University of Alabama coach Nick Saban said that his players are safer playing football than spending their time at home and in their communities.
The head football coach said that the conversation, if one is to be had, should be about colleges reopening for the entire student body and not focused on sports. The athletic programs of college sports are capable of monitoring players and containing outbreaks of the coronavirus among players, if someone should get infected.
Players are much more likely to contract and spread the disease back home in their communities, Saban told <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29634072/nick-saban-says-players-safer-alabama-running-home">ESPN</a> on Monday.
“I want to play, but I want to play for the players&#8217; sake, the value they can create for themselves,” Saban said. “I know I&#8217;ll be criticized no matter what I say, that I don&#8217;t care about player safety. Look, players are a lot safer with us than they are running around at home. We have around a 2% positive ratio on our team since the Fourth of July. It&#8217;s a lot higher than that in society. We act like these guys can&#8217;t get this unless they play football. They can get it anywhere, whether they&#8217;re in a bar or just hanging out.”
“It&#8217;s going to be a challenge when the other students get on campus, and I get that,” Saban said. “But we really don&#8217;t know what that entails until it happens. It&#8217;s a big reason we pushed the season back [in the SEC], to assess that, which is the prudent way to do it.”
Saban said the coaching and training staff regularly monitor players for symptoms and signs of the coronavirus and has each player tested for the disease each week. He also brings in epidemiologists to update players on the disease every two weeks.
“It&#8217;s more important than ever to engage your players, and if you&#8217;re not, then you&#8217;re not doing your job as a coach,” Saban said.
“We also test anybody that has symptoms and have an open testing site where they can go and get tested as many times as they want or anytime they feel like they need to,” Saban continued. “But our guys aren&#8217;t going to catch [the virus] on the football field. They&#8217;re going to catch it on campus. The argument then should probably be, &#8216;We shouldn&#8217;t be having school.&#8217; That&#8217;s the argument. Why is it, &#8216;We shouldn&#8217;t be playing football?&#8217; Why has that become the argument?”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-officials-hold-emergency-meeting-about-canceling-college-football-this-fall">Big Ten</a> Conference announced on Tuesday that it would cancel its schedule for the fall and hope to relaunch in the spring of 2021. Coaches and players have publicly advocated for fall football, including a handful of coaches in the Big Ten such as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. Their push was unsuccessful, however.
The <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/this-isnt-over-college-football-players-coaches-fight-back-against-potential-season-cancelation">campaign</a> has continued across conferences and teams, including from the starting quarterback at Clemson, Trevor Lawrence.
“Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football. Having a season also incentivizes players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line,” Lawrence said on Sunday. “Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions.”
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Players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line. Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions
&mdash; Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trevorlawrencee/status/1292600604305612800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Nick Saban

Nick Saban On College Football: ‘Players Are A Lot Safer With Us Than They Are Running Around At Home’

Coronavirus

Football

Sports

Auckland, New Zealand, is going back into lockdown for at least three days after several people tested positive for the coronavirus, the first cases detected among New Zealanders in over 100 days.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the new outbreak of cases in a press conference on Tuesday. Four members of a family tested positive for the disease, and all infected were tested again to confirm, according to <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/coronavirus-new-zealand-first-new-cases-in-102-days-auckland-family-members-stage-three-lockdown-restrictions-covid19/a92cded4-d0b3-4d8b-8690-316b73bea53c#close">9 News Australia</a>.
“We have a resurgence plan that we are now activating,” Ardern said. “That plan is based on everything that we have learned as a country to date about COVID-19. It&#8217;s also based on what we&#8217;ve seen from resurgence overseas.”
After an Auckland resident was confirmed to have the disease, authorities tested six other members of the patient’s family and found that three were infected. Authorities are still unsure how the disease may have reappeared as none of the infected have left the country recently.
In response to the positive tests, the infected have been placed in isolation and all of Auckland has been placed in level three lockdown for at least three days, barring residents from leaving their homes except for activities deemed essential.
“These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information,” Ardern said. “I know that this information will be very difficult to receive.”
“We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again. But we had also prepared for it. And as a team, we have also been here before,” Ardern.
The rest of New Zealand will be placed under looser level-two restrictions, barring gatherings of over 100 people and instituting some social distancing measures at businesses and public spaces, according to CNN.
Authorities are conducting contact tracing on all close contacts, including coworkers, of the patients in an effort to track down the origin of the virus’s resurgence in New Zealand.
Officials began <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/14/856093586/after-days-of-no-new-coronavirus-cases-new-zealand-reopens-most-businesses">lifting</a> strict lockdown measures and allowing businesses to reopen in May after several consecutive days of no positive tests. At the time, Ardern’s drastic actions to stop the spread of the virus were celebrated for seemingly stamping out the disease across New Zealand, although the country was not heavily seeded with the virus and <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/04/what-new-zealand-did-right-in-battling-coronavirus/#close">peaked</a> at 1,476 active cases.
After strict lockdown rules were lifted, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/world/asia/jacinda-ardern-coronavirus-new-zealand.html">The New York Times</a> reported New Zealand’s apparent success fighting the disease in an article headlined, “Jacinda Ardern Sold a Drastic Lockdown With Straight Talk and Mom Jokes.”
“Ms. Ardern helped coax New Zealanders — “our team of five million,” she says — to buy into a lockdown so severe that even retrieving a lost cricket ball from a neighbor’s yard was banned,” the NYT reported. “Now the country, despite some early struggles with contact tracing, has very nearly stamped out the virus, exiting isolation with just 21 deaths and a few dozen active cases.”
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Jacinda Adern

New Zealand Goes Into Partial Lockdown After Confirming First Case Of Coronavirus In 102 Days

COVID-19

New Zealand

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned people about trusting Moscow’s claims that it had developed a successful coronavirus vaccine.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/news/gottlieb-on-masking-some-people-see-it-as-a-sort-of-infringement-on-their-liberty">Gottlieb</a> appeared on CNBC on Tuesday morning hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that a Russian lab had created a viable vaccine and one of the president&#8217;s daughters had already been inoculated with it.
“I wouldn’t take it, certainly not outside of a clinical trial right now,” Gottlieb said. “It appears that it’s only been tested in several hundred patients at most. In some reports, it’s been in as few as a hundred patients.”
“It’s not a trivial vaccine in terms of its technical complexity that goes into manufacturing a vaccine like this. If you remember the Chinese were also developing an adenoviral vector vaccine by a company called CanSino that’s in clinical trials in Canada and the early data on that vaccine isn’t very encouraging,” Gottlieb continued. “A lot of people had antibodies to the viral vector itself, and so they effectively neutralized the viral vector because it was based on a common cold, the virus that was being used to deliver the gene sequence in this case. And its not clear how efficacious the Russian vaccine is going to be and whether or not people have some prior immunity to the adenovirus that they are using to deliver the coronavirus gene sequence.”
The vaccine was created by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and approved by the Russian health ministry. Putin said the vaccine “has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity” and “has passed all the necessary tests,” according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/fcda62ad992db414d65f23b2adb78e44">Associated Press</a>. He also revealed that one of his two daughters had taken the vaccine, but did not say which.
Gottlieb added later on Twitter that Moscow’s announcement may be a play to pressure the United States into rushing its own vaccine development, or “sow doubts” about the possibility of an effective vaccine in the future.
“Russia was reported to be behind disinformation campaigns to sow doubts in U.S. about our Covid vaccines; and today’s news that they ‘approved’ a vaccine on the equivalent of phase 1 data may be another effort to stoke doubts or goad U.S. into forcing early action on our vaccines,” Gottlieb said.
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Russia was reported to be behind disinformation campaigns to sow doubts in U.S. about our Covid vaccines; and today’s news that they “approved” a vaccine on the equivalent of phase 1 data may be another effort to stoke doubts or goad U.S. into forcing early action on our vaccines <a href="https://t.co/WR6xPkFcfJ">https://t.co/WR6xPkFcfJ</a>
&mdash; Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1293142775328845824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The U.S. State Department has issued several warnings to the White House that information and data that Moscow is reporting related to the coronavirus pandemic is not trustworthy. Intelligence officials have also warned that Russian may be trying to steal data coronavirus vaccine development from other countries.
In July, intelligence officials in Great Britain, the United States, and Canada said that a group thought to be connected to the Kremlin was attempting to <a href="https://dw-site-staging.dailywire.com/news/u-s-britain-canada-accuse-russian-intelligence-of-attempt-to-steal-vaccine-info">hack</a> labs and institutes working on a coronavirus vaccine. The most likely explanation for the espionage is that Russia was attempting to steal data to expedite the creation of their own vaccine so they could be the first to announce a viable serum.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-chinese-russian-iranian-state-run-media-colluding-to-blame-america-on-virus">U.S. State Department</a> warned the White House in April that Moscow was working with the Iranians and Chinese to spread misinformation about the origin of the coronavirus, blaming the outbreak on the United States. The coronavirus was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Though the virus’ exact origins are unknown, one <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/coronavirus-china-trail-leading-back-to-wuhan-labs/">theory</a> is that it began in a Wuhan lab that had been studying coronavirus strains around the time the disease broke out.
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Vladimir Putin

‘I Wouldn’t Take It’: Former FDA Commissioner Warns Against Trusting Russian Vaccine Putin Gave To Daughter

Russia

St. Louis Circuit Court Attorney Kimberly Gardner accused the McCloskeys, who are defendants in a case Gardner is prosecuting, of turning the legal proceedings into “political theater” after they motioned to have her removed from the case.
The attorney for Mark and Patricia McCloskey, Joel Schwartz, filed a motion on July 29 to have Gardner barred from prosecuting their case after Gardner referenced the case in two campaign emails, one sent before charges were filed and one after. Gardner’s response to the McCloskeys was filed under seal but released to the public over the weekend by the St. Louis Circuit Court, according to the <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/gardner-says-mccloskeys-should-stop-turning-their-gun-case-into-political-theater/article_e44eea51-b65e-5775-8a72-72e7e2102a15.html">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/soros-is-funding-pac-supporting-reelection-of-prosecutor-who-targeted-mccloskeys-report-says">Gardner</a> pushed back against Schwartz’s assertion that the campaign emails carried “the appearance of impropriety,” that Gardner “may have been affected by her personal, political, financial, and professional interests, and that her neutrality, judgement, and ability to administer law in an objective manner may have been compromised.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutor-who-charged-mccloskeys-didnt-report-trips-as-required-by-law-report-says">Gardner</a> asserted that the campaign emails were not sent out in an effort to benefit from the high-profile case but in response to Republican attacks against her in the press over her decision to investigate the McCloskeys, and then over her decision to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrat-prosecutor-charges-mccloskeys-with-felonies-for-using-guns-to-defend-private-property">charge</a> them with gun use violations for threatening protesters who had broken into the McCloskeys’ private, gated neighborhood.
Gardner’s 23-page <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/10/010c1e1e-8869-5bcc-add2-6afed7955205/5f317827700cc.pdf.pdf">filing</a> reads in part:
<blockquote>Nothing in either of the two campaign emails the Defendant complains about approaches the type or level of misconduct needed to remove the Circuit Attorney or her entire office. The Defendants make no argument of an actual conflict of interest that would require the prosecutor to be removed from the case. (Def. Mot. at 6). Their argument of an “appearance of impropriety” falls flat when evaluated against the necessary standard to remove a prosecutor and an application of that standard to any reasonable review of all the facts. Applying the legal standard, this Court must therefore deny the motion and must instruct the defense to cease its attempts to turn these criminal proceedings into political theater.</blockquote>
Schwartz dismissed Gardner’s rebuttal in a message to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, saying that the filing “is not on point.” In the filing, Gardner references criticisms leveled against her by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, and others to justify the emails.
“Amongst other issues, she spends multiple pages detailing the complaints of various politicians and anonymous commentators,” Schwartz said. “They are not parties, they are not the prosecutor, and she should understand the difference. We plan on addressing her response in the near future.”
Gardner sent out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccloskeys-request-new-prosecutor-after-st-louis-circuit-attorney-seemingly-uses-case-to-campaign">fundraising emails</a> before and after July 20 when she charged McCloskeys. The emails make reference to “the couple who brandished guns during a peaceful protest” and accuse Republicans and “the right-wing media” of weaponizing the incident to attack and discredit Black Lives Matter.
“Kim needs your help to fight back! Her election is only weeks away. And right now she is under national scrutiny from our divisive President, the Republican establishment of Missouri, and the right-wing media, including Fox News,” one email says in part. “St. Louis will have an opportunity to re-elect progressive circuit attorney Kim Gardner, who time and time again has shown us she isn’t afraid to stand up and hold those accountable who are perpetuating a system of racism and police brutality.”
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Kim Gardner

St. Louis Attorney: McCloskeys Are Trying ‘To Turn These Criminal Proceedings Into Political Theater’

Mark McCloskey

Patricia McCloskey

St. Louis

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned along with the rest of his cabinet on Monday amid pressure from Lebanese protesters outraged over last week’s explosion in Beirut that killed dozens of people.
“I set out to combat corruption, but I discovered that corruption is bigger than the state,” Diab said in a televised announcement, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lebanon-in-crisis-amid-ministerial-resignations-protests-over-beirut-explosion-11597057872">The Wall Street Journal</a>. “I declare today the resignation of this government. God bless Lebanon.”
Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut was rocked on Tuesday by an explosion that killed over 150 people and left thousands more injured. The <a href="https://dw-site-staging.dailywire.com/news/massive-explosion-reported-in-beirut-lebanon">blast</a> scarred and warped buildings around Lebanon’s main port, affecting thousands of homes and businesses. The blast threw shards of glass roughly two miles from the blast site. An estimated 300,000 people were left <a href="https://dw-site-staging.dailywire.com/news/beirut-explosion-death-toll-skyrockets-as-thousands-injured-300000-left-homeless">homeless</a>.
The country was already drifting toward collapse under severe financial strain and an economy in a tailspin. Inflation has skyrocketed in the Middle Eastern country, pushing the wealthy to invest all their money in real estate, art, and other hard assets as the value of Lebanese currency plummets.
The Lebanese people, already fed up with their political leaders, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/world/middleeast/Beirut-explosion-protests-lebanon.html">held</a> demonstrations calling for the ouster of those in power, blaming them for the explosion at a government warehouse filled with explosive chemicals. In a poignant demonstration, protesters hung Diab and other members of the political elite in effigy. Protests have often devolved into violent riots and battles between angry crowds and security forces.
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مشانق رمزية معلقة في وسط بيروت تطالب بمحاسبة الطبقة السياسية على جريمة انفجار مرفأ بيروت والقتل والدمار الذي تسببت به &#8230; <a href="https://t.co/Ti9lV0ig2K">pic.twitter.com/Ti9lV0ig2K</a>
&mdash; ديانا مقلد Diana Moukalled (@dianamoukalled) <a href="https://twitter.com/dianamoukalled/status/1292118660866244615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Experts on Lebanon and the Middle East have warned in the aftermath that the port explosion may send Lebanon over the edge after spending the last several years on the brink of civil war. Now, with sudden exit and dissolution of the cabinet, a failed state is almost guaranteed.
“Not only do we have an absence of government and a political vacuum, but we’re going to have a severe problem with the function of the state of Lebanon,” Imad Salamey, a political scientist at Lebanese American University in Beirut, told WSJ. “We are heading toward the unknown.”
Previously, Diab had promised to find those responsible for the tragedy and bring them to justice.
“I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties,” Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said soon after the explosion.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beirut-explosion-last-nail-in-the-coffin-as-lebanon-hurtles-toward-failed-state-status">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported that experts believed Lebanon was quickly moving toward “failed state status”:
<blockquote>The Middle East country was already struggling under a plummeting economy and skyrocketing inflation. The coronavirus pandemic had dashed any hope for a recovery coming any time soon. On Tuesday, “the last nail in the coffin” came after a government warehouse stocked with 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-explosion-reported-in-beirut-lebanon">exploded</a> in the middle of Lebanon’s main port in the capital city of Beirut, one former Lebanese government adviser told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/beirut-explosion-brings-lebanon-to-the-brink-11596663015">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
“It’s the last nail in the coffin,” said Henri Chaoul, who resigned in June after advising Lebanese officials negotiating a potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Lebanese government defaulted on a $1.2 billion loan from the IMF in March.
“[Lebanese government officials] were incapable of running a much smaller crisis. How are they supposed to handle this?” Chaoul asked.
“I think Lebanon is fast approaching failed state status,” Lina Khatib, who studies the Middle East and North Africa at the Chatham House think tank in London, told WSJ.</blockquote>
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Hassan Diab

‘We Are Heading Toward The Unknown’: Lebanon PM, Cabinet Resign Posts Amid Furor Over Beirut Blast

Lebanon

California’s public health director resigned suddenly on Sunday night after unidentified failures in the state’s coronavirus reporting system created a backlog of at least 300,000 unreported cases.
Dr. Sonia Angell had held her position for less than a year and was one of the senior officials guiding the state’s coronavirus response. Angell announced her resignation in a Sunday email sent to staff at California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHSA) and released to the public.
The letter says in part:
<blockquote>Since January, when we got word of repatriation flights arriving from Wuhan, China, our Department has been front and center in what has become an all-of-government response of unprecedented proportions to COVID-19. Not one of our staff has gone untouched by the changes that have occurred. Not in our professional lives or our personal lives.
You have all stepped up to the calling. Some have done so by shifting your entire portfolio to emergency efforts, others of you have kept our State’s core public health work moving forward. Each and every one of you has been essential, because we know that in the final calculation, health is not defined by one condition, disease or experience. In the final calculation, all of our work, in aggregate, makes the difference.
I remain consistently impressed and humbled by the expertise, commitment, passion and kindness demonstrated by all of you daily. We have led with science and data, and with equity at the core of our intentions. As the first Latina in this role, I am very proud to have served this Department, Administration and our State, alongside all of you.</blockquote>
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New! CA Dept of Public Health Director Dr. Sonia Angell announces tonight she&#39;s leaving post, effective today. No reason given, but announcement comes as CA is slammed by resurgence, reaches grim marker of 10,000+ Covid-19 deaths, &amp; acknowledged problems with data. Her letter: <a href="https://t.co/wDyp11AQGm">pic.twitter.com/wDyp11AQGm</a>
&mdash; Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmarinucci/status/1292689289805852672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Angell did not specify a reason for her departure, though it comes as the CHHSA is investigating a reporting flaw in its coronavirus monitoring system that missed hundreds of thousands of cases.
“I want to thank Dr. Angell for her service to the state and her work to help steer our public health system during this global pandemic, while never losing sight of the importance of health equity,” California Gov. Gavin Newsome said in a statement on Sunday, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-09/california-public-health-director-resigns-in-wake-of-questions-about-coronavirus-test-data">Los Angeles Times</a>.
CHHSA Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly added, “I am grateful to Dr. Angell for her service to the people of California during this unprecedented public health crisis. She has worked tirelessly for all Californians, always keeping health equity in mind. Her leadership was instrumental as Californians flattened the curve once and in setting us on a path to do so again.”
Ghaly <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-07/california-coronavirus-reporting-backlog-cases">announced</a> the massive tracking discrepancy on Friday, saying that an antiquated reporting system combined with blunders by the government likely caused the backlog.
“Simply put, the CalREDIE system was not built for this volume of data,” Ghaly said. “In order to create a lasting solution, we are accelerating the development of a new laboratory reporting system for COVID-19.”
Ghaly also promised accountability for those involved in the situation.
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Sonia Angell

California Public Health Director Resigns After Officials Find Massive Discrepancy In Reported Coronavirus Cases

California

Colorado police have significantly scaled back officer-initiated traffic stops in May and June as officers adapt to policing in a pandemic and under a new law cutting back on qualified immunity.
Along the Interstate 25 corridor, which runs the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, police departments and agencies have recorded dramatic decreases in police officers initiating interactions with potential law breakers, according to <a href="https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/08/06/police-colorado-interactions-public-coronavirus-police-accountability/">CBS4 Denver</a>. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic coupled with recent scrutiny of police tactics has made law enforcement significantly more stressful.
“This has been one of the most challenging years in my career,” said Arvada Police Detective Dave Snelling, a 30-year veteran of the police force. “[COVID-19 and national movements] just added a lot of stress to an already stressful job.”
“For our police department we had more of a turnover,” Snelling added. “There are other agencies where officers have left the profession.”
According to data compiled by CBS4, both officer-initiated traffic stops and calls for service generally declined in May and June from last year to this year along Interstate 25. Officer-initiated interactions fell much more steeply, however, even by as much as 70%.
Some departments directed their police officers to limit interaction with the public after states began locking down in mid-March to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In Aurora, Colorado, police calls for service fell 17.6% in May and 5.9% in June. Officer-initiated traffic stops, in comparison, fell by 40.5% and 20.7%, respectively.
Some of the largest drop-offs in officer-involved interactions among departments came amid a push to <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/major-police-reform-passes-in-colorado-headed-to-governor-to-sign">curtail qualified immunity</a> for police officers. The legislative push was spurred by the police-involved death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-bodycam-footage-shows-moment-by-moment-arrest-of-george-floyd-for-the-first-time">George Floyd</a> in Minneapolis on May 25, and the resulting bill was enacted on June 13.
The bill rolls back a number of liability protections for police, as well as requires police to wear body cameras at all times with certain exceptions, such as going undercover. It also curtails police enforcement tactics by banning chokeholds and forbidding police officers from firing “kinetic impact projectiles” at someone’s “head, pelvis, or back,” or firing them “indiscriminately into a crowd.”
In the state capital of Denver, calls for service remained roughly constant from 2019 to 2020. Officer-initiated traffic stops fell by 8.9% year-to-year in May, and by a staggering 58.8% in June. In nearby Boulder, officer-initiated traffic stops increased by 55.3% in May and then fell 65.7% in June.
Police officers and administrators worried about the bill’s impact on policing after it went into effect. Last month, Loveland patrol sergeant Rob Pride told <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/07/police-reform-law-colorado/614269/">The Atlantic</a> that he is “worried” the increased restrictions may cause officers to “hesitate” in life-threatening situations because they do not want to lose their life savings nor their jobs.
Colorado State Rep. Leslie Herod who wrote the initial version of the law proposed in the House was less sympathetic to Pride’s concerns, stating, “If officers are rethinking [their career] because of a law of integrity and accountability, then they shouldn’t be in the profession as a police officer.”
“Their duty is to serve and protect, not kill. It is very important that law-enforcement officers think before they act,” Herod said.
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Aurora police

Colorado Police Dramatically Cut Enforcement Actions Amid Pandemic, New Accountability Law

Colorado

Denver

Police

China is imposing new sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens, including a handful of lawmakers, in retaliation for the action the U.S. took against Hong Kong officials last week.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announced the new sanctions on Monday during a daily press briefing, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-imposes-sanctions-on-11-americans-over-hong-kong-11597056487">The Wall Street Journal</a>. The new sanctions will hit five GOP lawmakers who are considered hawks on China and have been critical of Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong: Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey.
Also included in the list of sanctioned Americans are Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth, National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman, and Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz.
“In response to the erroneous actions of the U.S., China has decided to impose sanctions today on those individuals who behaved badly on Hong Kong-related issues,” Lijian said at the press briefing. He did not specify the actions that would be taken. No Trump administration officials are being targeted.
China has previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-sanctions-cruz-rubio-for-calling-out-systemic-oppression-of-uighurs-cruz-and-rubio-laugh-in-their-faces">issued</a> sanctions on Cruz and Rubio for calling attention to Beijing’s oppression of Uyghers and other ethnic minorities in the country’s Xinjiang region.
On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on at least 11 Hong Kong officials that have been working closely with Beijing to reform and restructure Hong Kong’s government and laws.
As <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/white-house-torches-hong-kong-chief-exec-carrie-lam-presses-sanctions">The Daily Wire</a> reports:
<blockquote>President Donald Trump took his strongest action yet against Chinese government forces looking to stifle freedom in Hong Kong, instituting dedicated sanctions against Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, and at least ten other officials over their decision to follow China’s lead and press strict, anti-free speech controls on Hong Kong citizens.
The Chinese government, last month, passed a series of laws “reclaiming” Hong Kong and implementing a series of oppressive restrictions designed to quell protests and subject Hong Kong citizens, long considered freer than their Chinese counterparts, to draconian Chinese rules.</blockquote>
On July 1, a new national security law went into effect purportedly banning acts of sedition, subversion, and terrorism. The new law has been used to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weapon-of-repression-china-passes-hong-kong-national-security-law-cracking-down-on-dissent">crack down</a> on dissent from pro-democracy protesters that have demonstrated against Beijing’s heavy hand for months. The law also includes a rule that bans anyone from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-bans-everyone-on-earth-from-promoting-hong-kong-democracy-expert-says-china-has-extradition-pacts-with-dozens-of-nations">advocating</a> for Hong Kong independence from anywhere in the world.
Early Monday, police arrested Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raided the offices of his newspaper Apple Daily. Lai was arrested on suspicion of “collusion” with foreign agents and accused of violating the new national security law. Lai has been an outspoken critic of Beijing and supporter of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/09/media/hong-kong-security-law-jimmy-lai-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a>.
“Democracy needs heroes, and Jimmy Lai used his media empire to advance the cause of freedom in Hong Kong,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said in a statement. “The Chinese Communist Party hated him for it and didn’t hesitate to declare him a threat to national security. Tech executives in the US and abroad should be disturbed by this news and fully understand who they’re dealing with when they supplicate before the CCP.”
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Xi Jinping

China Slaps Sanctions on 11 U.S. Lawmakers, Citizens In Retaliation Against Trump Administration

China

Hong Kong

NASA will “reexamine” its colloquial names for galaxies, stars, planets, and other cosmic systems to cut down on “insensitive” space terminology.
NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-reexamine-nicknames-for-cosmic-objects">announced</a> on Wednesday that it would begin reviewing unofficial names, and change the way researchers refer to certain “cosmic objects” by either using the scientific name or finding a fitting new nickname.
“As the scientific community works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive, but can be actively harmful,” the space agency said in a statement. “NASA is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
NASA continued:
<blockquote>NASA will no longer refer to planetary nebula NGC 2392, the glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life, as the “Eskimo Nebula.” “Eskimo” is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions. Most official documents have moved away from its use. NASA will also no longer use the term “Siamese Twins Galaxy” to refer to NGC 4567 and NGC 4568, a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Moving forward, NASA will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate.</blockquote>
In June, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eskimo-pies-to-change-derogatory-name-after-aunt-jemima-outrage">announced</a> that it was purging the name “Eskimo Pies” from its line of snack cakes. The company had determined that the name “Eskimo,” which typically refers to indigenous peoples living in places such as Canada and Alaska, was “derogatory.”
NASA said the new names would further its mission and keep the focus of its work on science. “Often seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful and detract from the science,” the agency said.
“I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects,” NASA associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said in a statement. “Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and we’ll proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that. Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value.”
Stephen Shih, who heads the agency’s Diversity and Equal Opportunity office, added, “These nicknames and terms may have historical or culture connotations that are objectionable or unwelcoming, and NASA is strongly committed to addressing them.”
“Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so this means we must make it inclusive,” Shih said.
In June, prestigious scientific journals Cell, New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and Science Magazine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/science-has-a-racism-problem-top-science-journals-say-systemic-racism-is-keeping-black-people-from-entering-stem">published</a> a series of editorials condemning “systemic racism” in their own publications and in the scientific community at large.
“Science has a racism problem,” the editorial board at Cell declared.
“Slavery has produced a legacy of racism, injustice, and brutality that runs from 1619 to the present, and that legacy infects medicine as it does all social institutions,” the NEJM editorial board wrote in a nod to The New York Times’ “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/historians-shred-nyt-1619-project-claiming-slavery-defines-america">1619 Project</a>,” an effort to base the founding of the United States and all progress since in slavery.
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NASA

NASA: ‘Certain Cosmic Nicknames’ Are ‘Actively Harmful,’ Will ‘Reexamine’ Their Use

Racism

A conservative attorney in California is leading a lawsuit against the state for strictly limiting in-person learning in schools scheduled to open over the next week.
Attorney Harmeet Dhillon accused Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom of violating his state’s residents’ “fundamental rights” under the Constitution during an interview on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lawyer-suing-california-over-school-closures-says-order-unconstitutional-takes-away-fundamental-right">Fox News</a> on Thursday. She said that Newsom’s rules over reopening schools, which evaluates COVID-19 spread on a county-by-county basis, violate residents’ 14th Amendment right to equal treatment under the law.
“If you have a right under the law, a fundamental right, protected right, and your ability to enjoy that right varies according to some arbitrary criteria like where you live,” that is unconstitutional, Dhillon said. “So you&#8217;re living, for example, on the border of a county that is on the bad list. The county next to you, right across the border &#8230; across the street even, is not on that list. The kid in the house across the street gets to have a quality education in-person and you don&#8217;t.”
A coalition of California parents are bringing the <a href="https://libertycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200721_Pltfs_Doc-1_Complaint.pdf">lawsuit</a>, which includes <a href="https://libertycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200729_Doc_13-1_Exh_1_Prop_Brief1.pdf">testimony</a> from experts such as Dr. Scott Atlas, the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford, and Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, a professor of Medicine at Stanford University.
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo cleared all schools in his state to reopen for fall classes as long as they secure approval from New York’s Health and Education departments. Parents involved in the lawsuit against California are now asking Newsom to adopt a plan similar to Cuomo’s.
“Governor Gavin Newsom has set a dangerous precedent when he ordered that local school districts should not have the freedom to decide what’s best for their community when it comes to school openings. How is it that one man thinks he knows what’s best for more than 40 million people?” Erica Sephton, who has a daughter about to enter kindergarten, told The Daily Wire in a statement. “While Governor Cuomo has made his share of mistakes dealing with the Coronavirus, at least he recognizes that with a decision this important, there has to be meaningful input from the parents and local districts at the ground level.”
The Trump administration has pushed for the vast majority of schools to reopen across the United States, saying that the relative risk of the coronavirus to children is far less than the risks posed to their emotional, mental, and physical health should they be barred from returning to school. The <a href="https://dw-site-dev.dailywire.com/news/cdc-sides-with-trump-says-students-need-to-go-back-to-school">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-academy-of-pediatrics-get-students-back-to-school-in-the-fall">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> have backed up the Trump administration’s claims.
“The best available evidence from countries that have opened schools indicates that COVID-19 poses low risks to school-aged children, at least in areas with low community transmission, and suggests that children are unlikely to be major drivers of the spread of the virus,” <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html">CDC</a> guidance says.
The push to reopen schools has largely been resisted by elected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-crenshaw-smacks-democrats-for-pushing-narrative-of-crisis-and-fear-on-schools-reopening">Democrats</a> and teachers’ unions. Critics of reopening claim that schools should not be opened back up for full, in-person learning until they can guarantee social distancing measures such as six feet of space between students, a virtually impossible task for most schools.
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Gavin Newsom

‘A Dangerous Precedent’: Parents Are Pushing Newsom To Open CA Schools Ahead Of Fall Semester

A Maryland man being held in a Virginia prison on rape charges was released over coronavirus concerns, then allegedly murdered his accuser, according to police.
Police tracked down and found Ibrahim Bouaichi, 33, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Wednesday. Authorities sought Bouaichi in connection with the death of Karla Dominguez, who had accused Bouaichi of rape and testified against him in October, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2020/08/06/released-jail-height-pandemic-alexandria-rape-suspect-allegedly-killed-his-accuser/">The Washington Post</a>.
When police located Bouaichi, he fled in his car until he crashed. Police moving to arrest him found that he had apparently shot himself. Bouaichi remained in critical condition on Thursday.
Partly on Dominguez’s testimony, Bouaichi was indicted on five felony charges of rape, sodomy, strangulation, abduction, and burglary. Bouaichi was held without bail in an Alexandria prison facility until April 9, when Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins ordered his release on a $25,000 bond.
Bouaichi’s attorneys argued that his bail terms were worth revisiting and he should be released to house arrest because of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Jails and prisons have been identified as hotspots for the disease because of the facilities’ close quarters. Once the facility is infected, prisoners often don’t have space to socially distance to keep from contracting the virus.
Bouaichi’s attorneys said that continuing to keep him locked up brought increased risk to him, as well as his legal team if they sought to visit him in person. The jail in which Bouaichi was being held had issued rules over so-called “contact visits” between attorneys and inmates, cutting them down to a minimum. Inmates and attorneys moved to meeting via video conference, which Bouaichi’s attorneys complained had “effectively deprived [Bouaichi] of legal counsel.”
Prosecutors argued against releasing Bouaichi since he was indicted for violent crimes and could be a risk to others. Dawkins sided with the defense, and allowed Bouaichi to be released back to his home in Maryland.
On July 29, police responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment building in Alexandria. Police found Dominguez lying dead outside of her apartment. Police obtained a murder warrant for Bouaichi on July 31, and found him in Maryland on Wednesday.
The coronavirus pandemic has <a href="https://dw-site-staging.dailywire.com/news/new-york-city-prosecutors-are-not-happy-with-bill-de-blasios-plan-to-free-high-risk-inmates">confounded</a> authorities and elected officials from the local to national level. Justice system officials have attempted to balance the risk from the coronavirus to inmates with the increased risk to society if certain prisoners are allowed to be set free.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to release 8,000 inmates from state prisons by the end of August over the coronavirus.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-plans-to-release-roughly-8000-inmates-back-into-california-over-coronavirus">The Daily Wire</a> reports:
<blockquote>The CDCR will release prisoners in three stages. The state will begin releasing prisoners with 180 days or fewer left on their sentences who have not been convicted of a violent crime or are registered or required to register as a sex offender.
In the second stage, inmates age 30 and older with less than a year left on their sentences will be eligible for release if they are being held in one of eight prisons with “large populations of high-risk patients.” For the third stage, prisoners deemed at high risk of the coronavirus will be released as long as they are not convicted of a violent crime, required to register as a sex offender, or serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.</blockquote>
At the end of July, California authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-releases-convicted-murderer-serving-84-year-sentence-over-pandemic">released</a> a woman who had served about 20 years of an 84-year sentence for murder under a state code “which allows the release of an incarcerated person in the case of an emergency that endangers their life.”
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Police: Rape Suspect Gets Released From Jail Over COVID, Allegedly Murders His Accuser

Crime

Rape

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler warned rioters that each additional night of violence against police and residents was a donation of sorts to President Trump’s reelection campaign.
Wheeler appeared in a press conference with Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell on Thursday after rioters attempted to burn down a police precinct the night before. Wheeler appealed to rioters to stop the violence and asked protesters and gawkers to stop encouraging violence targeting police.
“Last night, 200-300 people went to East Precinct intent on violence. The purpose was to attack the East Precinct facility and the people therein,” Wheeler said, later adding, “Exits were blocked; they were barricaded shut with cars and with two-by-fours. Security cameras were disabled, and accelerants were used to set and grow fires. The attack was immediate, it was intentional, and it was planned. It was intended to cause serious injury or death, and it very well could have.”
“When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people that you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating; you are attempting to commit murder,” Wheeler said.
“This is not peaceful protest. This is not advocacy to advance reforms or transform any system,” Wheeler continued.
Portland has been rocked for over two months by nightly riots since the death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-bodycam-footage-shows-moment-by-moment-arrest-of-george-floyd-for-the-first-time">George Floyd</a> in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. On Thursday night, a group of rioters <a href="https://dw-site-dev.dailywire.com/news/rioters-storm-portland-suburb-throw-paint-on-elderly-woman-harass-another-using-walker">surrounded</a> an elderly woman using a walker and threw white paint on her. One man can be seen getting inches away from her face to yell at her.
Wheeler said that city officials expected the attacks on city buildings, police, and residential neighborhoods to continue:
<blockquote>We anticipate additional planned attacks on occupied buildings over the next few days. I want to put a message out to the people of this city: if you are a nonviolent demonstrator and you don’t want to be part of intentional violence, please stay away from these areas. Our community must say that this violence is not Portland, that these actions do not reflect our values, and these crimes are distracting from reform, not advancing it. And they’re keeping our police officers from responding to historic levels of violence in our community. Right now, Portland is experiencing record gun violence and our police bureau, its leadership, its detectives, its frontline officers, its support staff need to be focused on responding to that, not on responding to arson at our own police precincts.</blockquote>
At the end of the press conference, Wheeler made a political appeal to rioters and protesters that they were helping to potentially reelect Trump with nightly footage of attacks circulating on social media.
“Don’t think for a moment that if you are participating in this activity, that you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are. You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his campaign. You don’t want to be part of that? Then don’t show up,” Wheeler said.
<iframe title="Watch: Portland mayor, police chief talk about the city&#039;s ongoing protests" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EKXB1USAyG8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Portland riots

Portland Mayor Pleads With Rioters To Stop The Violence: You ‘Will Be Used In Ads Nationally To Help Donald Trump’

2020 Election

Donald Trump

Portland

rioters

Ted Wheeler

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to remove Police Chief Alfonso Morales, citing his decision to use tear gas and pepper spray on George Floyd protesters and other choices he had made.
“His conduct is unbecoming, filled with ethical lapses and flawed decisions,” Commissioner Raymond Robakowski said before the vote was taken, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Mr. Morales has failed the men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department, the people of the city of Milwaukee and he has misled me. And none of this is acceptable.”
Morales was returned to the rank of captain, which he held before the board installed him as chief in February 2018. Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett slammed the board’s decision, claiming that it was spurred by a “feud” between the police chief and a board member.
“Clearly there is a blood feud between Chief Morales and Chairman [Steven DeVougas],” Barrett told the Journal Sentinel. “And I think it’s all really bad for our city and they both should be embarrassed.”
Thursday was DeVougas’ last day as the board’s chairman, though he remains a board member. Barrett accused the board of rushing the decision and not giving Morales a fair hearing in comments after the vote.
“I am angry with what happened tonight,” Barrett said. “Chief Morales should have been given an opportunity to respond. At the same time, I understand some of the frustration because rather than responding to the directives, he spent two weeks on a [public relations] campaign and clearly that angered the commissioners, as well.”
“The discussion surrounding this decision tonight was completely lacking in transparency. The action taken by the commission tonight was not good government,” Barrett said, according to The <a href="https://apnews.com/f0923d1aaff03b71aa90b83627258f44">Associated Press</a>.
Tensions between Morales and DeVougas began last fall as the commission was weighing whether to appoint Morales to another term. DeVougas reportedly wanted Morales to fire an officer involved in a January 2018 incident in which police used a stun gun on Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown after he parked illegally. Brown had ignored police orders to remove his hands from his pockets. Morales refused to fire the officer, but eight officers were disciplined.
Months later, union officials with the Milwaukee Police Association filed an ethics complaint accusing DeVougas of accompanying someone suspected of sexual assault to a police interview in August 2019. The suspect was a real estate developer and a client of DeVougas’ real estate law practice.
A report <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2020/07/02/milwaukee-fpc-chair-steven-devougas-violated-ethics-code-kalan-haywood-investigation-finds/5363245002/">released</a> by an independent investigator last month found that DeVougas likely violated city ethics codes and lied about his relationship with the real estate developer. DeVougas is still under official investigation for the incident.
The commission reportedly grew upset after Morales authorized his officers to use pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds during a wave of protests following the death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-bodycam-footage-shows-moment-by-moment-arrest-of-george-floyd-for-the-first-time">George Floyd</a> in Minneapolis on May 25. In July, the commission banned police from using tear gas, which prompted dozens of police departments to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-over-100-police-agencies-pull-out-of-agreements-to-guard-dnc-convention">scrap contracts</a> with the Democratic National Committee to protect its upcoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finally-dnc-moves-democratic-national-convention-to-august">convention</a>.
Police Chief Rick Oliva from nearby Franklin slammed the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission following the decision to ban tear gas.
“It is apparent there is a lack of commitment to provide the Milwaukee Police Department with the resources it needs to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters, attendees, citizens and police personnel,” Oliva said. “I can not send personnel if they are not properly equipped or will not be allowed to engage in appropriate actions which would ensure their safety.”
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Alfonso Morales

Milwaukee Oversight Board Ousts Police Chief Over ‘Ethical Lapses.’ Mayor Calls It A ‘Blood Feud’

George Floyd

Milwaukee

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slammed President Trump for floating the idea that he may accept the Republican nomination for president in a speech from the White House.
Pelosi appeared on MSNBC with host Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday to speak about updates on the evolving plans for the Democratic and Republican national conventions, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-blasts-trump-convention-speech-white-house-cant-do">Fox News</a>. Earlier in the day, President Trump said that he may not travel to Jacksonville for the convention, and may <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-may-deliver-rnc-speech-accept-gop-nomination-at-white-house">accept</a> the Republican nomination for president at the White House instead.
“It might be. It’s something we are thinking about,” Trump had said during a Wednesday morning interview with Fox News. “We’re picking a location fairly soon.”
Pelosi slammed the idea and accused the president of trying to “politicize” the White House.
“It’s very wrong. Again, when we’re in the Capitol of the United States under the dome, we have very limited opportunity to reference anything political, and for the President of the United States to degrade, once again, the White House as he has done over and over again by saying he is going to completely politicize it, is something that should be rejected right out of hand,” Pelosi said. “It’s, again, notion mongering, not serious thinking. And it won’t happen, let’s put it that way. Whether it’s legally wrong or ethically out of the question, it shouldn’t have even be something that was expressed.”
Mitchell pressed the speaker if she could stop the president from holding the speech if he set his mind on it. Pelosi evaded the question and asserted simply that “he can’t do that.”
“He can’t do that. You can’t do that. I mean, you would be very surprised, I think, at the fact that when you’re at the White House, you’re talking about policy and the rest, you’re not talking politics,” Pelosi said. “We never did, you would have a limited reference &#8230; to our civic life in terms of politics, but you don’t talk politics in the White House, and you don’t talk politics under the dome of the Capitol, except perhaps a reference to it, but not an event. You don’t have political events in the Capitol. You don’t have political events in the White House.”
Pelosi and numerous other congressional Democrats wore kente clothe scarves and knelt in the lobby of the U.S. Capitol Visitor&#8217;s Center in June in a staged event to show solidarity with protesters marching over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Critics <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/africans-are-not-children-democrats-face-backlash-from-blacks-over-political-stunt">called</a> the event a “disingenuous” stunt and a “performance.”
Pelosi then said that Trump raising the issue of possibly delivering his convention speech from the White House is an attempt to deflect attention from the twin crises of a pandemic and economic tailspin.
“Once again, he is diverting attention from the fact that people are dying in our country, children are hungry, families are fearing eviction, workers are concerned about getting money into their pockets, the state and local governments are suffering from the virus and the rest, and we are talking about whether he can have a political event at the White House,” Pelosi said. “He can’t. But, again, it’s interesting, it’s curious, it’s a diversion, and he is a master of diversion, but what we all really need to be talking about is the fact that we passed our bill, the HEROES Act, nearly three months ago. In that time, over three million people have been added to the list of those infected, 70,000 people have died, and we’re talking about the president having political events at the White House. He can’t, so let’s talk about what we can do. Let’s see how we can work together to get that done.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Live now on <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSNBC</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchellreports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MitchellReports</a> interviews Speaker Pelosi.<a href="https://t.co/RdYLvfum24">https://t.co/RdYLvfum24</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Wgk2AtyBe">pic.twitter.com/9Wgk2AtyBe</a>
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1291042078051508224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-accept-republican-nomination-in-private-rnc-official-says">Republican National Committee</a> (RNC) and Trump have walked back plans to hold a full convention since a spat with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) prompted the RNC to move the bulk of the convention from Charlotte to Jacksonville. Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scraps-in-person-jacksonville-gop-convention-activities-not-the-right-time">scrapped</a> plans for an in-person convention in Jacksonville, saying that “it’s not the right time” for such a gathering.
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Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi: Trump Delivering RNC Acceptance Speech From White House ‘Very Wrong,’ Would ‘Completely Politicize It’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) accused PBS News Hour anchor Judy Woodruff of running cover for congressional Republicans after Woodruff challenged the Democratic leader’s narrative the latest coronavirus relief talks.
“The other point Republicans are making,” Woodruff says midway through the interview, “is they are now showing flexibility in money for state and local governments. This is, again, a difference; Democrats want more money, Republicans want a lot less. They are saying they’re willing to show flexibility, and they’re also saying a lot of the money that was passed in the spring, Madam Speaker, has not even been spent yet.”
Pelosi interrupted Woodruff to accuse her of advocating for the GOP: “Well, if you want to be an advocate for them, Judy, if you want to be an advocate for them, let’s know what the facts are.”
Woodruff responded that she is playing “devil’s advocate” to challenge the speaker.
“No, [you] aren’t,” Pelosi shot back. “The point is we have a bill that meets the needs of the American people. It’s called the HEROES Act. They don’t even want to do state and local, and when they do, it’s very meager and they want to revert to money from before. Much of the money that was allocated before has been spent or allocated. A small amount has not because they want to see what we’re doing in this bill.”
“We have $915 billion for states, localities, counties, and the rest, tribal governments, and territories. They have very little money that they’re offering. When we have a chance and when we’re allowed to show you what the different numbers are, but our record is clear,” Pelosi continued.
“We’ll find our common ground, but I don’t think in any way as a legislator that what they are proposing has any recognition of what is happening to the lives, the livelihood, and the life of our democracy,” Pelosi later added.
<iframe title="Pelosi says GOP still doesn&#039;t recognize &#039;gravity&#039; of coronavirus crisis" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EoOm1skl6oI?start=391&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Talks between Democrats and Republicans over a fifth coronavirus aid bill have stalled on Capitol Hill. Republicans’ introductory proposal featured an additional $1 trillion in spending that included another one-time check of $1,200 for a majority of Americans, as well as an extension and gradual phase-out of boosted unemployment benefits.
A federal $600/week supplement to unemployment benefits approved in the spring phased out on Friday, placing additional pressure on lawmakers who generally agree the program should be extended, but disagree on how much.
Under the Republican plan, the original $600/week in additional unemployment benefits would be lowered to $200 and extended through September, then drop to make up 70% of whatever the worker was making while employed. Republicans say that the $600 supplemental unemployment benefits have caused many workers to resist returning to work as they are making more on unemployment.
Under the Democratic plan, the $600/week supplement would be extended through January. Senate Democrats have also floated legislation that would tie supplemental unemployment insurance to decreases in the unemployment rate. The initial Democratic plan, being spearheaded by Pelosi in the House, had a total price tag three times larger than the GOP plan at $3.5 trillion. It featured bailouts for state and local governments, as well as billions of dollars for the Post Office and for food assistance.
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Nancy Pelosi Flips On PBS Reporter, Accuses Her Of Being An ‘Advocate’ For GOP

Unemployment

Democratic officials in Pennsylvania are worried what impact a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general against the National Rifle Association (NRA) might have on the 2020 presidential race.
Politico reporter Holly Otterbein said on Thursday after the suit was filed that several Democrats in Pennsylvania, a battleground state President Trump flipped red in 2016, are “panicked” the lawsuit may be interpreted as a Democratic attack on gun rights and the Second Amendment.
“Some Pennsylvania Democratic elected officials are panicked about the NRA lawsuit&#8217;s effect on the presidential race. One told me it was an ‘October surprise’: ‘This is the equivalent of Alabama AG suing to dissolve Planned Parenthood for the left,’” Otterbein tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Some Pennsylvania Democratic elected officials are panicked about the NRA lawsuit&#39;s effect on the presidential race. One told me it was an &quot;October surprise&quot;: &quot;This is the equivalent of Alabama AG suing to dissolve Planned Parenthood for the left.&quot;
&mdash; Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) <a href="https://twitter.com/hollyotterbein/status/1291425273100066818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is currently leading Trump by 4.7 points in Pennsylvania, according to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/pa/pennsylvania_trump_vs_biden-6861.html">RealClearPolitics</a> polling average. Trump won the state in 2016 after it had gone for the Democratic candidate in six straight presidential elections.
New York Attorney General Letitia James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-attorney-general-sues-to-dissolve-the-nra-citing-financial-irregularities">announced</a> her lawsuit against the NRA on Thursday morning, aiming to “dissolve” the organization for alleged financial “fraud and abuse” allegedly committed by several current and former NRA executives.
“We are seeking to dissolve the NRA for years of self-dealing and illegal conduct that violate New York’s charities laws and undermine its own mission. The NRA diverted millions of dollars away from its charitable mission for personal use by senior leadership,” James wrote in the lawsuit. “Our lawsuit charges the NRA as a whole and four senior leaders, including Wayne LaPierre, with failing to manage the NRA’s funds and failing to follow numerous state and federal laws. These actions contributed to the loss of more than $64 million in just three years for the NRA.”
The NRA denied the allegations: “The NRA has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance. The association’s financials are audited and its tax filings are verified by one of the most reputable firms in the world. Internally, the association has an appropriate conflict of interest policy, which provides that all potential conflicts are reviewed and scrutinized by the audit committee.”
The association’s CEO, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nras-wayne-lapierre-rips-media-democrats-putting-joseph-curl">Wayne LaPierre</a>, who is named in James’ lawsuit, responded in a separate <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1291468835317518356">statement</a> on the NRA’s Twitter account. LaPierre said, “The NRA is well governed, financially solvent, and committed to good governance. We’re ready for the fight. Bring it on.”
The NRA filed its own <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bring-it-on-nra-counters-new-york-ags-lawsuit-with-one-of-its-own">counter-suit</a> against the New York attorney general’s office, charging that James has unfairly targeted the gun rights organization since her 2018 campaign for office. The suit alleges that James has consistently defamed the NRA and violated its First Amendment rights.
“James boasted that she would strike foul blows against the NRA and pound the NRA into submission. She vowed that she would use the NYAG’s investigative and enforcement powers for the precise purpose of stanching political speech (‘deadly propaganda),” the NRA’s lawsuit says. “She has begun to deliver on her campaign promises to retaliate against the NRA for constitutionally protected speech on issues that James opposes. As NYAG, James has regrettably succumbed to ‘individual passions, and individual malevolence.’”
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Letitia James

Democrats In Battleground State Apoplectic Over NY’s NRA Lawsuit: ‘Equivalent Of Alabama AG Suing To Dissolve Planned Parenthood’

Democrats

National Rifle Association (NRA)

Pennsylvania

The National Rifle Association (NRA) sued the New York attorney general’s office on Thursday, accusing the state AG of defamation and violating the organization’s First Amendment rights.
The NRA’s 19-page civil lawsuit, filed in the federal court of New York, was in response to a lawsuit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-attorney-general-sues-to-dissolve-the-nra-citing-financial-irregularities">announced</a> by state Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-attorney-general-orders-black-lives-matter-foundation-to-stop-soliciting-donations-its-not-what-you-think">Letitia James</a> on Thursday morning seeking to “dissolve” the gun rights group over alleged financial “fraud and abuse.” The NRA countersuit alleges that James “made the political prosecution of the NRA a central campaign theme” during her 2018 run, and has continued to denounce the group as a “criminal enterprise” and “a terrorist organization” since, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/nra-lawsuit-ny-attorney-general-lawsuit">Fox News</a>.
“Despite hopes that playing by the rules would procure a just outcome, the NRA has not been treated fairly by James’s office,” the NRA lawsuit says. “The New York Democratic Party political machine seeks to harass, defund, and dismantle the NRA because of what it believes and what it says.”
“James boasted that she would strike foul blows against the NRA and pound the NRA into submission. She vowed that she would use the NYAG’s investigative and enforcement powers for the precise purpose of stanching political speech (‘deadly propaganda&#8217;),” the lawsuit continues. “She has begun to deliver on her campaign promises to retaliate against the NRA for constitutionally protected speech on issues that James opposes. As NYAG, James has regrettably succumbed to ‘individual passions, and individual malevolence.’”
NRA CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nras-wayne-lapierre-rips-media-democrats-putting-joseph-curl">Wayne LaPierre</a>, who is named in James’ lawsuit, responded in a separate statement put out on the NRA’s Twitter account.
“The NYAG’s actions are an affront to democracy and freedom. This is an unconstitutional, premeditated attack aiming to dismantle and destroy the NRA – the fiercest defender of America’s freedom at the ballot box for decades,” LaPierre said. “The NRA is well governed, financially solvent, and committed to good governance. We’re ready for the fight. Bring it on.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
(2/2) The NRA is well governed, financially solvent, and committed to good governance. We’re ready for the fight. Bring it on.”
&mdash; NRA (@NRA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1291468835317518356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
James’ lawsuit against the NRA claims that LaPierre and three other executives illegally used funds from the organization to pay for lavish travel and activities unconnected with the organization’s mission to advocate for the Second Amendment and gun rights.
“We are seeking to dissolve the NRA for years of self-dealing and illegal conduct that violate New York’s charities laws and undermine its own mission. The NRA diverted millions of dollars away from its charitable mission for personal use by senior leadership,” James wrote. “Our lawsuit charges the NRA as a whole and four senior leaders, including Wayne LaPierre, with failing to manage the NRA’s funds and failing to follow numerous state and federal laws. These actions contributed to the loss of more than $64 million in just three years for the NRA.”
The NRA issued a statement denying the allegations made in James’ lawsuit.
“The NRA has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance,” the NRA said. “The association’s financials are audited and its tax filings are verified by one of the most reputable firms in the world. Internally, the association has an appropriate conflict of interest policy, which provides that all potential conflicts are reviewed and scrutinized by the audit committee.”
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Wayne LaPierre

‘Bring It On’: NRA Counters New York AG’s Lawsuit With One Of Its Own

New York

A massive explosion at Lebanon’s main port has sent an already precarious state hurtling toward failure, according to experts.
The Middle East country was already struggling under a plummeting economy and skyrocketing inflation. The coronavirus pandemic had dashed any hope for a recovery coming any time soon. On Tuesday, “the last nail in the coffin” came after a government warehouse stocked with 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-explosion-reported-in-beirut-lebanon">exploded</a> in the middle of Lebanon’s main port in the capital city of Beirut, one former Lebanese government adviser told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/beirut-explosion-brings-lebanon-to-the-brink-11596663015">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
“It’s the last nail in the coffin,” said Henri Chaoul, who resigned in June after advising Lebanese officials negotiating a potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Lebanese government defaulted on a $1.2 billion loan from the IMF in March.
“[Lebanese government officials] were incapable of running a much smaller crisis. How are they supposed to handle this?” Chaoul asked.
“I think Lebanon is fast approaching failed state status,” Lina Khatib, who studies the Middle East and North Africa at the Chatham House think tank in London, told WSJ.
The explosion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beirut-explosion-death-toll-skyrockets-as-thousands-injured-300000-left-homeless">killed</a> dozens and injured thousands more while damaging buildings for miles around, blowing out glass and warping beams and supports. The destruction has left an estimated 300,000 people in Beirut homeless. Shards of broken glass were seen two miles away from the blast site, encompassing an area where roughly 750,000 people live. The sound from the explosion could be heard more than 100 miles away.
Many Lebanese are anxious to hold someone accountable for the disaster while Lebanon’s leaders, many of whom are holdouts from the country’s last civil war, are trying to avoid responsibility.
“I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties,” Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Anger at Lebanon’s political class has been building for years as the country’s economy has stagnated and the value of its currency has plummeted. Inflation is nearly 90%, and the IMF predicts that Lebanon’s economy will contract by 12% by the end of the year.
“We’re entering this catastrophe already on the brink,” Oxford Economics economist Nafez Zouk, an expert on Lebanon, told WSJ, referring to the port explosion. “This just accelerates the free fall.”
Lebanon has been on the “brink” of another civil war for several years. The terror group Hezbollah maintains a strong presence in Lebanon, and is a constant threat to Israel to the south and has fought the Jewish state openly.
Hezbollah’s relationship with Syria to Lebanon’s north and east has contributed to Lebanon’s fall as the terror group aids Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, according to the <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/lebanons-fate-appears-to-be-irreversibly-tied-to-syria/">Atlantic Council</a>. Lebanon has also been drawn into confrontations between Iran and the United States. Tensions between Lebanon’s populations of Christian, Sunni and Shiite Muslim, and Druze residents are growing as well.
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Beirut

Beirut Explosion ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ As Lebanon Hurtles Toward ‘Failed State Status’

San Francisco police arrested two people for allegedly building a narcotics lab in a hotel that has partnered with the city to quarantine coronavirus patients and house the homeless during the pandemic.
Police were called to the hotel on Saturday to investigate odd fumes coming from one of its rooms, according to <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/meth-lab-found-at-san-francisco-hotel-room-used-as-city-covid-19-shelter">KTVU</a>. Law enforcement ordered residents and others staying at the hotel to evacuate while a hazmat team moved in to take down the low-level narcotics lab built in one of the hotel’s upper floor rooms.
Some have speculated that the lab was being used to produce meth, though investigators are still working to determine what drugs were being manufactured, police say.
“Officers conducted an investigation and discovered chemicals known to make narcotics, which were isolated to one guest room,” a San Francisco Police Department spokesperson told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/san-francisco-police-bust-meth-lab-hotel-alternative-housing-program">Fox News</a> in a statement. “Two adults were arrested for narcotics-related charges, some of which are possession of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for sales, manufacturing controlled substances, and conspiracy.”
The hotel has contracted with San Francisco as part of the city’s Shelter in Place program. The initiative pays for a room and meals for people who are under quarantine or at risk for COVID-19 and pays for homeless people to live in hotels amid the pandemic. It is unclear whether the two people arrested were part of the program, though they were residents at the hotel.
Still, some who live and work in the area raised questions about the program’s oversight after the incident.
“I would like for the government to have a bit more of a monitoring of the space,” one man who worked at a nearby business told KTVU. “I do see that a place like this can be abused to be used for those kinds of activities.”
“If you are housing people that are not there with a security deposit or anything that makes them liable, liability is key,” the man said.
The narcotics lab bust has moved the city of San Francisco, which has been criticized for keeping information about the controversial housing program secret, to update its guidelines about how the program is run.
According to <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/meth-arrests-at-san-francisco-coronavirus-shelter-lead-to-program-changes/2339609/">NBC</a>, the new rules for the program are:
<blockquote>Revised wellness checks
Room inspections
Emergency safety checks
Safe exit policy revisions
Training and oversight measures</blockquote>
Erica Sandberg, a host for the Bay Area news service KRON, slammed San Francisco’s housing program in a June 24 article for <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/san-francisco-hotel-motel-plan-for-homeless">City Journal</a>. Sandberg said that city officials have hidden information on who is taking advantage of the housing program, what kinds of people are moving into which neighborhoods, and what city funds are being spent on.
Sandberg writes in part:
<blockquote>City and hotel workers are required to sign nondisclosure agreements and are forbidden from discussing what they’re seeing. Per the <a href="https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_admin/0-0-0-3060">Mayor’s Declaration of Emergency</a>, speaking out can result in a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment with a maximum sentence of one year, or both.
Nevertheless, concerned inside sources report destroyed rooms and rampant illegal drug use. In one hotel, guests are given needle kits and are advised to call the front desk before shooting up; there have been four deaths in the last few days. Sharp containers have been placed on every floor; used syringes are discarded haphazardly. Badly needed mental-health help is not being administered. The entire operation is disorganized, with staff members constantly moved around, never knowing what they’ll do from one day to the next. One source asked to make it clear that as public servants they love the city and all its inhabitants, but the plan has left them deeply demoralized.</blockquote>
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Methaphetamine Lab

Drug Lab Busted In San Francisco Hotel Turned Pandemic Shelter For Homeless

San Francisco

The Minnesota Star-Tribune endorsed one of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) primary challengers and suggested that the first-term congresswoman has failed to “unite” her district.
The Star-Tribune, the largest newspaper in the state, endorsed Democratic candidate Antone Melton-Meaux over Omar in an <a href="https://www.startribune.com/fifth-district-endorsement-melton-meaux-for-integrity-and-progress/572020522/?refresh=true">editorial</a> published Wednesday. The race for Omar’s reelection has attracted millions of dollars in an effort to unseat the incumbent with a history of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ilhan-omar-introduce-pro-bds-resolution-bds-ryan-saavedra">anti-Israel</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bipartisan-condemnation-erupts-over-ilhan-omars-hank-berrien">anti-Semitic</a> comments.
“Melton-Meaux brings a different sensibility to this race, one grounded in helping resolve disputes to move forward — a skill this country is much in need of,” the Star-Tribune says. “Whether it’s health care, criminal justice or affordable housing, Melton-Meaux appears progressive, but pragmatic. While Omar wants to lead a movement, Melton-Meaux seeks to serve the Fifth District.”
The editorial board contrasted Omar’s push to defund and abolish police departments and her embrace of a government takeover of the health insurance industry against Melton-Meaux’s more “pragmatic” approaches.
“Omar’s 2018 victory launched her into the national spotlight as the first Muslim woman and first refugee elected to Congress. But her time has been marred by missteps, including <a href="https://www.startribune.com/ilhan-omar-again-criticized-over-comments-about-jewish-support-for-israel/506566822/">remarks on Israel</a> widely regarded as anti-Semitic, an outsized number of missed votes, and campaign-finance issues,” the board continued, noting that “Omar has sent more than $1.6 million to her husband’s D.C. political consulting firm, E Street Group, and is herself the target of a Federal Election Commission complaint regarding <a href="https://m.startribune.com/complaint-alleges-campaign-finance-violation-by-rep-ilhan-omar/558614112/">travel expenses</a>.”
“It is just these kinds of ethical distractions that the Fifth District could do without,” the board said. “In the Editorial Board interview, Omar took little responsibility for her rocky start, instead largely blaming her critics and saying her failing was perhaps in not realizing what a ‘special unicorn’ she would be in Congress.”
The Democratic establishment has largely coalesced behind Omar, one of the benefits of incumbency. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed the freshmen lawmaker on July 13 as funding for Melton-Meaux’s candidacy surged into the race.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-pelosi-endorses-ilhan-omar-as-freshman-dem-falls-millions-of-dollars-behind-challenger">The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time:
<blockquote>Omar is being challenged by Minnesota attorney Antone Melton-Meaux in a race that has caught the attention of Pro-Israel America and NORPAC. The pro-Israel political action committees have <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-antone-melton-meaux-ilhan-omar-minnesota-primary_n_5f0633a9c5b6480493caca13">committed</a> hundreds of thousands of dollars to unseating Omar, one of the most anti-Israel members of Congress, ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.
From April to the end of June, Melton-Meaux outraised Omar by a staggering $3.2 million to under $500,000. Melton-Meaux’s campaign still has $2 million cash on hand versus Omar’s $1.1 million, according to the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/omar-s-primary-challenger-takes-wide-lead-in-campaign-money/571762852/?refresh=true">Minnesota Star Tribune</a>.</blockquote>
The Star-Tribune continued: “Both Omar and Melton-Meaux have compelling stories that, in their own ways, are quintessentially American. Omar’s refugee story is well-known. Melton-Meaux is the descendant of American emancipated slaves. His mother grew up picking cotton, and his father used service in Vietnam and the GI bill to put himself through college and lift his family into the middle class. Melton-Meaux rose to become an attorney and mediator who also has worked on foster children’s cases through the Children’s Law Center and dedicated time at the Conflict Resolution Center and College Possible.”
“Melton-Meaux fully grasps the needs of the diverse constituency he hopes to represent, and, if given a chance, is the kind of leader who could unite a fractured district,” the board concluded.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

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Tim Pearce

Nick Saban On College Football: ‘Players Are A Lot Safer With Us Than They Are Running Around At Home’

New Zealand Goes Into Partial Lockdown After Confirming First Case Of Coronavirus In 102 Days

‘I Wouldn’t Take It’: Former FDA Commissioner Warns Against Trusting Russian Vaccine Putin Gave To Daughter

St. Louis Attorney: McCloskeys Are Trying ‘To Turn These Criminal Proceedings Into Political Theater’

‘We Are Heading Toward The Unknown’: Lebanon PM, Cabinet Resign Posts Amid Furor Over Beirut Blast

California Public Health Director Resigns After Officials Find Massive Discrepancy In Reported Coronavirus Cases

Colorado Police Dramatically Cut Enforcement Actions Amid Pandemic, New Accountability Law

China Slaps Sanctions on 11 U.S. Lawmakers, Citizens In Retaliation Against Trump Administration

NASA: ‘Certain Cosmic Nicknames’ Are ‘Actively Harmful,’ Will ‘Reexamine’ Their Use

‘A Dangerous Precedent’: Parents Are Pushing Newsom To Open CA Schools Ahead Of Fall Semester

Police: Rape Suspect Gets Released From Jail Over COVID, Allegedly Murders His Accuser

Portland Mayor Pleads With Rioters To Stop The Violence: You ‘Will Be Used In Ads Nationally To Help Donald Trump’

Milwaukee Oversight Board Ousts Police Chief Over ‘Ethical Lapses.’ Mayor Calls It A ‘Blood Feud’

Pelosi: Trump Delivering RNC Acceptance Speech From White House ‘Very Wrong,’ Would ‘Completely Politicize It’

Nancy Pelosi Flips On PBS Reporter, Accuses Her Of Being An ‘Advocate’ For GOP

Democrats In Battleground State Apoplectic Over NY’s NRA Lawsuit: ‘Equivalent Of Alabama AG Suing To Dissolve Planned Parenthood’

‘Bring It On’: NRA Counters New York AG’s Lawsuit With One Of Its Own

Beirut Explosion ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ As Lebanon Hurtles Toward ‘Failed State Status’

Drug Lab Busted In San Francisco Hotel Turned Pandemic Shelter For Homeless

Minnesota’s Largest Newspaper Endorses Ilhan Omar Primary Challenger, Cites Omar’s ‘Ethical Distractions’

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Nick Saban On College Football: ‘Players Are A Lot Safer With Us Than They Are Running Around At Home’

New Zealand Goes Into Partial Lockdown After Confirming First Case Of Coronavirus In 102 Days

‘I Wouldn’t Take It’: Former FDA Commissioner Warns Against Trusting Russian Vaccine Putin Gave To Daughter

St. Louis Attorney: McCloskeys Are Trying ‘To Turn These Criminal Proceedings Into Political Theater’

‘We Are Heading Toward The Unknown’: Lebanon PM, Cabinet Resign Posts Amid Furor Over Beirut Blast

California Public Health Director Resigns After Officials Find Massive Discrepancy In Reported Coronavirus Cases

Colorado Police Dramatically Cut Enforcement Actions Amid Pandemic, New Accountability Law

China Slaps Sanctions on 11 U.S. Lawmakers, Citizens In Retaliation Against Trump Administration

NASA: ‘Certain Cosmic Nicknames’ Are ‘Actively Harmful,’ Will ‘Reexamine’ Their Use

‘A Dangerous Precedent’: Parents Are Pushing Newsom To Open CA Schools Ahead Of Fall Semester

Police: Rape Suspect Gets Released From Jail Over COVID, Allegedly Murders His Accuser

Portland Mayor Pleads With Rioters To Stop The Violence: You ‘Will Be Used In Ads Nationally To Help Donald Trump’

Milwaukee Oversight Board Ousts Police Chief Over ‘Ethical Lapses.’ Mayor Calls It A ‘Blood Feud’

Pelosi: Trump Delivering RNC Acceptance Speech From White House ‘Very Wrong,’ Would ‘Completely Politicize It’

Nancy Pelosi Flips On PBS Reporter, Accuses Her Of Being An ‘Advocate’ For GOP

Democrats In Battleground State Apoplectic Over NY’s NRA Lawsuit: ‘Equivalent Of Alabama AG Suing To Dissolve Planned Parenthood’

‘Bring It On’: NRA Counters New York AG’s Lawsuit With One Of Its Own

Beirut Explosion ‘Last Nail In The Coffin’ As Lebanon Hurtles Toward ‘Failed State Status’

Drug Lab Busted In San Francisco Hotel Turned Pandemic Shelter For Homeless

Minnesota’s Largest Newspaper Endorses Ilhan Omar Primary Challenger, Cites Omar’s ‘Ethical Distractions’

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