VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Calls Out Democrats Ignoring Antifa Anarchy In Portland

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Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke with the Daily Caller’s Samantha Renck about Tuesday’s hearing on antifa, why he believes Democrats have continually failed to condemn antifa violence and more.

“Thousands of people across the country engaged in peaceful protest and the Constitution — the Bill of Rights — protects your right, it protects my right to speak. It protects our right to protest. It protects our right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. All of those are fundamental liberties protected by the First Amendment,” Cruz said. “What is not allowed, however, is violence. What is not allowed is rioting.”

Cruz continued, “those rights end when you physically assault another citizen. They end when you firebomb a police car. They end when you loot and rob and destroy a small business. They end when you murder a police officer.”

“In the last six months, in Portland alone, there have been 277 officer injuries,” Cruz said. Typically, early evenings would be met peaceful protests, “where people stand and speak and wave signs. But then late at night, the rioters replace the protesters and the rioters arrive with weapons.”

Cruz emphasized that “these riots are not spontaneous. These riots are not simply one actor deciding to engage in an act of violence. Rather, the rioters are showing up with extensive preparation, bringing weapons with them with extensive planning. There’re numerous organizations that are involved in this — the most notable of which is antifa, which is explicitly a violent terrorist organization.”

During the hearing Tuesday, Cruz gave Democratic Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono the opportunity to criticize antifa.

“In the course of the hearing, a total of seven Democratic senators participated in the hearing,” Cruz said. “Not a single one of those Democratic senators criticized antifa in any way. They were unwilling to say even a negative word about antifa. I think they look at antifa and they believe those are their base, that those are their supporters and they don’t want to upset them.”

Cruz also discussed his recently-introduced legislation, “The Reclaim Act,” what should be done to protect law enforcement officers and more.

COLUMN BY

SAMANTHA RENCK

Reporter.

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EDITORS NOTE: This The Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Trump Wants Boston Marathon Bomber to Get Death Penalty. Dems Want Him to Vote.

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My latest in PJ Media:

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson, an Obama appointee to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, on Friday overturned the death sentence of Boston Marathon jihad bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. President Trump is unhappy. Early Sunday morning he tweeted: “Death penalty! He killed and badly wounded many. Justice!”

Democrats, in contrast, appear to be fine with Thompson’s decision, as some Democratic leaders are on record saying not only that Tsarnaev should not be put to death, but that he should vote.

As far as Trump is concerned, this is still a live issue despite Thompson’s ruling. On Sunday afternoon he followed up his initial tweet with two more, saying: “Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The court agreed that this ‘was one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks since the 9/11 atrocities’. Yet the appellate court tossed out the death sentence. So many lives lost and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand. Also, it is ridiculous that this process is taking so long!”

Trump also took this question right to the Democrats, saying after the ruling was announced on Friday: “They protect criminals and Biden opposes the death penalty, even for cop killers and child murderers.” Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a child murderer, as one of his victims in the Marathon bombings was an eight-year-old boy named Martin Richard.

But the Democrats nevertheless want Dzhokhar Tsarnaev alive, well, and voting a straight Democrat ticket. Back in April 2019, Bernie Sanders came out for restoring voting rights for convicted felons. He was asked if he believed that even “terrible people,” including convicted murderers such as Tsarnaev, should have the right to vote. Sanders was unequivocal: “Yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away and you say, ‘Well, that guy committed a terrible crime, not going to let him vote. Well, that person did that. Not going to let that person vote,’ you’re running down a slippery slope.”

Vice Presidential contender Kamala Harris agreed, albeit somewhat more equivocally: “I think we should have that conversation,” she said, adding: “I have long been an advocate of making sure people formerly incarcerated are not denied the right to vote. In some states they’re permanently deprived of the right to vote.”

There is much more. Read the rest here.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Pence: ‘The Choice We Face Is Whether America Remains America’

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TAMPA—Vice President Mike Pence portrayed a stark contrast facing America during a visit Wednesday to the swing state of Florida.

“We stand at a crossroads of freedom,” Pence said. “Before us lie two paths: One based on the dignity and worth of every individual, and the other on the growing control of the state. One road leads to greater freedom and opportunity, and the other road leads to socialism and decline.”

He added, “The choice we face is whether America remains America.”

Pence’s words drew strong applause from the 250 supporters gathered in the hotel ballroom. It was Pence’s third and final stop in the Tampa area, where he was greeted with flag-waving and sign-toting supporters along the route of the motorcade. Pence also visited a women’s medical clinic and a Baptist church Wednesday.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? Learn more now >>

Throughout the day, Pence touted the Trump administration’s pro-life achievements and commitment to religious freedom while offering a warning to supporters on what the future might hold.

Pence also spoke forcefully in defense of law enforcement and against efforts to defund police in America’s major cities.

“President Trump and I know that the men and women who put on the uniform of law enforcement every day are the best people in this country,” Pence said to applause. “With this president and this administration, we will always back the blue. We will always stand with the men and women on the Thin Blue Line of law enforcement. We’re not going to defund the police—not now, not ever.”

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that 36 of America’s 50 largest cities have experienced a double-digit rise in homicide rates. Two cities—Austin and Chicago—have seen homicide rates skyrocket more than 50% compared to last year.

“We don’t need to choose between supporting law enforcement and supporting our minority communities,” Pence said. “This president has done both every single day, and we will continue to deliver. We will support law enforcement, we will support our minority communities, with liberty and justice for all.”

The Daily Signal traveled with Pence aboard Air Force Two as a member of the press pool—a point of contention for some journalists in the White House press corps. The New York Times published a story Wednesday evening, “Member of Conservative Think Tank Takes On Reporter Duties on Air Force Two.”

Pence’s staff invited The Daily Signal after the White House Correspondents Association was unable to find a volunteer to travel with the vice president. NBC News, The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway, and CBN News’ David Brody also accompanied Pence on the trip.

In an interview scheduled to air Thursday, Pence told CBN News about the importance of the Supreme Court. He also bluntly stated, “Chief Justice Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives.”

Pence cited Trump’s appointment of conservative jurists among the administration’s top accomplishments, adding other achievements that include protecting the sanctity of life and religious freedom, rebuilding the military, reviving the economy, cutting taxes, reducing red tape, enacting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and creating jobs.

“President Trump has kept the promises that he’s made to the American people, to the people of Florida, and especially to people of faith,” Pence said.

Pence’s early afternoon visit to a pregnancy center marked the first time a sitting vice president appeared at such a medical clinic, according to the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List. Afterward, Pence spoke to the organization’s Life Wins! 2020 Tour at the nearby Starkey Road Baptist Church.

“Life is winning in America,” Pence said. “I believe life is winning because of the compassion and love that have been shown to women and children.”

Pence spoke about his meeting at the clinic with Kia Farrell and her son Ollie Farrell, who turns 1 next month. Farrell considered an abortion at Planned Parenthood before turned to A Woman’s Place.

Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, who preceded Pence’s speech, cited the department’s Title X family planning services rule as an example of the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting the dignity of human life.

“There has never been a more pro-life and pro-family administration,” Hargan said.

Pence said the Declaration of Independence put life at the center of the American experiment. Yet, 47 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision in Roe vs. Wade that fundamentally challenged the right to life. He warned that decades of pro-life progress could soon be erased.

“Now more than ever, pro-life Americans need to make our voice heard. … You need to speak out and become involved,” he said. “The radical left wants to silence pro-life Americans.”

Speaking later in the day at a “Faith in Freedom” rally in Clearwater, Pence said, “The foundation of America is freedom, but the foundation of freedom is faith.”

He added, “I’m more convinced than ever of two things: America is a freedom-loving nation, and this is a nation of faith.”

With cases of coronavirus still hampering Florida, Pence acknowledged the challenges facing America. He said the Trump administration was focused on helping all Americans.

“We’re opening up America again, and we’re opening up American schools again,” Pence said to applause. “I’ll make you a promise—as you in the Sunshine State and people all across the country continue to contend with this pandemic—we will not rest until Florida and America put this coronavirus in the past, and we bring Florida and America back bigger and better than ever before.”

COLUMN BY

Rob Bluey

Rob Bluey is executive editor of The Daily Signal, the multimedia news organization of The Heritage Foundation. Send an email to Rob. Twitter: @RobertBluey.

A Note for our Readers:

Democratic Socialists say, “America should be more like socialist countries such as Sweden and Denmark.” And millions of young people believe them…

For years, “Democratic Socialists” have been growing a crop of followers that include students and young professionals. America’s future will be in their hands.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? One of their most effective arguments is that “democratic socialism” is working in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. They claim these countries are “proof” that socialism will work for America. But they’re wrong. And it’s easy to explain why.

Our friends at The Heritage Foundation just published a new guide that provides three irrefutable facts that debunks these myths. For a limited time, they’re offering it to readers of The Daily Signal for free.

Get your free copy of “Why Democratic Socialists Can’t Legitimately Claim Sweden and Denmark as Success Stories” today and equip yourself with the facts you need to debunk these myths once and for all.

GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW »

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Signal column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

The Core Message of a Major Transgender Study was WRONG

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How many times have you read that transgender individuals need surgery to keep them from slipping into bad mental health or even from committing suicide?

“For many trans folks, existing daily in a body that doesn’t match your sense of self isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s traumatic,” Laura A. Jacobs, an LGBT counsellor in New York told NBC earlier this year.

And that’s why transgender advocates are lobbying for quick resumption of sex reassignment surgery during the Covid-19 pandemic. Otherwise, these people could suffer great harm.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that delaying treatment for trans people increases levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation,” says Ms Jacobs.

One of the most-highly praised of these studies was an article published in October in the American Journal of Psychiatry (paywall). It found that transgender individuals who underwent gender-affirming surgery were significantly less likely to seek mental health treatment for depression and anxiety disorders or attempt suicide afterwards.

“This first total population study of #transgender individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria lends support to the decision to provide gender-affirming surgeries to those who seek them,” the journal tweeted.

But, ooops, it didn’t.

This week the journal published a correction (paywall) – a very significant one. After protests, letters to the editor and closer scrutiny of the statistical methods, it appears that “the results demonstrated no advantage of surgery in relation to subsequent mood or anxiety disorder-related health care visits or prescriptions or hospitalizations following suicide attempts in that comparison”.

Furthermore, the authors’ “conclusion that ‘the longitudinal association between gender-affirming surgery and lower use of mental health treatment lends support to the decision to provide gender-affirming surgeries to transgender individuals who seek them’ is too strong”.

There is no question that transgender individuals have mental health difficulties. The journal article was praised even by critics like Mark Regnerus for revealing the scale of the problem. Based on a study of 9.5 million Swedes between 2005 and 2015, it found that: “individuals with a gender incongruence diagnosis were about six times as likely to have had a mood and anxiety disorder health care visit, more than three times as likely to have received prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiolytics, and more than six times as likely to have been hospitalized after a suicide attempt”.

Naturally, the trangender lobby claims that these troubling statistics are due to widespread stigma; sceptics counter that gender dysphoria is a mental health issue.

But the question is what to do about it.

The solutions proposed by transgender activists are first social affirmation, then cross-sex hormones, and finally, amputations – usually mastectomies for women and removal of genitalia for men. Surgery, they tell people suffering from gender dysphoria, will give you peace.

But this, it turns out, is not true. The researchers jumped the gun.

As the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine commented about this debacle, “Sometimes in our eagerness to reach a goal, we opt for the appealing short-cut, but it takes more time in the end. Gender dysphoric people deserve high-quality healthcare. It requires rigorously-designed studies, research that follows the evidence, however hard the path.”

The reality is that there is no rigorous evidence for treating boys and girls and men and women who suffer from gender dysphoria with hormones and surgery. It is basically experimental medicine, a 21st century version of the disasters of thalidomide and frontal lobotomies.

COLUMN BY

Michael Cook

Michael Cook is the editor of MercatorNet 

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EDITORS NOTE: This MercatorNet column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

The Troubling Goals of the Black Lives Matter Movement

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Politicians and various social justice groups have long used labels that have nothing to do with the real intent of legislation, or an organization, to dupe the public. But, to paraphrase Shakespeare, a rose by any other name is still a rose.

Numerous “civil rights” bills have been passed by Congress over the years that have nothing to do with civil rights, but how many members are brave enough to point that out and vote against them?

Which brings me to the Black Lives Matter movement. How many mainstream reporters have bothered to delve into the background and founding principles of the rapidly spreading organization to which even white CEOs are contributing gobs of money in what appears to be an attempt to protect themselves and their businesses from any potential charge of racism?

The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, which self-describes as “an ecumenical, nonprofit research organization that promotes the benefits of free enterprise to religious communities, business people, students and educators,” has exposed the ideology of Black Lives Matter.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? Learn more now >>

According to Acton, the founding principles of BLM include a guaranteed minimum income for all black people, free health care, free schooling, free food, free real estate, gender reassignment surgery, and free abortion (already disproportionately high among African American women, “27.1 per 1,000 women compared with 10 per 1,000 for white women,” but apparently unborn black lives don’t matter to BLM).

Washington, D.C.’s local BLM chapter has even called for “no new jails” (which would likely guarantee an increase in crime, much of it perpetrated in black communities—see the District’s crime stats, see Chicago, see Los Angeles). BLM also demands reparations and wants to create a “global liberation movement” that will “overturn U.S. imperialism [and] capitalism.”

According to The New York Post, “Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said in a newly surfaced video from 2015 that she and her fellow organizers are ‘trained Marxists.’”

Breitbart News, a conservative syndicated news website, reported that “Cullors, 36, was the protege of Eric Mann, former agitator of the Weather Underground domestic terror organization, and spent years absorbing the Marxist-Leninist ideology that shaped her worldview.”

Driving through what appeared to be a mostly white neighborhood in Washington, D.C., last weekend I was surprised, though I probably shouldn’t have been, to see quite a few “Black Lives Matter” signs on front lawns and on cars. A few friends have posted the BLM sign on their social media pages. I wonder if any of these people know the background and goals of the movement, or the radical ideology behind it.

There are a growing number, especially among the young, who have been “educated” in our once-great universities by some professors who support the BLM movement and promote similar or identical ideologies.

Part of what they are taught is that America began as a white, slave-owning patriarchy and that slaves actually built America. They quickly absorb this, then come home to tell their parents they are part of the problem.

This is a major reason school choice is important if the nation is to be preserved. It should also be obvious that parents must be more selective in where they allow—and in many cases pay for—their children to attend colleges and universities and choose one where their values are strengthened and the nation not undermined.

Black lives matter because like all lives, everyone is endowed with unalienable rights. But the BLM movement might be more harmful than helpful to African Americans.

BLM’s foundational principles and goals seem closer to those of China and the former Soviet Union. If more people understood that, they might wake up and realize that the United States, as Ronald Reagan used to say, is only one generation from losing it all.

(C) 2020 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

COMMENTARY BY

Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas is a syndicated columnist, author, broadcaster, and speaker with access to world leaders, U.S. presidents, celebrities, educators, and countless other notables. He has authored several books, including his latest, “America’s Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States.” Readers can email him at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Twitter: .

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A Note for our Readers:

Democratic Socialists say, “America should be more like socialist countries such as Sweden and Denmark.” And millions of young people believe them…

For years, “Democratic Socialists” have been growing a crop of followers that include students and young professionals. America’s future will be in their hands.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? One of their most effective arguments is that “democratic socialism” is working in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. They claim these countries are “proof” that socialism will work for America. But they’re wrong. And it’s easy to explain why.

Our friends at The Heritage Foundation just published a new guide that provides three irrefutable facts that debunks these myths. For a limited time, they’re offering it to readers of The Daily Signal for free.

Get your free copy of “Why Democratic Socialists Can’t Legitimately Claim Sweden and Denmark as Success Stories” today and equip yourself with the facts you need to debunk these myths once and for all.

GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW »

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Signal column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

63% of US Counties Still Have 5 or Fewer COVID-19 Deaths

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As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. has been heavily concentrated in a small number of states—and among a small number of counties within states.

Even though the U.S. has seen a rapid rise in cases during the past month, the overall levels of concentration have remained fairly consistent.

As of July 28, for example, just 10 states account for 60% of all U.S. cases and 68% of all deaths (greater than their 50% share of the population).

What’s the best way for America to reopen and return to business? The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled America’s top thinkers to figure that out. So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. Learn more here>>>.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? Learn more now >>

The five states with the most cases—New York, California, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey—report 44% of all U.S. cases and 46% of all deaths.

In the past 30 days, the five states with the most reported COVID-19 deaths is very similar—Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, and New York (in descending order). Together, these five states reported 52% of all the COVID-19 deaths during the past 30 days, although they account for 36% of the U.S. population.

For comparison, Texas reported approximately 3,500 COVID-19 deaths over the past 30 days. In April and May, New York reported the most COVID-19 deaths—about 21,000 in April and 6,200 in May—as situations began to improve in the state.

Together, New York and New Jersey alone account for 31% of all COVID-19 deaths, though they include only 9% of the U.S. population. Those two states reported 9% of the COVID-19 deaths in the past 30 days.

These state-level figures do not, however, adequately describe the concentrated nature of the spread of COVID-19.

The 30 counties with the most COVID-19 deaths, for example, account for 28% of all the cases in the U.S. and 46% of all deaths, much greater than their 17% share of the U.S. population. That is, just 1% of the counties in the U.S., representing 17% of the U.S. population, are responsible for almost half of the country’s COVID-19 deaths.

Of those 30 counties, 23 are in the Northeast corridor between Philadelphia and Boston, the passageway served by a commuter railway system that runs through Manhattan.

Overall, only about 10% of the counties in the U.S. contain 90% of all the COVID-19 deaths, even though those counties include 60% of the population.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been many U.S. counties with relatively few COVID-19 deaths. For instance, as of May 11, 64% of all counties (16% of the U.S. population) had one or no COVID-19 deaths. As of July 28, 43% of all counties (8% of the population) have no more than one COVID-19 death each.

While these numbers have obviously declined since May, many counties still have a relatively small number of COVID-19 deaths. In particular, as of July 28, 63% of all counties (16% of the population) have five or fewer COVID-19 deaths.

In the past 30 days, the 30 counties with the most COVID-19 deaths account for 39% of the COVID-19 deaths reported in the U.S., almost double their population share of 21%.

Now that COVID-19 testing has dramatically increased and many state and local governments have relaxed stay-at-home orders, it is even more critical to study the trends in deaths along with cases.

To make studying these trends easier, The Heritage Foundation now has two interactive COVID-19 trackers. One tracks trends in cases, while the other tracks trends in deaths.

The trackers describe whether the trend of cases—or deaths—is increasing or decreasing over the prior 14 days, and provides a visual depiction of new cases—or deaths—during that time period.

These tools help put the concentrated nature of the pandemic in perspective with county-level data, and they show just how difficult it can be to use only one metric to gauge whether a county—or state—is doing well.

For instance, on July 14, Harris County in Texas had 2,001 new cases, the most of the previous two-week period. However, the number of cases then trended down for the next 14 days. While the number of deaths has increased as well, an unusually large number was reported on July 27.

Readers are invited to explore the information in the tracker and check back frequently for updates, as well as explore the other visual tools on Heritage’s COVID-19 resources page.

COMMENTARY BY

Norbert Michel

Norbert Michel studies and writes about housing finance, including the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as The Heritage Foundation’s research fellow in financial regulations. Read his research. Twitter:

Drew Gonshorowski

Drew Gonshorowski focuses his research and writing on the nation’s new health care law, including the repercussions for Medicare and Medicaid, as a policy analyst in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation. He also studies economic mobility and the Austrian school of economics. Twitter:

A Note for our Readers:

Democratic Socialists say, “America should be more like socialist countries such as Sweden and Denmark.” And millions of young people believe them…

For years, “Democratic Socialists” have been growing a crop of followers that include students and young professionals. America’s future will be in their hands.

How are socialists deluding a whole generation? One of their most effective arguments is that “democratic socialism” is working in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. They claim these countries are “proof” that socialism will work for America. But they’re wrong. And it’s easy to explain why.

Our friends at The Heritage Foundation just published a new guide that provides three irrefutable facts that debunks these myths. For a limited time, they’re offering it to readers of The Daily Signal for free.

Get your free copy of “Why Democratic Socialists Can’t Legitimately Claim Sweden and Denmark as Success Stories” today and equip yourself with the facts you need to debunk these myths once and for all.

GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW »

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Signal column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

American Flag, Bibles Reportedly Burned In Portland Riots

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Rioters in Portland were caught on camera putting bibles and an American flag into a fire outside of the federal courthouse, which has been a focal point in the protests that have been ongoing for more than a month and a half, numerous sources reported.

Peaceful protests during the day reportedly transitioned into fires being set Friday night, largely without the presence of police or federal officers, according to KOIN.

A Ruptly video shows someone with a “Black Lives Matter” sign beside them adding objects to a fire, where a Bible is seen amid the flames.

What appears to be a separate bible is seen charred in the streets, still burning.

Less than a week prior, protesters in Portland were setting fire to a Trump flag that was hanging on the fence of the federal courthouse, cheering as it fell to the ground.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler attended the protests and was hit with tear gas after rioters reportedly set the courthouse on fire.

The courthouse has been set on fire several times during the riots, which were prompted by the May 25 death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.

Gabriel Agard-Berryhill, 18, was charged with arson for allegedly setting the courthouse on fire Tuesday.

COLUMN BY

MARLO SAFI

Culture reporter.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Facebook Bans Page that Shared Videos of ex-Muslims Discussing How they were Persecuted for Leaving Islam

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As the US becomes increasingly totalitarian, only one point of view is allowed in the public square, and that point of view is warmly positive toward Islam, with no criticism allowed. Criticism of Islam is also banned in Sharia.

“Facebook de-platforms page that shared videos of ex-Muslims talking about how they were persecuted after they left Islam,” OpIndia, July 28, 2020:

ExMuslim TV has been de-platformed with misplaced accusations of inciting violence and hate when all they do is post short videos of ex-Muslims narrating the persecution they face. It is unfathomable that individuals talking about how they are being threatened and shunned could ‘incite violence’ by any means, however, Facebook decided to de-platform them simply because they were talking about issues the Left prefers not being talked about.

Facebook, on the 27th of July 2020, unpublished a page on the social media platform called ExMuslim TV, that merely shared short videos of ex-Muslims and the persecution they faced by the community after they had left Islam. ExMuslim TV took to Twitter on Monday to talk about how Facebook was being unjust in banning their page.

Appealing to Facebook to reconsider their decision of banning the page, the Twitter page of ExMuslim TV said, “Our primary purpose is HUMANITARIAN. Most exMuslims who appear here are/were in danger. They either speak to ask for help or to bring hope to others like them”.

In the screenshots shared by the ExMuslim TV Twitter handle, it would appear that Facebook decided to unpublish the page because supposedly, the page went against their ‘incitement and violence’ standards. However, the page is only known the share videos of ex-Muslims who talk about their own ordeal in the videos. In most of the videos shared by the page, Muslims who had left Islam spoke about how they were hounded, persecuted and shunned by the Muslim community after their decision to leave the faith of Islam.

This is the message the Facebook page received before it was unpublished:

Facebook believed that ex-Muslims who had left the faith of Islam talking about their own persecution and appealing for help and understanding somehow posed a ‘genuine risk of physical harm or indirect threat to public safety’.

Further, Facebook informed the page that due to COVID, they have fewer reviewers onboard and hence, may not be able to cater to the appeal by the Facebook page. Essentially, this would mean that ExMuslim TV might not be able to appeal to the decision to unpublish the page by Facebook because the social media giant has fewer reviewers working due to the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook has long been accused of harbouring a bias against anything that goes against the tenets of Liberalism and the Left. In fact, one must recall that recently, they had also released an ‘anti-conservative bias’ report that had made clear that Facebook indeed is biased against anything that goes against the Left and is seen to be remotely ‘conservative’.

With Social Media becoming an ideological battleground, it has often been noticed that platforms selectively target right-leaning platforms in an ad-hoc fashion. Not too long ago, Twitter CEO had “fully admitted“, the platforms “left-leaning” bias.

Facebook has too hugely limited the reach of several pages, many of which are right-leaning. The page owners strongly suspect that their reach is being limited because of the inherent left-bias of these platforms….

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Ghislaine Maxwell Documents RELEASED! Bill Clinton Was on Lolita Island and Epstein, Maxwell with “2 Young Girls”, Sexy Orgies “Regular Occurrence”

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FBI Had Evidence of Crimes for Years.

We are just beginning to go through the documents – stay tuned.

Documents related to Ghislaine Maxwell’s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein are unsealed (Reuters)

Materials covered by Preska’s July 23 order included flight logs from Epstein’s private jets; and police reports from Palm Beach, Florida, where Epstein had a home, among other documents.

The source of Maxwell’s wealth is coming under scrutiny. Prosecutors said there were large sums of unexplained wealth. and the cash purchase of the mansion where she was arrested was notable.

Federal prosecutors say that Maxwell toured the property under the pseudonym Jen Marshall, saying she was a journalist looking for privacy, and her name didn’t appear on any of the documents connected to the sale, according to someone with knowledge of the transaction. (more)

Gateway reports:

The documents also reveal the Mueller and then Comey FBI knew about these crimes for years and held evidence at the bureau.

The FBI even had copies of the infamous Prince Andrew photo with the young Ghislaine Maxwell victim…..

Ghislaine Maxwell Documents Unsealed – Bill Clinton Was on Epstein Island with Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell and “2 Young Girls”

By Cristina Laila, Gateway Pundit, July 30, 2020:

Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers tried to keep x-rated evidence related to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein from going public, but a judge denied the appeal and released damning docs on Thursday evening.

Epstein’s pimp, Ghislaine Maxwell is currently in federal custody awaiting trial.

A witness interview revealed Bill Clinton was at Epstein’s pedophile island with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and “2 young girls.”

Portion of the interview with a witness:

“When you say you asked him why is Bill Clinton here, where was here?”

V: On the island

JS: When you were present with Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?”

V: Ghislaine, Emmy, and there were 2 young girls that I could identify. I never really knew them well anyways. It was just 2 girls from New York.”

JS: And were all of you staying at Jeffrey’s house on the island including Bill Clinton?”

V: That’s correct. He had about 4 or 5 different villas on his island separate from the main house, and we all stayed in the villas.”

JS: “Were sexual orgies a regular occurrence on the island at Jeffrey’s house?”

V: “Yes”

We reported in 2016 before the election that Bill Clinton took numerous trips on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ to Epstein’s private “Orgy Island” where underage girls as young as 14 were prostituted for Epstein’s rich and famous clients like Clinton, Kevin Spacey and Prince Andrew.

Clinton’s claim that his Secret Service were with him every during every trip is bogus because according to reports he simply ditched his security detail in order to stealth travel with Epstein.

In May 2016 FOX News reported that Bill Clinton traveled with Jeffrey Epstein on his famous “Lolita Express” at least 26 times and frequently ditched his secret service detail.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

2020 Catholic Voters Guide — Saving Civilization

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHURCH MILITANT 2020 CATHOLIC VOTERS GUIDE

Dear World: Florida Is Doing Fine

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We have a friend who lives in London and has checked in on us to make sure we are OK. Why? Because we live in Florida and the international media, taking their cue from the national media, continues to report that Florida is boiling over with Covid cases and the state is overwhelmed. It’s one big triage.

A South Korean acquaintance of one of our children found out that we live in Florida and immediately had the same worries. Are you OK? They too had heard Florida is overwhelmed. Sigh.

Calm down, world. The media is, again, deceiving you. Florida is actually doing just fine, if you look at every single metric beyond new cases — which of  course are necessary in a pandemic.

Let’s start with some data at Worldometer, compiled from the CDC and WHO.

Report coronavirus cases

* – county website does not provide data

The chart above shows Florida ranks 24th in deaths per million among U.S. states at 273 per million residents, well under the U.S. average of 453 per million. The death rate in Florida is extraordinarily low. Note that this chart is tiny and hard to read because Florida is so far down the list of deaths.

That seems kind of relevant, doesn’t it? Good luck finding it in any “news” story. We need to start putting quotes around “news” because it is much more akin to Democrat operative spin than anything resembling news. Our friends in London don’t know this critical context because the reckless, partisan media in Florida and nationally only scream headlines on case count.

This chart above demonstrates clearly that Florida hospitals are nowhere near being overwhelmed by Covid patients. This is a far more relevant metric than case count.

Hospitalizations and medical facilities are not being overrun. Not even close. Hospital bed usage is very low and ICU bed usage is low. In fact, even taking the worst case projections at this point, usage remains well below capacity for hospital beds, and only at the very worst does it move beyond ICU capacity — which I identified in the chart — without hospitals making adjustments for surge capacity, which they would.

Even in the case rate, the only real scare tactic that can be used, Florida ranks 5th in the U.S., behind Louisiana, New York, Arizona and New Jersey. Anyone around the world terrified for friends in those states? The problem is that this metric is heavily dependent on testing. Florida is testing more than 100,000 daily now (it’s never clear if those are actual people or tests administered, but either way it’s a lot) and many states that had heavy Covid loads early missed untold thousands because testing was limited two to three months ago.

So the comparison is weak, yet still there are four other states worse than Florida.

Next we get to the totally screwed up death totals.

The chart above, compiled by Issues & Insights shows the totally wonked system of reporting deaths, as they come in late and in odd bunches, painting a ridiculously inaccurate picture of what is happening in Florida. There is definitely an increase in deaths in the state, but nothing like the spike being reported.

Part of the reason for this is that there was no system in place when Covid hit and so it fell to government agencies to quickly and efficiently create a system to help the medical profession in reporting deaths. Well come on, that was doomed to fail before it started. The reporting may be improving, but slowly.

Timely reporting of deaths must improve if they are going to be released daily. If they were released weekly even, it would be a much more accurate picture. But the media would howl about cover-ups and whatever other nonsense they conjured.

And finally, the much ballyhooed Rt factor is now below 1 in Florida, meaning the virus spread is on the decline, at least at the moment. The Rt factor is watched closely by geeks because it purports to be able to measure how quickly the virus is spread. According to the World Economic Forum, “The R number is a key factor in gauging the coronavirus pandemic. It refers to the ‘effective reproduction number’ of COVID-19. An R value of 1 is a crucial threshold.”

Being below 1 means the spread is under control. Again, at the moment, but remember, this is supposedly the moment when everything is going crazy in Florida.

And an interesting event happened yesterday. Another jurisdiction mandated face masks, this time the Republican-dominated Manatee County Commission, in Florida. During her presentation pushing for the mask mandate, Dr. Jennifer Bencie, director of the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, told commissioners that the local medical community estimates as much as 48 percent of Manatee County residents may be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic and spreading the coronavirus. That is an astounding assertion.

Bencie falls into the category of expert we are instructed to listen to. Since the experts say herd immunity is achieved at around 70 percent, although it varies from disease to disease depending on contagiousness and may be a little higher for Covid, then actually this is very good news. It would mean we are more than two-thirds of the way toward herd immunity already in Manatee County, which is by far not the hardest hit place in Florida. If true, this could explain both the “wave” of new cases (mostly just identifying what already is, or was) and the promising Rt factor.

Look, Covid is very dangerous for a very small part of our population. That is true with many diseases. The great thing is that we know exactly who is at risk and can protect them. Treatments are improving rapidly. For the vast, vast majority, it is another disease that is part of life. About half of people, apparently, don’t even show symptoms. Some feel sick, a few very sick. And a tiny, tiny percentage die.

But all of the data relayed here paints a picture of Florida that is wildly different than the media is feeding to the rest of America and the world. So to all of our friends around the world, Florida is doing fine, thank you.

EDITORS NOTE: This The Revolutionary Act column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

‘Constant Gunshots’: Area Where George Floyd Died Reportedly Becomes Police-Free Zone Plagued By Gun Violence

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There has been a reported increase in gun violence, particularly at night in the area of Minneapolis where George Floyd died, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Police officers have avoided the four-block radius of South Minneapolis where Floyd died, the Times reported. The area contains murals and a garden around a raised fist sculpture, and the words “I can’t breathe” are painted alongside the names of other black victims of police violence on the street, according to the Times.

“What people aren’t recognizing is that people who live there are having a very, very challenging time from the unlawfulness that is occurring after the sun goes down,” City Council Member Andrea Jenkins said, the Times reported. “There are constant gunshots every night.”

“Emergency vehicles can’t get in,” she continued. “Disabled people are not able to access their medications, their appointments, their food deliveries, et cetera. It’s a very challenging situation.”

Ms. Dawkins, a mother of two who lives down the street from where Floyd died, said that during the day the environment is fine, but that she doesn’t feel safe at night, the Times reported.

“But when the other crowd comes at night, I can’t call the police, and that scares the hell out of me,” Dawkins said, the Times reported. “We have kids in this home, so I do want police to protect families … It’s a hard balance. I’m happy this incident brought change, but I want to feel safe.”

Dr. Jackie Kawiecki, who constructed a medic station to treat injured protesters, said night and day in the area where Floyd died is “very different.”

“My nighttime world, after sunset, I have taken care of double gunshot wounds, drug overdoses,” Kawiecki said, the Times reported. She limited the station hours after evading gunfire herself and after a pregnant woman was killed.

Nationwide protests have persisted since Floyd died in May after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during his arrest, video shows.

COLUMN BY

KAYLEE GREENLEE

Reporter.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

A Few of the Democrats Biden Missed When He Called Trump Our First Racist President

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My latest in PJ Media:

If President Trump is really a “racist,” as Joe Biden claims, he is one of the strangest racists who ever lived: before the coronavirus hit, black and Hispanic unemployment was at record low levels, the president has repeatedly hailed the achievements of black Americans, and Trump himself, before he entered politics as an unapologetic, non-establishment Republican, was widely respected even by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for his work for the black community. But none of that matters to Joe Biden or whomever is putting words in his mouth: they want us to believe that Trump is a racist, indeed, the first racist president, because for years they’ve been destroying Republicans with this charge, however false it may be. Why stop now? But Biden has missed a few Democrats.

Rating America’s Presidents: An America-First Look at Who Is Best, Who Is Overrated, and Who Was An Absolute Disaster recounts that progressive hero Woodrow Wilson, for example, was born in Virginia a bit more than four years before the Civil War broke out. Throughout his life, he retained the racist attitudes he learned in his youth, and when he became president, he made them U.S. government policy. In 1915, the notorious film The Birth of a Nation became the first motion picture to get a screening in the White House; the film portrayed the Ku Klux Klan as heroes, denigrated blacks in numerous ways, and quoted Wilson as a respected authority.

Wilson was also quoted decrying the supposed “policy of congressional leaders” to “put the white South under the heel of the black South.” In response, Wilson went on, as quoted in the film: “The white men were roused by a mere instinct of self-preservation… until at last there had sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan, a veritable empire of the South, to protect the Southern country.”

The showing of The Birth of a Nation was indicative of Wilson’s attitudes: during his administration, government departments in Washington were segregated.

Rating America’s Presidents also shows how another Democrat, James Buchanan, presided over the dissolution of the Union in the years leading up to the Civil War, appealing to the South not to secede by adopting a full-hearted, enthusiastic endorsement of slavery and all it represented. On March 6, 1857, two days after Buchanan took office, the Supreme Court, under the leadership of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, published its infamous ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford, a case that had been brought by Dred Scott, a slave who had been taken into free territory and argued that, as a result, he was now free. The court voted 7–2 against Scott. In his opinion, Taney wrote that blacks were a “subordinate and inferior class of beings” who “are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word ‘citizens’ in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the United States.”

There is much more. Read the rest here.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

VIDEO: Here Are The Major Cities Hit With Violent Protests And Riots Over The Weekend

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Several major cities, including Portland, experienced chaos this weekend as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and protests turned violent.

Demonstrations in Seattle, Richmond, Austin, New York, Denver and Oakland also turned violent amid widespread protests against police brutality and systematic racism.

Protesters have pushed for police reform for more than two months following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a black man, died in police custody after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, video of the incident shows.

Oregon

Protesters in Portland have persistently clashed with police and sent federal officers to guard a federal courthouse, The Associated Press reported.

WATCH:

The Portland Police Department officially declared Saturday’s violent protest a riot after members of the crowd tore down the fence in front of the federal courthouse, according to Daily Caller reporters on the scene.

Washington

In Seattle, demonstrators set fire to a construction site and a rioter allegedly set off an explosive in the East Precinct Saturday, leaving a hole in the wall, The Seattle Police Department reported in a tweet thread Saturday.

California

Demonstrators allegedly set fire to the Alameda County Superior Courthouse in Oakland, California, Saturday, police department spokeswoman Johnna Watson said, according to the AP.

New York

Protesters in New York City vandalized New York Police Department cars Saturday while setting dumpster fires Saturday night, a YouTube video shows.

WATCH: 

Virginia

Hundreds of demonstrators showing solidarity with Portland protesters clashed with police in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, setting fire to a dump truck, the AP reported. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park was also vandalized and damaged, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Texas

In Austin, Texas, a protest turned violent after police said someone drove into a crowd and fatally shot 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who was pushing his fiancé in a wheelchair, the AP reported.

Colorado

In Aurora, Colorado, a person fired a gun at a car attempting to break through a demonstration on a highway, sending one person to the hospital Saturday, the Aurora Police Department said on Twitter.

Demonstrators also attacked fences and broke windows during a demonstration at the Aurora Municipal Court Saturday, according to local station KDVR.

COLUMN BY

MARY ROSE CORKERY

Reporter.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

VIDEO: President Trump Strips Liability Protection from Social Media Platforms that Remove Content for Political Reasons

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The National Center for Public Policy Research reports, “Facebook and Twitter were apoplectic over President Trump’s Executive Order stripping social media platforms that remove content for political reasons. The third edition of ScoopTV explains why their charges of ‘censorship’ are nonsense.”

WATCH:

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