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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is coming under fire after it was discovered that the businesses of her family members were given $600,000 in COVID-19 funds from a state grant program pushed by her.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that out of the 126 businesses across South Dakota, only five were given grants of $500,000, including a ranch owned by the Noem family.
<p>The business, which is run by Noem's brothers Rock and Robb Arnold, got the full amount after their sister expanded the amount. </p><p>"The Legislature approved the grant plan in October, but the family businesses benefitted from adjustments the Republican governor made," said the AP. "The plan initially capped grants at $100,000, but later in the month, with plentiful federal funds at their disposal, Noem's administration adjusted the grant cap to $500,000. The governor also later opened up a second round of grant applications to businesses hurt by the pandemic from September to November."<br/></p><p>The report said that there is no evidence that Noem was part of the decision to give the Noem family the funds. </p><p>The Noem family is refusing to answer questions about the grant or provide their financial statements for transparency. </p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/businesses-tied-to-noem-family-got-600000-in-virus-grants/2021/03/03/604456d2-7c7d-11eb-8c5e-32e47b42b51b_story.html" target="_blank">Read the full report. </a></p>
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'Have you not debased yourself enough?' CNN's Don Lemon mocks Pence and Brian Kemp for still loving Trump
March 03, 2021
CNN's Don Lemon mocked former Vice President Mike Pence and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for having their lives endangered by former President Donald Trump and still agreeing to support him.
Pence, who wrote a column towing the Trump line that the election was stolen, came within feet of being attacked by Capitol insurrectionists. His family, who was with him, was also in danger. While many would be infuriated if someone put their family in danger, Pence made it clear that his love for the former president still holds.
<p>"Mike Pence knows that that was a lie," Lemon said about the claims around the election. "He knows. And they were saying, 'hang Mike Pence.' Geez. 'The big lie' that incited those rioters -- see the gallows? They wanted to hang you, Mike Pence, for something you know is a lie. Pence and his family escaping just a minute before rioters charged up the stairs, as hero Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman distracted them. There he is, distracting them from Mike Pence, who's now putting out some crap about a stolen election or irregularities."</p><p>A shocked Lemon asked Pence if he really cares about power that much. </p><p>"Sorry, I shouldn't even ask that question," Lemon corrected himself. "I shouldn't waste my time. All that and Mike Pence is still sucking up to his former boss. Have you not debased yourself enough for that man? Not only were Pence and his family in mortal danger, those hero officers, police officers like Eugene Goodman, they were in danger as well. And let's remember Donald Trump didn't even call Mike Pence during the riot to find out if he and his family were okay. Instead, he tweeted before he was permanently banned from Twitter, for his lies, tweeted an attack on his own vice president. All that is okay with Mike Pence now. Fine with the big lie, fine with lives within in danger, fine with voter suppression. He's gambled his integrity away."</p><p>Kemp too said that he would still support Trump in 2024. Kemp's family has been threatened in the wake of Trump's attacks on him. </p><p>"This needs to stop," Kemp said in December of dangerous conspiracy theories, <a href="https://www.wjcl.com/article/this-needs-to-stop-georgia-gov-kemp-fires-back-after-his-family-is-targeted-following-election/35011721#" target="_blank">according to WJCL</a>. "People need to deal with facts. We'll give them to them, and if anybody has an issue with something I've done, they can come to me, and I will talk to them about it. They don't need to bother my wife and my children or another elected official's wife and children. I'll assure you I can handle myself, if they're brave enough."</p><p>Both his wife and daughter faced death threats on social media after Trump attacked Kemp for refusing to change the 2020 election. </p><p>Watch his opener below: </p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7255791e2383dd12f37d4964c783f7f2" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1bwTgtFOWIg?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Mike Pence and Brian Kemp debase themselves for Trump</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bwTgtFOWIg" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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Why did the Army lie that Mike Flynn's brother wasn't involved in Capitol attack talks: Maddow asks
March 03, 2021
It's hours before March 4 and U.S. House security officials aren't playing around as they prepare for a possible attack from militias intent on "take control of the U.S. Capitol" to inaugurate former President Donald Trump. In an announcement Wednesday evening, the House security encouraged Capitol staff to work from home on Thursday to protect against possible attacks.
Breaking: Joint FBI/ DHS intel bulletin warns some domestic violent extremists have "discussed plans to take contr… https://t.co/QPeGRl3oVh— Julia E. Ainsley (@Julia E. Ainsley)1614788502.0
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a07bc59237207fd39098d53c201abd91" id="07514"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1367296228896223232"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW: US House security officials issue memo to House Members urging them to use underground tunnels to move around… https://t.co/llfvloVOpy</div> — Scott MacFarlane (@Scott MacFarlane)<a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/statuses/1367296228896223232">1614823798.0</a></blockquote></div><p>It was something that MSNBC host Rachel Maddow sounded the alarm about, not because it's frightening, though it is, but because the news comes just hours after Americans learned more facts around Jan. 6. </p><p>Testifying before the Senate, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973292523/dod-took-hours-to-approve-national-guard-request-during-capitol-riot-commander-s" target="_blank">National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. William Walke</a>r said that there were almost four hours between when he called the Pentagon for help and when it was eventually granted. He explained that he was ready to deliver the Guards troops to the Capitol to help and that they made it in about 18 minutes. The hold-up, however, prompted questions from Senators wondering why the Pentagon wouldn't authorize the Guard. </p><p>"It was remarkable series of revelations," Maddow said about the testimony. "Today we learned that the D.C. National Guard was told the day before the attack, January 5th, they were going to need special permission directly from the Secretary of the Army himself, personally, if they wanted to employ a quick reaction force in case of attack. We learned that the next day when the attack happened, they refused to give that permission for more than three hours when the Capitol was overrun and five people including a police officer died. And the request to send in the National Guard as backup languished for hours. For hours."</p><p>She continued: "We also got confirmation today, believe it or not, at the Pentagon one of the senior officials who fielded that desperate call for help, one of the Pentagon officials who expressed the opinion wouldn't be a good idea to allow the National Guard in to help was the younger brother of Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn who was a focal point and hero of the extremists who carried out the attack, who promoted and spoke at events in D.C. that preceded the attack and publicly called for Trump to use the military to overturn the election to stay in power. His younger brother, Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, was in on the decision on Jan. 6th to hold the National Guard back and not let them in to help the police who were being overrun by the rioters as they swarmed the Capitol. Now, Pentagon made multiple public stating explicitly denying that Gen. Charlie Flynn had any part in the discussion. The Army lied about that. Why did they lie about that?"</p><p>House Officials "don't want to meet tomorrow because of the heightened security status around the threats," Maddow also reported. "Which seem nuts and also, maybe, necessary. Even how undefended U.S. capitol was, to disastrous effect, the last time the nutballs said they were coming to install [President Donald] Trump by force and then they did."</p><p>See the video below: </p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2a7cc9ed971a099f302283ac770b65e3" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZhQA-Dz1Jjc?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Charles Flynn</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhQA-Dz1Jjc" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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