theblaze--2020-08-01--AOC condemns Hawaii's statue of Catholic saint as example of 'white supremacist culture'

AOC condemns Hawaii 's statue of Catholic saint as example of 'white supremacist culture' St. Damien of Molokai ministered to @ @ @ @ @ died from the disease

Far-left serial provocateur Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) spent her afternoon Thursday explaining to her Instagram followers that America is racist because "virtually" all of the statues in the U.S. Capitol represent "colonizers and settlers."
But the figure she singled out as an example of "white supremacist culture" left people scratching their heads over her argument.
What are the details?
The Washington Examiner's John Gage wrote on Twitter, "@AOC calls the statue in the US Capitol building of Father Damien [of Molokai], a canonized saint in the Catholic Church, a part of 'white supremacist culture.' Father Damien died of leprosy after spending his life serving others who had the disease."
Gage included a clip posted from Ocasio-Cortez's video, where she wrote in the text:
Even when we select figures to tell the stories of colonized places, it is the colonizers and settlers whose stories are told — and virtually no one else. Check out Hawaii's statue.
It's not Queen Lili'uokalani of Hawaii, the only Queen Regnant of Hawaii, who is immortalized and whose story is told. It is Father Damien. This isn't to litigate each and every individual statue, but to point out the patterns that have emerged among the totality of them in who we are taught to deify in our nation's Capitol: virtually all men, all white, and mostly both. This is what patriarchy and white supremacist culture looks like! It's not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture & how it impacts the present day.
The congresswoman's attack on Father Damien baffled many, including the Bishop of the Los Angeles Diocese, Bishop Robert Barron, who posted his own video on social media explaining how the departed saint volunteered to minister on the island of Molokai — a leper colony — knowing that he would never leave. Bishop Barron called Ocasio-Cortez's selection of Father Damien to pick on out of all the statues in the Capitol as "crazy and outrageous."
Father Damien is revered in Hawaii. National Review pointed out the the state even declared an annual holiday in his honor in 2009.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to Gage's post, writing, "1. Unsure why you cut the context of the video. Here's moment prior. 2. Read the text of the video you posted: it's not about litigating an indiv person or statue, but examining that the TOTALITY of all 100+ statues are almost all white & male, incl to rep largely nonwhite places."
The video Rep. Ocasio-Cortez posted shows an array of statues representing men. The overlying text reads:
When we talk about sexism and racism being cultural — aka just the water that we swim in and don't even realize — I want to show you a real life example. This is the crypt of the US Capitol. In general, the Capitol has statues all over the place. They're everywhere you turn. I walk under past them every day on the way to work. Millions of people come here every year to learn these stories and see who is celebrated as heroes in US history. Who do you see? Who do you not see?


theblaze--2020-08-01--Joy Reid joins online mob slamming Biden for another criticism of Kamala Harris from 'very white' VP

Joy Reid joins online mob slamming Biden for another criticism of Kamala Harris from 'very white' VP search team

Joy Reid joins online mob slamming Biden for another criticism of Kamala Harris from 'very white ' VP search team

MSNBC host Joy Reid joined in the chorus of the angry mob on social media slamming the Joe Biden presidential campaign for another criticism aimed at Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) from his vice presidential search committee and other allies.
Supporters of Harris, who is considered the favorite among the VP candidates, bristled after a statement from former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who favored Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.).
"Kamala can rub some people the wrong way. Karen Bass is not likely to do that," Rendell said. "The number one rule for picking the VP? Do no harm."
The comments follow upon similar criticism from former Sen. Chris Dodd, who is officially on Biden's vice presidential search committee.
Liberals lash out at Biden team
Reid denounced the statement from Rendell as part of a campaign from "white, older" allies of Biden to undermine Harris out of their own "biases."
"There is a really bad taste forming around this Biden veep search. Biden clearly would have been better off making a quick announcement soon after South Carolina as some younger pols counseled and not allowing his very white, older kitchen cabinet's throwback biases to seep out," said Reid.
Reid was responding to a tweet from Washington Post opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin who complained that "old white men" comprised his VP search committee.
"The fact that a bunch of old white men - Chris Dodd, Ed Rendell are effectively saying Kamala is too ambitious is disgraceful. They are managing to turn a positive milestone into evidence of deep misogyny - unless Biden picks Kamala," said Rubin.
'More racist, misogynist planted stories... by dying rich white male patriarchy'
Other liberal voices were angered by Rendell's statement and they took to social media to express their displeasure.
"I have no fave for VP. I trust @JoeBiden. But let me say this about Ed Rendell, whom I've known since '86: he is full of it," tweeted Paul Begala.
"As DNC chair when the SCOTUS was stealing the presidency from Al Gore, he called on Gore to concede," he added. "He has no standing to criticize @KamalaHarris."
"More racist, misogynist planted stories & leaks vs Kamala Harris by dying rich white male patriarchy in compliant clickbait media, like NY Times. None discuss her politics, just throw tired, racist, sexist barbs about her being 'ambitious' & 'disloyal,'" said activist Eddie Goldman.
"Like bad sex, the Black women of America are tired of going into the voting booth & faking it. We are faithful voters. We deserve a VP candidate we can believe in & get excited about. Give us Sen. Kamala Harris! She's ready. And we're ready to fight alongside her & the old guy," said writer Annie Apple.
Here's more about the race for the VP candidacy:


theblaze--2020-07-31--'Thin Blue Line' flags removed from town's firetrucks after complaint claims they symbolize 'white s

'Thin Blue Line' flags removed from town's firetrucks after complaint claims they symbolize 'white supremacy'

'Thin Blue Line ' flags removed from town 's firetrucks after complaint claims they symbolize 'white supremacy' The flags were @ @ @ @ @ police officer who was murdered in the line of duty

The Hingham Fire Department in Massachusetts flew "Thin Blue Line" flags from its firetrucks this month to honor the memory of a fallen police officer from a nearby town who was murdered in the line of duty two years ago.
A resident wrote the leaders of the town of Hingham complaining that the flags honoring law enforcement now symbolize "white supremacy" and arguing that they should be taken down. Following resistance, the "Thin Blue Line" flags were removed from the trucks — but the rank and file members of the fire department refused to be the ones to do it.
What are the details?
Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna — a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars — was investigating a car accident in July 2018 when a suspect attacked him with a rock before killing him with his own service weapon. In remembrance of the second anniversary of Chesna's death, the Hingham Fire Department affixed the "Thin Blue Line" flags on their trucks.
The Patriot Ledger reported that an unnamed Hingham resident reacted by emailing the town's board of selectmen calling for the flags to be removed, arguing that the flags "have become a symbol of white supremacy" in light of the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
According to The Ledger, "Fire Chief Steve Murphy and Police Chief Glenn Olsson told personnel they'd need to remove the flags, which are a black-and-white version of the American flag with a single blue line in the center, because they're against a town policy that forbids political messaging on town property."
Town leaders emphasized their support for law enforcement, but also acknowledged that under their rule against political displays, they had recently refused to fly LGBT pride flags on city property.
What happened next?
Fox News reported that the firefighters' union "says it resisted removing the 'Thin Blue Line' flags" for days "because no member 'was able to sacrifice his or her moral fortitude.'"
Union President Lt. Chris Melanson said of the flag earlier this week, "It has always, and will always, represent the men and women of law enforcement that hold the line between peace and chaos. Especially those who bravely made the ultimate sacrifice during the performance of these heroic duties."
With no firefighters being willing to personally take down the flags, they solicited officers from the Weymouth Police Department who stepped in Thursday morning to assist with the flag removals from the fleet. The union issued a statement afterward saying, "We did not want to risk the chance of having these flags removed from the trucks in a disrespectful manner."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Supreme Court hands Trump a victory, says border wall construction can continue with Department of D

Supreme Court hands Trump a victory, says border wall construction can continue with Department of Defense funds

Supreme Court hands Trump a victory , says border wall construction can continue with Department of Defense funds The court @ @ @ @ @ so will the lawsuit

The Trump administration prevailed at the Supreme Court in a lawsuit claiming that the president could not divert funds from the Pentagon in order to pay for the construction of the wall at the southern border.
The court ruled by a 5-4 vote on Friday that construction could continue on the wall during the pendency of the lawsuit as it proceeds through the court system.
The lawsuit will be taken up eventually for consideration by the Supreme Court, but a final decision is not likely to be made before the election is completed in November.
Justice Stephen Breyer said in his dissent to the order that it would likely serve as a final judgment.
"The Court's decision to let construction continue nevertheless I fear, may operate, in effect, as a final judgment," said Breyer.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Sierra Club. The ACLU responded to the ruling in a statement saying that it will also seek for the parts of the border wall built with the diverted funds to be destroyed.
"The fight continues. The administration has admitted that the wall can be taken down if we ultimately prevail, and we will hold them to their word and seek the removal of every mile of unlawful wall built," they tweeted.
"Every lower court to consider the question has ruled President Trump's border wall illegal, and the Supreme Court's temporary order does not decide the case. We'll be back before the Supreme Court soon to put a stop to Trump's xenophobic border wall once and for all," they added in a second tweet.
The lawsuit applied to $2.5 billion that the president diverted from Department of Defense funding for the border wall.
The construction of the border wall was a large part of the president's campaign for election in 2016, while on the other end of the political spectrum, Democrats have claimed that a border wall is just an expression of xenophobia and racism.
While the president has argued that a border wall is necessary to more efficiently enforce immigration law, in recent months the coronavirus pandemic has also spurred supporters of the wall to point to reports of the virus spreading through illegal immigration.
Here's more about the diversion of funds for the border wall:


theblaze--2020-07-31--Virginia Military Institute will not remove Confederate monuments or rename buildings

Virginia Military Institute will not remove Confederate monuments or rename buildings But VMI plans to change traditions and put an @ @ @ @ @ faculty and student body

The Virginia Military Institute, the oldest state military college in the United States, will not remove any Confederate monuments or rename any buildings that are dedicated to Confederate leaders. VMI also announced that the school will change certain traditions and place an emphasis on attracting a diverse faculty and student body.
Retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, the Virginia Military Institute's superintendent, announced that the school would keep the Confederate statues that are currently on campus and they will not rename any buildings.
"We do not currently intend to remove any VMI statues or rename any VMI buildings," Peay wrote in a seven-page letter that was released this week. "Rather, in the future we will emphasize recognition of leaders from the Institute's second century.
"Throughout the years, the primary focus on honoring VMI's history has been to celebrate principles of honor, integrity, character, courage, service, and selflessness of those associated with the Institute," Peay said. "It is not to in anyway condone racism, much less slavery.
"First and foremost, I believe we all agree we want to erase any hint of racism at VMI, in our communities, and in our country," Peay wrote. "It is also very clear that the VMI community consists of passionate individuals with deeply held beliefs."
"Some of our African American cadets and alumni have expressed that parts of the VMI experience did not live up to the standards that it should have, and I am committed to addressing and fixing any areas of racial inequality at our school," Peay said.
"Enhance recruiting, especially among marginalized youth, and meet the need for a more diverse faculty and staff," the letter to the VMI community stated.
The Virginia Military Institute, which was founded in 1839, has a statue of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson on campus. The Confederate general, who owned six slaves, taught at VMI. He was a professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and instructor of artillery at VMI from 1851 until 1861 when he went to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Multiple buildings are named after Jackson and other alumni and faculty who fought for the Confederacy.
VMI rolled out a plan to "retain the foundation of values and principles set in the Institute's early years," but the school "will shift the emphasis and celebrations to our remarkable history of our second century."
"The tall and massive parade ground flagpoles will be re-centered on New Barracks; this will change the symbolic focus from General Jackson and Old Barracks, and signals VMI's move to the future," the letter read.
The Lexington-based school is relocating its cadet oath ceremony to school grounds. Previously, the ceremony was held on the New Market Battlefield, which is where 10 VMI cadets died fighting for the Confederacy.
Every Virginia Military Institute cadet will be required to take a course called "American Civic Experience," which will "emphasize American history and civics within the context historically of national and world events, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and slavery."
"We anticipate hiring a respected scholar to occupy a new academic chair that will further the development of this curriculum," Peay said. "The new course will also provide the framework for advanced elective courses offered on the African American Experience, 19th Century South Africa, and Africa in Pre- and Modern Times."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Ammon Bundy planned to attend a Black Lives Matter rally 'in support of defunding the police'

Ammon Bundy planned to attend a Black Lives Matter rally 'in support of defunding the police '

Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy, who became a cause célèbre in many circles on the right after he led a lengthy armed standoff with Obama administration officials on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016, made waves in a recent Facebook Live video when he said that he recently planned to attend a Black Lives Matter rally in order to show support for defunding the police.
In the video, Bundy starts by saying that he is disappointed in some of his followers, who call themselves "Patriots," because "Really, they don't want freedom, in my view. They want division. They want to hate somebody, or a group of people."
He went on to claim that people across the country had sent him "terrible messages or basically just disowned me because I simply was going to go to a rally for the Black Lives Matter in support of defunding the police. Because yes, the police need to be defunded.
"And anybody who don't understand that is just somehow ... must be ... I mean, I'm trying not to be too pointed here, but must have a problem," he continued. "You must have a problem in your mind if you think somehow the Black Lives Matter is more dangerous than the police. You must have a problem in your mind.
"If you think Antifa is the one going to take your freedom, you must have a problem in your mind. You must be thinking ... you must be hypnotized by these social media code words or by conservative talk show hosts," Bundy said.
According to Bundy, police "become a huge, authoritarian bureaucracy that will be the people that take away our liberty. They will be ones to do that. And the only way to stop them is people uniting to stop them."
Following significant blowback from commenters on his video, Bundy released a subsequent post in which he attempted to clarify some of his thinking.
In the post, he explained that one of the reasons that he wanted to attend a BLM rally was because "My friend, Lavoy Finicum, an innocent man, was killed by abusive police." Finicum was shot and killed by FBI agents who were attempting to arrest him during the 2016 standoff.
He also explained that, "I am not in favor of abolishing the police, but I am in favor of minimizing their power."
According to Bundy, "Law enforcement is a necessary element of a free and civil society and I am wholeheartedly in favor of having a law-abiding peacekeeping force that ensures the peace and safety of its citizens. ... What I want is what most rational and free-thinking people want — I want freedom to live the life that I want without fear of my government oppressing me or physically assaulting me. Patriots want that. And guess what, many people within the BLM movement just want the same thing. They're not all communists."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Crowder Classics: Steven Crowder and Tommy Sotomayor discuss Democrats buying the black vote in 2016

Crowder Classics : Steven Crowder and Tommy Sotomayor discuss Democrats buying the black vote in 2016

Some things never change. The sky is blue, water is wet, and Democrats want you to be poor and desperate. With the 2020 presidential election only 96 days away, now is the time to reflect on the 2016 election.
This Crowder Classic may be an older clip, but it remains relevant. Steven and Tommy talk about Democratic shenanigans and vote buying. In retrospect, the days when busing voters to multiple polling sites (and still losing the 2016 election) seem like child's play compared to the 2020 Democrats. You be the judge.
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theblaze--2020-07-31--Former Missouri governor REVEALS Soros' corruption in St. Louis McCloskey case

Soros has been undermining America 's justice system for YEARS

Multi-billionaire George Soros has been spending millions of dollars on U.S. prosecutor elections as part of a years-long campaign to undermine America's criminal justice system.
One such Soros-backed prosecutor, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, made headlines recently when she announced her office was bringing felony charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who brandished guns while defending their home from Black Lives Matter protesters in June.
In this episode of "Wilkow," former Missouri Republican governor and Navy SEAL, Eric Greitens, joined host Andrew Wilkow in the first in-studio interview since the coronavirus lockdown. Greitens revealed the extent of Soros' involvement in the McCloskey case and discussed Gardner's failed prosecution which ultimately led to his own resignation as governor.
Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation:
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To enjoy more of Andrew's dynamic truth-telling, unmistakable opinion and rational political analysis, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-07-31--There's no kneeling in the NHL: No less than 6 teams link arms, stand together during national anthe

There's no kneeling in the NHL: No less than 6 teams link arms, stand together during national anthem to show unity

There 's no kneeling in the NHL : No less than 6 teams link arms , stand together during national @ @ @ @

Players from the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, and Nashville Predators all stood to honor the playing of the national anthem in recent games.
Not one single player kneeled.
What are the details?
On Tuesday, players for the Flyers and Penguins stood together in solidarity before their exhibition opener in Toronto.
The respective teams stood together on the blue lines to show solidarity — and the Penguins made sure the message was clear.
In a tweet, the beloved Pittsburgh team wrote, "The Penguins and Flyers, two of the fiercest rivals in sports, united in solidarity this afternoon, to stand up against social injustice, racism, and hate."
"The teams stood as one across each club's respective blue lines prior to today's game," the tweet added.
The tweet has been liked 8,000 times at the time of this reporting.
According to NBC Sports, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said, "A lot has happened since we played our last game. And we felt, both teams, that it was important to show unity given what's gone on and just wanted to be part of the solution moving forward."
Your browser does not support iframes.
What else?
The Stars and Predators also linked arms Tuesday afternoon before their exhibition game.
Stars captain Jamie Benn said, "You've seen all the other teams do it. We had some chats with Nashville and talked with [Predators captain] Roman Josi. We thought it would be good to mix it up, link arms. We stand for equality and I think it's important we keep talking about it and keep improving it."
According to The Dallas Morning News, NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said that the league would host an "opening night that we think will be memorable and powerful as we honor frontline pandemic workers and those who are fighting for social justice."
A new trend on the horizon?
On Tuesday, NBC Sports reported that the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets had the same plans for their game Thursday night. And the two teams did, indeed, gather — arms linked — in a circle.
“Over the past several months we have been trying to educate ourselves and learn more about racial injustice in our country and around the world. As a team we have decided to lock arms during the playing of the United States and Canadian Anthems as a sign of solidarity with the Black community," a spokesperson for the Bruins told the outlet.
“This action is solely intended to be a positive sign of support for the Black community, and a way for us to use our platform to help end racism," the statement concluded.
A spokesperson for the Blue Jackets added, "Our team is joining the Boston Bruins in locking arms as a positive sign of support for the Black community prior to the playing of the National Anthems."
“As a group and as individuals, we have and will continue to listen and learn about racial injustice," the Blue Jackets' statement continued. "Through our platform, we hope to continue the important conversations about equality.
“Racism and prejudice have no place in hockey and no place in society," the Columbus team concluded.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Authorities have charged three people in connection with massive Twitter/Bitcoin hack, and the alleg

Authorities have charged three people in connection with massive Twitter/Bitcoin hack, and the alleged 'mastermind' of the scheme is 17 years old

Authorities have charged three people in connection with massive Twitter/Bitcoin hack , and the alleged 'mastermind ' of the scheme @ @ @ @

The Department of Justice announced Friday that three individuals have been charged with the massive Twitter hack on July 15 — and the alleged mastermind of the scheme is only 17 years old.
Twitter was forced to temporarily suspend the accounts of all verified users during the course of the hack after the hackers took control of the Twitter accounts belonging to numerous famous people and companies and caused those accounts to tweet messages encouraging people to donate Bitcoin to an ostensible charity, but instead funneled the donated Bitcoin to the hackers.
The hackers managed to scam people out of well over $100,000 worth of Bitcoin during the brief time before Twitter locked out all verified users.
According to WFLA-TV, 17-year-old Graham Clark was arrested by police in Florida and charged by the Hillsborough State's Attorney's Office with 30 state law felonies related to the hack. Also, the Department of Justice announced that federal charges have been filed against Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida, and Mason Sheppard, 19, of the United Kingdom. It was not immediately clear whether Fazeli and Sheppard had been taken into custody as of Friday afternoon.
The celebrities targeted by the attack included Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Authorities say they were able to track down Clark because they were able to trace the Bitcoin to accounts that were associated with Clark.
In addition to defrauding users out of a significant amount of Bitcoin, the hack was a source of significant embarrassment for Twitter, which has scrambled to reassure users of the site's security following the hack. Twitter ultimately concluded that the hackers used a phone spear phishing attack to target certain Twitter employees.
Twitter responded to news of the arrests by thanking law enforcement for their work bringing the alleged hackers to justice, and by promising users that further steps are being taken to ensure that a similar attack does not happen again.


theblaze--2020-07-31--After employees complained, Colorado declares racism a public health crisis and will hire an ‘equity

After employees complained, Colorado declares racism a public health crisis and will hire an ‘equity and inclusion officer’

After employees complained , Colorado declares racism a public health crisis and will hire an ‘ equity and inclusion officer @ @ @ @ @ policy within the health department

The state of Colorado plans to declare racism a public health crisis and hire more people of color into its health department, including an "equity and inclusion officer," the Denver Post reported Friday.
The move reportedly came following weeks of urging from employees at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, one of whom said they were "dumbfounded" that more hadn't been done already in response to protests over racial injustice.
"I like it when my employees push me on this issue to go faster and to use language they think is more descriptive," Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan said, announcing the news.
Before this latest action, the department had opted only to publicly call racism "a persistent and critical health issue" in an open letter on its website. That wasn't enough for some of the department's employees.
According to the report:
Four employees of the health department — three of whom are staffers of color — told The Post that not only was the letter published weeks after employees first raised questions, but it minimized racism by calling it an "issue" rather than a "crisis." The latter, they said, more aptly reflects the urgency the agency should have in responding to inequalities that exist both inside the department and in the health of Coloradans.
One employee anonymously said: "I've just been kind of dumbfounded as someone who works for the agency. And just have been really underwhelmed with the stance that they've taken and have been really appalled by the fact that CDPHE remains silent about systemic racism."
Another employee, also anonymously, added: "It's just kind of a pattern internally of dragging our feet and not really addressing why we have't done anything. I would hope that everyone that works at CDPHE would recognize that systemic racism impacts our work and has for longer than the past month."
The pressure apparently worked, as now the department has taken more concrete action by declaring racism a public health crisis and making it formal policy within the department.
What exactly will it accomplish, though? Hunsaker Ryan told the outlet she has two goals:
To increase diversity in the department's workforce, which is almost 78% white, and make it easier for local community organizations that provide services to people of color to partner with the agency. She also plans to hire an equity and inclusion officer for the department, potentially by the end of August.
According to the American Public Health Association, a growing list of local officials in 19 states have also declared racism a public health crisis. But as of the end of July, Colorado joined one other state in making the declaration: Wisconsin.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Female Staples customer throws woman with a cane to the floor, breaking her leg, after being told to

Female Staples customer throws woman with a cane to the floor, breaking her leg, after being told to socially distance

Female Staples customer throws woman with a cane to the floor , breaking her leg , after being told to @ @ @ @ @ losing it

A shopper in a New Jersey Staples store was caught on video throwing another woman — who was using a cane — to the floor after the victim told her to socially distance because she wasn't correctly wearing her mask over her nose, the New York Post reported.
The paper added that the victim suffered a broken leg in the incident Wednesday afternoon in Hackensack.
What are the details?
Surveillance video shows the unknown assailant improperly wearing a mask and walking up to a 54-year-old woman who was using a copy machine, police told the Post.
Cops said the victim told the improperly masked woman to either back up or put on her mask correctly, the paper noted. Her mask wasn't covering her nose, just her mouth.
The 54-year-old woman also raised her cane and pointed at the assailant, who had been pointing her finger repeatedly at the victim during the exchange.
Image source: New York Post video screenshot
Apparently that set off the assailant, who grabbed the victim by her wrist and threw her to the floor several feet away. The assailant also knocked over a large transparent divider.
Immediately afterward, video shows the assailant casually flipping her hair off her shoulder and proceeding with her business. As the victim is on the ground, apparently pleading for help, three other customers and two employees simply stand in place and watch.
Another employee arrives and seems to communicate with a walkie talkie, but he doesn't go near the injured victim, who by now is waving her hand at the staff for assistance.
The assailant appears again in the video frame, and victim attempts to kick at her as she walks by to no avail.
Police released a video of the attack Friday and are asking for the public's help to identify the assailant, the Post reported.
Crazy times
Mask-related altercations amid the COVID-19 pandemic are nothing new — but the physical aggressors are usually the ones upset at folks not wearing masks.
Earlier this month, an attacking woman's behavior went viral after she reportedly pepper sprayed a couple having a picnic in a San Diego dog park — allegedly because they weren't wearing face masks while eating their lunch.
Also, a California Lyft rider reportedly attacked her driver and spat at him after the Lyft driver requested that she wear a face mask.
Two men allegedly attacked a security guard at a Target store in May after they refused to wear a face mask.
A viral video this week showed a woman enraged that small children were not wearing face masks. She told the children: "I hope you all die!"


theblaze--2020-07-31--Rep. Jim Jordan grills Dr. Fauci on impact of protests during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rep. Jim Jordan grills Dr. Fauci on impact of protests during the COVID-19 pandemic The two got into a heated @ @ @ @ @ spread coronavirus

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) got into a heated exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday while discussing the impact the nationwide protests have had on the spread of COVID-19.
During the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing, Jordan grilled Fauci on whether the last two months of protests have spread the coronavirus.
"Crowding together, particularly when you're not wearing a mask, contributes to spreading the virus," Fauci said when asked about protests spreading COVID-19.
Jordan then asked Fauci, "Should the government limit the protesting?"
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases replied, "I don't think that's relevant. I'm not in a position to determine what the government can do in a forceful way."
"You make all kinds of recommendations," Jordan retorted. "You've made comments on dating, on baseball, on everything you can imagine."
Jordan also cited the Supreme Court's decision to reject a Nevada church's request to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions that the state's casinos, restaurants, amusement parks, and other businesses must abide by.
"But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in response to the 5-4 decision.
Jordan questioned, "Is there a world where the Constitution says you can favor one First Amendment liberty — protesting — over another — practicing your faith?"
"I'm not favoring anybody over anybody," Fauci responded. "I'm just making a statement that's a broad statement, that avoid crowds of any type, no matter where you are, because that leads to the acquisition and transmission. And I don't judge one crowd versus another crowd. When you're in a crowd, particularly if you're not wearing a mask, that induces the spread."
"I haven't seen people during a church service go out and harm police officers or burn buildings, but we know that for 63 days, nine weeks, it's been happening in Portland," Jordan said of nationwide protests. "One night in Chicago, 49 officers were injured. But no limit to protests, but, boy, you can't go to church on Sunday."
"I don't know how many times I can answer that," Fauci replied. "I'm not going to opine on limiting anything."
"You've opined on a lot of things, Dr. Fauci," Jordan responded. "This is something that directly impacts the spread of the virus."
"You should stay away from crowds, no matter where the crowds are," Fauci said during the combative parley.
Jordan mentioned the recent arrest of the owners of the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey. They were arrested on Monday for opening their business, which defied the lockdown order of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D).
"Government has stopped people from going to work," Jordan continued. "Do you see the inconsistency though, Dr. Fauci?"
"There's no inconsistency congressman," Fauci retorted.
"So you're allowed to protest — millions of people on one day, in crowds, yelling, screaming — but you try to run your business, you get arrested?" Jordan asked. "And if you stood right outside of that same business and protested you wouldn't get arrested?"
"I don't understand what you're asking me, as a public health official, to opine on who should get arrested or not," Fauci responded. "That's not my position. You could ask me as much as you want, and I'm not going to answer it."
When Jordan pressed Fauci on whether protests help spread coronavirus, the health official said, "I can tell you that crowds are known, particularly when you don't have a mask, to increase the acquisition and transmission, no matter what the crowd is."
"So the protests don't increase the spread of the virus?" Jordan said.
"I didn't say that," a visibly perturbed Fauci said. "You're putting words in my mouth."
President Donald Trump retweeted the video of Jordan clashing with Fauci.
"Great job by Jim Jordan, and also some very good statements by Tony Fauci," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Big progress being made!"
Last month, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) butted heads with Fauci over what he called the politicization of the COVID-19 response, especially the reopening of schools.
Also during Friday's hearing, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who chairs the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, asked Fauci why the U.S. has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than Europe.
Fauci said the U.S. did not shut down at the same level that Europe did.
President Trump responded on Twitter.
"Somebody please tell Congressman Clyburn, who doesn't have a clue, that the chart he put up indicating more CASES for the U.S. than Europe, is because we do MUCH MORE testing than any other country in the World," Trump wrote. "If we had no testing, or bad testing, we would show very few CASES."
"Our massive testing capability, rather than being praised, is used by the Lamestream Media and their partner, the Do Nothing Radical Left Democrats, as a point of scorn," the president continued. "This testing, and what we have so quickly done, is used as a Fake News weapon. Sad!"
You can watch Friday's entire congressional hearing below.


theblaze--2020-07-31--NBA won't enforce rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem, citing 'unique circumstan

NBA won't enforce rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem, citing 'unique circumstances'

Players kneel behind a Black Lives Matter court decal before the start of a game between the Brooklyn Nets and @ @ @ @ @ at The HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando , @ @ @ @ @ Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images )

While the NFL struggled for years to manage its national anthem kneeling controversy, including botched attempts to ban the protests, the NBA avoided the issue with an established rule requiring players to stand during the national anthem — a rule that the players followed without incident.
Things have changed, however, and now NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made the decision not to enforce the rule, allowing entire teams to kneel during the anthem as a form of social justice protest.
"I respect our teams' unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem," Silver said Thursday, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein.
Many players and coaches knelt during the anthem Thursday and Friday, as teams played their first regular season games since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down U.S. professional sports in March.
In the past, it was noticeable and newsworthy when a player did not stand for the national anthem. Now, in the NBA, it's more surprising to see a player choose to stand. That's what Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac did Friday before his team's game against the Brooklyn Nets.
While Isaac's teammates got down on one knee wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, Isaac stood for the anthem while wearing only his game jersey.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley defended any player who chooses to stand.
"The national anthem means different things to different people," Barkley said. "I'm glad these guys are unified. If people don't kneel, they're not a bad person. I want to make that perfectly clear. I'm glad they had unity, but if we have a guy who doesn't want to kneel because the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified."
Isaac didn't give a reason for his choice to stand, but he has commented on social justice issues in the past, including after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
"Just because we are in the position of being an NBA player, it doesn't give us automatically an understanding or insight to issues that happen around us," Isaac said in June. "But I think because we have the ear of so many it's important for us to be diligent, to be vocal, but in a balanced way."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Florida's largest police union unanimously endorses President Trump in emergency vote: 'We're being

Florida's largest police union unanimously endorses President Trump in emergency vote: 'We're being used like a punching bag, and we're tired of it'

Florida 's largest police union unanimously endorses President Trump in emergency vote : 'We 're being used like a punching @ @ @ @ @ tired of it' 'We 're going to come out in force this time to put @ @ @ @ @

As cries grow from the left to defund police departments across the county, police are looking for elected officials who have their backs. Just this week, the largest police union in the state of Florida conducted an emergency vote to make clear where they stood in the upcoming presidential election by endorsing President Donald Trump.
The 30,000-member Florida Police Benevolent Association's decision was announced Friday in an op-ed written by union President John Kazanjian in the Florida Sun Sentinel.
Kazanjian, told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that his organization voted unanimously to back the president over presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
According to Kazanjian, the move to back Trump began with his call for "an emergency meeting via conference" with "all the chapter and charter presidents and the board of directors together."
He explained to Fox News that he told meeting attendees that it was time for the union to take a stand for cops across the country and endorse President Trump.
"We're getting beat up. We're being used like a punching bag, and we're tired of it," he said.
Urging the board to back the president, Kazanjian said he spelled out to the leadership that "President Donald Trump has been there for us. He supported us."
According to the union president, he almost immediately got a motion and second to endorse the president and "believe it or not, we got a unanimous vote."
In his op-ed, Kazanjian made the case for endorsing Trump even more clear, noting the importance of choosing the "kind of society" we want to live in and lamenting the erosion of support for those charged with keeping Americans safe:
This upcoming election for president isn't simply about electing a Democrat or a Republican, it's about a fundamental choice about the kind of society we choose to live in and the future we desire for our families for generations to come. Every man, woman, and child in America has a fundamental right to live in communities that are safe and where men and women in law enforcement are respected for the personal sacrifices they make each and every day to keep the public safe. But sadly, you don't have to look too far to see how quickly public safety all across this country has eroded because of the increasing attacks on the men and women in blue.
Kazanjian went on to decry the move by national leaders who "want to defund the police" and are "stripping us of our civil rights."
As far as the union is concerned, it's clear that "[w]e need a president who will not allow the vast majority of our dedicated police officers to be demonized based upon the heinous acts committed by a few bad apples."
According to Kazanjian and his group, the answer "could not be clearer": re-elect Donald Trump.
In order to maintain our fundamental right to live in a society that is both free and safe, Americans need to elect the one candidate for president who is committed to making our country safe and secure. For the 30,000 men and women in the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the choice for us could not be clearer. President Donald J. Trump has never once wavered from his support of law enforcement officers, especially as we are faced with these unprecedented challenges. President Trump's commitment to preserving law and order in America is our country's last great hope to live in the kind of society where our communities thrive and our families prosper.
The Florida PBA has not made an endorsement for President of the United States in eight years. But with the existential threats to the safety of our members, the future of our families, and the security of our communities, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. And neither can our fellow Americans. Let's keep America safe, re-elect President Donald J. Trump.
Kazanjian reminded Fox News that the union has more beef than just its 30,000 members.
"Don't forget about our friends and families, retirees," he said. "I believe the last cycle, we also put the president on top and guess what? We're going to come out in force this time to put the president on top."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Detroit police chief says the city hasn't experienced violent riots for one reason — cops 'don't ret

Detroit police chief says the city hasn't experienced violent riots for one reason — cops 'don't retreat here'

Detroit police chief says the city has n't experienced violent riots for one reason — cops 'do n't retreat here @

Detroit Police Chief James Craig says that the Michigan city hasn't experienced dangerous riots like other cities because Detroit police don't retreat.
Conditions in cities across the United States have deteriorated over the last several weeks, and what may have started off as peaceful protesting and demonstrations in some cases have turned into violent lawlessness and rioting.
What are the details?
In a Tuesday interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson, Craig — a former officer with the Los Angeles Police Department — said that he "saw what it was like after Rodney King in Los Angeles."
"We don't retreat here in Detroit," he said. "We're just not gonna do it. ... You saw the images ... of streets where there was lawlessness, looting, burning. No sign of police officers. We weren't giving up ground to the radicals. We just didn't do it."
Craig added that even the citizens of Detroit want no part of the violent, nationwide protest spurred on by the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody in late May.
"I'm not to talking about these peaceful protests ... [I mean] these misguided radicals that have tried to incite violence in our city. They said, 'We're not going to put up with it,'" he continued. "And so we got a couple of things: We got a great police department, great leadership, but we have a community that stands with us and said, 'Enough is enough.'"
'We have a city that has stood together'
Craig later insisted that unity is at the core of the city's success in banding together to fight lawlessness and violence.
"[W]hen you talk about what's different here, we have a city that has stood together and, oh, by the way, I know there's a lot of conversation about the mayors in some of these big cities," he added. "Our mayor stands with this police chief, stands with this police department, [and] we are not going to tolerate this uptick in violence."
"That's key," he concluded.


theblaze--2020-07-31--VIDEO: Couple challenges NYC subway passengers after allegedly attacking another rider, then reporte

VIDEO: Couple challenges NYC subway passengers after allegedly attacking another rider, then reportedly assault woman taking video of incident

VIDEO : Couple challenges NYC subway passengers after allegedly attacking another rider , then reportedly assault woman taking video of @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why are you recording ?
Delete it !
Delete it ! '

A 26-year-old woman taking video of a physical attack during a subway ride in Queens, New York, earlier this week was assaulted herself, NYPD police the told the New York Daily News.
What happened?
The young woman was on a southbound 7 train in Long Island City just after 1 p.m. Monday when a man got into an argument with a 20-year-old passenger at a far end of the car, authorities told the paper.
The man then punched the 20-year-old passenger, leaving him with a swollen left eye and cuts to his face, police added to the Daily News.
When the 26-year-old woman witnessed the attack, she began recording video with her cellphone, officials told the paper.
Her brother posted the video online earlier this week. Content warning: Profanity, racial slurs:
"Couple attacked 2 New Yorkers 7/27/20," the woman's brother, identified on Twitter as Peter, noted in his tweet. "One was my 26 year old sister who was badly beaten and bruised. Please spread the word and bring them to justice."
The video doesn't show the initial attack, but the red-shirted suspect appears to slam down someone's phone after which he hollers, "Buy a new one!"
A different man in a striped shirt and black mask over his mouth can be seen in the video with blood on his hand, the Daily News said.
The alleged attacker also is seen walking down the aisle closer to the woman recording video, and he yells at various passengers, "What's up?" multiple times along with the N-word, apparently challenging the trainload of straphangers to complain or protest his actions.
"Who else got issues on here!? Who else got issues on here?" he continues to holler as some passengers move away from him.
The man is accompanied by a woman in a black-and-white striped outfit who joins in the bullying, too: "I dare somebody," she's heard saying on the clip.
Then she appears to notice the 26-year-old capturing video, the paper said.
"You got an issue? Why are you recording?" the woman asks, getting in the victim's face. "Delete it! Delete it!"
A struggle appears to ensue and the video frame shakes and then turns off.
Police told the Daily News the couple then assaulted the 26-year-old woman, noting that she was hit and sustained several cuts to her face. The couple fled the subway at Queensboro Plaza, the paper said.
The woman refused medical attention at the scene, authorities noted to the Daily News, adding that it was unclear if the initial victim on the subway ride was treated for his injuries.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Fla. sheriff outraged by MLB team's social justice tweet about cops who killed Breonna Taylor, now s

Fla. sheriff outraged by MLB team's social justice tweet about cops who killed Breonna Taylor, now says department is reconsidering relationship with team

'It 's just wrong , and it 's improper' Fla. sheriff outraged by MLB team 's social justice tweet about @ @ @ @ @ , now says department is reconsidering relationship with team Third base coach Rodney Linares of @ @ @ @ @ a Black Lives Matter shirt before an MLB game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist @ @ @ @ @ .
( Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images )

A sheriff in Florida is reconsidering his department's relationship with the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball after a post on the team's Twitter account called for the arrest of the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylor's death, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
What's this about? On July 24, opening day of the Major League Baseball season, the official Twitter account for the Tampa Bay Rays posted: "Today is Opening Day, which means it's a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor."
Taylor was shot and killed in her home on March 13 by Louisville Metropolitan Police Department officers who were serving a no-knock warrant at her home in the middle of the night based on suspicion of her involvement with drug trafficking. The officers, Sgt. Jon Mattingly, and Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison, have not been charged. Hankison was fired in June.
Law enforcement upset: Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Tampa Bay Times that he called Rays President Matt Silverman last weekend to complain about the tweet.
"To turn a baseball event into a political event is uncalled for," Gualtieri said. "It's just wrong, and it's improper. It's just reckless. It's throwing gasoline on the fire, and it didn't need to happen."
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office provides some security services for Rays games, but now Gualtieri isn't sure that will continue. Gualtieri said Silverman told him the tweet had not been approved by the highest levels of the organization. However, a week later, the tweet is still active, indicating that the team stands by it.
St. Petersburg Police Department Chief Anthony Holloway also didn't like the tweet and said he "disagreed with its characterization of the officers," but said his department will continue providing security services for the team.
"I called the Rays organization and we had a long discussion," Holloway told the Tampa Bay Times, "However, this one 'tweet' will not impact our commitment as a professional agency to provide a secure environment for fans at future Rays games."
Social justice and sports are inseparable now: The major professional sports leagues are all featuring some level of social justice protest, with players from MLB and the NBA kneeling during or before the national anthem, and the NBA featuring the phrase "Black Lives Matter" on the court. The NFL will have anti-racism phrases in the end zones when its season begins later this year.


theblaze--2020-07-31--[UPDATED] BREAKING: US appeals court overturns Boston Marathon killer Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's death sent

[UPDATED] BREAKING: US appeals court overturns Boston Marathon killer Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's death sentence

Killed at least three , injured hundreds

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has overturned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's death sentence, Reuters reported Friday.
Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in 2015 for his part in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which took the lives of at least three people and seriously injured hundreds more.
A new trial is set to take place to determine a new sentence for Tsarnaev.
Reuters reported:
A federal appeals court on Friday overturned Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's death penalty sentence for helping carry out the 2013 attack, which killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld much of Tsarnaev's conviction but ordered a lower-court judge to hold a new trial strictly over what penalty Tsarnaev should receive for the death-penalty-eligible crimes he was convicted of.
An entry submitted in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit read, "Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's convictions on Counts 13, 15, and 18 are reversed, and the district court is directed to enter a judgment of acquittal on those counts. Dzhohkar Tsarnaev's death sentences on Counts 4, 5, 9, 10, and 14 are vacated, and the matter is remanded to the district court with directions to hold a new penalty-phase trial."
Update, 7/31/2020, 4:45 PM ET:
Judges said that Tsarnaev will still remain in prison for the rest of his life, according to Boston's WYCN-TV.
"[M]ake no mistake: Dzhokhar will spend his remaining days locked up in prison, with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution," the judges said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston told the station that they are currently reviewing the opinion.
This is a developing story and will be updated as events warrant.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Taylor Swift fans dox music critic, threaten her with violence and vandalism — all for not praising

Taylor Swift fans dox music critic, threaten her with violence and vandalism — all for not praising the singer enough: report

Taylor Swift fans dox music critic , threaten her with violence and vandalism — all for not praising the singer @ @ @ @ @ of world is this ?

Rabid Taylor Swift fans virtually converged on a music critic for daring to give Swift's latest album an 8 out of 10, reportedly doxxing her, threatening to burn down her home, and more.
What are the details?
Pitchfork music critic and senior editor Jillian Mapes gave Swift's new album, "Folklore," a glowing review.
It just wasn't good enough for some of Swift's more committed fans, because Mapes' review took the album from a 90 down to an 89 on review aggregator Metacritic.
Fans' reactions varied from mildly irritated to personally affronted to outright hysterical.
According to The Daily Beast, "Various tweets, some of which have now been deleted or removed and some of which still remain, included Mapes' address and phone numbers old and current. Some have included photos of Mapes and even her home. Users have 'joked' about burning her house."
Mapes turned off her public Twitter option, but not before tweeting about the rabid abuse.
'You will be filled with your dark fears and demons'
According to the outlet, Mapes wrote that she woke up on Tuesday to "more Twitter threats to roll up and harm me than I could stomach to go through."
"I've gotten too many emails saying some version of, 'you are an ugly fat bitch who is clearly jealous of Taylor, plz die,'" Mapes reportedly added.
She also pointed out that she is genuinely afraid because of the backlash.
"It sucks to be scared of every person milling about outside or feel like you can't answer the phone," she reportedly added. "That said, I am safe and doing fine."
Searching "Jillian Mapes" on Twitter brings up a variety of negative remarks and threats (though it would appear many if not all of the more violent ones have been removed).
One user wrote, "Jillian Mapes is on suicide watch."
The same user later added, "Jillian Mapes is probably fearing for her life rn as she should stupid smelly bitch."
According to the Daily Mail, many social media users also shared "'hexing' tweets paired with satanic images of Swift."
The outlet noted one tweet, which can best be described as a "demonic image of Swift" and captioned in Amharic, "Anyone who comes after the Dark Queen, Taylor Swift, dies alone and will be burned forever. You will be filled with your dark fears and demons. You will never be happy and sleep well again."
Though the story has clearly gone viral, Swift has not publicly address the controversy at the time of this reporting.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Epstein island had 'constant' orgies with teen girls, Ghislaine Maxwell accuser claims in unsealed c

Epstein island had 'constant' orgies with teen girls, Ghislaine Maxwell accuser claims in unsealed court documents

Epstein island had 'constant ' orgies with teen girls , Ghislaine Maxwell accuser claims in unsealed court documents Maxwell 's @ @ @ @ @ talked to Epstein in over a decade , newly surfaced emails show otherwise .

An accuser claimed the late Jeffrey Epstein and his reputed longtime madam Ghislaine Maxwell hosted "constant" orgies on the convicted sex offender's private Caribbean island. The accusations surfaced Thursday night when court documents from a 2015 defamation case against Maxwell were unsealed.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre claimed that she was a victim of sex trafficking at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell from 1999 to 2002. She alleged that she was forced to sexually please powerful men, including Prince Andrew and attorney Alan Dershowitz. Giuffre also said that she saw Bill Clinton on Epstein's private island with two "young girls."
In a 2016 deposition, Giuffre said there were constant orgies happening at Epstein's private Little St. James island that involved girls as young as 15.
"The island was a place where orgies were a constant thing that took place," Giuffre said. "And again, it's impossible to know how many."
Giuffre said she was "100 percent" sure she saw Maxwell, 58, engage in sex at Epstein's private island.
Maxwell's attorney asked Giuffree, "It is your contention that 'Ghislaine Maxwell had sex with underage girls virtually every day when I was around her,' correct?" She responded, "Yes."
Maxwell's attorney asked her to name the girls who participated in the group sex that included Epstein's alleged fixer.
"There's just a blur of so many girls," Giuffre replied. "There were blondes, there were brunettes, there were redheads. They were all beautiful girls. I would say the ages ranged between 15 and 21."
"Well, there's a lot of girls that were involved," Giuffre answered. "We weren't on a first-name basis with each other. I wouldn't be able to give you lists of names of girls. It was continuous."
Giuffre claimed that all of the girls were "beautiful, tall, some were blonde, some were sandy brown." She said they spoke a foreign language, she believes it was possibly Russian or Czechoslovakian, the New York Post reported.
"Ghislaine, myself, Jeffrey, another girl in this blue, outdoor — I don't know what you want to call it. Cabana, that … just a bed could fit in," she said of one sexual encounter.
In a May 2016 deposition, she said Maxwell and Epstein ordered her to have sexual relations with men by telling her to give them a "massage."
"And when they say massage, they mean erotic, okay?" Giuffre added. "That's their code word."
"Jeffrey did a lot more of that than she did," Giuffre said. "But she definitely made it aware that we shouldn't cross boundaries with them."
Giuffre alleged that Epstein had a "secret room" with "a whole bunch of decorative pictures of pornographic literature and sex toys," according to The Daily Beast. She said the walls were covered with "pornographic pictures of the girls that he had met."
Earlier this month, Maxwell's lawyers claimed in a court filing that their client had not been in contact for more than a decade before his death in August 2019, according to the Telegraph.
"On August 10, 2019, Epstein died in federal custody, and the media focus quickly shifted to our client — wrongly trying to substitute her for Epstein — even though she'd had no contact with Epstein for more than a decade," lawyers Mark Cohen and Jeffrey Pagliuca claimed.
However, the newly unsealed documents show that Maxwell and Epstein communicated as recently as 2015.
"You have done nothing wrong and i woudl [sic] urge you to start acting like it. go outside, head high, not as an esacping [sic] convict. go to parties. deal with it," a typo-filled email was sent from Epstein to Maxwell on Jan. 25, 2015, according to NBC News.
Maxwell was arrested at her remote home in New Hampshire earlier this month. She was charged with two counts of conspiracy, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting minors for illegal sex acts, and two counts of perjury. Maxwell pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Epstein's alleged accomplice is being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Her trial is scheduled for next July.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends China, says it is ‘growing into a respectable nation’ and shouldn’t be

Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends China, says it is ‘growing into a respectable nation’ and shouldn’t be blamed for the coronavirus

Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends China , says it is ‘ growing into a respectable nation ’ and shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) said Thursday that China is "growing into a respectable nation" during a speech cautioning America against holding the communist country accountable for misleading the global community at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We hold China as a potential trading partner, as a country that has pulled tens of millions of people out of poverty in a short period of time, and as a country growing into a respectable nation amongst other nations. I deeply believe that," Feinstein said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
The senator's comments fly in the face of numerousreports indicating that the Chinese Communist Party engaged in a cover-up of the origins and dangers of the coronavirus in the crucial early days and weeks of the outbreak, often silencing doctors and journalists attempting to get the truth out.
A study released earlier this year found that if interventions in China has been "conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent respectively" and significantly limited the disease's spread around the world.
Also, Feinstein's comments come amid a flood of damning reports that portray human rights abuses carried out by the communist government, namely the mass detention and forced sterilization of Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic minority in China's Xinjiang region.
Disturbing drone footage originally posted last year on YouTube showed large groups Uighurs blindfolded, bound, and with shaved heads being forced onto trains.
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Feinstein made the remarks in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing during which representatives debated a bill that would strip sovereign immunity from China.
The bill, called the "Civil Justice for Victims of COVID Act," was sponsored by a group of Republican senators and would allow individuals to sue the Chinese government over its "reckless actions or omissions causing the COVID-19 global pandemic in the United States."
The outlet also noted that Feinstein has "benefited from her husband's relationship with China."
"She pushed for expanded trade relations with China as her husband's company was partnering with business ventures in the country," the Free Beacon reported, adding that Feinstein has "said that a 'firewall' existed between her political career and her husband's business interests."


theblaze--2020-07-31--BlazeTV reporter Elijah Schaffer interviews protester who allegedly set fire to a federal courthouse

Slightly Offens*ve host Elijah Schaffer interviewed a protester who alleged that federal officers shot at him for just peacefully protesting and supporting Black Lives Matter .
What the protester did not know , Elijah caught him on camera earlier that evening , allegedly setting a fire outside a federal courthouse in Portland .
In this clip , the protester and his girlfriend claimed that federal officers shot him six times with beanbags while he was peacefully protesting .
`` What were you doing at the time [ the feds ] shot you ? ''
Elijah asked .
`` At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banging on the fence and chanting , 'Black Lives Matter .
All cops are bastards , ' '' the protester replied .
Appearing to embrace the victim 's role , the protester raised his shirt and showed the camera six beanbag shot wounds .
Elijah asked if the police asked the protesters to vacate the area surrounding the federal courthouse ?
The protester claimed that the police tried to `` snatch '' him .
What happened next was priceless .
Elijah dropped the hammer and asked the protester if he was involved with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courthouse .
`` Were you the same guy that was involved with starting the fire , too ? ''
Elijah asked .
The protester denied any involvement with starting the fire .
Fortunately , Elijah 's camera appears to have caught the protester in the act of starting the fire , which ultimately led to the six beanbag shots he received from the federal officers .
Watch the video to see what else Elijah 's cameras caught outside the Portland federal court building .
You can also watch more here , here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Want more from Elijah Schaffer ?
Subscribe to Elijah 's `` Slightly Offens*ve '' channel on YouTube for FREE access to his man-on-the-street interviews , protest coverage and more craziness that happens everyday in the USA

Slightly Offens*ve host Elijah Schaffer interviewed a protester who alleged that federal officers shot at him for just peacefully protesting and supporting Black Lives Matter. What the protester did not know, Elijah caught him on camera earlier that evening, allegedly setting a fire outside a federal courthouse in Portland.
In this clip, the protester and his girlfriend claimed that federal officers shot him six times with beanbags while he was peacefully protesting.
"What were you doing at the time [the feds] shot you?" Elijah asked.
"At the time, what I was doing was banging on the fence and chanting, 'Black Lives Matter. All cops are bastards,'" the protester replied.
Appearing to embrace the victim's role, the protester raised his shirt and showed the camera six beanbag shot wounds.
Elijah asked if the police asked the protesters to vacate the area surrounding the federal courthouse? The protester claimed that the police tried to "snatch" him.
What happened next was priceless. Elijah dropped the hammer and asked the protester if he was involved with starting the fire set outside the federal courthouse.
"Were you the same guy that was involved with starting the fire, too?" Elijah asked.
The protester denied any involvement with starting the fire. Fortunately, Elijah's camera appears to have caught the protester in the act of starting the fire, which ultimately led to the six beanbag shots he received from the federal officers.
Watch the video to see what else Elijah's cameras caught outside the Portland federal court building. You can also watch more here, here, here, here, and here.
Want more from Elijah Schaffer?
Subscribe to Elijah's "Slightly Offens*ve" channel on YouTube for FREE access to his man-on-the-street interviews, protest coverage and more craziness that happens everyday in the USA


theblaze--2020-07-31--Horowitz: Lost common sense: How America lived through the Asian flu of 1957

Horowitz : Lost common sense : How America lived through the Asian flu of 1957 '' Let us all keep @ @ @ @ @ influenza ... ''

"Let us all keep a cool head about Asian influenza as the statistics on the spread and the virulence of the disease begin to accumulate." ~New York Times editorial, Sept. 17, 1957
"So, what was it like to live through the Asian flu of 1957?" I recently asked my father.
"What's the Asian flu?" replied my father, who was in second grade at the time.
"Well, do you remember the Hong Kong flu of 1968?" I followed up, thinking that surely he'd remember something that killed around 100,000 people (the equivalent of 160,000 today) when he was in college and very news-savvy.
"I remember the riots in '68 and the oil crisis in the '70s, but don't recall anything about flus."
Try this social experiment on anyone who lived through the 1950s and 1960s, or try it on yourself if you are a Baby Boomer or older. You likely don't recall any disruption in your life nor any trauma-induced fear and panic. That is because there wasn't any disruption.
The 1957 Asian flu, a form of H2N2 influenza that is believed to have originated in China, is estimated to have killed 116,000 Americans, the equivalent of roughly 200,000 in today's larger America. Given that an estimated 25 percent of the entire country contracted that flu and a much larger share suffered from strong symptoms, one has to wonder what the recorded death toll would have been had we tested everyone and counted those deaths as liberally as we do today.
For even greater context, keep in mind that there were only about 4.9 million people over the age of 75 back then, as compared to 23 million today. So, while the general population was slightly more than half of what it is today, the over-75 population was approximately one-fifth of what it is today. The over-90 population was 1/12 of today's advanced senior population. Accordingly, the death toll in 1957 was even more severe than with COVID-19 when one considers how many more seniors we have today. After all, the median age of death from COVID-19 is 78, roughly around life expectancy, with roughly half of all deaths occurring among sicker seniors in nursing homes.
Another more dangerous aspect of the Asian flu as compared to COVID-19 is that it seemed to be more dangerous to pregnant women and to cause birth defects, similar to what was observed during the Spanish flu. A study published in Minnesota in 1959 found that nearly 20% of deaths that occurred during pregnancy were due to the 1957-58 epidemic, making it the leading cause of death for pregnant women during those months. One-half of all women of child-bearing age who died during the epidemic were pregnant. Imagine the panic that would have induced today!
It's not that our government wasn't concerned at all about the Asian flu. After the virus raged on through the summer of 1957, a vaccine was produced, and by September 11, 1.8 million doses were delivered to the military and 3.6 million to the general population. The vaccine, like all flu vaccines, was partially successful, but people continued to die for several more months and, on a smaller scale, for years to come until the Asian flu mutated into the H3N2 Hong Kong flu in 1968. The government and the people understood that medical care and vaccines work, but there was never a thought to shut down people's lives, and nobody ever thought that humans could stop the spread of the actual virus. Hence, few remember living through it.
During the onset of the H1N1 pandemic (swine flu) in 2009, D.A. Henderson, the former dean of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, who is widely credited with helping to eradicate smallpox, co-authored an analysis of the public response to the 1957 flu in an attempt to draw parallels and glean some lessons in preparing a response to the swine flu. He noted that the 1957 epidemic began early in the year in Asia, particularly targeting those with pre-existing conditions for the most deadly cases, and eventually infected 25 percent of the U.S. population in the fall.
The virus seemed to spread widely, but much as with COVID-19, the attack rate on naval ships was 18%-45%, implying some people had some degree of inherent immunity, as indicated by the fact that "family members of patients returning from infected camps or conference centers seldom were infected despite their close contact with the cases." Thus, much as with COVID-19, it seemed to be very contagious but also inexplicably hit a brick wall with some people. He also observed, "Serological surveys revealed that half of those reporting no influenza illness showed serological evidence of infection." That sounds very similar to our asymptomatic phenomenon, although it seems that many more young adults and children suffered acute flu-like symptoms with the Asian flu than they do with this virus.
As the summer wore on, policymakers, many of whom had lived through the Spanish flu as children, understood the need to focus on vaccines and medical care. With a greater capacity to develop vaccines and with the advent of antibiotics, they realized that the proper targeted treatment to the vulnerable was key to mitigating deaths, because for most people, this was just like a seasonal flu. In a gathering of public health officials in Washington in late August, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) resolved to focus on "prevention, which in the absence of effective means to stop the spread of infection[,] resolves itself into an immunization program."
Also, rather than panicking everyone and counting every last case in the country, they "recommended that 'hospital admissions be limited as far as possible to those cases of influenza with complications, or to those with other diseases which might be aggravated by influenza.'"
Health officials understood what our leaders today clearly don't, which is that for a virus that targets only certain people with serious complications or death and is broadly mild (and today, downright asymptomatic) in most others, the worst thing you can do is treat every case like a serious case, needlessly stressing medical care, and risk spreading the virus in hospitals to vulnerable people who are already there, often for other ailments and chronic conditions. It was all about treatment where it was needed and developing a vaccine for the vulnerable.
What about the ability to arrest the virus through superstitious Middle Ages rituals like virtue-signaling mask-wearing and social isolation of the healthy with the sick?
As Henderson et al. observed: "At the meeting, ASTHO also stated that 'there is no practical advantage in the closing of schools or the curtailment of public gatherings as it relates to the spread of this disease [emphasis added].' This was in recognition that they saw no practical means for limiting the spread of infection."
The epidemic spread through the country throughout the fall until the excess deaths leveled off in mid-December and then seemed to jump slightly later in the winter. Unlike with COVID-19, although children rarely died from the Asian flu, they appeared to get sick and contribute to mass spreading. "It was estimated that over 60% of students had clinical illnesses during the autumn," writes Henderson et al. In fact, he notes that there was a "complete absence of protective antibody among children and young and middle-aged adults," unlike today, where older people seem to have less immunity to the virus.
Yet, despite the high percentage of absenteeism in a lot of city schools, the schools were never shut. The surgeon general said the epidemic was "not alarming" and estimated that the fatality rate was no more than two-thirds of 1%. By contrast, in most areas of the country today, the fatality rate from COVID-19 appears to be closer to 0.2%-0.3%, and in some places, significantly lower.
Henderson's paper further observes that hospitals were often crowded but there was always enough surge capacity to deal with the patients. "The Maryland State Department of Health, which appointed an Influenza Advisory Committee in June 1957, referred to pandemic cases as being 'mild diseases,' noting that the virus 'does not cause more serious illness than other types of flu—it simply affects more people.'"
In a dynamic related to today's predicament, Henderson notes that no efforts were made to close down the economy and quarantine people. "Quarantine was not considered to be an effective mitigation strategy and was 'obviously useless because of the large number of travelers and the frequency of mild or inapparent cases.'"
Sound familiar? Except today, we are doing the opposite.
"Closing schools and limiting public gatherings were not recommended as strategies to mitigate the pandemic's impact, except for administrative reasons due to high levels of absenteeism…In early October, the Nassau County Health Commissioner in New York stated that 'public schools should stay open even in an epidemic' and that 'children would get sick just as easily out of school.'"
Sound familiar? Most of the transmission occurring at home? And again, back then, kids got sicker from the Asian flu and transmitted it more than they do SARS-CoV-2.
When I bring up the 1957 example, some have challenged me by suggesting the situation back then wasn't so dire as to warrant lockdown because they produced a vaccine early on. However, Henderson contends that it was "too little, too late" because it was only available to 17% of the population, was only 60% effective, and wound up circulating after the virus had already peaked. "Given the limited amount of vaccine available and the fact that it was not more than 60% effective, it is apparent that vaccine had no appreciable effect on the trend of the pandemic."
The paper closes with the following 30,000-foot overview of the Asian flu response:
The 1957-58 pandemic was such a rapidly spreading disease that it became quickly apparent to U.S. health officials that efforts to stop or slow its spread were futile. Thus, no efforts were made to quarantine individuals or groups, and a deliberate decision was made not to cancel or postpone large meetings such as conferences, church gatherings, or athletic events for the purpose of reducing transmission. No attempt was made to limit travel or to otherwise screen travelers. Emphasis was placed on providing medical care to those who were afflicted and on sustaining the continued functioning of community and health services. The febrile, respiratory illness brought large numbers of patients to clinics, doctors' offices, and emergency rooms, but a relatively small percentage of those infected required hospitalization.
Remember, this is with 25% of the population getting the virus within just a few months (equivalent to 110 million today) and a larger share of those people suffering a serious, if not deadly, case of the flu, including children and young adults. While the health system was certainly much better than it was during the pre-antibiotics era of the 1918 Spanish flu, it was primitive compared to today's standards. Yet, we managed and thrived. "The overall impact on GDP was negligible and likely within the range of normal economic variation," notes Henderson.
What we didn't have back then were mass media, social media, and the incurable virus of evidence-free panic propagation to induce an epidemic of fear and paranoia. While this current virus is worse than recent flu-like epidemics this generation, it is much more in line with the 1957 Asian flu and its sister, the 1968 Hong Kong flu. If you lived during the time, you most assuredly remember Woodstock, which occurred during the peak of the Hong Kong flu, but you are unlikely to remember the epidemic.
In 2006, three years prior to writing his analysis on the 1957 epidemic, Henderson co-authored a paper in which he observed, "There are no historical observations or scientific studies that support the confinement by quarantine of groups of possibly infected people for extended periods in order to slow the spread of influenza." Thus, from 1957 until fairly recently – before the medical profession was politicized – they all understood that we lack the ability to stop the spread of a flu-like virus. The best we can do is treat it without sowing panic. As Henderson warned, "Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted."
What a shame that Henderson and the common sense that defined America until recently are no longer living.


theblaze--2020-07-31--Woman angry at Trump 2020 flag outside pizzeria tells owner she'll put him out of business. But her

Woman angry at Trump 2020 flag outside pizzeria tells owner she'll put him out of business. But her plan backfires bigly.

Woman angry at Trump 2020 flag outside pizzeria tells owner she 'll put him out of business .
But her @ @ @ @ @ phones have been ringing off the hook , they have n't stopped ...
I mean @ @ @ @ @ it 's amazing '

Guy Caligiuri — owner of Patio Pizza in St. James, New York — said a woman came into his Long Island shop last Friday to pick up an order and got angry after noticing his Trump 2020 flag flying outside.
Caligiuri added that she even threatened to make Patio Pizza the next victim of cancel culture.
"She didn't like it. She said you just lost a customer and I'm an administrator of a social mom's local page and I'm going to post this on and I'm going to put you out of business," Caligiuri told News12 Long Island.
Image source: News12 Long Island video screenshot
What happened next?
Calgiuri told Fox Business host Stuart Varney that he's "been in business for 43 years, and I've seen a lot," so he "just took it in stride... I just ignored it, basically."
But sure enough, the woman made good on her promise and "posted nasty things about me online and was asking the community to boycott Patio Pizza," Caligiuri told the network.
And we've seen how such scenarios go, haven't we? The social media mob gets outraged and delivers immense online pressure, and before you know it, the victim apologizes profusely — or even closes up shop for good.
But as it turns out, the last laugh was on Long Island Karen.
Caligiuri told Fox Business that the following morning Patio Pizza was inundated with customers from all over who also declared their support for President Donald Trump, as well as the pizzeria.
Image source: News12 Long Island video screenshot
"They supported our president," he noted to Varney. "They support the flag that I had hanging in the back of my store."
But that was just for starters.
Big help from on high
After the interview with Varney aired, Fox Business said Trump gave some Twitter love to Caligiuri and Patio Pizza:
"Support Patio Pizza and its wonderful owner, Guy Caligiuri, in St. James, Long Island (N.Y.). Great Pizza!!!" Trump wrote.
After that tweet, Caligiuri said his business switched into an even higher gear.
"The phones have been ringing off the hook, they haven't stopped ... I mean it's really humbling, it's amazing," he told News12, adding that calls of support have come from as far away as Australia.
"I think he's a fantastic president, I think he's done a great job, and I think it's my right to support him and to show my support of him," Caligiuri told Fox Business.


theblaze--2020-07-31--A convicted murderer was released to help reduce COVID-19 spread in prison. The victim's family is o

A convicted murderer was released to help reduce COVID-19 spread in prison. The victim's family is outraged.

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom is working to release more than 3,500 prisoners who are close to finishing their sentences @ @ @ @ @ states correctional system , including an outbreak that has infected nearly a third of inmates @ @ @ @ @ near San Francisco .
( David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

A woman convicted of a brutal murder was released 19 years into what was supposed to be a minimum 84-year sentence because the prison was concerned about the potential spread of COVID-19, KOVR-TV reported.
Terebea Williams, 44, was convicted in 2001 of the 1998 murder of 23-year-old John Ruska. Williams carjacked Ruska, put him in the trunk of his own car, shot him in the abdomen, drove 750 miles with him in the trunk, then tied him up in a hotel room where he suffered for hours alone before dying.
Neither police nor prosecutors could ever figure out why she committed the crime, particularly why she subjected Ruska to such extreme suffering when she could've just taken his car and left him alone from there.
Now, the criminal who committed a shockingly senseless and brutal murder is out of prison as the state attempts to create space to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not give specifics in response to KOVR's inquiry about why Williams was among the people released, but pointed the media outlet to a general statement about the release program:
These series of actions are driven by the department's singular goal of ensuring the health of our incarcerated population and staff, and aim to be done in a way that aligns both public health and public safety. Reducing the prison population will also alleviate the impact on local hospitals that provide emergency care to individuals in prisons experiencing outbreaks, which can require transporting dozens of patients to outside hospitals for care.
Ruska's family, furious and hurt that his killer has been released, said the situation just reopens old wounds about the tragedy.
"It's appalling to me everything that's been allowed to happen," Karri Phillips, Ruska's cousin, told KOVR. "I don't think for one second she's going to walk out there a changed person, she's not. It makes me so sad and angry that he hasn't been here with us all this time."
An update Thursday on the CDCR website reported there are just under 100,000 inmates in California prisons, and 1,607 inmates were infected with COVID-19. The report also said this is the first time California's prison population has been under 100,000 in three decades.
(H/T: Hot Air)


theblaze--2020-07-31--Dutch government rejects mandated masks, says they could actually increase risk of transmission

Dutch government rejects mandated masks , says they could actually increase risk of transmission

Dutch Minister for Medical Care Tamara van Ark said the government refuses to require the public to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the details?
The government made the announcement Wednesday, insisting that the effectiveness of masks in fighting the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands remains unproven.
Van Ark made the announcement following recommendations from the country's National Institute for Health.
Instead, the government and its health departments will lean heavily on social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In remarks from The Hague, van Ark said, "Because from a medical perspective there is no proven effectiveness of masks, the Cabinet has decided that there will be no national obligation for wearing non-medical masks."
According to a Wednesday Politico report, van Ark said Dutch cities are still independently free to "experiment with a toolbox of measures" — including mandatory masks — in order to tamp down the spread of COVID-19.
National Institute for Health virologist Jaap van Dissel said that the department was not convinced mask-wearing would benefit people of the Netherlands — and, in fact, could be harmful to their health.
According to Reuters, Dissel argued that "wearing masks incorrectly, together with worse adherence to social distancing rules" could actually increase the risk of a person transmitting the deadly virus.
“So we think that if you're going to use masks (in a public setting)," he said, "then you must give good training for it."
What else do we know?
On Friday, Dutch News reported that face masks will be compulsory in areas of Amsterdam and Rotterdam beginning Aug. 5.
Official localities mandated the new rule following the national government's decision to move away from required masks.
Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said that he will also enforce strict social distancing measures in conjunction with the mask mandate.
"I want to be able to say to myself that I did everything possible to avoid one Rotterdammer picking up or dying from coronavirus," he said. "In the main, it will get people to keep their distance ... and we think it will increase the sense of urgency."


theblaze--2020-07-31--HCQ-touting doctor says she has been fired after appearing in viral video touting the drug as a COVI

HCQ-touting doctor says she has been fired after appearing in viral video touting the drug as a COVID-19 treatment ' @ @ @ @ @ appearing in what was told to me is an embarrassing video '

Dr. Simone Gold, the Los Angeles-based physician behind America's Frontline Doctors, a group advocating for hydroxychloroquine to be used in the fight against COVID-19, says she has been fired for expressing her medical opinion.
Gold shared the news in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson Thursday night, saying she was removed from her job due to her appearance in a viral video touting the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine.
"I'm a board-certified emergency physician for 20 years, and in fact, it seems like until five minutes ago I was considered a hero and people would be clapping and glad that I was doing what I was doing, and then the video came out and I was summarily fired for appearing in what was told to me is an embarrassing video," Gold told Carlson.
Doctor Simone Gold Fired from Hospital After Attending 'White Coat Summit' -- Hires Atty Lin Wood youtu.be
Gold, who graduated from Chicago Medical School in 1989 and completed her residency at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, appeared in the controversial "White Coat Summit" video earlier this week, organized by her organization and conservative political organization, Tea Party Patriots.
A 40-minute video of a news conference that took place during the summit was posted across social media platforms and quickly garnered millions of views. In the video, one of the doctors, Dr. Stella Immanuel, a Houston pediatrician and religious minister, referred to studies that claim hydroxychloroquine doesn't work as "fake science."
The video was shared widely on Facebook and Twitter by many, including President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr.
Shortly after the video was posted, however, it was removed by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for allegedly making false and dubious claims related to the coronavirus.
Gold said that in addition to the social media giants censoring the video, website host SquareSpace also shut down her organization's website.
Appearing on Glenn Beck's radio program Thursday, Gold reiterated many of her group's claims about the hysteria and controversy surrounding hydroxychloroquine, which she called a "complete myth."
"Hydroxychloroquine is an analogue or a derivative of quinine, which is found in tree bark. It's the most noncontroversial of medications that there is," she said.
"It's been around for centuries and it's been FDA-approved in the modern version, called hydroxychloroquine, for 65 years," she continued. "In all of that time, [doctors] used it for breast-feeding women, pregnant women, elderly, children, and immune compromised. The typical use is for years or even decades because we give it mostly to RA, rheumatoid arthritis patients and lupus patients who need to be on it, essentially, all of their life. So, we have extensive experience with it ... it's one of the most commonly used medications throughout the world."


theblaze--2020-07-31--Florida school district shares 'apocalyptic' back-to-school video plan for pandemic, and parents are

Florida school district shares 'apocalyptic' back-to-school video plan for pandemic, and parents are furious

Florida school district shares 'apocalyptic ' back-to-school video plan for pandemic , and parents are furious

The Manatee County School District in Florida shared a back-to-school video last week to educate parents and teachers on what school reopenings could look like amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The video has been met with significant criticism from parents and social media alike.
What's the video all about?
Social media influencer Tiffany Jenkins, a parent of young children, shared the video to her social media channels over the last week, calling it "apocalyptic," and comparing it to an M. Night Shyamalan movie.
The promotional back-to-school video features teachers and children wearing masks during instruction. Teachers wearing shields and lab coats explain how social distancing will work when district children return to school.
In the video, masked students can be seen marching single-file with their heads down and their hands clasped behind their backs while a narrator says, "Children will be randomly screened for signs of illness."
Elsewhere in the video, children can be seen sitting at a far distance from one another in both classes and at outdoor lunch tables.
Manatee County schools are set to reopen on Aug. 18.
At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 461,379 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state of Florida, with at least 6,586 deaths attributed to the virus.
What are people saying about it?
Jenkins told BuzzFeed News that she believes such conditions will be extremely detrimental to the kids' educational experience.
"It made me sad how different the experience would be," she said. "It feels like a punishment for the kids. That makes me sad. The kids are kids. The idea that they have to focus on distancing, or to keep their masks on to be so far away from their friends, it's heartbreaking."
Another parent told the outlet that the district's plan is unrealistic.
"The fact they expect this to happen — expecting kids to sit at tables away from each other, having fields between them, especially preschoolers and kindergarteners ... I didn't think it was realistic," the parent said.
The promotional video, which was first shared on the district's Facebook page, prompted a volley of negative comments.
One parent wrote, "That looks like a prison for kids!"
Another added, "Glad they plan on opening for the mental health and wellbeing of the young minds but this is completely ridiculous. If they are going to wear masks than [sic] the separation and jailhouse rules should be nullified."
"New kindergarten students who already have such anxiety about a new school and classroom will feel so comfortable and safe when walking in to this environment," another parent wrote. "NOT! Children of this age needs hands on learning experiences and social interaction with others."
Another concerned parent added, "We will be home schooling. I sypathize [sic] with families this is not an option for. [S]ounds like government needs to step up and subsidize families to stay home with their kids. where they should be in the first place instead of working 4 jobs to stay afloat and kids being raised by schools and daycare systems."
"Prison camp...cool!" a parent blasted. "Part of school is interacting with other kids. These kids miss each other, this is going to be impossible to control and if they have face masks on they should be able to interact. The camps have been doing it all summer!"
You can read more remarks here.