theblaze--2020-08-17--Glenn Beck inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame

Glenn Beck has been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, according to a published list of the 2020 class posted online.
The BlazeTV host was nominated for the honor in the Spoken Word On-Air category last month and was selected as a result of fan voting, which kicked off on July 20.
"We have an announcement to make: I have been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame," Beck said Monday morning on his radio program. "It's really exciting for me and my family, and thank you if you voted."
Humbled by the news, he added: "My producers would like me to make this a bigger deal, but I just feel awkward doing it."
"I am, I stand by [this], the worst broadcaster in America," he claimed to laughs from his co-hosts.
Fans disagreed.
Beck beat out candidates from three other shows: John & Ken from "The John & Ken Show" on KFI-AM, Los Angeles; Stephanie Miller of "The Stephanie Miller Show" on WYD Media; and "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" on NPR.
Other 2020 class inductees include Angie Martinez of WWPR-FM, New York City; Cokie Roberts of NPR; "The Breakfast Club," featuring Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee, and DJ Envy; and Sway Calloway of "Sway In The Morning with Heather B & Tracy G" on Shade45/Sirius XM.
Beck, along with the other nominees, will be be honored October 29 during an induction ceremony fittingly streamed as a live radio broadcast across several audio platforms.
"Each year, I continue to be impressed by the caliber of our inductees, who deserve recognition for the high-quality radio they bring to listeners," said the chair of the Radio Hall of Fame, Kraig Kitchin, in a press release. "I'd like to thank the Nominating Committee members for their valuable time to being part of the voting process."
"The 2020 Class of inductees represents the diversity of voices that is heard on radio stations all across America," added Dennis Green, chair of the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. "It's an honor to contribute my time to leading this committee."
This year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the radio medium.


theblaze--2020-08-17--New CNN poll shows Trump cutting Biden's big lead down to 4 points

New CNN poll shows Trump cutting Biden 's big lead down to 4 points It 's even closer in battleground @

A CNN poll released Sunday found that President Donald Trump has significantly cut into presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's lead ahead of the Democratic Party's convention this week.
What are the details?
The poll, which surveyed 1,108 registered voters, showed Biden narrowly holding onto a 50%-46% lead over Trump — with a margin of error of +/- 4% — a huge change from the poll's previous tally in June that showed Biden with a sizable 14-point edge.
What's more: The results were even tighter across 15 battleground states, with Biden leading by just 1 percentage point, 49%-48%.
Trump's approval rating improved markedly in the new poll, as well, closing the approve/disapprove margin by 7 points since the last tally.
It is a rare piece of good polling for the president, who has struggled to rebound after criticisms of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests over racial injustice appeared to have damaged his re-election prospects.
After June's poll results, the Trump campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to CNN arguing the poll was "designed to manufacture an anti-Trump narrative and misinform and mislead actual voters."
But it wasn't just the CNN poll, actually conducted by SSRS, that showed Biden with a double-digit lead. A New York Times/Siena College poll released the same month showed the former vice president with a 14-point lead over Trump as well.
Anything else?
Another poll released Sunday, this one sponsored by ABC News/Washington Post and conducted by Langer Research Associates, showed Biden's lead over Trump still hovering in the double digits, 54%-44%, among likely voters.
The dueling results demonstrate the challenge with polls; they are often better at identifying trends than clarifying the actual state of things. And of course, there are always outliers.
The Democratic Party is scheduled to begin its national convention Monday, during which it will formally nominate Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), to lead the party in the general election. The Republican Party's convention will take place next week.
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Chris Christie absolutely trashes John Kasich after former Ohio GOP governor speaks at DNC

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had harsh words for fellow Republican and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who spoke Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in favor of presumptive nominee Joe Biden.
What are the details?
Christie, who is now a contributor on ABC News, was asked for his take on "how big a threat" Republican endorsements of Biden might be to President Donald Trump.
"Zero. Zero," Christie replied. "They're absolutely meaningless."
Focusing in on Kasich, the New Jersey Republican, who was a rival of Kasich's during the 2016 presidential primary, continued, "Just to show you where John Kasich's standing is in the Republican Party: When he was the only Republican governor left on the stage in 2016 — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich [were] the three candidates left — do you know how many Republicans governors, of his colleagues, his sitting colleagues, endorsed John Kasich? Zero."
Christie explained, "And the reason they didn't endorse him is because he's a backstabber, and he's an untruthful guy. And so, tonight, Republicans are going to look at that and go, 'You can have him.' Please, believe me, give us a break, get him out of our party, you take him for a little while, because on top of that, I've worked with John a lot. He's exhausting."
"Joe Biden's going to be getting calls from John Kasich — he's going to want to change his phone number," Christie laughed.
Two other Republicans, former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (N.J.) and former Rep. Susan Molinari (N.Y.), also spoke at the opening night of the DNC convention. Christie dismissed them both, too, saying they are not prominent names in the party.
What did Kasich say?
Kasich delivered his pre-recorded speech standing literally at a gravel "crossroads."
"I'm a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country," Kasich said in his address. "That's why I've chosen to appear at this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times."
He added, "We can all see what's going on in our country today and all the questions that are facing us, and no one person or party has all the answers. But what we do know is that we can do better than what we've been seeing today, for sure. And I know that Joe Biden, with his experience and his wisdom and his decency, can bring us together to help us find that better way."
The Republican was given more time to speak at the convention than Democratic socialist firebrand Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Anything else?
The Hill reported that ahead of Kasich's appearance at the DNC, Trump said of Kasich, "He was a loser as a Republican, and he'll be a loser as a Democrat. Major loser as a Republican. I guess you can quote me on that. John was a loser as a Republican. Never even came close. And as a Democrat, he'll be an even greater loser."


theblaze--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama defends civility in DNC speech — then attacks President Trump

She accused him of 'emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists '

Former first lady Michelle Obama reiterated her support of "going high" in political debates during her speech for the virtual Democratic National Convention, and then attacked President Donald Trump.
"When others are going so low, does going high still really work?" Obama asked, referring to her famous motto from a previous DNC speech.
"My answer? Going high is the only thing that works. Because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that's drowning out everything else," she added.
"We degrade ourselves, we degrade the very causes for which we fight," Obama continued.
"But let's be clear. Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty," she added. "Going high means taking the harder path."
'It is what it is'
Obama went on to attack Trump and his policies during her speech, and claimed that the president was in over his head.
"Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can," she said.
"Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment," Obama continued. "He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is."
'This is not who we want to be'
Earlier in the speech, she accused the president of having no empathy while recounting what American children see in the country under his leadership.
"They see our leaders labeling our fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo op," Obama said.
She went on to call the lack of empathy infuriating.
"When we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what's going on in this country is just not right. This is not who we want to be," she said.
Some news pundits went wild for Obama's speech. On ABC News, George Stephanopoulos said that it was like a "sermon on empathy" but also praised her for taking a "sledgehammer" to the president.
Here's more about Michelle Obama at the 2020 DNC:


theblaze--2020-08-18--Chicago police arrest woman for looting during protests — they say she livestreamed it on Facebook

A woman was arrested by police for allegedly looting during the protests in Chicago, and they say they caught her because she livestreamed her actions on Facebook.
Chicago police charged 22-year-old Taeshia Rochon with two felony counts of burglary and two felony counts of looting. They say that the Looting Task Force received a tip about the video Rochon posted to Facebook Live.
The Cook County State's Attorney's office accused Rochon of posting two livestream videos of her participating in looting at Nordstrom and Sunglass Hut.
Videos from her livestream were widely circulated on social media during the rioting and looting of downtown Chicago stores on Aug. 10:
In another video attributed to Rochon, she can be heard encouraging other looters as they stream out of the stores.
More than 100 people were arrested in the looting and 13 Chicago police officers were injured during the rioting. Police charged six other people with offenses related to the looting on Monday.
Chicago police searching social media
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday the formation of a task force that would search social media to help identify criminals and aid in apprehending them.
"As we've seen over these past few months, social media platforms have repeatedly been used to organize large groups of people to engage in illegal activity," Lightfoot said.
Residents kick out looters
After the looting and rioting was blamed on residents of Englewood, Chicago community leaders angrily denounced outsider protesters and pushed them out of their neighborhood.
"I don't see none of you motherf***ers when it's kids back here shot up!" yelled Darryl Smith, a longtime resident of Englewood.
"I'm out here every day! Y'all don't come out here when the kids get shot!" he added. "Y'all come out when it has to do with the f***ing police!"
Here's more about the looting in Chicago:


theblaze--2020-08-19--When they go low: DNC chief Tom Perez uses Herman Cain's death in attempt to score political points

When they go low : DNC chief Tom Perez uses Herman Cain 's death in attempt to score political points

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez invoked the death of recently departed conservative businessman Herman Cain on Tuesday, in an effort to dunk on President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
Perez and DNC CEO Joe Solmonese sat for an interview with Politico Playbook, and were asked for their thoughts on President Trump continuing to make campaign stops while presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has largely remained at home in Delaware.
Solmonese answered that the president was "pulling a political stunt" and "causing crowds to gather" amid the coronavirus, while Democrats are "going to continue to have a thoughtful and impactful conversation with the American people."
According to Politico, Perez "interjected" with his own thoughts on Trump's Tulsa rally in June, which was attended by Cain before he passed away July 30 from complications from COVID-19. As USA Today noted, "it is unknown if he contracted the virus at the event."
"Was that a good model for how people should conduct themselves?" Perez asked. "Ask the family of Herman Cain."
What was the response?
In reaction, Dan Calabrese, the editor of Cain's website, told the outlet that Cain had "traveled extensively in the weeks prior to his infection, and could have been exposed on flights, in various hotels or any number of other places."
"For Tom Perez to make that statement that he did is a ghoulish attempt to exploit a man's death for political advantage while pretending unconvincingly to care," he added. "And the last thing Herman's family needs is to be bothered with gratuitous nonsense like this while still grieving."
Republican National Committee spokesperson Mandi Merritt also reacted to Perez's remarks, telling Fox News in a statement, "It's completely disgusting that DNC chairman Tom Perez would stoop to the level of using a grieving family to score cheap political points."
Cain was the CEO of Godfather's Pizza for several years and then served as the chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City before running for president in 2012 as a Republican. At the time of his passing at the age of 74, he was the co-chair of Black Voices for Trump.


theblaze--2020-08-19--Texas Gov. Abbott says he will freeze property tax rates of cities that defund their police

Texas Gov .
Abbott says he will freeze property tax rates of cities that defund their police

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that he would freeze property tax rates of any city that would defund its police force, a policy that has been advocated by supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Abbott made the suggestion during a news conference Tuesday when he excoriated the Austin City Council for partly defunding its police force.
"When crime is on the rise, the last thing we should do is defund law enforcement — and yet that is exactly what the City of Austin did," Abbott said. "Defunding police puts residents in danger and it invites lawlessness into our communities."
The Austin City Council voted to reduce the funding for its police force by a third, about $150 million, and to reinvest that money in social services. Among those services are violence prevention programs, food access, and increased access to abortion.
Abbott reiterated his plan in a tweet from his official social media account.
"Under my plan any city that defunds police will have their property tax revenue capped at current levels. Cities can't cut law enforcement [and] then turn around and increase taxes on the residents they just endangered," tweeted Abbott.
Abbott noted that crime has increased in Austin and the reduced police force will likely worsen the situation for residents.
"Just because there is an act, or many acts committed by law enforcement does not mean that we reduce law enforcement," Abbott said.
Austin mayor responds
Austin Mayor Steve Adler responded to the media briefing from Abbott and denied that the city was crippling law enforcement or endangering its citizens.
"The press conference today was not about facts. It presented no data. It was about trying to make us scared," said Adler.
He also explained that only $20 million was being defunded directly from the police department, while the rest of the redirected funds would not result in a reduction of law enforcement response. He also argued that Austin's murder rate was comparatively low, even if it had seen a recent drastic increase.
Here's a local news video about his plan:


theblaze--2020-08-18--Mark Levin: This letter reveals the REAL Kamala Harris

'This is where you really get an insight into another person — politics or no politics '

On a recent episode of "LevinTV," host Mark Levin read a resignation letter from a senior Kamala Harris campaign staffer who resigned citing poor treatment from management.
In a resignation letter originally published by the New York Times, the state operations director for Harris's presidential campaign, Kelly Mehlenbacher, wrote: "This is my third presidential campaign and I have never seen an organization treat its staff so poorly."
Mehlenbacher previously served as the treasury manager for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and accounting associate on Clinton's first campaign.
"This is where you really get an insight into another person — politics or no politics. That is, how you treat your staff.... If in their personal lives, they're a nasty piece of work, then they will always be a nasty piece of work. That's what we call a fraud," Levin said.
"This does give you a look into the nature of [Harris'] management style, such as it is, her managing of people, the events, and what it could look like, God forbid, if she's vice president of the United States, or even worse, president of the United States."
Watch the video below for more from Mark Levin:
Want more from Mark Levin?
To enjoy more of "the Great One" — Mark Levin as you've never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Elizabeth Warren featured at DNC's Native American Caucus meeting

No , this is not satire .

The Democratic National Convention asked former self-identifying Cherokee Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to participate in its Native American Caucus meeting on Tuesday, drawing laughs and dismay from critics on social media before reportedly pulling the plug on the event's livestream chat.
Warren famously exploited her claims of having indigenous ancestry throughout her career, before taking a DNA test in 2018 that revealed she is a scant 1/1024th Native American. The debacle earned her the nickname "Pocahontas" from President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
Ahead of the afternoon meeting, former Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D), promoted the event on Twitter, writing, "I'm excited for the DNC Native American Caucus meeting today. Please join @Deb4CongressNM, @sharicedavids, @ewarren, and me (and whole bunch of other good folks) today!"
Several Twitter users made jokes about Warren being selected, with one asking Flanagan, "Will @ewarren be speaking for 1/1024% the amount of time the actual Native Americans will be speaking?" Others called the DNC's move offensive, and a number of self-proclaimed Democrats also questioned the decision to feature Warren.
One person wrote, "Let me preface this by saying I am voting for Joe Biden. But, with that said, how is it nobody at the DNC recognized the optics of @ewarren coming anywhere near the Native American Caucus? Perhaps what happened was overblown. But, why poke that bear?"
Sure enough, clips of Warren speaking to the Native American Caucus began to be released online, showing her touting Democrats work for "Indian country" and expressing her gratitude for being asked to participate in the panel.
But according to an account claiming it rallied folks to troll the DNC's Native American Caucus, the livestream chat function was disabled early as people weighed in on the event.....


theblaze--2020-08-18--First night of Democratic National Convention sees massive drop in viewers compared to 2016

First night of Democratic National Convention sees massive drop in viewers compared to 2016 Is this an example of the @ @ @ @ @ ?

The first night of the virtual Democratic National Convention was called a success by many on the left, but judging by the ratings, it was a measurable failure.
According to an early report from Nielsen Media Research provided by Fox News, the first night of the virtual convention garnered 18.7 million viewers, a stunning 28% drop from the 26 million viewers who watched the 2016 DNC debut.
The report analyzed the number of viewers from broadcast sources and cable news channels during the time between 10 and 11:15 p.m.
In 2016, 33.3 million viewers tuned in to watch Hillary Clinton receive the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, while 34.9 million viewers tuned in to watch Donald Trump receive the nomination at the Republican National Convention.
Polls for the election have shown a notable lack of enthusiasm among Democrats, while Republican voters respond with much greater excitement for their candidate.
More comprehensive ratings are expected after the viewership from streaming services are counted and included.
Socially distant convention
The in-person convention was cancelled due to concerns that it would lead to more coronavirus cases. The virtual convention, anchored in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, included pre-recorded messages and various Democratic speakers live from locations all across the country.
Many on the left praised the keynote address from former first lady Michelle Obama. She reiterated her support for civility in politics while attacking President Donald Trump and accusing him of lacking empathy.
The virtual convention was hosted by Hispanic actress and activist Eva Longoria, and included speeches by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican.
The convention will continue on Tuesday and culminate on Thursday when Joe Biden will accept the nomination to the Democratic presidential ticket. Other key speakers include Jill Biden and former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday, and former President Barrack Obama on Wednesday night.
Here's more about the first night of the virtual conference:


theblaze--2020-08-18--Trump pardons Susan B. Anthony, so media and Democrats quickly disparage her legacy

President Donald Trump signs an executive order during an event marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment ratification in @ @ @ @ @ White House in Washington , D.C. , Tuesday .
Trump said he will pardon Susan @ @ @ @ @ for giving American women the right to vote who was arrested for casting a ballot @ @ @ @ @ Moneymaker/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

President Donald Trump announced a pardon of the late suffragist Susan B. Anthony on Tuesday as part of a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Not coincidentally, Democrats and members of the media took the opportunity to highlight some of Anthony's shortcomings.
Anthony was arrested and fined $100 for illegally voting in 1872.
"She was never pardoned," Trump said. "Did you know that? She was never pardoned. What took so long?"
The New York Times accused the president of targeting the 2020 election in its headline, a reference to his alleged obstruction of mail-in voting using the USPS. In the article, the author criticized the event as "heavily political" and said Anthony was not remembered fondly. Maggie Haberman and Katie Rogers wrote:
Unlike other people the president has pardoned, Anthony is not someone whose work Mr. Trump has spoken of during his campaign or his presidency.
She is also an increasingly divisive figure, adopted by anti-abortion forces and criticized for relegating Black suffragists to the sidelines. On Tuesday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion political group, and Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who represents conservative groups, were in attendance as Mr. Trump made his announcement.
The article quotes a Democratic politician who actually called for Trump to rescind the pardon.
"As highest ranking woman elected official in New York and on behalf of Susan B. Anthony's legacy we demand Trump rescind his pardon," New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on Twitter. "She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to the cause for women's rights, and never paid her fine. Let her Rest In Peace, @realDonaldTrump."
The Times published a much more flattering article featuring Anthony on Aug. 6 about a statue in Central Park of Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
"Across the country, monuments honoring racist figures are being defaced and toppled," Alisha Haridasani Gupta wrote. "In New York's Central Park, one statue is taking shape that aims to amend not only racial but also gender disparities in public art: A 14-foot-tall bronze monument of Susan B. Antony, Sojourner Truth, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, three of the more prominent leaders in the nationwide fight for women's right to vote."
That statue is set to be unveiled on Aug. 26.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Portland cops identify leftist thug who allegedly kicked man in head from behind, knocking him out c

Portland cops identify leftist thug who allegedly kicked man in head from behind, knocking him out cold, before repeatedly punching him

Portland cops identify leftist thug who allegedly kicked man in head from behind , knocking him out cold , before @ @ @ @ @ 25-year-old Marquise Love to turn himself in

Portland police said they've identified a suspect in connection with the violent assault caught on video showing a man getting repeatedly punched after a mob forced him to sit in the street and then getting kicked in the head from behind — a final, brutal blow that appeared to knock out the victim.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Police said investigators positively identified the suspect as 25-year-old Marquise Love. Investigators made attempts to contact Love but could not locate him, police said, adding that investigators have left messages for Love to turn himself in but will continue to look for him as there is probable cause for his arrest. Fox News said the suspect also goes by "Keese Love."
Jorge Ventura, who's been covering the Portland riots for weeks, identified the victim as Adam Haner and told Fox News in a separate story that Haner is recovering from his injuries that were not life-threatening. Police said the victim has been released from the hospital.
What's the background?
Police said officers on Sunday night responded to an accident call at the intersection of Southwest Taylor Street and Broadway indicating that "protestors chased a white Ford 4x4, which has crashed" at that location and that protesters dragged the driver "out of car." ( Content warning: Language):
Another witness called before officers arrived and reported that nine to 10 people were "beating the guy," police said. The following clip shows the suspect punching the victim in the head a total of at least eight times before running at him from behind and kicking him in the head. ( Content warning: Language):
Here's a shorter clip of the head kick. ( Content warning: Language):
Officers found the injured, unconscious adult male and took him to a hospital, police said.
Investigators learned that the victim may have been trying to help a transgender female who had some of her things stolen in the area of Southwest Taylor and 4th Avenue, the location where this incident began, police said.
Journalist Drew Hernandez said he witnessed how it all unfolded and provided video that appeared to mirror what police said about the victim earlier trying to help someone who had things stolen. (Content warning: Language):
After the victim crashed his truck, the mob descended upon the man outside his truck, and they took turns beating him and forcing him to sit in the street. (Content warning: Language):
Here's another clip of the head-kicking thug — who was wearing a "security" vest — showing him repeatedly punching the man in the head. (Content warning: Language):
Police said anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Brent Christensen at 503-823-2087 or at Brent.Christensen@portlandoregon.gov.
Editor's note: The headline of this piece has been edited. The original headline incorrectly stated that the victim was punched after he was kicked, rather than before.


theblaze--2020-08-18--NY Gov. Cuomo — who fumbled the coronavirus pandemic — to publish a book about handling the coronavi

NY Gov. Cuomo — who fumbled the coronavirus pandemic — to publish a book about handling the coronavirus pandemic

NY Gov .
Cuomo — who fumbled the coronavirus pandemic — to publish a book about handling the coronavirus pandemic

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who by all accounts bungledhisresponse to the coronavirus pandemic in his state, plans to publish a book about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
What are the details?
The new book, titled "American Crisis," will highlight the governor's leadership in responding to the outbreak even as more than 33,000 people have died in the New York as a result of the virus — more than twice the number of deaths in any other state. Not to mention the fact that Cuomo will be cashing in on the project even as the pandemic rages on.
The announcement came just one day after Cuomo called the coronavirus response "beautiful" and the disease a "metaphor" during his speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday night.
The book will be released Oct. 13, just three weeks before the general election.
In a news release by Crown Publishing, "American Crisis" is billed as "a powerful testament to true leadership" and a "remarkable portrait of leadership during crisis and a gritty story of gut-wrenching choices that point the way to a safer future for us all," the New York Post reported.
But that summary doesn't exactly square with the reality of the situation. Though at times praised for his resolute demeanor during the early stages of the outbreak, Cuomo has been widely criticized for several leadership decisions he made, including instituting a highly questionable policy that forced nursing homes to accept people who had COVID-19 but had been discharged from the hospital.
Cuomo didn't end that policy until May 10 and it is estimated that 6,600 people died as a result of it. In the aftermath, Cuomo has defended his decision and refused any investigation into the matter.
Anything else?
In an excerpt of the book shared with the Associated Press by Crown, Cuomo talks about confronting fear.
"The questions are what do you do with the fear and would you succumb to it," the governor wrote. "I would not allow the fear to control me. The fear kept my adrenaline high and that was a positive. But I would not let the fear be a negative, and I would not spread it. Fear is a virus also."
The AP reported that financial terms for "American Crisis" were not disclosed. The New York Post noted that Cuomo made $783,000 off his 2014 memoir, "All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics."
The announcement of the book met with sharp criticism from those on the right.
As an example, here is a zinger from former Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee:


theblaze--2020-08-18--Bombshell photos show Bill Clinton receiving massage from Epstein accuser

Not the best look

Former President Bill Clinton enjoyed a massage from one of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims during a plane trip to Africa in 2002, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
Clinton, 74, is scheduled to deliver remarks at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night and is reportedly set to endorse presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
What are the details?
Clinton can be seen in photos smiling as Epstein accuser Chauntae Davies massages his neck and back.
The photos were said to have taken place in 2002 when Clinton was 56.
According to the outlet, Clinton "complained of a stiff neck" after falling asleep on the late accused pedophile's plane while on a humanitarian trip to Africa.
Following his remarks, accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly encouraged Davies, who was traveling with the group, to give the former president a massage as the group refueled at a Portugal airport.
Maxwell is now in prison awaiting trial on felony sex trafficking charges. She has denied all allegations.
"Would you mind giving it a crack?" Clinton reportedly asked Davies — a 22-year-old massage therapist — at the time.
Images obtained by the outlet show Clinton dressed casually as he enjoys the massage from Davies, who kneels behind him on a chair.
"He turned his back to me and I reached up and I started to rub out the kink in our former President's neck and shoulder," she reportedly said.
Davies recalled that she had to ask the president to get down on his knees to obtain a better angle from which to massage his back.
"I've got a bad angle, would you mind getting on your knees?" she said. "I'm not at all sure what came over me."
In her forthcoming memoir, Davies added, "I was groggy and have also always been the queen of putting my foot in my mouth. For a moment the room fell silent. I couldn't believe I'd said that. The words just shot out before I realized what I was saying or who I said it to. Then, although his face had turned the color of fire, he laughed. The whole room was laughing too. And, being the good sport he was, he sat down so I could get a better angle."
Former president was reportedly on his best behavior
Now in her early 40s, Davies said Clinton was a "complete gentleman" while on the trip.
"Although the image looks bizarre, President Clinton was a perfect gentleman during the trip, and I saw absolutely no foul play involving him," said Davies, who alleged Epstein raped her several times after being recruited by Maxwell. She finally got out in 2005.
Before his death in August 2019, Epstein was accused of using his private fleet to transport underage girls to his homes in the U.S. and across the world.
A spokesperson for the former president said that Clinton traveled with Epstein only four times between 2002 and 2003. Flight logs, however, tell a different story, and show that Clinton traveled with Epstein and his posse at least 26 times between 2002 and 2003.
Clinton has repeatedly insisted that he never knew about Epstein's alleged crimes.
'Raises a lot of questions'
According to the outlet, however, Clinton's appearance gave Davies pause to wonder about his potential role in any of Epstein's dealings.
"It's clear that Epstein was using this private jet and his wealth to get close to rich and powerful people," Davies said. "Looking back at these images now, it raises a lot of questions about why Bill Clinton was using the plane and what, perhaps, Jeffrey may have been trying to accomplish by having him around."
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-08-18--USPS pauses operational changes until after election to avoid appearance of tampering

USPS pauses operational changes until after election to avoid appearance of tampering U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy arrives at a @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) at the U.S. Capitol .
( Photo @ @ @ @ @

The United States Postal Service will pause operational changes that have drawn public scrutiny in recent weeks in order to avoid the appearance that they're attempting to influence the election, CNBC reported.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the pause in a statement Tuesday, in which he emphasized that many of the changes that have caused alarm have been planned even before he took over.
"I came to the Postal Service to make changes to secure the success of this organization and its long-term sustainability," DeJoy said in the statement. "I believe significant reforms are essential to that objective, and work toward those reforms will commence after the election. In the meantime, there are some longstanding operational initiatives — efforts that predate my arrival at the Postal Service — that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a devastating pandemic. To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded."
DeJoy went on to ensure that post office hours would stay the same, processing equipment and mailboxes would not be moved or removed, and overtime for employees would continue to be paid to help ensure timely delivery.
DeJoy will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday and the Democrat-led House Oversight Committee on Monday. But Democrats are still suspicious of DeJoy, who is a Trump donor, despite his statement.
"This is a start. But we still need to reverse all the damage, fully fund @USPS, & investigate DeJoy's conflicts," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote on Twitter. "And we need to keep our eyes on DeJoy so he keeps his promise & doesn't find new ways to dismantle the USPS. I'll be watching DeJoy's actions — not just his words."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday she would call the House back in session from recess early to block USPS changes by DeJoy.
Democrats are seeing tens of billions of dollars in a proposed COVID-19 relief bill for the USPS to bail out the struggling organization and to help with an anticipated increase in mail-in voting this November. President Donald Trump opposes the funding, and has specifically cited his opposition to mail-in voting as a reason.
In July, the USPS warned states that it could not guarantee on-time delivery of mailed ballots based on current deadlines, but those letters were reportedly planned before DeJoy became postmaster general.


theblaze--2020-08-18--San Francisco cops leaving in record numbers, pursuing jobs at other departments

San Francisco cops leaving in record numbers , pursuing jobs at other departments

San Francisco police officers are leaving the department in record numbers with many pursuing jobs at departments elsewhere in the state or around the country, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday.
The mass exodus, which amounts to 54 officers so far this year — with 23 leaving for other jobs and 31 retiring — comes as the city just approved a measure to defund the police and is debating other areas of reform as a result of Black Lives Matter protests.
In late July, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced $120 million in police funding would be redirected to address disparities in the black community over the next two years. That was just the latest in a string of abuses that police have suffered in the last decade.
Many officers are also reportedly frustrated working under California's Proposition 47, a measure that reduced many nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors and has resulted in little or no jail time for such crimes as hard drug possession and theft.
Now officers are effectively protesting the changes by packing their things and moving on.
According to the Chronicle, the number of officers leaving the department is trending at a record pace. If they continue as they are, the department is "on track to lose nearly twice as many cops this year as it did last year and close to four times as many as in 2018."
Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, warned, "This is just the beginning. Dozens are actively in the hiring process with other agencies."
"The members are upset that the social experiment being conducted in San Francisco is failing, and they would rather work someplace that values them," he added. "Members have gone to places like the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, Pleasant Hill, Beverly Hills, Petaluma, Palm Springs, Placerville, Long Beach, Idaho, Texas, Arizona,"
One officer who transferred to Texas, said that in addition to better pay and fewer taxes, "it's also nice working at a place where everyone isn't mad at you."
"In San Francisco, everyone was mad," he said. "The homeowners would get mad because you didn't move the homeless who were sleeping in front of their house. Then, when you tried to help the homeless, someone would start yelling about police brutality ... and everyone had a cellphone camera on you."
Another officer said that with the upcoming budget cuts, pay freezes, and the potential for more reform, San Francisco "just doesn't feel like a place to be for the long haul."


theblaze--2020-08-18--Associated Press hits Michelle Obama with hard fact-check on immigration talking point: Peddling a '

Associated Press hits Michelle Obama with hard fact-check on immigration talking point: Peddling a 'persistently distorted' narrative parroted by Democrats

Associated Press hits Michelle Obama with hard fact-check on immigration talking point : Peddling a 'persistently distorted ' narrative parroted @ @

The Associated Press took former first lady Michelle Obama to task over her Monday night remarks at the Democratic National Convention insisting that the Trump administration caged children at the U.S. southern border.
What are the details?
Obama, who appeared as a speaker on the first night of the DNC, insisted that President Donald Trump and his administration used "cages" to house migrant children at the U.S. southern border.
During her dramatic speech, Obama lamented the fact that devastated Americans were forced to "watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages."
The former first lady, however, did not make mention of the fact that her husband, former President Barack Obama, used the same facilities for the same purpose during his administration.
The AP said that her claim was misleading at best, insisting that the former first lady made a distorted comparison.
"Michelle Obama assailed President Donald Trump on Monday for ripping migrant children from their parents and throwing them into cages, picking up on a frequent and distorted point made widely by Democrats," the AP reported Monday night.
"She's right that Trump's now-suspended policy at the U.S.-Mexico border separated thousands of children from their families in ways that had not been done before. But what she did not say is that the very same 'cages' were built and used in her husband's administration, for the same purposes of holding migrant kids temporarily," the AP report continued.
The AP added that Obama's continued "reference to cages" is "misleading" and a "persistently distorted" narrative parroted by Democrats since 2016.
“Trump used facilities that were built during the Obama-Biden administration to house children at the border. They are chain-link enclosures inside border facilities where migrants were temporarily housed, separated by sex and age," the AP report added.
The news organization took its fact-checking a step further, pointing out that viral photos of the children in detention camps that Democrats circulated to pillory Trump over his zero-tolerance policy at the border were actually taken in 2014.
The photos, according to the report, "depicted some of the thousands of unaccompanied children held by President Barack Obama."


theblaze--2020-08-18--Utah restaurant server: Patrons wearing 'Trump 2020' hats left me tip with gay slur written on it

Utah restaurant server : Patrons wearing 'Trump 2020 ' hats left me tip with gay slur written on it 'Get @ @ @ @ @ ! '

A server who works in an Ogden, Utah, restaurant told KSTU-TV that patrons wearing "Trump 2020" hats left him a $5 bill tip with a gay slur written on it.
What are the details?
Ashton Bindrup didn't reveal what restaurant he works for but noted on Facebook that the party in question was an "older couple and their middle-aged son."
Image source: KSTU-TV video screenshot
"They'd asked me for a pen during the meal," he told the station. "They paid with card, but it was all an electric system so there was no receipt … that's why I thought it was odd when they asked for the pen."
Bindrup said that when he got a look at the $5 cash tip the patrons left, the phrase "Get out of America, F**!" was written on it, KSTU said.
Image source: KSTU-TV video screenshot
He told the station he believes the group deliberately wrote the slur on his tip.
"It's shocking. It's not OK," Bindrup told KSTU, adding that "I think if anyone got it, they would think it was hate speech."
Bindrup posted images of the $5 bill to his Facebook page and noted, "Today I experienced targeted hate." The post quickly gained traction online, the station said.
More from KSTU:
In the state of Utah, there are penalties for hate crimes. However, written speech is only considered a punishable offense if there is a threat of violence.
The only other recourse that could be taken involves defacing currency.
According to U.S. Code, anyone who defaces a bill so that it is unfit to be reissued can be fined or face six months in jail. The law states:
"Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both."
Since the bill Bindrup received now contains profanity, it can't be reissued and, arguably, fits the law. Still, he said he's not chasing legalities.
"I wish that they had said it to my face," he noted to the station. "I'm not quick to anger or quick to be offended, but I don't know. You have to think about that kind of hate. You have to wonder, 'How does someone get to that point?'"
Believe it or not...
At one point in his interview with KSTU, Bindrup laughed as he recalled the patrons "actually tipped me really well. It was only a $22 bill, and they gave me a five for it, so it was like a 27% tip."
On Facebook, he noted that "I am both family and friend to many kind Trump supporters. I see you and hear you. I have even experienced and can point out some things I have liked about the Trump Presidency. I love you guys, even if I don't support your candidate."
But Bindrup added to the station that "we have to help people become not so biased. This needs to be a learning opportunity, above all else, because there's hate speech out there, and we can all do our part to say things differently."


theblaze--2020-08-18--Horowitz: Trump-appointed judge: Idaho can't block men from competing in women's sports

Horowitz : Trump-appointed judge : Idaho ca n't block men from competing in women 's sports

Another day, another failure of those conservatives who chose the "appoint better judges" route rather than scrapping judicial supremacy over our culture.
We are living in a time when states and cities can indefinitely mandate draconian "face coverings" on our own mouths and noses, along with a full panoply of restrictions on life, liberty, and property. Yet the courts have been silent because those are real constitutional rights that are being infringed upon, and old-fashioned inalienable rights are not in vogue. What is cool to the black-robed tyrants, including some GOP appointees, is the "right" for men to participate in female sports. Presumably, so long as they wear masks while they are running the track.
On Monday, Judge David C. Nye, a Trump appointee to Idaho's federal bench, placed a temporary injunction on Idaho's "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," which bars men who claim they are women from participating in female sports (and vice versa). Nye said that plaintiffs, who include track and field athletes at Boise State University, "are likely to succeed in establishing the Act is unconstitutional as currently written" because, in his estimation, it likely violates the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the 14th Amendment.
Nye claimed that Idaho's ban is "in stark contrast to the policies of elite athletic bodies that regulate sports both nationally and globally" and that separating sexes by scientific designation "burdens all female athletes with the risk and embarrassment of having to 'verify' their 'biological sex' in order to play women's sports."
Shockingly, Nye acted as if he really wanted to avoid this controversy, but he contends that the 14th Amendment from 1868 is what compels him to redefine sexuality! "In making this determination, it is not just the constitutional rights of transgender girls and women athletes at issue but, as explained above, the constitutional rights of every girl and woman athlete in Idaho," Nye wrote.
Remember when we were told that Gorsuch's opinion in the transgender employment case was just about statutory reading of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and not about creating a constitutional right? Yeah, right. As I warned at the time, the Supreme Court's Bostock decision served as a green light for lower courts to take it a step further.
Imagine the looks on the faces of those who wrote the 14th Amendment if they were to see how a provision designed to grant freed black slaves equal fundamental rights is being used for state-sponsored gender-swapping. Rep. James F. Wilson, R-Iowa, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee back in the 1860s who helped draft the 14th Amendment, spoke emphatically that it was "establishing no new right, declaring no new principle." "It is not the object of this bill to establish new rights, but to protect and enforce those which belong to every citizen," declared Wilson in 1866.
No new principle, indeed! In fact, the only thing this amendment is not used for today is what it was intended – to stop states from crushing individual liberty, as we are seeing with the mask mandates and closures of churches and businesses.
Justice Gorsuch tried to deny that his decision would grow legs beyond the scope of the employment discrimination ruling, but Justice Alito warned that it would affect female sports, among other things. "The effect of the Court's reasoning may be to force young women to compete against students who have a very significant biological advantage, including students who have the size and strength of a male but identify as female and students who are taking male hormones in order to transition from female to male," wrote Alito in his dissent, citing, among other cases, this budding Idaho lawsuit.
Fast-forward to this week, and the Idaho judge cited Gorsuch's Bostock decision as part of his rationale for believing transgenderism is enshrined in the 14th Amendment. Noting that while the ruling was in the context of Title VII employment discrimination law, Judge Nye still cited Gorsuch's operative line to apply it elsewhere: "It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being ... transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex." The bottom line is that once you apply that thinking to a statute, it will be applied to the 14th Amendment, and once it's applied to employment, it will be applied to every facet of life.
Taking a broad look at the state of play in the courts, conservatives must finally recognize the imbalance in political outcomes. Notice how, in blue states, where the governments mandate broad violations of individual liberty, the courts are nowhere to be seen in defending rights that existed since the time of Blackstone. Yet, when red states want to simply protect against novel and destructive policies that are in opposition to individual rights, the federal courts are empowered to swoop in.
Thus, conservatives who are stuck in California where "my body, my right" doesn't seem to extend to one's own mouth and nose to breathe fresh air, can't exactly go to Idaho to find respite. Where the legislators don't implement the woke leftist agenda, the courts will. The Ninth Circuit has already forced Idaho to pay for a castration "operation" for a male child sex offender sitting in state prison. The Supreme Court refused to reverse that opinion. Likewise, last year, the Supreme Court refused to overturn a Ninth Circuit opinion preventing the city of Boise from cleaning up homeless encampments.
Heads the Left wins, tails the Right loses. Either way, the alt-Left gets its policies enacted in all 50 states.
Putting everything together, the courts of Sodom and Gomorrah believe there is a right for a man to play female sports, a right for a man to secure a taxpayer-funded castration, and a right to camp out on city streets – but no right to open your business or walk freely without a cloth on your own mouth and nose.
At a time when blue states clearly have a license to supplant the Constitution with the Antifa agenda, red states have a responsibility to hold their ground against lawless courts. And no, "but Gorsuch" and "appointing Republican judges" are not the answer. It is the problem.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Ethics professor suggests mandated 'morality pills' instead of vaccine in COVID-19 fight. Doctor hit

Ethics professor suggests mandated 'morality pills' instead of vaccine in COVID-19 fight. Doctor hits back with frightening reason why this should never be.

Ethics professor suggests mandated 'morality pills ' instead of vaccine in COVID-19 fight .
Doctor hits back with frightening reason @ @ @ @ @ .

Ethics professor Parker Crutchfield said "morality pills" — in this case, psychoactive medications — might be the best option to fight against the continued spread of COVID-19.
What are the details?
In a lengthy essay for the Conversation, Crutchfield — an ethicist from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo — said that the government could mandate "morality pills" to force citizens to comply with federal and state government mandates and to make them more cooperative and receptive.
Such mandates currently include social distancing and mask-wearing, and "morality pills," in effect, would chemically coerce citizens to follow the rules in order to eradicate the spread of coronavirus.
In his remarks, Crutchfield said that the government could use hormones and/or synthetic drugs to force people into following health regulations due to COVID-19 — or, as he put it, "morally enhance" people.
"To me, it seems the problem of coronavirus defectors could be solved by moral enhancement: like receiving a vaccine to beef up your immune system, people could take a substance to boost their cooperative, pro-social behavior," Crutchfield wrote. "Could a psychoactive pill be the solution to the pandemic?"
He later said, "I believe society may be better off, both in the short term as well as the long, by boosting not the body's ability to fight off disease but the brain's ability to cooperate with others. What if researchers developed and delivered a moral enhancer rather than an immunity enhancer?"
Crutchfield, however, despite his apparent excitement over the notion of forced compliance through chemical means, conceded that hormone therapy — specifically using the "feel-good" hormone, oxytocin — could result in some concerning unintended consequences, such as a promotion of ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism is a belief in inherent superiority of one's own culture, race, or ethnic group when compared to others.
Such treatment may 'perhaps increase racism'
According to Dr. Richard Weikart, in an article published on Evolution News, moral enhancement — which is associated with transhumanism, the idea that human behavior is genetically determined and could evolve through scientific and technological advancements — is a slippery slope.
Weikart wrote, "Oxytocin, one of the darling hormones proposed by those pushing 'moral enhancement,' seems to promote cooperation in [a testing] in-group, but hostility toward the out-group. Thus it may actually increase conformity to one's own society, but perhaps increase racism."
"Do we really want to increase conformity to COVID-19 regulations, if it increases racism?" Weikart asked.
What if the ones in charge of moral engineering are in need of moral engineering?
Weikart continued by pointing out the theory of transhumanism is problematic at best.
"[T]ranshumanists have no basis for any objective morality, so whenever they talk about promoting morality, they are merely pushing for whatever they personally think is moral," he reasoned. "If other people disagree with their moral vision, there is no way to adjudicate (other than by reference to who has the power to impose their morality on others ...)."
He added that in such a case, "morality pills" will impose the "moral vision of the technocratic elite."
Weikart explained, "[I]f people are really in need of 'moral enhancement,' how can we trust them to bioengineer 'moral enhancement? What if the technocrats are in need of 'moral enhancement,' too?"
"Some, like myself, think the opposite is true — the intellectual elites of our society have been promoting immorality for decades, and if anyone needs 'moral enhancement,' it is them," he concluded.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Deborah Birx wishes US lockdown looked like Italy's, where people couldn't leave their homes without

Deborah Birx wishes US lockdown looked like Italy's, where people couldn't leave their homes without gov't permission

Deborah Birx wishes US lockdown looked like Italy 's , where people could n't leave their homes without gov't permission

If you thought the coronavirus lockdown last spring was oppressive or find the various mask mandates to be a bridge too far, then be thankful White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Deborah Birx's hopes did not come true.
Birx said Monday that she wished the United States had gone into a lockdown that looked like the one Italy's government imposed: A lockdown that forced Italians to remain in their homes for days or weeks at a time — except for "essential" activities.
What did she say?
During a roundtable COVID-19 discussion led by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Monday, CNN reported, Birx shared what she had learned as the task force continued to monitor and make recommendations as the pandemic spread across the U.S.
One thing that stood out to her was how Americans reacted to restrictions and what they would put up with to fight the spread of the virus. She went on to lament that the country was not able to implement a lockdown like the one in Italy.
"I wish that when we went into lockdown, we looked like Italy," she said.
What was so great about the Italy lockdown, at least in Birx's mind? It was strict, as in you-have-to-have-a-special-certificate-to-be-out kind of strict.
"When Italy locked down, I mean, people weren't allowed out of their houses," Birx said. "And they couldn't come out but once every two weeks to buy groceries for one hour, and they had to have a certificate that said they were allowed."
Then she noted the obvious difference between Italians and Americans.
"Americans don't react well to that kind of prohibition," Birx noted.
She went on to tell the roundtable that, knowing the U.S. can't do an Italy-style lockdown, there are things Americans should be doing and not doing, CNN reported.
Birx praised the moves Arizona made to battle a sudden surge in cases earlier this summer, in which limited numbers of people were allowed to go to malls and restaurants while gyms and bars were forced to stay closed. Also, masks were mandated and groups of more than 10 people were banned.
She claimed that Arizona's efforts "probably" caused the number of cases to drop "by more than 80%," CNN said and added that what Arizonans did could be replicated by all Americans in order slow the virus.
"Tens of thousands of lives can be saved if we wear masks, and we don't have parties in our backyards ... taking those masks off," Birx said, CNN reported.
Italy has outperformed the U.S. on the number of confirmed cases per capita. Since COVID-19 tracking began, Italy has seen 421 cases per 100,000 people compared to 1,667 per 100,000 in the U.S., according to the New York Times. Over the last seven days, the United States has seen 108 cases per 100,000, while Italy has seen six per 100,000.
But numbers of COVID-related deaths are much closer. In fact, since the beginning of COVID trading, Italy has had 59 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000, while the U.S. has had 52 per 100,000. Over the last seven days, the U.S. has had two deaths per 100,000 and Italy has had less than one per 100,000.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Iowa State prof forbids students to disagree with BLM, abortion. University takes action.

This is who is teaching the next generation

Iowa State University administrators took action this week after an English teacher forbade her students to disagree with abortion, gay marriage, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
What happened?
Students who signed up for ISU assistant professor Chloe Clark's English 250 class for the fall semester learned in their syllabus that they would be "dismissed" from class if they argued against "gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter."
The syllabus stated:
GIANT WARNING: any instances of othering that you participate in intentionally (racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, sorophobia, transphobia, classism, mocking of mental health issues, body shaming, etc) in class are grounds for dismissal from the classroom. The same goes for any papers/projects: you cannot choose any topic that takes at its base that one side doesn't deserve the same basic human rights as you do (ie: no arguments against gay marriage, abortion, Black Lives Matter, etc). I take this seriously.
Further, Clark wrote in the syllabus that her class will discuss books that "may contain violent or disturbing imagery" and offered to provide students with a "trigger warning."
"If, at any point, you would like a Trigger Warning before viewings/readings that may contain this imagery, please let me know and I'm happy to provide them!" she wrote.
Clark's syllabus generated attention after a concerned student leaked the document to Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative student advocacy organization.
How did the university respond?
The university acknowledged the syllabus is inconsistent with students' First Amendment rights and has been updated.
The university also said Clark is undergoing constitutional education.
Here's the complete statement, according to YAF:
The syllabus statement as written was inconsistent with the university's standards and its commitment to the First Amendment rights of students. After reviewing this issue with the faculty member, the syllabus has been corrected to ensure it is consistent with university policy. Moreover, the faculty member is being provided additional information regarding the First Amendment policies of the university.
Iowa State is firmly committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of its students, faculty, and staff. With respect to student expression in the classroom, including the completion of assignments, the university does not take disciplinary action against students based on the content or viewpoints expressed in their speech.
Clark has been an assistant professor in the English department at ISU since last August, according to her LinkedIn page. She previously worked there as a lecturer.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Texas A&M prof says it was ‘good news’ Rep. Louie Gohmert got COVID, hopes ‘fat klansman’ Trump gets

Texas A&M prof says it was ‘good news’ Rep. Louie Gohmert got COVID, hopes ‘fat klansman’ Trump gets it, too

Texas A & M prof says it was ‘ good news ’ Rep. Louie Gohmert got COVID , hopes ‘ @ @ @ @ @ it , too

A Texas A&M University professor recently posted on Facebook that he believes it was "good news" that Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert (Texas) contracted COVID-19 and that he hopes "fat klansman" President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence get it, too, Campus Reform reported Monday.
What are the details?
Dr. Filipe de Castro is a nautical archaeology professor at the school who directs the ship reconstruction laboratory, and judging by his Facebook, he is not a fan of Republicans or the Trump administration.
Earlier this month, Castro took to the social media platform to defend President Barack Obama's "eight years of impeccable governance" and refer to Trump as a "fat klansman" who is "surrounded by a collection of savages and misfits."
Image Source: Facebook screenshot
The professor also wrote: "We have a moron as president and everyday [sic] he paints the walls of the Oval Office with his own s**t, and the republicans- including Lying Ted [Cruz] and [John] Corny Cornyn- clean the walls and the carpet, wipe the drool of [sic] his mouth, and pretend that he is normal."
In July, after it was revealed that Gohmert had contracted the virus, Castro reposted an article and stated: "Finally, some good news!"
Image Source: Facebook screenshot
In yet another post, he added that "he thought that desiring other people's death was a horrible thing, but president trump showed me how wrong I was. Now I am like: I hope this is true, and that [Brazilian President Jair] Bolsonaro dies, but that its [sic] takes a month, and that trump and Pence get it too."
Following the death of businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, Castro said, "Covid kills the poor. It also kills some stupid, like Herman Cain, but mostly kills the poor."
GOP political officials were not the only ones dogged by Castro's inflammatory posts, either. The professor also took aim Trump supporters and evangelicals, too.
"To the right, as long as African Americans and women are treated like s**t, everything is fine," one post read. Another alleged that evangelicals want to "execute" non-evangelicals "in the public squares."
Anything else?
Campus Reform reportedly reached out to Castro for comment before publishing its report, and the professor responded by defending his remarks and calling Trump a racist and misogynist.
"What are you? The Spanish Inquisition? Have you read the Constitution? My comments are public, as you can see," he said. "I find this president disgraceful, a compulsive liar, a repugnant misogynist, a racist, and a small time crook. And i [sic] find most fundamentalist Christians enemies of freedom, truth and reason. And I find religion — as practiced by fundamentalists — the exact opposite of religiosity: something dumb and prescriptive that prevents people from thinking and feeling."
TheBlaze reached out to Texas A&M University about Castro's social media posts, but the school did not reply in time for publication.


theblaze--2020-08-18--DNC speaker says her Trump-supporting father died of COVID-19 because he had faith in the president

A speaker at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night said her father, who died of COVID-19, died because of his faith in President Donald Trump.
Kristin Urquiza's father was a Trump supporter in Arizona. According to Urquiza, her father was a healthy man who caught COVID-19 after going out to a karaoke bar in Arizona, once the state's lockdown was lifted in May, and died a few weeks later.
"My dad, Mark Anthony Urquiza, should be here today but he isn't," Urquiza said in the video message. "He had faith in Donald Trump. He voted for him, listened to him, believed him and his mouthpieces when they said that coronavirus was under control and going to disappear. That it was okay to end social distancing rules before it was safe, and that if you had no underlying health conditions, you'd probably be fine. ... My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life."
Urquiza said her father came to regret his trust in the president before he died.
"One of the last things that my father said to me was that he felt betrayed by the likes of Donald Trump," Urquiza said. "So when I cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will do it for my dad."
Kristin Urquiza speech at the Democratic Convention | Joe Biden For President 2020 youtu.be
Urquiza launched an organization called Marked By COVID which seeks to raise awareness about COVID-19 and to pressure politicians into taking certain actions in response to the virus.
"Mark, like so many others, should not have died from COVID-19," the website reads. "His death is due to the carelessness of politicians who continue to jeopardize the health of brown bodies through clear lack of leadership, refusal to acknowledge the severity of this crisis, and inability and unwillingness to give clear and decisive direction on how to minimize risk."
Arizona issued a COVID-19 stay-at-home order on March 30. That order was lifted on May 15 with the governor encouraging people to continue maintaining social distance whenever possible. After an increase in new cases, the state's reopening plan was paused in late June.
Arizona has reported 4,506 COVID-19-related deaths and 194,005 total cases. Monday, there were 468 new cases reported, but no new deaths in the state.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Authorities believe Texas mom found murdered and toothless just across the US-Mexico border was tort

Authorities believe Texas mom found murdered and toothless just across the US-Mexico border was tortured

Authorities believe that Texas mom Lizbeth Flores was tortured before she was murdered.
The 23-year-old Flores was discovered in Matamoros, Mexico, missing all of her teeth, on Aug. 11. Matamoros is located directly across the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas.
What are the details?
Flores' family reported their loved one missing just a day before her body was discovered across the border.
Authorities determined that Flores' cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and believe a suspect or suspects struck her with a large rock, which was discovered at the scene.
Evidence reportedly shows that Flores, who left behind two children, was tortured before her death, as her body was covered in bruises and all of her teeth had been pulled out.
According to the Brownsville Herald, Flores traveled from her Brownsville home across the border into Mexico on Aug. 9.
Flores' mother told authorities that her daughter crossed the border that day in order to locate her boyfriend.
"It was 11, 12, 1, 2 and I kept calling her to find out where she was and why she hadn't gotten home, and I couldn't sleep all night because I was waiting up for her," Flores' mother said of the hours following her daughter's disappearance.
Flores' mother immediately reported her daughter missing. Authorities discovered her battered, lifeless body just a day later.
"She has signs of violence, and was brutally tortured, she was kidnapped and I don't know who did it, but you don't do that to a young lady," her mother said. "All she did was go from work, to her home. ... I'm asking for justice for what they did to my daughter ... she did not deserve this."
Her mother added, "Losing a child is like having your heart ripped out. I feel such sadness because of what they did to my daughter. The way they left her… The pain that my daughter went through there, in that moment. That's what hurts."
You can watch a video report on the heartbreaking story here.
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Angry protesters swarm outside bakery to demonstrate against innocuous MAGA cake — but counterprotes

Angry protesters swarm outside bakery to demonstrate against innocuous MAGA cake — but counterprotesters quickly arrive and outnumber them

A "Make America Great Again"-themed cake shared on a bakery's Facebook page sparked an angry protest outside a New York bakery over the weekend, according to a report from the Times Union.
The outlet reports, however, that a large group of counterprotesters arrived on the scene and outnumbered those marching against the cake.
What's this cake all about?
Rachel Dott, who owns Coccadotts Cake Shop in Albany, New York, kicked a virtual hornets' nest after sharing a cake she made on social media in July.
The offending cake?
A cake shaped like a red hat, emblazoned with President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogan: "Make America Great Again."
According to social media posts, the cake kicked off a furious conversation with allegations of racism against the store owners, which eventually turned into a mobilization of activists.
The original post, which has apparently since been removed, specified that the bakery made the cake as a custom order.
After angry comments poured in over the cake, the bakery's page opted to remove the post, writing, "Well that escalated quickly. Sad that we were bullied immediately to deleting a post and sent hate messages over a picture of a cake that a customer ordered! Disgusting. #YouWin."
'Racism has got to go'
Protesters gathered outside the Albany bakery shouting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, racism has got to go!" and more.
Rachel Dott, the owner, and other employees reportedly remained inside during the melee.
One protester was caught on video saying, "They're able to feel what they feel about their politics. We have issues when it comes to social injustice as in firing someone because they're gay, wearing 'All Lives Matter' masks."
Counterprotesters, however, showed up in droves, according to the Times Union, and "greatly outnumbered" the Black Lives Matter protesters. Those counterprotesters reportedly "waved American flags and encouraged passing vehicles to honk in support."
The bakery has since pulled down its Facebook page.
(Content warning: Rough language):


theblaze--2020-08-18--Mother fights armed intruder who pointed gun at her children, takes gun away from him. Before fleein

Mother fights armed intruder who pointed gun at her children, takes gun away from him. Before fleeing, crook asks for gun back.

Mother fights armed intruder who pointed gun at her children , takes gun away from him .
Before fleeing , @ @ @ @ @ .

One hapless gunman's bad day kept getting worse after he came face to face Saturday evening with a Texas mother whose will to protect her kids was too much for him.
What are the details?
A male knocked on the door of a residence in the Bowers Mobile Home Park in Hudson around 6 p.m. and asked a woman if someone was home who didn't live there, police said.
Cops said the male knocked again, asking for a cigarette and whether her husband was home, after which he forced his way into the home and pointed a gun at children who were inside.
With that, the woman began fighting with the male to get him away from her children, police said — and lo and behold, she was able to force the gun away from him.
Presumably realizing his odds of getting whatever he was after had been drastically reduced, the intruder quickly headed for the door, police said.
But just before he departed, police said he stopped and asked the woman who bested him an important question: Would she please give him his gun back?
Police didn't reveal the woman's answer, but one can only guess given the crook's level of success to that point. Cops said the intruder then fled into the wooded area around the park.
Neither the woman nor the children were injured, police reported.
Despite a search of the area, police said the intruder wasn't located. He's described as white, in his 20s, with dirty scraggly blonde hair, skinny, and between 5 feet and 5 feet, 6 inches tall, authorities noted. He also was wearing a bright orange shirt and checkered shorts that went just below his knees, police added. Those who may have seen a person matching such a description are asked to contact Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers at (936) 639-TIPS or the Hudson Police Department at (936) 875-2358, KTRE-TV reported.
How did folks react to the incident?
As you might imagine, commenters on the Hudson Police Department's Facebook page were resolute in their disdain for the crook:


theblaze--2020-08-18--The McCloskeys set to speak at RNC: 'Horrified at the prospect of their constitutional rights being

The McCloskeys set to speak at RNC: 'Horrified at the prospect of their constitutional rights being compromised'

The McCloskeys set to speak at RNC : 'Horrified at the prospect of their constitutional rights being compromised' There to @ @ @ @ @ president

Mark and Patricia McCloskey are reportedly scheduled to appear at next week's virtual Republican National Convention.
Who are the McCloskeys?
The McCloskeys gained notoriety in June after brandishing firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters who showed up outside their home, having forced themselves inside their private, gated community.
Authorities charged Patricia and Mark, both affluent personal injury attorneys in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, with felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon following the viral incident.
Despite the charges, the McCloskeys — both in their 60s — said that the demonstrators made them "fear for their lives" and insisted that they should be protected by Missouri's castle doctrine, permitting them to defend themselves as well as their home.
Couple is 'horrified' over constitutional rights violations
According to a Monday report from the Washington Post, the McCloskeys will appear at the convention "on behalf of the president."
On Monday evening, a spokesperson for the couple confirmed with the New York Times that the McCloskeys would, indeed, be appearing at the convention.
Patricia is reportedly not expected to speak, but will appear there to support her husband.
"She will be at her husband's side," the couple's spokesperson told the outlet. "She is not built for this."
"They, like many Americans, are horrified, if not mortified, at the prospect of their constitutional rights being compromised by the constitutional rights of others," the spokesperson added. "My clients will fight to their death and they have professionally done so for 30 years each."
Prominent Republican figures reportedly scheduled to appear at the Republican National Convention include former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, first lady Melania Trump, and more.
The outlet also reported that President Donald Trump is expected to speak from the White House, while Vice President Mike Pence will issue remarks from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.
'Honoring the Great American Story'
According to CNBC, the convention's theme will be "Honoring the Great American Story."
The four-day convention from Aug. 24-27 will also have daily agendas.
"Monday's tag line will be 'Land of Promise,' Tuesday will be 'Land of Opportunity,' Wednesday will showcase 'Land of Heroes,' and the final day, Aug. 27, will be built around a 'Land of Greatness' theme," CNBC reported.


theblaze--2020-08-18--POLL: At this point are you more concerned with COVID-19 negatively affecting your health or the loc

POLL : At this point are you more concerned with COVID-19 negatively affecting your health or the lockdowns negatively affecting @ @ @ @ @ vote and do n't forget to share !

POLL: At this point are you more concerned with COVID-19 negatively affecting your health or the lockdowns negatively affecting the economy?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-08-18--Massachusetts Dems continue to campaign with BLM activist who vulgarly attacked a GOP candidate's 'b

Massachusetts Dems continue to campaign with BLM activist who vulgarly attacked a GOP candidate's 'blackness,' interracial marriage

Massachusetts Dems continue to campaign with BLM activist who vulgarly attacked a GOP candidate 's 'blackness , ' interracial marriage @ @ @ @ @ ?

Rayla Campbell, a black Republican candidate running for Congress in Massachusetts, is pushing back after a Black Lives Matter activist went on a lengthy racial diatribe against her last month without any apparent consequences for the activist or the officials associated with her.
Both Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) — whom Campbell is running to unseat — and Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) have touted inflammatory activist Monica Cannon-Grant's support in the past yet have not distanced themselves from her since the incident.
On Monday, Kennedy appeared with Cannon-Grant at a campaign event, the Boston Herald reported.
What's the background?
In July, Cannon-Grant vulgarly attacked Campbell's "blackness" and "proximity to whiteness" due to her interracial marriage to a white man in a video posted to social media.
In the video, Cannon-Grant spewed racially insensitive insults, calling Campbell a "heifer" and suggesting that "white vaginas and white penises jeopardize your melanin."
Campbell, a mother of three and the only candidate running against Pressley, reportedly fled her home in fear for her life after Cannon-Grant posted the attack video.
In the aftermath, Campbell demanded apologies from Cannon-Grant as well as Pressley and Kennedy, but to no avail.
What are the details?
Instead of denouncing his association with Cannon-Grant, Kennedy decided to stand in solidarity with her at a recent campaign appearance. Kennedy is running in a Democratic primary race against incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
"He's talking about racial justice and it's pretty ironic that he's got Monica Cannon-Grant and she's standing right there behind him," Campbell told the Boston Herald on Monday. "I just couldn't believe he wouldn't say anything or disavow this woman."
Campbell was reportedly escorted from the event by Boston police after she interrupted the rally with screams demanding to know why Kennedy had chosen to stand by someone who attacked her interracial marriage.
According to the Herald, as Kennedy took the podium, Campbell confronted him, asking: "Are you going to say something about what she's been doing while you're standing up there giving hugs? She went on a 40-minute racial tirade about my family."
Kennedy allegedly ignored Campbell and then left quickly without taking questions from reporters after the event.
Anything else?
Cannon-Grant, who runs an anti-violence nonprofit called Violence in Boston, previously said on the organization's Facebook page: "I do wish I had been more careful with my words."
Campbell called it an "un-apology" and slammed other elected officials for saying nothing.
"Kennedy hasn't reached out to me and neither has [Cannon-Grant]. Ayanna Pressley has said nothing, the mayor — where are they? They're hiding. They're all sticking their heads in the sand," Campbell said.
Kennedy campaign spokesman Michael Cummings responded Monday, saying, "Monica has said multiple times that she should have been more careful with her words. Few have fought longer and harder on the forefront of racial justice in Boston."


theblaze--2020-08-18--President Trump fires back at Michelle Obama with cold hard truth over DNC speech attacks

President Donald Trump fired back at Michelle Obama on Tuesday after the former first lady launched a broadside against him during the first night of the Democratic National Convention.
What did Obama say?
In a lengthy speech, Obama invoked "going high" — but proceeded to bash Trump and blame him for all of the problems facing America. Obama called it the "cold hard truth."
"So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is," she said.
In sum, Obama blamed Trump for the economic peril facing America due to the coronavirus and claimed the Trump White House represents "chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy."
Michelle Obama's 2020 Democratic National Convention Speech | FULL www.youtube.com
How did Trump respond?
Writing on Twitter, Trump hit back at the idea that the Obama presidency was a period of flourishing for America — which Michelle insinuated — and plainly explained that he is only president because, in the 2016 election, Americans were responding to the eight years of Obama's presidency.
"Somebody please explain to @MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren't for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama. Biden was merely an afterthought, a good reason for that very late & unenthusiastic endorsement," Trump said.
He added, "My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history, of any country, turned it off, saved millions of lives, and now am building an even greater economy than it was before. Jobs are flowing, NASDAQ is already at a record high, the rest to follow. Sit back & watch!"
Indeed, Trump's election was likely a reaction to the Obama years, and Trump himself often cites the "silent majority" — those Americans whom the powerful and elite ignore — as having helped elect him.
In fact, Obama reportedly saw Trump's election as a personal insult, that despite every accomplishment he thought happened under his watch, Americans still chose Trump over his appointed Democratic successor, Hillary Clinton.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Armed jewelry store owner, concealed carrying motorist refuse to take Chicago lawlessness lying down

Armed jewelry store owner , concealed carrying motorist refuse to take Chicago lawlessness lying down Both men fought back against @ @ @ @ @

The city of Chicago — with its strict gun restrictions — has consistently suffered terrifying gun violence. And now with the added elements of rioting and looting this summer, the Windy City's lawlessness has turned it into a war zone.
Just this past weekend, rioters injured 17 police officers — and one of them was "beaten in the head several times with a skateboard," according to Police Superintendent David Brown.
And at least 63 people were shot over the weekend, with five of them killed as of 5 a.m. Monday, WBBM-TV reported, adding that seven shooting victims were under 18 years of age.
Taking up arms
With even cops finding themselves often outnumbered and overpowered, some Chicago residents have decided to meet the threat with guns of their own.
Terry Te, owner of Imperial Jewelry on Wabash Avenue, told Fox News that looters targeted his store twice in recent months.
"After the first round of looting back in May, they destroyed our building," Te noted to host Neil Cavuto. "So this time, I just wanted to stop as much destruction as possible and decided to come down right away after I heard the alarm ring."
To that end, Te put on a bulletproof vest and armed himself with a gun and ordered looters to stay out, the network said.
While his solo efforts were successful, Te added to Fox News that — despite the push from left-wing elements to defund and abolish police — more cops on the streets would be a welcome sight.
"With more law enforcement in the area, we feel safer, so walking around and having our customers come down, we do feel safer with just having more police presence, having more security, because it stops the looters from even thinking about it," Te added to the network.
And on Sunday afternoon in the city's Cragin neighborhood on the northwest side, WMAQ-TV reported a 24-year-old gunman opened fire on a motorist, striking the victim in the right shoulder.
But the problem was that the motorist, also 24, is a concealed carry cardholder, the station said. And he put his paperwork to use, firing back at the gunman and hitting him in the torso, WMAQ said.
Both men were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, officials told the station, adding that five detectives are investigating the incident.
(H/T: Bearing Arms)


theblaze--2020-08-18--WATCH NOW: 'ANTIFA gets in Crowder's face, gets laughed away'

WATCH NOW : 'ANTIFA gets in Crowder 's face , gets laughed away '

At a recent Change My Mind segment in Austin, Texas, Antifa tried to shut down conversations, and a misogynistic witch doctor harassed fans and said he would curse Steven Crowder. Check out "#BLM is A Terrorist Organization Part 2: Change My Mind."
Join #MugClub to watch this show every day! http://louderwithcrowder.com/mugclub
ANTIFA Gets in Crowder's Face!! Gets Laughed Away... | Louder with Crowder At a recent Change My Mind in Austin TX, Antifa tried to shut down conversations, and a misogynistic witchdoctor harrassed fans and said he would curse Steve...
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To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand.


theblaze--2020-08-18--Horowitz: Coronavirus hospitalizations down to lowest levels of pandemic. So where is our exit strat

Horowitz: Coronavirus hospitalizations down to lowest levels of pandemic. So where is our exit strategy?

Horowitz : Coronavirus hospitalizations down to lowest levels of pandemic .
So where is our exit strategy ?
Why do @ @ @ @ @ crushing our liberties without an expiration date ?

The media might keep it a secret, but the hospitals have quietly emptied out their beds of COVID-19 patients, as large swaths of the country appear to have hit a de facto herd immunity threshold. Meanwhile, no matter how much good news we see, those who treat us as subjects continue to create false panic, extend draconian and ineffective restrictions on liberty, and refuse to put out an exit strategy. They are rapidly turning this lockdown into our domestic Afghanistan.
It's now becoming clear, from every state and country that has reached saturation levels of the virus, that the virus burns out roughly around the 20% seroprevalence benchmark, not at the 80% threshold the fearmongers predicted. Whether it's Sweden, New York, or Arizona, the virus is going to do what it does – meaning it spreads for about six weeks in a given region and then moves on. The only question is whether we will continue to destroy our society, mental health, and economy or achieve herd immunity without adding the man-made death toll. Herd immunity is going to happen, whether we aim for it or not.
Still, Dr. Fauci, ever the media showman, refuses to understand the simple math others like Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, Oxford epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta, and Stanford Professor John Ioannidis have observed from day one, much less the science behind it. Fauci said the death toll from herd immunity would be "enormous and unacceptable."
"If everyone contracted it, even with the relatively high percentage of people without symptoms," Fauci said during an Instagram live, "a lot of people are going to die."
Now let's put aside the fact that it's not like he has an alternative solution anyway, given that countries like Israel and the Philippines had severe and long lockdowns and they were unsustainable, leading to a late spread despite universal mask-wearing. Fauci is assuming that "everyone" must contract the virus. But study after study has shown that an enormous percentage of the population already has partial immunity, which explains why the virus always seems to hit a brick wall in most places after reaching 20% of the population, more or less.
The southern wave, like all waves, is burning out after 6-8 weeks
Remember the raging spread of the virus in the southern states throughout June and into July? Well, that did not go on forever. According to the CDC's weekly update on Friday, the number of people in the hospital with laboratory-confirmed cases was lower than it has been since the beginning of the lockdown during the week of March 21, even though we are testing many more people today.
As of August 13, according to the CDC's surveillance program, those with coronavirus-like illness (CLI) are just 1.8 percent of emergency department visits, which matches the June 6 level before the surge in the South. In early July, it was up to 4.3%.
Those numbers have bottomed out even lower than May levels, even in the South. Coronavirus patients make up fewer than 3 percent of patients in every region of the country. According to the AP, "Florida reported about 3,900 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, the lowest daily total in nearly two months." ER visits for COVID-like illness are down 63% since the peak in July.
Arizona has long been past its peak, even though the media continues to act as if the state is on fire. Arizona's hospital census is the lowest it has been since June 3. And although Mondays are usually light reporting days, the state reported zero deaths yesterday and fewer than 500 new cases.
In Texas, hospitalizations are down 43 percent from the July 22 peak and declining rapidly. Even the border counties, which were hit harder than almost anywhere in the country, have declined after a tough July.
Clearly, the southern states barely got exposed to the virus early on in the spring and have now reached their degree of saturation. Except, contrary to the predictions by panicked commentators of multiple New York-level death traps being replicated all over the country, these states kept the situation under control without anything near New York's level of death and panic.
As my friend Ian Miller pointed out, on April 13, in New York and New Jersey combined, a population of 28.2 million had 26,606 COVID hospitalizations. Today, Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, and Texas, with a combined population of 108 million, have 21,971 COVID patients. And remember, we are better now at identifying the full population of COVID cases than we were in March.
Herd immunity will be achieved at roughly 20 percent in most places
What's becoming clear is that every major population area is going to achieve this 15%-20% threshold whether they like it or not. Even in many unnaturally confined places like ships, prisons, and meatpacking plants, although there are some exceptions, the infection rate seems to be just 25% where one would think 100% would get the virus, given how contagious it is. That could be the power of long-lasting T cell immunity, for much of the population that has already gotten partial immunity from having previously contracted coronavirus colds, unless they are immunocompromised.
Take a look at the contrast between Stockholm and New York City:
One city decided to panic, and one didn't. One caused enormous numbers of excess deaths from a lockdown. But both of them achieved herd immunity between 15% and 20% infection rate, which clearly does not involve "everyone" getting it, as Fauci has suggested. As we are seeing in states like Arizona, new cases plummeted when the rate of positivity in antibody serology tests began surpassing 10 percent and approaching 15 percent.
So, here we are now: What is the exit strategy from the cult-like nihilism and restrictions for a virus that has likely reached its full transmission threshold in most parts of the country?
Sadly, there is none.
It's not that 80% of the country has T cell immunity (it's likely more like 40%-50%), so there will still be people who get the virus here and there, especially with mild or no apparent symptoms. At this rate, this virus might possibly turn into a seasonal coronavirus cold just like the original four coronavirus colds, which some believe to have started out as pandemics. If the mere existence of a cold, which can sometimes be deadly to sick people, is the new pretext for continuing this suicidal national emotional and economic abuse, then it has become our new Afghanistan, dragging on for years without a national interest to justify it or a strategy to exit from it.
Anticipating the coming of a de facto herd immunity threshold even before some questionable vaccine is delivered, some in the media are now scaring people into thinking there is no long-term immunity because antibodies wane over time. However, what they fail to reveal is that the same T cell immunity (even without antibodies) that prevented serious infection the first time around in most people because they already came into contact with other coronavirus pathogens, will most certainly work after having contracted this specific virus.
Even the New York Times wrote an article titled, "Scientists See Signs of Lasting Immunity to Covid-19, Even After Mild Infections thanks to B Cells and T cells."
"Yes, you do develop immunity to this virus, and good immunity to this virus," said Dr. Eun-Hyung Lee, an immunologist at Emory University who was not involved in the studies. "That's the message we want to get out there."
So why are our government officials immune to good news and why do they continue pre-emptively crushing our liberties without an expiration date? Sadly, there is no herd immunity or vaccine against an epidemic of power and control when its primary symptom is panic driven by herd mentality.


theblaze--2020-08-18--New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls state's COVID-19 response 'beautiful' despite more than 32,000 deat

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls state's COVID-19 response 'beautiful' despite more than 32,000 deaths

'COVID is the symptom , not the illness' New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo calls state 's COVID-19 response 'beautiful @ @ @ @ @ deaths In this screenshot from the DNCC 's livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo addresses the virtual convention on August 17 , 2020 .
( Photo by @ @ @ @ @

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo looked directly into the camera, with a straight face, and described New York's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as "beautiful" during his speech for the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.
"For all the pain and all the tears, our way worked," Cuomo said. "And it was beautiful. We showed that our better angels are strong, and that Americans will rise to their call. We saw that even at the end of the day, even if it is a long day, that love wins."
The state of New York has suffered more than 32,000 reported deaths from the virus, which accounts for nearly 20% of the COVID-19 deaths in the entire country.
While it would be unreasonable to place full blame for those deaths on one politician, more than 6,500 of those deaths were in New York nursing homes, which were required by Cuomo's March 25 policy to accept people who had COVID-19 but had been discharged from the hospital. Cuomo did not end that policy until May 10.
Cuomo blames the federal government, specifically President Donald Trump, for the damage that was done to New York by the novel coronavirus.
"Our collective strength is exercised through government. It is, in effect, our immune system," Cuomo said, according to Fox News. "And our current federal government is dysfunctional and incompetent. It couldn't fight off the virus. In fact, it didn't even see it coming. The European virus infected the northeast while the White House was still fixated on China."
President Trump limited travel from China at the end of January, because that's where the virus originated. In March, he suspended travel from Europe, a move that was widely criticized by his political opponents at the time even though the virus was spreading uncontrollably in places like Italy.
Cuomo — again, the governor of a state where more than 32,000 people died of COVID-19 — described the virus as a political metaphor. He called COVID-19, which is literally a deadly illness, "the symptom, not the illness."
"Our nation is in crisis, and in many ways, COVID is just a metaphor," Cuomo said. "A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it cannot defend itself. Over these past few years, America's body politic has been weakened."
An NBC/Marist poll from July found that 86% of New York Democrats approved of Cuomo's performance, an apparent reflection of their belief that Cuomo handled the pandemic properly.