Two Students for Life Members Arrested in Washington DC After Attempting to Chalk “BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER” Outside Abortion Clinic

Two pro-life students were arrested on Saturday morning for chalking “Black Preborn Lives Matter” on a sidewalk outside of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Washington DC.

The two protesters were arrested after police told them to stop chalking on a public sidewalk.

How is that a crime?

The radical left does that and much more every night in streets across America.

Apparently, it’s only legal to paint “Black Lives Matter” on the streets but not “Black Preborn Lives Matter” in our nation’s capital.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/two-students-life-members-arrested-washington-dc-attempting-chalk-black-preborn-lives-matter-outside-abortion-clinic/

English Ignore Social Distancing Pleas And Pack Beaches On Hottest Day Of Summer

Millions of Britons across northern England have been placed under partial lockdown as a handful of hotspots have emerged in Manchester and other areas. But despite a pervasive sense of trepidation as outbreaks in Catalonia, Poland and elsewhere revive fears about a second wave hammering Europe, many in the UK are crowding on to beaches as temperatures reach record summer highs.

Footage going viral on social media shows packed beaches along the south coast of England as temperatures notched the hottest day of the year.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/english-ignore-social-distancing-pleas-and-pack-beaches-hottest-day-summer

TikTok owners want Microsoft to take over US business in a bid to escape looming ban

Chinese firm ByteDance, which owns the popular short-video app, has reportedly offered to completely forgo a stake in the US business of TikTok hours before US President Donald Trump was meant to ban the service.

ByteDance initially planned to keep a minority stake in its overseas operations, but the initial proposal met opposition in the White House. As the Trump administration increased pressure, the company, unwilling to lose the US market with millions of users, came up with a new deal on Saturday, Reuters reported citing sources familiar with the matter.

Under the new deal, the Chinese owners of TikTok would exit completely to let Microsoft take control of its American operations, while in the future other American companies may eventually win the right to acquire a majority stake. The plan also implies that the US tech giant would be in charge of protecting all US user data.

Microsoft and Bytedance have not officially commented on the matter so far. It was earlier said that the corporation is in “advanced talks” with Bytedance, but the valuation of the deal, possibly amounting to millions of dollars, has not been revealed.

However, it is still unclear if the undated deal would be enough to save TikTok from the looming ban. Just hours before, President Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he was not in favor of such an acquisition.

“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump said, adding that he might use an executive order or invoke emergency powers to implement the decision.

The Trump administration has been accusing the China-developed app of handing over private data to the Chinese government – the same mantra it used against other Chinese firms, such as Huawei. Commenting on the recent threat from Trump, TikTok, which has previously denied the allegations, stressed that all its data is stored in the US. It also noted that has given jobs to 1,000 Americans this year alone, and wants to expand its US staff by another 10,000 employees.

https://www.rt.com/business/496853-tiktok-microsoft-deal-us-ban/

Steve Kerr ripped for silence on China after complaining about critics of national anthem protests

Steve Kerr did not provide his opinion about bombshell report of abuse at NBA training academies in China

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was slammed online for his silence on human rights abuses in China after complaining about critics of national anthem protests.

The NBA restarted its season on Thursday, the first games since shutting down in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, every NBA player, except one, has knelt during the national anthem.

Previously, the NBA had a rule requiring players to stand during the national anthem. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has dismissed the rule for the rebooted season due to the nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.

"I respect our teams' unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem," Silver said on Thursday.

On Friday, Kerr defended the kneeling protests and addressed critics who don't support players kneeling during the national anthem.

"With NBA games now in full force, the inevitable race baiting 'kneeling is a sign of disrespect!' tweets are coming," Kerr tweeted. "Our message is clear: We love our country. And we also believe that this nation can and must do better to eliminate racism and bigotry. That is why we kneel."

With NBA games now in full force, the inevitable race baiting 'kneeling is a sign of disrespect!' tweets are coming… https://t.co/RtSpw6pNm4

— Steve Kerr (@Steve Kerr)1596212456.0

Twitter users were quick to point out Kerr's silence regarding China's human rights abuses.

Kerr was mocked by conservative commentator Stephen Miller, who replied, "Steve, I speak for all Americans when I say we're just relieved China has given you permission to once again speak out on important social and human rights abuses."

National Review contributor Pradheep J. Shanker inquired, "Cool. You ready to speak out against China yet…or nah?"

Curtis Houck, Managing Editor at Newsbusters, asked, "Now how about 'do[ing] better to eliminate racism and bigotry' in China? Or do the concentration camps there not matter?"

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) proposed that Kerr and NBA players respect the American flag.

"Here's a better idea: stand for the anthem, to honor our Nation & the heroes who died for our freedom," Cruz responded. "And then support school choice by donating 10% of your salaries for scholarships for low-income children to attend excellent schools."

Here’s a better idea: stand for the anthem, to honor our Nation & the heroes who died for our freedom. And then s… https://t.co/Wx6jKpH5ee

— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz)1596237144.0

Noam Blum, Tablet Magazine associate editor, asked, "Any word on ESPN's expose of your training program in Xinjiang or nah?"

The tweet was a reference to a bombshell report in ESPN that exposed violence in the NBA's training academies in China. The report features testimony from anonymous American coaches who were employed at the NBA training academies, including one in the Xinjiang province where more than a million Uighur Muslims are imprisoned.

The report alleges that young players were physically abused by Chinese coaches and were not provided proper schooling, despite Silver promising that education would be "central" to the program.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/steve-kerr-defends-national-anthem-protests-twitter

UAE becomes first Arab country to harness nuclear power following successful reactor launch

The United Arab Emirates has become the first nation in the Arab world to produce nuclear energy, following the start-up of a newly constructed plant in Abu Dhabi.

The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 1 is now using nuclear fuel to produce energy after the facility successfully executed initial tests on Saturday. Three other reactors are still under construction and the plant still needs to be connected to the country’s power grid, local media reported.

“Today we announce the UAE's success in operating the first peaceful nuclear reactor in the Arab world,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, ruler of Dubai, wrote on Twitter. He added that “the goal is to operate four nuclear power plants that will provide one-quarter of the country's energy needs in a safe, reliable and emission-free way.”

Hamad Alkaabi, the UAE’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), described the plant’s initial launch as a “historic milestone” for his country.

The Dubai leader also said the plant’s launch illustrates that “the Arabs are able to resume their scientific ambitions” and hinted that the next step for the UAE is space exploration.

https://www.rt.com/news/496835-uae-nuclear-energy-first-arab-world/

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago Sees 139 Percent Increase in Murder

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) Chicago witnessed a 139 percent increase in murder during July 2020 when compared to July 2019.

ABC7 reported there were 105 murders in July 2020, up from “the 44 reported in July 2019.”

Moreover, there were 406 “shooting incidents” in Chicago during the month of July 2020, an increase of 75 percent “from the 232 last July,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Over a longer span of time, murders were up 51 percent from January 1, 2020, through July 31, 2020, compared to murders for the same period of time in 2019, according to the Sun-Times.

Lightfoot blamed Chicago mayhem and bloodshed on gun friendly states during a July 26, 2020, appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.

According to The Hill, Lightfoot told CNN, “Our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns on our streets, 60 percent of which come from states outside of Illinois.”

She added, “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons — that is hurting cities like Chicago.”

Lightfoot did not mention that the Chicago area already has an “assault weapons” ban via a Cook County ordinance. Nor did she mention background checks are a federal requirement, mandated for all retail gun sales in every state of the Union, whether that is Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, or California.

The mayor also failed to noted that her state, Illinois, requires everyone to obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card before being allowed to possess a gun, and the process for obtaining that card includes a background check.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/01/mayor-lightfoots-chicago-sees-139-percent-increase-murder/

Joe Biden Criticized Trump’s Handling Of PPP Loans As His Son-In-Law Benefited From The Program

A medical investment firm staffed by former Vice President Joe Biden’s son-in-law, Dr. Howard Krein, and co-founded by Howard’s brother, Steven Krein, received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in April, less than two weeks before Biden publicly criticized the Trump administration’s management of the program.

Howard Krein, who is married to Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden, and also serves as an informal advisor to the Biden campaign, is the chief medical officer of StartUp Health, which as of September 2018 had built up an investment portfolio valued at over $31 million. The firm received a PPP loan valued between $150,000 and $350,000 on April 12 to retain the jobs of 18 people, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Nine days later, on April 21, Biden accused Trump in a Medium post of leaving small businesses with less than 20 employees behind in his administration’s management of the PPP.

“It is unacceptable to have a small-business program that is leaving minority business owners out in the cold, or that firms with fewer than 20 employees received only about 20% of the money — even though they make up about one third of payroll,” Biden wrote.

The Biden campaign and StartUp Health did not return requests for comment.

Biden is no stranger to StartUp Health, according to its founders.

Steven Krein recalled to the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) in 2015 how StartUp Health had announced its launch at an event at the White House in 2011 after Biden personally helped set up a meeting between the firm’s co-founders, Steven Krein and Unity Stoakes, and former President Barack Obama.

“I happened to be talking to my father-in-law that day and I mentioned Steve and Unity were down there,” Krein said, according to the PACT piece. “He knew about StartUp Health and was a big fan of it. He asked for Steve’s number and said, ‘I have to get them up here to talk with Barack.’ The Secret Service came and got Steve and Unity and brought them to the Oval Office.”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/07/31/biden-startup-health-howard-krein-ppp/

Germany: ‘Freedom’ Protesters Gather to Call for End of Coronavirus Restrictions

Protesters against coronavirus restrictions have gathered in Berlin for a demonstration titled “The end of the pandemic — freedom day.” It comes amid increasing concern about an upturn in infections in Germany.

A crowd of people whistling and cheering — and with few masks in sight — marched from the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday ahead of a rally on a wide boulevard that runs through the city’s Tiergarten park.

Protesters held up homemade placards featuring slogans that included “Corona, false alarm,” “We are being forced to wear a muzzle” and “Natural defense instead of vaccination.” Some chanted “We’re here and we’re loud, because we are being robbed of our freedom.”

Demonstrations against restrictions this year have drawn a variety of people, including some conspiracy theorists and right-wing populists. People came from various parts of Germany for Saturday’s protest.

Germany’s management of the pandemic has widely been viewed as relatively successful, with a lower death rate than comparable countries. The country has been easing lockdown measures since late April but social-distancing rules remain in place, as does a requirement to wear masks in public transport and shops.

Infection figures have crept up over the past few weeks and officials have warned against complacency.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/01/germany-freedom-protesters-gather-call-end-coronavirus-restrictions/

Estimated 11,000 Migrants Arrived in Italy in a Single Week

Italy has seen a surge in migrant arrivals in recent weeks, with as many as 11,000 arriving last week, half of them coming from Tunisia.

The Italian Interior Ministry released a statement this week saying: “Autonomous landings on the Italian coast have more than multiplied in a very short period of time.”

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio went on to call for aid from the European Union, saying the bloc “must address this issue immediately” and work to redistribute the incoming migrants. Di Maio also noted the health risks due to the potential spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, Le Figaro reports.

Of the 11,000 migrants to arrive in Italy last week, many came by small boat. Around half of them came from Tunisia, most of them Tunisian citizens.

Salvini Slams Italian Leftist Govt for Illegal Migrant Surge https://t.co/WJt4BA2W2j

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 28, 2020

For those who come from Tunisia, the Italian island of Lampedusa, the part of Italy closest to the North African coast, is often their target. On Tuesday night alone, around 300 migrants arrived on the island in 13 small boats.

The surge of new arrivals has led to intense overcrowding at the Lampedusa migrant reception facility which is designed to hold just 95 migrants at a time and currently holds around 1,000.

In June, residents of Lampedusa held their own referendum and overwhelmingly voted to close the migrant reception centre with over 900 votes for the measure and just four voting against it.

“For 30 years, in the face of the continuous violation of the most essential rights for the population and for immigrants, Lampedusa has been used as a military management platform for migration,” a local island committee said. It added: “All this with the complicity of local administrations and through a moral and economic blackmailing strategy, to the detriment of the local population.”

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/01/estimated-11000-migrants-arrive-italy-single-week/

China Will Stop Recognising British Hong Kong Passports: Chinese Amb to UK

China’s ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming has said that the Communist state will no longer recognise the British National (Overseas) passport as a valid legal document, suggesting that his country will block the three million Hong Kongers eligible for one from leaving the city.

Some 350,000 people in the former British territory have the travel document, but the British government offered to extend that to three million Hong Kong residents and increase entry visas to the UK from six months to up to five years from January 2021, in effect offering a path to settled status and British citizenship.

The visa changes were made in response to the Chinese Communist Party passing a security law in Hong Kong that effectively banned criticism of the government or support for independence. The British government said that the move tore up the “one country, two systems” agreement China and the UK made ahead of the handover in 1997.

Mr Lui counterclaimed during a press conference on Thursday reported by The Guardian that the UK had broken the 1984 Memorandum of Agreement, where Britain said it would not open up a path to citizenship for Hong Kongers with BNO documents.

“Since the UK have violated their commitment, we have to let them know that we have to take measures not to recognise the BNO passport as a valid travel document,” Mr Liu said.

Beijing’s ambassador to London had made similar remarks before, asserting in early July Chinese dominion over all Hong Kongers. Mr Liu had said that “all Chinese compatriots residing in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals, whether or not they are holders of the British dependent territories citizens passport or the British national (overseas) passport”.

Five Eyes in Talks to Reboot ‘Critical’ Group to Combat Dependence on China: Report https://t.co/VY4nIvxmzO

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 31, 2020

The security law changes life significantly for Hong Kong citizens, according to BBC correspondent Stephen McDonell. He pointed out that the law now makes punishable with lengthy prison sentences the singing of certain political songs, encouraging hatred of Beijing or the Beijing-controlled Hong Kong government, or calling for greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong.

Even wearing a t-shirt bearing the wrong political message could land a Hong Konger in prison. Dissenters also risk being sent to mainland China for their court appearance, which reportedly has an almost 100 per cent conviction rate.

Former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, Simon Cheng, told Breitbart London in February that when he was abducted from Hong Kong last year, he was taken to China and tortured and interrogated for 15 days, accused of being sent by the UK to foment unrest in the city.

Tensions between the UK and China have been increasing in recent months over the new Chinese security law, the coronavirus pandemic, criticism of the treatment of the Falun Gong and the Uighurs, and Huawei.

In response, Mr Lui claimed: “These actions have seriously poisoned the atmosphere of the China-UK relationship.”

“China threatens no one,” the ambassador said on Thursday. “We just let you know the consequences. China wants to be a friend of the UK and a UK partner, but if you do not want to be a partner and our friend, and you want to treat China as a hostile power, you will pay the price.”

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/01/china-will-stop-recognising-british-hong-kong-passports-chinese-amb-uk/

State Cops Seize Cartel Weapons Caches in Mexican Border City

PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Coahuila — In recent weeks, Mexican authorities made several arrests of gunmen and seized caches of weapons tied to the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas. The cartel continues to be the dominant criminal organization in the region.

This week, Coahuila state police arrested three men in the Doctores neighborhood as part of an investigation into CDN-Los Zetas activity in the city, law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas. During the arrest, authorities searched the gunmen’s vehicle and seized seven AK-47 rifles, three AR-15 rifles, and a pistol. Authorities also seized makeshift road spikes and drugs.

Investigators charged the gunmen on drug trafficking charges at the state level and sent them to a prison in Saltillo, the Delegate for the Coahuila Attorney General’s Office Victor Gerardo Rodriguez Lozano revealed to Breitbart Texas. The gunmen are expected to undergo their trial in state court, however, authorities also provided the information to their federal counterparts.

A few days before, three other gunmen also believed to be tied with the CDN-Los Zetas were arrested. The case took place in mid-July in the Gobernadores neighborhood when a squad of Coahuila state officers raided a home and arrested two men and a woman possessing tactical gear, uniforms, and six AK-47 rifles.

The recent arrests are tied to an investigation into the CDN-Los Zetas following a terrorist-style attack in November 2019, when approximately 150 gunmen from Nuevo Laredo raided the town of Villa Union in Coahuila. Since then, authorities have focused on targeting the CDN-Los Zetas operations in the area and arrested 12 gunmen. As Breitbart Texas reported, one of the gunmen made an international most-wanted list.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/07/31/state-cops-seize-cartel-weapons-caches-in-mexican-border-city/

Italian Senate Lifts Salvini Parliamentary Immunity over Alleged Migrant ‘Kidnapping’

The Italian Senate has voted to strip populist Senator Matteo Salvini of parliamentary immunity, which could see the League leader face trial for “kidnapping” illegal migrants.

The vote was related to an incident that took place in August 2019, when Salvini was serving as Interior Minister and refused to let 164 migrants disembark from a migrant transport vessel belonging to the Spanish NGO Open Arms.

Senators voted 149 to 141 to strip Salvini of his parliamentary immunity. If Sicilian prosecutors put the League leader on trial and he is found guilty of the charges, he could face up to 15 years in prison, Il Giornale reports.

“I am proud to have defended Italy: I would do it again, and I will do it again, because this July alone the landings are six times those of the same period a year ago, when the League was in government,” Salvini said earlier this week.

“I go on, with my head held high and with a clear conscience, because I have done my duty with determination and common sense. I am not afraid, I will not be intimidated, and they will not silence me: I know that for all the parliamentarians, sooner or later, the judgment of the voters will come,” he added.

While serving as Interior Minister, Salvini pursued a policy to shut all ports to migrant transport NGOs. Italian prosecutors and German authorities had accused many of the organisations of working with people smugglers in North Africa.

An internal report from the German Joint Analysis and Strategy Centre for Illegal Migration (Gasim) stated: “In the presence of NGO ships, concerted departures from Libya were noted. According to refugees and migrants, smugglers use the tracking function on various websites to determine the location of NGO ships and contacted them in individual cases using a satellite phone.”

The Senate vote is the second time Salvini has been stripped of his parliamentary immunity this year. A previous case involved a similar incident that saw Salvini refuse to allow migrants aboard a coast guard vessel to disembark on Italians oil.

A poll taken in February revealed that a plurality of Italians thought the League leader should not be put on trial at all and that it was wrong for the Senate to strip his parliamentary immunity.

Italian pollster Alessandra Ghisleri, meanwhile, suggested that a trial could boost Salvini’s national polling numbers, arguing that the attacks could turn Salvini into a perceived victim.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/08/01/italian-senate-lifts-salvini-parliamentary-immunity-alleged-migrant-kidnapping/