theblaze--2020-11-18--Medical association officials dined in style with Gavin Newsom — apparently without masks — despite

Medical association officials dined in style with Gavin Newsom — apparently without masks — despite governor's own COVID-19 ban

Medical association officials dined in style with Gavin Newsom — apparently without masks — despite governor 's own COVID-19 ban @ @ @ @ @ spokesman said 'the dinner was held in accordance with state and county guidelines '

First, there were the photos of far-left California Gov. Gavin Newsom dining unmasked in a fancy French restaurant with a large group of unmasked guests — quite the faux pas considering the controversial COVID-19 dining restrictions the Democrat has instituted.
But now Politico is reporting that California Medical Association officials — of all people — were among the guests seated with Newsom at the "opulent birthday dinner at the French Laundry restaurant this month." Sacré bleu!
What are the details?
CEO Dustin Corcoran and top CMA lobbyist Janus Norman were at the famous Napa fine-dining restaurant with the governor to celebrate the 50th birthday of lobbyist and longtime Newsom adviser Jason Kinney, a CMA representative told the outlet Wednesday morning.
Both Norman and Corcoran are friends of Kinney, as is Newsom, who referred this week to his 20-year friendship with Kinney, Politico said, adding that a photo obtained by KTTV-TV clearly shows Norman seated to Newsom's left:
Image source: KTTV-TV video screenshot
More from the outlet:
The presence of CMA brass could amplify criticisms of the dinner occurring despite coronavirus restrictions that have limited Californians' movements and constrained businesses. While Newsom and Kinney's lobbying firm have said the meal abided by public health rules, it has struck a chord with Californians who have assailed the upscale soiree as hypocritical as coronavirus cases surge.
The state has issued guidelines prohibiting more than three households from gathering privately — a limit clearly exceeded by the French Laundry dinner. However, the state has intentionally allowed restaurants to seat people from more than three households together.
Doctors and other health care workers have been vigilant since the pandemic began in asking Californians to stay at home — a call that has ramped up in recent weeks as hospitals across the nation fill to capacity.
CMA spokesperson Anthony York told Politico in a statement that "the dinner was held in accordance with state and county guidelines."
Newsom and Kinney's lobbying firm, Axiom Advisors, said it was an outdoor dinner, the outlet reported, adding that Napa County restaurants were permitted to hold indoor service at the time of the Nov. 6 event.
The CMA has been a powerful lobbying presence on the state level, Politico noted, adding that its Sacramento officials are longtime friends with Kinney. The CMA spent $2.1 million last year lobbying state leaders, the outlet reported.


theblaze--2020-11-18--CDC quietly removes controversial guidance regarding importance of school reopenings amid COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has `` quietly removed '' some of its controversial guidance that suggested schools should reopen in the fall , The Hill reports .
The guidance also said that transmission risks of COVID-19 to children and other young people was comparatively low .
What are the details ?
According to The Hill 's report on Wednesday , the CDC removed the information from its website in October without any public remarks on the matter .
A spokesperson for the CDC told the outlet , `` Some of the prior content was outdated and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been updated to reflect current knowledge about COVID-19 and schools . ''
The outlet points out that just before information was scrubbed from the health organization 's site , CDC Director Robert Redfield reportedly told Democratic Rep. James Clyburn ( S.C. ) — who is chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis — that the information in question was `` out of date . ''
In a statement on the matter , Clyburn said , `` I am pleased that , in response to this request , CDC has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science and has agreed to update two more that Director Redfield concedes are 'out of date . '
'' `` With infections rising rising dramatically across the country , it is critical that schools , teachers , and families have accurate , trustworthy public health information on the coronavirus , '' he continued .
The outlet noted that CDC Deputy Incident Manager Michael Beach , head of the department 's coronavirus response , told the South Carolina lawmaker 's committee that the information at the time it was presented reflected accurate data .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ become infected , '' Beach said .
At the time of this reporting , the CDC 's website states that the `` body of evidence is growing '' that `` children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and contrary to early reports might play a role in transmission . ''
At the time of this reporting , researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 11,424,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States , with at least 249,477 deaths attributed to the pandemic .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has "quietly removed" some of its controversial guidance that suggested schools should reopen in the fall, The Hill reports.
What's a brief history here?
The guidance also said that transmission risks of COVID-19 to children and other young people was comparatively low.
The deleted content read:
Scientific studies suggest that COVID-19 transmission among children in schools may be low. International studies that have assessed how readily COVID-19 spreads in schools also reveal low rates of transmission when community transmission is low. Based on current data, the rate of infection among younger school children, and from students to teachers, has been low, especially if proper precautions are followed.
What are the details?
According to The Hill's report on Wednesday, the CDC removed the information from its website in October without any public remarks on the matter.
A spokesperson for the CDC told the outlet, "Some of the prior content was outdated and as new scientific information has emerged the site has been updated to reflect current knowledge about COVID-19 and schools."
The outlet points out that just before information was scrubbed from the health organization's site, CDC Director Robert Redfield reportedly told Democratic Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) — who is chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis — that the information in question was "out of date."
In a statement on the matter, Clyburn said, "I am pleased that, in response to this request, CDC has now removed two guidance documents unsupported by science and has agreed to update two more that Director Redfield concedes are 'out of date.'"
"With infections rising rising dramatically across the country, it is critical that schools, teachers, and families have accurate, trustworthy public health information on the coronavirus," he continued.
The outlet noted that CDC Deputy Incident Manager Michael Beach, head of the department's coronavirus response, told the South Carolina lawmaker's committee that the information at the time it was presented reflected accurate data.
"It does appear that children can become infected," Beach said.
At the time of this reporting, the CDC's website states that the "body of evidence is growing" that "children of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and contrary to early reports might play a role in transmission."
At the time of this reporting, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate that there have been at least 11,424,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with at least 249,477 deaths attributed to the pandemic.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Trump campaign pays $3 million to officially begin recounts in 2 liberal Wisconsin counties

Trump campaign pays $ 3 million to officially begin recounts in 2 liberal Wisconsin counties Recount must be completed by @ @ @

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has officially agreed to pay $3 million to launch recount efforts in two liberal Wisconsin counties in hopes of overturning the election in his favor.
What are the details?
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, recounts in the state's two most populous counties — Milwaukee and Dane — are expected to begin this week and be completed by the Dec. 1 deadline.
Former Dane County Judge Jim Troupis, who is representing the Trump campaign in its recount effort, said in a statement, "We will not stop fighting for transparency and integrity in our electoral process to ensure that all Americans can trust the results of a free and fair election in Wisconsin and across the country."
Earlier this month, Trump lost the state to Biden by a narrow margin of just over 20,000 votes. But the Trump campaign has repeatedly contended that widespread election fraud is the reason for its defeat. Now they hope a recount will net them enough votes to flip the important Midwestern state, which helped carry Trump to the Oval Office in 2016.
Though Biden only narrowly won the election statewide, he handily won Milwaukee and Dane counties. The former vice president defeated the incumbent in Milwaukee County 317,270 votes to 134,357, according to the final canvass. In Dane County, he beat Trump 260,185 to 78,800.
The Journal-Sentinel noted that a statewide recount would cost the Trump campaign upwards of $8 million, so at this juncture the campaign elected to save some money and focus efforts on Milwaukee and Dane.
There are certainly enough votes in just those two counties to make a significant difference if the campaign's claims of election fraud are valid. Democratic nominee Joe Biden amassed more than one-third (35%) of his total Wisconsin vote count in Milwaukee and Dane alone.
What else?
The Trump campaign and Republicans in the state are hoping that the recount sheds light on some election practices they have called into question in recent weeks.
For one, Republicans have cried foul over the practice of clerks filling in address information for witnesses on absentee ballot envelopes after witnesses failed to provide that information themselves. According to a recent report, clerks and poll workers in Wisconsin may have "unlawfully altered witness statements" on thousands of mail-in ballots by doing so.
The Journal-Sentinel also made mention of Republicans' complaints regarding "Democracy in the Park" events which took place in Madison, the capital city, prior to the election.
"At those events, poll workers in more than 200 city parks accepted ballots that had been mailed to voters — an arrangement that the city contends was legal but that Republicans contend amounted to early in-person voting ahead of the early-voting period," the news outlet noted. "Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said the 'Democracy in the Park' events were not a form of early voting, but rather an 'in-person drop box.'"
Recounts rarely change the results of an election in any significant way, so without a court victory for Trump which discards fraudulent ballots, the outcome this time around will likely stay the same.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Horowitz: Massive Danish study on surgical masks found no statistically significant benefit against

Horowitz: Massive Danish study on surgical masks found no statistically significant benefit against COVID-19

Horowitz : Massive Danish study on surgical masks found no statistically significant benefit against COVID-19

Editor's note: This article has been corrected. The study's authors did not find a statistically significant reduction in infection rates between people who received a recommendation to wear a mask, and people who did not receive a recommendation to wear a mask. However, the study did not purport to measure the efficacy of masks in preventing people who are already infected from spreading SARS-CoV-2, or the larger question of whether mask wearing overall is effective at preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Please follow all local regulations and laws.
Most Western elites are telegraphing the message that we will be forced to cover our humanity with cheap Chinese face burkas indefinitely. They are mandating that even two-year-olds must wear masks. The long-term effects on the lungs, emotional and behavioral problems, and development of infants and toddlers is enormous. For such an unconstitutional invasion of personal liberty, they are responsible to show us some amazing degree of effectiveness of this cultish ritual.
The much-vaunted Danish mask study was finally published today in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine. Now we know why three medical journals were so averse to publishing its findings. The study examined the difference in SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among people who did not receive a recommendation to wear a mask, compared to people who did receive a recommendation to wear a mask. The results of this massive real-life controlled experiment show that the group that received a recommendation to wear surgical masks in April experienced a 0.38% lower infection rate than the control group that did not wear masks. That is about one-third of one percent, which is so low that it could just be statistically random variances that demonstrate no definitive efficacy even to that infinitesimal level.
"The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50% in a community with modest infection rates, some degree of social distancing, and uncommon general mask use," concluded the authors. "The data were compatible with lesser degrees of self-protection."
There was a total of roughly 3,000 people in each group of the study, which would make this the largest study ever conducted on the efficacy of a mask recommendation. In October, Berlingske, Denmark's oldest operating daily newspaper, reported that three major journals – JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet – refused to publish the study.
It appears that the study's authors had to twist their tongues in order to get this study published by noting that "the estimates were imprecise and statistically compatible with an effect ranging from a 46% decrease to a 23% increase in infection." They of course had to concede that their study doesn't definitely rule out the idea that masks could be effective!
It's important to note that several studies have theorized that the virus might have gotten more contagious in recent months than it was in the spring. Assuming there is validity to that theory, this Danish study, which was conducted in April and May, would demonstrate that masks are ineffective even against the less contagious version of the virus.
Then again, there is nothing new about mask-wearing to anyone paying attention. It has long been the policy of OSHA that respirators, such as an N-95s, are the minimum standard for personal protective equipment. We have always known that surgical masks, which have pores about 30 times larger than virus particles and are not form-fitted around the edges, cannot protect against airborne viruses such as the flu. Plus, most people, especially those who are indoors for a long period of time, such as in school and business settings, will tend to wear more comfortable cloth masks, which are even less effective and risk spreading the virus even more.
The authors of the study say that masks might still be an effective method to prevent spread of the virus because it might prevent people who are already infected from transmitting the virus:
The findings, however, should not be used to conclude that a recommendation for everyone to wear masks in the community would not be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections, because the trial did not test the role of masks in source control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the study period, authorities did not recommend face mask use outside hospital settings and mask use was rare in community settings. This means that study participants' exposure was overwhelmingly to persons not wearing masks.
This is a fair point – that at the time, most other people outside of the study group in Denmark were not wearing masks. The problem is we've seen the virus spread to everyone in the ensuing months, including in places with 100% mask compliance. In a recent CDC study, 85% of those convalescent COVID patients surveyed reported that they wore masks always or most of the time during the lead-up to their infection period. Thus, the Danish study results clearly corroborate what we see with our own eyes in all environments.
We have seen this result from over six months of real-life experience in the world and even in the military with 100% compliance. My son was yelled at for slipping his mask down in a dentist's office for a few seconds when the doctor and hygienist would literally be in his mouth for a much longer period of time. Have we ever experienced something this destructive and illogical in our lifetimes?


theblaze--2020-11-18--Two men arrested for alleged voter fraud scheme, fraudulently registering thousands of people

Two men arrested for alleged voter fraud scheme , fraudulently registering thousands of people Fortunately , authorities caught the scheme @ @ @ @ @ cast

Two California men have been charged with dozens of felony crimes after authorities say they submitted thousands of fraudulent voter registration applications on behalf of Los Angeles-area homeless people.
What are the details?
Authorities claim that Carlos Antonio De Bourbon Montenegro, 53, and his co-defendant, Marcos Raul Arevalo, 34, conspired to fraudulently obtain mail-in ballots for fake voters.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Montenegro allegedly submitted 8,000 fraudulent voter registration applications between July and October, falsifying names, addresses, and signatures — all under penalty of perjury, of course — in the process.
More from KNBC-TV:
The conspiracy charge alleges that Montenegro submitted and filed signed nomination papers containing 41 signatures and addresses to the city clerk this summer and that just 18 of the names, addresses and signatures on the nomination papers were validated by the Los Angeles County Registrar- Recorder's Office.
The conspiracy charge also alleges that Montenegro was subsequently issued write-in candidate nomination papers and that he "submitted and filed signed write-in candidate nomination papers containing 32 signatures and addresses for fictitious, non-existent or deceased person'' with the city clerk's office. It further alleges that he and co-defendant Marcos Raul Arevalo "and other unknown co-conspirators'' used three post office boxes in Hawthorne as well as Montenegro's home address "as mailing addresses for over 8,000 voter registration applications for fictitious, non-existent or deceased persons, that were submitted for processing to the Los Angeles County Registrar- Recorder's Office and the California Secretary of State.''
Fortunately, officials quickly uncovered the scheme, and no illegal votes were cast.
Officially, Montenegro has been charged with 32 felony crimes: 18 felony counts of voter fraud, 11 felony counts of procuring a false or forged instrument, two felony counts of perjury, and one felony count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud. He was also charged with nine additional misdemeanors.
Meanwhile, Arevalo has been charged with eight counts of voter fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud, and four counts of procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, along with four misdemeanors.
If convicted on all charges, Montenegro faces more than 15 years in prison, and Arevalo faces more than seven years in prison.
What about voter fraud?
President Donald Trump, his campaign, and his supporters have alleged that voter fraud stained the 2020 election on a wide-scale, but none of their legal challenges have proved fruitful thus far. Judges have outright rejected the claims of voter fraud.
And in cases like this where law enforcement uncover schemes to commit fraud, officials almost always catch the perpetrators before they have the opportunity to actually cast fraudulent ballots.
Indeed, even the federal government has disputed Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud.
"The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Right now, across the country, election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result," the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees said in a joint statement last week.
The agencies clarified, "There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised."
Trump responded to the statement by firing Chris Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, on Tuesday.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Sen. Ted Cruz explains the 'good news' in Trump's election battle

Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) joined the `` Glenn Beck Radio Program '' to explain how mail-in ballots are typically disqualified during recounts at a far higher rate than in-person , Election Day ballots , and why this is `` good news '' for President Donald Trump 's legal battle over the election .
`` One of the things that gives the greatest cause for optimism is , this election ... there 's a pretty marked disparity in terms of how the votes were distributed .
On Election Day , with in-person voting , Donald Trump won a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting on Election Day .
Of mail-in voting , Joe Biden won a significant majority of the votes cast early on mail-in voting , '' Cruz explained .
`` Now , here 's the good news : If you look historically to recounts , if you look historically to election litigation , the votes cast in person on Election Day tend to stand .
It 's sort of hard to screw that up .
Those votes are generally legal , and they 're not set aside .
Mail-in votes historically have a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're examined , there are a whole series of legal requirements that vary state by state , but mail-in votes consistently have a higher rate of rejection , which suggests that as these votes begin being examined and subjected to scrutiny , that you 're going to see Joe Biden 's vote tallies go down .
That 's a good thing , '' he added .
`` The challenge is , for President Trump to prevail , he 's got to run the table .
He 's got to win , not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That makes it a lot harder to prevail in the litigation .
I hope that he does so , but it is a real challenge and we should n't try to convince ourselves otherwise . ''
Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation : Want more from Glenn Beck ?
To enjoy more of Glenn 's masterful storytelling , thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to BlazeTV today with our BEST DEAL EVER for $ 30 off with promo code GLENN .

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" to explain how mail-in ballots are typically disqualified during recounts at a far higher rate than in-person, Election Day ballots, and why this is "good news" for President Donald Trump's legal battle over the election.
"One of the things that gives the greatest cause for optimism is, this election ... there's a pretty marked disparity in terms of how the votes were distributed. On Election Day, with in-person voting, Donald Trump won a significant majority of the votes cast on in-person voting on Election Day. Of mail-in voting, Joe Biden won a significant majority of the votes cast early on mail-in voting," Cruz explained.
"Now, here's the good news: If you look historically to recounts, if you look historically to election litigation, the votes cast in person on Election Day tend to stand. It's sort of hard to screw that up. Those votes are generally legal, and they're not set aside. Mail-in votes historically have a much higher rate of rejection … when they're examined, there are a whole series of legal requirements that vary state by state, but mail-in votes consistently have a higher rate of rejection, which suggests that as these votes begin being examined and subjected to scrutiny, that you're going to see Joe Biden's vote tallies go down. That's a good thing," he added. "The challenge is, for President Trump to prevail, he's got to run the table. He's got to win, not just in one state but in several states. That makes it a lot harder to prevail in the litigation. I hope that he does so, but it is a real challenge and we shouldn't try to convince ourselves otherwise."
Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation:
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.
Subscribe to BlazeTV today with our BEST DEAL EVER for $30 off with promo code GLENN.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Photos emerge of California Gov. Gavin Newsom dining unmasked with large party — and even CNN is cri

Photos emerge of California Gov. Gavin Newsom dining unmasked with large party — and even CNN is criticizing the blatant hypocrisy

Photos emerge of California Gov .
Gavin Newsom dining unmasked with large party — and even CNN is criticizing the @ @

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is under fire for photos of him dining unmasked in a California restaurant amid a group of unmasked dinner guests.
What are the details?
According to a Wednesday report from the Daily Mail, witnesses at a California restaurant said that the governor — who has instituted a wide variety of lockdown measures across the state, impacting the local economy — ate inside despite his insistence that he dined outside the restaurant.
The bombshell comes amid Newsom's newly announced restrictions California families celebrating the Thanksgiving holidays, including a demand that they eat outdoors.
The outlet reported that the event was a birthday dinner party with 12 people in attendance. The dinner took place earlier this month inside what appeared to be a crowded restaurant.
KTTV-TV obtained photos of the dinner that show Newsom and others milling about the restaurant and sitting around a table with other maskless attendees.
One woman purporting to be a witness told the Daily Mail that she was dining at the French Laundry in Yountville, California, when she saw the governor dining in a private room with the other guests.
"She said a sliding glass door to the room was initially left open, but was pulled across because the governor and his party were being 'very loud,'" the outlet reported. "State guidelines for restaurants in place on the day of the dinner — November 6 — say outdoor seating must be 'prioritized' but indoor dining was allowed in small groups."
"Nobody was wearing a mask," the unnamed witness told the outlet. "It was a very large group of people shoulder to shoulder, something that he's always telling us not to do, so it was a bit annoying."
Newsom, through his spokesperson, previously insisted that the large dinner party took place outdoors and said on Monday that it was a "bad mistake."
"I should have stood up and ... drove back to my house," he said according to Fox News. "The spirit of what I'm preaching all the time was contradicted. I need to preach and practice, not just preach."
"I'm doing my best every single day in trying to model better behavior," he added.
What else?
On Wednesday, CNN's Chris Cillizza hit out at what he called the governor's "knuckle-headed" move.
Cillizza recounted the early November incident and wrote, "Unfortunately for Newsom, this episode of do-what-I-say-not-what-I-do is likely to negatively color his overall handling of the virus, which to this point had won plaudits from many — including me!"
"Newsom's apology was fulsome — and without the sort of 'sorry if anyone was offended' caveats that politicians love to lean on," he later wrote. "And California is one of the most Democratic states in the country, so it's unlikely that this error in judgment will seriously jeopardize Newsom's chances at a second term in 2022 or his future national political aspirations. (And trust me, he has future national political aspirations.)"
"But for someone who had been leading the charge on what effective government response to this pandemic looked like, Newsom's knuckle-headed decision to defy his own best practices is a bad look," Cillizza concluded. "A very bad look."
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jerry Roberts — the San Francisco Chronicle's former managing editor — added, "The tale of the governor indulging at one of the nation's most exclusive and expensive restaurants (average meal $325) — while millions of Californians are scuffling amid the pandemic's economic fallout — truly represents a real bad look."


theblaze--2020-11-18--Black officer to resign after fatally shooting three minorities in five years. Black Lives Matter mo

Black officer to resign after fatally shooting three minorities in five years. Black Lives Matter mob allegedly shot at officer during August protest.

Black officer to resign after fatally shooting three minorities in five years .
Black Lives Matter mob allegedly shot at @ @ @ @ @

A black officer from the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Police Department is resigning after fatally shooting three people — all of them minorities — in five years.
The resignation of Joseph Mensah, who's been suspended since July in the wake of his third fatal shooting, is effective Nov. 30, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
What's the background?
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office ruled all three fatal shootings justified self-defense, including the most recent shooting in February, the paper said.
But Mensah remained suspended after the family of Jay Anderson Jr. — whom Mensah fatally shot in a Wauwatosa park in 2016 — filed a complaint, the Journal Sentinel added.
The paper reported in a previous story that two of the fatally shot individuals were black and the third person shot and killed was Latino/Native American.
Retaliation?
In August, Mensah said protesters chanted "black lives matter" while shooting at him and punching him at his girlfriend's home.
Mensah posted on Facebook that protesters "tried to kill me. I was unarmed and tried to defend my property and the property of my girlfriend. We were both assaulted, punched, and ultimately shot at several times. A shotgun round missed me by inches. Not once did I ever swing back or reciprocate any the hate that was being directed at me. I am all for peaceful protests, even against me, but this was anything but peaceful. They threw toilet paper in her trees, broke her windows, and again, shot at both of us as they were trying to kill me. There are children that live there any the knew that. The irony in all of this is that they chanted Black Lives Matter the entire time, but had zero regard for any of the black children that live there or me, a black man."
Wauwatosa police said between 50 and 60 people gathered at the home to protest Mensah on the night of Aug. 8, where he was physically assaulted and a single shotgun round was fired into the home, the Journal Sentinel noted in another story.
Police added that protesters began to vandalize the home around 8 p.m. and that while Mensah "attempted to establish a dialog," he "was ultimately physically assaulted," the Journal Sentinel said, citing a police department release.
As Mensah went inside, "armed protesters approached the rear door and a single shotgun round was discharged by a member of the group into Officer Mensah's backdoor," the paper added, citing the release.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called the incident "domestic terrorism" and said officials "must take action":
Three people have since been charged in that incident, the paper said.
Mensah also told WISN-AM that roughly 100 protesters came to his home on the night of July 27, the Journal Sentinel reported in a separate story.
"To call me a murderer, without any conviction, without any charges, and then to do something like this, again, I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm confused," he said during the interview, the paper reported.
Mensah added that "it'd be one thing if there was any kind of cause, whatsoever, for my actions. But I defended myself, several times. Proven that I defended myself several times," the Journal Sentinel said.
He also said he believes he was suspended to appease protesters, WITI-TV reported.
"They knew all about this in 2016," Mensah said, according to the station. "They didn't have an issue with it in 2017. They didn't have an issue with it back in 2018. They didn't have an issue in 2019. Now, it's 2020. Let's just suspend him for no reason."
A GoFundMe for Mensah's legal fees set up in mid-July raised over $78,000.
What's been happening lately?
Before Mensah's resignation was announced Tuesday, a hearing before the police and fire commission was scheduled for Dec. 16 in which Mensah would have had the opportunity to regain his job, the Journal Sentinel said.
More from the paper:
The commission was the only panel that could fire Mensah. But others have weighed in throughout the year.
On the same day that Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm cleared Mensah of any criminal wrongdoing in his third fatal shooting, an independent investigator hired by the commission recommended that Mensah be fired.
Steven Biskupic wrote in his report released Oct. 7 that the potential for a fourth fatal shooting by Mensah "creates an extraordinary, unwarranted and unnecessary risk to the Wauwatosa Police Department and the City of Wauwatosa."
He said there was "just cause" for Mensah to be fired since he made "inconsistent and misleading" public statements about the shootings, which violated a department policy and which could compromise his ability to testify in court.
Three months earlier, the common council passed a resolution calling for the removal of Mensah. The next day, the police and fire commission suspended him.
Mensah later filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County, contesting there wasn't "just cause" for his suspension. Mensah's attorney, Jonathan Cermele, said in advance of the December hearing that Mensah would have been "completely capable" of performing his duties as an officer and that suspending him violates his due process because "one simply cannot be disciplined for an act that has yet to occur."
The city is asking the commission to meet as soon as possible to dismiss the charges pending against Mensah, the Journal Sentinel added.
"Now is the time for all of us to come together and heal," Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride said, according to the paper.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Horowitz: Doesn’t pass Joe Biden’s ‘smell test’: With 2 major Georgia county errors, how can we trus

Horowitz: Doesn’t pass Joe Biden’s ‘smell test’: With 2 major Georgia county errors, how can we trust the election results?

Horowitz : Doesn ’ t pass Joe Biden ’ s ‘ smell test ’ : With 2 major Georgia county @ @ @ @ @ trust the election results ?
Even liberals worried about this occurring prior to the election

When it comes to election irregularities in Georgia, smoke and fire are now revolving around the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots. Given the evidence we have already seen and the well-known opportunity for fraud with mail-ins, why would Republicans not use their full control over state government to prohibit this practice headed into the critical twin runoffs that will determine control of the Senate? And how can we trust the bizarre and incongruent unofficial results in so many other states?
On Tuesday, Georgia officials announced a second discovery of lost ballots that weighed heavily for Trump. A spokesperson for the secretary of state announced that Fayette County officials failed to upload a memory card that recorded 2,755 votes into the total county tally. Those votes just happened to break down as follows: 1,577 for Trump, 1,128 for Biden, 43 for Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, and seven write-ins.
The news out of Fayette County came just one day after Floyd County officials uncovered over 2,600 votes that went missing during the initial count on election night. That batch of lost and found ballots just happened to contain a net 800-vote advantage for Trump over Biden. The secretary of state is now opening an investigation into the election counting in both counties and has called for the elections director in Floyd County to step down.
In defending Al Gore's contesting of the election results for 35 days in 2000, then-Sen. Joe Biden said that he had every right to question things that just didn't pass the "smell test." Well, what is going on here just doesn't pass the smell test. We are to believe in an election with unprecedented mail-in ballots, the following sequence of events occurred:
That Trump could be on pace to win the state by 4 points (on par with the final WSB poll), according to the New York Times algorithm after well over half the vote was counted;
Then, suddenly, late at night, the counting stops just in the most Democratic areas;
When the counting resumes, the votes come in so lopsided for Biden, over and beyond the typical urban Democratic margins, that Biden blows out Obama's turnout in these heavily minority counties;
That every single batch of found ballots in the final tallying of the initial results, without exception, heavily favors Biden;
But then, after pressure mounts for an investigation, all of the votes that were found in the audit as not having been included in the initial count weigh heavily toward Trump.
Does this really pass the smell test?
Also, if just one discovered batch of votes each in two of Georgia's 159 counties made up 8.7% of the gap between Trump and Biden, what else is missing? And that doesn't even begin to factor in potential fraudulent votes in Biden's tally from the near-impossible number of mail-ins in some counties.
In a closely divided county, with elections increasingly being decided by small margins up and down the ballot, how can we have confidence in the results, given what we know?
The number of votes cast in total, but particularly Biden's margins, in the Atlanta metro counties are very hard to understand, even if we account for the population growth in the region. Take Gwinnett County, for example. Yes, this is a quintessential suburb that has trended away from the GOP during the Trump era, but the numbers that Biden racked up are extremely anomalous to say the least.
The population increased by 4.6% since the 2016 election, but Biden crushed Clinton's vote share in the county by 46%. The population grew by 42,000, but Biden improved the Democrat vote share by 66,000. You might suggest that this county has simply soured on Trump, like many suburban neighborhoods around large cities. However, Trump himself actually improved on his 2016 performance and even did better than Romney in 2012. So this is not a matter of a mass number of crossover voters going for Biden. Somehow, Biden magically managed to turn out some untapped reservoir of voters nobody ever imagined and dramatically expanded the pie.
We see the same trend in the heavily African-American urban counties of Fulton and DeKalb counties. Here is the trend line of vote share by presidential choice since 2008 in Fulton County, along with the population size by election year.
We see that Trump's share of the vote grew modestly, as we would expect with him generally performing better among black voters than four years ago. But Biden's growth is unfathomable. The entire county grew by roughly 50,000 people (4.8%), but Biden managed to expand the Democrat vote share by 98,000 (35%).
Moreover, Obama, with his historic blowout election in 2008 that produced record black turnout with a highly sophisticated ground game, achieved a vote tally corresponding to 30% of the county's population. We are to believe that Biden, with no ground game and less enthusiasm from black voters than even regular Democrat candidates, somehow got 35% of the population to vote for him?
Here is the similar trend in DeKalb County, the other urban center of Atlanta:
The population grew by just 2.6% since 2016. Yet Biden's vote total was 28.5% higher than Hillary Clinton's, even though Trump also improved slightly. In this county where nearly half the population is black, Obama racked up votes of 36% of the total county population. Biden topped it at 40%!
It's true that turnout was higher nationwide, but not that much higher. It just seems that Biden achieved nearly impossible turnout levels just in the areas of the four or so states that he needed to do so. It's very hard to see how just in these places, he crushed Obama's turnout numbers that seem nearly impossible as a share of the population in an election where Republicans wound up winning all 27 of the House races rated as toss-ups by political analysts.
Democrats will contend that Biden simply lucked out by running a great mail-in ballot campaign. But given the complexities of properly filling out those ballots, especially for those filling them out for the first time, it's hard to imagine how Democrats could achieve a 1:1 ratio of retaining all of their traditional votes through mail-ins, then expanding the pie with even greater turnout of legal and properly filled-out ballots. It's hard to imagine this wasn't achieved through a mix of ballot-harvesting fraud and invalid votes, signatures, and other incomplete information.
Even liberals worried about this occurring prior to the election. Nate Silver's Five Thirty Eight blog warned on Oct. 13 that "rejected ballots could be a big problem in 2020."
According to the Election Administration and Voting Survey, less than 1 percent of the 33.4 million absentee ballots submitted in the 2016 general election across the 50 states and Washington, D.C., were rejected. 1 This year, though, rejection rates could be much higher because so many people are voting by mail for the first time and may not know the rules. According to research by David Cottrell, Michael C. Herron and Daniel A. Smith, voters without experience voting by mail are up to three times more likely to have their ballots rejected.
Yet, somehow Democrats managed to miraculously achieve the impossible, especially in the states where it mattered most. The New York Times referred to it as the "November surprise." In 2016, 6.4% of mail-in ballots in Georgia were rejected. This year, despite the rushed volume of first-time absentee voters, just 0.2% were rejected. In North Carolina, where Trump underperformed his showing in 2016, the rate of rejection dropped threefold, from about 2.7% in 2016 to 0.8% this year.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the fraud endemic to mail-in ballots even in a normal year, much less a chaotic election like this where a significant number of Democrats votes were processed this way. The 2005 report of the Commission on Federal Election Reform, chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker III, concluded that "absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud." Even the Washington Post admits that mail-in fraud goes as far back as the 1864 election. In that vein, it's truly shocking that Republicans in Georgia haven't immediately banned mail-in votes for the runoffs.
Could it be that all the glitches, ballot dumps, pre-final (but not recount) lost and found votes, and successful mail-in campaigns all worked in Biden's favor in the right places at the right time? Unlikely, but possible. However, as Joe Biden said following Al Gore's contesting of Bush's win in 2000, "At the end of the day they want to know – is it fair? Does it pass the smell test?"


theblaze--2020-11-18--Kayleigh McEnany blasts 'Orwellian' COVID-19 Thanksgiving restrictions

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday blasted some state coronavirus restrictions on Thanksgiving gatherings as `` Orwellian , '' decrying threats of arrest from some state officials for those who gather for dinner in greater numbers than the state will permit .
Appearing on Fox News ' `` Fox & Friends , '' McEnany was asked by co-host Steve Doocy about `` suggestions and guidelines '' issued by some governors that limit the size of private gatherings because of spiking coronavirus cases as families prepare to celebrate the holidays .
`` I think a lot of the guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McEnany said .
She pointed Doocy to CDC guidelines on wearing a mask and social distancing before arguing that Americans , as a free people , should be trusted to take care of themselves without threats from the government .
`` The American people know how to protect their health .
We 've dealt with COVID for many months , '' she continued .
`` But it 's Orwellian in a place like Oregon to say , 'If you gather in numbers more than six , we might come to your house and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of jail time . '
That 's not the American way .
We do n't lose our freedom in this country .
We make responsible health decisions as individuals . ''
Last week , Oregon Democratic Gov .
Kate Brown announced a two-week `` freeze '' to slow the spread of coronavirus .
The freeze went into effect Wednesday , limiting the size of at-home , social , and worship gatherings .
Additionally , in-door dining has been shut down at restaurants , workplaces that are able have been ordered to mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zoos , and indoor recreation facilities have been closed .
A press statement from the governor noted that `` all of the freeze measures are enforceable by law upon both individuals and businesses , '' but emphasized that the governor is `` urging voluntary compliance . ''
`` I expect local law enforcement to continue to use an education first approach , but Oregonians need to understand that these rules are enforceable under law .
A large majority of Oregonians continue to do the right thing to protect themselves , their loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` However , when Oregonians do n't take COVID-19 seriously , and do n't take steps to reduce the spread of the disease , they put all of us at risk .
We need all Oregonians to use common sense , make smart choices , and take seriously their individual responsibilities during a public health emergency . ''
Violations of the governor 's executive order could result in citation , fine , or arrest , but state law enforcement has been instructed to take matters that far only as a last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a follow-up question , noting that `` nobody likes to have anybody tell people what they can and can not do inside their houses '' but that the Trump administration deferred to state and local authorities to enact coronavirus restrictions .
`` Ultimately , did n't the White House say , 'Do what you want to do ? '
'' Doocy asked .
`` Yeah , of course .
It 's up to every state to do what they want to do , but there are consequences for those states , '' McEnany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New Yorkers have fled the city over the past eight months during the pandemic .
`` The American people are a freedom-loving people , '' she continued .
`` We can make good decisions .
We can wash our hands , wear masks , socially distance .
But we can also decide in our own personal domicile , our own home , whether we can have our family members present at any given time .
That is the American way .
That is freedom . ''

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday blasted some state coronavirus restrictions on Thanksgiving gatherings as "Orwellian," decrying threats of arrest from some state officials for those who gather for dinner in greater numbers than the state will permit.
Appearing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," McEnany was asked by co-host Steve Doocy about "suggestions and guidelines" issued by some governors that limit the size of private gatherings because of spiking coronavirus cases as families prepare to celebrate the holidays.
"I think a lot of the guidelines you're seeing are Orwellian," McEnany said.
She pointed Doocy to CDC guidelines on wearing a mask and social distancing before arguing that Americans, as a free people, should be trusted to take care of themselves without threats from the government.
"The American people know how to protect their health. We've dealt with COVID for many months," she continued. "But it's Orwellian in a place like Oregon to say, 'If you gather in numbers more than six, we might come to your house and arrest you, and you get 30 days of jail time.' That's not the American way. We don't lose our freedom in this country. We make responsible health decisions as individuals."
Last week, Oregon Democratic Gov. Kate Brown announced a two-week "freeze" to slow the spread of coronavirus. The freeze went into effect Wednesday, limiting the size of at-home, social, and worship gatherings. Additionally, in-door dining has been shut down at restaurants, workplaces that are able have been ordered to mandate work-from-home, and gyms, museums, zoos, and indoor recreation facilities have been closed.
A press statement from the governor noted that "all of the freeze measures are enforceable by law upon both individuals and businesses," but emphasized that the governor is "urging voluntary compliance."
"I expect local law enforcement to continue to use an education first approach, but Oregonians need to understand that these rules are enforceable under law. A large majority of Oregonians continue to do the right thing to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their neighbors," Brown said.
"However, when Oregonians don't take COVID-19 seriously, and don't take steps to reduce the spread of the disease, they put all of us at risk. We need all Oregonians to use common sense, make smart choices, and take seriously their individual responsibilities during a public health emergency."
Violations of the governor's executive order could result in citation, fine, or arrest, but state law enforcement has been instructed to take matters that far only as a last resort, KATU-TV reports.
Doocy asked a follow-up question, noting that "nobody likes to have anybody tell people what they can and cannot do inside their houses" but that the Trump administration deferred to state and local authorities to enact coronavirus restrictions.
"Ultimately, didn't the White House say, 'Do what you want to do?'" Doocy asked.
"Yeah, of course. It's up to every state to do what they want to do, but there are consequences for those states," McEnany replied, noting that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have fled the city over the past eight months during the pandemic.
"The American people are a freedom-loving people," she continued. "We can make good decisions. We can wash our hands, wear masks, socially distance. But we can also decide in our own personal domicile, our own home, whether we can have our family members present at any given time. That is the American way. That is freedom."


theblaze--2020-11-18--Georgia GOP chair says a monitor caught a 9,626-vote error during DeKalb County hand count audit pro

Georgia GOP chair says a monitor caught a 9,626-vote error during DeKalb County hand count audit process, got it fixed before it was filed

Georgia GOP chair says a monitor caught a 9,626-vote error during DeKalb County hand count audit process , got it @ @ @ @ @ The error was not part of the initial count

The chairman of the Georgia Republican Party said Wednesday that hand counters in the Peach State almost submitted a 9,626-vote error as part of the state's audit process, but thankfully the error was spotted by an election monitor before it was entered.
"One of our monitors discovered a 9,626 vote error in the DeKalb County hand count," Chairman David Shafer tweeted Wednesday morning. "One batch was labeled 10,707 for Biden and 13 for Trump — an improbable margin even by DeKalb standards. The actual count for the batch was 1,081 for Biden and 13 for Trump."
Shafer added that "had this counting error not been discovered, Biden would have gained enough votes from this one batch alone to cancel out Trump's gains from Fayette, Floyd, and Walton."
"Our attorneys have turned over an affidavit from our monitor to the Secretary of State and requested an investigation," he confirmed in a subsequent tweet.
Every county in Georgia has been undergoing a hand recount of ballots cast in the Nov. 3 election after the initial tabulation showed Democratic nominee Joe Biden edging President Trump in the state by a margin of just over 14,000 votes.
Already in the hand count, more than 5,000 missing votes from Fayette, Floyd, and Walton counties have been discovered. With those votes being added, Trump has trimmed Biden's lead in Georgia to under 13,000 votes. However, despite the errors in those counties, the state is not expected to flip to Trump after the recount process is finished and the results are certified this week.
But Shafer is concerned that the recent error may be just one of many. In a pair of additional tweets, the GOP party chairman explained, "We were limited to 1 monitor for every 10 counting tables and we were kept some distance from the tables. There is no telling what we missed under these unreasonable restrictions. The miscounted batch had been be signed off by two official counters."
"Biden's margin of victory in this batch of votes (99.9%) bested Bashar al-Assad's 2007 margin (97.6%) and Raul Castro's 2008 margin (99.4%). It matched Kim Jong-il's 2009 margin (99.9%)," he went on, pointing out that Biden's erroneous margin of victory in the batch was akin to that of rulers in totalitarian states.
Addressing the issue on a call with reporters Wednesday, Georgia's voting implementations manager Gabriel Sterling said that he was aware of the error and thanked the monitor for catching it, but ultimately called it a "non-issue." Sterling argued that the error would have been discovered even without the monitor's help because of quality control measures the state has in place.
It should be noted that the audit process currently under way in the state is not the same as an official recount, which may soon be requested by the Trump campaign once the results are certified.
The president has complained about the current audit process, calling it a "joke" due to the fact that "signature matching" is not being done. However, election officials in Georgia have insisted that signature matching was already performed during the initial count and cannot be performed again.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Joe Biden supports 'immediately' canceling some student loan debt, penalizing American taxpayers

'It should be done immediately '

Former Vice President Joe Biden declared Monday that, as president, he would move to ensure that Americans with student loans have some of their debt "immediately" — by magic, apparently — wiped away.
Outstanding student loan debt currently stands at more than $1.5 trillion.
What are the details?
Biden was asked by a reporter on Monday whether student loan forgiveness is part of his economic agenda. Biden responded affirmatively, no doubt pleasing the Democratic Party's far-left members.
"It's holding people up," Biden said of student loan debt, the New York Times reported. "They're in real trouble. They're having to make choices between paying their student loans and paying their rent, those kinds of decisions. It should be done immediately."
Biden voiced support for a proposal from House Democrats that would forgive $10,000 of student loan debt per borrower.
"Immediate $10,000 forgiveness of student loans, helping people up there in real trouble," Biden said, Fox News reported.
House Democrats originally proposed forgiving $10,000 of student loan debt per borrower as part of their proposal for a second COVID-19 relief bill, which had a price tag of $3 trillion, making it the most expensive bill in history. The legislation was never considered in the Republican-controlled Senate because of its cost.
Democrats later scaled back their bill when the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would cost between $200 billion and $300 billion to forgive the amount of debt they were proposing.
Is forgiving debt a good idea?
Biden is forging a middle ground by supporting the forgiveness of just $10,000.
For many Americans, especially those who worked their way through college to graduate without debt or those who worked diligently after graduation to pay off their debt, any forgiveness is too much. But for progressive Democrats — and many young people, in fact — Biden would not be going far enough.
On Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), one of the most influential Democrats in the country, reiterated her demand for debt cancelation.
She said, "'Things were bad for me, so they should stay bad for everyone else' is not a good argument against debt cancellation - student, medical, or otherwise."
Contrary to what progressives like Ocasio-Cortez claim, "canceling debt" is not something that actually exists. Lawmakers could remove a borrower's liability for re-paying the debt, but the debt will be shifted onto someone.
In the case of federal student loans, the burden would be further shifted onto taxpayers.
Canceling student loan debt, then, rewards Americans who choose to go into debt for a degree — and agree to re-pay their debt — while penalizing Americans who did not choose debt, one critic told Ocasio-Cortez. Magically wiping away debt absolves all responsibility for mostly unwise decisions, removing the life-learning element included in accepting a mountain of debt for a college degree with a poor return on investment.


theblaze--2020-11-18--Mike Lee demands apology from Sen. Dianne Feinstein for implying Trump tweets inspire violence

'Not one act of violence has been linked to President Trump in connection with events surrounding this election , and @ @ @ @ @ recant her statement and apologize '

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Wednesday called on his colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to recant a statement implying President Donald Trump's tweets incite violence and apologize.
Feinstein's remarks were made Tuesday during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter. During her time to speak, Feinstein raised concerns about Trump's claims that he won the election, asking if Twitter's warning label on Trump's tweets "do enough to prevent the tweet's harms." She also referred to the Nov. 5 arrest of two armed men by Philadelphia police near the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where ballots were being counted.
"I'm really struck by it, that people armed with assault weapons as a product of a tweet could rally outside an election office," Feinstein said. "And I think it's really a serious issue that needs to be considered and there need to be, once you signal that and people respond to it, it has to be in some way abated or some way pointed out or restructured on the internet itself."
At the hearing, Lee responded to Feinstein, pointing out that "the only violence I'm aware of has occurred in connection with Antifa, Antifa's response to pro-Trump peaceful rally attenders."
Appearing on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" Wednesday, Lee called on Feinstein to recant her remarks.
"You had Washington, D.C., full to overflowing with peaceful Trump protesters, people protesting or signaling their support for President Trump and showing gratitude for them. Not one act of violence was attributed to them," Lee said. "Meanwhile, you had people shooting industrial strength fireworks into places where they were eating. You had people approaching and beating up and saying vile things and putting people in physical danger, including elderly people, including women and children. All of this was done by Trump-haters, by Antifa people who couldn't handle the fact that there were people peacefully showing their support for President Trump."
"So I don't know what my colleague Sen. Feinstein is talking about, but I thought that was an inappropriate comment," he continued. "Not one act of violence has been linked to President Trump in connection with events surrounding this election and I think she needs to recant her statement and apologize."
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey faced questions from lawmakers Tuesday on censorship of social media posts challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election and suppression of conservatives and Trump supporters leading up to the election. Republicans generally demanded answers on whether social media companies were publishers or platforms and how they should be regulated while Democrats raised concerns about the spread of misinformation on social media and wanted to know what Facebook and Twitter were doing to stop President Trump from tweeting statements they say are inaccurate or false.
After the hearing concluded, Lee told Fox News that Congress is headed for "a major overhaul" of the legal protections social media companies enjoy under Section 230 of the Telecommunications Decency Act.
"No matter what, they're now headed for a major overhaul of Section 230 of the Telecommunications Decency Act. It is going to subject them perhaps to some liability, there could be other changes that take them outside of the 230 protection if they don't stop providing misinformation, if they don't stop lying to their own customers," Lee said.
Lee added that Facebook and Twitter could be "subject to aggressive action by Federal Trade Commission" under current law "because they've engaged in an unfair and deceptive trade practice."
"Yesterday they made very clear that they've lied to their own customers, they've lied to the American people, they've coordinated with other people on the left in order to punish the right and make sure that the left wins. This isn't fair, especially when they speak in terms that make them sound like they're some sort of state-sponsored media. They're speaking with an air of officialdom in this and that's not right, the American people aren't going to stand for it."


theblaze--2020-11-18--POLL: Who is the future of the Republican party?

POLL : Who is the future of the Republican party ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to share @

POLL: Who is the future of the Republican party?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-11-18--Biden warns: If people don't follow COVID-19 demands for Thanksgiving, 2021 holidays could be more o

Biden warns: If people don't follow COVID-19 demands for Thanksgiving, 2021 holidays could be more of the same

Biden warns : If people do n't follow COVID-19 demands for Thanksgiving , 2021 holidays could be more of the @ @ @ @ @ about not wearing a mask '

Former Vice President Joe Biden issued remarks regarding guidance on Thanksgiving gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, suggesting the 2021 holidays could be similar to those of 2020 if guidance is not followed.
What are the details?
In a Tuesday news conference, Biden said, "Let me tell you what the health experts have said to me. They strongly urge that if, in fact, we're gonna have Thanksgiving with anyone that we limit it to a maximum ... 10 people, socially distanced, wearing masks. And people who have quarantined. Jill and I spent this morning like many of you trying to figure out what are we going to do for Thanksgiving. ... We've narrowed down which family members, and that they were just tested — recently tested within 24 hours."
Biden said that there should be no more than 10 people per room — and ideally, just five — during Thanksgiving celebrations, and all people in attendance should be masked.
"I would strongly urge for the sake ... of your children, your mother, your father, your sisters, your brothers, whoever you get together at Thanksgiving. Think about this: There should be no group more than 10 people in one room ... inside the home ... and to be masked. It saves lives.
"I just want to make sure we're able to be together next Thanksgiving, next Christmas. It is an international crisis. An international health crisis," he insisted. "We're at war with the virus. ... There's nothing macho about not wearing a mask."
Newsbusters' Curtis Houck shared a portion of the presser on Twitter, captioning it, "Biden says the ONLY way you should be allowed to have Thanksgiving is if everyone wears masks, stays socially distanced, tests negative on the day before, and keeps it to no more than five or ten. He says the 2021 holidays will be this way if we DON'T listen to him."


theblaze--2020-11-18--What is going on in Michigan and Nevada?

What is going on in Michigan and Nevada ?

Steven reviews the threats against Republicans in Wayne County, Michigan, and then gives a comprehensive look at voting irregularities in Nevada and Pennsylvania. He then examines the latest news on new COVID-19 vaccines and Joe Biden's record of being against everything that made Operation Warp Speed possible.
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--2020-11-19--Man dies after falling 10 feet from a ladder. Doctors declare COVID-19 killed him.

Man dies after falling 10 feet from a ladder .
Doctors declare COVID-19 killed him .

A 51-year-old Croatian man is dead after falling from a 10-foot ladder — but medical experts at the Journal of Forensic Pathology reported that COVID-19 killed him.
What are the details?
According to a Thursday report from the New York Post, the man — a construction worker — fell from the ladder while working at a job site in Croatia.
He was declared dead at the scene and was discovered with cuts and bruises to the head, but doctors performing an autopsy determined that COVID-19 caused the accident because "effects of the illness were disorienting."
The report, titled "Accidental death from a fall from height at workplace turned out to be a COVID-19 death," noted his physical injuries.
"External examination of the body made by the coroner revealed lacerations on both sides of his forehead, minor abrasions on the face and elbows, and a bruise on the left hand," the report revealed. "Traces of blood were present on the ground near head."
However, in addition to the unnamed man's external injuries, doctors reportedly discovered that the man previously suffered from respiratory distress before his death.
"During the autopsy, doctors found that large swaths of the man's lungs were blocked," the Post reported. "The finding then led scientists to conclude that he suffered from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) — a life-threatening condition that can be caused by COVID-19."
Medical experts said that the man also reportedly tested positive for coronavirus during the postmortem.
"Only afterwards, the investigation brought out that he was suffering complaints consistent with respiratory infection in the days before death," the journal's report noted. "Based on all findings, the death was ruled as natural, caused by COVID-19."
The report explained that the man also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and had smoked for decades.
"From [co-worker] statements given to the police, we learned that the deceased suffered from type-2 diabetes and was a smoker for decades," the report noted.
The man's co-workers told authorities that the decedent was experiencing medical distress in the days leading up to his death.
"During the week preceding his death, he had been complaining of headache, fatigue, fever, cough, chest discomfort and shortness of breath," the report added. "He had refused the suggestion to see a doctor and had kept working until the moment he died."
You can read more on the man's autopsy report here.


theblaze--2020-11-19--Security video captures man slashing IHOP worker after alleged mask dispute in New York City

Security video captures man slashing IHOP worker after alleged mask dispute in New York City Employees said he threatened to @ @ @ @

Police say that a man slashed an IHOP worker after he was turned away from the restaurant for not wearing a face mask, and the incident was captured on security video.
The startling incident unfolded Tuesday evening in the Jamaica neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City.
Restaurant employees said the man was turned away because he wasn't wearing a mask and he began to make threats when a manager politely offered to take his order from outside. One employee told the Queens Daily Eagle that the man was threatening to "shoot up" the place, and that they called 911 before he left.
Video showed the man quarreling with the workers after he returned moments later with two friends.
After pushing a table out of his way, the man appears to search for something in his pockets, then grabs something handed to him by one of his friends, and stomps toward an employee.
In another camera angle, the man can be seen swinging wildly at two employees before scurrying away with his friends.
Police say that the man had a knife and slashed at the male employee and instead cut the 40-year-old woman. The woman required stitches for the injury, but is expected to recover.
The NYPD Crimestoppers is offering up to $2,500 reward money for information about the suspect.
This is just the latest of mask disputes that spiraled into violent attacks. Just two days into the mandatory mask order in Michigan in July, a man was shot and killed by police after stabbing another man over demands that he wear a mask.
In another incident from Washington state on July 17, video captured the moment a man viciously beat a 72-year-old partially disabled veteran after he told the man's girlfriend she should be wearing a mask to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Here's a local news report about the attack:


theblaze--2020-11-19--Several Senate Republicans push back against Trump's firing of DHS election security official

Several Senate Republicans push back against Trump 's firing of DHS election security official

Several GOP members of the Senate heaped praise on former DHS election security official Christopher Krebs on Wednesday, with some even breaking with their party and criticizing President Donald Trump for firing the cybersecurity director the night before.
What are the details?
Trump announced Krebs' termination on Twitter Tuesday evening, writing, ""The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud - including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, 'glitches' in the voting machines which changed voted from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more."
He added, "Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency."
That morning, Krebs had shared a blog post signed by dozens of national security experts, tweeting, "[In case you missed it]: On allegations that election systems were manipulated, 59 election security experts all agree, 'in every case of which we are aware, these claims either have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent.' #Protect2020"
The firing occurred as the Trump campaign continues to contest election results in several states, alleging voter fraud and irregularities. Mainstream media outlets have overwhelmingly declared Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden the projected winner of the race for the White House.
Soon after news of Krebs' dismissal, GOP Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.) issued a statement complimenting the official, calling him a "dedicated public servant" who did a "remarkable job."
"I'm grateful for all Chris has done and I wish him the best in his next chapter," Burr said.
Burr stopped short of criticizing Trump over the firing, but a number of fellow Republican members of the upper chamber did not hold back.
What was the reaction?
The Hill compiled a litany of reactions from GOP senators regarding the Krebs dismissal. Some — but not all — who criticized the president's actions had already earned a reputation for breaking with Trump on other matters.
"I don't agree with it," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia told the outlet. "He's kept us very well informed, he's been very professional. I've had several meetings with him ... and I'm appreciative of all of his work."
Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) said the president should be "very proud" of his administration's election security, asserting that Krebs had "a major roll." He added, "I was very disappointed when I found out he'd been terminated."
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said in a statement, "Chris Krebs did a really good job — as state election officials all across the nation will tell you — and he obviously should not be fired."
Maine Sen. Susan Collins acknowledged it was within Trump's power to show Krebs the door, but called the decision a "terrible idea."
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) was more subtle, saying, "It's the president's prerogative but I think it just adds to the confusion and chaos, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like some return to a little bit more of a — I don't even know what's normal anymore. We'll call it the next normal."


theblaze--2020-11-19--WATCH: Battleground Georgia: The Radical Democrats Who Will TRANSFORM America

WATCH : Battleground Georgia : The Radical Democrats Who Will TRANSFORM America

Everything comes down to the two Senate runoffs in Georgia. If we lose both races, we lose the country. Democrats know this and are pouring in millions to usher in a Marxist agenda.
As the Left tries to hide how radical the two candidates really are, Glenn takes us inside the Democrat war room to expose the wolf in pastor's clothing, Raphael Warnock, and America's Justin Trudeau, Jon Ossoff. Socialism, the Green New Deal, and "defund the police" are all on the table. And Glenn warns of what's to come if conservatives don't activate: Chuck Schumer will weaponize the Senate, and the radical Left will launch an all-out assault to ravage the Constitution.
Watch the full special below:
The election and its aftermath are the most important stories in America. That's why we're offering our most timely discount ever: $30 off a one-year subscription to BlazeTV with code "GLENN." With BlazeTV, you get the unvarnished truth from the most pro-America network in the country, free from Big Tech and MSM censors.


theblaze--2020-11-20--Christian actor Kevin Sorbo goes after California gov's new lockdown, Pennsylvania's mandate on mask

Christian actor Kevin Sorbo goes after California gov's new lockdown, Pennsylvania's mandate on masks inside homes

Christian actor Kevin Sorbo goes after California gov 's new lockdown , Pennsylvania 's mandate on masks inside homes

Christian actor Kevin Sorbo blasted California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf for their most recent COVID-19 lockdown measures and guidelines.
What's a brief history here?
Newsom on Thursday announced a month-long, statewide "limited Stay at Home Order" amid a coronavirus spike across the state.
In a tweet, Newsom wrote, "Due to the rise in #COVID19 cases, CA is issuing a limited Stay at Home Order. Non-essential work and gatherings must stop from 10pm-5am in counties in the purple tier. This will take effect at 10pm on Saturday and remain for 1 month. Together — we can flatten the curve again."
In a statement on the new mandate, Newsom — who has been under fire for attending a large, indoor birthday dinner party at a posh Napa-area restaurant — added, "The virus is spreading at a pace we haven't seen since the start of this pandemic, and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm. It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We've done it before and we must do it again."
Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's health secretary, announced on Thursday that masks are now required inside private Pennsylvania homes when members of different households gather.
What are the details?
Over the last several days, Sorbo took to Twitter in response to Newsom and Wolf's latest orders and joked, "I almost got Covid back in august, thankfully I made it back to my house at 9:58 PM, right before the 10 PM curfew."
He later added, "If the first lockdown worked, why do we need a second one? If the first lockdown didn't work, why would we do a second one? Just asking[.]"
Sorbo also took aim at Pennsylvania's mask mandate.
"So in Pennsylvania you have to wear a mask inside your own home," he wrote on Twitter. "How exactly will they enforce that? I smell the stench of an overreaching government."


theblaze--2020-11-20--Mitt Romney issues scathing statement condemning President Trump's voter fraud claims

'It is difficult to imagine a worse , more undemocratic action by a sitting American president '

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) released a blistering statement condemning President Donald Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud, saying, "It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American president."
What are the details?
Late in the evening, Sen. Romney — who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012 — tweeted out, "Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread voter fraud or conspiracy before any court of law, the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election. It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American president."
It was Romney's second take at blasting the president for the day, as Trump's campaign fights lawsuits in multiple states contesting the White House race that mainstream media has roundly called for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Earlier, the Utah senator told CNN podcaster David Axelrod on the president's litigation, "Normally you find evidence and then after seeing evidence then you reach a conclusion about whether or not there was a crime committed."
Romney's remarks come the same day that the Trump campaign held an explosive press conference, where a team of attorneys including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell claimed that manipulation of voting software programs had flipped the election for Biden. They asserted that Trump actually won in a "landslide."
But Romney was not alone in criticizing the presser put on by Trump campaign attorneys. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse (R) told Politico, "Wild press conferences erode public trust. So no, obviously Rudy and his buddies should not pressure electors to ignore their certification obligations under the statute. We are a nation of laws, not tweets."
Sasse added, "When Trump campaign lawyers have stood before courts under oath, they have repeatedly refused to actually allege grand fraud — because there are legal consequences for lying to judges."
Trump ally Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told Fox News' Guy Benson of the Trump team, "They have to be able to show that proof. I haven't seen proof yet."
Anything else?
Powell — who is also an attorney for Gen. Michael Flynn and is a frequent guest on right-leaning media shows — was criticized by Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Thursday night for allegedly turning down repeated invites to provide evidence for her claim that voting software flipped millions of votes from Trump to Biden.


theblaze--2020-11-20--Nikki Haley shuts down Ocasio-Cortez over her solution to the pandemic, and she is not happy about i

Nikki Haley shuts down Ocasio-Cortez over her solution to the pandemic, and she is not happy about it

Nikki Haley shuts down Ocasio-Cortez over her solution to the pandemic , and she is not happy about it Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ rebuke

Nikki Haley started a Twitter feud with democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) after she floated her idea for a solution to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ocasio-Cortez offered a short tweet on Thursday about the pandemic.
"To get the virus under control, we need to pay people to stay home," she tweeted.
Haley shut down the plan in one tweet hours later.
"AOC, Are you suggesting you want to pay people to stay home from the money you take by defunding the police? Or was that for the student debts you wanted to pay off, the Green New Deal or Medicare for All?" she asked.
"Where is the money," she added in a hashtag.
Haley was referring to the progressive congresswoman's support for the "Defund the Police" policy set forth by the Black Lives Matter movement, her support for canceling student debt, her plan to combat global warming, and her support for Medicare for All.
Ocasio-Cortez did not appreciate the constructive criticism and fired back in a second tweet.
"Republicans are mad at this when they literally just voted to do just this in March. The reason they're opposed to it now is because last time they got a Wall Street bailout and this time all that's left is helping working people, the disabled, the poor, etc.," she claimed without evidence.
Ocasio-Cortez has been criticized and mocked for her Green New Deal and the approximate price of the plan, which some experts estimate could be as much as $94 trillion. In June 2019, she admitted that it would cost at least $10 million and added that it was not a fun number to say.
She also earned some mockery when she employed some bad math to argue that the government could already have paid for two-thirds of the $32 trillion price tag for Medicare for All.
Here's more about Ocasio and her high-spending policies:


theblaze--2020-11-20--French President Emmanuel Macron issues ultimatum to Muslim leaders after lethal terrorist attacks

'We must save our children from the clutches of the Islamists . '

President Emmanuel Macron of France issued an ultimatum to Muslim leaders after several lethal terrorist attacks from Islamists in his country.
Macron addressed the French Council of the Muslim Faith on Wednesday and gave them 15 days to accept a "charter of republican values."
He is seeking a bill that would place restrictions meant to deter Islamic radicalization. Among those restrictions is the establishment of a National Council of Imams that would register imams. He is also seeking restrictions on homeschooling and increased punishments for those who attack officials for religious reasons.
"We must save our children from the clutches of the Islamists," said French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
Darmanin said also that the charter is clear in its rejection of Islam as a political movement.
One Texan imam responded on Twitter to the announcement of the new restrictions by calling Macron a fascist.
"Not a day goes by without France introducing a new form of ridiculousness. This is liberal fascism, and Macron must be stopped," tweeted Dr. Omar Suleiman.
France has been rocked by three suspected Islamist attacks in the last month, including the beheading of a teacher who had shown cartoons of Muhammad to his class. He warned students who might be offended by the cartoon that they could leave the classroom. Later he was beheaded by a Muslim immigrant.
The Muslim world responded by demanding Macron apologize for the insult to Muhammad, and when the president refused, they began a campaign to boycott French products and insult Macron.
In one protest against Macron in Pakistan, a cleric yelled, "There's only one punishment for blasphemy," which was followed by the crowd chanting, "Beheading! Beheading!"
France has the largest number of Muslims among nations in Western Europe.
Here's more about the Muslim outrage against France:


theblaze--2020-11-20--'You're a bunch of Socialists': Lindsey Graham torches far-left lawmakers calling on him to resign

'You 're a bunch of Socialists ' : Lindsey Graham torches far-left lawmakers calling on him to resign Liberals pounced @ @ @ @ @ the South Carolina senator , which he vehemently denies

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) fired back Thursday after days of far-left House members calling for him to resign his seat, citing a claim from Georgia's GOP secretary of state alleging that Graham suggested he toss legal ballots in favor of President Donald Trump.
But Graham says he did no such thing and warned the "bunch of Socialists" calling for him to step down that he sees through their agenda.
What are the details?
Earlier this week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) told the Washington Post that during a phone call with Graham, "it sure looked like" the South Carolina Republican was pressing him to throw out mail-in ballots in some counties where there were higher rates of non-matching signatures.
"That's ridiculous," Graham said in reaction to Raffensperger's claims. "What I'm trying to find out was how do you verify signatures for mail in ballots in these states ... I thought it was a good conversation, I'm surprised to hear him characterize it that way."
Georgia was, at the time, undergoing a recount after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was projected to win the state by a very narrow margin against President Donald Trump. Several Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere criticized Raffensperger's handing of the election.
In the meantime, Graham had just handily won re-election in the seat he has held since 2003 against Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison in a major blow to Democrats, despite Harrison raising a record-shattering $57 million in the fourth quarter alone.
Progressive House members pounced on the opportunity to try to get Graham to leave office. Far-left Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) led the charge on social media, tweeting, "Lindsey Graham must resign. It has now been corroborated that he urged the Secretary of State in Georgia to find a way to throw out legally cast ballots. There must be accountability and justice for this dangerous attack on our democracy."
Jayapal's message was an apparent rallying cry for the far-left faction of the House.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) replied, "Lindsey Graham attempted to commit voter fraud. He can't get away with it. Thank you @PramilaJayapal for demanding accountability."
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) also declared that "it's time for Lindsey Graham to submit his resignation," pointing to an MSNBC report citing a Raffensperger staffer who purportedly corroborated the claims.
But Graham fired back on Thursday, posting the three congresswomen's quotes and tweeting, "I can understand why the Squad doesn't want me in the Senate - because I'm going to bury your agenda. You're a bunch of Socialists. You would transform America and make it Venezuela. I'm gonna stand in your way. I'm not going anywhere!"
He also said that their demands for his resignation meant he "must being doing something right," and added, "To those who are trying to silence me — you will fail miserably!"


theblaze--2020-11-20--California Gov. Newsom issues lockdown order over coronavirus spike; one sheriff from a large county

California Gov. Newsom issues lockdown order over coronavirus spike; one sheriff from a large county has already refused to enforce it

California Gov .
Newsom issues lockdown order over coronavirus spike ; one sheriff from a large county has already refused @ @ @ @ @ not be responding to requests '

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order for most of the counties in California, but one sheriff has already announced that he would not be enforcing Newsom's command.
Newsom issued the order on Thursday after a spike in coronavirus cases throughout the state.
"The virus is spreading at a pace we haven't seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm," Newsom said. "It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We've done it before and we must do it again."
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes issued a statement soon after that his officers would not be enforcing the guidelines.
"Earlier today, the Orange County Sheriff's Department became aware of a limited Stay at Home Order that Governor Newsom's office ordered to go into effect on Saturday, November 21 at 10 PM. Throughout the pandemic, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has taken an education-first approach with regard to the public health orders," Barnes said in the statement.
"We are currently assessing the action by the Governor," he added.
"At this time, due to the need to have deputies available for emergency calls for service, deputies will not be responding to requests for face-coverings or social gatherings-only enforcement," Barnes concluded.
Orange County in California is the third most populous county in the state and the sixth most populous county in the United States, and it has a greater population than 21 states.
California was the first state to issue a lockdown order in March for its 40 million residents. Some restrictions had been eased as the coronavirus cases lessened, but that progress has been lost as cases spiked again.
Newsom is also battling enormous blowback after he was caught having an expensive dinner at an exclusive restaurant without wearing a mask and without following social distancing guidelines.
California legislators didn't help his cause when they were caught going to a luxury hotel in Hawaii for a conference while Californians were told they should avoid family gatherings for the holidays.
Here's more about Newsom's scandal:


theblaze--2020-11-20--Lara Trump reportedly mulling 2022 Senate bid in North Carolina

The daughter-in-law of President Trump hails from the state

President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is considering running for U.S. Senate in her home state of North Carolina in 2022, according to multiple reports.
What are the details?
The New York Times cited "three allies" who claim that Ms. Trump, 38, who is married to the president's second son, Eric, is purportedly mulling a bid to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr.
Ms. Trump has been an outspoken advocate for her father-in-law leading up to the 2020 election, serving as an adviser to the Trump/Pence campaign and leading its Women's Empowerment Tour. She also spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this year.
Lara Trump previously worked as a television producer and a personal trainer. She and Eric Trump currently live in New York with their two children, so her prospective candidacy would require a move.
Fellow campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told the Times of Ms. Trump, "She's very charismatic, she understands retail politics well, and has a natural instinct for politics." Schlapp added, "In North Carolina, in particular, she's a household name and people know her. She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout."
Former White House senior adviser and Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway added that Ms. Trump "would be formidable" as a candidate.
"She has the trifecta: She can raise money, raise awareness of key issues and raise attention to her race," Conway said. "Unlike many typical politicians, she connects with people and is a compelling messenger."
While Ms. Trump did not provide the Times with a comment on her plans, Politico also cited an unnamed source in reporting that she has her eye on running for Burr's seat.
The outlet reported:
A Lara Trump candidacy would upend what is already likely to be a crowded GOP primary to replace Burr. Mark Meadows, the president's chief of staff and former congressman from the state, is considered a potential candidate. Retiring Rep. Mark Walker is also a likely contender after briefly considering a primary challenge to Tillis last year. Former Gov. Pat McCrory and outgoing Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who lost the governor's race, could also be in the mix.
The Washington Examiner further noted:
North Carolina is a swing state but has tilted Republican in presidential and Senate elections. Democrats have not won a Senate contest there since 2006. Republicans have won the state's Electoral College votes in three consecutive presidential races, although the president only defeated Biden by roughly 1.4 percentage points.


theblaze--2020-11-20--'No national shutdown': Joe Biden says shutting down the virus will not require a national lockdown

'No national shutdown ' : Joe Biden says shutting down the virus will not require a national lockdown He added @ @ @ @ @ to control the virus

Former Vice President Joe Biden said in a media briefing on Thursday that he would not support a national lockdown and that the coronavirus could be defeated without such an order.
Biden made the comments in the question and answer period after his remarks on the coronavirus pandemic from Wilmington, Delaware. He was responding to a reporter who asked him if he supported a national lockdown to combat the virus.
"I am not gonna shut down the economy, period," responded Biden. "I'm gonna shut down the virus. That's what I'm gonna shut down."
"So that's ruled out?" asked Kristen Welker of NBC News.
"I'll say it again: No national shutdown," he responded.
"No national shutdown. Because every region, every area, every community can be different," Biden explained. "So there's no circumstance that I can see that will require total national shutdown. I think that would be counterproductive."
Biden had previously said in August that he would listen to scientists and experts if they advised that a national lockdown was necessary to combat the coronavirus.
He went on to say that there might be different restrictions based on local outbreaks of the virus, and gave examples of gyms opening up or his church where only 40% of the parishioner capacity were allowed in at one time.
"But there are constraints in which, the degree to which, businesses can be open," he explained. "Those are rational decisions. It's not shutting down everything, it's calibrating according to what the threat is."
One of Biden's coronavirus advisers had floated the idea of locking down for 4-6 weeks and having the government pay for the lost wages in order to get the virus under control ahead of a vaccine being developed.
"We could pay for a package right now to cover all of the wages, lost wages for individual workers, for losses to small companies to medium-sized companies, for city, states, county governments," said Dr. Michael Osterholm.
Later, Dr. Atul Gawande, another member of Biden's COVID-19 task force, said that a national lockdown wasn't necessary and that a localized response would do enough to combat the virus.
Here's the video of Biden's comments:


theblaze--2020-11-20--Alleged Whitmer kidnapping plotters also planned televised killings of lawmakers, torching capitol:

Alleged Whitmer kidnapping plotters also planned televised killings of lawmakers, torching capitol: Michigan AG

Suspects in a plot against Michigan 's governor stand accused of further schemes

The suspects being tried for allegedly plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) had also developed plans to conduct public executions of state lawmakers and an alternative scheme to burn down the capitol building while legislators were inside, according to court documents.
What are the details?
In a filing submitted by the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), the state claims that in addition to planning to kidnap the governor, suspects discussed ways to kill lawmakers.
The documents assert:
Plan A consisted of recruiting 200 men and then storm the Capitol building in Lansing while Congress was in session. They were to take hostages, execute tyrants and have it televised. It would take about one week and that no one is coming out alive.
The secondary plan was to storm the Capitol building in Lansing when Congress was in session. They would then lock the entrances/exits to the structure. They would then set the building on fire.
Nessel told WLS-TV last week, "We are one of the few states that does not ban guns in our state capitol building, and clearly there have been threats made on the lives of our legislators; you probably saw the pictures back from in April, where we had armed gunman, some of them, same defendants in this case, that were hovering over state senators with long guns, screaming and yelling at them as they were deliberating, as they were discussing legislation and as they were voting, so that remains a big concern to me in a very scary scenario."
Fourteen men have been charged in the plot against Whitmer — eight at the state level and six at the federal level, according to the Tennessean. Some of the accused are allegedly members of a group called the Wolverine Watchmen, which the state of Michigan says is a terrorist organization.
The court filings show that the group described itself in a private Facebook group as such:
"Wolverine Watchmen is a group of Patriots to network and assemble and recruit like minded individuals. Develop regional [Quick Reaction Forces] and squad tactics. Only add people you trust no statist, no fudds, no bootlickers and no cops or feds. If you're serious get a wire and message an admin your username."
Whitmer and other high-profile Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of inciting violence through his rhetoric. Yet, suspects in the plot also expressed on social media a desire to harm some Republicans, including the commander in chief.


theblaze--2020-11-19--Steven Crowder says this is why more than 150-thousand Michigan votes could be suspect

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