theblaze--2020-08-07--We should open up the schools — and the voting booths — says ... Dr. Fauci

We should open up the schools — and the voting booths — says ... Dr. Fauci Is he siding with @ @ @

President Donald Trump's push for reopening America's schools this fall and for in-person voting in November got an unexpected boost Friday when the Washington Post revealed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, offered support for the moves.
What did he say about schools?
In an interview with the Post's "Power Up," Fauci, the media's favorite COVID expert whose opinions they often juxtapose with Trump's, said the "default principle" should be to do whatever possible to get students — elementary, middle, high school, and even some colleges — back in school.
"The default principle should be to try as best you can to get the children back to school," Fauci said, the Post reported. "The big, however, and qualifier in there is that you have to have a degree of flexibility. The flexibility means if you look at the map of our country, we are not unidimensional with regard to the level of infection."
He added, of course, that the health and safety of the kids should be paramount.
"The bottom line is everybody should try within the context of the level of infection that you have to get the kids back to school," he told the paper, "but the primary consideration … should be the safety, health and the welfare of the children, as well as the teachers and the potential secondary effects on parents and family members."
However, the coronavirus isn't the only health concern for kids, Fauci pointed out. He also noted the importance of protecting children's overall health:
Fauci explained the need to protect the psychological and physical well being of children — especially those "who rely heavily on school for proper nutrition" — and to prevent a 'negative downstream ripple effect' of parents being overburdened if schools remain shuttered.
So, what does Fauci recommend? From the Post:
● States with minimal virus: “So if you're in one of those areas, generally referred to as the green states … with some overlap with others and generally, you can get back to school with the kinds of precautions that you do in general society," he said.
● States with “smoldering infections": “You might want to tighten that up a bit and do things like, you know, the hybrid models where you have part online, part in person," he said.
● States with high infections: In consultation with local authorities, and the Centers for Disease Control, “they may want to pause before they start sending the kids back to school for a variety of reasons."
What did Fauci say about voting?
President Trump has been insisting that states conduct in-person voting come Nov. 3 and has repeatedly criticized calls for states to offer mail-in balloting.
Though Fauci was careful not to criticize voting by mail, knowing whatever he said would be used as a soundbite, he did appear to back opening up voting booths for in-person voting, noting that it can be done with practices that would make it as safe as shopping for groceries.
"It's a sport now in Washington to pit me against the president, and I don't really want to do that," he told the Post. "But someone will take a quote and bingo, it'll be me against the president and I don't want to do that."
"I don't see any reason why, if people maintain that type of physical distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands — why you cannot, at least where I vote, go to a place and vote." Fauci said.


theblaze--2020-08-07--New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo authorizes all schools to open for in-person classes

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo authorizes all schools to open for in-person classes Huge news for the state hit @ @ @

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Friday that all schools in the state are authorized to open for in-person classes this fall, as the state appears to be solidly at the end of its COVID-19 crisis, Fox News reported.
"Every region is well below our COVID infection limit, therefore all school districts are authorized to open," Cuomo wrote on Twitter. "If the infection rate spikes, the guidance will change accordingly. School districts are required to submit plans to NYS for review."
The key statistic that allows for the reopening is the 14-day average infection rate, which needed to be at or below 5%. Cuomo said schools could be closed again if the infection rate rises above 9% on a seven-day average.
"We are probably in the best situation in the country right now," Cuomo said Friday, according to the New York Daily News. "If anybody can open schools, we can open schools and that's true for every region in the state."
New York schools were closed by an executive order on March 18, shortly before New York suffered the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the country with daily deaths peaking between 900 and 1,000 in April.
School districts have to submit plans for reopening to be approved by the state Board of Health. Hundreds of districts, including New York City, have already submitted plans, and many schools could be on hybrid plans combining in-person instruction with remote learning.
Coming up with the plans, and then getting them approved, could prove to be more complicated than slowing the spread of the virus, as local officials will have to balance the varying needs and concerns of parents and teachers, many of whom are fearful of teaching in or sending their children back into schools.
"They have to deal with their parents and teachers, which is going to be a more complicated issue than I think many of them appreciate," Cuomo said of school districts. "There is a significant amount of anxiety and concern."
The seven-day average of daily COVID-19 deaths in New York has dropped into the single digits, and the state has been seeing fewer than 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus each day since June.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Group of teens brutally beat off-duty NYPD officer after he tells them he's an officer: report

Group of teens brutally beat off-duty NYPD officer after he tells them he 's an officer : report

A group of unruly teens reportedly carried out a brutal assault on off-duty New York City Police Officer Cagney Ramos while he was on his way to work.
What are the details?
The incident took place on Saturday, according to a Friday report from the New York Daily News.
Ramos was minding his business on his way to work via Penn Station when a horde of teens converged on Ramos, who, due to their harassment, was forced to identify himself as an officer of the law.
According to the outlet, the 33-year-old Ramos, who is reportedly assigned to the World Trade Center Command in Lower Manhattan, said the teens started off their attack by punching his backpack and trying to knock his baseball cap off of his head.
When Ramos told them he is a police officer, the group apparently decided to take the vicious attack to a new level.
The as-yet identified suspects then allegedly began punching the officer, and continuously kicked him until he fell to the ground. While Ramos was down on the ground, the teens reportedly spit on him before running off.
Medics arrived on the scene, according to the outlet, and took the officer to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.
The Daily News reported that Ramos' injuries could be described as "deep cuts to his face, ear, and arm."
A Daily News reporter visited Ramos at his home, where the police officer reportedly said, "I'm fine, man. I don't want to talk about it."
No arrests in the alleged attack have been made, but the MTA Police Department continue to investigate the beating.
Anything else?
In July, several NYPD officers were attacked on the Brooklyn Bridge after they attempted to maintain control of two demonstrations against law enforcement officials.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with the attack.
At the time, The Blaze reported that eight officers were injured — including a sergeant, lieutenant, and Chief of Department Terence Monahan.
One police officer reportedly lost consciousness during the incident.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Montgomery County, Maryland, caves, will allow private schools to reopen this fall

Montgomery County , Maryland , caves , will allow private schools to reopen this fall The public school system will @ @ @ @ @ , to the consternation of many parents

A Maryland county at the center of a growing controversy over school reopenings has decided not to go to battle in court with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), according to breaking reports from the Washington Post.
Montgomery County, which is one of the wealthiest and most populous counties in the entire country, has already decided that it is unsafe for public schools to open for in-person learning in the fall, no matter what precautions may be taken by their local schools.
Moreover, the county's Health Department decreed last Friday that all private schools would be required to remain closed for in-person learning through at least the first week of October, even though many of those schools had taken extraordinary measures to provide for the safety and health of their students and teachers.
After a wave of protests, Hogan entered the fray on Monday, issuing an order that rescinded the authority of county governments in Maryland to decree that schools must remain closed wholesale. Specifically, Hogan declared that Montgomery County's decree was "overly broad" and that the county could only close private schools on a case-by-case basis if a determination was made that the school in question was unsafe.
In response, Montgomery County withdrew its order, which was based on Hogan's emergency directive. However, according to a Washington Post report, the county responded by issuing a new order, based on different law, that once again directs private schools to remain closed until October.
Montgomery County health officer Travis Gayles said in a news conference earlier this week that he believed it was unsafe for any school to open this fall under any conditions, and his new order reflects that belief.
According to the Post report, Gayles' new order no longer refers to Hogan's original directive, but instead points to sections of the Maryland Code that purportedly give county health officials powers to act independently to "prevent the spread of communicable disease" in their jurisdiction.
Hogan responded by issuing a memo Thursday afternoon to all county health officers, stating his belief that the law relied upon by Montgomery County could not be used to issue a blanket order demanding the closure of all private schools, and touting the state's willingness to engage in litigation, if necessary, to ensure that their interpretation of the law was followed.
Gayles responded Friday by announcing that he was withdrawing both of his previous orders, even though he continued to "strongly advise schools against in-person learning."
Critics of Gayles' plan pointed out that none of Montgomery County's neighboring counties had a similar order, and that Gayles' plan may well have not been entirely based in science, given that private schools would have been permitted to reopen in-person learning the day after the deadline for school enrollment censuses, which determine how much federal and state aid is allotted to public school districts.
For now, Gayles' decision appears to leave the matter closed, although it remains possible that Gayles will attempt to order all private schools in the county to remain closed on a "case by case basis," which could lead to further litigation.


theblaze--2020-08-07--AG William Barr spots small pro-police gathering while on road, asks his FBI detail to make 'quick U

AG William Barr spots small pro-police gathering while on road, asks his FBI detail to make 'quick U-turn' — and he gets out to thank folks

AG William Barr spots small pro-police gathering while on road , asks his FBI detail to make 'quick U-turn ' @ @ @ @ @ to thank folks

Attorney General Willam Barr does not appear to be one to take allies for granted.
Amid the toxic national climate of brazen left-wing mobs physically attacking police and other law enforcement officials night after night, Barr noticed something recently that warmed his heart.
What did he see?
While traveling in Virginia, the attorney general got an eyeful of folks standing in front of a police precinct and doing the exact opposite of what he's likely come to expect in recent months.
Specifically, these folks actually were backing the blue, instead of attacking the blue.
So Barr asked his FBI detail, "Can we make a quick U-turn?"
And with that Barr got out and greeted the pro-police rally attendees and thanked them for standing with embattled officers.
Kerri Kupec, the spokesperson for Barr, tweeted video of the interaction Sunday:
"Good to see you, sir!" one sign-waving man told Barr enthusiastically by the side of the road as he greeted the group, dutifully doing COVID-19 elbow taps.
"This is awesome!" another man was heard saying.
"Keep up the good work!" yet another pro-cop person told Barr.
A woman told the AG "you did wonderful on your testimony" after which Barr thanked her.
'Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?'
The testimony to which the woman referred, of course, was the headline-grabbing affair last week in which Barr took on a hostile group of Democrats from the House Judiciary Committee who did their best to frustrate the attorney general and failed miserably.
Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) even told Barr he should be ashamed of himself for sending federal agents to Portland, Oregon, to defend the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse after the building came under attack by left-wing rioters who tried setting it on fire. See, Nadler opined that attorney general unleashed the feds for "obvious political objectives" to help President Donald Trump.
But Barr had a ready retort: "Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?"
He added during his prepared statement to the committee, "What unfolds nightly around the courthouse cannot reasonably be called a protest; it is, by any objective measure, an assault on the government of the United States."
Barr also said, "Largely absent from these scenes of destruction are even superficial attempts by the rioters to connect their actions to George Floyd's death or any legitimate call for reform. Nor could such brazen acts of lawlessness plausibly be justified by a concern that police officers in Minnesota or elsewhere defied the law."
(H/T: Townhall)


theblaze--2020-08-07--Virginia released violent rape suspect to keep him safe during COVID-19 panic. So he went out and ki

Virginia released violent rape suspect to keep him safe during COVID-19 panic. So he went out and killed his accuser, reports say

Virginia released violent rape suspect to keep him safe during COVID-19 panic .
So he went out and killed his @ @ @ @

Virginia officials released rape suspect Ibrahim Bouaichi from jail at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — so he reportedly went out and killed his accuser, reports say.
What are the details?
Former beauty queen Karla Dominguez accused Bouaichi of violently raping her in 2019.
He was jailed on six felony charges related to the incident including rape, sodomy, strangulation, abduction, burglary, and malicious wounding. He was jailed without bond.
Authorities temporarily released him in April amid the coronavirus pandemic after his legal team argued, "Social distancing and proper disinfecting measures are impossible while incarcerated. ... Simply put, the risk of contracting COVID-19 in jail is exceedingly obvious."
In April, Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins released Bouaichi on $25,000 bond. He was only permitted to leave his Maryland home to meet with lawyers or court officials while awaiting trial.
On July 29, Bouaichi reportedly visited Dominguez — who was originally from Venezuela — at her Alexandria, Virginia, home, where he shot her several times, killing her.
He immediately went on the run, according to reports, and authorities put out a notice revealing that Bouaichi was armed and dangerous.
According to a Friday report from The Washington Post, Bouaichi shot himself as police closed in on Wednesday. The self-inflicted shot left him hospitalized in critical condition.
Bouaichi remains hospitalized and in police custody, and has been charged with Dominguez's brutal murder.
What are people saying about this?
In a statement according to WRC-TV, prosecutor Brian Porter said, "We strenuously argued that the presumption (against granting bail) had not been overcome, given the facts of the case and the violent nature of the alleged offense."
Dawkins retired in June and has not publicly commented on the case developments, according to the station.
A GoFundMe page set up to create a memorial for Dominguez has received $5,400 in donations at the time of this reporting.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Syracuse University suspends group of students for violating quarantine orders within days of reopen

Syracuse University suspends group of students for violating quarantine orders within days of reopening The school also suspended a fraternity @ @ @ @ @ distancing guidelines .

Less than a week after Syracuse University started allowing students back on campus, the school has already suspended a group of students for violating quarantine orders.
Syracuse began welcoming 400 first-year students, many of whom were from out of state, to residence halls on Sunday. The early August start would provide students enough time to adhere to New York state's mandatory quarantine order before heading to classes.
The order took effect June 25, and said anyone arriving into New York from one of the designated 34 states categorized as having "increased rates of COVID-19 transmission" is ordered to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
One student described the quarantine as "minimum-security prison."
"The university has said it will limit students' social interactions outside of their floor," according to The Daily Orange, an online newspaper run by Syracuse University students with no oversight from the university. "Students quarantining on-campus order meals directly to their rooms through an online order form and have allotted time to exercise, socialize, go outside and do laundry."
Students were also asked to sign the "Stay Safe Pledge," an agreement to "follow any new directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or New York State that become public during the semester."
The pledge requested students to maintain social distancing, wear face masks, "honestly participate in contact tracing," get a flu vaccine, limit gatherings to 25 people, and "encourage others to follow these guidelines."
"Failure to comply with these directives may result in a referral to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) for violation of the Code of Student Conduct, which governs individual and group behavior on and off campus," the Syracuse University website read.
On Thursday, school officials announced that a group of students were suspended for "knowingly violating" New York state's quarantine mandate. Syracuse University did not reveal how many students were suspended or release the names of the students who were caught violating the mandatory quarantine. The school also did not reveal how long the suspensions would last.
Senior Associate Vice President for Communications Sarah Scalese released a statement regarding the suspensions:
"The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the broader Syracuse community is our priority. Creating a safe campus environment is all of our responsibility, and Syracuse University will not tolerate any actions – on the part of students, faculty, or staff – that jeopardize the health of our community. Our students are expected to comply with the Code of Student Conduct, the Stay Safe Pledge and executive orders issued by the New York State Governor's Office and the Onondaga County Health Department. Students who violate these requirements will be met with appropriate sanctions. While we cannot comment on a specific case due to federal privacy laws, recently, the University has placed a group of students on interim suspension for knowingly violating quarantine orders."
This isn't the first suspension that Syracuse University has handed out during the coronavirus pandemic. On Aug. 1, the university announced that it had suspended the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity for violations of COVID-19 public health orders that happened in the spring.
"Given the severity of the global health emergency, this type of behavior was not only reckless and selfish as it put the health of our community at risk, it was also a clear violation of public health orders," Scalese said in a statement earlier this month.
The violations, which occurred during the spring semester, included ignoring social distancing guidelines, according to Syracuse.com.
"We are disappointed that members of our community ignored social distancing guidelines that are in place to protect the health, safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and the broader Syracuse community," Scalese said.
The fraternity was prohibited from operating on the Syracuse University campus.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Georgia school backs down, reverses suspension of student who shared crowded hallway photo

Georgia school backs down , reverses suspension of student who shared crowded hallway photo ' I took it out of @ @ @ @ @

A Georgia high school reversed its decision to suspend a student who tweeted a viral photo of a crowded hallway, which sparked widespread criticism for the school's apparent lack of social distancing, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Sophomore Hannah Watters, 15, attends North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia. Earlier this week, Hannah tweeted a photo showing the hallway between classes, where students were packed in the hallways shoulder-to-shoulder with most of them unmasked. She and another student were suspended for sharing photos.
Hannah's mother, Lynne Watters, confirmed that after a conversation with school officials, the suspension was reversed and Hannah will return to school next week.
"I spoke to the principal a short time ago and he has rescinded the suspension and she will have no discipline on her record," Lynne Watters told AJC.
The suspension was related to student conduct policies banning the use of phones during instruction time, the use of a phone during school hours for social media, and recording students and posting the recording on social media.
Hannah admits she broke the rule about posting images of students to social media, but both she and her mother said high school students are exempt from the phone ban and she didn't post the photo until after school.
"Cellphone use is allowed by high school students during non-instructional time, and she did not post to social media until after regular school hours," Lynne Watters said, according to AJC.
WSB-TV first reported that Paulding County Superintendent Brian Otott threatened punishment for students who shared crowded hallway photos, and reported that he only threatened such action after the photos went viral.
Otott said the photo has been taken out of context to criticize the school, although he admitted in a letter to parents obtained by WSB that "there is no question that the photo does not look good."
"Some individuals on social media are taking this photo and using it without context to criticize our school reopening efforts," Otott said, according to WSB. "Under the COVID-19 protocols we have adopted, class changes that look like this may happen, especially at a high school with more than 2,000 students."
Hannah said even a suspension would have been worthwhile in the interest of safety.
"I'd like to say this is some good and necessary trouble," Hannah told CNN. "My biggest concern is not only about me being safe, it's about everyone being safe because behind every teacher, student and staff member there is a family, there are friends, and I would just want to keep everyone safe."
There have not yet been any reports of COVID-19 cases at the school.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Critics demand Alabama cheerleaders be cut from team after some posed with Confederate flag T-shirt:

Critics demand Alabama cheerleaders be cut from team after some posed with Confederate flag T-shirt: 'I love redneck boys'

Critics demand Alabama cheerleaders be cut from team after some posed with Confederate flag T-shirt : ' I love redneck @ @ @ @ @ face consequences for their actions '

A group of Alabama high school cheerleaders are under fire for posing with a T-shirt that bore a heart resembling the Confederate flag. The T-shirt said, "I love redneck boys," according to Fox News.
A viral photo shows six white cheerleaders posing with the shirt, which features a red heart with a blue starred "X" across it.
What are the details?
A petition that has reportedly received at least 1,000 signatures is calling for an Alabama public school to sever ties with several of its high school cheerleaders after they posed with the T-shirt.
Reagan Coleman, one black cheerleader for Daphne High School, said she immediately quit after seeing the photo on social media.
Her mother, Latitah, told Fox News that she couldn't believe the girls had the gall to pose with the shirt .
"The first thing I thought was how bold of them," she said. "You cheer for black football players, you cheer for black basketball players, and you cheer with two black cheerleaders on your side and this is what you put up."
Reagan said she also spoke out against the T-shirt, and shared sentiments on social media calling out the school's "negligence" in allowing the rest of the cheerleaders to continue on the team.
"I have since quit the team due to their carelessness and inactivity," Reagan wrote. "Daphne's Administration team has failed to release any statements or contact anyone back concerning this matter."
She insisted that the school has a history of "keeping things like this hidden," and added "these girls need to face consequences for their actions."
She also told WVLA-TV that she only saw "hate" when she first spotted the offending shirt.
Latitah, her mother, added, "There's no two sides to that flag. That means hatred, that's what it stands for for us. We were oppressed with that flag. They used it when they burned crosses in our ancestors' yards. When it was railed around on horses. I don't know what history you're reading, but if you read the U.S. history, it tells you exactly what that flag stands for and what it means, especially to African Americans."
Reagan insisted, "I feel like we're at a time where black voices are being heard. We're being felt, we're being seen. So I knew this couldn't go unheard about. I knew I needed to share this story not for me or how I felt about the picture, but because of the other black children that may be silenced by white administrations like these."
Her mother said that she received no satisfaction when she broached the topic of the T-shirt with administrators.
"I went from the coach to the principal, from the principal to the superintendent," Latitah revealed. "And I kept getting vague answers. It was almost like everybody was reading a script."
The station reports that a petition calling for the cheerleaders' removal from the team has received nearly 1,000 signatures at the time of this writing.
What has the school said?
A spokesperson for Baldwin County Public Schools said, “We are aware of the situation and it has been handled at the local school level. As with any student issue, federal law prohibits us from discussing disciplinary actions, if any, involving our students."
"Our system has implemented sensitivity programs and Superintendent Tyler has stressed that we have a zero-tolerance for racism and bullying in our system," the statement added.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Chicago uses social media to track tourists violating quarantine; city dismisses 'Big Brother' compa

Chicago uses social media to track tourists violating quarantine; city dismisses 'Big Brother' comparisons

Some out-of-towners are risking fines of up to $ 7,000 to visit Chicago and grab some deep-dish pizza

If you're visiting Chicago this summer, you may want to hold off on posting your sightseeing photos. Chicago health officials admitted that they would use social media to track down tourists who have violated the city's quarantine order and use the evidence to levy fines on the offenders.
On July 6, an emergency travel order took effect that stated that any visitors or any Chicagoans returning home from states experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases must quarantine for a 14-day period upon arrival. The criteria for mandatory quarantine is any state that has a coronavirus case rate higher than 15 new cases per 100,000 resident population, per day, over a seven-day rolling average.
The order, which was issued by Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., stated that anyone who violated the mandatory quarantine is subject to a fine from $100 to $500 per day, and up to a total amount of $7,000.
As of Friday, the 22 states included in the emergency travel order include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Visitors from Puerto Rico will also be ordered to lock down for 14 days.
At a news conference Tuesday, Arwady revealed that health officials would use social media postings as evidence to issue fines against visitors violating quarantine.
"Where we already have a concern, it's one of the easiest ways to identify people who are not just breaking the travel order but flaunting it publicly," Arwady said, according to USA Today.
Arwady presented a hypothetical example of a person posting photos on social media from Florida one day, and then sharing photos from Chicago a few days later.
"And they're clearly out in Chicago, not just back but at a restaurant or at The Bean or whatever it may be, and they're posting about it," she said. "That's an example of where we could use that as proof to issue citations.
"One of the easiest ways to sort of get enough proof that there was the potential of a violated quarantine order without me having to send out an inspector or do any sort of more aggressive follow-up to collect that is to look at social media," she said, NBC Chicagoreported.
Arwady dismissed comparisons to Chicago being "Big Brother," the authoritarian fictional character in George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984."
"I don't want to like overemphasize that we're somehow Big Brother in monitoring people's social accounts — we're absolutely not doing that," Arwady said. "But where we already have a concern, it's one of the easiest ways to identify people who are not just breaking the travel order but flaunting it publicly."
She also claimed that the practice of snooping through social media posts will only be used on a case-by-case basis.
"We do not have somebody dedicated to sitting and watching social media feeds," she clarified. "We're absolutely not doing that."
The Chicago Department of Public Health Department has posted notices of the mandatory quarantine at its two major airports, highway signs, hotels, and at vacation rental companies.
"I think it's actually been extremely effective," Arwady said. "We have gotten calls about this travel order, questions at a level that has suggested that people are paying serious attention."
However, some tourists visiting the Windy City openly admit that they will defy the quarantine order. Some said they had no problem violating the order so that they could get their hands on some famed deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati's, a popular restaurant with tourists.
"With work and everything, [a] two week quarantine just really isn't an option," an anonymous tourist visiting Chicago from Kansas told WBEZ. "We had this trip planned long before all of this stuff, so we weren't going to back out of it just because of an order that's unenforceable."
"I didn't know anything about [the quarantine order], or that Wisconsin was a banned state," a tourist from Wisconsin said. "I'm kind of surprised, but I don't know how they would enforce it, so it doesn't really mean that much to me."
Hawaii has implemented a similar 14-day mandatory quarantine order, and health officials from the Aloha state have also utilized social media posts to track down violators of the lockdown order.
As of last month, nearly 200 people have been arrested in Hawaii during the coronavirus pandemic for violating the state's mandatory quarantine order, including a tourist from New York who was caught after posting beach photos on his Instagram.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Dr. Fauci issues dire warning on 'lurking' viruses, says COVID-19 is 'worst-case scenario,' 'worst n

Dr. Fauci issues dire warning on 'lurking' viruses, says COVID-19 is 'worst-case scenario,' 'worst nightmare.' A professor of virology weighs in without the alarmism.

Dr. Fauci issues dire warning on 'lurking ' viruses , says COVID-19 is 'worst-case scenario , ' 'worst nightmare .
@ @ @ @ @ weighs in without the alarmism .
Sounds like it 's going to be a great @

Dr. Anthony Fauci says there are more viruses around the corner and that the country is absolutely not finished with COVID-19.
What did Fauci say?
According to a Friday Newsweek report, Fauci spoke with Dan Diamond on Politico's Pulse Check podcast, where he said that the COVID-19 pandemic is easily his "worst nightmare" as well as the "worst-case scenario" for the United States.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also told Diamond that there are even more frightening viruses than COVID-19 that are "lurking" around the corner.
"You have to assume that there are more viruses that are still lurking because we know historically we've had outbreaks long before I've been around, even before recorded history," he said. "We know that there have been outbreaks recently, we're in the middle of an outbreak now. And there's no doubt that we're going to have outbreaks in the future."
The 79-year-old doctor also said that the COVID-19 infection is the "worst-case scenario or my worst nightmare" and that the notion of a growing number of viruses jumping from animals to humans is a terrible notion to behold.
What else?
Dr. Ian Jones, a professor of virology from the United Kingdom's University of Reading in Berkshire, England, said that Fauci is merely "stating the obvious."
"Virus outbreaks from animals to man occur all the time depending on proximity and abundance, in avian flu for example, but only rarely do they efficiently transmit one person to another," Jones explained, according to Newsweek.
He pointed out that it's only natural for a pandemic to take place when humans are able to transmit such viruses to their fellow humans.
"These are of varying severity; the flu pandemic of 2009 was relativity mild whereas the current COVID pandemic is severe," Jones added.
'Worst nightmare' over and over
Fauci has often repeated his claims that COVID-19 is his "worst nightmare."
Twice in July, Fauci said coronavirus was his "worst nightmare."
On one occasion, Fauci said the virus was public health's "worst nightmare" due to the abundant way the virus spreads among humans, as well as its newness.
"What [kept] me up at night is the emergence, usually jumping from an animal reservoir to a human, of a brand-new virus that no one has ever seen before," Fauci explained. "Bingo. The worst nightmare comes true."
A second occasion saw Fauci call the disease health experts' "worst nightmare" due to it being the "perfect storm" because there was no end in sight to the deadly pandemic.


theblaze--2020-08-07--COVID-19 won't stop Sturgis: 250K people expected at South Dakota's annual motorcycle rally

These folks take their lives into their own hands every time they climb on a chopper .
They 're not @ @ @ @ @ Motorcyclists ride down Main Street a day before the start of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally @ @ @ @ @ South Dakota .
While the rally usually attracts around 500,000 people , officials estimate that @ @ @ @ @ still show up to this year 's festival despite the coronavirus pandemic .
( Photo @ @ @ @ @

The coronavirus might be able to stop professional sports teams from playing, schools from reopening, churches from worshiping, and strip joints from entertaining, but it can't stop a brigade of hog-riding pilgrims from making their way to Sturgis, South Dakota, for their annual rally.
About 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to descend on the town of 7,000 people starting this weekend for the 10-day rally. Though the expected crowd is about half the size of the rally's usual draw, there is still going to be a lot of out-of-town traffic — and that's making some residents nervous.
CNN asked Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen if holding the rally was really a good idea.
Carstensen noted that the whole thing has been a difficult decision and process since March, adding, "We cannot stop people from coming."
South Dakota has been one of the rare states that has bucked the trend of shutting everything down in response to COVID-19, and Gov. Kristi Noem, who famously held an Independence Day weekend event at Mount Rushmore with President Donald Trump, has become a hero to many on the right who say governmental reactions to the pandemic have trampled on the freedoms of Americans.
Mayor Carstensen acknowledged as much, telling CNN, "South Dakota has been a free state through this whole process, and we've had a tremendous amount of visitors already."
Sturgis officials understood the reality of the situation, and though 60% of Sturgis residents said they would prefer the city not hold the motorcycle event this year, the city council voted 8 to 1 to still sanction the rally, the Washington Post said.
City Manager Daniel Ainslie told CNN that the city council knew thousands of people would be making the trek whether the rally officially happened or not, so the city needed to prepare, rather than sit on the sidelines.
"As a city, there's nothing we could do, we're not able to put up roadblocks and say, 'You can't come in,'" Ainslie said. "And it was quite obvious that we were going to have a lot of people here, even if we didn't call it the rally. The issue is if we did not officially sanction it as a rally, then we would not be able to prepare for it."
There was also the economic impact to consider.
Officials told CNN that several businesses in the region said they would seek relief from Sturgis if they lost the money that typically flows in during the rally — one business even threatened to sue the city if the rally was postponed.
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip campground outside the city is a key part of the annual event, and its owner, Rod Woodruff, said the rally is essential to the survival of the business.
"This event is our raison d'etre," Woodruff said, CNN reported. "Our reason for existence is to service the motorcycle enthusiasts, the freedom of American people, period."
The city, businesses, and organizers are focusing on personal responsibility.
According to Johns Hopkins University, South Dakota has had 9,273 confirmed cases and 141 COVID deaths.
"Being prepared is what we put as a priority for everybody, both for the community and for our visitors," the mayor said. "We prepare for rallies every year, but this one take a little bit more," adding that the town is stressing personal responsibility.
Woodruff echoed the mayor's sentiments, stressing that though his campground is doing what it can to provide a safe environment, in the end, it all comes down to attendees' taking control of their own lives.
"These people on motorcycles, they're risking their life every time they come across an intersection that has a car that can come out there and kill them," Woodruff said. "And so they're not all that concerned about a virus when they know what is needed to do in order to stay safe and minimize the risks of infection."
What did Gov. Noem say?
Gov. Noem told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Wednesday that she and her state are proud to again host the annual rally and noted that the country needs leaders and communities that will stand up for American freedoms.
"We need a few people to stand up, read our history, talk about the importance of our Constitution and the fact that these governors need to recognize that they need to uphold those freedoms that we hold so dear," she said, "and allow these people to take care of their families and make the right decisions and deal with this virus, much like we do every other challenge that comes our way and Americans tackle it together.
"We know we can have these events, give people information, let them protect their health but still enjoy their way of life and enjoy events like the Sturgis motorcycle rally," Noem concluded. "We hope people come: Our economy benefits when people come and visit us."


theblaze--2020-08-07--Gun-toting protesters descend upon neighborhood of cop who fatally shot a black man — then one resid

Gun-toting protesters descend upon neighborhood of cop who fatally shot a black man — then one resident pulls out gun of his own

Gun-toting protesters descend upon neighborhood of cop who fatally shot a black man — then one resident pulls out gun @ @ @ @ @ said he believed protesters carrying guns 'was almost like an intimidation tactic '

On the one-year anniversary of a police-involved fatal shooting of a black man, protesters descended upon the Colorado Springs neighborhood of one of the officers involved in the shooting and demanded his firing, KRDO-TV reported.
What are the details?
While there wasn't any violence at the Monday protest, the fact that some demonstrators were carrying guns didn't sit well with a few residents.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Dion Elmore told the station in a separate article that he believed such a show of force "was almost like an intimidation tactic."
KRDO said there was at least one confrontation between the armed protesters and several drivers in pickup trucks who were blocked by the crowd.
Here's more of what appears to be the same confrontation between the driver and protesters:
Afterward, the station added, the armed protesters moved out of the way and let the drivers through.
But one resident wasn't messing around
KRDO noted that one of the drivers in question retrieved a rifle and stood guard in his driveway while he called police.
Indeed, reporter Andrew McMillan tweeted that after the now-armed driver faced down the crowd, "protesters put their hands up and walked away."
Another resident, Bobby Cox, told KRDO that while he and his wife were warned in advance about the protest, they were still nervous not knowing what could happen.
"You hear all these things, see all these things on TV, it's a little scary," he said. "At our age, we don't want to be confronting anybody or anything like that. There wasn't anything like that going on."
Here's video of the protest. The portion with the resident holding a rifle begins just after the 30-minute mark.
Content warning: Language:
Anything else?
The station said the neighborhood targeted by protesters is near Pulpit Rock Park where one of the officers involved in the shooting — Sgt. Alan Van't Land — allegedly lives. The Associated Press said Van't Land's residence was roped off at the time of the protest, and no one appeared to be inside the house.
The outlet added that Van't Land and Officer Blake Evenson were cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury for the shooting. The officers said they didn't see a gun before shooting 19-year-old De'Von Bailey last August as he ran away but believed he had one as he was holding his waistband, the Denver Post reported.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Horowitz: New York treating law-abiding Americans as criminals, while promoting criminals and illega

Horowitz: New York treating law-abiding Americans as criminals, while promoting criminals and illegal aliens

Horowitz : New York treating law-abiding Americans as criminals , while promoting criminals and illegal aliens With violent gang members @ @ @ @ @ there 's no deterrent against crime

Now we know why New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio didn't follow through with his promise to abolish the police. He wants the police around all right … to be used against We the People, even as they are hamstrung from enforcing vital laws against violent criminals.
On Wednesday, de Blasio announced he would be dispatching police to create checkpoints at key entry points into New York City to enforce a mandatory quarantine on all travelers from most states in the country. As I've noted before, this is something that would have been out of bounds for a local official to do even under the Articles of Confederation, much less since the more robust federal union of American citizens was created under the U.S. Constitution. Yet, the same man who has violated federal immigration law is now violating federal control over interstate travel and commerce with impunity.
Hence, illegal aliens, including those with heinous criminal records, who don't belong in the country altogether, are welcome with open arms, while peaceful Americans are illegally placed under house arrest. At a time of a record surge in crime in the city, the police are now being used to randomly pull over suspected out-of-state residents:
The New York City Sheriffs are pulling over vehicles at random to advise people to self-quarantine if they're coming into NYC from COVID-19 hot spots
Mayor Bill de Blasio warns those who don't quarantine may face fines of up to 10,000 dollars@PIX11Newspic.twitter.com/S0DQsAQuVe — Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) August 5, 2020
Imagine if this would be done to illegal aliens?
But that is par for the course in de Blasio's New York. You see, as the police are dispatched to enforce unconstitutional edicts against peaceful Americans, the most violent gang members and shooters are being released to further turn the city streets into shooting galleries. All the while, New Yorkers without criminal records are barred from their constitutional right to carry a gun.
Darrius Sutton, 23, a Bloods gang member, was set free without bail after being charged with attempted murder for seriously injuring someone in a shooting on May 15. Yet, he was released without bail and is now believed to be responsible for three more shootings in the city that resulted in seven victims being shot in just one month.
According to prosecutors, Sutton appeared in a hip-hop music video for the song “Crime Rate" by Brooklyn rapper BK Eaz, shortly after being released!
This is also why there has been a 286% increase in robberies in the once poche upper east side of Manhattan. There is simply no deterrent against crime anymore the same way there is against citizens not wearing a mask. We now see murders committed on camera in broad daylight. They simply don't fear any punishment. One Rochester man was just released without any bond for an alleged murder he committed a few days earlier.
We have a crisis of crime in this country with police stepping back from their jobs (except to enforce mask mandates and illegal travel bans) and jailbreak policies. Rather than spending the past few years fighting those policies, Republicans have joined the jailbreak bandwagon. Isn't it time to finally provide voters with a bold contrast from de Blasio's view of morality and law?
President Trump has two opportunities to fight back against the lawlessness of cities that harbor criminal aliens and release domestic repeat offenders while hamstringing police. Trump should refuse to sign any coronavirus bill that contains funding for those cities. He should also use the upcoming FY 2021 budget bill as leverage to defund sanctuary cities.
The tragic mistake was not calling out the military when the insurrection began. By listening to his liberal advisers and allowing the lawlessness to fester, it will be hard to put the genie of anarchy, which was once beyond the realm of thought in this country, back in the bottle. Shockingly, Jared Kushner, along with two top White House staffers, Brooke Rollins and Ja'Ron Smith, reportedly urged Trump to stand down because in their mind black voters want anarchy. This cannot be farther from the truth.
According to a new Gallup poll, 81% of black citizens want police to retain its presence or increase its presence in their neighborhoods. Just 19% want a diminished police presence. Black neighborhoods have been decimated by the riots and hundreds if not thousands of excess homicides have occurred in their neighborhood thanks to the breakdown of law and order. How can these advisers be so obtuse as to conflate the generic black vote with the gang and criminal vote?
The message Trump must champion is the opposite of people like de Blasio: Freedom for peaceful Americans and swift justice against those who harm others. Trump doesn't need a reboot or reform of his original campaign message; he needs to actually fulfill it.


theblaze--2020-08-07--President Trump signs executive order effectively banning TikTok in 45 days; China threatens consequ

President Trump signs executive order effectively banning TikTok in 45 days; China threatens consequences

President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Thursday that will prohibit U.S. transactions with Chinese technology giants Tencent and ByteDance .
The orders , which go into effect in 45 days , will effectively ban Tencent 's WeChat app and ByteDance 's TikTok app .
The executive order escalates the already-tense tech war between the U.S. and China .
President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act to ban the social media apps from China .
The Trump administration argues that a ban of the apps is necessary because of security concerns with TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as WeChat , a social media and mobile payment app .
The executive order says , `` The spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People 's Republic of China ( China ) continues to threaten the national security , foreign policy , and economy of the United States . ''
`` TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users , including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories , '' the executive order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans ' personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors , build dossiers of personal information for blackmail , and conduct corporate espionage .
`` Like TikTok , WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users .
This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans ' personal and proprietary information , '' the second executive order says .
`` In addition , the application captures the personal and proprietary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , thereby allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives .
`` The United States must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security , '' the executive order stated .
The owner of WeChat is Tencent Holdings , an internet , artificial intelligence , and entertainment behemoth .
Tencent is the largest video game publisher in the world .
Before Trump signed the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 686 billion , making it the world 's eighth-largest company by market capitalization .
However , WeChat 's potential loss of the U.S. market erased $ 34.6 billion from Tencent 's value .
The executive orders did not specify what kinds of transactions would be prohibited .
The executive order noted that after 45 days , Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross `` shall identify the transactions '' that will be banned .
Transactions could include American companies advertising with the two Chinese companies , or it could mean that app stores , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Play , are prohibited from offering the apps .
TikTok was the second-most popular free app in the world in 2019 .
More than 100 million Americans have already downloaded the TikTok app , and there are 80 million daily active TikTok users in the United States .
The executive order did not stipulate what penalties will be levied out to any person or company that violates the order .
TikTok said it was `` shocked '' by Trump 's executive order , and claimed it was `` issued without any due process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it would take legal action .
`` For nearly a year , we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed , '' TikTok 's statement said .
`` What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts , dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes , and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses . ''
`` And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' TikTok added .
`` We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration , then by the US courts . ''
China 's foreign ministry said it firmly opposed the executive orders against the Chinese companies , according to Reuters .
Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters during a press briefing on Friday that Beijing will defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to bear the consequences of its actions .
`` The U.S. is using national security as an excuse and using state power to oppress non-American businesses .
That 's just a hegemonic practice .
China is firmly opposed to that , '' Wang said .
On Thursday , the Senate unanimously passed a bill to ban TikTok on government-issued devices .
Earlier this year , the Transportation Security Administration , U.S. Navy , and Army prohibited TikTok from being used on government-issued phones .
Last Friday night , President Trump said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That declaration sparked rumors that Microsoft was interested in purchasing the Beijing-based social media platform 's U.S. operations .
On Sunday , Microsoft confirmed the rumors and admitted they were not only interested in U.S. operations , but also TikTok 's platforms in Canada , Australia , and New Zealand .
The Financial Times reported that Microsoft has discussed the possibility of acquiring TikTok 's business in Europe and India as well .
Microsoft , a company valued at $ 1.6 trillion , owns the Xbox video game brand , networking site LinkedIn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's executive order comes on the same day that Instagram launched Reels , a new feature that gives users augmented reality effects and audio on videos , much like TikTok already does .
Facebook , which bought Instagram for $ 1 billion in 2012 , saw its shares rise 6 % on Thursday following the launch of Instagram 's TikTok alternative .

President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Thursday that will prohibit U.S. transactions with Chinese technology giants Tencent and ByteDance. The orders, which go into effect in 45 days, will effectively ban Tencent's WeChat app and ByteDance's TikTok app. The executive order escalates the already-tense tech war between the U.S. and China.
President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act to ban the social media apps from China.
The Trump administration argues that a ban of the apps is necessary because of security concerns with TikTok, a short-form video app, as well as WeChat, a social media and mobile payment app.
The executive order says, "The spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People's Republic of China (China) continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States."
"TikTok automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users, including Internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search histories," the executive order states. "This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.
"Like TikTok, WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information," the second executive order says. "In addition, the application captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the United States, thereby allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives.
"The United States must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security," the executive order stated.
The owner of WeChat is Tencent Holdings, an internet, artificial intelligence, and entertainment behemoth. Tencent is the largest video game publisher in the world.
Before Trump signed the executive order, Tencent was valued at $686 billion, making it the world's eighth-largest company by market capitalization. However, WeChat's potential loss of the U.S. market erased $34.6 billion from Tencent's value.
The executive orders did not specify what kinds of transactions would be prohibited. The executive order noted that after 45 days, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross "shall identify the transactions" that will be banned.
Transactions could include American companies advertising with the two Chinese companies, or it could mean that app stores, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play, are prohibited from offering the apps.
TikTok was the second-most popular free app in the world in 2019. More than 100 million Americans have already downloaded the TikTok app, and there are 80 million daily active TikTok users in the United States.
The executive order did not stipulate what penalties will be levied out to any person or company that violates the order.
TikTok said it was "shocked" by Trump's executive order, and claimed it was "issued without any due process." The Chinese tech company declared that it would take legal action.
"For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed," TikTok's statement said. "What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses."
"And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets," TikTok added. "We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration, then by the US courts."
China's foreign ministry said it firmly opposed the executive orders against the Chinese companies, according to Reuters.
Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters during a press briefing on Friday that Beijing will defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses. He warned that the U.S. would have to bear the consequences of its actions.
"The U.S. is using national security as an excuse and using state power to oppress non-American businesses. That's just a hegemonic practice. China is firmly opposed to that," Wang said.
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to ban TikTok on government-issued devices. Earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Navy, and Army prohibited TikTok from being used on government-issued phones.
Last Friday night, President Trump said that he was going to ban TikTok. That declaration sparked rumors that Microsoft was interested in purchasing the Beijing-based social media platform's U.S. operations.
On Sunday, Microsoft confirmed the rumors and admitted they were not only interested in U.S. operations, but also TikTok's platforms in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Financial Times reported that Microsoft has discussed the possibility of acquiring TikTok's business in Europe and India as well.
Microsoft, a company valued at $1.6 trillion, owns the Xbox video game brand, networking site LinkedIn, and messaging service Skype.
Trump's executive order comes on the same day that Instagram launched Reels, a new feature that gives users augmented reality effects and audio on videos, much like TikTok already does. Facebook, which bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, saw its shares rise 6% on Thursday following the launch of Instagram's TikTok alternative.


theblaze--2020-08-07--Louisiana Supreme Court won't review case of black man sentenced to life in prison for stealing hedg

Louisiana Supreme Court won't review case of black man sentenced to life in prison for stealing hedge clippers

Louisiana Supreme Court wo n't review case of black man sentenced to life in prison for stealing hedge clippers The @ @ @ @ @ to post-Reconstruction racism

Fair Wayne Bryant has been in prison since 1997. He was convicted of stealing a set of hedge clippers and was given a life sentence. Last Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court declined to hear Bryant's appeal of the sentence, meaning the 62-year-old man will likely die in prison, Fox News reported.
The judge was able to issue such a harsh sentence under the state's habitual offender law, which allows for people who have committed a certain number of felonies to be sentenced to life, even if those felonies are not violent in nature. Nearly 80% of those in Louisiana prisons under habitual offender sentences are black.
Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, the only justice who dissented, wrote in her dissent that the sentence was unnecessarily harsh and unconstitutional. Johnson is the state's first black chief justice. The other five justices, who are all white males, did not offer written explanation for their decision.
"A permissible sentence under Louisiana's habitual offender sentencing scheme may still violate a defendant's constitutional right not to be subjected to excessive punishment," Johnson wrote in her dissent. "A sentence is unconstitutionally excessive under Article 1 section 20 of the Louisiana Constitution if it makes no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment or amounts to nothing more than the purposeful imposition of pain and suffering and is grossly out of proportion to the severity of the crime."
Bryant had four previous convictions. In 1979, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted armed robbery. In 1987, he was convicted of possession of stolen property. In 1989, he was convicted of attempted check forgery of a $150 check. And in 1992, he was convicted of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.
Johnson also noted that the sentence was extremely costly to taxpayers.
"Arrested at 38, Mr. Bryant has already spent nearly 23 years in prison and is now over 60 years old," Johnson wrote. "If he lives another 20 years, Louisiana taxpayers will have paid almost one million dollars to punish Mr. Bryant for his failed effort to steal a set of hedge clippers."
Johnson said the harsh sentence was reminiscent of post-Reconstruction laws known as "Pig Laws" that targeted black Americans with harsh sentences for petty crimes as a way of re-enslaving them.
"Pig Laws undoubtedly contributed to the expansion of the Black prison population that began in the 1870s," Johnson wrote. "These laws remained on the books of most southern states for decades. And this case demonstrates their modern manifestation: harsh habitual offender laws that permit a life sentence for a Black man convicted of property crimes. This man's life sentence for a failed attempt to steal a set of hedge clippers is grossly out of proportion to the crime and serves no legitimate penal purpose."


theblaze--2020-08-07--POLL: Who do you want to see run in 2024?

POLL : Who do you want to see run in 2024 ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to @ @

POLL: Who do you want to see run in 2024?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-08-07--Jordan Peterson reportedly diagnosed with COVID-19, is suffering from pneumonia: 'Things are not goo

Jordan Peterson reportedly diagnosed with COVID-19, is suffering from pneumonia: 'Things are not good right now'

Jordan Peterson reportedly diagnosed with COVID-19 , is suffering from pneumonia : 'Things are not good right now '

Canadian best-selling author, clinical psychologist, and quasi-cultural messiah Jordan Peterson has the coronavirus, according to his daughter Mikhaila Peterson, and isn't doing very well.
What are the details?
Mikhaila told interviewers at The Sun that her father apparently contracted COVID-19 in a Serbian hospital, where he was being treated for a physical dependency on tranquilizers — such as anti-anxiety medication benzodiazepine.
As a result of the diagnosis, Mikhaila said that her father is now battling pneumonia for the second time this year.
"He was put on a whole bunch of, kind of preemptively, he was put on anti-virals and things," Mikhaila told the outlet.
"I don't know if that was necessary, because his symptoms weren't that bad," she continued. "He didn't have a cough, he had a mild fever, but they just put him on everything."
“And so now we've had a step back in his recovery," she revealed. "Life is just not good, things are not good right now," she told the outlet. “He'll get better, but he's definitely taken a step back and it's just really unfortunate. ... It's been a disaster."
Jordan Peterson's daughter reveals he has coronavirus & talks woke movement - BQ #28 www.youtube.com
'He nearly died several times'
In February, Mikhaila briefed her father's fans on his recovery following the over-reliance on the anti-anxiety medicine, which landed him in a Russian intensive care unit for at least a month.
The Peterson family in a statement said they opted to travel to Russia after detox facilities in North America reportedly misdiagnosed the best-selling author on more than one occasion.
Russian health experts placed Jordan into an induced coma for eight days after contracting pneumonia.
"He nearly died several times," Mikhaila said at the time.
"He almost died from what the medical system did to him in the West," she insisted. "The doctors here aren't influenced by the pharmaceutical companies, don't believe in treating symptoms caused by medications, by adding in more medications and have the guts to medically detox someone from benzodiazepine."
She revealed that her father suffered neurological damage after the dangerous bout, and was, at the time, taking anti-seizure medication. Jordan, 58, has battled health issues since 2016.


theblaze--2020-08-09--Trump signs executive orders to deliver economic relief from COVID-19 pandemic, bypasses Congress

President Donald Trump did n't wait for Congress to provide economic relief for Americans struggling during the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump bypassed Congress , and signed four executive orders on Saturday that deliver support to Americans , including a $ 400-per-week supplemental unemployment payment , an extension of student loan relief , eviction protection , and a payroll tax holiday .
Memorandum on Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Americans who are currently out of work will be eligible to receive a new $ 400-a-week unemployment benefit .
The federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states will be responsible for $ 100 .
Previously , there was a $ 600 bonus until it expired last week .
Many Republicans argued that extra money disincentivized people from going back to work .
The president said the new rate gives Americans `` a great incentive to go back to work . ''
`` So that 's generous , but we want to take care of our people , '' Trump said .
`` Again , it was n't their fault , it was China 's fault . ''
Memorandum on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 Pandemic At Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey , the president announced that student loan payments could be deferred through the end of the year .
Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster Trump also signed an executive order that defers payroll taxes through the end of the year to Americans earning less than $ 100,000 .
Trump also promised more tax relief if he wins re-election .
`` If I 'm victorious on November 3rd , I plan to forgive these taxes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump declared .
`` Joe Biden and the Democrats may not want that , they do n't want that . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer were negotiating with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin all week , but the parties could n't hammer out a deal .
Trump said `` Democrats are obstructing '' a COVID-19 relief bill , he added , `` Therefore I 'm taking executive action ... and we 're going to save American jobs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` We 're doing that without the Democrats , '' Trump added .
`` We should have been able to do it very easily with them , but they want all these additional things that have nothing to do with helping people . ''
On Friday , Trump said that he would take action after Congress failed to roll out a coronavirus relief bill .
`` If Democrats continue to hold this critical relief hostage , I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief they need , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President Donald Trump didn't wait for Congress to provide economic relief for Americans struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump bypassed Congress, and signed four executive orders on Saturday that deliver support to Americans, including a $400-per-week supplemental unemployment payment, an extension of student loan relief, eviction protection, and a payroll tax holiday.
Americans who are currently out of work will be eligible to receive a new $400-a-week unemployment benefit. The federal government will pay for $300, and states will be responsible for $100. Previously, there was a $600 bonus until it expired last week. Many Republicans argued that extra money disincentivized people from going back to work.
The president said the new rate gives Americans "a great incentive to go back to work."
"So that's generous, but we want to take care of our people," Trump said. "Again, it wasn't their fault, it was China's fault."
At Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, the president announced that student loan payments could be deferred through the end of the year.
Trump also signed an executive order that defers payroll taxes through the end of the year to Americans earning less than $100,000. Trump also promised more tax relief if he wins re-election.
"If I'm victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax," Trump declared. "Joe Biden and the Democrats may not want that, they don't want that."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer were negotiating with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin all week, but the parties couldn't hammer out a deal.
Trump said "Democrats are obstructing" a COVID-19 relief bill, he added, "Therefore I'm taking executive action ... and we're going to save American jobs and provide relief to the American workers."
"We're doing that without the Democrats," Trump added. "We should have been able to do it very easily with them, but they want all these additional things that have nothing to do with helping people."
On Friday, Trump said that he would take action after Congress failed to roll out a coronavirus relief bill.
"If Democrats continue to hold this critical relief hostage, I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief they need," Trump said at a press conference.


theblaze--2020-08-08--Nashville councilwoman wants attempted murder charges for people who don't wear face mask, pass on C

Nashville councilwoman wants attempted murder charges for people who don't wear face mask, pass on COVID-19

Nashville councilwoman wants attempted murder charges for people who do n't wear face mask , pass on COVID-19 ' ... @ @ @ @ @ , then they are tried for murder or attempted murder '

Sharon Hurt, an at-large member of the Nashville Metro Council, suggested this week that people who do not wear a face mask, but spread coronavirus, should be hit with attempted murder or murder charges.
During an August 5 meeting between the city's Public Safety, Beer & Regulated Beverages and Health, Hospitals, & Social Services committees, Hurt asked whether the council could enact legislation criminally charging people who don't wear face coverings in a similar fashion HIV-positive people who knowingly spread HIV without informing partners.
She said:
My question goes back to legislation. I don't know if Mike Jameson could be the one to answer the question, but my concern is — you know I work for an organization, that if they pass a virus, then they are tried for murder or attempted murder, if they are not told … and this person who may very well pass this virus that's out in the air because they're not wearing a mask is basically doing the same thing to someone who contracts it and dies from it.
It seems to me that we have been more reactive, as opposed to proactive, and a little too late, too little. So, my thing is, maybe there should be legislation, stronger legislation, I don't know if Mike Jameson is... can speak to it, but maybe there needs to be stronger legislation to say that if you do not wear a mask and you subject exposure of this virus to someone else then there will be some stronger penalty as it is in other viruses that are exposed.
Mike Jameson, director of legislative affairs and senior adviser to Nashville Mayor John Cooper (D), responded by informing Hurt that the city council does not have the legal authority to create criminal statutes.
"[T]he council does not have the opportunity on its own to create criminal legislation, that is a state creature. We're warranted by state law, to apply criminal application to violations, just for example, as the state law allows us to apply a Class E misdemeanor to violate a health director violation," Jameson explained. "But, in terms of creating a new code, or class of criminal offenses, that is a creature of state law."
In response, Hurt said she "was afraid that was going to be the answer."


theblaze--2020-08-08--NASA goes woke, gets brutally mocked for removing 'actively harmful' names of galaxies, stars

NASA goes woke , gets brutally mocked for removing 'actively harmful ' names of galaxies , stars

NASA is going woke.
The space agency announced this week they would engage in political correctness when referring to planets, stars, galaxies, and other cosmic bodies that have been given what some people might consider "actively harmful" names.
"As the scientific community works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive, but can be actively harmful," NASA said in a press release on Wednesday.
"NASA is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion," the agency added.
The Eskimo Nebula. (Andrew Fruchter/Ero Team/NASA/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)
So far, NASA has targeted two cosmic objects for immediate changes.
Planetary nebula NGC 2392 will no longer be called by its unofficial name, "Eskimo Nebula," while NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 — a pair of spiral galaxies — will no longer be called the "Siamese Twins Galaxy," the agency said.
According to NASA, the word "eskimo" is offensive because it "is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions.
While "Eskimo Nebula" and "Siamese Twins Galaxy" were the only two cosmic objects for which NASA announced changes, the agency indicated they would work with "diversity, inclusion, and equity experts in the astronomical and physical sciences" to identify other planets, stars, and galaxies with "inappropriate" nicknames.
What was the response?
The agency was widely panned and mocked on social media over its announcement.


theblaze--2020-08-08--Democratic NY City councilman says hydroxychloroquine saved his life, thanks Trump for advocating dr

Democratic NY City councilman says hydroxychloroquine saved his life, thanks Trump for advocating drug

Democratic NY City councilman says hydroxychloroquine saved his life , thanks Trump for advocating drug

The drug hydroxychloroquine was instantly transformed into a political football the moment President Donald Trump said that the malaria medication "could be a game changer" at a coronavirus press briefing on March 19. Since being hopeful about the drug, Trump's adversaries have been completely against hydroxychloroquine, while his supporters are optimistic that the medicine could help fight against COVID-19. A Democratic politician has come out to proclaim that hydroxychloroquine saved his life after a near-death battle with coronavirus.
Democratic New York City Councilman Paul Vallone credits hydroxychloroquine with saving his life as he fought against the lethal respiratory disease. Vallone, who represents Queens, told the New York Post that HCQ "basically saved me."
Vallone was extremely ill with coronavirus in March. The situation was dire because he already suffers from sarcoidosis, an incurable auto-immune disease that mostly affects the lungs and lymph glands.
"We were in panic mode when I went down because I didn't have a lot of immune response," Vallone said. "I needed something to stay alive."
"I couldn't breathe, very weak, couldn't get out of bed," he said. "My doctor prescribed it. My pharmacy had it. Took it that day and within two to three days I was able to breathe."
Vallone took hydroxychloroquine with a flu Z-pack and "within a week" he was back on his feet.
"At that time, there was only fear and panic, he offered hope in a possible treatment when there was none," Vallone said of Trump's endorsement of hydroxychloroquine. "With my sarcoidosis and then my COVID symptoms, it basically saved me. For that my family will always be thankful."
Vallone's brother Peter, a former city councilman and a current civil court judge in Queens, touted the drug in a Facebook post.
"I guess all those doctors who are prescribing it are right. This drug is already on the market and the patent is up so it's cheap. A new drug won't be. So big money does not want this drug to be used. Always follow the money," Peter Vallone wrote on May 12. He attached a link to a study from New York University's Grossman School of Medicine that found patients given the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine along with zinc sulphate and the antibiotic azithromycin were 44% less likely to die from the coronavirus.
"[It] saved my life," Paul Vallone wrote in the comments.
Vallone isn't the only Democratic politician to have thanked Trump for touting hydroxychloroquine. Democratic State Rep. Karen Whitsett from Michigan declared that hydroxychloroquine saved her life.
"It has a lot to do with the president ... bringing it up," Whitsett said in April. "He is the only person who has the power to make it a priority."
In May, Trump said he had been taking the medication as a preventative measure.
Hydroxychloroquine studies have shown mixed results, some claiming there are no benefits, while other research finds HCQ as a promising treatment for COVID-19, especially as when taken early in the onset of the disease.
Last month, a video of front-line doctors advocating treating COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine was deleted from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Donald Trump. Jr. was suspended from Twitter for sharing the video.
Dr. Simone Gold, one of the front-line doctors touting HCQ, spoke with Glenn Beck recently. She talks about being fired from the two hospitals where she worked after the video went viral.


theblaze--2020-08-08--Bill Gates sounds the alarm on US coronavirus testing, rushing potential vaccine

Bill Gates sounds the alarm on US coronavirus testing , rushing potential vaccine 'The majority of all US tests are @ @ @ @ @

Billionaire Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, explained this week that America coronavirus tests are inadequate and warned about the dangers of rushing vaccinations into the populace without proper testing.
Responding to a question about delayed COVID-19 testing results, Gates told Wired that American COVID testing is a deeply flawed system potentially plagued by greed.
"The majority of all US tests are completely garbage, wasted," Gates said. "If you don't care how late the date is and you reimburse at the same level, of course they're going to take every customer. Because they are making ridiculous money, and it's mostly rich people that are getting access to that. You have to have the reimbursement system pay a little bit extra for 24 hours, pay the normal fee for 48 hours, and pay nothing [if it isn't done by then]. And they will fix it overnight."
Coronavirus vaccine research. (THIBAULT SAVARY/AFP via Getty Images)
With regard to a vaccine for COVID-19, Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, expressed concern over rushing out a solution that did not undergo proper testing.
Gates was asked, "Are you concerned that in our rush to get a vaccine we are going to approve something that isn't safe and effective?"
He replied:
Yeah. In China and Russia they are moving full speed ahead. I bet there'll be some vaccines that will get out to lots of patients without the full regulatory review somewhere in the world. We probably need three or four months, no matter what, of phase 3 data, just to look for side effects. The FDA, to their credit, at least so far, is sticking to requiring proof of efficacy. So far they have behaved very professionally despite the political pressure.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates has shifted his focus to helping develop safe medical solutions that would be widely accessible.
Gates, for example, confirmed Friday that his foundation, the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation, would spend $150 million on providing the COVID-19 vaccine to poor communities should one be developed.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates is hoping to produce vaccine doses for as little as $3 per dose.


theblaze--2020-08-08--Man says he was beaten for flying 'Trump 2020' flag at campground

Man says he was beaten for flying 'Trump 2020 ' flag at campground The man and his daughter shared photos @ @ @ @ @ from the alleged attack.=

A Wisconsin man says he was attacked by a group of men because he was flying a "Trump 2020" flag on his camper. He suffered several bruises from the alleged attack, as did his daughter.
Greg Bloch and his family were at the Oasis Campground in central Wisconsin on the first weekend of August. Bloch told WSAW-TV that a group, who appeared to be intoxicated, walked though his family's campsite around dusk on Saturday, Aug. 1. Bloch believes the three individuals were a mother, her son in his 20s, and an older man.
"Three individuals came walking through our campsite. It was dusk, and they were coming from a pond, and they had been drinking and seemed pretty inebriated," Bloch told Heavy. Bloch said they dropped pizza boxes and beer cans as they walked near his camper.
"They were dropping that (pizza) all over, and my mom and I said, 'Can you please pick that up,'" Bloch's daughter, Alexandria Dean, said. "It was all over our campsite. They said, 'Oh sorry.'"
"Spilling stuff through our campsite, and, they picked up their stuff and were apologetic about it, until the younger individual, the male, went through and saw the Trump flag that I had just purchased that day," according to Bloch.
"That's when they saw my flag on my awning," Bloch said. The younger man then allegedly said, "I'm Mexican. What's up with that Trump flag?"
Bloch responded, "I said 'Trump loves everybody, have a good day,' just trying to move him along."
As the man walked away, he allegedly said, "That flag is coming down later." Bloch retorted, "No, it's not."
Bloch claims that about 20 minutes later he heard banging on the side of his camper. "My wife says, 'They're back,'" Bloch alleges, adding that there were three men in the group when they showed up a second time. "As soon as I rounded the camper, I noticed the flag was torn down," he said.
"The one male rushed me, the one I had the conversation with earlier, and I'm like 'Okay, this is going down I guess,'" Bloch, who said he had never been in a fight in his life until that moment, explained. "We grappled; fell into my camper; fell down to the ground. At that point, I was getting pummeled by all three. They were landing on my face, my nose."
"The other two started laying haymakers into my head along with the original guy," he claimed. "They were full out punching me in the head and ears."
Bloch's wife and daughters attempted to stop the fight, but then they were physically assaulted as well.
"My 20-year-old daughter, she came around from the front of the truck and grabbed one of the individuals," Bloch claimed. "He pinned her against my truck and hit her in the face. It was probably 10, 20, 30 seconds of it, but that was enough."
Dean claimed the woman in the group "came behind me and punched me in the back of the head and pulled my hair."
"The worst part is three guys attacking my dad and feeling so helpless," she continued. "I got out of this lady's grip. I hit the ground; my knees are scabbed up. She went to my mom and started pulling her hair. There were huge chunks of hair on the ground."
"One of these gentlemen pinned my sister against my dad's truck and punched her in the face," Dean said. "Her jaw is all bruised. Not a single person in my family has ever been in a confrontation or fight before. It's not who we are."
Victoria Bloch, 20, said her chin and collarbone were bruised and swollen. Dean, 24, provided Heavy with a photo of her sister's injured jaw.
Dean wrote on Facebook, "Scariest thing I've been through in my 24 years of life but so thankful everyone is okay." Another person replied, "Alexandria Dean agreed. A very scary moment that seemed to last an eternity!!"
The brawl was broken up by campground staff and other family members. The three individuals got into a car at a nearby campsite and drove away.
"They were very responsive to what I needed," Bloch said of the Oasis Campground employees. "They did great, the staff came and helped me clean up my wounds. They were good about it."
The Waushara County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a report was filed about the campground altercation. Chief Deputy Jim Lietz said that there is an ongoing investigation.
Bloch suffered several bruises and believes his nose was broken in the attack. He shared photos of his injuries on Facebook and included the caption, "Got jumped at a campground in central Wisconsin this weekend by 3 individuals for flying my Trump 2020 flag. Wife and two daughters accosted while trying to get them off of me. Sheriff's dept is currently searching for individuals involved. Wanted to share to let people know this can happen to anyone. Be careful out there!"
"I'm disappointed in the fact that just because a flag was flying, people get the idea they can attack you," Bloch stated. "I am disappointed this happened at a family campground where you think you're safe."
Bloch's wife and daughter don't feel safe flying any flags supporting President Donald Trump. Dean said the pro-Trump flag was "100%" the reason why the attack happened.
"They had ripped it off our camper, and the comments they made before about that," Dean said. "We were attacked because of that. My dad didn't provoke it. He didn't try to argue with them."
"Clearly, we can't even feel safe flying a flag," Dean added. However, he wants to show his support for the president.
"Nobody should be able to take your First Amendment Rights away. Freedom of speech to promote who you want to for president," Bloch said. "You never know who's camping with you. You hope everybody's civil and decent, and we can have a discussion if people want to discuss it. I'm hoping those are the kind of people I run into from now on because I'm always willing to have a political discussion but when it comes to a throw-down, beat down; I would have hoped to have been 1-on-1 and not 3-on-1."


theblaze--2020-08-08--Media cover for Joe Biden over racial comments, hold 'virtual blackout' of latest controversy

Media cover for Joe Biden over racial comments , hold 'virtual blackout ' of latest controversy

The mainstream media is again covering for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
What's the background?
Biden ignited controversy this week for making insulting comments about the black community.
During a virtual conference hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Biden complemented the Hispanic community — but, in the process, took what many thought was a needless shot at the black community.
"Unlike the African American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly diverse attitudes about different things," Biden said. "You go to Florida, you find a very different attitude about immigration than you do in Arizona. So it's a very diverse community."
How did the media cover the remarks?
According to a Fox News report, there was a "virtual blackout of coverage by both MSNBC and CNN" until brief mentions of the gaffe on Thursday and Friday.
From Fox News:
While MSNBC covered Biden's mea culpa addressing his racially charged remarks on Friday morning, its biggest stars continued their blackout of coverage on the network's most-watched shows. None of the collective nine hours worth of programming -- from hosts Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes and Ali Velshi, who was filling in this week for Lawrence O'Donnell -- addressed the former VP's rhetorical flubs.
CNN's first primetime mention of Biden's gaffes came Friday night on "Cuomo Prime Time." However, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo strangely did not play the actual clip from Biden's interview from the convention of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).
Did Biden apologize?
As TheBlaze reported, Biden issued an apology on Thursday.
"Earlier today, I made some comments about diversity in the African American and Latino communities that I want to clarify. In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith—not by identity, not on issues, not at all," he tweeted.
Biden was forced to issue a similar apology in May after he controversially claimed that black people "ain't black" if they don't vote for him in November.


theblaze--2020-08-08--FINALLY: Feds target Ukrainian money-laundering oligarch linked to MISSING $1.8 billion in US aid

FINALLY : Feds target Ukrainian money-laundering oligarch linked to MISSING $ 1.8 billion in US aid ' I ca n't @ @ @ @ @ long '

In February 2020, Glenn Beck and his research team uncovered an alleged multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme that lead to a missing $1.8 billion in U.S. aid sent to Ukraine during the Obama administration, all of which pointed to Igor Kolomoisky, the corrupt Ukrainian billionaire at the center of it all.
If you missed Glenn's February special, "Ukraine: The Final Piece," you can find it here.
This week, the FBI raided the offices of U.S. companies owned by Kolomoisky in Cleveland and Miami. Additionally, the Department of Justice accused the Ukrainian oligarch of stealing billions of dollars from PrivatBank and then laundering the money through a network of companies all over the world. Kolomoisky and partner, Hennadiy Boholyubov, owned PrivatBank until December 2016, when Ukraine nationalized the bank because billions of dollars had gone missing.
Kolomoisky has ties to the Ukrainian gas firm Burisma, former Burisma board member Hunter Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose phone call with President Donald Trump was central to the Democrats' now-failed impeachment attempt.
On the radio program Friday, Glenn spoke with chief researcher Jason Buttrill about these latest developments.
"Yeah, $1.8 billion of [taxpayer] money that just vanished has now been found, or at least part of it, in Miami and Cleveland," Glenn said.
"I can't believe it's taken this long," Jason responded. "You said in February that [Kolomoisky] was the key to finding out where the money went. And we're talking about $1.8 billion dollars — $1.8 billion! That could finance a small war."
"That money went to PrivatBank — that's Kolomoisky's bank," he continued. "It was later nationalized after they found out all this money was mysteriously going missing. But it went through a bank in Cypress then, poof, it was laundered all over the world. [...] We also showed, in one of the previous shows, that there were wire transfers going from Burisma, which Kolomoisky is the managing principal of, to Hunter Biden."
Glenn and Jason also talked about recent reports from the Department of Homeland Security alleging ties between American revolutionaries, such as Antifa, and Marxist terrorists in Syria, which BlazeTV exposed back in June. Find out more here.
Watch the video below for more details:
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theblaze--2020-08-08--Chrissy Teigen caught using Goya beans despite vowing to boycott brand because of Trump support

A can of beans was a heated partisan issue that captured a news cycle last month and continues to ignite controversy. After sparking a firestorm online last month, Goya is back in the news.
This time, the canned food pettifoggery centers around Chrissy Teigen, who was caught using Goya beans. Previously, Teigen vowed to boycott the brand because Goya's CEO publicly supported President Donald Trump's initiative to improve Hispanic Americans' access to educational and economic opportunities.
Last month, Goya Foods co-owner and CEO Bob Unanue appeared at the White House to help Trump roll out the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. "We're all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder," Unanue, who is of Latin descent, said at the roundtable event in the Rose Garden.
The appearance and compliments given to Trump inspired conservatives to run out to stores and buy Goya products, while at the same time triggered a boycott movement of Goya products by left-leaning individuals such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joaquin Castro, and Chrissy Teigen.
Teigen was especially livid over the support of the president by CEO of the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States. The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model lashed out at Goya Foods with several expletive-filled posts on social media. Teigen also vowed to boycott the canned food company.
On an Instagram story, Teigen encouraged her followers to boycott Goya Foods by saying, "There are other beans. Shop responsibly."
"Don't care how good the beans taste though. Bye bye," she wrote on Twitter.
A few days later when Ivanka Trump shared a photo of her holding a can of Goya beans, the tweet caused Teigen to go on another rant.
On Thursday, Teigen was making oxtail stew and sharing her cooking process on Instagram, but inadvertently opened a can of worms. A few eagle-eyed viewers spotted a can of green pigeon peas on the counter. But not just any can of green pigeon peas, they were Goya green pigeon peas. The same Goya that Teigen pledged to never use again.
"Chrissy Teigen claimed she was boycotting Goya when the CEO came out in support of Trump. But on Instagram when she panned some ingredients on her kitchen counter, she reveals she's not boycotting Goya at all," NBC Universal senior executive Mike Sington tweeted.
Other Twitter users called Teigen a "hypocrite."
Teigen could have used the controversy to donate her Goya products to food pantries, many of which are experiencing "unheard of" demand and unprecedented needs because of economic devastation stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.