News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.

In The News:

President Trump targeted in videos from Chinese network of fake accounts, as Big Tech battles back

The research, put together by Graphika, details the actions taken by a network dubbed “Spamoflauge Dragon,” a pro-Chinese spam network.

Prior to being taken down by Google-owned YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, the network of spammers — some which were created this year — appeared to “operate in a dispersed model,” the research firm said.

The network is considered “technologically advanced,” according to the Washington Post, using artificial intelligence to create fake faces and videos produced at one per day.

Some of the videos produced included those putting Biden in a flattering light and predicting Trump would lose the election in November.

Taxpayers fund government nuclear research lab’s 3-day mandatory ‘reeducation camp’ for white males to convince them of their racism: report

Christopher Rufo, director at the Center on Wealth & Poverty at Discovery Institute, shared the concerning news via Twitter on Tuesday.

He wrote, “The federal government’s premier nuclear research lab hosted a 3-day reeducation camp for ‘white males,’ with the goal of exposing their ‘white privilege’ and deconstructing ‘white male culture.’

Here are the leaked documents from the race-segregated, taxpayer-funded session.”

Rufo went on to share screenshots of related retreat documents.

Restrictions Relaxed for Gay Bathhouses, Sex Venues

Gay bathhouses could have an easier time returning to San Francisco, after the board of supervisors approved an ordinance that would ease restrictions for adult sex venues on July 21 with a unaminous vote.

This will amend the Heath Code, requiring the Director of Health to “adopt minimum health and safety standards” for commercial adult sex venues.

It will also remove decades-old policies that required these businesses to monitor sexual activities and prohibited private rooms and locked doors.

That could change after the COVID-19 pandemic is over (this new ruling will not affect the city’s reopening timeline).

The ordinance, led by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, will help “decriminalize sexuality” according to a press release by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Chicago’s State Attorney Kim Foxx Dismissed More Than 25,000 Felony Cases in Her First Three Years – Police Union Asks the Feds to Step In

Foxx gained notoriety last year when she dropped felony charges against Jussie Smollett, the Empire actor accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack on himself in January 2019.

The Chicago Tribune, which released the data, added about the types of individuals Foxx released:

However, the Tribune found that Foxx’s higher rates of dropped cases included people accused of murder, shooting another person, sex crimes, and attacks on police officers — as well as serious drug offenses that for decades have driven much of Chicago’s street violence.

After meth lab found in San Francisco hotel for homeless and those in COVID-19 quarantine, journalist decries ‘chaotic, horrible mess’

City Journal contributor Erica Sandberg has been covering the issue for a while, writing back in June that the city’s plan to put homeless people in hotels was “not going well.”

So, on the heels of the meth lab discovery, Sandberg appeared on Carlson’s Wednesday show and decried San Francisco’s “complete disaster” of a program.

“People were given rooms,” she told Carlson. “Unfortunately, they were also given a tremendous amount of drug paraphernalia.”

New Nanobodies Block Coronavirus Infection, Locks Spikes Into ‘Inactive’ Mode

Infections from SARS-CoV-2 are rising worldwide with unimaginable destructive power, creating serious economic strife, a seemingly-endless loss of life, and growing health costs.

However, a new set of synthetic nanobodies successfully disrupted this binding process, effectively neutralizing the virus, according to a recent study shared on a pre-print blog.

What’s more, some of the nanobodies are robust enough for aerosol-based applications — opening the door for a widely-deployable agent to prevent COVID-19 illness.

You could say we’ve found a way to muzzle the novel coronavirus.

Oregon demonstrators block ICE buses, clash with federal agents

Demonstrators crowded two unmarked ICE buses for more than 10 hours after the agency arrested two men immigration officials said were a “threat to the public,” according to Fox News.

An activist in Bend, which declared itself a sanctuary city, said that the motive of the protest was to impede the transport vehicles until warrants could be shown, KTVZ reported.

Federal agents arrived to quell the crowd and local police withdrew from the area, according to a tweet from Bend Police.

Agents used pepper spray to disperse the gathering and eventually escorted the detainees and officers out of the buses, KTVZ reported.

Justice Department Finds Yale Illegally Discriminates Against Asians and Whites in Undergraduate Admissions in Violation of Federal Civil-Rights Laws

The Department of Justice today notified Yale University of its findings that Yale illegally discriminates against Asian American and white applicants in its undergraduate admissions process in violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The findings are the result of a two-year investigation in response to a complaint by Asian American groups concerning Yale’s conduct.

“There is no such thing as a nice form of race discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division.

“Unlawfully dividing Americans into racial and ethnic blocs fosters stereotypes, bitterness, and division.

It is past time for American institutions to recognize that all people should be treated with decency and respect and without unlawful regard to the color of their skin.

Justice Department Acts To Shut Down Fraudulent Websites Exploiting The Covid-19 Pandemic

The enforcement action, filed in Tampa, Florida, is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts prioritizing the detection, investigation, and prosecution of illegal conduct related to the pandemic.

The action was brought based on an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in coordination with the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security.

“The Department of Justice is committed to preventing fraudsters from exploiting this pandemic for personal gain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ethan P. Davis of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.

“We will use every resource at the government’s disposal to pursue scammers who are stealing money from citizens amidst the ongoing public health crisis.”

Defendant Pleads Guilty In Multi-Million Dollar Prize Notification Scam Affecting Elderly Victims

A Las Vegas area resident charged with perpetrating a prize-notification scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million pleaded guilty today, the Department of Justice announced.

Andrea Burrow, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud based on her participation in a scheme that preyed upon hundreds of thousands of victims, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, with fraudulent prize notices.

The notices led victims to believe that they could claim a large cash prize if they paid a small fee.

This was false; victims who paid the fees did not receive anything of value.

Manhattan Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to Terrorist Organization

The Department of Justice announced today that Jesus Wilfredo Encarnacion, a/k/a “Jihadistsoldgier,” “Jihadinhear,” “Jihadinheart,” “Lionofthegood,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for multiple high-profile attacks, including the infamous Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

In addition, Encarnacion was sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release.

“Unfortunately, individuals continue to attempt to travel to foreign countries to support terrorist organizations.

Encarnacion’s sentence reflects the seriousness with which the justice system takes these efforts,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.

Sanctuary Los Angeles County Vows to Free Criminal Illegal Aliens into U.S.

This week, Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed that Los Angeles County officials will now only honor ICE detainers on criminal illegal aliens after agents have gotten a judicial warrant signed by a judge.

The maneuver allows Los Angeles County officials to absolve responsibility, even though ICE agents are not required to obtain judicial warrants for suspected criminal illegal aliens and judges are not permitted to issue warrants for civil immigration violations.

Such broad sanctuary policy means even criminal illegal aliens convicted of serious violent crimes like rape, manslaughter, assault, and child sex crimes can be released back into the community when ICE is unable to secure judicial warrants.

‘#SayHisName’ trends after mainstream media’s silence on the atrocious killing of 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant

Major news networks have not reported on the atrocious of 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant.

By Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, the hashtag #SayHisName trended on Twitter.

Many, including Jason Howerton, pointed out that there was zero coverage of Cannon Hinnant’s murder by several mainstream media networks.

At the time of publication, a search of “Cannon Hinnant” produced no results on the websites of ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME, or Newsweek.

It appears that Fox News was the only mainstream media to cover the horrible death of the 5-year-old boy.

International news outlets such as the Sun, Daily Mail, and the Independent have reported on the boy’s murder.

Video: Cop saves man stuck on train tracks in wheelchair

A veteran police officer saved a 66-year-old man in a wheelchair stuck on railroad tracks from being hit by an oncoming train on Wednesday in Lodi, California.

Lodi Police Department released bodycam footage of the incident:

Erika Urrea ran from her police cruiser to save the man. Urrea pulled the man off his wheelchair, both falling safely to ground just seconds before the train struck the wheelchair.

Man guilty in terror plot to be released from prison

Rovinski was sentenced in 2017 after pleading guilty to conspiracy for his role in the plot to kill Pamela Geller, who organized a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, in 2015.

Rovinski testified against David Wright, who prosecutors described as the mastermind of the plot.

The cartoon contest Geller organized ended in gunfire, with two Muslim gunmen shot to death by police. The plot to behead Geller was never carried out.

Instead, Wright’s uncle Ussamah Rahim told Wright on a recorded phone call that he decided to go after “those boys in blue,” referring to police.

Hours later, Rahim was fatally shot by authorities after he lunged at them with a knife when they approached him in Boston.

Pennsylvania man confesses to killing both mothers of his children, police say

Davone Unique Anderson, 25, of Carlisle, Pa., allegedly confessed to killing Sydney Parmelee on July 5, telling police he thought she was cheating on him.

He also allegedly confessed to killing Kaylee Lyons, on July 30 because he was afraid she would turn him in over the alleged murder.

The women, both 23, died of gunshot wounds to the head, PennLive reported, citing a criminal complaint.

They had been high school classmates, graduating in 2014 from Carlisle High, and had been romantically linked to Anderson.

Georgia shop blasted for ‘racist’ promotion that waived fee for people of color

In a since-deleted Facebook post, Civvies on Broughton in Savannah said it would require a $20 refundable deposit to book an appointment at the boutique, while people of color would be exempt from the new policy.

“As a mostly white staff with white ownership, we do not feel comfortable upholding a digital and financial barrier which could prevent BIPOC from shopping at our store at this time on top of the limitations already made by online booking,” the store announced last week.

“If you are white and refuse to put down a deposit because you believe our policy is unethical you will not be accepted for an appointment,” the store’s now-deleted post read.

Chicago looters smash Ronald McDonald House with terrified sick kids inside

Sick kids and their families cowered in fear inside a Chicago Ronald McDonald House as looters smashed the front door while trying to get inside this week, according to staff.

The charity says more than 30 families, as well as some sick children with them, were left “frightened” by those who smashed windows as they ransacked the Windy City during Monday’s chaotic crime spree.

The attacked site houses families so they and their children can be close to Lurie Children’s Hospital, which should be an easy and safe trip just five blocks away.

Proud Boys member may face jail time after Seattle CHOP assault, crossing state lines to Portland protests

Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, 24, of Vancouver, Wash., reportedly has a reputation for picking street fights with members of the far-left militant group Antifa. He was convicted on an assault charge after punching a man named Tim Ledwith in the face on a Northeast Portland sidewalk in June 2018.

His probation officer, Heather Fowler, said she was made aware of the alleged assault when she began receiving several emails that “included a link to a video, which shows Mr. Toese push another man while some of his associates punch the man and throw the man’s cellphone to the ground, breaking it.

Another video shows Mr. Toese and his group walking through the CHAZ area.”

New York City Violence: Teen in critical condition after being set on fire

The 18-year-old victim, identified by police sources as Winston Ortiz, was stabbed three times then doused with gasoline and lit aflame with a match on the fifth floor of 1045 Woodycrest Ave. in Highbridge around 3 p.m.

Police sources said the suspect entered the building about 10 minutes before Ortiz — who does not live there — then carried out the attack.

Two neighbors in the building were able to douse the flames using buckets of water before EMTs arrived. Ortiz was taken to Harlem Hospital in critical condition.

Seattle mayor appeals recall decision that could see her removed from office

Durkan, a Democrat, was called out by five Seattle residents who filed a petition seeking to recall her because of how law enforcement officials have responded to protests this summer, according to The Seattle Times.

Durkan reportedly asked the circuit court judge to reconsider the decision, but the request was denied.

This comes just one day after Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced her resignation, saying that she was not leaving because of pay cuts to her department, but rather because of the “lack of respect” toward her fellow officers.

Politics:

Senate Leaves DC Without Relief Deal, Won’t Return Until September

“We will have our regular pro forma meetings through the end of the state work period.

If the speaker of the House and the Minority Leader of the Senate decide to finally let another package move forward for workers and for families, it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled,” McConnell stated.

The White House negotiating team of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) haven’t met in nearly a week.

Tucker Carlson addresses mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ name

Commentary/Opinion:
FOX NEWS VIDEO: The pronunciation was a mistake that was treated as an act of bigotry by CNN, Fox New host Tucker Carlson says.

Tucker: Kamala Harris may end up running the country

Commentary/Opinion:
There’s nothing moderate about Harris’ agenda.

San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Men Having Sex With Boys

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco — the same lawmaker who co-sponsored a bill in 2017 to remove the felony penalty for knowingly exposing another person to HIV — has introduced a bill, Senate Bill 145 to give judges more flexibility in sentencing gay men who abuse minors.

Under current law — which Wiener, who is gay, describes as “horrific homophobia” — a straight 24-year-old male who has sex with a 15-year-old girl can avoid being put on the sex-offender list if the judge feels the situation does not deserve it, but a gay man in the same scenario with a similar-aged boy would not be given the same option.

According to the media, you’re “homophobic” and “anti-Semitic” if you oppose this bill.

Trump won’t grant additional postal service funding because Democrats want it for mail-in voting

The president told Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business that USPS funding is one of the major items holding up COVID-19 relief package negotiations.

While many Americans and businesses are struggling under continued economic restrictions, Congress might not get a deal done until September.

“[Democrats] want three and a half billion dollars for something that will turn out to be fraudulent, that’s election money, basically,” Trump said.

“They want three and a half billion dollars for the mail-in votes, okay, universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion—billion—for the Post office.

Peter Schweizer: Kamala Harris Refused to Prosecute Priests’ Sexual Abuse After Church’s Lawyers Funded Her Campaign

Schweizer stated, “The numbers are pretty stunning. From 2004 to 2011, Kamala Harris was the San Francisco [district attorney] responsible for all prosecutions and the prosecution team in the San Francisco area. Between 2004 and 2011, she did not prosecute a single case of priests’ sexual abuse–period.”

Schweizer continued, “To put that in the context of how stunning that is, if you look at the top 50 metropolitan areas in the United States at that time, all 50 prosecuted at least one case, the sole exception being Kamala Harris in San Francisco.”

Schweizer assessed, “Many of the law firms and lawyers who were representing the archdiocese on a variety of legal matters — including priests that had been identified as possible culprits — gave large contributions [to Harris’s political campaign].

Some of them had never given contributions to a race like this before, but they loaded up her campaign coffers.”

Franklin Graham warns Biden-Harris ticket ‘should be a great concern to all Christians’

The son of the late Rev. Billy Graham notes, Biden-Harris “are labeled as the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in the history of our nation.”

A Gallup poll from May found that almost a quarter of Democrats consider themselves pro-life, but Biden, who is Catholic, and Harris, a Baptist believer, both support abortion rights, in stark contrast to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Kristen Day of Democrats for Life of America, told “Fox & Friends First” Thursday the anti-abortion group was “already concerned about Joe Biden and his stance on abortion.”

Day said many pro-life Democrats will let their voices be heard by staying home and not voting this year, similar to 2016 with then-nominee Hillary Clinton.

World News:

Tensions continue to mount on Gaza border; Israel tests Arrow 2 Missile – TV7 Israel News 13.08.20

1) Tensions along Israel’s southern front with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip are gradually rising.

2) The Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it conducted a successful test of its Arrow 2 missile system late last night – elevating Israel’s aerial defense capabilities against long-range surface-to-surface missile – including ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

3) Israel has donated state-of-the-art artificial’ intelligence-based technologies and high-end equipment to the ‘All India Institute of Medical Science’ – commonly referred to as AIIMS – for the purpose of combating the relentless spread of the Corona contagion throughout the 1.35 billion strong nation.

Shipwreck Spills At Least 2 Million Pounds Of Oil In Ocean, Satellite Photos Show Devastation

The developing environmental disaster is occurring near Mauritius, a tiny island country that is home to a variety of rare wildlife, according to CNET.

Maxar Technologies, an American space technology company, tweeted satellite photos Wednesday showing the size of the spill.

The MV Wakashio wrecked after striking a reef on July 25, Reuters reported. Since then, it has leaked about 1,000 metric tons, or 2.2 million pounds, of oil.

Taiwan’s President Touts ‘Stronger than Ever’ U.S. Relationship amid Chinese Threat

“Across the board, we share a high degree of mutual trust and a common strategic picture of how we can work together to protect and preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific,” she added.

Both Taiwan and the U.S. are concerned by China’s growing aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

The U.S. opposes what it considers excessive Chinese territorial claims in international waters important for global trade as well as China’s increasing bullying of its neighbors — many of whom are U.S. allies.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, instead of a separate country, despite its more than 50 years of self-governance and its status as a robust democracy today.

China has threatened to retake the island, including by military force, by 2049.

China: Xi Jinping’s Sudden Food Waste Panic Unrelated to Floods Destroying Crops

The Communist Party raised additional concerns about its food security in July by making the largest purchase of American corn in its history, 1.76 million tons of the crop.

Reports indicated China also bought 129,000 tons of American soybeans and 320,000 tons of U.S. wheat.

On Tuesday, Xi launched a “Clean Plate Campaign” to fight food waste, calling it “shocking and distressing.”

Promoting the campaign, the Global Times insisted the call to save food had nothing to do with the floods or the destruction of any crops.

Trump announces ‘Historic Peace Agreement’ between Israel, UAE

“HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!” Trump tweeted Thursday morning.

The president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed released a joint statement Thursday, after the three spoke “and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

The statement said that the “diplomatic breakthrough” was at “the request of President Trump,” and that Israel will “suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.”

Israel and the UAE also said they will continue their efforts to “achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Commentary/Opinion:

No California Shouldn’t Decriminalize Adult Sex With 14-Year-Olds

The argument on its own sounds like a simple proposal for equal treatment under the law.

As Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Bradley McCartt told state lawmakers, “Remember, it’s not the punishment for the crime. It’s a public safety issue that has to do with crime-solving and keeping track of predators.”

But it is the mindset behind the age issue that is most concerning. “We need to stop criminalizing teenage sex,” Wiener said. “At a minimum, we should not be forcing these kids onto the sex-offender registry and ruining their lives.”

The problem is that it isn’t about teenagers having sex.

It’s about adults exploiting minors sexually and being legally protected in doing so.