25 Arrested in Seattle’s CHOP, Business Owners: ‘I Have My Police Force Back’

Authorities in Seattle arrested 25 individuals overnight in the area formally known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) following a day of officials clearing out the area, while business owners begin to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“Many people came out and were thanking the officers they were thanking me. They were so glad to — I think we don’t even realize the level of trauma to some of the folks who live around there, what they were experiencing,” Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said on Thursday.

The East Precinct is “partially operational” and is staffed with some personnel, Best told King 5 on Thursday.

Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) on Wednesday ordered the immediate dismantling of the “autonomous” zone, citing gun violence, narcotics use, rape, robbery, assault, increased gang activity, noise disturbances, property damage, and business harassment. Officials subsequently dismantled the area on Wednesday, removing barriers as law enforcement arrested individuals who refused to leave the area.

“It was calm, protesters were screaming at them, but not in huge quantities,” said Bill Donner, whom KOMO described as a “longtime area business owner.” “It was really a good time to come in. A few weeks too late, but a good time to come in.”

“All of a sudden, we looked out and there must have been 100 policemen [and] tactical vehicles [and] they were here to do something,” Donner, president of his printing firm Rightmark Label, told the outlet.

“The mayor hasn’t looked out for anybody’s safety that we are aware of, in weeks,” he added.

“I’m glad they are here and are cleaning up, and I have my police force back,” said John McDermott, another local business owner. “I was hoping I’d feel a greater sense of relief but on some level it feels a little too late.”

“We looked for answers from mayor and city council and we got nothing,” Faizel Khan, another business owner told the outlet.

KOMO reported:

Khan and about a dozen other business owners recently sued the city for violating their Constitutional rights by not taking action sooner. Donner also sued the city, and wants it to pay to remove the graffiti that has defaced his brick building.

“Why not act weeks ago before it got to this point?” asks Donner, whose business borders Cal Anderson Park.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/02/25-arrested-in-seattles-chop-overnight-as-business-owners-breathe-sigh-of-relief-i-have-my-police-force-back/

Czech President Milos Zeman: “Black Lives Matter Is Racist”

The President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, told an audience this week that “Black Lives Matter” is racist.

Zeman added, “The slogan Black Lives Matter is racist because all lives count.”

Of course, he has a point.

Die Presse reported (Translated)

Milos Zeman based his statement on the fact that “all lives count”. You don’t need “new ideas leaders”.

Czech President Milos Zeman has described the slogan “Black Lives Matter” as “racist”. He said this on Tuesday at a reception at the US embassy in Prague on the upcoming State Day (July 4) of the United States, Czech media reported on Wednesday.

“The slogan ‘Black lives matter’ is racist because all lives count,” said Zeman against the backdrop of current global protests triggered by the death of African American George Floyd on May 25 during a brutal police operation in Minneapolis. Zeman criticized the damage to monuments and the lighting of cars.

According to Zeman, who was formerly party leader of the Social Democrats, society in the Czech Republic and in the United States should retain the freedom to form different opinions. “I don’t need new ‘big brothers’, no new leaders. Independent thinking and sound reason are required,” says Zeman.

Activists of the movement repeatedly emphasize that the slogan “Black Lives Matter” is not used to balance the lives of black people against white people. Rather, it shows structural racism in the US and elsewhere; The slogan draws the attention of the world public to the situation of black people. This does not mean that the life of white people is not important.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/czech-president-milos-zeman-black-lives-matter-racist/

Louisiana Company Charged With Conspiracy To Defraud The Government And Violate The Procurement Integrity Act

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/louisiana-company-charged-conspiracy-defraud-government-and-violate-procurement-integrity-act

GOP Senators Propose Lowering Healthcare Costs, Increasing Transparency

Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced legislation on Thursday that would reportedly lower healthcare costs and increase healthcare transparency.

The three senators introduced the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act, which would codify President Donald Trump’s healthcare price transparency executive orders. Trump’s executive orders would require hospitals and insurers to disclose their low, discounted cash prices and negotiated rates to consumers before they receive medical care.

Ernst said in a statement on Thursday that increasing healthcare transparency would allow Americans to make more informed healthcare decisions.

She said:

Every year on my 99 County Tour, I hear from folks who are concerned about the high costs of health care. Iowans should be able to access information about the costs associated with their health care in advance, so that they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. By improving transparency we can increase competition, empower patients, and ultimately lower health care costs. I’m glad to join my colleagues in support of this bill which is a critical step toward achieving these important goals.

The Health Care Price Transparency Act would require hospitals to:

Provide patients clear information about “standard charges” for their services, making it easier for consumers to compare different hospitals’ services.

Make all hospital charges public.

Make public negotiated rates and charges, cash prices public.

The legislation would require insurers to:

Give patients access to cost-sharing information.

Publish cost-sharing information online, which would allow consumers to shop and compare costs between different providers.

Disclose insurers’ negotiated rates for in-network providers and amounts paid for out-of-network providers.

Braun said that this legislation would increase competition and lower healthcare costs. He said:

As a Main Street Entrepreneur who provided quality healthcare to my employees, this legislation will give Americans the chance to see the true costs of their healthcare visits, which will increase competition and lower healthcare costs. President Trump has been the leader on healthcare reform and this legislation takes his executive orders and makes it the law of the land, which is a win for all Americans.

Grassley, the Senate Finance Chairman, said

An extra dose of transparency will bring more accountability and competition to the health care industry. It’s time for Americans to have more financial information available to them when going to the hospital and working with their insurance companies.

“I applaud President Trump’s continued commitment to bringing more sunlight to the health care industry,” he added.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/02/gop-senators-propose-lowering-healthcare-costs-increasing-transparency/

Al Qaeda Issues a Propaganda Message to Incite MORE Violence in America

Al Qaeda has issued a message in English urging the “oppressed masses” to rise up in revolt “against the rulers occupying the White House.” It’s not really surprising that enemies of the United States are trying to take advantage of the current unrest, and given the ongoing protests and riots in the United States, this message can only be meant to incite further violence. (To learn more about surviving civil unrest, go here.)

The message urges no “compromises” and calls upon protesters to “persist in your defiance.” It warns of the punishment of Allah against those who fail to “revolt” and “overthrow the existing order.”

Below you can find screenshots from AlertsUSA of the message.

With the number of disenfranchised young Americans, the message is particularly insidious during this difficult time in our country. With a 4th of July that is certain to be “eventful” rapidly approaching, will this message incite even further dissent and violence?

https://www.theorganicprepper.com/al-qaeda-propaganda-message-violence-america/

Danny Glover: Police Represent the ‘Last Line of Defense for White Supremacy’

Actor and far-left activist Danny Glover, perhaps best known for playing LAPD police officer Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series, has declared that the police in America represent the “last line of defense for white supremacy.”

“But the violence that we see — whether it’s the toxic places where they (black people) live; the inadequacy of health care for them; whether it’s the lack of affordable housing; the absence of jobs at living wages; all those things – that’s basically going unseen. We see the actual violence because the police is what it is. It’s the last line line of defense for white supremacy. That’s what the police represents. They don’t protect African Americans,” Danny Glover said in an interview with Variety, speaking about the death of George Floyd and the frenzy of protests and hysteria that followed it.

“You can make an argument that the institutional violence has its roots in so many different ways,” the Predator and The Color Purple star said. “The violence that we see now that is acted out on the physical body of George Floyd has been the kind of violence that is engrained within the American idea of its culture, in its own subtlety, since the first Africans were brought here. So it’s 400 years of violence. It’s not just now!

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2020/07/02/danny-glover-police-represent-the-last-line-of-defense-for-white-supremacy/

PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

New Mexico will fine people $100 for not wearing masks, force businesses to comply​

Reopening is on hold

New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham instituted penalties for individuals who don't wear masks in public, and announced more aggressive enforcement measures to force businesses to require customers to wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Individuals who don't wear face coverings in public could be hit with a fine of $100, and business will be required to make customers wear masks, although she did not detail the specific penalties non-compliant businesses might face.

Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan is now paused until at least July 15, at which point it will be reevaluated—and could potentially go backward, if things get worse. All visitors from out-of-state, whether driving or flying, will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

"We're going to do enforcement and hold people accountable," Lujan Grisham said. "If you're flying in, you're quarantined. If you want to drive here for vacationing, you're quarantined in your room."

Lujan Grisham criticized the federal government for not requiring masks as a part of its coronavirus response strategy, although that criticism opens her up to questions about why she didn't exercise authority to require masks before now, if she felt it was an effective strategy.

"There is no federal strategy," Lujan Grisham said. "If the federal strategy early in this pandemic had been to require all Americans to wear masks, more things would be open, fewer people would die, and the rate of infection and transmission for the entire country would be much lower."

New Mexico has not been hit very hard by COVID-19 relative to other areas of the country. On its worst days, which both came in May, 12 people reportedly died of the virus. The seven-day moving average of daily COVID-19 deaths sits at 2 as of Thursday. In total, New Mexico has seen a reported 12,276 cases and 500 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/new-mexico-will-fine-people-100-for-not-wearing-masks-force-businesses-to-comply

Seattle Mayor Admits CHOP Antifastan Caused Crime Wave, 'Alarming' Spike in COVID Cases

NOW she tells us. When Mayor Jenny Durkan (D-Seattle) finally ordered police to clear out the antifa instigators in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) Occupied Protest (CHOP), which has been dubbed “Antifastan” (no offense to Central Asian countries), her order made some very fascinating observations about the occupation she had allowed to fester for three long weeks. As it turns out, a lawless rebellion protest/anarchist commune might be bad for… public health and safety. Specifically, CHOP appears to have caused both a crime wave and an uptick in coronavirus cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But don’t take my word for it. This admission about the terrifying effects of lawlessness in downtown Seattle comes from the lips of the very public official who put up with it for so long — and who defended CHOP when President Donald Trump called on her to restore law and order.

Durkan, in justifying her executive order finally clearing out the occupation, made some rather harsh admissions.

“After significant national attention, many protesters have left the area but the conditions in the Cal Anderson Park Area have deteriorated to the point where public health, life, and safety are threatened by activities in and around this area,” Durkan’s order states. The order lists a few key facts, including the three tragic shootings on June 20, 22, and 29, which claimed the lives of two black teenagers and left more wounded.

During the first of these shootings, the order notes that “first responders from the Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police Department were denied safe access to the area by hostile crowds, including armed individuals, and obstructions.”

While these shootings represent the worst of the tragedies, they fail to capture the horrifying CHOP crime spike.

Antifa Rioters Threaten a ‘Rude Awakening’ for the ‘Pigs’ Who Finally Broke Up CHOP Antifastan

The crime wave

“In addition, SPD has received numerous reports of narcotics use and violent crime, including rape, robbery, assault, and increased gang activity,” Durkan’s order states. “An increase of 525%, 22 additional incidents, in person-related crime in the area, to include two additional homicides, 6 additional robberies, and 16 additional aggravated assaults (to include 2 additional non-fatal shootings) between June 2nd and June 30th, 2020, compared to the same period of time in 2019.”

Durkan had originally defended the CHAZ as a peaceful protest that had the potential to become a “Summer of Love.” Yet it seems patently obvious that a violent occupation — which began with antifa and Black Lives Matter militants seizing control of a police station and the surrounding six blocks — would descend into lawlessness. Durkan could have prevented this tragic turn of events by restoring law and order in CHAZ from the get-go.

This crime spike alone would justify retaking the CHOP zone, but Durkan’s order lists many other reasons.

“Residential [sic] and businesses in the area have documented incidents of harassment, graffiti, noise disturbances, and obstruction of vehicular traffic to residences and places of business, and multiple lawsuits and claims have been filed against the City by residents and businesses impacted by the activities in this area,” the order adds, referencing recent lawsuits. “Significant damage has been caused by those remaining unlawfully in the area to City property, including Cal Anderson Park and the East Precinct facility.”

It seems Cal Anderson Park also has strategic importance for Seattle’s water system — yet another fact that should have led Durkan to act at the beginning of the CHAZ occupation.

“Open fires and vehicles on the reservoir are placing important regional water infrastructure located within Cal Anderson at risk,” the order adds.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2020/07/02/seattle-mayor-admits-chop-antifastan-caused-crime-wave-alarming-spike-in-covid-cases-n597504

What Are They Hiding? Ohio Health Dept. Says FOIA Requests Can Be Delayed Until 90 Days After COVID-19 Emergency Ends

The Ohio Department of Health is dragging its feet on an Ohio public records request from a public policy group seeking information about models used by the health director to make decisions related to the state’s COVID-19 response. In delaying the request, the health department cited an obscure passage tucked into a bill passed in March and signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, which they say allows them to delay records requests until 90 days after the current state of emergency is lifted. Senate Leader Larry Obhoff says they’re misinterpreting the language and improperly denying the request.

In April, the Ohio Roundtable, a division of the American Policy Roundtable, filed a Freedom of Information request with Dr. Amy Acton, who was the director of health at the time. The purpose of the request, according to the nonpartisan public policy group, “is to permit all Ohioans to ‘see the math’ behind the construction of Dr. Acton’s latest model, which is controlling public policy decisions in Ohio,” including mandatory business and school closures and stay-at-home orders.

DeWine and officials at the Ohio Department of Health have been under fire in recent months for what many consider to be their heavy-handed approach to the virus and the lack of transparency coming from state government about how decisions that affect the lives of 11.69 million Ohioans are being made.

“From the start of this crisis, Dr. Acton’s models have driven public policy in Ohio,” said Rob Walgate, vice president of the American Policy Roundtable, in an April 3 press release. “These policies are now creating tremendous hardships across the state at every level. Unemployment is skyrocketing, civil liberties are evaporating, people are being spied upon, harassed and threatened with arrest for standing too close to each other.”

“While promising transparency, Dr. Acton has openly admitted to ‘guesstimating’ on her numbers,” he added. “Now, her latest model is buried in secrecy at Ohio State University and no one is permitted to see the math.” The lack of transparency led the organization to file a formal records request, which, by law, must be fulfilled “promptly” and within “a reasonable period of time.”

But that’s not what happened. Instead, Robert M. Laubert, senior counsel for the Ohio Department of Health, sent a letter to the Roundtable saying he could not provide the group with a “realistic estimate” for when the request might be fulfilled. He said that state employees being required to work from home “may result in a delay” in processing the request.

Further, he said a provision in a bill passed at the end of March “had the effect of extending the deadline by which the Department of Health must respond to all of the public records requests it receives under section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code.”

“The new deadline is now 90 days after the state of emergency declared by Governor DeWine is lifted, or December 1, 2020, whichever date occurs first,” the health department’s attorney wrote. He assured the Roundtable that the department has “no intention of waiting that long” to fulfill the request and promised to provide the group with the records they are requesting “as quickly as possible.”

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/paula-bolyard/2020/07/02/what-are-they-hiding-ohio-health-dept-says-foia-requests-can-be-delayed-until-90-days-after-covid-emergency-ends-n597273

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues statewide order requiring masks, limiting gatherings​

He says the move will 'both slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Texas open for business'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Thursday requiring residents to wear masks in public in every county in the state that has 20 or more cases of COVID-19. His dictate also limits gatherings to 10 people or less.

Gov. Abbott's office released a press release declaring that his mandate requires "all Texans to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth in public spaces in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, with few exceptions."

The notice continued, "The Governor also issued a proclamation giving mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on some outdoor gatherings of over 10 people, and making it mandatory that, with certain exceptions, people cannot be in groups larger than ten and must maintain six feet of social distancing from others."

The Republican issued a statement explaining, "Wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19." He added, "If Texans commit to wearing face coverings in public spaces and follow the best health and safety practices, we can both slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Texas open for business."

The Texas Tribune reported that kids younger than 10 years old are exempt from the order, and so are "people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking and people who are exercising outdoors."

The order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. on Friday, and violators could face up to $250 in fines.

According to KHOU-TV, Abbott resisted issuing a mask mandate for weeks, "but as cases and hospitalization have continued to rise, the governor has taken small steps to try to stop the spread."

The outlet noted that on Wednesday, Texas recorded more than 8,000 single-day coronavirus cases for the first time.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/texas-gov-greg-abbott-issues-statewide-order-requiring-masks-limiting-gatherings

Germany Disbands Elite Army Unit With ‘Toxic Leadership Culture’ Amid Far-Right Sympathy Uptick

Germany’s defense minister revealed on Wednesday that a unit of the Kommando Spezialkraefte (KSK), the country’s elite commando force, would be disbanded. The dissolution follows a report published in January revealing that hundreds of soldiers may embody far-right extremist ideologies.

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that the KSK, an anti-terrorism and hostage rescue unit with roughly 1,300 soldiers, had created “a wall of secrecy” around itself and that the force has a “toxic leadership culture” that “cannot continue to exist in its present form,” NPR reported.

Kramp-Karrenbauer also confirmed that some of the 70 soldiers from the disbanded force would be reassigned to other combat companies while “those who made clear they are part of the problem and not part of the solution must leave the KSK," military.com reported.

"We will give the KSK time to press the reset button," she added, although she also noted that “we need the KSK.”

"The vast majority of the men and women in the KSK and in the Bundeswehr, or German military, as a whole are loyal to our constitution, with no ifs or buts," she added.

On Wednesday, Gen. Eberhard Zorn, inspector general of the armed forces, also revealed that around 48,000 rounds of ammunition and 62 kilograms worth of explosives had gone missing from the special forces, which had raised additional concern among officials.

Kramp-Karrenbauer’s announcement also comes six weeks after investigators found Nazi memorabilia and stolen ammunition and explosives on the property of a KSK seargeant major who had served since 2001.

A January report by Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service revealed that around 500 soldiers in the German military were being investigated for right-far extremism; 20 were linked to the KSK.

"We are currently dealing with around 20 suspected cases of right-wing extremism in the KSK alone while at the beginning of 2019, there were half as many,” head of the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) Christof Gramm said in January.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Gramm revealed that elite units can get big heads about their status.

“Elite units such as these have cultural factors that may develop into susceptibilities,” Gramm noted. “For example if there is a misguided sense of tolerance.”

“The soldiers have an elitist self-confidence. They have special capabilities and skills and a well-developed sense of loyalty. Such a mind-set can involve risks,” he added.

https://sputniknews.com/military/202007021079780450-germany-disbands-elite-army-unit-with-toxic-leadership-culture-amid-far-right-sympathy-uptick/