westernjournal--2020-10-31--Slovakia Launches Ambitious Plan To Test Entire Population for COVID

More than one million people were tested for the coronavirus in Slovakia in one day on Saturday .
An ambitious plan to test most residents of the eastern European country — which has 5.5 million total inhabitants — began Saturday with a massive mobilization of people , according to Reuters .
Those under the age of 10 were excused from being tested .
By the end of the day on Saturday , though , more than one million tests had been conducted .
The country ’ s leaders think that by rapidly testing every citizen in the country , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said at a media briefing that 3 million people could be tested by the end of Sunday .
More tests will be administered next week in the country .
Nad said , “ We have clearly got to over 1 million — people ’ s interest continues.
” Meanwhile , Slovakia ’ s prime minister , Igor Matovic , said he hopes that identifying positive cases quickly can lead to the isolation of those individuals , which would prevent a wider lockdown .
The effort relies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials and other volunteers .
An estimated 40,000 health care workers , soldiers , police officers and others were conducting the tests at approximately 5,000 testing sites throughout the country .
The number of COVID-19 tests administered equates to nearly one-fifth of the country ’ s entire population , and the testing was described by Reuters as “ voluntary.
” Still , those who did not voluntarily undergo testing were set to be forced by the government to go into a quarantine protocol .
That will prevent those who refrain from being tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or attend school .
RELATED : New Jersey Governor Refuses To Rule Out Another COVID Lockdown Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová , however , has expressed concern that there are not enough health care workers to carry out the initiative as planned .
She wants the government to reconsider the strict measures it has said will be imposed on those who do not get tested , The Slovak Spectator reported .
One man said he showed up for the test so his son would be permitted to go to school .
“ I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I did not think much about it , ” Martin Janosik told Reuters at a testing location north of Slovakia ’ s capital city of Bratislava .
Janosik added , “ It is also good for me and for my company , if I am healthy I can be there and take people around.
” Citing Slovak media , Reuters reported wait times for coronavirus tests Saturday were up to four hours in some areas .
Despite questions regarding antigen swab tests , which , according to to one study , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials deemed the rapid mobilization to test citizens a worthwhile exercise .
As of noon local time , Saturday ’ s tests had identified 7,947 positive cases of the coronavirus , according to Reuters .
A relatively small number of people , 219 , have died from the coronavirus in Slovakia .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

More than one million people were tested for the coronavirus in Slovakia in one day on Saturday.
An ambitious plan to test most residents of the eastern European country — which has 5.5 million total inhabitants — began Saturday with a massive mobilization of people, according to Reuters.
Those under the age of 10 were excused from being tested.
By the end of the day on Saturday, though, more than one million tests had been conducted.
The country’s leaders think that by rapidly testing every citizen in the country, they can mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said at a media briefing that 3 million people could be tested by the end of Sunday.
More tests will be administered next week in the country.
Nad said, “We have clearly got to over 1 million — people’s interest continues.”
Meanwhile, Slovakia’s prime minister, Igor Matovic, said he hopes that identifying positive cases quickly can lead to the isolation of those individuals, which would prevent a wider lockdown.
Do you agree with Slovakia's approach to testing most of its citizens? Yes No
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The effort relies in part on a small army of public officials and other volunteers.
An estimated 40,000 health care workers, soldiers, police officers and others were conducting the tests at approximately 5,000 testing sites throughout the country.
The number of COVID-19 tests administered equates to nearly one-fifth of the country’s entire population, and the testing was described by Reuters as “voluntary.”
Still, those who did not voluntarily undergo testing were set to be forced by the government to go into a quarantine protocol.
That will prevent those who refrain from being tested from being allowed to go to work or attend school.
Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová, however, has expressed concern that there are not enough health care workers to carry out the initiative as planned. She wants the government to reconsider the strict measures it has said will be imposed on those who do not get tested, The Slovak Spectator reported.
One man said he showed up for the test so his son would be permitted to go to school.
“I did not have much of a choice, but I did not think much about it,” Martin Janosik told Reuters at a testing location north of Slovakia’s capital city of Bratislava.
Janosik added, “It is also good for me and for my company, if I am healthy I can be there and take people around.”
Citing Slovak media, Reuters reported wait times for coronavirus tests Saturday were up to four hours in some areas.
Despite questions regarding antigen swab tests, which, according to to one study, are only around 70 percent accurate, government officials deemed the rapid mobilization to test citizens a worthwhile exercise.
As of noon local time, Saturday’s tests had identified 7,947 positive cases of the coronavirus, according to Reuters.
A relatively small number of people, 219, have died from the coronavirus in Slovakia.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Someone Tried To Register Dozens of Dead People as Dem Voters in Key Swing State

Officials in Broward County , Florida , halted an attempt by someone this past summer to register dozens of dead people to vote as Democrats .
The Associated Press reported a scheme to defraud elected officials into registering 51 people , some of them confirmed to have died .
It was detected this summer in the county , which is a Democrat stronghold .
Officials say a person in Columbia , South Carolina , in July mailed voter applications for the deceased to the Broward County elections office .
Officials said each of the 51 applications bore similar handwriting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and referred to a Florida state attorney ’ s office , which is investigating the matter .
Paula McMahon , with the state attorney ’ s office , told the AP , “ We can not comment on an ongoing , active criminal investigation.
” But according to the report , the investigation is complicated , as the applications by mail had no return address .
Five of the names of the people on the application were already on voter rolls , The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported .
51 applications , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first as fraudulent , the newspaper added .
Two of the applications which evaded detection by Broward County election officials had passed away a month prior to the applications .
Those individuals were subsequently added to the county ’ s voter rolls .
Broward Elections Supervisor Pete Antonacci told the newspaper that the applications were an effort to defraud election officials .
“ This is an organized effort by someone who knew a little bit about Florida law but not a lot , and had a scheme to either undermine the Florida registration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote 50 times , ” Antonacci said .
The county election official blamed a delay in voter deaths being reported to the election board as the reason for deceased people being registered to vote .
RELATED : With Elections 72 Hours Away , States Begin Preparing for National Guard Deployment “ The system is based on the honor system , and the honor system is supposedly bolstered by the fact that if you lie on one of these applications , it ’ s a crime , ” he said .
“ With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in.
” The disruption of the scheme in Florida was reported just days before the Nov. 3 election , in which there are grave concerns about election integrity , which is mostly due to the addition of millions of insecure mail-in ballots across the country this year .
Florida is a key swing state , which could very well decide the winner of Tuesday ’ s election .
President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 by just over 100,000 votes .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Officials in Broward County, Florida, halted an attempt by someone this past summer to register dozens of dead people to vote as Democrats.
The Associated Press reported a scheme to defraud elected officials into registering 51 people, some of them confirmed to have died. It was detected this summer in the county, which is a Democrat stronghold.
Officials say a person in Columbia, South Carolina, in July mailed voter applications for the deceased to the Broward County elections office.
Officials said each of the 51 applications bore similar handwriting.
Those applications were subsequently flagged as suspicious and referred to a Florida state attorney’s office, which is investigating the matter.
Paula McMahon, with the state attorney’s office, told the AP, “We cannot comment on an ongoing, active criminal investigation.”
But according to the report, the investigation is complicated, as the applications by mail had no return address.
Five of the names of the people on the application were already on voter rolls, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
51 applications, at least three of them were not detected at first as fraudulent, the newspaper added.
Do you think President Trump will win Florida again? Yes No
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Two of the applications which evaded detection by Broward County election officials had passed away a month prior to the applications.
Those individuals were subsequently added to the county’s voter rolls.
Broward Elections Supervisor Pete Antonacci told the newspaper that the applications were an effort to defraud election officials.
“This is an organized effort by someone who knew a little bit about Florida law but not a lot, and had a scheme to either undermine the Florida registration system with fake voters, or intended to vote 50 times,” Antonacci said.
The county election official blamed a delay in voter deaths being reported to the election board as the reason for deceased people being registered to vote.
“The system is based on the honor system, and the honor system is supposedly bolstered by the fact that if you lie on one of these applications, it’s a crime,” he said.
“With determination, you can muscle your way in.”
The disruption of the scheme in Florida was reported just days before the Nov. 3 election, in which there are grave concerns about election integrity, which is mostly due to the addition of millions of insecure mail-in ballots across the country this year.
Florida is a key swing state, which could very well decide the winner of Tuesday’s election.
President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 by just over 100,000 votes.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Go Woke, Go Broke? NBA Reportedly Facing Billions in Losses, Steep Decline in Player Salaries

For obvious reasons , 2020 has been a bizarre year for sports .
The stark lack of fans at games , the various “ bubble ” environments to try and mitigate the spread of coronavirus , and the awkward rescheduling forcing leagues to play much later in the year than normal have all contributed to a sports year that fans won ’ t soon forget .
But one major aspect of 2020 professional sports that fans might want to try and forget is the deluge of “ woke ” social justice protests that have proliferated the major three North American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the NFL had their own bouts of social justice demonstrations , no sports league tapped into those protests more than the NBA .
Yes , the NBA had a dissident or two , but the league , by and large , wholly embraced the “ Black Lives Matter ” movement .
The NBA even went so far as to have “ Black Lives Matter ” emblazoned on the court during the duration of its bubble restart .
The NBA had a litany of factors working against it , but it was due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s social justice initiatives that ratings utterly collapsed for its ballyhooed restart .
Those abysmal ratings couldn ’ t have left the NBA ’ s broadcast partners and sponsors happy .
So what ’ s the best way to appease them and recoup some of the lost revenue ?
Get back to work as soon as possible and play as many games as you can .
Unfortunately for the league , it ’ s not that simple .
According to a report Friday from ESPN ’ s Adrian Wojnarowski , the league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still not able to agree on when the league will restart .
The league would like to start as early as December , while the Players Association prefers to play at a later date , the report said .
The NBA , however , fears that starting the season even in January could cost the league anywhere from $ 500 million to $ 1 billion in lost revenue , according to ESPN .
Now , a multibillion dollar entity like the NBA might normally be able to weather losses even that substantive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a little hairier , however , when factoring in the great unknown of when fans will be allowed back en masse .
Without that vital gate revenue , ESPN noted that projections have the NBA losing another $ 4 billion .
That ’ s a potential loss of up to $ 5 billion in revenue if the season starts in January and fans are not allowed to attend .
That massive figure , even for a multibillion dollar entity , would be a very painful and bitter pill to swallow .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season early is particularly confounding given the very dire consequences those revenue losses could have on the NBA players .
As ESPN pointed out , the current collective bargaining agreement includes a 50-50 revenue split between the players and the league .
A massive drop in revenue would mean a steep drop in player salaries .
While some players with exorbitant salaries , such as LeBron James , John Wall and Chris Paul , would still collect a hefty chunk of change , players on rookie-scale deals or making the league minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depressed salaries .
So it as simple as going woke and then going broke ?
Much like with anything else in life , no , it ’ s not that simple .
But at the very least , the NBA might want to significantly rethink its strategy of engaging in hyper-partisan politics and alienating its fans .
Based on that aforementioned $ 5 billion figure , the NBA clearly needs to engage as many fans as humanly possible .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read @ @ @ @

For obvious reasons, 2020 has been a bizarre year for sports.
The stark lack of fans at games, the various “bubble” environments to try and mitigate the spread of coronavirus, and the awkward rescheduling forcing leagues to play much later in the year than normal have all contributed to a sports year that fans won’t soon forget.
But one major aspect of 2020 professional sports that fans might want to try and forget is the deluge of “woke” social justice protests that have proliferated the major three North American professional sports leagues.
While both MLB and the NFL had their own bouts of social justice demonstrations, no sports league tapped into those protests more than the NBA.
Yes, the NBA had a dissident or two, but the league, by and large, wholly embraced the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The NBA even went so far as to have “Black Lives Matter” emblazoned on the court during the duration of its bubble restart.
Here is the NBA restart court in Orlando: the spaced out chairs are the socially distanced bench, Black Lives Matter is written on the court. pic.twitter.com/XGJu1w4QLC — Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 21, 2020
The NBA had a litany of factors working against it, but it was due in no small part to the league’s social justice initiatives that ratings utterly collapsed for its ballyhooed restart.
Those abysmal ratings couldn’t have left the NBA’s broadcast partners and sponsors happy. So what’s the best way to appease them and recoup some of the lost revenue? Get back to work as soon as possible and play as many games as you can.
If the NBA completely gets rid of its social justice messaging, would you give it another shot? 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: 17% (407 Votes) No: 83% (1987 Votes)
Unfortunately for the league, it’s not that simple.
According to a report Friday from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league and the National Basketball Players Association are still not able to agree on when the league will restart.
The league would like to start as early as December, while the Players Association prefers to play at a later date, the report said.
The NBA, however, fears that starting the season even in January could cost the league anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion in lost revenue, according to ESPN.
Now, a multibillion dollar entity like the NBA might normally be able to weather losses even that substantive, if only for a year.
Things get a little hairier, however, when factoring in the great unknown of when fans will be allowed back en masse. Without that vital gate revenue, ESPN noted that projections have the NBA losing another $4 billion.
That’s a potential loss of up to $5 billion in revenue if the season starts in January and fans are not allowed to attend. That massive figure, even for a multibillion dollar entity, would be a very painful and bitter pill to swallow.
The Players Association’s reluctance to start the season early is particularly confounding given the very dire consequences those revenue losses could have on the NBA players.
As ESPN pointed out, the current collective bargaining agreement includes a 50-50 revenue split between the players and the league. A massive drop in revenue would mean a steep drop in player salaries.
While some players with exorbitant salaries, such as LeBron James, John Wall and Chris Paul, would still collect a hefty chunk of change, players on rookie-scale deals or making the league minimum might not be as amenable to those depressed salaries.
So it as simple as going woke and then going broke?
Much like with anything else in life, no, it’s not that simple.
But at the very least, the NBA might want to significantly rethink its strategy of engaging in hyper-partisan politics and alienating its fans.
Based on that aforementioned $5 billion figure, the NBA clearly needs to engage as many fans as humanly possible.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Biden Repeats One of Obama’s Biggest Lies Without Missing a Beat

“ If you like your health care plan , you ’ ll be able to keep your health care plan.
” Perhaps then-President Barack Obama and his top administration officials believed they were telling the truth when they uttered that line or something close to it more than three dozen times in referring to health insurance changes under the Affordable Care Act , colloquially known as Obamacare , according to PolitiFact .
Put simply , they were not .
“ The promise was impossible to keep , ” PolitiFact reported in December 2013 as the fact-checking outlet declared that line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Year.
” “ Boiling down the complicated health care law to a soundbite proved treacherous , even for its promoter-in-chief , ” the fact-checker added .
“ Obama ’ s ideas on health care were first offered as general outlines then grew into specific legislation over the course of his presidency .
Yet Obama never adjusted his rhetoric to give people a more accurate sense of the law ’ s real-world repercussions , even as fact-checkers flagged his statements as exaggerated at best .
“ Instead , he fought back against inaccurate attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeated even as it became clear his promise was too sweeping.
” Years later , Obama ’ s former vice president , Joe Biden , now the Democratic presidential nominee , is repeating that lie .
“ Look , Donald Trump thinks healthcare is a privilege ; I think it ’ s a right people should have .
If we all get out and vote , we ’ ll not only restore Obamacare , but we ’ ll strengthen and build on it , ” Biden said Friday during a campaign rally in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your private insurance , or you could choose a Medicare-like option that will add to Obamacare.
” I suppose it ’ s a good thing that Biden isn ’ t openly campaigning on abolishing private health insurance — as many on the left want to do — something that would be devastating for millions of Americans , particularly amid the current pandemic .
Here ’ s the problem : Biden is just not all that believable , especially considering the former vice president seems to think that no one with private health insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is the same guy who claimed during the final presidential debate , according to Fox News : “ Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan , nor did they under Obamacare.
” “ They did not lose their insurance unless they chose they wanted to go to something else.
” Well , not quite , Joe , and PolitiFact was there to call him out for the misleading comments .
“ It ’ s a variation of a claim that earned President Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the outlet reported .
“ The Affordable Care Act tried to allow existing health plans to continue under a complicated process called ‘ grandfathering , ’ but if the plans deviated even a little , they would lose their grandfathered status .
And if that happened , insurers canceled plans that didn ’ t meet the new standards .
“ No one determined with any certainty how many people got cancellation notices , but analysts estimated that about 4 million or more had their plans canceled.
” RELATED : Biden Campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disaster Looms The Obama-Biden administration wasn ’ t able to keep its promises on health care when they were in power .
Why should we believe Biden this time around when he claims people would be able to “ keep [ their ] private insurance ” under his new health care plan ?
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

“If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.”
Perhaps then-President Barack Obama and his top administration officials believed they were telling the truth when they uttered that line or something close to it more than three dozen times in referring to health insurance changes under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, according to PolitiFact.
Put simply, they were not.
“The promise was impossible to keep,” PolitiFact reported in December 2013 as the fact-checking outlet declared that line it’s “Lie of the Year.”
“Boiling down the complicated health care law to a soundbite proved treacherous, even for its promoter-in-chief,” the fact-checker added.
“Obama’s ideas on health care were first offered as general outlines then grew into specific legislation over the course of his presidency. Yet Obama never adjusted his rhetoric to give people a more accurate sense of the law’s real-world repercussions, even as fact-checkers flagged his statements as exaggerated at best.
“Instead, he fought back against inaccurate attacks with his own oversimplifications, which he repeated even as it became clear his promise was too sweeping.”
Years later, Obama’s former vice president, Joe Biden, now the Democratic presidential nominee, is repeating that lie.
“Look, Donald Trump thinks healthcare is a privilege; I think it’s a right people should have. If we all get out and vote, we’ll not only restore Obamacare, but we’ll strengthen and build on it,” Biden said Friday during a campaign rally in Milwaukee.
“So you can keep your private insurance, or you could choose a Medicare-like option that will add to Obamacare.”
I suppose it’s a good thing that Biden isn’t openly campaigning on abolishing private health insurance — as many on the left want to do — something that would be devastating for millions of Americans, particularly amid the current pandemic.
Here’s the problem: Biden is just not all that believable, especially considering the former vice president seems to think that no one with private health insurance actually lost coverage under Obamacare.
Remember, this is the same guy who claimed during the final presidential debate, according to Fox News: “Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan, nor did they under Obamacare.”
Do you think Joe Biden is lying? Yes No
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“They did not lose their insurance unless they chose they wanted to go to something else.”
Well, not quite, Joe, and PolitiFact was there to call him out for the misleading comments.
“It’s a variation of a claim that earned President Barack Obama our Lie of the Year in 2013,” the outlet reported.
“The Affordable Care Act tried to allow existing health plans to continue under a complicated process called ‘grandfathering,’ but if the plans deviated even a little, they would lose their grandfathered status. And if that happened, insurers canceled plans that didn’t meet the new standards.
“No one determined with any certainty how many people got cancellation notices, but analysts estimated that about 4 million or more had their plans canceled.”
The Obama-Biden administration wasn’t able to keep its promises on health care when they were in power.
Why should we believe Biden this time around when he claims people would be able to “keep [their] private insurance” under his new health care plan?
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--With Elections 72 Hours Away, States Begin Preparing for National Guard Deployment

With widespread civil unrest expected following the results of Tuesday ’ s election , many mayors and governors across the country are deploying resources in an attempt to get ahead of any potential violence .
With just over 72 hours until polls across the country begin to close , some elected officials are bracing themselves .
After a tumultuous summer which saw riots , looting and protests in cities throughout the country , many public officials are preparing for the worst by activating the National Guard , or putting members on high alert .
In Texas , Republican Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Guard into the Lone Star State ’ s cities , should they be needed .
KXAN-TV reported Abbott said Wednesday after 1,000 troops were activated , “ our job is to make sure that cities are going to be safe.
” While Abbott does not want the presence of boots on the ground to affect the election , he won ’ t hesitate to send troops into locations where unrest might occur .
Wisconsin Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers has activated roughly 400 members of the National Guard , according to Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Wisconsin National Guard has played a critical role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and this mission is no different.
” Evers added .
“ As Wisconsin faces an urgent crisis with more than 200,000 positive cases of COVID-19 across the state , the help of the Guard will be needed to ensure that Election Day goes smoothly and that voters and election officials alike have the assistance they need.
” Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard , meanwhile , remain active in Philadelphia following days of unrest and riots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a black man who was shot dead by police while allegedly holding a knife .
KYW-TV reported hundreds of men and women with the Guard are in the city , where they will assist police to keep order .
The Military Times reported states across the country have not activated guardsmen and women yet , but have put many members on high alert .
In Arizona , Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey said during an interview with KNXV-TV he would not “ hesitate ” to deploy 300 members of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the event of unrest .
Officials in Alabama have also put 300 National Guard members on high alert .
RELATED : Someone Tried To Register Dozens of Dead People as Dem Voters in Key Swing State States such as New Jersey , Colorado , Tennessee , Virginia and Wyoming have also activated some selected National Guard members to assist with election security and cyber security to varying degrees .
Other troops will assist at the polls in some areas .
While states are readying National Guard members with varying degrees of concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the country ’ s largest cities are already preparing for election unrest .
Images posted online show the measures being taken by merchants in other cities to get ahead of any potential political violence .
KRCR-TV reported that the California Highway Patrol has placed uniformed officers on a tactical alert .
The state ’ s police agency is on alert , as are police agencies in the Golden State .
Officers with the LAPD have been told to be ready to report to work , regardless of schedule , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Los Angeles Times reported .
Likewise , in the San Francisco Bay area , officers are preparing for unrest , according to The San Francisco Chronicle .
Vacation days for agencies in both areas of the state have been canceled .
In Washington , D.C. , many businesses have closed and boarded up in preparation for violence like that which was seen this summer , when leftist protestors ensconced themselves in the city for months .
In New York City , police have been preparing a strategy to curtail potential violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged merchants along Fifth Avenue to close , and some items which could be used as projectiles , such as public trash cans , have been temporarily removed .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

With widespread civil unrest expected following the results of Tuesday’s election, many mayors and governors across the country are deploying resources in an attempt to get ahead of any potential violence.
With just over 72 hours until polls across the country begin to close, some elected officials are bracing themselves.
After a tumultuous summer which saw riots, looting and protests in cities throughout the country, many public officials are preparing for the worst by activating the National Guard, or putting members on high alert.
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is prepared to send the National Guard into the Lone Star State’s cities, should they be needed.
KXAN-TV reported Abbott said Wednesday after 1,000 troops were activated, “our job is to make sure that cities are going to be safe.”
While Abbott does not want the presence of boots on the ground to affect the election, he won’t hesitate to send troops into locations where unrest might occur.
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has activated roughly 400 members of the National Guard, according to Fox News.
Evers said on Thursday, “The Wisconsin National Guard has played a critical role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and this mission is no different.”
Evers added. “As Wisconsin faces an urgent crisis with more than 200,000 positive cases of COVID-19 across the state, the help of the Guard will be needed to ensure that Election Day goes smoothly and that voters and election officials alike have the assistance they need.”
Do you think President Donald Trump will be re-elected? 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: 100% (404 Votes) No: 0% (2 Votes)
Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, meanwhile, remain active in Philadelphia following days of unrest and riots following the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a black man who was shot dead by police while allegedly holding a knife.
KYW-TV reported hundreds of men and women with the Guard are in the city, where they will assist police to keep order.
The Military Times reported states across the country have not activated guardsmen and women yet, but have put many members on high alert.
In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said during an interview with KNXV-TV he would not “hesitate” to deploy 300 members of the state’s National Guard to help restore order in the event of unrest.
Officials in Alabama have also put 300 National Guard members on high alert.
States such as New Jersey, Colorado, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming have also activated some selected National Guard members to assist with election security and cyber security to varying degrees.
Other troops will assist at the polls in some areas.
While states are readying National Guard members with varying degrees of concern, police officers and business owners in some of the country’s largest cities are already preparing for election unrest.
Images posted online show the measures being taken by merchants in other cities to get ahead of any potential political violence.
Driving through downtown LA…so many businesses boarded up & in the process of boarding up. Same thing happening in Beverly Hills & Santa Monica in anticipation of election night. All 3 areas hit hard by looters & rioters during George Floyd unrest. pic.twitter.com/wxrfs3ErDN — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 30, 2020
Retail stores in NYC getting boarded up before the election. pic.twitter.com/jOacLxLjGE — Brian Sozzi (@BrianSozzi) October 31, 2020
KRCR-TV reported that the California Highway Patrol has placed uniformed officers on a tactical alert.
The state’s police agency is on alert, as are police agencies in the Golden State.
Officers with the LAPD have been told to be ready to report to work, regardless of schedule, in the event of chaos related to the election, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Likewise, in the San Francisco Bay area, officers are preparing for unrest, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Vacation days for agencies in both areas of the state have been canceled.
In Washington, D.C., many businesses have closed and boarded up in preparation for violence like that which was seen this summer, when leftist protestors ensconced themselves in the city for months.
Businesses boarding up in DC ahead of the election. pic.twitter.com/efpLoFNRr5 — Ben Tracy (@benstracy) October 30, 2020
In New York City, police have been preparing a strategy to curtail potential violence, WLNY-TV reported.
The department has urged merchants along Fifth Avenue to close, and some items which could be used as projectiles, such as public trash cans, have been temporarily removed.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Horrific Car Accident Gives Man Little Chance of Survival. His Recovery Can Only Be Described as ‘a

Horrific Car Accident Gives Man Little Chance of Survival. His Recovery Can Only Be Described as ‘a Miracle’

Doctors weren ’ t sure if Luke Benjamin Bernard would make it after a serious car accident in 2013 left him near death .
Bernard suffered a severe traumatic brain injury , blood clots on his brain , an emergency craniotomy and was ailing in the ICU amid a cloud of uncertainty .
Flash-forward to 2020 and Bernard has defied all expectations , telling “ The Pure Flix Podcast ” about his unlikely story of survival , his harrowing journey to recovery and his starring role in “ The Favorite , ” a movie now streaming on Pure Flix .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance of survival , ” he said of his initial condition .
“ It would be a miracle if you lived in vegetative state — a miracle.
” Bernard had what medical experts call a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 with dilated and fixed pupils , which generally yields a grim prognosis .
“ The doctor … told [ my family ] , ‘ I can ’ t tell you what ’ s going to happen with him .
You just need to get here right away , ' ” Bernard recalled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not survive .
Despite facing the unthinkable , Bernard ’ s family refused to give up , turning with fervency to faith and prayer .
“ Basically , they did the best thing they could for me … and the only thing they could have done was – they prayed , ” he said .
“ They read scriptures , they sang praise … at my bedside again and again and again.
” The parents firmly believed God would heal their son , and they decided to combat the negative possibilities by intensely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dad ’ s ] mindset was , ‘ This is a fight — I ’ m in a fight right now for my son ’ s life and Satan ’ s trying to take my son and I ’ m not going to let it happen , ' ” he said , noting that their prayers weren ’ t just for survival but for “ complete healing.
” And the Bernard family got their wish .
Against all odds , he fully recovered , and they now attribute it all to God .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ This Contestant 's Audition on 'The Voice ' : 'You Just One-Upped Me on My Own Song' “ It ’ s just remarkable with God ’ s grace and mercy , with his healing power over me , ” he said .
And that was only part of the story .
Bernard , who was an actor prior to his accident , ended up writing and performing in “ The Favorite , ” a touching new film about two rival brothers who face tragedy — a traumatic event that mirrors what happened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plot line for “ The Favorite ” came to Bernard as he was recovering from his accident .
“ One night I fell into this deep sleep and I had this very vivid dream … a dream that you feel like you ’ re really there , ” he recalled .
Bernard said he saw two brothers in that dream who had a car accident , with one of the men facing the same injuries , recovery and healing that Bernard faced .
The dream was so stirring that Bernard started writing what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ script and the rest is cinematic history .
Listen to this phenomenal story in its entirety on “ The Pure Flix Podcast , ” a top Christian podcast for faith and family-friendly entertainment , and be sure to watch Bernard in “ The Favorite.
” This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider .
Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows .
You can get a free trial here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read @ @ @ @

Doctors weren’t sure if Luke Benjamin Bernard would make it after a serious car accident in 2013 left him near death. Bernard suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, blood clots on his brain, an emergency craniotomy and was ailing in the ICU amid a cloud of uncertainty.
Flash-forward to 2020 and Bernard has defied all expectations, telling “The Pure Flix Podcast” about his unlikely story of survival, his harrowing journey to recovery and his starring role in “The Favorite,” a movie now streaming on Pure Flix.
“Medically, you have almost no chance of survival,” he said of his initial condition. “It would be a miracle if you lived in vegetative state — a miracle.”
Listen to Bernard discuss his miraculous recovery:
Bernard had what medical experts call a Glasgow Coma Scale of 3 with dilated and fixed pupils, which generally yields a grim prognosis.
“The doctor … told [my family], ‘I can’t tell you what’s going to happen with him. You just need to get here right away,'” Bernard recalled, noting that it was clear he might not survive.
Despite facing the unthinkable, Bernard’s family refused to give up, turning with fervency to faith and prayer.
“Basically, they did the best thing they could for me … and the only thing they could have done was – they prayed,” he said. “They read scriptures, they sang praise … at my bedside again and again and again.”
The parents firmly believed God would heal their son, and they decided to combat the negative possibilities by intensely appealing to hope.
“[My dad’s] mindset was, ‘This is a fight — I’m in a fight right now for my son’s life and Satan’s trying to take my son and I’m not going to let it happen,'” he said, noting that their prayers weren’t just for survival but for “complete healing.”
And the Bernard family got their wish. Against all odds, he fully recovered, and they now attribute it all to God.
“It’s just remarkable with God’s grace and mercy, with his healing power over me,” he said.
And that was only part of the story. Bernard, who was an actor prior to his accident, ended up writing and performing in “The Favorite,” a touching new film about two rival brothers who face tragedy — a traumatic event that mirrors what happened to Bernard in real-life.
The idea and plot line for “The Favorite” came to Bernard as he was recovering from his accident.
“One night I fell into this deep sleep and I had this very vivid dream … a dream that you feel like you’re really there,” he recalled.
Bernard said he saw two brothers in that dream who had a car accident, with one of the men facing the same injuries, recovery and healing that Bernard faced. The dream was so stirring that Bernard started writing what he saw, turned it into a script and the rest is cinematic history.
Listen to this phenomenal story in its entirety on “The Pure Flix Podcast,” a top Christian podcast for faith and family-friendly entertainment, and be sure to watch Bernard in “The Favorite.”
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--New York Leaders’ Brutal COVID Restrictions Are Killing Industry That Sustains 1 of Every 12 Jobs in

New York Leaders’ Brutal COVID Restrictions Are Killing Industry That Sustains 1 of Every 12 Jobs in the State

For Christians , conservatives and simply sane individuals , the modern left has made America a difficult place to live in recent years .
When it comes to employees and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry , however , the left seems set on making it an impossible place to live now .
According to a recent report from Bloomberg , the COVID-19 pandemic has put stateside sightseeing on life support — particularly in New York City , where the tourism market produces roughly $ 70 billion in economic activity in a typical year .
The state of New York earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , going a step beyond face covering , social distancing and restaurant capacity restrictions to implement the highest bar nationwide with regard to public health protocol .
Democratic Gov .
Andrew Cuomo spearheaded implementation of the strict regimen , forwarding an advisory in cooperation with neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut this past June that aimed to ensure a 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving in-state from locations with a high viral transmission rate .
The states and nations on that list have been in constant flux since its implementation , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to compulsory signature of public health forms at all New York airports .
Official government releases suggest failure to complete the paperwork might result in a $ 2,000 fine and forced quarantine .
The threat of such policies apparently has been enough to keep travelers at bay — a reality that has had a dramatic impact on the local economy .
“ The true hotel occupancy is less than 10 percent , ” Hotel Association of New York City CEO Vijay Dandapani told Bloomberg .
And with New York ’ s 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state employment opportunities are tied to tourism or a travel-adjacent industry , those numbers have forced hotel owners and employees into hard times .
Nearly 30 percent of New York City ‘ s 700 hotels had yet to re-open as of Oct. 9 , Bloomberg reported .
Those that had re-opened were required to decrease capacity at an alarming rate , however , and were experiencing such a substantial market demand reduction that average per-night lodging prices had been cut by roughly $ 200 this October in an attempt to fill rooms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Have Dem Reps - Look Who Represents the Worst One The month normally is the local industry ’ s best , bringing 92 percent occupancy .
But best-case scenarios are hard to see for industry experts , with Dandapani suggesting the cost of doing business was no longer worth paying and Green Street real estate analyst Lukas Hartwich estimating losses would persist for some time .
“ Next year is going to be far worse than any year we ’ ve ever had except this one , ” Hartwich said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before we get back to where we were during the worst part of the last recession.
” Of course , few businesses can hold out that long , leading industry executives to suggest “ 20 percent of the city ’ s rooms may permanently close.
” Hold your applause , however .
As of Friday , New York wasn ’ t the worst performing state in the union with regard to COVID-19 death rates .
It was the second worst , behind New Jersey , according to a New York Times database .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the millions of employees and business owners nursing empty pantries with an unemployment check .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

For Christians, conservatives and simply sane individuals, the modern left has made America a difficult place to live in recent years.
When it comes to employees and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, however, the left seems set on making it an impossible place to live now.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the COVID-19 pandemic has put stateside sightseeing on life support — particularly in New York City, where the tourism market produces roughly $70 billion in economic activity in a typical year.
The state of New York earned substantial media attention at the outset of the pandemic, going a step beyond face covering, social distancing and restaurant capacity restrictions to implement the highest bar nationwide with regard to public health protocol.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo spearheaded implementation of the strict regimen, forwarding an advisory in cooperation with neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut this past June that aimed to ensure a 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving in-state from locations with a high viral transmission rate.
“We do not have a travel ban in the state of New York,” said @NYGovCuomo. “You can travel.” says Cuomo. “There is a quarantine policy,” he says. — WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930) October 28, 2020
The states and nations on that list have been in constant flux since its implementation, but enforcement has been at least somewhat manageable due to compulsory signature of public health forms at all New York airports.
Official government releases suggest failure to complete the paperwork might result in a $2,000 fine and forced quarantine.
Have strict coronavirus responses been worth the economic fallout? 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: 3% (12 Votes) No: 97% (403 Votes)
The threat of such policies apparently has been enough to keep travelers at bay — a reality that has had a dramatic impact on the local economy.
“The true hotel occupancy is less than 10 percent,” Hotel Association of New York City CEO Vijay Dandapani told Bloomberg.
And with New York’s 2016 gubernatorial report revealing that one in 12 state employment opportunities are tied to tourism or a travel-adjacent industry, those numbers have forced hotel owners and employees into hard times.
Nearly 30 percent of New York City‘s 700 hotels had yet to re-open as of Oct. 9, Bloomberg reported.
Those that had re-opened were required to decrease capacity at an alarming rate, however, and were experiencing such a substantial market demand reduction that average per-night lodging prices had been cut by roughly $200 this October in an attempt to fill rooms.
The month normally is the local industry’s best, bringing 92 percent occupancy. But best-case scenarios are hard to see for industry experts, with Dandapani suggesting the cost of doing business was no longer worth paying and Green Street real estate analyst Lukas Hartwich estimating losses would persist for some time.
“Next year is going to be far worse than any year we’ve ever had except this one,” Hartwich said. “It’s going to be 2022 before we get back to where we were during the worst part of the last recession.”
Of course, few businesses can hold out that long, leading industry executives to suggest “20 percent of the city’s rooms may permanently close.”
Hold your applause, however. As of Friday, New York wasn’t the worst performing state in the union with regard to COVID-19 death rates.
It was the second worst, behind New Jersey, according to a New York Times database.
But that just won’t work for the millions of employees and business owners nursing empty pantries with an unemployment check.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--New Jersey Governor Refuses To Rule Out Another COVID Lockdown

New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy has not ruled out the idea of locking down his state again amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Despite more than seven months of data showing shutdowns of business activity and religious gatherings can be harmful to public health , the Democratic governor is reserving the option to place severe restrictions on Garden State residents again .
Speaking with Yahoo Finance for an article published Friday , Murphy said “ all options are on the table.
” “ If we have to shut the whole place down we will , ” Murphy said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the first , if not the first state to do that in March .
I just hope we can avoid it again this time.
” Murphy cited an increase in positive coronavirus cases as the reason he is considering a second lockdown .
“ This is real .
People are dying , ” he said “ People are going to the hospital and we need everybody to band together and push back on that pandemic fatigue and push the numbers back down.
” Murphy tweeted about the status of positive cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ # COVID19 UPDATE : We ’ re reporting 2,089 new positive cases , pushing our cumulative total to 236,523 .
We haven ’ t seen daily case numbers in the 2000s since early May .
“ Everyone needs to take this seriously .
Wear a mask .
Social distance .
Wash your hands.
” In another tweet , Murphy said the virus “ has been waiting for us to get lax , ” and noted seven deaths were reported in the state over the last 15 days .
RELATED : DOJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To Stalk , Threaten Chinese National Living in US Murphy was notably criticized for his lockdown order in March , and conceded during an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson in April that he never considered the Bill of Rights when he ordered his state ’ s citizens to lock down and refrain from attending religious services .
Carlson told Murphy , “ The Bill of Rights , as you well know , protects Americans ’ right — enshrines their right — to practice their religion as they see fit and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Murphy , “ By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order ?
” The Democrat stated , “ That ’ s above my pay grade , Tucker .
“ So I wasn ’ t thinking of the Bill of Rights when we did this .
We went to all , first of all , we looked at the data and the science and it says people have to stay away from each other.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism @ @ @ @ @ @

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has not ruled out the idea of locking down his state again amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Despite more than seven months of data showing shutdowns of business activity and religious gatherings can be harmful to public health, the Democratic governor is reserving the option to place severe restrictions on Garden State residents again.
Speaking with Yahoo Finance for an article published Friday, Murphy said “all options are on the table.”
“If we have to shut the whole place down we will,” Murphy said.
He added, “We were one of the first, if not the first state to do that in March. I just hope we can avoid it again this time.”
Murphy cited an increase in positive coronavirus cases as the reason he is considering a second lockdown.
“This is real. People are dying,” he said
“People are going to the hospital and we need everybody to band together and push back on that pandemic fatigue and push the numbers back down.”
Murphy tweeted about the status of positive cases in the state on Friday:
He wrote, “#COVID19 UPDATE: We’re reporting 2,089 new positive cases, pushing our cumulative total to 236,523. We haven’t seen daily case numbers in the 2000s since early May.
#COVID19 UPDATE: We’re reporting 2,089 new positive cases, pushing our cumulative total to 236,523. We haven’t seen daily case numbers in the 2000s since early May. Everyone needs to take this seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands. pic.twitter.com/ab6sbBvHjo — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 30, 2020
“Everyone needs to take this seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands.”
In another tweet, Murphy said the virus “has been waiting for us to get lax,” and noted seven deaths were reported in the state over the last 15 days.
Sadly, we must also report seven new confirmed #COVID19 deaths for a total of 14,546 lives lost. All seven of these deaths occurred within the past 15 days. This virus has been waiting for us to get lax. Stay vigilant, safe, and smart. Learn more: https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7 — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 30, 2020
Murphy was notably criticized for his lockdown order in March, and conceded during an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson in April that he never considered the Bill of Rights when he ordered his state’s citizens to lock down and refrain from attending religious services.
Carlson told Murphy, “The Bill of Rights, as you well know, protects Americans’ right — enshrines their right — to practice their religion as they see fit and to congregate together to assemble peacefully.”
Carlson asked Murphy, “By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order?”
Murphy’s answer caused an immediate backlash.
The Democrat stated, “That’s above my pay grade, Tucker.
“So I wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights when we did this. We went to all, first of all, we looked at the data and the science and it says people have to stay away from each other.”
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Majority of Americans Are Massively Wrong About Hunter Biden’s Laptop

On Oct. 14 , the New York Post became the carrier of this year ’ s October surprise : emails reportedly from Hunter Biden ’ s laptop that seem to indicate Joe Biden may have been more cognizant of his son ’ s overseas dealings than he ’ s previously let on .
The information came from a laptop that Hunter Biden allegedly dropped off at a Delaware repair shop in 2019 and neglected to retrieve .
Along with some , ahem , embarrassing materials on the MacBook , there were also a trove of emails .
Two in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
One involved an alleged meeting Hunter Biden set up a meeting between an executive at Burisma — the Ukrainian energy firm where Hunter served on the board — and the then-vice president .
The other involved a cryptic email after Joe Biden left office about a deal in China that involved “ remuneration , ” including “ 10 held by H for the big guy ?
” A business associate of Hunter Biden ’ s , Tony Bobulinski , says “ the big guy ” was Joe Biden .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings , ” according to the New York Post .
Hunter , meanwhile , said he only talked to his father about Burisma one time .
That ’ s why this is important — particularly if it created conflicts of interest for Biden père during his time as vice president .
But , of course , there were shrieks from the left insisting this was all Russian disinformation .
There was no evidence for this , but we shouldn ’ t need evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post , aptly summed up the facile nature of the disinformation argument neatly without even trying to : “ Take a step back , and the Russian interference of 2016 holds valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do in 2020 : We must treat the Hunter Biden leaks as if they were a foreign intelligence operation — even if they probably aren ’ t. ” It seems to have worked .
A Harvard CAPS-Harris survey found 51 percent of respondents believe the discovery of Hunter Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Hill .
For whatever it ’ s worth , 60 percent of them agreed that Twitter banning users from sharing the New York Post ’ s reporting was wrong .
The survey was conducted online on Oct. 27 and 28 among 2,093 registered voters .
“ A majority believe the Hunter Biden story is Russian disinformation , ” Harvard CAPS-Harris polling director Mark Penn said .
“ And although most think it should be investigated further , the allegations are playing no role today in affecting the outcome .
Most opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story.
” Whatever you may think of the relevance of the story , it ’ s not disinformation .
The Biden campaign hasn ’ t said the emails were false , which is telling enough .
They simply hide behind the disinformation excuse .
Early on , intelligence officials actively nipped this theory in the bud , however .
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe , appearing Oct. 19 on Fox Business , said claims of foreign interference were “ simply not true.
” “ Let me be clear , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t believe [ it was Russian disinformation ] because there is no intelligence that supports that.
” “ We have shared no intelligence with [ House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff ] or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden ’ s laptop is part of a Russian disinformation campaign , ” he continued .
RELATED : 'Joe Biden Corruption ' Trends on Google Just Days Before the Election According to Fox News , sources within the Department of Justice don ’ t believe the emails are part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI , not necessarily known as a hive of pro-Trump activity at its higher echelons , reportedly concur .
The FBI has been in possession of Hunter Biden ’ s laptop since December .
For those who expound the Russian disinformation theory , the onus should be on them to explain the likelihood that our nation ’ s top law enforcement and intelligence services have been probing the contents of the computer — as well as their provenance — and haven ’ t been able to suss out the influence of the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan , the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee , told Fox News that he had his staff review and verify the contents of the hard drive independently and that “ they ’ re as real as real can be.
” He also brought up “ the fundamental question ” in the matter : “ Why won ’ t Joe Biden say they ’ re not real ?
If they ’ re not accurate , if these aren ’ t accurate emails why won ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Daily Caller News Foundation brought in an independent digital forensic expert , Robert Graham , the founder of cybersecurity firm Errata Security .
The outlet reported Graham “ used a cryptographic signature found in the email ’ s metadata to validate that an account used by Vadym Pozharsky , an advisor to Burisma ’ s board of directors , emailed Hunter Biden on April 17 , 2015.
” This was the email which called into question how much Joe Biden knew about his son ’ s work in Ukraine , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [ sic ] some time together.
” “ Graham said the only way the email could have been faked is if someone hacked into Google ’ s servers , found the private key and used it to reverse engineer the email ’ s DKIM signature , ” the DCNF reported Thursday .
Within days of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leaks — the most visible act of Russian interference in the 2016 election — intelligence agencies knew this was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10-plus months that our intelligence services have had Hunter Biden ’ s laptop — and in the two-plus weeks since the information on it was released — the resources of those same intelligence agencies haven ’ t been able to find any evidence this was orchestrated by the Putin regime .
This is the insuperable obstacle to calling Hunter Biden ’ s laptop disinformation .
It ’ s an evidence-free desire to wish a story away .
This is the Thomas Rid defense : The data is probably genuine and probably not Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to act as if those things aren ’ t true .
Fifty-one percent of respondents to the Harvard CAPS-Harris survey apparently thought this way .
From all available evidence , they ’ re also wrong .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

On Oct. 14, the New York Post became the carrier of this year’s October surprise: emails reportedly from Hunter Biden’s laptop that seem to indicate Joe Biden may have been more cognizant of his son’s overseas dealings than he’s previously let on.
The information came from a laptop that Hunter Biden allegedly dropped off at a Delaware repair shop in 2019 and neglected to retrieve. Along with some, ahem, embarrassing materials on the MacBook, there were also a trove of emails.
Two in particular quickly became matters of interest in the campaign. One involved an alleged meeting Hunter Biden set up a meeting between an executive at Burisma — the Ukrainian energy firm where Hunter served on the board — and the then-vice president.
The other involved a cryptic email after Joe Biden left office about a deal in China that involved “remuneration,” including “10 held by H for the big guy?” A business associate of Hunter Biden’s, Tony Bobulinski, says “the big guy” was Joe Biden.
Last year, Joe Biden claimed that he had “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” according to the New York Post. Hunter, meanwhile, said he only talked to his father about Burisma one time. That’s why this is important — particularly if it created conflicts of interest for Biden père during his time as vice president.
But, of course, there were shrieks from the left insisting this was all Russian disinformation. There was no evidence for this, but we shouldn’t need evidence.
Thomas Rid, writing at The Washington Post, aptly summed up the facile nature of the disinformation argument neatly without even trying to: “Take a step back, and the Russian interference of 2016 holds valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do in 2020: We must treat the Hunter Biden leaks as if they were a foreign intelligence operation — even if they probably aren’t.”
It seems to have worked. A Harvard CAPS-Harris survey found 51 percent of respondents believe the discovery of Hunter Biden’s alleged laptop is Russian disinformation, according to The Hill.
For whatever it’s worth, 60 percent of them agreed that Twitter banning users from sharing the New York Post’s reporting was wrong. The survey was conducted online on Oct. 27 and 28 among 2,093 registered voters.
Is the information on Hunter Biden's laptop real? 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: 100% (1313 Votes) No: 0% (2 Votes)
“A majority believe the Hunter Biden story is Russian disinformation,” Harvard CAPS-Harris polling director Mark Penn said. “And although most think it should be investigated further, the allegations are playing no role today in affecting the outcome. Most opposed the actions of social media to censor the story.”
Whatever you may think of the relevance of the story, it’s not disinformation. The Biden campaign hasn’t said the emails were false, which is telling enough. They simply hide behind the disinformation excuse.
Early on, intelligence officials actively nipped this theory in the bud, however. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, appearing Oct. 19 on Fox Business, said claims of foreign interference were “simply not true.”
“Let me be clear,” he said, “the intelligence community doesn’t believe [it was Russian disinformation] because there is no intelligence that supports that.”
“We have shared no intelligence with [House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff] or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden’s laptop is part of a Russian disinformation campaign,” he continued.
According to Fox News, sources within the Department of Justice don’t believe the emails are part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Sources within the FBI, not necessarily known as a hive of pro-Trump activity at its higher echelons, reportedly concur.
ONE senior federal law enforcement official says:
1-The FBI and DOJ concur with DNI Ratcliffe’s assessment that Hunter Biden’s laptop and emails in question were not part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
2-The FBI DOES have possession of the Hunter Biden laptop in question. — Jake Gibson (@JakeBGibson) October 20, 2020
The FBI has been in possession of Hunter Biden’s laptop since December. For those who expound the Russian disinformation theory, the onus should be on them to explain the likelihood that our nation’s top law enforcement and intelligence services have been probing the contents of the computer — as well as their provenance — and haven’t been able to suss out the influence of the Kremlin given the better part of a year.
Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News that he had his staff review and verify the contents of the hard drive independently and that “they’re as real as real can be.”
He also brought up “the fundamental question” in the matter: “Why won’t Joe Biden say they’re not real? If they’re not accurate, if these aren’t accurate emails why won’t the Bidens say so?”
Going further, the Daily Caller News Foundation brought in an independent digital forensic expert, Robert Graham, the founder of cybersecurity firm Errata Security.
The outlet reported Graham “used a cryptographic signature found in the email’s metadata to validate that an account used by Vadym Pozharsky, an advisor to Burisma’s board of directors, emailed Hunter Biden on April 17, 2015.”
This was the email which called into question how much Joe Biden knew about his son’s work in Ukraine, since Pozharsky thanked Hunter for “inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together.”
“Graham said the only way the email could have been faked is if someone hacked into Google’s servers, found the private key and used it to reverse engineer the email’s DKIM signature,” the DCNF reported Thursday.
Within days of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leaks — the most visible act of Russian interference in the 2016 election — intelligence agencies knew this was a Kremlin-led attack.
Yet, in the 10-plus months that our intelligence services have had Hunter Biden’s laptop — and in the two-plus weeks since the information on it was released — the resources of those same intelligence agencies haven’t been able to find any evidence this was orchestrated by the Putin regime.
This is the insuperable obstacle to calling Hunter Biden’s laptop disinformation. It’s an evidence-free desire to wish a story away.
This is the Thomas Rid defense: The data is probably genuine and probably not Russian interference, but after 2016, we have to act as if those things aren’t true.
Fifty-one percent of respondents to the Harvard CAPS-Harris survey apparently thought this way.
From all available evidence, they’re also wrong.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Cat Floods Owner’s Home After Learning New ‘Trick’

Sometimes our pets cause us grief .
They chew on shoes that they shouldn ’ t , use our rugs as a toilet or dig into the garbage — but few of them cause thousands of dollars of damage .
Amber the 1-year-old Bengal cat from Kingston-upon-Hull , East Yorkshire , England , can claim that she has .
As many cats are , Amber is curious and clever , which has resulted in what her owners first saw as an amusing “ trick.
” One day recently , her 26-year-old owner Jasmin Stork came home to a strange sight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I was so confused as to why it was on , ” she said , according to The Sun .
“ Then the next day , I was in the bathroom and Amber came in and jumped up on the sink and started chewing the tap.
” “ I started recording as I thought straight away that was the reason the tap was on !
At this point , we thought it was funny .
We even joked about the new ‘ trick ’ she had learned.
” “ The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but first playing with the plug so that it actually closed – we were saying how lucky it was that I was in and was able to stop it.
” “ From this point we made a conscious effort to close the door behind us until the day I worked from home.
” So Stork and her boyfriend did their best to make sure the bathroom door was always closed , since they realized what Amber could do .
But on Oct. 7 , someone forgot to close the door , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned from her 30-minute lunch .
“ I knew as soon as I walked into the living room what had happened , ” she said .
“ I ran upstairs and the tap was on full and water was overflowing the sink .
It was everywhere.
” “ Amber thought it was great .
She was sat in the kitchen doorway into the living room , tapping her paws away in the water merrily like it was great fun .
No remorse whatsoever .
“ I was about 30 minutes , and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got back home , who I am sure could no doubt hear the horror in my voice when I opened the front door to my living room pouring with water .
Stork posted a video of the cheeky kitty playing with the sink and the aftermath of the cat ’ s game .
The floor was totally covered in water , and water dropped steadily from the ceiling .
RELATED : Watch : Owner Trains Cat To Play Mini Piano Instead of Meowing for Food “ Anyone ever had to ring their boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause their cat flooded the house , or just me ?
” she tweeted .
Stork did note that she was incredibly grateful she ’ d only been out for half an hour , as the damage could have been much worse .
As it stands , flooring will need to be replaced .
“ We ’ re still drying out some stuff , so we don ’ t yet know how much the damage will cost to fix , ” she said .
“ The ceiling hasn ’ t fallen through which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an old cottage style house so the water was dripping through the wooden boards.
” “ It will be a case of replacing the flooring that we have had to rip up.
” Hopefully the bathroom door will stay shut from now on — though with as sneaky and clever a cat as Amber , she ’ ll no doubt find new and expensive ways to entertain herself .
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Sometimes our pets cause us grief. They chew on shoes that they shouldn’t, use our rugs as a toilet or dig into the garbage — but few of them cause thousands of dollars of damage.
Amber the 1-year-old Bengal cat from Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire, England, can claim that she has. As many cats are, Amber is curious and clever, which has resulted in what her owners first saw as an amusing “trick.”
One day recently, her 26-year-old owner Jasmin Stork came home to a strange sight: the upstairs bathroom sink was running.
“I was so confused as to why it was on,” she said, according to The Sun. “Then the next day, I was in the bathroom and Amber came in and jumped up on the sink and started chewing the tap.”
“I started recording as I thought straight away that was the reason the tap was on! At this point, we thought it was funny. We even joked about the new ‘trick’ she had learned.”
“The next day I caught her at it again, but first playing with the plug so that it actually closed – we were saying how lucky it was that I was in and was able to stop it.”
“From this point we made a conscious effort to close the door behind us until the day I worked from home.”
So Stork and her boyfriend did their best to make sure the bathroom door was always closed, since they realized what Amber could do. But on Oct. 7, someone forgot to close the door, a fact Stork was faced with when she returned from her 30-minute lunch.
“I knew as soon as I walked into the living room what had happened,” she said. “I ran upstairs and the tap was on full and water was overflowing the sink. It was everywhere.”
“Amber thought it was great. She was sat in the kitchen doorway into the living room, tapping her paws away in the water merrily like it was great fun. No remorse whatsoever.
“I was about 30 minutes, and on the phone to my mum as I got back home, who I am sure could no doubt hear the horror in my voice when I opened the front door to my living room pouring with water.
Stork posted a video of the cheeky kitty playing with the sink and the aftermath of the cat’s game. The floor was totally covered in water, and water dropped steadily from the ceiling.
“Anyone ever had to ring their boss and say they can’t work cause their cat flooded the house, or just me?” she tweeted.
Anyone ever had to ring their boss and say they can’t work cause their cat flooded the house, or just me? pic.twitter.com/lIi5bgpTVc — Jasmin Stork (@JasminStork) October 8, 2020
Stork did note that she was incredibly grateful she’d only been out for half an hour, as the damage could have been much worse. As it stands, flooring will need to be replaced.
“We’re still drying out some stuff, so we don’t yet know how much the damage will cost to fix,” she said. “The ceiling hasn’t fallen through which is a blessing. We live in an old cottage style house so the water was dripping through the wooden boards.”
“It will be a case of replacing the flooring that we have had to rip up.”
Hopefully the bathroom door will stay shut from now on — though with as sneaky and clever a cat as Amber, she’ll no doubt find new and expensive ways to entertain herself.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Orthodox Priest Shot in France Days After Islamist Church Attack

French police say a Greek Orthodox priest was shot Saturday outside his church in the city of Lyon , and @ @ @ @ @ .
The priest is in a local hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit in @ @ @ @ @ official told The Associated Press .
The attacker was alone and fired from a hunting @ @ @ @ @ official , who was not authorized to be publicly named .
Police locked down the @ @ @ @ @ warned the public on Twitter to stay away .
The reason for the attack is @ @ @ @ @ days after an Islamist knife attack at a Catholic church in the French city of @ @ @ @ @ .
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Read @ @ @ @

French police say a Greek Orthodox priest was shot Saturday outside his church in the city of Lyon, and the assailant is at large.
The priest is in a local hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit in the abdomen, a police official told The Associated Press.
The attacker was alone and fired from a hunting rifle, according to the official, who was not authorized to be publicly named.
Police locked down the neighborhood around the church and warned the public on Twitter to stay away.
The reason for the attack is unclear. It comes two days after an Islamist knife attack at a Catholic church in the French city of Nice that killed three people.
[jwplayer 3LWQ5QqT]
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Jewish Schools Close, Community on Alert After Second Radical Islamist Attack Rocks France

Fear coursed through the Jewish community of Nice France , this week after a terror attack killed three people in a church .
All 15 synagogues and three schools were closed Friday , and stores selling kosher foods were warned to be on guard .
“ We have decided to close all the schools tomorrow , ” the chief rabbi of Nice , Franck-Daniel Teboul , said Thursday , according to the Times of Israel .
“ The synagogues will also be closed .
Kosher shops are on alert.
” “ We ’ re all feeling threatened , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attackers are ready to strike anywhere .
“ We know this can happen to anyone suddenly , it ’ s not like before , with terrorist organizations , now it ’ s individuals at home , watching videos and then they go out to carry out an attack like what happens in Israel , ” said Avraham Va ’ anounou , a Chabad emissary in Nice .
One woman was beheaded and two other people were stabbed to death Thursday at Nice ’ s Notre Dame church .
Accused attacker Ibrahim Issaoui , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” during the attack , the Times of Israel reported .
Issaoui , a Tunisian citizen , was shot by police and wounded on Thursday , according to CBS .
Since then , police have arrested two men in connection with the attack .
Gil Taieb , vice president of an umbrella group of French Jewish communities , tweeted that “ The Islamists are waging war on us !
All united against Islamism.
” French President Emmanuel Macron had offered sentiments after the Nice stabbings .
“ I say this with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in to terrorism , ” he said according to CNN .
“ Once again this morning , it was three of our compatriots that fell in Nice , and very clearly France is under attack.
” Earlier this month , an attacker beheaded a French teacher for showing his class caricatures of Mohammed .
The French government has responded by increasing security .
The attacks became part of the wider debate of the growing presence of Muslims in Western Europe .
Some French officials believe that more attacks are likely .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is both inside and outside , ” French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said , according to Newsweek .
“ We need to understand that there have been and there will be other events such as these terrible attacks , ” he said .
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Read our editorial standards .

Fear coursed through the Jewish community of Nice France, this week after a terror attack killed three people in a church.
All 15 synagogues and three schools were closed Friday, and stores selling kosher foods were warned to be on guard.
“We have decided to close all the schools tomorrow,” the chief rabbi of Nice, Franck-Daniel Teboul, said Thursday, according to the Times of Israel. “The synagogues will also be closed. Kosher shops are on alert.”
“We’re all feeling threatened,” he said.
Some fear that lone wolf attackers are ready to strike anywhere.
“We know this can happen to anyone suddenly, it’s not like before, with terrorist organizations, now it’s individuals at home, watching videos and then they go out to carry out an attack like what happens in Israel,” said Avraham Va’anounou, a Chabad emissary in Nice.
This precious woman went to Mass yesterday in France and she was fatally stabbed by a terrorist. Her final words were: “tell my children that I love them”. Her name was Simone Barretto Silva. Please pray for her family. pic.twitter.com/fqMrY989kr — Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) October 30, 2020
One woman was beheaded and two other people were stabbed to death Thursday at Nice’s Notre Dame church. Accused attacker Ibrahim Issaoui, 21, allegedly shouted “Allah Akbar,” during the attack, the Times of Israel reported.
Issaoui, a Tunisian citizen, was shot by police and wounded on Thursday, according to CBS.
Are you afraid France will fall to radical Islam? Yes No
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Since then, police have arrested two men in connection with the attack.
Gil Taieb, vice president of an umbrella group of French Jewish communities, tweeted that “The Islamists are waging war on us! All united against Islamism.”
French President Emmanuel Macron had offered sentiments after the Nice stabbings.
“I say this with the outmost clarity — we will not give in to terrorism,” he said according to CNN. “Once again this morning, it was three of our compatriots that fell in Nice, and very clearly France is under attack.”
Earlier this month, an attacker beheaded a French teacher for showing his class caricatures of Mohammed. The French government has responded by increasing security.
President Donald Trump sent France a message of support.
Our hearts are with the people of France. America stands with our oldest Ally in this fight. These Radical Islamic terrorist attacks must stop immediately. No country, France or otherwise can long put up with it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2020
The attacks became part of the wider debate of the growing presence of Muslims in Western Europe.
A bunch of sad losers. Let me get this right… terrorists kill innocent French citizens, then these idiots criticise France instead of condemning the attacks. THEN they demand “respect”? Also, how can Sadiq Khan allow this mass gathering to happen when London is in Tier 2?! https://t.co/PdHJqauYst — Mahyar Tousi (@MahyarTousi) October 30, 2020
Some French officials believe that more attacks are likely.
“We are in a war against an enemy that is both inside and outside,” French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said, according to Newsweek.
“We need to understand that there have been and there will be other events such as these terrible attacks,” he said.
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Dozens of Undelivered Mail-In Ballots Found Sitting in Swing State Post Office

Postal and law enforcement officials are investigating after four dozen mail-in ballots were found undelivered at a post office in Florida .
U.S .
Postal Service Office investigators said Saturday they found six completed ballots and 42 blank ballots among piles of undelivered mail in a post office near Homestead on the Florida peninsula ’ s southern tip .
Video taken by a postal worker shows they had been sitting there for more than a week .
“ The investigation is ongoing and is being closely coordinated with U.S .
Postal Service to ensure all delayed mail has been properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , special agent in charge of the postal service ’ s inspector general ’ s office in South Florida , said in a statement .
Miami-Dade County elections officials said Saturday that 18 of the affected voters have already cast ballots in person at an early voting site or through a replacement mail-in ballot .
The department has received the six completed ballots and is contacting the remaining 24 voters to help them get their ballots returned by the 7 p.m. Tuesday deadline .
“ I have requested that all postal distribution centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may remain in these centers be immediately transported to the Department of Elections , ” Katherine Fernandez Rundle , Miami-Dade ’ s state attorney , said in a statement .
Mark Travers , South Florida president for the National Association of Letter Carriers , told the Miami Herald that he alerted postal service managers more than a week ago about the backlog , but nothing was done .
The investigation was launched Friday after Florida House Minority Leader Kionne McGhee tweeted video taken by a postal worker of the piles of undelivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Postal and law enforcement officials are investigating after four dozen mail-in ballots were found undelivered at a post office in Florida.
U.S. Postal Service Office investigators said Saturday they found six completed ballots and 42 blank ballots among piles of undelivered mail in a post office near Homestead on the Florida peninsula’s southern tip.
Video taken by a postal worker shows they had been sitting there for more than a week.
“The investigation is ongoing and is being closely coordinated with U.S. Postal Service to ensure all delayed mail has been properly handled and delivered,” Scott Pierce, special agent in charge of the postal service’s inspector general’s office in South Florida, said in a statement.
Miami-Dade County elections officials said Saturday that 18 of the affected voters have already cast ballots in person at an early voting site or through a replacement mail-in ballot.
The department has received the six completed ballots and is contacting the remaining 24 voters to help them get their ballots returned by the 7 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
“I have requested that all postal distribution centers be audited and any and all ballots that may remain in these centers be immediately transported to the Department of Elections,” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade’s state attorney, said in a statement.
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Mark Travers, South Florida president for the National Association of Letter Carriers, told the Miami Herald that he alerted postal service managers more than a week ago about the backlog, but nothing was done.
The investigation was launched Friday after Florida House Minority Leader Kionne McGhee tweeted video taken by a postal worker of the piles of undelivered mail.
[jwplayer TL3em7yJ]
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westernjournal--2020-10-31--Police Uncover Grisly Connection After Conducting DNA Test on Skull Kept on Fireplace Mantle

A human skull that allegedly was found in a wooded area of Morgan County , Tennessee , before being placed on a fireplace mantle in a home has been discovered to belong to a man who went missing in 2012 .
The skull was found above a fireplace in a home in the county in March 2019 .
Someone had added sunglasses to the skull , which had sat in the home until the sheriff ’ s office was informed of its existence , according to a news release Monday from District Attorney General Russell Johnson .
The skull reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of Morgan County , about 50 miles northwest of Knoxville , Johnson said .
The tenant of the home where the skull was sitting said his dog found it when they were walking in the woods behind his Anderson Road home , WBIR-TV reported , citing a March 2019 report from the Morgan County Sheriff ’ s Office .
The tenant has been identified as Brian Kennedy , according to WBIR .
Deputies retrieved the skull last year and sent it for DNA testing to the Knox County Regional Forensics Center and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WMC-TV reported .
Authorities compared the skull to DNA samples from relatives of 79-year-old Junior Willie McCann , who last was seen in Morgan County in 2012 , according to the Miami Herald .
A year after the discovery of the skull , investigators made a positive match to McCann on Oct. 19 , according to WBIR .
The deputies also conducted an extensive search of the area where the skull allegedly was found but did not discover any other remains , according to the DA ’ s news release .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was possibly killed by a family member who is now deceased as well , ” Johnson wrote .
Regardless , Johnson asked anyone with information to call the Morgan County Sheriff ’ s office 423-346-6262 .
According to a Sept. 12 , 2012 , sheriff ’ s office report , McCann ’ s younger brother Clarence reported Junior McCann ’ s disappearance after he hadn ’ t seen him for four days .
The brothers shared the Anderson Road home then , WBIR reported .
RELATED : Someone Tried To Register Dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swing State “ Victim ’ s brother stated that he doesn ’ t know of any medical problems , but the victim does take an aspirin on a daily basis and ( may be ) hypoglycemic , ” the report read .
The report said McCann ’ s brother also said that if he had any notion that “ something bad ” was going to happen , he would have gone walking with his brother .
Junior McCann left behind two daughters as well as several other family members .
According to court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a business dispute between a William McCann Jr. and a man identified as his brother , CrimeOnline reported .
It is unknown whether this William McCann Jr. is the same man who disappeared later that year , CrimeOnline said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
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A human skull that allegedly was found in a wooded area of Morgan County, Tennessee, before being placed on a fireplace mantle in a home has been discovered to belong to a man who went missing in 2012.
The skull was found above a fireplace in a home in the county in March 2019. Someone had added sunglasses to the skull, which had sat in the home until the sheriff’s office was informed of its existence, according to a news release Monday from District Attorney General Russell Johnson.
The skull reportedly was discovered last year in the Gobey area of Morgan County, about 50 miles northwest of Knoxville, Johnson said.
The tenant of the home where the skull was sitting said his dog found it when they were walking in the woods behind his Anderson Road home, WBIR-TV reported, citing a March 2019 report from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.
The tenant has been identified as Brian Kennedy, according to WBIR.
Deputies retrieved the skull last year and sent it for DNA testing to the Knox County Regional Forensics Center and the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology, WMC-TV reported.
Authorities compared the skull to DNA samples from relatives of 79-year-old Junior Willie McCann, who last was seen in Morgan County in 2012, according to the Miami Herald.
A year after the discovery of the skull, investigators made a positive match to McCann on Oct. 19, according to WBIR.
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The deputies also conducted an extensive search of the area where the skull allegedly was found but did not discover any other remains, according to the DA’s news release.
“Speculation and rumor is that Junior McCann was possibly killed by a family member who is now deceased as well,” Johnson wrote.
Regardless, Johnson asked anyone with information to call the Morgan County Sheriff’s office 423-346-6262.
According to a Sept. 12, 2012, sheriff’s office report, McCann’s younger brother Clarence reported Junior McCann’s disappearance after he hadn’t seen him for four days.
The brothers shared the Anderson Road home then, WBIR reported.
“Victim’s brother stated that he doesn’t know of any medical problems, but the victim does take an aspirin on a daily basis and (may be) hypoglycemic,” the report read.
The report said McCann’s brother also said that if he had any notion that “something bad” was going to happen, he would have gone walking with his brother.
Junior McCann left behind two daughters as well as several other family members.
According to court filings from January 2012, there was a business dispute between a William McCann Jr. and a man identified as his brother, CrimeOnline reported.
It is unknown whether this William McCann Jr. is the same man who disappeared later that year, CrimeOnline said.
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