SATANIC TEMPLE: Abortion is a ‘Satanic Ritual’ and Should Be Protected Under Religious Freedom Laws

In a bizarre attempt at protecting the right to abortions under “religious freedom,” the Satanic Temple is urging women to recite satanic incantations during them as a “satanic abortion ritual.”

The Satanic Temple is protesting waiting periods, mandatory counseling, and “unwanted sonograms,” by claiming that abortion is a satanic practice and should be protected due to religious freedom.

In a press release sent to the Gateway Pundit by a spokesperson, the Satanic Temple said that “Satanists are exempt from these regulations if they undergo first-trimester abortions in accordance with TST’s religious ritual. The satanic abortion ritual involves the recitation of TST’s Third and Fifth Tenets, which celebrate bodily autonomy and the adherence to best scientific practices, along with a personal affirmation that is ceremoniously intertwined with the abortion.”

The organization claims that they are using exemptions on the protections provided by State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA), which generally prohibits the government from substantially interfering with a person’s free exercise of religion. They cited the Hobby Lobby ruling, in which the company successfully argued that it did not have to cover the costs of certain contraceptives for their female employees despite being mandated to do so under the Affordable Care Act because its owners held a religious belief that the contraceptives were abortifacients.

The Satanic Temple agreed to an interview with the Gateway Pundit, which they initiated, but did not respond to questions we asked about how they think this could work based on the decision in Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the state could deny unemployment benefits to a person fired for violating a state prohibition on the use of peyote, even if used during part of a religious ritual.

The case ultimately set the precedent that states are allowed to accommodate illegal acts if they are performed in pursuit of religious beliefs, but they are not required to do so.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/satanic-temple-abortion-satanic-ritual-protected-religious-freedom-laws/

Trump Says Signs Executive Orders on Coronavirus Relief for Americans

Trump said he instructed the administration to start drafting an Executive Order on unemployment benefits and other aid for jobless Americans after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a new coronavirus relief bill.

President Donald Trump has signed executive orders to provide a payroll tax holiday for Americans earning less than $100,000 a year, adding that if elected, he will make permanent cuts to payroll taxes.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202008081080105107-trump-says-signs-executive-orders-on-coronavirus-relief-for-americans/

New York City is Illegally Housing Pedophiles a Block From Elementary School Playground

New York City is illegally housing pedophiles at a luxury hotel a block from an elementary school playground.

One of the offenders, who is still on parole, raped a four year old girl.

At least six homeless pedophiles are being housed by the city at the Belleclaire hotel at Broadway and West 77th Street as of Friday night, according to a report from the New York Post.

“The hotel is just under 1,000 feet from the playground of PS 87 — and New York state law bars such high-risk sex offenders on probation or parole from “knowingly entering into or upon” schools or other facilities or other facilities ‘primarily used’ by children if a minor is present. Courts have interpreted that to mean they must keep 1,000 feet away,” the Post reports.

The city has been housing the homeless at hotels amid the coronavirus pandemic out of fear that they can’t adequately social distance in shelters.

The names and faces of the pedophiles are as follows:

Devron Vernal, 26, was “convicted in 2015 of physically overpowering and having sex with a 4-year-old girl. He was sentenced to four years in prison and remains on parole until 2028.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/new-york-city-illegally-housing-pedophiles-block-elementary-school-playground/

California Using $100 Million of $550 Million Federal Coronavirus Funds to Put Homeless in Hotels

The California Department of Housing and Community Development is using $100 million of the $550 million it got from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to put homeless people in hotel rooms or other facilities in San Francisco as a way to allegedly curb the spread of the disease.

The state’s Homekey program announced the millions of taxpayer dollars available as grants to pay for the housing and that the deadline to apply is December 30.

The agency’s website states:

Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), $600 million in grant funding will be made available to local public entities, including cities, counties, or other local public entities, including housing authorities or federally recognized tribal governments within California to purchase and rehabilitate housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other buildings and convert them into interim or permanent, long-term housing.

The additional $50 million is from State General Funds and must be used by June 30, 2022, according to the website.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the bay area participation in the government handout:

As the coronavirus crisis stretches on and many hotels remain shuttered, some antsy owners are becoming more open to the idea of selling rather than hanging on to see how long they can survive the crippled economy. In hyper-expensive San Francisco, where plummeting tourism has led to 40% of the hotels temporarily closing, some owners might feel more confident than those in other regions in recovering financially once the pandemic eases.

But it doesn’t mean they’re not thinking about selling, officials said. San Francisco homeless policy leaders have said since early summer they are hoping to buy two or more hotels for conversion, and some leading players in the city’s Homekey process say several properties are in play.

The challenge, they say, is finding buildings that don’t need prohibitively expensive updating — in-unit bathrooms, disabled access and the like — whose owners are willing to sell at a fair price. All of that is no small ask, considering that while rents have dipped significantly during the pandemic, real estate prices have not. Then there’s the follow-up cost. Overseeing a supportive housing operation costs about $30,000 a year — per person — so a modest, 50-unit complex alone would require $1.5 million a year.

The Chronicle reported that the state has received about 100 initial applications so far, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office.

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen suggested a more militant approach if properties do not become available.

“If we can’t find willing sellers, we should consider addressing this major problem by eminent domain,” Ronen said. “Homekey is a solution, but we need much more like it. We have to do everything we can.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/08/california-using-100-million-of-550-million-federal-coronavirus-funds-to-put-homeless-in-hotels/

TikTok Plans To Sue White House Over 'National Security' Ban

NPR News, the closest thing we have to a CCP mouthpiece in the US, has gotten a rare scoop: TikTok owner ByteDance is planning to sue the Trump Administration over its executive order barring TikTok & Tencent's WeChat from the US market by mid-September.

The lawsuit, which will be filed in an American court (the Southern District of California, to be exact), alleges that Trump's executive order is unconstitutional because it didn't allow TikTok enough time to respond, while also alleging that Trump's claims that TikTok is a "national security threat" are "baseless".

TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration, challenging the president's executive order banning the service from the United States.

The video-sharing app hugely popular with the smartphone generation TikTok will file the federal lawsuit as soon as Tuesday, according to a person who was directly involved in the forthcoming suit but was not authorized to speak for the company. It will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, where TikTok's American operations are based, the person said.

NPR has learned that the lawsuit will argue that the president's far-reaching action is unconstitutional because it failed to give the company a chance to respond. It also alleges that the administration's national security justification for the order is baseless, according to the source.

"It's based on pure speculation and conjecture," the source said. "The order has no findings of fact, just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around."

The White House declined to comment on the expected litigation, but defended the president's executive order. "The Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats to critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and our economic and national security," according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.

Fortunately, the American legal system prioritizes the 'rule of law', so much so that it's one of the few jurisdictions in the world where foreign companies can sue the domestic government and stand a reasonable chance of winning. They can't say the same about courts in China.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tiktok-plans-sue-white-house-over-national-security-ban

"Within Days I Was Able To Breathe": NYC Democratic Councilman Says Hydroxychloroquine Saved His Life

An immunocompromised New York City Councilman who underplayed the severity of his COVID-19 diagnosis in April now says that it was actually much worse, and hydroxychloroquine saved his life.

Paul Vallone, a Democrat who represents Queens, says he took the drug along with a 'Z-pack' antibiotic and drastically improved within days.

"I couldn’t breathe, very weak, couldn’t get out of bed. My doctor prescribed it. My pharmacy had it. Took it that day and within two to three days I was able to breathe," Vallone told the New York Post, adding "Within a week I was back on my feet."

Though Vallone went public with his coronavirus diagnosis in an April 1 Twitter post, saying he was experiencing “mild symptoms,” his actual condition was considerably more severe. Vallone’s initial prognosis was particularly grim, as he also suffers from sarcoidosis, an auto-immune disease that attacks his lungs.

“We were in panic mode when I went down because I didn’t have a lot of immune response,” he said. “I needed something to stay alive.” -New York Post

Vallone's brother, former City Councilman Peter who currently serves as a civil court judge in Queens, is now a believer in the drug.

"I guess all those doctors who are prescribing it are right. This drug is already on the market and the patent is up so it’s cheap. A new drug won’t be. So big money does not want this drug to be used. Always follow the money," Peter said in a May 12 Facebook post.

Paul, responding in the comments section, said "[It] saved my life."

Hydroxychloroquine, or HCQ, is a commonly used anti-malaria drug also used for decades to treat lupus and arthritis. It became covid-19 treatment non-grata, however, after President Trump touted the inexpensive drug earlier this year - admitting to taking a course as a prophylactic against the disease.

"You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers before you catch it. The frontline workers — many, many are taking it," Trump said in May.

Studies on the drug have been mixed but mostly positive, with recent evidence pointing to significant results against COVID-19 when used early in the disease's progression.

Paul Vallone reflected on his April diagnosis, saying "At that time, there was only fear and panic, he offered hope in a possible treatment when there was none. With my sarcoidosis and then my COVID symptoms, It basically saved me. For that my family will always be thankful."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/within-days-i-was-able-breathe-nyc-democratic-councilman-says-hydroxychloroquine-saved

Repeat Criminal Released From Jail Due to Covid-19 Concerns Murders Maryland Man – Victim’s 16-Year-Old Daughter Witnessed Attack!

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Richard Jordan released Justin Wilson from jail on April 30 because of COVID-19 concerns.

On July 23, Wilson, a repeat criminal, murdered 63-year-old Edigio Ienzi in his Germantown, Maryland home, reported ABC 7’s Kevin Lewis.

The 16-year-old daughter woke up when she heard shouting and walked downstairs to see her father fighting with an intruder at knifepoint.

The murderer knew the family, according to the victim’s son.

“Ienzi’s son recalled telling Wilson, a longtime friend, that his dad loved to gamble and that they had several safes in the home.” – reported Kevin Lewis.

Tens of thousands of dangerous criminals are being released from prisons across the country over Coronavirus concerns which is one of the many reasons why crime is spiking.

Many convicted sex offenders and murderers have gone on to rape and murder again after being released from prison.

On Friday it was reported that Ibrahim Bouaichi, a rape suspect in Alexandria, Virginia who was released from jail to ‘help slow the spread of Coronavirus’ went on to murder his accuser.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/repeat-criminal-released-jail-due-covid-19-concerns-murders-maryland-man-victims-16-year-old-daughter-witnessed-attack/

Gretchen Whitmer Interviews for Vice President, Then Mandates Self-Lockdowns for People Exposed to Sore Throats

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with Joe Biden in Delaware this week as his search for a running mate comes down to the wire.

The AP reported:

Whitmer visited Biden Sunday, according to two high-ranking Michigan Democrats who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The first-term governor of the battleground state has long been on his short list of possible running mates.

Flight records show a chartered plane left Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport for Delaware Coastal Airport at 5:33 p.m. and returned at 11:16 p.m.

The development comes as Whitmer has been increasing mandates on Michiganders to blunt the spread of coronavirus, and said in an interview that she was spending “100 percent” of her energy on being governor.

This week — after her session with Biden — Whitmer issued an executive order declaring racism in the state a “public health crisis” and mandated implicit bias training for all state government employees.

She also tightened restrictions on masks and self-lockdowns.

Whitmer ordered individuals must self-isolate for 14 days if they are in contact for 15 minutes with a person who has a “fever, sore throat, a new uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, new onset of a severe headache, and new loss of taste or smell,” according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.

In May, Whitmer downplayed her interest in being Biden’s running mate and insisted she was spending all of her time combating the virus in the state.

“I was elected to be the governor of the state of Michigan. It is the honor of a lifetime, and that’s where I’m spending 100 percent of my energy,” Whitmer told Today.

“I’m making a little bit of time to stay connected to the campaign, but the most important thing I have to do right now is be the governor of my home state,” she said.

Publicly, Whitmer is conveying the status of the virus in the state is more dire than ever before.

“COVID-19 is still devastating families across Michigan, and it’s crucial that Governor Whitmer continue to take swift action to save lives,” Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said in a news release for another Whitmer executive order.

“We are in a crucial time in our fight against COVID-19, and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and the brave men and women on the front lines of this crisis from a second wave,” Whitmer said in the release.

It’s not clear how campaigning in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and other states would affect Whitmer’s ability to spend “100 percent” of her energy on serving as the governor of Michigan.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/08/gretchen-whitmer-interviews-for-vice-president-then-mandates-self-lockdowns-for-people-exposed-to-sore-throats/

Kodak Government Deal On Verge Of Collapse: DFC Says "Recent Allegations Of Wrongdoing Raise Serious Concerns"

Ever since Reuters reported last week that Kodak had granted its Chairman, Jim Continenza, some 1.75 million options (in what appears to be less than an "arms-length deal" and as the result of what was called an "understanding" with the Board of Directors), just one day before the infamous $765 million loan from the government was announced on July 28, which was meant to transform the one-time photography titan (since bankrupt) into a China supply-chain alternative to produce pharmaceutical products in Rochester and at the company's facility in St. Paul, Minnesota, and which sent its stock price from $2 to $60 in two days….

Last Friday, Kodak announced that it will appoint a special committee to conduct an internal review of the process surrounding the company's agreement, although if the IDFC is indeed putting the deal on hold that may well be moot; the only question is whether any insiders and funds that liquidated stock and generated impressive overnight profits will be forced to clawback their gains.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/kodak-government-deal-verge-collapse-dfc-says-recent-allegations-wrongdoing-raise-serious

Bill Gates sounds the alarm on US coronavirus testing, rushing potential vaccine

'The majority of all US tests are completely garbage, wasted'

Billionaire Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, explained this week that America coronavirus tests are inadequate and warned about the dangers of rushing vaccinations into the populace without proper testing.

Responding to a question about delayed COVID-19 testing results, Gates told Wired that American COVID testing is a deeply flawed system potentially plagued by greed.

"The majority of all US tests are completely garbage, wasted," Gates said. "If you don't care how late the date is and you reimburse at the same level, of course they're going to take every customer. Because they are making ridiculous money, and it's mostly rich people that are getting access to that. You have to have the reimbursement system pay a little bit extra for 24 hours, pay the normal fee for 48 hours, and pay nothing [if it isn't done by then]. And they will fix it overnight."

With regard to a vaccine for COVID-19, Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, expressed concern over rushing out a solution that did not undergo proper testing.

Gates was asked, "Are you concerned that in our rush to get a vaccine we are going to approve something that isn't safe and effective?"

He replied:

Yeah. In China and Russia they are moving full speed ahead. I bet there'll be some vaccines that will get out to lots of patients without the full regulatory review somewhere in the world. We probably need three or four months, no matter what, of phase 3 data, just to look for side effects. The FDA, to their credit, at least so far, is sticking to requiring proof of efficacy. So far they have behaved very professionally despite the political pressure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates has shifted his focus to helping develop safe medical solutions that would be widely accessible.

Gates, for example, confirmed Friday that his foundation, the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation, would spend $150 million on providing the COVID-19 vaccine to poor communities should one be developed.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates is hoping to produce vaccine doses for as little as $3 per dose.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/bill-gates-sounds-the-alarm-on-us-coronavirus-testing-rushing-potential-vaccine

Lebanese Man Allegedly Linked To Hezbollah Assassinated In Iran’s Tehran

The Public Relations of Tehran Province announced on August 8 that two Lebanese nationals were assassinated in the Iranian capital.

The assassination reportedly took place in the neighborhood of Bostan in Pasdaran Avenue in the northern part of Tehran city.

Two assailants riding a motorcycle shot the victims in their car, a Renault L90, late on August 7. The victims were shot dead with four bullets. A fifth bullet missed, hitting a nearby vehicle without injuring anyone.

“The assailants opened fire and escaped, the police are tracking them now,” Public Relations of Tehran Province said in a statement.

The victims were identified as Habib Dawood and his daughter Mariam. Fars News said Dawood was a teacher in the Department of History of Tehran University. According to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV, Dawood was a member of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Dawood and his daughter were allegedly a few meters away from a house owned by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis when they were attacked. Al-Muhandis is a former Deputy-Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, earlier this year.

Hezbollah usually acknowledges any attack on its members in Lebanon or abroad. If Dawood was a member of the Lebanese group, Israel will be the main suspect. The Israeli intelligence is infamous for carrying out such assassinations.

https://southfront.org/lebanese-man-allegedly-linked-to-hezbollah-assassinated-in-irans-tehran/

The Truth Doesn’t Care About Your Feelings – The Big Ugly…

Do not misinterpret anger for defeatism. Truth is the fuel for cold anger, and it’s time everyone begins accepting some painful truths.

What some have called “Spygate” is not a frozen moment in time or a set of dates on a calendar with a beginning and an end. Spygate was the originating process to ensure the DC system did not experience the disruption carried by Donald John Trump; but it was only the originating process….

….The process of opposition against Donald Trump is a continuum.

Those who use DC for influence and affluence control the mechanisms within the self-actuating system. This includes both Democrats and Republicans as they both feed from the same trough. In the effort to remove Donald Trump, both wings of the uniparty bird were aligned with an identical purpose; Democrats carrying out their effort openly, and the republican elements operating covertly as to retain the DC premise.

Specifically, one of the common flaws that many make is thinking the Mueller special counsel was an outcome of an action by President Trump when he fired former FBI Director James Comey. This is false. The special counsel process was a continuum in the effort to remove the threat that Donald Trump represented back in the early primary days of 2016. The system, writ large, was aligned with this purpose.

In October 2016 Deputy Attorney General John Carlin, in charge of the National Security Division of the DOJ bailed out of the effort after misleading the FISA court on their surveillance activity and setting up the introduction of the FISA warrant against Carter Page. Carlin was replaced by a more committed traveler/ideologue named Mary McCord.

With Mary McCord in place to continue the DOJ-NSD aspects to the resistance and removal effort, the DOJ and FBI simply continued the process after the November 2016 election. Internally all of the officials, essentially lawyers, within the DOJ-NSD were carrying out the removal objective and cleverly attempting to cover their tracks.

We see the creation in plausible deniability with the use of Bruce Ohr as a bridge between the politically corrupt DOJ-NSD and the politically corrupt FBI. Ohr was carrying the messages from outside the system (Chris Steele) into the system. This was his function.

Everyone knew what Ohr’s mission was. Anyone today, like Sally Yates, who claims they had no idea what the #4 official was doing is simply lying. That is part of the plausible deniability part. It was set up that way. Everyone knew what to expect, everyone knew the goals and objectives and every part of the process was compartmentalized to create these functional denials in case anything went sideways; or if the objective failed.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/08/08/the-truth-doesnt-care-about-your-feelings-the-big-ugly/

Military Situation In Northwestern Syria On August 8, 2020 (Map Update)

A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:

Turkish military convoy consisting of 35 military vehicles entered Idlib via Kafr Lusin crossing;

Turkish-backed militants shelled SAA positions in the town of Maarat al-Numan;

Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the village of Banin;

SAA shelled Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the town of Barah;

SAA shelled Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the town of Ziyarah.

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-northwestern-syria-on-august-8-2020-map-update/

3 registered sex offenders indicted for possessing images of child rape and abuse

All 3 violated restrictions on possession of unapproved electronic devices imposed as part of their probation or supervised release

SEATTLE — Three men, all registered sex offenders, were indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing images of child pornography, announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eben Roberts and U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. In each case, the defendant has served prison time for sex offenses against children and are subject to monitoring by federal probation or the Washington State Department of Corrections. All three will be arraigned on the indictments in the next few weeks.

McKenna Danilo Bernardo, 23, of Burien, Washington, was charged by criminal complaint April 30, 2020, following an investigation by HSI, the King County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Department of Corrections. In 2019, Bernardo was sentenced in King County Superior Court to 14 months in prison and three years of probation for possession of child pornography. Under the terms of his probation, Bernardo’s use of electronic devices is limited and monitored. During a home inspection in February 2019, Bernardo was found to have unauthorized electronic devices. Forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained child pornography.

Jason Allen Legg, 44, of Seattle, was charged by criminal complaint April 30, 2020, with possession of child pornography. Legg has prior convictions in Georgia (1998) and King County Superior Court (2005). The King County conviction resulted in a ten-year sentence for rape of a child. In November 2018, Legg’s probation officer received information that Legg had an unauthorized Facebook page. Further investigation by the probation officer and the Seattle Police Department revealed Legg had a number of unapproved electronic devices, some of which contained images of child rape and abuse.

David Craig Martin, 64, of Seattle, was charged by criminal complaint May 14, 2020, with possession of child pornography. Martin has been convicted of multiple sex offenses: Child Molestation 3rd Degree in Pierce County Superior Court (2001); Indecent Exposure in King County Superior Court (2009); Indecent Exposure in King County Superior Court (2015); and Voyeurism in Clark County Superior Court (2016). In late 2019, Google reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an account later linked to Martin had uploaded more than 175 images of child pornography. The Seattle Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Department of Corrections investigated and seized unauthorized electronic devices from Martin. Forensic analysis by HSI revealed they contain images of child rape and abuse.

Bernardo is currently released on federal pretrial supervision. Legg is in the custody of the Washington State Department of Corrections. Martin is detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.

Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment, with ten-year mandatory minimum sentences for those with qualifying prior sexual offenses.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The cases are being investigated by HSI in coordination with the Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the Washington State Department of Corrections.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/3-registered-sex-offenders-indicted-possessing-images-child-rape-and-abuse

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Fresno catches 34 online predators in Operation Covid Chatdown

FRESNO, Calif, – Operation Covid Chatdown resulted in 34 men being arrested in Fresno, California for soliciting sexual acts from individuals they believed were 12- or 13-year-old children but were actually undercover law enforcement operatives.

“These abhorrent attempts by predators to exploit innocent children for immoral and illegal sexual gratification have no place in American society,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco (NorCal) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “Homeland Security Investigations will relentlessly pursue anyone involved in criminal behavior against children.”

Operation Covid Chatdown is a startling look at how many individuals in just the Fresno region alone are actively grooming children online to meet for sexual encounters. During the undercover operation from July 20 to Aug. 2, 2020, more than 190 online contacts continued to chat even after they knew they were talking to whom they believed was a minor. There were a significant number of instances in which perpetrators also sent sexually explicit images. When the subjects asked the undercover operatives to engage in sexual acts, they were provided an address in Fresno, where they traveled and were subsequently arrested. No real minors were involved in the operation.

These 34 men traveled by foot, skateboard, bike, or vehicle to meet 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls, who turned out to be law enforcement operatives with badges, guns and handcuffs. However, a number of the arrested individuals admitted to victimizing real children during previous attempts. One man admitted he was HIV positive and that he planned to have sex with a 13-year-old child. The suspects face a range of criminal charges including state charges for sending harmful material to seduce a minor, arranging meeting with a minor for lewd purpose, and possession, transmission and transportation of child pornography.

Operation COVID Chatdown was conducted by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Central California ICAC Task Force, formed in 2007, is comprised of 64 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies spread throughout nine counties in the Central Valley. It is dedicated to protecting children online and investigating crimes committed against children, which are facilitated by the Internet and computer usage.

HSI agents and criminal analysts exhaustive investigative work, together with HSI’s partners, bought these subjects to justice. These arrests were made possible through a joint effort with HSI’s Law Enforcement partners in the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Police Departments of Clovis, Fresno, Kingsburg, Parlier, San Luis Obispo, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-homeland-security-investigations-fresno-catches-34-online-predators-operation

Almost 240 people injured, 1 officer killed in Beirut protests amid clashes, reports of fire & police shooting

Army has been deployed to Beirut downtown to quell protests over the deadly blast earlier this week. At least 238 people were injured and 63 of them hospitalized and police said an officer was killed in the clashes.

Thousands of protesters gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut, attempting to reach the Parliament and clashing with riot police.

Demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at the officers, who responded by employing tear gas and other special means.

Media reports claim that law enforcement used rubber bullets and even live fire against the crowd. Photos from the scene, uploaded on social media, showed numerous bloodied people with serious-looking injuries.

One officer died from falling down an elevator shaft after being chased inside the building by rioters, a police spokesman said.

https://www.rt.com/news/497476-injured-clashes-lebanon-beirut/

Lebanese PM calls for early parliamentary elections as protests rage following Beirut explosion

As protests gather steam in Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for early elections, saying they are the only way out of the deep political crisis which has worsened following the explosion in the city’s port.

In a short speech on Saturday, Diab said the country “cannot get out of this crisis without early parliamentary elections.” He added he was not to blame for the country's deep economic and political woes, Reuters reported.

Diab also said the probe into the explosion, which killed over 150 people and injured thousands, will expand until it reaches everyone involved.

But thousands of protesters gathering in the city on Saturday are blaming the catastrophe on government negligence and demanding immediate change, after it emerged that the ammonium nitrate which sparked the devastating explosion was stored at the port for six years without proper oversight.

The city had already seen months of protests over economic mismanagement and corruption.

Diab said Lebanon was in an overall “state of emergency” and called on all political factions to come together and “think of ways to save” the country.

On Saturday, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators who attempted to break into the parliament building. Protesters stormed several government buildings, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they smashed a photograph of President Michel Aoun. The headquarters of the country's Association of Banks was also attacked by demonstrators.

The Lebanese Red Cross said more than 100 people were injured during the protests, with at least 55 being admitted to hospital.

https://www.rt.com/news/497480-beirut-protests-hassan-diab-elections/

Big oil has spent nearly a million dollars on Trump's reelection

The US oil industry appears to be backing Trump over Biden for reelection in 2020, having donated nearly $1 million to his campaign compared to only $265,000 for Biden’s campaign.

Update: This article was updated to reflect the correct numbers.

According to the data, as of August 2020, President Trump has received $936,155 in contributions from the oil and gas industry, compared to just $265,397 that the industry donated to Joe Biden.

In the previous election cycle, the difference between the Republican and Democratic candidates was significantly smaller. President Trump had received $1.2 million in contributions from the oil and gas industry in 2016, compared to $1 million received by Hillary Clinton.

Topping the list of the oil and gas industry’s contributions to all political candidates and parties in the 2020 election cycle is, unsurprisingly, Koch Industries, according to the Center for Responsive Politics data. Other major contributors include Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, Energy Transfer Partners, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips.

Since becoming President, Trump has shown support to the oil industry and major oil pipeline projects, including by opening more federal areas to drilling and reviving the Keystone XL pipeline project that President Obama had rejected.

Keystone XL continues to face legal hurdles to starting construction, but the Trump Administration has supported the oil and gas industry more than any other administration in recent history.

President Trump has touted America’s ‘energy independence’, thanks to shale production, and recently vowed in a speech in Midland, Texas, that the oil industry would never again be reliant on hostile foreign suppliers.

Biden, for his part, has recently unveiled a $2-trillion clean energy package but has said that he wouldn’t ban fracking if he becomes president.

Still, the oil industry in Texas fears a President Biden. Texas oil and gas executives have a lot on their minds right now, but their worst fear for the next twelve months is neither the recession nor the pandemic – it’s the possibility that Biden will win the White House.

According to a recent survey of the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs among members of the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA), 76 percent of oil and gas executives in Texas say that the election of Joe Biden is the top threat to the economic well-being of their companies.

https://www.rt.com/business/497450-oil-companies-trump-reelection/

Gordon: "We're Heading To Complete Financial, Moral, & Political Collapse"

This week, while perusing the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet figures, we came across a rather curious note. We don’t know how long the Fed’s had this note posted to its website. But we can’t recall ever seeing it. The note reads as follows:

“The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet has expanded and contracted over time. During the 2007-08 financial crisis and subsequent recession, total assets increased significantly from $870 billion in August 2007 to $4.5 trillion in early 2015. Then, reflecting the FOMC’s balance sheet normalization program that took place between October 2017 and August 2019, total assets declined to under $3.8 trillion. Beginning in September 2019, total assets started to increase.”

Directly below this note is the following chart:

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/gordon-were-heading-complete-financial-moral-political-collapse

This Election Is a Choice between Freedom and Slavery, Good and Evil

Ronald Reagan famously observed nearly sixty years ago: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same[.]" The man could say so much with so few words. (1) Freedom is an idea; (2) it belongs to anyone wise enough to recognize its value irrespective of race, color, or creed; and (3) it will be endlessly threatened at all times by those opposed to liberty.

Three generations later, and Reagan's warning is uncomfortably prescient. Before the Chinese coronavirus turned into a weapon for destroying freedom, we were already under attack. For years, hate speech laws have been used to censor points of view and silence critics. Public schools have replaced education with "politically correct" Marxist narratives, while Christianity is banned from public life and public squares. Socialists attack words as violence so they may use violence against our words. Wherever we look, the left has been nibbling away at liberty and pushing us toward gilded cages under their control.

Now the Democrats' push to "fundamentally change America" is in overdrive. A combination of their awareness that they have lost ground since President Trump's election and a growing sense of urgency to speed up their revolution before his looming re-election has led them to throw all caution to the wind.

What could have been seen as a moment for national unity just as WWII was for that generation of Americans, the present pandemic unleashed by China, has become nothing more than an opportunity for Democrats at every level of government to steal freedom in the name of security.

Joe Biden talks openly of a "physical revolution" ahead.

Barack Obama no longer pretends to be a moderate and instead openly trashes police officers as racists and murderers, chooses the side of Antifa anarchists destroying federal buildings and harming American civilians, and turns funeral memorials into political rallies demanding that new socialist legislation be pushed through Congress despite the will of the people.

Mayor de Blasio has installed checkpoints to restrict free assembly and arbitrarily and capriciously shut down businesses and church services with fines exceeding ten thousand dollars, while openly encouraging Antifa and Black Lives Matter shock troops to run roughshod over New York City.

Mayor Garcetti has empowered himself with the authority in Los Angeles to deprive individual homes of power and water should he find their owners in violation of any new rules he unilaterally creates.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/08/this_election_is_a_choice_between_freedom_and_slavery_good_and_evil.html