'Saved by the Bell' Reboot Selena Gomez Kidney Jokes Fly ... Fans Are Infuriated
2:32 PM PT -- Peacock has apologized for their Selena jokes, saying ... "We apologize. It was never our intention to make light of Selena's health." They added, "We have been in touch with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC."
Selena has yet to speak on the controversy.
Selena Gomez was the butt of a couple of jokes on the 'Saved By The Bell' reboot that many consider in bad taste -- and which even more are raging over.
Mega fans of the pop star found two references to Selena's 2017 kidney transplant in the new Peacock series that just dropped in full this past Wednesday ... and then made "RESPECT SELENA GOMEZ" trend online Saturday as a result of their fury.
Saved by the Bell, that's disgusting. Selena almost lost her life, jokes about her kidney transplant is NOT FUNNY. Respect Selena Gomez. pic.twitter.com/c8AZbsU1m0
— Selena Charts (@selenachartsbr) November 28, 2020 @selenachartsbr
The first scene features one of the new characters roaming the hallways of the high school and passing 2 classmates discussing Selena's kidney transplant in an incredibly cavalier manner ... with one girl insisting Justin Bieber's mom was the real donor, while the other girl refutes that by saying it was actually Demi Lovato.
A Selena fan account responded by saying, "Saved by the Bell, that's disgusting. Selena almost lost her life, jokes about her kidney transplant is NOT FUNNY. Respect Selena Gomez." The second Selena dig is more subtle.
“does selena gomez even have a kidney?” are you serious? this is so disgusting. the girl went through a life threatening surgery. in no way is this funny. @peacockTV
— ame (@corneliasrare) November 28, 2020 @corneliasrare
RESPECT SELENA GOMEZ pic.twitter.com/ufY7wKmb6C
There's another scene where a football player is talking to a girl, and right behind him ... there's graffiti or paint on the wall that reads in big bold lettering, "DOES SELENA GOMEZ EVEN HAVE KIDNEYS?" The eagle-eyed fan who spotted this one noted the joke wasn't funny -- and went so far as to call it disgusting.
Here's what we'll say ... the Selena cracks are weird, and definitely cringe-worthy. Also, they're super dated. Selena had her procedure done three full years ago ... so bringing it up as a running gag in 2020 is tired, especially when everyone knows her friend, Francia Raisa, was the true donor ... which was well-documented.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
More importantly, her fans are right here ... Selena's kidney transplant was, in fact, a matter of life or death -- and something that probably shouldn't be joked about, especially on a new streaming service from a major network.
Peacock hasn't addressed the backlash just yet, and neither has Selena. Stay tuned ...
Originally Published -- 2:14 PM PT
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Kevin Hart's 'Hoe' Daughter Joke Clubhouse Chat Was Chill ... This Wasn't About 'Black Women'
Kevin Hart's personal appearance in a mass public convo about his new Netflix special has received all types of interpretations -- but one that Kevin himself says isn't true is that the chat was in any way about Black women or belittling them.
The comedian hopped on Instagram to address the scrutiny and backlash he's received for joining a live Clubhouse chat room earlier this week titled "Is Kevin Hart funny??" and engaging with dozens of real people on the subject.
The reason the group was started in the first place is because of Kevin's new comedy special, "Zero F***s Given," in which at one point he jokes about his 15-year-old daughter, saying he's already seeing "hoe activity" from her.
Of course, Kevin referring to his daughter as a hoe -- even jokingly -- raised eyebrows, and folks on Clubhouse decided to have an honest dialogue about whether he was promoting, wittingly or unwittingly, the degradation of Black women by evoking a trope about none other than his own kid, who's still a minor.
Welp, Kevin caught wind of the Clubhouse chat room and joined himself -- and part of that conversation was captured by a third party and posted online. It looks like this thing went at least 15 minutes, if not more, and there's a lot of voices in the room ... sometimes all talking at once or over one another at various points.
There were lots of topics covered, but one that kept getting revisited -- and which was later dissected on Twitter as well -- was the idea that Kevin's male fans have a tendency to shut down, write off and silence Black women who criticize Kevin whatsoever ... which they felt was part of a toxic culture he perpetuates.
Fast-forward to Kevin's response ... and it's pretty clear he saw it as a constructive conversation with actual people who had different viewpoints on him and his comedy. He insists the narrative that the whole Clubhouse chat was aimed at Black women or meant to pit him against Black women is completely false.
Had an amazing conversation in the Clubhouse app today....Real talks with real people....this is the direction that social media is now going to. Pretty dope
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) November 27, 2020 @KevinHart4real
You can listen to the conversation for yourself and decide what's what, but it seems like Kevin liked talking it out with people ... but just didn't enjoy the analysis that followed -- much of which was critical of him and his supporters.
BTW, Kevin also touches on why he got in on the Clubhouse chat to begin with, and says the pandemic has forced his hand in getting creative for marketing and promotion. We're all evolving, aren't we?
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Amazon Alexa, Spread Anti-Semitic Propaganda ... Holocaust Lies, Claims of Jewish Conspiracies
Alexa -- Amazon's popular virtual helper -- is spewing out hateful anti-Semitic conspiracies and even lies about the Holocaust ... according to the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism.
The APPG political group claims the Alexa voice service is offering messages from anti-Semitic websites to people asking about Jewish people and the Holocaust ... without clarifying that the information comes from "selective quotes and misleading sources."
.@Alexa99, Do Jews control the media?
— CFoI (@CFoI) November 25, 2020 @CFoI
CFI Vice-Chairman Andrew Percy today exposed the shocking antisemitic content broadcast by @amazon@AmazonUK in response: pic.twitter.com/wo695lzYt3
Examples include Alexa allegedly responding to the question, "Do Jews control the media?" with ... "Jew Watch claims that Jews control the world's financial systems and media," while only pointing out that this is from an article it found on Wikipedia.
Likewise, when asked if the Holocaust was a hoax ... the UK officials claim Alexa replied that deniers claim "the Holocaust is a hoax -- or an exaggeration -- arising from a deliberate Jewish conspiracy designed to advance the interest of Jews at the expense of other people."
The APPG notes that Alexa pulled this selective line from an article, without warning that the full article describes Holocaust denial as propagating several lies about the Holocaust.
Finally, Alexa allegedly responded to a question about whether Israel's guilty of war crimes with "something I found on the web" that says ... "ethnic cleansing on a massive scale and serial human rights abuse, including war crimes, yes -- Israel is guilty of these atrocities."
Today APPG co-chairs Andrew Percy MP, @CatMcKinnell and Vice-Chair @DrLisaCameronMP have written to @amazon @AmazonUK about antisemitism being broadcast by Alexa. pic.twitter.com/3uoyfS08Tg
— APPG Antisemitism (@APPGAA) November 25, 2020 @APPGAA
Officials at the APPG sent a letter to an Amazon exec in the UK asking for an explanation and what will be done to rectify this situation. The group also claims it will be contacting the police about possible "racial incitement legislation."
An Amazon spokesperson tells us ... "We have a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory and offensive content. When we detect this type of content, we actively investigate and block responses that don't meet our policy, as we did in this case."
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City Girls Perform to Packed House on Thanksgiving
10:14 AM PT -- A rep for the club tells us ... it was shut down for 6 months amid the pandemic, so "at this point we are just trying to keep our 125 employees employed and help out music industry in any way we can."
We're told even though Gilt is allowed to operate at full capacity per the state order signed by Governor DeSantis, it is actually open at 75 percent ... and the club is utilizing temperature checks at the door, handing out masks to those who want them, and has several sanitizing stations.
Florida is experiencing enormous increases in COVID illnesses and deaths, but the State is still allowing big events, so the City Girls performance in Orlando on Thanksgiving Day was perfectly legal ... and perfectly dangerous.
The Girls packed Gilt Nightclub, and that's fully in line with the State's COVID plan. According to the regulations, bars, pubs and nightclubs that derive more than 50 percent of sales from booze are allowed to operate at full capacity. There are social distancing regs, but it seems inconsistent with the notion of packin' 'em in.
Florida, like the rest of the country, is out of control. New cases have increased by 47%, hospitalizations are up by 17% and deaths have increased by 21%.
The vaccine can't come soon enough, but it might be too late for lots of folks who are tempting fate.
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Kamala Harris Not a Shoo-in for '24 w/ Black America Per Activist Tamika Mallory
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You'd think Kamala Harris would have widespread support among African-Americans if she runs for President in 2024 -- but that's no guarantee ... so says Tamika Mallory.
We spoke to the world-famous activist -- whose speech about George Floyd stirred the nation just a few months back -- and she was clear ... Vice President-elect Harris doesn't get the Black vote just because of the color of her skin.
Tamika says Kamala will have to earn the Black vote by living up to the promises she and Joe Biden have been making to African-Americans ahead of this year's election -- an election she says was do or die to get Trump out of The White House.
Bottom line for TM ... 2024 will be a normal primary cycle, and she says Black America will have a better chance to vet a candidate that best serves its interests ... regardless of identity politics. If that's Kamala, great -- but don't bank on it.
We've heard this logic before -- Ice Cube was saying something similar not too long ago regarding his "Contract with Black America." Sounds like Tamika has a hard-line she won't cross when it comes to DT, but the sentiment is similar.
We should also note -- Tamika is wishing Biden and Harris all the success in the world, and seems to genuinely hope they can follow through. Fingers crossed ...
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Soccer Legend Diego Maradona Funeral Worker Sacked for Taking Selfie with Body
A funeral worker tasked with preparing Diego Maradona's body for the soccer legend's wake is out of a job ... after posing with the body for a disgusting selfie.
The funeral worker allegedly crept up to Maradona's open coffin and gave a thumbs up in the selfie ... sparking outrage from the owner of the Buenos Aires funeral parlor who promptly fired the guy.
The English tabloid Mirror Sport, which first reported the story, obtained the photo but opted not to post it on its website. As we reported ... the soccer legend died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was recovering from emergency brain surgery earlier this month.
As mourners paid their respects around the world with touching tributes ... all hell broke loose Thursday in his native country where violence erupted as thousands of mourners tried to force their way into the presidential palace where Maradona is lying in state.
Cops tried stopping folks from entering the building following orders from the family. Fans clashed with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the violent crowd.
we don't know if anyone was injured.
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Coronavirus Craziness UK Woman Goes On Rampage ... Breaks 500 Bottles of Booze
A woman went ham inside a UK supermarket ... obliterating the liquor shelves.
Aldi in Stevenage this afternoon.. 😯 pic.twitter.com/qGWkPCGbo7
— Peacsy (@Peacsy3) November 25, 2020 @Peacsy3
She apparently was acting erratically while waiting in the checkout line, and when one of the shoppers told her to calm down, she went nuts and started breaking more than 500 -- THAT'S FIVE HUNDRED -- bottles of booze.
The tantrum went on for 5 long minutes, according to The Sun. At one point she slips and slashes her right hand, but continues her rampage with her left.
The lady was arrested and taken into custody. A police spokesperson said she was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injured hand.
... If one of those bottles would happen to fall, 499 bottles of beer on the wall.
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President Trump Pardons Michael Flynn ... All is Forgiven, General!!!
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President Trump just absolved his former national security adviser and convicted perjurer Gen. Michael Flynn ... which might be the start of a last-minute blitz of forgiveness.
After rumors swirled this week he'd do this, the Prez announced the pardon Wednesday, tweeting ... "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!"
It could be the first of several lame-duck pardons to come out of the Oval during Trump's remaining time in office. As we first reported ... Joe Exotic's people say they've gotten word he could be next.
As for Flynn ... the writing's been on the wall. -- the Prez has time and again said Flynn got a raw deal and was rung up on charges over technicalities rather than anything actually wrong or harmful to the nation. Trump even had Attorney General William Barr go to bat for Flynn in court -- with the DOJ filing to dismiss the charges.
Gen. Flynn signed a plea bargain during Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian collusion by the Trump campaign -- admitting he lied to FBI investigators about conversations he'd had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during Trump's transition to power. He allegedly told him to tell Putin to chill over Obama's lame-duck sanctions against Russia.
Flynn also lied to Vice President Mike Pence about those convos -- and Pence parroted those to the media. As a result, Trump canned him, but openly denounced the move.
There are a few other Trump campaign people POTUS could bail out if he wants -- Paul Manafort comes to mind.
The last person Trump might still have on his list for a clean slate is ... himself, according to multiple reports. Word is he's discussed granting himself a pardon -- but something tells us that'd land right at the Supreme Court, as it's unprecedented.
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Coronavirus Travel Bookings Back On the Rise ... It's a Vaccine Boost!!!
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The COVID-19 vaccines are already injecting renewed confidence into the decimated travel industry -- travelers are taking the news as a green light to pack their bags.
Although most of us won't have access to one of 3 potential vaccines until next spring, Cruise Brothers -- one of the largest family-owned cruise travel agencies in the country -- tells TMZ, it saw a 60 percent spike in new itineraries compared to election week ... when bookings were few and far between.
The big change between then and now, of course, is Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca all announced highly-effective vaccines are going to the FDA for approval.
That's enough to get folks thinking summer vacations -- but they're still steering clear of current COVID hotspots. We're told Alaska is the most popular destination getting booked now, while the least popular is Europe.
Antarctica, the only continent untouched by COVID-19, is attracting luxury travelers ... Cruise Brothers says trips there are up 100 percent compared to what was on the books before the pandemic.
They do expect people to start booking more traditional European getaways though ... once the current COVID surge there dies down.
TripAdvisor says 65 percent of consumers are already thinking about traveling. So, once vaccines are widely available, it's looking like the travel industry will be inundated with bookings.
Hallelujah!
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Patrick Mahomes I'll Slather My Thanksgiving Turkey In Ketchup ... 'You Know Me'
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Pass the gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing ... and ketchup?!
Yup, Patrick Mahomes says he loves the tomatoey stuff SO MUCH, he's planning on slathering it all over his Thanksgiving Day meal!!!
The K.C. Chiefs superstar -- well known for his love of ketchup -- confirmed with the guys on KCSP 610 Sports Radio on Monday that he will, in fact, even put ketchup on his turkey.
"Yeah, dude, I mean come on," Mahomes said. "You got to put ketchup on that!"
In fact, Mahomes says if ham is part of his Thanksgiving feast Thursday as well ... that'll get the ketchup treatment too!!!
And, when the guys asked him if he was joking ... Mahomes said flat-out, hell no!
"Come on," the Chiefs star said with a laugh, "you know me better than that!"
Mahomes' infatuation with ketchup clearly knows no bounds ... in the past, he's admitted to putting it on steak, eggs and mac and cheese. The guy even has an endorsement deal with Hunt's to make sure he's always got a fresh bottle handy!
Who else would you rather have passing you the ketchup? Welcome to the team, @PatrickMahomes5! pic.twitter.com/954I7a8z13
— Hunt’s (@HuntsChef) December 19, 2018 @HuntsChef
Sounds kinda weird to us ... but, hey, if it makes ya the best QB of this generation -- pass it over with the green bean casserole, please!
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Lukas Gage Zoom Audition Director Apologizes ... He Deserved Better
7:00 AM PT -- 11/24 -- Shapeero has changed his tune and decided to issue a wholehearted apology to Lukas Gage for what he said on the Zoom call ... but also explain how it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
The director says ... "First and foremost I offer Mr. Gage a sincere and unvarnished apology for my offensive words, my unprofessional behavior during the audition and for not giving him the focus and attention he deserved. My job is to evaluate performers against the part I am trying to cast. Lukas deserved better."
Shapeero goes on to explain the Zoom audition was back in August after months of lockdown, and it was emotional for him to see how hard actors were working in the tough conditions to land roles.
He explains when he was referring to actors like Lukas when he said "These poor people," but he meant "in the sense of deserving sympathy, as opposed to any economic judgment."
The director says he truly appreciates what actors have been going through, and he's still mortified about what happened. However, he vows to "move forward from this incident a more empathetic man; a more focused director and I promise, an even better partner to actors from the audition process to the final cut."
The director who seemingly got busted for trash-talking actor Lukas Gage's apartment on a Zoom call says he's not going to apologize for it ... because important context is missing.
Tristram Shapeero -- a British TV director best known for directing episodes of "Community," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Veep" -- is the guy on the other end of Gage's instantly infamous online audition.
Shapeero -- who apparently thought he was muted -- is heard saying, "These poor people live in these tiny apartments," referring to where Lukas was staying ... and goes on to criticize his TV before he realizes Lukas can hear him.
The director is now suggesting he wasn't talking smack and won't say sorry ... but does claim a statement will be coming out on the matter. Funny thing is, Shapeero said sorry multiple times to Lukas on the call when he was busted, and even added that he was mortified.
The actor -- known for roles on "American Vandal" and "Euphoria" -- posted the clip saying ... "psa: if youre a sh*t talking director make sure to mute ur mic on zoom mtgings."
The incident led to an outpouring of support in Hollywood for Gage, but the director seems to think it was all overblown.
Originally Published -- 11/23 2:52 PM PT
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Thanksgiving 2020 Turkey Sales Are Brisk Nationwide ... Folks Aren't Heeding Dire Warnings
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It seems every doctor or scientist from Dr. Fauci on down is URGING people NOT to celebrate Thanksgiving, but based on our unscientific survey, folks don't seem to be listening.
We called around the country to various supermarket chains ... and turkey sales are pretty much the same they were last year, and in some cases, even more birds are going to have their gooses cooked.
-- Star Market in Boston has sold roughly the same number of turkeys as last year. And, get this ... they sold 30% more large turkeys this year, at least so far.
-- Stop & Shop in New York City has sold out all of its smaller birds -- we're talking 900 turkeys. The larger turkeys are not flying off the shelves. This could be a good sign that people aren't planning super-large gatherings.
-- Wegmans in Princeton, New Jersey has also seen an increase in smaller turkeys over last year. Again, maybe a sign of smaller gatherings.
-- Jewel-Osco market in Chicago is seeing the same number of turkeys sold this year as last, but small turkeys seem to be selling faster than larger ones.
-- Hy-Ve market in Minneapolis again says they're selling the same number of turkeys this year as last.
-- Giant Eagle Supermarket in Pittsburgh is also seeing the same number sold this year as last.
-- Kroger Fresh Fare in Dallas has seen a 20% increase in turkey sales this year as compared to last. They've actually sold out and are waiting for another shipment of 1,000 birds.
-- Whole Foods in New Orleans is seeing the same sales this year as last.
-- Publix in Atlanta has sold more turkeys -- both big and small -- this year compared to last.
-- Ralphs in Los Angeles is seeing the same rate of turkey sales this year as last. They're almost sold out of small turkeys but larger birds are also selling well.
-- Albertsons in Kingston, Washington has seen an increase in smaller turkeys. The larger turkeys are not selling well.
-- Smart & Final in Phoenix is seeing an increase in turkey sales -- both big and small -- over last year. They fill their shelves with 8 cases of turkeys at a time and they sell out in just 4 hours.
So, the unscientific takeaway ... people are definitely celebrating Thanksgiving. What we don't know is whether the smaller turkeys signal scaled-down Thanksgiving dinners, but the level of sales is at least the same as last year and in some cases higher.
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Pro Soccer's Darnell Fisher Facing League Discipline Over In-Game Penis Grabbing
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A pro soccer player could be facing discipline from his league ... after he straight-up grabbed his opponent's penis TWICE in a disturbing in-game incident that was all caught on video.
Here's the deal ... on Saturday in England, Preston North End FC player Darnell Fisher was trying to guard Sheffield Wednesday's Callum Paterson during a corner kick in the second half.
Video of the play showed Fisher got super close to Paterson ... and then Fisher suddenly grabbed Paterson's junk.
This is Darnell Fisher of Preston North End. On Saturday, he was captured twice grabbing Callum Paterson's genitals in their 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. The English FA is currently investigating the incident for a possible sanction #Ysports pic.twitter.com/H4EyVxwPVz
— YFM KUMASI 🇬🇭 (@y1025fm) November 23, 2020 @y1025fm
Paterson was clearly upset by the move -- he looked over at the ref to see if the official was going to say something to Fisher -- and that's when Fisher cupped Paterson's genitals yet again.
The two eventually separated, and Fisher's Preston squad ended up winning the game 1-0 ... but afterward, the Football Association reportedly launched a probe into the incident.
According to Sky Sports, the FA is set to investigate whether or not it should punish Fisher for the move.
Similar incidents in sports this past year have garnered big discipline ... remember, rugby star Joe Marler was hit with a 10-WEEK ban for grabbing a guy's penis in a game.
@JoeMarler never change #ENGvWAL pic.twitter.com/He074XOt5q
— FreeTheBeard (@davidsmith1000) March 7, 2020 @davidsmith1000
Fisher has yet to publicly comment on the play ... but his team's manager, Tony Pulis, said of the incident after the game to reporters, "I haven’t seen it but I’m sure, with everybody on social media, he’ll be up in flames if he’s done that."
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Harvey Weinstein Being Filmed Nonstop in Prison To Avoid Another Epstein
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Harvey Weinstein is getting the home movie treatment from behind bars -- having cameras record his every move so he doesn't go the way of Jeffrey Epstein ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... a correctional officer is assigned to follow Weinstein anytime he's on the move from within the state prison he's currently serving his sentence at -- which is Wende Correctional Facility in upstate NY.
Aside from the regular surveillance cameras that might be fixated on HW at any given time, we're told whichever guard is assigned to shadow him for the day has a camera on him at eye-level ... basically, he's being recorded damn-near round-the-clock.
It's unclear if it's a body cam or hand held camera -- prison officials tell us they can use both when monitoring an inmate's safety -- but in any case it's lights, camera, action all over again for Mr. Weinstein.
As for why ... the concerns followed Weinstein from Rikers to where is is currently -- prison officials are worried if they take their eyes off Weinstein things could quickly go awry.
More importantly, we're told state prison officials are doing this to tamp down any conspiracy theories that might arise if things go south -- not just that, they're looking to cover their butts from criminal liability.
Our sources say the thinking is ... if there's a mountain of visual evidence at the ready, nobody can accuse them of screwing up like the Epstein guards allegedly did.
Weinstein is in frail health and there were concerns last week he may have had COVID, but he tested negative.
Weinstein's rep, Juda Engelmayer, declined to comment. The New York State DOC also refused to comment on specific safety protocols for any given prisoner.
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Lara Trump Since Dad Can't Win in Court ... Subverting the Electoral Process is On the Table
The wheels have fallen off Donald Trump's court challenges, so his daughter-in-law now says they're entertaining the prospect of getting state legislators to subvert the democratic process -- and break the law -- by pressuring them to switch to pro-Trump electors.
It's both shocking and yet not really surprising. Lara Trump went on Fox Sunday and groused about all the alleged fraud and cheating in the election. Thing is ... her in-law had way more than a dozen chances to make that case before a judge, yet he's been thrown out of court left and right ... and schooled by angry judges who say the challenges are a big waste of time -- because Trump and co. presented no evidence of voter fraud.
So now, she's saying going to state legislators to try and overturn the results is an option. It's illegal in most states for legislators to turn on their voters and rig the electoral college system.
Lara Trump says there are 74 million people who voted for Trump who are angry at the results. Well, that's called losing, and we're guessing many of them may be upset but not necessarily inclined to rig the process so the loser becomes the winner.
She somehow thinks Joe Biden could not have gotten 80 million votes, because he only had a dozen people at some campaign events. Of course, that's ridiculous, especially because Biden played it safe and coronavirus has ravaged the maskless Trumps.
Lara, who seems to be flirting with a 2022 Senate run in North Carolina, is mimicking her father-in-law, who's spinning voter fraud claims on Twitter. The fatal flaw ... he's got no evidence, and evidence -- not Donald Trump -- is king.
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Erie County, NY Authorities Attempt Meeting Shutdown Chased Off by Anti-maskers!!!
A large group of biz owners in Erie County, NY called the local authorities' bluff when they tried shutting down their get-together ... and sent Johnny Law packing.
This went down Friday night at a CrossFit gym called Athletes Unleashed in Orchard Park -- not too far away from Buffalo -- where upwards of 100 local businessmen and women congregated to discuss how to navigate the state's new COVID-19 guidelines ... which again are limiting hours, customers and access in NY.
While these folks were having their meeting -- with most people not wearing masks -- Erie County Sheriff's Deputies and Health Dept. officials made their way inside and attempted to disperse the crowd ... saying they were in violation of Gov. Cuomo's new 10-person-or-less rule for public gatherings.
What happened next is nothing short of shocking ... the crowd actually stood their ground and demanded the cops and county workers beat it -- which they did.
Indoor gatherings, big or small, are a risk.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 16, 2020 @NYGovCuomo
Here's how to reduce the risk:
-Open windows
-Wear masks and keep distance
-Shorten the duration of the visit
Reminder: Gatherings inside or outside of private homes are now limited to 10 people or fewer. pic.twitter.com/0k6tc5rAae
They were chased off in dramatic fashion, with the angry mob chanting "Get out!" and "We will not comply!" as they followed the Sheriff's deputies and others out into the parking lot and all the way back to their vehicles ... like dogs with their tail between their legs. It's cringe-worthy to see -- the cops pretty much folded.
This also raises a serious question -- what sort of powers does law enforcement actually have in trying to enforce state-mandated regulations??? We reached out to the Erie County Sheriff's Office for further comment ... no word back yet.