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Monday, August 31, 2020

Baltimore cops charged with kidnapping contractor in patio-renovation dispute

'You are going to give me my money back, and I’m going to give you freedom,' an officer told a contractor.

A second Baltimore officer was arrested in the kidnapping and extortion of a home contractor whose work on a patio renovation project failed to satisfy a police department colleague.

Juan A. Diaz, 46, was charged with abusing his position. He is accused of helping homicide detective James Lloyd confront the contractor and get back money paid for the project.

Prosecutors said Lloyd confronted the contractor on June 25 and demanded a refund, threatening to arrest him over a suspended driver's license.

“You are going to give me my money back, and I’m going to give you freedom,” Lloyd told the contractor, according to charging documents.

Police said he drove the victim to the bank and ordered him to withdraw money for a refund.

Lloyd was arrested last month and charged with extorting, kidnapping and abusing the power of his office.

Prosecutors said Diaz obtained $3,500 from the contractor, whose name was redacted in court documents, "by threat of force," Baltimore County Court records show.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/baltimore-cops-arrested-over-kidnapping-and-extorting-contractor-who-did-shoddy-job-on-house

This Week In Campus Insanity

Welcome back to Campus Insanity, a weekly roundup of the craziest developments at our nation's 4,000-plus institutions of higher education.
6. Oregon Professor Arrested During Portland Antifa Riots | Campus Reform
A professor at the Oregon Health & Science University was arrested at an Antifa riot on Sunday for trespassing.
5. University Threatens to Yank Partiers' Admissions | Washington Free Beacon
Northeastern University threatened to rescind admissions offers to more than 100 incoming freshmen who responded "yes" to a supposedly anonymous survey that asked if they planned to attend parties on campus.
4. DNC Features Wake Forest Staffer Who Identifies As Gender Transcendent Mermaid Royalty | The Christian Post
J. Mai, a Wake Forest University staffer who identifies as a "nonbinary/gender transcendent mermaid Queen-King," spoke at an LGBTQ panel at the Democratic National Convention last week.
3. Citing Black Lives Matter, Photos of Retired White Male Professors Must Be Taken Down | The College Fix

New Video Shows Kyle Rittenhouse Running to Put Out a Literal Dumpster Fire Before He Was Attacked

Newly uncovered footage shows Kyle Rittenhouse rushing with a fire extinguisher to put out a dumpster that the rioters had set ablaze.

This is yet another tidbit destroying the left’s narrative that Rittenhouse had “crossed state lines to kill protesters.”

This new footage also aligns with Rittenhouse’s legal team’s explanation of what happened that evening.

As the Gateway Pundit previously reported, Rittenhouse had worked as a lifeguard in Kenosha the day of the shooting. After work, he went to the local high school to help clean up graffiti on the building.

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Portland mayor 'hates Trump more than he loves the people in Portland,' says Ken Cuccinelli

Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler "hates President Trump more than he loves people in Portland," acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on Monday in the wake of almost 100 days of ongoing protests and violence in that city.
[Wheeler] doesn’t care about peace if he thinks he can score cheap political points on the president while he is up for reelection,” Cuccinelli told “America’s Newsroom.
Cuccinelli's comments came after Trump blasted Wheeler Sunday morning with a string of tweets and retweets regarding the ongoing protests and violence in the city.
In the aftermath of a clash between Black Lives Matter protesters and Trump supporters that left one person dead, Trump railed against Wheeler for openly refusing help from the National Guard.

Mark Alexander: Cancel Harris and Her Slave-Trading Legacy!

There are far more legitimate questions about the legal standing of Kamala Harris’sbid to be president — which she most assuredly will be prior to the end of Joe Biden’s first term — than that raised about Barack Obama. Of course, Democrats studiously avoid questions about so-called “birthright citizenship” just as they do the assertion that they abide by our Constitution and Rule of Law. I mean, it’s not like they took an oath “to support and defend” it!

But what will Kamala’s constituents think when they find out she is the direct descendent and beneficiary of her family’s slave holders and traders? Will that pass the sniff test or will they cancel Harris?

Some of her black constituents are already objecting to Harris’s more egregious offenses when she was attorney general of California. Loyola law professor Lara Bazelon declared in The New York Times: “Harris fought tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions that had been secured through official misconduct that included evidence tampering, false testimony and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors.” Furthermore, after a federal judge ordered the release of nonviolent offenders for parole in California, then-AG Harris argued that her state prisons would lose “an important labor pool.” (Talk about keeping black folks on theDemo plantation…) Harris never apologized for that assertion, and she hopes Biden’s constituents will forget about her record as a “Draconian Prosecutor.”

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What is the difference between absentee voting and universal vote-by-mail?



Many states have shifted their elections to include more voting by mail in an effort to keep people from congregating at polls, but competing claims and different definitions of the systems these states are adopting have led to warnings of fraud by Republicans and accusations of voter suppression by Democrats in response.

At the heart of the debate is how to define "universal mail-in," "absentee" and "no-excuse absentee" voting; whether there are differences among the three terms; and if those systems present risks of voter fraud or disenfranchisement.

Dean Cain: NYC becoming ‘land of the flee’ as people leave in search of ‘more freedom’

New York City is becoming “land of the flee” because people want “some space and a little bit more freedom,” actor Dean Cain told “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
Cain made the comment after the New York Post reported on Sunday that “moving companies can barely keep up” with the New York City residents who “are fleeing the city so fast because of the pandemic and deteriorating quality of life in the Big Apple.”
Perry Chance of Show Up movers reportedly told The Post on Sunday that even though the company has four of its own trucks, they had to start using U-Haul trucks as well to meet the demand.
“The volume has increased by at least 70 percent” in the past few months, he reportedly added, noting that 25 percent of the company’s customers are heading from New York City to states such as Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Cain said he thinks Democratic leadership is to blame for the mass exodus.

Armed Residents Stand Guard to Protect Kenosha Neighborhood

Approximately ten armed residents are rotating duties each night to stand guard at the entrance of a subdivision in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Kenosha News reports that the armed residents began standing guard over the subdivision on Tuesday, following two nights of protests and riots over the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake.

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New Jersey governor allowing limited indoor dining

New Jersey's Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Monday that restaurants across the state could reopen for indoor dining at one-quarter capacity, effective on Friday.
New Jersey is the last state to reopen indoor dining areas in some capacity after the practice was shut down in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
"Reopening responsibly will help us restore one of our state’s key industries while continuing to make progress against #COVID19," Murphy wrote on Twitter.
More than 190,000 people in New Jersey have reported cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak began, and more than 14,000 have died there. The state has seen its rate of new cases largely flatten after a spike in the late spring saw thousands of new cases being reported every day for weeks.
Murphy originally planned to allow indoor dining to resume in early July but halted those plans after other states reported spikes in new COVID-19 cases after reopening restaurants for indoor dining.

Extremism at Kenosha ‘Justice for Jacob’ Rally: ‘If You Kill One of Ours, It’s Time for Us to Kill One of Yours’

A man who addressed the “Justice for Jacob” rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Saturday declared: “If you kill one of ours, it’s time for us to kill one of yours.”

Several prominent leaders were present at the otherwise peaceful rally, including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D).

Protesters march with the family of Jacob Blake during a rally against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 29, 2020. – Demonstrations have been ongoing since Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha Police officer Rusten Sheskey on August 23. (Photo by STEPHEN MATUREN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHEN MATUREN/AFP via Getty Images)

Some militant activists, however, apparently participated in the rally: one carried a scimitar (see photo above and below, from Getty Images).

People dressed in black assemble before a march in honor of Jacob Blake and against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 29, 2020. – Demonstrations have been ongoing since Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha Police officer Rusten Sheskey on August 23. (Photo by STEPHEN MATUREN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHEN MATUREN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Kenosha News described the event: “Several impassioned speakers — including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes — took to the stage, and the crowd estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 joined in with that passion during a rally in support of Jacob Blake, the 29-year-old Kenosha man who was shot seven times last Sunday by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey.”

However, one speaker went off “message,” the Kenosha News reported:

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'I am not sad that a f***ing fascist died tonight' overheard at Antifa gathering in Portland after Patriot Prayer backer was shot to death

An apparent Antifa member was caught on camera discussing the death of a Patriot Prayer backer who'd been killed on Saturday night and called the deceased a "f***ing fascist," at a group gathering in Portland shortly after.
In the clip posted to Twitter by Andy Ngo on Sunday, a female speaker is addressing a crowd in downtown Portland with a bullhorn. She claimed the community could function without the police or local government and said she wasn't saddened by the man's death.
"I am not sad that a f***ing fascist died tonight," the woman said to cheers and laughter from the crowd.
"If you're not angry, you're not paying attention," she had said earlier in her speech. "If y'all are not with me, y'all are not paying attention. Everybody needs to realize what's going on in these streets. Our community can hold its own without the police. We can take out the trash on our own."
The woman was referring to the shooting of a member of a pro-Trump organization called Patriot Prayer, which occurred when counterprotesters associated with Black Lives Matter clashed with the rightwing group.

27 Northeast Ohio men arrested in undercover online child predator operation

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Twenty-seven men alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with underage children online were arrested in a four-day operation led by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

In a release, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said 27 individuals were arrested as part of “Operation Moving Target" that ran from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27.

Undercover officers posed as children online on popular social media apps. According to the prosecutor, the 27 defendants, ages 21 to 61-years-old, allegedly engaged in "sexually explicit online conversations" with the officers that they thought were children.

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Criminal complaint outlining homicide charges against Kyle Rittenhouse appears to read like he acted in self-defense

'When Rosenbaum advanced, the defendant did a "juke" move and started running ... the defendant was trying to evade these individuals'

The criminal complaint against 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse alleging he fatally shot two people and wounded a third on the heels of rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week appears to read as though he acted in self-defense.

Rittenhouse was charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide for allegedly shooting dead Joseph Rosenbaum, which carries a 60-year maximum prison term; one count of first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly shooting dead Anthony Huber, which carries a life sentence; and one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz, which carries a 60-year maximum prison term.

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Philadelphia mayor seen dining indoors at a MD restaurant, while his city's restaurants can only serve outside

Philadelphia’s mayor is facing criticism after a photo has emerged of him dining indoors in Maryland while his city's restaurants are only permitted to serve customers outside.
The image of Jim Kenney – posted on Instagram by restaurateur Marc Vetri – was taken Sunday in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland, his office told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Glad you're enjoying indoor dining with no social distancing or mask wearing in Maryland tonight while restaurants here in Philly close, suffer and fight for every nickel just to survive,” Vetri wrote next to the photo. “I guess all your press briefings and your narrative of unsafe indoor dining don't apply to you. Thank you for clearing it all up for us tonight.”
Indoor dining is set to resume in Philadelphia at 25-percent capacity on Sept. 8, according to Fox 29. Outdoor dining returned there in June after restaurants were shut down because of the coronavirus, while indoor dining has been permitted elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

House bill would block rioters from coronavirus unemployment benefits

A House Republican introduced a bill Friday that would make those convicted of violence, looting or vandalism in connection with a protest ineligible for enhanced coronavirus unemployment benefits.
The “Support Peaceful Protest Act” would also make rioters “financially liable for the cost of federal policing,” according to the bill, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.
“If you’re convicted of a crime that caused more manpower and law enforcement officers to deal with it, then perhaps you should be on the hook to pay for that,” Banks told WIBC-FM in Indianapolis.
Banks said he introduced the bill the day after an older couple who are his constituents were harassed by protesters while leaving President Trump’s nomination acceptance speech at the White House on Thursday evening.

Election 2020: All you need to know about cannabis legalization on the ballot

A total of 35 states now allow medical marijuana. Of those, 11 states plus Washington, D.C. have also legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Here’s our map of which states are legal, featured in Leafy’s 2020 Jobs Count.

Quick facts:

When is the election?

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
How do I vote?
Use Headcount’s Cannabis Voter Project to help you register to vote.
Voter registration deadlines vary by state, and voting method. Do not delay.

What am I voting on?

The next president of the United States. Also drug legalization measures in 7 states; 33 US Senate seats; all 435 seats in the House of Representatives; 11 state governors; thousands of state senators and representatives; and many local city and county council races.
Which 8 states are voting on marijuana legalization on Nov. 3?

USDA extends free school lunch program for rest of year

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday it will extend free school meals to all children through the end of 2020.
“It’s for everyone, all kids regardless of economic abilities,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue explained. “All the kids everywhere — those who are attending school in person, those who are attending virtually.”
“This is a big deal,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
She has been calling on perdue for months to extend the program.
“When they initially said they were not going to continue that flexibility … I was very concerned,” Stabenow said.
Flexibility standards created by Congress to help families during the coronavirus pandemic were set to expire in September.
“It’s good news that they listened and that we’ll have this flexibility for children to have access to healthy meals at least till the end of the year,” Stabenow said.

We About to Go Get that MotherF***er!: BLM Threatens to Rip President Trump from White House

Charlie Kirk put out a Tweet featuring a video clip of The Black Lives Matter leader from Utah, who made it to Washington DC for a rally and march on Friday.
(Rand Paul said they were funded and sent here from out of state!)

During his time with the microphone, the Utah leader of Black Lives Matter John Sullivan called on BLM to “rip Trump from the White House!”

He called for a “Revolution!”

Kyle Rittenhouse's Lawyer Calls for Maryland Governor to Step Down After Firing Employee for Supporting His Client

The lawyer representing Kyle Rittenhouse is calling for Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to step down after his office fired a member of his staff for supporting the teenager on social media.

Rittenhouse, of course, is the teenager who shot rioters that were attacking him in Kenosha, where heworked as a lifeguard.

As the Gateway Pundit previously reported, on Saturday, Governor Hogan’s office announced the termination of Arthur “Mac” Love IV. Since 2015, he was the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, which oversees the state’s ethnic and cultural commissions, community service programs and religious outreach.

The Gateway Pundit spoke to Rittenhouse’s lawyer John Pierce, of Pierce Bainbridge, who said that the governor should step down immediately.

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Coca-Cola plans layoffs, offers 4,000 buyouts as company announces global reorganization

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company announced Friday a major global reorganization of its workforce that will lead to thousands of job cuts and buyouts for employees in the United States and Canada.

The beverage giant said that in order to "minimize the impact" from the structural changes, it will offer voluntary separation packages to 4,000 employees working in the continental U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico that were hired on or before Sept. 1, 2017.

The company is forecasting its overall global severance program will cost between $350 million and $550 million.

Coke has more than 86,200 employees worldwide of which more than 10,000 were in the United States.

Challenge To Ranked Choice Voting May Still Make November Ballot in Maine – Which Could Help Trump

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court may decide whether a referendum seeking to end ranked choice voting in the state makes the ballot in November – and therefore may help decide whether President Donald Trump wins a single electoral vote in Maine in November.

A trial court judge on Monday, August 24 ordered the referendum onto the general election ballot, overturning the decision of the Maine Secretary of State – a Democrat – who initially invalidated enough signatures to keep the measure off the ballot. The Secretary of State on Friday, August 28 appealed the trial court’s decision to the state’s highest court, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Ranked choice voting is the law in Maine, and it is set to be used in races for Congress in November 2020. But if a referendum asking voters to overturn it makes the ballot in November, then ranked choice voting won’t be used in the presidential election.

That could help Trump win Maine’s Second Congressional District in the central and northern part of the state, because he wouldn’t need an outright majority to win. That would give him a single electoral vote from the state.

There are some scenarios where a single electoral vote could be the difference between a major party candidate winning the presidency with 270 electoral votes and tying his competitor in the Electoral College at 269 votes apiece – which would throw the election into the U.S. House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats.

Ranked choice voting provides voters with the option to rank candidates, starting with their first choice and working their way down the ballot.

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China cashes in on America's coronavirus lockdown

China’s economy is getting a boost from soaring demand for tech products that make it easier and more efficient for Americans to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to economists at one Wall Street bank.

Tech shipments from China soared 37% from a year earlier in the April-through-June quarter, contributing 2.4 percentage points to the country’s overall export growth of 2%, wrote William Deng and Tao Wang, Hong Kong-based economists at investment bank UBS.

“Export shipments of automatic data processing units and parts, which include computers, tablets, monitors and parts, have seen a significant upswing since April,” according to Deng and Wang, who said Korea and Taiwan are also seeing “significant acceleration.”

Purchases by the U.S. surged 7.8% even as the total volume of imports into the world's largest economy shrank 20%.

Sexual assault criminal complaint against Jacob Blake emerges in its entirety — and it is horrific

This is utterly horrible

Details of a a highly disturbing criminal complaint against Jacob Blake have emerged.

A Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer shot Blake in the back at least seven times on Sunday following a call for a domestic dispute. His father told the Chicago Sun-Times that Blake is paralyzed from the waist down.

Blake's shooting only added fuel to the already out-of-control fire lit by the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others involved in instances of apparent police brutality.

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Challenge To Ranked Choice Voting May Still Make November Ballot in Maine – Which Could Help Trump

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court may decide whether a referendum seeking to end ranked choice voting in the state makes the ballot in November – and therefore may help decide whether President Donald Trump wins a single electoral vote in Maine in November.
A trial court judge on Monday, August 24 ordered the referendum onto the general election ballot, overturning the decision of the Maine Secretary of State – a Democrat – who initially invalidated enough signatures to keep the measure off the ballot. The Secretary of State on Friday, August 28 appealed the trial court’s decision to the state’s highest court, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Ranked choice voting is the law in Maine, and it is set to be used in races for Congress in November 2020. But if a referendum asking voters to overturn it makes the ballot in November, then ranked choice voting won’t be used in the presidential election.
That could help Trump win Maine’s Second Congressional District in the central and northern part of the state, because he wouldn’t need an outright majority to win. That would give him a single electoral vote from the state.

Judge Tosses 50,000 Absentee Ballot Requests After Commissioner Fills Out Voter Information

A judge in Iowa ordered 50,000 absentee ballot requests to be voided after President Donald Trump’s campaign argued a county elections commissioner acted improperly when he sent the requests out with voter’s personal information already filled out.
Judge Ian Thornhill issued a temporary injunction, The Associated Press reported, which requires Linn County Auditor Joel Miller “to notify voters in writing that the forms should not have been pre-filled with their information and cannot be processed.”
Miller, a Democrat, violated a “clear directive” from Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, who said in July that county officials must provide blank absentee ballot request forms to voters, Thornhill ruled.
Miller said he was just trying to make voting easier by having the information already filled out, including the four-digit voter identification numbers that most people don’t know. Republicans argued that having voters fill out their own forms would make absentee voting more secure.

Schiff, Pelosi Livid After Intel Community Ditches 'Manipulated' Election Briefings For Written Updates

House Democrats are livid after the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, announced that US intel agencies would be pulling the plug on in-person congressional briefings on election security, and will instead be providing written updatesahead of November.

In a verbal notification to the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ratcliffe argued that the process will prevent the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, according to The Hill.

Ratcliffe followed up with Friday letters addressed to top House and Senate lawmakers in which he emphasized that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) plans to continue Congressional oversight efforts.

"The ODNI will primarily meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products," read the letters, which were obtained by The Hill.

"I believe this approach helps ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that the information ODNI provides the Congress in support of your oversight responsibilities on elections security, foreign malign influence, and election interference is not misunderstood nor politicized. It will also better protect our sources and methods and most sensitive intelligence from additional unauthorized disclosures or misuse."

Democrats are not happy

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California pastor told Trump: 'Any real, true believer' will vote for him over Biden

Grace Community Church pastor John MacArthur said Friday that he told President Trump "any real, true believer" of Christianity will be forced to vote for him in November, due to the conflicting ideologies between the Democratic party's platform and a belief in Jesus Christ.

"We love God, we desire to honor him, and upholding righteousness in a society is what a church is supposed to do," he explained. "So I said, any real, true believer is going to be on your side in this election because it's not just an individual, it's an entire set of policies that Christians canno
t, in any way, affirm."


Subject: "She Hasn't Done Her Job": Looting, Riots, & Mayoral Ineptitude Prompt Mass Exodus Of Chicago Residents

While mayor Lori Lightfoot continues to try and assure the public that she has everything under control, the exodus from Chicago as a result of the looting and riots is continuing. Citizens of Chicago are literally starting to pour out of the city, citing safety and the Mayor's ineptitude as their key reasons for leaving.

Hilariously, in liberal politicians' attempt to show the world they don't need Federal assistance and that they don't need to rely on President Trump's help, they are inadvertently likely creating more Trump voters, as residents who seek law and order may find no other choice than to vote Republican come November.

And even though residents understand the looting and riots in some cases, they are not waiting around for it to get better on its own, nor are they waiting around for it to make its way to their house, their families or their neighborhoods.

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Kenosha Or Kosovo? Shocking Images Reveal Destruction After Race Riots Leave Buildings In Ruins

Harrowing scenes of destruction have emerged from Kenosha, where several nights of BLM riots have left the Wisconsin town looking like it's been through war.

Entire buildings have been reduced to rubble, businesses have been destroyed, and parking lots full of burnt-out cars are all that's left in some parts of the town, after riots over the shooting of 29-year-old black suspect Jacob Blake only came to a halt after President Trump sent the National Guard to restore order.

Josh Glancy, Washington Bureau Chief of the Sunday Times documented some of the aftermath, which locals believe was caused largely by "out of towners."

The worst hit area is uptown, beating heart of the city's black community. Ice cream shops, nail salons, faith missions, all smouldering husks /2 pic.twitter.com/hodOHhbd16— Josh Glancy (@joshglancy) August 29, 2020

Every single local I spoke to blamed "out of towners" for the worst of the destruction. They didn't offer a huge amount of evidence for this, but it's a blanket consensus /4 pic.twitter.com/vboZYrRK9y— Josh Glancy (@joshglancy) August 29, 2020

Pretty much every boarded up shop has a mural or painting on it now. Some have plaintive requests to prospective fire starters: "Kids live upstairs" /6 pic.twitter.com/PcaNJs3lnK— Josh Glancy (@joshglancy) August 29, 2020

The owner of this bar told me they'd opened just before the pandemic. Having eventually reopened, it was broken into this week, he estimated $25k worth of damage /8 pic.twitter.com/4BFh8zcgRM— Josh Glancy (@joshglancy) August 29, 2020

Glancey closes by noting: As we were talking, a young man came to ask the owner where the nearest post box was. "There used to be two across the street," he replied. "But they both just got burnt."

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District Attorney: Police Must Consider if ‘Looters’ ‘Needed’ Stolen Property Before They Can Charge Them With Looting

Law enforcement officers have to consider if looters “needed” the stolen merchandise before charging them with looting, according to new guidance issued by leftist Diana Becton, the first-term Costa County District Attorney supported by George Soros, the far-left, anti American billionaire.
Just to show how extreme she is, when a couple painted over the Marxist Black Lives Matter (BLM) message on the street in front of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, the office of the District Attorney in Contra Costa County, Becton, charged them with a “hate crime.”
How crazy is it that as looters are caught stealing things while BLM riots are taking place in the same exact county, Costa County’s District Attorney has a completely different take on how to apply “justice.” Rather than charging them with a looting, this Soros-funded DA is asking for police officers to consider if the looters “needed” the stolen merchandise before charging them with PC 463.
“Did you need that those twenty cartons of cigarettes you stole from the convenience store?”


Sunday, August 30, 2020

'The Saker' Asks: Will Hillary & The Dems Get The Civil War They Are Trying To Provoke?

If you have not already seen this, check out this video of Hillary Clinton stating that, quote, “Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances“:

“Any” means “any”. That would include the (admittedly hypothetical) case of Trump clearly winning in by landslide. Again, “any” means “any”.

The direct implications of that is that the Dems should re-take the White House by any and all means and under any and all circumstances.

That is also a direct appeal to sabotage the US democracy which, as flawed as it is, is the only rule of law based option currently available to the people of the USA.

Will that result in a civil war?

That is rather unlikely, because for a civil war you need to have at least two credible parties which can coordinate attacks and defensive operations on, at least, a regional scale. I don’t see that in the USA.

But I don’t see how local/regional violence (at times severe) and political chaos can be avoided.

We already know that the Dems will never accept a Trump victory.

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California bill to form reparations task force advances after 33-3 state Senate vote

State senators in California overwhelmingly supported setting up a task force to study potential reparations for slavery in a bipartisan vote Saturday.

The panel would study the effects slavery had on California and recommend to the legislature no later than 2023 what type of compensation would be appropriate, how it might be dispersed and who could be eligible to receive it.

The task force could also recommend other forms of redress besides money.

The 33-3 Senate vote came the same weekend as the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and as protests against racial injustice continued across the country.

John Cannon told a bold faced lie tonight.

The  Wicomico County Council, in its work session this evening, decided to re-open the search for applicants for the Bob Culver's County Executive position.  Holloway, Davis, Acle, & President Dodd pushed as a majority to re-open the application period.

 Bill McCain and John Cannon, who are already  strange bed-fellows in this, fought jointly to say the council should stick to the two applicants they still have ~ Michele Ennis &  Carl Anderton.   Hastings chimed in but was not as forceful as McCain and especially Cannon.  
Cannon argumentatively and repeatedly questioned both attorneys Wilbur & Taylor challenging opinions they gave about the search process, the timing and the charter.  Cannon interrupted the attorneys and his fellow council members continually.

Then Cannon stated, "No one has contacted me to ask to re-open the search."

Folks, I know first hand that is a big, bold lie!  I, several  others, and every council member is well aware of a very qualified female who has expressed possible interest in the County Executive position if the search was re-opened after Dr. Desmaris backed out.   This potential candidate has a financial background, long public service and a list of impressive civic leadership roles. 

John Canon has her resume in his possession.  She has contacted him about her interest.

And yet  tonight he said, "No one has approached me about re-opening the search."  

Why would he tell a lie like that when he knows it can be proven otherwise?

Could it be because the potential candidate is a woman? Or is it that this is a potential candidate that Cannon knows he can't bully?   Or is it because Cannon has become cranky and argumentative after losing the Council presidency? Or could it be because Carl Anderton & Jake Day have made under the table promises to support Cannon's political goals or rental property regulations?

Why would Canon, McCain, & Hastings  argue against re-opening the search if they know they have an opportunity to interview another very well qualified candidate?   Why limit it to Anderton and Ennis if neither could get a majority vote last week?  Why not interview another candidate to ensure  the best qualified person is appointed to the job?  

This has already been ugly to watch and the council has made a mess of the County Executive appointment.  No potentially good people want to get into a divisive circus like this.  Very likely that will happen with the latest well qualified potential candidate.  What a shame.

You can see the  video here:

Jacob Blake seen struggling with officers before being shot, new video shows

New footage from a different angle has emerged of the moments before Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot multiple times in the back by a White Wisconsin cop as Blake tried to get into his vehicle, according to a report.

The video captured Blake, 29, engaged in a struggle with at least two Kenosha police officers on the right side of his gray SUV on Sunday, TMZ reported.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/jacob-blake-struggling-police-officersshot-new-video-shows

A Viewer Writes: Carl Anderton's Diploma

Hi Joe:

No matter if Carl Anderton has a GED or not, the digital version that he referenced in his video has some red flags that need to be explained. The requirements for the Executive position is not the issue. People think the degree is fake, even though his achievement may be real. If he produces a genuine Maryland diploma in the end, that's great. Until then, he has some explaining to do. It is hard to believe that Maryland would produce such a crappy document. If you Google search "Fake Maryland High School Diplomas" you will see many like it. 

Letter Declining County Executive Appointment

Rene Desmarais 5527 Abbey Lane Salisbury, MD 21801 August 24, 2020 

Dear County Council President Dodd and the County Council: 

Thank you for the opportunity to become the next Wicomico County Executive. Although it would be a privilege to lead our great county, I must respectfully decline to accept the appointment. I wish you the best in your future selection. 

Sincerely, 
Rene Desmarais

Did You Know The City of Salisbury Is Still Closed

That's right, when you elect children and they hire people who have no experience they will go to every extreme to do absolutely nothing while the taxpayers foot the bill. 

The City of Salisbury GOB has been shut down literally for months. What a bunch of pansy asses that everyone else has to go to work but these kids/children are hiding in their Biden basements because this virus is going to kill each and every one of them. 

Grow the hell up Salisbury and get back to work. 

A Viewer Writes: Wal-Mart & Change

Joe, I just went to a local bank near Wal-Mart and while there I asked about their change shortage. I had asked this same question about sixty days ago and was given the answer that the amount of change they were allowed to order each week was severely short of what they needed. Today when I asked the same question they said their shortage was over and that they had all the change they needed. In Wal-Mart I asked an employee at the self checkout areas if they had resolved their change problem yet. She said no and that everyone still has to use a credit card or go to the specific isle and that the bank that I went to might not be the one that Wal-Mart uses.

This led to another lively discussion and I can tell you one thing. Wal-mart doesn't want to resolve this situation because it gives them access to your cards and once again who controls Wal-Mart? China! Wal-Mart is setting you folks up. Wake up and stop drinking the kool aide.

Charging Kyle Rittenhouse with first degree murder is facially absurd

Kyle Rittenhouse should not have been patrolling the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Tuesday night. Whatever failures might have existed on the part of state and local government (and there appear to have been many), the idea of a 17-year-old with a loaded rifle being dropped into that powder keg can only happen when some horribly bad judgment has occurred.

I say this as a gun owner and Second Amendment supporter who took his son to the shooting range at that same age and taught him how to properly handle a firearm: I don't know what Kyle Rittenhouse's family or home situation is like, or how exactly he came to be where he was on that fateful night, but it's disappointing (to say the least) that no one in his life prevented him from being there. I'm sure, at this point, that Rittenhouse himself would agree.

However, two narratives about the situation are emerging, neither of which appears to be supported by even a sliver of evidence: First, that Rittenhouse is a white supremacist, and second, that he is a murderer.

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College student, 21, and her stepfather, 45, are shot dead in road rage attack

College student, 21, and her stepfather, 45, are shot dead in road rage attack over fender bender while he was arriving to drop off keys to the new home she'd just bought

A college student and her stepfather have been shot dead in an apparent road rage attack following a minor car crash.

Laura Ashley Anderson, 21, and Charles Nicholas Wall, 45, were killed on Monday outside of the home Anderson had just purchased in Georgetown, South Carolina, where Wall was arriving to drop off a spare set of keys.

Ty Sheem Ha Sheem Walters III, was arrested and charged with murder after cops said he rear-ended Wall as the stepfather was turning into his daughter's driveway, and then killed Wall, Anderson, and injured one other person in a fit of rage.

'I'm devastated. Heartbroken. Confused. Angry. I don't understand. Who shoots innocent people?' asked Kimberly Wall, wife and mother of the two victims, in a gut-wrenching Facebook post.

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Investigators say knife recovered from car that Jacob Blake reached into; identity released of officer who shot him

Investigators say Blake admitted to having the knife in his possession

Wisconsin investigators gave an account of the controversial police shooting of Jacob Blake — with a crucial detail and also released the identity of the police officer who shot him.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigationreleased the details on Wednesday after two nights of violent protests, rioting and looting in Kenosha and other cities.

The account said that Kenosha Police Department officers responded to a call from a female saying that her boyfriend was refusing to leave her premises.

When they arrived, they attempted to arrest Blake, who resisted their commands. They tased him but he continued to resist. Officer Rusten Sheskey then fired at Blake seven times when he reached into his car.

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Yup. Video That Spawned Wisc. Riots Didn't Show Man 'Brawling' With Cops Before Shooting. See What Really Happened

You knew there was more to the story, and now we’re seeing it. New video of the police shooting of a Kenosha, Wisc., man shows the seconds before that haven’t been seen until now.

Millions of people have seen the viral video of the shooting and heard the seven gunshots, which started nights of rioting, looting, and arson.

But, as happens so often in these police shooting cases, that wasn’t the whole story.
A Brawl in Wisconsin

It turns out that Jacob Blake, who’s now beatified in the annals of Black Lives Matter hagiographies next to the saintly police assaulter and robber Michael Brown, was in a brawl with police in the act of resisting arrest seconds before the shooting. People called police to quell a domestic outburst.

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A Viewer Writes: Wicomico County Strikes Again

Well here we go again. The Wicomico County Board of Elections is ridiculous. For those of you who are not aware, anyone who lives in the East side of the county will have to go vote in the November Election in Salisbury! That’s right instead of consolidating the East side to one of our schools or Fire Departments they are making us go to Salisbury and vote. Here’s the thing, Mardela High School will be a voting center that day. So why would they not consider opening one of the schools and consolidating anyone from the East Side to go there since we have more population than Mardela?? You would think in order to try and be proactive and not have as many people pile in as possible. So our options are absentee, vote early, vote that day in Salisbury or by mail (that is not gonna happen for me). Apparently we can just show up anywhere and vote. Huh?? How will you know I’m not gonna vote at each location that day?? Is it computerized?? Have you considered this will deter people from going?? Is it because you know this side is gonna vote Red?? It is currently waiting for Hogan to approve the plan. So thanks Wicomico County, once again you prove that Salisbury is more important than anyone else here.

Hunter Biden Took HUNDREDS of Trips to Foreign Countries with Secret Service

Judicial Watch received records from the U.S. Secret Service showing that, for the first five and a half years of the Obama administration, Hunter Biden traveled extensively while receiving a Secret Service protective detail. During the time period of the records provided, Hunter Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, took 411 separate domestic and international flights, including to 29 different foreign countries. He visited China five times.

The records produced with the incomplete response shows that, for the first five and a half years of the Obama administration, Hunter Biden traveled extensively while receiving a Secret Service protective detail. The records show that, between January 31, 2011 and July 8, 2014, Hunter Biden received Secret Service protection for 411 separate domestic and international trips, including to 29 different foreign countries. He received protection while visiting China five times.

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Saturday, August 29, 2020

Jacob Blake’s Father Recites ‘Muslim Victory Call – War Cry of Allah’ During Presser (VIDEO)

Jacob Blake’s father, Jacob Blake Sr., recited a Quran verse this week when speaking to the media.

Jacob Blake was shot multiple times by a Kenosha police officer on Sunday after he resisted arrest and opened his car door, allegedly reaching for a knife.

Jacob Blake Sr. perfectly recited the first sura of the Quran: “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,” which means, “In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate.”

“This is for my son Jacob Blake,” he said as he rattled off the war cry prayer in Arabic.

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Bill Maher reveals why he is 'very nervous' that Joe Biden will lose, President Trump will win again

Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time," admitted Friday that he is "very nervous" about Joe Biden's chances of defeating President Donald Trump in November.
Speaking with MSNBC host Joy Reid, Maher said he believes the Republican National Convention's optimism will prove very effective — so much so that his Biden enthusiasm is tanking.
"I don't know if this stuff works, but it might," Maher said, Fox News reported. "I am feeling less confident about this — maybe it's just their convention bump got to me, but I'm feeling less confident than I was a month ago."

DeVos: Students Don’t Need To Go Back To 100% In-Person Learning

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos met with Georgia high school officials on Tuesday to discuss reopening plans. While speaking at Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, Georgia, DeVos stated she would like to see all children return to fulltime learning.

However, she clarified that does not mean it needs to be completely in-person.

“President Trump and I are really committed to the fact that kids need to be back to learning fulltime. But don’t mistake learning fulltime for suggesting that every single student needs to be 100% in person in school. We need to give families and students choices.” – Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education

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BLM Whines After Getting Their Butts Kicked By Patriots As Cops Stand By and Watch

BLM is whining in Portland after getting their butts kicked by some patriots as the police stood by and did nothing. Perhaps this was because  a stand down order works both ways, though we are only postulating that one was issued.
I didn’t see anyone jump into the fray like they do when they have a helpless victim. While watching these videos note that some BLM and Antifa are actually questioning, with a straight face, why the police won’t get involved and help them.

Families Say Online Learning Makes Education Difficult, Stressful

The first week of school has begun for a majority of students around the country. Students living in areas that have eased coronavirus restrictions will be allowed to learn in classrooms, while others will need computers in order to participate in online learning.

While online learning can keep students socially distant, some parents have expressed concerns over the real effectiveness of the practice.

One parent from Georgia shared a photo of her kindergartner on his first day of remote learning. In the photo, which went viral on Facebook, he appeared beyond frustrated while trying to learn online.

“I just took that picture because I wanted people to see reality. Then he came over, we hugged, and I was crying right along with him. Getting 5,000 emails a day from all their teachers, trying to keep up different apps, different codes, different platforms. Some links don’t work. You’re running from one laptop to another.”– Jana Coombs, parent

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Glenn Beck apologizes to Trump: 'He proved me wrong at almost every turn'

Talk radio host Glenn Beck on Thursday issued a public mea culpa for fiercely opposing President Trump in 2016 and warning on air that Mr. Trump was an aspiring despot.
Mr. Beck said Mr. Trump proved him wrong on nearly every count, not only by keeping his seemingly impossible campaign promises but more importantly by displaying deep humanity.
“I am feeling so humbled this week. I feel truly horrible for the things I said and believed in 2016 about @realDonaldTrump,” Mr. Beck said in a series of tweets.
He sent out the apology as Mr. Trump prepared to accept the nomination for another term at the Republican National Convention.
Mr. Beck, who runs the conservative media empire TheBlaze TV, said in 2016 that opposing Mr. Trump was a “moral, ethical choice.”“He proved me wrong at almost every turn,” he wrote in the apology tweets, noting that Mr. Trump delivered on a pro-life agenda, completely supporting Israel and standing up to China.
“I knew he loved his children and they him,” he said. “What I failed to see, is the reason I think they love him. @realDonaldTrump is a loud New Yorker with a private heart.”


Russian pranksters fool Kamala Harris with fake Greta Thunberg phone call

The pranksters claim that Kamala Harris accepted dirt on President Trump

A duo of notorious pranksters, who have made a name for themselves by hoodwinking U.S. politicians, allege that their latest victim is Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). The hoaxers claim they duped the recently anointed Democratic vice presidential nominee into believing she was talking to Greta Thunberg, even getting Harris into accepting fake dirt on President Donald Trump.

Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, whose real names are Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, pretended to be teenage climate activist and her father Svante. The couple claim they were able to trick Kamala's team and successfully make a phony phone call to Harris in January, after she dropped out of the Democratic presidential race in December.

"Hello Greta, congratulations on all of your leadership, I am so inspired by your courage and your voice," Harris reportedly said to the fake Greta.

The fugazi Thunberg asked Harris how she could support Kamala's campaign, and she allegedly replied, "The best way to do it would be to talk about my climate plan."

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Obamas honor Chadwick Boseman: 'He was blessed'

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on Saturday paid tribute to “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman after the 43-year-old actor died from cancer.

Barack Obama resurfaced a picture Boseman shared in July 2016 after visiting the White House to work with kids while portraying the MLB’s first Black player Jackie Robinson.

“You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain – what a use of his years” the former president wrote.

Board of Education adopts policy changes

Ethics Panel established; school officials to disclose likely conflicts of interests

Dr. Annette Wallace, the Chief Operating & Academic Officer for grades 9-12, presented the policy revisions for administrative operations to the Worcester County Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday.

The board approved the adoption of policies under the new “Ethics” section of the Organization of the Worcester County School System.

According to the first policy statement, the school system has an ethics panel of five members appointed by the chair of the board of education with the agreement of the other board members.

The panel will be responsible for receiving and maintaining all forms required by the board’s ethics policies, will provide advisory opinions to people subject to those policies, and make determinations regarding allegations of ethics policy violations.

The next policy titled “Disclosure of Potential Financial and Conflict of Interests Requirement for Board Members and Candidates for the Board of Education” requires all board members and candidates to file a financial disclosure statement.

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Protesters in Portland target mayor's house, police union building

Protesters in Portland, Ore., demonstrated in front of the city’s police union building and Mayor Ted Wheeler’s (D) condo Friday in another night of protests, the Oregonian reported.

The demonstrators called for Wheeler’s resignation amid what they consider a failure to adequately address police violence in the city. One resident of the building and friend of the mayor, David Kahn, told the newspaper that Wheeler was not home during the demonstrations.

“I’m certain that if he was here tonight we probably could have arranged for something, but he’s not,” said Kahn.

These protest happened hours after the Mayor sent a letter to President Trump asking him to stay out of Portland, because his help was not welcomed.

Worcester counts 51 new coronavirus cases

Worcester County saw a slight uptick in coronavirus cases this week, with 51 new cases confirmed, according to the Worcester County Health Department. Last week, 39 new cases were confirmed.

This brings the county’s total cases since March to 794.

According to Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland has reached a seven-day positivity rate of 3.35 percent and a daily positivity rate of 3.21 percent. As of Wednesday, Worcester had the third-highest positivity rate in Maryland at 4.51 percent.

Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University has reported a positivity rate of around four percent. Its Covid-19 Testing Insights Initiative relies on data from the Covid Tracking Project, a volunteer tracking organization from The Atlantic.

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Black Lives Matter protest in NJ results in $2,500 police OT bill for organizer, 18



A young New Jersey woman has been slapped with a $2,500 fine for police overtime costs after she set up a “small, peaceful Black Lives Matter protest” at the end of July, according to a report.
Emily Gil, 18, who graduated in June from Bergen County Technical School, failed to properly warn authorities in advance about the event, NJ.com reported.
Gil believed that a shortage of affordable housing options in her neighborhood was a racial issue that should be brought to the public’s attention through a 30- to 40-person protest, according to NJ.com.
But four days after the demonstration, Gil received a bill for police overtime costs that officials say the protest incurred.
The letter explained that Gil’s refusal to meet with officials left the Englewood Cliffs Police Department scrambling to provide security for the event, prompting overtime work for several officers.

Former Fenwick Police Chief Indicted

FENWICK ISLAND – A Delaware grand jury has indicted former Fenwick Island Police Chief William Boyden on charges of official misconduct and falsifying business records.

Earlier this month, Boyden was charged with one count of official misconduct and one count of falsifying business records for his alleged role in submitting false reports to the Delaware Council on Police Training, according to the indictment.

Specifically, the grand jury indictment charged Boyden with official misconduct for “submitting reports to the Delaware Council on Police Training (COPT), and indicating falsely that he had been certified in firearms, which allowed him to remain in his capacity as Chief of Police,” the court document reads.

The indictment also charged Boyden with falsifying business records for submitting false reports to the COPT regarding his firearm certifications and qualifications.

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Commissioners Approve More County Jail Improvements

SNOW HILL – Improvements to the Worcester County Jail will move forward following approval by elected officials last week.

The Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve spending more than $600,000 to complete a second phase of improvements at the Worcester County Jail.

“It’s replacement of heating and ventilation that’s 40 years old,” said Bill Bradshaw, the county’s engineer.

Bradshaw presented the commissioners with a $582,000 proposal from Gipe Engineering for the continuation of the phased jail improvement project that began in 2017. The work primarily includes replacement of the 1980s heating and ventilation units, replacement of corridor and office heating and air conditioning units, the addition of temperature controls and the installation of HVAC in the program area room. The project does not include the addition of air conditioning in the housing units.

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Colin Kaepernick pens note to LeBron James: 'Thank you for staying true'

Colin Kaepernick sent a note of appreciation to LeBron James amid the NBA players’ strike over the police shooting of Jacob Blake last weekend.
James revealed the note on Instagram in the days after the players forced the NBA to postpone playoff games as they looked for ways to combat social injustice. Kaepernick, who started a movement in 2016 when he knelt during the national anthem, thanked James for helping to keep things moving.
“Four years ago on August 14, 2016, I began protesting against systemic racism and social injustice. Truth is what I sought. Solidarity is what you showed me. Love is what moves us forward. Thank you for staying true,” Kaepernick wrote in his note to the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
James replied on social media: “Standing/Kneeling right next to you brother! Appreciate you."
James led players in kneeling during the national anthem when the NBA restarted its season in the Disney World bubble. Players, coaches and referees took a knee to protest racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
“The King” has also formed a coalition with other athletes to promote voter awareness ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Charges Filed For Tossing Objects At Pedestrians; Witness Recorded Three Separate Incidents

OCEAN CITY — A Maryland woman and a juvenile have been charged with allegedly throwing objects at multiple pedestrians deliberately along Coastal Highway last week.

Around 3:15 p.m. last Wednesday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a parking lot at 97th Street for a report of a disorderly vehicle. OCPD officers met with a victim who reportedly told police she was running on the sidewalk near the parking lot when she was struck in the back of the head with an unknown object.

The victim told police a witness had observed the incident and recorded a cell phone video of it. OCPD officers viewed the video, which showed a Range Rover shifting into the bus lane and tapping the brakes. In the video, a juvenile boy emerges from the rear passenger seat window and makes a throwing motion toward the victim, according to police reports.

Officers contacted the witness who told police at Winter Harbor Drive he observed the juvenile emerge from the rear passenger seat window and throw an object at a woman pushing a stroller along the sidewalk. The object landed safely in front of the woman with the stroller.

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Democrats claim Republicans are super racist for allegedly mispronouncing Kamala Harris' name!



According to Democrats, Republicans are now racist because they're allegedly mispronouncing the name of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
The Associated Press published a lengthy essay explaining the latest allegation of racism against the Republican Party, claiming top GOP leaders — from Vice President Mike Pence to GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel — are offenders.
The AP story is titled, "Democrats see racism in GOP mispronunciations of 'Kamala.'"
The crime, according to the AP, is where Republicans are accenting Harris' first name.
Pence, for example, recently said Harris' first name by accenting its second syllable, "kah-MAH'-lah." The AP said that McDaniel was guilty of the same. To correctly pronounce Harris' first name requires accenting the first syllable, "KAH'-mah-lah"— or as Harris explained in her book, "'comma-la,' like the punctuation mark."
Mispronouncing Harris' name is part of a "deliberate effort" to undermine the Democratic vice presidential nominee's appeal, critics claim.

Restaurants closing can double within next 3 months, Investment CEO Warn

It's a 'bleak, bleak situation' for independent restaurants, said Charter Holdings CEO Ray Washburne

The number of restaurants closing permanently could double in the next 60 to 90 days due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, Ray Washburne, Charter Holdings CEO, said Thursday.

Washburne, whose company has investments in real estate and restaurants, told "Mornings with Maria" that he predicts more closures after the Payroll Protection Plan money ran out at the end of July, calling it a "bleak, bleak situation" for independent restaurants.

Yelp reports 15,770 restaurants have permanently closed as of July 22.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/coronavirus-lockdown-restaurants-real-estate-ppp

Portland mayor responds to Trump: 'Stay away, please'



Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) fired back at President Trump after he suggested sending the National Guard to Oregon's largest city to deal with protests, pleading with him to “stay away, please.”
“Yet again, you said you offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city. On behalf of the City of Portland: No thanks,” Wheeler wrote in a fiery letter to the president Friday.
“We don’t need your politics of division and demagoguery. Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic. And we know you’ve reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection,” he added.The letter comes as Portland grapples with lingering protests over systemic racism and police brutality that were sparked by the May killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

LINGUISTS: YOUNG PEOPLE REFUSING TO USE FULL STOPS IN SENTENCES BECAUSE THEY SEE THEM AS ‘AGGRESSIVE’


Experts claim language is being “revised in a really fundamental way”, in part because of wokeness

The world’s leading language experts have noted that young people are ‘fundamentally’ altering written communication based on what they perceive to be aggressive or offensive.

In particular, the use of the full stop, or period, in sentences is diminishing according to linguistsbecause it has come to signify annoyance or offence.

“Full stops are, in my experience, very much the exception and not the norm in [young people’s] instant messages, and have a new role in signifying an abrupt or angry tone of voice,” notes Owen McArdle, a linguist at the ­University of Cambridge.

Fellow linguist Dr Lauren Fonteyn of Leiden University said “If you send a text message without a full stop, it’s already obvious that you’ve concluded the message. So if you add that additional marker for completion, they will read something into it and it tends to be a falling intonation or negative tone.”

Math? Whatever. It’s a sine of things to come. TikTok girl’s thoughts on math prove the theory that civilization is already dead. From British Museum to Mr. Bean, what made us civilized is being torn down (and we’re not talking about statues).

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State elections officials push back against concerns around mail-in voting, drop boxes



Multiple top state election officials on Friday pushed back against recent concerns that the increase of mail-in voting could lead to a spike in voter fraud.
Officials from both sides of the aisle testified in front of the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing about protecting the upcoming elections.
“We actually have now conducted three elections this year alone with a full right to vote-by-mail with more citizens voting by mail than ever before and with zero reports or evidence of fraud,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) testified during the hearing.
Benson testified alongside Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams (R), who said that mail-in voting in his state had jumped during the primaries.
“I am very pleased to say that our election this year was clean, I did have some concerns about going from about 2 percent absentee balloting to what we ended up with, which was about 75 percent,” Adams said.