theblaze--2020-12-09--UK issues allergy alert over COVID vaccine after 2 fall ill, now says vaccine should only be given w

UK issues allergy alert over COVID vaccine after 2 fall ill, now says vaccine should only be given where resuscitation measures are available

UK issues allergy alert over COVID vaccine after 2 fall ill , now says vaccine should only be given where @ @ @ @ @ one day after releasing the vaccine

U.K. regulators say that those people with history of allergic reactions to medicine or food should avoid the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Wednesday report from the BBC.
The United Kingdom began the process of rolling out the vaccine on Tuesday, following a Dec. 2 approval.
The urgent guidance comes after at least two NHS workers experienced allergic reactions to the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday. Both workers — who reportedly have a history of experiencing allergic reactions — are expected to recover.
What are the details?
Regulators at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that the two workers experienced an "anaphylactoid reaction," which is "much milder than anaphylaxis."
The reaction, according to to the news agency, "tends to involve a skin rash, breathlessness, and sometimes a drop in blood pressure."
NHS medical director Stephen Powis said that the two unnamed NHS workers are on the mend.
"As is common with new vaccines, the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions have responded adversely," he said in a statement on the matter.
According to ABC News, regulators will work to investigate the NHS workers' reactions to the vaccine.
Dr. June Raine, head of the United Kingdom's medical regulatory agency, explained, "We're looking at two case reports of allergic reactions,'' adding, “We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn't a feature."
"But if we need to strengthen our advice, now that we have had this experience with the vulnerable populations, the groups who have been selected as a priority, we get that advice to the field immediately," she said.
Business Insider reported that health officials have yet to reveal which element of the vaccine caused the reaction in the two NHS workers.
"All regions involved with the vaccination program have been alerted," NHS England said according to the outlet, "and from Wednesday all patients receiving the vaccine will be asked beforehand if they have a history of allergic reactions."
Further, regulators say that the vaccine should only be administered in facilities where "resuscitation measures are available."


theblaze--2020-12-09--NYPD releases security video of a thug shooting a FedEx driver in the back during a delivery

NYPD releases security video of a thug shooting a FedEx driver in the back during a delivery Police are not @ @ @ @ @ targeted

The New York Police Department released disturbing video of the moment a FedEx driver was ambushed and shot in the back by a thug in Brooklyn, New York.
The alarming incident occurred about 11:15 a.m. Monday as the driver was exiting a building after a delivery, according to WABC-TV.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison posted the surveillance video to his social media account and asked for the public's help in identifying the suspect.
The video shows the driver walking out of the door to the building with the suspect holding the door open. As the driver walks away, the suspect holds out a gun and shoots the driver in the back. A third person is seen in the video following the driver.
The 44-year-old male driver was shot in the back of the neck at close range. In another video, he is seen crawling away quickly.
The man was taken to a hospital and police said that he's expected to survive his injuries.
Police are actively investigating the matter and believe that it was a targeted attack. Nothing was stolen from the FedEx driver and the motivation for the attack is still under investigation.
The NYPD says New York City is experiencing a spike in gun crimes and other violent crimes. In another disturbing incident on Monday in Brooklyn, EMS workers were lured by a fake 911 emergency call and then robbed at gunpoint. Police are seeking a suspect in that incident as well.
Police say that shootings have more than doubled in 2020 when compared to the same period in 2019, with 1,412 compared to 721 shootings, respectively. Homicides are also considerably higher for the month of November and over the first 11 months of the year.
Here's a local news video of the incident:


theblaze--2020-12-09--House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy trolls Democrats over their party's losses

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) did a `` quality '' job of trolling Democrats on Tuesday for their 2020 losses in the lower chamber , to the extent that he even received a nod from a seasoned journalist who unintentionally prompted the GOP leader 's display .
What are the details ?
Politico 's John Bresnahan , who has covered Congress for more than 20 years , tweeted a picture Tuesday showing House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-Md . )
taking `` a picture with Democrats not coming back next year after losing on Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` telling ( a ) story about elections lost , '' and encouraging the ousted Democrats to `` not lose heart . ''
In reaction , McCarthy posted a picture of himself beaming while strolling through the Capitol Building 's Statuary Hall with no one else around , tweeting , `` Here 's a group photo of me with all the House Republicans who lost races this year . ''
McCarthy took both praise and heat for the post , but Bresnahan replied , `` Quality trolling . ''
Democrats maintained control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-Calif. ) after Election Day on Nov. 3 , but their majority was winnowed down .
While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been roundly declared the projected winner in the race for the White House by mainstream media , President Donald Trump continues to contest the election results and the GOP is expressing optimism after performing well against Democrats in down ballot races .
Control of the Senate also remains up in the air , as the nation awaits the results of the two remaining seats in play that will be decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting GOP Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , who are facing challenges from Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff , respectively .
Republicans currently carry the Senate 50-48 , but if both Democrats win in Georgia and Biden is inaugurated , Democrats would control both chambers of Congress along with the presidency .

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did a "quality" job of trolling Democrats on Tuesday for their 2020 losses in the lower chamber, to the extent that he even received a nod from a seasoned journalist who unintentionally prompted the GOP leader's display.
What are the details?
Politico's John Bresnahan, who has covered Congress for more than 20 years, tweeted a picture Tuesday showing House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) taking "a picture with Democrats not coming back next year after losing on Election Day."
Bresnahan reported that Hoyer was "telling (a) story about elections lost," and encouraging the ousted Democrats to "not lose heart."
In reaction, McCarthy posted a picture of himself beaming while strolling through the Capitol Building's Statuary Hall with no one else around, tweeting, "Here's a group photo of me with all the House Republicans who lost races this year."
McCarthy took both praise and heat for the post, but Bresnahan replied, "Quality trolling."
What else?
Democrats maintained control of the House under Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after Election Day on Nov. 3, but their majority was winnowed down.
USA Today reported earlier this week:
At least 10 Democratic incumbents fell to Republicans in the House, though the party clung on to control of the chamber. Aspirations to take the Senate majority seemed to wither as race after race was called for Republicans – even in states where Democrats polled significantly higher than incumbents.
While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been roundly declared the projected winner in the race for the White House by mainstream media, President Donald Trump continues to contest the election results and the GOP is expressing optimism after performing well against Democrats in down ballot races.
Control of the Senate also remains up in the air, as the nation awaits the results of the two remaining seats in play that will be decided in Jan. 5 runoffs in Georgia between sitting GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who are facing challenges from Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively.
Republicans currently carry the Senate 50-48, but if both Democrats win in Georgia and Biden is inaugurated, Democrats would control both chambers of Congress along with the presidency.


theblaze--2020-12-09--EMS workers robbed at gunpoint after being lured by fake 911 call in Brooklyn

Emergency Medical Service workers were lured into a robbery by a fake 911 call in Brooklyn, New York, and had their equipment stolen at gunpoint.
The alarming incident occurred at about 11 p.m. Monday, according to WABC-TV.
The voluntary ambulance squad responded to a call of a person who was experiencing difficulty breathing. The 45-year-old male and 28-year-old female workers took an elevator to the 11th floor of a building to look for the patient, but instead were confronted by a masked man with a gun.
The NYPD says the man took their supply bag and made them return to the lobby. They later discovered the bag with a radio and a tablet missing.
No one was injured in the incident.
Police said no one had been arrested for the robbery and they were seeking help from the public in the ongoing investigation of the incident.
Crime in New York City has skyrocketed in 2020 with the number of shootings in November exceeding that of the same month in 2019 by 112%.
Over the first 11 months of the year, shootings have increased by a whopping 95% from the same period in 2019, with 1,412 compared to 721 shootings, respectively.
The NYPD said that gun arrests were significantly higher for November, and that homicides were considerably higher for the month and for the year.
Some experts believe that the stress of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns ordered by local governments have exacerbated criminal activity. The NYPD also reported that hate crimes related to coronavirus against people of Asian descent had spiked, but that the majority of these incidents had been followed with an arrest.
Here's a local news report about the robbery:


theblaze--2020-12-10--Wilkow: Who is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and what are his views on aging?

Wilkow : Who is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and what are his views on aging ?
Biden 's COVID-19 taskforce pick @ @ @ @ @ the value

Judging by his essay titled, "Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions" in medical journal The Lancet, Joe Biden's pick for the new coronavirus task force, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, has a few controversial ideas about the value of anyone's life over the age of 75 (or under 15).
In this episode of "Wilkow," host Andrew Wilkow broke down the details of Dr. Emanuel's article in The Lancet, as well as interviews and another better-known essay in The Atlantic titled, "Why I Hope to Die at 75", to try to get a clearer picture of the man (78-year-old) Joe Biden wants in charge of a virus that disproportionately affects older people.
Watch the video below:
Want more from Andrew Wilkow?
To enjoy more of Andrew's dynamic truth-telling, unmistakable opinion and rational political analysis, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-10--Democrats decided to test how effective Lincoln Project viral Twitter ads were, and it did not go we

Democrats decided to test how effective Lincoln Project viral Twitter ads were, and it did not go well

Democrats decided to test how effective Lincoln Project viral Twitter ads were , and it did not go well

A left-wing political action group that tested the efficacy of the viral Twitter ads from the Lincoln Project were surprised to find that they weren't effective at all.
The Lincoln Project, a super PAC composed of former Republican operatives who are anti-Trump, garnered millions of dollars of support from those on the left while earning scorn and derision from supporters of the president.
But when one of the top Democratic political PACs decided to test their viral Twitter ads, they discovered that the money had not been spent well.
The methodology of the test by Priorities USA was described in a report in the Daily Beast:
They took five ads produced by a fellow occupant in the Super PAC domain—the Lincoln Project—and attempted to measure their persuasiveness among persuadable swing state voters; i.e. the ability of an ad to move Trump voters towards Joe Biden. A control group saw no ad at all. Five different treatment groups, each made up of 683 respondents, saw one of the five ads. Afterwards they were asked the same post-treatment questions measuring the likelihood that they would vote and who they would vote for.
Twitter video ads from the Lincoln Project have raised the ire of pro-Trump Republicans for their over-the-top rhetoric and imagery. In one emotional video from October that received more than one million views, a mom cringes while telling her young son that Trump had won a third term.
Priorities USA wanted to see if something going viral on Twitter could be a substitute for ad testing that would show whether an ad is persuasive or not. Instead they found the opposite:
According to Nick Ahamed, Priorities' analytics director, the correlation of Twitter metrics—likes and retweets—and persuasion was -0.3, "meaning that the better the ad did on Twitter, the less it persuaded battleground state voters." The most viral of the Lincoln Project's ads—a spot called Bounty, which was RTed 116,000 times and liked more than 210,000 times—turned out to be the least persuasive of those Priorities tested.
A top official at The Lincoln Project said that the results made sense because ads that the group posted to Twitter were intended to have a different audience than other efforts they organized on other platforms.
"We were pretty clear from the get go about the lanes of our strategic outreach. The first one, which made the most noise, was for the audience of one. That was the stuff directed at Trump, the campaign, the White House, and the family," said Reed Galen.
The conclusion that they reached regarding the test on viral Twitter ads was one familiar to social media critics: Twitter is not real life.
Here's more about the Lincoln Project:


theblaze--2020-12-10--WATCH: How Digital Dictators Plan to Kill Free Speech

Big Tech companies have appointed themselves the ultimate `` truth '' detectors

There is a very dangerous misconception lurking on the Left and among the Big Tech elite that only "true" speech deserves protection as free speech. So Big Tech companies have appointed themselves the ultimate "truth" detectors — labeling, censoring, or deleting anything their algorithms detect that doesn't align with their left-wing dogma.
On his Wednesday night special this week, Glenn Beck reveals the fact-checking fascists' disturbing ties to China and how George Soros' fingerprints are all over Facebook's version of its own Supreme Court.
Death by fact-checking is how Big Tech plans to kill free speech, but BLEXIT founder Candace Owens won't go down quietly. She joins Glenn to explain why she's suing Mark Zuckerberg and gives an update on her latest victory in the battle against Big Tech.
Watch a short excerpt from the full show below:
The full episode of tonight's show is only available on BlazeTV. Use code GLENN to get $10 off a one-year subscription to BlazeTV and get access to this important episode.


theblaze--2020-12-10--President Trump asks Ted Cruz to argue Texas case before SCOTUS: report

Cruz recently offered to present a Pennsylvania election case before the high court

President Donald Trump has reportedly asked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to argue Texas' lawsuit against four battleground states before the U.S. Supreme Court.
What are the details?
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the president asked Cruz the night before if he would be willing to present the case filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which accuses officials in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to unconstitutionally expand mail-in voting for the Nov. 3 election.
The suit seeks to delay the Electoral College vote until nationwide investigations into potential voter fraud are completed. President Trump and his campaign have filed dozens of lawsuits in numerous states contesting the results of the election that mainstream media has roundly declared for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
On Monday, Cruz offered to argue an election lawsuit spearheaded by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R), if the Supreme Court agreed to take it up. But the high court denied the case the next day.
The Texas senator issued a response to the Supreme Court's decision on the Pennsylvania case, saying in a statement:
"I am disappointed that the Court decided not to hear the case challenging the election results in Pennsylvania. The anger and division we see across the Nation needs resolution. Late last year, the Pennsylvania Legislature passes a law that purported to allow universal mail-in voting, notwithstanding the Pennsylvania Constitution's express prohibition. This appeal filed raised important and serious legal issues, and I believe the Court had a responsibility to ensure our elections follow the law and the Constitution."
Cruz has argued several cases before the Supreme Court in the past, most when he served as solicitor general for the state of Texas. As of this writing, he has not issued a public response to the Times' report, nor has the president.
Momentum behind the Texas case built up considerably on Wednesday, after several Republican state attorneys general issued statements expressing their endorsements of the lawsuit.
Trump vowed on Twitter, "We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!"
He added later, "Wow! At least 17 States have joined Texas in the extraordinary case against the greatest Election Fraud in the history of the United States. Thank you!"


theblaze--2020-12-10--Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slaps down NBC journalist Andrea Mitchell: 'Do some reporting.'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slaps down NBC journalist Andrea Mitchell : 'Do some reporting . '
Mitchell criticized Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ the threat from China

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took aim at a veteran NBC journalist over her musings on Twitter that he might have been acting inappropriately over his speech in Georgia.
Andrea Mitchell hinted that Pompeo was being hypocritical when he brought up former secretaries of state to defend his scheduled speaking engagement in Georgia during a very heated campaign for the U.S. Senate seats from the state.
Mitchell quoted Pompeo as saying, "When [former] Sec. [John] Kerry traveled to Massachusetts or Sec. [Hillary] Clinton traveled to NY those were coastal elite states. Those were all fine for secretaries to travel to."
She added, "Huh? That's where their families lived."
Pompeo didn't take kindly to the rebuttal to his argument and he fired off a tweet accusing Mitchell of poor journalism and offering another explanation for his trip.
"Andrea - Do some reporting. When I went home to Kansas to see family, your network was howling saying I was violating the Hatch Act," tweeted Pompeo.
"The claims were found to be bogus. This trip was planned long before the Georgia runoff. Do some reporting," he added.
Mitchell responded to the tweet but did not address the substance of his criticism.
"Mr. Secretary thank you for finally answering one of my questions!" she tweeted.
Pompeo was defending his speech on Wednesday at the Georgia Institute of Technology about the threat to the U.S. from China. He mirrored the assessment from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe in an op-ed that China was focused on dominating the globe economically, politically, and militarily.
Many foreign policy experts expect that U.S. policy will soften against China when President Donald Trump vacates the Oval Office.
Here's Pompeo's speech about the threat from China:


theblaze--2020-12-09--NAACP urges Biden to appoint White House adviser on racial justice

'Racial inclusion would be first and foremost across all agencies '

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, is pressing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to create a new position in the White House that would serve as a national adviser on racial justice issues.
What the details?
On Tuesday, Johnson and several other civil rights leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton, met with Biden in Delaware. Ahead of the meeting, Johnson told the New York Times Biden should appoint a czar in his administration who would be solely focused on civil rights.
"He appointed John Kerry to be the climate envoy, reporting directly to him," Johnson reasoned. "We believe a national adviser on racial justice should be something equivalent."
Johnson explained to CBSN the next day, "The president-elect said racial equity will be a part of his administration. We appreciate that. Now our question is, how do we ensure a successful outcome? The racial equity adviser to the president could hold the portfolio and oversee the process."
The NAACP president told MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle that the top priority he has for the Biden administration is to focus on inclusion, and assure that black and Latino people are represented equitably.
"First of all, germinating straight from the West Wing, his office, the priorities that racial inclusion would be first and foremost across all agencies," Johnson said of Biden. "That tone must be set from his office, from him."
He continued, "If you look at corporations that have tackled this question, you would notice that diversity and inclusion officers report directly to the president and CEO of those companies. And those are the companies that are most successful at beginning to remedy the problem of racial division."
Johnson said that simply appointing people of color in positions of leadership may not be enough.
"We celebrate very competent, capable individuals to head up agencies, but we have also seen in the past just because an African American or a Latino serve in an agency, if the priorities are not set from the commander in chief, we may not get what we need out of that individual," Johnson said.
Anything else?
Biden has started releasing his picks for serving in his administration, while President Donald Trump and his campaign continue to contest the election that mainstream media has widely called for Biden.
Earlier this week, Biden announced that retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin would be his nominee for secretary of defense. If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first black man to lead the Pentagon.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Hunter Biden says that his 'tax affairs' are under federal investigation

Hunter Biden says that his 'tax affairs ' are under federal investigation A report from CNN says the probe is @ @ @

Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, said that he was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney General's office in Delaware, Maryland.
The Biden-Harris transition team released a statement from Hunter Biden on Wednesday about the revelation.
"I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs. I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors," read the statement.
Republicans and other critics have accused the Biden family of illegally abusing the power of the office of vice president in order to enrich themselves.
The transition team also released their statement about the development.
"President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger," the statement read.
Department of Justice sources reportedly said that Hunter Biden's taxes had been under investigation since 2018, according to John Roberts of Fox News.
CNN's Evan Perez reported that the statement from the Biden transition team came after they asked for a comment about the investigation for their story.
The report said that the investigation was probing allegations of money laundering related to foreign countries, including China. The report from CNN also said that the investigation did not implicate Joe Biden.
Hunter Biden's business relations became a central issue in the 2020 election when allies of the president accused him of using his father's position in order to benefit a Ukrainian energy company that he represented.
The speculation reached a fever pitch when it was revealed that the president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani had obtained a laptop owned by Hunter Biden but abandoned at a computer repair shop. Giuliani claimed the laptop contained information damaging to Hunter Biden and implicating Joe Biden, but he handed it over law enforcement officials in Delaware.
Here's more about the Biden development:


theblaze--2020-12-09--NY legislation would make COVID vaccine compulsory for residents: 'Concerning uptick in dangerous an

NY legislation would make COVID vaccine compulsory for residents: 'Concerning uptick in dangerous anti-science, anti-vax rhetoric'

NY legislation would make COVID vaccine compulsory for residents : 'Concerning uptick in dangerous anti-science , anti-vax rhetoric '

A New York lawmaker has proposed a bill supporting mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19, according to WNYW-TV.
What are the details?
State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal — who represents portions of Manhattan's west side — says that if enough New York residents don't voluntarily get the COVID-19 vaccination when it's available, lawmakers should consider making the vaccine mandatory.
"While steps have been taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, epidemiologist and public health experts have concluded that a vaccine will be necessary to develop herd immunity and ultimately stop the spread of the disease," Rosenthal's bill support memo stated, according to WNYW. "[T]he State must make efforts to promote vaccination and ensure that a high enough percentage of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19 to develop sufficient immunity."
The station noted, "Once the vaccination program has been rolled out for a while, the Department of Health would have the authority to 'mandate vaccination' to anyone who can 'safely receive the vaccine' if public health officials see that New Yorkers aren't developing 'sufficient immunity from COVID-19.'"
The bill, Assembly Bill A11179, would permit medically exempt people to abstain from receiving the vaccination if they receive proper documentation from a medical professional.
What else?
Rosenthal told WGRZ-TV that a forced vaccine is a "protective health measure."
"It's to ensure that our residents are safe and protected against further spread," she reasoned. "[T]he concept of herd immunity is very important, and not everyone will have to get the vaccination if a certain threshold of the population has gotten it."
WGRZ reports that Rosenthal "indicated that the threshold would have to be 75% to 80%.
"However, there is the possibility that we don't and in that event to protect the public health, the department of health of the state can then say that we need people to get the vaccination," Rosenthal added.
Earlier in December, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, "You can't mandate that somebody takes the vaccine. ... We're trying to do it the other way — education, show that it's safe."
In a statement to WKBW-TV, Rosenthal said:
I introduced this legislation because like all of us, I have seen too many families ravaged by COVID-19. I have lost loved ones and friends and have seen too many people become sick and die from a disease that has wreaked havoc on every aspect of our lives for nearly a year. Now, as we get closer to the day when a lifesaving vaccine will finally be widely available to the American public, I am hearing a concerning uptick in dangerous anti-science, anti-vax rhetoric that has the potential to endanger our health, damage our economy and delay our return to normalcy.
If enough science deniers opt out of the voluntary vaccine process, we will not achieve the necessary level of community immunity, which will undermine the efficacy of our vaccination efforts statewide. Obviously, our hope is that with robust education and outreach, the vast majority of New Yorkers will volunteer to get vaccinated. If not, my new legislation will ensure that we achieve a safe level of community protection. Herd immunity won't protect everyone, but if a high enough percentage of the population gets vaccinated, then the likelihood of community spread is low enough to enable a return to normal life, for students, parents, small businesses – everyone, who has been struggling to stay afloat financially and emotionally for the last nine months. Our heroic medical professionals and support staff have been on the frontlines of this pandemic for too long. Achieving herd immunity will help lift the inordinate burden under which they have been toiling.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Michigan Republicans strip Democrat of her committee assignments after she posts viral warning to 'y

Michigan Republicans strip Democrat of her committee assignments after she posts viral warning to 'you Trumpers' 'Be careful .
Walk @ @ @ @ @ playing with you . '

Republican leaders in the Michigan state House have stripped a Democratic representative of her committee assignments after she posted a "warning" to "you Trumpers" in a Facebook video.
Rep. Cynthia Johnson (D) served as the leading Democrat on the Michigan House Oversight Committee, the body that hosted a hearing with President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on election integrity and allegations of voter fraud in Michigan, the Detroit News reported. After publicly challenging Giuliani's claims during the hearing, Johnson received death threats, including a racist voicemail that said she should be lynched.
In a three-minute video posted on her personal Facebook page, Johnson drinks what appears to be wine and thanks her supporters, urging them to do "things right and in order." She also told them to "hit their a**es in the pocketbook," presumably referring to the people sending her threats.
At the end of her video, she issued this warning: "So this is just a warning to you Trumpers. Be careful. Walk lightly. We ain't playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough. And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay. I love y'all, bye bye."
In a follow-up video, Johnson appears to clarify that "soldiers" are for "Christ" and against "racism" and "misogyny."
The Detroit News reported that Johnson began receiving threats after participating in the Dec. 2 election integrity hearing featuring Giuliani and testimony from poll challengers and a Dominion Voting System contract worker who testified to election irregularities at the TCF center in Detroit, where ballots were counted on Election Night. The Detroit lawmaker accused the witnesses of lying.
Since then, Johnson has publicly shared racist and threatening voicemails she's received from one woman and two men. The woman, who was identified as being from Illinois based on her phone number, threatened to share Johnson's phone number with "a million people."
One of the men used misogynistic and racist language and told Johnson, "Your time is coming ... from the (expletive) gallows you'll be hanging."
In her video posted Tuesday, Johnson said the woman who left a voicemail had been identified by the FBI and state police. She told her supporters to "be smart" and reminded them that they don't have to yell or "curse people out."
"Always provide proof. Nobody cares what your mouth is saying. Provide proof," Johnson said before issuing her warning to "Trumpers."
The day after the video was posted, House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his incoming successor Rep. Jason Wentworth issued a statement condemning Johnson's remarks.
"Threats to either Democrats or Republicans are unacceptable and un-American. They're even more unbecoming of an elected official," the Republican lawmakers said. "Rep. Johnson has been removed from her committee assignments, and we are looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their own investigations."
"We have been consistent in our position on this — violence and intimidation is never appropriate in politics. We have said that about threats against Gov. [Gretchen] Whitmer, Secretary [Jocelyn] Benson, Rep. Johnson herself, and others. That applies to threats made toward public officials, and it must also apply when the threats come from public officials. Behavior like this will not be tolerated this term or next."
The Republicans announced Johnson would be stripped of her position on the Oversight Committee in addition to her positions on the Agriculture Committee and the Families, Children, and Seniors Committee.


theblaze--2020-12-09--27 Republican reps call for special counsel probe into election irregularities

Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call , Inc via Getty Images

A group of 27 Republican members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday urging him to direct Attorney General William Barr to launch a special counsel investigation into 2020 election "irregularities."
What did they say?
In the letter, which was first obtained by Politico, the group of lawmakers argue that "the American people deserve a definitive resolution to the uncertainty hovering over the outcome of our election," but protest that "legitimate questions of voter fraud remain unanswered."
"The Department of Justice has been asked on multiple occasions to launch an investigation into this matter, but inaction from the Department along with public comments made by the Attorney General indicate a lack of willingness to investigate the irregularities your campaign and other elected officials across the nation have alleged," the letter reads.
"The appointment of a Special Counsel would establish a team of investigators whose sole responsibility is to uncover the truth and provide the certainty America needs," it continues. "We urge you to take swift and decisive action and direct Attorney General Barr to appoint a Special Counsel to restore the American people's faith in our elections."
The group, led by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), includes several prominent conservatives, such as Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Jody Hice (R-Ga.).
What's the background?
The news comes as legal challenges to the election brought by the president's allies continue to hit dead-ends in the court system, and time is running out before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 and a new president is sworn in on Jan. 20.
The most recent setback occurred when the Supreme Court rejected taking up a lawsuit filed by Republican state representatives in Pennsylvania alleging that state officials unconstitutionally expanded no-excuse absentee voting ahead of the election. Additionally, "Kraken" lawsuits filed by pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell in Georgia and Michigan were dismissed by judges.
However, a lawsuit filed directly with the Supreme Court by the state of Texas attorney general against four battleground states may soon be taken up for consideration.
Anything else?
The appointment of special counsels has become a popular practice of late.
Just last week, Barr elevated U.S. Attorney John Durham, who is currently investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, to a special counsel, essentially safeguarding his investigation from any incoming Biden administration's attempts at interference.
Following that news, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) sent a letter to Barr requesting that he initiate a special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Leftist militants bully, physically attack Portland TV news reporter, videographer who dared to ente

Leftist militants bully, physically attack Portland TV news reporter, videographer who dared to enter their 'autonomous zone'

Leftist militants bully , physically attack Portland TV news reporter , videographer who dared to enter their 'autonomous zone' 'Call @ @ @ @ @ leftist taunted the journalists as they were forced out .
'Go file a police report @ @ @ @ @ are ! '

A gang of militant leftists were caught on video descending upon a Portland TV news reporter and videographer who dared to enter their "autonomous zone" — and they proceeded to bully, physically attack, and force out the news team.
What's the background?
The "autonomous zone" was set up the same day leftists militants were caught on video chasing Portland police away from the foreclosed house. In fact, they kicked and threw rocks at retreating police vehicles and ran up on cops and appeared to try to steal their equipment while taunting and threatening them as they literally chased officers down a street.
"We ain't f***in' around!" one militant was heard yelling at cops while another leftist declared, "I'll knock you the f*** out, bitch!"
Here's the clip. Content warning: Language:
What happened to the journalists?
With that, reporter Genevieve Reaume and videographer Ric Peavyhouse — both with KATU-TV News — on Tuesday walked past barricades set up around the foreclosed house on North Mississippi Avenue in an attempt to interview occupiers.
And that's when trouble immediately began for them.
"Film crew coming through," a leftist female was heard yelling to her comrades. "They're not our friends!"
As black umbrellas popped up and converged in front of Reaume and Peavyhouse, another militant barked, "Just get outta here, man!"
Soon Peavyhouse's video caught audio of Reaume screaming at the leftists to get away from her — and in fact, they knocked her cellphone from her hand and bloodied her finger.
Here's what Reaume's cellphone documented:
"That's some cold s***t!" one person can be heard saying after the attack.
As the pair were forced to walk out the autonomous zone, one of the militants can be heard threatening the Peavyhouse: "I'll break your f***in' camera, you realize that!"
The same leftist is heard adding, "Touch me one more time and see what happens to your f***in' camera!"
As the pair approach the barricade they earlier breached, the same militant is heard taunting them: "Call the cops! Go file a police report and see how useful they are!"
Here's the main clip of the incident from Peavyhouse. (Content warning: Language):
What did police have to say?
"I certainly am respectful of the issue that people are there to address, but blocking streets and chasing police officers out of the neighborhood is still not OK and really contrary to our values as Portlanders," Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told the Oregonian Tuesday evening.
Davis added that police "have to be thoughtful about" the situation and go about it "in the right way" and "consider all the angles and do our best to resolve the situation as safely as possible," the paper reported.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Actor Michael Rapaport goes on ballistic, expletive-laden rant against hypocrisy of LA mayor, Califo

Actor Michael Rapaport goes on ballistic, expletive-laden rant against hypocrisy of LA mayor, California governor: 'You f***!'

Actor Michael Rapaport goes on ballistic , expletive-laden rant against hypocrisy of LA mayor , California governor : 'You f*** @ @ @ @ @ motherf***ers are pissed off and protesting ! '

Actor Michael Rapaport took to his Instagram page on Sunday and blasted Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
In a now-viral video, Los Angeles resident Rapaport slammed state and local COVID-19 restrictions after discovering an operational flea market near Fairfax High School.
Filming the flea market, a furious Rapaport said, "Yo, look at this s**t! The f***in' Melrose-Fairfax farmer's market is poppin'! And I have no problem with all of these people making their money and making a living, but how the f*** is this OK, but right across the street, all the cafes, all of the restaurants are shut down?"
"Look at this s**t!" he railed. "Get your money, but who's making the decisions here? Garcetti, you f***! Gavin Newsom with the f***in' good hair! You f***! Look, they got the music playing and all of this s**t! This s**t doesn't make any f***in' sense. This don't make any f***in' sense. This is why motherf***ers are pissed off and protesting!"
In late November, Garcetti put the kibosh on indoor and outdoor dining as COVID-19 cases climbed across the city. Newsom has also issued a regional stay-at-home order, demanding residents remain sheltered in place unless leaving for work, shopping, or other necessary travel.
Content warning: Rough language:
What else?
On Monday, Rapaport told TMZ's Harvey Levin that he doesn't understand why certain rules apply to some businesses, but not others.
"It tripped me out that two blocks away, one of my favorite restaurants that's had very spread-out, outdoor dining has been shut down and every single other place for outdoor dining — not even for indoor dining ... [Los Angeles is] a city for outdoor dining because of the weather. I was just surprised," he said.
"I don't understand the science and the logic behind you could have a flea market, but you can't have outdoor dining," Rapaport added.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Teen boy attending remote classes commits suicide; mom says her son was feeling terribly isolated am

Teen boy attending remote classes commits suicide; mom says her son was feeling terribly isolated amid COVID-19 pandemic

Teen boy attending remote classes commits suicide ; mom says her son was feeling terribly isolated amid COVID-19 pandemic

A 16-year-old Maine boy who reportedly felt isolated and depressed amid the COVID-19 pandemic has taken his own life, his family said, according to reports.
The teen died last Friday, and leaves behind his mother, father, and a younger sister.
What are the details?
Spencer Smith, a sophomore at Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Maine, is dead after spending much of the school year alone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His mother Angela, according to reports, took to Facebook to vent her heartbreak, writing, "This remote learning is crap."
"I just lost a son because he couldn't be with his friends," she wrote. "He was trapped in the house. He felt like he lost his friends and had a hard time with his school work. He felt he had no future. He hated what society was becoming. So he took the easy way out. Parents, please take everything your kids are saying seriously. Give them a huge hug and don't let go. You never know if it will be the last time. This house is so quiet now. I would give anything to have the noise back."
His father, Jay, told WMTW-TV, "The social distance ain't working for the kids. I mean, the kids are having it hard."
Jay said that his son, a football player, was despondent to find out that traditional football would be replaced by flag football and that distance learning would soon become the norm amid the pandemic.
"As soon as he found out it wasn't going to be a regular football season, looking back, we noticed he stopped working out," Jay told the station. "He stopped riding his bike as much to the point he didn't even work out anymore. Instead of working out, he took naps. Thinking back, the last few months, we realized we missed catching the signs that things were getting worse for him. It wasn't the same type of practice because they had to social distance. He didn't like that part of it."
According to NBC News, Spencer eventually asked his parents to learn from home full-time, as just one day of attending in-school classes was too stressful. He also said that it was too difficult to see his friends, but not be able to interact with them.
What else?
The outlet noted, "[Jay] said his son left a note behind detailing his struggles with being isolated, writing that he felt like he was 'locked in this house.'"
"He was a fun-loving kid, but we didn't see the pain that apparently he was in," Jay admitted. "I'm not doing this about Spencer. I'm not trying to talk to you about Spencer. I'm talking about all teenagers and the way they feel. He wasn't average. He was our son. But that's not the life he wanted. He wanted more out of life. He wanted everything out of life."
You can watch a video report on the teen's untimely death here.


theblaze--2020-12-09--San Francisco archbishop slams COVID restrictions, says the state 'does not have authority' over the

San Francisco archbishop slams COVID restrictions, says the state 'does not have authority' over the church

San Francisco archbishop slams COVID restrictions , says the state 'does not have authority ' over the church 'The state @ @ @ @ @ intrude into matters of the church '

Church leaders in California continue to object to coronavirus restrictions that they say are unconstitutional infringements on Americans' right to worship.
Appearing on Fox News Wednesday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone accused the state of "intruding" its authority into church matters by ordering churches not to hold indoor worship services.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new tiered plan to reintroduce coronavirus lockdowns in different regions of the state based on ICU capacity. Because the remaining ICU capacity in Southern California has fallen below 15%, a region-wide stay-at-home order went into effect Sunday, closing several personal care businesses and restricting public and private gatherings.
"We're still not allowed to have indoor services while indoor retail is allowed to operate," Cordileone said on "America's Newsroom," noting that retail stores are permitted to be open at 20% capacity while church worship services are not permitted.
The archbishop argues that if retail and other "essential services" can remain open, churches that practice social distancing and proper sanitation should be allowed to hold worship services indoors as well.
"It's possible for people in these large department stores and retail outlets to spend an hour or two, even three hours inside whereas we can keep our religious services to an hour if necessary and make sure that people are safe," Cordileone explained.
"I accept the need for the state to give us guidance on safety, but we've shown we can do it, we should be allowed to do it," he added.
Conflicts between secular authorities implementing restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and religious leaders who feel their liberties are in jeopardy have escalated in recent months as the lockdowns have lasted far longer than the initial "15 days to slow the spread" promised last March.
On Tuesday, a church in Northern California was found to be in contempt of court and fined $55,000 for repeatedly defying a court order to stop holding unmasked indoor services. Mike McClure, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Fellowship in San Jose, told reporters, "I respect the judge, I understand what the laws are, but there's a bigger law."
Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Southern California has been an outspoken advocate against coronavirus restrictions. In October, MacArthur released a video calling on churches nationwide to open in defiance of secular mandates and challenging the media, government, and scientific consensus on the severity of the coronavirus.
The United States Supreme Court has become involved in the dispute. Last Thursday, the high court refused to uphold Newsom's restrictions on worship, remanding the case back to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with instructions to remand to the Central District of California court in light of the decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo. In that 5-4 Supreme Court decision, the Supreme Court ruled that New York could not enforce limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in coronavirus hot spots while permitting "essential" businesses to remain open. The court said such restrictions likely discriminate against religion in violation of the First Amendment.
Responding to that ruling on Dec. 3, Archbishop Cordileone issued a statement calling on California to ease restrictions on worship.
"Catholics and other responsible faith communities should not be lumped in with a few irresponsible bad actors. This is not done with anyone else, and it should not be done with people of faith," the statement said. "Worship is not less important than shopping for shoes; it is certainly more important to people's spiritual and psychological health; it is a natural and Constitutional right, and we Catholics have shown for months that we can worship safely — with masks, social distancing, ventilation, and sanitation."
"Let my people worship," Cordileone's statement concluded.
On Fox News, Cordileone expressed frustration with one set of rules for houses of worship and another set of rules for businesses favored by the government.
"It is very frustrating and it's very worrisome because one of the foundational principles of our country is the free exercise and non-establishment clauses of the First Amendment," Cordileone said. "So the state does not have authority to intrude into matters of the church. The state cannot tell the church not to worship."
"Again, I accept that the state can tell the church what we have to do to keep people safe, but it can't be so severe as to in effect ban public worship," he added.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Russia delivers very bad news to its citizens seeking COVID-19 vaccine: No alcohol for two months

Russia delivers very bad news to its citizens seeking COVID-19 vaccine : No alcohol for two months How 's that @ @ @ @ @

Russia has its own COVID-19 vaccine its offering to its citizenry that it claims is 95% effective — but there's a catch for anyone who wants to get the shots: no booze for two months.
What's going on with this vaccine?
Last week, Russia began issuing its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to members of its army as well as education, health care, and social services workers, and then to the rest of the citizenry, the government said via the state-run TASS News Agency.
But the government had a warning for anyone wanting to get the vaccine: You need to abstain from alcohol for about two months during the inoculation process.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova issued the warning Friday, TASS said, telling would-be vaccine patients that they must not only continue virus mitigation efforts — wearing face masks, socially distancing, using sanitizers — but also "refrain from drinking alcohol or taking immunosuppressant drugs."
The head of the nation's consumer safety watchdog, Anna Popova, repeated those warnings Tuesday in an interview with Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda, noting that anyone receiving the vaccine should avoid alcohol for two weeks before the first shot and then for another 42 days afterward because there is a 21-day gap between doses, the Moscow Times reported.
"It's a strain on the body. If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don't drink alcohol," she pleaded in the interview.
The request could be a tough one for the citizens of a country that, according to the World Health Organization, is the fourth-largest consumer of alcohol per capita, the New York Post noted.
Following Popova's remarks, Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the state-run Gamaleya research center, which was responsible for developing Sputnik V, tempered those warnings a little by saying that, while no one should abuse alcohol during the inoculation process, "a single glass of champagne never hurt anyone," the Times said.
Sputnick V's developers have claimed that the vaccine is 95% effective, the Times reported. But, as the Post revealed, the county has yet to provide studies to show the shots work, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has thus far refused to take it.
The vaccination push over the weekend saw approximately 100,000 people receiving the first of two shots required for the inoculation, according to the Times.


theblaze--2020-12-09--The largest protests in human history might be occurring right now. Here's what they're about.

The largest protests in human history might be occurring right now .
Here 's what they 're about .

Although most of the world outside of Asia remains oblivious, it is possible that the largest protests in human history are occurring right now in India, as an almost innumerable mass of farmers has risen up in protest against reform measures intended to improve the country's flailing agricultural economy.
What are the farmers protesting?
For years, the Indian government has provided guaranteed minimum prices to Indian farmers, and also kept in place a series of laws that has prevented consolidation of farmland into larger tracts. The system was designed to protect small farmers and provide them with reliable, stable income. The average farm in India is less than three acres.
As you might have guessed, however, the system has caused India to fall catastrophically far behind the rest of the globe in farming efficiency. And additionally, while the system has provided a basic subsistence living to many farmers, it has effectively kept them trapped in poverty. According to some estimates, over half of India's workforce currently works on farms, but farms only account for less than one-sixth of India's economy.
By way of comparison, the entire agricultural and food sector in America employs about 10% of its population and represents about 5% of its economy.
The system is, by any measure, not making any money for anyone, and also isn't doing a great job of providing food. In ordinary times, the sheer weight of the number of people working on farms provides enough food for India, but because the Indian agricultural system is so dependent on human labor, it is especially sensitive to disruptions in the labor market, which is one reason why India's food supply has been disproportionatelyaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to other countries.
The government has responded with a series of reforms, some of which are merely proposals at this point, and others of which were rammed through into law using parliamentary tactics that have even been criticized by the reforms' proponents. The government wants to allow private buyers to purchase the products produced by Indian farmers, instead of requiring farmers to sell to the government. They also want to relax laws regarding consolidation of agricultural land.
The farmers believe that these reforms — which are widely considered by economists to be necessary to the modernization of India's entire economy — will end up driving them off of their family farms, which they believe will be consolidated and eaten up by large farming corporations.
How large are the protests?
Huge.
The protests began in August and have grown in both intensity and size since. Reliable estimates of crowd sizes are difficult to come by because of the sheer number of people involved. According to one estimate, during Tuesday's protest alone, protesters jammed shoulder-to-shoulder clogging over 19 miles of major highways in Delhi, suggesting that at least tens if not hundreds of thousands were present.
Some estimates have suggested that the number of people who have protested nationwide in India since the protests began has been over 200 million, which would certainly place it in the running for the largest protest in human history.
India's farmers announced a general strike on Nov. 26, which involved more than 250 million farmers, thus making it almost certainly the largest organized strike in history.
The strike and accompanying protests — which have included farmers burning their fields and a heavy-handed government response that has caused scattered violence — has brought the country to its knees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is now negotiating with the heads of farmer unions to see if a compromise is possible that will get India's farmers back to work. Thus far, farmers have rejected those proposals and have promised that unless the reforms are repealed, they will escalate their protests and continue to bring life in India to a halt.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Racist chainsaw attack spurs on viral pro-Second Amendment video: 'Oh hell no, not today!'

Racist chainsaw attack spurs on viral pro-Second Amendment video : 'Oh hell no , not today ! '

Business owner Tieesha Essex, a military veteran and police officer, filmed a viral video for her firearms accessory company, Tiemonex, after the attempted attack on 25-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska, black woman Norma Nimox.
What's a very brief history?
According to a report from PJ Media, Essex was moved to film the ad following an apparent racially motivated attack on Nimox.
Authorities charged 41-year-old Daniel Stueck with a hate crime after he allegedly armed himself with a chainsaw and chased his neighbor, Nimox, while shouting racial slurs at her during a November incident.
Nimox, who is mother to a 5-year-old son, was able to outrun Steuck, and authorities captured the suspect and placed him under arrest for the bizarre crime.
A White Man Almost Chopped Up A Black Woman With A Chainsaw While Calling Her A Naker www.youtube.com
What are the details of Essex's video?
Essex's company, Tiemonex, sells firearms accessories online.
In a now-viral message, Essex posed as Nimox in a parody video of the original incident and took a decidedly pro-Second Amendment slant on the incident. In the video, Essex claims that she was armed at the time of the incident and shot the suspect as he chased her with his chainsaw.
"I'm going out the steps of my apartment and I see this dude with a chainsaw," Essex says in the video. "I'm like, who the hell does he think he is, Leatherface?"
Essex — as Nimox — describes how she saw the man give chase and begin using racial slurs to speak to her.
"Oh hell no, not today! Remember, I was wearing my Tiemonix belly band holster, I took out my gun and as soon as he started charging down them steps at me with that chainsaw, I shot his ass," she said, showcasing how she would have handled the frightening incident if she were Nimox.
At the time of this reporting, the spoof video, shared to social media, has been viewed nearly 1 million times.
What else?
After Essex's video went viral, she spoke with Nimox for an interview shared on her YouTube channel.
During the exchange, Essex offered to pay for any firearms training Nimox might consider taking in order to safely and legally use firearms in order to protect herself in the future.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Horowitz: Houston accused murderer released from jail arrested 5 months later for another murder

Horowitz : Houston accused murderer released from jail arrested 5 months later for another murder This is not limited to @ @

If you think the problem of murderers being released only to commit more murder is limited to blue states like California and New York, think again. The latest case of a violent self-confessed murderer in Houston being released only to allegedly murder again five months later should serve as a wake-up call to state legislators in Texas and other supposedly red states. There is a dramatic need for criminal justice reform that is actually aimed at locking up violent criminals, not releasing them.
Homicides are up 44% this year in Houston. The reason likely has a lot to do with people like Edward O'Neal, who was released from jail this year. O'Neal is being charged with murder in Harris County for allegedly shooting 39-year-old Derrick Mike to death at an apartment complex on Nov. 28. Like most murders, this one was 100% preventable had our criminal system been functioning properly by focusing on public safety, not sensitivity for murderers.
KTRK-TV reported that O'Neal confessed to stabbing his friend Ryan Roberts to death almost five years ago. Yet somehow, five years later, he still hadn't been convicted and sentenced to prison because his lawyers kept using O'Neal's mental state as a means of gumming up the wheels of justice.
The dysfunction of our treatment of violent, mentally ill criminals lead to the next dysfunction of jailbreak policies. In June 2020, Felony Mental Health Court Judge Mark Kent Ellis lowered his original $50,000 bond to $25,000. O'Neal bonded out of custody. Again, this is a man who reportedly confessed three times to a brutal murder that is believed to be part of a devil-worshipping satanic ritual, yet he bonded out on just $25,000. This is not a college student picked up for possessing marijuana.
According to court records, even O'Neal's own mother told investigators she was afraid of his release. The mother of the original victim, Ryan Roberts, informed KTRK that she also warned against his release. "I told the DA he should not get out. He killed my son, he'll be killing again," said Christina Roberts.
This is a case that reveals the dark side of the criminal justice "twindemic" of the violent mentally ill not being locked up and the general jailbreak policies of Harris County.
President Ronald Reagan railed against the treatment of mentally ill criminals in the justice system for years and how it was so hard to keep them off the streets. It has only gotten worse since his time. It's one thing to say that the mentally ill should be confined separately from other criminals; it's quite another to suggest they be released. If anything, those who are mentally ill are the biggest danger to society if they have proven violent proclivities — you know, like satanic murder. Yet leftists are simultaneously pushing de-incarceration of lucid criminals and abolishing of mental asylums for the criminally insane. They desire every public safety threat to remain on the streets.
Harris County has become just as bad as New York with pretrial bond releases. Last year, a Harris County judge initially offered an accused cop killer relatively low bail, despite his history of being released on crimes and bragging about it. In February, Gerald Washington was accused of murdering a random man in Houston just hours after being released for another murder despite his prior criminal record.
In August, the Texan reported, according to Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers Houston, 57 victims have been murdered in Harris County over the past two years by defendants who had been released on multiple felony bonds and personal recognizance bonds. That doesn't account for all those who served light prison sentences or were let out of prison early and went on to murder. And the momentum toward more and more leniency is getting stronger in the system with each passing day.
The reality is that the spike in homicide throughout the nation is the direct result of known violent criminals simply not being locked up. From Nov. 21 through Dec. 4, Houston has experienced twice as many murders as last year over the same period of time.
The jailbreak is also mixing in with the mental health crisis induced by the panic policies from some of the very same Houston politicians who are pushing draconian lockdowns. The same politicians who decriminalize murder are now criminalizing living, and it has made people more violent. There has been a 65% rise in domestic violence calls to a hotline at the Houston Area Women's Center since September 2019. According to police, the number of strangulation incidents in Houston has nearly doubled this year.
Indeed, the mix of coronavirus panic-driven fascism together with release of criminals has made an entire civilization mentally ill — dangerously so.
Next month, the Texas legislature is set to reconvene. There is a Republican governor as well as Republican lieutenant governor and attorney general. Addressing the loopholes for violent criminally insane people in the justice system should be the first priority. They must also clamp down on the power of these judges to release all violent criminals. While they are at it, they should end the lockdowns.
All those measures would go a long way in maintaining ordered liberty. If they fail to address these issues, they can't blame the fallout on Biden and Democrats. They control all of government, yet the state's policies increasingly look like those in California and New York. Who needs Democrats when you have compromised Republicans selling out our citizens with criminal justice deform?


theblaze--2020-12-09--Rep. Eric Swalwell responds to Chinese spy story by blaming President Trump

After a bombshell report linked him to an alleged Chinese spy , Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell ( Calif. ) responded by suggesting that information about the incident was leaked to the media by the Trump administration due to his frequent criticism of the president .
What are the details ?
Axios reported Monday that Swalwell was the highest profile target of a Chinese spy operation carried out by suspected foreign agent , Christine Fang , who infiltrated Democratic politics in California 's Bay Area between 2011 and 2015 , disingenuously acting as the head of university student organizations .
Fang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reportedly raised large sums of money on behalf of the unwitting lawmaker and even planted an intern in Swalwell 's congressional office before getting so close to him that federal investigators decided to step in and alert him of the situation .
Speaking with Politico Tuesday night , Swalwell , who is now a member of the House Intelligence Committee , said he first became aware that Axios was looking into Fang 's activities in July 2019 as he was ending his brief run in the Democratic presidential primary .
The California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most outspoken lawmakers pushing the Trump-Russia collusion narrative , then suggested that President Donald Trump might be behind the story .
`` I 've been a critic of the president .
I 've spoken out against him .
I was on both committees that worked to impeach him , '' Swalwell said in an interview on Tuesday .
`` The timing feels like that should be looked at . ''
`` What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponize someone 's cooperation , they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do , which is to try and discredit someone . ''
Rumors have circulated that Swalwell 's relationship with Fang was more than just political in nature .
Fox News ' Tucker Carlson claimed on air Tuesday night that U.S. intelligence officials believe Fang `` had a sexual relationship '' with Swalwell .
But when Carlson 's team asked the congressman about it , his office replied saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not Swalwell had a sexual relationship with Fang because that information might be 'classified . '
'' In its original report , Axios noted that Fang had developed romantic or sexual relationships with at least two unidentified Midwestern mayors .
A sexual encounter with one of them was allegedly captured by FBI surveillance .
During his interview with Politico , Swalwell refused to discuss the nature of his relationship with Fang .
According to Axios , Swalwell is not suspected of any wrongdoing as it pertains to his past involvement with Fang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country without warning in 2015 .
Swalwell 's office submitted the following statement to Axios ahead of the report 's publication : `` Rep. Swalwell , long ago , provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago , and whom he has n't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI .
To protect information that might be classified , he will not participate in your story . ''

After a bombshell report linked him to an alleged Chinese spy, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) responded by suggesting that information about the incident was leaked to the media by the Trump administration due to his frequent criticism of the president.
What are the details?
Axios reported Monday that Swalwell was the highest profile target of a Chinese spy operation carried out by suspected foreign agent, Christine Fang, who infiltrated Democratic politics in California's Bay Area between 2011 and 2015, disingenuously acting as the head of university student organizations.
Fang, who also went by Fang Fang, reportedly raised large sums of money on behalf of the unwitting lawmaker and even planted an intern in Swalwell's congressional office before getting so close to him that federal investigators decided to step in and alert him of the situation.
Speaking with Politico Tuesday night, Swalwell, who is now a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he first became aware that Axios was looking into Fang's activities in July 2019 as he was ending his brief run in the Democratic presidential primary.
The California Democrat, who has been one of the most outspoken lawmakers pushing the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, then suggested that President Donald Trump might be behind the story.
"I've been a critic of the president. I've spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him," Swalwell said in an interview on Tuesday. "The timing feels like that should be looked at."
"What it appears though that this person — as the story reports — was unsuccessful in whatever they were trying to do," he added. "But if intelligence officials are trying to weaponize someone's cooperation, they are essentially seeking to do what this person was not able to do, which is to try and discredit someone."
What else?
Rumors have circulated that Swalwell's relationship with Fang was more than just political in nature.
Fox News' Tucker Carlson claimed on air Tuesday night that U.S. intelligence officials believe Fang "had a sexual relationship" with Swalwell. But when Carlson's team asked the congressman about it, his office replied saying they "couldn't comment on whether or not Swalwell had a sexual relationship with Fang because that information might be 'classified.'"
In its original report, Axios noted that Fang had developed romantic or sexual relationships with at least two unidentified Midwestern mayors. A sexual encounter with one of them was allegedly captured by FBI surveillance.
During his interview with Politico, Swalwell refused to discuss the nature of his relationship with Fang.
Anything else?
According to Axios, Swalwell is not suspected of any wrongdoing as it pertains to his past involvement with Fang. The suspected foreign agent left the country without warning in 2015.
Swalwell's office submitted the following statement to Axios ahead of the report's publication: "Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI. To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."


theblaze--2020-12-09--Portland cops run away from emboldened leftist mob physically attacking them over home foreclosure

Portland cops run away from emboldened leftist mob physically attacking them over home foreclosure 'We ai n't f***in ' around @ @ @ @ @ heard yelling at cops while another leftist declared , ' I 'll knock you the @ @ @ @ @ '

Portland police officers apparently were no match for a violent leftist mob Tuesday, the members of which didn't like that cops were enforcing a home foreclosure.
Members of the mob kicked and threw rocks at retreating police vehicles and ran up on cops and appeared to try to steal their equipment while taunting and threatening them as they literally chased officers down a street.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @AlanMilanTracy
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @AlanMilanTracy
"We ain't f***in' around!" one militant was heard yelling at cops while another leftist declared, "I'll knock you the f*** out, bitch!"
Here's the clip. Content warning: Language:
How did this all unfold?
Early in the morning, police were trying to protect the perimeter of the foreclosed home so new owners could erect a fence, but the Oregonian said the size of the opposing crowd swelled — and officers were "struck by projectiles such as rocks and paint-filled balloons."
Cops made seven arrests, the paper said, and officers found one person with a gun as well as other guns on the property. But when police departed, the mob simply pulled down the fence and re-entered the property, the Oregonian said.
Police returned — and then more serious problems developed, the paper said:
The crowd swelled to about 200 people, and violent clashes ensued. Law enforcement ultimately retreated as police vehicles were damaged, including at least one window smashed. Protesters threw rocks at officers and one sprayed a fire extinguisher at them, prompting an officer to deploy an impact munition.
One police vehicle hit a parked car while trying to leave.
Content warning: Language:
The Oregonian said the melee subsided after police left about 10:30 a.m., and demonstrators took the down the fencing around the property, known as the "Red House on Mississippi," and piled up rocks and bricks, presumably for future throwing purposes.
Another 'autonomous zone'
Turns out another "autonomous zone" was created in the area in order to subvert the foreclosure:
What did police have to say?
"I certainly am respectful of the issue that people are there to address, but blocking streets and chasing police officers out of the neighborhood is still not OK and really contrary to our values as Portlanders," Deputy Police Chief Chris Davis told the paper Tuesday evening.
Davis added that police "have to be thoughtful about" the situation and go about it "in the right way" and "consider all the angles and do our best to resolve the situation as safely as possible," the Oregonian reported.
As it turns out, squads of Rapid Response Team officers assigned to the location departed — partly to avoid overtime spending — once contractors completed their work around the property, the paper said, adding that a much smaller group of officers who relieved them were "overrun by the large crowd after which police made a swift retreat."
Here's more video of police heading for the hills. Content warning: Language:


theblaze--2020-12-09--Ricky Gervais vows he'll never be canceled: 'If I have to, I’ll go to Hyde Park and stand up on a be

Ricky Gervais vows he'll never be canceled: 'If I have to, I’ll go to Hyde Park and stand up on a bench and shout s**t'

Ricky Gervais vows he 'll never be canceled : 'If I have to , I ’ ll go to Hyde @ @ @ @ @ a bench and shout s**t' 'Just because you 're offended , it does n't mean @ @ @ @

British comedian Ricky Gervais recently sounded off on cancel culture again, but vowed never to fall victim to the online shaming practice.
The former Golden Globes host — who famously roasted Hollywood liberals during his opening monologue at the 2020 awards show and then refused to cave when the woke mob came for him — opened up about the dangers of cancel culture during an interview for the podcast, "SmartLess."
At the start of the conversation, he expressed frustration with how comedians can have their livelihoods destroyed just because they say something unpopular.
"The scary thing is being canceled if you say the wrong thing and suddenly Netflix can take you off their platform," Gervais told podcast hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. "You could be the most woke, politically correct stand-up in the world at the moment, but you don't know what it's going to be like in ten years' time. You can get canceled for things you said ten years ago."
He went to say, "The misunderstanding about cancel culture is some people think you should be able to say anything you want without consequences and that's not true because we're members of society and people are allowed to criticize you. They're allowed to not buy your things, they're allowed to burn your DVDs and they're allowed to turn the telly off. What they're not allowed to do is to bully other people into not going to see you."
But the danger of "cancelation" extends beyond just comedians, Gervais argued, bringing up the hypothetical scenario of a doctor being canceled because of something he posts on Twitter despite it not being "relevant to what they do."
Nevertheless, the comedian, who often experiences criticism for jokes he makes online, laughed at the idea that he could be canceled.
"What is being canceled?" he asked. "It's having no platform. And what can they do to me? Who's gonna cancel me? Twitter? YouTube? If I have to, I'll go to Hyde Park and stand up on a bench and shout s**t."
Gervais went on to describe cancel culture like a form of "road rage."
"It's way too fast," he said. "Twenty years ago, if you were offended by someone on television you got a pen and paper and you went, 'Dear BBC ...', Now you fire off a tweet and that tweet goes on the f***ing news."
"It's things happening too fast that you can't take back," he added.
But "just because you're offended, it doesn't mean you're right," he concluded in a stinging rebuke.


theblaze--2020-12-09--YouTube says it will remove any video alleging widespread voter fraud in 2020 election

YouTube announced Wednesday that it will begin removing content that alleges widespread fraud or voting irregularities in the 2020 U.S. presidential election now that the safe harbor deadline for the election has passed.
Any new content uploaded to the video hosting platform after Tuesday that alleges widespread fraud changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will be removed, the company said in a blog post.
"Our policies prohibit misleading viewers about where and how to vote. We also disallow content alleging widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of a historical U.S. Presidential election," the company explained. "However in some cases, that has meant allowing controversial views on the outcome or process of counting votes of a current election as election officials have worked to finalize counts."
"Yesterday was the safe harbor deadline for the U.S. Presidential election and enough states have certified their election results to determine a President-elect," YouTube continued. "Given that, we will start removing any piece of content uploaded today (or anytime after) that misleads people by alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, in line with our approach towards historical U.S. Presidential elections."
New videos, for example, that claim former Vice President Joe Biden won the election due to "software glitches or counting errors" associated with Dominion Voting Systems will be targeted for removal.
The content censorship comes as Texas has filed a lawsuit, supported by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri, alleging that four battleground states exploited the coronavirus pandemic to make unconstitutional changes to mail-in voting rules. The lawsuit seeks to delay the Electoral College vote to select the next U.S. president until investigations into possible election fraud are completed.
In recent weeks, YouTube has faced heavy criticism for permitting videos that dispute the election results to be uploaded on its platform. Wednesday's statement addressed the potential conflict between demands from the left to censor so-called "misinformation" and complaints from the right about free speech.
"We understand the need for intense scrutiny on our elections-related work. Our teams work hard to ensure we are striking a balance between allowing for a broad range of political speech and making sure our platform isn't abused to incite real-world harm or broadly spread harmful misinformation," YouTube said.
YouTube content creators like BlazeTV host Dave Rubin reported receiving an email from YouTube Wednesday explaining the new policy.
"Adios free speech. The bannings are coming," Rubin said, sharing a screenshot of an email explaining that any video "alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election" will be removed.
"There's a historic lawsuit at the Supreme Court alleging massive fraud in our election but we can't talk about it on @YouTube," video producer Robby Starbuck said. "This censorship does the exact opposite of what they intend for it to do. It will only solidify the belief many have that the elite stole the presidency."
"Notice, they did no such thing with the Russia collusion conspiracy theories that went on for years," radio talk show and BlazeTV host Mark Levin tweeted.
"These are editorial guidelines," YouTuber Tim Pool said. "Time to start suing Youtube as they are now issuing direct guidance on what you can publish outside what is prescribed in Section 230."


theblaze--2020-12-09--POLL: Do you think Texas' Supreme Court case will overturn the results of the election?

POLL : Do you think Texas ' Supreme Court case will overturn the results of the election ?
Cast your @ @ @ @ @ to share !

POLL: Do you think Texas' Supreme Court case will overturn the results of the election?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-12-09--Lawsuit filed after Colorado earmarks certain COVID relief for minority-owned businesses only

Lawsuit filed after Colorado earmarks certain COVID relief for minority-owned businesses only 'Hey , this does n't seem right to @ @ @ @ @ only one subsection of the Coloradans who have been hurt and ignore the others '

Colorado lawmakers passed legislation recently allocating coronavirus relief funds to minority-owned businesses only.
Now, Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, is being sued over the earmarked funds.
What's the background?
KUSA-TV reported:
Millions of COVID-19 relief dollars will soon be available to artists, entertainers, art venues and minority-owned businesses in Colorado. The passage of Senate Bill 1 last week also known as the COVID-19 Relief for Small & Minority Businesses/Arts Organizations has prioritized these groups to receive $57 million in state funding.
Exactly $4 million of the funding was earmarked for businesses that are at least 51% minority-owned, the Denver Post reported.
What's happening now?
Etienne Hardre, a white businessman who owns a barbershop, is suing Polis, claiming the allocation of funds for non-white businesses only is "unconstitutional."
Hardre argued that all businesses have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus lockdown and ensuing restrictions placed enacted by politicians, and therefore should have equal access to financial relief.
"We have nothing against minorities, minorities are fantastic," Hardre told the Post.
"However, everybody, all Americans, all Coloradans have been hurt. Business owners of all kinds, whites as well as minorities. We are doing our part to just raise a flag and say, 'Hey, this doesn't seem right to carve out the money for only one subsection of the Coloradans who have been hurt and ignore the others,'" he explained.
Hardre has lost one-third of his business revenue during the pandemic.
How is the race-based allocation unconstitutional?
Attorney Michael Kuhn explained that making access to economic aid race-based without proving how it remedies racial discrimination violates the Constitution.
"The Supreme Court has held that if you are going to do race-conscious measures, you are required to specify the past or present discrimination you are remedying," Kuhn explained.
"And societal, so-called systemic racism isn't sufficient," he added.
However, state Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat, argued in an interview with WUSA that the COVID-19 pandemic "has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color."
Specifically, the Denver Post reported in August that black and Hispanic Coloradans had been disproportionately hospitalized with COVID-19 complications.
At one point during the pandemic, the hospitalization rate of black Coloradans more than doubled their share of the state population. Also, back in May, more than half of Colorado's hospitalizations were of Hispanics, despite Hispanics composing just 22% of the state population.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Christmas lights on home ripped as 'harmful,' 'reminder of divisions ... systemic biases.' Then anon

Christmas lights on home ripped as 'harmful,' 'reminder of divisions ... systemic biases.' Then anonymous critic gets holiday haranguing.

Christmas lights on home ripped as 'harmful , ' 'reminder of divisions ... systemic biases . '
Then anonymous critic @ @ @ @ @ just need to stop already !
!
If I lived in that neighborhood I 'd @ @ @ @ @ even more lights . '

A Minnesota couple received an anonymous letter Monday criticizing the Christmas light display on their St. Anthony home as "harmful," Fox News noted.
Say what?
The letter to Kim Hunt and her husband started out like so: "I couldn't help but notice your Christmas lights display. During these unprecedented times, we have all experienced challenges which casual words just don't describe what we're feeling. The idea of twinkling, colorful lights are a reminder of divisions that continue to run through our society, a reminder of systemic biases against our neighbors who don't celebrate Christmas or who can't afford to put up lights of their own."
It adds that "we must do the work of educating ourselves about the harmful impact an outward facing display like yours can have."
Here's a look at the letter — and the "harmful" Christmas lights:
The letter writer then says, "I challenge you to respect the dignity of all people, while striving to learn from differences, ideas, and opinions of our neighbors. We must come together collectively and challenge these institutional inequities. St. Anthony is a community welcoming of all people, and we must demand better for ourselves."
What did Hunt have to say?
Hunt told Fox News that she and her husband were "very surprised, shocked, and saddened by the letter" — particularly since the lights give her a sense of "joy" when she returns from her job as a nurse working with COVID-19 patients.
She added to the cable network that "these times we live in are so divisive" and that it's "a sad statement that Christmas lights have to be a target."
"We need to be inclusive of everyone, and let's face it, a lot of people put up holiday lights or decorate their homes for other occasions to bring beauty and happiness to what can be a very ugly world," Hunt told Fox News, adding that three other homes in the area have received the same letter.
What did observers have to say?
As you might expect, the letter writer got an earful from Twitter users who saw the Crime Watch post containing the photo of the letter.
Fox News said former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Derek Anderson observed: "Saw this coming a long time ago. 'If I can't have it nobody can' or 'if they have it we all deserve it' that's not life."
Others had similar reactions:


theblaze--2020-12-09--Horowitz: How magical masks can achieve more than 100% efficacy

Horowitz : How magical masks can achieve more than 100 % efficacy They work even when they do n't

Masks are so effective that they work even when they don't. You see, most non-pharmaceutical interventions are either effective or ineffective against this virus and can be judged based on the results. But when it comes to the unassailable majestic masks, they work so well that even when they don't work, they create more need to wear them, precisely because they don't work and there is still more work to be done. Confused?
In nearly every state and certainly every major city, we have seen the most dramatic social change of our lifetime with people walking around like mummies and bandits. It's unmistakable. Even violent criminals are complying with the mask mandate while committing crimes. I have not seen a single human being indoors in any store or institution in my state of Maryland without a mask since April. According to Carnegie Mellon's survey, there is 97% compliance statewide, yet it has not slowed the fall wave of coronavirus spread one iota.
This is true of most places, according to surveys done on mask compliance. On June 24, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said, "When at least 80% of a population adopts universal masking, it results in a substantial reduction of infection." What are the results with 93% compliance statewide and 95% in Las Vegas?
During the Sept. 29 presidential debate, Joe Biden said, "If we just wear a mask, we can save half those numbers. Just a mask." To that end, he plans to implement a 100-day mask mandate. But, this has already been going on for longer than 100 days, and cases exploded rather than dropping by half.
One would expect that seven months later, we would no longer need to speculate about efficacy, calculate intangible projection models, or blow particles through a simulator or mannequins in a lab. We could just look at the actual real-life results we are supposedly trying to affect.
The problem with such an overview is that it would reveal that masks have failed to stop the spread one iota. By the very admission of those most fervently supporting lockdown policies, this fall has brought about the most widespread transmission of the virus to date. In fact, they are so frantic that in places like California, they are pushing new ideas … such as lockdowns and masks.
Well, actually, they are not such new ideas. Indeed, they have been wearing masks for over 150 days and have never fully come out of the original lockdown. Yet after cases have been relatively low there for months, they are now skyrocketing. The masks have been caught red-handed, just like in the Czech Republic and every other place that had a good result until they didn't!
The spread is so strong in Los Angeles County that it now has nearly twice as many cases per capita as Florida.
Florida already had a stronger wave in the summer, so there was more immune resistance among the population to the heavy fall wave of the virus. Whereas precisely because California had relatively few cases until recently, it is getting hit with a rapid transmission. But that is the broader point. This is all about regional seasonality and built-up immunity – 100% natural phenomena. The "virus is gonna virus" regardless of what we do. We can throw cloths on our faces as medieval superstitious sacraments to the gods of the masks, but that won't change the fact that the virus has its own natural trajectory.
The sophomoric and ephemeral COVID observations contrasting different states and countries are getting old. The media jumps on a specific area for having a lot of cases … until that area no longer does. The media lauds an area for having few cases … until that area gets slammed. Numerous states and countries went months without problems, despite limited non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as mask-wearing. Yet nobody used that fact against the mask cult. Then when it finally spread, the transmission is blamed on not wearing masks. Conversely, all the places that were wearing masks and did well initially were touted as displays of mask magic. Then, when the cases began to soar and they clamored for lockdowns and mask mandates, they suddenly forget those places already had mandates in place.
It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to realize that masks and lockdowns are not driving this ship. The areas that do worse later on are precisely the ones that fared better before. For reasons that are still unknown in some cases, it is simply their time to spread, but once their turns came, the fact that they had less built-up immunity made the subsequent spread even worse.
Population density also plays a big role in the timing, because the states out west with lower density got hit long after the denser eastern areas, so naturally the western states will get hit the hardest after the eastern states built up resistance for seven months while the western ones initially dodged the bullet.
One of my friends at RationalGround.com gave an eye-opening analysis on Twitter showing the near-perfect mechanical seasonal and geographic spread patterns of the virus since the spring, which demonstrates that time and place are the active ingredients even when individual states within the same region employed very divergent policies.
Rather than having the humility to acknowledge their fallibility in the face of this virus, California officials are doubling down on blaming people for not being compliant. But have you ever seen anyone in L.A. without a mask? According to Carnegie Mellon's daily tracking surveys through social media, 95% of people in California report wearing masks. That average includes the rural areas, so it's likely that in places like L.A. the compliance is closer to 100%. For people who would be most responsible for spread — those working indoors for hours at a time — there is almost no establishment that would allow the individual to work without a mask. It simply doesn't exist.
The simple fact is that the virus is spreading in California exponentially more than it did in March when nobody was wearing a mask. Does this mean masks are responsible for the spread? Not necessarily. It likely means now is a time for the virus to spread. It's all natural. But masks are not helping. However, they continue to accept the advice of Dr. Fauci to double down on a policy that has already failed to stop the sharpest spread.
The compliance for something this draconian is actually astounding. The mask cultists have gotten everything they wanted. And like everything made in China, the masks are not working. Now it's time for them to own the results.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Is it strange that a Chinese sex spy reportedly infiltrating American politics isn't front-page news

Is it strange that a Chinese sex spy reportedly infiltrating American politics isn't front-page news?

Is it strange that a Chinese sex spy reportedly infiltrating American politics is n't front-page news ?

Do you think it's strange that a Chinese sex spy reportedly infiltrating American politics isn't front-page news? Steven covers that and a huge announcement from YouTube that you do not want to miss. That and more on today's episode of Good Morning Mug Club.
Can't watch? Listen to the podcast here.
Use promo code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
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To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand.


theblaze--2020-12-09--Tesla's Elon Musk ditches California for Texas: 'California has been winning for a long time ... the

Tesla's Elon Musk ditches California for Texas: 'California has been winning for a long time ... they're taking that for granted'

Tesla 's Elon Musk ditches California for Texas : 'California has been winning for a long time ... they 're @ @ @ @ @

Billionaire business magnate Elon Musk has announced a major relocation — from the very liberal California to the highly conservative state of Texas.
The Tesla CEO made the announcement on Tuesday during the Wall Street Journal's annual CEO Council summit.
What are the details?
Musk said that while there are a "lot of things" that are "really great" about the West Coast state, he felt it prudent to move to Texas.
"If a team has been winning for too long, they do tend to get a little complacent, a little entitled and then they don't win the championship anymore," he said during the summit. "California has been winning for a long time. And I think they're taking that for granted a little bit."
In May, Musk tweeted that Tesla — which remains headquartered in California at the time of this reporting — would consider moving its headquarters facilities to Texas and Nevada after state officials refused to permit the company's Fremont, California, factory to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Musk's aerospace firm, SpaceX, also remains headquartered in California at the time of this writing.
In his Tuesday remarks, Musk said, "First of all, Tesla and SpaceX obviously have massive operations in California. In fact, it's worth noting that Tesla is the last car company still manufacturing cars in California. SpaceX is the last aerospace company still doing significant manufacturing in California. So. There used to be over a dozen car plants in California. And California used to be the center of aerospace manufacturing! My companies are the last two left. ... That's a very important point to make."
He added, "For myself, yes, I have moved to Texas."
"We've got [SpaceX's] Starship development here in South Texas, where I am right now," he went on. "And then we've got big factory developments just outside Austin."
The factory in question, according to CNN, is Tesla's Giga Texas, which will be utilized to manufacture Tesla's Cybertruck, Semi, and Models 3 and Y for the eastern portion of the United States.
Fox Business reports that Musk's personal move to Texas means that he will "increase his chances at avoiding a 13.3% state income tax on the capital gains he takes in the event he sells Tesla stock or receives bonuses — though California's Franchise Tax Board can be known for their relentless pursuit of income taxes across state lines. Texas has no personal income tax."