theblaze--2020-05-15--Mannequins will be seated inside renowned restaurant to help with social distancing when it reopens

Mannequins will be seated inside renowned restaurant to help with social distancing when it reopens 'We 're all craving to @ @ @ @ @ right now .
They do n't all necessarily need to be real people . '

While restaurants in some parts of Virginia are reopening Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic, the state is mandating that customers can be seated only in outdoor spaces, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
Since the "al fresco mandate wouldn't work" for the Inn at Little Washington nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Washingtonian reported, owner and chef Patrick O'Connell hatched a novel plan for his posh three-Michelin-star establishment when it reopens for 50%-capacity indoor dining May 29.
What's the plan?
Mannequins decked out in 1940s attire will be seated at tables to help actual human patrons keep their social distance from each other and fill out what otherwise would be a half-empty restaurant, the Washingtonian said.
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Servers will even pour wine for the mannequins and ask them about their evening, the outlet added.
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
"I've always had a thing for mannequins — they never complain about anything and you can have lots of fun dressing them up," O'Connell stated, according to Food & Wine. "When we needed to solve the problem of social distancing and reducing our restaurant's occupancy by half, the solution seemed obvious — fill it with interestingly dressed dummies. This would allow plenty of space between real guests and elicit a few smiles and provide some fun photo ops."
O'Connell, a self-taught cook, is a multiple James Beard Award winner, as well as the 2019 recipient of the James Beard Foundation's lifetime achievement award, the Virginian-Pilot said, adding that he also was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2019.
"We're all craving to gather and see other people right now," O'Connell told the Virginian-Pilot. "They don't all necessarily need to be real people."
The Inn at Little Washington is about 90 minutes west of Washington, D.C.


theblaze--2020-05-15--Thousands of pigs rot in compost while grocers run out of meat

Thousands of pigs rot in compost while grocers run out of meat 1 billion pounds of meat that wo n't @ @ @

Thousands of pigs are rotting on compost heaps as grocers are running out of meat supplies, according to a Thursday Bloomberg report.
What are the details?
The new report reveals that U.S. farmers are having to put their pigs down because of COVID-19 outbreaks at slaughterhouses.
Some farmers are even reportedly resorting to using wood-type chippers to grind up slaughtered pigs. The pigs' remains are then spread out for compost.
"CoBank estimates 7 million animals may have to be destroyed this quarter alone," Bloomberg reports, which estimates the loss to be around 1 billion pounds of meat that won't ever see consumers.
Michael Crusan, spokesperson at the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said, "In the agriculture industry, what you prepare for is an animal disease. The thought is never that there's not going to be a market. We have lots of pig carcasses that we have to effectively compost on the landscape."
In April, President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to remain open so that the food chain supply in the U.S. would not be disrupted.
Trump issued the order under the Defense Protection Act, labeling meatpacking plants "critical infrastructure."
"The vast majority of processing plants could have shut down, reducing processing capacity in the country by as much as 80%," a White House official said at the time. "We see it as an urgent need and there should not be a panic on food supply at the moment when our country is embarking on the path of recovery from the fallout of COVID."
What's going on with pork prices?
Since that time, wholesale pork prices across the U.S. have doubled, according to the report.
"[P]rocessing slowdowns left younger pigs with nowhere to go as farmers initially tried to hang on to mature animals for longer," the report added. "But when pigs reach about 330 pounds ... they are too big for slaughterhouse equipment and the cuts of meat won't fit into boxes or Styrofoam trays."
Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian with the National Pork Producers Council, told Bloomberg that depopulating the animals is "devastating."
"It's such a tragedy and it's such a waste of food," Wagstrom added.


theblaze--2020-05-15--Chuckling Biden claims young voters 'not getting all their news from the internet' to brush aside 'D

Chuckling Biden claims young voters 'not getting all their news from the internet' to brush aside 'Dementia Joe,' 'Creepy Joe' memes

Chuckling Biden claims young voters 'not getting all their news from the internet ' to brush aside 'Dementia Joe , @ @ @ @ @

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden recently claimed that young voters are "not getting all their news from the internet" to brush aside the constant barrage of incendiary internet memes making fun of his age, speech, and history with women.
The former vice president made the comments during Snapchat's "Good Luck America" daily political show, in which host Peter Hamby point-blank asked Biden for his response to the myriad of anti-Biden memes existent on the internet.
"The Shorenstein Center up at Harvard did an analysis of all of the anti-Biden memes out there on the internet," said Hamby. "According to them, the top three slogans they're seeing, this is from the left and the right, are Dementia Joe, Sleepy Joe, Creepy Joe. Barack Obama reportedly said last week that his daughters had been showing him anti-Biden TikToks."
"Basically, there's an entire discourse on the internet right now that's painting you as creepy and old and out of touch and kind of lame. How do you fight back against that?" he asked.
In response, Biden chuckled, then said: "I can hardly wait to get onto the stage with Donald Trump. Look, I certainly miss being out on the trail connecting face-to-face to people. Trump is a master at laying nicknames on people and it's this whole deal."
"But the vast majority of the voters out there, including young people, are not getting all their news from the internet," the 77-year-old former vice president reasoned.
It's unclear where exactly Biden believes young people are getting their news. Perhaps he thinks 20-somethings are still purchasing newspapers or watching the nightly cable news.
Biden added that he is "trying to compete" on the internet, however, noting his campaign's "one hundred and two million video views across social media platforms since mid-March."
"And in terms of energy," he added. "I don't have any problem comparing my energy level to Donald Trump, who I'm really resisting giving a nickname to."
(H/T: The Washington Times)


theblaze--2020-05-15--Medal of Honor recipient, former Green Beret Ronald Shurer who saved lives in Afghanistan, dies at 4

Medal of Honor recipient, former Green Beret Ronald Shurer who saved lives in Afghanistan, dies at 41

Medal of Honor recipient , former Green Beret Ronald Shurer who saved lives in Afghanistan , dies at 41 During @ @ @ @ @ Valley , Shurer 's heroic and selfless actions saved many lives

Former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who received the Medal of Honor for braving heavy gunfire to save lives during a six-hour firefight in Afghanistan, has died of cancer. He was 41.
Shurer, an Army Special Forces veteran and Green Beret medic, was awarded the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony on Oct. 1, 2018.
"This award is not mine. This award wouldn't exist without the team," Shurer said of being awarded the Medal of Honor. "If they weren't doing their job, I wouldn't have been able to do my job."
Before being awarded the nation's highest military honor from President Donald Trump, Shurer was previously presented with the Silver Star for the heroics he displayed on the battlefield in 2008.
In April 2008, Shurer was part of a 12-man Green Beret team sent to capture or kill several high-ranking members of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin militant group. Shurer and the 3rd Special Forces Group were attacked by an enemy force of more than 200 heavily-armed fighters in Afghanistan's Nuristan province.
During the six-hour Battle of Shok Valley in northeastern Afghanistan, the team came under enemy machine gun, sniper, and rocket-propelled grenade fire from the mountainside. Shurer returned fire on the enemy as he provided medical attention to his teammates. Shurer stabilized five U.S. Army soldiers, four of which were critically wounded, and medically treated 10 injured Afghan troops.
Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer: Shok Valley www.youtube.com
"Without Ron Shurer at my side, I would have died that day. No question," Sgt. First ClassDillon Behr told Stars and Stripes in 2018. "His presence gave me the confidence to know I could make it. There's a good chance if he would have been critically injured or killed on the battlefield … we all might have died out there."
Shurer helped evacuate the wounded down a steep mountainside despite snipers shooting his helmet and wounding his arm.
"It felt like I'd been hit in the head with a baseball bat," Shurer said of being hit by sniper fire.
After he loaded the wounded into a medevac helicopter, Shurer went back up the mountain to fight. Over 150 insurgents were killed during the bloody battle.
Outlasting the Enemy in Shok Valley | No Man Left Behind www.youtube.com
Shurer left the Army in 2009 and became a special agent with the Secret Service, first being posted to the Phoenix, Arizona, office. He relocated with his family to the Washington, D.C., area in 2014 to be part of a specialized Secret Service tactical team that defends the president.
Miranda Shurer said her husband died on Thursday in Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. Shurer was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2017.
"He was an amazing man. Obviously, he is known for being an amazing soldier," Miranda Shurer said. "The same characteristics that made him a great teammate in Special Forces also made him a great husband and a great father and a great friend. He was very loved."
"Ron was the embodiment of the Special Forces soldier, a dedicated husband, and a loving father," said 3rd Group commander Col. Nathan Prussian in a statement. "His heroic actions were an inspiration throughout 3rd Special Forces Group, Special Forces Regiment and the U.S. Army. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time."
"I feel like I lost my blood brother," Bahroz Mohmand, who served as an interpreter during the Battle of Shok Valley, said. "Ron was a great warrior. His legacy in Afghanistan is that he trained the first commando battalion and made them an example for the rest of the army."
"Today, we lost an American Hero: Husband, Father, Son, Medal of Honor Recipient - Special Agent Ronald J. Shurer II. From a grateful Nation and Agency — your memory and legacy will live on forever," the U.S. Secret Service said in a tweet.
Miranda Shurer said her husband will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to his wife, Shurer is survived by his two sons.
Shurer graduated from Washington State University, and was pursuing a master's degree when the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks happened and compelled him to enlist in the military.
You can listen to Shurer talk about his life and the intense Battle of Shok Valley in this three-hour interview with retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink.


theblaze--2020-05-15--Deadly shooting of teen was 'retaliatory' for savage mass stomping of girl, police say

Deadly shooting of teen was 'retaliatory ' for savage mass stomping of girl , police say NYPD 's chief of @ @ @ @ @ from 'crew-on-crew , gang-on-gang violence '

The killing of a teenager in Brooklyn earlier this week was a "retaliatory shooting" for the savage mass stomping of a 15-year-old girl in March, police told the New York Daily News.
What are the details?
Tyquan Howard, 16, died Tuesday night, hours after he was shot in the abdomen on St. John's Place near Utica Avenue, officials told the paper.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison told the Daily News Thursday that the shooting location was just steps away from where authorities said Howard and over a dozen other teens stomped and beat the girl March 5 before one of them pulled her Air Jordan sneakers right off her feet.
Harrison told the paper his detectives linked the two incidents: "[This was a] retaliatory shooting that stems from the young woman jumped and robbed by a group of boys over by the Albany Houses. All of it is stemming from crew-on-crew, gang-on-gang violence."
Howard was among several teens charged after police released surveillance video of the attack on the girl, the Daily News said, adding that he was conscious after being shot and told police he didn't know the shooter. No arrests have been made, the paper said.
What's the background?
In the March mass assault caught on video, the girl apparently was knocked to the sidewalk by one male before others joined the attack and began stomping her:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
At least a dozen suspects surrounded the victim, kicking and punching her.
After the attack one of them pulled her Air Jordans right off her feet:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
One witness said the victim was "bleeding like crazy" on the sidewalk.
15-year-old girl attacked, robbed by gang of teen boys in Brooklyn I ABC7 youtu.be
In the aftermath, five males between the ages of 14 and 17 were arrested and charged with robbery and gang assault. A mother of one suspect told the New York Daily News she made her 14-year-old son turn himself into police.
"When I saw the video I literally wanted to kill him with my own hands. I was very, very pissed off," Donna Howell told the paper. "He didn't want to go at first and I said, 'No you're going to go, you're going to turn yourself in.'"
Judge calls sneaker-stealing suspect 'youthful offender' rather than 'defendant'
A 14-year-old accused by prosecutors of stealing the girl's sneakers was referred to as a "youthful offender" by Judge Ruth Shillingford rather than "defendant" during his arraignment, the Daily News said in a separate story. It isn't clear if the teen in question is the same one whose mother made him turn himself in to cops.
The Brooklyn district attorney requested $10,000 bail for all 11 suspects eventually arrested, but that was rejected — instead they were hit with after-school curfews, the Daily News said.
The Daily News also talked to the victim's neighbors who described her as a quiet girl who lives with her mother and sister.
"She doesn't get in trouble, she doesn't deserve that," 13-year-old neighbor Jacob Black told the Daily News. "She's a basketball player, that's all she does."
"She goes to school and comes home. She's quiet," a next-door neighbor who declined to share her name added to paper. "Those were animals. I can't see how those young boys did that to her."


theblaze--2020-05-15--Joe Biden says, 'I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade,' who has accused him of sexual ass

Joe Biden says, 'I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade,' who has accused him of sexual assault

Joe Biden says , ' I would n't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade , ' who has @ @ @ @ @ Many Democratic voters might take him up on that

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been accused of sexual assault by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, said Americans should not vote for him if they believe the allegations against him.
"If they believe Tara Reade, they probably shouldn't vote for me," Biden said when asked what he'd say to women who believe Tara Reade and are struggling with the idea of supporting him, according to NBC News' Mike Memoli. "I wouldn't vote for me if I believed Tara Reade."
Reade has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in an office building on Capitol Hill in 1993 when Reade worked in Biden's Senate office.
During an interview with Megyn Kelly, Reade said she wished Biden would drop out of the presidential race because of the alleged assault, although she doesn't expect him to do so. She criticized his campaign for saying all women should be able to speak safely while she receives harassment and death threats for coming forward.
Biden has called out inconsistencies in the story she has told about the alleged incident in media appearances dating back to more than a year ago, when she said Biden made her uncomfortable by touching her shoulders.
"Look at Tara Reade's story, it changes considerably," Biden said, according to Time.
Kelly asked Reade about multiple occasions when Reade has posted or shared positive things about Biden on social media, including a time when Reade tweeted about Biden, "My old boss speaks truth. Listen."
Reade said she has been conflicted about Biden.
"I've always been conflicted about Joe Biden, I didn't want to talk badly about him," Reade told Kelly. "And I wasn't ready to tell my story with Joe Biden at that point at all."
Reade also voted for former President Barack Obama two times with Biden as his running mate, but she said she was just excited about Obama, and Biden just "happened to be on the ticket."


theblaze--2020-05-15--NY Times uncovers email showing why Mayor de Blasio botched coronavirus response — and how he is sta

NY Times uncovers email showing why Mayor de Blasio botched coronavirus response — and how he is staying the course @ @ @ @ @ I ca n't figure out the rationale '

A New York Times exposé documented an email that showed why New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio botched the city's response to the coronavirus epidemic and how he's staying the course despite the disastrous results.
The report published on Thursday documented emails from Mitchell Katz, the head of NYC Hospitals, that delayed the implementation of social distancing guidelines in the city.
In one email sent on March 10, Katz said there was "no proof that closures will help stop the spread," and argued that they should simply accept that many people would be infected.
"We have to accept that unless a vaccine is rapidly developed, large numbers of people will get infected," he said in the email. "The good thing is greater than 99 percent will recover without harm. Once people recover they will have immunity. The immunity will protect the herd."
Research shows that the hot spot in New York City helped "seed" contagions in other parts of the United States.
Critics of de Blasio say that he put more faith in the opinion of Katz than he did in Health Department officials who disagreed with his opinion.
Staying the course
Even more alarming, de Blasio has put Katz in charge of the massive effort to oversee the contact tracing critical to managing the crisis.
Stanley Brezenoff, who temporarily led Health and Hospitals before Katz, told the New York Times the decision was puzzling and nonsensical.
"It is a head-scratcher. I can't figure out the rationale, and I don't think it's worth the risks. Just because they both have 'health' in the name doesn't mean they're in the same business," said Brezenoff.
"I'm second to none in my admiration for Mitch's clinical prowess," Brezenoff continued, "but this is a job for the Health Department."
New York City has seen more than 189,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with more than 22,000 deaths. The city accounts for nearly a quarter of all the deaths from the virus in the United States.
Here's more about New York's pandemic response:


theblaze--2020-05-16--Notorious hacker group claims they have damaging info on Trump — and they're demanding $42 million

Notorious hacker group claims they have damaging info on Trump — and they 're demanding $ 42 million The amount @ @ @ @ @ in history

A notorious hacker group says they have obtained damaging information on President Donald Trump and they're going to release it if they don't receive what amounts to the biggest cyber-ransom recorded.
The group is known as Sodinokibi, and they have a history of successful cyber-attacks. In their most recent, they obtained the files of a prominent lawyer that represents celebrities including Lady Gaga, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.
That cyber-theft from the Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks law firm reportedly involved 756 gigabytes of sensitive information, some of which has been released on the dark web.
The original ransom was $21 million, but it doubled after it wasn't paid, according to a Forbes report.
"The next person we'll be publishing is Donald Trump," said a statement from the hacker group.
"There's an election race going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry on time. Mr. Trump, if you want to stay president, poke a sharp stick at the guys, otherwise you may forget this ambition forever. And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don't want to see him as president," they continued.
"Well, let's leave out the details," they said. "The deadline is one week."
Here's more about the cyber-ransom:


theblaze--2020-05-16--House passes $3 trillion coronavirus bill despite it likely being 'dead on arrival' in Senate

House passes $ 3 trillion coronavirus bill despite it likely being 'dead on arrival ' in Senate It 's the @ @ @ @ @

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives has passed the most expensive legislation ever approved in history—a $3 trillion behemoth of a bill aimed at providing coronavirus relief—despite the fact that the Republican-run Senate is unlikely to even take it up.
What are the details?
The legislation, called the HEROES Act, was pushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and passed by a vote of 208-199. A single Republican, Rep. Steve King (N.Y.) voted for the bill, and fourteen Democrats broke with their party in opposing it.
Fox News reported:
The legislation includes $915 billion in state and local aid that could prevent layoffs of public workers, like first responders and teachers; a new $200 billion 'heroes' fund for hazard pay for essential workers; $100 billion for K-12 and higher education and $85 billion for coronavirus testing.
The legislation aims to get more money into the pockets of American hard-hit by widespread business closures. Eligible individuals would receive $1,200 checks for each person in their household, up to $6,000.
The bill extends add-on unemployment benefits of $600 payments, in addition to state benefits, through January 2021, creates a special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act exchanges for the uninsured and provides $175 billion for families to pay their mortgages and rent. The legislation includes student loan forgiveness, an employee retention tax credit and increases maximum SNAP benefits, which are currently $768 a month, by 15 percent.
"But," the outlet noted, "tucked into the legislation are provisions that rankled the Republicans including expanding $1,200 checks to certain undocumented immigrants, restoring the full State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT) that helps individuals in high-taxed blue states, a $25 billion rescue for the U.S. Postal Service, allowing legal marijuana businesses to access banking services and early voting and vote-by-mail provisions."
According to The Hill, the HEROES Act was drafted by House Democrats without any consultation with Republicans. Speaker Pelosi said of the bill, 'We're putting our offer on the table. We're open to negotiation."
ABC News reported that earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the bill would be "dead on arrival" in the upper chamber, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said of the legislation, "This week, the Speaker published an 1,800-page seasonal catalog of left-wing oddities and called it a coronavirus relief bill." He added, "Here we go again."


theblaze--2020-05-16--New York officials admit to quietly changing coronavirus counting standards to mislead on nursing ho

New York officials admit to quietly changing coronavirus counting standards to mislead on nursing home deaths More evidence of a @ @ @ @ @ York

Officials in New York state admit that they tried to quietly change their coronavirus death count standards in such a way that would underreport those deaths at nursing homes.
The statistical sleight-of-hand was reported by the Daily Caller on Friday.
The New York State Department of Health acknowledged in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation that it only reported as coronavirus deaths those from long-term care patients that died while physically present at their facility.
Previous to around March 3, they were reported whether they died at their facility or at a hospital.
The change would underreport the count of "nursing home" deaths at a time when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is under fire for the policy forcing nursing homes to take in coronavirus patients.
On Sunday, Cuomo rescinded the policy after scathing criticism.
New York has the highest number of nursing home deaths in the country, with 5,433 reported deaths as of reporting from Wednesday.
The revelation from the Daily Caller points to efforts from New York state officials to hide the true number of deaths from the coronavirus at nursing homes.
The report said that spokespeople from the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts confirmed that they counted nursing home deaths whether they occurred at a hospital or at their facility.
Here's more about the botched New York response to coronavirus:


theblaze--2020-05-16--Richard Grenell swats down Adam Schiff once again over congressman's latest protest

Richard Grenell swats down Adam Schiff once again over congressman 's latest protest

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has publicly dismissed House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff's (D-Calif.) latest condemnation of his actions, as the congressman continues to protest against Grenell making moves without his approval.
What are the details?
Grenell was named acting DNI by President Donald Trump in February, and ever since, Schiff has criticized Grenell's appointment and actions.
Last month, Grenell made a number of personnel changes, and was criticized by Schiff for doing so "without consulting and seeking authorization from Congress in a manner that undermines critical intelligence functions."
Grenell wrote Schiff a reply reminding the congressman of the separation between the legislative and executive branches of government.
Axios reported that on Friday, Grenell announced more changes, including that his office would now handle election security briefings for political candidates rather than the FBI.
Chairman Schiff responded by issuing a statement saying, in part:
Our Committee did not authorize these changes—announced, once again, late on a Friday—by a temporary and unqualified Acting Director of National Intelligence, nor were HPSCI or SSCI even briefed or consulted, as required by law and requested by the Committees. The Acting DNI has a legal obligation to keep the Committee fully and currently informed of these changes and failed to do so.
In reaction to a CNN reporter who shared Schiff's comments on Twitter, Grenell wrote, "Only in Washington, DC would one be appointed to a job but not expected to DO the job. @AdamSchiff."


theblaze--2020-05-16--'Morning Joe' was outraged that Trump brought up the death of his intern — but had a different react

'Morning Joe' was outraged that Trump brought up the death of his intern — but had a different reaction in unearthed 2003 video

'Morning Joe ' was outraged that Trump brought up the death of his intern — but had a different reaction @ @ @ @ @ resurfaced clip shows Scarborough not at all outraged soon after her death

A resurfaced clip from 2003 is being circulated online to show a disparate reaction from Joe Scarborough about references to the death of his office intern decades ago.
The MSNBC host expressed indignant outrage when President Donald Trump brought up the tragic and accidental death of his intern, but he was far less upset in the clip from the Don Imus show.
"Don't be afraid to be funny, because you are funny. You know, I ask you why you won Congress, you said you'd had sex with the intern and then you had to kill her, that's pretty risky to say," Imus says on the clip to Scarborough.
"Exactly, what're you gonna do," Scarborough responds, laughing.
The video clip was re-discovered by the Media Research Center after he excoriated the president for calling on law enforcement authorities to reopen the case.
"I know you meant to be extraordinarily cruel to me by attacking me, by bringing up a conspiracy theory that has lived in the gutters of the internet for some time now. But just like the Seth Rich conspiracy murder that was pushed by your allies, you don't understand the pain you cause," Scarborough said in response to the president's tweet.
"You don't understand the pain you cause," he continued, "you cause to families who've already lost a loved one. Not me. Not my children. Not anybody that knows me. They know the truth. You once again drag a family through this and make them relive it again, just like Seth Rich's parents, as if losing a loved one the first time isn't enough."
Here's the unearthed 2003 video:
Scarborough Jokes With Don Imus About His Dead Intern youtu.be
[H/T: The Daily Caller]


theblaze--2020-05-16--New York tourist arrested in Hawaii after caught violating mandatory quarantine by posting Instagram

New York tourist arrested in Hawaii after caught violating mandatory quarantine by posting Instagram photos Local citizens and hotel employees @ @ @ @ @ had left his hotel room during the state-mandated quarantine

A New York City man was arrested in Hawaii after he violated the state's strict quarantine rules for visitors. Authorities were tipped off to the man disobeying the shelter-in-place order after they saw him post beach photos on his Instagram account.
Tarique Peters, 23, posted Instagram photos of himself outside of his hotel room shortly after arriving in O'ahu. Peters posted a photo of himself on the beach with a surfboard on Wednesday, two days after arriving in Hawaii.
On March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all tourists visiting the island state. The Hawaii Tourism Authority even set up a fund to pay for tourists to return to their homes if they violated the quarantine.
Peters, who is from the Bronx, was not flown back home, but he was arrested on Friday by special agents from the Department of the Attorney General for violation of the mandatory 14-day quarantine rule and unsworn falsification to authority, according to a news release from the office of Hawaii's governor.
Local citizens became informants as they tipped off authorities that Peters had left his hotel room. Employees of the hotel that Peters was staying at confirmed to investigators that the tourist left the premises on several occasions this week. Peters used public transportation to go to Waikiki at night.
Peters was arrested, and his bail was set at $4,000.
At least 20 people have been arrested violating Hawaii's mandatory quarantine.
Attorney General Clare Connors released a statement:
We appreciate the vigilance and cooperation of the hotel staff, and staff at other hotels, in helping maintain the health and safety of visitors and residents. It is important that everyone flying into Hawaii at this time, abide by our mandatory rules. Law enforcement, in partnership with other state and county agencies and the travel industry are continuing to monitor compliance with the mandatory self-quarantine rule.
Ige has extended the 14-day mandatory quarantine for all tourists until June 30. Hawaii has the third-least confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. with 638, and there have been 17 COVID-19 deaths.
"These actions are extreme, but necessary, to flatten the curve and lay the groundwork for our recovery," Ige said.


theblaze--2020-05-16--CBS News releases statement on Catherine Herridge's reporting after Dems, media attack her

CBS News releases statement on Catherine Herridge 's reporting after Dems , media attack her

CBS News defended star reporter Catherine Herridge after her fierce reported triggered outrage from Democrats and the media this week.
"Catherine is a deeply sourced reporter who has worked the national security beat for two decades and just last week secured one of the biggest newsmaker interviews with Attorney General William Barr, which was cited by national and international outlets," a CBS News spokesperson said.
"This is the kind of aggressive reporting we applaud at CBS News," the spokesperson added.
Herridge was attacked on social media after she reported on the "unmasking" list related to the Michael Flynn case that acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell gave Congress this week.
Herridge's reporting was not unlike her previous work. As she is known to do, Herridge simply shared the official government documents and provided the necessary journalistic context.
Herridge is one of Washington's most prominent journalists, known for her intrepid work in national security journalism. She is trustworthy and has a long-standing record of breaking significant stories.
But that did not stop a spokesperson for Joe Biden's campaign, Andrew Bates, from attacking Herridge. Bates was responding to the fact that Biden's name was included on the list that Grenell gave Congress.
"SCOOP: Catherine Herridge is a partisan, rightwing hack who is a regular conduit for conservative media manipulation ploys because she agrees to publicize things before contacting the target to ask for comment," Bates wrote on Twitter in a since-deleted tweet.
Bates was similarly denounced himself, including by CNN's Jake Tapper. "Gross. Personal attacks on journalists for sharing facts is obnoxious and indecent. @JoeBiden approves this message?" Tapper said.
Still, despite the fact that Democrats and the media routinely condemn President Donald Trump for his so-called "attacks" on the press, the left-leaning Daily Beast published a story bashing Herridge.
Glenn Greenwald responded by calling out the mainstream media's hypocrisy, explaining on Fox News that the press corps always defends itself from Trump's criticism, but failed to defend Herridge when the Biden campaign attacked her.


theblaze--2020-05-16--Virologist hospitalized with coronavirus believes he was infected through eyes because he was wearin

Virologist hospitalized with coronavirus believes he was infected through eyes because he was wearing mask 'If it can take even @ @ @ @ @ take anybody down '

Dr. Joseph Fair is a virologist and epidemiologist who has been hospitalized with coronavirus. Fair, who is also an NBC News medical contributor, believes he contracted COVID-19 through his eyes during a crowded flight because he was wearing a mask and gloves at the time of his suspected infection.
Fair, 42, was flying home to New Orleans on a plane that "had us packed in like sardines." Fair noted that the plane was so crowded that he "instinctively" probably should have disembarked and not flown on that flight.
"I had a mask on, I had gloves on, I did my normal wipes routine ... but obviously, you can still get it through your eyes," Fair told NBC News from his hospital bed. "And of course I wasn't wearing goggles on the flight."
Despite having his nose and mouth covered during the flight, and not going anywhere after arriving home, Fair became sick a few days after his flight. Initially, he was experiencing flu-like symptoms that started with a loss of appetite. Fair grew extremely worried when he could only breathe in 25% of the oxygen he was trying to take in.
Fair was taken to a hospital and was in critical condition until Wednesday. Fair asked his doctors not to be intubated, and was given oxygen instead.
Fair was tested for coronavirus four times, but he never tested positive for COVID-19. "These tests are not 100% accurate," Fair said. "I think our tests are so very imperfect, and we're missing a lot of cases because of that. I waited a bit of time, so there's a good possibility that there's no detectable virus in my blood system."
"That's one of the three known routes of getting this infection that we just don't pay a lot of attention to; we tend to pay attention to the nose and mouth because that is the most common route," Fair said of getting a COVID-19 infection through his eyes. "But you know, droplets landing on your eyes are just as infectious."
"Particles most often enter through your nose or mouth as well as your eyes," according to WebMD.
Fair said he's a healthy individual who runs up to 10 miles a day and exercises up to six days a week. "If it can take even me down, it can take anybody down," Fair told the "TODAY" show. "That doesn't mean to say that it will kill you. You don't wanna have it, that's all I can tell you."
Dr. Russell Blaylock, a former neurosurgeon, wrote an op-ed that warning face masks are not only ineffective against COVID-19, but in certain circumstance can be potentially dangerous and impair a person's immune system.


theblaze--2020-05-16--YouTube removes viral video from epidemiologist who denounced strict lockdown orders

The video amassed more than 1.3 million views

YouTube has removed a viral video from an epidemiologist who denounced the government's response to coronavirus, declaring that developing herd immunity, not imposing strict lockdowns, is the correct response to the coronavirus.
According to the New York Post, YouTube removed a video of Dr. Knut Wittkowski, the former head of biostatistics, epidemiology and research design at Rockefeller University, in which he denounced strict lockdown measures.
"With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won't even have recognized that they were infected," Wittkowski says in the video.
More from the Post:
Wittkowski, 65, is a ferocious critic of the nation's current steps to fight the coronavirus. He has derided social distancing, saying it only prolongs the virus' existence and has attacked the current lockdown as mostly unnecessary.
Wittkowski, who holds two doctorates in computer science and medical biometry, believes the coronavirus should be allowed to achieve "herd immunity," and that short of a vaccine the pandemic will only end after it has sufficiently spread through the population.
The video had amassed more than 1.3 million views before YouTube removed it.
The move is the latest by social media platforms to clamp down on what they call "misinformation," which, in actuality, are ideas that counter official government decrees and opinions handed down by the World Health Organization.
In fact, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki told CNN last month that her platform would immediately remove all content that pushed ideas contrary to the WHO.
However, Wittkowski told the Post that YouTube did not specify why it removed his video.
"They don't tell you. They just say it violates our community standards. There's no explanation for what those standards are or what standards it violated," Wittkowski said.
YouTube also removed another viral video last month — one that amassed nearly 5.5 million views — on two California doctors who said data they collected indicated stay-at-home lockdowns were not in the best interest of the public.


theblaze--2020-05-16--Rep. Justin Amash says he will not launch third-party bid for president

Rep. Justin Amash says he will not launch third-party bid for president 'Circumstances do n't lend themselves to my success @ @ @ @ @ this year '

Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) announced on Saturday that he would not run for president. The third-party Libertarian candidate noted that "this environment presents extraordinary challenges."
Amash thanked his supporters in a series of tweets on Saturday, as he officially bowed out of a potential run in the 2020 presidential race. Amash said that "polarization is near an all-time high."
"I've spent nearly three weeks assessing the race, appearing in media, talking to delegates and donors, watching the Libertarian Party's convention plan unfold, and gathering feedback from family, friends, and other advisers," Amash wrote. "After much reflection, I've concluded that circumstances don't lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate."
"Today, most Americans are understandably more interested in what life will look like tomorrow than they are in broader policy debates, and news coverage has reflected those priorities," he tweeted. "At the same time, fundraising challenges posed by an idled economy will hinder advertising."
Amash launched an exploratory committee in April to seek the Libertarian Party's 2020 nomination and announced he was running on April 28.
A Monmouth University poll showed that an Amash 2020 presidential run would hurt Joe Biden more than Donald Trump, and he took more Democratic voters than Republican.
Amash, who represents Michigan's 3rd congressional district, was the only Republican who supported impeaching Trump, and he left the GOP in July 2019.
You can read Amash's entire statement below:
This was a difficult decision for me, especially having seen grassroots supporters put so much effort into this campaign. It's been humbling and awesome. I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment.
But this environment presents extraordinary challenges. Polarization is near an all-time high. Electoral success requires an audience willing to consider alternatives, but both social media and traditional media are dominated by voices strongly averse to the political risks posed by a viable third candidate. The new reality of social distancing levels the playing field among the candidates in many respects, but it also means lesser known candidates are more dependent on adequate media opportunities to reach people.
Today, most Americans are understandably more interested in what life will look like tomorrow than they are in broader policy debates, and news coverage has reflected those priorities. At the same time, fundraising challenges posed by an idled economy will hinder advertising.
The Libertarian Party's national committee members and delegates have worked diligently to organize the national convention, but lingering uncertainty regarding ratification of online voting, the feasibility of 50-state ballot access and related legal challenges, and unity after the nomination have also weighed heavily on me. We must address these issues as a party to ensure we maximize our potential.
I've been speaking directly to delegates about this opportunity for only a short time, but these conversations have solidified my belief that the Libertarian Party is well positioned to become a major and consistent contender to win elections at all levels of government. I remain invested in helping the party realize these possibilities and look forward to the successes ahead.
If you aren't already a member of the @LPNational, I encourage you to join me in becoming one so we can continue working together toward freedom, peace, and prosperity.
With appreciation,
Justin.


theblaze--2020-05-16--State's coronavirus death toll drops significantly after officials make major criteria change

'We started to hear stories about `` are these correct or are these incorrect ? ''
'

Colorado's coronavirus death toll dropped significantly on Friday after the Colorado Department of Health and Environment made a major change in how state officials report COVID-19 deaths.
State officials are now distinguishing between people who died "with COVID-19" and those who died "due to COVID-19." Previously, officials lumped all the deaths together, meaning people who had COVID-19, yet did not die directly from the virus, were included in the state's official death count.
The change resulted in nearly 300 fewer COVID-19 deaths in Colorado, KDVR-TV reported.
On Friday afternoon, the Colorado Department of Health reported 1,150 COVID-19 deaths. But after the change, that count dropped to 878.
"We have been reporting at the state, deaths among people who had COVID-19 at the time of death and the cause of that death may or may not have been COVID-19," Dr. Eric France, Colorado Health Department's chief medical officer, said Friday, according to KDVR.
"We started to hear stories about 'are these correct or are these incorrect?'" he explained.
COVID-19 death counts have received increased scrutiny over the last month as the national death count continues to increase by an average of 1,000-2,000 deaths per day.
Frustration over COVID-19 death classification boiled over in Colorado this week after state officials included the death of 35-year-old Sebastian Yellow as a COVID-19 death.
However, Colorado's Montezuma County coroner, George Deavers, determined that Yellow had died from alcohol poisoning, having a blood alcohol content of .55 at the time of his death, which is over the lethal limit.
"It wasn't COVID, it was alcohol toxicity," Deavers said. "Yes, he did have COVID, but that is not what took his life."


theblaze--2020-05-16--Gov. Gavin Newsom to give illegal immigrants $75 million in stimulus money despite cutting $19 billi

Gov. Gavin Newsom to give illegal immigrants $75 million in stimulus money despite cutting $19 billion from schools

Gov .
Gavin Newsom to give illegal immigrants $ 75 million in stimulus money despite cutting $ 19 billion from @ @ @ @ @ have a budget deficit of $ 54.3 billion

Last month, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said that he was open to the idea of providing illegal immigrants with $600 a week, despite the state "quite clearly running out of money." Starting on Monday, California will provide up to $75 million to illegal immigrants. The money will be available to the illegal immigrants despite Gov. Gavin Newsom slashing $19 billion in funding for California schools this week.
Newsom's Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants Project will provide $125 million to illegal immigrants, $75 million will be paid by the state of California and $50 million from private philanthropic groups.
Each adult will be eligible for a one-time payment of $500, and caps out at $1,000 per household, according to the Mercury News.
In order to qualify for the stimulus check, recipients must be at least 18-years-old, an undocumented immigrant who experienced financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, and did not receive payments from federal COVID-19 support programs such as the CARES Act.
California will not distribute the money; instead a dozen community organizations will dispense the funds to illegal immigrants. This is being done so that the government can't collect any information about the illegal immigrants who receive the money.
The money will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and is available until the funds run out or until June 30. The California Department of Social Services estimates the funds will be handed out to 150,000 illegal immigrants. The Public Policy Institute of California estimated that the state was home to 2.4 million illegal immigrants as of 2017.
The project, which was first announced in April, will go into effect on Monday.
"California is the most diverse state in the nation. Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient. Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis. We are all in this together," Newsom said in a statement in April.
This comes at the same time that the Democratic governor of California has had to significantly cut the state's budget. On Thursday, Newsom unveiled his revised state budget plan that was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
Newsom cut funding over the next two years for public schools and community colleges by $19 billion, or nearly a quarter, compared to projections provided in January. California is projected to have a budget deficit of $54.3 billion following the economic carnage caused by the months-long stay-at-home order.
A survey from last month found that unemployment has spiked so much that less than half of people in Los Angeles still have jobs. Newsom warned that the unemployment rate in California could peak as high as 24.5%.


theblaze--2020-05-16--NFL considering giving teams much higher draft picks if they hire minorities as head coaches or gene

NFL considering giving teams much higher draft picks if they hire minorities as head coaches or general managers The NFL @ @ @ @ @ the Rooney Rules in an effort to hire more minority coaches and GMs

The NFL is considering implementing new rules that would award teams who hire minorities as head coaches and general managers by giving those franchises higher draft picks, on some occasions, much higher picks.
NFL owners will virtually hold their annual May league meeting on May 19, and one of the topics will be minority hiring, especially when it comes to general managers and head coaches. In 2003, the NFL instituted the Rooney Rule, which is named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who was a former chairman of the league's diversity committee. The rule requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for any head coach or senior football operations position.
Despite the Rooney Rule being in effect for nearly two decades, there are four non-white head coaches and two non-white general managers from the 32 franchises. "Two of the four African-American head coaches hired since 2017, were fired after one and two seasons, respectively," according to the NFL. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport found that 70% of NFL players are black.
In an effort to hire more non-white coaches and GMs, the NFL will reward teams who hire minorities for those positions. NFL Media reporter Jim Trotter outlined how the new rules for incentivizing minority hiring could work:
If a team hires a minority head coach, that team, in the draft preceding the coach's second season, would move up six spots from where it is slotted to pick in the third round. A team would jump 10 spots under the same scenario for hiring a person of color as its primary football executive, a position more commonly known as general manager.
If a team were to fill both positions with diverse candidates in the same year, that club could jump 16 spots — six for the coach, 10 for the GM — and potentially move from the top of the third round to the middle of the second round. Another incentive: a team's fourth-round pick would climb five spots in the draft preceding the coach's or GM's third year if he is still with the team.
Another potential rule change that the National Football League is reportedly exploring is that any team which "hires a person of color as its quarterbacks coach would receive a compensatory pick at the end of the fourth round if it retains that employee beyond one season." The NFL notes that there are currently "only two African-American QB coaches in Pep Hamilton of the Chargers and Marcus Brady of the Colts."
The league is also looking into awarding a fifth-round compensatory pick to any team that loses a minority assistant who then becomes a coordinator for another team.
"If a minority assistant left to become a coordinator elsewhere, his former club would receive a fifth-round compensatory pick," Trotter wrote of a potential rule change. "And if a person of color leaves to become a head coach or general manager, his previous team would receive a third-round compensatory pick."
The NFL is considering expanding the Rooney Rule by doubling the number of minority candidates a team must interview for head coach vacancies. The league may also extend the Rooney Rule to include coordinator positions.
"I think where we are right now, is not where we want to be, not where we need to be," Steelers owner Art Rooney II said in January. "We need to take a step back and look at what's happening with our hiring processes. The first thing we'll do as part of our diversity committee is really review this past season's hiring cycle and make sure we understand what went on and talk to the people involved both on the owners' side, management's side as well as the people that were interviewed."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hinted that the league wanted to increase minority hiring. "Clearly we are not where we want to be on this level," Goddell said right before Super Bowl LIV in Miami. "It's clear we need to change. We have already begun discussing those changes, what stages we can take next to determine better outcomes."


theblaze--2020-05-16--Top Dems accuse Trump of 'retaliation' for firing State Department IG. But there's more to the story

Top Dems accuse Trump of 'retaliation' for firing State Department IG. But there's more to the story.

Top Dems accuse Trump of 'retaliation ' for firing State Department IG .
But there 's more to the story @ @ @ @ @ is above the law '

President Donald Trump triggered new condemnation on Friday when he fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick.
Writing in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump said that he "no longer" had "the fullest confidence" in Linick as inspector general, the New York Times reported. It, therefore, became necessary to dismiss Linick, Trump told Pelosi.
In response, top Democratic leaders alleged Trump was committing more acts of vengeful political retaliation.
Pelosi claimed in a statement that Linick's ousting amplifies Trump's "dangerous pattern of retaliation." Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called Trump's decision an "unlawful act of retaliation" because Linick was reportedly investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"Mr. Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation," Engel said. "This president believes he is above the law."
However, that is not the whole story. According to the Daily Caller News Foundation, Linick himself was under investigation last year.
From the DCNF:
Two sources familiar with Linick's ouster told the DCNF that while they were not certain of the precise reason that the watchdog was fired, he was under investigation last year by the Department of Defense's inspector general for mishandling sensitive material.
The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
As the Times noted, Linick was a "bit player" in Trump's impeachment inquiry.
Linick drew national attention when he gave congressional investigators a packet of documents he thought might be useful in determining whether or not Trump improperly pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
From the Times:
In the end, the roughly 40 pages of material turned out to be largely inconsequential: a record of contacts between Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, and Ukrainian prosecutors, as well as accounts of Ukrainian law enforcement proceedings.
In fact, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin chastised the move.
"It raises more questions than it answers," Raskin said of the documents, Roll Call reported. "The inspector general had no idea where it came from."
Trump said he would appoint Stephen Akard, current director of the Office of Foreign Missions, as Linick's replacement.


theblaze--2020-05-16--CNN reporter slammed for removing mask seconds after White House briefing finishes

Many media members were seen on video not wearing masks , some not social distancing

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins was blasted on social media for immediately removing her face mask following a coronavirus briefing.
Seconds after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ended Friday's White House press briefing, Collins was seen on video ripping off her mask. Collins is then seen leaving the press briefing room without her mask on, and seemingly walking in close proximity of fellow members of the press corps, possibly even closer than the social distancing guidelines of staying at least six feet away from others.
On the same day, Collins asked President Donald Trump why some of the officials at the Rose Garden news briefing were not wearing masks.
"We've all been tested and we are quite a distance away and we are outdoors, so I told them, I gave them the option, they could wear it or not," Trump responded. "So you can blame it on me, but I gave them the option. We could wear it or not."
In the past, Collins has reported frequently as to whether Vice President Mike Pence, as well as other officials, wore a mask or not.
There are other instances where reporters were seen taking off their masks as soon as the press briefing concluded.
Media reporters, as well as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), were seen unmasked following a press conference this week.
Earlier this week, ABC News White House correspondent Jon Karl mask-shamed John Roberts of Fox News not wearing a mask.
Roberts admitted that he had taken off his mask, and put it back on when the press conference began. He added that he was practicing social distancing.
Karl was accused of getting tacos in Washington D.C. five days earlier on Cinco de Mayo, where he appears to not be wearing a mask. Karl did not respond to the accusations.


theblaze--2020-05-16--Reporter tries to corner Kayleigh McEnany on crimes of 'Obamagate' — it fails spectacularly

Reporter tries to corner Kayleigh McEnany on crimes of 'Obamagate ' — it fails spectacularly ' I 'm really glad @ @ @ @ @ n't been a lot of journalistic curiosity on this front '

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany outlined the alleged crimes committed by the Obama administration in what is being called "Obamagate" on Friday when a reporter attempted to corner her on what exact crimes President Donald Trump alleges his predecessor's administration committed.
Noting that McEnany is a lawyer, CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy, "Perhaps you can lay out the elements of this crime. What crimes were committed an in what way?"
McEnany responded by laying out in detail the alleged wrongdoing by the Obama administration:
I'm really glad you asked because there hasn't been a lot of journalistic curiosity on this front. Look, there were a number of questions raised by the actions of the Obama administration. The Steele dossier funded by the Democratic National Committee. Opposition political party to the president was used to obtain FISA warrants to listen in on conversations of people within the Trump campaign.
There was the unmasking the identity of Michael Flynn. And we know that in a January 5th meeting in the Oval Office with President Obama, Sally Yates from the Department of Justice learned about the unmasking, not from the Department of Justice or the FBI, she learned about it from President Obama and was stunned and could barely process what she was hearing at the time because she was stunned of his knowledge of that.
We know that there was a lot of wrongdoing in the case of Michael Flynn. The FBI notes, for instance, that said should "we get him to lie" as they pontificated their strategy. We know that the identity of this three-decade general was leaked to the press, a criminal leak to the press of his identity in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.
In an attempt to corner McEnany, Portnoy shot back that she only specified one crime, that being the leak of Flynn's name to the media.
The retort did not go over well.
"But if you want to start going through wrongdoing in the [Obama] administration, happy to go through Andy McCabe leaking to the Wall Street Journal and then lying about it," McEnany responded. "Happy to talk about James Clapper lying before Congress saying the NSA does not monitor phone calls. That was an inaccuracy to say the least, if not a lie. John Brennan telling Congress that 'the bogus Steele Dossier played no role in the Russian probe,' when in fact we know it did and was the basis of obtaining FISA warrants."
McEnany indicated that many of those alleged mistruths were made under oath, implying those officials lied under oath, which is a crime.
"Perhaps you should look into it and give me some answers. That is, after all, the job of reporters, to answer the very questions that I've laid out and I hope you guys will take the time to do it," McEnany said.


theblaze--2020-05-16--Tennessee dad transforms driveway to give daughter proper graduation ceremony after commencement was

Tennessee dad transforms driveway to give daughter proper graduation ceremony after commencement was canceled These are some lofty dad goals @ @

Gabrielle Pierce was like many college students who did not have a graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Gabrielle's dad wasn't about to let his daughter not miss out on a proper graduation, so he brought the college graduation to their house.
Pierce graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana this year and missed her commencement ceremony after it was canceled. Gabrielle, who earned a bachelor's degree in public health science, was devastated that she wouldn't have a graduation ceremony, so her father transformed their Tennessee driveway into the perfect graduation location.
Torrence Burson from Memphis constructed an entire stage, complete with a podium and loudspeakers. "After all those years, you're going to walk across somebody's stage if I have to build you one myself," Burson told WHBQ-TV.
The commencement ceremony included a procession, invocation, national anthem "sung" by Whitney Houston, welcome, song, commencement address, and finally, Gabrielle accepting her degree.
There was even a program detailing Gabrielle's accomplishments.
"Gabrielle graduated from Southwind High School in 2015 with the ambition to attend The Illustrious Xavier University of Louisiana to achieve a degree in Biology Pre-Medicine," the program read, according to Blavity. "During her junior year of college, she decided to go into another direction of medicine by deciding to go into Public Health Science for Epidemiology. After all the trials and tribulations she went through, she completed college with 130 credit hours. She now plans to join the Armed forces to accomplish her end goal of working for the CDC."
"I was just I awe. I was amazed. I couldn't believe a lot of people showed up. People were driving by yelling congratulations," Pierce said.
"We love our daughter this much. Regardless of the dollar figure, what it took to pull this off," Burson said. "If I had to do this over again, I'd probably do it even bigger."
"Initially I was upset, I was crying. It took me like a week to stop crying. I really wanted to walk, I felt like I needed to walk," Pierce said.
"It was just amazing. Better than the actual graduation, because it was more personal," Pierce said.


theblaze--2020-05-19--Pat Sajak takes on paid elites who are urging struggling Americans not to work

"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak took a stand this weekend against the celebrities and politicians who have lived in paid lockdown during COVID-19 while pressing unemployed Americans to remain home despite increasing economic struggles.
What are the details?
On Saturday, the longtime game show icon tweeted, "When a disc jockey or a talk show host or a journalist who is being paid to work from his or her home tells people who can't work, pay bills or pay their rent or mortgage to 'Stay home and be careful because we're all in this together,' it's okay to question the premise."
The Daily Caller noted that Sajak's "comments came during a weekend when many restless people emerged from their homes despite stay-at-home orders telling them otherwise."
While the overwhelming view espoused from left-leaning elites is that lockdowns nationwide should remain in place, Sajak is not the only public figure who has pushed back against the extended stay-at-home orders that are causing devastating unemployment numbers and business closures.
The Daily Wire pointed out that "last week, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shared a profanity-laced video questioning the logic behind all of this economic destruction given the lack of scientific evidence supporting prolonged lockdowns."
Anything else?
Sajak has previously joked about how he and his fellow celebrities have fared during the lockdowns. Last month, he issued a tongue-in-cheek complaint that "No one was recognizing me when I went out wearing a face mask. Had to resort to carrying an 8x10 glossy of myself. Celebrityhood can be challenging."
He later tweeted, "I hope you understand how difficult this situation is for celebrities. Instead of being pampered and flattered by everyone, we are forced to sit in our homes just like regular people. Please don't forget about us. Any kind words of support would be appreciated. #AdoptACelebrity"


theblaze--2020-05-19--Mark Levin: People don't remember the SHOCKING extent of Obama admin's 'police state tactics'

Fellow BlazeTV host , Mark Levin , joined Glenn Beck on his exclusive Friday episode of `` GlennTV '' to discuss why the declassified list of Obama administration officials who were aware of the details of Gen. Michael Flynn 's wiretapped phone calls are so significant .
Glenn argued that Obama built a covert bureaucracy to `` transform America '' for a long time to come , and Gen. Flynn was targeted because he happened to know `` where the bodies were buried '' , making him a threat to Obama 's `` secret legacy . ''
Levin agreed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police state tactics '' by the Obama administration .
He recalled several scandalous happenings during Obama 's `` scandal free presidency , '' which nobody seems to remember .
Watch the video below for more : Use 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 @ @ @ @ @ @

Fellow BlazeTV host Mark Levin joined Glenn Beck on his exclusive Friday episode of "GlennTV" to discuss why the declassified list of Obama administration officials who were aware of the details of Gen. Michael Flynn's wiretapped phone calls is so significant.
Glenn argued that Obama built a covert bureaucracy to "transform America" for a long time to come, and Gen. Flynn was targeted because he happened to know "where the bodies were buried," making him a threat to Obama's "secret legacy."
Levin agreed, noting the "shocking extent of the police state tactics" by the Obama administration. He recalled several scandalous happenings during Obama's "scandal-free presidency" that nobody seems to remember.
Watch the video below for more:
Use 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--2020-05-19--Breaking: Lindsey Graham announces vote to seek subpoenas of former Obama officials in probe of 'Oba

Breaking: Lindsey Graham announces vote to seek subpoenas of former Obama officials in probe of 'Obamagate' scandal

Breaking : Lindsey Graham announces vote to seek subpoenas of former Obama officials in probe of 'Obamagate ' scandal

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced that the committee would be voting to authorize subpoenas of former Obama officials in the investigation into "ObamaGate."
Graham made the announcement in a press release on Monday.
"Obamagate" is the nickname for the scandal tying former President Barack Obama to the allegedly politically motivated investigation into Trump campaign officials around the 2016 election.
Graham said the committee is seeking "subpoena authorization related to the FISA abuse investigation and oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation."
The notice said once granted the authorization, he could issue a subpoena for "witnesses, documents, or other materials."
Among those named in the press release were former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
A spokesperson for the Biden campaign denied the accusations that the FISA process had been politicized in order to target Trump campaign officials and instead blamed racism for the claims.
Earlier on Monday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said that he didn't expect either Obama or Biden to face a criminal investigation.
"As for President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement based on what I know, I don't expect Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," Barr said to reporters. "Our concern of potential criminality is focused on others."
Graham indicated that the vote would take place on June 4.
Here's more about the Obamagate scandal:


theblaze--2020-05-18--Sen. Marco Rubio tapped to head intel committee amid FBI investigation of former chair

Sen. Marco Rubio tapped to head intel committee amid FBI investigation of former chair Sen. Richard Burr ( R-N.C. ) @ @ @ @ @ last week

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been named Acting Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after former head Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) stepped aside pending an FBI investigation into questionable stock trades he made ahead of the coronavirus market plunge.
What are the details?
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Monday that Rubio had accepted the appointment as intel chairman on an interim basis, saying the senior senator from Florida "was the natural choice for this temporary assignment on the basis of accumulated committee service."
Rubio responded with a brief statement of his own, saying, "I am grateful to Leader McConnell for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr's absence from the Chairmanship."
Burr remains a senator, but surrendered his chairmanship of the intel committee last week after the FBI served him a warrant amid an ongoing insider trading investigation regarding his actions following briefings on COVID-19 and ahead of a significant hit to the stock market in the early days of the outbreak.
Burr denies any wrongdoing and plans to return as chairman once the investigation is concluded despite calls for his resignation from both sides of the political aisle. Prior to the investigation, he had already announced he would not seek re-election.
The Washington Post noted that Rubio had already been expected to head the committee upon Burr's retirement, but his earlier-than-expected appointment presents a unique situation during the coronavirus crisis.
The paper reported:
Under normal circumstances, Rubio would have to give up his gavel at the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, usually a sleepy panel with little profile that has been transformed into the leading overseer of the $650 billion Paycheck Protection Program created in the wake of the pandemic.
Because of his appointment to run the Intelligence Committee is technically only temporary, Rubio may seek a waiver from GOP rules and ask to retain his chairmanship of the Small Business Committee. Normally, the odds of such a waiver would be very slim, but the seniority ladder would put Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a libertarian, in line to replace Rubio at a critical point in the committee's history. Some Republicans may be reluctant to put Paul in that position.


theblaze--2020-05-18--Katie Hill says she cried for days after the GOP flipped her former congressional seat: 'f**king dev

Katie Hill says she cried for days after the GOP flipped her former congressional seat: 'f**king devastating'

Katie Hill says she cried for days after the GOP flipped her former congressional seat : ' f**king devastating' ' @ @ @ @ @ for a few days '

Katie Hill said that she cried for days and was devastated by Republicans flipping her congressional district from Democratic control in a special election.
The former U.S. congresswoman tweeted that it was her fault the seat went back to Republican hands.
"So yeah it really hurt to have my old seat flip back to Republican-for a ton of people & also for me. In fact, it was pretty f***ing devastating," Hill tweeted on Monday.
"I went offline & cried for a few days but, as always, getting ready to stand back up & keep fighting. Hope you are too," she added.
Hill resigned from Congress during a firestorm of controversy related to the release of explicit photographs of her in a "throuple" relationship. The report claimed that she had engaged in an unethical relationship with one of her staffers, accusations she has denied.
That seat was won by former Navy fighter pilot Mike Garcia, a Republican.
"Let's be clear. My ex gave nonconsenual nude pics of me to the ppl who wanted this seat- people who were backing Garcia when he was my opponent," Hill explained in a second tweet.
Let's be clear. My ex gave nonconsenual nude pics of me to the ppl who wanted this seat- people who were backing Garcia when he was my opponent. They gave those pics to the press. I resigned.
I take full responsibility for my mistakes, but this Republican win is no coincidence.
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) May 18, 2020
"They gave those pics to the press. I resigned," she added. "I take full responsibility for my mistakes, but this Republican win is no coincidence."
Hill went on to apologize to the Democratic candidate who lost the election to Garcia and promised to work to win the seat back for Democrats in November when it goes up for vote again.
Before Hill flipped the seat for Democrats, it had stayed under Republican control for 25 years.
The victory for Garcia was the first time since 1998 that Republicans have been able to flip a seat from Democratic control in California.
Here's more about the special election:


theblaze--2020-05-18--President Trump reveals he has been taking hydroxychloroquine

President Trump reveals he has been taking hydroxychloroquine He says , 'You 'd be surprised at how many people ' @ @ @ @ @ the fight against COVID-19

President Donald Trump revealed Monday that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug he has touted as having promise in the fight against COVID-19.
What are the details?
During a press conference, the president said of the drug, "You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it — and especially the frontline workers, before you catch it — the frontline workers, many, many are taking it."
"I happen to be taking it," he continued, saying that he began taking HCQ "a couple of weeks ago."
The president said, "I think it's good, I've heard a lot of good stories. And if it's not good, I'll tell you right. I'm not going to get hurt by it. It's been around for 40 years for malaria, for lupus, for other things."
President Trump went on to say that "a lot of doctors take it" and told the story of a New York physician who wrote him a letter saying that he has prescribed the drug to his patients along with zinc and the "Z-Pak" antibiotic and "hasn't lost one" to the coronavirus.
President Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine www.youtube.com
In mid-March, the FDA fast-tracked HCQ for approval to be prescribed in treating coronavirus after the drug showed encouraging results in preliminary trials. President Trump has received criticism for floating the drug as a treatment option for COVID-19 since it has not been through extended studies specifically for coronavirus, but he has also received praise.
Last month, a Democratic Michigan state lawmaker visited the White House to thank President Trump for bringing HCQ into the public eye and credited him with her life being saved after her doctor prescribed the drug to her after she contracted COVID-19.
Rep. Karen Whitsett told the president that if he had not brought hydroxychloroquine to the forefront, "I wouldn't be here today."


theblaze--2020-05-18--Intruder in child's room charges at homeowner. But homeowner has shotgun — and intruder doesn't make

Intruder in child's room charges at homeowner. But homeowner has shotgun — and intruder doesn't make it out alive.

Intruder in child 's room charges at homeowner .
But homeowner has shotgun — and intruder does n't make it @ @ @ @ @ apparently tried to break into a different home earlier in the evening

An Arizona homeowner discovered an intruder inside his Scottsdale home just before 11 p.m. Wednesday and fatally shot the suspect, the Daily Independent reported.
What are the details?
Around 9 p.m., a homeowner told police he confronted and ran off a male who was trying to break into his home, the paper said — and then at 10:50 p.m. a different homeowner told police an intruder had been shot.
Responding officers found Cameron Yoe, 18, who matched the description from the earlier trespass incident, the Daily Independent reported. The two homes are about a half mile apart.
While working in an outbuilding on the property, the family dog alerted the 41-year-old homeowner of a disturbance in his residence, where his wife and three children also live, the paper said, citing a release from police.
The homeowner armed himself with a shotgun and began checking the house, police said, according to Daily Independent.
Then the homeowner entered the room of one of his children where Yoe — holding a large piece of wood in a threatening manner — charged at the homeowner, the paper said, citing police.
In order to protect himself and his family, the homeowner fired at and killed Yoe, police told the Daily Independent.
Police said there apparently are no other suspects, none of the home's residents were injured, and there is no danger to the surrounding community, the paper noted — although it added that the investigation is ongoing.


theblaze--2020-05-18--Louisville postal inspector contradicts key police claim that led to no-knock warrant at Breonna Tay

Louisville postal inspector contradicts key police claim that led to no-knock warrant at Breonna Taylor's home

Louisville postal inspector contradicts key police claim that led to no-knock warrant at Breonna Taylor 's home Police killed the @ @ @ @ @ warrant

On the night Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officers killed Breonna Taylor, they had a no-knock search warrant, which they executed at close to 1 a.m. The information used to obtain that warrant, however, is now being called into question, WDRB-TV reported.
What's the story? Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old emergency medical technician. On March 13, three officers executed the no-knock search warrant at her apartment on suspicion that Taylor was connected to a drug trafficking operation. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot and hit an officer in the leg. Taylor, who was unarmed, was shot eight times and killed. Walker has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer.
That same night, police arrested Jamarcus Glover. Police say they believed Glover was using Taylor's home to store drugs that were sometimes delivered by mail. This belief was based on surveillance footage showing Glover picking up a package from Taylor's home and taking it to a "known drug house," according to the warrant. Taylor's car had also been seen at Glover's residence in the past.
What's the problem? In the request for the warrant, police said they "verified with a U.S. postal inspector that Jamarcus Glover has been receiving packages" at Taylor's home. However, Tony Gooden, the U.S. postal inspector in Louisville, said police never contacted his office to verify that information.
Gooden also told WDRB that there were "no packages of interest" going to Taylor's home. He said if LMPD went outside of his jurisdiction to verify information about packages to Taylor's residence, that would be highly unusual and inappropriate. From WDRB:
It is "possible" that Louisville police asked a mail inspector from another jurisdiction of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for help, Gooden said, but he said his office almost surely would have been notified of an outside agent's involvement.
That didn't happen, he said. If a postal inspector from another agency did review packages at Taylor's apartment without notifying him, it would be inappropriate.
"They are coming into my area of responsibility looking into something that I very well may also be looking into," Gooden said. "They shouldn't come into my area of responsibility doing anything without notifying me."
No-knock warrant justified? Legal representatives for Taylor's family and for Walker say Walker fired at officers because he didn't know who was breaking into the apartment. They say police did not identify themselves before coming in. Police officials maintain that the officers did identify themselves, even with the no-knock warrant.
Police requested a no-knock entry warrant "due to the nature of how these drug traffickers operate. These drug traffickers have a history of attempting to destroy evidence, have cameras on location that compromise Detectives once an approach to the dwelling is made, and have a history of fleeing from law enforcement."
Police found no drugs during the search, and Taylor's home did not have any cameras.
Some legal experts question whether the no-knock warrant was justified, even if the information used to obtain it was true.
"If it was appropriate there, then every routine drug transaction would justify grounds for no-knock," University of Arkansas law professor Brian Gallini told the Courier Journal.


theblaze--2020-05-18--House Democrats just informed the Supreme Court that they may impeach President Trump again by the e

House Democrats just informed the Supreme Court that they may impeach President Trump again by the end of this year

House Democrats told the Supreme Court on Monday they need secret grand jury materials from the Mueller investigation to determine whether or not to impeach President Donald Trump again, CNN reported.
The House Judiciary Committee, led by ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), has been seeking to obtain the witness materials held by the Justice Department for months. Now, as the case is set to go before the Supreme Court, the committee is not shying away from saying they want the documents to see if new articles of impeachment can be brought.
In a new court filing, general counsel Douglas Letter, who was handpicked by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), wrote that "the Committee's impeachment investigation related to obstruction of justice pertaining to the Russia investigation is ongoing."
Here's the upshot: "If this material reveals new evidence supporting the conclusion that President Trump committed impeachable offenses that are not covered by the Articles adopted by the House, the Committee will proceed accordingly — including, if necessary, by considering whether to recommend new articles of impeachment," Letter continued.
The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to block the release of the materials until it was able to review them, arguing that once Congress views the materials "their secrecy will irrevocably be lost."
But House Democrats are fighting that notion, arguing that the Judiciary Committee must see the materials without delay in order to continue their never-ending impeachment quest. Should the Supreme Court grant the DOJ its request, a monthslong delay could ensue.
"This substantial delay," Letter argued, "will seriously endanger the Committee's ability to complete its impeachment investigation during the current Congress."
This means that House Democrats want to consider more impeachment charges by the end of this year.


theblaze--2020-05-18--Does Idaho's new bill banning trans-athletes from women's sports REALLY allow 'invasive genital test

Does Idaho's new bill banning trans-athletes from women's sports REALLY allow 'invasive genital testing'?

Does Idaho 's new bill banning trans-athletes from women 's sports REALLY allow 'invasive genital testing ' ?

In her most recent episode of "Pseudo-Intellectual," BlazeTV host Lauren Chen talked about Lindsay Hecox, a trans-athlete at Boise State University, who has filed a lawsuit challenging Idaho's recently passed law banning transgender and intersex athletes from participating in women's school sports.
In a Teen Vogue op-ed, Hecox said Idaho's House Bill 500, named the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, is unconstitutional because it "invades young people's privacy and because it discriminates based on sex."
The bill "not only banned trans girls and women athletes from competing on their school teams, but exposed all girls and women to invasive, intrusive genital testing if anyone challenges their gender. I joined activists and community members in speaking out against the bill at the statehouse, but it passed anyway. On the eve of March 31, Trans Visibility Day, Governor Brad Little signed the bill into law," Hecox wrote. "I decided to fight — for myself and for all the trans and intersex student athletes across Idaho, as well as for all Idaho girls and women athletes."
After questioning the likelihood that Idaho lawmakers were even aware of "Trans Visibility Day eve," let alone intentional using that particular date as a slap in the face to trans people, Lauren addressed Hecox's claim that biological female would be subjected to "invasive, intrusive genital testing."
"Sounds very scary," Lauren said. "But it turns out that's a pretty uncharitable interpretation of what the bill actually says."
Lauren explained that the bill clearly states that "if disputed" a student can simply show gender with a doctor's note. She also pointed out that requiring a physical exam or testing through urine or saliva samples, is already established procedure in athletics.
Watch the video below for more:
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theblaze--2020-05-18--United Nations issues guidance on making speech more 'inclusive' — and the terms 'husband' and 'wife

United Nations issues guidance on making speech more 'inclusive' — and the terms 'husband' and 'wife' are just offensive, apparently

United Nations issues guidance on making speech more 'inclusive ' — and the terms 'husband ' and 'wife ' are @ @ @ @

The United Nations says that people should carefully choose their words in order to ensure happiness and acceptance in a "more equal world."
What are the details?
On Monday, the United Nations tweeted, "What you say matters. Help create a more equal world by using gender-neutral language if you're unsure about someone's gender or are referring to a group."
Such direction includes using "spouse" instead of "husband" or "wife"; "owner" instead of "landlord"; "family name" instead of "maiden name"; and more.
The tweet received a lot of attention, and, at the time of this writing, has gained more than 14,000 comments — many of them critical.
As TheBlaze's Paul Sacca pointed out, the U.N. in 2018 shared an apparently archaic quote from former United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld.
The quote read, "The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell."
Another widely shared social media user comment added, "I'm so happy to be one of MANKIND. It must stink to be the CHAIRMAN of this sad group. Maybe some CONGRESSMAN will do something about it. If a BUSINESSMAN did this he'd be out of a job. At least the POLICEMAN will protect me from this liberal bs[.]"
Anything else we should know?
The information and guidance contained in the tweet is courtesy of U.N. Women.
U.N. Women, according to its website, is an entity within the United Nations that is "dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women."
The division prides itself on being a "global champion for women and girls," and was established to "accelerate progress on meeting [women and girls'] needs worldwide."


theblaze--2020-05-18--‘The View’ co-hosts gloat over Obama’s anti-Trump remarks — but Meghan McCain serves an immediately

‘The View’ co-hosts gloat over Obama’s anti-Trump remarks — but Meghan McCain serves an immediately sobering shutdown

‘ The View ’ co-hosts gloat over Obama ’ s anti-Trump remarks — but Meghan McCain serves an immediately sobering @

A clearly unamused "The View" co-host Meghan McCain rained on show's parade Monday, as three of the four co-hosts gleefully celebrated former President Barack Obama's critical remarks on President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, Obama blasted the Trump administration for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis in America. Sunday saw an irate Trump firing back, calling Obama a "grossly incompetent" president.
What are the details?
Co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Whoopi Goldberg all lauded Obama's remarks against Trump during Monday's broadcast.
Behar, who said Obama's remarks made her feel "giddy," stated, "I'm really looking forward to watching the ... brilliant law professor take on the quasi-literate reality show host. This is going to be good!"
Hostin pointed out that Obama's speech took her "back to a time where we had [a president] that was compassionate and empathetic and reassuring, and funny, intelligent, honest curious."
"[T]hat's what a president is supposed to sound like," Hostin gushed.
Goldberg said that Trump deserved the commentary, and that people reacted positively because they "miss" Obama.
McCain adds proper perspective
McCain then put things into perspective for many of the long-running show's viewers.
“Obviously everyone on the left has basically appointed President Obama as nothing short of a saint, and obviously I feel different, as most Republicans and conservatives do," she said. "I will say… the culture war that I believe is real and is raging in this country I believe was ushered in with his administration and then exacerbated in the Trump Administration."
McCain pointed out that despite the hype surrounding Obama's remarks, she believes that Trump would win a re-election if the 2020 presidential election were held today.
"And if the election were held today, I do believe Trump would be re-elected and I think at a certain point, we have to start talking to each other in the middle, and we have to start talking about the faults on both sides because he was not a perfect president, and I don't think perfect presidents would have ushered in the era of Trump," she concluded.


theblaze--2020-05-18--VIDEO: Security drags pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong legislature, block the doors in order t

VIDEO: Security drags pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong legislature, block the doors in order to install pro-China leadership

VIDEO : Security drags pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong legislature , block the doors in order to install pro-China leadership @ @ @ @ @ dragged off by security during a scuffle with pro-Beijing lawmakers at the Legislative Council on @ @ @ @ @ ( Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images )

A just-released video from a pro-democracy organization opposed to Chinese communist rule shows security forces within the Hong Kong legislature forcibly removing pro-democracy lawmakers from the Hong Kong legislature Monday.
What's happening?
During the ongoing fight between a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and the communist regime in Beijing, pro-China forces have repeatedly attempted to quash any and all demonstrations by those who would question Chinese governance in the region.
A new video from the Twitter account — Things China Doesn't Want You To Know (@TruthAbtChina) — shows security guards dragging pro-democracy lawmakers from the chamber of the Hong Kong legislature.
The fight, according to the BBC, was over a bill that would criminalize disrespect of the Chinese national anthem. The scrape in the chamber came as legislators fought over who would lead a committee that was key to how the bill would progress through the Legislative Council, the BBC said.
According to the outlet, the security team's move came as the body fought over who would serve as chairman of the committee.
More from the BBC:
The Legislative Council was in dispute over who should run the house committee, which scrutinises bills and decides when they are voted on.
Last week, the council president appointed Chan Kin-por, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, to oversee the election of a new leader.
On Monday - before the Legislative Council began - Mr Chan was in the chairman's seat, surrounded by more than 20 security guards.
As pro-democracy lawmakers entered the room, they tried to reach the seat, but were stopped by the guards.
The New York Times reported that one pro-democracy leader, Lam Cheuk Ting, was seen ripping out pages from the body's rule book and scattering them into the scuffle while other members yelled that "Chan and the pro-Beijing camp had improperly seized power over the committee."
The @TruthAbtChina account said that following the removal of at least nine pro-democracy lawmakers, a pro-communist member was unanimously elected.
"Security guards drag several pro-democracy lawmakers from the Hong Kong legislature," the organization tweeted. "After 9+ pro-democracy lawmakers are forcibly removed, the vote procedes. Pro-communist Starry Lee is unanimously elected as chairperson."
The "illegal vote," the group said, was facilitated by a security crew that held the chamber doors shut after the pro-democracy officials had been removed. The lawmakers can reportedly be heard banging on the doors that are being braced shut.
"Pro-Beijing security guards hold the doors shut as the illegal vote continues and pro-democracy lawmakers bang on the doors from the outside," the organization tweeted.
The pro-Beijing leadership of Hong Kong has been cracking down on many voices of dissent against ChiCom rule. Just last month, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam used the coronavirus quarantine to arrest democracy advocates.