theblaze--2020-10-16--Brown University researcher claims pro-Trump signs, American flags 'scare' and 'traumatize' black pe

Brown University researcher claims pro-Trump signs, American flags 'scare' and 'traumatize' black people

Oh for the love of it all

Carycruz Bueno, a postdoctoral research associate at Brown University's Annenberg Institute, has gone viral after complaining that Trump 2020 flags — and even American flags — strike fear in the hearts of black people in America.
Bueno made the remarks on social media, where they soon went viral.
What are the details?
As highlighted by Campus Reform, Bueno — an economics researcher — said that she recently stayed at a Maine AirBnB that, very disconcertingly, had Trump signs in the yard.
Bueno added that AirBnB clearly "doesn't understand the trauma" black people experience in seeing such Trump signs.
Bueno described the experience — which she said left her "immediately scared" — she had when renting a property with her husband.
She explained that when she arrived at the rental — a privately owned property over which AirBnB has no control — she saw "Trump signs and other white nationalist symbols."
Bueno said that the display immediately made her "terrified and scared" for her life and her family's safety.
"Disappointed @airBnB doesn't understand the trauma of TRUMP signs on a @airbnb rental causes black person," she wrote, according to the outlet.
Bueno said she contacted AirBnB, but the company, predictably, said their hands were tied in the matter, as the residence is privately owned.
She then went on to blast the company for being "only words and no action" and called for a "greenbook version of AirBnB" so persons of color would not have to "pay to feel uncomfortable and scared."
Elsewhere during her Twitter rant, Bueno recalled the top five symbols that strike fear in the hearts of black people.
The list includes items such as KKK hoods and the Confederate flag, but also lists the American flag.
"[Y]es, this is a symbol used in many places to scare black people," she insisted.
What else?
In a statement, Brown University Students for Trump President Emma Rae Phillips told Campus Reform that she is "disappointed" in Bueno's remarks.
Phillips — an economics major — said that the researcher's tweets "do not seem to show much understanding of how free markets work."
Phillips added, "American flags and Trump signs are not racist in any way, shape, or form."
You can see the full list of Bueno's tweets below.
At the time of this reporting, Bueno's Twitter feed settings have been set to private.


theblaze--2020-10-17--Report: Source confirms 'the big guy' in alleged Hunter Biden-China email is reference to Joe Biden

Report : Source confirms 'the big guy ' in alleged Hunter Biden-China email is reference to Joe Biden

One person included in an email thread allegedly involving Hunter Biden and his business dealing in China has "corroborated the veracity of the messages," Fox News reported late Friday.
What's more, the source told Fox News that a person referred to as "the big guy" in the emails was a reference to Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
What are the details?
Fox News reported:
One email, dated May 13, 2017, and obtained by Fox News, includes a discussion of "remuneration packages" for six people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Hunter Biden as "Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC," in an apparent reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.
The email includes a note that "Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate." A proposed equity split references "20" for "H" and "10 held by H for the big guy?" with no further details. Fox News spoke to one of the people who was copied on the email, who confirmed its authenticity. Sources told Fox News that "the big guy" is a reference to the former vice president. The New York Post initially published the emails and other controversial messages that Fox News has also obtained.
The report came one day after the New York Post reported that it had obtained emails allegedly showing Hunter Biden "pursued lucrative deals involving China's largest private energy company," CEFC China Energy Co.
The Post triggered a firestorm of controversy on Wednesday after obtaining a hard drive that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden.
That hard drive belonged to a computer that was dropped off at a Delaware computer repair store in April 2019, but was never retrieved. The FBI reportedly seized the laptop last December, but the repair shop owner made copies of the hard drive before turning it over.
The initial story that set off the chain reaction of controversy — including social media companies censoring the story — claimed that emails from the hard drive showed that Joe Biden met with a top executive at the Ukrainian natural gas company at which Hunter Biden once worked.
What is Biden saying?
The Biden campaign has denied any wrongdoing took place, but acknowledged that Biden could have had an informal interaction with the Burisma executive.
Campaign spokesman Andrew Bates told Politico, "Investigations by the press, during impeachment, and even by two Republican-led Senate committees whose work was decried as 'not legitimate' and political by a GOP colleague have all reached the same conclusion: that Joe Biden carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing. Trump administration officials have attested to these facts under oath."
Meanwhile, Biden was directly confronted about the controversy late Friday. In response, the former vice president snapped at the reporter who questioned him.


theblaze--2020-10-17--House Republicans demand answers from FBI director about Hunter Biden's hard drive after NY Post exp

House Republicans demand answers from FBI director about Hunter Biden's hard drive after NY Post exposé

House Republicans demand answers from FBI director about Hunter Biden 's hard drive after NY Post exposé They want to @ @ @ @ @ possession of the hard drive in 2019

Nineteen Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter demanding answers from FBI Director Christopher Wray about whether the bureau had possession of a hard drive that led to the controversial New York Post exposé.
Catherine Herridge of CBS News posted the letter to her social media account on Friday:
"Yesterday, the New York Post published an article entitled, 'Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad.' The article documents how a recently uncovered laptop and hard drive allegedly revealed e-mails to and from Hunter Biden that strongly indicated that former Vice President Joe Biden was, in fact, aware of his son's overseas dealings," the letter read.
The letter went on to address the allegation that the FBI was in possession of the hard drive in 2019.
"This action took place right at the end of the U.S. House of Representative's impeachment sham against President Donald J. Trump, and right before the U.S. Senate tried the case. A large portion of the President's legal defense case revolved around strong evidence that former Vice President Biden's son, Hunter, was peddling his influence to his father to land lucrative jobs overseas that he might not have otherwise been qualified for," the letter continued.
The letter went on to call it a "gross error of judgement" and a "severe violation of trust" if the FBI had been in possession of the hard drive and had not divulged the information that was so damaging to the Biden campaign.
They demanded the FBI answer if they had possession of the hard drive, whether they had informed the White House or the Department of Justice about the hard drive, and if they had authenticated the evidence.
The lawmakers asked for an answer to their letter from Wray by Thursday.
Also on Friday, Biden snapped at a reporter who asked him to respond to the New York Post story, and instead accused him of participating in a smear campaign against him.
Here's more about the NY Post Biden report:


theblaze--2020-10-17--Kristen Welker, moderator of the final debate, has deep ties to the Democratic Party

Kristen Welker , moderator of the final debate , has deep ties to the Democratic Party President Trump fired off @ @ @ @ @ Welker has been 'terrible & unfair '

With a little more than two weeks until the 2020 presidential election, we are heading into the stretch run. The second presidential debate was canceled after President Donald Trump contracted coronavirus. No make-up date or virtual event could not be agreed upon between the two campaigns, which leaves only what was to be the third and final presidential debate.
Trump and Joe Biden will square off for 90 minutes at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, at 9 p.m. on Thursday. The moderator for the final debate is NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker.
Following the contentious first presidential debate moderated by Chris Wallace, many are wondering how the last debate will be handled. People are also concerned about bias following this week's two presidential town halls; where ABC News' George Stephanopoulos didn't ask Biden a single question about the allegations about Hunter Biden's overseas dealings and the NBC News town hall where critics allege Savannah Guthrie had a hostile agenda against Trump.
Voters are asking: "Who is Kristen Welker?" and "Is Kristen Welker a liberal?" Welker, 44, has deep ties to the Democratic Party, dating back years.
Welker's party registration is not currently listed, but she was registered as a Democrat in Washington, D.C., in 2012, and in Rhode Island in 2004, according to the New York Post.
Welker's parents, who are proud supporters of the Biden-Harris campaign, have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the leftist fundraising organization ActBlue and Democratic politicians over the years, including nearly $20,000 to Barack Obama and $3,300 to the "Biden for President" campaign.
In 2012, Welker and her family visited the White House in December, where she posed with Michele and Barack Obama. Welker shared a photo on Facebook from the White House Christmas party with the caption: "Christmas at the White House!"
An NBC spokesperson said Welker also attended President Trump's White House Christmas party with her husband in 2017, according to the Washington Examiner.
While reporting for MSNBC in March 2016, Welker is caught on camera informing Hillary Clinton's communications director Jennifer Palmieri what question she planned on asking her on live TV. At the time, Clinton was in a tight primary battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.
MSNBC Reporter Doesn't Know She's Live, Tips off Clinton Aide What She'll Ask Her www.youtube.com
In August, there was a shooting near the White House, and Trump was escorted out of the briefing room and into the Oval Office. Once the dust settled, Welker asked Trump, "Are you rattled at all by this Mr. President?" Trump calmly and sarcastically responded, "I don't know, do I seem rattled?"
Later that day, Welker appeared on "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt," where she misquoted Trump, "I asked the president if he was rattled by all of this, he said, 'Of course,' but he also expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service."
In March, Welker asked Trump, "Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, a failing. Do you take responsibility for that, and when can you guarantee that every American who needs a test has a test?"
"Yeah, I don't take responsibility at all because we were given a set of circumstances, and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time that wasn't meant for this kind of an event with the kind of numbers that we're talking about," Trump responded.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, then corrected Welker on what she alleged him of saying.
"So just to reiterate what I said to many of you multiple times, it's the descent of a system," Fauci said. "The system was not designed for what it was designed for it worked very well. The CDC designed a good system. If you want to get the kind of blanket testing and availability that anybody can get it or you could even do surveillance to find out what the penetrance is, you have to embrace the private sector. And this is exactly what you're seeing because you can't do it without it. When I said that, I meant the system was not designed for what we need. Now looking forward, the system will take care of it."
Trump fired off a tweet about Welker on Sunday with the caption: "She's always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I'll still play the game. The people know! How's Steve Scully doing?"
Trump is referring to C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully, who was supposed to be the moderator of the second presidential debate. Scully was suspended by C-SPAN after an investigation found that he had lied about his Twitter account being hacked. The tweet in question was Scully seemingly asking anti-Trumper Anthony Scaramucci for advice on how to handle attacks from the president.
On Wednesday, Trump called Welker a "never Trumper from NBC."
"Yeah I am, and I know who I'm going against," Trump told Newsmax. "It's one of those things."
"The problem is the anchors are all crooked," Trump said "Now we have Kristen Welker; she's a disaster. She's a never Trumper from NBC. You know, all of NBC is never Trump. That's Con-cast. They're all never Trump, they're bad news. That's MS-DNC. You know, they're just bad news."
Welker selected her topics for the debate: fighting COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates.


theblaze--2020-10-17--New York families who lost loved ones in nursing home crisis to hold 'mock funeral for Gov. Cuomo

New York families who lost loved ones in nursing home crisis to hold 'mock funeral for Gov .
Cuomo

New York families who lost elderly loved ones during the state's coronavirus crisis this spring plan to hold a "mock funeral" targeting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "leadership and integrity," the New York Post reported.
What's the background?
In late March, Cuomo issued an executive order that said nursing homes could not reject patients recovering from the coronavirus. At the time, New York hospitals were being overrun with COVID-19 patients as the Empire State quickly became the global epicenter for the novel virus, and the policy was supposedly meant to free up hospital beds.
However, the directive turned out to be a death warrant for thousands of elderly New Yorkers. Cuomo officially reversed the policy in mid-May, but he has thus far refused accountability.
In fact, in a book that was published this week about his response to the pandemic, Cuomo blamed Republicans for his scandal.
"By early spring, Republicans needed an offense to distract from the narrative of their botched federal response — and they needed it badly," Cuomo wrote. "So they decided to attack Democratic governors and blame them for nursing homes."
What are the families doing?
From the New York Post:
Grieving family members who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes due to COVID-19 plan to stage a "funeral" for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "leadership and integrity."
The relatives will stand outside of Brownstone Brooklyn's coronavirus-ravaged Cobble Hill Health Center on Sunday at noon — and demand that Cuomo apologize for what they call his botched response to the pandemic, organizers said.
Daniel Arbeeny, who lost his father and three other elderly family members in the nursing home crisis, told the Post that a hearse has been rented for the event, which will carry a casket filled with thousands of pages from Cuomo's book.
"Ultimately we want an apology and we don't want it to be buried and hidden and forgotten. Thousands upon thousands of people died — couldn't have burials," Arbeeny said.
"Now he wrote this book, he's calling himself great. Taking credit for the good things and blaming everyone for everything else," Arbeeny added. "In our heart we want him to apologize. Period. End of discussion."
How is Cuomo responding?
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, dismissed the families, according to the Post, and continued to blame Republican's for Cuomo's order.
"We mourn with every family who lost someone during this pandemic and hope they look past the misinformation and outright lies that have been manufactured by right-wing agitators and their allies looking to cover for the federal government's many, many failures," Azzopardi said.
"The fact remains that every state across the nation is grappling with how to keep nursing home patients safe and tackle the root cause of infections — asymptomatic staffers who through no fault of their own bring in the virus," he added.


theblaze--2020-10-17--Joe Biden reads from a giant teleprompter at another sparsely attended rally

Joe Biden reads from a giant teleprompter at another sparsely attended rally The teleprompter is bigger than the crowd

Despite Joe Biden reportedly holding a commanding lead over President Donald Trump in the polls, some which show the former vice president leading by double digits, Biden continues to draw anything remotely close to a sizeable crowd. The concerning lack of excitement over Biden's campaign was punctuated last week when the Democratic presidential nominee and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) made a campaign stop in Phoenix, and there was zero fanfare to greet them.
The Biden campaign experienced another dismal rally on Friday in Detroit, Michigan. Biden appeared at a "voter mobilization event" in Detroit at around 6:20 p.m. on Friday. This was a drive-in rally at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Novi.
Video from the sparsely attended rally was shared on Twitter, where online commenters quickly noticed that Biden's teleprompter was bigger than his crowd.
The Biden campaign has been sensitive towards questions regarding Joe's use of teleprompters. Last month, Biden's national press secretary for the campaign became extremely defensive when he was asked about teleprompters.
Fox News' Bret Baier asked Biden spokesman TJ Ducklo, "Has Joe Biden ever used a teleprompter during local interviews or to answer Q&A with supporters?" Despite being asked the question several times, Ducklo never answered the question, dismissing the query as "straight from the Trump campaign talking points."
Days after Ducklo's interview, the Trump campaign released an ad titled "Joe's Teleprompter," highlighting Biden's seeming dependence on a teleprompter during interviews.
In addition to the meager crowd at Biden's rally on Friday, Detroit was no picnic for Biden. Besides his poor turnout at the rally, Biden was asked about the New York Post article featuring alleged emails from Hunter Biden, which outline his son's reported overseas dealings in Ukraine and in China.
Right before Biden boarded a plane in Detroit, CBS News reporter Bo Erickson asked the former vice president for his response to the article. Biden lashed out, called it a "smear campaign," adding, "Right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask."


theblaze--2020-10-17--Biden campaign sounds alarm in internal memo, warns race is 'far closer' than polls show

Biden campaign sounds alarm in internal memo , warns race is 'far closer ' than polls show ' ... we @ @ @ @ @ 're trailing '

Joe Biden's campaign warned in an internal memo Saturday that the race between President Donald Trump and Biden is much closer than election polling suggests.
What do the polls show?
According to RealClearPolitics, national polling shows that Biden has a commanding lead over Trump.
Currently, Biden's average national lead over Trump stands at 9%, while his lead in top battleground states is half that, just 4.5%, according to RCP.
What is the Biden camp saying?
Biden's lead, which has remained relatively steady throughout the general election season, should not give Democratic voters a false sense of security that Biden has the win in the bag, Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a letter to supporters on Saturday, the Washington Post reported.
"We cannot become complacent because the very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race, and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire," Dillon wrote.
According to the Post, Dillon urged campaign supporters to "campaign like we're trailing," reminding them that national polling also showed Clinton with significant leads in the run-up to the 2016 election.
In fact, Dillon said the "race is far closer than some of the punditry we're seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest."
"While we see robust leads at the national level, in the states we're counting on to carry us to victory like Arizona and North Carolina we're only up by three points." Dillon explained. "We also know that even the best polling can be wrong, and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical states we are functionally tied — and that we need to campaign like we're trailing."
Anything else?
The memo echoed comments that Dillon made Friday in which she warned that the national polling numbers are "inflated."
"Please take the fact that we are not ahead by double digits," Dillon said. "Those are inflated national public polling numbers."
Dillon also made similar comments earlier in the week on social media.
"Early voting is already underway in many states. Millions of voters have already cast their ballots. But there is still a long way to go in this campaign, and we think this race is far closer than folks on this website think," she said. "Like a lot closer."


theblaze--2020-10-17--Nick Saban medically cleared to return after testing negative for COVID-19, will coach against Georg

Nick Saban medically cleared to return after testing negative for COVID-19, will coach against Georgia

Nick Saban medically cleared to return after testing negative for COVID-19 , will coach against Georgia Following five negative coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ test deemed a false positive

Following three straight negative COVID-19 tests, Nick Saban has been medically cleared to return to the sidelines for the University of Alabama's game against Georgia on Saturday night, a battle between the only two unbeaten teams in the SEC.
Saban tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. Since then, he has tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times, rendering the initial test as a "false positive."
Alabama team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson announced Saban's return in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
Due to the fact that Coach Saban has remained completely symptom-free and had five negative PCR tests, split between two separate labs, the initial test from Wednesday is considered a false positive under the SEC protocols. Again, that initial positive result came from an outside lab we've used to supplement the SEC mandated testing. We have been in constant communication with the conference office throughout this process to ensure compliance with all applicable protocols. In accordance with the SEC Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force Protocol and with the approval of The University of Alabama System Health and Safety Task Force, Coach Saban is medically cleared to safely return to activity effective immediately.
The negative test results arrived in the nick of time as Saban will now be back to lead No. 2 Alabama in its major showdown against No. 3 Georgia at 8 p.m. ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Had Saban not gotten the negative test result back soon enough, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian would have been the acting coach for the Tide.
Saban had been asymptomatic since his positive test, which was performed by an outside lab. Saban had been sent home, where he was receiving daily polymerase chain reaction tests. PCR tests are more accurate than antigen tests, which have a reported rate of false negative results as high as 50%.


theblaze--2020-10-17--Trump fires back at GOP Sen. Ben Sasse after he excoriated Trump on call with constituents

Trump fires back at GOP Sen. Ben Sasse after he excoriated Trump on call with constituents 'Little Ben is a @ @ @ @ @ '

President Donald Trump fired back at Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) on Saturday just days after private comments the Republican lawmaker made about Trump went public.
What did Trump say?
Trump called Sasse a "liability to the Republican Party" and an "embarrassment" to Nebraskans.
"The least effective of our 53 Republican Senators, and a person who truly doesn't have what it takes to be great, is Little Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a State which I have gladly done so much to help. @SenSasse was as nice as a RINO can be until he recently won the Republican Nomination to run for a second term," Trump began.
He added, "Then he went back to his rather stupid and obnoxious ways. Must feel he can't lose to a Dem. Little Ben is a liability to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the Great State of Nebraska. Other than that, he's just a wonderful guy!"
Trump later said:
Senator Little Ben Sasse of the Great State of Nebraska seems to be heading down the same inglorious path as former Senators Liddle' Bob Corker, whose approval rating in Tennessee went from 55% to 4%, & Jeff "the Flake" Flake, whose approval rating in Arizona went from 56% to practically nothing. Both Senators became totally unelectable, couldn't come even close to winning their primaries, and decided to drop out of politics and gracefully "RETIRE". @SenSasse could be next, or perhaps the Republicans should find a new and more viable candidate
However, despite Trump's claims, Sasse is not in danger of losing re-election.
What is the background?
During a call with constituents this week, Sasse bashed Trump when asked to explain why he often criticizes the president, saying Trump "kisses dictators' butts," secretly "mocks evangelicals," and mistreats women.
"The way he kisses dictators' butts. I mean, the way he ignores that the Uighurs are in literal concentration camps in Xinjiang right now. He hasn't lifted a finger on behalf of the Hong-Kongers," Sasse said.
"The United States now regularly sells out our allies under his leadership, the way he treats women, spends like a drunken sailor," he continued. "The ways I criticize President Obama for that kind of spending; I've criticized President Trump for as well. He mocks evangelicals behind closed doors. His family has treated the presidency like a business opportunity. He's flirted with white supremacists."
Sasse also criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The reality is that he careened from curb to curb. First, he ignored COVID. And then he went into full economic shutdown mode. He was the one who said 10 to 14 days of shutdown would fix this. And that was always wrong. I mean, and so I don't think the way he's lead through COVID has been reasonable or responsible, or right," Sasse said.
How did Sasse respond?
James Wegmann, communications director for Sasse, said in a statement on Saturday, "Ben said the same thing to Nebraskans that he has repeatedly said to the President directly in the Oval Office. Ben is focused on defending the Republican Senate majority, and he's not going to waste a single minute on tweets."


theblaze--2020-10-17--'If not a genocide, something close to it' going on in China: US national security adviser; warns Ta

'If not a genocide, something close to it' going on in China: US national security adviser; warns Taiwan of Chinese invasion

'If not a genocide , something close to it ' going on in China : US national security adviser ; @ @ @ @ @

United States National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien delivered warnings regarding China on Friday, while also praising Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters. Speaking at a webinar hosted by the non-partisan Aspen Institute, O'Brien expressed concern over China's iron-fisted rule in the Xinjiang region.
"If not a genocide, something close to it going on in Xinjiang," O'Brien told the online audience. Xinjiang is home to millions of China's ethnic minority of Uighur Muslims. The northwest region of China is also home to internment camps, which the Chinese Communist Party officially calls "vocational education and training centers."
There could be as many as 3 million Uighur Muslims detained in the secret re-education camps, according to Randall Schriver, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
O'Brien said, "The Chinese are literally shaving the heads of Uighur women and making hair products and sending them to the United States."
O'Brien is citing the seizure of 13 tons of hair products worth more than $800,000 at the Port of New York/Newark by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in June. The confiscation of human hair products, which originated from Xinjiang, points to "potential human rights abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment" by China.
O'Brien was also troubled by the crackdown of Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrators by the Chinese government.
"Anyone who's been to Hong Kong and spent time there, it's sad what's going to happen. Hong Kong has been fully absorbed into China," O'Brien stated. "It'd be great if we had more immigrants from Hong Kong. They're terrific people."
The National Security Adviser also warned Taiwan to bolster its military to defend against a possible invasion by China.
"I think Taiwan needs to start looking at some asymmetric and anti-access area denial strategies and so on and really fortify itself in a manner that would deter the Chinese from any sort of amphibious invasion or even a gray zone operation against them," O'Brien said at the event.
O'Brien added that China doesn't want to do an amphibious landing on Taiwan, "It would be a hard operation for the Chinese to do." He added an animal aphorism, "Lions generally don't like to eat porcupines; they can, but they prefer not to."
Earlier this week, the Trump administration informed Congress that it plans to sell advanced weapons systems to Taiwan.
"The U.S. sales involve the Lockheed Martin-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, a truck-mounted rocket launcher; the Boeing-made over-the-horizon, precision strike missile Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response; and external sensor pods for Taiwan's F-16 jets," as reported by Defense News.
Last month, the Trump administration announced they would sell 66 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan.
O'Brien said that Beijing would be forced to consider possible retaliation by the United States for China's aggression. "We have a lot of tools in the toolkit that, if we got involved, could make that a very dangerous effort for China to engage in," O'Brien said.
"China is truly the challenge for the United States for this generation," O'Brien said, "I hope we're not enemies, although I understand that Xi Jinping was telling his troops this morning to prepare for war."
O'Brien is referring to Xi's appearance at a military base near Shantou in the east of the province this week, where he reportedly told troops, "[You should] focus your minds and energy on preparing to go to war, and stay highly vigilant."
These allegations come on the heels of the New York Post's bombshell report that Hunter Biden allegedly pursued "lasting and lucrative" deals with a Chinese energy company that he said would be "interesting for me and my family." A source familiar with the negotiation of the deal and who was one of the people included on the reported email claimed that Joe Biden was named in the email and would profit off the deal with CEFC China Energy Co.
China has been confronted about reported ethnic cleansing in the past, but has denied all wrongdoing. As seen on BlazeTV, Glenn Beck discussed leaked video that purportedly shows hundreds of shaven Uighur Muslims who are bound, blindfolded, and being boarded onto trains by soldiers.


theblaze--2020-10-17--WATCH: Dave Rubin shares the CRAZIEST moments from Trump and Biden dueling town halls

WATCH : Dave Rubin shares the CRAZIEST moments from Trump and Biden dueling town halls

On the "The Rubin Report" Friday, BlazeTV's Dave Rubin discussed the highlights of last night's dueling town hall events with President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Trump sat down with "Today" host Savannah Guthrie on NBC while Biden talked with George Stephanopoulos on ABC. Dave breaks down another night of crazy questions, absurd omissions, and ridiculous media bias. Will Joe Biden support Supreme Court packing? Was President Trump forced to denounce white supremacy repeatedly? Was Biden asked about the Hunter Biden-Burisma scandal reported by the New York Post (spoiler alert: no)? Did Trump get asked about his taxes?
Dave shares his highlights and lowlights and gives his reaction to the madness.
Watch the video below to catch the craziest moments from last night's dueling Town Halls:
Want more from Dave Rubin?
To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-10-17--Biden town hall featured voters with undisclosed Democratic ties, ABC News silent on growing critici

Biden town hall featured voters with undisclosed Democratic ties, ABC News silent on growing criticism

ABC News has refused to address criticism surrounding their town hall with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Thursday after two of the voters who asked Biden questions had undisclosed connections to Democrats .
What are the details ?
One of the questioners , Nathan Osburn , was introduced by town hall moderator George Stephanopolous as a `` Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Democrat '' and identified as a `` communications '' professional , according to the New York Post .
As it turns out , Osburn 's communications background includes working for the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008 .
Osburn also worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than five years , including stints at the Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce .
Osburn now works at Google , according to his LinkedIn page .
Meanwhile , another questioner , Mieke Haeck , was identified by ABC News as a physical therapist from Pennsylvania .
As it turns out , Haeck is `` the wife of a prominent Pennsylvania Democrat , '' Fox News reported .
According to Fox News , the news network is staying silence amid growing criticism , only pointing toward comments from Stephanopoulos at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some are voting for [ Biden ] , some have said they 're voting for President Trump , some are still undecided , and we 're going to try to take questions from as many as we can tonight , '' Stephanopoulos said .
The controversy comes after ABC News hosted a town hall with President Donald Trump last month in which the network presented those who would ask Trump questions as `` uncommitted voters . ''
However , one of the questioners had committed on social media to volunteer for Sen. Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The voter was a self-described `` liberal Democrat '' and repeatedly bashed Trump on social media , the Washington Free Beacon reported .
Meanwhile , another alleged `` uncommitted voter '' who asked Trump a question tweeted just weeks before the town hall that he 's `` never once supported trump and wo n't now . ''
ABC News also dodged questions about the partisanship of those questioners , telling the Free Beacon that the voters `` all identified to [ the network ] as uncommitted . ''

ABC News has refused to address criticism surrounding their town hall with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Thursday after two of the voters who asked Biden questions had undisclosed connections to Democrats.
What are the details?
One of the questioners, Nathan Osburn, was introduced by town hall moderator George Stephanopolous as a "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Democrat" and identified as a "communications" professional, according to the New York Post.
As it turns out, Osburn's communications background includes working for the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008. Osburn also worked as a speechwriter in the Obama administration for more than five years, including stints at the Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce.
Osburn now works at Google, according to his LinkedIn page.
Meanwhile, another questioner, Mieke Haeck, was identified by ABC News as a physical therapist from Pennsylvania. As it turns out, Haeck is "the wife of a prominent Pennsylvania Democrat," Fox News reported.
From Fox News:
Haeck is also the wife of Ezra Nanes, who in 2018 ran for Pennsylvania state Senate Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman. Nanes is currently an at-large member of the Centre County Democratic Committee.
Nanes praised his wife's appearance at the town hall on Twitter. "Our children and I are so proud of our @MiekeHaeck for her courage in asking this question of @JoeBiden and so grateful to our next President for his caring and decisive answer in support of transgender and all LGBTQ people," Nanes wrote
How did ABC News respond?
According to Fox News, the news network is staying silence amid growing criticism, only pointing toward comments from Stephanopoulos at the town hall's opening.
"Some are voting for [Biden], some have said they're voting for President Trump, some are still undecided, and we're going to try to take questions from as many as we can tonight," Stephanopoulos said.
Anything else?
The controversy comes after ABC News hosted a town hall with President Donald Trump last month in which the network presented those who would ask Trump questions as "uncommitted voters."
However, one of the questioners had committed on social media to volunteer for Sen. Kamala Harris during the Democratic primary last year. The voter was a self-described "liberal Democrat" and repeatedly bashed Trump on social media, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Meanwhile, another alleged "uncommitted voter" who asked Trump a question tweeted just weeks before the town hall that he's "never once supported trump and won't now."
ABC News also dodged questions about the partisanship of those questioners, telling the Free Beacon that the voters "all identified to [the network] as uncommitted."


theblaze--2020-10-17--Pennsylvania rejects 372,000 mail-in ballot applications, leaving many voters confused: report

Editor's note: An earlier version of this post included a headline that read: "Pennsylvania rejects 372,000 mail-in ballots, leaving many voters confused: report." That headline misrepresented the situation. There were 372,000 mail-in ballot applications rejected. The article has been updated with the correct information.
In the immensely critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, approximately 372,000 mail-in ballot applications were rejected. The situation perplexed many voters, but officials say there is an explanation for the confusion.
ProPublica and the Philadelphia Inquirer co-published a report on Friday discovering that 372,000 mail-in ballot applications were rejected. Overall, one out of every five requests for mail-in ballot applications were rejected, according to the report.
However, 90% of those mail-in ballot applications, about 336,000, were denied as duplicates. The reason for the confusion is because people may have previously and unknowingly already requested a mail-in ballot application for the November election.
Many Pennsylvanians who voted during the June primaries may have checked a box to request a mail-in ballot application for the November election. Many may have requested a second ballot unwittingly.
The attempt to promote mail-in voting in June amidst the coronavirus pandemic has caused administrative headaches for election officials preparing for the general election.
"We basically have to treat them all the same," Bill Turner, acting elections director for Chester County, said. "We're taking a tremendous amount of staff time and effort only to find out it's a duplicate."
"The volume of calls we have been getting has been overwhelming," Marybeth Kuznik, elections director in Armstrong County, northeast of Pittsburgh, said. "It has been almost like a denial of service attack at times because it seemed that sometimes all I could get done was answer the phone!"
Making matters even worse, nongovernmental election groups have deluged Pennsylvania voters with mail-in ballot applications, urging voters to request mail-in ballots. Some voters assume these applications are from the state. They may think that their request for a mail-in ballot was not received by the government, so they request another mail-in ballot.
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State said these nongovernmental election groups have caused "confusion for voters and the likelihood that voters will not realize their application has been processed and they don't need to submit another one."
"Voters have also been baffled by unclear or inaccurate information on the state's ballot-tracking website, and by a wave of mail ballot applications from political parties and get-out-the-vote groups," the report stated. "County offices across the state have been forced to hire temporary staff and work seven days a week to cope with the confusion."
The report found that there were hundreds of voters who submitted three or more duplicate applications. One voter was alleged to have submitted 11 duplicates.
There are concerns that the confusion over the mail-in ballot applications could lead to voter disenfranchisement.
Over 2.7 million Pennsylvanians have requested mail-in ballots for this election.
Also this week, nearly 30,000 mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were sent to the wrong residences. "About 28,879 voters in Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, were impacted due to an error made by Midwest Direct, the company tasked with printing, collating and mailing the ballots," as reported by Fox News.
The inaccurate mailed ballots were a result of a mapping error. Correct ballots began mailing out on Thursday.
Earlier this week, over 100 mail-in ballots were found in a Kentucky dumpster. An investigation was opened by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, which led to a U.S. Postal Service employee being terminated.


theblaze--2020-10-18--Top Democrats construct narrative to explain away explosive Biden stories: 'Russian propaganda'

As scrutiny around Hunter Biden intensifies following bombshell stories stemming from a hard drive that allegedly belonged to former Vice President Joe Biden 's son , top Democratic leaders are coalescing around a narrative to explain away the explosive stories .
Controversy erupted Wednesday when the New York Post reported evidence that Biden , during his tenure as vice president , met with a top executive from Burisma , the Ukrainian natural gas company , while Hunter Biden was working there .
The Post explained the evidence — in this case , an email — was from a hard drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Post obtained a copy of the hard drive through Rudy Giuliani , after hearing about the existence of the hard drive from Steve Bannon .
Giuliani reportedly received a copy of the hard drive through his lawyer , who was given a copy by the owner of a Delaware-based computer repair shop .
That owner made copies of the hard drive after the owner of the computer containing the hard drive dropped off the computer at his shop in April 2019 , but never retrieved it .
The FBI eventually seized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Post .
What are Democrats saying ?
According to Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) and Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) , the stories are misinformation planted by the Russians .
`` Joe Biden — and all of us — SHOULD be furious that media outlets are spreading what is very likely Russian propaganda , '' Murphy said on Saturday .
In fact , Murphy claimed Giuliani , the former New York City mayor , was essentially recruited by the Kremlin to spread `` anti-Biden propaganda . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different game than 2016 .
So it built an operation to cull virulently pro-Trump Americans as pseudo-assets , so blind in their allegiance to Trump that they 'll willingly launder Kremlin constructed anti-Biden propaganda , '' he claimed .
`` Guiliani was a key target . ''
Murphy added , `` Whether he knows it or not , Giuliani is effectively a Russian asset now . ''
Despite claiming to have `` seen the intel , '' the only evidence that Murphy used to back his claims were two media stories , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN .
The Post 's story claims , `` White House was warned Giuliani was target of Russian intelligence operation to feed misinformation to Trump . ''
However , the story mentions in the opening paragraph that it is sourced only by `` four former officials familiar with the matter . ''
Meanwhile , Schiff , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , made the exact same claim in an interview with CNN 's Wolf Blitzer .
`` Well , we know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well over a year now that they 've been pushing this false narrative about the vice president and his son , '' Schiff said .
He added , `` But I guess at this point we ca n't be shocked by anything this administration does , no matter how craven .
But , clearly , the origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin , and the president is only too happy to have Kremlin help and try to amplify it . ''
`` Well , look , I think we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been all along and it 's been the president and the Kremlin .
The Kremlin has an obvious interest in denigrating Joe Biden .
They want Donald Trump to win , '' he said .
`` They recognize he 's a weak president . ''
Schiff added , `` And this particular smear though has also been acknowledge to come from the Kremlin , and there it is from the Oval Office , another wonderful propaganda coup from Vladimir Putin , seeing the president of the United States holding up a newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredible . ''
Blitzer did not push back against Schiff 's claims , nor did the California Democrat offer up evidence to back his claims .
As New York Post editor Sohrab Ahmari noted Sunday , `` It 's now been four days since The Post dropped the first Hunter Files story , and neither Joe nor Hunter has disputed a single material fact .
The easiest thing they could do is to say , 'That laptop is n't ours , Hunter did n't send/receive those e-mails . '
Yet they have n't @ @ @ @

As scrutiny around Hunter Biden intensifies following bombshell stories stemming from a hard drive that allegedly belonged to former Vice President Joe Biden's son, top Democratic leaders are coalescing around a narrative to explain away the explosive stories.
What's the background?
Controversy erupted Wednesday when the New York Post reported evidence that Biden, during his tenure as vice president, met with a top executive from Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company, while Hunter Biden was working there.
The Post explained the evidence — in this case, an email — was from a hard drive that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden. The Post obtained a copy of the hard drive through Rudy Giuliani, after hearing about the existence of the hard drive from Steve Bannon.
Giuliani reportedly received a copy of the hard drive through his lawyer, who was given a copy by the owner of a Delaware-based computer repair shop. That owner made copies of the hard drive after the owner of the computer containing the hard drive dropped off the computer at his shop in April 2019, but never retrieved it. The FBI eventually seized the computer and hard drive last December, according to the Post.
What are Democrats saying?
According to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the stories are misinformation planted by the Russians.
"Joe Biden — and all of us — SHOULD be furious that media outlets are spreading what is very likely Russian propaganda," Murphy said on Saturday.
In fact, Murphy claimed Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, was essentially recruited by the Kremlin to spread "anti-Biden propaganda."
"Russia knew it had to play a different game than 2016. So it built an operation to cull virulently pro-Trump Americans as pseudo-assets, so blind in their allegiance to Trump that they'll willingly launder Kremlin constructed anti-Biden propaganda," he claimed. "Guiliani was a key target."
Murphy added, "Whether he knows it or not, Giuliani is effectively a Russian asset now."
Despite claiming to have "seen the intel," the only evidence that Murphy used to back his claims were two media stories, one from the Washington Post and another from CNN.
The Post's story claims, "White House was warned Giuliani was target of Russian intelligence operation to feed misinformation to Trump." However, the story mentions in the opening paragraph that it is sourced only by "four former officials familiar with the matter."
Meanwhile, Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, made the exact same claim in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"Well, we know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin. That's been clear for well over a year now that they've been pushing this false narrative about the vice president and his son," Schiff said.
He added, "But I guess at this point we can't be shocked by anything this administration does, no matter how craven. But, clearly, the origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin, and the president is only too happy to have Kremlin help and try to amplify it."
Later, Schiff implicated President Donald Trump.
"Well, look, I think we know who the driving force behind this smear has been all along and it's been the president and the Kremlin. The Kremlin has an obvious interest in denigrating Joe Biden. They want Donald Trump to win," he said. "They recognize he's a weak president."
Schiff added, "And this particular smear though has also been acknowledge to come from the Kremlin, and there it is from the Oval Office, another wonderful propaganda coup from Vladimir Putin, seeing the president of the United States holding up a newspaper promoting Kremlin propaganda. It's really incredible."
Blitzer did not push back against Schiff's claims, nor did the California Democrat offer up evidence to back his claims.
As New York Post editor Sohrab Ahmari noted Sunday, "It's now been four days since The Post dropped the first Hunter Files story, and neither Joe nor Hunter has disputed a single material fact. The easiest thing they could do is to say, 'That laptop isn't ours, Hunter didn't send/receive those e-mails.' Yet they haven't done that."


theblaze--2020-10-18--With a handful of days until the election, press asks Biden: 'What flavor milkshake did you get?'

With a handful of days until the election , press asks Biden : 'What flavor milkshake did you get ?
@ @ @ @ @ than that milkshake when it comes to asking Joe Biden tough questions

With 16 days until the election, and so many unanswered questions surrounding Joe Biden's campaign, the media asked the Democratic presidential nominee the critical question of: "What flavor milkshake did you get?" That was the pivotal query that the press decided to ask the possible next president with a little over two weeks until the election.
The media were presented with an opportunity to ask Biden a question regarding his campaign on Sunday. The press could have asked if he is in favor of court-packing or asked about his response to the allegations of Hunter Biden's overseas dealings, which one report links the former vice president to. Possibly fearing being attacked by Biden for asking any questions about the New York Post's bombshell report like CBS News' Bo Erickson did, the press decided to ask Joe about his milkshake.
On Sunday, Biden made a stop in Durham, North Carolina, where he visited the fast-food chain Cookout. Biden and his granddaughter Finnegan ordered milkshakes from the North Carolina-based burger joint.
As Biden walked away with his frosty treats, a reporter shouted, "Mr. Biden! Mr. Biden! What flavor did you get?"
The Hill media reporter Joe Concha commented on the hard-hitting journalism.
"There has never been a presidential candidate less scrutinized that the 2020 Democratic nominee," Concha said. "And this is after political media screaming about transparency for the past four years. You either hold the powerful or potentially accountable or you don't."
New York Magazine and HuffPost contributor Yashar Ali tweeted, "'What flavor did you get?' – you don't need to ask the candidate this question. Find out from staff. Two weeks out, a party nominee should be asked more substantive questions. This isn't the first Iowa trip!"
The question about Biden's milkshake somehow became even worse when CBS political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reported that the candidate would likely call a lid until Thursday's presidential debate in Nashville.
"This week is mostly about debate prep," O'Keefe said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "He will not be seen again after today until Thursday night in Nashville at that next debate. So they're going to keep him focused on that. That's a signal that they believe this is still a very big opportunity for them to provide one last contrast with the president and they have to prepare him for potential attacks from the president."
On Friday, Biden had a sparsely attended rally in Detroit, where he relied on a huge teleprompter through much of his speech.


theblaze--2020-10-18--DOJ: Rapper arrested for alleged $1.2M unemployment fraud, made whole song, music video about crime

DOJ : Rapper arrested for alleged $ 1.2M unemployment fraud , made whole song , music video about crime

The Department of Justice announced last week that federal authorities have arrested a rapper they claim defrauded the government of coronavirus-related unemployment benefits, then boasted about the fraud in an entire song and music video.
What are the details?
Rapper Nuke Bizzle, whose real name is Fontrell Antonio Baines, was arrested on Friday in Los Angeles for "fraudulently applying for more than $1.2 million in jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities," according to the Justice Department.
Investigators claim Baines exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provision of the CARES Act, which was intended to expand pandemic benefits to independent contractors, self-employed workers, and others.
More from the DOJ:
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Baines possessed and used debit cards pre-loaded with unemployment benefits administered by the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The debit cards were issued in the names of third-parties, including identity theft victims. The applications for these debit cards listed addresses to which Baines had access in Beverly Hills and Koreatown.
Evidence gathered during the investigation established that at least 92 debit cards that had been pre-loaded with more than $1.2 million in fraudulently obtained benefits were mailed to these addresses, according to the affidavit. Baines and his co-schemers allegedly accessed more than $704,000 of these benefits through cash withdrawals, including in Las Vegas, as well as purchases of merchandise and services.
Officially, Baines is charged with three felonies: access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
Baines was initially taken into custody in Las Vegas on Sept. 23. At the time, he had eight debit cards in his possession, according to investigations, seven of which were allegedly not in his name.
What else happened?
According to investigators, evidence of the crime includes a song and music video in which they claim Baines boasts about his alleged crimes.
From the DOJ:
The affidavit further alleges that Baines bragged about his ability to defraud the EDD in a music video posted on YouTube and in postings to his Instagram account, under the handles "nukebizzle1" and "nukebizzle23." For example, Baines appears in a music video called "EDD" in which he boasts about doing "my swagger for EDD" and, holding up a stack of envelopes from EDD, getting rich by "go[ing] to the bank with a stack of these" – presumably a reference to the debit cards that come in the mail. A second rapper in the video intones, "You gotta sell cocaine, I just file a claim…."
Nuke Bizzle Ft. Fat Wizza - EDD (Official Music Video) www.youtube.com
A disclaimer on the video now reads, "THIS VIDEO WAS CREATED WITH PROPS AND WAS MADE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES."
Baines faces a maximum of 22 years in prison if convicted of all three charges.


theblaze--2020-10-18--China warns US it may detain Americans over prosecutions of Chinese scholars: report

China warns US it may detain Americans over prosecutions of Chinese scholars : report This follows a State Department advisory @ @ @ @

The Chinese government has warned the United States that it may begin to detain Americans in response to the U.S. Justice Department's prosecution of Chinese military-affiliated scholars, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Chinese officials reportedly issued multiple warnings to U.S. government representatives through the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and other channels, as reported in the WSJ. The Chinese officials cautioned that they may arrest Americans currently residing in the country if U.S. officials don't drop charges against the country's scholars. The Wall Street Journal's sources for the report are from unnamed people familiar with the matter.
When asked about the report, the White House referred questions to the State Department, which responded to Reuters in an emailed statement that said, "To the Chinese government — including at the highest levels — our concern about China's coercive use of exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, and will continue to do so until we see a transparent and fair process."
The Chinese Embassy in Washington and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comments on Saturday from the WSJ.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had charged four Chinese nationals for visa fraud, the FBI arrested three of the suspects.
"These members of China's People Liberation Army applied for research visas while hiding their true affiliation with the PLA," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. "This is another part of the Chinese Communist Party's plan to take advantage of our open society and exploit academic institutions. We will continue to conduct this investigation together with the FBI."
"The United States welcomes students, academics, and researchers from across the globe. Today's announcement shows the extreme lengths to which the Chinese government has gone to infiltrate and exploit America's benevolence," said John Brown, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch. "In interviews with members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in over 25 cities across the U.S., the FBI uncovered a concerted effort to hide their true affiliation to take advantage of the United States and the American people."
The DOJ also announced that it had conducted interviews of visa holders suspected of having undeclared affiliation with the Chinese military in more than 25 U.S. cities.
On Sept. 14, the State Department issued an advisory that warned against traveling to China "due to COVID-19 and risk due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws." The advisory cautioned that the Chinese government uses arbitrary detention of U.S. and foreign citizens "to gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments."
"In most cases, U.S. citizens only become aware of an exit ban when they attempt to depart the PRC, and there is no reliable mechanism or legal process to find out how long the ban might continue or to contest it in a court of law," the advisory said.
Demers told the WSJ that the agency was "aware that the Chinese government has, in other instances, detained American, Canadian and other individuals without legal basis to retaliate against lawful prosecutions and to exert pressure on their governments, with a callous disregard of the individuals involved."
In May, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allowed the U.S. to cancel or deny student visas for anyone with direct connections to China's military, the People's Liberation Army.
"The PRC authorities use some Chinese students, mostly post‑graduate students and post-doctorate researchers, to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property," the order stated. "Thus, students or researchers from the PRC studying or researching beyond the undergraduate level who are or have been associated with the PLA are at high risk of being exploited or co-opted by the PRC authorities and provide particular cause for concern."
There were approximately 360,000 Chinese students enrolled in U.S. schools as of August. As of Sept. 9, more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers had their visas revoked after the State Department deemed them to be "high risk," some were alleged to have ties to the People's Republic of China military.
In July, FBI Director Christopher Wray outlined the threats posed by the Chinese government.
"We've now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours," Wray said. "Of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country, almost half are related to China. And at this very moment, China is working to compromise American health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions conducting essential COVID-19 research."
Wray added a clarification, "Every year, the United States welcomes more than 100,000 Chinese students and researchers into this country. For generations, people have journeyed from China to the United States to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their families—and our society is better for their contributions. So, when I speak of the threat from China, I mean the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party."


theblaze--2020-10-18--Boilermakers union leader blasts Biden for claiming union endorsed him: 'That is not true'

Boilermakers union leader blasts Biden for claiming union endorsed him : 'That is not true' ' I could n't believe @ @ @ @ @ lied '

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is being called out for falsely claiming the Boilermakers Union, which represents tens of thousands of American workers, had endorsed him for president.
What did Biden say?
During his ABC News town hall last week, moderator George Stephanopoulos asked Biden about his position on fracking. Biden denied he would ban fracking as president, but Stephanopoulos noted that a member of Boilermakers Local 154 had told the New York Times he doubts Biden's denials.
Biden said in response, "I'm telling the Boilermakers overwhelmingly endorse me me, OK, so the Boilermakers Union has endorsed me because I sat down with them and went into great detail earlier to show their leadership exactly what I would do, number one."
What's the truth?
According to John Hughes, leader of Boilermakers Local 154, Biden is not telling the truth.
In fact, not only has the union not endorsed Biden, but the Boilermakers Union has not endorsed any candidate for president.
"The other day I'm watching the debate and I see Joe Biden tell everybody that the Boilermakers endorsed him and that is not true," Hughes said on a Saturday press call, Breitbart News reported. "And I would like somebody to tell me who — he said he talked to somebody — I'd like to know who he talked to in the Boilermakers because anybody I talk to did not endorse him."
"And I believe if you go onto our International [Boilermakers] website we have not endorsed a candidate this round, nor did the International Boilermakers endorse a candidate last time," Hughes explained. "We did not endorse Obama and Joe Biden last time because of their energy issues."
Former Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) also blasted Biden.
"I couldn't believe it when Joe Biden blatantly lied at a town hall right here in Pennsylvania and said he was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Boilermakers," he said, according to Breitbart.
Anything else?
Although the Boilermakers has not made a union-wide endorsement, the chapter invoked during the town hall, Boilermakers Local 154, has endorsed a candidate: President Donald Trump.
"It is with great honor that I write this letter to endorse your campaign as you run for re-election of the President of the United States," Hughes wrote in a letter to Trump last month.


theblaze--2020-10-18--Man, 18, accused of molesting cousin, 7, during online class in front of teacher and first-grade stu

Man, 18, accused of molesting cousin, 7, during online class in front of teacher and first-grade students

Man , 18 , accused of molesting cousin , 7 , during online class in front of teacher and first-grade @ @ @ @ @ people

An 18-year-old Chicago man is accused of molesting his 7-year-old cousin during her remote learning class on Thursday, according to prosecutors.
Catrell A. Walls was arrested on Thursday afternoon shortly after 3:30 p.m., the Chicago Tribune reported. Walls, who was out on bond for a gun case, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under 13-years-old.
Authorities claim that Walls was seen sexually molesting his young cousin during her online learning session. At the time, fellow first graders were logged on to the Google classroom e-learning session, and the teacher allegedly saw the purported sex crime.
The alleged sexual assault reportedly happened during a break in the class. The teacher instructed students to turn off their cameras and mute their microphones. The 7-year-old reportedly muted her computer but did not turn off the camera.
Once the alleged sex act began, the teacher ordered all the students to log off the session. The teacher called out the alleged victim's name and told her to turn off the camera, according to prosecutors.
The teacher alerted the school's principal, who then contacted the girl's family, Chicago police, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Police reportedly went to the home of the girl's grandmother, where she was said to have been staying during the day for online classes. Walls was arrested, and while being taken into custody, he began crying. "I don't know why. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he said, according to Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Andreana Turano.
The alleged victim said Walls had sexually assaulted her for the last year, Turano said. The alleged victim said the abuse was "a secret." Walls showed complete disregard of children and a "wanton callousness for human life," Turano said.
"This ongoing history of assault, for approximately a year, according to the victim, leads me to believe this is not something that will just stop because I have ordered it to," Judge Charles Beach said during Saturday's bond hearing. "This history and his actions from this case lead me to believe that he is a threat to an individual and the community as a whole."
Beach ordered no bail for Walls, noting that the suspect was "currently on bail for a felony offense."
Walls is a high school senior, who has trouble controlling his impulses because he suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, his defense attorney said, adding it is "somewhat of a disability." Walls has no history of sexual crimes, or violent crimes, his attorney noted.
Walls' next court date is Nov. 21, according to WFLD-TV.


theblaze--2020-10-18--Kirstie Alley says she will vote for Trump, leftists respond with tsunami of hate: 'You are now dead

Kirstie Alley says she will vote for Trump, leftists respond with tsunami of hate: 'You are now dead to me'

Kirstie Alley says she will vote for Trump , leftists respond with tsunami of hate : 'You are now dead @ @ @ @ @ voting for Biden because i have a brain '

Actress Kirstie Alley, known for her roles in "Star Trek" and "Cheers," revealed Saturday that she will vote for President Donald Trump next month. She was hit with a tsunami of hate in response.
Alley has become increasingly outspoken about politics in recent weeks. Last month, she criticized new "inclusion" requirements for Best Picture contenders at the Oscars. And earlier this month, the actress slammed a CNN reporter in a viral tweet, and called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "evil" just a few days later.
What did Alley say now?
She announced that she will vote for Trump — just as she did in 2016 — because she approves of his job performance.
"I'm voting for @realDonaldTrump because he's NOT a politician. I voted for him 4 years ago for this reason and shall vote for him again for this reason," she said.
Alley added, "He gets things done quickly and he will turn the economy around quickly. There you have it folks there you have it."
Alley's admission on Saturday was the first time that she revealed that she did, in fact, vote for Trump in 2016.
Alley had initially voiced support for Trump during the Republican primary, but dropped her endorsement when the infamous Hollywood Reporter tape surfaced weeks before the election.
What was the response?
As of Sunday afternoon, Alley's tweet had received more than 87,000 responses. She was widely criticized, and many detractors invoked her membership in Scientology to mock her.
"Shelly Long was way funnier than you," Hollywood director Judd Apatow said.
"Well my vote for Biden canceled yours out. I have done my civic duty of the day," actress Patricia Arquette said.
"So you belong to two cults. Gotcha," one response said.
"Imagine if joining scientology wasn't even your biggest mistake," another response said.
"She's part of two cults-- Scientology and Cult 45. There's no hope for her," another response said.
"You are now dead to me," actress Marina Sirtis said.
"We already knew you were a cultist… but it's definitely weird you're a member of two cults. Isn't there like a cult honor code or something?" another person responded.
"I am hiring my friend because he's NOT an electrician! I hired him 4 years ago for this reason and he wired up the house quick! And now, 4 years later after it burned down (fake news said it was an electric fire) I am going to hire him again!" one person mocked.
"Oooh the highly sought after Scientologist Kirstie Alley vote! Almost as lucrative as the Taliban endorsement," another person mocked.
"So you're proudly proclaiming your support for the racist, sexist, xenophobic, science-denying, constitution-subverting, corrupt, impeached, tool of hostile foreign governments, who has presided over the death of more than 217,000 dead Americans. Good to know. Psycho," another person said.
"I'm voting for Biden because i have a brain," Joe Lockhart, who worked in Bill Clinton's White House, said.
But not everyone was angry. In fact, thousands of people shared their support for Alley's decision.
"Your bravery is appreciated," Kimberly Klacik, a Republican U.S. House candidate from Maryland, said.


theblaze--2020-10-18--Twitter removes White House coronavirus task force member's tweet saying masks don't work

Dr. Scott Atlas , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , had one of his tweets removed by Twitter on Sunday .
The tweet in question , had Atlas claiming that face masks do n't prevent the spread of coronavirus .
Atlas , who is a neuroradiologist and health care policy expert , wrote on Saturday : `` Masks work ?
NO : LA , Miami , Hawaii , Alabama , France , Phlippnes , UK , Spain , Israel .
WHO : 'widesprd use not supported ' + many harms ; Heneghan/Oxf CEBM : 'despite decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC rvw May : '' no sig red ' n in inflnz transm ' n '' ; learn why . ''
Atlas , who is a Hoover Institution Senior Fellow , also shared a link to an article in `` The American Institute for Economic Research '' that argues against the effectiveness of face masks against coronavirus .
Atlas quote-tweeted his original post with a follow-up post that read : `` That means the right policy is guideline : use masks for their intended purpose - when close to others , especially hi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No widespread mandates .
Twitter stated that the tweet violated the social media company 's rules on disputed or misleading information : `` If we determine a Tweet contains misleading or disputed information that could lead to harm , we may add a label to the content to provide context . ''
Twitter 's official blog from May defines `` misleading information '' as `` statements or assertions that have been confirmed to be false or misleading by subject-matter experts , such as public health authorities . ''
Atlas told Newsweek that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deleted his tweet , which included abbreviated citations of multiple sources , some months old , on the effectiveness of widespread mask wearing . ''
`` Twitter seems to be censoring the science if it goes against their own goals of public indoctrination , '' Atlas said .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear face masks to help reduce the spread of coronavirus .
`` We are not defenseless against COVID-19 , '' said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield .
`` Cloth face coverings are one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting .
All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves , their families , and their communities . ''
The removal of Atlas ' post comes a week after Twitter flagged one of President Donald Trump 's tweets about COVID-19 .
Twitter censored the president because he declared that he is `` immune '' to COVID-19 .
`` A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday , '' Trump wrote .
`` That means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , and ca n't give it .
Very nice to know ! ''
Twitter also locked the official account of the New York Post after the paper published an article that featured alleged emails from Hunter Biden regarding his reported overseas dealings .
The New York Post 's Twitter account appeared to be still locked as of early Sunday afternoon .
Previously , Atlas caused a stir in July when he told Glenn Beck , `` There is zero science to back up claims that the schools should be closed or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Frankly , one of the most egregious failures of the policy people is , not just allow [ ing ] fear to infiltrate their own thinking and do lockdowns , which are severely harmful , '' Atlas told Beck .
`` But secondly , they have failed to reassure the public about the facts , and about the relative risk here .
It 's a very serious dangerous disease — for a group of people .
And we know who those people are .
They are high-risk , elderly people with comorbidities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high-risk disease . ''

Dr. Scott Atlas, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, had one of his tweets removed by Twitter on Sunday. The tweet in question, had Atlas claiming that face masks don't prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Atlas, who is a neuroradiologist and health care policy expert, wrote on Saturday: "Masks work? NO: LA, Miami, Hawaii, Alabama, France, Phlippnes, UK, Spain, Israel. WHO:'widesprd use not supported' + many harms; Heneghan/Oxf CEBM:'despite decades, considerble uncertainty re value'; CDC rvw May:"no sig red'n in inflnz transm'n"; learn why."
Atlas, who is a Hoover Institution Senior Fellow, also shared a link to an article in "The American Institute for Economic Research" that argues against the effectiveness of face masks against coronavirus.
Atlas quote-tweeted his original post with a follow-up post that read: "That means the right policy is @realDonaldTrump guideline: use masks for their intended purpose - when close to others, especially hi risk. Otherwise, social distance. No widespread mandates. #CommonSense."
Twitter stated that the tweet violated the social media company's rules on disputed or misleading information: "If we determine a Tweet contains misleading or disputed information that could lead to harm, we may add a label to the content to provide context."
Twitter's official blog from May defines "misleading information" as "statements or assertions that have been confirmed to be false or misleading by subject-matter experts, such as public health authorities."
Atlas told Newsweek that "he didn't understand why Twitter had deleted his tweet, which included abbreviated citations of multiple sources, some months old, on the effectiveness of widespread mask wearing."
"Twitter seems to be censoring the science if it goes against their own goals of public indoctrination," Atlas said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear face masks to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
"We are not defenseless against COVID-19," said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield. "Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities."
The removal of Atlas' post comes a week after Twitter flagged one of President Donald Trump's tweets about COVID-19. Twitter censored the president because he declared that he is "immune" to COVID-19.
"A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday," Trump wrote. "That means I can't get it (immune), and can't give it. Very nice to know!"
Twitter also locked the official account of the New York Post after the paper published an article that featured alleged emails from Hunter Biden regarding his reported overseas dealings. The New York Post's Twitter account appeared to be still locked as of early Sunday afternoon.
Previously, Atlas caused a stir in July when he told Glenn Beck, "There is zero science to back up claims that the schools should be closed or even opened with any constraints whatsoever."
"Frankly, one of the most egregious failures of the policy people is, not just allow[ing] fear to infiltrate their own thinking and do lockdowns, which are severely harmful," Atlas told Beck. "But secondly, they have failed to reassure the public about the facts, and about the relative risk here. It's a very serious dangerous disease — for a group of people. And we know who those people are. They are high-risk, elderly people with comorbidities. Everyone else, it's not a high-risk disease."


theblaze--2020-10-18--VIDEO: Women's March protesters verbally accost pregnant woman, allegedly tell her 'your kid should

VIDEO: Women's March protesters verbally accost pregnant woman, allegedly tell her 'your kid should be aborted'

VIDEO : Women 's March protesters verbally accost pregnant woman , allegedly tell her 'your kid should be aborted' ' @ @ @ @ @ myself if I was that baby '

Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., amid the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday for the Women's March 2020. One video from the event that is gaining attention online shows a pro-abortion protester accosting a pregnant anti-abortion demonstrator.
What happened?
According to Daily Caller reporter Matthew Miller, the pregnant demonstrator was playing the sound of her child's heartbeat over a loudspeaker.
In response, one of the pro-abortion protesters said, "I would want to kill myself if I was that baby." Other protesters laughed at the coarse remark.
When asked by a nearby reporter to explain herself, the Women's March protester doubled down. "Imagine using your child for political s***. I'm saying if I was that child, I'd probably want to kill myself, yeah," she said.
What did the pregnant woman say?
She told the reporter that she attended the protest because she wanted to show pro-abortion advocates that her unborn child is, in fact, a human being.
"To show that my daughter is a real human. Yes, she's in my body. Yes, I'm responsible for her, but her life matters, too," the woman said. "This march, they're not marching for pre-born women. That's why I'm here, and that's why my daughter's here, so that they can have a voice as well."
The woman explained that protesters had been accosting her all day, telling her to "eff off," "go home," and "your kid should be aborted."
"That's disgusting, that's not feminism," the woman reacted. "We're here to say, 'Hey, we want all women to be included, whether they're born, unborn, black, white, different opinions, different genders. We're leaving women out."
According to NPR, 10,000 attendees were permitted to be at Saturday's left-wing Women March event, despite Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser prohibiting "mass gatherings of more than 50 people."


theblaze--2020-10-18--SF free speech rally canceled after organizer's tooth knocked out, police escort Trump supporters aw

SF free speech rally canceled after organizer's tooth knocked out, police escort Trump supporters away from violent mob

SF free speech rally canceled after organizer 's tooth knocked out , police escort Trump supporters away from violent mob @ @ @ @ @ speech rally was taken to the hospital after being attacked

A free speech rally was shut down in San Francisco on Saturday after counter-protesters became violent. The situation became so dangerous for conservatives that police needed to escort them to their cars for their own safety from an angry mob.
A "Free Speech Rally Against Twitter and Big Tech" was planned for Saturday at the Federal Building at U.N. Plaza, which is near Twitter's headquarters. The event was to protest Twitter's censorship of the New York Post's article about Hunter Biden's alleged emails regarding overseas dealings.
The rally, which was organized by Team Save America, was granted a permit by the city. There was a strong police presence in the area and barricades were set up to separate the rally-goers and the counter-protesters.
"The First Amendment ensures the right to assemble for everyone and the permit process is in place to allow for planning, to minimize disruptions and to create basic safety measures," San Francisco Rec & Parks spokesperson Tamara Aparton told SFist. "The San Francisco Police Department will be implementing all safety measures for this event."
Before the 1 p.m. free speech rally kicked off, hundreds of counter-protesters assembled in the area, including a group of black-clad individuals wielding shields. Demonstrators were holding signs that read, "Smash Fascism" and "Nazi Trump F*** Off."
"They have no business being here, they're trying to build a fascist movement in this country," San Francisco resident Carol Seligman told KABC-TV.
"It's tough, I believe in free speech but I'm also anti-fascism," said Elana Thurson-Milgrom from San Francisco.
The main organizer, Philip Anderson, was attacked and punched while he was walking to the stage to deliver his speech. The counter-protesters threw bottles at Anderson while he was on stage. Anderson announced the rally was canceled.
"Too bad it got canceled, that's what happens when you lose free speech, this is what our country has turned into," Anderson told the crowd.
(Content Warning: The following media contain graphic images):
Anderson shared a photo that shows his bloody mouth with his front tooth knocked out and another hanging loosely with the caption: "Antifa attacked me for no reason."
Anderson also posted a video from a hospital bed. "I have a question for you, Joe Biden. You said that Antifa is just an idea. This is what they did to me," Anderson said with a front tooth missing. "I'm at the hospital right now ... because of Antifa. Do you still think, after seeing this, that they're just an idea?"
Despite the free speech rally being canceled, police determined that the conservatives in the area were in danger after the riotous horde tried to knock down the barricades and threw glass bottles. Law enforcement provided a police escort to the conservatives, many of them wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.
Video shows a police motorcade taking the Trump supporters to a parking garage where their cars were located.
San Francisco police said counter-protesters threw "plastic bottles filled with unknown liquid," metal cans and eggs at rally participants.
The San Francisco Police Department said six people were injured, including three officers who suffered non-life-threatening injuries when they were assaulted with pepper spray and caustic chemicals. One officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the department said.
One Trump supporter was seen being taken away in an ambulance with a leg injury.
No arrests were made, the department said.


theblaze--2020-10-17--(UPDATE) Pennsylvania rejects 372,000 mail-in ballot applications, leaving many voters confused: rep

(UPDATE) Pennsylvania rejects 372,000 mail-in ballot applications, leaving many voters confused: report


theblaze--2020-10-19--Women's March, BLM activists reportedly pummel female Trump supporter, who ends up hospitalized for

Women's March, BLM activists reportedly pummel female Trump supporter, who ends up hospitalized for head, neck injuries

Women 's March , BLM activists reportedly pummel female Trump supporter , who ends up hospitalized for head , neck @ @ @ @ @ protests

Female Trump supporter Isabella Maria DeLuca says Women's March and Black Lives Matter activists assaulted her in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, during a pro-Trump rally.
DeLuca shared a photo of her injuries on Twitter Saturday. Her post quickly went viral.
What are the details?
DeLuca — outreach director for Republicans for National Renewal — says she was peacefully demonstrating in D.C. on Saturday with a pro-Trump flag when a woman approached her and began attempting to take away the offending flag.
The outlet noted that DeLuca was also demonstrating to show her support for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
According to the report, when the older woman approached DeLuca and could not muscle away the flag, she began hitting and punching DeLuca.
In a statement to the outlet, DeLuca said, "The first woman was a white older woman — she had glasses on, a glittery, bedazzled Black Lives Matter shirt. She looked like she could have been my grandma, honestly."
She continued, explaining that a younger woman approached the two and quickly flanked the older woman. The younger woman then also reportedly attempted to yank away DeLuca's pro-Trump flag. When DeLuca refused to give it up, the younger woman reportedly began to punch and choke her.
According to the outlet, "DeLuca said that she felt reluctant to defend herself due to the advanced age of her attacker, but was determined to retrieve the flag when it was snatched."
DeLuca was hospitalized after the attack and, according to the outlet, treated with a cervical collar due to head and neck injuries.
DeLuca shared a photo of her injuries to Twitter, captioning the snap, "The aftermath of supporting @realDonaldTrump at the Women's March today!"
What else?
On Monday morning, DeLuca — who apparently received backlash for sharing her story across social media — tweeted, "The fact I even have to come on here and defend myself to a bunch of disgusting leftists is sad. I didn't charge at a woman. She stole my flag and I put up my hand to retrieve it from the ground so I didn't get kicked while I was down on the ground."


theblaze--2020-10-17--New York families who lost loved ones in nursing home crisis to hold 'mock funeral' for Gov. Cuomo

New York families who lost loved ones in nursing home crisis to hold 'mock funeral ' for Gov .
Cuomo

New York families who lost elderly loved ones during the state's coronavirus crisis this spring plan to hold a "mock funeral" targeting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "leadership and integrity," the New York Post reported.
What's the background?
In late March, Cuomo issued an executive order that said nursing homes could not reject patients recovering from the coronavirus. At the time, New York hospitals were being overrun with COVID-19 patients as the Empire State quickly became the global epicenter for the novel virus, and the policy was supposedly meant to free up hospital beds.
However, the directive turned out to be a death warrant for thousands of elderly New Yorkers. Cuomo officially reversed the policy in mid-May, but he has thus far refused accountability.
In fact, in a book that was published this week about his response to the pandemic, Cuomo blamed Republicans for his scandal.
"By early spring, Republicans needed an offense to distract from the narrative of their botched federal response — and they needed it badly," Cuomo wrote. "So they decided to attack Democratic governors and blame them for nursing homes."
What are the families doing?
From the New York Post:
Grieving family members who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes due to COVID-19 plan to stage a "funeral" for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "leadership and integrity."
The relatives will stand outside of Brownstone Brooklyn's coronavirus-ravaged Cobble Hill Health Center on Sunday at noon — and demand that Cuomo apologize for what they call his botched response to the pandemic, organizers said.
Daniel Arbeeny, who lost his father and three other elderly family members in the nursing home crisis, told the Post that a hearse has been rented for the event, which will carry a casket filled with thousands of pages from Cuomo's book.
"Ultimately we want an apology and we don't want it to be buried and hidden and forgotten. Thousands upon thousands of people died — couldn't have burials," Arbeeny said.
"Now he wrote this book, he's calling himself great. Taking credit for the good things and blaming everyone for everything else," Arbeeny added. "In our heart we want him to apologize. Period. End of discussion."
How is Cuomo responding?
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, dismissed the families, according to the Post, and continued to blame Republican's for Cuomo's order.
"We mourn with every family who lost someone during this pandemic and hope they look past the misinformation and outright lies that have been manufactured by right-wing agitators and their allies looking to cover for the federal government's many, many failures," Azzopardi said.
"The fact remains that every state across the nation is grappling with how to keep nursing home patients safe and tackle the root cause of infections — asymptomatic staffers who through no fault of their own bring in the virus," he added.


theblaze--2020-10-20--Commission changes rules for second debate to keep candidates from interrupting each other; Trump ca

Commission changes rules for second debate to keep candidates from interrupting each other; Trump campaign responds immediately

Commission changes rules for second debate to keep candidates from interrupting each other ; Trump campaign responds immediately 'There will @ @ @ @ @ '

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it is changing the rules and will cut the microphone of each candidate when their opponent has the floor for the second debate, and the Trump campaign responded immediately.
The commission announced the change in a statement on Monday.
"The Commission has determined that it is appropriate to adopt measures intended to promote adherence to agreed upon rules and inappropriate to make changes to those rules," the commission said in part in the statement.
"The Commission is announcing today that in order to enforce this agreed upon rule, the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules," the statement explained later.
"For the balance of each segment, which by design is intended to be dedicated to open discussion, both candidates' microphones will be open," the statement added.
The Trump campaign wasted no time in responding and fired off a statement very soon after the announcement.
"President Donald Trump is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate," the statement read.
"This was supposed to be the foreign policy debate, so the President still looks forward to forcing Biden to answer the No. 1 relevant question of whether he's been compromised by the Communist Party of China. Why did Biden allow his son Hunter to sell access to him while he was vice president, and why were there Chinese payment arrangements for Joe himself worked out by Hunter and his sketchy partners?" the statement added.
"If the media won't ask Joe Biden these questions," the statement concluded, "the President will, and there will be no escape for Biden."
Critics panned the first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden after it descended into a combative free-for-all with both candidates interrupting each other. Fox News host Chris Wallace moderated the debate and lamented later that he lost control of the two candidates.
"I'm just sad with the way last night turned out," Wallace said. "I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did."
The final presidential debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled to take place at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The debate will follow the format of the first debate, devoting 15 minutes to each topic and providing each candidate with two minutes to respond to prompts from moderator Kristen Welker, a NBC News White House correspondent.
Here's when the news broke on Fox News:


theblaze--2020-10-20--Court rules against Ghislaine Maxwell, orders testimony to be unsealed in Jeffrey Epstein case

Court rules against Ghislaine Maxwell , orders testimony to be unsealed in Jeffrey Epstein case The documents could be 'life @ @ @ @ @ in the heinous incidents

The former girlfriend and longtime aide of the late sexual predator billionaire Jeffrey Epstein lost her bid in court to keep her testimony sealed.
A court ruled Monday that the 418-page deposition from April 2016 of Ghislaine Maxwell would not remain unsealed.
Maxwell had appealed the ruling by a lower court but the three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled against her.
"We have reviewed all of the arguments raised by Defendant-Appellant Maxwell on appeal and find them to be without merit," the judges said.
They also ruled against a petition from Maxwell to consolidate her case with that from criminal charges by the Southern District of New York.
Maxwell's attorneys argued that the testimony should remain sealed in order to preserve her presumption of innocence.
An attorney for several of Epstein's victims hailed the ruling.
"This is good news for not just the victims of Epstein, but for victims everywhere," said lawyer Spencer Kuvin. "The Courts should not be a party to the long history of Epstein and his co-conspirator's attempts to avoid public scrutiny for their actions. Everyone who was a part of the Epstein sex ring should be concerned."
In September 2019 after Epstein's death, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska indicated that many people could be implicated by the public release of the documents.
"In some of these documents there are literally a thousand people," she said at the time.
A lawyer added that some the information would be "life changing" for many involved.
Epstein was found dead by his own hand in August 2019 in a prison cell in Manhattan, New York, while awaiting his court case to proceed. Officials said that he was able to hang himself with a bedsheet tied around his neck with the other end tied from the top bunk in his cell.
Some have noted that former President Bill Clinton had many interactions with Epstein, including documented trips to his island where many accusers claim they were sexually assaulted by Epstein and his guests.


theblaze--2020-10-20--Rapper 50 Cent endorses Trump after finding out how much he would be taxed by Joe Biden

Rapper 50 Cent endorses Trump after finding out how much he would be taxed by Joe Biden '62 % are @ @ @ @ @ mind '

Rapper 50 Cent called on his followers to vote for President Donald Trump on Monday after finding out what his tax rate would be under Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's plan, while throwing out some F-bombs to emphasize his feelings.
What are the details?
"WHAT THE F***!" the music titan wrote on Instagram next to a graphic showing the "top tax rates by state" under Biden. "(VOTE FOR TRUMP) I'M OUT."
The New York City native, whose given name is Curtis Jackson, then went after his hometown and one of its NBA teams, writing, "F*** NEW YORK The KNICKS never win anyway."
He added, "I don't care Trump doesn't like black people 62% are you out of ya f***ing mind."
(Content warning: strong language)
50 Cent was apparently watching CNBC's "Power Lunch" program, which posted a graphic showing that New York City taxes would hit 62% for earners making more than $400,000 annually. It indicated that rates for taxpayers earning more than $400,000 in New York state would be at 58%, and earners above that mark would pay a 60% rate in New Jersey under Biden's plan. California's high earners would be hit the hardest, at 62.6%.
The Daily Caller noted that just days ago, 50 Cent also shared a video of Trump dancing at one of his rallies to the Village People song "YMCA."
"Still no f***s given," the rapper captioned with a laughing emoji, adding that, "The Bots support TRUMP"
(Content warning: strong language)
According to New York City's WQHT-FM, Biden's tax plan "caused Fif to do a 180 on supporting Biden," noting that the rapper had previously criticized Trump for his response to COVID-19.
50 cent wrote in March, "You wanted a reality show host as president. Well, now you're a survivor."
He added, "Yeah we f***ed up big time, but we gonna be alright watch. LOL."