theblaze--2020-11-16--New York sheriff takes defiant stand against Gov. Cuomo's COVID restrictions impacting Thanksgiving

One New York sheriff is taking a stand for those residents who live in his jurisdiction , pushing back against Democratic Gov .
Andrew Cuomo 's new coronavirus-related Thanksgiving restrictions .
Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday , Cuomo announced new restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge worldwide .
Although Cuomo declared victory over COVID-19 despite his nursing home scandal — even writing a book about his leadership during the pandemic — the Democratic governor announced gatherings in the Empire State would again be limited to just 10 people , including at private residences .
Cuomo justified the new restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York follows the science .
We know indoor gatherings and parties are a major source of COVID spread .
To slow the spread , NYS will limit indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people .
This limit takes effect Friday at 10pm , '' Cuomo announced last week .
Cuomo did not , however , reveal how the new restrictions would be enforced , instead giving discretion to local authorities .
What is the sheriff saying ?
Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino responded by announcing that his deputies would not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who holds a law degree , explained that he does not believe Cuomo 's latest executive order is constitutional .
`` With regard to the Thanksgiving Executive Order , the Fulton County Sheriff 's Office will NOT be enforcing it against our County residents , '' Giardino wrote in a Facebook post .
`` Frankly , I am not sure it could sustain a Constitutional challenge in Court for several reasons including your house is your castle .
And as a Sheriff with a law degree I could n't in good faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wo n't , '' he explained .
`` Who and how many people you invite in to your home is your business , unlike outdoor gatherings which may receive a police response if disorderly or other violations of public nuisance laws occur . ''
Giardino later said that he trusts his residents to use their `` own judgement , '' but urged them to take necessary precautions if they are around someone who is particularly vulnerable to COVID .
Meanwhile , Giardino said in an interview with the Albany Times Union that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people , '' explaining government overreach should not legislate where citizens are perfectly capable of exercising `` common sense . ''
`` People have common sense .
They are not going to jeopardize family members .
They are not going to jeopardize close friends .
Most people respect the masks , '' Giardino said .
`` Basically , as a lawyer , former DA and judge , if I got brought into court , I ca n't justify it constitutionally .
The threat is not so great that we should be limiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

One New York sheriff is taking a stand for those residents who live in his jurisdiction, pushing back against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new coronavirus-related Thanksgiving restrictions.
What's the background?
Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, Cuomo announced new restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge worldwide.
Although Cuomo declared victory over COVID-19 despite his nursing home scandal — even writing a book about his leadership during the pandemic — the Democratic governor announced gatherings in the Empire State would again be limited to just 10 people, including at private residences.
Cuomo justified the new restrictions by citing "science."
"New York follows the science. We know indoor gatherings and parties are a major source of COVID spread. To slow the spread, NYS will limit indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people. This limit takes effect Friday at 10pm," Cuomo announced last week.
Cuomo did not, however, reveal how the new restrictions would be enforced, instead giving discretion to local authorities.
What is the sheriff saying?
Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino responded by announcing that his deputies would not be enforcing Cuomo's new restrictions.
Giardino, who holds a law degree, explained that he does not believe Cuomo's latest executive order is constitutional.
"With regard to the Thanksgiving Executive Order, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office will NOT be enforcing it against our County residents," Giardino wrote in a Facebook post.
"Frankly, I am not sure it could sustain a Constitutional challenge in Court for several reasons including your house is your castle. And as a Sheriff with a law degree I couldn't in good faith attempt to defend it Court, so I won't," he explained. "Who and how many people you invite in to your home is your business, unlike outdoor gatherings which may receive a police response if disorderly or other violations of public nuisance laws occur."
Giardino later said that he trusts his residents to use their "own judgement," but urged them to take necessary precautions if they are around someone who is particularly vulnerable to COVID.
Meanwhile, Giardino said in an interview with the Albany Times Union that Cuomo is "scaring the hell out of people," explaining government overreach should not legislate where citizens are perfectly capable of exercising "common sense."
"People have common sense. They are not going to jeopardize family members. They are not going to jeopardize close friends. Most people respect the masks," Giardino said. "Basically, as a lawyer, former DA and judge, if I got brought into court, I can't justify it constitutionally. The threat is not so great that we should be limiting who they can have for Thanksgiving."


theblaze--2020-11-16--French President Macron accuses American media of 'legitimizing' Islamist violence

'When I see them legitimizing this violence , and saying that the heart of the problem is that France is @ @ @ @ @ I say the founding principles have been lost '

French President Emmanuel Macron accused American media of "bias" and of "legitimizing" Islamic violence in a phone call with a New York Times columnist, the paper reported Sunday.
Macron called Times media columnist Ben Smith to complain about how American media has covered the French government's response to terrorism. During the call, Macron argued that English-language coverage of recent Islamic terror attacks in France and the French government's crackdown on Islamic extremism in response has been unfairly characterized as racist or Islamophobic by the media.
"When France was attacked five years ago, every nation in the world supported us," President Macron said, referring to the Nov. 13, 2015, coordinated terrorist attacks at the Bataclan theater, outside a soccer stadium, and at Parisian cafes.
"So when I see, in that context, several newspapers which I believe are from countries that share our values — journalists who write in a country that is the heir to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution — when I see them legitimizing this violence, and saying that the heart of the problem is that France is racist and Islamophobic, then I say the founding principles have been lost," he continued.
The Times reports that more than 250 people have died in terror attacks in France since 2015. Last month, a French teacher was beheaded by a Chechen refugee in apparent retaliation for showing his class a cartoon of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Following that attack, three more people were brutally assaulted and one of them was beheaded inside a church in Nice.
In response to the threat of Islamic terror, Marcon's administration ordered a crackdown on extremism, initiating raids of suspected terrorists' homes, dissolving associations accused of spreading Islamic propaganda, and targeting terrorist funding. Macron has also denounced what he calls "Islamist separatism." In a major speech delivered in October, Macron said Muslims living in France under their own religious laws and within their own religious communities present a danger to the country by forming a "counter-society." He announced several policies that are intended to make Islam in France inclusive of French citizenship, including strictly monitoring sports organizations and other associations to stop the spread of Islamist teaching; ending the practices of imams being sent to France from abroad; increasing oversight of funding for mosques; and restricting homeschooling. The goal, as Macron states, is to craft a modern "Islam of the Enlightenment."
Muslims around the world have called for boycotts against French goods and responded with outrage to the French government's policies. An opinion article published by the Financial Times on Nov. 3 declared, "Macron's war on Islamic separatism only divides France further," arguing Macron's policies were alienating peaceful Muslims.
Macron's critics in the media have accused him of implementing policies that discriminate against the Islamic faith, but Macron says American media doesn't understand the French policy of "laïcité," or "secularism." The French government maintains an active separation of church an state, and the purpose of these policies is to ensure that the practice of Islam in France respects French law and French citizenship.
"We don't believe in political Islam that is not compatible with stability and peace in the world," Macron said in October. He defined "Islamist separatism" as "a conscious, theorised, politico-religious project, which is materialised by repeated discrepancies with the values of the republic, which often results in the creation of a counter-society and whose manifestations are the dropping out of school of children, the development of sports, cultural and communal practices which are the pretext for the teaching of principles which do not conform to the laws of the republic"
Macron believes America's experience with racism has biased the media's judgement and caused a misunderstanding of what the French government is trying to accomplish.
"There is a sort of misunderstanding about what the European model is, and the French model in particular," Macron told the Times. "American society used to be segregationist before it moved to a multiculturalist model, which is essentially about coexistence of different ethnicities and religions next to one another."
"Our model is universalist, not multiculturalist," he continued. "In our society, I don't care whether someone is black, yellow or white, whether they are Catholic or Muslim, a person is first and foremost a citizen."


theblaze--2020-11-16--Police officer responds to call for house fire — and finds his own home engulfed in flames as he res

Police officer responds to call for house fire — and finds his own home engulfed in flames as he rescues his family

Police officer responds to call for house fire — and finds his own home engulfed in flames as he rescues @ @

An Oklahoma officer is being hailed a hero after responding to a call for a house fire — only to find that it was his home, and his family was still inside, according to KOKH-TV.
What are the details?
Officer Anthony Louie of the Seminole Police Department received a call on Friday for reports of a house fire.
According to authorities, Louie realized that the home engulfed in flames was his own, and his family was still inside.
That day, the Seminole Fraternal Order of Police shared an update on the incident on its Facebook page.
A portion of the post read, "As many of our citizens know by now, Officer Anthony Louie was injured in the early morning hours of Friday November 13th. Officer Louie responded to a house fire only to find out it was his residence that was burning. Officer Louie made entry into the residence and successfully rescued his family."
"Upon entering the residence he had to run to the flame engulfed porch and in doing so sustained serious burns and smoke inhalation injuries," the post continued. "Officer Louie's family was not physically injured due to his bravery and quick action. Many have contacted the FOP wishing to donate to his family after hearing about this. Anyone wishing to donate may do so by going to any Tinker Federal Credit Union and making a deposit to the Seminole FOP #138 account. Designate the donation to go to Officer Louie."
The post concluded, "You may also drop any donations off at the Seminole Police Department. The overwhelming support received for Officer Louie has been amazing and his family and fellow officers wish to thank each and every person for their thoughts and prayers."
According to ABC News, Louie's condition, as well as that of his family, has not been disclosed at the time of this writing, nor has a cause of the fire been announced.
(H/T: Fox News)


theblaze--2020-11-16--Horowitz: Pro-mask study withdrawn after virus spread in counties analyzed by researchers

Horowitz : Pro-mask study withdrawn after virus spread in counties analyzed by researchers 'Because there are increased rates of SARS- @ @ @ @ @ that we originally analyzed in this study '

Call it the divine rule of masks. You shall not utter a negative word about them. You shall never question their effectiveness, even when they've failed to work for six months. You shall never be caught without the idol on your face – even on the face of your two-year-old, for that matter. You shall worship the cloth until the bitter end.
It doesn't take a scientist to see that masks don't work. The experience of unprecedented universal mask-wearing for months – even in places that had few COVID cases to begin with but then skyrocketed after mask use – demonstrates that the idea of wearing a mask to block a respiratory virus is sheer lunacy. Yet one group of researchers tried to cherry-pick data from selected counties to show that cases dropped after the mask mandate, without any regard for the fact that each wave only lasts for about 6-8 weeks in a given area before dissipating – regardless of what actions are taken by the local population. Then it comes back a few times until everyone has been exposed to the virus.
On October 23, researchers from MIT and the University of California San Francisco published a preprint study titled, "Decrease in Hospitalizations for COVID-19 after Mask Mandates in 1083 U.S. Counties." Somehow, we were to believe that these counties bucked the worldwide trend of cases spiking after a mask mandate. In reality, these were merely counties that likely already peaked in terms of the viral reproduction rate by the time the mandate was in place, so the cases were destined to drop anyway. That is, until the next natural wave.
On November 4, they were forced to withdraw the study "because there are increased rates of SARS- CoV-2 cases in the areas that we originally analyzed in this study." Oops. I guess the masks worked until they didn't.
The authors say they plan to publish "an updated analysis using data from the second and now third wave of SARS-CoV-2 in this country soon." However, the obvious fact is lost on them. The very fact that there are multiple waves demonstrates that this is a natural phenomenon and will keep going until it burns through the population regardless of what we put on our faces. When the virus is burning out in a given area, nothing can be done to rekindle it. Conversely, when it is spreading, no amount of "non-pharmaceutical interventions" will arrest the spread.
This is why proponents of the mask religion are resorting to fabricating data in order to demonstrate effectiveness while blocking the publication of any study, such as the large Danish randomized controlled trial, demonstrating that masks don't work.
Then again, we don't need any fancy study to project or predict what we see with our eyes. The virus is spreading universally more than ever (because of the cold weather and seasonality) despite months of extremely unprecedented draconian mask-wearing and other voodoo restrictions. Nowhere is this more evident than in the military, where there is more compliance than you will ever experience in a civilian population, which itself has been remarkably obsequious on the mask issue.
Last week, researchers for the Naval Medical Research Center in Maryland and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing how mask-wearing and social isolation failed to stop the spread among U.S. Marine Corps recruits at Parris Island. The over 3,000 participants were divided into two study groups, and those who tested positive up front were removed from the group on day 1. By day 14, spread was actually greater among those in the supervised quarantine group (2.8%) than in the control group (1.7%).
What was the protocol for those in the quarantine group?
All recruits wore double-layered cloth masks at all times indoors and outdoors, except when sleeping or eating; practiced social distancing of at least 6 feet; were not allowed to leave campus; did not have access to personal electronics and other items that might contribute to surface transmission; and routinely washed their hands. They slept in double-occupancy rooms with sinks, ate in shared dining facilities, and used shared bathrooms. All recruits cleaned their rooms daily, sanitized bathrooms after each use with bleach wipes, and ate preplated meals in a dining hall that was cleaned with bleach after each platoon had eaten. Most instruction and exercises were conducted outdoors. All movement of recruits was supervised, and unidirectional flow was implemented, with designated building entry and exit points to minimize contact among persons. All recruits, regardless of participation in the study, underwent daily temperature and symptom screening. Six instructors who were assigned to each platoon worked in 8-hour shifts and enforced the quarantine measures.
This is everything that Dr. Fauci and the other fascists have asked for, right?
Now, anyone who has been in military training can tell you that if a drill sergeant commands you to do something, you listen. This is doubly true for a protocol that is regarded with the upmost importance for public health. Yet the masks were worthless. Now extrapolate this for a civilian population. You will never obtain more control over a population and achieve a greater degree of compliance than in a group of Marine recruits, and these absurd measures failed miserably. Just like they failed with a group of Army recruits at Fort Benning.
The good news is that the study also found that 90% of those infected among this predominantly young population were asymptomatic, consistent with other research. So why are we abusing children and young adults with tactics that don't work for a virus that is not dangerous to them?
It's about control and idolatry. Except this form of idolatry requires more faith in cloth diapers than the men of cloth have in God.


theblaze--2020-11-16--Obama compares Trump to dictator, citing treatment of media. But what Obama did to reporters was wor

Obama compares Trump to dictator, citing treatment of media. But what Obama did to reporters was worse.

Obama compares Trump to dictator , citing treatment of media .
But what Obama did to reporters was worse .
@ @ @ @ @ who we 're supposed to be '

Former President Barack Obama compared President Donald Trump to a dictator in a new interview Sunday, bashing Trump's presidential disposition and, in particular, his treatment of the press.
Obama has become increasingly outspoken against Trump in recent weeks, both while campaigning on behalf of Democrat Joe Biden and to promote his forthcoming post-presidential memoir — "A Promised Land" — the first volume of which is being released Tuesday.
What did Obama say?
Obama's critique came during an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes." He was responding to a question from host Scott Pelley, who asked Obama to respond to Trump's allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
"I think that there has been this sense over the last several years that literally anything goes and is justified in order to get power," Obama said.
"And that's not unique to the United States," Obama continued. "There are strong men and dictators around the world who think that 'I can do anything to stay in power. I can kill people. I can throw them in jail. I can run phony elections. I can suppress journalists.' But that's not who we're supposed to be."
"And one of the signals I think that Joe Biden needs to send to the world is that 'No, those values that we preached, and we believed in, and subscribed in — we still believe,'" the former president added.
What about Obama's relationship with the media?
Although Democrats often pretend to have a fuzzy posture toward reporters, Obama's record of press relations was less than stellar.
In fact, as many Americans may remember, Obama's administration took significant steps to hide information from the press, going so far as to use controversial laws to spy on reporters.
The Associated Press even called Obama's actions more detrimental than Trump's rhetoric against the media.
The Obama administration used the 1917 Espionage Act with unprecedented vigor, prosecuting more people under that law for leaking sensitive information to the public than all previous administrations combined. Obama's Justice Department dug into confidential communications between news organizations and their sources as part of that effort.
In 2013 the Obama administration obtained the records of 20 Associated Press office phone lines and reporters' home and cell phones, seizing them without notice, as part of an investigation into the disclosure of information about a foiled al-Qaida terrorist plot. AP was not the target of the investigation. But it called the seizure a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into its news-gathering activities, betraying information about its operations "that the government has no conceivable right to know."
Obama's Justice Department also secretly dogged Fox News journalist James Rosen, getting his phone records, tracking his arrivals and departures at the State Department through his security-badge use, obtaining a search warrant to see his personal emails and naming him as a possible criminal conspirator in the investigation of a news leak.
Anything else?
Obama's comments Sunday were the second time he's compared Trump to a dictator just this month alone.
Just before Election Day, Obama blasted Trump over reports that Trump would pre-emptively declare victory on election night.
"He's been coddling dictators for the last four years, and now apparently he says he might declare victory before all the votes are counted tomorrow," Obama said. "That's not something that a leader of a democracy does; that's something a two-bit dictator does."


theblaze--2020-11-16--New vaccine developed under 'Operation Warp Speed' is reportedly more than 94 percent effective

New vaccine developed under 'Operation Warp Speed ' is reportedly more than 94 percent effective

A new Moderna coronavirus vaccine — which was developed as part of President Donald Trump's "Operation Warp Speed" — is reportedly 94.5% effective, according to the company.
What are the details?
On Monday, the company made a sweeping announcement about the efficacy of its vaccine.
"The analysis evaluated 95 confirmed Covid-19 infections among the trial's 30,000 participants," according to a report from CNBC. "Moderna, which developed its vaccine in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said 90 cases of Covid-19 were observed in the placebo group versus 5 cases observed in the group that received its two-dose vaccine. That resulted in an estimated vaccine efficacy of 94.5%."
In August, the Trump administration awarded Moderna a $1.5 billion contract to develop and deliver at least 100 million vaccine doses.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said that the Trump administration was an integral part of accelerating the company's progress in developing the vaccine.
“Moderna is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Operation Warp Speed and McKesson, a COVID-19 vaccine distributor contracted by the U.S. government, as well as global stakeholders to be prepared for distribution of mRNA-1273, in the event that it receives an EUA and similar global authorizations," the company said in an early Monday statement. “By the end of 2020, the Company expects to have approximately 20 million doses of mRNA-1273 ready to ship in the U.S. The Company remains on track to manufacture 500 million to 1 billion doses globally in 2021."
Bancel added that the company plans to test the vaccine in teenagers "very soon" and, according to CNBC, "followed by children under the age of 12."
"We have to be very, very careful because safety is priority No. 1," he added.
The company said it plans to apply for emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration over "the coming weeks."
CNBC reported that shares of the company soared following the news, leaping more than 12 percent during Monday's premarket trading.
What else?
Last week, fellow biotechnology company Pfizer announced it was able to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that was at least 90% effective.
In a statement, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla said, "With today's news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks."
"Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine's ability to prevent COVID-19," Bourla added following the announcement of the news. "We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen. With today's news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.


theblaze--2020-11-16--UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal says he may start attending conservative rallies 'to keep the peace' afte

UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal says he may start attending conservative rallies 'to keep the peace' after seeing left-wing violence

UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal says he may start attending conservative rallies 'to keep the peace ' after seeing left-wing violence

Jorge Masvidal, a conservative supporter of President Donald Trump, says that he may show up at conservative rallies after witnessing the violence leftist extremists carried out over the weekend at pro-Trump rallies.
What are the details?
On Saturday, Masvidal took to Twitter with his displeasure over the antics, writing, "I bet I can get a couple of teammates and start attending these things #supernecessary. And I say this not to promote violence. To keep the peace. We are all in this together. #theressurection [sic]."
As reported by the Daily Wire, the famed fighter's remarks came as a caption to a video he retweeted featuring some of the violence that took place over the weekend in places such as the "Million MAGA March" in Washington, D.C.
The video has apparently since been deleted from the tweet, but Masvidal's remarks remain.
You can watch the original video here and below.
Content warning: Rough language, violence:
What else?
Masvidal, an unapologetic Trump supporter, stumped for the president during the 2020 presidential election as part of a movement called "Fighters Against Socialism."
In a video for the campaign, Masvidal said, "I'm gonna let you in on something. The Democrats just think that they're entitled to the Latino vote. They think that we just have to hand it over to them. That's right. We sure as hell don't. They've got to show us what they can do for us, what they can do for our communities. We're not going to buy the same wolf tickets and false promises that destroyed great countries like Venezuela and Cuba. It's not gonna happen."
Taking a swipe at former Vice President Joe Biden and his 2020 presidential campaign, "You know what else is not gonna work for them? Playing 'Despacito' on your cell phone to pander to us. Hell no. You gotta give us some credit for having heads on our shoulders. I'm going to wrap this up for some words of Barack Obama. He said, 'Elections have consequences.' That is true. And those words have never been more true than they are today. We either re-elect President Trump and keep America great ... or we let Joe Biden destroy the greatest country the world has ever seen."
He concluded, "I'm a professional athlete, and I've been one for most of my life, so I've seen things through a sports lens — that makes Donald Trump our head coach, and before the global pandemic we were winning Super Bowls. And when you're winning Super Bowls, you don't fire the coach — it doesn't matter if you don't like the plays he runs, the players he puts on the field, or what he says on Twitter. You sure as hell don't replace him for another coach that's been in the business for 47 years at every level and never won a f***ing game."


theblaze--2020-11-16--Bill Maher hits Democrats with sobering reality check on why that promised 'blue wave' never happene

Bill Maher hits Democrats with sobering reality check on why that promised 'blue wave' never happened

Bill Maher hits Democrats with sobering reality check on why that promised 'blue wave ' never happened 'Democrats too often @ @ @ @ @ having common sense to a huge swath of Americans '

Democrats predicted that a "blue wave" would sweep over the nation in this month's elections, with Democrats winning the White House, Congress, and state legislatures nationwide.
But the blue tsunami never materialized, as Republicans made significant gains in the House, in state legislatures, and will likely retain their majority in the Senate. Plus, data show that President Donald Trump and the Republican Party made significant gains with all demographic groups — with the exception of white men.
Will Democrats learn from their mistakes? That remains to be seen. But on HBO's "Real Time" last week, host Bill Maher gave Democrats a sobering reality check, explaining why that blue wave never happened.
What did Maher say?
"Democrats were supposed to flip the Senate and didn't, supposed to flip state legislatures — not a one. And they lost seats in the House in a year," Maher explained. "Their share of minority votes went down. The message to Democrats from so much of the country seems to be we don't like Trump, but we still can't bring ourselves to vote for you."
He continued, "Liberals can either write off half the country as irredeemable or they can ask, 'What is it about a "D" next to a candidate's name that makes it so toxic?' Let's ask Ruben Gallego. He's a congressman from Arizona. He was asked how his Democrats could do a better job connecting to Latinos. He said first start by not using the term Latinx, which the vast majority of Latinos have never heard of, and when they do, don't like it. Who likes it? Pandering white politicians who mistake Twitter for real people."
Maher went on to point out that Democratic policies, in particular far-left policies, are hurting them in elections.
Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger said after the election, if we are classifying Tuesday as a success, we will get f***ing torn apart in 2022. That's a congresswoman. She was urging members not to talk about defunding the police. James Clyburn agreed. "Defund the police is killing our party," he said. Pennsylvania Democrat Conor Lamb says "Democratic rhetoric needs to be dialed back, it needs to be rooted in common sense." Thank you. Thank you.
There, in my opinion, is the crux of the problem, Democrats too often don't come across as having common sense to a huge swath of Americans.
Later, Maher dismantled Democrats' inability to understand why Americans supported Trump, explaining their redefinition of reality is losing Americans at the ballot box.
"Democrats kept saying in the campaign, 'You can't possibly think Trump is preferable to what we're selling,' and many voters keep saying, 'Yes, we can. In fact, our primary reason voting for him is to create a bulwark against you because your side thinks silence is violence and looting is not. Because you're the party of chasing speakers off college campuses and making everyone walk on eggshells and replacing let's not see color with, let's see it always and everywhere, formerly the position of the Ku Klux Klan,'" Maher explained.
(Content Warning: Strong language):
Editor's note: This story originally misquoted Maher's quote of Rep. Spanberger. The Virginia congresswoman was, in fact, referring to the 2022 midterm elections, not the 2020 election. We regret the error.


theblaze--2020-11-17--California school district bans 'racist' classics: 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Of

California school district bans 'racist' classics: 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Of Mice and Men,' and more are gone

California school district bans 'racist ' classics : 'To Kill a Mockingbird , ' 'Huckleberry Finn , ' 'Of Mice @ @ @ @ @ more are gone

Administrators at the Burbank Unified School District have determined that a variety of classic novels — including Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and more — will no longer be permitted for curriculum use following concerns of racism.
What are the details?
According to a Tuesday Newsweek report, middle school and high school English teachers will not be able to include the following books in lessons following reports of parental concerns of racism:
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"
Theodore Taylor's "The Cay"
Mildred D. Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry"
The outlet reported that four parents — three of whom are black — reportedly said the classic novels posed "alleged potential harm" to the district's "roughly 400 black students."
What are people saying about this?
One parent, identified as Carmenita Helligar, said a white student approached her black daughter and taunted her with the N-word, which the student said he "learned" from reading "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry."
Another boy reportedly told Helligar's child, "My family used to own your family, and now I want a dollar from each of you for the week."
Helligar told the outlet, "My daughter was literally traumatized. These books are problematic ... you feel helpless because you can't even protect your child from the hurt that she's going through."
Nadra Ostrom, another black parent, said that the books are problematic because there is "no counter narrative to this black person dealing with racism and a white person saving them."
What else is there to know?
The National Coalition Against Censorship sent a letter to the district urging the administration to reconsider the move.
"[W]e believe that the books ... have a great pedagogical value and should be retained in the curriculum," a spokesperson for the organization wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Poets, Essayists, and Novelists America also crafted a petition demanding the district reinstate the use of the books.
A portion of the petition says, "Each of the books in question deal with difficult subject matter from our country's complicated and painful history, including systemic racism. Blocking engagement with these important books is also avoiding the important role that schools can and should play in providing context for why these books inspire and challenge us still today."
At least one district teen created and distributed a Change.org petition calling for the district to stop the censorship.
A portion of the teen's petition states, "In a time where racism has become more transparent than ever, we need to continue to educate students as to the roots of it; to create anti-racist students. These literatures, of which have been declared 'Books that Shaped America' by the Library of Congress, won Newbury Medals, and are some of the most influential pieces, cannot disappear."


theblaze--2020-11-17--Tucker Carlson shuts down the rumors, says he is not leaving Fox News

Tucker Carlson shuts down the rumors , says he is not leaving Fox News 'This show is n't going anywhere @ @ @ @ @ . '

Fox News' Tucker Carlson took time on his show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," on Monday to address the rumors that he might be leaving for another network. According to the host, that is not going to happen.
What are the details?
"Over the weekend, we got a lot of calls asking if we're leaving Fox News," Carlson told his audience. "Ironically, at that very moment we were working on a project to expand the amount of reporting and analysis we do in this hour across other parts of the company.
"This show is not going anywhere. It's getting bigger," the host continued, adding, "The people who run Fox News want more of it, not less, and we are grateful for that."
Just last month, Carlson and Fox News broke cable news ratings records. Nielsen Media Research ratings for October showed that "Tucker Carlson Tonight" saw the highest monthly viewership in the history of cable news, while the network itself also saw the highest primetime averages in cable news history.
But Fox News faced criticism from President Donald Trump and many of his supporters, who allege that the outlet acted too quickly in calling the state of Arizona for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Fox News has defended its determination, but has taken heat from some conservatives for refusing to waiver on the stance.
Eventually, every major mainstream news outlet also called Arizona — and, ultimately, the national race — for Biden, who is projected to garner 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232.
Meanwhile, President Trump has refused to concede the election as his campaign continues to contest the race through litigation in several states, alleging voting irregularities and fraud.
Critics lash out at Fox News
Fox News also took shots from some critics after host Neil Cavuto cut away from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany's speech during a Trump campaign news conference, and after leaked off-air footage went viral showing anchor Sandra Smith who expressed concern over claims by a guest who stated, "Remember, just because CNN says, or even Fox News says that somebody's president doesn't make them president."
Trump has also used his Twitter feed to further criticize Fox News and to promote alternative outlets, namely Newsmax and One America News Network.
Rumors then began to swirl on social media about the prospect of Fox News megastar Carlson moving to another network, prompting him to address the matter outright on his show.


theblaze--2020-11-17--While governor locks down California over virus spike, lawmakers are flying to a conference at a lux

While governor locks down California over virus spike, lawmakers are flying to a conference at a luxury hotel in Hawaii

While governor locks down California over virus spike , lawmakers are flying to a conference at a luxury hotel in @ @ @ @ @ end from our elected leaders ? '

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Monday that the state would return to far more restrictive social guidelines over a rise in coronavirus cases on the same day that state lawmakers were found to be planning to attend a luxury conference in Hawaii.
"This is simply the fastest increase California has seen since the beginning of this pandemic," Newsom said. "Every age group, every demographic, racial, ethnic, in every part of the state we are seeing case rates increase and positivity rates increase as well."
But the announcement juxtaposed poorly with a report that California lawmakers were planning to attend a conference this week at a luxury hotel in Hawaii hosted by the Independent Voter Project.
"Hawaii has established a very detailed, safe travel program, and Independent Voter Project wanted to be able to take advantage of that," IVP chairman and executive director Dan Howle told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The conference would allow lawmakers from California, Texas, and Washington state to discuss policy issues while schmoozing with corporate lobbyists.
Many thought the two stories manifested the hypocrisy of privileged political leaders issuing orders that severely restrict their constituents while enjoying luxury accommodations for themselves.
"Unbelievable. Will the hypocrisy ever end from our elected leaders?" responded KTLA reporter Bill Melugin.
"First [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) w/ the hair salon, then Gov. Newsom w/ his private dinner with his lobbyist buddy, now we have CA lawmakers at a conference in Hawaii while YOU are told to stay home," he added.
Melugin was referring to an embarrassing report from the San Francisco Chronicle that Newsom had been caught attending a ritzy dinner party at one the most exclusive restaurants in the world. Newsom admitted in a statement to the Chronicle that he should not have attended the dinner, even if they had followed the social distancing guidelines required.
Here's more about the coronavirus travel advisory in California:


theblaze--2020-11-18--Republicans on Michigan canvassers board block certification of county's election results; Rashida T

Republicans on Michigan canvassers board block certification of county's election results; Rashida Tlaib calls them racist

Republicans on Michigan canvassers board block certification of county 's election results ; Rashida Tlaib calls them racist

UPDATE, 1:20 a.m.:
Republicans on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers decided to vote with Democrats to certify the results of the election after initially voting to block the certification.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who had earlier called the Republicans racist for the vote, praised the public outcry for forcing them to change their vote.
"Our people are amazing. Hundreds of Wayne County residents waited hours to give public comment," tweeted Tlaib. "One after the other demanded our democracy is upheld and the Board of Wayne County Canvassers came back and voted unanimously to certify."
President Donald Trump also praised the decision from his social media account at about the time that they decided to change course.
Original story below
The canvassing board of a Michigan county voted against certifying the results of the election because of two Republican members, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) lashed out with the expected insult.
The votes from Republicans on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers on Tuesday deadlocked the motion at 2-2.
"Based on what I saw and went through in poll books in this canvass, I believe that we do not have complete and accurate information in those poll books," said Chairwoman Monica Palmer, a Republican.
Board Vice Chairman Jonathan Kinloch, a Democrat, called the Republicans "reckless and irresponsible" over the vote.
Tlaib, a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, blasted the Republicans and called them racist.
"The Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers put politics above their duty to our residents," she tweeted.
"Suggesting that all of Wayne County can be certified, EXCEPT for Detroit, is horrifying racist and a subversion of our democracy," she added.
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox released a statement praising the Trump administration for helping identify irregularities that led to the vote against certification.
"The people of Michigan deserve to know what happened in Wayne County on Election Day and the days following. I am proud that, due to the efforts of the Michigan Republican Party, the Republican National Committee and the Trump Campaign, enough evidence of irregularities and potential voter fraud was uncovered resulting in the Wayne County Board of Canvassers refusing to certify their election results. This action will allow more time for us to get to the bottom of these deeply troubling irregularities. The people of Michigan deserve fair, open and transparent elections, and we will continue to fight for just that."
The deadlock highlighted the Republicans' efforts to cast doubt on Michigan's election, which President Donald Trump lost by more than 146,000 votes to Democrat Joe Biden.
The county had until Tuesday to certify the election results, which will now go to the office of the secretary of state. That office has 10 days to certify the results.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that the results would be certified over the vote of the county canvassers board at the state level.
"Should the current decision of the Board of Wayne County Canvassers hold through the adjournment of today's meeting, the Board of State Canvassers will be responsible for certifying the Wayne County election," said Benson in a statement on Twitter.
"In similar circumstances in the past, state canvassers have appointed the Bureau of Elections to carry out the processes of canvassing the vote and voter totals. The Bureau stands ready to fulfill this duty and we expect this will address clerical errors and improve the quality of the canvass overall," she added.
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also criticized the Republicans on the canvassers board.
"Today's action is a blatant attempt to undermine the will of the voters. The process, however, will move forward. Under Michigan law, the Board of State of Canvassers will now finish the job and I have every expectation they will certify the results when the job is done," she said in part.
Here's more about the vote from Michigan:


theblaze--2020-11-18--Election officials rejected fewer mail-in ballots in 2020 than in previous elections

In this clip, Pat explained that mail-in ballot rejection rates plummeted for first-time mail-in voters this year. States like Georgia, Michigan, and other swing states saw fewer rejections despite the increase in ballots cast by mail.
The New York Times reported, "With absentee ballots flooding election offices nationwide, the officials processing them are tentatively reporting some surprising news: The share of ballots being rejected because of flawed signatures and other errors appears lower — sometimes much lower — than in the past."
Watch the video for more on this story.
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theblaze--2020-11-18--'He's profiting off the over 30,000 New Yorkers, including my in-laws, that died': Janice Dean calls

'He's profiting off the over 30,000 New Yorkers, including my in-laws, that died': Janice Dean calls out Gov. Cuomo's hypocrisy

'He 's profiting off the over 30,000 New Yorkers , including my in-laws , that died ' : Janice Dean @ @ @ @ @ 's hypocrisy This is not about politics .
This is about accountability .

Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean is perhaps even more disgusted with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for his coronavirus response than BlazeTV's Stu Burguiere (read what Stu has to say on the subject here), and for a good reason.
She lost both of her in-laws to COVID-19 in New York's nursing homes after Gov. Cuomo's infamous nursing home mandate, which Cuomo has since had scrubbed from the state's website and blamed everyone from the New York Post to nursing care workers to (every leftist's favorite scapegoat) President Donald Trump.
Janice joined Glenn and Stu on the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Tuesday to ask why mainstream media is not holding Gov. Cuomo — who recently published a book about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic — accountable?
"I'm vocal because I have not seen the mainstream media ask these questions or demand accountability of their leaders. [Cuomo] really has been ruling with an iron fist, and every time he does get asked a question, he blames everybody else except the person that signed that order," Janice said.
"In my mind, he's profiting off the over 30 thousand New Yorkers, including my in-laws, that died by publishing a book on 'leadership' of New York," she added. "His order has helped kill thousands of relatives of New York state. And this is not political, Glenn. This is not about Republican or Democrat. My in-laws were registered Democrats. This is not about politics. This is about accountability for something that went wrong, and it's because of your [Cuomo's] leadership that we're put into this situation."
Watch the video excerpt from the show below:
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theblaze--2020-11-18--Georgia's GOP secretary of state says Trump cost himself the state by discouraging absentee voting

Georgia 's GOP secretary of state says Trump cost himself the state by discouraging absentee voting 'He would have won @ @ @ @

Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday that President Donald Trump cost himself the election in the state by discouraging absentee voting, claiming that otherwise the president would have won Georgia "by 10,000 votes."
What are the details?
WSB-TV's Justin Gray reported that Raffensperger told him in an exclusive interview that roughly 24,000 registered Republican voters who voted absentee in the state's primary election in June failed to vote in the Nov. 3 general election.
"Those 24,000 people did not vote in the fall," Raffensperger said in video footage posted by WSB. "Either they did not vote absentee because they were told by the president 'don't vote absentee, it's not secure,' but then they did not come out and vote in person."
Raffensperger then said that President Trump otherwise "would have won by 10,000 votes."
He added, "He actually suppressed, depressed his own voting base."
President Trump repeatedly criticized mail-in voting as states moved to expand the practice amid the coronavirus pandemic, but made a distinction between mail-in and absentee voting.
In June, the president tweeted, "Absentee Ballots are fine. A person has to go through a process to get and use them. Mail-In Voting, on the other hand, will lead to the most corrupt Election is USA history. Bad things happen with Mail-Ins."
Raffensperger made the remarks as he oversees a full hand recount in the state, after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was projected to win Georgia by a slim margin.
In recent days, newly found votes from Fayette and Floyd counties has been a boost for Trump, but Biden still retains a lead of 12,929 votes over the president.
Mainstream media has resoundingly called the election for Biden, projecting him to win 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. But the election remains contested, as the Trump campaign continues to find for the race through litigation, alleging voting irregularities and fraud in several states.
Anything else?
In recent days, Raffensperger has fired back at other fellow Republicans, defending himself against attacks over his handling of the election process in a state that was seen as a solid Republican stronghold prior to it being called for Biden.
On Monday, the Georgia secretary of state accused Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, of suggesting during a phone call that Raffensperger toss some legal votes in favor of Trump. Graham vehemently denies the allegations.
Fellow GOP Georgians have also attacked Raffensperger, including incumbent Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who are both up for re-election in runoff races slated for January. The two issued a joint statement last week, calling the management of the general election "an embarrassment" for the state, and demanding Raffensperger resign.
Another federal GOP lawmaker from Georgia, Rep. Doug Collins — who failed in his bid to unseat Loeffler on Nov. 3 — called Raffensperger incompetent after the president tapped Collins to advocate on his behalf as the Trump campaign alleges widespread voter fraud in the state.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Raffensperger responded, calling Collins a "charlatan," and telling the outlet, "I'm an engineer. We look at numbers. We look at hard data. I can't help it that a failed candidate like Collins is running around lying to everyone. He's a liar."


theblaze--2020-11-18--Acting secretary of defense confirms US troop drawdowns in Iraq, Afghanistan

Acting secretary of defense confirms US troop drawdowns in Iraq , Afghanistan The Pentagon is making the move at the @ @ @ @

Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller confirmed Tuesday that the Pentagon will further reduce the number of U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan at the direction of President Donald Trump, with a deadline that lands just days before Inauguration Day.
What are the details?
Fox News reported that, according to Miller, "U.S. forces will be cut by roughly half in Afghanistan to 2,500, and by 500 troops in Iraq to 2,500" by Jan. 15, 2021.
While the presidential race remains contested through several lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign, mainstream media outlets have roundly called the election for former Vice President Joe Biden. Regardless of who ultimately wins the White House, Inauguration Day is slated for Jan 20.
"This decision by the president is based on continuous engagement with his national security cabinet over the past several months, including ongoing discussions with me and my colleagues across the United States government," Miller said during a briefing from the Pentagon.
"I have also spoken with our military commanders and we all will execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women, our partners in the intelligence community and diplomatic corps, and our superb allies that are critical to rebuilding Afghan and Iraqi security capabilities and civil society for a lasting peace in troubled lands," Miller said.
The announcement comes just days after Trump fired Miller's predecessor, former Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
According to the Washington Post, Esper sent a classified letter to the White House prior to his termination, warning that "conditions on the ground were not yet right" for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan, "citing the ongoing violence, possible dangers to the remaining troops in the event of a rapid pullout, potential damage to alliances and apprehension about undercutting the negotiations."
Trump vowed to bring troops home
President Trump has vowed to bring American troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq since he first took office. Yet, NBC News noted that "the move still stops short of Trump's pledge to end America's longest war. Just last month, the president tweeted that he wanted to pull out all remaining troops in Afghanistan by Christmas."
The timing of Trump's additional drawdown has been met with mixed reactions on Capitol Hill, even from the president's own party.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Monday about a "premature American exit" from Afghanistan amid rumors of plans for a reduction of troops, while Kentucky's junior Sen. Rand Paul tweeted, "What brings Big Government Republicans and Democrats together? Support for Endless War. After 19 years in Afghanistan, it's high time to bring our troops home!"


theblaze--2020-11-18--GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley says he's tested positive for COVID-19

He had earlier said that he was exposed to the virus but was n't exhibiting symptoms

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley announced on Tuesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after admitting earlier in the day that he had been exposed to the virus and was going into quarantine.
"I've tested positive for coronavirus. I'll [be] following my doctors' orders/CDC guidelines [and] continue to quarantine," Grassley said.
"I'm feeling good [and] will keep up on my work for the [people] of Iowa from home. I appreciate everyone's well wishes [and] prayers [and] look [forward] to resuming my normal schedule soon," he added.
The 87-year-old Grassley is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate and has not missed a vote since 1993.
Earlier Tuesday, he said that he had been exposed to the coronavirus but was not exhibiting any symptoms and felt well.
"I learned today that I've been exposed to the coronavirus. I will follow my doctors' orders and immediately quarantine as I await my test results," said Grassley in the statement.
"I'm feeling well and not currently experiencing any symptoms, but it's important we all follow public health guidelines to keep each other healthy," he added.
Grassley is third in the line of succession to the presidency as the president pro tempore of the Senate, just behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Vice President Mike Pence.
Six U.S. senators have said that they have contracted the virus.
In July, Grassley told Fox News that the Senate did not need to have a mandatory mask mandate like the one that Pelosi imposed on the House of Representatives because most senators were already wearing masks on their own.
"I think we're covering every base we have to and you don't have to have a rule," he said at the time.
The United States is currently seeing a spike in coronavirus cases and many experts believe the nation is headed into a second wave of the virus.
Here's a Fox News report about Grassley's announcement:


theblaze--2020-11-18--Wreaths Across America back on at Arlington National Cemetery following backlash over cancellation

Wreaths Across America back on at Arlington National Cemetery following backlash over cancellation President Trump and the secretary of the @ @ @

The secretary of the Army and President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the annual Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery will go on as scheduled next month, following backlash after the cemetery's leadership cancelled the 2020 ceremony over COVID-19 concerns.
What are the details?
On Monday, Arlington National Cemetery announced that resting place for many of America's honored fallen would not participate in the nationwide Wreaths Across America event slated on Dec. 19, voicing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic while citing the high volume of volunteers and visitors that descend upon the grounds.
The notice was met overwhelmingly with disappointment and anger on social media, and several GOP lawmakers called for the decision to be reversed.
Former Navy SEAL officer Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) tweeted, "This decision to cancel #wreathsacrossamerica must be reversed immediately. Critical thinking must win out over emotion. Large areas, outside and well spaced, with masks on, is perfectly safe. Our fallen deserve to be remembered."
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a former Army officer, wrote, "I encourage Army leaders to reconsider this decision. Thousands of people have marched in DC streets the past couple weekends for Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Surely volunteers can responsibly place wreaths on the graves of our fallen heroes at Arlington."
On Tuesday afternoon, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy announced, "I have directed Arlington National Cemetery to safely host Wreaths Across America. We appreciate the families and visitors who take time to honor and remember those who are laid to rest at our nation's most hallowed ground."
President Trump said the order came directly from him, declaring on Twitter, "I have reversed the ridiculous decision to cancel Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery. It will now go on!"
What is Wreaths Across America?
As TheBlaze previously reported:
Wreaths Across America is a nationwide event held at cemeteries across the country, involving the laying of wreaths at the graves of America's fallen heroes each December. Its stated mission is to "remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve," and "teach your children the value of freedom."
The Wreaths Across America organization expressed its disappointment in Arlington's decision, issuing a statement saying, "As an organization, we are shocked by this unexpected turn of events. To say we are devastated, would be an understatement." The group noted that the event will still move forward at more than 2,400 other participating cemeteries across the U.S.


theblaze--2020-11-17--More uncounted votes found in second Georgia county, giving another boost for Trump

More uncounted votes found in second Georgia county , giving another boost for Trump Officials said they found the votes @ @ @ @ @ a memory card

A second memory card was found in the Georgia recount process with uncounted votes that gives President Donald Trump a boost against former Vice President Joe Biden.
The Georgia Secretary of State's office told reporters on Tuesday that the discrepancy was discovered in the votes from Fayette County during a hand recount.
A total of 2,755 votes were discovered, with 1,577 going to Trump and 1,128 going for Biden. The new votes decrease Biden's sizable lead by about 450 votes.
This is an addition to the first batch of uncounted votes that were discovered in Floyd County on Monday. Those votes netted Trump about 800 votes.
Secretary of State official Gabriel Sterling said that while the mistake from Floyd County was due to ballots being accidentally uncounted and not entered into the system, the mistake in Fayette County had to do with a ballot count on a memory card not being added to the system.
He also said that officials from the county missed several methods meant to make sure the card had been uploaded.
"There were several spots, where the human beings were running it, just didn't follow the procedure, and that's why this happened. And that's why you have the audit, to discover these things," Sterling said.
He went on to say that 57 counties had no deviations at all from their original ballot count. Another 21 counties had a minuscule deviation of either one more or less in the count from the original, and 32 others are off by single digits.
He also said that there might be about 224 votes in a third county that could have been unaccounted for, but that those were still being investigated.
Officials are tasked with completing their recounts by Wednesday so that the state can officially confirm the results on Friday.
Despite both of the newly found votes from Fayette and Floyd counties, Biden retains a lead of 12,929 votes over the president.
Here's the media briefing with Gabriel Sterling:


theblaze--2020-11-17--New study suggests immunity to coronavirus may last years — even decades — after infection

A new study of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 suggests that immunity against the virus may last several years or even decades after infection.
What are the details?
The study, which was conducted by a group of researchers primarily based out of La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California, analyzed blood samples from 185 survivors ages 19 to 81 to see if immune cells persisted in the body several months after infection.
What they found was encouraging: Eight months after contracting the virus, most survivors still possessed enough immune cells to fight reinfection. The slow rate of decline specifically among memory B-cells and T-cells hinted that these cells, which help fight disease, may persist in the human body for quite a long time.
"That amount of memory would likely prevent the vast majority of people from getting hospitalized disease, severe disease, for many years," Shane Crotty, a co-leader of the study, told the New York Times.
The Times noted that the new data squares with other recent findings from researchers at the University of Washington and in Nature Medicine that demonstrate that the body launches a long-lasting response to the virus.
Though not yet peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, the study is, according to the Times, "the most comprehensive and long-ranging study of immune memory to the coronavirus to date."
Why does it matter?
If verified, the study will certainly bring a sigh of relief to experts who feared that the disease would be resistant to long-term immune response. If that were the case, the prospects of using a vaccine to control the pandemic would be greatly complicated.
Those fears were amplified by a recent study carried out by scientists at King's College London, which focused specifically on the presence of antibodies post-infection. It found that antibodies peaked three weeks after COVID-19 symptoms appeared and then faded away altogether in some cases.
But the new study broadened the search beyond just antibodies to include memory B-cells and two types of T-cells, and the results painted a much more hopeful picture.
Sterilizing immunity, or when antibodies in the blood block the virus and stop a second infection, "doesn't happen very often — that is not the norm," noted Alessandro Sette, an immunologist at the La Jolla and co-leader of the study.
More often, people do in fact become infected a second time with a particular pathogen, but the immune system recognizes the invader and quickly destroys it. That's why it is more important to look at every component of the body's immune response.
"If you just look at only one, you can really be missing the full picture," Crotty said.


theblaze--2020-11-17--Black police chief fired after black leaders — including state senator — were charged with conspirin

Black police chief fired after black leaders — including state senator — were charged with conspiring to damage Confederate monument @ @ @ @ @ , ' said Angela Greene , who plans to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against @ @

The police chief of Portsmouth, Virginia, was fired Monday after two months on paid administrative leave following a controversy in which police charged local black leaders — including a state senator — with conspiring to damage a Confederate monument during a protest in June, WAVY-TV reported.
What are the details?
At the June 10 protest in Portsmouth, demonstrators damaged Confederate statues as part of a nationwide wave of racial justice protests in the wake of George Floyd's death — and one Portsmouth demonstrator was seriously injured after a toppled, beheaded statue fell on his head.
In August, city police charged Democratic state Sen. Louise Lucas — Virginia's most senior black legislator — and 18 other plaintiffs, including a school board member and members of the local NAACP chapter and the public defender's office, with conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000, NBC News reported.
Greene, who is black, said Lucas and others "conspired and organized to destroy the monument as well as summon hundreds of people to join in felonious acts," the network added.
NBC News, citing the police version of events in a probable cause summary, reported that Lucas was with a number of people who were shaking cans of spray paint, and she told police they were going to vandalize the statues "and you can't stop them ... they got a right, go ahead!"
More from WAVY:
We asked Greene whether she would argue there were political and city leaders that wanted the monument to be defaced, to which she nodded her head "yes." We also asked whether she believed they didn't want her to pursue charges in connection with the monument vandalism — also a "yes."
But on Monday, the charges against Lucas and the other black leaders were dismissed.
The Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney's Office said there was "no proper evidence" to support the charges that the plaintiffs' actions "rise to the level of felony destruction of property or conspiracy," NBC News reported, citing a dismissal motion.
A judge also questioned why police went around local prosecutors to bring charges, the network said, adding that city leaders questioned Greene's involvement in the Confederate protest investigation due to an unspecified conflict of interest. Local activists and clergy leaders called for her resignation or firing, NBC News added.
The dismissal drew praise from Democrats who condemned the charges, the network said:
More from NBC News:
Lucas' office could not immediately be reached for comment. The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported that she said dismissal of the case "gives people hope" that "when they come to these courtrooms that they will be treated in a fair and just manner, even though you may have a rogue police department who intends to criminalize the justice system against people like me."
WAVY said Greene was placed on leave in September with pay — and then on Monday she was fired. A city spokeswoman declined to tell NBC News if Greene's firing was connected to the charges filed against Lucas and that other black leaders.
Prior to her firing, which took place during a 15-minute meeting, Greene told the station her hope was for "full reinstatement, because I did nothing wrong."
After the meeting she confirmed to WAVY that she "was terminated, and I am one less badge and one less gun" — and that she wasn't given any explanation for her firing or given severance pay. The station said Greene has young children and an elderly parent, and a fund has been set up to help with her expenses.
What happened after the chief's firing?
Greene held a news conference after the firing and said she'd file a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city, WAVY reported.
"I believe I was wrongfully terminated for upholding the law and being retaliated against for sticking to my sworn oath that I swore to serve and protect my citizens, community and keeping my officers safe," she said, according to NBC News.
(H/T: HotAir)


theblaze--2020-11-17--BLM counterprotester who attacked Trump supporter at Million MAGA March reportedly ID'd as journalis

BLM counterprotester who attacked Trump supporter at Million MAGA March reportedly ID'd as journalism student

BLM counterprotester who attacked Trump supporter at Million MAGA March reportedly ID 'd as journalism student D.C. police are asking @ @ @ @ @ weekend assaults

A Black Lives Matter protester who was filmed punching a Trump supporter in the head at last weekend's Million MAGA March in Washington, D.C., has reportedly been identified as a journalism student.
Violence erupted in the nation's capital Saturday when Black Lives Matter and Antifa groups clashed with Trump supporters marching to protest the disputed results of the 2020 presidential election. Graphic videos of multiple attacks in D.C. were posted on social media, including video of a protester running up and punching a Trump supporter from behind at Black Lives Matter Plaza.
The Post Millennial reported that the assailant in the video is Brittany S. McAlister, 29, of Washington, D.C. McAlister is a student studying journalism at Howard University and also works as a freelance journalist, according to the Post Millennial.
In another incident captured on video, McAlister allegedly kicked an unconscious man after he had reportedly been been sucker-punched by Kenneth Wayne Deberry, 39, who was arrested and charged by police.
According to a news release from the Metropolitan Police Department, McAlister has not been arrested and is not yet charged with any crime, though police say they are looking for the suspect in the film.
D.C. police are asking for help identifying suspects in violent crimes captured on video Saturday.
The Post Millennial reported screenshots of a tweet from the far-left group Refuse Fascism that has since been deleted profiling McAlister, who gave a speech at Black Lives Matter Plaza. McAlister's social media accounts have been deactivated.
Thousands of Trump supporters had gathered in D.C. for a "Stop the Steal" rally at Freedom Plaza to show support for President Donald Trump as his campaign continues to challenge the results of the election. During the day protests were peaceful. But as night fell, counterprotesters committed acts of violence against Trump supporters. People were attacked from behind, an elderly man was shoved to the ground, a couple was harassed, and others were brutally beaten, with horrifying video of the attacks circulating on social media.
Police arrested at least 21 people in D.C. following these violent incidents.
President Trump weighed in on the violence on Twitter, criticizing D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for "not doing her job."
In a statement given to Fox News, Howard University strongly condemned "all forms of violence and abhorrent behavior."
"The University has stringent policies and procedures in place to investigate potential wrongdoing and will take the appropriate action against any student found to be in violation of our Code of Conduct," the university said.


theblaze--2020-11-17--Three more NY sheriffs tell Gov. Andrew Cuomo to get stuffed over his Thanksgiving COVID-19 ban

Three more NY sheriffs tell Gov .
Andrew Cuomo to get stuffed over his Thanksgiving COVID-19 ban ' I ca @ @ @ @ @ resources to counting cars in citizens ' driveways or investigating how much turkey and dressing @ @ @ @ @ the public good '

Another three sheriffs from upstate New York said they won't be enforcing far-left Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Thanksgiving coronavirus restrictions on gatherings in private residences, the New York Post reported.
What's the background?
Cuomo announced new restrictions last week in response to the COVID-19 surge, saying gatherings in the state would be limited to just 10 people, including at private residences.
"New York follows the science," Cuomo said of his decision. "We know indoor gatherings and parties are a major source of COVID spread. To slow the spread, NYS will limit indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people. This limit takes effect Friday at 10 p.m."
But Cuomo didn't say how the new restrictions would be enforced, leaving those decisions up to local authorities — and Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino apparently took the Democrat at his word.
"With regard to the Thanksgiving Executive Order, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office will NOT be enforcing it against our County residents," Giardino wrote in a Facebook post.
"Frankly, I am not sure it could sustain a Constitutional challenge in Court for several reasons including your house is your castle. And as a Sheriff with a law degree I couldn't in good faith attempt to defend it Court, so I won't," the sheriff added. "Who and how many people you invite in to your home is your business, unlike outdoor gatherings which may receive a police response if disorderly or other violations of public nuisance laws occur."
Giardino later added that he trusts his residents to use their best judgment while still urging them to take precautions when around those who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Three more sheriffs enter the fray
And now joining Giardino is Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy who said there won't be any Thanksgiving enforcement of Cuomo's restrictions, the Post reported, adding that Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said Monday that goes for his jurisdiction as well.
"I can't see how devoting our resources to counting cars in citizens' driveways or investigating how much turkey and dressing they've purchased is for the public good," Zurlo said in a news release, according to the paper.
Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard said his office would also ignore the indoor gathering limit, the Post reported.
Giardino also said in an interview with the Albany Times Union that Cuomo is "scaring the hell out of people."
"People have common sense. They are not going to jeopardize family members. They are not going to jeopardize close friends. Most people respect the masks," Giardino added to the Times Union. "Basically, as a lawyer, former DA and judge, if I got brought into court, I can't justify it constitutionally. The threat is not so great that we should be limiting who they can have for Thanksgiving."
What did a Cuomo adviser have to say?
Cuomo adviser Richard Azzopardi reacted by saying, "We urge everyone to continue to be smart and act responsibly. We know this makes people unhappy, but better unhappy than sick or worse," the Post reported.


theblaze--2020-11-17--Megyn Kelly yanks kids out of NYC school over call to reform white children — and now she and her fa

Megyn Kelly yanks kids out of NYC school over call to reform white children — and now she and her family are leaving the city altogether

Megyn Kelly yanks kids out of NYC school over call to reform white children — and now she and her @ @ @ @ @ altogether

Veteran news journalist and media maven Megyn Kelly has pulled her children out of their New York City school and plans to leave the city behind altogether.
Kelly announced the decision after learning that her kids' school promoted the "reform" of white children in racially biased practices.
Kelly did not reveal the name of the school her children previously attended.
What are the details?
During Monday's broadcast of her podcast, "The Megyn Kelly Show," Kelly said that she received a letter from the administrators of her two young sons' school that detailed a plan to implement an extreme racial social justice agenda in the school.
"It's so out of control on so many levels, and after years of resisting it, we're going to leave the city," Kelly admitted. "We pulled our boys from their school, and our daughter is going to be leaving hers soon, too. The schools have always been far left, which doesn't align with my own ideology, but I didn't really care. Most of my friends are liberals; it's fine. I come from Democrats as a family."
Kelly added, however, that the final straw was when she found out that the administration was peddling concerning sentiments about how white children are "left unchecked and unbothered" in their schools, homes, and communities.
"I'm not offended at all by the ideology, and I lean center-left on some things, but they've gone around the bend," she insisted. "I mean, they have gone off the deep-end. The summer in the wake of George Floyd, they circulated amongst the diversity group — which includes white parents like us; there are people who want to be allies and stay attuned to what we can do — an article, and afterward, they recirculated it and wanted every member of the faculty to read it."
Kelly recalled that the article asserted that white children are inherently racist.
According to Kelly, a portion of the article — which appears to have been written by Nahliah Webber, executive director of Orleans Public Education Network in June — said, "There is a killer cop sitting in every school where white children learn. They gleefully soak in their whitewashed history that downplays the holocaust of indigenous native peoples and Africans in the Americas. They happily believe their all-white spaces exist as a matter of personal effort and willingly use violence against black bodies to keep those spaces white."
"As black bodies drop like flies around us by violence at white hands, how can we in any of our minds conclude that whites are all right?" the article added. "White children are left unchecked and unbothered in their schools, homes, and communities to join, advance, and protect systems that take away black life. I am tired of white people reveling in their state-sanctioned depravity, snuffing out black life with no consequences."
The article continued, "Where's the urgency for school reform for white kids being indoctrinated in black death and protected from the consequences? Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how white mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think black death is okay?"
"Where are the national conferences, white papers, and policy positions on the pathology of whiteness in schools?" the article said. "This time if you really want to make a difference in black lives — and not have to protest this s*** again — go reform white kids. Because that's where the problem is — with white children being raised from infancy to violate black bodies with no remorse or accountability."
Anything else?
A portion of Kelly's podcast appeared on Twitter Monday, captioned, "'After years of resisting it, we're going to leave.' @MegynKelly describes why she pulled her kids out of their NYC schools — and she, @GlennLoury and @Coldxman Hughes discuss how 'woke' leftism has taken over schools."
(H/T: The Daily Wire)


theblaze--2020-11-17--Horowitz: This fall’s biggest crime is Thanksgiving

But actual crime appears to be an essential service

Thanksgiving and Christmas might be canceled for the first time ever by tyrannical governors and mayors, but they won't cancel the weekend shootouts that are increasingly victimizing children in major cities. Those shootings tend to be the worst over holiday weekends. Yet, in what has become the ultimate dystopian governing outcome, our elected officials are criminalizing life itself while greenlighting violent criminal activity.
Yesterday, the Philadelphia mayor announced with the flick of a pen that all indoor gatherings would be canceled for the remainder of the calendar year. This includes school, most church services, stores, recreation, and even inviting other people to your own home for the holidays! At the same time, as Philadelphia approaches record homicides for the year, nobody is canceling gang gatherings. In fact, thanks to the jailbreak policies, some of which were put into place because of the virus itself, there is no deterrent against crime. Crime is an essential service in these cities.
Last week, Fox29 reporter Steve Keeley reported that a total of eight children had been shot in numerous violent incidents throughout Philadelphia since last Sunday. So far, there have been 435 homicides this year in the City of Brotherly Love, a 39% increase over last year and the most since 1993. The city officials claim to protect children by shutting down their schools for a virus that doesn't really harm them, but what they are failing to do is protect them on the streets from gang bullets that don't discriminate based on age or immune system.
According to Philadelphia police, they have solved fewer than 30% of homicides and just 16% of non-fatal shooting cases this year. Yet Mayor Jim Kennedy and other liberal executives across the nation now want to use the dwindling police resources to patrol stores, restaurants, and perhaps even homes for violations of the COVID cult rituals. As Fulton County, New York, Sheriff Richard Giardino said in response to a similar order issued by Andrew Cuomo, "We have limited resources and we have to set priorities, so obtaining a Search Warrant to enter your home to see how many Turkey or Tofu eaters are present is not a priority."
Our government is now ensuring that our own homes are no longer our castles, while the public streets become the private fiefdoms of gang members, released criminals, and BLM rioters. The Philadelphia mayor titled his new royal edict "safer at home." Well, the science behind lockdown has proven as ineffective in keeping people safe from the virus as weak-on-crime policies have been in protecting people from violence.
Philadelphia is home to Larry Krasner, the most vocal of the Soros-backed "justice reform" district attorneys, who has made a name for himself by refusing to prosecute what he deems "low-level" offenders. However, his definition of low-level includes repeat offender gangsters who have a history of gun violence. While holding people up at gunpoint is low-level in his mind, I'm sure celebrating Thanksgiving with relatives or not covering one's lungs with a cheap Chinese mask, in his estimation, will be treated as high-level crimes that are prioritized for prosecution.
It appears that the Left wasn't serious about abolishing the police after all. They want the police around – just not to protect us from criminals. They want them to treat everyday Americans, perhaps even in their own homes, as criminals. For example, in Atlanta, with rising crime and police on defense, nearly twice as many officers retired this year as last year, leaving Atlanta police with the lowest number of officers on the streets in two decades. With police being criminalized, murder is up 40% this year from the same point in 2019 in this once safe city. A similar trend is playing out in Minneapolis, Seattle, and other large cities where police are faced with a thankless job. In all those cities, the mayors are issuing stern warnings to grandmas who host Thanksgiving, but not to the violent street criminals.
Criminals have nothing to fear from the police, but we must fear them and the police. Officials will take away our guns used for self-defense while ignoring the gun felons.
In the Minneapolis suburb of St. Cloud, Roberto Williams, 35, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm after accidentally shooting a 5-year-old boy to death. In case you thought this was a decent human being who just experienced a tragic accident, Williams was convicted of robbery in Illinois in 2003 and of unlawful possession of a weapon in 2005, 2010, and 2017. Williams also had outstanding charges for first-degree robbery, with a trial set for January. Despite all those gun charges, he was allowed to remain free to allegedly kill this boy. But fear not, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is keeping kindergarten boys safe by keeping them out of school and wearing masks.
Nearly every time you see a heinous crime committed, just realize it's almost always done by a repeat offender who is out of prison. Remember the man caught on video horrifically attacking a Trump supporter in D.C. on Saturday, which led to the victim being knocked out and stomped on the ground? Kenneth Wayne Deberry was arrested for the assault and also for felony possession of a weapon. It turns out he was a convicted child sex offender out on the streets. Don't hold your breath waiting for him to serve hard time even after this attack. A man caught not wearing a mask in D.C. (unless at a BLM riot) is more likely to face swift prosecution than someone like Deberry.
Revolutions were fought over a lesser degree of perfidy, betrayal, and dystopian governance than we face today from the ruling class. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founders repudiated King George for callously disregarding their security on the western frontier while infringing upon their own liberties. Yet the disregard for security and infringement upon liberties at the hands of King George was nowhere near as severe as the amalgamation of those twin vices today. Perhaps the best way to rectify this coup against our Constitution is to host a Thanksgiving "tea" party to remember the civil and religious liberty history behind the story of the Pilgrims and the founding of this country.


theblaze--2020-11-17--Republicans put Facebook and Twitter to the question on censorship and the future of social media

Republicans put Facebook and Twitter to the question on censorship and the future of social media Mark Zuckerberg and Jack @ @ @ @ @ Senate .

Senate Republicans grilled the heads of Facebook and Twitter at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on big tech censorship in the 2020 presidential election Tuesday, calling into question the tech companies' content moderation policies and threatening government action to end perceived bias against right-leaning points of view on their platforms.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey faced questions on their content moderation enforcement, on examples of apparent bias against President Donald Trump's supporters and conservatives, and what the role of government should be in regulating social media platforms. Republicans came prepared with specific examples of censorship, asking about the suppression of the New York Post's Hunter Biden reports, about social media posts challenging the official results of the presidential election being flagged as misinformation, and more.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Facebook and Twitter's content moderation enforcement has convinced him to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law that protects internet companies from being liable for content posted on their platforms by third parties.
Citing the suppression of the New York Post's articles, Graham accused Twitter and Facebook of exerting "editorial control" over the paper.
"What I want to try to find out is, if you're not a newspaper at Twitter or Facebook, then why do you have editorial control over the New York Post?" Graham said during his opening statement.
"They decided, and maybe for a good reason, I don't know, that the New York Post articles about Hunter Biden needed to be flagged, excluded from distribution or made hard to find. That to me seems like you're the ultimate editor," Graham continued.
"The editorial decision at the New York Post to run the story was overridden by Twitter and Facebook in different fashions to prevent its dissemination. Now if that's not making an editorial decision, I don't know what would be."
Whether Facebook and Twitter make editorial decisions by moderating content on their platforms is crucial to the debate on how government should regulate big tech. If these social media companies are providing platforms for people to use, then they are protected under Section 230 and they can't be sued, for example, for slanderous content posted by a third party that appears on their website. However, if they are making editorial decisions about the content they host on their websites, then Republicans argue they are behaving like publishers and as such would not be protected by Section 230.
Questions for Dorsey from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) focused directly on this distinction, citing Twitter's misinformation label on tweets about voter fraud as an example of an editorial action that would suggest Twitter is behaving like a publisher.
Cruz asked Dorsey directly, "Is Twitter a publisher?"
"No, we are not, we distribute information," Dorsey replied.
Reading from Section 230, Cruz defined a publisher as "any person or entity that is responsible in whole or in part for the creation or development of information provided through the internet or any other interactive computer service," then asked Dorsey if Twitter acted as a publisher by censoring the New York Post.
Again, Dorsey said Twitter is not a publisher but that it has policies and terms of service that users agree to abide by with enforcement action taken against users who violate the agreement. But Cruz accused Twitter of applying its policies "in a partisan and selective manner," criticizing Twitter for enforcing its "hacked materials" policy against the New York Post but neglecting to do so against other news outlets that reported news obtained from "hacked materials."
Continuing, Cruz said Twitter has a "star-chamber power" over speech on its platform and accused the company of making "publishing decisions" by putting warnings on statements about voter fraud that state, "Voter fraud of any kind is exceedingly rare in the United States."
"That's taking a disputed policy position, and you're a publisher when you're doing that," Cruz charged.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also raised concerns about what he called Twitter and Facebook's "distinctly partisan approach" to moderating content on their websites. Citing about an incident in October when Twitter locked U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan's account, flagging as hate speech a seemingly benign tweet about how new wall on the southern border "helps us stop gang members, murderers, sexual predators, and drugs from entering our country," Lee asked why the tweet was censored.
"We evaluated his tweet and we found that we were wrong. … That was a mistake; we reverted it," Dorsey explained. But Lee expected this answer.
"What we're going to see today is that mistakes happen a whole lot more, almost entirely on one side of the political aisle rather than the other," he said before turning to Zuckerberg and asking why Facebook "stunningly" took almost two weeks to unblock an advertisement from the Susan B. Anthony List that a third-party fact-checker mistakenly said was "partly false."
"I'm not familiar with the details of us re-enabling that ad ... it's possible that this was just a mistake or a delay," Zuckerberg said.
"I appreciate your acknowledgement of that the fact that there are mistakes. As I noted previously, those mistake sure happen a whole lot more on one side of the political spectrum than the other," Lee said. Noting that more than 90% of employees at both Twitter and Facebook donated to Democratic candidates, Lee wondered aloud if those political biases affect the apparent one-sided nature of big tech's "mistakes."
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) picked up this line of questioning, inquiring about the political leanings of Facebook and Twitter employees and asking if it's possible there's "systemic bias" within these companies.
"I do think it's undisputed that our employee base, at least the full-time folks, politically would be somewhat or maybe more than just a little somewhat to the left of where our overall community is," Zuckerberg said, acknowledging that his company likely leans farther left than the average American Facebook user.
Zuckerberg did point out that it employs 35,000 content moderators in locations around the nation, not just in Silicon Valley, and that it would be incorrect to assume that they all are biased against Republicans.
Dorsey said political biases are not something his company would "interview for" before acknowledging that most people perceive that his company leans left and judge Twitter's intentions based on that perception.
"If people don't trust our intent, if people are questioning that, that's a failure and that is something we need to fix and intend to fix," Dorsey said.
Sasse did break with his colleagues and express skepticism about having the federal government take action to regulate social media in response to bias.
"I especially think it's odd that so many in my party are zealous to do this right now when you would have an incoming administration of the other party that would be writing the rules and regulations about it," he said.
His final question inquired about where Zuckerberg and Dorsey see the future of content moderation going over the next three or five years if the government does not act.
Zuckerberg said Facebook will increase its focus on transparency. He said Facebook has "already committed to an independent external audit" of its content moderation enforcement metrics and suggested that such a review could be part of a government regulatory framework created by Congress.
Dorsey said that a "centralized global content moderation system does not scale" and said tech companies need to "rethink" how they operate content moderation. He suggested a decentralized approach that gives users more choice about how they interact on social media.
"Having more control so that individuals can moderate themselves, pushing the power of moderation to the edges and to our customers, and to the individuals using the service is something we'll see more of," Dorsey said. "Having more choice around how algorithms are altering my experience and creating my experience is important."


theblaze--2020-11-17--Country star Dolly Parton donated $1 million to help fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research

The famed performer made the donation to the coronavirus research in April

Legendary country music star Dolly Parton was a major early funder of a potentially effective coronavirus vaccine, Rolling Stone reported Tuesday.
What are the details?
In April, Parton announced on social media that she donated $1 million to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, for coronavirus research. Now, several months later, it has been revealed that her donation went toward funding Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, the second vaccine in recent days to report a surprisingly high success rate against the virus in human trials.
"My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who's been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements toward research of the coronavirus for a cure," Parton wrote on Instagram at the time regarding her decision to donate. "I am making a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations. Keep the faith."
Speaking with NBC News Tuesday morning after hearing the news about Moderna's vaccine, Parton indicated she was happy to hear that her donation made a difference.
"When I donated the money to the COVID fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let's just hope we can find a cure real soon," she said.
What else?
On Monday, Moderna announced that its vaccine, developed under President Trump's Operation Warp Speed, turned out a 94.5% success rate in preventing the virus during large-scale human trials.
According to a CNBC report, "The analysis evaluated 95 confirmed COVID-19 infections among the trial's 30,000 participants."
"Moderna, which developed its vaccine in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said 90 cases of COVID-19 were observed in the placebo group versus 5 cases observed in the group that received its two-dose vaccine. That resulted in an estimated vaccine efficacy of 94.5%," the report added.
The news of its success rate followed similar findings from Pfizer's vaccine trials, which announced Nov. 9 that its vaccine has shown to be 90% effective against the virus.
Both companies have heralded the results and promised to produce tens of millions of doses of the vaccines for deployment in the United States by the end of 2020 and potentially more than 1 billion doses globally by the end of 2021.
The reports marked major breakthroughs in the fight against the novel coronavirus that has plagued the world for the last year after first being discovered in Wuhan, China. In all, the virus has infected over 50 million people globally, killing more than 1 million.