Petition asks Trader Joe's to change its 'racist' food packaging

An online petition is calling on grocery store chain Trader Joe's to change the packaging and branding on some of its products amid claims it encourages racist stereotypes such as Trader Ming's on Chinese products

After what those no good bastards have done to the entire world they're worried about hurting their feelings???

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As companies are hurriedly moving away from problematic depictions of race — from Aunt Jemima to the Washington NFL team — Trader Joe's is yet another brand being asked to change its packaging of international products through a petition.

The products in question are food items from various parts of the world that are re-branded under the Trader Joe's umbrella. But rather than the typical Trader Joe's name emblazoned on food items, oftentimes products are given offshoots of the name Joe. Instead, these items are dubbed "Trader Giotto's" or "Trader Ming's" or "Trader José" to refer to Italian, Chinese or Mexican products, respectively, among other ethnic-sounding names for products.

The petition asking the grocery chain to rename the products has said the various labels belie "a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes."

Petition asks Trader Joe's to change its 'racist' food packaging

Police officers arrest two teenagers in killing of husband of College of Charleston official

“Due to their status as juveniles, their names cannot be released,” officials with the Charleston Police Department said. 

Nice try. But I guarantee we already know who did it.

BTW...They ought to check their mental ability. Who goes out for a morning walk  at 6:15 a.m. carrying wads of cash? 

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Police Department has announced the arrest of two teenagers for the killing of the husband of a College of Charleston official. 

On Friday night, authorities announced the arrest of two juvenile males for the homicide that occurred Friday morning in downtown Charleston which took the life of 63-year-old Tom DiLorenzo. DiLorenzo is the husband of Suzanne Austin, who is the provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs at the College of Charleston. 

A report released by Charleston investigators states that the suspects are 15 and 16 years old. Both are charged with murder and attempted armed robbery. 

One of the suspects is also charged with possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

According to police, the suspects are being held in the juvenile detention center and will have a hearing before a family court judge. 

“Due to their status as juveniles, their names cannot be released,” officials with the Charleston Police Department said. 

Investigators said at 6:15 a.m. DiLorenzo and Austin were walking near the intersection of King and Clifford Streets when they were approached by the juveniles. A report states one of the juveniles was armed with a handgun and demanded money from the couple. 

DiLorenzo was shot during the robbery attempt and later died at MUSC. Austin was uninjured. 

“Our prayers are with the victim’s family during this terrible time,” said Police Chief Luther Reynolds. “We also want to thank the community for the support they’ve given our investigators in this case.”

“What a tragic, senseless crime this was,” Charleston Mayor John Teckleburg said on Friday. “Just tragic. I met Tom’s wife this morning at the hospital and it just couldn’t be sadder.”

Thomas DiLorenzo, 63, was fatally shot Friday morning in a robbery early Friday morning as he and his wife, CofC Provost Suzanne Austin were walking along King Street. (Source: University of North Dakota) 

CofC President Andrew Hsu said the couple had only moved to Charleston a few weeks ago and that DiLorenzo had recently retired from the University of North Dakota in June after serving there as provost and vice president of academic affairs for seven years.

“Tom was celebrated not only for his collaborative leadership style, but also his belief in experiential learning and how the city of Grand Forks served as an extension of the UND classroom,” CofC President Andrew Hsu said. “Given time, Tom would have seen parallels of that dynamic here in Charleston as well.”

Hsu called the act of violence against one of CofC’s community members “deeply unsettling,” and encouraged students, faculty and staff members who may feel unease or anxiety as a result of this incident to seek support through our student Counseling Center or the college’s Employee Assistance Program.

The University of North Dakota posted on their Twitter account that they are “absolutely devastated by this unthinkable tragedy.”

The Charleston Police Department is continuing the investigation. 

Police officers arrest two teenagers in killing of husband of College of Charleston official

Three arrested after Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower defaced for 2nd time this week

Comrade de Blasio and the 'Race baiter' working on their manifesto only to have it vandalized a short time later. Gratifying to see the shoe on the other foot for a change.

This time, blue paint was used to vandalize the city-approved mural on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

Three people were arrested and a fourth was issued a summons after a Black Lives Matter mural on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower was vandalized with blue paint Friday afternoon, police said.

The incident, which happened about 4:00 p.m., marks the second in a week that someone threw paint on the mural, which the city painted July 9.

Two women and a man were arrested and charged with criminal mischief after surveillance video showed them smearing the blue paint, police said. Germanotta, 39, D'Anna Morgan, 25, and Luis Martinez, 44 were released with a desk appearance ticket, according to police.

Another person, who was identified only as a 64-year-old woman, was issued a summons for illegally posting fliers.

NBC New York reported that it appeared to be a coordinated effort.

Morgan and Germanotta said that their actions were in part motivated by anger at Mayor Bill de Blasio. Morgan, who is Black, said she has members of law enforcement in her family.

"Basically, I'm just sick and tired of the disrespect that our law enforcement is getting under de Blasio and Cuomo," Morgan said, referring to the mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "I am not anti-Black at all. I am African American. All lives matter, including Black lives," she added.

Germanotta, who is friends with Morgan, said that others have painted graffiti around New York City and she doesn't think they should have been arrested. "Why do I get arrested for speaking my mind and having a disobedient protest and they don't?" she said.

Germanotta was seen being arrested while wearing an "All Lives Matter" shirt and wearing a rainbow-colored flag with the words "LGBT for Trump" on it. She said she wants people to know she is transgender, HIV positive and a registered Democrat who plans to vote for Trump in November.

On Monday, a man dumped red paint on part of the mural before running away. The NYPD has released photos of that man and say he is wanted for criminal mischief.

He's wanted...but the rioters are not?

The Black Lives Matter mural was installed after protests and calls for racial justice and police reform that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Trump, a former New York City resident, has criticized the mural.

Trump called it a "symbol of hate" after plans were announced. The president tweeted at the time that it would be "denigrating" to what he called a luxury avenue.

After Monday's vandalism, the mural was quickly repainted.

De Blasio, a Democrat who helped paint some of it, was defiant after that incident, tweeting "nice try" and noting that it had already been fixed.

Black Lives Matter movement "is more than words, and it can’t be undone," he said.

Trump in October changed his permanent residence from New York City to Florida.

Cuomo, a Democrat, remarked at the time: "Good riddance. It's not like Mr. Trump paid taxes here anyway." The governor added, "He's all yours, Florida."

Trump tweeted about the change in residence at the time that "I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will." But the president said "I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state."

Three arrested after Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower defaced for 2nd time this week

Kanye West Drops Out Of Presidential Race

And just like that, he’s gone.

Kanye West has reportedly dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, less than two weeks after he jumped in. A “get-out-the-vote specialist” named Steve Kramer claims the billionaire rapper is already “out” after hiring “paid and volunteer” staff to help him get on ballots in Florida and South Carolina, according to a new report from Intelligencer.

On July 4, Kanye West wrote on Twitter that he was running for president. In an interview with Forbes, West said that his campaign slogan was “YES!”; that his vice presidential choice was Michelle Tidball, a preacher from Wyoming; that his is platform was based on The Wakanda Management Model; and that his party was “The Birthday Party.”

Why The Birthday Party? “Because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday,” West said.

Meanwhile... back at the WH.

Kanye West Drops Out Of Presidential Race

Moderna says COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces strong response

I’m overly optimistic but if Moderna can somehow develop a viable working vaccine, as bullet proof as the Salk vaccine, before the election I find it hard to fathom Trump could lose in November.

U.S. biotech company Moderna said it will start a late-stage trial of its "mRNA-1273" candidate vaccine on July 23 with some 30,000 volunteers. Illustration courtesy of CDC

I can see the Dems now.

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July 15 (UPI) -- U.S. biotech company Moderna said a vaccine it is developing has shown to induce a "rapid and strong" immune response against COVID-19, stating it will begin late-stage testing in less than two weeks.

In a press release, the company said analysis of trial results for its potential COVID-19 vaccine "mRNA-1273" reaffirmed the "positive interim data assessment" it announced mid-May when the drug first showed a "potential to prevent" the deadly and infectious coronavirus.

During the trial, 45 healthy adult volunteers under 55 years of age were given two doses of the vaccine separated by 28 days with all participates who received doses of the drug in 100 micrograms or less reporting only mild, transient reactions such as fatigue, chills and headaches.

The findings conclude that the vaccine candidate has shown to be "generally safe and well-tolerated" with no serious adverse effects reported through 57 days.

"These positive Phase 1 data are encouraging and represent an important step forward in the clinical development of mRNA-1273," Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Moderna, said in a statement.

The company said it will start the third study phase of the vaccine candidate on July 23 with 30,000 participants, stating its study protocol has been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is aligned with its guidance on clinical trial design.

The study is to be a randomized placebo-controlled trial of the drug at the 100 microgram dose level, the company said.

It added that it is also on track to deliver some 500 million doses per year with the possibility of manufacturing up 1 billion doses of the vaccine beginning in 2021.

"We are committed to advancing the clinical development of mRNA-1273 as quickly and safely as possible while investing to scale up manufacturing so that we can help address this global health emergency," Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in a statement.

Moderna says COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces strong response