Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is considering commuting the sentences of as many as 400 prisoners in the state’s detention centers as a coronavirus precaution, according to reports. The move would come as police in the state’s largest city, Portland, have their hands full with nightly riots and destruction for three straight months – with protests in other cities as well. The
prisoners eyed for early release would include those who are within two
months of the end of their sentences – as well as about a dozen inmates
deemed “medically vulnerable” to the virus, OregonLive.com reported. “Given
what we now know about the disease and its pervasiveness in our
communities, it is appropriate to review for potential release
individuals who face significant health challenges should they contract
COVID-19,” Brown wrote to Colette Peters, administrator of the state’s
prison system, according to OregonLive.com. Those inmates declared
an “unacceptable safety, security or compliance risk to the community”
would not be eligible, the governor wrote. The governor previously commuted the sentences of 57 inmates, according to the report. Those
being considered for release must have exhibited good behavior over the
past 12 months and cannot have been incarcerated for crimes against
other people, Brown added in her letter to the state Department of
Corrections. Brown,
60, a Democrat who has been Oregon’s governor since February 2015,
requested a list of names of eligible inmates be delivered to her office
by Sept. 18, the news outlet reported. So
far, Oregon has seen three prison inmates die from the coronavirus from
among 634 confirmed cases. More than 500 inmates have recovered,
OregonLive.com reported. Corrections workers have accounted for 177 cases of the virus, the report said.
CNN
political analyst Joe Lockhart attacked former Covington Catholic High
School student Nick Sandmann after his network settled a $250 million
defamation lawsuit earlier this year. On Tuesday evening, CNN
awkwardly aired Sandmann's speech as part of the second night of the
Republican National Convention, where he said his life "changed forever
in that one moment" because the "full war machine in the mainstream
media revved up into attack mode" while botching its coverage of the
2019 viral confrontation with a Native American elder that had portrayed
the Kentucky teen as the aggressor. However, one of Sandmann's loudest critics came from the network that he settled with. "I'm
watching tonight because it's important. But i [sic] don't have to
watch this snot nose entitled kid from Kentucky," Lockhart tweeted.
Critics blasted the CNN commentator, suggesting his tweet attacking the Covington teen lacked any self-awareness. "It
seems like CNN still hasn't learned their lesson about smearing and
slandering an innocent teen," NewsBusters news analyst Nicholas
Fondacaro reacted. "Your bosses at CNN defamed this kid. The
entitled snot nose idiots were from CNN ... not the other way around,"
National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker told the former Clinton
press secretary. "Joe
Lockhart enjoys picking on an 18-year-old who has a far greater net
worth than he does. After CNN tried to destroy Nick Sandmann, he sued
and they were forced to settled [sic]. Maybe Joe had to take a pay cut
for the settlement," radio host Jason Rantz tweeted. "It’s rare to watch someone fall into an obvious trap in real time, but it happens," Daily Wire editor Emily Zanotti wrote. "Yeah,
I guess he is entitled....to the money your clown network has to pay
out for defaming him," Daily Caller reporter Chuck Ross said. Lockhart
wasn't the only CNNer who spoke out against Sandmann on Tuesday. CNN
opinion writer Jeff Yang addressed Sandmann directly. "Hey
@N1ckSandmann, I watched your speech tonight at the
#RNCConvention2020 with an open mind, thinking I might hear something
that would convince me of your position that you were an innocent victim
of a cruel media. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear
otherwise," Yang began a Twitter thread. Yang slammed Sandmann for not extending a "branch of peace" to Nathan Phillip, the Native American elder from the confrontation. "You
said you didn’t see the incident as something beneficial—rather, that
it was destructive and horrific. But your speech tonight was a clear
embrace of a role as a political symbol and conservative icon; a career
move. It was your choice. I hope you end up satisfied with it," the CNN
writer concluded. Sandmann responded to Yang, telling the CNN writer "I can’t say I’m too surprised." CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. This
follows claims made by Sandmann's attorney Lin Wood that CNN's media
correspondent Brian Stelter breached the network's confidentiality
agreement after retweeting a critic who suggested Sandmann was
"undoubtedly paid nuisance value settlement & nothing more." "This
retweet by @brianstelter may have cost him his job at @CNN. It is
called breach of confidentiality agreement. Brian Stelter is a liar. I
know how to deal with liars," Wood tweeted with a screenshot of
Stelter's retweet. CNN analyst Asha Rangappa appeared to agree with the assertion, writing "I’d guess $25K to go away." Speaking
in front of The Lincoln Memorial, where the confrontation took place,
Sandmann told his side of the story on Tuesday night. "Looking
back now, how could I have possibly imagined that the simple act of
putting on that red hat would unleash hate from the left and make myself
the target of network and cable news networks nationwide?" he wondered.
"While the media portrayed me as an aggressor with a relentless smirk
on my face, in reality, the video confirms I was standing with my hands
behind my back and an awkward smile on my face that hid two thoughts:
One, don't do anything that could further agitate the man banging the
drum at my face. And two, I was trying to follow a family friend's
advice never to do anything to embarrass your family, your school, or
your community." Sandmann accused the media of "advancing their
anti-Christian, anti-conservative, anti-Donald Trump narrative" that if
that meant ruining "the reputation and future of a teenager from
Covington, Kentucky, well so be it." He
explained that he was "being canceled" and said similar treatment is
being dished out to people across the country who "refuse to be
silenced by the far left," with the media "a willing participant." "But
I would not be canceled," Sandmann declared. "I fought back hard to
expose the media for what they did to me and I won a personal victory.
While much more needs to be done, I look forward to the day that the
media returns to providing balanced, responsible, and accountable news
coverage." At the end of the video, Sandmann expressed his support for President Trump and put on the iconic MAGA hat.
Actress Bette Midler faced intense backlash for mocking First Lady Melania Trump's accent. The
first lady closed the second night of the Republican National
Convention on Tuesday from the Rose Garden at the White House, where she
expressed her gratitude as an American and her support for President
Trump's reelection. However, her message was apparently not received by the award-winning performer. "Oh, God. She still can’t speak English," Midler tweeted during the speech. She
wrote in another tweet "#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak
several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!" Midler
also told the first lady, "You are one lucky Slovenian! And after all
that surgery, you hit a kind of horrible jackpot, chained to
[a] colossal idiot."
Critics blasted the "Hocus Pocus" star, accusing her of xenophobia. "Xenophobe who speaks one language mocks immigrant who can speak five," radio host Dana Loesch reacted. "The party of diversity mocks an American for her accent..." actor James Woods tweeted. "Called it. The same people who call Trump a racist," conservative podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey wrote. "Who knew xenophobia was the wind beneath your wings!" Fox Business host Kennedy quipped. Other critics of the president also attacked the first lady. "Seriously, f--- this b----," comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted. "Makes me want to vomit," CNN political analyst and Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem replied to Griffin. Former NBA player Rex Chapman also compared Melania Trump's dress to Adolf Hitler. Last
weekend, Melania Trump was attacked as a "foreigner" by former New York
Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald over her newly-renovated Rose Garden. “It
is a destruction of our history, something no other First Lady would
have had the gall to do,” Eichenwald tweeted. “This is the first time I
have been furious that @FLOTUS is a foreigner. She has no right to wreck
our history.” Eichenwald later deleted the tweet and issued an apology.
First lady Melania Trump took center stage on the second night of the Republican National Convention, calling on Americans to “stop the violence” amid nationwide protests over racial inequality. The first lady also expressed her “deepest sympathy” for those suffering or who’ve lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic.
And she made the case for her husband’s re-election, emphasizing that
President Trump “loves this country and he knows how to get things
done.” Speaking from the recently renovated White House Rose Garden, with President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence in attendance, the first lady turned to the nation’s racial unrest roughly half way through her nearly half hour long address. “Like
all of you, I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country. It is
a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history,” Trump
acknowledged. ”I encourage people to focus on our future while still
learning from our past. We must remember that today that we are all one
community comprised of many races, religions, and ethnicities.” And
in a tone very different than that of her husband, the first lady
called “on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause, and
look at things from all perspectives. I urge people to come together in a
civil manner so we can work and live up to standard American ideas. I
also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name
of justice and never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s
skin. Instead of tearing things down, lets reflect on our mistakes.” Near the top of her speech, the first lady delivered sympathetic remarks to those suffering among the coronavirus pandemic. “My
deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my
prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are
anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know you’re not alone,”
she said. The first lady also expressd her gratitude and compassion those front-line workers in the battle against the outbreak. Her
sympathetic message came after a more than 2-hour program where there
was little mention of the coronavirus, which has taken the lives of
nearly 180,000 people across the nation. In her speech, which was
not vetted by the president's aides ahead of time, the first lady also
spotlighted the severity of the crisis. "I want to acknowledge the
fact that since March, our lives have changed drastically," she
acknowledged. "The invisible enemy, COVID-19, swept across our beautiful
country and impacted all of us." But she also defended the
president, who’s performance combating the coronavirus has been heavily
criticized by Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the first lady emphasized
that “my husband’s administration will not stop fighting until there’s
an effective treatment or vaccine available to everyone. Donald will not
rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone impacted by
this terrible epidemic.” The first lady also attempted to put a softer edge on a president know for his blunt and often harsh language. “We
all know Donald Trump makes no secrets of about how he feels about
things,” she acknowledged. “Totally honesty is what our citizens deserve
from our president. Whether you like it or not, you always know what
he’s thinking.” But
she stressed that “Donald wants to keep your family safe. He wants to
help your family succeed. He wants nothing more than for this country to
prosper and he doesn’t waste time playing politics.” And the first lady argued that another 4 years of her husband as president is “what is best for our country.” The Slovenian-born former fashion model and businesswoman who became a U.S. citizen in 2006 highlighted her personal story. The
first first lady who’s native language isn’t English spotlighted that
becoming an American ”is still one of the proudest moments in my life
because with hard work and determination, I was able to achieve my own
American dream.” And she emphasized that “as an immigrant and a
very independent woman, I understand what a privilege it is to live here
and to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities we have.” The first
lady - in her uplifting speech - reflected on her work with children and
her "Be Best" initiative - a public awareness campaign focusing on
well-being for youth and advocacy against cyberbullying and opioid use.
And she laid out her second-term agenda as first lady should her husband
be re-elected. She also emphasized that women's voices must be
heard and praised her husband for building "an administration with an
unprecedented number of women in leadership roles." The
president's reelection team is hoping that the first lady's popularity
will help her husband overcome one of his major weaknesses - his
standing with female voters. The most recent Fox News national
poll – conducted earlier this month – indicated Biden with a 12 point
lead over the president among female voters. Trump’s the star of every night of the convention – but on Wednesday evening, the spotlight will also shine on Vice President Mike Pence, who will give his formal nomination acceptance speech. Pence's mission will be to showcase the administration's record and make the case for another 4 years of the Trump presidency. Also
speaking Wednesday is another politician and fervent Trump supporter
who like Pence may have national aspirations in the next White House
race: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa
– one of the few Republican incumbents facing a challenging re-election
this year who’s addressing the convention – also has a slot on the
third evening of the confab. So do conservative favorites Sen. Marsha
Blackburn of Tennessee and Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Texas and Elise
Stefanik of New York, and Lee Zeldin of New York, who one of Trump’s was
staunchest defenders during the impeachment investigation and trial. Among the other speakers in the convention’s Wednesday spotlight will be Second Lady Karen Pence, outgoing Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, and the president’s daughter-in-law and senior campaign adviser Lara Trump.
A caller--who identified himself as a lifelong Democrat-- told C-SPAN late Monday that he will be supporting Republicans this year after being inspired on the opening night of the Republican National Convention, citing the “heartfelt way" participants "came across to the American people.” The
caller, who identified himself only as Rick, from Lorain, Ohio, told
the station that he decided-- in part-- to change his vote because of
the way Republicans embraced the word “God.” “The people on the
Democratic side, at their convention — acted like they were pushing God
right out of it. And that had a lot to do with changing my mind,” he
said. The official meeting of RNC delegates Monday emphasized the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance after a committee and a caucus meeting omitted the words from the pledge during the Democratic National Convention. "Two
Democrat Caucus Meetings removed 'UNDER GOD' from the Pledge of
Allegiance. It sounded not only strange, but terrible. That’s where
they’re coming from!" President Trump tweeted Sunday. Mediaite, which first reported on
the C-SPAN caller, pointed out that Trump lost Lorain County by fewer
than 200 votes to Hillary Clinton in 2016, despite ultimately winning
the state. Some of the key speakers on Monday night included Sen. Tim Scott, Nikki Haley and Kim Klacik. Scott warned that if a Biden-Harris ticket is successful, they will “turn our country into a socialist utopia.” In
a swipe at cancel culture, he added: “Do we want a society that breeds
success, or a culture that cancels everything it even slightly disagrees
with?” Fox News' Tyler Oslon and Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Florida businessman Maximo Alvarez warned against the “empty promises” of socialism during an impassioned speech at the Republican National Convention on Monday. Alvarez,
the founder of Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, fled Cuba with his
parents at the age of 13 as Fidel Castro and his communist regime took
control of the island. Speaking in support of President Trump, an
emotional Alvarez alleged that Democratic presidential candidate Joe
Biden is “mostly concerned about power” and would allow socialist
policies to take hold in America. “I’ve seen movements like this
before. I’ve seen ideas like this before. I am here to tell you – we
cannot let them take over our country,” Alvarez said. “I heard the
promises of Fidel Castro. And I can never forget all those who grew up
around me, who looked like me, who suffered and starved and died because
they believed those empty promises. They swallowed the communist poison
pill.” Alvarez
argued that policies favored by prominent Democrats, such as free
health care, and calls to defund the police are “false promises” that
“sound familiar” based on his experiences in Cuba. The Trump
administration has accused Biden and running mate Kamala Harris of
embracing far-left policies in their platform. Officials in
several Democrat-run cities have pushed to cut funding for local police
forces in recent months amid nationwide protests against systemic
racism. Biden has repeatedly denied that he plans to defund police
departments, stating instead that he intends to crack down on misconduct
and provide support for better practices. In his speech, Alvarez said recent violence in cities around the country stirred memories of his homeland. “The
country I was born in is gone, totally destroyed,” Alvarez said. “When I
watch the news in Seattle and Chicago and Portland, when I see history
being rewritten, when I hear the promises—I hear echoes of a former life
I never wanted to hear again. I see shadows I thought I had outrun.”
Alvarez said he is “grateful” that he was “able to build my American dream through hard work and determination.” “President
Trump is fighting the forces of anarchy and communism. And now he will
continue to do just that. And what about his opponent and the rest of
the DC swamp? I have no doubt they will hand the country over to those
dangerous forces,” Alvarez said.
Critics blasted the CNN commentator, suggesting his tweet attacking the Covington teen lacked any self-awareness.
Alvarez said he is “grateful” that he was “able to build my American dream through hard work and determination.”
