theblaze--2020-07-27--WATCH: BlazeTV host Steve Deace and activist Will Keeps demonstrate healing through racial reconcili

WATCH: BlazeTV host Steve Deace and activist Will Keeps demonstrate healing through racial reconciliation

WATCH : BlazeTV host Steve Deace and activist Will Keeps demonstrate healing through racial reconciliation

On Monday's episode of "The Steve Deace Show," recording artist and activist Will Keeps joined the show to talk about racial reconciliation.
In this clip, Steve Deace and Keeps demonstrated how similar Americans are, regardless of their skin color, and how it is possible to heal our broken nation by finding commonality in our experiences.
Keeps shared his testimony, detailing the tragic childhood that led him down a path to joining a gang. After almost losing his life, Keeps eventually turned his life around and became the man he is today: A father, activist, and thought leader in his community in Des Moines, Iowa.
Watch the video below for more details.
Racial Reconciliation, Without the Politics | Steve Deace Show Steve was joined by recording artist and activist Will Keeps to talk about what real, apolitical racial reconciliation looks like.
Use promo code DEACE to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steve Deace?
To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Notre Dame backs out of hosting first presidential debate, citing coronavirus concerns

Notre Dame backs out of hosting first presidential debate , citing coronavirus concerns Another university has stepped in to provide @ @

The University of Notre Dame has withdrawn from hosting the first presidential debate between Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump slated for late September, saying concerns over COVID-19 led to the decision.
What are the details?
Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins made the announcement Monday, saying the "difficult" decision to back out of hosting the debate was made "because the necessary health precautions would have greatly diminished the educational value of hosting the debate on our campus."
The Indiana school reported in a news release that Father Jenkins explained in a letter to the Notre Dame community earlier in the day that "the inevitable reduction in student attendance in the debate hall, volunteer opportunities and ancillary educational events undermined the primary benefit of hosting — to provide our students with a meaningful opportunity to engage in the American political process."
He added, "I am grateful to the many members of the University community who have devoted countless hours planning this event, and to the Commission on Presidential Debates leadership for their professionalism and understanding. But in the end, the constraints the coronavirus pandemic put on the event — as understandable and necessary as they are — have led us to withdraw."
The Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed Notre Dame's withdrawal from hosting and announced in a statement that the first debate will still be held Sept. 29, and the event will now be co-hosted by Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic at the Health Education Campus in Cleveland. The debate will be held in Samson Pavilion, a 477,000-square-foot facility built in 2019.
The Hill reported that Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic and Case Western President Barbara Snyder released a joint statement saying, "This pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of health care and scientific discovery in unprecedented ways. To have the presidential candidates discuss these issues on our innovative learning space represents a tremendous opportunity for both institutions — and our entire region."
Anything else?
The second debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled for Oct. 15 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and the third and final debate is slated for Oct. 22, to be hosted by Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The general election is Nov. 3.
According to Reuters, Notre Dame is the second debate site to back out of hosting due to the coronavirus concerns, noting that last month, the University of Michigan withdrew from providing the venue for the second debate.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Rand Paul argued sentence for the neighbor who broke his ribs was too lenient, and a judge just agre

Rand Paul argued sentence for the neighbor who broke his ribs was too lenient, and a judge just agreed

Rand Paul argued sentence for the neighbor who broke his ribs was too lenient , and a judge just agreed

Prosecutors argued Monday that the sentence for the man who tackled Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and broke his ribs was much too lenient, and a judge agreed with them.
Rene Boucher was convicted of assaulting a member of Congress in the November 2017 attack where he tackled Paul from the back over a dispute about yard work. He broke the senator's ribs and left him with a "significant injury that I have lifelong symptoms from," according to a statement in court by Paul.
In the original sentencing, Boucher was given 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. But Paul appealed the sentence, saying it was far too lenient. Prosecutors sought 21 to 27 months in prison for Boucher.
District Court Judge Matthew Leitman agreed to extend Boucher's sentence to an additional eight months. He will also be ordered to home confinement for six months.
Boucher was also ordered to pay the senator more than $580,000 in damages from a judgment in civil court.
"A momentary lapse in judgment"
The man, who is Paul's neighbor, explained previously that the attack was a result of his anger and frustration over the senator stacking yard waste on his own lawn but near Boucher's property. He admitted that he tackled Paul from behind after he had "had enough" of his actions.
Boucher has said he was embarrassed by his actions.
"He's lived 60 years without a hiccup," said Boucher's lawyer in 2018, "and this was unfortunately a very bad mistake to have been made. He's very sorry about it."
"I think this is a real example of how a momentary lapse in judgment, just 20 to 30 seconds of poor decision making can have such a profound impact, not only on Senator Paul, but also Dr. Boucher," he concluded.
Serious injuries
Paul said that doctors told him they had never seen the kind of injuries he received from that kind of attack, and said they more closely resembled injuries from a car accident.
"I don't know what a night without pain is like or what a day without pain is like, so I do suffer from this," Paul said of his injuries.
"This was no routine altercation," he added. "This was no sort of face-to-face, man-to-man thing."
Here's Paul's reaction to the previous sentence:


theblaze--2020-07-27--NYPD cop orders screaming leftist to 'back up!' She jumps right in his face and yells, 'or f***ing w

NYPD cop orders screaming leftist to 'back up!' She jumps right in his face and yells, 'or f***ing what?' Police show her what.

NYPD cop orders screaming leftist to 'back up ! '
She jumps right in his face and yells , 'or @ @ @ @ @ show her what .

In our latest installment of Leftists Losing Their Minds, we find a woman screaming at a group of New York City police officers in the middle of a street. It isn't clear from the video what brought about her decidedly vitriolic display or when it occurred, but suffice it to say she doesn't appear to be a fan of the Big Apple's finest.
After unleashing a torrent of F-bombs at the group of more than 10 officers, she orders them not to tell her to "f***ing back up!"
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Well, that apparently was too much for one of the officers to let slide without challenging her, so he told her to do exactly what she commanded them not to do: He calmly replied, "Back up."
Introducing 'The Or F***ing What Shuffle'
Ah, but our heroine came with a plan — and maybe a new dance move. Let's dub it the "Or F***ing What Shuffle."
That's because upon hearing the officer's retort, the enraged woman moved toward the offending cop, timing her first two steps with her holler of two words back at him — along with one final hop and one screamed word to polish it off. "Or ... f***ing ... what?" she yelled while apparently standing right in the officer's face.
Can you see it now? Two steps toward your partner ... then one big hop as you end up in each others' faces and yell, "Or f***ing what?" It'll be a sensation.
But the cops have a dance of their own
It isn't clear from the clip what the woman did after getting in the officer's face or if she made physical contact with him or other cops, but she was shoved backward — and then it was on. As she raised her hands and got combative, other officers stepped in and began restraining her as she screamed some more.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Others in the crowd couldn't believe their eyes as she was taken away. One called the officers "f***ing animals!" while another asked, "Are you serious?"
Anything else?
The NYPD has been assailed from many leftward angles of late:


theblaze--2020-07-27--Multiple MLB games postponed after team finds outbreak of COVID-19 cases

Marlins have 14 players and coaches test positive for the coronavirus Isan Diaz of the Miami Marlins slides home safely @ @ @ @ @ the top of the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on @ @ @ @ @ Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images )

Major League Baseball's season may already be in jeopardy after one team's COVID-19 cases caused the postponement of two games Monday, NBC Sports reported.
The Florida Marlins have had 14 players and coaches test positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days, ESPN reported, forcing the league to postpone the team's scheduled game against the Baltimore Orioles, as well as the game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, because Philadelphia hosted the Marlins for a three-game series that ended Sunday.
Major League Baseball issued a statement:
Tonight's scheduled games between the Miami Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles at Marlins Park and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park have been postponed while Major League Baseball conducts additional COVID-19 testing. The members of the Marlins' traveling party are self-quarantining in place while awaiting the outcome of those results. Major League Baseball has been coordinating with the Major League Baseball Players Association; the Marlins; the Orioles; the Marlins' weekend opponent, the Phillies; and Club medical staffs, and will continue to provide updates as appropriate.
The league planned to have a 60-game season with no fans attending games. Players and coaches are subject to COVID-19 testing every other day, and other personnel are also tested multiple times per week. When players test positive, they are quarantined until they produce two negative tests, at least 24 hours apart, and go 72 hours without displaying symptoms.
The Marlins' outbreak could be a case study in what to do (or not do) in response to positive tests in professional sports. The NFL hasn't started yet, and the NBA has put players, coaches, and members of the media into a restrictive "bubble" in Orlando where all games will be played.
Major League Baseball is taking a less restrictive approach, allowing teams to travel across the country as they would during a normal season. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Major League Baseball explored the possibility of a bubble format in Arizona, but could not get a buy-in from the players union.
There have been no reports that any of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 in MLB have gotten severely ill, but details on their condition haven't been released.
Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said the postponement will give teams a chance to fully assess the situation and decide how to proceed.
"The health of our players and staff has been and will continue to be our primary focus as we navigate through these unchartered waters," Jeter said in a statement. "After a successful Spring 2.0, we have now experienced challenges once we went on the road and left Miami. Postponing tonight's home opener was the correct decision to ensure we take a collective pause and try to properly grasp the totality of this situation. We have conducted another round of testing for our players and staff, and our team will all remain in Philadelphia pending the results of those tests, which we expect later today. We will provide additional information as soon as it becomes available."


theblaze--2020-07-27--Glenn Beck: My entire family caught COVID-19

Will everyone eventually catch it ?

Despite being just about the most isolated family in America for the past several months, Glenn Beck's entire family caught COVID-19 — all except for his two grandkids and himself, that is. Fortunately for them, it was no worse than having a "bad cold with a fever."
On the radio program Monday, Glenn shared what the experience has been like so far, the medicines his doctor has prescribed, and why he believes everyone will eventually catch this virus.
Watch the video below:
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--2020-07-27--Joe Biden campaign is 'suppressing the Hispanic vote' in Florida says ... group of nearly 100 Democr

Joe Biden campaign is 'suppressing the Hispanic vote' in Florida says ... group of nearly 100 Democratic organizers

Joe Biden campaign is 'suppressing the Hispanic vote ' in Florida says ... group of nearly 100 Democratic organizers Trump @ @ @ @ @ and watch

Democrats often accuse Republicans of attempting to suppress the votes of American minorities. If the GOP pushes for voter ID laws, the Democrats shout "suppression!" If Republicans dare push for laws to stop election fraud — "suppression!"
On and on it goes.
But over the weekend the tables turned in Florida. Now the campaign of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is facing accusations of "suppressing the Hispanic vote" in the Sunshine State.
And accusations are coming from Democrats. Not just any Democrats — but Democratic field organizers. Nearly 100 of them.
What's that now?
A group of 94 party activists sent a seven-page internal letter to the Florida Democratic Party leadership Friday, alleging that the Biden campaign is "suppressing the Hispanic vote" in Central Florida, according to the the Miami Herald, which obtained a copy of the missive.
With just over three months to go before the presidential election, allegations of "mistreatment of field organizers, relocating trained staff members without explanation, lack of organizing resources and taking on volunteers who are then left in limbo" is not something the party or the campaign likely wants the public to hear about.
The Herald reported that the organizers claim the campaign is perpetuating a "toxic" work culture and is lacking vital infrastructure.
One of the recent party moves at issue, according to the letter, is the decision by the FDP to transfer several Spanish-speaking organizers from a region in the central part of the state that is heavily Puerto Rican to the northern region with few Hispanics.
The letter also said that input from organizers connected to Central Florida's Puerto Rican community is often dismissed, the Herald said.
"Four of five Spanish-speaking organizers along the I-4 corridor who were moved to North Florida were Puerto Rican," the letter stated, according to the Herald.
Apparently, the campaign "is suppressing the Hispanic vote by removing Spanish-speaking organizers from Central Florida without explanation, which fails to confront a system of white-dominated politics we are supposed to be working against as organizers of a progressive party," the newspaper reported.
Worries about Democrats and the state's Hispanic vote is reportedly not a new concern of Florida Democrats. The Herald said the letter reflects similar concerns that Florida Democratic County chairmen shared with party leaders days before when they warned that the Biden campaign risks making the same mistakes Hillary Clinton's campaign made in 2016.
The letter writers are also annoyed with the way the party has reacted to those who would bring up the concerns and noted that there does not seem to be an adequate plan in place. More from the Herald:
Organizers say in the memo that while they have expressed frustration with the campaign's missteps in Florida, some staff members have been “lectured" as a result, and their concerns dismissed as “unnecessary and wrong." And the signatories stress that while some employees have been brought from out of state to supervise field staffers, the state party's field organizers have not been given priority.
“We are roughly 100 days out from the election, and there is no functional targeted field outreach and organizing of the Hispanic/Spanish-speaking, Brazilian/Portuguese-speaking, and Haitian/Creole-speaking communities in our state," the letter states. “There are no targets, scripts, data infrastructure, community outreach, or phonebanks established for this."
One anonymous organizer warned the state party in a statement to the Herald: "The way you treat your lowest ranked employees says a lot about you as an organization ... especially in electoral work, when organizers are the ones on the front lines."
Another anonymous Democratic staffer told the paper: "It's disappointing, but I can't say that I'm surprised. I just hope that it will be reckoned with soon."
Just a union thing?
Democratic Party officials in Florida told the Herald this is all connected to ongoing negotiations with the organizers' union:
A Democratic official familiar with internal discussions who asked not to be named said the letter comes amid negotiations between the Coordinated Campaign in Florida and the field organizers' union, the IBEW Local 824.
The official said organizers have not been updated on their individual assignments due to the ongoing union negotiations, which predate the letter.
Jackie Lee, Biden for President Florida state director, said in a statement the campaign has an “open-door policy" and its leadership in Florida is consulting with IBEW Local 824 on “many of the issues" discussed in the letter.
Hoping to tamp down the bad press on the newest complaint against the Biden campaign, Lee added, "We look forward to discussing them with organizers and getting their feedback as soon as able. The stakes of this election are critical, and we are committed to working with our organizers and Florida Democrats at every level in order to build a strong, successful Coordinated Campaign."
She also said that the complaint in the letter about moving staff appears unwarranted, telling the Herald that over the last six weeks "no staff are asked to move or relocate, either from out of state or within states."


theblaze--2020-07-27--George Soros has poured $50 million into 2020 elections, breaking his previous record by tens of mil

George Soros has poured $50 million into 2020 elections, breaking his previous record by tens of millions with months to go

George Soros has poured $ 50 million into 2020 elections , breaking his previous record by tens of millions with @ @ @ @ @ more than double what he spent in 2016

Liberal billionaire George Soros has donated more than $50 million to various Democratic campaigns and political action committees during the 2020 election cycle, breaking his previous record by tens of millions, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
What are the details?
The whopping sum of money more than doubles Soros' previous record high of $22 million, which came in 2016 — and there are still more than three months to go until this year's Election Day.
The Washington Free Beacon reports that Soros has poured the majority of the money into Democratic coffers through his Democracy PAC, which he created last year.
FEC filings show that last quarter, the Democracy PAC logged nearly $17 million in disbursements, bringing its total disbursements this election cycle to $48 million. The Free Beacon reported that Soros has personally doled out another $4 million to Democratic campaigns and committees without going through the PAC, making Soros' total donations approximately $52 million.
The outlet noted that Soros' huge donations fly in the face of what several of his benefactors, including former Vice President Joe Biden, have to say about big money in politics.
On his website, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee says "we could improve our politics overnight if we flushed big money from the system and had public financing of our election," and "democracy works best when a big bank account or a large donor list are not prerequisites for office."
His website also promises that, as president, Biden "will reform our campaign finance system so that it amplifies the voices of the public, not the powerful — particularly the voices of working Americans."
Anything else?
Earlier this year, while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Soros said that the "fate of the world" is at stake in the 2020 election.
During the speech, he said President Trump "is a con man and a narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him." He also said Trump is an "authoritarian" who is "willing to sacrifice the national interests for his personal interests."
The Free Beacon reported that "some of [Soros's] largest donations went to the Nancy Pelosi-linked House Majority PAC ($2 million), Chuck Schumer-tied Senate Majority PAC ($1.5 million), Planned Parenthood Votes ($625,000), and the dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund ($1 million)."


theblaze--2020-07-27--Black man chants 'All Lives Matter!' as white Seattle leftists try getting him to stop. But he's had

Black man chants 'All Lives Matter!' as white Seattle leftists try getting him to stop. But he's had enough: 'F*** Black Lives Matter!'

Black man chants 'All Lives Matter ! '
as white Seattle leftists try getting him to stop .
But he @ @ @ @ @ F*** Black Lives Matter ! '
Another black man got on a megaphone and berated @ @ @ @ @ out of trash

Journalist Katie Daviscourt caught some eye-opening moments as left-wing Antifa militants gathered in a Seattle intersection Sunday presumably in the hopes of starting a confrontation with police.
But as it turns out, the throng pushing the marxist Black Lives Matter movement upon America got some painful pushback — courtesy of two black men who clearly have had enough.
What happened?
One black man began kicking down a pitiful barricade spanning the width of the street that rioters created out of trash containers and miscellaneous pieces of garbage — and told them all exactly what he thinks about their movement.
"All Lives Matter! All Lives Matter!" the black man chanted as he booted container after container, dismantling the barrier. "All Lives Matter!"
Right on cue, what appeared to be three white people rushed toward the black man messing with their trash right in front of them. One woman was particularly angry, ordering the black man to "get back!" and "get out of here!"
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
A couple of other BLM activists who appeared to be black stepped in to try to calm things down — but the guy was only getting started.
He then stalked in front of the barrier, raised his arm, and let out another "All Lives Matter!" chant right at the BLM throng. They tried to drown him out with a counter-"Black Lives Matter!" chant, but he kept right on going.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
And when he was done, he gave them all a middle finger and said, "F*** Black Lives Matter!" and walked away.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Content warning: Language:
Anything else?
Another black man got on a megaphone and berated the BLM and Antifa faithful for the trash barricade. He got into arguments with several left-wing black men who didn't appreciate him throwing light on their pitiful gesture — and again, right on cue, a white man mustered up the gall to lecture him on his actions.
Content warning: Language:
Things are not looking up in Seattle at the moment. After having finally dispensed with the militant "CHOP" autonomous zone that plagued an area of downtown for weeks, the leftists are at it again, stirring up trouble — and Chief Carmen Best told businesses in a Friday letter that they're essentially on their own when it comes to rioters.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Retired officer buys old police cruiser. It turns out it belonged to his beloved late father: 'It's

Retired officer buys old police cruiser. It turns out it belonged to his beloved late father: 'It's as if the car has come back home'

Retired officer buys old police cruiser .
It turns out it belonged to his beloved late father : 'It 's @ @ @ @ @ come back home' Warms the cockles of your heart

A retired police officer who was looking to find a car similar to that of his late dad's hit the jackpot — and he ended up purchasing his late father's police cruiser after spotting it on eBay.
What are the details?
Greg Barnett, a 47-year-old retired police officer from the U.K., was searching eBay for a car like his father's old police cruiser, and he couldn't have been luckier: The car wasn't simply like his father's old police cruiser — it was his father's old police cruiser.
Greg's father, Barrie Barnett, was a a driving instructor for Durham Constabulary who died in 2007 at the age of 65.
When Barnett saw the listing for the 1978 Vauxhall VX90, which was painted like those patrol cars he'd seen in his hometown of Durham, England, he was instantly intrigued.
He said he began to scroll through the listing's photos when he came across an expense sheet that bore his father's name and handwriting.
"I was gobsmacked when I saw the receipts with my father's signature on it," he said. "It blew me away."
Barnett told SWNS, "That was it — you could have picked me up off the floor after that! The last time I saw [the car] it was in 2008 or 2009."
What happened next?
He immediately reached out to the seller, who was located 300 miles away in Wells. The seller said that he purchased the old vehicle from a government lot.
Barnett said he shelled out about $11,500 for the vehicle.
"It brought a lot of memories flooding back," he added. "It's as if the car has come back home."
Yahoo UK reports that Barnett — who owns his own business — plans to showcase his dad's old cruiser at classic car shows.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Dogs trained to sniff out COVID-19 infections did so with 94% accuracy in a recent study

Dogs trained to sniff out COVID-19 infections did so with 94 % accuracy in a recent study The super-sniffers could @ @ @ @ @ fight

A recent study found that dogs trained to sniff out the coronavirus infections did so with 94% accuracy, and researchers are hoping the method could soon be implemented to prevent future outbreaks at mass gatherings.
In the study, published by BMC Infectious Diseases and led by University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, researchers trained eight German Armed Forces "detection dogs" for one week to detect human saliva secretions of SARS-CoV-2 in infected patients.
The detection dogs were then presented with 1,012 randomized samples, to test whether they were able to discriminate between samples of infected (positive) and non-infected (negative) individuals.
In the end, the dogs were amazingly able to discriminate with an "overall detection rate of 94%," giving "157 correct indications of positive, 792 correct rejections of negative, 33 incorrect indications of negative incorrect rejections of 30 positive sample presentations."
According to PBS, dogs have smell receptors between 10,000 and 100,000 times more powerful than humans, meaning they can detect a teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water or a rotten apple in 2 million barrels.
If analogized to vision, researchers say, it means that what humans can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away with clarity.
CNBC reported that researchers hope that detection dogs could be one day be used in public areas such as airports and at large gatherings such as sporting events in order to prevent further spread of the virus.
In a YouTube video about the study, Maren von Koeckritz-Blickwede, a study researcher and professor at the university, said the dogs were able to successfully detect the samples because the metabolic processes of an infected person "completely change."
"We think that the dogs are able to detect a specific smell of the metabolic changes that occur in those patients," she said.
Researchers say the next step would be to train dogs to differentiate between the coronavirus samples and other infectious diseases such as Influenza.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Horowitz: SCOTUS rules Nevada churches can be restricted more than casinos

Horowitz : SCOTUS rules Nevada churches can be restricted more than casinos

"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people." ~John Adams
Viruses spread more efficiently in churches than in casinos. That is the upshot of the latest Supreme Court ruling, denying fundamental First Amendment rights under the guise of protecting public safety.
In Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak, a large church in Dayton, Nevada, sued the governor for limiting church capacity to just 50 people. Anyone else who wants to pray, even following all of the masking and distancing guidelines, must be turned away. Meanwhile, in an obvious catering to special interests, casinos, gyms, restaurants, and bars can entertain up to 50 percent capacity, even if that includes several hundred people. Nobody thought this could pass constitutional muster, but once again Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberals and denied an appeal from the church.
"A casino with a 500-person occupancy limit may let in up to 250 people," but "a church with a 500-person occupancy limit may let in only 50 people," said Justice Kavanaugh in a separate dissent. There were also dissents from the other three justices, Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch.
It's truly shocking how four months into this pandemic, governors continue to violate constitutional rights without legislative input and without any benchmarks, time limits, or transparency measures that demonstrate they are using the least restrictive means of achieving a vital state interest when they conflict with individual rights. But this case is worse, because it demonstrates blatant discrimination against a protected right to gather for religious services.
If anything, as Justice Alito pointed out, churches are a calmer, more stable environment in which it is easier to keep a distance than casinos, which are the paradigm of dynamic and wild movement and intermingling.
"For Las Vegas casinos, 50% capacity often means thousands of patrons, and the activities that occur in casinos frequently involve far less physical distancing and other safety measures than the worship services that Calvary Chapel proposes to conduct," wrote Justice Alito in his dissent. "Patrons at a craps or blackjack table do not customarily stay six feet apart. Casinos are permitted to serve alcohol, which is well known to induce risk taking, and drinking generally requires at least the temporary removal of masks."
Not only that, casinos tend to attract people from all over the country, as opposed to community churches.
Casinos attract patrons from all over the country. In anticipation of reopening, one casino owner gave away 2,000 one-way airline tickets to Las Vegas. And when the Governor announced that casinos would be permitted to reopen, he invited visitors to come to the State. The average visitor to Las Vegas visits more than six different casinos, potentially gathering with far more than 50 persons in each one. Visitors to Las Vegas who gamble do so for more than two hours per day on average, and gamblers in a casino often move from one spot to another, trying their luck at different games or at least at different slot machines.
The majority of justices who denied the appeal did not explain their rationale in a written opinion. But I think we already know what it is. We no longer have equal justice under the law, but rather preferential treatment for special interests. It is the same reason that rioters have been exempted from public gathering restrictions, even though they are, by their very nature, out of control and against protocol. It's why New York Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled all summer parades but encouraged BLM protests to continue, regardless of the size. Contra Costa, California, bans gatherings over 12 people, but has allowed protests up to 100. And I'm sure if they went over the limit, it wouldn't be the protesters who would have to fear reprisal, but the cops.
What has become clear is that ordinary Americans seeking to exercise their fundamental rights in the face of unprecedented tyranny have no pathway to protection through the courts. The courts are giving standing to foreign nationals or their proxies to sue for visa issuance to get around the epidemic-driven travel suspensions, yet American citizens can't pray in church. Criminals and illegal aliens can get standing to be released from prison under the guise of stopping the spread of COVID-19, but we must put masks on our two-years olds. Suddenly, the right to privacy that plays so prominently in case law regarding abortion has no legal standing when it comes to our own bodily integrity.
At this point, our only appeal must be to the heavenly court.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Seattle City Council ties cops' hands — so police chief is forced to tell business owners they're on

Seattle City Council ties cops' hands — so police chief is forced to tell business owners they're on their own against rioters

Seattle City Council ties cops ' hands — so police chief is forced to tell business owners they 're on @ @ @ @

Roving bands of looters are now officially the problem of Seattle business owners — and not that of the Seattle police.
What are the details?
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best sent out a letter, dated July 24, detailing a new ordinance that prohibits Seattle police officers from using "less lethal tools, including pepper spray" to disperse any angry mobs. The ordinance can be read in its entirety here.
Best wrote, "Please know that the Seattle Police Department is committed to addressing life safety incidents and calls for service, and responding to ongoing demonstrations and unrest in the city."
The letter, which emerged on social media, reads, "Please also know that the City Council Ordinance 119805 Crowd Control Tool goes into effect this weekend on Sunday, July 26, 2020. This ordinance bans Seattle Police officers the use of less lethal tools, including pepper spray that is commonly used to disperse crowds that have turned violent. Simply put, the legislation gives officers NO ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd. "
The letter continued, "It is important to bring to your attention that yesterday, I sent the City Council a letter ensuring them that as the Chief of Police, I have done my due diligence of informing them numerous times of the foreseeable impact of this ordinance on upcoming events. The letter is attached for your reference."
"For these reasons, Seattle Police will have an adjusted deployment in response to any demonstrations this weekend — as I will never ask our officers to risk their personal safety to protect property without the tools to do so in a safe way," Best's letter concluded.
Police chief refuses to put officers at risk
In a Thursday letter to the city council, Best said she believes it has tied the hands of the Seattle Police Department.
She wrote, "It is a fact that there are groups and individuals who are intent on destruction in our City. Yes, we also have seen weeks of peaceful demonstrations, but two recent events (Sunday, July 19th and Wednesday, July 22nd) have included wide-scale property destruction and attacks on officers, injuring more than a dozen, some significantly."
Best added that she anticipates the city will continue experiencing "property destruction, arson, looting, and attempts to injure additional officers throughout the weekend and beyond."
She explained that deploying the police "under these circumstances, as created by Council, we cannot manage demonstrations as we have in the past."
"If I am not allowed to lawfully equip officers with the tools they have been trained to use to protect the community and themselves, it would be reckless to have them confront this level of violence under the current legal restrictions imposed by Council," the letter added.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Yale epidemiologist: Hydroxychloroquine works against COVID-19, so use it and stop politicizing it

Yale epidemiologist : Hydroxychloroquine works against COVID-19 , so use it and stop politicizing it

A professor of epidemiology at Yale University wrote for Newsweek that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for patients in the early stages of a COVID-19 infection and urged medical professionals not to let politics or peer pressure stop them from using it to save lives.
Hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has long been used to treat malaria, has been found by numerous studies to be effective against COVID-19 and safe for patients. However, use of the drug has become a political dispute, especially since President Donald Trump advocated for it and even took it himself.
"I am fighting for a treatment that the data fully support but which, for reasons having nothing to do with a correct understanding of the science, has been pushed to the sidelines," wrote Dr. Harvey A. Risch. "As a result, tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying unnecessarily."
Risch cites several studies, which he has been analyzing and writing about in medical journals for months, that show that patients who take hydroxychloroquine, especially in combination with azithromycin and zinc, have lower mortality rates. He also pointed to what he called "natural experiments" in which countries saw significant changes in COVID-19 mortality corresponding with changes in national policy on hydroxychloroquine. Risch writes:
In the northern Brazil state of Pará, COVID-19 deaths were increasing exponentially. On April 6, the public hospital network purchased 75,000 doses of azithromycin and 90,000 doses of hydroxychloroquine. Over the next few weeks, authorities began distributing these medications to infected individuals. Even though new cases continued to occur, on May 22 the death rate started to plummet and is now about one-eighth what it was at the peak.
A reverse natural experiment happened in Switzerland. On May 27, the Swiss national government banned outpatient use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19. Around June 10, COVID-19 deaths increased four-fold and remained elevated. On June 11, the Swiss government revoked the ban, and on June 23 the death rate reverted to what it had been beforehand. People who die from COVID-19 live about three to five weeks from the start of symptoms, which makes the evidence of a causal relation in these experiments strong. Both episodes suggest that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and its companion medications reduces mortality and should be immediately adopted as the new standard of care in high-risk patients.
Risch pointed out that although the Food and Drug Administration warned of heart problems associated with hydroxychloroquine use, the warning was not issued with full context.
"But what the FDA did not announce is that these adverse events were generated from tens of millions of patient uses of hydroxychloroquine for long periods of time, often for the chronic treatment of lupus or rheumatoid arthritis," Risch wrote. "Even if the true rates of arrhythmia are ten-fold higher than those reported, the harms would be minuscule compared to the mortality occurring right now in inadequately treated high-risk COVID-19 patients."
Risch calls for an end to political bickering over hydroxychloroquine and for a renewed focus on the science and what the data show.
"For many, [hydroxychloroquine] is viewed as a marker of political identity, on both sides of the political spectrum," Risch wrote. "Nobody needs me to remind them that this is not how medicine should proceed. We must judge this medication strictly on the science."


theblaze--2020-07-27--Sen. Josh Hawley: I won't support any Supreme Court nominee who won't say Roe was 'wrongly decided'

Sen. Josh Hawley: I won't support any Supreme Court nominee who won't say Roe was 'wrongly decided' — 'and I don't care who nominates them'

Sen. Josh Hawley : I wo n't support any Supreme Court nominee who wo n't say Roe was 'wrongly decided @ @ @ @ @ n't care who nominates them '

Rumors have swirled that President Donald Trump could get the chance to nominate a third member of the Supreme Court later this year. One Republican senator — and member of Judiciary Committee — is making it clear that any nominee sent to the upper chamber must oppose Roe v. Wade to get his support.
In an interview with the Washington Post Sunday, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he would not support any nominee who was not publicly on record — before being nominated — that Roe, which declared women had the right to abortion nationwide, was "wrongly decided."
"I will vote only for those Supreme Court nominees who have explicitly acknowledged that Roe v. Wade is wrongly decided," Hawley told the Post.
And because nominees are often lauded by individual senators for what the would-be justices tell them in private one-on-one conversations in their personal offices, Hawley made it clear that any nominee that he would support will have to have made their stance clear before being presented to the Senate.
"By explicitly acknowledged, I mean on the record and before they were nominated," he said.
Ongoing fight
Knowing a nominee's position on Roe has been a leading issue in Senate hearings for years. The left wants judges who will say that Roe is "settled law" that the high court should not change ... ever — a sort of super stare decisis. Which means pro-Roe judges can share how they would rule on cases related to the infamous abortion ruling.
However, any nominee who might consider Roe to be "wrongly decided" is considered prudent for not sharing that viewpoint publicly if he wants to be confirmed.
Hawley has had enough of that.
"I don't want private assurances from candidates," the senator said. "I don't want to hear about their personal views, one way or another. I'm not looking for forecasts about how they may vote in the future or predications. I don't want any of that. I want to see on the record, as part of their record, that they have acknowledged in some forum that Roe v. Wade, as a legal matter, is wrongly decided."
Hawley's position does not come as much of a surprise: Most political watchers expect him to make a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and it's important to establish his conservative bona fides now.
Also, Hawley once served as a Supreme Court clerk for Chief Justice John Roberts, who has drawn the ire of many conservatives who have felt betrayed by his record while on the high court — from his oft-criticized Obamacare ruling to his most recent controversial decision rejecting a Nevada church's plea to host more parishioners.
Roberts set off pro-lifers in June with his deciding vote in Medical Services v. Russo, which struck down a Louisiana law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The chief justice made a stare decisis argument to support his vote, saying his position to strike down the Louisiana law was based on a 2016 ruling that struck down a similar Texas law (Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt); however, Roberts was a dissenting vote in the Texas case.
It was at Roberts' 2005 nomination hearing that the late Sen. Arlen Specter famously asked Roberts if he thought Roe would qualify for "super stare decisis," a term that the then-nominee correctly noted wasn't a thing in Supreme Court opinions ... "yet." Specter later pressed Roberts again, asking if "Roe might be a super-duper precedent," but Roberts, who said he did support stare decisis, wouldn't share his thoughts on the merits of Roe itself.
And since the Roberts hearings, explicit public support for protecting Roe has been paramount to the left.
Hawley wants that to change going forward.
"Roe is central to judicial philosophy," he told the Post. "Roe is and was an unbridled act of judicial imperialism. It marks the point the modern Supreme Court said, 'You know, we don't have to follow the Constitution. We won't even pretend to try.'"
His position likely won't thrill pro-choice fellow Republican senators, namely Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), who have long opposed SCOTUS picks they believed were hostile to Roe and notably supported Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh after he assured Collins that he agreed with Roberts on Roe.
But Hawley isn't playing.
"This standard, for me, applies to Supreme Court nominees, whether they're a sitting judge or whatever," he said. "If there is no indication in their record that at any time they have acknowledged that Roe was wrong at the time it was decided, then I'm not going to vote for them."
"And I don't care who nominates them," Hawley added.


theblaze--2020-07-27--AP releases horrifying account of mass violence in Portland

Pretty much dashes Nadler 's insistence that rioting is a 'myth '

Mike Balsamo, reporter for the Associated Press, knows that the violence erupting in Portland, Oregon, is not a myth, despite Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler's assertion otherwise.
Nadler on Sunday told a journalist that despite relevant reporting and videos, the violence in Portland is a nothing more than a "myth" circulating in Washington, D.C.
What are the details?
Balsamo recently spent an evening at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland. Balsamo, who barricaded himself inside with federal law enforcement while 4,000 unruly demonstrators proceeded to attack the building as well as locations across the city, said that it was clear the area had turned into a war zone.
In a widely shared report, Balsamo shared his experience inside the fortified building.
"In the no-mans-land outside stood the fence: A thick, black iron installation, erected six days before, a dividing line between protester and protector, a stark separation between two radically different world views," Balsamo reported.
It was clear that the area was a heavy focus of rioting.
"The terrace outside the front door was littered with garbage, the steps leading to the courthouse splattered with paint," he wrote. "A mixture of anti-police and Black Lives Matter graffiti covered the building's outer walls and columns to a height of about 10 feet."
Balsamo said that tear gas from protests the night before "still hung in the air" and "coated the floor with a slime that had been hurriedly mopped up by custodians earlier that day."
Then he made a terrifying point: Rioters seem to have dehumanized law enforcement officials and people with opposite values to the point of considering them nothing more than lifeless pawns or "thoughtless political minions."
One unnamed deputy U.S. marshal told Balsamo that he is shaken every time he has to leave the building.
"You open those doors out, when the crowd is shaking the fence, and ... on the other side of that fence are people that want to kill you because of the job we chose to do and what we represent," he said. "I can't walk outside without being in fear for my life. I am worried for my life, every time I walk outside of the building."
Another agent told Balsamo that the country has no idea about what's actually happening in Portland.
"You see a lot of commentary on social media about, 'Well, they're wearing protective gear so that it's not going to hurt them.' Okay, I'll put the same protective gear on you and I'll throw a brick at your head and you tell me if you feel comfortable with that," a senior U.S. Marshals Service official said.
"They can put out 10 seconds of something (on social media) that unfolded over several minutes, and those are the 10 seconds that look bad for us, whereas the rest of it would look bad for everybody," he added. "They use what serves their narrative."
Agent left with 'bloody gashes' and 'deadened' hearing
As night crept in, the situation at the courthouse became more and more desperate.
"Thirty minutes later, someone fired a commercial-grade firework inside the fence," Balsamo recalled. "Next came a flare and then protesters began using an angle grinder to eat away at the fence. A barrage of items came whizzing into the courthouse: rocks, cans of beans, water bottles, potatoes, and rubber bouncy balls that cause the agents to slip and fall."
Heavy cans of Black Turtle beans appear to be a crowd favorite, but standby water bottles still suffice.
Conditions only deteriorated from there, Balsamo noted, as agents were forced to deploy tear gas to disperse and confuse. Protesters began to fire metal ball bearings with slingshots, and agents began firing pepper balls through window slits.
"No one talked much over the whir of the industrial fans set up to blow the tear gas back outside," Balsamo wrote. "The men who weren't on the front line sat with helmets in their laps but left their gas masks on so they could breathe, the air still thick with chemical irritants."
More and more fireworks shook the building's walls as the rioters cheered.
An agent was struck by a firework, leaving him burned and bloodied.
"It exploded with a boom, leaving his hearing deadened and bloody gashes on both forearms," Balsamo writes. "Stunned, with help from his cohorts, he stripped to his boxer shorts and a black T-shirt so his wounds could be examined and photographed for evidence."
The night was long, but federal reinforcements showed up and were able to push rioters away from the building.
One deputy U.S. marshal issued eerie remarks to Balsalmo: "I look out on the street and it looks like downtown Baghdad."
(H/T: Redstate)


theblaze--2020-07-27--Riot breaks out at Putt Putt Fun Center as parents drop off teens, hundreds mob it, and one female d

Riot breaks out at Putt Putt Fun Center as parents drop off teens, hundreds mob it, and one female destroys counter, spits at employee

Riot breaks out at Putt Putt Fun Center as parents drop off teens , hundreds mob it , and one @ @ @ @ @ at employee 'Unfortunately , yesterday evening we had an incident that we have never experienced @ @ @ @ @ '

It was no fun at the Putt Putt Fun Center in Memphis, Tennessee, over the weekend.
What happened?
The outfit said parents started dropping off their children Saturday evening when a crowd of 300 to 400 people overwhelmed it, placing it in violation of COVID-19 restrictions, WREG-TV reported, citing a police report.
With that the Putt Putt Fun Center decided to close, the station said, adding that chaos erupted when employees said they wouldn't issue refunds.
Video of the rioting shows a girl busting up transparent dividers and destroying a counter. She also grabs heavy stands and chucks them across the counter at terrified employees who scamper away:
Image source: TMZ video screenshot
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Others said online they were at the center and claimed some of its gaming machines were taking money without giving playing time, TMZ reported.
Here's the clip:
WREG said the girl also was seen spitting at an employee.
The station said it tried reaching out to the girl to get her side of the story but hadn't heard back from her.
What did the company have to say?
The center's general manager, Aaron Boss, said in a statement to WREG that the incident was something the company has "never experienced in 57 years of business."
Unfortunately, yesterday evening we had an incident that we have never experienced in 57 years of business. Parents chose to leave large groups of teenagers at our facility without their supervision. Some of those people chose to create a disturbance the likes of which we have never seen. We are very thankful that none of our Golf and Games family or customers were injured during this situation. We are actively trying to identify those involved and hold them accountable for their actions. Going forward, any minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Anyone that is left unattended will be asked to leave. We have been the Memphis area's locally owned place for family entertainment for nearly six decades. We will always welcome those who choose to share their family experiences with us. Please understand this is not a reflection of us or our park. We look forward to serving you soon.
So far, only a 13-year-old boy was issued a juvenile summons for disorderly conduct, the station said, adding that the Putt Putt Fun Center resumed operations Sunday.


theblaze--2020-07-27--LeBron James' voting rights group is paying fines for convicted felons so they can vote in Florida

LeBron James ' voting rights group is paying fines for convicted felons so they can vote in Florida Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ on before an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers @ @ @ @ @ at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles , California .
( Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire @ @ @ @

The voting rights organization founded by NBA star LeBron James is contributing $100,000 toward paying fines for convicted felons in Florida so they can vote, Politico reported.
James and other athletes and entertainers founded More Than a Vote after the death of George Floyd as a group focused on increasing voter turnout among minority communities. In Florida, convicted felons were granted the right to vote, but they are still prohibited from doing so if they owe court debts.
"Your right to vote shouldn't depend upon whether or not you can pay to exercise it," Miami Heat forward and More than a Vote member Udonis Haslem said in a written statement.
The partnership will help ensure that "formerly incarcerated American citizens — many of them Black and brown — are able to pay their outstanding fines and fees and register to vote in the 2020 election and beyond."
The coalition already has raised more than $1.5 million for its fees-and-fines fund, but the partnership with More Than A Vote is expected to bring attention and awareness to the effort.
More Than a Vote is partnering with Florida Rights Restoration Coalition in this effort.
"We are Black athletes and artists working together," reads a statement of purpose on the More Than a Vote website. "Our priority right now is combating systemic, racist voter suppression by educating, energizing, and protecting our community in 2020."
A study earlier this year concluded that more than 774,000 incarcerated people can't vote because of legal financial obligations, and the professor who conducted that study called that number a "conservative" estimate. For context, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis beat his Democratic opponent, former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, by only 33,000 votes in 2018.
After Florida's lifetime voting ban for felons was reversed by an amendment, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a law requiring those convicted felons to pay all outstanding court debts before being allowed to vote.
In May, a federal judge called that law unconstitutional, saying it was essentially a poll tax and ordering the state to come up with a different process.
"Taxation without representation led a group of patriots to throw lots of tea into a harbor when there were barely united colonies, let alone a United States," U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle wrote in his ruling, Politico reported. "Before Amendment 4, no state disenfranchised as large a portion of the electorate as Florida."
DeSantis has appealed the ruling, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will hold a hearing on the case on Aug. 18.


theblaze--2020-07-27--VIDEO: New Jersey gym owners arrested for defying Gov. Phil Murphy's shutdown order

The owners vow to keep fighting

The owners of embattled Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey, were arrested Monday morning for opening in defiance of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's lockdown order.
What happened?
The arrests came after a Superior Court judge ruled Friday that the governor had the authority to shut the gym down and that co-owners Ian Smith, 33, and Frank Trumbetti, 51, were in contempt of court for attempting to keep it open.
Smith and Trumbetti were charged with one count of fourth-degree contempt, one count of obstruction, and one count of Violation of a Disaster Control Act and could face fines for their actions, according to NJ.com.
Authorities reportedly observed "a number of people" entering the gym to use it over the weekend despite the judge's order.
After the owners refused to leave the gym Monday morning, authorities reportedly arrested them and transported them Bellmawr Police Department for booking before releasing them.
Smith posted a video of his and Trumbetti's arrests on his Instagram Monday.
"Welcome to America 2020, where feeding your family and standing up for your Constitutional rights is illegal. @govmurphy flexing his little tyrant muscles finally — only took him 70 days," Smith wrote in the caption.
"Officers from the county sheriffs entered the premises without a warrant or adhering to the signage posted on the door requesting they call first. They took Frank and I away and boarded up our private place of business," he continued, saying, "This is gonna be fun in court."
"If this doesn't alarm you, you're part of the problem," he added.
What's the background?
Atilis Gym made headlines in May after the owners refused to shut down after Murphy's executive order called on all "nonessential" businesses in the state — including gyms — to close.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the gym displayed American and Trump 2020 flags and chanted "USA" and "Let's get back to work!"
That set off a weeks-long battle with state and local officials, which involved legal challenges and government authorities changing the gym's locks and constructing barriers to entry. Smith and Trumbetti even alleged that paper towels were stuffed in their plumbing, causing a sewer backup, even though the gym does not have paper towels in its bathrooms.
In response to the ruling Friday, Smith posted a video on his Instagram vowing not to back down even as prosecutors were on their way to change the locks.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Suspect taunts police officers with viral video: 'Come and get me b***h.' They do.

Suspect taunts police officers with viral video : 'Come and get me b***h. ' They do .
They were seeking @ @ @ @ @ before his arrest

A Georgia man has gone viral for taunting the police as they sought him during a seven-month drug investigation — and so did his subsequent arrest.
What are the details?
Authorities were seeking William Reeves Durga, 21, for sale of cocaine and use of a communication facility during the commission of a felony, according to police.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation placed a photo of Durga on a poster shared with social media on July 2.
The photo announced that authorities were seeking Durga in regard to a then-ongoing drug investigation.
Durga apparently saw the Facebook photo and shared it to a TikTok video with a video of himself superimposed over the photo, dancing.
He captioned the video, "Come and get me bi**h."
(Content warning: Rough language):
Naturally, the video caught the attention of law enforcement as it went viral, racking up 4 million views.
According to WSB-TV, "Durga's viral fame did not help him keep a low profile and out of the way of law enforcement. The GBI West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, LaGrange Police Department, and the Troup County Sheriff's Office worked together and arrested Durga Friday."
In a statement, Durga told the LaGrange Daily News that he was just trying to get even with law enforcement for "[blasting] me on social media."
Before his arrest, Durga said, "Honestly, I'm not wanting to turn myself into Troup County Jail. It is so nasty and full of coronavirus. They haven't been doing the necessary things to keep it contained. It's beyond overcrowded, nobody gets a court date, it's just wrong how the inmates are treated. I haven't been running, they never came to my house or anything. They straight blasted me on social media, so, I did it back."
In a statement, the LaGrange Police Department wrote, "Without Mr. Durga's viral TikTok video, we would not have received the amount of tips and information that ultimately led to his arrest, thank you!"


theblaze--2020-07-27--Democratic House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says Antifa violence in Portland is a 'myth' — and

Democratic House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says Antifa violence in Portland is a 'myth' — and gets absolutely savaged for it

Democratic House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler says Antifa violence in Portland is a 'myth ' — and gets absolutely savaged @ @ @ @ @ : 'It 's a myth other than hundreds of hours of video and dozens of @ @ @ @

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), chairman of House Judiciary Committee, said Antifa violence in Portland, Oregon, taking place night after night — and documented in numerous videos and news reports — is a "myth."
What are the details?
Journalist Austen Fletcher — better known as @fleccas on Twitter — caught up to Nadler on a Washington, D.C., sidewalk Sunday, and while video rolled asked him, "Do you disavow the violence from Antifa that's happening in Portland right now? There's riots —"
"That's a myth that's being spread only in Washington, D.C.," Nadler replied.
"About Antifa in Portland?" Fletcher asked again.
"Yes," the New York congressman responded.
As the incredible exchange was going down, another person, presumably an aide, stepped into the video frame to whisk Nadler into a waiting vehicle.
"Sir, there's videos everywhere online," Fletcher called out as Nadler departed in silence. "There's fires and riots, they're throwing fireworks at federal officers. DHS is there. Look online. It gets crazy, Mr. Nadler."
Afterward Fletcher remarked, "Yeah, Antifa's a myth in Portland. Meanwhile, the whole city's on fire, and they're trying to burn down the courthouse."
Here's the clip:
How did folks respond?
As you might guess, Nadler's claim wasn't received too well. Donald Trump Jr. weighed in saying, "It's a myth other than hundreds of hours of video and dozens of injured police officers":
Others voiced similar sentiments:
Last month U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — the Judiciary Committee's top Republican — blasted Nadler for calling Antifa "imaginary."
"They're not imaginary, they're real," Jordan said, adding that "to have the chair of the Judiciary Committee, on the House floor, say ... these words ... 'imaginary things like Antifa.' They are far from imaginary. And there are people in every major city in this country who know that, and yet the chair of the Judiciary Committee just made that statement. That is scary."
Gabriel Nadales, a former Antifa militant, said Nadler's "imaginary" claim is "false."
"I mean, the only thing that's imaginary here is Representative Nadler's sense of justice," Nadales told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. "I mean, the protests I attended ... weren't imaginary. Also, the windows that I regrettably broke, they weren't imaginary. Yet every single time that we have left-wing politicians ... that deny and ignore and even justify Antifa violence, it's only going to continue to grow."
Anything else?
What began as protests over George Floyd's killing in late May has shifted in Portland to nightly mayhem courtesy of Antifa and Black Lives Matter militants who attack police, set fires, destroy property, and roam the streets looking to intimidate all those who get in their way.
On Sunday night Portland police responded to reports of gunfire in Lownsdale Square Park, where many of the protesters have been encamped, and found a bag full of loaded rifle magazines and molotov cocktails. BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer said Antifa militants have been using fake press badges to confuse police and the few members of the real press there to cover the rioting.
And despite Nadler's claims that Antifa violence is a "myth" and Antifa's existence is "imaginary," evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. From President Donald Trump saying the U.S. would declare Antifa a terrorist organization to Jeremiah Ellison — a Minneapolis city councilman and the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison — declaring his support for Antifa in response to Trump, Antifa certainly appears to be all too real.


theblaze--2020-07-27--Protesters march to DHS Secretary Chad Wolf's home to demand no more federal officers be deployed

Protesters march to DHS Secretary Chad Wolf 's home to demand no more federal officers be deployed 'We must make @ @ @ @ @

A group of protesters demonstrated outside acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf's home in Alexandria, Va., Sunday, demanding that no more federal officers be deployed to quell riots in the country.
What are the details?
The Trump administration opted to deploy federal officers to Portland recently after protests in the city turned violent.
The protesters at Wolf's home were allegedly part of "ShutDownDC," the same group that stalked Trump administration officials years ago to protest family separation policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Daily Wire reported.
The group boasted on social media Sunday, tweeting: "We visited Chad Wolf this morning to tell him to send his thugs home and to support our friends in Portland, at the border, and across the country ... Chad's neighbors joined us — awkward!"
Townhall.com reporter Julio Rosas posted pictures and videos of the demonstration on Twitter, which show dozens gathered with signs that said "Resist Trump's Troops" and "No More Teargas."
"We know there are no career consequences for these men and women. We know there are no financial consequences for these men and women. We know there are no legal consequences for these men and women. We must make social consequences for these men and women," one protester, who appeared to be a neighborhood resident, is heard saying in a video.
"We must make it uncomfortable for them. We will not be good Germans. We will not be the people who sat by and watched our neighbors commit these atrocities and said nothing because their kids were home," she added.
Wolf has been critical of rioters in Portland who have engaged in repeated and dangerous attacks on federal officers in the city.
"They're coming armed with rocks, bottles, baseball bats, power tools, commercial grade fireworks, eliciting that violence and targeting their violence on federal courthouses and federal law enforcement officers," he said on Sunday.
It was a pretty 'low effort' affair
Newsweek reported that it was unclear whether Wolf was even at home during the protests, which started at around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday and dissipated shortly before noon and appeared to consist of roughly 30 people.
One protester complained that "if we had more notice about the event ... a lot more people would be standing in the street right now."
Ian Miles Cheong called it "some low effort protesting" while posting a video of the group tiredly chanting, "How do you spell fascist? DHS."


theblaze--2020-07-27--Chick-fil-A restaurant offering free food for coin exchanges amid national shortage

A Virginia Chick-fil-A restaurant is offering free-food vouchers in exchange for coins .
The move comes amid the national coin shortage spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic .
On Thursday , the U.S. Mint issued a statement requesting consumers to begin spending their coins .
According to USA Today , the Mint encouraged consumers to `` start spending their coins , depositing them , or exchanging them for currency at financial institutions or taking them to a coin redemption kiosk . ''
`` Until coin circulation patterns return to normal , it may be more difficult for retailers and small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mint said in a statement on the matter .
`` For millions of Americans , cash is the only form of payment and cash transactions rely on coins to make change . ''
The Mint said in its Thursday statement that it had been operating at `` full production capacity since mid-June , minting almost 1.6 billion coins during the month of June . ''
So what 's the deal with the free food ?
Chick-fil-A in Lynchburg , Virginia , said it will hand out free food vouchers to those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange for $ 10 in paper cash .
The company plans to host the promotion on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m and again between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m .
The Lynchburg location announced the news via Facebook on Sunday .
The restaurant shared a photo of the promotion on its Facebook page , writing , `` We need coins and you can help !
We need you to bring ROLLED coins to our Wards Road location on Wednesday , July 29th between the hours of 9-11am and 2-4pm to exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` We will thank you with a Chick-fil-A card towards a future purchase , '' the post added .
`` Any $ 10 combination of ROLLED coin denominations accepted .
Limited time offer until need is met .
Maximum 10 coupons cards per guest .
Only at Chick-fil-A Wards Road . ''

A Virginia Chick-fil-A restaurant is offering free-food vouchers in exchange for coins.
Why coins?
The move comes amid the national coin shortage spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the U.S. Mint issued a statement requesting consumers to begin spending their coins.
According to USA Today, the Mint encouraged consumers to "start spending their coins, depositing them, or exchanging them for currency at financial institutions or taking them to a coin redemption kiosk."
"Until coin circulation patterns return to normal, it may be more difficult for retailers and small businesses to accept cash payments," the Mint said in a statement on the matter. "For millions of Americans, cash is the only form of payment and cash transactions rely on coins to make change."
The Mint said in its Thursday statement that it had been operating at "full production capacity since mid-June, minting almost 1.6 billion coins during the month of June."
So what's the deal with the free food?
Chick-fil-A in Lynchburg, Virginia, said it will hand out free food vouchers to those who bring in $10 in coins to exchange for $10 in paper cash.
The company plans to host the promotion on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m and again between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The Lynchburg location announced the news via Facebook on Sunday.
The restaurant shared a photo of the promotion on its Facebook page, writing, "We need coins and you can help! We need you to bring ROLLED coins to our Wards Road location on Wednesday, July 29th between the hours of 9-11am and 2-4pm to exchange for the same value in paper bills."
"We will thank you with a Chick-fil-A card towards a future purchase," the post added. "Any $10 combination of ROLLED coin denominations accepted. Limited time offer until need is met. Maximum 10 coupons cards per guest. Only at Chick-fil-A Wards Road."


theblaze--2020-07-27--High-profile California church defies state order to shut down: 'Christ, not Caesar, is head of the

High-profile California church defies state order to shut down: 'Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church'

High-profile California church defies state order to shut down : 'Christ , not Caesar , is head of the church' @ @ @ @ @ person going forward

Grace Community Church in Southern California, led by prominent evangelical pastor John MacArthur, will no longer comply with the state's COVID-19 restrictions against in-person gatherings, MacArthur wrote in a statement Friday.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom renewed the state's lockdown earlier this month, prohibiting in-person worship gatherings for counties that are on the state's monitoring list for increased spread of the virus.
MacArthur wrote that the indefinite order banning church worship is an act of overreach by the state government and that the church has a biblical obligation not to comply.
"When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16," MacArthur wrote. "When officials mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must submit to our Lord."
MacArthur made it clear the church is taking a biblical stand against the restrictions, not a constitutional one, pointing out that the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion is based on God's authority.
"The right we are appealing to was not created by the Constitution," MacArthur wrote. "It is one of those unalienable rights granted solely by God, who ordained human government and establishes both the extent and the limitations of the state's authority (Romans 13:1–7). Our argument therefore is purposely not grounded in the First Amendment; it is based on the same biblical principles that the Amendment itself is founded upon."
Grace Community Church complied with the initial lockdown at the beginning of the U.S. epidemic, believing it to be in the best interest of the congregation at a time when the lethality of COVID-19 and its impact on health care systems were unknown. Now, with the benefit of more knowledge about the virus, MacArthur believes the government is going too far with indefinite restrictions.
"Major public events that were planned for 2021 are already being canceled, signaling that officials are preparing to keep restrictions in place into next year and beyond," MacArthur wrote. "That forces churches to choose between the clear command of our Lord and the government officials. Therefore, following the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, we gladly choose to obey Him."
MacArthur has spoken in-depth about how to view the COVID-19 pandemic biblically:
Thinking Biblically About the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interview with John MacArthur www.youtube.com
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-07-27--Prominent sports agent savages Mike Ditka over pro-America remarks: 'He traded his helmet in for a w

Prominent sports agent savages Mike Ditka over pro-America remarks: 'He traded his helmet in for a white hood'

Prominent sports agent savages Mike Ditka over pro-America remarks : 'He traded his helmet in for a white hood '

David Mulugheta, president of Athletes First, says famed NFL coach Mike Ditka is racist for his remarks about respecting the American national anthem.
In a recent interview, Ditka told TMZ Sports that he believes there are only two options when it comes to kneeling protests: respect the national anthem or leave the country.
What are the details?
In a Sunday tweet, the Athletes First president wrote, "This doesn't surprise me at all. Mike Ditka tradded his helmet in for a white hood as soon as he retired from football. Racism hiding behind faux patriotism is still racism."
Athletes First represents Aaron Rodgers, Derwin James, Earl Thomas, and more.
In the now-viral TMZ Sports interview, Ditka, 80, said, "If you can't respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country. That's the way I feel. Of course, I'm old-fashioned. So, I'm only going to say what I feel. I think there's a way you protest, and there's a way you don't protest."
He added, "You don't protest against the flag, and you don't protest against this country who's given you the opportunities to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen. So I don't want to hear all the crap."
'He's a racist'
Later on Sunday, Mulugheta responded to a Twitter user who insisted that respecting the national anthem is not racist.
"I totally agree...and the sun is hot," he wrote. "Neither have anything to do with people kneeling during the anthem."
By Monday, he was on a "Ditka is racist" roll and doubled down on his initial remarks condemning the famed and well-loved NFL coach.
In the tweet, Mulugheta offered "evidence" of Ditka's racism, but refused to provide context to the evidence he set forth to bolster his incendiary remarks.
"Dikta isn't a racist simply because he believes people should stand for the anthem, it's because of his many racist beliefs," he explained in a follow-up tweet. "One example, he claims 'there has been no oppression in the last 100 years.' To be clear, segregation ended less than 55 years ago. So yea he's a racist."
'I have absolutely seen oppression in society'
In 2017, Ditka addressed the kneeling protests and said, "All of a sudden, it's become a big deal now, about oppression. There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of. Now maybe I'm not watching it as carefully as other people. I think the opportunity is there for everybody. ... If you want to work, if you want to try, if you want to put effort into yourself, I think you can accomplish anything."
He added, "Is that the stage for this? If you want to protest, or whatever you want to protest, you've got a right to do that, but I think you're a professional athlete, you have an obligation to the game. I think you have to respect the game. That's what I think is the most important thing. I don't see a lot of respect for the game. I just see respect for their own individual opinions. Opinions are like noses, we all have one. Some are good. Some are bad."
He, however, retooled his remarks and issued a heartfelt apology almost immediately following the criticism he received.
"The characterization of the statement that I made does not reflect the context of the question that I was answering and certainly does not reflect my views throughout my lifetime," Ditka said in a statement at the time. "I have absolutely seen oppression in society in the last 100 years and I am completely intolerant of any discrimination."
Ditka added, "The interview was about the NFL and the related issues. That's where my head was at. I was quoted in the interview stating, 'You have to be colorblind.' I stated that you should look at a person for what they are and not the color of their skin. I'm sorry if anyone was offended."


theblaze--2020-07-28--Los Angeles city councilman posts support for Portland protesters, adds 'F*** TRUMP' and 'F*** FEDER

Los Angeles city councilman posts support for Portland protesters, adds 'F*** TRUMP' and 'F*** FEDERAL POLICE'

He later showed up at a Black Lives Matter protest outside the federal building

A Los Angeles city councilman posted support on social media for the protesters in Portland, Oregon, and added insults for President Donald Trump and federal officers.
Mike Bonin posted the expletive-laden post on his Instagram feed, according to Bill Melugin of FOX 11 Los Angeles, who tweeted a screenshot of the offensive image.
The image says "F*** TRUMP" and "F*** FEDERAL POLICE" in capital letters and is taken from an account that represents itself as the Los Angeles branch of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The councilman later joined the Black Lives Matter protest outside the federal building and posted a photograph of himself with a sign reading, "Solidarity with Portland. Stop federal repression," apparently printed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
"Trump's creation and deployment of a secret police force — unidentifiable armed soldiers throwing people into unmarked vans, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters — is a threat to our democracy," Bonin claimed in the text accompanying the photo.
"It is how a repressive regime reacts to the powerful calls in our streets for an end to systemic racism and state violence against Black bodies," he added. "We cannot let what is happening in Portland happen here."
Bonin responds to the outrage
The councilman tweeted more profanities from this personal Twitter account in response to the angry outrage over his post on Instagram insulting the president and federal officers.
"The manufactured outrage machine is in overdrive because I reposted a flyer on Instagram earlier today for a @BLMLA protest against the federal secret police in Portland. The flyer said 'F*** Trump,'" he tweeted.
"It is telling that some people are more concerned with tone policing @BLMLA's flyers or an elected official's posts than they are in addressing what #BlackLivesMatters and thousands of supporters are protesting," Bonin added.
"You know what's an outrage? Systemic racism, or police abuse, or the beating, maiming or killing of Black men, women and children. Or a racist president," he said.
"You know what's an outrage. Black people being 8% of LA's overall population, and 34% of its homeless population," he continued.
Bonin added many more tweets listing things he found more objectionable than cursing, and concluded, "Finding profanity more objectionable than all of that is, quite simply, f***ing ridiculous."
Here's a video of the BLM protest in Los Angeles:


theblaze--2020-07-28--Woman killed in apparent shark attack while swimming off the coast of Maine

Woman killed in apparent shark attack while swimming off the coast of Maine Experts say the tragic death could be @ @ @ @ @ in the state 's history

Officials in Maine are investigating the death of a woman who was killed in an apparent shark attack Monday while swimming off the coast. Experts say her tragic death could be the first fatal shark attack in the state's history.
What are the details?
WFXT-TV reported that the woman — whose name is being withheld pending notification of her family — was swimming with another woman off the coast of Bailey Island in Harpswell when witnesses saw the victim thrown into the air and exhibiting severe injuries just after 3:30 p.m.
A pair of kayakers rushed to her aid and were able to transport her and the other woman to shore. When first responders arrived, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Maine Marine Patrol, said the second woman who was swimming with the victim was not injured.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources confirmed that the Maine Marine Patrol is investigating the woman's death as an apparent shark attack, and warned swimmers and boaters to "use caution near Bailey Island and to avoid swimming near schooling fish or seals."
The Daily Mail reported that "the attack could be Maine's first fatal shark attack in recorded history."
Anything else?
Arizona State University professor Dr. James Sulikowski, who conducts shark research in New England, told the Press Herald there has only been one recorded instance of an unprovoked shark attack in Maine.
"Shark attacks with humans are very rare in Maine," Sulikowski told the outlet. "My guess is that person (who was attacked) was mistaken as a food item. In this area of Maine and depending on how close to shore the event occurred, my guess is it was a white shark."


theblaze--2020-07-28--First lady Melania Trump announces plans to revamp the White House Rose Garden

First lady Melania Trump announces plans to revamp the White House Rose Garden The project is being funded by private @ @ @ @ @

First lady Melania Trump announced Monday that the White House Rose Garden is getting a makeover, and the project is already underway thanks to funds from private donors.
What are the details?
The White House issued a news release from the office of the first lady, explaining that the Rose Garden would "return to its original '62 footprint" as designed by philanthropist Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon during the Kennedy administration. Updates will also be added to make the outdoor space more accommodating for people with disabilities and to provide modern infrastructure for audiovisual and broadcasting needs.
The memo noted that "the project is supported by the National Park Service, who has cared for the White House and its grounds since 1933, and funded with private donations." The Rose Garden area is 125-foot long, 60-foot wide, and sits outside the Oval Office on the West Wing.
Melania Trump tweeted, "Even in the most difficult times, the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden has stood as a symbol of strength & continuity. Today, it is my pleasure to announce our plans to renew & restore this iconic space so that we preserve its history & beauty for generations to come."
When do the renovations begin?
A senior official from the Trump administration told the Daily Mail that the Rose Garden renovations began Monday and are expected to take roughly three weeks to complete.
The outlet noted that the Rose Garden is used for news conferences, the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardons, and for hosting special events. The first lady announced her signature "Be Best" campaign from the Rose Garden in 2018, and she and President Donald Trump hosted a state dinner for Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the outdoor space last year.
According to the Associated Press, "Mrs. Trump has overseen several renovation projects, including refurbishment of the Red Room wall coverings, Blue Room furniture and the White House bowling alley." She is also currently overseeing the installation of a privately funded tennis pavilion on the White House grounds.


theblaze--2020-07-29--Speaker Nancy Pelosi compares AG William Barr to a 'blob,' Trump 'henchman'

'He was despicable .
So beneath the dignity of an AG . '

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) likened Attorney General William Barr to a "blob" over his testimony Tuesday in front of the House Judiciary Committee.
The Democratic leader was speaking to Ari Melber on his MSNBC show when she made the questionable comparison.
"I just thought he was despicable. So beneath the dignity of an attorney general," she said.
She admitted that she did not watch the entire hearing but that she tuned in to hear his answers about upholding the Constitution of the United States.
"He fell very short in that regard. He is there to support the president, Donald Trump, no matter what, he's not the president's lawyer," Pelosi added.
Pelosi was defending her previous comments calling federal agents "stormtroopers" when she went on to insult the attorney general personally. Barr said that her comments were dangerous and could possibly lead to law enforcement officers being put in danger.
"I never heard him say anything about [former NYC Mayor] Rudy Giuliani when he said they were like storm troopers when they went in to Michael Cohen, was it his home, or that, or one of his other henchmen said that those, that the, law enforcement were like the Gestapo when they went into one of the other of the president's henchmen's place," she responded.
"I said they acted like storm troopers, and they did!" Pelosi continued.
"He should be answering for what he did at LaFayette Square [in Washington, D.C.], a disgrace," she concluded, referring to Trump's church photo op in June. "So this, he really, he was like a blob, he was like a, just, a henchman for the president of the United States, instead of the attorney general of the United States of America."
Barr defended the actions of the Department of Justice during his day-long testimony. Republicans complained that the Democrats used the hearing in order to talk over the attorney general rather than seek answers to honest questions.
Democrats accused Barr of abusing the powers of the attorney general office in order to protect President Trump and his personal interests rather than defend the Constitution and uphold the law.
Here's the full video of Pelosi's appearance on MSNBC:


theblaze--2020-07-29--Fired FBI official Peter Strzok releases book claiming Trump is 'under the sway' of Russia

Fired FBI official Peter Strzok releases book claiming Trump is 'under the sway ' of Russia The purported tell-all is @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. presidential election

Disgraced former FBI official Peter Strzok has penned a tell-all book about the Russia "collusion" investigation that led to his termination from the agency, wherein he claims President Donald Trump is "under the sway" of the Kremlin.
What are the details?/
Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced that it will release Strzok's book, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump," on Sept. 8 — just weeks ahead of the general election.
"When he opened the FBI investigation into Russia's election interference, Strzok had already spent more than two decades defending the United States against foreign threats," HMH wrote in its promotional plug. "His career in counterintelligence ended shortly thereafter when the Trump administration used his private expression of political opinions to force him out of the Bureau in August 2018. But by that time, Strzok had seen more than enough to convince him that the commander in chief had fallen under the sway of America's adversary in the Kremlin."
Strzok said in a statement:
Russia has long regarded the United States as its 'Main Enemy,' and I spent decades trying to protect our country from their efforts to weaken and undermine us. In this book, I used that background to explain how the elevation by President Trump and his collaborators of Trump's own personal interests over the interests of the country allowed Putin to succeed beyond Stalin's wildest dreams, and how the national security implication of Putin's triumph will persist through our next election and beyond.
Strzok and his lover, former FBI attorney Lisa Page, famously exchanged text messages in 2016 expressing their disdain for then-candidate Donald Trump, claiming to have an "insurance policy" for if he won — causing speculation that the investigation into the Trump campaign was politically motivated. Documents unearthed a few months ago also indicate that Strzok and Page may have manipulated the filing that led to charges against retired Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser.
News that Strzok is attempting to capitalize off his role in the Russia investigation has already been met with criticism.
BizPacReview's Tom Tillison wrote, "Only in America can a former high-ranking law enforcement official allegedly plot to unseat a duly elected president of the United States and when that endeavor fails, write a book that will likely earn him millions."
Anything else?
Strzok is not the first former FBI official to attempt to make easy bucks off his involvement with the investigation into President Trump.
Former FBI Director James Comey — who was fired by Trump — wrote a book in 2018 wherein he attacks the president, and he has a second book set for release just ahead of the inauguration.
Ousted former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe also wrote a book in 2018 attacking President Trump, and Page was hired last month by MSNBC to serve as a legal analyst for the left-leaning network.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Supreme Court blocked Trump from ending DACA, so he just announced that the program will wind down i

Supreme Court blocked Trump from ending DACA, so he just announced that the program will wind down instead

Supreme Court blocked Trump from ending DACA , so he just announced that the program will wind down instead Critics @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court order

After losing a Supreme Court decision over the DACA program in June, the Trump administration announced that it will wind down protections already granted to illegal immigrants under the Obama-era policy.
The Supreme Court denied President Donald Trump's plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants a quasi-legal status to some illegal immigrants who were brought into the country as children.
Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the more liberal wing of the court in the 5-4 decision.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it would be winding down the current protections to DACA recipients while they review the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court order. Renewals for recipients of the program will change from two years to only one year. And no new applications are going be accepted for consideration.
According to NBC News, a Trump administration official said that the Supreme Court decision was a narrow order that allowed for other measures to be taken to "limit the scope" of the program.
About 700,000 people have received protection from deportation under the DACA policy. If the protections are rescinded completely, they would be immediately eligible for deportation proceedings.
'Cruel day for Dreamers'
The American Civil Liberties Union responded with a scathing statement criticizing the decision by the Trump administration.
"Make no mistake, the vast popularity of the program, combined with a looming election, prevented Trump from immediately ending the program. But this policy memo makes his intentions clear: His next move is a complete end to the DACA program to destroy the lives of Dreamers once again. It appears everyone but the president knows that Dreamers belong at home in the United States," the statement read in part.
"Today is another cruel day for Dreamers, their families, and all Americans. But we promise, just like the Dreamers, who have fought for decades, we won't stop fighting," the statement concluded.
Trump vs. Biden on DACA
Biden has already indicated that he would continue and extend the protections put in place by former President Barack Obama for the Dreamers. His immigration plan would also grant a "road map to citizenship" for as many as 11 million illegal aliens already in the nation.
In a surprising announcement on July 10, President Trump said that he was working on a plan to provide a "road to citizenship" for the DACA recipients.
"One of the aspects of the bill is going to be DACA. We are going to have a road to citizenship," Trump said at the time.
A statement from the administration later clarified that the president was open to working with Congress on a "negotiated legislative solution to DACA," but added that "this does not include amnesty."
Here's a news video about the decision on DACA:


theblaze--2020-07-28--FACT CHECK: The TRUTH about face masks and COVID-19

FACT CHECK : The TRUTH about face masks and COVID-19 Three doctors break down the pros and cons

It's high time to leave the partisan politics behind and focus on the facts about face masks and whether or not they really work against COVID-19.
On the radio program Tuesday, Glenn Beck spoke with Drs. Scott Jensen and George Rutherford about the scientific evidence that proves or disproves the effectiveness of mask wearing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Then, Dr. Karyln Borysenko joined to break down where the massive political divide over masks came from in the first place.
"I think if we were to talk about this a couple months ago, I might have said, 'Well, there's the science of masks, and there's the emotions of masks.' But, unfortunately, there's something in between," Jensen said. "I would have thought that the science of masks would have to do with the physics of masks, so I did a video a couple months ago where I talked about the pore side of a cotton mask or a surgical mask."
He explained that properly worn masks can help reduce the spread of virus particles, but cautioned against a false-sense of security when wearing a mask because they are far from providing complete protection.
"If you have a triple-ply mask, the pore size will end up being effectively five microns. And five microns, to a COVID-19 virus particle, is 50 times larger. That's approximately the same differential between the two-inch separation between the wires of a chain-link fence, and a gnat," Jensen explained.
"But now what we're seeing is if we have some collision of COVID-19 viral particles with the latticework of any mask ... if you're breathing out or breathing in and the viral particles collide with the actual latticework of a mask, I think intuitively, yes, we can reduce the amount of virus particles that are going back and forth."
Dr. Rutherford said masks are essential tools for fighting COVID-19, as long as you wear them correctly. He laid out the three main reasons he believes we should all be wearing masks.
"So, we're trying to do three things," he said. "First of all, we're trying to protect the people around you, in case you are one of the 60% of people who have asymptomatic infection and don't know it. The second thing we're trying to do is to protect you. The third thing we're trying to do is, if you get infected, you'll get infected at a lower dose, and then you're less likely to develop symptoms. That's the threefer."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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--2020-07-28--Politico publishes piece claiming Kamala Harris is Biden's VP pick — quickly scrubs it

The edited bio claimed Harris was chosen `` on Aug. 1 ''

Politico made waves on social media Tuesday when they published — and promptly corrected — a biography of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) claiming Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had chosen her as his running mate days from now "on Aug. 1."
What are the details?
A communications aide for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) posted the Politico blurb on Twitter writing, "Huh? Politico labeled Sen. Kamala Harris as Biden's running mate...that he chose on August 1 (4 days from now)."
The bio read:
Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris to become his running mate for the 2020 election on Aug. 1, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, after keeping his choice close to the chest for months.
In his announcement, Biden called Harris 'a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate,' alluding to the pair's rivalry during the earlier stages of the Democratic primary. She will bring her experience as a prosecutor, household name recognition, and skill as a debater to the ticket.
The news set Twitter abuzz, and The Daily Caller's Henry Rodgers noted that Politico deleted the vice presidential bio of Harris, while David Hookstead posted a side-by-side showing the outlet had replaced the briefly-posted blurb with a bio detailing Harris's background.
Politico added an editor's note saying, "Due to a technical error, an earlier version of this graphic mistakenly reported that Biden had made his VP selection. We regret the mistake."