theblaze--2020-10-01--US Marshals rescue 11 missing runaway children in New Orleans; 2 boys were in 'extreme danger'

US Marshals rescue 11 missing runaway children in New Orleans ; 2 boys were in 'extreme danger' Authorities believe that @ @ @ @ @ in illegal gang activity

In "Operation Summer Rescue 2020," the U.S. Marshals Service focused on tracking down missing runaway children originally from New Orleans. During the two-month operation funded by the agency's Missing Child Unit, U.S. Marshals rescued 11 endangered children, including two boys who were reportedly in extreme danger.
Of the 11 children located, one of them was a 16-year-old boy was found in New Orleans. Authorities believe that the teen was involved in illegal gang activity, including the possession of firearms.
U.S. Marshals tracked down a missing 13-year-old girl, who was found in Nashville, Tennessee. The recovery of the girl included the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service of Middle District Tennessee Task Force, Metro Nashville Police Department, and the FBI New Orleans Field Office, according to the U.S. Marshals press release.
Operation Summer Rescue 2020, which took place between Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, also made several arrests during the rescues. An adult male was arrested for aggravated statutory rape.
A mother wanted on a first-degree murder warrant out of Mississippi was apprehended. She allegedly murdered her 11-year-old son at a hotel in Laurel, Mississippi. U.S. Marshals recovered her two other sons, ages 6 and 9, who were considered to be in "extreme danger" and an Amber Alert had been issued to locate them.
"This is a very important mission that the USMS has been tasked by Congress to oversee, as the safety of children across the country is paramount to this nation's future," said Scott Illing, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana. "While 11 recoveries may not seem high, this work, which is time consuming, was accomplished while also running our normal day-to-day violent felony offender investigations and sex offender fugitive operations in the district, along with our other judicial missions."
In the past month and a half, the U.S. Marshals Service has rescued nearly 100 missing and endangered children.
Last week, U.S. Marshals reported that they had rescued 35 missing children during "Operation Safety Net" in Ohio.
On Sept. 17, U.S. Marshals Service wrapped up "Operation Triple Beam," a 60-day mission to reduce violent gang crime in Oklahoma City. U.S. Marshals rescued five missing children, made 262 arrests, plus seized illegal firearms and narcotics.
On Sept. 4, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that they rescued eight "highly endangered" missing children in Indiana during "Operation Homecoming."
On Aug. 27, U.S. Marshals located 39 missing children in Georgia and Florida during "Operation Not Forgotten." Authorities said the children were between the ages of 3 to 17. Of the 39 endangered children, 15 were victims of sex trafficking.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement participated in a multi-agency operation last month that resulted in the arrest of five suspected child sexual predators. "Operation Home Alone 2" was able to successfully "target sexual predators who attempted to lure underage children with the intent of engaging in sexual activity."


theblaze--2020-10-01--Moderator for second presidential debate was an intern for Joe Biden and a staff assistant for Ted K

Moderator for second presidential debate was an intern for Joe Biden and a staff assistant for Ted Kennedy

The Commission on Presidential Debates has chosen C-SPAN political editor and host of the network's "Washington Journal" call-in program, Steve Scully, to moderate the second presidential debate on Oct. 15 in Miami.
Scully is largely considered an old-school, unbiased journalist and was described as having a "famously calm demeanor" in a recent bio by Marie Claire. So one might think his presence at the debate would be a welcome addition after Tuesday night's testy, insult-laden contest.
Yet, as the Daily Wire reported Thursday, there are a some areas of Scully's background that are likely to raise eyebrows in conservative circles. Namely, that Scully worked as an intern for then-Sen. Joe Biden in college and later worked as a staff assistant in late liberal firebrand Sen. Ted Kennedy's communications office.
In a 2011 interview with the Cable Center, Scully explained his career history and how it headed in the political direction after he interned for Biden.
"You know, it was pretty traditional," he said. "I came to school in Washington, D.C., went to American University and had a couple of internships. I worked for Joe Biden, senator from Delaware at the time, as an intern, so I had my first chance to really see politics up close in Washington, D.C.
"I worked for Senator Kennedy," he continued. "I was involved in his ill-fated campaign in 1980, which was interesting; having worked as a high school student in the Carter campaign in 1976, I saw from two different perspectives. I always knew I wanted to come back to Washington."
Now, being partisan doesn't preclude someone from being fair. But it's worth considering what the Democratic response would be if a former Trump employee were slated to moderate a debate.
Scully was a backup moderator for the 2016 presidential debates, and while his services weren't needed, he told Politico at the time that he was ready if called.
"I have the file with me," Scully said ahead of the first debate. "If they call me at 8:59 p.m., I'm ready to go, and if they do in the next three debates I'm ready to go as well."


theblaze--2020-10-01--Former Twitter CEO fantasizes about capitalists who don't embrace social justice being executed in t

Former Twitter CEO fantasizes about capitalists who don't embrace social justice being executed in the 'revolution'

Former Twitter CEO fantasizes about capitalists who do n't embrace social justice being executed in the 'revolution '

Dick Costolo, the former CEO of Twitter, painted a dark and violent future for business leaders who don't embrace social justice in the workplace. In a shocking tweet, Costolo gleefully suggested that capitalists would be executed by a firing squad.
Coinbase announced in a blog post on Sunday that the cryptocurrency exchange would focus minimally on policy decisions, nonprofit work, broader societal issues, and political causes that are not "directly related to the mission" of the company.
"We don't advocate for any particular causes or candidates internally that are unrelated to our mission, because it is a distraction from our mission," the post said of political causes. "Even if we all agree something is a problem, we may not all agree on the solution."
"I realized at some point this year that many employees were interpreting our mission in different ways," Coinbase's CEO Brian Armstrong wrote in the post. "Some people interpreted the mission more broadly, to include all forms of equality and justice. It makes sense if you believe that economic freedom is not possible without equality for all people. Others interpreted the mission more narrowly, believing that we were trying to create infrastructure for the cryptoeconomy, and that yes, this would create more equality of access for all people, but we weren't trying to solve all forms of inequality in the world."
Coinbase's attempt to achieve an "apolitical culture" while focusing on the corporate mission and not on activism was applauded by some, such as internet entrepreneur and investor Jason Calacanis.
"Most folks want to work in an environment free from today's vitriolic politics," he wrote. "Sure, @coinbase will lose folks who are passionate about politics/social issues, but they will gain a massive influx of talent that wants work to be about work and work only."
The apolitical work environment was also met by resistance by many who have warmly welcomed the recent surge in protests for social justice, including Costolo.
Costolo, who was named as one of the 10 most influential U.S. tech CEOs by Time magazine in 2013 before stepping down as Twitter's CEO in 2015, posted his opinion on the matter on Twitter.
"This isn't great leadership. It's the abdication of leadership," Costolo tweeted on Tuesday. "It's the equivalent of telling your employees to 'shut up and dribble.'"
"Tech companies used to welcome lively debate about ideas and society," Costolo said. "It was part of the social contract inside the company, and it's what differentiated tech culture from, say, Wells Fargo culture. Now it's considered a distraction."
"Abandoning the social contract with employees in favor of a purely economic contract in the guise of 'championship team' bs makes you a bank with a mission nobody really believes,' he continued. "Good luck getting the best engineers in the world to work at a bank."
"There's a difference between building a massive company and being a great leader, right? But i'll go re-read tours of duty because i generally think i need to re-think something if i disagree with you," said Costolo, who ran Twitter before his successor Jack Dorsey.
Then in his last tweet in the discussion on Twitter, Costolo bizarrely fantasized about a "revolution" where business leaders who didn't practice social justice would suffer a death via firing squad.
"Me-first capitalists who think you can separate society from business are going to be the first people lined up against the wall and shot in the revolution," said Costolo who has a reported estimated net worth of $300 million. "I'll happily provide video commentary."
According to Twitter's terms of service, "You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence."


theblaze--2020-10-01--MSNBC contributor says 'bipartsian commission' needed to vet presidential candidates, stop another T

MSNBC contributor says 'bipartsian commission' needed to vet presidential candidates, stop another Trump from winning

MSNBC contributor says 'bipartsian commission ' needed to vet presidential candidates , stop another Trump from winning 'We got this @ @ @ @ @ happen again '

An MSNBC contributor on Thursday called for a "bipartisan commission" to vet presidential candidates and prevent someone like President Donald Trump from winning the White House ever again.
NBC News National Security Contributor Frank Figliuzzi, the former assistant director of the FBI, said Trump's tax returns as reported by the New York Times show he is "the most vulnerable president in our history" to compromise by foreign governments and is a national security threat. He believes the media and the 60 million people who voted for Trump in 2016 failed to properly vet him before he became president and the remedy is to have a bipartisan committee vet presidential candidates instead of the American people.
"He is the most vulnerable president in our history in terms of compromise and potential exposure to those who want to help him dig out of his financial pit in return for a price," Figliuzzi said of Trump in a segment discussing the president's tax returns.
Figliuzzi claimed the tax returns show how foreign governments could pressure Trump into making policy decisions that benefit their interests instead of the interests of the United States. He did not provide an example of a policy the president implemented that's benefitted foreign governments and harmed the United States.
"There's also another layer to this which is that when you're this entangled with Russia and the former Soviet bloc you're going to run smack into organized crime figures," Figliuzzi added.
"So there's too many gaps in the tax returns. There's too many questions. Why is this president paying more to foreign nations in taxes than he is to the United States? How does he cover his debt? Who's doing that for him? What's the Deutsche Bank connection? Why are there so many golf courses losing so much money and why the continued purchase of those properties?"
But President Trump is not "paying more to foreign nations in taxes than he is to the United States."
Berkeley professor Robert Reich recently made a similar claim, suggesting that the New York Times report on Trump's taxes shows he only paid $750 in federal taxes in 2017 but nearly $300,000 in taxes to foreign governments that same year.
The New York Times report does not show that. The Times, in fact, reported that Trump paid the U.S. Treasury $1 million in 2016 and $4.2 million for income taxes that he might owe in 2017. This does not account for property taxes, payroll taxes, real estate taxes, or any other non-income taxes that Trump and his businesses paid to the United States in the years the New York Times reported.
On the basis of the unproven claim that Trump's finances have made him vulnerable to foreign governments and a national security threat, Figluzzi suggested radical electoral reform is needed to make sure a candidate like Trump is never elected again.
"We've got to have a national discussion about how we vet a presidential candidate," Figliuzzi said. "We screwed this up. Whether it's the media not digging deeply enough, whether it's a time to have a discussion about a bipartisan committee that demands tax returns, make that a requirement, or exposes financial pictures for candidates."
"We got this wrong and this can't happen again," he concluded.
Watch:


theblaze--2020-10-01--'So dishonest': Megyn Kelly calls out NYT for deceptive editing of 'The 1619 Project'

'So dishonest ' : Megyn Kelly calls out NYT for deceptive editing of 'The 1619 Project' 'That 's a massive @ @ @ @ @ just slowly taking it down '

Megyn Kelly, host of "The Megyn Kelly Show," joined Dave Rubin in the latest episode of "The Rubin Report" to talk about being cancelled, the dishonesty of the mainstream media, and her opinion on Joy Behar's blackface controversy.
Megyn shared her experience of what it was like to go from reporting the story, to "being the story," following her much-publicized clashes with Donald Trump, Roger Ailes, and NBC. She told Dave that, due to her experiences, she feels there is little anyone could do to cancel her now.
She discussed the difficulty of fighting against real racism without embracing the "insane messaging" of groups like Black Lives Matter and argued that the mainstream media has fueled the leftist-lies that America is and always has been a racist nation.
Megyn also pointed out that the The New York Times has been quietly removing highly divisive and controversial claims from their "1619 Project" without clarifying to their readers that corrections have been made.
"The New York Times, with their '1619 Project', is slowly deleting all those claims [about America being founded on slavery] from their piece, without highlighting the withdrawal ... which is so dishonest," she said. "For a news organization not to call attention to the deletion, that's a massive deletion and [the claim] caused a lot of controversy, and they're just slowly taking it down."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
Want more from Dave Rubin?
To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-10-01--CNN's Jake Tapper asks Kamala Harris to 'give us a straight answer' on packing the Supreme Court. Sh

CNN's Jake Tapper asks Kamala Harris to 'give us a straight answer' on packing the Supreme Court. She refuses — and he calls her out.

CNN 's Jake Tapper asks Kamala Harris to 'give us a straight answer ' on packing the Supreme Court .
@ @ @ @ @ calls her out .

The left's call for packing the Supreme Court by expanding its size so that a Democratic president could fill the new seats with liberal jurists gained a lot of steam following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month.
But Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has repeatedly refused to say whether he would support such a move — most recently during the Tuesday night presidential debate with President Donald Trump.
Apparently a directive to not give a straight answer on the question went out to his entire campaign, because following the debate, Biden's running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, refused to answer CNN's question about whether a Biden administration would seek to pack the high court.
What's this now?
When President Donald Trump said he would nominate a judge to fill the Ginsburg seat and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the Senate would hold hearings and a vote on the nominee, Democrats vowed retribution — from killing the filibuster to court packing.
Democratic senators like Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii immediately came out and declared it was time for the Democratic Party to get behind a move to expand and fill the high court.
And many members of the media had their backs. Most notable was CNN's Don Lemon and his rant that it was time to "blow up the entire system" and "stack the courts."
Never mind that moderate Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) have made clear their opposition to packing the court.
And Ginsburg herself was on record opposing the move.
Still, the cries on the far left grew louder as they watched the threat to their liberal majority on the Supreme Court continue to grow — especially with Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.
So it was a logical topic of discussion during Tuesday's presidential debate. But it was one Biden didn't want to discuss.
During a back-and-forth about the Barrett nomination, the president repeatedly asked Biden, "Are you going to pack the court?"
The former vice president refused to answer, admitting that his answer would become a distraction during the election.
What did Harris say?
Knowing the notion of packing the court plays well the Democratic Party's liberal base but not so well with moderates, Harris held the Biden line following the debate during a Tuesday night interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.
Tapper noted that there were many Democrats who were advocating court packing, yet the Biden-Harris campaign refused to "give us a straight answer" about the topic.
"Neither you nor Joe Biden are willing to give us a straight answer as to whether or not you are willing to entertain that idea," Tapper said. "But it's not some fringe idea. Democrats in Washington are talking about it. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, has said that he's not taking anything off the table. Is that an idea that you are willing to think about?"
Harris responded by dodging the question.
She, like Biden, doesn't want court packing to be the focus.
"Joe has been really clear," Harris said. "Let's focus on what is happening right now. Deal with later later. Focus on what is happening right now, which is the American people are voting and they should be the ones to decide who will have the next lifetime appointment to the United States Supreme Court."
"Let's not get distracted," she stated, avoiding a topic that makes many centrist Democrats nervous.
Tapper closed the interview by calling Harris out for not answering the question.
"I will respectfully note that you also declined to answer that question with me," he said.
CNN calls out Kamala Harris for dodging on court-packing youtu.be
A bemused Tapper then turned to his CNN colleague Abby Phillip and said, "I don't really understand, Abby, why they won't answer that question."
Phillip made it clear why they won't answer the question: "They don't that answer that question because this is sort of like the Medicare for All of the general election, which is that there is an idea that is being talked about on the left of their party and they want to stay in the middle. That is why they won't answer the question."
(H/T: HotAir)


theblaze--2020-10-01--NBC thinks a DHS memo told officials to make comments 'sympathetic' to Kyle Rittenhouse. All it did

NBC thinks a DHS memo told officials to make comments 'sympathetic' to Kyle Rittenhouse. All it did was list facts about the case.

NBC thinks a DHS memo told officials to make comments 'sympathetic ' to Kyle Rittenhouse .
All it did was @ @ @ @ @ .

NBC News reported Thursday that an internal Department of Homeland Security memo "directed" federal law enforcement officials "to make public comments sympathetic to Kyle Rittenhouse" — the 17-year-old facing murder charges for killing two individuals and wounding a third during Black Lives Matter riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last month.
According to the NBC News report, the memo was "unusual" and a former DHS official quoted in the story called the memo "unprecedented" and "wrong."
The memo, however, which TheBlaze has viewed and can confirm was included in a briefing document for Aug. 30 Sunday shows, appeared to merely record open-source evidence about the case as background information.
Here's what it said:
"17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse is being charged with 1st degree murder and his lawyers are arguing self-defense. His extradition hearing from Illinois to Wisconsin has been moved to next month."
"He took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners."
"Kyle was seen being chased and attacked by rioters before allegedly shooting three of them, killing two."
"Media are trying to craft the narrative of a police-obsessed lone-wolf. Democrats labeled him a white supremacist with zero evidence."
"Subsequent video has emerged reportedly showing that there were 'multiple gunmen' involved, which would lend more credence to the self-defense claims."
What's the problem here?
The listed bullet points aren't so much biased talking points as they are basic facts about the case, despite what the NBC story seems to suggest.
TheBlaze has reported on many of the details noted in the memo, such as that Rittenhouse was in Kenosha the night of the incidents for the stated purpose of defending businesses against rioters — or at least that's what he is quoted as saying in a video taken earlier that night before the shootings.
Also, subsequent video footage indeed has shown that Rittenhouse was the pursued and not the pursuer in the incidents. Just as well, a New York Times analysis discovered that Rittenhouse was not the first person in the area to fire his weapon.
Likewise, many in the liberal media did in fact rush to judge Rittenhouse as a radicalized white supremacist before any investigation had begun.
All this is to say that the DHS memo's bulleted list wasn't pulled out of thin air and crafted to make Rittenhouse appear innocent. Such background information had been widely reported and appeared to be included in the memo as just that — background information.
TheBlaze reached out to NBC News requesting comment on why it considered a straightforward recitation of the facts of the case to be biased toward Rittenhouse. NBC News has not yet responded.
What else?
It should also be noted that the bulleted list in question does not appear to specifically be part of the recommended responses that DHS officials were to give to questions about the case.
In fact, under a separate "response" subhead, federal officials are advised to speak about the matter in a purposefully objective way.
The "response" section read like this:
"I'm not going to comment on an ongoing investigation, and especially not one outside of my law enforcement jurisdiction."
"What I will say is that Rittenhouse, like everyone else in America, is innocent until proven guilty and deserves a fair trial based on all the facts, not just the ones that support a certain narrative."
"This is why we try the accused in the court of law, not the star chamber of public opinion."
"This is also why we need to stop the violence in our cities. Chaotic and violent situations lead to chaotic, violent, and tragic outcomes. Everyone needs law and order."
NBC's report acknowledges as much:
The document instructs officials, if they are asked about Rittenhouse, to say they are not going to comment on an ongoing investigation and to say that "what I will say is that Rittenhouse, just like everyone else in America, is innocent until proven guilty and deserves a fair trial based on all the facts, not just the ones that support a certain narrative. This is why we try the accused in the court of law, not the star chamber of public opinion."
Consequently, on Aug. 30, when DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on several Sunday shows, including CBS News' "Face the Nation" and ABC News' "This Week," not once does he appear to speak favorably toward Rittenhouse.
On "Face the Nation," the topic was not brought up. On "This Week," Wolf refused to comment on the ongoing investigation despite repeated attempts by ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl to bait him into doing so.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Pro-life activist punched in face by leftist woman in front of Supreme Court building after Amy Cone

Pro-life activist punched in face by leftist woman in front of Supreme Court building after Amy Coney Barrett nomination 'Being @ @ @ @ @ shows that the violence of abortion breeds a culture of violence and normalizes it '

A female pro-life activist was punched in the face by a pro-choice woman in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Sunday following President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court, Students for Life reported.
Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Breitbart
What happened?
Autumn Schimmer, 23 — communications and market manager of Students for Life Action and a member of the organization's "SCOTUS SQUAD" — was holding a sign on a sidewalk directly in front of the Supreme Court building while pro-life and pro-choice groups demonstrated.
"I was approached by a pro-choice woman who wanted to have a conversation about what feminism means to me," Schimmer noted to Students for Life. "I told her that women are not empowered when they kill their own children, and we need to do better. After that she was getting more aggressive. I took a step back to return to my group. She approached me and punched me in the face and ripped off my face mask."
Image source: Facebook video screenshot via Breitbart
Schimmer said on video afterward that her attacker "ran away into the crowd to hide like a coward" and that those on the left are "all cowards."
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @StudentsforLife
SFL said police were called and an arrest was made.
The organization added that Schimmer told officers that other threatening behavior took place — and that the crowd consisted of about 5% pro-life advocates and 95% abortion supporters
Before the attack, Schimmer was holding a sign that read, "I can't believe these 'feminists' are protesting a woman" — presumably a reference to Judge Barrett's nomination.
Following the attack and arrest, Schimmer remarked to SFL that the incident was "very upsetting. Being attacked by a pro-choicer just shows that the violence of abortion breeds a culture of violence and normalizes it."
Here's the clip from Breitbart. Although it doesn't capture the moment of the punch — the camera was pointing away from the attacker and victim — the clip does show the immediate aftermath as well as Schimmer's in-the-moment reaction to the assault. The relevant portion begins after the 1:02:30 mark:
Here's a roundup of the weekend from Students for Life:
Anything else?
Barrett, 48, was nominated Saturday — just 38 days before Election Day. Her confirmation appears certain since there are enough Republican votes waiting for her in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate will reportedly begin the confirmation process Oct. 12, and it will reportedly last just four days.
Once confirmed, Barrett would take the SCOTUS seat that had been occupied by the late far-left Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for nearly three decades. Ginsburg died Sept. 18 at the age of 87. Barrett — a conservative judge who's been on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017 — would give the high court a clear conservative majority.
Barrett is a devout Catholic and mother of seven children, including two adopted children and another with Down syndrome.
Leftists have been attacking Barrett's faith and family. A staff member on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign suggested that those with strong faiths perhaps shouldn't be permitted to serve on the Supreme Court. And progressives attacked Barrett for signing a letter in 2006 that endorsed Catholic doctrine on the sanctity of life and called for an end to Roe v. Wade.
(H/T: The Christian Post)


theblaze--2020-10-01--Kayleigh McEnany dramatically concludes briefing by taking on media and Democrats for turning a blin

Kayleigh McEnany dramatically concludes briefing by taking on media and Democrats for turning a blind eye to Antifa violence

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday went after the mainstream media and the Democratic Party for turning a blind eye to Antifa's violence and destruction.
What are the details?
During the media briefing, McEnany issued pointed remarks, accusing the media of misrepresenting President Donald Trump's words about condemning white supremacy.
Kicking off the briefing, Fox News' John Roberts asked whether the press secretary would be able to provide a "declarative statement" from the president that explicitly condemned white supremacy.
In response to his — and others' — remarks, McEnany pointed to many of the president's past remarks about denouncing the Ku Klux Klan and more.
She later pointed out that Trump has "denounced [white supremacy] more than any other president in modern history."
"And in fact, something else lost upon the media is the absolutely turning of a blind eye to Antifa. Carrying the water for the Democrats, the media apparently agrees with Jerry Nadler that Antifa violence is a myth," she said.
She then went on to cite examples when Democrats had apparent opportunities to publicly condemn Antifa, and pointed out various crimes and assaults perpetrated by those who claim to support Antifa.
"Ideas do not target police officers, ideas do not burn down buildings, ideas do not kill innocent Americans, organizations do," she insisted. "And Democrats should condemn the shameful group the same manner President Trump continues to condemn white supremacy," she said before dramatically ending the scrum.
Anything else?
Earlier in the briefing, McEnany also snapped at CBS reporter Paula Reid, who attempted to talk over McEnany when she was attempting to answer a question.
McEnany, while pointing out the president's actions to denounce white supremacy — including a plan to "prosecute the KKK as domestic terrorists" — Reid interrupted and said that the president's record was "mixed" on the topic.
McEnany fired back, "His record is not mixed in the slightest," and attempted to provide more examples of such, but Reid continued to interrupt as the two talked over each other.
"Let me speak, Paula," she demanded. "Paula, we're not having a debate on a cable news network. Right now you need to let me finish. You need to let me finish. It's quite funny that the media goes haywire about interrupting in debates, and then chooses to pursue that very same tactic themselves. This is a White House briefing. You ask a question and you give me time to answer."
You can read more on the exchange with Reid here.


theblaze--2020-10-01--California implements state-mandated racial quotas for corporate boards, creates task force to study

California implements state-mandated racial quotas for corporate boards, creates task force to study slavery reparations

The new racial justice legislation was signed into law by Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) Wednesday

California now leads the nation in corporate affirmative action as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Wednesday a bill mandating racial and sexual identity quotas for corporate boards.
The new law requires publicly traded businesses with headquarters located in California to hire at least one diverse board member from an "underrepresented community" by 2021, Fox Business reports. To qualify as underrepresented, an individual must self-identify as black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native, or as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
Corporate boards with four to nine directors must hire at least two diverse individuals by the end of 2022. If a company has nine or more directors they must make three diverse hires. Punitive fines of $100,000 for the first violation and $300,000 for repeat violations will be levied against companies that do not comply with the state quotas.
The new law builds on a 2018 law that required boardrooms to hire at least one female director by 2019. Conservative groups have challenged the diversity statute in court, arguing the law is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
Newsom hailed the law as an important step toward ensuring racial representation in powerful corporations.
"When we talk about racial justice, we talk about power and needing to have seats at the table," Newsom said at the online signing ceremony for the new law.
"The new law represents a big step forward for racial equity," said Democratic state Assemblyman Chris Holden, one of the authors of the bill, in a statement. "While some corporations were already leading the way to combat implicit bias, now, all of California's corporate boards will better reflect the diversity of our state."
The new diversity quotas are part of a larger package of racial legislation signed into law on Wednesday. The package includes a law creating a task force to study and make recommendations on reparations to the black community for slavery. New laws also prohibit the use of peremptory challenges to remove potential jurors based on racial, ethnic, religious, or gender identity and allow judges to alter sentences that are believed to involve racial or ethnic discrimination.
"As a nation, we can only truly thrive when every one of us has the opportunity to thrive. Our painful history of slavery has evolved into structural racism and bias built into and permeating throughout our democratic and economic institutions," said Gov. Newsom. "California's rich diversity is our greatest asset, and we won't turn away from this moment to make right the discrimination and disadvantages that Black Californians and people of color still face. While there is still so much work to do to unravel this legacy, these pieces of legislation are important steps in the right direction to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all."


theblaze--2020-10-01--Minnesota's Mall of America offers free retail space for women- and minority-owned businesses impact

Minnesota's Mall of America offers free retail space for women- and minority-owned businesses impacted by riots

Minnesota 's Mall of America offers free retail space for women- and minority-owned businesses impacted by riots

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is providing free store space to some retailers who were impacted by riots across the city as well as by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Star Tribune report on Tuesday.
What are the details?
The outlet reports that the mall is offering up free, temporary retail space for 17 women- and minority-owned shops that have been impacted by rioting or the coronavirus pandemic.
The spaces will remain free for the 17 businesses for at least six months.
One store owner who will benefit from the new program is Spencer Puckett, who said he was forced to close his south Minneapolis store "several times this year" because of the riots spurred on by the police killing of George Floyd on May 25.
Puckett said that the offer is a "great opportunity."
"I didn't expect for [the Mall of America] to do this," Puckett added.
Store owner Jasmine McConnell said that the new program could help boost her store's reputation.
"There are so many larger stores that are well known in the Mall of America," she said. "To give 17 vendors the opportunity to be on that same platform — and it's free — it's the biggest opportunity ever."
Starting Thursday, Puckett's business — along with 16 others — will be set to occupy a 5,000 square-foot space previously occupied by an apparel store.
Jill Renslow, Mall of America's executive vice president of business development and marketing, told the outlet, "We recognize these businesses have [gone] through a tremendous amount of hardship, whether they were directly impacted physically from the arson or the looting destruction that was taking place or just the sense of lost business."
According to the outlet, the mall began scouting areas impacted by rioting and the coronavirus to determine how it could "partner with small businesses hurt by the civil unrest that erupted after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd."
What else?
Fox Business reported that the retail space "will include a variety of stores ranging from apparel to accessories to food and beverage to personal care and family gifts."
"One of the stores relocating to the space, Urban 29, had a two-year run before being decimated by riots," the outlet added.
"Back in May, my storefront was destroyed in the riots," store owner of Joyce Sanders told the outlet. "It was looted and set on fire. I lost everything."
In a statement to Fox Business, Renslow said:
The Community Commons initiative is one of hope and possibility as Mall of America joins the efforts to help rebuild the hearts, minds and livelihoods of our diverse retail community. We are proud to welcome these businesses to Mall of America where guests will be introduced to an even greater slice of what our retail community has to offer beyond the doors of Mall of America.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Emmy-nominated sports reporter fired after he called GOP Sen. Tim Scott an 'Uncle Tom'

Emmy-nominated sports reporter fired after he called GOP Sen. Tim Scott an 'Uncle Tom' The network cited its 'zero tolerance @ @ @ @ @ conduct based on race ' in the firing

A TV sports reporter was fired on Wednesday after he called Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) an "Uncle Tom."
Fred Gerteiny, a sports reporter for the News 12 Connecticut network, wrote the racial slur in a since-deleted post on Twitter. Gerteiny replied to a tweet by The Hill's Twitter account that linked to an article about Scott commenting on President Donald Trump's remarks during the first presidential debate regarding the Proud Boys.
Gerteiny wrote, "Thanks Uncle Tom," in the now-deleted tweet.
On Wednesday, Gerteiny issued an apology on his Twitter account, which has since been deleted.
"Earlier today, I tweeted a racially insensitive comment, when I referred to @SenatorTimScott as an 'Uncle Tom.' I apologize to the Senator, my colleagues @News12CT, and anyone else I may have offended with this deeply offensive tweet," Gerteiny wrote.
Gerteiny, who is white, claimed that he also "wrote an email to Senator Scott" to apologize for the comment.
Gerteiny was fired by News 12 Connecticut for the "racially insensitive comment" on Wednesday.
"News 12 Connecticut learned on Wednesday afternoon that one of its anchors acted inappropriately on social media. After reviewing the incident, the network released sports reporter, Fred Gerteiny, as a result of a racially insensitive comment," News 12 Connecticut said in a statement. "News 12 Networks has a zero tolerance policy for racism or improper conduct based on race, and prides itself on being an objective and unbiased multi-platform news company."
Gerteiny's profile has been scrubbed from the News 12 Connecticut website.
An "Uncle Tom," is a "Black person, especially a man, considered by other Black people to be subservient to or to curry favor with white people," according to the definition provided by Dictionary.com.
Scott told reporters on Wednesday that he believed President Trump "misspoke" during the presidential debate.
"White supremacy should be denounced at every turn," Scott said. "I think the president misspoke, and he needs to correct it. If he doesn't correct it, I guess he didn't misspeak."
President Trump has since clarified his comments from Tuesday's debate. On Wednesday, President Trump said he didn't know who the Proud Boys are and noted that the group should "stand down and let law enforcement do its work."
Earlier this year, Scott predicted that black support for President Donald Trump would increase by 50% in 2020 compared to 2016.
"President Trump will see a 50 percent increase in his African-American support," Scott told Fox News host Neil Cavuto in February. "It will go from 8 percent in 2016 to a minimum of 12 percent in 2020. He may even get to 15 percent of the African American vote, and that is game over."
Another black conservative had racial slurs thrown at him in the past week. Women's March co-founder Tamika Mallory called Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron a "sellout negro" for not charging the two police officers in the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.
Daily Beast columnist and CNN commentator Sophia A. Nelson called Cameron an "Uncle Tom," who "is a disgrace to his people and his community."


theblaze--2020-10-01--American cyclist suspended from team following 'divisive, incendiary, and detrimental' pro-Trump twe

American cyclist suspended from team following 'divisive, incendiary, and detrimental' pro-Trump tweet — which showed a dark-skinned waving hand emoji

American cyclist suspended from team following 'divisive , incendiary , and detrimental ' pro-Trump tweet — which showed a dark-skinned @ @ @

Trek-Segafredo suspended Quinn Simmons from the team after the 19-year-old cyclist reportedly fired off at least one "divisive, incendiary, and detrimental" tweet as he spoke of his support of President Donald Trump.
The tweet contained a dark-skinned waving hand emoji, which prompted many social media users to cry "racism."
Simmons won the junior World Championship road race in Yorkshire in 2019, according to Cycling Weekly.
What are the details?
The tweet in question emerged after Dutch cycling journalist and commentator Jose Been said she hoped "this horrible presidency ends" for her American friends.
"My dear American friends, I hope this horrible presidency ends for you," Been's tweet began. "And for us as (former?) allies too."
Been, in the since-deleted tweet, added, "If you follow me and support Trump, you can go. There is zero excuse to follow or vote for the vile, horrible man."
Simmons, who apparently followed Been, wrote "Bye" alongside a dark-skinned waving hand emoji.
Another later user added that Simmons was "[a]pparently a Trumper," which prompted Simmons to fire back, "That's right" next to an American flag emoji.
Following Simmons' remarks, some social media users said that Simmons' use of a dark-skinned hand emoji was a form of racism and insisted they would no longer purchase Trek Bikes, according to Cycling News.
According to Cycling Weekly, "The use of a black emoji by a white person online has been equated with blackface, showing a lack of racial awareness and temporarily adopting a racial identity."
In a statement, Trek-Segafredo wrote, "Trek-Segafredo is an organization that values inclusivity and supports a more diverse and equitable sport for all athletes. While we support the right to free speech, we will hold people accountable for their words and actions."
"Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport," the statement continued.
"In response, he will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice," the statement concluded. "The team and its partners will work together to determine how we will move forward and keep fans and the public informed as to the decisions made in the matter."
What else?
On Thursday, Trek-Segafredo shared another update — this time with a statement from Simmons and team management.
Trek-Segafredo's team also insisted that Simmons was not suspended for his "political views," but for "engaging in conversation on Twitter in a way that we felt was conduct unbefitting a Trek athlete."
Simmons' statement read, "As an American rider, I have always been proud to represent my country. Riding for an American team has been a lifelong dream. A big reason I chose this team was because of the American values behind it."
"To those who found the color of the emoji racist, I can promise that I did not mean for it to be interpreted that way. I would like to apologize to everyone who found this offensive as I strongly stand against racism in any form. To anyone who disagrees with me politically, that is fine. I won't hate you for it. I only ask the same," Simmons' statement concluded.
Team manager Luca Guercilena added, "We all hold Trek staff and management to a high ethical standard and our athletes are no exception. We believe that Quinn has a bright future as a professional athlete if he can use this opportunity to grow as a person and make a positive contribution for a better future for cycling. We remain committed to helping Quinn as much as we can."


theblaze--2020-10-01--Commentary: Hypocrites at NY Times run op-ed by Chinese propagandist pushing authoritarian put down

Commentary: Hypocrites at NY Times run op-ed by Chinese propagandist pushing authoritarian put down of Hong Kong protests. Where's Tom Cotton's apology?

Commentary : Hypocrites at NY Times run op-ed by Chinese propagandist pushing authoritarian put down of Hong Kong protests .
@ @ @ @ @ apology ?
The Chinese Communist Party 's tyranny stares the world in the face , @ @ @ @ @ runs an op-ed saying 'after months of chaos in the city , something had to @ @ @ @ @ Chinese government did it '

Remember when the New York Times caved to pressure to pull down an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) advocating for the U.S. military to intervene and stop the rioting and looting in major U.S. cities? If you would recall, a Times editor actually resigned amid outrage from the paper's staff that he would dare publish Cotton's opinion, an opinion they said would put people in danger.
Will the Times retract this op-ed by a Chinese communist propagandist celebrating the authoritarian crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong?
The op-ed, titled "Hong Kong is China, like it or not," was written by Regina Ip, a legislator and member of the Executive Council in Hong Kong. Ip is an advocate for Hong Kong's new expansive national security law, a law supported by the Chinese Communist Party leadership in Beijing that critics say will severely encroach on civil liberties and abuse Hong Kong citizens.
"Hong Kong has been rocked by a series of crises after the eruption of protests last year over a proposed bill (long since withdrawn) that would have allowed the extradition of some suspects in criminal cases to mainland China," Ip writes. "Something had to be done, and the Chinese authorities did it."
Last year, pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong began demonstrations against the planned security law, protesting the pro-Chinese elements of the government in Hong Kong. In response, Beijing announced in May that the communist government would ignore the Hong Kong legislature and impose the security law by fiat, declaring that the protests were evidence the law was needed.
Then the crackdown on protests and free speech began.
As the New York Times itself reported, "the Chinese government has used the letter and spirit of the law to crush Hong Kong's pro-democracy opposition with surprising ferocity." A tenured law professor and pro-democracy advocate at the University of Hong Kong was forced out of his position by authorities. Four young activists were arrested on suspicion of expressing support online for Hong Kong's independence, an act of subversion under the new law. Beijing even canceled an election in Hong Kong, using the coronavirus as a cover, to prevent pro-democracy candidates from winning, according to the Times.
At the time, Ip welcomed the arrests, saying the authorities were "acting in accordance with the law."
Now, Ip's op-ed accuses pro-democracy advocates of having "done great harm to the city by going against its constitutional order and stirring up chaos and disaffection toward our motherland." She defends the decision to postpone the election in Hong Kong as "sound."
Even today, Hong Kong riot police enforcing the security law arrested more than 50 peaceful protesters who had gathered on China National Day. The Chinese Communist Party's tyranny stares the world in the face, and the New York Times runs an op-ed on the same day with the sub-headline, "after months of chaos in the city, something had to be done, and the Chinese government did it."
The New York Times has published Chinese propaganda before. The paper also publishes opinion editorials from convicted terrorists, Middle Eastern dictators, Russian dictators, and Hamas.
But Sen. Cotton wrote an op-ed calling for President Trump to invoke the insurrection act to stop criminals in American cities because local and state officials refuse to enforce the law, and somehow that opinion was too extreme.
Yascha Mounk, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, called out the Times for its blatant hypocrisy.
Mounk is entirely correct, and he doesn't even agree with Cotton's op-ed.
The New York Times is a joke.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Protesters surrounding men in parked pickup truck allegedly pulled on vehicle's doors, got on hood b

Protesters surrounding men in parked pickup truck allegedly pulled on vehicle's doors, got on hood before cops arrested men in truck on gun charges

Protesters surrounding men in parked pickup truck allegedly pulled on vehicle 's doors , got on hood before cops arrested @ @ @ @ @ charges ' I 'm not pulling a gun on a bunch of kids '

In the wake of police arresting a pair of pickup truck occupants on gun charges after cops dispersed protesters who were surrounding the vehicle Saturday night in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the arrested men said there's quite a bit more to the story.
What are the details?
Richard Ray, 59, told the Post and Courier that he and the truck's driver — 46-year-old Matthew Constantine — were concerned about the planned protest that night and headed downtown to check on business interests to make sure they weren't damaged. The paper said Ray declined to specify what those interests are.
A few dozen demonstrators had gathered downtown in response to the grand jury decision to not indict police officers in the killing of Breonna Taylor, a black woman, in Louisville, Kentucky, the Post and Courier said.
Ray told the paper he and Constantine watched and recorded protesters before pulling into a bank parking lot and continuing their vigil with the vehicle's headlights off and windows up.
Image source: WCSC-TV video screenshot
But soon enough a group of protesters surrounded the truck, pulling on its doors and getting on its hood, he told the paper.
Ray added to the Post and Courier that he was scared, but at no point did he or Constantine "reach for any weapon in the car." Ray noted to the paper that he did grab a pepper spray container and was planning to use it if anyone broke a window.
"I'm not pulling a gun on a bunch of kids," he told the Post and Courier. "I'm not going to do anything to hurt kids protesting when the cops are right there."
But then Ray told the paper one of the protesters yelled about a gun, which prompted police to come over — and then one of the officers shined a light in the back and saw an AR-15. Ray told the Post and Courier the rifle was from target shooting earlier in the day.
More weapons found
Upon further questioning, Ray told police there were handguns in the vehicle — one of them in the passenger side door compartment, WCDB-TV reported.
Constantine told police he had a handgun concealed in his waistband, WCDB added. It was loaded, according to WCSC-TV.
Officers also found pepper spray, a wooden club, additional magazines, ammunition, knives, and a Taser inside the vehicle, WCDB said.
Neither Ray nor Constantine had concealed carry permits, and they were arrested and charged for unlawful carrying of a handgun, WCDB said, adding that Constantine and Ray were released on bonds — $25,000 and $10,000, respectively. They're scheduled for an initial court date in December.
'I don't want people to be scared'
Following their misdemeanor arrests, Ray told the Courier and Journal he and Constantine had no intention of hurting anybody.
"I'm sorry it went down. I don't want people to be scared," he told the paper, adding that "we were not down there to harm anyone."
Ray also told the Courier and Journal he belongs to an unnamed citizens group with members who come from law enforcement backgrounds and who are concerned about violence growing in the downtown area in recent months.
And while he respects the right to peacefully protest, Ray noted to paper that he believes he and Constantine were mobbed and are being portrayed as bad people.
Luther Reynolds, Charleston's police chief, told the Courier and Journal that just because the men were concerned about business interests downtown doesn't "give them permission to go out and break the law."
But Ray also told the paper he believes the search of the truck was illegal, and that he may sue.
Anything else?
The Courier and Journal said Constantine — an artist — didn't respond to a voicemail and emails seeking comment. However, a local gallery said in a Facebook post Monday it stopped representing an artist who was arrested for unlawfully carrying a handgun during a recent protest, the paper reported, and that Ray confirmed it was Constantine.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Ted Cruz and CNN's Chris Cuomo clash in fiery debate over Gov. Cuomo's COVID-19 policies: 'Trump bro

Ted Cruz and CNN's Chris Cuomo clash in fiery debate over Gov. Cuomo's COVID-19 policies: 'Trump broke you guys'

Ted Cruz and CNN 's Chris Cuomo clash in fiery debate over Gov .
Cuomo 's COVID-19 policies : 'Trump @ @ @ @ @ a time when CNN actually cared about being journalistic and talking about facts '

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and CNN host Chris Cuomo engaged in a heated exchange Wednesday night when the two butted heads over the handling of COVID-19 by the anchor's brother, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During the "Cuomo Prime Time" interview, Cuomo and Cruz discussed President Donald Trump's comments at the first presidential debate, the Proud Boys, and Cruz's new book. Tensions flared throughout the interview, but especially when Cruz criticized Gov. Cuomo's coronavirus response.
Chris Cuomo said that the governors in Texas, Florida, and Georgia didn't do enough coronavirus testing, which he claims hindered reopening efforts.
"I get that your show wants to attack Texas, and Florida, and Georgia because they have Republican governors," Cruz retorted. "We have also had much, much lower death rates than many other parts of the country, and it's political, the attacks you're making."
"I think what we should be focused on is, yes, testing. I'm a big proponent of testing. We need to do more testing," Cruz said. "But we need people to go back to work."
Cruz alleged Cuomo was politicizing the coronavirus pandemic, to which the CNN anchor said it "couldn't be less political for me."
Then the Texas senator sternly asserted, "Let me say something. There is something disgusting that Democrats are doing, that Joe Biden does, and that you do, which is you try to blame the people who've lost their lives on your political enemies."
Cruz continued to spar with the TV host, "And that's just not right. ... It's not right at all and it's particularly not right, Chris, when your brother has presided over the state with the highest death rate in the country."
According to Worldometers, New York has the second-highest COVID-19 deaths per million in the U.S. at 1,709, trailing only New Jersey, which has 1,829. Texas is ranked 18th in COVID-19 deaths per million with 556.
"New York's record will stand for itself," Cuomo defended his brother.
"I know your brother didn't want those people to lose their lives, but you shouldn't play politics," Cruz said.
Cuomo retorted sarcastically, "Oh, that's good. So you don't think he intentionally killed them. That's good. That's very charitable of you, Ted."
"Of course not," Cruz proclaimed. "But I do think we could have a very reasonable policy discussion about the policy mistakes in New York and New Jersey of sending COVID-positive patients into nursing homes; I think that was a very serious policy mistake."
Cuomo smarmily asked, "Mm-hmm, because that didn't happen all over the country, right?"
"No, it didn't happen in Texas," Cruz declared. "That's one of the reasons why the death rate in New York is four times the death rate in Texas."
Cuomo then launched a verbal attack on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The senator asked Cuomo, "Was is it a mistake when your brother implemented a policy that nursing homes had to accept COVID-positive patients and endangered the lives of tens of thousands of seniors in New York state?"
"My brother was the first one to say that there was a learning curve and that mistakes were made and they changed things as soon as they could," Cuomo replied.
"But then don't be a hypocrite about it," Cruz shot back.
On June 29, Republicans Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon asked Christi Grimm, principal deputy inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to launch an investigation into five states for their policies regarding placing coronavirus-infected patients in nursing homes and long-term care centers.
"As reported by the media, the governors of a handful of states in which some nursing homes struggled to provide safe and adequate care 'actually ordered nursing homes to accept patients with active COVID-19 infections who were being discharged from hospitals.' Governors issuing such directives include those in New York, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan," the lawmakers' letter stated.
All five states that implemented the policies have Democratic governors.
A report from the New York Times released in late June stated that nursing home COVID-19 deaths accounted for 43% of all coronavirus deaths in the United States.
A report from the Associated Press released in August claimed that New York's official count of nursing home residents who died "could actually be a significant undercount."
Cuomo and Cruz also faced off in a contentious argument about President Donald Trump's comments during the first presidential debate. Cuomo brought up the Proud Boys, to which Cruz said, "I've condemned the Proud Boys long ago. I think white supremacists, Klansmen, Nazis are ignorant, bigoted morons."
Cruz said he wishes President Trump "had been much clearer in his denunciation." Then Cruz brought up Biden's association with Robert Byrd, who was at one time an "Exalted Cyclops" of the KKK, which is the highest-ranking position in a chapter.
"The press is partisan in this regard. Ten years ago, 2010, Joe Biden gave a eulogy for Robert Byrd, who was a Grand Cyclops of the KKK," Cruz said.
Cuomo responded, "You're really gonna go with that? I know you're a master debater ... you're gonna go with that weak-ass argument here? Byrd, who had a complete enlightenment about how hate was wrong, who changed his life, who spoke about it, who changed his ways?"
"Chris, have you ever eulogized a Klansman? I haven't," Cruz retaliated.
"Chris, there was a time when CNN actually cared about being journalistic and talking about facts," Cruz explained. "Donald Trump broke you guys."
"I mean, your entire show, your entire network now is just how much you hate Trump," Cruz added.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Progressives attack Amy Coney Barrett for signing letter opposing abortion in 2006

'Please continue to pray to end abortion '

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is facing renewed attacks for signing a letter in 2006 that endorsed Catholic doctrine on the sanctity of life and called for an end to Roe v. Wade.
The letter, reported by the Daily Beast and The Guardian, was sponsored by St. Joseph County Right to Life, a pro-life group based in Indiana, and was published in a newspaper advertisement. Barrett and her husband, Jesse, signed the letter along with hundreds of other people in 2006, when Barrett was working as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame.
The advertisement, which appeared in the South Bend Tribune, stated: "We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death."
"Please continue to pray to end abortion," it said under many signatures.
On a separate page, St. Joseph County Right published a commentary on the organization's position regarding Roe vs. Wade.
"The Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion for any reason," the commentary said. "Now, after more than thirty-two years under Roe more than 47 million unborn children have been aborted. The majority of those abortions were performed for social reasons. Yet poll after poll continues to show that an increasing majority of Americans are opposed to abortion as a method of birth control. And in 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that Roe v. Wade allowed and protected the brutal partial-birth abortion procedure — a practice opposed by over 70% of all Americans.
"It's time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children," the message concluded.
The Guardian's report identified St. Joseph County Right to Life as "an extreme anti-choice group." It also called out the pro-life group for supporting the criminalization of abortionists and the criminalization of discarding frozen embryos created in the in vitro fertilization process.
Jackie Appleman, the executive director of St. Joseph County Right to Life, told the Guardian in an interview that the organization believes in Catholic doctrine that teaches life begins at conception.
"Whether embryos are implanted in the woman and then selectively reduced or it's done in a petri dish and then discarded, you're still ending a new human life at that point and we do oppose that," Appleman said.
"We support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions. At this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women. We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process," she said.
Barrett's public signature on the 2006 advertisement "is likely to lead to new questions about how Barrett's personal views on abortion may not only shape reproductive rights in the US for decades to come if she is confirmed by the Senate, but how her appointment could affect legal rights for women undergoing fertility treatment, as well as their doctors," the Guardian said.
The letter Barrett signed does not mention IVF, or criminalizing abortionists. Ramesh Ponnuru pointed out for National Review that Barrett and the other signatories signed only the statement opposing abortion on demand and supporting the right to life, not the commentary on the legacy of Roe v. Wade.
Yet, the Guardian reported, "Barrett's public embrace of a strict anti-choice position will nevertheless fuel concerns of progressives and pro-choice Americans about what the 48-year-old judge's confirmation to the supreme court will mean for abortion rights once conservatives gain a 6-3 majority on the court."
Progressives are indeed concerned. Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, declared "everything is at stake" with Barrett's nomination.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) labeled Barrett an "extremist" and claimed, without evidence, she "wants to put women in prison for exercising control of their bodies."
Author Lauren Rankin said Senate Republicans want to nominate an extremist to the court.
Hillary Clinton's former senior adviser Zac Petkanas said Barrett's signature on that letter is "disqualifying" for the Supreme Court.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Think you’ve got it bad? Washington family lost their home in a wildfire — then all 7 contracted COV

Think you’ve got it bad? Washington family lost their home in a wildfire — then all 7 contracted COVID-19

Think you ’ ve got it bad ?
Washington family lost their home in a wildfire — then all 7 @ @ @ @ @ like a bad dream at first '

A family of seven from Malden, Washington, has suffered immensely over the past few weeks as first their home was destroyed by a wildfire — and then they all contracted the coronavirus.
First, the wildfire
Matthew and Jessica Graham, along with their five children, lost their home and everything in it when a wildfire tore through their small town over Labor Day weekend, KREM-TV reported.
The Grahams were in Idaho visiting Jessica's parents when they received word that a fire had sparked back home. They were notified by a friend that the town library and post office had caught fire and their house was directly in the wildfire's path.
Shortly after, they received the devastating news that their house had been consumed and that nothing was left except, thankfully, the dog and the chickens.
"[The friend] told us that it was a total loss," Matthew said. "It just felt like a bad dream at first," Jessica added.
In all, the fire would destroy 80% of the homes in Malden.
A family of seven lost everything in the Malden fire. Then, they contracted COVID-19 youtu.be
Then, the coronavirus
But the family knew their nightmare was not yet over when they started to feel sick with flu-like symptoms. Later, all seven of them would test positive for COVID-19.
The Grahams believe they first contracted the virus from Jessica's parents and then unknowingly gave it to Matthew's mother, who had stepped in to watch the family's five children for an afternoon.
They told KREM-TV that they also believe they unknowingly infected a family of nine who welcomed them over for dinner one night.
"It's horrible realizing that they reached out to us and have been so welcoming to us, and we spread it to them," Jessica said.
The family is now quarantining in a hotel in Spokane Valley, Washington.
Anything else?
The family all appear to be in good health and recovering from the virus after experiencing symptoms such as fatigue and loss of taste. But they say their search for a new home has been significantly hampered by the infection.
"At this point, we really don't have any plans. All that we have are questions that lead to more questions, and no answers anywhere to be found," Matthew said.
But the family is remaining hopeful. Support from a GoFundMe campaign for the family has certainly helped. So far, more than $20,000 has been raised.
"It's been just amazing, the community outpouring, like people that we barely know or we don't know at all who have reached out and offered to help us, so that part has been amazing just realizing how much support we do have," Jessica said.


theblaze--2020-10-01--College professor issues mea culpa to black community after saying 'America needs college football'

College professor issues mea culpa to black community after saying 'America needs college football '

Ohio State professor Matthew Mayhew issued an impassioned apology after causing "hurt" to the black community after he insisted that "America needs college football."
What are the details of the original article?
According to the College Fix, Mayhew and graduate student Musbah Shaheen wrote a hopeful opinion piece about the possible return of college football amid the COVID-19 pandemic and political and racial unrest across the country.
The original article, titled "Why America Needs College Football" and published by Inside Higher Ed, pointed out that a return of college football could prompt some normalcy in an otherwise unsettling year across the country.
He and Shaheen wrote that a return to college football could work "toward healing a democracy made more fragile by disease, racial unrest, and a contested presidential election cycle.
"Football gives players a platform to make statements about issues they care about," the pair continued. "We have seen student athletes taking part in protests and making demands for racial equity. We have seen student athletes kneel to protest police brutality. Colleges and universities should take many more steps to empower athletes to engage with the community. Depriving them the opportunity to play doesn't accomplish that goal."
Mayhew and Shaheen added, "[C]ollege football represents an America where competition is sanctioned, community is encouraged, and disagreement is emotionally regulated."
"If nothing else, it gives us a reason to cheer," they wrote.
In a strongly worded letter to Inside Higher Ed's editor, Dallas College professor of History Andrew McGregor criticized the position, calling it "inaccurate" at best, and an example of white privilege at its worst.
"[The authors] see college football as an essential part of American society and our political system, rather than a symptom of the deep-seeded [sic] issues that have contributed to political polarization, racial unrest, the devaluation of education, and prolonged devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic," McGregor explained. "Many of us have weighed these issues and found the sport to be anything but essential. In fact, a number of scholars have denounced college football's premature return to play precisely because it is symptomatic of broader social issues."
Some of those "broader social issues," according to McGregor, include the spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing racial unrest across the country.
"America, after all, has a long history of exploiting Black and indigenous people of color for the pleasure and material gain of whites. Amateurism and the very structure of college athletics is caught up in the United States' system of racial capitalism," McGregor insisted. "The problems of COVID-19, police brutality, and the policies currently being enacted by our political leaders all have a disproportionally larger impact on racialized folks. So too does college football."
McGregor insisted that college football players, in effect, are part of a "product" that colleges "provide to 'taxpayers' in order to soothe them in times of low morale."
"Black athletes are embraced on the gridiron and in the community as a way to assuage white guilt," he reasoned.
What was the response to McGregor's letter?
After considering the position, Mayhew issued a follow-up piece in Inside Higher Ed, titled "Why America Needs College Football — Part 2."
In the second piece, Mayhew apologized for the "hurt, sadness, frustration, fatigue, exhaustion, and pain this article has caused anyone," and particularly "black students in the higher education community and beyond."
"I am struggling to find the words to communicate the deep ache for the damage I have done," he admitted. "I don't want to write anything that further deepens the pain experienced by my ignorance related to black male athletes and the black community at any time, but especially in light of the national racial unrest."
He continued, pointing out that he was fearful of saying anything that could potentially diminish the importance of such a necessary conversation.
"I also don't want to write anything that suggests that antiracist learning is quick or easy," Mayhew added. "This is the beginning of a very long process, one that started with learning about the empirical work related to black college football athletes."
Instead, he said, he should have titled the piece "Why America Needs Black Athletes."
"I learned that black men putting their bodies on the line for my enjoyment is inspired and maintained by my uninformed and disconnected whiteness," he said, "and, as written in my previous article, positions student athletes as white property."
Mayhew said that he hopes the black community can forgive the burden, which he says is "of a white person haunted by his ignorance."
"I hate that my students have to carry my ignorant racist energy with them at all times," he lamented. "I hate that I brought a graduate student into this space with me as a co-author: Musbah Shaheen, I am sorry. I hate the fact that I have hurt my colleagues at Ohio State and the field of higher education, especially black scholars whose careers have been spent studying black lives. I am sorry for ignoring your scholarship. I hate that I have let down my black friends and friends of color, whom I love."
Shaheen has yet to make any proclamations about the original post at the time of this reporting.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Horowitz: Washington Post admits school openings have not caused widespread outbreaks

It was one of the most consequential policy debates of our time .
Do we send our kids out to school in middle of an epidemic that poses no meaningful risk to children and younger people ?
The teachers ' unions fought tooth and nail to get many states to keep their schools closed .
They even held mock funerals to protest the openings .
So , over a month into the opening of schools in the areas where they failed to keep them closed , did we experience mass funerals ?
`` Feared coronavirus outbreaks in schools yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read a recent title from the Washington Post .
Kudos for their willingness to return to the issue rather than dropping it and moving on to the next panic-inducing prediction like a drive-by shooting .
In the long and thorough article , the authors state the obvious : `` Public health experts have found little evidence that the virus is spreading inside [ school ] buildings , and the rates of infection are far below what is found in the surrounding communities . ''
Advocates for opening schools have made the point that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all for children , but children rarely spread the virus .
The fact that we are not seeing entire classes and grades catching the virus , but rather some isolated cases here and there , demonstrates that the children likely get the virus from home and would likely have contracted it anyway , but are not major spreaders to each other or to other teachers in school .
Whereas college students have spread the virus quickly ( although it is also not dangerous for them ) , new data from Brown University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a month into the school openings .
While there is no complete surveillance data of all open schools , Emily Oster , an economics professor at Brown University , created a dashboard of 300 schools offering in-person classes .
During the first two weeks of September , she and fellow researchers found just a 0.078 % infection rate for students and a 0.15 % for teachers , `` much lower '' than the community infection rate in most areas , such as in Texas .
According to the Post , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track of infections say they have been surprised by how low it was . ''
Well , knock me over with a feather .
Studies from countries including the U.K. , Australia , Switzerland , Canada , Netherlands , France , Ireland , Taiwan , and Iceland have all failed to find meaningful spread from school-age children .
Sweden kept the younger grades open throughout the entire pandemic and did n't experience a single death .
The Public Health Agency of Sweden found no measurable difference in outcomes for children between Sweden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
The Washington Post also observes that data from 37 school districts in Connecticut , New York , and Pennsylvania that opened schools shows `` there have been 23 confirmed cases of the coronavirus across 20 schools and no indication that the virus was spread in schools . ''
In other words , what we are consistently seeing in grade school is that , unlike in college dorms , there are just a smattering of cases here and there with no evidence of children driving the transmission .
A comprehensive review of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin found that `` most school outbreaks had few cases per outbreak , with more cases among older age groups who could have been staff or other persons epidemiologically linked to school outbreaks . ''
Additionally , they observe , `` considering class sizes of usually 20 to 25 students per class the low number of cases in each age year suggests rather limited onward transmission within classes . ''
The bottom line is that a mere discovery of some cases in schools does not mean these kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have avoided getting it by being out of school .
The Post cites a spokeswoman for the Cherokee County , Georgia , school district , where there were several hundred confirmed cases .
`` District spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said that none of the cases had been definitively linked to in-school exposure , although it had not been ruled out in about a dozen , '' wrote the article 's authors .
It turns out it was spreading far and wide throughout the community in August .
Both during the 1957 Asian flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was observed that children had higher rates of contraction at home .
A 2006 paper from Johns Hopkins observed , `` When schools closed for a winter holiday during the 1918 pandemic in Chicago , 'more influenza cases developed among pupils .
.
.
than when schools were in session . '
'' And that was with a flu for which children are more primary vectors for spread .
And of course , this is all a debate over negligible cases that are usually milder than the flu or strep throat or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are not seeing any greater threat to children of getting clinically ill from the virus because of schools reopening , much less fatalities .
Yet there are still an estimated 711 million children out of school across the globe because so many schools are shut down .

It was one of the most consequential policy debates of our time. Do we send our kids out to school in middle of an epidemic that poses no meaningful risk to children and younger people? The teachers' unions fought tooth and nail to get many states to keep their schools closed. They even held mock funerals to protest the openings. So, over a month into the opening of schools in the areas where they failed to keep them closed, did we experience mass funerals?
"Feared coronavirus outbreaks in schools yet to arrive, early data shows," read a recent title from the Washington Post. Kudos for their willingness to return to the issue rather than dropping it and moving on to the next panic-inducing prediction like a drive-by shooting. In the long and thorough article, the authors state the obvious: "Public health experts have found little evidence that the virus is spreading inside [school] buildings, and the rates of infection are far below what is found in the surrounding communities."
Advocates for opening schools have made the point that not only is the virus not dangerous at all for children, but children rarely spread the virus. The fact that we are not seeing entire classes and grades catching the virus, but rather some isolated cases here and there, demonstrates that the children likely get the virus from home and would likely have contracted it anyway, but are not major spreaders to each other or to other teachers in school. Whereas college students have spread the virus quickly (although it is also not dangerous for them), new data from Brown University researchers shows very little evidence of outbreaks more than a month into the school openings.
While there is no complete surveillance data of all open schools, Emily Oster, an economics professor at Brown University, created a dashboard of 300 schools offering in-person classes. During the first two weeks of September, she and fellow researchers found just a 0.078% infection rate for students and a 0.15% for teachers, "much lower" than the community infection rate in most areas, such as in Texas.
According to the Post, "Teacher's unions in Texas that keep track of infections say they have been surprised by how low it was."
Well, knock me over with a feather. Studies from countries including the U.K., Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Taiwan, and Iceland have all failed to find meaningful spread from school-age children. Sweden kept the younger grades open throughout the entire pandemic and didn't experience a single death. The Public Health Agency of Sweden found no measurable difference in outcomes for children between Sweden and Finland, even though Finland closed its schools.
The Washington Post also observes that data from 37 school districts in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania that opened schools shows "there have been 23 confirmed cases of the coronavirus across 20 schools and no indication that the virus was spread in schools."
In other words, what we are consistently seeing in grade school is that, unlike in college dorms, there are just a smattering of cases here and there with no evidence of children driving the transmission. A comprehensive review of COVID-19 cases in German schools conducted by the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin found that "most school outbreaks had few cases per outbreak, with more cases among older age groups who could have been staff or other persons epidemiologically linked to school outbreaks." Additionally, they observe, "considering class sizes of usually 20 to 25 students per class the low number of cases in each age year suggests rather limited onward transmission within classes."
The bottom line is that a mere discovery of some cases in schools does not mean these kids were infected from the school setting or would have avoided getting it by being out of school. The Post cites a spokeswoman for the Cherokee County, Georgia, school district, where there were several hundred confirmed cases. "District spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said that none of the cases had been definitively linked to in-school exposure, although it had not been ruled out in about a dozen," wrote the article's authors. It turns out it was spreading far and wide throughout the community in August.
Both during the 1957 Asian flu and the Spanish flu of 1918, it was observed that children had higher rates of contraction at home. A 2006 paper from Johns Hopkins observed, "When schools closed for a winter holiday during the 1918 pandemic in Chicago, 'more influenza cases developed among pupils . . . than when schools were in session.'" And that was with a flu for which children are more primary vectors for spread.
And of course, this is all a debate over negligible cases that are usually milder than the flu or strep throat or, often, even a cold. We are not seeing any greater threat to children of getting clinically ill from the virus because of schools reopening, much less fatalities. Yet there are still an estimated 711 million children out of school across the globe because so many schools are shut down.
Remember that CNN article that came out on July 30 suggesting children are mass spreaders with higher viral loads than even adults? Well, at least the Washington Post had the decency to revisit the issue now that we are living through the reality of schools opening. The paper CNN cited openly admitted that "transmissibility was not assessed in this study." Which, of course, is par for the course in an information warfare campaign driven by panic and feelings, not facts.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Left-wing celebs throw debate tantrums at President Trump; some even call for violence against him

Left-wing celebs throw debate tantrums at President Trump ; some even call for violence against him 'Literally the only way @ @ @ @ @ to sucker punch the f*** '

Reading some of the reactions on Twitter from left-wing celebrities during the presidential debate Tuesday night, one could almost predict their tone and choice of words.
And there was little doubt which candidate would draw their ire.
It's true, folks: President Donald Trump doesn't have many fans among the Hollywood elite — and those elite were out in full force, in real time, so they could bestow upon us all the many benefits of their highly advanced, freakishly evolved sociopolitical points of view.
You know, like this one from Trump impersonator and sometimes arrestee Alec Baldwin:
"Trump needs a beating," eh? Has the president been doubling as a member of the paparazzi or something?
Actor Adam Goldberg had similar thoughts, tweeting that "literally the only way to deal with him is to sucker punch the f***." Apparently after some pushback, the following day Goldberg added, "This was tweeted during a game of thrones watch party. Not sure what you're all on about." Anything you say, buddy.
Indeed, six minutes after his "sucker punch" tweet, Goldberg referred to Trump's "Nazi scum Twitter army":
Confirmed Trump-hater Alyssa Milano — now known way more for her left-wing activism than for her chops in front of the camera — was convinced the president would "steal the election":
Jason Alexander actually dialed it down a notch from George Costanzaville but still remarked that Trump was unable to behave "like a human":
Actor Mark Ruffalo didn't threaten to kill Trump or anything — but he did accuse Trump of killing 200,000 people:
Iconic novelist Stephen King said Trump's microphone should be cut:
Songwriter Diane Warren must have misplaced her thesaurus, as she sadly settled for "STFU U orange f***."
And actress Meredith Salenger ("Shut. The. F***. Up. You. Lying. Sack of s**t!!!!!") and Tom Hanks' son whatshisname ("Donald Trump is a piece of s**t") rolled out more profanity for us.
Other celebrity tantrums included:
(H/T: Breitbart)


theblaze--2020-10-01--Debate commission to enact 'strict new rules' for second debate; mics could be cut for interrupting:

Debate commission to enact 'strict new rules' for second debate; mics could be cut for interrupting: report

Debate commission to enact 'strict new rules ' for second debate ; mics could be cut for interrupting : report @ @ @ @ @ debate commission is 'moving the goalposts ' after Biden 'got pummeled '

There could be significant changes in store for the upcoming presidential debates. The independent commission that oversees the presidential debates says it is "carefully considering" making changes to the rules for the next debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The first presidential debate was marred by both candidates and moderator Chris Wallace making interruptions. Personal insults and jabs were bandied about early and often during the discourse. After a public outcry that the debate was unwatchable because of the incessant interruptions, Wallace attempted to explain what went terribly wrong during the first debate, and said he "never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did."
"I've read some of the reviews, I know people think, well, gee, I didn't jump in soon enough," the Fox News anchor said. "I guess I didn't realize — and there was no way you could, hindsight being 20/20 — that this was going to be the president's strategy, not just for the beginning of the debate, but the entire debate."
The Commission on Presidential Debates thanked Wallace for moderating Tuesday's presidential debate in Cleveland and hinted that changes are coming.
"The Commission is grateful to Chris Wallace for the professionalism and skill he brought to last night's debate and intends to ensure that additional tools to maintain order are in place for the remaining debates," the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement released Wednesday.
"Last night's debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues," the commission added. "The CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly."
To limit unorderly mudslinging, many have suggested that the moderators be given the capability to mute the microphones of Trump and Biden.
"One possibility being discussed is to give the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking," an anonymous source familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Associated Press.
On Thursday morning, CBS News reported that an "informed source" told them that the CPD would spend the next 48 hours determining "strict new rules" for the next debate. The source said that "we are going to be making changes" to the debate's guidelines. The rule changes will not be subject to negotiation for the two campaigns, the report states.
Allowing moderators to mute mics of candidates who break the rules is reportedly at the "top of the list."
Wallace argued that cutting off the mics is not an effective remedy to prevent the barrage of interruptions.
"As a practical matter, even if the president's microphone had been shut, he still could have continued to interrupt, and it might well have been picked up on Biden's microphone, and it still would have disrupted the proceedings in the hall," the "Fox News Sunday" host said.
Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, slammed the potential rule changes by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
"They're only doing this because their guy got pummeled last night," Murtaugh said in a statement. "President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs. They shouldn't be moving the goalposts and changing the rules in the middle of the game."
Kate Bedingfield, deputy campaign manager for Biden's campaign, said the former vice president welcomes the new rules to "contain Donald Trump's behavior."
"He'll be focused on answering questions from the voters there, under whatever set of rules the Commission develops to try to contain Donald Trump's behavior," she said in a statement. "The president will have to choose between responding to voters about questions for which he has offered no answers in this campaign — or repeating last night's unhinged meltdown."
The second presidential debate is scheduled to be held on Oct. 15 in Miami. The debate will have a town hall format with 15-20 citizens from the South Florida area, and will be moderated by C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully. The third and final debate is set for Oct. 22 in Nashville, and will be moderated by NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker.
The vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris is scheduled for Oct. 7, and will be moderated by USA Today's Susan Page.


theblaze--2020-10-01--Facebook bans ads that mention voter fraud or in any way stoke distrust in the upcoming election

Facebook announced strict new guidelines Wednesday prohibiting advertisements on the platform that in any way seek to "delegitimize" an election by stoking distrust in various voting methods, including mail-in voting.
What are the details?
"Last week we said we'd prohibit ads that make premature declarations of victory. We also won't allow ads with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election," Facebook's director of product management, Rob Leathern, said in a tweet.
He added that the new policy will ban ads that call "a method of voting inherently fraudulent" or use "corrupt isolated incidents of voter fraud to delegitimize the result of an election."
Facebook published the complete guidelines for its new policy in a blog post Wednesday. In the post, the company said that it is "taking preventive steps to protect the integrity of the upcoming US 2020 elections."
The complete guidelines ban claiming that lawful methods of voting, such as vote by mail, or tabulation of votes received after the day of the election are "inherently fraudulent." The policy also bans claiming that voter fraud is "widespread."
Here are a few examples of what will be banned under the new guidance, in Facebook's words:
Ads that delegitimize any lawful method or process of voting or voting tabulation (including in-person voting on paper or on machines, absentee voting, vote by mail, and lawful collection of ballots) as illegal, inherently fraudulent or corrupt, or will result in a fraudulent or corrupt election administration or outcome.
Ads that delegitimize an election and/or result as fraudulent or corrupt because the result can't be determined on the final day of voting and/or before ballots received after the final day of voting are lawfully counted.
Ads that claim voter fraud (such as voter impersonation, duplicate voting, or non-eligible individuals voting) is widespread and/or alters the outcome of elections and/or results in a fraudulent or corrupt election.
The changes will apply to ads across all Facebook and Instagram pages and are effective immediately.
Why does it matter?
For now, it appears that the guidance will affect only paid content on the platform. But it's not inconceivable to think that eventually the policy could morph to include posts about potential voter fraud from news organizations.
This is particularly concerning because there have, in fact, been isolated reports of voter fraud in America in recent months.
In June, four New Jersey men were charged in a voter fraud scheme. Then in September, the Justice Department opened an investigation after seven military ballots cast for President Trump were found discarded. Also in September, it was reported that at least 1,400 Virginia voters who had requested absentee ballots received duplicates in the mail.
President Trump has been particularly outspoken about the risk of voter fraud in the upcoming election, especially if a national vote-by-mail operation is launched due to coronavirus health concerns. He once again brought up the risks during the first presidential debate Tuesday night.
But he is not the only one highlighting the concerns. Attorney General William Barr likened mail-in voting to "playing with fire" in a recent interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.


theblaze--2020-10-01--POLL: Did the first presidential debate change anything for you?

POLL : Did the first presidential debate change anything for you ?
Cast your vote and do n't forget to @ @

POLL: Did the first presidential debate change anything for you?
Cast your vote and don't forget to share!


theblaze--2020-10-01--Authorities charge 2 police officers with felony assault following 'brutal beating' of black male

Authorities charge 2 police officers with felony assault following 'brutal beating ' of black male

Authorities have charged two Alabama police officers in the "brutal beating" of an unnamed black male who was reportedly involved in a traffic incident with one of the officers' wives.
The alleged assault took place on April 30 after Selma police Detective Matthew Blaine Till's wife reportedly engaged the unnamed black male in Selma.
Till was fired shortly after the April incident, and Dallas County Sheriff's Deputy John Nicholas Taccone no longer works with the sheriff's office, according to reports.
What are the details?
On Wednesday, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson announced felony assault charges against Till and Taccone.
A grand jury indicted Till and Taccone on charges of felony second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and obstructing governmental operations.
According to court documents, Till's wife and the unnamed male were involved in an undisclosed traffic incident leading up to the brutal April assault.
Till's wife reportedly phoned her husband and told him that she had been involved in an incident with a "black guy in a red Charger."
Till and Taccone — who were on duty at the time — drove to the scene and demanded the man get out of his vehicle.
According to reports, Till managed to partially handcuff the male when a struggle took place and Till reportedly pulled a gun on the male.
'What did I do?'
Jackson said, "Till pulls out a gun and says he's going to kill him. They Tased him multiple times, threw him to the ground, and were punching and kicking him. It was a brutal beating."
Throughout the attack, Jackson said the victim repeatedly cried, "What did I do?"
The victim was able to flee the scene in his vehicle, but crashed a short time after.
He was picked up and transported to the Selma police station, where authorities reportedly interviewed him about weapons that were purported to be inside his vehicle.
"These officers escalated a personal matter that should have been a traffic stop at worse into a 'Rocky Horror' beating," Jackson said.
Jackson added that the two officers will surely "pay the consequences" for the "bullying situation."
"The badge is a symbol of integrity and protection," Jackson said. "The officers handled it wrong. When you go outside the law, you pay a price. You want the public to have faith in the justice system."
'The indictments are coming for us'
Last week, Till pleaded guilty to an obstruction charge for reportedly demanding Taccone not to speak to anyone about the call from his wife.
Court documents reported that Till sent Taccone a text message that read, "The indictments are coming for us. We need to get on the same page and use the same attorney. I don't care what they threaten you with. If we don't fight this together we are both going to be getting in trouble."
Till is due for sentencing in connection with the obstruction charge on Dec. 28.
Up to 20 years in prison
According to reports, neither have issued pleas at the time of this reporting in connection with Wednesday's charges.
If convicted on the felony assault charges, Till and Taccone could face up to 20 years in prison.
According to AL.com, the Alabama Attorney General's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all assisted in the investigation into the incident.
"The laws of this great nation are one of those things that bind us together," Jackson said. "Nobody is above the law. Unlawful and brutal attacks on citizens will not be tolerated."
You can watch a video report on the incident and the subsequent charges here.