Month: June 2020

Support for abolishing or defunding the police is quickly gaining support among left-wingers.

Prominent liberal figures are increasingly embracing the radical idea amid the nationwide protests and violence following the death of George Floyd.

Andy Ngo Files Lawsuit Seeking $900,000 from Rose City Antifa for 2019 Assaults

Independent journalist Andy Ngo is suing a Portland-based Antifa cell and several specific individuals nearly a year after he was brutally assaulted by a mob of black clad, masked agitators.

Ngo is seeking $900,000 in damages “for assault, battery, emotional distress and racketeering by those who acted to ‘suppress Ngo’s journalism through intimidation and violence,’ and for “ongoing neurological and health issues,” the Portland Tribune reported. A PDF of the lawsuit is here.

May Jobs Report: 2.5 Million Jobs Gained, Unemployment Falls to 13.3 Percent

The U.S. economy gained 2.5 million jobs in May, while the unemployment declined to 13.3%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.

Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 2.5 million in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, and the number of unemployed persons fell by 2.1 million to 21.0 million.

UAW Former President Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Over $1 Million from Members

Former United Auto Worker (UAW) President Gary Jones pleaded guilty this week to embezzling more than $1 million in dues money from members, as well as charges of racketeering and tax evasion.

Over eight years, top UAW officials sought reimbursements for what they claimed were conference-related expenses in California and Missouri but were personal expenses.

Joe Biden Has His Deplorable Moment: ’10 to 15 Percent’ of Americans Are ‘Just Not Very Good People’

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 Zachery Schmidt

Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden put his foot in his mouth again on Thursday when he said that “10 to 15 percent” of Americans are “just not very good people.”

The former vice president made these comments while holding a town hall on Thursday night with black supporters, according to Fox News.

Wall Street’s Rally Zooms Higher After Surprise Gain in Jobs

June 5, 2020November 9, 2020 The Associated Press

Stocks are rushing higher in morning trading Friday after a much better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market gave Wall Street’s recent rally another shot of adrenaline.

The S&P 500 was up 2.2% after the government said that U.S. employers added 2.5 million workers to their payrolls last month. Economists were expecting them instead to slash another 8 million jobs amid the recession caused by the coronavirus and the shutdowns put in place to stem it.

Alabama City Removes Confederate Statue Without Notice

June 5, 2020November 9, 2020 The Associated Press

Alabama’s port city removed a statue of a Confederate naval officer early Friday after days of protests over the police killing of George Floyd, with the mayor saying the monument was a “potential distraction” to focusing on the city’s future.

Whitmer Seen Not Practicing Social Distancing at Thursday Protest

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was seen protesting the death of George Floyd on Thursday in Highland Park with hundreds of other people in a way that appeared to break social distancing practices, despite voicing concerns in recent weeks about similar demonstrations spreading coronavirus.

Tiffany Brown, a spokesperson for the governor, denied that Whitmer had violated the executive order issues on Monday. The order, which moved Michigan into phase four of the MI Safe Start plan, says that people should remain six feet apart at public gatherings and that gatherings should consist of 100 people or fewer.

Commentary: Stop Using the Boston Tea Party to Justify Violence in Modern America

Lawful protest in the American political process isn’t the same as the lawless rioting, looting, and destruction of lives and property that became a threat to the public in the past week.

The death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white police officer May 25 in Minneapolis sparked widespread protests there and across America. Many of the demonstrations, despite the general lockdown and stay-at-home orders still in place during the coronavirus pandemic, have been peaceful.

Commentary: Democrats Offer Nothing

If Americans who voted for President Trump ever felt compelled to explain themselves to their friends and neighbors, at this point there is no longer any need to justify a vote to reelect him in November. As a matter of fact, the reasons for reelecting President Trump and for handing control of Congress to the Republican Party could not be any clearer than they are right now.

As the nation spirals out of control and buildings burn in various American cities, Democrats in Congress are nowhere to be found. More astonishingly, members of the campaign staff for the Democrats’ presumptive nominee have contributed to a fund intended to help release the violent rioters who have been arrested.

Michigan Anti-Lockdown Protesters Had Their Phone Data Tracked – Floyd Protesters Did Not

Phone data from about 400 activists in Michigan’s capital who protested coronavirus-related government orders was reportedly collected by a progressive advocacy group, but the same group has not collected similar data on George Floyd protesters.

The Committee to Protect Medicare and Affordable Care, under the direction of former Democratic congressional candidate Dr. Rob Davidson, used cell phone data generated by an application called VoteMap to track the movements of the rally’s attendees after they departed from the capital, according to The Detroit News.

Senate Confirms Trump’s Pick to Lead Voice of America

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 The Associated Press

A divided Senate voted along party lines Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump’s choice to head the Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded international broadcasters that have been the subject of harsh criticism from the White House.

Despite significant Democratic opposition and concerns over his fitness for the job, the Senate voted 53-38 to confirm Michael Pack to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and its sister outlets including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Cuba-oriented Radio and Television Marti.

Citing Recent DOJ Decision, Former Flynn Associates Seek Reprieve in Turkish Lobbying Case

Two former associates of Michael Flynn have seized on the Justice Department’s motion to drop charges against the retired general to call for relief from charges that they illegally lobbied for the Turkish government.

Bijan Rafiekian, a former Flynn business partner, and Ekim Alptekin, a former Flynn client, claim to be collateral damage in the government’s investigation of Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017.

Leading Study on Malaria Drug for Coronavirus Retracted: ‘Based on This Development, We Can No Longer Vouch for the Veracity of the Primary Data Source’

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 The Associated Press

Several authors of a large study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for coronavirus patients have retracted the report, saying independent reviewers were not able to verify information that’s been widely questioned by other scientists.

Thursday’s retraction in the journal Lancet involved a May 22 report on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, drugs long used for preventing or treating malaria but whose safety and effectiveness for COVID-19 are unknown.

Trump via Twitter: Republican Convention Not happening in North Carolina

In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump said the Republican National Convention will look at states other than North Carolina to host August’s event, blaming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Cooper and North Carolina officials had been going back and forth with Republican officials over safety concerns regarding hosting a convention during the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge: $750K Bail for 3 Ex-Officers Accused in Floyd’s Death

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 The Associated Press

A judge set bail at $750,000 apiece Thursday for three fired Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in the killing of George Floyd, as a memorial service took place just blocks away.

Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng made their first appearances in Hennepin County District Court as friends, relatives and celebrities gathered to memorialize Floyd at a nearby Bible college.

Despite Drop in New Claims, Michigan Unemployment Ninth Highest in Nation

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allows more sectors of the economy to open, Michigan unemployment claims dropped to 956,418 in the week ending May 30, compared to 985,294 claims the prior week ending May 23.

Those numbers are the lowest unemployment figures in Michigan since the beginning of measures to contain the coronavirus were initiated in late March.

Executive Director of Michigan Rising Action Calls for Whitmer to Focus on Nursing Homes, Not Politics

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Michigan Rising Action is calling for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to “put politics aside and focus on Michigan.”

In an opinion published on May 30 in The Detroit News, Tori Sachs, the executive director for Michigan Rising Action, argued that Whitmer should shift her focus from politics and “raising her national profile” back to the state of Michigan.

New U.S. Unemployment Claims Drop Below 2 Million, but Total Claims Top 42 Million

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

The number of new unemployment claims filed last week dropped to 1.88 million, the first time weekly claims didn’t exceed 2 million since mid-March.

Still, the total number of claims filed since government restrictions closed businesses deemed nonessential to slow the spread of COVID-19 surpassed 42 million in the 11 weeks since states began shutting down significant parts of their economy.

On Tiananmen Anniversary, Hong Kong Bans Insults to Anthem

June 4, 2020November 9, 2020 The Associated Press

Hong Kong’s legislature approved a contentious bill Thursday that makes it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.

The legislation was approved after pro-democracy opposition lawmakers tried to disrupt the vote. It passed with 41 lawmakers voting for it and just one voting against. Most of the pro-democracy lawmakers boycotted the vote out of protest.

Charge Upgraded to Second-Degree Murder in Floyd Case, Three Other Officers Charged

Prosecutors charged a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck with a new more serious charge of second-degree murder on Wednesday, and for the first time leveled charges against three other officers at the scene, according to criminal complaints.

The updated criminal complaint against Derek Chauvin says the officer’s actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death.

Commentary: Check Your Radical Privilege

In the taxpayer-funded, cushy corridors of leftist academe, the radically chic proselytizers of hatred smugly define their concept of “White Privilege”: If you don’t need to care about a societal problem, it is because of your white privilege. (The shorthand for “White privilege” is simply “privilege,” because 1619.)

By pouring this racist tenet of cultural Marxism into those too intellectually and emotionally immature to resist the call to hate others, oneself, and America, the object is to inure its adherents against the ability to measure one’s actions by any moral criteria except vapid virtue signaling. If these insular radicals were still capable of introspection, they’d shortly realize they epitomize “privilege.”

NASCAR Ready for Long-Term Commitment in Nashville

Here’s what NASCAR hopes is the honky tonk truth — that a Nashville reboot is good enough this time to make the sport a tough ticket in the heart of one of the entertainment hot spots of the south.

The first step? Convincing its star drivers the trip to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021 is the spark of a motorsports rebirth in the area and not just another lazy ride on an intermediate concrete track.

Iowa GOP Rep. Steve King Falls to Primary Challenger Randy Feenstra

Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King lost his primary against Republican state Sen. Randy Feenstra Tuesday night.

Feenstra will advance as the Republican nominee for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, which consists of the largely rural northwestern part of the state.

US Legislatures Slow to Pass Laws Limiting Use of Force

A wave of police killings of young black men in 2014 prompted 24 states to quickly pass some type of law enforcement reform, but many declined to address the most glaring issue: police use of force. Six years later, only about a third of states have passed laws on the question.

The issue is at the heart of nationwide protests set off by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he pleaded for air.

Poll: Black and White Americans Divided Over Coronavirus Concerns and Trust in Police

A new poll finds a racial divide among Americans when asked about trust in law enforcement and fears surrounding coronavirus.

When asked if they trusted local police, 77% of white Americans said yes, while only 36% of black Americans agreed, according to an Axios/Ipsos poll.

Cinema Chain AMC Warns It May Not Survive the Pandemic

Movie theater chain AMC warned Wednesday that it may not survive the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered its theaters and led film studios to explore releasing more movies directly to viewers over the internet.

All of AMC’s theaters are shut down through June, which means the company isn’t generating any revenue. AMC said it had enough cash to reopen its theaters this summer, as it plans to do. But if it’s not allowed to reopen, it will need more money, which it may not be able to borrow.

North Carolina Gov. Stands Ground, Says GOP Conditions for Convention Are ‘Very Unlikely’

Uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Republican National Convention increased Tuesday as Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper rejected the GOP’s request to have a full, in-person convention.

In a letter addressed to the Republican National Committee (RNC), Cooper cited his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Who Is Funding and Organizing the Antifa Insurrection?

Someone is organizing criminals and vandals to loot and destroy cities but the corporate media don’t seem all that interested in getting to the bottom of it. In fact, Democrats and their allies in the press have been actively engaging in misdirection, lamely accusing white supremacists of being behind the mayhem plaguing “peaceful protests.”

A looter who was caught by the police in Santa Monica, California on Sunday was very candid with a local reporter when he was asked about his motive.

Commentary: FBI Director Christopher Wray Should Be Replaced

There must be someplace warm and inviting that needs an ambassador where FBI Director Christopher Wray can be sent to lounge around without getting in the way of the Nation’s important business.

We urge this action because it has becoming increasingly clear that Director Wray has no stomach for the hard work necessary to focus the FBI on the important work at hand, namely crushing the terrorist organizations now destroying American cities and cleaning up the mess Obama and Comey left in the wake of the set up of LTG Mike Flynn the spying on President Trump and his campaign.

Whitmer Calls for Police Reform in Michigan Amid George Floyd Protests

June 4, 2020June 3, 2020 Jordyn Pair

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her support on Wednesday for a series of policy changes that would help police reform in Michigan, including additional training for officers, increased reporting and encouraging agencies to implement intervention policies.

Whitmer also voiced support for a Michigan Senate bill that would mandate implicit bias training, de-escalation techniques and mental health screenings for incoming law enforcement officers.

US Job Losses in May Could Raise 3-Month Total to 30 Million

June 3, 2020June 3, 2020 The Associated Press

The epic damage to America’s job market from the viral outbreak will come into sharper focus Friday when the government releases the May employment report: Eight million more jobs are estimated to have been lost. Unemployment could near 20%. And potentially fewer than half of all adults may be working.

Beneath the dismal figures will be signs that job cuts, severe as they are, are slowing as more businesses gradually or partially reopen. Still, the economy is mired in a recession, and any rebound in hiring will likely be painfully slow. Economists foresee unemployment remaining in double-digits through the November elections and into 2021.

Police: Retired St. Louis Police Captain Killed Amid Unrest

June 3, 2020June 2, 2020 The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) — A retired St. Louis police officer was shot and killed early Tuesday by people who had broken into a pawn shop during the unrest that followed a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, police said.

David Dorn, 77, was found dead on the sidewalk in front of Lee’s Pawn & Jewelry. Police have not released details of what led to the shooting about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and no one has been arrested.

Commentary: Is China Threatening Taiwan, Hong Kong While the U.S. Is Weighed Down by Pandemic, Recession and Riots?

Is China on the precipice of an aggressive expansion into Taiwan and Hong Kong while the U.S. is bogged down with the Covid-19 pandemic, the worst recession in a generation with more than 23 million jobs lost and riots over the police killing of George Floyd?

Amid the global response to the China-originated coronavirus, in January, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was reelected in a landslide, saying she supports the current political status of the island nation, which in her eyes is that Taiwan is so independent it doesn’t need to declare independence.

Tennessee House Votes to Be Second Amendment Sanctuary Amid Nationwide Riots

Tennessee is now one step closer to becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary after the state House of Representatives passed a resolution Monday strengthening legal protections of gun ownership.

Resolution HJR074, drafted in March, requires the state to “[extend] a safe harbor to Virginians and other United States citizens whose constitutional rights are being violated by elected officials.” It also affirms that citizens have a right to maintain arms equivalent “to those of their government’s basic infantry unit.”

No Evidence White Supremacists Are Derailing the Protests, Left-Wing SPLC Says

A researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center said he had not seen evidence supporting the theory that white supremacist militia members were responsible for inciting violence at protests against police brutality last week.

“I have not seen any clear evidence that white supremacists or militiamen are masking up and going out to burn and loot,” Howard Graves, a research analyst at the SPLC, told The New York Times for a report published Sunday. The group, which tracks anti-government extremist groups, has been criticized for calling mainstream conservative organizations “hate groups.”

Commentary: Trump’s Greatest Challenge Now

President Trump faces the greatest challenge of his very eventful life, and also an immense opportunity to silence his detractors. Not since Charles de Gaulle faced a prolonged general strike in France in 1968 has the leader of a large Western democracy faced something so closely approximating an insurrection as the situation President Trump faces now.

Fortunately, as de Gaulle demonstrated, in such circumstances there is almost always overwhelming support for the legitimate government as long as it restores order with no more force than is necessary and in the impartial national interest.

Former President George W. Bush on Riots: ‘Protest Shows Strength’

June 3, 2020November 9, 2020 Admin

Former President George W. Bush weighed in Monday on the riots that have torn across the United States, saying that “lasting justice will only come by peace.”

Bush spoke out following the seventh night of destructive riots following the demise of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, according to footage of the incident.

Music Spotlight: Adam Sanders

June 3, 2020June 2, 2020 Bethany Bowman

Nashville, Tennessee – A native of Lake City, Florida, Adam Sanders knew at an early age that music would be his life.

“My mom likes to say I could sing before I could talk. It was as far back as I could remember. My earliest memories were dressing up like Alan Jackson and singing ‘Chattahoochee’ and ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox,’” he said.

Medicare to Ratchet up Enforcement Against Nursing Homes as Coronavirus Fatalities Exceed 25,000

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled enhanced enforcement actions on Monday against nursing homes after preliminary federal data shows that at least 25,923 nursing home residents across the country have died from coronavirus.

“This data, and anecdotal reports across the country, clearly show that nursing homes have been devastated by the virus,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma and Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield wrote in a letter to U.S. governors on Sunday.

George Floyd Had ‘Fentanyl Intoxication’ and ‘Recent Methamphetamine Use,’ Autopsy Shows