theblaze--2020-08-03--ESPN's Dan Le Batard now says he's sorry for poll asking if Christian NBA player Jonathan Isaac's in

ESPN's Dan Le Batard now says he's sorry for poll asking if Christian NBA player Jonathan Isaac's injury is 'funny'

ESPN 's Dan Le Batard now says he 's sorry for poll asking if Christian NBA player Jonathan Isaac 's @ @ @ @ @ the only NBA player to stand for the national anthem last week

ESPN's Dan Le Batard is sorry for a shocking poll that appeared on the show's Twitter page on Monday.
The poll asked if the gruesome knee injury NBA player Jonathan Isaac suffered on Sunday night was "funny" in light of the fact that he was the only NBA player who refused to kneel during the national anthem last week.
Needless to say, the post from "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" received heavy criticism even though the account purged the post from its feed.
What is ESPN saying now?
In an email, a spokesperson for ESPN pointed The Blaze to a newly updated statement from the show's Twitter.
The tweet, apparently composed by Le Batard himself, accompanied a screenshot of the original poll and reads, "We apologize for this poll question. I said on the front and back end of the on-air conversation that I didn't think it was funny."
"Regardless of context, we missed the mark," the statement continued. "We took the tweet down when we realized our mistake in how we posed the question to the audience."
The original poll read, "Is it funny that the guy who refused to knee immediately blew out his knee?"
The majority of those who voted on the short-lived poll did not, in fact, think it was "funny."
'Black lives are supported through the gospel'
Johnson, an Orlando Magic player, told reporters last week that he refused to kneel for the national anthem.
"I don't think kneeling or putting on a T-shirt for me personally is the answer ... for me, black lives are supported through the gospel," he said. "All lives are supported through the gospel."
"We all have things that we do wrong and sometimes it gets to a place that we're pointing fingers at who's wrong is worst," he later told CNN. "Or who's wrong is seen, so I feel like the Bible tells us that we all fall short of God's glory. That will help bring us closer together and get past skin color, and get past anything that's on the surface and doesn't really get into the hearts of men and women."
He concluded, "I'm black ... I'm not for racism and I don't think that me not kneeling before the game and wearing a t-shirt makes me mean that at all."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Doctor fired for sharing FACTS about HDQ: They threatened to fire my colleagues if 'I didn't go quie

Doctor fired for sharing FACTS about HDQ: They threatened to fire my colleagues if 'I didn't go quietly'

Doctor fired for sharing FACTS about HDQ : They threatened to fire my colleagues if ' I did n't go @ @ @ @ @ rather fight , than not fight '

Shortly after appearing on "The Glenn Beck Radio Program" last Thursday, Los Angeles-based emergency medicine specialist Dr. Simone Gold got a call saying she was fired for speaking out about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in a now-banned viral video.
Dr. Gold returned to the radio program Monday to detail exactly what happened, the reason the hospitals gave for her firing, and how they threatened to fire her colleagues as well if she "didn't go quietly."
"Most emergency physicians work at more than one [hospital], as I do, and I've actually been fired from both," she told Glenn. "They told me that I appeared in an embarrassing video, and therefore, I would no longer be welcome to work there ... then they said, if I didn't go quietly and I made a fuss, they would have all the doctors in the group, you know, they'd have to go and they'll get a whole new doctor group."
Dr. Gold said she does not regret speaking out about hydroxychloroquine during the controversial "White Coat Summit" news conference held in Washington, D.C., last week. A video of the news conference quickly went viral on social media before being removed by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others for allegedly making false claims related to COVID-19.
"Bring it on," she said. "I want to continue to live in America. I want my children to continue to live in America. I don't want them to grow up in a place like China. When you get to a point where, not only can I not speak as a scientist, as a doctor, for what I know to be absolutely true, but you then want to cancel me and my colleagues, this is not okay. I would much rather fight than not fight ... and I want everybody to know that there are literally millions and millions of Americans who are on our side. Millions. I believe it's the majority."
Glenn then asked Dr. Gold to weigh in on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new guidelines encouraging schools to reopen in the fall and the left's relentless drive to keep them closed.
"There's no actual scientific debate whatsoever if schools should open. None. There's no scientific debate. There's no serious person who thinks schools shouldn't open. Now, [through] some governors and policy makers, there's pressure being brought to bear on school districts, but there's no actual scientific debate. So it's going to come down to parents pressuring their local school districts to act in a responsible fashion."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-08-03--Former NFL star Larry Johnson posts bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on Twitter with zero repe

Former NFL star Larry Johnson posts bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on Twitter with zero repercussions The comments mirrored those from @ @ @ @

Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson posted a bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theory rant on Twitter and has apparently faced zero repercussions over it.
Johnson was criticizing ESPN sports commentator Max Kellerman for knocking down anti-Semitic conspiracy theories claiming Jews controlled the media and other industries.
The former NFL star implied that a "Jewish cabal" participated in human trafficking, sex trafficking, pedophilia, ritualistic child torture, perversion, human sacrifice and murder.
Kellerman, who is also Jewish, demanded that Philadelphia Eagles player DeSean Jackson explain how he spread anti-Semitic messages even after he apologized for what he posted.
"Jews do not have a plan for world domination. I have no plan for world domination. And there's no secret cabal with some plan for world domination," Kellerman said in July.
"You couldn't uplift African Americans without singling out Jews falsely for having some kind of conspiracy to keep Black people down?" Kellerman asked.
'Babylonian occult practitioners of pagan idolatry'
Johnson went on to make the claim that African-Americans were in the true lineage of the Israelites and that the Jews were not.
"Before the 'Abrahamic 'religion,' which is stupid in itself because Israelites (Shemites) aren't a religion. The Nephilim tainted line of HAM were the first Babylonian occult practitioners of pagan idolatry. AA's you are not Hamites, you're more Shemitic," he explained helpfully.
Television show host Nick Cannon made similar claims in his own anti-Semitic rant on his YouTube show. He later apologized for the comments.
"Adrenochrome, Pizzagate...Qanon"
Johnson also appeared to defend other conspiracy theories that have gained popularity on social media platforms.
"Just like clockwork, Anything involving Hollywood, Adrenochrome, Pizzagate, its a Right Wing, QAnon, conspiracy... This is their way of saying 'White People Crazy,'" tweeted Johnson.
"Instead of debating the proof, they label it a conspiracy and anti-Semitic," said Johnson. "It's TIRED."
Many excoriated Johnson for the bizarre conspiracy theory, including CNN's Jake Tapper who tweeted, "Larry Johnson continuing to spread his anti-Semitic garbage. What a disgrace."
Johnson previously posted a rant in August complaining about an "effeminate agenda" in the NBA and NFL that he said had to do with the "buying power of the LGBTQ community."
Non-response from Twitter
TheBlaze requested a comment from Twitter but the social media company did not respond to the request.
The former running back had numerous arrests for domestic violence when he played on the Chiefs' team. In an 2017 interview, Johnson said he was battling with headaches, memory loss, and believed that his violent outbursts could be due to CTE, a devastating brain injury found in some NFL players.
Here's more about Johnson's past:


theblaze--2020-08-03--Crooks apparently still not getting the message: Homeowners shoot three in pair of suspected burglar

Crooks apparently still not getting the message: Homeowners shoot three in pair of suspected burglaries

Crooks apparently still not getting the message : Homeowners shoot three in pair of suspected burglaries

A pair of homeowners separated by nearly the entire width of the United States but bound by their embrace of the Constitution — specifically the Second Amendment — recently fended off suspected burglars in separate incidents.
In short, neither homeowner shied away from pulling the triggers of their guns.
What are the details?
New York State Police said two men are recovering in jail after an Enfield homeowner shot them during a reported home invasion late last month, WBNF-AM reported.
The resident told troopers that the two men broke into his home on Rumsey Hill Road just before 7:30 a.m. July 25, and the homeowner shot them after they refused to leave the property, the station said.
Investigators said they found 50-year-old Mark Ward of Covert, WBNF reported, adding that 38-year-old Jaimie Coleman drove 32-year-old Frisco Meeks of Ithaca to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre.
Ward and Meeks were both treated for gunshot wounds, the station said, and were charged with felony burglary when they were released from the hospital. WBNF said Coleman of Trumansburg was arrested the same day and charged with felony burglary.
Ward and Meeks were sent to the Tompkins County Jail without bail while Coleman had bail set at $15,000, the station said, adding that the homeowner was not injured in the incident.
And for our second act
An Oregon homeowner shot a woman who was involved in a burglary at his northeast Portland home early Monday, police told the Oregonian.
Portland police said the man shot the woman at the residence south of Interstate 84, the paper said, adding that the woman was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. The incident took place just before 7 a.m. in the 1300 block of Northeast 81st Avenue, according to KOIN-TV.
Police added that the homeowner, who they described as "elderly," is cooperating with investigators, the Oregonian said.
Neither the man nor the woman has been publicly identified, the paper added, noting that detectives were gathering more information about the incident later on Monday morning.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Democrats threaten to expand — and pack — the Supreme Court if the GOP dares fill a high court vacan

Democrats threaten to expand — and pack — the Supreme Court if the GOP dares fill a high court vacancy this year

Democrats threaten to expand — and pack — the Supreme Court if the GOP dares fill a high court vacancy @ @ @ @ @ worried about a potential opening and determined to expand and pack the high court

Democrats are warning the Republican Senate majority that if President Donald Trump gets a chance to nominate a third Supreme Court justice this year, the GOP-led upper chamber had better not confirm whomever the president sends over.
According to NBC News, Democrats are threatening to expand and pack the high court once they regain power should Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opt to confirm a Trump SCOTUS pick.
What's going on?
Democrats remain in a tizzy over the Republican-controlled Senate's refusal in 2016 to consider President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to fill the seat of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
At the time, McConnell and his fellow Senate Republicans were invoking the so-called "Biden rule" — a position advocated in 1992 by then-Sen. Joe Biden when he justified delaying President George H.W. Bush's Supreme Court nomination should the need arise.
Since then, the majority leader has been attacked by Democrats for saying he would fill any Supreme Court vacancy that occurred during the final year of President Trump's first term.
The left has blasted McConnell as a hypocrite, but he and GOP leadership have countered that there's a major difference between 2016 and 2020: When President Obama nominated Garland, his party was in the minority in the Senate; but President Trump's party currently controls the Senate.
And now rumors swirling that President Trump could get a chance make a Supreme Court nomination in 2020 — from speculation about the possible retirement of either Justice Clarence Thomas or Justice Samuel Alito to concerns over the health of the court's oldest member, Ruth Bader Ginsbur. Democrats are particularly concerned about a possible Republican-tapped replacement for Ginsburg, the court's most reliably liberal voice, who has had a string of health issues over the last few years, the most recent being that she is undergoing treatment for the recurrence of liver cancer.
With all that's at stake with the Supreme Court, Democrats are warning Republicans that filling a vacancy in this election year would embolden them to expand the size of the court once the party controls the Senate and the White House.
The prospect of an all-Democrat government is a real possibility this year, based on polling. Democrats, who currently have zero concern over losing control of the U.S. House of Representatives, are feeling fairly optimistic. According to Real Clear Politics' polling averages for the Senate in 2020, the GOP has a one-seat lead (47-46) should the election be held today, but seven Senate seats are currently ranked as "toss ups" — six of them are currently held by Republicans. And President Trump is having his own struggles: According to the RCP polling averages, Trump trails presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 7.4 percentage points nationwide.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, told NBC, "We knew basically they were lying in 2016, when they said, 'Oh, we can't do this because it's an election year.' We knew they didn't want to do it because it was President Obama."
Kaine, Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate, told NBC that the GOP should not be surprised if his party opts to expand the Supreme Court and fill it with left-wing justices.
"If they show that they're unwilling to respect precedent, rules and history, then they can't feign surprise when others talk about using a statutory option that we have that's fully constitutional in our availability," Kaine warned. "I don't want to do that. But if they act in such a way, they may push it to an inevitability. So they need to be careful about that."
Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), an outspoken liberal progressive member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who famously lamented the presumption of innocence and due process as she attacked Justice Brett Kavenaugh during his confirmation hearings, said she has been "talking with people who have different ideas about what we can do — including adding to the court, including having certain circuit court judges cycle in and other ideas" like term limits," adding, "I'm open to those kinds of suggestions," NBC reported.
The Democratic Party, NBC said, is planning to add language to the 2020 platform calling for structural reforms to the high court "to increase transparency and accountability" and accusing the GOP of having "packed our federal courts with unqualified, partisan judges who consistently rule for corporations, the wealthy, and Republican interests."
Last year, Hirono and a few fellow Senate Democrats issued a brief to the Supreme Court that it needed to "heal itself" as part of a warning to the court about a then-impending Second Amendment case. They threatened the court with retaliation should it not bend to their will.
"The Supreme Court is not well. And the people know it," the brief said. "Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be 'restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics.' Particularly on the urgent issue of gun control, a nation desperately needs it to heal."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Texas' true COVID-19 case tally may be tens of thousands higher because the state isn't counting rap

Texas' true COVID-19 case tally may be tens of thousands higher because the state isn't counting rapid-result tests

Texas ' true COVID-19 case tally may be tens of thousands higher because the state is n't counting rapid-result tests @ @ @ @ @ and Air National Guard run a COVID-19 testing site at Paul Quinn College in Dallas @ @ @ @ @ by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images )

Texas isn't including positive COVID-19 test results in its official tally if those positives come from rapid-result tests, meaning there could be tens of thousands more cases in the state than the official statistics report, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Thousands of Texans have taken the antigen tests that deliver results in 30 minutes or less. The tests are reportedly used in doctors offices, hospitals, and clinics. But state guidelines consider a positive result from an antigen test to be a "probable" COVID-19 case, rather than a confirmed case.
The Texas Department of State Health Services currently only reports confirmed cases to the public.
The rapid-result tests have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use authorization, but there are concerns about the tests' reliability — specially, the FDA warns of a risk that the tests are more likely than others to produce a false negative result. A person with COVID-19 could potentially be led to believe that they are not infected.
The result of DSHS's treatment of these tests could be hugely significant to the state's overall statistics. From the Chronicle:
And while there is no way to independently estimate the scope of the undercount, based on the 11 Texas counties that publish antigen tests results separately of their own accord, the state's tally is short by at least tens of thousands of cases — but likely far more, a Houston Chronicle analysis found.
And the undercount is about to get worse. The federal government is rolling out a program to use thousands of antigen tests in nursing homes across the country — including Texas.
As of Sunday, Texas had 442,014 recorded cases of COVID-19, and 7,016 fatalities.
It's possible that the state will begin counting probable COVID-19 cases in its numbers, according to DSHS spokesman Chris Van Deusen, and such a change could lead to a sudden, dramatic spike in the total number of cases. In May, according to the Chronicle, DSHS instructed county health departments to note probable cases and the type of test used, but did not want that data released to the public.
This issue has created confusion in Bexar County, where 3,500 cases were removed from the county's total by the state because they were probable, rather than confirmed. It also alters the national total — Texas doesn't report antigen test results even though the CDC calls for states to do so.


theblaze--2020-08-03--ESPN's 'Le Batard Show' creates Twitter poll asking if it's 'funny' that Jonathan Isaac — who refuse

ESPN's 'Le Batard Show' creates Twitter poll asking if it's 'funny' that Jonathan Isaac — who refused to kneel during national anthem — suffered gruesome injury

ESPN 's 'Le Batard Show ' creates Twitter poll asking if it 's 'funny ' that Jonathan Isaac — who @ @ @ @ @ anthem — suffered gruesome injury In a word , no — no , it 's @ @

ESPN's "Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" shared a curious Twitter poll on Monday and almost immediately deleted it.
The poll asked if sports fans thought NBA star and outspoken Christian Jonathan Isaac's Sunday night injury was "funny" — considering he was the only player who refused to kneel during the playing of the national anthem last week.
How did this all unfold?
The Orlando Magic player dominated headlines last week after remaining upright during the playing of the national anthem ahead of the team's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
He was the only player or NBA staffer who stood.
Following the game, he told reporters, "I don't think kneeling or putting on a T-shirt for me personally is the answer ... for me, black lives are supported through the gospel. All lives are supported through the gospel."
On Sunday night, however, Isaac suffered a devastating injury in a game against the Sacramento Kings.
By Monday, "The Dan Le Batard Show" apparently thought Isaac's injury was fodder for karma speculation, and created a Twitter poll effectively saying as much.
The poll read, "Is it funny that the guy who refused to knee immediately blew out his knee?"
Needless to say, the majority of voters insisted that Isaac's possible career-ending injury was not, in fact, funny.
Fifty-four percent of voters said "no," while 46 percent answered "yes." Before the poll was yanked, it received more than 9,000 votes.
It would appear that the tweet was only live for approximately 45 minutes before it was yanked from the internet.
TheBlaze reached out to ESPN for comment on the poll, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The short-lived post spurred on outrage across social media, and many Twitter users voiced their disdain for the popular sports commentary show.
One user wrote, "When ESPN looks back and reflects on why it became the armpit of sports programming, they can look back and thank people like Dan Lebatard and their double standards."
Another added, "LeBatard is a woke clown!! His show ratings tell you he is not reaching any largo audience. He use to be all over ESPN years before. Now he is not largely relevant. If he was good at his Job he would be crushing PTI or Around the Horn."
"That is the kind of thing that should get an ESPN instantly suspended. You never root for someone to be injured, or even insinuate that could be the case," yet another user fumed.
This is a developing story and will be updated as events warrant.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Kanye West is still running for president despite personal turmoil and missed ballot deadlines

Kanye West is still running for president despite personal turmoil and missed ballot deadlines Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 in Paris , France .
( Photo by Marc Piasecki/GC Images )

Kanye West is apparently still running for president, evidenced by his campaign's recent hiring of canvassers to help get him on the ballot in Wisconsin, New York Magazine reported.
In order to get on the Wisconsin ballot in November, West needs 2,000 valid signatures by 5 p.m. Tuesday. He has qualified for the ballot in Oklahoma, but missed the deadline in numerous other states. Right now, according to New York Magazine, West is working to get on the ballot in Ohio, Arkansas, and West Virginia as well.
West may get on the ballot in New Jersey and Illinois, but there are pending challenges questioning the legitimacy of his signatures in those states. Scott Salmon, an elections later, said about 700 of the 1,327 signatures West submitted in New Jersey are questionable.
"Why does literally every signature on the same page look the same?" Salmon asked, NY Mag reported.
In his home state of Illinois, West faces three separate challenges questioning whether his signatures are legitimate and also whether the paperwork he submitted is valid:
In Illinois, West's campaign barely cleared the threshold of 2,500 signatures required after a frenzied last-minute effort in the state that included canvassers standing in a supermarket parking lot next to the state board of elections only hours before the deadline. His campaign faces three different challenges in the Land of Lincoln that raise questions not only about the validity of the signatures he gathered but whether the paperwork submitted by West was inherently insufficient. Among other issues, the rapper did not submit the name of a vice presidential running mate or a slate of electors in Illinois.
West's potential inclusion on the ballot in Wisconsin is important, not because there's a real chance that West could win the state, but because it was only decided by less than 23,000 votes in 2016. Before launching his own political campaign, West was closely aligned with President Donald Trump.
West has been particularly outspoken against abortion, attacking Planned Parenthood and highlighting the number of black babies that have been aborted in recent Twitter posts.
Kim Kardashian, West's wife, has also been the subject of West's Twitter rants. West seemed to suggest that Kardashian had cheated on him and that he was seeking a divorce, while Kardashian appealed to the public for understanding about her husband's mental health issues.
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-08-03--Videos show man in Colin Kaepernick jersey attacked by military working dogs in fundraiser demonstra

Videos show man in Colin Kaepernick jersey attacked by military working dogs in fundraiser demonstration — and the Navy is investigating

Videos show man in Colin Kaepernick jersey attacked by military working dogs in fundraiser demonstration — and the Navy is @ @ @ @ @ at an independent Navy SEAL museum

Naval Special Warfare Command is investigating a video showing a man dressed in a Colin Kaepernick jersey being attacked by military working dogs in a demonstration last year at the Navy SEAL Museum, according to Task & Purpose, a military and veteran-focused outlet.
The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, is a nonprofit "dedicated solely to preserving the history of the U.S. Navy SEALs and their predecessors," its website says, according to Task & Purpose, adding that the museum's board of directors includes seven retired SEALs.
The museum is an independent operation, NPR reported.
What are the details?
The first of two videos show four dogs attacking the man with a red and white Kaepernick jersey in the style of the San Francisco 49ers as an audience watches and an MC narrates the action over a loudspeaker.
In the second video, the same man is lying on the ground while one dog attacks him and apparently "SEALs" dressed in fatigues and holding rifles command the man to "turn over on your belly." The man replies, "Oh, man, I will stand," and rolls over as the crowd laughs.
Navy Seals investigate video of 'dog attack' on man in Colin Kaepernick shirt youtu.be
Kaepernick is a former 49ers quarterback who began kneeling during the national anthem during the 2016 season to protest racial inequality and police brutality; he hasn't played since that season ended. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has apologized for not listening earlier to players' concerns about social injustice, and he has encouraged teams to consider signing Kaepernick, ESPN said.
Kaepernick has stayed in the headlines, particularly now that taking a knee appears to be standard operating procedure for most professional athletes in the wake of George Floyd's death in May and nationwide protests and rioting in support of Black Lives Matter that followed.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Filmmaker Billy Corben circulated the videos online Sunday noting that the 2019 event in question was a fundraiser. For the second video showing the man with the Kaepernick jersey lying the ground, Corben wrote, "Navy SEALs and Navy SEAL dogs take down Colin Kaepernick for not standing during National Anthem" as if that's how the video was originally titled.
ESPN said the videos were posted on Instagram last year, but the Instagram links provided by Corben were inactive Monday afternoon.
What did the Navy and the museum have to say?
Naval Special Warfare Command said in a statement Sunday afternoon that officials learned of the videos Sunday.
"The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy," the statement said. "We are investigating the matter fully, and initial indications are that there were no active duty Navy personnel or equipment involved with this independent organization's event."
The museum did not immediately respond to questions about the event, NPR reported.
Anything else?
NPR said the museum — which is on former naval training grounds — has a history of dramatic demonstrations involving dogs, weapons, and helicopters. The outlet said during a 2019 fundraiser a crowd watched as women were taken hostage by three men wearing black-and-white checkered scarves.
NPR, citing ABC News, said video from a 2018 event shows people in military gear in a standoff with a vehicle that says "Take a Knee."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Full bodycam footage of George Floyd killing leaks — and it's utterly horrific

Full bodycam footage of George Floyd killing leaks — and it 's utterly horrific A tough watch no matter how @ @ @

The Daily Mail has obtained full videos of bodycam footage that captured the arrest and death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.
Floyd was killed on May 25 during an arrest over an alleged counterfeit bill when former Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Four responding officers were fired following Floyd's death, and Chauvin was charged with Floyd's murder.
The other three officers have been charged with aiding and abetting murder.
Floyd's death sparked monthslong police brutality protests across the country and in other parts of the world.
What are the details?
On Monday, the outlet published portions of the videos.
The video footage is reportedly from the body cameras of former Minneapolis police Officers Thomas Lane and Alex Kueng.
The video begins with one of the officers knocking on Floyd's car window.
The officer immediately pulls a gun on Floyd when Floyd opens the door to respond to the officer.
"Put your f***ing hands up right now!" the officer can be heard shouting. "Let me see your other hand! Put your f***ing hand up there! Jesus Christ, keep your f***ing hands on the wheel!"
Floyd immediately begins begging the officer for his life.
"Mr. Officer, please don't shoot me," he can be heard pleading. "Please, man. ... I'll look you eye to eye. Please don't shoot me, man. I just lost my mom, man."
The 46-year-old Floyd seems to know that the situation won't end well, and begins sobbing as officers yank him out of his vehicle.
His ex-girlfriend, who is reportedly at the scene, suggests that Floyd has been suffering mental or emotional issues, and has a fear of police officers.
As cursing officers handcuff Floyd, he begs them not to place him in the back of the police car and says he has anxiety and claustrophobia.
"Please man," he begs. "Don't leave me by myself, man, please. I'm just claustrophobic."
An officer can be heard telling him that he's headed for the backseat of the police cruiser anyway.
"Y'all, I am going to die in here," he says. "I'm going to die, man. I just have COVID, man. I don't want to go back to that. ... I'm scared as f***."
Floyd struggles as they attempt to place him in the vehicle, and eventually ends up on the ground. Chauvin immediately pins Floyd to the ground with his knee, and demands he stop moving.
A visibly emotional Floyd begs Chauvin to take his knee off his neck, and calls for his mother.
"I'll probably just die this way," he weeps, and later utters the words heard across the world: "I can't breathe."
Floyd, weaker and weaker under the pressure of Chauvin's knee, begins to beg for his mother, and then cries, "Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
One officer can be seen casually picking a small rock from the tire of the squad car as a panicked Floyd takes his last breaths.
Floyd weeps and cries, "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. I need some water or something, please."
Chauvin fires back, "Then stop talking. Stop yelling. It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Floyd then stops moving.
Though one of Chauvin's fellow officers asks if they should roll Floyd over on his side, Chauvin refuses, and says that Floyd is "staying where we've got him."
EMTs arrive on the scene a short time later, but Floyd is dead.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Horowitz: From Fort Benning to Japan and Hawaii, face masks are not working

Horowitz : From Fort Benning to Japan and Hawaii , face masks are not working Even following protocols in the @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus from spreading

One will not find a greater degree of compliance to a mask mandate than with one placed on military trainees by drill sergeants. That's why, if masks are really the viral placebo their devoted cult worshipers make them out to be, one would expect mask mandates to work wonders in these environments. Except, they didn't work – just like they didn't work in Japan, Hawaii, Israel, California, Miami, or any other place where they've shown near universal compliance for months, yet the virus spread rapidly.
In the military, they don't just virtue signal and wear masks as a symbol. If they are led to believe mask-wearing will work to stop the spread, they will wear them seriously with the boot of the drill sergeant behind them. Yet, despite universal mask wearing, the super social distance rituals, and all precautions imaginable, it failed to stop an outbreak at Fort Benning in Georgia in May.
Here's how the outbreak unfolded, according to Elizabeth Howe of Connecting Vets. About 640 recruits from the 30th AG Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment arrived at Fort Benning in May for training and were immediately tested for COVID-19. Four recruits tested positive and were removed from the group while the remaining soldiers were placed in isolation for 14 days without any training exercises. After the 14-day quarantine, they were all retested and every single one was negative.
Only then did the training commence – with the full panoply of obsessive social distancing measures, including mask wearing. You can imagine that there will never be greater compliance to these rules than during military training. Yet, just eight days later, after one recruit exhibited symptoms, 142 of the trainees tested positive. That is 22% of the entire group isolated and quarantined together. As they were young, none of them were hospitalized and most were asymptomatic.
The case of Fort Benning should have served as a harbinger of what was to come in June with the surge of cases throughout the country, and now, the entire world. You cannot run or hide from God's respiratory viruses that spread as ubiquitously as the flu. However, at the same time, we see God's mercy – that the majority of cases are asymptomatic and there are very few serious cases outside of those who are immunocompromised.
Another important observation from this Fort Benning outbreak is in order. Notice how the masks did not help and the virus spread far and wide, but stopped at the 22% threshold? This is another great example of what Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, Oxford epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta, and Stanford professor John Ioannidis predicted early on based on the natural case study of the Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak – that the virus hits a brick wall in most places around the 15%-20% marker. Seventeen percent of passengers on the Diamond Princess tested positive. The working theory is that most people have some degree of cross-immunity from other coronavirus colds and that the virus does not transmit homogenously from every infected individual.
While there will be places where the virus hits up to 40% of the people, albeit with most not exhibiting symptoms, most states and countries seem to get a respite from the disease once they reach 15%-20% seroprevalence in the population, or even less. We are beginning to see this in the southern states that have already peaked and are seeing plummeting rates of new hospitalizations.
Thus, we see God's judgment and mercy mixed together. On the one hand, nothing seems to prevent a spread in the population, but on the other hand, a de facto herd immunity threshold is hit around 20%. The quicker we achieve this through the younger population, the more we will see results like we've witnessed in the military.
There is no greater petri dish and natural case study of a confined universe than on an aircraft carrier. During the spring, there was an outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt whereby 24% of the sailors tested positive. Yet, there was only one fatality.
Hence, it's not like the mask mandate at Fort Benning worked even a little bit. They seemed to have suffered roughly the same infection rate as those places caught by surprise, such as the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
How much more evidence do we need before this mask cult takes its Jonestown mentality and seeks mental health treatment?
What we saw at Fort Benning is now playing out throughout the world.
Japan is a country where people have been wearing masks for months with a degree of discipline we would expect in our military. Yet, cases are soaring, despite the fact that they are not testing nearly as much as we are:
They are now panicking in Hong Kong with cases surging despite a universal mask mandate in place for months.
Countries like Japan and Hong Kong are as disciplined and as clean as they come. But you can't stop a pandemic flu. Thankfully, there really is no reason to panic because the rate of serious cases is even less in Asia thanks to their inherent partial immunity.
We are seeing the same pattern here in America. Hawaii has had the most severe lockdown of anywhere and it's enforced very zealously. They also have had near universal compliance to their long-standing mask mandate in place since April. They are also an island country. Yet, it has experienced a 700% increase in cases over the past 30 days!
The same holds true for a state like California, which had the earliest stay-at-home order in March and has never exited a modified phase one reopening. We all know how that has turned out. The same holds true for Israel and Australia. In fact, in the ultimate irony, the only countries that seem to remain flat are the Nordic countries, which have aggressively resisted the idea of public masking.
Again, a lot of this stems from immutable laws of nature. The northern countries got the virus earlier, then it migrated south to places like America's southern states, Hawaii, Israel, and Australia. Also, any country that has not achieved at least 15% seroprevalence will always remain vulnerable until they do so. Which is why Sweden is riding high with herd immunity, relatively few deaths, and a society and economy intact.
What we are seeing over and over again is that in areas where the virus already spread, the lockdowns don't work at all. In areas where there was a low rate of seroprevalence at the time of the lockdown, they successfully delay the spread temporarily. But because those policies are unsustainable until eradication, which could take years, they are actually forestalling herd immunity, keeping vulnerable people at risk longer, crushing their society and economies, and ensuring that so many seniors die of isolation and atrophy.
The virus eventually catches up to them, which is what we have witnessed in places like California, Hawaii, Israel, and Australia, which thought they dodged the bullet by destroying their economies. Now, they are left with nothing but a sea of cross-contaminated cloth masks.
For those of you who wondered why no other generation was 'smart' enough to think of these policies to “mitigate" a respiratory virus, the feebleness of our actions have now been unmasked.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Teen who rallied to remove police from Chicago schools is tragically shot to death

Caleb Reed, a 17-year-old student activist from Mather High School in Chicago, was found shot in the head on Friday.
The teen's death comes just weeks after he publicly called for the district to remove police from district schools.
What are the details?
Reed, described by the Chicago Sun-Times as a "student leader with a youth activist group," was discovered on a sidewalk of the West Rogers Park neighborhood in the city.
He had been shot in the head.
The teen, a leader with student group Voices of Youth in Chicago Education, was an advocate of removing police from Chicago schools.
No suspect have been named in Reed's death at the time of this reporting.
'I'm proud to be a black young man'
Just weeks ago, Reed spoke at a board of education meeting in support of removing police from the district. During the meeting, he recalled his own experience with officers in his school.
During the meeting, Reed said, "My sophomore year of high school I was arrested for attending a basketball game because I didn't have my ID. I sat in a police station for six hours. I knew it wasn't right at all, but inside I was angry, confused.
"One thing I'm here to say is I'm proud to be a black young man," the teen activist added. "It's not a good feeling to be labeled as dangerous or criminals. Because we're not. ... No black person should ever feel like this."
A GoFundMe page to benefit Reed's family has so far received nearly $6,000 in donations.
'Light and potential have been extinguished at the hands of gun violence'
In a statement, Alderman Andre Vasquez said, "Caleb was a son, a brother, a community organizer, and a neighbor. His light and potential have been extinguished at the hands of gun violence, like so many brothers in Chicago. As a city, we need to address the root causes of this violence, which is the segregation and disinvestment in the communities that need it the most for generations now."
He added, "Caleb was also an activist and advocate — most recently for the movement to remove school resource officers out of Chicago Public Schools. I ask that we honor his work by continuing it and we pray for his family."
On Twitter, Vasquez added, "Caleb lived and was shot in our ward this weekend. He was a light in our community that was extinguished too soon. We need to address the root causes of #GunViolence so that we stop losing our people. I ask that people help continue the work he was doing and pray for the family."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Commentary: Let's end the absurdity surrounding anthem kneeling

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac ( 1 ) is the lone player to stand and not wear a Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ Friday against the Brooklyn Nets in Lake Buena Vista , Florida .
( Charles King/Orlando @ @ @ @ @ Images )

You can kneel during the national anthem and still love America and support police officers. You can stand during the national anthem and still believe black lives matter and police brutality is wrong.
The primary narrative surrounding a peaceful protest should be the issue being protested, not an obsessive accounting of which individuals choose to participate and which ones don't.
Everyone who kneels during the national anthem is not saying the same thing. Some of them are publicly expressing their opposition to police brutality. Some of them are protesting racial injustice in broader terms. Some are supporting Black Lives Matter. Maybe some of them actually do hate America. I imagine many, if not most of them, don't really care and are just doing whatever it takes to not get criticized.
Everyone who stands during the national anthem isn't saying the same thing. Most people stand during the national anthem because it's just what you do during the national anthem. Some people are standing because they don't want to get lumped in with Black Lives Matter, the organization. Most people who stand are probably not making a statement of protest against black people; they are just doing a normal thing.
It doesn't take any particular courage to stand for the national anthem, or to kneel for the national anthem. There aren't any real consequences for either choice. Let's stop with the hero worship of people who make the choice we prefer.
It's ridiculous to approach a black American who chooses to stand for the national anthem and ask him whether he believes in black lives matter. It's actually a stupid question.
A movement seeking justice for black people is destined to fail when we start turning on each other. When a movement called "Black Lives Matter" begins attacking black people who don't act a certain way, it has lost its way. To say "black lives matter" is a lie if it excludes black people who express themselves differently than the mainstream.
Sometimes basketball players just want to be basketball players, and they should be allowed to do that. The issue of race in America is complicated, and many professional athletes simply aren't informed enough to have helpful thoughts on it. We should encourage them to learn, but not force them to be activists.
Sometimes basketball players want to be activists, and they should be allowed to do that. If they choose to take on that role, they should take care to be informed and wise in how they express themselves, because they will be held to account for their activism. It's fair game if that's a path they choose.
If you really like sports, but you can't stand to watch games because some people don't stand for the national anthem before the game starts, that's a bit silly, but it's your right to turn away. It's worth asking, though, whether you hold other organizations to that same standard for them to earn your business, and if not, why that might be.
Our society is really going insane. It's like we're incapable of reasonableness and moderation and compromise. Everything is a battleground.
We need to get rid of a lot of bad police officers. We need to create more accountability at a lot of police departments. We need to get some incompetent political leaders out of office in the process. We need to support the police officers who are willing to put their lives on the line for the members of their communities every day. None of that has to be a contradiction.
We need to fight racial injustice. We need to correct any system, big or small, that reinforces racial inequality. We need to be angry when a black person is unnecessarily and unjustly killed by police. We need to be angry when a person of any race is unnecessarily and unjustly killed by police. We shouldn't try to make every white person feel guilty for all the racism of history. None of that has to be a contradiction.
We have a pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 people in this country, and put tens of millions of others out of work. We have literal riots in the streets almost every night in some cities in this country. We're heading for an election where no matter who wins, the losing side is almost surely going to claim the results are fraudulent. Whether someone stands or kneels during the national anthem before a basketball game shouldn't be anywhere near the top of our list of concerns right now.
If our nation fails some day, historians may note that our demise was largely due to the fact that we spent so much of our time fighting about things that don't matter, while failing to address the things that do. This doesn't have to be our story, but we've got to find some common sense.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Harvard prof explains how ‘President Pelosi’ could become reality if election not decided on time

Harvard prof explains how ‘ President Pelosi ’ could become reality if election not decided on time 'There 's a @ @ @ @ @ constitution itself '

Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe explained last week how "President Nancy Pelosi" could become a reality at 12:01 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2021.
What's the background?
Last week, President Donald Trump triggered an alarm when he suggested delaying the presidential election.
"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"
There are significant concerns regarding how to safely conduct the election during the coronavirus panic.
Democrats suggest mailing voters ballots, but Republicans claim that method will increase the influence of voter fraud in election results.
What did Tribe say?
Speaking with MSNBC host Joy Reid on Friday, Tribe explained that, if the election is not settled on time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could temporarily become president via a constitutional "fail-safe."
There is a procedure — it's a very elaborate procedure — in every state for resolving disputes by the date of the so-called "safe harbor" on December 8th. So, really, all of the efforts that Trump is making to both pretend that he can extend the date of the election, which everyone understands he can't do that. That date is set at November 3rd by act of Congress.
All of that is designed simply to cast doubt in the way that Putin wants to and the way that Bannon has tried to do from time to time on the ability of our system to work. They're trying to make it look chaotic but there's a fail-safe mechanism built into the constitution itself. That is no matter how much dust he throws into the gears, at high noon on January 20th, 2021, if there has not been a new president elected, at that point, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House become president of the United States.
Indeed, as Tribe explained, the president cannot change the date of the election — only Congress has that power.
With regard to his claim about Pelosi, the 20th Amendment dictates that the president, and his vice president, must vacate office by noon on Jan. 20 after the election. Because the speaker of House is second in the presidential line-of-succession, it is presumable that Pelosi would assume office until the winner of the election is decided.
However, as Snopes cautioned, such a scenario is uncharted territory, making Tribe's theory, that Pelosi could become president, "unproven" at best.


theblaze--2020-08-03--OH NO, JOE! Biden tries virtual campaigning on Zoom — it does NOT go well for him

OH NO , JOE !
Biden tries virtual campaigning on Zoom — it does NOT go well for him

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden gave virtual campaigning his best shot when he attempted to hold a town hall on Zoom. Spoiler alert: It did not go well.
BlazeTV's Sara Gonzales, host of "News and Why it Matters," can't help but wonder why no one seems to care enough about "Dementia Joe" to save him (not to mention our country) from himself.
"Oh no, Joe," Sara said in this video. "The guy pays a staff to help him with stuff exactly like this and he still can't understand something as simple as an internet delay. Do you really want him handling the nuclear codes? Someone come care about this man enough to get him back to the nursing home he escaped from!"
Watch the video below to catch Sara's latest reaction to "Oh no, Joe!" Biden:
Want to see more from Sara Gonzales?
To enjoy more roundtable rundowns of the top stories of the day, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Vietnam health officials say a mutated strain of COVID-19 is behind large spike in infections

Vietnam health officials say a mutated strain of COVID-19 is behind large spike in infections Not an encouraging prospect to @

Vietnam health officials say a mutated form of the coronavirus is behind a recent spike of infections across the country.
Last week, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the current wave of infections was different than what the country fought against in March, and pointed out that "every province and city in the country was at risk."
What are the details?
Vietnam Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long made the announcement on Sunday, according to a Reuters report on Monday.
The strain, the minister says, has been seen in Bangladesh and the British Isles, but is new to Vietnam.
Scientists say that while the strain appears to be new, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's more dangerous than other known strains.
The outlet reported that each patient confirmed to have the new strain has been found to infect between five and six people.
This new number is compared with a previous rate of 1.8 to 2.2 infections per patient, Long said in his Sunday remarks about the mutation.
The country went 99 days without any new confirmed COVID-19 cases, but the streak ended on July 25.
According to a July Reuters report, Vietnam was the most populous country in the world to have recorded no COVID-19 deaths until the new strain hit the country.
At the time of this reporting, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 642 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, with at least six attributed to the deadly virus.
Between July 25 and Aug. 3, there have been at least 225 confirmed cases in the country, which health officials attribute to the new outbreak.
Business Insider points out that the majority of the new cases have been discovered in coastal city, Da Nang, which frequently saw beach tourists on vacation over the last several weeks.
New cases are more severe
Marc Choisy, a biomathematician for Oxford University's clinical research unit in Hanoi, told the Associated Press that the new strain appears to be more severe.
"One big difference I've noticed between this wave and the previous one is that the cases we have right now, a lot of them are severe," he explained.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Man shoots at store clerk over mask requirement, then fires on seven police officers with an AK-47

Man shoots at store clerk over mask requirement , then fires on seven police officers with an AK-47 His lawyer @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 stress .

A Pennsylvania man was shot by police and arrested after shooting at a store clerk who tried to force him to wear a face mask and then opening fire with an AK-47 on seven police officers as they were trying to arrest him the next day, Lehigh Valley Live reported.
Adam Zaborowski, 35, faces 22 charges, including attempted homicide, attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and illegal gun possession despite a previous aggravated assault conviction.
On Friday morning, Zaborowski reportedly refused to wear a face mask in Cigars International. Zaborowski allegedly stole two cigars after the clerk insisted on the mask, and left the store. When the clerk followed him outside, Zaborowski shot twice at the clerk with a handgun.
Saturday night, police went to Zaborowski's home. They were waiting outside the home with an arrest warrant when Zaborowski got in his truck and drove off. When police pursued and stopped him, he got out and shot opened fire on police with an AK-47. Police shot him twice, in the leg and buttocks.
Zaborowski is now in the hospital, and will be transferred to Lehigh County Prison when he has healed enough to move. His lawyer, John Waldron, claims that stress from personal situations and the pandemic led to Zaborowski's violent and potentially deadly outbursts. From Lehigh Valley Live:
Waldron said he learned that Zaborowski lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also recently lost custody of his child. These factors don't justify Zaborowski's behavior but do lend insight into his motives, Waldron said.
"He just wasn't dealing well with the loss of his job, the loss of his child, just not handling the pandemic well," Waldron said. "I think he was getting stretched too tight."
"It doesn't excuse his conduct," Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said.
Waldron and Martin agree that Zaborowski is lucky to be alive after getting into a gunfight with police officers who were shooting to kill.
"They're not shooting at your foot," Waldron told Lehigh Valley Live. "They're not shooting at your buttocks. It's kill or be killed. So the fact that he got shot twice with non-life-threatening injuries when he had an AK-47 and another handgun, Adam is very fortunate he ended up the way he did."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Portland murder rate skyrockets to more than 30-year high after Democratic leaders cut police budget

As violent protests grip the streets of Portland, violent crime is also skyrocketing.
According to the Oregonian, 15 people were murdered in the Oregon city during the month of July, making it the deadliest one-month period for Portland in more than 30 years.
Prior to July's violence, the city had seen just nine murders in 2020.
Feds attempt to intervene after weeks of violent protests In Portland. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Not only have homicides surged, but so has other violent crime, like robberies. Property crime, including burglaries and vandalism, have also increased, the Oregonian noted.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell has attributed the increase in crime to his department's budget being targeted by city officials, amid calls by far-left activists to reduce police budgets — or eliminate traditional policing altogether.
Last month, at the direction of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and the city council, Lovell was forced to can his 34-member Gun Violence Reduction Team.
Wheeler called for the team's elimination as part of an "action plan to increase police accountability and reinvest in Black and Brown communities."
In June, the Portland City Council approved millions in budget cuts to the city's police department.
Lovell explained on a podcast, "The loss of the gun violence reduction team, in particular, has a diminishing effect on how we're able to investigate shootings, which is some of the most important crimes that we investigate. So we still have to do that work and figuring out how we're going to do that without the experience that that team had has been a bit of a challenge."
Unfortunately, surging violent crime is not a problem unique to Portland, one of America's most far-left cities.
In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported that homicide rates have increased by double-digits in 36 of the 50 biggest U.S. cities.
From the WSJ:
A Wall Street Journal analysis of crime statistics among the nation's 50 largest cities found that reported homicides were up 24% so far this year, to 3,612. Shootings and gun violence also rose, even though many other violent crimes such as robbery fell.
Police, researchers, mayors and community leaders see a confluence of forces at work in the homicide spike. Institutions that keep city communities safe have been destabilized by lockdown and protests against police.
In some major cities, like Minneapolis, crime is becoming so prevalent that police are now encouraging residents to cooperate with criminals and "do as they say."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Many insect, animal names are racist, scholars say — so it's time for a change

Many insect , animal names are racist , scholars say — so it 's time for a change

Some scholars aren't happy with the "problematic" insect and animal names, and are calling for a large-scale reform.
What are people saying about this?
"There is no room for racism in science," University of Arizona Ph.D. candidate Earyn McGee — one of the scholars calling for reform — tells The College Fix in a statement.
McGee, also a herpetologist, also says that she is firmly against honoring "racist people or racial slurs by naming animals after them."
McGee adds she has high hopes for a new name for the Yarrow's Spiny Lizard — since celebrated ornithologist and herpetologist H.C. Yarrow was a Union soldier during the Civil War as well as a eugenicist.
"There is no amount of scientific contributions that can make unabashed racism and bigotry OK," she adds.
She insists that while some questionable people have, indeed, made scientific contributions, their names and discoveries should be discussed with full disclosure into their past actions.
"If you must acknowledge them, you can say something like 'X person discovered X thing, however it is important to note they also did this bigoted thing and that type of behavior is unacceptable for scientists," she said.
'Gypsy moths,' 'Faggotworms,' 'Yarrow's Spiny Lizard'
The organization reports that some of the more concerning names include the slave-maker ant, the rape bug, the gypsy moth, and even more.
The Fix points out that in July, the American Association for the Advancement of Science shared a comprehensive list featuring at least 60 names that scholars say should be changed to something more inclusive and less offensive.
One questionable term is "hottentot" — or its Latin form, "hottentatus" — as the report's authors insist it is a "racial slur used by white people, directed toward indigenous Africans during apartheid."
The setophaga townsendi — or the Townsend's Warbler, a bird — is also problematic because "[Ornithologist] John Townsend was terrible."
The Fix points out that the name is especially nefarious, as Townsend studied bird species in Oregon, and would often "rely on Native Americans to capture his specimens."
"During his studies," the outlet continued, "he would describe cultural differences and steal skulls from Indian graves."
Other offending names include the Large Faggotworm, though its name is derived from "its definition as a bundle of sticks or twigs bound together as fuel."
You can read some of the names and why they are offensive in the graphics below.
Anything else?
McGee told Science magazine in July that a lizard-catching tactic in particular gives her pause for concern.
She said that the term "noosing," which refers to lassoing a lizard before catching it, is "unnerving" to her as a black woman.
The magazine writes, "McGee, a herpetologist, studies the habitat and behavior of Yarrow's spiny lizard, a reptile native to the southwestern United States. The University of Arizona graduate student and her colleagues regularly pack their things—boots, pens, notebooks, trail mix—and set off into the nearby Chiricahua Mountains. At their field site, they start an activity with a name that evokes a racist past: noosing."
"'Noosing,'" the magazine continues, "is a long-standing term used by herpetologists for catching lizards."
"But for McGee, a Black scientist, the term is unnerving, calling to mind horrific lynchings of Black people by white people in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries," the article explains.
"Being the only Black person out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of white people talking about noosing things is unsettling," she says, and insists her colleagues change the term to "lassoing" instead.


theblaze--2020-08-03--POLL: Do you agree with President Trump's proposal to ban TikTok?

POLL : Do you agree with President Trump 's proposal to ban TikTok ?
 Do n't forget to cast @ @ @ @ @

POLL: Do you agree with President Trump's proposal to ban TikTok?
Don't forget to cast your vote and share!


theblaze--2020-08-03--Graphic video shows blood-soaked man clinging to the hood of an 18-wheeler for 9 miles as it speeds

Graphic video shows blood-soaked man clinging to the hood of an 18-wheeler for 9 miles as it speeds down the highway

Graphic video shows blood-soaked man clinging to the hood of an 18-wheeler for 9 miles as it speeds down the @ @ @ @ @ to kick off your weekend

A graphic viral video showed the moment a blood-soaked man clung to the hood of an 18-wheeler as the truck rushes down a Florida highway.
What are the details?
On Saturday, the Florida Highway Patrol received a report about a blood-covered male exiting his vehicle and walking away from it on a highway near Boynton Beach, Florida.
Eyewitnesses say they saw the man — who appears to be in his underwear — hop the concrete barrier between the highway's northbound and southbound lanes, which prompted concerned motorists to slow and stop.
Edward Hughes, the man driving the 18-wheeler, told TMZ that he observed the unnamed man attempting to flag him down. Hughes said he stopped the truck, concerned for the man's welfare.
Instead of speaking with Hughes, the man climbed atop the truck's hood and began hitting the windshield with an unidentified metal object.
Hughes said he attempted to get the man off the hood of the vehicle by beginning to drive away, but the man was committed to clinging to the hood and refused to be shaken off. Though Hughes was seen in the video suddenly braking and weaving in and out of his lane on the highway, the man remain attached.
He said that he drove for nearly nine miles before police were able to intervene and take the man into custody.
'This is Florida at its finest'
Eyewitness Erik Morales told WSVN-TV that he couldn't believe his eyes.
"I zoom ahead of [Hughes' truck], and I see a guy on the hood smashing the windshield with a flat bar, and then he took out the driver's side window," Morales recalled. "The guy on the hood had blood all over his face. He was only wearing socks and underwear."
Morales said he also witnessed the moment police took the man into custody.
"They took him down," he said. "He lay on his belly, put his hands down forward, and they grabbed him by his hands and yanked him onto the ground and put him in cuffs. He just wanted it to be over. He was pretty tired from hanging onto the hood of the truck, so he just kind of gave up there. This is Florida at its finest."
The suspect was taken to nearby Wellington Regional Hospital for observation.
It remains unclear at the time of this reporting whether Hughes or the unidentified male were cited or arrested in connection with the bizarre incident.
(Content warning: Rough language):


theblaze--2020-08-03--Democrat wants history classes abolished in state's schools since they 'lead to white privilege and

Democrat wants history classes abolished in state's schools since they 'lead to white privilege and a racist society'

Democrat wants history classes abolished in state 's schools since they 'lead to white privilege and a racist society' Illinois @ @ @ @ @ wants history curriculum revamped to include more contributions from women , minorities

Democratic state Rep. LaShawn K. Ford said history classes in Illinois public schools lead to "white privilege and a racist society" — and he wants them ended until the state can come up with a history curriculum that better represents the contributions of minorities and women, WLS-TV reported.
"I'm calling for the abolishment of history classes in Illinois," Ford said at an Evanston news conference Sunday with other leaders, the station noted. "We're concerned that current school history teachings lead to white privilege and a racist society."
What are the details?
Ford is sponsoring House Bill 49-54 to create new teaching practices in public schools, WLS noted.
"When it comes to teaching history in Illinois, we need to end the miseducation of Illinoisans," Ford added, according to the station. "I'm calling on the Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts to take immediate action by removing current history books and curriculum practices that unfairly communicate our history. Until a suitable alternative is developed, we should instead devote greater attention toward civics and ensuring students understand our democratic processes and how they can be involved."
Ford's bill would require elementary schools to teach students about the civil rights movement, WMAQ-TV reported.
"The miseducation of our children must stop," Meleika Gardner of We Will — Women Empowering Women In Local Legislation — said in a statement, according to WLS. "It is urgent that it comes to an end as we witness our current climate become more hostile. Miseducation has fed and continues to feed systemic racism for generations. If Black History continues to be devalued and taught incorrectly, then it will call for further action."
News conference attendees also want a history curriculum that highlights contributions by members of Jewish, LGBTQ, and other communities — and starting this school year, WMAQ reported.
Anything else?
Ford added that he's "also alarmed that people continue to display symbols of hate, such as the recent display of the Confederate flag in Evanston."
Last week, a woman confronted a group beachgoers for using a Confederate flag towel as they lounged on Lighthouse Beach.
According to the Chicago-Sun Times, the woman — identified as LaShandra Smith-Rayfield — shared video of herself telling the group the Confederate flag "is my swastika" and a "racist symbol of hate."
But as Smith-Rayfield railed against the group, a person she described as a man of color intervened and defended the group's right to use whatever towel they wanted — even if it bore the image of a Confederate flag.
The man said he served in the U.S. military "to defend this flag" and that she was the one who was out of line for harassing the group: "Just leave them alone. People like you haven't done s**t for this country."


theblaze--2020-08-03--Top House Democrat claims Trump is Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, says he will refuse to leave o

Top House Democrat claims Trump is Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, says he will refuse to leave office

Top House Democrat claims Trump is Italian dictator Benito Mussolini , says he will refuse to leave office ' I @ @ @ @ @ is Mussolini , Putin , is Hitler '

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) compared President Donald Trump on Sunday to 20th century Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking on CNN, Clyburn claimed Trump will consolidate power after the November election, no matter the result, much like Putin has done in Russia over recent years.
"What I said, starting about two-and-a-half, maybe three years ago, after one of his State of the Unions, that I feel very strongly that this man has taken on strong-arm tactics," Clyburn began.
"And I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini, Putin, is [Adolf] Hitler. I said that back then, and I believe that," he claimed.
"I believe very strongly that this guy never had any idea about being — want to peacefully transfer power. I don't think he plans to leave the White House. He doesn't plan to have fair and unfettered elections," Clyburn continued. "I believe that he plans to install himself in some kind of emergency way to continue hold onto office."
Trump sparked alarm last week when he suggested delaying the election, fueling his critics to make claims similar to Clyburn's.
"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???" Trump said.
The president's controversial comments came amid discussion about how to conduct the election in a safe manner during the coronavirus panic.
Due to social distancing requirements and limits on public gatherings, Democrats are pushing mail-in voting as an alternative, which Republicans claim would increase voter fraud.
At any rate, Trump is not lawfully permitted to change the date of the election — that power resides with Congress, according to the Constitution.
Nor is Trump constitutionally permitted to unilaterally remain in office beyond Jan. 20 if he loses the election. The Constitution dictates that presidential terms end on a specific date, which can only be changed via a constitutional amendment.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Oklahoma City Thunder players kneel during anthem even after threat from GOP congressman

Oklahoma City Thunder players kneel during anthem even after threat from GOP congressman Players kneel before an NBA basketball game @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma City Thunder on Aug. 1 , 2020 , in Lake Buena Vista , Florida @ @ @ @ @ Landis - Pool/Getty Images )

Oklahoma City Thunder players took a knee during the national anthem before Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz after a Republican state representative suggested the team should lose state tax benefits for the protest, Yahoo News reported.
Oklahoma state Rep. Sean Roberts (R) said in a Friday statement that the state should "reexamine" the team's tax benefits if the players showed support for Black Lives Matter by kneeling during the anthem in protest of racism and police brutality.
"By kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, the NBA and its players are showing disrespect to the American flag and all it stands for. This anti-patriotic act makes clear the NBA's support of the Black Lives Matter group and its goal of defunding our nation's police, its ties to Marxism and its efforts to destroy nuclear families," Roberts said in a statement. "If the Oklahoma City Thunder leadership and players follow the current trend of the NBA by kneeling during the national anthem prior to Saturday's game, perhaps we need to reexamine the significant tax benefits the State of Oklahoma granted the Oklahoma City Thunder organization when they came to Oklahoma."
Roberts suggested that funding should be directed to police rather than used to give tax breaks to the NBA franchise that came to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.
All players on both teams knelt during the national anthem before Friday's game. Only a referee remained standing. Chris Paul, the Thunder's top player, is the president of the NBA players union, and was involved in the agreement with the league to allow players to wear social justice messages on their jerseys instead of their last names.
Kneeling in protest during the national anthem is so ubiquitous in the NBA now that the few team members who choose to stand for the anthem are singled out and questioned about their decision. San Antonio Spurs coaches Gregg Popovich and Becky Hammon stood for the anthem Friday. Two players, Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat and Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic, also stood.
Popovich declined to elaborate on his decision to stand, choosing instead to credit the league for allowing individuals to make their own decisions on the matter. Isaac explained that he supported anti-racism efforts, but emphasized his belief that only the Christian gospel was the answer to the problems in the U.S., not superficial demonstrations.
"I'm black...I'm not for racism and I don't think that me not kneeling before the game and wearing a T-shirt makes me mean that at all," Isaac said when questioned about his decision.


theblaze--2020-08-03--Self-proclaimed white supremacist viciously attacks female bartender, knocks her out — then it turns

Self-proclaimed white supremacist viciously attacks female bartender, knocks her out — then it turns into an all-out brawl

Self-proclaimed white supremacist viciously attacks female bartender , knocks her out — then it turns into an all-out brawl

A self-proclaimed white supremacist hauled off and punched a female bartender in the face after embarking on a bizarre rant on Friday in Nokomis, Florida.
He reportedly entered the restaurant and bar with his shorts half undone, making lewd comments to patrons inside before turning violent.
What happened?
The suspect, identified by police as Nicholas Arnold Schock, 36, was caught on video making racist remarks and threatening bar patrons at Pop's Sunset Grill before punching the female bartender.
In a now-viral video, Schock — a heavily tattooed man with what appears to be a crudely drawn swastika inked on his chest — can be heard yelling, "Aryan nation will rule all!"
"I'm a white supremacist. The Aryan nation will rule the world!" he can be heard shouting. "People covered in tattoos are going to be my closest relatives, I promise you!"
Witnesses told police that Schock also boasted about killing "n*****s," and threatened to "kill everyone in the establishment."
In the video, staff quickly tried to diffuse Schock's angry outburst, but he refused to be shut down.
He shouted, "I don't give a f***! Call Donald Trump, please. I'm not going nowhere! I will butt-f*** this b**** on the table right now!"
The waitress, identified as Kisha Biche, can be seen in the video approaching him, but he responded angrily, cocking his arm and slapping her in the face. According to The Herald Tribune, he then punched her in the face, immediately rendering her unconscious.
Several bar patrons can be seen rushing to the rescue, and pin down Schock until authorities arrive. While on the ground, Schock demanded staff "call [President Donald] Trump."
Authorities arrived on the scene a short time later, and took the suspect into custody. He was charged with one count of battery and one count of disturbing the peace.
The outlet also reported that Schock has amassed an extensive list of arrests dating back to 2000. Previous charges include possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of cocaine and alcohol for a person under 21, fleeing with law enforcement, resisting arrest without violence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and criminal mischief.
The suspect is being held in the Sarasota County Jail on $55,000 bail.
'He was immediately subdued'
In a statement, the restaurant said, "At approximately 3 p.m. Friday afternoon, a troubled 36-year-old male entered our premises and immediately began spewing erratic hate dialogue. We made every effort to remove him within minutes after his arrival while simultaneously speaking with 911 dispatch police officers."
"Unfortunately," the statement continued, "he violently attacked one of our staff. He was immediately subdued and held until the sheriff arrived."
The statement concluded, "We'd like to thank our community for their unparalleled support and empathy. Pop's Sunset Grill is grateful of the heroic efforts of our staff, owner, and customers that apprehended the individual within seconds of his violent assault of our brave bartender that stood between him and our customers in a protective mode."
A Gofundme page for Biche has amassed more than $6,300 in donations at the time of this writing. The page notes that the bartender suffered a concussion "as a result of a vicious, unprovoked attack."
(Content warning: Rough language):


theblaze--2020-08-04--Federal judge issues video statement after her son was reportedly murdered by madman who targeted he

Federal judge issues video statement after her son was reportedly murdered by madman who targeted her family Judge Esther Salas @ @ @ @ @ as she prepares to bury her 20-year-old

New Jersey federal judge Esther Salas delivered a powerful video statement Monday morning, addressing the murder of her son allegedly by a disgruntled attorney while pleading for greater protections for the privacy of jurists following the targeting of her family.
What are the details?
In her statement, Judge Salas recalled the wonderful final days she and her husband, Mark Anderl, shared with their son, Daniel, before the college student was allegedly killed last month by a lawyer who reportedly showed up at their home disguised as a FedEx driver. The accused attorney, Roy Den Hollander — who previously argued at least one case before Salas — also shot Anderl several times, leaving him in critical condition, authorities said.
Salas recalled that after winding down a weekend celebrating Daniel's birthday, she and her son were chatting downstairs when there was a knock on the door and the 20-year-old ran upstairs wondering who it could be.
The gunman shot Daniel in the heart, killing him, before shooting Mark three times.
The judge, choking up, said in her video statement:
While my husband is still in the hospital recovering from his multiple surgeries, we are living every parent's worst nightmare: making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel. My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure, I'm here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain.
We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again. But we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.
Judge Salas went on to argue for greater privacy protections for jurists, explaining that Hollander was allegedly able to obtain an entire "dossier" on her family, not only learning their address but where they went to church and other details of their lives.
Complete statement from Judge Esther Salas after son killed, husband shot www.youtube.com
Anything else?
A day after allegedly killing Daniel, Hollander committed suicide, police said. The Daily Mail reported that Hollander was recently diagnosed with terminal melanoma and "had a list of at least 12 other targets in his car."
The outlet noted that Salas never ruled against Hollander, but that "he complained in online ramblings that she dragged her heels in making a decision in the case he was fighting for which involved expanding the military draft to enlist women as well as men."
Authorities believe that Hollander murdered attorney Marc Angelucci in Los Angeles before he travelled across the country and allegedly killed Daniel.


theblaze--2020-08-04--14-year-old steals family car and goes on a joyride — so his parents give away all his stuff as puni

14-year-old steals family car and goes on a joyride — so his parents give away all his stuff as punishment @ @ @ @ @ with an apology on a sign

A 14-year-old received a creative punishment from his parents after they discovered that he had taken out their Range Rover without permission and gone on a dangerous joyride.
"I just wanted to drive but I don't have a license so I just took it," Angel Martinez said.
"I can wash the car, and I was like I don't have anything to dry it, so I'm gonna take it for one spin until it dries," he explained.
That explanation didn't seem to cut it for his parents.
Ramon Martinez, the boy's father, told KSAZ-TV that he and his wife were vacationing in Las Vegas for their anniversary when they got a call from Phoenix police.
Angel had been speeding through their North Phoenix neighborhood and disrupting neighbors. When the parents got home they decided on a unique punishment.
"We got back to the house. Today, we took all his stuff out, his room is 100% empty, and we're just giving all his stuff away," Ramon said of his son.
His parents made him sit for hours on his belongings with a cardboard sign that read, "Sorry I stole my parents car and was speeding."
They gave away his clothing, his bed, and a television set to complete strangers who came by their home.
"Mostly to apologize to the neighbors too. He could've run someone over. Something really bad could've happened," dad Ramon explained.
"Hopefully, you know you do what's right, and you'll be able to tell later in the years," he added. "For now, you know we're just trying to do our best to keep him out of trouble and make sure he understands that things like this will not be tolerated."
The boy took it all in stride.
"It's kind of weird, but I think it's a fair punishment," he said.
Here's the local news report about the incident:


theblaze--2020-08-04--Kanye West officially names his running mate as presidential campaign presses on

Kanye West officially names his running mate as presidential campaign presses on His vice presidential pick has not yet confirmed @ @ @

Music mogul and apparent 2020 presidential candidate Kanye West has listed his vice presidential pick, but the world is still waiting to hear from her on the matter.
What are the details?
TMZ reported Monday that West named Michelle Tidball as his running mate in his filing to get on the ballot in Arkansas. So far, however, Tidball has remained mum on the matter.
According to Forbes, Tidball describes herself as a "Biblical life coach" and lives in Cody, Wyoming, where West has owned a ranch since 2018. The outlet pointed to Tidball's biography page, where she reportedly "touts 'various degrees in mental health and criminal justice.'" The page did not load for TheBlaze on Monday.
Tidball describes her values as such on the Yarash website:
Through my diligence in the study of the word, living in boldness, love, integrity, and hard work, I am dedicated to learn more about God, others, and the world. I value learning, loyalty, optimism, peace, faith, wisdom, compassion, creativity and community. I am a loyal person who desires to 'stick closer than a brother.' My desire is to live in peace with God and man, to engage my faith daily over all circumstances with wisdom, compassion, and creativity at the helm. I continue to involve myself in community — local, state, and abroad.
The New Yorker reported that Tidball is "a fifty-seven-year-old white woman from Cody who runs an online Bible study, works in a dental office, and has so far said nothing public about the campaign." A local retired attorney and former assistant to Richard Nixon, Wallace Johnson, told the magazine of Tidball, "She's a wise pick: extremely articulate, likable, and capable. As far from Sarah Palin as I can imagine."
Johnson added, "I never thought Kanye had a theology of his own, but maybe he's developing one. I don't want to call it a cult, but that's what a new religion is. Michelle could help with that. She's very persuasive."
While Tidball has not issued a statement or made any public statements since being named West's running mate, she has promoted him on Twitter, retweeting his declarations from July that he "CAN BEAT BIDEN OFF OF WRITE INS" and his call for South Carolina voters to sign up to get him on the ballot in the state.
Despite claims that West's 2020 presidential aspirations are part of a bipolar episode, the billionaire rapper and fashion designer has pressed forward with his campaign, hiring canvassers to assist in getting his name on the ballot in several states for the Nov. 3 election.


theblaze--2020-08-05--Ted Cruz challenges Democratic senator to condemn Antifa. She storms out of hearing instead.

Ted Cruz challenges Democratic senator to condemn Antifa .
She storms out of hearing instead .
Something must have struck @ @ @

A Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing ended abruptly Tuesday, when ranking member Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced she could no longer listen to Chairman Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) speech on the threat of Antifa's violence in the U.S.
Before she left, Cruz offered Hirono the opportunity to condemn the actions of Antifa, but she refused — choosing to storm out, instead.
What are the details?
The Subcommittee on the Constitution's hearing was titled, "The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence." Sen. Cruz used his opening remarks to discuss the importance of peaceable assembly under the Constitution, and how rioters hijacked the George Floyd protests, leading to violence and attacks on police and innocent civilians.
According to CNN, Hirono reacted to Cruz's speech by condemning the title of the hearing, saying, "The hearing we should be having is one called 'the right of the people to peaceably assemble without being beaten up by unidentifiable federal agents.' That would address an actual problem."
During the third and final panel of guests, Hirono had heard enough.
"There are all these attacks on Black Lives Matter, and what they're saying. I mean, how many of us even think that defunding police departments should be taken literally?" she asked. "I mean, I certainly don't. So, you know, we have this pesky thing called freedom of speech, and I'd say that the people who support Black Lives Matter — and if they're calling for various boycotts and all that — that's called freedom of speech."
She went to say that everyone can agree to condemn "violent extremism of all stripes," adding, "so to constantly accuse Democrats of not caring about that, is really—"
Hirono turned to address Cruz, whose head was turned away in an apparent conversation with an aide.
"You aren't listening," Hirono said. "So I hope this is the end of this hearing, Mr. Chairman, and that we don't have to listen to any more of your rhetorical speeches. Thank you very much. I'm leaving."
"Well, as always, I appreciate the kind and uplifting words of Sen. Hirono," Cruz said. "And I would also note that throughout her remarks she still did not say a negative word about Antifa, nor has any Democrat here."
As he spoke, Hirono rose, grabbing her purse and papers to go.
"You're welcome to say something negative about Antifa right now," Cruz challenged the senator from Hawaii.
Hirono said something to Cruz that was out of reach from a microphone, before he told the hearing audience, "OK, she declined to speak, so that is the position of the Democratic Party."
Anything else?
George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley — who previously testified to Congress against the impeachments of Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump — was part of the Constitution subcommittee's third panel, and recalled on Twitter, "The hearing ended with Sen. Hirono walking out after confrontation with Sen. Cruz over Antifa. In roughly 50 hearings, this is a first for me. I was not sure if I should turn off the lights when I left."
He added, "This actually could be the pilot for 'Survivor: Capitol Hill,' where senators vote themselves off the island. The good thing is it meant I could make it home for the Cubs game."


theblaze--2020-08-05--Louie Gohmert's daughter speaks out after he tests positive for coronavirus and blames his face mask

Louie Gohmert 's daughter speaks out after he tests positive for coronavirus and blames his face mask Gohmert blamed the @ @ @ @ @

Caroline Gohmert pleaded with the public about social distancing after Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, her father, contracted coronavirus.
The congressman revealed Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus from a routine testing protocol while visiting the White House.
His daughter took to Twitter to scold her father for not wearing a mask and to plead with the public to take social distancing guidelines seriously.
"Wearing a mask is a non-partisan issue. The advice of medical experts shouldn't be politicized. My father ignored medical expertise and now he has COVID," his daughter, who tweets from the @bellsaintmusic account, wrote.
"This has been a heartbreaking battle [because] I love my dad and don't want him to die," she continued.
"Please please listen to medical experts," she concluded. "It's not worth following a president who has no remorse for leading his followers to an early grave."
Caroline Gohmert is an actress and musician who performs under the name Caroline Brooks, and Bellsaint. Her agent confirmed that the comments posted on Twitter were authentic, according to CNN.
Gohmert blames mask
The Republican congressman released a video on Wednesday explaining that he had begun to wear his mask more in the weeks prior to his positive test, and wondered if the mask was to blame.
"It is interesting, and I don't know about everybody, but when I have a mask on, I'm moving it to make it comfortable," Gohmert said on his Twitter video.
"And I can't help but wonder if that, you know, put some germs in the mask, keep your hands off your mask," Gohmert concluded.
On the same day that Gohmert's diagnosis was revealed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ordered that all members of Congress need to wear face masks on the House floor.
Coronavirus cases have surged in recent weeks in many states including California, Florida, and Texas. On Tuesday, the CDC reported that there were nearly 4.7 million cases of coronavirus in the U.S., with total deaths surpassing 155,000.
Here's more about Gohmert's positive test:


theblaze--2020-08-04--Protesters sue Seattle, claiming they need 'expensive' protective gear to demonstrate safely

Protesters sue Seattle , claiming they need 'expensive ' protective gear to demonstrate safely The plaintiffs say 'only a privileged @ @ @ @ @ to afford the equipment needed

A group of protesters has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle, claiming the police department's anti-riot tactics have forced demonstrators to buy prohibitively "expensive" protective gear in order to continue to enjoy their First Amendment rights.
What are the details?
KIRO-TV reported that the suit was filed Monday "on behalf of five protesters who attended the July 25 protest on Capitol Hill that police later declared a riot, seek[ing] an order from a judge to stop the city from using controversial tactics on protesters, including blast balls and pepper spray."
"Because protestors now must purchase expensive equipment to be assured that they will be able to protest safely," the filing claims, "the indiscriminate use of weapons by [the Seattle Police Department] implicates equal protection."
It went to on say that "each of the Plaintiffs was unable to protest for a period of time for want of additional gear necessitated by SPD's unmitigated and indiscriminate tactics utilized without restraint."
The plaintiffs further argue that "the continued misuse of war munitions by SPD against civilians turns the streets — a public forum and site of protest — into a pay-to-protest racket where only a privileged few who are wealthy enough or popular enough to crowdsource funds to purchase gear akin to that used by the police department they fund can truly be in the streets."
Fox News reported that some of the items listed as necessary protest gear "included boots, gloves, helmets and gas masks."
The Seattle City Council is currently considering plans to slash its police spending by at least 50%, a prospect that was not lost on the plaintiffs who declared, "It is chilling to the bone that this quelling is occurring at the hands of SPD — the agency whose very existence is being challenged, its funding debated this week."
The Seattle City Attorney's Office issued a statement to KIRO in reaction to the suit, saying they would look into the claims. The plaintiffs are asking for a judge to order the city to cease using certain "less-lethal weapons to control and suppress demonstrations," and to pay for the protesters' costs associated with filing the lawsuit.
Anything else?
Seattle descended into chaos as part of the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in late May, and part of the city became occupied and turned into what was known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
The police department abandoned its precinct in the area for weeks, leading to delays in responding to calls over several blocks. Multiple people were shot and at least one person was killed during the cop-free CHOP takeover, but police were eventually able to dismantle the encampment, arresting dozens of demonstrators.


theblaze--2020-08-04--CNN host tells Mercedes Schlapp she's 'just saying a bunch of crap' during heated debate on mail-in-

CNN host tells Mercedes Schlapp she's 'just saying a bunch of crap' during heated debate on mail-in-voting

CNN host tells Mercedes Schlapp she 's 'just saying a bunch of crap ' during heated debate on mail-in-voting The @ @ @ @ @ back down

A debate on mail-in voting got so heated on CNN that the host berated a Trump campaign senior adviser and told her she was "just saying a bunch of crap."
The exchange between Mercedes Schlapp and anchor Brianna Keilar occurred Tuesday on "CNN Right Now."
"You're saying, you're saying that voter fraud is a thing, and I'm telling you that it's not. And you're muddying the waters," Keilar said. "And I also wonder, isn't that, don't you worry that that's going to actually hurt you, isn't that to the point why the president has said when it comes—"
"No, mail-in ballot issues may have left thousands uncounted—" Schlapp interrupted.
"Mercedes, I'm asking, Mercedes—" Keilar interrupted back.
"This is pointless. This is just pointless," Keilar continued after they talked over each other.
"I get it. You're just saying a bunch of crap, OK? You're saying a bunch of crap," she added.
"We're talking about voting in a pandemic," Keilar argued as Schlapp tried to have her say.
"We're talking about voting in a pandemic and giving people the ability to vote if they are a registered voter. And you seem to be talking about putting obstacles in their way to that," Keilar said.
"Absolutely not," Schlapp responded.
"I'm asking you a question, that do you believe that a person should be able to vote after the election day, meaning can you pass a ballot three days following the election, no, that's the question, that's a valid question!" she continued.
"That's what they're doing in Nevada, and that is unacceptable," Schlapp concluded.
The phrase "Mercedes Schlapp" was trending nationally on Twitter after the heated altercation.
Vote by mail has emerged as a political issue for the 2020 election after Democrats have pushed for the voting option over coronavirus pandemic concerns. President Donald Trump has fired back with accusations that the Democrats will use the mail-in vote process to rig the election and defeat him in November.
The president irked his critics when he suggested that the election might need to be delayed in order to secure the validity of the process.
Republican politicians spoke out against the possibility of delaying the election after the president tweeted about it.
Here's the entire interview from CNN: