theblaze--2020-12-27--Study finds UV LED lights kill 99.9% of coronavirus in 30 seconds

This would be amazing

Researchers from Tel Aviv University claim that they have found a way to significantly eliminate COVID-19. The new study found that UV-LED lights effectively, quickly, and inexpensively kill the coronavirus.
The promising study was published in the November 2020 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology. The study attempted to find the disinfection efficiency of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes irradiation at different wavelengths or frequencies on the coronavirus. It is said to be the first of its kind in the world, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The research team said that the UV-LED lights required less than half a minute to destroy more than 99.9% of the coronaviruses.
The researchers set out to discover the optimal wavelength for killing coronavirus, and found that a length of 285 nanometers was almost as efficient in disinfecting the virus as a wavelength of 265 nm. The cost of 285 nm LED bulbs are 30% lower than that of 265 nm bulbs, plus they are reportedly more readily available.
From the scientific TAU study, which was a collaboration with Professor Yoram Gerchman of Oranim College; Dr. Michal Mandelboim, director of the National Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses at Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer; and Nehemya Friedman from Tel Hashomer:
UV light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) are an emerging technology and a UV source for pathogen inactivation, however low UV-LED wavelengths are costly and have low fluence rate. Our results suggest that the sensitivity of human Coronavirus (HCoV-OC43 used as SARS-CoV-2 surrogate) was wavelength dependent with 267 nm ~ 279 nm > 286 nm > 297 nm. Other viruses showed similar results, suggesting UV LED with peak emission at ~286 nm could serve as an effective tool in the fight against human Coronaviruses.
"We discovered that it is quite simple to kill the coronavirus using LED bulbs that radiate ultraviolet light," said professor Hadas Mamane, head of the Environmental Engineering Program at Tel Aviv University's School of Mechanical Engineering. "We killed the viruses using cheaper and more readily available LED bulbs, which consume little energy and do not contain mercury like regular bulbs."
"The entire world is currently looking for effective solutions to disinfect the coronavirus," Mamane said. "Our research has commercial and societal implications, given the possibility of using such LED bulbs in all areas of our lives, safely and quickly.
"We know, for example, that medical staff do not have time to manually disinfect, say, computer keyboards and other surfaces in hospitals – and the result is infection and quarantine," Mamane explained. "The problem is that in order to disinfect a bus, train, sports hall, or plane by chemical spraying, you need physical manpower, and in order for the spraying to be effective, you have to give the chemical time to act on the surface.
"Disinfection systems based on LED bulbs, however, can be installed in the ventilation system and air conditioner, for example, and sterilize the air sucked in and then emitted into the room," Mamane said.
Ultraviolet radiation has been used as a common method of killing bacteria and viruses for years. This year, technology has utilized robots equipped with UV-LED lights.
The Carolina Panthers use two Xenex LightStrike robots that cost $125,000 each to sanitize locker rooms, showers, and other areas of the NFL team's Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office is utilizing a robot that kills viruses with ultraviolet light, and is capable of disinfecting 1,000 square feet in less than 10 minutes.
In March, a group of 13 researchers wrote an editorial in the journal Science Robotics:
Instead of manual disinfection, which requires workforce mobilization and increases exposure risk to cleaning personnel, autonomous or remote-controlled disinfection robots could lead to cost-effective, fast, and effective disinfection. New generations of robots, from macro- to microscale, could be developed to navigate high-risk areas and continually work to sterilize all high-touch surfaces.
In April, science and technology advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, William Bryan, said government scientists had found ultraviolet light showed promise in killing SARS-CoV-2.
"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air," Bryan told reporters at the White House. "We've seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well, where increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favorable to the virus."


theblaze--2020-12-27--Boston doctor experiences 'severe' reaction just minutes after receiving Moderna vaccine

A Boston physician experienced a `` severe '' reaction just minutes after being inoculated with Moderna 's vaccine on Christmas Eve .
The New York Times reported that the reaction was the first of its kind to be linked to the Moderna vaccine , which was rolled out across the United States last week .
What are the details ?
Dr. Hossein Sadrzadeh , a geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center , had a severe anaphylactic reaction immediately after receiving the Moderna shot .
Dr. Sadrzadeh told the Times the allergic reaction was the same as those he experiences with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He was taken to the Emergency Department , evaluated , treated , observed and discharged .
He is doing well today , '' David Kibbe , a spokesman for Boston Medical Center , said in a statement .
What is causing the reactions ?
There have been numerous allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccines .
The Food and Drug Administration said the week before Christmas that officials were investigating reactions that happened in several states with the Pfizer vaccine , which was rolled out one week prior to the Moderna vaccine .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reactions , officials say the vaccines are safe .
Still , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on the vaccine for Americans with a history of severe allergic reactions .
`` If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine , CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine .
If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies , you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine .
Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is safe for you to get vaccinated , '' the new guidance read .
Meanwhile , Dr. Peter Marks , director of the FDA 's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , has identified polyethylene glycol as the potential `` culprit '' behind the reactions .
The ingredient is present in both Pfizer 's vaccine and Moderna 's vaccine .
As of Sunday , more than 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed across the U.S. , and nearly 2 million Americans had been inoculated , according to CDC data .

A Boston physician experienced a "severe" reaction just minutes after being inoculated with Moderna's vaccine on Christmas Eve.
The New York Times reported that the reaction was the first of its kind to be linked to the Moderna vaccine, which was rolled out across the United States last week.
What are the details?
Dr. Hossein Sadrzadeh, a geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center, had a severe anaphylactic reaction immediately after receiving the Moderna shot. Dr. Sadrzadeh told the Times the allergic reaction was the same as those he experiences with shellfish.
More from the Times:
He said that within minutes of the vaccine injection at 3:30 p.m., his heart rate had spiked to 150 beats per minute, about twice its normal cadence; his tongue prickled and went numb. Before long, he was drenched in a cold sweat and found himself feeling dizzy and faint. His blood pressure also plummeted, he said. His immune system, he realized, was in revolt.
"It was the same anaphylactic reaction that I experience with shellfish," Dr. Sadrzadeh said. Dr. Sadrzadeh used his EpiPen and was taken on a stretcher to the emergency room, where he was given several medications, including steroids and Benadryl, to calm the immune reactions that had overtaken his body. A record of his visit stated that he had been "seen in the ER for shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations and numbness after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine."
"He was taken to the Emergency Department, evaluated, treated, observed and discharged. He is doing well today," David Kibbe, a spokesman for Boston Medical Center, said in a statement.
What is causing the reactions?
There have been numerous allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration said the week before Christmas that officials were investigating reactions that happened in several states with the Pfizer vaccine, which was rolled out one week prior to the Moderna vaccine.
Although experts still aren't certain what triggered the reactions, officials say the vaccines are safe.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on the vaccine for Americans with a history of severe allergic reactions.
"If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor will help you decide if it is safe for you to get vaccinated," the new guidance read.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has identified polyethylene glycol as the potential "culprit" behind the reactions.
The ingredient is present in both Pfizer's vaccine and Moderna's vaccine.
As of Sunday, more than 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed across the U.S., and nearly 2 million Americans had been inoculated, according to CDC data.


theblaze--2020-12-28--As Trump signs COVID relief package in a late-night move, Republicans and Democrats both press for n

As Trump signs COVID relief package in a late-night move, Republicans and Democrats both press for new vote on $2,000 stimulus payments

As Trump signs COVID relief package in a late-night move , Republicans and Democrats both press for new vote on @ @ @ @

Both Republicans and Democrats pressed for a new vote on $2,000 stimulus checks after President Donald Trump signed a COVID-19 relief package into law Sunday night.
What are the details?
According to a late-night Newsweek report, lawmakers from both parties impressed the importance of a new — fast — vote to give Americans $2,000 stimulus checks as opposed to $600 checks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, Trump blasted the stimulus and spending bill for what he said was a "disgrace" to the American people, according to the outlet.
"I simply want to get our great people $2,000 he tweeted about the bill," he said.
In a statement announcing his signing, he added, "On Monday, the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000. Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200."
Newsweek reported, "Some GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in using the vote for $2,000 stimulus checks on Sunday. Others have already expressed opposition to boosting direct payments, indicating that the party could break with Trump on the record in the coming days."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Twitter praised the president following the announcement, writing, "With President @realDonaldTrump signing the COVID relief funding bill, suffering Americans will get help, the vaccine will be distributed faster, and the government will stay open."
"Congress will vote on additional stimulus checks and repealing Section 230 — all wins for the American people. Well done Mr. President!" he added.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) shared a lengthy statement on Twitter Sunday night following the news, writing, "I applaud the President's decision to get billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families. I am glad the American people will receive this much-needed assistance as our nation continues battling this pandemic."
You can read McConnell's full statement below.
What else?
The president's move even won accolades from far-left Democrats including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y).
Ocasio-Cortez applauded the president's move and wrote, "Great, now he can sign @RashidaTlaib and I's amendment to bring the $600 checks to $2K."
Sanders added, "Finally. Now Trump must get Mitch McConnell and his Republican friends in the Senate to pass legislation to provide $2,000 in direct payments to the working class — legislation I introduced with @SenKamalaHarris and @SenMarkey 7 months ago."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) added, "The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks. Then I will move to pass it in the Senate. No Democrats will object. Will Senate Republicans?"


theblaze--2020-12-29--House passes bill increasing stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000, in line with President Trump's req

House passes bill increasing stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000, in line with President Trump's request

House passes bill increasing stimulus checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000 , in line with President Trump 's request @ @ @ @ @ the Senate

The House of Representatives passed legislation Monday that would boost the $600 direct payments to some Americans under the recently signed COVID-19 relief package to $2,000, keeping in line with President Donald Trump's demand to Congress that the checks meet that mark.
But all eyes are now on the Republican-led Senate, where several GOP members have expressed resistance to raising the amount of the stimulus payments out of concern for the mounting federal debt.
What are the details?
Last week, the House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that included the $600 direct payments to individuals earning less than $75,000. But when it reached President Trump's desk, he sent it back to Congress and threatened not to sign it, insisting on a number of changes that included increasing the checks to $2,000.
The president ultimately signed the massive legislation over the weekend, and released a statement saying that Congress had agreed to take up a number of his concerns.
"On Monday the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000," he wrote.
The Democrat-led House followed through, passing the payment increase in a 275-134 vote that included the support of 44 Republicans, according to The Hill.
Soon thereafter, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued a statement vowing to take up the bill in the Senate on Tuesday, saying, "It can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it" and adding, "there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way."
What about opposition to the bill?
It only takes one senator to block a bill, and more than one Republican in the upper chamber has voiced their opposition to raising payments higher than $600. During debate over the COVID-19 relief package earlier this month, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) twice blocked attempts to raise the payments to $1,200, citing the increase to the U.S. deficit.
Johnson joined five other GOP senators in voting against the coronavirus bill that was included in a massive spending package totaling $2.3 trillion.
Another fiscally conservative Republican who issued a "nay" vote against the bill in the upper chamber was Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), who opined sarcastically in a floor speech, "Why not $20,000 a year for everybody, why not $30,000? If we can print out money with impunity, why not do it?"
But a number of Senate Republicans have also signaled their support for raising the direct payments, including Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).


theblaze--2020-12-29--Armed woman foils alleged carjacking attempt by three teens, and an 11-year-old

Armed woman foils alleged carjacking attempt by three teens , and an 11-year-old Another victory for the Second Amendment

A woman foiled an alleged carjacking attempt when she pulled her own gun against the suspects, which included three teens and an 11-year-old.
The alarming incident unfolded about 7:30 a.m. Saturday in Wentzville, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri.
The victim said that she was sitting in her vehicle when she was approached by a young man who was with three other youths. He asked her for directions but then produced a gun and demanded that she give him her vehicle, according to police.
She refused to leave the vehicle, and instead produced a gun of her own.
"Her actions caused the male subject with the firearm and the three other subjects to flee on foot," the police report said, according to the St. Louis Dispatch.
Wentzville Police were called to the scene and were able to later apprehend three teenage suspects and an 11-year-old suspect. Two of the teens were 15 and the other one was 17.
Police said they recovered a firearm from one of the 15-year-olds, and they charged him with armed criminal action and attempted robbery. He was charged as an adult and remained under custody with a bond set at $50,000.
The other three suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery. The minor is also charged with possession of alcohol.
Rochelle Harris told KSDK-TV that she believes she encountered the four youths in the parking lot of a convenience store on that same morning.
Harris said that one of the males asked her a question but that she got into her car and drove away.
"What happened to her was exactly what my fear was, from the moment I stepped out of my car," Harris said.
Here's more about the alarming incident from KSDK:


theblaze--2020-12-29--Biden claims Trump appointees withholding information needed by his transition team: 'We've encounte

Biden claims Trump appointees withholding information needed by his transition team: 'We've encountered roadblocks'

President-elect cites leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday accused officials appointed by President Donald Trump of withholding critical national security information from Biden's transition team, claiming political appointees have put up "roadblocks" that might leave the U.S. more vulnerable during the transfer of power.
What are the details?
"Right now, as our nation is in a period of transition, we need to make sure that nothing is lost in the hand-off between administrations," Biden said following a meeting with his national security advisers. "My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies."
He said, "We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit."
Without naming names, Biden claimed, "We've encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. Right now we just aren't getting all of the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It's nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility."
The Washington Post reported that Biden "was careful to distinguish between political appointees in the agencies and the career professionals who he said had cooperated fully."
"They never stopped doing their job and continued to serve our country, day in and day out, to keep their fellow Americans safe," Biden said of the career federal bureaucrats. "These agencies are filled with patriots who've earned our respect, and who should never be treated as political footballs."
Biden Criticizes Trump Administration For 'Roadblocks' On National Security Issues | MSNBC www.youtube.com
Reuters noted that this is the second time this month that Biden's team has complained that some Pentagon officials have refused to supply all of the information requested, but the Pentagon denied the claims.
The outlet reported:
The Pentagon pushed back. In a statement, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said the Pentagon had conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials and provided more than 5,000 pages of documents.
According to The Hill, during his news conference on Monday, "Biden did not expand further on what he described as 'obstruction' by outgoing Pentagon leadership, nor did he take questions following his brief remarks."


theblaze--2020-12-29--CNN's Jake Tapper complains about Trump retweeting a mean tweet about him after saying Kayleigh McEn

CNN's Jake Tapper complains about Trump retweeting a mean tweet about him after saying Kayleigh McEnany 'tells lies all the time'

CNN 's Jake Tapper complains about Trump retweeting a mean tweet about him after saying Kayleigh McEnany 'tells lies all @ @ @ @ @ just not gon na put somebody like that on air , ' Tapper said .

CNN host Jake Tapper was upset that President Donald Trump retweeted a "mean tweet" about him during one of the deadliest months of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
Tapper lodged his complaint on his own social media account on Monday.
"The American people are suffering though the deadliest month of the pandemic and the president is RTing mean tweets about me," Tapper wrote.
"Nice work everyone," he added with sarcastic applause emojis.
Tapper posted a screenshot of a retweet from the president of a missive by conservative commentator Mark Levin. The BlazeTV host of the "LevinTV" show called the CNN host "Fake Tapper" and added an insult for CNN's media correspondent Brian Stelter, calling him "Helter Stelter."
"CNN has been fully exposed by Project Veritas and the daily insane rants of their on-air Democrat," added Levin.
Tapper had also criticized White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany while being interviewed Sunday on Stelter's show, "Reliable Sources."
"There are some people that are so mendacious, I just wouldn't put them on air," Tapper said.
"Kayleigh McEnany, I never booked her. Jason Miller from the Trump campaign, I would never book him. I mean, these are just people who tell lies the way that most people breathe. There was no value in that," he added.
"I don't view Kellyanne Conway the same way. She was the senior advisor to the president, she was more of a filibusterer, and a subject-changer, I thought, than a liar. I think it's different, I really do. And there's a risk in just lumping everyone together," he continued.
"There's a big difference between something like Kayleigh McEnany, who just like, this is what she does, she tells lies all the time, she can't acknowledge reality," Tapper added. "So I'm just not gonna put somebody like that on air."
He went on to admit that some on the left had gone too far in their criticism of the president and used the example of those who compared him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Here's the interview with Tapper on Stelter's show:


theblaze--2020-12-28--Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail a second time after judge rules she remains a 'flight risk'

Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail a second time after judge rules she remains a 'flight risk' The alleged 'madam ' for @ @ @ @ @ $ 28.5 million bail package in hopes of release

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and alleged "madam" for the late billionaire sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, has been denied bail a second time despite offering a $28.5 million bail package in hopes of being released.
What are the details?
Bloomberg reported that a New York district judge on Monday "rejected Maxwell's proposal that she be released on a $28.5 million bond, ruling that it doesn't provide sufficient security that the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will show up for trial."
Judge Alison Nathan wrote, "The court concludes that none of the new information that the defendant presented in support of her applications has a material bearing on the court's determination that she poses a flight risk."
The proposal presented to the judge on behalf of Maxwell and her husband, Scott Borgerson, included pledging $22.5 million of the couple's assets and another $5 million from family and friends in order to secure her release from prison while she awaits trial.
According to the Daily Mail, Monday's ruling was the second time Maxwell has been denied bail. The outlet reported that she will now remain in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, "until at least July next year when her trail is due to take place."
Maxwell is awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges over allegations that in the late 1990s she lured and groomed girls as young as 14 for Epstein, who was found dead in prison last year after being accused of sexual assault by several victims. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
In addition to sex trafficking charges, Maxwell faces allegations that she committed perjury in a separate civil case. She denies all charges brought against her. If convicted on all counts, she could face up to 35 years in prison.
Anything else?
In October, Maxwell lost her bid to keep sealed a deposition she gave in 2016, a decision that was hailed by several of Epstein's accusers.
A number of high-profile men have been linked to Epstein and face scrutiny for their ties to the departed financier, including the U.K.'s Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Appeals court says Gov. Cuomo's lockdown restrictions on religious gatherings violated the Constitut

Appeals court says Gov. Cuomo's lockdown restrictions on religious gatherings violated the Constitution

Appeals court says Gov .
Cuomo 's lockdown restrictions on religious gatherings violated the Constitution The ruling noted that the @ @ @ @ @ other secular events to continue while unfairly restricting religious events

A federal appeals court ruled against Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and knocked down lockdown restrictions they called a violation of free speech rights.
The 2nd Circuit panel ruled on Monday that Cuomo's order to restrict attendance at religious services in order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus was unconstitutional.
That same court had previously declined to block the order, but its new ruling came in light of the U.S. Supreme Court deciding against Cuomo in late November, saying that his restrictions unfairly targeted religious groups based on political grounds and not on scientific proof.
Cuomo at the time blamed President Donald Trump for the unfavorable ruling.
"You have a different court, and I think that was the statement that the court was making. We know who [President Trump] appointed to the court. We know their ideology," Cuomo said.
Cuomo was likely referring to Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who had been appointed to the court over objections by Democrats and other critics of the president. While Barrett joined the majority in the 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the minority and said in his dissent that the court has no place deciding against orders of public health officials.
The court's ruling, however, noted that the state of New York allowed other secular events to continue while unfairly restricting religious events.
"It is hard to believe that admitting more than 10 people to a 1,000–seat church or 400-seat synagogue would create a more serious health risk than the many other activities that the State allows," the decision read.
Cuomo angrily denounced the ruling as inconsequential because the restrictions had already been rescinded, but legal experts noted that the ruling set an important precedent for other pandemic orders in the future.
That Supreme Court ruling was also cited by a California judge in December when he ruled against that state's Democratic governor and his similar order to restrict houses of worship from meeting in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Here's more about the court battle against Cuomo's order:


theblaze--2020-12-28--Mountain lion resists arrest, leading police on chase through neighborhood backyards

A mountain lion , also known as a cougar , led police on a merry foot chase through Southern California backyards Saturday morning , the Sacramento Bee reported .
After locals spotted the big cat in Santa Ana and Tustin and reported it to authorities , an Orange County sheriff 's helicopter tracked it down .
The mountain lion resisted arrest and police began a `` lengthy foot pursuit '' through the neighborhood .
Sheriff 's deputies described the chase in an Instagram post .
`` This morning Duke 1 responded to the unincorporated area of Santa Ana in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the deputies wrote .
`` The Duke crew quickly located the large cat in a backyard and directed @ ocsdnorthpatrol Deputies , @ tustinpolice officers and Fish and Game wardens to its location .
A lengthy foot pursuit ensued through the neighborhood until the mountain lion was safely tranquilized and taken into custody to be relocated back into the wild .
`` This definitely falls into the category of 'we do n't see this everyday , '' the deputies said .
Area residents reported seeing the mountain lion earlier that day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight o'clock this morning and said , watch your doggies because we just had a mountain lion in our backyard , '' Jocelyn Kelly told KTLA-TV .
Police and animal control took care of the cat professionally and no one reported any injuries related to its capture .
`` It was n't really all that scary , '' Kelly said .
`` They handled it so beautifully , that they did n't make you afraid , and I am an animal lover so all I wanted to make sure is that they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sightings in the area are not uncommon as more than half of California serves as a habitat for the big cats .
`` Mountain lions are quiet , solitary and elusive , and typically avoid people by nature , '' the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says on its website .
`` However , as human population expands into mountain lion habitat , more frequent sightings may occur and human/mountain lion encounters may increase . ''
Here are some tips to follow if you encounter a mountain lion , courtesy of KTLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Give them an escape route .
• Do not run .
Running may trigger chase , catch and kill response .
• Do not turn your back on a mountain lion .
Face the animal , make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms , or opening your jacket if wearing one ; throw rocks or other objects .
• Do not crouch down or bend over .
• Speak calmly and do n't use high pitched tones or high pitch screams .
ORIGINAL - Cougar Attack in Utah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minutes !

"Anybody missing their cat?"
A mountain lion, also known as a cougar, led police on a merry foot chase through Southern California backyards Saturday morning, the Sacramento Bee reported.
After locals spotted the big cat in Santa Ana and Tustin and reported it to authorities, an Orange County sheriff's helicopter tracked it down. The mountain lion resisted arrest and police began a "lengthy foot pursuit" through the neighborhood.
Sheriff's deputies described the chase in an Instagram post.
"This morning Duke 1 responded to the unincorporated area of Santa Ana in response to reports of a mountain lion sighting," the deputies wrote.
"The Duke crew quickly located the large cat in a backyard and directed @ocsdnorthpatrol Deputies, @tustinpolice officers and Fish and Game wardens to its location. A lengthy foot pursuit ensued through the neighborhood until the mountain lion was safely tranquilized and taken into custody to be relocated back into the wild.
"This definitely falls into the category of 'we don't see this everyday," the deputies said.
Area residents reported seeing the mountain lion earlier that day.
"My neighbor texted me at eight o'clock this morning and said, watch your doggies because we just had a mountain lion in our backyard," Jocelyn Kelly told KTLA-TV.
Police and animal control took care of the cat professionally and no one reported any injuries related to its capture.
"It wasn't really all that scary," Kelly said. "They handled it so beautifully, that they didn't make you afraid, and I am an animal lover so all I wanted to make sure is that they didn't kill it."
Mountain lion sightings in the area are not uncommon as more than half of California serves as a habitat for the big cats.
"Mountain lions are quiet, solitary and elusive, and typically avoid people by nature," the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says on its website. "However, as human population expands into mountain lion habitat, more frequent sightings may occur and human/mountain lion encounters may increase."
Here are some tips to follow if you encounter a mountain lion, courtesy of KTLA:
Never approach a mountain lion. Give them an escape route.
Do not run. Running may trigger chase, catch and kill response.
Do not turn your back on a mountain lion. Face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms, or opening your jacket if wearing one; throw rocks or other objects.
Pick up small children.
Do not crouch down or bend over.
Speak calmly and don't use high pitched tones or high pitch screams.
If a lion attacks, fight back.


theblaze--2020-12-28--NY medical provider under investigation for bypassing frontline workers and elderly people in vaccin

NY medical provider under investigation for bypassing frontline workers and elderly people in vaccine distribution

New York authorities are investigating whether a local medical provider illegally obtained and distributed doses of the new coronavirus vaccine, the state's health commissioner announced over the weekend.
ParCare Community Health Network, a medical provider that operates six locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Orange County, has been accused of fraudulently obtaining doses of Moderna's vaccine before bypassing frontline health care workers and elderly people in administering doses to members of the public.
"The State Department of Health has been made aware of reports that Parcare Community Health Network, an Orange County provider, may have fraudulently obtained COVID-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public -- contrary to the state's plan to administer it first to frontline healthcare workers, as well as nursing home residents and staffers," New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement issued on Saturday.
"We take this very seriously and DOH will be assisting State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone found to have knowingly participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," he added.
State guidelines mandate that the first round of vaccines go to frontline health care workers and nursing home residents and staff, but according to WLNY-TV, a post on ParCare Community's Facebook page offered vaccinations "on a first-come, first-serve basis."
In response, ParCare said it is complying with the probe and has "proactively returned" its remaining stockpile of vaccine doses until the investigation is concluded.
"[ParCare has] provided the documentation regarding the proper receipt of the vaccines to the NYS DOH," the company said in a statement. "In an effort to fully cooperate with NYS DOH, ParCare has proactively returned its vaccines pending the Department's review."
The company insisted, however, that no wrongdoing took place.
"We are confident the end result of that review will show that ParCare at all times exerted best efforts to comply with all NYS DOH requirements and will allow us to continue to achieve our number one goal of providing these critical vaccines to the New Yorkers who need them most," the statement said.
"We will do everything in our power to make sure that the state understands that our patients are our priority and that everyone receives their second dose accordingly," it added.
On Monday, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced increased penalties on health care providers that intentionally disregard vaccine distribution protocols of up to $1 million fines and the revocation of all state licenses.
As of the same day, approximately 140,000 New York residents had received a vaccine.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Teen whose profane Snapchat message got her suspended sues school over free speech and wins. Now the

Teen whose profane Snapchat message got her suspended sues school over free speech and wins. Now the district wants to take it to the Supreme Court.

Teen whose profane Snapchat message got her suspended sues school over free speech and wins .
Now the district wants @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court .

A Pennsylvania school district is requesting the Supreme Court weigh in on a case after a freshman cheerleader and her parents sued the district after it disciplined the teen for a profane message she shared on social media.
What are the details?
According to a Monday report from the New York Times, titled "A Cheerleader's Vulgar Message Prompts a First Amendment Showdown," the Mahanoy Area School District has asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether students can be disciplined for remarks they make on social media.
In 2017, the unnamed student had just discovered that she didn't make the varsity cheerleading squad when she sent the offending message.
She took to Snapchat, where she messaged about 250 friends with a message featuring herself and a fellow student with their middle fingers up. The unnamed student captioned the photo "[u]sing a curse word four times," and expressed her unhappiness with "school," "softball," "cheer," and "everything."
"Though Snapchat messages are ephemeral by design, another student took a screenshot of this one and showed it to her mother, a coach," the Times reported. "The school suspended the student from cheerleading for a year, saying the punishment was needed to 'avoid chaos' and maintain a 'teamlike environment.'"
Following the suspension, the teen and her family sued the district and was victorious in the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia. At the time, the court ruled that the First Amendment "did not allow public schools to punish students for speech outside school grounds."
The student and her family, who are represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, told the Supreme Court that the First Amendment protected the teen's "colorful expression of frustration, made in an ephemeral Snapchat on her personal social media, on a weekend, off campus, containing no threat or harassment or mention of her school, and that did not cause or threaten any disruption of her school."
What is the school saying?
According to the Times, "the school district said administrators around the nation needed a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court" in order to ascertain their ability to discipline students for "what they say away from school."
"The question presented recurs constantly and has become even more urgent as Covid-19 has forced schools to operate online," a brief for the district's appeal read, according to the outlet. "Only this court can resolve this threshold First Amendment question bedeviling the nation's nearly 100,000 public schools."
"Whether a disruptive or harmful tweet is sent from the school cafeteria or after the student has crossed the street on her walk home, it has the same impact," the brief added. "The Third Circuit's formalistic rule renders school powerless whenever a hateful message is launched from off campus."
"The Supreme Court next month will consider whether to hear the case of Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., involving a student's freedom of speech while off school grounds," the Times said.
Anything else?
Justin Driver, author and law professor at Yale University, told the Times that he partially agrees with the district.
"It is difficult to exaggerate the stakes of this constitutional question," he said, pointing out that schools have no business "telling students what they could say when they were not in school."
He continued, "In the modern era, a tremendous percentage of minors' speech occurs off campus but online. Judicial decisions that permit schools to regulate off-campus speech that criticizes public schools are antithetical to the First Amendment. Such decisions empower schools to reach into any student's home and declare critical statements verboten, something that should deeply alarm all Americans."


theblaze--2020-12-28--GOP rep sues Vice President Pence to have presidential election overturned

This is the last chance

A Republican lawmaker in the House of Representatives is suing the vice president of the United States in a last-ditch effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election — a move that is highly improbable to succeed.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) filed a lawsuit along with Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward and GOP officials against Vice President Mike Pence, seeking to have a federal law governing the role the office of the vice president plays in accepting the Electoral College results declared unconstitutional.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of unsuccessful efforts to have courts overturn the election, which was declared for former Vice President Joe Biden while President Donald Trump and his supporters claimed massive voter fraud and other election irregularities tainted the results.
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 establishes procedures for the counting of electoral votes in Congress. On Jan. 6, Congress will meet to certify the results of the Electoral College, which President-elect Biden won 306 to outgoing President Donald Trump's 232. The vice president's role, as president of the Senate, is to "open all the certificates" — that is the papers containing the Electoral College results from each state — in the presence of both houses of Congress.
The 1887 law Gohmert and others seek to challenge requires the vice president to open "all the certificates and papers purporting to be certificates," a provision which is intended to prevent any vice president, who at times may be a presidential candidate and usually has a vested partisan interest in the outcome of an election, from refusing to present to Congress Electoral College votes he or she objects to. The plaintiffs argue that these provisions unconstitutionally limit the vice president's "exclusive authority and sole discretion under the Twelfth Amendment to determine which slates of electors for a State, or neither, may be counted."
By challenging this law, the plaintiffs seek to effectively give Pence the power to reject Electoral College votes from key battleground states where there are allegations of voter fraud and accept an "alternative" slate of electors from those states.
Election law experts who spoke to the Hill said this new lawsuit is not likely to fare better than any of the other failed legal challenges.
"The idea that the Vice President has sole authority to determine whether or not to count electoral votes submitted by a state, or which of competing submissions to count, is inconsistent with a proper understanding of the Constitution," said Edward Foley, a law professor at the Ohio State University.
He predicted that U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump-appointed judge who will hear the case, will find that Gohmert, Ward, and the other Republicans part to the lawsuit lack standing to sue.
"I'm not at all sure that the court will get to the merits of this lawsuit, given questions about the plaintiffs' standing to bring this kind of claim, as well as other procedural obstacles," Foley said.
The Daily Caller's Henry Rodgers uploaded a copy of the lawsuit to view.
If the lawsuit is unsuccessful, it is still possible that some members of Congress will object to the certification of certain states' Electoral College votes. If that happens, the certification of Biden's victory may be delayed as Congress will be forced to engage in up to 12 hours of debate before holding a vote on whether to accept the election results.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Biden calls for unity. Comedian says 'F*** that. I want blood.' Then conservatives pile on.

Biden calls for unity .
Comedian says ' F*** that .
I want blood . '
Then conservatives pile on @

Comedian and actor David Cross has rejected President-elect Joe Biden's plea for unity amid his transition into the White House, calling for "blood" instead.
What are the details?
Biden on Saturday tweeted, "After a year of pain and loss, it's time to unite, heal, and rebuild."
While many social media users took the president-elect's message in a productive and positive way, Cross called for a revolution.
"F*** that," he wrote, retweeting Biden's remarks. "I want blood."
Image source: Twitter screenshot
What was the response?
Despite its apparent call for division, the tweet, according to the Washington Examiner, "did not violate any of the tech giant's rules or policies," a statement from Twitter said.
Many conservatives and critics, however, had their say and railed against Cross's inflammatory remarks.
Writer Kurt Schlicter simply wrote, "Come and take it."
Twitter user TyrantNo4 wrote, "Imagine saying this and still thinking you're one of the good guys."
User BagelEnchilada chimed in, "David, I used to be a bouncer for a pub in Santa Monica. You came in one night. You barely made it to the top of the stool at the bar. Sit down."
Musician Phil Labonte added, "Well go gitchu some! Stop tweeting and start watering that grass. ... For the rest of eternity, anytime he tweets, there should be at least one reply that says 'the grass isn't gonna water itself.'"
Following the backlash, Cross on Sunday wrote, "I am loving the responses to this that are all, 'come and try p***y soy lib hollywood girl woman' as if these anonymous maga chuds & chudettes don't practice the same exact feckless violent fantasy trolling."
Image source: Twitter screenshot
Anything else?
Just last week, actor Alec Baldwin — an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump — mused about the violence the sitting president should see should he refuse to vacate the White House in January.
“Who arrests Trump if he refuses to concede? Who drags him out? Pepper spray? Cuffs?" Baldwin wrote on Twitter earlier in the month. "A knee on his neck, cutting off his oxygen? Does he wheeze 'I can't breathe.' Just whale away on him like a piñata? Rodney King style? The thug who has destroyed the country. What does he deserve?"


theblaze--2020-12-28--Seattle cop debunks 4 major 'defund the police' myths in scathing op-ed: 'This is nonsense'

Seattle cop debunks 4 major 'defund the police ' myths in scathing op-ed : 'This is nonsense '

Christopher Young is a self-identified left-leaning progressive from Seattle who wants to legalize drugs and expand the welfare state.
He also happens to be a 26-year veteran Seattle police officer and detective and former member of the U.S. military. And he is fed up with the lies he has heard from the defund-the-police left in America. So in an op-ed for the New York Post published Sunday, Young took it upon himself to debunk "four core myths of the #DefundPolice movement." He began:
As a progressive who wants to decriminalize drugs and advance the welfare state, I fit in well in my Pacific Northwest community. Except, that is, for my job: I've been a big-city cop here for 26 years. Before that, I served in the military. The raging #DefundthePolice movement doesn't know me and my colleagues at all — and persistent myths about police and their critics do more harm than good.
Myth #1: "Police are killing large numbers of civilians."
This one is just plain untrue, Young stated, adding that policing in the U.S. has steadily improved over the last half-century.
He pointed to New York City as evidence, noting that the NYPD, which makes up 5% of all American police forces, "has meticulously tracked every shot fired by its officers since 1971" and found a steady drop in killings by police from 93 in 1971 to five in 2018.
And crime has dropped at the same time. "[T]he NYPD has successfully used less lethal means of preserving — and improving — the rule of law," Young wrote.
Myth #2: "The anti-cop movement is largely peaceful."
Any person who paid actual attention to the riots that plagued American cities this year knows that to be false, the detective said. The daytime protests shown on TV were largely peaceful, but things got nasty when the sun went down.
[T]he dynamic changed dramatically at night. Protests became intentional riots, designed to draw a police response that allowed rioters to claim victim status.
They would begin with insults, shouted at the riot line for hours in the hope that exhausted officers would retort on video; some told officers to commit suicide. Then they would throw rocks, shine bright lasers in our eyes and throw fireworks and Molotov cocktails — forcing the police to respond.
The media, he noted, "adopted the comically false 'peaceful-protest' narrative and perpetuated the myth of pervasive police brutality" and offered little other anti-cop propaganda.
Myth #3: "Abolishing police wouldn't lead to lawlessness."
Young said that many of the defund-the-police activists are anarchists who want to get rid of government and believe that civilization would blossom because a "society of angels" would chose to serve each other.
No place was this notion exposed as "nonsense" more than in the CHAZ that plagued Seattle last summer.
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone was a nightmare for Emerald City locals — and all because police were not allowed in. From Young:
Police weren't allowed in the "occupied" protest zone for three weeks. It immediately became a hellscape and led to the shooting deaths of two young black men — the very people the movement claims to want to protect from the police.
Myth #4: "Today's police are 'militarized.'"
Young contrasted his time as a cop with his time as a U.S. soldier, noting that not once in his more than 25 years as a cop has he been tasked with sitting in an armed vehicle's turret with a belt-fed machine gun, though he did so regularly as a member of the military. He also shared:
Contrary to activist complaints, SWAT teams' armored vehicles, armored clothing and special training help them avoid deadly force, not commit it. A regular cop is often justified shooting someone who threateningly brandishes a gun. A SWAT officer wearing protection, however, will wait longer before resorting to deadly force. In Seattle, our SWAT team recently saved a suicidal young black man with a gun.
Young closed his op-ed by highlighting the need for cops on the street, even in relatively low-crime cities like Seattle. He added that the arguments from social justice warriors that policing is hopelessly broken and that police must be defunded should be ignored.
"Take it from a left-leaning cop," he wrote. "Those arguments are either wildly exaggerated or just plain false."


theblaze--2020-12-28--People may soon need 'vaccine passports' to travel, attend large events

People may soon need 'vaccine passports ' to travel , attend large events

With vaccines now being distributed and administered in the United States and around the world to combat the coronavirus pandemic, plans are reportedly under way to produce technologies capable of assessing who has and who hasn't been inoculated.
According to a new CNN report, several international organizations and large businesses — including the World Economic Forum and IBM — have begun "developing smartphone apps or systems for individuals to upload details of their COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, creating digital credentials that could be shown in order to enter concert venues, stadiums, movie theaters, offices, or even countries."
One of the emerging technologies, known as the CommonPass app, being developed by the World Economic Forum and The Commons Project, a nonprofit based in Geneva, Switzerland, allows users to upload medical data such as a COVID-19 test or, eventually, a proof of vaccination. The app then generates a certificate in the form of a QR code, which users can show to officials reportedly without revealing sensitive information.
The well-known tech firm IBM also created its own app, called the Digital Health Pass, which operates in much the same way but would store credentials in a mobile wallet.
The forthcoming credentialing systems could work as "vaccine passports," the CNN report noted, allowing vaccinated persons to provide a record showing they've received a shot in order to enter venues or travel abroad.
But the new technologies raise several questions as well, such as whether or not those who choose not to get vaccinated, or perhaps simply choose not to allow their medical information to be shared, will be barred from entry into participating venues or countries. That's not even to mention the fact that much of the world's population still doesn't have access to smartphones or the internet.
The news will almost certainly spark a new round of debate over to what extent individual freedom and privacy can be encroached upon in the name of public health, especially as many may still be wary about receiving a vaccine.
Nevertheless, the development of such technologies presses on. Two large groups are even working to establish universal standards for the credentialing systems.
According to CNN, "The Linux Foundation has partnered with the Covid-19 Credentials Initiative, a collective of more than 300 people representing dozens of organizations across five continents," to make standardized vaccine passports a reality.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Teen sat on video of popular classmate saying N-word, waited to release it to ruin her college caree

Teen sat on video of popular classmate saying N-word, waited to release it to ruin her college career

Teen sat on video of popular classmate saying N-word , waited to release it to ruin her college career ' @ @ @ @ @ myself , you started something .
You taught someone a lesson . '

In a shocking story published by the New York Times on Saturday, a biracial teenager admitted he has no regrets for holding on to an old video of a high school classmate using a racial slur, only to make it public when it would cause her the most damage.
What are the details?
Last year, Jimmy Galligan, 18, was sent a video of Heritage High School classmate Mimi Groves, who is white and was the captain of the varsity cheerleading team, repeating the N-word while singing along to a rap song. The video was three years old, taken when Groves was just a freshman.
Galligan said he never saw the video prior to receiving it, but he immediately devised a plan to make Groves pay for her transgression. "I wanted to get her where she would understand the severity of that word," he told the newspaper.
And so that's exactly what Galligan did.
After George Floyd's murder in May, Groves, who had just made the cheerleading team at the University of Tennessee, urged her friends on Instagram to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Galligan then seized the moment, exploiting the racial unrest caused by Floyd's murder to make Groves pay. On the same afternoon that Groves posted in support of Black Lives Matter, Galligan posted the video of Groves using the N-word on social media, triggering a social media firestorm.
As the Times reported, the backlash against Groves was swift:
Once the video went viral, the backlash was swift, and relentless. A photograph of Ms. Groves, captioned with a racial slur, also began circulating online, but she and her parents say someone else wrote it to further tarnish her reputation. On social media, people tagged the University of Tennessee and its cheer team, demanding her admission be rescinded. Some threatened her with physical violence if she came to the university campus. The next day, local media outlets in Virginia and Tennessee published articles about the uproar.
...
The day after the video went viral, Ms. Groves tried to defend herself in tense calls with the university. But the athletics department swiftly removed Ms. Groves from the cheer team. And then came the call in which admissions officials began trying to persuade her to withdraw, saying they feared she would not feel comfortable on campus.
Groves, who, the Times emphasized, comes from an affluent family, has since enrolled at a local community college.
What did Galligan say about the controversy?
The young man told the Times he has no remorse for making Groves pay for her mistake. The Times positively reported Galligan's premeditated actions as holding Groves "accountable."
"If I never posted that video, nothing would have ever happened," Galligan said. "I'm going to remind myself, you started something. You taught someone a lesson."
Anything else?
Not all of Groves' classmates held the same vindictive attitude as Galligan.
When the social media firestorm against Groves erupted over the summer, one of Groves' friends, who is black, publicly defended her. Groves reportedly apologized to her friend for using the racial slur long before Groves was embroiled in controversy.
"We're supposed to educate people, not ruin their lives all because you want to feel a sense of empowerment," the friend said on social media.
Sadly, the friend then became the target of outrage and criticism, according to the Times.
What was the reaction?
After the Times published its story, Galligan was ridiculed online for his vindictive behavior. One person called him "psychopathic," while others described his actions as "malice posing as social justice."
But perhaps conservative writer Rod Dreher said it best, noting how Galligan's actions will likely backfire on him in the future.
"This Times story will follow Jimmy Galligan everywhere too. If that kid applied for a job at my firm, I would never hire him. If he were my co-worker, I would stay away from him, lest I offend him and get the Little- Anthony-from-The-Twilight-Zone treatment. He has shown the kind of person he is: a hateful progressive who takes pleasure in causing others unnecessary pain and suffering for the sake of virtue. He wants to terrorize others. Everybody who goes to college with him now, and who crosses his path, should consider themselves forewarned," Dreher wrote.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Report: Massachusetts school bans 'The Odyssey' as progressives demand purge of classics

Report : Massachusetts school bans 'The Odyssey ' as progressives demand purge of classics These people are teaching your kids

A Massachusetts school has reportedly removed "The Odyssey" from its English curriculum as progressive education activists and critical race theory ideologues seek to "disrupt texts" by purging material they deem objectionable from classrooms.
Meghan Cox Gurdon, in an opinion column for the Wall Street Journal, wrote about a "sustained effort" by "critical-theory ideologues, schoolteachers and Twitter agitators" to "deny children access to literature." These activists object to classic texts, such as Homer's Odyssey or Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," because they allege such texts may teach "racism, sexism, ableism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hate."
"The subtle complexities of literature are being reduced to the crude clanking of 'intersectional' power struggles," Gurdon wrote.
She quoted from an article by young-adult novelist Padma Venkatraman published in the School Library Journal, that claims "challenging old classics is the literary equivalent of replacing statues of racist figures."
"[E]xposing young people to stories in which racism, sexism, ableism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hate are the norm may sow seeds of bias that can grow into indifference or prejudice," Venkatraman wrote.
"Racism in classics can't be negated merely by alerting young readers to its presence," she continued. "Unless we have the time, energy, attention, expertise, and ability to foster nuanced conversations in which even the shyest readers feel empowered to engage if they choose, we may hurt, not help. Pressuring readers of color to speak up also removes free choice and can be harmful."
She further claimed, "Insisting on exposing diverse children to racist classics in which they see characters like themselves demeaned, or, at best, entirely excluded, is not just insensitive, but downright cruel," but she does not advocate banning classic texts from the classroom.
"I'm not advocating we ban classics. Or erase the past. Classics are undoubtedly examples of excellent writing, or they wouldn't have survived the test of time. I'm just suggesting we study classics in social studies classrooms, where inherent ideas of inequity are exposed and examined," Venkatraman clarifies.
However, Gurdon's column provided examples of other activists that indeed want to outright ban classics.
Ninth-grade English teacher Heather Levine, who works for Lawrence Public Schools in Massachusetts, celebrated the fact that "The Odyssey" was removed from the school curriculum in response to a tweet calling the epic poem about the Greek mythological hero Odysseus "trash."
Gurdon contacted Levine to confirm that the school banned the Odyssey, but was told her inquiry was "invasive." The English Department chairman of Lawrence Public Schools did not return Gurdon's multiple requests for comment.
Seattle English teacher Evin Shinn in 2018 tweeted that he'd "rather die" than teach "The Scarlet Letter" in class.


theblaze--2020-12-28--A-list actress blasts Hollywood for trying to turn women into men: 'If they're feminine in the way t

A-list actress blasts Hollywood for trying to turn women into men: 'If they're feminine in the way that they used to be ... they're not welcome'

A-list actress blasts Hollywood for trying to turn women into men : 'If they 're feminine in the way that @ @ @ @ @ they 're not welcome '

Famed British actress Emma Thompson says that far too many Hollywood filmmakers encourage women to cast their femininity aside and behave more like men.
What are the details?
In a recent interview with the CultureBlast podcast on Spotify, Thompson — an Academy Award winner — said that filmmakers are far too focused on portraying a woman as masculine and instead, should focus on highlighting a woman's femininity as a source of strength.
Thompson, 61, said that even female screenwriters are guilty of perpetuating the new stereotype.
"So all the women screenwriters I talk to, I say, 'Well, what's the story?' Because it's not good enough to simply give the women the guns, and then make the women badass as well. Now women have to be badass — if they're feminine in the way that they used to be, and they're not badass, then they're not welcome. Also, they're not allowed to cry, apparently anymore, because we've just got to be like the men."
She later added, "Why are there no films about giving birth, for crying out loud? Does anyone even know about that? No. No, It's all hidden. All our heroism is hidden, because what we've done is we've just given women the same parts as men, and that's not the point. How do we turn into our own lives and make those stories heroic?"
Thompson said that she also attempted to gather her female peers to brainstorm what female heroism and empowerment meant in Hollywood more than three decades ago.
"When I got a group of women together in my thirties, and I said, 'OK, what's the female heroine? Who is that? What does she do?' Because she hasn't got the wherewithal to do the Superman, to do the Godfather, that's not the point. That's not where our heroism lies. So how do we make it heroic?"
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-12-28--UK's new faster-spreading COVID strain found in Japan, Canada, possibly parts of US

UK 's new faster-spreading COVID strain found in Japan , Canada , possibly parts of US

A new faster-spreading COVID-19 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom has reportedly been detected in other corners of the world, including Canada and Japan.
What are the details?
Officials in Ontario, Canada, over the weekend announced that they had detected two cases of the new coronavirus strain, called B.1.1.7, which health experts say is 40%-70% more infectious than the original strain.
The two cases were carried by a couple in southern Ontario who reportedly had no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contact.
"As the monitoring continues, it is expected that other cases of this variant and other variants of concern may be found in Canada," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement. "Furthermore, as these two cases did not travel outside of Canada, it is important to follow public health measures and limit contacts with others, to reduce the transmission of the virus and any of its variants in communities."
Meanwhile, authorities in Japan moved to close the country's border to all non-resident foreign nationals through next month, as seven people in the country tested positive for the new variant.
Several other European countries, including France, Spain, and Sweden, also reported confirmed cases of the strain over the last several days.
What else?
The news comes after numerous countries around the world closed their borders to travel from the U.K. due to concerns over the new strain.
U.K. officials first raised the alarm about the variant earlier this month after it reportedly spread across 60 council areas in southeast England. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that while "initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants," more testing needed to be conducted.
So far, health experts are confident that the new strain, though more infectious, does not result in a worse disease and is not resistant to a vaccine.
Anything else?
On Saturday, health officials in Los Angeles County began testing virus samples out of suspicion that the new strain is what's driving a surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases in southern California.
While to date, no confirmed cases of the new strain have been discovered in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested it's likely the variant has been present in the country for weeks but has simply gone undetected.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Beverly Hills restaurant passed out invites to a speakeasy-style New Year's Eve party despite pandem

Beverly Hills restaurant passed out invites to a speakeasy-style New Year's Eve party despite pandemic. Then the cops found out.

Beverly Hills restaurant passed out invites to a speakeasy-style New Year 's Eve party despite pandemic .
Then the cops @ @ @ @ @ to the 20 's Prohibition '

A Beverly Hills eatery popular with actors and other celebrities that has previously complained that COVID restrictions are hurting California restaurants reportedly planned to host a "discreet" New Year's Eve party amid the COVID pandemic.
When authorities caught wind of the speakeasy-style event, they took steps shut it down, the Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend.
What happened?
Indoor and outdoor dining are currently verboten in Los Angeles County, which includes Beverly Hills.
But evidently, that was not going to stop La Scala, an upscale Italian restaurant "known for its chopped salad and famous customers," the Times said.
According to the paper, the eatery was slipping secret invitations to the edict-breaking event into customers' take-out bags.
Pictures of the fancy invites, which asked recipients to keep the shindig on the down-low, naturally were quickly posted to social media for the world to see.
The reported notes quietly dropped into folks' dinners noted the current state of the restaurant environment in L.A. County, beginning, "Welcome back to the 20's Prohibition: Speak Easy — New Year's Eve Dinner."
The letter went on to gauge recipients' interest in the illicit affair. "We are considering taking reservations for New Year's Eve Dinner. Inside. If this is something you'd be interested in, Please let us know as soon as possible," the note said. "If enough interest we'll contact you back to secure a reservation."
The note urged recipients to "Please keep this discreet, but tell all your friends."
Several people who posted the images of the invites were quick to alert the local authorities, which led to local officials working to put the kibosh on any sort of nefarious repast.
A spokesman for the City of Beverly Hills told the Times that local authorities contacted La Scala to remind the management about the county's current dining proscriptions.
Several social media users reportedly tagged the Beverly Hill Police Department to make sure they were aware of the scofflaws who dared to consider doing something to attempt to save their struggling business.
The BHPD thanked concerned citizens for making sure the department was aware of the rumored speakeasy event and assured them that "Code Enforcement is aware and will be handling this matter."
The Times said it attempted to get a comment from La Scala, but received no response.
This speakeasy party wouldn't be the first time the restaurant has taken an anti-lockdown stance.
On Sept. 14, La Scala posted a complaint to Instagram about Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman's COVID restrictions and their impact on local businesses.
"Hey @lesterfriedman_bh @bh_chamber you're hurting our Restaurants! WTF!" La Scala posted with a pair of graphics calling out the mayor and complaining that "now we can't even have our umbrellas that have been up & approved for 18 years!!"
The restaurant added the hashtags "#YouSuck" and "#BeverlyHillsLeadershipSucks."


theblaze--2020-12-28--Newly elected GOP 'Freedom Force' unites to fight socialism and the 'Squad'

Newly elected GOP 'Freedom Force ' unites to fight socialism and the 'Squad' Is this the start of something big @

Four incoming Republican members of Congress with personal experiences with communist or socialist countries are teaming up to form a "Freedom Force" to stand up to the radical left, and they want more members of the freshman class of lawmakers to join them.
Reps.-elect Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) are positioning themselves to be a "conservative counterweight" to the democratic socialist "Squad" and its ringleader, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), according to a Politico profile of the newly elected GOPers. These representatives, who will be sworn into office on Jan. 3, bonded during orientation over their shared experiences with socialist countries, pledging to unite to fight big government here in the U.S.
"It was a natural alliance that formed. … We understand what it's like in other countries. We understand how truly special this nation is," Malliotakis, whose mother is from Cuba, said. "And we look forward to working together to push back on anyone who tries to bring a socialist agenda to America."
Gimenez, 66, is an immigrant from Cuba who fled to the United States as a child, around the time of the communist revolution led by Fidel Castro. Salazar, another Cuban-American, is a former TV journalist for the Spanish-language network Telemundo and the daughter of Cuban exiles. Both Republicans campaigned heavily on opposing socialism, messages that resonated with Hispanic voters and helped them each defeat Democratic incumbents.
Spartz is a Ukrainian-American who immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 at age 22 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006. When she was born in Ukraine in 1978, the country was still under communist control and did not gain independence until 1991, when she was 13. Spartz will be the first immigrant member of Congress from the former Soviet Union.
These four are joined by other freshman Republicans, including Reps.-elect Young Kim and Michelle Steel, Korean immigrants who will represent districts in California. Steel tells stories about how her parents escaped Korea and fled to Japan before the communist takeover of the northern part of the country.
Malliotakis explained to Politico that she and other Republicans want young people to understand the dangers posed by socialist ideology.
"We want to make sure, particularly young people, understand that socialism is not something grand," she said.
This newly elected generation of Republicans comprises historic numbers of women and minorities joining the lawmaking body and leveraging social media to galvanize their supporters and establish their brands.
Politico credited Ocasio-Cortez with inspiring this new style of transparent, "pull-back-the-curtain style of politics":
Many members of the GOP Force — who, like the Squad, are mostly young and female — have even adopted Ocasio-Cortez's pull-back-the-curtain style of politics. Ocasio-Cortez is known to post videos as she preps meals while casually discussing legislation coming to the floor.
Mace recently documented her journey through freshman orientation, which included getting lost in the Capitol building and racing across the campus. Salazar, who is credited with coining the Force moniker, posted a picture of the female group members with the caption: "We're all working moms & we're a true FORCE to be reckoned with!"
And earlier this summer, Salazar, a former broadcast journalist for Telemundo,got nearly 600,000 views on a Twitter video in which she recorded herself in the Goya aisle of a grocery store blasting Ocasio-Cortez for pushing a boycott on the company for its leadership's support for Trump.
"I want to be different. I don't want it to be the same old, same old. This is a new Republican Party," said Rep.-elect Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who made history as the first woman to graduate from the Citadel. "We have to be different if we want to survive and be successful in the long term."
Asked what she thought of "the Force," Ocasio-Cortez told Politico, "Imitation is a high form of flattery, right? So, I'm glad they think that way of me."


theblaze--2020-12-28--Marco Rubio takes aim at Dr. Fauci for deceiving public about masks, herd immunity — and does not mi

Marco Rubio takes aim at Dr. Fauci for deceiving public about masks, herd immunity — and does not mince words

Marco Rubio takes aim at Dr. Fauci for deceiving public about masks , herd immunity — and does not mince @ @ @ @ @ believe the American public does n't know `` what 's good for them '' '

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci over the weekend, criticizing the infectious diseases doctor for a startling admission he made last week in which he acknowledged intentionally misleading the American public about the coronavirus herd immunity threshold.
What did Rubio say?
The Florida senator did not mince words — he called Fauci an outright liar.
"Dr. Fauci lied about masks in March," Rubio said. "Dr. Fauci has been distorting the level of vaccination needed for herd immunity."
According to Rubio, Fauci's attitude toward the American public is symptomatic of a larger problem: that those in control think they know what is best for everyone else.
"It isn't just him," Rubio said. "Many in elite bubbles believe the American public doesn't know 'what's good for them' so they need to be tricked into 'doing the right thing.'"
What's the background?
The New York Times published an interview with Fauci on Christmas Eve — essentially allowing the story to be buried in the holiday news slump — in which Fauci admitted to moving the goalposts on COVID-19 herd immunity for very unscientific reasons.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Fauci said publicly that as little as 60% of the American public would need COVID-19 immunity to achieve herd immunity. But Fauci slowly increased that number as the pandemic raged on, even suggesting in his interview with the Times that as much as 90% of the American public would need immunity to reach the herd immunity threshold.
Fauci admitted he changed his numbers because of public polling data and to covertly encourage more Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Times reported:
In a telephone interview the next day, Dr. Fauci acknowledged that he had slowly but deliberately been moving the goal posts. He is doing so, he said, partly based on new science, and partly on his gut feeling that the country is finally ready to hear what he really thinks.
"When polls said only about half of all Americans would take a vaccine, I was saying herd immunity would take 70 to 75 percent," Fauci admitted. "Then, when newer surveys said 60 percent or more would take it, I thought, ʻI can nudge this up a bit,' so I went to 80, 85."
"We need to have some humility here," he added. "We really don't know what the real number is. I think the real range is somewhere between 70 to 90 percent. But, I'm not going to say 90 percent."


theblaze--2020-12-28--China sentences early COVID whistleblower to 4 years in jail for exposing truth about the virus

A Chinese court on Monday handed down a four-year jail sentence to a citizen-journalist who raised alarms about the coronavirus outbreak from its epicenter in Wuhan last year.
What are the details?
Zhang Zhan, 37, was one of several citizen-journalists in the country to offer firsthand accounts of the outbreak, which portrayed crowded hospitals and empty streets and illustrated to the world that the situation in Wuhan was far worse than the communist government was letting on.
Zhang arrived in Wuhan in early February to document the city's fight against the deadly new virus and posted her findings online, some of which were critical of the Chinese government, Reuters reported. Her posts on YouTube reportedly "consist[ed] of interviews with residents, commentary and footage of a crematorium, train stations, hospitals and the Wuhan Institute of Virology."
She was arrested in May on allegations of spreading false information, granting interviews to foreign media, disrupting social order, and criticizing the government, according to NBC News.
Her lawyers claimed in court, according to Reuters, that police "strapped her hands and force-fed her with a tube" and that by December "she was suffering headaches, giddiness, stomach ache, low blood pressure and a throat infection."
On Monday, the Pudong New Area People's Court in Shanghai sentenced her to four years in jail for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble," one of her lawyers confirmed to the news agency, adding, "We will probably appeal."
"I don't understand. All she did was say a few true words, and for that she got four years," Zhang's mother, who was present at the trial with her husband, said.
What else?
Humanitarian critics have sounded the alarm over China's treatment and subsequent punishment of Zhang.
"We are deeply concerned by the 4-year prison sentence imposed on citizen journalist Zhang Zhan," the UN Human Rights office tweeted. "We raised her case with the authorities throughout 2020 as an example of the excessive clampdown on freedom of expression linked to [COVID-19] & continue to call for her release."
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, blasted the timing of the sentencing, suggesting Chinese authorities waited until the holiday season to avoid attention and scrutiny from the West.
"Beijing's selection of the sleepy period between Christmas and New Year's suggests even it is embarrassed to sentence citizen-journalist Zhang Zhan to four years in prison for having chronicled the uncensored version of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan," he said.
Anything else?
Chinese authorities worked hard to cover up the dangers of the virus during the early days of the outbreak, censuring and detaining a number of doctors and journalists in Wuhan.
A study released in March found that if interventions in China has been "conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively — significantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease."


theblaze--2020-12-28--Horowitz: Enforcement against illegal aliens drops as law enforcement cracks down on American busine

Horowitz: Enforcement against illegal aliens drops as law enforcement cracks down on American businesses

Horowitz : Enforcement against illegal aliens drops as law enforcement cracks down on American businesses

As law enforcement is increasingly deployed to arrest business owners for earning a living, criminal aliens are getting a free pass to remain in the country illegally. The same virus that is being used as pretext to criminalize the lives of everyday Americans has also been used as an excuse to keep tens of thousands of additional illegal aliens in this country, many of them with serious rap sheets.
Among the many news items lost in the holiday season was the publication of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) annual report on enforcement activities for fiscal year 2020. According to the report, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) conducted just 103,603 administrative arrests, a 28% decline from FY 2019 and the lowest number in years. On the removal side, ICE deported 185,000 people, the lowest number since 2005. Also, ICE issued just 122,233 detainers, down from 165,487 detainers in FY 2019.
It's truly hard to overstate the danger this drop in enforcement poses to the U.S. As the report acknowledges, 90% of those arrested by ICE have criminal charges or convictions other than immigration violations. Among those arrested this year were illegal immigrants with criminal histories including more than 1,800 homicide-related offenses, 1,600 kidnappings, 3,800 robberies, 37,000 assaults, and 10,000 sex crimes. In total, there were more than 374,000 criminal convictions and pending charges – an average of four per alien.
Thus, the fact that the number of enforcement actions is down this year, in large part due to the lockdown policies resulting from the virus, does not mean that there weren't more criminal aliens around who pose a danger to society. At present, there are 3.26 million aliens under ICE's undetained docket. These are individuals who have been targeted by ICE for removal, which most likely means the overwhelming majority have criminal records in addition to immigration violations. Just 19,000 of them are currently being detained. That means over 3 million criminal aliens who were dangerous enough to be on ICE's radar remain in the country indefinitely without being deported.
Think about that for a moment. Even the worst of the worst of other countries' criminals get to remain here indefinitely with few resources to remove them. As of 2018, there were more than 1 million illegal aliens who have already received final deportation orders, with another 1.5 million having already received deportation orders but in the process of seeking an appeal.
Even if we focused solely on the bad guys, we lack the resources to make a dent. As early as 2013, DHS estimated, based on ICE programs in local jails, that there were 1.9 million criminal aliens in this country and that 900,000 aliens were arrested every year. Chillingly, the report noted that "550,000 criminal aliens convicted of crimes exit law enforcement custody every year" and that "this population of criminal aliens poses a major threat to public safety." And that was before the sanctuary crisis grew exponentially, resulting in countless criminal aliens being released every day.
Shockingly, this omnibus/coronavirus aid bill that Trump decided to sign, while funding all sorts of wasteful projects, limits ICE's ability to make deportations. The bill prohibits ICE from detaining or deporting illegal aliens who are "a sponsor, potential sponsor, or member of a household of a sponsor or potential sponsor" to a UAC so long as they have not been convicted of a felony. As I noted in a series of articles in 2019, these UACs have served as a recruiting pipeline into MS-13 and other violent transnational gangs.
To make matters worse, this bill reduced funding for ICE by $431 million from 2020 levels. "The bill funds 34,000 detention beds, which is 26,000 beds less than the President's budget request and 11,274 less than fiscal year 2020," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), bragging about weakening ICE in the spending bill.
Thus, the very virus that has been used as ploy to lock down the lives of Americans is also being used to ensure that foreign criminals can remain in the country. The same virus that has been harnessed as a tool to criminalize the very presence of Americans living and breathing free air in our own country has been used as an excuse to welcome violent gang members from other countries. And the more they know they can remain in the country without repercussions, the more they will come to the border and add to those numbers. Which is why we are already seeing a surge at the border in anticipation of a Biden presidency.
The border numbers are already the highest they have been since the 2018-2019 border crisis, and more caravans are forming to charge our border. Somehow, I don't see the COVID cultists being too afraid of massive caravans of people from dozens of countries across the globe converging on our border to spread the virus.
Our Founders promised the citizens of this country a Constitution that would "insure domestic Tranquility" and "provide for the common defense" as a means to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." What we are seeing today is a government that secures the curse of tyranny domestically, while failing to protect us from foreign threats.


theblaze--2020-12-28--Trump reveals plan that forces Congress to re-examine 'wasteful spending,' boost stimulus payments

Trump wants more money for Americans and small businesses

President Donald Trump announced late Sunday that he would sign the massive $2.3 trillion bill passed by Congress last week that combines government funding and coronavirus relief.
However, Trump added a major caveat: He plans to use a little-known law to request that Congress eliminate "wasteful spending" from the bill and boost stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and $5,200 for families of four.
What did Trump say?
"I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed," Trump announced.
Trump explained, however, that he is using the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to promptly return the bill to Congress.
"I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill," Trump explained. "I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more."
Trump also promised that Congress will review Section 230, an archaic internet law that protects internet companies from liability when they censor users, regardless of whether the content is otherwise constitutionally protected.
Trump claimed Section 230 "unfairly benefits Big Tech at the expense of the American people" and will be "terminated or substantially reformed."
What is the Impoundment Control Act of 1974?
As Trump explained:
As president I am demanding many rescissions under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The Act provides that, "whenever the president determines that all or part of any budget authority will not be required to carry out the full objectives or scope of programs for which it is provided, or that such budget authority should be rescinded for fiscal policy or other reasons (including termination of authorized projects or activities for which budget authority has been provided), the president shall transmit to both Houses of Congress a special message" describing the amount to be reserved, the relevant accounts, the reasons for the rescission, and the economic effects of the rescission. 2 U.S.C. § 683.
The law essentially allows the president to request that Congress rescind appropriated budget funds.
The act was passed in response to Richard Nixon's budget abuses in which he outright refused funding for government programs that he opposed.
The act, then, means Congress can reject the president's rescission request, as it has done in most instances since the law was passed.
Will Congress bite?
As TheBlaze reported, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are pushing for $2,000 stimulus payments — and they hope to approve such economic relief quickly.
However, House Democrats are much less likely to approve Trump's line-item requests to eliminate "wasteful spending."


theblaze--2020-12-28--Controversial Bill Gates-funded plan to dim the sun's rays moves forward quietly

Photo by Mike Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times

A bizarre-sounding plan to save Earth funded by tech guru Bill Gates is "quietly" moving forward.
The plan — to dim the sun's rays and their impact on the earth — is reportedly all in the name of helping to revitalize the environment and thus save the human race.
What are the details?
The billionaire philanthropist is set on saving the Earth no matter the cost.
"While you may have been paying attention to [Gates'] efforts on vaccination and lockdowns, you may not have noticed that one of Gates' most controversial causes just got a go-ahead: A project that would help block out the sun," the Western Journal's Douglas Golden wrote.
Reuters reported that the geo-engineering plan — a Harvard University project funded largely by Gates— "plans to test out a controversial theory that global warming can be stopped by spraying particles into the atmosphere that would reflect the sun's rays."
The news organization reported that the Swedish Space Corporation has already taken strides in testing out the theory.
"Open-air research into spraying tiny, sun-reflecting particles into the stratosphere, to offset global warming, has been stalled for years by controversies — including that it could discharge needed cuts in greenhouse gas emissions," Reuters reported. "In a small step, the Swedish Space Corporation agreed this week to help Harvard researchers launch a balloon near the Arctic town of Kiruna next June. It would carry a gondola with 600 kg of scientific equipment 20 km (12 miles) high."
Golden also cited journal Nature, which broke the plan down into more easily comprehensible terms.
“The idea is simple: spray a bunch of particles into the stratosphere, and they will cool the planet by reflecting some of the Sun's rays back into space," Nature's Jeff Tollefson wrote in 2018. "Scientists have already witnessed the principle in action."
“When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it injected an estimated 20 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere — the atmospheric layer that stretches from about 10 to 50 kilometres above Earth's surface," Tollefson added. "The eruption created a haze of sulfate particles that cooled the planet by around 0.5 °C. For about 18 months, Earth's average temperature returned to what it was before the arrival of the steam engine."
Reuters reported that the plan could move forward in the "autumn of 2021 or spring of 2022," and would "release a tiny amount ... of non-toxic calcium carbonate dust into the atmosphere" to test the theory.
What else?
The notion of geo-engineering is a controversial one, as environmentalists have warned that such a plan could render alarming consequences.
"There are several problems with this plan, not the least of which is that we don't know what the unintended consequences might be. But to environmentalists, the problem is that it doesn't solve global warming the way they want to do it," Douglas writes.
Reuters also reported that many of the plan's opponents fear a "slippery slope toward engineering the climate."
Niclas Hällström, director of the Sweden-based environmentalist think-tank WhatNext? told Reuters, "There is no merit in this test except to enable the next step. You can't test the trigger of a bomb and say 'This can't possibly do any harm.'"
Hällström added that he has reservations over the concept for its "potential to change rain patterns or crop yields."
Lili Fuhr, who is head of the international environmental policy division at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Germany, said that the project is, indeed, "crossing an important political red line."
"They don't want to stop at this small experiment. The reason is to get bigger experiments," she explained.
Reuters reported that both Fuhr and Hällström said the plan "would violate a global 2010 moratorium on geoengineering under the U.N. Convention on Biodiversity."
Jim Thomas, co-CEO of environmentalist organization ETC Group, said that he and his peers also oppose the idea.
"This is as much an experiment in changing social norms and crossing a line as it is a science experiment," Thomas warned.


theblaze--2020-12-29--Kayleigh McEnany fires back at Jake Tapper, saying he's 'lazy' for making 'baseless personal attacks

Kayleigh McEnany fires back at Jake Tapper, saying he's 'lazy' for making 'baseless personal attacks with ZERO evidence'

Kayleigh McEnany fires back at Jake Tapper , saying he 's 'lazy ' for making 'baseless personal attacks with ZERO @ @ @ @ @ I do not leak .
I do not lie .
But I DO call out @ @ @ @ @ . '

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany fired back at CNN anchor Jake Tapper after he said that he would not have her on his show because she lies so much.
Tapper made the comments on CNN's "Reliable Sources" with Brian Stelter on Sunday. McEnany replied from her official social media account.
"This is a therapy session for a broken network, and @jaketapper is lazy enough to participate by lobbing baseless personal attacks, with ZERO evidence," McEnany said.
"Jake's real problem: I do not leak. I do not lie. But I DO call out the lies of the media (i.e. CNN Russia collusion hoax!)"
Tapper told Stelter on Sunday that he refused to have some of the members of the Trump administration or the Trump 2020 campaign on his show.
"There are some people that are so mendacious, I just wouldn't put them on air," Tapper said in the interview.
"Kayleigh McEnany, I never booked her. Jason Miller from the Trump campaign, I would never book him. I mean, these are just people who tell lies the way that most people breathe. There was no value in that," he continued.
Tapper went on to say that former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway didn't lie like McEnany did, but that she merely changed the subject when asked a tough question.
"There's a big difference between something like Kayleigh McEnany, who just like, this is what she does, she tells lies all the time, she can't acknowledge reality," Tapper continued.
"So I'm just not gonna put somebody like that on air," he concluded.
Tapper also complained on Monday when President Donald Trump retweeted an insult mocking him and calling him "Fake Tapper."
"The American people are suffering though the deadliest month of the pandemic and the president is RTing mean tweets about me," he tweeted.
Here's Tapper's comment on 'Reliable Sources':


theblaze--2020-12-29--Alec Baldwin's wife hit with allegations that she has lied for years about her Spanish heritage

Alec Baldwin 's wife hit with allegations that she has lied for years about her Spanish heritage Hilaria Baldwin says @ @ @ @ @ white girl .
Let 's be very clear that Europe has a lot of white @ @ @ @ @ family is white . '

Hilaria Baldwin, the wife of actor Alec Baldwin, has been hit with a barrage of accusations claiming that she has embellished and even falsified aspects of her heritage, with several critics comparing her to Rachel Dolezal, the white woman notorious for falsely claiming to be African American for years.
What are the details?
The Daily Mail reported that "the online frenzy over Hilaria's heritage began on Dec. 21 when a woman tweeted: 'You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin's commitment to her decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person.'"
In a thread, the Twitter user posted a series of videos purporting to show Hilaria allegedly faking a Spanish accent during media appearances, such as "pretending not to know how to say cucumber in English."
It turns out that the wife of the famous Trump-hating actor was actually born and raised in Boston to parents whose roots in America go back for several generations, but according to the New York Post, she has claimed more than once that she was born in Mallorca, Spain.
According to Page Six, her father's American lineage can be traced back to the Revolutionary War. The outlet noted that "after decades of living in Boston with their daughter, [Hilaria Baldwin's parents] retired to Mallorca in 2011 when Hilaria was 27 years old, thus making her on-again, off-again Spanish accent even more bizarre."
Baldwin claimed in an interview earlier this year that she moved to the United States from Spain at 19 in order to attend New York University, the Post reported. The Mail pointed out that "it has since emerged Hilaria, who was born Hillary Hayward-Thomas, attended $64,900-a-year The Cambridge School of Weston in Massachusetts."
People claiming to be Hilaria's former classmates at the school also wrote on social media that she did not have a Spanish accent growing up. Meanwhile, a video from years ago shows Alec Baldwin telling David Letterman on "The Late Show" that his "wife is from Spain," as he does an impression of her thick accent.
Hilaria, 36, addressed the claims as online fervor grew — and more clips surfaced — raising questions over whether she embellished her past. Taking to Instagram, she confessed that her given name is Hillary and explained to her followers, "Yes, I am a white girl. I am a white girl. Let's be very clear that Europe has a lot of white people in there and my family is white."
She added, "Culturally, I grew up with two cultures so it's really as simple as that."
What was the reaction?
Alec Baldwin also issued a video message in the aftermath without tackling the issue head-on, saying Twitter "is a lot of s**t."
"There's been a lot of things that have been said lately about people that I love, that I care about deeply, which are ridiculous," the 62-year-old actor said. "I mean, just ridiculous."
But critics were not convinced. The top story on the New York Post Monday night was an opinion piece claiming, "It's not just her name, Hilaria Baldwin's entire life is a fake."
The Washington Examiner's Tiana Lowe wrote that Hilaria "became Hollywood's Rachel Dolezal because of our sniveling, bootlicking press."
Several on social media have admitted to being gripped by the revelations with many saying they cannot turn away from the details. Fox News' Lisa Boothe tweeted, "The Hilaria Baldwin story is amazing. I can't stop reading about it."
Hilaria Baldwin Denies Faking Her Spanish Accent and Heritage www.youtube.com
This story has been updated.