Month: July 2020

Suspicious huh?

Via Fox 35:

After FOX 35 News noticed errors in the state’s report on positivity rates, the Florida Department of Health said that some laboratories have not been reporting negative test result data to the state.

Countless labs have reported a 100 percent positivity rate, which means every single person tested was positive. Other labs had very high positivity rates. FOX 35 News found that testing sites like one local Centra Care reported that 83 people were tested and all tested positive. Then, NCF Diagnostics in Alachua reported 88 percent of tests were positive.

How could that be? FOX 35 News investigated these astronomical numbers, contacting every local location mentioned in the report.

Keep reading…

A retired U.S. Marine confronted protesters Sunday after he tried to decorate the fence around Portland’s federal courthouse with American flags.

Field reporter Jorge Ventura shared video footage of Gabriel Johnson urging protesters to join him as he stood holding an American flag:

Johnson told the crowd:

If you stand for justice, come here and stand with me. Stand with me because I’m here for justice. I’m not here to tear down this fucking fence. I’m not here to spraypaint. It’s going on every day. If you don’t want to get gassed, stop. If you don’t want to get gassed, stop. It has to stop. None of you guys represent black lives. Sit and protest. Sit and protest.

Local leaders and community members have condemned the violence that has occurred nightly for over a month and a half, according to Fox 12.

“I felt compelled to show my patriotism and to try to bring a different message to the courthouse,” said Johnson, who suffered from PTSD and lived in a nearby apartment.

“On Friday night, I counted 82 explosions. House full of gas. I’m on the 12th floor here,” he told reporter Audrey Weil:

“It reminded me of being in Iraq, and my experience being in Iraq, and not here in Portland, not where it’s supposed to be safe. Not where it’s supposed to be peaceful,” Johnson continued.

However, the veteran said he carried the American flag Saturday night not as a political statement but as a symbol of unity and freedom, according to Fox 12.

“I’m not taking any sides. The side that I take is being a citizen of this country and being a citizen of Portland what’s going on from either side is not cool,” he commented and also criticized the violent protesters.

“These people aren’t about Black Lives and they don’t represent me,” Johnson explained.

Although he did not agree with federal law enforcement officers being in Portland, Johnson supported the police and the city and wanted all citizens to come together.

“It’s been 50-plus days of us being out in the street — and what’s been accomplished?” he told KOIN.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), part of United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is planning a mission for 150 federal agents to assist other federal law enforcement efforts in Chicago, where homicide rates have soared.

“So far in 2020, Chicago has experienced one of its most violent years in recent memory, especially since late May with the fallout over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota,” the Chicago Tribune reported near the end of its article on the development.

“Through July 12, homicides in Chicago were up 48 percent with 385, compared to 260 at the same time last year, official CPD statistics show,” the Tribune reported. “Shootings were also up by 46 percent.

“During a 28-day period through July 12, 116 people were slain in Chicago, the statistics show,” the Tribune reported. “That’s up from 41 during the same period in 2019.”

The Tribune reported that an unnamed city official said they had heard about the plan but knew no specifics, and the Chicago Police Department did not comment for the report.

The Tribune reported on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s remarks at an unrelated press conference.

“We don’t need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the streets and holding them, I think, unlawfully,” Lightfoot said.

“[The] left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing,” Trump told reporters.

The Tribune reported:

Without offering specifics, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Fox News over the weekend that Trump, Attorney General William Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf would roll out a plan this week about tamping down on crime in various U.S. cities.

“Some of the unrest that we saw, even in the last month or so, but particularly last night and in the week leading up to it in Portland, is just not acceptable when you look at communities not being safe and not upholding the rule of law,” Meadows said. “So, Attorney General Barr is weighing in on that with (DHS) Secretary Wolf, and you’ll see something rolled out this week as we start to go in and make sure that the communities – whether it’s Chicago, or Portland, or Milwaukee, or some place across the heartland of the country – we need to make sure their communities are safe.”

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PragerU has launched a new campaign called “Black the Blue”  this week, encouraging Americans to support their local police officers. Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow discussed the campaign in a video Monday, thanking police officers “on behalf of Breitbart Nation” for “doing the hard work that is often so thankless.”

PragerU launched the “Black the Blue” campaign on Monday in response to the overwhelming attack on American policing by left-wing leaders and the mainstream media that has erupted in the United States since the death of George Floyd in May. PragerU is encouraging Americans to defend police officers against the recent attacks by the progressive left. 

“So, is the right move to Defund the Police, or to Defend the Police? According to statistics gathered both locally and nationally, we need more investment in our police forces, not less,” PragerU wrote in a press release. 

“What could have been an honest conversation about one man’s tragic death quickly became about the burning of police precincts, the toppling of statues, and even a referendum on our Founding Fathers,” Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow said in a video supporting the campaign.

“Next came a crime wave where we saw several law enforcement officials lose their lives. Still, some legislators are attempting to minimize rioting and suggesting we need to defund the police, literally depriving of resources America’s finest who keep us safe,” Marlow continued. “This has all led to a massive crime wave that is only going to expand as we’re in this tumultuous election season and tempers are hot.” 

At the end of the video, Marlow addressed American police officers directly. “On behalf of Breitbart Nation, I want to say ‘thank you. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you for doing the hard work that is often so thankless. And you are doing a job that we often don’t deserve but we absolutely need for the future of our Republic,” Marlow finished. 

In a press release, Prager University said that the national “Back the Blue” campaign will encourage Americans to support their police officers.

Police officers put their lives on the line daily to protect our cities and communities, but they are being demonized by the media and the left. They need our support, now more than ever. PragerU is launching a national campaign the week of July 20-24, rallying support for our courageous officers. We are encouraging organizations, influencers, media outlets, and individuals to voice their support online and beyond.

You can learn more about Prager University’s “Back the Blue” campaign here. 

Ghislaine Maxwell believes her former boss Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in his New York City prison cell and fears she will also be killed, a family friend of the alleged madame told The Sun.

The Sun reports:

A family friend told The Sun On Sunday Maxwell, 58, fears she will be bumped off inside the brutal New York jail which warders describe as a “hellhole”.

Another source said: “It’s the same as Guantanamo Bay — lights on, noise and constant interruption of sleep”.

[…]

Maxwell’s friend said: “Everyone’s view including Ghislaine’s is Epstein was murdered. She received death threats before she was arrested.”

The report comes after a judge denied bail for Maxwell last Tuesday, ruling that she is a flight risk and may try to flee the country instead of facing charges for allegedly recruiting young girls for Epstein to engage in sexual acts with.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said even the most restrictive form of release would be insufficient to ensure Maxwell would not flee, particularly now that she knows a conviction could result in up to 35 years in prison.

As the judge explained her reasoning for denying bail, Maxwell dropped her head repeatedly, appearing dejected. At one point, she appeared to wipe a tear from underneath one eye as she sat alone in a room at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she has been housed since last week.

Maxwell, 58, has been held without bail since her July 2 arrest at her million-dollar New Hampshire estate, where prosecutors say she refused to open the door for FBI agents, who busted through to find her in an interior room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Chicago Alderman Anthony Napolitano suggested that local city leaders are scared to ask President Trump to help curtail the city’s gun crime, because they are worried it will make Trump look like “a success.”

During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Alderman Napolitano indicated leaders at city and state level are rejecting the option of seeking federal help.

He said, “[They are] too afraid to ask the President for help because if it does work they are going to make the President look like a success.”

Napolitano’s observation comes as Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara urges President Trump to step in and use federal intervention to fight gun violence.

Catanzara wrote to Trump, saying, “These politicians are failing the good men and women of this city and the police department…I have pushed back on their failing liberal policies. I really believe your help could make a big difference and rally the silent majority to say enough is enough.”

Breitbart News reported at least 65 people were shot over the weekend in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) Chicago, ten of the shooting victims died.

Alderman Napolitano described the figures from Chicago’s violence as “war zone numbers,” and echoed Catanzara’s request, saying, “Mr. President, come help us out. Put all politics aside, come save Chicago.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he would resume coronavirus press briefings to address the flare-ups of coronavirus cases across the country.

“We have had this big flare-up in Florida, Texas, a couple of other places,” Trump said but noted that the pandemic was “flaring up all over the place” in different parts of the world.

Trump spoke to reporters after meeting with congressional Republican leaders to discuss government assistance for the struggle against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The president said he would likely do a briefing at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, a time slot he previously used at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had very successful briefings. I was doing them. We had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching; in the history of cable television, there’s never been anything like it,” Trump said. “We were doing very well.”

Trump said there was a lot of positive news to share about the development of a coronavirus vaccine and therapeutics to help treat patients.

“I think it’s a great way to get information out to the public, as to where we are with the vaccines and the therapeutics,” Trump said.

Trump expressed optimism that pharmaceutical companies were rapidly developing additional treatments for the virus.

“It’s something that I really feel certain, I guess you can never be totally certain, but pretty damn certain that they’re going to have the vaccine. They’re going to have therapeutics, and that’s going to take place very shortly,” he said.

Trump appeared frustrated that the news focused on new cases of the virus in the United States, without noting that there were flare-ups all over the world.

“This is happening all over the world, not just the United States, and it’s a tough one,” he said. Very tough, very sad when you see the death.”

Trump again blamed China for failing to contain the virus, which he described as the “China virus” and “the China plague.”

“It came from China. They could have stopped it; they didn’t,” Trump said. “They stopped it from going into China but they didn’t stop it from the rest of the world.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Monday reacted angrily to President Trump warning that he may deploy “more federal law enforcement” to cities where protesters are wreaking havoc, proclaiming that they will “have to arrest” her first “if they think they’re going to illegally lay their hands” on her residents.

“They’ll have to arrest me first if they think they’re going to illegally lay their hands on my residents,” Tlaib said in reaction to the president’s remarks:

Trump on Monday doubled down on last week’s promise to take action on cities run by “liberal, left-wing Democrats” — cities that have seen an escalation of violence and unrest in recent weeks.

“They’re like war zones. And if the city isn’t to straighten out, if local politicians — or, in this case — I don’t say this for political reasons — they’re all Democrats. They’re liberal, left-wing Democrats,” he said last week.

Trump reiterated that call on Monday following a meeting with congressional Republican leaders.

“Look at what’s going on. All run by Democrats. All run by very liberal Democrats. All run really by [the] radical left. We can’t let this happen in the cities,” he said, naming New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore, specifically.

As Breitbart News reported:

Trump spoke in response to reports that the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to deploy about 150 agents to the city of Chicago.

He speculated that police officers were restricted from doing their jobs by Democrat leaders who were actually “afraid” of the anarchists in their cites.

“Yes, they are weak, but they are afraid of these people,” he said.

Trump said he would not stand by and watch the wave of crime hit America’s cities.

“I’m going to do something, that I can tell you,” he said.

Trump also praised the response in Portland, as federal officers have moved to quell violence in the city.

“They grab ’em. A lot of people in jail, their leaders, these are anarchists. These are not protesters … these are people who hate our country, and we’re not going to let it go forward,” Trump said.

Trump’s remarks follow last week’s reports of federal law enforcement officers detaining protesters in unmarked police vehicles.

A group called the Wall of Moms (WOM) linked arms and stood between protesters and federal law enforcement Sunday in Portland, Oregon.

“Hundreds of people had gathered for the demonstrations, blocking roads, Portland police said in a statement early Monday. They said dozens of others ‘tampered with the courthouse fence,’” according to NBC News.

Sunday night, CounterPunch Editor Nathaniel St. Clair tweeted video footage of the group chanting “Moms are here, Feds stay clear!” outside the Justice Center:

“By midnight, protesters had torn down part of the fence that surrounded the federal courthouse and federal officers began using tear gas and other crowd control munitions to clear out the area,” according to KGW.

At about 1:30 a.m., several people lit a fire near the courthouse entrance and began adding debris to feed the flames, police said.

“Federal officers came out of the courthouse, dispersed the crowd and put out the fire,” the KGW report noted, adding that Portland police officers did not engage the crowds at all that night.

Sunday on MSNBC, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said President Trump was trying to turn America into North Korea by allowing federal officers to remove protesters off the streets in Portland, according to Breitbart News.

Meeks continued:

This is the same kind of thing that I guess this president wants to go along with his good friends as he says, Vladimir Putin and Russia, something that you would think would take place there, or Kim Jong-un in North Korea something that would take place there. This is how they govern and operate, and I hoped we moved far past that.

However, the president tweeted Sunday that the government was trying to help the city, not hurt it:

“The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it. Unimaginably bad things would happen to America,” Trump wrote in a subsequent tweet.

“Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. NO!” he concluded.