theblaze--2020-11-30--NFL hits New Orleans Saints with massive fine, draft penalty for celebrating without face masks

NFL hits New Orleans Saints with massive fine , draft penalty for celebrating without face masks ' ... unmasked players @ @ @ @ @ the game '

The New Orleans Saints were hit with a massive fine and costly penalty over the weekend for celebrating their recent win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an NFL South division rival, without face coverings.
What are the details?
Following their dominating 38-3 win over the Buccaneers on Nov. 8, Saints players and the team's coaching staff allegedly celebrated without wearing face masks. In response, league officials have fined the team a whopping $500,000 and revoked a seventh-round draft pick, according to ESPN.
Videos posted to social media showed numerous players and head coach Sean Payton celebrating postgame in their locker room without masks. Those videos circulated online and apparently caught the attention of league officials.
League sources told ESPN reporter Mike Triplett that the Saints' discipline was directly in response to the team's non-masked activity in the locker room after the game.
"It was actions in the video with unmasked players in the locker room after the game," the source said. "The team also had previous violations and was provided ample warning that further actions would result in escalated discipline."
Why such a harsh penalty?
The Saints are not the first team to be penalized for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocol. The New England Patriots, for example, were tagged with a $350,000 fine for not following league rules after quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19 last month, ESPN reported.
However, the Saints are a repeat offender, leading to the more severe penalty.
In fact, the team has already been hit with one COVID-related penalty. Head coach Sean Payton was hit with a $100,000 fine and the team with a $250,000 fine after Payton was caught without a face covering during a game in September.
Nor are the Saints the first NFL team to receive such a stiff fine levied against them for COVID reasons — that distinction belongs to the Las Vegas Raiders.
From USA Today in early November:
After Raiders right tackle Trent Brown tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago, the NFL found video evidence that included several players not wearing masks or face shields and not adhering to social distancing on the sidelines, a person with knowledge of the league's investigation told USA TODAY Sports under the condition of anonymity. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal details of the probe. The investigation also found that Brown removed the electronic contact tracing device that players and staff members are required to wear as a tool for mitigating spread.
In response, the NFL fined the Raiders $500,000, stripped the franchise of a sixth-round draft pick, and fined head coach Jon Gruden $150,000.


theblaze--2020-11-30--POLL: What are you most worried about?

POLL: What are you most worried about?

POLL : What are you most worried about ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to share !

POLL: What are you most worried about?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-11-30--Daily Beast editor-at-large goes on warpath in chilling editorial directed against Trump supporters

Daily Beast editor-at-large goes on warpath in chilling editorial directed against Trump supporters Some might say this kind of invective @ @

Rick Wilson, the Daily Beast's editor-at-large, says he and presumably others "won't forget" and "won't forgive" what Trump supporters did to America.
In his rant, Wilson also appeared to compare the United States to a cheap hooker that President Donald Trump used and abused.
What are the details?
In a Sunday night editorial tagged "overdue penalties," Wilson said that it's simply "not enough to merely enjoy their agony and humiliation" as former Vice President Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated in January 2021.
"It's not enough to hope they'll be shamed and correct their behavior," Wilson added in his short — but very pointed — remarks.
"The dark is rising for Trump's sycophants, toadies, and enablers," Wilson wrote. "Their tough-guy acts and f***-your-feelings s***-talk have become a furious whine of complaints and recriminations as a toxic slurry of rage and despair has left a stinging bile in the back of their throats that won't go away."
"Trump lost," he continued, "and they can't spin their way past it."
Pointing to the Trump campaign's election fraud-related lawsuits against various states, Wilson added, "Even as his lawyers are all but chased out of each town where they file their absurd, doomed lawsuits, the true believers still imagine some miracle emerging from the wreckage of Trump's campaign."
"The media apparatus that monetized the moronic state of religion of Trumpism is still pumping their slowcoach followers full of stupid, easily disproven lies."
Wilson then appeared to compare the country to a cheap prostitute in concluding his rantings.
"The Professional Class of Republicans, though, know that the bitter end is here — that their dirty half-decade of personal abnegation and degradation is coming to a sick, sad finale," he concluded. "It would leave them with a sense of shame if they had any. Most of the GOP, Inc. types long ago lost that sensibility. Still, America is watching them experiencing a combination of fury and humiliation as Trump heads to the door before even dropping the cash on the nightstand."


theblaze--2020-11-30--UPDATE: An overview of Sidney Powell's lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan

UPDATE : An overview of Sidney Powell 's lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan

Steven gives an overview of the latest legal developments in Georgia and Michigan and then turns to look at Tucker Carlson's critique of Sidney Powell's allegations before the lawsuits were even filed.
Use promo code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
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--2020-11-30--Atlanta schools opened for 'Spider-Man' filming but not for students

Atlanta schools opened for 'Spider-Man ' filming but not for students

The cast and crew of a major film production is set to return to Atlanta, Georgia, classrooms before Atlanta students.
What are the details?
Despite students still being barred from returning to in-person classes, Atlanta Public Schools granted special permission to Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to film "Spider-Man" at two local schools — Frederick Douglass High School and Henry W. Grady High School — in January and March, respectively, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The district delayed its plans to partially reopen schools for students last month and said that the soonest students may be able to return to classes is January, and that's not even guaranteed. School buildings were closed and classes were moved fully online more than eight months ago in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a part of the pandemic response, the district had also stopped the use of its facilities for film production. But now that policy appears to be changing after the big-name moviemaking companies threw their weight around.
In order to secure the special permission, the production reportedly dangled $50,000 in extra incentives in front of the district. Ian Easterbrook, location manager for the film, described the request as "unique and very time-sensitive" and said that he had "exhausted our normal channels of communication" before reaching out to Superintendent Lisa Herring directly.
"I know that APS is currently not accepting filming applications due to the COVID pandemic, and I know that filming a new movie quickly falls to the bottom of the priority list," he wrote in an email to the district obtained by the news outlet.
He reportedly added that use of the two schools is "vital to the success of this next film" because the location had already been established in the film's forerunner, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," which debuted in 2017.
What else?
The move to allow filming inside the schools before allowing in-person education to resume has upset some parents, according to the Washington Post.
"In person school is not only safe, it's necessary for learning," wrote one mother and teacher on Twitter. "Too bad kids don't generate the millions a movie does, or they'd be back in front of their teacher in a classroom rather than a computer screen."
A spokesman for the district, Seth Coleman, said that "Spider-Man" is the first film project to receive permission to use its schools for filming since the start of the pandemic. He noted that the request was approved because the schools were used before for the previous move in the series.
In addition to the $50,000 donation, the district will reportedly collect its customary filming fees of $750 a day for setup and tear-down and $2,500 a day for filming, as well as by-the-hour charges for any staff time.


theblaze--2020-11-30--Dominion voting machine server crash causes delay in Georgia recount

The third count of presidential votes in Georgia hit a snag Sunday when a server maintained by Dominion voting machines — which have become a point of controversy — crashed in Fulton County after about 88 % of the votes had been recounted .
Officials in Georgia say that the count will resume on Monday morning and expect the recount to be completed by the deadline of Dec. 2 .
Everything that happens with Dominion voting machines has become the subject of intense scrutiny after glitches in Michigan appeared to reverse the totals in initial reporting between President Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives on social media — including the president and his legal team — have cast doubt on the security of the machines .
According to Fox News , election officials notified the outlet of the unspecified problem with a newly deployed mobile server on Sunday night and indicated that technicians had been dispatched to resolve the issue .
The current tally in Georgia shows President Trump trailing Biden by about 13,000 votes , but the Trump legal team has challenged the results and has sharply criticized Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp and Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do enough to challenge the results of the election , which Raffensperger in particular has strongly stood behind .
The Trump campaign has additionally requested ( and obtained ) multiple recounts of the results in Georgia .
The campaign claims that the previous recount 's failure to include signature matching ( which the state says is now impossible since envelopes have been discarded per usual procedure when ballots are opened ) renders the results of these recounts suspect .
Dominion has aggressively denied that its machines either were or have been tampered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company has also encouraged workers to work from home and to hide their social media profiles because they claim that their workers have been subjected to `` persistent harassment and threats against personal safety '' due to the scrutiny of the election results .
Last week , a spokesman for Dominion stated that it was `` physically impossible '' to alter votes in the Dominion system and noted that whenever someone casts a vote on a Dominion machine , it produces a paper receipt that is kept by the county .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the tally reported electronically would not match the printed ballots , and in every case where we 've looked at — in Georgia , all across the country — the printed ballot , the gold standard in election security , has matched the electronic tally , '' the spokesman said .

The third count of presidential votes in Georgia hit a snag Sunday when a server maintained by Dominion voting machines — which have become a point of controversy — crashed in Fulton County after about 88% of the votes had been recounted. Officials in Georgia say that the count will resume on Monday morning and expect the recount to be completed by the deadline of Dec. 2.
Everything that happens with Dominion voting machines has become the subject of intense scrutiny after glitches in Michigan appeared to reverse the totals in initial reporting between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Many conservatives on social media — including the president and his legal team — have cast doubt on the security of the machines.
According to Fox News, election officials notified the outlet of the unspecified problem with a newly deployed mobile server on Sunday night and indicated that technicians had been dispatched to resolve the issue.
The current tally in Georgia shows President Trump trailing Biden by about 13,000 votes, but the Trump legal team has challenged the results and has sharply criticized Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for failing to do enough to challenge the results of the election, which Raffensperger in particular has strongly stood behind. The Trump campaign has additionally requested (and obtained) multiple recounts of the results in Georgia. The campaign claims that the previous recount's failure to include signature matching (which the state says is now impossible since envelopes have been discarded per usual procedure when ballots are opened) renders the results of these recounts suspect.
Dominion has aggressively denied that its machines either were or have been tampered with in Georgia or any other state. The company has also encouraged workers to work from home and to hide their social media profiles because they claim that their workers have been subjected to "persistent harassment and threats against personal safety" due to the scrutiny of the election results.
Last week, a spokesman for Dominion stated that it was "physically impossible" to alter votes in the Dominion system and noted that whenever someone casts a vote on a Dominion machine, it produces a paper receipt that is kept by the county. "If any electronic interference had taken place, the tally reported electronically would not match the printed ballots, and in every case where we've looked at — in Georgia, all across the country — the printed ballot, the gold standard in election security, has matched the electronic tally," the spokesman said.


theblaze--2020-11-30--Far-left actress Bette Midler rips conservatives, wealthy people 'sailing by us in their yachts.' Th

Far-left actress Bette Midler rips conservatives, wealthy people 'sailing by us in their yachts.' Then she's reminded of her bank account.

Far-left actress Bette Midler rips conservatives , wealthy people 'sailing by us in their yachts . '
Then she 's @ @ @ @ @ . '
I 'm a huge fan , but if I 'm not mistaken , @ @ @ @ @ ' one observer replied

Far-left actress Bette Midler and longtime member of the Hollywood elite is taking it on the chin for a tone-deaf tweet in which she ripped conservatives and wealthy people "sailing by us in their yachts."
What did she tweet?
Midler on Sunday hopped on Twitter and made her case:
"How will Americans make any progress with #MoscowMitch as #SenateMajorityLeader?" she asked. "He'll block every piece of legislation created to move us forward, because that's the definition of conservatism. We'll be treading water for years, except the rich, sailing by us in their yachts."
What was the reaction?
Some folks who read Midler's tweet were more than a little bit taken aback by her hypocrisy:
"I agree Bette & I'm a huge fan, but if I'm not mistaken, you're pretty rich," one commenter wrote back. "So while I agree that Mitch needs to go, you probably shouldn't call out rich ppl when you are one of them. Maybe call out rich ppl and get them to support the cause and help out. Just a suggestion."
"You Are 'the rich.' Lol," another observer said. "McConnell isn't the most conservative, but he's wise for blocking anything you call 'moving forward.' You wouldn't know the definition of conservatism even if someone explained it to you in 3rd grade-level terms in crayon."
"What is your net worth, Bette baby?" another commenter asked. "Why haven't you put your money where your loud mouth is and given it away voluntarily to help those worse off than you? Why do you still live as a rich person? Could it be because you're just another hypocrite piece of s**t. Why yes, yes it is."
A few other commenters offered visual aids along with their words:
Image source: Twitter
Image source: Twitter
Image source: Twitter
Anything else?
This was far from the first time Midler let loose with an outrageous social media statement:


theblaze--2020-12-01--Sen. Rand Paul rips Dr. Anthony Fauci's school closures guidance: He owes apology to 'every single p

Sen. Rand Paul rips Dr. Anthony Fauci's school closures guidance: He owes apology to 'every single parent and school-age child in America'

Sen. Rand Paul rips Dr. Anthony Fauci 's school closures guidance : He owes apology to 'every single parent and @ @ @ @ @

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci in a Sunday tweet after the infectious diseases expert said that schools should be open amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During a Sunday interview on ABC's "This Week," Fauci said that the government's "default position" should be to keep children in school — but close bars.
"If you look at the data," he explained during the interview, "the spread among children and from children is not very big at all, not like one would have suspected. So let's try to get the kids back. But let's try to mitigate the things that maintain and push the kind of community spread we are trying to avoid. And those are the things you know well. The bars, the restaurants ... those are the things that drive the community spread. Not the schools."
What are the details?
Following Fauci's remarks, conservative activist Jack Posobiec tweeted, "Dr Fauci owes @RandPaul an apology."
Paul immediately took notice and added his own two cents.
He wrote, "No, [Fauci] owes one to every single parent and school-age child in America. ... I told him this multiple times this summer."
What else?
Indeed, in July, Paul took Fauci to task during a Senate hearing regarding school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the hearing, an incensed Paul accused Fauci of politicizing the coronavirus pandemic and the government's response to mitigate the effects.
"When are we gonna tell the people the truth?" Paul asked. "That it's OK to take their kids back to school. Dr. Fauci, every day, virtually every day we seem to hear from you things we can't do. But when you're asked, 'Can we go back to school?' I don't hear much certitude at all, I hear, 'Well maybe it depends.'"
"All of this body of evidence about schools around the world shows there's no surge," he continued. "All of the evidence shows it's rare. I mean, we're so politicized this and made it politically correct that the WHO releases that it's rare, you have a scientist up there honestly giving her opinion. What happens to her? She's blackballed and her report that she refers to is taken off the website!"
Paul wasn't finished there.
"When you go to that scientist's speech and you try to click on the link, the WHO has now screened it from us because it said something that's not politically correct. Guess what?" he exclaimed. "It's rare for kids to transmit this. But I hear nothing of that coming from you! All I hear, Dr. Fauci, is 'We can't do this, we can't do that, we can't play baseball.' Even that's not based on the science! I mean flu season peaks in February, we don't know if COVID is gonna be like the flu season, it might, but we don't know that!"
Fauci responded by saying that he agreed with much of what the Kentucky Republican had to say.
"So very quickly, Senator Paul, I agree with a lot of what you say about you know, this idea about people having to put their opinions out without data," he began. "And sometimes you have to make extrapolations because you're in a position where you need to at least give some sort of recommendation."
"But if you were listening, and I think you were, to my opening statement and my response to one of the questions, I feel very strongly we need to do whatever we can to get the children back to school," he continued. "So I think we are in lock agreement with that."


theblaze--2020-12-01--'Truly incredible': Missing Florida boater found clinging to capsized vessel 86 miles from shore

'Truly incredible ' : Missing Florida boater found clinging to capsized vessel 86 miles from shore He was discovered by @ @ @ @ @ ship

A missing Florida man was rescued Sunday after being found 86 miles from shore, clinging for dear life to his capsized boat in an outcome one U.S. Coast Guard captain called "truly incredible."
What are the details?
USA Today reported that Stuart Bee, 62, took off Friday afternoon from Port Canaveral aboard his 32-foot Sea Ray. He was reported missing shortly before noon the next day by a member of Cape Marina who became concerned because Bee typically did not spend the night out at sea.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class David Micallef said Bee's boat broke down and at around midnight on Saturday, the vessel began taking on water. He was found Sunday morning by the crew of a 225-foot container ship named Angeles, clinging to the top of his boat while waving his shirt in the air.
According to CBS News, Coast Guard crews were dispatched to the Angeles to transport Bee back to shore.
"Saving lives at sea is our highest calling," Capt. Mark Vlaun, commanding officer of Sector Jacksonville
said in a statement. "This is a truly incredible outcome that demonstrates the bond among all mariners and our community. Thank you to our mission partners that launch into action and to all who got the word out to find and rescue Mr. Bee."
"It's an amazing story," Micallef added. "We're just very thankful for the motor vessel Angeles and their entire crew for keeping a sharp lookout. And we're just thankful, especially during this holiday season, that we can bring this man home to his family."


theblaze--2020-12-02--Chuck Schumer places blame for Senate loss on Democratic candidate who 'couldn't keep his zipper up'

Chuck Schumer places blame for Senate loss on Democratic candidate who 'could n't keep his zipper up' The Senate minority @ @ @ @ @ two reasons why his party could not regain the upper chamber

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is reportedly placing partial blame for his party's failure to regain the upper chamber on failed Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham who allegedly "couldn't keep his zipper up."
What are the details?
Axios reported Tuesday that Schumer "has made the zipper comment on numerous calls" to donors in blaming Cunningham's personal drama for his narrow loss in North Carolina to incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R), after Cunningham admitted to exchanging sexually charged texts with a woman who is not his wife.
Cunningham, a married father of two, was also hit with allegations of engaging in separate physical affairs with the alleged mistress and another unnamed woman. Prior to the scandal, Cunningham was leading in the polls and expected to win.
Schumer reportedly said he now regrets recruiting Cunningham for the race.
Schumer also pointed to the passing of late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as playing a factor in why Democrats were unable to flip the Senate, speculating that Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was able to keep hold of her seat by appealing to Democrats, independents and undecideds in opposing the nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett so close to the presidential election.
Every major poll leading up to Election Day had predicted that Collins would lose to Democratic challenger Sara Gideon.
Republicans currently hold the Senate 50-48, so it is no longer possible for Democrats to take the majority outright. But if former Vice President Joe Biden takes office — as the mainstream media has widely projected — there is still a path for Democrats to control the upper chamber.
The final two Senate races will take place in Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, as sitting Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue square off against Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. If Warnock and Ossoff both win, the Senate would be split 50-50.
If President Donald Trump is successful in his challenge to the presidential election results, Vice President Mike Pence would then be the tiebreaker.
If Biden is inaugurated and the Senate is split 50-50, Vice President Kamala Harris would be the tiebreaker, meaning Democrats would then control the White House and both chambers of Congress.


theblaze--2020-12-02--Rapper Ice-T says his father-in-law was anti-mask until he contracted coronavirus and landed in the

Rapper Ice-T says his father-in-law was anti-mask until he contracted coronavirus and landed in the ICU for 40 days

Rap music icon and actor Ice-T said that his own father-in-law was persuaded against his anti-mask beliefs after he contracted the coronavirus and landed in the Intensive Care Unit for 40 days.
The actor, whose real name is Tracy Lauren Marrow, tweeted about his wife's father and posted a photograph of him suffering from the symptoms associated with the pandemic virus.
"My father-in-law 'Coco's dad' was a serious 'No Masker' COVID hit him. Pneumonia in both lungs.. 40 days in ICU close to death.. Now he's on Oxygen indefinitely. Ohhh he's a Believer now," Ice-T tweeted.
The rapper was debating with people on Twitter about the seriousness of the pandemic when he brought up his father-in-law.
"I have 6 DEAD close friends from this Virus.. You need to shut the F*** up…" Ice-T responded to one skeptic.
Ice-T's wife, Coco Austin, provided more details about her father dealing with the coronavirus in a post on Instagram from June.
"He is having trouble breathing and feels like he is being stabbed with pins throughout his body .. For all the people that say it cant happen to your family..think again ..Sending happy thoughts to my father and all the families that are dealing with it❤ also sending prayers to 2 of my aunts who also have covid seems they all got it at the same time," said Austin.
Ice-T appeared to put some of the blame from people not wearing masks on President Donald Trump.
"Honestly.. A lot of no maskers only do it because they're listening to the President.. Just sayin," he tweeted.
The rapper made headlines in 2019 when he tweeted an image many associated with the "QAnon" conspiracy theory, but he denies that he knew anything about it after many harangued him about it.
Here's Ice-T defending the 2nd Amendment in 2012:


theblaze--2020-12-02--Bipartisan group of lawmakers present $908 billion coronavirus relief bill

'Covid has created a crisis .
And in the crisis the people expect Congress to act . '

A group of bipartisan legislators including members from both the House and Senate unveiled a $908 billion coronavirus relief bill on Tuesday in hopes of ending the months-long gridlock between Democratic and Republican leadership in reaching a deal the White House would also sign off on.
What are the details?
NBC News reported that the proposal "is designed to include elements that will satisfy both parties," but "it doesn't include some popular provisions, like another round of direct payments to families." It does include $180 to renew unemployment benefits, and $288 billion in support for small businesses.
But it also includes $160 million for state and local governments, which President Donald Trump has rejected in the past as a bail-out for blue states and cities that carried huge deficits prior to the crisis. In a nod to Republicans, the legislation would provide liability protections for businesses against COVID-19-related lawsuits in the "short-term," which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has cited as a priority.
The Democrats in the group include Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Mark Warner (Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Maggie Hassan (N.H.), along with Reps. Abigail Spanberger (Va.), Dean Phillips (Minn.), and Josh Gottheimer (N.J.).
The Republicans involved are Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Bill Cassidy (La.), and Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), Fred Upton (Mich.), Dusty Johnson (S.D.), and Tom Reed (N.Y.). The proposal is being presented in the Senate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been in negotiations for months to reach a deal between Democrats and the White House, and the two spoke again on Tuesday. While all parties agree that relief is urgently needed, Democrats and Republicans have been far apart on priorities and price tags.
Senate Democrats have twice shot down a $500 billion COVID-19 relief bill offered by McConnell, and House Democrats have passed a $2.2 trillion package that is seen as a non-starter in the GOP-led upper chamber.
Also on Tuesday, McConnell offered a new proposal of his own, telling reporters at his weekly presser that he had spoken with Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on presenting a bill palatable to President Trump, according to The Hill.
The Senate majority leader did not directly address the $908 billion bill presented by the bipartisan coalition, but explained, "We just don't have time to waste time. We have a couple weeks left here. Obviously, it does require bipartisan support to get out of Congress, but it requires a presidential signature."
Sen. Romney, who has often been publicly at odds with the president, said Tuesday that the bipartisan group has been in contact with Mnuchin about their plan, but noted, "I don't have any prediction on how the White House would react."
He added, "Covid has created a crisis. And in crisis the people expect Congress to act."


theblaze--2020-12-01--San Francisco mayor attended birthday party at the same exclusive restaurant where Gavin Newsom was

San Francisco mayor attended birthday party at the same exclusive restaurant where Gavin Newsom was caught dining maskless  More @ @ @ @ @ handing down lockdown orders

San Francisco Democratic Mayor London Breed was caught throwing her own party at French Laundry, the exclusive restaurant where California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was caught enjoying a maskless dinner.
The party was first reported Tuesday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Breed attended a celebration for the 60th birthday of a socialite friend of hers at the restaurant just a day after Newsom was seen having dinner there without attending to social distancing guidelines and without wearing a face mask.
Breed's spokesman Jeff Cretan confirmed the report to the Chronicle.
Neither gathering would have technically violated the lockdown rules in Napa County at the time, but critics have crushed Newsom's reputation by emphasizing his hypocrisy while countless restaurants close down due to lockdown rules.
Breed is likely to receive the same criticism from the report, especially given her own statements admonishing the public to respect social distancing three days after her ritzy party.
"I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that everyone act responsibly to reduce the spread of the virus," Breed said Nov. 10. "Every San Franciscan needs to do their part so that we can start moving in the right direction again."
Cretan said that the mayor had dined at numerous restaurants before the lockdown restrictions tightened in order to help them financially.
"Now, with case rates rising, and Bay Area counties moving back into the purple tier, she is once again limiting her actions and is encouraging all San Franciscans to do the same," Cretan added.
Newsom did apologize for his lockdown indiscretion, saying that it had been a "bad mistake" and that he was not being a good example to his constituents.
"The spirit of what I'm preaching all the time was contradicted," he added. "I need to preach and practice, not just preach."
Here's more about the controversy over Newsom's maskless party:


theblaze--2020-12-01--AG Bill Barr appoints John Durham as special counsel in order to protect investigation into Crossfir

AG Bill Barr appoints John Durham as special counsel in order to protect investigation into Crossfire Hurricane from Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ alleged FISA abuses during the Russian investigation

U.S. Attorney General William Barr appointed John Durham as a special counsel in order to protect the investigation into "Crossfire Hurricane," the probe into the Trump campaign by the FBI during the 2016 election.
The revelation was made to the Associated Press on Tuesday amid continuing rancor over the results of the 2020 election and allegations of voter fraud.
"I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the same regulation that covered Bob Mueller, to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they'd be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election," Barr told the AP.
He went on to clarify that the investigation had begun with a broad focus but had narrowed so that it "really is focused on the activities of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation within the FBI."
A special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general for specific causes, including misconduct, dereliction of duty, or a conflict of interest, and that dismissal would have to be documented in writing.
Critics of the Crossfire Hurricane operation allege that officials under the former Obama administration abused their investigatory powers in order to pursue charges against Trump campaign officials out of political interest.
Barr's admission came almost simultaneously with a statement from Barr saying that the Department of Justice had not uncovered evidence of voter fraud that would have overturned the results of the election.
"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election," Barr said in the statement, appearing to refer to the claims of massive voter fraud by attorney Sidney Powell in several states.
"There's been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results," Barr said. "And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven't seen anything to substantiate that."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praised the appointment of Durham in a statement on Twitter.
"I completely concur with Attorney General Barr's decision to appoint Mr. Durham as special counsel regarding matters related to the Department of Justice and FBI's conduct in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation," Graham tweeted.
"To restore credibility to the Department of Justice and FBI after this disgraceful episode, people have to be held accountable – either through criminal prosecution or administrative action," he added.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Twitter suspends data analyst who testified that up to 300,000 fake people voted in Arizona election

Twitter on Monday suspended an account belonging to a Trump campaign witness who testified about voter irregularities at an election integrity hearing in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bobby Piton, an investment adviser and managing partner at Pre-Active Investments, LLC, was suspended by Twitter on the same day he testified that as many as 306,000 "fake people" voted in the Arizona election. He claimed that after analyzing government voter registration and census data, in his opinion the "biggest fraud in the history of our constitutional republic is taking place right before our eyes."
A spokesperson for Twitter told TheBlaze Piton's account "was permanently suspended for violating Twitter Rules on Platform Manipulation and Spam." The spokesperson did not say which specific rules Piton violated. TheBlaze has asked for clarification.
Piton appeared as an expert witness at a public hearing held by Arizona state GOP lawmakers. The hearing featured members of President Donald Trump's legal team, who presented their claims of voting irregularities and allegations of voter fraud in the Arizona election. Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and his legal adviser Jenna Ellis both attended the proceedings.
While the hearing took place, Arizona officials certified the results of the 2020 election. Former Vice President Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump, earning 49.4% of the vote to Trump's 49.1%. More than 3.2 million ballots were cast and voter turnout surged to nearly 80%.
"I would have never ever have certified, I would rather resign than have certified those results," Piton said during his testimony.
'Biggest fraud' in US history—up to 300,000 fake people voted in Arizona election: expert | NTD youtu.be
"If I was an executive at a publicly traded company, I would never sign that because I risk jail time and having all my money taken from me in lawsuits,"" he added. "I believe [the numbers] are fraudulent based on the data. … I'd be willing to put my life on it, I'm that sure about the analysis."
Giuliani told lawmakers state officials were "certifying a false statement to the United States of America."
Both Republican and Democratic state officials expressed confidence in the results after they were certified, the Arizona Republic reported.
"Despite the unprecedented challenges, Arizonans showed up for our democracy," Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said. "Every Arizona voter has my thanks and should know they can stand proud that this election was conducted with transparency, accuracy and fairness in accordance with Arizona's laws and election procedures, despite numerous unfounded claims to the contrary."
Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who campaigned with Trump, said, "We do elections well here in Arizona. The system is strong and that's why I bragged on it so much."
Piton's Twitter suspension follows another controversial incident where a Pennsylvania Republican state lawmaker had his personal account temporarily suspended and later reinstated. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican who organized election integrity hearings in Pennsylvania, accused Twitter of censorship.
The suspension drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who accused Twitter and the news media of working together to "SILENCE THE TRUTH."
Twitter later revoked the suspension and said in a statement: "This account was mistakenly suspended for perceived violations of our impersonation policy. This was an error. We have immediately reversed the decision and the account has been reinstated."


theblaze--2020-12-01--Article: 'Reasons why the 2020 presidential election is DEEPLY puzzling'

Article : 'Reasons why the 2020 presidential election is DEEPLY puzzling' The numbers suggest something very unusual happened in November

Some older content has been removed to comply with updated editorial standards and other content relabeled to better clarify its purpose as promotional and opinion in nature.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Anarchists call for 'vengeance' over death of '100% Antifa' militant who fatally shot pro-cop activi

Anarchists call for 'vengeance' over death of '100% Antifa' militant who fatally shot pro-cop activist in apparent ambush in Portland

Anarchists call for 'vengeance ' over death of '100 % Antifa ' militant who fatally shot pro-cop activist in apparent @ @ @ @ @ Power Michael Reinoehl .
Every revolution needs people who are willing and ready to fight @ @

Anarchists are calling for "vengeance" and a "week of action" over the death of " 100% Antifa" militant Michael Reinoehl who fatally shot a pro-police activist in Portland over the summer in an apparent ambush:
Law enforcement officials who later attempted to arrest Reinoehl for murder fatally shot him after they said he pulled a gun.
What are the details?
The call to arms comes from "The Base," which conservative journalist Andy Ngo called an "Antifa extremist training center in Brooklyn":
The group's campaign declares, "'Rest in Power Michael Reinoehl. Every revolution needs people who are willing and ready to fight." It also claims Reinoehl was "murdered by the state" at the behest of President Donald Trump — for which the group wants "vengeance."
A "week of action" is planned to commence Thursday all over America in order to "avenge" Reinoehl. Here's more from the press release from the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement:
This is a call to action and a commemoration for Michael. An injury to one of us is an injury to all. We are calling for people to take actions in their cities, towns, neighborhoods, or homes. Whether banner drops, postering, demonstrations, direct actions, lighting fireworks, commemorations, or whatever creative ideas people come up with; we want the world to know that this will neither be forgotten nor forgiven.
When the State begins targeted assassinations, rule through terror becomes consolidated. Anarchists, antifascists, and all revolutionaries must stand in solidarity against these attacks and against the capitalist, imperialist state— particularly when in the fear of collapse it bares its teeth. We will not be intimidated. We will fight.
What's the background?
Aaron "Jay" Danielson — a police and Patriot Prayer supporter — was fatally shot Aug. 29 after a Portland pro-Trump rally that attracted a ton of pushback from leftists. (Content warning: Language):
A Portland livestreamer captured a fatal shooting near downtown protest youtu.be
While the likes of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden suggested that Danielson was killed because his fellow Trump supporters were "inciting responses," the Multnomah County district attorney's office released unsealed court documents suggesting Reinoehl targeted Danielson before shots were fired.
Reinoehl said he believed he killed Danielson in self-defense because he and his friend were about to be attacked.
Law enforcement agents fatally shot Reinoehl on Sept. 3 after they said he pulled a gun when they came to arrest him in Washington state.
It's worth noting that immediately after Danielson was killed, the Antifa faithful celebrated his death in the street. (Content warning: Language):
"And tonight I just got word, the person who died was a Patriot Prayer person," one woman said to the black-clad crowd. "He was a f***ing Nazi. Our community held its own and took out the trash. I'm not going to shed any tears over a Nazi."
She added, "If ya'll are not angry, you're not paying attention. If ya'll are not angry, you're not with me! Everybody needs to realize what's going on in the community. Our community can hold its own without the police. We can take out the trash on our own. I am not sad that a f***ing fascist died tonight!"
(H/T: The Post Millennial)


theblaze--2020-12-01--Republican lawmakers in Ohio move to impeach GOP Gov. Mike DeWine over COVID restrictions

Republican lawmakers in Ohio move to impeach GOP Gov .
Mike DeWine over COVID restrictions 'Contempt for the rule of @ @ @ @

A group of Republican lawmakers in Ohio are attempting to impeach Gov. Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, claiming he violated the law by issuing burdensome coronavirus orders.
Republican state Rep. John Beckers, along with three other lawmakers, filed 12 articles of impeachment against the governor on Monday, arguing "contempt for the rule of law must end."
The lawmakers specifically allege DeWine violated Ohioans' civil liberties by issuing unconstitutional stay-at-home orders, imposing a statewide mask mandate, and treating certain institutions, such as churches, differently than others.
In a statement announcing the move, Becker's office said, "Governor DeWine's mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of power, and other crimes include, but are not limited to, meddling in the conduct of a presidential primary election, arbitrarily closing and placing curfews on certain businesses, while allowing other businesses to remain open. He weaponized the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to bully and harass businesses and the people; to enforce a statewide mask mandate and other controversial measures of dubious 'value,' making Ohio a hostile work environment."
"Additionally, Governor DeWine had the further audacity to include congregants at places of worship [in his order], forcing citizens to chose between worshiping their God and worshiping at the altar of unbridled government."
"Rather than hearing the cries of Ohioans, Governor DeWine continues to stifle those cries by finding more inventive ways to use masks to muffle the voices of the people," Becker added in the statement. "He continues to have callous disregard for the fact that his isolation policies have led to a shockingly high number of suicides, alarming rates of drug abuse, persistently high unemployment, and the forced abandonment of the elderly by their loved ones."
Earlier in November, DeWine reimposed a stricter mask mandate and other tougher health guidelines as the state experience a surge in reported coronavirus cases.
In response to the impeachment filing, DeWine told reporters, "I guess they have a right to go and file anything they want to, but you know, we're going to stay focused on what we have to."
According to WTVG-TV, Becker first threatened to file articles of impeachment back in August. At the time, DeWine said he was unfazed by the threats.
Ohio law dictates that the state House of Representatives has sole power to impeach the governor, but that a majority of members must approve. Then, the Senate would hold an impeachment trial where two-thirds are required to formally remove the governor from office.


theblaze--2020-12-01--AG Barr: DOJ has followed up on credible claims of voter fraud, has not yet found fraud on scale tha

AG Barr: DOJ has followed up on credible claims of voter fraud, has not yet found fraud on scale that could change election results

AG Barr : DOJ has followed up on credible claims of voter fraud , has not yet found fraud on @ @ @ @ @ results '' To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could @ @ @ @ @ in the election , '' Barr said .

Attorney General Bill Barr told the Associated Press Tuesday that the United States Department of Justice has not found any evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Barr said that U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have investigated specific complaints and information they've received and that the investigations have not unearthed evidence that the outcome of the election was fraudulent.
"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election," Barr said.
On Nov. 9, the attorney general authorized federal prosecutors to look into "substantial allegations" of voter fraud while advising federal investigators to disregard "specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims." Barr has been a consistent critic of mail-in voting, warning before the election that widespread mail voting created opportunities for election fraud.
In the wake of the election, President Donald Trump and his lawyers have asserted that a "national conspiracy" of voter fraud took place and that former Vice President Joe Biden's victory in several key battleground states was illegitimate. The president has refused to concede to Biden as his campaign pursues various legal challenges to the results of the election. Additionally, lawmakers in several states have begun conducting election integrity hearings to listen to testimony from witnesses who say they have proof of voting irregularities that amount to widespread fraud.
Some of the Trump campaign's legal filings have been rejected by judges who found that the evidence presented by Trump's lawyers was not sufficient to substantiate their claims — including Republican-appointed federal judges. Lawsuits by Trump or state Republicans seeking to block the certification of election results in three different states were dropped or lost this week.
Barr did not address many of the specific allegations made by Trump's legal team, but he did say that the DOJ has investigated claims that Dominion Voting Systems machines were somehow hacked or manipulated to throw the election to Biden, finding no evidence this happened.
"There's been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven't seen anything to substantiate that," Barr said.
He added that many people are demanding that the federal criminal justice system investigate allegations that are outside of its jurisdiction and belong in civil lawsuits. He suggested that conducting state audits of election results is the appropriate response to many of these allegations of voting irregularities, rather than criminal investigations by the federal government. Amid allegations of voting irregularities, an audit of the Georgia election results confirmed a Biden victory and produced no indication that widespread fraud took place.
"There's a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and people don't like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and 'investigate,'" Barr said.
He noted that criminal investigators require a basis to believe a crime took place before they can launch an investigation. Those allegations that meet that requirement, Barr said, have been followed up on.
"Most claims of fraud are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct. They are not systemic allegations. And those have been run down; they are being run down," Barr said. "Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand votes. They have been followed up on."
The Trump legal team led by Giuliani and campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis issued a statement responding to Barr, accusing the Department of Justice of lacking "any semblance of an investigation."
"With the greatest respect to the attorney general, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud," Trump's lawyers said.
Later Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice issued a statement criticizing media reporting of Barr's remarks and clarifying that the attorney general did not announce a conclusive finding of no evidence of fraud in the election.
"Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the Department has concluded its investigation of election fraud and announced an affirmative finding of no fraud in the election. That is not what the Associated Press reported nor what the Attorney General stated. The Department will continue to receive and vigorously pursue all specific and credible allegations of fraud as expeditiously as possible," the spokesman said.
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-12-01--San Jose mayor apologizes for breaking COVID rules after telling others to follow them

The Democratic mayor of San Jose, California, has issued an apology for violating COVID-19 safety rules for Thanksgiving after urging everyone else to follow them.
"I apologize for my decision to gather for Thanksgiving with my family, contrary to the rules," Mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted Tuesday. " I understand my obligation as a public official to provide exemplary compliance w/ public health orders, & not to ignore them. I commit to do better."
Liccardo's statement addressed reports that he had gathered for Thanksgiving dinner with his elderly parents and an "unknown number" of other individuals after telling residents of San Jose to "cancel" their own gatherings.
"On Thanksgiving afternoon, my wife Jessica and I attended my parent's house for an outdoor dinner on their backyard patio, along with my sister-in-law," Liccardo said. He explained that eight total people from five different households "sat around three distanced tables in our own family groups on the back patio" and claimed they wore masks when not eating.
California's state government ordered that social gatherings be limited to a maximum of three households earlier this month, including the host's. Earlier last week, Liccardo urged people to "cancel the big gatherings this year" as Thanksgiving approached.
"I have a very large family — I am one of five children — and several of our family members who would have often joined us for Thanksgiving in the past — including sisters, nephews, nieces, and cousins — stayed home out of caution," Liccardo said.
"After I returned home, I saw an NBC reporter's tweet that I dined 'at home' for Thanksgiving, apparently based on information from my communications office," Liccardo continued. "Since that was inaccurate, I asked that we communicate with the reporter to correct the record, by clarifying that I was at my parents' home. The following day, my chief of staff reached out to that reporter, informing him that I was at my parents' house, which resulted in his report last night."
"I understand that the state regulations, issued on November 13th, limit the number of households at a private gathering to three," he said. "I apologize for my decision to gather contrary to state rules, by attending this Thanksgiving meal with my family. I understand my obligation as a public official to provide exemplary compliance with the public health orders, and certainly not to ignore them. I commit to do better."
Liccardo is not the first California official to act like a hypocrite with regards to COVID rules. In mid-November, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was caught attending a dinner party celebrating a lobbyist's birthday that did not abide by the rules.
So far there is no indication that either official will face consequences for their actions.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page comes out as transgender, promises retribution for politicians wh

Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page comes out as transgender, promises retribution for politicians who 'criminalize' trans health care

Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page comes out as transgender , promises retribution for politicians who 'criminalize ' trans health care 'You @ @ @ @ @ '

Actress Ellen Page, 33, is now actor Elliot Page, according to a Tuesday announcement from Page.
Page famously came out as gay in 2014 and married partner Emma Portner in 2018.
What are the details?
Page made the announcement on social media Tuesday.
Page wrote, "Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can't begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self."
Page continued, "I've been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity, and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society."
Page is looking for patience from peers and supporters.
"My joy is real, but it is also fragile," Page admitted. "The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the 'jokes,' and of violence."
Page went on to note statistics about crimes against those people in the transgender community, and pointed a finger at political leaders who "work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist."
"[Y]ou have blood on your hands," Page warned. "You unleash a fury of vile and demeaning rage that lands on the shoulders of the trans community, a community in which 40% of trans adults report attempting suicide. Enough is enough. You aren't being 'cancelled,' you are hurting people. I am one of those people and we won't be silent in the face of your attacks."
"I love that I am trans," Page concluded. "And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows, and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better."
Page's wife, Portner, responded to the news Tuesday on Instagram, writing, "Trans, queer, and non-binary people are a gift to this world. I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot's existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much."
You can read Page's full announcement here and below.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Soldier faces murder charge after reportedly forcing 'unruly' 5-year-old boy out of car near highway

Soldier faces murder charge after reportedly forcing 'unruly' 5-year-old boy out of car near highway, where he was struck by traffic

Soldier faces murder charge after reportedly forcing 'unruly ' 5-year-old boy out of car near highway , where he was @ @ @

A 35-year-old active-duty Army sergeant at Fort Benning, Georgia, faces murder charges in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old son.
What are the details?
Authorities said that as Bryan Starr drove down a dark and rainy Alabama highway, he pulled over and forced 5-year-old Austin Birdseye — who was described as being "unruly" in the vehicle — to get out of the car.
Shortly after Starr reportedly made Austin leave the car, the child was fatally struck by a passing vehicle. He died Sunday at a local hospital.
Starr told deputies that the child was misbehaving in the car, which prompted him to pull into a parking lot off the highway and demand that the child get out of the vehicle. The child obliged, but Starr said he lost track of the child completely until he saw other cars stopped along the highway and suspected the worst. During that time, the child apparently wandered into the highway and was struck by the passing vehicle.
Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said that an accident at that point was unavoidable.
"There's no indication that [the driver who struck Austin] had any chance of not hitting the little guy," Taylor told reporters.
Taylor marveled at Starr's treatment of the child.
"What do you say to that? What is your thought process when you tell a 5-year-old child to get out of the car on a rainy night because they were being loud in the car?" he added.
The state police are working with the local sheriff's office to conduct an investigation into the child's death.
The New York Post reported that Austin was struck just two miles from the home he shared with Starr and his mother, Christina Birdseye. Birdseye was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
According to Newsweek, Starr faces a reckless murder charge in connection with the incident.
What else?
In a statement obtained by WTVM-TV, a spokesperson for Fort Benning said that it is cooperating with the investigation.
"Starr, 35, from Marengo, Illinois, is assigned to 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade, has 17 years of service. His previous assignments include the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Knox, Kentucky; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He has one combat deployment to Iraq," a portion of the statement read. "We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased."


theblaze--2020-12-01--San Jose mayor joins elderly parents and 'unknown number' of others for Thanksgiving after telling r

San Jose mayor joins elderly parents and 'unknown number' of others for Thanksgiving after telling residents to 'cancel' gatherings

San Jose mayor joins elderly parents and 'unknown number ' of others for Thanksgiving after telling residents to 'cancel ' @

In yet another instance of Democratic hypocrisy regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Democratic San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo reportedly celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends despite urging residents to "cancel" big gatherings for the holiday.
What are the details?
On Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, and likely well after most had already made plans for the holiday, Liccardo took to Twitter to tell residents that gathering for the holiday would be dangerous.
"Cases are spiking, in part because we're letting our guard (and masks) down with family & friends. Let's cancel the big gatherings this year and focus on keeping each other safe," he wrote.
But then on Monday, KNTV-TV investigators reported that Liccardo had "celebrated with his elderly parents at their Saratoga home with an unknown number of other guests."
The mayor's staff reportedly confirmed the dinner took place, but did not disclose to the local news outlet how many individuals attended or how many separate households were present.
In response to the news story, the mayor's chief of staff said, "This is a private event — not public. We are going to redraw the line between what is personal and what is public because that line has become blurred."
No matter the size of the gathering or the number of household's present, the celebration was a departure from the mayor's reported plans for the holiday.
When pressed by KNTV-TV about the mayor's Thanksgiving plans earlier in the week, his press team told reporters he would be celebrating the holiday by "staying home" with his immediate family. But the day after Thanksgiving, the mayor's office said that a spokesperson "misspoke" and clarified that Liccardo spent the holiday at his parents' home with family.
Anything else?
What is perhaps even worse is that the mayor appears to have skirted local health guidelines by partaking in the Thanksgiving celebration.
Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County's health officer, instructed residents during a town hall earlier this month, "Keep your holiday gatherings to your immediate household members only. I cannot emphasize enough, gathering with friends and family who are not in your household is not safe."
On the day before Thanksgiving, the county COVID-19 testing officer, Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, told residents that they should look forward to gathering with family and friends next year.
"The hope is that next year, we can enjoy our Thanksgivings with our families and our winter holidays also, but this year we just have to be more strict, because it's going to protect your family, yourself, your co-workers and it will allow people to not have to go into the hospital," he said.


theblaze--2020-12-01--San Francisco 49ers forced to play home games in Arizona after local officials ban contact sports ov

San Francisco 49ers forced to play home games in Arizona after local officials ban contact sports over COVID fears

The San Francisco 49ers announced that they will be playing their December home games in another state following local officials' declaration that contact sports are a no-no in the wake of growing COVID concerns.
What happened?
California's Santa Clara County announced strict new COVID measures Saturday, Yahoo! reported. Included in the county's orders is a ban on contact sports for the next few weeks — which was bad news for the 49ers, who play their home games not in San Francisco but at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The new edict sent the NFL team scrambling to find a location for upcoming December home games.
Sports Illustrated reported Monday that the the team had found a new temporary home — it's a state away and in the home stadium of their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals.
The Niners reached an agreement with the Cards to play their final 2020 home games at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. San Francisco will play host in Arizona to the Buffalo Bills for a Week 13 matchup Monday and the Washington Football Team (formerly the Redskins) in Week 14, ESPN's Adam Schefter said.
According to Schefter, Santa Clara County is "basically shutting down football" in the entire area. He noted that the decision came even as NFL officials have repeatedly said "there has been no evidence of transmission on the field of the virus."
In a statement quoted by ESPN, the 49ers said, "The Cardinals organization, State Farm Stadium and League officials have been supportive and accommodating as we work through the many logistical issues involved in relocating NFL games."
The Niners will leave San Francisco Wednesday to hold practices and games for the month of December.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury told ESPN, "As far as San Fran goes, that's obviously a challenging situation for them. I'm glad it worked out that we could host them in a way and allow them to use these facilities, and continue to keep their season going. It's kind of 2020 in a nutshell, and I'm just glad it all worked out for them."
The Santa Clara County ban on contact sports is scheduled to expire Dec. 21, but may well be extended beyond that date.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Horowitz: Chicago man wanted in double homicide was recently released on bail for reckless homicide,

Horowitz: Chicago man wanted in double homicide was recently released on bail for reckless homicide, gun offenses

Horowitz : Chicago man wanted in double homicide was recently released on bail for reckless homicide , gun offenses Criminals @ @ @ @ @ purpose .

Jessica Beal and her brother, Damian Beal, are the latest black victims of the jailbreak "criminal justice reform" agenda promoted by Black Lives Matter, which ensures that dangerous criminals like Clarence Hebron are not behind bars.
While liberals living in suburbia enjoyed their Thanksgiving week vacation, people living in America's major urban areas experienced more violence at the hands of undeterred repeat violent offenders. On Nov. 27, Chicago police put out an AMBER alert after 1-year-old K'marion Hebron was abducted at his house, which was the scene of a double homicide that included his mother, Jessica Beal, and her brother, Damian, as the victims. Police believe that the boy's father, Clarence Hebron, who is Beal's ex-husband, was responsible for the homicides and the initial abduction. The baby was later dropped off at a Riverside police station and was unharmed.
Who is Clarence Hebron? CWB Chicago, which closely monitors crime in America's murder capital, noticed the picture of Hebron released by police was identical to a mug shot of him from April 2019.
After digging into his history, CWB Chicago discovered that Hebron, 32, had been in jail in 2019 for allegedly killing a woman while fleeing police and for two separate Class X felony armed habitual criminal gun crimes. So why was he out free? One of those notorious Cook County judges agreed to release him on just $15,000 bond in July!
Hebron was charged on April 18, 2019, for reportedly hitting a woman with his vehicle while fleeing police and driving with a suspended license. While Hebron had been released in the prior months after two separate gun charges, the judge finally decided to keep him locked up after he was charged with reckless homicide by motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing causing bodily injury, and driving on a revoked license resulting in injury or death.
However, the pressure to release criminals has been strong in recent months. Three days after Hebron's lawyers filed a motion to have his bail reduced, Cook County Judge Dennis Porter agreed to lower the bail to just $50,000 each for the three offenses, allowing him to go free on a $15,000 cash payment (10% of the total bail). As of this writing, police are still looking for him in connection to the double homicide on Nov. 27.
Hebron was out free while awaiting trial for two counts of Class X armed habitual criminal, five counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. This is the quintessential rap sheet of so many criminals who are released these days only to go on and commit homicide months later. This, at its core, is why homicide is skyrocketing in most major cities, with some of them approaching new records.
We often hear tear-jerking stories about incarceration taking fathers out of homes, but violent fathers should be outside the homes, as this 1-year-old child will tragically learn when he discovers he has no mother. Repeat violent offenders need to be locked up — plain and simple.
It's not clear if COVID was a consideration in Hebron's release four months ago, but criminals have been released because of the virus and for other reasons en masse. At the same time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is threatening residents with jail time if they simply breathe free air or live their lives. "We will shut you down, we will cite you, and if we need to, we will arrest you," the mayor said back in May in a threat she is ratcheting up again during the holiday season.
When have you ever heard her speak this assertively and threateningly to violent criminals? Instead, she uses the same virus that is an excuse to suspend civil liberties and criminalize human life as a pretext to release legitimate career criminals.
Tragically, we saw another appalling example of jailbreak in St. Paul, Minnesota, another hotbed of criminality and coronavirus fascism. Antoine Lorenzo Powell, 34, was arrested for allegedly murdering a 41-year-old women in St. Paul on Sept. 3. According to eyewitnesses, a man who matched Powell's description shot Annamarie Wagener six times in the chest while she was at home and then stole her gun from her waistband. There is no known motive yet, but an informant told police that Powell had been part of a shooting just seven hours before in North Minneapolis, where detectives later discovered shell casings matching the gun used to murder Wagener.
Here's the twisted irony. According to the charging document, Powell stole Wagener's gun from her waistband after she was killed. She had recently obtained a carry permit "because the area where she lived wasn't safe."
Well, why wasn't the area safe? Because criminals weren't behind bars. It turns out that Powell was wearing an ankle bracelet because he was on parole, which is partially why they were able to place him at the scene of the crime and gather enough evidence to charge him for the murder two and a half months later. But as is always the case, ankle bracelets are worthless in prospectively deterring criminals from committing murder. It turns out, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, that Powell "has an extensive criminal record in Minnesota that includes convictions for firearms, assault, controlled substances, drunken driving and other offenses."
The bottom line is that the same people who push gun control on law-abiding citizens are also releasing gun felons en masse. We also see that career gun and drug felons are not "low-level, non-violent offenders," but the quintessential criminals who go on to commit murder.
Supporters of de-incarceration like to point out that prison fails to rehabilitate these sorts of criminals. But letting them out on the streets most certainly fails to rehabilitate them, while, unlike when they are confined, enabling them to act on their unrehabilitated instincts.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Leftists blast Katy Perry for shouting out pro-USA, anti-political T-shirts from her dad — a Christi

Leftists blast Katy Perry for shouting out pro-USA, anti-political T-shirts from her dad — a Christian evangelist who voted for Trump

Leftists blast Katy Perry for shouting out pro-USA , anti-political T-shirts from her dad — a Christian evangelist who voted @ @ @ @ @ really woke up and said , ' F*** the few gay fans I have left @ @ @ @ @

Leftists are nothing if not unfailingly consistent when it comes to doling out their cancel culture magic when even the biggest celebrities ruffle their self-righteous feathers — even when said celebs are on their side.
Singer Katy Perry found that out recently when she dared to urge her fans to contact their family members who don't share their political views — and express love to them.
With that Perry's hardcore leftist followers on Twitter excoriated her for such a suggestion, saying things like "super good to know white supremacy isn't a dealbreaker for you."
Now what?
Apparently Perry didn't learn her lesson — because she posted what's become a problematic shout-out on social media about a T-shirt line from her father and brother:
Perry's post notes that she hasn't always seen eye to eye with her dad and brother but is "proud" of them for their T-shirts that promote country over political parties. In the video accompanying the post, Perry's dad says, "No matter what you believe, at the end of the day we are all Americans."
Such a sentiment probably would've been quite enough to send leftists into derangement mode, but the other rub could very well be that her dad is a Christian evangelist who voted for — wait for it — President Donald Trump.
How did leftists respond?
Did it matter to leftists that Perry is squarely on their side of the political aisle? Not even close. In fact, her social media shout-out proved yet another unforgivable sin, according to the left-wing scriptures:
"Damn you really woke up and said, 'F*** the few gay fans I have left,' huh?" one commenter wrote.
"When people don't think you should exist because you're LGBTQ+, Black, Muslim... it isn't a difference of opinion, Katy," another user noted. "When they vote for the white supremacists, they be white supremacists. It's really not that hard, Katy."
Another commenter told Perry "you need to realize it is YOUR PRIVILEGE being able to speak to your family even if they are republicans or conservatives. Most of us feel threatened by those people, so that's why you need to stop [spreading] the 'love your conservative parents' propaganda."
"Republicans kidnapped children, abandoned our allies, helped kill 10s of thousands by politicizing a pandemic & attending Trump rallies, are currently lying about the results of an election and spent 4 yrs wallowing in racism, misogyny & corruption," another user declared. "Put that on a T-shirt please."
"Did l miss something or didn't Republicans just try to steal legally cast votes from [people of color]?" another commenter asked. "I could keep going but that's the latest BS that Republicans were OK with. Sorry but folks need to stop pretending that they aren't voting for racism and other terrible things."
And jewelry designer Markus Molinary told Perry on Instagram — where she also shouted-out her dad and brother's T-shirts — that she was out of line.
"I'm sorry, I LOVE YOU but this is a HUGE NO for me! It's not a political issue. It's 'straight' up a human rights issue," Molinary wrote, according to Glamour. "The Trump Administration's decision to reverse the Obama-era rule that encompasses gender identity in the sex definition of the Affordable Care Act is an act of discrimination and purposeful inequality. This is about human respect, and right now we need to take a good look at ourselves and ask who we are becoming if we are justifying or advocating against the barest rights imaginable…It's NOT right to just cover it up with a T-Shirt."
(H/T: Hot Air)


theblaze--2020-12-01--Minneapolis city council members push new anti-police plan to cut budget, officer count amid violent

Minneapolis city council members push new anti-police plan to cut budget, officer count amid violent crime

'We can and must do better '

Multiple members of the Democrat-controlled Minneapolis City Council are proposing new anti-police measures despite the violent crime that has plagued the city this year.
What's the background?
Following the tragic death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis City Council — which does not have a single Republican member — promised to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department, replacing traditional law enforcement with an alternative, community-based solution.
However, their bravado quickly waned after anti-police rhetoric triggered an exodus of police officers, resulting in record violent crime.
Later, as city residents became increasingly angered by the crime and inaction by city officials, the city council had the audacity to question, "Where are the police?" Some members of the council even recanted their "abolish the police" promises when they learned that inflammatory rhetoric does not translate to functional public policy.
What are the new proposals?
Three members of the city council — Steve Fletcher, Phillipe Cunningham, and council President Lisa Bender — released a plan last Friday, which they have dubbed "Safety for All," proposing additional cuts to the Minneapolis Police Department and cementing a reduction in the city's sworn law enforcement force.
According to KARE-TV, the Democrats want to use savings from the reduced law enforcement expenditures "to reinvest funding into mental health crisis response and violence prevention methods."
In total, the council members propose cutting nearly $8 million from the police budget and shrinking the police force by 15%.
More from KARE:
Some of the proposed measures include: establishing a new 911 Mental Health Crisis Response for non-threatening calls, bolstering the city's "311" capacity for crimes such as theft and property damage, transferring Minneapolis Police employees to the Office of Violence Prevention or Neighborhood and Community Relations, and adding money to the Office of Police Conduct Review.
"Minneapolis residents have made a clear call for change," the council members said. "Over-relying on armed law enforcement has over-exposed our city to potential harms and not led to safety for all in our city. We can and must do better."
What did the mayor say?
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the "Safety for All" plan.
In a statement, spokesman Mychal Vlatkovich said the mayor does not favor making deep, permanent cuts to law enforcement.
"Mayor Frey has laid the groundwork in his budget proposal for new, alternative responses to low level offenses like theft reports and parking problems," Vlatkovich said. "However, the mayor would have significant concerns if his council colleagues attempted to make such large, permanent cuts to the number of officers in the department without sound data or community input to support such a decision."
Meanwhile, Frey has introduced his own plan. According to KARE, Frey's budget proposal for the upcoming year recommends 888 "authorized" police officers, but just 770 sworn officers. And, amid budget cuts across the city, Frey also recommended stripping $12.5 million from the city police department in a one-time cut.
Anything else?
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) took to social media to defend the new proposal on Monday.
"Don't fall for the fear-driven narratives. We can craft a justice system that prioritizes people's basic needs like mental health + violence prevention, & allow the city to put public safety first," Omar said.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Dozens of police barricade Canadian church parking lot to keep worshippers out of drive-in service.

Dozens of police barricade Canadian church parking lot to keep worshippers out of drive-in service. So they line the highway instead.

Dozens of police barricade Canadian church parking lot to keep worshippers out of drive-in service .
So they line the @ @ @ @ @ have been staying in their cars

The Church of God at Steinbach in Manitoba, Canada, received a $5,000 fine for violating COVID restrictions by meeting in person on Nov. 22. But the churchgoers decided that they would not be deterred from coming together, and on Sunday they held a drive-in service.
But the police wouldn't let churchgoers into the parking lot — even though would-be attendees had been instructed to stay in their car with the windows up, the Christian Post reported. So the faithful lined the highway in front of the church.
What happened?
After receiving the maximum fine allowed for holding an in-person service that violated Manitoba's ban on groups larger than five people, the Church of God in rural Steinbach, Manitoba, said it would not stop offering worship gatherings for the faithful.
In a Nov. 23 press release posted to Facebook, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt said that churches "have been singled out" in the COVID lockdowns and not given the same treatment as pot shops, liquor stores, and fast-food joints that have been considered "essential." This violation of the churchgoers' "right to religious freedom and peaceful assembly in the Canadian Constitution" is not something Christians follow in "blind obedience," the pastor said.
"We are not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment," Hildebrandt wrote. "Christians have always believed that their faith and the reasonable expression of that faith is essential to their mental health and well-being and that being arbitrarily separated from each other is detrimental to them."
"On Sunday morning, people in this province interacted at Walmart, Costco, and other retailers," the pastor continued. "The same thing happened at the local liquor store, cannabis dispensaries, and the list goes on. Yet, it is our faith community that is singled out for public criticism, media attention, and visits by the RCMP, Manitoba Public Health and local bylaw enforcement. There must be an allowable expression of faith that is deemed essential while we are allowing the sale of products at establishments that exist solely for the sale of alcohol, coffee, donuts, cannabis, and fast food."
In light of the government's crackdown on in-person gathering inside the church building, the church announced it would be holding a drive-in service in its parking lot on Nov. 29 — as did other churches in Manitoba.
Not content with stopping indoor services, the provincial government declared that even drive-in services were verboten.
But the Church of God at Steinbech was not to be deterred. In a Saturday morning Facebook post, the church announced that the planned drive-in service was still on. The church instructed those who planned to attend to stay in their cars with the windows up. A subsequent post told worshippers to tune to 88.5 FM to listen to the service.
"Tomorrow morning we will have the safest parking lot in Manitoba," the post said. "Keep your windows rolled up and stay in your vehicles. This won't be like the parking lots of Costco, Walmart, and the government-owned liquor stores where people freely mingle. Make no mistake, this is not about a virus."
On Sunday morning, parishioners found dozens of police vehicles lined up along the highway outside the church and blocking the entrance to the parking lot.
A video shot as police barricaded the church entrance showed a growing line of cars along the highway being prevented from entering the parking lot.
The church later posted photos showing the highway jammed with cars of people taking part in the drive-in service while parked along the side of the road.
What did the government say about bans on drive-in services?
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, told the CBC that the government has several tools it can use to enforce public health restrictions.
"If somebody was undertaking activity that we felt put the health of the public at risk, we could issue a health hazard order that would require an organization to close," Roussin said, according to the CBC. "There could be continued fines, there could be prosecution under the Public Health Act. So those are just the various options available to to enforce things."
According to Roussin, people just need to stay home because even drive-in services can be dangerous.
"We know there are a lot of things that are very important to people, but we've heard from our health care providers, we've seen the numbers, so we are asking Manitobans for a relatively short period of time to take these steps to stay home and limit any type of gatherings," Roussin said Monday, according to Canada's Global News.
"Are people going to be in their car? Is that all household people in there? Does anyone need to use their washroom during this time? There are risks involved with it," Roussin added.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Georgia secretary of state announces 250 investigations into ‘credible’ claims of fraud connected to

Georgia secretary of state announces 250 investigations into ‘credible’ claims of fraud connected to the 2020 election

Georgia secretary of state announces 250 investigations into ‘ credible ’ claims of fraud connected to the 2020 election

Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced during a press conference Monday that his office is currently investigating more than 250 claims of fraud related to the 2020 election.
"As we move forward in the process, we will, as we always have been, we will continue to investigate credible claims of illegal voting and violation of state election law," the secretary of state told reporters at the state capitol building. "There are currently over 250 open cases from 2020 and we have 23 investigators to follow up on that. Some of these include, a charge Gwinnett County that absentee ballots outnumber absentee envelopes. This is the kind of specific charge that our office can investigate and ascertain the truth."
"We have multiple investigations underway surrounding absentee ballots in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and many others. We continue our investigations into potential dead, double voters, and non-resident voters," he continued. "As we move to the December 1 election, which is tomorrow, and the January 5 federal runoffs, we have to remain vigilant."
Even as the secretary of state announced the investigations, he again defended the security of the election, complaining that "dishonest actors" have been spreading "massive amounts of misinformation."
In what appeared to be an indirect reference to President Trump's legal team, Raffensperger noted, "There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half truths, misinformation, and frankly, they are misleading the president as well."
The secretary of state's office in Georgia has maintained that there has been no evidence of widespread election fraud in the state. Georgia's statewide voting implementation manager, Gabriel Sterling, said Tuesday that officials do not expect any of the investigations will result in the overturning of the election.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden currently leads Trump by just under 13,000 votes in the state, and last week Raffensperger officially certified the election results, declaring Biden the winner of the state's 16 Electoral College votes.
The Trump campaign has not conceded the state, however, but instead requested that another recount be conducted. That recount is currently under way and is expected to be completed by Wednesday.
During another press conference Tuesday, a frustrated Raffensperger informed reporters that Fulton County, home to Atlanta, is to blame for delays in the recounting process. He said election workers in the county continue to make decisions that are "concerning" and said it appears the county wants to make it a "dramatic finish," turning in results just in time for the deadline.
Further raising suspicion, on Monday, news broke that a Dominion voting machine server crashed in the county for an unspecified reason.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Former President Barack Obama: It was a 'screwup' not to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to

Former President Barack Obama: It was a 'screwup' not to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dolly Parton

Former President Barack Obama : It was a 'screwup ' not to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dolly @

Former President Barack Obama says his administration had a major "screwup" in not honoring entertainer Dolly Parton while he was in office.
Obama met with Stephen Colbert, host of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and the two carried out a socially distant interview ahead of the former president's recently released book, "A Promised Land."
What are the details?
During Monday night's interview, Obama said that his administration messed up in failing to honor Parton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
During his eight years in office, Obama honored entertainers such as Bob Dylan, Gloria Estefan, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and more.
"That's a mistake," he insisted of somehow omitting the longtime entertainer and humanitarian. "I'm shocked."
Colbert, laughing, responded, "Looking back at your eight years, do you realize that's the mistake you made?"
Obama responded, "Actually, that was a screwup. I'm surprised. I think I assumed that she had already gotten one, and that was incorrect. ... She deserves one. I'll call Biden."
Parton has not issued public remarks on Obama and Colbert's exchange at the time of this reporting.
What else?
Elsewhere during the discussion, Obama said that a Biden presidency would help lower the temperature in the United States.
"Look, I experienced divided government and I will tell you that gridlock and dysfunction is a recipe for not only not solving big problems but also growing cynicism among the electorate that further polarizes folks," he explained. "I think that Joe's presidency will help lower the temperature."
He also predicted that the former vice president would "have some success in building back social trust," but warned that the country has work to do in "figuring out what to do about this splintered media landscape."


theblaze--2020-12-01--Operation Warp Speed official: '100% of Americans' who want vaccine will have it by June

Operation Warp Speed official : '100 % of Americans ' who want vaccine will have it by June

A top official with Operation Warp Speed — the Trump administration initiative to speed the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine — said Monday that every American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by June of next year.
Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski (Ret.), the director of supply, production, and distribution for Operation Warp Speed, appeared on MSNBC and was asked about his expectations for Americans come June.
"One hundred percent of Americans that want the vaccine will have had the vaccine by that point in time. We will have over 300 million doses available to the American public, well before then," Ostrowski said.
The confident prediction came as biotech company Moderna on Monday announced the final results of its 30,000-person efficacy trial for its vaccine. The company's trials found its vaccine to be 94% effective against COVID-19 with a 100% effectiveness against severe disease. No one who participated in the trial developed a severe case of coronavirus. Moderna declared its intention to file for emergency approval from the FDA to begin production and distribution of its vaccine as soon as possible. The agency will meet on Dec. 17 to discuss approval for the vaccine.
Earlier in November, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted their vaccine to the FDA for emergency approval.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed, told CNN last week that tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccines will begin shipping to immunization sites by the end of this year. He predicted that Americans would reach herd immunity by May 2021 and that life would return to normal once people are immunized.
As multiple vaccines near release, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci called on the American people to "be part of the solution" Monday by receiving a vaccine in a conversation with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Monday.
"Say, 'I'm not going to be one of the people that's going to be a steppingstone for the virus to go to somebody else. I'm going to be a dead end to the virus,'" Fauci said.
As of Nov. 30, there were more than 13 million confirmed or probable coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the COVID Tracking Project. About 96,000 Americans are currently hospitalized and more than 259,000 have died from COVID or complications related to the virus.
CNN reports that as Pfizer's vaccine awaits authorization, states have until Friday to request the number of doses for the vaccine.


theblaze--2020-12-01--Not wearing mask in public is 'act of domestic terrorism,' LA County health officer declares

Not wearing mask in public is 'act of domestic terrorism , ' LA County health officer declares 'If it were @ @ @ @ @ not wearing a mask when they are out in public would be arrested , ' @ @ @ @

The health officer of Los Angeles County said that those who don't wear masks in public in response to the coronavirus pandemic are guilty of an "act of domestic terrorism," the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
What are the details?
"If it were up to me, anybody not wearing a mask when they are out in public would be arrested," Dr. Muntu Davis said last week, according to the paper. "That's an act of domestic terrorism and should be treated like one."
Davis has been the county health officer since 2018.
Davis' declaration came as county public health officials have been faced with "dramatically increased rates of transmission and potentially exponential growths of deaths in the coming weeks" as " hospital rooms fill up again and depleted hospital staffs scramble to keep up," the Daily News noted.
The paper also said health officials worry that such resources could be overwhelmed across the county as more people ignore public health guidelines.
"Limiting certain activity that can easily result in increased cases like outdoor dining at restaurants is done to try to get our case rates lower so we can move to a less restricted tier and open more businesses," Davis added, according to the Daily News. "We know what we have to do, but not enough people are doing it."
Indeed, county supervisors last week barred outdoor dining at restaurants — not that it prevented Supervisor Sheila Kuehl from doing just that only hours after her vote for the ban.
The Daily News added that county projections show COVID-19 present in roughly one in every 145 people — many of whom may not know it.
Interestingly, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer and Davis have "acknowledged that contact tracing cannot definitively point to outdoor dining as the cause of the surge. Davis leaned on Centers for Disease Control studies. They stressed it is the only retail activity that allows customers to be mask-less for long periods of time," the paper added.
Anything else?
The county also issued a new health order that went into effect Monday, saying "residents are advised to stay home as much as possible and always wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when they are outside their household and around others."
The new order also included the following changes to the "existing Health Officer Order":
Gatherings: All public and private gatherings with individuals not in your household are prohibited, except for faith based services and protests, which are constitutionally protected rights.
Occupancy limits at various businesses; all individuals at these sites are required to wear face coverings and keep at least 6 feet of distance: Essential retail – 35% maximum occupancy Non-essential retail (includes indoor malls) – 20% maximum occupancy Personal care services – 20% maximum occupancy Libraries – 20% maximum occupancy Fitness centers operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy Museums galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy Mini-golf, batting cages, go-kart racing operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Outdoor recreation activities all which require face coverings (except for swimming) and distancing: Beaches, trails, and parks remain open; gatherings at these sites with members outside your household are prohibited. Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery ranges, skate parks, bike parks, and community gardens remain open for individuals or members of a single household. Pools that serve more than one household may open only for regulated lap swimming with one person per lane. Drive-in movies/events/car parades are permitted provided occupants in each car are members of one household.
Schools: All schools and day camps remain open adhering to re-opening protocols. K-12 Schools and Day Camps with an outbreak (3 cases or more over 14 days) should close for 14 days.
Closed non-essential businesses/activities: Playgrounds (with the exception of playgrounds at childcare and schools) Cardrooms
The new order also said that "restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries remain closed for in-person dining and drinking, as customers are not wearing face coverings during their visit which results in an increased chance of transmission of the virus. Restaurants, wineries and breweries remain open for pick-up, delivery, and take-out. Breweries and wineries remain open for retail sales at 20% occupancy."