theblaze--2020-11-14--De Blasio tells New Yorkers: Get ready for schools to close Monday, through the end of November

De Blasio tells New Yorkers : Get ready for schools to close Monday , through the end of November

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned New Yorkers on Friday that the city may shut down all public schools Monday and advised parents to have a contingency plan for child care and education through at least the end of November.
In spite of instituting harsh lockdown measures, and in spite of repeated virtue-signaling from de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo that New York "follows the science," New York has continually struggled with coronavirus outcomes. New York has had the second highest coronavirus death rate in the country (behind only New Jersey, whose coronavirus restrictions have been even more strict), and bleating from Cuomo and de Blasio about the allegedly superior way that their state has "followed the science" relative to states led by Republican governors has not stopped the Empire State from facing a second wave of coronavirus cases.
In fact, it is exactly that second wave that has provided the impetus for de Blasio to argue that New York City should reinstitute measures — like school closings — that didn't prevent the second wave from occurring in the first place. According to de Blasio, since the infection rate in New York is approaching 3 percent, parents should prepare for schools to close on Monday.
"This is not something that any parent wants to have to deal with, but we should get ready," de Blasio said, according to the New York Post. The New York Daily News added that "Parents should have a plan for the rest of the month of November. I think that's the safe way to think about it, have an alternative plan beginning as early as Monday."
If the city does hit the 3 percent infection threshold, de Blasio stated, "There are options that will be available [for child care] if we get to that point." The Daily News noted that these options include "learning bridges programs, which provide free childcare for kids in grades 3k to the 8th grade" and would remain open as well as "children in pre-k and 3k programs run by community-based groups."
It was not immediately clear why any of those programs would be safer, from a public health standpoint, than schools.
The Daily News also noted that de Blasio has been criticized for maintaining that schools should be shut down if the city reaches a 3 percent infection threshold, even though "coronavirus cases in public schools themselves have remained relatively low."
De Blasio has seen his approval ratings plummet this year in New York City, as well as his ratings on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Fauci: America has an 'independent spirit,' but 'now is the time to do what you're told'

Fauci : America has an 'independent spirit , ' but 'now is the time to do what you 're told' @ @ @ @ @ over well with conservatives

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that while he acknowledges the "independent spirit" of America, U.S. citizens should recognize that "now is the time to do what you're told" in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
What are the details?
During a televised COVID-19 discussion with other top experts at the Washington National Cathedral, Fauci recalled, "I was talking with my U.K. colleagues who are saying the U.K. is similar to where we are now, because each of our countries have that independent spirit." He added, "I can understand that, but now is the time to do what you're told."
Prior to the comment, Fauci noted that "right now, it seems that every county is suffering" with COVID-19 cases and said that it was not fair to compare the United States to other nations that have been hailed for their coronavirus response.
"We are not a little island of five million people that we can shut off," the infectious disease expert pointed out. "We're not a country that would accept if a ruler tells us, 'You must do this.'"
Fauci went on to decry how some Americans have viewed the government response to COVID-19 as "authoritarian."
CNBC reported:
Fauci noted that scientists have been perceived throughout this pandemic as "authoritarian" by members of the public, because of the steps taken to combat the virus. He noted that it's unfortunate that science "has been lumped into politics."
In a "divisive" society, he said, people's willingness to follow the advice of scientists has often been portrayed a political decision. Surveys have found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to view Covid-19 as a major threat to public health.
"All of a sudden science gets caught in a lot of this divisiveness," he said.
But Fauci's remarks did not go over well with conservatives on social media.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) responded, "Dr. Fauci: 'Do what you're told.' Americans: 'We can decide for ourselves.'"
Former One America News Network host Liz Wheeler tweeted, "Dr. Fauci: 'America has an independent spirit but now is the time to do what you're told.' WTF. These are tyrannical words. Why on EARTH should we blindly obey 'experts' who are trampling our freedoms with ANTI-SCIENCE lockdown policies?"
Fox News' Lisa Boothe added, "Fauci is a little tyrant."


theblaze--2020-11-13--Steven Crowder now has the largest independent news channel on YouTube

Steven Crowder now has the largest independent news channel on YouTube The conservative comedian blazed past the Young Turks for @ @ @

"Louder with Crowder" host Steven Crowder announced Thursday that his YouTube channel became the largest independent news and commentary show on the platform, surpassing far-left rivals "The Young Turks" to take the top spot with more than 5.03 million subscribers.
What are the details?
"Today, [Louder with Crowder] passes [the Young Turks] as the biggest independant online news/commentary channel on youtube," the BlazeTV host tweeted. "And we did it all without millions in foreign funding."
He vowed, "I will retire my Cenk impression and costume, in the middle of the studio. Forever," referring to "The Young Turks" host Cenk Uygur, whom the conservative comedian has impersonated several times in skits.
During his show on Thursday, Crowder expressed his gratitude to his subscribers for helping his show reach such a milestone. "We don't really like to talk about numbers, because those things ebb and flow," he said. "Really, what means the most to us, is you."
Crowder explained, "At one point, I was the misfit ... I was the misfit where really, I had no idea that it would ever work doing anything conservative on YouTube."
He ended the show by keeping his word, ceremoniously retiring his costume of Uygur as taps played in the background.
You may watch Crowder's Thursday show in its entirety below:
HARD FACTS: How Voter Fraud Occurred in Michigan... | Good Morning #MugClub www.youtube.com
Anything else?
The Daily Wire noted that "amid a time of increased demand for news and commentary outside of the traditional legacy media outlets, Crowder has risen with his massively popular 'Change My Mind' series, and his comedic digital shorts and daily commentary."
The conservative comedian previously made news with his election night coverage, pulling in an astounding 8.2 million views in less than 24 hours — enough to compete with major traditional mainstream outlets.
As TheBlaze previously reported:
Crowder's impressive viewership competed with that of Fox News, the ratings behemoth, which garnered 14 million viewers from 8 to 11 p.m. Tuesday night. CNN averaged only 9 million viewers in the same time frame, closer to Crowder's viewership.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Gambling sites refuse to call an election winner, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars up in the

Gambling sites refuse to call an election winner, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars up in the air

Gambling sites refuse to call an election winner , leaving hundreds of millions of dollars up in the air Some @ @ @ @ @ official results of the election

While many can't wait for the election to be officially over, some people are extremely eager to know the final results of the 2020 presidential election because they are financially invested in the outcome. Gambling websites refuse to call a winner of the 2020 presidential election, holding up hundreds of millions of dollars up in the air.
Political bettors are fervently waiting on gambling sites to name President Donald Trump or Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election so that they can collect on their bets. While media outlets declared Biden the victor of the election on Saturday, overseas gambling sites, such as Honchos, are refusing to call the presidential race just yet.
Betfair, the biggest betting exchange in the world, booked nearly $600 million in wagers on the U.S. election, according to the New York Post. That's more than double the $258 million that was bet on the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
The London-based Betfair stated, "We will only settle the markets when there is certainty around which candidate has the most projected Electoral College votes."
"We still have not graded a winner," Adam Burns, sportsbook manager of BetOnline, told the New York Post. Burns added that BetOnline is holding off on declaring a winner until President Trump has exhausted all of his legal options or the results are certified, which could take weeks.
"People who bet Trump say it is not over. People who bet Biden say it is," Burns said. "This makes for a tricky situation where we have to be sure. It's not like a football game."
One person hoping that Trump pulls out a win is an unnamed British businessman who bet $5 million on President Trump being re-elected. The amount is believed to be the largest political wager of all time. Another gambler bet $1.3 million on Biden and would stand to take home $2 million.
"If Biden comes in, it's a big win for us," Burns said, explaining that more bettors on the gambling site favored President Trump. "If Trump is declared the winner, we will take a bath. It will not be a happy day here."
Burns said that betting on this year's presidential election surpassed the Super Bowl, which is generally what garners the most action.
Last week's betting odds: Betfair and SkyBet were offering 10/1 for Trump, and PaddyPower and Betfred were offering 9/1.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Trump administration says 20 million Americans will get COVID vaccine by end of December

Trump administration says 20 million Americans will get COVID vaccine by end of December 'No medical breakthrough of this scope @ @ @ @ @ been achieved this rapidly and this quickly , and we 're very proud of it @

President Donald Trump held a press conference in the Rose Garden on Friday to give an update on Operation Warp Speed and the development and production of vaccines for COVID-19. The administration said that vaccine development has progressed to the point where they hope about 20 million Americans will be immunized from the virus by the end of December.
"The past nine months my administration has initiated the single greatest mobilization in U.S. history pioneering, developing, and manufacturing therapies and vaccines in record time, numbers like nobody's seen before," Trump said. "No medical breakthrough of this scope and this magnitude has ever been achieved this rapidly and this quickly, and we're very proud of it."
Trump spoke with leaders of Operation Warp Speed. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the scientific head of the project, projected that up to 20 million coronavirus vaccines could be distributed by the end of the year.
"We plan to have enough vaccine doses available for use in the U.S. population to immunize about 20 million individuals in the month of December and another 25 to 30 million per month on an ongoing basis from there on," Dr. Slaoui said.
He added that by February or March, if we more vaccines approved, even more Americans will be able to be immunized going forward.
Slaoui added that four of the six vaccines supported by Operation Warp Speed have reached phase 3 trials, and he encouraged Americans to volunteer for clinical testing.
On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that clinical trials for their COVID-19 vaccine were "more than 90% effective," causing the stock market to rally. The pharmaceutical manufacturers will appeal to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval to begin using the vaccine as early as the end of November. They believe the can make at least 50 million doses by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
President Trump gave Operation Warp Speed credit for Pfizer's vaccine advancements, though Pfizer denied that it accepted federal funds to develop a vaccine.
"As a result of Operation Warp Speed, Pfizer announced on Monday that its China virus vaccine is more than 90% effective. This far exceeds any and all expectations. Nobody thought they'd get to that level, and we have others coming which we think will be an equal level, maybe more if that's possible," Trump said.
The president noted that earlier this year, his administration reached an agreement with Pfizer to provide $1.95 billion to support vaccine distribution.
"Our investment will make it possible for the vaccine to be provided by Pfizer free of charge," Trump claimed, adding that Pfizer's denial of participating in Operation Warp Speed was an "unfortunate misrepresentation."
"We will work to secure an emergency use authorization, which will be coming down extremely soon," Trump continued. The administration "will coordinate the distribution of the vaccine."
"Front-line workers, the elderly, and high-risk Americans" will receive priority for vaccine distribution, according to the president.
Trump also criticized New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for casting doubt on the effectiveness of a vaccine approved by the Trump administration. He said that the federal government will not provide New York with vaccine doses until the governor gives them approval to do so.
"He wants to take his time with a vaccine. He doesn't trust where the vaccine's coming from. These are coming from the greatest companies anywhere in the world, the greatest labs in the world, but he doesn't trust the fact that it's this White House, this administration," Trump said.
"So we won't be delivering it to New York until we have authorization to do so. That pains me to say that. This is a very successful, amazing vaccine at 90 percent and more," he added.
"I hope he doesn't handle this as badly as he's handling the nursing homes," Trump remarked.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Joy Reid and Adam Schiff complain that Congress will be investigating instead of legislating under a

Joy Reid and Adam Schiff complain that Congress will be investigating instead of legislating under a President Biden: 'Tearing down our democracy'

Joy Reid and Adam Schiff complain that Congress will be investigating instead of legislating under a President Biden : 'Tearing @ @ @ @

MSNBC's Joy Reid and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are not routinely described as people who are overly gifted with self-awareness.
Schiff shouted accusations against President Donald Trump even before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2017. He was the face of congressional investigations of Trump and his team that went essentially nowhere — other than the impeachment of the president, which was a political, not a legal, result.
He claimed Trump had colluded with Russia in 2016 but came up empty — and then hid evidence that he knowingly lied about it.
And Reid and her cronies at MSNBC cheered Schiff on all the way.
Now, suddenly, Reid and Schiff think ongoing congressional investigations of an incoming president will be "tearing down our democracy."
What did they say?
Schiff appeared on Reid's MSNBC show Thursday, and the pair lamented together how terrible Republican investigations during a Joe Biden presidency would be.
Reid began by complaining, "Both House and Senate Republicans have made it clear that, when sort of the normal order resumes and when Congress is back in session and at work, they're not interested in doing any work that involves legislating or helping people during this awful pandemic."
"What they want to focus on is investigating. They want to go after Hunter Biden still. They want to go after the investigations that led to impeachment," she cried. "They want to go after the Mueller probe again."
Then she asked the big question — without, apparently, noticing the irony:
"Is this what we're going to have to sit through for the next four years — Republicans just doing investigations and refusing to legislate?" she asked.
Naturally, Schiff went right along with Reid's sudden concern over ongoing congressional investigations.
He lamented Republicans' desire to continue engaging in "tearing down our democracy."
The lawmaker said he and his fellow Democrats would have to have the courage to "overcome" Republicans who want to "go after" Biden.


theblaze--2020-11-13--South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem won't comply if Biden pursues national mask mandate

Biden 'does n't have the authority to institute a mask mandate , ' Noem 's office said Photo Courtesy of @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images

As former Vice President Joe Biden proposes a nationwide lockdown and a national mask mandate in response to resurgent coronavirus cases in several states, at least one Republican governor is promising she will not comply.
In a statement made to the Argus Leader, a South Dakota newspaper, Gov. Kristi Noem's office said that Biden, as president, would lack the authority to impose a nationwide mask mandate on state governments.
"It's a good day for freedom. Joe Biden realizes that the president doesn't have the authority to institute a mask mandate," Noem communications director Ian Fury said. "For that matter, neither does Governor Noem, which is why she has provided her citizens with the full scope of the science and trusted them to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved-ones."
Though Biden cannot constitutionally compel state governments to adopt a mask mandate, senior advisers on his presidential transition team reportedly say the presumptive president-elect will begin contacting governors and prominent mayors asking for local governments to impose mask requirements. Currently, 33 state governments have some sort of mask requirement for people who go out in public.
Noem, a first-term governor, has adopted a freedom first approach in response to the coronavirus pandemic in South Dakota. While many states imposed stay-at-home orders, Noem refused to implement what she's referred to as "draconian lockdowns."
"We already know that lockdowns don't stop the spread of the virus. However, they destroy small businesses and jobs, and they make it difficult for families to put food on the table," she wrote on social media Thursday.
According to the Argus leader, as of Friday 62,327 South Dakotans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and 568 have died from the virus or from complications related to it.
In an October op-ed for the Rapid City Journal, Gov. Noem explained why mandatory masking as a "one-size-fits-all approach" to combating the virus is not right for South Dakota.
"In many other places — from Los Angeles and Miami to London and Paris — cases have exploded despite the existence of mask mandates and other harsh restrictions," Noem wrote.
There are times when masks are appropriate. For example, masks are a smart precaution when caring for a symptomatic person who is coughing or sneezing. Masks are also recommended in hospital settings. Data suggest that N95 masks can be effective when worn appropriately – changed regularly, fitted properly, and not touched. But if you're alone in a park, or hunting in a field, risk of transmission is negligible, even without a mask.
Oxford's Dr. Carl Heneghan, also the editor-in-chief of British Medical Journal Evidence-Based Medicine, says: "It would appear that despite two decades of pandemic preparedness, there is considerable uncertainty as to the value of wearing masks."
Though they've flipped-flopped on this issue, even the World Health Organization wrote this summer, "the widespread use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not yet supported by high quality or direct scientific evidence and there are potential benefits and harms to consider."
There are many others who question the effectiveness of masks, and South Dakotans should take the time to read this information so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families. As I've said before, if folks want to wear a mask, they should be free to do so. Similarly, those who don't want to wear a mask shouldn't be shamed into wearing one. And government should not mandate it. We need to respect each other's decisions – in South Dakota, we know a little common courtesy can go a long way.
Noem wrote that she will trust South Dakotans "to make wise and well-informed decisions for themselves and their families" instead of having the government tell citizens what to do under penalty of law.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Anarchist and anti-fascist groups planning to 'overwhelm' 'Million MAGA March' in DC — Trump hints a

Anarchist and anti-fascist groups planning to 'overwhelm' 'Million MAGA March' in DC — Trump hints at attending

Anarchist and anti-fascist groups planning to 'overwhelm ' 'Million MAGA March ' in DC — Trump hints at attending Trump @ @ @ @ @ in DC

Trump supporters will gather Saturday in Washington, D.C., for the "Million MAGA March" and a "Stop the Steal" rally. Anarchist and anti-fascist groups have responded by planning counterprotests.
Pro-Trump groups from around the country will converge on the nation's capital this weekend to rally around President Donald Trump. The Trump supporters will assemble at noon Saturday at Freedom Plaza, near the White House and along the National Mall.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Thursday she expects the Million MAGA March to be "quite large."
Trump supporters had already gathered in D.C. on Friday afternoon, 24 hours before the Million MAGA March.
On Friday afternoon, President Trump hinted that he may make an appearance at the event.
"Heartwarming to see all of the tremendous support out there, especially the organic Rallies that are springing up all over the Country, including a big one on Saturday in D.C. I may even try to stop by and say hello," Trump tweeted. "This Election was Rigged, from Dominion all the way up & down!"
Several counterprotests have been scheduled by left-wing groups.
Refuse Fascism, a self-described "national movement organizing to drive out the Trump/Pence regime," has scheduled its counterprotest to take place 30 minutes before the Trump rally at Freedom Plaza in an effort to "overwhelm" Trump supporters.
"We are gathering non-violently," Lucha Bright of Refuse Fascism told WUSA-TV. "We are not intending to engage them. We want to overwhelm them with our numbers. If they attack us, that is not out of the realm of possibilities of what they do. But we are hoping, especially if we gather in large numbers, that we will overwhelm them with our strength."
Andy Zee, a member of the Refuse Fascism Editorial Board, said, "We must not allow the Trump/Pence regime to illegitimately overturn this election. That is why it is so urgent that people come out on Saturday to say no to Trump still trying to steal the election."
"Trump and his minions LOST! Now they are planning a One Million MAGA March this Saturday in Washington D.C. We must STAND on our victory and not allow them to dominate the public discourse or the public square," the description of the counterprotest reads. "They are trying to steal the elections by sewing confusing about the election results & to intimidate people."
At the time of publication, only 19 people have signed up on the website to attend the event.
They/Them Collective, a self-described "anarchist abolitionist" group, has planned a "F*** MAGA" protest at noon Saturday at the Supreme Court, according to DCist. The invitation for the protest reads, "Last time white liberals told us to ignore the fash back in 2016 he became president for 3 years, 297 days, 6 hours, 49 minutes, 48 seconds." The group encourages participants to "wear black."
All Out D.C., a "collective of D.C. antifascist activists" aiming to "burn down the American plantation," planned a noon protest Saturday to "defend D.C. from white nationalism and secure a trump-free future." The group advocates attendees "wear black to show solidarity."
The right-wing Proud Boys group, self-described "western chauvinists," will also be at the Million MAGA March. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio told CBS News, "We're known for fighting back. I'm not going to hide that, I'm not going to apologize for it."
"There's 70 million pissed off Americans and not one building has been burned down. I think if the president wouldn't won that night, there would have been chaos," Tarrio said of Election Day results.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said police would be out in numbers to ensure peaceful First Amendment demonstrations.
"We continue to follow those activities and be prepared for those activities," Bowser told reporters on Tuesday. "Our police chief will have a similar posture this weekend as he did last week. And we will be there to support peaceful exercise of First Amendment demonstrations.
"The gun laws here are different than in other places. People who have a permit to carry a weapon can carry a weapon," she added. "We call it a concealed carry permit."


theblaze--2020-11-13--Mutual of Omaha ditches Native American chief logo in nod to racial and social justice — but will PE

Mutual of Omaha ditches Native American chief logo in nod to racial and social justice — but will PETA protest the new one?

Mutual of Omaha ditches Native American chief logo in nod to racial and social justice — but will PETA protest @ @ @ @ @ was head and shoulders above the rest '

Amid the flurry of moves by major food brands to change their names and logos to reflect racial sensitivity in the wake of George Floyd's death — as well as the protests and riots that followed — Mutual of Omaha was no different and chose to ditch its Native American chief logo.
And now it has unveiled its replacement.
Drumroll, please
The logo is now an image of a lion, which points to the iconic TV program "Wild Kingdom," the Omaha World-Herald reported.
The paper said the company decided an African lion would be the best animal from the wild to represent it as a symbol of strength and protection.
"We tried tons of animals," Keith Clark, senior vice president of marketing at Mutual of Omaha, told the World-Herald. "This one really rose to the top."
More from the paper:
Native American imagery had been part of Mutual of Omaha's logo for 70 years, with the distinctive profile of a chief a familiar sight atop the Fortune 500 company's headquarters.
But in the wake of the national reckoning over racial justice spawned by the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, the company announced in July that the logo's time had passed.
Mutual Chairman and CEO James Blackledge said that while the chief logo had long been viewed by the company as a sign of strength and respect, "we are still using a symbol from another culture that isn't ours."
The company dropped the image, kept the company name in its distinctive font and launched the search for a new logo.
Mutual of Omaha tested four logos, the World-Herald said, adding that the lion logo generated the best response with only 10% of respondents not liking it and many liking it a lot.
"It was head and shoulders above the rest," Clark told the paper.
The World-Herald added that the company's old logo will live on at Omaha's Durham Museum and that Mutual of Omaha has given a number of items featuring the chief logo to the museum as well as its history.
It's unclear if the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will protest the new lion logo as exploiting the King of the Jungle.
Anything else?
As TheBlaze has previously reported, a number of businesses have gone the same route as Mutual of Omaha. For instance, Uncle Ben's rice recently changed its name and no longer uses the image of a black man on its boxes. The image now simply reads "Ben's Original" in blue lettering over an orange background.
Quaker Oats announced that the famous Aunt Jemima brand of breakfast syrup and pancake mix would be going away because it perpetuates racial stereotypes, and Eskimo Pie also planned on changing its name.
L'Oreal — the world's largest cosmetic and beauty company — said it would stop using the word "whitening" on its products; and the Houston Association of Realtors decided to axe the word "master" in descriptions of bedrooms and bathrooms on real estate listings in favor of the term "primary."
Also, the Court of Master Sommeliers, which "sets the global standard of excellence for beverage service within the hospitality industry," will stop using the term "master sommelier."


theblaze--2020-11-13--Retiring Never-Trump diplomat: We've been lying to the Trump administration about how many US troops

Retiring Never-Trump diplomat: We've been lying to the Trump administration about how many US troops are still in Syria

Retiring Never-Trump diplomat : We 've been lying to the Trump administration about how many US troops are still in @ @ @ @ @ U.S to withdraw troops from Syria .
We never did .

An outgoing U.S. diplomat admitted in a recent interview with Defense One to lying to President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials about the true number of U.S. troops deployed in Syria in an effort to dissuade the president from withdrawing U.S. forces from the region.
Retiring Ambassador Jim Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, said that for years his team outright misled the Trump administration about troop levels deployed in the region.
"We were always playing shell games to not make clear to our leadership how many troops we had there," Jeffrey told Defense One. He admitted that the actual number of U.S. military forces in northeast Syria is "a lot more than" the roughly 200 troops Trump agreed to station there in 2019.
In 2018, President Trump announced that the United States had defeated ISIS in Syria and subsequently declared that U.S. forces would be withdrawn from the region. At the time, more than 2,000 troops were stationed in the region. His declaration was met with opposition from several national security officials, the media, and even some Republican lawmakers, such as Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.). Trump's decision prompted Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to resign.
Jeffrey described the announcement as "the most controversial thing in my fifty years in government."
Trump's policy change was ultimately reversed after Jeffrey and his team convinced the president to keep a residual force in Syria to prevent ISIS from regrouping and keep Russia and Syria from expanding their territory.
"What Syria withdrawal? There was never a Syria withdrawal," Jeffrey said. "When the situation in northeast Syria had been fairly stable after we defeated ISIS, [Trump] was inclined to pull out. In each case, we then decided to come up with five better arguments for why we needed to stay. And we succeeded both times. That's the story."
Trump reportedly agreed to keep somewhere between 200 and 400 troops in Syria, but anonymous sources who spoke to Defense One say there are closer to 900 U.S. troops serving in Syria today. The exact figure is classified and it would seem not even the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, knows how many troops are stationed there.
CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto's reporting corroborated Jeffrey's claims, tweeting that senior Department of Defense officials who spoke with him for his book, "The Madman Theory" explained how they "fooled" Trump into leaving troops deployed in Syria.
Jeffrey, a career bureaucrat, began his service in the Trump administration as an opponent of the president. He was one of several U.S. national security officials who signed a letter in 2016 declaring their opposition to Trump's candidacy for president.
"I know what I did in 2016, I do not disagree with that," said Jeffrey. "I was following closely the situation with Iran, Iraq and Syria, and I was appalled that we didn't have a more coherent policy. This wasn't a political decision."
He now believes that Trump's Middle-East policy has actually improved the region and he hopes that former Vice President Joe Biden will continue Trump's policies should he ultimately prevail in the 2020 election.
"Nobody really wants to see President Trump go, among all our allies [in the Middle East]," he said. "The truth is President Trump and his policies are quite popular among all of our popular states in the region. Name me one that's not happy."


theblaze--2020-11-13--Team Trump drops Arizona legal challenge, shutters voter fraud hotline

Geraldo : My pal Trump says he is a 'realist '

When the Associated Press and Fox News called Arizona for former Vice President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump's staff and re-election campaign criticized the prediction, saying it was too early for such a call and guaranteeing the the president would ultimately win the Grand Canyon state and its 11 Electoral College votes.
The campaign and its supporters alleged voter irregularities, including the improper rejection of in-person votes in Maricopa County, and sought a court remedy.
But Friday morning, the Wall Street Journal reported the campaign has conceded that Arizona will never be flipped to the president's column.
The Journal reported that Trump campaign attorneys said they are no longer asking a court to intervene in the presidential race in Arizona. Trump's campaign realized and admitted that the few number of ballots at stake — approximately 200 — would have no impact on the results of the election. Biden currently leads Trump by 11,000 votes.
From the Journal:
At a daylong hearing Thursday, Kory Langhofer, an attorney for the Trump campaign, made clear the campaign wasn't alleging any voter fraud but instead claimed some poll workers submitted ballots that had errors that voters weren't given the opportunity to fix. The number of votes at issue was less than 200, and Mr. Langhofer said at the close of the hearing that they wouldn't ask election officials to recount those ballots if they had no ability to affect the outcome of the race.
Langhofer told the court, "Since the close of yesterday's hearing, the tabulation of votes statewide has rendered unnecessary a judicial ruling as to the presidential electors," the paper reported.
Voter fraud hotline closing up shop
Team Trump is reportedly shutting its voter fraud hotline. ABC News' Ben Siegal reported that the campaign is making the move after getting inundated with prank and spam calls.
"The Trump campaign is discontinuing its voter fraud hotline — the one flooded with pranks calls — and planning to downsize its staff beginning next week," Siegal tweeted.
The decision comes following a slew of prank calls to the hotline, CNN said, adding that the voter fraud alert system has been changed to a website where people can submit allegations of fraud using a web form.
Gerald Rivera: Trump a 'realist'
Fox News personality and longtime Trump friend said that he and the president had a "heartfelt" conversation Friday during which the president vowed to "do the 'right thing'" when all of the election fallout is over should he lose.
According to Rivera, the president wants to see "what states do in terms of certification" and remains "committed to fighting for every vote."


theblaze--2020-11-13--Policy adopted by Facebook, Google in response to Dem pressure could end up hurting Democrats in Geo

Policy adopted by Facebook, Google in response to Dem pressure could end up hurting Democrats in Georgia Senate races

Policy adopted by Facebook , Google in response to Dem pressure could end up hurting Democrats in Georgia Senate races

In response to pressure from liberals who were concerned about the spread of "misinformation" on the social media platform, Facebook and Google announced in October that they would place a "temporary pause" on all political advertising on Facebook beginning on the evening of Election Day, and continuing for an undetermined amount of time while the election results remained contested.
Of course, the controversy over the election continues to drag on, and social media companies have continued to face pressure from liberal groups to take action against what they claim are a number of false statements coming from the Trump campaign regarding the results of the election.
So, in order to mollify the complainants, Facebook announced Wednesday that it would continue the moratorium on all political advertising for an unspecified additional period of time, presumably to prevent the Trump campaign from buying advertising encouraging people to contribute to his efforts to contest the election. Google also made a similar announcement earlier this week.
While it might seem that the tech giants had pushed all the right buttons to respond to liberal complaints, now they have a new one: The advertising ban might hurt Democratic candidates in the Georgia Senate runoff races that will determine who holds final control of the upper chamber in Congress.
Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff is facing off against incumbent Republican David Perdue, and Democrat Raphael Warnock is going against incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler in the Jan. 5 runoffs.
Liberal online publication Vox was one publication that was critical of Facebook's failure to allow Georgia candidates to advertise on their race while Facebook's ban remains ongoing. Vox claimed that Facebook's plan was "backfiring," and then listed a litany of complaints about Facebook's failure to even more aggressively target conservative content:
The frustration with Facebook's handling of the election extends well beyond its political ad policy. Democrats and others have condemned the social media platform for enabling viral misinformation. The Biden campaign, in particular, has criticized Facebook's approach, which often involves applying mealy-mouthed labels to content rather than removing posts that push conspiracy theories about voter fraud and sow doubt in the election.
Facebook responded to complaints about including the Georgia Senate runoff race in their advertising ban with a post from Facebook's director of product management that was posted on Twitter.
Vox further claimed that "Critics quickly pointed out that Facebook, which is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, has had years and a seemingly endless supply of resources to build this feature."
A spokesperson for the Ossoff campaign, in a remark that was clearly disconnected with reality, went so far as to implausibly accuse tech companies of "putting their fingers on the scale for millionaire Republican candidates." A spokesperson from Raphael Warnock, who is running in the other Georgia runoff race, said that the companies' decision to not allow advertising for the Georgia race amounted to "voter suppression."
Democrats are expected to spend heavily on advertising in both Georgia races in order to help a potential Biden agenda avoid gridlock in Congress. If either Republican incumbent wins their runoff races, Republicans will maintain control of the Senate and will likely block any significant liberal agenda items from becoming legislation.


theblaze--2020-11-13--China, North Korea trash US during UN human rights review: 'Severe religious intolerance and xenopho

China, North Korea trash US during UN human rights review: 'Severe religious intolerance and xenophobic violence'

China , North Korea trash US during UN human rights review : 'Severe religious intolerance and xenophobic violence '

During a recent review by the United Nations Human Rights Council, representatives from China, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea lashed out at the United States over issues of alleged human rights abuses, citing "severe religious intolerance and xenophobic violence" among other infractions.
In the latest episode of "Slightly Offens*ve," host Elijah Schaffer and guest Christian Walker, son of football legend Herschel Walker, questioned the authority (not to mention audacity) of these countries to lecture America on our human rights records.
For example, China's representative "urged [U.S.] politicians to respect people's rights to life and health, and stop politicizing and stigmatizing COVID-19," and "combat the increasingly severe religious intolerance and xenophobic violence." This coming from a communist regime that allegedly covered up the coronavirus outbreak and persecutes their own country's population of Muslim Uighurs, is more than a little bit ironic.
Then there's Saudi Arabia, who's representative recommended that the U.S. "enhance laws and legislation based on the abolition of all forms of discrimination, racism and hatred," including "religion and creed." For the record, Saudi Arabia forbids the public practice of any religion other than Islam. A 2019 "Report on International Religious Freedom" reported the beheading a 6-year-old boy because he was Shia.
"And don't even get me started on North Korea," Christian said.
North Korea's delegate accused America of operating 'illegal US secret detention facilities" and called for an "end [of] the violations by US forces in foreign lands." The hypocrisy would be laughable if not for the utterly horrific reports of human rights abuses coming out of North Korea.
Elijah and Christian argued this is just the latest attempt to distract America, and that the media is trying really hard to change our focus from a Joe Biden administration to yet another discussion of how racist America has become.
Watch the video below:
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theblaze--2020-11-13--'He is absolutely not a flight risk,' defense attorney argues before his client, accused rapist, dis

'He is absolutely not a flight risk,' defense attorney argues before his client, accused rapist, disappears

'He is absolutely not a flight risk , ' defense attorney argues before his client , accused rapist , disappears @ @ @ @ @ after judge reduces his bail to $ 500 because of COVID-19

A Chicago man accused of robbery and sexual assault has gone missing after he was released on $500 bail by a judge who determined he was at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and reduced his bail bond to keep him out of jail during the pandemic.
CWB Chicago reported that Rene Chandler, 31, was awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting and battering two women he met on dating apps in 2018 when he allegedly assaulted and robbed a third woman in an Uber in April 2019. At the time of the third alleged assault, he was wearing an electronic monitor pending a trial on the first two charges. Chandler was arrested and initially ordered to be held without bail for violating the terms of his sexual assault case bonds.
However, in the spring Chandler's attorney filed an emergency motion to reduce his client's bond based on the higher health risk from COVID-19 imposed by Chandler's asthma condition.
"He is absolutely not a flight risk," the attorney wrote in his bail reduction request.
Judge Thomas Hennelly granted the defense attorney's request, imposing a $500 bail bond, according to court records reported by CWB Chicago.
After his release, Chandler disappeared.
Chandler is accused of committing assault and robbery while previously on bail awaiting trial for sexual assault charges.
In August 2018, Chandler was charged by prosecutors with sexually assaulting and battering two different women he met on dating apps. He was arrested for the assaults and the presiding judge set his bail at $100,000 for each alleged attack. He posted $20,000 to be released from jail with electronic monitoring.
A few months after he was released, while his trial for sexual assault was pending, a third woman accused Chandler of battering and robbing her as they rode in an Uber. She claims that he struck her in the face and stole her new phone along with $640 cash from her purse, according to prosecutors. The state alleges that Chandler ran from the Uber and fled in a taxi cab.
After his arrest for the third assault, a judge ordered him held without bail for violating the terms of bail in the sexual assault cases, and set a new bail for the robbery charges at $80,000, according to court records.
However, in April after the coronavirus pandemic arrived in the United States, Chandler's defense attorney was able to successfully argue for his bail to be reduced. Judge Hennelly presided over the bail hearing on April 9 but was not the judge overseeing Chandler's sexual assault and battery cases.
According to CWB Chicago, prosecutors "presented minimal counter-arguments" to Judge Hennelly at Chandler's bail hearing. The state attorney's office admitted that its lawyers did not present Hennelly with all of the facts of the sexual assault cases. After Chandler's bail was reduced prosecutors filed an emergency motion to have his no-bail status reinstated.
Further, after the bail hearing, prosecutors accused Chandler of discussing a plan to pay off one of his alleged victims to prevent her from testifying against him at trial. During a phone call on March 31, Chandler "details one of his cases and also discusses a previous attempt to tamper with a victim and pay her a sum of money to alter her story," state attorneys said.
At a new hearing conducted over Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors presented the new allegations before Judge Michael McHale. After hearing the prosecutors' arguments and Chandler's defense, McHale ordered Chandler to return to jail without bail, but he was not taken into custody immediately. Chandler has since vanished.
A warrant has been issued for Chandler's arrest. He remains at-large.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Georgia GOP chairman: Why did absentee ballot rejection rate drastically drop in 2020 when a million

Georgia GOP chairman: Why did absentee ballot rejection rate drastically drop in 2020 when a million more of them were cast than in 2018?

Georgia GOP chairman : Why did absentee ballot rejection rate drastically drop in 2020 when a million more of them @ @ @ @ @ ?
'Did the massive increase in ballots overwhelm the verification process ? '
the chairman @

As the state of Georgia braces for a hand recount of votes from the disputed 2020 presidential election, Georgia's Republican chairman has a question:
"In 2018, when 230,000 absentee ballots were cast, 3.5% were rejected for signature mismatches or other reasons," David Shafer noted Thursday night on Twitter. "In 2020, when more than 1.2 million absentee ballots were cast, the rejection rate fell to 0.3%. Did the massive increase in ballots overwhelm the verification process?"
What do the numbers mean?
Shafer's numbers indicate the rejection rate dropped a whopping 3.2% this year compared to 2018. You remember 2018, don't you? When there was no coronavirus making it too dangerous to vote in person, as many Democratic officials claimed this year — although mass protests and riots were just fine.
Given Shafer's numbers, let's say the absentee ballot rejection rate in Georgia remained at 3.5% this year. That would mean about 42,000 of the 1.2 million cast in 2020 would have been rejected. But with a 2020 rejection rate of just 0.3%, the number of rejected absentee ballots instead was around 3,600, using Shafer's numbers.
According to NBC News, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden led President Donald Trump in Georgia on Friday afternoon by a vote count of 2,472,152 to 2,458,002 — a difference of just 14,150 votes.
Seems an expectation of about 42,000 rejected ballots this year would make quite the difference in Georgia's presidential vote outcome — even half that number theoretically would move Trump past Biden at present.
Now what?
Shafer and U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Georgia) on Tuesday raised several concerns with Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, also a Republican, about the recount. Trump chose Collins to lead his Georgia recount team.
In the pair's letter, a number of requests were made based on concerns about training and directives for the hand count — and one notes that the recount process doesn't include a review of signatures on absentee ballot applications and ballot envelopes to confirm their validity.
"This raises serous concerns as to whether the counties properly conducted signature verification and/or other scrutiny of absentee ballots," the letter says. "In fact it presents the issue of whether some counties conducted any scrutiny at all."
The letter asks Raffensperger to make sure that signature verification happens in the recount: "We do not believe it is possible to certify the results of the 2020 General Election without conducting this investigation and analysis."
In addition:
They also have concerns that there can be only one review for every 10 audit teams, which they said makes it impossible to monitor the recount in real time.
The letter also said it's improper to certify the election results by 5 p.m. Friday when the audit and recount won't be completed by that time.
Also they requested that the start of the recount, which was to commence Friday, be delayed until Monday so that interested parties can have sufficient notice of the audit locations.
Finally they said parameters for ballot security were not explained with any detail.
Raffensperger's office on Friday didn't immediately reply to TheBlaze's request for comment regarding if he will consider any of the requests in the letter from Shafer and Collins.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Joe Biden's pro-lockdown COVID adviser warned against a national shutdown last spring: 'A national l

Joe Biden's pro-lockdown COVID adviser warned against a national shutdown last spring: 'A national lockdown is no cure'

Joe Biden 's pro-lockdown COVID adviser warned against a national shutdown last spring : ' A national lockdown is no @ @ @ @ @ by Brendan Smialowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images ; Photo ( right ) by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via @ @

One of the top advisers on former Vice President Joe Biden's coronavirus task force on Wednesday advocated a four- to six-week lockdown, claiming such a shutdown could get rising COVID-19 numbers under control and that government could pay all the wages lost during the time.
But that adviser was singing a very different tune last spring when he advocated against a national shutdown.
Wait. What?
Dr. Michael Osterholm, who sits on Biden's task force and serves as director of the Center of Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told Yahoo! Finance that a month-and-a-half lockdown could be just the move America needs to fight COVID-19.
"We could pay for a package right now to cover all of the wages, lost wages for individual workers for losses to small companies to medium-sized companies, for city, states, county governments," he said. "We could do all of that, and if we did that, then we could lockdown for four to six weeks.
"And if we did that, we could drive the numbers down, like they've done in Asia, like they did in New Zealand and Australia," he added, "and then we could really watch ourselves cruising into vaccine availability in the first and second quarter of next year and bringing back the economy long before that."
But in March, Osterholm wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post headlined, "Facing covid-19 reality: A national lockdown is no cure." In it, the doctor warned against a "national shutdown directive," which he described as "ringing a giant bell that we don't know how to un-ring."
Sounding a lot like President Donald Trump, Osterholm began his piece saying the world would see a vaccine or see the virus "burn itself out" and noting that our economy would not survive a bunch of "short-term action plans."
Covid-19 will go away eventually in one of two ways. Either we will develop a vaccine to prevent it, or the virus will burn itself out as the spread of infection comes to confer a form of herd immunity on the population. Neither of those possibilities will occur quickly.
It is time to face reality. We urgently need a unified national strategy, one informed by the best science about stopping diseases like covid-19 and from virus control efforts in China, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as realistic projections of the human and economic toll of any option we pursue. Our way of life cannot survive an indefinite series of short-term action plans.
We have to ask what we hope to accomplish with limited self-quarantines and shelter-in-place directives.
He went on to ask a couple of important questions many advocates of lockdowns often don't appear to ask: "What happens after a several-week moratorium on normal activity? Does the president, governor or mayor declare another?"
The doctor noted that Italy imposed a "near-draconian" lockdown in an attempt halt the spread of the coronavirus without anyone having any real idea whether it would work long term.
Appearing today to have been prescient, considering Italy's massive second (and enduring) wave of COVID-19 cases, Osterholm asked: After Italy returns to normal life, "will there be a major second wave of cases? If that happens, should they simply 'rinse and repeat'?"
And then he offered his warning to those advocating for shutting down businesses, schools, and life in general. He began:
As a country, with momentum building for a possible national shutdown directive, we are on the verge of ringing a giant bell that we don't know how to un-ring.
Yet we don't, for example, have good data on the real impact of closing public and private K-12 schools on the spread of covid-19. Hong Kong and Singapore, advanced city-states that experienced the outbreak early, both attempted to respond quickly and efficiently. Hong Kong closed schools; Singapore did not, and there was hardly any difference in the rate of transmission. The second-order effect of shutting schools is that hardest hit will be those least able to afford to miss work to care for homebound children. And what of our health professionals with children? Add to that firefighters, police officers, utility workers, delivery drivers and other essential personnel, and the magnitude of the problem is clear.
Noting a study from the Imperial College of London, the doctor pointed out that the only option for "significantly reducing the number of serious illnesses and deaths" would be a dangerous, near-total lockdown for 18 months.
Such a move, he added, would put the U.S. in more than a depression — it would result in "a complete economic breakdown."
So, what's the best option, according to the Osterholm of last spring?
Answer:
But the best alternative will probably entail letting those at low risk for serious disease continue to work, keep business and manufacturing operating, and “run" society, while at the same time advising higher-risk individuals to protect themselves through physical distancing and ramping up our health-care capacity as aggressively as possible. With this battle plan, we could gradually build up immunity without destroying the financial structure on which our lives are based.
Osterholm, who this week offered a short-term attempt to slow down COVID-19 cases, concluded his op-ed by noting that repeated, short-term attempts to "stretch out cases" in order to keep the curve flat are "unworkable."
(H/T: Steve Deace)


theblaze--2020-11-13--Nancy Pelosi refuses to accept responsibility for Dem House losses, claims Facebook isn't doing enou

Nancy Pelosi refuses to accept responsibility for Dem House losses, claims Facebook isn't doing enough to suppress stories of voter fraud

Nancy Pelosi refuses to accept responsibility for Dem House losses , claims Facebook is n't doing enough to suppress stories @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been taking increasing heat within her own caucus for House Democrats' dismal showing in the Nov. 3 election, in which they were widely expected to expand their majority and instead appear likely to lose 10 seats or more.
Dissatisfaction with election results may lead Pelosi to face the first serious intra-party challenge to her leadership in the House since she assumed the mantle of lead House Democrat in 2004.
In a news conference Friday, Pelosi appeared to tell reporters about Democratic desires to see another coronavirus stimulus package and omnibus package passed, and instead the assembled reporters appeared more interested in peppering Pelosi with questions about the future of her leadership in the House.
The Hill senior staff writer Scott Wong characterized the exchange, and Pelosi's testy responses, on Twitter.
Pelosi trotted out a list of excuses, including the assertion that many of the House seats Democrats won in 2018 were in "Trump districts." She also credited President Trump with turning out the vote in many of those districts.
She also attempted to assuage Democratic fears by pointing out that, if Biden assumes the presidency, the Democratic Party will have "more power."
When asked point blank about her party's shrinking caucus, she claimed to be proud of her caucus because, even though it is smaller, it is "beautifully diverse," bringing to mind the old "Spinal Tap" saw about the things people say when they become less popular.
appeal more selective www.youtube.com
She was then asked, point blank, if she took responsibility for Democrats losing seats in the House, and had an ... unusual response.
She did, however, note one entity that apparently deserved blame: Facebook. In response to a question about "election interference" that implied that posts questioning the validity of the count in hotly contested states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, Pelosi claimed that Facebook was "part of the problem," in spite of the platform's aggressive efforts to "fact check" those stories.
Although conservatives have long complained, with apparent justification, that Facebook targets conservative publications and figures for disproportionate disciplinary actions, Pelosi appears to have bought into the facially implausible line that Facebook actually favors conservatives. The contention appears to be based upon the claim, based on erroneous and dishonestly compiled data, that center-right publications get more traffic on Facebook.
Social media giant Twitter has also aggressively censored suggestions that anything improper happened with either mail-in voting or vote counting, slapping numerous warning labels on tweets from President Donald Trump and outright banning or suspending other users who they claim have violated their policies.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Justice Alito criticizes 'previously unimaginable' coronavirus restrictions, says it's up to the Ame

Justice Alito criticizes 'previously unimaginable' coronavirus restrictions, says it's up to the American people to stand up for their liberties

Justice Alito criticizes 'previously unimaginable ' coronavirus restrictions , says it 's up to the American people to stand up @ @ @ @ @ there is only so much that the judiciary can do to preserve our Constitution , @ @ @ @ @ adopted to protect ''

In a recent speech delivered to the Federalist Society at their annual convention in Washington, D.C., U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned that the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to "previously unimaginable" restrictions on American civil liberties.
Alito, 70, also spoke about the dangers posed to free speech by intolerant leftist law schools and defended the legacy of the Federalist Society, an organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers and judges who support textualist and originalist interpretations of the U.S. Constitution in law.
"Unfortunately, tolerance for opposing views is now in short supply in many law schools, and in the broader academic community," Alito said. "When I speak with recent law school graduates, what I hear over and over is that they face harassment and retaliation if they say anything that departs from the law school orthodoxy."
He expressed thanks for Federalist Society members and judges that stood up to an attempt to ban federal judges from being members in the society and for defending free speech. Then, turning to the topic of this year's convention, he addressed the coronavirus pandemic and its affect on the rule of law.
"The pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty," Alito said.
He clarified that he does not mean to diminish the severity of the virus' threat to public health, and he did not weigh in on the legality of certain COVID-19 restrictions. But he said "it is an indisputable statement of fact, we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced, for most of 2020."
Think of all the live events that would otherwise be protected by the right to freedom of speech, live speeches, conferences, lectures, meetings. Think of worship services, churches closed on Easter Sunday, synagogues closed for Passover on Yom Kippur War. Think about access to the courts, or the constitutional right to a speedy trial. trials in federal courts have virtually disappeared in many places who could have imagined that?
The COVID crisis has served as a sort of constitutional stress test. And in doing so it has highlighted disturbing trends that were already present before the virus struck.
Alito tied this unprecedented expansion of government power to the ideals of early 20th century progressives, who sought to empower "an elite group of appointed experts" to implement policies that would be more "scientific." Their "dream," Alito remarked, "has been realized to a large extent" through the creation of the administrative state.
"Every year administrative agencies acting under broad delegations of authority churn out huge volumes of regulations that dwarfs the statutes enacted by the people's elected representatives," Alito noted. "And what have we seen in the pandemic? Sweeping restrictions imposed for the most part, under statutes that confer enormous executive discretion."
Since the pandemic began, state governors have wielded broad authority to impose coronavirus restrictions by executive order, rather than by laws passed through the several state legislatures. In some cases, like in Michigan, courts have ruled that governors illegally exceeded their authority in imposing coronavirus restrictions without the consent of state lawmakers.
"Laws giving an official so much discretion can of course, be abused," Alito warned. "And whatever one may think about the COVID restrictions, we surely don't want them to become a recurring feature after the pandemic has passed."
He went on to say that the Supreme Court and other courts "cannot close their eyes" when fundamental rights are restricted.
Continuing, Alito lamented that "religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored, right." He discussed court cases involving the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of nuns that was persecuted by the Obama administration for refusing to provide health insurance plans that provide contraceptives to their employees, and Masterpiece Cakeshop, whose owner Jack Phillips refused to create a cake celebrating same-sex marriage. Both cases came before the Supreme Court.
"For many today, religious liberty is not a cherished freedom. It's often just an excuse for bigotry and it can't be tolerated even when there's no evidence that anybody has been harmed," he said.
"The question we face is whether our society will be inclusive enough to tolerate people with unpopular religious beliefs," Alito declared, arguing Christians deserve the same protections that religious minorities receive in this country under the First Amendment.
He also discussed coronavirus restrictions that "blatantly discriminated" against places of worship, noting that Nevada opened casinos while restricting worship in churches to 50 attendees.
"Now deciding whether to allow this disparate treatment should not have been a very tough call, take a quick look at the Constitution," Alito said. "You will see the Free Exercise Clause of the first amendment which protects religious liberty, you will not find a craps clause or a blackjack clause or a slot machine clause."
Yet the court deferred to the governor of Nevada's judgment and let the restrictions on churches remain in place.
"Religious liberty is in danger of becoming a second-class right," Alito warned, before turning to free speech more broadly and the Second Amendment.
"The rights of the free exercise of religion is not the only ones cherished freedom that is falling in the estimation of some segments of the population," Alito said. "Support for freedom of speech is also in danger. And COVID rules have restricted speech in unprecedented ways."
He criticized college campuses for discriminating against speakers with certain viewpoints, noting that "even before the pandemic, there was growing hostility to the expression of unfashionable views."
"You can't say that marriage is the union between one man and one woman," Alito said as an example. "Until very recently, that's what the vast majority of Americans thought. Now it's considered bigotry."
That this would happen after our decision in Obergefell should not have come as a surprise. Yes, the opinion of the court included words meant to calm the fears of those who claim to traditional views on marriage. But I could say and so did the other justices in dissent, where the decision would lead. I wrote the following: "I assume that those who claim to old beliefs will be able able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes. But if they repeat those of us in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots, and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools." That is just what is coming to pass. One of the great challenges for the Supreme Court going forward will be to protect freedom of speech. Although that freedom is falling out of favor in some circles, we need to do whatever we can to prevent it from becoming a second tier constitutional right.
The Second Amendment is "the ultimate second tier constitutional right in the minds of some," Alito continued.
In his conclusion, Alito said that while the Supreme Court has done "a lot of good work" to protect American liberties and defend the Constitution, ultimately it is up to the American people to defend their rights.
"... there is only so much that the judiciary can do to preserve our Constitution, and the Liberty it was adopted to protect. As Learned Hand famously wrote, Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women when it dies there. No constitution, no law, no court can do much to help it. for all Americans standing up for our Constitution and our freedom is work that lies ahead."


theblaze--2020-11-13--CNN's Christiane Amanpour blasted for comparing Trump's term to Nazis' Kristallnacht: 'Disgusting'

'This is a grotesque abuse of history '

CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour compared President Donald Trump's four years in office to the Nazis' Kristallnacht. After Amanpour made the comparison of President Trump's first term to the campaign of terror against Jewish people in 1938, the CNN International segment from Thursday was characterized as "despicable" and "disgusting."
"This week 82 years ago, Kristallnacht happened," Amanpour said on her interview TV show. "It was the Nazis' warning shot across the bow of our human civilization that led to genocide against a whole identity and, in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history and truth.
"After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden-Harris team pledges a return to normal," she said as images of wrecked storefronts and a book burning were displayed on her show "Amanpour." "And every day Joe Biden makes presidential announcements about good governance and the health and security of the American people, while the great, brooding figure of his defeated opponent rages, conducting purges of perceived enemies and preventing a transition."
Kristallnacht, the "Night of Broken Glass," was the two-day onslaught on Jews in Germany that began on the night of Nov. 9, 1938. "Over 250 synagogues were burned, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were trashed and looted, dozens of Jewish people were killed, and Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes were looted while police and fire brigades stood by," according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
"The morning after the pogroms 30,000 German Jewish men were arrested for the 'crime' of being Jewish and sent to concentration camps, where hundreds of them perished. Some Jewish women were also arrested and sent to local jails. Businesses owned by Jews were not allowed to reopen unless they were managed by non-Jews. Curfews were placed on Jews, limiting the hours of the day they could leave their homes."
There was a wave of backlash against Amanpour on Twitter.
StopAntisemitism.org reacted to the segment by saying, "Hey @CNN@camanpour please stop using the horrors of the Holocaust to justify an agenda. Our suffering is not yours to play political ping pong with."
StopAntisemitism.org is a self-described organization "that works to hold antisemites accountable and to create consequences for their bigoted actions by exposing the threat that they present to all Americans and showing how their ideologies conflict with American values, morals, and principles."
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council called Amanpour's comparison "despicable."
"@camanpour compares verbal fact checking of a POTUS to a Nazi pogrom in which dozens of Jews were murdered. Amanpour uses the book burning of Kristallnacht to reach this comparison thus ignoring the overall deadliness and human cost of the night," the Council tweeted.
"This is not the 'typical' comparison of a political figure to Hitler or Nazism which is sadly done too often. @camanpour took a verbal fact checking thing about a politician and compared it to a specific violent and deadly event (Kristallnacht) by the Nazis."
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said, "A glimpse of what so many of the people who control large corporations, the media and Hollywood really think. That the over 72 million Americans who voted for Trump are supporters of the modern day equivalent of Nazi's."
Boris Epshteyn, a strategic adviser for the Trump campaign, wrote, "DISGUSTING demeaning of the Holocaust by @camanpour, @CNN. How far the left goes to wrongfully attack @realDonaldTrump is depraved. Will @cnn do the right thing?"
Sohrab Ahmari, New York Post opinion editor, replied, "@camanpour: I'm ashamed to have to count you an Iranian compatriot. This is a grotesque abuse of history, a horrific, ahistorical equivalence-drawing, a shameful cheapening of the Shoah."
Richochet editor Bethany Mandel told Fox News, "It's disgusting, though not surprising, that a major media figure would use dead Jews as a way to make a cheap political point.
"It is something progressives have done for a long time, disgracing the memory of those who have passed in the Holocaust in order to make a false accusation against the United States president," Mandel continued. "It seems the only time many people care about anti-Semitism is when they can use it to their political advantage."
Last week, Amanpour compared Trump to former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by saying, "A reflection on President Trump's comments last night: The last President I covered who refused to accept the vote count in an election was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, 2009."


theblaze--2020-11-13--(UPDATED) Target backtracks, puts book about 'Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters' back on sale

(UPDATED) Target backtracks, puts book about 'Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters' back on sale after outcry over its removal

( UPDATED ) Target backtracks , puts book about 'Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters ' back on sale after outcry @ @ @ @ @ to offer a broad assortment for our guests and are adding this book back to @ @ @ @ @ any confusion . '

UPDATE, 4:01 p.m.: Target told TheBlaze Friday afternoon that "Irreversible Damage" is back on sale on its website: "Yesterday, we removed a book from Target.com based on feedback we received. We want to offer a broad assortment for our guests and are adding this book back to Target.com. We apologize for any confusion."
TheBlaze on Friday afternoon checked Target's site, and "Irreversible Damage" is back on it.
Original story below
Target is being blasted for removing a book — "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters" by noted Wall Street Journal contributor Abigail Shrier — after a complaint on Twitter that the book is spreading "transphobia."
What's the background?
Shrier's book was released in June, and the likes of Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, and Dennis Prager have interviewed her about it.
As indicated in the title, the book isn't about transgenderism generally but specifically about the impact it's having on girls — "who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans 'influencers,'" according to the book's description.
"Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and 'gender-affirming' educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls — including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility," the description also says.
Here's Shrier talking about "Irreversible Damage" with Prager:
Abigail Shrier: Transgenderism's "IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE" youtu.be
What was the complaint about the book?
Twitter user @BlueIris04 complained to Target that "Irreversible Damage" is guilty of "transphobia" and said the "trans community deserves a response" from Target as to why it's selling the book.
Incidentally, @BlueIris04 uses "ACAB" — which stands for "all cops are bastards" — as well as the word "Ten" with an image of a skull for a Twitter handle. At some point @BlueIris04 blocked access to his or her tweets — but a screenshot of the complaint was saved:
Later @AskTarget replied to @BlueIris04 that "Irreversible Damage" was removed from its "assortment" of books:
Image source: Twitter/AskTarget
TheBlaze on Friday morning conducted a search on Target's website for Shrier's book, but it did not show up.
How are folks reacting to Target removing the book?
While some applauded Target's removal of "Irreversible Damage," other Twitter users weren't so keen on the decision:
"So @AskTarget, opposite opinions, right or wrong, are not welcome in your stores because of hurt feelings?" one user wrote. "Thanks for contributing to the mental and emotional failure of upcoming generations. They need to learn that not everything or everyone revolves around their feelings."
"Thanks for pandering to an a**hole who advocates for the murder of cops," another user noted.
"They need to be held accountable for censoring what we are allowed to read," another commenter said. "This is a good book."
"I don't feel safe at stores that allow a handful of activists to censor speech," one user offered.
"So the left advocates censorship, anti-Semitism, violence against political opponents, universal health care, marking and blacklisting people and socialism... ..then call everyone ELSE a Nazi," another commenter noted. "Stopped going to Target when they betrayed us with bathrooms."
What did the book's publisher have to say?
Regnery Publishing on Friday morning offered TheBlaze the following statement:
The "Woke, Inc." trend is, sadly, only getting worse. The mob has sufficiently trained big corporations like Target to live in fear — so much so that it only took *one* complaint from a Twitter user to convince Target to pull a bestselling book from its website. But as Target and other cowardly corporations cower in fear of leftist mobs, Regnery has always and will continue to stand proudly behind powerful voices like Abigail Shrier and the tremendously important work she has done in researching and writing "Irreversible Damage."
What did Target have to say?
Target on Friday morning didn't immediately respond to TheBlaze's request for comment on the retailer's rationale behind removing "Irreversible Damage" from its website.
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Law and order: After hitting record highs during the Obama administration, reports of crime victimiz

Law and order: After hitting record highs during the Obama administration, reports of crime victimization hit all-time low this year

Law and order : After hitting record highs during the Obama administration , reports of crime victimization hit all-time low @ @

As the nation continues to wade through bad news, from contested election results to reports of COVID-19 surging pretty much everywhere, there is some good news out there.
A new report from Gallup revealed that household reports of crime victimization have reached a record low — after hitting a record high four years ago.
What's the data?
According to a Gallup survey released Thursday, 20% of Americans said someone in their household had been the victim of a crime. And just 13% said they personally were a victim.
Both of those are the lowest rates in the 20-year history of Gallup's annual crime poll and are down significantly since their record highs, which were set during the Obama administration.
In 2016, the U.S. saw a record high (29%) share of Americans saying a member of their household had been a victim.
The record high for Americans saying they personally were victims of crime was set at 19% in 2014.
The prior low for household victimization (22%) was set in 2017, and the prior low for personal victimization (14%) was set in 2006.
Of the seven crimes surveyed by Gallup — burglary, property theft, car theft, vandalism, aggravated theft, physical assault, and sexual assault — all were at or near historic lows, the outlet said:
The reported incidence of these crimes varies from a low of 1% for aggravated theft (money or property stolen from them by force or threat of force) to a high of 12% for simple theft. All are at or near the low points in Gallup's trend, with reports of simple theft down five percentage points from its 2016 high and vandalism down four points from its 2015 high.
Cities actually saw biggest drop in household crime victimization
Interestingly, urban areas saw the biggest drop in household victimization compared to 2018-2019, Gallup said.
According to the poll, cities saw a 6-point drop in reported household victimization from 28% to 22%.
Rural areas came in second with a 4-point drop (20% to 16%).
Suburbs saw a drop of only 1 point (23% to 22%).
The region of the country that saw the biggest drop was the West, with an 8-point drop (28% to 20%). The smallest regional decrease was in the South, which saw a 1-point drop (23% to 22%).
Also, low-income households saw the biggest drop in victimizations, dropping 6 points from 30% to 24%.


theblaze--2020-11-13--China warns of 'resolute counterattack' after Pompeo says 'Taiwan has not been a part of China'

China warns of 'resolute counterattack ' after Pompeo says 'Taiwan has not been a part of China' The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ Chinese government 's eye

In response to comments from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recognizing the reality that "Taiwan has not been a part of China" for decades, the Chinese government responded by promising a "resolute attack" against "any behaviour that undermines China's core interests and interferes with China's domestic affairs."
In a radio interview Thursday, Pompeo explained why the administration's position is that "Taiwan has not been a part of China," saying, "That was recognized with the work that the Reagan administration did to lay out the policies that the United States has adhered to now for three-and-a-half decades."
Taiwan's foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou thanked Pompeo for his support, noting, "The Republic of China on Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country, and not part of the People's Republic of China. This is a fact and the current situation."
The communist Chinese government, meanwhile, was not amused.
According to a report from Reuters, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin responded furiously, "We solemnly tell Pompeo and his ilk, that any behaviour that undermines China's core interests and interferes with China's domestic affairs will be met with a resolute counterattack by China."
He did not elaborate on what that "resolute counterattack" might entail.
The United States' relationship with Taiwan has been an ongoing source of angst to the Chinese government, which insists that Taiwan is a rebel province and repeatedly threatens retaliation against countries that recognize Taiwan's independence.
The United States has at least arguably a legal obligation to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack on the island by mainland China. Additionally, the Trump administration has taken a series of incremental steps to increasingly recognize Taiwan's independence, including encouraging arms sales to Taiwan and inviting representatives from Taiwan to participate in economic talks with the United States as an independent country.
These moves have also rankled the Chinese government, which has placed sanctions on United States companies that have sold to Taiwan.


theblaze--2020-11-13--Gov. Gavin Newsom calls Mitch McConnell an 'invertebrate,' compares him to slugs and snails

Gov .
Gavin Newsom calls Mitch McConnell an 'invertebrate , ' compares him to slugs and snails So much for @ @ @ @ @ 'unity '

Despite recent calls for "unity" and "healing" from former Vice President Joe Biden following the 2020 presidential election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired off insults at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday.
Newsom, a Democrat, attacked McConnell on Twitter by calling him an "invertebrate." Newsom insinuated that McConnell is spineless because of his non-commitment on whether Biden should be granted access to classified intelligence briefings.
In the tweet, Newsom linked to a CNN article with the headline: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declines to respond to a question about whether President-elect Joe Biden should receive classified briefings." Newsom also provided the definition of an invertebrate, and included examples such as "jellyfish, corals, slugs, snails, octopuses," and said that McConnell was also an animal lacking a backbone.
While McConnell has not commented on Biden obtaining access to intelligence briefings, other Republicans have weighed in on the topic.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Biden is "not president right now," adding, "Don't know if he'll be president January 20, but whoever is will get the information."
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said, "I've always felt that any candidate should not necessarily be involved in those until that person becomes the president-elect and he is not the president-elect."
Other Republicans have said that Biden should be authorized to receive intelligence briefings.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told CNN, "I would think, especially on classified briefings, the answer is yes."
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said, "I think it is very much in our national interest to have the president-elect receiving information."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) insisted that Biden "should be receiving intelligence briefings right now."
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) went so far as to say that he would "step in" if Biden wasn't given access by Friday.
"There is no loss from him getting the briefings and to be able to do that and if that's not occurring by Friday I will step in as well, and to be able to push and to say this needs to occur so that regardless of the outcome of the election ... people can be ready for that actual task," Lankford told KRMG on Wednesday. "I can assure you there will be a peaceful transition of power in the United States."
President Trump has disputed the results of the election, and his legal team has filed several election lawsuits in several battleground states. The results of the presidential election have yet to be certified.


theblaze--2020-11-14--Gavin Newsom responds after getting busted attending large dinner party against his own advice

Gavin Newsom responds after getting busted attending large dinner party against his own advice The lavish affair was in celebration @ @ @ @ @

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has admitted it was probably not the best idea for him and his wife to join a large dinner party at one of the world's finest restaurants while he is discouraging the citizens of his state from gathering with folks outside their own households during the upcoming holiday season.
What are the details?
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported that Newsom and his wife, first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, attended a recent dinner with a dozen people, involving "more households than California advises," at the French Laundry — known as one of the most exclusive restaurants in the world.
Politico reported that the celebration was for "the 50th birthday of lobbyist Jason Kinney, a longtime friend."
The Hill pointed out that "California's current coronavirus guidelines prohibit gatherings that include more than three households," according to the Chronicle. "Gatherings must also be held outside and should last no longer than two hours."
But after the news broke, critics cried foul, claiming hypocrisy and pointing to Newsom warning against Californians getting together in large numbers. One of the governor's aides, Nathan Click, came to his defense, saying that Newsom and his wife "followed public health guidelines and the restaurant's protocols — all in line with the state's rules for restaurant operation."
Click added that restaurants in the state are only required to "limit the number of patrons at a single table to a household unit or patrons who have asked to be seated together."
Newsom himself also reached out to the Chronicle, conceding, "While our family followed the restaurant's health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner."
Anything else?
Newsom was not the first California politician to get busted flouting his own coronavirus recommendations on Friday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took heat from across the political spectrum after defending her decision to allow the lower chamber to continue holding banquets for newly elected members while Americans are being discouraged from holding large family gatherings for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Meals were reportedly packed up for attendees to take home at the Democratic caucus' celebration following public outrage.
Pelosi was lambasted a few months ago after she was caught maskless visiting a shuttered San Francisco salon that the city had forced to close for months as part of the municipality's stringent COVID-19 regulations.


theblaze--2020-11-15--Several Trump supporters brutally assaulted at Million MAGA March, man knocked unconscious

For days , anarchist and anti-fascist groups planned counterprotests to `` overwhelm '' Trump supporters at the Million MAGA March on Saturday .
A group of counterprotesters were carrying signs that said , `` Punch MAGA in the face . ''
Some counterprotesters became violent , and footage from the Million MAGA March shows several Trump supporters being attacked .
One Trump supporter was brutally knocked out .
The mood was mostly festive at the Million MAGA March for the first few hours with exuberant chants of `` U-S-A !
, '' Stop the steal , '' and `` Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks of violence as more anti-Trump agitators assembled in Washington , D.C. A female Trump supporter was punched in the back of the head when she was n't looking as seen in footage captured by photojournalist Savanah Hernandez .
A man was reportedly attacked by a `` man in black bloc at a counter-protest march . ''
The victim appears visibly dazed from the assault and his head is bleeding .
An anti-Trump assailant also punched another Trump supporter in the back of the head .
Video from field reporter Jorge Ventura shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , landing several sucker punches .
Then one attacker winds up and punches him in the head from behind , knocking him unconscious .
As the man lay motionless on the ground , several counterprotesters stepped on his body .
The man 's face was covered in blood .
Protesters stole a Gadsden flag and were sharpening the wooden flagpole , a ccording to independent reporter Brendan Gutenschwager .
Black bloc vandals attempted to open the door of Jeep with Trump supporters inside , then attempted to smash the car windows .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they hurled a golf ball at the car in a video taken by Drew Hernandez .
BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer was reporting from the Million MAGA March , where there were `` multiple arrests after anti-Trump protesters assaulted a group of MAGA supporters . ''
BLM and apparent anti-fascist supporters attacked a multiracial family with three small children at Million MAGA March .

For days, anarchist and anti-fascist groups planned counterprotests to "overwhelm" Trump supporters at the Million MAGA March on Saturday. A group of counterprotesters were carrying signs that said, "Punch MAGA in the face." Some counterprotesters became violent, and footage from the Million MAGA March shows several Trump supporters being attacked. One Trump supporter was brutally knocked out.
The mood was mostly festive at the Million MAGA March for the first few hours with exuberant chants of "U-S-A!," Stop the steal," and "Trump 2020!"
(Content Warning: Graphic video)
However, there were outbreaks of violence as more anti-Trump agitators assembled in Washington, D.C. A female Trump supporter was punched in the back of the head when she wasn't looking as seen in footage captured by photojournalist Savanah Hernandez.
A man was reportedly attacked by a "man in black bloc at a counter-protest march." The victim appears visibly dazed from the assault and his head is bleeding.
An anti-Trump assailant also punched another Trump supporter in the back of the head. Video from field reporter Jorge Ventura shows a mob of people attacking a man, landing several sucker punches. Then one attacker winds up and punches him in the head from behind, knocking him unconscious. As the man lay motionless on the ground, several counterprotesters stepped on his body. The man's face was covered in blood.
Protesters stole a Gadsden flag and were sharpening the wooden flagpole, according to independent reporter Brendan Gutenschwager.
Black bloc vandals attempted to open the door of Jeep with Trump supporters inside, then attempted to smash the car windows. As the vehicle drove away, it appears that they hurled a golf ball at the car in a video taken by Drew Hernandez.
BlazeTV host Elijah Schaffer was reporting from the Million MAGA March, where there were "multiple arrests after anti-Trump protesters assaulted a group of MAGA supporters."
BLM and apparent anti-fascist supporters attacked a multiracial family with three small children at Million MAGA March.


theblaze--2020-11-14--Lindsey Graham fires back after top Democrat demands no more hearings for Trump's judicial nominees

Lindsey Graham fires back after top Democrat demands no more hearings for Trump 's judicial nominees 'We have confirmed over @ @ @ @ @ confirming even more '

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired off the perfect response after Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) asked Republicans to stop confirming President Donald Trump's federal judiciary nominees.
What's the background?
Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Graham on Thursday requesting he stop conducting hearings on Trump's judicial nominees to allow media-declared president-elect Joe Biden to fill the court vacancies instead.
"Now that the 2020 election has concluded, it is clear that the American people have overwhelmingly rejected a second term for President Trump. President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris are already implementing their transition plan," Feinstein said.
"In light of that, it is imperative that the Judiciary Committee cease to process judicial nominations and allow President-Elect Biden the opportunity to appoint judges following his inauguration on January 20, 2021," she added.
What was Graham's response?
Graham responded with a resounding "no," according to reporter Sam Brodey.
"The Senate Judiciary Committee will continue to process judges nominated by President Trump. We have confirmed over 220 and look forward to confirming even more," Graham said.
What's the background?
In addition to having three Supreme Court nominees confirmed, Trump has added a whopping 53 judges to U.S. federal appeals courts and 164 judges to federal district courts.
Currently, an additional 31 of Trump's federal district nominees are awaiting confirmation, and another two of Trump's appeals court judges are awaiting confirmation.
This is why analysts predict that as much as $1 billion could be spent on Georgia's two runoff elections for their U.S. Senate seats, for control of the Senate hinges on those two races.
Currently, Republicans — who have held a majority in the Senate since regaining the majority after the 2014 midterms — have control of 50 seats. If they lost both runoff races, Democrats would have effective control of the Senate since media-declared vice president-elect Kamala Harris would serve as the Senate's tie-breaking vote.
But, if Republicans win just one of the races, they would maintain control of the Senate and prevent a Biden administration from implementing its agenda — and further cement Trump's judicial legacy.