theblaze--2020-12-17--School district investigating accusation that high school teacher watched porn during virtual class

A Florida school district is investigating allegations that a teacher was watching pornography during a recent virtual learning session with his high school students .
What are the details ?
According to the New York Post , Michael Braeseke — a social sciences teacher at South Broward High School — is facing the accusations after video of him sitting at a desk and looking down went viral .
In the video , Braeseke sits with what appears to be a faint smirk on his face while a woman can be heard in the background screaming `` Oh my God '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained the recording of the virtual class and shared it to social media , where it quickly went viral and caught the attention of the district .
The former student , Elijah Ruby , shared the video to Twitter writing , `` South Broward high school teacher Mr. Micheal Braseke [ sic ] watches pornography in class .
This teacher is a known pervert who has made inappropriate advances toward students in the past . ''
Tagging the school 's principal , Patricia Brown , Ruby added , `` How can you let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing , `` As a survivor myself , I would never ignore concerns expressed .
Social media is not the best medium to address issues of this importance .
Please encourage others to email/call me .
They ARE loved & valued ! ''
According to the Miami Herald , district officials launched a probe into the video on Tuesday .
A statement from Broward County Public Schools said , `` Broward County Public Schools takes all matters and allegations involving the safety of students and staff very seriously .
When school leaders were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a virtual class , they took immediate action and began to look into allegations and follow proper protocols prior to social media posts .
The incident and allegations were reported to the District 's Special Investigative Unit to initiate an internal investigation .
The District and school administration remain committed to the safety and emotional well-being of students . ''

A Florida school district is investigating allegations that a teacher was watching pornography during a recent virtual learning session with his high school students.
What are the details?
According to the New York Post, Michael Braeseke — a social sciences teacher at South Broward High School — is facing the accusations after video of him sitting at a desk and looking down went viral.
In the video, Braeseke sits with what appears to be a faint smirk on his face while a woman can be heard in the background screaming "Oh my God" in apparent ecstasy.
A former student obtained the recording of the virtual class and shared it to social media, where it quickly went viral and caught the attention of the district.
The former student, Elijah Ruby, shared the video to Twitter writing, "South Broward high school teacher Mr. Micheal Braseke [sic] watches pornography in class. This teacher is a known pervert who has made inappropriate advances toward students in the past."
Tagging the school's principal, Patricia Brown, Ruby added, "How can you let this happen?"
Brown responded by writing, "As a survivor myself, I would never ignore concerns expressed. Social media is not the best medium to address issues of this importance. Please encourage others to email/call me. They ARE loved & valued!"
According to the Miami Herald, district officials launched a probe into the video on Tuesday.
A statement from Broward County Public Schools said, "Broward County Public Schools takes all matters and allegations involving the safety of students and staff very seriously. When school leaders were made aware of the alleged teacher misconduct during a virtual class, they took immediate action and began to look into allegations and follow proper protocols prior to social media posts. The incident and allegations were reported to the District's Special Investigative Unit to initiate an internal investigation. The District and school administration remain committed to the safety and emotional well-being of students."


theblaze--2020-12-17--Report: Over 100K Georgians who didn’t vote on Election Day have requested ballots for Senate runoff

Report: Over 100K Georgians who didn’t vote on Election Day have requested ballots for Senate runoffs — and they skew Democratic

Report : Over 100K Georgians who didn ’ t vote on Election Day have requested ballots for Senate runoffs — @ @ @ @ @ are heating up in Georgia

More than 100,000 voters who did not vote in Georgia on Election Day have requested mail-in ballots for the state's upcoming Senate runoffs, and the sampling of demographics show they probably lean Democratic, a new report from the Peach State revealed.
What are the details?
As of Thursday afternoon, 108,625 Georgians who did not vote in the November election have applied for ballots to vote in the Jan. 5 runoffs, according to data from georgiavotes.com. The tracking site uses publicly available information from the Georgia secretary of state's website.
The figure, which amounts to 6.3% of all mail-in ballot requests, could be enough to sway results in an election that is expected to be close. Democratic challenger Joe Biden defeated President Trump in the state by a narrow margin of just under 12,000 votes. Both Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler failed to win a 50% majority of the vote, which sent each race to a runoff.
The demographic breakdown of the new runoff applicants skew toward traditionally Democratic voting groups, with non-white voters making up the majority of the sampling. More than 42,000 are white voters while nearly 38,000 are black voters, and the remaining 28,000 classified themselves as Hispanic, Asian, and other.
The demographic breakdown, though perhaps concerning, is certainly not an assurance that Democrats will take the seats due to the fact that Republicans made historic inroads with minority groups during the 2020 election.
What else?
The highly anticipated runoff elections are also reportedly drawing completely new Georgia voters into the state's voter pool. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, nearly 75,000 new voters have registered in the state since the presidential election in November. The news outlet pulled the data from an updated voter registration list purchased from the secretary of state's office.
The Journal-Constitution noted that the new voters are "overwhelmingly young, with 57% of them under 35 years old. Some are new Georgia residents; others just turned 18."
It's worth noting that Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has warned against out-of-state voters temporarily relocating to Georgia to vote in the runoffs. To do so is a felony.
Anything else?
The fact that an increasing number of non-voters are registering ahead of the runoffs doesn't guarantee that they will actually vote or that turnout will be up overall.
Republican strategist Karl Rove argued recently that the mail-in ballot requests overall are down from what they were for the presidential election.
"In November, 1,740,795 people requested a mail-in ballot — 1,362,369 actually exercised it, voted by mail. So today, the requests are half a million less, a third less than they were for the November election," he said.
Current figures on georgiavotes.com show that the vote turnout for the runoff elections is down 9% in comparison to where the vote turnout was for the presidential election at this point. Mail-in allot applications are also down 2%.
"And what you also need to remember is 600,000 of the people on the list for mail-in ballots, 600,000 of that 1.7 million are automatically on the list. They are on the list for a long time. They sign up for permanent mail-in ballots, so they're counted as a request, but we don't know whether or not they are actually going to vote," Rove added.


theblaze--2020-12-17--Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville defies Mitch McConnell, opens door to Electoral College challenge in Sen

Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville defies Mitch McConnell, opens door to Electoral College challenge in Senate

'We 're gon na have to do it in the Senate '

Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) indicated this week that he may challenge the Electoral College votes from several key battleground states in the U.S. Senate in defiance of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Some congressional Republicans led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) are discussing a plan to challenge the results of the election when Congress convenes on Jan. 6 to certify Joe Biden as president. In a video posted by Lauren Windsor, the executive producer of "Undercurrent," Tuberville appeared to lend his support to the effort.
"Well, you see what's coming. You've been reading about it in the House. We're gonna have to, we're gonna have to do it in the Senate," Tuberville said.
The congressional procedure for accepting a state's Electoral College results can be slowed considerably if one member of the House and one member of the Senate each object to recording the electoral votes of a state.
Should objections be raised, each house of Congress will be forced to debate for two hours and then hold a floor vote on whether to accept the results. In the event that the Democratic-controlled House votes one way and the Republican-controlled Senate votes another way, the tie is broken by the governor's certification in the disputed state.
Rep. Brooks has been leading the charge to challenge the results of the Electoral College in Congress.
"I find it unfathomable that anyone would acquiesce to election theft and voter fraud because they lack the courage to take a difficult vote on the House or Senate floor," Brooks told Politico in an interview. "Last time I checked, that's why we were elected to Congress."
So far it's been unclear that any GOP senators would join Brooks and his House colleagues. Sen. McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, on Tuesday warned Republican senators on a private conference call that challenging the Electoral College would result in a "terrible vote" because they would have to vote the challenge down and appear to side against President Donald Trump.
Until Tuberville's comments, no GOP senators gave hints they would support an effort to challenge the election. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) perhaps came the closest. She faces a tough runoff election in Georgia on Jan. 5 and on Wednesday told reporters she hadn't decided whether she would challenge the election if she wins.
"I haven't looked at it," she said. "Jan. 6 is a long way out and there's a lot to play out between now and then."
Trump wants Republicans to fight. On Wednesday the president told McConnell via tweet that it is "too soon to give up," despite the election results being certified by every state and the Electoral College officially selecting Biden to be the next president of the United States.
The odds that Republicans could successfully reject the results of the election in Congress are almost nonexistent. Even if Tuberville or Loeffler were to object, there are not enough votes in the Senate to toss the election results from not one, but several states Trump would need to overcome Biden's 306-232 lead in the Electoral College. The Trump campaign's various legal challenges, most of which have been dropped or dismissed, and the remaining pending cases, even if successful, would not be enough to overturn the election.


theblaze--2020-12-17--He stereotypes QB's fans as 'people with American flags and dogs.' Then EPSN host gets put on blast

He stereotypes QB's fans as 'people with American flags and dogs.' Then EPSN host gets put on blast by Buffalo Bills players.

He stereotypes QB 's fans as 'people with American flags and dogs . '
Then EPSN host gets put on @ @ @ @ @ .
Dominque Foxworth responded by saying his criticisms of Josh Allen 's fans were 'taken @ @ @ @

After blatantly stereotyping fans of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as "people with American flags and dogs," ESPN host Domonique Foxworth got earful from a couple of Bills players.
What's the background?
Foxworth — a former NFL cornerback — uttered his regrettable words during a chat with ESPN's Bomani Jones a few days ago. According to Western Journal, Foxworth noted that "I am fully aware that I have biases; and my biases are not based on Josh Allen" — and then he proceeded to rip Allen's fans.
Here's the audio:
"It's based on the people that are defending Josh Allen. I would be 100% lying if I said that when Josh does something dumb, a little part of me doesn't get happy. ... It's because the people who are telling me that Josh is the Second Coming, and Josh is better than everybody are people with American flags and dogs and skull and crossbones. … If you go just take a dip into their tweet history, it's some really concerning retweets and likes. … It's not about Josh," Foxworth said.
Foxworth added that "generally, I'm pro-player, and I'm looking for ways to understand a player's position and defend a player. But in Josh's case, it's not about him. He is the ground on which we are fighting," Western Journal also noted.
For context it may help to keep in mind that the Bills are one of only six NFL teams with a majority of fans who are Republicans, the outlet added, citing FiveThirtyEight.
Foxworth took a bit of a licking for his stereotype against Allen's fans, with one commenter saying, "Damn this has to be the most f***ed up sports take I've ever heard. Is he insinuating that all Bills fans are racist, or am I reading into this wrong?" Another observer declared, "Get that racist douche bag Foxworth off the air. No place for his comments ... Imagine if a white dude said something equally disgusting about [black NFL quarterback] Lamar Jackson? Whitey would have been fired immediately! ESPN SUCKS!"
Bills' players aren't happy, either
A couple of Bills' players — safety Jordan Poyer and guard Jonathan Feliciano — also got in Foxworth's face over his criticism of Allen's fans.
"Hold up bruh," Poyer tweeted. "we not jus letting this slide, yeah?! @espn this what we on now in the sports world!? @Foxworth24 we gotta do better my brother... cause this ain't it."
Feliciano also hit back at Foxworth:
"Are you talking about the fans that just raise over 700k for a hospital during a pandemic?" Feliciano asked the ESPN host. "Ppl do/say the corniest things to try n get ahead."
What did Foxworth have to say?
Foxworth replied to Poyer's tweet and said his comments about Allen's fans were "taken out of context," and — presumably to make peace — he even added a waving American flag to his post:
"Nobody I respect has taken this seriously, so I've been ignoring it," Foxworth wrote Wednesday. "And getting taken out of context kinda comes with my job, so I haven't been trippin. But I respect you and the ppl in your building and it bothers that y'all have spent 1 sec thinking about this disingenuous BS."
He added, "Feel free to DM me, listen to the full podcast, or ignore this foolishness all together and get back to ballin. Best of luck to you and my new favorite QB."


theblaze--2020-12-17--Rutgers journalism prof. likens GOP to 'fecal matter,' calls pro-life conservatism a 'death cult.' M

Rutgers journalism prof. likens GOP to 'fecal matter,' calls pro-life conservatism a 'death cult.' Months ago, he was preaching that 'language matters.'

Rutgers journalism prof. likens GOP to 'fecal matter , ' calls pro-life conservatism a 'death cult . '
Months ago @ @ @ @ @ 'language matters . '

Chenjerai Kumanyika, a journalism and media studies assistant professor at Rutgers University, has compared the GOP to "fecal matter" and claimed that conservative policies are "climate-destroying, democracy destroying, racist, sexist, [and] violent."
He also referred to the pro-life movement as a "death cult."
In February, however, Kumanyika was preaching platitudes that "language matters," according to Campus Reform.
What are the details?
Campus Reform on Thursday reported that Kumanyika recently took to his personal Twitter account to compare the GOP to "fecal matter," then issued an apology — to fecal matter — for the comparison.
The outlet reported that Kumanyika was "addressing his 'liberal friends'" and "advised them to 'call out' and organize against' the potential Biden-Harris administration should it 'harken back to what has not worked before.'"
He wrote, "You don't have to wait and 'work with them' for two years as Republicans work to s**t out something even more putrid in 2022. I mean no offense to fecal matter here. Fecal matter has done nothing wrong. Conservatives can't say the same."
Kumanyika later issued an "apology" — to fecal matter, and not the GOP.
"Apology: Earlier I suggested the GOP would 's**t out' something more putrid in future elections," he wrote. "This poorly chosen metaphor compared GOP politics to fecal matter[.] This was unfair to fecal matter & does not reflect my heart. Unlike the GOP, fecal matter has done nothing wrong."
He later added, "Fecal matter — our friend in digestion — has only played its role in the excretory process. I should not have compared it to the GOP politicians many (not all) of whom have supported, climate-destroying, democracy destroying, racist, sexist, violent policies."
Anything else?
Elsewhere in his remarks, Kumanyika also referred to the pro-life movement as a "death cult."
"The 'pro-life' rhetoric of conservative politics conceals what it has actually become — a death cult," he wrote. "It is a cauldron of hateful resignation & violence & willingness to sacrifice the most vulnerable on the altar of denial. The administration's Covid strategy confirms this."
'Language matters'
In February, the outlet reports that Kumanyika appeared at an event with Boston University Center for Anti-Racist Research Director Ibram Kendi and insisted that "language matters."
"Language matters, you know, and I think that in a society like the United States — which has actually a history of anti-intellectualism — there can be a way to marginalize and to act like language doesn't matter or someone who's talking about language is just engaging in semantics, but you know, these words really stand in, they help us to understand things."


theblaze--2020-12-17--POLL: Who would you rather have operating on you?

POLL : Who would you rather have operating on you ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to share @

POLL: Who would you rather have operating on you?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-12-18--Commentary: The woke left wishes its own version of 'Merry Christmas' to American 'f***ers'

Commentary : The woke left wishes its own version of 'Merry Christmas ' to American ' f***ers '

I don't know about you, but I've been getting a lot of heartwarming Christmas cards this yuletide season from President-elect (allegedly) Joe Biden's ministers and ambassadors of healing and reconciliation. They've touched me in such a deep, special place that I must share such glad tidings of great joy with a weary nation.
Take Secretary of Kink Katie Hill as just one example. The former congresswoman from California let me know via her drunken mistletoe that my vote for Trump made me truly unique: "Because y'all are the biggest bunch of f***ers in history. Stop being that and unity/healing will be a hell of a lot easier."
What a glorious thorn ... err ... olive branch. I will cherish it always.
Not to be outdone in the area of feminine grace was Secretary of Washed-Up Actors Debra Messing, who cheerfully shared to the tune of "All I Want for Christmas" her blessed hope that Trump would one day be anally raped in prison. Come, let us adore him, indeed.
Sometimes, though, Christmas cards are so full of love and tenderness that they have to be deleted from Twitter out of embarrassment for just loving too darn much. It happens.
Then there's our emissary of Woke Sports, ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth, who said that his 12 days of Christmas all involve rooting for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to fail . All because Allen's supporters unfortunately exposed their chestnuts over an open fire by being "people with American flags" in their social media profiles. And this island of misfit toys probably knows all the words to "Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer," too, when what they really need to know is Foxworth's preferred pronouns are "he hate me."
But you want to know what spreads more Christmas cheer than singing loud for all to hear? How about hating Abraham Lincoln! I mean, obviously. Yep, Honest Abe may get the boot from the name of a San Francisco high school because he failed to demonstrate to the Secretary of Orwellian Education that "black lives matter to him." Well, except for that one silent night John Wilkes Booth decked the halls of Ford Theater with his brain matter, I guess.
This is the season of giving, after all, and I just need more in my stocking than the Great Emancipator can ever offer me. Thankfully, this is 2020, when Christmas miracles abound. Like when Ambassador of Victimhood Noah Berlatsky said, "Parents are tyrants. 'Parent' is an oppressive class, like rich people or white people." Indeed, Mary did you know ... that you were on your way to a Klan meeting?
Now some may be tempted to tell all these fiends to shove it up their North Poles. But to that I say "bah humbug." As we all know, Tiny Tim was just an unviable tissue mass riddled with tumors. In fact, it would have been best for him to be aborted before he was born, to cut down on the surplus population.
Likewise, we should feel honored to be ruled by such wise non-binary beings as currently reside at the New England Journal of Medicine. Away in their manger, the gifts they have to offer are stocking stuffers like this recent quote: "Sex designations on birth certificates offer no clinical utility, and they can be harmful for intersex and transgender people. Moving such designations below the line of demarcation would not compromise the birth certificate's public health function but could avoid harm."
Nary a prophet of old has spoken so much unbridled joy to the world. The science or something has come, so let every heart prepare room for the knowledge that biology is now bigotry.
Therefore, understand this, and understand it well — "Little Drummer Boy" is his dead name now. He henceforth goes by the Twitter handle "Zinnia, adult demon female," and it calls for all children to be put on puberty blockers until they can make their own "informed" decision about their gender. You never saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, because mommies are merely oppressive constructs of the patriarchy.
Hark, the trans angels sing!
Merry Christmas, ya bunch of f***ers.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tries to legitimize, promote prostitution: 'Sex work is work'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tries to legitimize , promote prostitution : 'Sex work is work '

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tried to legitimize prostitution in a Tuesday tweet, referring to "sex work" as real "work."
What are the details?
Ocasio-Cortez was referring to a Rolling Stone story that accused the New York Post of shaming a 23-year-old paramedic who began virtually selling herself online to paid subscribers.
Copying the article, the New York congresswoman wrote, "Sex work is work. The federal gov has done almost nothing to help people in months. We must pass stimulus checks, UI, small biz relief, hospital funding, etc."
"Keep the focus of shame there, not on marginalizing people surviving a pandemic without help," she added.
She wasn't the only one who advocated for the change: Eliza Orlins, Manhattan, New York, district attorney candidate chimed in and added her praise to the chorus.
Orlins responded to Ocasio-Cortez's tweet, writing, "Thank you so much for saying this. Sex work is work. Furthermore, we must fully decriminalize sex work. No exceptions."
What else?
In 2019, Fox News reported that Ocasio-Cortez announced her advocacy for decriminalizing prostitution alongside Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in endorsing the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act.
"The SAFE SEX Workers Study Act, sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., would study the effects of two anti-sex trafficking bills — the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act [SESTA/FOSTA] — that became law last year," Fox News reported at the time. "Opponents say the new law makes consensual sex work more difficult. According to Khanna's office, the law has forced sex workers off of online platforms and into more dangerous situations."
In a press release, Khanna said, "Sex workers have relied on such internet platforms to screen clients and negotiate boundaries for consensual, transactional sex services, including condom use and other harm reduction strategies. ... While SESTA/FOSTA was intended to curb online sex trafficking, by banning the 'promotion of prostitution,' a host of internet platforms relied on by sex workers have shut down."
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-12-18--Joe Biden says he's not worried about accusations against Hunter Biden, calls them 'foul play'

Joe Biden says he 's not worried about accusations against Hunter Biden , calls them 'foul play '

President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday that he was not worried about the allegations against his son Hunter Biden and called them "foul play."
Biden made the comments on an interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that aired Thursday.
"We have great confidence in our son," said Biden when asked about his son.
"I'm not concerned about any accusations that have been made against him, it's used to get me. I think it's kind of foul play but -- look, it is what it is," he added.
"He's a grown man," concluded Biden. "He's the smartest man I know, I mean, in pure intellectual capacity, and uh, as long as he's good, we're good."
Hunter Biden revealed in statement from the Biden Harris transition team that his "tax affairs" were under federal investigation. Subsequent reports claimed that he had been under investigation for alleged money laundering since 2018, but the probe was put on hold during the 2020 presidential campaign.
The president-elect has denied any wrongdoing related to his son's business affairs.
Joe Biden might have been responding to a tweet by the president earlier Thursday where he denied having any role in the "potential prosecution" of Hunter Biden.
"I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family. It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!" tweeted the president.
Previous to this denial, the president had lashed out at Attorney General William Barr over reports that he knew about the investigation into Hunter Biden but did not reveal it to the public or to the president. Barr has since told the president that he would be retiring from the position at the end of the year.
Here's the video of Biden's comments:


theblaze--2020-12-18--Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti refuses offer to join Biden administration, says his daughter tested

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti refuses offer to join Biden administration, says his daughter tested positive for coronavirus

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti refuses offer to join Biden administration , says his daughter tested positive for coronavirus Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ on the same day to testify in a sexual harassment case

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that President-elect Joe Biden offered him a position in his administration but that he turned it down.
Garcetti made the admission during a media briefing on Thursday about the spike in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County.
"There were things on the table for me but I said to (the Biden administration) very clearly ... I need to be here now," said Garcetti, without divulging what position Biden had offered him.
There had been speculation that he might be picked to head the Department of Transportation, but the Biden transition team announced Tuesday that former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Peter Buttigieg was to be nominated for that position instead.
Others questioned the timing of his announcement given that earlier on Thursday a judge had ordered Garcetti must testify in a lawsuit against the city by a Los Angeles police officer who accused a former mayoral aide of sexual harassment.
Self-quarantine
Garcetti also said that he and his wife were in self-quarantine after their 9-year-old daughter tested positive for the coronavirus.
"On Monday while I was at work, my wife called to let us know that our beloved daughter Maya, who turned nine this weekend, wasn't feeling very well. And after she came down with a fever, we had her tested for COVID-19, and her results came back positive," said Garcetti.
He went on to say that his daughter's symptoms were mild and that he and his wife had tested negative.
Garcetti has ordered renewed lockdowns after coronavirus spiked in a second wave in recent weeks. On Thursday California state health officials announced that intensive care units in Southern California were at full capacity, in spite of the fact that Los Angeles has consistently maintained some of the harshest COVID-19 policies in the country.
Some have questioned whether studies can justify such a draconian lockdown order given the negative consequences that will come from shutting down the economy and isolating so many people.
Here's the video of the briefing:


theblaze--2020-12-19--Rhode Island city councilman resigns position after audio surfaces of his mocking the pronouns of a

Rhode Island city councilman resigns position after audio surfaces of his mocking the pronouns of a transgender activist He originally @ @ @ @ @ but later apologized and resigned

A Providence, Rhode Island, City Council member is resigning as the council's president pro tempore after apologizing for misgendering a transgender activist caught on an audio recording.
Councilman Michael Correia was referring to transgender activist Justice Gaines in the recording that was obtained and published by WPRI-TV in October.
The recordings captured Correia referring to Gaines, who was born a man but identifies as a woman, as "he" and then "it."
When first confronted with the recordings, an attorney for Correia said he was the real victim.
"Councilman Correia is the victim here," said attorney Artin Coloian in October. "He's been intercepted by what we consider to be illegal recordings."
Gaines responded to the audio recording in an interview with WPRI.
"I was hurt and upset and sad," Gaines said. "To have a city councilman mocking or making light of my pronouns or what being transgender means, when there are people in his ward who he represents who he's supposed to be fighting for who are like me, who are trans women, who are nonbinary … that's upsetting."
After public and media scrutiny, Correia changed his tune on Friday and apologized via a Facebook post.
"As a consequence of my actions, Today I resigned as President Pro-Tempore of the City Council," wrote Correia.
"I also met with Justice Gaines who was the subject of a conversation I was involved in.The conversation was inappropriate and offensive to her and all members of the LGBTQIA Community and quite frankly should be offensive to everyone. During our meeting I apologized to Justice and asked her to forgive me. She accepted my apology for herself but informed me that my bad behavior was much further reaching," he added.
"I understand these actions have broken trust between myself and the public and I am asking for the opportunity to earn back that trust through conversation and from working together with all our residents," said Correia.
Here's a news report with the audio recording:


theblaze--2020-12-19--NYC Mayor de Blasio: 'I like to say very bluntly, our mission is to redistribute wealth'

NYC Mayor de Blasio : ' I like to say very bluntly , our mission is to redistribute wealth' The @ @ @ @ @ ' a lot of people bristle at that phrase '

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) reiterated to his constituents Friday, "I like to say very bluntly, our mission is to redistribute wealth," a declaration he has made before although he recognized that "a lot of people bristle at that phrase."
What are the details?
During a news conference, de Blasio began by voicing his support for the findings of a recently concluded investigation by the city that determined the NYPD "made a number of key errors that likely escalated tensions and a potential for violence" during the protests following the death of George Floyd in late May. He promised the police department would be reformed.
"The COVID era has taught us that so clearly, and we need to do better and we will," de Blasio said. "And that means a commitment to fighting disparities and inequality in every part of the life of New York City and that certainly takes us to education where if you're talking about the problems of disparity, if you're talking about structural racism, certainly policing is not the only area to talk about. There are many areas to talk about and education must be front and center.
"There has been so much that needed to be addressed in education in New York City, and from the beginning, what I tried to focus on was a very simple concept: equity and excellence," he continued. "That we needed to profoundly change the distribution of resources."
De Blasio emphasized, "I like to say very bluntly, our mission is to redistribute wealth. ... A lot of people bristle at that phrase, that is, in fact, the phrase we need to use."
De Blasio has used such phrasing before, even just recently.
In August, the New York Post reported that de Blasio "made a public plea" for "taxing the rich and redistributing their money even as the Big Apple reels from a coronavirus-induced budget crisis that's already caused well-heeled New Yorkers to head for the hills."
"Help me tax the wealthy. Help me redistribute wealth. Help me build affordable housing in white communities if you want desegregation," the mayor told a caller on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show" during a discussion about schools.
"What changes things is redistribution of wealth," he reiterated. "Tax the wealthy at a much higher level. I just feel like this is a lot of cocktail party comfort going on rather than people honestly dealing with this issue."
But de Blasio's insistence on further taxes on wealthy New Yorkers has received pushback even from fellow Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has pleaded with high earners to stop fleeing the state in a mass exodus that began when the coronavirus and lockdowns hit.
Cuomo pointed out earlier this year that the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers pay roughly half the taxes collected in the state.


theblaze--2020-12-19--Mitt Romney criticizes Trump for 'inexcusable silence and inaction' on suspected Russian cyberattack

Mitt Romney criticizes Trump for 'inexcusable silence and inaction' on suspected Russian cyberattack compromising US agencies

Mitt Romney criticizes Trump for 'inexcusable silence and inaction ' on suspected Russian cyberattack compromising US agencies The massive attack @ @ @ @

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) criticized President Donald Trump for what he called "inexcusable silence and inaction" on a serious Russian cyberattack that compromised government agencies.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency identified a serious cyberattack on SolarWinds Orion, a network monitoring application, that could have began as far back as March. The attack exposed numerous networks used by the U.S. government as well as state and local agencies.
"This threat actor has demonstrated sophistication and complex tradecraft in these intrusions," said the CISA in a statement on Thursday. "Removing the threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging."
Romney on Thursday released a statement expressing his alarm at the attack and also criticizing the president for his silence.
"The cyber attack is like Russian bombers have been repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country," said Romney. He then listed the dangers associated with the attack.
Alarming U.S. vulnerability
Apparent cyber warfare weakness
Glaringly inadequate cyber defenses
Inexcusable silence and inaction from the White House
"Past time for national security re-set that prioritizes cybersecurity capabilities and defenses," he added.
Romney said in a Sirius radio interview that the attack showed "that our cyber warfare readiness is extraordinarily weak, that they think so little of our ability to fight back from a cyber standpoint that they do this with impunity."
Romney joins a chorus of voices demanding a response from the White House, while President-elect Joe Biden has already released a statement from his transition team.
"A good defense isn't enough. We need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyberattacks in the first place," Biden said.
"We will do that by, among other things, imposing substantial costs on those responsible for such malicious attacks, including in coordination with our allies and partners," he added. "Our adversaries should know that, as President, I will not stand idly by in the face of cyber assaults on our nation."
Intelligence officials suspect the cyberattack came from Russian state actors, but the Russian government has denied the allegations.
Here's more about the cyberattack:


theblaze--2020-12-19--Alabama cops shut down bootleg wine operation run out of city sewage plant

Alabama cops shut down bootleg wine operation run out of city sewage plant One suspect has been arrested in connection @ @ @ @

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office in Alabama has busted up an illegal wine distillery that was run out of a city sewage plant, calling it "one of the biggest operations we've seen in our county and possibly our state."
What are the details?
The sheriff's office announced Thursday that following an anonymous tip "investigators and narcotics unit agents uncovered a large illegal winery at the Rainsville Waste Water Treatment Plant," a facility owned by the City of Rainsville. The news release said they found "a large amount of alcohol, and a winery which appeared to be in operation for a long period of time."
Rainsville Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt was present at the plant, which employs four people, when authorities conducted their search, AL.com reported.
"I want to thank the mayor for his cooperation and willingness to allow law enforcement to do our job and shut something like this down," Sheriff Nick Welden said in a statement. "This is definitely one of the biggest operations we've seen in our county and possibly our state. A big thanks to the public and their tips against ALL illegal activities."
He added, "Once again, it doesn't matter who you are, no one is above the law. We won't tolerate anyone using their position to hide their illegal actions at the taxpayer's expense."
Lingerfelt held a news conference Friday to discuss the bust, where he told reporters that an employee of 15 years had been suspended without pay as the sheriff's department continues its investigation. He did not disclose the name of the employee.
Who was arrested?
Later that day, DCSO provided an update, and announced the arrest of Allen Stiefel, 62, in connection with the illegal winery operation. Stiefel has been charged with a Class B felony for use of official position for personal gain, and with a misdemeanor for unlawful possession of an illegally manufactured alcoholic beverage.
ABC News reported:
It's legal to make limited amounts of wine at home in Alabama, but it's illegal to have more than 15 gallons of homemade wine or beer at a time. Police photos show multiple fermenting vessels filled with what appears to be more than 100 gallons of white and red liquid.


theblaze--2020-12-19--A 2-year-old was abandoned at a Goodwill drop-off. Two suspects have been charged with kidnapping, a

A 2-year-old was abandoned at a Goodwill drop-off. Two suspects have been charged with kidnapping, and the mother's story is disturbing.

A 2-year-old was abandoned at a Goodwill drop-off .
Two suspects have been charged with kidnapping , and the mother @ @ @ @ @ The mother says she was tricked into leaving her son .

A disturbing story about a 2-year-old boy abandoned at a Goodwill drop-off location grew much worse after police announced two arrests and released more details about the incident.
The 2-year-old was abandoned on Monday morning in Southaven, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee.
Workers at the Goodwill said he was in good spirits and playing with toys after a man left him there with a plastic bag with clothing, food, and a note that read, "child abandoned…no phone number for mom."
Southaven police were seeking the public's help to identify the man, a woman, and a second man seen in his vehicle in their investigation.
The mother denies abandonment
According to WREG-TV, a woman named Antoinette Smith later claimed to be the boy's mother. She said that his name was Sergio and denied ever abandoning the child. Smith said that she had been tricked by a man she claimed was trying to force her to prostitute herself for his financial benefit.
She claimed that she had met with a male acquaintance on Sunday and went with him to Nashville. She left her son with the man's sister in Memphis.
Smith said that the man later told her that the woman they left her son with was his girlfriend and not his sister. That's when he allegedly tried to force her to prostitute herself for him.
"If I knew that I said I wouldn't have left my baby like that. Ain't no way I would have left my baby. That's all I got with me," Smith said in an interview with a Memphis activist.
Smith claimed that he abandoned her at a store and demanded that she prostitute herself, but that she refused.
Arrests made
The FBI arrested Turliscea Turner and Jeremy Fitzgerald and charged them with kidnapping. Fitzgerald has been identified as the man who allegedly went to Memphis with Smith to try to force her to prostitute herself, according to WREG. He is also accused of calling the boy's aunt and allegedly trying to ransom the child for money.
Police said that they captured Fitzgerald after he was spotted in Memphis. They said he attempted to flee in a vehicle but crashed and was taken into custody. Then they found Turner in a nearby grocery store in the same clothing she was wearing in the surveillance video of the abandonment.
Sergio remained in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Here's more about the disturbing story:


theblaze--2020-12-18--'Like a bar code': Andrew Yang calls for way to show proof of someone's vaccination

'Like a bar code ' : Andrew Yang calls for way to show proof of someone 's vaccination The former @ @ @ @ @ some heat over the idea

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is calling for a system people can use to provide proof that they have been vaccinated for COVID-19, suggesting something "like a bar code they can download to their phone" would make it easier to safely congregate.
What are the details?
Yang, whose campaign for the White House was based on a platform calling for universal basic income, tweeted Friday, "Is there a way for someone to easily show that they have been vaccinated - like a bar code they can download to their phone? There ought to be."
He argued, "Tough to have mass gatherings like concerts or ballgames without either mass adoption of the vaccine or a means of signaling."
The businessman went on to say, "I've been tested at a photo shoot or interview and gotten a bracelet showing I was negative. Then we could interact more freely."
Yang was blasted for the suggestion on Twitter, with many likening his idea to the way Jewish people were labeled in Nazi Germany.
Conservative podcaster Stephen Miller replied, "Might want to rethink this one before running for mayor of the city with the largest concentration of Jewish population in the country," referring to reports that Yang may run for mayor of New York City.
"This is Nazi talk Andrew," wrote director Robby Starbuck, while someone else added sarcastically, "How about yellow star attached to our shirts?"
Not everyone found that analogy fair. One person wrote, "As a Jew I find it pretty insulting that people are comparing a QR code that shows whether you can transmit a deadly disease to the Nazis marking my ancestors for slaughter, but whatever. That's politics I guess."
Some folks also referenced the mark of the beast from the Book of Revelation, with one tweeting, "Got to be some sort of..... mark." Turning Point USA contributor Graham Allen drew a correlation to communist China, writing, "Let me guess social credit comes next?"
Others agreed with Yang, with one person noting that everyone who is inoculated for COVID-19 will receive a vaccination card from the CDC, and suggested people "take a pic of it to show getting into events."
Someone else stated that they had been working on a "digital health passport" for nearly a year, and another follower wrote, "What! You mean they are not giving people a card? The UK has a card. I assumed we would do likewise."
Anything else?
Yang is not the first to call for some type of verification system for vaccinated individuals.
WISN-TV reported earlier this week that according to Anit Mukherjee with the Center of Global Development, "such identification requirements are almost a certainty for a return to normal."
"There would be gatekeepers, as I call them, at different places, be it at your workplace or your office when you go in, or a stadium to watch the Bucks play," Mukherjee told the outlet. "They would require some form of assurance that you have been vaccinated."
He added, "We need to think of how we approach this in a very careful manner, but also understanding that this is the future. There will be other pandemics and we need to be prepared."


theblaze--2020-12-18--California restaurant owner: 'We're in survival mode right now'

California restaurant owner : 'We 're in survival mode right now' We 're like dying a death by a thousand @ @

Restaurant owners in New York and California continue to suffer under heavy restrictions as lawmakers issue increasingly draconian edicts during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
A report from Fox News highlights the plight of some restaurant owners, who spoke out about their fear of closing business for good.
"We're in survival mode right now. We're just trying to stay afloat right now, we really don't know what to do, said Chef Rodney Worth, who owns the Peasant and Pear in California.
Worth appeared on Fox News Friday for an interview about how his business is coping with California's new lockdown.
"We've done everything they've said to do, and you know, people have spent thousands of dollars on tents, we have outside dining, we have the best sanitizer, we have training," Worth said. But even so, businesses are struggling to earn enough to keep running while the state prohibits indoor dining services.
"We're like dying a death by a thousand cuts right now," he added. On top of it all, Worth said no one among his business associates and fellow restauranteurs has reported anyone in their restaurants contracting COVID.
"We have not had one case of COVID in our restaurants with 55 employees and all the restaurants near us, we haven't heard of any cases of COVID at all."
Watch:
His complaints have been echoed by other business owners fed up with the edicts of local lawmakers. In New York City, where the state has ordered restaurants to close their indoor dining rooms, a massive snowstorm has forced businesses to close their outdoor dining arrangements as well. The result is many of these restaurants aren't serving customers or making money at all.
Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, said Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus policies have dealt a "huge blow" to the industry.
"This action will inevitably result in massive layoffs and vast closures right before the holidays," Fleischut said. She characterized the closures as "unfair and devastating."
"It will be the last straw for countless more restaurants and jobs," said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. "The restrictions begin on Monday with zero economic support for small businesses that are already struggling to survive."
On top of it all, city officials have been unclear about what restaurants can and cannot do.
New York local officials on Thursday implemented a new rule preventing outdoor diners from permitting their customers to use indoor restrooms. The backlash from restaurant owners and their customers was so intense, officials were forced to reverse the policy. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday the bathroom rule was "a mistake."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Minnesota bar sued by state after refusing to close: 'We'll see them in court'

Minnesota bar sued by state after refusing to close : 'We 'll see them in court' Minnesota AG Keith Ellison @ @ @ @ @ force the restaurant to close

A sports bar in Minnesota is challenging the state's coronavirus lockdown by continuing to offer indoor food and drink service. Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville knowingly resisted Gov. Tim Walz's executive order that banned indoor dining, and now the sports bar is being sued by the state.
On Wednesday, the Democratic governor "allowed" bars and restaurants to serve customers outdoors, but the freezing winter weather in Minnesota is not exactly ideal for outside dining. Indoor dining has been outlawed in Minnesota since mid-November and is banned until at least Jan. 11.
Alibi Drinkery has flouted the indoor dining ban, and served customers inside their establishment. On Thursday, the bar wrote on their Facebook page: "OPEN TODAY. COME IN FOR FOOD AND DRINKS!"
Now, the state of Minnesota is suing Alibi Drinkery for disobeying the COVID-19 restrictions. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Thursday that he filed lawsuits against Alibi Drinkery and the Neighbors on the Rum restaurant in Princeton for defying Walz's executive order. Ellison is also asking a judge for a temporary restraining order to shut down Alibi Drinkery.
Ellison said the lawsuits seek civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation, according to KARE. Ellison said his office would "actively pursue more enforcement actions where violations have taken place."
"The businesses we're holding accountable today know what they need to do to comply with the law and instead they're flouting it," Ellison said in a statement. "I don't enjoy using the enforcement tools I have, but it's my job to protect Minnesotans and I will use them to hold violators accountable and keep Minnesotans safe."
On Wednesday, the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division announced that it "intends to suspend the liquor licenses of these establishments for 60 days, pending a hearing before an administrative law judge."
Lisa Zarza, co-owner of the Alibi Drinkery, knows that she is in for an uphill battle, but said she's ready for it.
"I put a big fat bullseye on our back for a reason because I know they're going to come after every single business anyways, and I wanted to make sure I had thousands of supporters here," she told KARE on Wednesday.
"We put our heart and soul into Alibi," Zarza said. "I've been in the industry for almost 30 years and this was always my dream to own my own business and to own my own restaurant and it finally came true."
"I believe people held out hope, that he wasn't going to do this to us again, and he did," Zarza said of Walz banning indoor dining this week. "(Wednesday's) announcement is going to break down any hope people had."
"You know what? We'll see them in court," Zarza proclaimed.
Zarza said she had to temporarily lay off 45 employees because of the coronavirus restrictions.
Alibi Drinkery and Neighbors on the Rum are part of the ReOpen Minnesota coalition, a group of dozens of business owners defying the lockdown orders.
After the announcement of being sued by the state, Neighbors on the Rum said on Thursday they would return to curbside service and takeout.
"I wasn't going to push it with today. Fair is fair. We made our stand. We gave our one-day deal. We're probably going to have some repercussions because of it. But I'm prepared for those," said owner Joe Holtz.
Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a Republican, argued that restaurants should be able to open up safely by following CDC guidelines, including wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
"We're here to bring hope," Gazelka said. "And it's hope that they can make it through this, and hope that we can convince the governor and the attorney general that they have to relent."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Which Candid/Behind the Scenes video is your favorite?

Which Candid/Behind the Scenes video is your favorite ?

Cast your vote now for your favorite Candid/Behind the Scenes video of 2020. Here are the four nominees ...
SHOCKING: Nancy Pelosi's "Poop City"
1/4 Black Garrett Live From CHAZ/CHOP! | Louder With Crowder
FIRE IN THE HOE: Phil Robertson's Trackhoe Bursts Into Flames! | In the Woods with Phil
SCIENCE: Why Transgenders ATTACK! | Louder with Crowder
Vote now!

The Best Candid / Behind the Scenes Video Is...

1. SHOCKING: Nancy Pelosi's "Poop City"

2. 1/4 Black Garrett Live From CHAZ/CHOP!

3. FIRE IN THE HOE: Phil Robertson's Trackhoe Bursts Into Flames!

4. SCIENCE: Why Transgenders ATTACK

You can still vote in the following categories:
Best Parody
Best Impression
Best Rebuttal
Want more BlazeTV?
To enjoy more straight talk from BlazeTV's all-star lineup, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-18--From Hollywood liberal to proud Trump-supporter, Comedian Nicole Arbour on why she left the Left

From Hollywood liberal to proud Trump-supporter , Comedian Nicole Arbour on why she left the Left

Comedian and social media influencer Nicole Arbour has quite the transformation story: She saw the hypocrisy of Hollywood's elites firsthand. Now, she's a proud Trump supporter.
Nicole joined Glenn Beck on the radio program to talk about her journey, the "super power" of having nothing to hide, and the story of the first time she noticed that the Hollywood crowd isn't who they say they are.
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Tom Cruise's F-bomb rant dubbed into scene from beloved 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' TV special

Tom Cruise's F-bomb rant dubbed into scene from beloved 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' TV special — and it's busting some guts

Tom Cruise 's F-bomb rant dubbed into scene from beloved 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ' TV special — and it @ @ @ @ @ so , so , much for the laugh .
Just what I needed . '

Someone did everybody a big solid for the end of yet another long week in the year 2020 and dubbed actor Tom Cruise's headline-grabbing F-bomb rant at his "Mission: Impossible 7" crew into a scene from the beloved "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" TV special from the 1960s.
Check it out:
What's the background?
In his audio-only rant, Cruise was angry at several members of his crew for not following through with COVID-19 protocols and told them "we're the gold standard! They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us! Because they believe in us and what we're doing! And I'm on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they're looking at us and using us to make their movies!"
He added, "We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf***ers!" and warned, "I don't ever want to see it again! Ever! And if you don't do it, you're fired, and I see you do it again, you're f***ing gone!"
Jason Gallagher — a director of video and strategy — called the humorous dub of Cruise's rant into the "Rudolph" scene his "December passion project."
In the clip, Santa Claus is shown mouthing Cruise's rant to his elves and even poor Rudolph, as they gather 'round St. Nick to see what all the fuss is about.
By the end of Santa's rant, he's pointing directly at Rudolph and hollers, "And you! Don't you ever f**ing do it again!"
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @jga41agher
Fox News reported that as of Friday morning the clip had over 421,000 views.
What was the reaction?
As you might expect, lots of folks found the dubbed clip exactly what the doctor ordered:
"This is very, very funny. Thanks so, so, much for the laugh. Just what I needed. Happy Holidays," one commenter exclaimed.
"I would like to Venmo you $100 just for having brought it into my life," another user said.
"This makes my day thank you," another commenter said.
Even journalist Megyn Kelly was feeling the spirit: "I am wasting my spare time. Why am I not doing things that matter, like this?"
Anything else?
Cruise reportedly opted for an early Christmas break after his meltdown on the set. In addition, five movie staffers reportedly quit after a second Cruise meltdown Tuesday night.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Oregon’s Democratic governor extends coronavirus state of emergency, lockdowns until March

'These are the darkest days of this pandemic '

On Thursday, Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown extended her state of emergency declaration until March, arguing "these are the darkest days of this pandemic."
The declaration, which provides the legal underpinning for Brown to enact executive orders banning business operations and closing schools, was set to expire on Jan. 2, but now has been extended an additional 60 days and will end on March 3.
Brown cited a continued surge of positive coronavirus cases in the state as the reasoning behind the extension.
"As we near 100,000 cases of COVID-19 in Oregon, and with hospitals and health care workers stretched to their limits, there is no doubt that COVID-19 continues to pose a public health threat," Brown said in a news release. "We continue to lose too many Oregonians to this deadly disease, including over 100 reported deaths in the last two days."
"These are the darkest days of this pandemic," she added, even while acknowledging that "hope has arrived" in the form of an approved vaccine.
"Beginning this week, each time another Oregonian is vaccinated against COVID-19, we are one step closer to the day when we can return to normal life. In the meantime, we must keep up our guard," she said. "Protect your friends and loved ones by continuing to follow health and safety protocols. Wear a face covering, avoid gatherings, stay home when you are sick and, together, we can drive down COVID-19 infections and save lives."
Brown's lockdown orders place varying levels of restrictions on residents dependent upon their county's placement in the state's four-tiered risk-based framework. According to KGW-TV, effective through Dec. 31, there are 29 counties at the extreme risk level, one county at moderate risk, and six counties at lower risk."
In counties at extreme risk, social gatherings of more than six people are prohibited, indoor dining is banned, and indoor recreation and entertainment establishments are closed by mandate. Retail stores are also required to limit capacity to 50% while religious institutions are required to limit capacity to 25%.
On the same day as the statewide extension, officials in Multnomah County — the state's largest county and home to Portland — extended its local state of emergency declaration by six months, making the order effective through July.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Majority of Americans say Hunter Biden story was buried by the media to influence election: poll

Majority of Americans say Hunter Biden story was buried by the media to influence election : poll 56 % believe @ @ @ @ @ and perhaps profited from son 's business deals

In mid-October, the New York Post began publishing explosive allegations against Hunter Biden, accusing Joe Biden's son of having inappropriate business dealings with energy corporations in Ukraine and China.
The source for the accusations was reported emails from a MacBook Pro laptop that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden, but he never picked it up from a computer repair shop in Delaware after dropping it off there in April 2019.
Joe Biden denied the allegations at the final presidential debate by saying, "I have not taken a penny from any foreign source ever in my life."
The accusations arrived at the stretch run for the 2020 presidential election, but much of the mainstream media flat-out refused to cover the story or labeled the New York Post reports as a "Russian disinformation campaign," despite many details being published in 2018 by the New York Times.
In a new Rasmussen poll, a majority of Americans believe that the media purposely buried the Hunter Biden laptop story to influence the 2020 election.
Rasmussen asked 1,000 likely U.S. voters: "Which is closer to your thinking — that many news organizations ignored the Hunter Biden story to help Joe Biden's presidential campaign or that many ignored the story because they felt it was a partisan hit job?"
The national telephone and online survey found that 52% think that news organizations ignored the Hunter Biden story to help his father's presidential campaign. There were 32% who said the media ignored the story because they felt it was a partisan hit job, and 17% were not sure what to believe of the situation.
There were 56% who believed that Joe Biden was consulted about and perhaps profited from his son's overseas business deals.
The poll also found that 70% of voters said they have been "closely" following the news about Hunter Biden's business dealings, and 38% have been following it "very closely."
"Among those who have been following Very Closely, 76% say the media deliberately ignored the story before Election Day to help Joe Biden, and 72% think the president-elect is likely to have been consulted about and perhaps profited from his son's overseas dealings," Rassmussen noted.
Hunter Biden revealed in early December that he was under a federal investigation. Department of Justice sources reportedly said Hunter Biden's taxes had been under investigation since 2018. There are reports that Hunter Biden is under four federal investigations.
Since the investigation was made public, the mainstream media has shown more interest in covering the allegations. This week, NBC News published a story about the president-elect's son receiving an email from a business partner that warned Hunter that he had failed to disclose $400,000 in income from the Ukrainian Burisma gas company on his 2014 tax returns.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Glenn Beck: This document proposes TERRIFYING steps to target the 'religious right'

Glenn Beck : This document proposes TERRIFYING steps to target the 'religious right '

The Secular Democrats of America — a group founded and backed by many congressional Democrats — recently released a terrifying 28-page document proposing to the Joe Biden team several steps that directly target the rights of conservative, religious Americans.
Here is a short excerpt from the shocking document:
We urge you not to underestimate the institutional strength of what we refer to (interchangeably) in this document as the "Christian nationalist movement" or the "religious right." This movement is extraordinarily well-funded and well-organized, and the manifestation of its extreme and sectarian agenda is on constant display under the Trump-Pence administration. Its political ideology is anti-democratic and anti-scientific. It provides constant cover for white supremacy. And it advances a reactionary economic policy, tax policy, and dominionist view of the environment that undermines our capacity and will to address the climate crisis. Its agenda rests on a pinched interpretation of biblical principles preached by Christian nationalist leadership and thought leaders. With their political agenda sanctioned by a higher power, their base of support is disciplined, motivated, and deeply committed to a vision that does not align with our basic constitutional values and democratic principles.
On the radio program, Glenn Beck broke down some of the proposals, which include removing 'In God We Trust' from currency, eliminating government support for pregnancy crisis centers, and appointing an attorney general who will support state governors who try to ban large gatherings at places of worship, to name a few. You can read the entire document now on GlennBeck.com.
Watch the clip below for more details:
This document proposes TERRIFYING steps to eliminate religious rights The Secular Democrats of America just released a TERRIFYING document, proposing to the Biden team several steps that directly target the rights of conservati...
Use promo code GLENN to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson blocks new $1,200 stimulus checks, argues for more 'targeted' coronav

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson blocks new $1,200 stimulus checks, argues for more 'targeted' coronavirus relief

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson blocks new $ 1,200 stimulus checks , argues for more 'targeted ' coronavirus relief 'It @ @ @ @ @ 27.4 trillion to $ 28.4 trillion in a couple months .
With doing virtually no @ @ @ @ @ '

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Friday blocked an effort by Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to pass a new round of $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans, arguing for more "targeted" relief to help Americans struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Hawley and Sanders had asked for the unanimous consent of the Senate to pass a bill providing another one-time payment of $1,200 to individuals earning less than $75,000, using the CARES Act stimulus bill Congress passed in March as a model for their legislation. Johnson supported that effort in March, but now says Congress cannot ignore the growing national debt and should work harder to ensure stimulus money has its intended effect.
Acknowledging the need for Congress to provide financial support to businesses and families in need "through no fault of their own," Johnson criticized the "shogun approach" of the proposed relief package and called for more "targeted" relief.
"One of the reasons we are $27.4 trillion in debt is we only speak about need, we only talk in terms of compassion — we all have compassion, we all want to fulfill those needs — we don't talk in numbers very often. We don't analyze the data. We don't take a look at what we did in the past and see, did it work? Or didn't it work?" Johnson said on the Senate floor.
"We will not have learned the lessons from our very hurried, very rushed, very massive, earlier relief packages. We're just going to do more of the same, another trillion dollars. It takes our debt from $27.4 trillion to $28.4 trillion in a couple months. With doing virtually no revisions, no improvements," he warned.
The current stimulus package being considered by the Senate would cost about $900 billion, Axios reported. Johnson raised concerns about how Congress is "mortgaging our children's future."
He noted that the last round of "economic impact payments" to Americans cost about $275 billion and sent checks to 115 million households at a time when 25 million people were unemployed.
"That was about 4.5 [times] more households than the number of jobs lost," Johnson said, going on to explain that the Hawley-Sanders bill would provide payments to a number of households 12.6 times greater than the 9 million Americans currently unemployed.
"I think it's important to ask, well, how was that money spent? Was it really spent on essentials? Was this money really needed? Was there any hope of actually that money being stimulative to our economy?" Johnson asked.
He cited a study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued on Oct. 13, 2020, that surveyed American households and found that only 18% of the stimulus check funds was spent on essential items, 8% was spent on nonessential items, and 3% was donated for a total of 29%, which the study called the "marginal propensity to consume."
Most households, Johnson said, either saved the stimulus money or used it to pay off debt. The survey also asked respondents what they would do with another $1,500 check and only about 24% would spend or donate the money while the remaining 76% would use the funds for savings or debt repayment.
"I don't think you can take a look at these direct payments to individuals as stimulative," Johnson argued. "Obviously, 18%-24% is spent on essential items. We ought to figure out how to provide that money so people can spend it on essentials."
After Johnson concluded speaking, Hawley rose to respond, saying, "Nothing could be more targeted, no relief could be more important than relief for working people."
"What I'm proposing is what every senator has supported already," Hawley continued. "What I'm proposing will give working folks in my state and across the country a shot … at getting back up on their feet."
This debate over direct stimulus payments is occurring under the backdrop of a potential government shutdown that will happen if Congress does not pass new spending legislation before midnight. Democrats and Republicans are negotiating on a continuing resolution to keep the government open, with the central conflict between the parties being what additional coronavirus relief should look like. One compromise currently under consideration is smaller $600 direct payments, half of what Hawley and Sanders have proposed, in addition to small business funding and an extended $300 federal unemployment benefit.
The Daily Caller reported that after Hawley finished speaking, he walked out of the Senate chamber and told reporters he would not allow a government funding bill to pass until he's assured there are direct payments to Americans included.
"I'm not going to allow a [continuing resolution] to go through until I know what's actually in the package," Hawley said. "It'd better include direct assistance at a substantial level."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Cartoon Network, which is geared toward children, promotes multiple genders — and gets called out fo

Cartoon Network, which is geared toward children, promotes multiple genders — and gets called out for it

Cartoon Network , which is geared toward children , promotes multiple genders — and gets called out for it

The kid-oriented Cartoon Network posted a tweet earlier this week focusing on "normalizing gender pronouns" and "respecting them."
"Whether you use he/she/them or something else, we acknowledge and LOVE you!" the rest of the tweet said.
The tweet links to a 20-page "gender justice toolkit" from the National Black Justice Coalition, a self-described "civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS."
The tweet also includes a four-frame cartoon — which includes the Cartoon Network and NBJC logos — and appears to feature children.
"Gender pronouns describe a person's gender identity," one frame's text reads. "Examples of pronouns are she/her, they/them, and ze/zir! A lot of people are learning about gender identity. If you're comfortable, you can share your own pronouns!"
The frame's text also reads, "We can't tell someone's gender just by looking at them, and shouldn't assume we know. There are many gender identities beyond 'girl' or 'boy.' Some people don't identify as any gender."
More from the gender justice toolkit:
Language is often a reflection of culture, and when unchecked, can be used to perpetuate violence and oppression. Words have the power to reinforce stereotypes, marginalize the most vulnerable among us, and support harmful ideas about race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, socioeconomic status, and other factors. Language also has the power to be a revolutionary tool in dismantling existing power structures. Language has the capacity to liberate and empower.
The toolkit indicates that it's "designed to facilitate uncomfortable and, at times, difficult conversations that can save lives."
"This specific toolkit has been designed with the goal of ensuring gender justice in mind, which means ending the violence that black women and girls — both cisgender and transgender, as well as gender non-conforming people — experience simply as a result of who they are and how they exist in the world," the description also said.
What was the reaction to the Cartoon Network's tweet?
The tweet's message certainly carried some left-wing support among commenters — but not everyone agreed with its sentiments:
"Stop grooming children," one commenter said.
"Can someone explain the 'they/them' pronoun??" another user asked. "That part is confusing. You can transgender into more than one person???"
"Identity politics need to stay very very very far away from kids," another commenter said. "And once they arrived, a bit further away still."
"I have to say that if you really want to just push children into this sexualization then the only one[s] who will want to watch these will probably be leftist parents who want to brainwash their kids," another user noted. "The only words that I can describe this thing are: dangerous, unnecessary, cringe."
(H/T: FaithWire)


theblaze--2020-12-18--As VP Pence gets COVID-19 vaccine, Fauci says if enough people receive shot, 'we can start thinking

As VP Pence gets COVID-19 vaccine, Fauci says if enough people receive shot, 'we can start thinking seriously about the return to normality'

As VP Pence gets COVID-19 vaccine , Fauci says if enough people receive shot , 'we can start thinking seriously @ @ @ @ @ 'The time is now to step to the plate '

Dr. Anthony Fauci says that if enough Americans receive a COVID-19 vaccination, the U.S. can begin to start seriously considering a return to normalcy.
His remarks came after Vice President Mike Pence, his wife, Karen, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams received their coronavirus vaccines on Friday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also received COVID-19 vaccinations Friday. And President-elect Joe Biden and his wife will be getting the vaccine Monday.
What are the details?
The Pences and Adams received their COVID-19 vaccinations on live television, according to a report from the Associated Press.
During the televised event, Pence assured Americans that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe.
Of the vaccine, the vice president said, "Hope is on the way."
"The American people can be confident: We have one, and perhaps within hours, two safe vaccines," he added with an apparent nod to Moderna's forthcoming COVID-19 vaccination, which is awaiting FDA authorization.
Following the Pences' vaccination, Dr. Fauci issued remarks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine in returning to a more normal way of life.
"The time is now to step to the plate, and when your time comes, to get vaccinated," he said. "Because when we're speaking to you here today, I often say it is really bittersweet. The bitterness is the fact of what the vice president mentioned: We still are in the middle of a very difficult situation with record numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
"But the sweetness is the light at the end of the tunnel, which I can tell you, as we get into January, February, March, and April, that light is going to get brighter and brighter," the infectious diseases expert proclaimed. "And the bitterness is going to be replaced by the sweetness."
He concluded, "And we all hope — and I think this is doable — that by the time we get to several months into this year, we will have enough people protected that we can start thinking seriously about a return to normality. That's up to all of us to step forward and get vaccinated."


theblaze--2020-12-18--NY Times forced to retract award-winning podcast about supposed ex-ISIS fighter after most of it is

NY Times forced to retract award-winning podcast about supposed ex-ISIS fighter after most of it is found to be fake

The New York Times was forced to retract an award-winning podcast about a supposed ex-ISIS fighter on Friday after an internal review determined much of the story was fabricated.
What are the details?
The 2018 podcast series, titled "Caliphate," centered on the tale of a Canadian man of Pakistani origin who referred to himself as Abu Huzayfah and claimed to have been a former member of ISIS who traveled to Syria to join the group before escaping its hold. It was pioneered by renowned journalist Rukmini Callimachi, a correspondent for the paper who is known for reporting from conflict zones in the Middle East.
In the podcast, Huzayfah even recounted in excruciating detail his participation in multiple atrocities on behalf of the terrorist organization; namely, the shooting of one man in the head and the stabbing of another before hanging his corpse on a cross. But, as it turns out, it was all a lie.
The Canadian man, who is actually named Shehroze Chaudhry, was arrested by authorities in September — two years after the podcast was released — for carrying out a terrorist hoax. Canadian police said they came to believe Chaudhry was lying about the whole affair after he gave contradictory reports regarding his activities with the terrorist group to American and Canadian news outlets. The news prompted an internal review into Chaudhry's claims by the New York Times.
In a new editor's note on the podcast page, the Times admits they "discovered significant falsehoods and other discrepancies" while reporting on the series but didn't press hard enough to verify the claims and decided to continue on with the project.
During the investigation, the paper "found a history of misrepresentations by Mr. Chaudhry and no corroboration that he committed the atrocities he described in the 'Caliphate' podcast," the note continued. As such, they concluded that episodes presenting Chaudhry's claims "did not meet our standards for accuracy."
What else?
In an interview with NPR about the retraction, New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet explained how the paper's over zealous interest in the story led to the major editorial mishap.
"We fell in love with the fact that we had gotten a member of ISIS who would describe his life in the caliphate and would describe his crimes," he said. "I think we were so in love with it that when we saw evidence that maybe he was a fabulist, when we saw evidence that he was making some of it up, we didn't listen hard enough."
He added in another interview posted by the Times on Friday that much of the blame for the erroneous reporting falls in the paper's leaders, which includes himself.
"When The New York Times does deep, big, ambitious journalism in any format, we put it to a tremendous amount of scrutiny at the upper levels of the newsroom," he said. "We did not do that in this case, and I think that I or somebody else should have provided that same kind of scrutiny, because it was a big, ambitious piece of journalism. And I did not provide that kind of scrutiny, nor did my top deputies with deep experience in examining investigative reporting."
Shortly after its release, "Caliphate" hit the top spot on Apple's list of most downloaded podcasts and later won an Overseas Press Club prize and a Peabody Award.


theblaze--2020-12-18--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Crack down on conservative celebrities' speech — and even left-wing luminaries

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Crack down on conservative celebrities' speech — and even left-wing luminaries who aren't woke enough

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar : Crack down on conservative celebrities ' speech — and even left-wing luminaries who are n't woke enough @ @ @ @ @ and harmful opinions to millions , regardless of the damaging consequences to their country or @ @ @ @ @ that those stars deserve the harsh backlash '

NBA legend-turned-cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said social media companies aren't doing enough to silence "irrational and harmful" posts from conservative celebrities — and even from fellow left-wing luminaries who don't check every woke box.
What are the details?
In his column for the Hollywood Reporter this week, Abdul-Jabbar said that "no matter their previous achievements, celebrities deserve legacy-killing backlash when they spread ignorance."
He first pointed his finger at Rudy Giuliani — the personal lawyer of President Donald Trump — saying that his legacy of "calm authority" in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City has been overshadowed by his Trump alliance and last month's "cringeworthy news conference about unproven conspiracies while black streaks streamed from his hair." Abdul-Jabbar also ripped Giuliani for being on a "hidden camera in the latest Borat movie with his hand down his pants while lying on a bed in the presence of a teenage girl." (Giuliani insists he was tucking in his shirt.)
Problem for Abdul-Jabbar is that the female in question is a woman, and Giuliani said "at no time before, during, or after the interview was I ever inappropriate. If Sacha Baron Cohen implies otherwise he is a stone-cold liar."
Abdul-Jabbar then turned his attention to conservative actors, saying "Roseanne Barr had achieved the near impossible, sabotaging her career not once but twice. After she left her top-rated sitcom, she faded into irrelevance with out-of-left-field political musings. Seeking to connect to the Trump demographic, ABC gave Roseanne new life, but her character was killed off after she went on a racist rant. James Woods, winner of a Golden Globe and Emmy, was once considered a dynamic actor. Now, after his caustic social commentary tweets, he's viewed as the cranky geezer who won't let you get your ball from his yard. Jon Voight, once a shining star among actors, recently posted a rambling video calling the political left "Satan" and promoting conspiracies about the election, reducing him from brilliant Oscar winner to cultural dumpster diver."
Abdul-Jabbar also found fault with Christian actress Letitia Wright, who starred in "Black Panther," because she "posted a link to a YouTube video questioning the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccines in general. After a tsunami of social media backlash, she wrote: 'My intention was not to hurt anyone. My ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies. Nothing else.'" But Abdul-Jabbar said "at best, that's naive, and at worst, disingenuous. If someone wants to raise concerns — that's legitimate — they need to do basic research: Find facts, statistics and qualified authorities. Because the reality is that when she posts, readers believe she endorses the false conclusions — and that can't be undone."
Left-wingers aren't immune, either
The former NBA great pointed out that famed author J.K. Rowling, a left-winger by just about every measure, took a "stumble from grace" due to her "anti-trans tweets" which "could end up tainting her entire literary legacy." But Rowling doesn't appear to be backing down an inch, most recently declaring that the "climate of fear" around the trans debate needs to end.
"Many are afraid to speak up because they fear for their jobs and even for their personal safety," Rowling said in an interview with Good Housekeeping magazine. "This climate of fear serves nobody well, least of all trans people."
He also ripped John Cleese's "tone-deaf defense of Rowling," saying it "left many fans bitterly disappointed, tarnishing his reputation." But like Rowling, the former Monty Python legend doesn't seem to care about what others think — and unabashedly thinks for himself.
In fact, Cleese accused the rage mob of "wokery, humorless posturing, and moral self-promotion."
"If you can't control your own emotions, you're forced to control other people's behavior," Cleese said of Twitter users who've attacked Rowling and demanded that she shut up. "That's why the touchiest, most oversensitive and easily upset must not set the standard for the rest of us."
Big brother, where art thou?
Concluding his piece, Abdul-Jabbar said social media giants "have begun slapping warnings on some messages that are false, incite violence, or cause harm to society. But this needs to be done with more consistency and vigilance. Studies indicate that when readers see these warnings, they are less likely to read or believe things. However, as another study showed, there can be a backfire effect in which content that isn't flagged, even when inaccurate, is perceived as true."
He added: "The irresponsibility of tweeting irrational and harmful opinions to millions, regardless of the damaging consequences to their country or people's lives, proves that those stars deserve the harsh backlash."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Dr. Fauci says there's no need to cancel Christmas, calls claims that he said otherwise 'nonsense.'

Dr. Fauci says there's no need to cancel Christmas, calls claims that he said otherwise 'nonsense.' But he told the BBC his warnings were a 'cancel Christmas message.'

Dr. Fauci says there 's no need to cancel Christmas , calls claims that he said otherwise 'nonsense . '
@ @ @ @ @ his warnings were a 'cancel Christmas message . '
Can we get a straight answer @

Dr. Anthony Fauci recently revealed to the Washington Post that he and his wife will be celebrating Christmas alone because of the pandemic. After sharing that this kids would not be making the trek home for the big day, the doctor offered a warning about Christmas celebrations.
He said, the Post reported, that holiday revelries could cause a coronavirus spread that is worse than what we saw at Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans ignored suggestions to stay home and avoid gatherings.
Fauci said the country cannot afford to "run away from the data" even though it will be painful to miss time with family.
Following the publication of the interview, reports came out that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief was calling for Americans to cancel Christmas.
But Fauci told Fox News host Bill Hemmer on Thursday that such claims are "nonsense."
"I've heard and seen tweets saying, 'Fauci says cancel Christmas,'" he stated. "Nonsense. I've never said that."
However, he said something else to the BBC.
After sharing with BBC's "Newsnight" that he believed people should curtail travel and keep gatherings and dinners as small as possible, the show's hosts asked if he was pulling a Grinch.
"It is a cancel Christmas message in effect?" they asked.
Fauci replied, "Yes, in some respects it is, unfortunately."
Mixed messages
A couple of days later, Fauci said there is no need to cancel Christmas. The doctor said his statements were simply intended to be a warning that would urge folks to be careful when it comes to gatherings.
"I'm not saying that everyone should cancel the family gathering, I'm saying that people will need to make individual choices," Fauci said.
"When you're talking about having a congregate setting for dinner — not cancel the family aspect — but you have some Christmas dinners people bring friends and others in who travel from different parts of the country. You could have 15, 20 people at a dinner. That's really somewhat risky," he continued. "You can do a modified version of that."
“You don't have to cancel things — you can still spend time with your family," Fauci said later. "I'm just asking people to be careful when it comes to travel that may not be necessary, travel that you can avoid. And when you get together, try to make some limitation to it."
Support for New York shutdowns
Hemmer pressed Fauci about New York's recent efforts to battle COVID-19, which the doctor has praised.
Specifically, the host pointed out that restaurants and bars — according to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's own data — have been responsible for less than 1.5% of viral spread in recent months, yet the governor ordered indoor dining to be closed, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio threatened that a full-blown lockdown is a possibility.
"You've got all these people out of work and all these restaurants closed. I mean, do you really think that New York has made the best decision?" Hemmer asked.
Fauci answered that though he does support closures that would help slow transmission of the virus, he does think there needs to be relief for businesses that are impacted.
Well, you know, what we really need to do is make sure when we say limit restaurant capacity or close restaurants or close the bars, that has to be accompanied by relief, financial relief for the restaurant owners and the bar owners. Because certainly if you do that, if you shut down those establishments, you're going to diminish the transmissibility of infection. But you can't do it in a vacuum. You've got to help those people out. They've got to get some relief.
Otherwise, they may not be able to recover from the fact that you're asking them to shut down. You've got to keep those two things together. You can't just say shut down and walk away.
He added that he has been vocal about telling Congress, "We can't ask people to participate in a public health measure that unquestionably is damaging to their financial solvency without coming in and trying to help them."


theblaze--2020-12-18--Sens. Sasse and Merkley introduce bipartisan bill to crack down on porn sites making money from chil

Sens. Sasse and Merkley introduce bipartisan bill to crack down on porn sites making money from child rape

Sens .
Sasse and Merkley introduce bipartisan bill to crack down on porn sites making money from child rape 'While @ @ @ @ @ , their victims have lived with the pain and fear .
That has to end @ @ @

Sens. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Friday introduced new legislation to crack down on pornography websites that may be complicit in human sex trafficking or rape.
Their bill, called the "Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act," would require online platforms that host pornography to implement "critical safeguards to protect Americans from sexual exploitation online," the senators said in a news release.
A recent exposé by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof showed how Pornhub, one of the internet's largest and most popular pornography websites, permits videos featuring sex trafficking victims, non-consensual sex, child rape, and other heinous criminal activity on its platform with little or now oversight. Kristof reported that the victims of these crimes have little to no recourse to have videos of their abuse removed from the internet. Sasse and Merkley aim to change that with their bill.
"Human dignity matters. A decent society has an obligation to fight sexual exploitation and human trafficking," Sasse said. "For years, Pornhub and its parent company Mindgeek monetized rape, abuse, and child exploitation. While these suit-wearing traffickers got rich, their victims have lived with the pain and fear. That has to end now. Our bill is aimed squarely at the monsters who profit from rape. Washington ought to be able to come together to combat human trafficking and make this right."
"The posting of intimate photos and videos without participants' consent is a massive invasion of privacy that drives shame, humiliation, and potentially suicide," Merkley said. "While some online platforms have recently announced steps to change some practices, much more needs to be done. We must ensure that not another single life of a child, man, or woman is destroyed by these sites."
The legislation would impose several new restrictions on online pornography platforms to protect victims of abuse.
Under the proposed law, pornography websites would be required to verify the identity of any user who wants to upload a video to their website and the user must provide a signed consent form from every individual appearing in the video before it can be published. The law would create a private right of action against any video uploader who posts pornographic content without the consent of the individual(s) featured in the image or video, giving victims of "revenge porn" a right to sue.
Also, pornography websites would be required to feature a notice or banner on the website instructing how an individual can request removal of a video featuring persons who did not consent to having that content uploaded on the platform. Video downloads from pornographic websites would be prohibited by law.
Pornographic websites would also be required by law to maintain a 24-hour hotline staffed by the website that people can contact to request removal of a video that has been distributed without their consent. The website would be required by law to remove the flagged video within two hours. They would be required to use software to block a removed video from being re-uploaded after removal.
The Federal Trade Commission would be responsible for enforcing the various parts of this legislation. The bill would also create a database of individuals who have indicated they do not consent to having pornographic materials about them distributed on the internet and porn sites would be required to check new content against this database before it can be uploaded to their platforms.
In response to Kristof's damning article, Pornhub this week announced several policy changes to combat the uploading and distribution of abusive content. Going forward, the website will ban unverified uploaders and has suspended all previously uploaded content that was not created by verified users or Pornhub partners. The company purged more than 10 million videos that did not meet this standard, removing almost 80% of the content on its website.
Sasse and Merkley's legislation would force other websites to follow suit and go even farther to crack down on abuse. Kristof praised the senators for working in a bipartisan fashion to fight against online rape videos and child pornography.
"The porn platforms have shown that self-regulation is not enough," Kristof tweeted Friday. "They did nothing for too long and simply monetized assaults on children. Some regulation is essential, along with liability both to compensate victims and incentivize better self-policing."
Laila Mickelwait, the director of abolition for anti-sex trafficking group Exodus Cry and the founder of the #Traffickinghub campaign — a movement that seeks to hold Pornhub accountable for "enabling and financially profiting off of videos of real sex-trafficking, child sexual abuse and other non consensual content" — hailed the proposed legislation as "highly critical" in a statement to TheBlaze.
"This new bi-partisan legislation by Senator Sasse and Senator Merkley is a highly critical and essential preventative measure that will do an enormous amount of good in stopping the monetization and immortalization of victim's sexual trauma on mainstream porn sites such as Pornhub," Mickelwait said.
She further called on Congress to ensure that there is third-party oversight of pornographic websites to enforce compliance with the proposed regulations.
"These regulations must be implemented by a third-party and use reliable methods for age verification, identification, and the guarantee of consent for those in videos uploaded to porn sites. We have evidence of fake IDs and forged documents being used in the past on these sites and they cannot be trusted to self-police," she said.
"We must also see serious consequences for non-compliance such as risk of shut-down and hefty monetary fines in order for this law to have teeth."
Editor's note: This article was updated with comments from Laila Mickelwait, the director of abolition for Exodus Cry.