theblaze--2020-12-16--COVID kills tradition of revelers packing Times Square for New Year's Eve celebrations

COVID kills tradition of revelers packing Times Square for New Year 's Eve celebrations

Throngs of crowds will be noticeably absent in New York City's Times Square this New Year's Eve due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Times Square ball will drop without a live audience for the first time since 1907.
What are the details?
In a Tuesday release, the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment announced that its annual event will not permit people to gather in Times Square on Dec. 31.
The event will be broadcast without attendees. Organizers said that the safety of New Yorkers and the event's participants "is the priority of Times Square New Year's Eve 2021."
This year's special guests will be the "Heroes of 2020," according to the statement, and will include essential workers and their families and first responders.
According to the Hill, "New York families of first responders, frontline, and essential workers, will represent the heroes at the event while located in individual household sealed zones for social distancing."
All people participating in the event "will remain masked at all times" and "will adhere to distancing regulations throughout the production site."
In a statement, Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said, "The Special Guest plays a pivotal role in the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration, most notably by representing resounding resolve and a determined spirit, at a time when the world collectively awaits a renewed beginning. This year, it feels most appropriate to shine a spotlight on the individuals who are tirelessly leading our nation through hard times with unshakable strength, determination and poise, as well as their families, who deal with their own set of sacrifices."
What else?
On Wednesday, the New York Post reported that storied entertainer Gloria Gaynor will perform the 1978 hit "I Will Survive" for the festivities.
The 77-year-old Grammy-winning artist will also perform "Never Can Say Goodbye" and gospel song "Joy Comes in the Morning."
The outlet reports that the event will be streamed on multiple websites including TimesSquareNYC.org, NewYearsEve.NYC, Livestream.com/2021, and TimesSquareBall.net in addition to traditional TV network stations.


theblaze--2020-12-16--Dominion forensic audit in Antrim County, Michigan, reportedly shows evidence of 'intentional' fraud

Dominion forensic audit in Antrim County, Michigan, reportedly shows evidence of 'intentional' fraud, but officials are vehemently denying the claim

Dominion forensic audit in Antrim County , Michigan , reportedly shows evidence of 'intentional ' fraud , but officials are @ @ @ @

The forensic audit of Dominion Voting Systems machines in Antrim County, Michigan, turned out a 68% error rate, indicating that the machines may have been "intentionally designed" to allow for fraud, according to the Trump-linked cyber analysts who inspected it.
The report, which if true raises further suspicions regarding the 2020 election, was immediately disputed by state officials and Dominion representatives.
What are the details?
The forensic audit was ordered last week by Judge Kevin Elsenheimer of the 13th Circuit Court after a county resident, William Bailey, requested it in a lawsuit challenging the integrity of the 2020 election results. Bailey's lawsuit contested the outcome of a local proposal to allow a marijuana dispensary in town. However, the audit's results were also pertinent to the presidential election, especially considering it was in Antrim County where 6,000 votes had been incorrectly switched from President Donald Trump to Democratic challenger Joe Biden in early vote tabulation, before being corrected.
The audit was conducted by Allied Security Operations Group, a cyber firm co-founded by Russell Ramsland Jr. who has been cited as expert testimony in several of the battleground state lawsuits filed by Trump's legal team. The audit was reportedly conducted in the presence of several county officials.
What does the report say?
In the newly released report, Ramsland concluded that "the Dominion Voting System is intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results."
"The allowable election error rate established by the Federal Election Commission guidelines is of 1 in 250,000 ballots (.0008%). We observed an error rate of 68.05%. This demonstrated a significant and fatal error in security and election integrity," he stated in the report. "The results of the Antrim County 2020 election are not certifiable. This is a result of machine and/or software error, not human error."
Antrim County officials originally blamed the vote-flipping on a system glitch before later assessing that a Republican election official failed to update the system before the vote tabulation.
"It is critical to understand that the Dominion system classifies ballots into two categories, 1) normal ballots and 2) adjudicated ballots," he continued. "Ballots sent to adjudication can be altered by administrators, and adjudication files can be moved between different Results Tally and Reporting (RTR) terminals with no audit trail of which administrator actually adjudicates (i.e. votes) the ballot batch. This demonstrated a significant and fatal error in security and election integrity because it provides no meaningful observation of the adjudication process or audit trail of which administrator actually adjudicated the ballots.
"A staggering number of votes required adjudication. This was a 2020 issue not seen in previous election cycles still stored on the server. This is caused by intentional errors in the system. The intentional errors lead to bulk adjudication of ballots with no oversight, no transparency or audit trail," the report stated. "Our examination of the server logs indicates that this high error rate was incongruent with patterns from previous years. The statement attributing these issues to human error is not consistent with the forensic evaluation, which points more correctly to systemic machine and/or software errors. The systemic errors are intentionally designed to create errors in order to push a high volume of ballots to bulk adjudication."
Videos posted to YouTube by election officials in Coffee County, Georgia, recently purported to show how ballots can be switched or filled out in the Dominion system after they are sent to adjudication.
Matthew DePerno, the attorney representing Bailey, went into further detail about how he believes the machines were designed to create fraud during an interview with reporter John Solomon.
"We found that the Dominion Voting Systems is designed intentionally to create inherent and systemic voting errors. What I mean by that is when you run a ballot through the machine, even if it's a blank ballot, it will have a 68% chance of creating an error," DePerno told Solomon. "When you create an error, this machine does not reject the ballot. What it does instead is send it to a folder and that folder will then accumulate the ballots until the time that someone decides that they need those ballots. And then those ballots will be bulk adjudicated by someone. Could be offsite, could be onsite somewhere sitting at a computer. And, without any oversight, they can click one button, lope the entire batch of ballots to one candidate and then send them back to the tabulator."
What has been the response?
In a news release, Michigan officials decried the report as "another in a long stream of misguided, vague and dubious assertions designed to erode public confidence in the November presidential election."
"Let's be clear: Michigan's Nov. 3 general election was the most secure in our state's history," Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in response to the report. "There continues to be no evidence of widespread fraud, as affirmed by state and federal agencies including Attorney General William Barr, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency."
"If the Trump campaign had any actual evidence of wrongdoing — or genuine suspicion thereof — they could have requested a hand recount of every ballot in the state. They did not, instead choosing to allow shadowy organizations claiming expertise to throw around baseless claims of fraud in an effort to mislead American voters and undermine the integrity of the election. Their actions are a corruption of the courts and the rule of law, as the release of today's report clearly demonstrates," she continued, later calling into question Allied Security Operations Group's credentials.
Dominion representatives have also maintained that the allegations in the report are incorrect.
A spokesperson for the company, Michael Steel, told Fox News in November that switching votes from one candidate to another on the machines was "physically impossible." He added that "if any electronic interference had taken place, the tally reported electronically would not match the printed ballots."
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Dominion CEO John Poulos wrote: "There is no secret 'vote flipping' algorithm. Third-party test labs, chosen by the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission and accredited by a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, perform complete source-code reviews on every federally certified tabulation system. States replicate this process for their own certifications. Post-election canvassing and auditing also exist to provide additional assurance of the vote totals' accuracy."


theblaze--2020-12-16--AOC says it's time for Dem. leaders Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer to go, cries that some Biden appoint

AOC says it's time for Dem. leaders Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer to go, cries that some Biden appointees from the Obama era are 'horrible'

AOC says it 's time for Dem .
leaders Nancy Pelosi , Chuck Schumer to go , cries that some @ @ @ @ @ era are 'horrible '

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) says that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) need to vacate their positions in the government and let the younger generation of burgeoning lawmakers take over.
She also said that the Democratic presidential legacy of stacking administrations with previous Democratic appointees and big business heads needs to stop.
What are the details?
In a recently published interview with the Intercept's Jeremy Scahill, the young congresswoman said that the Democratic Party needs a serious leadership overhaul.
There's just one problem, she says: Democrats have no idea how to move forward.
"If you create that vacuum, there are so many nefarious forces at play to fill that vacuum with something even worse," she warned.
"A lot of this is not just about these two personalities [Pelosi and Schumer], but also about the structural shifts that these two personalities have led in their time in leadership," she explained. "The structural shifts of power in the House, both in process and rule, to concentrate power in party leadership of both parties, frankly, but in Democratic Party leadership to such a degree that an individual member has far less power than they did 30, 40, 50 years ago."
She also said that Pelosi and other House members need to prepare for what comes after Pelosi retires.
"The left isn't really making a plan for that," she said. "So I do think that it's something that we really need to think about."
As for the newly minted congresswoman, the speaker position is not something she is ready to tackle — yet.
"The House is extraordinarily complex and I'm not ready," she admitted. "It can't be me. I know that I couldn't do that job."
What else?
Ocasio-Cortez also took a swipe at the incoming Biden administration and said that the president-elect is stacking the vacancies with former Obama appointees and big business players, calling it "horrible."
"I think it's ... part of a larger issue that we have right now, which is ... the Biden administration is bringing back a lot of Obama appointees, which, depending on where you are in the party, may sound nice, I guess," she explained. "But I think what a lot of people fail to remember is that we now have a Biden administration that's bringing back a lot of Obama appointees, but when Obama was making appointments, he was bringing back a lot of Clinton appointees."
The Intercept reported that "dozens of people" from Goldman-Sachs, McKinsey, Facebook, and Google have "quietly been added to the Biden transition team in recent weeks."
Ocasio-Cortez explained that those very types of appointments are a "huge reason why we got [President] Donald Trump in the first place."
"In addition to just the racism that was waiting to be reanimated in this country, [there] was just an extreme disdain for this moneyed political establishment that rules Washington," she proclaimed.


theblaze--2020-12-16--NBC doctor: People shouldn't travel or be 'liberated from wearing masks' until next summer, even if

NBC doctor: People shouldn't travel or be 'liberated from wearing masks' until next summer, even if they've been vaccinated

NBC doctor : People should n't travel or be 'liberated from wearing masks ' until next summer , even if @ @ @ @ @ well does the vaccine work ?

A doctor who appeared onscreen as an expert for NBC News is facing harsh blowback after he suggested on air that even people who have been vaccinated for the novel coronavirus should not travel until the vaccine has been made available to the entire country, which will not happen until next summer.
The doctor, Vin Gupta, M.D., identifies himself in his Twitter profile as a medical analyst for NBC News, and a "Lung/ICU doc" for the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Dr. Gupta made the comments on "Meet the Press" Sunday in response to news that one of the first people in America to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was excited because it meant they would be free to travel.
In the clip, Gupta chastised the individual who planned to travel, saying, "Just for your viewers out there, I know one of the officials who we just saw getting vaccinated is planning on traveling after the second dose. This is a source of confusion. This is one of the misperceptions out there. Just because you get vaccinated with that second dose does not mean you should be participating in things like traveling in the middle of an out of control pandemic or that you're liberated from wearing masks."
Gupta continued, "Everything still applies until all of us get the two dose regimen, and we don't think that's going to happen until June or July. And, again, this goes back to what we just talked about, Chuck. We don't know if just getting the vaccination prevents serious illness, or does it also prevent you from getting infection entirely? Meaning, you can still get infected with the virus potentially and pass it on to others. So, really, really critical — don't let your guard down just because you got vaccinated. You still might be able to get infected with the virus and pass it on to others, so please keep that in mind."
The tweet containing Gupta's remarks was promptly "ratioed," with thousands of Twitter users either replying or quote tweeting the clip with overwhelmingly negative responses. Many Twitter users wondered how the government planned to encourage people to get the vaccine — about which many people already have safety concerns — if doing so will not allow vaccinated Americans to resume their regular activities of daily living until the entire country was already vaccinated.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) went further, saying that Gupta represented a "bizarre, lunatic, totalitarian cult" that was "not about vaccines or protecting people's lives — it is instead profoundly anti-science, and is only focused on absolute govt control of every aspect of our lives."
Undeterred by the torrent of criticism, Dr. Gupta was back on NBC Wednesday, and received his dose of the vaccine on air.
Gupta said, "This vaccine is safe, very effective and I am beyond grateful to have received the first dose this morning." Gupta went on to say, "This virus killed 3K Americans just yesterday. Broad vaccination is our only way out."


theblaze--2020-12-17--George Clooney defends Tom Cruise’s purported social distancing rant against workers: He’s not wrong

'He did n't overreact because it is a problem '

A-lister George Clooney has spoken out in defense of fellow actor Tom Cruise and his purported epic rant at film crew who were reportedly violating social distancing guidelines.
On Wednesday, video purporting to feature Cruise's voice went viral on social media. You can read more about Cruise's angry diatribe here.
What are the details?
During a Wednesday video interview with radio host Howard Stern, Clooney said that his Hollywood peer "didn't overreact."
"He didn't overreact because it is a problem," he said. "I have a friend who's an AD on another TV show who just had the almost exact same thing happen with not quite as far out a response. ... I wouldn't have done it that big. I wouldn't have, you know, pulled people out. You're in a position of power and it's tricky, right? You do have a responsibility for everybody else and he's absolutely right about that. And, you know, if the production goes down, a lot of people lose their jobs. People have to understand that they have to be responsible. It's just not my style to, you know, to take everybody to task that way."
Clooney added that there's always another side to the story.
"I think it doesn't help necessarily to point to specific people in that way and do it that ... but, you know, everybody has their own style," he explained. "The people who were on that shoot will tell us more about it. I understand why he did it. He's not wrong at all about that. You know, I just, I don't know what I would have done it quite that personally, but I don't know all the circumstances, so maybe he had [said] it 10 or 15 times before."
In the audio recording, a voice purported to belong to Cruise can be heard shouting at unidentified film staffers on the set of "Mission: Impossible 7" and threatening to fire them if they don't adhere to social distancing guidelines.
"No apologies," the voice purported to belong to Cruise can be heard saying. "You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down. It's not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That's what I sleep with every night. The future of this f***ing industry!"
The voice added, "We're the gold standard! They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we're doing! And I'm on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they're looking at us and using us to make their movies! ... We are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers!"
"If I see it again," the voice warned, "you're f***ing gone."


theblaze--2020-12-17--Maxine Waters is outraged that people want Democrats to negotiate with Republicans on 'coronavirus-1

Maxine Waters is outraged that people want Democrats to negotiate with Republicans on 'coronavirus-19' relief bill

Maxine Waters is outraged that people want Democrats to negotiate with Republicans on 'coronavirus-19 ' relief bill Waters tied the @ @ @ @ @ to the election lawsuits

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California appeared to justify Democrats stalling on negotiations with Republicans on the coronavirus relief bill because of legal action taken by the president regarding the election.
Waters was on "The Reid Out" show with Joy Reid on MSNBC when she made the comments Tuesday. She cited a list of lawsuits that President Donald Trump and his team had filed in an attempt to overturn the results of the election and called it "the highest form of voter suppression."
She went on to claim that Democrats could not negotiate with Republicans on the coronavirus relief bill.
"Either they are so afraid so intimidated so bullied by the president of the United States, they can't stand up for Democracy, and the Constitution. That is hard to believe, hard to understand," said Waters.
"But when people say to us, 'Why don't you negotiate with them on coronavirus-19 response, and help the people, why can't you come to an agreement?' Do you understand what we're dealing with?" she asked rhetorically.
"We're dealing with people who [are] willing to undermine their Democracy, people who have claimed to be patriots, people who don't have any respect for the Constitution, and you expect us to be able to sit down with them, and for them to negotiate with us in good faith!" Waters added.
"This is awful, the world is watching," she concluded.
While Waters only implied that Democrats wouldn't work with Republicans on getting relief to Americans suffering from the economic effect of the coronavirus lockdowns, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) outright admitted it was the case in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also lashed out at a CNN reporter when he pointed out that Democrats were settling for far less in the relief package when they stalled before the election.
Here's the video of Waters' comments:


theblaze--2020-12-17--Pence to receive COVID-19 vaccine 'publicly' on Friday, Biden next week

Pence to receive COVID-19 vaccine 'publicly ' on Friday , Biden next week Officials want to reassure Americans of the @ @ @

Vice President Mike Pence will receive Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine "publicly" at the White House on Friday, and President-elect Joe Biden is set to get the shot next week.
The news comes as thousands of Americans are dying from COVID-19 on a daily basis, and officials are seeking to reassure the public that the new vaccine is safe as polls show many people have reservations about the inoculation.
What are the details?
USA Today reported that according to Pence's office, he and second lady Karen Pence will both receive the vaccine "'publicly' to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and 'build confidence among the American people.'" Surgeon General Jerome Adams will join the Pences and receive his shot the same day.
According to CNN, sources say Biden is expected to receive the vaccine next week, noting that "the delay has not been borne out of hesitation, aides say, but rather logistics of administering the shot in a public setting."
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have also expressed their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in a public forum in order to build the public's trust in the safety of the shot — possibly even on camera.
Health care workers in the U.S. began receiving the first doses of Pfizer's vaccine this week, after the FDA approved it Friday in a quick turnaround. While it typically takes years to develop and test a vaccine for approval, Pfizer's was developed in roughly nine months as part of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed that helped fund vaccine efforts. President Trump hailed the achievement as a "medical miracle."
But some Americans need convincing, polls show.
"A Gallup poll released Dec. 8 found 63% of Americans would agree to take an FDA-approved vaccine to combat the virus, while 37% would not," USA Today noted.
Even some health care workers have reservations about lining up for the shot.
KCAL-TV reported that a recent survey of Southern California health care workers, two-thirds of them "wished to delay vaccination or not get vaccinated," according to study author Dr. Anne Rimoin.
The outlet reported that "the UCLA survey found that the majority of workers felt the vaccines were rushed out of Operation Warp Speed."
Rimoin added, "Healthcare workers are critical. They are not only the first people to get this vaccine, but they will be administering this vaccine and then giving advice to the public about getting the vaccine."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Barstool Sports founder launches fund to save small businesses since gov't won't get 'off their a**'

Barstool Sports founder launches fund to save small businesses since gov't wo n't get 'off their a**' The first recipient @ @ @ @ @ receiving the relief

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has launched an initiative to help keep struggling small businesses afloat as they continue to suffer from lockdowns, saying something has to be done since government won't get "off their a**" and do something about it.
What are the details?
Portnoy, who has been on a rampage against coronavirus restrictions, said in a video announcing his fund that he is going to put his money where his mouth is and donate $500,000 to what he has dubbed the "Barstool Fund."
He admitted, "Is it the best plan? No. The best plan is the government getting of their a** and issuing relief, billions of dollars to these small business owners who are losing their livelihoods. That's the solution. That's the only solution really, but barring that, we're going to do whatever we can."
Portnoy noted that New York City recently banned indoor dining in response to COVID-19, saying, "How do you expect these people to survive? How are restaurants going to survive? They're already on their last legs, and you're pulling the plug on them. And nobody seems to care in the government—or at least they're not doing anything acting like they care."
The first recipient from the Barstool Fund is the owner of Borrelli's in Long Island, whose son, Frankie Borrelli, is Portnoy's cameraman.
The elder Borrelli has continued to pay his employees despite all of the government restrictions and lockdowns imposed, which Portnoy says is a requirement for anyone to receive approval.
Mr. Borrelli became choked up in reaction to the news, and said through tears that he would have had to close down in January without the help.
He told Portnoy in a video, "Dave, I really want to thank you for starting this fund. You don't know what it means to us," adding, "My staff, they have mortgages, families. You don't know how many people you are helping."
Anything else?
The Daily Wire reported that beyond the Barstool Fund, Portnoy plans to feature "small businesses on a fundraising platform for others to crowdfund for those businesses that The Barstool Fund cannot support on its own."
In an update, Portnoy said that within just a few hours of his announcement he has seen an "overwhelming response" from individuals and major donors offering to contribute to the fund. He said he expects to have the funding site up Monday, and that Barstool also plans to offer businesses' t-shirts available for sale and that those proceeds will also go directly to the fund's recipients.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Chicago mayor apologizes amid backlash after city tried to block release of video of police raid on

Chicago mayor apologizes amid backlash after city tried to block release of video of police raid on innocent woman The @ @ @ @ @ nude for several minutes before officers realized they were in the wrong home

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) has apologized and promised "full accountability" after the city attempted to block the airing of police body camera video earlier this week showing officers raiding the wrong home and holding an innocent woman handcuffed in the nude before realizing their mistake.
What are the details?
In Feb. 2019, Chicago police broke down the door of Anjanette Young as she was undressing after work, rushing in with guns drawn and handcuffing the longtime social worker as she stood naked in her living room. But officers were in the wrong home, and had relied on incorrect information given to them by an informant.
Following the incident, Ms. Young filed a FOIA request to obtain the footage captured from the officers' body cameras, but the Chicago Police Department denied the request.
But a judge recently ordered the release of the videos to Ms. Young, who shared it with local television station WBBM-TV. The outlet aired some of the footage earlier this week, but attorneys for the city tried to block the station from showing the video from nearly two years prior.
Release of the videos sparked outrage and Lightfoot has come under fire for her administration's handling of the ongoing case.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx blasted the city's actions, tweeting, "The audacity that the city calculated its embarrassment over the release of the video, is a clear violation of Ms. Young's body and autonomy. This was a complete and utter dismissal of her humanity. Her humanity was, literally, stripped from her."
At first, the mayor sought to distance herself because the raid occurred prior to her taking office and claimed the first she heard of the case was this week, but Lightfoot apologized Thursday for the ordeal.
"I am deeply sorry and troubled that her home was invaded and that she had to face the humiliation and trauma that she suffered," Lightfoot said of Young, according to The Daily Mail. "That is just not right. It simply should not have happened. And I will make sure that there is full accountability for what took place."
CBS News reported that according to Young, Lightfoot's public apology was the only communication she has heard from the mayor.
"The fact that she has spent no effort that I know of to reach out to me or my team… that's more of a betrayal," Young said of Lightfoot.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Glenn Beck: 'The Government may have abandoned the small business owner but we won't.'

Glenn Beck : 'The Government may have abandoned the small business owner but we wo n't . '

The COVID 19 pandemic has not only resulted in the tragic loss of life, but it is also destroying one of the most special parts of American society: the small business.
In this clip, Glenn Beck shared the heartbreaking story of a small business owner, Rochelle Rene Ratto, a 39-year-old mother of two and owner of Boat Barn Bagels. Ratto's bakery was voted Best New Business of the year in Cañon City, CO, and was thriving until COVID-19 restrictions forced her to close her doors. Ratto took her own life on October 26.
Ratto's mother, Shari Rogers, said her daughter's death was a casualty of COVID-19. Rogers addressed the Cañon City Council where she appealed to her community and pleaded for more resources to help small business owners survive.
"She tried to do it, but she couldn't do it and she killed herself," Rogers said. "She was strong, she was smart, she was developing the business mind and doing well. I just feel like dollars are more important than just about anything, and then testing so that when the community freaks out, [business owners] can test themselves and their employees."
Glenn shared his sentiment that we can take Ratto's story and despair or we can take a stand and do something to help small businesses.
"I ask you to stand with me," Glenn said. "To show that the government may have abandoned the small business owner but we won't abandon them."
To help, you can donate at GoFundMe.com/GlennSmallBusiness
Glenn donated all proceeds collected on Thursday from Glennbeckart.com to help small business owners hit hard by COVID 19 restrictions.
UPDATE: Glenn's GoFundMe as of Friday morning blew past the goal of $50,000, raising $160,181 and counting. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
Glenn Fights for Small Business, organized by Glenn Beck
Glenn Fights for Small Business, organized by Glenn Beck www.gofundme.com
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theblaze--2020-12-18--Fox News obtains texts from Hunter Biden's former associates asking him to bring Joe Biden into vent

Fox News obtains texts from Hunter Biden's former associates asking him to bring Joe Biden into venture with Chinese company

Fox News obtains texts from Hunter Biden 's former associates asking him to bring Joe Biden into venture with Chinese @

Fox News obtained texts from former associates of Hunter Biden asking him to bring his father into a business venture with a Chinese company.
The report about the texts published on Thursday included screenshots of an exchange from 2017 between Tony Bobulinski and James Gilliar and the son of President-elect Joe Biden.
One of the screenshots shows Gilliar texting to Bobulinski: "Man U are right let's get the company set up, then tell H and family the high stakes and get Joe involved."
The joint-venture called Sinohawk Holdings sought a business relationship with CEFC, a Chinese energy company.
In another text from Bobulinski to Gilliar from April 2017, he questioned why James Biden was becoming so prominent in their dealings.
"[W]hat is the deal w Jim Biden as he wasn't part of the discussion but now seems a focal point," asked Bobulinski.
"With H demons, could be good to have a back up, he strengthens our USP to Chinese as it looks like a truly family business, and I like the dude," responded Gilliar.
It's unknown what Gilliar was referring to when he used the acronym "USP."
In another exchange from May 2017, Gilliar appears to refer to the direct involvement of Joe Biden in the business venture to Bobulinski.
"Don't mention Joe being involved, it's only when u are face to face, I know u know that but they are paranoid," texted Gilliar.
"OK they should be paranoid about things," Bobulinski replies.
Sinohawk Holdings never solidified the business relationship they sought with CEFC.
Gilliar later denied Joe Biden's involvement in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.
"I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former Vice President," said Gilliar.
The development complicates denials from the president-elect that he was involved in any misconduct related to his son's business dealings during his time as vice president to former President Barack Obama.
Here's the report from Fox News about the texts:


theblaze--2020-12-18--Outgoing Democratic congressman cracks a beer on House floor in farewell speech

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation '

South Carolina Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham delivered a memorable display in his farewell address on the House floor on Thursday, when he cracked open a beer to offer a toast "in the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation."
What are the details?
Cunningham called for Republicans and Democrats to work together on his way out the door, saying, "Make no mistake, our democracy has been battered and bruised, but it is not yet broken. And to save it, we must agree on one basic truth: that the other side is not the enemy."
"The enemy is the stubbornness of our own biases," he continued. "The enemy is a political system that seeks to divide us for sport."
The Democrat also took some shots at GOP members according to the Post and Courier, saying, ""In my short tenure, I've been disappointed with a lot that I've encountered. I've seen members mock the president behind his back, and praise him to his face. Loathe him in private, and worship him on television."
"I've seen them intentionally spread misinformation and lies, flirt with white supremacists, and pander to the most extreme voices in our society," Cunningham said. "And it's been for one reason and one reason alone: self-preservation. People more interested in protecting themselves and their party than protecting our country."
The outlet noted that Cunningham "said he was proud that two of his bills were signed into law by President Donald Trump and that he was ranked the fourth-most bipartisan member in Congress by the Lugar Center."
In the end, Cunningham told his colleagues, "For the betterment of our country, we have to come together. We have to sit down and listen to each other, and maybe even have a beer."
As he reached into his coat pocket to grab his beer, he said, "In the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation, I raise this glass to my colleagues—both Democrats and Republicans."
Although Cunningham cracked the can open, he did not take a sip. Alcohol is not allowed in the chamber. According to Post and Courier reporter Thomas Novelly, the brew was Joint Resolution from DC Brau Brewing.
Cunningham won election in 2018 by a slim margin in South Carolina's first district, flipping what he referred to as the "ruby red, gerrymandered district" blue for the first time since 1981, according to The Hill. He lost narrowly in 2020 to state Rep. Nancy Mace (R).
Following Cunningham's farewell address, Mace said in a statement, "I'll drink to that," wishing Cunningham well and thanking him for his service as she tipped back a Low County Lager from Palmetto Brewing Co.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Marco Rubio responds perfectly to Ocasio-Cortez in Twitter feud over foul-mouthed insult to Republic

Marco Rubio responds perfectly to Ocasio-Cortez in Twitter feud over foul-mouthed insult to Republicans Ocasio-Cortez added some more expletives to @ @

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida ended socialist Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York after she tried to defend a foul-mouthed insult against Republicans by a Biden administration official.
The feud began after Rubio criticized Jen O'Malley Dillon, picked by President-elect Joe Biden to be his deputy chief of staff, for using an expletive to refer to Republicans.
"Biden talks about unity and healing, but you want to know what they really think? Read how the person he wants as the next WH deputy chief of staff called Republicans in Congress a bunch of f***ers," tweeted Rubio.
Ocasio-Cortez pounced on Rubio's tweet to defend Dillon's statement, and to add her own foul-mouthed insult against Republicans she made in October.
".@marcorubio you stood by in total silence when your GOP colleague called a Congresswoman a 'f— b—' on the Capitol steps in front of press. You weren't big enough to speak then, & you don't get to sob now. BTW that is the right word for those who fleece & scam working families," she tweeted.
She added a screenshot of her quote To Vanity Fair.
"These are the same people saying that we can't have tuition-free public colleges because there's no money when these motherf***ers are only paying $750 a year in taxes," she said in the quote.
Ocasio-Cortez was referring to an incident where a Republican congressional colleague cursed at her on the steps of the Congress for tying crime to poverty.
In a second tweet she scolded Republicans about the stalled coronavirus relief bill.
"Tired of these people encouraging, ignoring, and excusing their own abusive behavior for years to then turn around and act like the biggest coddled babies in the world. People are hungry and this is what you're mad about. Take that energy to supporting retroactive UI & checks," she added.
Rubio responded simply, "BTW, the right word for those who fleece & scam working families is actually 'socialist.'"
Here's more about Biden outreach to Republicans:


theblaze--2020-12-17--Sen. Josh Hawley to call for 'up or down vote' on second round of direct checks to Americans

Sen. Josh Hawley to call for 'up or down vote ' on second round of direct checks to Americans

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has vowed to ask Friday for an "up or down vote" in the upper chamber over a proposal to issue a second round of direct payments to Americans as part of another COVID-19 relief package.
The senator's declaration comes as Congress runs up against a deadline to decide on a deal ahead of their Christmas break after months of negotiating.
What are the details?
"Tomorrow I will go to the Senate floor to ask for an up or down vote on my bill to provide a direct payment of $1200 to working Americans, $2400 for couples, $500 for kids," Hawley tweeted Thursday. "This is the #covid relief working families need."
The day before, Hawley said from the Senate floor, "I'm not interested in stimulus, I'm interested in helping working people survive and help them to get back up on their feet so they can manage their own lives. That's why the need is so great."
He argued in a tweet, "Working people don't want pity. They want help - to get back on their feet & provide for their families. That's what #covid direct assistance is about. And I won't let the Senate leave for Christmas until direct help is on the way."
The Missouri Republican has been pushing adamantly for direct payments to individuals and families as a priority, after previous proposals omitted such checks while including benefits for companies and bailout funds for state and local governments.
Hawley even teamed with far-left Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in pushing their colleagues to include direct checks, in a pairing The Hill called "Congress's latest couple" while pointing out that the two Senators are typically on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to policy.
How are negotiations going?
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said from the Senate floor Thursday that a "bipartisan, bicameral agreement appears to be close at hand" on a package projected to be around $900 billion. McConnell told the upper chamber, "We're going to stay right here, right here, until we're finished. Even if that means working through the weekend, which is highly likely."
ABC News reported:
While a COVID-19 relief deal still must be finalized, it's expected to include $300 billion for the small business loan program, money for vaccine distribution and testing, education funds, and up to $600 in one-time direct payments for Americans on a sliding scale depending on income levels.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Michelin-star restaurant where Gavin Newsom dined received $2.4M in PPP funding, 17 times more than

Michelin-star restaurant where Gavin Newsom dined received $2.4M in PPP funding, 17 times more than the average: report

Michelin-star restaurant where Gavin Newsom dined received $ 2.4M in PPP funding , 17 times more than the average : @

French Laundry, the swanky restaurant California Gov.Gavin Newsom was caught dining at in November, received $2.4 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans from the Small Business Administration, according to a new report by KABC-TV.
French Laundry is a 3-Michelin-star restaurant in Napa Valley that was plastered in national headlines after California's Democratic governor was busted in photos dining at the posh establishment with a maskless group for a birthday party. Newsom, who was caught flouting his own stringent coronavirus guidance, responded to the controversy by saying, "We should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner."
Chef Thomas Keller's luxurious restaurant is back in the news because of the amount of federal financial assistance it received. The world-renowned restaurant was granted a $2.2 million PPP loan by the SBA on April 30 to retain 163 employees. The eatery was provided a second PPP loan worth $194,656 to retain five employees on the same day.
Analysis by KABC-TV found that French Laundry's loans were 17 times more federal money than what the average Bay Area restaurant received.
French Laundry boasts an opulent chef's tasting menu that will run you about $350, which includes extravagant dishes such as "Stonington Maine Sea Scallop Poelee" and "Celery Root Manicotti."
"The I-Team analyzed thousands of California loans released by the SBA that show wealthier, big businesses are often getting access to loans before small mom and pop owners," KABC-TV stated. "Out of all the approved loans in California, 91 percent of larger restaurants with 300 or more employees got their loan approved in April versus only 52 percent of smaller restaurants with 100 or fewer employees."
Dennis Berkowitz, the former owner of the Vault 164 restaurant, told KABC-TV, that he struggled to secure $318,000 from the government to retain approximately 50 employees. The loan wasn't enough and Berkowitz was forced to sell his restaurant in July.
"I've had a 40-year run in the restaurant business, so I consider myself fortunate," Berkowitz said. "I really feel bad for the next generation of restaurateurs because they're screwed."
A report from earlier this month found that eight companies partially owned by Newsom received nearly $3 million in PPP loans from the federal government to deal with financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Newsom founded PlumpJack Management Group LLC, which includes five restaurants and bars, four Napa Valley wineries, a ski resort, and retail establishments.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Michigan says elections department does not use compromised SolarWinds Orion software

Michigan says elections department does not use compromised SolarWinds Orion software The state says that so far there is 'no @ @ @ @ @ network was affected by the compromised software

As multiple U.S. federal agencies report breaches by hackers who used a compromised software manufactured by IT company SolarWinds to infiltrate government computer networks, the state of Michigan says that so far there is "no indication" that the state network was affected.
Michigan, a key battleground state in the 2020 presidential election, has been the focus of multiple allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities made by lawyers for President Donald Trump's campaign and others. When reports emerged earlier this week that a "highly-sophisticated, targeted and manual supply chain attack by a nation state" compromised SolarWinds' Orion suite of network management software, rampant speculation immediately began as to whether the cyberattack somehow influenced the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Michigan and elsewhere.
SolarWinds services multiple government clients in addition to private sector customers with its software. Rumors initially swirled that Dominion Voting Systems, the voting machine manufacturer at the center of allegations of election tampering made by President Donald Trump and his allies, used SolarWinds products and questions were raised about whether voting machines were hacked before the election.
Reporting by the Wall Street Journal's Alexa Corse and others clarified that while Dominion does in fact use SolarWinds Serv-U product, the company does not use the compromised Orion product line. Following these reports, independent journalist Kyle Becker obtained a copy of a document from the state of Michigan's Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB) that said the state of Michigan used SolarWinds Orion products.
Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for the DTMB confirmed to TheBlaze that Michigan uses SolarWinds Orion IT tools and that the state is investigating whether its networks were compromised in the cyberattack, as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) recommended.
"Upon notification of the SolarWinds – Orion compromise, the state of Michigan started a forensic investigation of the state network in accordance with the recommended steps outlined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)," Buhs told TheBlaze.
"To date, there is no indication that the SolarWinds – Orion compromise was activated within the state network," he said.
"To protect the state environment, DTMB continues to monitor the environment and will follow any additional steps that may be recommended by CISA as more information is released," Buhs added.
The spokesman also said that the Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections systems do not use the SolarWinds Orion software.
Multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments and the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration have reported breaches in what officials say was a widespread cyberattack suspected to be conducted by foreign actors.
Cybersecurity firm FireEye in a blog post stated that hackers gained access to numerous public and private organizations through trojanized updates to SolarWinds' Orion software. According to cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs, the cyberattack could have affected as many as 18,000 SolarWinds customers.
The full extent of the cybersecurity compromise could remain unknown for some time as federal and state authorities conduct their investigations.


theblaze--2020-12-17--'You have NOT been abandoned by the American people': Glenn Beck has a message of hope for small bus

'You have NOT been abandoned by the American people': Glenn Beck has a message of hope for small businesses

'You have NOT been abandoned by the American people ' : Glenn Beck has a message of hope for small @ @ @ @ @ trouble across America

Small businesses are in trouble across America as the pandemic and government restrictions make it hard for them — especially restaurants — to keep their doors open.
Joe Crowley, the owner of a Boston-area restaurant and live music venue called Breakaway, joined Glenn Beck on the radio show Thursday to talk about how he poured everything he had into transforming a rundown old building into an unbelievably successful business over the course of five years, only to have "the rug just completely pulled out from underneath us, right at the point where we'd had an unbelievable 2019 and were ready to launch our 2020." Now his business is closed indefinitely, his 35 employees are laid off, and to make matters worse, a massive snowstorm just dumped a foot of snow on his city.
"I never felt abandonment from my state and federal government like I do today," Joe told Glenn. "I can't get a call back from a congressman or woman, a senator, the governor's office. We can't get a call in to start a discussion with them. And all we're asking is, what is the plan? ... Nobody is sitting here with their hand out saying, 'Give me. Give me.' We're saying, give us the plan. We elected you. Give us the direction. You can't let us go into the wintertime without anything. But that's exactly what they've done up in the Boston area. They've let us go into the winter, with no plan."
Joe questioned if the government's plan was to let businesses close all along or if there's any concern for the families that are being ruined, but Glenn reassured him, and any other small business owners listening, that they have not been abandoned by the American people.
"I know you feel abandoned and like nobody is paying attention. But people are," Glenn told Joe. "They're aware of it, and we stand with you ... you have not been abandoned by the American people."
If you can make a donation, even if just one dollar, to show small business owners that we WILL NOT abandon them this Christmas season, we'd be honored if you'd consider making a donation at "Glenn Fights for Small Business."
Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation with Joe Crowley:
Use promo code GLENN to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
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To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Iranian president boasts there’s ‘no doubt’ Joe Biden will ‘bow’ to Iran and lift sanctions

Iranian president boasts there ’ s ‘ no doubt ’ Joe Biden will ‘ bow ’ to Iran and lift @

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently boasted about his country's prospects now that a new president has been elected in the United States.
The totalitarian ruler said he has "no doubt" that the incoming U.S. administration under Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will "bow" to Iran and rejoin the nuclear deal forged in 2015 when Biden was vice president.
President Donald Trump removed the U.S. from the deal in 2018 and has since adopted a much tougher stance toward Iran, reimposing crippling sanctions lifted under the deal and conducting an airstrike that killed Iranian terrorist military leader Qassem Soleimani.
"I have no doubt that the heroic national resistance of Iran is going to compel the future U.S. government to bow ... and the sanctions will be broken," Rouhani said Thursday in a televised address introducing several infrastructure projects, according to the Washington Post.
Only a day prior, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also showed some openness to working with Biden if it resulted in the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
"If the sanctions can be lifted in a correct, wise, Iranian-Islamic, and dignified manner, this should be done," he said during a televised address. "But our main focus should be on neutralizing the sanctions, and the initiative for this is in your hands.
"The lifting of sanctions is in the hands of the enemy, but nullifying them is in our hands," he added.
The remarks appear to be a signal to the Biden administration that reengagement in the nuclear deal could be in order. The optimism makes sense since Biden indicated on the campaign trail he was willing to restore friendlier diplomatic relations with the country.
"If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations," Biden wrote in a CNN op-ed in September.
After all, it was under his leadership during the Obama administration that the U.S. agreed to lift the decades-old sanctions against Iran if the country reduced its uranium stockpile and ceased efforts to construct a nuclear weapon. Of course, Iran did not hold up their end of the bargain just as many Americans suspected.
As TheBlaze noted in 2018, Trump routinely criticized the agreement as the "worst deal ever," "horrible," "laughable," and "defective at its core."


theblaze--2020-12-17--No more sex identification on birth certificates, New England Journal of Medicine article declares

No more sex identification on birth certificates , New England Journal of Medicine article declares Authors say sex designations can @ @ @ @ @ on intersex and transgender people '

A New England Journal of Medicine article published last week states that birth certificates no longer should include sex identification "given the particularly harmful effects of such designations on intersex and transgender people."
What are the details?
The article said birth certificates in 1949 underwent a revision that "created a line of demarcation. The legally identifying fields above the line appear on certified copies of birth certificates, whereas information in the fields below the line, which is used for statistical purposes, is deidentified and reported in the aggregate. Race and parents' marital status, for example, were moved below the line of demarcation to permit self-identification and to avoid stigma, respectively."
Simply put, the authors said it's time to move sex designation below the line.
More from the article:
Designating sex as male or female on birth certificates suggests that sex is simple and binary when, biologically, it is not. Sex is a function of multiple biologic processes with many resultant combinations. About 1 in 5000 people have intersex variations. As many as 1 in 100 people exhibit chimerism, mosaicism, or micromosaicism, conditions in which a person's cells may contain varying sex chromosomes, often unbeknownst to them.2 The biologic processes responsible for sex are incompletely defined, and there is no universally accepted test for determining sex.
Assigning sex at birth also doesn't capture the diversity of people's experiences. About 6 in 1000 people identify as transgender, meaning that their gender identity doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth. Others are nonbinary, meaning they don't exclusively identify as a man or a woman, or gender nonconforming, meaning their behavior or appearance doesn't align with social expectations for their assigned sex.
Sex designations on birth certificates offer no clinical utility; they serve only legal — not medical — goals. Certainly, knowing a patient's sex is useful in many contexts, when it is appropriately interpreted. Sex modifies the clinical suspicion of a heart attack in the absence of classic symptoms and is a proxy for many undefined social, environmental, and biologic factors in research, for example. But, in each of these applications, sex is merely a stand-in for other variables and is not generally ascertained from a birth certificate.
'Keeping sex designations above the line causes harm'
The piece emphasizes that "keeping sex designations above the line causes harm."
More from the article:
For people with intersex variations, the birth certificate's public sex designation invites scrutiny, shame, and pressure to undergo unnecessary and unwanted surgical and medical interventions.1Sex assignments at birth may be used to exclude transgender people from serving in appropriate military units, serving sentences in appropriate prisons, enrolling in health insurance, and, in states with strict identification laws, voting. Less visibly, assigning sex at birth perpetuates a view that sex as defined by a binary variable is natural, essential, and immutable. Participation by the medical profession and the government in assigning sex is often used as evidence supporting this view. Imposing such a categorization system risks stifling self-expression and self-identification.
People with intersex variations may undergo surgeries before they are old enough to consent, often losing reproductive capacity and sexual sensation as a result. Transgender people receive worse health care and have worse outcomes than cisgender people.3 Health care professionals have a particular duty to support vulnerable populations who have historically been harmed by clinicians and by the medical system in general.
The bathroom thing
The authors of the article go further and address safety concerns related to transgender individuals using locker rooms and restrooms of their choice. "But fears about privacy and safety violations in public accommodations aren't supported by evidence. A study examining the effects of a Massachusetts law protecting transgender people in public accommodations revealed no increase in violations. Meanwhile, many intersex and transgender people avoid public spaces, including restrooms, for fear of mistreatment."
Passports and other documents
The authors also say that if sex designations are removed from birth certificates, it would allow applicants for passports and other government-issued documents "to identify their gender without medical verification."
Pushback
A number of article commenters questioned the authors' conclusions:


theblaze--2020-12-17--Left-wing senator wants Netflix, Disney, and other online streamers to give away their products for

Left-wing senator wants Netflix, Disney, and other online streamers to give away their products for free so Americans will stay home

Left-wing senator wants Netflix , Disney , and other online streamers to give away their products for free so Americans @ @ @

Democrats really, really, really want people to stay home for the COVID holidays.
They have repeatedly used "sticks" to attempt to get Americans to not leave their residences — including instituting curfews, shutting down restaurants, closing churches, and even threatening more stay-at-home lockdown orders.
Now, left-wing Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) is looking for "carrots" — and he's trying to convince online entertainment streamers to help out.
In a letter Monday to the heads of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Apple Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max, King laid out the case for these companies to give away their product for free — for the greater good:
As organizations around the country continue to respond to the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, I am reaching out to discuss and consider the unique role that your companies play in providing content-based activities this holiday season. Specifically, I encourage you to temporarily remove any cost considerations for use of your services for current non-subscribers as a public service to who are seeking to remain safe and indoors this holiday season, as opposed to the risks involved as the nation sees a dramatic surge in pandemic cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance recommending that specific community actions be taken to limit the exposure of the virus, and has additionally encouraged Americans to avoid their usual holiday travel to reduce transmission of the coronavirus. We believe that your companies are in a unique position to help families cope with the effects of this health emergency on typical holiday traditions.
If that wasn't enough, King went on to inform them that such a move would be great "opportunity" for these companies to do the "socially responsible" thing.
Yes, as the temperatures outside continue to drop, "safe outdoor recreation options are further restricted," the senator said — while failing to note that many of the restrictions the people are under were imposed by Democratic officials.
Because of the restrictions, "Americans are faced with even further social isolation and increased free time during the holidays," King noted. "This is a risk; it could also be an opportunity for creative, socially responsible thinking."
Without the help of Netflix, Disney, and other outlets, "Americans are likely to choose to ignore public health advice," the senator continued, adding that these irresponsible citizens will likely "carry on their typical holiday traditions instead of remaining safely at home."
He told them he super wants them to write back with "what steps you see feasible and able to be accomplished to limit the health emergency" and would "encourage" them to do whatever they can to help.
'King's Gambit'
In an editorial titled "Angus King's Gambit" posted Wednesday evening, the Wall Street Journal noted a couple of seemingly obvious points.
First, Netflix and other online streamers have seen record numbers of subscriptions during the pandemic because so many Americans are staying home — yet the virus continues to spike:
Who knew Netflix could slow Covid? The pandemic has been a boon for online streaming services, which have added tens of millions of new users during the pandemic. Disney+ now boasts 74 million, up from 50 million in April. There's no evidence, however, the streaming surge has stopped the virus from spreading.
Second, the Journal noted, "free" Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime is not a thing:
In any case, many young people already free-ride on subscriptions of family and friends. Increased streaming of “The Queen's Gambit" or “Seinfeld" reruns would increase broadband traffic and slow speeds for other uses including telemedicine visits and FaceTiming with grandparents. There's no such thing as free Netflix.
The paper further warned that "Democrats want the Federal Communications Commission to reclassify broadband providers as common carriers so they could be forced to provide free 'public services,' which is how Mr. King labels entertainment."
No reports yet on whether the entertainment outlets have offered a response.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Report: U.S. agencies responsible for nuclear arsenal targeted in SolarWinds cyberattack

Report : U.S. agencies responsible for nuclear arsenal targeted in SolarWinds cyberattack Officials may not know the extent of the @ @ @ @

A new report reveals that hackers were able to infiltrate the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The cyberattack against the DOE and NNSA is part of a larger espionage operation that has affected at least half a dozen federal agencies, Politico's Natasha Bertrand reports.
The Energy Department's chief information officer Rocky Campione briefed the departments about the attacks on Thursday and both agencies are now coordinating to brief members of Congress on the status of their network security.
The full extent of the cyberattack may not be known "for weeks," officials said.
From Politico:
They found suspicious activity in networks belonging to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories in New Mexico and Washington, the Office of Secure Transportation and the Richland Field Office of the DOE. The hackers have been able to do more damage at FERC than the other agencies, the officials said, but did not elaborate.
Federal investigators have been combing through networks in recent days to determine what hackers had been able to access and/or steal, and officials at DOE still don't know whether the attackers were able to access anything, the people said, noting that the investigation is ongoing and they may not know the full extent of the damage "for weeks."
Spokespeople for DOE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs conduct atomic research related to the development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The Office of Secure Transportation is responsible for moving enriched uranium and other materials needed to maintain the nuclear stockpile, Politico reports. As for the attack on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Politico's report speculates that it was targeted to gain information that may help malicious actors find vulnerabilities in the nation's bulk electric grid.
The report emphasizes how seriously United States national security is threatened by foreign hackers who were able to infiltrate U.S. government computer systems by compromising software from IT company SolarWinds, which has hundreds of government and private-sector clients.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) confirmed the existence of a "significant and ongoing cybersecurity campaign."
"This is a developing situation, and while we continue to work to understand the full extent of this campaign, we know this compromise has affected networks within the federal government," the statement read.
In response to the threat, the FBI has launched investigations to "attribute, pursue, and disrupt the responsible threat actors," and CISA issued an emergency directive ordering federal civilian agencies to immediately shut down affected SolarWinds Orion products in their network.
The ODNI is coordinating a response from the U.S. Intelligence Community to share information across the United States government.


theblaze--2020-12-17--American teen and boyfriend jailed 4 months for violating quarantine in Cayman Islands

American teen and boyfriend jailed 4 months for violating quarantine in Cayman Islands The judge wanted to lock up the @ @ @ @ @

An American teen was sentenced to four months in jail for violating the COVID-19 quarantine in the Cayman Islands. Her boyfriend is also going to jail for helping her breach the government-imposed lockdown.
Skylar Mack, an 18-year-old from Loganville, Georgia, visited the Cayman Islands to see her boyfriend on Nov. 27. Mack traveled to the Caribbean island to watch her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, participate in a jet ski competition.
Mack, whose father is also a professional jet ski racer, was required by Cayman Island government to quarantine for 14 days upon her arrival. Authorities fitted Mack with an iMSafe wristband, a device that monitors the location of people who are under quarantine. The Cayman Islands has been utilizing TraceSafe's iMSafe geo-fencing bracelets since September.
Mack complained that her tracking device was too tight, so authorities at her hotel loosened the wristband, according to People magazine. Mack was able to slip off the wristband. On Nov. 29, she attended the jet ski event that her boyfriend was participating in. She spent over seven hours in public without a face mask or social distancing, which resulted in four families having to go into isolation because they were exposed to Mack.
Mack was arrested for violating the quarantine. Ramgeet, 24, was charged with aiding and abetting Mack. Both pled guilty to their offenses.
Mack and Ramgeet were originally sentenced to 40 hours of community service and a fine of $2,600 each, but the sentence was appealed for being too lenient.
"These offenses should have been met with far more stringent measures," said Patrick Moran, the country's director of Public Prosecutions.
On Tuesday, Justice Roger Chapple overturned the community service sentence. He started the sentencing at 15 months in jail because of the aggravating circumstances, but ultimately reduced the punishment to four months because the couple pleaded guilty.
Attorney Jonathan Hughes, who is representing both Mack and Ramgeet, argued the sentence was too harsh. He said his clients acted with "youthful ignorance and selfishness."
"There is no way that it can be right that a custodial sentence is imposed for a first-time offense on an 18-year-old defendant, who entered an early guilty plea," said Hughes.
"Ms. Mack has paid her fine in full from her savings, which resulted in a significant portion of her funds being depleted," Hughes continued. "She has received hate mail, so far as to say even death threats. This has even impacted her father, who is also a professional jet-ski rider and has now lost sponsorship because of it."
Mack, who is a medical student at Mercer University in Georgia, issued an apology letter, which was published by the Cayman Compass.
"I am aware that the Cayman Islands government has done nothing but dedicate extreme caution to combat the spread of COVID-19, for this the country and its citizens can be extremely proud; I made a mistake, and words cannot express how sorry I am for this," Mack said. "I was afforded the opportunity to enter the islands during these trying times and I abused it. I am humbly asking for the forgiveness of the community."
Ramgeet also apologized by saying, "I should have known better than to put our community at risk as I did. I made a decision without thinking about the long-term effects it would have on our community; words cannot express how truly sorry I am for the anxiety, frustration, and inconvenience that you all have experienced."
Ramgeet was stripped of his victory at the jet ski competition and was reportedly forced to return the prize money and trophy he had won. The Cayman Islands Watercraft Association declared that Ramgeet would not be allowed to compete in the first few races of 2021.
The Cayman Islands government issued a statement.
"Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in early 2020, the Cayman Islands Government has prioritized the safety of its residents and their protection from the global COVID-19 pandemic," the government stated. "To accomplish this goal the Government employed stringent isolation and social distancing policies."
"Anyone wishing to enter the islands is required to quarantine in an approved facility, or at residence using monitoring technology," the government warned. "Breaches of quarantine may result in prosecution and penalties of up to $10,000 KYD [approximately $12,195 USD] and two years' imprisonment."
The Cayman Islands has reportedly had 308 coronavirus cases and two COVID-19 deaths, according to Worldometers.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Five 'Mission: Impossible' staffers reportedly quit movie after second Tom Cruise meltdown

Five 'Mission : Impossible ' staffers reportedly quit movie after second Tom Cruise meltdown 'The first outburst was big , @ @ @ @ @ since '

In the wake of iconic actor Tom Cruise's expletive-laden rant on the set of "Mission: Impossible 7" over crew members' failure to follow social distancing protocols, five movie staffers quit after a second Cruise meltdown, the Sun reported.
What are the details?
The paper said Cruise erupted yet again Tuesday night after news of his first rant grabbed headlines around the world.
"The first outburst was big, but things haven't calmed since," a source told the Sun. "Tension has been building for months, and this was the final straw. Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked. But Tom just can't take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He's upset others aren't taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he's the one who carries the can."
What's the background?
In Cruise's initial rant, the 58-year-old hollered that "we're the gold standard! They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we're doing! And I'm on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they're looking at us and using us to make their movies!"
He added that "we are creating thousands of jobs you motherf***ers!" and warned, "I don't ever want to see it again! Ever! And if you don't do it, you're fired, and I see you do it again, you're f***ing gone!"
Cruise also yelled that he's trying to protect people's jobs: "No apologies! You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down! It's not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education! That's what I sleep with every night! The future of this f***ing industry!"
Tom Cruise warns Mission Impossible crew they're 'f***ing gone' if they break Covid rules on set youtu.be
More from the Sun:
"Mission: Impossible 7" is set to release Nov. 19, 2021, the paper said.
Anything else?
Fellow actor George Clooney defended Cruise during a Wednesday interview with Howard Stern:
"He didn't overreact because it is a problem," Clooney said. "I have a friend who's an AD on another TV show who just had the almost exact same thing happen with not quite as far out a response. ... I wouldn't have done it that big. I wouldn't have, you know, pulled people out. You're in a position of power, and it's tricky, right? You do have a responsibility for everybody else, and he's absolutely right about that. And, you know, if the production goes down, a lot of people lose their jobs. People have to understand that they have to be responsible. It's just not my style to, you know, to take everybody to task that way."


theblaze--2020-12-17--Petition to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom has more than half the signatures needed with severa

Petition to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom has more than half the signatures needed with several months still to go

Petition to recall California Gov .
Gavin Newsom has more than half the signatures needed with several months still to @ @ @ @ @ it to believe it '

A petition to recall embattled California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is picking up serious steam as the governor faces backlash over stringent coronavirus lockdown orders, a hypocritical dinner visit to the French Laundry, and an emerging unemployment scam.
What are the details?
As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had been signed more than 820,000 times, Rescue California representatives told Fox News. That's more than half the 1.5 million signatures needed to force a recall vote, and the group still has several more months to go to reach the requirement. The deadline for gathering signatures has been set for March 10, 2021.
Rescue California's campaign manager, Anne Dunsmore, told the news outlet that there are at least 2,000 to 3,000 active volunteers on the ground propelling the initiative forward.
"The citizen movement on this [effort] is really something to see, and you have to see it to believe it," she said of the sixth attempt to oust the governor in just under two years.
If the recall qualifies for the March ballot, California residents would simply vote yes or no as to whether Newsom should remain in office. Further down the ballot, they would cast votes for a host of ambitious Republican challengers — and perhaps even some Democrats — who either garner 65 nomination signatures and pay a roughly $4,000 filing fee, or just garner 7,000 signatures.
What else?
Reporting on the news, Politico's Carla Marinucci acknowledged that the "long shot" effort is getting "serious" and even has Newsom's team "increasingly concerned."
She pointed to several factors making the recall effort a realistic threat, one of which is that it has received backing from both local and national Republican Party figures.
Recently re-elected Rep. David Valadao reportedly confirmed the move, saying, "We all support it. Our campaign offices all had the petitions there. A lot of our events had folks there gathering signatures.''
Other prominent conservative figures such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are also backing the effort, promoting it on national TV and through fundraising efforts.
Another strategic advantage for the effort is the abnormally low bar that the state has set for recall petitions.
"California's governor faces one of the easiest recall requirements in the country,'' Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at Wagner College's Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform, told Politico. "Voters only need to gather the signatures of 12 percent of voter turnout in the 2018 election — in this case, 1,495,709 signatures. California also grants 160 days to gather them. In other states, the signature percentage requirement is more than double and the time to gather is less than half."
Anything else?
Despite all of the outside help, Rescue California senior adviser Randy Economy argued that the greatest driver of the recall efforts is Newsom himself.
"This governor is his own worst enemy, and every day he does something more that puts him deeper and deeper into controversy, and he's become a problem here in California," he said. "He shut down the fifth-largest economy in the world the last nine months, and every single person out there in California should be outraged by that."


theblaze--2020-12-17--14-year-old girl shoots world record 42-point buck 1 day after hunting season kicks off: 'I'd like t

14-year-old girl shoots world record 42-point buck 1 day after hunting season kicks off: 'I'd like to encourage other kids to get in the outdoors'

14-year-old girl shoots world record 42-point buck 1 day after hunting season kicks off : ' I 'd like to @ @ @ @ @ in the outdoors '

Paslie Werth, a 14-year-old Kansas girl, got off the shot of a lifetime when she struck a world record-setting 42-point buck.
Paslie took down the buck just one day after Kansas opened its 2020 hunting season in September.
On Tuesday, Fox News reported that she didn't just take the state record, but the world record to boot.
What are the details?
According to a report from KSNW-TV, Paslie's shot captured the record for the largest non-typical whitetail shot by a female hunter.
"Werth," the outlet reported, "was reportedly required to wait for the 60-day drying period in order to officially measure the rack" for certification purposes.
The buck was unofficially entered as a gross green score of 282 6/8 inches and showed 44 points prior to drying. After drying, the buck measured in at 271 4/8 inches and 42 points.
In a statement, Paslie said, "When we got the score, it was hard to wrap [our heads] around because none of us guessed it to be that much. And it was just very surprising, and I kinda couldn't believe it. The trail camera pictures that we got did not do it justice."
Paslie said she spotted the buck on her family's land about three years ago. She explained that her family passed on the buck over the last two years, but 2020 was her year.
"My sister passed on the buck, and then my dad passed on it last year, because it was pretty broke up when he saw it, and this year was kinda just my year."
"Being with my dad and as soon as I shot it and we got out of the blind and we got to it, we were so happy then and that was probably the best moment of it," she said. "Being able to share the experience with my dad, it was just really fun."
What else?
Following her shot, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Paslie's mother, Dionne, said that her family felt "very fortunate" that Paslie was the one to harvest the buck after watching him grow for the last three years.
“When he stood up 25 yards away, I was in shock of his massive rack," Paslie recalled at the time.
The Capital-Journal reported that in addition to deer hunting, Paslie enjoys fishing and competes in 4H shooting sports, air pistol and archery.
The record-setting buck was the fourth buck she has taken down in her years of hunting.
“My next biggest was a 12-point whitetail that scored 178," Paslie said. "I'd like to thank my parents and grandparents for helping me have this experience. I'd like to encourage other kids to get in the outdoors."


theblaze--2020-12-17--PREDICTION: Vote now for the Best Prediction of 2020

PREDICTION : Vote now for the Best Prediction of 2020

Vote now for your favorite Best Prediction video of 2020. Here are the four nominees ...
Erasing History
The Political Impact of the Coronavirus, some want this to be President Trump's Katrina
Are the Polls Skewed...or Nefarious? | Steve Deace Show
GLENN'S PREDICTIONS: Three Possible Scenarios for the Future of America


theblaze--2020-12-17--Rapper tells fan who thinks she's pregnant to 'get rid' of unborn baby. Pro-life advocacy group step

Rapper tells fan who thinks she's pregnant to 'get rid' of unborn baby. Pro-life advocacy group steps in and shares a bit of reality.

Rapper tells fan who thinks she 's pregnant to 'get rid ' of unborn baby .
Pro-life advocacy group steps @ @ @ @ @ of reality .
That 's an exchange all right

Rapper and entertainer Lil Nas X told a fan who made a possible pregnancy announcement that they should "get rid" of the unborn child.
Live Action, a pro-life advocacy group, took note of the rapper's remarks and took him to task on social media.
The rapper — real name Montero Lamar Hill — responded with a brush-off, but the nonprofit organization saved the best response for last.
What are the details?
According to LiveAction.org, a fan during a live Instagram chat told the rapper, "I think I'm pregnant."
Hill responded with what appeared to be a distasteful attempt at a joke and said, "Congratulations! Get rid of it."
Lil Nas "Get Rid of It" Video www.youtube.com
What else?
Live Action reported on Hill's remarks Wednesday, writing, "BREAKING: Rapper [Lil Nas X] known for his song 'Old Town Road' tells his pregnant fan to kill her baby — 'Congratulations! get rid of it.'" Hill took the outlet to task over the story and responded, "No one cares, ratio," and shared, instead, the video for his new single, "Holiday."
Live Action had the last word, however.
In a scathing response, Live Action's Twitter wrote, "Tens of millions of Americans DO CARE that 2,400 babies are being murdered every day."
The group then took the opportunity to expound on the sanctity of life and shared a link to 10 images victims of second-trimester abortions.
The article, titled "These 10 images may change your mind about abortion," features graphic images of babies aborted during their mother's second trimester.
A portion of the article states, "The children in these photographs were aborted at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in the early 1980s. They were eventually smuggled out of the pathology lab there, given to Citizens for a Pro-life Society, and provided proper burials."
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-12-17--VIDEO: Steven Crowder recaps the greatest hits of 2020

Steven Crowder wrapped up 2020 with a greatest moments montage that highlighted some of the most memorable moments of the @ @ @ @ @ Nevada road trip episode ?
On Thursday , Crowder explained in a tweet that due @ @ @ @ @ Nevada road trip episode was canceled .
Stay tuned to see what Crowder has in @ @ @ @ @ n't watch ?
Listen to the podcast here .
Use promo code LWC to save @ @ @ @ @ of BlazeTV .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's @ @ @ @ @ actually funny , join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored @ @ @ @

Steven Crowder wrapped up 2020 with a greatest moments montage that highlighted some of the most memorable moments of the year.
What about the Nevada road trip episode?
On Thursday, Crowder explained in a tweet that due to unfortunate circumstances, the Nevada road trip episode was canceled. Stay tuned to see what Crowder has in store for 2021.
Can't watch? Listen to the podcast here.
MugClub's 2020 Greatest Hits | Louder with Crowder
Use promo code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand.


theblaze--2020-12-17--New Strzok texts suggest the FBI was investigating Trump before the Crossfire Hurricane investigatio

New Strzok texts suggest the FBI was investigating Trump before the Crossfire Hurricane investigation officially started

Senate Republicans on Thursday released a new batch of declassified internal FBI messages from Peter Strzok, the disgraced former FBI official who was involved in the counterintelligence investigation into President Donald Trump and his alleged collusion with Russian agents.
The declassified documents, first reported by the Daily Caller, appear to show that the FBI began investigating Trump sometime before its Crossfire Hurricane investigation was opened. The FBI has previously claimed its counterintelligence investigation into Trump began on July 31, 2016, after receiving information that George Papadopoulos obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton from Russia involving "thousands of emails."
But the Federalist's Sean Davis pointed out that newly declassified text message conversations between Strozk and his alleged mistress FBI special counsel Lisa Page reveal there were open counterintelligence investigations "relating to Trump's Russian connections" as early as July 28, 2016.
The text messages raise questions about how honest the FBI was to the American public and to investigators probing the origins of Crossfire Hurricane.
These documents were declassified by request of Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray as the senators lead an investigation into the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane probe.
President Trump and his Republican allies have long claimed that the Russia probe was a politically biased effort by the outgoing Obama administration, the Hillary Clinton campaign for president, and the Democratic National Committee to spy on the Trump campaign and collect information Democrats would later use as part of an impeachment effort against President Trump. They have leveled fierce criticism at the FBI, accusing the agency of presenting a Clinton campaign-funded opposition research document compromised by Russian disinformation — otherwise known as the "Steele Dossier" — to a FISA court judge to obtain warrants to surveil members of the Trump campaign.
Amid the controversy over the investigation, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz last year released a report on the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane probe. While he did not find evidence of political bias in the decision to open investigations into the Trump campaign, he raised serious concerns about how the FBI obtained a FISA warrant.
His report said FBI employees "fell far short" of bureau policy that requires they "ensure that all factual statements in a FISA application are 'scrupulously accurate.'" In fact, the FISA court applications contained "numerous serious factual errors and omissions in the applications." Additionally, the Horowitz report highlighted several instances of procedural errors on the part of the FBI officials involved in the investigation.
Attorney General Barr in October appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel to continue investigating the origins of Crossfire Hurricane under President-elect Biden's incoming administration. Earlier this week reports said Durham is adding additional prosecutors to his probe, suggesting that his investigation is expanding and making "excellent progress."


theblaze--2020-12-17--Horowitz: New analysis shows infection from asymptomatic cases incredibly low — even within househol

Horowitz: New analysis shows infection from asymptomatic cases incredibly low — even within households

Horowitz : New analysis shows infection from asymptomatic cases incredibly low — even within households But politicians remain fixated on @ @ @

Prior to this year, few people have ever used the term "asymptomatic," and many never heard of it, but today, it governs our lives. Despite Dr. Fauci and other experts saying from day one that asymptomatic spread "has never been the driver of outbreaks," we have upended our lives for nine months under the premise that any one of us — regardless of whether we have symptoms — could be a silent killer who needs to be isolated, monitored, and masked. Yet, as the months wear on, evidence continues to mount that asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers contribute less to the spread than previously thought, not more.
A new meta-analysis published in JAMA by researchers in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and the Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, found that the secondary attack rate from symptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 is nearly 26 times greater than from asymptomatic carriers. The analysis pooled together 54 studies with a total of 77,758 participants. These studies collectively observed the chances of one infected person in a home with multiple occupants infecting others in the household.
Not surprisingly, the authors found that the household attack rate for SARS-CoV-2 was relatively high compared to other pandemic coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. Overall, they estimated the household secondary attack rate was 16.6%. However, they found a massive gap between primary transmitters who were symptomatic and those who were asymptomatic. Those with symptoms wound up transmitting the virus to household members 18% of the time, while those who were asymptomatic transmitted to just 0.7% of household contacts.
Also, in line with the findings of other studies, "Critically severe index case symptoms was associated with higher infectiousness in 6 studies of 9 in which this was examined." Meaning, the more severely ill you are, the more contagious you can be.
It's truly hard to overstate the significance of this finding relative to the perception of the public based on the lies we've been told concerning asymptomatic spread. To begin with, the death rate for those under 70, according to Stanford epidemiologist John Ioannidis, is 0.05%. That means that your chance of dying from the virus after meeting with people who have no symptoms is 0.00035%, or 1 in 285,714, if you are under 70! That is essentially most of America's workforce. They are upending their lives because someone without symptoms might give them a virus that is rarely deadly for them.
Also, keep in mind that this low rate of secondary attack among asymptomatic carriers of the virus is taken from household transmission, which is much more prevalent than attack rates in stores or businesses. This means that your chances of being infected and dying from someone who is asymptomatic by simply passing them in a restaurant or store (much less outdoors) is so infinitesimal, it's well below the risk we assume in taking every step in life.
Yet the politicians refuse to pry themselves loose from this fixation on stores and restaurants as if they are responsible for transmission, especially when patrons are showing no visible symptoms. It's not just the purveyors of panic pornography who will never let go of the myth of mass asymptomatic spread. There is an entire testing-industrial complex behind the fixation with testing people for asymptomatic infection that is too big to fail with the state health bureaucracies.
My former colleague, Jordan Schachtel, researched the cost of these tests and found that, at 2 million tests performed per day, the current median cost for COVID testing in America is "approximately $254 million dollars per day, $7.6 billion per month, and $91.4 billion per year." That doesn't include all the sundry costs engendered by the testing that benefit the broader health care-government complex, such as the cost of specimen collection and amplification, extra doctor's visits, and endless opportunities to milk the federal trough, which continues to dump billions of dollars into the testing regime.
What is so disconcerting about the politicians refusing the rethink their stance on asymptomatic spread is that this will not end with the vaccine. So long as we continue testing with 40 layers of amplification, it's very likely that we can still detect trace levels of the virus, even in people who already recovered or have been vaccinated. This is likely true of most viruses, but because we've never tested 2 million people a day with super-sensitive tests, we never focused on the "reinfection" of those with vaccinations.
Thus, until we restore constitutional rights and a modicum of non-flat-earth scientific acumen, business owners will continue to be threatened with jail time , all for a lie.


theblaze--2020-12-17--California judge rules San Diego strip clubs can stay open during lockdown, delivering blow to Newso

California judge rules San Diego strip clubs can stay open during lockdown, delivering blow to Newsom

California judge rules San Diego strip clubs can stay open during lockdown , delivering blow to Newsom This could possibly @ @ @ @ @ to reopen

A judge ruled Wednesday that two San Diego strip clubs can remain open during California's coronavirus lockdown, which could potentially lead to restaurants reopening their doors.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was dealt a loss by a San Diego Superior Court judge, who ruled against the California governor's executive order that shuttered strip clubs.
Newsom issued a regional stay-at-home order on Dec. 3, which would "require bars, wineries, hair salons and other nonessential businesses across five areas to close for three weeks once a region's intensive care capacity falls below 15 percent," according to NBC News. Restaurants could continue to offer takeout and delivery, but live adult entertainment was ordered to shut down.
The owners of Pacers Showgirls International and Cheetahs Gentlemen's Club in San Diego rebelled against Newson's executive order and stayed open.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a cease-and-desist letter to both businesses on Friday that they were violating the Democratic governor's lockdown order. Becerra, also a Democrat, threatened legal action if the establishments did not comply.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil issued a nine-page preliminary injunction that permitted the strip clubs to continue operating.
Wohlfeil ruled that San Diego County had not provided sufficient evidence to prove that the strip clubs were increasing the spread of coronavirus.
"Accordingly, the court finds that Plaintiffs have been devoid of Covid, have done nothing to contribute to the spread of COVID, and have honored their representations to [Executive Director of the City of San Diego's Human Relations Commission and International Affairs Board] Dr. Joel Day and the County," Wohfeil wrote.
The judge ascertained that both clubs operated for five weeks during the pandemic, and instituted safety measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The establishments maintained a distance of 15 feet between strippers and tables, required employees to wear face masks, and did not permit more than one stripper per stage at a time.
Judge Wohlfeil added that the ruling for strip clubs also applied to "San Diego County businesses with restaurant services," making them exempt from shutdowns.
The judge stated, "Any governmental entity or law enforcement officer are hereby enjoined from enforcing the provisions of the cease and desist order, or any related orders including the State's Regional Stay Home Order, that prevent 1) plaintiffs from providing live adult entertainment; and 2) San Diego County businesses with restaurant service, such as plaintiffs' establishments, from continuing to operate their respective businesses, subject to protocols that are no greater than is essential to further defendants' response to control the spread of COVID."
On Wednesday, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond said, "A judge just ruled that he could not find a connection between restaurant services and the spread of COVID. He has directed the county to allow businesses with restaurant services to operate their business safely and responsibly."
Steve Hoffman, an attorney for Cheetahs, said, "Cheetahs and Pacers will continue to operate in a manner that takes all appropriate and essential measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while at the same time providing a means for their staff to earn a livelihood."
Newsom's office reacted to the judge's ruling by telling Newsweek, "While we are disappointed in the court's decision today, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the health and safety of all Californians. Our legal team is reviewing options to determine next steps."
The judge's ruling could provide a way to open restaurants in California.
As of Dec. 15, all but three counties in California were labeled as experiencing "widespread" COVID-19 outbreaks. In California's tier system, counties that are labeled as having widespread coronavirus outbreaks must close bars and breweries that don't serve food and restaurants are permitted to be open with outside dining only with modifications.