theblaze--2020-10-01--'One of the most INCREDIBLE and BIGGEST stories of our time': Sharyl Attkisson on newly declassified

'One of the most INCREDIBLE and BIGGEST stories of our time': Sharyl Attkisson on newly declassified Trump-Russia info

'One of the most INCREDIBLE and BIGGEST stories of our time ' : Sharyl Attkisson on newly declassified Trump-Russia info @ @ @ @ @ blanks , it 's all there '

Just hours before the first presidential debate Tuesday, National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe declassified Russian intelligence information, obtained by the U.S. intelligence community in 2016, which accused then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of approving the Trump-Russia collusion hoax before it all began.
Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Wednesday to discuss this new bombshell report, which she called "one of the most incredible and biggest stories of our time."
"Well, [this story] kind of puts a final punctuation on what we've seen come out over the last three years," Sharyl said. "I will say, when I first heard some early reporting and leaks and theories about all of this, it sounded so far-fetched, that this actually would be a plan hatched and paid for by Democrats in the Clinton campaign. But when you fill in the blanks, it's all there. It's pretty clear, and it's pretty obvious.
"But, as often is the case, the drip of information has come out so slowly and been reported so piecemeal, that people are acting like they're not very surprised or shocked ... there's been no giant 'wow' moment on the part of people that were reporting the news at large. That said, this is really one of the most incredible and biggest stories of our time."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
COLLUSION BOMBSHELL: Russia Intel Accuses Hillary Clinton of Approving the Trump, Russia Hoax
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theblaze--2020-10-01--New AP Stylebook guidance recommends using 'unrest' instead of 'riot' to avoid stigmatizing proteste

New AP Stylebook guidance recommends using 'unrest' instead of 'riot' to avoid stigmatizing protesters

New AP Stylebook guidance recommends using 'unrest ' instead of 'riot ' to avoid stigmatizing protesters Even rioting is protected @ @ @ @

The Associated Press Stylebook tweeted an admonishment to stop using the word "riot" to describe political protests and instead use the milder "unrest" to avoid stigmatizing protesters.
The guidance was tweeted on Tuesday amid numerous protests, riots and looting across the country.
"Use care in deciding which term best applies: A riot is a wild or violent disturbance of the peace involving a group of people. The term riot suggests uncontrolled chaos and pandemonium," the official AP Stylebook Twitter account said.
"Focusing on rioting and property destruction rather than underlying grievance has been used in the past to stigmatize broad swaths of people protesting against lynching, police brutality or for racial justice, going back to the urban uprisings of the 1960s," the AP Stylebook explained.
Rioting and looting erupted in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police officers. Many on the left have bristled at headlines that focused on the destruction caused by the rioting instead of the stated purpose of the protests.
The Associated Press recommended using more mild terms when referring to property destruction from the rioting.
"Unrest is a vaguer, milder and less emotional term for a condition of angry discontent and protest verging on revolt," the AP continued.
"Protest and demonstration refer to specific actions such as marches, sit-ins, rallies or other actions meant to register dissent. They can be legal or illegal, organized or spontaneous, peaceful or violent, and involve any number of people," the AP said in a further tweet. "Revolt and uprising both suggest a broader political dimension or civil upheavals, a sustained period of protests or unrest against powerful groups or governing systems."
The stylebook has been criticized in the past for seeming to bow to left-wing pressure to redefine words and phrases.
In May, critics on Twitter had a field day mocking the stylebook for banning the use of the word "mistress" as archaic and sexist. In 2013, the stylebook banned the use of the word "illegal immigrant" and recommended instead the use of the term "undocumented" when referring to illegal aliens.
Here's more about the rioting and looting in America:


theblaze--2020-10-01--Man arrested, charged with attempted murder in ambush of LA County deputies

Man arrested , charged with attempted murder in ambush of LA County deputies If convicted , the suspect faces up @ @ @ @

A man has been arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder for allegedly shooting two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies while they were sitting in their patrol vehicle in Compton earlier this month.
What are the details?
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a news conference Monday morning announcing the arrest of Deonte Lee Murray, 36, who is accused of carrying out the high-profile ambush attack on Sept. 12 that put both officers in the hospital with serious multiple gunshot wounds.
One wounded officer was identified as Claudia Apolinar, 31 — a former librarian and the mother of a 6-year-old boy — who has been hailed a hero for applying a tourniquet to her injured 24-year-old partner in the aftermath of the ambush despite herself sustaining several gunshot wounds including to her face and torso. The officers have been released from the hospital.
The shooting was caught on surveillance video, which was widely circulated online. The reward for information leading to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator grew to more than $640,000 between offers from the LACSD and private donors. Capt. Kent Wegener said that they "have received a great deal of information from people who will likely have some claim to that reward."
During the news conference, Wegener also explained how Murray was nabbed.
NBC News reported:
Wegener said that through surveillance video and witness statements, investigators learned that the suspect fled the scene of the shooting in a black Mercedes-Benz sedan. The investigators later learned that a matching vehicle had been stolen during a carjacking on Sept. 1.
According to The Daily Mail, Murray has been in police custody since Sept. 15 following "a huge armed standoff in Lynwood over an alleged carjacking on September 1 where a 51-year-old man was shot in the leg."
Wegener said that a handgun discarded by Murray during that run-in with law enforcement two weeks ago was the same one used in the unprovoked attack on the two deputies, given that it "matched both ballistically and forensically."
What was the motive?
No motive was given for Murray's alleged shooting, "other than the fact that he obviously hates policemen and he wants them dead," Wegener told the media.
In addition to the attempted murder charges, the suspect is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. If convicted on all counts, he faces the prospect of life imprisonment.
Murray appeared in court Wednesday for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to all charges. His bail was set at $6.1 million.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Art teacher refused to stop wearing Black Lives Matter mask, so Texas charter school canned her

Art teacher refused to stop wearing Black Lives Matter mask , so Texas charter school canned her She wants a @ @ @ @ @ the school

An art teacher who refused to stop wearing her homemade face mask with Black Lives Matter slogans was fired by her charter school on San Antonio's north side.
Great Hearts Western Hills fired Lillian White a week before students were set to return to classes. Great Hearts operate numerous charter schools in Texas and Arizona.
"It was really stressful because I have a financial obligation to help support my family," White said to KENS-TV. "It's also kind of heartbreaking that this is the kind of – this is the reason that I lost my job."
White claimed that she wore the homemade masks for more than a week in July without any trouble. The masks read "Black Lives Matter" and "Silence is Violence."
"For about a week and a half I was wearing these masks and no one said anything. A couple of the other teachers came up and asked for some if I had any extras and I made them some," she explained.
White says she received a text message from the assistant principal telling her to stop wearing the mask because they didn't want to discuss the political climate around the parents.
"This is human rights and it should be something that is promoted at our school. It's an excuse to not talk about it by saying this is politics, talk about it on your own time," White said. "It's just an excuse because they're uncomfortable with the conversation."
White said that despite being fired, and because of it, she is still advocating for a "anti-racism action plan" at the school.
'We stand with the Black community'
The school released a statement about the incident but offered few additional details.
"Great Hearts respects the privacy of all current and former employees and as a result does not issue public comment on specific personnel matters. On the question related to face coverings, Great Hearts enacted, in this unprecedented pandemic environment, a policy that face coverings have no external messages. This policy was authored by school leaders and teachers in service to the learning environment of our classrooms," the statement read.
"We stand with the Black community and all who are suffering," the statement continued, in part. "Great Hearts deplores bigotry and its crushing effects on all those subjected to it. Great Hearts is committed to an America where racism, violence, and injustice do not happen, because such acts find no home in the hearts of a great people."
Here's the news report from KENS-TV:


theblaze--2020-09-30--Fox News Media praises Chris Wallace's 'professionalism, skill and fortitude' in moderating debate

'No moderator could have managed a debate of that magnitude better than Chris '

Fox News Media executives sent out an internal memo expressing their gratitude and congratulations to veteran anchor Chris Wallace on his performance moderating the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, praising the journalist's "professionalism, skill and fortitude."
What are the details?
The Hill's Joe Concha posted a joint memo issued by Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace, which read, in part:
Dear Colleagues,
We'd like to take a moment to thank and congratulate Chris Wallace for moderating last night's extraordinary debate. We are extremely proud of his professionalism, skill and fortitude in a unique situation while doing everything possible to hold both candidates accountable. NO moderator could have managed a debate of that magnitude better than Chris.
The letter went on to praise the "equally impressive" coverage of the debate by Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Shannon Bream and others who contributed to the night's success for the network.
"More Americans watched FOX News Channel last night than any other network on broadcast or cable with 17.8 million viewers tuning — shattering records as the highest rated presidential commission debate in cable news history," the executives noted.
The debate itself was roundly panned as chaotic, with both candidates attacking and interrupting each other while Wallace did his best to reign it in. As TheBlaze's Phil Shiver described, the event "was every bit as entertaining — and feisty — as advertised."
The Washington Examiner reported that several of Wallace's Fox News colleagues joined in on criticizing the job he did as moderator, including Ingraham and "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade. Contributors Andy McCarthy and Dan Bongino also hit out at Wallace.
What did Wallace say?
Wallace told The New York Times on Thursday, "I'm just sad the way last night turned out. I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did."
"I've been involved in a certain amount of soul-searching," the anchor added, upon reflection. "Generally speaking, I did as well as I could, so I don't have any second thoughts there. I'm just disappointed with the results. For me, but much more importantly, I'm disappointed for the country, because it could have been a much more useful evening than it turned out to be."


theblaze--2020-09-30--Chris Wallace on debate: 'I'm disappointed for the country'

Chris Wallace on debate : ' I 'm disappointed for the country' 'It could have been a much more useful @ @ @ @ @ to be '

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace expressed disappointment with the way the first 2020 presidential debate turned out, lamenting in an interview with the New York Times that he couldn't maintain control over the candidates.
"I'm just sad with the way last night turned out," Wallace said. "I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did."
The debate was a brutal slugfest between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden. Rather than an exchange of ideas, the two candidates traded insults, personal attacks, interruptions, leaving Wallace at times helpless and ineffective as a moderator. Many reviews called the debate chaotic, with journalists singling out Trump's performance as "monstrous," though Biden called Trump names like "clown" and told the president to "shut up."
"I've read some of the reviews, I know people think, Well, gee, I didn't jump in soon enough," Wallace said. "I guess I didn't realize — and there was no way you could, hindsight being 20/20 — that this was going to be the president's strategy, not just for the beginning of the debate but the entire debate."
The rules of the debate provided each candidate two minutes to answer the questions however they wanted before being permitted to engage each other. Trump interrupted Biden incessantly, and Biden returned the favor in kind. At times both candidates were talking over each other so loudly that whatever points they were attempting to make were rendered unintelligible to the audience.
At one point, Wallace asked Trump to stop the interruptions, saying "the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions."
He says he felt a sense of "desperation" as he pleaded with the candidates.
"If I didn't try to seize control of the debate — which I don't know that I ever really did — then it was going to just go completely off the tracks," Wallace said.
Though Wallace said Trump's behavior "certainly didn't help" the situation, he declined to put all the blame on the president.
"To quote the president, 'It is what it is,'" he said.
In response to the overwhelmingly negative reception of the debate proceedings, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Wednesday it will adopt changes to the debate format. The debate "made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues," the commission said.
The Associated Press reported that one idea being toyed with is to allow the moderators to shut off the candidates' microphones if they become unruly while their opponent is speaking.
Wallace is vehemently opposed to the idea.
"As a practical matter, even if the president's microphone had been shut, he still could have continued to interrupt, and it might well have been picked up on Biden's microphone, and it still would have disrupted the proceedings in the hall," he said.
He worries how the American people would react to the debate moderator silencing either one of the candidates at his or her discretion.
"People have to remember, and too many people forget, both of these candidates have the support of tens of millions of Americans," Wallace explained.
He offered advice to C-SPAN's Steve Scully, who will moderate the next presidential debate on Oct. 15: "If either man goes down this road, I hope you'll be quicker to realize what's going on than I was. I didn't have that advance warning."
"Generally speaking, I did as well as I could, so I don't have any second thoughts there," Wallace said. "I'm just disappointed with the results. For me, but much more importantly, I'm disappointed for the country, because it could have been a much more useful evening than it turned out to be."


theblaze--2020-09-30--College offers 'Presidential Debate Support Space' through counseling center so students can share f

College offers 'Presidential Debate Support Space' through counseling center so students can share feelings about 'national events' in 'safe space'

College offers 'Presidential Debate Support Space ' through counseling center so students can share feelings about 'national events ' in @ @ @ @ @ 'moderated by University Health & Counseling Services clinical staff '

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland — which hosted Tuesday's debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — has opened up a virtual "Presidential Debate Support Space" through the college's counseling center so students can share their feelings about "national events" in a "safe space."
What are the details?
"Support Space is a confidential safe space for students to have open discussions in a group setting, moderated by University Health & Counseling Services clinical staff," the program's page says. "Students can discuss the impact of recent national events, including the presidential debate and upcoming election."
However, the page adds that the support space "is not a substitute for psychotherapy and does not constitute mental health treatment."
The first hourlong session was scheduled Monday, a day prior to the presidential debate. Another session was scheduled Tuesday evening, just before the debate commenced, and another was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Another session is set to take place Friday, and four more are scheduled to run next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Participants must register in advance, the page notes, and they "will be expected to adhere to rules regarding respectful dialogue" — which Trump and Biden pretty much ignored during their testy throw-down:
Biden Tells Trump to “Shut Up" But Isn't Ready for Trump to BRING THE FIRE! youtu.be
Not the first time
This idea of safe spaces for college students to deal with emotional trauma accompanying elections is nothing new.
You might recall that Marquette University's counseling center advertised a safe space for students to "de-stress" from the ravages of the 2018 midterm elections. Among the perks were "stress busting activities," "a gratitude board," and "self-care strategies."
And a Georgetown University LGBT student group was set to host a "Self-Care Night" featuring "Legos, juice boxes, and more!" on the Monday after Trump's 2017 inauguration — recognizing what students have been through "after a long week." Apparently stuffed animals and coloring books also were on the agenda.
Oh, and a "Meeting of Healing" took place at the University of Connecticut in response to a conservative speaker's appearance at the school in 2017.
(H/T: Campus Reform)


theblaze--2020-09-30--Donald Trump Jr: Biden got 'the best of all worlds' at first debate

Donald Trump Jr : Biden got 'the best of all worlds ' at first debate 'This is the double standard @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump Jr. joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Wednesday with his reaction to the first presidential debate Tuesday night between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Glenn brought up an exchange when moderator Chris Wallace asked President Trump to condemn "white supremacists and right-wing militia" — despite the fact he has already done so repeatedly and just last week even vowed to designate the Ku Klux Klan as a terrorist organization. By contrast, Wallace did not ask Biden to condemn Antifa, which the former vice president actually defended by calling "an idea, not an organization."
"This is the double standard that we go against," Trump Jr. said. "So, Donald Trump can literally call the KKK a terrorist organization. Donald Trump can actually do things to help the African American community, like prison reform [and] opportunity zones. Joe Biden gets to talk about it for 50 years, not do anything, have his own vice presidential candidate essentially call him a racist during the debates, be friends with the biggest segregationist in the world, push for a crime bill that destroyed so many in the African American community — but [they blame] Donald Trump?"
He also talked about the latest news on Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son, and how, when it comes to the media, he believes Joe Biden "gets the best of all worlds."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-09-30--VIDEO: Sen. Mike Lee unloads on James Comey during Senate hearing

'You do n't seem to know anything about an investigation that you ran '

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was visibly angry with former FBI Director James Comey, rebuking him for his inability to answer several questions Wednesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Lee, a longtime advocate for reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court program, said Comey broke "good faith" promises he made to the senator to ensure that the FISA court was not abused before he was confirmed as FBI director.
"I'm very disappointed to see that those promises now, to me, seem very insincere," Lee said. "Now, Mr. Comey, with all due respect, you don't seem to know anything about an investigation that you ran."
Comey testified Wednesday as part of the Judiciary Committee's review of the FBI's Russia probe. Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the other Republicans on the committee wanted Comey to answer questions related to newly declassified information alleging that Hillary Clinton approved a campaign plan to invent a scandal against her rival presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him and his campaign to the Russian government. The Intelligence Community learned of this allegation from Russian intelligence analysis and has not verified it.
In a letter sent to Graham, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe wrote, "The [Intelligence Community] does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication."
The letter said that on Sept. 7, 2016, "U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding 'U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.'"
Comey was asked about this "investigative referral" and in his response said he didn't remember receiving any such notice.
"You don't remember getting an investigatory lead from the intelligence community?" Graham asked . "You don't remember getting that?"
"That doesn't ring any bells with me," Comey replied.
"Well, that's a pretty stunning thing that it didn't ring a bell, but it did come to you," Graham said.
The FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, dubbed "Crossfire Hurricane," has been highly controversial. During the investigation, the FBI obtained a FISA court warrant to investigate Carter Page, an associate of the Trump campaign. To obtain the warrant, the FBI agents conducting the investigation used a dossier sourced by someone who was under suspicion by the FBI of being a possible Russian agent, a dossier containing Russian disinformation. Critics of the FBI say the agents knew the information was unreliable, obtained the warrant anyway, and violated Page's civil liberties in the process.
Comey, as director of the FBI, was ultimately responsible for overseeing Crossfire Hurricane until he was fired by President Donald Trump in 2017.
Lee, during his time to ask questions, criticized Comey for suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin may yet have unknown ties to Trump.
Yet confronted once more by Graham, Comey again denied knowing anything about information suggesting Hillary Clinton approved a plan to tie Trump to Russia.
"How can you as a private citizen now come to us, and in your capacity as former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump ... when you don't seem to know anything about this investigation that you ran?" Lee asked.
"Because I have eyes and ears," Comey said. "That's how it struck me watching the president in Helsinki take Putin's side against his Intelligence Committee, and things like that."
(H/T: Washington Examiner)


theblaze--2020-09-30--President Trump clarifies stance, says Proud Boys should 'stand down'

President Trump clarifies stance , says Proud Boys should 'stand down' 'Let law enforcement do its work '

President Donald Trump clarified his stance regarding the "alt-right" group, "Proud Boys," on Wednesday, encouraging them to "stand down and let law enforcement do its work."
What are the details?
The president made the clarification when speaking with reporters in front of the White House. In his remarks, he added that he is not aware of who the Proud Boys are, adding "you'll have to give me a definition."
"But whoever they are, they have to stand down and let law enforcement do its work," he said.
Trump would also go further and say that "everybody" — not just the Proud Boys — but any group that is acting as a militia and preventing law enforcement from doing its work needs to stand down.
The president then pivoted to discussing radical left-wing groups such as Antifa, who he suggested are the "real problem."
What's the background?
Trump's updated remarks came after swift and harsh blowback from liberal media figures and politicians who suggested that he refused to condemn white supremacist groups during Tuesday night's presidential debate in Cleveland.
During the debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump to condemn white supremacist and militia groups onstage. Trump responded by saying "sure ... I want peace" but didn't specifically utter words of condemnation.
When he prompted Wallace to name a specific group, former Vice President Joe Biden stepped in and shouted, "Proud Boys!"
"Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump then said.
The comments appeared to be received by members of the Proud Boys as a rallying cry. Several members reportedly took to private social media channels to celebrate what they perceived as a tacit endorsement by the president.
Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) told reporters Wednesday that he believed Trump "misspoke" when he addressed the Proud Boys Tuesday night during the debate.
"White supremacy should be denounced at every turn," Scott said. "I think the president misspoke, and he needs to correct it. If he doesn't correct it, I guess he didn't misspeak."
Who are the Proud Boys?
According to their website, the Proud Boys call themselves "Western Chauvinists" who believe that the "West Is The Best." The website lists tenets such as minimal government, maximum freedom, anti-racial guilt, anti-racism, pro-free speech, and pro-gun rights.
The FBI categorizes the Proud Boys as an "extremist group with ties to white nationalism."
Their presence has become more pronounced in recent months as members of the controversial group have organized counter-protests against left-wing riots in American cities.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse demands Biden campaign retract 'false accusation' that his client is a

Attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse demands Biden campaign retract 'false accusation' that his client is a 'white supremacist'

Attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse demands Biden campaign retract 'false accusation ' that his client is a 'white supremacist' 'Formal demand @ @ @ @ @ prepared '

The attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse — the 17-year-old facing murder charges for killing two people and wounding a third during Black Lives Matter riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last month — is formally demanding that the Biden campaign retract an accusation that his client is a "white supremacist."
What are the details?
In a tweet posted Wednesday morning, the attorney, Lin Wood, warned that he is preparing a formal demand for public retraction in response to a post on former Vice President Joe Biden's Twitter account.
"Formal demand for public retraction is being prepared for Biden/Harris Campaign on behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse," he wrote. "I also hereby demand that [Joe Biden] immediately retract his false accusation that Kyle is a white supremacist & militia member responsible for violence in Kenosha."
Wood's tweet included a screenshot from a Biden campaign video, in which the Democratic challenger asserted: "There's no other way to put it: the President of the United States refused to disavow white supremacists on the debate stage last night."
The Biden video focuses on a segment from the first 2020 presidential debate in which moderator Chris Wallace asked President Trump to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. As the remarks are played, images of supposed white supremacist gatherings flash across the screen. At the 13-second mark, a picture of Rittenhouse is displayed.
During the exchange, Trump and Biden squabbled over whether right-wing or left-wing groups are primarily responsible for the violence taking place in many cities across the country.
What's the background?
Rittenhouse is currently being tried as an adult on multiple counts of felony murder. If convicted, the charges would carry a mandatory life sentence.
But his legal defense team has argued that their client acted in self-defense on the night of Aug. 25.
Video of the incident does appear to show that Rittenhouse was being chased before firing his weapon, and a New York Times analysis discovered that Rittenhouse did not fire the first shot.
Rittenhouse's attorneys argued that video shows he tried to render medical aid to Joseph Rosenbaum and even called authorities to report the incident, before fleeing the scene "for his safety and his survival."
Then, they said in a statement, "another attacker struck Kyle from behind as he fled down the street. Kyle turned as the mob pressed in on him and he fell to the ground. One attacker kicked Kyle on the ground while he was on the ground. Yet another bashed him over the head with a skateboard. Several rioters tried to disarm Kyle. In fear for his life and concerned the crowd would either continue to shoot at him or even use his own weapon against him, Kyle had no choice but to fire multiple rounds towards his immediate attackers, striking two, including one armed attacker."
A video reportedly produced by #FightBack, an organization raising funds for the Rittenhouse's legal defense, attempted to demonstrate Rittenhouse's innocence.
Content warning: some viewers might find some portions of the video disturbing


theblaze--2020-09-30--Mugger in ninja costume gets painful lesson in manners from etiquette-teaching mom — who also knows

Mugger in ninja costume gets painful lesson in manners from etiquette-teaching mom — who also knows how to kickbox ' @ @ @ @ @ that I fought back '

Myka Meier told the New York Daily News she was enjoying a pleasant walk with her 3-year-old daughter Monday morning in the Chelsea area of Manhattan when a mugger in a ninja costume attacked her from behind.
A 38-year-old etiquette teacher, Meier also happens to be pretty good at kickboxing, the paper said — and she wasn't about to play the victim on this day.
What are the details?
"It felt like he came out of nowhere," she recounted to the Daily News, noting that the crook tried to steal her bag. "He came to my right side, where my bag was, but it was looped around my shoulder. He didn't say anything. I still had my bag in my possession, and I kicked him. I just started kicking. The self-defense courses I've taken took over."
Meier told the paper she also was in "mama bear mode" given her daughter's presence. Here's a lighthearted moment between them posted to Instagram a week before the harrowing encounter:
'I think he was shocked that I fought back'
"I think he was shocked that I fought back," she added to the Daily News. "I think I was more aggressive than he intended. But I train for this stuff. I leave my manners classes, and I go kickbox."
Meier screamed and fought off the ninja-costumed crook — who also was wearing a red cloth around his forehead — before he took off; but she did battle long enough for two construction workers and a doorman to chase him down, the paper said.
"There was a little tug of war over the bag for maybe about a second, and then he started running once I think he saw the attention coming," she noted to the Daily News. "The doorman and the two construction workers did their thing and just grabbed him and held him."
Meier told the paper she was bruised on her back and arms after she fell — albeit still kicking — and tore a thumbnail. She noted that her appearance likely gave the mugger the impression she was an easy target, the Daily News said.
Oh, how wrong he was.
"I don't want to be seen as the helpless victim," Meier told the paper. "I teach etiquette at the Plaza Hotel. I am always in a dress and high heels, but I want people to know that you can be ladylike and fight off an attacker at the same time."
What happened to the suspect?
Police arrested Casique Roman, 41, of Hackensack, New Jersey, and charged him with robbery, the Daily News said, adding that authorities noted he's been busted in New York and New Jersey over the last six years for criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia.
"We got the man, and he's off the streets, and I hope he stays off the streets," Meier told the paper. "This isn't an innocent person. This is a violent man that would attack a mom with her child. He was aggressive. Had I been thinking clearly, I would have just given him my bag. I was just in mama bear mode."
She added to the Daily News that the suspect also is in dire need of etiquette.
"I'm all about educating people on manners," Meier noted to the paper. "This guy certainly needs some."
Here's a clip from Meier's etiquette channel on YouTube recorded earlier this year:


theblaze--2020-09-30--Biden campaign staffer suggests 'intolerant' religious views like those of Amy Coney Barrett should

Biden campaign staffer suggests 'intolerant' religious views like those of Amy Coney Barrett should disqualify certain SCOTUS nominees

Biden campaign staffer suggests 'intolerant ' religious views like those of Amy Coney Barrett should disqualify certain SCOTUS nominees Somehow @ @ @ @ @

A staff member on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign suggested that those with strong faiths — such as that of Orthodox Catholics, Jews, and Muslims — should perhaps not be permitted to serve on the Supreme Court, according to a report from National Review.
Now she appears to have gone missing from the internet as both her Twitter handle and LinkedIn account have been deactivated.
What are the details?
The staffer — Biden campaign Deputy Data Director for Pennsylvania Nikitha Rai — made the suggestion on Monday, intimating that a Supreme Court nominee's faith should somehow disqualify them from serving as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
According to the outlet, the remarks came during a Twitter exchange between Rai and Brookings Institute Senior Fellow Shadi Hamid during which Rai suggested Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's Catholic beliefs were problematic.
The outlet reported:
Hamid had responded to a tweet that said Barrett was a trustee at a Catholic school that opposed same-sex marriage as homosexual acts are "at odds with Scripture." Hamid replied, "Wait, why is this news? Isn't this the standard position for any orthodox Catholic?"
"Unfortunately yes," Rai reportedly responded.
Hamid then went on to note that both Orthodox Muslims and Jews also typically hold the same values.
"True," Rai purportedly agreed. "I'd heavily prefer views like that not be elevated to SCOTUS, but unfortunately our current culture is still relatively intolerant. It will be awhile before those types of beliefs are so taboo that they're disqualifiers."
National Review reported that a search for Rai's Twitter account rendered a page that states "This account doesn't exist."
TheBlaze reached out to Rai for comment on the exchange via her then-active LinkedIn page. She did not respond. Moments later, she appeared to have deactivated her LinkedIn page as well.
At the time of this reporting, Google still lists her LinkedIn profile as an active link.
Comedian Jeremy McLellan shared a screenshot of the purported exchange between Hamid and Rai, captioned, "Here's a @JoeBiden staffer saying that orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Judaism should be made 'taboo' and driven from the public sphere. Beneath all the talk of 'interfaith' and 'pluralism,' this is what they really believe."
What else?
In 2017, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) also took Barrett — a vocal Christian and former clerk for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia — to task over her faith during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, calling her "controversial."
"Why is it that so many of us on this side have this very uncomfortable feeling that dogma and law are two different things, and I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma," Feinstein said at the time. "The law is totally different. ... The conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that's of concern."
The Senate confirmed Barrett to the 7th Circuit Court by a vote of 55-43 on Oct. 31, 2017.


theblaze--2020-09-30--DEBATE RECAP: Trump and Biden spar over the Affordable Care Act

DEBATE RECAP : Trump and Biden spar over the Affordable Care Act

Round 1 of Trump vs. Biden. In this clip, Steven Crowder and the "Louder with Crowder" team livestreamed Tuesday's first presidential debate. Moderator Chris Wallace asked Biden if his health care plan included a government takeover of private insurance. Watch Biden and Trump spar over the Affordable Care Act.
Use promo code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, join Mug Club — the only place for all of Crowder uncensored and on demand.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Police say alleged pedophile hid in teen's closet for more than a month. Now, he can hide in jail.

Police say alleged pedophile hid in teen 's closet for more than a month .
Now , he can hide @ @ @

Authorities arrested an adult male suspect after a 15-year-old child's parents discovered he'd reportedly been hiding in their teen daughter's closet for at least a month.
The suspect, 36-year-old Jonathan Rossmoine, reportedly traveled from his home in Louisiana to the teen's Florida home for sex after the two met through a virtual reality social platform.
What are the details?
According to Newsweek, the unnamed teen's parents said they were prompted to search their daughter's living space after "hearing noises coming from the bedroom."
When the teen's parents searched the room, they reportedly found Rossmoine cowering in the closet.
The unnamed family called authorities, who arrived on the scene to discover Rossmoine in the girl's bedroom.
Detective Tom Cameron of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said that Rossmoine and the teen figured he would remain unknown if he simply hid in the teen's room.
"He and the young lady came up with the idea that he could just stay in her room if he hid the closet whenever the parents came in," Cameron said. "They kept the bedroom door closed and locked and whenever someone came to the door it gave them an opportunity to run and hide in the closet and open up the door to where maybe she was changing or something."
WSVN-TV reported that investigators said Rossmoine admitted to engaging in "numerous sexual encounters," which reportedly took place in his van parked near the family's home.
Newsweek reported that the teen first met Rossmoine online two years ago when she was 13. At the time, the unnamed girl reportedly told Rossmoine that she was 18. When the two finally met, however, she confessed her real age, which apparently did not deter the suspect from engaging in a sexual relationship with her.
Authorities arrested Rossmoine on Sunday and charged him with multiple counts of lewd and lascivious behavior with a victim between the ages of 12 and 16. He also faces a charge of obscene communication and traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child.
Rossmoine is being held on a $25,000 bond at the time of this reporting.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Dennis Quaid fires back at critics who attacked him for participating in COVID PSA, slams 'cancel cu

Dennis Quaid fires back at critics who attacked him for participating in COVID PSA, slams 'cancel culture media'

Dennis Quaid fires back at critics who attacked him for participating in COVID PSA , slams 'cancel culture media '

Actor Dennis Quaid is firing back at critics angry that he agreed to participate in a coronavirus-related public service campaign created by the White House.
What is the background?
Politico reported last week that Quaid and other celebrities would participate in a White House ad blitz ahead of Election Day touting government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Politico, the ad campaign will cost at least $300 million.
The ad blitz, described in some budget documents as the "Covid-19 immediate surge public advertising and awareness campaign," is expected to lean heavily on video interviews between administration officials and celebrities, who will discuss aspects of the coronavirus outbreak and address the Trump administration's response to the crisis, according to six individuals with knowledge of the campaign who described its workings to POLITICO.
Senior administration officials have already recorded interviews with celebrities like actor Dennis Quaid and singer CeCe Winans, and the Health and Human Services Department also has pursued television host Dr. Mehmet Oz and musician Garth Brooks for roles in the campaign.
House Democrats are investigating the ad campaign, alleging the government is using taxpayer funds to boost Trump ahead of the election.
What did Quaid say?
Quaid responded to criticism on Sunday in an Instagram video titled, "NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPOLITICIZED."
In the video, Quaid hit back at what he called "cancel culture media," saying he was feeling "outrage" and "disappointment" over his involvement with the project, which amounted to an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
"It is being used by the cancel culture media that I was doing a campaign ad and endorsement of Donald Trump and that I was paid handsomely for this by diverted CDC funds. Nothing could be further from the truth," Quaid said.
In fact, Quaid explained that his involvement with the project focused on simply raising awareness about COVID-19 and how to stay protected from the virus. Plus, he wasn't even paid for the work.
"The interview and the PSA were about raising awareness of COVID-19 and what we can still do to prevent lives being lost by this terrible, terrible virus," Quaid said. "It was about the importance of wearing a mask, about social distancing, and it was in no way political."
"In fact, Dr. Anthony Fauci and I both talked about it before that it was not to be political — this virus is not political. I was not paid one penny for doing this interview, and neither was Dr. Anthony Fauci," the actor continued.
Quaid went on to say that he was "disappointed" with the news stories surrounding his involvement, saying journalists who started rumors about him "obviously" did not sufficiently research Quaid's involvement with the project before reporting on it.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Dan Crenshaw highlights 10 radical bills the Democrat-led House passed, offers a look at what could

Dan Crenshaw highlights 10 radical bills the Democrat-led House passed, offers a look at what could happen if Joe Biden wins

Dan Crenshaw highlights 10 radical bills the Democrat-led House passed , offers a look at what could happen if Joe @ @ @ @ @ , I 'm going to tell you about all the radical Democrat policies that passed @ @ @ @ @

Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Texas) warned in a video that Democrats would dismantle the country in a video highlighting radical legislation advanced by the Democratic majority in the House over the past two years.
"In two minutes, I'm going to tell you about all the radical Democrat policies that passed out of the House this session," Crenshaw said in the video. "Ever wonder what it would be like if they had all three branches of government?"
Watch:
Dan Crenshaw: Radical Democrat Policies www.youtube.com
Crenshaw highlighted 10 bills that have passed in the House. If there were currently a Democratic majority in the Senate and a Democratic president, they could have become law.
Here are the 10 bills:
H.R. 1, the For the People Act, would overhaul the U.S. election system. It would impose new restrictions on lobbying that are so severe the left-leaning American Civil Liberties Union blasted the bill as unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. The bill also would provide public funding for political campaigns. "They're going to use your tax dollars to pay for political campaigns," Crenshaw said. "Six-to-one match for small-dollar donations. That ends up being billions of dollars in taxpayer funding for bad political ads.
H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, would impose foreign price controls on the U.S. market, lowering drug prices but also cutting into pharmaceutical company revenue that would otherwise be used to reinvest in research for new cures for disease. One study showed this policy would reduce the Medicare Part D revenues for U.S. companies by $358 billion over the next five years, a 58% reduction before interest and taxes. The study found that such a drastic reduction would reduce the number of new medicines brought to market by as much as 88% across the U.S. Crenshaw cited a Congressional Budget Office report that estimated eight fewer drugs would be brought to market in the U.S. between 2020 and 2029 and 30 fewer drugs over the subsequent decade.
H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, is a bill that would require universal background checks for gun purchases. Gun Owners of America has said the bill would criminalize private firearms sales that were not pre-approved by the government. The bill would outlaw the "transfer" of a firearm without a background check. "Transfer" is not defined in the bill, and Crenshaw suggested that borrowing your neighbor's gun may be a felony if this bill were law.
H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, is legislation that would grant amnesty to as many as 2.5 million illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors or who have been in the United States on temporary protected status. The legislation also would provide a path to citizenship and voting rights for those who qualify and cost $34.6 billion while providing no additional border security measures.
H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, would force the Trump administration to reverse the president's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accords and require Trump to develop a plan to drastically cut U.S. carbon emissions by 2025. The Heritage Foundation conducted an analysis that found Obama-era regulations designed to meet that emissions target would raise electricity prices by between 13% and 20%.
H.R. 2472, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, is sweeping legislation to reform labor relations law that, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, would "preempt state labor laws, overrule three Supreme Court decisions, and transform the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from a remedial body to a punitive one." "It actually forces workers to pay union dues, even if they don't want to," Crenshaw said.
H.R. 1644, the Save the Internet Act, would reimpose net neutrality regulations. Federal Communication Commission Chairman Ajit Pai killed the original regulations in 2017, and since then internet speeds have increased, while dire predictions from the left about greedy internet service providers taking advantage of consumers have not come true.
H.R. 5, the Equality Act, would make sexual orientation and gender identity a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act. Conservatives believe the anti-discrimination provisions of proposed laws like the Equality Act endanger religious liberty by being overly broad and inadequately defining what constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Protections for transgender Americans would also make it illegal to prohibit men who identify as women, for example, from competing in female sports. Crenshaw said the bill would give the government power to "federally enforce the ability of men to play in women's sports, ending women's sports forever."
H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, imposing new costs on businesses and, according to Crenshaw, eliminating 4 million jobs. "Remember, a business' budget doesn't change just because the government tells it to. It'll just hire less workers," Crenshaw said.
H.R. 51, the D.C. Admissions Act, would make Washington D.C. the 51st state. "Why?" Crenshaw asked rhetorically. "So the Democrats can get two new senators."
"And that's on top of defund the police, abolish ICE, make excuses for China, make excuses for Antifa, abolish the Electoral College, abolish the filibuster," Crenshaw added. "It's a dismantlement of our country of our country in America and her institutions. Remember that."


theblaze--2020-09-30--Demands intensify for Joe Rogan to host next presidential debate following Chris Wallace's performan

Demands intensify for Joe Rogan to host next presidential debate following Chris Wallace's performance

Demands intensify for Joe Rogan to host next presidential debate following Chris Wallace 's performance

Much of social media called on comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan to moderate the next presidential debate after Fox News' Chris Wallace's heavily criticized performance during Tuesday night's first presidential debate.
Social media criticized Wallace during — and after — the debate, saying that he was largely useless in actually moderating the debate between President Donald Trump and former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
What did people say about Wallace?
Journalist Soledad O'Brien tweeted, "Hellllo Chris Wallace??? Looking for a moderator here. Jesus Christ what a fricken mess."
Former GOP strategist Steve Schmidt added, "Chris Wallace has completely lost control of this debate."
CNN's Oliver Darcy said Tuesday night, "[Wallace] lost control of the debate early, and failed to ever regain order. It appeared as if Wallace were pleading with Trump to respect the forum like a parent would plead an out-of-control child to behave."
Comedy Central host Trevor Noah chimed in, "Chris Wallace's debate performance tonight is a great reminder that kindergarten teachers are underpaid."
Commentator and former CNN, Fox News, and NBC anchor Greta Van Susteren added, "This is why Chris Wallace lost control of the debate — his first question was not about what either would do for the country going forward but designed to create a fight. Once you lose control of a debate, you can't regain..."
Van Susteren shared Wallace's first question in a screenshot, which read, "My first question to both of you tonight, why are you right in the argument you make and your opponent wrong? And where do you think a Justice Barrett would take the court? President Trump, in this first segment, you go first. Two minutes."
Jeremy Boreing, the Daily Wire's co-founder and co-CEO, wrote, "How does Chris Wallace keep his job? I understand the defense of his treatment of Trump during interviews and largely agree, but this was a presidential debate. His performance was as bad as we've ever seen. Disgraceful."
Legions of other social media users issued the same sentiment: that Wallace failed in his duties to maintain a semblance of order or decorum during the first 2020 presidential debate.
What did people say about Rogan?
Rogan himself recently offered to moderate one of the 2020 presidential debates.
During a recent episode of his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan set forth his ideal conditions.
"First of all, I want no one else in the room, just the three of us," he said. "And you'd have to stream it live so no one can edit it, and I would want them in there for hours. ... If they wanted to do that — they both wanted to come here in Austin [Texas], sit down and have a debate — I would 100 percent do it."
The president himself heard word of Rogan's early September remarks and signed off on the proposal, writing "I do!" to a Twitter user who shared the news and wrote, "[W]ho wants this [to happen]?"
Cyclist Lance Armstrong tweeted, "What happened to this idea that @joerogan ought to host a presidential debate?! Time to restart that conversation."
He wasn't the only one — by far.
MMA fighter Tara LaRosa added, "Joe Rogan should have run this debate #Debates2020."
Journalist Tim Pool chimed in, tweeting, "I feel bad for Chris Wallace[.] Stop bringing in these old fogies and bring in someone with the skill and an understanding of modern media[.] We all know Joe Rogan is the only one who can handle a real debate between Biden and Trump[.]"
A petition calling for the very same scenario gained traction in 2019.
A portion of the Change.org petition says Rogan would be the perfect moderator because he has "revolutionized the way political interview and discussion works, as he has provided a long-form media format that has allowed the exchange of ideas to be fully explored."
At the time of this reporting, the online petition has received more than 285,000 signatures in support.
Anything else?
The second presidential debate is set for Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, with C-SPAN's Steve Scully as moderator.
A third and final debate is set for Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee, with NBC News' Kristen Welker as moderator.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Biden calls Antifa 'an idea, not an organization' in debate — and Trump blasts Biden's gaslighting:

Biden calls Antifa 'an idea, not an organization' in debate — and Trump blasts Biden's gaslighting: 'You've gotta be kidding'

Biden calls Antifa 'an idea , not an organization ' in debate — and Trump blasts Biden 's gaslighting : @ @ @ @ @ kidding' Minimizing and denying Antifa 's threat to public safety — if not its very @ @ @ @ @ growing tactic of the left

In one of the more explosive exchanges during Tuesday night's presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked President Donald Trump if he was willing to condemn "white supremacists and right-wing militia" — despite the fact that Trump has done so numerous times throughout his first term in office.
"Gimme a name," Trump told Wallace. "Who would you like me to condemn?"
Then a curious smile came over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's face, and he jumped in and suggested Proud Boys, the controversial group whose members often stand up to left-wing violence in the streets.
But instead of ignoring Biden's unrequested suggestion, Trump took it: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by — but I'll tell you what ... somebody's gotta do something about Antifa and the left, because this is not a right-wing problem, this is a left-wing problem."
Biden shot back: "His own FBI director said the threat comes from white supremacists — Antifa's an idea, not an organization."
"Oh, you gotta be kidding," Trump retorted, adding that — based on Biden's assertion — FBI Director Christopher Wray is "wrong."
What's the background?
Actually Wray confirmed in testimony before Congress earlier this month that "Antifa is a real thing." And while Wray did say Antifa is "not a group or an organization. It's a movement, or an ideology may be one way of thinking of it," unlike Biden, he didn't minimize Antifa's threat.
"And we have quite a number — and I've said this quite consistently since my first time appearing before this committee — we have any number of properly predicated investigations into what we would describe as violent anarchist extremists, and some of those individuals self-identify with Antifa," Wray said.
What was the reaction to Biden saying Antifa is 'an idea'?
As you might guess, Biden backers enthusiastically endorsed keeping a lid, so to speak, on Antifa's reality — but not everybody was down with that:
A little gaslighting tour
Biden hasn't been alone is his Antifa gaslighting. In July, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), chairman of House Judiciary Committee, called Antifa violence in Portland a "myth," despite numerous videos and news reports documenting its violence.
In June, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — the Judiciary Committee's top Republican — blasted Nadler for calling Antifa "imaginary."
"They're not imaginary, they're real," Jordan said, adding that "to have the chair of the Judiciary Committee, on the House floor, say ... these words ... 'imaginary things like Antifa.' They are far from imaginary. And there are people in every major city in this country who know that, and yet the chair of the Judiciary Committee just made that statement. That is scary."


theblaze--2020-09-30--Horowitz: Did Joe Biden disavow lockdowns during the debate?

Horowitz : Did Joe Biden disavow lockdowns during the debate ?

During the lead-up to the debate, I kept hearing pundits suggest that coronavirus was Joe Biden's strongest issue. However, after listening to the debate, Americans are likely asking more questions about Biden's true position on the lockdowns — the issue of our time.
Does Joe Biden support lockdowns or not? Even before moderator Chris Wallace got to the segment on the virus, Biden accused Trump of being responsible for virus deaths and not having a "plan" to deal with the virus. Then, when he got to explaining his plan, we all expected him to say that Trump pushed a reopening too soon. In fact, Biden accused Trump of shutting down the economy!
"We didn't shut down the economy. This is his economy he shut down," accused Biden during the segment on coronavirus. "The reason it's shut down is because, look, you folks at home. How many of you got up this morning and had an empty chair at the kitchen table because someone died of COVID? How many of you are in a situation where you lost your mom or dad and you couldn't even speak to them, you had a nurse holding a phone up so you could in fact say goodbye?"
Trump responded by asserting, wrongly in my view, that millions more would have died if not for the shutdown.
Biden explained that already in March he had a plan. But again, what is that plan?
We should be providing all the protective gear possible. We should be providing the money the House has passed in order to be able to go out and get people the help they need to keep their businesses open. Open schools cost a lot of money. You should get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap in your golf course and go in the Oval Office and bring together the Democrats and Republicans and fund what needs to be done now to save lives.
Huh? So now Biden is championing the opening of businesses and schools? Biden appears to be locked up in his basement, so he might not be aware of what is going on around him, but there are so many masks in this country that you find them on the sidewalks. Nobody has been lacking PPE for the past few months. The reason businesses and schools are closed in many parts of the country is because his party (as well as liberal Republicans) closed them, not because they lack the money to purchase cheap Chinese masks, which don't help.
Remember, it was Biden who said last night, "The party is me. Right now, I am the Democratic Party." Thus, the shutdowns are clearly him, and he has clearly expressed support for them in the past. However, throughout the night, he never defended a shutdown of businesses and schools, the crown jewel of Democrat economic policy at present.
Going forward, he warned about hundreds of thousands more deaths. Again, what's his solution?
"His own CDC director says we could lose as many as another 200,000 people between now and the end of the year. And he said, if we just wear a mask, we can save half those numbers. Just a mask."
Here's the problem: Almost every school and business that is open, except for rural areas, has a universal mask mandate and has had one in place for months. Why is it not working?
This is really one of Biden's greatest vulnerabilities. Trump began to discuss the calamity of the continued shutdowns, but he needs to press his advantage on this further without the distractions of some of his other theatrics. It's part of a broader problem that Biden has on policy. He had to retreat from or dodge any question about lockdowns, packing the courts, defunding the police, the rioters, or the Green New Deal.
In future debates, rather than trying to talk over Biden, Trump should remain silent and force Biden to answer these questions with stony silence. Then he should use his time to define Biden and provide a bold contrast.
One of the later topics in the debate was supposed to be racial inequality and race relations. That would have been a perfect time to show how Biden has supported the shutdown of businesses and schools, which has caused greater inequality than any policy in recent memory.
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of black-owned businesses plummeted 41% from 1.1 million in February 2020 to 640,000 in April thanks to the lockdowns. White-owned businesses decreased 17% and Hispanic-owned slid 32%.
As far as schools, the achievement gap caused by the shutdown is obvious. It's parents who are already wealthy who can make other arrangements and form pods for group learning. Those who are less educated and have less means are totally reliant upon the traditional school system, which remains shut in most Democrat cities.
The simple reality is that Biden cannot keep his "I'm a man of Scranton" canard without disavowing lockdowns. It's time for Trump to press that advantage. After all, Biden publicly owned the Democratic Party and all its baggage.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Hot mic appears to catch Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, state rep laughing about 'political the

Hot mic appears to catch Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, state rep laughing about 'political theater' of wearing masks

Hot mic appears to catch Pennsylvania 's Democratic governor , state rep laughing about 'political theater ' of wearing masks @ @ @ @ @ was a joke

A video circulating online appears to show Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Democratic state Rep. Wendy Ullman chuckling over the "political theater" of wearing masks.
What did they say?
The two officials were preparing to take part in a news conference in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, when Wolf remarked to Ullman that he would be removing his mask when speaking onstage. At the time, Ullman was standing near the microphone with her mask still on.
"So Wendy, I'm gonna take — I'm gonna take my mask off when I speak," Wolf is heard saying.
Ullman then walks toward Wolf and off camera, responding, "I will as well, just, I'm waiting so that we can do a little political theater."
Wolf replies, "OK," as the two officials share a laugh and Ullman walks back toward the podium. She then adds for clarification: "So that it's on camera."
Of course, it's possible that the two Democrats were joking about the situation. TheBlaze reached out to both officials for comment about the exchange, but neither have yet replied.
Even if they were joking, however, it's unlikely that such an excuse would satisfy Pennsylvanians, who have been living under some of the harshest coronavirus restrictions in the country.
Earlier this month, a federal judge actually ruled that the state's burdensome lockdowns, put in place by Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, were unconstitutional.
On July 2, Wolf issued an order that made wearing a mask mandatory. He also implemented a policy that limited indoor gatherings to 25 people and outdoor gatherings to 250 people.
There has been swift backlash
One Twitter user replied to a post made by Ullman, saying, "I enjoyed your political theater, meanwhile families and businesses suffer."
Another wrote: "Pelosi, Feinstein, now this. Rules for thee, but not for me."
The mayor of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Jondavid Longo, blasted Wolf and Ullman's actions, saying, "The destruction of the livelihoods of millions of Pennsylvanians is no laughing matter and we don't find this entertaining."
"The Pennsylvania Governor is purposefully hurting the economy to score political points," President Trump's former acting national intelligence director, Richard Grenell, wrote on Twitter. "Voters should take note."


theblaze--2020-09-30--Black sportswriter Jason Whitlock slams 'pointless virtue signaling' of media outraged over Trump's

Black sportswriter Jason Whitlock slams 'pointless virtue signaling' of media outraged over Trump's 'stand back and stand by' answer about Proud Boys

Black sportswriter Jason Whitlock slams 'pointless virtue signaling ' of media outraged over Trump 's 'stand back and stand by @ @ @ @ @ 'It 's like kneeling for the national anthem .
Pointless virtue signaling '

Black sportswriter Jason Whitlock accused critics of President Donald Trump of "pointless virtue signaling" after many journalists expressed shock and outrage over how Trump answered a debate question about white supremacy in America.
During Tuesday night's debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked the president if he would condemn white supremacists and right-wing militia, to which the president responded "sure" and asked Wallace to identify whom he should condemn specifically. Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden suggested Trump condemn the "Proud Boys," and Trump said, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by."
Wednesday's headlines at CNN, NPR, ABC News, CBS News, the Washington Post, and numerous other outlets all accuse Trump of refusing to condemn white supremacy.
CNN commentator Van Jones was apoplectic after the debate, saying Trump "gave a wink and a nod to a racist Nazi murderous organization."
Van Jones says Trump's failure to condemn white supremacy www.youtube.com
"Only three things happened for me tonight," Jones said. "Number one: Donald Trump refused to condemn white supremacy. Number two: The president of the United States refused to condemn white supremacy! Number three: The commander in chief refused to condemn white supremacy on the global stage in front of my children, in front of everybody's families, and he was given the opportunity multiple times to condemn white supremacy and he gave a wink and a nod to a racist Nazi murderous organization that is now celebrating online, that is now saying 'We have a go-ahead.'"
Whitlock said the outrage over what Trump said is "stupid and pointless." Responding to someone on Twitter who asked why Trump refused to condemn white supremacy, Whitlock said "because he's done it before and it doesn't matter." He called the question "clickbait."
"It's like kneeling for the national anthem. Pointless virtue signaling," Whitlock said.
The segment of the debate where Trump made his "stand back and stand by" comments dealt with the Black Lives Matter anti-police brutality protests in many American cities that have turned violent.
The group that Biden and Trump mentioned, the Proud Boys, was recently denied a permit to hold a demonstration in Portland because of coronavirus restrictions. The Proud Boys describe themselves as a "Western chauvinist" organization that list "anti-political correctness," "anti-racial guilt," and "anti-racism" among their tenets.
Trump said violence in U.S. cities was mostly instigated by left-wing agitators, not white supremacist groups.
"I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right wing," Trump said.
After Wallace and Biden pressed Trump to condemn white supremacist groups, with Biden name-dropping the Proud Boys, Trump gave the answer that's headline news today.
"Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I'll tell you what somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right wing problem this is a left wing," Trump said.
"Antifa is a dangerous radical group," he added later after crosstalk with Biden.
"And you ought to be careful of them, they'll over throw you," Trump told Biden.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Leftist professor publicly calls for all cops to be strangled with 'intestines of the last capitalis

Leftist professor publicly calls for all cops to be strangled with 'intestines of the last capitalist' — then says he got death threats

Leftist professor publicly calls for all cops to be strangled with 'intestines of the last capitalist ' — then says @ @ @ @

Midwestern State University professor Nathan Jun called for all law enforcement officials to be strangled to death in August, and now he's facing death threats and doxxing attempts.
According to his faculty page at the school, Jun teaches courses "Health Care Ethics," "Philosophy of Race and Racism," "Multicultural Philosophy," and "Philosophy of Horror and Macabre," among others.
What are the details?
Jun made the remarks in a now-viral Facebook thread, which painted a grisly picture of capitalists and police officers.
According to the College Fix, Jun wrote, "I want the entire world to burn until the last cop is strangled with the intestines of the last capitalist, who is strangled in turn with the intestines of the last politician."
After Jun's statement went viral, the school issued a public statement backing Jun's right to make such statements.
"As a public university, we recognize and protect individuals' free speech rights under the First Amendment so that ideas and information may be freely exchanged and examined without the threat of censorship or retaliation," a statement shared Friday on KFDX-TV said. "Occasionally individuals will express opinions that may be offensive and even shocking, but are nonetheless entitled to First Amendment protection. When our faculty members speak or write as citizens within the confines of the law, they are free from institutional censorship or discipline."
"Though we take advantage of every opportunity to encourage all members of the campus community to express their opinions in a civil, respectful manner, we view avoidance of censorship as an important part of maintaining the culture of diversity of opinion and academic freedom that is so important to our role as a public university," the statement concluded.
What is Jun saying now?
Jun, however, took issue with initial reports on the matter and said that it was important that all of his comments be taken in context.
He said the lack of apparent context "helped gin up the latest in a long line of violent, hysterical attacks against [his] person and property," according to the Fix.
Social media user "Dead Legendre" shared what appeared to be a note from Jun to his "comrades" explaining the context of the remark.
A portion of the lengthy note said, "Within 24 hours of [a speech Jun delivered on Sept. 24 during a rally for Breonna Taylor] I already had received several death threats. The situation quickly escalated after fascists (acting in concert with local media) disseminated a comment I posted on a friend's Facebook page."
Jun then cited the above-mentioned reporting from KFDX.
"As of this morning, I have received more than 300 death threats by phone, email, text, and private message. I also discovered that my home had been vandalized again ... the fifth time since June," he wrote.
"The harassment has been so intense that I have been compelled to relocate to a hotel for my own safety," Jun said, according to the Fix.
"It is only because we rare living in the midst of a phony, ginned-up hysteria (known by scholars as 'The Antifa Scare') that the local right has decided to go after me," the professor insisted, as reported by the outlet. "As a person who doesn't own a gun or have a criminal record — and who belongs to a member of a historically persecuted group that is greatly underrepresented in Wichita Falls — I am very clearly an easy target for them."
He told KFDX that he does yearn to be a part of a utopian society that excludes police officers and politicians.
"I do long to live in a world in which we no longer have cops, which we no longer have capitalists, and which we no longer have politicians," he admitted. "Because those are my political beliefs and I own them and I make no apologies for those beliefs."
What else?
In 2014, Jun shared a video to YouTube titled "What is Anarchist Studies?" in which he describes ... well, what "anarchist studies" is supposed to be.
Spoiler: He's not sure what it means, either.
In the video, he says, "First of all I think that 'anarchist studies' is a contested term. I don't think that there's any real consensus necessarily among those of us who like to think of ourselves as working in 'anarchist studies.' I think it's something that we're still trying to figure out. I think that we're engaged in active discussions with one another about what 'anarchist studies' is, and what it entails, and what it might be."
"With that said," he continued, "I think that it's possible to provide at least a general account of 'anarchist studies,' and I would say that according to that account, 'anarchist studies' is simply what anarchists do when we reflect honestly on and think critically about ourselves. So, 'anarchists studies' is what anarchists do when we think about what it is we believe, and what it is we do, and what we want to bring about, and how we want to bring it about and so forth."
You can listen to the rest of his explanation in the video below.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Democrats suggest rule changes to hurt Trump at next debates; media float Joe Biden skipping debates

Democrats suggest rule changes to hurt Trump at next debates ; media float Joe Biden skipping debates 'They should work @ @ @ @ @ n't repeat his performance tonight '

After Tuesday's presidential debate, which will be remembered as a night of chaos, Democrats are seeking potential rule changes, while the media floated the possibility of Joe Biden skipping the next two debates.
What are the details?
Despite Biden's campaign pledging the former vice president would participate in each of the three scheduled debates, Democrats are blaming Trump for Tuesday's chaos — and are seeking potential rule changes to future debates, Politico reported.
Simon Rosenberg, a former senior adviser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Politico the Commission on Presidential Debates needs to rein in the president prior to the next debates.
"Of course, Biden and Harris should keep debating. But they should work to make sure Trump can't repeat his performance tonight," Rosenberg said. "Moderators should have the ability to cut off his mic and split screens should be limited. Let them talk to the American people without the other facial expressions and interruptions registering."
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a top Biden surrogate, similarly blamed Trump for the debate chaos.
"It was very hard to follow what was being said, and President Trump showed not just disrespect to the moderator, but to the American people who tuned in trying to figure out what his plans are," Coons told Politico. "The point of the debate is for the American people to make a decision, informed by hearing from the two candidates on what's your record, what are your values? Joe Biden came prepared to respect the American people. Donald Trump did not."
What did the media say?
In post-debate coverage on CNN, network anchor Jake Tapper asked Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, "Do you think Joe Biden should participate in a second or third debate?"
MSNBC host Brian Williams similarly asked on MSNBC, "Should the next two debates go on as scheduled?"
CNN host Wolf Blitzer commented that he "wouldn't be surprised if this is the last presidential debate."
When are the next debates?
The second presidential debate is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Oct. 15; it will be moderated by C-SPAN's Steve Scully. The final presidential debate is slated for Thursday, Oct. 22, and it will be moderated by MSNBC's Kristen Welker.
Biden's campaign said that Biden will, in fact, participate in both debates, according to Politico.
However, Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, said both campaigns were discussing potential format changes with the debate commission.
There is also a vice presidential debate scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7, which will be moderated by USA Today's Susan Page.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Disney to lay off 28,000 workers, citing COVID slowdown and California’s ‘unwillingness’ to lift res

Disney to lay off 28,000 workers, citing COVID slowdown and California’s ‘unwillingness’ to lift restrictions

Disney to lay off 28,000 workers , citing COVID slowdown and California ’ s ‘ unwillingness ’ to lift restrictions @ @ @ @ @ been shuttered for over six months

Disney has announced that it will lay off 28,000 employees in the United States across its Parks, Experiences, and Products unit as a result of the coronavirus-related closures and limited-capacity operations.
What are the details?
Josh D'Amaro, chair of Disney Parks, made the announcement Wednesday in a memo to employees obtained by CNBC in which he said the company has been "forced to reduce the size of our team.
"As you can imagine, a decision of this magnitude is not easy," D'Amaro wrote in the memo. "For the last several months, our management team has worked tirelessly to avoid having to separate anyone from the company. We've cut expenses, suspended capital projects, furloughed our cast members while still paying benefits, and modified our operations to run as efficiently as possible, however, we simply cannot responsibly stay fully staffed while operating at such limited capacity."
"As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic," he continued.
In a statement, D'Amaro noted that two-thirds of the laid-off employees were part-time workers. He declined to break down the layoffs by individual park locations.
CNN previously reported that Disney's profit plunged 91% in the first three months of 2020 after the coronavirus outbreak caused the company to close all of its theme parks in March.
According to CNBC, Disney's Parks, Experiences, and Products unit accounts for 37% of the company's revenue, which totals $69.6 billion.
Specific blame for California
D'Amaro seemed to place special blame on California for the company's losses, as the state's pandemic policies have not allowed Disneyland or California Adventure in Anaheim to open in any capacity since March. The majority of Disney's profit comes from its U.S. operations.
All of Disney's other parks in Florida, Paris, Japan, Shanghai, and Hong Kong have been able to reopen at limited capacity since the start of the pandemic.
D'Amaro made note of this Wednesday, saying the company's coronavirus woes have been "exacerbated in California by the state's unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen."
Disney has been unsuccessfully urging California officials to relax restrictions so that employees can return to work.
In a media update last week, D'Amaro said: "To our California government officials, particularly at the state level, I encourage you to treat theme parks like you would other sectors. Help us reopen. We need guidelines that are fair and equitable to better understand our future and chart a path towards reopening. The longer we wait, the more devastating the impact will be to the Orange County and Anaheim communities."
The media update reportedly showcased Disney's updated safety measures — including sanitizing stations, mask requirements, and cashless pay — that have been effectively implemented at its other parks.
"We're ready and, more importantly, it's time," D'Amaro added.
But the go-ahead from California never came.


theblaze--2020-09-30--Biden says corruption claims against Hunter Biden are 'totally discredited.' But that's not true.

Biden says corruption claims against Hunter Biden are 'totally discredited . '
But that 's not true .

Joe Biden claimed during Tuesday's presidential debate that scrutiny surrounding his son's financial dealings with Russian interests has been "totally discredited."
But that's not exactly true.
What did Biden say?
About halfway through the chaotic debate, President Donald Trump homed in on Hunter Biden and scrutiny surrounding his work in Ukraine and Russia during the Obama administration, for which he was paid handsomely. Biden's critics have suggested the financial payments are evidence of corruption and a conflict of interest while Biden was vice president.
Trump asked, "While we're at it, just out of curiosity, the mayor of Moscow's wife gave your son $3.5 millions of dollars. What did he do to deserve it?"
"None of that is true; it's been totally discredited," Biden responded.
When Trump attempted to rebut, debate moderator Chris Wallace, an anchor at Fox News, continually interrupted Trump and gave Biden the floor.
What are the facts?
Last week, Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee and the Finance Committee released a joint report leveling new, serious allegations against Hunter Biden.
The report detailed more than a dozen "key findings" that connect Hunter Biden's time on the board of Burisma in Ukraine to possible corruption, aiding Moscow's disinformation efforts, and even hindering U.S. foreign policy.
One of those "key findings" was that "Hunter Biden received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the wife of the former mayor of Moscow."
As TheBlaze reported:
Baturina is a Russian businesswoman and the country's only frail billionaire. Her riches came when her husband, the late Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, orchestrated a number of municipal contracts with her company. Luzhkov was fired in 2010 by then-President Medvedev over corruption allegations, the report says.
Baturina wired $3.5 million to Hunter Biden's investment firm for a "consulting agreement," the committee states.
The investment firm in question, Rosemont Seneca Thornton, was "co-founded by Hunter Biden that was incorporated on May 28, 2013 in Wilmington, Del.," the Senate report explained. The firm is apparently an offshoot of another firm, Rosemont Seneca, which was co-founded by Hunter Biden and Christopher Heinz, stepson of John Kerry, who at the time of the transaction of Baturina was serving as secretary of state.
The Senate report cited "confidential document 6" as proof of the financial transaction.
Hunter Biden's lawyer, George Mesires, told PolitiFact that the Senate report is not true. "Hunter Biden had no interest in and was not a co-founder of Rosemont Seneca Thornton, so the claim that he was paid $3.5 million is false," he said.
However, PolitiFact noted that Mesires refused to show documents to corroborate his claim that Biden was not associated with Rosemont Seneca Thorton.
Senate Republicans provided no definitive proof to substantiate their claims, though many of the supporting documents are cited in the report as "confidential."


theblaze--2020-09-30--Joe Biden invokes 'very fine people' hoax from Charlottesville riots in debate with President Trump

Joe Biden invokes 'very fine people ' hoax from Charlottesville riots in debate with President Trump

You knew he was going there — and sure enough, he did.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — with most of mainstream media squarely behind him — during Tuesday's debate with President Donald Trump invoked the tired, long-ago debunked hoax that Trump referred to neo-Nazis and white nationalists at the 2017 riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, as "very fine people."
What was said?
"Close your eyes, remember what those people looked like coming out of the fields, carrying torches, their veins bulging ... just spewing anti-Semitic bile and accompanied by the Ku Klux Klan — a young woman got killed — and they asked the president what he thought, he said there were very fine people on both sides," Biden remarked. "No president has said anything like that."
Trump appeared to urge Biden to "finish the statement, finish the statement" — presumably in reference to his complete remarks to the media when he specifically condemned neo-Nazis and white supremacists — but moderator Chris Wallace, who was demonstrably contentious with Trump all night, moved things along and didn't correct Biden.
But we will. Again.
Here's the in-context exchange between Trump and the media after Charlottesville as reported by Politifact (emphasis added):
Trump: "Excuse me, excuse me. They didn't put themselves — and you had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group. Excuse me, excuse me. I saw the same pictures as you did. You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name."
Reporter: "George Washington and Robert E. Lee are not the same."
Trump: "George Washington was a slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? So will George Washington now lose his status? Are we going to take down — excuse me, are we going to take down statues to George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think of Thomas Jefferson? You like him?"
Reporter: "I do love Thomas Jefferson."
Trump: "Okay, good. Are we going to take down the statue? Because he was a major slave owner. Now, are we going to take down his statue? So you know what, it's fine. You're changing history. You're changing culture. And you had people — and I'm not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists because they should be condemned totally — but you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists. Okay? And the press has treated them absolutely unfairly. Now, in the other group also, you had some fine people. But you also had troublemakers, and you see them come with the black outfits and with the helmets, and with the baseball bats. You had a lot of bad people in the other group."
Here's the clip from the debate and some reactions to it:


theblaze--2020-10-02--Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney is suing the Biden campaign over ad calling him a white supremacist

Kyle Rittenhouse 's attorney is suing the Biden campaign over ad calling him a white supremacist

Kyle Rittenhouse's attorney says the teen will sue the Joe Biden presidential campaign over a political advertisement that identifies him as a white supremacist.
The 17-year-old Rittenhouse is facing multiple felony charges and life in prison if convicted over his alleged participation in a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two Black Lives Matter protesters were killed and a third was grievously injured.
Lin Wood, the attorney for Rittenhouse, said in a tweet that he would sue Biden's campaign if they did not publicly retract it.
"Formal demand for public retraction is being prepared for Biden/Harris Campaign on behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse," tweeted Wood.
"I also hereby demand that @JoeBiden immediately retract his false accusation that Kyle is a white supremacist & militia member responsible for violence in Kenosha," he added.
Wood posted a screenshot of the video, but it was still readily available on Biden's official Twitter account. The video showed various scenes of white supremacist members at Charleston, South Carolina. Over the images was imposed the audio of a question from moderator Chris Wallace about white supremacy at the first presidential debate on Tuesday.
Democrats have claimed that the audio shows that the president was unwilling to condemn white supremacist groups while Trump and his defenders say that it shows him very willing to do so.
Among the imagery flashed during the audio is that of Rittenhouse from the shooting in Kenosha.
Marina Medvin, another attorney on the team representing Rittenhouse, posted a statement responding to the claims made indirectly in the Biden ad.
"There is absolutely no evidence, not even a pinch, of this defamatory accusation that my client Kyle Rittenhouse is a 'white supremacist' — none. My client is a 17 year old patriotic, dutiful American boy who came to 'help people,' that's in his own words. These words are enshrined in videos that have been shared all over social media from that night in Kenosha," tweeted Medvin.
"This dangerous storyline was concocted by online trolls and then parroted by mindless politicians and pundits," she continued later in the statement. "The flagrant defamation needs to stop. They can retract and apologize, or they can deal with Lin Wood in court. It's their choice."
Rittenhouse's legal team is fighting extradition from Illinois, his home state, to Wisconsin, where the shooting occurred.
Here's more about the Rittenhouse case:


theblaze--2020-10-02--Utah BLM and Proud Boys leaders hold joint press conference calling for unity in America

Utah BLM and Proud Boys leaders hold joint press conference calling for unity in America The proud boys said they @ @ @ @

The leader of a northern Utah Black Lives Matter chapter held a press conference with local Proud Boys leaders in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, defending the group that has been labeled by critics as white supremacists.
But the leaders from both activist organizations — who have been meeting together to find common ground — called on Americans to come together in unity after months of unrest and divisiveness in the country.
What are the details?
In a video taken by KUTV-TV, Jacarri Kelley, the leader of Black Lives Matter, Northern Utah, told the media that she called the news conference because she wanted to set the record straight after the Proud Boys were mentioned during the first presidential debate and accused of being "white supremacists."
Kelley was flanked by Proud Boys local president Seth, and chief Thad, both of whom only provided their first names.
The BLM leader explained that she has been meeting with Seth and Thad for the past several weeks to learn more about their views, after she spoke with a few Proud Boys members during a protest who reassured her that they were just there "to make sure nothing goes down."
"We sat down and had a conversation about each others' myths that we heard about the Black Lives Matter movement and about the Proud Boys," Kelley said about her first meeting with the leaders. "And we came to realize we had more in common than not. And in order to combat evil and racism and hatred in this country, we do need to be able to reach across the aisle and have these tough conversations."
"They're not white supremacists. These are proud American men," Kelley said, before adding that both groups "have an issue with the media" because they feel their organizations are not fairly portrayed.
On their website, the Proud Boys tout themselves as "Western chauvinists," who believe "the West is the best," and state that they "do not discriminate based upon race or sexual orientation/preference."
Seth told KUTV, "Don't get it wrong, like male chauvinism or anything like that. Those are two different things."
A KSTU-TV reporter shared a clip on Twitter of Thad saying during the news conference, "I will go out and say that the #ProudBoys as a whole, I will say this on behalf of the entire national organization, denounce white supremacy."
The group has been involved in several clashes with left-leaning activists in Portland and elsewhere. Last week, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) declared a state of emergency ahead of a planned Proud Boys rally in riot-plagued Portland on Saturday, saying the group was "looking for a fight."
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden invoked the group's name during the presidential debate when he and moderator Chris Wallace called on President Donald Trump to denounce white supremacy. The president was met with backlash when we called for the group to "stand back and stand by."
The next day, the president told the media he did not know who the Proud Boys are, and clarified that "they have to stand down, let law enforcement do its work."
(H/T: The Washington Times)


theblaze--2020-10-01--Fox News' John Roberts lashes out at critics on Twitter over his question to Kayleigh McEnany: 'I'm

Fox News' John Roberts lashes out at critics on Twitter over his question to Kayleigh McEnany: 'I'm tired of it!'

Fox News ' John Roberts lashes out at critics on Twitter over his question to Kayleigh McEnany : ' I @ @ @ @ @ '

Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts angrily lashed out at critics on Twitter who were angry at his questions at the White House media briefing.
He made the comments to "Outnumbered" co-host Melisa Francis on Thursday.
Roberts tried to nail down a response from White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about the position the president had about the "Proud Boys," a controversial political group that often confronts liberal protesters.
"If the president didn't know who Proud Boys were, and Joe Biden just threw out the name, if he didn't know who they were, why did he denounce them? Why didn't he say, 'well I don't know who they are, can you give me a little bit more information about them,' and then make a decision about it?" asked Roberts.
"This all remains very puzzling," he added.
"And for all of you on Twitter who are hammering me for asking that question, I don't care, because it's a question that needs to be asked. And clearly the president's Republican colleagues a mile away from here are looking for an answer for it too," Roberts continued.
"So stop deflecting, stop blaming the media!" he said.
"I'm tired of it!" Roberts concluded.
Video of Roberts' outburst was circulated on social media:
Here's how it started
Roberts had raised the hackles of supporters of the president when he asked McEnany if the president would make a declaration denouncing white supremacy.
"I'd like ask you for a definitive and declarative statement without ambiguity or deflection," said Roberts.
"As the person who speaks for the president, does the president denounce white supremacism and groups that espouse it, in all their forms?" he asked.
"This has been answered, yesterday by the president himself, the day before by the president himself, on the debate stage, the president was asked this, he said sure three times," answered McEnany.
"Yesterday he was point blank asked, 'do you denounce white supremacy,' and he said I have always denounced any form of that," she added.
McEnany went on to read off numerous examples of quotes from the president condemning white supremacy. Roberts noted those examples, but asked for a new comment because those were quotes from the past.
At the end of the briefing, McEnany chastised the media for ignoring the violence from left-wing groups like Antifa and instead focusing on white supremacist organizations.
Here's the video of Roberts' question to McEnany:


theblaze--2020-10-01--Chris Wallace says President Trump ruined his plans for a 'substantive' debate

Chris Wallace says President Trump ruined his plans for a 'substantive ' debate ' I had baked this beautiful , @ @ @ @ @ , frankly , the president put his foot in it . '

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace responded to criticism Thursday over his moderating of the chaotic first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden earlier in the week, saying that Trump ruined his plans for a "substantive" discussion.
What are the details?
Speaking on Fox News' "Bill Hemmer Reports," Wallace told the host he initially thought the night started off well after Trump and Biden each answered their first questions. But from that point, things went off the rails.
"It became clearer and clearer over time that this was something different and that the president was determined to try to butt in, and throw Joe Biden off," Wallace said, before citing a Fox analysis "that indicates the president interrupted either Biden's answers or my questions a total of 145 times."
The veteran journalist said the president "bears the primary responsibility for what happened on Tuesday," adding that Trump interrupted Biden more than twice as many times as Biden interrupted him.
Wallace went on to explain how he tried to rein things in during the debate, before explaining, "Literally, hundreds of man hours and woman hours between me and my researcher went in to try to prepare a substantive debate and on so many issues — Biden's tax and spending plans, Trump's climate and environmental policies."
"You know, I was really hoping for the debate that I think America wanted to see," he continued, "which was a serious exchange of views."
Wallace then made an analogy in describing how he felt while moderating, telling Hemmer, "I felt like I had gotten together all of the ingredients, I had baked this beautiful, delicious cake, and then, frankly, the president put his foot in it."
Chris Wallace responds to criticism of his debate moderation www.youtube.com
Wallace has taken heat for not doing more as moderator to control the 90-minute back-and-forth between Trump and Biden, which was full of interruptions and insults from both sides. But Fox News Media executives defended the "Fox News Sunday" host's performance, saying in an internal memo after the debate, "No moderator could have managed a debate of that magnitude better than Chris."
Wallace told The New York Times the day after the event, "Generally speaking, I did as well as I could, so I don't have any second thoughts there."
He added, "I'm just disappointed with the results. For me, but much more importantly, I'm disappointed for the country, because it could have been a much more useful evening than it turned out to be."