theblaze--2020-04-30--Thanks to COVID-19, now you can get married online in New York City

Thanks to COVID-19 , now you can get married online in New York City

New York City is letting its residents get married online amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
What are the details?
Online marriages are legal in New York City after Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced "Project Cupid."
The project, a collaboration between the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications and Office of the City Clerk, will allow New Yorkers to obtain marriage licenses online.
In a statement, Johnson said that a couple's love shouldn't be deprived of being official despite the pandemic.
"Coronavirus has changed the world in so many ways, but our ability to love and commit to each other hasn't wavered," Johnson said. "Now couples ready to marry don't have to wait for the pandemic to end to say 'I do.' We deserve some good news, and this is definitely wonderful news for all of New York City."
De Blasio added, "[W]e won't let a pandemic get in the way of true love. To all of the couples looking forward to tying the knot, know that your city is right here with you, throwing rice from afar."
How's this going to work?
Couples interested in obtaining a marriage license will be able to video conference with state employees to obtain their licenses beginning the first week of May.
According to Newsweek, "couples will be able to schedule and attend virtual appointments with the City Clerk's office, upload the required documents for the marriage license, and upload a signed license for submission after the ceremony."
Couples will be able to pay the license fee through NYC's CityPay. The site will be available in 11 languages and translators will be available on demand via Language Line.
What's the final word?
Johnson says that a little coronavirus won't get in the way of true love.
"We might have to celebrate it a little differently now, but it's still a beautiful, moving experience," he said.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Business owner arrested for reopening tattoo shop amidst North Carolina's stay-at-home order

The tattoo parlor owner has no regrets and plans to attend more shutdown protests

A North Carolina business owner was arrested for violating the state's stay-at-home order. Matthew "Jax" Myers opened his tattoo parlor on Wednesday, and within minutes he was arrested.
Myers defied Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order that only "essential" businesses could be open because of the coronavirus pandemic. Myers, 38, opened up Apex Tattoo Factory, which he has owned for the last eight years. Myers resisted the shutdown orders because he was struggling financially and was worried his business would die.
Myers had posted on social media announcing that he was opening up his tattoo shop. Some people who saw the Facebook post notified the police. Officers from the Apex Police Department contacted Myers after receiving complaints and explained the orders that prohibited him from opening.
Myers opened up the Apex Tattoo Factory at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and within 10 minutes, he was being arrested for violating North Carolina's stay-at-home order.
Police charged Myers with violating "Emergency Prohibitions and Restrictions, North Carolina General Statute 14-288.20A," an offense that carries up to a $1,000 fine or a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail if convicted.
"While understanding of and generally cooperative with officers, he refused to come into compliance with the Proclamation and was subsequently arrested without further incident," read a police statement.
"I respect the Apex Police Department. And it's probably with the heaviest of heart of all that this has to happen in Apex," Myers said.
"I'm a law-abiding citizen. I've done nothing wrong," he told WRAL-TV.
Myers attempted to get a small business loan and unemployment assistance, but he was not approved for either.
"When you can put a father of three in jail for opening his business because nobody will give me a loan, and let alone help me," Myers said. "My own bank, nobody is helping us."
"He has spent years building up this business, and for it to be taken away after being shut down for so long would be horrible," his wife Amber Myers said.
Amber and Matthew have been vocal opponents to Cooper's stay-at-home order, and they attended the ReOpenNC protests in downtown Raleigh.
"Whatever the consequences are to his decision, I'm gonna be there after it all and extend my hand to him and say 'I'm in this with you,'" Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert said of Myers' arrest. "And I support you, and we're gonna get through this together."
"What I would say about him is that he's making a decision that obviously I wouldn't make in my current position, but I'm not in his position," Gilbert said. "I don't know exactly how he feels."
"I was never actually intending on tattooing anybody; it was in protest," Myers said. The tattoo artist has no regrets and plans to attend more ReOpenNC rallies until the state finally allows him to get back to business.
A week ago, Gov. Cooper extended the state's stay-at-home order through May 9, which was originally scheduled to expire on April 29, but the administration said that the state had "not yet seen a downward trajectory" in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. North Carolina will reopen in three stages, and personal care services will open in phase two, which is likely not to be allowed to reopen until late May or early June.
North Carolina has more than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 397 COVID-19 deaths.


theblaze--2020-04-30--South Korea coronavirus reinfections were actually false positives caused by a certain type of test

Hundreds of people tested positive again after recovery South Korea coronavirus reinfections were actually false positives caused by a certain @ @ @ @ @ nurses wear protective gear caring for patients infected with the coronavirus at Keimyung University Daegu @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
( JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images )

South Korean health officials now say the alleged COVID-19 reinfection cases they found were actually caused by false positive test results, according to the Korea Herald.
Nearly 300 people who had contracted and recovered from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus tested positive again days or weeks after their recovery, sparking fears about whether people could become infected more than once in a short period of time.
Doctors have concluded, however, that the antibodies a person develops after recovering from the virus should prevent reinfection.
The committee ruled out reactivation of COVID-19 as a reason for relapses and said there was little to no possibility that reinfections would occur due to antibodies that patients develop.
"The process in which COVID-19 produces a new virus takes place only in host cells and does not infiltrate the nucleus. This means it does not cause chronic infection or recurrence," said Oh Myoung-don, head of the central clinical committee for emerging disease control.
What caused the false positives? The type of test used in South Korea has the potential to recognize dead virus fragments in recovered COVID-19 patients, triggering a positive test result even if the virus is not active. Dead virus fragments can linger for months after a patient recovers.
Oh said the tests "detected the ribonucleic acid of the dead virus."
"PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing that amplifies genetics of the virus is used in Korea to test COVID-19, and relapse cases are due to technical limits of the PCR testing," Oh said, according to the Korea Herald.
South Korea's status: South Korea has been considered one of the gold standard countries in its coronavirus response, particularly due to its ability to conduct widespread testing to inform its social distancing policies. The country has had more than 10,000 confirmed cases and 246 deaths, with new infections occurring at a pace of roughly 10 per day.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Alyssa Milano tried to explain why she still supports Joe Biden despite sexual assault allegations.

Alyssa Milano tried to explain why she still supports Joe Biden despite sexual assault allegations. It doesn't end well.

Alyssa Milano tried to explain why she still supports Joe Biden despite sexual assault allegations .
It does n't end @ @ @ @ @ to call out the hypocrisy

In a new op-ed on Deadline, actress and #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano attempted to explain why she is still supporting Joe Biden for president despite the sexual assault allegations launched against him by arguing that "the world is gray" and in need of more "nuance."
Milano, who became a prominent voice for "believing all women" during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, has faced backlash for not applying the same level of deference to Biden's accuser, nor the same level of scrutiny to the accused in this case, Biden.
What does she say?
In the opinion piece, Milano largely avoids the proverbial elephant in the room. Which is, what exactly makes the current situation unique, other than that it is her preferred candidate that is being accused?
Here's an interesting segment:
As an activist, it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world: things are clearly wrong or clearly right. Harvey Weinstein's decades of rape were clearly wrong. Donald Trump's alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong. Brett Kavanaugh's actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong. So were Matt Lauer's, Bill Cosby's and so many others.
Except it's not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something we're trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here's something social media doesn't afford us–nuance.
The world is gray. And as uncomfortable as that makes people, gray is where the real change happens. Black and white is easy. Gray is the place women can come together out of the glare of the election and speak our truths, our doubts, our hopes, our convictions and test them against the light and the dark.
Ultimately, despite claiming that the allegations against Biden "concern [her], deeply," Milano decides to stick with the candidate, whom she still "respects" and "admires."
"I still support Joe Biden because I believe that's the best choice for that future, and again it is not up to women to absolve perpetrators," she states.
It didn't go over well
Many on Twitter were not persuaded by Milano's arguments for "gray" areas and "nuance" and were quick to call out the hypocrisy.
Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics illustrated her hypocrisy quite nicely:
Actor Adam Baldwin called Milano an accessory to Biden's killing of the #MeToo movement:
The RedState's Brandon Morse called out the actress for abandoning her principles as soon as she had something to lose.
Stephen Miller said Milano's op-ed is only "making things worse."
National Review's Alexandra DeSanctis described the confusing op-ed as Milano "playing a game of Twister":
It seems that Milano's argument in a nutshell is: Don't believe all women, just the women who accuse people you don't like.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Sheriff's office response to video of deputies berating mother discloses her past speeding traffic s

Sheriff's office response to video of deputies berating mother discloses her past speeding traffic stop, mentions neighbor's 'mobile home' six times

Sheriff 's office response to video of deputies berating mother discloses her past speeding traffic stop , mentions neighbor 's @ @ @ @ @ Longer video shows deputy seeming to chastise mother for letting daughter walk 'all over the @ @ @ @ @ '

Wisconsin's Calumet County Sheriff's Office launched a social media defense over the now-viral video showing a pair of deputies berating a mother for letting her daughter play at a neighbor's house amid the COVID-19 state lockdown order.
What are the details?
In a Facebook post Sunday, the sheriff's office explained the confrontation on video was the culmination of several interactions with the woman over "recent weeks." The post noted two calls on the same day from the woman "asking us to help find her runaway son." The third contact "involved this female being stopped for speeding," the sheriff's office said. There also were calls regarding circumstances at a neighbor's "mobile home" — where the woman's daughter was apparently caught playing.
In addition to the speeding stop — the relevance of which isn't clear — the sheriff's office also seemed to make quite a bit of the building style of the neighbor's residence, using the phrase "mobile home" six times in the post. Stereotypes about people who reside in mobile homes or "trailer parks" need no detailing here.
One commenter on the sheriff's office post noticed the "mobile home" references, too.
"I love how they throw in her 'mobile' home... Not just her home," the commenter said. "I'm a police supporter, but it doesn't take long for power to be misused or over used... I get people can be extremely frustrating but stay on track officers!!"
Why was she badgered for her last name and middle initial?
Another aspect to the deputies' confrontation with the mother included one of them badgering her for her last name and middle initial, neither of which she provided to them.
But commenters also pointed out that if the sheriff's department had numerous interactions with the woman in the video of the last several weeks, how is it they didn't already have her full name? They knew what door to knock on and called her "Amy" in the video.
Cops Giving Mom A Warning For Letting Daughter Play At Neighbor's House During 'Stay At Home' Order youtu.be
'She walks all day long all over the place barefoot'
In a longer video of the confrontation that the mother in question — Amy Aries — posted on her Facebook page Saturday, the deputy who repeatedly asked for her last name and middle initial also appeared to chastise Aries about her daughter's lack of footwear.
"She walks all day long all over the place barefoot," the deputy said.
As she walked away, the same deputy chirped at Aries that "we'll be back if your daughter's out"
The mom's side of the story
Aries told PJ Media she works as a property manager and that home inspections are continuing through the lockdown — which makes Aries an essential worker. However, she's a single mom of four and needs child care — and her daughter has been at her babysitter's house, the outlet added.
As far as the sheriff's office response to the video, Aries told PJ Media that "I have had some circumstances where I needed law enforcement's help, and when I turned to the very people who have taken an oath to serve and protect, I learned they are the ones who want me to fear them."
The sheriff's office on Thursday didn't immediately reply to TheBlaze's request for comment on its Facebook post. PJ Media also said the sheriff's office didn't reply to its request for comment.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Germany bans Hezbollah after labeling Iran-backed militant group a 'terror organization,' conducts r

Germany bans Hezbollah after labeling Iran-backed militant group a 'terror organization,' conducts raids

Official says ban was necessary because it is 'fundamentally against the concept of international understanding '

Germany designated Lebanese militant and political group Hezbollah as a terror organization on Thursday. After outlawing the Iran-backed militant group, dawn raids were carried out at mosques to prevent the destruction of any evidence linking individuals or groups to Hezbollah.
German police raided four mosques with Hezbollah connections and private residences of the group's leaders in Berlin, Bremen, Dortmund, Münster, and Recklinghausen.
"As the authority responsible for issuing the ban, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community is of the opinion that Hezbollah openly calls for the violent elimination of the State of Israel and questions the right of the State of Israel to exist," the German ministry said in a statement. "The organization is therefore fundamentally against the concept of international understanding, regardless of whether it presents itself as a political, social, or military structure."
Steve Alter, a spokesman for German Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer, tweeted: "BM [Federal Minister] Seehofer today banned the activity of the Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah (Party of God) in Germany. Police measures are underway in several federal states concurrently since the early hours of the morning. The rule of law is able to act in times of crisis."
"The associations under investigation are suspected of forming part of Hezbollah due to their financial support and propaganda for the terrorist organization," Seehofer said in a statement.
Hezbollah symbols are banned, and the group's assets can be confiscated. There are believed to be approximately 1,000 Hezbollah activists in Germany.
The United States labels Hezbollah as a terrorist group, and the Trump administration issued sanctions on the Iran-backed militant group as recently as August 2019.
Richard Grenell, U.S. ambassador to Germany and acting director of National Intelligence, tweeted that "the world is a little bit safer" with Germany outlawing Hezbollah.
"We applaud the German government's actions today against suspected Hizballah supporters. The government's decision to act reflects the resolve of the West to confront the global threat posed by Hizballah," Grenell said in a statement.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz called the ban "a valuable and significant step in the global fight against terrorism."
"I call on additional European countries and the European Union to adopt this necessary policy and to recognize the organization for what it is: Hezbollah — both its military and political wings — constitutes a terror organization, and that is how it must be treated," Katz said in a statement.
The European Union designated Hezbollah's military wing a terror organization in 2013, but did not blacklist the group's political wing. In 2012, Hezbollah's deputy leader said Shia Islamist group did not divide itself into military and political branches, and that all elements were "in the service of the resistance" against Israel.
Britain's finance ministry added the entire Hezbollah entity to its list of terrorist groups in February 2019. British Interior Minister Sajid Javis said United Kingdom authorities could "no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party." The U.K. froze Hezbollah assets in January 2019.
Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and Bahrain also designate the group in its entirety as a terrorist organization.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Governments have closed churches across the US. Yet many Americans are finding their faith is strong

Governments have closed churches across the US. Yet many Americans are finding their faith is stronger now, not weaker.

Governments have closed churches across the US .
Yet many Americans are finding their faith is stronger now , not @ @

Limiting — or outright prohibiting — in-person religious services has become one of the most controversial moves that states have made in an attempt to slow the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly a fifth of all states still have bans on religious gatherings, while many others have put stringent restrictions on such meetings.
But there's good news. Despite governmental heavy-handedness, Americans generally are far more likely to say that their faith has grown stronger during this time of trial rather than weaker. The numbers are even better for Christians who have been the leading voices in calling for an end to church lockdowns.
What are the numbers?
A new Pew Research study reported that 91% of adults say their congregation has closed religious services to the public, while just 3% say people are still gathering in person at their house of worship.
Even though Americans say their churches' doors are closed, the same Pew survey revealed that among all adults, 24% have said their religious faith has become stronger, while only 2% say their faith has become weaker. Nearly half (47%) say their faith hasn't changed much.
For Christians, the number is even more encouraging: 35% of them say their faith its stronger, with Protestants more likely (38%) than Catholics (27%) to say they've seen their faith strengthened during this time.
Within the Protestant group, 42% of Evangelicals say their faith is stronger, but just 22% of mainline Protestants say the same.
The faith subset where the most people are claiming a stronger faith is black Protestants, 56% of whom hold that view.
Blacks also happen to be the general-population group most likely to say (41%) their faith has grown during the pandemic. They are twice as likely as whites (20%) and a third more likely than Hispanics (30%) to say the crisis has strengthened their faith.
Further breakdown of the polling shows:


theblaze--2020-04-30--University faces criticism over 'racially insensitive' new athletic logo — because saber handle grip

University faces criticism over 'racially insensitive' new athletic logo — because saber handle grips look like slave walls

University faces criticism over 'racially insensitive ' new athletic logo — because saber handle grips look like slave walls

University of Virginia Athletics is under fire after unveiling its new logo, after some people say that the logo is racially insensitive.
Virginia Athletics partnered with Nike to conceive the new branding in an effort to appear "bolder and more powerful."
What are the details?
The school's newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, said that new updates to the athletics department's logo design are viewed by some as racially insensitive.
The new design features saber handle grips that apparently "mimic the serpentine walls" on the school's grounds. The serpentine-type walls were originally constructed to "hide enslaved laborers from view," the outlet reports.
The logo will be used on all athletics uniforms and merchandise beginning with the school's 2020-21 season.
"Outlining each of the pavilion gardens framing the Lawn, these curved walls shielded the living quarters of slaves from view," the outlet writes. "While white students went to class, black slaves were concealed in pavilion basements."
One student told the Daily that it disregards the school's history behind the walls.
The student, sophomore Lauren Cochran, said that the walls "contribute" to the "historically non-inclusive environment" of the school.
"When U. Va. Athletics decided to incorporate the walls into their logo designs, I felt as if they were attempting to 'glorify' past University wrongdoings," Cochran said. "For many, this wall evokes stringent feelings of emotional distress and pain. As an African-American student who walks past these walls every day, I experience uncomfortable emotions relating to the history and justification of the walls."
Pointing to the new, controversial design, Cochran added, "There is nothing 'strong' about a wall that incites racist rhetoric."
One professor agrees
One teacher, Media Studies professor Meredith Clark, echoed Cochran's remarks.
"I came here the day after [late Charlottesville counterprotester] Heather Heyer was killed," Clark said, "so that summer I was here while all of that was unfolding. It was definitely a vivid reminder of where I was, and the history that people want to make a current reality. That's the feeling I have when I pass those walls."
Clark added that the campus's serpentine walls make her sad.
"Sadness that the experience of my ancestors is being enslaved on this university's grounds and building it and the university still not doing, in my view, enough to pay reparations to the ancestors or the descendants of those ancestors."
Clark added that the school — and Nike — both overlooked people who might have "emotional connections" to the school's athletics logo.
“I'm sure that a lot of people just don't find [this] something to be upset about, and it's not so upsetting that it will keep me from doing a good job or for enjoying what I do or being at U.Va.," Clark added. “I do think it is serious that we acknowledge our complex history … and that we do our best to do that while upholding the values that we claim to profess. That is, to me, essential to being both good and great."


theblaze--2020-04-30--House Dems: Impeachment probe must go on ‘pandemic notwithstanding.’ Also House Dems: It’s not safe

House Dems: Impeachment probe must go on ‘pandemic notwithstanding.’ Also House Dems: It’s not safe to return to Congress.

House Dems : Impeachment probe must go on ‘ pandemic notwithstanding.
’ Also House Dems : It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ .

The House Judiciary Committee, led by chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), is pushing for the release of grand jury details from the Mueller investigation so that it can continue its never-ending impeachment probe of President Donald Trump — even during the coronavirus shutdown.
What's interesting is that the effort comes as House Democrats are delaying a return to Congress amid the pandemic, even while crucial legislation to bring relief to Americans negatively impacted by coronavirus-related shutdowns awaits negotiations.
What are the details?
Douglas Letter, the House attorney hand-picked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), submitted a request to the U.S. Court of Appeals Wednesday on behalf of the Judiciary Committee asking that the court order the release of secret grand jury details by the Friday deadline, CNN reported.
Such details are crucial for the Judiciary Committee's continued investigation into whether or not Trump obstructed the special counsel investigation, Letter argued in the court filing.
Forget the coronavirus: This investigation is "ongoing ... the current pandemic notwithstanding," Letter stated.
"As the Committee informed this Court in December, its investigation into President Trump's misconduct is ongoing, and the grand-jury material will inform its determination whether President Trump committed additional impeachable offenses in obstructing Special Counsel Mueller's investigation and whether to recommend new articles of impeachment," wrote Letter. "This remains true today. The current pandemic notwithstanding, the Committee's investigation is not 'dormant.'"
The Department of Justice has been holding onto the details until it can take the document dispute before the Supreme Court. Should the appeals court deny the Judiciary Committee's request and allow for the Supreme Court review, the court may not take up the case until August.
What else?
Though continued investigation into possible impeachment by Trump is deemed by House Democrats as too important to delay over the pandemic, negotiating relief for Americans hurt by the virus is evidently not.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told Fox News on Wednesday that it's time for Congress to get back to work, but that Speaker Pelosi "won't call us back."
"Farmers are planting crops, truckers are moving goods, grocers are stocking shelves, and front-line healthcare workers have never stopped working. They've been working every single day throughout this crisis but, somehow, the U.S. Congress can't come back to work," Jordan said.
Earlier this month, Congress extended its recess until May 4 due to safety concerns. But while the Republican-controlled Senate is scheduled to return, the Democrat-controlled House has reversed its plans.
"We have decided we will not come back next week, but we will come back very soon to pass the CARES 2 piece of legislation, and at that time we will be asking members to return to the Congress, to Washington," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters on a call Tuesday, according to CNN.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Joe Biden would keep US Embassy in Jerusalem even though he criticized Trump for the 'frivolous' mov

Joe Biden would keep US Embassy in Jerusalem even though he criticized Trump for the 'frivolous' move

Joe Biden would keep US Embassy in Jerusalem even though he criticized Trump for the 'frivolous ' move The Israeli @ @ @ @ @ projected on the walls of the ramparts of Jerusalem 's Old City to mark one @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 15 , 2019 .
( @ @ @ @ @ )

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he would keep the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, even though he also criticized President Donald Trump's decision to move it there as "frivolous" and "short-sighted," according to the Associated Press.
What's the story? In 2018, President Trump announced a decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move had been authorized by Congress more than two decades earlier, but no previous president wanted to pull the trigger on the change, fearing backlash in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Biden himself voted to authorize the move to Jerusalem in 1995 when he was a Democratic senator in Delaware.
What Biden said: Biden said Tuesday during a fundraising call that he would reopen a U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem to continue negotiations toward a two-state solution, and that he would not reverse Trump's decision on the embassy, although that doesn't mean he agrees with the move.
"Moving the embassy when we did without the conditions having been met was short-sighted and frivolous," the former vice president said. "It should have happened in the context of a larger deal to help us achieve important concessions for peace in the process.
"But now that it's done, I would not move the embassy back to Tel Aviv," Biden said.
Although he said he thinks Trump gave away leverage in peace negotiations, Biden said he would continue pursuing a two-state solution.
"I've been a proud supporter of a secure, democratic Jewish state of Israel my entire life," Biden said. "My administration will urge both sides to take steps to keep the prospect of a two-state solution alive."
What's going on in the region? The Trump administration said this week it is ready to recognize Israel's annexation of parts of the West Bank, while still urging negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
"As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel," a State Department spokesperson said, according to the Times of Israel.


theblaze--2020-04-30--'What is the f***ing deal with you and your hat?': In federal lawsuit former teacher alleges princip

'What is the f***ing deal with you and your hat?': In federal lawsuit former teacher alleges principal bullied him, denied his civil rights over MAGA hat

'What is the f***ing deal with you and your hat ? '
: In federal lawsuit former teacher alleges principal @ @ @ @ @ civil rights over MAGA hat Eric Dodge also claims his principal at the time berated @ @ @ @ @ ' 'bigot , ' 'homophobe , ' 'liar , ' and 'hateful person '

A former teacher from Washington state has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his principal at the time bullied him and denied his civil rights over his "Make America Great Again" hat, the iconic symbol of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.
What are the details?
Eric Dodge of Washougal named former Wy'east Middle School principal Caroline Garrett and Evergreen Public Schools human resources manager Janae Gomes in the complaint filed in United States District Court, the Columbian reported.
The complaint says Dodge suffered "emotional devastation" and a "recurrence of debilitating stroke symptoms" after being "verbally attacked and defamed by his new principal for the political opinions he held as a private citizen — specifically, statements in support of President Trump," the paper said, citing the complaint.
More from the Columbian on last August's turn of events:
The incident occurred over two days during a series of staff training sessions prior to the beginning of school, including a first-day session on implicit bias, diversity and racial equity, according to district documents. Dodge said in the complaint that he had the cap with him during those sessions but did not "wear or purposefully display" the hat inside either Wy'east or at a different training session the second day at Evergreen High School.
Public records obtained from the school district offer a more detailed timeline of events, including concerns expressed by multiple teachers about the hat, a district investigation that revealed no wrongdoing and, ultimately, Garrett's resignation from her position at the middle school.
Garrett did not respond to a request for comment, and Evergreen Public Schools declined to comment on the specific allegations in the lawsuit. The district does not comment on pending litigation.
Dodge suffered a stroke in 2017 and took a leave of absence, the paper said, adding that he was assigned to teach science for the 2019-2020 school year, which was a new position for him after 17 years in the school district.
The lawsuit states Dodge bought a MAGA hat as a "conversation-starter, with the idea of explaining that ordinary and normal people support Trump, despite some of Trump's flaws" and to protect his head from the sun, the Columbian said. On Aug. 22, Dodge arrived for racial equity training at the school and donned his MAGA hat on his way into the building and then removed it once he entered, the paper said.
Several teachers expressed concerns about Dodge bringing the hat to school — particularly to cultural diversity training — and noted that the school's Hispanic students might feel uncomfortable if Dodge wore the hat in class, the Columbian said, citing an investigation by Clear Risk Solutions, which the district uses for risk management services.
After the training session, Garrett allegedly asked Dodge about the hat, saying she wasn't concerned about his politics but about "the impact he was having on the learning environment of his colleagues," some of whom felt "worried, upset, threatened, and intimidated," the paper said, adding that she asked him to use "good judgment" regarding the MAGA hat and then left.
The investigation and lawsuit indicated the next day Dodge left his hat in his car when he went to Wy'east, the Columbian reported, but he wore the hat later in the day in the parking lot on his way to a training session at Evergreen High School.
According to the investigation, a teacher texted Garrett about Dodge's MAGA hat, and then she confronted him, the paper said.
'What is the f***ing deal with you and your hat?'
Dodge alleged Garrett became "aggressive and hostile," demanding to know "what is the f***ing deal with you and your hat?" the Columbian reported, adding that Dodge also claimed she berated him as a "racist," "bigot," "homophobe," "liar," and "hateful person."
"She attacked me and wanted to ruin my reputation at this new school, even though she had just met me and didn't know the first thing about me," Dodge said in reference to Garrett, according to Clark County Today.
But Garrett told investigators she simply noted to Dodge that other teachers were "offended, worried, and confused," and that she didn't want to see him wearing his MAGA hat any longer, the paper said. Garrett also denied calling Dodge a racist or a bigot and said she didn't remember raising her voice during the conversation, the Columbian added.
Dodge also alleged that his human resources complaint about the incident was handled in a "biased and unfair manner," the paper reported, adding that Dodge said the district asked him to withdraw the complaint but that he refused. The district then turned over the complaint to Clear Risk, the Columbian said.
More from the paper:
Investigators found that Dodge did not violate district policy by wearing the hat, and also found that Garrett's actions did not violate the district's harassment, bullying and intimidation policy. Dodge appealed the complaint to the district's board of directors.
The school board, again, found no violation of district policy, but asked Garrett to attend the next school board meeting to answer "outstanding questions about whether you conducted yourself in an appropriate or professional manner," according to a letter the district sent to Garrett.
At its Dec. 10 meeting, the school board met in executive session to discuss the performance of a public employee, an allowed exemption from the Open Public Meetings Act. Ten days later, Garrett, who was hired by the district in 2010, resigned effective April 2, but left her job immediately and took all her accrued vacation and sick leave leading up to the April resignation date, according to district records.
Garrett also received severance equal to her salary from April 2 through June 30. According to the district's salary schedule for principals, Garrett's base annual salary was $150,170.
Dodge is seeking lost wages and emotional damages, the Columbian said, adding that one of his attorneys, Michael Estok, described the events as "textbook violations" of harassment, intimidation, and bullying policies. Dodge also is seeking a declaration that defendants have committed the "above violations of plaintiff's civil rights," the Clark County Today noted.
Anything else?
Estok also stated that "this attack was particularly devastating because Mr. Dodge had just returned to working after an absence to rehabilitate from a stroke. The hostile environment created by the principal caused his previously-resolved stroke symptoms to immediately return. These symptoms — including a verbal stutter and a loss in coordination — have now made Mr. Dodge unable to teach or continue his livelihood. Even worse, when Mr. Dodge filed an internal complaint, the principal — who had a well-established practice of pushing her own political ideology at the school and creating a double standard with her staff based on their political beliefs — worked in concert with the district's HR director to minimize and distort what had happened, in an effort to protect the principal's position and to further harm Mr. Dodge," the Clark County Today reported.
More from Estok:
"Ultimately, this is not a case about politics. Regardless of which candidate or party you might support, the key point is that you have a right to support them. You should not be shut out of public service simply because your boss supports someone else. This case is also about civility. People need to 'agree to disagree' in a civil way, especially in the workplace. Nobody should be attacked, defamed, and humiliated by their boss based solely on their political beliefs, whether conservative or progressive. That's not what America is all about."
As TheBlaze has reported, some leftists lose their minds at the sight of MAGA hats. The red headgear can be particularly problematic at public schools and colleges.
To wit:
... and on, and on, and on.
(H/T: EAG News)


theblaze--2020-04-30--Kim Jong Un may be at coastal resort compound, according to satellite images of luxury boats

Kim Jong Un may be at coastal resort compound , according to satellite images of luxury boats Where in the @ @ @ @ @ ?

Kim Jong Un has not been seen for several weeks, which has ignited rumors that the North Korean leader is gravely ill or possibly dead. New satellite images of luxury boats pose the possibility that Kim is at his beachside resort compound on the country's east coast.
North Korean-monitoring website NK Pro reported that luxury boats often used by Kim have been spotted at his coastal resort compound near Wonsan. Satellite images show that Kim's 95-foot Princess 95MY luxury yacht at the beachfront compound. The vessel was made by British-based Princess Yachts and was valued at $7 million in 2013.
Kim's seaside compound in Wonsan features a private beach, nine large guest villas, recreation center, basketball court, a shooting range, a horse riding track, a boathouse, and it's own train station. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman stayed at the Wonsan resort when he visited Kim in 2013.
"It's one of his favorite houses," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Stimson Center.
Madden told Reuters that Kim has about 13 significant compounds around the country, but only uses half of them.
"All of them are set up to serve as the leader's headquarters, so they are all equipped for him to run the country," Madden said.
Last week, satellite images revealed a train likely belonging to Kim was also at the Wonsan compound in recent weeks. On April 21 and 23, satellite images showed the 820-foot-long train at the Wonsan compound's train station.
"The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," wrote 38 North, a website "devoted to analysis about North Korea."
Kim's last confirmed public appearance was on April 11, when he was at a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party committee of policymakers.
Kim, 36, was noticeably missing from The Day of the Sun celebrations on April 15. The celebration, which is North Korea's most important holiday, commemorates the birthday of the nation's first leader Kim Il-Sung, who is Kim Jong Un's grandfather.
Kim did not make any speeches or appearances during the 88th anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on April 25.
South Korean and U.S. officials say the leader of the hermit kingdom is alive, and may be in isolation to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. However, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he would "be shocked" if the North Korean dictator is not dead or medically incapacitated.


theblaze--2020-04-30--NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio now sorry after singling out Jewish community in Brooklyn amid COVID-crisis

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) says that he's sorry for singling out the Jewish community in a previous warning against spreading COVID-19.
What was his warning?
The mayor blasted mass gatherings across the city over the last week, and specifically pointed to a Jewish funeral that took place Tuesday night and saw at least hundreds of Hasidic Jews take to the streets to mourn Rabbi Chaim Maertz, who died of the coronavirus.
New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea later said that the crowd grew to include "several thousand people."
What's this apology all about?
In a Wednesday news conference, de Blasio said, "If in my passion and in my emotion, I said something that in any way was hurtful, I'm sorry about that. That was not my intention. But I also want to be clear: I have no regrets about calling out this danger and saying we're going to deal with it very, very aggressively."
Initially, de Blasio tweeted, "Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic. When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus."
He later added, "My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period."
He concluded, "We have lost so many these last two months + I understand the instinct to gather to mourn. But large gatherings will only lead to more deaths + more families in mourning. We will not allow this. I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance."
The mayor drew the ire of many for singling out the community, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and more.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Experts surprised to find no evidence of COVID-19 spike from Wisconsin's in-person voting

Experts surprised to find no evidence of COVID-19 spike from Wisconsin 's in-person voting

Among the many stories peddled by Democrats and their allies in the media about how Republicans supposedly want people to die from the coronavirus, perhaps none have been more prominent than the in-person election held April 7 in Wisconsin. Experts confidently predicted that the election would lead to a spike in coronavirus-related deaths.
Democratic strategist James Carville actually said that "Republicans will literally kill people to stay in power," and he was not alone. The internet was virtually flooded with hot-take think pieces from liberals confidently predicting that Republicans would be held accountable for killing people by requiring them to show up and vote.
Wisconsin's struggle with what to do about its elections was perhaps the most high-profile one in the country, for a number of reasons. It was the last seriously contested Democratic presidential primary, as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out after losing the state handily to former Vice President Joe Biden. There was also a hotly contested Supreme Court race on the ballot.
As late as April 2, Gov. Tony Evers (D), backed by Biden, supported holding the election in person as Wisconsin law requires. However, on April 3, Evers changed his mind and asked for the legislature to quickly amend Wisconsin law to allow all voters to vote by mail. The Wisconsin Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, refused to rush such a last-minute change into law, and thus the media was given a "Republicans are literally killing people" narrative.
There's one major problem with that narrative: The in-person voting does not appear to have killed anyone. The state of Wisconsin could identify only about two dozen in-person voters who were infected with coronavirus, and it was impossible to prove that even those people got the virus from voting in person, as opposed to any other method.
"With the data we have, we can't prove an association," said the head of the state's Department of Health Services, according to National Review.
Even left-leaning fact-checking organization Politifact rated a Democratic state senator's claim that in-person voting caused a spike in COVID-19 cases as "false."
Oguzhan Alagoz, an infectious disease modeling expert at the University of Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "I don't think that the in-person election led to a major effect, to my surprise. I expected it."
Which might lead some to wonder what else the infectious disease modeling experts will be surprised by when the economy reopens across most of the country in the coming weeks.


theblaze--2020-04-30--University of Delaware board members who refuse to release Joe Biden's Senate records have close fin

University of Delaware board members who refuse to release Joe Biden's Senate records have close financial ties with him: report

University of Delaware board members who refuse to release Joe Biden 's Senate records have close financial ties with him @ @

Several top officials sitting on the University of Delaware board — which is currently keeping Joe Biden's Senate records secret despite previously promising to release them — have close personal and financial ties to the former vice president, Fox News reported Thursday.
John Cochran, the chairman of the board and longtime Biden donor, even paid "top dollar" for Biden's house in 1996, reportedly paying $1.2 million despite it not being in great condition.
What's the background?
In 2012, Biden delivered 1,875 boxes of "photographs, documents, videotapes, and files" and 415 gigabytes of electronic records to his alma mater, the University of Delaware. The records spanned his 36-year Senate career. At that time, the university said it planned to make the papers publicly available "two years after Biden's last day in elected public office." That would have been January 2019, but the day before Biden announced his presidential campaign, the board changed the timetable.
The records have still not been released, and that fact is more pertinent now than ever due to recent sexual assault allegations against Biden by former congressional aide, Tara Reade. Reade alleges that Biden assaulted her in 1993, forcibly penetrating her with his fingers after she was asked to bring the then-Delaware senator his gym bag.
Reade claims that she filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Senate in 1993. She also says that she told three other staffers more generally about Biden's harassment, though not about the specific assault. Many believe that Biden's Senate records could confirm whether those claims are truthful.
As pressure mounts for Biden to address the allegations, this week, both The Atlantic and the Washington Post joined the calls for Biden to instruct the board to release the records.
What are the details?
The board has come under increased scrutiny since the allegations resurfaced, as well. Now it appears that several members have close ties with the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Shortly after Biden's house was purchased by Cochran for the full asking price, MBNA, a financial services company where Cochran worked, hired Hunter Biden into a lucrative management-prep role.
According to Fox News, "As Hunter cashed the checks, Biden was pushing successfully on the Senate floor for legislation that would make it harder for consumers to file for bankruptcy protection — benefiting companies like MBNA."
Several others on the board have a history of donating large sums of money to Biden's political campaigns.
Here's more from the Fox News report:
The Biden campaign has denied the allegations, but Biden himself has yet to face a single question on the matter.


theblaze--2020-04-30--Several weeks into a deadly infectious disease pandemic, NY Gov. Cuomo finally asks for NYC's subway

Several weeks into a deadly infectious disease pandemic, NY Gov. Cuomo finally asks for NYC's subways to be cleaned every night

Several weeks into a deadly infectious disease pandemic , NY Gov .
Cuomo finally asks for NYC 's subways to @ @ @ @

New York City has been on lockdown since March 23, a span of over five weeks. During that time, the city has taken a number of increasingly harsh measures to ensure that its population maintains social distancing, even encouraging residents to snitch on one another if they are caught in groups of larger than 10. Churches and synagogues have been subjected to increased scrutiny and even public criticism from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
One major sector of the city, however, has been allowed to continue to run in spite of the fact that it, of necessity, places people within six feet of each other: the New York City subway system.
Over two weeks ago, a study published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claimed that New York City's subways and MTA buses were a "major disseminator" of the coronavirus, and even went so far as to say, "New York City's multitentacled subway system was a major disseminator — if not the principal transmission vehicle — of coronavirus infection during the initial takeoff of the massive epidemic."
Still, rather than take measures to shut down access to the subway system or otherwise ensure that it does not function as an obvious transmission hotspot for COVID-19, New York City has actually allowed the subway system to degenerate into a shantytown for the homeless during the coronavirus crisis.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) finally addressed the situation after a video taken by an MTA worker showed the deplorable sanitation conditions on the NYC subway, calling the situation "disrespectful" to essential MTA workers.
According to the New York Post, de Blasio "relented to days of pressure" on Tuesday and "announced plans to flood end-of-line-stations with cops and outreach workers every night."
The MTA also announced that it was banning shopping carts and would no longer allow riders to spend more than one hour on platforms.
On Wednesday, Cuomo finally called for action that might have been an obvious ask several weeks ago: cleaning subway cars every night.
During his Wednesday news conference, Gov. Cuomo stated that he wanted the MTA to present him a plan for nightly cleanings by the next day.
"Any essential worker who shows up and gets on a train should know that that train was disinfected the night before," Cuomo said. "... Letting them endanger their own life and endanger the lives of others is not helping anyone."
When asked whether the state government would pay for the tests, Cuomo responded with something that might be considered an affirmative.
"It's realistic. It's an essential," he said. "How realistic is it? What's the alternative?"


theblaze--2020-04-30--Veterans hospital under fire for flash mob dance video with staff ignoring social distancing

Veterans hospital under fire for flash mob dance video with staff ignoring social distancing 'Too many people in the room @

A Veterans Affairs hospital is promising to re-establish the need for social distancing after its staff recorded a flash mob dance video in which the staff members violated the guidelines both in number and in proximity, the Oregonian reported.
What's this about? At least 16 staff members at the VA hospital in Roseburg, Oregon—including the hospital director—participated in a flash mob dancing video, which was obtained by the Oregonian and published on April 25.
Roseburg VA director's coronavirus dance party youtu.be
The video was presented as a "Director's Update" featuring hospital director Keith Allen, who starts off the video by dancing into the room to the song "Sweet Caroline."
As the video goes on, more and more staffers join in, until one person finally realized "there's too many people in the room" after a few minutes.
The backlash: Allen and the hospital were criticized for appearing to not take the COVID-19 outbreak as seriously as they should be. From the Oregonian:
"It just seems like they're not taking it seriously," said one VA employee, who is not being identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media. "We have veterans that are dying and we know the best thing we can do is these behavioral interventions and social distancing.
"I understand this is a rural county and it's not spreading fast, but this is how it spreads."
An Oregon congressman was also critical of the video.
"Director Allen's actions were totally inappropriate, especially in a healthcare setting and especially given the numerous veterans with underlying health conditions," U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D) told the Oregonian in a statement.
Making some changes: In response to the anger, a hospital spokesperson explained that while the video was made in an administrative area of the hospital, and that all participants had been screened according to federal guidelines, they would do better about social distancing going forward.
"VA realizes the importance of social distancing during this national emergency and will reiterate that to all employees involved," spokesman Tim Parish wrote in a statement.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Planned Parenthood gets a nod for their 'courage' from Donald Trump Jr after issuing statement on B

Planned Parenthood gets a nod for their 'courage' from Donald Trump Jr after issuing statement on Biden sexual assault claim

Planned Parenthood gets a nod for their 'courage ' from Donald Trump Jr after issuing statement on Biden sexual assault @ @ @ @ @ called out for remaining silent on the allegation against the Democratic presidential candidate

After weeks of prominent women's groups remaining quiet about a sexual assault claim against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Planned Parenthood issued a statement addressing the issue — and Donald Trump Jr. praised them for having the "courage" to do what others did not.
What are the details?
On Wednesday, left-leaning outlet the Daily Beast reported that it reached out to 10 of the top pro-woman (pro-abortion) groups in the nation, requesting comment regarding the allegation that Biden sexually assaulted former Senate aide Tara Reade in 1993.
According to The Beast, most of the "Democrat-aligned" groups "did not respond" to its request, while "others replied and did not provide a statement."
But on Thursday, Planned Parenthood did provide a statement to the outlet. Reporter Hanna Trudo, who wrote the original story, tweeted, "NEW: After we reported silence from nearly a dozen prominent women's groups on Tara Reade's allegation against @JoeBiden, Planned Parenthood's president released a statement: 'we believe survivors—and saying we believe survivors doesn't mean only when it's politically convenient.'"
Trudo added, "@PPact's President @alexismcgill continues: "Our country is hungry for leadership on this issue & now is the time to give it to them. @JoeBiden must address this allegation directly.'"
Donald Trump Jr. reacted to the post on Twitter, writing, "Planned Parenthood just did what the following people didn't have the courage to do: Nancy Pelosi, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Gretchen Whitmer, Amy Klobuchar & Crooked Hillary."
Every individual named by Trump has been criticized for saying they believe Joe Biden over Tara Reade, despite the fact that Reade has provided more corroborating evidence for her claim against Biden than the accusations thrown at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings. Each of those women said they believed Kavanaugh's accuser.
Anything else?
Planned Parenthood released its statement Thursday after it was announced that Biden would finally be addressing the sexual assault claim against him on Friday morning.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Owner reopens wine bar and dares Los Angeles officials to arrest him — authorities threaten to shut

Owner reopens wine bar and dares Los Angeles officials to arrest him — authorities threaten to shut him down 'Unless @ @ @ @ @ me to jail , I will NOT close '

The owner of a wine bar in California dared officials to arrest him after he defied social distancing rules to reopen his business, and authorities responded very sternly soon after his story hit the local news.
Joseph Tahanians told Bill Melugin of FOX 11 Los Angeles that authorities would have to take drastic measures to keep him from reopening his business, The Wine Cave, in Montrose, California.
"Unless they handcuff me and take me to jail, I will NOT close," said Tahanians.
He said that he is losing money every day and if he doesn't open he'll have to shut down his business permanently.
"I haven't received any grants, I haven't received any PPP loans they were supposed to give us," he added.
He urged other businesses to join in his protest according to the original report. But days later, he backed down after local authorities threatened to shut him down.
According to Melugin, Tahanians said authorities threatened to pull his business license and his liquor license if he kept his business open.
He said that he fears his business is doomed whether it defies the order or not.
Here's a local video about the defiant business:


theblaze--2020-05-01--VIDEO: Nancy Pelosi snaps at reporter when confronted about sexual assault accusations against Joe B

VIDEO: Nancy Pelosi snaps at reporter when confronted about sexual assault accusations against Joe Biden

VIDEO : Nancy Pelosi snaps at reporter when confronted about sexual assault accusations against Joe Biden

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) snapped at a reporter when she was pressed about Democrats' hypocrisy in relation to the sexual assault accusations against presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Kerry Picket of the Washington Examiner wasn't given the chance to ask her question before Pelosi interrupted during a media briefing Thursday.
"How do Democrats square with the idea that, they're essentially, they're standing by Biden but they're using a comparatively different standard with Kavanaugh," asked Picket, "when you demanded an investigation on Justice Kavanaugh, when a very similar allegation came out on him..."
"Let me just say, I respect your question," Pelosi said, interrupting the question.
"And I don't need a lecture or a speech. Here's the thing, I have complete respect for the whole #MeToo movement—I have four daughters and one son. And uh, there is a lot of excitement around the idea that women will be heard and be listened to," she continued.
"There is also due process, and the fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden," Pelosi said.
"Uh, there's been statements from his campaign, or not his campaign, but his former employees who ran his offices and the rest, that there was never any record of this, there was never any record," she argued.
Pelosi went on to claim that the happiest day for her in the week was when she endorsed Joe Biden for president.
Critics have pointed out that Democrats had a much tougher standard when decrying allegations against their political opponents as compared to those against their own political party leaders.
Biden is expected to break his silence about the allegations on Friday on MSNBC after getting a pass from the media for 19 interviews on the damaging story.
Here's the video of Pelosi's comments:


theblaze--2020-05-01--Five major U.S. airlines to require all passengers to wear masks

Five of America's largest airlines announced this week that they will require all passengers to wear masks during travel, as pressure mounts from unions and Senate Democrats for the federal government to issue a mandate requiring that facial coverings be worn by everyone on any U.S. flight.
What are the details?
As many states start to reopen for business and travel following weeks of coronavirus lockdowns, carriers are implementing social distancing and safety measures as Americans begin returning to the skies.
ABC News reported that on Monday, JetBlue became the first major airline in the U.S. to announce all its passengers "must wear a covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey...including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning."
On Thursday, Delta, American, United, and Frontier airlines all joined JetBlue in implementing separate policies requiring passengers to wear masks. According to Politico, "so far, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is the lone holdout among the nation's biggest airlines."
In a separate report, ABC News noted that Democratic Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) on Wednesday "sent a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging them to 'immediately issue a rule requiring face masks for all individuals engaged in air travel."
Sen. Markey tweeted Thursday, "Every person who flies during #COVID19 should be *required* to wear a face mask during the flight. We cannot rely on individual airlines' policies. @SenBlumenthal and I are demanding the Trump admin issue a nationwide rule to protect the crew, passengers, and the public."


theblaze--2020-05-01--Ilhan Omar pulled off 'worst string of felonies committed by a Congressperson in US history': David

Ilhan Omar pulled off 'worst string of felonies committed by a Congressperson in US history': David Steinberg

Ilhan Omar pulled off 'worst string of felonies committed by a Congressperson in US history ' : David Steinberg

The media has buried some big stories, but nothing compares to what they're doing with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). But one reporter has never stopped looking into what no one else seems to want to touch: the facts.
PJ Media journalist David Steinberg is writing a series of exclusive stories for TheBlaze.com called "The Case Against Ilhan Omar." He joined Glenn Beck on the radio program to talk about part one of his series, which he said provides verifiable evidence that Omar committed multiple felonies. Not only did she commit marriage fraud by marrying her brother, but within that relationship she also committed immigration fraud, student loan fraud, and tax fraud.
In this clip, Steinberg lays out the case and the evidence that makes it pretty hard for the Minnesota congresswoman to deny committing what he called "the worst string of felonies committed by a congressperson in U.S. history."
Watch the video below for more details:
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theblaze--2020-05-02--'Reopen Cali now!': Thousands rally at Huntington Beach to protest Gov. Newsom's lockdown

'Reopen Cali now ! '
: Thousands rally at Huntington Beach to protest Gov .
Newsom 's lockdown The demonstration @ @ @ @ @ shutting down all Orange County beaches

A crowd estimated to be thousands strong gathered in Huntington Beach, California, on Friday, protesting the state's ongoing economic shutdown amid the coronavirus crisis.
What are the details?
The demonstration was held the day after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered all beaches in Orange County to close and the Huntington Beach City Council reacted by voting to direct the city attorney to pursue legal action to challenge the governor's mandate.
But Friday's event was organized by a group called We Have Rights prior to the governor's controversial and targeted directive on beaches, and protestors made it clear they want the state back in business.
One protestor photographed by AFP carried a sign that read: "CA ECONOMY DIES FROM COVID-19."
According to the Los Angeles Times, another demonstrator carried a sign that read, "Reopen Cali Now!" and a banner was flown overhead with the message, "FIRE GRUESOME NEWSOM! OPEN CALIFORNIA!"
One of the organizers, Tiffany Garcia, told the newspaper, "We are moving to fully reopen CA now. Our First Amendment rights are being trampled on completely and we aren't going to stand it anymore. People work their whole lives for their business and they are losing their businesses in a month."
Huntington Police Chief Robert Handy told KTLA-TV that he estimated the crowd to be around 2,500 to 3,000 strong.
KNBC-TV shared footage of the protest on Twitter, reporting that "police and sheriff's deputies on horseback, on foot and on motorcycles set up skirmish lines to keep protestors out of the street in front of the Huntington Beach Pier, where thousands have amassed to rally against the governor's closure of OC beaches."


theblaze--2020-05-01--Mark Levin BLASTS Cuomo for putting COVID patients in NY nursing homes, blaming Trump for thousands

Mark Levin BLASTS Cuomo for putting COVID patients in NY nursing homes, blaming Trump for thousands dead

Mark Levin BLASTS Cuomo for putting COVID patients in NY nursing homes , blaming Trump for thousands dead

BlazeTV host Mark Levin ripped into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for directing COVID-19 positive patients to be sent to nursing homes and senior facilities, then blaming the deaths of thousands of his state's senior citizens on President Donald Trump.
"On March 25th, New York Governor Cuomo issued an advisory for hospitals ... to discharge elderly patients with COVID-19 back to nursing homes," Levin said. "You had that situation, plus you had individuals who were not initially residents being moved into these nursing homes. According to the New York Times's latest analysis of the coronavirus, the disease has plagued nursing home and elderly care facilities in a disproportionate manner, killing upwards of 10,500 residents."
"At a briefing this past Monday, when Cuomo was asked about admitting coronavirus patients to nursing homes, he claimed he was unaware of New York's rule, which is a flat out lie. The rule came from him," he added.
Watch the video below to hear more from "the Great One":
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theblaze--2020-05-01--Democrat state lawmaker defies Gov. Whitmer, will vote with Republicans to reopen Michigan

Democrat state lawmaker defies Gov .
Whitmer , will vote with Republicans to reopen Michigan Whitsett 's vote is even @ @ @ @ @ caught and beat coronavirus

Michigan Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) joined the voices opposing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's shutdown order and announced that she would voting with Republicans to end the lockdown.
Whitsett spoke on the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" on Friday about her vote to open up the state.
"We have to celebrate the victories, do we still need testing? Yeah, we still need it," said Whitsett, speaking about coronavirus.
"Am I voting to support us opening up our state, yes I am voting to support us opening up our state because I do feel that there's too much power given to the governor right now and it's not being used properly," she continued.
"But where it needs to be handled and dealt with down in my city," Whitsett explained, "you guys are helping to make that impact, you're making the difference, you're making the change, it's people that is doing this, it's not the people and the politicians that are making the difference..."
"That's always, that's always the case!" agreed Beck. "I know the American people, when they see a need, they will fill it."
Whitsett had previously made headlines when the Democratic party voted to censure her over her support of President Donald Trump after she was saved from coronavirus by taking hydroxychloroquine based on his recommendation.
"[A]s long as you [Whitmer] are not doing your job, and black lives are being lost in the city of Detroit, I will continue to throw you under the bus, drive it over you, and drag you by your hair behind the bus. Because you need to do your job!" she said on Beck's radio show at the time.
Detroit has been one of the hotspots for coronavirus. Michigan has documented more than 42,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, and 3,866 deaths.
Here's the video of Whitsett's comments:


theblaze--2020-05-01--MSNBC host on Tara Reade allegation: 'The right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden'

MSNBC host on Tara Reade allegation : 'The right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden' Nicolle Wallace is @ @ @ @ @ refused to ask Biden about the claim since it came to light

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appeared on MSNBC on Friday morning to deny a 1993 sexual assault allegation leveled against him by former Senate aide Tara Reade after several weeks of silence on the issue.
By the afternoon, host Nicolle Wallace told viewers that Republicans are not really interested in whether Reade's claim against the former vice president is true, and that "the right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden."
What are the details?
Reacting to Biden's denial from earlier in the day, Wallace said, "Let me just say this to you having once been a part of the Republican Party: The right isn't running an intellectually honest operation to get to the bottom of whether Tara Reade was victimized. The right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden."
"The right wants to create some sort of equal playing field on which [President] Donald Trump's more than two dozen, or nearly two dozen accusers sort of have some company on the other side," Wallace asserted.
She added, "The right is not running the same operation that the Democrats are running, which is to try to...have some consistency around statements that I think just about every elected Democrat has made about women in the context of the #MeToo movement."
Nicolle Wallace: Conservatives Are Using Tara Read to Run a 'Smear Campaign' Against Joe Biden www.youtube.com
President Trump has been accused of several instances of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, and former Vice President Biden has been accused of several instances of inappropriately touching and kissing women prior to the sexual assault claim by Reade.
Wallace has been a consistent critic of President Trump, and was one of several interviewers who refused to ask Biden about Reade's allegations during his on-air appearances since the sexual assault claim was brought to light in March.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Don Trump Jr. says recently released FBI notes prove General Flynn's investigation was a sham

`` The only objective they had no interest in was the TRUTH ''

I just fell in love with Don Jr. all over again! When you think you have seen it all, Don Jr. comes in and blows your mind with his take on the most corrupt FBI investigation of our lifetime.
Recently released FBI documents from the investigation into General Michael Flynn raised more suspicion that Russia Russia Russia was a complete pile of horse excrement.
After reviewing the documents, Don Jr spilled it, voicing how he feels about the way Flynn was treated on Steven Crowder's #MUGCLUBQUARANTINE Finale Livestream, Thursday.
"The only objective they had no interest in was the TRUTH," Don Jr. asserted.
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theblaze--2020-05-01--FX/Hulu exposed: ‘Mrs. America’ producers completely fabricated scene to make Phyllis Schlafly look

FX/Hulu exposed: ‘Mrs. America’ producers completely fabricated scene to make Phyllis Schlafly look bad

Ever since the new FX series , '' Mrs. America , '' debuted on Hulu , conservatives have braced themselves for Hollywood 's revisionist attempt to rewrite the history of conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly 's successful fight against the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s .
Perhaps the most egregious fabrication came in episode 5 of the series , titled , `` Phyllis & Fred & Brenda & Marc , '' which aired this week .
The episode portrayed the real-life televised debate between Fred and Phyllis Schlafly and women 's liberation movement proponents Marc and Brenda Feigen-Fasteau in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Tomorrow Show hosted by Tom Snyder .
What are the details ?
During the episode , Schlafly , played by Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett , is presented as an incompetent shill who does n't know her stuff and needs to lie in order to prove her point .
Her feminist opponents , on the other hand , are presented as eminently competent debaters who wittingly call out Schalfly on her lies .
Here 's the upshot : Is that it is clear from the episode that the producers and writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moments from the debate to inspire scenes in the episode — only they completely flipped the script .
In fact , FX and Hulu even go as far as to portray Schlafly making up lies on the spot , but archived footage of the actual debate shows that it was Fasteau who got caught inventing things to support her position .
Fortunately , the Eagle Forum , a conservative interest group founded by Schlafly in 1972 and now led by Ed Martin , has been fact-checking the series and has access to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hulu series portrays a segment of the debate where Snyder asks Schlafly about the dangers of the ERA .
In the show , Schlafly seems ill-prepared to answer the question and takes some prodding before reciting some of her positions .
But in the actual debate , Schlafly rattles off her criticisms of the ERA without pause and with confidence .
In a different scene from the show , Schlafly mentions a court case where a father was granted custody of three children rather than the mother , who was then ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she could n't recall the name of the case and it appeared that she may have invented it to prove her point .
In reality , something very similar did happen , only it was Fasteau who appeared to have made the error .
Archive footage shows Fasteau claiming that lending institutions would not approve women for loans unless she could prove she had been sterilized ( deprived of the ability to have children ) .
After she made the claim , Fred Schlafly — and even the host , Tom Snyder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name the bank and shaming her for making what they perceived to be an inaccurate claim .
Martin laid into the show producers and writers in a statement after the episode .
`` It was clear from the outset that 'Mrs .
America ' producers and writers are clearly pro-ERA and anti-Phyllis , but their latest episode sank to new lows , '' Martin said .
`` It 's crystal clear from the show 's dialogue that the writers have watched not only the original Schlafly-Fasteau debate but also many other interviews with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` What they chose to depict on screen was a pure fabrication of flip-flopped dynamics , out-of-context lines ( from separate interviews entirely ) , and completely made-up dialogue .
`` It 's obviously not just shoddy research — it is clearly a blatant effort to mislead viewers , '' he added .

Ever since the new FX series,"Mrs. America," debuted on Hulu, conservatives have braced themselves for Hollywood's revisionist attempt to rewrite the history of conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly's successful fight against the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s.
Perhaps the most egregious fabrication came in episode 5 of the series, titled, "Phyllis & Fred & Brenda & Marc," which aired this week. The episode portrayed the real-life televised debate between Fred and Phyllis Schlafly and women's liberation movement proponents Marc and Brenda Feigen-Fasteau in an April 30, 1973, broadcast of "The Tomorrow Show," hosted by Tom Snyder.
What are the details?
During the episode, Schlafly, played by Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett, is presented as an incompetent shill who doesn't know her stuff and needs to lie in order to prove her point.
Her feminist opponents, on the other hand, are presented as eminently competent debaters who wittingly call out Schalfly on her lies.
Here's the upshot: It is clear from the episode that the producers and writers watched the debate because they used real moments from the debate to inspire scenes in the episode — only they completely flipped the script.
In fact, FX and Hulu even go as far as to portray Schlafly making up lies on the spot, but archived footage of the actual debate shows that it was Fasteau who got caught inventing things to support her position.
Fortunately, the Eagle Forum, a conservative interest group founded by Schlafly in 1972 and now led by Ed Martin, has been fact-checking the series and has access to that footage:
Fact Check: Mrs. America Fabricates Schlafly vs Fasteau ERA Debate youtu.be
In one scene, the Hulu series portrays a segment of the debate where Snyder asks Schlafly about the dangers of the ERA. In the show, Schlafly seems ill-prepared to answer the question and takes some prodding before reciting some of her positions. But in the actual debate, Schlafly rattles off her criticisms of the ERA without pause and with confidence.
In a different scene from the show, Schlafly mentions a court case where a father was granted custody of three children rather than the mother, who was then ordered to pay child support. But when pressed, she couldn't recall the name of the case and it appeared that she may have invented it to prove her point. In reality, something very similar did happen, only it was Fasteau who appeared to have made the error.
Archive footage shows Fasteau claiming that lending institutions would not approve women for loans unless she could prove she had been sterilized (deprived of the ability to have children). After she made the claim, Fred Schlafly — and even the host, Tom Snyder — pounced on Fasteau demanding that she name the bank and shaming her for making what they perceived to be an inaccurate claim.
'Blatant effort to mislead viewers'
Martin laid into the show producers and writers in a statement after the episode.
"It was clear from the outset that 'Mrs. America' producers and writers are clearly pro-ERA and anti-Phyllis, but their latest episode sank to new lows," Martin said.
"It's crystal clear from the show's dialogue that the writers have watched not only the original Schlafly-Fasteau debate but also many other interviews with Fred and Phyllis!" he continued. "What they chose to depict on screen was a pure fabrication of flip-flopped dynamics, out-of-context lines (from separate interviews entirely), and completely made-up dialogue.
"It's obviously not just shoddy research — it is clearly a blatant effort to mislead viewers," he added.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Thousands of ineligible foreign workers — some no longer in the US — have gotten coronavirus stimulu

Thousands of ineligible foreign workers — some no longer in the US — have gotten coronavirus stimulus checks A letter @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump was sent to people who received a coronavirus economic stimulus payment as @ @ @ @ @ April 29 , 2020 in Washington , D.C. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images )

Thousands of foreign workers, many of whom don't even live in the United States anymore, received the coronavirus economic stimulus payments from the federal government this month even though they were not technically eligible, Politico reported.
Temporary foreign workers, such as students on F-1 or J-1 visas, may have received the payments due to an error in how they filed their taxes — an error the Internal Revenue Service apparently did not catch in its rush to get stimulus payments out to American individuals and families.
The incorrect payments were likely distributed to thousands of foreigners in April, said Donna Kepley, president of the tax firm Arctic International who has spoken with dozens of clients over the past two weeks. The error stems from a common tax-filing blunder, particularly for those on F-1 student and J-1 exchange visas. These workers, studying at universities and working summer jobs, often turn to TurboTax and other e-filing systems without knowing that the systems are designed only for U.S. residents.
As a result, many temporary foreign workers each year file the wrong tax forms. The IRS rarely catches the error because nonimmigrant workers' Social Security numbers have the same number of digits as those of U.S. citizens, and therefore appear to be identical, accountants say.
Some who received mistaken payments have tried without success to contact the IRS about what to do, because they don't want to face consequences down the road for accepting money they should not have. Some fear they could be banned from getting a visa or deported if they don't return the money.
This isn't the first error involving the stimulus payments. There have been reports of numerous dead people getting stimulus checks, because they are sent out based on 2018 tax filings if a person or family hasn't yet filed for 2019. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has urged relatives to return payments sent to deceased loved ones.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Survey finds 57% of Democrats don't want to reopen the economy for another six weeks or even longer

Survey finds 57 % of Democrats do n't want to reopen the economy for another six weeks or even longer @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans said the federal government was `` reacting about right '' in its COVID-19 @

A nationwide survey found that a majority of Democrats don't want to reopen the economy for another six weeks or even longer.
The Network Science Institute of Northeastern University, the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy of Harvard University, and the School of Communication & Information at Rutgers University polled 22,912 individuals across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, from April 17-26.
The focus of the poll was to find out the opinions of Americans on how the COVID-19 pandemic is being handled as well as when the coronavirus recovery should happen.
The survey discovered that 57% of Democrats don't want to reopen the U.S. economy for six weeks or longer. Specifically, 22% want to reopen the economy in six to eight weeks, and 35% of Democrats don't want to reopen the economy until after eight weeks, which would keep "nonessential" businesses shuttered well into the summer.
Conversely, 16% of Republicans are in favor of keeping the economy closed for at least eight weeks, and 13% of Republicans want to reopen the economy in six to eight weeks. The median Republican wants to reopen the economy in two to four weeks, and the median Democrat wants to wait six to eight weeks.
The survey found that 93% of respondents did not want to reopen the economy immediately, and more than 80% of Americans supported closing nonessential businesses.
People from Wisconsin (25%), Michigan (24%), and Wyoming (22%) had the highest rates of dissatisfaction with their state governments being overbearing during the coronavirus pandemic and said the states were "overreacting to the outbreak."
The poll found that hospitals and doctors were the most trusted entity regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, with 96% trusting them "a lot" or "some." Participants in the study said scientists and researchers were the second-most reliable source for coronavirus information, with 93% trusting them "a lot" or "some," followed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 88%.
The survey found that 73% of Republicans said that the federal government was "reacting about right" in its response to the COVID-19 outbreak vs. 63% of Democrats who said the federal government was "not taking the outbreak seriously enough."


theblaze--2020-05-01--Intruders break through back door of home before dawn — and then say good morning to homeowner's sho

Intruders break through back door of home before dawn — and then say good morning to homeowner's shotgun

Intruders break through back door of home before dawn — and then say good morning to homeowner 's shotgun

An Oklahoma homeowner told the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office he was awakened by a window breaking at his residence in the Pumpkin Hollow area before dawn last Friday — and so he made sure his shotgun was at the ready.
Soon two males he didn't know were breaking through his back door, authorities said — and with that the homeowner called 911, confronted the pair, and fired his shotgun at them.
Leaving so soon?
Perhaps they experienced a sudden hankerin' for breakfast, because at that moment they immediately fled the scene, authorities said.
Sheriff Jason Chennault and a deputy responded to the incident around 5:15 a.m. and found the suspects' vehicle parked in the house's yard, the sheriff's office said. Turns out it was loaded with items stolen from the property's outbuildings.
The sheriff and deputy then noticed a trail of footprints in the wet grass headed away from the house — and with that another deputy and his K-9 partner Lucas were called to the scene, the sheriff's office said.
Lucas always gets his man
Lucas tracked the suspects' trail to a dirt road where it appeared they met another vehicle, authorities said. But soon — with the help of a deputy marshal — they found a male who matched the homeowner's description of one of the suspects.
James Levesque, 22, admitted to his part in the burglary — and the vehicle parked at the crime scene was registered to Levesque, the sheriff's office said.
Then the hunt began for Levesque's alleged accomplice — and they found 21-year-old Chase Baker at a residence in the Briggs area and arrested him, authorities said.
What happened to the suspects?
Levesque and Baker were booked into jail for first-degree burglary and knowingly concealing stolen property, both felonies, and neither was injured by the shotgun blast, the sheriff's office said.
The recovered stolen property will be returned to the burglary victim, authorities said.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Canada bans assault guns following deadly mass killing: 'You don't need an AR-15 to bring down a dee

Canada bans assault guns following deadly mass killing: 'You don't need an AR-15 to bring down a deer'

Canada bans assault guns following deadly mass killing : 'You do n't need an AR-15 to bring down a deer' @ @ @ @ @ immediately

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that the nation has banned assault weapons effective immediately.
The country saw its deadliest mass killing in April after a suspect went on a rampage that killed at least 22 people, including the suspect.
What are the details?
In a briefing, Trudeau said, "These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: To kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada."
At least 1,500 models of "military-grade" assault weapons have been banned by the new order, ABC News reported.
"It is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import, or use military-grade assault weapons in this country," Trudeau added.
The Canadian prime minister added that it is important to tighten up gun controls around the country, especially following the killing that took place across Nova Scotia.
"We have long committed to strengthening gun control in this country, including banning military-style assault weapons," he added. "There is no need in Canada for guns designed to kill the largest amount of people, in the shortest amount of time."
He pointed out that a "large consensus" of Canadian citizens wants to see "less violence and fewer deaths from gun violence" in the country.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair voiced his support for the new order, saying, "As of today, the market for assault weapons in Canada is closed."
He added, "Enough is enough — banning these firearms will save Canadian lives."
What else?
Reports say that a two-year amnesty period for legal owners of such weapons will be available in order to bring them into compliance. He also pointed out that new legislation would be forthcoming in order to provide "fair compensation" to those owners.
Trudeau added, "You don't need an AR-15 to bring down a deer."
You can read more about the deadly mass killing that shook the nation here.


theblaze--2020-05-01--Dr. Fauci warns states reopening ahead of federal guidelines: 'You're taking a really significant ri

Dr. Fauci warns states reopening ahead of federal guidelines: 'You're taking a really significant risk'

Many states ca n't wait any longer

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become the nation's most influential public health voice as a member of the White House coronavirus task force, warned that states choosing to ease lockdown restrictions without meeting federally recommended guidelines are taking "significant risk," The Hill reported.
What's this about? The White House laid out a three-phase template for how states could choose to reopen economic activity and ease social distancing restrictions gradually, as long as they show a consistent decrease in new cases and hospitalizations over the course of two-week periods.
Many states, however, have chosen to adopt their own reopening plans that include lifting some restrictions on individual and economic activity even without meeting federal benchmarks. President Donald Trump was critical of Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for this reason.
What does Fauci think about it? "If you follow the guidelines, there's a continuity that's safe, that's prudent and that's careful," Fauci said on CNN. "The concern that I have is that there are some states ... who are looking at that and kind of leapfrogging over the first checkpoint. You're taking a really significant risk if you do that and you don't have in place the absolute clear-cut capability of identifying, isolating and doing the contact tracing."
Cure vs. disease? As roughly 10% of the U.S. population has been thrust into temporary or permanent unemployment over the past several weeks, state politicians are under intense pressure to allow more people to resume working, even with the risk of increased numbers of COVID-19 infections.
However, the binary choice between public health or economic health might not be an accurate way of viewing the situation. Many experts believe that the pandemic will not come under control until a majority of the population has been exposed to the virus and developed immunity — which would mean getting younger and healthy people back to work could actually be the best decision for the economy and for public health.


theblaze--2020-05-01--CNN's Chris Cuomo is now openly lying about his coronavirus quarantine and yelling at 'trumps grumps

CNN's Chris Cuomo is now openly lying about his coronavirus quarantine and yelling at 'trumps grumps' for exposing him

CNN 's Chris Cuomo is now openly lying about his coronavirus quarantine and yelling at 'trumps grumps ' for exposing @

Just over a week after being caught in a blatant lie about his coronavirus quarantine experience, CNN host Chris Cuomo is still standing by his same inaccurate story — and lashing out at those who dare to question him.
A bit of background
You may remember that Cuomo was spotted out and about walking with his family over Easter weekend despite allegedly self-quarantining in his basement after contracting the coronavirus in late March. He was reportedly checking out undeveloped property he had recently purchased in East Hampton — a 30-minute drive from his Southampton home — when a cyclist confronted him.
The confrontation got heated and quickly went public, a police report was filed, and Cuomo even acknowledged the exchange on the radio the next day.
Yet last week, CNN staged Cuomo "emerging" for the first time from his basement quarantine as if the whole thing had never happened.
"All right, here it is: the official reentry from the basement, cleared by [the Centers for Disease Control]," Cuomo announced as he walked up the stairs. "This is what I've been dreaming of literally for weeks."
Now, he's doubling down
Then on Wednesday, the CNN host openly lied in a tweet about the events that transpired:
Cuomo said that he was "past quarantine" at the time and that he was "never in public" but in his "own backyard" when the exchange with the cyclist occurred — both of which appear to be false claims.
For one, an undeveloped property half an hour from home is not usually considered "the backyard." What's more is that "another woman" was reportedly at the property with Cuomo and his family at the time, lending credence to the notion that he was in fact in public.
Secondly, Cuomo's claims of being "past quarantine" are particularly dubious due to the fact that, within days of the incident, Cuomo admitted he was still presenting with symptoms.
No worries, though, because New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz was quick to smack down the lies:
"If you were past quarantine then why did you stage yourself emerging from quarantine 8 days later?" Markowicz rightly asked.
She also noted that two days after the confrontation, which occurred on April 12, Cuomo appeared with CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and acknowledged that he had not gone the requisite 72 hours without a fever before leaving isolation. That certainly doesn't sound like "past quarantine."
He's also hypocritically calling out VP Pence
Yet despite all of this, Cuomo took the opportunity to chastise Vice President Mike Pence on national TV for his decision not to wear a mask during a recent visit to the Mayo Clinic.
Pence said that as vice president, he is tested "on a regular basis."
That wasn't good enough for Cuomo: "This is a teachable moment," the reporter said. "Of course, if you're supposed to wear a mask, then you should wear a mask."
Maybe the advice is sound, but it's tough to hear coming from Cuomo.
(H/T: RedState)


theblaze--2020-05-01--'We've had enough of it': Maine restaurant owner declares he's reopening a month early, defying Demo

'We've had enough of it': Maine restaurant owner declares he's reopening a month early, defying Democratic governor's shutdown order

'We 've had enough of it ' : Maine restaurant owner declares he 's reopening a month early , defying @ @ @ @ @ 'We 're encouraging all businesses in Maine to open up .
We should have never @ @ @ @ @ first place . '

Maine restaurant owner Rick Savage said he's reopening his Sunday River Brewing Co. in Bethel to dine-in customers a month early, defying the shutdown orders of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills amid the coronavirus pandemic.
What are the details?
On Friday, businesses such as hair salons and other personal service outfits can open up as part of Mills' Stage 1 strategy. But restaurants are part of Stage 2, which gives a tentative June 1 reopening date, WCSH-TV reported.
Savage has no intention of waiting that long.
In fact, a Friday morning post on Sunday River's Facebook page said the restaurant will be open later in the day — 4 p.m. — with a limited number of seats available due to social distancing and no reservations.
And word spread fast, as folks started lining up outside the restaurant Friday long before opening time:
Then the line got crazy long, with a reporter saying patrons viewed it as "much more than a lunch rush, it's a protest":
More Savagery
Savage told Carlson he doubts anything will happen to him for defying Mills' orders "because she's over her head. She's not consulting the experts; she's just doing this to break our state more than we already are."
He added that he's "gonna challenge the state" to come and witness what the Sunday River Brewing Co. is doing, and "if you don't like it, take me to court. And then if they do take me to court, I'll save my tax money that I collect this month, and I'll use that to fund a lawyer."
Savage also accused Mills of being unresponsive to him and trying to bankrupt the state so it can acquire federal funds.
"We've tried to call the governor; you can't even get ahold of them. The lawmakers are left in the dark, both Republicans and Democrats," he added. "She's doing this all rogue on her own, so we've had enough of it. We're encouraging all businesses in Maine to open up. We should have never been shut down in the first place."
Oh, and it's not on the following clip, but Savage also read on the air what he said was Mills' cellphone number so others join in the fight against her economic shutdown.