Thursday, February 25, 2021

A mister no more: Mr. Potato Head goes gender neutral

 

A mister no more: Mr. Potato Head goes gender neutral

JOSEPH PISANI

NEW YORK (AP) — Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister.

Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender neutral new name: Potato Head. The change will appear on boxes this year.

Many toymakers have been updating their classic brands in recent years, hoping to relate to kids today and to reflect more modern families.

“It’s a potato,” said Ali Mierzejewski, editor in chief at toy review site The Toy Insider. “But kids like to see themselves in the toys they are playing with.”

Barbie, for example, has shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes. Thomas the Tank Engine added more girl characters. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.

As part of the rebranding, Hasbro will release a new Potato Head playset that will let kids create their own type of families, including two moms or two dads. The Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head characters will live on in some form, Hasbro said, but didn't provide details.

Dropping the “Mr.” from its name could encourage other companies to not assign genders to its toys, a trend that has already been happening, said Mierzejewski. Barbie maker Mattel released a gender-neutral doll line in 2019. But Mr. Potato Head is one of the biggest brands to do so.

“It’s setting this new standard," Mierzejewski said.

Mr. Potato Head first hit the toy scene in 1952, when it didn’t even come with a plastic potato — kids had to supply their own vegetable to poke eyes, a nose or mustache into. Hasbro, which also makes Monopoly and My Little Pony, bought the brand and eventually added a plastic potato.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

California's coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: 'The devil is already here'

 

 

California's coronavirus strain looks increasingly dangerous: 'The devil is already here'

Melissa Healy
Registered nurses April McFarland, left, and Tiffany Robbins place a body inside a white bag and zip it closed.
Registered nurses April McFarland, left, and Tiffany Robbins place the body of a COVID-19 victim inside a white bag and zip it closed at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
 

A coronavirus variant that probably emerged in May and surged to become the dominant strain in California not only spreads more readily than its predecessors but also evades antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection and is associated with severe illness and death, researchers said.

 

In a study that helps explain the state’s dramatic holiday surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths — and portends further trouble ahead — scientists at UC San Francisco said the cluster of mutations that characterizes the homegrown strain should mark it as a “variant of concern” on par with those from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.

Californians, along with the rest of the country, have been bracing for an onslaught of the more transmissible strain from the U.K. known as B.1.1.7. But they should know that a rival strain that is probably just as worrisome has already settled in, and will probably account for 90% of the state’s infections by the end of next month, said Dr. Charles Chiu, an infectious diseases researcher and physician at UCSF.

“The devil is already here,” said Chiu, who led a team of geneticists, epidemiologists, statisticians and other scientists in a wide-ranging analysis of the new variant, which they call B.1.427/B.1.429. “I wish it were different. But the science is the science.”

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The U.K. and California variants are each armed with enhanced capabilities, and the likelihood that they could circulate in the same population raises the specter of a return to spiking infections and deaths, Chiu said. It also opens the door to a “nightmare scenario”: That the two viruses will meet in a single person, swap their mutations and create an even more dangerous strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The new evidence that the California variant could make people sicker, and vaccines less effective, should spur more intensive efforts to drive down infections, Chiu said. Those should include both public health measures, such as masking and limits on public activities, and a campaign of rapid vaccinations, he added.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, raised a further concern in an interview with The Times. A survival-of-the-fittest contest between the U.K. and California variants could accelerate the spread of the strain that's best able to elude the effects of COVID-19 vaccines, he said. The best way to prevent this, he added, is to stop the spread of either variant by getting vaccinated, wearing masks and limiting exposure to others.

The new analysis is currently under review by the public health departments of San Francisco County and the state, which collaborated in the new research. It is expected to post late this week to MedRxiv, a website that allows new research to be shared before its formal publication.

The new findings do not show that the homegrown strain was the principal driver of California's dramatic run-up in infections and deaths during the fall and early winter, Chiu cautioned. In some counties, case rates began to surge before the new variant had muscled into the picture; in others, both the variant and new infections rose together.

But scientists said B.1.427/B.1.429 certainly wasn't blameless.

"It's hard to disentangle all the different factors that contribute to spread," including travel, holiday gatherings and restaurant dining, said Dr. Bruce Walker, an immunologist and founding director of the Ragon Institute in Boston. Still, it's fair to conclude that "they all contribute to some extent," he added.

Over five months starting on Sept. 1, the California strain, which is sometimes referred to as 20C/L452R, rose from complete obscurity to account for more than 50% of all coronavirus samples that were subjected to genetic analysis in the state. Compared with strains that were most prominent here in early fall, the new strain seems to have an enhanced ability to spread, Chiu said.

Exactly how much more transmissible the California strain is remains an open question, he added. But the evidence that it's more contagious comes from several sources.

Samples collected from a range of counties, and using a variety of collection methods, suggest the variant is 19% to 24% more transmissible. But in some circumstances, its advantage was much greater: In one nursing home outbreak, B.1.427/B.1.429 spread at a rate that was six times higher than that of its predecessors.

Researchers also discerned uniform patterns of the variant's expansion in counties across the state. When infection rates rose, they typically did so in tandem with growing evidence of the California strain’s presence.

That probably made the new viral variant a contributor — albeit one among many — to the surge that dogged the state through the fall and early winter. In Northern California, at least, new infections had already begun to rise dramatically by the time the new variant had announced its presence, Chiu said. Across Southern California, the overlap was closer.

The variant’s enhanced propensity for spread was also evident in laboratory results. An analysis of viral samples from around the state showed that compared with people infected with other strains of SARS-CoV-2, those who were infected with the California strain had viral loads in the nasopharynx that were twice as high.

That, in turn, made it highly likely that each person infected with the new strain would go on to infect more people.

B.1.427/B.1.429's genome includes three mutations that affect the crucial spike protein, which the virus uses to sneak into human cells and convert them into factories for its own production. One of those three mutations, dubbed L452R, affects the so-called receptor binding domain, helping the virus attach more firmly to target cells.

That adaptation has not been seen in coronavirus variants that have caused worry elsewhere.

In a UCSF lab, scientists found that the L452R mutation alone made the California strain more damaging as well. A coronavirus engineered to have only that mutation was able to infect human lung tissue at least 40% more readily than were circulating variants that lacked the mutation. Compared with those so-called wild-type strains, the engineered virus was more than three times more infectious.

In the lab, the California strain also revealed itself to be more resistant to neutralizing antibodies generated in response to COVID-19 vaccines as well as by a previous coronavirus infection.

Compared with existing variants, the reduction in protection was "moderate ... but significant," the researchers said.

When the neutralizing antibodies went up against the homegrown strain, their effectiveness was cut in half. By comparison, when these antibodies encountered the coronavirus strain that's now dominant in South Africa, their effectiveness was reduced to one-sixth of their usual levels.

“I do anticipate over time it is going to have an effect on vaccination,” Chiu said. Though the magnitude of the effect varied from sample to sample and was less pronounced than with the South Africa strain, “it still is concerning,” he said.

Walker, who was not involved in the new analysis, said that while viruses often mutate in ways that make them stronger, such genetic changes often impose a new Achilles' heel. For instance, a strain that spreads more easily often loses some of its virulence.

The worrisome thing about the California variant, Walker said, is that no apparent weakness has been introduced alongside mutations that confer added strength.

That's a reminder that, if given the continued opportunity to spread, SARS-CoV-2 will keep looking for ways to thwart our effort to suppress it, he said. As long as infections are rampant, the imperative to adapt will result in new variants.

"If viruses don't replicate, they don't mutate," Fauci said.

Ominously, the new study also suggested the California variant could have the added impact of greater virulence.

That observation is based on the medical charts of 324 patients hospitalized at UCSF, a relatively small sample. Still, the researchers found that the 21% of these patients who contracted B.1.427/B.1.429 were more likely than their counterparts to have been admitted to the ICU, and they were 11 times more likely to die. That finding held up even after researchers adjusted for differences in the patients' age, gender and ethnicity.

The number of deaths in both groups was very small, however, so this finding will need to be checked against larger data sets as those become available.

Chiu also cautioned that this increased risk of death may not be a sign that the variant is inherently more lethal. Rather, it might simply be a reflection that its greater transmissibility caused hospitals to become so overwhelmed and healthcare resources to be stretched so thin that more deaths were the result — especially in Southern California.

Dr. Marc Suchard, an expert on infectious disease tracking at UCLA, said that some of the team’s findings would probably be refined as more virus samples were genetically sequenced and more data came to light.

“It remains critically important that we actively sequence the virus as cases are diagnosed in our state,” said Suchard, who was not involved in the UCSF work. “I am glad to see such a collaboration between academics and public health departments in California to identify the emergence of a previously unidentified lineage.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

 

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

WHISTLEBLOWER: Coca-Cola Forces Employees to Complete Online Training Telling Them to “Try to be Less White” (PHOTOS + VIDEO)

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/whistleblower-coca-cola-forces-employees-complete-online-training-telling-try-less-white-photos-video/

 

 

 

 

 ( I don't know how to be less white but I KNOW HOW TO BUY LESS COKE)


 

WHISTLEBLOWER: Coca-Cola Forces Employees to Complete Online Training Telling Them to “Try to be Less White” (PHOTOS + VIDEO)

 

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A whistleblower leaked shocking images of Coca-Cola’s online training modules instructing employees to “try to be less white.”

Karlyn Borysenko, an anti-critical race theory activist, obtained the images from an internal whistleblower and posted them online:

“Confronting Racism: Understanding what it means to be white, challenging what it means to be racist”

“Try to be less white”

To be less white is to:

  • Be less oppressive
  • Be less arrogant
  • Be less certain
  • Be less defensive
  • Be less arrogant
  • Be more humble
  • Listen
  • Believe
  • Break with apathy
  • Break with white solidarity“In the US and other Western nations, white people are socialized to feel that they are inherently superior because they are white. Research shows that by age 3 to 4, children understand that it is better to be white.”
  • ImageImageImageImage

    Karlyn Borysenko posted a video to her YouTube channel breaking down the images provided to her by a Coca-Cola whistleblower.

  • https://youtu.be/FRWfS0SmNqw

 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Sounds Racist: McDonald’s Will Punish Executives if They Hire Too Many White Men

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/sounds-racist-mcdonalds-will-punish-executives-hire-many-white-men/

 

 

Sounds Racist: McDonald’s Will Punish Executives if They Hire Too Many White Men

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McDonald’s Corporation announced last week its priorities had switched from delivering delicious food to hitting hiring quotas.

Senior Executive Managers will lose their bonuses if they fail to staff more minorities in senior leadership positions.

The company will have a focus on hiring women and minorities for top positions regardless of their talent and abilities.

The Western Journal reported:

A press release on the McDonald’s website says that part of the bonuses awarded to top company executives will be based upon their efforts to hire women and what the company terms “historically underrepresented groups” for top corporate positions.

“Beginning in 2021, the Company is incorporating quantitative human capital management-related metrics to annual incentive compensation for its Executive Vice Presidents,” the company said.

“In addition to the Company’s financial performance, executives will be measured on their ability to champion our core values, improve representation within leadership roles for both women and historically underrepresented groups, and create a strong culture of inclusion within the Company,” the company said.

The company has clear goals. By the end of 2025, 35 percent of the people in jobs that are at the level of senior director and above will be from underrepresented groups. That metric was at 29 percent in 2020, according to the company.

As for women, the company has set a target of having 45 percent of jobs at the level of senior director and above be women. That number was 37 percent as of 2020, according to the company

 

 

 

Friday, February 19, 2021

Pass this on to everyone you know) Convicted Murderer Turned Activist in Baltimore Wants the City to Pay Criminals NOT to Kill

 

 

 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/convicted-murderer-turned-activist-baltimore-wants-city-pay-criminals-not-kill/

 

Convicted Murderer Turned Activist in Baltimore Wants the City to Pay Criminals NOT to Kill

 

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A convicted murderer who is now a leftist community activist in Baltimore has proposed that the city pay criminals not to kill people.

Tyree Moorehead, who was convicted of second degree murder when he was 15, has become a well known activist in the city where the murder rate is sky rocketing.

Moorehead has repeatedly said that he shot about 20 people when he was a teenager, between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.

To stop the deaths, Moorehead told local news that the city should just start paying people to stop killing.

“I can relate to the shooters,” the activist told Fox 45. “Guess what they want? They want money.”

“I’ve talked to these people, I’ve seen the shooters, it’s a small city, I know who the hustlers are,” he added.

The activist puts up graffiti at scenes of deadly shootings, labeling them “no shoot zones.”

The New York Post reports that “Baltimore has been wracked by violent crime in recent years, closing out 2020 with 335 homicides, according to statistics from the Baltimore Sun. In 2019, there were 348 murders.”

Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith told the station that Moorehead’s suggestion “speaks to the desperation that we all have,” to lower the murder rate. However, he said that giving criminals cash will just lead to them buying more guns.

“It could make it easier for people to get their hands on guns because they now have an influx of a different level of cash,” he said.

 

 

BREAKING: ANTIFA Terrorist Arrested By FBI After Calling ‘Comrades’ To Kidnap Trump Supporters Using Firearms

 

 https://100percentfedup.com/breaking-antifa-terrorist-arrested-by-fbi-after-calling-comrades-to-kidnap-trump-supporters-using-firearms/

BREAKING: ANTIFA Terrorist Arrested By FBI After Calling ‘Comrades’ To Kidnap Trump Supporters Using Firearms

By Allan Miller | Feb 16, 2021

Federal law enforcement agents have arrested ANTIFA terrorist Daniel Baker of Tallahassee for transmission, in interstate commerce, of communication containing a threat to kidnap or to injure Trump supporters.

Baker issued a call to arms for “like-minded individuals” to violently confront protestors gathered at the Florida Capitol this Sunday. He specifically called for others to join him in encircling any protestors and confining them at the Capitol complex using firearms. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the arrest.

“Extremists intent on violence from either end of the political and social spectrums must be stopped, and they will be stopped,” Keefe said. “The diligent work in this case by the FBI and other public safety organizations has averted a crisis with this arrest, and we will not stop in our efforts to detect, deter, and disrupt anyone else planning to incite or commit violence.”

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Baker without incident with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Tallahassee Police Department.

Trending: BREAKING: YOU Can Join the $160 Billion Class Action Lawsuit Against Dominion, Zuckerberg, Facebook, Elected Officials, Others...First of Its Kind

“In these perilous times, we are steadfastly committed to being as transparent as possible about the work your government does to protect public safety and uphold the rule of law,” Keefe said. “While extremists who plan mayhem may skulk in the shadows, it’s important that we force them into the light and bring them to justice.”

Baker, a former U.S. Army Airborne infantryman who was kicked out of the service, has a history of expressing his belief in violent tactics. In recent days his social media posts had escalated significantly.

He specifically expressed an intent to violently disrupt protests on Inauguration Day, and was actively recruiting others to join him. Baker, who actively participated in multiple protests throughout the United States last summer, has used social media as a way to promote, encourage, and educate his followers on how to incapacitate and debilitate law enforcement officers.

“This arrest serves as a message to anyone who intends to incite or commit violence in the Northern District of Florida: If you represent a threat to public safety, we will come for you, we will find you, and we will prosecute you,” Keefe said. “Daniel Baker’s actions show that he is a dangerous extremist, and the law-abiding public is safer now that he has been arrested. We are, and will remain, on high alert and will take all appropriate actions against credible threats to the people of our District.”

Baker can be seen in photos and YouTube videos with a variety of firearms, including those with high-capacity magazines.

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

What a bunch of CRAZY NUTS......William Shakespeare ditched by woke teachers over ‘misogyny, racism’

 

 

William Shakespeare ditched by woke teachers over ‘misogyny, racism’

 

"Shakespeare was a tool used to ‘civilize’ Black and brown people," a university professor in Arizona says

William Shakespeare, thou hast been getting canceled.

An increasing number of woke teachers are refusing to study the Bard — accusing his classic works of promoting "misogyny, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, and misogynoir."

A slew of English literature teachers told the School Library Journal (SLJ) how they were ditching the likes of "Hamlet," "Macbeth" and "Romeo and Juliet" to instead "make room for modern, diverse, and inclusive voices."

"Shakespeare was a tool used to ‘civilize’ Black and brown people in England’s empire," insisted Shakespeare scholar Ayanna Thompson, a professor of English at Arizona State University.

CALIFORNIA STATE REPUBLICAN AIMS AT 'CANCEL CULTURE' WITH TWO BILLS -- BUT FACES QUICK DEM BACKLASH

Teachers also need to "challenge the whiteness" of the assumption that Shakespeare’s works are "universal," insisted Jeffrey Austin, who is head of a Michigan high school’s English literature department.

William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare.

Former Washington state public school teacher Claire Bruncke told SLJ she banished the Bard from her classroom to "stray from centering the narrative of white, cisgender, heterosexual men."

"Eliminating Shakespeare was a step I could easily take to work toward that. And it proved worthwhile for my students," she insisted.

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Other teachers said they were sticking with Shakespeare, but reframing his works through a more modern lens.

Sarah Mulhern Gross, an English teacher at High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ, said she was teaching "Romeo and Juliet" "with a side of toxic masculinity analysis."

In her SLJ article, "To Teach or Not To Teach," librarian Amanda MacGregor acknowledged the Bard as a "genius wordsmith" responsible for "masterful wordplay, creative use of language, biting wit, puns, and innovative characters."

 

Bill Gates Wants Wealthy Countries to Eat Fully Plant-Based and Beef Should Be 100% Synthetic

 

 

 https://charliekirk.com/news/bill-gates-wants-wealthy-countries-to-be-fully-plant-based-and-beef-should-be-100-synthetic/

Bill Gates Wants Wealthy Countries to Eat Fully Plant-Based and Beef Should Be 100% Synthetic

Bill Gates was recently interviewed by MIT Technology Review where he argued that the world’s richest countries should stop eating beef and instead switch to a plant-based diet to help fight global climate change.

Gate’s believes that the “80 poorest countries” should still rely on eating real meat but plant-based should be the future for developed countries.

Fox News reports:

“I do think all rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef. You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is they’re going to make it taste even better over time. Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behavior of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand,” the Microsoft co-founder told the MIT Tech Review.

Gates addresses agriculture in his new book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” and details the measures needed to eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions. The billionaire software developer and philanthropist discusses policy changes and tech innovations needed to help curb industries with the largest carbon footprints, like steel, cement and agriculture, where a third of all greenhouse gas emissions — which trap heat and warm the climate — come from livestock production.

Gates noted it would be almost impossible to eliminate emissions from burping cows and fertilizer to reduce methane emissions, saying that plant-based beef options are the only viable option.

“There are all the things where they feed them different food, like there’s this one compound that gives you a 20% reduction [in methane emissions]. But sadly, those bacteria [in their digestive system that produce methane] are a necessary part of breaking down the grass. And so I don’t know if there’ll be some natural approach there. I’m afraid the synthetic [protein alternatives like plant-based burgers] will be required for at least the beef thing.”

Gates is a fan of Impossible Foods who makes plant-based burgers and other meat alternative products. Impossible Foods plans on cutting their prices for grocery stores by 20% throughout the U.S. with a suggested retail price of $5.49 for their burger patties.

Click here for the full story.

Media Says No Proof Of Election Fraud, Well Here's 3 States Worth of Proof

Whether it’s the mainstream media, Twitter, Facebook or any other platform with a leftist agenda, all you hear is that there is “no evidence” of election fraud.

Well, the Data Integrity Group (DIG) has showcased a mountain of evidence across several states and has so far released videos with their findings on Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

The goal of the group is to present irrefutable data. Sources for the raw data they used come from the Edison, Secretary of State, and SCYTL feeds which is what was used to certify the election totals.

Below is hard evidence from the data for those in the media and Democrats who continue to say there is no proof of fraud.

Pennsylvania

In this first slide the data scientists show negative votes across 15 counties in PA that total over 400,000 votes taken from President Trump. There is no question of whether or not this happened, this is the data used to verify the state–once again Edison, SOS and SCYTL data.

In the next two PA slides you can see in Allegheny County that absentee votes went up on a normal gradual scale for Joe Biden.

In Trumps slide you can see at the second time stamp there was an injection of 145,241 votes and then they are all taken away.

Trump’s Election Day votes in Allegheny  were taken away as well at five different time intervals throughout the night, totaling over 25,000 votes which is confirmed across multiple data sources.

Here is Chester County PA where President Trump saw major decreases in votes across absentee and Election Day votes:

Lehigh County PA saw an over 66,000 vote drop for Trump:

Philadelphia has a history of corruption and this election looks no different. In this slide you can see the data shows Biden received a 47:1 vote ratio over Trump. Trump received 2,152 votes to Biden’s 100,236. In 278 precincts in Philadelphia it would mean 97 out of 100 people voted for Joe Biden. Some precincts showed 99% for Biden.

Georgia

In Bibb County, GA you can see there was an exact vote switch between Trump and Biden of 12,173, giving Biden the lead.

When we asked local residents about these numbers in DeKalb they said it’s impossible that 9 out of 10 people voted for Biden in their county.

Fulton County seems to have as much corruption as Philadelphia. But strictly looking at the data, 170 out of 384 precincts in Fulton County voted 90% or more for Joe Biden.

Trump received only 9% of Election Day votes and 4% of absentee in Fulton. There were several counties that reported 100% for Biden. These numbers represent statistical anomalies that do not exist in normal behavioral patterns.

Arizona

As you can see all the gray bars are relatively even, which is what you would encounter with normal vote distribution. Statistically speaking, the blue bars, which all represent the first batch of absentee votes for Biden, should be roughly in line with the grey bars. Instead the massive difference in votes between the first batch and the rest implies a potential front load of votes for Biden in order to secure his win in the state.

Questions and rebuttals arose that these spikes in the first drop came because more people early voted for Biden, but our second slide shows that there was an even amount of requests by  Republicans for early vote ballots and an even amount of returns by Republicans which throws that argument out. Also these large early vote drops were not consistent across the state.

In order to make those numbers work Biden would have to have received 100% of the Democrats, 100% of the Independents and a large portion of the Republicans.

Sources confirm that 95% of registered republicans voted for Trump.

 

There is a large group of data scientist that are working on this data around the clock to showcase all the irregularities within the election.

Information on more states is still to come, including data on down ticket races.

Chief Medical Officer Says Canadians Will Lose "Freedom to Move Around" If They Refuse The Vaccine

If you live in Ontario, be prepared to lose your “freedom to move around” if you refuse the Covid-19 vaccine, according to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer.

When asked if he would make vaccines mandatory, Dr. David Williams said “we can’t force someone to take a vaccine”, but went on to say that if you wanted “ease of getting in to certain settings” you would have to show proof of vaccination or be forced to wear personal protective equipment.

Summit News reports:

As we previously highlighted, governments do not have to make the vaccine mandatory, they can simply make life unlivable for people who refuse to take the vaccine.

If bars, restaurants, cinemas, sports venues, airlines, employers and others all make the vaccination a mandatory condition of service, anyone who refuses to take it will be reduced to a personal form of de facto lockdown with their social lives and mobility completely stunted.

Countries around the world sound like they are easing themselves into dictatorships.

 

 


 

Monday, February 15, 2021

Attacks on older Asians stoke fear as Lunar New Year begins

 

 

 

Attacks on older Asians stoke fear as Lunar New Year begins

DAISY NGUYEN

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Police are stepping up their patrols and volunteers are increasing their street presence after several violent attacks on older Asians stoked fear in San Francisco Bay Area Chinatowns and subdued the celebratory mood leading up to Lunar New Year.

City officials also have visited Chinatowns in San Francisco and Oakland this week to address residents' safety concerns and condemn the violence. They vowed to combat a problem that has been simmering since the start of the coronavirus pandemic but sparked new outrage after two unprovoked attacks were caught on video within a span of days and spread widely online.

In one, a young man shoved Vicha Ratanapakdee to the ground on Jan. 28 as he was taking his morning walk in San Francisco's Anza Vista neighborhood. The 84-year-old Thai man's head struck the pavement, and he died two days later in a hospital. Prosecutors charged a 19-year-old with murder and elder abuse.

On Jan. 31, a security camera caught a man in a hooded sweatshirt barreling into a 91-year-old Asian man in Oakland's Chinatown, causing him to fall face-first into the pavement, narrowly missing a bike rack. Police arrested the suspect and said he had assaulted a couple on the same block later that day and another on Feb. 1.

In just the last two weeks, authorities recorded 18 crimes against Asian Americans around Oakland’s Chinatown, said Nancy O'Malley, district attorney for Alameda County.

Community advocates said the attacks have left many older Asians fearful about going out to shop for Friday's start of the Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in several East Asian countries that marks the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar. Shops and restaurants are typically bustling in Chinatowns this time of year, but the pandemic and safety concerns have dampened the festive atmosphere.

“There's a huge amount of sadness and rage in the community,” said Alvina Wong, director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. “Folks are on edge and tense and don't know when the next thing is going to happen. They see what's happening in other cities, and it's not stopping.”

The recent attacks represent the latest spike in verbal and physical attacks against Asian Americans since the coronavirus, which emerged in China, reached the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, launched by two advocacy groups to encourage Asian Americans to report such incidents, has documented more than 3,000 attacks to date.

O'Malley said older Asians are targeted because of the stereotype that they don't report crimes due to language barriers. Her office is investigating whether the attacks were racially motivated and has launched a special response unit focused on crimes against Asian Americans, especially older Asians.

She said her team will focus on outreach and encourage victims to report crimes.

“For many of the seniors, it's not part of their nature or culture to call the police. Some of them come from countries where you do everything to avoid the police,” the prosecutor said. “So the more they meet with us and understand our culture, the more people will open up to us about what's been happening to them.”

Oakland's new police chief, LeRonne Armstrong, visited Chinatown twice in his first week to build trust with business owners and residents and let them know about the increased presence of police there.

“We want them to feel like they're not alone,” he said.

Meanwhile, the attacks have prompted volunteers to offer to walk older residents to their cars or homes after shopping.

Jacob Azevedo said more than 200 people signed up after he posted on social media the idea of an on-call buddy system to chaperone residents who feel unsafe walking alone in Oakland's Chinatown. They also donated thousands of dollars to help him buy a personal alarm device that will be distributed to older Asians in the community.

“The only way that we can help people and stop this from happening is if everyone steps in," he said.

Azevedo said he intends to keep the program going “as long as old people don’t feel safe and people are taking advantage of a vulnerable group like that.”

 

YOU offend me and I will protest and get you fired..... that sounds stupid doesn't it? So why are so many people trying to do it?

 

 

MIND YOUR OWN FREAKING BUSINESS and leave others alone.

YOUR life will be next that people look at it and want to TARE you down.

It's not fair so lets ALL stop it now.

Tell people to get their nose out of your life and leave you alone !!!

 

 

 

After Getting His Ass Handed to Him by a Philly Personal Injury Attorney – Harvard-Trained Raskin Compares Republicans to Cult Members at Dulles Airport

 

 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/getting-ass-handed-philly-personal-injury-attorney-harvard-trained-raskin-compares-republicans-cult-members-dulles-airport/

 

After Getting His Ass Handed to Him by a Philly Personal Injury Attorney – Harvard-Trained Raskin Compares Republicans to Cult Members at Dulles Airport

 

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Jamie Raskin

Trump attorney Michael Van der Veen is the founder of the Philadelphia law firm and is best known for his local radio ads in Philadelphia.

Van der Veen specializes in personal injury and has led a number of high-profile cases.

On Friday and Saturday Michael van der Veen destroyed the House Impeachment managers and their pile of lies and fraudulent evidence they used in their case against President Donald Trump.

Van der Veen came up with the win against the Democrat team led by lying hack Jamie Raskin.

TRENDING: MUST SEE TV: Trump Attorney Van Der Veen RIPS CBS HACK - Then Pulls Off Mic and Walks Away! (VIDEO)

Following his historic loss, Rep. Raskin told reporters the loss was actually a win.
Then he accused Republicans of being a cult.

What a ‘class’ act! His behavior is even more disgusting, and detrimental to our society, because he taught constitutional law to students for 25 years

Raskin knows a thing or two about constitutional law—after all, he taught the subject for more than 25 years as a professor at American University’s Washington College of Law. Now a professor emeritus, Raskin also taught courses about the legislative process and political rhetoric.

It is evident that his main focus is on deceit and rhetoric and not on respecting our Constitution.

Via The Washington Times:

“If we had charged dereliction of duty, [Republicans] would have said, ‘That’s not an impeachable offense. You’ve got to deal with that within the military system. The president is not bound by the code of universal military justice, the Uniform Code of Military Justice,’ and so on,” Mr. Raskin said. “You can always come up with a lawyer’s argument to get to where you want to go.”

Mr. Raskin added that he had no regrets and said the Republicans who voted not to convict acted “like members of a religious cult [who], when they leave office, should be selling flowers at Dulles Airport.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Violent BLM protest in NYC leaves two NYPD cops injured, 11 arrested About 100 people attended the march through Midtown Manhattan

 

 

 

Violent BLM protest in NYC leaves two NYPD cops injured, 11 arrested

About 100 people attended the march through Midtown Manhattan

A Black Lives Matter march through Midtown Manhattan turned violent Friday night, with 11 protesters arrested.

The NYPD reported that two officers suffered minor injuries during the protest, which was attended by about 100 marchers; officials could not immediately say how the cops were hurt.

ANTI-POLICE PROTESTS IN NYC RESULT IN ARRESTS, ASSAULT AGAINST MEDIA MEMBER: REPORTS

At least some of those arrested were accused of attacking Daily News photographer Sam Costanza at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 54th Street in the mistaken belief that he was a cop, sources said.

The photog was surrounded and struck after one of the marchers recognized him from a BLM protest outside the NYPD’s 6th Precinct house in Greenwich Village last year, according to sources.

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The agitated protester began yelling, "He’s a cop," inciting many of his fellow marchers.

About a dozen people surrounded the photog, shoving him and beating him with their fists and other objects, sources said.

PROTESTS, RIOTS THAT GRIPPED AMERICA IN 2020

The NYPD confirmed the attack, telling The Post "a member of the media" was assaulted, and police made "a number of arrests."

 

Saturday, February 13, 2021

NEW: Joe Biden to Allow 25,000 Migrants Seeking Asylum Into US Amid Covid Pandemic

 

 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/new-joe-biden-allow-25000-migrants-seeking-asylum-us-amid-covid-pandemic/

 

 

NEW: Joe Biden to Allow 25,000 Migrants Seeking Asylum Into US Amid Covid Pandemic

 

 

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Joe Biden will allow at least 25,000 migrants seeking asylum forced to wait in Mexico under Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” program into the United States while their immigration cases make it through the legal system.

According a spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration, the asylum seekers will be tested for Covid-19 before they enter the US.

 

Setting the Covid issue aside, Joe Biden is focused on helping foreigners as Americans suffer from Democrat lockdown orders.

Under Joe Biden, Americans come last.

The Associated Press reported:

The first wave of an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers with active cases in the “Remain in Mexico” program will be allowed into the United States on Feb. 19, authorities said. They plan to start slowly, with two border crossings each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer numbers.

President Joe Biden’s administration declined to publicly identify the three crossings out of fear it may encourage a rush of people, but U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, said officials told him that they are Brownsville and El Paso in Texas, and San Diego’s San Ysidro crossing.

In addition to allowing tens of thousands of asylum seekers into the US, Biden plans to introduce legislation to Congress that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal aliens currently living in the US (more like 20+ million illegals).

The Democrats stole the executive branch and legislative branch with a massive voter fraud operation and they will use their power to permanently entrench their party.

Joe Biden also ordered ICE agents to release all illegal aliens in custody, including criminal aliens.

“Release them all, immediately,” the ICE agent wrote. “No sponsor available is not acceptable any longer.”

Friday, February 12, 2021

Cuomo aide tells NY Democrats administration hid nursing home data to keep it from Trump DOJ: Report

 

 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/cuomo-aide-nursing-home-data-trump-doj

 

Cuomo aide tells NY Democrats administration hid nursing home data to keep it from Trump DOJ: Report

Newly released data shows that nursing home deaths were higher than previously reported

A top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told leading state Democratic lawmakers that the administration had withheld data on COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny, according to a bombshell new report.

The revelation prompted condemnations and even talk of impeachment in Albany, the state's capital. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., wants the Department of Justice to open an obstruction of justice investigation.

"The families of thousands of dead New York seniors deserve accountability and justice for the true consequences of Governor Cuomo’s fatally flawed nursing home policy and the continued attempts to cover it up. It’s clear what's happening here is criminal," he said.

The New York Post first reported that Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, told leading Empire State Democrats that the administration feared the data could "be used against us" by the Justice Department during a video conference call.

CUOMO ADMIN SAYS TOTAL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS IN NURSING HOMES IS EVEN HIGHER

The DOJ began investigating nursing home coronavirus deaths in four states back in August – and New York was one of them.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2020/09/09: Melissa DeRosa Secretary to Governor attends Andrew Cuomo announcement that restaurants can be open for in-door dining on September 30 at 3rd ave office.  (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2020/09/09: Melissa DeRosa Secretary to Governor attends Andrew Cuomo announcement that restaurants can be open for in-door dining on September 30 at 3rd ave office.  (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation," DeRosa told the lawmakers, according to the Post report.

Rich Azzopardi, a senior Cuomo adviser, placed some of the blame on the Trump administration.

"We explained that the Trump administration was in the midst of a politically motivated effort to blame Democratic states for COVID deaths," he said Thursday evening. "And that we were cooperating with federal document productions -- and that was the priority. And now that it is over, we can address the state Legislature. That said, we were working simultaneously to complete the audit of information they were asking for."

NY UNDERCOUNTED NURSING HOME CORONAVIRUS DEATHS BY AS MUCH AS 50%, STATE AG SAYS

News of the call sparked outrage among state Republicans and other critics of Cuomo’s conduct already incensed over his March 25 directive that ordered thousands of virus-infected seniors back into assisted-living facilities, nursing homes and other long-term care locations.

"The second most powerful person in state government and top aide to Gov. Cuomo admitted on video to the premeditated and willful violation of state laws and what clearly amounts to federal obstruction of justice," said state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy. "Andrew Cuomo has abused his power and destroyed the trust placed in the office of governor. Prosecution and impeachment discussions must begin right away." 

Freedom of information data released Wednesday revealed that the nursing home death toll was far higher than previously reported. And those numbers emerged just two weeks after the state’s attorney general found that numbers released before the end of January were also underreported.

"It seems every decision coming out of the governor's office is about Team Cuomo protecting its own image and own interests," state Assemblyman William Barclay, the chamber’s Republican leader, told Fox News Thursday. "More than 15,000 seniors died in adult-care facilities, but the governor was clearly more worried about a DOJ investigation and political finger-pointing."

In response to a separate freedom of information request this week, state health officials told the Associated Press that more than 9,000 virus patients had been sent into nursing homes in the state before Cuomo reversed the directive on May 10.

"This administration intentionally withheld information from the public, from the press, from lawmakers and from the thousands of families who lost loved ones," Barclay said. "This is why closed-door conversations won't cut it. If this doesn't make it painfully obvious that we need to issue subpoenas and hold public hearings, I don't know what will."

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Even Democratic lawmakers on the call pushed back against the administration’s excuses.

"In a pandemic, when you want the public to trust the public health officials, and there is this clear feeling that they’re not…being forthcoming with you, that is really hard," state Sen. Rachel May said during the call.