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Fighting Back: FNC’s Peter Doocy Throws Down With Biden, Jean-Pierre Over Mask Edict

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

When it seemed like only a few of his colleagues were still outraged at the Biden administration’s decision to bring back indoor masking for much of the country (compared to the uproar on Tuesday), Fox News’s Peter Doocy sparred Thursday afternoon with White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and President Biden over the regime’s inconsistent (and arguably misleading) messaging masks. 

And in the case of the exchange with President, Doocy’s fact-checking and questioning brought out the angry Biden (as opposed to the forgetful or whispering Biden).

 

 

Prior to Biden giving a speech about the return of masks and the threat of bringing back closures and restrictions, Doocy first went to Jean-Pierre with this about Biden’s credibility:

So, President Biden says that we are not returning to lockdowns, shutdowns, and school closures, but he also once said that we didn’t have to wear masks anymore once we were vaccinated, so why should Americans trust him now? 

Jena-Pierre replied that Americans should because “we listen to the sciences” and “expert[s]” because “[t]his is a public health situation” that’s “about saving lives” and thus “not about politics at all.”

Doocy drilled down, noting that, by this logic, “shutdowns” and “school closures” could very well be in our future “if scientists” tell Biden to do so.

Jean-Pierre seemed to have replied in the affirmative, saying that they’ll continue to “listen to the CDC and the expert[s]” because “the CDC is a — is a body that is very well respected.”

Doocy pivoted to schools and the interest group that seems to be running the federal government: the teachers unions.

“[A]fter this new guidance came out, the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten came out to say ‘we are going to try to open up schools.’ Is that good enough for the President? Just trying,” asked Doocy.

Jean-Pierre insisted that Biden and Education Secretary Cardona have “been very clear” that “they would want to see all schools open,” but Doocy followed up as it wasn’t exactly a definitive answer.

But again, Jean-Pierre took a page out of the Psaki playbook and offered word salad.

Doocy closed out his back-and-forth with her by pointing out the hypocrisy between having vaccinated Americans wear masks again while illegal immigrants continue to flood into the country (click “expand”):

DOOCY: And last one. Just because you talked about this administration having a priority of protecting the American people, can you help us understand why is it that the federal government is asking vaccinated Americans to wear masks to stop the spread of Covid-19 at the same time that federal agents are also releasing Covid-19-positive border crossers into small towns in Texas? How is that stopping the spread?

(….)

JEAN-PIERRE: I just want to be very clear here. I do want to answer your question, Peter. First, just to step back and do this 30,000 foot view, there’s been no change in Title 42. Families and single adults are expelled if possible when apprehended at the southern border. The majority of apprehensions that we saw at the border in June were expelled. Those who can’t be expelled are or are awaiting processing are often placed in altern — alternatives to detention programs while their cases are being reviewed. CBP provides migrants with PPE from the moment — from the moment they are taken into custody and migrants are required to keep masks on at all times, including when they are transferred or are in the process of being released. If anyone exhibits signs of illness in CPB custody, they are referred to local health systems for appropriate testing, diagnosis, isolation, and treatment. CPB takes its responsibility to prevent the spread of communicable diseases very, very seriously. We value our partners in local communities whose work is critical to moving individuals safely, out of custody and through appropriate immigration pathway and assist in mitigating Covid-19 and isolating — quarantine when needed. That’s what I have for you, Peter.

Fast-forward to the press conference and Doocy repeatedly tried to shout a question to Biden, but unsurprisingly, he wasn’t interested.

But as Biden walked away, Doocy caught his attention: “Mr. President you said if you were fully vaccinated, you would no longer need to wear a mask?”

Doocy tried to say more, but Biden angrily cut him off with this false claim: “No, I didn’t say that.”

Doocy hit back with, “you did,” but Biden realized mid-thought he had been caught: “I said if fully vaccinated in an area where you do not have — well, let me clarify that.”

This gave Doocy an opening: “In May, you made it sound like a vaccine was the ticket to losing masks forever.”

The President replied that his statement was “true at the time” as he believed the vaccination rates would be higher than they are now and he didn’t know about the Delta variant.

Seven other reporters got questions in before Doocy, including pointed questions from ABC’s Rachel Scott and Reuters’s Steve Holland. Others — like NPR’s Franco Ordoñez and PBS’s Yamiche Alcindor — focused on pushing mandates and even vaccine passports.

In Scott’s case, her firm question about new lockdowns didn’t draw from Biden the same sort of anger Doocy would (click “expand”):

HOLLAND: Mr. President, how long do you think it might be necessary to wear a mask, and at what point do you think people might have to have a booster shot? 

BIDEN: I said in my talk the booster shot is not needed now. It is possible that it’ll be needed later. I don’t know. They don’t — science hasn’t dictated that yet, and the first part of your question? 

HOLLAND: How long do you think people might have to wear masks again? 

(….)

ALCINDOR: Why not push for vaccine mandates in states, private companies, schools? Do you want to see those entities pass vaccine mandates? 

(….)

SCOTT: Mr. President, you said earlier this week that we are not headed back towards lockdowns, but if the science is evolving, how can you be so confident in that? We heard you saying weeks ago that the virus was on the run, but Dr. Fauci has also indicated that we are heading in the wrong direction. 

BIDEN: You’re take — you’re literally correct on everything you said, but it doesn’t come to the conclusion you’re implying. It is clear that if everybody’s vaccinated, the existing vaccines work to prevent deaths, serious illness, hospitalization. Okay? So, if tomorrow I could wave a wand and every American was vaccinated, then, in fact, we’d be out of the woods. Now, can something else happen a year from now? Can there be a different virus? Can there be something? It’s possible, but I’m talking about Covid and the existing variants that have come forward so far. So it makes a — it’s a simple proposition. If you’re vaccinated, you find yourself in a situation where you are highly unlikely, even if you somehow get the virus, very small percentage do, that you are not going to be hospitalized. You’re not going to be on a ventilator, you’re not going to be sick, but you could be in a position to possibly spread it to someone who wasn’t, if you have it in you. Yes. 

ORDOÑEZ: Mr. President, thank you. I wanted to ask why not require that people show proof that they’re vaccinated and also, if you could just — with the four million, how much of an impact do you think this will have? Do you have a projection, sir? 

BIDEN: A projection on what? 

ORDOÑEZ: On how many people will get vaccinated by putting in this system.

To see the relevant briefing and press conference transcript from July 29, click here.

ABC, NBC Admit Mask Reversal a ‘Messaging Problem’ Hurting Vaxxing

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

With President Biden’s CDC trying to force masks back on the vaccinated, there was understandable outrage and pushback from the public. But while CBS Evening News chose to approach the opposition as just a side effect of the move, ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News actually criticized the administration for causing their own “messaging problem” that harmed their efforts to get people vaccinated.

NBC was the first to be publically critical of the move. During the evening newscast, the day of the announcement (Tuesday), chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander admitted it was a terrible look for the administration. “When the White House declared this a summer of freedom this is not the message they wanted to deliver just a month later,” he said.

He went on to explain that the move could set back their vaccination effort because it removed a “major incentive”:

Tonight, due to those rising cases here in D.C. even vaccinated White House staff must now wear a mask indoors. And its likely President Biden will start wearing one, too. This is obviously a critical moment for this White House struggling to convince hesitant people to get the vaccine, now taking away what had been a major incentive.

 

 

After leaving the mask mandate recommendation to stew for a couple of days, Biden conducted a press conference Thursday where he spread more confusion and misinformation and snapped at Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy for a question calling out his mask backtracking:

DOOCY: In May, you made it sound like the vaccine was the ticket to losing the mask forever.

BIDEN: That is true at the time, because I thought there were people who were going to understand that getting vaccinated made a gigantic difference. And what happened was, a new variant came along, they didn’t get vaccinated, it was spread more rapidly, and more people were getting sick. That’s it.

It was that moment that ABC fill-in anchor Cecilia Vega keyed in on, noting it “really seemed to get under his skin.” And she gave a very enthusiastic “let’s watch” as she introduced the soundbite.

“The President clearly not happy there. Rachel, he says the recommendations are changing as the science evolves, but the White House realizes they have a messaging problem here,” she said to congressional correspondent Rachel Scott.

After Scott lamented the fact “this is a clear reversal” and “there is no way around this,” she seemed to gripe that “You already have Republicans today calling it an overreach.” This was her sympathizing with how “the President is frustrated by this,” whereas they would mock the frustration if it were former President Trump.

“He told me tonight that if he could wave a wand and have every single American vaccinated and we would be out of the woods, but the reality is, there is more work to do,” she concluded, ignoring how he snapped at her during the press conference and hinted that her question was pedestrian.

The transcripts are below, click “expand” to read:

NBC Nightly News
July 27, 2021
7:05:16 p.m. Eastern

LESTER HOLT: And Peter Alexander is at the White House right now. Peter, a big change there.

PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah, Lester, that’s right. When the White House declared this a summer of freedom this is not the message they wanted to deliver just a month later.

Tonight, due to those rising cases here in D.C. even vaccinated White House staff must now wear a mask indoors. And its likely President Biden will start wearing one, too. This is obviously a critical moment for this White House struggling to convince hesitant people to get the vaccine, now taking away what had been a major incentive. Lester?

HOLT: Peter Alexander, thank you.

ABC World News Tonight
July 29, 2021
6:37:09 p.m. Eastern

CECILIA VEGA: We want to go to the White House now and ABC’s Rachel Scott. Rachel, we saw President Biden today once again in a mask, but it was a question about a statement that he made earlier this year that anyone who got vaccinated would no longer have to wear a mask that really seemed to get under his skin. Let’s watch.

[Cuts to video]

PETER DOOCY: In May, you made it sound like the vaccine was the ticket to losing the mask forever.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: That is true at the time, because I thought there were people who were going to understand that getting vaccinated made a gigantic difference. And what happened was, a new variant came along, they didn’t get vaccinated, it was spread more rapidly, and more people were getting sick. That’s it.

[Cuts back to live]

VEGA: The President clearly not happy there. Rachel, he says the recommendations are changing as the science evolves, but the White House realizes they have a messaging problem here.

RACHEL SCOTT: Yeah, Cecilia, and you can see it from his response. The President is frustrated by this, but there is no way around this. This is a clear reversal. You already have Republicans today calling it an overreach.

And the President knows that the success of his administration will be judged in large part by his response to this virus. He told me tonight that if he could wave a wand and have every single American vaccinated and we would be out of the woods, but the reality is, there is more work to do.

VEGA: Rachel Scott, at the White House tonight. Thank you, Rachel

CNN Is Suddenly Concerned About Protests Becoming COVID Superspreader Events

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

What did last year’s Trump rallies have in common with this year’s anti-communist protests in Cuba? Not much, perhaps, except that they are certain to be covered by CNN as coronavirus superspreader events.

CNN Havana correspondent Patrick Oppmann says that the ongoing S.O.S. Cuba protests “does not help” the Castro regime’s Covid response, as you’ll see in this report below:

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN: I’m Patrick Oppmann in Havana, where COVID cases and deaths have surged here despite the Cuban government’s claims that they’ve done a good job handling the pandemic. Certainly, it does not help that the historic protests and pro-government demonstrations have taken place over the last few weeks. The government has actually arrested some protesters, saying that they violated covid protocols but then held their own large pro-government demonstrations to show that the support of the people is still with them. The government is vaccinating here with their own vaccines, but it will likely be weeks or months more before we see a dip in the COVID numbers. 

Oppman gives the appearance of both-sidesing the report. But take note of his presentation of the pro-regime protests, staged “to show that the support of the people is still with them”. Also note the juxtaposition of footage. On the SOS Cuba side, protesters being arrested by regime forces in sparse settings. When discussing the regime’s “rallies”, a tight shot depicting a large pro-regime crowd. Images are essential to storytelling, and it’s hard to miss the subliminal story being told here. Taking that into consideration, the report was little more than pro-regime propaganda. 

And yet you didn’t hear of COVID concerns as Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. burned last summer. In fact, the only time that CNN consistently expressed COVID concerns with regard to mass gatherings was when reporting on Trump rallies, especially in the South. Remember that as the media scrambles to find villains for its Delta variant emergency panic coverage, and remember CNN’s willingness to cover for the homicidal Castro regime.

This bit of regime propaganda was brought to you in part by Progressive. Click here and let them know what you think.

Coming soon: America’s own ‘social credit’ system?

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, WND

China is in the process of expanding the “social credit” system they have been rolling out in phases since 2014.

Much like what we have for our financial credit ratings, China’s “social credit” system attaches a positive point value to behavior that the government views as praiseworthy (showing integrity, responsibility and/or trustworthiness) and a negative point value for behavior it wants to discourage. “Bad” behavior includes spending too much time playing video games, not caring for aging parents, poor driving, jaywalking, not paying one’s debts and, of course, criticizing the government.

The enormity of this effort is impossible to overstate. Chinese companies (and foreign companies authorized to do business in China) collect massive amounts of data on Chinese people from their cellphone and internet use and turn it over to the Chinese government. Dozens of government agencies share data and information with each other. Hundreds of millions of surveillance cameras watch Chinese people in cities across the country (with hundreds of millions more to come). Advanced facial recognition technology and complex algorithms assist in determining the identity of those being surveilled in public places. And, of course, there are the “informers” – members of the local community who report the good and bad conduct of their neighbors and co-workers to authorities.

Eventually, every Chinese citizen over a certain age will have a “social credit” score.

The consequences of a low social credit score are serious. Those with low scores are “blacklisted” and denied travel benefits, including access to visas or even the ability to buy plane or train tickets. They can be denied employment or promotions at work. Their children can be denied access to the best schools and universities. Their names and faces are often placed prominently on public billboards to “name and shame” them.

Chinese people interviewed by Western news organizations defended the social credit system, claiming that it will produce more responsible people and a better society. This is perhaps unsurprising, as China does not have the individualist culture America does. But then, the Chinese know that their social credit score may well go down if they do criticize the system, so one may have to take the glowing reviews with a grain of salt.

However, Americans should not just shrug off these oppressive initiatives as something that could only happen in China. For one thing, a significant amount of the surveillance technology used by China’s Communist government was developed and provided by American companies. These are names we know and recognize, including Seagate, Intel and HP Inc., among others.

If the technology can be used there, it can be used here for the same purposes.

That should concern us, especially given other trends we are seeing here in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have brought out the statist authoritarianism in many of our government officials – and much of the citizenry. Every day, we see more calls for social compliance on pain of sanctions.

Information about the efficacy of COVID vaccines and the need for masks are two good examples of why this trend is so dangerous. We cannot seem to get solid, verifiable information on either. Just this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shifted gears yet again on the need for vaccinated individuals to wear masks and the need for K-12 children to wear masks in schools. Just two weeks ago, we were assured that masks were not necessary because the vaccines are effective. Now, we are being told that the vaccines are effective, but that masks are necessary anyway. But we are not being shown the data that allegedly supports the ever-changing “consensus.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta stated on CNN, “this is data that has not even been published yet.”

And yet, despite the capriciousness of the government’s official party line on all things COVID, social and broadcast media are rife with videos of public shaming of non-mask wearers, and calls to “make life hard” for those who will not (or cannot) take the vaccine, including refusing access to public places like restaurants and sports arenas and even denial of medical treatment. Public and private employers across the U.S. are mandating the vaccine, and dozens of lawsuits have been filed by Americans who have already been fired for not getting it.

Just last week, the White House announced that they were calling on Facebook and other Big Tech social media companies to censor what President Joe Biden calls “misinformation” about COVID vaccines and the virus itself. But those same social media companies (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) have already been actively censoring accurate information about COVID that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the CDC and Democrats wanted suppressed; specifically, evidence supporting the theory that the virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology. And this is in addition to censoring other accurate information when it promotes conservative political ideas or casts unfavorable light on favorite Democrat politicians. Facebook and Twitter conveniently banned news stories about Biden’s son Hunter and the damning information on his laptop right before the November 2020 presidential election.

And there’s more. Since the 2020 election – and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol – there has been an active attempt by the Democratic Party and their lap dogs in the press to smear all Trump supporters as “racists,” “extremists,” “white supremacists,” “domestic terrorists” and “the insurrectionist next door.” In such a climate, it is even more concerning when the FBI asks people to start reporting family members, neighbors and friends whose beliefs or behavior are “suspicious.” And Americans are doing just that.

How far are we, really, from a China-style surveillance state and social credit system?

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The post Coming soon: America’s own ‘social credit’ system? appeared first on WND.

After Backlash, NYT Reporter Deletes Tweet Calling Trump Supporters ‘Enemies of the State’

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

The media is taking advantage of the politically hostile climate they created by increasingly pushing the envelope in how much they can get away with in demonizing conservatives. New York Times reporter Katie Benner provoked backlash Tuesday when she got a little too zealous in this effort, calling Trump supporters, “enemies of the state.”

Benner, who covers the Justice Department for the paper, sent out this vile sentiment while tweeting about the January 6 committee hearings on Capitol Hill, Tuesday. 

“Today’s #January6thSelectCommittee underscores the America’s current, essential natsec dilemma: Work to combat legitimate national security threats now entails calling a politician’s supporters enemies of the state,” the Times reporter wrote, in since deleted tweets.

It should also be added that Benner was recently named an MSNBC contributor, so her rhetoric was certainly in line with the network. If the parties were reversed and she were at Fox News, one could imagine the outrage.

In subsequent tweets, she worried the January 6 committee hearing wouldn’t resolve the “dilemma” of Trump supporters being a threat to national security because Trump had survived two impeachments and the Russia investigation:

As Americans, we believe that state power should not be used to work against a political figure or a political party. But what happens if a politician seems to threaten the state? If the politician continues to do so out of office and his entire party supports that threat?

…

This dilemma was unresolved by the Russia probe and 2 impeachments. With many Republicans denying the reality of the Jan. 6. attack,  I doubt the #January6Committee will resolve it either. That leaves it up to voters, making even more essential free, fair access to the polls. 

Of course, a journalist suggesting anyone who didn’t vote for the media’s preferred candidate should essentially be viewed as a terrorist, didn’t sit well with many:

2018: New York Times denounces Trump for calling it the “enemy of the people” as “inflammatory” and dangerous. https://t.co/4fYaYdwZp9

2021: New York Times reporter calls for all Trump supporters to be declared “enemies of the people.” https://t.co/ne0MA1jyXh
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) July 28, 2021

Hearing anyone describe a traumatic and violent experience provoke emotions: even for police officers. That’s what today is for.

But the fixation on 1/6 is about exactly this: classifying Trump supporters as Enemies of the State for political gain & Security State power.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 27, 2021

Those at places like the @NYTimes who demonize people like my mother and father have themselves become what they purport to abhor. They are the enemies of those who have cherished and fought for — and died for — our freedoms. How has the @NYTimes enabled this culture of hate? https://t.co/KQAtnRZvNZ
— Eric Metaxas (@ericmetaxas) July 29, 2021

Some hours later, Benner went back and deleted her tweet without apology, claiming they were “unclear.”

“I deleted unclearly worded tweets regarding the Jan 6. committee hearing,” she tweeted. 

Except her sentiment was very clear and that’s exactly what provoked outrage. 

Squad members attack bipartisan infrastructure senators for being white

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, WND

By Steven Hall
Daily Caller News Foundation

Members of the squad including Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush attacked the bipartisan infrastructure group for being white, comparing it to an audience at a rock concert Wednesday.

Bush criticized the bipartisan infrastructure group for only having white people, comparing it to the “audience at a Kid Rock concert.” The Senate advanced a bipartisan infrastructure deal Wednesday evening, voting to open debate on the legislation after weeks of talks.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also criticized the bipartisan infrastructure group for having too many white people. “A lot of times, ‘bipartisan agreements’ are just as defined by who people in power agree to exclude than include,” Cortez tweeted.

Senators said Wednesday they have agreed on the “major issues” in their bipartisan infrastructure framework.

“We now have an agreement on the major issues,” Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman told reporters. “We are prepared to move forward.”

Cortez and Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan criticized Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Wednesday for voicing her opposition to a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.

“Time for the White House to play hardball. We didn’t elect Sinema as President and we won’t let her obstruction put a Republican in the Oval Office in 2024,” Tlaib tweeted. “It’s the reconciliation bill or GOP controlling every level of government again, period.”

“Good luck tanking your own party’s investment on childcare, climate action, and infrastructure while presuming you’ll survive a 3 vote House margin – especially after choosing to exclude members of color from negotiations and calling that a ‘bipartisan accomplishment,’” Cortez said in another tweet.

This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected]

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MSNBC: Jan. 6 Worse than 9/11, ‘Bin Laden Never Took Over the Capitol’

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

MSNBC continues to allow extreme, vile rhetoric to fill the airwaves. On Wednesday’s Deadline: White House, regular guest Paul Rieckhoff ranted about January 6th and wildly argued that domestic right-wing extremism, not Al-Qaeda or ISIS, is the greatest threat to national security, even wailing that “Osama Bin Laden never took over the Capitol.”

Early in the segment, Rieckhoff asserted that “January 6th is not the end, it’s the beginning,” of the greatest threat to America. Wallace asked him about whether or not the partisan hearings run by Democrats in Congress will affect the rise of extremism. He said that the right will continue to attack police officers because it “animates” the extremism he claimed was the number one national security threat.

Instead of stopping there, he took it a step further with a comparison to Al-Qaeda and 9/11: “It’s not Al-Qaeda, it’s not ISIS, it’s not Iran, it’s domestic extremism. Osama bin Laden never took over the Capitol, these people did, and many of them are still out there.” 

 

 

Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were responsible for the death of nearly 3,000 Americans, destroying the World Trade Center, a portion of the Pentagon, and crashing a fourth plane into a field in Pennsylvania that was likely intended to actually hit the U.S. Capitol. Yet, Rieckhoff argued that was a lesser threat to the country simply because bin Laden never took over the Capitol itself. Instead of calling Rieckhoff out for his appalling remarks, Wallace bragged about how she is helping by retweeting January 6th footage and promptly ended the segment. 

How can MSNBC allow Rieckhoff to be a regular guest on Wallace’s show? It seems the liberal media has no problem downplaying the events of one of the most devastating days in American history in order to ensure that January 6th remains at the forefront of people’s minds leading up to the 2022 election cycle. 

This segment was brought to you by Trivago and USAA, click on the links to let them know what you think.

Below is a transcript of the segment, click “expand” to read:

MSNBC’s Deadline: White House
07/28/2021
5:51 p.m. Eastern

NICOLLE WALLACE: We’re back with Jemele and Paul. Paul, I just need you to expand on Capitol Police Officers saying that January 6th was worse than anything he saw in Iraq. 

PAUL RIECKHOFF: Well, He broke it down. I mean, you know, over a million people served in Iraq, I’ve served in Iraq and very few of them have ever been in direct hand-in-hand combat, none of us faced anything that looked like that. I dealt with crowd control, I dealt with big groups of people when I was doing patrols, but we never had that. What we all saw on TV and we’ve been seeing on the replays, that was – that was terrifying and it was overwhelming, and they didn’t know if they had any support, and I think it really cut to the core of the idea that America is about teamwork. 

Whether we’re talking about Simone Biles or the officers yesterday, we got to work together, we got to stick together especially when the stakes are high. And yesterday was an example of true American heroism. It was disgusting, if you are not angry about that, you’re not paying attention, but it also shows that American heroes are stepping up every day. I say in my podcast all the time, I pulled a Mr. Rogers line, look for the helpers, when things are bad, look for the helpers who are going in. We saw four of them yesterday, four that our kids can look up to, and four that unfortunately are going to have to hold the line of many days to come because as we talked about in the show, January 6th is not the end. It’s the beginning, and it’s the biggest security threat we face. And we’re going to need a lot of people like Officer Gonell in the days ahead.

WALLACE: I mean, the sad sort of counter to that, Jemele, is that we saw them for what they are, fact witnesses of what actually happened on January 6th, but they were trashed last night on the news channel that if you will the 30% who believe the big lie or are more inclined to attack officer Gonell than thank him, they happen to intersect with people who don’t want to take the vaccine and they also happen to intersect with people who attack Simone Biles. Where do we go from here in this sort of bifurcated reality?

JEMELE HILL: Well, you know, I was told blue lives matter or is it blue lives only matter when it the oppression, subjugation of black people and other brown people because it seems like we hear a whole lot about what the police should mean in our society, what authority should mean. When it is in the context of brutalizing other people who don’t look like that faction that you just described because they are here to disrespect, dishonor, and completely disregard these officers as long as they don’t go along with this inane plan that they had in mind. I mean, I couldn’t agree with Paul more. January 6th was not the culmination, it was not the end. It was truly the beginning, and that sentiment has carried over. 

And I think what’s so hurtful beyond what this is done to our democracy, to the soul of this country, what’s so hurtful about this is that, there is an intent to never hold the right people accountable who are responsible for these things that we’re seeing here, that were responsible for an officer losing their life, that were responsible for these officers being left with lifelong trauma. I mean, they’re heroes, and they have done their duty far beyond what they are called for, but don’t think for a moment that this is something that just goes away after this testimony. I mean, this is something that’s going to stick with them forever, and to know that there is no real push or at least on one side to never hold the people accountable or responsible and I am not talking about the people pushing that gate there. I’m talking about the people who put all of this in motion. I just feel awful for them because they’re not going to get the justice that they truly deserve. 

WALLACE: Paul, we talk all the time about the rise of extremism and institutions we traditionally hold up, right, and look to. We talk about in the military and law enforcement. How do you see this hearing as potentially breaking through? I mean, can it? Do you think it has any chance of doing that? 

RIECKHOFF: I do. It is kind of a moment like when we started seeing coffins coming home from Iraq when you started seeing real combat footage. It changes when you hear personal narratives when you understand there are people behind the uniforms and you understand their pain. And they put color behind what seems to be a political talking point. I mean, this is also, we’ve talked about this before Nicolle. This is a strategy by extremists and by right-wing attack people and the machine. You know, they continue to attack certain types of people who step forward to express heroism, and they’re not attacking white people. Like, let’s be honest about this here, right. They’re attacking Simone Biles, they’re attacking Officer Gonell, they’re attacking Officer Dunn.

This is not an off-shoot. This is a strategy, and they continue to compound it in part because it animates that extreme part of this movement which I will say every time I’m on your show is the number one national security threat we face right now. It’s not Al-Qaeda, it’s not ISIS, it’s not Iran, it’s domestic extremism. Osama Bin Laden never took over the Capitol, these people did, and many of them are still out there. I say it on my Twitter feed. If you’re upset, you can help. The FBI is looking for these people right now. There are 11 videos of people that are out there, that are still on the streets, they’re out there, and we can help the FBI, we can lock them up. Either you’re with us or against us and many of these people are against us. They’re against team America, they’re against the officers, and they need to be held accountable and locked up, put on trial, and put away. 

WALLACE: I see all those videos, and I retweet them, I know you do too. Jemele Hill, Paul Rieckhoff thank you so much for spending some time with us today. 

BIDEN’S FAILURE: Q2 GDP Numbers Fell Short Of Expectations

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

The United States’ economic growth expanded only slightly in the second quarter of the year, failing to meet economists’ high expectations.

Although consumer spending exceeded expectations, numbers from the second quarter indicate that the economy only expanded 6.5%, well below the expectations of many economists.

Beth Ann Bovino, the chief U.S. economist at S&P Global Ratings, predicted that the economy would expand at an 11 percent pace during the second quarter, while most other economists estimated only 8 percent. 

“People felt confident and safe and started to go out and spend,” Bovino said before the numbers were released Thursday morning.

“Yes, the [stimulus checks] were certainly a help, but I think the ball was already in motion,” she added. “Even back in December, they couldn’t spend fast enough, they were sitting on so much cash.” 

Rubeela Farooqi, the chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics, expressed disappointment at the news but predicted that growth would rise in the second half of 2021.

“In short, Q2 GDP was weaker than expected. Household spending and business investment provided a strong lift but inventories, residential investment, government spending and net exports were drags on growth,” she said. “The level of output surpassed the pre-pandemic level in the second quarter with GDP 0.8% above where it was in Q4-19.”

“A solid pace of growth in Q2 is expected to moderate in the second half of 2021,” she added. “The extent of slowdown is still not clear, but we expect GDP growth to remain above trend over coming quarters.” 

For his part, Biden argued that the failure to meet expectations is somehow good news.

“America is on the move again, and today’s new GDP numbers put our economy back at pre-pandemic levels,” he tweeted. “Make no mistake: this growth is no accident, it’s a direct result of our efforts to deliver economic relief to families, small businesses, and communities across the country.”

Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News (818-460-7477), CBS News (212-975-3247) and NBC News (212- 664-6192) and demand they report the truth about the business cycle and correct the false narrative being circulated by media that Democratic presidents are better than Republican presidents on the economy.

Top Teachers’ Unions Refuse Vaccination Requirement

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Washington Free Beacon

Two of the country’s largest teachers’ unions refuse to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their members, even as public schools require vaccinations for their students.

The National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are pushing against mandatory teacher vaccinations as the 2021-22 school year approaches, instead asking for weekly testing and other alternatives. But public universities such as the University of Indiana and California state schools are already forcing students to vaccinate before returning to campus for instruction.

The move contradicts remarks made in September 2020 by AFT president Randi Weingarten. At the time, she said she supported mandating COVID-19 vaccines for teachers once they were approved and made readily available.

The powerful teachers’ unions are breaking with labor leadership in their approach. AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said Tuesday he supports a vaccine mandate for union workers. Other public sector organizations advocate for mandatory vaccinations, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and local governments in New York and California. The department’s decision affects more than 100,000 frontline workers alone, while growing demands from New York and California governments for public sector workers to get vaccinated touches more than two million.

Weingarten came under fire from Republicans last summer for arguing that opening schools in the fall would be “very dangerous.” After strongly supporting a return to in-person schooling this fall, she backtracked on Wednesday, saying the union would “try to open up schools” but that new CDC guidance had thrown the group a “curveball.”

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Republican senators raise questions after receiving unredacted Fauci email about Wuhan lab

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, WND

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) – Five Republican senators are questioning why the Department of Health and Human Services redacted a portion of an email between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Peter Daszak, the president of a research organization that worked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology on coronavirus studies before the pandemic.

Their inquiry is the latest attempt from the group to get public health agencies to turn over documents related to the way pandemic policies have been set behind the scenes.

The email in question gained widespread attention last month because Daszak, a key figure in research linked to the hypothesis that COVID-19 may have escaped from the Wuhan lab, thanked Fauci for downplaying the likelihood of a lab leak. It also gained attention after being released to media outlets under the Freedom of Information Act because the administration redacted a portion of the email using an exemption reserved for information related to “pending law enforcement proceedings.”

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