theblaze--2020-05-13--US officials prepare for 'unprecedented' migrant crisis caused by coronavirus: report

US officials prepare for 'unprecedented ' migrant crisis caused by coronavirus : report 'It 's reasonable to say that it @ @ @ @ @

American officials are bracing for an "unprecedented" migrant wave they believe will come to the United States resulting from the global economic impact of coronavirus pandemic.
John Barsa, acting administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, told the Washington Examiner that the U.S. government is "absolutely" concerned about an overwhelming migrant crisis as citizens from Latin America seek economic stability within U.S. borders.
Migrant crises helped define U.S. immigration policy in the last decade. Both the Obama and Trump administration searched for unique ways to handle pressing migrant issues at the border — but the coming crisis might be one the government has never seen.
In fact, one source who spoke with the Examiner said the government is preparing for an "unprecedented" migrant push.
"You're going to have millions and millions of Latin Americans out of jobs, with governments too broke to provide even the meager social safety nets they have," the senior official said. "How do you measure the number of refugees that come out of that level of devastation? You can't put a number on it, but it's reasonable to say that it would be completely unprecedented."
However, there is one possible way to prevent such a situation, though it would mean bad news for Americans.
Another U.S. official who spoke with the Examiner said a migrant push to the U.S. would be unlikely if the American economy — which is experiencing the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression — continues to crater.
And unfortunately, the prospect of skyrocketing unemployment is a very real possibility, according to top White House economic advisers.
To stymie a possible crisis, Barsa said his agency is working to provide aid for nations who may be disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 economic fallout.
"The activities we're doing already address economic development issues. So what we're seeing with the COVID pandemic, as countries have greater economic challenges, we may have to double down and help them more on an economic development front," he explained.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Boy Scouts not permitted to place American flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day

Boy Scouts not permitted to place American flags on veterans ’ graves for Memorial Day

The Boy Scouts of America will not be planting American flags on veterans' graves to honor Memorial Day this year because of COVID-19, a Fox News report said Wednesday.
Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25.
What are the details?
The Department of Veterans Affairs has prohibited all public events at military cemeteries because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Fox News reported that some residents of Long Island, New York — home to more than 500,000 buried veterans — are particularly disturbed by this year's ban.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said that Americans and American organizations need to get their priorities straight.
"If we can't figure out a way to make sure we are placing flags at their graves to honor them, then something is seriously wrong," he told Fox News. "What we're asking the VA to do is, rather than have a blanket policy across the country, allow the national cemeteries at the local level, to make this determination in conjunction with the local health department. We will take the responsibility to say that this flag placement plan meets the state and national guidelines but give us that opportunity to do it, allow us to honor our fallen heroes."
Bellone added that it would be a stain on his generation if it were unable to "figure out a way" to "honor the greatest generation" because of the pandemic.
"We just commemorated VE Day, this is the generation that lived through the adversity of the Great Depression, they won World War II. What is it going to say about our generation if we can't figure out a way to honor the greatest generation by placing flags at their graves on Memorial Day?" Bellone asked.
Fox also reported that Boy Scout troops from California, Maryland, Missouri, and Wisconsin have also nixed plans to visit gravesites this Memorial Day holiday.
What else?
In a statement, the National Cemetery Administration — a subsidiary of the VA — says that the pandemic has spurred the decision to cancel all Memorial Day events.
"VA national cemeteries will not be hosting public Memorial Day events," the statement read, which includes the "mass placement of gravesite flags."
The statement continued that "Long Island has not yet met the state criteria for reopening, which is why limits on social gatherings on Long Island are still in place."
While families and community members remain permitted to visit gravesites through the holiday week and weekend, the organization continues to ask that "all visitors adhere to CDC, state, and local health, safety, and travel guidelines."


theblaze--2020-05-13--California's state university system has already decided to cancel fall in-person classes due to COV

California's state university system has already decided to cancel fall in-person classes due to COVID-19

California 's state university system has already decided to cancel fall in-person classes due to COVID-19

California's state university system, which includes 23 schools and is the largest in the nation, announced Tuesday that it would cancel all in-person classes for the fall semester due to the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reported.
Fall classes for California State University campuses are not scheduled to begin until September.
"Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person, as is the traditional norm of the past, is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity with each other on a daily basis," Chancellor Timothy White said in a statement, according to Reuters. "That approach, sadly, just isn't in the cards now."
There will be some exceptions for students who may need to be on campus. CNN reports:
Potential exceptions at CSU may include nursing students who need clinical training to be on track to get licensed to work in health care, White said, or students who need access to equipment for their training.
Students who need to continue research in labs will also continue forward under rigorous safety standards. White said students may need to work in shifts, wearing personal protective gear.
California's move to cancel in-person classes for the fall reflects an apparent belief that the COVID-19 situation will not improve enough over the next four months to allow for even a cautious or limited return to campus for students.
Liberty University in Virginia was one institution of higher education that allowed students to return to campus after spring break, while many other schools across the nation made students move out. Although the decision sparked fears of an outbreak starting on the campus, that did not happen.
University President Jerry Falwell Jr. said no student or staff member on campus has tested positive for COVID-19, and called his institution the "model" for other institutions in the fall.


theblaze--2020-05-13--An FBI agent pretended to be a 13-year-old girl to nab elementary principal suspected of being a sex

An FBI agent pretended to be a 13-year-old girl to nab elementary principal suspected of being a sexual predator He @ @ @ @ @ despite previous complaints

An elementary school principal in rural Alaska was arrested by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force and later charged with possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of a minor, the Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday.
Christopher Carmichael, who worked as the principal of Gladys Jung Elementary in Bethel, was allegedly caught in the heinous act of attempting to coerce a minor into sexual activity when he reportedly engaged in a text conversation with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl — it was actually an FBI agent.
Here's more from the Anchorage Daily News report:
According to the FBI, the principal sent a series of explicit texts to a phone number that he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl, asking the girl to masturbate, send him photos and call him "daddy." At the time of his arrest he'd been planning to meet a child for sex in Bethel, the federal charges say.
... On Dec. 20, Carmichael pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, possession of child pornography and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. In April, he pleaded not guilty to separate state charges of sexual abuse of a minor. Carmichael's defense attorney said he had no comment for this story.
The parents of two girls who allege the principal molested them have filed a lawsuit against the district in state court in Bethel. In a legal response to the suit, the school district wrote that no sexual abuse of the girls by Carmichael occurred.
Lower Kuskokwim School District Superintendent Dan Walker told a reporter at the time that he was shocked by Carmichael's arrest.
"Twice LKSD reviewed the facts and saw nothing that put a child at risk. Not only did I not see it coming, I do not believe that the people who worked directly with Carmichael saw it coming either," Walker said.
Red flags
Carmichael had reportedly been the subject of complaints to the police from parents at least two times over the past four years. Nevertheless, Carmichael was allowed to remain on the job as the complaints never ended with charges.
In 2016, Carmichael sent inappropriate messages to a former student, commenting on her "luscious red lips" and "naughty ways" of staying up late. He admitted to sending the messages to the girl who was 14 at the time.
"You can't escape my all seeing eye! :-)" and "bend you over my knee and whackkk! :)," the principal wrote, according to charging documents.
Two years later, in 2018, an 11-year-old girl alleged that Carmichael looked down at her breasts and then touched them with his hand.
In both cases, law enforcement was notified, Carmichael was placed on administrative leave, and an investigation ensued. But in both cases, no charges followed and Carmichael remained employed.
Why wasn't he fired?
Many are wondering why Carmichael wasn't fired regardless of not having been charged due to the fact that he admitted to behavior that, under Alaska ethics laws for educators, could have led to his ouster. He admitted to sending the Facebook messages in 2016, but blamed the regrettable "wording that he used" on medication that he had been taking at the time.
One such person is Susan Murphy, who served as school board president in 2016 when state troopers first investigated Carmichael.
"The relationship between a teacher and child or a principal and a child should be one above reproach," said Murphy, who complained that the board was not informed about the complaint or the investigation.
"I'd like to know why the hell he wasn't fired," she said.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Teen accused in savage mass stomping of girl is shot dead, police sources say

Teen accused in savage mass stomping of girl is shot dead , police sources say Over a dozen suspects were @ @ @ @ @ girl — after which one stole her Air Jordans right off her feet

A teenager accused of taking part in a savage mass stomping of 15-year-old girl in Brooklyn in March was shot dead Tuesday, the New York Post reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Tyquan Howard, 16, was shot about 1 p.m. in front of a building on St. Johns Place near Rochester Avenue and died hours later at a hospital, police told the paper.
It's not clear what was behind the shooting, and no arrests had been made as of early Wednesday, law enforcement officials added to the Post.
Sources told the paper Howard was arrested and charged with robbery and gang assault in connection with the March 5 mass attack on the girl that was caught on surveillance video. The circumstances of his release were not clear, the Post noted.
What's the background?
The girl apparently was knocked to the sidewalk by one male before others joined the attack and began stomping her:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
At least a dozen suspects surrounded the victim, kicking and punching her.
After the attack one of them pulled her Air Jordans right off her feet:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
One witness said the victim was "bleeding like crazy" on the sidewalk.
15-year-old girl attacked, robbed by gang of teen boys in Brooklyn I ABC7 youtu.be
In the aftermath five males between the ages of 14 and 17 were arrested and charged with robbery and gang assault. A mother of one suspect told the New York Daily News she made her 14-year-old son turn himself into police.
"When I saw the video I literally wanted to kill him with my own hands. I was very, very pissed off," Donna Howell told the paper. "He didn't want to go at first and I said, 'No you're going to go, you're going to turn yourself in.'"
Judge calls sneaker-stealing suspect 'youthful offender' rather than 'defendant'
A 14-year-old accused by prosecutors of stealing the girl's sneakers was referred to as a "youthful offender" by Judge Ruth Shillingford rather than "defendant" during his arraignment, the Daily News said in a separate story. It isn't clear if the teen in question is the same one whose mother made him turn himself in to cops.
None of the suspects knew the victim, lawyers said during the arraignment hearings, the paper reported.
The Brooklyn DA requested $10,000 bail for all 11 suspects arrested at the time, but that was rejected — instead after-school curfews were given to them, the Daily News said.
The paper also talked to the victim's neighbors who described her as a quiet girl who lives with her mother and sister.
"She doesn't get in trouble, she doesn't deserve that," 13-year-old neighbor Jacob Black told the Daily News. "She's a basketball player, that's all she does."
"She goes to school and comes home. She's quiet," a next-door neighbor who declined to share her name added to paper. "Those were animals. I can't see how those young boys did that to her."


theblaze--2020-05-13--Authorities discover 6-year-old Texas boy locked in shed with hands bound — he hasn't been allowed i

Authorities discover 6-year-old Texas boy locked in shed with hands bound — he hasn't been allowed in the house since school let out in March

Authorities discover 6-year-old Texas boy locked in shed with hands bound — he has n't been allowed in the house @ @ @ @ @ March

Dallas law enforcement authorities arrested two people after discovering a 6-year-old boy tied up in a shed. Reports said that the child had been trapped in the shed off and on since Texas announced schools would be closed in March.
What are the details?
KTVT-TV reported that the unnamed boy was found with his hands tied behind his back in the family's shed on Sunday night.
Authorities arrested his grandmother, 53-year-old Esmerelda Lira and her 66-year-old boyfriend, Jose Balderas, and charged the pair with felony charges of endangering a child and for placing him in imminent danger.
The child reportedly told police that he'd been confined to the shed since he "got out of school for this corona thing." He also said that Lira would tie him up, lock him in the shed, and tell him he was "bad" anytime she had to leave the house. Lira would also wash the child outside of the property by "spraying him with water."
He was only permitted to be in the backyard and not allowed to come inside the home for any reasons. He also told authorities that he was forced to sleep in the shed on a nightly basis, and would only be provided a plastic bag if he had to urinate or move his bowels.
The boy also added that his grandmother would physically abuse him in the pestilence-ridden shed, kicking him and grabbing him by the ears.
What else?
Lira's boyfriend Balderas reportedly told officers that he did not condone what Lira was doing, and said he did not want to be a part of the abuse. He confirmed that the child had been locked in the shed, however, for at least two weeks.
Authorities set bond for Lira and Balderas at $100,000 each.
Child Protective Services also removed at least two other children from the residence and placed them in protective custody.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Viral CNN claim about COVID-19 vaccine, returning to 'normal life' completely misrepresented poll re

Viral CNN claim about COVID-19 vaccine, returning to 'normal life' completely misrepresented poll results

'Nine percent , you may have noticed , is less than 68 percent '

CNN claimed in a viral tweet this week that a recent Gallup survey showed the vast majority of Americans said they "need" a coronavirus vaccine before returning to normal life.
"68% of Americans say a coronavirus vaccine is needed before returning to normal life, a new survey finds," CNN blasted on Twitter.
Image source: Twitter screenshot
As presented, the poll seemingly indicated support for extended lockdown orders because Americans remain too fearful to return to normal life.
Except that's not what the Gallup survey indicated. In fact, CNN completely misrepresented what the poll found.
What did Gallup find?
Gallup asked: "How important are each of the following factors to you when thinking about your willingness to return to your normal activities?"
When specifically asked about a COVID-19 vaccine, 68% of respondents answered "very important."
The respondents, however, did not say they "needed" a vaccine to return to normal life. Instead, they merely indicated that a vaccine is important when considering their willingness to return to normal life, which does not actually suggest they would not return to normal life without a vaccine.
Nicholas Grossman of ArcDigital wrote:
The article doesn't link to any polls— never a good sign — but mentions "two Gallup surveys." I searched Gallup's polling on coronavirus, and the survey questions are less ambiguous regarding "normal life," with results that differ substantially from CNN's claim.
One question asks "how soon would you return to your normal day-to-day activities" if "there were no government restrictions," giving four options. The most popular answer is "after the number of new cases declines significantly," getting 40 percent in the most recent survey. The least popular answer is "after a coronavirus vaccine is developed." Only 9 percent went with that.
Nine percent, you may have noticed, is less than 68 percent.
How did CNN respond?
The news outlet deleted its tweet with the false claim, and added a clarification to its story.
"CLARIFICATION: The headline on this post was updated to clarify that the survey found 68% of Americans say an available vaccine is very important before returning to normal life. The post was also clarified to emphasize that respondents were rating the importance of each benchmark to their willingness to return to regular activities," the clarification says.
Grossman responded by saying that CNN's clarified headline is not the "best framing" because the story still cherry-picks the Gallup survey to project its vaccines-are-necessary-to-end-lockdowns narrative.
But, Grossman wrote, "Unlike the original headline, the new one accurately conveys something in the Gallup survey."
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-05-13--FOUL PLAY? Russian doctors are 'mysteriously' falling out of windows after testing positive for COVI

FOUL PLAY? Russian doctors are 'mysteriously' falling out of windows after testing positive for COVID-19

FOUL PLAY ?
Russian doctors are 'mysteriously ' falling out of windows after testing positive for COVID-19 It could NEVER @ @ @ @ @ ?

European media have been reporting on a series of recent deaths in Russia: Several doctors who were being treated for COVID-19 died after mysteriously falling out of hospital windows. So, does Russia have a window problem? Or were those physicians speaking out against the government's status quo and paid the ultimate price?
On "The Glenn Beck Radio Program," Glenn discussed how Americans assume nothing like this would ever happen in our country, but the government, mainstream media, and big tech are already doing what they can to silence dissenters. For example, more evidence is currently coming to light that ties former President Barack Obama to the FBI's investigation to oust President Donald Trump.
People like President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden seem willing to do anything to protect their power, no matter how unethical or illegal their actions may be. The government and the media have joined forces to become one, powerful entity. And right now, they're not afraid of anything. It's time to let your voice be heard and call out those in Washington when serious abuses of power occur.
Watch the video below for more details:
SUGGEST, SHOVE, AND SHOOT: How DEMOCRATS and the MEDIA will control & SILENCE you to keep power youtu.be
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, BlazeTV is offering our BIGGEST discount ever! Get $30 off your subscription when you use promo code GLENN. Offer expires Friday, May 15.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Black woman killed by police in her own home as officers raid the wrong house, lawsuit claims

Black woman killed by police in her own home as officers raid the wrong house , lawsuit claims

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT worker in Louisville, Kentucky, was shot and killed by police in March when officers executed a search warrant at her home — and a lawsuit against the police department claims the officers were at the wrong home, according to NBC News.
What happened? On March 13, at about 12:30 a.m., three officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department knocked on the door of Taylor's home, where she lived with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. The department says the officers announced their presence as police who had a search warrant, but the lawsuit by Taylor's family claims the officers were in plainclothes and did not identify themselves.
The officers then broke into the home, where they were met by gunfire. Walker, who the lawsuit says is a licensed gun owner who kept firearms for home protection, allegedly believed someone was breaking into the home.
Taylor was shot eight times and died. Walker was arrested and charged with attempted murder on a police officer and assault, having allegedly shot one officer. The officer underwent surgery, according to the Courier Journal.
The officers involved — Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove — have been placed on administrative reassignment, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Family demands answers: The family is represented by Benjamin Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney who has represented numerous families in similar situations, including Ahmaud Arbery, the Georgia black man who was fatally shot in February by two men who chased him down because they allegedly believed him to be a burglar.
The family's lawsuit claims that Louisville police were searching for a suspect named Jamarcus Glover, who is facing drug and gun charges, and had already detained Glover at his home before the execution of the warrant that led to Taylor's death. Glover reportedly lives more than 10 miles from Taylor's home. No drugs were found in Taylor's home.
"Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the department has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing," Crump said in a statement.
The lawsuit accuses the officers of wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and legal fees through a jury trial.
Investigation ongoing: The Louisville Metro Police Department would not comment about the case in detail, citing the ongoing investigation. The department said there is no body camera footage available because the division in which the officers serve does not utilize them.
"We held a press conference about this shooting when it occurred to detail what we were able," spokeswoman Jessie Halladay wrote in an email to the Courier Journal. "The Public Integrity investigation remains ongoing, therefore it would not be appropriate for us to comment."
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Jimmy Kimmel blasts 'the MAGA hats' who wished death on him, wife, son after airing 'manipulated' Mi

Jimmy Kimmel blasts 'the MAGA hats' who wished death on him, wife, son after airing 'manipulated' Mike Pence video

Jimmy Kimmel blasts 'the MAGA hats ' who wished death on him , wife , son after airing 'manipulated ' @ @ @ @ @ these lunatics have the audacity to use the word `` Christian '' in their bios @

Jimmy Kimmel devoted a sizable portion of his Monday night monologue blasting President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence — and particularly those who support the president — over "hundreds of horrible, hateful, sometimes violent, Twitter and Facebook posts" directed at the late-night TV host in the wake of a "manipulated" video he aired of Pence distributing coronavirus masks to a nursing home.
What's the background?
Kimmel made big headlines last week when he lampooned Pence with video that appeared to show the vice president carrying empty boxes — that were supposed to contain personal protective equipment — to a rehabilitation center as a stunt for the cameras.
Only problem is the clip Kimmel used was deceptively edited. The complete video shows Pence at the Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Alexandria, Virginia, delivering full boxes for several minutes before the point in Kimmel's video of choice. What's more Twitter reportedly labeled the video Kimmel used "manipulated media."
With that, Kimmel issued a pretend apology Friday afternoon: "It would appear that [Pence] was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt. The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies. I know how dearly this administration values truth."
It ain't over
One might assume things calmed down after that — but not according to Kimmel, who complained during his Monday monologue that Trump tweeted on Mother's Day about him airing the Pence video.
Kimmel also said he got "an email from the vice president's office requesting that I apologize on air. On Twitter wasn't enough, I guess. They wanted it on air. Because this is what they're thinking about while thousands of Americans are dying every day: jokes from late-night talk show hosts."
Of the Pence video he showed Kimmel offered, "How anyone can tell when Mike Pence is joking, I don't know. I didn't know, because I'd only watched part of the video. It turns out there were 29 minutes of this on C-SPAN that apparently indicate he was joking about carrying the empty boxes for the cameras, which, again, I didn't know because I don't have the mental endurance it requires to watch Mike Pence deliver boxes for 29 minutes on C-SPAN. But I should have watched the whole thing, I guess. Bottom line is: I was wrong. He was joking. I didn't know. I made a mistake."
Incidentally, while Kimmel said he took down the video, it was still alive and well on his show's YouTube page Wednesday morning.
'Outrage from the MAGA hats'
Anyway, Kimmel reserved his most biting commentary for those he said wished death on him and his family over the fake video.
"Apologizing to the Trump administration for spreading untruth is like apologizing to Barry Bonds for using steroids," he began. "It's hard, but the outrage from the MAGA hats, the outpouring of venom, was disgusting — stupid, too — but mostly disgusting ... Some of these lunatics have the audacity to use the word 'Christian' in their bios, but that didn't stop them from wishing death on me, on my family, on my son — some of them said they hope my son dies. They threatened my wife. There were hundreds of horrible, hateful, sometimes violent, Twitter and Facebook posts because I showed what they kept calling a doctored video."
Kimmel insisted it "was not a doctored video, by the way — we didn't do anything to it" before quipping that "doctors are the people Donald Trump doesn't listen to, and doctored videos are something Donald Trump posts all the time. Some of his paid campaign ads are doctored videos that had to be removed for violating the rules about that sort of thing."
He then hit back again at Trump supporters: "These people who blindly pledge their allegiance to Donald Trump instead of this country are so — their hypocrisy runs so deep they don't even seem to be aware of it anymore."
Kimmel also mockingly asked Pence to apologize on behalf of Trump for a lengthy list of "perversions of decency and democracy," although many of them have long since been debunked, such as Russian collusion, illegal immigrant families separated at the border — which started with former President Barack Obama's administration — and the continuing lie that Trump supported neo-Nazis after the Charlottesville, Virginia, riots.
"But OK, you know what? It was my mistake," Kimmel noted, again in non-apology mode. "I do apologize to the vice president, again, for spreading misinformation about him. Spreading misinformation is their thing, and I stepped on their toes."


theblaze--2020-05-13--Joe Biden taps AOC to lead campaign's climate change task force

Guess he does n't want to win so much

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is working with the Biden campaign to promote her "Green New Deal."
What are the details?
According to a CNN report, the democratic socialist will "co-chair a task force" for the Biden campaign centered on climate change.
The move, according to the outlet, is intended to add "progressive credentials to the former vice president's effort to unify the party ahead of the general election."
In an interview with KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Biden confirmed the news.
"[T]he good news is that Bernie [Sanders] has robustly endorsed me, we've set up joint committees together to deal with how we would deal with everything from ... the virus all the way down to education, the criminal justice system, the New Green Deal, et cetera," he said. "And we've got overwhelming support. I mean, we're more united today than almost every, every single person who competed in the primary is now wholeheartedly endorsed me, campaigned around the country for me using their digital media to promote our campaign, and I'm working with Bernie and with his people."
He added, "[W]e've listened to Bernie supporters and we have .... Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, she is on one of the panels as well, and so I think we're going to have a very united party and my message to all, and what they're finding out now that the nomination process is de facto over, they're finding out the positions I had on an awful lot of things were not accurately characterized, and they're feeling more comfortable with it."
According to a Wednesday report from the New York Daily News, Ocasio-Cortez is warming up to the idea of working with Biden though she has yet to officially endorse the Democratic front-runner.
"She believes the movement will only be successful if we continue to apply pressure both inside and outside the system," a spokesperson for the congresswoman said.


theblaze--2020-05-13--Asked if he believes Tara Reade allegations, Chuck Schumer pivots to politics: 'I think Joe Biden wi

Asked if he believes Tara Reade allegations, Chuck Schumer pivots to politics: 'I think Joe Biden will be a great president'

Asked if he believes Tara Reade allegations , Chuck Schumer pivots to politics : ' I think Joe Biden will @ @ @ @ @

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quickly pivoted to politics after being asked by reporters if he believed Tara Reade's sexual assault allegations against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden Tuesday.
The top Senate Democrat said that he found Biden's explanation "sufficient" before quickly adding that he believed the former vice president would make a great president and help Democratic prospects of taking back the Senate in the fall.
"Look, before the #MeToo movement, women were not listened to who were telling what had happened to them. Since #MeToo, women are listened to," Schumer noted in his response.
"Now I've heard Joe Biden's explanation. I think it's sufficient," he continued. "I think he will be a great candidate. I think he will be a great president. And I think he will help us take back the Senate."
Schumer's answer — in which he explicitly leans into his political preferences — adds weight to the notion that many Democrats are willing to overlook the seriousness of allegations in order to ensure their candidate is elected president. This is a far cry from the way that top Democrats approached the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.
Other top Democratic figures, such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have also elected to stand by Biden amid the allegations.
Reade, a congressional aide who worked for Biden, accused Biden of sexual assault in a Senate basement hallway in 1993. But Biden has insisted that while all women should be believed, the incident Reade alleges simply never took place.
It could be that Schumer is attempting to cater to the left this time around, especially after the lawmaker was laced by leftist groups for not initially securing an "all out resistance" to Kavanaugh's appointment.
Reade's lawyer shot back in a statement Tuesday, saying that Schumer's answer amounts to "simply accepting Biden's blanket denial." He suggested that the Biden campaign has not provided an "explanation," as Schumer suggests, but has simply denied the accusations.
"Schumer's comment is absolutely nonsensical as Biden hasn't provided any explanation," said Douglas Wigdor, Reade's attorney. "Is Schumer simply accepting Biden's blanket denial? Seems like a complete double standard."


theblaze--2020-05-13--'It was a disaster': Brit Hume takes media to task for amplifying Trump-Russia conspiracy

'It was a disaster ' : Brit Hume takes media to task for amplifying Trump-Russia conspiracy 'It was the worst @ @ @ @ @ than 50-some years of journalism '

Veteran journalist Brit Hume declared Tuesday that the mainstream media's coverage of the Russia investigation is the "worst journalistic fiasco" he has ever witnessed.
Hume, whose career in the news business spans more than a half-century, was responding to criticism of the Russia investigation, which was resurrected last week when the Justice Department dropped its charges against Michael Flynn. That action was harshly criticized by former President Barack Obama, who complained that the "rule of law is at risk." Obama's reaction resulted is newfound scrutiny over what role he played in the Russia investigation and Flynn case.
"As for the journalism involved in the pursuit of that story, the collusion narrative that we lived with for so very long before it was blown up in the Mueller report, it was the worst journalistic fiasco of my more than 50-some years of journalism," Hume said on Fox News.
"It was a disaster," he declared.
Specifically, Hume criticized the New York Times, whose newsroom was organized to amplify the Trump collusion narrative, the paper's top editor admitted last year.
"It was a terrible journalistic misjudgment," Hume said. "It was rooted in their view of Donald Trump that when this charge arose, they thought so little of him and that he was such a terrible person, that it had to be true," Hume said.
"The Washington Post and the New York Times pursued it relentlessly: Their coverage did not reflect any real doubt that it may not turn out to be true at any time," he continued
"In the end, it all blew up," Hume said. "You'd think they learn. But they don't seem to learn."


theblaze--2020-05-14--Biden camp responds to Flynn 'unmasking' report — and blames racism for the outrage

Biden camp responds to Flynn 'unmasking ' report — and blames racism for the outrage 'The scandal caused by a @ @ @ @ @ White House '

A spokesperson for the Joe Biden presidential campaign responded to the public furor surrounding the revelations about the unmasking of Michael Flynn, and then implied that racism was the cause for the alarm.
Biden faced intense criticism on Wednesday when it was revealed that he was included in the group of Obama era officials that called for the unmasking of Michael Flynn's identity in surveillance reports.
Many used the report to accuse Biden of being part of a politically motivated witch hunt to entrap Flynn in order to force him to testify against President Donald Trump.
The Biden campaign denied the claims in a statement from Andrew Bates, the director of rapid response.
"Donald Trump's attempt at dishonest media manipulation to distract from his response to the worst public health crisis in 100 years has backfired. These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government -- including among career officials -- over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn's attempts to undermine ongoing American national security policy through discussions with Russian officials or other foreign representatives," the statement read.
"Importantly, none of these individuals could have known Flynn's identity beforehand. These documents have absolutely nothing to do with any FBI investigation and they confirm that all normal procedures were followed -- any suggestion otherwise is a flat out lie," Bates added.
"What's more, it's telling that these documents were selectively leaked by Republicans abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign after having them provided by a partisan official installed for this very purpose," he continued. "The only people with questions to answer are [acting Director of National Intelligence] Grenell, Sen. [Chuck] Grassley (R-Iowa), and Sen. [Ron] Johnson (R-Wis.) for their gross politicization of the intelligence process."
Bates retweeted a message that implied the outrage over the unmasking was actually an expression of racism against former President Barack Obama.
"'OBAMAGATE!' [definition] the scandal caused by a person of color occupying the White House," read the sarcastic tweet.
Image Source: Twitter screenshot
The spokesman for the Biden campaign was also forced to delete a tweet earlier on Wednesday when he unfairly attacked reporter Catherine Herridge of Fox News.
The president said he was very saddened by what happened to Flynn but he wouldn't comment on whether the judge in his case should recuse himself.
Here's more about the Flynn unmasking:


theblaze--2020-05-14--Michigan suspends license of elderly barber who vowed to keep his shop open until 'Jesus comes'

Michigan suspends license of elderly barber who vowed to keep his shop open until 'Jesus comes '

Michigan state regulators have suspended the license of 77-year-old barber Karl Manke, after he reopened his shop in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D) stay-at-home orders.
Manke had previously vowed to keep his business open until "Jesus comes," and his attorney says the state's actions are out of "pure retribution."
What are the details?
Last week, Manke reopened his shop in Owosso in violation of the governor's ongoing coronavirus shutdown, despite his fears of being arrested or losing his license.
The elderly barber has since received at least two citations, but he has a lot of defenders. Michigan militia members promised to guard him from arrest and a Shiawassee County Circuit Court judge refused to sign a temporary restraining order against him without first holding a hearing.
So, on Wednesday, state regulators suspended his license, according to the Associated Press, with Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) arguing that "It is paramount that we take action to protect the public and do our part to help save lives."
Manke's attorney, Dave Kallman, said of the action, "It's pure retribution. It's abuse of power: 'How dare you stand up to me?'"
It's unclear whether Manke will pay any attention to the temporary revocation of his license. The AP reported that "a woman who answered the phone at his shop said Manke hadn't been served with the suspension and was still cutting hair" and that "a clipper could be heard buzzing in the background."
The Hill reported that Gov. Whitmer "recently extended her order closing hair salons and barbershops, which was set to expire May 15, through at least May 28."
Manke said of the extension: "[It] knocked me to my knees."
Customers Support Barbershop Open in Defiance of Governor's Order www.youtube.com
---
UPDATE: Glenn Beck interviewed Manke on "The Glenn Beck Radio Program" on BlazeTV.


theblaze--2020-05-14--FBI serves warrant against Senate intel chair, seizes cellphone

They are investigating claims of insider trading

The Federal Bureau of Investigation served a warrant against Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as part of an investigation into his questionable stock market actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Burr came under fire when reports surfaced that he had sold a majority of his stock market holdings after attending a grave congressional briefing about the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic in February.
The FBI seized Burr's cellphone on Wednesday night according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Burr is accused of violating laws barring the profiting from information learned in the course of official congressional work.
He has denied the accusations and called the NPR story a "a tabloid-style hit piece" in tweets from February. The report from ProPublica said that Burr sold as much as $1.72 million worth of stocks in 33 separate transactions.
'He should not be trusted'
Former Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz weighed in on the development and opined that Burr should be relieved of his position as the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee while the investigation proceeded.
"@SenatorBurr should be immediately dismissed from the Senate Intel Committee while he is under investigation. The FBI is investigating and Senate Ethics is investigating," said Chaffetz.
"Until the conclusion, he should not be trusted with our nation's most important intelligence," he added.
Here's more about the accusations against Burr:


theblaze--2020-05-14--California county gives the all-clear for Tesla plant to 'possibly reopen' — even though it already

California county gives the all-clear for Tesla plant to 'possibly reopen' — even though it already has

California county gives the all-clear for Tesla plant to 'possibly reopen ' — even though it already has It appears @ @ @ @ @ won his battle with Alameda County authorities

In an apparent win for billionaire Elon Musk, officials in Alameda County, California, say they have agreed to allow Tesla's headquarters in Fremont to "possibly reopen" as early as next week — despite the fact that the facility already fired up its production line days ago.
What are the details?
On Wednesday, Alameda County issued a statement saying authorities had "received Tesla's site-specific Fremont COVID-19 Prevention and Control plan yesterday as anticipated." The news release noted that officials had reviewed the plan and made "some additional safety recommendations."
"If Tesla's Prevention and Control Plan includes these updates, and the public health indicators remain stable or improve," the memo read, "we have agreed that Tesla can begin to augment their Minimum Business Operations this week in preparation for possible reopening as soon as next week."
Alameda County's move was largely interpreted to be both an attempt to save face and a win for Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, who declared on Monday that the plant would resume production that day and that he would be working "on the line with everyone else." The entrepreneur even dared officials to arrest him.
Footage from local station KPIX-TV showed workers filing in and out of the factory before dawn on Monday during a shift change.
Musk engaged in a very public feud with county officials who insisted on a continued ban on manufacturing despite the fact that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had announced retail and manufacturing in the state could resume last Friday with safety measures in place.
On Saturday, Tesla filed a lawsuit against the county and Musk took to Twitter threatening to move his electric car company out of California to the more freedom-friendly states of Texas and Nevada. He wrote, 'If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA."


theblaze--2020-05-14--LIVE NOW: Glenn Beck Special: Did Obama sabotage Trump?

On tonight 's GBTV special , Glenn Beck argues that outgoing President Barack Obama conspired with , and weaponized his @ @ @ @ @ his successor , President Donald Trump .
`` Obamagate '' is real and it 's @ @ @ @ @ .
Glenn breaks quarantine for the first time in two months to head to the @ @ @ @ @ the players involved , the documents that prove it , and how – when this @ @ @ @ @ we just might see some very high-level people on camera doing the `` perp walk @ @ @ @ @ response to the COVID-19 crisis , BlazeTV is offering our BIGGEST discount ever !
Get @ @ @ @ @ when you use promo code GLENN .
Offer expires Friday , May 15 .
Want @ @ @ @ @ To enjoy more of Glenn 's masterful storytelling , thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to @ @ @ @ @ , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , @ @ @ @ @ the American dream .

On Wednesday night's GBTV special, Glenn Beck argued that outgoing President Barack Obama conspired with and weaponized his staff to politically assassinate his successor, President Donald Trump.
"Obamagate" is real and it's all about to come full-circle, contended Glenn. He broke quarantine to get back to the chalkboard to expose all of the players involved, the documents that prove it, and how — when this finally all comes out — we just might see some very high-level people on camera doing the "perp walk" very soon.
Visit GlennBeck.com to see the documents and other source materials that went into making this report.
Watch the video below:
Collusion Confirmed: How Obama Sabotaged Trump | Glenn TV youtu.be
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theblaze--2020-05-15--Flynn lawyer Sidney Powell hits back at Obama over his comments about her client's case

Flynn lawyer Sidney Powell hits back at Obama over his comments about her client 's case

Attorney Sidney Powell, who represents former national security adviser Michael Flynn, is hitting back after former President Barack Obama complained that the "rule of law is at risk" following the Department of Justice's move to drop its charges against her client.
What are the details?
After the DOJ asked a judge last week to dismiss the case against Flynn, Obama reportedly told a group of former staffers: "The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed — about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn."
"And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free," he continued. "That's the kind of stuff where you being to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we've seen in other places."
Powell responded in an open letter to Obama on Wednesday, telling the former president his "statement is entirely false" and calling him out along with several officials from his administration.
The lawyer laid out seven points regarding Obama's "failure to find precedent for Flynn dismissal," correcting the former president by correctly noting that "General Flynn was not charged with perjury" before writing, "A perjury prosecution would have been appropriate and the Rule of Law applied if the Justice Department prosecuted your former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe for his multiple lies under oath in an investigation of a leak only he knew he caused."
She went on to remind Obama of actions carried out by his "'wingman' Eric holder" and several other administration officials, telling the former president, "The inability of anyone in your alumni association to find 'anybody who has been charged [with anything] just getting off scot-free' would be laughable were it not so pathetic."
In closing, Powell wrote, "'the 'leaked' comments from your alumni call further evinces your obsession with destroying a distinguished veteran of the United States Army who has defended the Constitution and this country 'from all enemies, foreign and domestic,' with the highest honor for thirty-three years. He and many others will continue to do so."


theblaze--2020-05-15--VIDEO: Anti-lockdown protesters insult and berate reporter covering their protest on Long Island

VIDEO : Anti-lockdown protesters insult and berate reporter covering their protest on Long Island 'The level of anger directed at @ @ @ @ @ was alarming '

A local news reporter was chased by angry anti-lockdown protesters in Long Island, New York, and it was caught on video.
Kevin Vesey of News 12 Long Island was covering the protest when he says some protesters began berating him. He posted a video of the report and the altercation on his social media account:
"I'll probably never forget what happened today," Vesey tweeted.
"I was insulted. I was berated. I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic," he added. "All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story."
Vesey said the protesters were organized by a group called the "Setauket Patriots," who were also supporters of President Donald Trump. He pointed out that many were not following social distancing guidelines and many were refusing to wear masks.
One sign read, "Hang Fauci, Hang Gates, open up all of our states."
"As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today," said Vesey in another tweet.
One woman on the video yelled at Vesey that the media aired the briefings from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and not those of the president.
"Go home!" she added.
"You are the enemy of the people!" yelled another man.
At the end of the video the crowd chanted, "Fake news is not essential!" at the news team.
The report also featured voices from the community that were opposed to the protests.
"We're a hard-working, loving community," said Diane Kraut. "When you see the protest, just know that it does not represent what Commack is all about."


theblaze--2020-05-14--Dan Crenshaw sets the record straight on Trump's COVID response: 'I just want people to understand t

Dan Crenshaw sets the record straight on Trump's COVID response: 'I just want people to understand the truth'

Dan Crenshaw sets the record straight on Trump 's COVID response : ' I just want people to understand the @ @ @ @ @ trying to make excuses for Trump '

In this episode of "The Rubin Report," Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) joined BlazeTV host Dave Rubin to talk about President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dan called out some of the media's misrepresentation of the president's actions and set the record straight on the timeline of government responses as the coronavirus spread around the world.
"I'm not trying to make excuses for Trump here; I just want people to understand the truth," Dan said. "And these are really disingenuous attacks."
He shared his disappointment with leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for using this crisis to play partisan politics and confirmed that it was the Obama administration that did not replenish the strategic national stockpile of N95 masks and PPE supplies.
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
Watch Dave Rubin's full interview with Dan Crenshaw here.
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theblaze--2020-05-14--Fired Parkland cop — who hid behind his car during massacre — to be reinstated with full back pay

Fired Parkland cop — who hid behind his car during massacre — to be reinstated with full back pay The @ @ @ @ @ the decision ' a slap in the face '

A former Broward County Sheriff's sergeant who was terminated for his inaction after responding to the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, will return to the force and receive six figures in full back pay, his union has announced.
Sgt. Brian Miller was one of four officers fired last year after an investigation determined they had "neglected their duties" when they responded to the school as a murderer killed 17 students and wounded 17 more. Miller was the first supervisor to arrive at the scene, and he hid behind his vehicle for several minutes.
What are the details?
The Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that according to a statement from the Broward County Sheriff's Office Deputies Association Union, an "arbitrator found that the Broward County Sheriff's Office violated Miller's due process rights when Sheriff Gregory Tony terminated him long after state law allowed it."
The outlet went on to note that "Miller will receive considerable money when reinstated. He was paid more than $137,000 in 2018."
In reaction to the decision, the general counsel for the sheriff's office told ABC News it is "exploring all legal options to address this erroneous decision," adding that "the decision was based upon a technicality that we believe was wrongly decided."
Survivors and victims' family members expressed outrage over the decision to reinstate Miller.
Kyle Kashuv, who survived the slaughter that took place in Parkland, wrote on Twitter, "Not only did this Coward not go inside when he heard my classmates being murdered. But he hid behind his car and didn't radio anyone for 10 full Minutes. All while 2 unarmed school staff ran inside and gave their lives. He did nothing."
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was murdered in the shooting, tweeted, "This is a slap in the face to everyone in the Parkland community. Sgt. Brian Miller hid behind his car while my daughter and her classmates were murdered. He was a coward then and still remains one to this day! #FixIt"


theblaze--2020-05-14--Donald Trump Jr. fires back at Howard Stern: 'That’s total bulls**t!'

Stern went after Trump supporters in a fiery screed

Donald Trump Jr. fired off some insults aimed at talk radio shock jock icon Howard Stern after he excoriated the fans and supporters of his father, President Donald Trump.
The president's son bashed Stern's comments on SiriusXM while being interviewed on the "Jim and Sam Show," also on SiriusXM.
"That's total bulls**t!" Trump Jr. replied.
Stern had claimed that the Donald Trump he knew would have despised the kind of people who adore him now as president. He cited as evidence the kind of people who are allowed into the president's Mar-a-Lago resort.
"The reality is this: My dad was able to do what he did when he won this election by being able to relate to those guys, the blue-collar worker that Donald Trump spent his entire career with," continued Trump Jr.
"Donald Trump was a better developer and built a brand because he spent time talking to those guys. There's a reason why you see guys within our company, even today, they started off as construction guys, started off as drivers, and they're like executives because he gave them a chance," he added.
He went on to say that Stern was acting like Hillary Clinton when she referred to Trump's supporters as "deplorables."
"I don't know if he just got a taste of Hollywood when he went on, you know, the TV show," Trump Jr. concluded, "and, all of the sudden, the establishment's sort of politically correct people that he used to hate, now he really wants to be loved by them."
'Such a neutered shell of his former self'
He reiterated his point with a tweet on social media later.
"Hollywood Howard is such a neutered shell of his former self that he's now attacking blue-collar Trump supporters, in a desperate attempt to be relevant again. Stern from 20 yrs ago would be embarrassed by today's PC version," Trump Jr. added.
Stern has said he's "all in" for Biden and admitted that he wanted Hillary Clinton to win in 2016, despite giving his former friend Trump access to his enormous audience during the campaign.
Here's more about Stern's anti-Trump comments:


theblaze--2020-05-14--Invasive giant lizards that 'eat just about anything they want' spreading in Georgia and Florida

Invasive giant lizards that 'eat just about anything they want ' spreading in Georgia and Florida Oh great , now @ @ @ @ @ giant lizards .

The Argentine black and white tegu, also known as the Argentine giant tegu, is a lizard species that can grow up to four feet long. The invasive lizards native to South America have been spreading in Georgia and Florida. Wildlife officials are concerned about the lizards because of their insatiable diet.
The Argentine black and white tegu is native to tropical rain forests, savannas, and semi-deserts of eastern and central South America. These animals were brought to the U.S. as pets because they are extremely intelligent and can even be housebroken.
The large lizards have found their way into the wild in Florida and Georgia. Now, wildlife officials in the Southeast are concerned that these invasive lizards are threatening other species.
Florida's state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that the Argentine giant tegu has been spotted all over the state starting in 2006, and have since established populations in South and Central Florida.
In Georgia, the lizards have established populations in Tattnall and Toombs counties. Wildlife officials said the lizards, which can live for 20 years, have been spotted for three straight years, meaning that they can survive the cold of Georgia's winter.
"Releasing it into the wild is the absolute worst thing to do," said Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist John Jensen. "It will affect our native species and we can't have that."
Please tell me these things eat murder hornets. Tegus are omnivores that have sharp teeth and a strong bite. They eat insects, spiders, snails, small birds, eggs from reptiles and birds, seeds, and fruit.
"They eat just about anything they want, plant and animal matter, and one of their favorite foods are eggs from ground nesting animals such as gopher tortoises, our protected state reptile," Jensen said.
First murder hornets, then gypsy moths, now giant lizards. What will be next? An invasion of poisonous frogs? Maybe killer bears?
Have You Seen Tegus in the Wild in Georgia? www.youtube.com
"Established from escaped or released pets, these large lizards are voracious predators that have been found consuming a variety of native wildlife in the longer-established Florida populations," according to the Orianne Society, a group dedicated to the conservation of reptiles and amphibians.
Jensen added that the lizards could take over the homes of burrowing animals, such as gopher tortoises.
"We're trying to remove them from the wild because they can have negative impacts on our native species," Jensen said in a YouTube video warning of the dangers of the invasive lizard.
Jensen encouraged Georgians who spot the lizard to take a photo and report any tegu sightings online.
"If you're able to safely and humanely dispatch of the animal, we encourage that and we want that information, too," Jensen said.


theblaze--2020-05-14--Biden campaign gets caught deceptively editing video to make President Trump look bad

The Biden campaign recently published an attack ad with misleading edits that made it appear like President Donald Trump was being dismissive of nurses during a White House visit.
The video, posted to Twitter by presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, appears to show Trump rudely interrupting a nurse after she notes that she has been reusing her N95 mask because supplies of personal protective equipment have been "sporadic."
"Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people," Trump cuts in. The video eventually closes with display text that reads: "Happy National Nurses Week from the president (only to nurses who agree with him)."
"But there's some important footage missing from the ad," Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler said.
What actually happened?
The video centers on a meeting that Trump hosted in the Oval Office last week with nurses to celebrate the signing of a National Nurses Day proclamation.
During the meeting, Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, mentioned that supplies of PPE have been, in some cases, "sporadic" in certain "pockets" around the country.
"I've been reusing my N95 mask for a few weeks now. I just broke out a new one to come here, just in case I needed to wear it," Thomas said. "My youngest patient has been 4 days old — a 4-day-old infant. And so PPE has been sporadic, but it's been manageable, and we do what we have to do."
Following Thomas' remarks, the president jumped in to counter, but not in the aggressive way that the Biden campaign's edits make it seem.
Here's a full unedited clip of the exchange:
Also, at Trump's interjection, Thomas immediately replies, "Oh, no. I agree, Mr. President. Absolutely."
Here's more from Kessler:
The Biden video does two tricky things. First, it shows Thomas only saying "Oh," eliminating the fact that she says she agrees with Trump. Then, the video highlights Trump crossing his arms when he says the line about hearing the opposite.
The impression left is that Trump is a jerk, cutting Thomas off mid-sentence and then folding his arms in a defiant stance. But that's misleading, especially because she said she agreed with him. (We acknowledge that being challenged by a president might make many people back off a bit, but that's still not an excuse for eliminating her response.)
The rest of the video shows Trump bragging about "tremendous supply." It leaves out the fact that two other nurses at the event told Trump that they did not see any issues, including one nurse from New Jersey who said that she often saw news reports about supply issues, but that "in reality, I'm not seeing it. I'm in a hot zone right now."
According to the Post, the Biden campaign defended the ad.
"Trump's failure to act quickly — and his erratic leadership since — has left America dangerously behind where we need to be, especially in getting basic life-saving protective gear to nurses, doctors, and other essential workers on the frontlines of this fight," a campaign spokesman said in a statement. "Instead of listening to the direct concerns of nurses and other heroes combating the coronavirus about the shortages of protective equipment they face, Trump decided to throw a tantrum in the Oval Office and downplay the fact that health care workers are being forced to risk their lives every day because he has abjectly failed to do his job."


theblaze--2020-05-14--Facebook wants to erase 'Hateful Memes' from its platform — and is offering $100,000 in prizes for t

Facebook wants to erase 'Hateful Memes' from its platform — and is offering $100,000 in prizes for those who can help

Facebook wants to erase 'Hateful Memes ' from its platform — and is offering $ 100,000 in prizes for those @ @ @ @ @ the Hateful Memes project will enable Facebook and others to do more to keep people @ @

Facebook has launched a competition to help the social media giant erase "Hateful Memes" from its site — and is offering $100,000 in prizes for the programs that can accomplish the task.
What are the details?
Of course, it's easy for programs to spot actual hate speech and delete it. The Facebook AI team defines "hate speech" as:
"A direct or indirect attack on people based on characteristics, including ethnicity, race, nationality, immigration status, religion, caste, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability or disease. We define attack as violent or dehumanizing (comparing people to non-human things, e.g. animals) speech, statements of inferiority, and calls for exclusion or segregation. Mocking hate crime is also considered hate speech."
"This definition mirrors the community standards on hate speech employed by Facebook, and is intended to provide an actionable classification label: if something is hate speech according to this definition, it should be taken down; if not, even if it is distasteful or objectionable, it is allowed to stay," the competition page states.
But then there's the problem of hateful memes being created by combining otherwise harmless phrases and otherwise harmless images:
Image source: DrivenData video screenshot
Which is why the tech giant is instructing participants in its challenge to create artificial intelligence that can detect text and images used together as a hateful meme.
"We continue to make progress in improving our AI systems to detect hate speech and other harmful content on our platforms, and we believe the Hateful Memes project will enable Facebook and others to do more to keep people safe," the competition page also said.


theblaze--2020-05-14--NYPD under fire after video of mom's arrest goes viral. Her 'crime'? She reportedly refused to prope

NYPD under fire after video of mom's arrest goes viral. Her 'crime'? She reportedly refused to properly cover her face.

NYPD under fire after video of mom 's arrest goes viral .
Her 'crime ' ?
She reportedly refused to @ @ @ @ @ Does n't look like there 's much social distancing happening in this video

In a now-viral video, New York Police Department officers can be seen swarming a young mother while her toddler stands by, watching police wrestle, shout at, and manhandle his mother.
What are the details?
The woman, later identified as 22-year-old Kaleemah Rozier, was apparently guilty of one thing that caught the officers' attention: She wasn't wearing her face mask properly as she came off the subway.
According to WNBC-TV, the incident took place Wednesday. Video footage of the incident shows that Rozier and her child are both wearing masks, but the masks weren't properly covering their faces.
A spokesperson for the NYPD said that the woman responded to the officers with "vulgar language" and "repeatedly refused requests to properly wear her face covering" over both her nose and mouth when approached by officers. The NYPD added, however, that its officers only reacted "appropriately and with respect."
"We are confident that the police officers in this incident acted appropriately and with respect. This individual was arrested only after her behavior toward officers warranted police action," the spokesperson said.
A witness to the incident can be heard on the viral video, blasting the officers' treatment of her.
"She's got a baby with her!" a witness can be heard saying. "That's too much!"
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the altercation between the officers and Rozier. He shared the viral video and wrote, "Face coverings are important to protect everybody — they're not optional. But no one wants to see an interaction turn into this. We've made progress with de-escalation. This isn't it."
Authorities charged Rozier with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and harassment.


theblaze--2020-05-14--'OBAMAGATE' EXPOSED: How Michael Flynn was set up by the Obama admin — and the documents to prove it

'OBAMAGATE ' EXPOSED : How Michael Flynn was set up by the Obama admin — and the documents to prove @

On his Wednesday night special, Glenn Beck used the chalkboard to show the new evidence that proves many of the big players in President Barack Obama's administration were colluding with America's intelligence community to illegally launch an investigation into retired Gen. Michael Flynn for no other reason than he was a member of President Donald Trump's team.
Glenn shared copies of two recently released communications that show the bureau's justification for opening an investigation into Flynn, a 30-year combat veteran and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The FBI's justification for opening an investigation into Mike Flynn. Image source: glennbeck.com
The FBI's justification for opening an investigation into Mike Flynn. Image source: glennbeck.com
Glenn noted the reason for launching a criminal investigation against Flynn included: 1. He was a Trump adviser; 2. He had "ties to various state-affiliated entities of the Russian Federation"; and 3. He traveled to Russia in 2015 to give a speech in Moscow.
The same year, former President Bill Clinton received $500,000 for giving a speech in Moscow for a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin and Uranium One.
"Sounds to me like Flynn got hosed," Glenn said. "The FBI never opened a counter-intelligence investigation into Bill Clinton for doing exactly the same thing that Flynn did. I wonder why? Well, one was advising Donald Trump and the other was married to Hillary Clinton, so it makes sense."
Glenn also revealed a recently declassified document from the FBI dated Jan. 4, 2017, that made clear that investigators found that Gen. Flynn was "no longer a viable candidate" in the Russia investigation and cleared him of any wrongdoing.
"You have to read it for yourself, because it's way beyond that," he encouraged. "It is astounding!"
The FBI files their final communication on Flynn on January 4th 2017 Image source: glennbeck.com
You can find all documents and other source materials mentioned in this report.
Watch the video clip from Glenn's Wednesday night special below to get more details:
YouTube youtu.be
If you missed the special last night, you can still watch on BlazeTV's YouTube channel or on BlazeTV. Our BIGGEST DEAL EVER ends Friday. Get $30 OFF a year of BlazeTV and get access to all of Glenn's specials!


theblaze--2020-05-14--Former cop charged with Ahmaud Arbery murder previously lost power to arrest for skipping trainings

Former cop charged with Ahmaud Arbery murder previously lost power to arrest for skipping trainings — including use-of-force It happened @ @ @

Gregory McMichael, the former police officer who is charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, lost his power to arrest on two occasions; most recently in 2019 for skipping trainings — including use-of-force training, the Washington Post reported.
McMichael, 64, is a former Glynn County police officer who retired in June 2019. Four months beforehand, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council suspended his law enforcement certification for "failure to maintain training for the year 2018."
According to the Post, McMichael fell short in training hours in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. In at least three of those years, records show, McMichael failed to complete mandatory use-of-force and firearms training. The training deficiency was flagged in 2014.
McMichael applied for a waiver for the missed training hours, saying in his waiver application that "the years 2006 through 2009 were a very difficult period in my life" due to health issues he and his wife suffered during that time.
"I allowed the difficulty of the situation to cloud my judgment," McMichael wrote.
His waiver was approved in 2014, when McMichael was an investigator for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
In 2019, the same problem occurred, and McMichael was reclassified as a non-sworn employee who could "not engage in any activity that would be construed as law enforcement in nature" and could not carry a firearm or badge. He worked in the Camden County District Attorney's office until he retired in June.
Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis, stand charged with murder and aggravated assault in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia. Arbery was fatally shot Feb. 23 after the two men pursued him because they suspected that he had burglarized a home. They were not arrested until last week, after a video of the shooting became public.


theblaze--2020-05-14--YOU’RE FIRED: It’s time for President Trump to get rid of 'King Fauci'

YOU ’ RE FIRED : It ’ s time for President Trump to get rid of 'King Fauci '

"Pope Fauci the often wrong and overrated" and President Trump had a rare public break. Has Dr. Anthony Fauci social distanced his way beyond recovery with Trump's base? Should this be the end of the road for Fauci?
"He's been wrong at EVERY TURN!" Steve Deace said on Thursday's episode of "The Steve Deace Show."
Deace went off on Fauci for his chronic inability to make up his mind about the severity of COVID-19 and how the nation should respond to the pandemic.
Deace presented a few contradictory statements made by Fauci since the pandemic began. He explained that rather than flattening the curve, we listened to Fauci and flattened our economy.
Here's Deace with the full story.
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theblaze--2020-05-14--Dianne Feinstein admits the feds have been questioning her, too, in probe of possible insider tradin

Dianne Feinstein admits the feds have been questioning her, too, in probe of possible insider trading, after FBI serves warrant against Sen. Burr

Dianne Feinstein admits the feds have been questioning her , too , in probe of possible insider trading , after @ @ @ @ @ Burr How 'blind ' is that so-called blind trust ?

A day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation served a warrant against Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and seized his phone as part of an ongoing investigation into questionable stock trades during the coronavirus crisis, Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office revealed the FBI had questioned her about stock sales, too.
Feinstein and Burr, as well as GOP Sens. Jim Inhofe (Okla.) and Kelly Loeffler (Ga.), have been under scrutiny for alleged insider trading for months. The senators reportedly sold millions of dollars with of stock between late January and mid-February, following a closed-door Senate briefing about the coming economic impact of the coronavirus.
Senate records show that Feinstein sold between $500,000 and $1 million worth of stock in Allogene Theraputics on Jan. 31, and her husband sold between $1 million to $5 million worth of Allogene shares on Feb. 18, the New York Post reported.
Feinstein's office said that the senator had nothing to do with the trades because her assets are in a blind trust and have been since 1992, according to NBC News.
The office also said that the "transactions" in question "were made by her spouse."
In a write-up on the insider trading investigation, HotAir's Ed Morrissey asked Thursday, "If her spouse is managing the portfolio, how 'blind' can it be?"
Feinstein's spokesman, Tom Mentzer, said, "Senator Feinstein was asked some basic questions by law enforcement about her husband's stock transactions," the Post said.
He added, "She was happy to voluntarily answer those questions to set the record straight and provided additional documents to show she had no involvement in her husband's transactions."
But as Morrissey noted, having a blind trust run by her spouse might no be enough to keep her out of hot water.
"Former Rep. Christopher Collins pled guilty to an insider-trading scheme in which he passed along inside information to family members and friends. A blind trust managed by one's spouse doesn't exactly provide a solid alibi," Morrissey said.
New York Rep. Collins is serving a 26-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to providing an illegal stock tip to his son about a failed drug trial for an Australian biotech company where the congressman had served as a board member.


theblaze--2020-05-14--Michigan medical groups sue Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over 'drastic' and 'unconstitutional' coronavirus

Michigan medical groups sue Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over 'drastic' and 'unconstitutional' coronavirus lockdown

The lawsuit says CDC coronavirus projections were `` grossly inaccurate . ''

Four Michigan medical providers and a patient seeking a knee surgery have filed a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The health care groups argue that Whitmer's executive order requiring Michigan citizens to stay at home is "drastic" and "unconstitutional."
The federal lawsuit was filed May 12 by Grand Health Partners in Grand Rapids, Wellston Medical Center in Wellston, Primary Health Services in Ludington, and Jeffery Gulick, a Michigan man seeking knee replacement surgery, according to MLive.
The lawsuit names Whitmer, as well as Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon. The lawsuit calls for the reopening of health care facilities for procedures that are currently deemed "nonessential."
"During a press conference on Monday, April 27, 2020, Governor Whitmer acknowledged that the curve has flattened in Michigan," the lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation and the Miller Johnson law firm said. "Graphics depicted that while Governor Whitmer's administration anticipated 220,000 patients being hospitalized without social distancing efforts, there had only been 3,000 hospitalizations as of April 27. That is less than 1.4% of the projected COVID-19 hospitalizations underlying the Governor's declared states of emergency and disaster."
Michigan currently has more than 48,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, seventh in the U.S., along with 4,714 COVID-19 deaths, fourth-highest in the country.
The lawsuit calls Centers for Disease Control forecasts of COVID-19 cases and deaths "grossly inaccurate." In March, the CDC projected that the number of nationwide infections would be between 160 million and 214 million, with deaths of between 200,000 and 1.7 million. More than 1.4 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and 86,244 reported COVID-19 deaths.
"Meanwhile, medical providers are on the brink of financial ruin, facing extreme revenue shortages caused by the Governor's order forcing the postponement or cancellation of so-called 'non-essential' procedures," the lawsuit states. "Thousands of healthcare workers across Michigan have been furloughed or laid off."
"The executive orders are unconstitutionally vague; they violate procedural and substantive due process; and they violate the dormant commerce clause," the lawsuit says of Whitmer's state of emergency declaration.
Whitmer's shelter-in-place order started on March 24 and has been extended through May 28. Michigan manufacturing was allowed to resume on Monday.
Whitmer faced suits from the state House and Senate last week after she extended the stay-at-home order.
"Only the Legislature has the power to extend the state of emergency," Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield said.
"The Legislature is left with no choice but to seek the court's intervention to restore constitutional order," Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey stated.
Earlier this week, a Michigan circuit court judge denied a complaint by the Michigan Attorney General's Office to shut down a barbershop that was defying Whitmer's order. A Shiawassee County judge rejected the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' request for a temporary restraining order to shut down 77-year-old barber Karl Manke.
On Wednesday, Michigan state regulators suspended Manke's license.


theblaze--2020-05-14--Woman holding 'We Are Free' sign while sitting on beach dragged away by cops: 'This is a power trip

Woman holding 'We Are Free' sign while sitting on beach dragged away by cops: 'This is a power trip. This has nothing to do with the virus.'

Woman holding 'We Are Free ' sign while sitting on beach dragged away by cops : 'This is a power @ @ @ @ @ to do with the virus . '
The woman was charged with violating an emergency @ @ @ @ @ trespassing

A woman holding a "We Are Free" sign while sitting on the sand Sunday in Miami Beach was dragged away by police who arrested and charged her with violating an emergency order, trespassing, and resisting an officer without violence, WTVJ-TV reported.
Kimberly Falkenstine, 33, was protesting coronavirus-related beach closures and refused to leave after officers confronted her, the station said.
Image source: Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation
What are the details?
Officers spotted Falkenstine sitting on the beach shortly after she and her husband took part in a protest at Lummus Park where demonstrators demanded that South Florida reopen its beaches and economy, WTVJ reported.
"The defendant mentioned that the beach was for the public and that it was her right to be there," the station said, citing an arrest report. WTVJ added that Falkenstine was booked into jail.
'This is a power trip. This has nothing to do with the virus.'
The entire event was captured on video by a man speaking to Falkenstine as she walked to the beach with her sign.
Approaching the beach's entrance, she marveled at the "ridiculous" number of officers patrolling the otherwise empty beach: "This is a power trip. This has nothing to do with the virus."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
After Falkenstine walked on the beach and sat down near the water, a patrol vehicle with its lights flashing drove up to her:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Soon there were three vehicles on the case:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Then a trio of officers made their long walk from the sidewalk to the spot where Falkenstine was sitting on the sand:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
After which she raised her sign over her head:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
In short order, the officers grabbed her arms:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
As police dragged her away, a crowd gathered on the sidewalk and cheered her on:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Here's the clip:


theblaze--2020-05-14--Ready-to-party residents pack local bars after Wisconsin Supreme Court lockdown ruling. 'We're the W

Ready-to-party residents pack local bars after Wisconsin Supreme Court lockdown ruling. 'We're the Wild West,' gov says, lamenting his loss of control.

Ready-to-party residents pack local bars after Wisconsin Supreme Court lockdown ruling .
'We 're the Wild West , ' gov @ @ @ @ @ of control .
This is a big group of happy people

Wisconsin residents flooded the bars on Wednesday night after the state's Supreme Court struck down the statewide stay-at-home order.
Following the announcement, the Tavern League of Wisconsin told its members to go ahead and "OPEN IMMEDIATELY!"
What are the details?
Nick's on 2nd in Platteville was just one example. The bar was jammed — standing room only, according to social media and other reports.
The Washington Post's Meagan Flynn detailed the scene at Nick's.
"It was sometime after 10 p.m. when 'Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress' by the Hollies came over the sound system and a bartender took out his camera," Flynn wrote. "In a Twitter broadcast, he surveyed the room of maskless patrons crammed together, partying like it was 2019. A few were pounding on the bar to the beat. Some were clapping their hands in the air and some were fist-pumping, a scene so joyous they could have been celebrating the end of the worst pandemic in a century."
A Twitter photo of the bar went viral following the opening. The Twitter broadcast in question, according to the CBS News, was later deleted after it racked up 60,000 views on the social networking site.
In nearby Port Washington, the Iron Hog Saloon also opened its doors.
Owner Chad Arndt said, "If [customers] don't feel that it's good to come out yet, more to them. But I hope they respect my feelings on, I would like to come out and I would like to start getting the economy going again."
Customer Gary Bertram added, "If people want to quarantine, quarantine. If you don't want to quarantine, don't quarantine. Go out and do what you normally do."
Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down State's Stay-At-Home Order | TODAY www.youtube.com
'We have no authority right now'
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D), however, was not pleased. The state's "stay at home" order was scheduled through May 26.
“We're the Wild West," Evers said during an MSNBC appearance that same night. “There are no restrictions at all across the state of Wisconsin. … So at this point in time … there is nothing that's compelling people to do anything other than having chaos here."
Evers added that the lack of instruction on how to handle stay-at-home orders is a problem.
“When you have no requirements anymore, that's a problem," he explained. “We're just leaving it open. We're going to have more cases. We're going to have more deaths. And it's a sad occasion for the state. I can't tell you how disappointed I am."
"We have no authority right now," he said during the MSNBC appearance. "It's been taken away."


theblaze--2020-05-14--Nursing homes that failed to protect residents from COVID-19 shielded by provision snuck into state

Nursing homes that failed to protect residents from COVID-19 shielded by provision snuck into state budget

New York nursing homes, which have been devastated by COVID-19, are legally shielded by a little-known provision snuck into the state budget by aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), the New York Times reported.
More than 5,300 nursing home residents have died in New York of COVID-19, at least in part due to a state mandate that nursing homes readmit people who have tested positive for the virus if they're in stable condition. Relatives of the victims may not have any legal recourse against nursing homes that didn't adequately protect their loved ones.
According to the Times, the measure was pushed by nursing home industry representatives and passed without the knowledge of lawmakers who failed to read the fine print of the 347-page budget document:
Many lawmakers were unaware of the language when they approved the budget a few days later. But it provided unusual legal protections for an influential industry that has been devastated by the crisis: nursing home operators.
The measure, lobbied for by industry representatives, shielded nursing homes from many lawsuits over their failure to protect residents from death or sickness caused by the coronavirus.
This provision was added to the budget in late March, when it was clear that COVID-19 was going to cause serious damage in the state, particularly among the sick and elderly. The Times reported that it would "most likely" cover harm that arose from staffing or equipment shortages, but not criminal misconduct or gross negligence.
How much responsibility nursing homes have for the sicknesses and deaths in their facilities varies, and is debatable. Some homes claim they were not able to obtain sufficient levels of equipment such as masks and gowns as they were being overwhelmed by a situation they did not anticipate.
Not everyone agrees, however.
"They can't just shrug their shoulders and say, 'It's a pandemic,'" Vivian Rivera-Zayas, whose mother died of COVID-19 two days after being transferred from the home to a hospital, said, according to the Times. "There has to be accountability."
A spokeswoman for Cuomo said the legislation was not intended to single out nursing homes, but rather applied to other health care facilities as well, such as hospitals. She also said it was "not intended to shield any bad-acting facilities."
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-05-14--FBI mistakenly reveals name of Saudi official suspected of directing 'crucial support' to 9/11 attac

FBI mistakenly reveals name of Saudi official suspected of directing 'crucial support' to 9/11 attackers

FBI mistakenly reveals name of Saudi official suspected of directing 'crucial support ' to 9/11 attackers The diplomat worked at @ @ @ @ @ , D.C .

The Federal Bureau of Investigation accidentally revealed the name of a Saudi official suspected of directing "crucial support" to two al-Qaeda hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to a report from Yahoo News.
The name of the mid-level Saudi foreign ministry official was mistakenly released last week in a declaration by an FBI official in response to a lawsuit by families of 9/11 victims who accuse Saudi Arabia's government of involvement in the terrorist attacks.
Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah was accidentally named in the declaration, which was incorrectly filed to a public docket. Al-Jarrah was a diplomat assigned to the Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., between 1999 and 2000.
"His duties apparently included overseeing the activities of Ministry of Islamic Affairs employees at Saudi-funded mosques and Islamic centers within the United States," the report said.
The FBI didn't redact al-Jarrah's name in a document. The Department of Justice removed the document that was previously made public on accident. Michael Isikoff, the chief investigative journalist at Yahoo News who noticed the error, said a senior U.S. government official confirmed the mistake.
The 9/11 families have been fighting for the identification of the Saudi official who allegedly had involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, as well as in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon.
For years, the families have been asking for the identity of the Saudi diplomat who reportedly worked with two other Saudi nationals to assist and direct the hijackers.
Last September, on the anniversary of the terror attack, the Trump administration agreed to declassify the name of the diplomat, but did not release it publicly. The lawyers could be told the name under protective seal, but they could not discuss it publicly, according to NBC News.
Evidence that the FBI gathered about al-Jarrah and his communications about the two attackers remain under seal.
Two sources close to the case told NBC News that the "FBI and the Justice Department are asserting that since it was an erroneous disclosure, the name is still subject to a protective order and neither side is allowed to discuss it publicly."
The families of the victims are suing Saudi Arabia for the deaths and damages from the 9/11 terror attacks. Of the 19 hijackers, 15 were Saudi citizens, as was 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. Two of the hijackers may have obtained their passports "legitimately or illegitimately" with the help of a family member who worked in a Saudi passport office.
The Saudi government has denied any involvement in the attacks. The 9/11 Commission "found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization."


theblaze--2020-05-14--Coronavirus has created more socialists in America. Democratic Socialists of America adds at least 1

Coronavirus has created more socialists in America. Democratic Socialists of America adds at least 10,000 to its ranks.

Coronavirus has created more socialists in America .
Democratic Socialists of America adds at least 10,000 to its ranks .
@ @ @ @ @ have seen a surge in memberships since March

The Democratic Socialists of America have expanded its ranks by an estimated 10,000 members since March — and organizers say that the growth is likely a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
A DSA spokesperson told The Atlantic that the group, whose membership now totals about 66,000 nationwide, hasn't had a surge like this since the election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in 2018.
What's driving the uptick?
"The present moment seems especially ripe for socialist outrage," the outlet suggested, making mention of anti-lockdown demonstrations around the country and governors reopening businesses ahead of health officials' recommendations.
For some, it appears, these are examples of too much liberty.
Others point to an alleged failure of the market system: "People are really starting to just look around and say, 'man, capitalism isn't working,'" the co-chair of the Detroit DSA chapter told The Atlantic. "If the markets can't even produce hand sanitizer or toilet paper or masks during a plague — what good is this system?"
Still others are joining the socialist cause simply in protest of the pandemic response.
"Anyone who lives with a little precarity in their life ... could see that the overall response to the pandemic was completely insufficient," the Twin Cities DSA director said. "We seized on that moment."
Then, check out this revealing paragraph from the article:
Right now, the DSA is emphasizing recruitment, framing their efforts as giving struggling workers "a way to fight back," the DSA Denver labor chair, Mariah Wood, told me. Her chapter ... has organized more than 200 laid-off service workers as part of a citywide campaign to urge Governor Jared Polis to cancel rent and mortgage payments. The chapter teamed up with other local groups, including the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and several trade unions, to urge the Denver City Council to help lobby the state government, which it did.
"[These days], people are enthusiastically working with the DSA," Wood said. "It's a good time to be a socialist."
One glaring problem
The uptick in socialist registrations appears to be driven by displeasure with the government's response to the pandemic, but socialism's answer to the problem is inevitably more government involvement.
Take for example, DSA Denver's initiative to cancel rent and mortgage payments.
The most natural solution to the problem would be to reopen businesses so that people can afford rent and mortgage payments, since the problem was caused by government shutting down the economy in the first place. Instead, the DSA fought to expand government power, calling on officials to cancel the rent and mortgage payments — which, don't forget, really just means that money from some taxpayers will go toward covering the living expenses of others.
Nevertheless, the Atlantic report noted that the "surge in membership isn't likely to seriously affect the politics of the broader Democratic Party" since the DSA is still comparatively small. The group's 66,000 members pales in comparison to even the Libertarian Party in America, which boasts 600,000 registered members.
Yet, it's worth noting that even though only 10,000 formally registered as socialists, the number of people embracing socialism as a result of the pandemic is likely much larger than that.


theblaze--2020-05-14--Joe Rogan: I might move to Texas 'if California continues to be this restrictive' with 'silly' COVID

Joe Rogan: I might move to Texas 'if California continues to be this restrictive' with 'silly' COVID-19 shutdown

Joe Rogan : I might move to Texas 'if California continues to be this restrictive ' with 'silly ' COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ kidding ...
I do n't need to be here '

Amid news that Los Angeles County is extending its stay-at-home order through July — not to mention other statewide coronavirus-related moves, such as shutting down all public universities for the upcoming fall semester — premier podcaster Joe Rogan is seriously considering high-tailing it out of Dodge.
What are the details?
"Hey, I might move to Texas," he said during his Wednesday show. "If California continues to be this restrictive, I don't know if this is a good place to live. ... I might jet. I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding, this is silly. I don't need to be here."
Rogan also pointed to his home state's high taxes, as well as the prospect that he and his comedian friends might not be able to do standup in front of audiences "until 2022 or some s**t like that."
The host of "The Joe Rogan Experience" added that if he were to move to Texas, possible locations include Dallas and Austin. But summers in Houston, he said, are "motherf***ers," so that city's apparently out.
Rogan also spoke to comedian Bryan Callen, who confirmed that he's doing a series of standup shows in Houston at the end of the month — and in a 450-seat venue that will allow 200 audience members enter. Both the opened-up calendar in Texas and the number of people allowed in the Houston venue — more than 50% capacity — impressed Rogan.
"Why would we stay here?" he added.
Here's the clip. (Content warning: Language):