theblaze--2020-06-01--Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed President Trump for violent unrest. Then his daughter was arrested for p

Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed President Trump for violent unrest. Then his daughter was arrested for protesting.

Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed President Trump for violent unrest .
Then his daughter was arrested for protesting .
'The @ @ @ @ @ helped to create this atmosphere '

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted over the weekend to lay blame for the violence in cities across the United States at the feet of President Donald Trump.
"I can tell you this, and this is the blunt truth, the president of the United States helped to create this atmosphere, and that's the tragedy here," de Blasio claimed Saturday. "It doesn't matter what your party affiliation is, doesn't matter what you think of President Trump, there's been an uptick in tension and hatred and division since he came along. It's just a fact."
Then it was revealed that de Blasio's own daughter — Chiara de Blasio — was arrested during protests in Manhattan.
Chiara de Blasio, who is 25 years old, was reportedly taken into policy custody around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.
According to the New York Post, she was part of a group of protesters blocking traffic on Broadway, one of the busiest thoroughfares in New York City. She was arrested when she refused to move out of the street, and cited for unlawful assembly.
"That was a real hot spot, police cars were getting burned there, people were throwing and yelling, fighting with cops. There were thousands of people in that area at that time," a source told the Post.
However, Chiara de Blasio did not throw anything during the protests, the New York Daily News reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Neither the mayor nor City Hall has commented on Chiara's arrest.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Bill de Blasio condemned violent protesters, who he said are part of "the anarchist movement."


theblaze--2020-06-01--A sheriff marching with protesters in Flint was among the hopeful images from a violent, destructive

A sheriff marching with protesters in Flint was among the hopeful images from a violent, destructive weekend

A sheriff marching with protesters in Flint was among the hopeful images from a violent , destructive weekend

A majority of the images broadcast from the weekend's protests and riots range from discouraging to terrifying, as people take to the streets in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers as well as the Louisville Metropolitan Police killing of Breonna Taylor. In the midst of the chaos, however, there were some scenes of positivity and hope.
In Flint, Michigan, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson gave a speech to protesters assuring them that the police loved them and wanted to help — then he marched with them after they broke out into a chant urging him to do so.
In Louisville, Vice News reporter Roberto Ferdman captured an emotional moment between a Louisville Metro PD officer and a black woman who was protesting.
In another powerful scene, 31-year-old Curtis Hayes from North Carolina is seen in a heated conversation with a 46-year-old man who is angry and frustrated, and ready to riot. Hayes tells him he understands that feeling, then brings a 16-year-old black kid over to explain the danger of rioting and looting, and to urge the young man to find a better way to affect change in the future.
"What you see right now is going to happen 10 years from now, and at 26, you're going to be doing the same thing I'm doing," Hayes tells the teenager. "So what I need y'all to do right now, at 16, is come up with a better way. Because how we doing it, it ain't working.
"He's angry at 46. I'm angry at 31. You're angry at 16. ... Putting yourself in harm's way is not the way," Hayes said.
There is some strong content language in this video:
In Brooklyn, some George Floyd protesters formed a human chain to prevent some bad actors from looting a Target.
"I was right there, front-line, explaining to them that we are simply doing a peaceful protest," a protester named David told Forbes.
UPDATE: Sheriff Swanson was on Glenn Beck's radio program Monday to talk about the incident:


theblaze--2020-06-01--‘Take his ass!’: DC rioter causing damage is dragged over and handed to the police by other proteste

‘Take his ass!’: DC rioter causing damage is dragged over and handed to the police by other protesters

‘ Take his ass !
’ : DC rioter causing damage is dragged over and handed to the police by @ @

A protester who was causing damage to a city block was escorted to police lines by other protesters during a demonstration in Washington, D.C., over the weekend.
The video, captured and posted to Twitter by local news reporter Safvan Allahverdi on Sunday, shows a masked protester dressed in all black appearing to hammer and chisel away at a sidewalk block before being surrounded by other protesters.
A group of about four or five individuals detained the protester and forcefully dragged him to police officers who were stationed nearby to patrol the demonstration. It appears that police then apprehended the protester.
People can be heard cheering and shouting "take his ass!" and "go to jail!" as he was handed to the police.
It was not immediately clear what the protester was attempting to do by hammering at the sidewalk block, however, it's possible that he could've been trying to procure objects he could use to damage property or cause harm to others.
The protest in the nation's capital was just one of hundreds of protests across the country that took place in recent days following the tragic death of George Floyd during a police detainment on May 25 in Minneapolis.
The protests have frequently resulted in the burning and damaging of property and the looting of stores, and in many cases, the peaceful demonstrations have been overshadowed by the unrest.
A group of angry protesters outside the White House attacked a Fox News reporter and managed to knock down barriers Friday evening causing the Secret Service to place the White House on lockdown.


theblaze--2020-06-01--Rioter gets taste of his own medicine when he throws Molotov cocktail — but catches himself on fire

Rioter gets taste of his own medicine when he throws Molotov cocktail — but catches himself on fire instead

A rioter in North Carolina got a taste of his own medicine over the weekend when he attempted to start a fire in a building — but caught himself on fire instead.
The incident happened on Saturday in Fayetteville when rioters descended on the historic Market House in the city's downtown area.
Video that went viral on social media shows a protester attempting to start a fire in a stairwell inside the building by throwing a Molotov cocktail. But when the protester threw the incendiary device — by tossing it overhand and therefore spilling fluid from the bottle over the top of his head — he quickly became engulfed in flames.
The rioter then ran down the stairs where he stopped, dropped, and rolled, before other protesters helped stamp out the flames.
(Content Warning: The following video contains graphic footage and strong language)
The identity of the rioter, or the extent of his injuries, was not known.
Attorney General William Barr has identified Antifa and other far-left extremist groups as being responsible for the violence occurring in cities across the U.S., which he called "domestic terrorism."


theblaze--2020-06-02--Disturbing video captures car ramming officers at protest in Buffalo, New York

Disturbing video captures car ramming officers at protest in Buffalo , New York Two officers were struck and are hospitalized

Two officers were struck by a vehicle as a group of law enforcement officials were responding to protests over the death of George Floyd in Buffalo, New York.
Startling video of the heinous incident was caught on video and circulated widely on social media Monday. The officers can be seen running to get away from the SUV as it accelerates through the intersection.
One of the victims is a Buffalo police officer and the other is a New York state trooper.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told WGRZ-TV of Buffalo that in addition to the two officers being struck by the car, another two persons were shot in the same vicinity.
"There was no altercation that precipitated the vehicle mowing into police officers, but that is still under investigation," said Brown.
Brown went on to indicate that police believe the two persons who had been shot were in the vehicle that ran through the police line. He said that one of the suspects was in custody and the other was hospitalized.
Both officers were transported to Erie County Medical Center and both are in stable condition, according to Brown.
Here's more about the horrible incident:


theblaze--2020-06-02--Pittsburgh Penguins president helps save cameraman attacked during violent protest

David Morehouse is being hailed as a hero

David Morehouse, the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, is being hailed a hero after being credited with stepping in to help save a local news cameraman after the victim was attacked during a George Floyd protest that turned violent.
What are the details?
KDKA-AM cameraman Ian Smith was beaten and thrown to the ground and his camera destroyed Saturday night while he was covering a demonstration outside the Penguins' PPG Paints Arena. He was pulled to safety, but didn't know who was responsible — at first — for his rescue.
"[I] was attacked by protestors downtown by the arena," Smith tweeted that night from an ambulance. "They stomped and kicked me. I'm bruised and bloody but alive. My camera was destroyed. Another group of protestors pulled me out and saved my life. Thank you!"
Smith could not say who helped him, but another KDKA employee, Paul Martino, was with Smith during the attack and told veteran KDKA host Larry Richert that it was Morehouse who intervened to save their colleague.
Richert told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "I texted Paul Martino asking if he was all right, and he told me it was David Morehouse that helped save those guys."
He explained, "Paul said they were saying — and Ian reiterated — this group (of assailants) was saying to kill him, meaning Ian. He was taking hits to the head. They destroyed his camera. He was traumatized by it, no doubt. David Morehouse was able to intervene. In that moment with a burning police car and people beating someone up, that's a pretty brave thing to do."
What else?
Richert, who knows Morehouse, texted the Penguins chief, who is a Beechview native.
"I know he's going to be humble, and he's going to say 'I'm not a hero.'" Richter recalled to the Tribune-Review. "I texted to him, 'That's the Beechview guy in you that reacted.' He texted back to say he believed any of his friends would have done the same thing in the same situation, his neighborhood (friends) he grew up with."
"To me, that's a pretty heroic act," Richert said of Morehouse assisting Smith, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "It was a very volatile situation...He had the guts to come out and save [Smith] from a potentially very tragic ending."
A Pittsburgh Penguins spokesperson confirmed Morehouse's role, but declined to comment further.
Update: This article has been updated to correct a misspelled name.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Florida sheriff warns criminals that residents will 'be in their homes tonight with their guns loade

Florida sheriff warns criminals that residents will 'be in their homes tonight with their guns loaded' ' I 'm highly @ @ @ @ @ of the house with their guns '

The sheriff of Polk County, Florida, issued a stern warning to anyone who might consider using the George Floyd protests for cover to attack residents on Monday night, telling criminals outright that the citizens of Polk County are well armed and will "be in their homes tonight with their guns loaded."
What are the details?
WTVT-TV reported that during a news conference, Sheriff Grady Judd gave a recap of the weekend's protests in Lakeland, where his department was called in to assist with the local police department when demonstrations became violent.
Sheriff Judd praised the local community members who demonstrated over the death of Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis last week, noting that the outrage over Floyd's death is justified. He also reiterated that peaceful protesters would be protected and even encouraged them to exercise their First Amendment rights.
The sheriff went on to condemn rioters who came in from out of town to engage in organized criminal activity, then addressed rumors from social media that criminals were plotting to attack residential neighborhoods.
His advice to any prospective criminals was, "If you value your life, you shouldn't probably do that in Polk County, because the people of Polk County like guns. They have guns. I encourage them to own guns."
Sheriff Polk continued, "They're going to be in their homes tonight, with their guns loaded, and if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I'm highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns."


theblaze--2020-06-02--Louisville police chief fired after it is revealed that officers in yet another shooting did not hav

Louisville police chief fired after it is revealed that officers in yet another shooting did not have body cameras activated

Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad, who was already under fire for his department's handling of the investigation into the shooting of Breonna Taylor, was relieved of duty Monday by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, less than one month before he was scheduled to retire.
The final straw for Conrad appears to have been the revelation that, following public outcry over the fact that the officers who shot Breonna Taylor were not wearing body cameras, the officers who shot and killed Louisville business owner David McAtee also did not have their body cameras activated.
The fatal shooting that led to Conrad's dismissal occurred early Monday morning as Louisville police officers and National Guard soldiers fired into a crowd of protesters, after claiming that they were fired upon first. One of the bullets struck and killed McAtee, who owns popular Louisville restaurant YaYa's BBQ. It is completely unclear at this moment whether McAtee is even suspected of having fired the alleged shot the officers responded to, as authorities have thus far only stated that the matter is under investigation.
When it was revealed that the officers involved in the shooting either were not wearing body cameras or did not have them activated, Fischer wasted no time. In a fiery statement, Fischer said, "This kind of institutional failure will not be tolerated. An immediate change in leadership is required."
The body camera issue is an especially thorny one in Louisville due to the circumstances of Breonna Taylor's shooting in March. One of the critical questions involved in that shooting centers on whether the plainclothes officers who busted through Taylor's door to serve a "no knock warrant" announced that they were police. The officers claim they did; however, Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker (who returned fire, injuring a police officer) and other witnesses say they did not.
Body camera footage could have helped to clear up the circumstances of the shooting, but it was revealed that the officers involved were not wearing them in spite of a massive Louisville PD initiative designed to ensure all street officers were equipped with body cameras.
Conrad had already faced widespread criticism and condemnation for his department's handling of the Taylor case, as well as for his tone-deaf criticism of the decision to release Walker (who at the time was facing attempted murder charges) from prison to home incarceration. Walker claims he was acting in self-defense, not knowing that the people who busted his girlfriend's door down were police officers.
The fallout from Taylor's shooting had already caused Conrad to announce that he would retire at the end of June, but after Fischer learned that the officers involved in McAtee's shooting were also not equipped with active body cameras, he determined that a change in leadership could not wait one month.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) praised the move, saying, "Two incidences of this significance, no body cameras — it had to happen. It was the right move."
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Conrad will receive payment for any paid days earned and will still be eligible for his pension.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Steven Crowder WATCHES Dallas riots turn bloody

Tap tap tap ... is this mic on ?
Hey America !
In case you have n't heard , a mob STONED a man in Dallas on Saturday .
If you are not bothered by a public stoning on American soil then please pay attention .
Never in the modern world has a scenario existed that could justify a public stoning .
You know , in the same way , a police officer should never be allowed to kneel on the neck of a handcuffed man and go unpunished .
Condemnation of unlawful violence is not game only the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play .
Antifa is not the keeper of righteousness and does not dictate what society accepts as civilized human behavior .
And yet , if you call bullshit on Antifa for their criminal acts of violence , and fail to acknowledge the existence of police brutality , you are labeled an ignorant racist .
Fact , no man is above the law .
Not law enforcement , George Floyd , your mama , or your daddy .
And not even Antifa .
So , why are Americans falling for the progressive 's scam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bloody riot ?
Perhaps , Antifa is no better than the very oppressors they seek to destroy ?
Look , it goes without saying that police brutality is a real problem .
It should be unnecessary to reiterate that what happened to George Floyd is an injustice .
We all know !
Guess what ?
The acts committed by rioters across the nation that are destroying major cities , are dripping with injustice too !
Hot take : If you terrorize the community and attack innocent people , you are no better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man in Minneapolis .
You are the enemy .
Over the weekend , Steven Crowder reacted to footage from a `` peaceful protest '' in Dallas , where rioters beat down a man for defending one of his favorite bars .
Warning : the following content is graphic ... Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually funny , join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand .

Tap tap tap ... is this mic on? Hey, America! In case you haven't heard, a mob STONED a man in Dallas on Saturday. If you are not bothered by a public stoning on American soil, then please pay attention. Never in the modern world has a scenario existed that could justify a public stoning. You know, in the same way, a police officer should never be allowed to kneel on the neck of a handcuffed man and go unpunished.
Condemnation of unlawful violence is not a game only the "enlightened" commies of Antifa get to play. Antifa is not the keeper of righteousness and does not dictate what society accepts as civilized human behavior. And yet, if you call bulls**t on Antifa for their criminal acts of violence and fail to acknowledge the existence of police brutality, you are labeled an ignorant racist.
Fact, no man is above the law. Not law enforcement, George Floyd, your mama, or your daddy. And not even Antifa. So, why are Americans falling for the progressive scam that has turned our post-COVID-19 nation into a bloody riot?
Perhaps, Antifa is no better than the very oppressors they seek to destroy? Look, it goes without saying that police brutality is a real problem. It should be unnecessary to reiterate that what happened to George Floyd is an injustice. We all know! Guess what: The acts committed by rioters across the nation that are destroying major cities are dripping with injustice too!
Hot take: If you terrorize the community and attack innocent people, you are no better than the officer who killed a handcuffed man in Minneapolis. You are the enemy.
Over the weekend, Steven Crowder reacted to footage from a "peaceful protest" in Dallas, where rioters beat down a man for defending one of his favorite bars. Warning: the following content is graphic.
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theblaze--2020-06-01--Medical examiner says George Floyd had 'fentanyl intoxication' and 'recent methamphetamine use' when

Medical examiner says George Floyd had 'fentanyl intoxication' and 'recent methamphetamine use' when he died

Medical examiner says George Floyd had 'fentanyl intoxication ' and 'recent methamphetamine use ' when he died The report also @ @ @ @ @ a homicide

The Hennepin County medical examiner said that George Floyd had recently used methamphetamine when he died, and also found "fentanyl intoxication."
The findings are likely to further enflame the protests and riots about the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was videotaped kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The updated report was released on Monday and quickly circulated on social media.
The medical examiner concluded that the cause of death was "a heart attack from subdural restraint and neck compression."
The report added that significant conditions included "fentanyl intoxication" and "recent methamphetamine use," in addition to "Arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease."
While the report listed the death as a homicide, the medical examiner made sure to distinguish between the medical conclusion and that of a legal determination.
Earlier on Monday, the attorney for the family told reporters at a media briefing that their independent autopsy found the cause of death to be "asphyxiation from sustained pressure."
Protests and rioting rocked the nation throughout the weekend, with many businesses looted or set on fire in major U.S. cities.
Here's more about the George Floyd protests:


theblaze--2020-06-01--Independent autopsy finds George Floyd died from 'asphyxiation from sustained pressure'

'There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death '

An attorney for the family of George Floyd said that an independent autopsy found "asphyxiation from sustained pressure" was the cause of his controversial death.
The nation has become engulfed in protests, rioting, and looting in the wake of the death of Floyd while being apprehended by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.
In a media briefing Monday, family attorney Benjamin Crump made a statement about the autopsy conducted by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson.
Crump told reporters the autopsy found that "neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain," according to USA Today.
The independent autopsy appeared to be at odds with the statement from the medical examiner in the charges made against the officer that killed Floyd.
"What we found is consistent with what people saw," Baden said about his autopsy.
"There is no other health issue that could cause or contribute to the death," he added. "Police have this false impression that if you can talk, you can breathe. That's not true."
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was videotaped kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said there was likely to be other charges made against the three former officers who participated in the arrest and death of Floyd.
Here's more about the independent autopsy:


theblaze--2020-06-03--LAPD arrests man posing as a National Guardsman at George Floyd protests — and he was 'armed to the

LAPD arrests man posing as a National Guardsman at George Floyd protests — and he was 'armed to the teeth' @ @ @ @ @ into the National Guard formation

An alarming arrest was made in Los Angeles when a man apparently posing as a National Guardsman was apprehended by LAPD at a protest against the death of George Floyd.
The man was caught when a real member of the National Guard spotted him at about 1:30 a.m. and noted that his uniform was not right and that he was armed with an AR-15 instead of an M16.
The guardsman notified the LAPD, and the police made the arrest of 31-year-old Gregory Wong.
Bill Melugin of FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that police sources indicated that he was carrying numerous weapons, and he posted a photo of that gear.
"He was armed to the teeth and was booked on assault weapons charges. LAPD says federal charges may come next," said Melugin.
Wong is reportedly from Northern California but lives in the Los Angeles area.
Melugin added that sources reported that Wong tried to get into formation with the rest of the National Guard when he was discovered.
He also posted a photograph of Wong being arrested by the LAPD.
Wong was charged with manufacturing and distribution of assault weapons and held on a $50,000 bond.
Here's a local news report about the arrest:


theblaze--2020-06-02--Steven Crowder calls out the Black Lives Matter organization for their self-righteous hypocrisy

If an investigator coerces a suspect into a false confession, can we all agree the officer would be guilty of wrongdoing? A reasonable person wants to think the Black Lives Matter organization agrees, but their actions suggest otherwise.
Have you seen the YouTube videos of Black Lives Matter members coercing apologies from white men? In both examples, it's fair to say that one side forces their will on the innocent party. Both cases are morally corrupt. And yet one is seen as tragic while the other declared righteous — neither end with justice.
"Never apologize for what you haven't done!" — Steven Crowder.
Watch Steven call out the Black Lives Matter organization for its self-righteous hypocrisy.
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theblaze--2020-06-02--Dan Bongino RIPS media for calling Trump a 'coward hiding in a bunker' during White House riots

Dan Bongino RIPS media for calling Trump a 'coward hiding in a bunker ' during White House riots 'They 're @ @ @ @ @ with double digit IQs '

The Trump-deranged media is calling the president a "coward" because he was moved to an underground bunker as riots erupted outside the White House over the weekend.
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino joined the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Tuesday to set the record straight. He told Glenn that under Title 18, US Code 3056, the Secret Service has the authority to protect the president however it deems necessary, with or without his consent.
Dan explained that the severity of the White House riots, which resulted in at least 50 Secret Service agents being injured, would very likely have warranted overriding the president's preference on whether or not to take shelter.
"Shame on the media ... for painting this as some kind of situation where Trump ran like a coward," Dan said. "Which is totally false and made-up. [...] They're morons. These are imbeciles with double-digit IQs who are only in this to aggravate an already bad situation. And it's a shame, because they're really incentivizing this kind of stuff to happen."
He also made it clear that the so-called protests over the death of George Floyd were actually "very strategic" riots organized by "Antifa terrorists."
"It was not even a protest. It should have been, and could have been ... but that's not what it was. It was an insurrection. It was a riot," Dan stated.
"I can tell you, from sources of mine that were there, [who are] more than credible and unimpeachable, that the attack at the White House — and that's what it was over a period of days — was very organized. It was done using very strategic tactics," he added. "I want to be crystal clear, this was organized by Antifa terrorists. It's not a joke. It's not hyperbole. These were people that were committed to an insurrection that was thankfully put down."
Watch the video below for more details:
Dan Bongino: Trump is NOT a Coward Hiding in a Bunker
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theblaze--2020-06-02--LAPD detains armed business owners on live TV. The business owners were just trying to protect their

LAPD detains armed business owners on live TV. The business owners were just trying to protect their stores from looters.

LAPD detains armed business owners on live TV .
The business owners were just trying to protect their stores from @ @

Authorities detained a group of people protecting Los Angeles businesses from vandals and looters on Monday.
A local Los Angeles Fox affiliate caught the gut-churning moment on camera.
What are the details?
According to KTTV-TV, the incident took place Monday evening in Van Nuys when a group of people helped a local business owner protect his liquor store from vandals.
The station reported that officials were "confused" over the situation upon arrival, which played out live on KTTV. KTTV reporter Christina Gonzalez witnessed the entire exchange in a live broadcast.
Store owners and community members armed themselves and had gathered to physically protect the store from looters, who reportedly approached a neighboring gold store.
A local woman by the name of Monet, who was part of the group of good Samaritans, told Gonzalez that she advised the group of looters that "we're not doing that."
"We're not tearing anything up over here," she recalled telling the suspects.
That's when the group — along with Gonzalez — attempted to wave down officers passing the scene to intervene in the looting.
The station reported, "When Los Angeles Police officers arrived in front of the store, there was confusion. As the situation continued to unfold on live TV, several of the officers ran after several men who ran across the street, but other officers approached Monet, her husband, and brother-in-law, who are all African-American, and began putting them in handcuffs as Gonzalez tried explaining that they were not the looters."
Monet later added that she believes the looting is entirely separate from the rioting.
"I believe what [looters are] doing is trying to get what they can get because of the protest situation," she told the reporter.
In the video, one of the responding officers can be heard telling the reporter that they were going to handcuff Monet and her group "right now." Gonzalez frantically explained that Monet and the group were not the looters, and attempted to provide descriptions of the suspects, which had fled at this point.
Monet later told the station, "I was handcuffed, thrown up against a wall with my husband and brother-in-law, and I'm like, 'What the hell?' The news people are here and telling you it's not her, she's trying to stop the situation."
Officers eventually let Monet and her group go without arrests or charges.
Did law enforcement respond to the fluke?
LAPD Commanding Officer Andy Neiman told the station that he was watching the live broadcast when he saw his officers detaining Monet — a well-known citizen in the area — and her group.
"[Officers] have citizens that are flagging them down, not knowing what's going on, and until they sort everything out," he explained, "they don't know who they're dealing with. They don't know if they're good guys, bad guys, and so we have to get it under control first and then sort everything out."
Anything else?
Monet later told the station that she can appreciate the protests, but does not condone the looting or violence.
"I understand the protest. I understand what this is about. I get it. I understand that - I'm fighting for the same protest," she said. "But we don't want people from other cities to come and tear [apart] where we live because we have to rebuild this. We did this once before. I understand the anger."
She also responded to Neiman's remarks that officers are sometimes not entirely aware of their surroundings in situations like this.
"I get it. I understand [the officers] are tired. They're worn-out too. We've been worn out. I'm 55, we're tired too," she reasoned. "The same injustice you did to us years ago, and my father and forefathers, you guys are doing to our young black men and our young black women, including Latinos."
"I tell my children this all the time, 'One second of your thinking can cost you your life or someone else's life,'" Monet added. "This white gentleman who was a police officer who was here to protect and serve, one second of his thinking cost someone else their life, which is about to cost your family their life, and costing people their business."


theblaze--2020-06-02--Actress Debra Messing tweets doctored image of President Trump, Hitler holding Bibles. It doesn't tu

Actress Debra Messing tweets doctored image of President Trump, Hitler holding Bibles. It doesn't turn out too well for her.

Actress Debra Messing tweets doctored image of President Trump , Hitler holding Bibles .
It does n't turn out too @ @ @ @ @ oh-so-woke 'Will & Grace ' star actually called the fake image a 'dog whistle to @ @ @ @ @

So we pretty much all got an eyeful of President Donald Trump holding aloft a Bible in front of St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., on Monday — and we pretty much all know the image enraged Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
"Let me be clear: The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus," she said.
Fair enough.
But then on Tuesday, actress Debra Messing — one of countless Hollywood celebs who despise Trump — tweeted the following:
Image source: Twitter screenshot
It was a pretty nifty find on ye olde Interwebs for Messing, who no doubt knows that everything we encounter online is the iron-clad truth. And hey, if it fits a narrative you happen to believe in — like Trump is the second coming of Adolf Hitler — so much the better.
Problem is the image is fake — meaning, of course, the Hitler part.
Here's the skinny, straight from the mouth of Snopes: "A genuine photograph of Hitler standing in a crowd of people delivering the 'Heil Hitler' salute was manipulated to appear as if he was holding a book."
The original image is available via Getty with the following caption: "Nazi German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler (C) saluting girding crowd raising arms in enthused mass heil, in undated image. (Photo by Heinrich Hoffmann/Timepix/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)."
Photo by Heinrich Hoffmann/Timepix/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
How did folks react?
As you can imagine, folks who smelled a rat — and caught it clutching the cheese — took to Twitter and showed little mercy to Messing for her faux pas. Primary among them was Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who issued one of his famous comebacks.
Content warning: Debra is about to drop an F-bomb:
Others had their fun, too:
"Debra Messing is ... I can't say it in public."
"She's the dog hearing the whistle. Woof, Debra."
"You are part of the problem."
"Way to keep sowing the seeds of division, a price that will continue to be paid by the poor and underprivileged. Very Stunning & Brave."
"The sad part is you probably believe this and aren't just ignorant."
There were these visual gems, too:
Image source: Twitter screenshot
Image source: Twitter screenshot
But even with the mess of egg on the actress' face, some of her left-wing fans still tried to make a horse race of it:
"The photo may be fake, but the comparisons to Hitler are entirely appropriate."
"Tear gassing peaceful protestors is much more worse."
Let's just let Elaine close out this chapter, shall we?
Fake, fake, fake, fake. youtu.be
This story has been updated.


theblaze--2020-06-02--As riots rage, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rescinds her lockdown order, readies state to reopen

As riots rage , Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer rescinds her lockdown order , readies state to reopen

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that she has lifted the state's stay-at-home order allowing many retailers to reopen Thursday and bars and restaurants to reopen to 50% capacity on June 8.
The move, which also eases limits on the number of people permitted to gather outside, comes as protests over George Floyd's death and riots continue to rock cities across the United States.
"We're taking a big step forward today in Michigan," Whitmer said during a news conference, according to the Detroit Free Press, before adding that residents should still "stay smart, stay safe, and if you fit the criteria, get tested."
"The data has shown that we're ready to carefully move our state into this next phase," she added. "While Michiganders are no longer required to stay home, we must all continue to practice social distancing."
Some businesses, such as gyms, hair salons, barbershops, indoor theaters and casinos, will remain closed, she said.
Residents, who had been under some of the strictest social distancing measures since the order was first issued on March 23, will now be able to return to some semblance of normal life. Though certain restrictions are still in effect, such as the requirement to wear masks in enclosed areas.
Michigan, one the states hardest hit by the coronavirus, has been experiencing a steady decline in daily confirmed cases and deaths since its peak in early April.
However, the timing of Whitmer's decision to rescind the order is likely to draw ire from some. Especially from those who may remember when the governor responded harshly to those who protested against her social distancing measures last month. At the time, Whitmer claimed without proof that the protesters were endangering themselves and others by spreading the virus to rural areas of the state as a result of the demonstrations.
Yet now, as large-scale protests against the killing of George Floyd ramp up in Detroit, Whitmer has opted to encourage such demonstrations.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Man is killed after reportedly trying to break into Philly ATM with explosives

A man is dead after reportedly trying to blast open a Philadelphia ATM with explosives, according to KYW-TV.
What are the details?
The station reported that residents of Philadelphia heard a series of explosions Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Many of the explosions were reportedly due to vandals attempting to blow up ATMs.
Police say that suspects reportedly attempted to blow up no fewer than 10 automated teller machines across the city.
One unnamed suspect, a 24-year-old man, was not as lucky as others who reportedly tried to break into the money machines. Police said the man reportedly tried to use explosives to blow up an ATM by Sidekicks Sports Bar, but was immediately struck down by the impact of the detonation. The man was reportedly thrown to the ground with "serious injuries."
Authorities responded to the scene and took the man to a nearby hospital, where he died.
WCAU-TV reported that the unnamed man suffered "trauma to his upper body" in the blast, and noted that law enforcement officials discovered live explosives at the scene of the crime.
The station also reported that law enforcement officials were not able to arrest any suspects in connection with the ATM blasts. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that the ATM thefts are believed to be efforts that were both "organized" and "coordinated."
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading an investigation into the incidents.
What else?
Videos of violent Philadelphia riots went viral on Monday night, featuring explosions purported to be people blowing up ATMs.
One social media user shared footage of the melee, writing, "Thugs and Antifa blowing up ATMs in Philadelphia so they can steal cash. 7th and Girard, trying to blow an ATM. Probably what most of the Philly explosions are that everyone's heard from Fishtown to Passyunk to Breweryrown."
The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported on a roving group of about 100 people — "nearly all white males" — who were armed with bats, hammers, and shovels in the same neighborhood on Monday evening.
The men were reportedly walking the streets in order to defend the homes of their families and neighbors from vandals and looters.


theblaze--2020-06-02--'You guys killed my sister!': Woman fatally shot while leaving protest — and her sister blames prote

'You guys killed my sister!': Woman fatally shot while leaving protest — and her sister blames protesters in angry, tear-filled video

'You guys killed my sister ! '
: Woman fatally shot while leaving protest — and her sister blames protesters @ @ @ @ @ ' A protester shot my sister !
A protester !
You 're so mad at @ @ @ @ @ hurting everyone else ! '

A 22-year-old woman was killed early Monday in an apparent random shooting as she was leaving a protest in Davenport, Iowa, the Associated Press reported — and the victim's sister recorded an angry, tear-filled video blaming protesters and saying one of them pulled the trigger.
What are the details?
Italia Marie Kelly was the oldest of five siblings, the AP said, and her younger sister — 19-year-old Jasmine Kelly — recorded the video hours after the shooting.
"A protester shot my sister! A protester!" Jasmine Kelly yelled as she cried. "You're so mad at the police that you're hurting everyone else ... you guys killed my sister!"
Kelly emphasized several times that police didn't fire the gun but that "it was one of y'all."
"You walk around with guns ... you act and pretend to be tough, and you pretend to be something you're not, and you got my sister killed ... by your f***ing ignorance. I gotta bury my sister!"
She added, "This was the ignorance of every single one of y'all that decided to shoot into a f***ing crowd, and that bullet just happened to hit my sister!"
"My sister is gone because one of you, a protester, shot my sister!" Kelly said.
What's the background?
Police Chief Paul Sikorski told the AP that the fatal shootings of Kelly and another person elsewhere in the city are under investigation. The outlet added that a third person was injured in gunfire outside a jewelry store.
More from the outlet:
Kelly joined a protest over the death of George Floyd after getting off work at a restaurant Sunday night, according to her aunt, Amy Hale of Atchison, Kansas. She lived nearby.
Kelly, who is biracial and went by the last name Impinto, and a friend were getting in a vehicle to leave around midnight because the protest outside a Walmart had turned unruly, Hale said.
That's when she was struck in the back by a bullet that went through her shoulder and chest, likely killing her instantly, Hale said. Attempts to resuscitate her were not successful, and Kelly was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death and that no arrests had been made. Her family called on any witnesses to come forward with information about the shooting and for an end to violence in the city.
"She was always smiling, always laughing. That's why it's so sad that she was taken in such a violent way," Hale told the AP. "That is not Italia. She was the bright, bubbly, big personality in the room."
Police told the outlet that dozens of people gathered at a mall late Sunday and later fanned out across the city in vehicles, firing guns and damaging businesses. At one point, a police cruiser was ambushed with gunfire, and an officer was injured, the AP said.
"It's hard; she didn't deserve this," Kelly's mother, Sharon Kelly, told WQAD-TV.
Sharon Kelly got the call about her daughter from another daughter who was listening to police scanner traffic, the station said, adding that they knew Italia was out protesting, and that she sent her sister a video of her doing so — just 10 minutes before she was gunned down, her mother added.
"She was here trying to protest peacefully," Sharon Kelly in tears told WQAD. "These idiots just want to take it out of control and bring guns to a situation that don't need to be here. This needs to stop. It needs to stop now before another mother has to grieve like I do, and cry over her baby [being] gone. It's gotta stop."
Kelly added to the station: "We need to stop the racism in the city. We need to stop the black and white issue. That's why she was here, trying to get the message across, and it ended her life."


theblaze--2020-06-02--Mayor de Blasio questioned for allowing protests but not church, points to  '400 years of American r

Mayor de Blasio questioned for allowing protests but not church, points to  '400 years of American racism'

Mayor de Blasio questioned for allowing protests but not church , points to '400 years of American racism '

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dismissed a reporter's question about why mass protests are allowed in New York City while COVID-19 is still present, but the mayor aggressively cracked down on religious gatherings.
Despite social distancing guidelines, people have gathered in large numbers and close proximity across the country in protest of police brutality, including in New York City, over the death of George Floyd. De Blasio's own daughter was arrested in a protest, and he said he was "proud" of her for that.
Meanwhile, de Blasio has targeted churches and synagogues for gathering in much smaller numbers for things like funerals, even threatening at one point to shut them down permanently for disobeying his orders. So, de Blasio was asked about this apparent contradiction.
"When you see a nation, an entire nation, simultaneously grappling with an extraordinary crisis seeded in 400 years of American racism, I'm sorry, that's not the same question as the understandably grieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services," de Blasio said.
De Blasio has been criticized for a poor response to the chaos occurring in his city, where businesses are being looted and law enforcement seems unable to control the situation. De Blasio has reportedly declined to utilize the National Guard to help manage the situation.
The mayor acknowledged that the city's 11 p.m. curfew on Monday was a failure and has decided to set the curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not hold back in his criticism of de Blasio, calling his response to the crisis a "disgrace."
"The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night, I believe that," Cuomo said, according to Fox News.
Cuomo said de Blasio needs to deploy more police officers to help, and suggested that he could at some point "displace" de Blasio by sending in the National Guard. Cuomo said he doesn't want to do that right now for fear of adding more chaos to an already chaotic situation.


theblaze--2020-06-02--ACLU demands investigation into Trump's 'life-threatening' use of tear gas on protesters — but there

ACLU demands investigation into Trump's 'life-threatening' use of tear gas on protesters — but there are conflicting reports

ACLU demands investigation into Trump 's 'life-threatening ' use of tear gas on protesters — but there are conflicting reports @ @ @ @ @ smoke canisters ?

Many observers — both on the left and on the right — are incensed over President Donald Trump's controversial photo op Monday at St. John's Episcopal Church and are calling the clearing of protesters to make way for Trump and his entourage "cowardly," "dangerous," and "shameful."
But the American Civil Liberties Union took it a step further Tuesday demanding investigation into whether Trump broke international law by allegedly calling for the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
"This appears to be grossly unjustified use of a chemical weapon on protesters and raises serious human rights concerns under international law," the ACLU said. "Elected officials, including Congress, must investigate this politically-motivated, life-threatening use of indiscriminate weapons."
What are the details?
The alleged use of tear gas to clear demonstrators who were protesting George Floyd's death in Lafayette Square has been widely disseminated in online reports and on social media since Monday night, as people on the ground recalled feeling a stinging sensation in their lungs.
The Washington Post reported with apparent certainty that tear gas, flash-bang shells, and rubber bullets were used by the National Guard to clear the path. Attorney General William Barr visited the scene at 6:30 p.m., the Post reported, and shortly thereafter, "chaos ensued":
Members of the National Guard knelt briefly to put on gas masks, before suddenly charging eastward down H Street, pushing protestors down toward 17th Street. Authorities shoved protestors down with their shields, fired rubber bullets directly at them, released tear gas and set off flash-bang shells in the middle of the crowd.
Protestors began running, many still with their hands up, shouting, "Don't shoot." Others were vomiting, coughing and crying.
Roughly 30 minutes later, after the president finished his remarks in the Rose Garden, he and a small company of top advisers made their way through the streets to the church, Bible in hand.
What are the conflicting reports?
But a definitive statement has yet to be made regarding the use of tear gas by any of the law enforcement and military agencies involved, which includes the Park Police, the D.C. police, the Secret Service, and the National Guard.
WTOP-TV reporter Neal Augenstein is pushing back against reports that Park Police deployed tear gas, suggesting that a source from the agency told him that smoke canisters, without uncomfortable irritant, were used instead.
He added that his source said the Park Police were not even aware that the president would be moving through the area, but rather deployed the canisters after protesters began heaving water bottles at them.
When Augenstein asked the Secret Service and the D.C. police, both agencies declined to comment one way or another on the use of munitions. Of course, the Post article indicates that it was the National Guard in concert with other law enforcement that deployed the tear gas.
While Augenstein notes that something was assuredly fired since several reporters on the ground took notice of an irritating munition, it is simply not confirmed that the munition was tear gas as is being widely reported.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Looters break into a Philly gun store overnight — and are surprised to meet the owner armed with an

Looters break into a Philly gun store overnight — and are surprised to meet the owner armed with an M4 rifle

Looters break into a Philly gun store overnight — and are surprised to meet the owner armed with an M4 @ @ @ @ @ was killed

A group of would-be looters attempted to break into a gun store in Philadelphia early Tuesday morning, and one of them was killed by the owner who happened to be spending the night inside to protect his business, WCAU-TV reported.
The owner of the Firing Line Inc. gun store knew that people had tried to break into his store over the past few nights, so he decided to stay the night in the store and monitor the surveillance cameras.
Around 4:15 a.m., he saw a group of three or four men using bolt cutters on the gate to break into the property. The group of looters broke through the back door of the store and headed upstairs.
When they got upstairs, they were greeted by the store's 67-year-old owner armed with an M4 rifle. The owner fired at the intruders, killing one of them with a shot to the head. The other men escaped, leaving behind a handgun. Police believe a man who turned up in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder could be one of the suspects.
The police believe the man who was killed was pointing the handgun at the store owner.
"One of the individuals that broke into the property, pointed a handgun at him," Chief Inspector Scott Smalls said, according to WTXF-TV. "And that's when the store owner fired his own weapon, striking the one perpetrator at least one time in the head and he collapsed, dropping his gun between his legs."
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said he was troubled by occurrences of deadly violence that have resulted from looting, but he also sent a clear message, saying "looting has consequences."
The other men are expected to be charged with burglary, police said. The store owner was not injured in the incident.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Liberty University, once accused of being reckless for reopening during pandemic, finishes semester

Liberty University, once accused of being reckless for reopening during pandemic, finishes semester — with 0 coronavirus cases

Liberty University , once accused of being reckless for reopening during pandemic , finishes semester — with 0 coronavirus cases

Liberty University, once criticized for choosing to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, finished its spring semester without a single confirmed case, The College Fix reported Tuesday.
In March, the Christian university came under heavy fire for its decision to resume classes.
What are the details?
In the early days of the pandemic, college President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced that the school would reopen for students with a necessity to remain in campus housing.
In a year-end note to students, Falwell wrote, "We are thankful to God that nobody who lived in a campus residence hall or who worked in a campus office tested positive for the virus. No positive COVID-19 test anywhere in our region was linked to Liberty students who returned to their dorms after Spring Break."
Falwell pointed out that the only COVID-19 cases that the university community saw were as a result of employees working from home.
"[T]heir infections were all traced to contacts in the local community with persons infected with COVID who were not related to Liberty," he added.
Falwell opted to reopen the campus amid the pandemic and criticized an "overreaction" to the disease.
"We think it's irresponsible for so many universities to just say 'Closed, you can't come back,' push the problem off on other communities and sit there in their ivory towers," Falwell said in March. "We're conservative, we're Christian, and therefore we're being attacked."
What else?
Falwell made similar statements about the overall health of the Virginia campus in May.
Falwell hit out at media misinformation following a contentious New York Times report that alleged "nearly a dozen" college students were "sick with symptoms that suggested COVID-19."
In an interview with Glenn Beck, Falwell insisted that there were just a "couple of off-campus cases, like bus drivers."
The university plans to reopen at full capacity for its fall semester.


theblaze--2020-06-02--De Blasio says officer who pulled gun on protesters should be fired. Then a full video of incident s

De Blasio says officer who pulled gun on protesters should be fired. Then a full video of incident surfaced.

De Blasio says officer who pulled gun on protesters should be fired .
Then a full video of incident surfaced @

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that an NYPD officer who was seen in a viral video pulling his service pistol on protesters should be fired.
"It is not the place of an officer to pull a gun in the middle of a crowd, knowing that there are peaceful protesters in that crowd. That is unacceptable, that is dangerous," de Blasio said, WLNY-TV reported.
"That officer should have his gun and badge taken away today. There will be an investigation immediately to determine the larger consequences."
The Democratic mayor was referring to a 12-second video that went viral over the weekend that showed an NYPD officer point his firearm at protesters.
As it turned out, the video was deceptively edited, and a video of the full incident depicts a much different picture.
The Police Benevolent Association of New York City, the local police union, published a 27-second video on Monday showing the moments leading up to the officer in question pulling his service weapon on protesters.
The video shows a protester hit a police supervisor in the head with a brick. The supervisor was hit so violently, in fact, that he immediately fell to the ground. The officer in question then responded by pointing his firearm at protesters to protect his supervisor.
"Now we have the full story: this police officer unholstered his weapon only after his supervisor was nearly killed with a brick," the NYC PBA said.
The mayor has not updated his statement in light of the new video showing the fuller context.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Peaceful protests persist despite the distraction of continued riots and looting

Getting the message across Peaceful protests persist despite the distraction of continued riots and looting A California Highway Patrol captain @ @ @ @ @ station hands out water to demonstrators during a peaceful protest in Cerritos on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ Angeles Times via Getty Images )

People are still rioting, looting businesses, and getting in violent clashes with police and civilians alike. This activity has threatened public safety, dominated the media coverage, and undermined the purpose of the protests.
Still, there were many peaceful protests and positive moments as people call for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery; for accountability from police officers in how they exert their authority, and for racial equality and peace. Take a look:
Monday, George Floyd's brother, Terrence, visited the site where George was killed in Minneapolis. He prayed with those gathered, called for an end to all violence and rioting being carried out in his brother's name, and encouraged people to fight for change through peaceful protest and voting.
George Floyd death: George's brother Terrence Floyd says more violence won't "bring my brother back" youtu.be
BBC News put together a compilation of uplifting moments from peaceful protests around the country, showing black leaders calling for peace and love, police officers engaging in conversation and acts of solidarity with protesters, and residents cleaning up the damage caused by rioters.
In Chandler, Arizona, a police officer handed out water to peaceful protesters:
And in Pittsburgh, a protester did the same for some officers:
Protests are occurring nationwide in response to recent killings of black Americans. George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25 while being arrested for a nonviolent crime. Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville police officer in March while the officers were serving a no-knock warrant at her home after midnight. Ahmaud Arbery was killed by two Georgia residents who chased him down because they suspected that he had burglarized an unoccupied home under construction.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Horowitz: Trucker attacked by mob on I-35 was delivering fuel to black-owned business

Horowitz : Trucker attacked by mob on I-35 was delivering fuel to black-owned business

It was an indelible image, etched in my young brain, that I wished I had not seen. Watching the nightly news with my parents on April 29, 1992, I, along with millions of others, witnessed Reginald Denny being dragged out of his truck at a Los Angeles intersection and beaten in an unspeakable manner in retaliation for the Rodney King beating. I never thought I'd see something like that again outside a place like the Middle East, but here we are again, staring down the barrel of unbridled anarchy.
Are fundamental rights so contorted that rioters now have the right to block streets and freeways too, demand that anyone stop for them, and then beat them out of their cars? And then the innocent drivers are the ones who get in trouble, not the murderous mobs?
Evidently, motorists are going to need a new app that shows them where riots are taking place. Otherwise, if police have not already blocked off the street, they could be confronted with a choice between continuing to move and potentially running over the people obstinately blocking their way, or stop and wait for the rioters to drag them out of the cars and hope they leave a heart still beating.
Bogdan Vechirko was just back from delivering fuel from his tanker truck when he was suddenly confronted by a huge violent mob blocking the bridge on I-35 west, the major interstate out of Minneapolis. Who would ever have thought police would stand back and allow rioters to block a freeway? Yet as the chaotic event played out on Sunday, people initially thought this was a man on a murderous rampage to kill the saintly "protesters." He actually wound up stopping to avoid hitting people, even though he was unaware of what was going on, and was dragged out of his truck and beaten. Then he was arrested by Hennepin County police. To my knowledge, nobody who beat him was arrested.
A black business owner named Lonnie tweeted out the following on Sunday afternoon, which shed light on what really happened:
The name of this business owner is Lonnie McQuirten of 36 Lyn Refuel Station in Minneapolis. He recently testified before a state senate committee on delaying property taxes during coronavirus.
Here is the description of the situation according to John Harrington, the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.
"We do have some info that he was speeding," explained Harrington. "We do have some info that he saw the crowd and initially he panicked and he just kept barreling forward.
"Then he saw a young woman on a bike fall down in front of him and he slammed on the brakes. And he slid until the vehicle stopped."
It turns out the barricades were not yet up to block people from going westbound onto that bridge, and the driver was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His only crime was driving too fast on what he thought was an empty highway.
"We know that the driver of the tanker truck was on the freeway already. He was on 94 already and he turned onto 35 before we got barricades or trucks there to block off his access to 35. This was his second run of the day. He was running empty, there was no fuel in that tanker truck," said Harrington.
Is this what is confronting ordinary Americans now? Because one policeman killed a man who happened to be black, that now allows anyone to block freeways and beat motorists?
According to local media, "Gov. Tim Walz said the driver, 35-year-old Bogdan Vechirko, "feels incredibly lucky that he did not kill someone," adding that even though he was assaulted after stopping the 18-wheeler he "is really lucky Minnesota showed some of their better angels and he did not get killed."
Wow, thanks for showing such grace. A world upside down when people are free to riot on freeways and you forfeit your life if you are unaware of the riot, while those breaking the law have the right to kill you, unless of course they show "better angels" and only beat you. This is the worldview of people like Governor Walz.
This is a growing trend happening everywhere. We've seen a female shop owner savagely beaten in Rochester, New York, another business owner in Dallas nearly killed after a gruesome beating, and another one in Columbia, South Carolina, knocked unconscious. Why do these people have the right to block roads and even highways, and how are innocent people supposed to know where they are going to attack next before police have a chance to block off the roads, rather than shut down the illegal riot altogether?
Vechirko was lucky that he was not severely beaten, but other business owners and innocent bystanders have not been so lucky. The grisly images of rioters surrounding motorists and breaking into the cars must spur our government into action. Has self-defense now been outlawed as well to please the media gods of racial politics?
Obviously, we don't want people purposely trying to run over the rioters, but are we going to flip the script of criminal and victim – right to move freely vs. nonexistent "right" to riot – on its head and force innocent motorists into gruesome beatdowns?
A trucker in Tulsa who didn't want to suffer this fate drove past a "checkpoint" set up by rioters blocking I-244 and was questioned by police after two rioters were injured when he sped off. He was released because he did nothing wrong but save his own life. The media is making rioters out to be the victims and the trucker out to be a murderer.
Here is the way the Tulsa World described the incident:
The crowd let a car driven by a black female pass through and the pickup attempted to follow the car. Protesters blocked the driver's path, and the man then placed a handgun on his dashboard, Simons said. That angered protesters, who began throwing water bottles at the vehicle.
The driver then accelerated through the crowd, said Simons, who was standing near the vehicle when it happened.
"It was fast enough that I felt like I had to run," Simons said. "Everybody felt like they had to run. People scattered."
How dare he try to fight back? Doesn't he know he was told to stop by the new road patrol? He didn't have the right color of skin, evidently, like the motorist in front of him, and should have taken his beating like a man!
As of now, nobody has been charged in Minneapolis for beating Vechirko, and Vechirko himself appears to still be in custody, although that might be for his protection, which in itself is very disquieting.
This is truly a sorry and dangerous state of affairs. Rather than making individuals responsible for their actions, we are coddling criminals because of the race of one victim of a bad cop. That bad cop has now been charged with murder in a very swift indictment. Now it's time for justice against the rioters who have beaten, killed, looted, vandalized, and obstructed our free movement.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Men with bats, hammers, shovels walk in Philly neighborhood to protect it. Leftists call them racist

Men with bats, hammers, shovels walk in Philly neighborhood to protect it. Leftists call them racists as scene gets ugly.

Men with bats , hammers , shovels walk in Philly neighborhood to protect it .
Leftists call them racists as @ @ @ @ @ who wants to throw s**t at a cop or pick on a cop , pick @ @ @ @ @ we 'll go around the corner and fight ya 's one on one '

The Philadelphia Inquirer characterized a group of about 100 people carrying bats, hammers, and shovels in the Fishtown neighborhood Monday evening as "nearly all white males" who said they were walking the streets to protect their homes and businesses from looters and rioters.
Content warning: Language:
At one point, the paper said the group argued with younger neighbors lined up across Girard Avenue who wanted the armed group to leave.
"Leave us alone!" one woman yelled, the paper reported. "We live here, and they're making us feel unsafe!"
"Why were others teargassed for peacefully protesting but they could walk around with bats and be protected?" one woman asked, the Inquirer said.
One man who appeared to be wielding a hatchet was taken into police custody, the Inquirer added.
A surreal video posted to Twitter showed police officers posing for photos apparently with Fishtown residents as a man stood on a roof with a rifle:
Leftist reactions
There were plenty of reactions on Twitter about the group of armed men, calling them everything from "vigilantes" to "white supremacists."
One Twitter user posted video and called them "white armed vigilante groups" and said they had the "blessing" of police:
Another Twitter user called the group "MAGA scum":
One scene got particularly ugly, as a few members of the group confronted Black Lives Matter protesters and challenged them to a fight if they bothered police.
"Anyone who wants to throw s**t at a cop or pick on a cop, pick one of us ... and we'll go around the corner and fight ya's one on one," one man said.
Toward the end of the clip another man ripped up a protester's BLM sign while the first man used an anti-gay slur.
Content warning: Language, slur:
As it happens a few scenes overnight in Fishtown demonstrated that the concerns of the armed group of men may have been justified:


theblaze--2020-06-02--Twitter cites GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz for 'glorifying violence' in tweet about hunting down Antifa

Twitter cites GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz for 'glorifying violence ' in tweet about hunting down Antifa The social media outlet @ @ @ @ @ liked or retweeted

Twitter restricted a post from Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on Monday in which the congressman suggested hunting down members of Antifa, a group that President Donald Trump recently announced would be designated as a terrorist organization, USA Today reported.
Antifa is believed to be responsible for inciting a significant amount of the rioting and looting that has occurred in recent days amid mass protests of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
"Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East?" Gaetz tweeted Monday afternoon.
Twitter hid that tweet behind a notice that read: "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
Users have to click "view" on that message in order to actually see the tweet. Additionally, they are not able to reply to it, like it, or retweet it without comment. Those restrictions serve to limit the distribution of the violating post.
Gaetz spent much of the afternoon decrying this decision by Twitter, responding to critics of the tweet, and pointing to examples of allegedly improper posts that Twitter did not treat similarly, including a tweet from former NFL quarterback and social justice activist Colin Kaepernick.
"When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction," Kaepernick's tweet reads. "The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back!"
"Twitter has no problem with this incitement of violence," Gaetz wrote of Kaepernick's tweet. "I called for government action against terrorists, and they deemed that naughty. Feels good to virtue signal now Twitter. But this will be hard to explain later. See you in the Judiciary Committee."
Twitter has drawn the ire of President Trump for putting the so-called "public interest notice" on his tweets, leading to an executive order aimed at preventing online censorship.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Internal DHS memo says white supremacist social media channel incited violence during police protest

Internal DHS memo says white supremacist social media channel incited violence during police protests

What is happening to this world ?

A Politico report on Tuesday says that a white supremacist channel on Telegram reportedly encouraged followers to incite violence during the massive police protests following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd was killed May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes during a detainment.
The former Minneapolis police officer responsible was charged with murder and manslaughter last week.
What are the details?
Citing an internal Department of Homeland Security memo, white supremacists were reportedly encouraged to create mayhem by "shooting in a crowd."
The memo reported that the FBI said that the channel in Telegram "incited followers to engage in violence and start the 'boogaloo' — a term used by some violent extremists to refer to the start of a second Civil War — by shooting in a crowd."
Telegram is an encrypted messaging app.
The DHS memo — reportedly issued May 29 — was distributed among law enforcement officials to warn them of "suspected anarchist extremists and militia extremists allegedly planned to storm and burn the Minnesota State Capitol," Politico said.
Further, the memo reportedly stated that plans about the Minnesota State Capitol were in place in 2019 — however, a "footnote describing the FBI's information says twice that the plans were made in 2020."
The outlet reported that a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety was unable to confirm or deny the report due to security reasons.
"A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment," Politico reported. "After publication, a DHS spokesperson flagged a tweet from DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. In the tweet, Wolf confirmed that DHS had reported that domestic terrorists were trying to exploit the protests."
The tweet read, "No surprise – another @ABC headline is intentionally misleading the public for clicks. To be clear, last week @DHSgov reported that domestic terrorists are 'looking to exploit' the current civil unrest."
The outlet concluded:
Despite the DHS intelligence note, administration officials have focused overwhelmingly on alleged left-wing violence. The note itself does not use the terms "left" or "right." But it defines "militia extremists" as people who direct violence at the government because they believe it is taking away Americans' freedoms and setting up a totalitarian regime. That definition also notes that militia extremists oppose laws regulating gun ownership and often form armed paramilitary groups. Those details are all hallmarks of far right extremism.
The May 31 ABC News article in question states that Wolf said left-wing agitators were inciting the violence, despite the DHS report pointing to extremists on both the left and right.
The DHS note is reportedly the fifth of its kind in the last two months, and has warned of the mobilization of domestic terrorists and violent extremists.
"On April 23," Politico reported, "as so-called Liberate protesters began demonstrating outside several states' capitol buildings demanding an end to the coronavirus lockdowns, DHS warned that the pandemic was 'driving violent actors — both non-ideologically and ideologically motivated — to threaten violence' and 'serving as the impetus for some domestic terrorist plots.'"


theblaze--2020-06-02--VIDEO: Swarms of NYC looters storm Macy's, clean out luxury stores in SoHo despite citywide curfew

VIDEO : Swarms of NYC looters storm Macy 's , clean out luxury stores in SoHo despite citywide curfew

Looters ransacked some of New York City's most famous retailers Monday night as the city's newly imposed 11 p.m. curfew failed miserably to prevent violence and property damage in the city's fifth consecutive day of protests and riots over George Floyd's death.
Chaos at Macy's
Shocking footage of the looting shows hundreds of people storming into Macy's flagship store in Herald Square right before curfew was set to begin.
Shortly after, Daily Beast breaking news reporter Rachel Olding uploaded a video showing police officers rushing into Macy's after the individuals.
"Hundreds of looters and rioters here with absolutely no concerns about cops being here," Olding said of the scene.
Luxury looting
Meanwhile, in SoHo, looters reportedly pulled up to high-end boutiques in expensive cars to snatch luxury items before police could arrive.
NBC producer Keith Feldman posted a wild video of looters allegedly breaking into a store after curfew on Monday night — one of the cars appears to be a Rolls Royce Cullinan, priced at over $300,000.
The New York Times reported that looters also descended on New York's central businesses district Monday night vandalizing the Coach store, Bergdorf Goodman, Barnes & Noble, among other retailers, "destroy[ing] scores of smaller storefronts along the way."
Looters smashed windows and stole shirts, pants, and zip-ups at the Nike store on 5th Avenue and 20th Street.
The curfew didn't work
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) acknowledged that the city's 11 p.m. curfew was a failure and has decided to set an 8 p.m. curfew for Tuesday.
"We're seeing too much of this activity tonight," the mayor reportedly said in an interview.
President Trump derided New York leadership Tuesday, specifically calling out Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for failing to act.
"New York was lost to the looters, thugs, Radical Left, and all others forms of Lowlife & Scum," Trump said. "The Governor refuses to accept my offer of a dominating National Guard."
(H/T: New York Post)


theblaze--2020-06-02--Commentary: What Tucker Carlson got right and got wrong in his scorched-earth, anti-Trump monologue

Commentary : What Tucker Carlson got right and got wrong in his scorched-earth , anti-Trump monologue Trump needs to convey @ @ @ @

By now, many of you have seen Tucker Carlson's monologue from Monday night, which was probably his harshest criticism of President Trump's leadership to date. A Twitter post containing the majority of the monologue has more than 5,000 retweets and 12,000 likes as of the time of this writing. Clearly, Carlson — who is normally a strong defender of President Trump — has struck a nerve.
Tucker: Our leaders dither as our cities burn (GRAPHIC VIDEO) www.youtube.com
Some of what Carlson said Monday night is right. A lot of it — probably most of it, to be honest — was wrong, and a considerable portion of it was intentionally dishonest with the facts. Let's break down Tucker's critique, starting with what he got right.
Carlson is right that the current crisis will likely be the defining moment of Trump's presidency, and the determining factor in whether Trump is re-elected in November. Carlson is right that the primary responsibility of Trump (or any president) is to keep people safe, and that if people do not feel that the president can keep them safe in their homes and their businesses, then he will be replaced. He is right that history judges leaders who dither while their country burns most harshly.
Carlson is right that a firm hand is needed at this point to quell the riots that are violent. In discussing an attack on Fox News cameramen that occurred in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., Tucker raised an important question: "If you can't keep a Fox News correspondent from being attacked directly across the street from your house, how can you protect my family? How are you going to protect the country? How hard are you trying?"
Carlson's essential point in the monologue, the central nut, the one everyone is focusing on, is a valid point, and one that I hope President Trump takes to heart: "The first requirement of leadership is that you watch over the people in your care. That's what soldiers want from their officers. It's what families need from their fathers. It's what voters demand from their president."
Unfortunately, what came before and what came after was almost entirely wrong, both on the facts and on the policy. Carlson flatly lied about many of the targets of his monologue, beginning with President Trump.
Carlson complained that, on the morning of Saturday, May 30, when Trump tweeted to reassure the country that he and his family were safe, he did not say anything about keeping the rest of the country safe, and according to Carlson, "much [of the country] was then on fire."
Carlson's complaint is untrue on at least two counts: 1) as of Saturday morning, the violence was not spread across much of the country; and 2) President Trump HAD spoken forcefully about keeping Americans safe prior to that point.
Recall that initially, the protests that turned violent were confined almost exclusively to Minneapolis. Although there were protests in other places like Memphis and Los Angeles throughout the last week that featured such things as blocked traffic, there were no reported incidents of violence, looting and arson. Those protests broke outside of Minneapolis for the first time on Friday night, and were confined to Atlanta and New York. So when the president tweeted about his family being safe, the violence of the protests was not yet a nationwide phenomenon, as Carlson claimed.
But moreover, Trump had repeatedly, on Twitter and in spoken remarks, stated forcefully his intention to keep American citizens safe. He even had one of his tweets cloaked by Twitter for doing it too forcefully, which Tucker might have remembered as being a sort of huge story. Here is but one of the many times Trump spoke out, on Twitter alone, about the need to protect American citizens and how he considered it his responsibility.
Now, you might well say that Trump's comments about the necessity of protecting the safety of American people were inadequate in some way or not to your satisfaction, but to claim that he had simply not mentioned it before he tweeted about his own family's safety is just factually wrong. Acting like all of America was burning on Saturday morning, when in fact it was confined to three cities (one of which happens to be the current residence of one Tucker Carlson) is also factually wrong.
Carlson also got a lot of other facts wrong, in ways that were unhelpful. Carlson strongly implied that there were no such thing as peaceful George Floyd protesters. This, of course, is an absolute lie. We covered some of the many positive and peaceful scenes from this violent weekend here at TheBlaze. Just last night in my hometown of Nashville, a large crowd gathered at the state capitol to protest. The National Guard showed up, shields out, expecting to confront violence. Instead, they found a peaceful crowd — and laid down their shields, joining the crowd's peaceful vigil.
This factual error illustrates a broader problem with Carlson's entire monologue: He sees no reason at all for anyone to display empathy for the protesters, or indeed the family of George Floyd. In fact, he sneers at anyone who dares to do so. If you think Carlson's attitude is in any way helpful to bringing peace and security back to the country, then I really don't know what to tell you, except to say that the people who are protesting are not unruly children, but adults who were brought up in a country that is founded on the idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed, not the the point of a gun.
Almost all of what he said in attacking the people calling for empathy was a deliberate misrepresentation of what the speakers said. For instance, in attacking former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), he first engages in a transparent ad hominem — you don't have to listen to Nikki Haley because she once attacked Donald Trump.
It should be noted that Carlson's attack on Haley was also a lie: Haley did not compare Donald Trump to mass murderer Dylann Roof, so there is no need for Carlson to wonder, "How is Donald Trump similar to a serial killer?" because Nikki Haley did not say he was. What she said was that Trump's rhetoric might have inspired people like Dylann Roof. You can criticize Haley's comments on the merits and say that they are not correct, but you should at least bother to characterize her comments correctly.
Of course, this entire argument is an ad hominem, the laziest form of logical fallacy. It is facially obvious to every thinking person that whatever Nikki Haley might have said in the past, doesn't make what she is saying now true or untrue, which Carlson's attack on Haley's ability to think all the more deliciously ironic.
But moreover, Carlson lied about what Haley said, even as her words were displayed on the screen right before he misquoted them. Here is what Haley actually said, as illustrated on screen right before Carlson started mischaracterizing them:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Right after this image was taken down, Carlson mused, "But wait a second, you may be wondering. How am I, quote, personally responsible for the behavior of a Minneapolis police officer? I've never even been to Minneapolis, you may think to yourself. And why is some politician telling me I'm required to be upset about it? Nikki Haley did not answer those questions. Explaining is not her strong suit. That would require ... thinking."
Those are, in fact, not good questions, because you will notice that Nikki Haley did not say that you and I were "personally responsible" for what happened to George Floyd, despite Carlson's claim that she did. There are miles of difference between "it needs to be personal and painful for everyone," which is a call for empathy, and "everyone is personally responsible," which is an assignment of blame. Perhaps, if Carlson is going to attack Haley's ability to think, he ought not do so immediately after flubbing a basic reading comprehension test.
Sneering at anyone who might feel empathy for George Floyd's family, or the peaceful protesters, is probably easy enough for Tucker Carlson, the product of a private East Coast elite boarding school education, who sits safely ensconced in a multimillion-dollar a year job where he goes to the posh Fox News studios in Manhattan to be a famous television figure who is regularly retweeted by the president of the United States.
It is probably less easy for the tens of millions of people who have lost their jobs in the last two months and have been cooped up at home because their government has told them they aren't allowed to leave and has provided them with a pitiable allowance to make up for their lost income. If Carlson thinks that ignoring the current pain and anger of the American people about their life in general and just telling them to sit down and shut up is going to be constructive and helpful — after they've been told to sit down and shut up for two months already — he probably might ought to consider whether he is living in a bubble, or has any ability to understand the perspective of people who might not have gone to St. George's School.
See, there are without a doubt people who are rioting and looting right now who are just doing it because they want free stuff. Some of them are anarchists who are actively seeking to foment an insurrection. Those people, I will agree, should be dealt with harshly. But they aren't by any means all or even most of the people who are protesting. There is real anger in America right now, about a lot of things. We are pushed to the precipice as a country in a way that we seldom have been before in our history. The response requires both a firm hand with the bad actors, and empathy for people who are genuinely frustrated and are looking for a peaceful outlet to express that frustration and make themselves heard. Addressing only half that equation will only lead to more unrest, resentment, and anger.
Additionally, Carlson's contention that, essentially, this is all Jared Kushner's fault wears a little thin. If Trump really is allowing his own sound judgment to be subverted by his son-in-law at every turn, does that mean that Trump really has sound judgment? Whose judgment brought Kushner into the White House to begin with, in spite of widespread and frequently voiced concern from some of Trump's closest allies? Does Trump bear no responsibility for bringing Kushner into the White House and (apparently) listening to him repeatedly?
And what on earth does the First Step Act have anything to do with the protests that are currently unfolding? Does Carlson have any evidence that even one of the people who has engaged in rioting and looting was released pursuant to the First Step Act? If so, even armed with an army of producers and researchers, he does not provide any.
Right now, Trump has two urgent tasks at hand. Carlson correctly identifies one of them, which is that he needs to have an iron fist with some people. But the other is that the fist needs to be wrapped in a velvet glove. This country needs to heal. Weekends like this last one may have been made worse by paid agitators and organizers, but they don't grow up overnight out of nothing. If you don't think that people are legitimately on edge and enraged about what is happening, then you are too far up in your ivory tower to properly comment on what is happening in America at all.
Sometimes, the president has to be both forceful and empathetic at the same time. For the sake of this country and its great people, I hope Trump is capable of it. Just being forceful is likely to create more problems than it solves.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Gut-churning video: NYC cop launched into air as vehicle runs him down. Other officers shot, attacke

Gut-churning video: NYC cop launched into air as vehicle runs him down. Other officers shot, attacked in night of 'mayhem' across US.

Gut-churning video : NYC cop launched into air as vehicle runs him down .
Other officers shot , attacked in @ @ @ @ @ US .
'NYPD Cops defend yourselves , you are alone ! '

Cellphone video caught the moment a vehicle sped through a Bronx intersection and slammed into a New York City police officer, launching him into a midair spin and into another vehicle amid continued rioting early Tuesday morning.
Content warning: Language and racial slurs:
What are the details?
Officers were responding to a report of about 20 or 30 people exiting a pawn shop, the New York Daily News reported, citing emergency radio transmissions.
A sergeant and second-ranking officer in a white shirt were crossing E. 170th St. at Walton Ave. just after 12:40 a.m. when the vehicle drove at them, the paper said, adding that the white-shirted officer evaded the vehicle but the sergeant was hit and sent flying.
Officers lifted the sergeant into a police van and took him to a hospital where he was in stable condition, an NYPD spokesman told the Daily News. A lieutenant with the Bronx's 44th Precinct told a dispatcher during radio transmissions that the sergeant suffered a head injury, broken leg, and was having difficulty breathing, the paper reported.
Other hit-and-runs against police
A vehicle struck two officers as a group of law enforcement officials were containing rioters in Buffalo, New York. The officers can be seen on video running to get away from the SUV as it accelerates through the intersection. One of the victims is a Buffalo police officer and the other is a New York state trooper.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown gives details on violent incident involving police officers during protest youtu.be
In addition, an SUV full of suspected looters rammed into an NYPD officer trying to stop them in Greenwich Village early Monday, the New York Daily News said in a separate article. Video shows several men running with items in their arms, the paper said, adding that three hop into a waiting SUV as a police van pursues them. After the van cuts in front of the SUV and an officer exits the passenger side, the SUV driver plows into the officer.
The officer was listed in stable condition at a hospital, police told the Daily News, adding that the SUV is a late model Ford Explorer with temporary Wisconsin plates which fled with a late model Honda Accord with New Jersey plates east on 8th Street.
Brazen beatings
If that weren't enough, several men attacked an NYPD officer in the Bronx Monday night as onlookers recording the beatdown encouraged the attackers, the New York Post reported.
Video tweeted by the city's Sergeants Benevolent Association shows men physically attacking the lone officer on a sidewalk and throwing a large object at him, after which they run off and leave the officer in an apparent daze, the paper said.
During the attack, a man can be heard repeatedly yelling "F*** 12," which is an anti-cop slang, the Post added.
The SBA tweeted, "I guess the critics will now say he overreacted. NYPD Cops defend yourselves, you are alone!"
And according to video posted to Twitter by Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas, another officer was injured on Madison Avenue and showed him face-down on the sidewalk as another officer comes to his aid, the paper said.
'Mayhem'
In downtown St. Louis, four officers were shot just after midnight Tuesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, but all four were conscious, and their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
"I believe some coward randomly shot at the police line," Police Chief John Hayden told the paper, adding that two officers were shot in their legs, one was shot in the foot, and another was shot in the arm.
Hayden called the scene in the streets "mayhem" and "horrible," the Post-Dispatch said.
And in Las Vegas, police sources told KLAS-TV that an officer shot in the head during rioting late Monday night is on life support. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told the station police tried to disperse protesters in front of Circus Circus Hotel & Casino when they began throwing bottles and rocks at the officers and the officers began to take some people into custody.
A source told KLAS that as one officer struggled with a protester, another person walked up and shot the officer in the back of the head — and that shooting suspect was taken into custody around 2 a.m.
"This is a sad night for our LVMPD family and a tragic night for our community," Lombardo said, according to the station.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Dr. Fauci says meetings with President Trump have 'dramatically decreased' as masses of protesters f

Dr. Fauci says meetings with President Trump have 'dramatically decreased' as masses of protesters forget social distancing

Dr. Fauci says meetings with President Trump have 'dramatically decreased ' as masses of protesters forget social distancing

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading public health expert on the White House coronavirus task force, admitted that he and President Donald Trump aren't meeting as often recently, even as thousands of people across the nation totally disregard the previously essential social distancing and lockdown rules that have defined the last few months.
Fauci said the task force and the president used to meet four times a week.
"But as you probably noticed, that the task force meetings have not occurred as often lately," Fauci told STAT News. " And certainly my meetings with the president have been dramatically decreased."
Data shows that the U.S. is on the downside of the "curve" of new coronavirus cases and deaths, although there are still roughly between 600 and 1,000 reported COVID-19 deaths per day (including some which are presumed, not lab-confirmed). Many states, including New York, have begun reopening businesses and easing restrictions.
In the days following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, thousands of people in numerous major cities have taken to the streets in mass protests. Social distancing has become an afterthought, and police officers that were previously arresting citizens for social distancing violations now seem powerless to prevent businesses from being looted and destroyed.
Mainstream media coverage, previously hysterical in response to churches holding in-person services and salons and restaurants reopening, has now shifted to coverage of the nationwide riots and criticism of President Trump's aggressive rhetoric aimed at ending the lawlessness. There is relatively little focus on what impact these protest gatherings might have on the spread of COVID-19.
Still, the work toward a vaccine continues, and there are "multiple candidates" that the government is involved with, said Fauci.
"I think the president and the administration would be really very happy if we had a vaccine that we could deploy by the end of the year," Fauci said.
(H/T: The Hill)


theblaze--2020-06-02--LIVE: From Ground Zero of Dallas Riot Destruction!

LIVE : From Ground Zero of Dallas Riot Destruction !

Steven Crowder takes to the streets of Dallas to survey the damage caused by recent riots and discuss the media misinformation over the past days.
Use code LWC to save $10
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To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand.


theblaze--2020-06-02--Bishops blast Trump in scathing rebuke for Bible photo op: 'Antithetical to the teachings of Jesus'

Bishops blast Trump in scathing rebuke for Bible photo op : 'Antithetical to the teachings of Jesus' 'This was done @ @ @ @ @ hurt and pain in our country , and his action did nothing to help us @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump ignited controversy late Monday when he and other top administration officials walked to St. John's Episcopal Church. But in order to ensure the president's safety on the one block walk, federal law enforcement forcefully removed protesters from the area.
Once Trump was at the church, which had been targeted the night before by violent protesters, the president held a Bible for media to snap his picture.
Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In response, Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, under whose jurisdiction St. John's falls, blasted the president, accusing him of exploiting the church and the Bible.
"Let me be clear: The President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus," she said.
In a separate interview with the Washington Post, Budde said she was "outraged" by Trump's actions and that she was "not given even a courtesy call, that they would be clearing [the area] with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop."
"Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence," Budde told the Post of Trump. "We need moral leadership, and he's done everything to divide us."
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the top leader of the Episcopal Church, also took Trump to task.
"This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us," Curry said in a statement, the Post reported.
"The prophet Micah taught that the Lord requires us to 'do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God,'" he continued. "For the sake of George Floyd, for all who have wrongly suffered, and for the sake of us all, we need leaders to help us to be 'one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.'"