theblaze--2020-08-06--Joe Biden once again reveals his belief that all black people think the same, but says Latinos have

Joe Biden once again reveals his belief that all black people think the same, but says Latinos have 'diversity' of thought

Joe Biden once again reveals his belief that all black people think the same , but says Latinos have 'diversity @ @ @

Former Vice President Joe Biden made another racially questionable comment Tuesday when discussing the difference between black and Latino voters, Politico reported.
During a virtual conference hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Biden was asked by NPR reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro about what he would do to address deportations of Cubans, especially while some Venezuelan people are receiving Temporary Protected Status to stay in the U.S.
Biden did not answer the question directly, causing Garcia-Navarro to have to restate it in an attempt to get specifics. On the second try, Biden pivoted to what may have been intended as a compliment to Latino communities that came out as a needless shot a black voters.
"Unlike the African American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly diverse attitudes about different things," Biden said. "You go to Florida, you find a very different attitude about immigration than you do in Arizona. So it's a very diverse community."
President Donald Trump, who won the 2016 election with approximately 8% of the black vote, tweeted Tuesday that the remark would cost Biden in November.
"Wow! Joe Biden just lost the entire African American community," Trump wrote. "What a 'dumb' thing to say!"
The day before, Biden snapped at a Errol Barnett, black journalist who asked him about cognitive tests (which Biden had previously taken), by asking "why the hell would I take a test" and saying it was like asking Barnett if he had taken a cocaine test before the broadcast.
Biden's apparent belief that the black community is ideologically homogenous has shown up before. In May, Biden scoffed at a black radio host who said he had more questions about Biden, telling him that black people who are undecided about voting for Biden over Trump "ain't black."
While it's true that black voters tend to overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, that voting pattern may have as much to do with distaste toward Republicans or a lack of good Republican candidate choices as it does with political ideology. Past research has shown that black Democrats are less likely than white or Hispanic Democrats to label themselves as liberal.
FiveThirtyEight has also commented on this issue:
But black voters aren't the monolith exit polls make them out to be. Pew Research Center found that a quarter of black Democrats identify as conservative, and 43 percent identify as moderate.


theblaze--2020-08-06--New York City teachers' union protests school reopening plan with guillotines and coffins

New York City teachers ' union protests school reopening plan with guillotines and coffins Many 'essential workers ' have been @ @ @ @ @ for five months , but teachers ' unions do n't believe their members should be @ @

A group of protesters marched from the United Federation of Teachers headquarters to the New York City Department of Education offices on Monday, displaying a number of props designed to convey the dramatic message that the Department of Education was killing them.
According to the New York Post, the protest included about 200 people, "many" of whom were described to be educators, administration officials, or parents. They carried along with them a homemade yellow guillotine with "DOE" written on the blade, and "US" written where the head should go. They also reportedly carried along at least two coffins draped in black, and three body bags.
The protesters were upset about New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to partially reopen schools this fall. They reportedly chanted "We demand safe schools!" as they marched, and complained to media personnel who attended the protest that de Blasio's plan did not do enough to protect their safety.
Many on social media noted that, among other issues with the protest, the protesters were literally not observing proper social distancing during the course of their protest, which made their protestations about lack of proper safeguards ring a bit hollow.
Also, presumably these same teachers have been utilizing the services of the food processing and distribution industries, as well as the transportation industry and health care industry, which have been required to be at work since the pandemic began.
School reopening plans have emerged as one of the hottest political issues going into election season. The Trump administration, backed by the CDC and the American Pediatric Association, have strongly encouraged local schools to reopen in the fall for in-person learning, with the possible exception of some urban areas that are particularly hard hit or active hot spots for the infection.
Teachers' unions, on the other hand, have strongly resisted plans to reopen local schools, and in many cases have attempted to use their leverage with the public to demand a list of far-fetched, non-germane liberal policies before they will willingly return to their jobs.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Cop reportedly shares sexually explicit photos of college student after she files a police report ab

Cop reportedly shares sexually explicit photos of college student after she files a police report about extortion. She was dead days later.

Cop reportedly shares sexually explicit photos of college student after she files a police report about extortion .
She was @ @ @ @

A University of Utah police officer is under fire after reportedly showing colleagues explicit sexual photos of a 21-year-old student who later ended up dead.
Newly released reports allege that Officer Miguel Deras inappropriately showed his fellow officers explicit images and that Deras' fellow officers "inappropriately commented on the photos."
What are the details of the girl's death?
Lauren McCluskey was killed in Oct. 2018 when her ex-boyfriend shot her inside a parked vehicle at the university.
Just three days before her murder, McCluskey filed a police report alleging that her ex-boyfriend — 37-year-old registered sex offender Melvin Rowland — was blackmailing her with explicit photos. McCluskey also insisted that Rowland was sending her threatening texts and email messages, warning that he would damage her "financially and reputationally."
KUTV-TV reported that Rowland lied about his age to McCluskey, who had allegedly paid him a sum of $1,000 to stop him from spreading the photos online. McCluskey was also allegedly unaware of Rowland's sex offender status.
Rowland reportedly showed up at the school and shot McCluskey multiple times while she was on the phone with her mother.
The suspect was found dead from an apparent suicide just hours after police discovered McCluskey's body.
How did the officer come into play?
Deras, who was assigned the case prior to McCluskey's murder, flaunted the evidence in front of at least three of his colleagues, reports say, boasting that he could "look at them whenever he wanted."
At the time, one of Deras' fellow officers reportedly commented, "She's cute," while another allegedly said that Deras' was "lucky" to have been assigned the case.
Following her death, Deras' reportedly continued to show off the graphic photos of McCluskey's body, allegedly showing at least one officer at the crime scene what she looked like through the photos, which Deras' allegedly accessed through his cell phone.
The girl's parents filed a $65 million lawsuit against the school and police force, insisting it mishandled the case.
Deras reportedly quit the department in September 2019 and now works for the Logan City Police Department, reports say.
You can read more on the case's background here.
Rodney Chatman, chief of police for the University of Utah's Department of Public Safety, issued remarks on the findings on Wednesday.
"I am deeply disturbed by this finding and disappointed in the officers who were present and who did not report this incident through appropriate university channels," Chatman said. "It is inexcusable for any law enforcement officer to discuss photos or information provided by a victim outside of clear and legitimate law enforcement reasons."
A statement from Deras' legal team roundly denies the allegations against its client.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Here are the 10 states with the lowest — and highest — unemployment rates as COVID-19  economic reco

Here are the 10 states with the lowest — and highest — unemployment rates as COVID-19 economic recovery sputters along @ @ @ @ @ recoveries .
Others ... not so much .

In July, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the national unemployment rate in June was 11.1% — an unhealthy level, but far better than the 14.7% we saw in April.
The national July numbers, which will be reported Friday, are expected to be better than last month. Experts are forecasting an unemployment rate of 10.5%.
But how are things looking in each of the states?
The most recent state-by-state data, which was posted last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, revealed that there are some states that are truly seeing a "V-shaped recovery," as Fortune noted Thursday. But too many states are still languishing in a slower-than-hoped-for recovery from the hit that the coronavirus — as well as the federal, state, and local governments' responses — delivered to the American economy.
Leading the states that have recovered seemingly quickly is Kentucky. The Bluegrass State's unemployment rate is currently 4.3% — nearly identical to its pre-COVID rate of 4.2% in February. The state hit a peak unemployment rate of 16.6% in April, but seems to have fully recovered — at least when it comes to jobs. And the recovery appears to have come as a surprise to the state government. From Fortune:
But dig a bit deeper and it's clear that not all recoveries are proceeding equally. They vary immensely by state. In Kentucky, the seasonally adjusted jobless rate soared from 4.2% in February to 16.6% in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But as Governor Andrew Beshear reopened the Bluegrass State's economy, the jobless rate sunk to 4.3% by June — the lowest in the nation. That's a textbook V-shaped recovery.
The swift recovery in Kentucky even caught its state officials by surprise. In May the state projected a $457 million general fund shortfall, however, it ended the fiscal year in June with a $177.5 million surplus. It helped that Kentucky doesn't rely heavily on industries like leisure and hospitality that were decimated by the pandemic.
On the other end of the joblessness spectrum is Massachusetts, where the unemployment rate has continued to rise during the COVID-19 crisis. As recently as March, the state's unemployment rate was 2.8%, but it took a huge jump to 16.2% in April. And the most recent data shows the Bay State currently with a rate of 17.4%.
Generally speaking, rural states tend to be out-performing more populous states.
The 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates:
No. 1: Kentucky
● Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 16.6% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 4.2%
No. 2: Utah
● Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 10.4% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 2.5%
No. 3: Idaho
● Current unemployment rate: 5.6%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 11.8% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 2.7%
No. 4: North Dakota
● Current unemployment rate: 6.1%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 9.1% (May)
● February unemployment rate: 2.2%
No. 5: Maine
● Current unemployment rate: 6.6%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 10.4% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.2%
No. 6: Oklahoma
● Current unemployment rate: 6.6%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 14.7% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.2%
No. 7: Nebraska
● Current unemployment rate: 6.7%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 8.7% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 2.9%
No. 8: Montana
● Current unemployment rate: 7.2%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 11.9% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.5%
No. 9: South Dakota
● Current unemployment rate: 7.2%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 10.9% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.3%
No. 10: Alabama
● Current unemployment rate: 7.5%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 13.8% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 2.7%
The 10 states with the highest unemployment rates:
No. 1: Massachusetts
● Current unemployment rate: 17.4%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 17.4% (June)
● February unemployment rate: 2.8%
No. 2: New Jersey
● Current unemployment rate: 16.6%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 16.6% (June)
● February unemployment rate: 3.8%
No. 3: New York
● Current unemployment rate: 15.7%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 15.7% (June)
● February unemployment rate: 3.7%
No. 4: Nevada
● Current unemployment rate: 15%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 30.1% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.6%
No. 5: California
● Current unemployment rate: 14.9%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 16.4% (May)
● February unemployment rate: 3.9%
No. 6: Michigan
● Current unemployment rate: 14.8%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 24% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.6%
No. 7: Illinois
● Current unemployment rate: 14.6%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 17.2% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 3.4%
No. 8: Hawaii
● Current unemployment rate: 13.9%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 23.8% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 2.7%
No. 9: Pennsylvania
● Current unemployment rate: 13%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 16.1% (April)
● February unemployment rate: 4.7%
No. 10: Delaware
● Current unemployment rate: 12.5%
● Peak COVID unemployment rate: 15.9% (May)
● February unemployment rate: 3.9%


theblaze--2020-08-06--Steve Deace: Here's what they DON'T want you to know about COVID-19

Steve Deace : Here 's what they DO N'T want you to know about COVID-19

On Wednesday, "The Steve Deace Show" compiled a list of coronavirus facts vs. lies and put the media-driven fear in perspective.
In this clip, Steve Deace explained that America is testing everything that moves for COVID-19. At the time Wednesday's show was taped, 0.07% of Americans had tested positive for the coronavirus. He dove into the statistics, state by state, and provided data for the number of COVID-19 tests conducted, positive tests, and the mortality rate.
Later, Deace addressed mask mandates, which states have them and which states do not. According to Deace, of the top 10 most deadly states, eight have mask mandates. Get informed. Watch the video.
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theblaze--2020-08-06--More than 20% of NYC mail-in votes in Democratic presidential primary were disqualified

More than 20 % of NYC mail-in votes in Democratic presidential primary were disqualified A sign guides the way to @ @ @ @ @ New York Democratic presidential and congressional primary elections on June 23 , 2020 in New @ @ @ @ @ by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images )

More than 1 out of every 4 mail-in ballots submitted by New York City residents in the June 23 Democratic presidential primary were not counted because they failed meet one or more submission criteria, according to the New York Post.
The city Board of Elections received over 400,000 mail-in ballots, but certified results released Wednesday revealed that only about 318,000 mail-in ballots were counted. That means about 84,000 people who attempted to vote in the primary did not get their vote counted — another example of the potential problems that could arise in November under a universal vote-by-mail system.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) facilitated the high number of mail-in ballots with an executive order expanding the practice and providing pre-paid return envelopes to make it free and easy for people to vote by mail. The result was an extremely high invalidation rate and accusations of disenfranchisement.
From the Post:
"A 26 percent invalidation rate is astounding. It's very troubling," said Arthur Schwartz, who represented several candidates in a federal lawsuit claiming voters were disenfranchised over the BOE and Postal Service's handling of ballots.
A federal judge ruled Monday that thousands of voters were disenfranchised because of the tardy mailing and processing of the ballots.
The mess included votes not being counted because the pre-paid ballot envelopes were not postmarked.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has had "deep concerns" about the Board of Elections for a while, but even after this massive failure he trusts them to do better in November when even more people could be voting by mail, because other states do it.
"I am certain they can learn from this and be prepared for the general election," de Blasio said. "Three months is a long time. There are whole states in this country that do everything with mail-in [voting] and it works perfectly well."
In Brooklyn, 30,000 out of 120,000 mail-in ballots were invalidated. In some cases, voters failed to sign the envelope properly. In other cases, the postal service failed to postmark the ballots or was simply too slow in delivering the mail.
The postal service has recently made changes to its operations to cut costs, and acknowledged at the time of those changes that they could lead to delays in mail delivery. Because the current postmaster general is an ally of President Donald Trump, Democrats have accused Trump of attempting to sabotage the election by slowing down postal service deliveries.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Joe Rogan says people fear 'mentally compromised' Biden 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency

His comments come after former vice president and presidential candidate 's bizarre interview

Popular podcaster Joe Rogan says there is a large contingent of Americans who fear a potential Joe Biden presidency.
Rogan also adds that whoever ends up being Biden's vice president should prepare to be de facto commander in chief.
What are the details?
Rogan, host of "The Joe Rogan Experience," insisted that Biden, the 77-year-old presumptive Democratic nominee, is "mentally compromised."
Rogan pointed to Biden's recent interview with CBS News' Errol Barnett, when the former vice president made a bizarre cocaine comparison after Barnett asked if he should take a cognitive test to become president.
"Come on, man!" Biden snapped. "That's like saying you, before you got on this program, you take a test where you're taking cocaine or not. What do you think, huh? Are you a junkie?"
Biden scoffs when asked if he's taken a cognitive test www.youtube.com
Puzzled over the longtime lawmaker's remarks, Rogan quipped, "I believe there is ... a large group of people that are very uncomfortable with a man who seems to be mentally compromised winning the election, and doing so by hiding."
Rogan's remarks about "hiding" seem to echo those of President Donald Trump, who swiped at Biden for refusing to "come out of his basement" during his presidential campaign.
"To be president, you have to be sharp and tough and so many other things," Trump said in recent remarks. "[Biden] doesn't even come out of his basement."
'VP is gonna have a bucket of lube' and use him like a puppet
Rogan also added that Biden voters should fully prepare for his choice as vice president to be a de facto president.
"I believe there's a large group of people that are very uncomfortable with Donald Trump being the president. I absolutely believe that," Rogan explained. "I believe that there's also a large group of people that are very uncomfortable with a man who seems to be mentally compromised, winning the election, and doing so hiding. I mean, the guy's never — he was just at a thing the other day and he forgot where he was."
He added, "[Biden's] VP is gonna have a bucket of lube and she's gonna dunk it in there and stuff her hand up his a**. She's gonna be working him like 'Weekend at Bernie's,'" Rogan added.


theblaze--2020-08-06--WATCH: Things got hairy:  Intense footage from Steven Crowder's  latest 'Change My Mind' taping

WATCH : Things got hairy : Intense footage from Steven Crowder 's latest 'Change My Mind ' taping

Steven Crowder takes to the streets of Austin, Texas, where armed anti-police brutality protester Garrett Foster was recently shot and killed. When Steven tries to have a discussion about whether the shooting was justified, things get interesting.
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theblaze--2020-08-06--Riot declared in residential Portland after insurgents attempt to burn down police station, try to r

Riot declared in residential Portland after insurgents attempt to burn down police station, try to run over officers

Riot declared in residential Portland after insurgents attempt to burn down police station , try to run over officers After @ @ @ @ @ Portland has nearly as many shootings this year as all of 2019

Portland police declared a riot Wednesday night after insurgents tried to burn down a police station and attempted to run over officers with a truck.
Protesters demonstrated near the Portland Police Department's East Precinct, which is located in a residential area. A person with a megaphone asked, "Who's ready to raise some hell tonight?"
The crowd cheered in response, according to KOIN reporter Hannah Ray Lambert.
Rioters began attacking the police station located on the city's east side on the 69th night of protests. Around 9:30 p.m., rioters wearing helmets and carrying shields attempted to tear down surveillance cameras at the police station. Others spray-painted the cameras to try to prevent their identities from being revealed.
Rioters tore down wood boards protecting the police station's windows. Vandals used wooden 2x4s to smash glass windows and doors. The plywood barricade that was protecting the police station was used to start a fire at the East Precinct station.
Cops attempted to disperse the crowd and were hit with projectiles, including "heavy rocks the size of shot puts" and "commercial grade fireworks." Rioters also used lasers to attempt to blind police officers. Portland police countered with tear gas and crowd control munitions.
After police dispersed the crowd, a person driving a "truck associated with the group attempted to run over several officers," according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Police said several arrests were made.
At 2:49 a.m. Thursday, North Precinct police officers responded to reports of a shooting.
"When responding officers arrived on scene they learned an adult male victim had been shot in the foot by an unknown suspect," the Portland Police Bureau said. "The victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance. The victim's medical status is unknown at this time."
On Wednesday, Portland police identified the 32-year-old victim of a fatal shooting that occurred on July 26. Derrick James of Sandy, Oregon, was shot and killed in North Portland. His death was ruled a homicide, and an investigation is ongoing.
Shootings and homicides in Portland have spiked this year. As of the end of July 2020, there have been 376 shootings in Portland, only 12 shootings shy of 2019's entire total, according to the Portland Police Association. In July 2019, there were 35 verified shootings, compared to 99 last month.
There were 15 homicides in Portland in July, compared to 31 homicides in all of 2019.
In June, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) pledged that he would divert $12 million from the police budget to directly support communities of color. One of the casualties of the budget cuts was the Gun Violence Reduction Team.
Daryl Turner, the president of the Portland Police Association, said disbanding the Gun Violence Reduction Team has "proven a failure with deadly consequences."
"The dissolution of the GVRT left a void, the result of which is a rise in shootings; to pretend otherwise is negligent," Turner said.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Pat Gray Unleashed: Oprah Winfrey talks to white people about their racism

Pat Gray Unleashed : Oprah Winfrey talks to white people about their racism

Pat and Jeffy discussed Oprah Winfrey's recent special about white people, whiteness, and white privilege on Thursday's episode of "Pat Gray Unleashed." During Oprah's discussion, one panelist named Seth told Oprah he must be racist because he'd never been actively anti-racist.
Pat explained that if we don't stand up to this kind of rhetoric, we will be sorry.
"I'm sick of it," he said. Watch the clip for the full story.
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theblaze--2020-08-06--NY attorney general sues to dissolve NRA, accuses group's leaders of misusing millions of dollars on

NY attorney general sues to dissolve NRA, accuses group's leaders of misusing millions of dollars on personal expenses

NY attorney general sues to dissolve NRA , accuses group 's leaders of misusing millions of dollars on personal expenses @ @ @ @ @ executives committed financial misconduct that contributed to a loss of more than $ 64 million

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that the state is taking action to dissolve the National Rifle Association. The lawsuit alleges that the NRA is "fraught with fraud" and that senior leadership of the gun rights group squandered millions in donations on personal vacations, private jets, gifts, and expensive meals.
An 18-month investigation into the NRA allegedly revealed financial misconduct that contributed to a loss of more than $64 million over three years.
"The NRA's influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets," James said during a Thursday morning news conference. "The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law."
James said that the NRA was "a breeding ground for greed, abuse, and brazen illegality."
NRA President Carolyn Meadows responded to the lawsuit:
This was a baseless, premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend. You could have set your watch by it: the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle. It's a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda. This has been a power grab by a political opportunist – a desperate move that is part of a rank political vendetta. Our members won't be intimidated or bullied in their defense of political and constitutional freedom. As evidenced by the lawsuit filed by the NRA today against the NY AG, we not only will not shrink from this fight – we will confront it and prevail.
The lawsuit claims that top NRA executives misused millions of illegally misappropriated funds. The suit also accuses head NRA executives of awarding contracts to family members and friends.
The lawsuit names four current and former NRA executives: Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, general counsel John Frazer, former CFO Woody Phillips, and former chief of staff Joshua Powell.
The complaint demands that executives named in the suit pay full restitution. The complaint also recommends that all four executives should never be permitted to serve on the board of a New York charity.
The NRA is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and has 501(c)(4) status, which means it is regarded as a "social welfare organization" by the Internal Revenue Service. Donations to such groups are not tax-deductible as allowed by law.
The NRA is headquartered in New York, which falls under James' jurisdiction. The suit was filed in the New York State Supreme Court.
The suit claims that LaPierre and others re-routed their expenses to its former advertising firm, Ackerman McQueen. Then the Oklahoma-based company allegedly billed the National Rifle Association for the personal expenses under the guise of advertising expenses.
Ackerman McQueen and the NRA had an unceremonious separation last year, punctuated by the NRA suing Ackerman McQueen over its billing practices, and Ackerman McQueen counter-suing with a defamation case.
The AG's lawsuit claims that Ackerman McQueen spent $70 million on such "out-of-pocket expenditures" and "public relations and advertising" in 2017 and 2018. The expenses reportedly a cover-up for travel by NRA executives, including eight trips to the Bahamas and all-expense-paid safaris in Africa. There were also alleged payments for personal hair and makeup for Susan LaPierre, wife of the NRA CEO.
James, who is a Democrat, also claims that the salary of former NRA chief of staff Joshua Powell tripled in a little more than two years into his tenure.
The NRA reportedly laid off more than 200 employees in 2020 because of a "deepening financial crisis," according to The Guardian.
In a 2018 Ebony interview, James said, "The NRA holds [itself] out as a charitable organization, but in fact, [it] really [is] a terrorist organization."
The NRA spent over $30 million on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data.
The official Twitter account of New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office released a statement:


theblaze--2020-08-06--Horowitz: More than money: GDP loss from lockdowns will cost millions of life years

Horowitz : More than money : GDP loss from lockdowns will cost millions of life years The policies that induced @ @ @ @ @ the fatalities from the virus

In 1957, America was faced with a flu-like virus that had a similar fatality rate to COVID-19 and was even more disruptive in some ways. Yet, Americans understood that these viruses cannot be stopped, and they slogged along without shutting down their economy and infringing upon liberties. Which, as I mentioned before, is why almost nobody living at the time remembers it. Contrast that to 2020 when we have compounded inevitable viral deaths with avoidable man-made deaths from lockdown – no matter how much these policies fail to deliver.
On July 30, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released the GDP numbers for second quarter and revealed that the economy had contracted by an unfathomable 32.9%. This number shocks the conciseness and blows out the worst quarter of the Great Depression, yet the announcement barely stayed in the news cycle beyond a few hours. But behind that loss of money is a loss of life that few are trying to quantify and balance against the policies that have induced this misery.
In May, four professors with backgrounds ranging from medicine to economics attempted to quantify the number of lives lost from the devastation of the lockdown itself – something our government failed to simulate when it embarked on this novel policy. They used a formula based on government data assuming one life lost from suicide, alcohol or drug abuse, or stress-induced illnesses per $17 million of economy productivity lost. Now that we have hard data of GDP losses, I wanted to revisit those numbers.
According to BEA, the current‑dollar GDP decreased by $2.15 trillion in the second quarter and by $186.3 billion in the first quarter, primarily in the final days of March. The total loss of $2.3 trillion in GDP is roughly in line with what Scott Atlas of Stanford University's Hoover Institution, John Birge of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Ralph Keeney of Duke University, and Alexander Lipton of the Jerusalem Business School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem predicted in their May article in The Hill.com.
Using their formula of one life lost per $17 million in decreased economic productivity, that would equal roughly 137,000 lives lost just from the drop in economic activity through June. Those numbers have likely grown by tens of thousands over the past five weeks, and based on the trajectory of our existing problems, will continue for months on end. In other words, the death toll just from the economic stress alone (not to mention the delayed health care) will be more than the eventual excess deaths from COVID-19.
But it's worse than that. Most people who die from the virus are at or above the age of life expectancy. Even Neil Ferguson of the Imperial College of London, the primary advocate for lockdown policies, predicted that two-thirds of the fatalities would be among people who would have died within the year. Contrast that to a younger generation of adults and even children who are now committing suicide and overdosing on drugs due to the disproportionate anxiety and social isolation being imposed upon their lives thanks to the national masochism and panic. This will result in millions of years of live lost.
Just take drug deaths in Davidson County (Nashville), Tennessee, for example. Even with our liberal counting, there have only been 205 coronavirus deaths. At the same time, from March through July 25, there have been 354 fatal drug overdoses. Drug overdose deaths are up 47% this year in Davidson County. That alone accounts for a good chunk of the excess deaths. The deaths will likely skyrocket in the future because so many more are getting hooked on the drugs now, as indicated by the non-fatal ER visits in recent months that will likely translate into fatalities later on because of intractable addiction. Here is a look at the rate of increase in drug-related ER visits, according to the Davidson County Health Department:
And most of these deaths are among young adults who have many years left to their lives.
This is just a snapshot of the real-life consequences of treating every virus case as if it's stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It winds up taking priority over every other social, medical, and economic consideration. The tragic irony is that none of these policies have even helped reduce the fatalities from the virus itself, even with this myopic and paranoid focus of our government and society.
A new research paper published in JAMA Network reveals that the mean weekly number of new cancers diagnosed plummeted by 46.4% for six forms of cancer: breast, colorectal, lung, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal. No, the virus is not that novel – it doesn't cure cancer. It means that in our paranoid obsession over coronavirus, treating it as if it is worse than cancer, has ensured that so many would-be stage 3 diagnoses will not be caught until stage 4. What ever happened to the trope – “if we can only save one life…."?


theblaze--2020-08-06--Most black Americans don't want less police presence in their communities, poll shows

Most black Americans do n't want less police presence in their communities , poll shows A Black Lives Matter protester @ @ @ @ @ a Blue Lives Matter rally in Chicago on July 25 .
( Photo by Jim @ @ @ @ @

More than 80% of black Americans either want the same level of police presence in their communities, or an increased police presence, according to a recent Gallup poll.
In fact, 20% of black Americans feel their communities are under-policed and need more police presence, compared to only 17% of white Americans, while 61% of black Americans favor maintaining the current level of police presence.
At the same time, a higher percentage of black Americans reported seeing police often or very often when compared to white, hispanic, or Asian Americans. Most of the black Americans who reported seeing police often in their neighborhoods also said they wanted the same level of police presence, or an increase.
The problem, if conclusions can be drawn from the results of this poll, is not that there is too much police presence and interaction in black communities, but that the interactions that occur are viewed unfavorably by many black Americans. From Gallup:
Although Black Americans seem about as comfortable as Americans overall with the amount of police presence where they live, they differ markedly in their perceptions of how their local police might treat them if they were to interact.
Fewer than one in five Black Americans feel very confident that the police in their area would treat them with courtesy and respect. While similar to the 24% of Asian Americans saying the same, it is markedly lower than the 40% of Hispanic Americans and the 56% of White Americans who feel this way. This could either stem from Black Americans' own negative experiences with the police or from their familiarity with people who have had negative encounters with law enforcement.
The poll results showed that black Americans who have had negative interactions with police in the past, or who have the least amount of confidence that they will be treated fairly and respectfully when they encounter police, are "much more likely" to want less police presence in the community.
The poll's findings are notable during an era in which many protests and political efforts, often undertaken on behalf of black Americans, call for significantly defunding police departments, or in some cases, fully dismantling them.
A proposal to disband the Minneapolis Police Department failed to get on the November ballot, as the commission tasked with reviewing the proposal rejected it due to its vagueness. George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police Department officers in May, sparking weeks of anti-police riots and protests around the country.


theblaze--2020-08-06--POLL: What will Joe Biden say next?

POLL: What will Joe Biden say next?

POLL : What will Joe Biden say next ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to share !

POLL: What will Joe Biden say next?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-08-06--Finalized NFL COVID-19 rules forbid players from ... attending sporting events over safety concerns.

Finalized NFL COVID-19 rules forbid players from ... attending sporting events over safety concerns. Ban on church attendance lifted.

Finalized NFL COVID-19 rules forbid players from ... attending sporting events over safety concerns .
Ban on church attendance lifted @ @ @ @ @ sell tickets to fans

The NFL and the NFL Players Association finally settled this week on terms for the 2020 season concerning COVID-19 rules and protocols, and one item on the discipline schedule that appears to be flying under the radar was highlighted by WBZ-TV's Michael Hurley.
According to the published agreed-to league policies designed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus and keep players safe, NFL players are banned from attending professional sporting events — except for NFL games or events.
Yes, the NFL will punish players for attending sporting events because the league believes such behavior will exacerbate the virus' spread.
However, the NFL is still selling tickets, so at least fans will still be able to attend.
What are the new rules?
Tom Pelissero, a reporter with the NFL Network, which is owned and operated by the NFL, reported Monday that the league and the players' union had agreed to a final COVID-19 discipline schedule for the 2020 season. The agreement outlines "High Risk Covid-19 Conduct" for which players can be fined and suspended without pay for uptimes to four weeks. The safety concerns are so great, there will be no first-offense warnings for players who violate the conduct rules.
The first four items on the High Risk Covid-19 Conduct list are not unexpected: no night clubs with more than 10 people; no indoor bars with more than 10 people; no house gatherings of more than 15 people; and no indoor music concerts.
What stood out to Hurley was item No. 5 on the list: "Attending a professional sporting event (other than applicable NFL games or events) unless the player is seated in a separated seating section, such as a suite or owner's box, is wearing PPE, and there are no more than 10 people in that separate seating section."
Apparently, the NFL believes attending sporting events the way a normal fan would can boost the spread of COVID-19 and is not safe.
But it's not so dangerous that the NFL will stop selling tickets to games.
Hurley noted:
And if you saw this inclusion on the list and figured that it meant there's no way in heck that the league will still be trying to sell as many tickets to fans in 2020, then you are likely mistaken. Only the Jets and Giants have ruled out fans from attending games in 2020. The rest of the league is putting together various contingency plans to try to get as many fans into their buildings as possible, so long as local governments allow it. ...
Granted, the NFL only believes it's safe for players to attend sporting events if those players are in a suite, with a maximum of 10 people, all of whom must be wearing face coverings. Fans? Well, the safety rules are different for fans … because their money goes toward the NFL's bottom line. While sitting in the stands among the commoners may be dangerous for NFL players, it's perfectly safe — ehhhh, it's safe enough — for the paying customer.
What about the church ban?
The NFL came under fire in July over a proposal that would have listed indoor church services as one of the banned activities.
Apparently the players were not going to stand for a ban on religious services, so the line was removed from the final deal, as reported by Pelissero.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Feds charge 11 alleged MS-13 members in gruesome assault and sex trafficking of 13-year-old girl

Federal law enforcement officials charged 11 individuals purported to be involved with MS-13 on Wednesday following the "gruesome beating" and sex trafficking of a 13-year-old girl, CBS News reported Wednesday night.
What are the details of the beating?
A 48-page FBI affidavit alleges that at least 11 individuals are involved in the vicious beating and sex trafficking of a young girl identified as "Minor 2."
The 13-year-old girl was reportedly beaten with a baseball bat on at least two occasions between August and October 2018. Investigators said that the girl was struck at least 26 times in each incident.
The first incident was reportedly part of an "initiation" into the gang, and the second incident allegedly took place at an El Salvadoran individual's request because the individual reportedly believed she was fraternizing with another gang.
Minor 2 reportedly wet herself from the beating.
A medical examination of Minor 2 reportedly found evidence of blunt force trauma to her lower back, buttocks, and thighs.
What are the details of the sex trafficking?
Minor 2 was also reportedly sexually abused and trafficked by several alleged gang members and their associates over a period of two years.
One communication obtained by investigators reportedly showed the girl in a state of undress with the message, "I will move the little young female over there with you. You can have her all week if you want. Just give me something under the table."
The young girl, who had previously been reported missing, was recovered in Maryland in October 2018.
A health examination determined that she tested positive for several sexually transmitted diseases.
'Vicious and vile group'
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said during a Wednesday news conference that MS-13 members and their associates give legal immigrants a band name.
"Fighting MS-13 is not anti-immigrant. Fighting MS-13 is about as pro-immigrant as it gets," he said in remarks to reporters. "Because it is that group, hard-working immigrants seeking a better life and safety, that suffer the most at the hands of this vicious and vile group."
At least 10 defendants were arrested Wednesday and made their initial appearances in federal court. Their preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.


theblaze--2020-08-06--OH NO, JOE! Did Biden just call Errol Barnett a 'junkie'?

OH NO , JOE !
Did Biden just call Errol Barnett a 'junkie ' ?
'Why the hell would I @ @ @ @ @ on man ! '

Can we just admit that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is NOT well?
On his journey back to the mainstream media circuit, he snapped at CBS News' Errol Barnett simply asking if he's ever taken a cognitive test.
"When [President Trump] asked in June if you'd been tested for cognitive decline, you responded that you're constantly tested, in effect because you're in situations like this on the campaign trail. But please clarify, specifically, have you taken a cognitive test?" Barnett asked Biden.
"No, I haven't taken a test. Why the hell would I take a test? Come on man! That's like saying before you got on this program, did you take a test where you're taking cocaine or not? What do you think, huh? Are you a junkie?" Biden responded.
And it got even more insane from there.
BlazeTV's Sara Gonzales, host of "News and Why it Matters," reacts to "Oh no, Joe!" Biden's latest bizarre behavior:
Want to see more from Sara Gonzales?
To enjoy more roundtable rundowns of the top stories of the day, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Michelle Obama blames President Trump for contributing to her 'low-grade depression'

Michelle Obama blames President Trump for contributing to her 'low-grade depression' Former first lady is also baffled why anyone would @ @ @ @

Former first lady Michelle Obama announced that she is suffering from depression, adding that President Donald Trump is one of the contributing factors.
Obama started her own podcast in late July, and the first episode featured her husband, Barack Obama. In the second episode of "The Michelle Obama Podcast," the former first lady admitted that she is currently dealing with "low-grade depression" brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice, and the "hypocrisy" of the Trump administration.
"I'm waking up in the middle of the night because I'm worrying about something or there's a heaviness," Obama said Wednesday. "These are not, they are not fulfilling times, spiritually. I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression.
"Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting," Obama said during her interview with former Washington Post opinion columnist and NPR host Michele Norris.
"'I'd be remiss to say that part of this depression is also a result of what we're seeing in terms of the protests, the continued racial unrest, that has plagued this country since its birth," she said.
"I have to say that waking up to the news, waking up to how this administration has or has not responded, waking up to yet another story of a black man or a black person somehow being dehumanized or hurt or killed or falsely accused of something, it is exhausting," Obama said on her eponymous podcast. "And it has led to a weight that I haven't felt in my life in a while.
"I've gone through those emotional highs and lows that I think everybody feels, where you just don't feel yourself," she said.
Obama, 56, added that there have been "periods throughout this quarantine, where I just have felt too low" to work out.
People magazine reported, "Obama said she has 'had to give myself ... those days, those moments' where she accepts that she's not feeling normal and takes a break from what she's doing — whether that means shutting off her phone and taking a moment to sit in silence by herself, or spending time with her husband, former President Barack Obama, and their two college-age daughters, Malia and Sasha."
In April, the former first lady urged Washington, D.C., residents to stay home, "except for essential trips for food, medicine or exercise." Two days before the message was posted on social media, her husband was seen golfing at a Virginia golf course 40 miles from his home.
Also during this week's podcast, Obama attempted to understand why anyone would oppose Black Lives Matter.
"I mean, it's easy for us, as people of color, to demonize folks who are out there protesting against Black Lives Matter. They're not right in their positions, but their fears are coming from somewhere," she said. "Because folks aren't just crazy. You know, folks are out there trying to work and trying to keep it together, and when you can't do it, and when things feel stacked against you, as many of the people who are afraid are, then you lash out."
A Black Lives Matter founder previously admitted that the organization's creators are "trained Marxists." The Black Lives Matter organization revealed that one of its goals is to "get Trump out." BLM openly calls for a restructuring of the family, declaring that the nuclear family is a "capitalist invention."
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said that he would select Michelle Obama as his vice president "in a heartbeat."
However, Obama has been consistent in saying that she does not want to run for political office.
At the South by Southwest festival in March 2016, she stated, "I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it."
She added that her children have "handled it (the presidency) with grace and with poise, but enough is enough."
Obama appeared on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show in February 2018, where she was asked if she was ever asked to run for political office.
"All the time. But I've never had any serious conversations with anyone about it because it's not something I'm interested in or would ever do," she replied. "Ever."
Despite saying that she doesn't want to be a political leader, supporters of the Committee to Draft Michelle Obama for VP wrote an open letter to Biden on Tuesday, urging him to pick her as his running mate.
"As a candidate, she has the power not only to assure victory over Donald Trump but to unite a bitterly divided nation and continue her life's tireless work for the American people. As a leader, her stature and preexisting rapport with heads of state are unparalleled," the letter said.


theblaze--2020-08-06--Rand Paul blasts GOP for excessive coronavirus relief spending: 'They should apologize now to Presid

Rand Paul blasts GOP for excessive coronavirus relief spending: 'They should apologize now to President Obama'

Rand Paul blasts GOP for excessive coronavirus relief spending : 'They should apologize now to President Obama' The next package @ @ @ @ @ trillion

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) continued to voice his frustration with Republican colleagues who are considering another massive coronavirus relief package with little regard for the budget, Axios reported.
Congress is working toward another economic stimulus and relief package, and while Republicans have resisted some of the Democrats' most costly proposals, they appear poised to make some concessions that will drive the cost higher than Paul is comfortable with.
"Republicans and Democrats compromise every day of the year to spend money we don't have," Paul said, during an interview on Fox News. "We were already running a trillion dollars short just with our normal budgetary expenses for the year. We added $3 trillion, now they're talking about another $1-$2 trillion. We're going to borrow another $5 trillion in five months.
"They might lose this election because they are acting like Democrats now. I am very upset with my colleagues," Paul continued. "They went eight years. They should apologize now to President Obama for complaining he was spending and borrowing too much. He was a piker compared to their borrowing and what they're doing now."
Last month, Paul questioned why Republicans were so eager to send relief money to people who had not even lost their jobs, and said the GOP luncheon to discuss the relief bill was like sitting down with "Bernie Bros," a reference to supporters of Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders.
There is an appearance that Republicans are losing ground in negotiations over the bill — an appearance that's so obvious that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin explicitly addressed it during a Tuesday Senate Republican lunch.
"There were press reports that [White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows] is indecisive and I'm owned by [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi]," Mnuchin said, according to Politico. "I can tell you those reports are false."
Democrats are operating from a place of power with little risk, Politico reported. They can be rigid in their demands for the bill, knowing that if negotiations drag on too long and Americans suffer in the process, most, if not all, of the blame will fall on President Donald Trump and the Republicans, who are in the unenviable position of fighting to give people less aid.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) plainly called out what he believes is the ultimate goal of the Democrats' strategy — a Joe Biden win in November.
"Pelosi has made the decision that it is in the political interest of the Democratic Party to have as many people out of work and home and broke as possible because they believe that's how Joe Biden wins," Cruz told Politico. "I understand why she's doing that. I don't understand why Republicans would facilitate it."


theblaze--2020-08-06--Video captures the moment Beirut bridal shoot goes awry as massive explosion erupts in background

A Lebanese bride is lucky to be alive after the deadly explosion in Beirut on Tuesday.
The bride, 29-year-old Israa Seblani, was taking part in a glamorous wedding photo shoot in a Beirut public square when the shockwave of the massive explosion nearly blew her off her feet.
The deadly explosion killed at least 135 people and injured more than 5,000.
What happened in the video?
In the video, Seblani — a Lebanese physician working in the United States — can be seen smiling for a videographer, turning her head to and fro to show off the beauty of her intricate white gown and veil.
The videographer begins to pan down the length of Seblani's white dress when a gentle sort of rumbling quickly turns into a deafening explosion.
Seblani's hand can be seen twitching as if looking for something to grab onto, and she is nearly knocked off her feet as the camera wildly swings to nearby building facades that are enveloped in dust and smoke.
What did she do next?
Seblani told Reuters that she immediately fled to check on the injured and then left the city center to seek safety.
"I have been preparing for my big day for two weeks and I was so happy like all the other girls," she recalled. "'I am getting married.' My parents are going to be happy seeing me in a white dress, I will be looking like a princess."
Seblani said that she feared for her life as the explosions rocked the port city.
"What happened during the explosion here — there is no word to explain," she admitted. "I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?"
Seblani added that she never heard such a sound before.
Officials blamed the blast on a large stockpile of highly explosive materials stored for years in a port building.
"I feel so sad about what happened to other people, about what happened to Lebanon," she added. "When I woke up and saw the damage that happened to Beirut, the one thing I said was 'Thank God we are still alive.'"
Despite the blast, Seblani and her new husband carried out their long-planned nuptials.
"My husband told me to continue, we can't stop," the Lebanese doctor added. "I was like, 'Okay, why not, we continue.' I was not living in the moment, actually, I was like, walking, my face was smiling, my lips were smiling, that's it. Not more. Then we went to have a dinner."
Seblani said that while she joylessly went through the motions of her wedding, she is still grateful to be alive.
"There is a lot of damage, many people were killed and wounded," she said. "But also if I want to look at us, myself, my husband, the photographer — how we escaped unharmed, I thank God for protecting us."
She concluded, "This alone makes me feel optimistic and to keep the joy of the occasion that I came here to celebrate."


theblaze--2020-08-07--DC sues NRA and its foundation — as New York sues to dissolve NRA altogether

The democratic attorney general of Washington, D.C., sued the National Rifle Association and its affiliated NRA Foundation on Thursday, the same day the democratic attorney general of New York state sued to have the NRA dissolved entirely.
What are the details?
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued the NRA on Thursday, alleging during a press conference that "the NRA's influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets."
She further claimed, "The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law."
James made headlines with the move, and afterward, longtime NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre reacted in a statement, "The NYAG's actions are an affront to democracy and freedom. This is an unconstitutional, premeditated attack aiming to dismantle and destroy the NRA — the fiercest defender of America's freedom at the ballot box for decades."
He added, "The NRA is well governed, financially solvent, and committed to good governance. We're ready for the fight. Bring it on."
The same morning, D.C. Attorney General Karl Rancine announced his own attack on the NRA — going after the organization along with its affiliated foundation further alleging misappropriation of funds.
The lawsuit is asking a court to appoint someone to "monitor all Foundational financial decisions and transactions" and to "impose a constructive trust, for the benefit of the Foundation, over Foundation funds improperly diverted to the NRA in violation of District Law and the Foundation's nonprofit purpose."
According to a press release put out by Rancine's office:
In 2017, the NRA Foundation's board approved a $5 million loan request from the NRA, despite awareness of the NRA's financial problems. In 2018, the NRA requested a second $5 million loan, which the Foundation's Board also approved. Later, the Board also granted repeated requests to extend and modify loan terms in ways that benefitted the NRA and harmed the Foundation—including a change that allowed the NRA to repay other debt before it repaid the Foundation. As of August 2020, the NRA still owes the Foundation $5 million.
The NRA tweeted Thursday night, "From our cold, dead hands."
Anything else?
The NRA has been a frequent target of progressive politicians pushing for gun control, but the organization has also faced several internal problems in recent years.
WRC-TV reported:
There has been an ongoing factional war within organization, pitting some of its most ardent gun-rights supporters and loyalists against one another. The NRA has traded lawsuits with Ackerman McQueen, which crafted some of its most prominent messages for decades, eventually severing ties with it last year and scrapping its controversial NRA-TV, which aired many of its most controversial messages.
The internal battles reached a fevered pitch at its 2019 annual meeting where its then-president, Oliver North, was denied a traditional second term amid a tussle with LaPierre as he sought to independently review the NRA's expenses and operations. He accused LaPierre of exerting "dictatorial" control.
Chris Cox, the NRA's longtime lobbyist and widely viewed as a likely successor to LaPierre, left after being accused of working behind the scenes with North to undermine LaPierre.


theblaze--2020-08-07--'Can't touch this': Alabama principal preps students for school reopening with viral MC Hammer parod

'Can't touch this': Alabama principal preps students for school reopening with viral MC Hammer parody

'Ca n't touch this ' : Alabama principal preps students for school reopening with viral MC Hammer parody

An Alabama high school principal's effort to prepare students for returning to school amid COVID-19 restrictions has gone viral, after he created a parody of MC Hammer's "You Can't Touch This" to explain the new rules while declaring: "It's the CDC, not me!"
What are the details?
Dr. Quentin Lee, the principal of Childersburg High School, dropped the video on his YouTube channel last week, where it has already amassed more than 5.2 million views. Lee wrote the lyrics himself, conveying his message while mimicking the '90s rapper's iconic moves.
The clip shows him enforcing social distancing and sanitation guidelines in jest, preparing students for what is to come as Alabama schools start reopening this week. Childersburg is slated for return later this month.
In the video, Lee is shown "armed" with a can of Lysol and a thermometer, as he raps, "COVID! Is stressing me, all the updates from the CDC. Lysol, can't be found, I've looked all around this town — I've had no luck, and these are the things, huh, you can't touch."
He replaces "STOP! Hammertime" with "STOP! Sanitize."
Dr. Lee presents Can't Touch This Covid Parody www.youtube.com
In reaction to the overwhelmingly positive response he has received, Lee told Alabama Newscenter, "We are working tirelessly to make sure school is a place where students can be accepted, loved, and clean. Everybody needs love, regardless of political party or ethnic background. If we can allow people to laugh and forget about their problems, then we've accomplished that."
Lee's "Can't Touch This" parody is a follow-up from his initial coronavirus response via video from April, where he pretends he's preparing to deliver a heartfelt original song before screaming at the top of his lungs in anguish.


theblaze--2020-08-07--GOP rep: Jerry Falwell Jr. should step down as Liberty University president over 'appalling' behavio

GOP rep: Jerry Falwell Jr. should step down as Liberty University president over 'appalling' behavior

GOP rep : Jerry Falwell Jr. should step down as Liberty University president over 'appalling ' behavior

A Republican congressman with links to Liberty University declared Thursday that Jerry Falwell Jr. should resign his post as president of the institution, citing his "ongoing behavior" that the lawmaker called "appalling."
What are the details?
Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), a former pastor, tweeted, "Jerry Falwell Jr's ongoing behavior is appalling. As a Music Faculty Advisory Board Member and former instructor @LibertyU, I'm convinced Falwell should step down. None of us are perfect, but students, faculty, alumni and @LUPraise deserve better."
Walker did not get into specifics regarding what "behavior" he was referring to, but Falwell raised eyebrows earlier this week with a quickly deleted Instagram post showing him with his arm around a woman who is not his wife. Both were posing with their pants' zippers undone and Falwell was holding a dark-colored drink.
In the caption accompanying the photo, Falwell wrote, "More vacation shots. Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht. I promise that's just black water in my glass. It was a prop only."
At the time, Falwell took heat from conservative pundits including "The View's" Meghan McCain, who tweeted, "How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real? Also if you're running the largest Christian university in America maybe don't put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht - with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical."
But Republican politicians have largely remained mum regarding the controversial photo posted by Falwell, who is an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.
Politico reported that Falwell addressed the controversy on Wednesday during an interview with a radio station in Lynchburg, Virginia, which is his hometown and where the private Evangelical university is located.
"I've apologized to everybody," Falwell told WLNI-FM, "And I've promised my kids I'm going to try to be — I'm going to try to be a good boy from here on out."
Falwell said that the woman he posed with for the photo is his wife's assistant, and that the picture was "just in good fun."
"She's pregnant so she couldn't get her — she couldn't get her pants up," Falwell explained. "And I was like, trying to like — my — I had on a pair of jeans that I hadn't worn in a long time so I couldn't get mine zipped either. And so, I just put my belly out like hers."


theblaze--2020-08-06--(UPDATED) Second test states that Gov. DeWine does NOT have coronavirus

( UPDATED ) Second test states that Gov .
DeWine does NOT have coronavirus President Trump : `` A very @ @ @ @ @ tested positive . ''

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced Thursday that he tested positive for coronavirus. The 73-year-old governor was tested for COVID-19 as a safeguard before meeting with President Donald Trump in Ohio. However, a second test later determined that the diagnosis was a false alarm.
"As part of the standard protocol to greet President Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland, I took a COVID test. I tested positive. I have no symptoms at this time. I'm following protocol and will quarantine at home for the next 14 days," he wrote on Twitter.
DeWine is not exhibiting any symptoms at the present time. He is returning to Columbus with first lady Fran DeWine, where they will both be tested. DeWine will then quarantine at his home in Cedarville for the next two weeks.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was also tested for the coronavirus ahead of Trump's visit and tested negative, according to DeWine's office.
President Trump was expecting to meet DeWine at the Burke Lakefront Airport tarmac in Cleveland.
"I want to just say that a very good friend of mine just tested positive, do you know that? Our great governor, Governor of Ohio, DeWine, just tested positive, just here," President Trump said at the airport Thursday afternoon. "And we want to wish him the best. He'll be fine. I guess he's going for a secondary test. I just said, 'I look forward to seeing the governor.' They said, 'Sir, he just tested positive.' But he's a great guy. He's done a fantastic job, and your Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is here someplace."
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper reacted to DeWine's positive test in a statement, "We know how hard he's been working to keep Ohioans safe, and this is just one more reminder that this virus can impact everyone. As fellow Ohioans, we stand with and support our governor and his family at this time."
Later, however, a second, more sensitive test apparently determined that Gov. DeWine did not have the virus.
DeWine has taken more aggressive action during the coronavirus pandemic than other Republican governors. DeWine declared a state of emergency on March 9, despite there only being three confirmed coronavirus cases at the time and no deaths from the virus yet. Ohio implemented a stay-at-home order on March 23. All restaurant dining rooms and bars were closed on March 15. On July 8, DeWine announced a mandatory face mask order in any county that is under alert level 3 or higher. Earlier this week, DeWine issued an order requiring all K-12 students to wear face coverings.
Ohio has nearly 78,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and over 3,600 COVID-19 deaths.
DeWine becomes the second U.S. governor to test positive for coronavirus, following Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), who announced contracting coronavirus last month.


theblaze--2020-08-08--Florida man arrested for what he allegedly did to a child when he refused to remove his mask

Florida man arrested for what he allegedly did to a child when he refused to remove his mask '' You @ @ @ @

Police arrested a man in Treasure Island, Florida, after he allegedly grabbed a child when he refused to take his mask off.
The bizarre incident occurred at Ricky T's Bar & Grille on Sunday, according to police.
According the arrest affidavit, 47-year-old Jason Copenhaver approached the child and asked him if he was wearing a mask. When the child said he was, the man told him to take it off and shake his hand.
Copenhaver then allegedly grabbed the child's hand when he refused and said, "You now have coronavirus."
"Victim stated that (Copenhaver) was in such close proximity that spit particles from (Copenhaver's) mouth landed in his face," wrote an officer.
Restaurant workers said that the man wasn't wearing any shoes and tried to hit an employee twice. They also said that he appeared to be drunk.
The same employee took control of Copenhaver and held him to the ground until police arrived, according to WTVT-TV.
Authorities did not release the age of the child.
Copenhaver was arrested and charged with simple battery and disorderly conduct. He was released on $650 bail.
Police say he told them that he didn't know if he had coronavirus and had never been tested for the virus.
Americans fed up with masks
Disputes over masks have made headlines across the country and are likely to increase as local governments respond to a spike in coronavirus cases.
In Michigan a local commissioner blamed the mask mandate on "them n****** down in Detroit," which occasioned lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to call for his resignation.
In Washington state, a man was caught on video viciously beating a partially disabled elderly veteran, allegedly because he had made a comment to the attacker's girlfriend about wearing mask.
Another incident in Jacksonville, Florida, involved a woman purposely coughing on another woman who was recording her heated interaction with employees at a Pier 1 store. The victim was wearing mask because she was receiving treatment for a brain tumor, and the aggressor was later charged with assault.
A poll in July found that 75% of Americans supported orders for people to wear masks in public around other people. Another 13% said they opposed the orders.
Here's more about mask wearing in America:


theblaze--2020-08-08--Hasbro put out a troll doll that 'gasps and giggles' when a button on its 'private area' is pushed

Hasbro put out a troll doll that 'gasps and giggles ' when a button on its 'private area ' is @ @ @ @ @ to pull the product from shelves after massive backlash

Toymaker Hasbro has agreed to pull a new Trolls doll from shelves after outraged parents launched online campaigns exposing how the doll "gasps and giggles" when a button on its "private area" is pushed, with critics saying that it is an attempt to groom children.
What are the details?
A petition calling for the "Trolls World Tour Giggle and Sing Poppy" doll to be removed from shelves has amassed nearly 330,000 signatories as of this writing. The petition reads:
Our society is conditioning our children to think pedophilia is ok. This Trolls World Tour doll named Poppy has a button on her private area under her skirt. When you push this button on the doll's private she gasps and giggles. This is not okay for a child's toy! This toy needs to be removed from our stores. What will this toy make our innocent, impressionable children think? That it's fun when someone touches your private area? That pedophilia and child molestation are ok? It's not ok! It's not fun! It's damaging and has long term affects on a child's mental/physical health! Sign this petition to get this toy removed from shelves and help #SaveTheChildren! Children are our future and WE are their voice!
Utah mother Jamie Nelson Cornaby demonstrated the sounds the doll makes in an online video, saying "to me, it's just like sexual sounds, and it's so disturbing."
DISTURBING Troll Doll find (take 2) www.youtube.com
Hasbro announced Friday that it would be removing the doll from retailers but that there was no ill-intent with the placement of the toy's button.
The company's senior vice president of global communications, Julie Duffy, told the Providence Journal in a statement, "This feature was designed to react when the doll was seated, but we recognize the placement of the sensor may be perceived as inappropriate."
She explained, "This was not intentional and we are happy to provide consumers with a replacement Poppy doll of similar value through our Consumer Care team. We are in the process of removing the item for purchase."
In reaction to Hasbro's announcement, Cornaby told USA Today she is "very happy that they took this seriously."
"If it was an accidental placement on Hasbro's part, I just hope they are more cautious of where they place buttons in the future," she said.
The "Poppy" doll represents a character voiced by actress Anna Kendrick from Universal's massively popular movie, "Trolls World Tour." The studio told Variety in April that the film's release in the early weeks of the coronavirus shutdown was the largest digital debut ever.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Michigan official refuses to resign after using n-word to explain why he isn't wearing a face mask

Michigan official refuses to resign after using n-word to explain why he is n't wearing a face mask He went @ @ @ @ @ Matter is taking the country away

A local official in Michigan is refusing a chorus of demands for him to resign over his startling use of an offensive racist slur to explain why he wasn't wearing a face mask.
A reporter from the Leelanau Enterprise caught the interaction at the Tuesday meeting of the Leelanau County Road Commission.
Commissioner Tom Eckerle, a Republican, was asked by another commissioner why he wasn't wearing a mask to the meeting.
"Well, this whole thing is because of them n****** down in Detroit," Eckerle responded.
"You can't say that!" responded Commission Chairman Bob Joyce.
"I can say anything I want," Eckerle reportedly responded. "Black Lives Matter has everything to do with taking the country away from us."
Doubling down
When asked to clarify his comments, Eckerle denied that he was racist and defended his use of the racist slur in a phone interview with Interlochen Public Radio.
"No, I don't regret calling it a n*****," Eckerle said.
"A n***** is a n***** is a n*****," he added. "That's not a person whatsoever."
Refuses to resign
Lawmakers in Michigan have demanded that Eckerle resign over the comments, but he has refused. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said through a spokesperson that the comments were "atrocious" and demanded his resignation.
"Governor Whitmer believes that Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle must resign immediately," said Tiffany Brown, the press secretary for Whitmer.
"His comments are atrocious," she added. "The Governor has been very clear – there's no place for hate and racism in Michigan."
Republican state Rep. Jack O'Malley said that the comments were "beyond stupid," and called for Eckerle's resignation after seeking him out to hear his side of the story.
"I called Mr. Eckerle to confirm he made these comments. He confirmed that he did," O'Malley said in his Facebook post.
"This type of racial slur is flat-out unacceptable and ignorant," he added. "I asked Mr. Eckerle to resign his position as road commissioner in light of these comments and shall he refuse, the citizens of Leelanau County have every right to recall him from office."
Eckerle is a retired construction company employee and receives a monthly $500 stipend from the commission.
Here's a local news report about the racial incident:


theblaze--2020-08-07--Teen Vogue op-ed calls for ending property rights, decries 'cruelty of payment-based housing'

The columnist says , 'basically we just need to abolish landlords '

Teen Vogue published an op-ed declaring that no one should have the right to own real property, pushing for the abolishment of landlords while decrying the "cruelty of payment-based housing."
What are the details?
Columnist Kandist Mallett warned that "an eviction crisis is coming" due to the heavy job losses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to the toll on the U.S. as evidence of "the failures of capitalism."
"The pandemic didn't create this housing crisis, but it did further expose the cruelty of payment-based housing," Mallett wrote, arguing further:
Instead of seeing housing as a right and something that should not be commodified, the state enlists its own armed forces — sheriffs and police — to remove occupants from residences if they cannot pay rent. The lack of protections for non-landowners should be to no surprise from a country founded on the genocide and colonization of indigenous peoples.
Mallet closed her piece by saying, "We need a housing movement based on a rejection of the construct that any one person should own this earth's land."
Teen Vogue promoted the op-ed on Twitter with an excerpt that reads, "While we're working to abolish the police, we must also work to dismantle what the police were put here to protect: property.'
The post caught the attention of Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who replied, "Teen Vogue publishes oped that says we should abolish private property rights...along with those pesky police. Just wondering if anyone sees any issue with our next generation reading Marxist propaganda in popular teen magazines...?"
Mallett doubled down on her position, tweeting, "If my rent money is paying for my landlord's mortgage, shouldn't I be part owner?"
She added, "I just did the math of how much money my landlord has gotten from me and...basically we just need to abolish landlords."
Mallett was torched by Twitter users over her argument, with several presenting tongue in cheek analogies to her arguments.
Conservative writer Matt Walsh responded, "This reminds me of the time when I bought a Big Mac and became CEO of McDonald's."
Landlords also chimed in, telling horror stories, with one explaining, "I just finished a walkthrough in a house where the tenants moved out 2 nights ago owing me 5 months back rent. They took the dishwasher, microwave, fridge, disposal, built in double ovens, the coil from the a/c, and the hot tub. I'm not feeling very charitable."


theblaze--2020-08-07--VIDEO: Democrats' dumbest moments of the week

Behold , this week 's Democrats Say compilation highlighted the week 's best of the worst statements caught on camera @ @ @ @ @ the Steve Deace Show included Joe Biden and his hard to watch CBS interview , @ @ @ @ @ random aggressive mask-wearing shoppers , and many more cringeworthy moments .
Watch the video for @ @ @ @ @ promo code DEACE to save $ 10 on one year of BlazeTV .
Want more @ @ @ @ @ enjoy more of Steve 's take on national politics , Christian worldview and principled conservatism @ @ @ @ @ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend @ @ @ @ @ American dream .

Behold, this week's Democrats Say compilation highlighted the week's best of the worst statements caught on camera. In this video, the Steve Deace Show included Joe Biden and his hard to watch CBS interview, testimony on Capitol Hill, random aggressive mask-wearing shoppers, and many more cringeworthy moments. Watch the video for the full montage.
Use promo code DEACE to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steve Deace?
To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-08-07--STU DOES AMERICA: A thoughtful look at the tragic case of Breonna Taylor

STU DOES AMERICA : A thoughtful look at the tragic case of Breonna Taylor

Sometimes a situation will arise where there are no winners, and nobody was right, or worse when Black Lives Matter hijacks a tragic situation to exploit for political gain. Such is the sad case of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers on March 13, 2020.
In this clip, Stu Burguiere took a thoughtful look at the case's known details from every angle, and he gave reasonable explanations for some actions while calling out the wrong that transpired that tragic night in March. Watch the video for more information.
Breonna Taylor: A Complicated Situation Worth Thoughtful Discussion
Use promo code STU to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Stu?
To enjoy more of Stu's lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Man allegedly attacks 72-year-old disabled veteran over mask dispute — the vicious beating was caugh

Man allegedly attacks 72-year-old disabled veteran over mask dispute — the vicious beating was caught on video

Kent Police in Washington state say that a man viciously beat a 72-year-old partially disabled veteran after a dispute about face masks in a hotel. Police released troubling surveillance video of the attack at Red Lion Inn and Suites on July 17.
The man can be seen in the video approaching the veteran, who is seated in the hotel lobby, and speak to him before punching him in the face multiple times.
The video shows the veteran's dog barking after the man as he walks away.
Police say that the veteran suffered a cornea abrasion and a broken jaw. He was also left unconscious by the attack.
The man allegedly beat the veteran because he had made a comment to his girlfriend about not wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Detectives say the attacker left the hotel on foot and was picked up by his girlfriend.
Criminal history
Police identified the man as Cody P. Hansen, 35. They charged him with 2nd Degree Assault – Substantial bodily harm, and a felony warrant was issued for his arrest.
The police said that Hansen has a criminal history of nine arrests in Alaska. He also had a warrant from Alaska for Probation Violation/Dangerous Drugs.
Police are asking the public's help in obtaining information about Hansen's whereabouts, and Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound have offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
To mask or not to mask
Disputes over face masks have made headlines all over the country as more local governments turn to lockdowns in the wake of an uptick in coronavirus cases.
A woman was charged with assault after she was caught on video purposely coughing on another woman who was recording her at a Pier 1 store.
In another troubling incident, a man was shot and killed by Michigan police and another man stabbed after an altercation at a store over a face mask.
Here's the video of the vicious attack:


theblaze--2020-08-07--Portland mayor warns rioters they're helping Trump's reelection campaign: 'You are not demonstrating

Portland mayor warns rioters they're helping Trump's reelection campaign: 'You are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder'

Portland mayor warns rioters they 're helping Trump 's reelection campaign : 'You are not demonstrating , you are attempting @ @ @ @ @ are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald @ @ @ @ @ '' Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said .

Portland Mayor (D) Ted Wheeler attempted to persuade rioters to stop destroying the city by warning vandals that they are a "prop for the reelection campaign" of President Donald Trump. The Democratic mayor also lashed out at insurgents who tried to burn down a police station in residential Portland, and accused them of "attempting to commit murder."
Wheeler held a virtual press conference on Thursday to discuss this week's bedlam in the city, which included protesters verbally abusing two elderly women and splashing paint on one of the women.
"Don't think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are," Wheeler said. "You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign. If you don't want to be part of that, then don't show up."
Last weekend, some protesters burned Bibles and American flags in Portland, which didn't help the optics of the demonstrations in Oregon's most-populated city.
Wheeler also addressed Wednesday night's attack in the residential East Precinct, where rioters attempted to burn down the police station while there were over 20 law enforcement members and civilians were inside.
"When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder," Wheeler said.
"I believe that city staff could have died last night," Wheeler said. "I cannot and I will not tolerate that. This is not peaceful protests. This is not advocacy to advance reforms."
Portland Police said that a truck also attempted to run over officers on Wednesday night.
"We anticipate additional planned attacks on occupied public buildings over the next few days. If you are a nonviolent demonstrator and you don't want to be part of intentional violence, please stay away from these areas," Wheeler advised. "Our community must say that this violence is not Portland, that these actions do not reflect our values and these crimes are distracting from reform, not advancing."
Wheeler attempted to talk directly with protesters and rioters on Portland's streets in late July, but it wasn't well-received. Some people in the crowd tossed objects at him, while others called for his resignation. The crowd became unruly and federal officers deployed tear gas into the masses, also hitting Wheeler.
Wheeler has opposed Trump, especially when the president sent federal officers to Portland to protect the federal courthouse in the city.
Wheeler admitted that the city has experienced "record gun violence" and "historic levels of violence." One report, found that July was the deadliest one-month period for Portland in more than 30 years.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Police Chief Chuck Lovell address Portland protests www.youtube.com
On Wednesday, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell lambasted rioters, noting that they have "taken away from" the Black Lives Matter movement.
"Portlanders need to send a strong message that enough is enough," Lovell told reporters during a press conference. "This is not forwarding the goals that are going to lead to better outcomes for people of color. This movement is really powerful, but the violence has taken away from it. ... This is not what Portland is about. This is not what we need in our city."
Portland has experienced 70 nights of protests since the death of George Floyd, prompting Lovell to say that he's "never seen a summer like this."


theblaze--2020-08-07--Jerry Falwell Jr agrees to take 'indefinite leave of absence' from Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Jr agrees to take 'indefinite leave of absence ' from Liberty University Falwell has come under fire for @ @ @ @

Liberty University announced Friday that Jerry Falwell Jr. has agreed to step down from his leadership positions at the institution for an "indefinite" amount of time, after he made headlines for a now-deleted Instagram post earlier this week.
What are the details?
The university issued a statement Friday, saying:
The Executive Committee of Liberty University's Board of Trustees, acting on behalf of the full Board, met today and requested that Jerry Falwell, Jr. take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as President and Chancellor of Liberty University, to which he has agreed, effective immediately.
The school's brief announcement did not cite the reason behind the Board of Trustees' request, but Falwell received a great deal of bad press this week after posting a vacation photo to social social showing him with his arm around a woman as both of them showed off their pants being unzipped.
Falwell quickly deleted the post, as backlash poured in from critics accusing him of hypocrisy for appearing to flout the standards expected of the leader of an Evangelical school
Falwell's announced departure comes the day after GOP Rep. Mark Walker (N.C.) — a former pastor with links to Liberty University — publicly called for Falwell to step down, calling his behavior "appalling."
Walker tweeted, "Jerry Falwell Jr's ongoing behavior is appalling. As a Music Faculty Advisory Board Member and former instructor @LibertyU, I'm convinced Falwell should step down. None of us are perfect, but students, faculty, alumni and @LUPraise deserve better."


theblaze--2020-08-07--New York Democrat Chuck Schumer admits schools have to open or the economy won't recover

New York Democrat Chuck Schumer admits schools have to open or the economy wo n't recover President Trump has been @ @ @ @ @

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer admitted Friday that regardless of any other COVID-19 relief efforts, the economy won't be able to recover unless the schools are opened, according to The Hill.
Schumer, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have been locked in negotiations with the White House and Republican leadership, trying to agree on a COVID-19 economic relief package. Those talks have stalled, and Schumer criticized Republicans for not being willing to spend enough to help the country, which he said includes funding to help schools reopen safely.
"If we don't open up the schools, you're going to hurt the economy significantly because lots of people can't go to work," Schumer said. "Executive orders leave out schools altogether."
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters Friday that President Donald Trump will use executive orders to address some economic issues, including unemployment benefits, rental foreclosures, and student loans.
A timeline is not set for when such orders might be signed, but they could be done over the weekend, according to The Hill.
"It's going to take a little bit of time for us to finalize these and process them but we'll do them as quickly as we can because the president wants action," Mnuchin said.
Schumer's stance on school reopening is surprising, considering public polling has indicated that the issue of whether to reopen schools has been split down partisan lines, with Democrats favoring online instruction and Republicans favoring reopening schools for in-person classes.
The country is deeply divided over how to proceed with schools, with 55% of respondents opposed to reopening in the fall. At the same time, 59% of parents say they're concerned about their children falling behind because of school closures.
Most Republicans, 79%, support schools reopening in the fall, while most Democrats, 78% want schools to operate remotely during the fall semester. Most schools across the country closed in the second half of March or early April in the spring.
The American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the U.S., authorized local chapters to go on strike if schools reopen with plans not approved by the union. The AFT has approximately 1.7 million members. Teachers have held protests around the country claiming that many children and teachers could die if schools reopen.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Angry Canadians are turning in Americans who sneak across the northern border

Canadians are reportedly tracking down and reporting American illegals, The New York Times reports.
What are the details?
The outlet reports that the angry Canadians are seeking out Americans who have reportedly illegally crossed the northern border.
Canada closed its borders to tourists in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and its citizens remain concerned over the nationwide ramifications continued outbreaks could cause.
New York Times reporter Karen Schwartz — a dual citizen of both Canada and the U.S. — related a story of her own ahead of a recent trip from Colorado to Alberta, Canada.
"The Canadians are actually doing damage to vehicles with United States plates on them," a friend reportedly told her via text before her trip.
Schwartz writes that many Americans have been turned away at border crossings amid the pandemic, and some have even been threatened with fines and the possibility of being banned from ever entering Canada again.
"There were so many interlopers that on July 31, Canada began limiting which crossings along the border with the United States can be used by foreign nationals who are allowed to transit through the country for nondiscretionary purposes," she wrote. "It is also requiring them to register, and making them display a hang tag on their rearview mirror with a mandatory departure date."
'I would suggest that they get their plates changed'
During a recent press conference, John Horgan — premier of British Columbia — said, "With respect to those who have offshore plates and are feeling harassed, I would suggest perhaps public transit. I would suggest that they get their plates changed. I would suggest that they ride a bike."
Schwartz even writes that Vancouver Island residents are even going as far as to monitor boat arrivals to prevent potentially infected travelers from coming into the country via a water route.
One hotel manager said that he and his staff often conduct parking lot sweeps to see if there are any U.S. license plates, and adds that he has no problem questioning guests and reporting them to local authorities if necessary.
The outlet reported that federal police based in Alberta recorded at least 121 complaints of U.S. license plates between July 1 and July 28.
At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 120,684 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Canada, with at least 9,013 deaths attributed to the deadly virus.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Hard rock guitarist George Lynch ditches band moniker Lynch Mob due to 'everything going on right no

Hard rock guitarist George Lynch ditches band moniker Lynch Mob due to 'everything going on right now in the world' @ @ @ @ @ to tour anymore with that name or put out any more records with that name @

Following in the woke footsteps of well-known bands formerly known as The Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum, veteran hard rock guitarist George Lynch is retiring the name of his longtime group Lynch Mob, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
What are the details?
Lynch said the decision is based partially on the racial connotations in the band moniker, the outlet noted.
"The name itself, of course, has always been problematic," Lynch said during an interview with Audio Ink, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. "And now it's inexcusable to keep the name."
Lynch — who rose to fame as a member of Dokken in the 1980s, after which he formed Lynch Mob — said greater social awareness was also a factor in getting rid of the band name. Despite the Lynch Mob moniker being a play on the guitarist's surname, Lynch said he wanted to avoid historical issues associated with the word.
"With everything going on right now in the world, it was really sort of an epiphany moment," he added, according to the outlet. "I just kind of woke up and said, I think with this record, this is our swan song. I think this would be a good place to exit the stage, that we've created this book end — an answer to the first record."
Lynch also said, "I'm not going to tour anymore with that name or put out any more records with that name. I'll probably still play with some of the same people. We'll just call it something else," the outlet noted..
The final Lynch Mob release will be "Wicked Sensation (Reimagined)," which is a reworking of the band's 1990 debut album, Ultimate Classic Rock reported, adding that the album is due Aug. 28.
Here's Lynch Mob in action just a few months ago:
Lynch Mob "Wicked Sensation" @ Hard Rock Casino Biloxi, MS. youtu.be
Anything else?
In June, strident left-wing country group The Dixie Chicks officially dropped "Dixie" from their moniker, and the trio of musicians suddenly became The Chicks. The group's website at the time offered only the following semi-cryptic statement as a reason: "We want to meet this moment."
Indeed, the band's new name was part of a flurry of historical reexamination, statue toppling, and violent protests in the wake of George Floyd's death in the hands of police in May.
Not to be outdone, country group formerly known as Lady Antebellum changed its name to Lady A in June as well, apologizing for "the hurt" caused by their original band moniker due to its association with "the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery."
Then after a black gospel and blues artist, Anita White — who has used the stage name Lady A for decades — protested the band's move, the group formerly known as Lady Antebellum actually sued White to be sure it can perform as Lady A without her claiming trademark infringement.