President Joe Biden's approval rating is under water, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll carried out Sept. 15-16.

According to the poll, while 50% of U.S. adults disapprove of the president's performance in office, only 44% approve, marking his lowest approval so far. It appears that 46% had been the lowest his approval numbers had been in prior Reuters/Ipsos polls.

"The Reuters/Ipsos poll is conducted online in English throughout the United States. The latest poll gathered responses from 1,005 adults in total including 442 Democrats and 360 Republicans. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 4 percentage points," according to Reuters.

While Biden's rating is under water, President Donald Trump was even worse off at the same time in his presidency: "At the same point in Donald Trump's presidency, about 38% of Americans approved of his performance in office, while 57% disapproved," according to the outlet.

A recent Quinnipiac University national poll of adults similarly found that Biden's approval rating is upside down. That poll found that 50% disapprove of the way Biden is handling his role as president, compared to 42% who approve.

Biden has recently faced significant criticism for bungling the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Quinnipiac poll found that a whopping 65% disapprove of Biden's handling of the troop withdrawal, while just 31% approve.

The Quinnipiac poll also found that 62% believe U.S. troops will need to go back to Afghanistan to combat terrorism, while just 28% do not think so.

Facebook has targeted a network of accounts, pages, and groups run by people connected with the Querdenken movement in Germany who sought to disseminate "violating content" that mainly focused on pushing the "conspiracy" that coronavirus restrictions from Germany's government are part of a bigger scheme to take away citizens' liberties, according to Facebook's head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher.

He noted that the social media giant is taking the action because of the network's efforts to breach the company's Community Standards, including the posting of incitement to violence and more.

"We removed a network of Facebook and Instagram accounts, Pages and Groups for engaging in coordinated efforts to repeatedly violate our Community Standards, including posting harmful health misinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence. We also blocked their domains from being shared on our platform. This network was operated by individuals associated with the Querdenken movement in Germany, which is linked to off-platform violence and other social harms," Gleicher wrote.

"The people behind this activity used authentic and duplicate accounts to post and amplify violating content, primarily focused on promoting the conspiracy that the German government's COVID-19 restrictions are part of a larger plan to strip citizens of their freedoms and basic rights. This activity appeared to run across multiple internet services and the broader internet and typically portrayed violence as the way to overturn the pandemic-related government measures limiting personal freedoms. Based on public reporting, this group engaged in physical violence against journalists, police and medical practitioners in Germany," he wrote.

Gleicher noted that the company is not barring all Querdenken material from its platforms.

"This network consistently violated our Community Standards against harmful health misinformation, incitement of violence, bullying, harassment and hate speech, and we repeatedly took action against their violating posts. While we aren't banning all Querdenken content, we're continuing to monitor the situation and will take action if we find additional violations to prevent abuse on our platform and protect people using our services," the post said.

"This is our first action under a new protocol focused on networks that are (1) tightly coordinated; (2) repeatedly violating our policies & evading enforcement; and (3) contributing to severe social harms (like calls for violence or to discredit medical science)," Gleicher noted in a tweet.

2/ This is our first action under a new protocol focused on networks that are (1) tightly coordinated; (2) repeated… https://t.co/fTOYv8tMPo

— Nathaniel Gleicher (@ngleicher) 1631822619.0

Nicki Minaj was attacked by the corporate press and leftists online after tweeting about wanting to do research on the vaccine before getting the jab, and Fox News' Tucker Calson backed the rapper's right to ask questions. Instead of applauding Nicki for being responsible, the left decided to spin and twist her words to fit their narrative, because the only thing they care about is compliance. Now that they're eating their own, will more people see what's actually going on, or will the blind continue leading the blind?

The story of Gabby Petito, the young woman who went missing while on a trip with her boyfriend, is gripping the nation as more details slowly emerge. Police body cam footage only added to the mystery as the police named her boyfriend a person of interest. Is this another tragic tale of domestic violence?

Meanwhile, an Alberta official recently implemented a vaccine passport despite saying weeks ago that he had no plans to do so.

On BlazeTV's newest show, "You Are Here," cohosts Elijah Schaffer and Sydney Watson ask, after the constant lies and contradictions, does anyone still believe anything these people say? Unfortunately, for many the answer will still be yes.

Watch the full episode of "You Are Here" below:

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To enjoy more thought-provoking, controversial, and hilarious conversations, subscribe to BlazeTV and join Elijah and Sydney as they dissect the daily rundown of today's absurdity at the intersection of news and culture. Don't just laugh, cry, or freak out: In order to save America, we must know where we are headed. You Are Here.

Fans of rap artist Nicki Minaj protested outside the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, after she tweeted her thoughts on the vaccine.

"Nicki Minaj told me the truth! Fauci lied to me!" the protesters chanted Wednesday, referring to White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The fans were inspired by numerous tweets Minaj sent out, first explaining why she hadn't gotten vaccinated yet, then defending herself against the furious backlash.

One protester's sign read, "DEFEND NICKI AT ALL COSTS!"

@NICKIMINAJ told the truth to me, Fauci lied to me” Protesters are approaching cars leaving the @CDCgov in ATL.Clai… https://t.co/Xv4ovDDNhC

— Tori Cooper (@toricoooper) 1631722503.0

Minaj was ridiculed by some for tweeting that her cousin had avoided getting vaccinated because his friend reportedly became impotent after receiving the vaccine and experiencing swelling in his testicles. Health experts denied the possibility of the story and criticized Minaj for passing along unsubstantiated anecdotes.

Among those bashing Minaj were MSNBC anchor Joy Reid, who called on Minaj to tweet support for vaccines for her more than 22 million followers.

Minaj responded by lashing out at Reid, calling her a racial epithet and recalling her controversial past with homophobic blog posts.

Minaj then tweeted a video of Fox News host Tucker Carlson defending her skepticism on Wednesday and had to defend herself against those who called him a racist and a white supremacist. She later claimed on her Instagram account that she had been suspended from tweeting because of her claims.

She also compared the United States to communist China in an Instagram video post.

"You can't speak for the fear of the mob attacking you. If that doesn't give you chills up and down your f***ing spine. This is scary! You should be able to ask questions about anything you're putting inside your body," Minaj said. "You can't just innocently ask a question about something going in your body."

Although the Biden administration had previously said it was not the role of the federal government to mandate vaccination, President Joe Biden later announced that he would be doing exactly that for employees of companies with more than 100 workers.

Minaj has been nominated for Grammy awards 10 times.

Here's more about the anti-CDC protest inspired by Nicki Minaj:

Nicki Minaj tweet sparks local vaccine protest www.youtube.com

Dave Mustaine, the frontman for heavy metal band Megadeth, blasted mask mandates in a tirade to fans during a concert in Camden, New Jersey.

"I just wanna tell you how great it is. Look around you, guys. Look to your right, look to your left, and look how wonderful this is," said Mustaine to his fans Wednesday.

"We're all here together. We're not in f***ing bags. We're not freaking out, and we're not yelling at people, 'Wear your f***ing mask,'" he added, according to Loudwire.

"Listen, it starts with this kind of a sensation that we build right now. We feel together, we feel strength in numbers. We feel like we are invincible. People will not be able to stop us," he continued.

"Right now, what's going on is tyranny," Mustaine said. "This is called tyranny. Look it up when you get home. And tyranny isn't only in government. Tyranny right now is in the schools and tyranny is in the medical business. We have the power, especially us heavy metal fans, we have the power to change things."

This is far from the first time Mustaine has spoken out about his political beliefs.

In 2012 during a concert in Singapore, he said the United States was turning into "Nazi America" and accused then-President Barack Obama of staging mass gun murder incidents so that he could push gun control.

"Back in my country, my president is trying to pass a gun ban so he's staging all these murders like the 'Fast and Furious' thing down at the border and Aurora, Colo., all the people that were killed there," said Mustaine at the time.

Mustaine also endorsed Republican Rick Santorum for president in the same year.

Here's the video of Mustaine's comments on gun control:

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine: Obama Staged Sikh, Colorado Shootings To Ban Guns www.youtube.com

Two dozen state attorneys general have signed a letter opposing the Biden administration's plan to require employers with 100 or more employees to have workers get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested weekly.

"We thus urge you to reconsider your unlawful and harmful plan and allow people to make their own decisions," the 24 Republican officials wrote to their letter to the president. "If your Administration does not alter its course, the undersigned state Attorneys General will seek every available legal option to hold you accountable and uphold the rule of law."

The attorneys general who signed the letter were from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

"The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is developing a rule that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work," according to the White House. "OSHA will issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to implement this requirement."

So far 63.5% of the U.S. population ages 12 and older has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 74.2% of that demographic has received at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Your plan is disastrous and counterproductive," the state officials said in their letter. "From a policy perspective, this edict is unlikely to win hearts and minds—it will simply drive further skepticism. And at least some Americans will simply leave the job market instead of complying."

The attorneys general said that the "edict is also illegal."

Arizona has already lodged a legal challenge against federal vaccine mandates, pointing out that aliens who unlawfully enter the U.S. are not forced to get COVID-19 vaccinations.

"Although the precise contours of the federal vaccination mandates are not yet clear, the violation of the Equal Protection Clause is already evident and egregious," the complaint states. "In a nutshell: unauthorized aliens will not be subject to any vaccination requirements even when released directly into the United States (where most will remain), while roughly a hundred million U.S. citizens will be subject to unprecedented vaccination requirements. This reflects an unmistakable—and unconstitutional—brand of favoritism in favor of unauthorized aliens. "

In addition to a vaccine mandate for large employers, the president has also moved to require vaccination for federal executive branch workers and employees of contractors that work with the federal government.

"The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, including but not limited to hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, and home health agencies," according to the White House.

A grand jury indicted a lawyer who previously represented Hillary Clinton for allegedly lying to the FBI during a meeting where he presented information trying to connect the Trump campaign to a Russian bank.

The indictment was a part of special counsel John Durham's investigation into the origins of the FBI probe of alleged Russian collusion with the 2016 Trump campaign.

Michael Sussman, a prominent cybersecurity lawyer with deep Democratic ties, was indicted on charges that he lied to the FBI in a meeting with a senior official in 2016. Sussman reportedly tried to present evidence to the FBI connecting the Trump campaign to the Kremlin-connected Alfa Bank.

The charging documents accuse Sussman of presenting himself as merely a concerned citizen without properly disclosing his connection to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Sussman denies wrongdoing.

The alleged connection between Alfa Bank and the Trump campaign led to histrionic accusations from the left against Trump and members of his campaign. Clinton herself tweeted about the claims just days before the 2016 presidential election, which she lost.

"Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank," tweeted Clinton, with a link to a statement from her campaign's senior policy adviser detailing the accusations.

Former President Donald Trump and his allies have accused former President Barack Obama of illegally using the government's powers of surveillance in order to damage the Trump presidential campaign. Obama officials have repeatedly denied the accusations and said the process played out in accordance with the rule of law.

In August, a group of 44 Republican senators demanded that the Durham report be made public once completed.

"The truth pursued by this investigation is necessary to ensure transparency in our intelligence agencies and restore faith in our civil liberties. Thus, it is essential that the Special Counsel's ongoing review should be allowed to continue unimpeded and without undue limitations," said the group of senators in the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Durham had previously charged a former FBI lawyer for fabricating evidence against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign official, in the investigation into Russian collusion. Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty in August 2020 but received a slap on the wrist for what he said was a mistake made to simply avoid paperwork.

Here's more about the Durham probe:

Republicans demand Durham report into Trump-Russia investigation be made public www.youtube.com

During remarks at the Cambridge Union in the U.K. on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that President Biden "knows his foreign policy."

The California Democrat said, "We're so fortunate that he did not win for president before when he ran because we needed him now. He's perfect for now. He knows his foreign policy," she said, noting that Biden previously chaired "the foreign policy committee." Pelosi said that "as president, he doesn't come into this learning on the job."

Biden previously spent several years as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during portions of his more than three-decade career as a U.S. senator. He later spent two terms serving as vice president alongside Democratic President Barack Obama.

Nancy Pelosi | Cambridge Union youtu.be

Pelosi, who is the first and only woman ever to serve as House speaker, has spent more than three decades serving in the House of Representatives. She is currently serving her fourth term as speaker.

The lawmaker's comments about President Biden's supposed foreign policy prowess come at a time when many have been heavily criticizing the Biden administration for botching the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Taliban swiftly took control in the country, seizing the capital city of Kabul last month. Billions of dollars of weaponry supplied by the U.S. to Afghanistan has fallen into the hands of the Taliban. U.S. service members and others were killed last month during a terror attack in Kabul. And the U.S. announced the completion of its military withdrawal last month even as American citizens and Afghan allies remained stranded there.

A recent Quinnipiac University national poll of adults found that a whopping 65% disapprove of the way the president handled withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, while just 31% approve. The survey also found that 62% believe U.S. troops will need to go back to Afghanistan to combat terrorism, while 28% do not think so.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has ordered several points of entry at the border shut down after thousands of illegal aliens encamped under a bridge while awaiting refugee processing.

"The sheer negligence of the Biden administration to do their job and secure the border is appalling," read the emergency statement from Abbott.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that the shaded area under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, was being used a temporary staging site in order to "prevent injuries from heat-related illness."

Some estimates of the encampment put the number of migrants at about 4,000 on Wednesday, but officials told Fox News the group could have swelled to as many as 8,200 on Thursday.

"I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning our state," Abbott continued.

"The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos," Abbott added. "Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans."

Drone video from Fox News showed border agents trying to attend to the thousands of migrants.

Telemundo reported that many of the migrants were from Haiti and that they said they were trying to escape violence, povertym and natural disasters in their home countries. Some reported being abused and extorted for money by Mexican law enforcement officials.

Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said in a video on Facebook that there were as many as 20,000 other migrants on the way to the city.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) told Fox News the situation in Del Rio was "gut-wrenching" and dangerous.

"The sheer amount of people, it's like getting hit by a 2x4," he said. "You think you're in a third-world country, and this is the United States, this is Del Rio Texas, and there is literally no border at all — it's just been muddied over."

Gonzales blamed the Biden administration for removing restrictions on applications for refugee status set by the former Trump administration. He said that Haitian migrants took this as a sign to go to the U.S. to seek entry.

And he warned that it would not stop at Texas.

"These folks, they're not staying in Texas," said Gonzalez, "they're literally going to every city, they're going to Miami, they're going to Chicago, they're going to New York City, San Francisco, they're going to a neighborhood near you and it impacts everybody."

Here's a local news report about the encampment:

VIDEO: Thousands of migrants crowded under bridge in Del Rio www.youtube.com

The Biden administration is cutting back the supply of monoclonal antibodies, a COVID-19 treatment featuring a lab-engineered protein, in several red states. There has been a backlash to the reduction of the potentially lifesaving treatment, especially in Florida, where monoclonal antibodies are being used the most.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that the agency is taking over the distribution of monoclonal antibodies to states. Previously, the states ordered therapeutics from the federal government.

"HHS will determine the amount of product each state and territory receives on a weekly basis. State and territorial health departments will subsequently identify sites that will receive product and how much," an HHS spokesman told the Washington Post. "This system will help maintain equitable distribution, both geographically and temporally, across the country — providing states and territories with consistent, fairly-distributed supply over the coming weeks."

The policy shift will affect seven red states the most: Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana, which have accounted for 70% of monoclonal antibodies orders, CNN reported.

"Given this reality, we must work to ensure our supply of these life-saving therapies remains available for all states and territories, not just some," an HHS spokesperson said.

Florida has received the most doses of monoclonal antibodies, followed by Texas. Florida received 30,950 doses this week, after the Sunshine State requested 72,000 doses, according to the governor's office. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis established 25 clinics that offer monoclonal antibody treatments; the first was opened on Aug. 12 in Jacksonville. The clinics have administered 90,000 monoclonal antibody doses, according to DeSantis.

DeSantis slammed President Joe Biden for the "abrupt" cut in monoclonal antibodies.

"We are very, very concerned with the Biden administration and the HHS's recent, abrupt, sudden announcement that they are going to dramatically cut the number of monoclonal antibodies that are going to be sent to the state of Florida," DeSantis said during a press conference on Thursday. "There's going to be a huge disruption and patients are going to suffer as a result of this."

"We've been thrown a major curveball here with a really huge cut," DeSantis added. "We're going to make sure we leave no stone unturned. Whoever needs a treatment, we're going to work like hell to get them the treatment."

"Many thousands would have ended up in the hospital, and of course, some of them would have ended up dying, so it has saved lives here in the state of Florida," DeSantis said of the monoclonal antibody treatment.

"The bottom line is this: COVID is a treatable illness. And we have to never go back to the days where particularly high-risk people get infected and were told to just go home and hope they don't get deathly ill," DeSantis declared.

Sen. Marco Rubio blasted the Biden administration for reducing Florida's supply of COVID-19 treatments.

"Antibody treatments aren't a substitute for vaccines But they have prevented thousands of hospitalizations including in breakthrough cases," Rubio wrote on Twitter. "Now in a move that reeks of partisan payback against states like Florida, the Biden administration is rationing these treatments."

"This reeks of politics. This is the Biden administration punishing Florida," Sen. Marco Rubio said in a video. "They're saying to states like Florida, 'Oh yeah, you're not gonna have mandates? You're not gonna do what we want you to do? Well then guess what, we're gonna cut off your antibody treatments and your access to them.'"

Every day it’s something new with these people in the White House The decision to ration antibody treatments prov… https://t.co/uc5nFQmz6z

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) 1631811556.0

The Biden administration has made monoclonal antibody treatments a priority in its "Path out of the Pandemic" plan.

"Monoclonal antibody treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization by up to 70% for unvaccinated people at risk of developing severe disease. As hospital systems experience increased COVID-19 cases, many have identified monoclonal antibody treatment as a key tool to improve health outcomes, prevent hospitalizations and reduce the strain on overburdened hospitals," the plan states.

DeSantis noted that 52% of COVID-19 patients who were treated at the Broward monoclonal antibody treatment site had already been vaccinated, and 69% of those treated at the site with monoclonal antibodies were over 65 years old and vaccinated.

With the supply of monoclonal antibodies being cut by more than half by the Biden administration, DeSantis said he would attempt to secure a new monoclonal antibody treatment from another pharmaceutical company – GlaxoSmithKline.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced on Tuesday that the U.S. government had purchased 1.4 million additional doses of its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, which brings the total bought to nearly 3 million doses. Regeneron will supply the upcoming doses between now and the end of January 2022. The monoclonal antibody treatment costs $2,100 per dose, according to Regeneron, which adds up to revenues of $2.9 billion.

BlazeTV's Chad Prather fleshed out his new theory about which of the American presidents over the last 60-years were not controlled by special interest groups.

Taking a look at history, Chad selected John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Donald J. Trump as the top three U.S. presidents not owned by special interest groups.

In this clip, Chad explained why he believes that all presidents other than J.F.K., Reagan, and Trump were controlled. Watch the clip to hear more from Chad. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.

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Comedian and "Saturday Night Live" alum Jim Breuer appeared on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Wednesday to discuss his headline-grabbing decision to not perform in venues that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry — and following the interview, the left performed a predictable lockstep lunge, demonizing the comic with ad-hominem attacks.

What are the details?

Breuer explained to Carlson that some of his fans have been upset about vaccine mandates, telling him they're "not comfortable with getting a COVID shot" but "can't come see you perform unless I do that.'"

He also compared those behind such mandates to animal trainers at amusement parks: "It's like feeding the seal the fish. Hey ... you wanna come see a concert?" Breuer offered an obligatory seal-like noise for emphasis, then asked of the vaccine mandate powers that be, "Why would you do that?"

Breuer added that the "new narrative" says "the unvaccinated are the beast. Kill the beast. This program goes on forever." With that, Breuer switched to an evil-sounding voice and intoned, "Kill the beast! The beast is the unvaccinated! Kill them!"

Invoking President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate announced last week, Breuer said "our leader ... pointed the finger like we're the demons. I'm not vaccinated. I had COVID. You're not gonna tell me about my body. I know my body. I know my morals. I know my faith. You don't ... threaten me and everyone else as if we're the demons."

After sharing that two fully vaccinated friends of his are sick with the virus and lamenting that few authority figures are encouraging others to get healthy, Breuer added that the overwhelming majority of people reacted positively to his vaccine stance and said "thank you for speaking up."

He concluded that we're in a time of "good versus evil" and "power versus the powerless" but that "it's time for the power of the fearless ... the fearless have to start rising. We know something's wrong."

Tucker Carlson - Jim Breuer Rants On Vaccine Mandates For His Comedy Shows youtu.be

How did the left react?

You need not be Nostradamus to predict that the left came together on cue and ripped Breuer for daring to speak up — and it was all ad-hominem attacks:

• "This is how Goat Boy is doing these days," the Huffington Post opined, adding that Breuer's take "got weird in a hurry."
• HipHopWired said Breuer's interview with Carlson "was all bad" and showed the comic "was an Op all along."
• Uproxx's headline blared, "'SNL' Vet Jim Breuer Went On Tucker Carlson To Rant About Vaccines (And Demons), And All People Did Was Make Goat Boy Jokes."
• The title of Raw Story's piece was "Vaccine-bashing comedian makes animal noises to protest mandates in bizarre Tucker Carlson interview."

Here are other tweeted nuggets of left-wing wisdom, so universally jam-packed with substance it's surprising the takes remained as brief as they did:

People who refuse to get vaccinated should be forced to listen to Jim Breuer. That will fix them. https://t.co/TeRSylf4Wv

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) 1631757613.0

If you watch Jim Breuer carefully, that's the best argument for getting vaccinated to prevent getting whatever Covi… https://t.co/JuhhjzGtgm

— Grant Stern is fully vaccinated (@grantstern) 1631767198.0

@RexChapman At least Jim Breuer looks like he’s doing terrific. 🥴

— Jenny Johnson (@JennyJohnsonHi5) 1631758007.0

A Democratic state lawmaker in Michigan was stripped of his committee assignments after prosecutors said that he made an attempt to escape from jail, where he was imprisoned for alleged drunk driving and resisting arrest.

State Rep. Jewell Jones (D) was removed from committees in the state House by Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth (R) on Thursday, the Detroit Free Press reported. The punishment was handed down after prosecutors from Livingston County said Jones attempted to smuggle a handcuff key into jail following a court hearing on Tuesday where a judge revoked his bond.

"Allegations in this matter allege the Defendant taping a handcuff key to the bottom of his foot with clear tape and was found by Livingston County Corrections Officers upon his incarceration," Livingston County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carolyn Henry said. Jones was charged with one count of bringing a weapon into a jail and one count of attempting to escape waiting a felony trial.

"Rep. Jewell Jones's increasingly disruptive and distracting behavior in the months following his April arrest has eroded my confidence in his ability to conduct the people's work. That behavior hit a new low yesterday when he appears to have made a bizarre attempt to escape from jail, potentially resulting in two new charges. Action must be taken to protect the public's interest. I am now removing Rep. Jones from all House committees and encouraging him to use that time to make changes and take control of his actions," Wentworth said.

"The Michigan House of Representatives will continue to make sure he has access to every service and every bit of support we have to help him on his journey. I sincerely hope he finally takes advantage of those opportunities and gets the help he needs. The people he serves are counting on him to do so," he added.

House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D) did not comment on Wentworth's decision but expressed support for a fair trial for Jones in a statement.

"Rep. Jones is facing an increasing number of serious charges. Our priority is providing him with the support he needs to meet these challenges and stay healthy. We are focused on ensuring Rep. Jones has a fair pathway to accountability so we can move forward together," she said.

"These are serious charges. It's important to let the investigation proceed and the legal process play out so all the facts can come to light," Lasinski added.

Jones was arrested in April after police said he crashed his vehicle while "super drunk." He was charged with driving while intoxicated, weapons possession, and resisting arrest after he allegedly became combative with police. Officers said that the lawmaker threatened them multiple times by saying he would call Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) about his arrest.

In recent weeks there have been some discussions online about doctors and hospitals turning away unvaccinated Americans for COVID-19 treatment. In August, a physician in Alabama declared that he would not treat unvaccinated patients. Earlier this month, a primary care doctor in Florida announced that she would not see patients who are not vaccinated, and berated them for having a "lack of selflessness." However, one doctor in Canada is appalled at the idea of not providing medical treatment to those in need, and says everyone deserves medical attention no matter a person's vaccination status.

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is a critical care and palliative care physician at the Ottawa Hospital. Kyeremanteng went viral this week when he railed against the idea of not treating a person based on if they received the COVID-19 vaccine or not.

Regarding the policy of "limiting care to those who are unvaccinated," Kyeremanteng became incensed and said, "I hate it."

"I think it's wrong. I think it's creating mistrust. I think it's divisive," the doctor stated. "I think it's creating more tribalism and it, to me, is the last thing we need."

"We need to be clear in our messaging," he continued, and noted that the "magic" of the vaccines is that they can"prevent you from landing in hospital, and ICU, and dying."

Kyeremanteng slammed the medical community for putting "value judgments on people based on lifestyle decisions."

The doctor makes it known that he wants people to get vaccinated, but he lists other potentially dangerous behaviors such as smoking and IV drug use that can put people's health in jeopardy.

"When you come to my ICU, I treat you the same," Kyeremanteng proclaimed in the video posted to Twitter. "We hustle. We do what we can to serve and get you through your illness. And to think that we would do anything less because of your vaccine status is atrocious. It is absolutely atrocious."

"And it would be extremely shameful to even think that's a consideration within our society," said Kyeremanteng, who is also the host of the "Solving Healthcare" podcast. "Like, we're better than this. We are better than this."

He said not giving unvaccinated patients access to all the care that they need is "not right," and not why he "got into medicine."

Kyeremanteng understood why health care workers could be frustrated, but that is no reason to ever consider denying someone medical treatment for coronavirus if they are not vaccinated.

“When you come to my ICU, I treat you the same. We do what we can to serve and get you through your illness. To thi… https://t.co/WcmB5IzpBM

— Solving Healthcare (@KwadCast) 1631717059.0

Kyeremanteng told Fox News that shaming people is the wrong approach, and now is the time "to be nice."

"The whole kind of shaming approach is, that's never been an effective way. We need to be compassionate, we need to listen to what the concerns are," he said. The doctor added that the messaging on the COVID-19 vaccine needs to "be more clear and focused."

Last week, President Joe Biden rolled out a vaccine mandate for 100 million Americans with a speech where he denigrated and placed blame on those who were not vaccinated.

"My message to unvaccinated Americans is this: What more is there to wait for?" Biden asked rhetorically. "What more do you need to see? We've made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. We've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us."

CNN's host Don Lemon has no love at all for the significant segment of the American populace that has yet to get a COVID vaccination — and he's making his disdain clearer by the day.

Now, he's calling on citizens to shut "stupid" fellow Americans who are unvaxxed. Why? Because, in Lemon's mind, they are "harmful to the greater good."

What did Lemon say?

On his show Wednesday night during the crossover and handoff portion with fellow CNN leftist Chris Cuomo, Lemon ripped into "stupid" unvaxxed people for being like Trump voters and demanded that American stop "coddling them."

"The people who are not getting vaccines, who are believing the lies on the internet instead of science, it's time to start shaming them," Lemon declared. "Or leave them behind, because they're keeping the majority of Americans behind."

He then screamed at the unvaxxed for not trusting the COVID vaccine while having no problems with other vaccines — which he failed to point out have been around for decades and been proven to be safe for generations of Americans.

"You didn't feel that way for the polio vaccine, you don't feel that way about measles, mumps, rubella when it comes to your children," he continued ranting. "And all of a sudden this vaccine is different? What's different about it?"

"The only different thing about it is because of your politics today," he asserted, somehow making a link to Trump supporters.

Not only did Lemon skip over the tried-and-true status of polio, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines, he also failed to point out — as have most of the media — that the least vaccinated racial demographic are blacks, whose politics do not match up with those he was tearing into.

"The people talking about 'well, I don't know what's in the shot,' Chris," Lemon said, then criticizing the same people for allegedly taking Botox without knowing what's in it, along with not knowing what's in their foods.

"Stop it with the ignorance," Lemon insisted.

The leftist host insisted that the country no longer needs to listen to these people — because they're bad for "the greater good."

"These people are being harmful to the greater good," Lemon claimed. "You don't have to listen to a minority of people who are being harmful to the greater good, and you are not acting logic, reason, and science."

CNN’s @DonLemon: Like Trump voters, we should call unvaxxed Americans “stupid” and “start shaming them” "Or leave… https://t.co/9501k7gbEI

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) 1631788599.0

Cuomo, of course, chimed in with his insight by alluding to the repeatedly debunked claim that people taking ivermectin to fight COVID were taking horse medication.

"You're going to question the vaccine, but you want to take a horse dewormer," Cuomo said.

"I accept everything you just said," Cuomo continued. "Most of all, the idea that the majority cannot be held by the tyranny of a minority."

Producers of a new reality TV show that planned to set activists against each other to fight for prize money have decided to "reimagine" the competition series as a documentary following intense backlash on social media.

Critics immediately denounced "The Activist," which was set to air on CBS starting Oct. 22, after the show's format was announced last week, slamming the series as a "dystopian" misrepresentation of the real goals and values of activism.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, CBS and production partners Global Citizen and Live Nation apologized to critics for the show's ill-advised messaging.

"Global activism centers on collaboration and cooperation, not competition. We apologize to the activists, hosts, and the larger activist community — we got it wrong," said Global Citizen, an international advocacy organization, in a preview to the joint statement.

Instead of airing a five-week series featuring six activists going head-to-head in challenges to promote their causes as originally planned, producers said the project will be converted into a documentary special showcasing the "tireless work" of the six activists without any competitive element.

A message from Global Citizen on "The Activist." https://t.co/CSODAwiIdR

— Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) 1631750138.0

"The Activist was designed to show a wide audience the passion, long hours, and ingenuity that activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same," read the joint statement. "However, it has become apparent the format of the show as announced distracts from the vital work these incredible activists do in their communities every day. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort."

"As a result, we are changing the format to remove the competitive element and reimagining the concept into a primetime documentary special (air date to be announced)," the statement continued. "It will showcase the tireless work of six activists and the impact they have advocating for causes they deeply believe in. Each activist will be awarded a cash grant for the organization of their choice, as was planned for the original show."

It was not immediately clear what role the celebrity judges — Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Julianne Hough — would play in the new project.

Hough, for one, issued a public apology amid the social media outrage, which she characterized as a "powerful demonstration of real-time activism."

"Thank you for using your voices, calling me in, your accountability, and your candor. I am deeply listening with an open heart and mind," the celebrity said in an Instagram post.

Pfizer Inc. has announced it is recalling all lots of its anti-smoking treatment drug, Chantix, due to what it says are high levels of carcinogens in the pills.

What's a brief history here?

Pfizer in June announced it was pausing distribution of the drug due to the heightened levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) found in some of the drug's lots.

At the time, the biopharmaceutical company said that the pause in distribution was "ordered out of an abundance of caution while further testing [was] is conducted."

What are the details?

According to a Thursday Reuters report, the company announced it would be recalling all lots of Chantix, and asked all wholesalers and distributors to immediately stop the use and distribution of the drug.

A communication from the company read that wholesalers and distributors should "quarantine the product immediately."

The FDA approved Chantix — also known as varenacline — in 2006. The FDA has yet to issue a recall or any statement on Chantix at the the time of this reporting.

In a statement, Pfizer spokesperson Steven Danehy said, "The benefits of Chantix outweigh the very low potential risks, if any, posted by nitrosamine exposure from varenicline on top of other common sources over a lifetime."

A statement from the company, citing communications from the FDA, added, "Long-term ingestion of N-nitroso-varenicline may be associated with a theoretical potential increased cancer risk in humans, but there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication."

The statement added, "Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines. These impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time."

"To date, Pfizer has not received reports of adverse events assessed to be related to this recall," the company added. "Pfizer places the utmost emphasis on patient safety and product quality at every step in the manufacturing and supply chain process. Pfizer has notified their direct consignees by letter to arrange for return of any recalled product."

Almost half of all new gun buyers in the U.S. since 2019 have been women, according to the preliminary results of a new study.

The 2021 National Firearms Survey from Northeastern University finds that an estimated 3.5 million women became new gun owners from January 2019 through April 2021. Nearly 4 million men became new gun owners as well, for a total of 7.5 million new gun owners.

Previous surveys have found that only 10% to 20% of American gun owners were women, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The survey polled more than 19,000 adults, which according to study author Dr. Deborah Azrael makes it "one of the largest, nationally representative, population-based surveys about gun purchasing ever conducted."

More from the Journal:

In addition to its findings on gender, the survey found that new gun buyers were more racially diverse than existing owners who bought more. Among new gun buyers, 55% were white, 21% were Black and 19% were Hispanic. Among new women gun owners, 28% wereBlack. The 19.6 million existing gun owners who bought more firearms since 2019 were 71% male and 74% white.

The increase in women purchasing firearms follows a change in marketing strategy by the firearms industry, the Journal reports. Previously, gun manufacturers attempted to "shrink it and pink it" — make handguns smaller and brightly colored — in order to appeal to women. But that strategy proved largely unsuccessful. In a change, handguns are now designed to be easier for people with small hands to wield.

Additionally, companies have largely stopped using sexualized marketing campaigns, which appeal mostly to men.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the number of federal background checks for gun purchases reached an all-time high of 21 million in 2020. Retailer surveys from that year indicated that 40 percent of gun sales went to those purchasing their first firearm, totalling 8.4 million people.

Another survey released last week found that more than 3.2 million Americans bought their first gun in the first half of 2021. This survey noted that more than 90% of firearms retailers reported an increase of black men purchasing firearms, nearly 84% reported an increase of hispanic Americans buying guns, and over 76.5% said more Asian Americans purchased firearms as well.

The Pew Research Center has noticed similar trends. A Pew survey conducted in June 2021 found that four-in-ten U.S. adults say they live in a household with a gun. Personal protection is consistently the number one reason for gun ownership given by Americans surveyed.

Fresh off her war of words with rapper Nicki Minaj — whom she accused of being culpable for the possible deaths of black people by casting doubts on COVID-19 vaccines — MSNBC's Joy Reid widened her aim Wednesday and took on the Republican Party.

What did she say?

Reid — appearing more than a bit wide-eyed and ravenous in front of the camera — delivered what may be the winning entry for Hyperbolic Leftist Rant of the Year.

"OK, we get it!" Reid hollered at the GOP faithful, who no doubt were glued to their TV screens. "COVID is the precious, and you love it. You love COVID so much you want it to spread into schools, at the office, in the Walmart, on the cruise ships, and at the club. That great spongy ball with the red spikes? You want it pumping through your veins with an ivermectin chaser. Why do you love it so daggone much? Well, we have absolutely no bloody idea."

Then after calling the GOP "weirdos" and pointing out some COVID-related stats and tragedies, Reid noted that far-left California Gov. Gavin Newsom's strict COVID policies — well, except for the ones that apparently don't apply to him — are what helped him avoid a recall this week.

"Republicans, your thirst for COVID is why you lost," Reid continued. "Nobody likes your policies that threaten our safety and our kids. You may want COVID. You may want to ingest horse de-wormer and attend far too many funerals, but we don't."

She then added to the GOP that "your creepy little COVID-loving death cult ways are not gonna work for you at the ballot box next year. In fact, it's political suicide — and also apparently talk-radio suicide, because your brilliant little COVID plan is killing your right-wing hosts."

.@JoyAnnReid leads #TheReidOut tonight with exploring why in part Gov. Gavin Newsom beat the recall effort: accordi… https://t.co/gP2WRL238e

— The ReidOut (@thereidout) 1631747438.0

How did observers react?

Reid has an untold number of fans in her leftist camp who'd love it if she ramped up her ranting, but not everyone was down with her colorful characterizations of Republicans:

• "Why is she allowed to speak like this on air, spreading vile, lying accusations against people she doesn't agree with, likening them to criminals or worse?" one commenter asked. "She's one of the nastiest humans on TV and social media. Many have health-based reasons to not take the shot, many had COVID."
• "It is interesting to me that liberals, particularly Democrat liberals, seem to project their OWN feelings and beliefs onto everyone else," another user noted. "Dems are the lovers of COVID because they can continue to fear monger and dictate to control others. Joy, go take a valium and seek help."
• "You absolutely are mental and are contributing to the hate and divisiveness that permeates our country. You're not reporting ... not a journalist; [you're] a lemming for your bosses who just want ratings," another commenter contended. "To lump every Republican together is wrong. Your a bad person. Go away!"
• "I had COVID, and no, we don't want COVID. What kind of insane person would willingly pump COVID in their veins?" another user wondered. "Watching friends and family struggle and die. Why can't anyone show some humanity toward fellow humans? Oh right, Democrats only know how to hate."

After grabbing national headlines for threatening to boycott Texas over the state's new pro-life heartbeat law, the city of Portland, Oregon is backing off, somewhat.

In the first week of September, Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said the city council would vote on a proposal to ban the "future procurement of goods and services from, and City employee business travel to, the state of Texas." Wheeler characterized the proposed boycott as a statement of support for the right to abortion that would remain in effect "until the state of Texas withdraws its unconstitutional ban on abortion or until it is overturned in court."

But by the time the Portland city council voted on Wednesday, the proposal changed significantly, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The city dropped the boycott on business with Texas and the ban on employee travel to the state. City officials were reportedly unable to figure out how the boycott would work in practice and some pro-choice advocates argued against punishing Texas contractors for the actions of the state government. Meanwhile, the editorial board of The Oregonian blasted the city council for "pointless preening" since the Portland City Council "has exactly zero authority, power or influence over Texas, the new law or the Supreme Court."

Instead, the city created a $200,000 fund for abortion care in Oregon, apparently to aid any Texas residents that travel for an abortion.

"While I still believe that our plan would have been an appropriate and strong course of action to take, over the Labor Day weekend, we heard from other service providers and groups who represent women's rights. They disagreed with some elements," said Wheeler on Wednesday. "As a white man, I recognize the importance of listening and being guided by those who do the work and live the work on the ground."

The revised proposal was supported by the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, and Planned Parenthood.

The city council passed the ordinance 4-1, with the lone "no" vote, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, characterizing the "symbolic pushback" against Texas as a waste of taxpayer money.

"I understand and sympathize with the instincts behind this. However, spending $200,000 of Portland taxpayer dollars to pay for reproductive care for people who live in Texas is bad policy," said Mapps. "Here's why: that action does nothing to change or challenge Texas' anti-abortion law."

He told OPB that the city's proposal is bad government.

"This is not good government - the lack of thoughtfulness, the fact that we didn't check in with interest groups before we crafted the proposal, the fact that the proposal got amended in a way that ignores the core problems," Mapps said. "None of this is behavior that we hope to see in local government."