theblaze--2020-11-13--Feinstein urges Graham to stop processing Trump judicial nominees 'now that the 2020 election has co

Feinstein urges Graham to stop processing Trump judicial nominees 'now that the 2020 election has concluded' She says the Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ allow Biden to make his own picks

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has written a letter to Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), urging her colleague to stop processing President Donald Trump's judicial nominees.
She says the panel should hold off on such business now that the election is over and allow Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to make his own picks.
What are the details?
"Now that the 2020 election has concluded, it is clear that the American people have overwhelmingly rejected a second term for President Trump," Feinstein began, before noting that Biden and his running mate, Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) "are already implementing their transition plan."
Although the presidential election is currently being contested in several lawsuits by the Trump campaign, which alleges voting irregularities and fraud, Feinstein pointed out that "the Biden-Harris ticket is on track to receive 306 electoral votes, and has already garnered the votes of more than 77 million Americans."
"In light of that," she wrote, "it is imperative that the Judiciary Committee cease to process judicial nominees and allow President-Elect Biden the opportunity to appoint judges following his inauguration on January 20, 2021."
Feinstein went on to write that there was precedent behind her argument, saying that "although processing judicial nominations is one of the Committee's principal responsibilities, the Committee's long and established tradition in presidential election years is to halt consideration of judicial nominees after Election Day."
California's senior senator noted that there have only been two exceptions to that since 1984: "Once in 2004, following President George W. Bush's reelection, and once in 2012, following the reelection of President Obama."
"Unlike Presidents Bush and Obama," she wrote, "President Trump has lost his reelection bid."
Courthouse News pointed out that Graham had already scheduled a nominations hearing for next week, prior to Feinstein's letter.
Appointing Trump's judicial nominees has been a priority of his administration and the Republican-controlled Senate.
NBC News reported in June that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had "confirmed 53 Circuit Court judges appointed by Trump in three-and-a-half years," noting for comparison:
"Obama confirmed 55 in all eight years of his presidency. For all judges, Trump has now confirmed 200. George W. Bush follows with 197 at this point in his presidency, and Bill Clinton with 186."
Anything else?
Also on Thursday, Graham — a fervent Trump ally — told CNN that Biden should now begin receiving classified intelligence briefings, despite the fact that Trump has not yet conceded.
The outlet reported that "Graham said he has not expressed his thoughts with the White House but said, 'I hope so,' when asked if he expects Biden to get the briefings soon."


theblaze--2020-11-12--'Nobody pays for a damn thing!' Glenn Beck has had ENOUGH of the left's unchecked corruption

'Nobody pays for a damn thing ! '
Glenn Beck has had ENOUGH of the left 's unchecked corruption Where @ @ @ @

Glenn Beck has had enough of exposing scandal after scandal, just to have everyone look the other way: Benghazi, Hillary Clinton's emails, Joe and Hunter Biden's dealings in Ukraine and China … the list goes on, but no consequences are paid. Now, the media have called the election for Joe Biden and insist no one can question it. But for many of the more than 71 million people who voted for President Trump, our search for the truth isn't over yet.
On his Wednesday night special this week, Glenn called out the left's long list of alleged corruption that has gone unchecked and stressed that Donald Trump's legal team must be allowed to go through the process of investigating the multiple allegations of election fraud to ensure our voting systems are fair.
"I don't know about you, but I'm tired. I am worn out. I am fed up!" Glenn said during his opening monologue. "I've had enough. I am tired of exposing corruption, doing our homework, even going overseas and having documents translated to make sure they're exactly right, [and] presenting the evidence ... except, once we expose it, nothing happens. Nobody goes to jail. Nobody pays for a damn thing any more!"
Watch the short video clip from the full show below:
Because the content of this show is sure to set off the Big Tech censors, the full episode is only be available on BlazeTV. The election and its aftermath are the most important stories in America, so we're offering our most timely discount ever: $30 off a one-year subscription to BlazeTV with code "GLENN."


theblaze--2020-11-12--New legislation could crack down on rioters in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is pushing anti-mob legislation that would extend the state's current stand-your-ground laws. The new law would allow citizens to defend their persons and their property if they have the misfortune of coming under mob attack while driving in their vehicles.
In this clip, Pat explained that DeSantis' law would enhance enforceable self-defense felonies to include criminal mischief causing disruption or impairment of business. DeSantis' law would also make it a third-degree felony to block traffic during a protest and offer immunity to drivers who accidentally kill or injure persons who choose to protest on roads and highways.
"Streets are for driving! Not protesting," Pat said. "If you don't want to get run over, stay out of the street."
For more details about DeSantis' legislation, watch the video.
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theblaze--2020-11-12--Pennsylvania judge rules for Trump campaign, says secretary of state lacked authority to change ID d

Pennsylvania judge rules for Trump campaign, says secretary of state lacked authority to change ID deadline days before election

Pennsylvania judge rules for Trump campaign , says secretary of state lacked authority to change ID deadline days before election @ @ @ @ @ cure their ballots has been decreased

A Pennsylvania judge ruled in favor of the Trump campaign on Thursday, ordering that the state may not count ballots where voters did not provide proof of identification before Nov. 9.
Existing Pennsylvania law states that voters have up to six days after the election to cure issues with a ballot, such as a lack of identification. Election Day was Nov. 3 this year, meaning that voters had until Nov. 9 to correct their ballots.
In September, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots could be accepted three days after Election Day. The issue went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and following a 4-4 tie, Pennsylvania was permitted to accept ballots three days after Election Day.
Two days before Election Day, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar (D), who oversees elections in the state, issued a guidance that proof of ID could be provided up until Nov. 12 to cure ballots.
President Trump's legal team argued that Boockvar had no power to change the date. The ballots received from Nov. 10 through Nov. 12 were segregated until there was a ruling to determine if they would be counted or not.
On Thursday, Pennsylvania Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled that Boockvar "lacked statutory authority" to enable an extension period to cure ballots.
"[T]he Court concludes that Respondent Kathy Boockvar, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Commonwealth, lacked statutory authority to issue the November 1, 2020, guidance to Respondents County Boards of Elections insofar as that guidance purported to change the deadline … for certain electors to verify proof of identification," Leavitt said in a court order.
"Accordingly, the court hereby orders the respondents County Board of Elections are enjoined from counting any ballots that have been segregated pursuant to Paragraph 1 of this court's order dated November 5, 2020, granting a special injunction," Leavitt wrote.
"None of the votes affected by the ruling had yet been included in the state's official tally," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. No indication was given on how many ballots were affected by Judge Leavitt's ruling.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden currently holds a 54,325-vote lead over President Trump in Pennsylvania.


theblaze--2020-11-12--Beto O'Rourke blames 'powerful memes' and Democratic incompetence for 'incredible performance' of Tr

Beto O'Rourke blames 'powerful memes' and Democratic incompetence for 'incredible performance' of Trump among Mexican-Americans

Beto O'Rourke blames 'powerful memes ' and Democratic incompetence for 'incredible performance ' of Trump among Mexican-Americans

Former Texas legislator and failed U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke blamed "powerful memes" and the incompetence of the national Democratic party when assessing the "incredible performance" of Republicans in his state.
O'Rourke made the comments in a letter to supporters released on Thursday.
"The asymmetrical advantage that Trump and the GOP had this cycle in Texas is far more powerful than many of us understood. And I think it begins to explain Republicans' incredible performance on Tuesday night," wrote O'Rourke.
He went on to say that the Democratic ticket increased turnout, but did not make "a meaningful investment" in the state and blamed the national party for "ignoring" the border state.
O'Rourke said that the GOP had an "effective disinformation campaign via text and social media," and this along with Democratic incompetence helped "to explain Trump's phenomenal performance in Texas border counties, counties that happen to be 85% to 95% Mexican-American."
"Powerful memes"
O'Rourke cited failures of Democrats on social media as well.
"We have to be far more effective on digital and social media. The anecdotal takeaway from those I've listened to, especially in border communities, is that Trump/GOP had a ferocious game (lies and powerful memes, effective targeting of new and young voters) and we had none," he wrote.
An emotional economic message
O'Rourke also said that Republicans had a "far more compelling economic message," but claimed it was "not an honest one or better in terms of policy, but simpler, more emotional and more compelling."
"None of this is easy," he concluded. "But it's doable if we decided that we're willing to put in the work, if we're willing to believe in ourselves and act our faith."
O'Rourke said in a video released about the election that he was disappointed by the performance of Democrats in Texas.
Here's O'Rourke implying Texas would flip blue:


theblaze--2020-11-12--Sweden is about to impose a partial lockdown on bars and restaurants — its first such move since the

Sweden is about to impose a partial lockdown on bars and restaurants — its first such move since the pandemic began

Sweden is about to impose a partial lockdown on bars and restaurants — its first such move since the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ will decide whether the nation `` will be able to celebrate Christmas as normal ''

Since the pandemic began, Sweden has been hailed by anti-lockdown advocates as an example to follow: no national lockdowns, no mask mandates. Life has seemed fairly normal there, as the nation appeared to be faring better than other nations.
Sweden was having such success avoiding being like other Western nations that had imposed lockdowns and mandates on their citizens that even NBC News was forced to admit last month that the Scandinavian nation sure seemed to be outperforming expectations.
Noting that Sweden "looks like the world we lost," the outlet even suggested that the country could be a "pandemic roadmap" for the U.S.
But with the current spike in cases worldwide, even Sweden is making some relatively drastic changes.
For the first time since the start of the global pandemic, the Swedish government is set to impose a partial lockdown on some businesses.
According to Fortune, the government announced Wednesday that, starting Nov. 20, the state would prohibit bars and restaurants nationwide from selling alcohol after 10 p.m. and that all businesses licensed to serve alcohol must close by 10:30 p.m.
The country had seen several localities heavily recommending Swedes to avoid contact with people from outside their homes and to limit their movements. Those local recommendation apparently had little impact on the spread of the virus, so with cases in the nation on the rise, the government elected to impose its first-ever nationwide mandated lockdown of any kind.
The nation saw a record high number of new cases (15,779) on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. Sweden is about to set a new weekly record as well. Its previous weekly high of new cases was 22,106, set Nov. 1-7. As of Wednesday, the number of weekly cases from Nov. 8-11 is 28,977.
"We are facing a situation that could turn black as night," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said, according to Fortune. "We risk ending up in the situation we had last spring."
He added that he is willing and ready to add on stricter prohibitions on pubic gatherings if the new measures do not succeed in tamping down the virus' rate of growth.
How the Swedish people act now will decide whether the nation "will be able to celebrate Christmas as normal," the prime minister said.


theblaze--2020-11-12--Pope Francis congratulates, blesses fellow Catholic Joe Biden. The pair agree on some issues — but a

Pope Francis congratulates, blesses fellow Catholic Joe Biden. The pair agree on some issues — but abortion isn't one of them.

Pope Francis congratulates , blesses fellow Catholic Joe Biden .
The pair agree on some issues — but abortion is @ @ @ @ @ Biden called abortion an 'essential health care service ' ; the pope decried referring to @ @ @ @ @

Pope Francis congratulated fellow Catholic Joe Biden during a call Thursday morning, according to a Biden-Harris Transition statement.
What did they talk about?
The statement said Biden "thanked His Holiness for extending blessings and congratulations and noted his appreciation for His Holiness' leadership in promoting peace, reconciliation, and the common bonds of humanity around the world."
The former vice president — who on Saturday was declared the winner of the 2020 election over President Donald Trump by numerous media outlets, although Trump is disputing the vote count — also "expressed his desire to work together on the basis of a shared belief in the dignity and equality of all humankind on issues such as caring for the marginalized and the poor, addressing the crisis of climate change, and welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees into our communities," the statement added.
Biden would be the second Catholic president in U.S. history, following John F. Kennedy, National Public Radio said.
The rest of the story
NPR also characterized Biden as a "deeply devout person of faith" who "often delivers speeches with references to biblical language or the pope."
But given that Biden staunchly favors abortion rights — a distinctly non-Catholic position — prominent Catholic church officials don't view Biden as someone who takes faith seriously.
According to LifeSite News, Cardinal Raymond Burke just days before the election gave a failing grade to Biden's positions on life, marriage, and the family.
"I can't imagine that he would present himself as a devout Catholic," Burke said of Biden. "He has a record which is unfortunately perfect in promoting the attack on the innocent defense of the unborn. … He is also not correct on the issues with regard to marriage and the family. ... The great darkness in our nation comes from the wholesale slaughter of the unborn, also the attack on the family, all this gender theory … and now the attack on religious freedom."
And while Biden in April called abortion an "essential health care service" during a conversation with former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis decried that specific view in a United Nations address in September.
"Unfortunately, some countries and international institutions are also promoting abortion as one of the so-called 'essential services' provided in the humanitarian response to the pandemic," the pope said, according the Catholic News Agency.
Biden has at times claimed he is personally opposed to abortion, LifeSite News said in separate story, but has drifted leftward on the issue over the years. The outlet said Biden in June 2019 reversed his stance on the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for most abortions, and explained that "circumstances have changed." Indeed, Biden announced his candidacy for president in late April.
How would their differing views on abortion affect Biden's relationship with Pope Francis in the future? Well, LifeSite News also said that Biden — commenting late last year on a priest who denied him Communion — claimed that "it's not a position that I've found anywhere else, including from the Holy Father, who gives me Communion."


theblaze--2020-11-12--Republican legislators request a full audit of the Michigan 2020 election

`` Now , we must take every possible step to ensure that all Michiganders , and all Americans , have @ @ @ @ @ Michigan conducted this election with integrity and accuracy . ''

Republican legislators in Michigan are requesting a full audit of the 2020 general election before any of the results are officially certified.
State senators Lana Theis and Tom Barrett on Wednesday sent letters to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Michigan Board of Canvassers reviewing multiple allegations of voter fraud and elections crimes made in affidavits filed by the Trump campaign and others. The letters request that a "full audit" of the election be completed prior to any of the results being certified by the state.
"Every citizen deserves to have faith in the integrity of the election process and its outcome," the letters state. "It is our responsibility, as elected public servants, to assure the people of Michigan of the process's integrity through complete transparency and the faithful investigation of any allegations of wrongdoing, fraud, or abuse."
The letter cites allegations of widespread irregularities in the Michigan vote-counting process made in an affidavit filed by the Trump campaign as part of a lawsuit challenging the results of the election. The allegations include counting ineligible ballots; counting late ballots after illicitly pre-dating them; illegal ballot duplication; barring Republican poll challengers from observing the transposition and certification of certain absentee ballots; and more.
"These claims deserve our full attention and diligent investigation to ensure fairness and transparency in our election process," the letter states.
"As such, and due directly to these issues, we are requesting a full audit to be conducted of the 2020 General Election prior to the certification of any results.
"Now, we must take every possible step to ensure that all Michiganders, and all Americans, have confidence that the State of Michigan conducted this election with integrity and accuracy. That can best be accomplished by a thorough audit and a verification that our election law and processes were correctly administered. Any fraudulently processed votes and unfair obstacles placed in front of legal poll challengers and watchers disenfranchise voters of every citizen of Michigan, regardless of their political affiliation"
"Every legal vote must be counted," the letter concludes.
Some of the claims of voter fraud mentioned in the letters have been disputed by Michigan election officials.
Reports of a Dominion Voting Systems machines "glitch" in Antrim County that caused erroneous unofficial results to show Democrat Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump in a heavily Republican area were attributed to "human error" by Secretary of State Benson. Her office said the county failed to update its election management software, which was used to report unofficial results, Bridge Michigan reports. The error was identified and corrected by county officials and is not believed to be widespread, according to the State.
"As with other unofficial results reporting errors, this was an honest mistake and did not affect any actual vote totals," the Department of State said. "Election clerks work extremely hard and do their work with integrity. They are human beings, and sometimes make mistakes. However, there are many checks and balances that ensure mistakes can be caught and corrected."
Other county clerks who spoke to Bridge Michigan said they experienced no errors with Dominion voting equipment.
Additionally, the city of Detroit, Wayne County, and the Michigan Democratic Party have denied the allegations made in the Trump campaign's lawsuit, claiming the affidavits rely on "hearsay, speculation and unfounded conspiracy theories."
"Most of the objections raised in the submitted affidavits are grounded in an extraordinary failure to understand how elections function," the city of Detroit said, according to MLive.
The defendants responded to several of the allegations made by plaintiffs, saying they are false or misunderstand Michigan election law.
Allegations, for example, that plaintiffs were told not to verify signatures on absentee ballots are true, the city of Detroit said, because the signatures were already verified by clerks before arriving at the counting center, as mandated by state law.
More from MLive:
Claims that Republican poll challengers were denied meaningful access are false, as multiple witnesses said there were an abundance of them at the TCF Center. Once capacity was reached, officials did stop allowing in more challengers until a challenger of their party exited.
Plaintiffs also argue a bunch of unsecured ballots showed up at the TCF Center overnight. Those were not filled out ballots, but blank ballots delivered to the TCF Center for the purposes of processing ballots that were damaged or required duplication because the original couldn't be processed.
The plaintiffs also claimed that ballots received late were being backdated. City and state officials said there was a "clerical error" where the date stamped on absentee ballot envelopes wasn't entered into the system like it should have been.
Officials decided to have workers enter the date stamped onto the envelope into the system – all of which were from before the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline. Republican challengers were consulted and decided not to challenge the procedure at the time.
No late ballots could have been counted because no ballots received after 8 p.m. Tuesday were even delivered to the TCF Center, the city of Detroit said.
Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner of the Michigan presidential election, leading President Trump by 146,123 votes.


theblaze--2020-11-12--Fauci: Coronavirus won't be a pandemic for 'a lot longer' due to vaccines; working with Trump admini

Fauci: Coronavirus won't be a pandemic for 'a lot longer' due to vaccines; working with Trump administration is 'stressful'

Fauci : Coronavirus wo n't be a pandemic for ' a lot longer ' due to vaccines ; working with @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ago , Dr. Fauci said , 'We 're in for a whole lot @ @ @

Dr. Anthony Fauci uncharacteristically painted a potentially rosy future regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases claimed that the coronavirus outbreak would not be a pandemic for "a lot longer."
On Thursday, Fauci proclaimed, "Certainly it's not going to be a pandemic for a lot longer because I believe the vaccines are going to turn that around."
Fauci suddenly changed his tune regarding the COVID-19 pandemic days after Pfizer and BioNTech announced developing a coronavirus vaccine that boasts an efficacy rate above 90%.
In late October, Fauci cautioned that early COVID-19 vaccines will likely only prevent symptoms, but not stop transmission.
"If the vaccine allows you to prevent initial infection, that would be great," Fauci said at the time. "[But] the primary endpoint [is] to prevent clinically recognizable disease."
Fauci then added that the vaccine is likely to only be 50% or 60% effective.
It was less than two weeks ago when Fauci forewarned of doom and gloom regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're in for a whole lot of hurt. It's not a good situation," Fauci told the Washington Post. "All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly."
Less than three weeks ago, Fauci said people should expect to wear face masks and social distance through the end of 2021 and into 2022.
On Wednesday, Fauci gave an interview to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where he said that working with the Trump administration has "obviously been very stressful."
"I mean, it's just, to deny that would be to deny reality," he said. "When you have public figures like [Steve] Bannon calling for your beheading. That's really kind of unusual. That's not the kind of thing you think about when you're going through medical school to become a physician."
Fauci is referring to former Trump campaign adviser Steve Bannon, who mentioned the immunologist and FBI Director Christopher Wray during a recent podcast.
"Second term kicks off with firing Wray, firing Fauci … no I actually want to go a step farther but the president is a kind-hearted man and a good man," Bannon said during his podcast. "I'd actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England. I'd put their heads on pikes, right, I'd put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats, you either get with the program or you're gone."
A spokesperson for Bannon said that he was not suggesting that Fauci and Wray literally be decapitated, but was speaking metaphorically and referencing the bloody politics of Tudor-era England. The spokesperson added that Bannon has "never called for violence of any kind."
Bannon's podcast was permanently banned by Twitter, and the episode was removed from YouTube. Facebook removed several pages that were linked Bannon that were reportedly spreading misinformation about voter fraud.
"It's meaningless, you know, people calling for you to be beheaded, fired, thrown in the fire pit or whatever," Fauci said. "That's just noise. You don't pay attention to that."


theblaze--2020-11-12--Pro-Trump groups plan weekend #StopTheSteal MAGA march in D.C.

Million MAGA March , Women for Trump , Stop the Steal DC and other groups will protest

An assortment of pro-Trump groups will rally Saturday in Washington, D.C., to protest perceived election fraud and support President Donald Trump, who has not yet conceded the presidential election to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Various groups, including the Million MAGA March, Women for Trump, and Stop the Steal DC have invited all Trump supporters to participate in an organized protest at noon Saturday at Freedom Plaza, near the White House and along the National Mall, multiple outlets reported.
According to WDVM-TV, counterprotests are planned at Black Lives Matter Plaza. The Metropolitan Police Department released plans for no parking zones in and around the downtown area to accommodate the protests.
"Our Police Chief will have a similar posture this weekend as he did last week, and we will be there to support peaceful exercise of First Amendment demonstrations," D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference.
D.C. police reportedly advised those who plan to attend the protests that the capital's notoriously strict gun laws will be enforced.
WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green reported that while the planned protests are gaining attention and interaction on social media, some followers are skeptical of the wisdom of traveling to Washington.
"There are not a lot of people biting on this; there are a lot of people following them on social media. But there are a lot of people that are doubtful about the wisdom of coming here to do this," Green said.
The protests are already being characterized as "white nationalist" by mainstream media outlets. Politico reported that "Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Infowars fanatics, Groypers, Proud Boys, white nationalists, neo-Nazis and the people who would simply call themselves die-hard MAGA" plan to attend.
WTOP's report noted that federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations are monitoring the groups planning to attend the protest. Green reported that it is "not likely" that a repeat of the 2017 clash between white nationalists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, will happen again.
"In part because authorities here are so well-prepared and have that knowledge under their belt. And … you can't carry guns in D.C. … I'm pretty sure that any organizers are making it very clear to people who come to D.C., 'Do not bring a gun.' Other weapons maybe, but it's not likely that this is going to turn into that," Green said.
The Twitter account for Million Mega March posted a public prayer asking God to let the march happen peacefully, "without conflict from those who wish to agitate and cause violence."
(H/T: The Federalist)


theblaze--2020-11-12--Target reopening looted, ransacked Minneapolis store — but with new focus on catering to black shopp

Target reopening looted, ransacked Minneapolis store — but with new focus on catering to black shoppers

Target reopening looted , ransacked Minneapolis store — but with new focus on catering to black shoppers A goal of @ @ @ @ @ committee is to 'create environments where Black guests feel overtly welcome '

A Target store in South Minneapolis became an emblem of protests and rioting that took place nationwide after the death of George Floyd in late May, as the store was looted and ransacked in broad daylight as cameras rolled:
Minneapolis Target looted as protests turn more violent youtu.be
And now, nearly six months later, the same store is reopening, Bloomberg reported — but with a focus on serving the needs of black customers.
What are the details?
The interior of the store was overhauled, the outlet said, with the pharmacy moved to the front of the store so elderly customers can easily get their prescriptions and the grocery stocked with spices requested by the local community while the lighting for the crosswalk from the nearby rail station was upgraded, and the entrance was made more inviting with a new mural and plants.
Bloomberg noted that Target is a retailer long associated with white suburban shoppers — and executives said the overhaul is part of an effort to improve its image with black customers. Indeed, the outlet said the Minneapolis store drew shoppers from areas twice as black as a typical Target, according to cellphone data tracked by SafeGraph.
"By being based in Minneapolis — by being based in the eye of the storm of George Floyd — they had a huge responsibility to produce a pretty elaborate plan," Anthony Thompson, a professor of clinical law and a founding faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality and the Law at New York University, told Bloomberg of Target's decision to raze and reconstruct the store.
More from the outlet:
It's not exactly clear why this specific store was targeted; protesters originally headed there for milk to relieve the pain from being tear gassed. But in rebuilding, Target realized the surrounding neighborhood had never been asked point-blank whether the store that's been there since 1976 was serving it well. It wasn't.
The litany of complaints was long. And even though a remodel in 2018 fixed earlier perceptions the store was dirty, poorly stocked and a bit of an afterthought, some White residents in the Longfellow neighborhood would still drive to a different Target instead, derogatorily referring to the location — and its customers — as "Tar-ghetto."
So the roughly $80 billion corporation did something it hadn't before: met with Black residents, employees and community organizers (over Zoom; it's 2020 after all) to ask what they wanted to see in the reconstructed store.
Target hired a contracting company owned by a Somali-American woman and built some of those neighborhood requests into its blueprints. It also added shutters to the store that can come down in case of future emergencies.
Bloomberg added that Target laid out the goals of its new racial justice committee in August, including the need to "create environments where Black guests feel overtly welcome," which implied many didn't.
Kiera Fernandez, the corporation's chief diversity and inclusion officer and vice president of human resources, acknowledged to the outlet that Target does have a reputation of catering to white shoppers — but that it's working on building more relationships with black entrepreneurs by stocking their products. But Bloomberg noted that Target hasn't committed to signing the 15% Pledge, a promise to fill shelves with that percentage of products made by black-owned brands.
"Target is not going to be able to end systemic racism," Stephanie Creary, assistant professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, told the outlet. "Target is going to be able to reduce the impact of racism that is created from its operations. That's what we're looking at."
Laysha Ward, Target's chief external engagement officer and the only black executive who reports directly to CEO Brian Cornell, added to Bloomberg: "We're really thinking about this relevant experience that is overtly Black and reflecting overtly Black needs and culture. We have to make sure that the solutions we're putting forward are informed by the insights of our own Black team members, our Black guests, the Black community."
More from the outlet:
For the most part, local residents are excited to see the retailer reopen. Even though the Minneapolis-based company used to be seen as touting its national philanthropic efforts while largely ignoring South Minneapolis's actual needs, its relationship with the neighborhood has come a long way since May. While the Lake Street site was closed, it worked with community partners to distribute essential goods like diapers. The community now feels it has a direct line to corporate headquarters, Majors said.
It will also be one of few fully operational stores in the still recovering neighborhood. Other local groceries, including an Aldi, were temporarily closed after the protests left parts of the area in rubble, while the other local supermarket, Cub Foods, kept operating from under a tent. The police precinct still sits empty, and the post office is still mostly rubble after burning during the spring unrest.
ThoMalik Watkins told Bloomberg he'll shop at the overhauled Target but believes it's responsible to the community not only in regard to what it sells but also for how it treats employees, making products easy to access, and promoting black-owned brands.
"Not saying you need to have signs all through your store that say 'Black Lives Matter,'" Watkins added to the outlet. "But I think it's important that they join the discussion, especially if that's the community that you're in and taking people's money."


theblaze--2020-11-12--In first debate Biden pledged to not declare victory until election was independently certified — he

In first debate Biden pledged to not declare victory until election was independently certified — he did anyway The election @ @ @ @ @ certified

During the first 2020 presidential debate in September, Joe Biden pledged that he would not declare victory in the election until the results were "independently certified." Last week, Biden declared victory in the presidential election despite the results not yet being independently certified.
On Sept. 29 during the first of two presidential debates, moderator Chris Wallace asked Biden a question about not rushing to declare victory while the ballots were still being counted.
The "Fox News Sunday" host asked Biden, "Will you urge your supporters to stay calm while the vote is counted? And will you pledge not to declare victory until the election is independently certified?"
Biden answered without doubt, "Yes."
The former vice president then acknowledged that counting this year's election results would take longer than typical election years.
"Here's the deal: We count the ballots," Biden stated. "As you pointed out, some of these ballots in some states can't even be opened until Election Day. And if there's thousands of ballots, it's going to take time to do it."
On Saturday, Biden declared victory in the 2020 election, despite the results yet to be independently certified.
"Folks, the people of this nation have spoken they've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory," Biden said in his presumed victory speech delivered in Wilmington, Delaware. "A victory for We The People. We've won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of the nation."
On Monday, Biden proclaimed that "this election is over" as he instructed Americans to wear face masks.
"I will be a president for every American," Biden said. "This election is over. It's time to put aside the partisanship and the rhetoric that is designed to demonize one another."
The certification of election results is typically performed by the state's governor, chief election official, or a board of canvassers. Each state has different deadlines for when the election results must be certified, the latest is Dec. 11 for California.
There is a Dec. 8 deadline for resolving election disputes at the state level.
On Dec. 14, electors will vote by paper ballot for their states, then deliver the certificates by Dec. 23.
On Jan. 6, the House and Senate will hold a joint session to count the electoral votes, and if a candidate has received at least 270 electoral votes, they will be declared the next president.
On Wednesday, the state of Georgia announced there would be a manual hand recount of the presidential election results because Biden's lead is so narrow, a mere 0.3%, which is the same margin that Biden is leading President Donald Trump in Arizona.
The Trump campaign has brought forward numerous allegations of election fraud as well as several lawsuits asserting that there was meddling in the 2020 election, including in Pennsylvania and Michigan.


theblaze--2020-11-12--Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine: 'Joe Biden is the President-elect'

But DeWine also said Trump has 'every right ' to file lawsuits to challenge election results

Ohio's Republican governor said Thursday that it's time for the American people to recognize former Vice President Joe Biden as the president-elect.
Appearing on CNN's "New Day," Gov. Mike DeWine said, "I think that we need to consider the former vice president as the President-elect. Joe Biden is the President-elect."
President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden although he is still behind by several tens of thousands votes in key battleground states. The Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in six states seeking to challenge the results of the election by invalidating votes cast for Biden, alleging voter fraud and election process irregularities.
DeWine, who endorsed Trump for re-election, also said that Trump has "every right" to file lawsuits but added he doesn't know if Trump's case has merit.
"Look, I'm worried about this virus, I'm not looking at what the merits of the case are. It would appear that Joe Biden is going to be the next president of the United States," he told CNN.
Legal experts say it is doubtful these lawsuits will successfully overturn the election.
"He has the right to mount legal challenges, but we should be clear that these are 'Hail Mary' passes we might think of in American football," conservative lawyer John Yoo told CNBC Thursday.
"None of these cases really look like they have a very high probability of winning," Yoo said. "On the other hand, I think that Trump has every right to try and demand that all the states be sure about the votes, so that we all have confidence in the election. But I'll say, looking at past cases, these are very hard cases to prove and generally they don't result in changes in the votes totals on the order by which President Trump lost to Joe Biden."
DeWine joins several elected Republicans who have publicly acknowledged Biden's victory.
Fellow Republican Governors Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Phil Scott of Vermont, and Larry Hogan of Maryland have each congratulated Biden on becoming president-elect.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), congratulated Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) on Twitter.
"We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead," Romney said on Saturday.
He later told NBC News that the transition of power should begin as soon as possible.
"It's very much in our national interest, in our foreign policy interest, national security interest, to make sure that if there's a new team that may become the leadership team, that they be given all access as quickly as possible," Romney said.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) also congratulated Biden for winning. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) have called for the transition process to begin.
DeWine said it's time for the country to move past the election and focus on combating the coronavirus.
"Look, we just all need to take a deep breath. There is a process for all of this. You need to follow the process. And we need to move this country forward. I think the most important thing is that we come together as a country," DeWine told CNN. "You know, we have a common enemy, it's not Republicans and it's not Democrats, our common enemy is this virus."


theblaze--2020-11-12--Obama: Sarah Palin made 'xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories' and racism

Obama: Sarah Palin made 'xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories' and racism popular in GOP

Obama 's new memoir , ' A Promised Land , ' covers the first term of his presidency .

In his new post-presidency memoir, former President Barrack Obama explicitly states that his election in 2008 gave rise to racial tensions in the United States that he says President Donald Trump exploited for political purposes. He also accuses former Gov. Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee in 2008, of unleashing "xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, and antipathy towards black and brown folks" in the Republican Party, giving way to Trump's rise.
"It was as if my very presence in the White House had triggered a deep-seated panic, a sense that the natural order had been disrupted," Obama writes. "Which is exactly what Donald Trump understood when he started peddling assertions that I had not been born in the United States and was thus an illegitimate president. For millions of Americans spooked by a Black man in the White House, he promised an elixir for their racial anxiety."
Obama's memoir, titled "A Promised Land," details his childhood, rise in politics, historic presidential campaign, and the first four years of his presidency. The book, which is due out Nov. 17, is the first volume of a planned two-volume work. In excerpts from the book published by CNN, Obama accuses the Republican Party, and Palin in particular, of making racist and conspiratorial attitudes mainstream.
"Through Palin, it seemed as if the dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the modern Republican Party — xenophobia, anti intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, an antipathy toward Black and brown folks — were finding their way to center stage," Obama writes.
He said he "wonder(s) sometimes" about whether the late 2008 Republican nominee John McCain would still have chosen Palin if he had known "her spectacular rise and her validation as a candidate would provide a template for future politicians, shifting his party's center and the country's politics overall in a direction he abhorred."
"I'd like to think that given the chance to do it over again, he might have chosen differently," Obama writes. "I believe he really did put his country first."
He accuses the Republican Party of appealing to white Americans' supposed anxieties about the first black president to thwart his agenda, a strategy that "had migrated from the fringe of GOP politics to the center — an emotional, almost visceral, reaction to my presidency, distinct from any differences in policy or ideology."
Obama also discusses Trump, who championed the 2011 conspiracy that Obama was not born in the United States. He writes that Trump's birtherism and, in his view, GOP leadership's appeal to white Americans to oppose his agenda was more or less the same.
"In that sense, there wasn't much difference between Trump and [John] Boehner or [Mitch] McConnell. They, too, understood that it didn't matter whether what they said was true," he writes. "In fact, the only difference between Trump's style of politics and theirs was Trump's lack of inhibition."
Obama writes that it was for this reason he used his vice president, Joe Biden, as the administration's go-to negotiator with the Republican-controlled Congress.
"One of the reasons I'd chosen Joe to act as an intermediary -- in addition to his Senate experience and legislative acumen -- was my awareness that in McConnell's mind, negotiations with the vice president didn't inflame the Republican base in quite the same way that any appearance of cooperation with (Black, Muslim socialist) Obama was bound to do," Obama writes.


theblaze--2020-11-12--Michael Moore calls for Joe Biden to embrace socialism, eliminate the Electoral College, reject bipa

Michael Moore calls for Joe Biden to embrace socialism, eliminate the Electoral College, reject bipartisanship

Michael Moore calls for Joe Biden to embrace socialism , eliminate the Electoral College , reject bipartisanship The liberal filmmaker @ @ @ @ @ of progressive demands

Michael Moore wrote an open letter to Joe Biden, where he outlined actions he wants to see the former Democratic vice president execute if he enters the White House, including embracing socialism and eliminating the Electoral College.
In a lengthy post on Facebook, Moore expressed his delight in the current election results.
"You stopped the madness. A grateful nation — and myself — are in a state of joy, hope and relief," the progressive filmmaker wrote. "Thank you for that! We are all eager to join with you to repair the damage done to our country — and to eliminate that about our society and our politics which gave us Donald Trump in the first place.
"Health Care is a human right and every American must be covered," Moore spouted. "Everyone must be paid a living wage."
Regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Moore claimed, "Had Trump won, I'm guessing up to a million people in the next year or so would have died from him ignoring this virus."
Moore then called for Biden to embrace socialism.
"They think because Trump got 70 million votes the Democrats should reject Black Lives Matter, AOC, and anything that vaguely sounds like socialism — at a time when the majority of our citizens under the age of 35, according to most polls, prefer the idea of democratic socialism over the greed of modern-day capitalism," he states. "Why risk losing them? We need to listen to and understand why they feel this way. They've been saddled with crushing student debt and we've handed them a planet In the middle of its 6th extinction event as their future."
Moore urges Biden to reject bipartisanship, which he alleges was a "mistake" that former President Barack Obama made when he was first elected. Moore advises Biden not to compromise like his former boss did.
"The Republicans had already decided they were going to block EVERYTHING Obama proposed and that's exactly what they did for eight long years with a discipline and a ruthlessness we should probably envy," he instructed the former vice president. "Don't let this happen to you. Charge in on January 20th like FDR on steroids. You have no choice. People are dying! You need to sign executive orders and cajole, demand and shame Congress into action."
Moore tells Biden to "GO BIG," and "Eliminate the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote Act!"
Regarding the two critical U.S. Senate seats currently held by Republicans in Georgia that will be voted on during the Jan. 5 runoff elections, Moore said, "All hands on deck between now and January 5th."
He vaguely suggests, "We will all do whatever is needed" to win the runoff elections.
Last month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also promised to push Biden to become more progressive if he is elected president.
"My role is consistent, in making sure that we push the Democratic Party to have a larger vision for our future," AOC said. "And, so, is my job to push the Democratic Party? Absolutely. And that has been my job since and that has been a part of my role since I have been elected.
"I believe that it's critically important that the Biden administration appoint progressive leaders," she added. "This is about making sure that we're not just going back to how things were and rewinding the tape before the Trump administration."


theblaze--2020-11-12--Time magazine cover declares that Biden's apparent victory represents 'A time to heal'

Allegedly objective Time magazine is openly celebrating Joe Biden 's apparent victory in the 2020 presidential election with a commemorative cover that declares that his victory represents `` A time to heal . ''
Not content to declare him a healer with the cover , the accompanying article calls Biden a `` dragon slayer '' in the first paragraph , musing that , `` The only thing more powerful than a dragon is a dragon slayer .
For four years , Donald Trump 's penchant for division and chaos was the dominant force in American life .
In the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was vanquished by Joe Biden 's promise of decency , unity and national healing . ''
In case you thought Time might have been laying it on a little thick in their lead paragraph , they were not done .
Before the end of the article , they had declared that Biden represented , `` a vindication of a style of American politics that many feared was gone forever , '' `` a leader with competence and empathy , '' an `` experienced statesman , '' `` a candidate most famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the man for the moment , '' a politician who `` could carry [ America ] back to a calmer , less politically divisive past , '' and more .
In case you were wondering , the article was not exactly neutral about President Donald Trump .
Trump was described as the dragon who got slayed by Biden , an agent of `` division and chaos , '' an `` incompetent president , '' a `` celebrity who mocked the [ coronavirus ] , '' a President who `` went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has killed more than 230,000 Americans , '' a person who `` proved incapable of even feigning sympathy for the millions suffering from the disease and the recession it caused , '' a candidate who `` ran on a brutal vision , '' a president whose `` errors set a low bar , '' and more .
In the end , according to Time , everything worked out exactly as Biden thought it would : `` armed with a stable campaign in unstable times , and a comforting message in a disquieting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and steady march to victory , exactly as he said he would . ''

Allegedly objective Time magazine is openly celebrating Joe Biden's apparent victory in the 2020 presidential election with a commemorative cover that declares that his victory represents "A time to heal."
Not content to declare him a healer with the cover, the accompanying article calls Biden a "dragon slayer" in the first paragraph, musing that, "The only thing more powerful than a dragon is a dragon slayer. For four years, Donald Trump's penchant for division and chaos was the dominant force in American life. In the end, after a long and excruciating battle, it was vanquished by Joe Biden's promise of decency, unity and national healing."
Image source: Time.com
In case you thought Time might have been laying it on a little thick in their lead paragraph, they were not done. Before the end of the article, they had declared that Biden represented, "a vindication of a style of American politics that many feared was gone forever," "a leader with competence and empathy," an "experienced statesman," "a candidate most famous for his hugs and handshakes," "the man for the moment," a politician who "could carry [America] back to a calmer, less politically divisive past," and more.
In case you were wondering, the article was not exactly neutral about President Donald Trump. Trump was described as the dragon who got slayed by Biden, an agent of "division and chaos," an "incompetent president," a "celebrity who mocked the [coronavirus]," a President who "went on to bungle the federal response to a virus that has killed more than 230,000 Americans," a person who "proved incapable of even feigning sympathy for the millions suffering from the disease and the recession it caused," a candidate who "ran on a brutal vision," a president whose "errors set a low bar," and more.
In the end, according to Time, everything worked out exactly as Biden thought it would: "armed with a stable campaign in unstable times, and a comforting message in a disquieting moment, Joe Biden completed his slow and steady march to victory, exactly as he said he would."


theblaze--2020-11-12--POLL: Do you think President Trump will ultimately win the election in the courts?

POLL : Do you think President Trump will ultimately win the election in the courts ?
Cast your vote and @ @ @ @ @ !

POLL: Do you think President Trump will ultimately win the election in the courts?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-11-12--Leftists want folks to move to Georgia to increase Democratic votes for US Senate runoffs — but tact

Leftists want folks to move to Georgia to increase Democratic votes for US Senate runoffs — but tactic could be a felony

Leftists want folks to move to Georgia to increase Democratic votes for US Senate runoffs — but tactic could be @ @ @ @ @ very careful about doing that '

All eyes will be on Georgia Jan. 5 when a pair of runoff elections will determine the fate of the state's two U.S. Senate seats presently held by Republicans.
In short, if the Democratic candidates flip the seats, the Senate's 100 seats will be evenly split between the GOP and Democrats with the deciding vote going to the vice president — and that would be Democrat Kamala Harris assuming Joe Biden takes the presidential oath of office.
With the makeup of the Senate on the line — as well as future U.S. policies — the notion of people actually moving to Georgia so they can vote in the runoff and influence its outcome has become a discussion point on the left.
What are the details?
"I hope everybody moves to Georgia, you know, in the next month or two, registers to vote, and votes for these two Democratic senators," New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman told CNN on Monday night, according to Fox News.
"These run-offs will decide which party controls the Senate, and thus, whether we'll have any hope of a large stimulus/climate bill. If you have the means and fervor to make a temporary move to GA, [I] believe anyone who registers by Dec 7 can vote in these elections," Eric Levitz of New York Magazine's Intelligencer wrote in a "mostly in jest" now-deleted tweet captured by Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy:
And former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang announced on Twitter that he and his wife are moving to Georgia to campaign for the Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock who are facing off against incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Yang didn't indicate if he plans to register to vote in Georgia, the paper said.
Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has taken notice of the move-to-Georgia trend: "My understanding, I learned last night, is they're even inviting people to move here to come vote," he said at an event for Loeffler in Georgia on Wednesday, Fox News said, which incited boos from the crowd.
But is it legal?
Sure, anybody can move to Georgia in the next few weeks, establish residency, and register to vote by Dec. 7 — but is it legal?
That depends.
The Journal said those who use this tactic need to stay in the state for a while or risk getting into trouble.
A spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State's Office cited state law saying it's a felony to vote in the state's elections if one is residing in the state briefly with the intention just to vote and then move away, the paper noted.
"These are sensitive issues, and election officials are going to pay attention to what is happening," Enrijeta Shino, a University of North Florida political science professor who has researched voting issues in Georgia, told the Journal. "People should be very careful about doing that."
Shino told the paper that folks can move to Georgia briefly to work on campaigns and canvass for candidates, but voting in the state without the intention of staying would be considered fraud.
Legal residents of Georgia who turn 18 between now and Dec. 7 would be eligible to register in the runoff, Shino also told the Journal.
More from the paper:
One of the main ways to establish proof of residency is to provide a valid Georgia driver's license. People must bring proof of identification, Social Security number and a Georgia primary residence (such as a utility bill). The state Department of Driver Services sends information on new residents obtaining driver's licenses to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office for voter registration, unless the new driver specifically asks the department not to do so, said department spokeswoman Shevondah Leslie.
If drivers meet the state's requirements, the county board of elections automatically registers new residents to vote. How soon that would take place is not clear.
A sudden influx of new residents could have some impact on what are expected to be close Senate runoff elections.
Eddie Zipperer, assistant professor of political science at Georgia Military College, told Fox News that he's "seen people saying they'll move to Georgia, but it's a lot more difficult than they think. It would be very dangerous and, ultimately, I presume, not worth it."


theblaze--2020-11-12--EXPLAINED: What happened in Michigan?

EXPLAINED: What happened in Michigan?

Steven reviews the Trump team 's legal case in Michigan and looks at what sworn affidavits allege took place during @ @ @ @ @ then covers a Democrat 's illegal calls for leftists to move to Georgia to swing @ @ @ @ @ runoff elections .
Use promo code LWC to save $ 10 on one year of @ @ @ @ @ Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually @ @ @ @ @ — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand .

Steven reviews the Trump team's legal case in Michigan and looks at what sworn affidavits allege took place during the vote count. He then covers a Democrat's illegal calls for leftists to move to Georgia to swing the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff elections.
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--2020-11-12--Joe Biden's new chief of staff, Ronald Klain, in 2014 said elections are 'rigged'

Joe Biden 's new chief of staff , Ronald Klain , in 2014 said elections are 'rigged '

Former Vice President Joe Biden selected Ronald Klain as his White House chief of staff on Wednesday. Within hours of Klain being named to the new position, a 2014 tweet by Klain saying that elections are "rigged" resurfaced and raised eyebrows.
Klain's tweet was a reply to a Vox.com post on Twitter linking to an article titled, "68% of Americans think elections are rigged." Klain reacted to the article by declaring, "That's because they are."
The article, which was written by Vox founder Ezra Klein, argues, "Elections are rigged in favor of incumbents. And they're basically right."
The article claims election fraud isn't the problem.
"Incumbents get a voice in gerrymandering — meaning that the politicians, in an inversion of the normal rules of democracy, get to choose their voters," Klein wrote.
The article highlights that "very few congressional elections are seriously competitive" because "reelection rates for incumbents tend to hover around 90 percent — and they occasionally get perilously close to 100 percent." Adding that the "powers of incumbency are so strong that overall congressional approval ratings barely affect congressional reelection rates."
The Vox article cited a 2014 Rasmussen poll with the headline, "68% Think Election Rules Rigged for Incumbents."
As of Thursday morning, Klain's tweet was still up, and Twitter had not slapped a warning label on it.
Klain was the general counsel to Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore during the Florida recount in the 2000 election against Republican George W. Bush. He argued against counting overseas absentee ballots, which would have "potentially thrown out the votes of hundreds of military members stationed overseas," as reported by CNN.
"The idea that people were going to vote after the election and have those votes count, that's a pretty irregular idea," Klain said in 2000.
Following a machine recount, Bush's lead stood at 327 votes. Klain called Florida a "Third World banana republic" for its handling of the 2000 recount.
Klain served as chief of staff to Gore when he was vice president between 1995 and 1999, as well as to former Vice President Biden from 2009 to 2011.
On Wednesday, Biden issued a statement on selecting Klain as his White House chief of staff:
"Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014. His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again."


theblaze--2020-11-12--Warren: Biden should bypass Congress to implement the 'most progressive economic and racial justice

Warren: Biden should bypass Congress to implement the 'most progressive economic and racial justice platform ... ever'

Warren : Biden should bypass Congress to implement the 'most progressive economic and racial justice platform ... ever '

Media outlets have called the presidency for Joe Biden, but by all accounts his win was much narrower than many Democrats expected, and Democrats down ticket performed much worse than expected, meaning that Democrats did not get the clean sweep on Election Day they hoped.
The "split decision" thus rendered by the American people on Election Day has led to an already spectacular amount of infighting among Democrats who are eager to point fingers for the party's failure. In particular, the party's liberal and more moderate wings have been particularly eager to point fingers at the other camp, with moderates aggressively blaming progressive policies like "defund the police" for their losses.
Massachusetts Sen. and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren (D), meanwhile, is confident that Biden's expected win is a victory for "the most progressive economic and racial justice platform of any general election nominee ever," as she wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post.
As for the fact that the American people likely elected a Republican Senate and a larger number of Republican congressmen and therefore perhaps were not quite as keen on the most progressive platform ever? Warren argues that Biden should ignore that fact, saying, "We need to deliver [on progressive promises], even as Republican leaders can't acknowledge the election outcome and plan to grind Congress to a halt."
The fact that Republicans won enough elections in 2020 to grind Biden's agenda to a halt is, apparently, an "election outcome" that Warren isn't interested in acknowledging.
Instead, she argues that "there are lots of big changes that a Biden-Harris administration can achieve through executive orders and agency action on day one." Among other things Warren thinks Biden should do without Congress, Warren argues that Biden should:
Cancel "billions of dollars" in student loan debt
Bypass patents for companies that have expended millions of dollars in research funds to develop life-saving drugs
Raise the minimum wage for all federal contractors to $15 an hour
Establish a "Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force" to "review racial disparities in pandemic funding."
Declare the the climate crisis a national emergency
Warren concludes , "Even so, we know that Washington insiders and their establishment allies are ready to declare that unity and consensus mean turning over the governing keys to giant corporations and their lobbyists — the exact opposite of what voters want."
Warren does not state who these people are who are arguing this, because they do not exist. Nevertheless, having demolished this straw man, Warren concludes, "Instead of allowing insiders to hijack the message sent by voters in both parties, we should listen to those voters and deliver real solutions to the problems we face."


theblaze--2020-11-12--New York state Democratic Party chairman slaps down Ocasio-Cortez for lecturing Dems on progressivis

New York state Democratic Party chairman slaps down Ocasio-Cortez for lecturing Dems on progressivism

The chairman of the New York state Democratic Party blamed the extreme leftism from Democrats for disappointing election results and specifically singled out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for his ire.
Chairman Jay Jacobs told the New York Post that Ocasio-Cortez had no business telling other Democrats how to campaign given how far left her own district is.
"AOC has no standing on how to run a general election in the suburbs and upstate. AOC is in a district that's 6-1 Democrat and she couldn't find a Republican in her district with binoculars," Jacobs said.
"I invite AOC to come to Long Island and stand for election in one of our districts. You'll see different results," Jacobs added.
Ocasio-Cortez easily won her re-election campaign over a Republican challenger on Election Day, but Democrats elsewhere in the state didn't fare as well.
The comments from Jacobs mirror those from centrist establishment Democrats who are blaming the far-left progressive messaging for the party's national losses as well.
In an emotional caucus phone conference after the election, Democratic politicians said that Republicans pummeled them by aligning them with "socialist" policies, including "defund the police" efforts from Black Lives Matter protests.
"We need to not ever use the words socialist or socialism ever again," said Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who won a close re-election race in Virginia.
"If we run this race again we will get f***ing torn apart again in 2022," she added.
Progressive groups fired back in a memo that tossed gasoline on the internecine conflagration.
"Not a single Democrat — progressive or otherwise — argued that Democrats should run primarily on these themes," the memo said. "These attacks will never go away, nor will demands for reform from social movements. The attacks are designed to stoke racial resentment."
Democrats raised $400 million in hopes of seizing the Senate from Republican control, but their hopes are hanging by a thread in Georgia where two Senate seats will be determined in runoff elections.
Here's more about Democrats failing:


theblaze--2020-11-13--Report: Chinese government is preventing Taiwan from participating in WHO meetings even though Taiwa

Report: Chinese government is preventing Taiwan from participating in WHO meetings even though Taiwan hasn't had a local COVID infection for seven months

Report : Chinese government is preventing Taiwan from participating in WHO meetings even though Taiwan has n't had a local @ @ @ @ @ More evidence the WHO is in the pocket of the communist Chinese government

The Chinese government, which failed to control the initial outbreak of the virus and is widely suspected of having misled the World Health Organization and the global community about both the origins of the virus and the scope of its early spread, is now preventing Taiwan from participating in WHO meetings and explaining its success at containing the virus, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, Taiwan has not had a locally transmitted coronavirus infection in seven months. Taiwan has sought to participate in World Health Organization meetings about the pandemic to discuss measures the island nation — which China considers to be a rogue province — has taken to successfully combat the spread of COVID. However, due to China's influence at the World Health Organization, which has frequently been criticized by President Trump and other Republicans, Taiwan has been prevented from participating.
In addition to their objections regarding any recognition of Taiwan's independence, the communist Chinese regime has a propaganda-related motive for restricting Taiwan's participation in these meetings. Since the start of the pandemic, China has waged a public relations campaign designed to convince the world that their authoritarian form of government has been more efficient at containing the virus than free countries. In keeping with that, they have released laughably low and likely fraudulent coronavirus infection statistics, which have been contradicted by whistleblowers who have escaped the Chinese mainland.
According to the WSJ report, "Chinese state media has pointed to the effectiveness of the country's response in contrast to democratic countries, where a deference to individual liberties has contributed to the rampant spread of the virus." Taiwan's presentation, if permitted, would demonstrate that free, democratic societies can also effectively contain the coronavirus' spread.
A spokesperson for the WHO explained the stated reasoning for Taiwan's exclusion from conferences related to COVID-19 by saying that extending an invitation to Taiwan would lead to a challenge from other, unspecified nations, "at the expense of the good order of W.H.A. and its ability to function around substantive issues."
President Trump and numerous other individuals have long accused the WHO and its head, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, of being in the pocket of the Chinese government, and of willingly repeating obvious communist Chinese propaganda. In April, Trump announced that he was halting United States funding to the organization, and in July, the administration sent a letter to Congress announcing that the U.S. would formally withdraw from the organization.
Former Vice President Joe Biden promised, in response, to immediately rejoin the organization if he was elected.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Commentary: Mask-wearing fanaticism sure looks a lot like a religion

Commentary : Mask-wearing fanaticism sure looks a lot like a religion

A prominent Christian pastor tweeted the following this week: “Two seemingly contradictory currents mark our society 1. There is a denunciation of all claims of absolute truth 2. Yet there is also a fanaticism in which one position or group is absolutely right, nothing is ambiguous, and divergent views should be destroyed."
I feel ya, brother. But nothing contradictory is in fact going on at all. This is the logical destination of attempting to usurp the ultimate authority in all the universe. It is biblically defined double-mindedness perfected. "My truth" can't help but become "kneel before Zod."
As a consequence, the Beatitudes are indeed replaced with the Fanaticisms. They are ever-changing, non-eternal, entirely arbitrary power grabs that seek not to instill humility and healing but elevate lies to the level of ultimate justice.
One of the latest Fanaticisms is the wearing of masks. We are waaaaay past science on this one and firmly in the realm of voodoo now. However, it's a voodoo that only gets more obnoxiously mandatory the more it is proven to be a total fraud.
We've had an Ohio mask mandate in effect for at least 112 days. A Maryland mask mandate for at least 106 days. A New York mask mandate for at least 128 days. Yet all of their governors are currently threatening more shutdowns because of a new coronavirus "surge."
There is absolutely nowhere masks have been shown in real time to be effective at slowing Covid after months of trying. No state. No country. Nowhere. And the science published by the CDC itself even said that would be the case as a public health policy for respiratory infections before Covid came along. But now masks have been necromanced into relevance and false righteousness many times over. We've incredulously been told by the witch doctor atop the CDC they are better than a vaccine.
Well, they are a vaccine alright, but not really meant to kill the virus. They are meant to kill us. Our freedom. Our dignity. Our sense of reality itself. The more they don't actually work but we continue to agree to wear them, that becomes all the more clear. We are telling the universe that our fear is our greatest certainty and the flat earth is our greatest comfort.
No wonder a dementia patient may be on on the verge of becoming president. He is the mask personified. A twice-failed presidential candidate with a nearly 50-year-long track record in public “service" of never making a damn thing better, so why don't we try him again but only harder this time! What could possibly go wrong?
It is failure incarnate. It is failure sacramentalized. It is failure fundamentalized. The Fanaticisms are taking on all the markings of a religion because that is their dark destiny. The increasingly preposterous will become more and more enviable and inevitable as our governing idols.
That should sound to you like the reverse of the miracle of creation, where impossible grace steps into the void and compels all that is good. If God created everything 'ex nihilo,' then the terrible math of the Fanaticisms must use and abuse everything to anoint absolutely nothing at all. The abyss is the destination.
It is the most pathetic grift of all time. And it is working. So sayeth the mask.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Horowitz: COVID-19 is officially becoming this year’s flu

Horowitz : COVID-19 is officially becoming this year ’ s flu Suspending democracy ca n't arrest the spread of the @ @ @

Based on the illegal, immoral, and illogical responses to the virus by state governors, we will have to suspend civil and religious liberty, destroy schooling for children, and crush the economy every flu season. For that matter, it appears that COVID-19 is indeed this year's version of the flu. And the notion that one can prevent the spread of this virus is just as illogical as an assumption that suspending democracy can arrest the spread of the flu.
Among the many important data points that are not being disseminated to the public, perhaps the most important one is the disappearance of the flu. As I noted at the end of October, the numbers are simply remarkable, and now we have more data showing the disappearance of the flu from what is normally the beginning of the new flu season.
According to the CDC's "Influenza Surveillance Report," there have been just 227 lab-confirmed flu cases in the entire country for the first five weeks of the flu season – from week 40 through week 44 (ending Oct. 31). While it's still very early in the season, at this point last year, there were already 2,851 confirmed positive cases. Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, tallied the five-year average through week 44 and found that the numbers are down roughly 90%.
The positivity rate is just 0.18%, compared to 2.68% last year. That means the positivity rate so far is down 93% from last year, even though the number of flu tests increased by 22%. So it's not like we've forgotten about testing for the flu.
The implication of this cannot be overstated. The problem with a new epidemic is that it strains the hospitals over and beyond the baseline level of visits they must contend with from other ailments. However, if the flu has essentially disappeared for this year, then COVID will be the only flu. Most of the pneumonias and other complications that result from the flu will not occur this year. Thus, when they count the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals and use that number as pretext for panic, fear, and control, they are not giving you the total net number of extra patients in the hospitals with respiratory viruses relative to other years.
The following map from Kaiser Family Foundation is being disseminated across the internet to instill panic across the nation:
What they fail to realize is that this demonstrates that COVID-19 is indeed this year's flu. It is everywhere and is instead of, but not in addition to, the flu. This is the time of year when hospitals begin to fill up. Also, the fact that this is occurring everywhere demonstrates that there is nothing you can do to stop its spread and that when the time for its seasonal spread is up, it will stop. Every state, regardless of its "mitigation strategies," is getting hit. That includes the overwhelming majority of states that have had universal compliance with mask mandates for months on end. As we can see from the map, our ability to stop this virus is no greater than our ability to stop a typical seasonal flu. So much for masks being better than vaccines.
The good news is that the overwhelming majority of those infected don't become clinically ill from the virus. Yes, there will be hot spots of places that did not initially get much saturation of the virus. Places like the Dakotas barely had any exposure for six months. The fact that they have more concentration now is merely the other side of the coin of places like New York that had a ton of cases in the spring and fewer cases now. Yet even in those places, how many are truly in the hospital because they have trouble breathing from a severe case of this virus?
North Dakota now has the highest case level per capita. So, are the hospitals really overrun? Unlike other states, the N.D. government breaks down the number of people who are hospitalized because of COVID vs. those in the hospital because of other ailments with COVID (simply because they tested positive while already in the hospital). If you look at those who are actually hospitalized because of COVID-19, they account for 15% of the hospital beds.
Every area that never got hit will suffer about 6-8 weeks of higher hospitalizations. But everywhere else, it will be on par with the flu season, given the disappearance of the normal flu. Let's not forget that as 67,000 people are currently hospitalized with COVID (not all because of it), there were an estimated 810,000 hospitalized with the flu during the 2017-2018 season. That means the peak of that season in January 2018 was likely much worse than today. And hospitals didn't get $200 billion from the federal government to deal with it like they do today. Nor did they test for the flu as much as they test for COVID.
"The 2017-2018 influenza epidemic is sending people to hospitals and urgent-care centers in every state, and medical centers are responding with extraordinary measures: asking staff to work overtime, setting up triage tents, restricting friends and family visits and canceling elective surgeries, to name a few."
Those were the opening lines of a Time Magazine article published January 18, 2018. Not ancient history. Yes, it was a stressful time for health care workers, but the country at large was unaware of it and there were no disruptions to life ordered by government, much less suspension of civil liberties. That is all going to change henceforth … if we allow this to continue.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Latino-majority counties in Texas flipped to Trump after voting for Hillary, and many said jobs chan

Latino-majority counties in Texas flipped to Trump after voting for Hillary, and many said jobs changed their vote

Latino-majority counties in Texas flipped to Trump after voting for Hillary , and many said jobs changed their vote Biden @ @ @ @ @ industry turned many against him

Democrats hoping to flip Texas to the blue column were stunned and surprised when President Donald Trump won the state on Election Day, but the bigger surprise was that Latinos helped keep the state Republican.
According to some reports, they voted for Trump after supporting former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 over their concerns about jobs.
Judge Joe Rathmell in Zapata County said that he had never seen so many people vote for Republican in the rural majority Latino community. He says former Vice President Joe Biden's comments against the oil industry incentivized many of those votes to flip to the Republican column.
"It's not like we're in complete agreement in what President Trump was advocating," Rathmell told KENS5-TV. "But I think in the end, from what I've been hearing, residents were really concerned about losing their jobs.
Armando Peralta told KENS5 that he voted for Trump because he believed that he was bringing more oil jobs.
"The reason I did it is because he was bringing a lot of work in the oil fields," Peralta said.
He said that he was worried that a Biden presidency might threaten those jobs.
"Hope it doesn't hurt it. I mean, everybody depends on that," Peralta explained.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cited the report to support the claim that jobs had helped turn the formerly Democratic counties in south Texas into a "battleground" region in which Republicans can compete in the future.
"Several historically Democratic south Texas counties with high Latino populations voted for Trump over Biden. A big issue was jobs," Abbott said.
Judge Rathmell, however, cautioned against thinking that those votes had become Republican for coming elections.
"I don't believe (I) would call it a permanent shift to the Republican Party," Rathmell explained. "Frankly, in this election, there was only one candidate, the one Republican candidate that the voters supported, which was President Trump. All the other Republican candidates lost in our county."
Here's more about the surprise Latino flip in Texas:


theblaze--2020-11-13--Congressional Republicans split on whether Biden should receive intel briefings

Congressional Republicans split on whether Biden should receive intel briefings A growing number of GOP senators say it is time @ @ @ @ @ reports

Several mainstream media outlets have declared Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden the victor in the race against President Donald Trump.
But despite the Republican commander in chief's continued fight against the projected results, GOP members of Congress are divided over whether Biden should begin receiving classified intelligence briefings as part of a prospective transition to power.
What are the details?
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made it clear Thursday that he was against such a notion. When asked about the idea of Biden receiving intelligence briefings in the name of national security, the GOP leader suggested it is too soon to consider.
"He's not president right now," McCarthy replied, according to Newsweek. "Don't know if he'll be president January 20, but whoever is will get the information."
The Hill noted that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has joined McCarthy in "not yet recogniz[ing] Biden as the winner of the election."
But the Washington Post reported the same day that a growing number Republican senators have said it is time for Biden to hear the information coming in from U.S. intelligence agencies — although the vast majority have stopped short of calling him the victor against Trump.
The Post pointed out that "only four of the 53 Senate Republicans have congratulated Biden."
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said of Biden, "Whether he actually gets the product itself I think the information needs to be communicated in some way. I'm on the intelligence committee, we don't get the PBR but we get products, intelligence products. I think he should get the information."
He added, "I just think it's part of the transition. And uh, if in fact he does win in the end, I think they need to be able to hit the ground running."
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) issued a similar response to CNN, explaining, "Well, I think that it probably makes sense to prepare for all contingencies. And as these election challenges play out in court, I don't have a problem with, and I think it's important from a national security standpoint, continuity. And you've seen other members suggesting that. I think that makes sense."
Strong Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also told CNN when asked whether Biden should receive the briefings, "Yeah, I think he should." The outlet reported that "Graham said he has not expressed his thoughts with the White House but said, 'I hope so,' when asked if he expects Biden to get the briefings soon."
Anything else?
Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfield speculated to CNN's Jake Tapper that Republicans would eventually come around to acknowledging Biden as president-elect due to influence from their own voters, telling the host of McCarthy, "I think that he's going to feel the pressure from his constituents, just as others all across this country are going to feel."
She added, "I mean, people overwhelmingly voted for the Biden-Harris ticket, but don't forget, they also overwhelmingly voted for unity. They overwhelmingly voted for a leader who can find consensus, who can make progress, who can actually move the ball forward."
In a tweet on Thursday, Tapper wrote, "Latest insanity from Hill Republicans: House @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy says about President-elect @JoeBiden -- I 'don't know if he'll be president January 20.'"


theblaze--2020-11-14--News anchor suspended for complaining that 2020 'took' Alex Trebek, but not Mitch McConnell

News anchor suspended for complaining that 2020 'took ' Alex Trebek , but not Mitch McConnell

A veteran news anchor has been suspended after complaining on social media that 2020 "took" recently departed "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek while Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell remains among the living.
What are the details?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that WITI-TV anchor Ted Perry was pulled off the air after he wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post: "2020 takes Alex Trebek but leaves Mitch McConnell? Just end already."
The outlet further reported:
Perry, who has been at the Milwaukee station since 1993, came under sharp criticism from conservatives and others for his inappropriate and partisan joke about the Kentucky Republican. McConnell was just re-elected earlier this month to his seventh term in the U.S. Senate.
A number of people on social media suggested Perry should lose his job while a few others thought he should have the right to express his political views.
According to the New York Post, "Perry apologized for the post, which led to blowback both on Facebook and Twitter, including from conservatives who said the comment revealed the anchor's 'bias,' while others called for him to be fired. Hours later, he took it down."
Perry's post was made as fans continue to mourn the beloved Trebek, who passed away days ago after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
It also comes as the nation awaits the final results of a contested presidential election and the prospect of Democrats controlling the House, Senate, and White House, while McConnell, 78 — who sparked health concerns due to visible bruising in recent weeks — could end up being the most powerful Republican in Washington.
President Donald Trump is fighting back against mainstream media's widespread declaration that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has won the presidency. Meanwhile, Democrats maintained their control of the House, and the fate of the Senate is up the air.
If Biden is indeed inaugurated, but at least one of the two remaining Senate runoff races in Georgia is won by a Republican, McConnell will stand as the GOP's foremost elected leader.


theblaze--2020-11-14--Kristi Noem fires back at former president Obama over his characterization of America in his forthco

Kristi Noem fires back at former president Obama over his characterization of America in his forthcoming memoir 'Instead of blaming @ @ @ @ @ what led to 2016 '

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) angrily responded to a passage from Obama's forthcoming Memoir, titled "A Promised Land," on Thursday.
The memoir, to be released November 17, is scheduled to be the first of a two-part series released by Penguin Random House, which paid a $65 million advance to Barack and Michelle Obama for the rights to publish both their memoirs.
In excerpts released to numerous publications, including the Washington Examiner, Obama contended, essentially, that Donald Trump's election to the presidency was caused by an unreasonable reaction to his own presidency. Specifically, he blamed former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin of making racist attitudes toward his presidency mainstream.
"Through Palin, it seemed as if the dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the modern Republican Party — xenophobia, anti intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, an antipathy toward Black and brown folks — were finding their way to center stage," Obama wrote.
Additionally, in a passage that Noem took exception to, Obama implied that the "promise of America" had not yet been fulfilled.
In response, Noem, who is widely expected to be a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said, "What a ridiculous message. Obama had 8 years, including 2 with full control of Congress. He sent our jobs to China, left our healthcare system in disarray, our foreign policy in shambles & our people divided. Instead of blaming Trump, Obama should consider what led to 2016."
Noem's national profile rose exponentially this year when she was criticized for refusing to implement many of the lockdown measures that were implemented in other states in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noem's refusal to implement lockdown mandates was savaged by critics in the media, but it has boosted her popularity tremendously in her home state. In January, before the pandemic began, Noem's in-state approval rate was an anemic 43 percent. However, by July, polls showed her enjoying a 62 percent approval rating in South Dakota. In April, residents of South Dakota even gave Noem a (socially distanced) impromptu parade that prompted a visibly touched reaction from the governor.


theblaze--2020-11-14--House slammed over new member banquets as Americans are told to skip holiday gatherings with family

Leadership in the House of Representatives was lambasted Friday for moving forward with traditional banquets welcoming newly elected members of the lower chamber to Washington, D.C., while Americans are being warned against large holiday gatherings outside their immediate households due to concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
What are the details?
NBC News congressional correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell set off a firestorm across the political spectrum when she tweeted out a picture showing the Capitol building's National Statuary Hall filled with dining tables.
"House Dem and GOP leaders are holding respective dinners for new members," Caldwell wrote, noting, "@SpeakerPelosi told me it's safe. 'It's very spaced,' she said and there is enhanced ventilation and the Capitol physician signed off."
The Twittersphere reacted with fury, with many pointing to the hypocrisy of such a move.
"This is setting such a bad example," the Daily Beast's Jackie Kucinich replied. "Doctors are asking Americans to skip family gatherings for Thanksgiving to slow the spread but sure, enjoy the golden tables in a Stat Hall, a room without working windows."
Conservative writer and politico Rachel Bovard reacted, "AHAHAHA I tried to have a normal wedding reception this year and every venue told me to get bent."
Food Network judge and chef Andrew Gruel pointed out, "We just had to close dining at our New Mexico locations due to a state lockdown."
"Rules are for thee, not for Pelosee," chided former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, in a dig at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
Following heat after news broke about the dinners, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, said that the event had been "modified."
"Our office strictly follows the guidance of the Office of Attending Physician, including for this dinner," he wrote. "To be a further model for the nation, this event has been modified to allow Members-elect to pick up their meals to go in a socially-distanced manner."
Later in the evening, Hammill tweeted out, "Members-elect are now picking up their boxed meals and departing the Capitol. There is no group dinner. Members-elect are in DC already for orientation."
It is unclear how many people—including incoming members and invited guests—were present at the Democrats' "dinner" on Friday evening, or how many are expected at the Republicans' planned engagement.
Some House races remain undecided across the country, but UPI reported Friday that "about 50 new members of Congress gathered to start the process of hiring staff and setting up offices as they transition to Washington" during "orientation in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium."


theblaze--2020-11-14--Disney CEO bashes California state government for keeping the park closed: 'The state is decimating

Disney CEO bashes California state government for keeping the park closed: 'The state is decimating small businesses'

Disney CEO bashes California state government for keeping the park closed : 'The state is decimating small businesses' Not the @ @ @ @ @ has sharply criticized the Californian government 's response to the COVID pandemic

As you might expect in a year in which the state of California has imposed severe restrictions on all in-person activities other than mass liberal protest gatherings, Disneyland has had a brutal financial year. In the company's regular earnings call with shareholders, Disney CEO Bob Chapek sharply criticized California's government for refusing to allow the park to reopen, according to reporters who were present on the call.
Chapek reportedly specifically went on to complain that the park's reopening plans that they submitted to the state were "science based" and supported by the unions of their employees.
This is not the first time that the company has sharply criticized the Californian government's response to the COVID pandemic. In September, when Disney announced that it was forced to lay off 28,000 workers, Disney Parks Chair Josh D'Amaro singled out the government for a significant portion of the blame, saying, "To our California government officials, particularly at the state level, I encourage you to treat theme parks like you would other sectors. Help us reopen. We need guidelines that are fair and equitable to better understand our future and chart a path towards reopening. The longer we wait, the more devastating the impact will be to the Orange County and Anaheim communities... we're ready, and more importantly, it's time."
In a statement released on Twitter, the company was even more pointed:
Likewise, Disney Chairman (and long-rumored potential Democratic presidential candidate) Bob Iger publicly stepped down from California Governor Gavin Newsom's economic recovery taskforce in October, leading some to speculate that the irate Iger could one day challenge Newsom at the ballot box, perhaps even in a 2024 presidential primary.
Overall, however, Californians seem to approve of the draconian measures imposed by California's government, even though they have not prevented California from experiencing one of the highest infection rates in the country. As of September, Newsom enjoyed a 64 percent approval rating in California, according to at least one poll.