Trump says North Carolina rally considered ‘peaceful protest’ after hosting without mask

Trump told those assembled at Smith Reynolds Airport that Democrats were using mask mandates and business closures as political tools against him.

A maskless President Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina Tuesday, where a large crowd of supporters gathered to greet him, many without wearing face coverings despite the state’s mask mandate.

Trump told the thousands assembled outdoors at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem that his rally should be considered a peaceful protest to avoid violating state rules limiting the size of public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump addresses a crowd during a campaign rally at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

The president claimed that Democratically-run states limited the size of campaign events to damage him.

“You can’t go to church,” Trump said. “But if you are willing to riot … you are allowed to do that because you’re considered a peaceful protester. So we decided to call all of our rallies peaceful protests.”

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Trump also asserted that Democrats were using state mask mandates and business closures as political tools against him.

“On Nov. 4, every one of those states will be open,” he said, “They’re doing it for political reasons.”

America tops the world in COVID-19 cases, with a reported 6.35 million.

Read More: Why Trump really banned diversity training as ‘anti-American’

Trump mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was photographed late last month inside a hair salon in her native San Francisco with a mask around her neck. Salons in the city are only allowed to perform services outside.

At a press conference days later, Pelosi claimed that the photo op was a “setup.”

The president also spent most of the rally attempting to rile up his base with some of the same rhetoric that he utilized in 2016. He railed about “fake news” media. He insulted Democrats with nicknames. He even brought up the border wall, continuing to falsely claim that Mexico was paying for it.

Read More: Trump pushes misleading claim China is interfering in election for Biden

Trump also appeared to intentionally mispronounce the first name of Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. Politico notes that he correctly pronounced her name earlier in his remarks and has done so in some White House briefings.

“Nobody likes her,” Trump said. “She could never be your first woman president. That would be an insult to our country.”

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Norwegian lawmaker nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Christian Tybring-Gjedde said Trump should be considered because of his work ‘for possible peace in the Middle East.’

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work “for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel which opens up for possible peace in the Middle East.”

Read More: Say what now? Republicans nominate Donald Trump for Nobel peace prize

Getty

“No matter how Trump acts at home and what he says at press conferences, he has absolutely a chance at getting the Nobel Peace Prize,” Tybring-Gjedde, told The Associated Press.

He said he nominated Trump on Wednesday, adding that “Donald Trump meets the criteria” for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tybring-Gjedde was also one of two Norwegian lawmakers who nominated Trump for the peace prize in 2018 for his efforts to bring reconciliation between North and South Korea.

Any national lawmaker can nominate someone for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Read More: DOJ asks to defend Trump in rape accuser’s defamation lawsuit

The process of considering candidates and awarding the prize is done in Norway, in contrast to the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded in neighboring Sweden. Nominations must be sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee by Feb. 1.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee doesn’t publicly comment on nominees. Under its rules, the information is required to be kept secret for 50 years.

“It is now to hope that the Nobel Committee is able to consider what Trump has achieved internationally and that it does not stumble in established prejudice against the US President,” Tybring-Gjedde said in a Facebook post.

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19% of all new US virus cases linked to South Dakota motorcycle rally

New study says the annual gathering in Sturgis was a ‘super-spreader’ event.

More than 260,000 coronavirus cases in the U.S. have been linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

According to new research from San Diego State University’s Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies, these new cases have been diagnosed since Aug. 2, with the authors noting that the rally was “the perfect storm” for COVID-19 spread, Insider.com reports. 

“If you look at the month between August 2 and September 2, based on our estimates, Sturgis is responsible for 19% of the cases in the United States,” said Andrew Friedson, one of the authors of the paper and an economics professor at the University of Colorado. 

What’s more, the researchers estimated that it cost over $12 billion in public health costs. That figure does not include any costs associated with any deaths that might have been tied to the event.

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Around 350,000 people from around the U.S. reportedly descended upon Sturgis for its annual motorcycle rally last month. Hundreds of them visited bars, restaurants and attended outdoor concerts. Many returned home to various states and nearby counties bringing with them new COVID-19 infections.

In a report published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn, Germany, researchers used anonymized cell phone data to track rally-goers and their movements between Aug. 2 and Sept. 2. Local health records and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were also used to conclude that hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases could be linked to the rally.

“The only large factors working to prevent the spread of infection was the outdoor venue, and low population density in the state of South Dakota,” the economists wrote.

“We find that the Sturgis Rally caused spread of COVID-19 cases both locally and in the home counties of those who traveled to the Sturgis Rally and returned home,” they added.

The Sturgis rally is exactly the kind of event the CDC had previously warned could be a hub for a mass spreader of the potentially deadly COVID-19.

“Thousands of people attended that event, and so it’s very likely that we will see more transmission,” said Kris Ehresmann, Minnesota’s director of infectious diseases, according to the Star Tribune.

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Travel Expert Creates Customized Road Trip Itineraries Supporting Black Businesses

Due to the spread of COVID-19, many Americans were forced to put their vacation plans on hold. With travel derailed—flights to many international destinations have restrictions—many have opted for small road trips instead of a remote getaway. One Black woman entrepreneur used her travel company to create a new series of road trip itineraries complete with Black-owned businesses to stop by along the way.

Kristin Braswell is the owner of CrushGlobal, a travel company specializing in guides to help travelers plan their dream trips around the world in addition to group trips. Her destinations have ranged from Paris to Tokyo, with different themes to guide you on how to craft your trip. Her new Southern Road Trips series focused on regional excursions you can take by car for a short getaway.

“The itineraries are designed with various themes, but all include major points of interest along each route, restaurants, and hotel accommodations. I am an extremely detail-oriented person when it comes to planning, so my biggest aim was to make sure someone gets their road trip guide, opens it, and feels like they are equipped with everything they need to have an incredible travel experience,” says Braswell in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“I designed the road trip guides in an easy-to-read format by day and time. I wanted to make sure that the reader can easily navigate the routes in the guide from point A to point B,” she continued. “People can pick and choose which stops they’d like to make along the way, based on their interests and schedule. There is also information on each stop, like what services they offer, price points, contact information, and Instagram handles. Lastly, which I think is a major plus—the guides note any safety protocols in light of COVID in each location for visitors to keep in mind.”

Braswell’s road trip itineraries also highlight Black-owned businesses in various sectors for travelers to visit on their journeys.

“What I’m most proud of is that every guide includes Black-owned businesses wherever possible, from chefs to wine experts and hiking tour guides,” said Braswell.” For our personalized guides, meaning, we create a road trip based on your interests and budget, travelers will be connected directly to VIP experiences that include activities like private drivers, curated chef, and wine tastings, and so much more.”

 

 

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Did someone say they’re ready to escape? Well, CrushGlobal ROAD TRIPS are HERE! #LinkinBio. I’ve spoken with experts, guides and locals to create these themed road trips around the country. Best of all (and what I’m most proud of), they all support Black owned businesses along the way and follow social distancing protocols! You’ve probably noticed that it’s definitely the year of the road trip, and we’ll be rolling out these themed guides, just in time for Labor Day weekend and beyond. Full of every single detail you need to be #RoadReady, our CrushGlobal guides are going to get you out into nature, wine vineyards, epic food trails, forest bathing (yep!), outdoor picnics and more. Don’t miss it. Click that link in the bio to sign up!

A post shared by Kristin Braswell (@crushglobal) on Aug 26, 2020 at 10:12am PDT

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/32dIKP3

Travel Expert Creates Customized Road Trip Itineraries Supporting Black Businesses

Due to the spread of COVID-19, many Americans were forced to put their vacation plans on hold. With travel derailed—flights to many international destinations have restrictions—many have opted for small road trips instead of a remote getaway. One Black woman entrepreneur used her travel company to create a new series of road trip itineraries complete with Black-owned businesses to stop by along the way.

Kristin Braswell is the owner of CrushGlobal, a travel company specializing in guides to help travelers plan their dream trips around the world in addition to group trips. Her destinations have ranged from Paris to Tokyo, with different themes to guide you on how to craft your trip. Her new Southern Road Trips series focused on regional excursions you can take by car for a short getaway.

“The itineraries are designed with various themes, but all include major points of interest along each route, restaurants, and hotel accommodations. I am an extremely detail-oriented person when it comes to planning, so my biggest aim was to make sure someone gets their road trip guide, opens it, and feels like they are equipped with everything they need to have an incredible travel experience,” says Braswell in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“I designed the road trip guides in an easy-to-read format by day and time. I wanted to make sure that the reader can easily navigate the routes in the guide from point A to point B,” she continued. “People can pick and choose which stops they’d like to make along the way, based on their interests and schedule. There is also information on each stop, like what services they offer, price points, contact information, and Instagram handles. Lastly, which I think is a major plus—the guides note any safety protocols in light of COVID in each location for visitors to keep in mind.”

Braswell’s road trip itineraries also highlight Black-owned businesses in various sectors for travelers to visit on their journeys.

“What I’m most proud of is that every guide includes Black-owned businesses wherever possible, from chefs to wine experts and hiking tour guides,” said Braswell.” For our personalized guides, meaning, we create a road trip based on your interests and budget, travelers will be connected directly to VIP experiences that include activities like private drivers, curated chef, and wine tastings, and so much more.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Did someone say they’re ready to escape? Well, CrushGlobal ROAD TRIPS are HERE! #LinkinBio. I’ve spoken with experts, guides and locals to create these themed road trips around the country. Best of all (and what I’m most proud of), they all support Black owned businesses along the way and follow social distancing protocols! You’ve probably noticed that it’s definitely the year of the road trip, and we’ll be rolling out these themed guides, just in time for Labor Day weekend and beyond. Full of every single detail you need to be #RoadReady, our CrushGlobal guides are going to get you out into nature, wine vineyards, epic food trails, forest bathing (yep!), outdoor picnics and more. Don’t miss it. Click that link in the bio to sign up!

A post shared by Kristin Braswell (@crushglobal) on Aug 26, 2020 at 10:12am PDT

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/32dIKP3