theblaze--2020-09-03--Protesters accuse DC police of killing unarmed black teenager — then cops release bodycam video

The video also undermined claims that they had shot him in the back

Protests erupted in Washington, D.C., after police shot and killed an 18-year-old black teenager on Wednesday, but the more exaggerated accusations were undermined by body camera video released a day later.
Black Lives Matter protesters immediately pounced on reports that the police had shot and killed Deon Kay, and many accused the police on social media of shooting another innocent unarmed black man.
Police released a statement on Wednesday evening identifying the 18-year-old as Deon Kay and said that officers had recovered two guns from the shooting incident. The statement indicated that police were responding to a report of a livestream video on social media showing guns in a vehicle.
Protesters immediately organized a demonstration outside D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's home to demand that she fire the police chief over the shooting and also defund the police department.
On Thursday, police released body camera footage that showed Kay brandishing a gun during the altercation.
Here's the graphic body cam video of the incident:
Bodycam Footage From Police Shooting of Deon Kay www.youtube.com
The footage came from the body camera of Officer Alexander Alvarez.
The video showed officers approaching the vehicle before one passenger jumps out and runs away. As Alvarez gives chase, he turns and sees Kay with a gun in his hand. Alvarez shoots once and strikes Kay in the chest, and he is seen collapsing to the ground.
The video follows the officer as he seeks the gun that Kay tossed over his head in the split second before the shooting.
Police said that the first man who fled the car escaped.
"Uniformed police officers had information that there were guys in the neighborhood with guns, specifically," said Police Chief Peter Newsham said in a news conference on Wednesday. "That's what they were looking for and evidently that's what they found."
The footage also contradicted the claims that Kay had been shot in the back by police.
Despite the body camera video, some persisted in claiming that police had acted inappropriately.
"Body camera footage just released from yesterday's fatal shooting of 18yo Deon Kay in DC. The officer could have used 'less-lethal tactics' but chose to SHOOT him instead... Even after he threw his gun on the ground. We need police reform NOW," tweeted attorney Ben Crump.
"RT If you are tired of negotiating whether a Black child deserved to be killed by police. If you are tired of paying the salary of our executioners," tweeted the verified account for Black Lives Matter in Washington, D.C.
"Regardless, what you see in the tapes, you know Black people deserve better than this," they added.
Here's a news video of protesters outside the mayor's home:
Protesters at D.C. mayor's home: Fire police chief www.youtube.com
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-09-03--'We'll see you in court, Mr. President': De Blasio vows to sue after Trump threatens to 'defund' NYC

'We 'll see you in court , Mr. President ' : De Blasio vows to sue after Trump threatens to @ @ @

Far-left Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed Thursday to sue over President Donald Trump's recent actions seeking ways to redirect federal funds away from U.S. cities the commander in chief says have permitted "anarchy" amid nationwide riots.
What are the details?
The New York Post broke the news Wednesday that President Trump sent a 5-page memo to federal agencies wherein he writes:
My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones. To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government's promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America's cities.
The president named Portland, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and New York City as preliminary targets, and The Post noted that de Blasio was mentioned twice in the president's order.
On Thursday, De Blasio — who has repeatedly asked the federal government to bail out his city citing revenue losses due to COVID-19 lockdowns — released a video responding to President Trump's move, and promised to fight back with legal action.
"The president of the United States — a New Yorker by birth — threatening to take away federal funding from this city while we're still in the grips of this crisis," de Blasio begins in his recorded statement. "It just makes no sense."
The mayor said this is "a time when we should be seeing solidarity with New York City, support for New York City, understanding for New York City, and we're seeing the opposite."
De Blasio then addressed President Trump directly, saying the Supreme Court has already determined that presidents cannot interfere with funding appropriated to cities.
In a tweet posting the video, de Blasio wrote, "We asked @realDonaldTrump to do his job. We asked him for COVID-19 testing and for a stimulus to help us get back on our feet. He refused to lift a finger. He failed New York City. And now he wants to threaten us? We'll see you in court, Mr. President."
New York City has seen more deaths from COVID-19 than anywhere in the U.S., partially attributed to its high population density. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has faced heavy criticism for his policies early on in the crisis requiring coronavirus-positive patients to be placed in nursing homes amid vulnerable elderly patients.
But Trump's threat to pull federal funds is aimed at leaders for their policies against law enforcement during the rioting that has been ongoing since the death of George Floyd in late May.
The president wrote in his memo:
In New York City, city officials have allowed violence to spike. In light of this unconscionable rise in violence, I have offered to provide Federal law enforcement assistance, but both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have rejected my offer.
While violence has surged, arrests have plummeted. In a 28-day period during the months of June and July, [New York City] arrests were down 62 percent from the same period in 2019. Amidst the rising violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to cut one billion dollars from the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget, including by cancelling the hiring of 1,163 officers.
Police officials have cited this decision as a factor contributing to the rise in violence.


theblaze--2020-09-03--NBA ratings down 20%; poll finds 38% of fans not watching the NBA because it's 'too political'

NBA ratings down 20 % ; poll finds 38 % of fans not watching the NBA because it 's 'too @ @ @ @ @ off the NBA over the league 's close ties with China .

After months of no sporting events, many believed that fans would be flocking to their televisions in droves to watch live sports. However, that has yet to be the case, especially for the NBA, where its TV ratings are actually down during the pandemic.
Over the first week of the 2020 NBA playoffs, ESPN, ABC, and TNT averaged 1.875 million TV viewers per game. As of Aug. 25, the NBA playoffs were down 20% compared to 2019, according to Real GM. Ratings were down 28% for the coveted 18-49 demographic for the first week of the playoffs, according to ShowBuzzDaily.
The NBA has played some weekday afternoon games, which have hurt ratings, but even prime time night games are not attracting viewers like they once did.
"Compared to ABC's first playoff game last year, Clippers-Warriors Game 1 on a Saturday night, ratings fell 23% (from 3.0) and viewership 21% (from 4.83M)," Sports Media Watch reported. "The Lakers' win ranks as ABC's least-watched playoff opener in five years (2015 Pelicans-Warriors: 3.49M)."
Last week, the NBA postponed three days of playoff games to give time to players and fans to reflect on the police shooting death of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Saturday's elimination Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers managed to only attract 2.92 million viewers and a 1.8 rating. On the same day, more people watched NASCAR than the Lakers' series-clinching win. The NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona drew 3.87 million viewers and earned a 2.4 rating.
"Versus the comparable window last year, ratings fell 35% and viewership 30% from Game 1 of a Sixers-Raptors semifinal (1.95, 3.08M). Keep in mind last year's game aired exclusively on TNT," according to Sports Media Watch.
President Donald Trump noticed the ratings drop in the NBA and voiced his opinion on the topic on Twitter.
"People are tired of watching the highly political @NBA," he tweeted. "Basketball ratings are WAY down, and they won't be coming back. I hope football and baseball are watching and learning because the same thing will be happening to them. Stand tall for our Country and our Flag!!!"
A new poll found that President Trump could be right about mixing political and social justice issues with sports. A new Harris Poll found that 38% of sports fans say they're watching fewer games because the NBA has "become too political." Republicans were more likely to turn off the NBA, as 57% said the NBA was "too political," compared to 22% of Democrats, according to Forbes.
The survey of nearly 2,000 people from over the weekend also found 28% of respondents were watching fewer sports because it was "boring without fans." The poll discovered that 19% of people were not watching the NBA because of the league's friendly association with China. Broken down by party lines, 36% of Republicans said they weren't watching the NBA because of close ties to China, versus 8% for Democrats.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Gov. Kristi Noem breaks down her freedom-first approach to handling COVID-19

Gov .
Kristi Noem breaks down her freedom-first approach to handling COVID-19

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem joined Steve Deace's show to discuss her freedom-first approach to handling COVID-19. In this clip, Deace asked Noem to take his audience back to the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and walk through her decision-making process.
Noem explained the importance of the first step of forming an emergency response team tasked with gathering as much available information about COVID-19 as possible. Next, Noem researched how much authority she wielded as governor, a move that set her apart from the rest.
"I recognize that I have authority, and I recognize there are some things I don't have the authority to do. I wanted to go into this with eyes wide open and make sure that I was keeping my promises," Noem said.
Watch the video below to hear the full interview.
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theblaze--2020-09-03--Minneapolis salon owner says rioters burned her building to the ground and then the city stuck her w

Minneapolis salon owner says rioters burned her building to the ground and then the city stuck her with a $200K bill

Minneapolis salon owner says rioters burned her building to the ground and then the city stuck her with a $ @ @

The owner of a Minneapolis salon set on fire during riots over George Floyd's death in May, said recently that rather than helping her rebuild her business, state and local officials opted to tear down the building and stick her with the bill.
"I haven't gotten anything, not a penny," Flora Westbrooks, the owner of Flora's Hair Designs, told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday after host Peter Doocy asked her how much aid she had received from the government.
Instead, the city of Minneapolis tore down the building and charged Westbrooks for it — at a whopping cost of $200,000, according to Westbrooks.
"[The] bill is going to be over $200,000 just for tearing things down and putting up a fence there, so it's going to be lots of money that I can't afford that I don't have," she said.
City media relations manager Casper Hill responded to TheBlaze regarding the news and called Fox News' report on the matter "extremely inaccurate." Hill sent TheBlaze an invoice which appeared to show that the demolition project cost $7,350. Hill did not comment on whether or not Westbrooks would be responsible for paying the cost.
In a statement to Fox News, he said that the building was at risk of collapsing and was torn down to "protect the public."
Westbrooks found that explanation quite rich as she recalled there was no protection for her building as riots raged on in late May. She said she "didn't see any police at all patrol [her] area" on the night her business was torched.
Minneapolis Salon Owner Explains How the City's Democratic Leaders Failed Her youtu.be
"I just feel like I'm alone and I'm sure other business owners feel the same as I do," Westbrooks added during the interview.
According to a GoFundMe page set to help her rebuild, Westbrooks operated the business for more than four decades before it was burned to the ground.
The page describes the business as "a pillar on Broadway Avenue where men, women and children came to get beautified and had history lessons from elders in the community.
"Flora has exhausted all of her energy and savings in building the community, creating jobs for entrepreneurs and aiding in generational wealth," it continued.
At the time of publication, more than $150,000 had been raised on the GoFundMe page.
During the interview Thursday. Westbrooks remained steadfast in her plans to rebuild, despite the injury from rioters and then state and local government.
"My plan is to rebuild my business," she said. "I built that business myself and I just want my business back. That's all I want, to just get my life back. I want my life back."
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include the City of Minneapolis' response. The headline was also updated.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Is the media LYING to you about Jacob Blake?

Is the media LYING to you about Jacob Blake ?

Thursday, Stu Does America host Stu Burguiere dissected the details in the Jacob Blake story. Stu explained how Blake might not be the innocent victim that the media wants the public to believe. In fact, according to the victim's account of what happened, Blake appears to be anything but. Here's Stu with the scoop.
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theblaze--2020-09-03--'They're executing people': Friend of pro-Trump shooting victim in Portland details how 'they hunted

'They're executing people': Friend of pro-Trump shooting victim in Portland details how 'they hunted us down'

'They 're executing people ' : Friend of pro-Trump shooting victim in Portland details how 'they hunted us down' 'They @ @ @ @ @ said 'we 've got a couple right here . '
And they shot '

The mainstream media says Aaron "Jay" Danielson, a supporter of President Donald Trump and the conservative group Patriot Prayer, was killed while engaged in violent rioting in Portland, Oregon, last weekend. But friend and fellow protester, Chandler Pappas, who was standing next to Danielson when he was killed, tells a very different story.
Pappas spoke with "Slightly Offens*ve" host Elijah Schaffer to share the details of what really happened that night and discuss the terrifying reality of violent political targeting, which is being encouraged by the media and leaders on the left.
"They hunted us down and shot [Danielson] because we were not like them," Pappas told Schaffer. "We didn't go down there with the intent of hurting people or doing anything in particular, but we have the right to be there. We have the right to be there and they seem to disagree with that to the point now that they're executing people. They hunted us down. They found us, and they said 'we've got a couple right here.' And they shot [Danielson]."
Watch the video below:
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theblaze--2020-09-03--Trump-hating group terrified he won't leave office if he loses in November concludes only safe elect

Trump-hating group terrified he won't leave office if he loses in November concludes only safe election outcome is Biden landslide

Trump-hating group terrified he wo n't leave office if he loses in November concludes only safe election outcome is Biden @ @ @ @ @ said every other scenario 'involved street-level violence and political crisis '

So there's a group out there ironically named the Transition Integrity Project, which came together out of fear that President Donald Trump might not leave office if he loses November's election — a conspiracy theory that's been widely touted by leftists and the left-wing media.
And in a Washington Post opinion piece published Thursday, the co-founder of the group described how it constructed a series of "war games" to figure out ahead of time what might happen under various election scenarios.
Oh, don't you worry. Georgetown law professor Rosa Brooks wrote in her piece that the Transition Integrity Project "sought out some of the most accomplished Republicans, Democrats, civil servants, media experts, pollsters and strategists around" to help them with this task — so, of course, it was all fair minded.
What did the group conclude?
Brooks, not surprisingly, broke the news that "a landslide for Joe Biden resulted in a relatively orderly transfer of power. Every other scenario we looked at involved street-level violence and political crisis."
So, how did they get to the scenarios? Well — and again, never fear — the Transition Integrity Project listened to "experts" who offered four election scenarios that are "most likely." Brooks said they are:
"a narrow Biden win"
"a big Biden win, with a decisive lead in both the electoral college and the popular vote"
"a Trump win with an electoral college lead but a large popular-vote loss, as in 2016"
"a period of extended uncertainty as we saw in the 2000 election"
No Trump landslide scenario, as has been floated as a distinct possibility? Perish the thought.
One might imagine that getting volunteers to play these war games from the Republican side of the aisle would be a challenge — unless the participants despise Trump. And lo and behold, Brooks noted that they secured the likes of "former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, conservative commentator Bill Kristol and former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson."
But hey, it's OK. Remember this project's middle name is "integrity."
One wonders if Democrats lined up to participate, but Brooks' piece didn't mention if such enthusiasm was rampant. In the end the group nabbed the likes of John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 presidential campaign, Donna Brazile, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
According to Brooks, the remaining participants "included political strategists, journalists, polling experts, tech and social media experts, and former career officials from the intelligence community, the Justice Department, the military and the Department of Homeland Security."
Let the games begin
Here's one scenario outlined in the Post piece:
On the morning of Election Day, false stories appear online claiming that Biden has been hospitalized with a life-threatening heart attack and the election has been delayed. Every mainstream news organization reports that the rumors are unfounded, but many Biden supporters, confused by the bogus claims, stay home.
Still, by late that night, most major networks have called the election for Biden: The former vice president has won key states and has a slender lead in the national popular vote, and polling experts predict that his lead will grow substantially as Western states count an unusually high number of mail-in ballots. The electoral college looks secure for Biden, too.
But Trump refuses to concede, alleging on Twitter that "MILLIONS of illegal ALIENS and DEAD PEOPLE" have voted in large numbers and that the uncounted ballots are all "FAKE VOTES!!!" Social media fills with posts from Trump supporters alleging that the election has been "stolen" in a "Deep State coup," and Trump-friendly pundits on Fox News and OAN echo the message.
Soon, Attorney General William P. Barr opens an investigation into unsubstantiated allegations of massive vote-by-mail fraud and ties between Democratic officials and antifa. In Michigan and Wisconsin, where Biden has won the official vote and Democratic governors have certified slates of pro-Biden electors, the Trump campaign persuades Republican-controlled legislatures to send rival pro-Trump slates to Congress for the electoral college vote.
The next week is chaotic: A list of Michigan and Wisconsin electors for Biden circulates on right-wing social media, including photos, home addresses and false claims that scores of them are in the pay of billionaire George Soros or have been linked to child sex-trafficking rings.
Massive pro-Biden street protests begin, demanding that Trump concede. The president tweets that "REAL PATRIOTS MUST SHOW THESE ANTIFA TERRORISTS THAT CITIZENS WHO LOVE THE 2ND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER LET THEM STEAL THIS ELECTION!!!" Around the nation, violent clashes erupt. Several people are injured and killed in multiple incidents, though reports conflict about their identities and who started the violence.
Meanwhile, Trump declares that "UNLESS THIS CARNAGE ENDS NOW," he will invoke the Insurrection Act and send "Our INCREDIBLY POWERFUL MILITARY and their OMINOUS WEAPONS" into the streets to "Teach these ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORISTS A LESSON." At the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff convene a hurried meeting to discuss the crisis.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Brooks even admitted that in each scenario, the war gamers simulating the Trump campaign were "ruthless and unconstrained right out of the gate" and in one instance made "repeated allegations of fraudulent mail-in ballots" that "led National Guard troop [sic] to destroy thousands of ballots in Democratic-leaning ZIP codes, to applause on social media from Trump supporters." (Think Steele and Kristol enjoyed that? Nah.)
Of course, she added, Team Biden repeatedly "urged calm, national unity and a fair vote count, while Team Trump issued barely disguised calls for violence and intimidation against ballot-counting officials and Biden electors."
And while both teams wanted followers to take to the streets, Brooks wrote that "Team Biden repeatedly called for peaceful protests, while Team Trump encouraged provocateurs to incite violence, then used the resulting chaos to justify sending federalized Guard units or active-duty military personnel into American cities to 'restore order,' leading to still more violence. (The exercises underscored the tremendous power enjoyed by an incumbent president: Biden can call a news conference, but Trump can call in the 82nd Airborne.)"
What does the Transition Integrity Project suggest?
In order to "avoid democratic collapse," the Transition Integrity Project has a few ideas — and the first is that officials must "commit to protecting the integrity of the electoral process against partisan meddling."
In addition, Brooks noted that "military and law enforcement leaders can prepare for the possibility that politicians will seek to manipulate or misuse their coercive powers. Partisans, including Trump, may try to deploy law enforcement, National Guard troops and, potentially, active-duty military personnel to 'restore order' in a manner that primarily benefits one party, or involve troops and law enforcement in efforts to interrupt the ballot-counting process."
For whatever reason Biden wasn't mentioned alongside Trump as one of the "partisans." Who knew?
The group also hopes the media can help folks "understand that voter fraud is extraordinarily rare, and, in particular, that there's nothing nefarious about voting by mail."
Brooks noted in conclusion that "if things go as badly as our exercises suggest they might, a sustained, nonviolent protest movement may be America's best and final hope."
Like the sustained, nonviolent protests we've seen so far this summer? The fall is looking better already.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Joe Biden suggests that Patriot Prayer member Aaron Danielson is dead because 'Trump guys' were 'inc

Joe Biden suggests that Patriot Prayer member Aaron Danielson is dead because 'Trump guys' were 'inciting responses' in Portland

Joe Biden suggests that Patriot Prayer member Aaron Danielson is dead because 'Trump guys ' were 'inciting responses ' in @ @ @ @ @ works , though ?

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has suggested that Aaron Danielson — the Trump supporter who was fatally gunned down in Portland, Oregon, last week — is dead because his fellow Trump supporters were "inciting responses."
What are the details?
On Wednesday, Biden suggested that Trump supporters were responsible for the death of Danielson — a Patriot Prayer member and Trump supporter demonstrating in Portland — because they were "inciting responses" before he was fatally shot.
In remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, which were broadcast on CBS News, Biden said, "I think what happened in Portland, where one of the Trump guys riding along in vans, inciting responses, shooting rubber bullets, I guess, or paintballs, apparently there was someone shot by someone in the crowd, with a bullet, killed."
He added, "I think that person should meet the legal requirement, whatever that calls for, should be investigated and it should follow through on what needs to be done. Let the judicial system work. Let's make sure justice is done."
What else?
Biden on Wednesday also accused President Donald Trump of inciting riots.
In his remarks in Wilmington, Biden explained that the president would be better served focusing on U.S. children returning to schools this month amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
"That's what you should be focused on, getting our kids back to school safely," he said. "Keeping schools safely able to remain open. ... Not whipping up fear and division. Not inciting violence on our streets. Get off Twitter and start talking to the congressional leaders in both parties. Invite them to the Oval Office."
He also urged Trump to "stop [his] boast" about negotiations.
"And stop your boast about never being seemed at what you can do anything," he incoherently added. "You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal for somebody other than yourself."
Though Biden didn't mention Danielson — victim of an apparent assassination — by name, he did broach the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
A Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer shot Blake at least seven times in the back on Aug. 23 after responding to a call for a domestic issue. Blake was purportedly armed with a knife, had punched a police officer in an attempt to flee, and had an open warrant for felony sexual assault charges.
"When [Trump] was asked about what should be done with regard to a young man shot in the back seven times in front of his own children, I didn't hear much of anything come from him," Biden said. "So I wish he'd take responsibility. As much as he'd like to be running against somebody else, he's running against me, Joe Biden. And the fact is that he is not acting very responsibly."


theblaze--2020-09-03--(UPDATED) Penn State Doctor retracts almost entire statement

Updated : Dr. Sebastianelli has issued a statement , which he called a `` clarification , '' which directly contradicts his earlier comments .
Dr. Sebastianelli 's original , irresponsible comments have been left in this story , even though by his own admission they were based on statistics he was attempting to cite off the top of his head , and which were clearly erroneous .
Dr. Sebastianelli 's statement is as follows .
Contrary to Dr. Sebastianelli 's statement , it is not the case that `` some have inferred '' that his comments were related to Penn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement stated plainly , `` When we looked at our COVID-positive athletes , whether they were symptomatic or not , 30 % to roughly 35 % of their heart muscles ( were ) inflamed . ''
Penn State 's director of athletic medicine said Monday that roughly one-third of Big Ten athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 have heart inflammation , according to the Centre Daily Times .
Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli said during a State College Area school board of directors meeting that 30 % to 35 % of the infected athletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Concern over the condition was at least part of the reason the Big Ten canceled its fall football season .
`` When we looked at our COVID-positive athletes , whether they were symptomatic or not , 30 % to roughly 35 % of their heart muscles ( were ) inflamed , '' Sebastianelli said , the Centre Daily Times reported .
`` And we really just do n't know what to do with it right now .
It 's still very early in the infection .
Some of that has led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to sort of put a hiatus on what 's happening . ''
Myocarditis , Sebastianelli said , can have a noticeable impact on an athlete 's performance capacity , and can be potentially fatal if it is not treated in a timely manner .
`` You could have a very high-level athlete who 's got a very superior VO2 max and cardiac output who gets infected with COVID and can drop his or her VO2 max and cardiac output just by 10 % , and that could make them go from elite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We do n't know that .
We do n't know how long that 's going to last .
`` What we have seen when people have been studied with cardiac MRI scans — symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID infections — is a level of inflammation in cardiac muscle that is just alarming , '' Sebastianelli continued .
The Big Ten released its fall football schedule on Aug. 5 , with plans for a 10-game season beginning in early September .
Six days later , the conference totally changed course , canceling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could play in the spring .
At the time of the cancellation , Commissioner Kevin Warren explained to ESPN that concerns over testing and contact tracing capacity , as well as an increased number of cases , led to the cancellation .
`` Trends have not improved , they 've become worse , '' Warren told ESPN in August .
`` You add that up , and you 're getting ready to go into more formal practice , it 's just a level of not only concerns , but unknown risks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health of human beings , it 's serious . ''
Between the release of the schedule and the sudden cancelation , a notable report came out — a report published by ESPN one day before the cancelation detailing concerns about myocarditis , which at that time had been found in five Big Ten athletes .
Interestingly , while Warren has canceled football for the Big Ten , his own son is set to play this fall at Mississippi State .
The SEC , ACC , and Big 12 conferences did not cancel @ @ @ @

Updated: Dr. Sebastianelli has issued a statement, which he called a "clarification," which directly contradicts his earlier comments. Dr. Sebastianelli's original, irresponsible comments have been left in this story, even though by his own admission they were based on statistics he was attempting to cite off the top of his head, and which were clearly erroneous. Dr. Sebastianelli's statement is as follows. Contrary to Dr. Sebastianelli's statement, it is not the case that "some have inferred" that his comments were related to Penn State athletes; rather, his original statement stated plainly, "When we looked at our COVID-positive athletes, whether they were symptomatic or not, 30% to roughly 35% of their heart muscles (were) inflamed."
The original story follows.
Penn State's director of athletic medicine said Monday that roughly one-third of Big Ten athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 have heart inflammation, according to the Centre Daily Times.
Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli said during a State College Area school board of directors meeting that 30% to 35% of the infected athletes showed signs of myocarditis on their MRIs. Concern over the condition was at least part of the reason the Big Ten canceled its fall football season.
"When we looked at our COVID-positive athletes, whether they were symptomatic or not, 30% to roughly 35% of their heart muscles (were) inflamed," Sebastianelli said, the Centre Daily Times reported. "And we really just don't know what to do with it right now. It's still very early in the infection. Some of that has led to the Pac-12 and the Big Ten's decision to sort of put a hiatus on what's happening."
Myocarditis, Sebastianelli said, can have a noticeable impact on an athlete's performance capacity, and can be potentially fatal if it is not treated in a timely manner.
"You could have a very high-level athlete who's got a very superior VO2 max and cardiac output who gets infected with COVID and can drop his or her VO2 max and cardiac output just by 10%, and that could make them go from elite status to average status," Sebastianelli said. "We don't know that. We don't know how long that's going to last.
"What we have seen when people have been studied with cardiac MRI scans — symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID infections — is a level of inflammation in cardiac muscle that is just alarming," Sebastianelli continued.
The Big Ten released its fall football schedule on Aug. 5, with plans for a 10-game season beginning in early September. Six days later, the conference totally changed course, canceling the fall season and expressing hope that they could play in the spring.
At the time of the cancellation, Commissioner Kevin Warren explained to ESPN that concerns over testing and contact tracing capacity, as well as an increased number of cases, led to the cancellation.
"Trends have not improved, they've become worse," Warren told ESPN in August. "You add that up, and you're getting ready to go into more formal practice, it's just a level of not only concerns, but unknown risks are large. When you're dealing with the health of human beings, it's serious."
Between the release of the schedule and the sudden cancelation, a notable report came out — a report published by ESPN one day before the cancelation detailing concerns about myocarditis, which at that time had been found in five Big Ten athletes.
Interestingly, while Warren has canceled football for the Big Ten, his own son is set to play this fall at Mississippi State. The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 conferences did not cancel their fall schedules.


theblaze--2020-09-03--White GWU professor 'cancels' herself for lying about being black for most of her life

White GWU professor 'cancels ' herself for lying about being black for most of her life

Jessica A. Krug, a history professor at George Washington University, "canceled" herself Thursday after admitting in a Medium post to falsely claiming a black identity for much of her professional life.
What are the details?
"For the better part of my adult life, every move I've made, every relationship I've formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies," Krug wrote at the opening of the bizarre post titled, "The Truth, and the Anti-Black Violence of My Lies."
"To an escalating degree over my adult life," she continued. "I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness."
With a dizzying sense of self-loathing, Krug would go on to call her lies "the very epitome of violence, of thievery and appropriation ... unethical, immoral, anti-Black, colonial.
She added that the lies were likely spawned by "unaddressed mental health demons" that have plagued her since childhood. But mental health issues, she argued, are no excuse for her grievous sin.
"That I claimed belonging with living people and ancestors to whom and for whom my being is always a threat at best and a death sentence at worst," she wrote.
A biographical page on George Washington University's website shows that Krug currently works as an associate professor in the school's history department, specializing in the history of Africa and the African diaspora, or the dispersion of African peoples across the globe.
Image Source: George Washington University screenshot
What else?
Krug, having confessed her wrongs, went on to pass the fitting sentence — a self-cancelation.
Here's what she wrote:
I believe in restorative justice, where possible, even when and where I don't know what that means or how it could work. I believe in accountability. And I believe in cancel culture as a necessary and righteous tool for those with less structural power to wield against those with more power.
I should absolutely be cancelled. No. I don't write in passive voice, ever, because I believe we must name power. So. You should absolutely cancel me, and I absolutely cancel myself.
But when evidently prodded by her own conscious as to what exactly a cancellation means for her, she was forced to admit, "I don't know."
She insists, however, that the article is not just some dramatic public relations move.
"This isn't a confession, it isn't a public relations move, and it damn sure isn't a shield," she wrote. "It is the truth, though."
Krug, who has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the author of "Fugitive Modernities: Politics and Identity Outside the State in Kisama, Angola, and the Americas."
According to her GWU profile, in the book she "interrogates the political practices and discourses through which those who fled from slavery and the violence of the slave trade in Angola forged coherent political communities outside of, and in opposition to, state politics."
TheBlaze reached out to the email provided on Krug's university profile for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Kayleigh McEnany pummels Nancy Pelosi while playing salon video on loop during White House press bri

Kayleigh McEnany pummels Nancy Pelosi while playing salon video on loop during White House press briefing 'Nancy Pelosi was not @ @ @ @ @ .
Nope , Nancy Pelosi was found in San Francisco at a hair salon '

The news story of Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) getting her hair done at a closed hair salon has been a much-discussed ordeal this week. Articles about the House speaker's secret haircut were four of the top five best-performing link posts on Facebook on Wednesday.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany wanted to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to see the viral video, so she played it on loop during her press briefing.
At Thursday's White House briefing, McEnany opened the news conference by playing surveillance footage of a maskless Pelosi walking around a shuttered salon in San Francisco. Not only did McEnany play the video of Pelosi violating several city coronavirus guidelines, but she played the salon video on loop for the media, which included slow-motion footage.
"Two briefings ago, I asked, 'Where is Nancy Pelosi?' Today, I can announce we have found Nancy Pelosi," McEnany started her press briefing. "As you can see, we found Nancy Pelosi going into her hair salon. We will be playing the video on loop for all of you to see during the duration of this introduction."
"Nancy Pelosi was not in the halls of Congress when I asked where she was," McEnany said. "She was not working in good faith to make a deal for the American people."
"Nope, Nancy Pelosi was found in San Francisco at a hair salon where she was indoors even though salons in California are only open for outdoor service," McEnany continued. "Apparently, the rules do not apply to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She wants small businesses to stay shut down, but only reopen for her convenience."
McEnany added, "She wants small businesses to stay shut down, but only reopen for her convenience. 'Do as I say, not as I do,' says Nancy Pelosi.
"Nancy Pelosi is holding up $1.3 trillion in relief for the American people while getting special access to the very kind of small businesses that this money would support — businesses like this hair salon," she said. "Before she skipped town to violate her state's health guidelines, Pelosi proposed a bill. It was called the Heroes Act, which contained no additional paycheck protection funding. This is funding that would help the very small business she has bizarrely accused of plotting against her."
"Nancy Pelosi is demanding an apology from a single mother and small business owner who has received threats since Nancy Pelosi's comments against her salon," the press secretary said. "Salon owner Erica Kious said this: 'Since this happened, I've received nothing but hate text messages, death threats, saying they are going to burn down my hair salon. It's just sad that my community is pulling this, saying that I threw her under the bus when I did not. So that's hurtful.'"
"Nancy Pelosi, you ought to apologize to the American people, or better yet, come back to Washington and get to work for hardworking Americans like this salon owner that you maligned and demanded an apology from," McEnany concluded.
Pelosi has alleged that the salon owner set her up for embarrassment.
"I think that this salon owes me an apology, for setting [me] up," Pelosi said.
Pelosi's daughter, Christine Pelosi, released a letter from attorney Matthew Soleimanpour accusing Kious of setting up Pelosi's stylist, Jonathan De Nardo.
On Wednesday night, Kious told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that Pelosi's claims that she was "set up" by the salon are "absolutely false," and that she had received death threats in the wake of the revelation of Pelosi's salon visit.
"There was no way I could've set that up," Kious, a single mother of two, declared. "I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in and set her up. So that is absolutely false."


theblaze--2020-09-03--ESPN host accuses Brooklyn Nets of racism for hiring white Hall of Fame player Steve Nash as coach

ESPN host accuses Brooklyn Nets of racism for hiring white Hall of Fame player Steve Nash as coach Stephen A.
@ @ @ @ @ 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 14 , 2020 , in Chicago .
( @ @ @ @ @ )

After the Brooklyn Nets hired Steve Nash, an NBA Hall of Fame point guard, to be their next head coach, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said the hiring was an example of white privilege.
Smith, who said he "love[s]" Nash, complained that black former players don't get the kind of opportunity that Nash is getting by joining a Nets team that — if healthy — could compete for a championship next season.
"This is one of the toughest, toughest positions that I've ever had to take in my career on 'First Take,' and here is why," Smith said, before going on to list some of the reasons he believes Nash is a great person who is extremely knowledgeable about basketball — but has no formal coaching experience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there's no way around this," Smith said. "This is white privilege. This does not happen for a black man. No experience whatsoever on any level as a coach, and you get the Brooklyn Nets job?"
Oddly, throughout his monologue about Nash's hiring, Smith admits that Nash deserves the job, and also that two black superstar players, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, most likely signed off on the deal. But despite deserving the job and being approved by the black men he will be coaching, Nash has received white privilege.
Smith believes that in these sensitive times of racial unrest and social justice protesting, the hiring was inappropriate.
"In these times, when we're making all of this noise about social justice, I got news for you, Molly and Max, I have said this to people on numerous occasions right here on this show, that was the tipping point," Smith said. "George Floyd's murder. Violence against black people who are unarmed. All of that stuff is true. But the frustration and the protests and all of these things you see in the streets of America emanating from the black community and disenfranchised communities, that proverbial glass ceiling, the fact that it breeds a level of frustration that we can't even put into words sometimes.
"You just want to scream," Smith continued. "You want to scream to the high heavens. How in the hell does this always happen for somebody else other than us? Why is it that we have to be twice as good to get half as much? Why is it that no matter what we do and how hard we work, and how we go through the process and the terrain of everything, somehow, some way, there's another excuse to ignore that criteria, and instead bypass it and make an exception to the rule for someone other than us. So I'm depressed right now because I have to bring that up."


theblaze--2020-09-03--'You shoot at the police, expect us to shoot back': Sheriff is fed up with cop haters and abusers

'You shoot at the police , expect us to shoot back ' : Sheriff is fed up with cop haters @ @

With violence against law enforcement on the rise around the country, a sheriff from Ohio issued a stern warning to all those who think they can get away with it in Butler County: "You shoot at the police, expect us to shoot back."
The throw down came from Sheriff Richard K. Jones, and his Wednesday message referred to "lawlessness in the country over the last few months" directed at cops, including "water dumped on police in New York, bricks and frozen water bottles thrown at police as well as officers blinded by lasers in Portland, Oregon." Jones' message also noted police were shot at in Chicago as well as in other areas.
"I won't tolerate it, period," he added. "You shoot at the police, expect us to shoot back. I will not allow my deputies or any law enforcement officer in Butler County to take the abuse I have seen over the past several months. If you come to this county expecting a free pass to harm one of my men or women in uniform, keep in mind [that] nothing in life is free."
How did folks react?
By all appearances, those who read Jones' warning on Facebook were solidly behind his sentiments:
"Every county in the United States needs more sheriffs like this," one commenter said.
"I live in Butler County. [Sheriff] Jones is for real. He is a good man. DO NOT mess with him or his department," another commenter warned.
"It's about time someone is not afraid to do their job and hold lawbreakers accountable for their actions," another commenter said.
"Thank you for caring about your citizens, officers, and our constitutional rights!!!!" another observer wrote. "Jones rocks!"
"I like the way he thinks," another commenter said. "Violence in any form against a police officer should not be tolerated, and persons committing harm to a police officer should expect dire consequences. Police officers should be allowed to defend themselves without rebuke."
No problem speaking his mind
Jones doesn't seem to have a problem saying what's on his mind.
After Republican Gov. Mike DeWine made mask-wearing mandatory in July to fight the coronavirus, Jones said he disagreed with the mandate and wouldn't help enforce it.
"I am not the mask police," he noted. "That is not my responsibility. That is not my job. People should be able to make that choice themselves."
He added: "If someone's sick, I can understand the mask-wearing. But for all of us to have our temperature taken, to have to wear a mask, where's it going to stop?"


theblaze--2020-09-03--Owner of salon where Pelosi visited says she has received death threats, will be forced to move sin

Owner of salon where Pelosi visited says she has received death threats, will be forced to move since exposing the speaker

Owner of salon where Pelosi visited says she has received death threats , will be forced to move since exposing @ @ @ @ @ claim she was 'set up ' is 'absolutely false '

The owner of a San Francisco hair salon, which was visited Monday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in violation of multiple city guidelines, said she has received "death threats" and will likely be forced to move her business from the city she has serviced for more than a decade.
"Since this has happened, I have received nothing but hate — text messages, death threats [saying that] they're going to burn my hair salon down," eSalon owner Erica Kious told Fox News host Tucker Carlson Wednesday night.
"My Yelp page is just unbelievable with bad reviews. It's just sad that my community is pulling this ... saying that I threw her under the bus when I didn't," Kious said. "So that's hurtful, but yeah, I think I'm pretty much done now."
During the interview, Kious, a single mother of two, also fired back at Pelosi, calling the lawmaker's claims that she was "set up" by the salon as "absolutely false."
Pelosi lashed out at Kious Wednesday after Kious released footage of the speaker getting her hair done in the salon shuttered by the coronavirus restrictions. In the video, Pelosi can be seen walking through the salon without wearing a mask.
"There was no way I could've set that up," Kious fired back during the Fox News interview. "I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in and set her up. So that is absolutely false."
Salon owner joins Tucker, pushes back on Pelosi's claim she was 'set-up' youtu.be
Pelosi was reportedly serviced by an independent stylist who rents space in Kious' salon. The speaker later claimed she was led to believe that one-on-one indoor appointments were permitted by the salon.
But that is simply not the case under San Francisco guidelines, which still do not permit personal service providers such as hair salons to accommodate appointments and only permitted outdoor appointments on Tuesday.
As for Pelosi's unmasked face, the guidelines also state that "personal service providers may not perform any services that requires their customer to remove their face covering."
So, the fact of the matter is, Pelosi was either unaware of the rules or indifferent toward following them, and thus responsible for her own actions. Though not responsible for instituting these specific city policies, Pelosi's case is not helped by the fact that she has been supportive of lockdown measures, in general.
Kious called Pelosi's hypocrisy "a slap in the face" on Tuesday and her blame-game retaliation "hurtful" on Wednesday.
In regard to Pelosi's one-on-one accommodation excuse, Kious said, "I heard that and I thought to myself, 'Well as a hairstylist, I see clients one-on-one. So, that would mean that I would be open, right?'"
"This isn't even political," she added. "[Pelosi's] been coming in there ... it's the fact that she actually came in, didn't have a mask on, and I just thought about my staff and people not being able to work and make money and provide for their families, and if she is in there comfortably without a mask and feeling safe, then why are we shut down? Why am I not able to have clients come in?"


theblaze--2020-09-03--Facebook removing posts supporting Kyle Rittenhouse. Company says shooting was a 'mass murder'

Accused does not mean convicted

Facebook has reportedly opted to remove social media posts supporting 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, declaring that the shooting he was involved with to be a "mass murder."
Rittenhouse faces murder charges after he allegedly killed two rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and wounded another on Aug. 25 during ongoing protests.
What are the details?
On Tuesday, conservative author and YouTuber Mark Dice said he received a notice from Facebook, threatening a suspension, after he shared video of Rittenhouse offering medical aid to wounded Kenosha protesters.
He shared a Twitter update on the threat of suspension, writing, "Facebook just removed a video I posted showing Kyle Rittenhouse offering help to a wounded protester in Kenosha and are threatening to delete my entire account."
Dice's original post said, "Newly uncovered video of Kyle Rittenhouse shows him helping an injured protester after she was struck in the foot with a projectile. In another video he told the cameraman that he'd brought a medical kit, which is the bag he was carrying. Further proving he had no malicious intent by showing up. In fact, he was there to help anyone who needed it."
In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson told the Verge that the company is, indeed, removing posts appearing to support Rittenhouse because the company considers the shooting a "mass murder."
"We've designated this shooting as a mass murder and have removed the shooter's accounts from Facebook and Instagram," the spokesperson said.
In a later Twitter update, Dice wrote, "In no way did I 'glorify' or celebrate [Rittenhouse], nor 'praise' him. I simply posted a non-graphic video, and stated as a matter of fact what it showed. He helped a protester who was injured and didn't show up in Kenosha with any malicious intent to cause trouble."
What else?
In a statement to Media Research Center, Dice said that it's more than concerning that Facebook would attempt to censor what could be considered evidence in the Rittenhouse case.
"It's horrifying that Facebook is now censoring evidence in a criminal case that helps exonerate Kyle Rittenhouse," Dice said. "The post was going viral and had been shared almost 10,000 times and debunked the mainstream media's false narrative that Kyle went to the protest to cause trouble. Quite the contrary."


theblaze--2020-09-03--Trump encourages NC voters to test voting system by mailing in votes and trying to vote in person. W

Trump encourages NC voters to test voting system by mailing in votes and trying to vote in person. White House says he is not advocating doing 'anything unlawful.'

Trump encourages NC voters to test voting system by mailing in votes and trying to vote in person .
White @ @ @ @ @ advocating doing 'anything unlawful . '
Is the voting system going to work ?

President Donald Trump encouraged North Carolina voters to test the voting system during the 2020 presidential election. He advocated that voters send in their mail-in ballots early, but to also attempt to vote in-person to see if the mail-in ballot had been tabulated.
Critics said Trump instructed voters to vote twice, which is illegal, but the White House refuted the idea that the president was telling supporters to do "anything unlawful."
President Trump visited North Carolina on Wednesday to deliver a speech at the Battleship North Carolina to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Upon arriving at the Wilmington International Airport, Trump addressed a crowd that gathered to welcome the president. He suggested that voters test the integrity of the voting system.
"If you get the unsolicited ballots, send it in, and then go — make sure it counted," Trump told his supporters. "And if it doesn't tabulate, you vote. You just vote. And then if they tabulate it very late, which they shouldn't be doing, they'll see you voted, and so it won't count. So, send it in early, and then go and vote. And if it's not tabulated — you vote. And the vote is going to count."
President Trump doubled down on his notion of testing the integrity of the system by voting via mail-in ballot, but also attempt to vote in-person if the mail-in vote was not tallied.
"They'll go out and they'll vote and they're going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way because if it tabulates then they won't be able to do that," Trump said in an interview with WCET-TV. "So, let them send it in and let them go vote and if their system's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote. If it isn't tabulated they'll be able to vote so that's the way it is."
"I don't like the idea of these unsolicited votes. I never did. It leads to a lot of problems," Trump added. "They've got 11 problems already on very small contests. I'm not happy about it. At the same time, we're in court with a lot of it. We're going to see if it can be stopped.
"But send in your ballots, send them in strong, whether it's solicited or unsolicited," the president concluded. "The absentees are fine, we have to work to get them; you know it means something. And you send them in, but you go to vote. And if they haven't counted it, you can vote. That's the way I view it."
Interview: Jon Evans of WECT TV6 Wilmington Interviews Donald Trump - September 2, 2020 youtu.be
52 U.S. Code § 10307 prohibits voting more than once, unless "all prior ballots of that voter were invalidated."
Whoever votes more than once in an election referred to in paragraph (2) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. The prohibition of this subsection applies with respect to any general, special, or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As used in this subsection, the term 'votes more than once' does not include the casting of an additional ballot if all prior ballots of that voter were invalidated, nor does it include the voting in two jurisdictions under section 10502 of this title , to the extent two ballots are not cast for an election to the same candidacy or office.
North Carolina Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell issued a letter about voting more than once.
"It is illegal to vote twice in an election. N.C.G.S. § 163-275(7) makes it a Class I felony for a voter, 'with intent to commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time…in the same primary or election,'" the letter read. "Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law."
"There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting," Bell wrote. "Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot. A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting, and this ballot will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted."
The North Carolina State Board of Elections website states, "If someone has voted an absentee ballot and then shows up to vote in person, the check-in system will alert the poll worker that the person has already voted."
United States Attorney General William Barr was asked about Trump's comments by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday afternoon.
"Well, I don't know exactly what he was saying," Barr said of Trump's remarks. "But it seems to me what he's saying is he's trying to make the point that the ability to monitor this system is not good and if it was so good, if you tried to vote a second time, you would be caught if you voted in-person."
Then Barr vigorously condemned anyone advocating for mail-in voting and said lawmakers are "playing with fire" because of the threat of widespread fraud.
"This is playing with fire. We're a very closely divided country here. And people have to have confidence in the results of the election and the legitimacy of the government, and people trying to change the rules to this to this methodology which, as a matter of logic is very open to fraud and coercion, is reckless and dangerous and people are playing with fire," Barr said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
"The only time the narrative changed is after this administration came in. But elections that have been held with mail have found substantial fraud and coercion," Barr explained. "For example, we indicted someone in Texas — 1,700 ballots collected from people who could vote — he made them out and voted for the person he wanted to, OK, because, that kind of thing happens with mail-in ballots."
Blitzer claimed that there is no evidence of widespread mail-in voting fraud.
"We haven't had the kind of widespread use of mailing ballots as being proposed," Barr replied. "We've had absentee ballots from people who request them from a specific address. Now what we're talking about is mailing them to everyone on the voter list when everyone knows those voter lists are inaccurate."
On the topic of media coverage, the attorney general told Blitzer, "The media should be fair and balanced no matter who the president is. [It] doesn't give the media license to lie the way a lot of the media is."
"I can speak for us, we are fair and balanced," Blitzer said of CNN.
Barr responded with a chuckle and said, "OK."
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that President Trump was not advocating that people "do anything unlawful" when it comes to voting.
"The president is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful. What he said very clearly there is make sure your vote is tabulated and if it is not, then vote," McEnany said Thursday in an interview on Fox News.
"Basically, when you get an absentee ballot and you send it in, there are poll books and it is recorded that you have in fact voted," McEnany added. "And if you show up at a polling site, they look at the poll book and say your vote has been counted. He wants verification."


theblaze--2020-09-03--Nancy Pelosi’s daughter releases law firm's letter insisting that salon set her mother up

Nancy Pelosi ’ s daughter releases law firm 's letter insisting that salon set her mother up

Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Christine Pelosi, has released a letter from a law firm representing the California cosmetologist who provided stylist services to the House speaker on Monday during a COVID-19 lockdown.
In its letter, the law firm accused the salon owner of engaging in a setup.
What's a brief history here?
On Tuesday, reports emerged that Nancy Pelosi requested an appointment at the San Francisco-area salon despite statewide restrictions on such services due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In footage of the visit, Pelosi can be seen in the salon without a mask.
The salon owner said that Pelosi's visit was a "slap in the face" considering she has been unable to open her salon for months due to lockdown restrictions. The owner also pointed out that the House speaker "feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can't work."
Pelosi on Wednesday complained that the salon set her up, and said the owner owes her an apology over the criticism she faced.
"I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I've been to over the years many times," Pelosi said. "And that when they said 'We're able to accommodate people one person at a time' and that we can set up that time, I trusted that. As it turns out, it was a setup, so I take responsibility for falling for a setup."
What are the details?
The letter, from attorney Matthew Soleimanpour, accused eSalon owner Erica Kious of setting up cosmetologist Jonathan De Nardo, Pelosi's stylist.
A portion of the letter reads, "In response to press inquiries on the matter, Mr. DeNardo can confirm that he indeed did provide professional stylist services to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) on August 31, 2020, at the 'eSalon,' located … in San Francisco, California."
"Mr. DeNardo, at all times, took all requisite safety measures throughout his appointment with Speaker Pelosi, including sanitation of all service areas and wearing of CDC-recommended protective equipment, and thereafter ensured the premises were similarly sanitized following Speaker Pelosi's departure," the letter adds.
Soleimanpour adds that DeNardo — who has worked at eSalon for approximately six years — received approval from Kious to book an appointment with Pelosi.
Kious on Wednesday told Fox News that she did not engage in any type of setup at all.
"[Pelosi] had called the stylist, or her assistant did, and made the appointment, so the appointment was already booked, so there was no way I could've set that up," Kious said. "And I've had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didn't go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in to set her up. So that's absolutely false."
The letter notes, "Ms. Kious took special interest in the appointment during this telephone call, wherein she made several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi and her purported responsibility for temporarily suspending operations of Ms. Kious' business, despite such orders actually being put into place not by Speaker Pelosi, but by Governor Gavin Newsome [sic] and San Francisco Mayor London Breed."
Despite the alleged remarks, Kious reportedly permitted DeNardo to follow through with styling Pelosi.
"This office is in possession of photographs, videos, and witness information that Ms. Kious, contrary to her prior statements to the press, has actually been operating her business during the stay-at-home orders and similar executive orders limiting in-store operations since as far back as April 2020."
Anything else?
Such photographs purport to show Kious refusing to follow social distancing requirements as well as refusing to adhere to mask-wearing guidelines.
"What's more," the letter continues, "Ms. Kious has also been actively encouraging and almost forcing stylists who operate at eSalon to violate such orders for her own financial benefit in the form of receiving lease payments."
The letter concludes, "The fact that Ms. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi's presence at eSalon, and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious' political leanings, it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations."


theblaze--2020-09-03--POLL: Have you already made up your mind as to whom you are going to vote for?

POLL : Have you already made up your mind as to whom you are going to vote for ?
Cast @ @ @ @ @ forget to share !

POLL: Have you already made up your mind as to whom you are going to vote for?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-09-03--Black conservative men praise President Trump, lambaste leftists who accuse him of racism in high-oc

Black conservative men praise President Trump, lambaste leftists who accuse him of racism in high-octane, viral video

Black conservative men praise President Trump , lambaste leftists who accuse him of racism in high-octane , viral video 'As @ @ @ @ @ conservatism is the new punk rock ! '

A quartet of black conservative men praised President Donald Trump — and absolutely lambasted leftists who've accused him of racism — in a now-viral video interview during what appeared to be a recent Trump rally in Beverly Hills.
mage source: YouTube screenshot
What are the details?
In the video posted by interviewer Jess Weber, the men were seen jawing with leftists on the street and also gathering together to make their case.
MAGA Hulk said those who call Trump a racist "have no facts on their side."
At one point, video caught him arguing with a leftist who accused Trump of racism, and MAGA Hulk pushed back when the man failed to offer specifics: "Nothing! You got nothing! You keep saying, 'Oh, I heard him say this, oh, I heard him say that,' but you have no facts, though!"
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Later he added, "They can't answer the question because they have no facts on their side. They have no facts. They don't do any research. They don't ... do any type of higher learning when it comes to what they believe. All they know is what the media narrative tells them to believe, and that's all they parrot."
Lucas The Abstract said during the group interview that "I personally believe the [Black Lives Matter] movement is fake. It has nothing to do with advancing the lives of black people."
"They want to break up the family home," another man in the group noted.
"Don't tell me I'm oppressed, because I'm not oppressed," Lucas The Abstract said. "I'm a black American. I'm a proud black American. I'm not oppressed … I'm one of the freest persons in this world."
"As you can see, black conservatism is the new punk rock!" another man in the group declared.
"We're the rebels!" MAGA Hulk said. "Wanna be cool? Come join our cause, baby!"
The Washington Examiner noted that while Trump won just 8% of the black vote in 2016, his 2020 campaign team has pointed to a recent Emerson poll suggesting Trump could win up to 20% of the black vote in November.
(Content warning: Language)


theblaze--2020-09-03--Johnson & Johnson issues warning after teen on TikTok reportedly dies from the ‘Benadryl challenge’

Johnson & Johnson issues warning after teen on TikTok reportedly dies from the ‘ Benadryl challenge ’ 'Extremely concerning , @ @ @ @ @ immediately '

Well-known pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson issued a warning to parents this week about the dangers of TikTok's "Benadryl challenge" after several teens reportedly overdosed while attempting the stunt.
In a statement to Fox News, the company said: "The Benadryl TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately. As with any medicine, abuse or misuse can lead to serious side effects with potentially long-lasting consequences, and Benadryl products should only be used as directed by the label."
The warning came after a 15-year-old girl in Oklahoma died after performing the challenge, which involves taking a dozen or more pills of the antihistamine drug to hallucinate and then posting the video on the platform.
The teenage girl was characterized as "an otherwise happy and faith-driven teen" and "not one to experiment with drugs" in the KFOR-TV report.
Though the girl is the first to have potentially died from the challenge, she is not the first to experience health complications from it. Three teens in Fort Worth, Texas, were reportedly hospitalized after overdosing on the drug.
The teens told the hospital that they got the idea from videos on TikTok claiming that they could hallucinate if they took more than a dozen pills. The recommended dosage is only one to two tablets every four to six hours.
Scott Schaeffer, director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, told KFOR-TV that "the dose that can cause a hallucination is very close to the dose that can cause something potentially life-threatening."
"Large doses of Benadryl can cause seizures and, particularly, problems with the heart," he added. "The heart tends to go out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively."
Thankfully, it appears that medical professionals and educators are now raising awareness about the dangers of overdosing on the drug.
Johnson & Johnson added that they are "working with TikTok and our partners to do what we can to stop this dangerous trend, including the removal of content across social platforms that showcase this behavior."
The Benadryl challenge is reminiscent of other similar "challenge" trends that have risen to popularity on social media in recent years including the "Tide Pod challenge" and the "outlet challenge."


theblaze--2020-09-03--Black man dies after police place him in spit hood, press face into pavement. Family demands cops be

Black man dies after police place him in spit hood, press face into pavement. Family demands cops be charged with murder, releases the bodycam footage.

Black man dies after police place him in spit hood , press face into pavement .
Family demands cops be @ @ @ @ @ the bodycam footage .

The family of 41-year-old Daniel Prude, who died in March following an interaction with police in Rochester, New York, have just released the bodycam footage of his arrest.
Prude died in March after arresting officers placed him in a spit hood and held his face into the pavement for at least two minutes.
Prude's family held a news conference Wednesday night, demanding that the officers involved in Prude's detainment be fired and charged with murder.
What are the details?
According to a Wednesday evening report from the New York Times, police officers discovered Prude running around naked after his brother called 911 to report him as having a mental episode.
Just a day before his detainment, Prude reportedly visited a local hospital in hopes of obtaining psychiatric treatment.
Authorities found Prude, fully naked and reportedly attempting to break into a vehicle. Prude reportedly told authorities that he was infected with COVID-19 when they arrived on the scene.
In the footage, Prude can be seen handcuffed with his hands behind his back and shouting. Officers reportedly placed a spit hood on Prude to prevent him from spitting on police.
As the hood is placed over Prude's head, he can be heard shouting, "Give me that gun. Give me that gun."
Three officers push Prude to the ground, where he becomes further agitated.
At least one officer can be seen pushing Prude's head into the pavement. Another officer can be seen placing a knee in Prude's back.
An officer can be heard telling Prude to "calm down" and to stop spitting.
Snow falls lightly and quietly on the wet street.
After two minutes in this position, Prude falls lifeless and makes no more sounds.
An officer can be heard asking Prude, "You good, man?" and sees that Prude has vomited on the pavement.
(Content warning: Disturbing footage)
First responders arrive minutes later and attempt to resuscitate him with CPR. Medics take Prude to a nearby hospital, where he is declared brain dead and placed on life support.
He died in the hospital a week after the encounter with Rochester police.
How did the man die?
The Monroe County medical examiner's office determined Prude was killed due to "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint."
Other contributing factors, however, included acute PCP intoxication and "excited delirium."
CNN reported that the autopsy also pointed out that Prude suffered from acute myocarditis and also had a history of severe respiratory acidosis.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James called Prude's death a "tragedy."
"[W]e will follow the facts of this case and ensure a complete and thorough examination of all relevant parties," James added in a recent news conference on Prude's death.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Horowitz: Venezuela in America: CDC to confiscate property rights with new anti-eviction order

Horowitz : Venezuela in America : CDC to confiscate property rights with new anti-eviction order Coronavirus is being used to @ @ @ @ @ of their property rights

"Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, that alone is a just government, which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own." ~James Madison
Rational thought, constitutional rights, basic freedoms, and ability to breathe unmasked air have been axed at the altar of the coronavirus cult. Now, it appears that the CDC has the power to destroy the property rights of landlords and force them to house chosen classes of people on their property, contrary to contractual agreements. We fought a revolution over this issue.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that the CDC will put a moratorium on all private lease evictions in the United States until December 31. Which, in this day and age, will likely mean that a government canceling of rent or evictions to some degree will be enshrined as a permanent policy of government.
After reading various headlines reporting the announcement, you might have thought this was referring to federally run housing units or at least rentals or mortgages backed by the federal government. Nope. The federal government is suspending all private rental evictions for individuals earning less than $99,000 or families earning less than $198,000. In other words, it is confiscating the private property rights of countless American businessmen who are struggling just as much as renters.
We have heard incessant accusations from this administration and other Republicans that Joe Biden and the Democrats will transform this country into a socialist hellhole. But if this order is not socialist, than the term has no meaning. At least the eviction cancellation provision of the CARES Act in March was passed by a legislative body and only applied to federally funded housing, such as mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is an unaccountable executive action governing strictly private contracts.
The order will formally be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
Extra shocking, this order comes at a time when government is handing out free funding to everyone. So if officials plan to keep the country afloat through servicing debt, why is there a need to harm landlords? With all the handouts going around, they should just give the tenants the money to pay the landlords. Now government is taking its redistribution scheme a step further by using citizens' private property for handouts.
"President Trump is committed to helping hardworking Americans stay in their homes and combating the spread of the coronavirus," White House deputy press secretary Brian Morgenstern said during a briefing announcing the order on Tuesday.
Again, how is this different from Joe Biden – both in the approach to the virus and to economics? How about cutting off funding in the budget bill later this month to all states that continue the lockdown so we don't continue to suffer the economic collapse fueling the rent crisis in the first place? If more states were like South Dakota, we wouldn't have to worry about evictions. Alternatively, how about at least conditioning the federal eviction cancellation only to states exempting landlords from property taxes this year? Why should property owners have to suffer for government malfeasance?
What will happen with private rental businesses is the same thing government bailouts, mandates, subsidies, and confiscations do to every other industry. It will chase small-scale landowners out of the rental business and suck these properties into the grasp of corporate real estate moguls who have the economies of scale to deal with the eviction problems, gobble up the government relief programs, and use cheap prices to purchase property from desperate small-scale sellers.
This latest grab of power to terminate private contracts exemplifies the broader violation of the national social compact, expressed in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution. The government now controls our lives, liberty, and property without any due process or even legislative process or public input. It can just declare any long-term progressive goal vital to stopping the spread of the virus without showing any evidence of necessity, effectiveness, or constitutionality.
Whether it's mandating the covering of our humanity with masks, the shutting of businesses and churches, the confiscation of land, or the release of violent criminals from prison, it's all for the public good – and can be done by any executive authority. The CDC's acting chief of staff asserted in the unpublished order, without providing any evidence, that the CDC has such power because an eviction moratorium is "reasonably necessary measure under 42 CFR 70.2 to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 throughout the United States."
How far has our government strayed from the principles of the national contract we all adopted in 1789? James Madison flatly asserted in Federalist 54 that "Government is instituted no less for the protection of the property than of the persons of individuals." Even toward the end of his life, long after the Constitution was adopted, Madison was still concerned with property rights. He went on to explain at a constitutional convention of Virginia lawmakers in 1829 that individual and property rights "cannot well be separated" because "the personal right to acquire property, which is a natural right, gives to property, when acquired, a right to protection, as a social right."
In other words, government was created for the express purpose of protecting property. Now it is being used to retroactively dissolve private contracts voluntarily forged between two citizens and engage in Venezuela-style state-sanctioned theft. If government can do this so easily, what can it not do to us? As John Adams warned in 1787:
"The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet,' and 'Thou shalt not steal,' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free."
Our politicians continue to forget that there is no emergency exception to fundamental rights in the Constitution, most certainly not property rights. A decade before the American revolution, Sir William Blackstone, the English jurist who so greatly influenced the legal thinking of our Founders, wrote in his "Commentaries on the Laws of England," "So great moreover is the regard of the law for private property, that it will not authorize the least violation of it; no, not even for the general good of the whole community." Which is why Jon Jay concluded, "No power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent."
Sadly, the only rights that have not been infringed upon under the guise of emergency powers this year involve the one true constitutional exception to fundamental rights, which is habeas corpus during a rebellion (Art. I, Sec. 9, Cl. II). Nobody is even asking for the rioters to be held without habeas rights or other due process, but they are not even being held or stopped with those rights. They have free rein to plunder, burn, and maim without being prosecuted. Meanwhile, coronavirus is being used to illegally strip peaceful business owners of their property rights.
Unless this tyranny changes, Joe Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will have won this election regardless of the vote tally on November 3.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Demi Lovato describes feeling shame over whiteness after high-profile killings of black people

Demi Lovato performs the national anthem prior to the start of Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and @ @ @ @ @ Rock Stadium .
( Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images )

Pop star Demi Lovato said she felt shame about being white because of killings of black people committed by white people in the past several months, she wrote in a piece for Vogue.
Lovato described the conflicted feelings she had about what she should do in response to apparent racial injustice.
"At first, I was self-conscious about speaking out about these issues because I didn't want anyone to feel like it wasn't genuine," Lovato wrote. "I also felt like I wanted to call every person of color that I knew and apologize, which I know isn't the right thing to do either. Like a lot of people, I didn't know what to do."
"All I knew was that I hated that I shared the same skin color as the people accused of committing heinous crimes against Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many, many other Black lives," Lovato said.
Lovato pointed out that after the video of Ahmaud Arbery's killing was released to the public in May, her social media habits changed.
"My relationship with social media before lockdown was very typical," Lovato said. "If you scroll down my feed, it was mainly all glamour shots and pictures of me looking cute and fancy. But then there's this sudden shift around the time Ahmaud Arbery was killed. Now my feed is filled with information about racial injustice and what we can do to help."
One effect of recent high-profile killings of black people by white people, and the subsequent protests, has been an increase in discussion about white privilege and a push for white people to reflect on what inherent advantages they might have in life because they are white.
Some of these discussions have gone to extreme levels, resulting in videos of white people kneeling before black people or white people being encouraged to wash the feet of black people as penance for the sins of white people against minorities.
More recently, there have been examples of protesters confronting white people in public places and attempting to harass or intimidate them into raising a fist in support of Black Lives Matter.
During one such scene in Washington, D.C., the mob chanted "White silence is violence" as they surrounded a woman who refused to raise her fist. Many, if not most, of the mob doing this was white. The woman later told a reporter she was supportive of Black Lives Matter and had even participated in marches, but didn't feel right about raising her fist in that circumstance.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Kyle Rittenhouse's lawyer says Twitter locked him out of his account for 'glorifying violence': 'I'm

Kyle Rittenhouse's lawyer says Twitter locked him out of his account for 'glorifying violence': 'I'm going to take Jack Dorsey's a** down'

Kyle Rittenhouse 's lawyer says Twitter locked him out of his account for 'glorifying violence ' : ' I 'm @ @ @ @ @ 's a** down' Attorney L. Lin Wood had been tweeting about raising funds for Rittenhouse @ @ @ @ @ admitted it 'incorrectly ' suspended his account

An attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse — the 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two men amid Kenosha rioting last week — said he was locked out of his Twitter account for "glorifying violence" after he'd been tweeting about raising money for his client's legal defense, Fox News reported.
L. Lin Wood also told the cable network he intends to file a lawsuit against Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey.
"I'm going to take Jack Dorsey's ass down," Wood added to Fox News. "He has been abusing the First Amendment of this country for his own agenda."
What are the details?
Wood was locked out of his account for several hours Tuesday for violating Twitter rules — specifically for "glorifying violence," the cable network said, adding that Wood insisted he has been careful to abide by the social media giant's terms of service.
More from Fox News:
On Monday, Wood revealed on Twitter that more than 11,000 donors have raised $605,550 for the legal defense of Rittenhouse, who claims the shootings in Kenosha were self-defense.
A Twitter user asked if Wood would be selling or disclosing his donor list to other groups. Lin replied "No" and added "#fightback" in reference to the name of the legal fund foundation. That was his last tweet before getting locked out.
Wood also represents Nick Sandmann, Carter Page, St. Louis couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, Dr. Simone Gold, and Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, who posted that "Twitter is censoring" Wood:
"I was arrested today & confined in Twitter jail falsely accused of glorifying violence. I was exonerated this evening by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' I am free tonight," Wood tweeted Tuesday night after his account was reinstated.
He added: "Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on 8/26 & is confined in Illinois jail falsely accused of murder. Kyle will be exonerated when truth is revealed by a finding of 'incorrectly actioned.' Kyle will be free soon."
What did Twitter have to say?
A Twitter spokesperson told Fox News it was all a big mistake: "This account was incorrectly actioned. This has been reversed, and the account has been reinstated."
Twitter has been criticized lately for double standards in its treatment of posts. During a July hearing on anti-Semitism, a Twitter representative defended his company's decision to not block tweets from Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for genocide while flagging tweets from President Donald Trump.
Wood told Fox News he wasn't surprised by what Twitter did to him: "I knew they were going to censor me because I'm sending a message of hope. I'm sending a message of truth. And I'm sending a message that Kyle Rittenhouse is innocent."
Wood added to the cable network that he now will rely on Parler, a newer social media service that has attracted conservatives tired of Twitter.
Et tu, Facebook?
TheBlaze recently reported that Facebook has banned users from sharing a crowdfunding link to assist with Rittenhouse's legal fee but allows fundraising posts for others charged with crimes — including murder — which makes it appear as though Facebook unfairly singling out Rittenhouse.
Anything else?
Another Rittenhouse attorney, John Pierce — who said his client acted in self-defense — shared video footage of a conversation he said was between him and Rittenhouse. The caller can be heard on the phone saying, "I just wanna thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for the underlying support. I just want to thank all of you for the mail I've been receiving. It's been really helpful." The caller added, "I'm going to be out of here soon."
Rittenhouse is accused of killing two protesters and wounding a third on Aug. 25, the third night of the Kenosha riots. Violence erupted in the southern Wisconsin city after police shot Jacob Blake, a black man, on Aug. 23.
While leftists have — without evidence — resoundingly condemned Rittenhouse as a murderer and white supremacist, Elijah Shaffer of TheBlaze TV recorded an interview with Rittenhouse prior to the shootings that paints quite a different picture of the teen:
Even the criminal complaint against Rittenhouse seems to read as though he acted in self-defense.


theblaze--2020-09-03--Facebook removes GOP lawmaker's post promising to ‘drop any 10' armed protesters who come to Louisia

Facebook removes GOP lawmaker's post promising to ‘drop any 10' armed protesters who come to Louisiana and into his neighborhood

Facebook removes GOP lawmaker 's post promising to ‘ drop any 10 ' armed protesters who come to Louisiana and @ @ @ @ @ are SWAT .
Nothing personal .
We just eliminate the threat . '

Facebook removed two posts from a Louisiana congressman's account in which the Republican lawmaker promised to "drop any 10" armed protesters "where [they] stand" should they come to Louisiana and into his neighborhood in a threatening manner.
The first post was removed for breaking the company's "Violence and Incitement" policies, a Facebook spokesperson reportedly told Baton Rouge news outlet, The Advocate, on Tuesday.
In that now-removed post, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) displayed a picture of protesters armed with long guns and wrote: "If this shows up, we'll consider the armed presence a real threat."
"We being, We, the People, of Louisiana," he added. "One way ticket fellas. Have your affairs in order."
Some outlets reporting on the news noted that Louisiana is an open-carry state, meaning a permit is not needed in order for someone to visibly carry a firearm in public.
Higgins, who formerly worked as a sheriff's deputy before entering politics, is known for his unwavering support for law enforcement and his vigorous anti-crime stance.
"Me? I wouldn't even spill my beer. I'd drop any 10 of you where you stand," he warned in the post. "We, are SWAT. Nothing personal. We just eliminate the threat. We don't care what color you are. We don't care if you're left or right. if you show up like this, if We recognize threat...you won't walk away."
BuzzFeed News reporter Salvador Hernandez was able to screenshot the post before it was taken down:
"We don't want to see your worthless ass nor do we want to make your Mothers cry," Higgins added later in the post before implicitly threatening to meet the protesters with lethal force.
"You're the ones threatening, if you show yourselves, aggressively natured and armed in my presence. In my neighborhood. Where I work. Anywhere close enough to put my family or my fellow citizens in danger. That is where your journey will end. Fast," he wrote. "How fast? 1,450 FPS fast."
Protests over racial injustice and police brutality have frequently turned into violent and destructive riots in many communities across the country, including Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; and Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Higgins' Facebook post came as protests continued in Lafayette, Louisiana, over the death of Trayford Pellerin, a black man killed by police late last month.
In response to the first post's removal, Higgins took to Facebook with a second post, which was ultimately removed from the platform for "incitement" as well.
In that post, Higgins wrote: "No, I did not remove my post. America is being manipulated into a new era of government control. Your liberty is threatened from within. Welcome to the front lines, Ladies and Gentlemen. I suggest you get your mind right. I'll advise when it's time gear up, mount up, and roll out."
On Wednesday, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) characterized Higgins' posts as "dumb and reckless" and in need of "serious condemnation."


theblaze--2020-09-04--White House economic chief Larry Kudlow shares powerful testimony on overcoming his own addictions

President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, opened up about his own past struggles with addiction on Thursday, delivering a glimpse into his past and humbly offering to others what worked for him in overcoming substance abuse.
What are the details?
During a roundtable discussion Thursday for the Office of National Drug Policy led by first lady Melania Trump, Kudlow was given the floor to tell his own story.
Kudlow, the director of the United States Economic Council, began by noting that he had just celebrated 25 years of sobriety in July, before explaining, "When the president and the first lady offered me this position — which is the greatest honor of my professional life...it would not have been possible...it would not have been remotely possible. It would have been unthinkable that I could occupy such a job 25 years ago."
"I was a hopeless abuser of alcohol and drugs," he continued. "I had tried several times unsuccessfully to get sober. Like a lot of my peers and friends, I went through bloody hell and suffered significant consequences. I'm not alone. Most of us had the same troubles."
The Daily Mail reported that Kudlow was a "Wall Street star in the 1990s — with chatter he could run for public office — when he revealed he left his job at Bear Stearns to enter a 12-step program in order to deal with his addictions to cocaine and alcohol."
The outlet noted that "in 1995, his third wife Judith threatened to divorce him when he relapsed. But he did manage to make a recovery and keep his marriage."
On Thursday, Kudlow referred to his wife of 34 years as "a saint," saying that their marriage was able to survive "by the grace of God." He was eventually able to get sober and remain sober through the support of Judy and his friends.
"I believe sincerely today it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to change, seek a new path, return to faith," Kudlow said.
According to Fox Business, "he said that he learned God 'could and would' help him beat his addiction to drugs and alcohol."
Anything else?
Kudlow also spoke directly to those who are currently struggling with addiction. "You will, you can get sober," he said.
"Those who are still sick and suffering, you can. It's not easy, but you can get sober and stay sober and you can lead a productive life, and most importantly, hopefully, like myself, we can learn to help other people," Kudlow said.