Emmy-nominated sports reporter fired after he called GOP Sen. Tim Scott an 'Uncle Tom'

The network cited its 'zero tolerance policy for racism or improper conduct based on race' in the firing

A TV sports reporter was fired on Wednesday after he called Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) an "Uncle Tom."

Fred Gerteiny, a sports reporter for the News 12 Connecticut network, wrote the racial slur in a since-deleted post on Twitter. Gerteiny replied to a tweet by The Hill's Twitter account that linked to an article about Scott commenting on President Donald Trump's remarks during the first presidential debate regarding the Proud Boys.

Gerteiny wrote, "Thanks Uncle Tom," in the now-deleted tweet.

deleted, but the List comes for all, @FredGerteiny. ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼 https://t.co/2ktrow7JuM

— Siraj Hashmi (@Siraj Hashmi)1601492251.0

On Wednesday, Gerteiny issued an apology on his Twitter account, which has since been deleted.

"Earlier today, I tweeted a racially insensitive comment, when I referred to @SenatorTimScott as an 'Uncle Tom.' I apologize to the Senator, my colleagues @News12CT, and anyone else I may have offended with this deeply offensive tweet," Gerteiny wrote.

Gerteiny, who is white, claimed that he also "wrote an email to Senator Scott" to apologize for the comment.

Gerteiny was fired by News 12 Connecticut for the "racially insensitive comment" on Wednesday.

"News 12 Connecticut learned on Wednesday afternoon that one of its anchors acted inappropriately on social media. After reviewing the incident, the network released sports reporter, Fred Gerteiny, as a result of a racially insensitive comment," News 12 Connecticut said in a statement. "News 12 Networks has a zero tolerance policy for racism or improper conduct based on race, and prides itself on being an objective and unbiased multi-platform news company."

Gerteiny's profile has been scrubbed from the News 12 Connecticut website.

An "Uncle Tom," is a "Black person, especially a man, considered by other Black people to be subservient to or to curry favor with white people," according to the definition provided by Dictionary.com.

Scott told reporters on Wednesday that he believed President Trump "misspoke" during the presidential debate.

"White supremacy should be denounced at every turn," Scott said. "I think the president misspoke, and he needs to correct it. If he doesn't correct it, I guess he didn't misspeak."

President Trump has since clarified his comments from Tuesday's debate. On Wednesday, President Trump said he didn't know who the Proud Boys are and noted that the group should "stand down and let law enforcement do its work."

Earlier this year, Scott predicted that black support for President Donald Trump would increase by 50% in 2020 compared to 2016.

"President Trump will see a 50 percent increase in his African-American support," Scott told Fox News host Neil Cavuto in February. "It will go from 8 percent in 2016 to a minimum of 12 percent in 2020. He may even get to 15 percent of the African American vote, and that is game over."

.@SenatorTimScott to Neil: President Trump will see a 50% increase in his African American support, it will go from… https://t.co/7UsSJmwnSR

— Neil Cavuto (@Neil Cavuto)1582237933.0

Another black conservative had racial slurs thrown at him in the past week. Women's March co-founder Tamika Mallory called Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron a "sellout negro" for not charging the two police officers in the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.

Daily Beast columnist and CNN commentator Sophia A. Nelson called Cameron an "Uncle Tom," who "is a disgrace to his people and his community."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/sports-reporter-fired-tim-scott-slur

Trump Slashes Cap For Refugee Admissions To 'Record Low' 15,000

While entry in to the US for refugees has been suspended this year due to the coronavirus, driving the tally from the 2020 fiscal year to just 9,000 refugees as of Aug. 31 (one month before the end of the fiscal year). With the new fiscal year starting Thursday, the administration's Department of Homeland Security, along with Health and Human Services, submitted "the President's Report to Congress on the Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021", asking for just 15,000 refugees for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

In the report, the administration acknowledges that it expects to receive more than 300,000 applications for refuge and asylum. Of these, the US will only accept 15,000 - max.

Trump suspended processing of refugees between March and July, and the pace hasn't exactly rebounded.

As the chart above from the Washington Examiner shows, the number of refugees accepted in the US every year tumbled during the final years of the Soviet Union, before the collapse of Communism sent a wave of refugees to the US, causing the numbers to climb once again during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The number of refugees accepted into the US started to decline during the late 1990s, before plunging after Sept. 11.

Between 2000 and 2001, the number of refugees admitted to the US dropped from more than 60,000 to 27,000. During the Obama years, both the ceiling and the actual number of admissions climbed to the highest levels in nearly 20 years.

Obama raised the ceiling to 110,000 in 2017 on his way out the door, the highest cap in decades, which capped years of rising tallies.

Despite that, Trump admitted just 54,000 refugees that year after issuing his executive order "travel ban," which barred refugees from a list of mostly Muslim countries while also calling for the suspension of the admission of all refugees for four months.

"The President’s proposal for refugee resettlement in Fiscal Year 2021 reflects the Administration’s continuing commitment to prioritize the safety and well-being of Americans, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," the 2021 statement reads. "It accounts for the massive backlog in asylum cases – now more than 1.1 million individuals – by prioritizing those who are already in the country seeking humanitarian protection. It also accounts for the arrival of refugees whose resettlement in the United States was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

VP Joe Biden has called for raising the cap on refugees to 125,000, along with expanding access to work visas and creating more pathways to citizenship.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-slashes-cap-refugee-admissions-record-low-15000

Minnesota's Mall of America offers free retail space for women- and minority-owned businesses impacted by riots

Trying to help

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is providing free store space to some retailers who were impacted by riots across the city as well as by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Star Tribune report on Tuesday.

The outlet reports that the mall is offering up free, temporary retail space for 17 women- and minority-owned shops that have been impacted by rioting or the coronavirus pandemic.

The spaces will remain free for the 17 businesses for at least six months.

One store owner who will benefit from the new program is Spencer Puckett, who said he was forced to close his south Minneapolis store "several times this year" because of the riots spurred on by the police killing of George Floyd on May 25.

Puckett said that the offer is a "great opportunity."

"I didn't expect for [the Mall of America] to do this," Puckett added.

Store owner Jasmine McConnell said that the new program could help boost her store's reputation.

"There are so many larger stores that are well known in the Mall of America," she said. "To give 17 vendors the opportunity to be on that same platform — and it's free — it's the biggest opportunity ever."

Starting Thursday, Puckett's business — along with 16 others — will be set to occupy a 5,000 square-foot space previously occupied by an apparel store.

Jill Renslow, Mall of America's executive vice president of business development and marketing, told the outlet, "We recognize these businesses have [gone] through a tremendous amount of hardship, whether they were directly impacted physically from the arson or the looting destruction that was taking place or just the sense of lost business."

According to the outlet, the mall began scouting areas impacted by rioting and the coronavirus to determine how it could "partner with small businesses hurt by the civil unrest that erupted after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd."

What else?

Fox Business reported that the retail space "will include a variety of stores ranging from apparel to accessories to food and beverage to personal care and family gifts."

"One of the stores relocating to the space, Urban 29, had a two-year run before being decimated by riots," the outlet added.

"Back in May, my storefront was destroyed in the riots," store owner of Joyce Sanders told the outlet. "It was looted and set on fire. I lost everything."

In a statement to Fox Business, Renslow said:

The Community Commons initiative is one of hope and possibility as Mall of America joins the efforts to help rebuild the hearts, minds and livelihoods of our diverse retail community. We are proud to welcome these businesses to Mall of America where guests will be introduced to an even greater slice of what our retail community has to offer beyond the doors of Mall of America.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/mall-of-america-business-space-riots-2647881556

Covid mutiny in Middlesbrough: Town revolts after mayor REFUSES to follow new lockdown rules after being lumped in with rest of North East along with Liverpool as ministers plot 'three-tier traffic light' system for UK restrictions

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced new restrictions on households mixing in Middlesbrough

The new curbs being imposed by the goverment also include Warrington, Hartlepool and Liverpool

Boro mayor Andy Preston said the measures went father than he and other local politicians had lobbied for

Accused ministers of 'factual inaccuracies and a monstrous lack of communication, and ignorance'

Despite the move Mr Hancock hailed a major study showing infection rates have already been slowing down

There are suggestions a 'traffic light' system could be used for lockdowns after the PM himself got muddled

Do you live in Middlesbrough and have an opinion on Andy Preston's stance? Let us know: danny.hussain@mailonline.co.uk

Boris Johnson is facing a coronavirus revolt in the north today as the elected mayor of Middlesbrough vowed to 'defy' new lockdown measures, accusing ministers of 'ignorance' after they brought in strict new measures for its population.

Independent Andy Preston lashed out after Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs the town, along with Liverpool, Hartlepool and Warrington would face the same curbs as the North East.

In a video message Mr Preston said they went further than he and other local politicians had lobbied for, and in what is believed to be a first for a local politician, rejected the measures outlined in the Commons.

Middlesbrough and Hartlepool councils had asked for a ban on households mixing in their own homes. But Mr Hancock announced it would also be illegal for households in those boroughs to mix in a public setting such as a pub.

'I have to tell you I think this measure has been introduced based on factual inaccuracies and a monstrous and frightening lack of communication, and ignorance,' Mr Preston said in a video posted on Twitter.

'I do not accept the statement at all. I do not accept these measures. We need to talk to government, they need to understand our local knowledge, expertise and ability to get things done, and preserve jobs and well-being.

'We are really disappointed. As things stand we defy the Government and we do not accept these measures.

'We need to get Covid under control and we need to work with people to find a way of preserving jobs and mental health.'

As head of the local council Mr Preston has no official powers to over-rule the decision taken by ministers. But he could, in theory, prevent council staff from helping to enforce the pub closures and household meeting ban - though there has been no suggestion yet that he would.

He posted his statement on his Facebook page, with Middlesbrough residents flocking to express their opinion.

Simon Rylander said: 'Really proud and happy you're standing up for our town and region Andy! What do we do in the meantime though?'

Craig Hatton wrote: 'Well done for speaking your mind! This government hasn't got a grasp on reality.'

Graham Hadfield added: 'I share your frustration Andy but I fear Hancock will simply continue to close his ears to logic. He has been out of his depth since the start and is just getting worse.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8793157/New-lockdown-rules-Liverpool-include-pubs-able-serve-alcohol-food.html

Trump Accuses "Swamp Monster" Debate Organizers Of Colluding With Dems, Won't Allow Format Changes

President Trump tweeted Thursday that he wouldn't allow the Commission on Presidential Debates to move ahead with promised changes to the debate formate, which the organization announced yesterday.

In a statement, the Commission on Presidential Debates said it was mulling what to do, and also raised the possibility of equipping moderators with new "tools" - perhaps including the ability to cut a speaker's mic.

But Trump in a series of tweets sent Thursday afternoon, Trump boasted that he won the debate, and questioned "why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the second and third Debates when I easily won last time?"

It's a good question.

Trump's campaign held a 1500ET phone call with reporters to discuss the opposition to tweaking the format. During the call, the campaign told reporters that they don't want to change the rules, and accused "swamp monsters" on the debate committee of having unseemly ties to Democrats.

Meanwhile, debate moderator Chris Wallace griped in a Fox News interview that the president had "put his foot" in the "beautiful cake" Wallace had baked.

"I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did," Wallace added.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden on Wednesday said he was “looking forward” to additional debates but would not “speculate” on possible rules changes.

Before the call, PJ Media reported that the moderator for the second debate, C-SPAN's Steve Scully, had interned in then-Sen. Joe Biden's office when he was in college, before going on to work full time in the office of Ted Kennedy, another Democratic Senator. Of course, many of the president's most rabid supporters accused Wallace of being too hostile of an interviewer to fairly preside over the debate.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-accuses-swamp-monster-debate-organizers-colluding-dems-says-he-wont-allow-format

Robert Kennedy Jr. | Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson

Talks about his families 60 year battle with the C_A

DS agendas

Vax

and lots more

Nationwide 911 outage traced back to Microsoft failures… why does Microsoft control 911 services across dozens of cities?

A nationwide 911 outage occurred on Monday that we have since learned was caused by a massive Microsoft Office 365 outage.

The Bill Gates-founded Microsoft corporation apparently runs America’s emergency service lines these days, as callers in Washington, Minnesota, Arizona, Delaware and elsewhere where the software is used by local police departments were met with busy signals upon trying to call 911.

Many police departments tweeted that day that those in need of emergency help should call the local fire department or another government agency as an alternative.

“As of 5 p.m., City phones and emails are experiencing intermittent outages related to a larger Microsoft 365 outage,“ tweeted the City of Redmond, Wash., one of the areas affected by the outage. “We are hoping the issue is resolved shortly. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Panic quickly spread as police departments realized that they were not alone and that the entire country was basically disabled from accessing 911 emergency services for the day.

“ATTENTION: The 911 lines are not operational nationwide,” tweeted the Minneapolis Police Department, which was recently defunded in response to the death of George Floyd.

“This is for phone calls and text messaging,” the department added. “If you need police, fire or emergency medical assistance in Minneapolis, please call” a local number. “We will advise when this issue is fixed.”

In nearby Minnetonka, a Minneapolis suburb, the police department tweeted that “911 lines are out nationwide,” warning that people in need of emergency help would have to call someone else.

Crystal, another Minneapolis suburb, urged residents to call the fire department instead, which it said “will be staffed with crews” to handle a potential influx of calls.

Microsoft claims no responsibility for nationwide 911 outage; FCC calls for investigation

Responding to the nationwide failure, a Microsoft spokesman told Fox News that the company saw “no indication that the multi-state 911 outage was a result of yesterday’s Azure service interruption,” Azure being the name for Microsoft’s Cloud Computing Services.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-10-01-is-the-911-emergency-system-run-by-microsoft.html

Perverting Youth: Virginia Governor Rolls Out Sex Textline for Teens

RICHMOND — Liberal Democrat Governor Ralph Northam has introduced an initiative to allow kids to text questions about sex — including questions about sexual activity, safe sex, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, relationships, and “gender identity” — to adults.

What could possibly go wrong?

Perhaps as disturbing as the sex textline itself is the marketing used to promote it. Slick, teen-targeted postcards promoting Governor Northam’s Brds’N’Bz have been mailed to addresses all over Virginia. Those postcards are designed with artwork geared toward teens. It shows teens using mobile phones and taking selfies.

The text on the front reads:

Have questions about sex, STIs, contraception, or relationships? Text TALK2MEVA to 66746 to get answers from a certified health educator within 24 hours. This textline is free and anonymous for any teen!”

On the reverse side, the postcard shows five teens — three girls and two boys of various ethnic groups — using their mobile phones.

The word bubbles above the teens say,

Have a QUESTION about Brds ‘N’Bz? Use a free and anonymous sexual health textline for teens. Get answers about relationships, contraception, sex, pregnancy, STIs, sexuality, + more!

It also directs teens to text Talk2MeVa to 66746 and includes the logos for both the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA).

Before getting into the sex textline itself, let’s spend a few minutes unpacking the postcard. The teen-oriented graphics appear cleverly designed to make this postcard look and feel very appealing to young people. The postcards are actually addressed to teens living at the addresses to which they are mailed. The multi-cultural cartoon drawings of both boys and girls of various racial groups is clearly intended to cast a wide net to gather as many teens as possible.

As disturbing as all of that is, though, the fact that two of the teens are seen taking pictures of themselves is a real shocker. Surrounded by text about sexuality, the selfie element takes on a whole new meaning. By joining those two things, VDH and ASHA are guilty of sending a subtle message to teens about violating the basic rules of safe use of technology. In the context of sex, the idea of teens taking selfies should raise red flags for anyone paying attention. The psychological affect of combining those elements serves to connect them in the minds of kids who are — because of their biological level of mental development — already prone to taking risks without counting the costs. Given the data about teen “sexting” that is widely available — and therefore, certainly known by anyone who is a “certified health educator” — one should be able to expect the adults at VDH and ASHA to at least keep those things separate.

https://thenewamerican.com/perverting-youth-virginia-governor-rolls-out-sex-textline-for-teens/

It’s about time something happens to these criminals! Trump

"It's about time that something happens."

"It's enough!"

"We've got plenty of information on these crooks."

"Bunch of crooks!"

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/its-about-time-something-happens-to-these-criminals-trump/

>>10873672

Resorting to UK Aus model

Tenacious bastards

Media Duck Questions After People of Praise Accuser Exposed For Fabulism

Several news outlets are standing by stories featuring a suspect source who aired extraordinary allegations against the People of Praise, the Christian charismatic group connected to Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Coral Anika Theill, a former member of the group, told the Associated Press that it treated her like a "brood mare," accusing its male leaders of directing every "consequential personal decision" in her and other members' lives. A Washington Free Beacon report demonstrated that Theill has a history of fabulism, litigiousness, and hyper-partisanship.

A spokesperson told the Free Beacon that the AP stands by its story. Other outlets that cited Theill's testimony in reports involving Barrett include Reuters, the Washington Post, Politico, and Newsweek.

Theill's emergence raises questions about how a source of uncertain credibility appeared in reporting from industry-leading publications. Her incendiary allegations recall others that upended modern Supreme Court confirmations, such as those of Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.

Reuters told the Free Beacon that it updated its Sept. 22 report featuring Theill to include additional information. Those changes, however, do not include new qualifiers about her credibility. An internet archive shows Reuters last updated its story on Sunday, Sept. 27, one day before the Free Beacon‘s story was published.

"As more information became available, we updated our story and added comment from a People of Praise representative," a Reuters spokesperson told the Free Beacon.

Newsweek did not respond to requests for comment. The National Catholic Reporter, whose 2018 interview with Theill was referenced in stories from the Washington Post and Politico, likewise did not provide comment.

While Theill's accusations have enjoyed a wide hearing in print, the broadcast media may be more reticent about airing them.

https://freebeacon.com/courts/media-duck-questions-after-people-of-praise-accuser-exposed-for-fabulism/

Biden campaigning on 'return to normalcy' but some Dems eyeing radical changes to political system if they win

The push for structural change among some Democrats also puts them at odds with Biden

Joe Biden has staked his presidential campaign in a pledge to restore "normalcy" if he unseats President Trump in the November election, even as some Democrats pledge to make radical changes should they win control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.

Biden has repeatedly pushed back against Republican efforts to tie him to the party's progressive wing — "I am the Democratic Party right now," he declared Tuesday night during the first presidential debate in Cleveland — yet other Democratic leaders have endorsed policies that have the potential to reshape the country, including eliminating the filibuster, granting statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., and expanding the Supreme Court.

"As far as the filibuster, I'm not busting my chops to become majority leader to do very little or nothing," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday during an interview with MSNBC. "We are going to get a whole lot done. Everything, everything is on the table."

The question of eliminating the filibuster has created new fissures within the Democratic Party that are not along the familiar progressive-moderate faultline.

For instance, Sen. Jon Tester, a moderate Democrat from Montana, signaled last week that he would be open to eliminating the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, a marked reversal from a position he held just last year.

“I didn’t come here to not do anything. I came here to get things accomplished,” Tester told National Review. “I think the filibuster’s very important, and I think it makes for better legislation, and I still believe that. I still support the filibuster, but, like I said, we’ll see what happens with the other side. Who knows what’s going to happen?”

But Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., still reject the idea of filibuster reform.

“I think the filibuster serves a purpose,” Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said last week. “It is not often used, it’s often less used now than when I first came, and I think it’s part of the Senate that differentiates itself.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-campaign-return-to-normalcy-some-dems-radical-changes

Thousands of Caravan Migrants Push into Guatemala

Reports from the Honduras-Guatemala border shows large groups of migrants illegally pushing past security personnel. Despite the threat of COVID-19, the migrants forced their way across the border.

A tweet released by New York Times video correspondent Brent McDonald shows a “large caravan of Central American migrants fleeing pandemic-induced poverty” pushing their way past Guatemalan border security officials. He reports the group is heading to Mexico — presumably with an intended destination of the U.S. southern border.

McDonald reported that Guatemalan border officials expect an additional 3,000 to attempt to enter from Honduras on Friday, raising the total two-day crossing to an estimated 6,000 migrants.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/10/01/watch-thousands-of-caravan-migrants-push-into-guatemala/

Tampa Church Arsonist Arrested

A suspect who committed arson at a Tampa church has been arrested and charged.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, working in partnership with the Hillsborough County Fire Marshal’s Office, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), charged Eugenio Rodriguez-Colina, 45, with burglary and arson of the Incarnation Catholic Church on Wednesday evening, September 30.

Video obtained from the church was used to identify the suspect who set fire to multiple pews on September 18.

Four days later, on September 22, surveillance video from a business burglary at the Granada Meat Market, located at 8230 W Waters Avenue, helped detectives identify the suspect in that case as the same suspect in the church arson. The suspect was seen on surveillance cameras stealing food and cigarettes from the market after smashing the glass front door to gain entry just before midnight.

Ultimately, Rodriguez-Colina was located and arrested on September 28 for shoplifting at a Walmart located at 8220 N Dale Mabry Highway.

HCSO detectives, arson investigators, and ATF investigators continued to work through these cases after Rodriguez-Colina’s initial arrest. On Wednesday, September 30, they were able to add on the charges of criminal mischief while wearing a mask (felony), arson, and armed burglary for the Incarnation offense. He was also charged with burglary while wearing a mask, criminal mischief (misdemeanor), and petit theft for the Meat Market offense. Rodriguez-Colina was already in jail for the Walmart incident.

“Houses of worship are such special places in our community, and we will never tolerate this type of criminal behavior,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I am thankful that through good detective work and the collaboration of multiple agencies we have taken this individual off of our streets so that he can no longer wreak havoc in Hillsborough County.”

https://breaking911.com/tampa-church-arsonist-arrested/

https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1311332123710640129

James Woods

@RealJamesWoods

WARNING: This is chock full of non-stop profanity. DO NOT WATCH IF PROFANITY OFFENDS YOU. That said, it is one the funniest things I’ve ever seen:

GOP cool to White House's $1.6T coronavirus price tag

The latest White House coronavirus relief offer, with a $1.6 trillion price tag, received a cool reception Thursday from congressional Republicans.

The new offer from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, which exceeds the original $1.1 trillion Senate GOP package and the $1.5 trillion the White House signaled it could support last month, was made as part of renewed talks this week with Democratic leaders.

But Republicans, including influential chairmen and members of leadership, are warning they can't support it, creating another potential obstacle for negotiators trying to strike a deal on emergency COVID-19 aid after nearly two months of stalemate.

Asked about the prospect of supporting a $1.6 trillion measure, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was direct: "No."

"I think we've made it very clear that there's so much money … that isn't even out of Washington yet," Grassley said. "We're more in the neighborhood of something below $1 trillion."

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, also appeared unsure he could back a bill with that dollar amount by criticizing the inclusion of a $400 per week federal unemployment benefit.

"How much wasteful spending will we have to swallow to do this?" he said during an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday.

The pushback comes as Republicans have struggled to unite behind a strategy on the coronavirus relief talks. Senate Republicans initially unveiled a $1.1 trillion package in late July but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned that he could lose up to 20 of his 53 GOP senators with that measure.

But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, predicted on Thursday that if there were going to be a deal it would be closer to $2 trillion than $1 trillion.

"We need a bill that half of our members can vote for. It kind of depends on how you structure it," Blunt said, while suggesting that using unspent money or tying spending to future economic activity could be a way to keep the price tag lower.

Others said they want to see the details for a $1.6 trillion package, but acknowledged that was more than they would want to spend.

"It depends on what's in it. That's more than I would want to spend, but I do think it's important to get something done," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), said he would want to see the details, but acknowledged that a higher price tag would be "harder" for Republicans.

"The higher the price, the fewer Republicans and that's true …. but the substance also matters," Cramer said.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said he "would support a rational compromise," but declined to say if he thought $1.6 trillion met that definition and instead wanted to see the specifics.

A GOP bill in August that cost roughly $500 billion garnered support from every Senate Republican except Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The measure was blocked by Senate Democrats.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/519217-gop-cool-to-white-houses-16t-coronavirus-price-tag

More than 60 former senior, national security officials endorse Trump

President Donald Trump tweeted a letter Thursday by former national security and senior officials under previous Republican administrations endorsing him for his re-election bid.

“We are former national security and senior officials who served under the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and/or Donald Trump, or as Republican Members of Congress or Senior Congressional Staff members,” the letter reads. “We proudly endorse the re-election of Donald J. Trump.”

THANK YOU! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/nGfbRmfmG7

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2020

Their primary reasoning for the endorsement, the document states, is that “President Trump has brought a badly needed realism to American national security policy that puts the prosperity and security of the American people first.”

“President Trump has pursued a strong foreign and national security policy in America’s national interests,” it continues. It then praises him for imposing hard sanctions on North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia, for persuading NATO allies to meet their defense spending obligations, and for creating the new U.S. Space Force military branch in deterring China and Russia’s own aerospace advancements.

Throughout the 2020 election, numerous officials from former Republican administrations as well as military and intelligence officials have openly criticized Trump’s foreign policy manner and alleged disparaging statements he has made about U.S. soldiers, having reportedly called them “losers” and “suckers.” Trump, however, denies making such statements. Many of these people have endorsed Trump’s challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, for president instead of him and have even created anti-Trump political PACs and organizations.

This joint endorsement of the president represents a significant shift away from this trend.

https://saraacarter.com/more-than-60-former-senior-national-security-officials-endorse-trump/

Erdogan Goes Nuclear Instigating Armenian-Azerbaijani War

The self-styled Neo-Ottoman Empire of President Recent Tayyip Erdogan is on the full-scale propaganda offensive to instigate the Armenian-Azerbaijani war.

On October 1, the United States, Russia and France released a joint statement condemning the violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, calling on the sides to accept the ceasefire and return to the negotiation table.

“The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of the United States of America Donald Trump and the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, representing the Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, condemn in the strongest terms the recent escalation of violence along the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

We deplore the loss of human lives and extend our condolences to the families of those killed and injured.

We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant military forces.

We also call on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit without delay to resuming substantive negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,” the text of the statement published by the Kremlin says.

In response, President Erdogan made a fierce statement slamming the OSCE and claiming that Azerbaijan should continue its military push to capture the Nagorno-Karabakh region and thus the war with Armenia.

“I would like to declare that we are together with our brothers in Azerbaijan in their struggle for the liberation of their occupied land. The path to lasting peace in this region lies through the withdrawal of Armenia from all the spans of the Azerbaijani lands occupied by them. Our Azeri brothers are cutting their own umbilical cord. I warn those who support this rogue state that they will held accountable before the common conscience of humanity,” Erdogan said addressing the Turkish Parliament, which started its fourth legislative session of the 27th term on Oct. 1.

“Especially the so-called Minsk trio America, Russia, France and their seeking of a ceasefire in the face of this negative situation, which has been reflected these days because they have neglected this problem for nearly 30 years, is above all not acceptable.”

It is interesting to note that while Erdogan claimed that the Azerbaijani military has been advancing, he laid blame for the escalation on Armenia.

“The crisis that started with the occupation of Crimea in the Black Sea can rise again any time. The clashes that started with the attack of Armenia, which occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, against Azerbaijan are the most concrete examples of this.”

Earlier, the Turkish leadership declared that it is ready to provide any help, including the military one, to Azerbaijan. The Armenian side claims that Turkey is already in fact participating in the war on the side of Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, the position of Armenia looks pretty strange. In the previous years, it provide a pretty visible anti-Russian and pro-US policy thus setting ground for the Azerbaijani advance on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (a de-facto independent state in the contested region). On the other hand, even 4 days after the start of the war with Azerbaijan, the Armenian leadership has still not started the process of the recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic or the official integration of the region into Armenia.

https://southfront.org/erdogan-goes-nuclear-instigating-armenian-azerbaijani-war/

https://twitter.com/MarkWarner/status/1311756233200861192

TODAY: Sen. @RonWyden

, @SenSchumer

, @SenGaryPeters

, @SenAmyKlobuchar

, and I call on Acting Secretary Chad Wolf of @DHSgov

to release a DHS report showing this President’s attempts to undermine America’s elections are consistent with a foreign influence campaign.