theblaze--2020-07-28--Police storm family home, mistakenly arrest 12-year-old for toy gun. Mom plans to sue for racial pro

Police storm family home, mistakenly arrest 12-year-old for toy gun. Mom plans to sue for racial profiling, but the department says not so fast.

Police storm family home , mistakenly arrest 12-year-old for toy gun .
Mom plans to sue for racial profiling , @ @ @ @ @ so fast .
Just doing their job , they say

A British mother plans to sue the Metropolitan Police after officers stormed her home and arrested her 12-year-old son after he was seen with a toy gun.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police, however, says he reviewed the incident and believes the officers worked professionally and well within their scope of duties.
What are the details?
Alice Mina Agyepong, 42, said that she was napping in her home last week when "dozens of officers" raided her Camden, England, home and took her 12-year-old son, Kai, into custody.
According to the Evening Standard, a passerby reportedly phoned police after seeing the child with a toy gun in his living room.
When officers arrived in Agyepong's home, they handcuffed the terrified child and arrested him.
When it was clear that the officers made a mistake, they removed the cuffs and released the 12-year-old.
Agyepong, who is black, said that the police racially profiled her son, who has never been in trouble with the law.
"I'd fallen asleep on the sofa and Kai was next to me on the laptop," she said. "There was this loud knock at the door and they were shouting 'Armed police, get your hands up!' Kai opened the door and was handcuffed."
Agyepong said her two daughters ran down the stairs to discover the source of the fracas.
"I could see the little red laser lights from the police guns on my children," she recalled. "I just tried to keep them all calm because I was scared one of them was going to get hurt. We had to walk slowly out of the house with our hands up."
The outlet reported that Agyepong and her daughters "were made to stand in a neighboring road in their nightclothes for more than an hour" while police and their sniffer dogs scoured Agyepong's three-story home for a firearm. Kai was forced into the back of a police van during the search.
The only gun investigators turned up was Kai's plastic pellet gun.
'What must the neighbors have thought?'
Agyepong, who is a housing association governance officer, launched a complaint with the department accusing it of racial profiling. The outlet reports that the case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Agyepong said that her son never even saw an actual firearm until that evening.
"What must the neighbors have thought?" she said. "It was humiliating. Kai is trying to put on a brave face, but he is embarrassed. This shouldn't be happening to any innocent person, let alone a child his age."
Kai told the outlet that frightening ordeal was painful.
"The handcuffs really hurt, and I asked them to loosen them but they wouldn't, and I had marks around my wrists when I took them off," he recalled. "They arrested me for having a firearm, and I told them 'I don't have a gun' and I've never seen a proper gun in real life before."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the department said, "A male in the property was arrested on suspicion of a possession of a firearm and taken into a police van. Officers found an item which was identified as a toy 'BB' gun and not a firearm. The officers de-arrested the youth and he and the other members of his family returned into their address. A senior officer contacted the teenager's mother to discuss her concerns."
'We take every report of a firearm seriously'
A spokesperson for the department told the BBC that the department's "most senior firearms officer" is "content" with the way the search on Agyepong's home was carried out.
Commander Kyle Gordon insisted that the officers were nothing but professional throughout the entire ordeal.
He also said that the department takes seriously any incidents of reports of firearms possession in the area.
"There have been a number of well-publicized shootings in London in recent months where members of the public have been injured, and as the public would rightly expect we take every report of a firearm seriously in order to protect our communities," Gordon said.
"I have personally watched body-worn video of the incident, and whilst I can understand concerns in terms of how the incident has been reported in some quarters, I am content from what I have seen that the officers were professional throughout and took time to explain to the residents what was happening and why," he added.


theblaze--2020-07-28--COVID-19 patient Andrea Bocelli insists people should not wear masks amid pandemic

Famed Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli says people should refuse to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Bocelli says he was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this year .
What are the details ?
This week , Bocelli , who lives in Italy , blasted the Italian government for mandating the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , according to a Newsweek report .
The Associated Press reported that the tenor made the remarks on Monday in a Senate conference room in Rome , ahead of the government 's decision to extend the current pandemic state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 31 , but the Italian government decreed an extension of the state of emergency through October .
In his remarks , Bocelli , 61 , said that the rules were `` humiliating , '' and left him `` offended . ''
`` I could not leave the house even though I had committed no crime , '' Bocelli said at the time .
He insisted that the draconian lockdown measures `` deprived [ him ] of freedom . ''
`` I need the sun , '' he reasoned .
`` I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vitamin D. '' He slammed masks , and insisted that nobody should be forced to wear them .
`` Let 's refuse to follow this [ mask ] rule , '' he said .
`` Let 's read books , move around , get to know each other , talk , dialogue . ''
Bocelli said that he had only mild symptoms from the infection , and was lucky to be fully healed from the virus and its effects by late March .
`` We were fortunate enough to have a swift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , '' he said . '
I have n't known anybody who ended up in intensive care' Bocelli also pointed out that none of the people he personally knows suffered dire or life-threatening symptoms .
`` I know a lot of people , but I have n't known anybody who ended up in intensive care , '' he said .
`` Nobody .
So what was all this sense of gravity for ? ''
On Tuesday , Health Ministry Undersecretary Pierpaolo Sileri said Bocelli aired his grievances in an attempt to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because of lockdown , stayed home . ''
`` I would n't have said those words , but I imagine he 'll be able to explain it somehow , '' Sileri added .
At the time of this writing , researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 246,488 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy .
There have been at least 35,123 deaths attributed to the deadly viral infection .

Famed Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli says people should refuse to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bocelli says he was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this year.
What are the details?
This week, Bocelli, who lives in Italy, blasted the Italian government for mandating the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a Newsweek report.
The Associated Press reported that the tenor made the remarks on Monday in a Senate conference room in Rome, ahead of the government's decision to extend the current pandemic state of emergency.
The original order expired July 31, but the Italian government decreed an extension of the state of emergency through October.
In his remarks, Bocelli, 61, said that the rules were "humiliating," and left him "offended."
"I could not leave the house even though I had committed no crime," Bocelli said at the time.
He insisted that the draconian lockdown measures "deprived [him] of freedom."
"I need the sun," he reasoned. "I am a certain age and I need sun and vitamin D."
He slammed masks, and insisted that nobody should be forced to wear them.
"Let's refuse to follow this [mask] rule," he said. "Let's read books, move around, get to know each other, talk, dialogue."
Bocelli said that he had only mild symptoms from the infection, and was lucky to be fully healed from the virus and its effects by late March.
"We were fortunate enough to have a swift and full recovery by the end of March," he said.
'I haven't known anybody who ended up in intensive care'
Bocelli also pointed out that none of the people he personally knows suffered dire or life-threatening symptoms.
"I know a lot of people, but I haven't known anybody who ended up in intensive care," he said. "Nobody. So what was all this sense of gravity for?"
On Tuesday, Health Ministry Undersecretary Pierpaolo Sileri said Bocelli aired his grievances in an attempt to "express the inconvenience of every Italian who, because of lockdown, stayed home."
"I wouldn't have said those words, but I imagine he'll be able to explain it somehow," Sileri added.
At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 246,488 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy. There have been at least 35,123 deaths attributed to the deadly viral infection.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Don't look now, but California surfing apparently has a racism problem — not to mention issues with

Don't look now, but California surfing apparently has a racism problem — not to mention issues with sexism and homophobia

Do n't look now , but California surfing apparently has a racism problem — not to mention issues with sexism @ @ @ @ @ shame that it 's a privilege that 's often reserved for straight white folks '

Even though three Hawaiian princes introduced surfing to North America in the late 1800s, SF Weekly reported that the sport in California is steeped in racism that's kept people of color out of the water and off the waves.
What are the details?
Dionne Ybarra told the outlet that even though she grew up just 20 minutes from Monterey peninsula beaches, her Mexican-American family only would get into the ocean about once annually — on the Fourth of July.
"There's this fear set up from birth that we're not ocean people, we don't go in the ocean," she added to SF Weekly, referring to people of color in the United States.
It wasn't until Ybarra was in her 20s that she started surfing, and now she runs an organization campaigning to get more girls of color in the water, the outlet said.
More from SF Weekly:
She started The Wahine Surf Project in 2010 in Monterey. Through working with parents at surf lessons, Ybarra has come to realize that the fear of water her mother exhibited — and a culture of not going to the beach — is common in communities of color.
America's history of systemic racism plays a major role in discouraging people of color from taking up water sports, according to Chelsea Woody, co-founder of Textured Waves, a surf collective for women of color.
"Segregation laws of this country really restricted who could participate in leisure activities and zoning laws with who could buy land in certain areas and coastal towns," Woody explains.
And then the outlet said there's the infamous "territorial aggression" within surfing culture that — while not necessarily connected to skin color — goes a long way toward underscoring issues of "privilege and access."
"Localism helps ensure that the people who are already there kind of stay in control," Mira Manickam-Shirley, co-founder of Oakland-based Brown Girl Surf, told SF Weekly. The outlet added that it's harder for people of color to rise above it all given that people already in wealthier, beachfront communities are more likely to be white.
Sexism and homophobia issues
Kyla Langen, co-founder of San Francisco-based Queer Surf, noted to SF Weekly that sexism and homophobia also are issues in surfing communities given their hyper-masculine energy and obsession with dominating the waves.
More from SF Weekly:
Gay women felt pressure to hide their sexuality to stay more marketable for surf companies. Romantic partners were, in public, platonic travel buddies. The same went for gender expression. "If we wanted to get paid or if we wanted to get sponsored, we had to be as femme as we could be," she says.
There was significantly less of this pressure when Langen moved to the Bay Area. She made more queer friends, and many said they had always wanted to surf but felt too intimidated to try. What started out as taking them surfing turned into formal lessons and retreats for queer, gender non-conforming, trans, and non-binary people. Langen officially founded Queer Surf in 2016. Showing up in groups, she says, has been helpful in queer folks feeling more safe and comfortable.
"It's just such a privilege to be able to go to the ocean and be at the ocean," Langen added to the outlet, "and it's a shame that it's a privilege that's often reserved for straight white folks."


theblaze--2020-07-28--Masks thwart facial recognition systems up to 50% of the time, US agency says

Masks thwart facial recognition systems up to 50 % of the time , US agency says

As millions of Americans wear face coverings to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement agencies have been confronted with the additional challenge of identifying masked individuals during investigations.
"There's a reason criminals wear masks," Tim Miller, a former Secret Service agent who now works in security consulting, told WPEC-TV in May. "[An] investigation is hindered right away because the face is something witnesses will identify quickly."
The outlet was reporting on the trend of police agencies taking to social media to seek help from the public in identifying masked thieves and assailants. That same concern exists for law enforcement seeking to identify the criminal rioters taking advantage of protests across the country in recent weeks.
It's a legitimate concern
In a recent preliminary study, the National Institutes of Science and Technology found that existing facial recognition systems are thwarted by pandemic masks as frequently as 50% of the time.
NIST has reportedly been working alongside the U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security's science division to study the problem.
In this most recent study, NIST tested existing software by digitally drawing masks onto faces in a database of border crossing photos before comparing those photos against another database of unmasked people seeking visas.
They tested 89 algorithms supplied by tech firms and academic labs by scanning 6.2 million images of about 1 million people.
As a point of comparison, the agency said that competent systems under ideal conditions turn out failure rates of only 0.3%. But when confronted with masks, "many otherwise competent algorithms failed between 20% to 50% of the time."
The preliminary study only tested facial recognition systems that were created prior to the pandemic, so the hope is that further study into newly developed technologies will produce better results.
One company that has improved such a technology since the start of the pandemic is Apple, which updated its Face ID technology to allow users to more easily unlock their phone's home screen with a mask on.
There's another side to things
Wearing a face mask to frustrate facial recognition systems is not necessarily something only beneficial to criminals, however. Individuals seeking privacy from surveillance state tactics may find news that masks protect one's identity a positive development.
For example, the Associated Press notes that even before the pandemic mask-wearing had "become a hallmark of protesters in Hong Kong, even at peaceful marches, to protect against tear gas and amid fears of retribution if they were publicly identified."
As a part of the communist government's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the city, a ban on masks was implemented.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Like eating a 'bowl of s**t': Bernie Sanders supporters still really don't like the idea of backing

Like eating a 'bowl of s**t': Bernie Sanders supporters still really don't like the idea of backing Biden

Like eating a 'bowl of s**t ' : Bernie Sanders supporters still really do n't like the idea of backing @

Left-wing progressives who supported the candidacy of avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are having a hard time getting behind the Democratic establishment candidate, presumptive nominee Joe Biden. Their attitudes and recent comments could help President Donald Trump get re-elected, according to analysis from The Atlantic.
Backing Biden is apparently so distasteful that a Sanders campaign co-chair likened it to eating a "bowl of s**t."
What's going on now?
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, when it was becoming evident that then-Sen. Barack Obama was going to take the nomination from Hillary Clinton, party leaders called on all Democrats to come together to support the eventual nominee.
A radical group of Clinton supporters started a group called "Party Unity, My Ass," or PUMA. (The group later claimed on its website that PUMA stood for "People United Means Action.") The band of activists tried to fight the inevitable nomination of Obama to the bitter end, even going so far as to starting the infamous birther narrative against the man who would become the nation's first black president.
But the PUMAs can't hold a candle to many of the leftist progressive backers of Sanders. Sanders supporters have gained a bit of a reputation over the years for not being willing to play ball with non-radicals — much less moderates — in the Democratic Party.
For example, one faction, known as the Bernie Bros., harassed Democratic election officials at their homes, reportedly created "fake tweets" to get fans of a popular boy band to attack a journalist who had written a damaging article, and allegedly vandalized a campaign office of Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.
Now that nothing stands between Biden and the Democratic nomination, progressive Sanders supporters are not happy about the notion of supporting the "establishment" nominee.
Nina Turner, a co-chair of the Sanders campaign, reportedly told The Atlantic's Peter Nicholas that the notion of endorsing Biden was like eating a "bowl of s**t."
"It's like saying to somebody, 'You have a bowl of s**t in front of you, and all you've got to do is eat half of it instead of the whole thing,'" she said, according to Nicholas. "It's still s**t."
Another Bernie backer, hard-core leftist Harvard professor Cornel West, lamented that he and other liberals would have to back the very type of candidate they have been fighting against.
"We have to be true to ourselves and acknowledge that Biden is a mediocre, milquetoast, neoliberal centrist that we've been fighting against in the Democratic establishment," West said.
How will this help Trump?
Nicholas warned that the ongoing spat between Sanders supporters and the rest to the Democratic Party could help Trump come November.
"[Biden] still symbolizes a brand of establishment centrism that leaves some younger voters and some in the party's activist wing uninspired," Nicholas noted.
This could lead to Sanders' base staying home on Election Day "out of pique," during Biden's efforts in swing states, he warned.
Nicholas concluded: "Expect Trump to aggravate a dispute that advances his own interests. As I've written, he spent months wooing Sanders voters during the primary, trying to convince them that the senator was the victim of a Democratic conspiracy to prevent him from getting the party's nomination."


theblaze--2020-07-28--MLB pauses Marlins' season after half the team gets COVID-19 and Nationals refuse to play them

MLB pauses Marlins ' season after half the team gets COVID-19 and Nationals refuse to play them The Miami Marlins @ @ @ @ @ against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday in Philadelphia .
( Photo @ @ @ @ @

After roughly half of the Miami Marlins' active roster tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, Major League Baseball has paused the season for the Marlins and the last team they played, the Philadelphia Phillies, CBS Sports reported.
Reports show that between 17 and 19 members of the Marlins, including 15 players, have tested positive for COVID-19. The situation created some hesitance on the part of the Washington Nationals, who were set to play the Marlins in Miami this weekend.
From the New York Post:
The Post's Joel Sherman confirms that a majority of Washington Nationals players voted against traveling to Miami to play a scheduled three-game series this weekend as the Marlins deal with a coronavirus outbreak within their team. The Nationals are waiting on MLB's response to the team's request to not play there. Sherman reports the vote was more of a suggestion than a demand, and that the team may still play if the games remain in Miami as scheduled.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez expressed fear about how things were progressing on the Marlins.
"I'm going to be honest with you, I'm scared," Martinez said. "I really am. I go from here, home, back here every day, that's all I do. I wash my hands, I went from 47 times a day to probably 99 times a day. Wear my mask everywhere I go. But there's always that concern, you know.
"You don't know, because of my heart condition, what happens to me if I do get it," Martinez continued. "I have to be extra careful. With that said, sometimes I tend to put myself aside and worry about other people more than me. I think that's why I'm here, because I worry about those guys before I put myself first."
With the suspension of the Marlins' season, the Nationals may now have the weekend off, and MLB will do some schedule shifting to account for the Phillies and the Marlins being isolated for a currently-undefined period of time. CBS Sports reported that the Marlins won't be back until at least Aug. 3, and the Phillies can't come back earlier than Friday, depending on test results:
In an effort to minimize disruption to the season while containing the outbreak, MLB will revise the schedule and isolate the Marlins and Phillies for a period of time, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Both clubs are currently undergoing additional testing and it's unclear when they will be able to play again, especially the Marlins, who have lost half their active roster.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said league executives and team owners have not had serious discussions yet about canceling the season, and absent any more major developments, the other teams will continue playing while observing precautions and continuing regular testing.
The league will reportedly attempt to make up for missed games later in the season, by playing doubleheaders or eliminating some off days.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Fed-up motorist and black-clad militant pull guns on each other as leftists riot in a smaller Oregon

Fed-up motorist and black-clad militant pull guns on each other as leftists riot in a smaller Oregon city over weekend

Indeed leftists are showing their solidarity with Portland militants by staging riots of their own in various U.S. cities — and things heated up over the weekend in a smaller Oregon city as well.
What are the details?
Hundreds showed up in Eugene on Saturday night — less than two hours from Portland and with only 177,000 residents — and set off fireworks at a county jail and federal courthouse while attacking businesses with employees trapped inside, Fox News reported.
In the end seven adults and one juvenile were arrested, the network said, after which an anti-capitalist, anti-fascist group of teens that became known amid the Portland rioting appeared to raise money for the jailbirds. The Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front's unverified account retweeted messages directing people to use mobile payment service Venmo to send bail funds, Fox News added.
More from the network:
In Eugene, crowds blocked the streets and prevented one man in a pickup truck from passing, according to conservative journalist Andy Ngo, who made headlines last summer after an attack by members of the far-left militant group Antifa sent him to the hospital.
After the crowd surrounded his vehicle Saturday night, the driver opened his door and pointed his handgun toward another man wearing a black T-shirt and helmet. The demonstrator pointed his own weapon at the driver through the opened car door window as the two faced off amid shouting from the crowd. The now-viral video of the exchange has garnered more than 1.6 million views as of Monday.
The pair jaw with each other in the clip, and the driver appears to say "get the f*** out" while the militant quickly replies "no." Fox News said it wasn't clear if either man in the video was among the arrestees.
Armed counterprotesters show up
The network also said armed counterprotesters showed up in Eugene, and a man was arrested after firing a handgun into the air while among crowd of about 300 people.
Police said the counterprotest dispersed before 10 p.m., and 200 remaining demonstrators began launching fireworks toward the federal courthouse and blocking traffic, Fox News said, adding that the group then marched to the Lane County Jail where they threw fireworks into the employee parking area and set off smoke bombs at the building's entrance.
More from the network:
The "now-riotous group" advanced downtown and began ripping down street signs, spray painting buildings and a police auditor car, and smashed the windows of a Wells Fargo and Whole Foods. They also launched fireworks at the local Elkhorn Brewing and broke several windows while staff was inside.
Officers were pelted with large rocks and police made announcements that the assembly was unlawful. Police deployed pepper ball munitions and CS gas to disperse crowds. A total of seven adults and one juvenile were arrested as a result of the riot.
Unlike in Portland, there is no federal law enforcement deployment in Eugene where local police appear to be keeping their distance and using drones to monitor crowds before stepping in to stop violence, Fox News added.


theblaze--2020-07-28--UPDATED: Twitter reportedly censors moving Bible message from Tim Tebow: 'Sensitive content'

A spokesperson for Twitter tells The Blaze , `` The Tweet ... was flagged as potentially sensitive media in error .
It has been corrected . ''
Twitter reportedly censored one of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow 's Bible-centric videos for promoting `` sensitive content . ''
The Western Journal obtained a screenshot of the reported censorship before the tech giant apparently removed it .
What are the details ?
The video — which innocuously featured Tebow imploring Christians to hold fast to their faith amid trying times — was censored with a banner that read , `` The following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the video , the outspoken Christian athlete stresses the importance of relying on God through difficult times .
He says , `` Bible believers , when we look at the Bible , and we see a lot of the heroes , a lot of times they truly were wounded deeply before they were ever used greatly .
So maybe you 're going through a time in your life where you feel like you 've just been wounded greatly .
It has n't been your year , has n't been your day — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is your time . ''
Tebow adds , however , that there is growth in the valley .
`` This could be your time for learning , '' he cautions .
`` This could be your time for growing .
This could be your time for adapting .
This could be the time that is a test for you , but tomorrow it gets turned into a testimony . ''
The famed athlete points out that God could very well be preparing those struggling through difficulties for greater disciplines .
`` You never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , '' he adds .
`` You never know what he is preparing you for .
So many times in the Bible , when we look at the heroes , there were times in their life where — if they stopped , if they quit , if they said , 'No , God , I 've had enough ' — then they would have missed out on the most impactful , most influential times of their life . ''
`` Maybe that is the next step for you , '' he adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maybe that is next week , maybe that is next year .
But when we quit , we will never know what we missed out on .
We will never know what 's in store for us . ''
'We get to trust an unknown future to a known God' Tebow explains that there should be no fear in uncertainty because of Christians ' relationships with Jesus Christ .
`` We get to trust an unknown future to a known God , because we know how much he loves us , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did for us in sending his son .
He gave his best for us . ''
He concludes the video , “ Right where you 're at , whatever you 're doing , whatever you 're going through , he loves you .
You were enough for his son to die on the cross , that 's how much you 're loved .
Hold onto that in your time of need . ''
Tebow captioned the video , `` This could be your time .
That breakthrough could be tomorrow , or it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have the opportunity to turn however you 're being tested into a testimony .
So many heroes were wounded deeply before they were used greatly ! ''
TheBlaze reached out to Twitter for verification of the content warning and clarification as to why it was purportedly placed and subsequently removed .
A Twitter spokesperson tells TheBlaze that the company is looking into the alleged censorship .
The video has been viewed more than 43,000 times at the time of this reporting .

Update, 7/28/2020, 4:26 PM ET:
A spokesperson for Twitter tells The Blaze, "The Tweet ... was flagged as potentially sensitive media in error. It has been corrected."
Original story continues below
Twitter reportedly censored one of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's Bible-centric videos for promoting "sensitive content."
The Western Journal obtained a screenshot of the reported censorship before the tech giant apparently removed it.
What are the details?
The video — which innocuously featured Tebow imploring Christians to hold fast to their faith amid trying times — was censored with a banner that read, "The following media includes potentially sensitive content."
In the video, the outspoken Christian athlete stresses the importance of relying on God through difficult times.
He says, "Bible believers, when we look at the Bible, and we see a lot of the heroes, a lot of times they truly were wounded deeply before they were ever used greatly. So maybe you're going through a time in your life where you feel like you've just been wounded greatly. It hasn't been your year, hasn't been your day — you just don't feel like this is your time."
Tebow adds, however, that there is growth in the valley.
"This could be your time for learning," he cautions. "This could be your time for growing. This could be your time for adapting. This could be the time that is a test for you, but tomorrow it gets turned into a testimony."
The famed athlete points out that God could very well be preparing those struggling through difficulties for greater disciplines.
"You never know what God is doing with your life," he adds. "You never know what he is preparing you for. So many times in the Bible, when we look at the heroes, there were times in their life where — if they stopped, if they quit, if they said, 'No, God, I've had enough' — then they would have missed out on the most impactful, most influential times of their life."
"Maybe that is the next step for you," he adds. "Maybe that is tomorrow. Maybe that is next week, maybe that is next year. But when we quit, we will never know what we missed out on. We will never know what's in store for us."
'We get to trust an unknown future to a known God'
Tebow explains that there should be no fear in uncertainty because of Christians' relationships with Jesus Christ.
"We get to trust an unknown future to a known God, because we know how much he loves us," he explains. "We know what he did for us in sending his son. He gave his best for us."
He concludes the video, “Right where you're at, whatever you're doing, whatever you're going through, he loves you. You were enough for his son to die on the cross, that's how much you're loved. Hold onto that in your time of need."
Tebow captioned the video, "This could be your time. That breakthrough could be tomorrow, or it could be next year. But, you have the opportunity to turn however you're being tested into a testimony. So many heroes were wounded deeply before they were used greatly!"
TheBlaze reached out to Twitter for verification of the content warning and clarification as to why it was purportedly placed and subsequently removed.
A Twitter spokesperson tells TheBlaze that the company is looking into the alleged censorship.
The video has been viewed more than 43,000 times at the time of this reporting.


theblaze--2020-07-28--WarnerMedia to investigate 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' after claims surface of a 'toxic work culture'

WarnerMedia to investigate 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show ' after claims surface of a 'toxic work culture '

WarnerMedia has launched an internal investigation into "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" following numerous accusations of hostile workplace conditions on the award-winning daytime television program, Variety reported Monday.
Sources reportedly told Variety that executives from Warner Bros. Television and production company Telepictures sent a memo to employees last week announcing the forthcoming investigation, which is to be conducted by WarnerMedia's employee relations group and a third-party firm.
One source said that both WarnerMedia and the unnamed third-party firm underscored their commitment to ensuring a workplace environment where employees can thrive in the memo.
As a part of the investigation, representatives from two companies will interview both current and former staff members about their experiences on the show, the New York Times reported.
The investigation comes on the heels of an unflattering report published by BuzzFeed News describing a "toxic work culture" on the show. In the report, one current and 10 former employees spoke anonymously about experiences with "racism, fear, and intimidation" while working there.
"That 'be kind' bullshit only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for show," one former employee said. "I know they give money to people and help them out, but it's for show."
Most of the employees reportedly blamed the show's executive producers and managers for the culture, but unflattering rumors about show host Ellen DeGeneres have circulated for a while.
After comedian Kevin T. Porter started a Twitter thread in March asking people to share "the most insane stories you've heard about Ellen being mean," the thread blew up with thousands of replies.
The show's executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner replied, saying they were taking the accusations "very seriously."
"We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us," the group said in a joint statement.
"For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better."
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is currently on a summer hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Horowitz: 100,000 criminals released under coronavirus jailbreak despite lower fatality rate in pris

Horowitz: 100,000 criminals released under coronavirus jailbreak despite lower fatality rate in prison

Horowitz : 100,000 criminals released under coronavirus jailbreak despite lower fatality rate in prison But some places will jail you @ @ @ @ @

Some localities are now threatening jail time for people who do not wear masks under the unproven science of stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The contorted irony is that this same virus is being used as a pretext to release criminals from jails and prisons to stop an epidemic in confined areas. Well, it turns out there is a lower death rate from COVID-19 in jails than in the general population. Consequently, the coronavirus bloodbath in jails and prisons has not materialized, but the spike in crime from prisoners' release certainly has.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, my friend Sean Kennedy, a visiting fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute, revealed a shocking fact. The assumption until now has been that prisons are breeding grounds to pass around intense concentrations of the virus, therefore resulting in more deaths. That turned out not to be true.
"In fact, there has been no wave of mass deaths among prisoners," wrote Kennedy. "By mid-July, there were approximately 700 recorded deaths due to coronavirus among the 2.2 million prison and jail inmates in the U.S. That's a mortality rate of roughly 32 deaths per 100,000 prisoners. In the nation as a whole, there were approximately 140,000 Covid-19 fatalities by mid-July. That's a mortality rate of 42 per 100,000, including inmates. And prisoners who do contract the disease are dying at significantly lower rates (1% mortality) than the overall population (3.8%)."
The ACLU has warned that "detention centers would be petri dishes for the spread of COVID-19 — and a death trap for thousands of people in civil detention." But in reality, they indeed were good petri dishes to study what would happen if the virus actually spread to a fully confined population. And it turns out it's not the death trap the ACLU envisioned – not any worse than it is in the general population. Yes, the virus spreads far and wide in confined spaces, but as we've seen from the natural epidemiological case study of prisons, most people are asymptomatic and very few required hospitalizations.
It's also important to note that prisons and jails are disproportionately filled with black inmates. Putting aside the criminal justice debate over how much this reflects crime rates, from an epidemiological standpoint, one would expect prisons to have a much higher death rate, if the virus is really as ubiquitously deadly as so many in the media are claiming. According to the CDC, black people are five times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than white people.
We've seen a similar dynamic with meatpacking plants, where the virus has spread far and wide, but the death rate is not any higher than in the general population, even considering the potential for greater viral load and the at-risk demographic of workers.
A similar observation can be made about ICE detention facilities. Just three individuals have died from the virus in the detention facilities, through which tens of thousands of detainees have passed since March. According to a source at ICE, who must remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media, all three individuals had uncontrolled diabetes (one is profiled here by CBS and another here by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), which follows the same pattern we see in the general population. Nonetheless, the ACLU continues to push for more releases of criminal aliens from ICE detention.
The fact that the death rate is still this low demonstrates that prisons are not death traps and completely destroys the argument for releasing criminals. As business owners in New Jersey get arrested for the crime of exercising rights declared in our nation's founding documents, nearly 100,000 criminals have been released from jail and prison, with many more in the pipeline.
The result?
Crime has skyrocketed in many major cities, and a number of these individuals have been arrested and released numerous times. Released criminals have now been charged with murder, including one who is accused of murdering an 11-year-old boy at a July 4 community BBQ in D.C. Yes, the riots and cascading effect of police retreating from the front lines is the direct cause of the spike in crime, but this degree of crime is committed most often by career criminals. Now there are another 100,000 of them out on the streets.
And Oakland Councilmember Noel Gallo says he sees a direct link between a rise in shootings in East Oakland and the state of California releasing inmates from jail due to COVID-19.
"We're getting people released from prison coming to Oakland. They don't have a job. No place to live," observed Oakland Councilmember Noel Gallo. As KRON reports, Oakland is experiencing a 34 percent increase in gun violence this year.
Overall, there has been a 14% rise in murders across the San Francisco Bay Area, while overall violent crime is up 16% in Los Angeles.
California has released nearly 17,000 prisoners and plans to release another 8,000 by the end of the month.
What's worse than the jailbreak is the policy in California and many other states of releasing new criminals without bail – no matter how many times they commit the crime and regardless of their prior record of more serious crimes. One California man has been arrested and released 13 times for car theft since being sprung from jail under coronavirus jailbreak in March. A man in Cincinnati was released because they believed he was being held on a "low-level" crime, but he previously served 10 years for rape.
Also, are we even tracking those who are released, and who says they will ever be returned to prison once this is over? Indeed, the jailbreak of criminals under the guise of stopping the spread will likely continue as long as the mask mandates – indefinitely. The Washington Times reports that in Cook County, the local prosecutors and public defenders won't even release the names of those who have been set free, leaving police and sheriff's departments in the dark.
Meanwhile, Chicago is experiencing one of the highest murder rates for any month dating back 60 years. It's not only coming from the de facto sidelining of police, but from the de facto abolishing of incarceration.
Fear not, however, it's all about following the science, we are told. This virus is so deadly that we must threaten you with jail time for not wearing a mask … while releasing rapists and child sex offenders from jail. In reality, in many neighborhoods you are more likely to die at the hands of violent criminals being released with coronavirus as the excuse rather than from the virus itself.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Stephon Tuitt declares he will never kneel for the flag: 'Screw anybody'

Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Stephon Tuitt declares he will never kneel for the flag: 'Screw anybody' who's got a problem with that

Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Stephon Tuitt declares he will never kneel for the flag : 'Screw anybody ' who 's got @ @ @ @

Kneeling for the flag during the national anthem might be all the rage for most NFL players, but do not count Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt among them.
And unlike some NFL stars who initially appeared to take a stand against kneeling and then backpedaled and apologized, he is making no bones about his stance and seems to have no plans to retreat.
In fact, he has a response for those who might have a problem with his refusal to take a knee: screw you.
What did he say?
In a tweet Monday morning, Tuitt had a message for football fans, social justice warriors, teammates, or coaches who are all in on the national anthem kneeling movement: "I'm not kneeling for the flag and screw anybody who have [sic] a problem with that."
He went on to note how he would not show disrespect to the flag of the country where his family — starting with his grandmother — found a home and prospered. The star lineman added that his family of immigrants came to the United States "the right way."
Tuitt said his "grandmother was a [sic] immigrant from the Carribbean" who "worked her ass off to bring 20 people over the right way."
"She had no money and educated herself to be a nurse," Tuitt wrote, adding that his family matriarch is "living good now."
Tuitt's position stands in stark contrast to some other NFL stars who have been caught up in respect-for-the-flag controversies.
Fellow Steeler Alejandro Villanueva — a U.S. Army Ranger veteran who graduated from West Point and served three tours in Afghanistan — famously stood alone for the national anthem as the rest of his team stood in the tunnel on Sept. 24, 2017. His move was initially seen as a defiant stance against protesting during the anthem and was celebrated by many football fans and conservatives. He later apologized for the move, saying he had made a mistake that "threw his teammates under the bus unintentionally," and explained that the whole event was a mix-up.
More recently, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees came under fire for saying he will "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America."
"I love and respect my teammates, and I stand right there with them in regard to fighting for racial equality and justice," Brees told Yahoo Finance in June. "I also stand with my grandfathers, who risked their lives for this country, and countless other military men and women who do it on a daily basis."
Some of Brees' teammates were upset over his remarks, including Malcolm Jenkins, who blasted his QB's statement as "extremely self-centered." Jenkins further stated, "We're done talking, Drew. And people who share your sentiments, who express those and push them throughout the world, the airwaves, are the problem"
One day later, Brees was in apology mode: "I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."
"I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability," he continued. "I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening ... and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness."
(H/T: HotAir)


theblaze--2020-07-28--Driver who gave finger to peaceful pro-police rallygoers allegedly ups ante and tries plowing throug

Driver who gave finger to peaceful pro-police rallygoers allegedly ups ante and tries plowing through group — which includes young children

Driver who gave finger to peaceful pro-police rallygoers allegedly ups ante and tries plowing through group — which includes young @ @ @ @ @ been so scared of something '

A male driver in a maroon SUV allegedly tried to plow through a crowd of pedestrians taking part in a Blue Lives Matter rally at a park in Colorado on Saturday afternoon, the Eaton Police Department said.
What are the details?
Authorities said the driver left the street and traveled through a grass park, after which he sped away from the area. The suspect was taken into custody two minutes later and charged with felony menacing and attempted first-degree assault — seven counts each — as well as one count of reckless driving, police said.
A second person in the incident was cited for throwing missiles, police said.
While authorities didn't identify the driver, 21-year-old Isaiah Cordova was the only person booked Saturday, KCNC-TV reported, citing jail records. The station said Cordova was still in custody as of 1:45 p.m. Sunday.
Flipping them the bird
Some rally participants said the suspect was the same person who earlier flipped off the crowd, which included more than 100 people lining sidewalks, waving flags, and cheering for law enforcement as traffic drove by, the Greely Gazette reported.
Eaton resident Carlee Hauska and her two young children saw the man drive by the first time, but she told Complete Colorado that she thought he gave up — and soon Hauska crossed the street to let her children play in the grassy area, when she heard glass shatter.
"I turned to look what was going on and heard him squeal his tires and turn around to face Heritage Market," Hauska told the the outlet. "He just floored it and went into the grass."
Hauska said she saw her kids and another child — ages 3, 7, and 9 — running toward the path of the SUV, Complete Colorado noted.
"I just ran and scooped up the kids and saw him turn around again into the grass," Hauska recounted to the outlet. "I've never been so scared of something. It's something you only see in a movie. Just two minutes earlier and they would have been right there."
The driver also nearly hit a family of 11 that arrived from Fort Lupton to participate in the rally, Complete Colorado said.
More from the outlet:
Charlene Michel, her husband and nine children, wanted to go to the police rally last weekend in Denver but turned away when they saw the problems. So they chose to make the hour drive to Eaton this weekend to show their support for the men and women in blue, they said.
Michel said the first time the man came through it looked like he was holding his steering wheel with his knees with his hands in the air.
"He swerved that time," she told Complete Colorado. "It looked like he was distracted."
Then Michel said the driver came back through the grass and all 11 family members dove out of the way, as witnesses told the outlet the driver appeared to aim for the family.
Food-for-thought contrasts
Hot Air pointed out some interesting differences between the incident in Eaton and those involving desperate drivers surrounded by menacing leftists.
The rally in Eaton in support of police was peaceful.
Eaton rally attendees didn't threaten or try to block the driver.
The motorist didn't drive away in fear for his life — instead he allegedly aimed for activists who were actually peaceful.
More from Hot Air:
The demonstrators also apparently had a permit to be in the park for this event. It shouldn't require an advanced college degree to pick out some of the differences between this attack and previous vehicular incidents in terms of both the demonstrators and the attacker. Nobody was being menaced by the participants in the Blue Lives Matter demonstration. There were no fires being set, no storefront windows being smashed, no shops being looted and there wasn't a Molotov cocktail on display for as far as the eye could see. The motorist was neither trapped nor threatened and nobody was attempting to damage his vehicle or drag him out of it. He was free to continue about his business but chose instead to attempt to murder some people for the sin of supporting their local police department.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Gov. Andrew Cuomo hugged Georgia mayor — and didn't wear a mask. Now he won't self-quarantine.

Gov .
Andrew Cuomo hugged Georgia mayor — and did n't wear a mask .
Now he wo n't self-quarantine @ @ @ @ @ the goose and all that

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is under fire for not wearing a mask during a recent visit with the mayor of Savannah, Georgia.
What are the details?
Video emerged of the meeting, which took place last week. Cuomo visited with Democratic Savannah Mayor Van Johnson in order to discuss helping with the southern city's coronavirus response.
At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 170,843 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. The same researchers estimate that there have been 412,344 confirmed cases in the state of New York.
During his visit with the Savannah mayor, Cuomo — without wearing a mask — hugged Johnson twice during a press briefing. The two also elbow-bumped.
'We messed up'
According to the New York Post, Johnson admitted the snafu.
"We messed up, I mean, yeah, we messed up," Johnson told reporters. "We're human. We made a mistake."
Johnson's spokesperson also told the outlet that the mayor is remorseful for the lapse in judgment and "promises to do better."
"[Johnson] was genuinely thankful so they just elbow-bumped — kind of like you would shake hands — and it wouldn't have been a big deal, but they had just finished the press conference and their masks were on the table," the spokesperson said. "Throughout the rest of the meeting — other than that one photo, the mayor and the governor had their masks on."
The spokesperson added, "The purpose of the meeting was to come together to fight against COVID-19. It's unfortunate people are grasping at that one moment."
"They had their masks on the entire time and maintained six feet of social distancing," the spokesperson said at the time.
Cuomo himself has not publicly issued a response to the criticism at the time of this writing.
Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi told the outlet, "Everyone wore masks the entire time except when they spoke at the press conference and these photos were taken three seconds after it ended."
"There is no bigger champion of wearing masks than this governor and it's ironic that the right wing echo chamber that spent months trying to politicize mask wearing is now trying to seize of this cheap political attack," Azzopardi said.
Following the Georgia visit, Cuomo insisted he would not quarantine upon return to New York because he is an "essential" employee despite a Cuomo-issued requirement that anyone traveling to New York from Georgia must self-quarantine.


theblaze--2020-07-28--What we know and what we don't know about why Garrett Foster got shot Saturday night in Austin

What we know and what we do n't know about why Garrett Foster got shot Saturday night in Austin

It has been several days since armed Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster, 28, was shot and killed during Saturday night protests in Austin, Texas, and yet details about the incident remain elusive.
A host of speculative information and conflicting reports have emerged following Foster's death, leaving Americans to wonder who was actually at fault in the killing.
Here's what we do know
Foster was carrying: On the night that he was shot, Foster was brandishing an AK-47-type rifle, which is legal under Texas' open carry law. Video captured live on Facebook by journalist Hiram Gilberto and posted later to Twitter shows Foster explaining his reasoning for carrying the weapon.
"They don't let us march in the streets anymore, so I got to practice some of our rights," Foster said.
When Gilberto asked Foster if he felt like he would need to use it, Foster responded: "No ... if I use it against the cops, I'm dead ... and I think all the people that hate us ... are too big of p***ies to stop and actually do anything about it."
Austin Police Association President Kenneth Casaday tweeted that the interview proves Foster "was looking for confrontation and he found it" on Saturday night.
There was an altercation between Foster and a driver: Some sort of altercation occurred between Foster and a person driving a vehicle with a concealed handgun near a crowd of protesters Saturday night on Congress Ave. and Fourth St., resulting in Foster's death.
According to KTVT-TV, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said that after the shooting, the driver called police to report the incident. The driver was reportedly taken into custody to be questioned but was later released. Manley did not release the driver's name.
Manley indicated that officers in the area heard "two separate volleys of gunfire" and made their way to the crowd, where they found Foster suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Foster was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police say there was a third participant: Manley reported that a second shooter, who allegedly fired at the vehicle as it sped away, was also taken in for questioning and later released. That individual's name has also not been released.
Both the driver and the second shooter possessed concealed handgun licenses, police said. Those handguns as well as Foster's rifle have been secured as evidence.
A video of the incident first streamed live by Gilberto has been published on social media. In the video, you can see a crowd of protesters marching in an intersection before five shots clearly ring out, followed by three shots shortly after. Then you can see police and first responders tending to an individual lying in the street.
Garret Foster Shot Dead During Protest in Austin, Texas www.youtube.com
Here's what we don't know
In short, we don't know the precise details of what happened during the altercation between Foster, the driver, and the third participant, or what exactly prompted the shooting.
Witnesses reported to the Austin American-Statesman that the driver "appeared to drive into the crowd and came to a stop when the vehicle hit a temporary barrier erected to block traffic." At that point, they allegedly say, "several protesters, including Foster, approached the car and Foster had his weapon pointed down."
The driver and several other witnesses reportedly told police that Foster pointed his gun at them threateningly as he approached the vehicle and so the driver responded with force.
What is unclear is whether the driver was driving into the crowd with intent to harm protesters or whether the driver was simply attempting to push through the traffic barricade to find a way out.
When asked for more information on this by the outlet, police officials said that the investigation is ongoing and that they're "encouraging anyone who might have information or video/photos to come forward."
Anything else?
Some on social media originally surmised that Foster may have been the first to fire because the first five shots in the video sound like AK-47 rounds, while the final three sound more like a handgun. But that would likely only be possible if the second shooter was lying about his or her involvement, and also at this point, most witness testimony doesn't seem to corroborate that account.
In an interview with "Good Morning America" on Sunday, Foster's mother, Sheila Foster, said her son and his fiancé, Whitney Mitchell, had been attending protests in the city almost every day for the past 50 days.
Sheila Foster said she was told that her son had been pushing Mitchell, a quadruple amputee, in her wheelchair as the driver "erratically" approached the intersection.
"And this gentleman got out of his car and started firing shots, and my son was shot three times," she alleged.
Manley told reporters that witnesses who spoke to police reported "several different versions of the incident."
Watch Police Chief Manley's press briefing on the incident here:


theblaze--2020-07-28--Twitter suspends Donald Trump Jr.'s account for sharing video of doctor saying hydroxychloroquine cu

Twitter suspends Donald Trump Jr.'s account for sharing video of doctor saying hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19

Twitter suspends Donald Trump Jr. 's account for sharing video of doctor saying hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19 The video was deleted @ @ @ @ @ and YouTube

Twitter temporarily suspended Donald Trump Jr.'s account after the president's son tweeted a video of a group of doctors making some questionable claims about COVID-19, CNN Business reported.
The video featured doctors from a group called America's Frontline Doctors. The group's website advertises a White Coat Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 27 and 28, and the video in question was from a press conference associated with the summit.
Perhaps the most inflammatory claims from the press conference came from Dr. Stella Immanuel, a Houston pediatrician and religious minister who said hydroxychloroquine is both the cure and prevention for COVID-19 and called studies that say it doesn't work "fake science."
The Daily Beast reported that Immanuel has a history of controversial or outlandish medical claims.
"Over the past few months, I have taken care of over 350 patients, and not lost one. ... Nobody needs to get sick. This virus has a cure. It's called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax. I know you people want to talk about masks. Hello? You don't need masks," Immanuel said.
Immanuel begins speaking at about 8:35 in the video below.
Editor's note: The video that was originally contained here has been removed by Vimeo as well. BlazeTV is making the video available to subscribers here. While Blaze Media does not specifically endorse the claims in the video, we do believe in the right to view information and judge for yourself.
The video garnered tens of millions of views on social media platforms before being removed by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for violations of those sites' policies against misinformation. It was retweeted multiple times by President Donald Trump.
Trump Jr.'s account was reportedly suspended because he didn't just retweet the video, he uploaded it to the site. From CNN Business:
President Donald Trump also retweeted multiple versions of the video on Twitter, but he did not upload a version of the video to the site. His son did, which is why Twitter only took action against Trump Jr.'s account, a company spokesperson said.
Trump Jr.'s spokesperson had tweeted earlier that Twitter had suspended the president son's account. Twitter said in a statement that the account had "not been permanently suspended."
The suspension means that Trump Jr. will be unable to tweet for 12 hours, after which point he will be granted full access to his account.
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said the video was removed from that platform for "sharing false information about cures and treatments for COVID-19" and that Facebook would be showing messages to people who had interacted with the video directing them to World Health Organization-approved information.


theblaze--2020-07-28--In a complete about-face, Portland's leftist mayor demands immediate audience with DHS to implement

In a complete about-face, Portland's leftist mayor demands immediate audience with DHS to implement a 'ceasefire'

In a complete about-face , Portland 's leftist mayor demands immediate audience with DHS to implement a 'ceasefire '

Democratic Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler is demanding a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security.
What are the details?
In a Monday night tweet, Wheeler said that both he and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty were seeking a meeting with acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about the ever-deteriorating conditions across the city.
He wrote, "Commissioner @JoAnnPDX and I are calling for an immediate meeting with Department of Homeland Security leadership on the ground in Portland and with Acting Secretary @DHS_Wolf to discuss a cease-fire and the removal of heightened federal forces from Portland."
It seems important to note that Wheeler on July 16 tweeted, "A number of people have asked if I know DHS leadership is in town, and if I'm going to meet with them. We're aware that they're here. We wish they weren't. We haven't been invited to meet with them, and if we were, we'd decline."
Up until even Thursday, Wheeler insisted he wanted no part of a meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials.
Just last week, Wheeler told CNN, "I have no reason to reach [Wolf]. My demands are clear. I want them to leave."
President Donald Trump sent federal agents to the area earlier in July in an attempt to quell protests against racial inequality and police brutality.
Wheeler has been vehement in his insistence that federal agents and government intervention are unnecessary in Portland despite riots and his being teargassed.
100 more federal agents reportedly on the way
Wheeler's request comes on the heel of reports that more federal agents are headed to the area in an attempt to settle the violent unrest.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to send more agents to the area in order to protect a federal courthouse that has been the target of many dangerous protests.
The Post reported from a variety of internal emails alleged to be from the U.S. Marshals Service that purported to detail plans for the deployment of an additional 100 deputy U.S. marshals.
Drew Wade, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service, told the Post, "The agency took steps to identify up to 100 personnel to send to the District of Oregon in case they were needed to relieve or supplement deputies permanently stationed in the district."
He added, "They may also be used to rotate with personnel already sent there to support district operations during the civil unrest mission to insure the function and safety of judicial proceedings."
No final plans have been solidified, according to the outlet.
(H/T: CNN)


theblaze--2020-07-28--It's spreading: Leftists riot in Atlanta, Richmond, other US cities in solidarity with Portland mili

It's spreading: Leftists riot in Atlanta, Richmond, other US cities in solidarity with Portland militants

It 's spreading : Leftists riot in Atlanta , Richmond , other US cities in solidarity with Portland militants A @ @ @ @ @ Richmond carried a tone of `` intimidation '' and `` wanting to produce fear , @ @ @ @ @

As the profile grows for lawless, left-wing rioters in Portland, Oregon, and their nightly attacks on law enforcement, their comrades across the United States are beginning to follow suit and perpetrate violence and mayhem in other cities.
What are the details?
Seattle, of course, has been a hotbed of leftism and is well known as the city that allowed the deadly "CHOP" autonomous zone to exist for several weeks following the death of George Floyd. But anarchy and destruction have resumed in the Emerald City — although not without detractors making their voices heard, too.
Content warning: Language:
In Austin, Texas, a driver told police he shot a Black Lives Matter protester Saturday who pointed at weapon at him. That protester, Garrett Foster, died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Content warning: Language:
Violent uprisings are hitting other cities, too.
Richmond
More than 20 people were arrested after a weekend of rioting in Richmond, Virginia, that included fires and smashed windows, the Associated Press reported.
Some participants said the lawlessness was in support of Portland rioters — it had even been billed as "Richmond Stands with Portland" — and Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith noted his department saw a flyer calling for demonstrations with a tone of "intimidation" and "wanting to produce fear," the AP reported.
Smith said the ages of those arrested ranged from 17 to 45 and charges included trespassing, riot with a dangerous weapon, and transport of a loaded rifle within city limits, the outlet said.
"The city of Richmond is open and welcomes those who would like to come here in expression of their First Amendment rights," Smith said, according to the AP. "However, we have to take action when we know that violence is coming."
Atlanta
Rioters vandalized an immigration building in Atlanta over the weekend, leaving broken windows, spray paint, and scorch marks courtesy of fireworks, WXIA-TV reported.
The building houses the federal immigration court as well as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the station said.
More from WXIA:
Several videos were posted online by at least one group, using the twitter handle @AcidVitalism, was claiming the vandalism was "in solidarity with the freedom fighters of the #PortlandProtests."
The hashtags #PortlandProtests and #PortlandSolidarity have been used online in reference to the protests against federal law enforcement in recent days in Portland, Oregon.
Additional posts from the group later in the day on Sunday also indicated solidarity with recent demonstrations in other cities, including Seattle, Oakland and Austin.
The group claiming responsibility told the station Sunday the incident was organized with an encrypted app group chat.
"In solidarity with Portland last night, a crowd gathered in Atlanta outside the DHS/ICE office. These agencies are directly responsible for ruining untold numbers of lives, and for the violent policing of the Portland protests," an email from the group said, in part, according to WXIA. "We will fight with everything we've got against [President Donald] Trump's private police force, against authoritarian and despotic governance. What the police produce, above all, are their own grave-diggers. Their fall and the victory of the ungovernable are equally inevitable."


theblaze--2020-07-28--POLL: Do you think the 2020 presidential debates are still going to happen?

POLL : Do you think the 2020 presidential debates are still going to happen ?
Cast your vote and do @ @ @ @ @

POLL: Do you think the 2020 presidential debates are still going to happen?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-07-28--Vaccine developer says people must wear masks and socially distance even after vaccine is available

Vaccine developer says people must wear masks and socially distance even after vaccine is available ' I hope people do @ @ @ @ @ to be the magic solution for all . '

A vaccine developer at the Baylor College of Medicine told Business Insider that people should not expect an immediate return to normal life once a vaccine is available.
Several companies are working as quickly as possible to develop a safe and effective vaccine, which has been viewed by some as necessary for lockdowns to end and schools to reopen. While a vaccine may significantly reduce the risk of serious disease from the novel coronavirus, social distancing and face masks may still be a part of life, said vaccine developer Maria Elena Bottazzi.
"They automatically are going to say, 'oh great, I'm just going to get my little vaccine, and I can go back and do exactly the things I was doing last year,'" Bottazzi told Business Insider. "That is absolutely not true."
Ideally, Bottazzi said, a vaccine would give sterilizing immunity, meaning it would totally prevent people from becoming infected. Many vaccines don't reach that level of effectiveness, however, and only reduce the chance of developing severe symptoms of a particular disease.
Vaccines improve over time, which means the first version of the COVID-19 vaccine that is made available to the public might not be 100% effective. In fact, Moderna's vaccine, which is entering phase 3 of trials, is aiming to demonstrate 60% effectiveness.
Moderna CEO Stephanie Bancel said that if the vaccine reaches 90% effectiveness, then people can safely stop wearing masks — unless they have high-risk health conditions, in which case they may need to continue wearing them. Bancel said the company hopes to know more about their vaccine's efficacy as early as October or as late as December.
For comparison, the 2019-2020 flu vaccine is only about 45% effective against the seasonal flu and typically ranges between 40% and 60% effectiveness every year. A vaccine was never successfully developed for the SARS coronavirus in 2002, and eventually demand for such a vaccine went away, as the virus ran its course and mostly disappeared without spreading nearly as widely as COVID-19 has.
In summary, the masks could be here to stay through the end of 2020, and potentially even longer depending on how successful the COVID-19 vaccines are.
"The moment you get a vaccine doesn't mean you're going to put your mask in the trash," Bottazzi told Business Insider. "That is not going to happen. I hope people don't think that is going to be the magic solution for all."


theblaze--2020-07-28--The dollar is crashing as the world bets against the United States' economic recovery. Here's what i

The dollar is crashing as the world bets against the United States' economic recovery. Here's what it could mean.

The dollar is crashing as the world bets against the United States ' economic recovery .
Here 's what it @ @ @

The United States dollar, which has long played a central role in the global economy, is currently in the midst of a months-long slide that many experts are warning is likely to continue. According to Reuters, the USD index — which measures the dollar against six other major world currencies — is down 9% since March.
Financial experts have been warning for months that a decline in the dollar is inevitable. The basic cause for the decline is that the world economy is betting that the United States' economy will suffer more from the coronavirus pandemic than most other developed economies. That betting is likely to intensify as many states — especially those led by Democratic governors — roll back the clock on their reopening schedules due to rising numbers of cases across the country.
What does it all mean?
Well, in the middle term, it could be good news for United States companies, particularly those in the manufacturing sector and those who do significant business overseas. A weaker dollar makes United States exports more competitive in the international market, and it means that multinational companies are likely to see a boost to their stated profits since they will receive more dollars in currency conversions. In the short term, then, the markets are likely to see a modest boost.
However, as Reuters notes, these positive effects will take at least a year to filter through to the American economy, which means they will provide no boost to companies that are hurting during the current recession.
Moreover, in the long term, if the dollar remains weak, the overall impact on the American economy will likely be deleterious. Imported products will be more expensive, which will drive up consumer costs. In particular, lower-income individuals will be particularly hard hit by a long-term weakening of the dollar, since the United States is a net importer of most staple products, including food.
If the dollar remains weak, there will also be long-term impacts for the rest of the globe. Broadly speaking, developed countries will see short-term negative effects from their own rising currencies at one of the worst possible times. Meanwhile, developing countries will see it as a boon, since most of them have debt that is serviced in U.S. dollars (which will soon be easier to come by).


theblaze--2020-07-28--Facebook allegedly told a Christian org that a man's death threats were ‘not a policy violation.’ No

Facebook allegedly told a Christian org that a man's death threats were ‘not a policy violation.’ Now, he has been sentenced to prison.

Facebook allegedly told a Christian org that a man 's death threats were ‘ not a policy violation.
’ Now @ @ @ @ @ to prison .
Seems like a violation of some kind

After a Florida man posted his intentions to "kill every single person" at a Christian organization on Facebook last year, the social media giant allegedly told the organization that the threats did not constitute a policy violation.
What are the details?
According to a press release from the American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Mississippi, 21-year-old Chase Davis of Pompano Beach, Florida, sent the threats in a Facebook message to the organization last summer announcing his disdain for the religious organization and his desire to murder every member.
"I am coming to tupelo unexpected with a group of people and we are going to kill every single person who runs your group," Davis wrote on Facebook Messenger in the first of two messages.
"You are the most disgusting people in america. i have put together a group to have you pieces of s**t obliterated into dust. yes, i literally mean killing all of you. you people are nothing but disgusting, warn out, and old excuses of human life," he added.
In the press release, the AFA said that it immediately reported the threats to Facebook upon receiving them but were "told that the threat was not a policy violation."
"AFA appealed the decision to no avail," the press release added.
Law enforcement felt differently
At the same time that the AFA reported the threats to Facebook, the group also reported them to the United States attorney's office, which, conversely, took the threats seriously and launched an investigation leading to a grand jury indictment.
The Department of Justice announced in a news release last week that Davis had been ordered to serve time in federal prison for "making threats against individuals at the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi."
Judge Sheri Polster Chappell, United States Judge for the Middle District of Florida, sentenced Davis to six months' incarceration followed by three years' court supervision.
Davis was also ordered to "participate in drug and mental health treatment and perform 400 hours of community service in lieu of a fine," the release noted.
Anything else?
Facebook claims to protect users against "hate speech, credible threats or direct attacks on an individual or group" as a part of its Community Standards, but appears to have failed to do so in this case.
TheBlaze reached out to Facebook for comment, but the company did not respond in time for publication.
In response to the ruling, AFA President Buddy Smith said that the "AFA is grateful for the protective services provided by our federal law enforcement and court system over this threat to the employees of our organization" and that the "AFA will continue to affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth and are created by God in His image."
U.S. attorney William C. Lamar said: "It is important to protect free speech, but when it crosses the line and becomes threats to harm others on the basis of race, religious beliefs, political affiliations or other protected reasons, we will use Federal laws to hold those individuals accountable for their actions."
(H/T: NewsBusters)


theblaze--2020-07-28--Colin Kaepernick, Dr. Anthony Fauci set to receive Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for being 'h

Colin Kaepernick, Dr. Anthony Fauci set to receive Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for being 'human rights defenders'

Colin Kaepernick , Dr. Anthony Fauci set to receive Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for being 'human rights defenders @

Former NFL player-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick and infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci are set to receive 2020's Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award.
What are the details?
Others expected to receive the annual award include Dan Schulman, president and CEO of PayPal, Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, and Dolores Huerta, founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and co-founder of United Farm Workers of America.
On Monday, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization issued a statement about the honors.
"At a time when the courageous pursuit of equality and justice has become political and riddled with adversity, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights stands with these modern-day human rights defenders in their inspirational fight for progress," the org announced.
Kerry Kennedy, president of the organization, said that in 2020, the country is "yearning for leadership, for moral fortitude, for common decency and kindness, and this year's Ripple of Hope laureates give us great hope for the future."
She added, "Their work for equal justice touches every corner of society, sometimes at a great personal cost. We are deeply honored to celebrate these changemakers, who have set forth countless ripples of hope at a time when our world is in such need of inspiration."
Kaepernick issued public thanks to the organization in a Monday statement.
"I am humbled to follow the footsteps of individuals like [2017 recipient Harry Belafonte] Mr. B and to be in the company of all of the other laureates," he said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be held virtually on Dec. 10.
All in good company
Previous winners of the Ripple of Hope Awards include former President Barack Obama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former vice president and presidential candidate Joe Biden, Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and more.


theblaze--2020-07-28--Florida man charged with three felonies after allegedly spending millions of dollars of coronavirus

Florida man charged with three felonies after allegedly spending millions of dollars of coronavirus aid money on fraudulent purchases Among @ @ @ @ @ is accused of using the money to buy himself a Lamborghini Huracán

Federal authorities announced Monday that they had arrested and charged David T. Hines of Miami, Florida, with three felonies after he allegedly spent millions in coronavirus relief loans on lavish purchases, including a Lamborghini Huracán.
According to Fox News, Hines may have received as much as $13.5 million from a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The Department of Justice claims that Hines stated on his application that he owned four companies with 70 employees and had approximately $4 million in monthly expenses.
The government claims that Hines received three payments from the program, but did not actually dole out any payroll expenses. Hines did, however, allegedly purchase for himself a number of luxury items, including the aforementioned Lamborghini, and reportedly had $3.4 million in his bank account. The government claims that Hines' actual business expenses totaled around $200,000 a month, and an affidavit submitted with the government's charging documents claimed, "There does not appear to be any business purpose for most, if not all" of the money spent by Hines.
According to a statement from the Department of Justice, "In the days and weeks following the disbursement of PPP funds, the complaint alleges that Hines did not make payroll payments that he claimed on his loan applications. He did, however, make purchases at luxury retailers and resorts in Miami Beach."
Hines has been charged with three felonies: bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds. He faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted.
Hines' attorney, Chad Piotrowski, strongly denied the charges and told Fox News that Hines is a legitimate business owner who "suffered financially during the pandemic."
To date, the Treasury Department has doled out over $500 billion in funds under the Paycheck Protection Program. The program was created by the CARES Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in March as a means of protecting the economy from total collapse due to the economic impact of the shutdowns imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The program provided forgivable loans to companies that met certain conditions. Companies that received PPP funds were generally required to keep their employees on payroll as a condition of receiving the loan.
The Treasury Department faced enormous pressure to get PPP funds into the hands of business owners as quickly as possible, which may have led to widespread fraud and abuse of the program. The allegations against Hines are not unique. Numerous other reports have begun to trickle in regarding waste, fraud, and abuse in the program.
For example, KPIX-TV in San Francisco reported last week on a number of individuals and companies that appear to have abused the PPP system.


theblaze--2020-07-29--Atlanta mayor bans teens selling water on street corners after 18-year-old is shot dead — now she's

Atlanta mayor bans teens selling water on street corners after 18-year-old is shot dead — now she's being accused of racism

Atlanta mayor bans teens selling water on street corners after 18-year-old is shot dead — now she 's being accused @ @ @ @ @ going to end well

The mayor of Atlanta is being accused of racism for banning teens from selling bottled water on the streets after an 18-year-old was shot dead.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms joined in an effort with the Atlanta Police Department to curb sales of water bottles by the "water boys" and cited the rise in violent confrontations.
"We appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit of youth who are selling water to motorists," said Mayor Bottoms in the statement. "But we have seen an increase in unsafe and violent activity in some locations and cannot allow it to continue. It's going to take a village and we are working with our partners to provide outreach and resources to these young people to help them gain access to job opportunities, workforce training, and educational programs."
'Ten dollars is what caused Jalanni his life'
The increased effort to end the water bottle sales comes after the death of Jalanni Pless, 18, who was trying to sell water bottles on the street at the time.
Pless was shot and killed on June 27. His family told WXIA-TV that his friends told them that he was killed over a $10 bill.
According to their account of the incident, the teen was selling a bottle of water to a motorist when a teenager with another group selling water got angry with the competition. After a physical altercation, the teen allegedly returned with a gun and gunned down Pless.
"Ten dollars is what caused Jalanni his life. Ten dollars. Think about that," said his mother.
His mother opened a GoFundMe account to help with burial costs.
In another frightening incident, a black female was assaulted by a group of "water boys." Antoinette Stevens said that a group of teens demanded that she buy water from them, and then one reached into her car and snatched her purse. When she ran after him, another one stole her car.
"I jumped through the window and tried to get my car. Try to get him to stop. And he drove into oncoming traffic and crashed the car, and then ran," Stevens said to WSB-TV.
She said she was knocked to the ground and received a black eye in the struggle.
Mayor accused of racism
Some critics of the move to ban water selling said on social media that it was motivated by racism.
"Just saw a thread under it Black folks talking down on these kids in Atlanta selling water. Man this city really got coons speaking anti-Black rhetoric cause they may drive a decent car type . ATL got to get some of these clowns out of here. This is beyond sad," said one Twitter user.
"I've seen the complaints about the water boys in Atlanta and one thing I personally refuse to do, is be afraid of black children. Y'all trippin with some of the comments I've seen regarding that," said one commenter on Twitter.
"Yeah, this seems like some BS. I suspect it's about the gentrifying city not liking black kids hawking water on the street corner which, by other standards, in entrepreneurial. Karen always finds a way," said another from New York.
"Nah this is some elitist BS. There hasn't been any stories of those kids being injured or anything. This is about perception and that's it," responded another.
"What happens to the kids who continue to sell water bc they need the immediate income? Are they thrown into the criminal justice system? This seems like another way to demonize anything Black kids engage in. Surely there is a way to protect them without criminalizing the activity," said another user who described herself as "pro-Black."
"Kids have been doing this for decades in nearly EVERY MAJOR CITY in the country btw. This is yet another example of Atlanta "elites" occupying Black spaces, using their positional power to influence politics, and police what they deem dangerous (which in this case is Black kids)," said another user.
The mayor is expected to announce more policy changes on Friday in response to the "water boys" in Atlanta.
Here's a local news story about the Atlanta water boys:


theblaze--2020-07-29--'Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?': William Barr defends sending feds to Portl

'Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?': William Barr defends sending feds to Portland

'Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse ? '
: William Barr defends sending feds to @ @ @ @ @ back against House Democrats ' claims of 'political ' motivations behind the move

Attorney General William Barr defended the Trump administration's decision to send federal agents to Portland, Oregon, to protect government property during ongoing riots in the city, asking House Democrats, "Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?"
What are the details?
After months of unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, federal officers were sent to Portland to defend the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse after it became a recent target of violent mobs who have attempted to set it on fire and attacked several U.S. Marshals standing guard.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) told Barr he should be ashamed of himself for sending in federal agents, accusing the attorney general of making the move for "obvious political objectives" to help President Donald Trump, the Daily Mail reported.
Barr fired back, "Since when is it OK to burn down a federal courthouse?"
The attorney general explained during his prepared statement, "What unfolds nightly around the courthouse cannot reasonably be called a protest; it is, by any objective measure, an assault on the government of the United States."
He added, "Largely absent from these scenes of destruction are even superficial attempts by the rioters to connect their actions to George Floyd's death or any legitimate call for reform. Nor could such brazen acts of lawlessness plausibly be justified by a concern that police officers in Minnesota or elsewhere defied the law."
Barr testifies about federal response to protests in Portland, Ore. www.youtube.com
Anything else?
Barr was attacked by the Democratic majority over an array of issues during his five hours of testimony, and he clashed with Nadler more than once.
At one point, the attorney general asked to take a 5-minute break, and the chairman initially shut down the request, leading to a testy exchange that was posted on Twitter by The Hill.
"Mr. Chairman, could we take a 5-minute break?" Barr asked Nadler.
"No," Nadler responded, leading another committee member to interject, telling Nadler, "It's a common courtesy, Mr. Chairman, of every witness."
Barr then reminded the chairman, "I waited 45 [minutes], an hour for you this morning, I haven't had lunch. I'd like to take a 5-minute break."
Nadler went on to insist that the hearing was "almost finished," then conceded, "we could certainly take a break."
Barr responded, laughing, "You're a real class act, Mr. Chairman. A real class act."


theblaze--2020-07-29--More than 100 police agencies pull out of providing security for the Democratic National Convention

More than 100 police agencies pull out of providing security for the Democratic National Convention Many cite Milwaukee 's ban @ @ @ @ @ spray and tear gas

More than a 100 police agencies have pulled out of a plan to provide security for the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.
According to the Associated Press, the police agencies made the decision in part because of new restrictions on police action by the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission.
The commission ordered Police Chief Alfonso Morales to ban the use of tear gas and pepper spray based on the recommendation from their citizen oversight commission. The citizen commission also demanded to know from Morales why the department used tear gas on protesters in May and June.
Morales was told he could be fired if he didn't comply with the demands.
On Tuesday, Morales told WTMJ-TV that more than 100 law enforcement agencies had pulled out of providing security for the DNC over concerns about the order to ban tear gas and pepper spray.
The convention is scheduled Aug. 17-20 at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee.
'One hand tied behind their back'
West Allis Deputy Chief Robert Fletcher explained to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a statement via email why some police were pulling out of the event.
"Our concern is that in the event protests turn non-peaceful, such a policy would remove tools from officers that may otherwise be legal and justifiable to utilize in specific situations," Fletcher said.
Fond Du Lac Police Department Chief William Lamb also cited the same concerns to WISN-TV.
"Those tools are time-proven to, to be able to be very safe and effectively prevent, stop, or otherwise control protests that are becoming non-peaceful," said Lamb.
"They're asking them to do that dangerous work with one hand tied behind their back," he added. "And I will not ask the men and women of my department to do that."
Although most of the activities of the convention have been reduced in scope because of the coronavirus pandemic, law enforcement officials believe this will encourage even more protests. They expected to have more than 1,000 officers to provide security for the event.
Other police departments, like the Madison Police Department, sought to escape their agreement for security because their own law enforcement needs had grown over the coronavirus pandemic.
Here's more about cops dropping the Democratic National Convention:


theblaze--2020-07-29--NFL plans to stencil 'social justice' messages on end zones during Week 1

NFL plans to stencil 'social justice ' messages on end zones during Week 1 'End Racism ' and 'It Takes @ @ @ @ @ be painted on every field

The NFL announced Monday that the end zones on every field during Week 1 games and home openers will be painted with "social justice" messages in an effort to further the league's "Inspire Change" campaign.
What are the details?
In a memo sent to teams on Monday, the NFL laid out a series of "social justices initiatives for Week 1," explaining that "with the on-field signage, end zone borders will feature stencils with 'It Takes All of Us' and 'End Racism' on opposite ends of the field."
"As we continue to amplify and elevate the NFL's ongoing and long-term commitment to social justice, we will be incorporating several prominent elements on the field, into broadcasts and across league and club platforms to being the NFL season and beyond," the memo said.
The announcement also reiterated the league's earlier decisions to allow players to emblazon their helmets with decals in honor of victims of police brutality, and to play the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — referred to by some as the "black national anthem" — at the start of every game.
The Washington Post reported that "the NFL follows the NBA, whose courts in the Orlando bubble have 'Black Lives Matter' painted on the floor. Major League Baseball players can wear a 'Black Lives Matter' or 'United for Change' patch on their sleeves."
The NFL also reported that "among other initiatives, the league will introduce the 'It Takes All of Us' campaign in which 'authentic imagery of our nation's journey in 2020' will recognize front-line healthcare workers, the social justice movement and NFL players journey's (sic) to the season opener."
The league has embraced the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis in late May. After previously pushing back against players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem at games after former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the practice in 2016, this year, the NFL decided to promote such protests by players.
Anything else?
Also on Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that "the league's preseason games have been canceled due to concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic," WTTG-TV reported.
In an open letter to fans, Goodell wrote, "While this year will forever be defined by a heartbreaking global pandemic and a transformative social justice movement, I am reminded of the tenacious, resilient spirit of our country, the NFL community, and you, the greatest fans in the world. Thank you for your continued support."


theblaze--2020-07-30--Elderly victim who was beaten in viral nursing home video dies

Elderly victim who was beaten in viral nursing home video dies The 75-year-old was left with several broken fingers , @ @ @ @ @ broken jaw after the attack

The elderly nursing home resident who was shown being beaten in his room in a video that went viral two months ago has died, his family confirmed this week.
What are the details?
In late May, horrifying footage of a young person beating a helpless elderly person began circulation online, and the disturbing nature of the video sparked widespread outcry and an investigation. It even grabbed the attention of President Donald Trump, who tweeted, "Is this even possible to believe? Can this be for real? Where is this nursing home, how is the victim doing?"
The victim was identified as 75-year-old Norman Bledsoe, a resident at the Westwood Rehabilitation Nursing Center in Detroit. Shortly after video of the attack went viral, Bledsoe's roommate at the facility, 20-year-old Jaden Hayden, was arrested in connection with the beating.
Authorities said at the time that Bledsoe was hospitalized for "non-life-threatening" injuries.
The Detroit News reported that those injuries included "four broken fingers, broken ribs, and a broken jaw." Bledsoe died Monday morning.
The victim's nephew, Kevin Bledsoe, told the outlet of his uncle, "His eating habits went downhill after (the alleged assault on May 15), and he lost quite a bit of weight."
Kevin Bledsoe noted that the family had been prohibiting from visiting Norman Bledsoe at the nursing home following his release from the hospital, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"We finally were able to see him last week," Kevin said. "He wasn't doing very good. I guess there just wasn't anything else they could do for him."
The Bledsoe family is reportedly moving forward with a lawsuit against Westwood.
Anything else?
Hayden is accused of not only recording himself beating up Bledsoe, but posting the footage online and stealing the elderly man's credit card following the attack. The accused reportedly has mental issues, and is due in court Thursday to determine whether he's mentally fit to stand trial.
WJBK-TV pointed out that the 20-year-old was placed in the long-term care facility after being diagnosed with COVID-19 due to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D) controversial policy of sending coronavirus patients "to nursing homes as a way to isolate them from the rest of the state to avoid spreading the virus further."