theblaze--2020-05-09--Watch: California physician denounces 'tyrannical' lockdowns in impassioned speech

Dr. Jeffrey Barke held up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in making his arguments

A California physician is being hailed as a patriot after delivering an impassioned speech citing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in a sweeping condemnation of the coronavirus lockdowns imposed across America.
What are the details?
Dr. Jeffrey Barke stepped up to the microphone during a protest rally in Riverside County, addressing the crowd that had gathered to demonstrate against the economic shutdowns in his community and beyond.
Barke, a family physician, began by asking, "What if wearing a mask in public is not effective?"
His speech, as dictated by the Daily Wire, continued:
My name is Dr. Jeff Barke, and I'm here representing thousands of physicians across the country whose voices are being silenced because we don't agree with the mainstream media and the experts who are telling us what to do.
Never in the history of this great republic have we told churchgoers that it's illegal for you to exercise your First Amendment right of freedom of religion. Yet, at the same time, it's essential to keep pot dispensaries open.
Never in the history of this country have we been told that you can't go to church because it's 'non-essential,' but you can go get an abortion because that's 'essential.'
Never before in our country have we let criminals out of jail but we've told you, you can't exercise your Second Amendment right and protect yourself by purchasing a firearm.
When liquor stores are deemed essential but your businesses are deemed non-essential, there's something wrong going on.
In a powerful moment, Dr. Barke pulled a document from his lab coat, held it up, and said, "This booklet, the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, was never designed to restrain the people; it was designed to restrain the government. This is not New York, and—thank God—this is not San Francisco. Governor Newsom has gone too far. Governor Newsom has stepped on our liberties and our freedoms."


theblaze--2020-05-08--President Trump weighs in on shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery: 'It's a very disturbing situation'

President Trump weighs in on shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery : 'It 's a very disturbing situation' 'Justice getting done @ @ @ @ @ problem '

President Donald Trump offered his condolences to the family of Ahmaud Arbery, the black man who was shot while jogging in an altercation that has fomented public outrage.
The president was asked to comment on the case during a phoned interview on "Fox and Friends" on Friday.
"So I saw the tape, and it's very, very disturbing, the tape. I got to see it," he said.
"It's very disturbing. I looked at a picture of that young man. He was in a tuxedo, and — in fact, he put it up. And I will say that that looks like a really good, young guy," Trump continued.
"And it's a very disturbing situation to me, and I just, you know, my heart goes out to the parents and the family and the friends, but we have to take it, law enforcement is gonna look at it and they have a good governor in the state, and he's going to, a very good governor actually, and he's going to be looking at it very strongly and he's going to do what's right," he added.
"But it's a heart-breaking thing," he concluded, "it's very rough, rough stuff."
Kilmeade asked Trump what he might do to keep the public outrage from spiraling out of control into a "racial situation."
"Well justice getting done is how we solve that problem," he replied.
Trump went on to say the situation is in the hands of the governor, and he conjectured that there might be more to the case that occurred before the video began. He called the situation "troubling" and "disturbing," before expressing confidence in the law enforcement officials in Georgia.
"It's a sad, it's a sad thing, very sad thing, I hate to see that," he concluded.
The two men arrested for the shooting were charged with murder after the video was released to the public.
Here's the video of his comments:


theblaze--2020-05-08--Glenn Beck BLASTS Cuomo for putting COVID patients in nursing homes as NY admits to 1700 unreported

Glenn Beck BLASTS Cuomo for putting COVID patients in nursing homes as NY admits to 1700 unreported deaths

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is being held up by the left as the greatest governor of all time. Meanwhile, his state just disclosed more than 1700 previously unreported coronavirus deaths in nursing homes. Doesn't anyone remember Cuomo's directive that required nursing home facilities take in COVID-19 positive patients?
On the radio program Friday, Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, and Stu Burguiere discussed a few examples of inexplicable leftist love for Gov. Cuomo, such as actor Robert De Niro's declaration that he wants to play Cuomo in pandemic movie because "he's doing what a president should do" during a crisis, even as New York's coronavirus death toll explodes among nursing home residents.
Glenn noted Cuomo's calloused response to unemployed New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their bills, suggesting that they simply "go take a job as an essential worker."
"So they [New Yorkers] have no money ... they don't have any way to pay their rent. They don't have a way to buy food. They need jobs. They need to go to work. And what did he say? 'Go get an essential workers job,' and then he dismissed it like the king," Glenn said. "Did you hear what he announced yesterday? He said he's going to lay off a bunch of essential workers in New York. So there you go, Mr. King, what are you talking about? I can't believe that people are looking at New York, and saying this is the way [the COVID-19 outbreak] it should be handled."
They also discussed the details of Cuomo's policy that requires nursing homes to take in COVID-19 positive patients, months after Gov. Cuomo acknowledged that the elderly are among the most "vulnerable population."
"So this thing [coronavirus] is known to be killing close to 40 percent of the residents who get it, plus ... 7 percent of the much younger staff. And you form a policy that forces the virus to go into the [nursing] homes? It's unconscionable," said Stu.
"They warned that the Cuomo directive can 'impact the health of all the other residents with dire and indeed fatal consequences.' They warned of 'inadequate supplies' and noted that 'caring for COVID-19 positive patients is unsafe and jeopardizes all patients in the nursing home.' They begged Cuomo to realize that they had massive issues already with staffing who were 'absent with symptoms and self-quarantining.' I mean, they laid all of this out," he added.
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-05-08--California Gov. Newsom orders statewide vote-by-mail for November citing coronavirus fears

Democrats are urging other states to follow suit for the general election

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order requiring that every voter in the state receive a mail-in ballot ahead of the November general election, becoming the first governor to enact such a policy citing concerns of spreading coronavirus.
Some key Democrats are pushing for other states to follow suit in expanding vote-by-mail, while President Donald Trump has argued that "mail ballots are dangerous for this country because of cheaters."
What are the details?
Newsom's decree "requires that each county's elections officials send vote-by-mail ballots for the November 3, 2020 general elections to all registered voters" in the interest of public health.
While every voter is encouraged to use the mail-in method, in-person voting will still be accessible in the interest of people who cannot vote by mail such as individuals with certain disabilities or those without a home address.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla praised Newsom's order, saying, "There's no safer, physically distancing, healthier way to exercise your right to vote that from the safety and convenience of your own home," KGO-TV reported.
According to The Washington Examiner, a majority of California voters already cast their ballots by mail. The outlet noted that "in the state's March primary election, 72% of ballots were cast by mail, and 14 counties already mail every voter a ballot for elections."
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the states of Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington already had statewide vote-by-mail elections. California is the first state to implement such a system in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A number of prominent Democrats have pushed for other states across the nation to allow statewide vote-by-mail policies ahead of the 2020 general election.
In reaction to Newsom's announcement, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted, "I hope other governors around the country follow @GavinNewsom's lead. No voter should be forced to choose between their safety and exercising their civic duty this fall."
President Trump has been outspoken in his opposition to expanding vote-by-mail options. Last month, he said, "Mail ballots, they cheat. Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters. They go collect them. They are fraudulent in many cases. They have to vote. They should have voter ID, by the way."
Anything else?
According to Pew Research Center, a new poll conducted by the organization showed "Democrats overwhelmingly favor allowing any voter to vote by mail if they want to (87%), including nearly two-thirds who strongly favor this measure (63%). Republicans are split: 49% support allowing universal voting by mail, 50% oppose this."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Don't Worry — The new Facebook Supreme Court will decide for you

Do n't Worry — The new Facebook Supreme Court will decide for you

So, Facebook has its own Supreme Court now. On Friday's show, Pat Gray discussed a list of the first 20 members appointed to Facebook's oversight board. Board members will have the final say in whether or not your content remains banned or restored on Facebook's platform.
To give an idea of the who will be deciding the fate of your content, one member, Evelyn Aswad, was formerly the director of the human rights in Hillary Clinton's State Department. Here's Pat with more...
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theblaze--2020-05-08--After spending hundreds of millions on field hospitals, many haven't treated a single COVID-19 patie

After spending hundreds of millions on field hospitals, many haven't treated a single COVID-19 patient

After spending hundreds of millions on field hospitals , many have n't treated a single COVID-19 patient The Army Corps @ @ @ @ @ million in contracts for since-canceled hospitals .

An analysis of federal spending records found that the U.S. government spent hundreds of millions of dollars on field hospitals to combat escalating hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many of the expensive field hospitals haven't treated a single coronavirus patient.
The report from NPR claims the federal government paid over $660 million to private companies for them to create emergency field hospitals. Many of the sites were convention centers that were already empty because of the coronavirus lockdown.
The report stated that nine emergency facilities had not serviced even one single patient as of Monday. Other facilities treated only a handful of patients. The TCF Center in Detroit had a total of 39 patients before closing this week, the 3,000-bed capacity McCormick Place field hospital in Chicago had a total of 37 patients before being phased down this week, and the Suburban Collection Showplace in Michigan has had a grand total of six patients.
The only facility that was used heavily was the field hospital at the Javitz Center in New York City that had 1,095 patients, but it closed on May 1 after it was no longer needed. Four other hospitals were constructed in the New York City metropolitan area. President Donald Trump also deployed the USNS Comfort to New York City. The U.S. Navy medical ship arrived in Manhattan on March 30 and departed on April 30 after it was no longer needed.
Months into the novel coronavirus pandemic, some of the field hospitals haven't been completely constructed as of yet, including the East Orange General Hospital in New Jersey, The Ranch Events Complex in Colorado, the Commercial Appeal Building in Tennessee, and the Walter Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
According to NPR, the field hospitals range in cost from $9,452,813 to $155,500,000 for the facility at SUNY Stony Brook in New York.
The Army Corps of Engineers started building more than 30 field hospitals in mid-March. The Army Corps paid at least $100 million in contracts for since-canceled hospitals at a horse racing track and a city park, according to Military Times.
The U.S. Department of Defense said that the Corps of Engineers is "working on 27 mission assignments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency" that will cost $1.6 billion.
"The agency is executing construction contracts for 17 alternate care facility sites in eight states — New York, California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Florida, Tennessee and Illinois — which will add 15,587 beds to ease critical hospital bed shortages," the U.S. Department of Defense said. "Contracts for 20 alternate care facilities with 5,033 beds are pending award. In addition, 17 sites are under consideration, which could add another 16,458 hospital beds."
Many of the temporary hospitals haven't closed yet because there could be a second wave of coronavirus cases once lockdown orders expire and businesses reopen.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Former Obama defense official admitted under oath that she lied on MSNBC about having Trump-Russia c

Former Obama defense official admitted under oath that she lied on MSNBC about having Trump-Russia collusion evidence

Evelyn Farkas, a former Obama administration defense official, admitted under oath that she lied during an MSNBC interview about having evidence that Trump campaign staff was colluding with the Russians, according to a newly released transcript of her testimony.
What's the background?
Farkas, who served as the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia from 2012-15, said during the MSNBC appearance in March 2017 that she had been urging colleagues and congressional lawmakers to gather up evidence of Trump-Russia collusion before Obama left office.
She said she feared that Trump administration officials might destroy the alleged evidence if they "found out how we knew what we knew about the Trump staff's dealing with Russians."
You can watch her make the claim toward the end of the following clip:
That's not what she told Congress
But documents show that Farkas sang a different tune during her sworn testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on June 26, 2017.
The chairman of the committee at that time, Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), was pressing her on her claims of collusion evidence during the MSNBC interview when Farkas told lawmakers that she actually "didn't know anything."
"Why don't we go back to that sentence that I just asked you about. It says 'the Trump folks, if they found out how we knew what we knew about their staff dealing with Russians," Gowdy said. "Well, how would you know what the U.S. government knew at that point? You didn't work for it, did you?"
"I didn't [work for the government]" Farkas acknowledged.
"Then how did you know?" Gowdy responded.
"I didn't know anything," Farkas said.
Image Source: Transcript screenshot
Gowdy pressed even further.
"Did you have information connecting the Trump campaign to the hack of the DNC?" Gowdy asked later in the hearing.
"No," Farkas admitted.
"So when you say, 'We knew,' the reality is you knew nothing," Gowdy asked later during the deposition.
"Correct," Farkas responded.
Farkas is now running for New York's 17th Congressional District as a Democrat.
(H/T: The Federalist)


theblaze--2020-05-08--Jimmy Kimmel gives backhanded apology after using 'manipulated media' to rip VP Mike Pence — and get

Jimmy Kimmel gives backhanded apology after using 'manipulated media' to rip VP Mike Pence — and gets pulverized on Twitter for it

Jimmy Kimmel gives backhanded apology after using 'manipulated media ' to rip VP Mike Pence — and gets pulverized on @ @ @

Late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel isn't one to let an opportunity to dunk on a conservative slip past his 5 o'clock shadow, is he?
Indeed, his leftist bent was in full effect Thursday night when he lampooned Mike Pence by using video that appeared to show the vice president carrying empty boxes — that were supposed to contain personal protective equipment — to a rehabilitation center as a stunt for the cameras.
What did Kimmel say?
"Here he is with no mask on wheeling boxes of PPEs into a health care center and doing his best to lift them," Kimmel says in his segment. "What a hero. Just barely in the door. And since it was goin' so well — and also because he didn't realize he had a mic on — Magic Mike decided to keep it going. Listen in closely here."
With that, a man on the video is heard telling Pence, "Those are empty, sir. We're good to go," and Pence replying, "Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the camera?"
Cut back to Kimmel who quipped, "Mike Pence pretending to carry empty boxes of PPEs into a hospital is the perfect metaphor for who he is and what he's doing. A big box of nothin' delivering another box of nothin'."
Jimmy Kimmel's Quarantine Monologue – Perfect Mother's Day, Maskless Pence, Busy Trump & Mom Texts youtu.be
Oops
Only problem is the clip Kimmel used was deceptively edited. The complete video shows Pence at the Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Alexandria, Virginia, delivering full boxes for several minutes before the point in Kimmel's video of choice.
Well, Kimmel got called out for his faux pas. What's more, Shelby Talcott of the Daily Caller tweeted Friday afternoon that a "Twitter spokesperson confirmed to me that @jimmykimmel's doctored video of Mike Pence (spread by @mattmfm) has been labeled as 'manipulated media.'" Ouch.
And believe it or not, the celeb who got a pass from the left for resurfaced clips of him donning blackface actually issued an apology.
Albeit, it was a Kimmel kind of apology:
"It would appear that [Pence] was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt," Kimmel wrote Friday afternoon. "The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies. I know how dearly this administration values truth."
How did folks on Twitter react?
Well, Kimmel may as well have jumped into the shark's mouth with Quint, because Twitter commenters absolutely shredded him:


theblaze--2020-05-08--Joy Behar says she won’t leave her house till November due to COVID-19 — and Trump, of course

Joy Behar says she won ’ t leave her house till November due to COVID-19 — and Trump , of @

"The View" co-host Joy Behar says she won't go out in public until at least November — mainly because of COVID-19, but also because of President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
During a Friday panel discussion, piped in from the co-hosts' at-home livestreams, Behar discussed the conditions in America.
On Friday, ABC News/Ipsos announced a poll finding that the majority of Americans aren't ready for the immediate reopening of America.
Pointing to the poll, co-host Whoopi Goldberg said, "A lot of people don't seem to be ready to step outside yet according to a survey. Forty percent say they plan to avoid public spaces as much as possible until long after everything is over, but I don't think you can actually do it like that."
The poll found that Americans, "by a large 30-point margin," are resistant to reopening the U.S. in the immediate days.
"[N]early two-thirds of Americans said they more closely align with the view that opening the country now is not advantageous since it will result in a higher death toll, while slightly more than one-third agree with the belief that an immediate reopening is beneficial to minimize the negative impact on the economy," a portion of the report read.
Behar said that until everyone in her space was tested for coronavirus — including people in places she might deign to visit — she would be staying under elective lockdown.
“I'm prepared," Behar boasted, “I think I'm going to have to stay put at least until November when Trump is out of office because he is not — he's not putting the tests out there."
She continued, “Until everybody gets tested or certainly people that I'm going to be visiting or places that I'm going to go to, I am not leaving this house."
(H/T: The Daily Caller)


theblaze--2020-05-08--Door-to-door coronavirus test study in Oregon shows very little spread, but full reopen could be mon

Door-to-door coronavirus test study in Oregon shows very little spread, but full reopen could be months away

Door-to-door coronavirus test study in Oregon shows very little spread , but full reopen could be months away They wo @ @ @ @ @ yet

After Oregon State University conducted a study during which they tested more than 400 randomly selected households starting last month, officials concluded from those preliminary results that two people per 1,000 residents in Corvallis may have been infected with COVID-19, the Oregonian reported.
The university declined, however, to release the actual number of positive tests. Although the basic math would suggest that one out of the first 455 tests was positive, officials would not confirm to the Oregonian whether one person, or no one, tested positive from this first group, citing privacy concerns.
The estimated prevalence rate of two people per 1,000 was determined based on the test results, which have not been disclosed, and modeling. Although a positive test rate of 0.2% is quite low and might lead some to disregard current lockdown restrictions, Ben Dalziel, the professor leading the study, warned against that.
"It would be wrong to think, 'Oh, two in 1,000, let's reopen," Dalziel told the Oregonian. "That's just not the way folks should be thinking."
The researchers will continue to test several hundred residents per week to gain more data about the coronavirus in the area.
Oregonians have protested Gov. Kate Brown's stay-at-home orders, calling for the right to open businesses, gather in larger numbers, and get back to work. However, Oregon, like some other states, may remain at least somewhat restricted well into the fall.
Starting May 15, counties that show a decline in COVID-19 or have fewer than five hospitalizations; have sufficient testing and contact tracing capability; have isolation and quarantine plans for infected persons; and have the hospital capacity and sufficient personal protective equipment to deal with cases, they can apply to enter phase 1 of reopening.
In phase 1, restaurants and bars can offer sit-down service, barbershops and salons can open, and in-person gatherings of up to 25 people are allowed.
After 21 days without significant increase in cases or spread of the virus, counties can apply for phase 2 — the details of which are not yet published.
Gov. Brown has already announced that large gatherings including conventions, festivals, major concerts, and sporting events with fans will be canceled at least through the end of September, or until a vaccine or reliable treatment for COVID-19 is available.


theblaze--2020-05-08--AOC on Tara Reade's allegations against Biden: 'Certainly seems as though something has happened' —

AOC on Tara Reade's allegations against Biden: 'Certainly seems as though something has happened' — but I'm still going to vote for him

AOC on Tara Reade 's allegations against Biden : 'Certainly seems as though something has happened ' — but I @ @ @ @ @ for him

Democrats are having a hard time knowing how to process and handle the sexual assault claims Tara Reade lodged recently against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden without looking like hypocrites.
Some, like Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), are simply dismissing Reade and her claims and coming to Biden's defense despite having trumpeted the mantra of "believe all victims" during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings.
Others are being a bit more cautious — like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.).
What's that now?
AOC, who has yet to endorse Biden, appeared on NPR's "Morning Edition" this week and was asked about the Reade accusations.
The lawmaker, who supported socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries, said that she's worried that if Democrats rush to take sides, they'll look hypocritical and alienate voters.
"There have been investigative journalists that have corroborated certain aspects of her account — that is undeniable — [and] have raised questions about other aspects of her account," she said, NPR reported.
AOC later told the outlet that the "messy" Reade-Biden story is "not clear-cut."
"It certainly seems as though something has happened. I'm not sure," she added, according to NPR. "Frankly, this is a messy moment, and I think we need to acknowledge that — that it is not clear-cut."
But she did say she still plans to vote for him, though she has declined to endorse him — so far.
Where is the real impact?
Asked how the Reade case impacts her thinking on how strongly she would support Biden this fall, AOC said the real impact is on survivors and that the current response to the charges has been insufficient.
"It's very important to speak about what this moment means for survivors across the country," she replied. "I think a lot are watching how our leadership and our culture and our media respond to this, and I don't think that the response, overall, has been sufficient.
"It's very difficult because this is in a hyper-politicized zone, right?" she continued. "Instead of focusing on her account, instead of focusing on her story as a survivor, people are fast-forwarding to the political implications. Do you want Trump to win? Will you be voting for Joe Biden? And that denies justice in this situation."
AOC said people should be asking what it is Reade wants, what she's seeking. According to the New York socialist, "it sounds like she simply wants to be heard."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Hours after Pittsburgh dumped sand on skate park, a pile of sand was left at city hall

Hours after Pittsburgh dumped sand on skate park , a pile of sand was left at city hall This is @ @ @ @ @ city government to go pound sand

Skateboarders may have drawn a line in the sand after the city of Pittsburgh shut down their neighborhood skateboard park. Only hours after Pittsburgh dumped sand on a skate park to prevent people from skating, a pile of sand was deposited at Pittsburgh's city hall in what very well could be a dirty form of revenge.
The Polish Hill skate park was transformed into a sandbox after Pittsburghers continued to use the park despite the stay-at-home lockdown. Pittsburgh Department of Public Works Director Mike Gable said they locked up the park, but people cut the locks to gather at the park.
"We don't take any pride or pleasure in doing this," Gable said on Thursday. "The park is closed and we kept the gate locked, but they cut the lock or the chain or they hopped over the fence. People have to listen to what the directive is and the directive is social distancing.
"We don't take any pride in closing facilities. They're great assets," Gable said. "But there is a directive out there and when it's not being followed, it creates a problem.
"The area that the skate park is in is a very tight, confined space. The number of people using it was extraordinary and that's why it was closed," he added.
The Pittsburgh Public Works decided to dump sand all over the skate park on Thursday, a measure that has been done in California to combat people disobeying the shelter-at-home orders. The city of San Clemente unloaded 37 tons of sand on its skate park to prevent people from skating. Their efforts fell flat after the sandy course attracted dirt bike riders, and skaters cleaned up the park.
Hours after the Steel City shut down the skating park, a pile of sand was left at the doorway to Pittsburgh's City-County Building, which is 2.5 miles from the Polish Hill skate park.
Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri said police were investigating the sand dump at the revolving door of city hall, but declined to comment if the incident was revenge for the skate park getting closed. If this was retaliation for the skate park, this would be one interesting way to tell the city government to go pound sand.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Feminist author and longtime voice against sexual harassment: 'I believe Tara Reade. I'm voting for

Feminist author and longtime voice against sexual harassment: 'I believe Tara Reade. I'm voting for Joe Biden anyway.'

Feminist author and longtime voice against sexual harassment : ' I believe Tara Reade .
I 'm voting for Joe @ @ @ @ @ with the good Mr. Biden can do , the cost of dismissing Tara Reade ... @ @ @ @

Count Linda Hirshman as one of those on the left who at least isn't hiding her political motivations.
The feminist author and longtime voice against sexual harassment penned a New York Times op-ed Wednesday that spelled things out plainly in the headline: "I Believe Tara Reade. I'm voting for Joe Biden anyway."
What are the details?
Hirshman — who said she also believed Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings — argued that trashing Reade's accusation and her four (and counting) corroborating witnesses "is nonsense."
"So stop playing gotcha with the female supporters of Mr. Biden or the #MeToo movement, making them lie to the camera — or perhaps to themselves — about doubting her to justify their votes," she wrote before her zinger: "I'll take one for the team. I believe Ms. Reade, and I'll vote for Mr. Biden this fall."
Hirshman has a long history of advocacy for women's issues dating back the 1960s, noting that "supposedly 'liberal' men abused the sexual revolution in every imaginable way. I am unimpressed by their lip service to feminism, their Harvard degrees or their donations to feminist causes."
She also said she was "one of a few establishment feminists" who stuck up for Monica Lewinsky when feminist icon Gloria Steinem protected President Bill Clinton by tossing Lewinsky to the sharks.
Now Hirshman is living by the following mantra: "Suck it up and make the utilitarian bargain."
More from her op-ed:
All major Democratic Party figures have indicated they're not budging on the presumptive nominee, and the transaction costs of replacing him would be suicidal. Barring some miracle, it's going to be Mr. Biden.
So what is the greatest good or the greatest harm? Mr. Biden, and the Democrats he may carry with him into government, are likely to do more good for women and the nation than his competition, the worst president in the history of the Republic. Compared with the good Mr. Biden can do, the cost of dismissing Tara Reade — and, worse, weakening the voices of future survivors — is worth it. And don't call me an amoral realist. Utilitarianism is not a moral abdication; it is a moral stance.
"Won't the good for all the Americans who will benefit from replacing Donald Trump with Joe Biden, including the masses of women who will get some crumbs, count for more than the harm done to the victims of abuse?" Hirshman asked.
She added that "utilitarian morality requires that I turn my face away from the people I propose to sell out: Monica Lewinsky, Tara Reade. This is agonizingly hard for me to do. Pretending not to believe the complainants — which is what is taking place with Ms. Reade — or that they're loose nobodies, which is what much of the media did to Ms. Lewinsky, is just an escape from the hard work of moral analysis."
Hirshman added a message to rest of the left trying discredit Biden's accuser.
"Better to just own up to what you are doing: Sacrificing Ms. Reade for the good of the many," she said.
Anything else?
She also savaged President Trump and even Vice President Mike Pence, calling both misogynists in their own ways and concluded Biden — "that relic of the good-old-boy Senate years, seems positively benign by comparison."
Still Hirshman said, "But even that probably would not be enough to make me abandon the claims of justice and vote for him in face of credible accusations of sexual assault. Fortunately for my sanity, there's more."
With that she invoked a philosophical argument about making a "distasteful moral choice" in the midst of a figurative shipwreck — and said Trump's presidency is one.
"It may not be just, but I'm swimming away from Mr. Trump's sinking ship as hard as I can." Hirshman wrote. "If I have to, I'll vote for Mr. Biden. I hope I'm not going to drown anyway."
On that note, here's video of Hirshman in 2019 discussing her book, "Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment." In the first few minutes of the clip, the author recounts the brutal story of a 20-year-old woman who was nearly raped her workplace restroom — and that her shift manager "treated her story like it was nothing." Hmm.
Linda Hirshman and Rebecca Traister on the fight against sexual harassment youtu.be
(H/T: LifeNews)


theblaze--2020-05-08--Former cop charged in Georgia shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery previously investigated him

Former cop charged in Georgia shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery previously investigated him Greg McMichael had a previous connection with @ @ @ @ @ n't tell police .

Greg McMichael, a former Georgia police officer and one of the two men charged in the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, helped prosecute the victim in the past, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
McMichael, 64, was a Glynn County cop and an investigator for Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson before retiring in April 2019. During his time working for the DA's office, McMichael helped prosecute Arbery, but he did not disclose this prior connection with Arbery to police officials during their investigation.
Arbery was sentenced to five years' probation as a first offender on charges of carrying a weapon on campus, and several counts of obstructing a law enforcement officer when he was in high school. In 2018, Arbery was convicted of a probation violation after he was charged with shoplifting, according to court documents.
Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson recused herself from the Arbrey case because Greg McMichael previously worked in her office. Waycross DA George E. Barnhill received the Arbery case, but he also recused himself from the case after pressure from the Arbery family.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she wanted Barnhill off the case because his son was a prosecutor for the Brunswick District Attorney's office.
"I just looked him up on Facebook and saw this son worked for the Brunswick DA," Cooper Jones said.
In his letter of recusal to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Barnhill wrote that his son and McMichael "both helped with the previous prosecution of (Ahmaud) Arbery." Barnhill said that he learned about his son and McMichael's connection to Arbery "three or four weeks" earlier.
Before recusing himself, Barnhill wrote that his office did "not see grounds for an arrest" of any parties involved in the shooting on Feb. 23, according to WJXT-TV.
Greg McMichael's son, Travis McMichael, 34, was seen in the graphic video confronting the unarmed Arbery, 25, before three shots are fired. Greg McMichael was seen on the bed of the pickup truck that was on a residential street in Brunswick in southern Georgia.
Arbery's mother believes her son, a former football player, was simply jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood before he was killed.
On Thursday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that they had arrested the father and son for the murder of Arbery.
"Gregory and Travis McMichael have been arrested this evening for aggravated assault and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said in a statement. "We are grateful the Georgia Bureau of investigation has taken quick and decisive action."
"This tragedy cannot be undone, but this is the first step in what I am confident will be a swift road to justice," Carr said.
"On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, GA, when both Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery with two firearms. During the encounter, Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery," the GBI news release stated.
(Content warning: Disturbing and violent video):
Video shows fatal Brunswick shooting of Ahmaud Arbery www.youtube.com
The video was filmed by William "Roddie" Bryan, and investigators are looking into his role in the confrontation.
Vic Reynolds, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said Friday it would continue investigating the death of Arbery, including Bryan.
"We are going to go wherever the evidence takes us," Reynolds said during a news conference Friday. "In a perfect world, we would have preferred to have been asked to become involved in February, of course."
An attorney for Arbery's family has called for Bryan to be arrested. Bryan, Greg McMichael, and his son are white and Arbery is black.
McMichael told Glynn police there had been a string of robberies in the neighborhood, and that he recognized Arbery from surveillance video that captured a recent burglary in the area. McMichael told authorities that he was going to make a citizen's arrest on Arbery.
Investigators have not provided any proof that Arbery was involved with any of the local burglaries.
"They have made reference to ongoing burglaries in this community, but some obscure, indistinct crime in the community does not empower the entire community to hunt down black men," Lee Merritt, Arbery's family attorney, told WJXT. "These men were not performing any police function or any duty as a citizen of the state of Georgia. These men were vigilantes. They were a posse and they were performing a lynching in the middle of the day."
"This speaks to the wider issue of mass incarceration," Merritt said of anyone bringing up Arbery's previous criminal record. "If black people have any kind of criminal record somehow that justifies their murder."
"We are livid that he even attempted to taint this case with his rancid opinion about why this is justifiable," Merritt added.
The death of Arbery in Georgia has received national attention and outrage. On Friday, President Donald Trump commented on the situation.
"I saw the tape and it's very, very disturbing," Trump told Fox News. "It's a heartbreak ... very rough, rough stuff. Justice getting done is what solves that problem. It's in the hands of the governor and I'm sure he'll do the right thing."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Sen. Feinstein changes her tune on sexual assault victims waiting to come forward, wants to know whe

Sen. Feinstein changes her tune on sexual assault victims waiting to come forward, wants to know where Biden accuser Tara Reade has been 'all these years'

Sen. Feinstein changes her tune on sexual assault victims waiting to come forward , wants to know where Biden accuser @ @ @ @ @ these years' She said Reade 's claims were an 'absolutely ridiculous ' attack on Biden

What do you do if you're a longtime hard-core liberal Democrat who, from your perch on the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the charge against Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination by pushing a decades-old claim of sexual assault that seemingly came out of nowhere (but you knew about for two months before it "leaked") and then your party's presidential nominee gets hit with a decades-old sexual assault charge that seemed to come out of nowhere?
If you're California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, you change your stance on how alleged victims of long-ago attacks should be treated.
What did Feinstein say?
CNN's Manu Raju asked Feinstein her thoughts on Tara Reade's allegation that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 when she worked as an aide in Biden's Senate office.
Feinstein said the situation surrounding Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh were "totally different" from Reade's claims against Biden, Raju tweeted.
"Kavanuagh was under the harshest inspection that we give people over a substantial period of time," she said.
The Kavanaugh situation was, indeed, different — at least for Feinstein.
During the Kavanaugh hearings and investigation, it was revealed that Feinstein, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, knew for months about Ford's accusation that Kavanaugh had attacked her 36 years earlier — and the senator said nothing to her GOP counterparts on the committee. Kavanaugh's supporters repeatedly noted the 3 1/2 decades that had passed (and were lambasted for not allegedly not caring about assault victims).
Yet, Feinstein persisted.
During the Kavanaugh hearings, she tweeted in defense of Ford: "Victims must be able to come forward only when they are ready."
But when Raju confronted her about the Reade allegations, Feinstein had a far different take.
Dismissing Reade, Feinstein said, "And I don't know this person at all who has made the allegations. She came out of nowhere. Where has she been all these years?"
She wasn't done.
After touting Biden's record and calling Reade's attack on him "absolutely ridiculous," Feinstein continued to want to know why Reade didn't say something earlier.
"Why didn't she say something — you know when he was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee or after that?" she said, Raju reported.
Something changed
Interestingly, Feinstein's dismissive treatment of Reade doesn't jibe with her criticism of Kavanaugh backers' treatment of Ford.
In a Sept. 16, 2018, statement on her Senate website, Feinstein said, "For any woman, sharing an experience involving sexual assault — particularly when it involves a politically connected man with influence, authority and power — is extraordinarily difficult."
She added that Ford's "extremely serious" charges "come at a price for the victim" and that the situation should "be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
On Sept. 18, 2018, Feinstein said that she found "every single piece of information" from Ford to be "eminently credible, sincere and believable" — and she felt that way from the beginning, before an investigation had been done and testimony had been given.
Then on Sept. 21, 2018, Feinstein noted how terrible Republicans' "dismissive treatment" of Ford truly was. She wrote, "The recalcitrance, stubbornness and lack of cooperation we've seen from Republicans is unprecedented. And candidly, the dismissive treatment of Dr. Ford is insulting to all sexual assault survivors."
In fact, the GOP's treatment of Ford was so terrible, Feinstein tweeted, it was sending a negative message to assault survivors — who, she claimed, were making more and more calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline while Ford was being dismissed by Republican leadership.
The senator — who, again, offered praise for Biden and called Reade's claims an "attack" that was "absolutely ridiculous" when asked about it by Raju — once said she believed the treatment of Ford was a message to victims: Keep your assault stories to yourself. Feinstein demanded that the Senate "send a different message, a message of support."
Message sent.
(H/T: HotAir)


theblaze--2020-05-08--COVID-19 can cause a number of odd symptoms that have nothing to do with the lungs, doctors find

COVID-19 can cause a number of odd symptoms that have nothing to do with the lungs , doctors find

Although patients with severe cases of COVID-19 often deal with respiratory symptoms, doctors are now finding a wide variety of other symptoms the disease causes as they learn more about the complexities of the novel coronavirus.
People are advised to seek medical attention and be tested for the coronavirus if they have some combination of symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough. Ventilators have been used heavily to treat COVID-19 patients who display acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Other symptoms an infected person might display could more easily go unrecognized as COVID-19 symptoms. From the Financial Times:
Respiratory symptoms are still the first signs that doctors look for: cough, shortness of breath and fever.
But less than five months after it was first identified, this new coronavirus is managing to throw up a series of medical mysteries — from blood clots and strokes to digestive problems — that are confounding the scientific community.
From head to foot, Covid-19 causes a fiendish variety of symptoms. Some are relatively mild, such as loss of smell and taste or chilblain-like sores on toes. But others may be fatal, such as when what doctors call an immune storm destroys vital organs. The more this virus is studied, the more complex it appears to be.
In a study of United Kingdom hospitals that included nearly 17,000 patients, researchers found that two non-respiratory symptoms were very common among COVID-19 patients: muscle and joint pain and fatigue; and abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Making things more complicated, many patients suffer from multiple categories of symptoms simultaneously. Some patients display the normal symptoms of a fever and cough, then appear to get better, then find themselves in the hospital a week or so later with more severe symptoms.
The coronavirus can also cause inflammation issues, which may explain why people who are obese are much more susceptible to serious illness or death from COVID-19.
Cardiovascular disease is the most common COVID-19 comorbidity, and the disease also can trigger an exaggerated immune response that can lead to abnormal blood clotting and stroke.
"Every day we're learning of new tricks that the virus plays," says Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, according to the Financial Times. "It is remarkable to see a disease unfolding in front of our eyes with so many twists and turns."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Mike Pence staffer tests positive for COVID-19

An aide to Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus , according to a Friday report by NBC News .
The confirmation of an infected White House staffer is the second in as many days .
What are the details ?
According to the report , the White House is working to determine if the aide came in contact with any other White House staffers .
CNBC reported that the vice president was scheduled to travel to Des Moines , Iowa , Friday morning , but the departure was delayed as the staff dealt with the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff , '' the outlet reported .
An administration official confirmed that certain members of Pence 's staff did have contact with the aide .
In a statement , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said , `` We have put in place the guidelines that our experts have put forward to keep this building safe .
We clean the facility , we social distance , we keep people six feet away from each other . ''
On Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Donald Trump 's personal valets was diagnosed with the coronavirus .
The staffer in question was reportedly responsible for serving Trump meals , among other duties .
`` We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States Military , who works on the White House campus , has tested positive for Coronavirus , '' said Hogan Gidley , deputy White House press secretary , in a statement .
`` The President and the Vice President have since tested negative for the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

An aide to Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a Friday report by NBC News.
The confirmation of an infected White House staffer is the second in as many days.
What are the details?
According to the report, the White House is working to determine if the aide came in contact with any other White House staffers.
CNBC reported that the vice president was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, Friday morning, but the departure was delayed as the staff dealt with the news of the aide's diagnosis.
"Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff," the outlet reported.
An administration official confirmed that certain members of Pence's staff did have contact with the aide.
In a statement, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, "We have put in place the guidelines that our experts have put forward to keep this building safe. We clean the facility, we social distance, we keep people six feet away from each other."
What else?
On Thursday, the White House confirmed that one of President Donald Trump's personal valets was diagnosed with the coronavirus. The staffer in question was reportedly responsible for serving Trump meals, among other duties.
"We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States Military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for Coronavirus," said Hogan Gidley, deputy White House press secretary, in a statement. "The President and the Vice President have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Poll: Majority of Americans say reopening the country during COVID-19 pandemic is just not worth the

Poll: Majority of Americans say reopening the country during COVID-19 pandemic is just not worth the risk

Poll : Majority of Americans say reopening the country during COVID-19 pandemic is just not worth the risk

A new poll from ABC News/Ipsos reports that most Americans are "resistant" to reopening the country amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
What are the details?
The poll's findings, which were released Friday, report that reopening the country is seen as a "greater risk" among most Americans.
The poll said that Americans, "by a large 30-point margin," are "resistant" to reopening the U.S. in the coming days.
"[N]early two-thirds of Americans said they more closely align with the view that opening the country now is not advantageous since it will result in a higher death toll, while slightly more than one-third agree with the belief that an immediate reopening is beneficial to minimize the negative impact on the economy," a portion of the report said.
Just 6% of Democrats believe that America should reopen now, as such a move would be imperative to bolstering the economy, while 65% of Republicans believe the same. Ninety-two percent of Democrats are opposed to an immediate reopening, and 35% of Republicans are also opposed to an immediate reopening because of the virus' spread.
What else?
Twenty-five percent Americans say they were not likely to receive a vaccination against the coronavirus if one were developed and approved by the FDA. About 75%, however, said that they would "likely" receive such a vaccination.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University, told ABC News that there will always be a contingent of people, however, who will not receive a vaccine no matter what the treatment is for.
"There's always been an anti-vaccine group of individuals that are going to refuse vaccines no matter what," del Rio said. "The question is, how do they impact other people."
"You always have a sense of anxiety that this is a new vaccine. Is it safe? Is it effective," he added. "But if a vaccine is safe, then the problem that you run into is complacency."
"It's not just the skeptics, it's truly ones that don't actively go looking for a vaccine," the medical expert said.
He pointed out the importance of such vaccines, insisting that they "save lives."
"We frequently tend to underestimate [vaccines'] benefit and overestimate the risk," he warned.
You can read more of the poll's findings here.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Sen. Ted Cruz just got a haircut at recently released Shelley Luther's Dallas salon

Sen. Ted Cruz just got a haircut at recently released Shelley Luther 's Dallas salon The senator stopped in for @ @ @

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stopped in for a quick trim Friday morning at Salon A La Mode in Dallas.
The senator wanted to show his support to the salon's owner, Shelley Luther, who had just been released from jail the day before after defying statewide restrictions by reopening her business.
"Hair salons & barbershops are open in TX today," Cruz wrote in a tweet Friday. "Just got my hair cut for first time in 3 months at Salon A La Mode to support Shelley Luther, who was wrongly imprisoned when she refused to apologize for trying to earn a living. Glad Shelley is out of jail & her business is open!"
Earlier in the week, Luther had been sentenced to seven days in jail for violating an order to shutter her business and fined $7,000.
The news quickly garnered national headlines as many decried it as a ghastly example of government overreach amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the news, Gov. Greg Abbott updated his executive orders to remove confinement as a punishment for violators.
"Throwing Texans in jail who have had their businesses shut down through no fault of their own is nonsensical, and I will not allow it to happen," the governor said on Thursday.
Ultimately, it was a ruling by the Supreme Court of Texas on Thursday that resulted in Luther being released from jail. Luther fought back tears as she greeted a crowd upon her release.
"Thank you guys so much," Luther exclaimed to the crowd of supporters. "I just want to thank all of you who I just barely met, and now you're all my friends.
"You mean so much to me, and this would have been nothing without you," she continued. "I'll have more to say when I can gather myself, but I'm a little overwhelmed."


theblaze--2020-05-08--State officials looking at house arrest monitoring devices to enforce quarantines on COVID-19 carrie

State officials looking at house arrest monitoring devices to enforce quarantines on COVID-19 carriers 'We do n't want to take @ @ @ @ @ but at the same time we have a pandemic '

Some state officials are looking at the possibility of using house arrest monitoring devices — such as ankle bracelets or location-tracking apps — to enforce quarantines on those infected with COVID-19, Reuters reported.
What are the details?
The outlet said the technology has been deployed in isolated circumstances over the last several weeks but that widespread use is on hold due to legal issues — specifically whether or not officials can electronically track those who haven't broken the law.
Hawaii considered sweeping use of GPS-enabled ankle bracelets or smartphone tracking apps to enforce stay-at-home orders for those arriving on the islands by plane, Reuters said, citing Ronald Kouchi, president of the Hawaii state Senate.
Kouchi told the outlet officials were concerned many travelers were disobeying the state's 14-day quarantine order but that the idea of widespread use of tracking devices was tabled when Hawaii attorney general's office raised concerns.
"America is America," Kouchi told Reuters. "There are certain rights and freedoms."
Hawaii's COVID-19 Joint Information Center added to the outlet that "various ideas being evaluated for tracking those under mandatory quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are right now just that, ideas."
Other states have used tracking devices but not in a widespread way, Reuters said.
Judges recently ordered a handful of people in Louisville, Kentucky, to wear ankle bracelets for repeatedly refusing to isolate themselves after being in contact with coronavirus patients. Those devices were manufactured by Colorado-based SCRAM Systems, Reuters said, citing Amy Hess, the city's chief of public services. While she'd prefer not using them, she added to the outlet that state law allowed their use to protect public health.
"We don't want to take away people's freedoms, but at the same time we have a pandemic," Hess told Reuters.
More from the outlet:
In West Virginia's capital, Charleston, Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford told Reuters his force had leased 10 additional location-monitoring ankle bracelets from GEO Group Inc. at the outset of the epidemic "to be on the safe side," although he said they've so far just sat on the shelf.
Industry executives including Shadowtrack Technologies Inc. President Robert Magaletta, whose Louisiana-based company supplies nearly 250 clients across the criminal justice system, said they had fielded calls from state and local governments about repurposing their tools for quarantine enforcement, although they wouldn't name the prospective buyers.
Kris Keyton, of Arkansas-based E-Cell, said he had recently been approached by a state agency that wanted to adapt his detainee-tracking smartphone app for quarantine enforcement.
Keyton told Reuters the agency wanted only cosmetic changes, including swapping out the word "client" — E-Cell's term for arrestees — with the word "patient."
"They just wanted to reskin our app," he added to the outlet.
'Can you actually constitutionally monitor someone who's innocent?'
Magaletta told Reuters that the prospect of widespread use of such tracking devices for COVID-19 enforcement may be a problem in the U.S. and that he's a lot more comfortable with the technology for convicted criminals.
"Can you actually constitutionally monitor someone who's innocent?" he asked the outlet. "It's uncharted territory."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Most critically ill coronavirus patients survive and recover with standard treatment: study

Most critically ill coronavirus patients survive and recover with standard treatment : study

A majority of COVID-19 patients who suffer critical illness from the novel coronavirus survive when they receive standard treatment for the respiratory issues the virus causes, according to a recent study of Boston patients.
A team of medical experts led by Dr. C. Corey Hardin, a professor of medicine as Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, looked at the records of 66 critically ill patients whose condition became so severe that they needed ventilator support.
The most severe COVID-19 cases result in a condition called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a life-threatening lung condition. Because that condition has been known and studied for decades, Hardin said, there are some well-known effective treatments that doctors should focus on.
From the website of Massachusetts General:
Importantly, the death rate among critically ill patients with COVID-19 treated this way—16.7%—was not nearly as high as has been reported by other hospitals. Also, over a median follow-up of 34 days, 75.8% of patients who were on ventilators were discharged from the intensive care unit. "Based on this, we recommend that clinicians provide evidence-based ARDS treatments to patients with respiratory failure due to COVID-19 and await standardized clinical trials before contemplating novel therapies," said co–lead author Jehan Alladina, MD, an Instructor in Medicine at Mass General.
The study concluded that while there could be value in some of the less-proven treatments that are being studied, and which have anecdotally shown success, such as hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir, physicians would be wise to rely on proven treatments for ARDS when dealing with critical patients first before trying other things.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals around the world have shared anecdotal experiences to help inform the care of affected patients, but such anecdotes do not always reveal the best treatment strategies, and they can even lead to harm," wrote Brian Burns for the Mass General website.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Report claims that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page may have manipulated, rewrote the key interview form t

Report claims that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page may have manipulated, rewrote the key interview form that led to charges against Gen. Flynn

Report claims that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page may have manipulated , rewrote the key interview form that led to @ @ @ @

Newly unsealed documents from the FBI's case against retired Gen. Michael Flynn show that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page may have manipulated and rewritten a key interview form used to charge Flynn with lying to federal agents.
According to RealClearInvestigations, former FBI agents and federal prosecutors are reporting that the documents point to "suspiciously irregular handling and editing" of Flynn's FD-302 form, which is an official document used to summarize the interviews that agents conduct.
In this case, the FD-302 form in question is the record of Flynn's Jan. 24, 2017 interview with FBI agents Peter Strzok and Joe Pientka. This is the interview in which the incoming national security adviser was alleged to have lied about a December phone call with the Russian ambassador.
Flynn had pleaded guilty to the charge a month earlier but had been attempting to withdraw the plea, alleging that he was "deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI."
Here's more from RealClearInvestigations:
FBI policy requires 302 forms to be submitted within five working days of an interview. The FBI took three weeks to deliberate on and compose Flynn's 302 form, and it was mislabeled a "DRAFT DOCUMENT," requiring a resubmission of the form three months later. A prosecutor working in the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which eventually charged Flynn, was required to submit a separate document to a federal judge to explain that irregularity.
The new Flynn documents shed light on what happened during the unusual three weeks composing the 302. They include texts between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who were communicating extensively during an extramarital affair in which they revealed an anti-Trump bias resulting in their later dismissal from Mueller's investigation.
In one text, dated February 10, Strzok tells Page he is heavily editing Pientka's 302 form to the point he's "trying not to completely re-write" it. Other messages reveal that Page, who did not attend the interview, reviewed the 302 form and made editing suggestions. On February 14, Page texts Strzok, "Is Andy good with the 302?" – presumably referring to FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. The next day, February 15, the Flynn 302 was officially submitted and filed with the FBI.
The report notes that it's against FBI protocol for supervisors to rewrite agents' FD-302 forms or for agents not present during the interview, such as Lisa Page, to edit them — both of which happened in the Flynn case.
"I've probably written in the close to the low thousands of 302s. I've probably supervised or overseen thousands upon thousands of more of those," James Gagliano, a retired FBI agent, told RealClearInvestigations. "This is not how we do business as an FBI supervisor. I never, ever materially altered a 302."
Another former special agent, Thomas J. Baker, added: "We never changed an agent's 302. An agent would fight a supervisor who wanted him to change the 302 ... what's documented in this new material ... that Peter Strzok said he virtually rewrote the whole thing — it damned them with their own words."
The revelation follows news last week that shows that Strzok ordered the Flynn investigation to be reopened after the FBI had closed it.
Following the public release of the documents, the Department of Justice dropped its criminal case against Flynn.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Commentary: Even CNN is beginning to acknowledge that the lockdowns will kill people, too

Commentary : Even CNN is beginning to acknowledge that the lockdowns will kill people , too Everyone is eventually forced @ @ @

For weeks, I have been trying to say that the coronavirus lockdowns are going to kill people as surely as the coronavirus itself. It is facially obvious to anyone with even the most minimal amount of foresight that economic devastation costs lives. Most likely, a lot of lives.
Yet still, during this entire crisis, anyone who has suggested that the economy ought to be reopened at any point prior to making sure that COVID-19 is completely eradicated (which may never happen) is treated as placing money over grandma's life. Governors such as Georgia's Brian Kemp and Texas' Greg Abbott have faced an uninterrupted wall of criticism and tsk-tsking from the media who have all but declared that Republicans value money over lives.
So while this article from CNN might seem like a small thing, it's actually a bit of a big deal. The premise of the article is that a mental health advocacy group called Well Being Trust estimates that as many as 75,000 Americans could die "deaths of despair" as a result of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus lockdowns. I am sure this is not literally the first time that a major media outlet has acknowledged that the lockdowns are going to kill people, too — but it's the first time I've seen it, and it's safe to say that I consume way more news than the average American.
Of course, the 75,000 estimate is likely far too low. As I've noted before, "deaths of despair" like suicide are only a small part of the probable death toll that will be caused by the shutdowns. Deaths and/or lost lifespan due to poor nutrition and inability to afford other medical treatment are likely to dwarf the suicide numbers. And that is to say nothing of the people who are already dying and will die in the immediate future because other very real medical needs like biopsies and outpatient procedures are not being performed.
It's a small step, but it's a major one. The public, by and large, is still opposed to reopening this country. Polling has consistently shown it, as we have reported on this website. The main reason for that is that they have been fed a line that there is a magical world where if we just suffer a lot of economic consequences, no one has to die.
Unfortunately, such a world does not exist. And before we can chart a way back that will actually save more lives than it costs, people have to realize that continuing on the path we are on will also kill people. A lot of people. And their lives don't matter any less than people who might otherwise die of the coronavirus. And until we come face-to-face with that fact, we will continue down a public policy course that will likely end up killing more people than it saves.


theblaze--2020-05-08--California county outlaws car parades, but one sheriff refuses to enforce ban on drive-thru celebrat

California county outlaws car parades, but one sheriff refuses to enforce ban on drive-thru celebrations

California county outlaws car parades , but one sheriff refuses to enforce ban on drive-thru celebrations ' I need someone @ @ @ @ @ driving in a vehicle with your family to wish someone a happy birthday increases the @ @ @ @ @ '

With the coronavirus lockdown and social distancing restrictions, Americans have been forced to change their lifestyles dramatically. The COVID-19 quarantine means that social gatherings are now banned, and people have mostly complied with the new rules. Some people have decided to safely celebrate special events such as birthdays and graduations by organizing car parades. Now, one California county has outlawed car parades, even if the participants stay in their vehicles.
Santa Clara County, which is about 50 miles southeast of San Francisco, has banned car parades, caravans, and drive-thru graduations.
From the Santa Clara County website:
"The order prohibits all public and private gatherings with people who do not live in the same household or living unit, except for the limited purposes allowed in the order. Parades, ceremonies, and similar gatherings with people outside your household are not allowed, even if everyone stays in their cars."
East Side Union School District Superintendent Chris Funk said the schools in his district had planned a drive-thru graduation for the class of 2020. The celebration was scheduled to take place at a flea market parking lot, but the county's emergency center quashed the graduation.
"I get public health's concern that we might not be able to control the crowd outside of the location," Funk told KRON4. "We would do a drive-thru, but we can certainly control who enters the drive-thru."
"There's definitely a frustration on our part not being able to recognized at least having a drive-thru graduation," Funk said.
There had been previous parades, including one for the Sakamoto Elementary School in San Jose.
San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the ban on street parades is "incredibly frustrating," and the "goalposts are moving for law enforcement."
"Since day one, these orders have been ridiculously difficult to enforce," Garcia told reporters.
"I don't know how any police chief in this county, could look at their community in the face and say, 'While people are being released out of jails on zero bail, serious criminals, that now we're going to stop people from holding signs, driving around, and wishing individuals happy birthdays or happy graduations.' I certainly can't look at my community credibly and tell them that," Garcia said.
Garcia said he refuses to enforce the ban on car parades.
"Unless there's a blatant violation, we'll continue with warnings," he said.
Garcia tweeted: "I should've probably toned it down as I discussed enforcement on the new imminent threat to San Jose, not felons with guns, not armed robbers, burglars, or criminal street gangs, but the new scourge... CAR PARADES!"
"I need someone to explain to us how driving in a vehicle with your family to wish someone a happy birthday increases the chances of the COVID-19," Garcia said. "We can go to supermarkets every day, yet you can't drive around to wish someone a happy birthday."
According to Santa Clara County's Public Health website, there are over 2,200 confirmed coronavirus cases in the county and 127 deaths. Santa Clara County has a population of over 1.9 million.
Earlier this week, another California sheriff proclaimed that he would not enforce the state-mandated shelter-in-place order because he won't "make criminals out of business owners, single moms, and otherwise healthy individuals for exercising their constitutional rights."
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco delivered a stirring speech during a board of supervisors meeting where he announced that he will refuse to enforce lockdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"From the beginning, I told you that I would not be enforcing this stay-at-home order, partly because I trusted our residents' ability to do the right thing without the fear of being arrested," Bianco on Wednesday. "I knew that they could be trusted to act as responsible adults, and I was correct."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Incredible video captures rescue of paralyzed woman buried alive for 3 days. Now her son faces attem

Incredible video captures rescue of paralyzed woman buried alive for 3 days. Now her son faces attempted murder charges.

Incredible video captures rescue of paralyzed woman buried alive for 3 days .
Now her son faces attempted murder charges @

Police in northern China say that a man attempted to bury his mother alive in an abandoned grave.
Authorities have charged the son with attempted murder.
What are the details?
Chinese authorities say that a 58-year-old man's wife told police that her husband carted away his mother — who is partially paralyzed — in a wheelbarrow on May 2.
The man returned, but his mother did not.
The man's wife reportedly told authorities that her mother-in-law had gone missing under mysterious circumstances, and police later summoned the man for questioning.
Authorities discovered the 79-year-old woman alive three days after the burial when the man reportedly confessed he dumped her body into an empty grave.
The elderly woman was "faintly calling for help as she was freed," the Associated Press reported. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where she remains in stable condition, according to Sky News.
Authorities placed the man in detention in Jingbian County.
Sources said that the man was "fed up" with having to care for the elderly woman, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
Dramatic video footage obtained shows rescuers pulling the woman, who is covered with mud, from the deep hole.


theblaze--2020-05-08--San Antonio passes resolution declaring the term 'Chinese virus' hate speech. Ted Cruz declares, 'Th

San Antonio passes resolution declaring the term 'Chinese virus' hate speech. Ted Cruz declares, 'This is NUTS.'

San Antonio passes resolution declaring the term 'Chinese virus ' hate speech .
Ted Cruz declares , 'This is NUTS @ @ @ @ @ the city council is 'behaving like a lefty college faculty lounge . '

The San Antonio City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring coronavirus-related terms such as the "Chinese virus" and "Kung Flu Virus" to be hate speech despite COVID-19 having originated in Wuhan, China. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted the city council and said they are "behaving like a lefty college faculty lounge."
Some Democrats have attacked anyone, especially President Donald Trump, for using the term "Chinese virus." Their argument is that you can't label the disease based on from where it originated because that is racist.
Many diseases have been named after their origins, including:
Lyme disease from Lyme, Connecticut
Zika, named after the Zika Forest in Uganda
Ebola, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Legionnaire's Disease, named after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia
West Nile virus, from the West Nile, Uganda
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, named for the Rocky Mountains
German measles, from Germany
MERS, which stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
Marburg virus, named for the German city of Marburg
the Spanish flu, named for Spain
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was so concerned about potential discrimination against the Asian American community and ramifications of the name of the coronavirus that she went to San Francisco's crowded Chinatown in late February and told people:"Come to Chinatown, here we are — we're, again, careful, safe — and come join us."
The city of San Antonio has taken it one step further by outlawing words associated with the coronavirus that it deems to be racist or xenophobic.
The resolution states: "The City of San Antonio denounces antisemitism, anti-Asian bigotry, and all hateful speech, violent action and the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 that casts blame, promotes racism or discrimination or harms the City of San Antonio Asian and Pacific Islander, Jewish, immigrant or other communities."
San Antonio reporter Jaie Avila was covering the meeting and tweeted: "Council regular Jack Finger was speaking against the resolution when his mic was cut off."
Avila added that Council Member Manny Pelaez said that "hate speech is more dangerous than the virus itself." There are over 271,000 worldwide deaths from the novel coronavirus and 77,000 American deaths.
The city council also said that "all persons are encouraged to report any such anti-Semitic, discriminatory or racist incidents to the proper authorities for investigation." City council members unanimously voted in favor of the resolution 11-0.
The resolution was put forward by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
"We've seen incidents that are clearly racist in nature all around this country, and we've even seen some incidents here. But this is really about standing in solidarity with all the members of our community," Nirenberg told reporters following the council vote.
Ted Cruz slammed the council members for their decision to make terms relating to COVID-19 hate speech.
"This is NUTS. SA City Council behaving like a lefty college faculty lounge, triggered by Chick-fil-A & the words 'Wuhan virus,' Cruz wrote on Twitter. "If they want to investigate someone, start with NYT & CNN who both repeatedly (and rightly) referred to it as 'the Chinese coronavirus.' #NoSpeechPolice."


theblaze--2020-05-08--Chicago reporter hassles ice cream man about social distancing; anchor says residents should call 91

Chicago reporter hassles ice cream man about social distancing; anchor says residents should call 911 on him

Chicago reporter hassles ice cream man about social distancing ; anchor says residents should call 911 on him

A local news segment in Chicago featured a journalist approaching and chastising an ice cream man who was continuing to serve a neighborhood despite the local coronavirus stay-at-home orders.
The segment aired on WBBM-TV, a CBS affiliate in Chicago. The segment concluded with an anchor encouraging residents of that neighborhood to call 911 if they saw the ice cream man in the future.
"No gloves? No Mask? No problem," anchor Brad Edwards said as he narrated the segment. "This ice cream man is not only ignoring COVID-19 protocol, but he's breaking the law. Such trucks are forbidden [in] Hoffman Estates."
During the segment, a WBBM journalist named Greg Kelly approached the ice cream man on a bike and began asking him about permits and the stay-at-home order. The ice cream man, who the station referred to repeatedly as "Mr. Freeze," claimed he had permits for the work and asked Kelly to leave him alone.
"Why are you trying to take ice cream out of the hands of children?" The ice cream man asked Kelly. He later questioned the wisdom of the COVID-19 measures, saying "I'm not sick either, so why are they quarantining healthy people?"
WBBM reported that the neighborhood, Hoffman Estates, did not allow ice cream trucks. Even if that's true, however, the reporters did not know that at the time they confronted him—which is why the confrontation focused on the coronavirus aspect of the issue, and the neighborhood rules were only brought up by the anchor.
As of Friday morning, the local segment about the ice cream man posted by Edwards on Twitter had drawn more than 480,000 views and 8,000 replies, many of them from people angry or incredulous that a news station was focusing so much attention on putting an ice cream man out of business.
"He's trying to make an honest living," wrote journalist Jordan Schachtel. "Call 911? What the hell is wrong with you?"
(H/T The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-05-08--Seattle closed 20 miles of streets to vehicles so people could exercise during lockdowns. Now they'v

Seattle closed 20 miles of streets to vehicles so people could exercise during lockdowns. Now they've decided to close them permanently.

Seattle closed 20 miles of streets to vehicles so people could exercise during lockdowns .
Now they 've decided to @ @ @ @

Progressives have repeatedly stated that they intend to use the coronavirus pandemic to permanently change the way America operates, and the latest installation in that series comes from the city of Seattle, where Mayor Jenny A. Durkan has announced that the city will make permanent a number of street closures that were instituted as a result of the coronavirus lockdowns.
The streets — some 20 miles worth — were initially closed in April as a means of providing the Seattle public with places for themselves and their children to get outdoors and exercise while maintaining social distancing.
Of course, the city already had more than 25 square kilometers of outdoor exercise areas available to the public in the form of parks, but it closed most of the areas in these parks except for places like walking and jogging trails. All of the parking areas, picnic areas, and play structures have been closed since lockdowns started.
It was not immediately clear why the city of Seattle felt it was safer for residents to undertake these activities on previously active concrete streets rather than pre-existing parks, but the city proudly announced that it was undertaking the project anyway and named it the Stay Healthy Streets initiative.
The designated streets were then closed, except to delivery drivers, first responders, sanitation crews, and people who actually reside on those streets.
Of course, getting more cars off all roads has long been a goal of progressives, and the release from the Seattle Department of Transportation announcing the change trumpets the city's success in meeting that goal: "We've witnessed a 57% drop in vehicle traffic volumes accessing downtown Seattle during Governor Inslee's Stay Healthy, Stay Home order... Finding new and creative ways, like Stay Healthy Streets, to maintain some of these traffic reductions as we return to our new normal is good for the planet, but is also good for our long-term fight against COVID-19."
As the city reopens, it will prioritize adding more bike infrastructure to get even more cars off the road, which the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board says will help Seattle become "a safer, healthier, and more climate friendly city."


theblaze--2020-05-08--WHO says wet markets are OK despite possible Wuhan role in coronavirus spread

WHO says wet markets are OK despite possible Wuhan role in coronavirus spread Oh , well , if the WHO @ @ @ @ @

The World Health Organization says that wet markets shouldn't be shuttered, despite the possibility that they played an important role in the emergence of COVID-19.
What are the details?
In a Friday report from the Associated Press, WHO food safety and animal diseases expert Peter Ben Embarek said that live animal markets are necessary to food security in certain areas and around the world, and to close them will only cause disruption.
"Food safety in these environments is rather difficult, and therefore it's not surprising that sometimes we also have these events happening within markets," Ben Embarek reasoned.
Ben Embarek added that even though wet markets can aid the spread of epidemics, the positives outweigh the risks, and the world should be more focused on improving the markets' integrity and cleanliness rather than shutting them down.
The AP reported that Ben Embarek is focused on "reducing the risk of disease transmission from animals to humans," because then the conditions of "overcrowded markets could be addressed in many cases by improving hygiene and food safety standards."
He also pointed out the importance of being able to identify "other vulnerable species" in order to prevent future outbreaks.
"We don't want to create a new reservoir in animals that could continue to create infections in humans," he added.
Ben Embarek said that the world should focus on identifying the original source for the COVID-19 outbreak before it jumps to the conclusion of closing live animal markets.
The AP writes, "[E]xtensive studies need to occur first, involving health officials carefully interviewing many of those infected in the early stages of the outbreak, to narrow down what their interactions with animals were before they fell sick."
Bloomberg reports that Ben Embarek determined that the coronavirus has emerged from bats, however, and can spread among cats. He pointed out that it remains unclear what animal may have spread the disease from humans.
Anything else?
The WHO has remained under the microscope after reportedly botching its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In April, President Donald Trump cut funding to the WHO over its purported role in parroting China's lies and misinformation about COVID-19 and its origins and transmission.
Following the massive worldwide outbreak, the WHO did not call out the Chinese government when it refused to admit that it misled the global community about the virus and its method of transmission.


theblaze--2020-05-08--Yale professor blames Trump administration ‘monsters’ for thousands of COVID-19 deaths: This is ‘awf

Yale professor blames Trump administration ‘monsters’ for thousands of COVID-19 deaths: This is ‘awfully close to genocide’

Yale professor blames Trump administration ‘ monsters ’ for thousands of COVID-19 deaths : This is ‘ awfully close to @ @ @ @ @ you call mass death by public policy ? '

A Yale University professor of epidemiology is blaming the Trump administration for the deaths of thousands in the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic, characterizing its "delayed" response "awfully close to genocide."
Dr. Gregg Gonsalves, who teaches about microbial diseases and law at the Ivy League school, took to Twitter recently to slam the administration for its supposed inaction, especially as it pertains to minorities.
"How many people will die this summer, before Election Day? What proportion of the deaths will be among African-Americans, Latinos, other people of color? This is getting awfully close to genocide by default. What else do you call mass death by public policy?" Gonsalves wrote on Wednesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that minorities may be disproportionately affected by the disease due to greater numbers of black and hispanic people that work "essential jobs." According to the CDC, "Identified death rates among Black/African American persons (92.3 deaths per 100,000 population) and Hispanic/Latino persons (74.3) that were substantially higher than that of white (45.2) or Asian (34.5) persons."
In follow-up tweets, Gonsalves insisted that he is "being serious" about the matter, which he called "purposeful, considered negligence, omission, [and] failure to act by our leaders."
The professor also wondered if the administration's inactions could be punishable under international law.
He even went so far as to slam the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, for posting on Twitter about praying for those who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus and for the front-line workers battling the spread.
"Pray for your own souls today," Gonsalves said about her, her husband, and her father. "You are monsters who care only about yourselves."
Gonsalves is not the first to blame Trump for the deaths of Americans amid the pandemic and wonder if the president could face punishment.
Early last month, a Democratic state representative from Ohio vowed to refer Trump to the Hague for crimes against humanity over his promotion of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.
"I can't take it anymore. I've been to The Hague. I'm making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow," Rep. Tavia Galonski wrote on Twitter. "Today's press conference was the last straw. I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one."
(H/T: The Washington Examiner)


theblaze--2020-05-09--Gerber chooses first adopted 'spokesbaby'

Gerber has announced the winner of its 2020 campaign to represent its brand of baby products , and for the first time , the company chose an adopted child .
In an interview with NBC 's `` Today '' show , the parents of winning `` spokesbaby '' Magnolia Earl celebrated the fact that little Magnolia 's birth parents `` chose her life . ''
What are the details ?
Magnolia 's parents , Courtney and Russel Earl , agreed to sit with `` Today '' along with their three children , knowing that their youngest daughter was a finalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During the interview , Courtney told the hosts , `` Obviously , our family was developed through adoption , and we celebrate adoption in our family every single day . ''
Becoming a bit emotional , the mother said , `` You know , the real ( heroes ) in this story are Magnolia 's birth parents—they chose her life , and they sent her on this incredible journey . ''
Courtney went on to note that she spoke with Magnolia 's birth parents the day before about `` what was going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gerber , and teared up as she explained , `` If you could hear the joy in their voice in how proud they are of this little girl , and—they 're watching right now—and we love them so much , and together with them , and our community , and our family , we just all love this baby girl so much . ''
The hosts then disclosed that Magnolia was the winner of Gerber 's 2020 contest , and therefore the newest beautiful face of the campaign .
When asked what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magnolia be named the first adopted Gerber baby , Courtney replied , `` It means that when people see our families , or when you see a family that does n't necessarily match , that you do n't have to question the belonging of anybody in that family . ''

Gerber has announced the winner of its 2020 campaign to represent its brand of baby products, and for the first time, the company chose an adopted child.
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, the parents of winning "spokesbaby" Magnolia Earl celebrated the fact that little Magnolia's birth parents "chose her life."
What are the details?
Magnolia's parents, Courtney and Russel Earl, agreed to sit with "Today" along with their three children, knowing that their youngest daughter was a finalist to become the next Gerber baby.
During the interview, Courtney told the hosts, "Obviously, our family was developed through adoption, and we celebrate adoption in our family every single day." Becoming a bit emotional, the mother said, "You know, the real (heroes) in this story are Magnolia's birth parents—they chose her life, and they sent her on this incredible journey."
Courtney went on to note that she spoke with Magnolia's birth parents the day before about "what was going on" with Magnolia becoming a finalist for Gerber, and teared up as she explained, "If you could hear the joy in their voice in how proud they are of this little girl, and—they're watching right now—and we love them so much, and together with them, and our community, and our family, we just all love this baby girl so much."
The hosts then disclosed that Magnolia was the winner of Gerber's 2020 contest, and therefore the newest beautiful face of the campaign.
When asked what it meant to the Earl family to have Magnolia be named the first adopted Gerber baby, Courtney replied, "It means that when people see our families, or when you see a family that doesn't necessarily match, that you don't have to question the belonging of anybody in that family."


theblaze--2020-05-09--Matt Gaetz torches Trey Gowdy for backing the FBI in 2018 and not defending Mike Flynn

Matt Gaetz torches Trey Gowdy for backing the FBI in 2018 and not defending Mike Flynn Gaetz said Gowdy did @ @ @ @ @ subpoenas to Democrats

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) absolutely torched former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy for backing the FBI in 2018 and for not supporting an effort to subpoena Democrats while he was in power to defend Mike Flynn.
Gaetz dropped the bombshell accusations against his fellow Republican while being interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox News Friday.
"I'm glad you went through Trey Gowdy's exquisite questions in 2017 to these corrupt officials," Gaetz said sarcastically.
"I guess my question, Sean, would be why was it then that in late May of 2018 that Trey Gowdy went on Martha MacCallum's show and said that the FBI did exactly what all of our fellow Americans would have wanted them to do and it had nothing to do with Donald Trump. Both of those things have now been proven to be not true and it seems that Gowdy's brilliant lawyering back in 2017 that we're only able to see now proves those two statements untrue," he continued.
"The number one question I get asked from Americans is why no one has gone to jail and been held accountable," Gaetz added.
"Unfortunately when [Rep. Devin] Nunes (R-Calif.) and [Rep. Mark] Meadows (R-N.C.) and [Rep. Jim] Jordan (R-Ohio) and I wanted subpoena power it was Paul Ryan and Trey Gowdy that wouldn't give us that subpoena power. Democrats sent out hundreds of subpoenas," he continued.
"When he had control and could have run this to ground in 2017, we didn't send out one single subpoena, not one, and that's a failure of our Republican leadership!" Gaetz concluded.
Gaetz posted the video of his appearance on Hannity and also a video of Gowdy saying in 2018 that the FBI had acted properly in interviewing and pursuing the prosecution of Mike Flynn.
Gaetz was referring to recent revelations in the prosecution of Mike Flynn that led to the Department of Justice dropping charges against him. Trey Gowdy has been among those excoriating the FBI for the manner in which Flynn was interviewed.
"I have every expectation they wanted to flip Flynn on the president, the problem was no one with the campaign was colluding with Russia!" said Gowdy on MacCallum's show.
"Martha, this is not the department of let's see if we can get away with it! And it's not the department of let's see who we can get fired! It is the Department of Justice!" Gowdy added.


theblaze--2020-05-09--VIDEO: Joe Biden said in 2008 that he almost got arrested for chasing a 'lovely group of women’ into

VIDEO: Joe Biden said in 2008 that he almost got arrested for chasing a 'lovely group of women’ into an all-female dormitory

VIDEO : Joe Biden said in 2008 that he almost got arrested for chasing a 'lovely group of women ’ @ @ @ @ @ there 's another time he told the same story

Another episode from Joe Biden's past has come back to haunt him after he was hit with allegations of a sexual assault ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
The latest eruption came from a speech Biden made in 2012 where he laughed about a college incident where he was almost arrested for chasing a group of women into an all-female dormitory.
Here's the video of his odd comments:
Biden jokes, "I almost got arrested" once at Ohio University www.youtube.com
"The last time I was here, uh, I, I want to make clear to the press, I didn't get arrested, but I almost did. Because back in those days, you students won't appreciate this, uh, men weren't allowed anywhere near a woman's dorm," he explained to the audience.
"And I got invited into a dorm, I thought I was walking into the waiting room, I got brought into the hallway and I got escorted out very quickly by an Athens policeman, so uh," he laughed.
"True story, unfortunately!" he concluded.
And another one...
In a separate retelling of the story in 2008, Biden said he followed a "lovely group of women" into the dormitory.
The newly surfaced videos might complicate his campaign to win the presidential election in 2020. He is the presumed candidate but many Democrats are grumbling that his sexual harassment problem might cost them the election.
[H/T: Daily Wire.]


theblaze--2020-05-09--Bill Gates offers a creepy response to COVID

What do you and Bill Gates have in common ?
Both are equally qualified to offer medical advice .
Never @ @ @ @ @ the world via Twitter that COVID-19 could n't spread from human to human contact .
@ @ @ @ @ humans who have had COVID-19 .
No .
Just no .
Considering our country was @ @ @ @ @ to a flu , maybe Gates should spend his free time coming up with ways @ @ @ @ @ find employment rather than trying to track people who had the misfortune of contracting Chinese @ @ @ @ @ during his CNN Livestream last Thursday .
Watch the video below for the scoop .
@ @ @ @ @ save $ 30 off one year of BlazeTV .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
@ @ @ @ @ 's uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually funny , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest @ @ @ @ @ love America , defend the Constitution and live the American dream .

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


theblaze--2020-05-09--Associated Press says the term 'mistress' is 'sexist and archaic.' Social media has a field day.

Associated Press says the term 'mistress ' is 'sexist and archaic . '
Social media has a field day .

The Associated Press is held up as an esteemed institution for many in media and elsewhere, and their stylebook serves as a formal guide for presenting the truth for publication in a dignified manner.
But when the AP Stylebook suggested scrapping the term "mistress," social media users pushed back—accusing the group of going too far in an effort to be politically correct, and providing an array of suggestions for alternative monikers.
What are the details?
The Associated Press Stylebook sends out regular updates for journalists, providing suggestions and changes to the rules.
On Friday, the organization tweeted, "We now say not to use the archaic and sexist term 'mistress' for a woman in a long-term sexual relationship with, and financially supported by, a man who is married to someone else. Instead, use an alternative like companion or lover on first preference. Provide details later."
The suggestion was overwhelmingly rejected, with one editor flatly replying, "Nope. Plain words that accurately describe meaning are best," and another follower arguing, "Mistress is used quite properly. It's intended to be tied to gender. That's the whole point of the word, it describes something in detail, so it can be differentiated from other phenomena. This is the foundation of words and language."
A columnist pointed out to the AP that "a one-night stand might be a lover, but not a mistress. A companion could be just any friend. You haven't solved anything here, @apstylebook, you've only opened yourself to ridicule."
Several followers—including journalists—were happy offer substitutions for the word mistress, suggesting: homewrecker, ho, hoochie mama, slutty trollop, skanky whore, and side piece, of those we are able to print. A number of names were also mentioned.
Others threw the AP a legitimate option, with one writer pointing out, "'Paramour' is probably dated, but it more generally refers to an illicit/secret lover of a married person. Plus, it is gender-neutral."