theblaze--2020-12-08--90-year-old British woman first to receive COVID-19 vaccine: 'I feel so privileged'

90-year-old British woman first to receive COVID-19 vaccine : ' I feel so privileged' 'It 's the best early birthday @ @

Margaret Keenan, a British woman who will turn 91 years old next week, is the first woman to receive a vaccine against coronavirus, according to ABC News.
What are the details?
Keenan, a retired shop clerk, received the country's first shot from its vaccination program.
Keenan was the first person in line at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire in Coventry, England, the outlet reported, which is one of the hospitals across the region that is handling the country's initial phase of the vaccination program.
"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19," Keenan said. "It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year."
May Parsons, the nurse who administered Keenan's shot, said of the vaccine, "I'm just glad to be able to play a part on this historic day. The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
ABC News reported, "The U.K. is the first Western country to start a mass vaccination program after British regulators last week authorized the use of a COVID-19 shot developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech."
"Britain has received 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to vaccinate 400,000 people," ABC notes. "The first shots will go to people over 80 who are either hospitalized or already have outpatient appointments scheduled, along with nursing home workers and vaccination staff."
Most other people will likely have to wait until 2021 before receiving a vaccination.
According to ABC, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that the vaccination program is likely to take "many months" to roll out.
"We still have a long road ahead of us, but this marks the route out," Hancock said.
National Health Service Medical Director Stephen Powis said that the first shot was an "emotional" moment.
"This really feels like the beginning of the end," he said. "It's been [a] really dreadful year, 2020 — all those things that we are so used to, meeting friends and family, going to the cinema, have been disrupted. We can get those back. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. But in the months to come."


theblaze--2020-12-08--Soros-backed Los Angeles district attorney announces extreme criminal justice reform policies after

Soros-backed Los Angeles district attorney announces extreme criminal justice reform policies after being sworn-in

Gascón says he wants to rehabilitate criminals instead of imprisoning them

The newly elected district attorney of Los Angeles County announced that his office would implement a slew of extreme criminal reform policies after being sworn-in.
District Attorney George Gascón won the office from incumbent Jackie Lacey with the help of millions of dollars in donations from billionaire leftist George Soros. Lacey, the first woman and first black person to head the office, served eight years.
Immediately after being inaugurated into the office Monday, Gascón implemented the drastic law enforcement reforms he promised. In an open letter to Los Angeles police officers, Gascón scolded them for engaging in "unconstitutional policing" and outlined his reforms.
"Those who engage in unconstitutional policing have severely hindered the standing and safety of us all," Gascón wrote, according to KNBC-TV. "We are all scarred by their misdeeds, leading many in our communities to perceive police as persecutors instead of protectors."
Gascón, 66, went on to say that he would do away with cash bail, not pursue prosecution enhancements for gangs and guns, and his office will not seek the death penalty for any offenses.
He said that he wants law enforcement to focus on rehabilitation instead of jail and prison.
"We will, for example, divert rather than prosecute many low-level first-time offenses due to the collateral consequences and destabilizing nature of a criminal conviction," he explained.
"You can expect that I will work to reduce incarceration and punishment except in those circumstances in which punishment is proportional, is in the community's best interest, and serves a rehabilitative or restorative purpose," Gascón added.
He has also promised to reopen four cases that were previously closed involving police shootings.
Gascón had previously worked as the police chief of San Francisco and later as the district attorney for San Francisco. He also received support in his election from wealthy donors in San Francisco.
Here's more about Gascón's inauguration:


theblaze--2020-12-08--Cops raid home of fired Florida data analyst Rebekah Jones who accused state of misleading citizens

Cops raid home of fired Florida data analyst Rebekah Jones who accused state of misleading citizens on COVID She claims @ @ @ @ @ R ) 'sent the gestapo ' to get her to 'shut up '

Florida state police raided the home of a former data analyst for the Florida Department of Health on Monday, who claims Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) "sent the gestapo" to get her to "shut up."
Rebekah Jones was fired from her position in the DeSantis administration in May for allegedly modifying the state's COVID-19 dashboard unilaterally without authorization. She claims the state was misleading citizens on the coronavirus numbers, and now she runs her own COVID-19 tracking sites from her house.
What are the details?
Jones tweeted Monday that state police served a warrant at her home that morning and seized property, claiming that officers "pointed a gun in [her] face" and "pointed guns at [her] kids."
She posted accompanying video showing the purported scene from inside her home as police entered. Armed officers can be seen walking through the hallway, and pointing their firearms upward as they called for Jones' husband to come down the stairs. Neither Jones' husband nor the couples' children are seen in the footage.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed in a statement that they served a warrant on Rebekah Jones' residence, saying that they had been investigating a complaint from the Florida Department of Health that someone had "illegally hacked into their emergency alert system."
The FDLE said that their agents determined Jones' home "was the location that the unauthorized message was sent from."
The FDLE added:
Agents knocked and called Ms. Jones both announcing the search warrant and encouraging her to cooperate. Ms. Jones refused to come to the door for 20 minutes and hung-up on agents. After several attempts, Ms. Jones allowed agents inside. Agents entered the home in accordance with normal protocols and seized several devices that will be forensically analyzed. At no time were weapons pointed at anyone in the home. Any evidence will be referred to the State Attorney for prosecution as appropriate.
Miami Herald reporter Jeff Butera obtained the search warrant for Jones' residence, indicating that on Oct. 10, an "unknown user gained access and sent this message to approx 1,750 people: 'it's time to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. You know this is wrong. You don't have to be a part of this. Be a hero. Speak out before it's too late.'"
What did Rebekah Jones say?
Jones said on Twitter of the raid, "They took my phone and the computer I use every day to post the case numbers in Florida, and school cases for the entire country. They took evidence of corruption at the state level. They claimed it was about a security breach. This was DeSantis. He sent the gestapo."
She added later, "If Desantis thought pointing a gun in my face was a good way to get me to shut up, he's about to learn just how wrong he was. I'll have a new computer tomorrow. And then I'm going to get back to work."
The Herald reported:
In July, [Jones] filed a confidential whistle-blower complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations, which she said is expected to release its findings soon.She also wrote in an op-ed in the Miami Herald in July that other state workers were being silenced for expressing their concerns about the state's handling of the coronavirus and its data collection.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Ted Cruz TRIGGERS hysterical Twitter mob with photo from Texas deer hunt

'That 's what we do in Texas '

Leftists called Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) a "monster" and "not a human being" over the weekend after he tweeted a photo of himself with a deer he'd apparently hunted and killed in South Texas.
Glenn Beck had a news flash for these virtue signaling lefties who lost it over the idea of a hunter actually hunting: "That's what we do in Texas."
So if you're a liberal from California or elsewhere, and Ted Cruz's deer photo drove you out of your mind, Glenn suggests that you don't move to Texas.
Watch the video below:
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theblaze--2020-12-07--WATCH: Steven Crowder reacts to last week's state Senate oversight committee hearings

Today , Steven Crowder recaps what he believes to be the most important election security-related information brought before senate oversight @ @ @ @ @ Also , Steven takes a look at more than one elected official in California who @ @ @ @ @ they preach regarding COVID-19 safety measures .
Catch up on missed episodes here .
Use @ @ @ @ @ $ 10 on one year of BlazeTV .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To @ @ @ @ @ uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually funny , join Mug Club — the only place @ @ @ @ @ and on demand .

Today, Steven Crowder recaps what he believes to be the most important election security-related information brought before senate oversight committees across three states. Also, Steven takes a look at more than one elected official in California who appears not to practice what they preach regarding COVID-19 safety measures.
Watch the show LIVE here.
Catch up on missed episodes here.
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theblaze--2020-12-09--'No point dying now': 91-year-old goes viral in interview describing COVID-19 vaccine experience

'No point dying now ' : 91-year-old goes viral in interview describing COVID-19 vaccine experience The 'charming , grumpy Londoner @ @ @ @ @ internet

Martin Kenyon, a 91-year-old gentleman from London, has captured the attention of social media, after he delivered a "charming, grumpy" interview to CNN while describing his experience obtaining a coronavirus vaccine.
Kenyon was one of the first to receive the inoculation that became available in the United Kingdom, and he figures, "No point dying now, is there?"
What are the details?
The U.K. began administering a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, which was "developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech," according to ABC News.
A CNN correspondent seeking comment asked Kenyon if he had "perhaps" received the shot, and the gentleman explained that he actually had while delivering an earful on what he experienced.
Kenyon explained that he called the hospital that morning to inquire about receiving the vaccine, and they confirmed that he could schedule an appointment the same day.
"Of course, I couldn't find anybody to damn well park my car, so I was late," Kenyon explained, recalling that once he sat in the waiting line they served "a rather nasty lunch" before he was called in to take the jab.
The reporter asked Kenyon how he felt to be one of the first to receive the vaccine in the country, before Kenyon corrected him and said he was one of the first in the "world."
But the elderly man replied, "I don't think I feel about it at all, except that I hope I'm not going to have the bloody bug, now."
He added, "I don't intend to have it because I have granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives." He said that he has not been able to see his granddaughters much, but "now I'm going to hug them for Christmas."
The CNN correspondent pointed to Kenyon's new vaccination card, indicating that he would be ruled safe 21 days after his inoculation, to which Kenyon explained that was his "intention," reasoning, "Well, there's no point in dying now, when I have live this long, is there? I don't plan to, anyway."
Kenyon's interview gained wide praise on Twitter, and Politico's Ben White summed up the reactions in tweeting, "I just love that this charming, grumpy Londoner is there to talk about a giant world changing vaccine and he really just wants to whinge about parking and bad food. Classic."


theblaze--2020-12-09--'What's the opposite of a**hole?': How this liberal comedian became a Trump supporter

'What 's the opposite of a**hole ? '
: How this liberal comedian became a Trump supporter Every single thing @ @ @ @ @ , they 're actually the opposite

In this episode of "The Rubin Report," Dave Rubin talks to comedian Nicole Arbour about why she left the Left, her experiences with horrible fake celebrities, and why she doesn't fear Big Tech social media censorship.
Nicole shared a story of how Hillary Clinton's campaign team tried to frame her as a Hillary supporter before the 2016 election. She also gives her unfiltered opinion on David Hogg, the gun control activist who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
She also shared her political evolution and why she decided to walk away from the Left after she got to know some President Donald Trump supporters and spent a bit too much time around hypocritical Hollywood liberals.
"I started to see the unraveling of everything I've been taught," Nicole told Dave. "I mean, you go to enough parties in Hollywood and you learn they're all douchebags. [...] I started to see that every single thing these people pretend they are, they're actually the opposite. And I thought, 'What's the opposite of a**hole? I want to go that way'."
Catch more of the conversation in the video below:
Content warning: Explicit language
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theblaze--2020-12-09--CPAC is leaving the D.C. 'swamp,' heading south for 2021

CPAC is leaving the D.C. 'swamp , ' heading south for 2021 The event will be held in person in @

American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp announced Tuesday that the group's Conservative Political Action Conference will be held in balmy Florida next year, far from the Washington, D.C., "swamp."
What are the details?
"For the first time ever, our annual CPAC meeting is moving outside of D.C. to Orlando, Florida," Schlapp said in an exclusive statement to Fox News, who noted that the event will be held in person Feb. 25-28 at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando. The event attracted nearly 20,000 people over its four days last year.
"In addition to being a model on how to run a clean election without widespread illegal voting, thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis' (ACUF Lifetime Rating: 99%) commonsense leadership, Florida has kept its economy, schools, and churches open – while balancing the health and safety of Floridians," Schlapp explained.
"CPAC believes that Florida is the right state to host CPAC 2021," he reiterated.
Fox News reported:
The conference, first launched in 1974, has always been held either in or around Washington, D.C. For the past eight years, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland, just outside of the District of Columbia, has been CPAC's home. But the massive resort remains closed amid the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century.
Also, Florida is one of roughly a dozen states without a mask mandate amid the coronavirus, Fox News said.
CPAC 2020 was also held in late February, as coronavirus concerns were brewing in the U.S. and around the globe. Several Republican members of Congress self-quarantined following the event, after it was revealed that another attendee at the gathering contracted COVID-19.
According to CBS News, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration is "just days away" from approving the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer. Health officials plan to have tens of millions of people vaccinated in the U.S. in coming months from the virus that has killed more than 280,000 Americans and infected over 15 million in the U.S.
Anything else?
Also on Tuesday, the White House announced that President Trump intends to appoint Schlapp to be a member of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board.
Schlapp is married to Mercedes Schlapp, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign.


theblaze--2020-12-09--'Everyone should be VERY focused on this': Glenn Beck reacts to Texas lawsuit over election rules

'Everyone should be VERY focused on this ' : Glenn Beck reacts to Texas lawsuit over election rules Texas has @ @ @ @ @ key states : Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against four key states — Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — directly in the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday night. The case alleges the states unconstitutionally changed election rules, in part by bypassing state legislatures. Some locations were also accused of violating the equal protection clause.
On the radio program Tuesday, Glenn Beck broke down the details of the lawsuit and stressed the importance of restoring confidence in our election system.
"These [legal actions] may not change the outcome of the election at all, but everyone should be very focused on this," Glenn said. "Because ... once you corrupt the system, it's over. We have to have confidence in our system."
Watch the video below for more details:
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theblaze--2020-12-09--Former DHS official fired by Trump sues Newsmax and Trump campaign lawyer for calling for him to be

Former DHS official fired by Trump sues Newsmax and Trump campaign lawyer for calling for him to be 'drawn and quartered'

Former DHS official fired by Trump sues Newsmax and Trump campaign lawyer for calling for him to be 'drawn and @ @ @ @ @ inciting death threats against him

A former government cybersecurity official is suing Newsmax, the Trump campaign, and their attorney Joe diGenova after diGenova said that the official should be "drawn and quartered" and "shot" over his comments that contradicted the president on voter fraud.
Christopher Krebs, who was fired Nov. 17 by President Donald Trump, said that he has received death threats via text, emails and tweets after the incendiary comments from diGenova on Newsmax.
DiGenova made the acerbic comments while a guest on "The Howie Carr Show" on Newsmax.
"Anybody who thinks the election went well, like that idiot Krebs who used to be the head of cybersecurity, that guy is a class A moron. He should be drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot," diGenova said.
Allies and supporters of the president were angered when Krebs said that there was no credible claims of computer fraud in the 2020 election. The president then fired Krebs from his position at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Later, diGenova apologized for the comments and said it was a poor attempt at humor.
"I meant no suggestion of harm or intention to harm Mr. Krebs or his family, and I apologize for any misunderstanding of my intentions," he added.
The defamation lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland, and claims that diGenova knew his comments would lead to "a clear risk of imminent physical harm directed toward Plaintiff and his family."
Krebs is seeking at least $75,000 and for Newsmax to remove the video of diGenova's comments from its website.
Newsmax responded to the lawsuit denying that diGenova had any ties to the network, and said that he was not a paid contributor.
The president specifically tweeted that Krebs' comments denying the election security were the reason he fired him.
"The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud - including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, 'glitches' in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more," the president said in November.
"Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency," he added in a second tweet.
Krebs said later in an interview with Axios that he wanted Republican leaders to step in and defend the results of the election in order to "restore confidence in democracy."
Here's the video of the interview with Krebs:


theblaze--2020-12-09--President Trump to appoint Kellyanne Conway to new federal post

President Trump to appoint Kellyanne Conway to new federal post The former White House counselor to the president will have @ @ @ @ @ again

Former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway is expected to take a new role in the administration after stepping down months ago from her position as a top aide to President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
On Tuesday, the White House listed a slate of individuals the president intents to appoint to "key administration posts," and announced that Conway was selected to sit on the Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy.
Conway, who led Trump's 2016 campaign, announced her departure from the White House in August to focus more on her family. At the same time, Conway's husband, George Conway, withdrew from his active role in the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, citing the same reason.
Last week, Conway made headlines when she said during an interview with 19th News that "it looks like Joe Biden and [Sen.] Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will prevail" against Trump and Vice President Pence, who are currently contesting the results of the presidential election that mainstream media has widely called for Biden.
Not everyone is happy with Conway's appointment to the position.
The Gazette reported:
Kathryn Smith — a former Air Force first lieutenant and a 1982 graduate of the academy, and a member of a group of women graduates and allies, with representation at every board meeting — said she was "really disappointed that the president has selected someone who doesn't have the gravitas to deal with the really important issues with board should be dealing with."
"This isn't a patronage kind of thing — this is a job where people are expected to do the work and to care," she said. "We've already been disappointed when members of Congress [who are also board members] don't show up and don't even send a staffer. I can't imagine that Kellyanne Conway will show up to any meeting at the academy, or even the ones held in the D.C. area."
Conway lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.
Anything else?
Conway is not the only recent appointee to the Air Force Academy advisory board who has caught the attention of the media in recent days.
President Trump announced Thursday that Heidi Stirrup would also join the Board of Visitors. The same day, Politico reported that Stirrup, who had been serving as Trump's "eyes and ears at the Justice Department" was "banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House."


theblaze--2020-12-08--Supreme Court denies pro-Trump bid to nullify election results in Pennsylvania

Republicans were asking for the results to be nullified

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by Republican allies of President Donald Trump to undo the election results in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Republican state lawmakers had requested their petition to be seen by the U.S. Supreme Court but that was denied without proving any reasoning or offering any dissent to the order.
The allies of the president had charged that the Republican-controlled legislature had improperly passed an act to allow universal mail-in balloting, which they said was in violation of the state's constitution.
That was denied by the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court, which said that the challenge was filed too late.
The plaintiffs' demand before the U.S. Supreme Court was that either more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots be nullified in the election, or that the results of the entire election be nullified.
Lawyers for the state were outraged against the demands from the plaintiffs.
"Petitioners ask this court to undertake one of the most dramatic, disruptive invocations of judicial power in the history of the Republic," said the state of Pennsylvania. "No court has ever issued an order nullifying a governor's certification of presidential election results."
The Supreme Court rejected that demand without a hearing, allowing the election results in Pennsylvania to stand.
The petition, led by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R) and GOP congressional candidate Sean Parnell, was considered one of the last-ditch efforts to thwart the officially recognized results of the election and its defeat seriously injures the president's efforts.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf already has certified Joe Biden's victory and the state's 20 electors are to meet on Dec. 14 to cast their votes for Biden.
Here's more about the Supreme Court finding:
Supreme Court rejects GOP challenge to Biden's Pennsylvania election win www.youtube.com
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Anti-Trump comedian literally begs Trump rally attendee to wear mask — and gets skewered for apparen

Anti-Trump comedian literally begs Trump rally attendee to wear mask — and gets skewered for apparent stunt 'Please , I @ @ @ @ @ '

A comedy duo known for targeting conservatives, Republicans, and President Donald Trump posted a video showing one of its members begging — like down-on-his-knees-clasping-his-hands begging — an attendee to wear a mask at the Trump rally Saturday in Georgia.
What happened?
Jason Selvig of The Good Liars picked out a passing group and asked, "You guys got masks?"
"Nope," a maskless man replied. "Don't want one."
"Why not?" Selvig asked.
"Because I don't need it," the man answered. "Why? You need it?"
"Yeah," Selvig said. "You should wear one because there's a global pandemic going on."
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TheGoodLiars
"Is there?" the man answered. "Well, you got yours."
"I got mine on, yeah, I'm trying to be safe," Selvig explained.
"Good! OK, thanks," the smiling man said, attempting to exit the odd exchange.
"But you could infect somebody else, and they could get sick," Selvig pressed.
"Why don't you leave him alone?" another man interjected from behind.
But Selvig kept on keeping on.
"Will you please wear one?" he asked as he got down on his knees.
"Excuse me?" the main asked, dumbfounded.
"Will you please wear a mask?" Selvig repeated.
"No," the man replied.
"Please," the comedian kept on, now with his hands clasped together.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @TheGoodLiars
"Nope!" the man answered again.
"For the sake of other people, please wear one," Selvig implored. "Please, I'm begging you, please."
"No," the man replied as he finally walked away.
Here's the clip:
The duo's tweeted reaction to it all read, "Losers (of presidential elections and otherwise) don't like wearing masks."
This Good Liars posted other items to Twitter in relation to their Trump rally visit that more than reveal where they stand politically:
How did folks react?
As you might guess, the Good Liars have plenty of fans on Twitter — but not every commenter reacted positively to their mask-wearing video.
Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire mocked the clip: "Yes because if I was really concerned about a virus the first thing I'd do is go to a rally to make TikTok videos."
Conservative commentator Graham Allen shot back at the Good Liars, too: "Let people do what they want. It's called freedom."
Anything else?
It was far from the first time the duo made headlines for themselves. In 2018, they publicly harassed "Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade on a New York City subway train — but soon removed the video following a barrage of criticism.
This story has been updated. We could not verify information contained in the screenshot of a tweet. That screenshot has been removed.


theblaze--2020-12-08--MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, self-described 'small gov’t conservative,' says GOP needs to be 'destroyed'

MSNBC 's Joe Scarborough , self-described 'small gov ’ t conservative , ' says GOP needs to be 'destroyed' ' @ @ @ @ @ die '

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, despite curiously describing himself as a "small government conservative," said recently that he hopes the Republican Party gets "destroyed."
What did he say?
"I'll just lay it out," Scarborough said during an interview with hosts Saagar Enjeti and Marshall Kosloff for the Realignment podcast. "I hope this Republican Party has no future. I hope it's destroyed."
The "Morning Joe" host — who served in Congress as a Republican in the 1990s before becoming a TV personality — grew increasingly hostile toward the party following the election of President Donald Trump. As an outspoken Trump critic, Scarborough fittingly pinned most of the blame for his animosity for the GOP on Trump's sway over the party.
"Donald Trump is a racist. He's a bigot, he's fascist and my Republican friends and I can still call them friends. I can have friends that I disagree with politically, but my Republican friends that I used to work with have remained silent through the racism, through the fascism, through the breaching of constitutional norms," he said on the podcast. "I hope they go the way the Whig party. And I, I don't think they deserve anything more than a complete and total collapse."
Scarborough, who was on the podcast to promote his new book and discuss the future of the GOP, reiterated his feelings shortly after, adding, "I want the party to die."
What else?
Interestingly, Scarborough condemned the GOP as racist and fascist and deserving of destruction while simultaneously calling for the two parties to work together. When Kosloff pressed Scarborough on the apparent inconsistency, the MSNBC host briefly acknowledged the point before reverting back to bashing Republicans.
"You got to make that calculation and get to [51 votes] any way you can, but I guess because I am a Republican, I was a Republican, I guess I hold my own side to a higher level. And what this Republican Party has proven is what I spent my entire life trying to disprove, that Republicans weren't racists, that Republicans weren't hard-hearted when it came to taking care of poor people, that Republicans weren't anti-immigrant and all of these things," he argued.
"This Republican Party under Donald Trump, they've actually proven that every horrible thing that liberals have said about the Republican Party over the past 25 years are true," he added.
"How do you sit down, how do you find a middle ground with a political party that is trying to throw out 150 million votes and disregard an election?" he asked. "They are either anti-democracy or they are post-democracy. I don't know what you call it, but they don't deserve to survive."
(H/T: The Federalist)


theblaze--2020-12-08--Judge Sullivan finally dismisses case against Michael Flynn but is criticized for taking parting sho

Judge Sullivan finally dismisses case against Michael Flynn but is criticized for taking parting shots at DOJ

The D.C. judge presiding over the criminal case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday dismissed the case following President Donald Trump's pardon of Flynn, making a point to emphasize that while the case is moot, the pardon does not mean Flynn is innocent of the charges.
In a 43-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said that Flynn's pardon "does not, standing alone, render [Mr. Flynn] innocent" of the charges that he lied to the FBI about his conversations with agents of the Russian government before Trump took office. He also said he likely would have denied the Department of Justice's attempt to have the case dropped, which Attorney General William Barr pushed for after he found that the FBI had no valid reason to interview Flynn.
Sullivan's opinion heavily criticized the Justice Department for making "pretextual" arguments to have the case against Flynn dismissed. He accused the "stated rationals" of the government of being "dubious."
"President Trump's decision to pardon Mr. Flynn is a political decision, not a legal one. Because the law recognizes the President's political power to pardon, the appropriate course is to dismiss this case as moot," Sullivan wrote.
He added that "the scope of the pardon is extraordinarily broad," noting that it applies to "any and all possible offenses" with which Flynn might be charged in the future relating to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.
During the course of Mueller's investigation, Flynn was interviewed by the FBI and later plead guilty to lying to investigators about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on sanctions during the 2016 Trump transition. However, Flynn retracted his guilty plea and with the help of attorney Sidney Powell argued for his innocence by producing evidence that suggested he was unfairly targeted by the FBI.
Following the introduction of that evidence, the Department of Justice sought to have the case against Flynn dropped, but Judge Sullivan refused to grant the request. The case went back and forth from the District Court to the U.S. Court of Appeals until ultimately Sullivan was set to rule on the motion to dismiss. Before his ruling was completed, President Trump pardoned Flynn in November.
With the pardon complete, there is nothing for Sullivan to rule on, and so today he dismissed the case but not before blasting the government for seeking to have the case dismissed. He suggested that the executive branch's view that the case should be dismissed may be "contrary to the public interest" and may have shown "favoritism" toward Flynn, noting that Trump was personally interested in the outcome of the case. He also brushed aside the DOJ's argument that Flynn had a "faulty memory" and disregarded evidence that FBI investigators interviewed Flynn with the purpose of trying to "get him to lie," which Flynn's defense said shows how he was unfairly targeted.
With regard to Mr. Flynn's alleged "faulty memory," Mr. Flynn is not just anyone; he was the National Security Advisor to the President, clearly in a position of trust, who claimed that he forgot, within less than a month, that he personally asked for a favor from the Russian Ambassador that undermined the policy of the sitting President prior to the President-Elect taking office. With regard to the government's concerns about the Assistant Director for Counter Intelligence's contemplating the goal of the interview, an objective interpretation of the notes in their entirety does not call into question the legitimacy of the interview. Finally, and critically, under the terms of Mr. Flynn's cooperation agreement, the government could have used his admissions at trial, see Plea Agreement, ECF No. 3 at 8 ¶ 11; but the government ignores this powerful evidence.
Reacting to Sullivan's opinion, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), one of Flynn's most ardent defenders, slammed the "delusional ramblings of a Resistance lawyer affected with Trump Derangement Syndrome" and said Sullivan should be removed from the federal bench.
President Donald Trump congratulated Flynn after the case was dismissed.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Former Israeli space security chief claims aliens 'signed a contract' to do experiments here, asked

Former Israeli space security chief claims aliens 'signed a contract' to do experiments here, asked not to be revealed yet — and President Trump almost spilled the beans

Former Israeli space security chief claims aliens 'signed a contract ' to do experiments here , asked not to be @ @ @ @ @ Trump almost spilled the beans They apparently want to avoid hysteria

If professor Haim Eshed truly wanted to help avoid creating hysteria about little green men, his recent interview with a major Jewish newspaper is likely not going to help him out.
Eshed, a retired Israeli general who served as the chief of Israel's space security program for almost 30 years, the Jerusalem Post reported, recently claimed to know about a secret deal between aliens from "the Galactic Federation" and leaders on Earth — specifically in the U.S. government.
In an interview with Yedoith Aharonoth, which the Jewish Press described as the "largest circulation for-pay newspaper" in Israel, Eshed said that aliens are here, but do not want to be identified yet because mankind is not ready and such a revelation would almost certainly cause mass panic.
According to Eshed, President Donald Trump was going to reveal their presence but yielded to an appeal from the aliens to keep their existence under wraps until they have a chance to get humanity to the point of being mentally capable of accepting the new reality.
"The UFOs have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet," Eshed told Yedoith. "Trump was on the verge of revealing, but the aliens in the Galactic Federation are saying: Wait, let people calm down first. They don't want to start mass hysteria. They want to first make us sane and understanding."
The professor said that the aliens are "waiting for humanity to evolve and reach a stage where we will generally understand what space and spaceships are."
So, why are they here? Well, the three-time Israeli Security Award recipient said he knows.
They've signed a contract with the United States government to do experiments on Earth to understand the "fabric of the universe," and they've enlisted Earthlings to help out, Eshed said.
"There's an agreement between the U.S. government and the aliens," he told the newspaper. "They signed a contract with us to do experiments here. They, too, are researching and trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe, and they want us as helpers."
Not only did Eshed break news of aliens here on Earth, he also revealed that there is an "underground base" on Mars. It is there that the aliens' "representatives" are living and working alongside American astronauts, the professor stated.
Were all of this true, the Jerusalem Post pointed out, it "would coincide with US President Donald Trump's creation of the Space Force as the fifth branch of the US armed forces."
If this is supposed to be kept a secret, why is Eshed revealing this sensitive info now?
The Post explained that the professor believed the timing was right considering "how much the academic landscape has changed, and how respected he is in academia."
You see, academia used to think he was crazy when he would bring up these claims, he said, but things are different today.
"If I had come up with what I'm saying today five years ago, I would have been hospitalized," Eshed told Yedoith. "Wherever I've gone with this in academia, they've said: the man has lost his mind. Today they're already talking differently. I have nothing to lose. I've received my degrees and awards, I am respected in universities abroad, where the trend is also changing."
NBC News attempted to get comments from the White House, the Pentagon, and Israeli officials, but none were offered.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Antifa blamed for NYC Republican Club vandalism same day historic group planned Christmas, Hanukkah

Antifa blamed for NYC Republican Club vandalism same day historic group planned Christmas, Hanukkah celebration

'It shows such intolerance from the very people who say they are anti-fascist '

Antifa militants are being blamed for vandalism at the historic Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City — not only because the GOP group supports President Donald Trump but also because the club scheduled a celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah the same day, Fox News reported.
What are the details?
The club held its annual "Christmas and Hanukkah Social" on Thursday evening, but the cable network said when members arrived they saw anarchist graffiti and Antifa symbols spray-painted in red across the entrance to the building — along with the phrase, "You're canceled" on the dark double doors:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @spotnews_tv
Fox News also said a circle with three arrows — a symbol often used by Antifa based on 1930s German anti-fascist resistance movement symbolism — was spray painted on the sidewalk. In addition, the letters "ACAB" — which stands for "all cops are bastards" — was spray painted on the building, the network said.
Black bags symbolizing dead bodies of non-white COVID-19 victims were left on the sidewalk, Fox News added.
What did the club have to say?
"I am deeply disturbed and disgusted at this attack," club president Ian Walsh Reilly told the cable network, adding that members came together that night "under social guidelines."
"We were then having a celebration of religion — of Christianity and Judaism and their holidays — and that was the date they chose to attack the Met Club," Reilly added to Fox News. "It shows such intolerance from the very people who say they are anti-fascist."
In a Twitter statement, the club called the perpetrators "cowards":
Fox News said New York City police are investigating, and Reilly told the network that four black-clad men clad carried out the deed in the darkness of the early morning.
"We do openly put the words 'Christmas' and 'Hanukkah' in the title of the party because we should be open and honest," he added to Fox News. "This is a celebration of two wonderful religions, and as the club is the most visible symbol of the Republican party in New York City — a city that is becoming more and more intolerant of opposing opinions — I am afraid that is going to continue."
More from the network:
The club was founded in 1902 by Republican reformers who supported President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1930 the club constructed the elegant Federal-style townhouse to serve as its home and has had a long historic role in the city's political life. The club is where two storied Republican mayors announced their successful candidacies for City Hall, Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1989 and the legendary Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1930s. Other Republican mayors and governors have also been among its members.
In 2018 anarchists were blamed for smashing some of the club's windows and spray painting graffiti including the letter "A" inside a circle, what is considered an anarchist symbol. Police said a note was left behind that warned "Our attack is merely a beginning. We are not passive, we are not civil, and we will not apologize."
In 2019 two members of the far-right "Proud Boys" were sentenced to four years in prison after a street fight near the club erupted between members of the group and Antifa following an appearance by "Proud Boys" founder Gavin McInnes at the club.
As for how the club members are reacting, Reilly told Fox News they felt "disgust and horror" but "will not be intimidated."
"People were just sad but also defiant," he told the network. "They just wanted to come together and honor our traditions."
He added to Fox News that "we will not be intimidated, and if our vocal and unending support for the NYPD continues to bring this type of hatred upon us, we will not back down from it,."


theblaze--2020-12-08--Masked men kidnap, torture, and execute 2 Florida truck drivers

May God be with their families

Florida authorities are seeking suspects in connection with the kidnapping, torture, and execution of two truck drivers.
What are the details?
According to a Monday report from the Associated Press, masked suspects reportedly kidnapped 50-year-old Osmar Oliva, 26-year-old Johan Gonzalez Quesada, and an unnamed third person over the weekend.
The masked suspects then reportedly trapped the trio in the back of a moving-type truck and tortured them for hours.
The suspects later shot Oliva and Quesada in an execution-style manner. The third person, who remains unnamed at the time of this reporting, was allegedly able to escape and flagged down a passerby who called authorities.
The unnamed victim was in critical condition when taken to a local hospital on Saturday night. There have been no new reports on the victim's condition at the time of this reporting.
Authorities discovered the bodies of Oliva — owner of Oliva Delivery Corp. — and Quesada in the front yard of a home in Opa-locka, Florida.
Oliva's widow told the Miami Herald, that her husband was a "very good person."
"I don't know why this happened to him," she wept.
Quesada's father, Ovidio Gonzalez Roche, told the paper that his son was a "marvelous person."
"This is such an extraordinary shock," Roche said. "I can't explain what's happened."
The outlet reports that authorities are offering a reward of $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in connection with the heinous crimes.
What else?
The Herald noted that Oliva and Quesada "had earlier brushes with the law involving cases of cargo theft."
Miami-Dade police, according to the outlet, arrested Oliva in 2007 after authorities said he was one of three men who were reportedly discovered offloading cargo from a stolen tractor. In 2008, charges against Oliva were dropped.
In 2019, authorities arrested Quesada after accusations that he received two loads of stolen cargo. Quesada pleaded guilty to the related charges at the time, and he was awaiting trial.


theblaze--2020-12-08--NYC restaurants spend a ton to get creative with outdoor dining as Gov. Cuomo threatens to shut down

NYC restaurants spend a ton to get creative with outdoor dining as Gov. Cuomo threatens to shut down all indoor eating options

NYC restaurants spend a ton to get creative with outdoor dining as Gov .
Cuomo threatens to shut down all @ @ @

New York City restaurants are already having trouble staying in business under Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's edicts, which says they may operate at only 25% capacity.
Now Cuomo is threatening to completely close all indoor dining in the city.
The governor declared Monday that all dining rooms in the Big Apple could be shut down as COVID-19 hospitalizations increase, the New York Post reported.
"If after five days we haven't seen a stabilization in a region's hospital rate, we're going to clamp down on indoor dining, " Cuomo announced during a news conference in New York City.
"There are certain absolutes, OK? What is the absolute here? You cannot overwhelm your hospitals. You can't be Italy," Cuomo told New York City reporters. "If you are at a rate that is going to overwhelm your hospitals, you must shut down."
Some areas of the city have already seen restaurants forced to completely close their dining rooms and offer takeout and outdoor dining only.
One Staten Island location, Mac's Public House, famously defied the shutdown order and declared itself an "autonomous zone" from lockdown restrictions. New York Sheriff's Department officers arrested the bar's co-owner, Danny Presti, for flouting the health mandates.
During his presser Monday, Cuomo mocked New Yorkers who would dare to complain about lockdowns, the Post said.
"'Oh, we don't want to do that again,'" the governor said mockingly. Then he warned that there was just one way to avoid a citywide ban on indoor dining: "Then change your behavior. But if we don't change our behavior, that is the absolute reality of the situation."
The difficulty restaurants are having were reflected in a newly released survey from the National Restaurant Association that found one in six restaurants in the U.S. have closed permanently as a result of the pandemic.
Gotham's restaurants are feeling the heat and many are getting creative with outdoor dining as Cuomo continues on his rampage.
Restaurants lucky enough to have rooftop access, backyards, sidewalk space, or streets not blocked by fire hydrants are investing a lot of money to winterize their outdoor spaces for dining, the Post reported. For example:
Nerai, a Greek restaurant in Midtown, has spent $120,000 to winterize its garden area for outdoor-dining patrons.
Fig & Olive had to close one of its two Manhattan locations, but its remaining location has spent thousands of dollars creating dinging igloos that are wrapped in plastic as well has a "lean-to style 'lodge.'"
The Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in Times Square has transformed its 10,000 square-foot outdoor area into a ski-lodge-themed dining space.
Tribeca's Kitchen is spending thousands of dollars to winterize its outdoor space with a permanent outdoor structure coming after the New Year.
Carnegie Diner & Cafe in Midtown spent $6,000 updating its outdoor space that holds only 40 people.
Benjamin Prime Steakhouse in Midtown has come under fire after investing serious money in building a giant tent that covers the sidewalk on 40th Street and requires pedestrians to use a passageway through the outdoor dining area in lieu of using the street.
Restaurant consultant Rick Camac told the Post, "Everyone is trying to grab as much outdoor space as they can — even from their neighbors. And if you don't have outdoor space, you are out of luck."
If things don't change soon, Camac warned, it's going to be curtains for a lot more eateries.
"Many restaurants will be dropping like flies, unless more federal aid kicks in," he said.


theblaze--2020-12-08--14 Fort Hood soldiers and officers fired, suspended after lurid allegations of murder, sexual assaul

14 Fort Hood soldiers and officers fired, suspended after lurid allegations of murder, sexual assault, harassment

14 Fort Hood soldiers and officers fired , suspended after lurid allegations of murder , sexual assault , harassment

The Army has announced that it fired or suspended 14 officers and soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, after allegations of murder, sexual assault, and harassment.
According to a Tuesday report from the Associated Press, the firings and disciplinary actions come after an investigation into the bludgeoning death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen as well other disturbing reports.
Guillen was missing for about two months before her remains were discovered. The AP reported that the news comes in the "aftermath of a year that saw 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood die due to suicide, homicide, or accidents."
What are the details?
In remarks from the Pentagon, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that an independent investigation concluded that the violence at Fort Hood is "directly related to leadership failures."
Those fired or suspended include Army Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt and Maj. Gen. Jeffery Broadwater.
Officials say the independent investigation found a "deficient climate at Fort Hood, including ineffective implementation of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program that resulted in a pervasive lack of confidence, fear of retaliation, and significant underreporting of cases, particularly within the enlisted ranks."
Fox News reported, "Of 93 credible accounts of sexual assault at the base, only 59 were reported. In total, there were 217 unreported accounts of sexual harassment discovered, and many women said they feared retaliation or ostracism and felt that reporting the instances would derail their careers."
A portion of the report added, "Fort Hood leadership knew or should have known of the high risk of harm to female soldiers."
The AP also reported that McCarthy handed down a new directive that would change how commanding officers deal with reports of missing soldiers, including "requiring them to list service members as absent-unknown for up to 48 hours and do everything they can to locate the service members to determine if their absence is voluntary or not before declaring anyone AWOL."
"When one of our teammates does not report for duty, we will change their duty status to 'absent-unknown' and take immediate action to find them," McCarthy added.
Investigators say that Spc. Aaron Robinson — who allegedly confessed to the murder — bludgeoned Guillen to death. Robinson killed himself in July as police attempted to take him into custody in connection with the 20-year-old female soldier's murder. Guillen's family has said that Robinson sexually harassed her before killing her.
In Tuesday remarks, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville added, "Prior to coming here, we spoke with Vanessa Guillen's mother and told her we would change the culture. ... It is our sacred duty to protect our soldiers so we can protect our nation."


theblaze--2020-12-08--Special education teacher chases off knife-wielding robber during Zoom call with student's family

Special education teacher chases off knife-wielding robber during Zoom call with student 's family

A special education teacher in Ohio was able to chase away a convicted felon who robbed her at knifepoint last month while she was on a Zoom call with a student's family.
Amanda Zupancic, who teaches at Kirtland Local Schools near Cleveland, was at home alone at around 11 a.m. local time on Nov. 23 when she heard glass shattering during an online session with a middle school student and his mother, WEWS-TV reported.
"I heard a glass shattering crash downstairs," she recalled to the local news outlet. "[And] I was like, hold on, I think someone is breaking into my house, just joking. I didn't think anyone would be breaking into my house in the middle of the day."
But her first thought turned out to be correct. A convicted felon who had just been released from prison 36 days before had broken into her home and was rummaging through things downstairs.
"There was a man walking though my baby gate with a knife in his hand walking upstairs," said Zupancic, who has a one-year-old child with her husband. "He started threatening me, yelling at me, calling me names. He grabbed me upstairs into my bedroom."
Kirtland teacher gets robbed while on Zoom call with student's family youtu.be
Thankfully, the student's dad was able to call 911 and describe the situation while Zupancic tried to protect herself from the intruder, later identified as Charles Derosett.
"The teacher that teaches my son, somebody broke into her house, we saw it on the Zoom," he explained to emergency operators. "I guess she heard the man say, 'Get on the floor. I'm going to cut your f-ing throat.'"
Zupancic told the burglar that he could have her car keys, but that she would have to go downstairs and retrieve them. He agreed. But instead of fetching the keys, Zupancic smartly unleashed her two dogs.
"When I reached for my keys, instead I opened the gate and I have a German shepherd and a Great Dane-boxer mix. So the German Shepherd stood between myself and this guy, and the Great Dane-boxer mix went at him," she said.
The move gave her enough time to spring into further action, grabbing a pair of scissors and chasing the burglar out the door.
"I started chasing him with this pair of scissors, in my house shoes, down the street, yelling 'help me, help me, this guy robbed me,'" she recalled.
According to Zupancic, a contractor working on a nearby house saw the incident and tackled the burglar to the ground, detaining him until police arrived to arrest him.
"This individual needs to be taken off the street," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley told WJW-TV. "Our county is not safe with him out again, he is out for 36 days and breaking into occupied homes. He needs to go back to prison."
It was not immediately clear what Derosett had been in prison for prior to his release.
Zupancic is still a bit shaken up from the incident, but said she is "lucky that there's enough loving people in the world to figure this all out."


theblaze--2020-12-08--Watch: 'Santa' Crowder redeems Christmas for boy made to cry by woke anti-Nerf gun impostor

Watch : 'Santa ' Crowder redeems Christmas for boy made to cry by woke anti-Nerf gun impostor 'Santa ' also @ @ @ @ @ lesson on proper firearm safety .

The little boy who almost had his Christmas ruined by a woke, politically correct, anti-Nerf gun Grinch fraudulently pretending to be Santa Claus had an opportunity to talk to the "real" Santa and learn a little bit about firearm safety on "Good Morning Mug Club" Tuesday.
Conservative comedian and BlazeTV host Steven Crowder invited Sabella DeCarlo and her son Michael on his program for a special interview, where Crowder, dressed as Santa Claus, asked about the family's viral encounter with the now-resigned mall Santa who told Michael he could not have a Nerf gun toy for Christmas.
"That's not the real Santa. He's what your parents will teach you about when you get older older; he's what you call a communist," Crowder joked to the DeCarlo family. "We had to get rid of them at the North Pole."
Since the DeCarlos' story went viral, many people have taken action to make Michael's Christmas wish come true, attempting to send him Nerf guns for Christmas. The response and Christmas generosity from many Americans has been so great that the DeCarlo family has begun to organize a large Nerf and toy donation to children in need this holiday.
Crowder, as Santa, had great fun speaking with the DeCarlo family, discussing Michael's love of boxing and his father's job as a police officer. Crowder also used the interview to remind Michael to practice firearm safety, even with toy guns.
"I don't know if you know this, but Santa actually has used firearms for a very long time and also, of course, always taught and encouraged firearm safety," Crowder said, telling a story about a time "Santa" had to defend his reindeer from a pack of wolves in the "dangerous" country of France.
The interview is a delight.
Watch:
EXCLUSIVE: Crowder Saves Christmas from Woke Santa Who Made Boy CRY! | Louder With Crowder www.youtube.com
Want more Crowder? Download the podcast.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Staggering data shows just how destructive COVID-related lockdowns have been on the restaurant indus

Staggering data shows just how destructive COVID-related lockdowns have been on the restaurant industry ' ... economic free fall as @ @ @ @ @ and capacity limits due to the coronavirus pandemic '

The National Restaurant Association published a report on Monday detailing the destructive consequences that coronavirus-related lockdowns have had on the restaurant industry nationwide.
According to data shared with congressional leadership, the NRA said that 110,000 restaurants — or about 17% of all eateries nationwide — have shut their doors long-term or permanently since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns.
"The vast majority of permanently closed restaurants were well-established businesses, and fixtures in their communities. On average these restaurants had been in business for 16 years, and 16% had been open for at least 30 years," the NRA said.
A restaurant in Washington, D.C., empty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
In fact, the NRA found that 87% of full-service restaurants reported, on average, a 36% drop in revenue during the pandemic, while revenue is projected to continue tanking for at least the next three months.
But the problems don't end there. Because restaurants have spent money modifying their business plans to accommodate take-out business and indoor dining regulations, restaurants told the NRA that expenditures are actually, on average, greater than in pre-pandemic times.
"For nearly nine months, restaurants—our nation's second-largest private sector employer—have been in an economic free fall as a result of mandated closures and capacity limits due to the coronavirus pandemic," the letter to congressional leadership read.
In the letter, Sean Kennedy, the NRA's vice president for public affairs, implored Congress to pass economic relief for the restaurant industry.
"What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type— franchise, chain, and independent—are in an unprecedented economic decline," Kennedy wrote. "And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress, thousands more restaurants across the country will close their doors for good."
Congressional inaction — stymied by House Democrats wanting to spend trillions of dollars on a second economic relief package — has unfortunately led to the closure of at least 10,000 additional restaurants over the last several months, Kennedy said.
"In short, the restaurant industry simply cannot wait for relief any longer. Efforts in Washington to find the 'perfect' solution are laudable, but the lack of progress in the meantime has led too many operators to give up on the government and close down for good," he wrote. "Since our last update to you, less than three months ago, an additional 10,000 restaurants have closed nationwide."
Anything else?
As leaders in mostly Democrat-controlled states continue to enact business-killing restrictions, those same leaders are apparently handing out passes to industries like Hollywood.
In fact, in a video that went viral over the weekend, a Los Angeles-area restaurant owner — who is currently prohibited from operating indoor and outdoor dining — showed that a TV production crew was given a pass by the city to operate outdoor dining tents for their production crew. Those tents were just feet away from her restaurant.
"I'm losing everything. Everything I own is being taken away from me and they set up a movie company right next to my outdoor patio, which is right over here. And people wonder why I'm protesting and why I have had enough," the business owner, Angela Marsden, said.
She later continued, "Mayor Garcetti and Gavin Newsom is [sic] responsible for every single person that doesn't have unemployment, that does not have a job, and all the businesses that are going under."
In response, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti claimed to have sympathy for struggling businesses in his city — but in the same breath called the severe restrictions "necessary."
"My heart goes out to Ms. Marsden and the workers at the Pineapple Hill Saloon who have to comply with state and county public health restrictions that close outdoor dining," Garcetti told the New York Times. "No one likes these restrictions, but I do support them as our hospital ICU beds fill to capacity and cases have increased by 500%. We must stop this virus before it kills thousands of more Angelenos."


theblaze--2020-12-08--After woke Santa squashes little boy's Nerf gun Christmas wish, silver linings emerge — along with o

After woke Santa squashes little boy's Nerf gun Christmas wish, silver linings emerge — along with one huge surprise

After woke Santa squashes little boy 's Nerf gun Christmas wish , silver linings emerge — along with one huge @ @ @ @ @ Christmas magic to this boy and his family '

One story that hit more than a few front pages Monday was the sad tale of a little boy asking a mall Santa Claus for a Nerf gun for Christmas, only to have the woke St. Nick deny him flat.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @WhiteHovse
"No guns," Santa told the kid, before adding "not even a Nerf gun."
With that the boy turned and gave his mom a heartbroken stare:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @WhiteHovse
Talk about a Scrooge move.
To make matters worse, the little boy began crying — after which his mom consoled him and let him know that he'd still get his Nerf gun:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @WhiteHovse
Here's the clip that has everyone buzzing:
The rest of the story
The boy's mother posted the same video on her Facebook page Sunday afternoon, noting it was the first year her son was "excited to go see Santa" — but that the guy who put on the red suit and white beard also put his politics front and center.
"It was supposed to be magical, but instead I had to watch my sweet little boy fight back tears because Santa told him No because of his own personal beliefs," Sabella DeCarlo wrote. "I had to think fast and explain to him that this Santa was just a helper and not the real guy. I just wanted to console my baby and get him out of there; flipping out on Santa would have only made it worse. His Elfie is going to bring him a Nerf gun directly from the North Pole, from the real Santa, tonight."
And as it turns out, some good news has emerged from the misty-eyed moment.
The mom's post received an addendum from a friend who said the mall — Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, Illinois, a village about 20 minutes northwest of Chicago — "has responded quickly and with kindness and understanding. They have a special surprise for Michael that we will share later."
The addendum also stated that "many people have offered to send Michael a Nerf gun. His wish list has more than been fulfilled so if you're still feeling generous please contact his mother, Sabella DeCarlo, as they are organizing a large Nerf and toy donation to children in need! We're trying to turn this unfortunate incident into something positive and spread cheer to children who really need it!"
That Santa really was woke
The mall added its own Facebook post, expressing its regret over the situation and saying that the Santa in question "is heartbroken and crushed that he has made this child so sad and upset, and turned in his resignation. The Santa company will continue to remind all Santas how important it is to not impose personal opinions during visits with the children."
And speaking of that 'special surprise'...
The mall added that the "real" Santa visited Michael at his home Monday to bring him a Nerf gun — and that "we hope we restored Christmas magic to this boy and his family with Santa's special visit."
Looks like it worked:
Facebook video screenshot via Harlem Irving Plaza
Check out the new video — and get your tissues ready:
Anything else?
Conservative comedian and BlazeTV host Steven Crowder interviewed the little boy, and you can watch the interview here.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Texas files election challenge in Supreme Court against four battleground states

Texas files election challenge in Supreme Court against four battleground states Texas AG is asking the court to delay the @ @ @ @ @ fraud investigations can be completed

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, accusing officials in four battleground states of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to make unconstitutional last-minute changes to mail-in voting rules.
Paxton, a vocal supporter of President Trump, argues that officials in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin "violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures" in order to allow for increased mail-in balloting, thereby violating the Constitution. Because of the states' mail-in vote meddling, he alleges at present that electors for the states should not be allowed to cast their Electoral College votes.
"The four states exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enacting last-minute changes, thus skewing the results of the 2020 General Election," reads a Tuesday press release announcing the lawsuit. "The battleground states flooded their people with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted."
The lawsuit, which includes similar allegations made by President Trump and his allies, was filed on the "safe harbor deadline" for states to settle election disputes and lock in their presidential electors, but ahead of the Dec. 14 Electoral College vote. In the suit, Paxton is requesting that the Supreme Court delay the Electoral College vote and allow for investigations into election fraud to be completed.
"Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election," Paxton stated in the press release. "We now ask that the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error."
Paxton was able to file the suit with the Supreme Court because the high court has exclusive jurisdiction over legal disputes between states, the Hill noted. In the filing, the Texas attorney general also argued that the nation's highest court is the only judicial body capable of handling such an important case dealing with the Electoral College.
If the court should fail to intervene before the Electoral College vote is cast, "a grave cloud will hang over not only the presidency but also the republic," Paxton argued.
The filing was met with immediate criticism from some officials in the four battleground states.
"The motion filed by the Texas attorney general is a publicity stunt, not a serious legal pleading," blasted Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement. "The erosion of confidence in our democratic system isn't attributable to the good people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia or Pennsylvania but rather to partisan officials, like Mr. Paxton, who place loyalty to a person over loyalty to their country."
Katie Byrd, spokeswoman for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, argued that Paxton "is constitutionally, legally and factually wrong" about the state.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman says she felt unsafe while being sexualized as a child actress

Actress Natalie Portman, 39, says that she often felt unsafe as a child actress when being sexually objectified by older men.
What are the details?
According to the New York Post, Portman — who has been working in the entertainment industry since she was at least 12 years old — said that she feels being sexualized as a child in Hollywood crippled her sexuality as an adult.
During a Monday podcast with fellow actor Dax Shepard, Portman revealed that being sexualized as a child actress made her afraid.
"Being sexualized as a child took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid," the Oscar winner told Shepard during his "Armchair Expert" podcast. "So many people had this impression of me that I was super serious and prude and conservative as I got older. I consciously cultivated that because it was a way to make me feel safe."
When Portman was 16 years old, she was offered the role of "Lolita" in a production based on Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 book of the same name. She said she turned down the role due to the explicit underage sexual content.
"At that age you have to do your own sexuality, and you have to do your own desire, and you do want to explore those things," she said. "But you don't feel safe necessarily. You build these fortresses."
She explained, "I was definitely aware of the fact that I was being portrayed — mainly in kind of journalism around when the movies would come out — as like this Lolita figure. ... I've actually talked about it, I wrote a thing about it for the Women's March a few years ago about how being sexualized as a child I think took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid. It made me feel like the way that I could be safe was to be like, 'I'm conservative and I'm serious and you should respect me and I'm smart and don't look at me that way.'"
Portman added that as a child actress, she was forced to build virtual fortresses in order to keep herself safe.
"You're told as a girl and a woman that you're supposed to want to [be objectified], and that it's a good thing, people finding you attractive or people thinking you're sexy," she continued. "These words that we use around young girls in particular — and then it's complicated because it doesn't necessarily always make you feel good or feel safe. You do have your own sexuality and your own desire, and you do want to explore things, and you do want to be open, but you don't feel safe necessarily when there's, like, older men that are, like, interested. You're like 'No, no, no, no.'"


theblaze--2020-12-08--Fauci: Christmas will be worse than Thanksgiving for COVID spread

Fauci : Christmas will be worse than Thanksgiving for COVID spread ' I think it can be even more of @ @ @ @ @ saw with Thanksgiving '

Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Americans that the Christmas holiday could be worse than Thanksgiving for spreading the coronavirus.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared on CNN's "New Day" with host John Berman and issued a warning to America about the potential dangers of holiday celebrations.
"My concerns, John [Berman], are the same thing of the concerns that I had about Thanksgiving, only this may be even more compounded because it's a longer holiday," Fauci said.
He explained that because the Christmas holiday leads into New Year's Day celebrations, the potential for virus spread is greater than Thanksgiving, which lasts one day before people return to work.
"I think it can be even more of a challenge than what we saw with Thanksgiving," Fauci said. "So I hope that people realize that and understand that as difficult as this is, nobody wants to modify, if not essentially shut down, their holiday season."
"But we're at a very critical time in this country right now," he added. "We've got to not walk away from the facts and the data. This is tough going for all of us."
Fauci's advice comes amid a recent increase in positive coronavirus cases being reported. According to the COVID Tracking Project, as of Dec. 7 there were 14,717,065 identified cases of coronavirus in the United States. The previous Friday saw 228,000 new cases reported, the largest volume of positive cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began. Currently there are 102,148 people hospitalized with COVID, with 20,098 people currently in the ICU and 7,073 currently on a ventilator. Tragically, 274,745 Americans have died with confirmed or probable cases of COVID.
Progress toward the release and distribution of a COVID vaccine continues.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration released documents containing the agency's analysis of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The documents show Pfizer's vaccine provides some protection after the first dose and full protection from the coronavirus after the second dose. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet Thursday and vote on whether to grant Pfizer emergency use authorization to begin distributing the vaccine in the United States.
In the United Kingdom, a retired British shop clerk received the first shot of the nation's COVID-19 vaccination program after the nation last week authorized the use of Pfizer's vaccine. The UK is the first Western country to begin a mass vaccination program.


theblaze--2020-12-08--POLL: Will you be spending the holiday with friends/family or socially isolating due to COVID?

POLL : Will you be spending the holiday with friends/family or socially isolating due to COVID ?
Cast your vote @ @ @ @ @ share !

POLL: Will you be spending the holiday with friends/family or socially isolating due to COVID?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-12-08--Gov. Cuomo tells Dr. Fauci, 'We're like the modern-day De Niro and Pacino.' Social media erupts with

Gov. Cuomo tells Dr. Fauci, 'We're like the modern-day De Niro and Pacino.' Social media erupts with derision.

Gov .
Cuomo tells Dr. Fauci , 'We 're like the modern-day De Niro and Pacino . '
Social media @ @ @ @

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said this week that he and Dr. Anthony Fauci are "modern-day" versions of actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Social media responded to the Democratic governor's remarks with a mix of scornful glee and derision.
What are the details?
During a Monday press conference, Cuomo and Fauci discussed the ongoing COVID-19 response across the country.
At the time of this reporting, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been 15 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, with more than 1.5 million deaths worldwide attributed to the virus.
As the two spoke, Cuomo went on to compare himself and Fauci to revered Italian-American actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
"Doctor," Cuomo said about New York state's infection rate, "on the question of this state's infection rate versus other states, we're lower than all states besides Vermont, Maine, and Hawaii. Does that surprise you, and how do you explain that?"
Fauci began his response by virtually clapping Cuomo on the back for how the state recovered from its early pandemic surge.
"I have to say, being a New Yorker, Governor, it doesn't surprise me," he said. "You guys, as you and I have discussed on many phone calls that we've had, you got hit with a sucker-punch right from the beginning, when the cases came in from Europe, the Northeastern corridor — particularly New York state, particularly the metropolitan — got hit really, really badly."
He continued, "You recovered from that, was after you got hit badly, your baseline level went way, way, way down and very, very low, and then you did things which were the appropriate way to avoid getting re-surging [cases]. So, the bad news, and it's painful for me to see it from a distance to my place of birth, but you guys really got slammed."
Fauci went on and lauded the governor for keeping test positives across the state low.
"[T]hen you rebounded and you rebounded in a way that you kept your test positivity low, because you did the prudent things that you need to do," he explained. "And I was following it from here in Washington, and I was seeing that whenever it looked like things were getting a little out of hand, you tightened the rope a little bit. And then when things went back, you eased up a little bit. So I'm not surprised that your infection rate is really low, because I think you were doing the right things after you had a really bad serious hit in the beginning when you were there in the late winter, early spring."
Cuomo, appearing to soak up the praise, responded by telling the infectious diseases expert that the two should take the COVID-19 vaccine together as a show of unity.
"I think you have tremendous credibility, not just across the country, but across this state," he said. "And I think your voice on saying that vaccines are safe would be important. I said that as soon as the vaccine is deemed ready and safe, I'll be the first one to take a vaccine. Maybe we enlist you, I'll do it with you. We'll do an ad telling New Yorkers it's safe to take the vaccine, to put us together. We're like the modern-day De Niro and Pacino. You can be whichever you want, you can be the De Niro or Pacino. Fauci and Cuomo, I'll give you ... who do you want to be? De Niro or Pacino? Which one do you want to be?"
Fauci, laughing, responded that he is partial to both actors.
"I don't want to insult one or the other," he reasoned. "If I say one, I don't want to hurt the feelings of the other."
What did social media say?
Film critic Sean Burns quipped, "This makes sense because at the ends of their movies usually everyone is dead."
Writer Kelly Jane Torrance added, "Gov. Cuomo enjoys the pandemic like no one else."
Journalist Lisa Myers chimed in, "Really? His modesty is overwhelming."
Journalist Matt Binder joked, "Is Cuomo basing his own personal comparison on the total number of people dead at the hands of Pacino and De Niro's characters in their respective movies combined[?]"
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a news conference on coronavirus — 12/7/2020 www.youtube.com
(H/T: New York Post)


theblaze--2020-12-08--Did Santa & the Pope turn into WOKE Communists!? Steven Crowder says yes.

Did Santa & the Pope turn into WOKE Communists !
?
Steven Crowder says yes .

Steven brings some Christmas cheer to the boy "Santa Claus" made cry. We have the latest on the coronavirus updates and respond to SNL's Pete Davison's mocking anti-lockdown protesters. Plus, the Pope's history of pushing a socialist agenda.
Catch up on missed episodes here.
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--2020-12-08--Lawmaker requests special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden, 'potentially incriminating conten

Lawmaker requests special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden, 'potentially incriminating contents' of laptop

'This investigation is critical to defending the integrity of our republic '

Could Hunter Biden be the subject of the next special counsel investigation? That's what Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) wants.
Buck sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Monday requesting that the Department of Justice initiate a special counsel investigation into the son of the media-declared president-elect, centering on Hunter Biden's "conduct" and the "potentially incriminating contents" on the laptop in the FBI's possession that purportedly belongs to Biden.
Hunter Biden. (Handout/DNCC via Getty Images)
A special counsel investigation is critical for maintaining confidence in national security, Buck said.
"This investigation is critical to defending the integrity of our republic and ensuring a potential Biden Administration will not be the subject of undue foreign interference," Buck wrote. "Americans have the right to know whether Mr. Biden's reported ties to foreign governments will make him the subject of blackmail attempts or other nefarious efforts to undermine U.S. national security or otherwise improperly influence American foreign policy."
Buck went on to compare the necessity of a special counsel investigation now to when Robert Mueller was tasked with leading a special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"As you know, the Attorney General is granted the statutory authority to appoint a Special Counsel under 28 U.S.C. § 515 and 28 CFR § 600 to investigate and prosecute any matter that would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances," Buck wrote.
"Similar to when the DOJ appointed Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, it is critical that this investigation continue free from political interference, no matter who is in the White House. We must guarantee the integrity of our government and the security of our republic," the Colorado Republican added.
Barr has already appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham, who is investigating the origins of the Russia investigation, as a special counsel, essentially preventing the incoming Biden administration from interfering in Durham's work.
What's the background?
The New York Post published a bombshell story in mid-October reporting that the paper had obtained the hard drive to a laptop that allegedly had belonged to Hunter Biden. The laptop, which had been dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019 and never picked up, turned out to be in the possession of the FBI for unknown reasons.
The story was significant for many reasons. Most importantly, emails on the hard drive, purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden, showed that Joe Biden had been more involved in Hunter Biden's overseas work than the former vice president previously admitted.
Biden, however, has denied any wrongdoing.
Still, Democrats claimed the laptop story was "Russian disinformation" meant to sway the election in President Donald Trump's favor just weeks before the election. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe later refuted such allegations.
"Let me be clear, the intelligence community doesn't believe that, because there's no intelligence that supports that, and we have shared no intelligence with Chairman [Adam] Schiff or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden's laptop is part of some Russian disinformation campaign — it's simply not true," Ratcliffe said in October.
Details about the laptop and why the FBI seized it remain murky. Fox News reported that investigators took the laptop in connection to a money-laundering investigation. Details about that investigation were not made public, nor has the FBI confirmed that such an investigation took place.
The most recent development in the story happened last month, when the computer repair shop owner closed his business and allegedly disappeared after receiving death threats.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Report: Alleged Chinese spy got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell that federal investigators

Report: Alleged Chinese spy got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell that federal investigators had to step in to alert him

Report : Alleged Chinese spy got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell that federal investigators had to step in @ @ @ @ @ for him and planted an intern in his office

An alleged Chinese spy operating in California's Bay Area during the Obama administration got so close to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) that federal investigators had to step in and alert the congressman.
What happened?
The suspected foreign agent, Christine Fang, "targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage" as part of a years-long operation run by China's main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Axios reported Monday night.
She first came into contact with Swalwell and other up-and-coming politicos through her role as the head of two different student groups at California State University East Bay, where she enrolled in 2011. Using her position in the groups, Fang gained access to political events and fundraisers for several prominent Democrats in the area, including Democratic California Reps. Swalwell, Ro Khanna, Judy Chu, and former Rep. Mike Honda.
Fang became closest with Swalwell, Axios reported, and by 2014, had "developed close ties" with his congressional office. She worked as a "bundler" for him and other local candidates, helping him connect with big donors and deepening his ties with target communities, and even successfully planted an intern in his office.
Then in 2015, "amid a widening counterintelligence probe, federal investigators became so alarmed by Fang's behavior and activities that ... they alerted Swalwell to their concerns — giving him what is known as a defensive briefing," the report said.
"Swalwell immediately cut off all ties to Fang, according to a current U.S. intelligence official, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing," the report added.
What else?
Fang's targeting of Swalwell shows China's long-game strategy of embedding people with politicians before they reach the national stage in hopes of influencing them towards pro-Beijing policies later, Axios noted. Swalwell was elected to Congress in 2012 and in 2015 was assigned to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, serving as the lead Democrat on the subcommittee on CIA oversight.
The report added: "Even though U.S. officials do not believe Fang received or passed on classified information, the case 'was a big deal, because there were some really, really sensitive people that were caught up' in the intelligence network, a current senior U.S. intelligence official said."
Swalwell's office provided Axios with the following statement before publication of the report: "Rep. Swalwell, long ago, provided information about this person — whom he met more than eight years ago, and whom he hasn't seen in nearly six years — to the FBI. To protect information that might be classified, he will not participate in your story."
Anything else?
Sometime in 2015, Fang abruptly left the United States without warning. Officials believe Chinese authorities called off her covert duties and had her return home.
In addition to her various connections to Bay Area politicians, Fang developed romantic or sexual relationships with at least two unnamed Midwestern mayors, with one of the sexual encounters being captured by FBI surveillance.
In an op-ed Thursday, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe revealed that Chinese spies have targeted U.S. lawmakers more than any other country, including Russia and Iran.


theblaze--2020-12-08--Teacher who flipped out on anti-lockdown protesters is under investigation, placed on leave

Teacher who flipped out on anti-lockdown protesters is under investigation , placed on leave

Turns out the self-proclaimed teacher who flipped out on anti-lockdown protesters in Bend, Oregon, over the weekend and spewed multiple F-bombs at them wasn't lying.
She's indeed a teacher in nearby Jefferson County School District 509-J — and officials there placed her on paid administrative leave while the district investigates the incident, KTVZ-TV reported.
What's the background?
As TheBlaze reported Monday, the teacher in question was caught on video cursing out the peaceful protesters from her Subaru at the intersection of Northwest Greenwood Avenue and Northwest Wall Street.
Wearing a headband with her COVID-19 mask dangling below her chin, the ponytailed leftist let loose on protesters: "Bitch! Kill yourself!"
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @BlessUSA45
"I'm a f***ing teacher! I work in schools!" she screamed. "F*** you! F*** you! I am a teacher! I teach students!"
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @BlessUSA45
All the while the protesters simply turned up their own volume — and some simply laughed at the lunacy-filled moment.
"Our families are dying!" she hollered, her high-pitched voice cracking.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @BlessUSA45
In another odd moment she appeared to welcome the attention of those recording her antics, maniacally waving and yelling "hi" to the cameras:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @BlessUSA45
She then hollered "F*** all of you!" before finally driving away as demonstrators chanted "USA! USA! USA!"
Here's the clip, which was posted to Twitter on Sunday. Content warning: Profanity:
Anything else?
"We are aware of the incident and are investigating," Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Ken Parshall told KTVZ. He declined to identify the first-year teacher or which school or grades she has taught in, citing personnel confidentiality.
The Jefferson County School District office is located in Madras, about 50 minutes north of Bend, which is in Deschutes County.
The station said more than 2 million people had viewed Twitter and Facebook posts of the profanity-laced video.
How are folks reacting?
Reactions to the Oregonian's tweet about the teacher's suspension were all over the map:


theblaze--2020-12-08--Horowitz: GOP to sign on to trillion-dollar COVID bill to ‘stimulate’ lockdowns

Horowitz : GOP to sign on to trillion-dollar COVID bill to ‘ stimulate ’ lockdowns

If we are going to enslave our children with incorrigible debt by spending endless trillions of dollars on a stimulus bill, why won't Republicans at least ensure the funding stimulates growth rather than facilitating more lockdowns?
The mayor of Los Angeles has now essentially criminalized basic physical and economic activity outside one's home. Nearly every state is doubling down on eight months of failed policies that dangerously violate our core liberties and crush our lives and our economy. Republicans are now prepared to underwrite yet another bill that will enable them to continue this nuclear winter on America's economy rather than at least using the funds as a carrot and stick to end the lockdowns and violations of civil liberties.
Last week, a bipartisan group of liberal senators unveiled a draft bill to throw another $908 billion at the COVID economic crisis they helped create. The group of senators includes Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.). In addition, Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) indicated they would support the broad framework.
Undoubtedly, our politicians owe small business owners reparations for shutting down their businesses. But who should bear the burden for those policies? The ones who perpetrated them: the state and local governments. Let them be forced to either raise taxes to pay for them or to end the lockdowns altogether. I'm not against the $288 billion in the bill for small businesses, but it should come with strings attached to the states.
Also, the bill spends another $180 billion on unemployment benefits. A stimulus bill should stimulate employment, not unemployment. It should offer tax and regulatory incentives to business owners and perhaps certain employees to work – not to stay locked down.
Moreover, the bill gives state and local governments another $180 billion. Yes, the very people who are shutting down our lives, who belong in jail for their abuse of power, are being rewarded by Republicans with a massive slush fund to pay off special interests and further spy on us and enforce COVID fascism.
To add insult to injury, the proposed "stimulus" would throw another $80 billion at the education system. But for what? Zoom classes? More mask mandates and social isolation of our children? The evidence is now clear that children should be left alone to live their lives normally, yet this bill would not even pretend to use the funding to incentivize school districts to end the child abuse.
Almost every other line item of this bill fuels the counterproductive nature of the status quo from these states. The draft plan will basically underwrite every lockdown goal of the local fascists. Not only would Congress hand money to schools without conditioning it on full reopening, but the bill spends another $10 billion on child care. The premise of this funding is to help parents stay employed while their children are out of school. But again, how about a bill incentivizing more schooling, thereby obviating the need for childcare funding to begin with?
Likewise, the bill throws more money at "opioid treatment." However, the reason why there is a massive increase in drug abuse is because of the depression brought on by the lockdowns and school closures that this bill helps stimulate and perpetuate. The proposal would further fund food and nutrition programs to the tune of $26 billion, but we already spend an enormous sum through the school systems. Reopen the schools and you will solve that problem.
The most tragic and ironic outcome of these "stimulus" bills, which help ensure cowardly governors can keep kids out of school without suffering the consequences, is that the children are the ones who will pay for this unfunded liability. They are paying for the destruction wrought by lockdowns, and they will pay all the debt on the bills that are allowing these governors to virtue-signal on the taxpayer dime.
The bill also offers billions in additional funding for contact tracing, aka spying on the American people. How can Republicans sign off on this without first fixing the problem with overly sensitive PCR testing that ensures the contact tracing and quarantines are locking down the wrong people?
The proposal further bails out the airlines with another $45 billion, after they received hundreds of billions earlier this year. Airlines are abusing passengers (even more than usual) with draconian mask mandates. It's time for them to own their miserable travel accommodations, which were terrible even before COVID, and suffer the consequences.
Republicans, especially those running in the Georgia Senate runoffs, incessantly accuse Democrats of promoting socialism. But when it comes to the most expensive market-distorting bills, they are pushing them right alongside the Democrats. If this is not socialism, then what is?


theblaze--2020-12-08--Poll: More than half of NYC firefighters will refuse COVID vaccine despite research showing firefigh

Poll: More than half of NYC firefighters will refuse COVID vaccine despite research showing firefighters are 15 times more likely to be infected

Poll : More than half of NYC firefighters will refuse COVID vaccine despite research showing firefighters are 15 times more @ @ @ @

More than half of New York City firefighters say they would not get a COVID-19 vaccine if the department offered it, according to a Tuesday report from CNN.
The survey's findings come on the heels of research showing that firefighters are at least 15 times more likely to be infected by coronavirus.
What are the details?
The poll, according to Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro, found that nearly 55% of 2,000 queried FDNY firefighters said they would not be interested in receiving the inoculation.
The poll asked, "Will you get the COVID-19 Vaccine from Pfizer when the Department makes it available?"
More than 1,100 firefighters said they had no intention of receiving the vaccine; 929 firefighters responded in the affirmative, however, saying that they would take the shot.
Recent research, according to CNN, found that New York City first responders were 15 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 when compared with other city residents. European Respiratory Journal reported the research findings in October.
The research, conducted by Michael Weiden, an FDNY medical officer as well as New York University Medical School professor, discovered 5,715 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases among FDNY members between March and May. At least 62 FDNY workers were hospitalized with the virus, and four died, according to the findings.
"During this period," CNN reports, "the infection rate among FDNY workers was 15 times the rate of the general population in New York City, but the group also had lower rates of severe coronavirus disease than the general New York City population."
What else?
Ansbro said in response to the poll's findings that he hopes more firefighters and first responders will receive the vaccination.
"I will definitely get it," he revealed. "I hope more members get it. I will encourage them to get it, but at the end of the day, it is a hundred percent their own choice."
In a statement to CNN, FDNY spokesperson Jim Long said, "We're going to offer the vaccine to everyone that is interested and wanting to take the vaccine. We feel that we, the department ant the UFA, are going to work together to provide the best information to our membership so they can make a decision whether to be vaccinated or not."