theblaze--2020-07-01--Horowitz: More evidence that most coronavirus cases are now weaker than the flu

Horowitz : More evidence that most coronavirus cases are now weaker than the flu

Evidence continues to mount that the new infections throughout much of the country are extremely mild, with the exception of some serious cases coming over the border from Mexico. Those two facts continue to be obscured from our policy debate over containing the virus in the southern states. The governors of California, Arizona, and Texas refuse to recognize that the mild nature of these cases is good news going forward, and they continue to ignore the threat of serious cases from the border.
Distinguishing between the two phenomena has become difficult, because the cause of both of them appears to have begun in late May and continued into June, especially in border states, which weren't hard hit to begin with and therefore had little herd immunity to combat a new round of spread. But the timing of these serious cases at the border combined with milder cases in the interior seems to make it clear that we are seeing two distinct waves: the second and mild American wave and the importation of Mexico's first, more serious wave.
In my previous article, I focused on the serious cases coming from the border. That issue appears to be confined to certain hospitals in the border states. What about all other cases throughout the country? They are turning out to be less potent than even the flu.
Increasing evidence that the new wave is mild for most of the country
As I pointed out regarding Florida, cases have been spiking for weeks, yet the deaths and numbers of serious cases are not rising. That dichotomy is perfectly illustrated in this graphic:
Also, much of the increase is superficial and illusory because of mass testing, multiple tests to return to work, and people coming back to the hospitals for normal care that was previously suspended. Such patients are automatically tested for the virus, regardless of their reason for admission. It appears that the virus has now spread to younger people but is also milder than it was when it first hit in earnest in March and April.
This reality is borne out by a fascinating data point about positive cases and Hispanic people. As of the week of April 25, according to the CDC, just 12.2% of the cases were among those identified as Hispanic. As of yesterday, 34.4% of all cases were among Hispanics. That is simply astounding. If you peel into some state data, you will find that cases among Hispanics compose 46% in Florida (twice their share of the population), 46% of cases in North Carolina (nearly five times their share of the population), 35% in Tennessee (nearly seven times their share of the population), and 24% of cases in Arkansas (nearly three times their share of the population).
Those numbers are astounding. But what is even more shocking is that while Hispanics compose 34.4% of confirmed positive cases, they account for just 17.7% of the fatalities, more line with their share of the national population. For example, in North Carolina, where they compose 46% of all cases, they account for just 9% of the deaths. What gives?
The only logical answer is that this is merely an illusion of mass testing of meatpacking plants and farm labor camps, where they began testing every worker, most of whom are Hispanic, especially in the southern states. Thus, as we saw with the Arkansas Tyson Foods plants, almost all of them are asymptomatic. Lots of cases; few deaths.
Why does there appear to be resurgence even beyond the accounting gimmicks? That could either be the next evolution of the virus itself or due to the mass protests and rioting. There is increasing evidence of the latter. Either way, it makes sense that it would hit in states like California, Texas, and Florida, large states that were previously barely touched by the first round and not in the northeast, which has likely achieved some degree of de facto herd immunity.
While there is still very little data quantifying who has a severe case or a mild case and who was hospitalized for coronavirus vs. hospitalized with coronavirus discovered through testing, here are two powerful anecdotes that drive home both points.
Car crashes are now COVID-19 cases
The New York Times reported on Sunday: "One-third of all patients admitted to [Miami's] main public hospital over the past two weeks after going to the emergency room for car-crash injuries and other urgent problems have tested positive for the coronavirus."
That is huge news that most people are not properly dissecting. Car crashes plummeted by as much as 75% in some states during the shutdown because the roads were empty. Now we are back up to normal levels of car crashes. For that matter, hospitals are now back up to normal levels of cancer, heart, stroke, and any number of procedures and treatments that were either suspended or declined because people were too scared to come in. Now that we have universal testing in the hospitals, we are merely discovering what already existed, but we never detected because hospitals were empty and we did not have universal testing capability.
These are people who would never have known they had COVID-19, much less rushed to the emergency room if not for the coincidence of their car accident or other ailment driving them into the hospital. Once they test positive, they are regarded as coronavirus patients, even if they are asymptomatic, which is the case with the majority of younger people who contract the virus.
What percentage of people counted as COVID-19 patients came because of COVID-19, vs. what percentage happened to have it asymptomatically? We don't know, but the number has to be pretty substantial.
Cold-like symptoms as the new panic and threshold to trigger shutdown
What about those people coming to the hospital because of COVID-19? Most Americans probably conjure up images of people coming in with their lungs filled with fluid and suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, as we saw in New York in late March. That was never the case in most parts of the country, but it most certainly is not what's happening now.
I long suspected, given the massive gap between deaths/ICU admissions vs. hospitalizations and cases, that these cases were much milder. Which leads me to the second anecdote. An emergency care executive from Texas explained to former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson that most cases he sees now in Texas are milder than a typical full-blown cold.
The managing partner and general counsel of the company that owns Complete Care, which operates 13 emergency care clinics in Texas, emailed Berenson with a statement illuminating the situation on the ground.
He noted that out of 2,231 tests the clinics have administered in June, although the positivity rate is at 20%, the "vast majority of the cases are mild to very mild symptoms." He observed that most patients were in their 30s, most would not even have met the criteria for testing during the peak when kits were scarce, and that very few of them really need hospitalization. "Vast majority of the patients are better within 2-3 days of the visit and most would be described as having a cold (a mild one at that) or the symptoms related to allergies," he said.
He further noted that half of them come in because they sneeze or cough and their employer makes them get tested.
Thus, ironically, the spike in hospitalizations now is because of the pervious lockdown, which they are now pushing again. As Dr. Robert Hancock of Texas College of Emergency Physicians said, "We saw just a rash of people that came in for relatively treatable conditions that had just waited to the point that it deteriorated. That's kind of added to the ICU stress on top of just having the COVID-19 patients."
Thus, what we are seeing in Texas and elsewhere is actually a fulfillment of what we all hoped for – a flattened curve of mild cases and hospitals that are able to handle severe cases, but ultimately few deaths. "Overall, based upon what we are seeing at our facilities, the above information is really more of a positive story," wrote the emergency clinic executive to Berenson. "You have more people who are testing positive with minimal symptoms. This means that the fatality rate is less than commonly reported."
This is perhaps why hospital officials in Texas, whose profession has typically led the charge in panic peddling since March, are actually warning the public that they are being misled with illusory data.
Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom complained that the data is "being misinterpreted" "and, quite frankly, we're concerned that there is a level of alarm in the community that is unwarranted right now."
"We do have the capacity to care for many more patients and have lots of fluidity and ability to manage," Boom said in a press conference with the CEOs of Houston's largest hospitals as he pointed out the missing context the media and politicians are failing to provide. He pointed out that this time last year, ICU capacity was at 95%. If anything, what was occurring in April was abnormal because everyone was scared away from hospitals. And that was not a good thing.
As the media continues to be addicted to spinning bad news news, it's incumbent upon everyone else to provide the missing context.


theblaze--2020-07-01--Woman famous for confronting Beto O'Rourke over gun rights wins GOP primary election in major upset

Lauren Boebert, the Colorado restauranteur who went viral last year for confronting Beto O'Rourke over gun rights, could be headed for Congress.
In a stunning upset Tuesday night, Boebert defeated Rep. Scott Tipton — whom President Donald Trump had endorsed — in the Republican primary election for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.
When DecisionDeskHQ called the race in Boebert's favor, just minutes before 10 p.m. EST, Boebert had a significant lead of nearly 10,000 votes.
Boebert runs a restaurant in the western Colorado town of Rifle called Shooters Grill, which is known for its servers who openly carry firearms. Boebert is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, and is described of being further right of Rep. Tipton, who has served five terms in Congress.
Despite Tipton earning Trump's endorsement and being the Trump campaign's Colorado co-chair, Boebert argued on the campaign trail that Tipton was not sufficiently pro-Trump — and it worked.
"I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters well," Tipton said in a statement late Tuesday, CNN reported.
Trump reacted, "Congratulations on a really great win!"
Boebert is perhaps best known for confronting former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke last year. During a town hall in Colorado, Boebert responded to O'Rourke's infamous promise to confiscate certain firearms from Americans.
"I am here to say: Hell no, you're not," Boebert told O'Rourke.
Boebert, a political newcomer, will face Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush — whom Tipton defeated in 2018 — in the general election in November.


theblaze--2020-07-02--'It's just unconscionable': Acclaimed environmentalist explains his STUNNING apology for 'climate sc

'It's just unconscionable': Acclaimed environmentalist explains his STUNNING apology for 'climate scare'

'It 's just unconscionable ' : Acclaimed environmentalist explains his STUNNING apology for 'climate scare '

Acclaimed environmentalist and author of "Apocalypse Never" Michael Shellenberger joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Wednesday to warn us about the true goals and effects of climate alarmism: It's become a "secular religion" that lowers standards of living in developed countries, holds developing countries back, and has environmental progress "exactly wrong."
Michael is a Time "Hero of the Environment," Green Book Award winner, and the founder and president of Environmental Progress. He has been called a "environmental guru," "climate guru," "North America's leading public intellectual on clean energy," and "high priest" of the environmental humanist movement for his writings and TED talks, which have been viewed more than 5 million times. But when Michael penned a stunning article in Forbes saying, "On Behalf of Environmentalists, I Apologize for the Climate Scare", the article was pulled just a few hours later. (Read more here.)
On the show, Micheal talked about how environmental alarmism has overtaken scientific fact, leading to a number of unfortunate consequences. He said one of the problems is that rich nations are blocking poor nations from being able to industrialize. Instead, they are seeking to make poverty sustainable, rather than to make poverty history.
"As a cultural anthropologist, I've been traveling to poorer countries and interviewing small farmers for over 30 years. And, obviously, there are a lot of causes why countries are poor, but there's no reason we should be helping them to stay poor," Michael said. "A few years ago, there was a movement to make poverty history ... [but] it got taken over by the climate alarmist movement, which has been focused on depriving poor countries, not just of fossil fuels they need to develop, but also the large hydroelectric dams."
He offered the example of the Congo, one of the poorest countries in the world. The Congo has been denied the resources needed to build large hydroelectric dams, which are absolutely essential to pull people out of poverty. And one of the main groups preventing poor countries from the gaining financing they need to to build dams is based in Berkeley, California — a city that gets its electricity from hydroelectric dams.
"It's just unconscionable ... there are major groups, including the Sierra Club, that support efforts to deprive poor countries of energy. And, honestly, they've taken over the World Bank [which] used to fund the basics of development: roads, electricity, sewage systems, flood control, dams," Micheal said.
"Environmentalism, apocalyptic environmentalism in particular, has become the dominant religion of supposedly secular people in the West. So, you know, it's people at the United Nations. It's people that are in very powerful positions who are trying to impose 'nature's order' on societies," he continued. "And, of course, the problem is that nobody can figure out what nature is, and what it's not. That's not a particular good basis for organizing your economy."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-07-02--Twitter takes down image from Trump tweet after copyright complaint from New York Times

Twitter takes down image from Trump tweet after copyright complaint from New York Times The meme took a photograph from @ @ @

Twitter excised a meme from a tweet from President Donald Trump after the New York Times objected to the use of its photograph on Wednesday.
The meme showed a black and white image of the president with the text, "In reality, they're not after me, they're after you. I'm just in the way."
In its place, the message from Twitter reads, "Media not displayed. This image has been removed in response to a report from the copyright holder."
According to Axios, the New York Times objected to the use of its photograph, which was taken by Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Damon Winter for a 2015 feature on Trump, then a presidential candidate.
Fans and supporters of the president responded to the decision by circulating the meme on the social media platform.
Trump has been overtly critical of restrictions on political speech on the right from social media companies. He has gone so far as to claim he would shut down Twitter if it were legally permissible.
In a previous rhetorical skirmish with Twitter, the social media giant added a caution to one of Trump's tweets for "glorifying violence" against rioters and looters in the wake of protests over George Floyd's death.
Here's more about Trump vs. Twitter:


theblaze--2020-07-02--ABC News mocked over report warning national parks 'face existential crisis over race'

The outlet sounded the alarm that America 's outdoor spaces 'remain overwhelmingly white '

As the U.S. reels from protests and debates over racial injustices, ABC News has thrown out a new concern: Visitors to national parks "remain overwhelmingly white."
The outlet cited government statistics to back up its reporting, but that did not protect them from being mocked on social media for the story.
What are the details?
The ABC News piece warned that "America's national parks face (an) existential crisis over race," sounding the alarm that the nation's "premier outdoor spaces...remain overwhelmingly white."
The article pointed to National Park Service numbers showing that according to the latest 10-year survey, 23% of people who visited the nation's 419 national parks were people of color, and 77% were white. But "minorities make up 42% of the U.S. population."
ABC also noted that one study showed "twice as many black and Hispanic Americans said they don't know what to do in national parks than whites."
Joel Pannell, associated director of the Sierra Club told ABC, "The outdoors and public lands suffer from the same systemic racism that the rest of our society does."
But overwhelmingly, people reacting to the article on Twitter were not buying it.
One person noted that national parks are not segregated. Another asked, "Are you arguing for affirmative action for national parks admittance or something?"
Others argued with the article's premise, saying they had observed an array of diversity on their trips to national parks. Someone joked, "Those dang racist parks!'
Several people lambasted the article as not being serious journalism. Conservative radio host Dana Loesch tweeted, "Dad on my screen weeping for his son killed by Marxists and flipping ABC out here tweeting 'iS tHE oUtSIdE rACisT?'"


theblaze--2020-07-03--Father of teen shot and killed at CHOP/CHAZ says Seattle mayor hasn't called him, but Trump has

Father of teen shot and killed at CHOP/CHAZ says Seattle mayor has n't called him , but Trump has '' @ @ @ @ @ call me , he did n't have to do nothing ! ''

The father of a teenager shot and killed near the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest in Seattle, Washington, says the mayor has not called him at all, but he has received a phone call from President Donald Trump.
Horace Lorenzo Anderson said that he wasn't a political person but it was clear that he appreciated the condolences from the president.
"I still ain't heard from the mayor," said Anderson to Matt Lorch of KCPQ-TV.
"Incredibly, Donald Trump called me," he added. "The president of the United States called me today and talked to me today."
"What did he say?" asked Lorch.
"He gave his condolences, and, me I'm not a political guy so I'm not, but I told him, you know I don't know nobody like you! I'm just, you know I'm real!" Anderson said.
"I said, nobody like you, but in this camera, I'll tell you right now, Donald Trump called me, and he didn't have to call me, he didn't have to do nothing!" he added.
The president likely saw Anderson when he appeared on Fox News to discuss the tragic of death of his son. He has also called for authorities to use the National Guard to clear out the autonomous zone to prevent further tragedies.
Seattle police have since dismantled the encampment and arrested nearly 3 dozen protesters who refused to leave or resisted the police action. On Thursday police said they arrested another 25 protesters.
Some critics of Mayor Jenny Durkan noted that the city only took action to shut down the encampment after the protesters showed up outside of her house.
Here's his interview on Fox News:


theblaze--2020-07-03--'Black national anthem' to be played at every NFL Week 1 game: reports

'Black national anthem ' to be played at every NFL Week 1 game : reports 'Lift Every Voice and Sing @ @ @ @ @ 'The Star-Spangled Banner '

"Lift Every Voice and Sing," a song also known as the "black national anthem," will be played at every Week 1 NFL game and ahead of "The Star-Spangled Banner" when the season begins, according to multiple reports.
What are the details?
ESPN and the Associated Press both cited unnamed sources reporting Thursday that "Lift Every Voice and Sing" would be either played or performed prior to the national anthem during the NFL's week one games, beginning with the Sept. 10 season opener. Both outlets further reported that the names of victims of police brutality will be displayed on players' helmets and jerseys.
USA Today also cited an unnamed insider in reporting that the NFL's "Week 1 broadcasts will feature a number of educational PSAs about victims and their families."
The NFL has taken major strides to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the continuing nationwide protests that followed, with Commissioner Roger Goodell endorsing the movement.
Goodell has also since encouraged franchises to hire former player and professional activist Colin Kaepernick, who sparked controversy for the league in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem at games in protest of police brutality.
Anything else?
For those unfamiliar, here are the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing":
Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
let our rejoicing rise,
high as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea
sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us,
sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chast'ning rod,
felt in the day that hope unborn had died;
yet with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet,
come to the place on witch our fathers sighed?
we have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
thou who has by thy might,
led us into the light,
keep us forever in the path, we pray
lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee,
least our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee,
shadowed beneath the hand,
may we forever stand,
true to our God,
True to our native land.


theblaze--2020-07-03--LIVE NOW: Restoring Hope: Glenn Beck honors an America WORTH SAVING

Gather your friends and family .
Together , we will restore hope in America .

It's been a tough year, America. Our news media is inundating us with images of destruction, violence, and division in attempts not only to desecrate our nation, but to make us turn our backs on it. That's why now, more than ever, we need to take an up-close look at America's history to remember what it is we're fighting for and how to fight for it with practical action.
Join Glenn Beck, broadcasting from Standing Rock Ranch, as he takes us to Plymouth, Gettysburg, and Federal Hall on an important journey through America's remarkable history to inspire a brighter future. Glenn asks the hard questions of every American. Is this system worth saving? Is there a better way? Where do we go from here, and how do we answer those questions?
Featuring performances from the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, David Osmond, a very special children's choir, and guests Bob Woodson, Tim Ballard, David Barton, Burgess Owens, Kathy Barnette, Anna Paulina Luna, and Tim Barton.
Watch the full special presentation below:
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Marcellus Wiley delivers passionate argument against NBA painting 'Black Lives Matter' on courts

' I do n't know how many people really look into the mission statement of Black Lives Matter , but @ @ @

ESPN reported this week that the NBA plans to paint "Black Lives Matter" on its courts when the season resumes, in reaction to players' insistence "that the fight for racial equality and social justice be a central part" of the league.
But Fox Sports 1's Marcellus Wiley says that is "not a good idea," and gave an impassioned speech on his show explaining why.
What are the details?
During a discussion on Wiley's "Speak for Yourself," he argued against the NBA's purported plan to paint "Black Lives Matter" on their courts, pointing to the organization's political goals as to his reasoning.
"There's a problem when you start to go down this road of freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and how much social space is allowed for those who don't support in that same space," Wiley argued. "And that's where I wonder where this is going to go in terms of identity politics. We know what identity politics does—it divides, and it polarizes. No matter how you want to look at it, that's just the effect of it no matter how great the intentions are. We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Wiley read from BLM"s mission statement, voicing concern over the movement's declaration that they aim to "dismantle the patriarchal practice," and "disrupt the western-described nuclear family structure requirement."
The former NFL player and Ivy Leaguer explained:
When I know statistics, when I know my reality—forget statistics, I knew this before I went to Columbia [University] and saw these same statistics that I'm going to read to you right now.
Children from single parent homes versus two parent homes: The children from the single parent homes (this was in 1995 I was reading this) [are] five times more likely to commit suicide. Six times more likely to be in poverty. Nine times more likely to drop out of high school. Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances. Fourteen times more likely to commit rape, 20 times more likely to end up in prison, and 32 times more likely to run away from home.
I knew that. You know why I knew it? Because a lot of my friends didn't have family structures that were nuclear like mine, and they found themselves outside of their dreams and goals and aspirations. So when I see that as a mission statement for Black Lives Matter, it makes me scratch my head.
When I also see their mission is to eradicate white supremacy. In 2020, white supremacy is the mission. Woo, that's a lot of digging through minutiae right there. I'm on a show that I'm hosting with another black guy who is hosting with me who replaced another black guy, and that's just one example of it. So, I understand, I respect your space, I respect what you're protesting for. But will you respect others who don't support that same protest?


theblaze--2020-07-02--'We have a cultural, historical connection to firearms' — Black Americans tell the New York Times wh

'We have a cultural, historical connection to firearms' — Black Americans tell the New York Times why they are arming up

'We have a cultural , historical connection to firearms ' — Black Americans tell the New York Times why they @ @ @ @ @ black Americans are embracing the 2nd Amendment

A video from the New York Times detailed the reasons that many black Americans feel the need recently to purchase firearms to protect themselves and their families.
Kat Traylor
One black woman detailed how she worked to pass more gun restrictions but then decided that she needed to arm herself in order to protect her family.
"I've been fighting for gun regulations in my state for eight years," said Kat Traylor, of Aurora, Colorado.
"Regardless of who was in office, our lives didn't get any better for black and brown communities, in fact they just stayed the same," she explained.
"That's when the realization hit, until we have legislation and all the wrong people don't have guns, you need a gun," Traylor said.
"Guns are dangerous. I never wanted one in my home. But a month ago, I bought a handgun, and I learned how to shoot it," she explained. "Right now, I need a gun to be safe in this country."
Chloe Brown
"I grew up in a pretty liberal California family, I wasn't into firearms, I was kind of opposed to them," explained Chloe Brown from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
"When you look outside you can kind of see that there's a need for people protecting themselves, buying firearms, being conscious," she explained.
Brown went on to explain that she had been pulled over by a police officer who brandished a gun during the stop with her children in the vehicle. That convinced her that she needed a firearm.
"That was a turning point for me, understanding that the people that are supposed to take care of us and keep us safe, um, may not always be there for us," Brown explained.
History of firearm defense
Traylor cited many examples of black activists from history who used guns to protect themselves, including Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman.
"We have a cultural, historical connection to firearms too!" said Tarikh Brown of Colorado Springs.
The video also includes several incidents where white people brandished weapons against black Americans and were captured on video.
A previous report from March showed that many Asian Americans were rushing out to buy guns after increased racial scrutiny from the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Another report documented that Americans responded to the protests, some of which turned to violent looting and rioting, by guying firearms at record levels.
Here's the video from the New York Times:


theblaze--2020-07-02--Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues statewide order requiring masks, limiting gatherings

He says the move will 'both slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Texas open for business '

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Thursday requiring residents to wear masks in public in every county in the state that has 20 or more cases of COVID-19. His dictate also limits gatherings to 10 people or less.
What are the details?
Gov. Abbott's office released a press release declaring that his mandate requires "all Texans to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth in public spaces in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, with few exceptions."
The notice continued, "The Governor also issued a proclamation giving mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on some outdoor gatherings of over 10 people, and making it mandatory that, with certain exceptions, people cannot be in groups larger than ten and must maintain six feet of social distancing from others."
The Republican issued a statement explaining, "Wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19." He added, "If Texans commit to wearing face coverings in public spaces and follow the best health and safety practices, we can both slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Texas open for business."
The Texas Tribune reported that kids younger than 10 years old are exempt from the order, and so are "people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking and people who are exercising outdoors."
The order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. on Friday, and violators could face up to $250 in fines.
According to KHOU-TV, Abbott resisted issuing a mask mandate for weeks, "but as cases and hospitalization have continued to rise, the governor has taken small steps to try to stop the spread."
The outlet noted that on Wednesday, Texas recorded more than 8,000 single-day coronavirus cases for the first time.


theblaze--2020-07-02--A group of neighbors release statement condemning McCloskeys for using guns to defend their home fro

A group of neighbors release statement condemning McCloskeys for using guns to defend their home from protest They did not @ @ @ @ @

A group of neighbors to the now infamous couple who defended their home from Black Lives Matter protesters released a statement condemning their actions.
The letter had signatures from 24 households and was released on Wednesday.
"Westmoreland Place and its adjoining street Portland Place are a historic neighborhood within the City of St. Louis, Missouri," read the letter.
"From many walks of life, people choose to make this neighborhood home for many reasons, including the sincerity, empathy and neighborliness exhibited by the vast majority of those who live here," it continued.
"Some of us choose to speak up following the horrific event that transpired on Sunday evening near our homes. As the undersigned, we condemn the behavior of anyone who uses threats of violence, especially through the brandishing of firearms, to disrupt peaceful protest, whether it be in this neighborhood or anywhere in the United States," the letter read.
"As residents of Westmoreland Place," they concluded, "we seek positive action and constructive dialogue that builds and maintains a civil and good society."
The plight of the McCloskeys has fueled the partisan debate over the George Floyd-inspired protests that have turned to violent looting and arson in some cases.
The McCloskeys say they support the Black Lives Matter cause but that they were fearful for their lives after the threats they saw on social media against them and their property.
The St. Louis police are investigating whether members of the protest mob, who damaged a gate to gain entry to the property, can be charged with fourth-degree assault by intimidation or trespassing.
Here's more on the McCloskey controversy:


theblaze--2020-07-02--New Mexico will fine people $100 for not wearing masks, force businesses to comply

New Mexico will fine people $ 100 for not wearing masks , force businesses to comply Michelle Lujan Grisham , @ @ @ @ @ speaks during an interview at her office in Santa Fe , New Mexico , U.S. @ @ @ @ @ 8 , 2019 .
( Steven St John/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham instituted penalties for individuals who don't wear masks in public, and announced more aggressive enforcement measures to force businesses to require customers to wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Individuals who don't wear face coverings in public could be hit with a fine of $100, and business will be required to make customers wear masks, although she did not detail the specific penalties non-compliant businesses might face.
Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan is now paused until at least July 15, at which point it will be reevaluated—and could potentially go backward, if things get worse. All visitors from out-of-state, whether driving or flying, will be required to quarantine for 14 days.
"We're going to do enforcement and hold people accountable," Lujan Grisham said. "If you're flying in, you're quarantined. If you want to drive here for vacationing, you're quarantined in your room."
Lujan Grisham criticized the federal government for not requiring masks as a part of its coronavirus response strategy, although that criticism opens her up to questions about why she didn't exercise authority to require masks before now, if she felt it was an effective strategy.
"There is no federal strategy," Lujan Grisham said. "If the federal strategy early in this pandemic had been to require all Americans to wear masks, more things would be open, fewer people would die, and the rate of infection and transmission for the entire country would be much lower."
New Mexico has not been hit very hard by COVID-19 relative to other areas of the country. On its worst days, which both came in May, 12 people reportedly died of the virus. The seven-day moving average of daily COVID-19 deaths sits at 2 as of Thursday. In total, New Mexico has seen a reported 12,276 cases and 500 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Bill de Blasio: Mass protests and religious gatherings are like 'apples and oranges'

Bill de Blasio : Mass protests and religious gatherings are like 'apples and oranges' Has he read the first amendment @

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) recently defended his decision to support mass protests while limiting religious gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic — a move that a federal judge recently shot down — arguing the two are like "apples and oranges."
What are the details?
"The protests were an entirely different reality, a national phenomenon that was not something that the government could just say, go away," the mayor argued during an interview on CNN. As for religious gatherings, "it's really apples and oranges," he said.
He then claimed that New York's religious leaders were "the first to say it was not time to bring back services" to justify his point.
The mayor's line of defense raises the question: Has he ever read the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
It goes as follows:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (emphases mine)
Evidently, the Framers believed the right to protest and the right to exercise religion were closely related enough to warrant shared space in the Bill of Rights.
The "apples and oranges" comparison doesn't quite seem to fit.
What's the background?
Last week, a federal judge ruled that de Blasio, along with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his attorney general, were wrong to limit religious gatherings during the pandemic while at the same time supporting protests against racial injustice.
U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe then issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the New York leaders from ordering arbitrary limits on religious gatherings, saying that to do so while supporting protests amounts to "preferential treatment."
Under New York's reopening plan, churches and synagogues were confined to 25% occupancy, while "nonessential" businesses were granted 50% occupancy and "essential" businesses 100% occupancy.
Then, as protests erupted following the death of George Floyd, Cuomo and de Blasio publicly announced their support.
"Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules," Sharpe wrote in the ruling. "They could have also been silent. But by acting as they did, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio sent a clear message that mass protests are deserving of preferential treatment."


theblaze--2020-07-02--Judicial Watch files civil rights lawsuit against left-wing DC mayor to let group paint 'No One Is A

Judicial Watch files civil rights lawsuit against left-wing DC mayor to let group paint 'No One Is Above the Law!' on street

Judicial Watch files civil rights lawsuit against left-wing DC mayor to let group paint 'No One Is Above the Law @ @ @ @

Judicial Watch said it filed a civil rights lawsuit against Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and other officials for First Amendment violations after the group's request to paint "Because No One Is Above the Law!" on a D.C. street went unanswered.
What are the details?
In early June, Bowser — a far-left Democrat — instructed the city's Department of Public Works to paint "Black Lives Matter" in huge letters that spanned two blocks on 16th Street leading directly to the White House. The project coincided with massive George Floyd protests and riots around the country and in D.C.
Bowser also renamed a section of the street "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and said "we want to call attention today to making sure our nation is more fair and more just and that black lives and that black humanity matter in our nation."
She also authorized or allowed "Defund the Police" to be painted alongside "Black Lives Matter," Judicial Watch said.
Judicial Watch said it sent a letter to Bowser a few days later requesting permission to paint "Because No One is Above the Law!" — using letters of identical size and color to those spelling out the "Black Lives Matter" painted phrase — on another D.C. street near its headquarters located close to Capitol Hill. Judicial Watch said it offered to pay for the cost of the painting and "citing the timely nature of the issue, asked for a response in three days."
But the outlet said it "has yet to receive a substantive response" from Bowser's office after three weeks of emails.
Judicial Watch said its lawsuit alleges D.C. officials violated federal civil rights law with respect to:
(a) allowing District streets to be used for the painting of expressive messages, which constitutes protected, First Amendment activity, but denying Plaintiff (Judicial Watch) the timely opportunity to paint its expressive message on a District street for reasons that are not narrowly drawn to achieve a compelling government interest; (b) failing to provide a reasonable basis for denying Plaintiff the timely opportunity to paint is expressive message on a District street; (c) favoring the expressive messages painted on 16th Street NW and/or creating the appearance of endorsing those messages to the exclusion of Plaintiff's message on a related subject matter; and/or (d) failing to provide reasonable, non-arbitrary processes and procedures for timely consideration of Plaintiff's request to paint an expressive message on District streets.
"Mayor Bowser gave us the runaround rather than access, as the First Amendment requires, to a D.C. street to paint our timely message and motto: Because No One is Above the Law!" Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Our message is especially relevant today because it applies equally to law enforcement and public officials as well as to protesters, looters, and rioters."
Anything else?
Judicial Watch also said it formally asked Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday for permission to paint "Because No One Is Above the Law" on a street — preferably Fifth Avenue between 81st and 83rd Streets — after he announced that "Black Lives Matter" would be painted on prominent streets in all five boroughs.
(H/T: HotAir)


theblaze--2020-07-02--Christian college student questions BLM in viral video. Now college says she's no longer enrolled —

Christian college student questions BLM in viral video. Now college says she's no longer enrolled — after a 'disciplinary process.'

Christian college student questions BLM in viral video .
Now college says she 's no longer enrolled — after a @ @ @ @

A young woman is no longer enrolled at a Christian college after she went viral for a video in which she criticized the Black Lives Matter movement.
After she reportedly endured a "disciplinary process," the school says she no longer attends the university.
What are the details?
According to Campus Reform, Ashleigh Brock — a former student at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas — created several TikTok videos in which she reportedly questioned the validity of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In one video, the outlet notes, Brock argued that there is way more outrage when a white person kills a black person than when a black person kills a white person — or even when a black person kills a fellow black person.
In another video, Brock reportedly insists that "all lives matter" — not just black lives.
"Do black lives matter?" she allegedly can be heard asking. "Yes, of course. Do white lives matter? Yes, of course. But I'm not gonna sit here and put each one in a group saying this race matters."
What was the response?
In a since-deleted tweet captured by Campus Reform, one Twitter user wrote, "This is Ashleigh Brock, she goes to Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Tx. There needs to be serious consequences for these actions (in actions I mean racism). Not only has she done it one time but she's done it multiple times!"
The post went viral and spurned other similar tweets, according to the outlet, and the videos eventually made it to school officials.
In a statement, the university said that Brock's conduct was "deeply disappointing and unacceptable."
The school also insisted that her point of view was "not reflective of the [school's] Christian values."
"We are actively investigating and taking decisive action," the university's statement added.
HSU President Eric Bruntmyer announced that Brock's videos prompted the school to effect "meaningful change."
In a video, Brunmyer said, "As citizens, we have certain rights of freedom of speech in public forums, like many of the social media platforms. However, within the HSU community, that right is always linked with a responsibility as Christians, as well as an inherent responsibility in the consequences of our words and actions."
"Social media can be a powerful tool," he continued. "Used in the wrong way, it can have detrimental consequences. The views we express on social media should reflect the values and beliefs we uphold as followers of Christ. We must all use these platforms to build each other up, and not tear each other down."
Bruntmyer said that he would not detail what disciplinary actions taken against Brock, but did confirm that she is "no longer enrolled at Hardin Simmons University."


theblaze--2020-07-02--PSA uses mask-wearing 'Friday the 13th' slasher villain to get New Yorkers to ... wear masks

PSA uses mask-wearing 'Friday the 13th ' slasher villain to get New Yorkers to ... wear masks 'Wearing a mask @ @ @ @ @ wearing one can be deadly . '

A heath care ad agency created a new PSA using a killer celebrity to convince New Yorkers to wear face masks in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 — or face the deadly consequences.
New York City infamously was a longtime hotspot for the coronavirus, and as the disease raged, New York's leaders were at best inconsistent on how seriously they were taking the pandemic.
They demanded that people practice social distancing and stay home, but subway cars were crammed with people standing cheek-to-jowl.
That wasn't the only problem on the subway: New Yorkers could not get their leaders to do something about the homeless who were taking over the trains.
(The city did finally and belatedly begin declare they would clean subway cars on a more regular basis, though. So there's that.)
And those protests filled with thousands of unmasked people? Fuggedaboutit, they're fine. The Black Lives Matter protests, of course, not those demanding the government reopen the economy.
One could excuse the average Gothamite for being a little confused about how seriously to take the disease and their leaders' recommendations on how to combat it.
Here comes Jason
Enter Ogilvy Health.
The New York City ad agency employed a lookalike of Jason Voorhees, the familiar masked murderer from the "Friday the 13th" slasher film franchise, to explain to residents that wearing a mask isn't something to be afraid of: He wears one all the time.
The ad, which posted last month but started getting traction this week, features the character known for gruesomely massacring teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake wandering around the city while citizens do everything they can to avoid him.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
As he visits New York landmarks, he narrates his feelings about wearing the mask.
"It's not easy. The mask kinda makes people uncomfortable," he begins. "I don't have much of a social life."
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
"I wish people could see me for who I am — just tying to fit in, be a good fiend, make a living," the suddenly sympathetic villain says. "I know, the whole chainsaw thing, the woods, sneaking up on people — I get it. I don't have the best reputation. But the thing is, behind the mask, I'm just a regular guy. I'm not scary at all."
With that, a little girl bravely approaches Jason with a new kind of mask — a cloth one — just so he won't endanger others by spreading COVID ... or something.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
The scene fades to black, and the ad warns: "Wearing a mask can be scary. Not wearing one can be deadly. Wear a mask, New York."
No word yet on the number of minds changed by this PSA.
(H/T: WCVB-TV)


theblaze--2020-07-02--Alabama officials say students are throwing 'COVID-19 parties' where they bet cash on who will catc

Alabama officials say students are throwing 'COVID-19 parties' where they bet cash on who will catch coronavirus first

Alabama officials say students are throwing 'COVID-19 parties ' where they bet cash on who will catch coronavirus first People @ @ @ @ @ were purposely invited to the coronavirus party .

In recent years, there has been no shortage of potentially dangerous internet challenges that featured potential Darwin Award winners. There was the cinnamon challenge, salt and ice challenge, condom snorting, car surfing, and eating Tide Pods.
The latest example of young people throwing caution to the wind is college students reportedly hosting "COVID-19 parties" where the "winner" is whoever gets infected with the coronavirus first and receives a cash prize. This is a perfect example of sometimes when you win, you really lose.
There were reports that college students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, were throwing parties where attendees bet on who would catch the coronavirus first. To increase the stakes in the game of Wuhan Roulette, people who tested positive for COVID-19 were purposely invited.
"They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense," Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry told ABC News. "They're intentionally doing it."
City officials first believed that the coronavirus shindigs were just a rumor, but soon found out that these pandemic parties were sadly real.
"We thought that was kind of a rumor at first," Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told City Council members on Tuesday. "We did some research. Not only do the doctors' offices confirm it but the state confirmed they also had the same information."
Smith did not reveal which school the students attend. Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama, Shelton State Community College, and Stillman College. Smith also did not indicate whether or not actions would be taken against the students for attending the sick soirees.
"It makes me furious, furious to the fact that something that is so serious and deadly is being taken for granted," McKinstry said. "Not only is it irresponsible, but you could contract the virus and take it home to your parents or grandparents.
"It's nonsense," McKinstry said. "But I think when you're dealing with the mind frame of people who are intentionally doing stuff like that and they're spreading it intentionally, how can you truly fight something that people are constantly trying to promote?
"We're trying to break up any parties that we know of," McKinstry said.
Alabama residents are ordered to quarantine for 14 days if they test positive for COVID-19. Those who break the quarantine face a fine of up to $500.
Alabama saw 1,149 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, increasing the total number to over 40,000 and more than 17,000 active cases. There are over 2,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tuscaloosa County and 39 deaths.
So much for higher education.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Washington officials say Redskins won't be allowed to move into DC without changing team name and lo

Washington officials say Redskins won't be allowed to move into DC without changing team name and logo

Washington officials say Redskins wo n't be allowed to move into DC without changing team name and logo The ongoing @ @ @ @ @

The Washington Redskins NFL team is looking to relocate from its current Maryland home, but Washington, D.C., won't be welcoming the franchise unless it changes its name and logo, Fox News reported.
Washington, D.C., Democratic Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said she would fight any move by the Redskins to actually reside in Washington without the team changing a name some believe is racist.
"I call on Dan Snyder once again to face that reality, since he does still desperately want to be in the nation's capital," Norton said. "He has got a problem he can't get around — and he particularly can't get around it today, after the George Floyd killing."
Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio agreed, saying there is "no viable path, locally or federally" for a team with the name "Redskins" to call the district home.
The Redskins are looking to build a new stadium, and in the meantime were hoping to find a more favorable and accessible location than FedEx Field in Maryland. One proposal would have them moving to RFK Stadium in D.C., but that deal won't go through unless the team changes the name.
Team owner Dan Snyder has said in the past that he would never change the Redskins' name.
The franchise is exploring plans to build a new stadium in Virginia, but negotiations about how the stadium would be funded make that move uncertain.
The long-running controversy over the Redskins name, which is considered by some to be offensive to Native Americans, is flaring up again as recent racial tensions in the U.S. cause organizations to reevaluate any potential connections or references to racism.
Music artists like The Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) and Lady Antebellum (now Lady A) have changed their names. Brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's have removed black mascots deemed offensive from their packaging. Oregon and Oregon State stopped calling their annual football rivalry the Civil War, and NASCAR banned Confederate flags at its races.
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-07-02--San Francisco police to stop releasing mug shots over racial bias concerns

The San Francisco Police Department will no longer release the mug shots of arrested individuals — unless they pose a threat to public safety — over concerns of perpetuating racial bias , the department 's chief announced Wednesday .
Chief Bill Scott said that publishing the names and faces of arrested individuals on social media or in the news `` creates an illusory correlation for viewers that fosters racial bias and vastly overstates the propensity of Black and brown men to engage in criminal behavior , '' according to the San Francisco Chronicle .
Scott also reportedly said in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to concerns he had heard from members of the community , police officers , the public defender 's office , and prosecutors .
The police chief added that his own personal experiences in seeing mug shots published online also informed his decision .
`` Now , these are photos that were supplied by law enforcement , but that illustrates the point , '' Scott said .
`` When you see that enough , some people can start associating groups of people with criminal activity and crime , which leads to another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' According to the Associated Press , legal experts who also spoke at the news conference noted that mug shots are often released regardless of whether or not the individual is prosecuted for the crime , and suggested that making the booking photos public often undermines the presumption of innocence .
Scott said he believes his department is the first in the country to issue such a directive , but said he hoped other departments would consider following suit .
`` This is just one small step but we hope this will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , '' Scott said .
Jack Glaser , a professor at the University of California-Berkeley whose research Scott consulted before issuing the directive , said data shows black people are more likely to have their cases dismissed .
`` That may be just part and parcel of the same issue that police will stop and search Blacks at a lower threshold of suspicion in the first place and so , their arrests are more likely to be unsubstantiated , '' he said , according to the AP .
The Chronicle reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's media relations unit will handle the release of any booking photos or information about arrested individuals .

The San Francisco Police Department will no longer release the mug shots of arrested individuals — unless they pose a threat to public safety — over concerns of perpetuating racial bias, the department's chief announced Wednesday.
Chief Bill Scott said that publishing the names and faces of arrested individuals on social media or in the news "creates an illusory correlation for viewers that fosters racial bias and vastly overstates the propensity of Black and brown men to engage in criminal behavior," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Scott also reportedly said in an interview that he arrived at his decision in response to concerns he had heard from members of the community, police officers, the public defender's office, and prosecutors. The police chief added that his own personal experiences in seeing mug shots published online also informed his decision.
"Now, these are photos that were supplied by law enforcement, but that illustrates the point," Scott said. "When you see that enough, some people can start associating groups of people with criminal activity and crime, which leads to another whole host of problems — stereotyping."
According to the Associated Press, legal experts who also spoke at the news conference noted that mug shots are often released regardless of whether or not the individual is prosecuted for the crime, and suggested that making the booking photos public often undermines the presumption of innocence.
Scott said he believes his department is the first in the country to issue such a directive, but said he hoped other departments would consider following suit.
"This is just one small step but we hope this will be something that others might consider doing as well," Scott said.
Jack Glaser, a professor at the University of California-Berkeley whose research Scott consulted before issuing the directive, said data shows black people are more likely to have their cases dismissed.
"That may be just part and parcel of the same issue that police will stop and search Blacks at a lower threshold of suspicion in the first place and so, their arrests are more likely to be unsubstantiated," he said, according to the AP.
The Chronicle reported that under the new order, the department's media relations unit will handle the release of any booking photos or information about arrested individuals.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Polyamorous domestic partnerships recognized by Massachusetts city council — perhaps a first in US

Polyamorous domestic partnerships recognized by Massachusetts city council — perhaps a first in US 'When society and government tries to @ @ @ @ @ not a family , we 've historically done a very poor job of doing so @

The city council in Somerville, Massachusetts, unanimously approved an ordinance recognizing polyamorous domestic partnerships earlier this week, the MetroWest Daily News reported.
The paper said Monday the city "quietly became one of the first" in America "if not the first" to do so.
What are the details?
A few word changes in the city's new domestic partnership ordinance was all it took, the Daily News reported, noting that "entity formed by two persons" was changed to "entity formed by people," and "he and she" was replaced with "they," and "both" was replaced with "all."
Somerville is in the process of changing its domestic partnership application to include space for more than two partners, the paper said, but polyamorous partners soon will be able to file.
Ward 6 Councilor Lance Davis, who chairs the Legislative Matters committee that reviewed the ordinance, told the Daily News that fellow Councilor J.T. Scott asked him about word changes just before last Thursday's council meeting.
"[He] reached out and said, 'Why is this two?' And I said, 'I don't have a good answer,'" Davis recalled to the paper. "I tripped over my words a bit, and played devil's advocate, but I had no good reason. So, I pulled it out, went through quickly making whatever word changes necessary to make it not gendered or limited to two people."
Davis added to the Daily News, "I've consistently felt that when society and government tries to define what is or is not a family, we've historically done a very poor job of doing so. It hasn't gone well, and it's not a business that government should be in, so that guided my thinking on this."
Princeton prof sounds off
Robert P. George — McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University — on Thursday said, "Now that we're actually seeing the formal legal recognition of polyamory, you can count me as the least surprised person in the country."
George, in his Facebook post, pointed to an article he wrote five years ago contending that "the acceptance and legal recognition of polyamory would soon follow 'same-sex marriage.'" He added that his prediction "didn't take any great insight. Certainly no crystal ball was needed. It was simply a matter of following the logic."
Here's the rest of George's post:
Marriage is a conjugal relationship. It unites a man and woman as husband and wife in a comprehensive sharing of life founded on their biological (bodily) reality and complementarity — a bond uniquely apt for the conceiving, bearing, and rearing of any children who may come of their union. It is shaped and normatively structured by that aptness, whether in any particular case the spouses have or even can have children together.
All of this is elementary and, in a certain sense obvious: Even now, everybody knows that if Homo sapiens were not a species that reproduces sexually, no culture would ever have developed the concept of marriage. And yet, secular progressive ideology over a period of some decades obscured it and gradually eroded people's understanding of it and commitment to it.
The redefinition of "marriage" as sexual-romantic companionship or domestic partnership is perforce its abolition. Once the conjugal nature of marriage is compromised to render the sexes ("gender") of the "spouses" irrelevant, there can no longer be any principled reason to restrict the number of "spouses" or "partners" to two. If gender doesn't matter, then number doesn't matter either. There is no logical way around that.
Now that we're actually seeing the formal legal recognition of polyamory, you can count me as the least surprised person in the country. It's bad, and in the larger historical context shocking, but once we abolished the core concept of marriage as conjugal union this development was inevitable. Polyamory would follow same-sex marriage as night follows day.
Anything else?
Somerville's Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who signed the ordinance into law Monday, made headlines in 2018 when he vowed to never drink Sam Adams beer again after he found out that Jim Koch — the Boston Beer Company's founder and chairman — thanked President Donald Trump for his administration's tax cuts.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Horowitz: Republicans won’t even fight for self-defense

Forget the mask ; what we really need in this new America is a bulletproof vest .

Forget about wearing a mask; what we really need to wear in this new version of America is a bulletproof vest or body armor.
As our country burns and life, liberty, and property are gravely threatened in America's cities, Republican Sen. Tim Scott is focusing on renaming our military bases. Republican Sens. James Lankford and Ron Johnson are focusing on abolishing Columbus Day. Rather than deter and punish the violent anarchist mobs, they are taking their marching orders straight from the mobs. Who said violence is not the answer? Who ever said crime doesn't pay?
I've been tracking the dangerous trend of motorists and truck drivers being attacked by mobs blocking the roads and even highways. One would think they could just avoid the worst neighborhoods of Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York and confidently drive unmolested by the mob. Nope. These people are everywhere, including in small towns in red states, yet they remain just as undeterred as they are in blue states.
On Monday night, a motorist was surrounded on the streets of Provo, Utah, when he was trying to make a right turn. The mob started throwing things at the car, and as he gingerly pushed forward, one of the rioters shot into the car and injured the driver. His wounds are not life-threatening, but others haven't been as fortunate.
Thankfully, police arrested 33-year-old Jesse Taggart on attempted murder charges. Taggart is believed to have attacked another driver by breaking his window with his gun. What about all the other rioters? Are the roads clear? Were they punished? Why is there no deterrent even in a county where Hillary Clinton won just 14% of the vote?
I'll tell you why there is no deterrent: Even in states Republicans control, they refuse to punish the rioters unless they shoot someone, they refuse to clear the roads, they refuse to protect the police from unjust lawfare, and they refuse to empower the citizenry to fight back and defend themselves. When they do, they are the ones who get prosecuted, and those sheriffs who call for their defense get fired.
Earlier this week, Sioux Rapids, Iowa, officials suspended police chief Tim Porter for two weeks without pay for commenting on a Facebook post about one of the attacks on motorists: "hit the gas and hang on over the road bumps."
So even in red states and counties, people surrounding and attacking motorists are now protected classes? These are not people merely trying to hand out funky literature; many of them are coming for blood. Trump carried this county in Iowa by 25 points. If we can't elect leaders in these areas who think that motorists don't have to submit to beatings or deaths, we are done as a nation.
Yesterday, rioters blocked I-94 in Minnesota to protest a shooting … in Ethiopia. Blocking highways is not freedom of speech; it's insurrection.
Last week, Bill Torpy wrote a column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relating how he and a former reporter for that same newspaper were held up near the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot. Armed black men were manning checkpoints and stopping white people from driving into the area. He relates how there are now shootings in the area and it has become a no-go zone for cops. In general, 170 cops called out sick after officers were charged by the DA for the Brooks shooting. Local news are reporting about lawlessness in the streets of Atlanta with cars performing stunts and blocking the roads.
How does any of this happen in a state with full GOP control? Why is it that all Republicans care about is legislating on behalf of the mob instead of against the mob?
Republicans are missing a golden opportunity to force a fight over self-defense, crime, law and order, and safe streets. Gun sales for June have hit yet another record high, 70% higher than in June 2019. People are scared, they want order and safety, and they want the ability to protect themselves, knowing that the perpetrators will be the ones prosecuted, not them. Is it too hard for Republicans to stand for those people, these citizens of all races and creeds?
Clay County Florida Sheriff Darryl Daniels had the right spirit when he threatened to deputize law-abiding gun owners to help keep the peace if rioters start messing with his county. "If we can't handle you, you know what I'll do? I will exercise the power and authority as the sheriff, and I will make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in this county," he said in a viral YouTube video. "And I'll deputize them for this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility. That's what we're sworn to do, and that's what we're going to do."
Speaking with the moral clarity we hear from almost no Republican, Sheriff Daniels declared, "Lawlessness — that's unacceptable in this country. Lawlessness — that's unacceptable in Clay County. And if you threaten to come to Clay County and think that for one second that we'll bend our backs for you, you're sadly mistaken."
That is the spirit we need from everyone in office, including the president, Republican governors, and county executives. Self-defense is the bulwark against anarchy.
1992 might have been the election of, "It's the economy, stupid." Well, this election better be, "It's the anarchy, stupid." And that begins with Republicans demonstrating their commitment to the rule of law in places where they already are in power.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Rapper goes viral for decrying BLM: 'It’s not our movement' — it 'was given to us by ... George Soro

Rapper goes viral for decrying BLM: 'It’s not our movement' — it 'was given to us by ... George Soros and his f***ing boys'

Rapper goes viral for decrying BLM : 'It ’ s not our movement ' — it 'was given to us @ @ @ @ @ his f***ing boys' This drew a lot of attention to say the least

Rapper Lord Jamar says that Black Lives Matter is not the black population's movement and is serving only to distract the black community from a mission of peace and equality.
What are the details?
In an interview with SCUM, the 51-year-old rapper — real name Lorenzo Dechalus — said that the Black Lives Matter movement was created by leftist billionaire George Soros.
"I'm not no Black Lives Matter supporter," he admitted during the interview. "No. Absolutely not. Because it's not our movement. This is a movement that was given to us by, you know, George Soros and his f***ing boys. Because they saw how things were going, and they didn't want to go back to the '60s to where we started having our own organic movements."
Jamar added that such "organic movements" were a "big f***ing problem for them."
"So let's give the people a movement that we can control," he explained. "We'll provide them the leaders and all this type of s**t. That's what Black Lives Matter is."
Jamar also blasted the movement's leadership, which happens to be all-female: Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi.
He explained that the women — who he says are lesbians — are attempting to manipulate LGBTQ equality into the Black Lives Matter movement and make it a black issue.
"These lesbian women who are trying to, you know, incorporate LG — whatever the f*** the letters are — incorporate their concerns into black people's concerns," he added.
Content warning: Rough language:
Anything else?
In June, Jamar said that many of the protests following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis were staged by paid instigators.
"This is something that's being influenced, agitated, there are people that are paid agitators that are out there right now who are doing certain things that ultimately we as black people are going to get the blame for," he insisted. "You've got black people out here actually trying to stop them from doing this s**t!"
He also added that much of America is attempting to inflame tensions between minorities and white Americans.
"America is trying to start a race war," he said. "America has been trying to ... get black people to react in a violent way as a protest against all the murders and stuff that they've been doing. But we didn't do it. We didn't do it, partially because the type of youth that exists today are not as politically astute as the youth that existed when I was coming up."
Jamar, who is best known for being a part of the group Brand Nubian, is also an actor and appeared as Supreme Allah in "Oz."
Content warning: Rough language:


theblaze--2020-07-02--US Customs seizes 13 tons of human hair suspected to be from China's Uighur internment camps

US Customs seizes 13 tons of human hair suspected to be from China 's Uighur internment camps Customs and Border @ @ @ @ @ from China points to 'potential human right abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment '

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a massive shipment of human hair products from China that point to "potential human right abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment." CBP officers at the Port of New York/Newark nabbed a shipment of 13 tons of hair products worth over $800,000, as reported by Axios.
The human hair products, which originated from Xinjiang, China, were seized on Tuesday because of suspicions they were linked to China's Uighur concentration camps. The products included wigs and hair extensions made from human hair.
"If this highly suspicious, 13-ton shipment of human hair indeed turns out to be linked to the Uyghur concentration camps, then this is a new low — even for the Chinese Communist Party," National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said.
The hair products were manufactured by Lop County Meixin Hair Product Co. Ltd. and were seized in accordance with a Withhold Release Order on June 17, according to a CBP press release.
"CBP instructed ports of entry nationwide to detain all such products based on information that reasonably indicated that they are manufactured with the use of prison labor," the statement read. "The manufacturing process may include additional situations of forced labor, including, but not limited to, excessive overtime, withholding of wages, and the restriction of movement."
The Chinese government operates "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, located in northwest China. The Chinese Communist Party officially calls the camps "vocational education and training centers."
The labor camps force Uighur and other Muslim ethnic minorities to assimilate under the guise of countering extremism and terrorism. Detainees must attend indoctrination sessions and are forced to work in factories.
In 2018, the United Nations said there are a million ethnic Uighurs held in what resembles a "massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy" in China. Randall Schriver, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, estimated that the number of detained Muslims could be "closer to 3 million citizens."
"The (Chinese) Communist Party is using the security forces for mass imprisonment of Chinese Muslims in concentration camps," Schriver told the Pentagon during a briefing in 2019.
The Tariff Act of 1930 prohibits the "importation of merchandise mined, produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, in any foreign country by forced or indentured labor — including forced child labor. Such merchandise is subject to exclusion and/or seizure, and may lead to criminal investigation of the importer(s)."
"The production of these goods constitutes a very serious human rights violation, and the detention order is intended to send a clear and direct message to all entities seeking to do business with the United States that illicit and inhumane practices will not be tolerated in U.S. supply chains," said Brenda Smith, executive assistant commissioner of the CBP Office of Trade.
Mihrigul Tursun, a member of the Uighur minority in China, provided details of her experience at one of the internment camps, including having her head shaved.
"Mihrigul Tursun, speaking to reporters in Washington, said she was interrogated for four days in a row without sleep, had her hair shaved and was subjected to an intrusive medical examination following her second arrest in China in 2017. After she was arrested a third time, the treatment grew worse," CBS News reported.
CBS reported that Tursun said she spent three months in a "cramped, suffocating prison cell with 60 other women, having to sleep in turns, use the toilet in front of security cameras and sing songs praising China's Communist Party."
Tursun claims that detainees were forced to take unknown medication, including "pills that made them faint and a white liquid that caused bleeding in some women and loss of menstruation in others." Tursun alleges that nine women from her cell died during her three-month imprisonment.
Earlier this week, an Associated Press investigation found the Chinese government is "taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population." The investigation found "widespread and systematic" efforts to reduce the minority population, including state-mandated pregnancy checks of minority women, forced use of intrauterine devices, sterilization, and abortion.
On June 17, President Donald Trump signed into law the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which enables the U.S. government to freeze the assets of individuals and entities who are responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang internment camps. The Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 passed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by nearly unanimous consent.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Justice Department unseals disturbing and lurid charges against Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine

Justice Department unseals disturbing and lurid charges against Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

The Justice Department on Thursday unsealed six federal criminal charges against Ghislaine Maxwell , Jeffrey Epstein 's longtime confidante and associate , following her Thursday morning arrest .
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York signed the indictment .
What are the details ?
Maxwell is charged with two counts of conspiracy , enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts , transporting minors for illegal sex acts , and two counts of perjury .
Prosecutors allege that Maxwell had been assisting the alleged sexual trafficking of late financier Jeffrey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from at least in or about 1994 , up to and including at least in or about 1997 , MAXWELL assisted , facilitated , and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein 's abuse of minor girls by , among other things , helping Epstein to recruit , groom , and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18 , '' a portion of the indictment says .
The prosecutors continued , “ As a part and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims , GHISLAINE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Epstein enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein 's residences in different states , which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse . ''
According to the indictment , Maxwell groomed and recruited underage girls for Epstein 's pleasure by building personal relationships with them .
When she was able to form bonds and establish trust with her child victims , she would hand them over to Epstein for his purposes , the indictment alleges .
`` Maxwell 's presence during the minor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interactions where the minor victim was undressed or that involved sex acts with Epstein , helped put the victims at ease because an adult woman was present , '' the indictment says .
Further , the indictment pointed out that she , Epstein , and `` others '' participated in such activity .
`` [ O ] thers known and unknown , would and did , knowingly transport an individual who had not attained the age of 18 in interstate and foreign commerce , with the intent that the individual engage in sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with a criminal offense , '' the indictment adds .
Prosecutors also allege that Maxwell committed perjury , stemming from a 2016 deposition in which she insisted that she had no knowledge of her longtime boyfriend 's penchant for trafficking minors .
Maxwell is set to appear in federal court on Thursday in connection with the lascivious charges .
You can read the full 18-page document here .

The Justice Department on Thursday unsealed six federal criminal charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime confidante and associate, following her Thursday morning arrest.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York signed the indictment.
What are the details?
Maxwell is charged with two counts of conspiracy, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting minors for illegal sex acts, and two counts of perjury.
Prosecutors allege that Maxwell had been assisting the alleged sexual trafficking of late financier Jeffrey Epstein since 1994.
“In particular, from at least in or about 1994, up to and including at least in or about 1997, MAXWELL assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18," a portion of the indictment says.
The prosecutors continued, “As a part and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims, GHISLAINE MAXWELL, the defendant, and Jeffrey Epstein enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein's residences in different states, which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse."
According to the indictment, Maxwell groomed and recruited underage girls for Epstein's pleasure by building personal relationships with them. When she was able to form bonds and establish trust with her child victims, she would hand them over to Epstein for his purposes, the indictment alleges.
"Maxwell's presence during the minor victims' interactions with Epstein, including interactions where the minor victim was undressed or that involved sex acts with Epstein, helped put the victims at ease because an adult woman was present," the indictment says.
Were others involved?
Further, the indictment pointed out that she, Epstein, and "others" participated in such activity.
"[O]thers known and unknown, would and did, knowingly transport an individual who had not attained the age of 18 in interstate and foreign commerce, with the intent that the individual engage in sexual activity for which a person can be charged with a criminal offense," the indictment adds.
Prosecutors also allege that Maxwell committed perjury, stemming from a 2016 deposition in which she insisted that she had no knowledge of her longtime boyfriend's penchant for trafficking minors.
Maxwell is set to appear in federal court on Thursday in connection with the lascivious charges.
You can read the full 18-page document here.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Massachusetts police detective fired after pro-Black Lives Matter social media post angers departmen

Massachusetts police detective fired after pro-Black Lives Matter social media post angers department

Her colleagues did n't appreciate the sentiment People hold signs during a Solidarity for Black Lives Rally in Boston 's @ @ @ @ @ ( Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images )

A police detective in Massachusetts was fired last month after a social media post supporting Black Lives Matter angered her superiors and colleagues on the force, MassLive reported.
Florissa Fuentes of the Springfield Police Department posted an image on her personal Instagram account on May 30, showing her niece protesting in Atlanta the day before. The niece was holding a sign that read "Shoot the F*** Back," and another person in the picture was holding a sign that read "Who do we call when the murderer wears the badge?"
Fuentes said she was just trying to support her niece and didn't mean to offend anyone and that she only later realized how the inflammatory rhetoric may have angered her co-workers.
"After I posted it, I started getting calls and texts from co-workers," Fuentes said, according to MassLive. "I was initially confused, but then I realized they thought I was being anti-cop. I wasn't. I was just supporting my niece's activism. I had no malicious intent, and I wouldn't put a target on my own back. I'm out there on the streets every day like everyone else."
Fuentes took the post down the next day, but the damage to her reputation within the department had already been done. She was written up for a social media violation by Capt. Trent Duda, who also told her that Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood was upset about the post.
Even an apology post Fuentes wrote after meeting with Clapprood and other senior officers was so poorly received that she had to delete that as well.
On June 19, all Springfield officers were called in for a group photo shoot to display the department's unity and diversity. Fuentes showed up and participated in the photo shoot, but was told by Officer Joseph Gentile, the Springfield Police Patrolmen's Association president, that she could either resign or be fired, and Fuentes chose to be fired.
"That's the issue with social media — once you post something it's out there and you can't retract it," Clapprood said. "That post was hurtful to many of her co-workers. ... It was the second issue she had, and being on probation, it was my decision to terminate her employment."
(H/T: The Hill)


theblaze--2020-07-02--US economy shatters expectations with 4.8 million jobs added in June, but some warn that a downturn

US economy shatters expectations with 4.8 million jobs added in June, but some warn that a downturn is coming

US economy shatters expectations with 4.8 million jobs added in June , but some warn that a downturn is coming

The U.S. economy continued its strong bounce-back by adding 4.8 million jobs in June, but some are warning that the numbers don't reflect a potential downturn due to the recent surge in the coronavirus cases.
What's the good news?
The nearly 5 million jobs added in June make it the second consecutive month of gains after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April alone due to widespread COVID-19 shutdowns. The unemployment rate also dropped to 11.1%, down from its high of 14.7% in April.
According to CNBC, the jobs report smashed expectations, as economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting only 2.9 million jobs to be added and the unemployment rate to only drop to 12.4%.
"Today's announcement proves that our economy is roaring back. It's coming back extremely strong," President Donald Trump said of the numbers in a news conference Thursday morning.
"This is the largest monthly jobs gain in the history of our country," he added.
The president also highlighted the sharp drop in black unemployment, which fell from 16.8% to 15.4%, saying, "these are historic numbers."
What's the bad news?
However, most mainstream news outlets are reporting that since the Labor Department survey comes from the middle of the month, the numbers don't accurately reflect the state of economy.
Several states across the southern and western regions of the U.S. have experienced a marked uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last couple weeks. The surge in cases, experts say, may have a negative effect on the economy heading into July.
"The 4.8 million rise in non-farm payrolls in June provides further confirmation that the initial economic rebound has been far faster than we and most others anticipated," said Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, according to CNBC. "But that still leaves employment 9.6% below its February level and with the spread of the virus accelerating again, we expect the recovery from here will be a lot bumpier and job gains far slower on average."
"This slowdown is going to have an impact, absolutely. How big is hard to say," said Steve Blitz, chief U.S. economist at TS Lombard.
Anything else?
Despite the ominous headwinds, the stock market reacted favorably to the news, NPR noted. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up by more than 400 points Thursday morning.
While discussing the stock market bump, Trump reportedly remarked: "This is not just luck, what's happening. This is a lot of talent."
The leisure and hospitality job sector reported the biggest gains, adding 2.1 million jobs, which accounted for roughly 40% of the total economic growth.
Other sectors reporting sizable growth were retail, education and health services, and manufacturing.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Rioter wearing 'Love Is Always the Answer' T-shirt accused of bashing cop in head with baseball bat

Rioter wearing 'Love Is Always the Answer ' T-shirt accused of bashing cop in head with baseball bat The officer @ @ @ @ @ ' police said

Police in Salt Lake City are asking for the public's help in identifying a man they said assaulted officers, including striking one in the head with a baseball bat "causing serious injury," during a May 30 protest that turned into a riot, KUTV-TV reported.
The suspect was wearing a "Love Is Always the Answer" T-shirt.
"We still need your help," police said on Twitter. "This individual assaulted officers, including striking one in the head with a baseball bat which caused serious injury. If you can identify him, or know where he is, please call 801-799-3000."
What else?
According to KSTU-TV, the officer was wearing a helmet but was still transported to a hospital. Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown told the station 21 officers were injured.
The station said in a video that there were 46 arrests stemming from the riot and that the number was expected to rise.
Two vehicles were flipped over and set on fire, KSTU said, including an unoccupied police vehicle.


theblaze--2020-07-02--VIDEO: Denzel Washington gets real about his Christian faith journey, reveals moment he was 'filled

VIDEO: Denzel Washington gets real about his Christian faith journey, reveals moment he was 'filled with the Holy Ghost'

VIDEO : Denzel Washington gets real about his Christian faith journey , reveals moment he was 'filled with the Holy @ @

Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington recently revealed the moment he was "filled with the Holy Ghost," telling New York City Pastor A.R. Bernard how the "supernatural" experience helped him on his journey to live a Christian lifestyle.
"I was filled with the Holy Ghost and it scared me," Washington recently told Bernard during an Instagram Live discussion. "I said, 'Wait a minute, I didn't want to go this deep, I want to party.'"
The actor joked that he devoted himself to God three times over the years and that he wasn't quite ready at first to live a biblical life, as the Christian Post noted.
But while it took time for Washington to fully embrace a Christian lifestyle, he revealed what happened when he profoundly encountered the Holy Spirit at a California church in the 1980s.
"I went to church with Robert Townsend and when it came time to come down to the altar I said, 'You know this time, I'm just going to go down there and give it up and see what happens,'" Washington recalled. "I went in the prayer room and gave it up and let go and experienced something I've never experienced in my life."
Watch Washington discuss his faith:
He called the experience "supernatural" and said he didn't completely understand it at the time.
Years later, Washington has fully come into his faith, openly speaking about his love for Jesus. He told the Christian Post in 2017 that he is "unashamed and unafraid" to share his beliefs.
(Read also: 18 Christian Celebrities Who Are Changing Show Business)
Read more about Washington's comments here.
As Pure Flix Insider recently reported, Washington went viral earlier this year after he pulled over on the side of the road to help a homeless man.
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.
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This story has been updated with a corrected byline.


theblaze--2020-07-02--US soccer player Rachel Hill chose to stand for the anthem when everyone else kneeled. Now, she's ex

US soccer player Rachel Hill chose to stand for the anthem when everyone else kneeled. Now, she's explaining why.

US soccer player Rachel Hill chose to stand for the anthem when everyone else kneeled .
Now , she 's @ @ @ @ @ have to explain ?

Last week during the launch of the NSWL's 2020 Challenge Cup, Chicago Red Stars soccer player Rachel Hill made headlines for choosing to remain standing during the national anthem — while the rest of her team kneeled.
Her teammates kneeling in support of "black lives matter" protests included Julie Ertz and Casey Short, who embraced with tears next to her. While the anthem played, Hill bowed her head and placed her hand on Short's shoulder.
After images from the pregame activities emerged, social media users both criticized and applauded the 25-year-old Hill for her decision to stand.
Likely as a result of the pressure of being in the national spotlight, Hill posted an explanation of her decision on Instagram, Wednesday, saying the decision to stand was one that "did not come easily or without profound thought."
"Before the game, I was completely torn on what to do," she said. "I spoke with friends, family, and teammates — of all races, religions and backgrounds — with the hope of guidance."
Hill then explained that while she supported the message of kneeling, she chose to stand for the anthem on behalf of the military members of her family.
"I chose to stand because of what the flag inherently means to my military family members and me, but I 100% percent support my peers," she said. "Symbolically, I tried to show this with the placement of my hand on Casey's shoulder and bowing my head."
"If this wasn't clear, let my words and further actions be," she added. "I support the black lives matter movement wholeheartedly. I also support and will do my part in fighting against the current inequality. As a white athlete, it is way past due for me to be diligently anti-racist."
Video of the pregame activities shows that while every one of Hill's teammates chose to kneel, a few players on the opposing team, the Washington Spirit, opted to stand like Hill.
In a joint statement with Ertz regarding their decision to kneel, Short specifically addressed a conversation she had with Hill following the game.
"I, Casey, can only speak for myself but the conversations I have had with players, specifically Rachel, have been unapologetically authentic," Short said. "I have to ask where my hope lies. It lies in my faith and those types of conversations that have been long overdue. The types of conversations that are raw and uncomfortable, that can lead to real impactful change."
In a statement released Sunday, the National Women's Soccer League said that while it is "proud" of its players for bringing attention to social justice, it is supportive of all players regardless of their "personal decision" to stand or kneel during the anthem.
The Spirit won the game 2-1.


theblaze--2020-07-02--Leftist Harvard grad goes viral over threat to 'stab' the 'next person' who says 'All Lives Matter.'

Leftist Harvard grad goes viral over threat to 'stab' the 'next person' who says 'All Lives Matter.' Now she's going to the unemployment line.

Leftist Harvard grad goes viral over threat to 'stab ' the 'next person ' who says 'All Lives Matter .
@ @ @ @ @ to the unemployment line .
Taken down a few pegs , a tearful Claira Janover @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump 'took my job away from me '

It was apparently lightning-fast justice.
Recent Harvard graduate Claira Janover went viral for posting a TikTok video in which she threatened to "stab" the "next person" who has "the nerve, the sheer entitled caucasity to say 'All Lives Matter.'"
"I'ma stab you," Janover growled. "I'ma stab you, and while you're struggling and bleeding out, I'ma show you my paper cut and say, 'My cut matters, too.'"
Claira Janover: I will stab you if you say “All Lives Matter" youtu.be
'Trump supporters took my job away from me'
But Janover struck a very different tone shortly thereafter in follow-up videos she posted Wednesday, tearfully telling her fans that she'd been fired from her job — and that supporters of President Donald Trump were to blame.
"Trump supporters took my job away from me," the blubbering Ivy Leaguer said in one video. "I have gotten death threats, rape threats, violent threats. It was OK, but now my future's entirely compromised because Trump supporters have decided to come for my life. God, this sucks. You guys suck."
Janover added, "I'm too strong for you. I'm too strong for any of you 'All Lives Matter,' racist Trump supporters. It sucks. But it doesn't suck as much as systemic racism. And I'm not gonna stop using my platform to advocate for it."
She also ripped her former employer, U.K.-based accounting firm Deloitte, where Janover was an "incoming government and public business service analyst," the New York Post said, citing her LinkedIn account.
"And I'm sorry, Deloitte, that you can't see that," she continued. "That you were cowardice [sic] enough to fight somebody who's going to make an indelible change in the world and is going to have an impact."
The Post said Deloitte didn't immediately respond to multiple requests for comment.
Claira Janover the Radical BLM from Harvard Gets Fired for Violent Comments 😭😭 youtu.be
'I know this is what Trump supporters wanted'
Janover posted yet another clip detailing more about her tragic comeuppance.
"I know this is what Trump supporters wanted because standing up for Black Lives Matter put me in a place online to be seen by millions of people," she said before losing her composure once again. "The job that I'd worked really hard to get and meant a lot to me has called me and fired me because of everything."
In the video, Janover pointed upward toward an image of what appeared to be a page from Deloitte's website and said her termination happened "even though they claim to stand against systematic [sic] bias, racism, and unequal treatment."
She also told the "thousands" of Trump supporters who she said sent her death threats and violent messages that "I'm still not going to stop talking about and defending Black Lives Matter. You can't take away my spirit and my devotion toward human rights."
After her original threat to "stab" the "next person" who says "all lives matter" went viral, the Post said Janover claimed she wasn't being serious.