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European Leaders Consider New Lockdowns As Cases Of COVID-19 Surge

New York state is about to drop its face mask mandate as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Empire State.

Leaders in Europe are facing the possibility of new lockdowns as cases of COVID-19 have begun to surge again. The New York Times reports:

In France, President Emmanuel Macron warned on Friday that the authorities were doing “everything to avoid a new lockdown.” A day later, the country reported over 7,300 new virus cases, its highest daily tally since March 31 and a number that sent its seven-day average to a new record of 4,668.

As Germany faces its own more modest resurgence, Chancellor Angela Merkel said this week that managing the pandemic would become more challenging in the fall and winter, as the colder weather drives people back indoors. “We will have to live with this virus for a long time to come,” she said.

The sobering comments from Ms. Merkel and Mr. Macron come as European countries brace for — or even appear to be entering — a second wave of infections. Nowhere on the continent is the threat more alarming than in Spain, where the Times database shows that the seven-day average has passed 7,600.

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Sen. Ron Johnson Refuses To Condemn 17-Year-Old Vigilante

CNN’s Dana Bash and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
During an interview on CNN’s. ‘State of the Union,’ Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) refused to condemn Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Donald Trump cultist who has been charged with the murders of two Black Lives Matter protestors early this week. Host Dana Bash repeatedly asked if he condemned the shooting and Johnson would only refer to the incident as a vague “tragedy.” BASH: “The 17-year-old accused of committing two murders was a Trump supporter. Do you condemn that?” JOHNSON: “It is a tragedy.” BASH: “Do you condemn it? JOHNSON: It’s a tragedy.” BASH: “It is a tragedy, but do you condemn it?” JOHNSON: “The entire situation is a tragedy.”

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Showtune Saturday: Ramin Karimloo “Make Them Hear You”

Ramin Karimloo

Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera star Ramin Karimloo absolutely kills “Make Them Hear You” from RAGTIME. I’m such a fan of Ramin’s work. His focus, clarity and open heart command your attention with ease. And that voice. Oh, and then there’s the fact he’s so easy on the eyes 🙂 Plus, the message of the song seems particularly relevant in this time.

Your sword could be a sermon or the power of the pen Teach every child to raise his voice and then my brothers, then…
Will justice be demanded by ten million righteous men Make them hear you,  When they hear you, I’ll be near you – again…

More of his music can be found on iTunes here.

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Wisconsin: Poll Shows Support For BLM Dropping Amid New Protests

A new poll shows how Donald Trump could win the November election amid the recent violence that has happened in the aftermath of Jacob Blake being shot by Kenosha police officers. Democrats close to the Biden campaign are concerned the looting and violence in cities could help President Trump, especially among the few undecided or wavering Americans. From Axios:

In a Marquette Law School poll of registered voters in battleground Wisconsin, support for Black Lives Matters protests dropped 13 points from June to August, just ahead of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.

“There was an initial surge in support for and sympathy with BLM in June,” Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, told me.

“The shift to a more negative view in August is strongest among Republicans, but independents and Democrats also became less approving. The decline was across all regions except for the city of Milwaukee.”

[snip]

David Axelrod’s warning to fellow Dems about Trump’s effort to shift attention from COVID and unemployment to ‘law and order:’ 

“The timing of unrest in Kenosha has been a gift to him in that project.”

From the summary of the new poll on the issue of the Black Lives Matter movement:

In June 59 percent were favorable and 27 percent were unfavorable.

In August favorable views declined though a plurality held favorable views, 49 percent favorable to 37 percent unfavorable.

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Sheriff’s Racist Rant Results In His Resignation

Former Arkansas County Sheriff Todd Wright (photo: ARSheriffs.org)
Arkansas County Sheriff Todd Wright resigned from his position after a recording of him repeatedly using the n-word began circulating on social media. In the clip, Wright goes on an ugly rant yelling at a woman who had spoken to a Black employee at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Dewitt. He was apparently embarrassed she had spoken to someone Black. Here’s the transcript: “Shut up you f**king n***er lover! … Every motherf**ker in this store and you gotta talk to the f**king (inaudible) n***er. Right there in front of me, like y’all f**king best buddies. It is a big f**king deal. People f**king see me and see you talking to f**king n***ers.” Here’s the video which appears to have been captured by a friend of the woman.

The video was initially shared on social media back in May but began circulating again this week. At a special session of the Arkansas County Quorum Court on Friday, August 28, Wright acknowledged that it was him in the recording and offered an apology for any offense his comments caused adding that his remarks were made ‘in the heat of the moment.’ During a rambling statement, he added he was “disturbed my career was in shambles because of something I said.” He also – wait for it – insisted he’s not racist. Initially, Wright refused to resign, but the court (which doesn’t have the power to remove Wright from office) unanimously approved a resolution asking for his resignation. Following comments from the public demanding he step down, Wright offered to leave his position in a month as he wanted time to find another job. But Bobby Webb, a longtime friend of Wright, told the sheriff he needed to resign immediately. “I’ve known you all my life,” said Webb according to the Stuttgart Daily Leader. “You need to take that badge and you need to lay it on that table and you need to walk out of here. You know I love you.” After a brief recess, Wright submitted his official resignation, which the court voted unanimously to accept. Out of ‘compassion,’ the court also unanimously decided to allow Wright to be paid through September 30, although he will not be an active law enforcement officer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the county Wright has been serving for years is 25 percent Black. After listening to the repeated use of the n-word in this recording (nine times he uses the slur), it’s not hard to imagine what Wright thought of the local Black citizens he encountered in the line of duty. I’m going to close this post by saying I believe the vast, vast majority of law enforcement officers are good people. But people like Wright make their jobs much, much harder. If you ever wonder why football players kneel, and Black Lives Matter protests are happening, this is part of the reason why.

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News Round-Up: August 28, 2020

Singer/songwriter NIKO (via official website)
Some news items you might have missed: • Out Music: Randy Report favorite NIKO (above) releases his latest single, “Try,” a romantic, intimate anthem dedicated to his partner. With dreamy synths and soft beats, NIKO tells an autobiographical story about overcoming obstacles and finding love. Hit the play button below to check out “Try,” and you can find my previous coverage of the talented artist here.

• Vice: Former classmates of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who is charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, say he was known as a “ride or die” Trump supporter. “If you said anything bad about Trump, he’d threaten you. Kyle was the type of kid to wear a MAGA hat or other apparel just for attention, or to ‘trigger’ people.” • New York Post: Reviewing Donald Trump’s “longest in convention history” speech – “There was no flow, no argument, no central core. He praised himself and he attacked Joe Biden, just as you’d expect. But he didn’t build a case for himself or a case against Biden — and it’s the construction of such cases that provide the dramatic structure a major speech needs to engage both the head and the heart. For someone who relishes drama, Trump provided none.” • Politico: A former Liberty University student says Becki Falwell, the wife of the school’s then-President Jerry Falwell Jr., jumped into bed with him and performed oral sex on him while he stayed over at the Falwell home after a band practice with her eldest son in 2008. The student, who was 22 at the time of the encounter, said she initiated the act. She then pursued the young man in text messages, and yes, there are screen captures. • Yahoo Sports: The Mets and Marlins took the field last night for only a 42-second moment of silence – most probably in honor of Jackie Robinson – before leaving in solidarity. The only thing left on the field – a Black Lives Matter shirt.

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Trump’s Convention Speech Draws Fewer Viewers Than Biden

L-R President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden
I realize I haven’t posted much on this week’s Republican National Convention, mainly because who could possibly keep up with the fact-checking needed to counter the huge amount of misinformation coming from the speakers. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale does a great job of pointing out many of Donald Trump’s lies from his renomination speech last night. By the way, CNN’s Brian Stelter reports news that is sure to burn the Donald: more folks tuned in for former Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at the Democratic National Convention last week than Trump’s lie-fest on Thursday night.

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Gay Couple Murdered In Possible Bungled Burglary

L-R Christian Pandolfino, Ivor Maciejowski (image via Instagram)
A gay couple living in Malta were the victims of a grisly murder with no clear motive. Ivor Maciejowski and Christian Pandolfino were found dead from gunshot wounds in their home in Sliema around 10:30 pm on August 18. The Times of Malta reports that Pandolfino had gone to dinner with visiting family members while Maciejowski had remained at home. Pandolfino returned early on his own, and by the time his family arrived back at the residence, the two men were already dead. Surveillance footage reportedly shows three people leaving the crime scene, climbing into a car where a fourth person was waiting to drive them away. The website LovinMalta reports two people have been charged with the double murder, Daniel Muka and Victor Dragomanski. Police believe a third suspect might have fled the country. Pandolfino had worked as a doctor in the UK before transitioning into investment banking. He subsequently returned to Malta where he owned an extensive collection of art. Maciejowski, 30, was a contemporary art dealer who had run an online art gallery until last year. According to reports, the couple had been together for four years. An LGBTQ community Facebook page for Malta shared the news of the murders and initially, there were suspicions that the incident might have been a hate crime. But since then, there has been speculation that the murders might have been the result of a bungled burglary as the couple often showed off their art collection on social media.

The comments on the Facebook page reveal the couple, both avid bodybuilders, had been popular in the community and were often seen at MedAsia Playa beach club. One commenter wrote, “They were so kind to me,” and another responded saying, “Dear Chris and Ivor we shall miss you tremendously.” One friend described the couple as “beautiful, kind souls” and “amazing people that loved each other very much.” (Source: Times of Malta)

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Guess What The Top Performing Political Facebook Posts Are?

New York Times tech journalist Kevin Roose explains how Donald Trump could very well win a second term in the White House. Every morning, Roose checks the top-performing Facebook link posts by U.S. pages and shares them via a Twitter account. If you’re a moderate, or land left of center politically, you may not be aware (or see) how Trump’s ‘silent majority’ is still out there. From the New York Times:

Most days, the leader board looks roughly the same: conservative post after conservative post, with the occasional liberal interloper.

But what sticks out, when you dig in to the data, is just how dominant the Facebook right truly is. Pro-Trump political influencers have spent years building a well-oiled media machine that swarms around every major news story, creating a torrent of viral commentary that reliably drowns out both the mainstream media and the liberal opposition.

The result is a kind of parallel media universe that left-of-center Facebook users may never encounter, but that has been stunningly effective in shaping its own version of reality.

Inside the right-wing Facebook bubble, President Trump’s response to Covid-19 has been strong and effective, Joe Biden is barely capable of forming sentences, and Black Lives Matter is a dangerous group of violent looters.

Mr. Trump and his supporters are betting that, despite being behind Mr. Biden in the polls, a “silent majority” will carry him to re-election.

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News Round-Up: August 27, 2020

L-R Michael Caprio, Matt Zarley, Chad Quintero, Randy Slovacek, Greg Chase
Some news items you might have missed: • TBT: Remembering sunsets at our pool (above) when we could actually have a group of folks over for summertime cocktails in our Olivia Newton-John cups. Ah, good times… • The Advocate: The city of Anchorage has become the first in Alaska to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ for minors. This makes Alaska the 40th state where some jurisdiction has taken action against the harmful practice. • New York Times: More than 100 former staff members for Senator John McCain are supporting former Vice President Joe Biden in a show of support across the political divide. The list of signatories includes a range of people — from chiefs of staff in Mr. McCain’s Senate office to junior aides on his campaigns — who worked for him over his 35 years in Congress and during two presidential bids. Republican Voters Against Trump also released this ad today in McCain’s home state of Arizona.

• OUT: A bodybuilding gay couple in Malta were brutally slain in their home on August 18. Police are looking for three persons captured on security cameras leaving the residence, as well as a suspected driver in an awaiting vehicle. • JoeMyGod: After GoFundMe canceled a crowdfunding campaign for legal costs for accused 17-year-old murderer Kyle Rittenhouse, ‘Christian’ crowdfunding site GiveSendGo raised over $59,000 in the first few hours. • ABC News: Cocky North Carolina congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn, 25, got it wrong during his four-minute speech during the Republican National Convention last night when he boasted the accomplishments of other youthful politicians in history, like James Madison, who he mistakenly announced signed the Declaration of Independence. “If you don’t think young people can change the world, then you just don’t know American history. George Washington was 21 when he received his first military commission. Abe Lincoln, 22 when he first ran for office. And my personal favorite: James Madison was just 25 years old when he signed the Declaration of Independence.” Today, Cawthorn says he was just testing the fact-checkers.