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Mom livid over 'scary' PragerU videos in daughter's public school history class. ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:33:19 GMT

The mother of an Ohio public school student pulled her daughter from a 10th-grade history class after learning that extra credit could be acquired by watching PragerU videos — which present conservative sociopolitical views — and answering questions about them, the Huffington Post reported.

The outlet said Maumee City Schools, in response to the mother's outrage, assigned work reflecting the opposite perspective. The district also told WTOL-TV it offered the student the opportunity to transfer to a different class and removed the extra credit assignment from the curriculum.

What are the details?

The Huffington Post said "the PragerU videos — with titles such as 'Build the Wall,' 'Why the Right Was Right,' and 'The Left Ruins Everything' — were assigned to a 10th-grade history class at Maumee High School, along with a series of questions about the videos' 'most important messages.'"

It isn't clear from the Huffington Post story if the aforementioned videos were part of the assignment. But you can view them below if you wish:

Build the Wall youtu.be

Why the Right is Right youtu.be

The Left Ruins Everything youtu.be

The Huffington Post said Andrea Cutway, the mother of 16-year-old student Avery Lewis, told district officials about the assignment and "immediately pulled her daughter out of the class."

The district has more to say

Here's the statement, in part, that the district released to WTOL Tuesday afternoon:

Maumee City Schools is aware of the online story published by Huffington Post on October 19. We would like to clarify the sequence of events and correct impressions resulting from that article.

Students were offered an extra credit assignment intended to challenge their critical thinking skills by examining political cartoons. Students had options and were able to choose from sites presenting either liberal, moderate or conservative viewpoints through political cartoons. The assignment challenged students to analyze a cartoon's content, context, symbols, labels, tone and more.

A second option in the extra credit assignment asked students to view a video from a conservative website, analyze it and explain what they may have learned from it, and how it may have challenged or supported their own beliefs.

A parent who objected to the assignment contacted school administrators. In alignment with our District goals, we made immediate changes to support the student. An alternative assignment was offered, and the student was given the opportunity to transfer to a different class. Our first goal was to ensure the student would be comfortable fully participating in the curriculum. Additionally, the extra credit assignment was removed from the class syllabus. All of this occurred before the Huffington Post contacted the District.

The station added that the course syllabus said "extra credit is available by completing political cartoon analysis assignments and/or Prager U assignments — see handout."

WTOL, citing the teacher's website, reported that students could watch a PragerU video and respond to prompts such as "Something new and interesting I learned...." and "What is the most important message from the video that others should know?"

Students also were given the option to review a political cartoon instead of a PragerU video — and the assignment listed conservative news site Townhall as one of the recommended sources for political cartoons, the station said.

PragerU also was listed as an extra credit option during the winter 2019-20 semester, WTOL said.

What did PragerU have to say?

While PragerU didn't immediately reply Tuesday afternoon to TheBlaze's request for comment, the organization did refer to the controversy on Twitter:

"Having a visceral reaction" because a 10th grade teacher in Ohio offered extra credit to review PragerU videos. ????… https://t.co/7idmKyugAv
— PragerU (@PragerU)1603209537.0

Jemele Hill sparks backlash online after insisting 'black men just want better access to patriarchy'

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:10:00 GMT

Sports journalist and writer Jemele Hill sparked outrage on Twitter Tuesday after claiming that black men don't want to dismantle the patriarchy — they just want "better access" to it.

What are the details?

As pointed out by Newsweek, Hill commented that she has "increasingly" found that "many black men just want better access to patriarchy."

"They don't actually want it dismantled," she wrote.

I have increasingly found that many black men just want better access to patriarchy. They don’t actually want it dismantled.
— Jemele Hill (@Jemele Hill)1603194991.0

Hill said that her realization surfaced after engaging in what she said were "disturbing" conversations about black men and black women in the U.S.

She wrote, "Let's just say some of the conversations I've had recently are ... disturbing."

One user blasted Hill, and wrote, "America is at war with its Black citizens. Black male 'access' is a false flag. What kind of access do we have of 1.2 million Black men are in jail? The fact that you have lots to say about the myth of Black male 'access' and nothing about the war proves your confusion."

Another added, "More Black men voted against patriarchy and Trump than any other male demographic in 2016 and polls show that they will continue to vote more against Trump than any other male demographic in 2020."

Though many people criticized her for her blanket statement, some social media users spoke out in agreement with her sentiments.

"I dont [sic] know if it's 'many' but it's alarming more than I thought possible," one user wrote. "A byproduct of enslavement. They get let into rooms ... and think they don't think about who and what they leave behind."

Another user added, "Same with many women I've known through the years. Once they 'make it,' they spend a lot of time closing/blocking the doors behind them. Flabbergasting."

A third user noted, "True, as well as many black people want better access to capitalism, they don't actually want it dismantled either. Capitalism is oppressing & black capitalism doesn't end oppression."

Virginia's Fairfax County teachers union demands schools remain closed until August 2021, ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 20:55:58 GMT

The teachers union of Fairfax County in Virginia wants schoolchildren to learn from home for the rest of the school year until August 2021.

"Science and Health Safety data support and require that no one should return to in person instruction until there is a widely available scientifically proven vaccine or highly effective treatment" for COVID-19, the Fairfax Education Association wrote in a letter-campaign addressed to the Fairfax County school board and superintendent.

"The metric for Safe Reopening should be 14 days of zero community spread," the letter stated.

The Fairfax County teacher’s union wants all public schools closed at least until August 2021. @FCPSSupt https://t.co/CuLCXRCGOV
— Rory Cooper (@Rory Cooper)1603197655.0

In addition to closing schools through the 2020-21 school year, the teachers union demanded that limited reopening be attempted only if "all buildings" are equipped with "HVAC Merv-13 filters," if all staff is provided with "Medical Grade PPE" including N95 masks, goggles, face shields, and more, and if COVID-19 testing is available for staff.

"Since none of the requirements for safe return are likely to be met in the foreseeable future of the 2020-21 school year we reiterate: Keep Fairfax County Public Schools Virtual for the 2020-21 school year," the letter concluded.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand last week published an update for parents explaining when and how in-person learning in schools will resume. The plan is to begin in-person instruction for small groups of students who are having the most difficulty with distance learning.

"We will follow strict safety and health protocols to minimize health risks for students and staff," the school said.

On Monday, classroom learning began for preschoolers with autism, students in "early childhood classes, and students in specialized high school career preparatory programs." The district plans to phase in other students returning to school in different groups over the next several weeks. They have put in place several policies to limit the spread of COVID-19 as students and teachers return to class.

The union's demands come as mounting evidence suggests there is no clear link between schools reopening and coronavirus infection rates surging. Additionally, there are growing concerns that so-called "distance learning," with children staring at computer screens for most of the day, is failing children and parents who can't handle it.

In New York City, an epicenter of the pandemic where reopening is limited and conditional on targeted random virus testing efforts, the New York Times reports expected outbreaks among the city's 1,800 public schools have not materialized in the three-weeks since in-person learning resumed.

Yet, the Free Beacon notes, a Brown University study showed that districts with strong teachers unions, like Fairfax County, were more likely to recommend schools remain closed. In a statement to the Free Beacon, the Fairfax County Public Schools district said school officials maintain returning to the classroom is best for students.

"We firmly believe that while virtual environments are necessary at the current time, students learn best in-person," a district spokeswoman said.

School reopening in the United States varies by state and individual school district. So far, only Arizona, Iowa, Florida, and Texas have ordered schools to open.

Federal violent crime initiative results in more than 1,500 arrests across US over last 3 months

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 20:16:49 GMT

A Drug Enforcement Administration initiative to combat violent crime has resulted in more than 1,500 arrests across the U.S. over the last three months, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Since the operation launched in August, law enforcement agents have arrested 1,521 suspects in both state and federal cases — including almost 40 fugitives — seized 2,135 firearms, and seized nearly $24 million in assets, according to acting DEA Administrator Tim Shea.

In a news release about the operation, the DEA noted the goal of the project is to work in cooperation with state and local law enforcement to "identify and prioritize ongoing drug trafficking investigations with a nexus to violent crime."

The agency plans to accomplish this by primarily focusing efforts on three areas:

Disrupting, dismantling, and destroying the most significant violent drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States;
Increasing collaboration with ATF to ensure effective federal prosecution of firearms traffickers associated with drug trafficking organizations; and
Prioritizing the capture of DEA fugitives who employ violence as part of drug trafficking.

"Drug trafficking and violent crime are inextricably linked," Shea said in announcing the operation. "From the extreme levels of violence in Mexican cartels, to the open air drug markets in American cities, drug traffickers employ violence, fear, and intimidation to ply their trade. Neighborhoods across our country are terrorized by violent drug trafficking organizations that have little regard for human life, and profit from the pain and suffering of our people. Along with our law enforcement partners, DEA is committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our communities."

The effort is similar to another initiative, Operation Legend, which was also launched by the Department of Justice earlier this year. Both initiatives aim to combine the efforts federal and local law enforcement in order to stem the rise in violent crime in America's cities.

Under Project Safeguard, the agency implemented structural changes that allow it to focus efforts on violent crime and target larger drug networks and cartels.

According to the AP report, some of the changes include "assigning specific coordinators in each [DEA] field office for violent crime and working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to trace guns that are used in drug crimes or by suspected drug traffickers."

Combating violent crime has been a major campaign theme for President Trump's reelection, especially as the country has experienced an uptick in violence this year due in part to the coronavirus lockdowns and Black Lives Matter protests.

POLL: If you're voting for Trump, are you a vocal supporter or part of the silent majority?

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 20:07:24 GMT

If you're voting for Trump, are you a vocal supporter or part of the silent majority?
— TheBlaze (@TheBlaze)1603207094.0

Babylon Bee CEO blasts Facebook for demonetizing page because of Monty Python-inspired joke ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:55:27 GMT

The Christian satire website, The Babylon Bee, is once again the target of Big Tech censors as Facebook demonetized its page for posting an article satirizing Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono's comments during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon said Facebook demonetized the Bee's page in social media posts Tuesday, claiming that a post referring to a "Monty Python" joke was flagged for violating Facebook's community standards.

"So after a manual review, Facebook says they stand by their decision to pull down this article and demonetize our page. I'm not kidding. They say this article 'incites violence,'" Dillon posted. "It's literally a regurgitated joke from a Monty Python movie!"

The Bee satire, titled "Senator Hirono Demands ACB Be Weighed Against A Duck To See If She Is A Witch," jokes about Hirono believing Barrett to be a witch based on the judge's "perfect recall and no notes" while undergoing questioning during her hearing.

"Oh, she's a witch alright, just look at her!" a fictional quote from Hirono said. "Just look at the way she's dressed and how she's so much prettier and smarter than us! She's in league with Beelzebub himself, I just know it! We must burn her!"

This fictionalized, satirical Hirono then suggests that Barrett be weighed against a duck to determine if she is in fact a witch.

"In addition to being a Senator, I am also quite wise in the ways of science," the fake joking quote said. "Everyone knows witches burn because they are made of wood. I think I read that somewhere. Wood floats, and so do ducks — so logically, if Amy Coney Barrett weighs as much as this duck I found in the reflection pool outside, she is a witch and must be burned."

The duck joke is borrowed from this scene from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail":

Monty Python Duck Clip www.youtube.com

According to Dillon, Facebook pulled down the article, claiming the joke about burning Barrett was an incitement to violence.

"In what universe does a fictional quote as part of an obvious joke constitute a genuine incitement to violence? How does context not come into play here?" Dillon wrote. "They're asking us to edit the article and not speak publicly about internal content reviews. (Oops, did I just post this on Facebook?)"

He continued, pointing out Facebook's hypocrisy, "A Black Lives Matter leader said that if change doesn't happen, they'll 'burn down this system.' That's allowed on Facebook. You can quote it. You can link to it. But a Monty Python joke about burning a witch at the stake? That's incitement to violence."

Dillon announced that the Bee will not edit the article to get its Facebook page's monetization reinstated.

The Blaze has reached out to Dillon for additional comment but not yet received a response.

The Babylon Bee has had previous conflicts with Big Tech and media companies.

Satirical pieces published on its website have been fact-checked by USA Today and Snopes.

In August, Twitter temporarily suspended the Bee's account without warning, prompting the website's supporters to begin a #FreeTheBee campaign to end the suspension. After outcry, the account was restored and a spokesman for Twitter told Fox News the account "was mistakenly caught in a spam filter."

The Babylon Bee bills itself as "the world's best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life."

They direct readers to take all complaints about their satire to God.

Horowitz: NYT is ‘surprised’ by obvious lack of viral spread in schools that opened

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:37:00 GMT

In March, schools in nearly every state did the unthinkable: They shut their doors for months, thereby destroying the social lives and education of a generation of children — all for a virus that poses no statistical threat to them. Now, weeks (and in some places, even months) after certain schools have reopened, the entire fear of kids as super-spreaders turned out to be a fabrication. While some of us knew this from day one and could have saved a generation of children months of despair, the New York Times finds it "surprising."

On Monday, the NYT reported that despite fears that New York's 1,800 public schools would serve as death traps, "nearly three weeks into the in-person school year, early data from the city's first effort at targeted testing has shown the opposite: a surprisingly small number of positive cases." The city received the results of 16,298 random tests throughout the public schools and found just 20 staff members who tested positive. How many students? Just eight — in all of New York City! And there's no evidence of serious illness among them.

It's not as if the virus is not spreading in the community. The schools reopened just as a resurgence of the virus became apparent in Brooklyn and Queens, yet there were just four positives out of over 3,300 tests in those two boroughs.

Rather than focusing on balancing nursing home safety and family visitation through mass testing, Gov. Cuomo is wasting testing resources by randomly testing 10%-20% of the public school's population every month, all for a virus that clearly does not spread much among children and certainly does not pose a greater risk to them than the typical pathogens they pick up every year in school.

"The emerging scientific consensus is that younger children do not spread the virus as easily as older children and adults," wrote the Times in an article titled, "Surprising Results in Initial Virus Testing in N.Y.C. Schools."

Well, no kidding. We could have told you that in the spring and saved months of lost education for kids and work hours for parents. Among over a dozen studies and data analysis from different countries showing that young children do not spread the virus (they get it from their parents at home), Icelandic researchers sequenced all the genomes from samples of every positive case in the country and failed to find a single instance of a child infecting parents.

The fact that so few children are infected in schools is truly astounding given the widespread outbreak of cases in communities in the majority of states this month. Emily Oster, an economics professor at Brown University, created a dashboard of 300 schools offering in-person classes. She found just 10 cases per 100,000 among students, and that rate has held steady into October despite the growing community spread.

What's become obvious from the body of data on schools and day cares is that even the low numbers of cases in schools aren't being spread in schools, but from home. If children were spreading to each other at the same rate adults do, we would find entire classes infected.

A recent survey of over 57,000 day care providers in the U.S. published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found no association between exposure to child care and a diagnosis of COVID-19.

Given that the jury is in and the verdict is rendered, how are there still so many schools closed indefinitely? The teachers' union in Fairfax County, Virginia, wants schools closed for the remainder of this school year. According to Professor Oster's database, there were just six student infections per 100,000 in Virginia during the first two weeks of October.

Moreover, why are children being abused with social isolation and mask-wearing for hours on end? Supporters of these measures might suggest that these regulatory rituals are the key to keeping the numbers low. But the reality is that we are not seeing the mask-wearing work among adults in any other setting. The number of infections among schoolchildren remains low, even as the numbers in the communities skyrocket, despite universal mask-wearing.

According to Pew Research, as of August, 80%-90% of residents of most regions reported regularly wearing masks. Those numbers have only grown as the mandates and the social norms and pressures have intensified over time.

Joe Biden said at the first debate that if we had universal mask-wearing, then deaths could be cut in half. But we have already had these mandates in place for months, and almost everyone is complying. So why are kids not spreading it while everyone else is? If anything, kids would be less likely to maintain proper hygiene and protocol while wearing masks than adults.

Furthermore, if you look at any data among schools that have reopened, you will find that the rate of infection is much higher among the staff, who are wearing masks just as religiously (and likely, more properly) as children. According to Professor Oster's dashboard, the infection rate for staff is 2.5 times higher than for children. And whereas the rate among children is flat, the rate among staff is going up with the community spread.

Finally, in a similar vein, we are seeing exponential spreading among college kids, despite very strict mask and social distancing mandates. Now, obviously, it's nothing but a casedemic – with nearly no hospitalizations and zero deaths – but the fact that it's spreading prolifically among school staff and among college students who wear masks, but not among younger children, demonstrates that there is a natural phenomenon playing out here, not human input.

Clearly, children do not spread the virus, but merely get the virus from their community, whereas adults in school spread the virus commensurate to the level of community spread.

This point is starkly evident in the data from Wisconsin. The Badger State saw the biggest spread in the nation coinciding with the opening of schools. The result? Yes, the infection rate among Wisconsin's schoolchildren did increase from 14 per 100,000 to 18 from mid-September to early October. But among the staff, it increased from 29 to 84! That demonstrates that school openings play no role in the spread and that the numbers are a reflection of the community spread, which mainly affects adults. The relatively few kids who get the virus would have gotten it from their parents or community regardless of whether they were in school, not from other students.

So, what is it going to take to restore the lives of our children? Certainly not data and science, because the shutdown and masking of young children was never driven by science to begin with.

Officer tries to save teacher who was shot multiple times. ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:22:00 GMT

A Lyons, Kansas, police officer is recovering after a suspect shot him in the face during a rescue attempt.

What are the details?

Sgt. Cory Ryan, 36, rushed to the scene of a shooting on Friday after a call came in that a man reportedly threatened his neighbor with a gun.

Witness Ryan Johnson and his girlfriend were driving through the neighborhood at the time of the attack and said that they saw the gun's blast, according to the Wichita Eagle.

Johnson's girlfriend, who was driving at the time, slammed on the brakes and turned the car sideways to create a barrier. The two then fled from the vehicle as they encouraged the officer to come and hide as the bullets continued to ring out.

The outlet reported, "Johnson said he believes Ryan had already been shot in the arm and chest before the officer got out his gun in self defense. Ryan, who was also shot in the face, fired back."

The two were able to pull Ryan to safety and applied pressure to the officer's wounds. The two fled the scene with Johnson and took him to Rice County District Hospital for treatment.

"He was trying to speak but he couldn't because the whole bottom of his jaw was gone," Johnson recalled.

The officer was later transferred to another hospital in the area for further treatment.

The suspect, 40-year-old Adam Hrabik, reportedly barricaded himself inside his home, according to reports, as officers in an armored vehicle converged on his home. After several hours, Hrabik agreed to leave the home in surrender.

Authorities arrested the suspect and booked him into the Reno County Correctional Facility on pending charges.

The initial victim, 56-year-old high school teacher and basketball coach Brian Friess, suffered gunshot wounds to his left thigh and his abdomen. He is expected to recover. According to KWCH-TV, Hrabik was a former student and athlete of Friess. A motive in the initial shooting is not known at the time of this reporting.

A GoFundMe page to benefit the officer — who remains hospitalized in critical, but stable, condition — has received more than $11,300 in donations at the time of this reporting.

In a Facebook statement, Rice County Sheriff Bryan Evans said that he visited with Ryan at the hospital.

"Cory is doing awesome," he wrote. "The ventilator is out, he is alert, he could even talk some, has all movement and feeling in his limbs. Organ function is good, and blood work is good. To quote his nurse, 'I am shocked to see him respond to well to treatment, considering the report I received when he was first brought in.'"

You can read the sheriff's full post below.

Despite shrillness of the left, most Americans oppose Democrats' court-packing scheme

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:07:12 GMT

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has refused to say whether or not he would yield to the calls of the radical base of his party pushing for him to pack the Supreme Court should he win the White House and the Democrats win control of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 3. He has even gone so far as to say voters don't deserve to know his stance.

His running mate, Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.), has stayed on message and avoided answering the question of expanding the court.

Any Democratic attempt to grow the size of the high court will have to go through Congress first. Which means the that if the left wants to see its court-packing scheme become a reality, a number of moderate Democrats — particularly in the Senate — will have to be convinced.

If a new poll published by the New York Times on Tuesday is any indication, such a push by the Democratic left wing to get Senate moderates in the party to agree to expanding the court will likely be a slog, considering how strongly opposed Americans — especially independents — are to court-packing.

What did the poll say?

The New York Times/Sienna College survey asked voters, "If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court and Joe Biden is elected president, do you think that Democrats should or should not increase the size of the Supreme Court to include more than nine justices?"

The results showed that, by nearly a two-to-one margin, Americans do not want the court expanded — even if Barrett is confirmed and Biden wins: 58% of voters said they oppose a court-packing move, while 31% said they support it.

When broken down by the two major political parties, the results are not terribly surprising: 89% of Republicans oppose expanding the court, and 6% support it. Among Democrats, 57% back increasing the size of the court, while 28% oppose.

Where things get sticky for moderate Democrats is independents' views on court-packing. Nearly two-thirds of independents (65%) said they oppose court-packing. Just 25% said they support it.

Should Democrats gain a Senate majority, analysts assume it will be a slim one that will have very little wiggle room for defectors.

And if Democrats are able to take control, it will be because they were able to get Democrats elected this year — and in recent years — from traditionally GOP-leaning states, such as Sen. Kirsten Sinema and candidate Mark Kelly of Arizona, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Sen. Jon Tester and candidate Steve Bullock of Montana, candidate Cal Cunningham of North Carolina, candidate Jon Ossoff of Georgia, and candidate Jaime Harrison of South Carolina.

Any other data breakdowns?

Only two other subsets in the Times polling data breakdown had even a plurality of voters saying they support court-packing: young adults and black voters.

Here are the non-political subsets provided in the poll's cross tabs:

GENDER
● Men: oppose 50%, support 49%
● Women: oppose 47%, support 38%

AGE
● 18-29: oppose 45%, support 46%
● 30-44: oppose 61%, support 30%
● 45-64: oppose 61%, support 30%
● 65+: oppose 58%, support 23%

RACE
● White: oppose 64%, support 25%
● Black: oppose 32%, support 53%
● Hispanic: oppose 48%, support 38%
● Other: oppose 59%, support 39%

EDUCATION
● High school or less: oppose 60%, support 27%
● Some college: oppose 66%, support 25%
● Bachelors' degree: oppose 53%, support 38%
● Graduate degree: oppose 48%, support 40%

REGION
● Midwest: oppose 60%, support 30%
● Northeast: oppose 56%, support 35%
● South: oppose 62%, support 25%
● West: oppose 52%, support 36%

RACE/EDUCATION
● Whites with BA+: oppose 55%, support 32%
● Whites without BA+: oppose 70%, support 20%

Stevie Wonder's new activism anthem shreds 'All lives matter'

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:31:44 GMT

Legendary performer Stevie Wonder released two new songs for the first time in four years — and one of them pointedly dismantles the notion of "all lives matter."

What are the details?

The song "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate" is a socially conscious track addressing police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate" also name-checks former NFL star-turned-political activist Colin Kaepernick.

The song features rappers Rapsody, Cordae, Chika, and Busta Rhymes.

Wonder — real name Stevland Hardaway Morris — sings, "You say you're sick and tired of us protesting, I say 'Not tired enough to make a change' ... you say you believe that 'all lives matter,' I say 'I don't believe the f*** you do.'"

Wonder, according to reports, said the new song was a direct response to "systemic racism."

"[E]very young person is saying this stuff here is unacceptable," he said. "We can't be a united people of the world and have this craziness. ... Change is right now — we can't put it in the hands of fate."

He also said that people of the U.S. — and around the world — need to atone "not just for a couple of years, but at least three to five years."

"[W]e cannot ignore and act like the things in this nation didn't happen," the performer explained. "We can't erase them out of history books. 1619, it happened. The slave trade did happen. Reconstruction did happen, 150 million black people did die, that did happen. The only way I think we can fix it is through our love and respect."

During a recent virtual press conference, Wonder added, "I was thinking about where we are in the world. And I was thinking about how this is most crucial time. Not just black people or people of color but young people everywhere are going, 'This is not acceptable.' Change is right now. We can't put it in the hands of fate. Ain't nobody got time to wait."

Other lyrics include:

Apologize, you denied my people
Made our death legal
We all paralegal
Gotta defend ourselves when the laws ain't equal
Cops aim lethal
Death in cathedrals
Bang-bang boogie, you could die wearin' a hoodie

Yeah you say you're sick and tired of us protesting
I say "Not tired enough to make a change'"
"Just you hold on'" I say '"No way, 'cause we can't put it in the hands of fate"

You say that you believe that all lives matter
I say "I don't believe the f*** you do"

I've seen too many of our generations live and die for that pie in the sky
You say, "Those innocent lives should've not been taken"
And I say, "For them is why we take a knee"
You say, "Is that the right play?"
I say, "First Amendment everyday 'cause we can't put it in the hands of fate"

Look, said we ain't talkin' no more, we gettin' to it
Can't put it in the hands of fate, this how we do it
Now let me go and get with all of my people, you know I have to get
That'll show me sacrifice just like my brother Colin Kaepernick
Opportunities that I get to talk, you know I have to spit
Breonna Taylor turn in her grave, you know we have to get justice
And stay in your place, we still focused on the outcome of George Floyd case

( Content warning: Rough language):

Stevie Wonder - Can't Put It In The Hands of Fate feat. Rapsody, Cordae, Chika & Busta Rhymes www.youtube.com

Elderly Jewish man confronts vandal for ripping down Trump flag. ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:00:00 GMT

And the Trump flag hits just keep on coming.

Surveillance video caught a vandal ripping down a flag supporting President Donald Trump on Thursday night that had been hanging from a residential balcony in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, CrownHeights.Info reported.

The outlet said video caught the same person returning about an hour later to destroy a second Trump flag hanging from the same balcony.

What are the details?

Video shows the vandal wearing a dark-colored hoodie, gray pants, and a mask on the sidewalk in front of the balcony around 7:15 p.m. CrownHeights.info said he was taking photos of the residence before announcing himself as a delivery man and entering the building — but he wasn't let inside the apartment.

Then the vandal reached up and ripped down the first Trump flag hanging from the balcony.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

An elderly Jewish man was passing by and confronted the vandal, but the crook didn't appear concerned in the least.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

And when the man walked away, the vandal pulled out his phone and appeared to record video of him — and then he stomped on the Trump flag.

About an hour later, video shows the vandal coming back for more.

As two females sat on the steps next door, the vandal grabbed a long piece of wood with nails protruding from the end and used it to rip and tear at a second Trump flag hanging from the same balcony.

Image source: TheYeshivaWorld.com video screenshot

The females ran up the steps in apparent fear, and the vandal tossed the long piece of wood in apparent exultation after destroying the second Trump flag.

Image source: TheYeshivaWorld.com video screenshot

CrownHeights.info said the residence was targeted previously in an act of vandalism over its "Trump pride."

Here are the clips showing the separate acts of vandalism:

Trump 2020 Sign Vandalized In Crown Heights 10/15/20 Video 1 youtu.be

Trump 2020 Sign Vandalized In Crown Heights 10/15/20 Video 2 youtu.be

The hits just keep on coming

Pro-Trump flags and banners appear to be triggering all sorts of strange behavior of late as the presidential election draws closer:

A Massachusetts mom earlier this month was punched through her SUV window by another woman who didn't like her Trump flags — all while the victim's daughter, 11, watched from the back seat.
Anti-Trump vandals have been going to town in an Arizona neighborhood ripping up Trump signs and banners — but leaving alone signs for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
And also earlier this month, a New Jersey public school teacher ordered a student to take down a flag supporting Trump that was hanging in his room — and was visible during an online class — or leave the virtual session.
Police said a 60-year-old man told them he set fire to a pro-Trump flag in August — which was hanging from a home on his newspaper route — because he was "angry."

Roberts sides with liberals again: Pennsylvania will be allowed to accept mail-in ballots 3 ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:45:00 GMT

Pennsylvania will be permitted to count mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day, following a Supreme Court ruling on Monday.

The development was yet another loss for Republicans, who wanted only those ballots received by Nov. 3 to be counted.

What are the details?

The Supreme Court did not actually issue a ruling. Instead, because of a 4-4 tie resulting from the current court vacancy, the court has let stand a ruling by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court.

Last month, Pennsylvania's highest court — which is held by a 5-2 Democratic majority — granted a request by the Democratic Party to extend the deadline for which mail-in ballots can be counted in the election, the Associated Press reported.

The ruling was particularly significant because so many voters will cast their votes via mail-in ballot this year. Pennsylvania Democrats claimed potential postal service delays and the coronavirus pandemic warranted a deadline extension.

Now, ballots received up to three days after Election Day, even those with illegible or missing postmarks, can be counted in Pennsylvania. In fact, such ballots will be assumed to have been mailed by Election Day "unless a preponderance of the evidence demonstrates that it was mailed after Election Day," according to the New York Times.

Prior to last month's decision, and the Supreme Court allowing the decision to stand, Pennsylvania required mail-in ballots, like absentee ballots, to be received by Election Day in order to be counted, NPR reported.

Chief Justice John Roberts, as he has often done in recent cases, joined the Supreme Court's liberal justices to give Pennsylvania Democrats the legal victory. The court's four conservative justices wanted the previous deadline requirement to stand.

The justices did not issue opinions.

Why is this significant?

The election will be undoubtedly decided by just a few crucial battleground states — and Pennsylvania is one such state.

Pennsylvania was key to Trump's 2016 victory, and it could be again this year. Trump's path to victory is narrower without Pennsylvania's 20 Electoral College votes. Unfortunately for Republicans, Monday's non-ruling just made it easier for Democrats and Biden to win the Keystone State.

In fact, as of last Friday, Pennsylvania Democrats had requested 1,755,940 mail-in or absentee ballots, the New York Times reported. Republican voters had requested just 672,381 ballots by comparison.

According to the AP, Pennsylvania expects about 3 million ballots to be cast by mail this year, more than 10 times the number of ballots cast by mail in 2016.

Lawrence Tabas, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, said Monday's development "underscores the importance of having a full Supreme Court as soon as possible." He also explained why the legal fight is not yet over.

"To be clear, the Supreme Court decided not to grant a stay — which does not mean the actions of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would withstand a legal challenge to their judicial overreach should the court hear the case," he said, the AP reported.

CNN's Brian Stelter complains Jeffrey Toobin has been 'sidelined at a pivotal moment' in ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:30:00 GMT

CNN host Brian Stelter says that legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin has been "sidelined" at an important juncture in the 2020 presidential election after he was reportedly caught masturbating during a work-related video conference.

Toobin, CNN chief legal analyst and reporter for the New Yorker, was suspended from the New Yorker and announced a leave from CNN following the lurid allegation.

What are the details?

Stelter, in a Tuesday tweet, appeared to intimate that it was somehow unfair that Toobin was taken out of the game following the allegation.

Toobin on Monday issued an apology for the behavior, saying that he believed his end of the video conference was muted with its video off.

He said, "I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends, and co-workers. I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video."

In his tweet, Stelter wrote, "Jeffrey Toobin has been sidelined at a pivotal moment in the run-up to the presidential election. The reason: He exposed himself during a Zoom call with New Yorker colleagues in what he says was an accident."

Jeffrey Toobin has been sidelined at a pivotal moment in the run-up to the presidential election. The reason: He ex… https://t.co/TwnhyZB4G7
— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter)1603160572.0

'Framing is incredibly problematic'

Needless to say, social media didn't take too kindly to Stelter's tweet.

One user fired back, "'[S]idelined' by sexual assault. Cause that's what this was. No one consented to this. Masturbating DURING a videoconference isn't an accident—it is full on sexual assault."

"The 'full story' is that he was jerking off during the meeting, so this framing is odd," podcaster Cody Johnston added. "'During a pivotal moment in the run-up to the presidential election' is irrelevant and reads like you think he shouldn't be sidelined. Get it together, man."

Journalist Molly McCluskey wrote, "The framing of this is incredibly problematic. Toobin has not 'been sidelined' for 'an accident.' He has been suspended for subjecting his colleagues to sexual misconduct. He is not a victim. This is not something that has been done to him."

Another user added, "'[S]idelined'? sounds like he got what was coming to him. this is sickening male behavior."

"He accidentally sexually harassed his coworkers?" yet another user responded.

Another user wrote, "What an absolutely atrocious presentation of what happened. Unbelievable. He was caught masturbating in a Zoom meeting. It was his choice to act in that atrocious manner. He's no necessity for election coverage. Get your damn priorities straight and stop defending bad behavior."

Biden ad features struggling small business owner under Trump’s COVID economy — only he’s ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:15:27 GMT

A Biden campaign ad released Sunday attempts to portray a humble Michigan small business owner struggling to stay afloat while his business is being decimated by President Trump's "COVID response."

"For 50 years, the Blind Pig has been open and crowded, but right now it's an empty room," says Joe Malcoun in the ad, describing popular Ann Arbor, Mich., live music venue "The Blind Pig," which he co-owns.

"This is the reality of Trump's COVID response," he continues. "We don't know how much longer we can survive not having any revenue. A lot of restaurants and bars that have been mainstays for years will not make it through this."

What's the problem?

The ad would certainly be effective if not for its misleading portrayal of Malcoun and its incoherent attack on the president's pandemic response, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

But as it turns out, struggling small business owner Malcoun is actually a wealthy Democratic donor who contributed $5,000 to the former vice president's presidential campaign in July as the pandemic raged on, Federal Election Commission filings show.

In an interview with a local news outlet in 2018, Malcoun described becoming a well-known angel investor for local tech startups after inheriting a large sum of money from his wife's late grandfather. During the interview, he characterized the inheritance as "like winning the lottery" and described money as "no object" after that.

"Usually you become a CEO and you make money, and then the money allows you to become an angel investor first," he said. "I happened to have different circumstances where I had money [first]."

While there is certainly nothing wrong with Malcoun coming into money and using it wisely to further his family's financial success, the full context of his financial situation gives reason to doubt that he is just like many small business owners in America who have been negatively impacted by coronavirus lockdowns.

The Blind Pig | Joe Biden For President 2020 youtu.be

What else?

Furthermore, as noted by the Free Beacon in its report, President Trump has actually railed against the kind of lockdowns that the ad seems to be describing.

Rather, such lockdowns, which have resulted in thousands of Americans being put out of work, were implemented in Michigan by order of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has warned that he'd implement a national lockdown if needed to combat the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, Malcoun complains, "This is Donald Trump's economy. There's no plan and you don't know how to go forward. It makes me so angry. My only hope for my family, and for this business, and my community, is that Joe Biden wins this election."

Yet in a June interview with MLive.com, Malcoun indicated Bling Pig owners weren't necessarily forced to stop having live music shows but chose to.

"There weren't a lot of people showing up, which is frankly what we wanted and expected," he told the news outlet. "Now that we tried it and saw it's really hard to communicate what it means to have a really socially distanced and live music show, we decided it's not really worth trying."

Malcoun did not return a request for comment to the Free Beacon.

(H/T: The Washington Free Beacon)

Biden supporter installing political sign outside home reportedly shoots at Trump supporters ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:51:00 GMT

Authorities arrested 50-year-old Douglas Kuhn for allegedly shooting at Neal Houk and his son, Bradley Lang, as they drove past his home in Kingsville, Maryland, on Saturday.

Kuhn was in the process of installing a Biden 2020 sign on his property when Houk and Lang drove past him and honked their horn. Other outlets reported that Kuhn, instead, was installing a Black Lives Matter sign at the time.

He reportedly fired his shotgun at their pickup truck, which had Trump campaign signs in it. The shots missed Houk and Lang, authorities said.

What are the details?

Houk told WJZ-TV that he and his son were traveling down a street and saw Kuhn — whom he does not know — installing the sign.

In what his son said was intended to be a friendly gesture, Houk honked his horn at Kuhn.

Kuhn then reportedly went off.

"There was a gentleman in the field putting up a banner, and I blew the horn and he had a shotgun right there and he reached down, picked it up, pointed it," Houk said. "My son was in the passenger seat. We looked straight down the barrel and we looked in disbelief and then right there he fired the shotgun."

"We see what's going on in the country, and I really didn't expect it right here at home," he added. "Then to hear the gunshot, we were rattled. I'm shaking just talking about it."

The two were able to get to a safe place following the incident and phoned police about the alleged attack.

Lang explained, "It's Kingsville, it's a friendly area. Everyone honks at each other. We think we were hoping there could be some civility between people who support different candidates. [Kuhn] picked up the shotgun from near his feet and ran towards us aiming it, and we got 100, 200 feet down the road, [and] he began to fire."

Lang admitted that he and his father were terrified.

Authorities arrested Kuhn and charged him with two counts of first- and second-degree assault, as well as other unspecified charges.

Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said that Kuhn will remain jailed without bail until private home detention can be arranged.

Baltimore County District Court Judge Philip Tirabassi added, "How did it get to the point where he pulls out a shotgun? What has the world come to? This is beyond belief. Free speech. Why resort to weaponry? This could have been horrible."

WJZ-TV reported that if convicted, Kuhn could face up to 100 years in prison.

Houk says, however, he doesn't want Kuhn to see that kind of punishment.

What else?

A neighbor said that Kuhn had trouble with his political signs before.

David Franz told WBFF-TV that Kuhn had erected pro-Biden and BLM signs in the past, but that the signs had reportedly been torn down by others in the area.

"The Black Lives Matter sign was down, and one of the Biden signs was down," Franz said. "They [were] flags that were torn down."

Kingsville man shot at Trump supporters in pickup truck, police say www.youtube.com

Charges dropped against Michigan barber who defied Whitmer's lockdown

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:36:48 GMT

Charges against a Michigan barber who gained national attention by defying Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus lockdown orders and opening his shop have been dropped, a lawyer said Monday.

"Our client's thrilled and pleased that he's been vindicated," said David Kallman, an attorney for barber Karl Manke.

Manke, 77, made headlines across the United States for his dauntless resistance to Michigan's strict business regulations and pandemic lockdown orders when he reopened his Owosso barber shop last May. He vowed that he would keep his shop open "til Jesus comes," arguing that the state could not take away his livelihood.

"I feel the governor is not my mother, never has been," Manke said at the time. "As a matter of fact, this administration, for the most part, I've been in business longer than they've been alive."

In response, the state attempted to prosecute Manke for violating the governor's order — issuing a cease and desist order, filing two misdemeanor charges against him, and suspending his license — leading to an outpouring of support from like-minded Americans who opposed the lockdowns.

Many drove to Manke's shop from all over Michigan to have their hair cut while state regulations ordered other barber shops and salons closed. Manke even inspired a protest at the state capitol, where fellow barbers gave free haircuts to the demonstrators. State police cited a number of barbers and stylists for their actions that day. Manke's folk hero status and entrepreneurial instincts helped him become something of a pop culture icon, selling books, T-shirts with his likeness, and coffee mugs declaring him to be "America's barber." Supporters even set up a GoFundMe for Manke, raising $88,000.

Manke's license was temporarily revoked after he reopened his shop, but the attorney general's office filed a motion to restore his license in June.

The charges filed against Manke were dropped after the Michigan Supreme Court on Oct. 2 found that Whitmer's executive orders were unconstitutional. The court said Whitmer's lockdowns were an "unlawful delegation of legislative power to the executive branch in violation of the Michigan Constitution."

"Based on that ruling, we didn't feel the charges could go forward," said prosecutor Scott Koerner.

"It is definitely a weight off my shoulders," said barber Karl Manke. "I just want to earn a living, and I am not a health threat to anyone."

Manke's attorney noted that state regulators still have a complaint against Manke's license pending and that his firm has asked Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to dismiss that as well.

(H/T: Washington Examiner)

This story has been updated.

Report: Documents show Hunter Biden's alleged signature on Delaware computer repair shop bill, ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:38:00 GMT

Documents recently obtained by Fox News appear to show Hunter Biden's signature on a bill of service from the Delaware computer repair shop where he allegedly dropped off three MacBook laptops last year, never returning to retrieve them.

Additional documents obtained by the news outlet also appear to show communications between the FBI and the computer repair shop's owner, John Paul Mac Isaac.

The New York Post first reported last week that one of the laptops allegedly contained sensitive information about former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter's overseas business dealings, in which he appeared to leverage his father's high-profile position in government to secure sweetheart deals.

One alleged "smoking gun" email purportedly revealed that Joe Biden met at Hunter's request with a top executive at the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma, though Joe Biden insisted repeatedly that he was never involved with his son's business dealings.

What are the details?

"Data recovery for MacBook Pros: Attempt data recovery from 3 macbook pros [sic]. Recover data to store server and contact customer when complete," reads the $85 bill, which shows a signature at the bottom.

Fox News noted that it has not verified that the signature is Biden's.

NEW: @MikeEmanuelFox obtains photo showing an alleged Hunter Biden signature on paperwork for the computer repair s… https://t.co/gGElyEQu5a
— Sean Langille (@Sean Langille)1603141586.0

The Fox News report also includes a "proof of service" document with attached serial numbers for the laptop and its hard drive.

Additional documents shown in the report include an FBI "receipt of property" document with Mac Isaac's name on it and a subpoena for Mac Isaac to testify before a grand jury.

Mac Isaac claimed last week that he handed over the laptop and its hard drive to investigators at the FBI last year, but retained a copy of the hard drive because he "feared he would be killed by people who 'work for [Joe] Biden' and having it was 'protection.'"

He then allegedly passed the copied hard drive onto President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who in turn passed it onto the New York Post.

Why does it matter?

The documents, if genuine, throw a bit of cold water onto the narrative currently being constructed by Democrats on the Hill and former intelligence officials that the story is part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told CNN's Wolf Blitzer recently, "We know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin. That's been clear for well over a year now that they've been pushing this false narrative about the vice president and his son."

But Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe fired back at the suggestion Monday, saying there is "no intelligence" indicating that to be the case.

Ratcliffe pressed further, arguing that "the only intelligence that Adam Schiff gets is the intelligence that we, the intelligence community, give him, and we have given him no such intelligence.

Hunter Biden has yet to publicly deny dropping off the laptop at the computer repair shop in 2019.

Political opponents accuse Trump of felony after viral tweet falsely claims he admitted to quid ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:23:51 GMT

President Donald Trump was accused of admitting to a "quid pro quo" on Monday after a viral tweet grossly misrepresented remarks that Trump made during a campaign stop.

As it turned out, Trump made no such admission.

What happened?

During a campaign rally in Prescott, Arizona, on Monday, Trump illustrated a quid pro quo while explaining why he doesn't make fundraising calls to CEOs of major companies.

But if you saw a tweet by Vox journalist Aaron Rupar — which millions of Americans saw, in fact — you may think that Trump was admitting to an actual quid pro quo. That's because Rupar pulled Trump's words out of context to make it appear that Trump admitted to engaging in a quid pro quo with Exxon CEO Darren Woods.

Cementing his tweet with the hashtag "#QuidProQuo" — making very clear the allegation he was levying against Trump — Rupar quoted Trump as saying:

I call the head of Exxon. I'll use a company. "How, how are you doing, how's energy coming? When are doing the exploration? Oh, you need a couple of permits, huh?" But I call the head of Exxon, I say, "You know, I'd love you to send me $25m for the campaign."

The complete misrepresentation of Trump's words ignited a firestorm on social media, resulting in the president's detractors to literally accusing him of a felony.

"The conduct described by @realDonaldTrump is a felony and punishable with prison time," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Hawaii) said.

The conduct described by @realDonaldTrump is a felony and punishable with prison time. #QuidProQuo https://t.co/Qz2KG31JPH
— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu)1603144502.0

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) joined in the pillaging. "So @exxonmobil & friends, care to tell us the end of this story? Did you coordinate the $25 million?" she said.

So @exxonmobil & friends, care to tell us the end of this story? Did you coordinate the $25 million? https://t.co/0YI5VhWYzS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)1603144618.0

What's the truth?

As even Washington Post fact-checker Daniel Dale explained, Trump was not, in fact, admitting to a crime.

"Again, the clip that's circulating has a misleading caption; Trump's point was that it compromises a president to make personal fundraising calls to big CEOs, so he won't," Dale explained. "Once more: A) Trump *does* do lots of high-dollar fundraising, but B) He was clearly not admitting here to corruption or an actual deal with Exxon. Carry on."

Once more: A) Trump *does* do lots of high-dollar fundraising, but B) He was clearly not admitting here to corrupti… https://t.co/cjttdByJnq
— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale)1603142494.0

Even Exxon was forced to respond.

"We are aware of the President's statement regarding a hypothetical call with our CEO…and just so we're all clear, it never happened," the company said.

How did Rupar respond?

Rupar eventually deleted his misleading tweet. He claimed that he thought his tweet clearly represented that Trump was discussing a hypothetical, but said he deleted the tweet because "folks are interpreting in a more literal way."

But again, Rupar's tweet contained zero context and literally used the hashtag #QuidProQuo."

Armed men break into home, demand cash, pistol whip male who won't comply. ...

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:07:06 GMT

A trio of men wearing hoodies and armed with guns forced their way into a home in Monroe, Louisiana, around 10 p.m. Oct. 11 and demanded money, the Monroe News-Star said, citing a police report.

What happened next?

A male in the residence refused to comply with their demands and yelled several times for the female resident, who had fallen asleep, the paper said. The male was struck in the head several times with a gun, the News-Star said.

When the woman woke up, she said she knew something was wrong and grabbed her gun from underneath the mattress, the paper said.

She saw the male resident fighting with with two unknown armed men, the News-Star said, adding that one was wearing a light gray hoodie and the other was wearing a dark hoodie and light blue jeans — and that the latter assailant pointed a gun at her.

With that, the woman fired multiple rounds and heard one man say, "Aw, she shot me," the paper said.

The woman said a third man was standing at the front doorway and appeared to be in shock, the News-Star reported, adding that all three ran off, got into a silver Nissan Altima, and drove away.

The jig is up

Then around 10:25 p.m., St. Francis Medical Center told Monroe police a shooting victim had arrived, the paper said.

Emergency room staff informed officers that 19-year-old Jeffrey W. Williams Jr. told them he was hanging out with friends when someone drove by shooting at them, the News-Star noted.

But police noticed that Williams' clothes matched the description from the home invasion, the paper said. And once officers began interviewing him, Williams told them he and another man entered the home and demanded money at gunpoint, the News-Star reported.

He said when the woman came into the living room, she fired two or three shots at them, the paper said — and he noticed he was shot in the abdomen as he fled the residence.

The man who forced his way into the home with Williams reportedly drove him to the hospital and dropped him off at the emergency room, the News-Star said.

Williams said he doesn't know the third man's name, only that he lives in West Monroe, the paper said.

Williams was arrested Friday and booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on one count of aggravated burglary, the News-Star said, adding that his bond was set at $100,000.

Authorities arrest 1 in connection with violent attack on San Francisco free speech rally organizer

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:43:20 GMT

Authorities arrested a man in connection with an assault on a speaker at a San Francisco free speech rally that took place on Saturday.

A suspect punched the free speech rally organizer in the face, knocking out at least two of his teeth.

What are the details?

According to Newsweek, authorities arrested 35-year-old Adora Anderson of Watsonville, California, who is accused of "mayhem" and "hate crime enhancement" after reportedly punching 25-year-old Philip Anderson in the face.

Authorities say there is no relation between the men despite their shared last name.

Viral videos captured the moment that Philip was assaulted during the rally, which was referred to as a "Free Speech Rally Against Twitter and Big Tech." The demonstration was held at the federal building at U.N. Plaza, near Twitter's headquarters. The event was a protest against the company's censorship of the New York Post's article on emails purported to belong to Hunter Biden regarding foreign business dealings and his father, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

San Francisco police arrived on the scene on to respond to reports of an aggravated assault. Philip told authorities that he had been participating in the free speech rally when an unknown assailant punched him in the face.

A GoFundMe page to raise money to repair Philip's teeth has received more than $30,035 in donations at the time of this reporting.

A statement from the San Francisco Police Department read:

On Saturday, October 17, 2020, at approximately 12:20 PM, San Francisco Police officers responded to the area of Leavenworth and McAllister Streets for a report of an aggravated assault. Officers met with a 25-year-old male victim who identified himself as the victim of the assault. The victim told officers he was participating in a free speech rally at UN Plaza when he was punched in the face by an unknown suspect. The assault caused the victim to lose two teeth. The SFPD Night Investigations Unit and Special Investigations Unit led the investigation.

Investigators developed information that led to the identity of the suspect in the assault. The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Adora Anderson of Watsonville. On Sunday, October 18, 2020, at approximately 2:53 PM, Adora Anderson was taken into custody by San Francisco Police officers in Oakland, CA. Adora Anderson was transported to San Francisco County Jail where he was booked on charges of mayhem (203 PC) and a hate crime enhancement (422.75(a) PC).

While an arrest has been made, this remains an open investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24 Hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin your text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.

What else?

Authorities shut down the Saturday rally after counterdemonstrators became violent.

As previously reported by The Blaze, the situation quickly spiraled out of control against those conservatives gathered for the demonstration, and police were forced to escort them away from the premises and to their vehicles.

Following the assault, Philip told the crowd, "Too bad it got canceled. That's what happens when you lose free speech, this is what our country has turned into."

He also shared a snap of his bloodied mouth on social media after leaving the hospital.

He captioned the photo, "Antifa attacked me for no reason."

Philip later tweeted, "I have a question for you, Joe Biden. You said that Antifa is just an idea. This is what they did to me. I'm at the hospital right now ... because of Antifa. Do you still think, after seeing this, that they're just an idea?"

The tweets are unavailable at the time of this reporting, as his account has been suspended.

(Content warning: Rough language):

San Francisco: Antifa physically assaulted a black man today while calling him the “n” word Causing him to flee th… https://t.co/3v7qfgdkDn
— Drew Hernandez (@Drew Hernandez)1602997412.0