theblaze--2020-06-26--VIDEO: Nancy Pelosi forgets George Floyd's name while telling reporters she's honoring his name

VIDEO : Nancy Pelosi forgets George Floyd 's name while telling reporters she 's honoring his name She appeared not @ @ @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) faced ridicule after she tried to say the Democrats' police reform bill was named in honor of George Floyd, but got his name wrong.
Pelosi was speaking to reporters on Friday when she made the embarrassing gaffe. She was relating how Floyd's younger brother had asked her to name the bill after Floyd, who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody.
"I'm very proud for the Judiciary Committee that before he testified he said to me, 'Madame Speaker do you think that I can tell George's daughter that his name will always be remember because you'll name the bill for him?' And I said, 'Well, I'll recommend that to the Judiciary Committee and to the Congressional Black Caucus, who have shaped the bill," she explained.
"But I only will do that if you tell me that this legislation is worthy of George Kirby's name, and he said it is," Pelosi added, smiling. "And so we're very proud, we've very proud to carry that."
She wasn't the only Democratic leader who bungled Floyd's name either. Earlier in the week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) referred to him as "Floyd Taylor," and "George Taylor," before finding his footing.
Democrats were able to pass their slate of police reforms through the House after filibustering a bill offered by Republicans with their own reforms.
Here's video of Pelosi's gaffe:


theblaze--2020-06-26--Black Lives Matter foundation uses fundraising group with convicted terrorist on its board of direct

Black Lives Matter foundation uses fundraising group with convicted terrorist on its board of directors The organization quickly deleted its @ @ @ @ @ website after convicted terrorist was revealed

The Black Lives Matter movement has received increased attention since the George Floyd protests began last month. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is also receiving a more intense spotlight and so are the organizations that BLM has ties to.
Last week, a resurfaced video of one of Black Lives Matter's founders went viral. In the video from 2015, BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors admitted that she and others in the organization were "trained Marxists."
Now, many are asking questions about the finances of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which raised a reported $10 million just on Blackout Tuesday alone, according to the New York Times. On Wednesday, Glenn Beck released an episode on BlazeTV, titled, "Exposing The Hidden Money Trail of Black Lives Matter."
"I'm looking deep into the finance books of Black Lives Matter and showing you exactly where that money is actually going," Beck said of the episode. "It's a dark money trail that leads to a cast of familiar progressive characters I've discussed before."
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation does not have its own IRS tax-exempt status. Instead, BLM has been using the Thousand Currents organization as a fiscal sponsor since 2016.
"BLM Global Network approached Thousand Currents to create a fiscal sponsorship agreement," the Thousand Currents website states. "Thousand Currents, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, provides the legal and administrative framework to enable BLM to fulfill its mission."
To qualify as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, the Internal Revenue Service states:
"An organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."
Thousand Currents claims it provides "administrative and back office support, including finance, accounting, grants management, insurance, human resources, legal and compliance."
According to a 2018 audit, obtained by Capital Research, Thousand Currents disclosed $2,622,017 in donor-restricted assets for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, but only $1,899,174 was released to BLM. In a 2019 audit, Thousand Currents disclosed $3,354,654 in donor-restricted assets for BLM, but $1,799,165 was reportedly released.
Thousand Currents says it has invested more than $10 million in "1,000 community-led initiatives in the Global South," which includes Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as Latin America.
Besides Black Lives Matter, Thousand Currents also works with the Buen Vivir Fund. "The concept of 'buen vivir' comes from Latin American indigenous movements and implies 'right living' or life in balance with community, natural systems, and future generations," a description says.
Thousand Currents also has a "collaborative initiative" with the CLIMA Fund. The Climate Leaders In Movement Action page says it is a "pathway for funders to directly support Indigenous, women, and youth-led work building climate resilience and mitigating climate chaos."
Thousand Currents' vice-chair of the board of directors is Susan Rosenberg, who is a convicted terrorist. Rosenberg was a member of the May 19th Communist Organization, a radical leftist terrorist group affiliated with the far-left revolutionary Weather Underground.
Rosenberg was sentenced to 58 years after she was caught unloading 740 pounds of dynamite and weapons from a car into a storage locker in New Jersey in 1984. She was wanted on charges related to a deadly Brink's armored truck heist in 1981 that killed a guard and two police officers, but she was never tried on them.
Rosenberg is a suspected accomplice in the prison escape of Joanne Chesimard, a Black Liberation Army member known as Assata Shakur, who was charged with the 1973 first-degree murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout. Shakur is believed to have fled to Cuba, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is still offering $1 million in reward money for information leading to her arrest.
Rosenberg served 16 years in prison before being pardoned by President Bill Clinton in January 2001.
The Thousand Currents website has deleted its board of directors page this week after Capital Research broke the news about Rosenberg, but you can see an archived version here.
Alicia Garza, one of three co-founders of Black Lives Matter, has repeatedly talked about Assata Shakur on Twitter.
In 2014, Garza wrote an article for the "Feminist Wire" and praised the cop killer.
When I use Assata's powerful demand in my organizing work, I always begin by sharing where it comes from, sharing about Assata's significance to the Black Liberation Movement, what it's political purpose and message is, and why it's important in our context.
Last week, the Daily Caller released a report on the financial statements from the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. BLM allegedly spent millions of dollars on travel, salaries, and consulting fees, but only 6% of its total spending on local Black Lives Matter chapters.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Three Iranian men arrested for allegedly selling babies on Instagram; one of the babies is reportedl

Three Iranian men arrested for allegedly selling babies on Instagram; one of the babies is reportedly still missing

Three Iranian men arrested for allegedly selling babies on Instagram ; one of the babies is reportedly still missing Two @ @ @ @

Authorities in Iran have arrested three men for reportedly attempting to sell babies online using Instagram.
According to CNN, two of the babies — one 20 days old and the other 2 months old — have been rescued, but a third identified baby is still missing.
News reports initially indicated that only two babies were involved in the online infant-selling scheme.
Tehran Police Chief Hossein Rahimi reportedly said that two of the babies had already been bought for the equivalent of $1,100 and $2,300, and were being resold for between $9,490 and $11,800.
The police chief added that the arrested individuals were attempting to turn a profit by buying babies from "poor families" for lower prices and advertising them for more online.
According to Agence France-Press, police first learned about the scheme after being alerted about "ads on Instagram for selling babies." After investigating, the police discovered 10-15 accounts on the photo-sharing platform.
According to CNN, a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram, said the company was investigating.
"We do not allow content or behavior on Instagram that may lead to human exploitation, which includes the sale of children for illegal adoption. We're aware of reports of this activity, and we're continuing to investigate," the spokesperson said.
The U.S. State Department's 2020 Trafficking in Persons report ranks Iran as a "Tier Three" country, or one of the world's worst offenders of human trafficking.


theblaze--2020-06-26--College football rivalry drops 'Civil War' name because of 'connection to a war fought to perpetuate

College football rivalry drops 'Civil War' name because of 'connection to a war fought to perpetuate slavery'

College football rivalry drops 'Civil War ' name because of 'connection to a war fought to perpetuate slavery' Oregon Ducks @ @ @ @ @ ) runs the ball during 123rd Civil War between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State @ @ @ @ @ Autzen Stadium in Eugene , Oregon .
( Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty @ @

The college football rivalry between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University will no longer be referred to as the Civil War after students and alumni complained about the name's connection to slavery, according to the Oregon State University athletics department.
The Oregon State-Oregon football matchup dates back to 1894, and was first referred to as the Civil War in 1929.
"Changing this name is overdue as it represents a connection to a war fought to perpetuate slavery," Oregon State University President Ed Ray said. "While not intended as a reference to the actual Civil War, OSU sports competition should not provide any misconstrued reference to this divisive episode in American history. That we did not act before to change the name was a mistake. We do so now, along with other important actions to advance equal opportunity and justice for all and in recognition that Black Lives Matter."
Oregon's director of athletics, Rob Mullens, agreed.
"We must all recognize the power of words and symbolism associated with the Civil War," Mullens said.
One player who supports the name change, Oregon State safety Jaydon Grant, told Oregon Live that the name needs to be changed even while admitting that it is harmless.
"I had an emotional attachment to the name being an in-state kid," Grant said. "But then I had to practice what I have been preaching. You cannot pick and choose what areas we are going to push for change in this fight. Right is right, wrong is wrong. I know the name seems harmless, and it really is, but I applaud my university for changing the name due to its historical ties to war that had everything to do with racism."
As a result of racial unrest across the country, activists have made a renewed effort to remove statues, monuments and references to racism, slavery or the Confederacy from public spaces, with some high-profile examples including NASCAR's banning of the Confederate flag at races, Walmart banning the Mississippi state flag from its stores, and even The Dixie Chicks changing their name to The Chicks.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Gov't crews show up at Seattle's CHOP to remove barriers. Two hours later, they leave as city gives

Gov't crews show up at Seattle's CHOP to remove barriers. Two hours later, they leave as city gives protesters another 3 days.

Gov't crews show up at Seattle 's CHOP to remove barriers .
Two hours later , they leave as city @ @ @ @ @ .
They still have 'demands '

To say people in Seattle are getting sick of the rioters and protesters who took over several city blocks to create what is now called the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, is an understatement.
In just the last few days, multiple stories from the protest area, formerly known as CHAZ, have caught the nation's attention and put Democratic Mayor Jenny Durkan's lack of action against the movement in an even worse light, including multiple shootings and a class-action lawsuit from businesses within the CHOP zone.
One Seattle resident decided he wasn't waiting any longer for Durkan's government to clear the area and started tossing barriers on his own.
Finally, Durkan announced this week that the city would be removing the barriers in the streets that form the CHOP's borders.
So crews arrived bright and early Friday morning ready to work — only to be sent home two hours later.
What happened?
Seattle Department of Transportation crews showed up at the CHOP at 6 a.m. Friday to get prepare to get things moving, KCPQ-TV reported. The SDOT workers brought in trucks and heavy machinery and waited for orders to begin.
BREAKING: City begins dismantling CHOP www.youtube.com
By 7 a.m., nothing had started, but the protesters were there, preventing the crews from working. At least one protester decided to lie in the street to prevent a front-end loader from being able to proceed, KING-TV said.
By 8 a.m., the crews and cops at the scene had left.
So, why did things suddenly stop? According KING, a CHOP organizer named David Lewis announced that the city was giving protesters 72 hours "to confer with demonstrators" before taking down the barriers.
The station reported that after the waiting period, the removal of the barriers will be "negotiated."
Durkan has been under pressure to remove the barriers in order to help businesses that wanted to increase traffic flow — not to mention to end the general takeover of a vital downtown portion of a major American city.
Apparently, the CHOP people still have demands, though.
"We have heard them in recognizing that some of the establishments are wanting more through traffic," Lewis told KING. "We get it. We want to work with the city, but we require that our demands are met."
Those demands include cutting police funding by 50% and sending that funding to specific communities within the city.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Liberal groups are successfully pressuring major advertisers to withdraw ad revenue from Facebook

Liberal groups are successfully pressuring major advertisers to withdraw ad revenue from Facebook Silencing what they do n't like to @

In spite of Facebook and Twitter's obvious bias against conservative content, a number of liberal groups have apparently decided that the social media companies are not doing enough to enforce liberal orthodoxy and have begun a successful campaign to get companies to stop advertising there.
The latest company to fall in line is household products company Unilever, which has one of the largest advertising budgets in the world.
In a statement posted on its website, Unilever announced, "Given our Responsibility Framework and the polarized atmosphere in the U.S., we have decided that starting now through at least the end of the year, we will not run brand advertising in social media newsfeed platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the U.S. Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society."
Among other brands, Unilever owns the Dove family of personal care products, Lipton Tea, Hellmann's Mayonnaise, and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.
According to a report from NBC News, Unilever spends over $8 billion annually in advertising for its various products. According to Unilever, their total advertising budget will remain the same, but will be shifted to "other media."
Facebook has faced immense pressure from organized liberal groups to take action to suppress content from President Donald Trump and his campaign, as Twitter has with a number of controversial posts.
According to NBC News, pressure was exerted on Unilever and other companies by a number of groups, including the NAACP, ADL, and "other groups such as Color of Change and Sleeping Giants, a group that targets advertisers that support certain right-wing content."
Other major companies including Verizon have also bowed to the pressure exerted by these groups and have halted Facebook advertising in recent days. Later Friday, Honda's American operations announced it would also halt its Facebook spending.
The move is clearly designed to either encourage Facebook and Twitter to be even more hostile to right-wing sites, or to force all news dissemination back through traditional channels, as it was before the internet made it easier for conservative voices and ideas to spread without the help of the mainstream media.
Facebook, for its part, denied that it was working to facilitate hate online, and claimed in a statement to have banned "250 white supremacist organizations from Facebook and Instagram" recently.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Steven Crowder team books stay at CHAZ 'warlord' Raz Simone's Airbnb and graffitis the walls in 'CHA

Steven Crowder team books stay at CHAZ 'warlord' Raz Simone's Airbnb and graffitis the walls in 'CHAZ tribute'

Steven Crowder team books stay at CHAZ 'warlord ' Raz Simone 's Airbnb and graffitis the walls in 'CHAZ tribute' @ @ @ @ @ ?

Seattle rapper and so-called CHAZ "warlord" Raz Simone got a taste of the lawlessness prevalent inside the autonomous zone Thursday when BlazeTV's Steven Crowder booked a stay at Simone's Seattle Airbnb and members of Crowder's team covered the walls with CHAZ-style graffiti.
What are the details?
Crowder posted an image on Twitter shortly after the incident showing the walls of Simone's high-rise Airbnb draped with spray-painted messages saying, "F**k cops," "F**k the police," and "BLM."
In the caption, Crowder wrote: "No clue why [Raz Simone] is so mad when we paid to stay at his AirBnb. We didn't even get to stay the night! 1 star."
Simone, who rose to internet fame for allegedly becoming the de facto armed police force in the zone after city police evacuated, shot back in a tweet of his own, saying: "Hope y'all enjoyed your stay! You've seen what I do to people who graffiti walls that aren't there's [sic] but I'll let this one slide cuz it's cute and y'all funny funny."
Under Simone's alleged leadership, the six-block territory in downtown Seattle has become a haven for crime and destruction of property, not the least of which is the indiscriminate graffitiing of buildings with similar phrases to the one's painted by Crowder's team.
Image Source: Twitter screenshot
What else?
Interestingly, a video allegedly showing Simone and companions using force to stop a man from graffitiing property made headlines last week. This is likely the incident Simone is referring to in threatening Crowder with "you've seen what I do to people who graffiti walls that aren't there's."
In the video, one protester can be heard saying "we are the police of this community now" before an apparent fistfight ensues between Simone and the graffiti artist.
Simone claimed after the fact that the incident "actually went beautifully ... we all hugged each other, cried it out and it was beautiful."
What's the background?
Members of Crowder's team, "Quarter Black Garrett" and "Even Brendan," had been passing out fliers to protesters within CHAZ about a party at Simone's Airbnb Thursday evening after Crowder had booked it. The party was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek celebration of "New CHAZ."
While in the apartment, they spray-painted the messages on the wall as a "CHAZ tribute" mural, but once Simone allegedly caught wind of what they were doing at the apartment, the Crowder team members evacuated the premises.
The event was part of a "Louder with Crowder" livestream event, called "LIVE FROM CHAZ."
You can watch the full episode here (Content warning: rough language):


theblaze--2020-06-26--San Francisco Giants plan to fill stadium seats with printed cutouts of fans

San Francisco Giants plan to fill stadium seats with printed cutouts of fans How is this less pathetic than empty @ @

Major League Baseball is promising the sport will return in July, albeit with a 60-game regular season, but there won't be fans in stands.
Except in San Franciso — sorta.
The Giants announced Thursday a new plan to get fans' replica rear-ends in the seats.
According to ESPN, the Giants sent a letter to season ticket holders on Thursday announcing that, though the team's home games at Oracle Park will be played without fans, they could still "be at Oracle Park even when you're home watching the game" with the "Giants Fan Cutout Program."
That's right, those who have shelled out the coins for season tickets can send photos of themselves to be used for cutouts that will be set up in the seats during games.
The Giants don't want season ticket holders to worry: The cutouts will be constructed of weatherproof materials and placed as close to the fans' reserved seats as possible, ESPN said.
And there's some good news for those who don't have season tickets. For a mere $99, non-season ticket holders can get their mugs slapped on a cutout and stuck in a stadium seat, too.
This opportunity may be as close as fans will get to supporting their teams "in person." Clubs are not allowed to permit fans to attend games without approval from the MLB and local authorities, ESPN said. So far, no teams have received such approval.
The 60-game regular season is expected to begin July 23 or July 24 and last until late September.


theblaze--2020-06-26--CBS reporter suggests Mike Pence is a hypocrite for attending rallies. Pence hits back with a realit

CBS reporter suggests Mike Pence is a hypocrite for attending rallies. Pence hits back with a reality check about constitutional rights.

CBS reporter suggests Mike Pence is a hypocrite for attending rallies .
Pence hits back with a reality check about @ @ @ @ @ might not have been expecting this

Vice President Mike Pence wasn't having CBS White House correspondent Paula Reid's lip when she suggested he was a hypocrite for attending campaign rallies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
During a White House coronavirus task force briefing Friday, Reid said that Pence and the rest of the Trump administration set confusing examples when it comes to being safe during the coronavirus.
"On the campaign," she began, "it really does sound though like you're saying 'Do as we say, not as we do.' You're telling people to listen to local officials, but in Tulsa, you defied local health officials to have an event that, even though you say didn't result in a spike, dozens of Secret Service agents, dozen of campaign staffers are now quarantined after positive tests."
Reid also pointed to President Donald Trump's Arizona campaign rally, and questioned the vice president as to how such large rallies would not contribute to additional and unnecessary COVID-19 cases in the country.
Pence, clearly unmoved by Reid's insinuations of hypocrisy, responded in kind.
"I want to remind you again that the freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States," he said. "Even in a health crisis, the American people don't forfeit our constitutional rights."
'Everyday life is being restored one step, one day at a time.'
He also pointed out the necessity of America to continue business as usual during this 2020 election cycle.
"[I]t's so important that we recognize, as we issued guidance to reopen America, now two months ago, and as all 50 states are opening up the country, people are going back to work," he said. "American everyday life is being restored one step, one day at a time. I think it's important that we remind ourselves this is not a choice between the health of the American people and a strong economy."
He added that there's also "profound health implications" to which people under lockdown are continually subjected.
“People need to be back to work. And so, our objective here today is to make sure the American people know in 34 states the cases are largely stable and there's no combination of rising cases and rising positivity rates," he said. “That's a tribute to the American people."
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-06-26--9th Circuit rules that President Trump cannot use military funds to pay for the border wall

9th Circuit rules that President Trump can not use military funds to pay for the border wall

In a 2-1 ruling on Friday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that ruled that the Trump administration's decision to fund a wall on the southern border of the United States by declaring an emergency and diverting money from the Department of Defense was unconstitutional.
The suit was originally brought by a group of plaintiffs led by the environmental activist group The Sierra Club. The plaintiffs alleged that the Trump administration's decision to divert funds that had been appropriated under the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2019 via the declaration of an emergency was unlawful and unconstitutional. A district court in California ruled in favor of the plaintiffs last year and issued an injunction preventing the funds from being used to construct the wall.
The administration argued that Section 8005 of the Appropriations Act permitted the transfer of up to $4 billion, but the court noted that the section in question stated, "Provided, That such authority to transfer may not be used unless for higher priority items, based on unforeseen military requirements, than those for which originally appropriated and in no case where the item for which funds are requested has been denied by the Congress."
The court ultimately concluded that the administration had failed to show that the border wall was an "unforeseen military requirement," and that the transfer of funds violated both the Act itself and the Constitution.
The court's ruling may mean that the Supreme Court is once again called upon to rule on the manner in which the Trump administration is attempting to fund the wall. Last year, the Court stepped in to temporarily lift a stay imposed during the course of the current litigation, ruling that the Sierra Club had failed to properly demonstrate legal standing in the case.
Between funding challenges and legal challenges, the administration has struggled to deliver on its promise to build hundreds of miles of new fencing along the border with Mexico. As of late June, about 216 miles of border fencing have been completed, but a substantial majority of that fencing replaced existing fencing.


theblaze--2020-06-26--In bid to bring back affirmative action, Calif. Legislature votes to strip discrimination protection

In bid to bring back affirmative action, Calif. Legislature votes to strip discrimination protections from state Constitution

In bid to bring back affirmative action , Calif. Legislature votes to strip discrimination protections from state Constitution Voters will @ @ @ @ @ affirmative action ban that has been in place for 24 years

California voters will be given the opportunity to repeal the California Civil Rights Initiative, also known as Proposition 209, that amended the state Constitution to prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment of people based on race or sex.
Proposition 209 states: "The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."
On Wednesday, the California Senate voted 30-10 in favor of putting the constitutional amendment that reinstates affirmative action up for a vote on the November ballot. The California Senate surpassed the required two-thirds majority. The California State Assembly voted 60-14 to pass Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 5 on June 10, 2020.
Prominent California Democrats supported repealing the California Civil Rights Initiative, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who said she cried tears of joy with the possibility to "restore affirmative action in public contracting and education."
"I know about discrimination. I live it every day," Democratic state Sen. Steven Bradford said. "We live it in this building. Quit lying to yourselves and saying race is not a factor. ... The bedrock of who we are in this country is based on race."
ACA 5 was co-authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D). ACA 5 is attempting to reverse Proposition 209 that was passed in 1996 by 55% of California voters.
Affirmative action detractors brought up the iconic Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Weber responded to that point by saying, "When he talked about 'I don't want to be judged by the color of my skin but by the content of my character,' that was contained in the 'I Have a Dream Speech.'" That was a dream. That was not reality. That was aspirational."
"The collective actions against inequality and injustice that we've seen around the world represent an urgent call for systemic change," state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D) said. "We must be affirmative in our actions we take to bend the arc towards justice. It's time for a new generation of California's voters to stand up and advance equity."
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) said earlier this month that the city would embrace affirmative action.
"Our city is hungry for change, and we must knit racial justice and affirmative action into the fabric of our policies, our institutions, and our society," Garcetti said. "With the possible repeal of Proposition 209, we will begin preparing now for affirmative action in City government to open the doors of opportunity to African Americans and anyone too often left out and left behind in our economy. But no matter what happens at the ballot box, my executive directive ensures our City leadership looks at every issue through a lens of racial justice, acts to end structural racism, and brings more Black Angelenos and people of color into the halls of government."
Republican state Sen. Ling Ling Chang, who was born in Taiwan, said, "The problem with ACA 5 is that it takes the position that we must fight discrimination with more discrimination. Preferences for any purpose are anathema to the very process of democracy."
Irvine Republican Assemblyman Steven Choi pointed out that "giving special or preferential treatment to someone based on their race is racism itself, or on their sex is sexism."
"I'm Peter Kuo, an immigrant, a father of three bright students, a proud Californian and a proud Republican, Vice-Chair of the @CAGOP and I am strongly opposed to #ACA5," tweeted Peter Kuo, who is the vice chairman of the California Republican Party. "Admission to all public colleges and universities should be based solely on MERIT."
Prop. 209 was challenged in 2014 by the Senate Constitutional Amendment 5, but was dropped because of lack of support. The Sacramento Bee said SCA 5 fizzled out "after weeks of intense advocacy from Asian Americans who argued that a repeal would hurt their children's prospects for getting into the most competitive public campuses."
Seven other states have banned affirmative action, including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Washington.
California requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the California State Legislature in order to get a constitutional amendment on the state's ballot for a vote by the public. The measure does not require Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature for approval, only a simple majority from voters.
ACA 5 will be on the ballot in the general election on Nov. 3.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Horowitz: America or Afghanistan? The growing danger to truckers on America’s roads

Horowitz : America or Afghanistan ?
The growing danger to truckers on America ’ s roads

It's the type of nightmare we never envisioned even under a Democrat presidency. Truckers on the nation's highways and streets now face a serious threat of being surrounded by a mob or potentially dragged out of their trucks and beaten, reminiscent of grisly images we've seen in other parts of the world. Where is the Trump administration's plan to protect the nation's truckers from the anarchist mobs?
Minneapolis crime watchers reported Wednesday night that a group of four males were attempting to pull truckers out of their cabins. Another trucker was reportedly driving on the Bobby Jones Expressway in Augusta, Georgia, when his fully loaded tanker truck came under gunfire, as if he were traveling in Afghanistan. Similar stories have reportedly occurred on I-70 in Ohio and I-95 in Connecticut. Truck drivers have reported at least two shootings on interstate highways near Memphis, Tennessee. These are some of the most traveled interstate highways in the country, where we now have armed anarchists shooting at motorists.
If securing our interstate highways is not a job for the federal government when states are refusing to protect them, then I don't know what is. If armed right-wing militias were shooting at trucks or blocking them and attacking the drivers, I don't think the government would have waited more than 24 hours to take action. We're now going on four weeks.
According to a poll on trucking app CDLLife, 79 percent of truck drivers said they'd refuse to deliver to any city that defunds the police.
The problem is that even without such legislation, the police have essentially been abolished. Officers get prosecuted for doing their jobs, while rioters escape prosecution. Consequently, they have taken a hands-off approach, resulting in mobsters blocking roads and highways with impunity. The police have been abolished in all but name only, which is why Trump must secure the roads with federal resources until order is restored at the local level.
Fleet of Angels, an equine transportation company, issued a safety advisory for all horse transporters to avoid riot areas and traveling in urban areas at night. Several weeks ago, a man towing a horse trailer was nearly mobbed on I-244 near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was only spared a grisly fate because he drove through an ad hoc checkpoint set up by the mobsters.
While truckers are the most in danger given how often they travel, the mob control of streets and highways affects everyone. Hundreds were stuck in traffic yesterday in Raleigh, N.C., as rioters blocked I-40. A terrified female driver was surrounded by a mob in Madison, Wisconsin:
This is even happening to the police. On Saturday, a crowd of hundreds blocked a police car responding to a report of a shooting and injured two police officers. All local police officers were called out to deal with the situation.
Trump must realize that this cannot wait until after November. He is president now and will not have more power after the election. He may be counting on a repeat of 1968, when people voted Republican because they were scared of the rioting and chaos. But back then, Republicans weren't politically correct weenies. The battle lines were clearly drawn, and the public knew what Nixon would do for them if elected. Today, Trump already is president, and yet we are facing the worst anarchy of our lifetime.
I have proposed a 10-point plan for the president to pursue now. Specifically related to the blocking of highways, Trump must federalize the National Guard and deter and apprehend those blocking highways. He should also push right-to-carry reciprocity legislation to allow motorists to carry firearms across state lines, a form of protection that is needed now more than ever.
Senate Republicans should introduce legislation making it a federal crime to block interstate highways and institute tough mandatory minimum sentences for those who do so and even tougher ones for those who violently attack motorists. Mobility and transportation are the lifeblood of our freedom and cannot be sacrificed for another day. The ability to travel on the roads unmolested and the ability of police to respond to emergencies are what distinguish us from the Afghan government, which can't secure its roads from the Taliban. Or at least they used to distinguish us.
This is no longer a local crime issue. This is a violent insurgency, and it's time for Trump to treat it accordingly. Not after "the next election." Now. Otherwise there might not be another chance.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Texas Gov. Abbott immediately shutters bars, reduces restaurant capacity again as daily COVID-19 cas

Texas Gov. Abbott immediately shutters bars, reduces restaurant capacity again as daily COVID-19 cases surge

This virus is not done with us yet

Texas ordered bars to close once more Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to tamp down the spread of the deadly virus.
The move comes as Texas, Florida, and many other states have seen an alarming spike in daily confirmed infections.
What are the details?
On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the decision.
"At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars," he said. "The actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and protect public health. We want this to be as limited in duration as possible. However, we can only slow the spread if everyone in Texas does their part."
Bars will be shuttered at noon local time Friday, but may remain open for delivery and take-out, including for alcoholic beverages.
Abbott also announced that restaurants would be reduced to just 50% occupancy, starting Monday. Prior to the directive, bars were able to operate at 50% capacity. Restaurants were able to operate at 75% capacity.
Additionally, rafting and tubing businesses are now required to close. Outdoor gatherings of 100 people or more must now be approved by local governments.
Texas is one of the first states to revoke a portion of its reopening process.
At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that Texas has seen 134,558 confirmed COVID-19 infections to date.
According to a Friday report from The Hill, the state has reported more than 1,000 daily cases on all but two days in June.
On Thursday, Texas saw another record number of new cases — 5,996 — as well as hospitalizations — 4,739. The hospitalization number set a record for the 14th straight day, the Tribune reported.
Also on Thursday, Abbott announced the state was putting a pause on the reopening plans. And he also ordered a ban on elective surgeries in four of the state's biggest counties: Bexar, Travis, Dallas and Harris.
Anything else?
Researchers also estimate that Florida has seen at least 114,018 confirmed cases.
On Friday, Florida shattered its single-day record of confirmed COVID-19 cases with 8,933 new cases. The previous record was set on Wednesday with 5,508 infections.
Halsey Beshears, the secretary of the agency that regulates Florida's bars, announced bar closures in the Sunshine State.
On Twitter, Beshears wrote, "Effective immediately, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is suspending on premises consumption of alcohol at bars statewide."


theblaze--2020-06-26--Florida sees record number of new COVID-19 cases — nearly 9,000 — as testing increases

Record number of cases , but not a record positivity rate Florida sees record number of new COVID-19 cases — @ @ @ @ @ increases A health care worker administers a coronavirus test to a patient at the Lee @ @ @ @ @ Thursday in Tampa , Florida .
( Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images )

Florida has seen a record number of new COVID-19 cases in the past few days, and had 8,933 new cases Thursday, although some of that spike can be attributed to an increase in the number of tests administered in the state.
The state released new coronavirus data Friday that charted the number of new cases and people tested each day since June 12. Most days within that period, fewer than 40,000 people were tested. On Thursday, however, 71,433 people were tested, with a positivity rate of 13.05%
To put that positivity rate into some context, the rate in that June 12 through June 25 period has ranged as low as 4.39% on June 14, when 34,317 people were tested, to as high as 15.84% on June 23, when 36,329 people were tested. On June 24, the positivity rate was 8.92% with 57,904 people tested.
Based on available COVID-19 death data in Florida, which can lag some and be subject to retroactive updates, the daily number of COVID-19 deaths has remained flat in June, with the seven-day moving average hovering between 30 and 40. Data over the next couple of weeks will reveal whether this increase in number of cases results in any significant increase in deaths, or whether it will confirm that the virus is less deadly than some believe.
The new data from the state also continues to show how disproportionately vulnerable the elderly are to the virus. Out of the 3,366 recorded COVID-19 deaths, 85% of them have been people 65 years of age and older. People 85 years of age and older account for 36% of the total COVID-19 deaths.
More people over the age of 84 (1,206 people) have died from the coronavirus than those who are under the age of 65 (510 people).
Florida, run by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been one of the states with more relaxed coronavirus restrictions while other states were implementing severe lockdowns.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Washington sheriff suggests residents defy governor's statewide mask requirement: 'Don't be a sheep'

Lewis County ( Washington ) Sheriff Robert Snaza apparently suggested that residents defy the face-mask mandate set forth by Democratic Gov .
Jay Inslee this week .
Inslee 's order took effect Friday .
Any violation of the new mandate is considered a misdemeanor , and is punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a maximum fine of $ 1,000 .
What are the details ?
Snaza encouraged locals residents gathered in church parking lot in Napavine , Washington , `` Do n't be a sheep . ''
In a now-viral video filmed earlier this week , Snaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case you guys did n't hear , Gov .
Inslee in his infinite wisdom has decided after over a hundred and some odd days that we should all wear face masks — inside and out .
Here 's what I say : Do n't be a sheep . ''
The crowd — including some who waved American flags — erupted in cheers , pumping their fists and clapping .
Snaza can be seen shaking the hands of those in the crowd — none of which are masked — and even hugging some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disappointed in any law enforcement officer who would encourage illegal behavior , '' Inslee said , and insisted that wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic `` is about demonstrating our respect and care for the other people around us . ''
Snaza said that he does n't necessarily believe that mask-wearing reduces the spread of COVID-19 and added that he does n't believe law enforcement should intervene in residents ' lives if they do not want to wear the face mask .
`` Yet we 're telling people now to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , we 're going to cite you for that , '' Snaza said .
Also on Wednesday , Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer blasted Inslee 's order in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting .
Songer called the governor an `` idiot '' and said he 's `` overstepping his bounds , violating people 's constitutional rights . ''

Lewis County (Washington) Sheriff Robert Snaza apparently suggested that residents defy the face-mask mandate set forth by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee this week.
Inslee's order took effect Friday. Any violation of the new mandate is considered a misdemeanor, and is punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a maximum fine of $1,000.
What are the details?
Snaza encouraged locals residents gathered in church parking lot in Napavine, Washington, "Don't be a sheep."
In a now-viral video filmed earlier this week, Snaza tells the gathered residents, "In case you guys didn't hear, Gov. Inslee in his infinite wisdom has decided after over a hundred and some odd days that we should all wear face masks — inside and out. Here's what I say: Don't be a sheep."
The crowd — including some who waved American flags — erupted in cheers, pumping their fists and clapping.
Snaza can be seen shaking the hands of those in the crowd — none of which are masked — and even hugging some people.
During a Wednesday news conference, Inslee responded to Snaza's remarks.
"I think we have to be disappointed in any law enforcement officer who would encourage illegal behavior," Inslee said, and insisted that wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic "is about demonstrating our respect and care for the other people around us."
Snaza said that he doesn't necessarily believe that mask-wearing reduces the spread of COVID-19 and added that he doesn't believe law enforcement should intervene in residents' lives if they do not want to wear the face mask.
"Yet we're telling people now to wear it and if you don't wear it, we're going to cite you for that," Snaza said.
Also on Wednesday, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer blasted Inslee's order in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. Songer called the governor an "idiot" and said he's "overstepping his bounds, violating people's constitutional rights."


theblaze--2020-06-26--Dr. Fauci says White House may change COVID-19 testing strategy: 'Something's not working'

Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , testifies Tuesday at a hearing @ @ @ @ @ on Energy and Commerce on Capitol Hill .
( Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images )

Dr. Anthony Fauci, top public health expert on the White House coronavirus response task force, said Thursday that the White House is considering a new testing strategy as evidence mounts that the current strategy isn't as effective as it needs to be in slowing the spread of COVID-19, according to the Washington Post.
"Something's not working," Fauci said. "I mean, you can do all the diagramming you want, but something is not working."
What's the alternative? Right now, the strategy is to test as many people as possible on an individual basis so that people who are COVID-19 positive, even if they don't have symptoms, can isolate themselves.
The possible new strategy is called "pool testing," which would have a group of samples combined into one pool that is then tested. If that group of samples comes back negative, no further action is needed. If that group of samples comes back positive, then all the individuals in that pool would be tested individually.
The hope would be that this pool testing method would allow for a conservation of resources and for better identification of asymptomatic cases, which would then lead to quicker isolation of infected individuals.
"What you need to do is find the penetration of infected people in your society," Fauci said, according to the Post. "And the only way you know that is by casting a broad net."
Would it work? The effectiveness of the pool testing strategy would be dependent on a majority of Americans not having the virus. If too high a percentage of the population is infected, the strategy would not save any time or resources.
Scientific American describes it as a numbers game, giving the example of trying to identify positive individuals in a group of 100 people. Instead of doing 100 individual tests, you could divide them into five pools of 20, and test each group. If, for example, four of those groups test negative, and one group tests positive, then you only have to do 20 individual tests to figure out who is positive, saving a significant number of tests.
That's where the prevalence issue comes in. If the virus is too prevalent, and all five groups came back positive, no resources are saved by the method.
(H/T: New York Post)


theblaze--2020-06-26--Federal judge rules Cuomo, de Blasio cannot arbitrarily limit church gatherings due to COVID-19 whil

Federal judge rules Cuomo, de Blasio cannot arbitrarily limit church gatherings due to COVID-19 while allowing mass protests

Federal judge rules Cuomo , de Blasio can not arbitrarily limit church gatherings due to COVID-19 while allowing mass protests

In a win for religious freedom advocates, a federal judge ruled that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) are wrong to limit religious gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic while at the same time supporting mass protests of racial injustice.
What are the details?
U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction Friday prohibiting Cuomo, his attorney general, and de Blasio from ordering or enforcing any arbitrary limits on church gatherings.
In his decision, Sharp noted that "it is not the judiciary's role to second guess the likes of Governor Cuomo or Mayor de Blasio when it comes to decisions they make in such troubling times, that is, until those decisions result in the curtailment of fundamental rights without compelling justification."
The order effectively states that the New York officials cannot impose any limitation on outdoor gatherings and cannot impose limitations on indoor gatherings out-of-step with phases two and three of the New York's reopening plan.
Under the plan, "essential" businesses are granted 100% occupancy and "nonessential" businesses are granted 50% occupancy, but religious gatherings are confined to 25% occupancy.
"We are pleased that Judge Sharpe was able to see through the sham of Governor Cuomo's 'Social Distancing Protocol' which went right out the window as soon as he and Mayor de Blasio saw a mass protest movement they favored taking to the streets by the thousands," Thomas More Society Special Counsel Christopher Ferrara said in a news release.
The Thomas More Society, a conservative not-for-profit national law firm, represented the group of Catholic priests and Jewish congregants who brought the complaint.
"Suddenly, the limit on 'mass gatherings' was no longer necessary to 'save lives,'" Ferrara added. "Yet they were continuing to ban high school graduations and other outdoor gatherings exceeding a mere 25 people. This decision is an important step toward inhibiting the suddenly emerging trend of exercising absolute monarchy on pretext of public health. What this kind of regime really meant in practice is freedom for me, but not for thee."
Preferential treatment for protests
Limitations on mass gatherings due to COVID-19 seemingly went out the window as mass protests erupted across America following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis over Memorial Day weekend.
In New York, thousands of protesters flocked to the streets day after day without any pushback from Cuomo and de Blasio.
Instead, the aforementioned officials spoke openly in support of New York residents' freedom to protest while still enforcing limitations on other forms of public assembly.
Sharpe, in his ruling, pointed out the hypocrisy, arguing the double standard amounted to "preferential treatment" for the protesters.
"Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules," Sharpe wrote. "They could have also been silent. But by acting as they did, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio sent a clear message that mass protests are deserving of preferential treatment."
BlazeTV interviewed Ferrara last Friday:


theblaze--2020-06-26--Brothers at the center of Jussie Smollett case will resume cooperation after gun returned by police

Brothers at the center of Jussie Smollett case will resume cooperation after gun returned by police This is very bad @ @ @ @

The two brothers at the center of the Jussie Smollett alleged hate crime case said Thursday they plan to testify against the "Empire" actor. This comes one day after Abel and Ola Osundairo said they wouldn't cooperate with police.
"Yesterday's decision to voluntarily stop cooperating in the prosecution of Jussie Smollett has nothing to do with the veracity of the statements made to police and prosecutors by Abimnola ('Abel') and Olabinjo ('Ola') Osundairo," Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, the attorney for the brothers, told Fox News on Thursday. "The brothers have consistently stood by their statements and testimony and continue to tell the truth about their involvement."
The Osundairo brothers decided to "cease voluntary cooperation" with the police because a "properly registered 9mm handgun" and ammunition inside of a safe was seized by the Chicago Police Department during an earlier raid during the initial investigation in February 2019.
"It's been over a year and they need to give us our stuff back," Abel Osundairo told WBBM-TV on Wednesday. "I would understand if we were defendants in the case, which we are not."
"The missing gun was a reason for Abel and Ola's decision to cease voluntary cooperation, in addition to the unnecessary complication brought to this situation by CPD's Corporate Counsel in treating them like suspects," a statement from Schmidt Rodriguez said. "Abel and Ola will recommence their cooperation in the Smollett case now that the handgun has been produced by the Special Prosecutor's office."
Smollett was charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for making a false report on March 9, 2019, but the charges were all dropped on March 26, 2019.
Former United States Attorney Dan Webb was assigned as a special prosecutor in the Smollett case in August 2019. In February 2020, six new felony charges against the "Empire" actor were announced.
Smollett told Chicago police that two masked men physically attacked him and yelled racial and homophobic slurs as he was walking home after getting food at a Subway restaurant in the early hours of Jan. 29, 2019.
Smollett claims that he was beaten up by the two men, they put a noose around his neck, and poured an unknown chemical substance on him before fleeing. Smollett told police the attackers yelled, "This is MAGA country," a reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again."
The Osundario brothers claim Smollett paid them to attack him in an alleged fake hate crime.
Smollett has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he is innocent.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Rep. Ayanna Pressley says Black Lives Matter is a mandated directive: 'Pay us what you owe us'

Rep. Ayanna Pressley says Black Lives Matter is a mandated directive : 'Pay us what you owe us' Black bodies @ @ @ @ @ 'criminalized '

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said this week that Black Lives Matter is a directive from activists for white Americans to "pay us what you owe us."
What are the details?
During a Thursday speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Democratic lawmaker discussed the Justice in Policing Act, which she said was a critical piece of legislation to achieve equality and safety for black people in the U.S.
"I rise today on behalf of every black family that has been robbed of a child," she began.
"On behalf of every family member that has been forced to see their loved one lynched on national television," she continued, pointing out cases of police brutality against black Americans. "Driving while black. Jogging while black. Sleeping while black."
Pressley explained that black bodies are "criminalized" in the world simply on the grounds of their skin color.
"We have been criminalized for the very way we show up in the world," Pressley added. "Under the harsh gaze of far too many, my black body is seen as a threat, always considered armed. Centuries of institutionalized oppression will not be undone overnight, for racism in America is as structural as the marble pillars of this very institution."
She pointed out the importance of the Justice in Policing Act, which she explained is a "critical step forward" for the United States.
"With the power of the pen we must legislate accountability, dismantle these systems, and move in the direction of justice and healing," she insisted. "The Justice in Policing Act is a critical step forward and I applaud the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus. But our work is unfinished. There is a rallying cry in communities across the nation. Black Lives Matter is a mandate from the people. It's time. Pay us what you owe us."
"Our black skin is not a crime," she concluded. "It is the beautiful robe of nation builders. Thank you, I yield."
What else?
The House on Thursday night passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020.
The bill passed 236-181. Just three Republicans — Reps. Will Hurd (Texas), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Fred Upton (Mich.) — voted "yes" on the measure.
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) co-sponsored the legislation alongside Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y). Bass also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, and Nadler chairs the House Judiciary Committee.
The act, which demands expanded police accountability and transparency in policing, is headed to the Senate.
The bill intends to "hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies." The bill also prohibits the use of chokeholds and would create a national police misconduct registry in order to establish pattern tracking in instances of police brutality and excessive use of force.
In a statement, Pelosi said that the bill would "fundamentally transform" the way law enforcement works.
"Today," she said in remarks, "with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the House is honoring his life and the lives of all killed by police brutality, and pledging: Never again. We have the opportunity and the obligation to ensure that his death, and the deaths of so many others, are not in vain."


theblaze--2020-06-26--Daughter of a Michigan legislative candidate pleads with residents not to vote for her dad in a twee

Daughter of a Michigan legislative candidate pleads with residents not to vote for her dad in a tweet now garnering national attention

Daughter of a Michigan legislative candidate pleads with residents not to vote for her dad in a tweet now garnering @ @ @ @ @ of god do not vote for my dad '

In a tweet now garnering national media attention, the daughter of a conservative candidate for the Michigan state House of Representatives recently urged residents not to vote for him.
What did she say?
On Tuesday, Stephanie Regan, the 23-year-old daughter of Republican state House candidate Robert Regan, wrote, "if you're in michigan and 18+ pls for the love of god do not vote for my dad for state rep. tell everyone."
In follow-up tweets over the next couple days, Regan said she didn't feel safe divulging more information about her father's political beliefs but urged residents to research his campaign for themselves.
She also admitted she didn't think "anyone past hometown friends" would see her tweet, but said she appreciated the "support and love" she has been receiving in direct messages.
Regan is a candidate for Michigan's 73rd state House district who has in the past described himself as "so conservative that he makes Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal," according to the Daily Dot.
On his campaign website, Regan argues his support for issues such as making English the official language of Michigan, restoring the state militia, restricting access to abortion, and enforcing tougher immigration policies.
Regan is running against two other Republicans in an Aug. 4 primary.
What is he saying in response?
In a Facebook post Thursday, Regan addressed his daughter's comments, saying he is "happy that she feels confident enough in [their] relationship to express her opposing thoughts so publicly."
Regan told The Hill that he was not necessarily surprised to see his daughter's tweet because the two have sparred over issues such as systemic racism and white privilege in the past.
"A lot of students when they go off to these liberal university campuses, like the University of Colorado, the University of Texas and Austin — and she went to the University of Colorado in Boulder — and you know, they just kind of get sucked into this Marxist, communist ideology and she and I just don't see eye to eye when it comes to the whole socialism, communism, Marxist philosophy," he added.
"She's a big believer in [systemic racism]," he continued, before noting "the only place where I really see systemic racism would be the abortion clinic cause they seem to target the African American community."
Regan is also an ardent Trump supporter and argued that the president has "done more for the black community than any president we've had in the last 20 years."
He described his political differences with his daughter by using a scale of 1-10: "I'm like the right wing, a 10, and she's like a zero."
Regan told the Hill that he had not spoken with his daughter since she posted the original tweet. But in his Facebook statement, he said he only wants "what is best" for her, even though they may not always agree on "what is best."


theblaze--2020-06-26--Horowitz: Border state surge: Rise in serious southwestern cases driven by border-crossers from Mexi

Horowitz: Border state surge: Rise in serious southwestern cases driven by border-crossers from Mexico

Horowitz : Border state surge : Rise in serious southwestern cases driven by border-crossers from Mexico

Why should Americans in border states have to go back into lockdown and be treated like criminals by a government that failed to lock down the border when Mexico experienced its worst surge of coronavirus in late May?
Despite the mounting evidence that the worst part of the surge in the southwest is the result of cross-border travel beginning in May, government officials continue to act as if this is a domestic problem and that somehow Americans have been careless in mitigating the virus. They are using the results of their failure to lock down the border as a pretext to lock down Americans. Talk about chutzpah.
Nobody captured the essence of what is going on at the border better than Brownsville public health director Arturo Rodriguez. While explaining the rising cases and even deaths, he recently said, "In other words, you have three rates: the U.S., Mexico and your border rate."
America experienced its peak in March and April. Mexico experienced its peak in May and June. The border states, which were barely affected by the original American epidemiological curve, are now getting nailed by Mexico's curve.
Just how prominent is the surge on the border relative to the rest of the country? Data analyst and sportscaster Kyle Lamb, who joined my podcast last Friday, prepared a chart showing the rise in cases over 21 days through June 23:
What you see is an unmistakable surge in southern California, southern Arizona, and the Rio Grande Valley counties in southeast Texas, which all share a border with the towns in Mexico that were hardest hit beginning in late May. The other counties flagged in the interior of the country are mainly small rural counties that have state or federal prisons, and the numbers are dramatically distorted by those counts, as states tested prisons in recent weeks.
Even before any speculation about the possible spread from illegal immigrants, it is now an open fact that green card holders and dual citizens were completely exempt from the travel ban and came here to access our hospitals. There are thorough reports from the New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, and Kaiser Health News about very sick patients flooding our border hospitals and even being sent into the larger city hospitals for care beginning in late May. That is exactly when the American epidemiological curve was waning, but the Mexican curve was beginning to spike.
Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies reported on a video of a Riverside County nurse saying that patients were being helicoptered from the border to the hospital in her county.
Thus, while most of the surge in most states is superficial and illusory – more a function of people coming back to hospitals for regular care, universal testing, and a modest spread of a milder form of the virus – the border counties have been hit with the re-importation of the serious first round from Mexico. This is why we are seeing increased ICU usage and deaths primarily in the border counties and nowhere else. California and Arizona now account for 40% of the reported ICU census, and it's no coincidence:
There is a huge difference between the rate of infection in the northern counties of Arizona and the border counties:
The same dynamic is unfolding in California, where 80.5% of ICU usage is in California's nine southernmost counties.
I'm sure many Americans would like to know how many of those beds are being filled with those crossing the Mexican border. We know that 60% of all hospital beds in one Imperial County hospital were recent arrivals from Mexico as of June 2. If you look at the Imperial County dashboard, you will find that just 1.5% of all known cases are non-Hispanic (where 48% are of unknown ethnicity). That is a dead giveaway as to the culprit behind the surge and where it's coming from.
Also, in Texas, we are seeing an ICU shortage – where? In Laredo, which is right at the border. It's no mystery why Laredo and southeast Texas are getting hit. Just as the hot spots in Mexicali and Tijuana in May led to a surge in California hospitalizations from cross-border medical tourists, we are seeing the same thing in southeast Texas. According to ValleyCentral.com, travel has continued to flow back and forth across from McAllen to Reynosa and Brownsville to Matamoras. Those two Mexican cities have the highest number of cases in the state of Tamaulipas.
The travel ban, which was implemented at the border on March 21, never applied to dual citizens and green card holders, evidently, even if they were coming for COVID-19 care at U.S. hospitals. However, a source at CBP's office of field operations (OFO) who works at a port of entry in Texas told me he is concerned that we don't seem to automatically test or screen anyone who comes over the border unless they are showing symptoms – even non-green card holders. Many of them are deemed essential and have questionable documents showing they perform essential work.
"At the inception of the nonessential travel ban, CBP officers have been told by management that it is none of their business if the travelers are traveling for essential purposes and if they are wearing proper PPE," complained the veteran customs agent in southeast Texas. The agent reached out to CR to express his concerns but must remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Hundreds of Mexicans cross daily claiming their travel is considered as trade and commerce because they simply provide a typed letter of employment with a fancy letterhead and a Mexican-made employment identification card. CBP officers have had no formal training about such Mexican documents other than the Mexican passport. Many Mexican tourists are using this method as a loophole to gain entry into the United States of America during the COVID-19 pandemic. CBP officers suspect many of these letters of employment and employment identification cards are fraudulent, but management continues to allow them to enter without the proper vetting. As a result, traffic has increased drastically since the nonessential travel ban.
But they are at least screened for the virus, right?
"Presently, travelers coming from Mexico are still not being medically screened at the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry, Anzalduas port of entry, and Pharr port of entry," charged the customs agent.
If CBP agents see someone who is sick, they will refer him to the CDC, but it appears that there is no automatic testing or even temperature readings of those who come across the border as essential visa holders, much less green card holders or citizens.
When I asked a CBP spokesman if he could verify whether CBP automatically tests or takes the temperature of those entering, he responded with the following:
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are exempt from the restrictions on entry at U.S. land borders. These individuals will receive the same processing, evaluation and potential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) medical screening that all entrants undergo at U.S. ports of entry. If CBP identifies a traveler who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 or who otherwise meets the CDC's COVID-19 screening guidelines, then CBP will refer that traveler to the CDC or local health officials for enhanced health screening. These medical professionals take travelers' temperatures as necessary.
Thus, the referrals to the CDC are only if they "identify" anyone with symptoms and temperatures are only taken "as necessary." Many Americans would be surprised that with mandated testing to go back to work and to do so many things domestically, we still do not have universal automatic testing at the border, even though Mexico became a hot spot beginning in May.
And again, green card holders and dual citizens are completely exempt, as are those who are coming for medical purposes. I did not receive a response from CBP to the following question: "What happens if they are seeking medical care, not a heart or cancer surgery, but for the express purpose of obtaining COVID treatment at a U.S. hospital?"
As of this writing, the CDC has not replied to CR's request for comment on the procedures for COVID-19 patients crossing the border.
We already know the answer to this question regarding green card holders and dual citizens, from public material and from the obvious data reports from border hospitals. The question is how many with other visas, border crossing cards, or even those without any valid documentation are waived through to come to our hospitals.
According to my source at the OFO, "Management has allowed some Mexican citizens to enter the United States of America with a humanitarian waiver 212(D)(4)."
We know that many very sick patients came in for care in our hospitals, but how many others spread the virus inside the border? Remember, it's the sickest ones who are likely the most contagious. Time will tell whether the border travel affects the rest of the country, but it clearly has reintroduced some serious cases into hospitals near the border.
This all raises the obvious question: How can a travel ban that was designed to keep out international spread of COVID-19 be manipulated as a humanitarian mission to give medical care to many people in Mexico who have COVID-19 and flee north due to subpar medical care? How can Americans be expected to shoulder the burden of both a reintroduction of the virus into the country and the lockdown policies as a result? Wouldn't it have been better for the CDC to open a field hospital right at the border to treat these patients rather than bringing them into the interior?
One thing is clear: With all the panicked media stories and political decisions built on the surge in cases in the southwest, the most serious factor driving the surge continues to be ignored.


theblaze--2020-06-26--Joe Biden says he would require face masks nationwide if elected president

Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would use his executive power to require Americans to wear face masks in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, KDKA-TV reported.
Some localities have required masks in public, while many others recommend it without requiring it. President Donald Trump rarely wears a mask, and although the president has previously recommended the use of face coverings, he has not expressed any desire or intention to make it a federal mandate.
Biden was asked about a federal mask requirement by KDKA's Ken Rice.
"I would go back to making sure that everybody had masks, that you had PPE lined up, making sure we stockpile all the things that we need and we don't have now," Biden said. "The one thing we do know, these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody in public be wearing that mask. Anyone to reopen, it would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks."
"Couldn't you use your federal leverage to mandate that?" Rice asked.
"Yes," Biden replied.
"Would you?" Rice pressed.
"Yes, I would from an executive standpoint, I would," Biden said.
"So you would, in effect, mandate the wearing of masks," Rice asked, seeking further clarification.
"I would do everything possible to make it required the people had to wear masks in public," Biden said, not providing any further specifics.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, Trump administration officials such as Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Anthony Fauci attempted to convince the public that they did not need to wear masks. That effort was apparently only a way to prevent the public from buying all the masks and leaving health care workers without the supply they needed.
As the pandemic worsened, the administration recommended the public begin wearing cloth face coverings in public, despite a lack of evidence that such coverings would be effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.


theblaze--2020-06-26--White protesters lose it, demand police are abolished. Black Harlem residents disagree — and say cut

White protesters lose it, demand police are abolished. Black Harlem residents disagree — and say cutting police would be 'suicide.'

White protesters lose it , demand police are abolished .
Black Harlem residents disagree — and say cutting police would @ @ @ @ @ are these protesters even talking about ?

Filmmaker and journalist Ari Horowitz took to the streets of Harlem to gauge the residents' feelings about police protests taking place across the country and in their own city.
It did not turn out the way many people presumably thought it would.
What are the details?
Horowitz began by visiting the East Village in New York City.
All of the white demonstrators who spoke to Horowitz said that police should be abolished.
One man insisted that police officers were flat-out "monsters."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Another couldn't express his hate for the police enough — he had to reiterate it time and time again.
At first he simply exclaimed, "I f***ing hate the police!"
Image source: YouTube screenshot
The same man later insisted, "Like, I just f***ing hate the police and everything they stand for."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
A third white man said that the very existence of police emerged from slave-catching days.
"Policing in this country is about keeping black people down," the activist explained. "[Policing] arose out of slave-catching patrols."
What else?
When Horowitz traveled to Harlem, he found that the residents there were singing an entirely different tune.
One man said that protesters demanding the abolition of police were "full of crap."
"I think they're being somewhat ignorant," a woman later admitted.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Another Harlem resident said that she has family members who are first responders.
"I have family members that are police," she said. "I respect the police. I would not want to see a lawless society."
One man — who was wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt — added that getting rid of police would be nothing short of suicide.
"Abolishing the NYPD?" he said. "That would be suicide."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
"There's too many criminals out here," another man later added. "I wouldn't feel safe. Are you kidding me?
Another black Harlem resident added, "We need control over this city. So I think that the police, the police are necessary."
Yet another male said that his 8-year-old son wants to be a police officer.
"I want him to push to be a police [officer]," he insisted.
One man added, "You know, all police officers are not bad. You know, you got some of them that really care about the people and really want to help the people."
You can watch the rest of the reactions in the video below.
Content warning: rough language
Do Black lives really matter to the Left? Spoiler alert.....they don't and I prove it. www.youtube.com
(H/T: Fox News)


theblaze--2020-06-27--Facebook BOYCOTT: Major corporations demand MORE social media censorship

Just in time for Trump campaign ads

A Facebook anti-hate campaign called "Stop Hate for Profit" is gaining momentum, leading large companies like Patagonia, North Face, REI, and Ben & Jerry's to pull advertising revenue if Facebook doesn't do more to "stop the spread of hateful lies and dangerous propaganda on its platform."
But, what is considered "hateful"? It's anything that goes against the mob, and they won't stop with Facebook. Any voices that speak out against the progressive narrative will soon be censored and silenced. The more this campaign grows, the more our freedom of speech diminishes.
Watch the video below to hear Glenn Beck break down the details:
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theblaze--2020-06-27--President Trump sends scathing letter to Illinois governor, Chicago mayor over violence in the city

President Trump sends scathing letter to Illinois governor , Chicago mayor over violence in the city The president says 'the @ @ @ @ @ '

President Donald Trump sent a searing letter to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) on Friday, calling on them to address the violent crime problem in the city of Chicago and lambasting them for not doing more to protect its citizens.
What are the details?
The president urged Pritzker and Lightfoot to take "action on the devastating violence in Chicago," citing a Chicago Sun-Times article from June 8 titled, "18 murders in 24 hours: Inside the most violent day in 60 years in Chicago."
Trump listed a number of "horrors" recounted in the article — including the murders of a high school student and 3-year-old toddler — and wrote, "your lack of leadership on this important issue continues to fail the people you have sworn to protect. I am concerned it is another example of your lack of commitment to the vulnerable citizens who are victims of this violence and a lack of respect for the men and women in law enforcement."
President Trump dedicated a lengthy paragraph naming programs totaling hundreds of millions of federal dollars sent to the city of Chicago in recent years, before reminding the mayor and governor of actions his administration has taken to address criminal justice reform and help low-income communities.
In closing, the president wrote:
Unlike previous Administrations of both parties, I am willing to tackle unresolved challenges. If you are willing to put partisanship aside, we can revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Chicago, together. But to succeed, you must establish law and order. The combination of crime, high State and local taxes, and onerous State and local regulations have caused thousands of Illinoisans to flee to other states. Between 2010 and 2019, Illinois lost more of its population than any other state in the nation. If you are interested, I am willing to ask members of my Cabinet to meet with you and help devise a plan to make Chicago safe, since a successful formula has escaped both you and your predecessors. My Administration would also welcome the opportunity to engage with you and your colleagues as you develop bipartisan policy recommendations to improve policing and make our great cities safer for all.
Unfortunately, you continue to put your own political interests ahead of the lives, safety, and fortunes of your own citizens. The people of Chicago deserve better.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Pritzker reacted to the president's letter with a statement to the Sun-Times, saying, "President Trump is a failure who has once again resorted to a press stunt in an attempt to distract from his long list of failures, especially his response to the deadly coronavirus and nationwide calls for racial justice. The people of this state and this nation have unfortunately come to expect his unhinged attempts to politicize tragedy with his predictable and worn-out strategy to distract, distract, distract."
Mayor Lightfoot responded on Twitter, writing, "I don't need leadership lessons from Donald Trump. As our police officers, street outreach workers and residents continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, he's using the victims of gun violence in our city to score cheap political points, spew racist rhetoric, and ignore the impact of COVID across this country."
She added, "It is despicable, disgusting and all too typical. Same old tired playbook. How about some leadership not steeped in the divide and conquer tactics? I stand with @GovPritzker in providing for the safety and well-being of our residents."


theblaze--2020-06-27--Seattle mayor met with CHOP protesters and gave them a deadline for the barriers to come down

Seattle mayor met with CHOP protesters and gave them a deadline for the barriers to come down The protesters want @ @ @

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan met with protesters of the contentious CHOP encampment and gave them a deadline for when the city would be dismantling the barriers that border the zone.
According to an independent journalist who reported on the meeting, Durkan told the protesters that the city would take down the barriers on Sunday, except for those around the East Precinct police station.
Durkan told protesters at the meeting to not livestream the meeting, nor to tweet about it at the time.
Protesters reiterated their demands, which included defunding the police force by 50% and channeling the funds to social services.
VIDEO: Mayor meets with CHOP leaders after demonstrators stop crews from barricade removal www.youtube.com
The meeting followed upon a failed attempt by the city to dismantle the barriers. Protesters refused to allow city workers access and they eventually gave in.
While most protesters have lost interest in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, as it was once called, and left, a new group of protesters calling itself the "Black Collective Voices" has tried to seize leadership.
"If the people of Seattle choose to hold the space at CHOP, Black Collective Voices will stay here," said Naudia Miller, a BCV leader.
"We will not be bought off," she added, "we will not attend meetings where the goal is to buy us off, we are here to dismantle systemic racism."
Here's another local news report about Durkan's meeting:


theblaze--2020-06-28--Princeton University removes Woodrow Wilson's name from public policy school, citing his 'racist vie

Princeton University removes Woodrow Wilson's name from public policy school, citing his 'racist views and policies'

Princeton University removes Woodrow Wilson 's name from public policy school , citing his 'racist views and policies' There was @ @ @ @ @ the name of Wilson 's school in 2016 , but the University decided to keep @ @ @

Princeton University announced that former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's name will be removed from its public policy school and one of its residential colleges because his "racist views and policies make him an inappropriate namesake."
Princeton University president Christopher Eisgruber released a statement on Saturday outlining why Wilson was no longer worthy of having a school named after him. Eisgruber explained that he had a meeting with the Princeton University Board of Trustees, and they decided that Wilson's "racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms."
Eisgruber noted that the "tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks drew renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America." He added that "Princeton is part of an America that has too often disregarded, ignored, or excused racism, allowing the persistence of systems that discriminate against black people."
"Wilson's racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time," the release read. "He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today."
"Wilson's segregationist policies make him an especially inappropriate namesake for a public policy school," the statement continued. "When a university names a school of public policy for a political leader, it inevitably suggests that the honoree is a model for students who study at the school."
"This searing moment in American history has made clear that Wilson's racism disqualifies him from that role," Eisgruber said. "In a nation that continues to struggle with racism, this University and its school of public and international affairs must stand clearly and firmly for equality and justice."
"We take this action while continuing to recognize and respect Woodrow Wilson's exceptional achievements," the trustees said in a separate statement. "Though we conclude today that Wilson's racism makes him an inappropriate namesake for the University's School of Public and International Affairs, we recognize that Princeton has a continuing responsibility to remember his achievements even as we honestly and publicly contend with his failures."
The school will now be known as "The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs."
Princeton had already planned to close Wilson College once two new residential colleges currently under construction were built. The Ivy League school will immediately change the name to First College.
The Woodrow Wilson Award, Princeton's highest honor for an undergraduate alumnus or alumna, will continue to use his name because it is "the result of a gift."
"When the University accepted the gift, it took on a legal obligation to name the prize for Wilson and honor his 'conviction that education is for 'use' and … the high aims expressed in his memorable phrase, 'Princeton in the Nation's Service,'" the trustees said.
There was pressure for Princeton to change the name of Wilson's school in 2016, but the University decided to keep the name.
Wilson, a Democrat, was governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913 and then the 28th U.S. president from 1913 to 1921.
Wilson viewed segregation in his federal agencies as a "benefit" to blacks. Wilson denied African American students admission to Princeton while he was president of the Ivy League school. He had a showing at the White House of the 1915 movie "The Birth of a Nation," that depicted the Ku Klux Klan as heroes.
Earlier this month, Monmouth University in New Jersey removed Wilson's name from one of their buildings, Wilson Hall.


theblaze--2020-06-28--Mississippi lawmakers take major step in removing Confederate symbol from state flag

Mississippi lawmakers take major step in removing Confederate symbol from state flag Mississippi Gov .
Tate Reeves said for the @ @ @ @ @ sign a bill to change the flag .

The Mississippi state House advanced legislation to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state's flag. The Mississippi flag is the last state flag in the country to still include the stars and bars of the Confederacy.
By a margin of 85-35, the chamber voted to suspend the rules in the House on Saturday so they can consider a bill to alter the state flag. The Senate followed and passed the resolution with a 36-14 vote. Lawmakers reached the two-thirds majority needed to suspend the rules to consider the change. A separate vote can now happen on a flag bill, which only requires a simple majority to pass, and then it can be sent to the governor.
If the governor approves of the flag change, a commission would design a new Mississippi state flag that will not include the Confederate battle emblem, but will include the phrase "In God We Trust." A commission to resign the flag will be created by Sept. 14, 2020. A new design would be put on the Nov. 3 ballot. If voters approve of the new design, it will become the new state flag. If voters reject the design, the commission will offer another redesigned flag during the 2021 legislative session.
The Magnolia State's flag was adopted in 1894 and it features a red field topped by a blue "X" with 13 white stars.
"The eyes of the state, the nation and indeed the world are on this House," said Republican Jason White, the second-ranking office in the Mississippi House. "I know there are many good people who ... believe that this flag is a symbol of our Southern pride and heritage. But for most people throughout our nation and the world, they see that flag and think that it stands for hatred and oppression."
"I don't think we can move forward together if we say, 'Ýou can have any flag you want except ... this one,'" said Republican Rep. Chris Brown. "If we put the current flag on the ballot with another good design, the people of Mississippi will change it. I believe that. Let's not steal their joy. They want to show the world that they're moving on.″
"Some of you when you come in here don't notice that flag up in the corner," said Democratic Rep. Ed Blackmon, D-Canton. "There's some of us who notice it every time we walk in here and it is not a good feeling … It ought to be something that fills us with a sense of pride, so we know it's about us, not just some of us."
"I think it was a historic moment in our state and it was the right thing to do," said Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn. "The bottom line is the image of our state hangs in the balance."
Also on Saturday, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said for the first time publicly that he would sign a bill to change the flag.
"The legislature has been deadlocked for days as it considers a new state flag," Reeves said on Twitter. "The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it's time to end it. If they send me a bill this weekend, I will sign it."
"For economic prosperity and for a better future for my kids and yours, we must find a way to come together. To heal our wounds, to forgive, to resolve that the page has been turned, to trust each other. With God's help, we can," Reeves wrote on Facebook. "No matter where you are … I love you, Mississippi."
Walmart announced this week that it would no longer display the Mississippi state flag in its stores. Earlier this month, the NCAA's Southeastern Conference told Mississippi that if it does not change its flag, the state might be barred from hosting championship events.


theblaze--2020-06-27--Cosmetic giants removing the word 'whitening' from products, realtor association stops using the wor

Cosmetic giants removing the word 'whitening' from products, realtor association stops using the word 'master bedroom'

Cosmetic giants removing the word 'whitening ' from products , realtor association stops using the word 'master bedroom' The Court @ @ @ @ @ would stop using the title of wine `` master sommelier '' because of the potential @ @ @

Brands have axed problematic marketing in recent weeks, including Eskimo Pies, Uncle Ben's, and Aunt Jemima. Now, companies are discontinuing the use of certain words that they believe could potentially offend. The words "whitening," "fair," and "master bedroom" are allegedly considered controversial.
The Houston Association of Realtors will no longer use the word "master" to describe bedrooms and bathrooms on real estate listings. Instead, the term "primary" will be used in its place.
The word "master bedroom" is allegedly problematic because some believe the adjective carries connotations to slavery and slave masters. The change in nomenclature reportedly happened after several members of the HAR complained that the word "master" is insensitive.
The HAR said it had only banned the word "master" on MLS listings, but members could still use the word in photo descriptions or marketing materials.
The Court of Master Sommeliers, which "sets the global standard of excellence for beverage service within the hospitality industry," will stop using the term "master sommelier."
Earlier this week, the Court of Master Sommeliers announced it would update the title of wine "master sommelier" because of the potential racial implications.
L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetic and beauty company, declared it would stop using the word "whitening" on their products.
"The L'Oreal Group has decided to remove the words white/whitening, fair/fairness, light/lightening from all its skin evening products," the cosmetic giant announced on Friday.
Unilever, the largest producer of soap in the world, said they would remove the words "whitening" or "lightening" on its products. The hygiene and personal care company will rename its Fair & Lovely skin-lightening cream products, which are sold mostly in Asia.
The brand said they would discontinue the name because the name suggested "a singular ideal of beauty."
A petition with over 13,000 signatures demanded Unilever to stop selling the product. "This product has built upon, perpetuated and benefited from internalized racism and promotes anti-blackness sentiments amongst all its consumers," the petition read.
Unilever said they would work towards "a more inclusive vision of beauty."
Johnson & Johnson announced on Monday that they are pulling two skin lightening products. The multinational corporation will stop selling its Clean & Clear Fairness product line in India and the Neutrogena Fine Fairness line in Asia and the Middle East.


theblaze--2020-06-27--'Godzilla' dust storm arrives in US: See photos of the largest Saharan dust cloud in 50 years

'Godzilla ' dust storm arrives in US : See photos of the largest Saharan dust cloud in 50 years Where @ @ @ @ @ now , and where is it headed ?

After making a 5,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean, dust from the Sahara Desert has arrived in the United States. Experts say this is the largest dust cloud in the last 50 years, prompting the nickname of "Godzilla" because of it's colossal size.
To give you an idea of how enormous the Godzilla dust cloud is, here are images from the International Space Station.
"In terms of concentration and density and size, it is the most dust we've seen in 50 or 60 years," said Pablo Méndez Lázaro, who is an environmental health specialist with the University of Puerto Rico.
The annual natural occurrence is officially called the "Saharan Air Layer." It is comprised of sand, dust, and particulate matter that gets swept up into the atmosphere from the massive Sahara Desert in North Africa. The dust gets trapped in the air, usually in a two-mile thick layer of the atmosphere. The SAL typically begins about a mile above the surface and winds transport it westward, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"Saharan Air Layer activity usually ramps up in mid-June, peaks from late June to mid-August, and begins to rapidly subside after mid-August," the NOAA said.
"The main impacts of the Saharan dust are a whitening of the sky during daylight hours, redder sunsets, and decreased air quality," the National Weather Service said.
The dust plume turns skies hazy, and visibility can be significantly diminished. It will sometimes leave a thin coating on the ground.
The dust cloud can drastically reduce air quality. In the Caribbean this week, air quality plummeted to "hazardous" levels. People were warned to stay indoors, wear face masks, and use air filters.
"The tiny dust particles contained in the plume will cause eye, nose and throat irritation for anyone who comes in their path, but particularly for allergy and asthma sufferers," Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Sahara dust storm arrived in parts of the Caribbean and Mexico earlier this week, and is currently traveling through the United States.
On Friday, there were hazy skies in Panama City Beach, Houston, and Corpus Christi.
The dust cloud arrived in Tulsa on Saturday.
The Godzilla dust cloud is expected to continue moving north over the weekend, and reach Chicago by Sunday.
Models are forecasting another dust cloud entering the Gulf of Mexico next week.
The one positive about Saharan dust clouds is that they suppress hurricanes, which is welcomed since the NOAA is predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with the potential of "extreme activity" in the forecast. The dry desert air in the dust cloud inhibits the formation of tropical cyclone that needs warm, moist air.


theblaze--2020-06-27--Coronavirus genome found in Spain wastewater samples from March 2019, scientists reveal

'Barcelona is a city that is frequented by Chinese people ... '

Spanish scientists have found traces of the coronavirus in water sewage samples dating back to March 2019, suggesting the novel virus that triggered the current pandemic emerged from China much earlier than the Chinese Community Party previously admitted.
According to Reuters, the University of Barcelona revealed Friday that scientists discovered parts of the COVID-19 genome in wastewater samples collected in Barcelona in March 2019.
After the COVID-19 outbreak reached Europe, scientists at the university began conducting research on wastewater to possibly identify new outbreaks. They also decided to test old water samples, those collected between January 2018 and December 2019. Only a sample from March 2019 tested positive for COVID-19.
"The levels of SARS-CoV-2 were low but were positive," research leader Albert Bosch said, Reuters reported.
In an interview with the New York Times, Bosch explained, "Barcelona is a city that is frequented by Chinese people, in tourism and business, so probably this happened also elsewhere, and probably at the same time."
Regarding the virus being found in a single sample from March 2019, Bosch said that it makes sense because "respiratory viruses usually have peaks around this time of the year."
Dr. Joan Ramon Villalbi of the Spanish Society for Public Health and Sanitary Administration told Reuters the research is "definitely interesting, it's suggestive."
Italian scientists have also said they found COVID-19 genetic material present in sewage months before the virus turned northern Italy into the global COVID-19 hotspot.
China claims they only became aware of the virus in late December 2019.