theblaze--2020-12-20--Zoom executive exposed as Chinese Communist spy who sabotaged anti-China video conferences with chil

Zoom executive exposed as Chinese Communist spy who sabotaged anti-China video conferences with child porn and terrorism: DOJ

Zoom executive exposed as Chinese Communist spy who sabotaged anti-China video conferences with child porn and terrorism : DOJ The @ @ @ @ @ child porn and terrorism to frame Zoom users

A former executive at Zoom, who shut down video conferences that were not flattering to China, was exposed as a spy for the Chinese Communist Party, according to the Department of Justice.
Xinjiang Jin, aka Julien Jin, was an employee of the American video conferencing company. The 39-year-old, who was based in China's Zhejiang Province, worked as a "security technical leader" for tech company headquartered in San Jose, California. Jin served as a liaison between Zoom and the Chinese government after Beijing blocked the company's service in China in September 2019.
Jin provided the Chinese Communist Party with information about users and meetings, even supplying the CCP with IP addresses from anyone who held anti-China sentiments, say federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York.
According to the complaint filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Jin reportedly participated in a plot to disrupt a series of meetings in May and June that commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre, where at least 280 pro-democracy demonstrators were shot dead.
In the CCP's bidding, it is reported that at least four video meetings commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre were infiltrated and terminated. Jin and his co-conspirators reportedly contrived false accusations, including child porn and terrorism, against Zoom users in the United States.
Jin's co-conspirators created fake email accounts and Company-1 accounts in the names of others, including PRC political dissidents, to fabricate evidence that the hosts of and participants in the meetings to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre were supporting terrorist organizations, inciting violence or distributing child pornography. The fabricated evidence falsely asserted that the meetings included discussions of child abuse or exploitation, terrorism, racism or incitements to violence, and sometimes included screenshots of the purported participants' user profiles featuring, for example, a masked person holding a flag resembling that of the Islamic State terrorist group. Jin used the complaints as evidence to persuade Company-1 executives based in the United States to terminate meetings and suspend or terminate the user accounts of the meeting hosts.
In June, Zoom admitted that they suspended a U.S.-based user who had hosted an event commemorating the anniversary of 1989's Tiananmen Square Massacre. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned the company's close ties with China.
"The allegations in the complaint lay bare the Faustian bargain that the PRC government demands of U.S. technology companies doing business within the PRC's borders, and the insider threat that those companies face from their own employees in the PRC," acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said in a statement. "As alleged, Jin worked closely with the PRC government and members of PRC intelligence services to help the PRC government silence the political and religious speech of users of the platform of a U.S. technology company. Jin willingly committed crimes, and sought to mislead others at the company, to help PRC authorities censor and punish U.S. users' core political speech merely for exercising their rights to free expression."
Zoom is not directly identified in the DOJ document, but the teleconferencing company released a statement addressing the situation. Zoom said they were "fully cooperating" with the Department of Justice, terminated the "China-based former employee charged in this matter," and "placed other employees on administrative leave pending the completion of our investigation."
Last week, there was a massive database leak of nearly 2 million registered Chinese Communist Party members. The breach provided an "unprecedented view" into how China could infiltrate western businesses and companies.


theblaze--2020-12-20--CDC issues new guidance on COVID vaccine after numerous allergic reactions in multiple states

CDC issues new guidance on COVID vaccine after numerous allergic reactions in multiple states One Chicago-area hospital even temporarily stopped @ @ @ @ @

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued undated guidance on Saturday about the coronavirus vaccine after multiple allergic reactions happened in individuals who had just received the vaccine.
What is the CDC now saying?
The government agency now says that Americans who have a history of allergic reactions to any of the ingredients present in the vaccine should not be inoculated.
The guidance reads:
If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor will help you decide if it is safe for you to get vaccinated.
However, the CDC said that people with a general history of allergies may still be vaccinated.
"CDC recommends that people with a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications—such as allergies to food, pet, venom, environmental, or latex—may still get vaccinated. People with a history of allergies to oral medications or a family history of severe allergic reactions, or who might have an milder allergy to vaccines (no anaphylaxis)—may also still get vaccinated," the CDC explained. "If you have a severe allergic reaction after getting the first shot, you should not get the second shot."
The CDC further said that individuals with a history of "severe allergic reactions" will be monitored for 30 minutes after receiving the vaccine.
What is the background?
The development comes after the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating at least five allergic reactions to the vaccine across multiple states.
At least two of those reactions happened at the same hospital in Juneau, Alaska, requiring one person to be hospitalized.
Meanwhile, a hospital north of Chicago temporarily halted vaccine administration after four staff members had allergic reactions upon inoculation. That hospital will resume vaccine administration on Sunday.
Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a press conference that experts were not sure what had caused the allergic reactions, but identified polyethylene glycol as the potential "culprit."
The ingredient is present in both Pfizer's vaccine and Moderna's vaccine.


theblaze--2020-12-21--These are the definitive recordings of 35 favorite Christmas carols: Don't argue, just listen

These are the definitive recordings of 35 favorite Christmas carols : Do n't argue , just listen Photo credits , @ @ @ @ @ NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images ; Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images @ @ @ @ @ Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images ; Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images ; George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty @ @ @ @

Because nobody doesn't love a list and everybody is an expert nowadays, I've compiled a list of the definitive recordings of 35 of the most loved classic Christmas carols.
Don't agree? That's OK — you're allowed to be wrong. (Spoiler alert: There are zero Josh Groban or Pentatonix songs on this list. If you find that upsetting, this probably isn't the list for you anyway. Just click on something else.)
Merry Christmas! And happy listening:
#1: SILENT NIGHT — Dean Martin This one was a gimme — that way we don't start out the list fighting.
***
#2: HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS — Ella Fitzgerald Yes, I know, I know, Judy did it first for "Meet Me in St. Louis"; however, that does not make it the best. If you think Garland's rendition is better than Ella's, you're probably also a Liza Minnelli fan.
***
#3: JOY TO THE WORLD — Whitney Houston Now, a lot of people will tell you that Mariah Carey has cornered the market on this old hymn, but that's only because she was hitched to Sony's Tommy Mottola when she cut the holiday album that features the song. If Whitney were still around today and able to get the press Mariah does, I'm pretty sure everybody would be saying "Mariah who?" when it was time to drop the needle on "Joy to the World."
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#4: IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR — Andy Williams If you fight me on this one, we can't be friends.
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#5: THE CHRISTMAS SONG — Nat King Cole C'mon. Mel Torme wrote the song (with Bob Wells) and gave it to Cole to sing, knowing he was the guy to make this song unforgettable. Other people can roast their chestnuts all they want — many have done it well — but Cole's take will never be topped. Ever.
***
#6: HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING — Amy Grant Truthfully, Jewel's arrangement of "Hark!" is superior, but the problem is ... Jewel, the woman who sings like she has marbles in her mouth and can't decide if she's going to do an adult voice or a little girl voice. Advantage: Grant.
***
#7: ADESTE FIDELES — Celine Dion No one really knows who wrote "O Come, All Ye Faithful," but anyone with any sense knows who did best. (Though I have to give a nod to David Osmond's strong performance on Glenn Beck's "Believe Again" album.)
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#8: WHITE CHRISTMAS — Bing Crosby There's a reason this Crosby record is the best-selling single in the world — not just in the holiday genre, but best-selling single of all time. Nothing has ever topped it, and it's likely nothing ever will.
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#9: RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER — Gene Autry Yes, Burl Ives was the narrator for the TV special. Yes, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling from Ives' record. No, it's isn't the best version. That belongs to The Singing Cowboy.
***
#10: IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS — Johnny Mathis Crosby and Como both killed it when they recorded this song, but the Mathis version has the edge — not just in quality but also culturally with its inclusion in "Home Alone 2," which gave it a massive surge in popularity.
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#11: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS — Perry Como Is there really any question? No. No there isn't.
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#12: JINGLE BELLS — Frank Sinatra Don't question this one either: Frank knows people who know how to hurt people. (Well, at least, he used to.)
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#13: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN — Jackson 5 The Boss would say different. But you and I know the truth.
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#14: ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH — Mormon Tabernacle Choir The "Gloria, in excelsis Deo" chorus requires a powerful choir. Good luck finding a choir more powerful than the one the LDS folks put together.
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#15: FROSTY THE SNOWMAN — Jimmy Durante The Ronettes produced a very good version and it gets way more airplay, which is a shame: Durante's recording is a musical number Rankin & Bass actually got right.
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#16: A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS — Burl Ives This is Ives' song. No one else should even try to sing it.
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#17: WINTER WONDERLAND — Perry Como Admit it, you were expecting me to say Darline Love here. It's OK. It's a normal and fairly logical guess. But it also happens to be incorrect. Not only did Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass cut a version that was better (though wordless), both of Perry Como's versions (here and here) are objectively better. Here is the track from his 1946 album "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music."
***
#18: LET IT SNOW! LET IS SNOW! LET IT SNOW! — Lena Horne Lots of artists have made great "Let It Snow!" records (including Harry Connick Jr., who deserves a mention). But none of them ever reached the smoothness — and, frankly, sexiness — of Lena Horne's.
***
#19: THE FIRST NOEL — Third Day It's a more modern version of an old hymn with some cool rhythm. It's also the best version ever recorded.
***
#20: SILVER BELLS — Elvis Presley After The King walked out of the studio the day he laid this down, there was no reason for anyone to ever bother trying to do it better.
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#21: SLEIGH RIDE — Ella Fitzgerald You want me to say Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra. Not gonna happen. Lady Ella owns this — and always will.
***
#22: DECK THE HALLS — Ashley Hess Ashley Hess is not likely a name you recognize at first. But if you're a Glenn Beck fan, you'll remember this after a quick listen. And then you'll agree.
***
#23: GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN — Barenaked Ladies Here's one that had me going back and forth for hours. Everything Nat King Cole touched was superb, so I could easily put his recording here and be done with it. But ... the Barenaked Ladies put a spin on this classic that has just the edge needed to bump it ahead of Cole.
***
#24: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS — John Denver & The Muppets The LP of this 1979 Christmas special (which has never been released on home video) is full of great music. The most notable is the Muppet Gang's clever rundown of the many gifts the writer's obnoxious "true love" gave him. Bah-dum-bum-bum.
***
#25: ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY — Julie Andrews If you like Andrews' style, you'll absolutely love all of her Christmas songs. Her best Christmas record happens to also be the best version of that song.
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#26: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? — Perry Como I know he's already got a couple wins on this list, but I've got to give Como this one, too, with Andy Williams coming in a close second.
***
#27: IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR — MercyMe Another modern take on a hymn. On first listen, you'll disagree with me on its ranking. But then you'll listen again and again and be forced to admit that, well, the fat Blaze editor was right once more.
***
#28: LITTLE DRUMMER BOY — Bing Crosby & David Bowie It's a beautiful song — it's also the strangest Christmas song. Crosby and Bowie's awkward video didn't help make it less weird. But you can't argue with the talent they brought to the studio when it was time to record.
***
#29: WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS — Alvin and the Chipmunks Every Christmas music list is required to include Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's scriptural.
***
#30: ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE — Leann Rimes "Brenda Lee!" you're shouting as you read this. "You're nuts!" I'm shouting back. Lee's famous record doesn't have 1 percent of the feel (or talent, for that matter) that Rimes' does.
***
#31: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM — Andy Williams I was torn on this one — all the way up until it was time to post this. My brain tells me to go with Mahalia Jackson's soulful version. But my heart says this is another song that The King of Christmas just nailed.
***
#32: WHAT CHILD IS THIS? — Vince Guaraldi Trio Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas" album is arguably the best complete holiday album ever produced. No one has ever made "Greensleeves" sound better.
***
#33: GOOD KING WENCESLAS — Ames Brothers Though a lot of folks will say The Velvet Fog's jazzy turn on this tale of a ruler who looked out for others should be tops, I've got a soft spot in my heart for the Ames Brothers' record. The majesty of the music sets the tone for understanding the lesson we can learn from Wenceslas.
***
#34: O HOLY NIGHT — David Phelps Here's another hymn that could have gone to a couple artists. Critics have rightfully celebrated Celine Dion for her rendition, but David Phelps really brought it home. (Plus, Celine is Canadian, so the thought of giving her more than one song on this list was nauseating.)
***
#35: MY FAVORITE THINGS — Tony Bennett No one has ever explained to me how this became a Christmas song. Julie Andrews really made it famous on "The Sound of Music," and since then, scads of very notable vocalists have covered it for Christmas — no one better than Bennett. (Barbra Streisand can get bent.)
This post originally ran Dec. 25, 2019.


theblaze--2020-12-22--'There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy': Statue of Confederate Gen. Robert

'There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy': Statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee removed from U.S. Capitol

'There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy ' : Statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee @ @ @ @ @ 's statue will be replaced by civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns

The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from the U.S. Capitol building over the weekend, by request of the governor of Lee's home state of Virginia.
What are the details?
"Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol," Gov. Ralph Northam (D) tweeted Monday, saying, "This is an important step forward—it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion."
The statue of Lee will be replaced by civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns, who led a 1951 student walkout at her all-black high school at the age of 16 to protest conditions of the institution compared to those at a nearby all-white school. She is credited with playing a critical role in the desegregation of America.
Northam said in a statement:
"We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country. The Confederacy is a symbol of Virginia's racist and divisive history, and it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion. I look forward to seeing a trailblazing young woman of color represent Virginia in the U.S. Capitol, where visitors will learn about Barbara Johns' contributions to America and be empowered to create positive change in their communities just like she did."
Fellow Virginian Sen. Tim Kaine (D) took footage of the Lee statue being removed:
According to NBC News, "For 111 years, the statue stood alongside that of the nation's first president, George Washington, as the state of Virginia's contribution to the National Statuary Hall. Each state is allowed two statues in the collection."
A news release from Northam's office noted that the statue of Lee "had been one among 13 located in the Crypt of the Capitol, representing the 13 original colonies." The Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, Virginia, will now take ownership of the statue, according to the release.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) hailed the decision, saying in a statement, "The removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee and its forthcoming replacement by a tribute to Barbara Johns, a civil rights pioneer and pride of Virginia, is welcome news. The halls of Congress are the very heart of our Democracy, and the statues within the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans."
She added, "The Congress will continue our work to rid the Capitol of homages to hate, as we fight to end the scourge of racism in our country. There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy in the Capitol or any other place of honor in our country."
Not everyone agreed with the decision. Republican state Sen.-elect Wendy Rogers from Arizona tweeted in reaction, "Robert E Lee was a great patriot and a great leader. They are not just tearing him down. They are coming after all of us. Get involved now. You could be next."
She argued later that Lee "fought a war to defend the Commonwealth of Virginia which is where his family lived. Upon surrendering, he did more than anyone to heal the divide between the North and the South. Very ignorant liberals simply create straw men and red herrings."
The Daily Wire's Matt Walsh also defended the legacy of Lee, tweeting that the general "was a far better and more impressive man than all of the people pulling his statues down."


theblaze--2020-12-22--Rep. Tulsi Gabbard passes on COVID-19 vaccine, says elderly Americans should take priority

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard passes on COVID-19 vaccine , says elderly Americans should take priority Democratic congresswoman rips 'CDC bureaucrats ' @ @ @ @ @ of elderly Americans do n't count '

Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) has decided to hold off on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine currently being administered to many of her fellow members in Congress, instead vowing to refuse it until elderly Americans are able to receive the shot.
The 39-year-old former Democratic presidential candidate — known for often defying her party — also ripped the Centers for Disease Control for prioritizing healthy "essential workers" over the more vulnerable older population.
What are the details?
"Heartless, arrogant, unelected CDC bureaucrats have decided that the lives of elderly Americans don't count," Gabbard tweeted Monday. "They're recommending 100 million 'essential workers' (i.e. healthy people working at liquor stores or phone companies) can get the vaccine before our grandparents."
"This is immoral and bad health policy," she said, declaring, "I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can. I urge my colleagues who are under 65 and healthy to join me."
The Hill reported that "Gabbard's tweet conflated essential workers — those who were allowed to continue reporting to work during stay-at-home orders — with first responders. The CDC put first responders alongside 'high-risk health workers' for early access to the vaccine."
In recent days, many leaders in Washington, D.C., have received the newly approved vaccines as part of a "continuity of governance" plan, the New York Post reported. Several members of Congress, the Trump administration, and President-elect Joe Biden have taken the shots in public in an effort to build public confidence in the shots.
What else?
But Gabbard is not alone in her views that members of Congress should not be among the first in line. Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz replied on Twitter, "I'm with you Tulsi!"
The youngest member of Congress, 31-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), received her jab over the weekend and publicized it on social media, while one of the far-left representative's closest allies, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) — whose father died from COVID-19 — condemned the decision for D.C. politicians to receive the shots ahead of other Americans.
Omar tweeted that it would "make sense" if the vaccine was administered prioritizing people by age, but that "unfortunately it's of importance and its (sic) shameful."
"We are not more important then (sic) frontline workers, teachers etc. who are making sacrifices everyday," she continued. "Which is why I won't take it. People who need it most, should get it. Full stop."


theblaze--2020-12-21--UPDATE: Rudy Giuliani on election investigation and Georgia Senate vote

Rudy Giuliani , the former mayor of New York City and personal lawyer for President Trump , joined the Glenn @ @ @ @ @ important updates on his continuing investigation into the presidential election and to discuss the Georgia @ @ @ @ @ from Glenn Beck ?
To enjoy more of Glenn 's masterful storytelling , thought-provoking analysis @ @ @ @ @ sense of the chaos , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and live the American dream .

Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and personal lawyer for President Trump, joined the Glenn Beck Radio Program with some important updates on his continuing investigation into the presidential election and to discuss the Georgia Senate runoffs.
Watch the video below:
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-21--Oregon State Police declare unlawful assembly as anti-lockdown protesters storm Capitol building, tr

Oregon State Police declare unlawful assembly as anti-lockdown protesters storm Capitol building, try to disrupt special session

Oregon State Police declare unlawful assembly as anti-lockdown protesters storm Capitol building , try to disrupt special session Demonstrators chanted @ @ @ @ @ they broke doors to the building ; legislators met to vote on coronavirus-related bills

Oregon State Police declared an anti-lockdown protest at the Capitol in Salem to be an unlawful assembly on Monday, after demonstrators stormed the building as lawmakers met for a special legislative session.
Protesters broke doors and some pushed their way into the locked building, leading to arrests.
What are the details?
Fox News reported that the "Reopen Oregon" protest occurred during a single-day session where legislators met to vote on coronavirus-related measures after Gov. Kate Brown (D) issued an extension of Oregon's state of emergency from Jan. 2 to March 3.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting:
The Oregon State Police declared an unlawful assembly as a growing number of protesters pushed their way through the Capitol doors chanting, "let us in" and "arrest Kate Brown." Police officers donned gas masks as they squared off with protesters, some of whom carried firearms and bear spray, and many of whom were not wearing masks. Among the protesters were members of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in Vancouver, Washington, that attracts white supremacists and has engaged in violence.
Footage taken by OPB shows protesters breaking a pair of glass doors to the Capitol in an apparent attempt to enter.
Some demonstrators were able to make their way inside.
The San Francisco Gate reported that according to police:
While entering the building, protestors used chemical agents and bear spray against officers. At least two people were arrested after a smaller group of protestors were successful in entering a portion of the Capitol building. Outside protesters banged their fists against the doors chanting, "Let us in."
KGW-TV reported that the bills set for consideration during the special session included "a proposed eviction moratorium that includes $200 million in relief for landlords and tenants, a restaurant relief package that includes a provision legalizing cocktails to-go, a bill that would protect schools from some coronavirus-related lawsuits and a measure that would transfer $600 million in to the state's emergency fund for COVID-19 and wildfire-response and recovery."


theblaze--2020-12-21--Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. launches pro-America film company to make movies that 'support our country'

Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. launches pro-America film company to make movies that 'support our country '

Antonio Sabato Jr. — an American actor who was blacklisted by Hollywood over his support for President Trump — is teaming up with other conservative entertainment figures to launch a pro-America film studio and make movies that "support our country."
In an interview with "The Kyle Olson Show" on Saturday, the 48-year-old actor detailed the launch of ConFlix Studios, saying that conservatives in America have been "eagerly waiting" for entertainment that celebrates the country, rather than denigrates it.
"We are patriots who want to keep going and support our country, support our law enforcement, support the history of our country, the Constitution, the flag, our soldiers, and so much more," he said.
Sabato Jr., who is known for his roles in "Melrose Place," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "General Hospital," lamented that the entertainment world has "moved away from supporting our country in so many ways," but that this movement has created a void that his studio hopes to fill.
He wants to produce films that "support our country, support our God, support our flag," he stated.
Antonio Sabato, Jr. Talks New Conservative Film Studio on The Kyle Olson Show youtu.be
The film studio, which Sabato Jr. has been working hard to launch since earlier this year, already has its first script. The forthcoming project, "Trailblazers," is set to feature a host of well-known conservative stars, including Scott Baio, Dean Cain, Kevin Sorbo, and Stacey Dash.
According to IMDB, "Trailblazers" will tell the story of "a band of siblings who were once robbers, thieves and killers of the west, decide to fulfill their father's dying wish of abandoning their life of crime and pursuing the path of the holy."
During his interview, Sabato Jr., an evangelical Christian, also said the film is "a Western where God is the protagonist of the story" that portrays "a great family fighting for what is right."
Sabato Jr. worked as a successful actor for more than 30 years before his support for Trump resulted in the death of his career. In March, the actor detailed how he had to sell his possessions, relocate, and find new work in order to provide for his family after being blacklisted by Hollywood elites.
"It's been terrible. It's mind-blowing. It's a disgrace," he told Variety in a phone interview. "It's tough, because if you're in that environment in Hollywood and you have something to say that they don't like, they're going to let you know."


theblaze--2020-12-21--Nancy Pelosi claims 'faith-oriented' members of Congress told her they 'don't believe in science' as

Nancy Pelosi claims 'faith-oriented' members of Congress told her they 'don't believe in science' as she rewrites history of Trump's COVID response

Nancy Pelosi claims 'faith-oriented ' members of Congress told her they 'do n't believe in science ' as she rewrites @ @ @ @ @ response 'We could n't pass legislation until now because the administration simply did not believe @ @ @ @ @ treatment , wearing masks , sanitation , separation and the rest . '

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday claimed that some "faith-oriented" members of Congress have told her that because of their faith, they "don't believe in science."
In a speech on the House floor in support of the $900 billion coronavirus stimulus bill Congress is expected to pass, the California Democrat accused the Trump administration of pursuing a "herd immunity" strategy to combat COVID-19, which she described as "quackery," and suggested that some government officials and members of Congress were anti-science because of their faith.
"We couldn't pass legislation until now because the administration simply did not believe in testing, tracing, treatment, wearing masks, sanitation, separation, and the rest," Pelosi asserted.
"It has become clear to us now that they believed in herd immunity, quackery, springing right from the Oval Office and not denied sufficiently by some of the CDC and the rest," she said. "So, now we have a vaccine and that gives us hope. A vaccine that springs from science."
"People say around here sometimes, 'I'm faith-oriented so I don't believe in science' and I said, 'Well you can do both. Science is an answer to our prayers and our prayers have been answered with a vaccine,'" she continued.
She went on to say the stimulus legislation advanced by Congress will ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed "fair, and equitable, and free."
Reporting for National Review, Brittany Bernstein observed that Pelosi appeared to refer to a recent Politico report about July emails in which a Trump administration official within the Department of Health and Human Services advocated for a herd immunity strategy to end the coronavirus pandemic.
"There is no other way, we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD," former science adviser Paul Alexander wrote to HHS Assistant Secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo and six other officials in a July 4 email.
"Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk ... so we use them to develop herd ... we want them infected," Alexander added.
Despite Pelosi's assertions, there is no evidence to suggest that the Trump administration followed through with a herd-immunity strategy. Politico's report noted that HHS Secretary Alex Azar testified in October that "herd immunity is not the strategy of the U.S. government with regard to coronavirus."
The administration has supported testing and contact tracing, accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment through Operation Warp Speed, and consistently encouraged mask wearing and proper social distancing through CDC guidelines.
President Donald Trump has also for months called on Congress to pass additional stimulus and coronavirus relief as Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were unable to come to a bipartisan agreement before the U.S. presidential election. In October, Trump offered to sign a stand-alone bill for $1,200 stimulus checks for every American, which Pelosi neglected to act upon.
In fact, Pelosi entirely dismissed the possibility of passing a stimulus bill that fell short of Democratic demands for a roughly $2.2 trillion spending package, even rejecting a compromise supported by 100 Democrats in August.
Now that the election is over and Joe Biden is president-elect, Pelosi is proclaiming victory for securing $900 billion in coronavirus relief Congress will pass as part of a 5,593-page $1.4 trillion spending bill no lawmakers have had time to read.
Axios reported the text of the omnibus spending bill when it was released Friday. The bill includes:


theblaze--2020-12-21--Sen. Cruz blocks Hong Kong refugee bill, blasts Democrats for being soft on Chinese Communist Party

Sen. Cruz blocks Hong Kong refugee bill , blasts Democrats for being soft on Chinese Communist Party Accused Democrats of @ @ @ @ @ to undermine US immigration law

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) lambasted his Democratic colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor Friday, denouncing their support for a bill to give refugees from Hong Kong temporary protected status as a cynical ploy to undermine U.S. immigration law.
On Dec. 7, 2020, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed "The Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act," a bill that designates Hong Kong as a TPS-designated country for 18 months; increases the number of immigrant visas the U.S. will permit from Hong Kong; and permits individuals who had a "significant role in an organization that supported the 2019 or 2020 protests related to China's encroachment into Hong Kong's autonomy or the Hong Kong National Security Law enacted in 2020" or "was arrested, charged, detained, or convicted for participating in the nonviolent exercise of certain rights" to establish that they have a "well-founded fear of persecution" that can be used to seek refugee status to the United States.
On Friday, Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.) asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill in the Senate, but Cruz objected, blocking the bill.
In his speech on the Senate floor, Cruz accused Democrats of exploiting the crisis in Hong Kong to make changes to U.S. immigration law.
"This is not a Hong Kong bill. It is instead a Democratic messaging bill, because House Democrats made, I think, a cynical decision to try to exploit the crisis in Hong Kong to advance their long standing goals [of] changing our immigration laws," Cruz noted.
He accused the bill of posing a national security risk by giving the Chinese Communist Party an opportunity to send spies to the United States.
"This bill [...] would dramatically lower the standards for both refugee and asylum status to the point where individuals would qualify even if they cannot establish an individualized and credible fear of persecution," Cruz asserted. "There is particular risk when doing so [because] we know [it] would be used by the Chinese communists to send even more Chinese spies into the United States.
"Last I checked, when the Chinese communist government sends spies into our country, they're quite willing to concoct a bogus background portfolio of materials," he said.
Citing recent reports that U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) became romantically entangled with an alleged Chinese spy and that Swalwell was one of several U.S. politicians to be targeted by this spy, Cruz demanded that Congress aggressively confront the CCP.
"We just recently had news of Chinese spies targeting members of Congress, targeting prominent Democrats. This is an espionage threat America faces of our adversaries taking advantage of our laws and targeting our leadership," Cruz said. "The truth also is that China has confiscated passports and I'm told, stopped issuing exit visas to persons deemed problematic. As a result, China is highly unlikely to let actual dissidents leave Hong Kong.
"We urgently need to have a real substantive bipartisan conversation about countering the Chinese Communist Party, about defending the United States of America, about standing up and winning this battle. This bill doesn't advance that objective," Cruz proclaimed.
The Texas senator offered two of his own pieces of legislation for the Senate to consider as alternatives to confront the Chinese Communist Party. His first bill, the SCRIPT Act, would target Hollywood studios that censor films for screening in China on behalf of the communist government. Cruz accused Hollywood of being "complicit" in China's censorship and propaganda, citing several examples of films that were edited to remove material deemed objectionable by CCP authorities.
"The only reason the SCRIPT Act isn't passing is because the Senate Democrats are objecting," Cruz charged. "It should not be lost on anybody that the Hollywood billionaires who are enriching themselves with this Chinese propaganda are among the biggest political donors to today's Democratic Party."
The second bill Cruz put forward is the SHAME Act, legislation that would sanction CCP officials for the atrocities committed against Uighur Muslims, including forced sterilizations and abortions.
"The SHAME Act focuses in particular on human rights atrocities. It focuses on over a million Uyghurs in concentration camps and other religious minorities [like] the Falun Gong practitioners, who are captured and murdered and whose organs are harvested," Cruz said, describing his legislation.
"My Democratic colleagues like to say on the question of abortion, they are pro-choice. Well, the Chinese government right now is engaging in forced sterilizations and forced abortions — taking Uyghur mothers and forcing them to abort their children against their wills. Whatever the Democrats' views on abortion in the United States is a matter of a woman's choice, surely, they must be united in saying a government forcing a woman to abort her child, to take the life of her unborn child, is an unspeakable atrocity," he continued.
"The SHAME Act does something very simple — it imposes sanctions on the Chinese Communist government leaders responsible for implementing this horrific '1984' style policy of forced sterilizations and forced abortions."
Some advocates in support of the Democratic bill blocked by Cruz were furious with the senator.
"I'm enraged," Jeffrey Ngo, a Georgetown University Ph.D. student and an activist, told the South China Morning Post. "[Cruz's] actions today have single-handedly endangered the safety and security of me and others just like me – Hong Kong protesters currently in the U.S.
"I cannot agree [with] his dismissal of the positive impact that this bill can have to the lives of real people," Ngo added. "And not just the lives of real people, but the people who he purports to support."
Others took more diplomatic tones in their criticism.
"We want to tell Senator Cruz that one needs not to pick between preventing [Chinese Communist Party] censorship on the screen or saving brave activists from life in prison," said Samuel Chu, founding head of the U.S.-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, in a statement. "Refusing to send Hongkongers back to become political prisoners and calling out atrocities in Xinjiang are not mutually exclusive. Fighting against the [Chinese Communist Party] and standing with Hong Kong requires every tool at our disposal."


theblaze--2020-12-21--VOTE: Funniest On-Air Interaction Video of 2020

Vote now for your favorite Funniest On-Air Interaction Video of 2020 .
Here are the four nominees ... To enjoy @ @ @ @ @ 's all-star lineup , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who @ @ @ @ @ Constitution and live the American dream .

Vote now for your favorite Funniest On-Air Interaction Video of 2020. Here are the four nominees ...
Watch: Kamala Harris’ ‘UNSETTLING LAUGH’ when pressed on radical, socialist views
WAP: Dave Rubin's Reaction After 1st Reading WAP Lyrics | Michael Knowles
Bigfoot Eyewitness Tells His Story
Crowder Cry-Laughs While RIPPING INTO Steven Seagal

The Funniest On-Air Interaction Is...

1. Watch: Kamala Harris' 'UNSETTLING LAUGH' when pressed on radical, socialist views

2. WAP: Dave Rubin's Reaction After 1st Reading WAP Lyrics | Michael Knowles

3. Bigfoot Eyewitness Tells His Story

4. Crowder Cry-Laughs While RIPPING INTO Steven Seagal

Vote in every category!
Best Quarantine Hot Take
Best Parody
Best Impression
Best Rebuttal
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theblaze--2020-12-21--Leftist actor George Takei hopes GOP Sen. Marco Rubio gets allergic reaction from COVID-19 vaccine —

Leftist actor George Takei hopes GOP Sen. Marco Rubio gets allergic reaction from COVID-19 vaccine — and backlash hits quickly @ @ @ @ @ getting vaccine early , even though Congress ' attending physician urged members to do so

Far-left actor George Takei — known the world over for his iconic role as Mr. Sulu on the "Star Trek" TV series — said he hopes Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio gets an allergic reaction from his recent COVID-19 vaccine.
"There are very, very few instances of known allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine, but Marco Rubio has always thought of himself as one in a million so there's still hope," Takei tweeted Sunday.
How did folks respond?
As you might guess, Takei — a major left-wing social media force nowadays — has plenty of fans who concurred with his brutal tweet about Rubio. But not everybody felt similarly.
"This is psychotic," editor Bethany S. Mandel commented. "We want everyone to take this vaccine and be in good health, especially those who are setting the right example by getting it. That includes @marcorubio. Seriously, seek help because this is not a normal reaction to seeing someone get a vaccine."
Others agreed:
"Sir, with respect, you are better than this," one commenter replied.
"Disgusting! Your hate has made you a very ugly and disgusting human being," another user noted.
"Is asshole on your resume?" another user asked.
"Man, you people are terrible at the whole unity and healing stuff," yet another commenter wrote.
"That's vile, George. Be ashamed," another user declared.
Takei was taken to task in 2017 for claiming that then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) received justice at the hands of the universe when he was shot and bashed earlier that year for likening President Donald Trump to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Here's Takei in his better days as Mr. Sulu on the "Star Trek" TV series:
Star Trek - A Pattern youtu.be
Anything else?
Rubio along with fellow GOP U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) were criticized by opponents in the media and in Hollywood for getting the vaccine early — despite Brian Monahan, Congress' attending physician, having urged members to make vaccination appointments, Politico reported. The outlet added that next in line will be "continuity-essential staff members" — likely campus police officers and other essential workers who keep the Capitol running amid the pandemic.
That didn't stop Ana Navarro-Cardenas from expressing her disdain:
With that, Ryan Saavedra of the Daily Wire appeared to hit back at Navarro-Cardenas — and with some sarcastic gusto:
What's good for the goose, as they say.


theblaze--2020-12-21--'Progressive Sounds of the Season' parody commercial from PragerU's Will Witt is tickling more than

'Progressive Sounds of the Season' parody commercial from PragerU's Will Witt is tickling more than a few funny bones

'Progressive Sounds of the Season ' parody commercial from PragerU 's Will Witt is tickling more than a few funny @ @ @ @ @ your wokest friends and family this 2020 holiday season , ' the video description reads @ @ @ @ @ '

We at TheBlaze couldn't be happier to pass along to our readers some holiday musical cheer from our friends at PragerU: "Progressive Sounds of the Season."
No, it's not an actual musical compilation in the spirit of K-Tel — but it should be.
If only...
Instead, it's a parody video ad for a fictional album, and in the clip Will Witt describes — and unfortunately sings to — holiday tunes with altered lyrics that are sure to please that special woke activist in your life.
"Many of the classic songs we grew up with are just out of date for our time," Witt tells us, tongue firmly in cheek. "Filled with atrocious things like acknowledging differences in genders, celebrating the nuclear family, and appreciating differences in history. Just like wishing people a 'Merry Christmas' is obviously bigoted and outdated, it's time to bring holiday songs into the 21st century by updating them with political correctness."
He then introduces "Progressive Sounds of the Season," which contain tunes such as:
"Silent (Mostly Peaceful) Night"
"I'll Be Woke for Christmas"
"The Little Looter Boy"
"Rioting Around the Christmas Tree"
"All I Want for Christmas Is You (to Wear a Mask)"
"I'll Be Homeless for Christmas"
"The 12 Days to Slow the Spread of Christmas"
"I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus"
"O, Come All Ye Hateful"
"Santifa Baby (Hurry Down to CHAZ Tonight)"
"Deck the Halls (falalalala Lockdown)"
Witt adds his vocals to the latter, belting out updated lyrics: "Destroy freedom with regulations / falalalala la la lockdown / use no logic and no reason / falalalala la la lockdown."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
He also quips that "Holly Jolly Protest" is "perfect for when you're mixing those Molotov Cocktails," and "Feliz Antifa" is for all his "Latinx compadres out there."
Oh, and Witt reminds us that "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Venezuela" is a "California classic" that we shouldn't leave off our playlists.
He also sings along to "White Privilege Christmas," admitting "you'll be sorry after hearing this one." (Ya think?) Witt then begins crooning, "I'm renouncing my white privilege this Christmas / just so my friends will think I'm woke / give reparations to black children / straight white men shut up and listen / to hear a speech from Robin DiAngelo."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
DiAngelo is the author of popular progressive tome "White Fragility" — a copy of which Witt had open during the beginning of his commercial.
Anything else?
Since "we all have that one relative" with "a disproportionate amount of holiday cheer," Witt says the album is a "perfect gift to take that away from them and level the playing field."
And "Progressive Sounds of the Season" can be yours after three easy payments of $19.99 — and he adds that if you call right now, a "Tax the Rich" sweater will be thrown in for the "small price of $69.99."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Some comments on the video:
"Love this intelligent humor/sarcasm," one commenter says.
"This would be really funny if it wasn't so real," another commenter writes. "Good job."
"Petition for Will Witt to sing some full 'Progressive [sounds] of the Season' songs," another commenter requests.


theblaze--2020-12-21--Seattle City Council member who voted to cut police budget calls police after home targeted by rock

Seattle City Council member who voted to cut police budget calls police after home targeted by rock attack

In an incredible bout of irony, a Seattle City Council member who voted to slash the Seattle Police Department's budget and supports effectively legalizing certain misdemeanor crimes called police earlier this month to request assistance after becoming the victim of a crime.
What happened?
Seattle City Council member Lisa Herbold called police in the afternoon on Dec. 11 after someone threw a rock at her house, according to KTTH-AM.
Herbold reportedly told police that "she was on the west side of the living room near the kitchen when she heard a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot and dove into the kitchen for cover."
Herbold did not see who threw the object, but a neighbor described the assailant as a white male, who was "unathletic and a bad runner."
What does Herbold propose?
Herbold has proposed amending the Seattle municipal code to allow criminals to argue a so-called "poverty defense" when they commit petty crimes like trespassing or shoplifting to meet an "immediate basic need," KOMO-TV reported.
"It's giving people an opportunity to tell their stories and giving judges and juries the opportunity to hear those stories and make a decision based on the values of our city," Herbold told the Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee just days before her home was attacked.
That means the perpetrator who seemingly attempted to break into Herbold's house could be let off if he was attempting to provide for a basic need by breaking into her home.
According to Fox News, Herbold also approves extending such defenses for individuals who commit petty crimes because they are under mental duress or suffer from addiction.
Opponents of Herbold's proposal said creating exceptions for crimes would only embolden criminals.
Council member Alex Pedersen said, according to KOMO, "This proposal seems to create too easy of a way for repeated vandalism, trespassing and shoplifting and other misdemeanor crimes that can harm others."
Scott Lindsay, a former mayoral public safety adviser, agreed.
"It's a green light for crime," Lindsay said. "If you are engaged in 100 different misdemeanors that are in our criminal justice system code, you are not going to be held liable. You are not going to be held accountable."
Anything else?
The news comes less than one month after the Seattle City Council approved a massive 18% cut to the Seattle Police Department's budget.
The cuts mean the police department will lose tens of millions of dollars. But it's not as bad as it could have been. In fact, in the immediate aftermath of racial unrest over the summer, the majority of the city council pledged to slash the police budget by a whopping 50%.
For her part, Herbold told Fox News, "There are no crimes that I am 'effectively pushing to make legal.'"


theblaze--2020-12-21--Pro-abortion actress decries Stand Your Ground laws as 'BS,' 'permission to kill people'

Pro-abortion actress decries Stand Your Ground laws as 'BS , ' 'permission to kill people' 'It helps nobody but people @ @ @ @ @ use a deadly weapon '

Actress and abortion activist Elizabeth Banks slammed "Stand Your Ground" laws in a recent Twitter thread, calling them "BS" and nothing but "permission to kill people."
Banks, who is an outspoken supporter of a woman's right to abort babies, said the laws, which are adopted in some form in 25 states and allow individuals to defend themselves where they stand, exist only to aid "people who want justified reasons to use a deadly weapon."
To prove her point, Banks recalled a childhood story in which she and friends were allegedly shot at with a bow and arrow while playing hide and seek around the neighborhood.
What did she say?
"Stand Your Ground is BS," she tweeted Friday. "We used to play hide and seek all over the neighborhood on summer nights. Intent was to play. We were kids but some of my cousins were big guys. There were a few easily-jumped fences in the neighborhood but also houses with no fences at all. A new neighbor moved onto our street. Apparently he mistook us hiding behind trees in his unfenced yard at 9pm for ... burglars? Predators?"
"All of a sudden, an arrow was shot into the tree behind which we hid. From a professional bow and arrow," she continued. "This guy didn't yell out 'who's there' or 'get off my property or I'm calling the cops' or any other question or warning. He just shot at children. He hit the tree so it was seemingly a warning shot. Message received, WE yelled out that we were just playing and could he let us please run away without shooting. Then we ran."
The actress was responding to a bill passed in Ohio on the same day that would remove the requirement for citizens to first attempt to retreat before shooting a firearm in self-defense. On Saturday, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signaled he may veto the bill, arguing it isn't the right time to bring it up.
"Also sometimes our dog got loose. We would go into yards looking for her. All I can think about when people pretend Stand Your Ground is about anything other than permission to kill people are those moments when I myself stepped onto a neighbor's property," she went on. "Where is the evidence that Stand Your Ground does anything but endanger your neighbors, their dogs, their kids? It helps nobody but people who want justified reasons to use a deadly weapon."
"If I'd been shot and killed playing hide and seek, would that new neighbor have been able to just shrug his shoulders while living across the street from my grieving parents? With laws like this, probably yes," Banks concluded. "I don't want to live in a world where we fear our neighbors so much that we can't freely lose a ball/dog/frisbee or cut through somebody's yard to avoid harassment — all things I have done. What yards did you wander into and why?"
This writer's perspective
While Banks' story is certainly compelling, it is completely unfair of her to say that "Stand Your Ground" laws only exist to empower criminals who want to kill children. On the other hand, Banks has no issue whatsoever with some people being allowed to indiscriminately kill children via abortion procedures.
In an interview with People last year, the actress, who has helped raise significant funds to expand abortion rights, argued that such rights "are human rights."
"Women should have bodily autonomy, and there is no equality for women without them being able to decide when and with whom to bear children," she added.


theblaze--2020-12-21--Single mother of six was on welfare before building a successful business. Now Michigan's lockdown c

Single mother of six was on welfare before building a successful business. Now Michigan's lockdown could end her American dream

Single mother of six was on welfare before building a successful business .
Now Michigan 's lockdown could end her @ @ @ @ @ fined $ 1,000 a day for keeping her business open .
She 's fighting back @ @ @ @ @ a living .

A Michigan coffee shop owner and single mom is fighting for her right to earn a living as the state government fines her $1,000 a day for keeping her business open in defiance of state coronavirus restrictions.
Amy Heikkinen, the owner of Café Rosetta in Calumet, is struggling to provide for herself and her 30 employees as she faces $40,000 in fines from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for refusing to comply with lockdown orders banning indoor dining.
A divorced mother of six children, Heikkinen refuses to pay her fines. She told Fox News in an interview Sunday that she's been forced to fight back against the state or risk losing her business forever.
"It's about survival at this point," Heikkinen explained.
She said she's hired attorney David Kallman to represent her as she challenges the state's fines in court. Kallman has represented other Michigan businesses fighting against the state lockdown policies, including barbershop owner Karl Manke, who became famous for refusing to comply with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order to close hair salons.
For Heikkinen, this fight is about her rights under the Constitution.
"Does the Constitution exist any more? That's the question. We need to survive, we need to pay our bills, we need to live. We have 30 employees who are more than willing to do that," she said.
Watch:
Heikkinen's story shows that the American dream is still achievable for anyone willing to work hard for it. In 2013, she was recently divorced and living on welfare, with six kids to care for. But opportunity came when she began baking for the café that she now co-owns with her brother, WLUC reports.
"We started pretty small, three employees. I've always loved baking and wanted to see if I could make my dream come true of owning a bakery someday," she told Fox News. "You know, I had to walk to work sometimes, ride a bike. My kids helped out in the kitchen, and slowly, slowly we kept growing and expanded."
Her beginning was small, but with hard work, her business was able to move a few doors down the street to a bigger venue and double the amount of seating it could provide to customers.
"We went from three to 30 employees, and it's been wonderful," Heikkinen said.
But for Heikkinen, like so many other American business owners, the government response to coronavirus pandemic threatens to destroy everything she's worked for.
After complying with Michigan's first executive order closing indoor dining from March until the beginning of June, Heikkinen told WLUC she lost 30% of her sales revenue. When Gov. Whitmer announced the second ban on indoor dining on Nov. 18, she knew that compliance meant the end of her café and jobs lost for her 30 employees.
"There's no pausing at this point ten months into it," she said. "If we did close at that point, or only offer take-out, our business would be destroyed."
Again, she's not alone. A recent survey conducted by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) found that 33% of Michigan restaurant operators say it is unlikely they will still be in business in six months. Additionally, 89% of Michigan restaurant operators expect to lose sales revenue over the next three months, and 63% believe they will be forced to lay off employees over that period.
"The data is settled," said Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the MRLA. "It is fundamentally clear that the pandemic is decimating the hospitality industry in this state to a degree never seen or even imagined."
Café Rosetta is located in Houghton County, Michigan, where 1,532 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 23 people have died from causes related to COVID since March.
Heikkinen said her business performs all of the "commonsense safety measures" like wearing gloves, cleaning in between serving customers, and enforcing social distancing measures. Because of health issues, she cannot wear a mask and she does not force her employees or her customers to do so.
"We live in a very small town, you're talking about minimal risk, I believe, by serving the community," she told Fox News.


theblaze--2020-12-21--The Bidens, Burisma, and Hillary: More back story on ‘Kyiv/Washington gravy train’

The Bidens , Burisma , and Hillary : More back story on ‘ Kyiv/Washington gravy train ’ A year ago @ @ @ @ @ a Ukraine story .
Turns out they had plenty of Ukraine issues of their own @

A year after the Democratic House voted to impeach President Donald Trump, we're finding out more about witnesses in the impeachment hearings, the Biden family, Burisma Holdings, and now even Hillary Clinton's campaign.
My book "Abuse of Power: Inside the Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump" explains that Burisma hired Democratic-leaning lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies, which contacted top State Department officials in February 2016 and dropped Hunter Biden's name as a board member in attempting the make the case there is no evidence of corruption from the Ukrainian energy firm. The book details why Hunter Biden's work for Burisma sparked State Department concerns from officials who thought it would complicate then-Vice President Joe Biden's diplomacy in Ukraine.
Blue Star Strategies apparently kept working for its client in both the U.S. and Ukraine, according to new information released by government watchdog group Judicial Watch, which sheds some new light on the events of 2019 and the Democrats' effort to oust Trump from office without an election.
On Sept. 3, 2016, State Department official George Kent sent an email to then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and other officials stating that then-Ukraine Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told him Blue Star Strategies CEO Karen Tramontano offered him meeting with the Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. "He confirmed he had been pitched by Blue Star, not sought them out," Kent's email said.
"Blue Star CEO Tramontano's pitch was that she could gain him access to high levels of the Clinton campaign," the Kent email continued, adding, "and that was appealing – to meet the possible next Presidential Chief of Staff."
Tramontano was a top White House official under former President Bill Clinton before heading Blue Star Strategies. Kent suggested Lutsenko not take the offer to be in contact with the campaign, suggesting it was unlikely he would gain such access so close to an election, according documents obtained by Judicial Watch through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The subject line from Kent said, "Lutsenko now likely not to go to DC with Blue Star, other Ukr issue comments." Kent said he talked to the prosecutor about the suspected corruption by Burisma, the Clinton Foundation, and "the media attention being paid at present to the Kyiv/Washington gravy train."
In 2019, Democrats and media pundits claimed talking about Hunter Biden was a distraction from Trump's impeachment. "Abuse of Power" contends that Trump's impeachment was a distraction from the Biden family problems. This is particularly the case now that we know Hunter Biden is under federal investigation for other business deals — though probably not Burisma.
Both Kent and Yovanovitch were witnesses in the House Intelligence Committee impeachment hearings. Kent was the most forthcoming about his concerns regarding Hunter Biden's job on the board of Burisma, getting paid $50,000 at a time the company was facing corruption allegations.
"This smoking gun email ties Hunter Biden's Burisma's lobbying operation to an influence-peddling operation involving the Clinton campaign during the 2016 election," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a public statement. "This further confirms the Obama-Biden-Deep State targeting of President Trump was to cover-up and distract from their own corruption."
Yovanovitch told the House committee in her October 2019 testimony that she knew little about Burisma and that "it just wasn't a big issue." In October, Judicial Watch released State Department records that include a briefing checklist of a February 2019 meeting in in Kyiv between Yovanovitch and Sally Painter, co-founder and chief operating officer of Blue Star Strategies.
Last Friday marked one year since House Democrats voted almost along party lines, with four defections on at least one of the two impeachment articles. But impeachment was the culmination of what Democrats sought to do since Trump was elected in 2016. When the Russia case fell apart, Trump's imperfect phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would suffice. As it turned out, the phone call gave Democrats an avenue for two political goals impeach Trump and (for the time being) protect the Bidens.


theblaze--2020-12-21--NY Gov. Cuomo has banned fans from football games all season. Now that the Bills have made the playo

NY Gov. Cuomo has banned fans from football games all season. Now that the Bills have made the playoffs, he says he wants to go to a game in person.

NY Gov .
Cuomo has banned fans from football games all season .
Now that the Bills have made the @ @ @ @ @ wants to go to a game in person .
Would it count as 'essential travel @ @

The Buffalo Bills have had a heckuva season. Under the leadership of their star quarterback, Josh Allen, who has wowed analysts and prognosticators, the Bills cliched the AFC East Division Saturday with a win over the Denver Broncos. With two games to go, the 11-3 Bills have their fans — who haven't seen their team take the division title since 1995 — in a tizzy, with expectations set pretty high.
But unfortunately for those diehards, they've not been able to watch a single game in person.
The reason for that is New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's edict that no one is allowed to attend a football game in person throughout the state of New York. Which means that all home Bills games have been played in an empty stadium — the Giants and Jets both play their games in MetLife Stadium, which is located in New Jersey.
However, now that the Bills are in the playoffs, Cuomo is itching to attend a game — and Albany watchers are wondering if maybe the governor's wish to fulfill his own desires will prompt him to open the gates to the public.
Cuomo said Sunday that he would like to be at Bills Stadium when the Bills host a playoff game in January.
"I want to attend a Bills game," he said on a conference call, the New York Post reported. "I've attended them in the past."
Noting the Bills' dominant performance over the Broncos, the Cuomo continued gushing, "It was a great game, by the way — that was just unbelievable. I mean really incredible. You almost sense the energy and the optimism and the confidence, the way they played, and Josh Allen was just unbelievable."
The Post did not note whether the governor indicated that traveling across the state from Albany to Buffalo would count as "essential travel."
Of course, the Cuomo administration still claims to be concerned about crowds and COVID spread — which is why he has continued his controversial and inconsistent dining bans that target New York City.
And it's not just the stadium crowd Cuomo and his team are worried about, the Post noted. They're also worried about partying members of the Bills Mafia in the parking lot should fans be allowed to watch games in person.
"The big issue here is tailgate parties," New York state health commissioner Howard A. Zucker said, the paper reported. More from the Post:
Bills fans are known for wild tailgates before games, which have included people jumping through flaming tables. And fans have been itching to get together to revel in the Bills' great season. Thousands of raucous fans even greeted the team at the airport early Sunday morning when they returned home from Denver after clinching a playoff berth.
HotAir's Jazz Shaw asked, "Is Andrew Cuomo going to consider lifting that restriction before the vaccines have been widely distributed just so he can go watch a game? Even worse, would he really have the temerity to ask if he can be allowed to go sit in one of the skyboxes by himself to watch?"


theblaze--2020-12-21--32 years after Lockerbie bombing, US announces charges against Libyan national who allegedly created

32 years after Lockerbie bombing, US announces charges against Libyan national who allegedly created the bomb

32 years after Lockerbie bombing , US announces charges against Libyan national who allegedly created the bomb

Attorney General William Barr announced Monday that a Libyan national named Abu Agila Mohammad Masud has been charged with terrorism crimes for his alleged role in the Lockerbie bombing, which is one of the deadliest terror attacks in history. The charge, which will be one of Barr's final acts as attorney general, will bring full circle an investigation he helped lead more then three decades ago as attorney general for former President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
On Dec. 21, 1988, a bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight 103, which originated in Frankfurt, Germany, and was bound for Detroit via London and New York City. The attack killed all 243 passengers and 16 crew members, and debris from the explosion killed 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland, with the result that the incident became known as the Lockerbie bombing. It remains today the deadliest act of terrorism in U.K. history. Of the total 270 people who were killed, 190 were American citizens.
After a three-year joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local Scottish authorities, arrest warrants were issued in 1991 for two Libyan men, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was rumored to have ordered the attack, turned the men over for trial in Scotland. Al-Megrahi was ultimately found guilty of 270 counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison, while Fhimah was found not guilty.
In 2003, Gaddafi accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing as part of an attempt to get sanctions lifted upon his country; however, he has denied personally ordering the attack.
The Scottish government sparked international controversy when it granted al-Megrahi compassionate release from prison due to prostate cancer, which was reportedly set to kill him within three months or less. Al-Megrahi left prison, reportedly to spend his last few weeks in Libya; however, al-Megrahi was perhaps not in quite as much extremis as advertised, as he lived in Libya until his eventual death three years later in 2012. Al-Megrahi maintained his innocence until his death.
Now, the United States believes it has found a vital third conspirator: the man who may have actually fabricated the bomb. According to the BBC, the United States learned that Masud was being held in prison in Libya and asked to review Masud's intake interview.
According to the Department of Justice's statement, Masud was one of Gaddafi's top bomb makers and traveled to Malta at Gaddafi's direction in 1988, where he constructed the bomb that would ultimately be used to destroy Pan Am Flight 103. The statement also claims that Masud was involved in the April 5, 1986, bombing of the LaBelle Discotheque in West Berlin, Germany, which resulted in the deaths of two United States servicemen.
According to the statement, "Our message to other terrorists around the world is this – you will not succeed – if you attack Americans, no matter where you are, no matter how long it takes, you will be pursued to the ends of the earth until justice is done."
The Department of Justice also announced that it plans to seek the extradition of Masud to the United States for trial, according to the BBC.


theblaze--2020-12-21--POLL: Which President has done the most damage to America?

POLL : Which President has done the most damage to America ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to @ @

POLL: Which President has done the most damage to America?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-12-21--Fox's Chris Wallace comes to Jill Biden’s defense, says no one ‘made a fuss’ about calling MLK Jr. a

Fox's Chris Wallace comes to Jill Biden’s defense, says no one ‘made a fuss’ about calling MLK Jr. a ‘doctor’

Fox 's Chris Wallace comes to Jill Biden ’ s defense , says no one ‘ made a fuss ’ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ doctor ’ Wallace was clearly taking aim at Fox colleague Tucker Carlson

Fox News host Chris Wallace defended Jill Biden against critics, including some at his network, who have questioned her using the honorific "doctor" by noting that others such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have done the same despite not holding a medical degree.
What are the details?
The bizarre controversy over what to call the future first lady erupted last week when an opinion columnist called on her to drop the "doctor" before her name in an essay for the Wall Street Journal due to her lack of a medical degree. The author, Joseph Epstein, who taught for thirty years at Northwestern University, was summarily "canceled" from his associations with the school.
"There has been some criticism recently from conservatives, including some conservatives on Fox News, about the fact that first lady-to-be Jill Biden goes by the title doctor," Wallace said during an interview with incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
"I wonder, what is the Bidens' reaction to that, especially given the fact that so many people over the years — I think of Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King — have gone by the title doctor even though they're not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a fuss about that," he continued.
"That's exactly right, Chris," Psaki responded after Wallace nicely teed up her answer.
"It's a bit perplexing to me and I'm sure to millions of Americans that with thousands of people dying every day of COVID and with millions out of work that anyone would wake up in the morning and decide that the focus they need to have, the way they contribute to society that day, is to question whether or not Dr. Jill Biden, someone who is still teaching, who has a Ph.D. in education, should be called a doctor or not," she said.
"Of course she should, as anyone who works through that challenging process of getting a Ph.D.," she continued. "It's a really silly, sexist, and absurd conversation that's happening in society and I appreciate you asking me about it."
It should be noted that in 2007, Biden earned a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) from the University of Delaware, not a Ph.D. The differences are slight, but there are differences. Essentially, while both are doctoral degrees, an Ed.D. is a professional degree meant to prepare a student for a career working in the field, while a Ph.D. in education is a technical degree meant to prepare a student for further research and teaching in the field.
What else?
Wallace's comments were quite clearly intended as an exhortation to conservative critics, including fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who last week called Biden "borderline illiterate" in a segment on his show.
"We actually read her dissertation this week, the very document that made her, quote, a doctor," Carlson said in a monologue. "And what did we discover when we did that? ... Dr. Jill needs reading glasses. Either that or she's borderline illiterate. There are typos everywhere, including in the first graph of the introduction. Dr. Jill can't write. She can't really think clearly either."


theblaze--2020-12-21--Fox News runs segment debunking voting machine claims after legal threats from Smartmatic

After Fox News was threatened with legal action by election software company Smartmatic , it repeatedly ran a `` fact-check '' segment over the weekend that debunked many of the claims regarding Smartmatic that had been made by its on-air hosts , in an apparent retraction of those claims .
Smartmatic sent a number of right-leaning media outlets — including Fox News , Newsmax , and OANN — a demand letter last Monday accusing them of defaming the company with numerous false statements and threatening legal action if some claims that were made on air were not retracted .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dobbs Tonight '' on the Fox Business channel .
The segment was introduced by Dobbs , who said , `` Lots of opinions about the integrity of the election , the irregularities of mail-in voting , of election voting machines and voting software .
One of the companies is Smartmatic .
And we reached out to one of the leading authorities on open source software for elections , Eddie Perez , for his insight and views .
Eddie is the global director of tech development at the Open Source Technology Institute .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recent claims about the company . ''
The clip then cut to Perez being interviewed by someone — clearly not Dobbs , although the interviewer was not identified — asking Perez questions about the Smartmatic controversy .
Among other things noted by Perez in the segment , Perez stated : • Smartmatic software was not used anywhere in the United States outside Los Angeles County .
• Perez has not seen any evidence that Smartmatic software was used to flip votes in the 2020 presidential election or any other election .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and neither has an ownership interest in the other .
• Perez is aware that an executive at Smartmatic has a `` relationship '' with one of George Soros ' many foundations , but he is not aware of any other relationship between Smartmatic and Soros .
• There is no evidence that Smartmatic sent United States votes to foreign countries for tabulation .
A spokesperson for Fox would not confirm to Forbes that the segment was aired as part of a deal with Smartmatic or that it was aired as an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characterized the segment as `` fact-checks , '' apparently of its own on-air personalities .
A spokesperson for Smartmatic would not comment to the Guardian about whether the video meets the demands of the company 's letter , `` due to potential litigation . ''

After Fox News was threatened with legal action by election software company Smartmatic, it repeatedly ran a "fact-check" segment over the weekend that debunked many of the claims regarding Smartmatic that had been made by its on-air hosts, in an apparent retraction of those claims.
Smartmatic sent a number of right-leaning media outlets — including Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN — a demand letter last Monday accusing them of defaming the company with numerous false statements and threatening legal action if some claims that were made on air were not retracted.
The segment first ran Friday on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on the Fox Business channel. The segment was introduced by Dobbs, who said, "Lots of opinions about the integrity of the election, the irregularities of mail-in voting, of election voting machines and voting software. One of the companies is Smartmatic. And we reached out to one of the leading authorities on open source software for elections, Eddie Perez, for his insight and views. Eddie is the global director of tech development at the Open Source Technology Institute. We asked him for his assessment of Smartmatic and recent claims about the company."
The clip then cut to Perez being interviewed by someone — clearly not Dobbs, although the interviewer was not identified — asking Perez questions about the Smartmatic controversy.
Among other things noted by Perez in the segment, Perez stated:
Smartmatic software was not used anywhere in the United States outside Los Angeles County.
Perez has not seen any evidence that Smartmatic software was used to flip votes in the 2020 presidential election or any other election.
Dominion and Smartmatic are separate companies, and neither has an ownership interest in the other.
Perez is aware that an executive at Smartmatic has a "relationship" with one of George Soros' many foundations, but he is not aware of any other relationship between Smartmatic and Soros.
There is no evidence that Smartmatic sent United States votes to foreign countries for tabulation.
According to Forbes, the segment was repeated in its entirety numerous times over the weekend , particularly on shows hosted by Jeanine Pirro and Maria Bartiromo, who have been among the loudest voices at Fox in casting doubts on the reliability of Dominion voting machines and Smartmatic software.
A spokesperson for Fox would not confirm to Forbes that the segment was aired as part of a deal with Smartmatic or that it was aired as an attempt to avoid litigation, but instead merely characterized the segment as "fact-checks," apparently of its own on-air personalities. A spokesperson for Smartmatic would not comment to the Guardian about whether the video meets the demands of the company's letter, "due to potential litigation."


theblaze--2020-12-21--AG Barr: 'No reason' to appoint special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden

AG Barr : 'No reason ' to appoint special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden Barr said the investigation into Hunter @ @ @ @ @ and professionally '

Outgoing Attorney General William Barr said Monday he saw "no reason" to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden.
Barr, in his final press conference before leaving the Trump administration, assured reporters that the investigation into Biden's business dealings with foreign associates is "being handled responsibly and professionally."
"I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel, and I have no plan to do so before I leave," he said.
His announcement is sure to disappoint President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress who have been pushing for the appointment of special counsels to investigate President-elect Joe Biden's son. Trump reportedly has repeatedly asked for an independent investigator to be appointed so that the next president could not interfere with the investigation of his family's business deals.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) endorsed the idea last week, speaking to reporters about the issue.
"I think it's a good idea," he said. "Let me say this, if you believe a special counsel is needed to look at the Trump rule regarding Russia, how can you say there is no need for special counsel regarding Hunter Biden?"
Continuing, he said, "It's not just the allegation of tax evasion, which is being looked at, and he's presumed innocent, but it's his business dealings, emails about setting up an office and [giving] the keys to the Vice President Joe Biden ... I don't know if that's accurate or not, but how far integrated into the Ukraine economy did Hunter Biden get?"
The president-elect said last Thursday he's not worried about the investigation or the allegations of corruption surrounding Hunter Biden.
"We have great confidence in our son," the elder Biden told Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show."
Hunter Biden is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for tax issues and other financial transactions with Chinese business associates. Biden recently revealed that the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware has opened an investigation into his tax affairs, releasing a statement about the matter. According to the Associated Press, the investigation began in 2018, before Biden's father declared his candidacy for president, but the Justice Department did not disclose the existence of the investigation until now because of a policy against doing so during an election year.
Despite the policy, in October, Sinclair Broadcasting Group's James Rosen reported the existence of an FBI investigation into Hunter Biden and his associates, focusing on allegations of money-laundering. The report was covered by conservative media, but at the time largely ignored in the mainstream press.


theblaze--2020-12-21--Black Lives Matter group invades 'Candy Cane Lane' — streets decorated with Christmas lights to bene

Black Lives Matter group invades 'Candy Cane Lane' — streets decorated with Christmas lights to benefit children with cancer — with protest march

Black Lives Matter group invades 'Candy Cane Lane ' — streets decorated with Christmas lights to benefit children with cancer @ @ @ @ @ lane ?
Our lane !
Whose streets ?
Our streets ! '

A Black Lives Matter group invaded "Candy Cane Lane" on Friday night — a residential neighborhood in West Allis, Wisconsin, decorated with Christmas lights to benefit children with cancer — marching and chanting and shouting through bullhorns at vehicles lined up in the streets to see the displays.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
What is Candy Cane Lane?
Here's a brief history of Candy Cane Lane from its website:
In December,1984, a wonderful group of neighbors living in West Allis, Wisconsin, joined together to collect donations for the MACC Fund — Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc., in honor of a neighbor's child diagnosed with cancer. The neighbors worked in concert in decorating their homes and encouraged visitors to make a small donation as they drove through the festively enhanced neighborhood. All of the money raised went to supporting research, treatment, and the eventual discovery of a cure for childhood cancers and related blood diseases.
What happened Friday night?
Several videos showed the protesting group — the People's Revolution — marching through the brightly lit streets chanting "Black lives matter!" "No justice! No peace!" and "Whose lane? Our lane! Whose streets? Our streets!" The People's Revolution has protested for months in Wauwatosa, as member of the group is accused of firing a gun at former police officer Joseph Mensah, Wisconsin Right Now reported.
The outlet said the Milwaukee County Crime, Fire, and Police News page on Facebook contained comments about the protest. "Yes, they came through. Did not obey any traffic rules," one woman wrote, Wisconsin Right Now noted.
One man added, "My significant other lives on Candy Cane Lane, and she just texted me – BLM just crashed Candy Cane Lane! …they were blasting music so loud that it made her windows and walls shake and scared the crap out of her dogs," the outlet said, adding that the man also had an issue with the group disrupting a charity: "If you don't have a problem with this, then not only are you part of the problem, you are also a Class A Asshole!!!!"
Here's a video of the march:
TPR- Day 204- MERRY CHRISTMAS CANDY CANE LN #neverstopvoices #independentmedia youtu.be
Wisconsin Right Now also said a man shared a post from a friend:
So my son and I were playing in the living room, and we heard very loud music and people chanting from the outside. We open up the front door to see what all the commotion was about. It was a "Black Lives Matter" march going up and down my block and through Candy Cane Lane. These people saw my "Back the Badge" sign and "Trump 2020" sign and began to shout at us. They began to give us the middle finger and shouted, "F*** YOU F*** THE POLICE F*** TRUMP!" Uhm really? I am holding my ONE year old son in my arms. Glad to see how "peaceful" and "respectful" these people and protests really are lol. What a bunch of pieces of s**t.
Available videos so far don't depict such a confrontation — but the latter YouTube video does show a woman apparently confronting the group in the street:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Mariah Smith shared a livestream of the march during which she acknowledged that several non-participants were "mad as hell" at the group. Prior to the march she asked her comrades, "Ready to make some f***in' noise, man?"
What did police have to say?
"Last evening, starting at about 6:40 pm, we received a handful of calls of a protest group moving through Candy Cane Lane. The callers indicated that the group was causing traffic congestion and noise disturbances. West Allis officers responded to the area and monitored the situation. There was heavy traffic congestion related to Candy Cane Lane. There were reports of protestors walking in the roadway and using a bullhorn. Officers did not observe any violence or vandalism. No arrests were made and no citations were issued," police told Wisconsin Right Now.
What did supporters of the protest have to say?
Never Stop Media LLC defended the People's Revolution group: "The group planned the march through Candy Cane Ln with the intent to bring awareness to the neighborhood and stand up for [people of color] who live in the area. Marchers were seen dressed in holiday spirit and of course Santa made a special appearance for the occasion."
In addition, Never Stop Media noted:
In our video it clearly shows demonstrators walking down the center of the streets to not impede any of the vehicles. None of these vehicles were surrounded, stranded or harassed. Posts claiming that TPR harassed people who did not approve of the protest are also not true. You can see in our video posted that when met with distain, protestors wished those people a Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday with of course the chant that "Black Lives Matter" as they continued to march. Posts also claim that TPR was terrorizing children who were looking at the holiday decorations. In the video posted by us it clearly shows families, both black and white with children showing full support for the group with parents and children yelling black lives matter. When demonstrators approached organizers (also standing in the streets) who were collecting donations they were asked to go around because they were trying to collect money. Members of TPR formed a wall as the rest of the group walked past so that organizers could collect their donations without interruption. This can also be seen in our video. At no time were donations interrupted for the MAAC Fund.
Child shouting 'Black lives matter!' with adult encouragement during Candy Cane Lane protest Image source: YouTube screenshot
The People's Revolution marches also chanted, "We have every right to be in these streets!" and "All lives don't matter until black lives matter!"


theblaze--2020-12-21--NYC restaurant owners flummoxed by new, inconsistent dining edicts as the government continues to co

NYC restaurant owners flummoxed by new, inconsistent dining edicts as the government continues to contradict itself

NYC restaurant owners flummoxed by new , inconsistent dining edicts as the government continues to contradict itself How can these @ @ @

Restaurant owners have borne the brunt of COVID restrictions during the pandemic — and very few cities have seen more severe and inconsistent new regulations than New York City.
Now, more New York City restaurant owners are publicly pointing out the lack of consistency in the dining shutdown policies in a city where — according to the governor's own data — bars and restaurants are responsible for just 1.43% of the virus' spread.
The contradictions these businesses are facing as New York governmental agencies cannot get their orders straight have made life nearly impossible for entrepreneurs seeking just to stay afloat.
What are the restaurants doing?
After getting completely shut down last spring, New York City restaurants began slowly reopening with limited crowds over the summer and early fall. To cope with diminished indoor seating options, eateries created outdoor dining areas, which worked fairly well as long as the weather cooperated.
On Friday, Dec. 11, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) declared that all indoor dining in the city would have to close as the virus was surging again. Shortly after the governor issued his edict, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) threatened that if people didn't get the virus under control, the city could be facing a "full shutdown."
And once again, Gotham eateries got creative and made major investments in attempts to expand outdoor dining and offer more takeout and delivery options.
Then on Thursday, the city issued a new "COVID-19 Dining Update" for restaurants, the New York Post reported. Included in that update was a ban on restaurant employees eating inside the restaurants they work for during their breaks.
The city also added a new requirement for nighttime takeout — no more in-person orders, even if conducted outdoors. All such orders must now be placed via online or telephone. Also, orders can be picked up inside the eatery only before 10 p.m. — after that it's curbside only.
But the most controversial item on the COVID update was the declaration that patrons at a restaurant's outdoor dining area could not use the establishment's indoor restrooms. What made the new order even more strikingly egregious was the fact that New York was in the middle of serious winter weather with 30-degree temperatures and significant snowfall.
However, the Post reported, after significant pushback, the state reversed its bathroom ban.
The government can't get its edicts straight
The Post's Karol Markowicz has been watching the impact of government edicts on the Big Apple — from businesses to education to families — and her piece Monday revealed some of the conflicting standards city eateries are facing with Cuomo's new COVID orders that target New York City restaurants.
Markowicz interviewed restaurant owners in the Big Apple who are attempting to navigate the new regulations, and she determined that the "new city diktats are just the latest serving of hell dished out to restaurateurs and their workers by a political class that continues to receive regular paychecks courtesy of taxpayers."
One owner, Tina Plagos, who owns three establishments, said she hasn't turned a profit in 10 months.
"We haven't had a profit since February and have bought air purifiers, heaters, a ton of extra cleaning supplies, masks, hand sanitizer and have spent thousands to build and rebuild the outdoor seating area," she told Markowicz.
But according to Plagos, what is really maddening about the new COVID edicts is that apparently restaurants are dangerous only if they are located within the boundaries of New York City.
"In Long Island, customers can sit and eat at the bar six feet apart, but in New York City, no one is allowed near the bar," Plagos said. "You can't order a drink at the bar, let alone eat at the bar."
Rafi Hasid, another multi-location restaurant owner, told Markowicz he has spent at least $10,000 per site to keep up with the ongoing and ever-shifting regulations.
But worst of all, the government continues to contradict itself, as agencies give conflicting messages on what is allowed and what is not for outdoor dining.
"In the beginning, they said they're going to allow propane heaters. But then they said you can't have them on the street side or on the outside of the sidewalk," Hasid said. "Then they said you can't keep the propane tanks on your property and must store them at a different location every night. So that was a wasted purchase."
And heaters weren't the only area he saw major conflicting messages from officials.
"We capsuled the outdoor seating, so every table has its own personal area," he said. "The Health Department said it's good. Then the Fire Department said we need a door, and it should be closed. Then yesterday, we got an e-mail from the city that the door can't be closed, because the space needs to be open on two sides. We keep investing money but what's the criteria to open indoor dining again? We have no idea."
Restaurant owners continue to cry for help, asking a city and state that apparently won't listen.
"Restaurants are mainly family-owned and made up of mainly minorities," Plagos told Markowicz. "They aren't corporate America. We were living the American dream of working hard and taking care of our families, and now they took that right away from us."


theblaze--2020-12-21--Numerous countries ban travel from the UK as mutated strain of coronavirus is reportedly raging 'out

Numerous countries ban travel from the UK as mutated strain of coronavirus is reportedly raging 'out of control' What will @ @ @ @ @ ?

Multiple countries, including France, Germany, Spain, and India, have suspended all flights from the United Kingdom as officials there grapple with an outbreak of a "mutant" strain of the novel coronavirus that some worry is more contagious than COVID-19.
According to Bloomberg News, some countries — including Saudi Arabia and Oman — have canceled all international flights for a week due to panic over the new strain of the virus.
The new, mutated strain of the virus was discovered in September and sparked fears that it was even more contagious than COVID-19; however, some experts caution that it is too early to make such a determination with any level of certainty and that it is normal for viruses to mutate.
However, whether the virus is actually more contagious than COVID-19 or not, the British government has warned that it is spreading "out of control," particularly in the southern areas of England and Wales, which have seen huge increases in the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the last few weeks.
The sudden closure of travel to and from the U.K. has disrupted shipping, as trucks bearing containers lined up at the port of Dover with nowhere to go.
During the course of announcing a series of strict new lockdown measures on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the new virus is up to 70% more transmissible than COVID-19, and Italy's foreign minister alleges that confirmed cases of the new virus have shown up on the European mainland. Health officials in Europe have also conceded that the prevalence and spread of the new virus may negatively impact the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines that are currently being distributed by Pfizer and Moderna, although it is too early to determine that for certain.
The new strain of the virus was initially discovered via genome sequencing in a British patient in September and was initially believed not to be a source of serious concern. However, the extent to which this mutation has spread has caused serious concern, particularly within the European continent, about interaction with the U.K.