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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #9-13: Mr. COVID Goes To Washington Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #9-13: Mr. COVID Goes To Washington Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! How’s everybody doing? Are you guys doing fucking good? I know, right? Holy fuck, what a crazy week this has been right? I was originally going to do a Wheel Of Corruption for this edition but we’ll save that for next week. OK, do we really need celebrities making collaborations with fast food companies? I know that it’s 2020 and no one can go out and perform right now because of this fucking virus, and people got to make money. So do we really need more advertising? And do we also really need more fast food? Of course this started with Travis Scott, who I like to call the Krusty The Klown of the hip-hop industry. And now there’s J. Balvin who also announced a collaboration meal with McDonalds. Do we really need this? Or is McDonalds now becoming that restaurant that names sandwiches after celebrities now? And I mean let’s face it – if anyone needs their own McDonalds meal named after them it’s Trump! Come on, think about it – next time you go to McDonalds, you can experience Trump’s slow, steady gorging process with two Big Macs and two Filet O’Fishes. I guess he doesn’t include a heaping order of fries in that meal because it might be a little too healthy! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the latest surrounding the 2020 mother of all elections to end all elections:
Well, it looks like Trump got COVID and now nobody in his direct line of sight is safe from it! Taking the number one slot this week of course is Donald Trump (1) and not only did he get the highly infectious and very contagious disease, his reckless victory parade is the stuff of legendary conservative idiocy! In the second slot this week – is Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale (2) and I originally wasn’t going to cover this story because domestic abuse is nothing to make fun of, but when Brad might be hiding some deep, dark secrets about his former boss, they need to get out there! In the third slot this week is the future Trump brownshirt army – the Proud Boys (3) and they are going all in after Trump’s debate shout out, but gay people have been taking back the name “Proud Boys”! Ha ha! Taking the number 4 slot this week is Donald Trump. A joint study by Harvard and the WHO examined some 8 million articles about COVID-19, and guess who is the key source of misinformation? Yup, him! In slot #5 this week is Top 10 Investigates, and we had this story planned for our edition a couple of weeks ago that unfortunately got axed, but we are going to talk about Charles Feeny, the billionaire who wants to die broke and penniless! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and we’re going to find out “does anyone really hate God?”. The Dark One’s campaign is trying to paint Joe Biden as “godless” but his faith suggests otherwise! In slot #7 this week – we add Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected (7)! In the 8th slot this week we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner – it hasn’t even been 24 hours and the conspiracy theorists are already speculating about how Trump got COVID! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” (9) – and come on, racism and homophobia has no place in an MLS game, so we salute the San Diego Loyals for doing the right thing! Finally this week in “Road To The White House” – we have a complete recap of the first debate, and speculate whether or not we will have a second! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]
You know I’ve been saying since the start of the Trump presidency that if you hang with Donald Trump, you’re gonna get a virus. I’m just saying it happens. He’s an overweight, dirty, lazy, unkempt slob of a man who thinks he’s got taste and class. For that he really doesn’t have any. He spends all day lying in bed and yelling at Fox News, only occasionally getting up to indulge in his favorite hobby. So it should be absolutely no surprise to anyone that he contracted COVID-19 after holding rallies that have hundreds of people in attendance. I kind of think of it like that game of chicken - where you stand in front of traffic before jumping out of the way at the last second. He tried to jump out of the way this time, but he failed big time!
President Trump, who spent the weekend in the hospital being treated for COVID-19, made a theatrical return to the White House on Monday evening, disembarking Marine One and walking the staircase to the South Portico entrance, where he turned to face the cameras, removed his mask and gave his signature two thumbs up.
Shortly before, a masked Trump had emerged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment, pumping his fist and giving a thumbs up as he ignored questions from reporters.
In a video recorded at the White House that he tweeted later, the president seemed somewhat more circumspect about a virus that he has often downplayed, along with measures to halt its spread, such as wearing masks.
Trump thanked the staff of Walter Reed and said that during his three-night stay he had "learned so much about coronavirus."
"One thing that's for certain – don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it. You're going to beat it," he said. "We have the best medical equipment. We have the best medicines. All developed recently. And you're going to beat it."
https://www.npr.org/sections/latest-updates-trump-covid-19-results/2020/10/06/920625432/maybe-i-m-immune-trump-returns-to-white-house-removes-mask-after-covid-treatment
Shortly before, a masked Trump had emerged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment, pumping his fist and giving a thumbs up as he ignored questions from reporters.
In a video recorded at the White House that he tweeted later, the president seemed somewhat more circumspect about a virus that he has often downplayed, along with measures to halt its spread, such as wearing masks.
Trump thanked the staff of Walter Reed and said that during his three-night stay he had "learned so much about coronavirus."
"One thing that's for certain – don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it. You're going to beat it," he said. "We have the best medical equipment. We have the best medicines. All developed recently. And you're going to beat it."
https://www.npr.org/sections/latest-updates-trump-covid-19-results/2020/10/06/920625432/maybe-i-m-immune-trump-returns-to-white-house-removes-mask-after-covid-treatment
Seriously, this is his “Don’t cry for me Argentina” moment. Though this isn’t Evita and he isn’t Eva Paron crying for help. Instead, this is more like Mr. COVID Goes To Washington, and instead of acting presidential, Trump is just some schmuck who got the virus by doing something stupid. And in case you’re wondering, yes, the experts actually did tell him that the thing that gave him the virus was in fact a dangerous thing to do. Even worse is that he only stayed literally two days in the hospital.
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he planned to leave the hospital that same day despite a COVID-19 infection.
“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M.,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.
I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
It was not immediately clear if the president’s medical team had cleared his release.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/trump-tweet-announces-hes-checking-out-of-hospital-on-monday-dont-be-afraid-of/
“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M.,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.
I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
It was not immediately clear if the president’s medical team had cleared his release.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/trump-tweet-announces-hes-checking-out-of-hospital-on-monday-dont-be-afraid-of/
Oh fuck it, just run the negative ads there, Joe! There's your first one right there! Seriously even Trump’s own sons think he’s gone too far. First the victory parade, then the shout out from the White House balcony. And let’s not ignore that the whole White House might be a biohazard – don’t worry, we’ll cover that next week – and that’s just barely scratching the surface. When Trump’s sons think he’s gone too far, he’s gone too far!
Donald Trump’s erratic and reckless behavior in the last 24 hours has opened a rift in the Trump family over how to rein in the out-of-control president, according to two Republicans briefed on the family conversations. Sources said Donald Trump Jr. is deeply upset by his father’s decision to drive around Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last night with members of the Secret Service while he was infected with COVID-19. “Don Jr. thinks Trump is acting crazy,” one of the sources told me. The stunt outraged medical experts, including an attending physician at Walter Reed.
According to sources, Don Jr. has told friends that he tried lobbying Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner to convince the president that he needs to stop acting unstable. “Don Jr. has said he wants to stage an intervention, but Jared and Ivanka keep telling Trump how great he’s doing,” a source said. Don Jr. is said to be reluctant to confront his father alone. “Don said, ‘I’m not going to be the only one to tell him he’s acting crazy,’” the source added.
One area where the family seems united is over the president’s manic tweeting early Monday morning. After Trump sent out more than a dozen all-caps tweets, the Trump children told people they want Trump to stop. “They’re all worried. They’ve tried to get him to stop tweeting,” a source close to the family told me.
The Trump family’s private concern about Trump’s behavior could raise questions about his fitness for office. Trump has been prescribed drugs that medical experts say can seriously impair his cognitive function. Last night the New York Times reported that steroids, which Trump is reportedly taking, specifically dexamethasone, are known to “affect mood, causing euphoria or a general happiness.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/10/don-jr-thinks-trump-is-acting-crazy-presidents-covid-joyride-has-family-divided
According to sources, Don Jr. has told friends that he tried lobbying Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner to convince the president that he needs to stop acting unstable. “Don Jr. has said he wants to stage an intervention, but Jared and Ivanka keep telling Trump how great he’s doing,” a source said. Don Jr. is said to be reluctant to confront his father alone. “Don said, ‘I’m not going to be the only one to tell him he’s acting crazy,’” the source added.
One area where the family seems united is over the president’s manic tweeting early Monday morning. After Trump sent out more than a dozen all-caps tweets, the Trump children told people they want Trump to stop. “They’re all worried. They’ve tried to get him to stop tweeting,” a source close to the family told me.
The Trump family’s private concern about Trump’s behavior could raise questions about his fitness for office. Trump has been prescribed drugs that medical experts say can seriously impair his cognitive function. Last night the New York Times reported that steroids, which Trump is reportedly taking, specifically dexamethasone, are known to “affect mood, causing euphoria or a general happiness.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/10/don-jr-thinks-trump-is-acting-crazy-presidents-covid-joyride-has-family-divided
Clean that up. And by the way yes the merchandise has already started. You can buy a Trump beats COVID commemorative coin right fucking now! For the low low price of $100! But that said, how is this going to affect his poll numbers? If anything America has had enough and it’s getting safer to say that Trump might be done.
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — President Donald Trump has joined the ranks of a handful of world leaders who contracted the coronavirus after downplaying its seriousness.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, tested positive for the virus March 27 after rejecting a shutdown of British businesses. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 65, announced he had the virus July 7 after flouting social distancing requirements and shrugging off the growing number of deaths in his country. In both cases, those leaders saw a slight sympathy bump after their diagnoses.
Experts doubt whether President Trump, 74, will see a similar boost from a sympathetic American electorate. Like other populist leaders, he has publicly downplayed the severity of the pandemic and was flouting social distancing and mask requirements in the days before his diagnosis. But none of the other leaders got their diagnoses in the final four-week stretch of a general election.
Back in April, Johnson saw a six-point surge in approval between the time he was diagnosed with a serious case of COVID-19 until he was discharged from the hospital after a week of intensive treatment. In total, his approval was up more than ten points from before his illness. Johnson's personal approval hit a peak of 66% and remained relatively high for more than a month before slumping into the 30s.
https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/trump-may-not-get-a-sympathy-boost-after-covid-diagnosis-experts-say
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, tested positive for the virus March 27 after rejecting a shutdown of British businesses. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 65, announced he had the virus July 7 after flouting social distancing requirements and shrugging off the growing number of deaths in his country. In both cases, those leaders saw a slight sympathy bump after their diagnoses.
Experts doubt whether President Trump, 74, will see a similar boost from a sympathetic American electorate. Like other populist leaders, he has publicly downplayed the severity of the pandemic and was flouting social distancing and mask requirements in the days before his diagnosis. But none of the other leaders got their diagnoses in the final four-week stretch of a general election.
Back in April, Johnson saw a six-point surge in approval between the time he was diagnosed with a serious case of COVID-19 until he was discharged from the hospital after a week of intensive treatment. In total, his approval was up more than ten points from before his illness. Johnson's personal approval hit a peak of 66% and remained relatively high for more than a month before slumping into the 30s.
https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/trump-may-not-get-a-sympathy-boost-after-covid-diagnosis-experts-say
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[font size="8"]Brad Parscale
[br] [/font] [br]
Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooly crap. I originally wasn’t going to cover this story but you guys bombarded me with emails and social media replys saying that I need to cover this. Because last week before Mr. COVID went to Washington, Trump’s campaign manager went absolutely batshit crazy, and it’s like peeling an onion. The more layers you peel back, the more it stinks. And the more you’re likely to cry as a result. So what happened? Now the thing is before we delve into this story, I am not making fun of the man himself or even the situation. I’m just reporting the facts with my usual brand of nonsense commentary. While COVID went to Washington, DC – Brad Parscale went to Florida for a campaign stop.
At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, campaign strategist Brad Parscale literally stood atop the political world after his boss, Donald Trump, trounced the Republican field in the 2016 Florida primary and overcame Hillary Clinton in the critical Sunshine State to claim the presidential election.
Though the digital guru hailed from Texas, he started scouting locations to live in Florida, a key swing state, just a year after Trump’s victory. Parscale zeroed in on Fort Lauderdale, said one person who has known him for years, because it was conveniently located between Miami and Trump’s palatial property at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Plus, while it was more buttoned down than South Beach, the city offered similar sun, sand and fun — and, the person said, Parscale, 44, had a reputation for being “a wild guy, a risk taker.”
“Fort Lauderdale is known for being a place to have a good time, while still being respectable and geographically central,” said the person. “He chose Fort Lauderdale probably because it suited his lifestyle.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article246174240.html
Though the digital guru hailed from Texas, he started scouting locations to live in Florida, a key swing state, just a year after Trump’s victory. Parscale zeroed in on Fort Lauderdale, said one person who has known him for years, because it was conveniently located between Miami and Trump’s palatial property at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Plus, while it was more buttoned down than South Beach, the city offered similar sun, sand and fun — and, the person said, Parscale, 44, had a reputation for being “a wild guy, a risk taker.”
“Fort Lauderdale is known for being a place to have a good time, while still being respectable and geographically central,” said the person. “He chose Fort Lauderdale probably because it suited his lifestyle.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article246174240.html
Seriously, Bugs Bunny had the right idea! I mean come on Brad, you knew it was the wrong time to go to Florida! Even just setting foot in the Sunshine State anymore guarantees that you will succumb to the craziness! But now that I have got that out of my system, what was Brad’s motivation for doing this? I heard some say that he was suicidal and we are not touching that one with a 10 foot pole. But at least his wife is cooperating with the police!
Brad Parscale, a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign who was involuntarily detained by police this weekend, said he is stepping away from the reelection effort and seeking help for what he called “overwhelming stress” on him and his family.
In a statement provided to POLITICO on Wednesday, Parscale’s wife, Candice, also denied that Parscale physically abused her, despite a police report in which said she told authorities the contrary.
“The statements I made on Sunday have been misconstrued, let it be clear my husband was not violent towards me that day or any day prior,” she said.
Parscale, 44, was demoted as campaign manager in July as the president’s poll numbers cratered. Long one of Trump's closest aides, Parscale remained on the reelection effort in a limited capacity: He made trips from his home in Florida to the campaign’s Arlington, Va., headquarters and worked on digital projects, including producing videos for the Republican National Convention.
“I am stepping away from my company and any role in the campaign for the immediate future to focus on my family and get help dealing with the overwhelming stress," Parscale said in the Wednesday statement.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/30/brad-parscale-stepping-down-trump-campaign-424069
In a statement provided to POLITICO on Wednesday, Parscale’s wife, Candice, also denied that Parscale physically abused her, despite a police report in which said she told authorities the contrary.
“The statements I made on Sunday have been misconstrued, let it be clear my husband was not violent towards me that day or any day prior,” she said.
Parscale, 44, was demoted as campaign manager in July as the president’s poll numbers cratered. Long one of Trump's closest aides, Parscale remained on the reelection effort in a limited capacity: He made trips from his home in Florida to the campaign’s Arlington, Va., headquarters and worked on digital projects, including producing videos for the Republican National Convention.
“I am stepping away from my company and any role in the campaign for the immediate future to focus on my family and get help dealing with the overwhelming stress," Parscale said in the Wednesday statement.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/30/brad-parscale-stepping-down-trump-campaign-424069
Yeah probably! But hey Brad, here’s the thing – underwhelming stress? Look, 2020 has been a cruel mistress to us all, and we’re all dealing with it in our own ways. But here’s the real underlying trouble – remember last week when we said that Trump was broke? Well guess what? Brad Parscale might have had a hand in it! See, grifting begats grifting! And maybe that Q Anon slogan was right – where we go one, we go all!
Brad Parscale’s wife told police he’s been ‘stressed out for the past two weeks’ and suicidal.
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager is reportedly under investigation for stealing millions from the 2020 presidential campaign and Republican National Committee.
According to a DailyMail report, Brad Parscale pocketed between $25-$40 million from Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign and $10 million from the RNC, insiders told the outlet. The news follows the release of bodycam video that shows Fort Lauderdale police detaining Parscale after his wife reported that he was threatening to commit suicide on Sunday afternoon..
theGrio previously reported, Candice Parscale told authorities that her husband had guns in the home and that he had been physically violent towards her. Parscale reportedly went willingly to a hospital with the responding officers under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows police to detain someone who’s potentially a threat to themselves or others.
Candice told police Parscale had been “stressed out for the past two weeks and has made suicidal comments throughout the week to shoot himself.”
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-ex-campaign-manager-under-010512163.html
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager is reportedly under investigation for stealing millions from the 2020 presidential campaign and Republican National Committee.
According to a DailyMail report, Brad Parscale pocketed between $25-$40 million from Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign and $10 million from the RNC, insiders told the outlet. The news follows the release of bodycam video that shows Fort Lauderdale police detaining Parscale after his wife reported that he was threatening to commit suicide on Sunday afternoon..
theGrio previously reported, Candice Parscale told authorities that her husband had guns in the home and that he had been physically violent towards her. Parscale reportedly went willingly to a hospital with the responding officers under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows police to detain someone who’s potentially a threat to themselves or others.
Candice told police Parscale had been “stressed out for the past two weeks and has made suicidal comments throughout the week to shoot himself.”
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-ex-campaign-manager-under-010512163.html
Damn right the shit just got real! And what’s even more real is that Parscale’s family is worried that he’s going to squeal on his former boss. Here’s where the shit is going to hit the fan and why we had to cover this story. Trump’s campaign is broke and they’re spending cash faster than a drunken gambler at a bachelor party at Caesar’s Palace. And if the truth comes out, Trump is in some seriously deep shit!
Donald Trump’s campaign is still assessing the political damage from Tuesday night’s chaotic first presidential debate. The president’s refusal to condemn white supremacists, of course, is the immediate crisis. “He blew that for sure,” a campaign adviser told me. “It’s nuts,” a former West Wing official said wearily, sounding like a storm survivor with PTSD. “Total lunacy,” said another former White House staffer, who remains close to the campaign. “Trump didn’t win over any voters, and he pissed off a lot of people,” added a prominent Republican.
Trump advisers agree on what he needs to do differently at the next debate. “He has to just relax and let Joe Biden speak,” said the ex-official, who remains close to the White House. But Republicans are resigned to the fact that Trump is unlikely––or unwilling––to course-correct. “Trump thinks he won. He didn’t,” said another Republican with ties to the campaign. “But does anyone have the balls to tell him that? No. They’d be fired.”
Trump doesn’t accept the consensus that the debate was a disaster because, sources said, he was unabashedly himself. “The thing about the debate is people got to see why no one that has any integrity can work for Trump. This is what Trump is like in the Oval Office every day. It’s why [John] Kelly left. It’s why [Jim] Mattis quit,” said the prominent Republican. “Trump doesn’t let anyone else speak. He really doesn’t care what you have to say. He demeans people. He talks over them. And everyone around him thinks it’s getting worse.”
Inside Trumpworld there’s a view that the past week is an inflection point in the campaign. It started on Sunday night with the bombshell New York Times report that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. “For Trump the Times story was worse than losing reelection,” said the second Republican. “If you had told Donald back in 2015 that his tax returns would be exposed and he’d have all these investigations, I guarantee you he wouldn’t have run.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/trumpworld-panics-over-debate-fiasco-as-campaign-turmoil-mounts
Trump advisers agree on what he needs to do differently at the next debate. “He has to just relax and let Joe Biden speak,” said the ex-official, who remains close to the White House. But Republicans are resigned to the fact that Trump is unlikely––or unwilling––to course-correct. “Trump thinks he won. He didn’t,” said another Republican with ties to the campaign. “But does anyone have the balls to tell him that? No. They’d be fired.”
Trump doesn’t accept the consensus that the debate was a disaster because, sources said, he was unabashedly himself. “The thing about the debate is people got to see why no one that has any integrity can work for Trump. This is what Trump is like in the Oval Office every day. It’s why [John] Kelly left. It’s why [Jim] Mattis quit,” said the prominent Republican. “Trump doesn’t let anyone else speak. He really doesn’t care what you have to say. He demeans people. He talks over them. And everyone around him thinks it’s getting worse.”
Inside Trumpworld there’s a view that the past week is an inflection point in the campaign. It started on Sunday night with the bombshell New York Times report that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. “For Trump the Times story was worse than losing reelection,” said the second Republican. “If you had told Donald back in 2015 that his tax returns would be exposed and he’d have all these investigations, I guarantee you he wouldn’t have run.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/trumpworld-panics-over-debate-fiasco-as-campaign-turmoil-mounts
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[font size="8"]The Proud Boys
[br] [/font] [br]
If you haven’t heard of the alt-right Fight Club known as the Proud Boys, then you definitely haven’t been to a protest lately. Because whenever the dreaded “Antifa” shows up, the Proud Boys are almost certainly going to follow, mainly to kick some ass. Even though they are the ones getting their asses kicked and then go on social media to complain about how liberals are big meanie heads. We first covered the Proud Boys starting in Idiots #2-22, way back in 2017 and they’ve been appearing in Top 10s ever since. And 2017 seems like an eternity ago doesn’t it? Well, now they’ve become self-aware, and that is fucking scary.
When hundreds of supporters of President Trump gathered for a Labor Day rally in Oregon, a man in the signature black-and-gold shirt of the Proud Boys approached the crowd with a welcoming smile.
If the Republican activists ever needed security for an event, said the man, Flip Todd, the Proud Boys were available. They had sworn loyalty to the country and the president, he said. “We’ll continue to fight for you.”
It took only a few hours to demonstrate what that might entail. As some in the rally caravanned by car to Salem, the state capital, the Proud Boys joined a group of right-wing demonstrators who rushed across a street and began attacking people who had set up a leftist counterprotest. At one point, a large man in a bulletproof vest knocked a much smaller counterprotester to the ground, an event the Proud Boys celebrated later when they posted video of the attack. “Hulk smash!” it said.
The far-right band of brothers who have turned street thuggery into political theater had not quite become a household name before President Trump was asked about the Proud Boys during Tuesday night’s presidential debate, and whether he would condemn white supremacists: “Proud Boys,” he said, “stand back and stand by.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/proud-boys-trump.html
If the Republican activists ever needed security for an event, said the man, Flip Todd, the Proud Boys were available. They had sworn loyalty to the country and the president, he said. “We’ll continue to fight for you.”
It took only a few hours to demonstrate what that might entail. As some in the rally caravanned by car to Salem, the state capital, the Proud Boys joined a group of right-wing demonstrators who rushed across a street and began attacking people who had set up a leftist counterprotest. At one point, a large man in a bulletproof vest knocked a much smaller counterprotester to the ground, an event the Proud Boys celebrated later when they posted video of the attack. “Hulk smash!” it said.
The far-right band of brothers who have turned street thuggery into political theater had not quite become a household name before President Trump was asked about the Proud Boys during Tuesday night’s presidential debate, and whether he would condemn white supremacists: “Proud Boys,” he said, “stand back and stand by.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/proud-boys-trump.html
Seriously, this isn’t Fight Club and you’re not Brad Pitt. In fact most of the “Proud Boys” look about how you would picture the exact opposite of Brad Pitt to look. Hey o! That joke would have killed in front of a live audience. And just like the previous Terminator reference, not only are the Proud Boys now-self aware because of Trump’s debate shout out, they’ve joined forces with another hate group that you’re probably familiar with – the Nazis! And you never go full Nazi, ever!
The far-right extremist group the Proud Boys publicly claim they are not white supremacists, however local members in Denver have been seen at protests with known neo-Nazis.
In 2019, 9NEWS profiled local Proud Boys in an investigation titled Homegrown Hate.
The investigation included images of local Proud Boys posing in photos with local neo-Nazis during a protest at a drag queen event at Mile High Comics.
In video images, Samuel Cordova was seen posing with Proud Boys.
Cordova pleaded guilty to a hate crime in Denver after vandalizing a local book store during a drag queen story time. At the time of his arrest, police said in their report Cordova had stickers belonging to the white supremacists group Patriot Front in his backpack.
https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/colorado-proud-boys-remain-active/73-78490ce9-3466-4ff1-8522-e5687b1fb2c5
In 2019, 9NEWS profiled local Proud Boys in an investigation titled Homegrown Hate.
The investigation included images of local Proud Boys posing in photos with local neo-Nazis during a protest at a drag queen event at Mile High Comics.
In video images, Samuel Cordova was seen posing with Proud Boys.
Cordova pleaded guilty to a hate crime in Denver after vandalizing a local book store during a drag queen story time. At the time of his arrest, police said in their report Cordova had stickers belonging to the white supremacists group Patriot Front in his backpack.
https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/colorado-proud-boys-remain-active/73-78490ce9-3466-4ff1-8522-e5687b1fb2c5
Seriously, where are Jake and Elwood when you need them? And by the way with Trump’s little joy ride outside the hospital this week – guess who was there with support? That’s right – Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, who we profiled on a segment of “This Fucking Guy” back in the 5th season of the Idiots (see: Idiots #5-7 ). And yes he’s every bit as batshit crazy as you might imagine!
The founder of the Proud Boys joined the vigil for Donald Trump outside Walter Reed Medical Centre this weekend after the president gave a shout-out to the far-right group during the first presidential debate.
He was spotted in the crowd, draped in what appeared to be a Trump/Pence campaign flag, outside the Maryland hospital by a CNN video producer. Mr McInnes also appeared to be holding a Budweiser beer and not wearing a mask.
Some were “chanting ‘Gavin! Gavin!’ as he arrived,” Donald Judd tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
Gavin McInnes, who co-founded Vice , established the Proud Boys in 2016 before leaving the group in 2018.
The Proud Boys has taken on "Stand Back and Stand By" as a new motto in reference to Mr Trump's response of Joe Biden's requests he denounce the group and white supremacy.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-proud-boys-alt-far-right-gavin-mcinnes-covid-hospital-b789243.html
He was spotted in the crowd, draped in what appeared to be a Trump/Pence campaign flag, outside the Maryland hospital by a CNN video producer. Mr McInnes also appeared to be holding a Budweiser beer and not wearing a mask.
Some were “chanting ‘Gavin! Gavin!’ as he arrived,” Donald Judd tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
Gavin McInnes, who co-founded Vice , established the Proud Boys in 2016 before leaving the group in 2018.
The Proud Boys has taken on "Stand Back and Stand By" as a new motto in reference to Mr Trump's response of Joe Biden's requests he denounce the group and white supremacy.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-proud-boys-alt-far-right-gavin-mcinnes-covid-hospital-b789243.html
Oh wait, that was Jingle All The Way. And by the way, we have to talk about the latest clash in Portland, because it seems that the Proud Boys are hell bent on turning the hipster capital of America into America’s Trump-loving fight club. And you know that other saying – the beatings will continue until morale improves! Yes, this group is Trump’s new BFF, and they will literally fight for him.
The Proud Boys claimed that they would bring legions of dedicated patriots to the city of Portland, Oregon, in a powerful show of strength against their anti-fascist foes, but when the moment of truth came on Saturday, the right-wing gang failed to deliver.
Despite weeks of hype and deep concerns over the possibility of severe and deadly violence, the organization, which the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as a hate group, drew a modest crowd of angry men and women, whose brief gathering mostly consisted of swilling cheap beer and hard seltzers and assaulting journalists in a park on the edge of town. The absence of large-scale violence, which has so often defined the group’s forays into Portland over the past few years, came as a relief to a city that has been blanketed in wildfire smoke in recent weeks and targeted by the Trump administration as an “anarchist jurisdiction” for its nightly protests against police brutality.
In the run-up to the rally, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency and established a law enforcement task force led by the Oregon State Police, which reportedly deployed approximately 500 officers to police the event. At most, several hundred people turned out for the demonstration, a far cry from the 20,000 participants and observers the Proud Boys had estimated in their request for a permit — the city denied the request, citing coronavirus restrictions that cap group gatherings at 50 people.
https://theintercept.com/2020/09/28/portland-proud-boys-rally-journalists/
Despite weeks of hype and deep concerns over the possibility of severe and deadly violence, the organization, which the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as a hate group, drew a modest crowd of angry men and women, whose brief gathering mostly consisted of swilling cheap beer and hard seltzers and assaulting journalists in a park on the edge of town. The absence of large-scale violence, which has so often defined the group’s forays into Portland over the past few years, came as a relief to a city that has been blanketed in wildfire smoke in recent weeks and targeted by the Trump administration as an “anarchist jurisdiction” for its nightly protests against police brutality.
In the run-up to the rally, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency and established a law enforcement task force led by the Oregon State Police, which reportedly deployed approximately 500 officers to police the event. At most, several hundred people turned out for the demonstration, a far cry from the 20,000 participants and observers the Proud Boys had estimated in their request for a permit — the city denied the request, citing coronavirus restrictions that cap group gatherings at 50 people.
https://theintercept.com/2020/09/28/portland-proud-boys-rally-journalists/
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Look, I know that we’re in the middle of a raging pandemic – and everyone is bored, tired, restless, isolated, angry, and pissed off. I know that I am. But before we start pointing fingers, let’s not forget the one man who is largely responsible for us getting into this mess. And that man is of course is the guy who’s in charge of the country right now – the man who we inexplicably still call president, Donald J. Trump. That’s right, you read that correctly – Trump is the sole source of misinformation on the virus known as COVID-19, responsible for one of the biggest disasters in United States history – both politically and economically. But yeah let’s blame Trump for all of this!
Is President Trump the nation’s chief disinformation officer?
Controversial posts concerning COVID-19 on Monday in which the president tells the public "Don’t let it dominate you" and "Don’t be afraid of it" and claims he may have immunity to the deadly virus have heightened public criticism of Trump for spreading dangerous falsehoods.
On Tuesday, Facebook removed a post by Trump comparing COVID-19 to the seasonal flu, while Twitter added a warning the message contained "misleading" information.
“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is the largest spreader of specific and important types of misinformation today,” said Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab.
In the critical last weeks of the election, social media companies are facing a tsunami of conspiracy theories, hoaxes and fake claims on everything from COVID-19 to voting. And whether during a presidential debate, in press briefings or in posts on Facebook and Twitter, much of that misinformation is being generated and amplified by Trump, two recent studies show.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/
Controversial posts concerning COVID-19 on Monday in which the president tells the public "Don’t let it dominate you" and "Don’t be afraid of it" and claims he may have immunity to the deadly virus have heightened public criticism of Trump for spreading dangerous falsehoods.
On Tuesday, Facebook removed a post by Trump comparing COVID-19 to the seasonal flu, while Twitter added a warning the message contained "misleading" information.
“There is no doubt that Donald Trump is the largest spreader of specific and important types of misinformation today,” said Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab.
In the critical last weeks of the election, social media companies are facing a tsunami of conspiracy theories, hoaxes and fake claims on everything from COVID-19 to voting. And whether during a presidential debate, in press briefings or in posts on Facebook and Twitter, much of that misinformation is being generated and amplified by Trump, two recent studies show.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/
Yeah probably. Especially when this is one of the most alarming things coming out of the Trump administration since his diagnosis – he’s the key spreader of misinformation about the virus! See, I’ve been saying that since the Trump administration began that when you hang with Trump, you’re going to get a virus. Now when you hang with Trump, not only do you get a virus, he’ll give you a heaping pile of bullshit to go with it!
When I asked public health experts how the United States had reached 200,000 coronavirus deaths, several of them cited the misinformation coming from the White House and President Donald Trump himself.
The president has questioned the efficacy of masks, hyped unproven treatments, and continues to promise a vaccine before experts and the drug companies themselves believe it will actually be ready. That lack of clear and accurate communication has now extended to Trump’s own Covid-19 diagnosis, with his doctors seemingly obfuscating the details of the president’s condition. They have outright acknowledged downplaying the seriousness of his symptoms, and the treatment Trump is receiving does not entirely comport with the sunny prognosis advanced by the White House.
The effect of all of these communications failures is diffuse and uncertain. But we do know this much, according to new Cornell University research: The president of the United States was the loudest megaphone for Covid-19 misinformation during the first few months of the pandemic.
https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/21497221/donald-trump-covid-19-coronavirus-news-misinformation-study
The president has questioned the efficacy of masks, hyped unproven treatments, and continues to promise a vaccine before experts and the drug companies themselves believe it will actually be ready. That lack of clear and accurate communication has now extended to Trump’s own Covid-19 diagnosis, with his doctors seemingly obfuscating the details of the president’s condition. They have outright acknowledged downplaying the seriousness of his symptoms, and the treatment Trump is receiving does not entirely comport with the sunny prognosis advanced by the White House.
The effect of all of these communications failures is diffuse and uncertain. But we do know this much, according to new Cornell University research: The president of the United States was the loudest megaphone for Covid-19 misinformation during the first few months of the pandemic.
https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/21497221/donald-trump-covid-19-coronavirus-news-misinformation-study
That is certainly true sir! But that’s also what happens when the President Of The United States lives in a bubble – not just because of COVID – but also constantly feeds off of his own bullshit when it comes to the news. See, the news sources that Trump says are actually news, are in actuality, fake news! It’s all so obvious now! But yeah he might be fucking with us, and if he’s going down, he’s going down swinging.
As the 2020 presidential election approaches, social networks have promised to minimize false rumors about voter fraud or “rigged” mail-in ballots, a mostly imaginary threat that discourages voting and casts doubt on the democratic process. But new research has suggested that these rumors aren’t born in the dark corners of Facebook or Twitter — and that fighting them effectively might involve going after one of social media’s most powerful users.
Last week, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center put forward an illuminating analysis of voting misinformation. A working paper posits that social media isn’t driving most disinformation around mail-in voting. Instead, Twitter and Facebook amplify content from “political and media elites.” That includes traditional news outlets, particularly wire services like the Associated Press, but also Trump’s tweets — which the paper cites as a key disinformation source.
The center published the methodology and explanation on its site, and co-author Yochai Benkler also wrote a clear, more succinct breakdown of it at Columbia Journalism Review. The authors measured the volume of tweets, Facebook posts, and “open web” stories mentioning mail-in voting or absentee ballots alongside terms like fraud and election rigging. Then, they looked at the top-performing posts and their sources.
The authors overwhelmingly found that spikes in social media activity echoed politicians or news outlets discussing voter fraud. Some spikes involved actual (rare) cases of suspected or attempted fraud. But “the most common by far,” Benkler writes, “was a statement Donald Trump made in one of his three main channels: Twitter, press briefings, and television interviews.”
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/5/21499009/harvard-berkman-klein-center-paper-voting-misinformation-trump-tweets-media-framing
Last week, Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center put forward an illuminating analysis of voting misinformation. A working paper posits that social media isn’t driving most disinformation around mail-in voting. Instead, Twitter and Facebook amplify content from “political and media elites.” That includes traditional news outlets, particularly wire services like the Associated Press, but also Trump’s tweets — which the paper cites as a key disinformation source.
The center published the methodology and explanation on its site, and co-author Yochai Benkler also wrote a clear, more succinct breakdown of it at Columbia Journalism Review. The authors measured the volume of tweets, Facebook posts, and “open web” stories mentioning mail-in voting or absentee ballots alongside terms like fraud and election rigging. Then, they looked at the top-performing posts and their sources.
The authors overwhelmingly found that spikes in social media activity echoed politicians or news outlets discussing voter fraud. Some spikes involved actual (rare) cases of suspected or attempted fraud. But “the most common by far,” Benkler writes, “was a statement Donald Trump made in one of his three main channels: Twitter, press briefings, and television interviews.”
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/5/21499009/harvard-berkman-klein-center-paper-voting-misinformation-trump-tweets-media-framing
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Broke Billionaire
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
Billionaires. Most people either love them or hate them. Some even want to elect them president of the United States. Those people are crazy. However, this week, there’s one billionaire in particular who made headlines this week for one particular reason. He wants to die broke and penniless. Meet Charles Feeny. Feeny made his fortune as the backbone of the Duty Free shops that you see at the airport. He made billions off of his investment. Now his dying wish is to die broke and penniless. And he may just have achieved that goal.
Charles 'Chuck' Feeney, the former billionaire co-founder of airport retail giant Duty Free Shoppers, is now broke after giving away his massive fortune to charity.
The 89-year-old, who lived a frugal life, has donated more than $8 billion to charities, universities and foundations worldwide through his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies.
Feeney had pioneered the idea of Giving While Living, the idea to spending one’s fortune on big charitable donations during one's lifetime instead of creating a foundation upon death. He was famous for his promise that he will give all his money away to charitable causes, and he fulfilled his dream this month. And he insists he couldn’t be happier.
“We learned a lot. We would do some things differently, but I am very satisfied. I feel very good about completing this on my watch,” Feeney told Forbes.
In 2012, Feeney said he set aside $2million for his and his wife’s retirement with plans to donate the rest. https://www.news18.com/news/world/the-broke-billionaire-duty-free-king-secretly-gives-away-all-of-his-fortune-to-charity-2881567.html
The 89-year-old, who lived a frugal life, has donated more than $8 billion to charities, universities and foundations worldwide through his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies.
Feeney had pioneered the idea of Giving While Living, the idea to spending one’s fortune on big charitable donations during one's lifetime instead of creating a foundation upon death. He was famous for his promise that he will give all his money away to charitable causes, and he fulfilled his dream this month. And he insists he couldn’t be happier.
“We learned a lot. We would do some things differently, but I am very satisfied. I feel very good about completing this on my watch,” Feeney told Forbes.
In 2012, Feeney said he set aside $2million for his and his wife’s retirement with plans to donate the rest. https://www.news18.com/news/world/the-broke-billionaire-duty-free-king-secretly-gives-away-all-of-his-fortune-to-charity-2881567.html
So why did Mr. Feeny decide to do this and why are his assets so hidden? What made him do this? Well you know the old adage about how you cannot take it with you. Mr. Feeny is a different kind of billionaire – he made his wealth through investing. And then he turned around and invested those investments into different investments. In fact, his charitable contributions earned him the nickname “the secret billionaire”.
Self-made billionaire Chuck Feeney had one main life goal: to die broke.
Feeney comes from a working-class New Jersey family. The Irish-American grandson of immigrants amassed his fortune after co-founding the duty-free shopping empire Duty Free Shoppers. Despite his riches, he doesn’t own a car, rents a small apartment, flies economy class, and owns only one pair of shoes. He even crashes in his daughter's apartment while in New York. Instead of indulging himself, Feeney set up a foundation called The Atlantic Philanthropies in secret in 1982 and transferred almost all of his wealth into it. He made countless endowments to charities and universities across the world for 38 years.
Now, at the age of 89, he has finally run out of money and achieved his goal of “striving for zero...to give it all away.” Feeney became known as the “secret billionaire” because of his penchant for discretion, even while funding massive educational, medical, and philanthropic institutions throughout the U.S. and Ireland. Forbes even stated in 2012 that Feeney was “the man who arguably has done more for Ireland than anyone since Saint Patrick.”
Although Feeney always preferred flying under the radar, he continued to keep a low profile until 2005, when the opportunity came along to do some good with publicity. His work only came to light when journalist Conor O’Cleary wrote his biography with the goal of promoting ‘giving while living’ to other wealthy people.
https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/chunk-feeney-billionaire-donations
Feeney comes from a working-class New Jersey family. The Irish-American grandson of immigrants amassed his fortune after co-founding the duty-free shopping empire Duty Free Shoppers. Despite his riches, he doesn’t own a car, rents a small apartment, flies economy class, and owns only one pair of shoes. He even crashes in his daughter's apartment while in New York. Instead of indulging himself, Feeney set up a foundation called The Atlantic Philanthropies in secret in 1982 and transferred almost all of his wealth into it. He made countless endowments to charities and universities across the world for 38 years.
Now, at the age of 89, he has finally run out of money and achieved his goal of “striving for zero...to give it all away.” Feeney became known as the “secret billionaire” because of his penchant for discretion, even while funding massive educational, medical, and philanthropic institutions throughout the U.S. and Ireland. Forbes even stated in 2012 that Feeney was “the man who arguably has done more for Ireland than anyone since Saint Patrick.”
Although Feeney always preferred flying under the radar, he continued to keep a low profile until 2005, when the opportunity came along to do some good with publicity. His work only came to light when journalist Conor O’Cleary wrote his biography with the goal of promoting ‘giving while living’ to other wealthy people.
https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/chunk-feeney-billionaire-donations
Yes and then light it all on fire! Mr. Feeny is not the only billionaire who is risking it all. We go to Thailand, where 41 year old billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is risking it all because he’s fed up with the current state of the Thai monarchy. So rather than using his money for evil, people like this and Mr. Feeny are using their money for good. In fact he’s starting his own political party to help reform the monarchy.
Rising 34 stories above Bangkok’s Phetchaburi Road, the Thai Summit Tower is the headquarters of Thailand’s largest car parts manufacturer. Until recently, it was also home to an upstart political party headed by the company’s 41-year-old heir, Thanathorn. On the fifth floor, he and the fresh-faced activists of the Future Forward Party (FFP) would hold boisterous press conferences and hushed policy meetings. They gained 17 Juangroongruangkit % of the vote in last year’s general election despite being barely a year old.
That remarkable showing should have thrust 81 FFP lawmakers into Thailand’s 750-seat National Assembly. But the political establishment struck back. First, Thanathorn was banned from politics over shares he allegedly held in a media company. (Thai law says electoral candidates cannot hold such shares; Thanathorn insists they had been transferred to his mother.) Then, on Feb. 21, the party was dissolved over alleged funding irregularities. The legal action was described as “politically motivated” by Human Rights Watch. With it, the political will of 6.3 million voters was snuffed out.
Sitting down with TIME in the week before that decision, Thanathorn was sanguine. Over the past two decades, populist governments in Thailand have been removed from power twice by the military and three times by the courts. The FFP may have been a long way from Government House but the power nexus centered around the palace, the courts and the military was evidently spooked.
“The Future Forward Party is a vehicle, but even if they dissolve us, we will continue the journey,” shrugged Thanathorn at the time. “This year, I’m sure, with me leading, or otherwise, we’ll return to public demonstrations.”
https://time.com/5886694/thanathorn-juangroongruangkit-thailand-protests-monarchy-military/
That remarkable showing should have thrust 81 FFP lawmakers into Thailand’s 750-seat National Assembly. But the political establishment struck back. First, Thanathorn was banned from politics over shares he allegedly held in a media company. (Thai law says electoral candidates cannot hold such shares; Thanathorn insists they had been transferred to his mother.) Then, on Feb. 21, the party was dissolved over alleged funding irregularities. The legal action was described as “politically motivated” by Human Rights Watch. With it, the political will of 6.3 million voters was snuffed out.
Sitting down with TIME in the week before that decision, Thanathorn was sanguine. Over the past two decades, populist governments in Thailand have been removed from power twice by the military and three times by the courts. The FFP may have been a long way from Government House but the power nexus centered around the palace, the courts and the military was evidently spooked.
“The Future Forward Party is a vehicle, but even if they dissolve us, we will continue the journey,” shrugged Thanathorn at the time. “This year, I’m sure, with me leading, or otherwise, we’ll return to public demonstrations.”
https://time.com/5886694/thanathorn-juangroongruangkit-thailand-protests-monarchy-military/
But Mr. Feeny and Mr. Juangroongruangkit aren’t just giving away their fortunes for free. Instead they’re making sound and sensible investments that will help determine their country’s futures. But Mr. Feeny has a 35 year head start – and he has already accomplished his goal. At 89, he most likely doesn’t have a lot of time left on this earth, but he feels like his goal is accomplished.
Chuck Feeney will have given away the last dollar of his $9 billion fortune, $2 billion of it to Ireland. He will be delighted to kiss his last dime goodbye says Christopher Oechsli, the CEO of Feeney’s Atlantic Philanthropies.
Oechsli revealed the news when he spoke to a business podcast on RTE, Ireland’s national broadcast station.
Now living in San Francisco after globe-trotting all his adult life, Feeney created Duty-Free Shops, known as DFS, and eventually sold his shares, netting an absolute fortune.
He was loudly proclaimed as a billionaire, but little did anyone know he was secretly giving every penny away starting 35 years ago.
I’ve known him since 1987 and never knew for years what he was up to until Forbes magazine broke the story.
https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/broke-billionaire-chuck-feeney
Oechsli revealed the news when he spoke to a business podcast on RTE, Ireland’s national broadcast station.
Now living in San Francisco after globe-trotting all his adult life, Feeney created Duty-Free Shops, known as DFS, and eventually sold his shares, netting an absolute fortune.
He was loudly proclaimed as a billionaire, but little did anyone know he was secretly giving every penny away starting 35 years ago.
I’ve known him since 1987 and never knew for years what he was up to until Forbes magazine broke the story.
https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/broke-billionaire-chuck-feeney
That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the virtual pew make an online donation in the LAWRD’s virtual collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair virtual congregation! You know we are just one month out from the election. And this election will determine the future of America. Now, do we go with the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a man so disgusting and depraved that I will never allow his name to be spoken in my church – even if we aren’t a real church right now? Or do we choose the lighter path and go with Joseph R. Biden? I know which way I would choose. But that said, the ungodly Dark One is trying to accuse Biden as being ungodly. Which makes me ask this question – does anyone really hate GAWD? Both sides make this claim, and none of it is true. No one hates GAWD. But the LAWRD welcomes all – even the haters and the losers. So why is Biden being painted as the godless one?
President Donald Trump’s right-wing backers have long joined in his attacks on media outlets that are anything short of reverential in their coverage of the president. In recent days, a couple of pro-Trump “prayer warriors” have gone a step further, denouncing the media as “demonic.”
Intercessors for America, an ardently pro-Trump prayer network that is closely allied with Paula White’s One Voice Prayer Movement, promoted an article Tuesday claiming that mainstream media and social media platforms are employing the “demonic force” of deception, promoting an agenda that “happens to line up with goals of the principality of tyranny.”
Lance Wallnau, a dominionist author who promotes Trump as God’s anointed, recently declared, “Fighting with Trump is fighting with God” and blamed demons living inside journalists for “all of the animosity, hatred, venom, and vitriol” that is stirred up against Trump.
In Tuesday’s IFA article, contributing writer Michael Guidera wrote that the media has a responsibility to report truthfully and without bias but claimed that they are no longer able to do so because they have been “corrupted” by the devil. The media, he wrote, employ a number of “deceptive techniques,” including one borrowed from the serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden: “Just a Little Poison, mix truth with a lie.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/pro-trump-prayer-warriors-declare-media-demonic/
Intercessors for America, an ardently pro-Trump prayer network that is closely allied with Paula White’s One Voice Prayer Movement, promoted an article Tuesday claiming that mainstream media and social media platforms are employing the “demonic force” of deception, promoting an agenda that “happens to line up with goals of the principality of tyranny.”
Lance Wallnau, a dominionist author who promotes Trump as God’s anointed, recently declared, “Fighting with Trump is fighting with God” and blamed demons living inside journalists for “all of the animosity, hatred, venom, and vitriol” that is stirred up against Trump.
In Tuesday’s IFA article, contributing writer Michael Guidera wrote that the media has a responsibility to report truthfully and without bias but claimed that they are no longer able to do so because they have been “corrupted” by the devil. The media, he wrote, employ a number of “deceptive techniques,” including one borrowed from the serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden: “Just a Little Poison, mix truth with a lie.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/pro-trump-prayer-warriors-declare-media-demonic/
These people really have a thing for demonic forces don’t they? And why do they refer to themselves as “prayer warriors”? Are they actually fighting a war? Maybe only in their warped and twisted minds. But I’m not really sure they know what the word “tyranny” means. In fact the Unholy Dark One is getting some much needed help from the pulpit.
In a livestream in the wee hours Saturday, “prophetic” author Lance Wallnau prophesied that God would heal the ”anointed” President Donald Trump and send an angel against Trump’s enemies to war on his behalf while he is sick with COVID-19.
Wallnau said that Trump getting sick so close to the election is like the ”Access Hollywood” tape coming out just before the 2016 election. Almost everyone thought it would destroy Trump’s chances, Wallnau said, but it was a sign of God at work, “humbling Donald Trump before his promotion.”
Trump’s diagnosis, Wallnau said, was God “immobilizing the president before God moves.” Wallnau said he believes that God is about to release an angel to fight for the nation and against everything coming against Trump, from the Chinese government to “thousands of witchcraft curses.”
The Angel of the Lord is going to go forth for America. Why? Because the president can’t fight now. You get what I’m saying? He can’t do it. So, the Lord is sending his angel. In a way, it’s the worst thing the devil could have done because if it was just Trump, then it’s just Trump. But now there’s an angel going forth. And who knows what kind of mischief that’s going to wreck on the enemy’s camp.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lance-wallnau-claims-fighting-trump-%E2%80%8Bis-fighting-god-says-while-trump-%E2%80%8Bis-sick-gods-angel-will-wreck-his-enemies/
Wallnau said that Trump getting sick so close to the election is like the ”Access Hollywood” tape coming out just before the 2016 election. Almost everyone thought it would destroy Trump’s chances, Wallnau said, but it was a sign of God at work, “humbling Donald Trump before his promotion.”
Trump’s diagnosis, Wallnau said, was God “immobilizing the president before God moves.” Wallnau said he believes that God is about to release an angel to fight for the nation and against everything coming against Trump, from the Chinese government to “thousands of witchcraft curses.”
The Angel of the Lord is going to go forth for America. Why? Because the president can’t fight now. You get what I’m saying? He can’t do it. So, the Lord is sending his angel. In a way, it’s the worst thing the devil could have done because if it was just Trump, then it’s just Trump. But now there’s an angel going forth. And who knows what kind of mischief that’s going to wreck on the enemy’s camp.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lance-wallnau-claims-fighting-trump-%E2%80%8Bis-fighting-god-says-while-trump-%E2%80%8Bis-sick-gods-angel-will-wreck-his-enemies/
Well so can I, I do have that power as I am a man of GAWD!! And the LAWRD shall send them to hell when he sees fit now doesn’t he? Now let’s take a look at the actual religions of these two men – starting with the man who is going to be the 46th president of the United States – Joe Biden! He is a real man of GAWD, and he makes no mistakes about the religion he chooses to worship!
In 2016, Mormons rejected Donald Trump in numbers unheard of for a Republican nominee — viewing the thrice-married, immigrant-bashing Republican as an affront to their values.
In 2020, the president is going all-out to change their minds — a little-noticed effort that could make or break him in Arizona and Nevada, home to more than a half-million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints combined. Joe Biden's campaign, sensing an unlikely opening for a Democrat, is also targeting Mormons in the pair of Western swing states.
Before Trump became the party standard-bearer, Mormons had been among the most loyal GOP voters in the country. A 2010 Gallup survey found that “Mormons are both the most Republican and the most conservative of any of the major religious groups in the U.S. today.” But many Mormons found Trump blasphemous, and the church itself made thinly veiled statements condemning the candidate’s rhetoric on immigration and religious freedom.
Mormon support for the Republican ticket dropped from 80 percent in 2004 and 78 percent in 2012, to 61 percent in 2016, even as most other Christians moved further to the right, according to Pew.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/13/trump-biden-mormons-church-412234
In 2020, the president is going all-out to change their minds — a little-noticed effort that could make or break him in Arizona and Nevada, home to more than a half-million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints combined. Joe Biden's campaign, sensing an unlikely opening for a Democrat, is also targeting Mormons in the pair of Western swing states.
Before Trump became the party standard-bearer, Mormons had been among the most loyal GOP voters in the country. A 2010 Gallup survey found that “Mormons are both the most Republican and the most conservative of any of the major religious groups in the U.S. today.” But many Mormons found Trump blasphemous, and the church itself made thinly veiled statements condemning the candidate’s rhetoric on immigration and religious freedom.
Mormon support for the Republican ticket dropped from 80 percent in 2004 and 78 percent in 2012, to 61 percent in 2016, even as most other Christians moved further to the right, according to Pew.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/13/trump-biden-mormons-church-412234
Now on the flipside – we have the Unholy, Ungodly Dark One! And why do I keep referring to him as “The Dark One”? Because he is the leader of the free world. And he’s a man who is so full of sin, so disgusting, depraved, and batshit crazy that I will never, ever speak his name in my church! Except that one time I did, but there are exceptions to every rule. In fact he’s a man so disgusting that a religion known for insane lifestyles is denouncing him as being demonic!
In 2016, Mormons rejected Donald Trump in numbers unheard of for a Republican nominee — viewing the thrice-married, immigrant-bashing Republican as an affront to their values.
In 2020, the president is going all-out to change their minds — a little-noticed effort that could make or break him in Arizona and Nevada, home to more than a half-million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints combined. Joe Biden's campaign, sensing an unlikely opening for a Democrat, is also targeting Mormons in the pair of Western swing states.
Before Trump became the party standard-bearer, Mormons had been among the most loyal GOP voters in the country. A 2010 Gallup survey found that “Mormons are both the most Republican and the most conservative of any of the major religious groups in the U.S. today.” But many Mormons found Trump blasphemous, and the church itself made thinly veiled statements condemning the candidate’s rhetoric on immigration and religious freedom.
Mormon support for the Republican ticket dropped from 80 percent in 2004 and 78 percent in 2012, to 61 percent in 2016, even as most other Christians moved further to the right, according to Pew.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/13/trump-biden-mormons-church-412234
In 2020, the president is going all-out to change their minds — a little-noticed effort that could make or break him in Arizona and Nevada, home to more than a half-million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints combined. Joe Biden's campaign, sensing an unlikely opening for a Democrat, is also targeting Mormons in the pair of Western swing states.
Before Trump became the party standard-bearer, Mormons had been among the most loyal GOP voters in the country. A 2010 Gallup survey found that “Mormons are both the most Republican and the most conservative of any of the major religious groups in the U.S. today.” But many Mormons found Trump blasphemous, and the church itself made thinly veiled statements condemning the candidate’s rhetoric on immigration and religious freedom.
Mormon support for the Republican ticket dropped from 80 percent in 2004 and 78 percent in 2012, to 61 percent in 2016, even as most other Christians moved further to the right, according to Pew.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/13/trump-biden-mormons-church-412234
That’s right – even the Mormons – some of the most devout of all the religions – are calling him the Godless one! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Ron Johnson: People Who Somehow Got Elected
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how they’re able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week: Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. How did this guy get elected? While the world is sitting in horror of Trump’s recent COVID diagnosis, there’s another case that’s going dangerously overlooked and that’s Ron Johnson. The CDC is reporting that “super spreader” individuals are infecting hundreds of people and they might not even know it. Ron Johnson is one such individual. And this guy could be deciding the vote that puts Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court. So what makes Mr. Johnson so dangerous? Well, while mass gatherings are shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ron Johnson said “fuck it” and went to an Oktoberfest party anyways. Yes, holding an Oktoberfest party during a pandemic. That is a thing that happened.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson attended an Oktoberfest fundraising dinner on Friday evening while he was awaiting the test results that would show he was infected with COVID-19.
The Wisconsin Republican chose to attend the bash even though he knew that President Trump and many of his inner circle had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Johnson, who didn’t reveal his diagnosis until Saturday, justified his behavior in comments to the Madison, Wisconsin Capital Times by saying he only took his mask off when it was time to address the crowd. He also insisted that he was “at least 12 feet from anybody” during his speech at the event, which was sponsored by the Ozaukee County Republican Party. It was held at the River Club of Mequon, a self-described “casually elegant private club committed to personal service.”
“I feel fine, I feel completely normal,” he said in a conference call with reporters, adding that he didn’t “stick around” to mingle at the dinner.
Attendees paid from $40 for a single ticket to $500 for “gold host” status, which included two meal tickets, priority seating, and “special host recognition.” Former Wisconsin attorney general Brad Schimel was the evening’s featured guest, according to an invitation on the Ozaukee County Republican Party’s Facebook page.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-sen-ron-johnson-went-to-oktoberfest-party-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19
The Wisconsin Republican chose to attend the bash even though he knew that President Trump and many of his inner circle had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Johnson, who didn’t reveal his diagnosis until Saturday, justified his behavior in comments to the Madison, Wisconsin Capital Times by saying he only took his mask off when it was time to address the crowd. He also insisted that he was “at least 12 feet from anybody” during his speech at the event, which was sponsored by the Ozaukee County Republican Party. It was held at the River Club of Mequon, a self-described “casually elegant private club committed to personal service.”
“I feel fine, I feel completely normal,” he said in a conference call with reporters, adding that he didn’t “stick around” to mingle at the dinner.
Attendees paid from $40 for a single ticket to $500 for “gold host” status, which included two meal tickets, priority seating, and “special host recognition.” Former Wisconsin attorney general Brad Schimel was the evening’s featured guest, according to an invitation on the Ozaukee County Republican Party’s Facebook page.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-sen-ron-johnson-went-to-oktoberfest-party-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19
Yes, they’ll get special host recognition all right – when everybody at the party comes down with the virus because they didn’t listen to scientists and ignored the warning signs. So guess what happened with the party? That’s right! He tested positive. And that means that Senator Johnson can join Trump in the recovery wing at Walter Reed Hospital.
Just days after coming out of a self-quarantine prompted by being exposed to someone with COVID-19, Sen. Ron Johnson has contracted the virus, his office announced Saturday morning.
According to a brief statement, the Wisconsin Republican tested positive on Friday, the same day as announcements came that President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, several members of the White House staff, and multiple other prominent Republican Senators were all infected.
Johnson is currently asymptomatic and “feel(ing) healthy,” his office explained. He is expected to remain isolated until his doctor gives him clearance to return.
The senator plans to keep working through his isolation, however. Johnson’s statement indicated they were already working remotely, and they will now go all virtual “for the immediate future.”
https://www.nbc15.com/2020/10/03/sen-ron-johnson-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
According to a brief statement, the Wisconsin Republican tested positive on Friday, the same day as announcements came that President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, several members of the White House staff, and multiple other prominent Republican Senators were all infected.
Johnson is currently asymptomatic and “feel(ing) healthy,” his office explained. He is expected to remain isolated until his doctor gives him clearance to return.
The senator plans to keep working through his isolation, however. Johnson’s statement indicated they were already working remotely, and they will now go all virtual “for the immediate future.”
https://www.nbc15.com/2020/10/03/sen-ron-johnson-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
That’s probably the only safe way to live right now in the age of COVID. And guess what else is going on – not only did Ron Johnson come down with the virus, at least 3 senators – all in the GOP – have also tested positive. This isn’t going to look good when they go to cast that SCOTUS vote that will replace Justice Ginsburg. This is what happens when you don’t take this virus seriously.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Saturday that the full Senate will not return until Oct. 19 — two weeks later than planned — after three GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus.
But McConnell also vowed that the Senate would still move ahead with Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination, with the Senate Judiciary Committee set to begin confirmation hearings on Oct. 12.
“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair, and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman [Lindsey] Graham,” McConnell said in a statement announcing the schedule change.
“Certainly all Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings,” added McConnell who noted the panel has already been allowing members to participate virtually.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/03/ron-johnson-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-425829
But McConnell also vowed that the Senate would still move ahead with Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination, with the Senate Judiciary Committee set to begin confirmation hearings on Oct. 12.
“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair, and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman [Lindsey] Graham,” McConnell said in a statement announcing the schedule change.
“Certainly all Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings,” added McConnell who noted the panel has already been allowing members to participate virtually.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/03/ron-johnson-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-425829
That’s what is going to happen from now until there’s a vaccine. And if people like Ron Johnson keep doing this that’s what is going to happen. But that’s not before he puts fellow super spreader Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. That’s right – Ron Johnson could be one of the deciding votes that puts Judge Barrett on the highest of high courts. I like senators who don’t get the virus!
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who recently tested positive for Covid-19, said on Monday that he will do everything he can to vote for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, even if he has to wear a "moon suit" to do it.
"If we have to go in and vote, I have already told leadership, I'll go in a moon suit." Johnson said during an interview on 630 KHOW in Denver. "We think this is pretty important. People can be fairly confident that Mitch McConnell is dedicated to holding this vote," he said.
Asked if he would find a way to vote even if he tested positive the day before, but his vote was needed, Johnson said he "would certainly try."
"I would certainly try to find a way, making sure that everybody was safe," he said, adding, "So you can go into a medical clinic and you can take the precautions and do it safely, but we wouldn't be able to do that on the floor of the Senate? Where there is a will there is a way. We can do these things."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/05/politics/ron-johnson-moon-suit-supreme-court/index.html
"If we have to go in and vote, I have already told leadership, I'll go in a moon suit." Johnson said during an interview on 630 KHOW in Denver. "We think this is pretty important. People can be fairly confident that Mitch McConnell is dedicated to holding this vote," he said.
Asked if he would find a way to vote even if he tested positive the day before, but his vote was needed, Johnson said he "would certainly try."
"I would certainly try to find a way, making sure that everybody was safe," he said, adding, "So you can go into a medical clinic and you can take the precautions and do it safely, but we wouldn't be able to do that on the floor of the Senate? Where there is a will there is a way. We can do these things."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/05/politics/ron-johnson-moon-suit-supreme-court/index.html
That man could help decide the fate of the future of the United States. That’s Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, yet another inexplicable candidate to add to the ever-growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to the segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable! We are of course coming to you live from our remote basement bunker deep in the alkaline flats of the New Mexico badlands – I can’t disclose too much about the location because I don’t want the evil government to read my thoughts! Now just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… and there we go! So what are conspiracy theorists blabbering about this week? Well, of course you know their Dear Leader got the dreaded coronavirus. And that hasn’t stopped the conspiracy theorists from coming up with some absolutely batshit theories! Yes, the guano is flying fast and furious with this crowd!
At the news of President Donald Trump’s and first lady Melania Trump’s positive COVID-19 diagnoses, right-wing actors and politicians went into overdrive testing out farcical conspiracy theories, blaming China and the Democrats, and attacking anyone who criticized the president.
Trump, who attempted to ridicule Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for regularly wearing a mask at Tuesday night’s presidential debate, seldom sports a mask in public and has turned a CDC public health guideline into a controversial issue in the United States by repeatedly undermining public health experts.
In May, Trump went against state guidelines by choosing not to wear a face mask as he toured a Ford facility in Michigan, telling reporters, “I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
But despite the president’s rare mask wearing in public, Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch seemed to defend him against any such criticism, claiming that “no ‘Fauci standard’ studies exist that masks curtail spread of #coronavirus.” He also insisted that “Hydroxychloroquine is a safe drug” and that “The suppression of hydroxychloroquine is the worst public health scandal of the modern medical era,” despite evidence showing it is ineffective at treating COVID-19 patients and can be dangerous.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/right-wing-actors-test-out-conspiracy-theories-in-wake-of-trumps-positive-covid-19-diagnosis/
Trump, who attempted to ridicule Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for regularly wearing a mask at Tuesday night’s presidential debate, seldom sports a mask in public and has turned a CDC public health guideline into a controversial issue in the United States by repeatedly undermining public health experts.
In May, Trump went against state guidelines by choosing not to wear a face mask as he toured a Ford facility in Michigan, telling reporters, “I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
But despite the president’s rare mask wearing in public, Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch seemed to defend him against any such criticism, claiming that “no ‘Fauci standard’ studies exist that masks curtail spread of #coronavirus.” He also insisted that “Hydroxychloroquine is a safe drug” and that “The suppression of hydroxychloroquine is the worst public health scandal of the modern medical era,” despite evidence showing it is ineffective at treating COVID-19 patients and can be dangerous.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/right-wing-actors-test-out-conspiracy-theories-in-wake-of-trumps-positive-covid-19-diagnosis/
By the way, anyone else really surprised that Trump is the mastermind behind most of these batshit crazy theories out there? And if you’re not, have you been following this administration? You know how absolutely batshit insane Trump is and how he doesn’t live in reality – he only lives in the reality that he chooses to create. And that is a very dark and scary one!
A day and a half after the president tested positive for COVID-19, the conspiracy theories and disinformation around his condition are rampant, driven in part by his own administration’s mixed messages and evasiveness about the specifics of how sick he actually is.
On Saturday morning, the doctors treating him at Walter Reed Medical Center refused to answer specific, straightforward questions at a press conference about Trump’s condition, like how high his fever had been, and whether he has been on oxygen since testing positive for the virus. Minutes later, an unnamed person “familiar with the president’s health” told White House reporters the president’s vitals had been “very concerning” and “the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.”
“We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said, adding confusion to the lack of clarity about the president’s condition.
Online, conspiracy theorists on both the left and the right speculated that Trump had either been much sicker than we’d been told — or not sick at all but rather using a fake diagnosis as part of an elaborate power play.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/trump-coronavirus-case-conspiracy-theories
On Saturday morning, the doctors treating him at Walter Reed Medical Center refused to answer specific, straightforward questions at a press conference about Trump’s condition, like how high his fever had been, and whether he has been on oxygen since testing positive for the virus. Minutes later, an unnamed person “familiar with the president’s health” told White House reporters the president’s vitals had been “very concerning” and “the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.”
“We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said, adding confusion to the lack of clarity about the president’s condition.
Online, conspiracy theorists on both the left and the right speculated that Trump had either been much sicker than we’d been told — or not sick at all but rather using a fake diagnosis as part of an elaborate power play.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/trump-coronavirus-case-conspiracy-theories
And by the way, is anyone really surprised that the Q Anon dipshits have been coming up with the craziest conspiracy theories surrounding Trump and COVID? To which I ask you again – have you been following this administration? Trump attracts the craziest and most depraved minds in not only America, but all over the world. So it’s absolutely no surprise that the basement dwellers of 4chan are fabricating the most batshit things you’ve ever heard.
Americans on both sides of the political divide are spreading conspiracy theories on social media about President Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.
The president's announcement on Twitter early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the illness set off a flurry of speculation.
On the social media app Parler, where supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have congregated after being expelled from other platforms, there was widespread speculation about the meaning of the announcement.
Members interpreted the announcement as a covert message, designed to signal to them that the president is stepping out of the public eye in anticipation of what they call The Storm.
"The Storm" is the name QAnon believers give to the day when they claim that the president will take action to dismantle a network of child abusers and "deep state" agents secretly manipulating world events.
https://www.businessinsider.com/qanon-plus-some-progressives-spread-trump-virus-conspiracy-theories-2020-10
The president's announcement on Twitter early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the illness set off a flurry of speculation.
On the social media app Parler, where supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have congregated after being expelled from other platforms, there was widespread speculation about the meaning of the announcement.
Members interpreted the announcement as a covert message, designed to signal to them that the president is stepping out of the public eye in anticipation of what they call The Storm.
"The Storm" is the name QAnon believers give to the day when they claim that the president will take action to dismantle a network of child abusers and "deep state" agents secretly manipulating world events.
https://www.businessinsider.com/qanon-plus-some-progressives-spread-trump-virus-conspiracy-theories-2020-10
Now here’s where it gets weird – because you knew it was going to. And again, I ask – have you been following this administration? I keep asking that because this administration has unleashed some of the most batshit stuff you’ve ever heard. But the real weirdness in all of this is that Q Anon and COVID conspiracies are merging! Yes, they are going to create the largest turd of misinformation you’ve ever seen in your life! They know too much!
Online and in real-life demonstrations, two viral conspiracy theories are increasingly coming together.
At first glance the only thing they appear to have in common is their vast distance from reality.
On one hand, QAnon: a convoluted conspiracy theory that contends that President Trump is waging a secret war against Satan-worshipping elite paedophiles.
On the other, a swirling mass of pseudoscience claiming that coronavirus does not exist, or is not fatal, or any number of other baseless claims.
These two ideas are now increasingly coming together, in a grand conspiracy mash-up.
Linked up
It was apparent on the streets of London last weekend, where speakers addressing thousands of followers at an anti-mask, anti-lockdown demonstration touched on both themes. Posters promoting QAnon and a range of other conspiracy theories were on display.
On Sunday, President Trump retweeted a message claiming the true number of Covid-19 deaths in the United States was a small fraction of the official numbers. The tweet was later deleted by Twitter under its policy on misinformation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-53997203
At first glance the only thing they appear to have in common is their vast distance from reality.
On one hand, QAnon: a convoluted conspiracy theory that contends that President Trump is waging a secret war against Satan-worshipping elite paedophiles.
On the other, a swirling mass of pseudoscience claiming that coronavirus does not exist, or is not fatal, or any number of other baseless claims.
These two ideas are now increasingly coming together, in a grand conspiracy mash-up.
Linked up
It was apparent on the streets of London last weekend, where speakers addressing thousands of followers at an anti-mask, anti-lockdown demonstration touched on both themes. Posters promoting QAnon and a range of other conspiracy theories were on display.
On Sunday, President Trump retweeted a message claiming the true number of Covid-19 deaths in the United States was a small fraction of the official numbers. The tweet was later deleted by Twitter under its policy on misinformation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-53997203
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Whew, I don’t know about you guys but I could really use a drink!
Whew, so much bad news this week! So of course you know by now that the idea is that we have some drinks and while we are drinking, we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. And not only that, this has the bonus of being a sports story with an added dash of some old school homophobia. Yup, we’re talking 1950s fire and brimstone. So tell me virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about sports bullying? A seabreeze? Yeah no thanks. I think I will have my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the Double Jack. So we go to San Diego for this story. The San Diego Loyals are a relatively new team in the MLS world, managed by international superstar Landon Donovan. Well last week something unbelievable happened. The Loyal… forfeited a game. Here’s what happened.
The San Diego Loyal boss' career was defined by a belief that some things are bigger than soccer, and that belief extends to the team he manages
Landon Donovan is fighting battles which are bigger than results in the game of soccer. As head coach of San Diego Loyal, Donovan is committing to making unprecedented decisions, not because they are easy but because they are right.
Donovan and SD Loyal made headlines for the second time in a week on Wednesday for forfeiting a second consecutive match. A first-year club in American soccer's second division, SD Loyal's inaugural season will not necessarily be remembered for what they accomplished on the field but the stances they have taken off of it.
Last week, SD Loyal's Elijah Martin was reported to have been called a racial slur by LA Galaxy II's Omar Ontiveros, prompting the club to forfeit after learning of the incident from the referee postgame.
https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/i-will-act-i-will-speak-donovan-setting-new-precedent-as-manager-/816ujbovn1x81uax4izgy62t3
Landon Donovan is fighting battles which are bigger than results in the game of soccer. As head coach of San Diego Loyal, Donovan is committing to making unprecedented decisions, not because they are easy but because they are right.
Donovan and SD Loyal made headlines for the second time in a week on Wednesday for forfeiting a second consecutive match. A first-year club in American soccer's second division, SD Loyal's inaugural season will not necessarily be remembered for what they accomplished on the field but the stances they have taken off of it.
Last week, SD Loyal's Elijah Martin was reported to have been called a racial slur by LA Galaxy II's Omar Ontiveros, prompting the club to forfeit after learning of the incident from the referee postgame.
https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/i-will-act-i-will-speak-donovan-setting-new-precedent-as-manager-/816ujbovn1x81uax4izgy62t3
Man I miss drinking in front of a live audience! We’ll get that freedom back at some point. So good for San Diego for taking a stand against rampant bullying in sports. Of course that doesn’t matter because we have a president and first lady who are on a “Be Best!” campaign so everybody is putting their best face forward! Ah, who am I kidding? Of course everyone is at their worst right now, we’re in a raging pandemic with a raging asshole at the helm. Thankfully the San Diego Loyal are the opposite of that!
USL Championship club San Diego Loyal has forfeited a match for the second-straight week after alleging hateful language from an opposing player, this one costing the team its playoff hopes.
Sad Diego was leading Phoenix Rising 3-1 at halftime Thursday but decided not to continue the match after Phoenix Rising player Junior Flemmings was accused of using a homophobic slur against San Diego’s Collin Martin, who is an out gay man.
Martin, who publicly came out while a member of Minnesota United in 2018, was sent off before halftime and told the fourth official that he was verbally abused.
Flemmings denied making any such comments in a lengthy post on Twitter and said after the game that he stands “in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ movement.” He said he’s “disappointed” in San Diego as he’s been “mauled and ridiculed online with no opportunity to defend himself.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/san-diego-loyal-forfeits-match-after-allegations-of-homophobic-slur-against-martin/ar-BB19BCpB
Sad Diego was leading Phoenix Rising 3-1 at halftime Thursday but decided not to continue the match after Phoenix Rising player Junior Flemmings was accused of using a homophobic slur against San Diego’s Collin Martin, who is an out gay man.
Martin, who publicly came out while a member of Minnesota United in 2018, was sent off before halftime and told the fourth official that he was verbally abused.
Flemmings denied making any such comments in a lengthy post on Twitter and said after the game that he stands “in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ movement.” He said he’s “disappointed” in San Diego as he’s been “mauled and ridiculed online with no opportunity to defend himself.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/san-diego-loyal-forfeits-match-after-allegations-of-homophobic-slur-against-martin/ar-BB19BCpB
Ah, thanks, I needed that! So the San Diego Loyal walked off not once, but twice. And unlike a baseball walkoff, you’re not celebrating in a football walk off. Instead, you’re probably ranting and cursing and throwing your empty beer bottles at the TV. Because it’s 2020 and you can’t do that at your favorite watering hole. But taking a stand is costing them in both fans and controversy. Let’s ask women’s football star Alex Morgan what she thinks.
Alex Morgan hailed Landon Donovan's San Diego Loyal side after they forfeited their match against Phoenix Rising on Wednesday following an allegation of homophobic abuse.
San Diego were leading 3-1 in the second-tier USL Championship when they left the field after it was claimed openly gay player Collin Martin had been on the receiving end of a homophobic slur, with opponents Phoenix denying the allegation.
"But also that he's travelling with the squad and is so outspoken about the team's beliefs was important, especially when it came to the homophobic slur that was said on the pitch.
"I just respect them so much for deciding not to play the remainder of the game. I think that's the right decision.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12089424/alex-morgan-tottenham-womens-star-hails-san-diego-loyal-over-forfeit-decision
San Diego were leading 3-1 in the second-tier USL Championship when they left the field after it was claimed openly gay player Collin Martin had been on the receiving end of a homophobic slur, with opponents Phoenix denying the allegation.
"But also that he's travelling with the squad and is so outspoken about the team's beliefs was important, especially when it came to the homophobic slur that was said on the pitch.
"I just respect them so much for deciding not to play the remainder of the game. I think that's the right decision.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12089424/alex-morgan-tottenham-womens-star-hails-san-diego-loyal-over-forfeit-decision
So the impact of this decision will be felt across the league but who knows how long this will go on and what are the long term consequences of this decision? Well the short term decision is that this is going to have an affect on the Loyals’ playoff hopes. And yes, this is one of those things where doing the right thing could actually be the wrong thing. Yeah think about it!
Led by Landon Donovan and backed by the club's owners, San Diego Loyal put actions above words after an anti-LGBTQ slur was directed at Collin Martin. In doing so, it revealed what its club is all about.
Why do we care so deeply about sports? Why endure such suffering simply to test our limits? Why risk disappointment and defeat? Why do people support a club? Why follow a team, and invest so much financial and emotional capital into the exploits of others?
Is it to win? To celebrate championships and hang banners? If so, then unless you’ve attached yourself to one of a select few teams from places like Munich or Foxborough, you’re going to spend the vast majority of your life deeply disappointed. Most seasons don’t end in titles.
Or is there something more?
On Wednesday night in San Diego, a second-division soccer team and its famous first-year manager bet big that there is.
“I think people want authenticity,” Landon Donovan told Sports Illustrated. “Everybody’s trying to get their dollar and trying to sell them something, sell them a ticket and sell them a scarf. But they want something that’s real in their life and something they can believe in.”
https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/10/02/san-diego-loyal-landon-donovan-phoenix-rising-collin-martin
Why do we care so deeply about sports? Why endure such suffering simply to test our limits? Why risk disappointment and defeat? Why do people support a club? Why follow a team, and invest so much financial and emotional capital into the exploits of others?
Is it to win? To celebrate championships and hang banners? If so, then unless you’ve attached yourself to one of a select few teams from places like Munich or Foxborough, you’re going to spend the vast majority of your life deeply disappointed. Most seasons don’t end in titles.
Or is there something more?
On Wednesday night in San Diego, a second-division soccer team and its famous first-year manager bet big that there is.
“I think people want authenticity,” Landon Donovan told Sports Illustrated. “Everybody’s trying to get their dollar and trying to sell them something, sell them a ticket and sell them a scarf. But they want something that’s real in their life and something they can believe in.”
https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/10/02/san-diego-loyal-landon-donovan-phoenix-rising-collin-martin
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[font size="8"]Road To The White House: Debate Recap
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Welcome back to our ongoing coverage of the 2020 election to end all elections! This is… *cue reverb* THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE!! Ooh, that was some good reverb there! So in the last week , we covered the possible scenarios that could happen if Donald Trump decides that he’s not going to leave the White House in the event that he loses the election. We’ve also covered the coveted endorsement of rapper Ice Cube and what that would mean. Now this week we’re going to talk about the first debate that happened last week, and in the sea of news last week, that feels like an eternity ago. Though the first debate can be boiled down to five words: “Shut the fuck up Donny”. Seriously, where is Walter Sobchak when you need him? But really it was quite the shit show.
President Donald Trump turned his first debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden into a chaotic disaster.
Trump bullied, bulldozed and obfuscated his way through the 90-minute showdown, interrupting Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News at every turn. He ignored substantive questions and Biden's policy arguments, and instead swung at a straw-man version of Biden, taking aim at both Biden's son and a distorted description of his record that exists primarily in far-right media.
Over Trump's interruptions, Biden responded by mocking the President, calling him a "clown," a "racist" and "the worst president America has ever had." He criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his failure to produce a health care plan and his response to protests over racial injustice.
Over and over, Wallace tried to regain control of the debate, without success.
When Trump complained that only he was being chastised for talking over questions and Biden's answers, Wallace shot back: "Frankly, you have been doing more interrupting."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/politics/trump-biden-first-debate-takeaways/index.html
Trump bullied, bulldozed and obfuscated his way through the 90-minute showdown, interrupting Biden and moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News at every turn. He ignored substantive questions and Biden's policy arguments, and instead swung at a straw-man version of Biden, taking aim at both Biden's son and a distorted description of his record that exists primarily in far-right media.
Over Trump's interruptions, Biden responded by mocking the President, calling him a "clown," a "racist" and "the worst president America has ever had." He criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his failure to produce a health care plan and his response to protests over racial injustice.
Over and over, Wallace tried to regain control of the debate, without success.
When Trump complained that only he was being chastised for talking over questions and Biden's answers, Wallace shot back: "Frankly, you have been doing more interrupting."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/politics/trump-biden-first-debate-takeaways/index.html
Yeah seriously, why wasn’t that guy moderating the debates? Now CNN, what did you learn? You’re Trump’s public enemy number one! Things got even crazier when the subject of white supremacy came up. And today’s white supremacists are nothing like your father’s white supremacists! Yes, Trump has received endless amounts of very well-deserved shit for failing to denounce one of America’s biggest problems.
President Donald Trump has said a far-right group should "stand down" and let law enforcement do its work, after his refusal to explicitly condemn the group in a TV debate sparked a backlash.
Mr Trump said "I don't know who the Proud Boys are", a day after urging them in the election debate with Joe Biden to "stand back and stand by".
Proud Boys members called his debate comments "historic" and an endorsement.
Mr Biden said Mr Trump had "refused to disavow white supremacists".
The exchange came during the first of three televised debates between the two men ahead of the 3 November election. The debate descended into squabbling, bickering and insults, with US media describing it as chaotic, ugly and awful.
The commission that regulates the debates said it would introduce new measures for the next two to "maintain order". Mr Trump said they should get a new anchor and a smarter Democratic candidate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54359993
Mr Trump said "I don't know who the Proud Boys are", a day after urging them in the election debate with Joe Biden to "stand back and stand by".
Proud Boys members called his debate comments "historic" and an endorsement.
Mr Biden said Mr Trump had "refused to disavow white supremacists".
The exchange came during the first of three televised debates between the two men ahead of the 3 November election. The debate descended into squabbling, bickering and insults, with US media describing it as chaotic, ugly and awful.
The commission that regulates the debates said it would introduce new measures for the next two to "maintain order". Mr Trump said they should get a new anchor and a smarter Democratic candidate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54359993
Seriously, Donny, shut the fuck up!!! But switching gears now, will a second debate be held? That’s the question right now. Well whether or not a second debate happens, there’s going to be some rules changes in place. Like actually getting Donny to shut the fuck up. Because that’s something that he needs to do if he’s going to prove to be presidential. Because right now his plan of constantly talking over your opponent just isn’t working.
The group that sponsors the presidential debates said Wednesday that it will make format changes to the next two showdowns between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden “to maintain order” in light of their fractious first showdown.
A source close to the Commission on Presidential Debates told NBC News that no final decisions have been made on the changes. But the source also said that the group is considering cutting off a candidate’s microphone if they violate the rules.
The initial debate between Trump and Biden in Cleveland on Tuesday night quickly descended into disorder, with frequent name-calling and interruptions.
Trump on several occasions resisted moderator Chris Wallace’s admonitions to follow the rules and to allow the former vice president Biden to speak uninterrupted.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/30/next-trump-biden-debate-will-see-format-changes-after-criticism.html
A source close to the Commission on Presidential Debates told NBC News that no final decisions have been made on the changes. But the source also said that the group is considering cutting off a candidate’s microphone if they violate the rules.
The initial debate between Trump and Biden in Cleveland on Tuesday night quickly descended into disorder, with frequent name-calling and interruptions.
Trump on several occasions resisted moderator Chris Wallace’s admonitions to follow the rules and to allow the former vice president Biden to speak uninterrupted.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/30/next-trump-biden-debate-will-see-format-changes-after-criticism.html
Yeah seriously. Shut the fuck up Donny! Why don’t we have this guy moderating the next debate? Well there might not even be a next debate, at least for the time being. But at this point does anybody even really care? Or will the poll numbers make that much of a difference? People are already mortified by Trump’s behavior and that might not carry well going into the actual election – of which we are only 30 short days away! Assuming this country is still standing then!
Just days after the first of three planned presidential debates, President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19, putting the likelihood of further debates in serious doubt ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. But after the debacle that was the first debate, a second appears unnecessary anyway.
Commentators ranging from the New York Times editorial board to Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez called Tuesday's debate— an unproductive shouting match levied with personal insults and constant interruptions—a "national disgrace." The debate did little to swing decided voters to the other side, while perhaps the most significant aim of a presidential debate—convincing undecided voters—had a minuscule pool to work with in the first place.
A recent NBC News poll from Sept. 20 found that just 6% of voters were undecided, suggesting little room for the election to dramatically swing either way following a debate. Meanwhile, a FiveThiryEight poll in conjunction with Ipsos found that voters planning to vote for Biden only changed from 5.0 to 5.2 on a scale of 10 (with 10 meaning absolutely certain). Trump voters only changed from 3.8 to 3.7.
Furthermore, a CBS News survey found that just 17% of respondents felt "informed" by the debate. The majority, 69%, said their main takeaway from the debate was feeling "annoyed."
https://fortune.com/2020/10/02/second-debate-trump-biden-will-it-happen/
Commentators ranging from the New York Times editorial board to Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez called Tuesday's debate— an unproductive shouting match levied with personal insults and constant interruptions—a "national disgrace." The debate did little to swing decided voters to the other side, while perhaps the most significant aim of a presidential debate—convincing undecided voters—had a minuscule pool to work with in the first place.
A recent NBC News poll from Sept. 20 found that just 6% of voters were undecided, suggesting little room for the election to dramatically swing either way following a debate. Meanwhile, a FiveThiryEight poll in conjunction with Ipsos found that voters planning to vote for Biden only changed from 5.0 to 5.2 on a scale of 10 (with 10 meaning absolutely certain). Trump voters only changed from 3.8 to 3.7.
Furthermore, a CBS News survey found that just 17% of respondents felt "informed" by the debate. The majority, 69%, said their main takeaway from the debate was feeling "annoyed."
https://fortune.com/2020/10/02/second-debate-trump-biden-will-it-happen/
See you next week!
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo
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Rec - I see you're one minute late 
It happens! 
