theblaze--2020-09-13--Shocking video shows gunman ambush two LA police officers sitting in car: 'Without warning or provoc

Shocking video shows gunman ambush two LA police officers sitting in car: 'Without warning or provocation'

Shocking video shows gunman ambush two LA police officers sitting in car : 'Without warning or provocation '

Two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies are fighting for their lives after they were ambushed "without warning or provocation" while sitting in their patrol vehicle on Saturday.
According to the LA County Sheriff's Office, the highly disturbing incident happened in Compton Saturday evening.
"Moments ago, 2 of our Sheriff Deputies were shot in Compton and were transported to a local hospital. They are both still fighting for their lives, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We will update this thread with information as it becomes available," the agency announced.
"One male deputy and one female deputy were ambushed as they sat in their patrol vehicle. Both sustained multiple gunshot wounds and are in critical condition. They are both currently undergoing surgery. The suspect is still at large," the agency added.
Surveillance footage of the brutal attack shows a lone gunman walk up to the passenger side window of the patrol vehicle and begin firing "with warning or provocation," according to the LA County Sheriff's Office.
The gunman then runs away after firing multiple shots into the stationary vehicle.
(Content Warning: The following video contains graphic material):
Update: The gunman walked up on the deputies and opened fire without warning or provocation. pic.twitter.com/cBQjyKkoxJ
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 13, 2020
More from Fox News:
Both deputies were sworn in just over a year ago and the female deputy is the mother of a 6-year-old boy, officials said in a 10 p.m. news conference. Both of their families were rallying around them at the hospital.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said while authorities don't have a detailed suspect description, one of the deputies described the shooter as a "dark-skinned male." Villanueva said the shooting shows the dangers officers face in the streets and how situations can change in "the blink of an eye."
"That was a cowardly act," Villanueva said, KABC-TV reported. "The two deputies were doing their job, minding their own business, watching out for the safety of the people on the train."
He added, "To see somebody just walk up and start shooting on them. It pisses me off. It dismays me at the same time. There's no pretty way to say it."
Fortunately, the officers were out of surgery just hours after the attack, Fox News reported.
President Donald Trump also responded to the brazen act of violence.
"Animals that must be hit hard!" the president said.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Graphic photo taken in moment following shooting of 2 LA officers shows deputy shot through the jaw

Graphic photo taken in moment following shooting of 2 LA officers shows deputy shot through the jaw saving fellow cop with tourniquet and radioing for help

Graphic photo taken in moment following shooting of 2 LA officers shows deputy shot through the jaw saving fellow cop @ @ @ @ @ help This is what heroism looks like

Two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies shot in a Saturday night ambush attack are expected to survive, according to reports.
KTTV-TV investigative reporter Bill Melugin shared a photo of the moment following the shooting of the officers on Saturday, revealing that a female deputy — who was shot through the jaw — was able to apply a tourniquet to the male deputy's wounds and radio for help, despite being grievously injured.
The female officer, according to CNN, is a 31-year-old mother. The male officer is just 24 years old.
What's a brief history here?
The horrific ambush of two deputies took place in Los Angeles on Saturday evening.
A suspect fired on the deputies in an apparently unprovoked attack as they sat in a police cruiser on a Los Angeles street, authorities say.
Both were "severely wounded" during the incident and taken to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery. They are expected to live, despite their injuries.
Black Lives Matter activists reportedly converged on the hospital, blocking entrances and demanding that the officers be left to die. Several protesters were arrested during the fracas.
What are the details?
Melugin, with the permission of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the officers' families, shared the photo Sunday night on Twitter.
He wrote, "NEW: LASD & the families of the two ambushed deputies have given me permission to show this graphic photo of the moment after they were shot. I'm told female deputy was shot through jaw, still radioed for help & applied tourniquet to male deputy's wounds. Both stable now."
What else?
A manhunt is underway for a suspect who approached the officers' parked patrol vehicle and fired on the deputies sitting inside.
Officials are offering a $100,000 reward for information on the shooting.
The sheriff's department describes the suspect as a black man between 28 and 30 years old wearing dark clothing. He was last seen in a dark sedan.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Setif Capelton, who lives in the neighborhood in which the officers were shot, said that the attack "makes no sense."
"It hurts this community more than anything else," Capelton said. "Now, what if someone walks up to a police officer's car, and they get scared and shoot that person?"
Capelton said, "People are looking for someone to blame for racism. People are looking to blame a cop."
Local resident Maria Medina added, "It feels like there's more tension between the police and people in this area."
Of the shooting, Medina added, "[N]o one deserves to have their lives taken like that."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the shooting was disturbing.
"That was a cowardly act," he said. "The two deputies were just doing their jobs, minding their own business and watching for the safety of the people on the train. Seeing somebody walk up and just start shooting on them. It p***es me off."
You can see the moment the suspect approaches the police cruiser and opens fire on its occupants below.
(Content warning: graphic footage):


theblaze--2020-09-14--Israel set to enter extraordinary second lockdown as COVID-19 outbreak surges to highest levels yet

Israel set to enter extraordinary second lockdown as COVID-19 outbreak surges to highest levels yet Israel will be the first @ @ @ @ @ nationwide lockdown amid new outbreaks

Israel is set to enter a second nationwide shutdown after a major surge in COVID-19 cases.
The country initially reopened in May, but is now set to enter its second lockdown beginning on Friday.
What are the details?
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an inner cabinet of ministers approved the latest three-week lockdown late on Sunday, which will take place during Jewish high holy days.
"The plan is subject to the final approval of the full cabinet on Sunday and faces opposition from some ministers," Bloomberg reported.
The outlet noted that "[s]everal ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have threatened to pull out of Netanyahu's brittle coalition if the government goes ahead with a lockdown during the holiday season, which begins Sept. 18 and lasts about three weeks."
Cases in May reportedly rose from five confirmed infections to more than 4,000 over the last week, according to the outlet, bringing new infections per capita close to the worst levels in the world.
Reuters reported that Israelis Israelis will be required to stay within 500 meters of their homes, and can only travel to workplaces that have been previously approved to continue operations.
"Schools and shopping malls will be closed but supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open," the news organization added. "The public sector will operate with fewer staff, but non-governmental offices and businesses will not have to close, as long as they do not accept customers."
Additionally, indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, with no more than 20 people congregating in one place outdoors.
"I know those measures will exact a heavy price on us all," Netanyahu said during a televised address, according to Financial Times. "This is not the kind of holiday we are used to. And we certainly won't be able to celebrate with our extended families."
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu added, "We were warned of a spike in serious cases that could result in a number of deaths we have not seen before. [T]he winter that is nearing may see seasonal flu added to the coronavirus case load so we must take steps in advance."
What else?
At the time of this reporting, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 156,823 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Israel, with at least 1,126 deaths attributed to the virus.
The outlet claimed that May's "botched reopening of the economy" sent COVID-19 infections "soaring."
The new shutdown could continue to devastate the economy.
According to Bloomberg, the country's finance ministry chief on Thursday estimated that a four-week lockdown would cost the nation's economy approximately $4.4 billion.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Candace Owens shreds 'pea-brained' LeBron James, BLM for ambush on LA sheriffs: 'The racist, anti-po

Candace Owens shreds 'pea-brained' LeBron James, BLM for ambush on LA sheriffs: 'The racist, anti-police, black lives matter LIE is to blame'

Candace Owens shreds 'pea-brained ' LeBron James , BLM for ambush on LA sheriffs : 'The racist , anti-police , @ @ @ @ @ to blame' Here 's why attacks on police occur , according to Owens

Conservative commentator Candace Owens tore into NBA superstar LeBron James for his support of the Black Lives Matter movement's rhetoric following the horrific ambush on two deputies in Los Angeles on Saturday evening.
What's a very brief history here?
Two sheriff's deputies were shot in an unprovoked attack as they sat in a police cruiser on a Los Angeles street, according to authorities.
Both were "severely wounded" during the incident, and taken to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery.
As they arrived, Black Lives Matter activists reportedly converged on the facility, blocking entrances, demanding the officers be left to die from their grievous injuries.
Several protesters were arrested during the fracas.
What are the details?
Referring to the weekend's attack on the sheriffs, Owens on Sunday said that James — who once insisted that black men are "literally hunted" every time they leave their homes — is complicit in antagonizing anti-cop activists.
Owens — author of "Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape from the Democratic Plantation" — asked, "Why does this happen? Because pea-brained celebrities that are idolized like @KingJames tell young black men that they are 'literally being hunted.' This is the natural result of such hyperbolic, dishonest rhetoric."
"The racist, anti-police, black lives matter LIE is to blame," she insisted.
The conservative commentator later wrote, "Why else does this happen? Because when pea-brained athletes put the name of an alleged RAPIST on their helmets and jerseys, criminals begin believing they are acting as heroes."
"BLACK LIVES MATTER AND THE COMPLICIT MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS, ATHLETES, AND ENTERTAINERS ARE TO BLAME," she added.
What else?
Later on Sunday, Owens spoke to Mark Levin during an appearance on Fox News' "Life, Liberty, & Levin," where she said James's apparent outrage over white privilege and racism was overblown and misplaced.
"He's got a white gardener, a white chef, all various white people that work for him, white driver," she said. "So if that's racism, LeBron, please, please share some of that with the rest of us."
The conservative also said that many celebrities privately correspond with her, and allegedly admit to being closeted conservatives who live in fear of losing their affluent positions in Hollywood.
"If I opened my inbox and showed you the amount of celebrities that have written to me privately, that silent majority that we're always talking about, they've written to me and said, 'I'm finally starting to see the truth. I can't stand being in Hollywood. I'm not allowed to use my voice to say what I actually believe," Owens told Levin.
She added, "These are the same celebrities that are actually posting the black squares on Instagram and saying 'We must care about black lives.' And they're saying they're doing it basically under duress because if they don't, they'll lose their entire careers."
Owens also promised that there is a cultural and political awakening taking place across the U.S. for the better.
"There is something shaking and something happening in this country, and more and more people are awake and alive to what is really at risk, which is really the values and the principles that this country was built upon," she insisted.


theblaze--2020-09-15--LA sheriff calls out LeBron James, asks him to match reward for finding gunman who ambushed deputies

LA sheriff calls out LeBron James , asks him to match reward for finding gunman who ambushed deputies 'Let 's @ @ @ @ @ I 'll be very curious to see what his response is , if any .
@

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva called out NBA superstar and Black Lives Matter supporter LeBron James on Monday, challenging the Los Angles Lakers star to match and double the reward for bringing to justice the suspect who ambushed two deputies in Compton over the weekend.
What are the details?
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person seen on surveillance video shooting two deputies sitting in their patrol car on Saturday night. Another $75,000 has been added to the reward from private donors.
During an interview with KABC-AM, Villanueva declared, "This challenge is to LeBron James: I want you to match that and double that reward," according to Fox News.
"I know you care about law enforcement," the sheriff continued. "You expressed a very interesting statement about your perspective on race relations and on officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African American community, and I appreciate that. But likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across all professions."
Villanueva added, "Let's see what he does. I'll be very curious to see what his response is, if any."
What did LeBron James say?
James has been an outspoken critic of law enforcement in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis in late May after an officer was seen on camera kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
Following the shooting of Jacob Blake — who became engaged in a scuffle with officers after they sought to apprehend him over allegations of sexual assault in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last month — James tweeted, "And y'all wonder why we say what we say about the Police!! Someone please tell me WTF is this???!!! Exactly another black man being targeted. This s**t is so wrong and so sad!! Feel so sorry for him, his family and OUR PEOPLE!! We want JUSTICE."
Later that day, James told reporters, "We are scared as black people in America. Black men, black women, black kids. We are, we are terrified."
James has thus far been silent over the shooting of the two deputies in Compton, who remain hospitalized because of their injuries.
According to an earlier report from TheBlaze, the sheriff's department said:
The suspect is described as a black male whose age is estimated to be between 28 and 30. He was wearing dark clothes in the now widely circulated surveillance video. Unfortunately, the low quality of that video makes further description of the suspect virtually impossible at this time.


theblaze--2020-09-15--Two cops AMBUSHED ...  and Joe Biden's response is pathetic

Two cops AMBUSHED ... and Joe Biden 's response is pathetic

Two Los Angeles police officers were ambushed by a gunman Saturday night and are currently fighting for their lives in a local hospital. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responded in a most pathetic attempt at politicizing the tragedy in a tweet. Here's Steven Crowder to explain why Biden's call for more gun control is pathetic and dumb.
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theblaze--2020-09-15--VIDEO: Man injured when he flies off of police car during mob attack by anti-Trump protesters in Cal

VIDEO: Man injured when he flies off of police car during mob attack by anti-Trump protesters in California

VIDEO : Man injured when he flies off of police car during mob attack by anti-Trump protesters in California The @ @ @ @ @ incident

Video captured the moment that a man was injured after a group of protesters attacked a police cruiser as they demonstrated against Donald Trump's visit on Monday to Sacramento, California.
Reporter Jodi Hernandez of KNTV-TV posted photographs and video of the incident to her social media account.
"President Trump's visit has brought out supporters and protesters. Demonstrators currently in the middle of Watt Ave.," Hernandez tweeted.
Hernandez says that protesters surrounded a California Highway Patrol car and some protesters got on top of the roof. In the video she posted, one protester is seen tumbling to the ground after the patrol car speeds away from the crowd.
"Our camera was rolling when anti- Trump protestors surrounded a CHP patrol car. One person climbed on the hood and the officer drove forward. Two people were injured...one was taken to hospital. The crowd had gathered to protest the President as he visited Sacramento," Hernandez tweeted.
She also posted photographs of the anti-Trump protesters with signs that read, "Trump is a traitor!" and "Trump for prison 2020."
Other videos of the incident were circulated on social media:
Ryan Hill of KOVR-TV reported that there were about 100 to 200 protesters at the demonstration and that they were blocking an intersection to stop traffic flow.
The president was visiting California in order to meet with local officials dealing with the devastation from numerous wildfires on the West Coast.
Other videos on social media reportedly from the same event showed more protesters attacking pro-Trump vehicles, and one car swerving into the crowd.
The Sacramento Bee reported that police stopped the driver of the green Volvo that swerved into the crowd after they attacked the pro-Trump cars driving by. Two people appeared to be injured in that incident.
Here's a local news report about the incident:


theblaze--2020-09-15--Transgender activists are outraged at J.K Rowling's new book about a cross-dressing serial killer

Transgender activists are outraged at J.K Rowling 's new book about a cross-dressing serial killer The celebrated 'Harry Potter ' @ @ @ @ @ feud with trans activists

Transgender activists are outraged at the newest book by J.K. Rowling, the famed "Harry Potter" creator, because they say it will create more antagonism and anger against the transgender community.
Rowling has been embroiled in a very heated public feud with transgender activists over her comments defending "natal girls and women," a phrase intended to refer to people who were born female, as opposed to transgender women.
Activists are accusing her of injecting transphobia into her newest mystery book titled, "Troubled Blood," which features a serial killer who dresses up as a woman in order to ensnare his victims.
"JK Rowling's new book is about a cis woman investigating a cis male serial killer who dresses as a woman to kill his cis female victims," tweeted transgender journalist Serene Daniari.
"Like...how much more blatantly does Rowling have to out herself as a transphobe for y'all to stop buying her books and publishers to drop her?" Daniari asked.
Other trans activists and supporters of the movement took to Twitter to excoriate the popular author.
"F*** you, @jk_rowling. To use a platform like yours to send a message like this, in 2020," tweeted songwriter Simon Curtis. "History will not remember you kindly."
"If I could go back in time, I'd do my best to stop the holocaust and stuff but also I'd tell everyone what an a**hole JK Rowling turned out to be," replied songwriter Grey DeLisle-Griffin.
Feminism or phobia
Rowling has been attacked as a "TERF," an acronym that transgender activists use to insult women who argue that some transgender rights will make women less safe. It stands for "transgender exclusionary radical feminists."
In June, Rowling defended her position in an essay titled, "TERF wars."
"Trans people need and deserve protection. Like women, they're most likely to be killed by sexual partners," she wrote in the essay.
"So I want trans women to be safe," Rowling wrote. "At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman – and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside."
Activists were not receptive to her argument at that time either.
"J.K. Rowling's essay is dangerous hogwash that will only hurt trans people and reinforce a gender binary that oppresses women but go off, I guess," said one critic.
Here's more about Rowling's feud with the transgender lobby:


theblaze--2020-09-14--Man arrested in Portland for starting fire with Molotov cocktail — allegedly sets 6 more upon releas

Man arrested in Portland for starting fire with Molotov cocktail — allegedly sets 6 more upon release The suspect was @ @ @ @ @ span .

Police in Portland, Oregon, say they arrested a man Sunday who admitted to lighting a brush fire using a Molotov cocktail, and arrested the same suspect hours later following his release from custody after he allegedly set six more fires.
What are the details?
The Portland Police Bureau issued a news release stating that officers arrested Domingo Lopez Jr., 45, on Sunday afternoon after a witness pointed to him as the person who used a Molotov cocktail to set a fire along Interstate-205 freeway that officers had just helped fire officials extinguish. Lopez "confirmed he lit the fire with the device," according to police.
Officers recovered a plastic bottle with a wick and seized it as evidence, posting a photo of it in their report.
Lopez was charged with reckless burning and disorderly conduct in the second degree for his Sunday arrest, and arson investigators are probing to determine whether further charges may be brought in that incident.
At 3:37 a.m. the next day, officers and Portland Fire and Rescue were dispatched again "to a report of multiple fires burning along the west side of the I-205 freeway."
Police reported in a second news release:
Portland Fire and Rescue extinguished three of them while passing community members put out the other three. All were caught early. No one was injured and no structures were burnt. Officers located Domingo Lopez, Junior walking along the shoulder and arrested him. They seized a lighter as evidence.
Lopez was charged with six additional counts of reckless burning in connection to his Monday arrest.
Fox News noted that "wildfires, of course, have been burning more than one million acres in Oregon."
Portland police arrest man for starting small brush fire www.youtube.com
The Oregonian reported that as of Saturday, seven people had been confirmed dead from wildfires in the state and dozens more were missing in a catastrophe that officials warn could be a "mass fatality incident."
Anything else?
In a separate report Monday, The Oregonian noted:
Law enforcement, including Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts, have tried to bat down unfounded rumors of coordinated arson plans and widespread looting in evacuated areas, saying there was no evidence to back them up. Sheriff's offices across the state, along with the FBI, have roundly debunked the claims.
Roberts said during a news conference Sunday, "There's just a lot of misinformation about folks trying to set fires. I want to reassure everybody that we are on this and if you see anything suspicious, I encourage you to call us."


theblaze--2020-09-14--Glenn Beck warns: The left is using mail-in voting to ensure election chaos, incite 'civil war'

Glenn Beck warns : The left is using mail-in voting to ensure election chaos , incite 'civil war '

The Daily Beast recently reported on a group of 50-plus leading progressive organizations that calls itself the Fight Back Table or FBT, who are planning for a "post-Election Day political apocalypse scenario."
The FBT held a meeting on Zoom to launch an initiative they dubbed the "Democracy Defense Nerve Center." Meeting participants prepared for expected threats to a fair election in November, such as "armed right-wing militia dudes show[ing] up in polling places," or poll locations that "mysteriously close" on Election Day. They also predicted that President Donald Trump would claim victory regardless of November's election results, which would lead to inevitable "mass public unrest."
"It is very obvious that Trump is laying the groundwork for claiming victory no matter what ... we will fight to protect [our democracy] from what we truly see as a president who has gone off the rails and taking this country down an authoritarian fascist path," said MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting.
On the "Glenn Beck Radio Program," Glenn argued that the left is using large-scale mail-in voting — which unlike absentee ballots does not require voters to submit an application ahead of the election — to set the stage for chaos, revolution, and ultimately cause civil war to destroy our nation.
"No one will believe the [election] outcome because they're changing the way we're electing a president this time. And people don't understand the difference ... this is Democratic states just printing ballots and mass mailing them," Glenn said.
"They've been war-gaming this forever," he continued. "And the media is trying to make it look as if the right is the one that is violent. We're not planning anything to happen on Election Day, except to go and vote. The chaos that's coming, I think is remarkable. And if the DOJ doesn't get involved and find out who these groups are and what they have planned, you are going to have intimidation and chaos the week of the voting, and for weeks [afterward] until we go into civil war. This is not hyperbole. This is what the left is now saying."
Watch the video below to hear more from Glenn:
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theblaze--2020-09-14--South Dakota AG 'shocked' to learn he fatally struck man with his car after reporting he hit a deer

South Dakota AG 'shocked ' to learn he fatally struck man with his car after reporting he hit a deer @ @ @ @ @ R ) was driving home from a political event when the accident occurred .

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (R) called to report that he hit a deer with his vehicle Saturday night on his way home from a political event, but authorities say he actually struck and killed a man rather than an animal.
Ravnsborg says he is "shocked and filled with sorrow" about the discovery.
What are the details?
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety reported that Ravnsborg, 44, told the Hyde County Sheriff's Office that he hit a deer on U.S. Highway 14 with his Ford Taurus at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. The next morning, the body of Joseph Boever, 55, was discovered near the crash site. Boever had been fatally hit by a vehicle.
Boever's cousins told the Rapid City Journal that the man had crashed his own truck earlier on Saturday, and that he must have been returning to the vehicle on foot that night when he was hit.
Tim Bormann, a spokesman for Ravnsborg, said the crash occurred Saturday night while attorney general had been on his way home after attending the Spink County Lincoln Day Dinner, which was held at Rooster's Bar and Grill from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Ravnsborg was not injured in the crash.
Bormann said that Ravnsborg "drinks lightly," but that the attorney general had not been drinking on the evening of the crash.
During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) revealed that Ravnsborg had been involved in a fatal crash on Highway 14 near the town of Highmore, the Rapid City Journal noted.
What did the AG say?
In a statement released Sunday night, Ravnsborg said:
"I am shocked and filled with sorrow following the events of last night. As Governor Noem stated, I am fully cooperating with the investigation and I fully intend to continue to do so moving forward. At this time I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family."
According to CBS News, "Ravnsborg has received six traffic tickets for speeding in South Dakota over the last six years. He also received tickets for a seat belt violation and for driving a vehicle without a proper exhaust and muffler system."
USA Today reported:
Tony Mangan, spokesperson for the Highway Patrol, said at the direction of the governor, the Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. The attorney general's office said investigators from North Dakota are also in South Dakota and assisting in the crash investigation due to the conflict created by Ravnsborg's role overseeing the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Browns QB Baker Mayfield changes his mind on kneeling during national anthem, says it would create m

Browns QB Baker Mayfield changes his mind on kneeling during national anthem, says it would create more 'division'

Browns QB Baker Mayfield changes his mind on kneeling during national anthem , says it would create more 'division' He @ @ @ @ @ n't care if he lost friends over his kneeling

Baker Mayfield, the NFL quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, completely flip-flopped on whether he would join the national anthem kneeling protest after issuing a defiant message to angry fans.
Mayfield had previously said that he would kneel alongside some of his teammates and he didn't care if it angered the fans.
"You know, right is right and wrong is wrong," he said at the time. "It's a human rights issue. It's been going on for a long time and I believe in that."
On Saturday, Mayfield released a statement saying that he had changed his mind after watching how other teams handled the controversy in the first game of the NFL season.
"Also after reading many letters and messages over the past weeks... I have been showed that a gesture such as kneeling will only create more division or discussion about the gesture, rather than be a solution towards our country's problems at hand. With that being said, I am choosing to stand for both anthems to show respect, love, and unity to everybody involved," Mayfield said.
"I will respect all of my teammates no matter their decision. We have had meaningful discussions on what true change looks like, and that change takes all of us being together," he added.
"I am posting this now so it is not a discussion on game day. And so the discussion can continue to be about how to better our country, instead of divide us," Mayfield concluded. "Our team is ready to fight for our goals both on and off the field."
Mayfield did stand for the national anthem Sunday before the game against the Baltimore Ravens, although some fans were upset that he was caught on the live broadcast laughing and talking during the presentation.
The Browns suffered a 38-6 blowout loss in their season opener.
Here's more about Mayfield's kneeling decision:


theblaze--2020-09-14--70-year-old man dragged by hair from store, kicked in head, punched, spit on after asking suspect to

70-year-old man dragged by hair from store, kicked in head, punched, spit on after asking suspect to socially distance

70-year-old man dragged by hair from store , kicked in head , punched , spit on after asking suspect to @ @

Police in Winter Park, Florida, said a 70-year-old man was beaten last week after asking a fellow store customer who wasn't wearing a mask to socially distance, WOFL-TV reported.
What are the details?
Police told the station the incident erupted after the victim asked Rovester Ingram to move away from him because Ingram wasn't wearing a mask.
Mohamed Tutul — who works at the Citgo gas station where Tuesday's incident occurred — told WOFL the suspect and victim are both "regular customers."
Tutul noted to the station that the pair began arguing at the counter. The suspect was "mad" and reacted to the victim's request by saying, "I come in here every day. Why are you telling me 6 feet?"
Investigators told WOFL the victim walked out of the store, and Ingram followed. Outside the store, Ingram started punching the victim in the face, the New York Post reported, citing police. But when the victim re-entered the store, Ingram began punching and kicking him, the station said.
At that point, Tutul told WOFL he called police.
Surveillance video appears to show the suspect dragging the victim back outside the store by his hair, the station said.
Outside the store, the victim "was on his stomach as Ingram repeatedly punched him on his back, then spat on him and kicked him in the head before walking away," police told WOFL.
A third customer can be seen exiting the store and walking right by as the beating winds down.
What happened next?
The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including broken bones, the station said.
Officers told WOFL they recognized Ingram from the surveillance video and arrested him at his home. The station said Ingram was charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery on a person over 65 years of age.
A similar incident occurred earlier this summer in New Jersey when a Staples customer was caught on video throwing another woman — who was using a cane — to the floor after the victim told her to socially distance because she wasn't correctly wearing her mask over her nose.
In the July incident, the 54-year-old victim suffered a broken leg — and video shows the assailant casually flipping her hair off her shoulder and proceeding with her business in the Hackensack Staples.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Joe Biden warns America's suburbs will be destroyed by 'hellish' fires, floods, and superstorms if '

Joe Biden warns America's suburbs will be destroyed by 'hellish' fires, floods, and superstorms if 'climate arsonist' Trump is re-elected

Joe Biden warns America 's suburbs will be destroyed by 'hellish ' fires , floods , and superstorms if 'climate @ @ @ @ @

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden grimly predicted that "hellish" fires, floods, hurricanes, and superstorms would level and destroy America's suburbs if "climate arsonist" President Donald Trump is re-elected.
What are the details?
The ominous prediction, which came as historic wildfires scorch much of the country's West Coast, sounded like a prophecy out of the Book of Revelation.
The former vice president made the comments during a speech on climate change Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, as the president headed to California to be briefed on the catastrophic fires.
In the speech, though he conceded that Trump didn't directly cause the natural disasters that have plagued America in recent months, Biden suggested that the president's "climate denial" was a contributing factor.
"Donald Trump's climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating and more deadly," Biden warned.
"Wildfires are burning the suburbs in the West! Floods are wiping out suburban neighborhoods in the Midwest! Hurricanes are imperiling suburban life along our coast!" he continued, raising his arms and his voice.
"If we have four more years of Trump's climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires?" he asked. "How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out? How many suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms? If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the White House, why would anyone be surprised if we have more of America ablaze?"
"We need a president who respects science," Biden suggested. "[A president] who understands that the damage from climate change is already here."
What else?
Trump sparred with officials during his visit to California Monday over the cause of the wildfires and the best course moving forward to prevent them.
The president has suggested that poor forest management has much to do with igniting the fires.
"When trees fall down, after a short period of time ... about 18 months, they become really dry. They become really like a matchstick ... and they just explode," Trump told reporters ahead of the roundtable discussion.
"Also leaves, if you have years of leaves, dried leaves on the ground, it just sets it up," Trump added. "It's really a fuel for a fire. So they have to do something about it."
During the discussion, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom shot back at the president after acknowledging poor forest management is a part of the problem, noting that 57% of California forests are on land controlled by the federal government.
The governor also pushed back on Trump's perspective that climate change is not the primary cause of fires.
"The hots are getting hotter. The drys are getting drier," Newsom asserted. "Something has happened to the plumbing of the world ... and we submit the science is self evident that climate change is real. Please respect the difference of opinion out there."


theblaze--2020-09-14--'You loot, we shoot': Armed property owners in Oregon threaten would-be lawbreakers amid wildfires

'You loot , we shoot ' : Armed property owners in Oregon threaten would-be lawbreakers amid wildfires Other signs read @ @ @ @ @ be shot ' and 'Your body will never be found .
Bang bang ! '

Some residents in Clackamas County, Oregon, have taken to posting roadside signs warning potential lawbreakers that if they're caught looting or setting fires, they may find themselves facing the wrong end of a gun — and feeling the pain of a bullet.
KPTV-TV's lead news photographer Devin Eskew encountered a number of such warning signs as the state battles huge wildfires:
How are folks reacting to the signs?
While KPTV-TV reported on the posted warning signs and the Riverside Fire's devastation, the station didn't speak to locals who might have reactions to the messages on the signs in Estacada and Colton.
But folks reacting on Twitter to Eskew's photos of the signs had a few things to say. Some were flat-out against the signs:
"I say, let their damned houses burn," one commenter said. "These guys won't be missed. #LetTheMAGAtsDie. (I used to be a much kinder person before Trump...)"
"Those white trash losers don't even own anything worth looting," another commenter wrote.
It seemed, however, that quite a few more users were in support of the signs:
"I support this completely," one commenter countered. "If these lawless criminals can bend the law and do what they want, so can everyone else."
"Anybody who would loot peoples' homes during a wildfire emergency is a pretty terrible human," another commenter added. "As for them putting up signs warning those same trash humans away, guess they can't say they weren't warned."
"ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT," another commenter said. "Anyone caught should be dealt with appropriately. We all know the Dems would just say, 'Poor non-gender [person] needs things, too. Be nice to it and talk to it; it will come around.' Do what needs to be done to protect your homes."
"It is a sad world we live in that one has to choose to stay within danger to protect property from looters," another commenter noted. "There was a time when people helped each other, not [stole] from each other. Our society has bred people who think they are entitled to help themselves to whatever they want."
Anything else?
Clackamas County deputies confirmed Saturday they have made two theft-related arrests in the fire zones, the station said, adding that one was in Mulino and another in the eastern portion of the county.


theblaze--2020-09-14--University of Chicago English department to accept only grad students interested in 'Black Studies'

University of Chicago English department to accept only grad students interested in 'Black Studies' this year

'We are committed to the struggle of Black and Indigenous people' University of Chicago English department to accept only grad @ @ @ @ @ ' this year South facade of the Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago with @ @ @ @ @ distance .
( Getty Images )

The English department at the University of Chicago announced that it will be accepting only graduate student applicants who are interested in pursuing Black Studies in the upcoming admissions cycle.
In a faculty statement posted on the department's website in July, the English department expressed remorse about the university's role in perpetuating inequality and committed to emphasizing and amplifying black voices more strongly. From a highlighted portion of the statement:
The English department at the University of Chicago believes that Black Lives Matter, and that the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Rayshard Brooks matter, as do thousands of others named and unnamed who have been subject to police violence. As literary scholars, we attend to the histories, atmospheres, and scenes of anti-Black racism and racial violence in the United States and across the world. We are committed to the struggle of Black and Indigenous people, and all racialized and dispossessed people, against inequality and brutality.
For the 2020-2021 graduate admissions cycle, the University of Chicago English Department is accepting only applicants interested in working in and with Black Studies. We understand Black Studies to be a capacious intellectual project that spans a variety of methodological approaches, fields, geographical areas, languages, and time periods. For more information on faculty and current graduate students in this area, please visit our Black Studies page.
There will be seven courses offered in the Black Studies field in 2020-2021: Hemispheric Studies; Toni Morrison, beloved and a mercy; Readings in Exile; Jamaica Kincaid and Naipaul; Black Shakespeare; and Uneasy Intimacies: Interracial Modernism.
"English as a discipline has a long history of providing aesthetic rationalizations for colonization, exploitation, extraction, and anti-Blackness," the statement said. "Our discipline is responsible for developing hierarchies of cultural production that have contributed directly to social and systemic determinations of whose lives matter and why. And while inroads have been made in terms of acknowledging the centrality of both individual literary works and collective histories of racialized and colonized people, there is still much to do as a discipline and as a department to build a more inclusive and equitable field for describing, studying, and teaching the relationship between aesthetics, representation, inequality, and power."
The University of Chicago recently experienced protests, including an "occupation" of the block on which the provost lives, as students pushed for the disbanding of the campus police department and a reallocation of the funds to other initiatives, such as a Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Department.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Scott Walker nails Kamala Harris after she visits Jacob Blake and says she's 'proud' of him: But wil

Scott Walker nails Kamala Harris after she visits Jacob Blake and says she's 'proud' of him: But will you visit ambushed LA deputies, too?

Scott Walker nails Kamala Harris after she visits Jacob Blake and says she 's 'proud ' of him : But @ @ @ @ @ deputies , too ?

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) called out Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, saying the California senator should visit the two Los Angeles deputies who were shot Saturday night in an ambush-style attack.
Walker said that it only seemed right that Harris visit the deputies when she took the time out of her busy campaigning schedule to visit Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer on Aug. 23 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
2 LA County deputies down
A suspect fired on the deputies in an apparently unprovoked attack as they sat in a police cruiser on a Los Angeles street, authorities say.
Both officers were "severely wounded" during the attack and taken to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery. Though protesters converged on the hospital, demanding health officials leave the severely wounded officers to die, the two are expected to live.
What did Gov. Walker say, anyway?
On Sunday, Walker wrote, "Will @kamalaharris visit deputies who were shot (31-year-old mom & 24 year-old) in her state? She visited someone in WI who was charged with felony 3rd-degree sexual assault and said she was proud of him."
"She and @JoeBiden need to side with law enforcement and denounce radicals," Walker's tweet closed.
Do we know anything else about the shooting?
A manhunt is underway for the suspect who callously fired on the deputies on Saturday.
Officials are offering a $100,000 reward for information on the shooting.
The sheriff's department describes the suspect as a black man between 28 and 30 years old wearing dark clothing. He was last seen in a dark sedan, authorities say.
So did Harris respond?
Later on Sunday, Harris wrote, "Doug [Emhoff] and I are keeping the two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies in our hearts as they currently fight for their lives after a horrific attack last night. The perpetrator must be brought to justice."
What's this about her visit with Blake?
Harris did visit Blake, and according to Blake's attorney, Benjamin Crump, the vice presidential nominee told Blake that she was "proud of him and how he is working through his pain."
"Sen. Harris has an inspirational and uplifting one-hour visit with Jacob Blake, Jr., and his family today. She spoke individually with each family member about how they were handling the trauma and urged them to take care of their physical and mental health," a statement from Crump read.
"In a moving moment, Jacob Jr. told Sen. Harris that he was proud of her, and the senator told Jacob that she was also proud of him and how he is working through his pain," the statement added.
The statement noted that Harris promised Blake that she and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would work to "make things better for all Americans" if they are elected, including the Justice in Policing Act and implicit bias training.
What else do we know about Blake and the shooting?
A Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer reportedly shot Blake in the back seven times on Aug. 23 during a call responding to a reported domestic dispute.
According to a report from the Kenosha Police Union, Blake confronted officers when they arrived on the scene. He allegedly placed one of the officers in a headlock and was armed with a knife that he reportedly refused to drop.
The Kenosha officer then opened fire on Blake as he attempted to get into his vehicle, where his three children sat.
Kenosha Police Union attorney Brendan Matthews told WCCO-TV that Blake was reportedly at the residence of his ex-girlfriend, who accused him of a violent sexual assault that reportedly took place in May.
Reports noted that Blake was not permitted to be on the premises, but had shown up anyway in an alleged attempt to steal the woman's keys and vehicle.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to investigate the incident.
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-09-14--'Not only is it unconstitutional, but it goes against the Lord of the church'

'Not only is it unconstitutional , but it goes against the Lord of the church' Pastor goes through California COVID-19 @ @ @

After being court-ordered to keep his church closed, Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church felt compelled to answer why he decided to reopen his church in defiance of California's COVID-19 requirements.
In this clip on "Pat Gray Unleashed," MacArthur ran through the requirements and illustrated how impossible the state made it for a church to reopen lawfully.
"Not only is it unconstitutional, but it goes against the Lord of the church," MacArthur explained.
Here is a list of a few requirements:
No indoor meetings at all
Pre-registration of all attendees
Every other parking space must be left vacant
Restrooms are to be used during the service to eliminate the rush
Disposable seat covers changed between services
Shortened services
In-person contact with anyone outside of their family for more than 15 minutes must self-quarantine for two weeks
The pastor explained that demands listed in California's mandate would shut churches down.
"Things are getting worse by the minute," Pat concluded. Watch the clip below for more details.
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theblaze--2020-09-14--Trump adviser gets into testy exchange with CNN's Jake Tapper, accuses network of not being honest w

Trump adviser gets into testy exchange with CNN's Jake Tapper, accuses network of not being honest with the American people. So Tapper cuts off the interview.

Trump adviser gets into testy exchange with CNN 's Jake Tapper , accuses network of not being honest with the @ @ @ @ @ cuts off the interview .

CNN's Jake Tapper cut off a Sunday interview with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro after Navarro accused the network of lying to the American people.
What are the details?
Navarro appeared on "State of the Union" where he accused Tapper and CNN of not being forthright in reporting.
At one point during the exchange, Tapper said, "Let's [talk about] revelations from Bob Woodward's book. ... I want you to take a listen to what President Trump told Woodward in private on Feb. 7."
The clip in question featured Trump speaking to Woodward about COVID-19.
"He's stating that the coronavirus is five times deadlier than the regular influenza," Tapper said of the president's remarks. "Now here's what [the president] was saying publicly two weeks later."
He went on to play a clip of a conversation between Trump and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's senior medical correspondent, in which the president said, "The flu is much higher than that," referring to a fatality ratio when compared to COVID-19 infections.
'He was misleading the American people'
"He was misleading the American people," Tapper said. "Why?"
Navarro responded, "Give me a minute to walk through the timeline, because I think this is really important."
He continued, "On Jan. 31, that was basically the starting gun to fight this virus that came in from the Chinese Communist Party. Let's not forget where this started. And that was a signal from this president that this is a serious, serious matter. He's taking down flights from China. He was called a xenophobe and a racist by Joe Biden, who later had to apologize."
Tapper interrupted and said that Biden never said those things about Trump and never issued an apology for the remarks. A Biden spokesperson in May said that Biden never called the president racist or xenophobic over the move to ban flights, nor did he issue an apology for the remarks.
Navarro continued, "So, Jan. 31, pulls down the flights, saves probably hundreds of thousands of American lives. ... In that first week of February, leading up to Feb. 7, we here at the White House started a strategy. It basically was, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, stay calm, and begin to attack this virus from China on four different vectors. PPE, therapeutics, vaccines."
"I'm not giving you 10 minutes to do this," Tapper warned.
An exasperated-sounding Navarro added that Trump spoke to Woodward on Feb. 7.
"What happens on Feb. 9?" Navarro continued. "This is the most important thing. A memo — I write a memo that goes out to the task force here that basically outlines President Trump's strategy for dealing with the virus. And, in this memo, it brings to the effect that we need N95 masks."
'You're not honest with the American people!'
Clearly impatient, Tapper interrupts several more times before things quickly escalated.
"This is not fair, Jake," Navarro said, unable to make any headway on the initial question Tapper asked. "You're constantly interrupting me and you're not letting me talk. ... You just don't like the answer!"
Tapper then accused Trump of lying to the public about the COVID-19 outbreak in the early days of the pandemic.
"Why wasn't the president straightforward with the American people?" he demanded.
Navarro responded that Trump was nothing but straightforward and said that Tapper was "cherry-picking" his information and skewing the narrative in doing so.
Tapper then claimed that the president was always aware that COVID-19 was "deadlier than the flu" and had lied to the American public just two weeks after making such an admission.
"You're not answering the question," Tapper insisted.
"You're not honest with the American people!" Navarro shot back. "CNN is not honest with the American people. Do you want to go there? We can do that. ... I answered your question. ... I answered the question repeatedly, Jake. You just didn't like the answer."
Tapper then cut off Navarro, and thanked him for appearing on the show.
"I would just like to remind the American people watching that the United States has less than 5% of the world's population, and the United States has more than 20% of the world's coronavirus deaths," he closed. "That is a fact. It does not matter how many times he insults CNN."


theblaze--2020-09-14--Eggs allegedly thrown at children during rally supporting President Trump: 'This is what the Democra

Eggs allegedly thrown at children during rally supporting President Trump: 'This is what the Democrat party represents'

Eggs allegedly thrown at children during rally supporting President Trump : 'This is what the Democrat party represents '

Delaware State Police on Monday told TheBlaze that "during a Republican Political Rally" Sunday outside the Crossroads Restaurant in Wilmington, three males between the ages of 20 and 25 drove by and threw eggs at the crowd standing near the roadway.
Police said three children and three adults were struck, no injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made amid the active investigation.
'I wanted to show you what these hateful liberals did to a little child'
Lauren Witzke, a Republican candidate from Delaware for U.S. Senate, hosted the event supporting President Donald Trump. Witzke posted a video on her Twitter page that she said showed the aftermath, including a little girl with eggshells in her hair and a little boy with egg on his shirt.
"I wanted to show you what these hateful liberals did to a little child," Witzke said in the clip as the video camera focused on top of the girl's head. "They drove by, and they threw eggs at little children."
Witzke added that the rally participants were waiting for police and had the license plate of the egg-throwers' vehicle.
"This is a hate crime right here," she said, adding that "little children [are] getting egged" "just for being conservative."
Witzke also said, "This is what the Democrat Party represents, this is what the Democrat party allows" and that "we have to build something better for our children and their future, because the radical left will throw eggs at little children, the radical left will throw profanities at little children."
Here are other images:
How did folks react?
Of course a number of folks were upset at the alleged egging incident, but others had different points of view:
"Stop putting kids in the line of fire," one commenter wrote. "Children are not props. Your whole message is lost when you have these children in harm's way. Now you use them as a prop. Manipulate peoples emotion to fit your view. You are a piece of s**t."
"I'm pro-Trump, but using that poor wee girl to make a point is unacceptable," another commenter said. "Instead of standing over her and sticking a phone in her face ... she should have been held and comforted. Eggs hurt when you're hit by one. And clearly her eye was bothering her. Shame on you."
"Eggs are better than pepper spray," another detractor noted.
But there was plenty of pushback on such perspectives, too, as one commenter noted, "If this were the other way around, there would be a mic in every conservative congressman's face asking whether or not they denounced it. NO Democrat in Congress or running for office is ever asked to comment on stuff like this."
Haven't we seen this movie before?
In late August, two women in Wilmington were caught on video ripping up pro-Trump signs and stealing a red "Make America Great Again" hat while a 7-year-old boy cried and chased after them near the venue for the virtual Democratic National Convention.
And last week, Olivia Winslow and Camryn Amy — both 21 and from Wilmington — were indicted by a New Castle County grand jury on charges of second-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree assault, attempted third-degree assault, offensive touching, and felony hate crimes, Delaware Online reported.
L to R: Olivia Winslow, Camryn Amy Image source: Wilmington Police
Video of the incident shows two women harassing a mother and her young son. The women ripped pro-Trump signs and stole a MAGA hat sitting near the boy, whose mother recorded the altercation.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TrumpStudents
At one point the boy sees another hat on the ground, and when he goes to retrieve it, one of the women actually appears to stomp her foot to prevent him from picking it up. The video doesn't show whether she makes contact with the boy's hand:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TrumpStudents
But when a man the mother apparently knows attempts to intervene, the same woman appears to hit him in the face:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TrumpStudents
Here's the clip:


theblaze--2020-09-14--Marxist BLM protesters occupy Trader Joe's to protest ‘lack of access to grocery stores’ and capital

Marxist BLM protesters occupy Trader Joe's to protest ‘lack of access to grocery stores’ and capitalistic exploitation

Marxist BLM protesters occupy Trader Joe 's to protest ‘ lack of access to grocery stores ’ and capitalistic exploitation

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters in Seattle allegedly stormed a Trader Joe's last week to protest "lack of access to grocery stores" and educate patrons on "how capitalism exploits the working class."
What are the details?
"If Ballard residents won't come to the protest, we'll bring the protest to them!" the group, Morning March Seattle, said in a post on Instagram showing protesters occupying the store and holding signs that say "Black Lives Matter All Day Every Day" and "Defund [Seattle Police]."
"We stopped by the local Trader Joe's this morning to share some education about lack of access to grocery stores in Black and Brown communities and the barriers that creates [sic], how capitalism exploits the working class, and of course gentrification," the post continued.
According to its Instagram profile, the group advocates for abolishing police — which it portrayed using a pig emoji — and the redirecting of funds into black communities (i.e. wealth redistribution).
The store manager evidently felt so threatened by the demonstration that he, in turn, threatened to call the police and prevented patrons from entering the store while the protesters remained.
Why does it matter?
If this critique of Trader Joe's sounds a lot like something that would be advanced by Marxist philosophers, that's because it is.
The goal of Marxism, after all, is a society in which there is common ownership of the means of production and free access for all, in contrast to capitalistic society, which Marxists argue leads to the exploitation of the working class and restricts their access to goods and services.
The rhetoric is not surprising, however, because Black Lives Matter leaders have acknowledged in the past that they are "trained Marxists."
What is ironic about Morning March Seattle's protest is that "access" seemed to be quite obviously available for the protesters, who easily waltzed into the grocery store. Access was taken away from patrons, however, who were temporarily barred from entry by the protesters' presence.
Anything else?
Perhaps even more ironically, the only ones who have willfully restricted access to others in recent weeks are the Morning March protesters when they formed a blockade across Interstate 5 in Seattle earlier this month.
The group, which boasts organized marches every weekday, hit the streets Sept. 4, blocking all southbound lanes along the interstate.
The incident resulted in 9 arrests being made and 9 vehicles being impounded by Washington State Patrol troopers.
Morning March bragged about the incident on its Instagram:
(H/T: The Post Millennial)


theblaze--2020-09-14--Federal judge rules Pennsylvania COVID lockdowns unconstitutional, sides with counties fighting agai

Federal judge rules Pennsylvania COVID lockdowns unconstitutional, sides with counties fighting against Democratic governor

The Constitution 'sets certain lines that may not be crossed , even in an emergency '

A federal judge on Monday ruled in favor of several Pennsylvania counties that filed a lawsuit against Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine over coronavirus restrictions and a state order to close all "non-life-sustaining businesses."
U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV wrote in his 66-page opinion, filed Monday, that Wolf's restrictions violated the First Amendment right to freedom of assembly and the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment, Paula Reed Ward reports for Trib Live.
The attorney for the plaintiffs, Thomas W. King III, called the decision a "complete and total victory for the counties, businesses and the representatives."
"You can't order the entire population of Pennsylvania to stay at home," he said.
The lawsuit was filed by Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties, along with several business owners and state legislators, on May 7 after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take the case. They argued that restrictions ordering some businesses to close while other essential businesses were permitted to remain open violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Judge Stickman said in his ruling that while the governor's administration was "well-intentioned," "good intentions toward a laudable end are not alone enough to uphold governmental action against a constitutional challenge. Indeed, the greatest threats to our system of constitutional liberties may arise when the ends are laudable, and the intent is good — especially in a time of emergency."
"Even a vigilant public may let down its guard over its constitutional liberties only to find that liberties, once relinquished, are hard to recoup and that restrictions — while expedient in the face of an emergency situation — may persist long after immediate danger has passed," Stickman wrote.
He found that a policy limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings to 25 and 250 people violates "the right of assembly enshrined in the First Amendment." He also declared that Pennsylvania's stay-at-home orders and business closures were unconstitutional, though they have since been lifted. His ruling would prevent such policies from being implemented again.
"There is no question that this country has faced, and will face, emergencies of every sort," Stickman wrote. "But the solution to a national crisis can never be permitted to supersede the commitment to individual liberty that stands as the foundation of the American experiment."
The Constitution "sets certain lines that may not be crossed, even in an emergency," he declared.
"The fact is that the lockdowns imposed across the United States in early 2020 in response to the covid-19 pandemic are unprecedented in the history of our commonwealth and our country," the judge said. "They have never been used in response to any other disease in our history. They were not recommendations made by the CDC."
Stickman pointed out that the Pennsylvania government never defined what a "life-sustaining" business is and that the closure of nonessential businesses was unprecedented in the state's history.
"Never before has the government taken a direct action which shuttered so many businesses and sidelined so many employees and rendered their ability to operate, and to work, solely dependent on government discretion," he said.
President Donald Trump nominated Judge Stickman to the federal bench in 2019 and the Senate confirmed his appointment on July 31 last year.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Andrew Gillum comes out as bisexual months after he was found passed out in a hotel room with a gay

Andrew Gillum comes out as bisexual months after he was found passed out in a hotel room with a gay male escort and meth

Andrew Gillum comes out as bisexual months after he was found passed out in a hotel room with a gay @ @ @ @ @ is something I 've never shared publicly before '

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum came out as bisexual during his first national media appearance since being found by police intoxicated and passed out in a room with a reported gay male escort and crystal meth.
Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, sat down with Tamron Hall for an interview to discuss that incident and the impact it had on his career and their marriage. The Gillums have three children. During the interview, Andrew Gillum disclosed his sexuality for the first time.
"To be very honest with you, when you didn't ask the question, you put it out there is whether or not I identify as gay," Gillum said. "And the answer is I don't identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual, and that is something that I have never shared publicly before."
Gillum did not specify his intent for going to that hotel room in Miami Beach in March. After the incident became public, Gillum said he had been in town for a wedding and ended up having too much to drink. Politico reported that friends said Gillum was supposed to officiate the wedding, but didn't show up. Travis Dyson, the escort, said he he was unaware of any wedding.
Gillum withdrew from public life and entered rehab after the situation.
"I understand very well what people assume about that," Gillum said during the interview.
GIllum rejected the idea that his sexuality was a cause of his unfaithfulness.
"Bisexuality in and of itself doesn't lead to unfaithfulness," Gillum said. "There are men who are in marriages with women who just because they're married to a woman doesn't mean they're not attracted to other women, and at any point can slip up, make a mistake, do something, and that is what it is. The same thing in bisexual relationships.You can be attracted to both, you got a bigger terrain out there that you have to contend with, but you can still choose to be physically with one person."
R. Jai Gillum told Hall that she knew Gillum was bisexual when they got married.
"So many people just don't understand bisexuality," she said. "Bisexuality is just something different. I just believe that love and sexuality exist on a spectrum. All I care about is what's between us and what agreement we make."
Gillum, the former mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, narrowly lost the governor's race to Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Justice Ted Cruz? Texas senator responds after being added to President Trump's SCOTUS shortlist

Justice Ted Cruz ?
Texas senator responds after being added to President Trump 's SCOTUS shortlist ' I want to @ @ @ @ @ '

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is known for his debating skills and for winning numerous cases before the Supreme Court. But does the conservative lawmaker have aspirations to one day sit on the high court?
On Sunday, Cruz responded to being added to President Donald Trump's list of potential Supreme Court nominees.
According to the Texas Tribune, the president released a list last Wednesday indicating the pool of candidates from which he would draw Supreme Court nominees should he win a second term and should another vacancy open on the Supreme Court. Cruz was among the 20-candidate pool.
What did Cruz say?
Speaking with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Cruz said that he would not accept a Supreme Court nomination, explaining that his focus remains on representing Texans in Congress.
Cruz called his inclusion on the list "deeply honoring" and "humbling," but said serving on the Supreme Court is "not the desire of my heart."
"I want to be in the political fight. I want to be fighting to nominate and confirm three, four, five principled constitutionalist justices, but that's not where I want to serve," Cruz explained. "I want to stay fighting right where I am in the U.S. Senate."
Cruz says he would not accept SCOTUS nomination: 'I want to be in political fight' www.youtube.com
Cruz's response came days after his initial statement did not indicate whether or not he was interested in the opportunity.
"It's humbling and an immense honor to be considered for the Supreme Court," Cruz said last Wednesday, the Tribune reported. "In the Senate, I have been blessed to lead the fight to preserve our constitutional liberties — every day, to defend the rights of 29 million Texans — and I look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come."
Who else was added to Trump's shortlist?
Two other Republican senators found themselves added to Trump's list.
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Miss.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) were also revealed to be on this list. Hawley said that, although he was grateful to be considered, he, like Cruz, is content to serve in the Senate.
"I appreciate the President's confidence in listing me as a potential Supreme Court nominee. But as I told the President, Missourians elected me to fight for them in the Senate, and I have no interest in the high court. I look forward to confirming constitutional conservatives," Hawley said.
Cotton, however, was more cryptic.
"I will always heed the call of service to our nation," Cotton said in a statement.


theblaze--2020-09-14--NFL threatens coaches who ignore mask rules on the sidelines

L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay was seen frequently on TV roaming the sidelines without wearing his mask during the @ @ @ @ @ .
( Photo by Harry How/Getty Images )

With week 1 of the NFL season nearly in the books (two Monday night games are yet to be played), the league is threatening coaches who fail to comply with newly installed COVID protocols.
What happened?
Before the 2020-21 NFL season began, the league issued COVID protocols requiring everyone with access to each team's bench area — except players — to wear face coverings at all times. Coaches and staff are allowed to don masks, face shields, or neck gaiters.
After some personnel were seen on television not wearing masks or wearing them improperly, including L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, the league published a warning for all coaches and staff: Comply with the mask requirements or face discipline.
NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent sent a stern memo to every team Monday morning with a reminder that they are required to follow league edicts and state and local government regulations, NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero revealed.
Vincent began by praising teams for doing what they could to make the season possible, then quickly shifted to reprimand mode: "[W]e must remain vigilant and disciplined in following the processes and protocols put in place by not only the league, union and clubs, but also by state and local governments."
"The NFL-NFLPA Game Day Protocol, which reflects the advice of infectious disease experts, club medical staffs and local and state governmental regulations requires all individuals with bench area access (including coaches and members of the club medical staff) to wear face coverings at all times," Vincent continued.
Then came the threat — though he never made clear what the consequences would be.
"Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in accountability measures being imposed against offending individuals and/or clubs," he warned.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that if disregard for the mask protocol continues, "fines will ensue."
Speaking of face shields...
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid chose to wear a face shield for his team's season opener against the Houston Texans on Thursday. Though he did follow protocol during the game, his face covering was a popular point of discussion as the game wore on and his face shield continued to fog up.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Horowitz: Courts finally clamp down on executive actions … that deal with illegal aliens

Horowitz : Courts finally clamp down on executive actions … that deal with illegal aliens

It's almost as if the courts have been abolished. One governor after another has crushed our foundational liberties with impunity because of an unprecedented approach to confronting a respiratory virus. Every aspect of our lives and liberty has been stripped or thrown into chaos based on the capricious whims of executive fiat. Almost no court has intervened to protect the Bill of Rights. In comes a panel of judges for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals last Thursday and finally puts a stop to executive orders … but only as they relate to illegal aliens, not American citizens!
We now live in a country where American citizens have no right to open a business or to breathe free air without a mask, but illegal aliens have a right to be counted in the census and distort citizen representation! State governors can place interstate travel bans and restrictions on Americans in other states, but the president of the United States cannot prevent foreign nationals from breaking into the country and must even use their very presence in the country and their unilateral choice of state residency to add to the electoral totals of states like California. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.
After the president was rebuffed by the courts in his attempt to count the number of U.S. citizens in the census, his backup plan was to at least discount those foreign nationals who are in the country illegally. On July 21, he released a memorandum instructing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to supply the requisite information needed to ensure illegal aliens aren't counted in the census. After all, isn't one purpose of a census to know how many people can vote in a given area?
Yet, as we are being quarantined against our will and toddlers are being forced to mask up without any recourse in the court system, illegal aliens always get immediate representation in the courts. At the behest of New York's government, the Second Circuit issued an injunction on the order, claiming that the president engaged in "an unlawful exercise of the authority granted to the President." Suddenly, the courts are concerned with executive fiat that affects our lives!
Two of the three judges — Richard Wesley and Peter Hall — are Republican appointees. This is yet another case of Republican-appointed judges handing civilization-changing victories to the Left, a result that never occurs the other way around from Democrat-appointed judges.
The twisted irony about New York obtaining standing in this case and ultimately prevailing is that the reason why immigration policy was given over to the federal government was precisely to ensure that states don't admit undesirable aliens as a means of juicing up their representation in the national government. But that is exactly what states like New York and California are doing. They get to thwart federal law, thanks to numerous court rulings, and criminalize the enforcement of immigration law, thereby ensuring that illegal aliens are incentivized to come to their states. Then they turn around and demand they be counted. Talk about benefiting from the fruits of the crime!
As I've noted before, even if the dictate of the 14th Amendment to count "whole persons" compelled us to count immigrants, it could not encompass those who entered without consent. Our courts have stated in an interrupted stream of case law that any alien not legally admitted to the country is as if he is literally standing outside our boundary. "The petitioner, although physically within our boundaries, is to be regarded as if he had been stopped at the limit of our jurisdiction, and kept there while his right to enter was under debate," states the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Ju Toy, 1905.
The same way one doesn't need a reinterpretation of the Constitution to recognize that illegal aliens cannot be counted, one doesn't need an update of statute either. As John Noonan, former Ninth Circuit judge, said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1985, "If there was an invading army on American soil, one does not suppose the Bureau of Census would count the enemy troops."
How sad that a clause of the 14th Amendment designed to ensure that black Americans were not disenfranchised is now being used to disenfranchise all Americans in favor of foreign invaders.
This ruling comes just days after a California judge ruled that the president cannot end the counting of the census itself this month and must continue it into October. Now judges apparently control all executive functions, and there is no pushback from the executive branch or an effort to draw the line on separation of powers.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Minnesota ruled that a Somali immigrant who had provided aid to al-Shabab must be released early because of the virus. At the same time, a Los Angeles judge ruled that a pastor couldn't hold services indoors, again, because of that same virus.
Oh, and remember how almost no businesses owner won in court the right to keep their businesses from arbitrarily being deemed unessential by government? The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which was supposedly made more conservative by Trump, ruled against Oklahoma City's anti-panhandling law. Blocking traffic and harassing motorists at highway medians is deemed a First Amendment right and is evidently essential during the virus, but a gym owner who tries to keep his business open is arrested.
See a pattern here of which "rights" are upheld and which ones are repudiated?
One thing is clear: The courts are worse than ever, despite the promise for change. They have failed to protect a single legitimate constitutional right. As such, why should society and other branches of government feel compelled to abide by their concoction of novel "rights" that would have shocked the consciences of our Founders?


theblaze--2020-09-14--Poll: Majority of voters say BLM demonstrations are riots — not protests

Poll : Majority of voters say BLM demonstrations are riots — not protests The poll was released on Sunday

A majority of voters surveyed by a Fox News poll say that Black Lives Matter demonstrations are riots rather than protests.
The findings come amid months of heightened police-community tensions following the death of George Floyd in May.
What are the details?
The poll, released on Sunday, found that 48% of likely voters believe protests taking place across the country — in cities such as Rochester, Portland, and Kenosha — are riots, while 40% view the demonstrations as protests.
According to Fox, the national survey is the first the network has conducted among likely voters in 2020.
Of those responding, 39% said that violence stemming from the demonstrations is due to "left-wing radicals," while 33% blamed "right-wing radicals"; 9% of respondents said that blame could be apportioned to both sides.
The poll's findings were split along party lines, with 68% of Republicans referring to the demonstrations as riots and just 30% of Democrats agreeing.
Along racial lines, 52% of white voters said the protests are riots, while 62% of black respondents and 48% of Hispanic said they are demonstrations.
Anything else?
The poll also asked respondents who they would vote for if the election were held today.
The Biden-Harris ticket, according to the poll, was ahead of the Trump-Pence ticket 51-46.
"That 5 percentage-point advantage sits right at the margin of sampling error of the latest Fox News survey," the outlet pointed out, however, which was conducted following both the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
"Despite the often tumultuous events of the day, campaigns are often about partisan homecoming. Trump may be benefiting from this dynamic," Republican pollster Daron Shaw — who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson — said. "It looks like Republican-leaning undecided voters have come around, both in the ballot and his job ratings."
The poll was conducted between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10 over 1,311 registered voters and 1,191 likely voters.
You can read more on the poll's findings here.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Scientists believe they may have found a sign of possible life on Venus

Scientists believe they may have found a sign of possible life on Venus But it 's far from a sure @

A group of international scientists have unexpectedly detected phosphine in Venus' acidic clouds, a discovery that they say raises the possibility that life exists on the planet.
According to a press release by the Royal Astronomical Society, the team of scientists, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University, detected the rare molecule using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii before confirming their discovery using 45 high-powered telescopes at a facility in Chile.
"In the end, we found that both observatories had seen the same thing — faint absorption at the right wavelength to be phosphine gas, where the molecules are backlit by the warmer clouds below," Greaves said about the findings, which are detailed in a Nature Astronomy report.
Once the molecule's presence was confirmed, researchers ran calculations to see if it could have been produced from natural processes on Venus, but so far haven't come up with an explanation.
"We've done everything we can, which is go through all the things that it isn't. We've thought of every possible mechanism, plausible or implausible, that could make phosphine and we cannot come up with any," one of the lead researchers, Clara Sousa-Silva of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Axios.
"Everything we can" reportedly wasn't an understatement, either. The Verge noted that researchers "modeled things like lightning strikes and meteors bombarding the planet's surface to see if such phenomena could produce the amount of phosphine they've seen" but that "so far, nothing matches up."
According to the press release, on Earth, phosphine is "only made industrially, or by microbes that thrive in oxygen-free environments." In other words, there is no chemical or physical process that naturally produces phosphine — at least not one that we know of yet.
So, essentially, there is either some unknown geochemistry that is creating the phosphine, or life may actually exist on the planet.
Possible signs of life on Venus youtu.be
"At some point, you're left with not being able to explain it. Except we do know of a strange way of making phosphine on terrestrial planets — and that is life," Sousa-Silva told the Verge.
The idea that life may exist on Venus seems absurd since the planet is quite literally a barren wasteland covered by thick clouds full of sulfuric acid.
"It is literally billions of times more acidic than the most acidic environment on Earth," Janusz Petkowski, an astrobiologist at MIT, said. The planet's surface temperature can get up to nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yet astronomers have mused for decades over the possibility that life exists there, ever since celebrity astronomer Carl Sagan and biologist Harold Morowitz proposed the idea in 1967. Now there may be more reason to suggest as much.
Though, even with the discovery of phosphine, life on Venus is far from a sure thing. At this point, it's not much more than a "hint," as even the Royal Astronomical Society admits.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Baltimore Ravens players stand for black national anthem — then take a knee when 'The Star-Spangled

Baltimore Ravens players stand for black national anthem — then take a knee when 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is played

Baltimore Ravens players stand for black national anthem — then take a knee when 'The Star-Spangled Banner ' is played @ @ @ @ @ is seen prior to the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns at @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday in Baltimore .
( Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images )

Many Baltimore Ravens players stood during the playing of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," known as the black national anthem, before Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns — then took a knee when the U.S. national anthem was played, according to Outkick.
The NFL is playing the black national anthem before all of its opening week games as a part of its anti-racism initiatives, which include social justice messaging in the end zones and around the stadiums, as well as pregame presentations.
Playing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" has caused some division among players on different teams, however, as they try to decide whether to stand for both anthems, kneel for both, or remain off the field until the anthems are completed.
The Miami Dolphins announced Thursday that they would be staying in the locker room for both anthems, because they didn't want to participate in the NFL's "fluff and empty gestures."
The Houston Texans did the same before their Thursday night game, with Texans safety Michael Thomas saying they made the decision because they didn't want to be divisive by protesting one anthem and not the other.
"And today, going out for either anthem — to us, it would've been a distraction," Thomas said according to ESPN. "And we just wanted to, again, make a decision as a team, and we decided it would probably be best if we all stayed in. And that's the decision we made, and we were just going to go out there and play."
Regardless of what the NFL's intentions may have been for including "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" in its pregame ceremonies, it has created a dilemma for some players and supporters who have insisted that kneeling during the national anthem is not a specifically anti-American gesture; that stance becomes harder to defend when players stand for a black national anthem and kneel for the U.S. anthem.
The originator of anthem kneeling, former quarterback Colin Kaepernick, doesn't approve of any of the league's social justice efforts. The quarterback-turned-activist referred to it as "propaganda."
The ratings for the NFL's season opener were significantly lower than the previous year, and anecdotally, many fans have expressed online that they don't want to watch the games because of the league's heavy emphasis on social justice demonstrations.


theblaze--2020-09-14--Joe Rogan offers to moderate a presidential debate. Here's how he'd do it and what President Trump t

Joe Rogan offers to moderate a presidential debate. Here's how he'd do it and what President Trump thinks.

Joe Rogan offers to moderate a presidential debate .
Here 's how he 'd do it and what President Trump @ @ @ @ @ his thoughts on how Biden would do

Stand-up comic and popular podcast host Joe Rogan recently offered to moderate a presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, and on Monday morning the president of the United States said he wants it to happen.
During a discussion on the upcoming presidential debates with retired UFC fighter Tim Kennedy on Friday's episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Kennedy asked if Rogan would be interested in moderating a debate.
"I would want that," Rogan said before explaining how he would do it. "First of all, I'd want no one else in the room, just the three of us. ... And you would have to stream it live so no one can edit it, and I would want them in there for hours."
"And ideas?" Kennedy asked. "We get to hear what they actually believe in? What they're gonna do? Who they're gonna appoint? What judges are gonna be coming in, what policies from gun control to all of it?"
"Yes," Rogan replied. "We should have that. This is 2020. I mean, we have the ability to have that. We're not talking about 1979; we're talking about 2020. If they wanted to do that, they both wanted to come here in Austin, sit down, and have a debate, I would 100% do it," Rogan continued.
"It would be the best way to find out, but I don't think that Biden can handle that," Rogan added.
Joe Rogan Experience #1535 - Tim Kennedy youtu.be
After the podcast was published Friday, Kennedy posted about the discussion on Twitter, asking if America would like to see a four-hour debate between Trump and Biden, "just the two candidates, cameras, and their vision of how to move this country forward."
On Monday, President Trump enthusiastically agreed.
There are three scheduled presidential debates between President Donald Trump and Democrat challenger Joe Biden, sponsored by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. On Sept. 2, the CPD announced the dates, locations, and moderators for the three debates and the vice presidential debate. The first debate will be hosted by Fox News' Chris Wallace on Sept. 29 at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The official debate schedule is as follows:
First presidential debate:
● Moderator: Chris Wallace, anchor of "Fox News Sunday," Fox News Channel
● Date & Location: Tuesday, Sept. 29, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Vice presidential debate:
● Moderator: Susan Page, Washington bureau chief, USA Today
● Date & Location: Wednesday, Oct. 7, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Second presidential debate (town meeting):
● Moderator: Steve Scully, senior executive producer & political editor, C-SPAN Networks
● Date & Location: Thursday, Oct. 15, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, Florida
Third presidential debate:
● Moderator: Kristen Welker, co-anchor "Weekend Today" and White House correspondent, NBC News
● Date & Location: Thursday, Oct, 22, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
The Trump campaign has said it wants "more debates" with Biden. On Aug. 3, Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien told "Fox & Friends" he'd also like to see the debates start earlier.
"We want more debates. We want debates starting sooner," Stepien said. "First debate is scheduled for Sept. 29, by that time 16 states already will have voted, by Sept. 29. That's a concern to me. I want to see President Trump on the debate stage against Joe Biden."
As for the Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has gone on record saying she does not believe Biden should debate Trump at all. "I don't think that there should be any debates," Pelosi told reporters at a press conference in August. "I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that has any association with truth evidence, data, and facts. I wouldn't legitimize a conversation with him nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States."


theblaze--2020-09-14--Iran considers assassinating US ambassador in retaliation for Qassem Soleimani's death, report says

Iran considers assassinating US ambassador in retaliation for Qassem Soleimani 's death , report says

Iran is reportedly exploring avenues of retaliation against the United States government for killing Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian military commander who met his maker upon being targeted by a drone strike in Iraq earlier this year.
What are the details?
American intelligence sources indicate the Iranian government is considering a plot to assassinate Lana Marks, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Politico reported.
According to the report, U.S. officials have been aware of Iran's plans since the spring. But the country, which is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, has begun concentrating on the plan to murder Marks, with details becoming more specific over recent weeks.
One U.S. official told Politico that Iran's embassy in South Africa is involved in the plot.
However, intelligence officials are not certain why Iran has set its sights on Marks, whom Politico noted has no known ties to Iran. Marks, a successful businesswoman, does have close ties to President Donald Trump, though, and has been a member of the Mar-a-Lago club for more than two decades.
The ambassador is reportedly aware of the threat against her life.
More from Politico:
Still, attacking Marks is one of several options U.S. officials believe Iran's regime is considering for retaliation since the general, Qassem Soleimani, was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike in January. At the time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. killed Soleimani to re-establish deterrence against Iran.
An intelligence community directive known as "Duty to Warn" requires U.S. spy agencies to notify a potential victim if intelligence indicates their life could be in danger; in the case of U.S. government officials, credible threats would be included in briefings and security planning. Marks has been made aware of the threat, the U.S. government official said. The intelligence also has been included in the CIA World Intelligence Review, known as the WIRe, a classified product that is accessible to senior policy and security officials across the U.S. government, as well as certain lawmakers and their staff.
It was not immediately clear what alternative methods of retaliation Iran is weighing.
Marks was confirmed by the Senate to her diplomatic post last year. She officially assumed office in January, weeks after Soleimani's death.
What's the background?
The U.S. government shocked the world when it confirmed on Jan. 2 that a drone strike targeting Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, was successful. Even more surprising, the strike happened near the Baghdad airport in Iraq.
Iran immediately vowed retaliation and cashed in that threat on two occasions — once in January and once in March. The first attack did not result in American casualties, but the second, which was carried out by Iran-backed militia in Iraq, resulted in the deaths of two Americans.
The U.S. then retaliated for that attack, targeting multiple Iran-backed militias with airstrikes.
All then remained relatively calm in the region as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the world, and Iran in particular.


theblaze--2020-09-14--President Trump on shooter who ambushed two LA deputies: 'He's an animal; he's not a human being.'

President Trump on shooter who ambushed two LA deputies : 'He 's an animal ; he 's not a human @ @ @ @ @ his Las Vegas rally also said those who murder police officers should get the death @

President Donald Trump called the shooter who ambushed two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies while they were sitting in their squad car over the weekend an "animal."
What are the details?
"Now you saw a video of that animal that went up to the car — did everybody see that?" Trump asked during his Las Vegas rally Sunday. "This animal, this animal goes up to the car — two unsuspecting fine people ... fine people. I mean, they are in very grave condition, as you know. Fine people. He's an animal. And I called him an animal, and I was criticized by people for calling him an animal. They said, 'He's a human being.' He's not a human being. He's an animal; he's not a human being."
Reacting early Sunday morning to video of the shooting, Trump tweeted that the shooter and others like the shooter are "animals that must be hit hard!"
As you can probably imagine, some commenters criticized Trump for his tweet. Bishop Talbert Swan — who last month lamented that the "Grim Reaper" took the "wrong Trump" after the president's brother Robert died — tweeted photos of accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Richardson and asked Trump, "What about this animal? You defended him."
In 2018, Trump called murderous MS-13 gang members "animals," after which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) scolded the president for denying the "spark of divinity" in each person.
What else did Trump say?
At his Sunday rally, Trump also said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden "wants to appease domestic terrorists, and my plan is to arrest domestic terrorists, OK?" While the crowd cheered and chanted "USA! USA!" the president added, "We also believe that if you murder a police officer, you should receive the death penalty."
Anything else?
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter who ambushed the two deputies. The suspect is described as a black male between 28 and 30 years old. He was wearing dark clothing.
The two deputies — a 24-year-old male and a 31-year-old female who has a 6-year-old child — were rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Both of their conditions have been since upgraded to stable, which Sheriff Alex Villanueva described as a "miracle" since both were shot in the head.
Outside the hospital's entrance, video showed one protester tell law enforcement officers standing guard, "I hope they f***ing die." Another video showed the officers standing guard being told that "you're next" and "y'all gonna die one by one."
Sheriff Villanueva tweeted his thanks to Trump and Biden for reaching out with "kind words regarding the horrific ambush which our two brave deputies survived last night," KCBS-TV reported.
"Thank you for setting partisanship aside and showing your support for the LASD and all law enforcement across the County of L.A.," Villanueva said, according to the station.