theblaze--2020-11-26--I am grateful for one of God's greatest blessings to mankind — the free market

I am grateful for one of God 's greatest blessings to mankind — the free market Economics is not the @ @ @ @ @ but it should be one of them

First of all, thank you for coming to my free market Ted Talk, and I'd like to acknowledge that you here reading this sentence are among the blessed few who actually read an article instead of simply react to the headline.
So now, let's talk about the free market.
It really should be four words, not two. People often use the word "capitalism" to refer to the free market system, but historically, this appears to be a term used to deride those proponents of the free market. The word "capitalism" implies that the system is set up to benefit only those with capital, not all participants.
I think even a cursory review of poverty statistics over the last hundred years shows this is simply not true. Across the globe, millions of people have had their lives improved when the free market is allowed to allocate resources to achieve the most effective and profitable outcome for everyone involved.
This is why I think it should be referred to instead as the "blessed free market system." I admit, this change in nomenclature would be an uphill battle.
In so many ways, the free market has improved our lives to such a degree that it would be completely impossible for the vast majority of humanity to imagine living like their forebears did just a hundred years ago. Compare this to those living a thousand years ago. Their circumstances did not change or improve much from generation to generation for countless years. But thanks to the free market system and the societies that implemented the circumstances for it to flourish, our quality of life has improved incredibly quickly.
Here is the section that will upset many people on the right, but I must state out of good conscience and intellectual honesty. It would be absurd to sing the praises of the free market without acknowledging the abuses. Wherever there is a good thing granted to humanity by God, there will be terrible humans to take advantage of it and ruin it for others. This is of course the same with the free market.
I will not address all the critiques of the free market system except to point out one major fallacy that underlines many of them. Many, though not all, of the critics of the free market do not compare it to other systems already in place in the world but instead compare it to a magical concept of a utopian ideal that exists only in their minds. This is irrational for all the obvious reasons that readers can ascertain for themselves.
This is not to say that we should never criticize our particular expression of the free market. A great theory can be implemented in various different ways, and we should be allowed to criticize its various applications in aid of seeking to improve it for all members of our society.
Lastly, it is important to note that this system is not good because it will make you happy. It won't. The ability to make money and save money and invest money is a good thing. But as the founders noted about the republic they created for us, it cannot give you happiness; it can only give you the opportunity to pursue your own happiness.
And that brings us to Thanksgiving. The holiday where we pause to visit with friends and family and remember what really makes us happy. Wealth doesn't make us happy, but instead it gives us the opportunity to seek those relationships that truly make our life blessed on this miraculous Earth.
So enjoy your time with friends and family, and be grateful for all the blessings God has given you. Including the blessed free market system.
That's it. Thank you again for coming to my Ted Talk. Enjoy your turkey, and in all things, be thankful to God.


theblaze--2020-11-28--Carter Page sues FBI, DOJ, and individuals behind FISA abuse

Defendants include former FBI Director James Comey , and former employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page

Former 2016 Trump campaign adviser Carter Page has filed a massive lawsuit against the U.S. government as well as agencies and individuals responsible for illegally spying on him using Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act orders.
What are the details?
The Federalist reported Friday that Page is seeking "no less than $75 million from the U.S. government, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations," and individuals involved with Operation Crossfire Hurricane, including fired FBI Director James Comey, fired assistant director Andrew McCabe, fired FBI deputy assistant director of counterintelligence Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
The complaint argues, in part:
The FBI did not have probably cause to lawfully obtain a FISA warrant [against Dr. Page]. Instead, the FBI used documents furnished by Christopher Steele, a Confidential Human Source ("CHS"). As the Crossfire Hurricane team knew, CHS Steele has been paid by the Democratic Party and/or the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign to perform "political opposition research" and dig up dirt on a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia in order to divert attention from the investigation of Clinton's email practices while she was Secretary of State.
Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report last year detailing problems found in the FISA process after investigating the FBI's probe into President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.
As TheBlaze previously reported:
The report also notes "17 significant errors" in the Carter Page FISA applications and "many additional errors" in the procedures that guide the FISA process. "These errors and omissions resulted from case agents providing wrong or incomplete information to OI [the Office of Intelligence] and failing to flag important issues for discussion," the report notes.
Following the release of Howoritz's findings, chief FISA Judge Rosemary Collyer issued a scathing rebuke of the FBI's handling of applications to spy and surveil Page, saying that other FISA applications now fall under question, writing: "The frequency with which representations made by FBI personnel turned out to be unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession, and with which they withheld information detrimental to their case, calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable."
The Washington Examiner pointed out that Carter Page was never charged with any wrongdoing. The outlet further noted that McCabe signed off on the final FISA application to surveil Page.
Strzok and Lisa Page — former lovers whose anti-Trump text messages to one another fed speculation that Crossfire Hurricane was politically motivated — were key members of the probe. Both of them have also sued the FBI since leaving the agency.


theblaze--2020-11-28--Taiwanese lawmakers hurl pig organs in Parliament during brawl over US meat imports

Taiwanese lawmakers' battle over allowing the import of American pork and beef products devolved into a literal fistfight Friday on the floor of Parliament in Taipei, but lawmakers threw more than just punches: Pig intestines and other organs were hurled between opposing parties.
What are the details?
The Hill gave some background, explaining that "President Tsai Ing-wen's administration decided to end a ban on imports of U.S. pork and beef in August," and that "the lifting of the ban, set for January, signals a move toward a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S."
The Associated Press reported that the pandemonium ensued in Parliament as Premier Su Tseng-chang of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attempted to address the chamber on the pork policy, when "opposition party lawmakers from the [Chinese] Nationalist party, also known as the KMT, blocked his attempt to speak by dumping bags of pig organs. Legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party attempted to stop them, resulting in chaos and an exchange of punches."
The outlet noted that while the amount of U.S. pork expected to be imported would only account for a small amount of the nation's consumption, citizens and political factions opposed to lifting the ban have protested fiercely against the policy change.
Critics in Taiwan have expressed concern over a feed additive used by some U.S. pork producers called ractopamine, which is aimed at promoting leaner growth in the animals.
According to The Washington Post:
More than 100 countries ban meat with the additive, which is used by U.S. pig farmers to promote leanness but frequently poses an obstacle when it comes to exporting abroad. Washington has pressed successive Taiwanese administrations to lift the ban on meat from pigs given ractopamine-laced feed, but the issue has been highly charged in Taiwan, where politicians and industry groups have warned about adverse health affects of the additive.
Anything else?
There is a long history of Taiwanese lawmakers coming to blows, but Friday's brawl involving pig guts was a whole new level of display.
KMT lawmakers said in a statement that they were left with no choice but protest, explaining, "In order to protect people's health and protect the bottom line of food safety, the opposition party cannot but resist."
The DPP called the KMT's actions "disgusting" and a waste of food, The Guardian reported.


theblaze--2020-11-27--'Decolonization' activists vandalize  monuments in 4 states over Thanksgiving

Statues were defaced and toppled , and storefronts were also targeted in the spree

Monuments were vandalized in four U.S. states over the Thanksgiving holiday, and several were marked with graffiti referring to the LANDBACK campaign for "decolonization" that seeks to return lands to indigenous people.
In one city, businesses were also targeted and covered in anti-Thanksgiving, anti-capitalist messages.
What are the details?
A statue of President Abraham Lincoln was splashed with red paint in a park in Spokane, Washington, while in Minneapolis, a statue of President George Washington was toppled.
Fox News reported that a group called the Pan-Indigenous People's Liberation claimed responsibility for damaging the monument to President Washington, along with the defacing of the "Pioneer Statue" in another Minneapolis park that was graffitied with messages that read, "no more genocide," decolonize," and "land back."
Activists in Chicago launched an unsuccessful attempt at toppling a statue of President William McKinley, but left it covered in red spray paint, according to the Daily Mail.
In Portland, Oregon, several businesses were hit by vandals. Pictures of the damage show broken storefront windows and multiple buildings sprayed with the words "land back," "stolen land," "no thanks, no giving," and "colonizer."
Extensive damage was also done to a monument in the city.
USA Today reported:
A monument at Portland's Lone Fir Cemetery, dedicated in 1903 to the veterans of the Civil War, Mexican, Spanish, and Indian wars, was tagged with anti-colonialism graffiti and its statue toppled and sprayed with red paint.
Photos of the vandalism spread on social media on Thanksgiving Day, though police did not immediately confirm the reports.
The LANDBACK campaign, a project of the NDN Collective, lists four demands on its website's "manifesto":
Dismantle — white supremacy structures that forcefully removed us from our Lands and continue to keep our Peoples in oppression.
a. Bureau of Land Management, National Parks Service
Defund — white supremacy and the mechanisms and systems that enforce it and disconnect us from stewardship of the Land.
a. Police, military industrial complex, Border Patrol, ICE
Return — All public lands back into Indigenous hands.
Consent — Moving us out of an era of consultation and into a new era of policy around Free and Prior Informed Consent.
The campaign also states:
The closure of Mount Rushmore, return of that land and all public lands in the Black Hills, South Dakota is our cornerstone battle, from which we will build out this campaign. Not only does Mount Rushmore sit in the heart of the sacred Black Hills, but it is an international symbol of white supremacy and colonization.


theblaze--2020-11-27--Former GOP Rep. David Valadao flips California House seat. It's the third pickup in the state for Re

Former GOP Rep. David Valadao flips California House seat. It's the third pickup in the state for Republicans.

Former GOP Rep. David Valadao flips California House seat .
It 's the third pickup in the state for Republicans @

Republican Rep. David Valadao has defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. TJ Cox in California's 21st Congressional District, the Associated Press reported Friday afternoon.
Valadao, who represented the district for three terms starting in 2013, edged Cox in the tight race by nearly 1 percentage point, or just over 1,500 votes, to reclaim the seat he narrowly lost two years ago.
Valadao endorsed President Donald Trump ahead of this year's election, something he opted not to do in 2016. Backing the president was considered a risky move due to the fact that Trump lost the district to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 15 points four years ago. Evidently this time around, it paid off.
On Wednesday, after the race had been called by Decision Desk HQ, the Republican candidate tweeted, "As vote counts come to a close, I am honored to receive the support of #CA21 voters and look forward to returning to Congress to represent the Central Valley. Thank you to those who have worked tirelessly to make the voice of the Valley heard this election!"
With Valadao's victory, Republicans have picked up their 11th seat overall in the U.S. House.
Why does it matter?
Valadao's victory in the central California district marks the third seat in this election cycle that Republicans have flipped, following victories by Congresswoman-elect Young Kim in the 39th District and Congresswoman-elect Michelle Steel in the 48th District.
Republicans flipping seats in the deep blue state is a rarity. In its coverage of the news, the Daily Wire noted that earlier this year, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) won the House seat vacated by Democrat Katie Hill "to become the first Republican to pick up a blue seat in the Golden State since the 1990s."
According to the Associated Press, "On paper, the 21st District looks like it should be a Democratic stronghold: The party holds a nearly 17-point registration edge. But California's agricultural centers have long been known for Republican residents who vote reliably and Democrats who often do not."
Democrats still hold a large lead in the state, having won 42 House seats while the Republicans have won 10 with one race still yet to be called. Nevertheless, Republican gains in the state and elsewhere across the country are a good sign for the party and a rebuke to Democrats who predicted a blue wave would sweep the 2020 election.


theblaze--2020-11-27--NYT listens to Twitter woke mob and changes article subhead in Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump story

NYT listens to Twitter woke mob and changes article subhead in Jared Kushner , Ivanka Trump story

The New York Times updated the sub-headline of an article about President Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Tuesday after liberals complained on Twitter.
What are the details?
The article, titled, "As Their D.C. Days Dwindle, Ivanka and Jared Look for a New Beginning," originally featured a sub-headline, stating, "The end of President Trump's time in office leaves his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well-to-do refugees — but they appear to have plans in New Jersey," Fox News reported.
Not long after the article was published, however, liberals on Twitter blasted the newspaper for its use of the phrase "well-to-do refugees" to describe the couple, arguing the term is offensive because of the Trump administration's policies regarding refugees.
Former NYT writer Kendra Pierre-Louis wrote, "I have a lots of thoughts about this story but using the word 'refugee' in the dek when they were part of an administration that all but criminalized being a refugee ... is a choice."
PBS NewsHour foreign editor Morgan Till also criticized the move on Twitter, calling the word choice "obscene" and "absurdly callous."
Others on the platform soon followed in condemning the Times, many slamming the Trump administration's immigration policy in the process.
"This entire article is a white-washing of Kushner/Ivanka's culpability in this administration — already seeing their images 'softened,'" one user wrote.
Another added: "Sanitizing monsters is not an honorable profession."
What does it say now?
The Times appeared to take the hint Tuesday, updating the subhead by removing the phrase in question and replacing it with "looking for a new home."
The full subhead now reads: "The end of President Trump's time in office leaves his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, looking for a new home — but they appear to have plans in New Jersey."
There is no editor's note on the article documenting and explaining the change, as is standard journalistic practice.
Anything else?
The Times bowing to woke mob pressure is nothing new. In March, the newspaper changed a headline three times in order to shield Democrats from blame after they blocked passage of a coronavirus relief bill. The headline evolved from "Democrats Block Action on $1.8 Trillion Stimulus" to "Partisan Divide Threatens Deal on Rescue Bill."
Then in September, the newspaper stealth-edited a highly criticized claim about America's founding made in its controversial "1619 Project." More examples of similar behavior can be seen here and here.
Fox News, in its coverage of this latest headline alteration, noted that former New York Times opinion editor Bari Weiss suggested that Twitter had become the "ultimate editor" of the paper in her scathing resignation letter in July.
The Times did not immediately return a request for comment to Fox News.


theblaze--2020-11-27--Trump-appointed judge rejects Trump campaign's appeal in Pennsylvania

'The campaign 's claims have no merit '

A panel of three Republican-appointed federal judges on Friday rejected an appeal from the Trump campaign to block the state of Pennsylvania from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
"Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy," said Judge Stephanos Bibas, who was appointed to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2017. "Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof.
"We have neither here," he wrote in the court's opinion.
The Trump campaign had asked the 3rd Circuit Court to reverse a decision by a lower court judge who had rejected the campaign's claims of unfair treatment of Republican poll watchers and mail-in ballots. Some Pennsylvania counties told voters they could fix defective ballots and others did not. The campaign also asserted that the Pennsylvania secretary of state and some counties restricted Republican poll watchers. The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit claiming this was a violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann dismissed the case, saying he had "no authority to take away the right to vote of even a single person, let alone millions of citizens."
The campaign appealed to the 3rd Circuit on the narrow ground that Judge Brann did not permit Trump's lawyers to amend their lawsuit a second time. But the 3rd Circuit said the District Court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to grant Trump's lawyers' request.
Reacting to the decision, Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis, speaking for Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani as well, said, "The activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud."
"We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature," Ellis tweeted. "On to SCOTUS!"
In his opinion, Trump-appointed Judge Bibas noted that Giuliani "stressed" that the Trump campaign "doesn't plead fraud" and asserted to the District Court that "this is not a fraud case."
"Instead, it objects that Pennsylvania's Secretary of State and some counties restricted poll watchers and let voters fix technical defects in their mail-in ballots. It offers nothing more," Bibas said.
"Most of the claims in the Second Amended Complaint boil down to issues of state law. But Pennsylvania law is willing to overlook many technical defects. It favors counting votes as long as there is no fraud. Indeed, the Campaign has already litigated and lost many of these issues in state courts," he continued.
"The Campaign tries to repackage these state-law claims as unconstitutional discrimination," Bibas added. "Yet its allegations are vague and conclusory. It never alleges that anyone treated the Trump campaign or Trump votes worse than it treated the Biden campaign or Biden votes. And federal law does not require poll watchers or specify how they may observe. It also says nothing about curing technical state-law errors in ballots. Each of these defects is fatal, and the proposed Second Amended Complaint does not fix them. So the District Court properly denied leave to amend again.
"Nor does the Campaign deserve an injunction to undo Pennsylvania's certification of its votes. The Campaign's claims have no merit. The number of ballots it specifically challenges is far smaller than the roughly 81,000-vote margin of victory. And it never claims fraud or that any votes were cast by illegal voters. Plus, tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too. That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised. So we deny the motion for an injunction pending appeal."


theblaze--2020-11-27--Iran claims top nuclear scientist was assassinated with Israeli involvement

Iranian officials called on the international community to condemn 'this act of state terror '

A top Iranian nuclear scientist, believed by the Israeli government to be the mastermind directing Iran's nuclear weapons program in the early 2000s, was killed in a targeted attack Friday outside of Tehran, according to multiple reports, citing Iranian state media.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday said the killing of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was "an act of state terror" that there were "serious indications" of Israeli involvement in his death, though Zarif did not level an outright accusation. According to the Associated Press, Israel did not immediately comment on Fakhrizadeh's death, but Israel has long been suspected of carrying out targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists decades ago.
Fakhrizadeh was a senior officer with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a professor of physics at Imam Hussein University in Tehran. He was the former leader of Iran's Physics Research Center, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Iranian state TV said Fakhrizadeh was ambushed by "armed terrorist elements" and suffered injuries that proved to be fatal. Reports said doctors and paramedics could not save him after he was taken to a hospital.
A statement released by Iran's defense ministry said, "Armed terrorists targeted a vehicle carrying Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the ministry's research and innovation organization.
"After a clash between the terrorists and his bodyguards, Mr. Fakhrizadeh was severely injured and rushed to hospital. Unfortunately, the medical team's efforts to save him were unsuccessful and minutes ago he passed away."
The Fars news agency, which has ties to the IRGC, said the attack occurred in Absard, a small city east of the Iranian capital of Tehran. It said witnesses heard an explosion followed by machine gun fire. A car carrying Fakhrizadeh was the target of the attack, according to the agency.
The Associated Press says no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zarif issued a statement on Twitter, calling on the international community and the European Union to condemn the attack and suggesting Israel was responsible.
The commander of the IRGC has also sworn vengeance for the killing.
"Assassination of nuclear scientists is the most obvious violation of the global hegemony to prevent our access to modern sciences," said Major General Hossein Salami.
Another Iranian official, 2021 Iranian presidential candidate Hossein Dehghan, accused "Zionists" of waging war on Iran.
"In the last days of their gambling ally's political life, the Zionists seek to intensify and increase pressure on Iran to wage a full-blown war," Dehghan tweeted, seemingly referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. "We will descend like lightning on the killers of this oppressed martyr and we will make them regret their actions!"
According to BBC Persian reporter Jiyar Gol, Fakharizadeh's death "is a blow to Iran's security and intelligence services who were tasked with protecting him." The BBC reports that "some in Iran even believe the assassination could have been carried out by Iranian security forces working for Israeli and Western intelligence agencies."
Fakhrizadeh was in charge of Iran's "Amad" nuclear program, translated "Hope." Israel and other Western countries have accused the program of developing nuclear weapons while Iran has maintained the program was for peaceful purposes.
More from the Associated Press:
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran "carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device" in a "structured program" through the end of 2003. That was the Amad program, which included work on the carefully timed high explosives needed to detonate a nuclear bomb.
Iran also "conducted computer modeling of a nuclear explosive device" before 2005 and between 2005 and 2009, the IAEA has said. The agency said, however, that those calculations were "incomplete and fragmented."
IAEA inspectors now monitor Iranian nuclear sites as part of Iran's now-unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.
In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said "remember that name" after mentioning Fakhrizadeh in a news conference alleging that Iran had lied about its nuclear weapons program. Netanyahu presented tens of thousands of files of Iranian files acquired by Israeli intelligence from an Iranian nuclear archive.
"A key part of the plan was to form new organizations to continue the work," Netanyahu alleged. "This is how Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of Project Amad, put it. Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh."


theblaze--2020-11-27--Legal adviser for President Trump says these arguments in Sidney Powell’s lawsuits could 'affect the

Legal adviser for President Trump says these arguments in Sidney Powell’s lawsuits could 'affect the outcome of the election'

Legal adviser for President Trump says these arguments in Sidney Powell ’ s lawsuits could 'affect the outcome of the @ @

Pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell finally came through on her promise to legally challenge the 2020 election Thursday by releasing two highly anticipated lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan alleging widespread fraud. As for what affect the lawsuits will have on the results of the election — which for now show former Vice President Joe Biden defeating President Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College — that remains to be seen.
But at least one Trump campaign legal adviser appears to believe that the claims made in the Georgia lawsuit, if argued successfully before a judge, could overturn the election and grant the president a victory.
What are the details?
In a lengthy Twitter thread Thursday, Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer and former Republican Party official who is now involved in the Trump campaign's legal effort, summarized the key claims made in Powell's suit. She acknowledged that while some of Powell's major arguments — such as that Dominion Voting Systems software was hacked and that thousands of ballots were pre-printed for Biden — would certainly "be enough to change the election results," they may be more difficult to prove in court.
Instead, Dhillon suggested that a simpler path to victory for Powell would be to lean into a couple lesser, but still serious, claims of election fraud made in the suit.
"To me, the easiest way to reach the goal [of overturning the election] is something much simpler alleged in the complaint at para. 121," wrote Dhillon. "That thousands of specific, identifiable voters, cast ballots after they moved out of state as evidenced in their registration in a national database, and may even have cast votes in their new states also which can easily be checked against the other state's records. This accounts for thousands of votes."
"The other category Matt Braynard has researched & documented, is thousands of identifiable, specific registrations at fraudulent addresses such as P.O. Boxes, non-residential, etc.," she continued. "These seem to be specific and of a sufficient volume that their disqualification would affect the outcome of the election. I think this simple tack — much easier to grasp and prove than the more complicated theories — is compelling."
What else?
It should be noted that UPS allows individuals to set up personal mailboxes at local stores where they can receive mail and packages and the United States Postal Service sometimes allows individuals without permanent addresses to have mail sent to local stores via "General Delivery."
It could be that Powell's suit is alleging an irregular number of absentee ballots were delivered to such mailboxes, raising suspicion of fraudulent activity.
Anything else?
Dhillon went on to counter the charge that it is too late to challenge the election because votes have already been cast, recounted, and in many cases certified by state election officials.
"[But] how are you supposed to allege that someone cast a ballot from a fraudulent registration address or after moving, before the election?" Dhillon asked. "This is something that can only be checked after the votes are cast and tallied, particularly where last-minute registrations are permitted by increasingly lax voter registration policies pushed by Democrats, followed by no signature verification or other safeguards, as the lawsuit alleges."
"I think these 'Braynard' allegations have legs, and should be pursued aggressively," she concluded.


theblaze--2020-11-27--President Trump: Vaccine deliveries to begin as early as next week

President Trump : Vaccine deliveries to begin as early as next week President says 'we are rounding the curve '

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the coronavirus vaccine deliveries will begin as early as next week.
"The whole world is suffering and we are rounding the curve," Trump said. "And the vaccines are being delivered next week or the week after."
The president gave the good news during a special Thanksgiving Day video message to U.S. troops stationed oversees, Fox News reported. Trump said that front-line workers, medical personnel, and senior citizens would be prioritized to receive the vaccine first.
He also said former Vice President Joe Biden should not be given credit for the vaccines, saying, "the vaccines were me."
"Joe Biden failed with the swine flu, H1N1, totally failed with the swine flu," Trump said. "Don't let him take credit for the vaccines because the vaccines were me and I pushed people harder than they've ever been pushed before and we got that approved and through and nobody's ever seen anything like it."
Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership initiated by the Trump administration to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies partnered with private drug manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer to fund the development and industrial manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are upwards of 12.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and more than 263,000 people have died of causes related to COVID-19.
During Trump's video conference, he noted that two companies have "already announced" vaccines that have shown effectiveness in trials and that "third, fourth and fifth ones are coming up soon."
The president was referring to Moderna and Pfizer, which have each published studies showing their respective vaccines are 95% effective. Last Friday, Pfizer applied for emergency authorization from the Food & Drug administration to begin the manufacturing and distribution of its vaccine. The FDA is set to meet on Dec. 10 to review Pfizer's request.
AstraZeneca has also reported preliminary results that show its vaccine is between 62% and 90% effective depending on the dosage given to patients in clinical trials.
The Trump administration is hopeful that soon after vaccine distribution begins, tens of millions of Americans will receive vaccinations and life can begin to return to normal. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed, said last Sunday that the United States could reach herd immunity by May 2021.


theblaze--2020-11-27--Gov. Andrew Cuomo accuses the Supreme Court of politicizing COVID-19 after it struck down his house

Gov. Andrew Cuomo accuses the Supreme Court of politicizing COVID-19 after it struck down his house of worship regulations

Gov .
Andrew Cuomo accuses the Supreme Court of politicizing COVID-19 after it struck down his house of worship regulations

In a display of rich irony, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) accused the Supreme Court of playing politics with the novel coronavirus after it struck down his regulations that purported to severely limit the size of worship services in certain areas of the state.
Cuomo, whose regulations had previously withstood a series of legal challenges, responded to the Supreme Court's rebuke of his regulations by musing, "You have a different court, and I think that was the statement that the court was making. We know who [President Trump] appointed to the court. We know their ideology."
Of course, Cuomo's dismissal of the Supreme Court's decision largely ignores the fact that the Supreme Court struck down his regulations in a 5-4 ruling largely because it found that Cuomo's response to the novel coronavirus was based largely on politics, and not on science.
The court specifically noted that many non-religious activities have not been restricted (or have been differently restricted) by Gov. Cuomo's regulations for no apparent reason other than the fact that liberals enjoy to do them — and certainly not for any public health-related reason.
As the court's per curiam opinion noted, "It is hard to believe that admitting more than 10 people to a 1,000–seat church or 400-seat synagogue would create a more serious health risk than the many other activities that the State allows."
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing in concurrence, sarcastically noted the somewhat obvious fact that, observing the state crackdown on Christians and Jews who assemble to peacefully worship while leaving liberal protesters completely unmolested, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the state's regulations were not based on science and public health (since a virus does not care why people gather), but rather on whether certain activities were favored or disfavored by the state's liberal governor.
As Gorsuch noted,
People may gather inside for extended periods in bus stations and airports, in laundromats and banks, in hardware stores and liquor shops. No apparent reason exists why people may not gather, subject to identical restrictions, in churches or synagogues, especially when religious institutions have made plain that they stand ready, able, and willing to follow all the safety precautions required of "essential" businesses and perhaps more besides. The only explanation for treating religious places differently seems to be a judgment that what happens there just isn't as "essential" as what happens in secular spaces. Indeed, the Governor is remarkably frank about this: In his judgment laundry and liquor, travel and tools are all "essential" while traditional religious exercises are not. That is exactly the kind of discrimination the First Amendment forbids.
In addition to his criticism of the court's decision, Cuomo also claimed that the decision was "irrelevant" since the restrictions struck down by the Court were phased out anyway. In Cuomo's mind, the Court's decision pertains specifically and only to those six districts; however, the Court's ruling clearly laid down the gauntlet for any restriction nationwide that treats religious services differently will not pass constitutional muster.
As Gorsuch noted, the issue was not merely this specific set of regulations, but the fact that many states seem to have forgotten that they cannot treat religious services worse than their secular counterparts.
Mediaite reported that in the 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the three progressive justices in the minority, but new Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with the other conservative justices to form the majority.


theblaze--2020-11-27--President Trump says he'll 'certainly' leave office if he loses Electoral College vote, but vows leg

President Trump says he'll 'certainly' leave office if he loses Electoral College vote, but vows legal fight is 'far from over'

President Trump says he 'll 'certainly ' leave office if he loses Electoral College vote , but vows legal fight @ @ @ @ @ says 'massive fraud ' took place in 2020 election

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will "certainly" leave office if the Electoral College votes to elect Democratic nominee Joe Biden, but vowed there will be "a lot of things happening between now and Jan. 20."
When asked by a reporter during a lengthy teleconference with military troops on Thanksgiving if he would vacate the presidency should he lose the Electoral College vote, the president said, "Certainly I will, and you know that."
But the president earlier admitted that "it's going to be a very hard thing to concede" because of the "massive fraud" he alleges took place during the 2020 election.
"As to whether or not we can get this apparatus moving quickly — because time isn't on our side, everything else is on our side, facts are on our side, this was a massive fraud," Trump stated.
"This was a rigged election," he said, adding elsewhere, "This race is far from over."
The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Dec. 14. The states must first certify their results, and any challenge to the results must be resolved by Dec. 8.
The teleconference was the first time that the president has answered questions from reporters since the Nov. 3 election.
President Trump Participates in a Thanksgiving Video Teleconference with Members of the Military youtu.be
Several mainstream media outlets have called the race for Biden and officials in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia have taken steps toward certifying election results. But undeterred, the Trump campaign is pushing forward with legal challenges in many states hoping to demonstrate that widespread election fraud took place.
On Wednesday, the president's legal team participated in a public hearing about election "irregularities" in Pennsylvania. Similar public hearings are scheduled to take place in Arizona on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday.
Trump's refusal to accept the reported election results has caused a stir among Democrats who say they feared that such an event like this would happen — that Trump would hold up in the Oval Office and need to be physically removed.
In October, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced legislation to create a commission that could recommend removing a president from office.
In a statement earlier this month, Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates threatened, "the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House."


theblaze--2020-11-29--Facebook fact-checker forced to issue correction after Candace Owens challenged 'false' rating

' I am taking every measure to fight these communists in the court room '

Political commentator Candace Owens challenged a "false" rating from a third-party Facebook fact-checker and she won.
Earlier this month, Owens announced that she was taking legal action against the fact-checkers used by social media platforms. Owens brought the case because she became tired of being censored on Twitter and Facebook by third-party fact-checkers, as well as seeing fellow conservatives being silenced on social media.
Owens retained a pair of lawyers to represent her in the lawsuit, including attorney Todd McMurtry, who was part of the legal team representing former Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann. Owens is reportedly suing fact-checkers from USA Today and Lead Stories, according to the Daily Wire.
"It is time to fact-check the fact-checkers," Owens said. "I'm going to put these suckers through discovery and figure out what the relationship is that they have with Facebook."
Owens launched a website titled "Fact-Check Zuck," which says, "Our freedoms are being stripped away. The overlords of Big Tech are determining what Americans can and cannot say, share, like, and post."
"Support our legal efforts today as we fight back against Facebook's fact-checkers, confronting those who are suppressing free speech, thought, and expression across our great country," the site says.
"I wanted to show that these fact-checkers just lie, and they usually go unchecked because most people don't have the money, don't have the time, and don't have the platform to go after them — and I have all three," Owens said.
Owens celebrated her first victory in the case against the social media behemoths on Saturday.
"Weeks ago, @Facebook censored a post of mine which truthfully stated that @JoeBiden is NOT the President-elect," Owens wrote on Saturday. "So I got lawyers involved. Conclusion? @PolitiFact uncensored the post & admitted that they LIED by rating my post false. The fact-checkers are lying for Democrats."
"At 8 Months pregnant, I unfortunately cannot fight on the ground alongside patriots like I am used to, but I am taking every measure to fight these communists in the court room," the conservative firebrand added. "It is my goal to expose these lying 'fact-checkers' one by one. @JoeBiden is NOT the President-elect."
PolitiFact issued a correction and removed the false rating.
"Correction: PolitiFact originally labeled this video false in our capacity as a third-party fact-checker for Facebook," PolitiFact wrote on Facebook on Nov. 25. "On Nov. 20, an appeal to that decision was made on behalf of Ms. Owens. PolitiFact approved the appeal on Nov. 20, determined that a correction was appropriate, and removed the false rating."
Owens argued that Joe Biden is not technically the president-elect as of yet, he was only named as the president-elect by media outlets, which is not authorized to name the president-elect. Biden is projected to be the winner of the 2020 presidential election, but the president-elect will not officially be named until the Electoral College cast its votes on Dec. 14, once all states have officially certified their results.
President Donald Trump is currently challenging the results in the election and has filed several lawsuits in critical swing states.


theblaze--2020-11-29--Christmas canceled? Dr. Fauci says COVID surge means Christmas won't be 'any different' than Thanksg

Christmas canceled? Dr. Fauci says COVID surge means Christmas won't be 'any different' than Thanksgiving

Christmas canceled ?
Dr. Fauci says COVID surge means Christmas wo n't be 'any different ' than Thanksgiving 'We 're @ @ @ @ @ great Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2021 '

First it was Thanksgiving, now it's Christmas.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, if the trajectory of coronavirus cases continues to surge, then Americans should skip their Christmas celebrations this year.
What is Fauci saying?
"If the surge takes a turn of continuing to go up and you have the sustained greater than 100,000 infections a day and 1,300 deaths per day and the count keeps going up and up ... I don't see it being any different during the Christmas and New Year's holidays than during Thanksgiving," Fauci told USA Today.
In fact, Fauci said his family has already scrapped their Christmas plans.
"For my own family, I'm saying we had a really great Thanksgiving and Christmas last year. We're looking forward to a really great Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2021," he said.
"Let's now make the best of the situation and show our love and affection for people by keeping them safe," Fauci added.
What about a vaccine?
The potential cancelation of Christmas comes despite the fact that a COVID-19 vaccine will likely begin initial distribution within weeks. Pfizer, whose vaccine is reportedly up to 95% effective, says it can have tens of millions of vaccine doses ready by December.
Pfizer applied for emergency approval with the FDA last week.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, states run by Democratic governors began issuing new COVID-related restrictions that essentially prevented traditional family gatherings on Thanksgiving.
However, law enforcement in states like New York and California bucked the restrictions, saying they would not enforce the new orders on Thanksgiving.


theblaze--2020-11-28--BLM leader blasts Joe Biden for capitalizing on defund the police, vows to block Eric Garcetti from

BLM leader blasts Joe Biden for capitalizing on defund the police, vows to block Eric Garcetti from cabinet position

BLM leader blasts Joe Biden for capitalizing on defund the police , vows to block Eric Garcetti from cabinet position

A founding member of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has slammed Joe Biden, and accused the former vice president of capitalizing on the defund the police movement, according to the Daily Wire.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, the lead organizer of BLMGNF's Los Angeles chapter that opened in 2013, alleged that Biden "capitalized on our efforts to defund the police, and then tried to condemn the words at the same time." Last week, several Black Lives Matter leaders lambasted Democrats for not supporting the defund the police movement.
"We want to be very clear that as we happily usher out the Trump regime, we will not accept liberal white supremacy in the White House in the form of Joe Biden," Abdullah, who has been critical of Biden's "lock-them-up approach that feeds mass incarceration and overpolicing," said.
"It doesn't matter to me if Kamala Harris is your vice president if you're using her black woman body to usher in oppressive systems and oppressive people like Eric Garcetti," Abdullah said.
Abdullah made the comments earlier this week during protests outside of the home of Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles was protesting the reports that Garcetti was in contention for a position in a potential Joe Biden cabinet. Garcetti is allegedly being considered for secretary of Transportation or Housing and Urban Development.
"What he's attempted to do for his entire reign as mayor is silence black voices," Abdullah said of Garcetti. "We will not let our voices be silent. … He wants us to be silent. And he continues to feed a police department that is one of the most murderous in the entire nation."
Abdullah said a Garcetti appointment to Biden's potential cabinet would be "doubling down on liberal white supremacy."
"We have to remember that there are a lot of liberal white supremacists," Abdullah said, making a reference of Garcetti. "Just because you plaster on a smile, just because you have a few sellout Negros that want a seat at your dinner table, just because you speak a little bit of Spanish…that does not make you not a white supremacist."
Two people were arrested this week during protests outside of Garcetti's residence. The protests continued on Saturday, for the fifth-straight day.
(Content Warning: Explicit language):
In 2013, Abdullah had a much different opinion of Garcetti, and openly supported him.
Patrisse Cullors, one of the three co-founders of the Black Lives Matter organization, is calling for Biden to adopt far-left legislation that would lead to the abolition of prisons and open borders.


theblaze--2020-11-28--NY Times taken to woodshed for claiming Iran's nuclear program is 'peaceful': 'Is this an Iranian pa

NY Times taken to woodshed for claiming Iran's nuclear program is 'peaceful': 'Is this an Iranian paper?'

NY Times taken to woodshed for claiming Iran 's nuclear program is 'peaceful ' : 'Is this an Iranian paper @ @ @ @ @ press has truly become an anti- American propaganda tool '

The New York Times was summarily blasted on Saturday after the newspaper presented Iran's nuclear program in a positive light. The Times' posturing came after the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Islamic country's top nuclear scientist.
What did the Times say?
The Times claimed that the nuclear ambitions of Iran — a state-sponsor of terrorism, according to the State Department — are for "peaceful purposes."
"Iranian officials, who have always maintained that their nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes, not weapons, expressed fury and vowed revenge over the assassination, calling it an act of terrorism and warmongering," the newspaper tweeted.
What was the response?
In response, the New York Times, the so-called "paper of record," was accused of disseminating "foreign propaganda garbage."
"Is this an Iranian paper?" conservative commentator Lisa Boothe said.
"What was once the self-styled newspaper of record is now just a well-funded left-wing blog, relentlessly hostile to America and Israel, and always ready to propagandize for their enemies," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said.
"NYT, once again, ignores U.S. intelligence agencies' warnings and props up a murderous, gay killing Regime. Their tweet should have a warning label of pushing misinformation, @Twitter," Richard Grenell responded.
"The New York Times is pure foreign propaganda garbage," Republican operative Arthur Schwartz said.
"Two weeks ago, the IAEA declared Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was over 12 times the legal limit. Also, you don't build nuclear facilities deep under mountains with 90 degree entrances meant to defeat cruise missiles when they're for peaceful purposes," GOP operative Alex Plitsas said.
"Wow. The press has truly become an anti- American propaganda tool. Not even worth using for toilet paper," another person said.
"Lmao. Much like the peaceful protests, this is just peaceful nuclear bomb research," another person mocked.
Anything else?
Notably, two top officials from the Obama administration were angered by Fakhrizadeh sudden death.
Former CIA Director John Brennan called the operation to kill Fakhrizadeh "criminal" and "highly reckless."
"This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict. Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits," he said.
Brennan added, "I do not know whether a foreign government authorized or carried out the the murder of Fakhrizadeh. Such an act of state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international law & encourage more governments to carry out lethal attacks against foreign officials."
Meanwhile, Ben Rhodes, a top Obama aide who helped craft the Iran nuclear deal, claimed Fakhrizadeh's death was meant to undermine Joe Biden's administration.
"This is an outrageous action aimed at undermining diplomacy between an incoming US administration and Iran. It's time for this ceaseless escalation to stop," Rhodes said.


theblaze--2020-11-28--Ted Cruz hits ex-CIA boss John Brennan over 'bizarre' support of Iran following killing of nuclear s

Ted Cruz hits ex-CIA boss John Brennan over 'bizarre' support of Iran following killing of nuclear scientist

Ted Cruz hits ex-CIA boss John Brennan over 'bizarre ' support of Iran following killing of nuclear scientist The Texas @ @ @ @ @ trade barbs about the Logan Act and more

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former CIA director John Brennan traded barbs regarding the killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
"This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict," Brennan wrote on Twitter. "Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits."
"I do not know whether a foreign government authorized or carried out the murder of Fakhrizadeh," Brennan continued. "Such an act of state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international law & encourage more governments to carry out lethal attacks against foreign officials."
"These assassinations are far different than strikes against terrorist leaders & operatives of groups like al-Qaida & Islamic State, which are not sovereign states," he tweeted. "As illegitimate combatants under international law, they can be targeted in order to stop deadly terrorist attacks."
Cruz reacted by saying, "It's bizarre to see a former head of the CIA consistently side with Iranian zealots who chant 'Death to America.' And reflexively condemn Israel. Does Joe Biden agree?"
Brennan, who was director of the CIA between 2013 and 2017, retorted, "It is typical for you to mischaracterize my comment."
"Your lawless attitude & simple-minded approach to serious national security matters demonstrate that you are unworthy to represent the good people of Texas," Brennan said, besmirching the senator.
Cruz then hit back, by pointing out that Brennan voted for Gus Hall, a U.S. Communist Party candidate who only secured 0.07% of the vote in 1976.
"Gosh, I touched a nerve. Facts matter," Cruz tweeted. "FACT 1: you've admitted, in 1976 you voted for the Communist candidate for President because, I guess, Jimmy Carter wasn't liberal enough for you."
Then the Texas senator took aim at the Obama administration's cozy relationship with the Iranian government.
"FACT 2: you gave $150 Bn to Ayatollah Khamenei, knowing it would be used to kill Americans," Cruz said.
The two then exchanged blows about the Logan Act, which "forbids private citizens from engaging in unauthorized correspondence with foreign governments," and nobody has been indicted on the legislation since 1852.
"@tedcruz is now misrepresenting the Logan Act. Apparently, he is a poor Senator & a bad lawyer," Brennan wrote. "A private citizen publicly criticizing what could be a state-sponsored assassination of a government official & cautioning against retaliatory killing is called freedom of speech."
"In contrast, an individual tapped to be National Security Advisor (but not yet one) in an incoming Administration who privately contacts a foreign government official & advises how to conduct relations with the U.S. could be in violation of the Logan Act," Brennan said.
"My commitment to Israel's security & my efforts to counter Iran's malign activities are well documented throughout my 33 years of national security work serving Republican & Democratic Administrations," Brennan stated, then attacked Cruz. "Aside from his tiresome rhetoric, what has Senator Cruz ever done?"
Cruz fired back, "Ok, let's apply your proffered standard: Ben Rhodes has publicly stated, 'foreign leaders are already having phone calls with Joe Biden, talking about the agenda they're going to pursue on Jan. 20.' Does that mean you think Joe Biden should be prosecuted under the Logan Act?"
"The only coherent answer is NO, neither Biden nor Gen. Flynn violated the Logan Act bc it's unconstitutional—which is why nobody has been convicted of violating it in the history of the US," Cruz contended. "But you want to use it as a partisan cudgel, a weapon to attack your political opponents."
Fakhrizadeh, who was considered the top architect of Iran's nuclear program, was gunned down in a road ambush in broad daylight on Friday. The black sedan the scientist was traveling in was riddled with bullets.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the assassination was "an act of state terror," there were "serious indications" of Israeli involvement.
On Saturday, Iran's supreme leader promised to retaliate for the killing of Fakhrizadeh. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded that Iranian officials make a pledge into "pursuing this crime and punishing its perpetrators and those who commanded it."
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani vowed that the Islamic republic "will respond in time to the assassination of Martyr Fakhrizadeh."
"Once again, the evil hands of Global Arrogance and the Zionist mercenaries were stained with the blood of an Iranian son," Rouhani added.


theblaze--2020-11-28--Pennsylvania judge rules GOP lawsuit challenging new absentee ballot law has 'likelihood to succeed'

Pennsylvania judge rules GOP lawsuit challenging new absentee ballot law has 'likelihood to succeed' ' ... this Court can state @ @ @ @ @ of success on the merits of its Pennsylvania Constitutional claim '

The Pennsylvania judge who temporarily halted the certification of election results in the Keystone State issued an opinion Friday explaining that the Republican plaintiffs in her case will likely win on the merits of their lawsuit.
What's the background?
As TheBlaze reported, Commonwealth Judge Patricia McCullough issued an injunction Wednesday after Republican lawmakers made an emergency request to stop certification of the state's election results over concerns about Act 77, a new law that allowed Pennsylvania voters to obtain an absentee ballot for the election for any reason.
From Sinclair Broadcasting Group:
The plaintiffs argue Act 77, which was signed into law in October 2019, wrongfully overrides the stipulations for absentee balloting established by the state's constitution. The Pennsylvania Constitution states absentee ballots can be cast by those who cannot go to polling locations due to a work obligation, sickness, religious holiday, or "election day duties."
As a result, the suit asks the court to prevent the certification of election tallies that include mail-in ballots resulting from the expanded rules of Act 77, and further moves to have the Pennsylvania General Assembly assign the state's electors.
What is the judge saying now?
McCullough explained in a 13-page opinion that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their lawsuit because Act 77 appears to violate the Pennsylvania state constitution.
"Petitioners appear to have established a likelihood to succeed on the merits because Petitioners have asserted the Constitution does not provide a mechanism for the legislature to allow for expansion of absentee voting without a constitutional amendment," McCullough wrote.
"Petitioners appear to have a viable claim that the mail-in ballot procedures set forth in Act 77 contravene Pa. Const. Article VII Section 14 as the plain language of that constitutional provision is at odds with the mail-in provisions of Act 77," she continued.
"Since this presents an issue of law which has already been thoroughly briefed by the parties, this Court can state that Petitioners have a likelihood of success on the merits of its Pennsylvania Constitutional claim," McCullough said.
Anything else?
According to WESA-FM, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) and Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar have appealed to the state Supreme Court to intervene. Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on the Pennsylvania high court.
Meanwhile, Ed Morrissey noted at Hot Air that the "laches" doctrine could apply in this case, thereby hurting the plaintiffs' argument, because they did not raise objections before or after Pennsylvania's June 2 primary, which used the same absentee system as the general.
"Having raised no objection before the election, the plaintiffs have participated in the alleged violation, which would impact their standing to demand relief," Morrissey explained.


theblaze--2020-11-28--Stacey Abrams coaching Hollywood elites to help Democrats win Georgia runoffs, selling pricey ticket

Stacey Abrams coaching Hollywood elites to help Democrats win Georgia runoffs, selling pricey tickets for virtual concert

Stacey Abrams coaching Hollywood elites to help Democrats win Georgia runoffs , selling pricey tickets for virtual concert A massive @ @ @ @ @ to push Democratic candidates in the Georgia Senate runoff

Democrats are pulling out all of the stops in an effort to win the critical Senate runoffs in Georgia. Failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is attempting to use the power of Hollywood to help sway voters in Georgia.
Starting on Nov. 27, Abrams will hold a weekly briefing "specifically for Hollywood agents, managers, publicists and entertainment execs for how they can best help" in Georgia's Senate runoff races, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"I believe very much in the power of celebrity to cut through the noise of politics," Abrams said while promoting her movie "All In: The Fight for Democracy" on Nov. 18. "Whether it was in Georgia or in Michigan or Wisconsin, Arizona, or Nevada — states that faced aggressive voter suppression in 2016, 2018 — it was absolutely an important moment when they heard someone they saw not as a politician, which is an easy community to be suspect of, but those that they trusted as part of the way they think about how they organize their lives. It does indeed matter."
Abrams, who lost in 2018 to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, has never conceded her campaign loss, and blames her defeat on voter suppression.
Abrams is also planning a virtual concert to raise money for her Fair Fight PAC, an initiative "dedicated to funding, training, and supporting voter protection teams in battleground states across the country." The "Rock the Runoff" virtual concert will be held on Dec. 3, and include musical acts such as John Legend, Common, Earthgang, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, and Indigo Girls. Tickets to the virtual concert range from $5 to a pricey $25,000 ticket that includes "pre-event reception with Stacey Abrams and a signed thank you note with lapel pin."
Fair Fight PAC, which was founded by Abrams in 2018 after losing the election, used celebrities in videos to raise funds for the 2020 election. Fair Fight PAC enlisted celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Steph Curry. Yara Shahidi, Issa Rae, and Keke Palmer.
In the same THR report, Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown said there's a "new South that's rising" because of film production in Georgia.
"We're trying to tell people not to write Georgia off, that Georgia is on the map," Brown told the Hollywood Reporter. "We've seen this transition — Georgia is the number one place for film productions, so this city has become more internationalized, I think one. I think it's been attractive to bringing diverse folks to the state. There's a new South that's rising with the growing presence of the film and entertainment industry."
"Many of the celebrities and Hollywood folks have been coming to us really being very transparent about not knowing what to do and asking us what they could do to help the work that's on the ground. That's been very refreshing because I've seen in other years where I felt people were doing it just to build their brand," Brown continued. "What I've been seeing is across the board, there have been people all throughout the industry that have been stepping up and I do think that that has made a difference."
Celebrities such as Kumail Nanjiani, Sophia Bush, and Jaden Smith are co-founders of Win Both Seats, an organization supporting the Democratic Senate candidates in Georgia.
Other entertainers who have donated to the Democrats' Georgia Federal Election Committee or the two Democratic Senate runoff candidates include George Clooney, Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Jason Bateman, Mandy Moore, Patricia Arquette and Bradley Whitford, according to The Hill.
The Georgia Senate runoffs take place on Jan. 5, and will pit incumbent Kelly Loeffler (R) against candidate Raphael Warnock (D), as well as incumbent David Perdue (R) versus candidate Jon Ossoff (D). If Warnock and Ossoff both win, Democrats would then notch a 50-50 tie in the Senate, and the vice president would serve as the tiebreaker.


theblaze--2020-11-28--US women's soccer team wear 'Black Lives Matter' uniforms, protest national anthem in Europe

After not playing for nearly nine months , the United States women 's soccer team protested the national anthem and made a social justice statement with `` Black Lives Matter '' uniforms prior to a game on Friday .
Ahead of their game with the Netherlands ' national team , the American women walked out of the locker room wearing jackets emblazoned with `` Black Lives Matter . ''
During the playing of the American national anthem , nearly every member of the team knelt , according to ESPN , a sign of protest against America .
`` We wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is not political , it 's a statement on human rights , '' the USWNT Twitter account said , along with a video showing the Black Lives Matter uniform jacket .
In a statement , the team said they `` love our country '' and called it `` a true honor to represent America , '' but explained that supporting Black Lives Matter is an affirmation of `` human decency . ''
Friday 's game , the first in 261 days , was also the team 's first game since racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer following George Floyd 's tragic death .
The U.S. men 's soccer team also wore social justice messages on their pregame jersey 's earlier this month , in their first outing since Floyd 's death .
The team wore anthem jackets with the words `` Be the Change '' emblazoned on the front with differing messages on the back , including , `` Black Lives Matter , '' `` Be Anti-Racist , '' and `` Unity , '' according to ESPN .
The women 's soccer team won Friday 's game by @ @ @ @ @

After not playing for nearly nine months, the United States women's soccer team protested the national anthem and made a social justice statement with "Black Lives Matter" uniforms prior to a game on Friday.
Ahead of their game with the Netherlands' national team, the American women walked out of the locker room wearing jackets emblazoned with "Black Lives Matter." During the playing of the American national anthem, nearly every member of the team knelt, according to ESPN, a sign of protest against America.
"We wear Black Lives Matter to affirm human decency. This is not political, it's a statement on human rights," the USWNT Twitter account said, along with a video showing the Black Lives Matter uniform jacket.
In a statement, the team said they "love our country" and called it "a true honor to represent America," but explained that supporting Black Lives Matter is an affirmation of "human decency."
The statement said:
We love our country, and it is a true honor to represent America. It is also our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms that our country was founded on extend to everyone.
Today, we wear Black Lives Matter to affirm human decency. We protest against racial injustice and police brutality against Black people. We protest against the racist infrastructures that do not provide equal opportunity for Black and brown people to fulfill their dreams, including playing on this team. As the United States Women's National team players, we collectively work toward a society where the American ideals are upheld, and Black lives are no longer systematically targeted.
Black Lives Matter.
Friday's game, the first in 261 days, was also the team's first game since racial unrest gripped the U.S. in the early summer following George Floyd's tragic death.
The U.S. men's soccer team also wore social justice messages on their pregame jersey's earlier this month, in their first outing since Floyd's death. The team wore anthem jackets with the words "Be the Change" emblazoned on the front with differing messages on the back, including, "Black Lives Matter," "Be Anti-Racist," and "Unity," according to ESPN.
The women's soccer team won Friday's game by a score of 2-0.


theblaze--2020-11-28--VIDEO: BBQ restaurant owner defies COVID-19 lockdown, arrested, hit with 13 charges and fines; suppo

VIDEO: BBQ restaurant owner defies COVID-19 lockdown, arrested, hit with 13 charges and fines; supporters stand with him

VIDEO : BBQ restaurant owner defies COVID-19 lockdown , arrested , hit with 13 charges and fines ; supporters stand @ @ @ @ @ for a defense fund for Adamson Barbecue has already raised a large amount of money

The owner of a barbecue restaurant in Canada remained open during the coronavirus pandemic, and defied government lockdown orders. Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamson Barbecue in Etobicoke, was arrested on Thursday and dragged away in handcuffs in front of a crowd that gathered to show support of his defiance of coronavirus restrictions.
For two days this week, Skelly served customers despite government orders to shut down operations, including a prohibition on indoor dining for at least 28 days. Early Thursday morning, police changed the locks to Adamson BBQ. Police completely surrounded the restaurant, even deploying a dozen horses to prevent Skelly and his patrons from accessing the restaurant. A crowd of lockdown protesters showed up at the restaurant to rally around Skelly.
At 1 p.m., Toronto police announced that they had arrested Skelly.
"A 33-year-old man was arrested for Attempting to Obstruct Police. He has been taken into custody. More details will follow. Officers remain in the area. We continue to ask for calm," Toronto Police wrote in a tweet.
Video shows Skelly being taken away in handcuffs as the crowd yells in anger, "Shame!" One man got into a physical altercation with the cops and was arrested for assaulting a police officer.
Skelly was charged with 13 offenses, including criminal and non-criminal charges: trespassing, intent to obstruct police, violating indoor dining rules, holding an illegal gathering, and operating a business without a license, as reported by CBC.
There were two operating without a business license charges, the fine is up to $50,000 for a corporation and up to $25,000 for an individual or officer/director, according to city spokesperson Brad Ross.
After allegedly being detained for over 30 hours, Skelly was released on $50,000 bail. Skelly claims that one of the conditions for release was that he is not permitted to use social media.
Toronto Police Supt. Dom Sinopoli justified Skelly's arrest by saying, "We have formed a baseline as to how Mr. Skelly chooses to operate. We have now cautioned him up until today that our enforcement will progress and it did."
Skelly's next court appearance will be on Jan. 4.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help pay for Skelly's legal defense with a goal of $10,000. In the two days since it was launched, the campaign has raised over $225,000.
Randy Hillier, an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, voiced his support for Skelly by stating, "I'm certain that these unlawful orders will be struck down by the courts."


theblaze--2020-11-28--Whole Foods CEO blasts socialism, explains how universities corrupt young people: 'Trickle-up povert

Whole Foods CEO blasts socialism, explains how universities corrupt young people: 'Trickle-up poverty'

'It just impoverishes everything '

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey blasted socialism during a recent interview, explaining such economic policies cause increased poverty.
During a discussion hosted by the American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday, Mackey did not mince words — he said socialism is the "path of poverty."
"They talk about 'trickle-down wealth,' but socialism is trickle-up poverty," Mackey explained. "It just impoverishes everything."
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mackey explained that capitalism, on the other hand, is the "greatest thing humanity has ever created," and blamed intellectuals in universities for corrupting young people into thinking that capitalism is bad.
"Capitalism is the greatest thing humanity's ever done. We've told a bad narrative, and we've let the enemies of business and the enemies of capitalism put out a narrative about us that's wrong, it's inaccurate — and it's doing tremendous damage to the minds of young people," Mackey said.
"The Marxists and socialists, the academic community is generally hostile to business. It always has been. This is not new," he explained.
Socialism is favored by far-left progressive politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Mackey went on to explain that not all progressivism is bad, but that socialism must be abandoned.
"We have to recognize that some of the progressive insights are important and they shouldn't go away, but we can't throw out capitalism and replace it with socialism, that will be a disaster," Mackey said, Just The News reported.
"Socialism has been tried 42 times in the last 100 years, and 42 failures, it doesn't work, it's the wrong way. We have to keep capitalism, I would argue, we need conscious capitalism," he continued.
According to Mackey, capitalism and business innovation overall is responsible for increased living conditions worldwide, has increased global literacy rates, and is even responsible for increasing life expectancy.
Business, therefore, should be evaluated "in terms of its value-creation," Mackey said.
"For its customers, and all the jobs that it creates for its employees and the residual or tangential effects that happen when it trades with suppliers, who also trade for voluntary reasons — they're benefitting and they're prospering as a result," the businessman explained.
Whole Foods, which was bought by Amazon in 2017, employs about 100,000 people, Mackey said.


theblaze--2020-11-28--American oil executives known as the 'Citgo 6' sentenced between 8 and 13 years in prison in Venezue

American oil executives known as the 'Citgo 6' sentenced between 8 and 13 years in prison in Venezuela

American oil executives known as the 'Citgo 6 ' sentenced between 8 and 13 years in prison in Venezuela The @ @ @ @ @ ago , and their anguished families are pleading for their release

A group of American oil executives known as the "Citgo 6" have been found guilty of corruption in Venezuela, three years after being arrested in the socialist nation shortly after they arrived for a purported business meeting.
They were each handed sentences of several years in prison, leaving their anguished families vowing to appeal and pleading for their return.
What are the details?
The six men are brothers Alirio Zambrano and Jose Luis Zambrano, Gustavo Cardenas, Jorge Toledo, Jose Pereira, and Tomeu Vadell, all American citizens who "are employees of Houston-based Citgo refining company, which is owned by Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA," according to the Associated Press.
"They had been lured to Venezuela in November 2017 for a business meeting and were arrested," the outlet noted.
On Thanksgiving Day, they were all found guilty of corruption and handed sentences of 8 years, 10 months in prison except for Pereira — Citgo's president at the time of his arrest — who received 13 years.
Pereira's family has written a letter to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, pleading for the release of the 63-year-old and the others, citing his serious health conditions.
Alirio Rafael Zambrano, the brother of two of the men, told the Daily Mail the men were "undeniably innocent," saying they had fallen victim to "judicial terrorism."
"We, the family, are heartbroken to be separated even further from our loved ones," he said. "We pray that the leaders of our nation step forward and continue to fight unceasingly for their freedom and human rights."
The outlet noted that "Roger Carstens, the U.S. envoy for hostage affairs, said in June all six men were 'in mortal danger', with several displaying Covid-19 symptoms."
The Daily Wire pointed to a Wall Street Journal article quoting Maduro's attempt to justify the arrest of the Citgo 6 at the time that it occurred, when he said in a speech, "These people were born in Venezuela. They're Venezuelans and they'll be tried for corruption, for being thieves and traitors against the fatherland."
What has the Trump administration done to help?
The Trump administration has called repeatedly for the release of the Citgo 6 by Caracas, but relations between the U.S. and the Maduro regime are tense at best. America has imposed strict sanctions on Venezuela and does not recognize Maduro as its president.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted Friday, "We unequivocally condemn the wrongful convictions of the Citgo 6 in Venezuela. There was no justice, no evidence, and no opportunity for defense. The use of a legal system to exert political power is yet another example of why free and fair elections are needed in Venezuela."


theblaze--2020-11-30--Dr. Birx says Americans who gathered at Thanksgiving need to assume they're infected with COVID-19,

Dr. Birx says Americans who gathered at Thanksgiving need to assume they're infected with COVID-19, get tested this week

Dr. Birx says Americans who gathered at Thanksgiving need to assume they 're infected with COVID-19 , get tested this @ @ @ @ @ have made mistakes over the Thanksgiving time period '

Dr. Deborah Birx said Americans "may have made mistakes over the Thanksgiving time period" and urged everyone who attended holiday gatherings last week to assume they are infected with COVID-19 and to get tested this week. Birx, the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, made the statements during an appearance on "Face the Nation."
"We know people may have made mistakes over the Thanksgiving time period," Birx said on Sunday. "If you're young and you gathered, you need to be tested about five to 10 days later. But you need to assume that you're infected and not go near your grandparents and aunts and others without a mask."
Birx noted, "We're really asking families to even mask indoors if they chose to gather during Thanksgiving and others went across the country or even into the next state."
Birx warned that she believes there will be massive spikes of coronavirus following Thanksgiving.
"Going into the Memorial Day weekend we had less than 25,000 a day, we had only 30,000 inpatients in the hospital and we had way less mortality, way under a thousand," Birx said. "We're entering this post-Thanksgiving surge with three, four and 10 times as much disease across the country," Birx said during the interview. "And so that's what worries us the most."
"We are deeply worried about what could happen post-Thanksgiving because the number of cases, 25,000 versus 180,000 a day, that's where- that's why we are deeply concerned," she said.
Birx said despite coronavirus cases and hospitalizations falling in the northern plains states, "we're worried that all of that will be reversed" because of Thanksgiving gatherings.
While some governors implement more stringent restrictions as the COVID-19 cases rise, Birx took aim at the freedom-embracing governors and mayors who have allowed their constituents to decide which activities they are comfortable in doing and not doing during the pandemic.
"To every American, this is the moment to protect yourself and your family," Birx stated. "So if your governor or your mayor isn't doing the policies that we know are critical — masking, physical distancing, avoiding bars, avoiding crowded indoor areas — if those restrictions don't exist in your state, you need to take it upon yourself to be restricted. You need to not go to these places. You need to protect your family now."
Birx revealed that she expects to provide a coronavirus briefing to the incoming Biden administration on Monday.
"The one thing that we will bring to the Biden administration in that discussion is to understand how they want to see the data because data isn't helpful if it's not actionable," she said. "And each group needs to see it the way it moves them to action."
Birx will continue to brief Vice President Mike Pence every day.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that if United States experiences the current rate of infection, then Americans should not hold Christmas celebrations this year.
"What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, is that we might see a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in," Fauci said during a "Meet the Press" interview on Sunday. "I don't want to frighten people, except to say it is not too late to do something about this."
Dr. Fauci cautioned that the upcoming holiday season is "a precarious situation."


theblaze--2020-11-29--Lawsuit alleges Starbucks fired Christian barista who refused to wear LGBT 'pride' shirt

' ... we are fully prepared to present our case in court '

A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks claiming that she was fired from her barista job because she refused to wear a company t-shirt that promoted LGBT "pride."
The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
What are the details?
According to the lawsuit, Betsy Fresse, a Christian from Newark, was attending a meeting in her manager's office at the Glen Ridge location in June 2019 when she noticed a box of Starbucks-branded "pride" t-shirts, NBC News reported.
Fresse proceeded to ask her manager if she would be required to wear one — which would violate her religious beliefs — and she was allegedly assured that she would not.
But several weeks later, Fresse was contacted by Starbucks' ethics and compliance department about not wanting to wear the shirt. She told the company official that doing so would compromise her religious beliefs. Then, on Aug. 22, 2019, the lawsuit alleges that Fresse was fired because "her comportment was not in compliance with Starbucks' core values."
More from NJ.com:
While court papers state that Fresse "holds no enmity toward individuals who ascribe to the LGBTQ lifestyle and/or make up the LGBTQ community, (she) believes that being made to wear a Pride T-shirt as a condition of employment would be tantamount to forced speech and inaccurately show her advocacy of a lifestyle in direct contradiction to her religious beliefs." Those beliefs, according to the lawsuit, include the idea "that marriage is defined in the Bible as between one man and one woman only, and that any sexual activity which takes place outside of this context is contrary to her understanding of Biblical teaching."
Fresse has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. The government agency, however, said in August that it could not determine whether Starbucks wrongly terminated Fresse by engaging in religious discrimination, according to NJ.com.
Fresse is seeking back pay with interest, compensation for emotional suffering, punitive damages, and payment of her attorney fees.
What did Starbucks say?
In a statement provided to the New York Post, a representative for the coffee chain said they are prepared to fight Fresse's claims in court, denying that she was required to wear the "pride" shirt.
"We are very aware of the claims by Mrs. Fresse, which are without merit and we are fully prepared to present our case in court," the spokesperson said. "Specific to our dress code, other than our green apron, no part of our dress code requires partners to wear any approved items that they have not personally selected."


theblaze--2020-11-29--Hollywood's Time's Up charities spent donations on large salaries, paid little to help victims: repo

Hollywood's Time's Up charities spent donations on large salaries, paid little to help victims: report

Hollywood 's Time 's Up charities spent donations on large salaries , paid little to help victims : report

The "Time's Up" organization, which is backed by several Hollywood actresses, spent a large amount of its donations on salaries, but relatively very little on legal costs to assist victims in court, according to public records.
The Time's Up legal defense fund was founded on Jan. 1, 2018, after receiving major donations from Hollywood A-listers. The organization was formed as a way to fight legal battles of victims of sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement.
The organization that started as a legal fund to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood, now has a mission where "every person — across race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, and income level — to be safe on the job and have equal opportunity for economic success and security."
The Time's Up Foundation and Time's Up Now Inc. raised $3,670,219 in 2018, but spent $1,407,032 on salaries and only $312,001, less than 10%, on the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund for victims of sexual harassment, according to the New York Post.
Charity Navigator, a charity watchdog group website that rates charities for effectiveness, said charities "spending less than a third of their budget on program expenses are simply not living up to their missions." Time's Up spent 38% on salaries.
Time's Up Now, the lobbying arm of the organization, spent $157,155 on conferences at the Ojai Valley Inn, a "premier Southern California luxury resort and award-winning spa." An additional $58,395 was spent on travel.
Time's Up Now spent $288,007 on advertising, and $940,328 on legal costs. Tax filings show $112,435 went to Rally, a public relations company, and $719,522 was given to "Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, a multinational law firm with a powerful lobbying arm on Capitol Hill," according to the New York Post.
Former president of the WNBA, Lisa Borders, was hired as the CEO of Time's Up in 2018, but left the organization four months later after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct. Borders was supplied with a $342,308 salary.
Time's Up Marketing Director Rachel Terrace received a salary of $ 295,000 in 2018, while Treasurer Rebecca Goldman received a salary of $ 255,327.
Members of the "Governing Board of Directors" include former senior advisor to Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett, actress-turned-Democratic activist Ashley Judd, actress and host of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Eva Longoria, CNN pundit Ana Navarro, and Jussie Smollett's sister, Jurnee Smollett.
The Time's Up organization also features a "Global Leadership Board," which includes actresses Rosanna Arquette, Jessica Chastain, Laura Dern, America Ferrera, Brie Larson, Alyssa Milano, Janelle Monáe, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Amy Schumer, Kerry Washington, and Reese Witherspoon.
Actress Rose McGowan criticized Time's Up on multiple occasions, and called the organization a "lie."
"The thing is is that, the intentions are good, but I know the people behind it," McGowan said of Time's Up during an appearance on "The View" in January 2018. "It's for CAA agents who needed good PR. And I hope that they, desperately, help these women."


theblaze--2020-11-29--Los Angeles enacts new lockdown, report says county spent millions of CARES Act funds on PR firms

Los Angeles enacts new lockdown , report says county spent millions of CARES Act funds on PR firms ' ... @ @ @ @ @ to restaurants '

Los Angeles County officials announced Friday a new lockdown that bans most public and private gatherings amid a global surge of coronavirus cases.
Reacting to the new stay-at-home order, KTTV-TV reporter Bill Melugin reminded area residents that LA officials used some of the money they received from the CARES Act, which was meant to help struggling businesses and residents, on "remarkably ineffective PR firms."
"A reminder that L.A. County is using some of the federal CARES Act money it receives, money that should be going to restaurants @lapublichealth just closed, to instead pay for portions of their remarkably ineffective PR firms, now costing $2.9 million," Melugin said.
What about the lockdown?
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that, beginning Monday Nov. 30, all public and private gatherings will be prohibited through Dec. 20. Only members of the same household will be permitted to gather together during the lockdown, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Residents are advised to stay home as much as possible and always wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when they are outside their household and around others," the health department said.
Protests and religious activities are exempt from the order.
More from the LA Times:
[The lockdown order] imposes new occupancy limits on businesses, such as personal care and retail, but does not close them. Beaches, trails and parks will remain open, but gatherings of people from more than one household at those sites are banned. The announcement came just two days after restaurants in much of L.A. County were ordered to suspend outdoor dining. That decision sparked a backlash from restaurant owners and some elected officials, who called the rules too punishing for the already struggling industry.
What about CARES Act spending?
According to KTTV, Los Angeles County recently extended agreements with two PR firms — Mercury Public Affairs and Fraser Communications — for "emergency COVID-19 communications assistance."
Part of the job the PR firms have been tasked with is "recruiting celebrity influencers" to promote COVID news on social media.
More from KTTV:
The County is now paying both firms a total of $2.9 million, a 650% increase from when the contracts were first signed seven months ago, and according to Fraser's contract, L.A. County is using federal CARES Act money to offset the cost of the contract through the end of 2020. County funds will pay for it through 2021.
Los Angeles County entered into business with the PR firms "despite the fact that the county has a fully staffed county communications team," KTTV noted.


theblaze--2020-11-29--Republican congressional challenger set to win election by 6 votes

The old adage `` Every vote counts '' was punctuated in the tightly-contested election in Iowa 's 2nd District .
Republican congressional challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks is set to win the election by a mere six votes .
In a heated race where 394,400 votes were cast , Miller-Meeks squeaked out a victory against Democrat Tina Hart by the razor-thin margin of six votes .
Miller-Meeks had been up by only 47 votes , but a recount shaved the lead to just six .
`` As more ballots have been counted , the margin has narrowed dramatically and is now down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this the closest Congressional race in recent history , and one of the very closest in the last hundred years , '' Hart 's campaign manager , Zach Meunier , said in a statement , according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen .
Meunier alleged , `` Unfortunately , as this process continues , the Miller-Meeks campaign has sought to keep legitimate votes from being counted — pushing to disqualify and limit the number of Iowans whose votes are counted . ''
A state canvassing board is scheduled to convene on Monday to certify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the legal deadline to do so .
The Hart campaign did not indicate whether it would file a legal challenge in the election .
A challenge would set in motion a review by a judicial panel .
Meunier said , `` We will closely review what the county and state boards do on Monday with an eye toward making sure all Iowa voices are fully and fairly heard . ''
Meanwhile , Miller-Meeks asserted that she won the race , which both candidates were attempting to fill the seat of Democrat Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven terms , as reported by Fox News .
`` While the race is extraordinarily close , I am proud to have won this contest and look forward to being certified as the winner by the state 's Executive Council on Monday , '' Miller-Meeks said in a statement released on Saturday .
`` It is the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and southern Iowa . ''
`` Congratulations to my friend , and the first woman to represent Iowa 's 2nd District , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you in Congress representing our Great State of Iowa , '' Sen. Joni Ernst ( R-Iowa ) wrote on Twitter on Saturday .
`` Congratulations !
@ millermeeks , '' Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) tweeted .
`` More good news for the House . ''
Miller-Meeks enlisted in the United States Army at 18-years-old , and served for 24 years as a private , nurse , and doctor .
The retired U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel was the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health , and is an ophthalmologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unseat Loebsack in 2008 , 2010 , and 2014 .

The old adage "Every vote counts" was punctuated in the tightly-contested election in Iowa's 2nd District. Republican congressional challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks is set to win the election by a mere six votes.
In a heated race where 394,400 votes were cast, Miller-Meeks squeaked out a victory against Democrat Tina Hart by the razor-thin margin of six votes. Miller-Meeks had been up by only 47 votes, but a recount shaved the lead to just six.
"As more ballots have been counted, the margin has narrowed dramatically and is now down to a mere 6 votes — making this the closest Congressional race in recent history, and one of the very closest in the last hundred years," Hart's campaign manager, Zach Meunier, said in a statement, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
Meunier alleged, "Unfortunately, as this process continues, the Miller-Meeks campaign has sought to keep legitimate votes from being counted — pushing to disqualify and limit the number of Iowans whose votes are counted."
A state canvassing board is scheduled to convene on Monday to certify the results of the election, which is the legal deadline to do so.
The Hart campaign did not indicate whether it would file a legal challenge in the election. A challenge would set in motion a review by a judicial panel.
Meunier said, "We will closely review what the county and state boards do on Monday with an eye toward making sure all Iowa voices are fully and fairly heard."
Meanwhile, Miller-Meeks asserted that she won the race, which both candidates were attempting to fill the seat of Democrat Rep. Dave Loebsack, who is retiring after seven terms, as reported by Fox News.
"While the race is extraordinarily close, I am proud to have won this contest and look forward to being certified as the winner by the state's Executive Council on Monday," Miller-Meeks said in a statement released on Saturday. "It is the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and southern Iowa."
Republicans congratulated Miller-Meeks on her apparent victory.
"Congratulations to my friend, and the first woman to represent Iowa's 2nd District, @millermeeks! Looking forward to serving alongside you in Congress representing our Great State of Iowa," Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
"Congratulations! @millermeeks," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted. "More good news for the House."
Miller-Meeks enlisted in the United States Army at 18-years-old, and served for 24 years as a private, nurse, and doctor. The retired U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel was the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and is an ophthalmologist. She was previously unsuccessful in attempting to unseat Loebsack in 2008, 2010, and 2014.


theblaze--2020-11-29--NYC pub takes defiant stand against Gov. Cuomo, declares itself 'autonomous zone' from lockdown rest

NYC pub takes defiant stand against Gov. Cuomo, declares itself 'autonomous zone' from lockdown restrictions

NYC pub takes defiant stand against Gov .
Cuomo , declares itself 'autonomous zone ' from lockdown restrictions

A Staten Island restaurant has declared itself an "autonomous zone" that is free from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's business-killing coronavirus restrictions.
Beginning Nov. 20, Mac's Public House, owned by Danny Presti and Keith McAlarney, said they would not abide by restrictions enacted by Cuomo or New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Their defiant stance came just days before new restrictions hit the area where Mac's is located, which includes a ban on indoor dining at bars and restaurants, according to the New York Post.
The declaration that Mac's is now an "autonomous zone" pays homage to the "Capital Hill Autonomous Zone," which far-left radicals established in Seattle in June.
A sign outside Mac's now reads:
!ATTENTION! We hereby declare this establishment an !!!AUTONOMOUS ZONE!!! We refuse to abide by any rules and regulations put forth by the Mayor of NYC and Governor of NY State.
For their defiance, Mac's has been "slapped with thousands of dollars in fines, a shut-down order from the state Health Department and the Friday revocation of its liquor license by the State Liquor Authority," according to the Post.
But those consequences have not deterred Mac's owners.
In a YouTube video, Presti explained the sheriff's department is issuing his restaurant $1,000 fines, but said, "at this point, we're OK with it, because we're not paying it."
To circumvent their business licenses being revoked, Presti said they are allowing patrons to eat and drink for free — while asking them for donations to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, McAlarney challenged Cuomo and "De Bozo" — a reference to de Blasio — to personally come to Mac's to revoke their licenses.
"We're not backing down. You think you scared me by...saying I don't have a license now to serve liquor now? Well guess what? That liquor license is on the wall. If that liquor license is gonna come off the wall, it's gonna be done by Cuomo. You wanna come down here and pull that license off the wall?" McAlarney said.
He continued, "Or De Bozo, you want to come down here and pull the license off the wall? Feel free to end up comin' down, and we'll end up having a conversation before you even think about stepping foot on my property. I will not back down."
Staten Island - Mac's Public House - More FINES! Original $15,000 Fine Voided, THE BATTLE HEATS UP! www.youtube.com
However, keeping the restaurant's doors opened does not mean Presti and McAlarney are being unwise. In fact, they are taking significant COVID-related precautions.
"We will still wear masks, take the same safety precautions we've had in place, maintain daily cleanings and work in a responsible manner to the best of our abilities," the owners told the Staten Island Advance.
But, Presti explained, "What we will not be doing is living in fear. By fear, we mean the constant threat of our local city and state governments sending agencies in to check up, fine and threaten to shut us down. Every day small businesses are living in fear, not just of this virus, but that our governments will take our livelihoods away, even as we're being safe."