themindunleashed--2020-08-21--Satellite photos show Chinese nuclear sub entering mysterious undersea cave base

Military observers across social media are abuzz after a satellite photo emerged that appears to show a Chinese submarine entering an underground base on the southernmost island of Hainan on the South China Sea .
The rare satellite image , which was captured Aug. 19 by Planet Labs and released on social media by the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia , shows a Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine belonging to the the Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ) Submarine Force entering a subterranean tunnel to an underground berth at the important Yulin Naval Base .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submarines aren ’ t visible in the image of the strategic base .
The other docks in the image are completely empty , raising questions among online users as to where China ’ s nuclear-powered vessels might be .
The images quickly drew comparisons to spy films such as James Bond , as well as a reference to the fictional Nautilus , from Jules Verne ’ s novel “ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
” The Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island is a strategic location for myriad reasons .
The base lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is home to China ’ s nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet , which is crucial to China ’ s second-strike abilities .
The base also lies on the northern edge of the disputed South China Sea , which has been the source of friction with neighboring Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Taiwan , Vietnam , and a U.S. keen on maintaining its hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region .
As China has grown richer and more powerful militarily , the country has also grown more assertive in establishing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Sea , drawing contentious reactions from the East Asian giant ’ s regional and geopolitical rivals .
And with Washington and Beijing remain embroiled in bitter trade talks and growing tensions , the U.S. Navy – as well as private imaging companies – are turning more attention to the disputed waters , as was the case when a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft flew over the South China Sea last week .
The Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army is known to hide many of its strategic assets underground , which comes naturally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a guerilla force that often relied on subterfuge and tunnel warfare tactics during the 1937-1945 war against Japanese occupation and the country ’ s communist revolution .
The country ’ s long martial history is also rich with stories of underground military facilities .
China is also known to have a so-called “ Underground Great Wall ” in the form of a labyrinthine tunnel network meant to conceal , mobilize and deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles .
Any move by China to conceal its submarine fleet from rivals ’ surveillance systems by hiding them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurately assessing the country ’ s military strength and also from ensuring that the strategic vessels , as well as Chinese military preparations , remain elusive .
“ You have no evidence of ( the submarine ’ s ) combat readiness , operational response times and availability , ” said Carl Schuster , a former director of operations at U.S. Pacific Command ’ s Joint Intelligence Center , to CNN .
“ Tunnels blind potential opponents to the submarines ’ operating status and patterns , denying them the ability to determine the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge critical to assessing China ’ s intentions and plans .
”

Military observers across social media are abuzz after a satellite photo emerged that appears to show a Chinese submarine entering an underground base on the southernmost island of Hainan on the South China Sea.
The rare satellite image, which was captured Aug. 19 by Planet Labs and released on social media by the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia, shows a Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine belonging to the the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Submarine Force entering a subterranean tunnel to an underground berth at the important Yulin Naval Base.
The image is also causing interest because other submarines aren’t visible in the image of the strategic base. The other docks in the image are completely empty, raising questions among online users as to where China’s nuclear-powered vessels might be.
Yulin Naval Base, Hainan, #China is home to a large underground facility with covered tram from magazine to loading areas pic.twitter.com/cIv9MPC0cy — Sentinel (@StratSentinel) February 18, 2017
The images quickly drew comparisons to spy films such as James Bond, as well as a reference to the fictional Nautilus, from Jules Verne’s novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
The Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island is a strategic location for myriad reasons. The base lies nearly 300 miles southwest of Hong Kong and is home to China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet, which is crucial to China’s second-strike abilities. The base also lies on the northern edge of the disputed South China Sea, which has been the source of friction with neighboring Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and a U.S. keen on maintaining its hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region.
As China has grown richer and more powerful militarily, the country has also grown more assertive in establishing and defending its sovereignty in the strategic South China Sea, drawing contentious reactions from the East Asian giant’s regional and geopolitical rivals.
And with Washington and Beijing remain embroiled in bitter trade talks and growing tensions, the U.S. Navy – as well as private imaging companies – are turning more attention to the disputed waters, as was the case when a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft flew over the South China Sea last week.
Submarine was exiting stern first, and was pushed towards the piers outside the bunker. All of China's other submarines normally stationed here are nowhere to be seen – wonder where they went… pic.twitter.com/ZFERRGeHQI — Drake Long (@DRM_Long) August 20, 2020
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is known to hide many of its strategic assets underground, which comes naturally for a military with historical roots as a guerilla force that often relied on subterfuge and tunnel warfare tactics during the 1937-1945 war against Japanese occupation and the country’s communist revolution. The country’s long martial history is also rich with stories of underground military facilities.
China is also known to have a so-called “Underground Great Wall” in the form of a labyrinthine tunnel network meant to conceal, mobilize and deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Any move by China to conceal its submarine fleet from rivals’ surveillance systems by hiding them in underground tunnels robs potential adversaries from accurately assessing the country’s military strength and also from ensuring that the strategic vessels, as well as Chinese military preparations, remain elusive.
“You have no evidence of (the submarine’s) combat readiness, operational response times and availability,” said Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, to CNN. “Tunnels blind potential opponents to the submarines’ operating status and patterns, denying them the ability to determine the state of China’s military preparations, knowledge critical to assessing China’s intentions and plans.”
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themindunleashed--2020-08-21--Study Finds Pandemic Hasn’t Slowed Down Police Killings In 2020

A new study published this week by the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) suggests that police killings have not slowed down during the pandemic , and have even increased in some states compared to previous years .
The data analysis for the study was conducted by Justin Nix , an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice , at the University of Nebraska , in Omaha .
The data showed that there were 511 recorded police killings in the US between January and June of this year , compared with 484 during the same period in 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , police across the country had already killed at least 550 people .
The numbers are not uncommon , and not the highest seen in recent years , but they are certainly high considering the current circumstances .
The researchers found that the number of people killed by police has averaged out to somewhere near 1,000 each year since 2015 .
It is hard to get accurate records of police shootings prior to 2015 because police have never openly disclosed that type of data to the public for obvious reasons .
After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Missouri , different groups that were concerned about police brutality began to keep count on their own .
The Washington Post has its own regularly updated record of police violence , but unfortunately , like everything else on the paper ’ s website , this information is locked behind a paywall .
The researchers used the Washington Post data for their study , but there are many other websites keeping an ongoing record and they are just as accurate .
Mapping Police Violence and Killed By Police.net are often even more up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wikipedia also keeps its own running list .
While it is certainly disturbing , it is important to keep an accurate record of the people who are killed by police because it shows the massive scale of the problem , which is exactly why police have been hesitant to hand over this data voluntarily .
Instead , journalists and activists are left to sift through media reports , social media posts , and police reports , which still may not account for every police killing .
Udi Ofer , the director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told NBC News that he expected police killings to go down during the pandemic because the general public was having less contact with police .
“ We want to express alarm that even when the nation was on lockdown during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic … that didn ’ t stop police fatally shooting people at the same rate , ” Ofer said .
It is also important to note that the report only counted fatal on-duty shootings and not other types of incidents where victims died during or following a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd or Freddie Gray .
Another interesting point raised by the researchers is the fact that crime was actually significantly reduced during the pandemic , despite media reports about “ crime waves ” related to looting .
Even with a lower crime rate in most areas and fewer interactions with the public , police are still killing people at an alarming rate .

A new study published this week by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suggests that police killings have not slowed down during the pandemic, and have even increased in some states compared to previous years. The data analysis for the study was conducted by Justin Nix, an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, at the University of Nebraska, in Omaha.
The data showed that there were 511 recorded police killings in the US between January and June of this year, compared with 484 during the same period in 2019. During this span of time in 2018, police across the country had already killed at least 550 people. The numbers are not uncommon, and not the highest seen in recent years, but they are certainly high considering the current circumstances.
The researchers found that the number of people killed by police has averaged out to somewhere near 1,000 each year since 2015. It is hard to get accurate records of police shootings prior to 2015 because police have never openly disclosed that type of data to the public for obvious reasons. After the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, different groups that were concerned about police brutality began to keep count on their own.
The Washington Post has its own regularly updated record of police violence, but unfortunately, like everything else on the paper’s website, this information is locked behind a paywall. The researchers used the Washington Post data for their study, but there are many other websites keeping an ongoing record and they are just as accurate. Mapping Police Violence and Killed By Police.net are often even more up to date than the Washington Post database. Wikipedia also keeps its own running list.
While it is certainly disturbing, it is important to keep an accurate record of the people who are killed by police because it shows the massive scale of the problem, which is exactly why police have been hesitant to hand over this data voluntarily. Instead, journalists and activists are left to sift through media reports, social media posts, and police reports, which still may not account for every police killing.
Udi Ofer, the director of the ACLU’s Justice Division, told NBC News that he expected police killings to go down during the pandemic because the general public was having less contact with police.
“We want to express alarm that even when the nation was on lockdown during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic … that didn’t stop police fatally shooting people at the same rate,” Ofer said.
It is also important to note that the report only counted fatal on-duty shootings and not other types of incidents where victims died during or following a police encounter, like in the cases of George Floyd or Freddie Gray. Another interesting point raised by the researchers is the fact that crime was actually significantly reduced during the pandemic, despite media reports about “crime waves” related to looting. Even with a lower crime rate in most areas and fewer interactions with the public, police are still killing people at an alarming rate.
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themindunleashed--2020-08-22--Oregon may soon decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs, massively reducing arrests

With opinions changing across the country over the need for urgent criminal justice reform , there ’ s no time like the present to enact a much-needed overhaul of laws that criminalize poverty and social ills such as drug use .
And this November , voters in Oregon will have an opportunity to decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs .
Under the proposed Measure 110 , or the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act , the low-level possession of illegal substances would be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a violation , punishable by either a $ 100 fine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain a felony offense , while substantial possession of drugs would be reduced to a felony .
Rehabilitation services would be expanded under the measure , and 24-hour Addiction Recovery Centers would also be opened .
By effectively decriminalizing the small-scale possession of drugs , the proposed measure would effectively halt one of the most pernicious means by which the “ War on Drugs ” has adversely impacted communities of color and poor communities that have suffered disproportionate over-policing and mass incarceration .
According to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission , the reclassifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,800 fewer Oregon residents facing conviction for felony possession of a controlled substance annually – leading to a mammoth 95-percent drop from current conviction rates .
The report from the commission also found that Measure 110 would be of particular benefit for communities of color , with racial disparities in arrests and convictions falling “ substantially.
” However , the benefits would also cut across the board – with Black people seeing a fall in arrests by 93.7 percent and an 82.9-percent fall for Asians , 86.5 for Hispanics , 94.2 for Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The report also notes that “ inequities [ may ] exist in police stops , jail bookings , bail , pretrial detention , or other areas ” but there is not “ sufficient or appropriate data to examine those stages.
” The state would fund Measure 110 ’ s addiction programs , which are expected to cost $ 57 million yearly , entirely through excess taxes collected on cannabis sales .
Current tax revenue from cannabis sales are expected to yield $ 182.4 million from 2021 to 2023 .
And as tax revenues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , petitioners for the Yes for 110 Campaign predict that even more funds can be reallocated to help treat and rehabilitate drug addicts .
Supporters of the measure have been enthusiastically organizing online , and have found that many Oregonians are on the same page with them over the need to end the failed “ War on Drugs ” and pursue an alternative course to tackle widespread drug addiction .
“ There ’ s no playbook for how to campaign in a pandemic , ” said Anthony Johnson , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , he ’ s confident that the measure has “ a really good chance of winning ” come November .
“ Our communications with voters all across the state shows that voters understand that the status quo is not working , ” Johnson added .
“ We ’ re clearly not going to arrest our way out of addiction.
” A large number of prominent groups and individuals have backed the measure .
This includes trade unions , faith groups and churches , groups representing Asian , Black , Indigenous and Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county district attorneys , and even drug policy reform advocates from the ranks of police .
Oregon is no stranger to blazing new trails in drug policy and criminal justice reforms .
In 2014 , the state legalized cannabis through a 2014 ballot measure , while a 2017 law drastically reduced the penalty for possessing small quantities of cocaine , LSD , and other substances .
This November , Oregonians will also have the opportunity to end the prohibition of psilocybin or “ magic ” mushrooms and establish a new statewide framework for @ @ @ @ @ @

With opinions changing across the country over the need for urgent criminal justice reform, there’s no time like the present to enact a much-needed overhaul of laws that criminalize poverty and social ills such as drug use. And this November, voters in Oregon will have an opportunity to decriminalize the low-level possession of all drugs.
Under the proposed Measure 110, or the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, the low-level possession of illegal substances would be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a violation, punishable by either a $100 fine or a health assessment.
Drug trafficking would remain a felony offense, while substantial possession of drugs would be reduced to a felony. Rehabilitation services would be expanded under the measure, and 24-hour Addiction Recovery Centers would also be opened.
By effectively decriminalizing the small-scale possession of drugs, the proposed measure would effectively halt one of the most pernicious means by which the “War on Drugs” has adversely impacted communities of color and poor communities that have suffered disproportionate over-policing and mass incarceration.
According to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the reclassifications proposed by the measure would see roughly 1,800 fewer Oregon residents facing conviction for felony possession of a controlled substance annually – leading to a mammoth 95-percent drop from current conviction rates.
The report from the commission also found that Measure 110 would be of particular benefit for communities of color, with racial disparities in arrests and convictions falling “substantially.” However, the benefits would also cut across the board – with Black people seeing a fall in arrests by 93.7 percent and an 82.9-percent fall for Asians, 86.5 for Hispanics, 94.2 for Native Americans, and 91.1 for whites.
The report also notes that “inequities [may] exist in police stops, jail bookings, bail, pretrial detention, or other areas” but there is not “sufficient or appropriate data to examine those stages.”
The state would fund Measure 110’s addiction programs, which are expected to cost $57 million yearly, entirely through excess taxes collected on cannabis sales. Current tax revenue from cannabis sales are expected to yield $182.4 million from 2021 to 2023. And as tax revenues increase and decriminalization incurs further savings for the state, petitioners for the Yes for 110 Campaign predict that even more funds can be reallocated to help treat and rehabilitate drug addicts.
Supporters of the measure have been enthusiastically organizing online, and have found that many Oregonians are on the same page with them over the need to end the failed “War on Drugs” and pursue an alternative course to tackle widespread drug addiction.
“There’s no playbook for how to campaign in a pandemic,” said Anthony Johnson, one of the chief petitioners for the campaign. However, he’s confident that the measure has “a really good chance of winning” come November.
“Our communications with voters all across the state shows that voters understand that the status quo is not working,” Johnson added. “We’re clearly not going to arrest our way out of addiction.”
A large number of prominent groups and individuals have backed the measure. This includes trade unions, faith groups and churches, groups representing Asian, Black, Indigenous and Latino communities, human rights organizations, several county district attorneys, and even drug policy reform advocates from the ranks of police.
Oregon is no stranger to blazing new trails in drug policy and criminal justice reforms. In 2014, the state legalized cannabis through a 2014 ballot measure, while a 2017 law drastically reduced the penalty for possessing small quantities of cocaine, LSD, and other substances. This November, Oregonians will also have the opportunity to end the prohibition of psilocybin or “magic” mushrooms and establish a new statewide framework for licensed psilocybin therapy treatment centers.
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themindunleashed--2020-08-22--Germany begins Universal Basic Income trial where people get $1,400 every month for 3 years

As the world continues to struggle with an unprecedented recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic , governments across the globe are scrambling to find ways to minimize the social and financial damage amid the tsunami of evictions , job losses and hunger .
Amid the deepening crisis , Germany is set to begin a new trial for universal basic income ( UBI ) , which will entail 120 citizens receiving €1,200 , or about $ 1,430 , every month for three years – an amount just above the poverty line in Europe ’ s largest economy .
The volunteers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with that of 1,380 other German citizens who won ’ t receive the stipends .
The experiment , which is being conducted by the German Institute for Economic Research , is being funded through private donations from about 140,000 individuals , reports Business Insider .
Political parties and figures both on the traditional left and the right have raised the demand for basic income , and some of its strongest proponents include tech oligarchs and venture capitalists like Peter Thiel , Marc Andreesen , and Jack Dorsey .
Supporters of the plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic income and it would provide an added layer of financial security for certain people .
Supporters of the plan , such as former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang , also suggest that with jobs in myriad industries slated to be rendered obsolete by automation and computerization , a universal basic income is required to prevent a deeper humanitarian and financial crisis .
Critics on the left have suggested that basic income is a neoliberal Trojan horse that would be a vehicle for dismantling what little remains of the welfare state , offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” stipend in exchange for austerity and the destruction of social safety nets that protect the most vulnerable members of society and offer a small barrier to extreme inequality .
On the right , however , opponents have claimed that the idea is far too expensive and would disincentivize people from seeking work and would be tantamount to subsidizing “ junkies , alcoholics , and scam artists.
” However , with many countries experiencing a freefall in jobs numbers – as well as sharply declining consumer demand and household spending – the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea saw a surge of interest following the 2008 financial crash .
In Spain , upwards of a million jobs have been lost due to the pandemic , causing officials to mull offering UBI to the country ’ s extreme poor .
However , the plan has seen wide gaps that have left out some of the most at-risk members of society , ranging from workers in the informal economy to undocumented migrant workers .
Italy ’ s experiment with basic income plans was also widely panned as a revamped form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left out of plans – proving that the program is anything but universal .
However , on a micro scale the plan has been successful .
In one small Kenyan village , a Silicon Valley-funded nonprofit called GiveDirectly reportedly had a good degree of success giving villagers the equivalent of USD $ 22 .
Economic journalist Annie Lowrey told The New Yorker that the village , which previously lacked paved roads , home electricity , and decent plumbing to one that now “ a bubbling pot of enterprise , as residents whose days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget , and plan.
” Politicians from across the political spectrum in Columbia have also urged the government to introduce an Emergency Basic Income to mitigate the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The municipal government of Bogota under Green Party Mayor Claudia Lopez was the first city in the South American nation to offer basic income to vulnerable households struggling to feed themselves amid the lockdown .
The plan also included integrating 581,000 poor households into the banking system , according to a press release from the City of Bogota The researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiment can help sharpen and improve the debate about basic income by offering new scientific evidence .
“ The debate about the basic income has so far been like a philosophical salon in good moments and a war of faith in bad times , ” Jürgen Schupp , who is leading the study , told Der Spiegel .
“ It is — on both sides — shaped by clichés : Opponents claim that with a basic income people would stop working in order to dull on the couch with fast food and streaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proponents argue that people will continue to do fulfilling work , become more creative and charitable , and save democracy.
” “ Incidentally , these stereotypes also flow into economic simulations as assumptions about the supposed costs and benefits of a basic income , ” he added .
“ We can improve this if we replace these stereotypes with empirically proven knowledge and can therefore lead a more appropriate debate .
”

As the world continues to struggle with an unprecedented recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, governments across the globe are scrambling to find ways to minimize the social and financial damage amid the tsunami of evictions, job losses and hunger.
Amid the deepening crisis, Germany is set to begin a new trial for universal basic income (UBI), which will entail 120 citizens receiving €1,200, or about $1,430, every month for three years – an amount just above the poverty line in Europe’s largest economy.
The volunteers’ experience living on the amount will be compared with that of 1,380 other German citizens who won’t receive the stipends. The experiment, which is being conducted by the German Institute for Economic Research, is being funded through private donations from about 140,000 individuals, reports Business Insider.
Political parties and figures both on the traditional left and the right have raised the demand for basic income, and some of its strongest proponents include tech oligarchs and venture capitalists like Peter Thiel, Marc Andreesen, and Jack Dorsey.
Supporters of the plan argue that inequality would be reduced by basic income and it would provide an added layer of financial security for certain people. Supporters of the plan, such as former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, also suggest that with jobs in myriad industries slated to be rendered obsolete by automation and computerization, a universal basic income is required to prevent a deeper humanitarian and financial crisis.
Critics on the left have suggested that basic income is a neoliberal Trojan horse that would be a vehicle for dismantling what little remains of the welfare state, offering the “paying people for being alive” stipend in exchange for austerity and the destruction of social safety nets that protect the most vulnerable members of society and offer a small barrier to extreme inequality.
On the right, however, opponents have claimed that the idea is far too expensive and would disincentivize people from seeking work and would be tantamount to subsidizing “junkies, alcoholics, and scam artists.”
However, with many countries experiencing a freefall in jobs numbers – as well as sharply declining consumer demand and household spending – the idea of UBI has gained popularity unseen since the idea saw a surge of interest following the 2008 financial crash.
In Spain, upwards of a million jobs have been lost due to the pandemic, causing officials to mull offering UBI to the country’s extreme poor. However, the plan has seen wide gaps that have left out some of the most at-risk members of society, ranging from workers in the informal economy to undocumented migrant workers.
Italy’s experiment with basic income plans was also widely panned as a revamped form of unemployment insurance, with many people being left out of plans – proving that the program is anything but universal.
However, on a micro scale the plan has been successful. In one small Kenyan village, a Silicon Valley-funded nonprofit called GiveDirectly reportedly had a good degree of success giving villagers the equivalent of USD $22. Economic journalist Annie Lowrey told The New Yorker that the village, which previously lacked paved roads, home electricity, and decent plumbing to one that now “a bubbling pot of enterprise, as residents whose days used to be about survival save, budget, and plan.”
Politicians from across the political spectrum in Columbia have also urged the government to introduce an Emergency Basic Income to mitigate the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The municipal government of Bogota under Green Party Mayor Claudia Lopez was the first city in the South American nation to offer basic income to vulnerable households struggling to feed themselves amid the lockdown. The plan also included integrating 581,000 poor households into the banking system, according to a press release from the City of Bogota
The researchers backing the German study hope that their experiment can help sharpen and improve the debate about basic income by offering new scientific evidence.
“The debate about the basic income has so far been like a philosophical salon in good moments and a war of faith in bad times,” Jürgen Schupp, who is leading the study, told Der Spiegel.
“It is — on both sides — shaped by clichés: Opponents claim that with a basic income people would stop working in order to dull on the couch with fast food and streaming services,” he continued. “Proponents argue that people will continue to do fulfilling work, become more creative and charitable, and save democracy.”
“Incidentally, these stereotypes also flow into economic simulations as assumptions about the supposed costs and benefits of a basic income,” he added.
“We can improve this if we replace these stereotypes with empirically proven knowledge and can therefore lead a more appropriate debate.”
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themindunleashed--2020-08-22--Meet “Prosthesis,” the impressive new all-terrain, exo-bionic, 9,000-pound mech suit that you can pi

Meet “Prosthesis,” the impressive new all-terrain, exo-bionic, 9,000-pound mech suit that you can pilot

Massive , hulking exoskeleton or mech suits are usually the type of thing one would encounter in a science fiction movie , whether it ’ s the low-budget classic Robot Jox or the American kaiju blockbuster Pacific Rim .
However , engineering firm Furrion Exo-Bionics has unleashed a colossal , four-legged , 9,000-pound powered exoskeleton dubbed Prosthesis – and anyone interested will be able to take up the controls and pilot the beast .
The company recently launched a wildly popular Kickstarter campaign laying out its mission , which is to start a “ global racing league that would pit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through complex technical obstacle courses , wearing giant powered mech suits.
” And while the vision may seem larger-than-life , Furrion and its Prosthesis : Mech Racing research and development team are confident that they can unleash this new class of “ large scale exo-bionic technology ” and use it to power its global mech racing league .
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign will be eligible to receive “ one-on-one mech pilot training ” or kick back and watch the mechs kick each other ’ s butts at live events .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the Anti-Robot , took over three years of field trials – including engineering and pilot training – to create this all-terrain mech suit that has four massive legs and the power to lift cars , run through the snow , and climb boulders .
“ We ended up with four legs because the pilot has four limbs , and the machine has the wide stable form factor that it has so that it ’ s easy to balance , ” chief test pilot and project co-founder Jonathan Tippett told CNET .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , Tippett notes that the mech is “ basically a cross between a trophy truck , an excavator , and a dinosaur.
” However , the idea behind Prosthesis isn ’ t simply passive entertainment – instead , this will require athleticism on the part of mech pilots who will be moving their arms and legs to get these massive machines going , making this a true sport rather than a simple robot exhibition .
“ Prosthesis has no joysticks , no steering wheel , no foot pedals – just 100 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Prosthesis has no automation , no giros , no ability to walk or balance by itself , it relies entirely on the pilot inside for all its movement .
Your arm and leg movements are amplified to control its four , giant steel legs , move for move .
That ’ s what makes it a sport.
” Cassie Hawrysh , an accomplished headfirst ice sledding champion from Canada , is the first professional “ mech sports ” athlete to control the hulking quadrupedal beast .
According to Furrion , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she felt a sense of familiarity between her 60-pound skeleton sled and the interface of this 9,000-pound mech suit .
“ With the relentless and unchecked automation of everything we do , Prosthesis reminds us that some of the most rewarding things in life are those that require effort , focus and training , ” the Kickstarter page said .
“ This is the very essence of sport .
Prosthesis , and mech sports , are a celebration of the age old pursuit of physical mastery and human skill , now brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Massive, hulking exoskeleton or mech suits are usually the type of thing one would encounter in a science fiction movie, whether it’s the low-budget classic Robot Jox or the American kaiju blockbuster Pacific Rim.
However, engineering firm Furrion Exo-Bionics has unleashed a colossal, four-legged, 9,000-pound powered exoskeleton dubbed Prosthesis – and anyone interested will be able to take up the controls and pilot the beast.
The company recently launched a wildly popular Kickstarter campaign laying out its mission, which is to start a “global racing league that would pit multiple world-class athletes in head-to-head competitions, through complex technical obstacle courses, wearing giant powered mech suits.”
And while the vision may seem larger-than-life, Furrion and its Prosthesis: Mech Racing research and development team are confident that they can unleash this new class of “large scale exo-bionic technology” and use it to power its global mech racing league.
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign will be eligible to receive “one-on-one mech pilot training” or kick back and watch the mechs kick each other’s butts at live events.
The company’s flagship mech, dubbed Prosthesis: the Anti-Robot, took over three years of field trials – including engineering and pilot training – to create this all-terrain mech suit that has four massive legs and the power to lift cars, run through the snow, and climb boulders.
“We ended up with four legs because the pilot has four limbs, and the machine has the wide stable form factor that it has so that it’s easy to balance,” chief test pilot and project co-founder Jonathan Tippett told CNET.
In a video kicking off the successful crowdfunding campaign, Tippett notes that the mech is “basically a cross between a trophy truck, an excavator, and a dinosaur.”
However, the idea behind Prosthesis isn’t simply passive entertainment – instead, this will require athleticism on the part of mech pilots who will be moving their arms and legs to get these massive machines going, making this a true sport rather than a simple robot exhibition.
“Prosthesis has no joysticks, no steering wheel, no foot pedals – just 100 percent limb-for-limb pilot control,” Furrion explained. “Prosthesis has no automation, no giros, no ability to walk or balance by itself, it relies entirely on the pilot inside for all its movement. Your arm and leg movements are amplified to control its four, giant steel legs, move for move. That’s what makes it a sport.”
Cassie Hawrysh, an accomplished headfirst ice sledding champion from Canada, is the first professional “mech sports” athlete to control the hulking quadrupedal beast. According to Furrion, she was just as surprised as the engineers when she felt a sense of familiarity between her 60-pound skeleton sled and the interface of this 9,000-pound mech suit.
“With the relentless and unchecked automation of everything we do, Prosthesis reminds us that some of the most rewarding things in life are those that require effort, focus and training,” the Kickstarter page said. “This is the very essence of sport. Prosthesis, and mech sports, are a celebration of the age old pursuit of physical mastery and human skill, now brought to a new level through advanced technology.”
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themindunleashed--2020-08-22--Trump pledges to deploy cops, sheriffs and federal prosecutors as Election Day poll monitors

President Donald Trump vowed Thursday that he would send law enforcement officers and U.S. attorneys to Election Day polls to prevent potential voter fraud , drawing swift rebukes from critics .
On late Thursday night , Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that if the White House would “ have an ability ” to monitor the November 4 proceedings and avoid fraud , “ We ’ re gon na have everything.
” “ We ’ re gon na have sheriffs , and we ’ re gon na have law enforcement , ” the president said .
“ And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys , and we ’ re going to have everybody and attorney generals.
” The president also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of mail-in voting practices , groundlessly claiming that “ anybody can sign ” the ballots , singling out Nevada ’ s rules as an example .
“ Nobody ’ s ever heard of anything like this , ” Trump said .
“ They may send them to all Democrat areas , not to the Republican areas as an example , ” he continued .
“ Could be the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The announcement drew criticism from a range of critics , including academics , activists , and former federal officials .
“ He ’ s sending law enforcement because it would be a crime to send the military , ” tweeted Walter Shaub , former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics .
“ But let ’ s be clear : this is an attack on America .
This is the dictator ’ s playbook.
” Election rights author Ari Berman tweeted that the move would be “ extremely disturbing voter suppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called it a “ classic right-wing authoritarian tactic.
” “ We ’ ve suspected this would happen and here it is .
Anything to intimidate and stop people from voting , ” tweeted Vanita Gupta , CEO of nonprofit civil rights group The Leadership Conference .
University of California-Irvine professor and election law expert Rick Hasen noted that “ Trump has no authority over local law enforcement such as sheriffs , so as commander in chief he can not be ordering local law enforcement officials to be poll watchers.
” However , county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past several years and have increasingly integrated with Trump supporters on the far-right fringes of U.S. politics , according to researchers .
Various police and sheriffs ’ associations – which have a history of embracing right-wing , anti-immigrant , and anti-Muslim extremist agendas – have also announced their support for President Trump ’ s re-election efforts .
Trump ’ s threat to deploy law enforcement officers to the polls come amid increasing claims by the president and his allies that mail-in voting can open the doors to widespread fraud without presenting any supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether election results will be accurate due to mail-in voting and the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic .
This week , Trump told supporters this week “ the only way we ’ re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.
” The White House has also been unclear about whether the president would accept election results if he isn ’ t declared the winner .
On Wednesday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to rule out whether the president would accept the results if he loses his re-election bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden formally accepted the Democratic Party ’ s presidential nomination .
“ The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long .
Too much anger .
Too much fear .
Too much division , ” Biden said during his acceptance speech .
“ If you entrust me with the presidency , I will draw on the best of us , not the worst .
I will be an ally of the light—not of the darkness .
”

President Donald Trump vowed Thursday that he would send law enforcement officers and U.S. attorneys to Election Day polls to prevent potential voter fraud, drawing swift rebukes from critics.
On late Thursday night, Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that if the White House would “have an ability” to monitor the November 4 proceedings and avoid fraud, “We’re gonna have everything.”
“We’re gonna have sheriffs, and we’re gonna have law enforcement,” the president said. “And we’re going to have hopefully U.S. attorneys, and we’re going to have everybody and attorney generals.”
"We're gonna have everything. We're gonna have sheriffs and we're gonna have law enforcement and we're going to have hopefully U.S. Attorneys…" https://t.co/ejOPCaQEdk — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 21, 2020
The president also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of mail-in voting practices, groundlessly claiming that “anybody can sign” the ballots, singling out Nevada’s rules as an example.
“Nobody’s ever heard of anything like this,” Trump said.
“They may send them to all Democrat areas, not to the Republican areas as an example,” he continued. “Could be the other way too, but I doubt it.”
The announcement drew criticism from a range of critics, including academics, activists, and former federal officials.
“He’s sending law enforcement because it would be a crime to send the military,” tweeted Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. “But let’s be clear: this is an attack on America. This is the dictator’s playbook.”
Election rights author Ari Berman tweeted that the move would be “extremely disturbing voter suppression,” while historian Ruth Ben Ghiat called it a “classic right-wing authoritarian tactic.”
“We’ve suspected this would happen and here it is. Anything to intimidate and stop people from voting,” tweeted Vanita Gupta, CEO of nonprofit civil rights group The Leadership Conference.
University of California-Irvine professor and election law expert Rick Hasen noted that “Trump has no authority over local law enforcement such as sheriffs, so as commander in chief he cannot be ordering local law enforcement officials to be poll watchers.”
However, county sheriffs have increasingly grown radicalized over the past several years and have increasingly integrated with Trump supporters on the far-right fringes of U.S. politics, according to researchers. Various police and sheriffs’ associations – which have a history of embracing right-wing, anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim extremist agendas – have also announced their support for President Trump’s re-election efforts.
Trump’s threat to deploy law enforcement officers to the polls come amid increasing claims by the president and his allies that mail-in voting can open the doors to widespread fraud without presenting any supporting evidence.
The president has also questioned whether election results will be accurate due to mail-in voting and the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, Trump told supporters this week “the only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.”
The White House has also been unclear about whether the president would accept election results if he isn’t declared the winner. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to rule out whether the president would accept the results if he loses his re-election bid.
On Thursday, former Vice President Joe Biden formally accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
“The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division,” Biden said during his acceptance speech. “If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light—not of the darkness.”
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themindunleashed--2020-08-22--Border Patrol Agent Arrested For Trafficking 350,000 Fentanyl Pills And Kilos of Cocaine

A US Border patrol agent was recently arrested and charged with drug trafficking after he was found with roughly 350,000 fentanyl pills along with other drugs , including kilos of cocaine and heroin .
53-year-old Carlos Victor Passapera Pinnot was assigned to patrol the border in Tucson , Arizona , but he was apparently using his position and the cover it provides to run a large drug trafficking operation .
There is a chance that he may have remained undetected by authorities if he chose a smarter place to make his drug deals , but he was ultimately caught because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an airport .
Airports are among the worst places to make a drug deal because they are such high-security areas , which are typically filled with cameras and police that are always looking for any sign of suspicious activity .
Passapera met his buyer at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in the early morning hours and placed two large duffle bags in the buyer ’ s vehicle .
The buyer was later stopped by police who searched his vehicle and found a large assortment of drugs , including the 350,000 fentanyl pills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilogram of heroin , and one additional kilogram of fentanyl .
Passapera was arrested later that day , and during the raid , authorities found nearly $ 330,000 in his home and $ 40,000 in his vehicle , according to a press release from the Justice Department .
It is not entirely clear how investigators were able to connect Passapera with the buyer so quickly .
It is very possible that the buyer told police his identity , but they could have also very easily tracked phone records if Passapera communicated on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name , or stored on his property .
Since they met at the airport , it would have also been very easy for investigators to look at CCTV footage to see who met the buyer .
“ On August 9 , 2020 , at approximately 3:15 AM , Passapera left his residence and drove south to a remote area of the border west of the Lukeville Port of Entry .
Passapera then drove to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport , where he loaded two duffel bags into another vehicle .
Law enforcement agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it left the airport , and searched the duffel bags , ” the press release stated .
The Department of Homeland Security , and the Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA ) took part in the investigation along with local law enforcement .
If convicted , Passapera could face a minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison .
This is certainly not the first or only time that a border patrol agent has been caught using their position to traffic drugs , in fact , it happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baza Jr , a border patrol agent from Texas , was arrested in connection with his activity in a drug ring that dated back to the previous decade .
After he was arrested , Bazan admitted to being a part of a drug ring in which border patrol agents would confiscate cocaine from dealers and then cut or “ water down ” the product with fillers before selling it back onto the black market .

A US Border patrol agent was recently arrested and charged with drug trafficking after he was found with roughly 350,000 fentanyl pills along with other drugs, including kilos of cocaine and heroin.
53-year-old Carlos Victor Passapera Pinnot was assigned to patrol the border in Tucson, Arizona, but he was apparently using his position and the cover it provides to run a large drug trafficking operation. There is a chance that he may have remained undetected by authorities if he chose a smarter place to make his drug deals, but he was ultimately caught because he decided to meet his buyer at an airport.
Airports are among the worst places to make a drug deal because they are such high-security areas, which are typically filled with cameras and police that are always looking for any sign of suspicious activity.
Passapera met his buyer at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in the early morning hours and placed two large duffle bags in the buyer’s vehicle. The buyer was later stopped by police who searched his vehicle and found a large assortment of drugs, including the 350,000 fentanyl pills and 21 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, and one additional kilogram of fentanyl.
Passapera was arrested later that day, and during the raid, authorities found nearly $330,000 in his home and $40,000 in his vehicle, according to a press release from the Justice Department.
It is not entirely clear how investigators were able to connect Passapera with the buyer so quickly. It is very possible that the buyer told police his identity, but they could have also very easily tracked phone records if Passapera communicated on a device that he had registered under his name, or stored on his property. Since they met at the airport, it would have also been very easy for investigators to look at CCTV footage to see who met the buyer.
“On August 9, 2020, at approximately 3:15 AM, Passapera left his residence and drove south to a remote area of the border west of the Lukeville Port of Entry. Passapera then drove to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where he loaded two duffel bags into another vehicle. Law enforcement agents stopped the driver of that vehicle after it left the airport, and searched the duffel bags,” the press release stated.
The Department of Homeland Security, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took part in the investigation along with local law enforcement. If convicted, Passapera could face a minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
This is certainly not the first or only time that a border patrol agent has been caught using their position to traffic drugs, in fact, it happens fairly often.
In 2016, Eduardo Baza Jr, a border patrol agent from Texas, was arrested in connection with his activity in a drug ring that dated back to the previous decade. After he was arrested, Bazan admitted to being a part of a drug ring in which border patrol agents would confiscate cocaine from dealers and then cut or “water down” the product with fillers before selling it back onto the black market.
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themindunleashed--2020-08-24--Awe-inspiring video shows SIX waterspouts churning in Gulf Coast as region prepares for brutal storm

Awe-inspiring video shows SIX waterspouts churning in Gulf Coast as region prepares for brutal storms

As the Gulf Coast braces itself for the disastrous possibility that it will get thrashed by two hurricanes this week , incredible video footage has emerged of six humongous , spinning waterspouts off of Louisiana ’ s coast in the Gulf of Mexico .
In shocking video captured by Frank LeDay , the waterspouts – which are tornado-style phenomena that form over water – can be seen off the coast southwest of Galliano , Louisiana , creating a jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring scene .
While the video and stills from the image seems like something not of this world , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to emerge from the truly unusual year 2020 .
In a separate video filmed up close in Leevilee , Louisiana , another massive waterspout can be seen churning through the ocean .
Ed Piotrowski , a meteorologist at WPDE , took to Facebook to describe the phenomenon as the “ most picturesque spouts I ’ ve ever seen .
It almost looks like War of the Worlds out there !
” The naturally-occurring spectacles come as residents of the Gulf Coast and coastal Louisiana have begun evacuating ahead of Hurricane Marco and Tropical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely pummel the state this coming week .
Several parishes have ordered mandatory evacuations of residents , while residents in Orleans Parish – the home of New Orleans – were urged to voluntarily evacuate by Sunday evening , reports Weather Channel .
Marco strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and is expected to make landfall on Louisiana ’ s coast as soon as Monday .
Tropical Storm Laura is expected to strengthen to a hurricane by the time it lands on the U.S. mainland through or near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott , Laura could become a Category 3 storm on its path to the state , threatening severe flooding as far as 30 miles inland .
The National Hurricane Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) has warned that “ life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds ” are expected to hit parts of the Gulf Coast on Monday .
Schott told CNN that two back-to-back hurricanes striking the same region in such a short span of time is a shock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern times .
“ The unprecedented kind of thing here is that it ’ s the same state within 48 hours of each other , ” Schott said .
“ In modern meteorological history … there ’ s never been anything like this before where you could have possibly two hurricanes hitting within miles of each other over a 48 hour period.
” On Saturday , Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards requested that the federal government declare an emergency due to the potential damage the two hurricanes can cause .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with two hurricanes expected to impact our state nearly back to back , ” Edwards said .
“ This may mean that people will have to shelter in place for more than 72 hours and that there may not be time to do things like restore lost power between the two storms.
’ On Sunday , President Trump approved the emergency declaration from Louisiana , which orders federal assistance to aid local authorities in responding to the potentially disastrous conditions resulting from Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura .

As the Gulf Coast braces itself for the disastrous possibility that it will get thrashed by two hurricanes this week, incredible video footage has emerged of six humongous, spinning waterspouts off of Louisiana’s coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
In shocking video captured by Frank LeDay, the waterspouts – which are tornado-style phenomena that form over water – can be seen off the coast southwest of Galliano, Louisiana, creating a jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring scene.
While the video and stills from the image seems like something not of this world, they’re just the latest surreal images to emerge from the truly unusual year 2020.
In a separate video filmed up close in Leevilee, Louisiana, another massive waterspout can be seen churning through the ocean.
Ed Piotrowski, a meteorologist at WPDE, took to Facebook to describe the phenomenon as the “most picturesque spouts I’ve ever seen. It almost looks like War of the Worlds out there!”
The naturally-occurring spectacles come as residents of the Gulf Coast and coastal Louisiana have begun evacuating ahead of Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura, which authorities fear could absolutely pummel the state this coming week.
Several parishes have ordered mandatory evacuations of residents, while residents in Orleans Parish – the home of New Orleans – were urged to voluntarily evacuate by Sunday evening, reports Weather Channel.
Marco strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and is expected to make landfall on Louisiana’s coast as soon as Monday.
Tropical Storm Laura is expected to strengthen to a hurricane by the time it lands on the U.S. mainland through or near the Louisiana Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
CHECK THIS OUT:It almost doesn't seem real or even possible, but there were SIX waterspouts simultaneously in the Gulf… Posted by Meteorologist Tyler Sebree on Friday, August 21, 2020
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott, Laura could become a Category 3 storm on its path to the state, threatening severe flooding as far as 30 miles inland.
The National Hurricane Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds” are expected to hit parts of the Gulf Coast on Monday.
Schott told CNN that two back-to-back hurricanes striking the same region in such a short span of time is a shock that hasn’t been seen in modern times.
“The unprecedented kind of thing here is that it’s the same state within 48 hours of each other,” Schott said.
“In modern meteorological history … there’s never been anything like this before where you could have possibly two hurricanes hitting within miles of each other over a 48 hour period.”
On Saturday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards requested that the federal government declare an emergency due to the potential damage the two hurricanes can cause.
“This is unlike anything we have seen, with two hurricanes expected to impact our state nearly back to back,” Edwards said. “This may mean that people will have to shelter in place for more than 72 hours and that there may not be time to do things like restore lost power between the two storms.’
On Sunday, President Trump approved the emergency declaration from Louisiana, which orders federal assistance to aid local authorities in responding to the potentially disastrous conditions resulting from Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura.
In exactly three days from now, here's what the HWRF model says a Hurricane Laura could look like as it's approaching the Gulf Coast. I'll say it very simply: Laura poses a potentially catastrophic threat to the Texas and Louisiana coast. Watch this storm very closely. pic.twitter.com/o7RKwH0mpl — Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 24, 2020
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themindunleashed--2020-08-23--Joe Biden accused of “plagiarizing” deceased Canadian politician in DNC speech

As the road to Election Day heats up in the United States amid back-to-back weeks of major party conventions , pundits have praised Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s acceptance speech as an example of the poise and grace Americans are seeking in a time of deep crisis .
However , some conservative critics are accusing the former vice president of borrowing some of his lines from a deceased Canadian politician , raising the possibility that the Democratic candidate is engaging in plagiarism .
During his speech , Biden made the case that the United States is facing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four acute crises : the worst pandemic in a century , the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression , a crisis of racism unseen since the Civil Rights era , and a major climate crisis .
Accusing President Trump of failure , Biden concluded his speech by stirringly contrasting himself with the incumbent , saying : “ For love is more powerful than hate .
Hope is more powerful than fear .
Light is more powerful than dark .
This is our moment .
This is our mission.
” The speech by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is regularly blasted by opponents as meandering and verging on senile – was quickly hailed by political observers from both parties who broadly agreed that Biden ’ s inspirational oratory exceeded the stereotype of a doddering “ Sleepy Joe ” that Trump had been setting up .
However , Canadian media were quick to notice that Biden ’ s words bore an uncanny resemblance to those of Jack Layton , the leader of Canada ’ s progressive New Democratic Party , who penned a memorable open letter to Canadian citizens while he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The letter concluded : “ My friends , love is better than anger .
Hope is better than fear .
Optimism is better than despair .
So let us be loving , hopeful and optimistic .
And we ’ ll change the world.
” Canadian netizens were quick to point out the similarity between the two speeches .
“ A number of Canadians are struck by the similar parting words of Biden ’ s speech to the final words of Jack Layton ’ s farewell letter before his death , ” CBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , found it touching that the Canadian political leader ’ s words were finding an echo in the political discourse of the U.S. “ My fellow Canadians , be glad that Biden is emulating/quoting Jack Layton , ” tweeted one user .
“ Be proud of that .
Get your heads out of your ***** and support our neighbours to the south in getting Trump the f**k out of office .
FFS.
” While another user wrote that Biden “ used some similar language , yes .
Probably unintentionally.
” Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love triumphing over hate is hardly novel , and the message was also similar to that used by former Canadian Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier , as the National Post pointed out .
“ Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide , an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate , ” Laurier said in 1916 .
But while many Canadians were willing to forgive Biden for intentionally or unintentionally echoing Layton ’ s final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accuse Biden of outright plagiarism .
“ That ’ s sloppy , Joe , ” wrote the right-leaning New York Post , which accused the Democrat of “ [ reprising ] his penchant for borrowing lines from other people ’ s work.
” While Biz Pac Review paraphrased the former veep himself said that “ Accusations have surfaced that Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden is a ‘ lying , dog-faced ’ plagiarist.
” Indeed , if the accusations are true , it wouldn ’ t be the first time in his political career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other politicians .
Biden ’ s first campaign for presidency in 1987 ended in disgrace after the then 44-year-old senator was found to have blatantly plagiarized phrases and ideas from UK Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock .
Biden even went so far as to borrow elements of Kinnock ’ s recounting of his family history .
Upon being exposed , Biden withdrew from the race .
He later claimed that the scandal was “ much ado about nothing ” and that he had simply forgotten to credit the British politician .

As the road to Election Day heats up in the United States amid back-to-back weeks of major party conventions, pundits have praised Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s acceptance speech as an example of the poise and grace Americans are seeking in a time of deep crisis.
However, some conservative critics are accusing the former vice president of borrowing some of his lines from a deceased Canadian politician, raising the possibility that the Democratic candidate is engaging in plagiarism.
During his speech, Biden made the case that the United States is facing a truly unprecedented “perfect storm” of four acute crises: the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a crisis of racism unseen since the Civil Rights era, and a major climate crisis.
Accusing President Trump of failure, Biden concluded his speech by stirringly contrasting himself with the incumbent, saying: “For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment. This is our mission.”
The speech by Biden – a famously gaffe-prone septuagenarian politician who is regularly blasted by opponents as meandering and verging on senile – was quickly hailed by political observers from both parties who broadly agreed that Biden’s inspirational oratory exceeded the stereotype of a doddering “Sleepy Joe” that Trump had been setting up.
However, Canadian media were quick to notice that Biden’s words bore an uncanny resemblance to those of Jack Layton, the leader of Canada’s progressive New Democratic Party, who penned a memorable open letter to Canadian citizens while he was on his death bed in 2011.
The letter concluded: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”
Canadian netizens were quick to point out the similarity between the two speeches.
this is basically a Jack Layton quote https://t.co/k3FbbuWWfd — note to self: don't panic (@JennJefferys) August 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/nashwalina/status/1296650381200707590
So did he credit Jack Layton or no? https://t.co/8skVhQnjsH — daanis ????? (@gindaanis) August 21, 2020
“A number of Canadians are struck by the similar parting words of Biden’s speech to the final words of Jack Layton’s farewell letter before his death,” CBC Washington correspondent Alexander Panetta tweeted.
Others, however, found it touching that the Canadian political leader’s words were finding an echo in the political discourse of the U.S.
“My fellow Canadians, be glad that Biden is emulating/quoting Jack Layton,” tweeted one user. “Be proud of that. Get your heads out of your asses and support our neighbours to the south in getting Trump the f**k out of office. FFS.”
While another user wrote that Biden “used some similar language, yes. Probably unintentionally.”
Indeed, Layton’s poignant platitude about love triumphing over hate is hardly novel, and the message was also similar to that used by former Canadian Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier, as the National Post pointed out.
“Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate,” Laurier said in 1916.
But while many Canadians were willing to forgive Biden for intentionally or unintentionally echoing Layton’s final message, Republican pundits were quick to accuse Biden of outright plagiarism.
“That’s sloppy, Joe,” wrote the right-leaning New York Post, which accused the Democrat of “[reprising] his penchant for borrowing lines from other people’s work.”
While Biz Pac Review paraphrased the former veep himself said that “Accusations have surfaced that Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden is a ‘lying, dog-faced’ plagiarist.”
Indeed, if the accusations are true, it wouldn’t be the first time in his political career that Biden has been found lifting lines from other politicians.
Biden’s first campaign for presidency in 1987 ended in disgrace after the then 44-year-old senator was found to have blatantly plagiarized phrases and ideas from UK Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. Biden even went so far as to borrow elements of Kinnock’s recounting of his family history.
Upon being exposed, Biden withdrew from the race. He later claimed that the scandal was “much ado about nothing” and that he had simply forgotten to credit the British politician.
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themindunleashed--2020-08-23--An asteroid is headed to Earth before election day, reminding us that 2020 is no joke

As if 2020 wasn ’ t already full of surprises , it now appears that scientists have identified an asteroid that is on course to Earth – and though the chances are slim , it could strike the planet one day before Election Day in the U.S. Luckily , the flying space object known as 2018VP1 only has a diameter of about 6.5 feet .
However , it has been stated that it will pass near our planet on November 2 , one day prior to the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 3 , according to the Center for Near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Propulsion Laboratory .
The asteroid was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018 .
The U.S. space agency believes there are three potential impacts “ based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days , ” and fortunately the chance of a direct impact is less than 1 percent – or more specifically , it only has a 0.41 percent chance of striking our planet .
Either way , this space rock wouldn ’ t have a deep impact – nor will it lead to the sorts of apocalyptic scenes from blockbuster films @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at NASA are not considering the asteroid to be a “ potentially hazardous object.
” In NASA parlance , potentially hazardous objects such as asteroids or comets are those which are large enough to cause significant damage to a region if they did hit our planet .
A car-sized asteroid recently flew past the Earth last weekend in the closest flyby on record , blindsiding scientists who didn ’ t know about the space rock until it had already passed .
The asteroid , now dubbed 2020 QG by astronomers , flew past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 1,830 miles away , reports Space – making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid known to mankind , according to NASA .
Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory didn ’ t even know that the asteroid was flying by the planet until six hours after the fact .
“ The asteroid approached undetected from the direction of the sun , ” Paul Chodas , the director of NASA ’ s Center for Near Earth Object Studies , told Business Insider .
“ We didn ’ t see it coming.
” “ [ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closest on record , ” he added .
“ If you discount a few known asteroids that have actually impacted our planet.
” Asteroids are rocky , small objects that orbit the sun and are far smaller in size than planets .
Most asteroids can be found in the main asteroid belt .
the region of space lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter .
Some asteroids can also be found in the orbital path of planets .
meaning that the asteroid and the planet follow the same path around the sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have such types of asteroids While some asteroids can span hundreds of miles in diameter , far more asteroids can be as tiny as pebbles , NASA explained .
Most asteroids are made of different rock types , but some have clays or metals including nickel and iron .

As if 2020 wasn’t already full of surprises, it now appears that scientists have identified an asteroid that is on course to Earth – and though the chances are slim, it could strike the planet one day before Election Day in the U.S.
Luckily, the flying space object known as 2018VP1 only has a diameter of about 6.5 feet. However, it has been stated that it will pass near our planet on November 2, one day prior to the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 3, according to the Center for Near Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The asteroid was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018.
The U.S. space agency believes there are three potential impacts “based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days,” and fortunately the chance of a direct impact is less than 1 percent – or more specifically, it only has a 0.41 percent chance of striking our planet.
Either way, this space rock wouldn’t have a deep impact – nor will it lead to the sorts of apocalyptic scenes from blockbuster films like Armageddon.
As such, researchers at NASA are not considering the asteroid to be a “potentially hazardous object.”
In NASA parlance, potentially hazardous objects such as asteroids or comets are those which are large enough to cause significant damage to a region if they did hit our planet.
A car-sized asteroid recently flew past the Earth last weekend in the closest flyby on record, blindsiding scientists who didn’t know about the space rock until it had already passed.
The asteroid, now dubbed 2020 QG by astronomers, flew past our home planet on Aug. 16 at only 1,830 miles away, reports Space – making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid known to mankind, according to NASA.
Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory didn’t even know that the asteroid was flying by the planet until six hours after the fact.
“The asteroid approached undetected from the direction of the sun,” Paul Chodas, the director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, told Business Insider. “We didn’t see it coming.”
“[The] close approach is [the] closest on record,” he added. “If you discount a few known asteroids that have actually impacted our planet.”
Asteroids are rocky, small objects that orbit the sun and are far smaller in size than planets. Most asteroids can be found in the main asteroid belt. the region of space lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some asteroids can also be found in the orbital path of planets. meaning that the asteroid and the planet follow the same path around the sun. Our planet and a few others have such types of asteroids
While some asteroids can span hundreds of miles in diameter, far more asteroids can be as tiny as pebbles, NASA explained. Most asteroids are made of different rock types, but some have clays or metals including nickel and iron.
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themindunleashed--2020-08-24--As massive wildfires overwhelm California, Australia’s battle-hardened firefighters ready to help

As tremendous wildfires sparked by lightning storms continued to rage Monday across Southern California amid high winds and continued volatile weather , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom has issued a desperate plea for assistance in controlling the blaze from neighboring states as well as Canada and Australia .
Aircraft and firefighters from 10 states – including Arizona , Iowa , Montana , Nevada , Oregon , Texas , Utah and Washington – deployed to California over the weekend to assist local firefighters who worked around the clock all last week to control the raging fires .
Newsom said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia – two countries that have also faced massive wildfires in recent years – aid the fire-plagued state with personnel support to assist the “ overwhelmed ” frontline Californian firefighters .
“ We have more people but it ’ s not enough , ” Newsom said .
“ We simply haven ’ t seen anything like this in many , many years … These fires are stretching our resources , our personnel.
” Over the weekend , California National Guard troops began training to help supplement efforts by Cal Fire agencies fighting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 650 wildfires raging across California , nearly a quarter-million residents have been forced to evacuate their neighborhoods as the blaze continues to grow .
Much of Northern California is facing a red flag waning over the threat of continued lightning , high temperatures , and erratic winds .
The two massive fire clusters in the Bay Area – the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex – have already become the second- and third-largest wildfires in recent state history by size , according to state fire agency Cal Fire .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignited by lightning strikes .
On Saturday , Newsom said that Australia is home to “ the world ’ s best wildfire fighters.
” Australia suffered an unprecedented bushfire season in 2019-2020 as massive blazes destroyed nearly 46 million acres ( 18.6 million hectares ) and almost 6,000 buildings including 2,779 homes and huge expanses of wildlife habitat .
Hundreds of U.S. firefighters were deployed to Australia to help local firefighters suppress the bushfires , including volunteer firefighters from California .
The experienced , battle-hardened firefighters from Australia ’ s New South Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be perfectly suited to assist California ’ s firefighters , who are being stretched thin by the out-of-control fires .
The request for help has apparently not yet been formally made .
A deployment to California would be the first time that NSW RFS have assisted the U.S. to fight fires .
“ Traditionally we haven ’ t sent firefighters into the U.S. We have sent to Canada , but not to the U.S. , ” NSW RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd told Brisbane Times .
“ We are in a pretty good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we were at this stage last year , ” Shepherd added .
“ The consideration would just be what the request is in relation to COVID-19 and quarantine restrictions for going there and on return.
” At least seven people have died from the fires so far , including a 70-year-old victim of the massive CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains , south of San Francisco , whose lifeless body was found Sunday , reports USA Today .
“ This is one of the darkest periods we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Santa Cruz Sheriff ’ s Department Chief Deputy Chris Clark .
So far , the wildfires have burned over 1.2 million acres of land since last month .
The number far exceeds the 259,000 acres burned in 2019 , reports the the Los Angeles Times .
Air quality has drastically worsened as smoke from the fires have saturated the air in the Bay Area and central California , causing authorities to urge residents to “ Stay indoors if possible.
” The air quality in northern and central parts of the state are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could worsen health conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic .

As tremendous wildfires sparked by lightning storms continued to rage Monday across Southern California amid high winds and continued volatile weather, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a desperate plea for assistance in controlling the blaze from neighboring states as well as Canada and Australia.
Aircraft and firefighters from 10 states – including Arizona, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington – deployed to California over the weekend to assist local firefighters who worked around the clock all last week to control the raging fires.
Newsom said that the state has also requested that Canada and Australia – two countries that have also faced massive wildfires in recent years – aid the fire-plagued state with personnel support to assist the “overwhelmed” frontline Californian firefighters.
“We have more people but it’s not enough,” Newsom said. “We simply haven’t seen anything like this in many, many years … These fires are stretching our resources, our personnel.”
Over the weekend, California National Guard troops began training to help supplement efforts by Cal Fire agencies fighting the blazes.
Today, @CAL_FIRE issued protective gear to 270 #CalGuard Soldiers who are beginning hand crew training at Camp Roberts, California, to supplement state agencies currently battling #CaliforniaFires. pic.twitter.com/Sjx0CTiMuU — The California National Guard (@CalGuard) August 23, 2020
With three sprawling blazes and over 650 wildfires raging across California, nearly a quarter-million residents have been forced to evacuate their neighborhoods as the blaze continues to grow. Much of Northern California is facing a red flag waning over the threat of continued lightning, high temperatures, and erratic winds.
The two massive fire clusters in the Bay Area – the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex – have already become the second- and third-largest wildfires in recent state history by size, according to state fire agency Cal Fire. A lightning complex is a grouping of fires ignited by lightning strikes.
On Saturday, Newsom said that Australia is home to “the world’s best wildfire fighters.”
Australia suffered an unprecedented bushfire season in 2019-2020 as massive blazes destroyed nearly 46 million acres (18.6 million hectares) and almost 6,000 buildings including 2,779 homes and huge expanses of wildlife habitat.
Governor Gavin Newsom requested for assistance from Canada, Australia and ten U.S. states to help fight nearly 560 blazes ravaging California https://t.co/YjZmUnNBq2 pic.twitter.com/C7ru9iYYXB — Reuters (@Reuters) August 22, 2020
Hundreds of U.S. firefighters were deployed to Australia to help local firefighters suppress the bushfires, including volunteer firefighters from California.
The experienced, battle-hardened firefighters from Australia’s New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) would be perfectly suited to assist California’s firefighters, who are being stretched thin by the out-of-control fires.
The request for help has apparently not yet been formally made. A deployment to California would be the first time that NSW RFS have assisted the U.S. to fight fires.
“Traditionally we haven’t sent firefighters into the U.S. We have sent to Canada, but not to the U.S.,” NSW RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd told Brisbane Times.
Specialists from the NSW Rural Fire Service could soon be assisting in the fight against deadly wildfires raging across California, with a request for assistance expected to be just days away | @LucyCormack https://t.co/9fZcMytyKD — The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) August 23, 2020
“We are in a pretty good position [to assist] compared to where we were at this stage last year,” Shepherd added. “The consideration would just be what the request is in relation to COVID-19 and quarantine restrictions for going there and on return.”
At least seven people have died from the fires so far, including a 70-year-old victim of the massive CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco, whose lifeless body was found Sunday, reports USA Today.
“This is one of the darkest periods we’ve been in with this fire,” said Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chris Clark.
So far, the wildfires have burned over 1.2 million acres of land since last month. The number far exceeds the 259,000 acres burned in 2019, reports the the Los Angeles Times.
Air quality has drastically worsened as smoke from the fires have saturated the air in the Bay Area and central California, causing authorities to urge residents to “Stay indoors if possible.” The air quality in northern and central parts of the state are among the worst in the world, and could worsen health conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Air quality continues to be unhealthy for much of #NorCal today. Limit outdoor activities if possible and check on sensitive groups. To check air quality at your location, visit https://t.co/XYTBpMWUqP. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/jXsaLVdbKE — NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) August 23, 2020
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themindunleashed--2020-08-24--Israeli teens discover massive trove of pure 24-karat gold coins from 1,100 years ago

Two teenagers on summer break in Israel have unearthed a massive trove of hundreds of gold coins that were buried in a clay jar for 1,100 years .
The priceless trove of money was discovered at an archaeological site in Yavne , central Israel , according to the Israel Antiquities Authority .
The priceless trove of money dates back to the ninth century , during which the Abbasid Caliphate – the Islamic empire which ruled a territory spanning modern-day Algeria to Afghanistan – held the Palestinian region .
The land of Palestine was under the rule of the Abbasids from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergoing a major cultural , commercial , and artistic renaissance at the time , with the period being referred to by historians as the “ golden age of Islam.
” Over 425 of the pure 24-karat gold coins were discovered , weighing 1.86 pounds ( 845 grams ) overall – more than enough cash to purchase a luxurious home in one of the metropolises of the sprawling and advanced Arabic empire .
“ The hoard consists of full gold dinars , but also — what is unusual — contains about 270 small gold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to serve as small change , ” said Israel Antiquities Authority ( IAA ) expert Robert Kool in a statement .
Two 18-year-old volunteers for an archeological excavation found the coins in a clay jar sealed by a single nail , according to the New York Times .
“ I dug in the ground and , when I excavated the soil , saw what looked like very thin leaves , ” said Oz Cohen , one of the teens who found the treasure .
“ When I looked again , I saw these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting to find such a special and ancient treasure.
” It remains a mystery as to who buried the huge reserve of gold coins , as well as why they never returned to collect the treasure .
“ The person who buried this treasure 1,100 years ago must have expected to retrieve it , and even secured the vessel with a nail so that it would not move , ” excavation directors Liat Nadav-Ziv and Elie Haddad of the IAA said in a statement .
“ We can only guess what prevented him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Finding gold coins , certainly in such a considerable quantity , is extremely rare , ” they added .
“ We almost never find them in archaeological excavations , given that gold has always been extremely valuable , melted down and reused from generation to generation.
” When copper and bronze coins suddenly stopped circulating during the 850s , gold and silver coins became a staple of the monetary system in the ruling Islamic empires .
Among the cuttings found was a fragment of a gold solidus coin of the Byzantine Emperor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , providing clear evidence of the continuous trade that connected the rivaling Islamic and Eastern Orthodox Christian empires during the contentious period .
Archaeologists say that the finding hints at the scale of global trade that occurred at the time , which connected residents of the region to far-flung regions .
The coins offer a unique window into the flow of commerce at the time , as many of the coins minted by the empires bear the names and titles of the era ’ s rulers and sub-rulers as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You can read the name of the caliph in Baghdad , ” Kool told the Times .
“ The name of the governor who rules in his name in Egypt is often included .
”

Two teenagers on summer break in Israel have unearthed a massive trove of hundreds of gold coins that were buried in a clay jar for 1,100 years.
The priceless trove of money was discovered at an archaeological site in Yavne, central Israel, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The priceless trove of money dates back to the ninth century, during which the Abbasid Caliphate – the Islamic empire which ruled a territory spanning modern-day Algeria to Afghanistan – held the Palestinian region.
The land of Palestine was under the rule of the Abbasids from 750-1258 AD. The Abbasid empire was undergoing a major cultural, commercial, and artistic renaissance at the time, with the period being referred to by historians as the “golden age of Islam.”
Over 425 of the pure 24-karat gold coins were discovered, weighing 1.86 pounds (845 grams) overall – more than enough cash to purchase a luxurious home in one of the metropolises of the sprawling and advanced Arabic empire.
“The hoard consists of full gold dinars, but also — what is unusual — contains about 270 small gold cuttings, pieces of gold dinars cut to serve as small change,” said Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) expert Robert Kool in a statement.
https://twitter.com/rosenfeld_oren/status/1297788466042941440
Two 18-year-old volunteers for an archeological excavation found the coins in a clay jar sealed by a single nail, according to the New York Times.
“I dug in the ground and, when I excavated the soil, saw what looked like very thin leaves,” said Oz Cohen, one of the teens who found the treasure. “When I looked again, I saw these were gold coins. It was really exciting to find such a special and ancient treasure.”
It remains a mystery as to who buried the huge reserve of gold coins, as well as why they never returned to collect the treasure.
“The person who buried this treasure 1,100 years ago must have expected to retrieve it, and even secured the vessel with a nail so that it would not move,” excavation directors Liat Nadav-Ziv and Elie Haddad of the IAA said in a statement. “We can only guess what prevented him from returning to collect this treasure.”
“Finding gold coins, certainly in such a considerable quantity, is extremely rare,” they added. “We almost never find them in archaeological excavations, given that gold has always been extremely valuable, melted down and reused from generation to generation.”
When copper and bronze coins suddenly stopped circulating during the 850s, gold and silver coins became a staple of the monetary system in the ruling Islamic empires.
Among the cuttings found was a fragment of a gold solidus coin of the Byzantine Emperor Theophilos minted in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), providing clear evidence of the continuous trade that connected the rivaling Islamic and Eastern Orthodox Christian empires during the contentious period.
Archaeologists say that the finding hints at the scale of global trade that occurred at the time, which connected residents of the region to far-flung regions.
The coins offer a unique window into the flow of commerce at the time, as many of the coins minted by the empires bear the names and titles of the era’s rulers and sub-rulers as well as the location and date of the mint.
“You can read the name of the caliph in Baghdad,” Kool told the Times. “The name of the governor who rules in his name in Egypt is often included.”
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themindunleashed--2020-08-24--Protests erupt in Wisconsin after cops shoot man in the back multiple times as children watched

Angry protests have erupted in Kenosha , Wisconsin , after the police shooting of 29-year-old Black male Jacob Blake , who was shot in the back multiple times at point-blank range as he attempted to get into his car .
Police in tactical gear and armored SWAT vehicles were deployed Sunday night as community protesters took to the streets in a spontaneous eruption of rage following the cold-blooded shooting of the young man after a domestic incident call .
According to witnesses , Blake was trying to break up a verbal altercation between two women roughly after 5 p.m. on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene and quickly proceeded to fire seven shots at him while he attempted to board the driver-side of his vehicle .
In a tweet , civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Blake ’ s three children were in the car when the officers opened fire on their father .
Crump represents the families of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and Ahmaud Arbery , among other high-profile victims of police violence and racist vigilantism .
“ They saw a cop shoot their father , ” Crump wrote .
“ They will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition and in the intensive care unit at a Minneapolis-area hospital , reports Kenosha News .
“ He is out of surgery and in the ICU , ” tweeted family friend Daniel Poneman .
“ He can make it through this .
He is fighting for his life.
” Authorities have been swift in their moves to prevent the situation from escalating , with the state ’ s governor denouncing the shooting and police responding swiftly to prevent community anger from reaching a boiling-point .
In a statement issued after cellphone video of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers said : “ Tonight , Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times , in broad daylight , in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Kathy and I join his family , friends , and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries.
” “ While we do not have all of the details yet , what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our state or our country , ” Evers added .
“ We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice , equity , and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd , of Breonna Taylor , Tony Robinson , Dontre Hamilton , Ernest Lacy , and Sylville Smith.
” Within hours of the shooting of Blake , hundreds of local residents began protesting for Blake and conveged on the Kenosha County Public Safety Building while chanting , “ No justice , no peace !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cars honking as they made their way to the police station .
After Kenosha police arrived at the scene in armored SWAT vehicles , clad in tactical gear and equipped with riot munitions and less-lethal arms , the community demonstrations took a violent turn and clashes erupted between combative protesters and the officers .
Video from the scene shows Kenosha police using tear gas against demonstrators : During the protest , some incidents of property damage took place .
Several cars in an auto dealership were set on fire , reports Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down with a brick amid skirmishes between police and angry community members .
The broad-daylight shooting of Blake in the Lake Michigan-area city threatens to rekindle the weeks of explosive nationwide unrest that resulted from the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police .
Kenosha lies about 40 miles south of Milwaukee and is roughly an hour ’ s drive north from Chicago .

Angry protests have erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after the police shooting of 29-year-old Black male Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back multiple times at point-blank range as he attempted to get into his car.
Police in tactical gear and armored SWAT vehicles were deployed Sunday night as community protesters took to the streets in a spontaneous eruption of rage following the cold-blooded shooting of the young man after a domestic incident call.
According to witnesses, Blake was trying to break up a verbal altercation between two women roughly after 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoon before officers arrived at the scene and quickly proceeded to fire seven shots at him while he attempted to board the driver-side of his vehicle.
In a tweet, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Blake’s three children were in the car when the officers opened fire on their father. Crump represents the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, among other high-profile victims of police violence and racist vigilantism.
“They saw a cop shoot their father,” Crump wrote. “They will be traumatized forever.”
Confirmed: Jacob Blake’s 3 SONS were IN THE CAR he was getting into when @KenoshaPolice shot him tonight. They saw a cop shoot their father. They will be traumatized forever. We cannot let officers violate their duty to PROTECT us. Our kids deserve better!! #JusticeForJacobBlake — Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) August 24, 2020
Blake remains in serious condition and in the intensive care unit at a Minneapolis-area hospital, reports Kenosha News.
“He is out of surgery and in the ICU,” tweeted family friend Daniel Poneman. “He can make it through this. He is fighting for his life.”
Authorities have been swift in their moves to prevent the situation from escalating, with the state’s governor denouncing the shooting and police responding swiftly to prevent community anger from reaching a boiling-point.
WARNING: Police fire several shots at point blank range towards the back of an unarmed Black man walking away and into a car in #Kenosha Wisconsin. Neighbors report that he was trying to break up a fight between 2 women. Why the use of lethal force? pic.twitter.com/Y0RWQ1y9Jn — Kristen Clarke 866-OUR-VOTE (@KristenClarkeJD) August 24, 2020
In a statement issued after cellphone video of the shooting began going viral on social media, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said:
“Tonight, Jacob Blake was shot in the back multiple times, in broad daylight, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kathy and I join his family, friends, and neighbors in hoping earnestly that he will not succumb to his injuries.”
“While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country,” Evers added. “We stand with all those who have and continue to demand justice, equity, and accountability for Black lives in our country—lives like those of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, Tony Robinson, Dontre Hamilton, Ernest Lacy, and Sylville Smith.”
Within hours of the shooting of Blake, hundreds of local residents began protesting for Blake and conveged on the Kenosha County Public Safety Building while chanting, “No justice, no peace!”
Marching protesters were joined by a caravan of cars honking as they made their way to the police station. After Kenosha police arrived at the scene in armored SWAT vehicles, clad in tactical gear and equipped with riot munitions and less-lethal arms, the community demonstrations took a violent turn and clashes erupted between combative protesters and the officers.
Video from the scene shows Kenosha police using tear gas against demonstrators:
Officers deployed tear gas in effort to disperse hundreds of people who took to the streets following police shooting in Kenosha after video appeared to show officers shoot at a Black man seven times as he leaned into a vehicle. https://t.co/Q3Fo0flhCE pic.twitter.com/XgDX8Wu9gz — ABC News (@ABC) August 24, 2020
During the protest, some incidents of property damage took place. Several cars in an auto dealership were set on fire, reports Fox News.
An officer was also knocked down with a brick amid skirmishes between police and angry community members.
Footage of officer getting knocked out with a brick in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/zZYypCgyja — ? ? Botchlaa ?? (@BotchlaUS) August 24, 2020
The broad-daylight shooting of Blake in the Lake Michigan-area city threatens to rekindle the weeks of explosive nationwide unrest that resulted from the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police.
Kenosha lies about 40 miles south of Milwaukee and is roughly an hour’s drive north from Chicago.
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