theblaze--2020-02-19--George Zimmerman sues Liz Warren and Pete Buttigieg for $265 million — over their tweets

George Zimmerman sues Liz Warren and Pete Buttigieg for $ 265 million — over their tweets ' ... misguided and @ @ @ @ @ standings amongst African-American voters '

George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, is suing two Democratic presidential candidates over their incendiary tweets about the movement that grew out of his case.
The infamous Florida man was charged with murder after he engaged in an altercation with the 17-year-old Martin and ended up shooting him and killing him in 2012.
Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Martin in 2013, but activists have hounded him and made the case into a social justice cause.
On Tuesday, he filed a lawsuit against former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Liz Warren (D-Mass.) over tweets he claimed were defamatory against him. He is seeking $265 million in damages.
"Trayvon Martin would have been 25 today," Buttigieg tweeted.
"How many 25th birthdays have been stolen from us by white supremacy, gun violence, prejudice, and fear?" he asked, adding the hashtag for "Black Lives Matter."
Warren tweeted a similar message.
"He should still be with us today," said Warren of Martin.
"We need to end gun violence and racism," she added. "And we need to build a world where all of our children—especially young Black boys—can grow up safe and free."
The lawsuit accused the politicians of tweeting simply "for political gain in misguided and malicious attempts to bolster their standings amongst African-American voters, all at Zimmerman's expense."
Zimmerman has also previously filed a lawsuit against Martin's family, the state of Florida, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Here's more about Zimmerman's lawsuit:


theblaze--2020-02-19--Newlywed cops enjoy off-duty date night at restaurant — until armed masked man walks in demanding ca

Newlywed cops enjoy off-duty date night at restaurant — until armed masked man walks in demanding cash. The lovebirds win this one.

Newlywed cops enjoy off-duty date night at restaurant — until armed masked man walks in demanding cash .
The lovebirds @ @ @ @ @ couple 's church has been focusing on marriage — and encouraging once-a-week date nights

Detective Chase McKeown and Officer Nicole McKeown serve on the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, police force — and just got married six months ago, WDRB-TV reported.
They met when he was a patrol officer and she was a dispatcher, WEVV-TV said, citing the department.
"At our church, we've been focusing on marriage," Chase McKeown told WDRB, adding that weekly date nights also have been encouraged.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
So, on Saturday the off-duty couple drove to Louisville to enjoy a date night at Raising Cane's restaurant, the station said, adding that the eatery holds a special place in their hearts since it was the first spot they had a meal after their wedding.
But their fun wouldn't last.
What happened next?
At one point 30-year-old Justin Carter walked into the restaurant wearing a mask, WDRB said, citing an arrest report — and police said he pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded money.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
"I think we kind of both saw him at the same time," Nicole McKeown told the station.
She figured Carter was wearing the mask because it's flu season, and he might be sick — but WDRB said that as she continued watching, she knew something wasn't right.
Turning to her husband, she said, "That's kind of odd," the station noted.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
Then the couple realized a robbery was in progress, WDRB said.
Chase handed his cellphone to Nicole and told her to call 911, the station said — but she wasn't about to let him handle this one solo.
"No," Nicole recalled to WDRB, "I'm gonna help my husband."
The jig is up
Surveillance video shows the McKeowns leaving their booth with their guns drawn and racing over to Carter.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
With that, he dropped his gun and ran out the door, the station said.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
But the husband-and-wife cops were in hot pursuit.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
WDRB said they held Carter at gunpoint a few blocks away until Louisville police arrived to arrest him.
Carter has pleaded not guilty to robbery, receipt of stolen property, and being a felon in possession of a gun, the station said.
Image source: WDRB-TV video screenshot
'We are extremely blessed that they chose to dine with us'
Detective Dan Mason of the Louisville police said the McKeowns acted "honorably and heroically," WDRB reported.
"We are extremely blessed that they chose to dine with us," a Raising Cane's representative added to the station. "It's because of good people like Chase and Nicole who give us good hope for tomorrow … we'll never be able to thank them enough."
Anything else?
Chase said he and his wife don't feel like heroes, noting to WDRB that their "training kicked in."
Nicole added to the station that they'll definitely be returning to the scene of the crime for another bite to eat: "Oh absolutely, I love Raising Cane's."


theblaze--2020-02-19--Cops arrest woman who repeatedly called 911 complaining that her parents canceled her cellphone plan

Cops arrest woman who repeatedly called 911 complaining that her parents canceled her cellphone plan. She’s 36 years old.

Cops arrest woman who repeatedly called 911 complaining that her parents canceled her cellphone plan .
She ’ s 36 @ @ @ @ @ n't make this stuff up

Police arrested a 36-year-old Ohio woman last week after she would not stop calling 911 to tell police that her parents had canceled her cellphone plan, WEWS-TV reported.
On Feb. 13, Seloni Khetarpal of Canton, Ohio, "repeatedly" called police demanding that officers respond to the situation by coming to her home, court documents say.
During the first call, police reportedly warned her that the regional emergency dispatch should be dialed only in the case of an actual emergency requiring police assistance — but she didn't listen. Hours later, Khetarpal called again insisting that the police do something.
According to court documents, she was "belligerent" and insisted that her parents canceling her phone plan was a legitimate issue.
Later that evening, officers did finally come to her house but not for the reason she had hoped. She was arrested for disrupting public service, which is a fourth-degree felony. Khetarpal is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 27.
The reason her parents canceled her cellphone plan has not been reported.
Anything else?
WOIO-TV obtained audio of the second call, where you can hear Khetarpal and a dispatch worker arguing over the legitimacy of the call.


theblaze--2020-02-19--AOC appears on ‘The View’ where not even Whoopi Goldberg likes her message about older Democrats — a

AOC appears on ‘The View’ where not even Whoopi Goldberg likes her message about older Democrats — and makes her feelings clear

AOC appears on ‘ The View ’ where not even Whoopi Goldberg likes her message about older Democrats — and @ @ @ @

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared on Wednesday's broadcast of "The View," where she discussed her respect for her elder Democratic lawmakers.
One person who didn't seem to be too impressed was co-host Whoopi Goldberg, who chastised the freshman lawmaker for her perceived ageism against more senior lawmakers in Washington, D.C., such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Ocasio-Cortez has also attacked Pelosi's policies, which reportedly prompted some House Democrats to call the New York congresswoman a "fraud" and a "nobody."
What are the details?
Goldberg opened by admitting that she was "very happy" when Ocasio-Cortez was elected because she believed that the young lawmaker could easily effect change.
"I was very happy when you were elected, because I thought it was a great step in a good direction," Goldberg said. "And then, you lost me because it felt like you were saying to people like me that I was too old and didn't do enough."
She continued, "And so, that has bothered me, because I feel like I love young people. I was once one. But you're on my shoulders. And we have carried this fight. People like Nancy Pelosi, who was the only chick in the room for years. ... And to sort of hear it sound like you were dismissing us bothered the hell out of me. And I've been very upset about it for a long time."
Ocasio-Cortez bristled and insisted that she has great respect for some senior lawmakers such as Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee (Calif.), Maxine Walters (Calif.), and the late Elijah Cummings (Md).
"I appreciate you sharing that with me, because I think that's something we have to model more in politics," she answered. "Nancy Pelosi, that's Mama Bear of the Democratic Party. You don't mess with her. Also, women like Barbara Lee ... and Maxine Waters."
"Cool," Goldberg quipped, seemingly unimpressed.
(H/T: The Washington Examiner)


theblaze--2020-02-19--Democratic senator laughs off abortion question, calls it 'stupid'

'Do you think abortion should be banned after five months ? '

Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala) laughed off a question about an abortion restrictions on Wednesday and derided it as "stupid."
According to Yellowhammer News, the exchange took place between the Democratic senator and an election tracker who is also a constituent.
During the recorded exchange, the constituent begins by asking Jones "Do you think abortion should be banned after five months?" as the senator is walking away from a black SUV.
Apparently not hearing to the initial question, the senator greets the constituent by asking, "What stupid question do you have for me today?"
After the constituent repeats the question, Jones responds with a laugh.
"Should abortion be banned after," the senator chuckled as he repeated the first half of the question, "as I said, what a stupid question."
In response to the jocular dismissal, the questioner said, "You're voting on it next week, sir."
The comment was in reference to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
"Yeah, and I'll vote on it next week," Jones responded while walking away, "just like I did the last time."
That "last time" Jones was referring to happened in late January 2018, when the Senate last voted on a pain-capable bill. It would have imposed a federal ban on abortions conducted after 20 weeks of pregnancy, when proponents of such legislation say that unborn children can feel pain. Jones voted against the measure.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up votes for the pain-capable legislation along with an anti-infanticide measure that would mandate medical care for the born-alive survivors of botched abortions, for a vote after this week's congressional recess. Last year, Jones was one of only three upper chamber Democrats who crossed the aisle to vote in favor of a born-alive bill in the Senate.
The short, 17-second video clip probably won't do Jones any favors in his upcoming re-election bid in the state, which passed a law banning nearly all abortions in the state last year. He was elected in a 2017 Alabama special Senate election that was thrown into chaos by sexual misconduct allegations against the Republican nominee, Roy Moore. He is now widely viewed as the upper chamber's most vulnerable incumbent in November's general election.


theblaze--2020-02-19--77-year-old man shows off impressive boxing skills after would-be mugger tries to attack him at ATM

77-year-old man shows off impressive boxing skills after would-be mugger tries to attack him at ATM — and the video footage is incredible

77-year-old man shows off impressive boxing skills after would-be mugger tries to attack him at ATM — and the video @ @ @

A 77-year-old United Kingdom man is being hailed a hero for the way he physically staved off an attempted mugging.
Video of the incident has hit the internet and has gone viral.
What are the details?
A 77-year-old man named Trevor boxed his way out of a potential knifepoint mugging earlier in February.
Trevor had just arrived at an ATM in Cardiff, Wales, when an unknown attacker approached the elderly gentleman and demanded cash, according to South Wales police.
Trevor was having none of it, and decided to fight back instead.
Breaking out some boxing moves, Trevor grabbed the man, held him in a shoulder lock, and began punching and jabbing the would-be assailant. The unidentified attacker apparently decided the holdup wasn't worth it, though, and began backing away from the elderly man. Law enforcement officials said that the attacker got away, but was unable to get any cash from Trevor.
Authorities released surveillance footage of the incident on Wednesday, lauding the elderly man for his bravery. Trevor was not hurt during the scuffle. Police are still searching for the suspect and encourage the public to reach out with any knowledge of the attempted assault and robbery.
South Wales Police Cardiff tweeted about the incident on TKTK, writing, "Detectives have been checking in on him and he's doing okay. He was shocked & very shaky after the incident, but thankful nothing worse had happened."


theblaze--2020-02-19--New law in Cambridge, Mass., protects illegals from ICE by instructing police not to arrest unlicens

New law in Cambridge, Mass., protects illegals from ICE by instructing police not to arrest unlicensed drivers

New law in Cambridge , Mass.
, protects illegals from ICE by instructing police not to arrest unlicensed drivers 'Keeps @ @ @ @ @ of the Trump administration '

In a move to shield illegal immigrants from U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement, a new law passed by the city council in Cambridge, Massachusetts, instructs police not to arrest illegal immigrants who are caught driving without a license.
The law, called the "Welcoming Community Ordinance," was unanimously passed by the council and is set to be added to the city's municipal code, WFXT-TV reported.
Under the ordinance, Cambridge police are now directed to summons unlicensed drivers rather than arrest them. If an unlicensed driver is arrested, they would be subject to fingerprinting, which in turn would create a record accessible to federal immigration enforcement agents. A court summons, on the other hand, makes it more difficult for ICE to track down the individual.
"We need to protect our community members from a federal government that's out of control," said Quinton Zondervan, a Cambridge City Council member. "There are no other reasons for the police to arrest someone, give them a court summons instead, which keeps them out of the clutches of the Trump administration."
"Our federal government right now, their official policy is to throw people in cages and abuse and torture them, in some cases letting them die," Zondervan added. "So I do not want any cooperation with that federal government policy in our law."
According to Laura Rótolo, staff counsel and community advocate for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, Cambridge had already been operating under these guidelines as a "sanctuary city," but the new law serves to solidify its actions.
"My understanding is that this ordinance basically codifies what the city was already doing," Rótolo said. "But it's very important to do that, for policy to be in writing and for them to be public so that everybody knows about them and that immigrants can feel trust in their local agencies. And it sends a strong message, both in Cambridge and beyond, that we value immigrants and that everyone does better when we have these policies in place."
Under the new guidelines, Cambridge police will also be prohibited from inquiring about a person's immigration status or initiating an investigation based on a person's immigration status, and will be severely limited in assisting with federal immigration enforcement operations.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Ryan: Mayhem in Iowa, featuring Amy Klobuchar

Down the street , MSNBC had taken over an entire Java Joe 's Coffee House with live broadcasts of `` Morning Joe . ''
The world was watching all month , but especially that day .
Any time you turned on the radio or scrolled through social media , the subject was Iowa .
And , every moment , you could feel it , that whirling angst in your belly right before you jump off the high-board .
I 'd driven straight from the Andrew Yang event to the Des Moines Marriott Downtown , for Amy Klobuchar 's `` Amy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where I met up with Politics Politics Politics host Justin Robert Young at the downstairs bar .
The Des Moines Marriott Downtown was the media hub , where many of the pundits and anchors and always-glaring columnists stayed .
Politicians , too .
They tended to flock to those higher-end downtown hotels and boutiques .
The previous day , at the nearby Renaissance Savery hotel , an `` NBC News analyst '' overheard former Secretary of State John Kerry on his phone , while sitting at the hotel restaurant , anxiously contemplate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bernie Sanders taking down the Democratic Party — down whole . ''
He added , `` maybe I 'm f***ing deluding myself here . ''
If it were the case that Kerry had gotten spooked enough to consider hopping into the Democratic presidential race the day before the Iowa caucuses , something incomprehensibly bad must have come to his attention .
Especially since Kerry was in Iowa as a show of support for former Vice President Joe Biden .
By the end of caucus night , amid the disaster and chaos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sinister tone .
Did Kerry get advanced warning ?
What did he mean about Sanders `` taking down the Democratic Party — down whole '' ?
All night , the word was that Bernie would definitely win .
In 2016 , he 'd been systematically robbed of the Iowa win .
With caucuses all over Iowa rigged or stacked in favor of Hillary Clinton , who still beat Sanders by only a quarter of a percentage point .
If it happened again — now that would seem hardly coincidental .
Conversely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Pete Buttigieg , the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor .
Biden 's fall had been much clearer .
Imagine leading a race for months — the most important race in American politics — only to sink to the back right before you can broach the finish line .
So , on caucus night , all of us reporters had an itchy look , eager to capture some half-drunk politician or erratic staffer .
Later , Kerry told reporters , `` This is a complete and total misinterpretation based on overhearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A friend who watches too much cable called me wondering whether I 'd ever jump into the race late in the game if Democrats were choosing an unelectable nominee .
I listed all the reasons I could not possibly do that and would not — and will not under any circumstances — do that . ''
As is the custom , Kerry had to perform an apology on Twitter .
That did not go well , either .
To our left , in an overlarge booth , Donna Brazile sculpted a pork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mouth with blissful concern .
She 'd come downstairs alone , but people occasionally stopped at her table to pay respects , as she sat mostly silent , chewing .
`` Iowa has 99 Counties , '' the bartender told us .
`` It used to be a law that no town could be farther than a day 's travel from Des Moines , so the highways here go everywhere . ''
She also spilled some delectable gossip about Michael Bloomberg and winked when she told us that the acoustics in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the energy of a funeral .
Dazed caucusers strolled into the ballroom pinching champagne flutes and miniature cheese .
And Klobuchar was backstage , or just elsewhere .
So back to the bar .
Plenty of chatter , too , about how Trump had 80 surrogates all around the state .
He was n't there .
Although he 'd held a rally in Des Moines several days earlier — one of his favorite tactics , holding a rally ahead of any Democratic event , in the same city .
And , tomorrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give his action-packed State of the Union address , with a special appearance by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the end , ripping up her copy of the speech .
The day after that , Wednesday , Trump would be acquitted of impeachment charges , both Article I : Abuse of Power and Article II : Obstruction of Congress .
The vote was surgically partisan , and only Sen. Mitt Romney broke ranks , voting `` Guilty '' on Article I , but not Article II .
CNN was the hotel 's chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The feed hopped to different correspondents at caucuses all across Iowa .
Some caucus sites had too many people shoved together , others were pitifully small .
The bartender had a much better grasp of the various counties and who was likely to win than the correspondents did .
`` College town , '' she would say , uncapping another Bud Light .
`` Bernie , for sure .
Yang might hit 15 % viability , but Biden does n't stand a chance . ''
When causers ' candidates did n't meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could migrate to another candidate .
Or leave .
This was considered an impolite move , but could you blame them ?
`` Only Iowans registered as Democrats can vote , '' she added .
I 'd been asking people for months by then how caucusing works .
By now , it had gone on too long , so I had to pretend I understood .
The whole awkward dance played out on the TVs .
It felt like watching some ancient sport from a far-off part of the world , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complications , the whole thing felt like an elaborate prank .
One group of supporters hokey-pokeyed to their designated corner of the gym or town hall or elementary school cafeteria , and score-keeping judges etched numbers or lines into their notebooks .
The New York Stock Exchange — that 's what it was like , with all the feverish men in costumes squawking at the scoreboard .
And then , it ended .
And how did they know anything had actually been accomplished ?
The next day at the airport .
so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gate with their cameras hanging down .
The caucus would be all anyone could talk about .
While waiting for the plane to board , some media guy was on his cellphone , talking about the caucus .
His friend clearly did n't understand what a caucus is , then he explains it .
Even now , at the end of it all , nobody knows what it means .
Justin and I were upstairs in the press pen when an on-air reporter in a red dress began half-shouting into her microphone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down at a tablet and her phone .
We returned to the bar .
Within a minute , on every screen in the place , the woman in the red dress from upstairs , and a `` BREAKING NEWS '' banner .
Now , as I mentioned , the caucus already confused me .
So when I looked around and saw utter disbelief and panic and confusion , I knew that an unexpected disaster had occurred , but not how or why .
Justin scrolled through Twitter , refreshing , refreshing , searching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard mention the app .
He 'd read an article a few weeks earlier about how the app , IowaReporterApp , had n't been tested , despite reports of coding errors .
IowaReporterApp was supposed to tally votes digitally for all 1,679 precincts as well as 99 satellite caucuses in-state , our-of-state , and three international .
Conspiracy theories began to swirl , connecting the company behind the app — which , hilariously , is called Shadow Inc. — to Hillary Clinton , and maybe even Pete Buttigieg , who seemed to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a matter of time before the name `` Soros '' started appearing across the murkier crevices of the internet .
`` This is the funniest thing I 've ever experienced , '' Justin said , laughing .
I laughed the way you do when you 're in a foreign country , where you do n't understand the language , and everybody else laughs first .
It was n't until the memes started appearing on Twitter that I understood , with the `` Curb Your Enthusiasm '' theme song in the background .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us announced that he 'd just heard from a colleague that there were also calculation errors with the backup system .
A burst of applause came from the second-floor ballroom , then Klobuchar appeared on the screen , every screen , in the entire lobby , in the entire nation .
Every journalist in the room sprinted upstairs .
For that moment , nobody cared about ideological subversion , and the tragic meltdown of the caucuses was still an unknown , something we did n't have to worry about .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates had taken the stage yet .
Nobody knew how to react .
Klobuchar — brilliantly , having lost severely — gave a victory speech .
Klobuchar seemed too calm for such a solemn occasion .
Tipsy , almost .
Why the hell not ?
Good for her .
Klobuchar was on fire .
She torched Donald Trump with the acuity of a rapper on a brutal diss-track .
After her speech , she walked out into the crowd and people swarmed her .
Selfies were taken .
Over-thought words were said to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was tremendous .
Actually being in the room .
Studios and sets all look different in person .
There 's only half as much of the room as you 'd expected .
New stories come out every Monday and Thursday .
Check out my Twitter .
Send all notes , tips , corrections to kryan @ blazemedia.com

(Part One). (Part Two).
Down the street, MSNBC had taken over an entire Java Joe's Coffee House with live broadcasts of "Morning Joe."
The world was watching all month, but especially that day. Any time you turned on the radio or scrolled through social media, the subject was Iowa. And, every moment, you could feel it, that whirling angst in your belly right before you jump off the high-board.
I'd driven straight from the Andrew Yang event to the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, for Amy Klobuchar's "Amy for America caucus night party," where I met up with Politics Politics Politics host Justin Robert Young at the downstairs bar.
The Des Moines Marriott Downtown was the media hub, where many of the pundits and anchors and always-glaring columnists stayed. Politicians, too. They tended to flock to those higher-end downtown hotels and boutiques.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
The previous day, at the nearby Renaissance Savery hotel, an "NBC News analyst" overheard former Secretary of State John Kerry on his phone, while sitting at the hotel restaurant, anxiously contemplate a presidential bid to counter "the possibility of Bernie Sanders taking down the Democratic Party — down whole." He added, "maybe I'm f***ing deluding myself here."
This story.
If it were the case that Kerry had gotten spooked enough to consider hopping into the Democratic presidential race the day before the Iowa caucuses, something incomprehensibly bad must have come to his attention. Especially since Kerry was in Iowa as a show of support for former Vice President Joe Biden.
By the end of caucus night, amid the disaster and chaos, the Kerry phone call would take on a sinister tone. Did Kerry get advanced warning? What did he mean about Sanders "taking down the Democratic Party — down whole"?
All night, the word was that Bernie would definitely win. In 2016, he'd been systematically robbed of the Iowa win. With caucuses all over Iowa rigged or stacked in favor of Hillary Clinton, who still beat Sanders by only a quarter of a percentage point. If it happened again — now that would seem hardly coincidental.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
Conversely, first reports hinted at a poor showing for Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor.
Biden's fall had been much clearer. Imagine leading a race for months — the most important race in American politics — only to sink to the back right before you can broach the finish line.
So, on caucus night, all of us reporters had an itchy look, eager to capture some half-drunk politician or erratic staffer.
Later, Kerry told reporters, "This is a complete and total misinterpretation based on overhearing only one side of a phone conversation. A friend who watches too much cable called me wondering whether I'd ever jump into the race late in the game if Democrats were choosing an unelectable nominee. I listed all the reasons I could not possibly do that and would not — and will not under any circumstances — do that."
As is the custom, Kerry had to perform an apology on Twitter.
That did not go well, either.
*
To our left, in an overlarge booth, Donna Brazile sculpted a pork chop, then delivered each piece to her mouth with blissful concern. She'd come downstairs alone, but people occasionally stopped at her table to pay respects, as she sat mostly silent, chewing.
"Iowa has 99 Counties," the bartender told us. "It used to be a law that no town could be farther than a day's travel from Des Moines, so the highways here go everywhere."
She also spilled some delectable gossip about Michael Bloomberg and winked when she told us that the acoustics in the lobby are phenomenal.
*
The Klobuchar event had the energy of a funeral. Dazed caucusers strolled into the ballroom pinching champagne flutes and miniature cheese.
And Klobuchar was backstage, or just elsewhere.
So back to the bar.
Plenty of chatter, too, about how Trump had 80 surrogates all around the state. He wasn't there. Although he'd held a rally in Des Moines several days earlier — one of his favorite tactics, holding a rally ahead of any Democratic event, in the same city.
And, tomorrow, the following day, he'd give his action-packed State of the Union address, with a special appearance by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the end, ripping up her copy of the speech.
The day after that, Wednesday, Trump would be acquitted of impeachment charges, both Article I: Abuse of Power and Article II: Obstruction of Congress. The vote was surgically partisan, and only Sen. Mitt Romney broke ranks, voting "Guilty" on Article I, but not Article II.
*
CNN was the hotel's chosen network, on all the glittery televisions. The feed hopped to different correspondents at caucuses all across Iowa. Some caucus sites had too many people shoved together, others were pitifully small.
The bartender had a much better grasp of the various counties and who was likely to win than the correspondents did.
"College town," she would say, uncapping another Bud Light. "Bernie, for sure. Yang might hit 15% viability, but Biden doesn't stand a chance."
When causers' candidates didn't meet the 15% viability threshold, they could migrate to another candidate. Or leave. This was considered an impolite move, but could you blame them?
"Only Iowans registered as Democrats can vote," she added.
I'd been asking people for months by then how caucusing works. By now, it had gone on too long, so I had to pretend I understood.
The whole awkward dance played out on the TVs. It felt like watching some ancient sport from a far-off part of the world, and the rules made no sense, full of complications, the whole thing felt like an elaborate prank.
One group of supporters hokey-pokeyed to their designated corner of the gym or town hall or elementary school cafeteria, and score-keeping judges etched numbers or lines into their notebooks.
The New York Stock Exchange — that's what it was like, with all the feverish men in costumes squawking at the scoreboard. And then, it ended. And how did they know anything had actually been accomplished?
*
The next day at the airport. so many media figures would stroll toward their departure gate with their cameras hanging down.
The caucus would be all anyone could talk about.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
While waiting for the plane to board, some media guy was on his cellphone, talking about the caucus. His friend clearly didn't understand what a caucus is, then he explains it. Even now, at the end of it all, nobody knows what it means.
*
Justin and I were upstairs in the press pen when an on-air reporter in a red dress began half-shouting into her microphone and leaning toward the camera, then scoping down at a tablet and her phone.
We returned to the bar.
Within a minute, on every screen in the place, the woman in the red dress from upstairs, and a "BREAKING NEWS" banner.
Now, as I mentioned, the caucus already confused me. So when I looked around and saw utter disbelief and panic and confusion, I knew that an unexpected disaster had occurred, but not how or why.
Justin scrolled through Twitter, refreshing, refreshing, searching. He was the first person I heard mention the app. He'd read an article a few weeks earlier about how the app, IowaReporterApp, hadn't been tested, despite reports of coding errors.
IowaReporterApp was supposed to tally votes digitally for all 1,679 precincts as well as 99 satellite caucuses in-state, our-of-state, and three international.
Fifty-five precincts were affected.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
Conspiracy theories began to swirl, connecting the company behind the app — which, hilariously, is called Shadow Inc. — to Hillary Clinton, and maybe even Pete Buttigieg, who seemed to have benefitted from the fiasco. It was only a matter of time before the name "Soros" started appearing across the murkier crevices of the internet.
"This is the funniest thing I've ever experienced,"Justin said, laughing.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
I laughed the way you do when you're in a foreign country, where you don't understand the language, and everybody else laughs first.
It wasn't until the memes started appearing on Twitter that I understood, with the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" theme song in the background.
One of the journalists at the bar with us announced that he'd just heard from a colleague that there were also calculation errors with the backup system.
"Math?!" I shouted.
*
A burst of applause came from the second-floor ballroom, then Klobuchar appeared on the screen, every screen, in the entire lobby, in the entire nation.
Every journalist in the room sprinted upstairs. For that moment, nobody cared about ideological subversion, and the tragic meltdown of the caucuses was still an unknown, something we didn't have to worry about. Now, things are different.
Photo by Kevin Ryan
None of the candidates had taken the stage yet. Nobody knew how to react. Klobuchar — brilliantly, having lost severely — gave a victory speech.
"Bravo," someone said.
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Klobuchar seemed too calm for such a solemn occasion. Tipsy, almost.
Yes. Definitely tipsy.
Why the hell not? Good for her.
Klobuchar was on fire. She torched Donald Trump with the acuity of a rapper on a brutal diss-track.
After her speech, she walked out into the crowd and people swarmed her. Selfies were taken. Over-thought words were said to Klobuchar. Masking fanciful ideas.
Being there was tremendous. Actually being in the room. Studios and sets all look different in person. There's only half as much of the room as you'd expected.
New stories come out every Monday and Thursday. Check out my Twitter. Send all notes, tips, corrections to kryan@blazemedia.com


theblaze--2020-02-19--Threats of left-wing violence lead Dartmouth College Republicans to cancel talk on opioid crisis and

Threats of left-wing violence lead Dartmouth College Republicans to cancel talk on opioid crisis and need for border security 'Large @ @ @ @ @ campus ... descended on events in the past ... to shut down speech they do @ @ @ @

Citing concerns over left-wing threats of violence, the Dartmouth College Republicans indefinitely postponed a policy talk on the need for border security and New Hampshire's opioid crisis, NHJournal reported.
What are the details?
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Corky Messner was slated to speak Tuesday on "Building a Wall Against Drugs: The Need for Border Security to End the Opioid Crisis," the outlet said.
"The security risk has outpaced our capacity to handle the potential protests. Given the reaction and the subject matter, and the threats against our members, we're facing a security problem bigger than we can handle," Daniel Bring, chairman of the Dartmouth College Republicans, told NHJournal. "There's a large contingent of radical leftists on campus who have descended on events in the past in order to shut down speech they don't agree with. They pound on doors, rush the podium and harass the speakers. The backlash has been so great, we're not prepared to say we will have the necessary security."
Bring added to the outlet that group members have received specific threats and alerted campus security and Hanover police: "It's not just a single comment here or there; it's the wider situation and the threat of radical, intense protests."
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Griffin Mackey, secretary of Dartmouth College Republicans, told NHJournal that members heard threats directed toward the group as well as Messner.
"We don't know if they were serious or not, but our first priority has to be an event that's safe and where people who want to hear our speaker feel welcome," Mackey said.
Mackey added to the outlet that he was concerned about tactics College Democrats have used in the past, noting that when conservative author David Horowitz spoke in 2018, College Democrats showed up with laptops, sat in the crowd, logged on to porn sites, and cranked up the volume. "I'm not kidding," he said.
What did Messner have to say?
Messner told NHJournal that he's frequently "encountered situations where the healthy exchange of ideas is discouraged by those who apparently feel threatened by even the existence of opposing viewpoints" and that "the situation at Dartmouth College is the most egregious example I've encountered of this intellectual intolerance. Thanks to the efforts of those agitators who disagree with the planned event topic — the mere topic itself, mind you — we are denied the right to assemble, the right to listen to others' viewpoints — to even express ourselves. Ironically, freedom of speech is demonized at an institution of higher learning, where expression and exploration of ideas should be exalted, not stamped out."
No sympathy from College Democrats
"When the College Republicans encounter pushback for hosting racist events, they cry censorship," Katie Smith, communications director for Dartmouth College Democrats, added to the outlet. "It is not censorship to call out racism when you see it. We encourage everyone to use their right to free speech to voice their opinion on the matter."
In addition, NHJournal said College Democrats issued a statement denouncing the "xenophobia and racism" of the talk, saying they "unequivocally condemn this illegitimate excuse for a 'policy talk.' We won't stand for the racism and anti-immigrant policies propagated by Corky Messner and endorsed by the Dartmouth College Republicans."
What did other opponents of the talk have to say?
"The College Republicans can — and I cannot stress this enough — f*** off," a class of 2023 member tweeted, the outlet said.
"I say Dartmouth Twitter should band together and jump the College Republicans for that email/event. I'm sure none of them can fight," another commenter tweeted, adding an invitation to a progressive counter-event, NHJournal said.
Anything else?
The New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans issued a statement calling the threats "an insult to the First Amendment," the outlet said.
"The right to freedom of speech and thought is a unique value in our society that is increasingly under attack from the far left, especially on our college campuses," the statement continued, according the NHJournal. "This type of behavior should not be tolerated by Dartmouth College or its administration — it's time for colleges and universities to stand up and denounce this type of egregious behavior by their extreme left students."


theblaze--2020-02-19--China expels Wall Street Journal reporters — including one covering coronavirus — over 'Sick Man in

China expels Wall Street Journal reporters — including one covering coronavirus — over 'Sick Man in Asia' opinion column

China expels Wall Street Journal reporters — including one covering coronavirus — over 'Sick Man in Asia ' opinion column @ @ @ @ @ welcome those media that speak racially discriminatory languages '

China has expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters in response to an opinion article the outlet published titled, "China is the Real Sick Man in Asia" — even though none of the reporters being punished had anything to do with the article, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Chao Deng, Josh Chin, and Philip Wen were given five days to leave the country after having their press card revoked by the government. Chao had been on the ground in Wuhan covering the extent of the coronavirus outbreak and how it was impacting the lives of residents.
Chinese spokesman Geng Shuang said the WSJ headline was an insult to China's efforts to fight coronavirus, and said it carried racist connotations.
"The Chinese people do not welcome those media that speak racially discriminatory languages," Geng said.
The Times explained the background of the "sick man" reference, and why it could be viewed with particular offense by China:
The term "sick man of Asia" was a reference to Qing Dynasty China in the late 19th and 20th centuries, when it suffered both internal divisions and imperial exploitation from both Western countries and Japan, and eventually collapsed.
The phrase mirrors the "sick man of Europe" term used to describe the Ottoman Empire in decline. "Sick man" has been commonly used in Western media to describe other countries in crisis, including the United States.
But in China, the "sick man" phrase has also been read as a derogatory description of Chinese people as inherently inferior, disease-ridden beings.
The Feb. 2 opinion piece was written by Walter Russell Mead, a professor at Bard College, and explored the financial and medical impact of coronavirus.
The headline probably wasn't the only — and possibly not even the primary — reason China decided to punish the American journalists. One day before the expulsion, the U.S. State Department designated five Chinese state-run media organizations as "foreign missions." All five outlets have significant U.S. operations, and the designation will require them to report personnel and property ownership to the State Department.
Geng expressed China's disapproval with the move.
"Media play an important role like a bridge or bond facilitating communication and understanding. ... We urge the U.S. to discard its ideological prejudice and Cold War zero-sum game mentality, and stop ill-advised measures that undermine bilateral trust," he said Wednesday, according to the Times.
China has a history of stirring up nationalism and anti-Western feelings in the country to distract from crises, the Times noted, and the Journal writers' expulsion is very likely intended as a warning to other foreign media outlets that, if their work does not meet the approval of the Chinese government, they may face they same fate.
The Wall Street Journal issued a statement in response to China's expulsion of its reporters.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Parents sue Wisconsin school district over transgender policy they say allows kids to 'socially tran

Parents sue Wisconsin school district over transgender policy they say allows kids to 'socially transition' without their knowledge

Parents sue Wisconsin school district over transgender policy they say allows kids to 'socially transition ' without their knowledge ' @ @ @ @ @ not , and can not , make decisions reserved for parents '

A group of parents in Wisconsin isn't happy with a public school policy that they say allows teachers to affirm their children's "gender identity" without their knowledge and consent, and they're taking the matter to court.
According to a 19-page lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Madison Metropolitan School District's policies allow children to "socially transition to a different gender identity at school without parental notice or consent, requires all teachers to enable this transition, and then prohibits teachers from communicating with parents about this potentially life-altering choice without the child's consent."
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty against the district on behalf of 14 parents who are not named in the court document.
"This action seeks to vindicate parents' fundamental and constitutional right to direct the upbringing of their children," WILL's lawsuit contends. "The Madison Metropolitan School District has violated this important right by adopting a policy designed to circumvent parental involvement in a pivotal decision affecting their children's health and future. The policy enables children, of any age, to socially transition to a different gender identity at school without parental notice or consent."
While parental consent is needed before a child's legal name can be changed legally in the district's official records, school district policy announced in 2018 says that students can be called by their preferred name and gender pronouns without parental permission, according to the Associated Press.
The lawsuit also claims that the school district's policy "directs its teachers and staff to deceive parents by reverting to the child's birth name and corresponding pronouns whenever the child's parents are nearby" and that it bars teachers from telling parents about their children's "gender identity" as well as chosen names or pronouns being used for them at school "unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure."
In addition to other concerns described in the legal complaint, "for some Plaintiffs, gender identity issues also have deep religious significance," according to the lawsuit. It goes on to say that 11 of the plaintiffs are active Christians who seek to apply their beliefs to everything they teach their children, including about their sex," and that "believe that the two sexes are a core part of God's intended design for humanity."
In a statement about the lawsuit on Tuesday, WILL President and general counsel Rick Esenberg said, "Madison schools have adopted policies that violate constitutionally recognized parental rights. A public school district should not, and cannot, make decisions reserved for parents."
A school district spokesperson told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the district hadn't been served with the lawsuit and declined to comment to the outlet on the matter, but said that the district stands by its policy.
WILL also sent a legal letter to the school district in December asking them to change the policies.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Magazine fires prominent columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused President Trump of rape. Carroll say

Magazine fires prominent columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused President Trump of rape. Carroll says firing is Trump’s fault.

Magazine fires prominent columnist E. Jean Carroll , who accused President Trump of rape .
Carroll says firing is Trump @ @ @ @ @ her mouth to God 's ear

Longtime columnist E. Jean Carroll says Elle fired her after several decades with the magazine — and it's all President Donald Trump's fault.
What are the details?
Carroll, who said that Trump raped her in 1995 or 1996, took to Twitter to blast the president for her firing on Tuesday.
Carroll wrote, "Because Trump ridiculed my reputation, laughed at my looks, & dragged me through the mud, after 26 years, ELLE fired me. I don't blame Elle. It was the great honor of my life writing 'Ask E. Jean.' I blame @realdonaldtrump."
As reported by Jezebel, the New York Times published a Tuesday court filing including an email from executive managing editor of Elle, Erin Hobday.
Hobday's email read, "We and your readers so appreciate your many years of work for the magazine, and the wonderful columns you contributed to our publication."
What else?
In November, Carroll filed a lawsuit accusing the president of defamation over his denials of her sexual assault allegations. In her original allegation, Carroll said that Trump accosted her in a dressing room after which he "[thrusted] his penis halfway — or completely, I'm not certain — inside me."
Carroll insisted that she never reported the alleged incident, but instead, told two friends at the time.
The White House issued a statement on Carroll's allegations, calling them "completely false and unrealistic." Trump himself later issued a follow-up statement insisting that he never even met her, and blamed the allegations on the release of her then-forthcoming book.
Despite her allegations, Carroll said that she would not pursue rape charges because it would diminish the experience of those women at the U.S. southern border who are "being raped around the clock."
At the time, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, "Let me get this straight: Ms. Carroll is suing the president for defending himself against false allegations? I guess since the book did not make any money, she's trying to get paid another way. ... The lawsuit is frivolous, and the story is a fraud — just like the author."
You can read more about the latest developments in Carroll's lawsuit here.


theblaze--2020-02-19--WaPo op-ed swipes at Bernie Sanders, argues 'elites' should pick the president. Backlash ensues.

WaPo op-ed swipes at Bernie Sanders , argues 'elites ' should pick the president .
Backlash ensues .

A new opinion piece from the Washington Post makes the case that Democratic Party elites, and not the electorate, should have the ultimate authority to choose their party's nominee.
The article comes amid growing concern within the Democratic Party establishment over Sanders' surge to the top of the Democratic presidential field, a trend they see as harmful to the party's efforts to win back the White House in November.
The op-ed, titled, "It's time to give elites a bigger say in choosing the president," was written by Julia Azari, a political science professor at Marquette University. In the article, Azari argues that the current presidential nominating process is "clearly flawed" as questions surround whether the two leading candidates — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — will be able to the unite the party.
"A better primary system would empower elites to bargain and make decisions," she claims, before adding the qualifier that these elites would be "instructed by voters." But the driving force behind her new system, which she dubs "preference primaries," would certainly be the elites' ability to exercise their power.
So, what exactly would "preference primaries" look like? Here's the pitch:
Preference primaries could allow voters to rank their choices among candidates, as well as to register opinions about their issue priorities — like an exit poll, but more formal and with all the voters. The results would be public but not binding; a way to inform elites about voter preferences.
This process could accompany a primary of the sort we're used to — in which voters' first choices instruct the delegates, and preferences come into play only if there's no clear winner. The primaries could also be held in combination with elections for convention delegates so that these representatives are informed by their constituents' preferences. This would also help voters hold these delegates accountable in the future. The point is to build a way for party elites to understand what their base is thinking, and to allow them to bargain so that these different preferences and priorities can be balanced.
Of course, the upshot is that after all the preference gathering, the elites, or the party establishment, ultimately get to make the call.
'Democracy Dies in Darkness'?
This idea isn't sitting well with Sanders supporters, who view the op-ed as nothing but a swipe at the candidate and his grassroots following.
Twitter screenshot
Other Twitter users relentlessly bashed the Washington Post, whose tag is "Democracy Dies in Darkness," for ironically publishing an article calling for less democracy.


theblaze--2020-02-19--China's coronavirus contact tracker app could lead to forced quarantine and social exile for citizen

China's coronavirus contact tracker app could lead to forced quarantine and social exile for citizens

China 's coronavirus contact tracker app could lead to forced quarantine and social exile for citizens

China is well-known as a surveillance state. Citizens are tracked constantly under normal circumstances, and the spread of the dangerous coronavirus throughout the nation has created increased motivation for the government to track every person's every move.
Now, the government is pushing a smartphone app that determines whether an individual has been in close contact with someone known to have been infected with the coronavirus. According to MIT Technology Review, the app not only creates privacy concerns, but social ones, as well.
The app is a "close contact detector." Users enter their name, phone number, and ID number, and then scan a QR code with their smartphone. The app then uses data the government has collected (potentially through transit and health authorities) to determine whether the user has been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.
If a user has been in contact with the coronavirus, the app recommends self-quarantine and suggests contacting local health officials. However, it doesn't take a huge leap to imagine that this government-created app can send data to officials, alerting them of a potentially infected person who may need to be quarantined whether they like it or not.
The questionable accuracy of coronavirus tests also creates problems for this app. There have been reports of false negatives, which means the app may tell a person that they haven't been in contact with any infected people, potentially causing them to let their guard down when they shouldn't.
Another issue is the impact such an app could have on Chinese society, creating an atmosphere of isolation and suspicion that will be exacerbated by Chinese perceptions of dealing with contagion and contagious people. From MIT Technology Review:
Residents of Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the outbreak, are already treated as pariahs in China itself. The authorities have hunted people from the city, encouraging citizens to inform on each other and offering bounties, with prejudice becoming so acute that even government officials called for people to show more understanding. An app that holds such detailed information, combined with what Lynteris calls the long history of public shaming in China—such as "struggle sessions" that publicly humiliate a target, or meetings in which citizens accuse each other of wrongdoing—could turn negative quickly. With social media now acting as China's town square, there is no more effective place to do this, he explains. Though the app is not public, he says, it reasonable to expect that the information may be gleaned to identify or expose people who are "hiding" contact histories that they may be unaware of.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Chris Matthews warns of devastating consequences if Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders

'Nobody just says the obvious '

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is the surging front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, fueled by grassroots support from younger Americans who favor his socialist policies.
But, according to MSNBC host Chris Matthews, there will be devastating consequences for the Democratic Party if Sanders goes on to win the party's nomination.
During an interview on MSNBC Tuesday, Matthews scolded the Democratic field for "pandering" to Sanders and his supporters.
"They're just pandering to the Bernie people and you know what pandering gets you? Nothing," Matthews said. "It certainly doesn't get you respect.
"They've got to get out there and say, 'I disagree with socialism. I believe in the markets. I think he's wrong. I think he'll never get it done and this country will never go that direction and by the way we'll lose 49 states,'" he continued.
Instead of pandering, Matthews said the other Democratic candidates must challenge the Vermont senator.
"Nobody just says the obvious: 'Bernie, you're full of it. None of this going to get passed. You're going to be a miserable president, frustrated from the first day because you're not going to get Medicare for All. You're not going to get free college tuition for public universities. You're not going to get payoffs of all student loans. None of this is going to happen and you're just going to just sit there and stew in it.' So why don't they bring that up? I do not understand why they don't bring that up," Matthews said.
www.youtube.com
Losing 49 states is a reference to the 1972 presidential election in which Democrats nominated George McGovern, despite opposition from the party's moderates, and subsequently lost 49 states to incumbent President Richard Nixon. Only Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., voted for McGovern.
Matthews has made his disdain for socialism very clear.
After the Democratic debate earlier this month, Matthews declared, "I've seen what socialism's like, and I don't like it. OK? It's not only not free, it doesn't frickin' work."


theblaze--2020-02-19--Nonbinary person complains of being asked, 'Are you a boy or a girl?' during haircuts, being forced

Nonbinary person complains of being asked, 'Are you a boy or a girl?' during haircuts, being forced into 'female or male' boxes. Reaction is brutal.

Nonbinary person complains of being asked , 'Are you a boy or a girl ? '
during haircuts , being @ @ @ @ @ ' boxes .
Reaction is brutal .
'Could you just cut our f***ing hair ?
@

A nonbinary person was featured in a video earlier this month sharing the struggles of getting a "simple" haircut when those providing the service ask, "Are you a boy or a girl?" and also being forced to fit into society's "female or male" boxes.
'I'm some thing on the outside existing beside the world as it rolls by all pink and blue'
The unnamed person — who appears courtesy of BBC Scotland — complains that "I'm more of that 'other' (if that's even an option) like I'm some thing on the outside existing beside the world as it rolls by all pink and blue."
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
The individual also shares that usually there are two options when it comes to a haircut: There's a salon, which oozes "that womanly world of perfumed femininity with which I feel like I have little affinity." Then there's the barber shop, "which isn't much better since this voice and these swells in my chest make me feel like an infiltrator."
The speaker adds that those providing haircuts often ask, "Are you a boy or a girl?" and "Am I trans, am I gay, and I don't know what to say. Sometimes I pick my labels to make other people feel OK, but it's never enough to say where I'd like to be trimmed or shaved ... they need to know my sex."
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
The person notes that haircutters say it's the only way they can determine the appropriate rate, as women's haircuts are typically more expensive than men's.
In conclusion
The individual sounds a tad hopeful in the end, noting that in the last few years "drag queens" and "out queer celebrities" have made a big splash upon culture — and then finishes things off with a bang: "We're queer, and we're here ... could you just cut our f***ing hair?"
Brutal response
A number of Twitter users didn't hold back their contempt for the nonbinary person's complaints:
"This really is the new Greatest Generation. My heart goes out to each and everyone of them. Haircuts are the new Normandy beaches."
"Wtf is wrong with snowflakes? Just go to a unisex hair salon. It's not hard is it."
"Have we failed entirely as a society? Do we really now pay attention to people that feel unsafe & 'unwelcome' getting their hair cut? Does EVERYTHING have to be unisex to accommodate a tiny minority that keeps inventing problems on a daily basis? How about some gratefulness?"
"When life is too easy so you need to fabricate some form of struggle."
"Please send this person to Venezuela for a month. People seem to have entirely forgotten what real problems look like."
"I'm a women. About 4 years ago I had a mohawk with shaved sides, done by a hairdresser and maintained for a short while by a local barber. No one cared that I was a women, no one. I mean, absolutely no one objected to me having short hair in either the hairdressers or barbers."
Oh, and this one:
(H/T: Louder With Crowder)


theblaze--2020-02-19--Sanders campaign aide slammed for describing calls for his medical records as a 'smear campaign' aki

Sanders campaign aide slammed for describing calls for his medical records as a 'smear campaign' akin to birtherism

Sanders campaign aide slammed for describing calls for his medical records as a 'smear campaign ' akin to birtherism She @ @ @ @ @ about a rival candidate 's medical history

A top campaign aide for the 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) came under fire Wednesday for her attempts to defend her boss' refusal to release his medical records amid concerns about his age and health.
When asked whether the American people deserve to know more about Sanders' health going forward during a CNN appearance, Sanders campaign national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray compared the concerns to previous questions posed about other candidates' in the past.
"I think the American people deserve to know exactly as much as every other candidate has released in this race currently and historically," she said. "And what you're seeing right now is really reminiscent of some of the kind of smear, kind of skepticism campaigns that have been run against a lot of different candidates in the past, questioning where there from, their lineage, et cetera."
While vague, Gray's comment appears to be a direct reference to the "birther" theory about former President Barack Obama's birthplace that came up in previous presidential elections. The comparison was quickly trashed on social media, with critics pointing to Sanders' previous pledge to release his medical records (which he has since backtracked on) and the fact that he literally had a heart attack just a few months ago in October.
But that wasn't the only part of what Gray said that generated controversy; she also made a false claim about a rival candidate's medical history.
During her remarks, Gray also tried to shift the subject to Sanders' 2020 rival, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying that "it's really telling that none of the same concern is being demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg, who is the same age as Bernie Sanders, who has suffered heart attacks in the past, and what we're seeing is a kind of, um, smear campaign from the likes of ... republicans who — if they were honest with themselves — don't support Bernie Sanders for other reasons."
However, there are no reports of Bloomberg ever having a heart attack in the past, and the Bloomberg campaign decried the assertion "an absolute lie" in a Wednesday statement.
"The truth is: After a positive stress test in his doctor's office at Johns Hopkins University in 2000, Mike had two coronary stents placed," said campaign manager Kevin Sheekey. "Facts matter. This isn't the way to defeat Donald Trump in November." A letter from Bloomberg's doctor in December also described the past stent placement, but no heart attacks.
Gray later corrected her comments record on Twitter, saying that she "misspoke" about Bloomberg's cardiac history.


theblaze--2020-02-19--George Soros demands Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg be 'removed from control of Facebook,' claims

George Soros demands Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg be 'removed from control of Facebook,' claims they're helping President Trump's re-election campaign

George Soros demands Mark Zuckerberg , Sheryl Sandberg be 'removed from control of Facebook , ' claims they 're helping @ @ @ @ @

Liberal billionaire George Soros insists that Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg — the company's CEO and COO, respectively — be "removed from control" over his allegations that the social media platform is helping President Donald Trump win his 2020 re-election bid.
What are the details?
In an open letter published Sunday in the Financial Times, Soros said Facebook should refuse to publish political ads on its platform and accused the company of having a "mutual assistance agreement" with Trump.
He also insisted that Facebook's refusal to remove political ads served only to help re-elect the president.
"Mr. Zuckerberg appears to be engaged in some kind of mutual assistance arrangement with Donald Trump that will help him to get re-elected," he wrote.
"I repeat my proposal," he continued. "Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg should be removed from control of Facebook."
"If there is any doubt whether an ad is political, it should err on the side of caution and refuse to publish," Soros' editorial added. "It is unlikely that Facebook will follow this course."
Last week, Zuckerberg wrote an editorial for the outlet insisting that he was committed to regulating political ads on the platform and said that it would go into effect when the U.S. government set forth applicable regulations to follow.
"Facebook does not need to wait for government regulations to stop accepting any political advertising in 2020 until after the elections on 4 November," Soros' letter insisted.
Has Facebook responded?
A spokesperson for the tech giant told USA Today that it will not comply with Soros' demands to deviate from its norm, saying that the notion it would be linked to a governmental organization or particular agenda "runs counter to our values and the facts."
Facebook recently issued a white paper on content regulation, discussing possible guidelines for governmental online regulation.
Four challenges the memo identified include "How can content regulation reduce harmful speech while preserving free expression?", "How should regulation enhance the accountability of internet platforms?", "Should regulation require internet firms to meet certain performance targets?", and "Should regulation define which harmful content should be prohibited on internet platforms?"


theblaze--2020-02-19--Pete Buttigieg caught exaggerating his black support — and this isn't the first time

Pete Buttigieg caught exaggerating his black support — and this is n't the first time

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has once again been caught exaggerating his support from a black leader or celebrity as he desperately tries to prove that he can put together a diverse coalition of support.
Buttigieg, who has failed in numerous polls to get even one black person to choose him as their top candidate, had to walk back a claim that he had received the endorsement of actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key. From ABC News:
When Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg touted support from African American comedian and actor Keegan-Michael Key last week, his campaign was forced just hours later to clarify that the actor had not officially endorsed the former South Bend mayor, telling reporters he only sought to "encourage early voting and voter registration."
Key appeared with Buttigieg on Saturday to drum up voter support at his Henderson, Nevada field office.
Could this be an innocent misunderstanding? Possibly. But it's not the first time the campaign has been caught overstating its level of support from influential black leaders.
The Buttigieg campaign published a list of black supporters in South Carolina, which included three leaders and hundreds of other supporters. The problem is, those three leaders all said they had not endorsed Buttigieg. Even worse, many of the names on the list were shown multiple times — and about 40% of the names were white people.
Related to that situation, the Buttigieg campaign put out a promotion for a policy to benefit the black community, but in the promotion they used a stock image of a woman and a child in Kenya rather than an actual picture of black people who supported Buttigieg.
Buttigieg had moved up to 2% support with black voters in South Carolina in a January Fox News poll.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Bad news for Sanders: Polling shows majority of voters concerned about candidates who have had a hea

Bad news for Sanders: Polling shows majority of voters concerned about candidates who have had a heart attack

Bad news for Sanders : Polling shows majority of voters concerned about candidates who have had a heart attack They @ @ @ @ @ socialist candidate who is over 75

While new 2020 polling may show Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) with a strong double-digit lead among Democratic primary voters, it also suggests that his health could become a big factor against him if he's the party's nominee in the general election.
According to the results of an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday, the Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist leads the Democratic primary field with 27% of support among Democratic primary voters, which is 12 points ahead of the second-place candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden.
But the results aren't all rosy for Sanders. The poll also asked an overall sample of registered voters about their thoughts on candidates' qualities in a general election.
That section of the poll shows that a total of 57% of registered voters either "had some reservations" (42%) or were "very uncomfortable" (15%) about a candidate who had a heart attack in the last year.
It also shows that 53% of voters "had some reservations" (39%) or were "very uncomfortable" (14%) about a candidate over the age of 75. Sanders, 78, shares that distinction in the Democratic field with 78-year-old former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and 77-year-old Joe Biden. President Donald Trump is 73 years old.
Sanders was already fielding concerns about his age before he had the heart attack in October, after which his campaign was accused of an "inexcusable three days of silence" for keeping people in the dark about what had happened. Earlier this month, the candidate backtracked on a pre-heart attack pledge he made to release his medical records, saying, "We have released a substantive part, all of our background. We have doctors who have, cardiologists who are confirming that I am in good health."
But the results show that Sanders' socialist views and image could prove to be a bigger stumbling block with voters than questions about his health. Some 67% of voters said that they either "had some reservations" (21%) or were "very uncomfortable" (46%) about a socialist candidate.
Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who helped conduct the survey, told NBC News, "There is one clear and inescapable set of results: Bernie Sanders is the definitive front-runner, and the current numbers do not represent his ceiling, but instead his base with room to grow." Hart also acknowledged that the candidate's "downsides are there" but have "yet to be exploited by his opponents."


theblaze--2020-02-20--College students claim Socialism will fix all of our problems

On Wednesday's episode of "Pat Gray Unleashed," Pat discussed the ninth Democratic presidential primary debate and the backlash against former Mayor Mike Bloomberg that played out on the debate stage. Then, college students claim that socialism will fix America's problems but were a bit foggy on the actual meaning of socialism. Watch the video below to hear their shocking replies.
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theblaze--2020-02-20--If Reps only care about money then wouldn't it be in their best interest for ALL Americans to be ric

If Reps only care about money then wouldn't it be in their best interest for ALL Americans to be rich?

If Reps only care about money then would n't it be in their best interest for ALL Americans to be @ @

The most important question to ask yourself during the upcoming 2020 election cycle is: Who is looking out for you? Who wants you to be successful vs. who wants to buy votes?
I know, It seems an obvious question to ask about a candidate seeking public office. You'd also think genitalia would be enough to determine a person's gender, so think about that.
Look, if Democrats need the poor and Republicans need the rich, then it's in the best interests of Republicans to keep Americans prosperous. Conversely, if Democrats are the party of the poor, then it's in the best interests of Democrats to keep Americans in poverty.
Here's Crowder to elaborate.
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theblaze--2020-02-20--Keith Ellison swears he has never seen a Bernie supporter act 'unusually mean,' gets a reminder from

Keith Ellison swears he has never seen a Bernie supporter act 'unusually mean,' gets a reminder from Steve Scalise

Keith Ellison swears he has never seen a Bernie supporter act 'unusually mean , ' gets a reminder from Steve @ @ @ @ @ takedown

Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison claimed Thursday that he has "never seen" any supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) acting "unusually mean" and challenged the internet to provide an example.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) — who was shot and nearly killed by a Sanders supporter — answered the call.
What are the details?
"I have never seen @BernieSanders supporters being unusually mean or rude," Ellison declared on Twitter, before asking, "Can someone send me an example of a 'Bernie Bro' being bad. Also, are we holding all candidates responsible for the behavior of their supporters?"
He taunted, "Waiting to hear."
Rep. Scalise responded to Ellison's tweet with a subtle but heavy-hitting takedown: "I can think of an example."
The Republican from Louisiana was shot by a crazed, ardent supporter of Sanders while practicing with his GOP colleagues for the annual congressional baseball game in the summer of 2017. The attack left five people injured including Scalise, who was in critical condition. He underwent multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.
What prompted Ellison's tweet?
Ellison was attempting to come to the defense of so-called "Bernie Bros," as radical Sanders supporters have been called out by the left and the right for harassing the democratic socialist's political opponents both online and in public.
But Rep. Scalise was not the only person able to deliver an example of a Sanders supporter crossing the line, and several of Ellison's fellow Democrats offered screenshots documenting threats of violence they had received from Bernie Bros.
One was Khary Penebaker, treasurer of the Democratic National Committee's Black Caucus, who wrote, "Keith, here is an example. This was from last week. This user said that I was fu*cking gross and should meet a bus (meaning that I should be hit by a bus). Reading the user's timeline you'll see that he's a Sanders supporter."


theblaze--2020-02-20--Mike Bloomberg: 'The real winner of the debate last night was Donald Trump'

Mike Bloomberg : 'The real winner of the debate last night was Donald Trump '

There's a growing consensus among political pundits that the chaotic nature of the Democratic primary, including Wednesday night's debate in Las Vegas, is benefiting President Trump politically. A surprising new voice has joined this chorus: Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg.
"Look, the real winner of the debate last night was Donald Trump," the former New York City mayor told a room full of supporters in Salt Lake City, Utah. "Because I worry that we may be on the way to nominating someone who cannot win in November."
Bloomberg added, "If we choose a candidate who appeals to a small base like Sen. [Bernie] Sanders, it will be a fatal error."
'We need independents and Republicans to win'
In his remarks, Bloomberg also emphasized that Sanders cannot appeal to moderate Republicans and independent voters.
"We need Democrats and independents and Republicans to win," he said. "And that was the coalition that propelled Democrats to success in the midterms and it is the coalition that we need to win in November."
Bloomberg has a point. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News national poll, two-thirds of American voters say they would not vote for a socialist for president.
What do the polls show?
Battleground state polling seems to support Bloomberg's observation. A Quinnipiac survey released Thursday showed President Trump with a clear 7-point lead over Sanders in the key swing state of Wisconsin. It is also difficult to imagine Sanders carrying a state like Florida with a large anti-socialist Hispanic population.
Also, an ABC News/Washington Post survey showed Sanders with the narrowest of leads among college-educated white women of any candidate in the Democratic field. This was a constituency that Hillary Clinton is said to have carried by 6 points in 2016.
Meanwhile, a new Gallup survey shows Trump matching his record-high 49% approval rating, "up five points from an early January poll conducted before Trump was acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial," according to the pollster.
Gallup also noted that Trump's 49% job approval rating coincides with increasing optimism over the state of the nation. Analyst Jeffrey M. Jones noted the "percentage who are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. had already improved from 36% to 41% in a Jan. 3-16 poll, before the rise in Trump's job approval rating in late January."
Additionally, Jones said that the percentage of Americans satisfied with the nation is the highest in over a decade. "The latest survey finds a further increase in national satisfaction, with 45% now satisfied, the highest since February 2005."
Gallup also found an uptick in the number of Americans who identify as Republicans, up to 32% from 28% in previous studies.


theblaze--2020-02-20--Conservative coffee shop aims to provide alternative to 'typical liberal American coffee establishme

Conservative coffee shop aims to provide alternative to 'typical liberal American coffee establishments'

'We support Law Enforcement , the Military , MAGA hats , the 2nd Amendment , Pro-Life , God , and @ @ @ @ @

Cliff Gephart told Orlando Weekly that he got fired up last year after a barista booted police from a Starbucks in Arizona because a customer didn't feel safe.
Afterward, the hashtag "#DumpStarbucks" went viral, but Gephart told the paper he and John Tatum had a better idea: Open a politically and socially conservative coffee shop — a place where customers can discuss their points of view and wear their "Make America Great Again" gear without fear of reprisal.
With that, Conservative Grounds coffee shop was born — and it's opening this Saturday in Largo, Florida, the Orlando Weekly said.
What are the details?
The shop's Twitter bio says it's "a place where rational, conservative, moral, God loving people congregate without the scourge of liberalism."
"Conservative Grounds was created to be an alternative to the typical liberal American coffee establishments. ... We support Law Enforcement, the Military, MAGA hats, the 2nd Amendment, Pro-Life, God, and traditional way of life," the shop's About Us page indicates.
The paper added that besides a selection of coffees and espressos, the shop sports a replica of the White House's Oval Office, cardboard cutouts of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, Fox News on the televisions, and welcome signs for concealed carry holders.
More from Orlando Weekly:
Conservative Grounds also features a large "Wall of Honor" that will soon be covered in signatures of both veterans and active military personnel. And if you're a "Gold Star Parent" — the mother or father of a member of the U.S Armed Forces who has died in battle — you get free coffee from Conservative Grounds for life.
Gephart also told the paper that customers from all backgrounds are welcome at Conservative Grounds, and that the shop's investors are diverse in terms of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
The owners note on the website that they "will be aggressively opening locations throughout 2020."


theblaze--2020-02-20--President Trump says no clemency for now on Roger Stone sentencing: ‘I want to see it play out'

President Trump says no clemency for now on Roger Stone sentencing : ‘ I want to see it play out' @ @ @ @ @ chance for exoneration , in my opinion '

In response to the sentencing of his longtime friend Roger Stone on Thursday, President Donald Trump said that he did not plan to use the "great powers" of clemency in the matter, but would rather like to see how the process plays out.
While speaking at an event in Las Vegas, the president said that he was following Stone's case "very closely and I want to see it play out to its fullest because Roger has a very good chance for exoneration, in my opinion."
Stone, a longtime GOP operative and friend of Trump's, was sentenced to 40 months in prison earlier Thursday on charges that included lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing a congressional investigation in relation to the Mueller investigation. However, Stone will not have to report to prison until the court rules on his defense team's motion for a new trial, which is based on a juror bias claim.
Last week, it was reported that jury foreman Tomeka Hart — a former Democratic congressional candidate — had a history of left-wing activism as well as anti-Trump social media posts.
During his remarks, Trump criticized Hart as "totally tainted" and an "anti-Trump activist." He later asked, "How can you have a jury pool tainted so badly? It's not fair."
But ultimately, the decision on the whether or not Hart was a biased juror is going to be up to the judge in the case, the president made clear later in his remarks, which were also peppered throughout with digs at former FBI officials, FISA warrant abuse, and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's email scandal.
"So if this woman was tainted, I hope the judge will find that she was tainted and if she isn't tainted that will be fine too," Trump said, returning to the subject of the Stone case. "But I'm not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a president of the United States; I want the process to play out."
Trump added that allowing the process to continue "was the best thing to do because I'd like to see Roger exonerated and I'd love to see it happen. Because I personally think he was treated very unfairly."
But the door for clemency in the matter isn't completely closed, it seems. Trump added in conclusion that "at some point I will make a determination, but Roger Stone and everybody has to be treated fairly."


theblaze--2020-02-20--Feds in Florida knew about the victim central to Jeffrey Epstein's indictment 11 years earlier: repo

Feds in Florida knew about the victim central to Jeffrey Epstein's indictment 11 years earlier: report

Feds in Florida knew about the victim central to Jeffrey Epstein 's indictment 11 years earlier : report She was @ @ @ @ @ grand jury , but then the case was abruptly closed

Federal agents in Florida were aware of key allegations of childhood sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein over a decade ago, ABC News revealed Thursday.
According to court documents, a woman had come forward with detailed accounts of abuse against Epstein and was set to appear before a grand jury in the original federal investigation against the billionaire hedge fund manager in Florida. But after Epstein secured a favorable deal with prosecutors that resulted in him serving 18 months in county jail, the case was closed and the allegations went unheard — until last year.
Here's the scoop from ABC News:
A woman whose allegations of childhood sex abuse in New York were central to last year's indictment of Jeffrey Epstein was questioned by the FBI and subpoenaed for testimony by federal prosecutors in Florida more than a decade ago in connection with the first federal investigation into Epstein's alleged child sex trafficking, according to court documents and multiple sources familiar with the events.
But the woman, who was 19 at the time of her initial contact with federal agents in 2008, did not appear before a grand jury in West Palm Beach, as the subpoena commanded. Before her testimony could be secured, Epstein cemented a controversial and once-secret non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami by pleading guilty to two state prostitution charges for which he was sentenced to 18 months in a county jail ... with the deal done, the federal grand jury was suspended, the investigation halted, and the subpoena to the woman, ultimately, withdrawn.
The report notes that the woman's account could have helped strengthen the already expansive case against Epstein by "potentially unraveling an alleged network of child sexual abuse at his Manhattan residence," which was similar to what had been uncovered at his Palm Beach estate.
"I certainly think with the FBI's capabilities, even back then, that they could have unraveled the entire network from New York to Paris to New Mexico," said Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represented three of Epstein's alleged victims during the original investigation in 2008. "The potential was always there. [The government] shut this thing down and pled this thing out before going through and talking to probably more than half of the women that were involved in this whole thing. Had they conducted a full investigation and taken their time, this would've been a whole different story."
The woman's account was finally heard in court during the federal investigation in New York in 2019 and proved to be central to the prosecution's case. She was identified as "Minor-Victim 1" and was the only alleged victim from New York whose allegations are specifically detailed in the indictment.
The ABC News report details that the woman was initially recruited in 2002, when she was only 14 years old, to provide massages to Epstein at his Manhattan residence, and that she went on to suffer escalating sexual abuse over a number of years. The woman was also enlisted to bring other girls to Epstein so that he could engage in sex acts with them.


theblaze--2020-02-20--Study finds journalists are overwhelmingly left-wing — 66% are more left than Obama — yet claims the

Study finds journalists are overwhelmingly left-wing — 66% are more left than Obama — yet claims they aren't biased against conservatives, GOP

Study finds journalists are overwhelmingly left-wing — 66 % are more left than Obama — yet claims they are n't @ @ @ @ @

A recent study by a trio of college professors insists that while political reporters lean much farther left than we likely have believed in the past — turns out a full two-thirds are more left-wing that former President Barack Obama — these same journalists aren't biased against conservatives and the Republican Party in terms of the political news they cover.
The study is aptly titled, "There Is No Liberal Media Bias in the News Political Journalists Choose to Cover."
Pulling no punches
The researchers don't try to claim that journalists aren't left-wing or lean Democratic. In fact, they embrace the opposite.
More from the study:
As can be seen, journalists are dominantly liberal and often fall far to the left of Americans. A full 78.1% of journalists are more liberal than the average Twitter user. Moreover, 66% are even more liberal than former President Obama, 62.3% are to the left of the median Senate Democrat (in the 114th Congress), and a full 14.5% are more liberal than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (one of the most liberal members of the House). In short, journalists are overwhelmingly liberal/Democrats and many journalists appear to be far to the left of the average American.
But wait...
"However, being liberal and expressing liberal gatekeeping bias in the choice of news to cover are clearly two different things," the study says. "After all, journalists state that they strongly value objectivity in reporting the news. Does the strong ideological skew we observe actually influence the potential news that journalists choose to cover?"
According to the researchers, not at all. In fact, they say that "contrary to popular narratives and despite the fact that journalists skew to the left — there is little to no liberal bias in what reporters choose to cover. Our well-powered correspondence experiment allows us to confidently rule out even very slight biases against conservatives. This implies that journalists do not exhibit ideological gatekeeping bias: that liberal media bias does not manifest itself in the vital early stage of news generation, despite strong reasons to think it might."
How did they figure out there was no bias?
The researchers arrived at their conclusion regarding coverage bias by conducting a correspondence survey. They sent emails to journalists covering political campaigns — and these emails concerned a made-up politician announcing his run for state legislature and asked if the reporters are interested in covering the candidate. The researchers randomly altered the ideological description of the candidate (i.e., "conservative Republican," "moderate Republican," "moderate Democrat," and "Progressive Democrat).
Their findings indicated there's "no statistical or substantive difference in the probability of a journalist responding to the email based solely on the treatment conditions ... strong conservative candidates are, on average, a mere 0.4 percentage points less likely to get a response than strong progressive candidates."
"Regardless of the exact reasons for a lack of ideological bias, our results provide concrete evidence that counters popular narratives by political pundits, academics, and even President Trump himself," they conclude. "Despite repeatedly claiming that the media chooses to cover only topics that are detrimental to his campaign, presidency, and followers, we find little evidence to comport with the idea that journalists across the U.S. are ideologically biased in the political news they choose to cover."
Pushback
The findings may be quite limited given the control points — namely a state legislature candidate and simply asking if there's interest in covering the candidate. A left-wing journalist might be more inclined to cover a conservative candidate because there's interest in poking holes in that candidate's platforms, first off.
John Sexton of Hot Air wondered "what would happen if the email had offered to provide specific proof of illegal behavior about a) President Trump or b) Bernie Sanders. Would journalists be equally interested? Maybe but I suspect as the stakes grow higher you might see more tendency for bias to creep in."


theblaze--2020-02-20--NYT correspondent turns on paper over its decision to publish Taliban leader’s op-ed

NYT correspondent turns on paper over its decision to publish Taliban leader ’ s op-ed

New York Times correspondent Mujib Mashal blasted the newspaper for running an op-ed from Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the U.S. government.
What are the details?
The editorial, titled, "What We, the Taliban, Want," points to a possible future peace deal between the terrorist organization and the United States.
"We are about to sign an agreement with the United States, and we are fully committed to carrying out its every single provision, in letter and spirit," Haqqani wrote. "We did not choose our war with the foreign coalition led by the United States. We were forced to defend ourselves."
Haqqani also pointed out that "the killing and the maiming must stop."
"The withdrawal of foreign forces has been our first and foremost demand," he said.
Mujib Mashal, who is the outlet's senior correspondent based on Afghanistan, blasted the Times' decision to run the article.
He wrote, "The piece by Siraj Haqqani in @nytopinion – which's independent of our news operations & judgment — omits the most fundamental fact: that Siraj is no Taliban peace-maker as he paints himself, that he's behind some of the most ruthless attacks of this war with many civilian lives lost."
He later issued a follow-up tweet, calling for NYT readers to speak out against the op-ed.
Mashal added, "I know people have strong views on this. Sorry, I can't answer. But, as the bottom of the piece says, our Opinion editors appreciate hearing from, and are 'committed to publishing a diversity of letters.' So feel free to write them: letters@nytimes.com."
What else?
According to NBC News, the U.S. government is poised to sign two-step peace deal with Afghan Taliban in which the Taliban will "reduce violence" against one another in the region for a period of seven days. Following that period, a potential longer-term deal would reduce the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, ideally prompting peace talks between insurgents and the Afghanistan government.
Under the deal, the Taliban would also agree to sever ties with radical terrorist groups.
You can read more about the landmark agreement — which has been in development for the last three years — here.
According to the FBI, Sirajuddin Haqqani is wanted for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a Kabul, Afghanistan, hotel. The attack took the lives of at least six people. One of those people was an American citizen.
"He is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan," the FBI poster added. "Haqqani also allegedly was involved in the planning of the assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2008."
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-02-20--California's governor wants to fight the state's homelessness problem with involuntary mental health

California's governor wants to fight the state's homelessness problem with involuntary mental health treatment

California 's governor wants to fight the state 's homelessness problem with involuntary mental health treatment 'Let 's call it @ @ @ @ @ disgrace '

California's homeless problem has become a topic of national discussion, and the state's Democratic governor says that one way to combat it is to make it easier for the government to force homeless people with severe mental illness to get treatment.
"Let's call it what it is, a disgrace, that the richest state in the richest nation — succeeding across so many sectors — is failing to properly house, heal, and humanely treat so many of its own people," Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his 2020 State of the State address, which focused heavily on homelessness. "Every day, the California Dream is dimmed by the wrenching reality of families, children and seniors living unfed on a concrete bed."
Newsom called for changes to the state's laws on involuntary treatment, calling "those out on the streets for more than a year, with complex behavioral health needs" the "hardest part of this problem."
But delivering mental health assistance to those in need of it "hinges on an individual being capable of accepting help, to get off the streets and into treatment in the first place," Newsom continued. "Some, tragically, are not. That's why we need better legal tools, ones that allow local governments, health providers, and law enforcement to more effectively help people access the treatment they need."
Such changes would have to happen "within the bounds of deep respect for civil liberties and personal freedoms, but with an equal emphasis on helping people into the life-saving treatment that they need at the precise moment they need it," the governor said.
Specifically, Newsom said that the state's legal conservatorship thresholds for compelling people to get treatment were "too high and should be revisited." He also said that it was "too hard to use" a state law "which allows loved ones and service providers to ask courts to compel those who need treatment into community-based outpatient care" and urged lawmakers to address that statute as well.
The governor also said counties should be allowed to set up conservatorship programs similar to one being set up in San Francisco, which will allow for court-ordered mental health treatment for people determined to be incapable of caring for themselves, according to the Associated Press.
While lawmakers from both parties supported the goal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, others are concerned about whether such a proposal would actually help people who need it.
"What's the difference between that and a county jail?" Democratic state Sen. Jim Beall asked the newspaper, adding that he would work to make sure proposals are geared toward therapy and getting people's families involved.
Then, of course, there are the obvious civil liberties concerns.
"We don't need to take their civil rights away," President and CEO of Mental Health America of California Heidi Strunk told KTXL-TV regarding the governor's proposal. "We don't need to conserve them at this point, especially since we haven't even provided the shelter and the services to allow them to choose that."
"When you take a person's freedom away from someone that's a very serious issue," Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee President John Kraintz also told the station.
According to numbers from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Golden State's homeless population increased by 16% last year. The state's large homeless problem has drawn repeated criticism from President Donald Trump who has previously threatened to get the feds involved if Newsom can't fix it.