Epstein’s house], and there was 2 young girls that I could identify. I never really knew them well anyways. It was just 2 girls from New York.”
“And were all of you staying at Jeffrey’s house on the island including Bill Clinton?” her lawyer asked.
“That’s correct,” she answered.
A 2019 statement from The Clinton Foundation claimed Clinton “knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to,” according to Newsweek. “Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane.
Does this further ruin Bill Clinton's image? Yes No
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“Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every trip,” the statement continued. “He’s not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.”
A lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the Virgin Islands claims that Epstein used his Virgin Islands homes to engage in sex trafficking.
“Epstein created a network of companies and individuals who participated in and conspired with him in a pattern of criminal activity related to the sex trafficking, forced labor, sexual assault, child abuse, and sexual servitude of these young women and children,” the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Denise N. George stated.
The lawsuit said Epstein’s alleged trafficking began in 2001 and continued through 2019.
Epstein brought girls as young as 11 or 12 to Little Saint James, an island he owned in the Virgin Islands, and tracked women and girls through a database, the lawsuit said.
“Epstein clearly used the Virgin Islands and his residence in the U.S. Virgin Islands at Little Saint James as a way to be able to conceal and to be able to expand his activity here,” George said.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Explosive Court Documents That Make Epstein Allegations Against Clinton, Dershowitz, Prince Andrew L

Explosive Court Documents That Make Epstein Allegations Against Clinton, Dershowitz, Prince Andrew Leave Trump Unscathed

Recently unsealed court documents from a Jeffrey Epstein accuser make allegations against former President Bill Clinton , attorney Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew but leave President Donald Trump largely unscathed .
The unsealed documents are from Virginia Giuffre ’ s testimony detailing alleged abuses by Ghislaine Maxwell , an associate of convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Epstein .
Giuffre told lawyers in 2011 that Clinton visited Epstein ’ s private Caribbean island where “ orgies were a constant thing that took place ” and also flew on Epstein ’ s private plane , according to the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s Bill Clinton doing here kind of thing , and he laughed it off and said well he owes me a favor , ” she said .
“ He never told me what favors they were .
I never knew .
I didn ’ t know if he was serious .
It was just a joke.
” TRENDING : Lone NBA Player Refuses To Kneel : Does n't Wear BLM Shirt , Gives Perfect Response to Critics A spokesman for Clinton denied the allegations and told Newsweek on Friday that Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Island.
” “ He ’ s not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade , ” Angel Ureña said .
“ Well before his terrible crimes came to light.
” Dershowitz was also named in the unsealed documents and accused of having sex with Giuffre , who was a minor at the time , and witnessing the alleged abuses of other girls and young women .
In a statement on Twitter , Dershowitz said the documents actually prove his innocence .
“ I demanded release of all documents because they contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s own words that she never met me , ” he tweeted .
“ There are no new accusations against me in the documents I got unsealed .
All her accusations were made in suits she filed years ago .
They were false then and now , as shown by her emails and manuscript that prove I never met her.
” Giuffre ’ s former attorneys said in 2016 that it was a “ mistake ” to have accused Dershowitz , the Post reported .
RELATED : Bombshell Court Documents : Bill Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 Young Girls' Prince Andrew has also denied allegations that he had sex with Giuffre , according to CNN .
Documents unsealed Thursday also say Epstein directed an unnamed girl identified only as Jane Doe # 3 to “ give the prince whatever he demanded and report back to him on the details of the sexual abuse , ” The Guardian reported .
Although the documents say Trump was a “ good friend of Jeffrey ’ s , ” Giuffre said he never had , to her knowledge , sex with any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t physically see him have sex with any of the girls , so I can ’ t say who he had sex with in his whole life or not , but I just know it wasn ’ t with me when I was with other girls , ” Giuffre told lawyers in 2016 .
She added that even though Epstein told her that Trump was a good friend of his , she never saw them together .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our @ @ @

Recently unsealed court documents from a Jeffrey Epstein accuser make allegations against former President Bill Clinton, attorney Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew but leave President Donald Trump largely unscathed.
The unsealed documents are from Virginia Giuffre’s testimony detailing alleged abuses by Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Epstein.
Giuffre told lawyers in 2011 that Clinton visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island where “orgies were a constant thing that took place” and also flew on Epstein’s private plane, according to the New York Post.
“I remember asking Jeffrey what’s Bill Clinton doing here kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said well he owes me a favor,” she said.
“He never told me what favors they were. I never knew. I didn’t know if he was serious. It was just a joke.”
A spokesman for Clinton denied the allegations and told Newsweek on Friday that Clinton has “never been to Little St. James Island.”
“He’s not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade,” Angel Ureña said. “Well before his terrible crimes came to light.”
Dershowitz was also named in the unsealed documents and accused of having sex with Giuffre, who was a minor at the time, and witnessing the alleged abuses of other girls and young women.
In a statement on Twitter, Dershowitz said the documents actually prove his innocence.
Do you think these allegations are true? Yes No
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“I demanded release of all documents because they contain emails and manuscripts proving in Guiffre’s own words that she never met me,” he tweeted.
“There are no new accusations against me in the documents I got unsealed. All her accusations were made in suits she filed years ago. They were false then and now, as shown by her emails and manuscript that prove I never met her.”
There are no new accusations against me in the documents I got unsealed. All her accusations were made in suits she filed years ago. They were false then and now, as shown by her emails and manuscript that prove I never met her. — Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) July 31, 2020
Giuffre’s former attorneys said in 2016 that it was a “mistake” to have accused Dershowitz, the Post reported.
Prince Andrew has also denied allegations that he had sex with Giuffre, according to CNN. Documents unsealed Thursday also say Epstein directed an unnamed girl identified only as Jane Doe #3 to “give the prince whatever he demanded and report back to him on the details of the sexual abuse,” The Guardian reported.
Although the documents say Trump was a “good friend of Jeffrey’s,” Giuffre said he never had, to her knowledge, sex with any of the other girls.
“I didn’t physically see him have sex with any of the girls, so I can’t say who he had sex with in his whole life or not, but I just know it wasn’t with me when I was with other girls,” Giuffre told lawyers in 2016.
She added that even though Epstein told her that Trump was a good friend of his, she never saw them together.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Dems Refuse To Negotiate as Relief Bill Talks Hit Deadlock

The White House appears keen to endorse a temporary extension of a $ 600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit as it is about to expire .
The idea is a prominent feature of top-level Washington talks on a major coronavirus relief measure .
After late-night talks failed to produce a breakthrough , the two sides took their case to the media on Friday morning , with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows appearing before reporters as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at her weekly news conference .
Meadows accused Democrats of refusing to negotiate , saying President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and forward leaning ” in trying to extend the supplemental jobless benefit .
“ Democrats have made zero offers over the last three days , ” according to Meadows .
He said Democrats are “ willing to play politics ” and are acting like they “ hold all the cards.
” TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate The White House on Thursday offered a short-term extension of the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit , but Democrats rejected it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a far more sweeping bill that would deliver aid to state and local governments as well as to schools and colleges .
Without action , the unemployment benefit runs out Friday .
“ Clearly they did not understand the gravity of the situation , ” Pelosi said .
She said a short-term extension only makes sense if the two sides are close to a deal .
“ Why don ’ t we just get the job done ?
” she asked .
Republicans in the Senate had been fighting to trim back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus package , but Trump signaled he wants to keep the full $ 600 benefit for now .
“ We want a temporary extension of enhanced unemployment benefits , ” Trump said at the White House on Thursday .
“ This will provide a critical bridge for Americans who lost their jobs to the pandemic through no fault of their own.
” The sides agreed to talk again Friday and into the weekend .
There continues to be agreement among Washington ’ s top power players that Congress must pass further relief in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do we want to continue to come to an agreement ?
Absolutely , ” top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said .
“ But it ’ s got to meet the gravity of the problem.
” RELATED : New Jersey Expected To Pass Bill Releasing Thousands of Prisoners , Violent Criminals Trump is eager for another round of COVID relief , and it ’ s also a priority for GOP allies like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , as well as for Pelosi and Schumer .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial standards .

The White House appears keen to endorse a temporary extension of a $600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit as it is about to expire.
The idea is a prominent feature of top-level Washington talks on a major coronavirus relief measure.
After late-night talks failed to produce a breakthrough, the two sides took their case to the media on Friday morning, with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows appearing before reporters as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at her weekly news conference.
Meadows accused Democrats of refusing to negotiate, saying President Donald Trump has instructed him to be “aggressive and forward leaning” in trying to extend the supplemental jobless benefit.
“Democrats have made zero offers over the last three days,” according to Meadows. He said Democrats are “willing to play politics” and are acting like they “hold all the cards.”
The White House on Thursday offered a short-term extension of the $600 weekly unemployment benefit, but Democrats rejected it, saying it needs to be part of a far more sweeping bill that would deliver aid to state and local governments as well as to schools and colleges.
Without action, the unemployment benefit runs out Friday.
“Clearly they did not understand the gravity of the situation,” Pelosi said. She said a short-term extension only makes sense if the two sides are close to a deal.
“Why don’t we just get the job done?” she asked.
Do you support an extension of the extra unemployment benefit? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 23% (17 Votes) No: 77% (56 Votes)
Republicans in the Senate had been fighting to trim back the $600 jobless benefit in the next coronavirus package, but Trump signaled he wants to keep the full $600 benefit for now.
“We want a temporary extension of enhanced unemployment benefits,” Trump said at the White House on Thursday.
“This will provide a critical bridge for Americans who lost their jobs to the pandemic through no fault of their own.”
The sides agreed to talk again Friday and into the weekend. There continues to be agreement among Washington’s top power players that Congress must pass further relief in the coming days and weeks.
“Do we want to continue to come to an agreement? Absolutely,” top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said. “But it’s got to meet the gravity of the problem.”
Trump is eager for another round of COVID relief, and it’s also a priority for GOP allies like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as for Pelosi and Schumer.
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The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Report Exposes Major Flaws in Mail-In Voting, Could Change Outcome of Election

If there ’ s one hard-and-fast rule that has been set for conservatives during the unusual 2020 election process , it ’ s this : Don ’ t step into the mail-in voting minefield .
There ’ s an official line that ’ s been set .
Mail-in voting is terrific .
It ’ s better than in-person voting , in fact .
Why don ’ t we make it this easy all the time ?
It ’ s the greatest thing to happen to liberty and freedom since the Magna Carta .
Every time you express the slightest doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whether it could affect the results of the 2020 election , the soul of the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. sheds a single tear in heaven .
For the humor-challenged , this is what the kids like to call hyperbole .
I don ’ t feel bad engaging in it because , well , everyone engages in hyperbole when they ’ re talking about mail-in voting .
I ’ ve noticed a trend behind almost every argument I read on social media regarding the issue : If you aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position , so extreme that it verges on self-parody , all the while claiming you absolutely know every one of the pertinent facts about the process and how they all line up in your favor , you ’ re doing it wrong .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate This puts me in an odd position because my opposition to universal mail-in voting comes from a place of caution about an untried process .
It ’ s that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what ’ s going to happen when the tortoise-like evolution of America ’ s electoral process over 232 years is completely upended in the space of about six months because we ’ ve concluded there ’ s no way to socially distance during the in-person voting process .
( Even though there ’ s no evidence in-person voting increases COVID-19 risk . )
We want every American to be able to place his or her vote via mail without knowing what the implications of that are — assuming we ’ ll end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have otherwise .
The proof from proponents of universal mail-in voting that it ’ ll be foolproof comes via a small number of states that automatically send registered voters mail-in ballots .
According to The Washington Post , those states are California , Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Washington and Utah — only one of which , Colorado , has even the slightest chance of being a presidential swing state this November .
( And even that ’ s exceedingly unlikely — President Donald Trump would be well-advised not to go near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cory Gardner , who faces an uphill re-election battle . )
While you can request an absentee ballot in most states — either without giving a reason or by listing fear of COVID-19 as a reason — and a number of states have expanded absentee voting access , that ’ s not quite a barrier-free mail-in voting system .
Rest assured , you ’ re going to see that pushed for over the next few months , and hard .
Well , CBS News decided to run a controlled test of what might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this November .
In Philadelphia , Tony Dokoupil of “ CBS This Morning ” took 100 mock ballots and mailed them in different parts of the city to an address that had been set up as a mock board of elections .
RELATED : How Many of These Diners Will Vote for Trump After Being Harassed by Unhinged BLM Agitators ?
In the experiment , 21 percent of one of the batches of ballots didn ’ t arrive after three days .
Three percent didn ’ t arrive at all .
If 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider that Pennsylvania was decided by a 0.7 percent margin back in 2016 .
They did get “ a birthday card from Mike to Ronnie , ” though , so there ’ s that .
Trump shared the video Wednesday on Twitter and waded further into the fray shortly after , sending this tweet : As for mail-in voting being “ an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race ” — well , as Wikipedia might put it , that ’ s very much [ citation needed ] .
In terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ testing areas [ being ] way off , ” while the Philadelphia test was just one experiment , it also wasn ’ t a promising one .
Keep in mind , this test only measured whether a mailed-in ballot arrived at the “ board of elections.
” The problem with the conditions is that the U.S. Post Office would be involved both ways — meaning the same service that didn ’ t deliver 3 percent of the ballots was also assumed to have a 100 percent record delivering those ballots to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this test happened during a period where the USPS wasn ’ t being swamped with ballots — which it would be during the election .
Whatever mistakes are present now would be magnified then .
This is to say nothing about problematic practices such as “ ballot harvesting ” — the ethically questionable practice where third parties are authorized to collect mail-in ballots , something Democrats used to great effect during the 2018 midterms — and other potential unforeseen issues with the system .
By the way , Democrats should be concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported in May that “ voting by mail increases the number of ballots that are rejected — and not counted in the final tally .
And ballots from younger , minority and first-time voters are most likely to be thrown out.
” In liberal California , The Associated Press reported over 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the March primary , roughly 1.5 percent of ballots sent in by mail .
Why does this happen ?
“ It ’ s not entirely clear , ” The Post reported in May .
“ On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons some groups of voters are more likely to make mistakes when voting by mail .
Many new voters — for example young and first-time registrants — may be unfamiliar with how to vote by mail , or not know how much postage is required or how far in advance to return the ballot to have it arrive on time .
Mail voters don ’ t have the benefit of interacting face-to-face with poll workers who might be able to help them navigate any difficulties.
” There ’ s too much we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A basic test , just seeing how many of the ballots could be delivered if and assuming the ballots got to the voters and were mailed on time during a period where the system was working efficiently , found 3 percent didn ’ t arrive .
If that happened in November on a massive , national scale , it could be the kind of major flaw in a system that can change an election .
That ’ s not making an extreme case for anything .
It ’ s merely stating some very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been assured is 100 percent safe .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

If there’s one hard-and-fast rule that has been set for conservatives during the unusual 2020 election process, it’s this: Don’t step into the mail-in voting minefield.
There’s an official line that’s been set. Mail-in voting is terrific. It’s better than in-person voting, in fact. Why don’t we make it this easy all the time? It’s the greatest thing to happen to liberty and freedom since the Magna Carta.
Every time you express the slightest doubt about the mechanics of national mail-in voting and whether it could affect the results of the 2020 election, the soul of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sheds a single tear in heaven.
For the humor-challenged, this is what the kids like to call hyperbole. I don’t feel bad engaging in it because, well, everyone engages in hyperbole when they’re talking about mail-in voting.
I’ve noticed a trend behind almost every argument I read on social media regarding the issue: If you aren’t making the most extreme case for your position, so extreme that it verges on self-parody, all the while claiming you absolutely know every one of the pertinent facts about the process and how they all line up in your favor, you’re doing it wrong.
This puts me in an odd position because my opposition to universal mail-in voting comes from a place of caution about an untried process.
It’s that I merely know that we can’t know what’s going to happen when the tortoise-like evolution of America’s electoral process over 232 years is completely upended in the space of about six months because we’ve concluded there’s no way to socially distance during the in-person voting process. (Even though there’s no evidence in-person voting increases COVID-19 risk.)
We want every American to be able to place his or her vote via mail without knowing what the implications of that are — assuming we’ll end up with the same result we would have otherwise.
The proof from proponents of universal mail-in voting that it’ll be foolproof comes via a small number of states that automatically send registered voters mail-in ballots.
Should we enact nationwide vote-by-mail? Yes No
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According to The Washington Post, those states are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah — only one of which, Colorado, has even the slightest chance of being a presidential swing state this November. (And even that’s exceedingly unlikely — President Donald Trump would be well-advised not to go near there except to support incumbent GOP Sen. Cory Gardner, who faces an uphill re-election battle.)
While you can request an absentee ballot in most states — either without giving a reason or by listing fear of COVID-19 as a reason — and a number of states have expanded absentee voting access, that’s not quite a barrier-free mail-in voting system. Rest assured, you’re going to see that pushed for over the next few months, and hard.
So what’s the big deal?
Well, CBS News decided to run a controlled test of what might happen if there was widespread mail-in voting this November.
In Philadelphia, Tony Dokoupil of “CBS This Morning” took 100 mock ballots and mailed them in different parts of the city to an address that had been set up as a mock board of elections.
In the experiment, 21 percent of one of the batches of ballots didn’t arrive after three days.
According to the report, three percent didn’t arrive at all.
If 3 percent sounds like a small number, consider that Pennsylvania was decided by a 0.7 percent margin back in 2016.
They did get “a birthday card from Mike to Ronnie,” though, so there’s that.
Trump shared the video Wednesday on Twitter and waded further into the fray shortly after, sending this tweet:
Mail-In Voting is already proving to be a catastrophic disaster. Even testing areas are way off. The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race. Even beyond that, there’s no accurate count! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
As for mail-in voting being “an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race” — well, as Wikipedia might put it, that’s very much [citation needed]. In terms of the problems with an accurate count and “testing areas [being] way off,” while the Philadelphia test was just one experiment, it also wasn’t a promising one.
Keep in mind, this test only measured whether a mailed-in ballot arrived at the “board of elections.” The problem with the conditions is that the U.S. Post Office would be involved both ways — meaning the same service that didn’t deliver 3 percent of the ballots was also assumed to have a 100 percent record delivering those ballots to voters in the first place.
And this test happened during a period where the USPS wasn’t being swamped with ballots — which it would be during the election. Whatever mistakes are present now would be magnified then.
This is to say nothing about problematic practices such as “ballot harvesting” — the ethically questionable practice where third parties are authorized to collect mail-in ballots, something Democrats used to great effect during the 2018 midterms — and other potential unforeseen issues with the system.
By the way, Democrats should be concerned about this, too.
The Washington Post reported in May that “voting by mail increases the number of ballots that are rejected — and not counted in the final tally. And ballots from younger, minority and first-time voters are most likely to be thrown out.”
In liberal California, The Associated Press reported over 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the March primary, roughly 1.5 percent of ballots sent in by mail.
Why does this happen?
“It’s not entirely clear,” The Post reported in May. “On the one hand, there may be reasons some groups of voters are more likely to make mistakes when voting by mail. Many new voters — for example young and first-time registrants — may be unfamiliar with how to vote by mail, or not know how much postage is required or how far in advance to return the ballot to have it arrive on time. Mail voters don’t have the benefit of interacting face-to-face with poll workers who might be able to help them navigate any difficulties.”
There’s too much we don’t know about the system.
A basic test, just seeing how many of the ballots could be delivered if and assuming the ballots got to the voters and were mailed on time during a period where the system was working efficiently, found 3 percent didn’t arrive.
If that happened in November on a massive, national scale, it could be the kind of major flaw in a system that can change an election.
That’s not making an extreme case for anything. It’s merely stating some very inconvenient facts about a process we’ve been assured is 100 percent safe.
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westernjournal--2020-07-31--Portland Is Fining Taxpayers $2,000 an Hour Until Fence Protecting Fed Courthouse Is Removed

Portland , Oregon , is fining America — which is to say , fining the nation ’ s taxpayers , who include the city ’ s residents — $ 500 every 15 minutes a fence around a federal courthouse in the city blocks a bicycle lane .
The reason the fence is around the federal courthouse is that a subset of Portland ’ s residents whom Portland refuses to deal with wants to get into the federal courthouse , assumedly not just to chat with the night staff about the work of Slavoj Žižek .
Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly insists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fine .
Controlling the violent element within her own city isn ’ t , predictably , on the list .
Eudaly made clear her intention to collect in a tweetstorm earlier this week in which she slammed the “ federal occupiers ” stopping her city ’ s residents from destroying federal property and said the fines were just part of “ what our state legislature and federal delegation are doing to address this unconstitutional federal aggression against our city ” by President Donald Trump .
I assumed from Eudaly ’ s tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality and/or up for re-election .
Not that the two are mutually exclusive , but The Oregonian notes that the commissioner , whose responsibilities include overseeing the city ’ s transportation bureau , is , in fact , in the midst of a re-election campaign .
TRENDING : WaPo 's Chief 'Fact Checker ' Calls Barr a Liar for Telling the Truth About Black Murder Rate Whatever the case , it ’ s quite the thread ; if you ever wanted to see what it ’ s like to watch a low-level elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reclaiming her time to a federal government that isn ’ t particularly concerned with mollifying city officials who ’ ve been mollifying a mob that ’ s trying to burn down a courthouse , this is your chance .
“ At a time when tensions were starting to decrease on our streets , Trump sent federal agents from two of the most politicized and controversial agencies — [ Customs and Border Protection ] and [ Department of Homeland Security ] — without Congressional authorization or notification , or local elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she tweeted .
“ While we work to counteract their presence , we face an uphill battle in a process designed to usurp not just our local authority , but the authority of our federal representatives .
We are doing everything we can — our recourse may be limited , but we ’ re not giving up the fight.
” Actually , all they had to do to “ counteract their presence ” was to enforce the law and protect the courthouse — which is how Oregon reached an agreement with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal forces the day after Eudaly ’ s tweetstorm .
Amazing how that works .
But don ’ t worry , she ’ s going to kick them on the way out the door .
See , remember that fence in the bike lane ?
She contacted the Portland Bureau of Transportation about that and got it “ to enforce on the federal occupiers for erecting a fence in our public right of way.
” The city filed a cease-and-desist letter with the federal government , which didn ’ t respond ; I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violent rabblement using angle grinders to try and breach the fence , industrial-grade fireworks to injure law enforcement and lasers to attempt to blind them , the Portland Bureau of Transportation ’ s bike lane issue falls into what author Stephen Covey called , in “ The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , ” a “ Quadrant 4 ” agenda item : not urgent and not important .
RELATED : How Many of These Diners Will Vote for Trump After Being Harassed by Unhinged BLM Agitators ?
Oh , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because Eudaly made sure the PBOT was “ assessing the maximum fine of $ 500 for every 15 minutes the fence obstructs our street , & we are investigating other legal remedies.
” “ As of yesterday , the federal government owes us $ 192,000 and counting , ” she tweeted .
“ We intend to collect.
” So because the federal government had to take action to protect the courthouse , the people of Portland are essentially fining themselves , and every other taxpayer in America — and they “ intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government turning around and handing Portland a bill for the city ’ s refusal to control a criminal mob .
As long as we ’ re handing out bills , we might as well balance the books .
Just so we ’ re clear on what we ’ re dealing with here , in case you haven ’ t paid attention to the situation in the Oregon metropolis : No reasonable observer is even bothering to call the nightly parade of violent white hipster performativity “ mostly peaceful ” or even remotely lawful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even attribute a coherent message to the remnant of the original Black Lives Matter demonstrations that sprang up in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death in police custody .
An Associated Press report from the courthouse protest earlier this week contrasted people who were still there to protest some form of iniquity and others who viewed the courthouse as their great white whale .
One section of the report contrasted the actions of Monica Arce , a professional midwife described as dancing along to music and waving her cellphone flashlight around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there for music- or flashlight-based solidarity .
“ We are not here being violent or being destructive .
We have a positive message — there is nothing to quell here , ” Arce told the AP , referencing the president ’ s statement he ’ d deployed federal agents to quell the unrest .
“ The people of Portland are saying , ‘ We don ’ t want this presence here and we don ’ t think we need them at all , ' ” she said .
“ As she spoke , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dressed in black circulated in the crowd , stopping every few minutes to point green laser beams in the eyes of agents posted as lookouts on porticoes on the courthouse ’ s upper stories , ” the report continued .
“ The agents above were silhouetted against the dark sky as dozens of green laser dots and a large spotlight played on the courthouse walls , projected from the back of the crowd .
“ Thirty minutes later , someone fired a commercial-grade firework inside the fence .
Next came a flare and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eat away at the fence .
A barrage of items came whizzing into the courthouse : rocks , cans of beans , water bottles , potatoes and rubber bouncy balls that cause the agents to slip and fall.
” I may be mistaken , but I don ’ t think they were doing this because they ’ d been riding their fixie , found the bike lane blocked by a federally erected fence , and just happened to have some commercial-grade fireworks and an angle-grinder on them .
My assumption , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unreasonable one , is that this fine is touted occasionally by Eudaly until maybe 15 minutes after Election Day , after which it ’ ll never be mentioned again .
There ’ s always the off-chance the commissioner will treat it like Milton ’ s red stapler and make it her mission to act as a collection agency on the federal government , determined to get her $ 192,000 .
I would imagine the approach would be highly dependent on whoever ends up winning the presidential election .
Whatever the case , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teach us all about Commissioner Chloe Eudaly : At a time when her citizens were trying to raze a federal courthouse , her concern was that the federal government ’ s fence protecting that courthouse blocked a bike lane .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Portland, Oregon, is fining America — which is to say, fining the nation’s taxpayers, who include the city’s residents — $500 every 15 minutes a fence around a federal courthouse in the city blocks a bicycle lane.
The reason the fence is around the federal courthouse is that a subset of Portland’s residents whom Portland refuses to deal with wants to get into the federal courthouse, assumedly not just to chat with the night staff about the work of Slavoj Žižek.
Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly insists she’s going to collect on this fine. Controlling the violent element within her own city isn’t, predictably, on the list.
Eudaly made clear her intention to collect in a tweetstorm earlier this week in which she slammed the “federal occupiers” stopping her city’s residents from destroying federal property and said the fines were just part of “what our state legislature and federal delegation are doing to address this unconstitutional federal aggression against our city” by President Donald Trump.
I assumed from Eudaly’s tweets that this was someone dangerously disengaged from reality and/or up for re-election. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, but The Oregonian notes that the commissioner, whose responsibilities include overseeing the city’s transportation bureau, is, in fact, in the midst of a re-election campaign.
Whatever the case, it’s quite the thread; if you ever wanted to see what it’s like to watch a low-level elected bureaucrat yelling into the wind that she’s reclaiming her time to a federal government that isn’t particularly concerned with mollifying city officials who’ve been mollifying a mob that’s trying to burn down a courthouse, this is your chance.
“At a time when tensions were starting to decrease on our streets, Trump sent federal agents from two of the most politicized and controversial agencies — [Customs and Border Protection] and [Department of Homeland Security] — without Congressional authorization or notification, or local elected officials’ consent, into our city,” she tweeted.
“While we work to counteract their presence, we face an uphill battle in a process designed to usurp not just our local authority, but the authority of our federal representatives. We are doing everything we can — our recourse may be limited, but we’re not giving up the fight.”
While we work to counteract their presence, we face an uphill battle in a process designed to usurp not just our local authority, but the authority of our federal representatives. We are doing everything we can—our recourse may be limited, but we’re not giving up the fight. — Commissioner Eudaly (@ChloeEudalyPDX) July 28, 2020
Actually, all they had to do to “counteract their presence” was to enforce the law and protect the courthouse — which is how Oregon reached an agreement with the federal government to eventually draw down the federal forces the day after Eudaly’s tweetstorm. Amazing how that works.
But don’t worry, she’s going to kick them on the way out the door. See, remember that fence in the bike lane? She contacted the Portland Bureau of Transportation about that and got it “to enforce on the federal occupiers for erecting a fence in our public right of way.”
The city filed a cease-and-desist letter with the federal government, which didn’t respond; I imagine when you’re dealing with a violent rabblement using angle grinders to try and breach the fence, industrial-grade fireworks to injure law enforcement and lasers to attempt to blind them, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s bike lane issue falls into what author Stephen Covey called, in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” a “Quadrant 4” agenda item: not urgent and not important.
Oh, but they should have listened. That’s because Eudaly made sure the PBOT was “assessing the maximum fine of $500 for every 15 minutes the fence obstructs our street, & we are investigating other legal remedies.”
That’s $2,000 an hour.
“As of yesterday, the federal government owes us $192,000 and counting,” she tweeted. “We intend to collect.”
Yes, I am afraid to direct workers to do their job and enforce our laws against the federal government—I hope that gives everyone reading this pause. As of yesterday, the federal government owes us $192,000 and counting. We intend to collect. — Commissioner Eudaly (@ChloeEudalyPDX) July 28, 2020
So because the federal government had to take action to protect the courthouse, the people of Portland are essentially fining themselves, and every other taxpayer in America — and they “intend to collect.”
I can imagine the federal government turning around and handing Portland a bill for the city’s refusal to control a criminal mob. As long as we’re handing out bills, we might as well balance the books.
Will Portland collect on this fine? Yes No
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Just so we’re clear on what we’re dealing with here, in case you haven’t paid attention to the situation in the Oregon metropolis: No reasonable observer is even bothering to call the nightly parade of violent white hipster performativity “mostly peaceful” or even remotely lawful.
Most media reports can’t even attribute a coherent message to the remnant of the original Black Lives Matter demonstrations that sprang up in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in police custody. An Associated Press report from the courthouse protest earlier this week contrasted people who were still there to protest some form of iniquity and others who viewed the courthouse as their great white whale.
One section of the report contrasted the actions of Monica Arce, a professional midwife described as dancing along to music and waving her cellphone flashlight around, with others who weren’t there for music- or flashlight-based solidarity.
“We are not here being violent or being destructive. We have a positive message — there is nothing to quell here,” Arce told the AP, referencing the president’s statement he’d deployed federal agents to quell the unrest.
“The people of Portland are saying, ‘We don’t want this presence here and we don’t think we need them at all,'” she said.
“As she spoke, small pods of three to four protesters dressed in black circulated in the crowd, stopping every few minutes to point green laser beams in the eyes of agents posted as lookouts on porticoes on the courthouse’s upper stories,” the report continued. “The agents above were silhouetted against the dark sky as dozens of green laser dots and a large spotlight played on the courthouse walls, projected from the back of the crowd.
“Thirty minutes later, someone fired a commercial-grade firework inside the fence. Next came a flare and then protesters began using an angle grinder to eat away at the fence. A barrage of items came whizzing into the courthouse: rocks, cans of beans, water bottles, potatoes and rubber bouncy balls that cause the agents to slip and fall.”
Rioters are trying to cut open the barrier around the Portland federal courthouse using electric powered tools. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/jZwKvbXbIo — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 26, 2020
I may be mistaken, but I don’t think they were doing this because they’d been riding their fixie, found the bike lane blocked by a federally erected fence, and just happened to have some commercial-grade fireworks and an angle-grinder on them.
My assumption, which I don’t think is an unreasonable one, is that this fine is touted occasionally by Eudaly until maybe 15 minutes after Election Day, after which it’ll never be mentioned again. There’s always the off-chance the commissioner will treat it like Milton’s red stapler and make it her mission to act as a collection agency on the federal government, determined to get her $192,000. I would imagine the approach would be highly dependent on whoever ends up winning the presidential election.
Whatever the case, there’s one thing this tweetstorm should teach us all about Commissioner Chloe Eudaly: At a time when her citizens were trying to raze a federal courthouse, her concern was that the federal government’s fence protecting that courthouse blocked a bike lane.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
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* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.