theblaze--2020-04-15--Thousands surround Michigan Capitol in protest of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home orders

'Citizens are frankly tired of being treated like babies .
As adults , we now know what needs to be @ @ @ @ @ '

Thousands of protesters descended on the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday, jamming the streets while waving flags and chanting "lock her up" in a demonstration against the restrictive stay-at-home mandates ordered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
What are the details?
The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund organized the demonstration, dubbed "Operation Gridlock," urging Michiganders to drive around the Capitol at "high noon" and encouraging citizens to "honk horns, paint cars or bring signs" in protest of the governor's executive orders — some of the most restrictive in the nation to be imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers told participants to remain in their vehicles, but several demonstrators took to the Capitol steps with signs and flags to show their disdain for the state's lockdown. NBC News reported that protesters chanted "Open up Michigan" and "Lock her up!" in reference to Whitmer, who is also facing a petition for her recall.
"Citizens are frankly tired of being treated like babies," Michigan Conservative Coalition co-founder Marian Sheridan told the outlet ahead of the rally. "As adults, we now know what needs to be done to stay safe."
Michigan State Police estimated that somewhere 3,000 to 4,000 people showed up to the protest.
Gov. Whitmer argued on NBC's Today show that since there was still snow on the ground in some areas with more in the forecast, "the fact that we're cracking down on people traveling between homes or planting or landscaping or golfing really for a couple more weeks isn't going to meaningfully impact people's ability to do it because the snow will do that in and of itself."
Anything else?
Also on Wednesday, four county sheriffs joined forces and issued a statement announcing they refuse to strictly enforce some of Whitmer's mandates, saying, "While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority." The press released was signed by Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel, Manistee County Sheriff Ken Falk, and Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.


theblaze--2020-04-15--California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces $125 million coronavirus relief fund for illegal aliens

The state is partnering with immigrant rights groups to raise money

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would be giving out millions in relief funds to illegal aliens because of the economic devastation from the coronavirus epidemic.
"California is the most diverse state in the nation. Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient," said Newsom in the statement on Wednesday.
He indicated that the state would contribute $75 million in taxpayer funds, while a network of immigration rights organizations have pledged to raise another $50 million for the fund.
"Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis," he added. "We are all in this together."
Illegal aliens in California will receive a onetime cash benefit of $500 per adult, with a household cap of $1,000, according to ABC-7. The benefits will go to those affected by the coronavirus economic downturn but ineligible for insurance or federal disaster relief.
About 150,000 illegal aliens are expected to receive the benefit.
California's total population is about 40 million, while illegal aliens constitute about 1.5 million of that, according to some estimates.
The state has reported more than 23,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 810 recovered, and 758 deaths. Newsom was the first state governor to order a "stay at home" order on March 19 in response to the pandemic.
Here's more about the California illegal alien fund:


theblaze--2020-04-15--Wait, what?: Chris Cuomo denies trashing his job, and says he never meant it

Wait , what ?
: Chris Cuomo denies trashing his job , and says he never meant it

Poor CNN host Chris Cuomo. If being forced to face each day being Chris Cuomo wasn't enough, now it appears that the coronavirus rendered him unable to recall comments he's made while recording a podcast. Watch the video below and enjoy Steven Crowder as he explains Cuomo's absurd admittance and denial of comments he made about his job.
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theblaze--2020-04-15--While millions are jobless amid COVID-19, millionaire Nancy Pelosi shows off freezer full of ice cre

While millions are jobless amid COVID-19, millionaire Nancy Pelosi shows off freezer full of ice cream that gets her through 'these trying times'

While millions are jobless amid COVID-19 , millionaire Nancy Pelosi shows off freezer full of ice cream that gets her @ @ @ @ @

While millions of Americans have lost their jobs in a matter of weeks amid widespread, forced business closures meant to flatten the coronavirus curve, wealthy Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi found the time to chat via video conferencing with TV host James Corden about — wait for it — her sweet tooth.
Aww, ain't she sweet?
The host of "The Late Late Show With James Corden" asked Pelosi to do a show and tell from her home, and the multimillionaire California politician was only too happy to share a view of her basket of chocolate:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
But Corden really got excited after Pelosi — standing in front of very expensive-looking refrigerators — opened up her freezer drawer and showed that it was full of freshly stocked ice cream.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
"I don't know what I would've done if ice cream were not invented," Pelosi remarked.
Here comes the gut-punch line
One might think she'd just leave the short chat alone at its conclusion, but the clip of her exchange with Corden showed up on Madame Speaker's Twitter account — along with the following incredulous caption: "We all have found our ways to keep our spirits up during these trying times. Mine just happens to fill up my freezer."
"Trying times"? Really?
Pelosi is in no danger of losing her job amid the coronavirus shutdown — at least not until after November's election. But even then, what would she have to worry about? PolitiFact noted that Pelosi's net worth shared with her business tycoon husband is no lower than $34 million and could be as high as $160 million.
How did others react?
Journalist Glenn Greenwald called Pelosi's video-op "tone deaf" and remarked that the "two huge refrigerators by themselves cost more than many people make in a year."
Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of the Intercept, was equally put off:
And Matt Whitlock, senior adviser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had this to say:
(H/T: Red State)


theblaze--2020-04-15--Commentary: NYC is inflating official coronavirus death numbers. Here's what that means, and why it'

Commentary: NYC is inflating official coronavirus death numbers. Here's what that means, and why it's a bad idea.

Commentary : NYC is inflating official coronavirus death numbers .
Here 's what that means , and why it 's @ @ @ @

The number of people who had died in New York City from COVID-19 increased dramatically Tuesday, but not because the outbreak is worsening.
Instead, the sudden 3,700-death increase was the result of the city choosing to now include "presumed" coronavirus deaths in the overall total. Previously, only people who had tested positive for the virus were counted.
Counting presumed coronavirus deaths in the same category as confirmed coronavirus deaths guarantees that many deaths that were not caused by coronavirus end up being counted as if COVID-19 was the primary cause. This is statistically, politically, and psychologically harmful.
Bad Data
One of the biggest obstacles to coming up with appropriate government responses to the coronavirus pandemic is the lack of complete and reliable data. We still can't test everyone, so we don't have a good idea how many people really have been and are currently positive for COVID-19.
So, we don't know how much immunity exists in the population, and we can't yet calculate an accurate infection fatality rate (number of deaths/number of total infections). We have only a case fatality rate (number of deaths/number of lab confirmed infections). The sickest people are the ones being tested right now, creating a higher death rate.
The data problem works both ways. There is some thought that we aren't catching all the coronavirus deaths. New York City has seen significantly more home deaths recently, some of which may have been caused by COVID-19. That realization helped lead NYC officials to start counting presumed coronavirus deaths.
Even if that's true, it's even more certain that we aren't catching nearly all of the coronavirus infections in this country. A recent analysis estimated that the U.S. has a detection rate of less than 2%. So for every potentially missed coronavirus death, there are no doubt many, many more unidentified infections.
When you boost the number of deaths based on presumption, but continue tracking the number of cases based on lab confirmation, you create the appearance that COVID-19 is much more fatal than it really is — and even the low estimates still show it to be much more deadly than the flu. We certainly don't need to be inflating that number.
Presumed coronavirus deaths should be tracked, but combining them with confirmed deaths only makes it more difficult to analyze the situation.
Bad Policy
The reasons given by officials for this counting method are alarming. Here's what NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said, according to Politico:
"Behind every death is a friend, a family member, a loved one. We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died because of COVID-19 gets counted," Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said in a statement. "As a city, it is part of the healing process to be able to grieve and mourn for all those that have passed because of COVID-19. While these data reflect the tragic impact that the virus has had on our city, they will also help us to determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions."
It is important to remember that death tolls represent thousands of individuals lost and families broken in mourning. That said, allowing that concern to influence the data used to make public health decisions seems unwise.
After NYC reported that first responders were seeing 10 times more home deaths than usual, Mayor Bill de Blasio essentially said we should consider them all to be coronavirus:
"I am assuming the vast majority of those deaths are coronavirus-related," de Blasio said. "We do want to know the truth about what happened in every death at home, but I think we can say at this point it's right to assume the vast majority are coronavirus-related, and that makes it even more sobering — the sense of how many people we're losing."
Taking large numbers of deaths and just assuming a cause without evidence, then using those assumptions to make decisions that impact everyone — infected and healthy — could lead to incorrect decisions, such as the urgent decision about when people can get back to work and reopen their businesses.
Creating Fear
We haven't had much time to consider the psychological consequences of this pandemic, which will likely linger after the virus has subsided.
After the president and governors call for a return to normal life, when will people feel comfortable gathering in large crowds? When will parents feel comfortable sending their children to school? When will people feel comfortable with their elderly loved ones in nursing homes? When will people feel comfortable on public transportation, or passing closely by one another on the sidewalk?
Even when the government eases social distancing restrictions, how "normal" things get will depend some on the psychological state of the people. The top doctor on President Trump's own coronavirus task force said people may never shake hands again.
People are scared — for themselves, for their loved ones, for their country, for the world. The headlines are terrifying. Thousands of deaths every day. Comparisons to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. The reality of this pandemic is enough cause for fear. Far too many people have already died. Far too many people have lost their livelihoods.
Changing the method of tracking statistics to simply assume hundreds or thousands more deaths than we can verify will add to that fear, especially when that change comes just as some small signs appear that things might be slowly getting better.
There isn't a quick or easy solution to the coronavirus data problem, but we should strive to emphasize verifiable facts, draw conclusions carefully based on robust research, and consider the adverse impact of disseminating potentially inaccurate information to a worried public.


theblaze--2020-04-15--WATCH: Mark Levin RIPS media's Trump-deranged coronavirus coverage: 'It's absolutely disgusting'

They 're poised to blame the president for EVERY death , especially once he reopens the economy

BlazeTV host Mark Levin compared Australia's balanced reporting on the coronavirus pandemic to the left-wing media's reporting in America on a recent episode of "LevinTV." He argued that the American mainstream media is poised to blame President Donald Trump for every death that can be linked to COVID-19, especially once the economy starts to open up again.
"Our media is so hateful to Trump, so driven by fundamental transformation, they want centralized government. They want an all-powerful president and they want Trump to be the one to pave these roads, and then push him out," Levin said.
"The media are poised. If one additional human being passes away as a result of opening the economy, from the virus, they're going to blame the president," he continued. "And anybody who passes away as a result of something else but has the coronavirus, they'll try to tag the president with that. It's absolutely disgusting."
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theblaze--2020-04-15--Delaware chicken company forced to kill up to 2 million chickens because of sick employees

Allen Harim Foods says it will kill up to 2 million chickens because they are not able to keep up with farm-related demands.
The company is short-staffed because of the COVID-19 crisis.
What are the details?
In a memo, the company said that it would begin the process of depopulating chickens because of major staffing issues at its local processing plant in Delaware.
Michele V. Minton, director of live operations at the company, wrote, "We are no longer able to harvest the amount of birds needed daily or weekly to maintain target weight and ages."
"When we started noticing the downward trend in attendance, we reduced the number of eggs set and chicks placed," the memo continued. "Unfortunately, reduced placements will not make an impact for six weeks with the continued attendance decline, and building bird inventory daily, we are forced to make a very difficult decision."
That decision? Killing off nearly 2 million chickens across the state.
"Growers whose flocks we depopulate will be fairly compensated by Allen Harim," the memo concluded.
What else?
According to the Delaware News Journal, Allen Harim officials have not spoken publicly about the memo.
The outlet reported, "Companies like Allen Harim enter into contracts with individual farmers to grow the chickens they slaughter and process."
"Generally, the companies supply the chicks and food, while the farmers supply the housing and care. Once the birds are big enough, they are sent to processing plants like the one Allen Harim operates to be slaughtered and processed into meat products, such as packaged chicken wings," the outlet added.
Delaware Poultry Industry Executive Director Holly Porter said that the impact of COVID-19 on the poultry industry is widespread, and especially on the Delmarva peninsula.
"The impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. chicken industry is becoming more apparent as the disease continues to spread throughout the United States," Porter said.
At the time of this writing, Johns Hopkins University reports that at least 1,926 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Delaware. At least 43 people have died because of the virus.


theblaze--2020-04-15--South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem accuses Washington Post of blatant disregard for facts surrounding the

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem accuses Washington Post of blatant disregard for facts surrounding the Smithfield Foods COVID-19 outbreak

South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem accuses Washington Post of blatant disregard for facts surrounding the Smithfield Foods COVID-19 outbreak

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem slammed the Washington Post Wednesday, claiming the paper ignored facts and ran with an agenda in its recent report on the meat processing plant forced to close in the state due to the coronavirus.
In a report Monday, the Post criticized the governor for not issuing a stay-at-home order for her state, suggesting that her refusal to do so inevitably resulted in the recent outbreak at Smithfield Foods, a giant pork-processing plant where more than 500 workers have recently fallen ill with COVID-19.
But Noem is not accepting that narrative. In an interview with Glenn Beck, she fired back, asserting that a shelter-in-place or lockdown order would not have affected the Smithfield Foods plant since it is a "critical infrastructure business."
"Regardless if I had chosen to put a shelter-in-place order across the state of South Dakota, that plant would have been up and operating because it's such an important part of our food supply and, frankly, having it running is a national security issue," she said.
"The [Washington] Post decided to not use the facts and run with an agenda that I think is unfortunate for the public," she added. "I think it's a grave disservice to our public when they don't tell all the facts because they're misleading them and creating this fear culture."
The Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, responsible for producing 18 million servings of food each day, is one of the nation's largest pork processing plants in America. On Sunday, the plant announced it would be closing indefinitely and issued an ominous warning about the consequences for the country's meat supply.
"The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply," CEO Kenneth Sullivan said in a statement.
Despite increasing pressure, Noem has stood firm in her refusal to issue a statewide lockdown order even after the pork processing plant became one of the top hot spots in the country for the infectious disease. The state as a whole reported1,168 confirmed cases as of Wednesday — 934 of those cases are from the county where the plant is located.
In other news, Noem announced on Monday that South Dakota would be launching a statewide trial to test the effectiveness of the Trump-touted antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Kanye West declares he knows whom he will vote for in 2020, says he was told career would end if he

Kanye West declares he knows whom he will vote for in 2020, says he was told career would end if he didn't vote for Hillary in 2016

Kanye West declares he knows whom he will vote for in 2020 , says he was told career would end @ @ @ @ @ for Hillary in 2016

Rapper Kanye West will vote for president for the very first time in his life — and it seems fairly clear that he'll be voting for President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
West, 42, told GQ that he refuses to allow other people to do his thinking for him.
"I will not be told who I'm gonna vote on because of my color," West said. "I'm definitely voting this time. And we know who I'm voting on."
West, who is the magazine's May cover star, added that his mother and father were "freedom fighters" who fought for equal rights their whole lives, and he wasn't keen on letting their sacrifices go without honor.
"[T]hey used to drink from fountains they were told they couldn't drink from, and they used to sit in restaurants where they were told they couldn't eat from," he said. "They didn't fight for me to be told by white people which white person I can vote on."
West, who publicly announced his support for the president in 2016, said that many people believed his career would be over when he refused to support Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and failed presidential candidate, in 2016.
"I'm not gonna be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over," West insisted. "Because guess what: I'm still here! 'Jesus is King' was No. 1."
What else?
In a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, West said that he'll never vote for a Democrat out of misplaced loyalty.
"I'm a guy with a red [MAGA] hat, can you imagine?" he said. "It reminded me of how I felt as a black guy before I was famous, when I would walk in a restaurant and people would look at you like you were going to steal something. 'This is your place, Ye, don't talk about apparel. This is your place, Ye, you're black, so you're a Democrat.'"


theblaze--2020-04-15--Biker insulted by Chris Cuomo filed a police report for Easter confrontation, claims Cuomo threatene

Biker insulted by Chris Cuomo filed a police report for Easter confrontation, claims Cuomo threatened him

Biker insulted by Chris Cuomo filed a police report for Easter confrontation , claims Cuomo threatened him

The bicyclist who was verbally abused by CNN host Chris Cuomo during a Monday radio segment said he filed a police report against Cuomo for his behavior during an Easter confrontation, according to the New York Post.
The bicyclist, who only allowed the Post to use his first name, David, said Cuomo — who has COVID-19 — lost his temper after being confronted about social distancing.
The bicyclist's story: David said he was riding his bike before Easter dinner when he noticed Cuomo out walking with his family, apparently looking at some undeveloped property he had recently purchased.
David, who is 65 years old, told the Post he stopped about a hundred feet away from them to observe, before he was confronted by Cuomo's wife, who asked him if he needed something
David said he responded by asking why Cuomo was out and around other people when he should be isolated due to having a contagious virus.
At that point, David said Cuomo came within about 40 feet and began "ranting and screaming."
"Who the hell are you? I can do what I want," David recalls Cuomo saying.
"I said to him, 'Your brother is the coronavirus czar, and you're not even following his rules — unnecessary travel,'" David told the New York Post, adding that he is a lifelong Democrat and voted for Andrew Cuomo for governor.
David said the interaction ended with Cuomo saying he would find out who David was, and that they would meet again, in a threatening manner.
Radio rant: Cuomo, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 31, referred to an encounter with David on Monday during his radio show.
"I don't want some jackass, loser, fat-tire biker being able to pull over and get in my space and talk bulls**t to me, I don't want to hear it," Cuomo reportedly said. "I want to be able to tell you to go to hell, to shut your mouth … I don't get that doing what I do for a living: me being able to tell you to shut your mouth or I will do you the way you guys do each other."
Police report: David said he filed a police report about Cuomo's behavior on Monday, but that he doesn't plan to press charges as long as nothing else happens; he just wanted the incident on record. He also said police seemed to believe his story more after reading media reports about Cuomo's radio rant.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Leaked State Department cables add weight to the theory that COVID-19 started in a Wuhan virology la

Leaked State Department cables add weight to the theory that COVID-19 started in a Wuhan virology lab The evidence continues @ @ @

In 2018 — nearly two years before the start of the global coronavirus pandemic — U.S. officials in China sent warnings to Washington expressing safety concerns over a Wuhan facility's research into coronaviruses in horseshoe bats, adding weight to the theory that the novel virus originated in a lab and not at a Wuhan wet market.
The news broke in a report Wednesday by Josh Rogin of the Washington Post, who said that he obtained access to the first of two diplomatic cables sent from State Department officials who had visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology in January and March 2018.
According to Rogin, in January 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing sent American science diplomats to the Wuhan lab, which had in 2017 become the first lab in China to achieve BSL-4 clearance, or the highest level of bioresearch safety. That clearance — granted by a Chinese accrediting agency — allowed researchers at the lab to study the world's most dangerous pathogens.
What did the cables say?
Evidently, what the U.S. officials discovered during their visits concerned them so much that they proceeded to send two Sensitive But Unclassified cables back to Washington. In the first cable, according to Rogin, the officials warned that inadequate safety measures and risky research could result in a new SARS-like pandemic.
"During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators to safely operate this high-containment laboratory," states the Jan. 19, 2018 cable.
"Most importantly," the cable states, "the researchers also showed that various SARS-like coronaviruses can interact with ACE2, the human receptor identified for SARS-coronavirus. This finding strongly suggests that SARS-like coronaviruses from bats can be transmitted to humans to cause SARS-like diseases. From a public health perspective, this makes the continued surveillance of SARS-like coronaviruses in bats and study of the animal-human interface critical to future emerging coronavirus outbreak prediction and prevention."
The cable also noted that the U.S. officials met with Shi Zhengli, a virologist known as "bat woman" for her virus-hunting expeditions into bat caves and subsequent research on coronaviruses in bats. In November 2017, just months before the visit from U.S. officials, Shi's team at the Wuhan lab published research showing that horseshoe bats she had collected were likely from the same gene pool as the ones that spawned the 2003 SARS epidemic.
Anything else?
The information represented in the diplomatic cables appear to corroborate other evidence quickly amassing that points to the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the origin point — though that evidence is, at this point, still circumstantial.
In early April, TheBlaze reported on suspicious job postings coming from the Wuhan lab in November and December 2019 that indicate researchers were in fact studying coronaviruses in bats. What's more is that the second of the two postings also seemed to indicate that researchers were seeking additional help to control their confirmed discovery of new viruses.
A Google translation of the Dec. 24 posting said: "Long-term research on the pathogenic biology of bats carrying important viruses has confirmed the origin of bats of major new human and livestock infectious diseases such as SARS and SADS, and a large number of new bat and rodent new viruses have been discovered and identified."
At the time of the posting, China had reported an onslaught of "mystery pneumonia" cases plaguing Wuhan. In the coming weeks, Chinese officials would finally admit that these cases were the result of a new coronavirus infecting its population.
Additionally, the article noted that a research paper published on Feb. 6 by the South China University of Technology suggested that the virus most likely came from an animal known as the intermediate horseshoe bat. Only horseshoe bats are not naturally found within 900 kilometers of Wuhan and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not confirm the oft-repeated claim that horseshoe bats were sold at wet markets in the city.
What does it mean?
The evidence seems to indicate that, in the years prior to the outbreak, Chinese researchers in Wuhan were indeed studying coronaviruses in bats not unlike the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The cables allegedly sent in early 2018 demonstrate that U.S. officials from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing were not only knowledgeable about the research but concerned about the potential that it could result in a SARS-like pandemic such as the one plaguing the world right now.
Though no official government intelligence has yet confirmed the notion that the virus originated in a Wuhan virology lab, according to Rogin, the theory has standing among many national security officials in the Trump administration. The cables, one senior official allegedly said, add further weight to the theory.
"The idea that it was just a totally natural occurrence is circumstantial. The evidence it leaked from the lab is circumstantial. Right now, the ledger is on the side of it leaking from the lab is packed with bullet points but there's almost nothing on the other side," the official reportedly said.


theblaze--2020-04-15--AG William Barr warns states against singling out religious gatherings when enforcing social distanc

AG William Barr warns states against singling out religious gatherings when enforcing social distancing Promises to 'continue to ensure that @ @ @ @ @

Attorney General William Barr warned state authorities that social distancing mandates do not give the right to restrict religious organizations more than nonreligious ones Tuesday, after multiple incidents of churchgoers being cited by police made national headlines.
Barr specifically referred to an incident in Mississippi during which police fined church attendees $500, even though they were only listening to the service on the radio in their cars in the church parking lot.
The attorney general acknowledged the value of social distancing and the need to take precautions to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus from Wuhan, China, but said authorities must be careful not to violate constitutional rights, even during an emergency. Barr said, via statement:
In exigent circumstances, when the community as a whole faces an impending harm of this magnitude, and where the measures are tailored to meeting the imminent danger, the constitution does allow some temporary restriction on our liberties that would not be tolerated in normal circumstances.
But even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity.
The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in support of Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi, where police fined attendees who were at church, but not violating social distancing guidelines since they remained in their cars. The church, with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, has sued the city's mayor.
"The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services — while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open," Barr's statement read. "The City appears to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all CDC and state recommendations regarding social distancing."
(H/T: IJR)


theblaze--2020-04-15--White police commander demoted after she posted photo of old T-shirt that local NAACP president deem

White police commander demoted after she posted photo of old T-shirt that local NAACP president deemed 'insensitive' Now a lieutenant @ @ @ @ @ she posted the photo to point out a misspelling on the shirt and meant no @

Last month, Kim Lund Voss was a commander with the Minneapolis Police Department. This month, she was demoted to her previous rank of lieutenant, the Star Tribune reported.
And what happened in between was all due to a photo of an old T-shirt she posted to Facebook.
What are the details?
The photo shows a black T-shirt with the following text: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE HOMOCIDE [sic] DIVISION Our Day Starts When Yours Ends." In between the text is an image of a chalk outline of a body with yellow tape across it reading "POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS." Voss' accompanying message reads, "Attempting to organize the storage room and came across this gem! It pays to proof read before you hit 'print.'"
Well, Leslie Redmond — president of Minneapolis' NAACP chapter — got an eyeful of Voss' post and then hopped on her own Facebook page March 30 to take the white commander and the police department to task:
"I am very disturbed that a commander in the Minneapolis Police Department, Kim Voss, would post this," Redmond wrote. "I do not think this was about the misspelling of the word homicide. This shirt says that Minneapolis Police Homicide Division['s] 'day starts when yours ends.' This is extremely insensitive, especially considering the involved demographics."
Redmond also accused Voss of having called "a fellow officer the N-word" and criticized the department of having "too many officers like Commander Voss." Voss subsequently denied ever using the N-word.
The Star Tribune said some considered the T-shirt "insensitive to homicide victims in a city where most are young black men" and that others wondered if the "HOMOCIDE" misspelling was intentional since the shirt was printed when Minneapolis had seen a "series of murders of gay men."
What happened next?
The same day that Redmond's rebuke hit Facebook, Voss posted a follow-up message saying she took down her T-shirt post and didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.
"I am told that the photo of the 25ish year old T-shirt that I found in a storage bin came across to some as offensive," she wrote, adding that "my intention was not to offend anyone with the content of the message on the shirt but to show that misprints commonly occurred back in the days prior to spellcheck."
Chief Medaria Arradondo apologized for Voss' post and said it did not reflect "the values and transformational culture that we are as a department today," the Star Tribune said.
Voss was demoted after a meeting last week between the chief, Redmond, and other black leaders regarding the T-shirt post, the paper reported.
Nekima Levy Armstrong, a longtime civil rights attorney who also attended the meeting, told the paper that Voss should have known her T-shirt post had the potential to offend.
"Her intentions do not matter. What matters most is the outcome of the actions," Armstrong added to Star Tribune Monday. "As a leader within the Minneapolis Police Department she should have known that posting such an offensive message on social media would be highly offensive … not to mention to undermine public trust."
A longer note from Voss
Voss went back on Facebook Sunday to tell her friends she's now a lieutenant in charge of the Property Crimes Unit in the 3rd Precinct. And she wrote a whole lot more.
She shared that she "grew up in an area in Minnesota that was far from wealthy, and I am now a member of a mixed-race family. I don't actually know many that are not."
More from Voss' post:
"As my family in blue are from all walks of life and my blood family is no exception. We are perfect in this way. We get to share perspectives and experience. I would have it no other way. My daughter served in the Peace Corps in Africa. My Son is an accomplished musician. We celebrate the musical greats together, from Sam Cooke, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and of course Notorious B.I.G. I loved what Sean Combs (P-Diddy) did with Herb Albert and the Tijuana brass song 'RISE.' We sponsored foreign exchange students from around the world in our home when I was a child, and now as an adult and continued relationships with them as family members. It's also important that I make this very clear, I have never used the 'N Word' to describe or address anyone in my life, ever, especially not one of my brothers or sisters in blue! That is a lie! I will protest. I will not tolerate this type of besmirchment as I also have the duty to call it as it is. The words a few have used to describe are not true. It's not me. Not my family. Not my department. Not ever. Not on my watch.
"As for those of the LGBTQ community, a community that is rich with love and acceptance, I'm sorry, the guy that made the shirt just didn't know how to spell. When I said, 'gem" it was of sarcastic remembrance of a time before spell check and computers. "
The Star Tribune said Voss is married to a former Minneapolis homicide detective and started with the department in 1987, citing information from the department website.
How are folks reacting to Voss' demotion?
Voss' Sunday Facebook message attracted a number of comments that were resoundingly supportive of her, saying she "got screwed" and "sorry this crap happened to you."
"Sorry Kim," another commenter wrote. "You are the latest victim of the spineless caving in to the loudmouth know-nothings and do-nothings. Screw them all, hold your head up, do this new job in a manner that allows you to look yourself in the mirror and feel pride in YOUR service. Good luck, my friend!"
Jon Tevlin, a former Star Tribune columnist, commented to Voss that he doesn't know her but knows "of your reputation. I remember the shirt from 30 years ago. Posting was a mistake, but I think this is an overreaction. If I were still a columnist at the [Star Tribune], I'd write that. Good luck."
But one woman who knows Voss thanked her for apologizing and wrote "I deeply understand the hurt that is felt when reading the T-shirt. I won't get into why it hurts or why it's even offensive because for those who don't get it — it's because they choose not to." However, the woman added to Voss that "the negative things being said about you are not true and are an angry response to the unfortunate decision you made when posting that picture. I do not believe your intent was to hurt or offend anyone. But that's what happened, plain & simple."
The woman added: "I just hope this is a lesson you can honestly learn from & dig even deeper to really understand the sensitivities of our mixed race/mixed culture society. It has nothing to do with people being overly sensitive, but everything to do with how people should treat others. You've done this very well in the past & I know this one incident will not stop you from continuing to do great work in the future."
(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)


theblaze--2020-04-15--Jussie Smollett reportedly visited a gay bathhouse in Chicago with one of his alleged attackers

Disgraced former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett reportedly had a sexual relationship with his one of his alleged "attackers" and visited an upscale bathhouse with him, a source told the New York Post, according to a Page Six story posted Wednesday.
What are the details?
Smollett and his alleged attacker Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo reportedly engaged in sexual relations and even visited a Chicago bathhouse for the elite, according to the report.
An insider told the Post, "They used to party together and he had a sexual relationship with [Abel]. They went to this affluent Chicago bathhouse multiple times and they had to show ID. It's known as a bathhouse where a lot of affluent black gay men hang out. There should be a record of [their visits]."
Smollett alleged that he was the victim of a racially motivated attack in 2019. According to reports, the Osundairo brothers reportedly helped Smollett stage the alleged attack. Smollett pleaded not guilty to related charges after Chicago police determined that the alleged attack was nothing more than a hoax.
The former "Empire" actor initially faced 16 counts related to making false statements to police. However, he agreed to community service and a $10,000 fine in exchange for the charges being dropped.
You can read more on the background of Smollett's alleged hoax case here and here.
What else?
This isn't the first time such allegations of a sexual relationship has occurred: Smollett's legal team last year insinuated there was a sexual relationship between Smollett and one of the Osundairo brothers during a "Good Morning America" interview. Abel and his brother, Ola, have both denied that they are gay and filed lawsuits against Smollett's legal team.
The Nigerian brothers said that the allegations put them at risk for harassment, injury, or even death.
Through their attorney, Gloria Schmidt, the brothers said, "We have sat back and watched lie after lie being fabricated about us in the media only so one big lie can continue to have life. These lies are destroying our character and our reputation in our personal and professional lives."
A judge dismissed the Osundairo brothers' suit in March.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Hunter Biden may still be a board member of Chinese firm he vowed to step down from, records show

Hunter Biden may still be a board member of Chinese firm he vowed to step down from , records show @ @ @ @ @ waves as he walks out of Air Force Two with his granddaughter , Finnegan Biden @ @ @ @ @ Biden , upon their arrival in Beijing on Dec. 4 , 2013 .
( NG @ @ @ @ @ )

Hunter Biden, son of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, promised to step down from the board of Chinese firm BHR Partners. However, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Hunter Biden is still listed as a director in Chinese business records, indicating that he may not have followed through on his promise.
What Hunter Biden said he would do: In a statement issued by his lawyer, Biden said he would step down in October from the firm to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest in the event his father was elected president.
"To date, Hunter has not received any compensation for being on BHR's board of directors," the statement read. "He has not received any return on his investment; there have been no distributions to BHR shareholders since Hunter obtained his equity interest. Moreover, Hunter played no role in directing or making BHR's investments. Hunter intends to resign from the BHR board of directors on or by October 31, 2019."
Hunter Biden also promised not to serve on any foreign boards if Joe Biden became president.
What the records show: China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System still shows Hunter Biden as a director for BHR. And it doesn't appear that his inclusion is due to lack of updates, because it reflects a March 24 change showing the resignation of Eric Schwerin, a business partner of Biden's, according to the DCNF.
Qixinbao, a service that provides registration info about Chinese companies, also shows Biden as a BHR board member.
Hunter Biden still holds a 10% share in BHR through his own company, Skaneateles.
Why this matters: Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, which date back to his father's time as vice president, have created the appearance of potential corruption in Ukraine with Burisma, and in China with BHR. Biden's promise to step down from BHR is an apparent acknowledgment of the bad optics. Hunter arranged for his father to meet with BHR's CEO in 2013 during a trip to China, just a few months after BHR was formed.
With Joe Biden the presumptive presidential nominee, questions about Hunter Biden's activities, as well as Joe Biden's knowledge and involvement, take on greater significance.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Cowboys QB Dak Prescott slams reporting, says 'fewer than 10 people' — not 30 — were at his home for

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott slams reporting, says 'fewer than 10 people' — not 30 — were at his home for dinner

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott slams reporting , says 'fewer than 10 people ' — not 30 — were at his @ @ @ @ @ , the gathering was still in violation

In a statement Tuesday following reports that police broke up a large social distancing-defying gathering at Dak Prescott's home, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback pushed back on "completely inaccurate" reporting, saying "fewer than 10 people" — not 30 — were present at his home for a dinner party.
Yet despite the back-and-forth over the details, Texas law at the time prohibited the gathering, either way.
What are the details?
TMZ published a report Saturday that police had busted Prescott for hosting a "birthday party" Friday night at his home in Prosper, Texas, which featured some "30 guests," including Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott.
"Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott are partying like it's NOT 2020 in the middle of a pandemic — hanging together for a celebration that appears to violate the Texas 'safer-at-home' order," the report stated with pictures from the gathering that showed a buffet spread and several people gathered, though never more than five in a shot.
After a media firestorm ensued, Prescott shot back at the report in a statement Tuesday calling out TMZ, though not by name, for inaccurately reporting based on anonymous sources.
"I understand and accept that there are additional responsibilities and media scrutiny that come with being an NFL quarterback, but it is very frustrating and disappointing when people provide completely inaccurate information from anonymous sources, especially now," he said. "To set the record straight — I know that we all need to do our best to socially distance and like everyone else, I am continuing to adjust to what that requires, but the truth is that I was with fewer than 10 people for a home dinner — not a party — on Friday night."
How has the confusion persisted, weren't the police present Friday night to disperse the crowd? Yes, but it turns out they could not confirm the number in attendance, either.
Anything else?
In the report, TMZ acknowledged they were told "there was a sit-down dinner later in the evening at Dak's place for just a select few, closer to the magic number of 10 — although clearly not seated 6 feet apart."
The acknowledgement made reference to an executive order issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in mid-March that limited social gatherings of 10 or more people. Here's the problem, that's an outdated order.
On April 2, a new order went into effect that expressly insisted that "every person in Texas shall, except where necessary to provide or obtain essential services, minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household."
Here's the upshot: Whether there were under 10 people in attendance like Prescott says, or up to 30 in attendance, like TMZ reported, it doesn't actually matter. A birthday dinner party is not considered an "essential service" under Texas guidelines.
In order to clarify any confusion surrounding the updated order, Gov. Abbott released a video the day before the order was to take effect saying it "requires all Texans to stay at home" except for essential activities.
The Cowboys executive vice president, Stephen Jones, has reportedly spoken with Prescott and Elliott about the issue. He confirmed Tuesday that "they're certainly aware now of how sensitive these situations are" and said, "I don't think you'll be seeing that [kind of behavior] anymore."


theblaze--2020-04-15--'Totally unscripted': MSNBC host reveals story behind TD Jakes' viral on-air prayer on the liberal c

'Totally unscripted': MSNBC host reveals story behind TD Jakes' viral on-air prayer on the liberal cable outlet

'Totally unscripted ' : MSNBC host reveals story behind TD Jakes ' viral on-air prayer on the liberal cable outlet @ @ @ @ @ my life '

MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin recently sent a viral shockwave through the cable news and internet realms when he randomly asked the Bishop T.D. Jakes to pray on live TV.
In an interview with "The Pure Flix Podcast," Melvin revealed that the incredibly viral moment was "totally unscripted" and that he hadn't told producers beforehand.
"We got to the end of the segment ... in that moment it felt like we could collectively use a little prayer," the NBC and MSNBC host said. "And he was there and I was there and, without giving my producer or directors a head up, I asked him to bow and pray."
Listen to Melvin reveal these details:
Melvin said the moment was embraced by many, calling the overall reaction to it as "very positive."
And he also believes the current COVID-19 crisis has exposed some fascinating realities about the human experience.
(Watch Pure Flix for Thousands of Faith and Family Friendly TV Shows & Movies)
"We are living in the most unusual time of my life, where people ... are being asked ... to stay away from each other," Melvin said. "But at the same time, I maintain there is this new connectedness that has emerged from this."
He added, "I don't think as many people fully appreciated how much we need to interact with each other face-to-face — that's who we are as creatures of God."
Listen to "The Pure Flix Podcast" to hear Melvin explain the prayer segment, his path into media, and his belief in the essentiality of truth.
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.
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Abortionist gets jail for drowning baby in bucket of water after infant 'burst out crying' during bo

Abortionist gets jail for drowning baby in bucket of water after infant 'burst out crying' during botched abortion in South Korea

Abortionist gets jail for drowning baby in bucket of water after infant 'burst out crying ' during botched abortion in @ @ @ @ @ that the doctor killed the baby , who was born alive '

A South Korean court sentenced an obstetrician to three years and six months in prison for killing a baby who was born alive and "burst out crying" during an abortion procedure, the Korea Times reported.
Seoul Central District Court on Friday convicted the 65-year-old doctor, surnamed Yun, of killing the 34-week-old baby, the paper said, adding that Yun had been indicted on murder charges for placing the infant in a bucket of water.
'It is clear that the doctor killed the baby, who was born alive'
"Medical staff who participated in the operation have consistently said they heard the baby crying," a three-judge panel of the court said in a statement, the Times reported. "It is clear that the doctor killed the baby, who was born alive."
Yun, who ran a maternity clinic in Seoul, received 28 million won ($23,000) for the procedure from the mother of a 16-year-old pregnant girl, the paper said.
Along with the prison sentence, the court suspended Yun's medical license for three years, the Times said.
Anything else?
The Constitutional Court in 2019 ruled that the law banning abortion is unconstitutional and demanded the National Assembly revise it by the end of 2020, the paper said.
The court ruled that abortion before 22 weeks of pregnancy should be decriminalized and that women's rights to self-determination outweighs a fetus' right to life, the Times reported.
Here is a 4D ultrasound video of a baby in the womb. The clip's description says the baby is 34 weeks old — the same age of the infant in the aforementioned court case:


theblaze--2020-04-15--'Gay dads' appear on Disney's kids' cartoon 'DuckTales'; producer says 'relevant LGBTQ+ narratives'

'Gay dads' appear on Disney's kids' cartoon 'DuckTales'; producer says 'relevant LGBTQ+ narratives' are in the works

'Gay dads ' appear on Disney 's kids ' cartoon 'DuckTales ' ; producer says 'relevant LGBTQ+ narratives ' are @ @ @ @ @ have not done enough relevant LGBTQ+ rep '

Disney's kids' cartoon "DuckTales" has introduced a gay couple — two dads — as the parents of Violet, who's a friend of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, LGBTQ Nation reported.
Violet's dads adopt her friend Lena in the episode, the outlet said, adding that Violet dubs her "my sister from a couple of misters."
Their names are Tyrian "Ty" Sabrewing and Indigo "Indy" Sabrewing, LGBTQ Nation said. They both wear T-shirts with the phrase "I'M WITH DAD" on the front along with arrows pointing at each other.
What does the show's co-executive producer have to say?
"DuckTales" co-executive producer and story editor Frank Angones noted that "we had a lot of conversations about who Violet was and what her background was and came up with this fun notion of her too enthusiastic, overly supportive dads who love being dads."
"I'm well aware that the 'queer representation through parents and background characters' trope is an issue, and we've sort of stumbled backwards into a lot of heteronormative romances in this show due to legacy characters with pre-existing relationships (Scrooge and Goldie, Donald and Daisy, Fenton and Gandra) and how many specific hoops you have to jump through to make changes to established Disney characters," Angones said.
"But that's really no excuse. We've done pretty well on racial diversity and representation of people with limb differences, but we really have not done enough relevant LGBTQ+ rep. We do have some themes and ideas coming up that address relevant LGBTQ+ narratives. But there's always opportunity for a lot more," he said.
What are observers saying?
There was pointed enthusiasm out there for the new characters:
"Violet has gay dads!!!" one Twitter user wrote, while another called it a "step in the right direction for LGBT representation."
Although one commenter seemed less than satisfied: "Yup. I'm so glad to be represented by background characters that they can just erase if China so much as raises an eyebrow."
Violet and her Two Dads | Duck-tales Season 3 episode 1 youtu.be
(H/T: LifeSite News)


theblaze--2020-04-15--Florida jail frees inmate over COVID-19 concerns. Then he went and killed a man the next day, cops s

Florida jail frees inmate over COVID-19 concerns. Then he went and killed a man the next day, cops say.

Florida jail frees inmate over COVID-19 concerns .
Then he went and killed a man the next day , cops @ @

A newly released Florida man is back in jail after he reportedly murdered a man just a day after he was let out of prison.
What are the details?
Authorities arrested Edward Williams, 26, of Tampa, Florida, on a warrant Monday, the report said. Williams is facing charges of second-degree murder, gun possession, violently resisting an officer, drug possession, and paraphernalia possession. He was jailed with no bond.
According to NBC News, Williams was released from prison in March over concerns that COVID-19 could spread in corrections facilities. He was freed just six days after being arrested in March on suspicion of heroin possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In a statement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said that a Florida judge authorized the department to "release any pretrial detainee for a municipal or county ordinance violation, a misdemeanor offense, a criminal traffic offense, or a third-degree felony offense" in order to tamp down the spread of the coronavirus.
The spokesperson said, "The order was drafted in an effort to lower the risk of the spread of COVID-19 within the Hillsborough County detention facilities and to protect the inmates, deputies, and civilian staff working within the jails."
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said that Williams "took advantage" of the health emergency following his release.
"Judges, prosecutors, and sheriffs around the country are facing difficult decisions during this health crisis with respect to balancing public health and public safety," he added. "Sheriffs in Florida and throughout our country have released nonviolent, low-level offenders to protect our deputies and the jail population from an outbreak."
What else?
According to WFLA-TV, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has released at least 164 low-level, nonviolent offenders at the time of this writing.
Chronister added, "Every murder, every violent crime, especially those involving a gun, is a sickening example of the worst in our community, especially at a time when our community is working relentlessly to fight against the spread of this deadly COVID-19."


theblaze--2020-04-15--Nursing home doctor says he successfully treated 39 coronavirus patients with hydroxychloroquine

Nursing home doctor says he successfully treated 39 coronavirus patients with hydroxychloroquine 'All the patients have done well '

A nursing home medical director in Texas said he has used hydroxychloroquine sulfate to treat 39 coronavirus patients, and all of them are doing well after five days, WFAA-TV reported.
Dr. Robin Armstrong, the medical director at The Resort nursing home in Texas City, said he decided to try the drug when faced with the real possibility that a significant portion of the nursing home's residents could die — 56 of them tested positive for the coronavirus. Because COVID-19 is especially dangerous to the elderly and those with certain underlying health problems, nursing home coronavirus outbreaks have been particularly fatal in the United States.
Armstrong said none of the patients has displayed any side effects from hydroxychloroquine, and that some of them have improved enough that they've been able to go outside for the first time since starting the treatment. He emphasized that it is not a cure for the coronavirus, but a way to ease the symptoms and help patients recover.
Hydroxychloroquine is a decades-old anti-malarial drug that has shown potential in some situations as an effective treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. It has not, however, been clinically approved for that purpose, and President Donald Trump's endorsement of the drug has led to a political, as well as a medical, debate.
Armstrong is a Republican and a supporter of President Donald Trump, WFAA reported, but Armstrong still said he was initially skeptical about hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment because the World Health Organization didn't view it as effective.
While some have framed the hydroxychloroquine debate in political terms, the idea that it might be an effective COVID-19 treatment didn't originate with the president. Doctors and researchers around the world have identified promising examples of hydroxychloroquine helping COVID-19 patients—and since there are still no approved treatments for the disease and no vaccine, some doctors view it as the best option.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for coronavirus treatment last month. Earlier this week, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) announced that her state would become the first to conduct a full clinical trial to test the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine.


theblaze--2020-04-15--AOC says it's 'legitimate' to bring up Biden's accuser, warns Dems not to prioritize beating Trump o

AOC says it's 'legitimate' to bring up Biden's accuser, warns Dems not to prioritize beating Trump over discussing sexual assault allegations

AOC says it 's 'legitimate ' to bring up Biden 's accuser , warns Dems not to prioritize beating Trump @ @ @ @ @ 'It 's legitimate to talk about these things '

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) blasted her own party Tuesday for its attempts to "silence" any discussion of the recent allegations of sexual assault against former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Ocasio-Cortez, who was a supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary campaign, has so far resisted calls to immediately rally around Biden after her favored candidate exited the race last week. Now, she is saying that "it's legitimate to talk about" the allegations of sexual assault against Biden.
According to CBS News, Ocasio-Cortez was communicating with questioners in an online conversation on The Wing, a networking and community space for women, when one woman brought up the accusations leveled against Biden by Tara Reade, who alleges the then-Delaware senator assaulted her while she was working as his staff assistant in 1993.
The questioner stated her opposition to President Trump's re-election,butalso noted that she "really resent[ed] the fact that the other choice is someone who has a really long history of being creepy to women."
"What you're voicing is so legitimate and real," Ocasio-Cortez responded. "That's why I find this kind of silencing of all dissent to be a form of gaslighting."
Biden's campaign quickly denied the allegations after they surfaced late last month. Since then, Democratic lawmakers and members of the mainstream media — the same two parties who pushed for discussion of allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation fight — have been all but silent on the issue.
"I think it's legitimate to talk about these things," the progressive New York congresswoman added. "And if we want, if we again want to have integrity, you can't say, you know — both believe women, support all of this, until it inconveniences you, until it inconveniences us."
Ocasio-Cortez, who is certainly no fan of President Trump, even went so far as to acknowledge that not discussing allegations is the "exact opposite of integrity" and that it is "not okay" to prioritize beating Trump over discussing sensitive issues such as the allegations against Biden.
Reade told CBS News that she is grateful for Ocasio-Cortez's support, saying, "I'm very humbled and honored because she is literally the only politician that has spoken up on my behalf."
In an interview with journalist and podcaster Katie Halper last month, Reade said that in 1993, Biden digitally assaulted her against her will in a "side area."
"We were alone, and it was the strangest thing. There was no, like, exchange really, he just had me up against the wall," Reade said. "His hands were on me and underneath my clothes."
Allegations like Reade's are not a new phenomenon for the presumptive Democratic nominee. Biden has been accused by numerous women of inappropriate behavior during his tenure as a politician.


theblaze--2020-04-15--McDonald’s apologizes after China store refuses entry to black people

McDonald 's was forced to issue an apology after one of its Chinese stores placed a ban on black people entering the restaurant .
The notice emerged after reports of discriminatory treatment against Africans in the region .
What are the details ?
Guangzhou 's McDonald 's recently barred black people from entering the premises after local officials announced COVID-19 cases in a neighborhood with a large African migrant population , Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday .
A viral video showed a notice posted that read , `` Notice : We 've been informed that from now on black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For the sake of your health consciously notify the local police for medical isolation , please understand the inconvenience caused . ''
The notice was reportedly issued after rumors of African people spreading COVID-19 throughout the city .
Guangzhou is home to one of the nation 's largest African communities .
McDonald 's temporarily closed the restaurant after it discovered the notice .
According to the BBC , tensions have been running high between Chinese and African people in the city .
The outlet reported , `` Last week , hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and apartments after online rumors that coronavirus was spreading among African people . ''
`` Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou , we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant , '' a portion of the statement said .
The company will mandate new diversity and inclusion training because of the incident .
Newsweek reported that Regina Hui , a McDonald 's spokesperson , added , `` McDonald 's China apologizes unreservedly to the individual and our customers . ''
Hui promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` further educate managers and employees on our values , which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate . ''
According to Fox News , an unfounded rumor noted that `` 300,000 black people in Guangzhou were setting off a second epidemic . ''
You can read more on the local unrest here .

McDonald's was forced to issue an apology after one of its Chinese stores placed a ban on black people entering the restaurant.
The notice emerged after reports of discriminatory treatment against Africans in the region.
What are the details?
Guangzhou's McDonald's recently barred black people from entering the premises after local officials announced COVID-19 cases in a neighborhood with a large African migrant population, Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday.
A viral video showed a notice posted that read, "Notice: We've been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant. For the sake of your health consciously notify the local police for medical isolation, please understand the inconvenience caused."
The notice was reportedly issued after rumors of African people spreading COVID-19 throughout the city. Guangzhou is home to one of the nation's largest African communities.
McDonald's temporarily closed the restaurant after it discovered the notice.
According to the BBC, tensions have been running high between Chinese and African people in the city.
The outlet reported, "Last week, hundreds of Africans in Guangzhou were evicted from hotels and apartments after online rumors that coronavirus was spreading among African people."
In a statement, McDonald's decried the action.
"Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou, we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant," a portion of the statement said.
The company will mandate new diversity and inclusion training because of the incident.
Newsweek reported that Regina Hui, a McDonald's spokesperson, added, "McDonald's China apologizes unreservedly to the individual and our customers."
Hui promised that the incident would be used to "further educate managers and employees on our values, which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate."
According to Fox News, an unfounded rumor noted that "300,000 black people in Guangzhou were setting off a second epidemic."
You can read more on the local unrest here.


theblaze--2020-04-15--Researchers claim the world might need to social distance till 2022 — or face the wrath of more COVI

Researchers claim the world might need to social distance till 2022 — or face the wrath of more COVID-19 They @ @ @ @ @ this , right ?

Some Harvard researchers say that additional social distancing measures may be needed — for years, into 2022 — in order to stop COVID-19 from continuing to surge.
What are the details?
A group of Harvard disease researchers said that intermittent social distancing — through 2022 — should help stop continual resurgence of COVID-19.
The researchers, who penned an article published in Science, said that stopping social distancing measures and resuming life as normal will only backfire and result in further infection spread.
The scientists added that further infections could possibly be more severe.
According to Bloomberg, researchers utilized computer simulations in determining how the ongoing pandemic could potentially play out.
"One possibility is that strict social distancing followed by intensive public-health detective work could chase down and eradicate the virus," the outlet reported. "[W]ith confirmed cases of the new pathogen approaching 2 million globally, that outcome is seen as increasingly unlikely."
Researchers added that the virus is likely to spread much like the influenza virus, and become a seasonal disease.
"In one [research] model, 20 weeks of measures to limit spread were followed by an epidemic peak that was as great as an uncontrolled spread," Business Insider wrote.
Researchers added that social distancing was "so effective that virtually no population immunity was built," and insisted that the potential seasonality of the virus would stretch health care to its breaking point on an annual basis.
"To avoid such outcomes," the outlet added, "on-and-off social distancing measures might be needed until 2022, unless hospital capacity is increased, or effective vaccines or treatments are developed."
What else?
Over the weekend, one of Britain's top scientists said that she is 80% confident that a vaccine for COVID-19 could be ready by September.
Scientist Sarah Gilbert of Oxford University said there is a "high chance" that the vaccine — which is set for human trials by the end of April — will work.
"I think there's a high chance that it will work based on other things that we have done with this type of vaccine," she said. "It's not just a hunch and as every week goes by we have more data to look at. I would go for 80%, that's my personal view."
But Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the health experts on the White House coronavirus task force, has said that it could be 12-18 months before a successful vaccine could be developed.


theblaze--2020-04-15--CNN's Jim Acosta blasted for saying China is a 'scapegoat' that Trump is blaming for the coronavirus

CNN's Jim Acosta blasted for saying China is a 'scapegoat' that Trump is blaming for the coronavirus pandemic

CNN 's Jim Acosta blasted for saying China is a 'scapegoat ' that Trump is blaming for the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ the Communist Party of China ? '

CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta claimed Tuesday that President Donald Trump is using China as a "scapegoat" for the coronavirus pandemic, leading critics to accuse the journalist of protecting the Communist Party of China.
What are the details?
During a coronavirus press briefing where President Trump announced he instructed his administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization over its handling of COVID-19, Acosta tweeted, "Scapegoats blamed by Trump for Coronavirus pandemic:" listing, "World Health Organization, Members of News Media, Democrats in Congress, Governors, (Not himself)."
The reporter added,
"Other scapegoats blamed by Trump: China, Obama administration."
Acosta — who has a long history of run-ins with President Trump and has been accused of acting more like a political operative than a journalist — was lambasted by several conservatives who questioned the motivation behind his tweets.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asked, "Why is CNN apologizing for the Communist Party of China? You're supposed to be journalists, not CCP propagandists."
Addressing Acosta directly, Cruz added, "Jim, any 'reporting' on this is fraudulent without acknowledging the WHO's blatant schilling for the CCP."
The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., also chimed in, suggesting "Maybe time for a name change from CNN to Xi NN. It's much more fitting," in reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Conservative writer Bethany Mandel asked Acosta, "Are the CCP paying you or do you do this for free?"


theblaze--2020-04-15--Los Angeles sheriff releases 25% of inmates over coronavirus — now he's worried there might be a cri

Los Angeles sheriff releases 25% of inmates over coronavirus — now he's worried there might be a crime wave

Los Angeles sheriff releases 25 % of inmates over coronavirus — now he 's worried there might be a crime @

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is worried that there might be a crime wave coming after he released what amounts to 25% of inmates over the coronavirus concerns.
Villanueva expressed his concerns in an interview with FOX 11 on Monday.
"We were faced with a choice, if we left the jail system fully populated and overpopulated then the pandemic is a lot easier to sweep through the jail system and jeopardize everyone's safety," Villanueva explained.
He said that he released 4,276 nonviolent inmates.
"We have approximately 1,200 murder suspects currently in jail, that's greater than the entire population of some jail systems," Villanueva added.
While crime statistics are down all over the state, Villanueva is afraid that releasing thousands of criminals might lead to greater crime.
"We just have to be hyper-vigilant because that pendulum can eventually swing in the opposite direction," he said.
Only 11 of the 17,000 inmates in the Los Angeles County correctional system have contracted the coronavirus.
Cramped jails in many municipalities have become breeding grounds for coronavirus outbreaks, leading local officials to call for inmate releases to alleviate the problem.
Villanueva was previously criticized for shutting down gun shops in Los Angeles County over the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's more about the coronavirus in Los Angeles:


theblaze--2020-04-15--Georgia Democratic state lawmaker endorses President Trump for 2020

Rep. Vernon Jones ( D ) is facing backlash from his party

Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Democrat, has endorsed President Donald Trump for a second term, saying the president's policies have helped the economy and African Americans in particular.
What are the details?
Rep. Jones explained to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his endorsement of President Trump was an easy decision.
"It's very simple to me," he told the outlet. "President Trump's handling of the economy, his support for historically black colleges and his criminal justice initiatives drew me to endorse his campaign."
"There are a lot of African Americans who clearly see and appreciate he's doing something that's never been done before," the lawmaker continued. "When you look at the unemployment rates among black Americans before the pandemic, they were at historic lows. That's just a fact."
In a statement to WGCL-TV, Jones offered further praise of President Trump's actions on criminal justice reform while criticizing former President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on the issue.
The legislator told the outlet, "Thousands of first-time offenders have been able to move on with their lives and begin the path to restoration and positive, productive re-entry into society as a result of President Trump's leadership with the First Step Act and criminal justice reform."
"A generation of African American families have been devastated by draconian policies that Joe Biden supported and voted for when he served in the U.S. Senate," Jones continued. "A change was needed and President Trump took action."
Jones then brought up the case of Alice Marie Johnson, whose sentence was commuted by President Trump after being denied by President Obama several times.
"What the media often failed to note," the lawmaker wrote, "was that her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears when she approached the previous administration."
Anything else?
The news of Jones endorsing President Trump did not go over well with the representative's fellow Democrats.
The Journal-Constitution reported that "Democratic officials tried Tuesday to disown Jones," with the state party's chairwoman, state Sen. Nikema Williams, calling Jones an "embarrassment."
Fellow Democratic Rep. James Beverly told the outlet, "We're not sure what was on Vernon's mind. It's antithetical to what we believe in."
Beverly, who is now endorsing Jones' primary opponent, added, "We can't support an ideology that's diametrically opposed to who we are and what we value."


theblaze--2020-04-15--Florida doctors arrested for ripping down senior citizen's Trump flag, and it's all caught on video

Florida doctors arrested for ripping down senior citizen 's Trump flag , and it 's all caught on video They @ @ @ @ @ photos

A Florida couple was arrested for ripping down a senior citizen's pro-Trump flag from his property in Gulf Breeze, Florida, and records indicate they both work as doctors.
The ill-fated political vandalism was caught on 67-year-old David Brannen's surveillance camera and was widely circulated on social media.
Police say the man and the woman drove up to the property in a golf cart with their children on April 7.
The surveillance video shows a man and a woman grabbing a ladder to reach the flag while a child implores them to stop. The child cries, saying that they were afraid the parents would go to jail.
Police later booked 41-year-old Geoffrey Michael Fraiche and his 38-year-old wife Laura Webb-Fraiche for the vandalism.
The two were charged with a slew of offenses including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, trespassing, larceny – petit theft, and criminal mischief – property damage.
Brannen said they caused about $500 in damage to the flag pole and $200 for the flag itself.
They appeared to be grinning happily in their booking photographs.
Here's the surveillance video of the vandalism:


theblaze--2020-04-15--Florida judge tells lawyers to get out of bed and appear fully clothed during Zoom hearings

Florida judge tells lawyers to get out of bed and appear fully clothed during Zoom hearings One jurisdiction noticed attorneys @ @ @ @ @ casual during remote court proceedings

A Florida judge has accused attorneys of appearing way too comfortable while representing their clients during hearings conducted over Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic and felt the need to remind lawyers to show up on camera fully clothed and out of bed.
What are the details?
Broward Circuit Judge Dennis Bailey sent out message on behalf of the 90 judges in the Weston Bar Association, letting the jurisdiction's attorneys know some of the lawyers have raised eyebrows with their appearances before the judges.
In an update posted to association's website, Judge Bailey wrote, "Judges would appreciate it if the lawyers and their clients keep in mind these Zoom hearings are just that: hearings. They are not casual phone conversations. It is remarkable how many ATTORNEYS appear inappropriately on camera."
"We've seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background, etc.," the judge continued, further noting, "One male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers."
"And putting on a beach cover-up won't cover up you're poolside in a bathing suit," he added. "So, please, if you don't mind, let's treat court hearings as court hearings, whether Zooming or not."
In an interview with the Miami Herald, Judge Bailey — who still wears his robes during remote proceedings — explained, "I would want [attorneys] dressed showing some respect for their recognition that this is a court hearing." He added, "You're going to earn the same amount of respect that you're shown. If you show up in jeans and a T-shirt, it's counterproductive."
WFTS-TV reported that since last month, Broward County courts have held roughly 1,200 court hearings over Zoom, with 14,000 participants.


theblaze--2020-04-15--DNC slams Trump for ending WHO funding; liberal Twitter goes into full meltdown

DNC slams Trump for ending WHO funding ; liberal Twitter goes into full meltdown Few acknowledge the mistakes that the @ @

The Democratic National Committee immediately condemned President Donald Trump for the announcement on Tuesday that the U.S. is ending financial support for the World Health Organization, and social media followed suit.
The president listed the many mistakes and blunders of the WHO in his scathing statement at the beginning of the coronavirus task force media briefing at the White House.
The DNC focused instead on the coronavirus response from the Trump administration.
"In the middle of a global pandemic, Trump wants to stop funding the preeminent organization in charge of combating global pandemics," the statement read.
"Trump is willing to put global health further at risk to try to deflect blame from his own failures. But the American people know the truth: It was Trump who ignored warnings for months while he praised China's 'transparency.' It is Trump who cut CDC staff in China who could have shared information about the pandemic. It is Trump's incompetence that continues to make this crisis worse than it had to be," the DNC statement concluded.
The online response
Other liberal critics of the president excoriated him on social media and accused him of trying to distract from his own failures.
"Pulling out of the WHO makes America less secure. It makes another pandemic more likely," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
"It only serves Trump's political interests," he added, "as he desperately grasps for a scapegoat to deflect attention from his fatal mishandling of this crisis."
"Freezing funding for the World Health Organization will only make it worse," claimed Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Former Obama staffer Ben Rhodes said Trump was causing "incalculable damage" to America's standing.
"He will always do the worst possible thing. There is no bottom to this abyss," said MSNBC's Eugene Robinson.
Some figures in the media also pounced on the report to criticize the president.
CNN's Jim Acosta replied, "Trump is accusing the WHO of mishandling the Coronavirus pandemic while avoiding his own failures on the subject."
Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times said the act would lead to more deaths:
Some critics pointed out that the president himself praised the World Health Organization and China very early on when the first news of the pandemic began to spread.
Here's the announcement from Trump:


theblaze--2020-04-16--'I actually don't know what's happened to you': Kellyanne Conway slams reporter who recently made he

'I actually don't know what's happened to you': Kellyanne Conway slams reporter who recently made headlines

' I actually do n't know what 's happened to you ' : Kellyanne Conway slams reporter who recently made @ @ @ @ @ accused the correspondent of 'screaming ' at Dr. Fauci and President Trump

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway lost her patience on Wednesday with a CBS News correspondent who has made waves with a number of questions to the Trump administration's coronavirus task force, telling the reporter, "I actually don't know what's happened to you."
What are the details?
The Hill reported that Conway took questions from the press the day after President Donald Trump named individuals selected to serve on a task force aimed at reopening the economy from the pandemic-induced shutdown.
CBS News' Paula Reid asked Conway if there was "any thought to diversifying that council beyond what was predominately a group of very wealthy, white men."
Conway said that "there will be other people raising their hand and saying, 'how can I help,'" before explaining to Reid, "We don't pick who the heads of the sports commission leagues and CEOs of companies are who want to help."
Reid pressed, "But you do pick your council and you could pick small businesses — they could pick other people from a diverse group of voices."
"Paula, I actually don't know what's happened to you, respectfully," Conway replied. "I don't know why you've changed, and you're in the briefing room screaming at Anthony Fauci and the president of the United States. I, frankly, think it's unbecoming. But that aside, I will answer the question about how they're going to help America, which is why I'm here."
The White House counselor continued, "I think you're here for a different reason, it seems, these days."
Reid made headlines earlier in the week when she engaged in a heated exchange with President Trump over his administration's response to the coronavirus, when she pressed for details over what actions were taken during the month of February.
During the same White House press briefing on Monday, the CBS News reporter asked Dr. Fauci, "Are you doing this voluntarily or did the president or vice president ask?"
Dr. Fauci dismissed the question, saying, "Everything I do is voluntary. Please. Don't even imply that."
Editor's note: This article has been corrected to read "Paula Reid" instead of "Paul." TheBlaze regrets the error.


theblaze--2020-04-16--Sen. John Kennedy: Decision to reopen economy 'like choosing between cancer and a heart attack'

Sen. John Kennedy : Decision to reopen economy 'like choosing between cancer and a heart attack' The Louisiana Republican warned @ @ @ @ @ if Americans are under shutdown for too long

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Wednesday that the decision to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic is "like choosing between cancer and a heart attack," but warned that if Americans are under shutdown orders for too long, the economy will collapse.
What are the details?
Speaking to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the senator said, "The American people are not morons. They understand what I'm about to say: We've got to open this economy. If we don't, it's gonna collapse. And if the U.S. economy collapses, the world economy collapses. And trying to burn down the village to save it is foolish — that's the cold, hard truth."
The Louisiana Republican went on to say that the U.S. shutdown has slowed the spread of COVID-19, but at "enormous cost."
Sen. Kennedy acknowledged that reopening for business will cause the coronavirus to "spread faster," adding that "we have to be smart about how we do it." But that decision, the lawmaker said, "is like choosing between cancer and a heart attack—it's a miserable choice."
04 15 20 Kennedy talks reopening economy with Fox News's Tucker Carlson www.youtube.com
Anything else?
Reuters reported that on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said "he is close to completing a plan to end the shutdown with some parts of the country likely to be ready to go before a May 1 target date."
President Trump said Wednesday that he will announce new guidelines for reopening the economy during his daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday.


theblaze--2020-04-16--Democratic senator says Trump, not China, is to blame for the coronavirus crisis

Democratic senator says Trump , not China , is to blame for the coronavirus crisis He clarified the dubious claim @ @ @ @

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut was hit with a wave of criticism after he said that China was not to blame for the coronavirus crisis in the United States.
Murphy made the comments in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN Wednesday.
He was describing a closed-door meeting at the White House in February about the coronavirus where he claimed the administration was not taking the threat seriously.
"They were just incredibly confident that they had beaten coronavirus, at that time there were only a few cases here, they were reflecting what the president said in those clips because they thought that the travel bans had kept it out of the United States," Murphy said.
"We told them that they needed money, and they needed money fast in order to buy supplies, in order to hire more staff, and they told us that they didn't need any funding, that they had everything that they needed, and I walked out of that closed-door briefing um, just with chills running down my spine, because many of us on both sides of the aisle knew what this virus had done in China," he explained.
"We knew it was a matter of time before it arrived here, and it was just shocking how cavalier the administration was," he claimed.
"This was at a time when the president really, you know, viewed this as a hoax, he said so on TV, and the reason that we're in the crisis that we are today is not because of anything that China did, it's not because of anything the WHO did, it's because of what this president, it's because he didn't take this virus seriously," said Murphy.
"We weren't gonna be able to keep every case out of the United States," he concluded, "but we didn't have to have tens of thousands of people dying."
Murphy immediately received criticism on social media, and he offered a clarification on his comments.
"Watch the whole interview. I didn't 'defend China'. I made the accurate point that no matter how badly China screwed up, 100,000 Americans didn't need to die," Murphy tweeted.
"It has been Trump's botched response that has caused our outbreak to be this catastrophic," he added.
Also on Wednesday, a Fox News report documented claims from more sources that China had originated the virus in a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
Here's the video of his comments:


theblaze--2020-04-16--News outlet suggests Georgia Gov. repealing mask ban will lead to KKK activity

The station 's Twitter account has been suspended

A Georgia news outlet found itself on the receiving end of some bad press on Wednesday, after suggesting Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) move to allow masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic might make it "okay for Klan members to wear hoods to prevent spreading the virus."
What are the details?
WGXA-TV, based in Macon, asked its social media followers to "sound off" on the matter via Twitter and Facebook, writing, "Gov. Kemp signed an Executive Order waiving a 1951 law that banned wearing KKK hoods amid the spread of COVID-19. Is it okay for Klan members to wear hoods to prevent spreading the virus?"
Gov. Kemp responded, "I signed an order to allow Georgians to wear masks in public to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 — in accordance with CDC guidance — without fear of prosecution. This post is a classless, disgusting ploy for social media engagement." He added, "WXGAnews refused to delete this post."
The posts by the station sparked outrage on both social media platforms, leading WGXA to eventually delete the Twitter post and reportedly edit its Facebook post. The station's Twitter account was also suspended.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that the governor was urged to temporarily "suspend a little-known state law adopted nearly 70 years ago to combat the Ku Klux Klan to clear the way for more Georgians to wear protective masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus."
Ahead of making changes to the law, a Kemp spokeswoman told the outlet, "According to the CDC, wearing a mask in public may mitigate the spread of coronavirus. We are reviewing state law to ensure there are no unnecessary obstacles to following this guideline."
Gov. Kemp's order legalizes "wearing 'a mask, hood, or device by which any portion of the face is so hidden, concealed, or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer' if that person is wearing such device for the purpose of complying with the guidance of any healthcare agency or to prevent the spread of COVID-19."


theblaze--2020-04-16--Sources claim coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab as a result of China trying to surpass the US

Sources claim coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab as a result of China trying to surpass the US A stunning accusations @ @ @ @ @

A Fox News report provided more evidence that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory from Wuhan, China, and provided a motivation relating to China trying to surpass the United States.
The report relied on multiple sources telling Fox News they had access to knowledge about China's early reaction to the spread of the virus and documents relating to the pandemic.
According to the report, the virus spread as a result of Chinese efforts to challenge the United States in the ability to identify and combat viruses.
One of the sources said it may be the "costliest government coverup of all time."
The report, however, refuted speculation that the pandemic was an intentional bioweapon spread to damage the United States and other rivals of China.
The sources claim that the virus was transmitted from a bat to a human at the Institute of Virology lab in Wuhan.
While some experts have theorized that the virus might have originated in the "wet markets" in Wuhan, others have noted the coincidental close proximity of the laboratory to the outbreak.
The report also corroborated accusations that the World Health Organization collaborated with China in order to cover up its culpability in the lethal global pandemic.
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would be halting payments to the WHO based on numerous mistakes the organization made as the virus spread from China to the rest of the world.
Here's more about the Fox News report:


theblaze--2020-04-16--President Trump threatens to adjourn Congress

'It is a scam , what they do .
It 's a scam '

President Donald Trump stunned journalists at the coronavirus task force briefing on Wednesday when he threatened to adjourn the sessions of Congress.
The president was angrily denouncing Democrats for stalling on his judicial appointments when he said that he could force Congress out of session and appoint judges during the congressional recess.
"The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments," the president said.
"We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government. And now more so than ever before because of the virus and the problem," he added.
Congress has been conducting pro forma actions in order to prevent recess appointments by the president. Trump decried these actions as a "scam."
"The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people can not afford during this crisis," Trump continued. "It is a scam, what they do. It's a scam. And everybody knows it, and it's been that way for a long time."
The president does have the power, enumerated in the Constitution in Article II, Section 3, to adjourn both houses of Congress during "extraordinary occasions."
However, critics of the president noted that this power has not been used by a president of the United States in its entire history.
Here's video of the threat to Congress from Trump:


theblaze--2020-04-15--WATCH: Mark Levin RIPS 'hateful' media for blaming every coronavirus death on Trump

WATCH : Mark Levin RIPS 'hateful ' media for blaming every coronavirus death on Trump

BlazeTV host Mark Levin compared Australia's balanced reporting on the coronavirus pandemic to the left-wing media's reporting in America on a recent episode of "LevinTV." He argued that the American mainstream media is poised to blame President Donald Trump for every death that can be linked to COVID-19, especially once the economy starts to open up again.
"Our media is so hateful to Trump, so driven by fundamental transformation, they want centralized government. They want an all-powerful president and they want Trump to be the one to pave these roads, and then push him out," Levin said.
"The media are poised. If one additional human being passes away as a result of opening the economy, from the virus, they're going to blame the president," he continued. "And anybody who passes away as a result of something else but has the coronavirus, they'll try to tag the president with that. It's absolutely disgusting."
Watch the video below to hear more from "the Great One" — Mark Levin:
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theblaze--2020-01-07--Former NFL star invites Iran to target White House in social media post

Former NFL defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in an Instagram post invited Iran to target only the White House, rather than any other Americans, if it decides to attack, according to the WSMV-TV.
Haynesworth, who has a series of anti-Trump posts on his Instagram page, posted a picture of the White House property with a red circle around it. Inside the circle is an arrow pointing directly to the White House and "USA" written in. Outside the circle, "not affiliated"
Along with the post was the caption, "@Iran if you are going to attack the United States well here is a picture for you! #justtryingtohelp us folks that aren't starting wars."
Image source: Instagram screenshot
The post has since been deleted from his page, and the caption for his next post seemed to reference the backlash he received for it.
"I deleted the last post because literally you people think I was trying to direct Iran to attack," Haynesworth wrote. "If that was a serious post which it wasn't, I would be telling Iran Innocent Americans did not attack you. You are having beef with Donald Trump not innocent Americans! But most of the people that are getting pimped out by Donald Trump definitely don't have a sense of humor!"
Still, the picture accompanying that caption sent a similar message: Most of America is not responsible for President Donald Trump's decision to kill Qassem Soleimani.
Social media has been buzzing with fear (some genuine, some joking) about potential retaliation by Iran against the United States for the Friday drone strike that killed one of the nation's most powerful and dangerous military figures in Soleimani.
Iran has promised to retaliate, while President Trump has said that any attack by Iran on Americans will be met with an aggressive, potentially disproportionate, response by the U.S.
(H/T: The Daily Wire)