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Presidential election: A big push for mail-in voting will lead to chaos, allegations of fraud and worse

Micah Curtis
RT
Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:41 UTC
sign holders PO
© Getty Images/Tommaso BoddiSign holders support the post office and mail-in voting
Citing Covid-19, the Democrats want ballots to be sent in by post. The problem is that the mailing service can't be trusted - especially when the postal unions support Joe Biden.

It's understandable that many people are worried about the upcoming American election. It's not as if that doesn't come around every four years, but the political games this time are further complicated by a pandemic.

As such, there has been a push towards using mail-in ballots for the election. This has brought about a lot of discussion - not just about worries of corrupt practice, but of blatant partisanship. For the uninitiated, the United States Postal Service union has endorsed Joe Biden for president.

However, potential voter fraud - as alleged in this case in New Jersey - is only part of the scenario. It is certainly a possibility, but there are more prevalent problems we see within modern society that render the possible practice of a mail-in election as something completely idiotic. Especially once you consider all of the past mistakes that have been made by the postal service and in the shipping of ballots.

Comment: There is more than enough examples, in past incidents involving mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting and rigged voter systems, to guarantee this year's endeavor will be a colossal disaster.

See also:

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Target

US jobless claims fall below 1M, but remain high

Christopher Rugaber
The Columbus Dispatch
Thu, 13 Aug 2020 10:30 UTC
chart silhouettes
© InformNNY.com
The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the viral pandemic intensified five months ago, yet still remains at a high level. The pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.

The number of weekly applications declined to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2 million the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The decline signaled that layoffs are slowing, though the latest figure still far exceeds the pre-pandemic weekly record of just under 700,000.

The pandemic, the shutdowns that are meant to fight it and the reluctance or inability of many people to shop, travel or eat out are continuing to weaken the economy and force companies to cut staff. Twenty-three states have paused or reversed their business re-openings. In a hopeful sign, the rate of new confirmed viral cases has declined in the past couple of weeks, though it remains far above the rates that prevailed during May and June.

All told, fewer people are continuing to receive state jobless aid. That figure dropped last week to 15.5 million, from 16.1 million the previous week, reflecting the fact that some employers are hiring or re-hiring.

Comment: When the world stopped, bills and expenses didn't.

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TV

BBC grilled for interviewing 'Polish neo-Nazi' about Belarus protests


RT
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 18:33 UTC
Riot police detain a protester, Minsk
© AFP / Siarhei LeskiecFILE PHOTO: Riot police detain a protester after polls closed in the presidential election, in Minsk on August 9, 2020
In its coverage of the Belarus protests, the BBC spoke to a Polish photojournalist who was detained and allegedly tortured by police. However, it didn't mention that he is a notable extreme right figure, with links to neo-Nazis.

As protests in the Belarusian capital of Minsk after the controversial re-election of Alexander Lukashenko were marked with violence last week, Witold Dobrowolski was one of several thousand arrested. Detained for three days, Dobrowolski was released on Thursday after being brutally beaten and "tortured" by his captors in what he called a "gulag."

Battered and bruised, Dobrowolski told his story to the BBC, in a video segment that described him as a "photojournalist." However, there seems to be a few details that the BBC neglected to mention.

Comment: See also:

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Star of David

Gaza's only power plant forced to shut amid tensions with Israel

Maha Hussaini
Middle East Eye
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 18:41 UTC
gaza power plant
© Agence France-PresseIsrael's halting of fuel imports into the Gaza Strip is the latest punitive measure over a wave of airborne fire bombs from the Palestinian territory
Israel halts fuel imports into the Gaza Strip causing major disruptions to essential services in the enclave

The besieged Gaza Strip's only power plant shut down on Tuesday due to a shortage of fuel, less than a week after Israel suspended shipments and closed the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The move comes amid rising tensions and Israeli air strikes against the enclave for the seventh day in a row.

Last Wednesday, Israel imposed restrictions on the Palestinian enclave, in what it said was a response to the launching of incendiary balloons that caused bush fires in southern Israel.
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Roses

Russian major general killed, two servicemen injured in roadside bomb attack in Syria


RT
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 18:27 UTC
Russian soldiers
© AFP / Delil SOULEIMANFILE PHOTO Russian soldiers reposition in the town of Derouna Arha near the Syrian border with Turkey on June 16, 2020.
A senior Russian military adviser with the rank of major general has been killed in an attack in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Defense Ministry has confirmed. Two more Russian servicemen were injured in the incident.

A Russian military column was struck by a blast on Tuesday while en route from the Deir ez-Zor area, where the military had carried out humanitarian operations. A roadside improvised explosive device was detonated near the convoy, severely injuring a major general.
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Pistol

Three officers shot in Texas house call turned hostage situation - UPDATE: Hostages freed


The Daily Caller
Mon, 17 Aug 2020 18:10 UTC
cedar park police shot hostage texas
© CNNThree police officers were shot in an Austin suburb Sunday.
Three officers were shot Sunday in a Texas suburb after a suspect barricaded himself inside a home and took multiple hostages, police wrote on Twitter.

Cedar Park Police responded to a home call on Sunday after a woman said her son "had kicked in the door and was acting very aggressive," the department said in a press conference Sunday, according to CNN. All three of the officers who had been shot have been admitted to hospitals and are in stable condition, a Tweet from assistant police chief Mike Harmon detailed.

Comment: Local station KXAN reports the standoff is over:
Joseph Desean Taylor hostage texas
© Cedar Park Police DepartmentJoseph Desean Taylor mug shot from September 2019
Joseph Desean Taylor, 26, surrendered Monday morning after barricading himself in his home, along with his sister, brother and mother in an ordeal that started when officers arrived at the home for a disturbance. Taylor is accused of shooting Cedar Park officers Jaqueline Quiles, Cris Hester and Nik Anderson shortly after the trio responded to the call, and then Taylor allegedly took his family members hostage in an ordeal that later ended peacefully.

Law enforcement mentioned in press briefings Monday officers had responded to the home and incidents with the suspect before, and arrest documents show Taylor was arrested in 2019 after a third-degree felony family violence crime.


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X

Town Hall senior columnist banned from Twitter after criticizing Biden

Libby Emmons
The Post Millennial
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 01:48 UTC
Jack Dorsey Marina Medvin
Marina Medvin is a journalist. She expressed an opinion on a candidate in the upcoming election. Twitter called this "abuse and harassment."
Marina Medvin, senior columnist at Town Hall, caught a seven-day Twitter ban for criticizing the presidential contender in this year's election, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Medvin is a journalist. She expressed an opinion on a candidate in the upcoming election. Twitter called this "abuse and harassment."

Medvin commented on an article from the Catholic News Agency, which discussed the fact that Biden counts his Catholic faith, the Pope, and nuns among his inspiration. This is as per a video put out by the Democratic National Committee on August 9.
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X

SATIRE PURGE: Twitter suspends multiple conservative satire accounts including The Babylon Bee

James Anthony
The Post Millennial
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 01:02 UTC
babylon bee jack dorsey
The Babylon Bee, an account known for its scathing humour and social commentary, was suspended and quickly restored by Twitter. Many other satire accounts remain suspended though.
The Babylon Bee, an account known for its scathing humour and social commentary, has just been suspended by Twitter. Shortly after the suspension, the hashtag #FreeTheBee began to trend on Twitter. The Bee has since been restored by Twitter, but many other conservative satire accounts remain suspended.


Comment: See also:

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Airplane

The 2020 San Francisco exodus is real, and historic, report shows

Andrew Chamings
SF Gate
Sat, 15 Aug 2020 09:18 UTC
san francisco exodus graph
Real estate inventory change from February to July 2020, in metro area and city proper.
A new report confirms what many have been talking about for weeks: There is an exodus out of San Francisco, and the numbers are staggering.

Online real estate company Zillow released new statistics shining a stark light on the issue this week. Their "2020 Urban-Suburban Market Report" reveals that inventory has risen a whopping 96% year-on-year, as empty homes in the city flood the market like nowhere else in America.

The reason for this change is likely a combination of a few unprecedented factors that have collided this summer, resulting in a historic shift in the city.

Comment: We can think of a few other reasons people may be chomping at the bit to get out of San Francisco...

See:

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X

New Zealand government seeking to expand its internet censorship powers

Tim Cushing
Tech Dirt
Fri, 29 May 2020 03:33 UTC
christchurch shooting livestream
New Zealand has been in the censorship business for years, but the government appears to believe it's still not doing enough censoring. Legislation stemming from the government's reaction to the live-streamed Christchurch shooting seeks to expand its ability to block content it deems to be objectionable. In most cases, this means content related to terrorism or violent extremism. But the livestreaming of a mass shooting has created an open-ended definition for the government to work with in conjunction with its criminalization of this act.

Newsroom has written up a very thorough examination of the proposed law, with this chilling bit found all the way at the end of its article.
Lastly, the legislation makes it an offence to livestream objectionable content. [...] The new offence would be punishable by up to 14 years in prison if carried out by an individual or a $200,000 fine for corporations.
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