Mornings on the Mall
Monday, June 29, 2020
Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese
Executive Producer: Heather Hunter
Monday’s Guests: legal analyst Joe diGenova, Dr. David Samadi, Mark Hemingway and author Abigail Shrier
5-A — CORONAVIRUS NEWS:
AAP SAYS REOPEN SCHOOLS THIS FALL... FAR HIGHER RISKS FROM STAYING AT HOME… KIDS ARE WAY LESS LIKELY TO BECOME INFECTED THAN FROM A NORMAL FLU… AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS:
With the above principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families.
Policy makers must also consider the mounting evidence regarding COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including the role they may play in transmission of the infection. SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, on which much of the current guidance regarding school closures is based. Although children and adolescents play a major role in amplifying influenza outbreaks, to date, this does not appear to be the case with SARS-CoV-2. Although many questions remain, the preponderance of evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread infection. Policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within schools must be balanced with the known harms to children, adolescents, families, and the community by keeping children at home.
Nearly Half Of All COVID-Related Deaths In The US Are Directly Tied To Nursing Homes: Report
More than 50,000 people have died from coronavirus-related illness at the country’s nursing homes for older adults, The New York Times reported Saturday.
The Times’s database collected data showing that coronavirus, or COVID-19, has infected more than 282,000 people at 12,000 facilities. Total deaths from such long-term facilities constitute roughly 43% of all COVID-19-related deaths, the paper reported. Nursing homes constitute only 11% of all COVID-19 cases even though they account for nearly half of all deaths, data show.
POLITICO: Southern states report record coronavirus surges
Southern states reported a surge in coronavirus cases Saturday, setting records across the board just days after the U.S. as a whole saw its most cases ever in a 24-hour period.
Florida on Saturday reported a record 9,585 new cases. Arizona reported 3,591 new cases, appearing to match a single-day record set earlier this week. Nevada, Georgia, and South Carolina also reported record numbers of cases on Saturday.
Texas reported 5,747 new cases as of Saturday afternoon, nearing Thursday’s record 5,996 new cases. Saturday marked the fifth consecutive day new coronavirus cases in Texas topped 5,000.
Florida, Arizona and Texas are among a handful of states halting reopening plans amid the recent coronavirus surge. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reimposed some restrictions on Friday, including shuttering bars. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey stopped short of ordering new restrictions but said the state would slow plans to reopen.
FLORIDA
– Florida records over 8,500 new coronavirus cases in a single day
– Florida closing bars as coronavirus cases skyrocket
– Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Sunday downplayed concerns about Florida’s rising number of new coronavirus cases and attributed the state’s numbers to young people flouting social distancing rules.
– Alex Berenson @AlexBerenson: I keep hearing – from multiple sources/perspectives, meaning patients’ families, medical staff, and high-level types – that the care Covid patients received in many NY hospitals was deeply problematic and caused many excess deaths. Getting people on the record is tough, though…
CALIFORNIA / CORONAVIRUS
*Citing the rapid pace of coronavirus spread in some parts of California, Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered seven counties, including Los Angeles to close any bars and nightspots that are open and recommended eight other counties take action on their own to close those businesses.
DR. DAVID SAMADI COMING UP AT 7:35 AM:
– Dr. David Samadi @drdavidsamadi: The states experiencing these COVID “spikes” are all handling the virus in radically different ways.
The media is focusing just on Texas and Florida, but California is also experiencing an uptick in these numbers.
This doesn’t mean one did right and the other did wrong!
– Dr. David Samadi @drdavidsamadi: It is frankly disgusting to see the media’s smug attitude in reporting towards Texas and Florida as they try to gloat “I told you so”. They fail to mention that the death rate is in decline nationally and even in these states despite a rise in cases the deaths are not following!
5-D/E — TRUMP / RUSSIA – U.S. TROOPS
*President Trump is denying that he was briefed on reported Russian bounties placed on U.S. troops in Afghanistan and called for The New York Times to identify its source. On Saturday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also denied a report from the Times that Trump and Vice President Pence were briefed on American intelligence findings that Russian military operatives offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan, including U.S. troops, amid peace talks. The Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., called the Times report “fake news” and a spokesman for the Taliban labeled the allegations “baseless.” The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Fox News, however, published reports confirming the Times’ reporting.
TRUMP’S RESPONSE:
● TWEET: Tweet: Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an “anonymous source” by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us….. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202159109537793
.Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden & Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine – Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their “source”?
● TWEET: LAST NIGHT: Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: 6 hours ago: Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or
@VP. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News @nytimesbooks, wanting to make Republicans look bad!!!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277431695248183298
● RICHARD GRENELL: I never heard this. And it’s disgusting how you continue to politicize intelligence. You clearly don’t understand how raw intel gets verified. Leaks of partial information to reporters from anonymous sources is dangerous because people like you manipulate it for political gain.
● Spy chief Ratcliffe says Trump never briefed on Russia offering Taliban bounties
The nation’s spy chief denied reports that President Trump had been briefed on a U.S. intelligence report claiming that Russian military intelligence was offering bounties to Afghan militants to target U.S. and coalition forces.
“I have confirmed that neither the President nor the Vice President were ever briefed on any intelligence alleged by the New York Times in its reporting yesterday,” Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said in a statement released just before midnight on Saturday. “The White House statement addressing this issue earlier today, which denied such a briefing occurred, was accurate. The New York Times reporting, and all other subsequent news reports about such an alleged briefing are inaccurate.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/spy-chief-ratcliffe-says-trump-never-briefed-on-russia-offering-taliban-bounties
TOWNHALL: NYT Finds Themselves in a Blunder Over Their Botched Russia-Taliban Story
The problem, however, is that almost everyone involved in this story says it isn’t true. The White House, Russia and even the Taliban have said the Times’ story is false.
According to the anonymous source that spoke to the Times, the Russians intending “to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats, had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year.” […]
The most telling part of the article included absolutely zero details:
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the delicate intelligence and internal deliberations. They said the intelligence had been treated as a closely held secret, but the administration expanded briefings about it this week — including sharing information about it with the British government, whose forces are among those said to have been targeted.
The intelligence assessment is said to be based at least in part on interrogations of captured Afghan militants and criminals. The officials did not describe the mechanics of the Russian operation, such as how targets were picked or how money changed hands. It is also not clear whether Russian operatives had deployed inside Afghanistan or met with their Taliban counterparts elsewhere.
So this information is based on an anonymous source yet there are no details about how the operation took place, what American troops were targeted, how meetings were conducted or even how the Taliban received their so-called payments. Why are there no details?
– NEW: WASHINGTON POST: Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, intelligence assessments found
Russian bounties offered to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan are believed to have resulted in the deaths of several U.S. service members, according to intelligence gleaned from U.S. military interrogations of captured militants in recent months.
Several people familiar with the matter said it was unclear exactly how many Americans or coalition troops from other countries may have been killed or targeted under the program. U.S. forces in Afghanistan suffered a total of 10 deaths from hostile gunfire or improvised bombs in 2018, and 16 in 2019. Two have been killed this year. In each of those years, several service members were also killed by what are known as “green on blue” hostile incidents by members of Afghan security forces, which are sometimes believed to have been infiltrated by the Taliban.
The intelligence was passed up from the U.S. Special Operations forces based in Afghanistan and led to a restricted high-level White House meeting in late March, the people said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/russian-bounties-to-taliban-linked-militants-resulted-in-deaths-of-us-troops-according-to-intelligence-assessments/2020/06/28/74ffaec2-b96a-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html
PELOSI, BOLTON AND BIDEN POLITICIZE THE RUSSIA BOUNTY STORY
PELOSI
– Video: Pelosi says Russian bounty story “as bad as it gets” for Trump, despite fact he was never briefed on the info. Pelosi went on to claim that the Russians must have something on Trump, whether ” politically, personally, financially or whatever.”
https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1277244616350318594
– On Sunday: John Bolton Slaps Down Chuck Todd’s Theory That Trump Is ‘Afraid To Make Putin Mad’ https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/28/john-bolton-chuck-todd-trump-putin-russia-afghanistan/
BOLTON
– Bolton: Trump’s denial of Russian bounty intelligence briefing shows his ‘fundamental focus’ is not on US security
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/28/politics/john-bolton-trump-russian-intelligence-taliban-bounty/index.html
– Biden slams Trump over reported bounties placed on US troops
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden attacked President Donald Trump on Saturday over a report that he said, if true, contains a “truly shocking revelation” about the commander in chief and his failure to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and stand up to Russia.
“The truly shocking revelation that if the Times report is true, and I emphasize that again, is that President Trump, the commander in chief of American troops serving in a dangerous theater of war, has known about this for months, according to the Times, and done worse than nothing,” Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, said during a virtual town hall.
https://wtop.com/government/2020/06/biden-slams-trump-over-reported-bounties-placed-on-us-troops/
6 AM HOUR
6-A — PELOSI PUSHES MASK MANDATE
– House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday the wearing of masks should be mandatory nationwide during the pandemic. Video: Pelosi says all Americans should be ordered to wear face masks, says CDC hasn’t issued mandate because they “don’t want to offend” President Trump https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1277338661730779138
Nancy Pelosi: Nationwide Mask Requirement Is ‘Long Overdue’ (VIDEO)
“Is it time to mandate the wearing of masks across the country?” ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Pelosi.
“Oh, it’s definitely long overdue for that,” Pelosi responded. “And my understanding is that the Centers for Disease Control has recommended the use of masks but not required it because they don’t want offend the president.”
“The president should be an example,” she continued. “You know, real men wear masks. Be an example to the country and wear the mask, it’s not about protecting yourself it’s about protecting others and their families.”
EARLIER… Biden Floats Issuing An Executive Order Requiring Every American To Wear Masks (VIDEO)
“The one thing we do know is these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask. Anyone to reopen would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks,” Biden told KDKA in an interview while wearing a black mask.
“Yes, I would. From an executive standpoint, yes I would,” Biden said in response to a question about whether he would use federal power to mandate wearing a mask in public.
PENCE ON MASKS
*Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday pledged to commit the resources Texas needs to win the fight against COVID-19, and urged Americans to be diligent about wearing masks and washing hands in order to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus. Pence’s Dallas visit, which included a stop at First Baptist Church, was on a day when Dallas County had its highest number of coronavirus cases to date. After meeting with Pence and others from the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, Governor Greg Abbot said the virus had taken a “very swift and very dangerous turn” in his state.
– Pence encourages wearing masks, praises Abbott during Texas visit https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/28/coronavirus-live-updates-us/ /
– Media hype headline: Choir of more than 100 people sings without masks at Pence event in Texas https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/504950-choir-of-more-than-100-people-sing-without-masks-at-pence-event-in
BIDEN WANTS MASK REQUIREMENT
– Biden: I’d use ‘federal leverage’ to require mask-wearing in public https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-id-use-federal-leverage-to-require-mask-wearing-in-public
Biden Floats Issuing An Executive Order Requiring Every American To Wear Masks (VIDEO)
“The one thing we do know is these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask. Anyone to reopen would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks,” Biden told KDKA in an interview while wearing a black mask.
“Yes, I would. From an executive standpoint, yes I would,” Biden said in response to a question about whether he would use federal power to mandate wearing a mask in public.
6-D/E — HISTORY SANITIZATION – They Are Coming For JOHN WAYNE, MAKEUP, WOODROW WILSON AND GOLDEN GIRLS!
JOHN WAYNE
California Democrats Demand Removing John Wayne’s Name From Airport
The Democratic Party of Orange County, California, demanded removing actor John Wayne’s name from its airport due to past “racist and bigoted” remarks Wayne made, it announced Friday.
The party created a resolution to remove Wayne’s name and likeness based on Wayne’s “white supremacist, anti-LGBT, and anti-Indigenous views” Wayne expressed in a 1971 interview, according to the document.
The move came in solidarity with widespread calls to remove “white supremacist symbols” and recognize their impact on the black community and “other oppressed groups,” the resolution stated.
“The Democratic Party of Orange County condemns John Wayne’s racist and bigoted statements, and calls for John Waynes’ [sic] name and likeness to be removed from the Orange County airport, and calls on the OC Board of Supervisors to restore its original name: Orange County Airport,” the resolution added.
DEMOCRAT RACIST WOODROW WILSON GETTING ERASED AT PRINCETON
Princeton drops Woodrow Wilson’s name from school due to ‘racist thinking’
Princeton University will remove former President Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public policy school and a residential college, the school’s president announced Saturday.
Christopher Eisgruber announced the institution’s decision in a statement published on the school’s website. He cited Wilson’s “racist views and policies” as the main factor in the decision.
“The trustees conclude that Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must firmly stand against racism in all its forms,” the statement read.
The trustees voted Friday to remove the name of the public policy school, which will hence be known as The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, while the college will simply be called First College.
– WashPost Op-Ed by Christopher L. Eisgruber, president of Princeton University: I opposed taking Woodrow Wilson’s name off our school. Here’s why I changed my mind.
For decades, the university has celebrated Wilson’s record of public service and his achievements.
Wilson was also a racist. He discouraged black applicants from applying to Princeton. While president of the United States, Wilson segregated the previously integrated federal civil service, thereby moving the United States backward in its quest for racial justice and contributing to the systemic racism that continues to damage black lives and our country today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/27/i-opposed-taking-woodrow-wilsons-name-off-our-school-heres-why-i-changed-my-mind/
– Critics now call for federal income tax signed by Woodrow Wilson to be cancelled after his name was removed from Princeton due to his ‘racist thinking’ – while an alumni member says the school has ‘given in to the woke leftist mob’
Conservatives are now demanding that the federal income tax be repealed
Wilson signed the federal income tax into law during his presidency in 1913
He also created the Federal Reserve, the nation’s central bank
Conservatives say Fed wields too much power by setting interest rates
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8466617/Critics-call-federal-income-tax-signed-Woodrow-Wilson-cancelled-Princeton-scrubbed-name.html
GOLDEN GIRLS
Hulu Removes ‘Golden Girls’ Episode With Blackface Scene
Hulu has removed an episode of The Golden Girls that contains a scene in which Betty White and Rue McClanahan are mistaken for wearing blackface.
“Mixed Feelings”, episode 23 in season 3 of the sitcom, aired in 1988 and shows Michael (Scott Jacoby), the son of Dorothy (Beatrice Author), planning to wed a much older Black woman, Lorraine (Rosalind Cash).
Dororthy is concerned over the age difference while Lorraine’s family disapproves of their daughter marrying a white man, and thus the two families attempt to end the marriage. In the episode, Lorraine’s family finds Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) trying a new mud facial treatment, and as they greet their family, Rose says “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.”
6-F — SPORTS NEWS:
NBA’S SOCIAL JUSTICE JERSEYS
– NBA plans to let players show social-justice messages on jerseys
The NBA announced that players will be able to show social-justice statements on the backs of their jerseys when the season restarts on July 30 in Orlando, Fla., following delays linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
The league and the NBA Basketball Players Association were in discussions to allow players to wear a social statement in place of their last name, according to a report by ESPN on Saturday night.
Players apparently received a group text message that said plans were being discussed among the league, the players union and Nike, reading, “lookout for details in the coming days.”
If the NBA does indeed decide to go through with this decision, it wouldn’t be the first league that has taken action in this matter. When the Premier League resumed earlier this month, it replaced player last names on the back of jerseys with the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” Their uniforms also featured a sleeve patch, which is set to remain for the rest of the season.
The league released its schedule last Friday, and the first set of games is set to feature Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans, as well as LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans will play in the first game of the resumed NBA season on July 30, taking on Utah in the opener of a doubleheader. And, just as the initial first night of this season-like-none-other did, the second game of the nationally televised twinbill will pit the Lakers against the Los Angeles Clippers.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nba-players-social-justice-messages-jerseys-plan
7 AM HOUR
7-A — 7:05 AM – INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia
TOPICS: Discuss the latest on Michael Flynn’s criminal case, the latest on the possible Roger Stone pardon and the DOJ taking on monuments vandalizers
FLYNN
LAST WEEK: Appeals court orders judge to dismiss Michael Flynn case
(CNN) A divided federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered the dismissal of the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, likely concluding a long-running court fight that had taken on greater meaning in political debates about the Russia investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign and about the checks and balances the judiciary has on the executive branch.
Despite Flynn twice pleading guilty for lying to the FBI about his conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition, the Justice Department moved last month to dismiss the case against him. Trial judge Emmet Sullivan of the DC District did not immediately act, instead saying he wanted to weigh the department’s arguments into at least July.
If unchallenged with further appeals, the appeals court’s ruling exonerates Flynn after he sought to change his plea and claimed innocence.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/politics/michael-flynn-dismiss/index.html
ROGER STONE
– Judge sets July 14 surrender date, immediate home confinement for Roger Stone
A federal judge has ordered longtime Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone to prison on July 14 and into home confinement until then, citing Stone’s own evidence of medical issues that he cited to request a delay of his June 30 surrender date to begin a 40-month jail term.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson denied Stone’s request to delay the start of his sentence until Sept. 3, instead giving Stone just over two weeks to report to FCI-Jesup.
“This will address the defendant’s stated medical concerns during the current increase of reported cases in Florida, and Broward County in particular, and it will respect and protect the health of other inmates who share defendant’s anxiety over the potential introduction and spread of the virus at this now-unaffected facility,” Jackson said in a brief order accompanying her decision.
Jackson said she intends to make a fuller opinion public next week barring any objections by Stone or the prosecutors in the case. But for now, her order stands as a sharp rejection of Stone’s plea.
Jackson sentenced Stone to his 40-month jail term in February following his conviction on charges of repeatedly lying to Congress and intimidating a witness to impede the House’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
After his sentencing, Stone’s attorney urged the Bureau of Prisons to consider Stone’s health when setting his surrender date, and BOP responded by agreed to bring him in on June 30. But earlier this week, Stone moved to delay his report date another two months, citing the risk of coronavirus in federal prisons.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/26/roger-stone-confinement-date-341897
– Trump retweets petition effort to pardon Roger Stone. President Trump Saturday promoted a petition effort to pardon Roger Stone a day after a judge ordered his former campaign advisor to report to his upcoming prison term, which Stone dubbed a “death sentence.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-retweets-petition-effort-to-pardon-roger-stone-ahead-of-his-prison-date
DOJ / VANDALISM
DOJ: Four Men Charged in Federal Court for Attempting to Tear Down Statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square Amid Protests
WASHINGTON – Lee Michael Cantrell, 47, of Virginia; Connor Matthew Judd, 20, of Washington, D.C.; Ryan Lane, 37, of Maryland; and Graham Lloyd, 37, of Maine, were charged by criminal complaint yesterday with destruction of federal property, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division James A. Dawson, and Acting Chief of the United States Park Police (USPP) Gregory T. Monahan.
The complaint, unsealed today, alleges that on June 22, 2020, the four men along with other unidentified individuals, damaged and attempted to tear down the statue depicting Andrew Jackson located in Lafayette Square. The complaint further alleges that Cantrell was captured on video attempting to pry the statue off its base with a wooden board and trying to pull the statue down with the aid of a yellow strap. The complaint alleges that Judd is seen on video trying to pull down the statue, and that Lane is seen on video affixing a rope to one part of the statue and then pulling on another rope tied to the statue. The complaint also alleges that video of the incident shows Lloyd as he breaks off and destroys the wheels of cannons located at the base of the statue. Lloyd is also captured on video pulling on ropes in an effort to topple the statue, and handing a hammer to an unidentified individual involved in the incident.
Judd was arrested on Friday and appeared in Superior Court of the District of Columbia today. The matter will be transferred to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, June 29, 2020, where Judd will make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather. The remaining defendants have not yet been apprehended.
Trump’s Monument Executive Order Puts Federal Grants On The Chopping Block For Local Governments That Don’t Comply
The text directs Attorney General Bill Barr and the Justice Department to prosecute any individual or group who “destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates” both secular and religious monuments or statues. Barr is also directed to prosecute “any person or any entity that participates in efforts to incite violence or other illegal activity in connection with the riots and acts of vandalism.”
Finally, the order indicates that all “state and local governments that have failed to protect public monuments, memorials, and statues from destruction or vandalism” will not receive funding from federal grants and orders executive branch agency heads to make sure all federally-funded programs are compliant with the order.
Trump first touted the EO following attempts by protesters to topple the statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House.
7-B/C — HOUSING BUYING TRENDS CHANGING AFTER CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST:
– Coronavirus changes house hunting, renovation trends
27 percent of homeowners said they’d consider moving to a home with more rooms amid the coronavirus
Searches for new construction homes during the coronavirus pandemic have surged 73 percent compared to last year, and many people are interested in designing their new homes and 35 percent said a new floor plan would be appealing, according to The Harris Poll commissioned by real estate listing company Zillow.
The survey polled 2,065 adults in the United States between the ages of 18 and older and found 27 percent said they would consider moving to a home with more rooms and agree that open spaces with combined kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms are too noisy to work.
Indeed, open living spaces are becoming less ideal as employees continue to work from home because of COVID-19, and they could be in need of quiet spaces to hold Zoom calls, do at-home workouts, or to simply block out the noise.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/coronavirus-fueling-home-renovation-market
TX REALTORS WILL NO LONGER USE THE TERM ‘MASTER BEDROOM’
Texas realtor group says it will no longer use the word “master” to describe bedrooms and bathrooms in its listings
(CNN) — The Houston Association of Realtors will use “primary” to describe bedrooms and bathrooms on its listing service and replace the word “master.”
The move comes after several members raised the issue and called for a review, according to CNN affiliate KPRC.
Amid increasing calls for racial justice, “master” has fallen out of favor due to its association with slavery.
The Court of Master Sommeliers, which grants wine stewards the sought-after “master sommelier” title following the passage of an exam, said it will no longer use the term before a sommelier’s last name.
The HAR hasn’t banned the word “master.” It will allow members to continue its use in photo descriptions or marketing materials, KPRC reported.
https://www.wfsb.com/texas-realtor-group-says-it-will-no-longer-use-the-word-master-to-describe-bedrooms/article_caeffa0f-abe9-501f-9de5-87b53b61dabb.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR1N990EoXk2uHtUuZ51nQVWsUJqsNvKcSeoHXuZw382kJw5QGfBdvRhfaY
7-D — 7:35 AM – INTERVIEW – DR. DAVID SAMADI – member of Fox News medical A team, expert in prostate cancer and robotic surgery / Twitter: @drdavidsamadi
TOPIC: discuss how the media has been covering the uptick of coronavirus in some states but ignoring the uptick in other states
– Dr. David Samadi @drdavidsamadi: The states experiencing these COVID “spikes” are all handling the virus in radically different ways.
The media is focusing just on Texas and Florida, but California is also experiencing an uptick in these numbers.
This doesn’t mean one did right and the other did wrong!
https://twitter.com/drdavidsamadi/status/1276592006328995846
– Dr. David Samadi @drdavidsamadi: It is frankly disgusting to see the media’s smug attitude in reporting towards Texas and Florida as they try to gloat “I told you so”. They fail to mention that the death rate is in decline nationally and even in these states despite a rise in cases the deaths are not following! https://twitter.com/drdavidsamadi/status/1277213666002305026
7-E — CLEVELAND ACTOR QUITS:
– Actor Who Played ‘Cleveland’ on ‘Family Guy’ Steps Down: ‘Persons Of Color Should Play Characters Of Color’
White voice actor Mike Henry announced this weekend that he will be stepping down from his role as Cleveland, a Black character, on Fox’s Family Guy, a role he also played in the spin-off The Cleveland Show.
“It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years,” said Henry in a tweet on Friday night. He said is “stepping down” because “persons of color should play characters of color.”
Mike Henry @mikehenrybro: It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role. https://twitter.com/mikehenrybro/status/1276631712949317639
Needless to say, reactions on Twitter…varied.
Phoitier @MphoAK: Imagine being white, getting rich from playing a Black character, then 20 years later, after all those cheques, you have this moral epiphany. You’re so cutting edge Mike. LOL https://twitter.com/MphoAK/status/1276769774299684865
Show creator and writer Seth MacFarlane, who voices many of the characters, retweeted Henry’s announcement without comment
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/actor-who-played-cleveland-on-family-guy-steps-down-persons-of-color-should-play-characters-of-color/
8 AM HOUR
8-A — 8:05 AM – INTERVIEW – MARK HEMINGWAY – Senior Writer at RealClearInvestigations / Twitter: @Heminator
TOPIC: Voter fraud in mail-in voting is myth, right?
– City councilman among 4 facing voter fraud charges in New Jersey
In the wake of rampant allegations of voter fraud in the Paterson City Council race, the New Jersey Attorney General filed voting fraud charges Thursday against a city councilman and a council-elect.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced voting fraud charges against 1st Ward Councilman Michael Jackson, 3rd Ward Council-Elect Alex Mendez and two other men, weeks after the May 12 local election in which the Passaic County Board of Elections decided not to count 800 city ballots found scattered across different municipalities.
Both Jackson, 48, and Mendez, 45, were charged with fraud in casting mail-in votes, unauthorized possession of ballots, tampering with public records and falsifying or tampering with records, according to the statement. Mendez was additionally charged with election fraud and false registration or transfer.
Along with Jackson and Mendez, two Passaic County men, Shelim Khalique, 51, of Wayne, and Abu Razyen, 21, of Prospect Park, were also charged.
The investigation was sparked by reports that hundreds of mail-in ballots were found in a mailbox in Paterson and in a mailbox in Haledon. The coronavirus pandemic has forced voters to mail in their ballots, as voting sites are no longer open.
“Today’s charges send a clear message: if you try to tamper with an election in New Jersey, we will find you and we will hold you accountable,” Grewal said in a statement. “We will not allow a small number of criminals to undermine the public’s confidence in our democratic process.”
https://www.nj.com/passaic-county/2020/06/voting-fraud-charges-filed-against-paterson-councilman-and-councilman-elect.html
– Mark Hemingway: 1 in 5 Ballots Rejected as Fraud Is Charged in N.J. Mail-In Election
Following accusations of widespread fraud, voter intimidation, and ballot theft in the May 12 municipal elections in Paterson, N.J., state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Thursday he is charging four men with voter fraud – including the vice president of the City Council and a candidate for that body.
With races still undecided, control of the council hangs in the balance. Paterson is New Jersey’s third largest city and the election will decide the fate of a municipal budget in excess of $300 million, in addition to hundreds of millions more in education spending and state aid.
In the City Council election, 16,747 vote-by-mail ballots were received, but only 13,557 votes were counted. More than 3,190 votes, 19% of the total ballots cast, were disqualified by the board of elections. Due to the pandemic, Paterson’s election was done through vote-by-mail. Community organizations, such as the city’s NAACP chapter, are calling for the entire election to be invalidated.
Mail-in ballots have long been acknowledged by voting experts to be more susceptible to fraud and irregularities than in-person voting. This has raised concerns from President Trump and other Republicans about the integrity of national elections in November, which are expected to include a dramatic increase in mail-in ballots. If Paterson is any guide, it ought to concern Democrats as well.
Over 800 ballots in Paterson were invalidated for appearing in mailboxes improperly bundled together – including a one mailbox where hundreds of ballots were in a single packet. The bundles were turned over to law enforcement to investigate potential criminal activity related to the collection of the ballots.
The board of elections disqualified another 2,300 ballots after concluding that the signatures on them did not match the signatures on voter records.
Reporting by NBC further uncovered citizens of Paterson who are listed as having voted, but who told the news outlet they never received a ballot and did not vote.
One woman, Ramona Javier, after being shown the list of people on her block who allegedly voted, told the outlet she knew of eight family members and neighbors who were wrongly listed. “We did not receive vote-by-mail ballots and thus we did not vote,” she said. “This is corruption. This is fraud.”
There were multiple reports that large numbers of mail-in ballots were left on the lobby floors of apartment buildings and not delivered to residents’ individual mailboxes, further casting doubt on the integrity of the election.
Two of the election results in Paterson were particularly close. Initially, challenger Shahin Khalique defeated incumbent Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman by 1,729 votes to 1,721. After a second recount on June 19, that race is now tied 1,730-1,730. In that race, a video posted to Snapchat has surfaced that appears to show a man named Abu Razyen unlawfully handling a large stack of ballots he indicates are votes for Khalique. Khalique’s brother, Shelim, and Razyen have been charged by the state attorney general for crimes including fraud in casting mail-in votes, tampering, and unauthorized possession of ballots.
Incumbent council member William McKoy lost by 240 votes to challenger Alex Mendez after a recount on June 1. However, the McKoy-Mendez race is far from over – in the third ward of the city where the race was decided, over 24% of all ballots were disqualified by the Board of Elections. Mendez was also charged Thursday with six different crimes related to voter fraud. (Michael Jackson, Paterson’s incumbent 1st Ward city councilman and council vice president, was the fourth man charged yesterday. Jackson faces four counts related to voter fraud.)
In a legal complaint, the McKoy campaign is alleging outright fraud on behalf of the Mendez campaign. “At least one individual, YaYa Luis Mendez, has confessed to investigators working on behalf of the [New Jersey attorney general’s] office to having stolen ballots out of mailboxes, both completed and uncompleted, on behalf of and at the direction of the [Alex] Mendez campaign,” according to the complaint prepared by McKoy attorney Scott Salmon.
The attorney for Mendez, who leads in the vote count, isn’t disputing that the election results are unreliable. “This election is a sham, regardless of who are the ultimate victors, and this process has to be reviewed by the courts to address the deficiencies in the planning and execution of the election,” Gregg Paster, the attorney, is quoted as saying in Salmon’s complaint.
For his part, Paster alleges that the botched election has resulted in problems hurting Mendez’s chance of winning. On June 8, Paster sent a letter asking federal authorities to investigate voter intimidation on behalf of the Paterson’s mayor, Andre Sayegh, and local law enforcement.
Mendez is part of a faction opposing the mayor and hoping to gain control of the City Council and push back against the mayor’s agenda. The ensuing investigations into voting irregularities have resulted in Paterson police officers – including those assigned to the mayor’s private detail, according to Paster – knocking on doors and asking citizens about their votes. The local police department says the cops were assisting the state attorney general investigation into the election, serving as translators for differing Spanish dialects.
“Once you start having city police knocking on doors, investigating voting patterns, you’re treading awfully close to the line of banana republic type of tactics,” Paster told RealClearPolitics. “There’s an intimidation factor – you have a lot of immigrants in Paterson, a lot of people that come from places where if the police show up at your door, a lot of times, you know, nobody ever sees you again. And while we’re not alleging local cops are anything like that, this is where a lot of these people have come from and they’re afraid of the police.”
Salmon admits Paterson’s recent election is “crazy,” but points to unique aspects of living in the town that make mail-in ballot fraud more likely – it’s one of the most densely populated cities in America, with lots of residents living in high-rise buildings that have communal mailboxes that are prime targets for ballot theft.
But as noted in Salmon’s legal complaint, Paterson was just one of 31 municipalities in New Jersey that held vote-by-mail elections on May 12. The average disqualification rate for mail-in ballots in all 31 elections across the state was an alarming 9.6%. (The ballot rejection rate drops to 8.1% if Paterson’s results are excluded.)
New Jersey’s municipal elections aren’t broadly comparable to nationwide elections for a variety of reasons, but the 2016 presidential election resulted in a popular vote total with a differential of just over 2%, with fewer than 80,000 votes in a handful of swing states determining the Electoral College victor. Voting irregularities with mail-in ballots could be much less pronounced than what happened in New Jersey last month and still produce a great deal of uncertainty in a national election.
Salmon is hoping vote-by-mail problems will be resolved in the months before the November election. “In New Jersey, people found out that this is going to be an all-mail-in election only a month before, whereas obviously November is still a ways away and there’s a lot more time to educate voters on how to fill out these ballots and how to return them,” he told RCP. But he concedes that it’s “still a fair point” to look at New Jersey’s elections last month and see cause for concern about the national elections.
Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, acknowledged on the Election Law Blog last month that there’s “genuine absentee ballot fraud scandal going on in Paterson, New Jersey and it is going to get a lot of national attention.” Hasen argues that it’s not cause for concern, however, noting there were only 491 prosecutions related to absentee ballots nationwide between 2000 and 2012.
“The rise in vote by mail should lead to increased vigilance against this sort of activity,” he wrote on May 20. “But the push to expand vote by mail is worth it given the great health benefits of increased voting by mail during a pandemic, the small risk of fraud, and the likelihood that fraud will get caught.”
Despite Hasen’s sanguine attitude, the problems in Paterson have received virtually no national attention so far. Salmon and Paster say they’ve had inquiries from only two national news outlets, and almost all coverage of the problems and fraud allegations in Paterson have been confined to local news outlets.
At the same time, dozens of lawsuits have been filed across the country contesting state requirements used to certify mail-in ballots. “Among the main targets are witness and signature requirements for absentee ballots — such as signing the envelope, or getting a witness or notary to sign it, or making sure the voter’s signature is legible,” notes an NPR report earlier this month.
Those lawsuits seeking to expand vote-by-mail include one brought in Nevada earlier year, which aims to do away with signature verification on mail-in ballots altogether – even though ballot signatures not matching voter records was the reason Paterson disqualified over 2,300 ballots.
Meanwhile, the president continues to be an outspoken opponent of voting by mail. He tweeted on June 22, “RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!” This and other Trump claims about vote-by-mail problems are frequently contested by the press.
“We’ve literally been expecting Trump to tweet about this for the last two weeks,” says Salmon. “Within the McCoy campaign, there have been ongoing jokes about how long it’s going to take for Trump to find out about Paterson and start tweeting.”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/06/26/1_in_5_ballots_rejected_as_fraud_is_charged_in_nj_mail-in_election_143551.html
8-B/C — DC PROTEST UPDATE:
DOJ: Four Men Charged in Federal Court for Attempting to Tear Down Statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square Amid Protests
WASHINGTON – Lee Michael Cantrell, 47, of Virginia; Connor Matthew Judd, 20, of Washington, D.C.; Ryan Lane, 37, of Maryland; and Graham Lloyd, 37, of Maine, were charged by criminal complaint yesterday with destruction of federal property, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division James A. Dawson, and Acting Chief of the United States Park Police (USPP) Gregory T. Monahan.
The complaint, unsealed today, alleges that on June 22, 2020, the four men along with other unidentified individuals, damaged and attempted to tear down the statue depicting Andrew Jackson located in Lafayette Square. The complaint further alleges that Cantrell was captured on video attempting to pry the statue off its base with a wooden board and trying to pull the statue down with the aid of a yellow strap. The complaint alleges that Judd is seen on video trying to pull down the statue, and that Lane is seen on video affixing a rope to one part of the statue and then pulling on another rope tied to the statue. The complaint also alleges that video of the incident shows Lloyd as he breaks off and destroys the wheels of cannons located at the base of the statue. Lloyd is also captured on video pulling on ropes in an effort to topple the statue, and handing a hammer to an unidentified individual involved in the incident.
Judd was arrested on Friday and appeared in Superior Court of the District of Columbia today. The matter will be transferred to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, June 29, 2020, where Judd will make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather. The remaining defendants have not yet been apprehended.
Trump’s Monument Executive Order Puts Federal Grants On The Chopping Block For Local Governments That Don’t Comply
The text directs Attorney General Bill Barr and the Justice Department to prosecute any individual or group who “destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates” both secular and religious monuments or statues. Barr is also directed to prosecute “any person or any entity that participates in efforts to incite violence or other illegal activity in connection with the riots and acts of vandalism.”
Finally, the order indicates that all “state and local governments that have failed to protect public monuments, memorials, and statues from destruction or vandalism” will not receive funding from federal grants and orders executive branch agency heads to make sure all federally-funded programs are compliant with the order.
Trump first touted the EO following attempts by protesters to topple the statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House.
EMANCIPATION STATUE STILL STANDS…
– Video: A man dressed as Frederick Douglas is at the Emancipation Memorial as rioters threaten to tear it down tonight. This monument was created “To be a place we could have conversations and ensure we understand the history.” https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1276635237464846336
– Video: “Why are you protecting it?!” BLM activist gets into a verbal exchange with an older black guy who was speaking up against tearing the statue down. #emancipationstatue https://twitter.com/_sagnikbasu/status/1276682947895197697
– DC Police push protesters off Black Lives Matter Plaza | http://wusa9.com / Police cleared the street Saturday morning, confiscating supplies and removing structures.
Updates: Few protesters, police seen near Lafayette Square Sunday morning
Police cleared the street Saturday morning, confiscating supplies and removing structures.
WASHINGTON — Protests have been seen across the District this weekend after D.C. police moved protesters out of Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Only a few protesters and police were seen in the area of Lafayette Park Sunday morning after about 40-50 protesters marched to Lafayette Square Park and were met by police at a barricade on Saturday evening. Demonstrators were heard through the streets of D.C. chanting against police.
Following weeks of mass protests around the District, there were much smaller crowds in areas that were once hot spots for popular protest gathering sites. Much of Saturday was dampened by rain in the late afternoon causing demonstrations over the weekend to be different from what it usually is.
Although there were smaller numbers, one woman told WUSA9 that she traveled down from Philadelphia with her young daughter so she could see where protests had occurred.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/protests/black-lives-matter-plaza-protesters-pushed-back-dc-protests/65-7998a0e3-f447-42d4-bdeb-d81d4dee1bc5
8-D — 8:35 AM – INTERVIEW – ABIGAIL SHRIER – writer for the Wall Street Journal and author of new book “IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.” / Twitter: @AbigailShrier
TOPIC: Discuss her new book “IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.”
– The book explores the idea that trans-identification has become a peer contagion among teen girls.
ABOUT BOOK: “IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.” Publisher: Regnery Publishing (Comes out June 30, 2020 – this Tuesday)
Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria—severe discomfort in one’s biological sex—was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively.
But today whole groups of female friends in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools across the country are coming out as “transgender.” These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans “influencers.”
Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility.
Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has dug deep into the trans epidemic, talking to the girls, their agonized parents, and the counselors and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to “detransitioners”—young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves.
Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls’ social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back. She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters.
A generation of girls is at risk. Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path.
https://www.amazon.com/Irreversible-Damage-Transgender-Seducing-Daughters/dp/1684510317/ref=sr_1_1?k / https://twitter.com/AbigailShrier
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Abigail Shrier is a writer for the Wall Street Journal. She holds an A.B. from Columbia College, where she received the Euretta J. Kellett Fellowship; a B.Phil. from the University of Oxford; and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
8-E — ST. LOUIS COUPLE WITH GUNS
‘Keep moving!’ Wild moment lawyer couple brandish an AR-15 and a handgun at BLM protesters marching past their mansion in an upscale St. Louis neighborhood
● Husband and wife, Mark and Patricia McCloskey could be seen aiming the guns at demonstrators who walked by their palatial property in St. Louis on Sunday
● At one point, the pair seemed to be unknowingly pointing their weapons at one another other while trying to keep protesters away
● Mark held a large assault weapon while his wife Patty held a handgun
● The protesters were en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home to demand her resignation
● Mayor Krewson released names and addresses of residents who suggested defunding the police department
● The couple are both personal injury lawyers and run McCloskey Law Center from inside their extravagant home
By JEMMA CARR FOR MAILONLINE and JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 02:05 EDT, 29 June 2020 | UPDATED: 08:17 EDT, 29 June 2020
A couple brandished an AR-15 and a handgun at protesters marching past their mansion in an upscale St. Louis neighborhood.
Husband and wife, Mark and Patricia McCloskey could be seen aiming the guns at demonstrators who walked by their palatial property in the wealthy Forest Park area at around 6pm on Sunday.
At one point, the pair seemed to be unknowingly pointing their weapons at one another other while trying to keep protesters away from their home – dubbed the Niemann Mansion.
The protesters were en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home to demand her resignation after she released the names and addresses of residents who had suggested defunding the police department.
The pair are both personal injury lawyers and run McCloskey Law Center from inside their extravagant home.
Mr McCloskey is representing a victim of police brutality. The man – who was identified by the initials I.F. – was kicked and struck by police officer David Maas in shocking dashcam footage that appeared to show him surrendering.
The initials match a 2019 civil lawsuit made by Isaiah Forman in which the same allegations are put forward.
Police at the time said Forman, then 21, was driving a car that had been taken by another man at gunpoint.
Forman pleaded guilty to crashing his car into a police vehicle during the chase and is serving a seven year sentence.
Maas was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Mr McCloskey said of the case: ‘I’m glad that the law enforcement agencies are subject to the same standard as everybody else.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8467075/St-Louis-couple-point-firearms-protesters-outside-home-marching-demand-mayors-resignation.html
Missouri couple draw guns at crowd heading to St. Louis mayor’s home
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A white couple pointed guns at protesters in St. Louis as a group marched toward the mayor’s home to demand her resignation.
A social media video showed the armed couple standing outside of their large home Sunday evening in the upscale Central West End neighborhood of the Missouri city.
https://www.fox13news.com/news/missouri-couple-draw-guns-at-crowd-heading-to-st-louis-mayors-home
