This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 31st, 2024.    FIGHT LAUGH FEAST MAGAZINE Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com.   https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison   PRO-LIFE DEMONSTRATORS FOUND GUILTY, FACE UP TO 11 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON   Six pro-lifers were found guilty on Tuesday after the Biden administration charged them over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021. They face up to 11 years in prison.   The pro-life activists were accused by the Department of Justice of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy for a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions.   Those on trial included Chet Gallagher of Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia.   All six defendants were found guilty of both counts. They are expected to be sentenced in July.   The conspiracy charge can be punished with up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000 while the FACE Act charge can lead to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.   The verdict was delivered on the fifth day of the trial, which took place at the Fred D. Thompson courthouse in Nashville. The case was overseen by Judge Aleta Trauger, appointed to the court in 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton.   One of the government’s key witnesses was Caroline Davis, a woman who was arrested with the group at Carafem. During her testimony, Davis claimed that she had a change of heart about attending the protest and that her “rational side” was “in the toilet” at the time of her participation. She said that she changed her mind “over time” and that being indicted by the federal government “terrified” her.   Video of the demonstration showed the group singing songs like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” while others showed members of the group talking to police. Another video showed one participant telling another to speak “in love” to a man with his girlfriend who had shown up at Carafem and that someone’s “baby is a gift from God.”   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-governor-abbott-stark-message-sanctuary-cities-migrant-crisis https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-governor-abbott-stark-message-sanctuary-cities-migrant-crisis   TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SENDS STARK MESSAGE TO SANCTUARY CITIES AS MIGRANT CRISIS CONTINUES   Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a stark message to sanctuary cities on Monday, vowing his state's transportation of migrants to their areas would continue until the federal government takes action on the worsening border crisis.   "Texas has transported over 102,000 migrants to sanctuary cities. Overwhelmed Texas border towns should not bear the brunt of Biden’s open border policies. Our transportation mission will continue until Biden secures the border," Abbott wrote in a post on X.   Abbott's promise comes amid his feud with the Biden administration over enforcement of the border, and whether Texas has the authority to defend itself from the waves of migrants overwhelming law enforcement and immigration officials.   The two sides have been feuding since 2021 when the migrant crisis escalated and Texas launched Operation Lone Star to surge resources to the border.    The administration recently sued over an anti-illegal immigration law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. It has also sued over the state’s setting up of buoys in the Rio Grande. The administration says immigration enforcement is up to the federal government and Texas is interfering.    Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on an emergency appeal to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues.   Following the ruling, Abbott declared his constitutional authority to reserve the right of his state to self-defense against an invasion, adding that the executive branch had broken its constitutional pact with the states by failing to enforce federal immigration laws.    Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his backing to Abbott amid the latter’s feud with the Biden administration — urging states to send their National Guards to the border and promising to work "hand in hand" with the state to combat the "invasion" if he is inaugurated again in January 2025.   Abbott has also picked up the support of more than two dozen Republican states who have publicly expressed their support for the state. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to seize control of the National Guard.   https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-disneyland-posts-woke-wheel-of-privilege-in-employee-kitchen-removes-it-after-daily-wire-inquiry https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-disneyland-posts-woke-wheel-of-privilege-in-employee-kitchen-removes-it-after-daily-wire-inquiry   DISNEYLAND POSTS WOKE ‘WHEEL OF PRIVILEGE’ IN EMPLOYEE KITCHEN, REMOVES IT AFTER DAILY WIRE INQUIRY   Posters featuring a “wheel of power/privilege” were hung in employee spaces in Disneyland, instructing employees that being white, “cisgender male,” and even speaking English means you have “unearned” privilege that your “marginalized” coworkers do not, according to images obtained by The Daily Wire.   The wheel featured for all employees to see has the word “power” in the middle, and is sectioned like a dart board, with certain traits fanning outward that are labeled “marginalized.” For example, being white, a “cisgender male,” owning property, and speaking English are all considered privileged, while being dark-skinned, transgender, homeless, and not speaking English are considered marginalized. In between the inner and outer circle – which would be considered not completely marginalized but not totally privileged either – are “cisgender women,” gay men, people with a high school education, and who learned English.   Included with the wheel is a definition of “privilege,” stating that it is “unearned access or advantage granted to specific groups of people because of their membership in a social group.”   “Privilege can be based off a variety of different social identities such as race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexuality, age, education level, and more,” it continues. “Within the US, members of social groups that hold privileges (white, male, wealthy, able-bodied, etc) have historically held dominance and power over targeted groups.”   The poster also asks, “why should we accept that we have privileges?” It provides the following answer: “By accepting that we have privileges, we can see that not everyone sees the world from our perspective and that we have privileges in our life that have hindered our awareness of the world.”   The image was provided by source who works for the Walt Disney Company, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company. The employee said the materials were posted in the production kitchen on Main Street USA in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This production kitchen services Carnation Cafe, The Tropical Hideaway, Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe, and Refreshment Corner sponsored by Coca Cola.   The employee said divisive materials like this are “destroying the magic” of the park.   “So many cast members, myself included, are tired of the division being pushed by companies with a lack of regard for the founder’s vision,” the source told The Daily Wire. “This isn’t what Walt would have wanted for his company. He once said, ‘To ALL who come to this happy place, Welcome.’ Things like this make people feel unwelcome, destroying the magic.”   The Daily Wire reached out to the Walt Disney Company to ask about the poster and why they are posted. Within hours of reaching out, our source said a manager removed the poster, and sent a photo of the now-empty display cabinet, which still features another poster about the lunar new year and 2024 being the year of the dragon. Disney did not ultimately respond to the request for comment.   Disney has come under fire in recent years for its turn toward “wokeness,” with numerous box-office blunders for films deemed to be pushing Leftist political agendas. Top-ranking employees at Disney have also admitted to pushing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” The Daily Wire previously reported. In 2023, the company lost nearly $1 billion on movies like Elemental and The Little Mermaid.   Company CEO Bob Iger admitted last year that Disney lost sight of entertainment as it put more political messaging into its content.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/serbia-to-introduce-a-mandatory-military-draft-amid-ww3-tensions/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/serbia-to-introduce-a-mandatory-military-draft-amid-ww3-tensions/   SERBIA TO INTRODUCE A MANDATORY MILITARY DRAFT AMID WW3 TENSIONS   Serbia is reportedly considering reintroducing compulsory military service as tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe begin increasing amid WW3 fears.   President Aleksandar Vucic said army commanders gave him “a strong argumentation” in favor of mandatory draft.   Compulsory drafts here were suspended in 2011 in a push to professionalize the armed forces.   However, the Serbian president did not specify when the draft would return but said the national parliament would vote on the proposal.   “We are not threatening anyone,” Vucic said.   “Today, if you don’t have (a strong) army, you don’t have a country.”   “We will see if it (military service) will last 90 or 100 days, or maybe 110 days,” Vucic told reporters.   “As well as when it will be introduced and how the financial and logistical assumptions will be fulfilled.”   The Washington Post reported:   “Opposition politicians and other critics of a draft have questioned the logic of a military buildup when Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries which have superior firepower in case of a conflict. There are also concerns that the government may struggle to foot the bill for a larger military.   Tensions have been high in the Balkans, which went through the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Although formally neutral, the Serbian Army has maintained close ties to Russia, from which it purchases most of its arms, including fighter jets and tanks.“   Serbia was one of the few countries to refuse sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.   Tensions revolved around Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, which Serbia and allies Russia and China have not recognized.   Over the last few months, Serbia has raised the combat readiness on the border with Kosovo several times.   The country also maintained cordial relations with NATO, whose troops have been stationed in Kosovo since 1999.   Earlier this week, top military officials warned that conscription could happen in the UK if NATO goes to war with Russia.   General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said such a conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking.”   “Within the next three years, it must be credible to talk of a British Army of 120,000, folding in our reserve and strategic reserve. But this is not enough,” he said.   “We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking,” Sanders added.   “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them. “But we’ve been here before, and workforce alone does not create capability.”   The BBC reports that “other senior NATO military commanders have also recently been calling on the alliance to ready itself for a potential conflict.”   According to the outlet:   In response to Gen Sir Patrick speech the UK prime minister’s spokesman said hypothetical scenarios of a future potential conflict were not helpful and ruled out any move towards a conscription model for the Army.   One senior Conservative MP told the BBC he did not think Rishi Sunak had fully appreciated the threat posed by Russia.   The MP said that might be because the prime minister when growing up had not experienced the existential threat posed by the old Soviet Union during the Cold War era.   Gen Sir Patrick said the nation could not afford to make the same mistakes of 1914, when it failed to perceive the escalations that led to World War One.   And that is your news for today…   Now folks, normally this is the part where I’d ask you to send me a news story to my email, or if you have questions about the upcoming FLF conference shoot me an email, etc. But alas, not this time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing you the news over the last year and a half or so. I’ve enjoyed giving you a look at what’s happening around the world on your morning commute to work… but I’ve received a job offer out of state - down in Huntsville AL, that I just couldn’t pass up. If you’re down that way, friend me up on Facebook by the way and we’ll meet up!    With that being said, I wanted to tell you, the listener, how thankful I am for you giving my news show a listen. For saying hello at our FLF Conferences when I was out and about, for sending me news stories to my email, for the encouragement, or constructive criticism I’d receive when I couldn’t pronounce something… which believe me, I’m aware of those things… All of that to say. I’m thankful for the FLF community

13m

Jan 31, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 26th, 2024.    Dropwave Do you have a podcast, or thinking about starting one? Does your church have a podcast feed for sermons? Then Dropwave.io is for you. Cancel culture is like walking on a thin glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Every step you take could get you killed, I mean canceled. Since the beginning CrossPolitic has been working on being antifragile, so no matter what happens, our content can still be delivered to your tv and to your podcast. The Waterboy and his friend Jeremi, have been working on building a podcast hosting solution for rowdy platforms like CrossPolitic, so that you can be confident your podcast will never fall through that glass bridge. Dropwave offers seamless onboarding for shows that have been around for years to easy to use solutions for starting your own podcast. Dropwave will track all your show’s downloads by city, state, and country, and it offers network and enterprise packages for solutions like the Fight Laugh Feast Network. Free to speak, Free to podcast, free to start your journey now at www.Dropwave.io.    https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4428905-gop-governors-abbott-border-security-immigration/ https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4428905-gop-governors-abbott-border-security-immigration/   GOP GOVERNORS BACK ABBOTT IN BORDER STANDOFF   Republican governors are backing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in his standoff against the federal government over border authority.   On Tuesday, the Texas National Guard appeared to ignore a Supreme Court decision and continued building razor wire barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border, preventing the federal Border Patrol from doing their jobs.   In a statement Wednesday, Abbott justified the actions by claiming his authority to combat an “invasion” of the state “supersedes” federal law.   GOP Govs. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Ron DeSantis of Florida, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Brian Kemp of Georgia have all said they support Abbott’s actions.   “If the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did,” DeSantis said on X, formerly Twitter. “TX is upholding the law while Biden is flouting it.”   Youngkin added that the Biden administration “has turned every state into a border state,” and that Abbott is doing what the border officials “refuse to do to secure our border.”   Stitt, Noem and Kemp also said their states “stand with” Texas.   The federal government has claimed in court filings that the Texas National Guard has physically prevented the Border Patrol from doing its job on certain parts of the Rio Grande, as well as blocked off portions of the border previously used to process migrants.   The claim that Texas officials can supersede federal authority has sparked calls from Democrats for President Biden to nationalize the Texas National Guard and force them to follow the court’s decision and federal law.   Democratic Texas Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar have advocated for nationalizing the state guard.   Abbott’s statement Wednesday specifically claims the federal government has “broken the compact” with the states, justifying ignoring federal law and the Supreme Court.   The so-called “compact theory” is a rejected idea of state supremacy used to justify the secession of Confederate states during the Civil War. The Supreme Court repeatedly shot down the legal theory in the early years of the U.S., when it was first proposed to nullify federal legislation during former President John Adams’s time in office.   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-ags-battle-blue-state-push-to-shutter-largest-ammo-manufacturer-to-punish-second-amendment-rights https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-ags-battle-blue-state-push-to-shutter-largest-ammo-manufacturer-to-punish-second-amendment-rights   GOP AGS TAKE AIM AT DEM PLEA FOR BIDEN TO SHUT DOWN CRITICAL AMMO MANUFACTURER   Every republican attorney general in the country blasted their Democrat counterparts for attempting to shutter an ammunition factory in Missouri, a letter sent to the White House Wednesday revealed.    In a letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, all 28 GOP attorneys general asked President Biden and White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention director Stefanie Feldman to disregard their Democrat colleagues' request to end commercial sales from Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, one of the country’s largest ammo manufacturers.    Democrats had previously asked the administration to investigate the contracting and manufacturing practices of the plant after a New York Times report alleged that "military-grade rounds" were sold commercially and were connected to mass shootings.   But the Republicans say the Democrats’ letter contained a "litany of errors." "Perhaps those States should focus more on prosecuting crime to stop mass shootings—rather than trying to stop lawful Americans’ use of guns and ammunition. Their tactic is an overt attempt to punish Americans’ exercise of their Second Amendment rights, Among the list of "errors" the GOP AGs point out that their Democrat colleages allege that ammunition manufactured for "military use" does not belong in communities.    "First, the ammunition manufactured at Lake City and sold into the commercial market is not the primary rifle cartridge used by the United States military. The primary cartridge is proprietary to the Army and may not be sold commercially," the AGs note.    "Second, while the United States military purchases and uses a particular type of ammunition, that is not determinative as to whether it is "military ammunition" that should be banned for public use," they write.    "If the United States military using ammunition precluded that ammunition’s use by civilians, then other widely and commonly available ammunition, including 9mm and 12-gauge shotshells, would also be prohibited for public use," they argued, adding that Supreme Court precedent "does not support such an openly artificial distinction."   According to the state’s top prosecutors, Lake City only sells ammunition to commercial customers that is legal to manufacture, and it complies with all the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) requirements.    The AGs argued that the Democrats’ efforts would undermine national security. "Gun control advocates are firing blanks when they contend that taxpayers are subsidizing mass shooters. They get causality backward. The law-abiding target shooters and gun owners who buy Lake City ammunition are subsidizing national defense and military readiness," they argue.   They note that the Defense Department "sought to avoid a situation when the military needs surge due to a real-world conflict, ammunition is not readily available," adding that ammunition availability requires facilities, production equipment, a skilled workforce, and supply chains to remain in constant operation.    "Machines and production cannot be turned on like the flip of a switch. It takes time to hire and train the highly skilled workers needed to operate production lines to manufacture the highest quality ammunition for U.S. warfighters. Commercial production has allowed Lake City, and its suppliers, to maintain steady labor, maximize equipment run time, ensure a stable supply base, and provide a level of readiness to the U.S. military that would not otherwise be available," they added.   The attorneys general also said that Lake City cannot halt commercial use without a "detrimental loss" to their communities and economy. If it stopped, the AGs allege it would result in an estimated loss of 500–700 jobs or 30%–45% of the skilled workforce now employed at Lake City and "countless more" throughout the supply chain.   Montana Attorney General Austen Knudsen in a statement to Fox News Digital called the investigation by the New York Times "highly questionable" and, their latest effort to shut down the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is based on a highly questionable ‘investigation' by the New York Times."   Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird charged that "if the Biden Administration and anti-gun activists were serious about saving lives, they would start by enforcing the laws on the books to combat violent criminals."   Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey echoed those sentiments, adding that "Lake City Ammunition did nothing wrong."    "We should be focused on the free flow of illegal weapons coming across our border – not taking aim at law-abiding patriots," Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said, adding that the border crisis "is exactly why law-abiding citizens need the liberty to defend themselves."   https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/24/canadian-court-rules-trudeaus-unreasonable-crackdown-on-trucker-convoy-violated-federal-law/ https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/24/canadian-court-rules-trudeaus-unreasonable-crackdown-on-trucker-convoy-violated-federal-law/   CANADIAN COURT RULES TRUDEAU’S ‘UNREASONABLE’ CRACKDOWN ON TRUCKER CONVOY VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW   A Canadian court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of a controversial federal law in early 2022 to target truckers protesting their industry’s Covid vaccine mandate was “unreasonable” and illegal.   The use of the Emergencies Act “does not bear the hallmarks of reasonableness — justification, transparency and intelligibility,” Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley wrote. “I conclude that there was no national emergency justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the decision to do so was therefore unreasonable and ultra vires.” As the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) explained, “ultra vires” is a term courts use “to refer to actions beyond the scope of the law.”   In early 2022, Trudeau’s government implemented a series of Covid shot mandates for various sectors of Canadian society, including a requirement for truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border. The tyrannical mandate ultimately prompted Canadian truckers to launch the “Freedom Convoy,” a massive protest comprised of vehicles that ended outside Parliament Hill in the nation’s capital.   While peaceful, the protests evoked the ire of Trudeau, who used the Emergencies Act to mobilize the Canadian military and state intel agencies to forcibly remove the demonstrators gridlocking Ottawa. In addition to backing GoFundMe’s attempts to deplatform fundraising efforts for the convoy, Trudeau’s administration also expanded “its terrorist financing rules to target crowdfunding sites like the convoy’s new platform GiveSendGo,” The Federalist’s Jordan Boyd wrote, with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland baselessly claiming the platforms were “being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity which is damaging the Canadian economy.”   As if his abuse of the Emergencies Act weren’t despicable enough, Trudeau — who went into hiding upon the convoy’s arrival in Ottawa — also grossly smeared the protesters with the typical diatribe of leftist slanders, including accusations of “antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, homophobia, and transphobia.”   Despite his best attempt to play the role of a dictator, Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act went beyond the scope of what is permitted by Canadian law. While the Emergencies Act can be employed to manage a national emergency that “cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada,” Mosley determined that Trudeau’s actions far exceeded that threshold.   “The potential for serious violence, or being unable to say that there was no potential for serious violence was, of course, a valid reason for concern,” Mosley wrote. “But in my view, it did not satisfy the test required to invoke the Act, particularly as there was no evidence of a similar ‘hardened cell’ elsewhere in the country, only speculation, and the situation at Cou[r]ts had been resolved without violence.”   Mosley further ruled that the government’s financial crackdown violated demonstrators’ Charter rights “by permitting unreasonable search and seizure of the financial information of designated persons and the freezing of their bank and credit card accounts.”   Unsurprisingly, the Canadian government plans to appeal the ruling, with Freeland laughably claiming on Tuesday that the administration’s unlawful actions were “necessary” and “legal” because Canadian “national security was under real threat.”   https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/taxpayers-could-get-stuck-cost-removing-offshore-wind-farm-after-biden-admin https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/taxpayers-could-get-stuck-cost-removing-offshore-wind-farm-after-biden-admin   TAXPAYERS MAY GET STUCK WITH COST OF REMOVING AN OFFSHORE WIND FARM AFTER BIDEN ADMIN WAIVES FEES   The Biden administration reportedly waived fees for an offshore wind project that are in place to ensure that the infrastructure is removed and the site reclaimed at the end of the project’s life.   President Joe Biden, as part of his climate agenda, is pushing an aggressive buildout of offshore wind projects along the East Coast. With the offshore wind industry struggling financially, the waiving of these fees raises concerns about what would happen if these companies go bankrupt and leave behind wind farms they can’t afford to remove.   Protect The Public Trust (PPT), a government watchdog group, obtained documents showing that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) informed Vineyard Wind had approved the company’s request to waive fees for financial assurances that goes toward decommissioning costs.   The bureau’s reasoning for granting the deferral, according to PPT, was that the financial assurance was “unnecessarily burdensome for lessees because, at that point, they have not begun receiving project income.” Since the project is using “proven wind turbine technology” and its contracts guaranteed electricity sale prices, BOEM reasoned, the project had a predictable income over the life of the project.   The Department of Interior requires these bonds from oil and gas producers, as taxpayers have been stuck decommissioning the projects of companies that go bankrupt or were operating prior to bonding requirements.   California, for example, is trying to decommission 23 federal offshore platforms at a cost of $1.7 billion, and the liability for those costs remain unresolved. There are also thousands of onshore orphaned wells across the country that the federal government is trying to plug. In some cases, these wells were drilled a century or more ago before bonding requirements, and there’s no solvent owner of record to hold accountable for the costs.   In Wyoming, an industry sprang up a decade ago hoping to tap coal beds for natural gas, but after natural gas prices collapsed, the entire industry collapsed with it. The state was left with a lot of wells to plug and no companies to hold accountable.   While the Biden administration is granting waivers for these protections to offshore wind projects, it’s proposing steep increases in bonding requirements for oil and gas operations. While that proposal is met with support from environmentalists, industry groups have criticized the measure.   Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Reuters in July that rather than trying to ensure funding for reclamation efforts, the administration was raising the costs so high as a means to reduce the number of operations.   Elmer Peter Danenberger III, a petroleum engineer with decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, explained on his “Bud’s Offshore Energy” blog that BOEM’s decision to waive Vineyard Wind’s obligations significantly increases the public’s risk exposure. Danenberger wrote that BOEM, in granting the waiver, cited a general departure authority, which was intended for special situations and not for waivers that could be applied broadly.

14m

Jan 26, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 25th, 2024.    FIGHT LAUGH FEAST MAGAZINE Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com.   https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/01/24/calls-grow-louder-for-haley-to-drop-out-of-gop-primary/ https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/01/24/calls-grow-louder-for-haley-to-drop-out-of-gop-primary/   CALLS GROW LOUDER FOR HALEY TO DROP OUT OF GOP PRIMARY   Demands grew louder for former Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the GOP primary race on Tuesday after placing second in New Hampshire to former President Donald Trump.   Many Republicans believe Haley should leave the race so all available GOP resources can be allocated towards defeating President Joe Biden. Republicans spent over $167 million in losing efforts to defeat Trump in New Hampshire and Iowa, with plans to release millions more in future primaries.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1750015374639390818 https://twitter.com/i/status/1750015374639390818 - Play Video   After Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) exited the race Sunday, Haley’s path to the nomination did not appear to improve. In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of Trump further consolidated support behind the former president, placing pressure on Haley to also end her fledgling campaign. In all states besides New Hampshire, Trump leads by no less than 30 points.   Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Trump is the de facto GOP nominee moving forward. “Congratulations to President Trump on another decisive win in New Hampshire and becoming the presumptive nominee of our party,” he said.  Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) congratulated Trump on his big win Tuesday evening: “To no one’s surprise, @realDonaldTrump won BIG tonight in New Hampshire. President Trump’s message is resonating with voters. It’s only a matter of time until 45 becomes 47. Congratulations, Mr. President!”   CEO of the Federalist Sean Davis urged Haley to drop out, noting that if she did not, she would be “fully owned by the left-wing Democrats.”   “If Nikki Haley’s primary goal is to defeat Joe Biden in November, she will drop out tonight and endorse Trump. If she continues to stay in a race she cannot win just to attack Trump, then we’ll know she’s fully owned by the left-wing Democrats who are funding her campaign,” he said.    Social media influencer Ryan Fournier demanded Haley just give up and drop out. “Nikki Haley is refusing to drop out, claiming “this race is far from over.” It’s been over from the start. You all betted on the worst happening to Trump to secure victory. It’s time to give it up.,” he said.    Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, wrote on Monday the polling undoubtedly shows Haley’s inevitable resignation from the race, so Trump can turn his focus to defeating President Joe Biden. “So, without a monumental shift in the race, he will secure the nomination in short order,” he said.   “Too little, too late,” Haley backer and a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, Fergus Cullen, told the New York Times about Haley’s prospects. “She had to inspire and engage unaffiliated voters, and I just haven’t seen her doing what she needs to do to reach that audience and turn them out in the numbers that she needs.”   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/2814985/biden-administration-demands-texas-grant-dhs-access-border/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/2814985/biden-administration-demands-texas-grant-dhs-access-border/   BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DEMANDS TEXAS GRANT BORDER ACCESS FOLLOWING SUPREME COURT DECISION   The Biden administration has demanded the state of Texas relinquish control of a 2.5-mile strip of land on the border and grant federal agents access following a Supreme Court decision that gave Border Patrol agents to slash state-installed razor wire.   The Department of Homeland Security sent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) a letter Tuesday obtained first by the Washington Examiner in which General Counsel Jonathan Meyer called out the state for its inaction after the highest court rescinded an appeal court injunction and allowed federal police to cut down razor wire fencing in Eagle Pass in order to rescue and apprehend illegal immigrants as they cross the Rio Grande.   “The state has alleged that Shelby Park is open to the public, but we do not believe this statement is accurate,” Meyer said. “To our knowledge, Texas has only permitted access to Shelby Park by allowing public entry for a memorial, the media, and use of the golf course adjacent to Shelby Park, all while continuing to restrict U.S. Border Patrol’s access to the park.”   Meyer said the Supreme Court decision allowed federal law enforcement not only to cut wire at the border but to be present on the border, the latter of which has not been possible since the Texas National Guard commandeered the 2.5-mile strip of city land and locked out all federal employees on Jan. 10.   “As you are aware, yesterday, the Supreme Court vacated the injunction prohibiting the Department from cutting or moving the concertina wire that Texas had placed along the border except in case of emergency, and restored the Department’s right to cut and move the concertina wire placed by Texas in order to perform their statutory duties,” Meyer wrote. “The Department must also have the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.”   But despite the court’s decision, Texas National Guard soldiers reaffirmed the state’s position Tuesday. Soldiers in Eagle Pass installed more razor wire at the river and laid out more fencing and concertina wire despite the rain that swept through the region Tuesday, according to video.   The DHS maintained in its letter that it had the upper ground in terms of legal ground that allowed its personnel to be on city land along the border. It cited the U.S. Code, in which the department acquired permanent real estate interests in and around Eagle Pass in 2008 to build border wall barriers in the vicinity.   “Because the Department owns property rights to the areas depicted on the attached map, we demand that you immediately remove any and all obstructions on it,” Meyer said.   Border Patrol still has limited access to a boat ramp within Shelby Park despite the state’s initial concession earlier in the land seizure to let agents load and unload a boat into the river. Meyer called for full access to the boat ramp and river.   The Biden administration had threatened Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) with legal action on Jan. 14 if Texas did not relinquish control of land, but has not followed up with a lawsuit.   “We demand that Texas cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol’s access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access in the Shelby Park area,” Meyer told Paxton in the letter.   The showdown between state and federal leaders comes 12 days after three immigrants drowned attempting to wade across the river from Mexico on Jan. 12. Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass were alerted to immigrants who had drowned and two others in distress and attempted to respond but were denied access at a gate into the state-seized land.   The state has taken issue with Border Patrol cutting its wire on the basis that the wire would deter and prevent more illegal immigration. Federal law enforcement agents are required to arrest anyone who has illegally entered the country or is illegally present, including those who cross the river and are blocked from continuing up the riverbank by the razor wire.   https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/holocaust-survivors-numbers-report-claims-conference/2024/01/23/id/1150570/ https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/holocaust-survivors-numbers-report-claims-conference/2024/01/23/id/1150570/   ALMOST 80 YEARS AFTER THE HOLOCAUST, 245,000 JEWISH SURVIVORS ARE STILL ALIVE   Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, about 245,000 Jewish survivors are still living across more than 90 countries, a new report revealed Tuesday.   Nearly half of them, or 49%, are living in Israel; 18% are in Western Europe, 16% in the United States, and 12% in countries of the former Soviet Union, according to a study by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference.   Before the publication of the demographic report, there were only vague estimates about how many Holocaust survivors are still alive.   Their numbers are quickly dwindling, as most are very old and often of frail health, with a median age of 86. Twenty percent of survivors are older than 90, and more women (61%) than men (39%) are still alive.   The vast majority, or 96% of survivors, are “child survivors” who were born after 1928, says the report “Holocaust Survivors Worldwide. A Demographic Overview'” which is based on figures that were collected up until August.   “The numbers in this report are interesting, but it is also important to look past the numbers to see the individuals they represent,” said Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president.   “These are Jews who were born into a world that wanted to see them murdered. They endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in their youth and were forced to rebuild an entire life out of the ashes of the camps and ghettos that ended their families and communities."   Six million European Jews and people from other minorities were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust.   It is not clear exactly how many Jews survived the death camps, the ghettos or somewhere in hiding across Nazi-occupied Europe, but their numbers were a far cry from the pre-war Jewish population in Europe.   In Poland, of the 3.3 million Jews living there in 1939, only about 300,000 survived.   Around 560,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power. At the end of World War II in 1945, their numbers had diminished to about 15,000 — through emigration and extermination.   Germany's Jewish community grew again after 1990, when more than 215,000 Jewish migrants and their families came from countries of the former Soviet Union, some of them also survivors.   Nowadays, only 14,200 survivors still live in Germany, the demographic report concluded.   For its new report, the Claims Conference said it defined Holocaust survivors "based on agreements with the German government in assessing eligibility for compensation programs.”   For Germany, that definition includes all Jews who lived in the country from Jan. 30, 1933, when Hitler came to power, to May 1945, when Germany surrendered unconditionally in World War II.   The group handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis and negotiates compensation with Germany's finance ministry every year. In June, the Claims Conference said that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion, (1.29 billion euros), overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for 2024.   Since 1952, the German government has paid more than $90 billion to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis.   https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-announces-2-billion-medical-debt-bailout-500000-residents https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-announces-2-billion-medical-debt-bailout-500000-residents   NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ANNOUNCES $2B MEDICAL DEBT BAILOUT FOR UP TO 500K RESIDENTS   New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday a plan to buy up millions of dollars in medical debt owed by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.   In what the mayor said would be a "one-time" deal, the city will spend $18 million in taxpayer funds over the next three years to pay off medical debt owed by up to 500,000 residents. Officials estimate that the program will wipe out over $2 billion of medical debt owed in what they call the "largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country."    "Getting health care shouldn't be a burden that weighs on New Yorkers and their families," Adams said in a statement. "Since day one, our administration has been driven by the clear mission of supporting working-class New Yorkers and today's investment that will provide $2 billion in medical debt relief is another major step in delivering on that vision. Up to half a million New Yorkers will see their medical debt wiped thanks to this life changing program — the largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country."   Medical debt is among the top causes of bankruptcy in the United States, especially for those who lack health insurance. Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults (9%), or roughly 23 million people, owe medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The collective medical debt owed by Americans nationwide is estimated by the group to be as much as $195 billion.    New York City will partner with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to acquire debt portfolios and retiree debt from health care providers and hospitals and erase it, officials said.   "No one chooses to go into medical debt — if you're sick or injured, you need to seek care. But no New Yorker should have to choose between paying rent or for other essentials and paying off their medical debt, which is why we are proud to bring this relief to families across the five boroughs, as we continue to fight on behalf of working-class New Yorkers," Adams said.   Founded in 2014, RIP Medical Debt uses donations to buy debt from health care providers in bundles at a steep discount. The group uses data analytics to identify debtors who are most in need — households that earn less than four times the federal poverty level or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income — and buys their debt. Those who benefit from the organization's work receive letters in the mail announcing that their debt has been erased, tax and penalty-free.   The group has partnered with local governments before, including with Cook County in Illinois to abolish more than $280 million in medical debt owed by residents, but never at the scale of its partnership with New York City.   To supplement the city's spending on the program, RIP Medical Debt and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City are soliciting private donations to raise additional funding over the next three years.   https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/22/ngsegtq5k078chahr8s3etgus3983p https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/22/ngsegtq5k078chahr8s3etgus3983p   NEW ‘JURASSIC WORLD’ MOVIE IN THE WORKS, 2025 RELEASE BEING EYED   A new “Jurassic World” movie is in the works. In fact, it’s so deep in development that Universal is eyeing a 2025 release date for this one. If that’s the case then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if it goes into production this year.   The good news is that “Jurassic Park” screenwriter David Koepp is back, his last script for the series was 1997’s “The Lost World.” Koepp is set write the script to introduce a “new Jurassic era,” which likely means Chris Pratt won’t be returning as the lead.    It’s only been two years since the last one, 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion”, but Universal’s clearly looking to make more of these films. No director is attached for now, but, the way things are speeding up, one will surely be hired soon.

15m

Jan 25, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024.    SALES NEXUS LLC:  SalesNexus is the platform Fight Laugh Feast uses to manage all of our subscribers and email updates.  If you’re using MailChimp, Hubspot or Salesforce for email marketing, CRM and sales, you probably know they’ve been canceling voices of freedom and truth.  That’s why we switched to SalesNexus.  SalesNexus is a complete business marketing and sales solution that won’t tell you what you should say or believe. For more information, visit salesnexus.com. That’s Salesnexus.com!   https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-trump-leads-nikki-haley-by-19-points-in-nh-suffolk-boston-poll?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-trump-leads-nikki-haley-by-19-points-in-nh-suffolk-boston-poll?utm_campaign=64487   TRUMP LEADS NIKKI HALEY BY 19 POINTS IN NH: SUFFOLK BOSTON POLL   A poll published ahead of Tuesday’s primary election in New Hampshire has found that 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump leads Nikki Haley, the only remaining challenger, by nearly 20 points.   According to a Suffolk University/NBC10 Boston/Boston Globe tracking poll published on Monday, Trump leads Haley by 19 points. Trump received 57 percent support and Haley received 38 percent.   With DeSantis dropping out of the race on Sunday, Haley gained two points.   The poll was conducted between January 20 and 21 of 500 likely Republican primary voters in the state. The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.   A Washington Post/Monmouth University poll, also released on Monday, placed Trump 18 points ahead of Haley, with 52 percent supporting the president and 34 percent backing Haley.    DeSantis received 8 percent support, as the poll was conducted before the Florida governor dropped out of the race.   This poll was conducted between January 16 and 20 of 712 potential voters in the New Hampshire Republican primary and has a margin of error of 4.2 percent.   https://www.frontpagemag.com/vermont-resettled-somalis-shootings-are-up-185/ https://www.frontpagemag.com/vermont-resettled-somalis-shootings-are-up-185/   VERMONT RESETTLED SOMALIS, SHOOTINGS ARE UP 185%   Shootings are up 185% in Vermont from 2021 to 2022.   “We are not used to this level of violence in Vermont,” Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger complained after the city racked up 5 murders. That may not sound like much, but it gives the normally sleepy city, where Bernie Sanders got his start, a higher murder rate than Philly.   When James Eaton, a mentally unstable leftist who had praised Hamas, shot and wounded three Arab Muslim men outside his home, the media eagerly diverted attention from the crime wave to the shooter, who was conveniently white, while falsely blaming it on ‘Islamophobia’.   The discredited hoax was not only trying to rally support for terrorists, but also to distract attention from the real perpetrators of the violence that has overtaken Bernie’s old city.   The shooters in Burlington, VT are much more likely to be Muslim male teens.   Another recent shooting out of Burlington made the national news when Hussein Mohamed, the underage son of Somali immigrants who don’t speak English, shot and killed Madden: a local 14-year-old boy. It was reported that “state police were able to make an arrest despite at least two eyewitnesses from the car providing multiple false statements about the crime.”   The murder wave in Burlington was touched off in 2022 when a Muslim teen, shot and killed Hussein Mubarak, 21.   The 19-year-old had been part of a Somali Muslim refugee family profiled by the New York Times under the headline “U.S. a Place of Miracles for Somali Refugees.” Of that family, one son was convicted of assault with a firearm, another of “aggravated assault for shooting a man in November 2020” and the 19-year-old was the grandson of that same family.   The teen had allegedly become a member of a Somali gang that stole cars while “wearing surgical gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints behind” and two of them had attacked a man in broad daylight while wearing ski masks.   Mubarak had been born in a refugee camp before his family was resettled in America where his “older and younger siblings” spent time in jail, while he turned to selling drugs.   The reporting on the incident and other violent encounters in Burlington are littered with mentions of drug dealing, stolen cars and guns, shootings in garages and names like Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed, Badal Khadka and Abukar.   Abukar Hilowle was accused of a few shootings, including one in which he allegedly shot the driver of the car he was in, resulting in a car crash, and another in which he shot two middle-aged American men on the street, one of whom had told him to “chill”, but the Muslim perpetrator claimed that he was responding to “racial slurs” by his two victims.   In 2022 it was reported that, “by mid-summer, about half of the city’s gunfire incidents were connected to a small group of new American young men.” The inaccurate euphemism “new Americans“ was being used to refer to Somali and other often Muslim African immigrants.   The perps are usually repeat offenders who wander in and out of the justice system.   In 2020, another Somali was arrested for aggravated assault during a fight over drugs. By 2022, when he was accused of trying to shoot his brother, he had racked up 47 police contacts and 11 arrests. Despite being briefly charged with attempted murder, his family refused to testify and he received a plea deal last year for time served.   Mayor Miro Weinberger however has claimed that the role of migrant settler teens in the wave of violence is not “particularly relevant”.   When the three Arab Muslim men were shot, State’s Attorney Sarah George rushed to claim, without a shred of evidence, that, “there is no question this was a hateful act.” But the Soros DA  has been accused of giving violent drug gang members a pass for the sake of social justice.   Burlington’s crime level rose sharply after the City Council had voted to defund 30% of the police department during the peak of the BLM race riots.   Burlington City Councilor Ali Dieng, an African Muslim immigrant who has run for mayor, has attacked the police while introducing resolutions to boycott Israel and has urged funding for social services to explore the “root causes” of the violence by members of his community.   Only a few hundred Somali Muslims were resettled in Burlington with horrifying consequences.   The question in Burlington, VT and across a nation under siege by hate, extremism, violence, crime and terror spread by first, second and third generation ‘refugees’ is how much more can we take, how many more lives can we lose and how long can we go on living this way?   https://nypost.com/2024/01/22/business/in-n-out-burger-in-oakland-to-close-doors-for-good-over-of-out-of-control-crime-company-says/ https://nypost.com/2024/01/22/business/in-n-out-burger-in-oakland-to-close-doors-for-good-over-of-out-of-control-crime-company-says/   IN-N-OUT BURGER IN OAKLAND TO CLOSE DOORS FOR GOOD OVER OF OUT-OF-CONTROL CRIME, COMPANY SAYS   In-N-Out Burger’s only location in Oakland is closing after the cherished fast-food joint decided it could no longer risk the safety of fed-up workers and patrons in the city plagued by recent crime.   The location will shut its doors in March — despite the burger spot turning a profit — because of the constant crime in the community, In-N-Out Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a sudden announcement over the weekend.   The fast food joint has been in the California city for 18 years.   “Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies,” Warnick wrote, according to CBS East Bay, which obtained the announcement.   “Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment,” he said.   Data released by Oakland police at the start of the new year showed robberies increased 38% from 2022 to 2023, ABC 7 Bay Area reported.   Burglaries jumped 23% year-to-year and motor vehicle theft spiked 44%, the data showed.   Workers at Oakland’s In-N-Out can either transfer to another one of the company’s fast-food restaurants or accept a severance package.   https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2024/01/20/the-kingdom-belongs-to-you-lord-ravens-john-harbaugh-opens-post-game-presser-by-reading-bible-verse/ https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2024/01/20/the-kingdom-belongs-to-you-lord-ravens-john-harbaugh-opens-post-game-presser-by-reading-bible-verse/   ‘THE KINGDOM BELONGS TO YOU, LORD’: RAVENS’ JOHN HARBAUGH OPENS POST-GAME PRESSER BY READING BIBLE VERSE   On Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens won their biggest game since they last won the Super Bowl over ten years ago. And in his post-game presser, coach John Harbaugh knew exactly who to thank for it.   After the Ravens rallied from a 10-10 tie at halftime to thoroughly dominate the second half on their way to a 34-10 victory, Harbaugh opened his presser not by complimenting his future MVP quarterback (probably) but by thanking his Creator.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1748892900195438908 https://twitter.com/i/status/1748892900195438908 - Play Video   The verse is from 1 Chronicles 29: 11-13.   Harbaugh’s bold statement of faith comes a week after NBC’s official Sunday Night Football account edited out Texans quarterback CJ Stroud’s comments where he said, “All glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” following Houston’s defeat of the Cleveland Browns.   The Ravens coach wasn’t the only member of the Harbaugh family to speak out in defense of faith this week. John Harbaugh’s brother, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, spoke at the March for Life in Washington, D.C.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1748419169358372904 https://twitter.com/i/status/1748419169358372904 - Play 0:36-1:55   The Ravens will play the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Championship this weekend.

11m

Jan 23, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 19th, 2024.    SAMARITAN MINISTRIES JANUARY 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic.   https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/18/gop-led-house-approves-bill-to-avoid-shutdown-without-border-spending-deals/   GOP-LED HOUSE APPROVES BILL TO AVOID SHUTDOWN WITHOUT BORDER, SPENDING DEALS   The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday afternoon to extend government funding into early March and avoid a temporary partial government shutdown, sending the continuing resolution to President Biden to sign into law.    The measure, which passed by a vote of 314 to 108, angered conservative Republicans who opposed any continuing resolution to fund the government without concessions by the Democrats on border security and spending. The House Freedom Caucus made an eleventh-hour plea to House Speaker Mike Johnson to permit an amendment to the House’s border security package, which Johnson rejected.   Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good slammed his fellow Republicans who supported the continuing resolution ahead of the vote. “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” he said in a floor speech. “We’re not even willing to risk a temporary pause in the 15 percent of the non-essential part of the government in order to force change in Washington,” he said. “No, we’re going to continue the status quo.” Good’s statements echoed an official position on the measure released by the Freedom Caucus hours before the vote. “Americans did not give Republicans a majority in the House to continue Nancy Pelosi’s inflationary spending and Joe Biden’s failed policies,” the group wrote in a statement. “This is not what we promised the American people.”    The vote is also likely to be unpopular with the Republican base, which consistently ranks immigration as one of the top issues facing the country. Over 80 percent of Republican voters agree with President Donald Trump that the ongoing border crisis is “poisoning the blood” of America. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/ https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/blue-state-officials-pay-thousands-barring-church-preschool-lunch-program-beliefs-gender/   BLUE STATE OFFICIALS AGREE TO PAY THOUSANDS AFTER BARRING CHURCH FROM PRESCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FOR BELIEFS ON GENDER   California state officials agreed to settle with the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center Tuesday for nearly $200,000 after trying to exclude the church from the state’s preschool lunch program.   The church and the center, alongside Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), filed a lawsuit in June last year alleging that officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Social Services barred them from participating in the “Child and Adult Food Care Program” because of their religious beliefs on gender and sex. ADF and state officials filed a settlement agreement this week requiring the defendants to pay $30,000 for meals paid out of pocket in the absence of state funding and $160,000 for attorney’s fees.   “In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise,” Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF, said in a press release. “While it shouldn’t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.”   The center had been a part of the USDA’s program for nearly two decades when the department changed its rules in 2021 requiring all participants to commit to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In May 2023, the department also required state directors of USDA’s food and nutrition service programs to prohibit “discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.”   Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center failed to meet these new requirements for the 2022-2023 school year because of their beliefs on “human sexuality” and their refusal to “use any child or employee’s ‘preferred’ pronouns that do not correspond to biological sex,” according to the lawsuit. ADF argued that the department and state officials were deliberately discriminating against the church and the learning center because of its faith in violation of the First Amendment.   “The government can’t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool. The Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith,” Galus said in the press release.   https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750 https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/01/17/lgbt-activist-arrested-child-predator-sting-n2633750   DIRECTOR OF LGBTQ+ ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS MINORS ARRESTED IN CHILD SEX STING   The executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ organization Rainbow Research Center was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor, according to The Modesto Bee.   Reportedly, a total of 17 men were arrested on suspicion of eliciting sex with a minor after an undercover sting conducted by the Turlock Police Department in California. Gerard Slayton, 42, was one of them (via the Bee):   Slayton recently was appointed executive director of the Rainbow Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides resources to LGBTQ+ members of all ages. It particularly offers resources related to mental and physical health.   In a statement shared on Facebook, the Rainbow Resource Center said that Slayton’s actions occurred “outside working hours and off-premises.”    “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center,” the statement read.    “We are dedicated to rebuilding any trust that may have been affected by the situation. As an organization that is at the forefront of advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community, our actions must reflect our dedication to these principles,” it continued.   https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/ https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/17/beijing-china-wuhan-covid-19-100-percent-death-mice-study-full-paper/   MUTANT COVID-19 STRAIN WITH 100% KILL RATE DEVELOPED IN CHINA   A pre-peer-reviewed study published in early January described how mice were exposed to a human-based “lethal infection” of COVID-19 with a 100% mortality rate.   The Beijing-based research paper was submitted to the scientific preprint site BioRXiv and published prior to peer review, but the data held within the pages is significant. Two SARS-CoV-2-related pangolin coronaviruses (GD/2019, GX/2017) were identified prior to the major COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019 through early 2020, according to the study’s authors. The researchers then isolated “mutant” strains, which were cultured in labs between 2017 and 2020. When the infectivity and pathogenicity of the isolates were tested, it was found to easily infect golden hamsters and mice. The first isolate pCoV-GD01 had a higher homology than COVID-19, whereas GX_P2V didn’t seem to cause any disease in the animals despite infection.   But an early passaged GX_P2V isolate, named GX_P2v(short_3UTR) not only infected mice with extremely high viral loads into their lung and brain tissue, but eventually killed 100% of the mice within the study. Even those mice who were given an inoculation (i.e., vaccinated) succumbed to the disease.   Autopsy of the mice showed viral RNA in the brain, lung, turbinate, eye and trachea, killing all of the mice within eight days of infection. All of the mice’s eyes also went white the day before they died.   The authors argued this is the first report that COVID-19-related pangolin coronavirus can cause 100% mortality rates in mice, suggesting a significant risk of the disease spilling over into humans.   But since the study is not peer-reviewed, there are huge questions about the efficacy of the results. “I had a look at the preprint. It’s a terrible study, scientifically totally pointless. I can see nothing of vague interest that could be learned from force-infecting a weird breed of humanised mice with a random virus. Conversely, I could see how such stuff might go wrong …” University College London genetics director Francois Balloux wrote on Twitter. “The preprint does not specify the biosafety level and biosafety precautions used for the research.”   Balloux’s statements were reiterated by Rutgers University chemistry professor Richard H. Ebright, who wrote “concur” under the comment.   It appears the biggest concern is related to why scientists feel the need to develop these horrific diseases. “The absence of this information raises the concerning possibility that part or all of this research, like the research in Wuhan in 2016-2019 that likely caused the Covid-19 pandemic, recklessly was performed without the minimal biosafety containment and practices essential for research with potential pandemic pathogens,” Balloux concluded. And it’s pretty hard to argue with his stance.   China is already inching back toward lockdowns as mysterious viruses spread throughout the country. Most of these illnesses are being blamed on influenza strains and other respiratory diseases, but no single culprit has been identified to date.

9m

Jan 19, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 18th, 2024.    VANGELDER TECHNOLOGIES: VanGelder Technologies is a US-based custom software development company specializing in cross-platform mobile applications, web applications, and desktop programs. Leveraging open-source frameworks, they quickly and efficiently build custom software solutions that are tailor made to fit your specific needs. 

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 That’s V-A-N, G-E-L, D-E-R dot T-E-C-H VanGelder Technologies, where technology and tradition meet.   https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/01/17/tucker-decimates-nikki-haley-n2168832 https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/01/17/tucker-decimates-nikki-haley-n2168832   TUCKER CARLSON TAKES DOWN NIKKI HALEY WITH BRUTAL VIDEO   In the wake of the Iowa caucuses, there are a lot of interesting reactions including those who believe that President Donald Trump is now the likely nominee, like Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who both endorsed Trump.   Vivek even went on the road with him to New Hampshire to encourage people to vote for him.   Tucker Carlson, who is supportive of Trump, noted that Trump's win was historic, but the media was dealing with it with some pretty hilarious reactions - with Chris Wallace looking "sick" and Joy Reid blaming "white Christians" in Iowa and calling them racist.    They were very upset, he observed.   But he warned that Haley might do better in New Hampshire, that she had been spending far more money than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis there. She also has the support of N.H. Gov. Chris Sununu.  He said a lot of Haley's money came from "committed Democratic partisans." She's gotten money from people like Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, who has been a supporter of Joe Biden, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, and the guy who funded the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1747274232093110614 https://twitter.com/i/status/1747274232093110614 - Play 4:48-9:03   Never change Tucker…as always, you can find the link to Tucker’s video in my show notes.   https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-government-to-spend-700k-on-trans-inclusive-sex-ed-for-14-year-olds https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-government-to-spend-700k-on-trans-inclusive-sex-ed-for-14-year-olds   FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND $700K ON TRANS-INCLUSIVE SEX ED FOR 14-YEAR-OLDS   The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding nearly $700,000 taxpayer dollars to back pregnancy prevention programs for young girls who identify as boys, warning that “heteronormative” sexual education is inadequate.   The $698,736 grant, which began in September 2023 and will continue until June 2027, according to government disclosures, will be allocated to the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, a non-profit that seeks to create “an inclusive teen pregnancy program for transgender boys.”   “Youth who are assigned female at birth … are at risk for negative sexual health outcomes yet are effectively excluded from sexual health programs because gender-diverse youth do not experience the cisgender, heteronormative teen sexual education messaging available to them as salient or applicable,” the award description claims.   The Center for Innovative Public Health Research aims to provide sex education via a program called “Girl2Girl,” which the organization describes as “a text messaging based-sexual health program designed for cisgender sexual minority girls 14-18 years of age.”   The center will then “test the resulting adaptation” in a national cohort of “700 trans-identified AFAB youth 14-18 years of age,” measuring their use of contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as pregnancy rates.   The funding from the HHS specifically comes from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research. The National Institute of Nursing Research was given authority to spend a total of $57 million taxpayer dollars in fiscal year 2024.   The Center for Innovative Public Health Research is slated to receive another $1.4 million taxpayer dollars from HHS to develop a “population-based HIV prevention program for trans girls,” specifying that the program will “address the lack of gender inclusive HIV prevention programming.”   “Messaging will be gender affirming” and will “reduce internalized transphobia,” the award description adds.   But the award for nearly $700,000 taxpayer dollars is not the only action that the HHS has taken to push transgenderism. The Daily Wire previously revealed that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a subagency of the HHS, funded a study on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatment to the tune of $3 million despite transgender children’s hospitals admitting that the practice could result in permanent sterilization.   https://thepostmillennial.com/exclusive-maine-moves-to-create-sanctuary-state-for-child-sex-changes?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/exclusive-maine-moves-to-create-sanctuary-state-for-child-sex-changes?utm_campaign=64487   MAINE MOVES TO CREATE 'SANCTUARY STATE' FOR CHILD SEX CHANGES   A Maine judiciary committee will decide on Wednesday morning whether a bill permitting minors to travel to the state to seek sex changes and granting the state custody over children will move to the floor.    LD1735, also called An Act to Safeguard Gender-affirming Health Care, was introduced to the House of Representatives in the state in April of 2023 by Rep. Laurie Osher of Orono, and is cosponsored by Reps Erin Sheehan of Biddeford, Nina Milliken of Blue Hill, Suzanne Salisbury of Westbrook, Mark Worth of Ellsworth, and Rep. Matt Moonen of Portland as well as Senator Anne Carney of Cumberland.   Courage is a Habit, a group fighting for parental rights in states across the nation, is leading an effort to stop this bill.    Alvin Lui, president of Courage is a Habit, told The Post Millennial that people who do not live in Maine should contact the committee members as well as Maine residents as the bill "affects everybody’s parental rights."   Sample emails provided by the group tell the members that "There is a lack of long-term studies on the benefits of 'gender-affirming care,’ which could result in the life-long sterilization and surgical mutilation of children," "With lawsuits against hospitals and schools on the rise in 2023, the public is becoming more aware of the potential risks associated with this bill," and "Protecting parental rights and the well-being of children should be our top priority. I urge you to vote "ought not to pass" on LD 1735."   LD 1735 "prohibits the enforcement of an order based on another state's law authorizing a child to be removed from the child's parent or guardian based on that parent or guardian allowing the child to receive gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care."   A law enforcement agency would be prohibited from knowingly making or participating in the arrest or extradition of an individual on an out-of-state warrant for violating another state’s laws on bringing a child to Maine to give sex change treatments.   The bill updates rules on abandonment of a child or emergency situations, granting the State temporary emergency jurisdiction over the child if the child "has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care" because of a parent or guardian.   The bill also prevents courts from finding a case was brought forth in an "inconvenient forum," or the wrong court, "if the law or policy of another state that may take jurisdiction limits the ability of a parent to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care for a child and the provision of that care is at issue in the case before the court."   LD1735 "prohibits a court from considering the taking or retention of a child from a person who has legal custody of the child if the taking or retention was for obtaining gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care for the child."   The bill mirrors similar laws passed in California, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota.   Lui told The Post Millennial, "refuse to let your kindness be weaponized against you."   "If you're wondering how you got there in Maine, wherever you live ... it's because over time, you've allowed your kindness to be weaponized against you and they kept moving that goalpost and now, even when they're proposing a transgender trafficking bill, they're still using emotional blackmail to try to get you to accept this," he said.   Lui said that "they’re quite literally opening up trafficking avenues by inviting children from other states where their parents do not agree to transgender sterilization drugs and mutilating surgeries, and they're going to welcome these kids in Maine using your taxpayer dollars through Medicaid to pay for these procedures, putting them in foster care, opening them up to vulnerabilities like sex trafficking, like abuse, not to mention the lifelong, irreversible procedures and drugs that the transgender  cult promotes."   "So there is no slippery slope. You're here at the bottom now because they're willing to remove kids from parents, and the next step will be to remove your children from your home in Maine," Lui added, noting the instance of California.   https://www.theblaze.com/news/teacher-of-the-year-says-he-was-reassigned-for-3-months-after-too-harshly-stopping-2-male-students-from-attacking-female https://www.theblaze.com/news/teacher-of-the-year-says-he-was-reassigned-for-3-months-after-too-harshly-stopping-2-male-students-from-attacking-female   TEACHER OF THE YEAR SAYS HE WAS REASSIGNED FOR 3 MONTHS AFTER 'TOO HARSHLY' STOPPING 2 MALE STUDENTS FROM ATTACKING FEMALE   Kumar Rashad — who was named the Kentucky Department of Education's Teacher of the Year in September — told WDRB-TV that in October he was reassigned for three months after "too harshly" stopping two male students from attacking a female student. A math teacher in Louisville's Breckinridge Metropolitan High School, Rashad told the station after the incident officials reassigned him to "non-instructional duties" at the Special Needs East Bus Compound.   WDRB said Jefferson County Public Schools wouldn't say why Rashad was reassigned — but he gave his side of the story Thursday, one day before he began resuming his teaching duties.   "I saw two males attack a female, and I went to the female's rescue, and I removed the two students off of that female," Rashad told the station. "The two students said I removed them too harshly."   Rashad noted to WLKY-TV that the two male students complained about him to the powers that be.   He was not about to apologize, however, telling WLKY: "Please understand, in the community, in school, anywhere I am going, I will never allow a lady to be attacked by a male."   Kentucky's 2024 Teacher of the Year reinstated by JCPS, says he was reassigned for breaking up fight https://youtu.be/bJoR4AeYyFc-Play 0:30-0:49   Rashad added to WDRB that the investigation is over, and he was cleared to return Friday to the classroom — which the school district confirmed.   https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/01/16/here-we-go-wef-hosts-panel-tomorrow-for-disease-x/ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/01/16/here-we-go-wef-hosts-panel-tomorrow-for-disease-x/   WEF HOSTS PANEL TOMORROW FOR ‘DISEASE X’   Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the so-called global elites are gathering for a five-day annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from January 15-19. One of the topics on the agenda for January 17 has raised some eyeballs: “Preparing for Disease X.”   COVID has been reported to have claimed approximately 7 million lives worldwide, but “Disease X,” on the other hand, they warn, “could result in 20 times more fatalities than the coronavirus pandemic.”   Something interesting about people in power is that a not insignificant number of them also happen to believe that the world is overpopulated. If a pandemic 20 times as deadly as COVID did happen, claiming 140 million lives, would global leaders mourn or secretly celebrate that the world’s population was curbed?   Yuval Noah Harari, one of Barack Obama’s favorite authors and a frequent speaker at Davos, has said that “the big political and economic question of the 21st century will be, ‘What do we need humans for?’ or at least, ‘What do we need so many humans for?’” Remember, in October 2019 — just months before COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan — The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the WEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hosted Event 201, described as “a high-level pandemic exercise.” Is it out of the question to think another so-called pandemic could be just around the corner?   Doctors like Peter McCullough and James Thorp stress the importance of being prepared and having life-saving medications on hand for whatever emergency — pandemic or not — life throws at you next.   “You’ve seen all the threats from the establishment suggesting that there’s not going to be drug availability in the not-too-distant future,” obstetrician-gynecologist and maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. James Thorp warns. “They tell us — they’re threatening us that there’s another pandemic coming. So, look at that and protect yourselves.”   So, what should we be doing?   “Stocking up,” urged Dr. Thorp. “I’ve been doing this since 1995 — always stocking up I’ve been doing that for 20 years, and trust me, even before the pandemic, it saved a lot of my patients and family members because when they need the drugs, they can’t get them.”   The Wellness Company has put together a Medical Emergency Kit of eight potentially life-saving medications, which includes Ivermectin and Z-Pak, for the treatment of a range of illnesses, including strep throat, pneumonia, COVID-19, nausea and vomiting, and more.   The full list is linked in the article in my show notes. 

13m

Jan 18, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 17th, 2024.    CROSSPOLITIC EMAIL LIST: Are you subscribed to our CrossPolitic email list? If you’re not you really should be. Being subscribed to our email list means you won’t miss any updates about CrossPolitic or the Fight Laugh Feast Network! You’ll hear about what’s on the schedule for the week, live events, conference updates, Rowdy Christian Merch, updates from other shows within the Fight Laugh Feast Network, and you’ll hear from sponsors on the show, as they seek to take dominion for God’s Kingdom in the business world. To subscribe, simply enter your email address at the bottom of the page at fightlaughfeast.com. Again, that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-narrowly-denied-clean-sweep-iowas-99-counties-1-vote https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-narrowly-denied-clean-sweep-iowas-99-counties-1-vote   TRUMP NARROWLY DENIED CLEAN SWEEP OF IOWA'S 99 COUNTIES BY 1 VOTE   Former President Donald Trump won 98 out of 99 Iowa counties during Monday's dominating victory in the Republican caucuses.   The one county that did not go for Trump was Johnson County, where former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley led Trump by one vote with 99% of votes counted. Haley received 1,271 votes, approximately 35.5% of the vote in Johnson County, while Trump received 1,270 votes, according to GOP officials in the state.   Haley finished third statewide behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump pulled in a majority of votes with 51%.   Haley claimed her third-place finish was evidence of momentum when considering polling numbers in upcoming primary states.   "When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race," Haley said.   DeSantis visited every county and invested significant time and resources in the Hawkeye State, and weeks ago was predicting he would win the caucuses. Recently he had been saying he embraced the underdog role in the state.   "Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa," DeSantis said in his speech.   DeSantis outperformed some polling expectations on Monday night, finishing at roughly 21% when the Real Clear Politics average of polls showed him at 15.7% before votes were cast.   "They threw everything at Ron DeSantis," a senior DeSantis campaign official told Fox News Digital late Monday night. "They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this campaign is built for. The stakes are too high for this nation and we will not back down."   Trump currently holds large leads in the polls in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. The former president, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, holds a 14-point lead in New Hampshire and a 30-point lead in South Carolina.   https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/nikki-haley-refuses-more-presidential-debates-unless-trump-participates.html https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/nikki-haley-refuses-more-presidential-debates-unless-trump-participates.html   NIKKI HALEY REFUSES MORE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES UNLESS TRUMP PARTICIPATES   Nikki Haley said she would not participate in any further primary debates unless front-runner Donald Trump is on stage.   The former president won a landslide victory Monday in the Iowa Caucus, the first contest of the 2024 presidential nomination. Haley placed third in Iowa, with 19.1% of the vote.   Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Haley of not wanting to answer “tough questions” on topics such as her alleged dealings with aircraft manufacturer Boeing while she was governor of South Carolina.   “The reality is that she is not running for the nomination, she’s running to be Trump’s VP,” DeSantis posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. “I won’t snub New Hampshire voters like both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, and plan to honor my commitments. I look forward to debating two empty podiums in the Granite State this week.”   The next GOP primary debate is scheduled for Thursday, days before the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. Polls have Haley running just behind Trump in the state, some polls by as little as 7 points.   https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2024/01/15/watch-vivek-ramaswamy-addresses-supporters-in-iowa-n2168776 https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2024/01/15/watch-vivek-ramaswamy-addresses-supporters-in-iowa-n2168776   VIVEK RAMASWAMY SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP   Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, fresh off a 4th-place finish in Iowa, addressed his supporters and announced that he is suspending his campaign.   Ramaswamy spoke for just about 10 minutes before taking questions/comments from supporters. He told his supporters that he'd promised them he would tell the truth and be realistic, and that acknowledging hard truths required him to say that there was no path for him to be the nominee. He told his supporters that he is committed to America First principles and that Trump is the candidate who will do things like get rid of the deep state, restore national pride, and eliminate a chunk of federal bureaucracy.   He ended his comments by assuring supporters that this is just the start of their movement.   https://thepostmillennial.com/nypd-stop-man-for-smoking-in-subway-then-arrest-him-on-murder-charges-from-2020?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/nypd-stop-man-for-smoking-in-subway-then-arrest-him-on-murder-charges-from-2020?utm_campaign=64487   NYPD STOP MAN FOR SMOKING IN SUBWAY—THEN ARREST HIM ON MURDER CHARGES FROM 2020   A man was arrested for an alleged murder that took place in Queens in 2020 after he was stopped by the New York Police Department for smoking in the subway.   Brooklyn transit cops stopped the 36-year-old Luis Hernandez after he was seen smoking on the subway on Friday. Under normal circumstances, Hernandez would have been released with a simple court summons, but he was held up after officers scanned his name and found out he was wanted for murder, Daily News reports.   Police took Hernandez to Queens and showed him video and photos showing him at a murder scene on 31st St. near 36th Ave. in Astoria, according to authorities.    Police say Hernandez and three or four others took part in the murder of Richard Hernandez, 21 on Feb. 9, 2020.   “Mr. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty and fully intends on fighting the charges against him,” his attorney, Mahmoud Rabah, told the Daily News on Monday.   “Mr. Hernandez is a committed father of a young child,” Rabah claimed. “He is a hardworking immigrant who has held a stable job in a meat processing plant for years. He completely maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court.”   Hernandez has no prior arrests and was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday.   The victim, who is not related to Luis, was out with friends when a fight erupted. Witnesses told the Daily News that at least one attacker was armed with a machete, and another a knife. The victim was slain just a few blocks away from where he lived, and ultimately could not be saved after being taken to Mount Sinai Queens. Three other men sustained minor wounds during the brawl, police reported at the time.   Police said on Monday that the attack was linked to gang activity. Authorities remain in pursuit of Hernandez's accomplices.   https://notthebee.com/article/coming-soon-someone-made-a-video-showing-what-your-flights-will-look-like-in-our-very-progressive-future https://notthebee.com/article/coming-soon-someone-made-a-video-showing-what-your-flights-will-look-like-in-our-very-progressive-future   "COMING SOON": SOMEONE MADE A PARODY SHOWING WHAT FLIGHTS WILL LOOK LIKE IN OUR PROGRESSIVE FUTURE   Ah, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It's to die for.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1747091085736730872 https://twitter.com/i/status/1747091085736730872 - Play Video    Here you thought Final Destination was just a work of fiction! If you want to watch the video rather than just hearing it, you can do so by finding the link in my show notes…    https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2024/01/14/oh-hes-pssed-the-internet-reacts-to-jerry-jones-visible-anger-after-cowboys-humiliating-loss-to-green-bay/ https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2024/01/14/oh-hes-pssed-the-internet-reacts-to-jerry-jones-visible-anger-after-cowboys-humiliating-loss-to-green-bay/   JERRY JONES’ VISIBLE ANGER AFTER COWBOYS HUMILIATING LOSS TO GREEN BAY   As expected, the Cowboys-Packers game was a blowout. Unexpectedly, it was the Cowboys who got blown out.   The Packers raced to a 27-7 halftime via a fast-paced, deep-ball attacking offense complimented by an explosive running game from Aaron Jones and aided by two interceptions from a defense that seemed determined to make everyone forget about their late-season struggles.   Trailing 48-16 with less than six minutes to go, the Cowboys flurried for two scores to make things look more respectable. But, while things may have looked better on the scoreboard, judging by the expression on Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones’ face, it didn’t really help matters.   Nor did things look any better when Jones walked towards the locker room with his entourage.   Jones’ words couldn’t have been very consoling to head coach Mike McCarthy or QB Dak Prescott, and just a quick warning, there’s a little language involved.    https://twitter.com/i/status/1746662526643782140 https://twitter.com/i/status/1746662526643782140 - Play Video    Oh I’m sorry - what he actually said was:    “I say this to our fans, how much you deserve us not to have this ending,” Jones told reporters immediately after the loss. “In no way have I spent any of my time over the last three hours asking how and why. And what I’m zeroed in on is the fact that I thought we were positioned, everybody in this room thought [we] were in a position, to advance this thing in the playoffs and maybe get as far as our dreams might take us. We didn’t do it.”

10m

Jan 17, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, January 16th, 2024.    PAGE50 AD READ CONCEPTS: Page50 is a distinctly Christian marketing company striving to help Christian-owned businesses grow and succeed in our digital age. They don’t want to just make a paycheck, they want to  change the world, and that means building it alongside you.   The mission is bigger than just Sunday. Page50 wants to help Christians recapture the work week, economic and political influence, and the public square.    Page50 doesn’t work with just anybody, but if you’re a believer they want to work with you. Visit pagefifty.com and see what they can do for you. That’s pagefifty.com.   https://thepostmillennial.com/faa-is-actively-recruiting-people-with-severe-intellectual-and-psychiatric-disabilities-as-part-of-diversity-and-inclusion-plan?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/faa-is-actively-recruiting-people-with-severe-intellectual-and-psychiatric-disabilities-as-part-of-diversity-and-inclusion-plan?utm_campaign=64487   BIDEN'S FAA IS ACTIVELY RECRUITING PEOPLE WITH ‘SEVERE INTELLECTUAL’ AND ‘PSYCHIATRIC’ DISABILITIES AS PART OF 'DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION' PLAN   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) places a priority on hiring people with "severe intellectual disability" as part of its diversity and inclusion initiative.    According to its website, the FAA claims, "Individuals with targeted or 'severe' disabilities are the most under-represented segment of the Federal workforce."    Under its People with Disabilities Program, the agency says it "actively recruits, hires, promotes, retains, develops and advances people with disabilities." The FAA targets the following disabilities as a matter of policy: "Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism."   The FAA told Fox News that it "seeks qualified candidates from as many sources as possible, all of whom must meet rigorous qualifications that of course will vary by position."   Its website reveals that those with disabilities or those who have a veteran status can also be hired via the non-competitive, "on-the-spot" process as long as a manager files the proper paperwork, thus giving them preferential treatment in the hiring process.    The aviation industry has received further scrutiny from the public in the wake of an Alaska Airlines door plug being blown off the side of its two-month-old Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft causing it to make an emergency landing.    In a post on X, tech mogul Elon Musk asked, "Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritize DEI hiring over your safety?" He added, "That is actually happening."    "People will die due to DEI," Musk said.   Musk's comments came in response to a report that revealed in 2022 that Boeing began prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as part of its hiring process in 2022.   The Alaskan Airlines situation came on the heels of a shocking report in December, which showed there were 19 instances where planes nearly crashed into each other at airports in the first ten months of 2023.   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/2795955/shark-tank-powerhouse-investor-says-he-wont-invest-in-california-bad-policy/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/2795955/shark-tank-powerhouse-investor-says-he-wont-invest-in-california-bad-policy/   SHARK TANK POWERHOUSE INVESTOR SAYS HE WON’T INVEST IN CALIFORNIA: ‘BAD POLICY’   Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank revealed he would not make business investments in several Democratic states, including California.   O’Leary explained his reasoning in a yet-to-be-released episode of Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) show Unmuted. According to a transcript reviewed by Townhall, the politics of a state help O’Leary determine where to invest.   “I’m not trying to get involved in the partisanship of this statement. Just a fact, I don’t invest in New York, I don’t invest in Massachusetts, I don’t invest in California. In my mind, those are examples of states that are uninvestable because of bad policy,” O’Leary said. “So, I’m looking for the path of least resistance. If you make it hard for me to make money, I just take my money and go somewhere else.”   California in particular is ranked in the top ten for sales taxes and corporate taxes, according to the Tax Foundation, while New York is in the top ten only for its sales tax.   O’Leary pointed to Tennessee as an example of a state with “fantastic tax policy, reduced regulatory environment, reduced permitting time.” Any other state that doesn’t implement these business-friendly policies is at risk of “killing jobs,” according to O’Leary.   The Canadian investor started his own venture capital firm O’Leary Ventures last year, over 15 years after his first appearance on Shark Tank where he spends episodes deciding in what small businesses he desires to invest.   https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/01/15/report-white-house-swatted-prank-caller-claiming-residence-on-fire/ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/01/15/report-white-house-swatted-prank-caller-claiming-residence-on-fire/   WHITE HOUSE SWATTED BY ‘PRANK CALLER’ CLAIMING RESIDENCE ON FIRE   Fire trucks and ambulances reportedly rushed to the White House Monday morning around seven o’clock after a “prank caller” claimed the residence was on fire and someone was trapped inside.   The incident represents the latest swatting event against political officials. Dangerous swatting events appear to have first been instigated by Democrat prank callers against political opponents.   The prank call at the White House forced fire trucks and ambulances to rush to a snow-covered White House, the Daily Mail reported.   After arriving, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the U.S. Secret Service determined the incident was a false alarm.   “Fire in the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” a Washington, DC, dispatcher said at 7:04 a.m.   Authorities gave an “all clear” order at 7:15 AM.   President Joe Biden was located at Camp David on Monday morning, far away from the residence.   Authorities traced the prank call to an apparently spoofed phone number, a source told CNN.   “Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, a source told the Associated Press, indicating it was likely spoofed,” the Daily Mail reported.   Recent politicians who were swatted include Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), along with celebrities Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian.   https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/yemen-houthi-rebels-fire-missile-us-warship-red-106370679 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/yemen-houthi-rebels-fire-missile-us-warship-red-106370679   HOUTHI REBELS STRIKE A U.S.-OWNED SHIP OFF THE COAST OF YEMEN IN THE GULF OF ADEN, RAISING TENSIONS   Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea.   The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis' attacks have roiled global shipping, amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe.   The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, said Monday's attack happened some 110 miles (177 kilometers) miles southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the “port side of vessel hit from above by a missile.”   Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the vessel was the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military's Central Command later acknowledged the strike.   “The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” Central Command said.   Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a recorded television address that aired Monday night.   “The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” he said.   The vessel is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused “limited damage to a cargo hold but (the ship) is stable and is heading out of the area.”   “All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured,” the firm said. “The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities concerning this matter.”   Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Eagle Gibraltar had been bound for the Suez Canal, but rapidly turned around at the time of the attack.   Central Command said it detected a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch toward the southern Red Sea on Monday, though it ”failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen."   The U.S. Maritime Administration, under the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there continues to be “a high degree of risk to commercial vessels” traveling near Yemen.   “While the decision to transit remains at the discretion of individual vessels and companies, it is recommended that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden “until further notice,” the advisory said.   Sunday's missile launch toward the American warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.   The Houthi fire in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said.   The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.   “An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."   The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack.   It wasn’t presently clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attacks, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”   The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.   The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.   U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site.

10m

Jan 16, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 11th, 2024.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership at fightlaughfeast.com… we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-hunter-biden-shows-up-at-house-while-oversight-considers-contempt-resolution-against-him?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-hunter-biden-shows-up-at-house-while-oversight-considers-contempt-resolution-against-him?utm_campaign=64487   HUNTER BIDEN MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT OVERSIGHT CONTEMPT PROCEEDING IN CONGRESS, THEN STORMS OUT   After defying a Congressional subpoena in December, Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance at Wednesday’s markup meeting in which lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are working on a resolution to hold the president’s son in contempt of Congress.   House Oversight member Nancy Mace addressed Biden directly.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1745105809439150194 https://twitter.com/i/status/1745105809439150194 - Play Video    When Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene began speaking Hunter Biden stormed out, with Greene telling him as he left, "Apparently you’re afraid of my words."   https://twitter.com/i/status/1745108562043437517 https://twitter.com/i/status/1745108562043437517 - Play 0:00-0:39   Then as Hunter Biden was exiting the building, a man asked him on numerous occasions, “are you on crack today?”    https://twitter.com/i/status/1745107221992632623 https://twitter.com/i/status/1745107221992632623 - Play Video    Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell addressed reporters in the halls of Congress, saying that "Republicans have sought to use [Hunter Biden} as a surrogate to attack his father." Lowell said that "we have offered to work with House committees to see what and how relevant information to any legitimate inquiry could be provided."   "Our first five offers were ignored. And then in November, they issued a subpoena for a behind-closed-doors deposition, a tactic that the Republicans have repeatedly misused in their political crusade to selectively leave and mischaracterize what witnesses have said."   Hunter Biden was subpoenaed to appear for a closed-door deposition on December 13, 2023. He refused to attend this deposition, instead speaking from the Capitol lawn.   Hunter Biden declared that he would only appear in a public session, but Committee on House Administration rules states that depositions of a witness are to take place only in the presence of the "Committee, Committee staff designed by the Chairman or the ranking minority member, an official reporter, the witness, and the witness’ two designated attorneys." Hunter Biden, however, doesn't think this rule should apply to him.   https://www.theblaze.com/news/mexican-president-demands-20-billion-and-work-permits-for-10-million-hispanics-before-offering-immigration-help https://www.theblaze.com/news/mexican-president-demands-20-billion-and-work-permits-for-10-million-hispanics-before-offering-immigration-help   MEXICAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS $20 BILLION AND WORK PERMITS FOR 10 MILLION HISPANICS BEFORE OFFERING IMMIGRATION HELP   Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recently revealed what that U.S. must do in order for the Mexican government to help slow down the flow of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and the price is steep.   Fox News Digital reported that Lopez Obrador announced his demands during a press conference on Friday. The development comes just a week after the Mexican president met with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Mexico City.   In order for Mexico to help the U.S., Lopez Obrador demanded that the U.S. provide $20 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries; provide work visas to 10 million Hispanics who have been working in the U.S. for at least 10 years; end sanctions against Venezuela; and put an end to the blockade of Cuba.   The demands have put pressure on President Joe Biden, who has not polled well on illegal immigration since he took over the presidency in 2021. The report noted that the border experienced a large surge of migrants this fall, with around 240,000 encounters per month toward the end of 2023.   However, some of the decisions — if Biden decides to go through with the proposal — would need to get the approval of Congress.   Lopez Obrador has not been shy about challenging U.S. politicians on the topic of illegal immigration. He recently challenged Texas Governor Greg Abbott on one of the state's new immigration laws just last month.   Blaze News reported last month that Abbott had ratified legislation that would make illegal immigration a state crime. The law, Senate Bill 4, moved forward after the Biden administration seemed unwilling to enforce federal immigration law. The state authorities will now be able to arrest foreign nationals who sneak into the country illegally, and magistrates will be able to order illegal aliens to leave the country.   Lopez Obrador said last month: "The Texas governor acts that way because he wants to be the Republican vice presidential candidate and wants to win popularity with these measures."   "He’s not going to win anything. On the contrary, he is going to lose support because there are a lot of Mexicans in Texas, a lot of migrants."   However, the law recently ratified in Texas will not punish those who enter the country legally — only those who attempt to circumvent U.S. law.   https://notthebee.com/article/parents-who-refuse-to-go-along-with-their-childs-gender-transition-can-now-face-7-years-in-jail-in-scotland https://notthebee.com/article/parents-who-refuse-to-go-along-with-their-childs-gender-transition-can-now-face-7-years-in-jail-in-scotland   SCOTTISH PARENTS COULD FACE YEARS IN JAIL FOR PREVENTING KIDS FROM "DRESSING IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY"   Scotland is really making it simple for parents. Let them trans your kids or you go to jail.   You may think that's overstatement, but that's actually the plan in Scotland.   Parents who do not go along with "affirming" their child's "gender identity" could face jail for SEVEN YEARS!   Proposals published on Tuesday state that actions designed to "change or suppress" another individual's gender identity, causing them physical or psychological harm, would become illegal under the radical law.   SNP (Scotland National Party) ministers acknowledged that so-called conversion practices often took place in a "family setting", raising the prospect that parents could be criminalised if they refuse to go along with their child's declaration that they are transgender. Just so you know the extent of this proposal and how it could apply to families, one of the examples of "conversion therapy" punishable by jail time is preventing a child from wearing clothing of their preferred gender identity.   So if Billy wants to wear a dress and you stop him you would be guilty of "conversion therapy" and be subject to punishment under the law.   Even if you don't do anything, the state could preemptively take action against you based solely on your beliefs!   If they know you're a conservative Christian in Scotland they could issue civil orders against you, warning you not to cross the line of telling your kids what to do. The Scottish National Party is currently the largest and most represented party in parliament. They hold nearly a majority in the multi-party system. If they're fully on board with this there's not much that can be done to stop them in parliament.   It's important to note this is in the "public consultation" phase which, in Scotland and the UK, means they have to lay out the plan for public feedback, in this case until April, before moving forward with the proposal.   So my suggestion, between now and April, is for every freedom and faith-loving Scot to channel his inner Braveheart and publicly oppose this radical anti-family, anti-faith, anti-human proposal from the Scottish liberals.   Braveheart - FREEDOM https://youtu.be/S3ubag7dtn4- Play 1:36-1:47   https://mynorthwest.com/3945835/rantz-wa-democrats-deem-ammo-privilege-ammunition-tax-way-end-gun-rights/ https://mynorthwest.com/3945835/rantz-wa-democrats-deem-ammo-privilege-ammunition-tax-way-end-gun-rights/   WASH. DEMOCRATS DEEM AMMO A ‘PRIVILEGE’ AS WAY TO END GUN RIGHTS   Washington Democrats opened the 2024 legislative session with another assault on gun rights. This time they hope to reclassify ammunition as a “privilege” — one that should be subject to an onerous tax because the one thing they love more than taking away guns is taking away your money.   State Representatives My-Linh Thai and Liz Berry, both Democrats, introduced House Bill 2238. Under the auspices of public safety, claiming access to ammunition is the cause of violence and not their soft-on-crime policies that go easy on criminals (including those who use guns in their crimes), the bill imposes an 11% sales and use tax on ammunition statewide. This would be an additional tax on top of the sales tax and any other tax that may levied when purchasing ammunition. The city of Seattle, for example, imposes a per-round tax.   But the bill also reclassified ammunition, claiming you do not have a right to purchase them as a consumer. Instead, it’s labeled a “privilege.” The legislation creates a new section in pre-existing law that reads, “A use tax is levied on every person in this state for the privilege of using ammunition as a consumer at the rate of 11% of the selling price.”   Neither Reps. Thai nor Berry responded to inquiries asking the basis for their claim that ammunition is a privilege. But Washington Democrats have set the stage to make this outrageous claim.   Washington Democrats have consistently moved to make gun ownership more onerous for non-criminal Washingtonians. The end goal for Democrats is to ban guns so that we cannot protect ourselves against the criminals they embolden.   Instead of a flat-out ban against guns, they’ve hoped to reclassify ammunition as a privilege by severely restricting how much of it a gun owner can use at a time. The Washington Legislature approved a bill to prohibit the sale, distribution, and manufacture of firearm magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. This is meant to set the precedent claiming Washingtonians do not have a constitutional right to ammunition.   Like most of their clearly unconstitutional bills, they’re based on a flimsy and purposefully obtuse understanding of the right to bear arms. The Washington State Constitution, Article I, Section 24, clearly states that “the right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.”   You cannot bear arms if the firearm has no ammunition in it. This provision, like the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, implicitly includes all necessary components of firearms like ammunition as essential to the protected exercise of the right to bear arms. Without access to ammunition, the right to bear arms would be rendered meaningless, as firearms without ammunition are unable to fulfill their intended purpose in defense of oneself or the state.   In an ironic twist, Democrats are the best gun salesmen. Their actions are pushing Washingtonians into purchases they might not otherwise make.   Washington Democrats’ interest in banning guns does not extend to the criminals they support with legislation that keeps them out of prison before the end of their sentences under the claim the criminal justice system is racist. By passing legislation that is clearly tied to the rise in crime, they give every Washingtonian ample reason to purchase firearms for self-defense. We have a rise in violent crime in Seattle, where homicides have hit historic highs. Democrats pretend they hold no blame in this new reality.   State Reps Tarra Simmons and David Hackney pushed a bill in the 2022 legislative session to lessen charges against drive-by shooters. It would even be applied retroactively to release a drive-by shooter serving time.   They claimed the change promoted “racial equity in the criminal legal system” because they implied too many black people commit drive-by shootings and it’s unfair for them to be charged more than white people who don’t commit as many drive-by shootings. It was as silly an argument as it was racist. Only after considerable public pushback, did the bill die. But it seems reasonable to want a firearm to protect yourself when you have pro-criminal legislators pushing dangerous bills.   State Rep. Roger Goodman, another anti-gun Democrat, is back this year with HB 1268. It would prevent judges from offering additional years of prison to violent criminals who use guns during their crimes (“stacking” on gun enhancement charges). It even offers “good time credits” (or earned release time) to felons serving time on a firearm or deadly weapon enhancement. Any one of these criminals released early is reason enough to own a firearm of your own.

17m

Jan 11, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 10th, 2024.    SAMARITAN MINISTRIES JANUARY 2024 Tired of someone else telling you where to go when you have a medical need? Are you ready to take control of your health care? Then it’s time to take a look at Samaritan Ministries. It’s Biblical, affordable health care sharing, with no restrictive networks. Here’s how it works. When a medical need arises, you choose the health care provider that’s right for you and have a say in the treatment you receive. Send your medical bills to Samaritan Ministries, and they’ll notify fellow members to pray for you and send money directly to you to help you pay those bills. Join 80,000 Christian households across the nation who have already taken control of their health care. Go to samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic.   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mayorkas-tells-border-patrol-agents-illegal-immigrants-released-into-us-sources https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mayorkas-tells-border-patrol-agents-illegal-immigrants-released-into-us-sources   MAYORKAS TELLS BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT ‘ABOVE 85%’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US   Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday admitted to Border Patrol agents that the current rate of release for illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border is "above 85%," sources told Fox News.   Mayorkas made the remarks when meeting privately with agents in Eagle Pass, Texas, according to three Border Patrol sources who were in the room and heard the remarks themselves.   The conversation happened during the muster for agents in the busy border area. Fox is told Mayorkas was asked directly about comments he made on "Special Report" last week when he was asked by anchor Bret Baier about reporting that over 70% of migrants are released into the U.S. each day.   "It would not surprise me at all. I know the data," Mayorkas said. "And I will tell you that when individuals are released, they are released into immigration enforcement proceedings. They are on alternatives to detention. And we have returned or removed a record number of individuals. We are enforcing the laws that Congress has passed. "   Fox is told that on Monday agents pushed him on those remarks, saying that the number is even higher than 70%, and then Mayorkas acknowledged a release rate of "above 85%."   Mayorkas had also said last week on "Special Report" that "well more than a million" migrants are released into the U.S. annually, and argued repeatedly that it is up to Congress to provide more funding and immigration reform to fix what he has called a "broken" system. He said that the agency is limited in detention capacity by funding provided by Congress.   "When somebody enters the country, we place them in immigration enforcement proceedings pursuant to immigration law, and if their claim for relief, their claim to remain in the United States succeeds, then by law they are able to stay here," he said.   The remarks come just two days before the House Homeland Security Committee holds its first impeachment hearing, featuring multiple state attorneys general who will testify about the impact the crisis has had on their states.   The hearing on Wednesday marks the first impeachment hearing after a year of investigations and reports by the House Homeland Security Committee which looked at the handling of the nearly three-year migrant crisis.   Republicans have blamed the historic migrant crisis, which saw 302,000 migrant encounters last month alone on Biden-era policies, including the releases of migrants into the interior -- dubbed "catch-and-release." They have pointed to the broad use of parole, as well as narrowed ICE enforcement and the stopping of wall construction.   The administration says it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress. It has claimed it is expanding "lawful migration pathways" and increasing consequences for illegal entry, but can only do so much with a "broken" system. Mayorkas and other DHS officials have said that it has removed or returned more than 470,000 people since May, which is more than in the entirety of FY 2019.   At a press availability later on Monday, Mayorkas highlighted the removals and returns, saying it is more than in any other five-month period in the last 10 years.   "In fact, the majority of all Southwest Border migrant encounters throughout this Administration have been removed, returned, or expelled – the majority of them," he said. "We are doing everything we can, within a broken system, to incentivize noncitizens to use lawful pathways, to impose consequences on those who do not, and to reduce irregular migration."   The White House has also requested $14 billion in border funding from Congress as part of its emergency supplemental spending proposal, but that is being held up as Republicans demand significantly more restrictions on the release of migrants into the interior.   Mayorkas said last week that it was that broken system, not administration policy, which was the magnet drawing migrants to the border. Separately, the administration last week announced a lawsuit against the state of Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. The lawsuit claims that the law is unconstitutional and interferes with the federal government's authority on immigration matters.   https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/09/listen-hot-mic-catches-journos-joking-about-trump-being-assassinated-like-jfk-take-a-convertible/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/01/09/listen-hot-mic-catches-journos-joking-about-trump-being-assassinated-like-jfk-take-a-convertible/   HOT MIC CATCHES JOURNOS JOKING ABOUT TRUMP BEING ASSASSINATED   Microphones caught journalists waiting for Donald Trump to arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington D.C. joking about the president being assassinated on Tuesday. Trump is attending the D.C. Court of Appeals to hear the opening oral arguments in his appeal against Jack Smith’s efforts to prosecute him over January 6th, and journalists gathered outside the courthouse in substantial numbers ahead of his arrival.   Two of them could be heard in live feeds joking about having a “good shot” at the America First leader when he arrived, particularly if he showed up driving a convertible like the one the late President John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was shot in the head in 1963:   https://twitter.com/i/status/1744738203616399859 https://twitter.com/i/status/1744738203616399859 - Play Video    If you couldn’t hear what they said:   First Journalist: You know what the worst part is? Even if he has his window open and he’s hanging out of it, he will be on the other side of the street.  Second Journalist: I mean, if he’s driving, we’ve got a good shot!  First Journalist: Yeah, if he’s driving with the front window open?  Second Journalist: Yeah, or if it’s a convertible?  First Journalist: Yeah. I wasn’t thinking about that.  First Journalist: Like JFK?  Second Journalist: (laughs)   Trump’s hearing is being overseen by a panel of two Joe Biden-appointed judges and one George H. W. Bush-appointed judge. His lawyers argue the Smith prosecution amounts to double jeopardy, as Trump was already tried and acquitted over January 6th by the U.S. Senate, and that Smith is also violating the principle of presidential immunity for official acts.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/man-finds-iphone-that-fell-out-alaska-air-1282-perfectly-intact/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/man-finds-iphone-that-fell-out-alaska-air-1282-perfectly-intact/   MAN DISCOVERS IPHONE THAT FELL OUT OF ALASKA AIR 1282: ‘PERFECTLY INTACT’   A Portland man recovered a cell phone, which is believed to be owned by a passenger of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 after it was sucked out of the plane when the door plug blew open.   Writing on X, the man, Sean Bates, posted a photo of the phone:   “Found an iPhone on the side of the road,” he wrote.   “Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282.”   Bates found the phone when he was out walking before posting it on social media, which also showed what appeared to be an Alaska Airlines baggage flight receipt.   The image showed the baggage receipt for the traveler and a piece of a charger still stuck into the phone’s charging port.   Bates claimed the phone was “perfectly” intact with “no scratches on it.”   In a TikTok video, Bates said he was walking in Portland on Sunday after the National Transportation Safety Bureau asked him to report any debris or plane parts.   The door for the plane was also recovered after another Portland resident named Bob found the plug in his yard,   “Thank you, Bob,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference.   Bates found one of the two cell phones that were recovered.   Last week, Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after its passenger window blew open.   The Boeing 737 Max was heading to Ontario, California w, when a large window busted open, causing severe depressurization.   Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement:   “Following tonight’s event on Flight 1282, we have decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft.”   “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced.”   Video footage showed the plane in the air with the window open as oxygen masks angled over passengers’ seats.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/rebel-news-reporter-arrested-by-trudeaus-police-for-asking-a-question/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/rebel-news-reporter-arrested-by-trudeaus-police-for-asking-a-question/   REBEL NEWS REPORTER ARRESTED BY TRUDEAU’S POLICE FOR ASKING A QUESTION   David Menzies, the reporter for Canada’s conservative Rebel News Network, was arrested on Monday for asking Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland a question.   A police officer reportedly accused Menzies of assault despite the reporter not making any physical contact with Freeland.   The video of the incident, posted by Rebel News chief Ezra Levant, showed Enzies asking Freeland about Canada’s refusal to label Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) as a terrorist organization.   The video shows Menzies keeping pace with the Deputy Prime Minister as he walks down the street when a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stands in his way and begins claiming Menzies “assaulted” him.   Menzies does not appear to notice the RCMP officer because his attention is on Freeland.   The officer then appears to set a “pick,” basketball-style, as a pretext for accusing Menzies of assaulting him.   However, there is no evidence that Menzies intended to do so.   “You’re under arrest for assault,” said the officer. The officer moved Menzies towards a vehicle, identifying himself as police and saying he was under arrest for assault. Menzies said the officer was the person who blocked his way.   “I was just scrumming Chrystia Freeland,” he said.   The officer acknowledged Menzies was being arrested for assaulting a police officer. In response, he accused him of assaulting him three years ago.   Another RCMP officer said Menzies was being arrested because of his actions. This is because he was almost pushing people over.   “That was a little bit aggressive for what was happening,” said the officer before the arrest occurred.   True North managing editor Andrew Lawton said Menzies was later released.   “Have confirmed that Menzies was released without charges,” said Lawton.   And before we go, it’s time for my favorite topic, sports!   CFP National Championship: Michigan Wolverines vs. Washington Huskies | Full Game Highlights https://youtu.be/EBdREJkch8g Play 17:11-17:33

13m

Jan 10, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, January 9th, 2024.    VANGELDER TECHNOLOGIES: VanGelder Technologies is a US-based custom software development company specializing in cross-platform mobile applications, web applications, and desktop programs. Leveraging open-source frameworks, they quickly and efficiently build custom software solutions that are tailor made to fit your specific needs. 

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 That’s V-A-N, G-E-L, D-E-R dot T-E-C-H VanGelder Technologies, where technology and tradition meet.   https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2024/01/07/nolte-existential-crisis-woke-hollywood-loses-moviegoers/ https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2024/01/07/nolte-existential-crisis-woke-hollywood-loses-moviegoers/   ‘EXISTENTIAL CRISIS’ AS WOKE HOLLYWOOD LOSES 20% OF MOVIEGOERS   The start of the COVID pandemic is about four years in the rearview and still being blamed for Hollywood losing 20 percent of moviegoers.   “One out of every five moviegoers has vanished since the pandemic, according to research compiled by one Hollywood studio,” reports the far-left Hollywood Reporter. “Whether they’ll ever return to see a film on the big screen is anyone’s guess — and, if they do, when.”   Compared to the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, the domestic box office is down 21 percent.   The lengthy article is full of facts and figures. It also accidentally answers the question it asks about why this is happening and how to fix it, but it never acknowledges the answer.   The answer is right here: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Barbie, Oppenheimer, John Wick 4, Top Gun: Maverick, and Sound of Freedom. Those titles were monster hits during and after the pandemic for one very simple reason: people wanted to see them.   The idea that the reasons behind this drop in moviegoing ranks is a whodunnit is absurd. The titles above prove that people will still turn out in droves if they find something appealing. So, how can anyone still blame the pandemic for the drop in moviegoing? If the pandemic was to blame, nothing could succeed in theaters.   Plus, Taylor Swift’s big 2023 concert tour proves the moviegoing demo isn’t afraid to congregate or come out of their homes. She’s packing them in up to the rafters. The article also suggests moviegoers are tired of aging franchises. How can that be true when the fifth biggest global blockbuster of 2023 was the tenth chapter in the 24-year-old Fast & Furious franchise?   The article suggests moviegoers are tired of superheroes. How can that be true when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 was 2023’s fourth biggest global blockbuster?   Audiences worn out by franchises and superhero movies would not go to see any aging franchise or superhero movie. Fast X and Guardians became hits because people wanted to see them. But why Fast X and Guardians 3, and not Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny? Another simple answer… Dial of Destiny emasculated and shamed its hero with an unappealing girl sidekick, while Fast X and Guardians 3 remained true to their characters and what made them iconic.   The “existential” truth, and we all know it, is this: Ever since Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, Hollywood has sought to punish, insult, and alienate Trump voters (half the country) by way of cinematic tantrums that scold and dehumanize us due to our gender, faith, political beliefs, and overall normalcy.   Hollywood’s insane crusade against decent people (and decency) hit warp speed after the murder of George Floyd with a legion of movies where no one behaves or interacts normally. In order to push its social and political agenda, everyone’s a simple-minded stand-in for us evil normal people or the oh-so noble BIPOCLGBTQTARDs. Disney is now “queering” our children. Indiana Jones is criticized as a colonialist. Luke Skywalker is a child murderer. Buzz Lightyear is a GLAAD crusader. Thor learns to wear an apron.   On top of that, movie after movie tells us sexual deviancy, mental illness, and narcissism are virtues. Worst of all, our heroes, the very characters that made these franchises golden geese for decades, are deconstructed, portrayed as bigots, and replaced with girls and racial minorities for no good reason other than tokenism. Sometimes, as the Equalizer franchise proved, there is a good reason — Denzel Washington is awesome. Mostly, though, the tokenism is so ham-handed and off-putting that the bad taste in our mouths tells us not to bother purchasing a ticket.   There’s no mystery here: movies suck.   https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/07/two-hikers-killed-by-avalanche-in-the-italian-alps-near-switzerland/ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/07/two-hikers-killed-by-avalanche-in-the-italian-alps-near-switzerland/   TWO HIKERS KILLED BY AVALANCHE IN THE ITALIAN ALPS NEAR SWITZERLAND   Two hikers on snowshoes were killed by an avalanche in the Italian Alps near Switzerland, a rescue service said Sunday.   The avalanche occurred around noon on Sunday at the 2,200-meter (7,200-foot) level in the Formazza valley in the Piedmont region, said Federico Catania, a spokesperson for Italy’s alpine rescue service.   The force of the avalanche pushed one of the victims into a lake near the bottom of the slope, while the other body was found in the mass of snow, he said.   Despite strong winds, a helicopter was able to lower a rescue team aided by a dog unit.   The identities of the two victims weren’t immediately released.   A search operation was launched after guards at a nearby dike reported seeing an avalanche strike two hikers, Catania said. An initial search by foot failed to find the hikers, prompting the use of the helicopter.   A firefighters helicopter carrying divers was dispatched to recover the body from the lake, rescuers said.   https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/01/iran-sends-warship-to-red-sea-after-us-sinks-houthi-boats/#google_vignette https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/01/iran-sends-warship-to-red-sea-after-us-sinks-houthi-boats/#google_vignette   IRAN SENDS WARSHIP TO RED SEA AFTER US SINKS HOUTHI BOATS   Iran dispatched a warship to the Red Sea after the U.S. Navy destroyed three Houthi boats, a move that risks ratcheting up tensions and complicates Washington’s goal of securing a waterway that’s vital to global trade.   The Alborz destroyer traversed the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a narrow choke point between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on Monday, Iranian state media said without providing further information on the vessel’s mission.   Iran’s foray into the Red Sea a day after the U.S. action compounds a highly volatile situation in the channel that handles about 12% of the world’s commerce. The move could be seen as a challenge to the U.S.-led maritime task force established last month to halt attacks on ships by the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels who control a swath of Yemen’s northwest, including the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port of Al-Hudaydah.   The Houthis, in November, began attacking vessels they claimed were headed to or owned by entities in Israel in a bid to end an Israeli offensive in Gaza, after Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, staged a shock attack inside Israel on Oct. 7.   In one month, the Houthis hijacked one container ship and launched more than 100 drone and ballistic missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different nations, according to the Pentagon.   Operation Prosperity Guardian, involving the navies of the U.S. and nine other nations, swung into action from Dec. 19 and had a fierce encounter with the militants on Sunday.   Helicopters aboard two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea, the USS Eisenhower and the USS Gravely, responded to a distress call by the Maersk Hangzhou as Houthis in four speedboats tried to board the vessel, according to the U.S. military. Houthi fighters ignored verbal warnings, fired at the aircraft and triggered a lethal response in which three of the boats were sunk.   It was the Houthis’ second major shipping attack in less than 24 hours and came after Denmark announced it was sending a frigate to the Red Sea to join the U.S.-led maritime coalition.   The U.S. has accused Iran of being “deeply involved” in the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which Tehran has denied, but said that it understood the reason for their actions. Iran hasn’t denied supporting the Houthis since the group ousted the internationally recognized government of Yemen in 2014.   A Houthi spokesperson, Yahya Saree, confirmed the incident and said 10 of the group’s fighters were dead or missing. He called on Yemenis, Arabs and Muslims to be “ready for all options in confronting the American escalation.”   Iran’s show of force in the Red Sea coincided with a visit to Tehran by Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi movement spokesperson and chief negotiator. On Monday, he met with officials at Iran’s foreign ministry following talks with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Iran’s Nour News.   On Sunday Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian denounced what he called double standards by the U.S. and some Western governments after a telephone conversation with the U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who urged Iran to rein in the Houthis. “Israel can’t be allowed to massacre women and children and carry out a genocide in Gaza and set fire to the region, but consider stopping an Israeli ship in the Red Sea as endangering the security of this economic waterway,” said Amirabdollahian.   Tehran’s moves are ultimately in the service of its own agenda of projecting power and driving Washington out of the region, says Joel Rayburn, a former US diplomat and military officer.   “This is what the Iranian regime has always been intending to do with their outpost in Yemen,” said Rayburn. Iran thinks it can establish itself as “a great power sitting astride the region and its waterways.”

10m

Jan 09, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, January 5th, 2024.    DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP!: You guys are aware that we have a new app right? If not you should download it right now! Head on over to your app store, and type in “CrossPolitic”, “Fight Laugh Feast”, or “PubTV”. Once you find the app, you may need to update your app, or if you have a droid phone, you may need to delete your current FLF app, and re-download it! Once downloaded you’ll be able to view or listen to our content right on your mobile device! As always, if you’d like to sign up for a pub membership, you can head on over to fightlaughfeast.com… that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-investigating-active-shooter-scene-high-school-perry-iowa https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-investigating-active-shooter-scene-high-school-perry-iowa   MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED IN SHOOTING AT PERRY, IOWA, HIGH SCHOOL   Multiple people were injured in a shooting at an Iowa high school on Thursday morning, authorities said.    At approximately 7:37 a.m., police received reports of an active scene at Perry High School in Perry. Officers responded within seven minutes of the active shooter alarm, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante told reporters.    The total number of victims and their status have not been confirmed. Infante said authorities are working to determine that information and that there is no further danger to the public.   "The community is safe," the sheriff said. "We're just now working backwards, trying to figure out everything that happened and make notifications. There will be another update later on today."   The Associated Press reported two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines.    A law enforcement source told the AP the suspect in the shooting has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.   Infante said the shooting happened before school began.    "Luckily, there was very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense," he said.    Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, his father, Kevin Shelley, told the AP. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.   Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. "It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life," he said. Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, told the AP she was at jazz band practice when students heard what sounded like four gunshots, spaced apart.    "We all just jumped," Kares said. "My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran."   Kares said students and faculty ran out past the football field, with people yelling, "Get out! Get out!" as they ran. She said she heard additional shots while she fled, but was most concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.   "At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son," she told the AP.   The sheriff's office, Perry Police Department and multiple federal agencies also responded to the shooting.     Authorities have identified a suspect but have not released their name at this time, the sheriff said.    Multiple EMS vehicles were sent to the scene at 1200 18th Street, according to public safety radio traffic.    Federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also said they were on the ground.   Perry High School belongs to the Perry Community School District, about 25 miles northwest of Des Moines. About 1,785 students are enrolled in the school district, according to its website.    Thursday was the first day of school after the winter break, according to the school's calendar.   "Our hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. Our prayers are with the students, teachers & families of the Perry Community," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. "I have been in contact with law enforcement agencies & am continuing to monitor the situation. I will be joining their press conference today."   https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-ballot-disqualification-case-with-prejudice-5558227?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-ballot-disqualification-case-with-prejudice-5558227?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport   FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP BALLOT DISQUALIFICATION CASE ‘WITH PREJUDICE’   A federal judge in California on Jan. 3 dismissed a lawsuit that sought to keep former President Donald Trump off the 2024 Republican primary ballot in that state.   District Judge David Carter granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit “with prejudice,” which means that it can’t be submitted to the same court again, according to court papers.   A plaintiff attempted to argue that they suffered “emotional injury” as a result of the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, while watching the events unfold on television, on the radio, and in various publications. They then argued that the incident caused them “severe emotional distress” and then filed a lawsuit to keep the former president off California’s ballot.   However, the judge wrote that because the events occurred “more than two years before the plaintiff” filed suit, it was outside of the two-year statute of limitations.   The decision by Judge Carter, a Clinton-appointed jurist who has ruled against President Trump in a separate case, was posted online by former Republican National Committee for California Chair Harmeet Dhillon.   “The remnants of the last California case to keep President Trump off the ballot here were dismissed today by Judge David O. Carter!!” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Jan. 3.   In recent days and weeks, a number of lawsuits have been filed in different states seeking to bar President Trump from appearing on the ballot ahead of the 2024 election. Those suits have claimed that the former president engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the United States under an interpretation of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment’s Section 3, which was written in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Civil War.   At least two of those challenges have seen some success in Maine and Colorado, although there has been widespread speculation that higher courts or even the U.S. Supreme Court will strike those rulings down.   Days before Christmas, Colorado’s highest court ruled to keep the former president off the primary ballot in the state, which was promptly appealed to the Supreme Court. Last week, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, unilaterally decided to keep President Trump off the ballot, which also has been appealed.   Ahead of the Supreme Court appeal, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said that “unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat-appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice.”   Legal analysts have suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court would take up those two cases and likely would rule against the plaintiffs at least on procedural grounds. However, it isn’t clear whether the court will take up the more thorny questions presented under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.   “It seems a certainty that SCOTUS will have to address the merits sooner or later,” Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California–Los Angeles, wrote on his website last month, referring to the Supreme Court.   Several other federal judges have also dismissed attempts to block the former president from appearing on ballots. In a ruling issued in late December 2023, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema wrote that the plaintiffs—two activists—who filed suit against President Trump in Virginia to keep him on that state’s ballot lacked standing.   https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/01/03/trans-murderer-sent-to-womens-prison-n602445 https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/01/03/trans-murderer-sent-to-womens-prison-n602445   TRANS MURDERER SENT TO WOMEN'S PRISON   In 2012 and 2013, a man named Steven Buchanan murdered two handymen he had hired to do some labor around his farm in Oregon. After killing them, he fed their corpses to his pigs. He was eventually discovered and arrested for the crimes. In 2015 he was convicted, with the judge telling him that he was “a cold-blooded killer” who “valued pigs more than you value human life.” Buchanan was sentenced to fifty years in prison. But then things reportedly took a turn for the strange. The killer was no longer Steven Buchanan. Instead, he was “Susan Monica,” claiming to be a transgender woman. As our colleague Madeline Lessman reports this week at Townhall, Monica nee Buchanan is now being housed at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, a women’s prison located in Wilsonville, Oregon.   A “transgender” biological male who was convicted of murdering two men is serving a 50-year sentence in a women’s prison, according to a report from Reduxx.   The prisoner, Steven Buchanan, who goes by “Susan Monica,” dismembered the bodies of his victims and fed them to pigs on a 20-acre farm he owned in Oregon, Reduxx noted. Buchanan bought the farm in 1991 and killed two handymen in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, he was reportedly sentenced to a minimum of 50 years behind bars.   “You shot two people and fed them to your pigs,” Judge Tim Barnack told Buchanan during sentencing. “I don’t know how else I can put it. You valued pigs more than you value people. It may sound harsh, but you are a cold-blooded killer.”   By this time, we’ve covered enough of these transgender prisoner stories that you should have already noticed a pattern emerging. There are men behaving badly who never seemed to have any problem living as men. Then, why they are facing the possibility of a long stretch in the Crowbar Motel, they suddenly “realize” that they are actually women trapped in men’s bodies and they demand special accommodations. And if they live in a blue state on the West Coast, those demands are almost always met.   If the details of those two killings don’t do enough to send chills down your spine and make you realize how dangerous this guy almost certainly is (even at the age of 75), there is more. During court proceedings, the lead detective in the case told the judge that Buchanan had said he was worried that if police found “the other seventeen” bodies on his farm, he might never get out of jail. Police searched and did some digging, but additional bodies were not located. That doesn’t mean they’re not there, though. This guy is a certifiable lunatic who told the police “I do not value human life very much.”   This is the sort of person we’re putting in a women’s prison? I’m sure some of the actual females at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility did some bad things to wind up there, though hopefully not involving feeding body parts to swine. But do they deserve to be exposed to a proven homicidal maniac who is pretending to be a woman? Townhall has been covering stories like this for a while and it never seems to end well. One trans inmate in New Jersey wound up impregnating two female inmates. (His own mother said that the trans thing was a scam allowing him access to women.) Another inmate was sexually assaulted by a trans inmate..   https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/03/sweden-records-coldest-january-evening-in-25-years/ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/03/sweden-records-coldest-january-evening-in-25-years/   SWEDEN RECORDS COLDEST JANUARY EVENING IN 25 YEARS   Europe experienced stark weather contrasts on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and closing schools in Scandinavia while strong winds and heavy rain in western Europe caused flooding and at least one death.   Temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Nordic region for a second day in a row Wednesday. In Kvikkjokk-Årrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6 C (minus 46.5 F), the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years, Sweden’s TT news agency reported.   Extremely cold temperatures, snow and gale-force winds disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.   Police across most of Denmark urged motorists to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.   Mild but wet and windy conditions prevailed further south, where a storm wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe.   In Britain, a driver died after a tree fell on his car in western England. Gloucestershire Police said the man died in the incident near the town of Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.   The storm, which has been named Henk by the official weather services of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, has caused power cuts, transport troubles, property damage and disruption across the U.K.   More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, while 10,000 homes remained without power. A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was announced for the River Nene in Northampton in central England. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at the nearby Billing Aquadrome.   The U.K.’s rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the Wednesday morning commute into work.   The strongest gales in the U.K. were recorded on the Isle of Wight, just off the coast in southern England, where wind speeds reached 94 miles per hour (151 kilometers per hour).   In the Netherlands, police near the city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the country.   Parts of Germany were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by more rain falling in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony.   https://www.boundingintosports.com/2024/01/aaron-rodgers-says-jimmy-kimmel-is-worried-about-the-jeffrey-epstein-files-suggests-nfl-is-rigged/ https://www.boundingintosports.com/2024/01/aaron-rodgers-says-jimmy-kimmel-is-worried-about-the-jeffrey-epstein-files-suggests-nfl-is-rigged/   AARON RODGERS SAYS JIMMY KIMMEL IS WORRIED ABOUT THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN FILES, SUGGESTS NFL IS RIGGED   If you thought New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had any designs on pulling back on his opinions in the new year, think again. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the 40-year-old future NFL Hall of Famer suggested late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel might be nervous about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Oh, and he also floated the idea that the NFL is rigged.   Aaron Rodgers kicked off a segment with the host by embracing a conspiracy theory that the Super Bowl logo features the colors of the teams that eventually end up playing in the game.   An X post by NFL Memes in September included an image that explained the theory and showed recent examples. The group also predicted that based on this theory, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers would be facing each other in Super Bowl LVIII. “If the Super Bowl Baltimore and San Fran, I’ll tell you what, that Super Bowl 59 emblem better have Jet green on it,” Rodgers said.   “I know you’ve seen that one … that’s a real interesting one,” Rodgers said of the conspiracy theory.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1742256969883492467 https://twitter.com/i/status/1742256969883492467 - Play Video 

15m

Jan 05, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 4th, 2024.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership at fightlaughfeast.com… we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-national-debt-tops-34t-first-time-history https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-national-debt-tops-34t-first-time-history   US NATIONAL DEBT TOPS $34T FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY   The U.S. national debt topped $34 trillion for the first time ever, crossing a critical milestone at a time when government spending is already under scrutiny.   The national debt – which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors — hit $34 trillion as of Friday afternoon, according to new data published by the Treasury Department. By comparison, just four decades ago, the national debt hovered around $907 billion.    "We are beginning a new year, but our national debt remains on the same damaging and unsustainable path," said Michael Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which advocates for fiscal sustainability.   The historic debt level comes as Congress races to finalize critical funding bills in order to prevent a government shutdown.   The national debt is expected to nearly double in size over the next three decades, according to the latest findings from the Congressional Budget Office. At the end of 2022, the national debt grew to about 97% of gross domestic product.    Under current law, that figure is expected to skyrocket to 181% at the end of 2053 – a debt burden that will far exceed any previous level.    "Though our level of debt is dangerous for both our economy and for national security, America just cannot stop borrowing," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.   The White House was quick to blame Republicans on Tuesday evening for the astronomical rise in the federal debt.   "This is the trickle-down debt — driven overwhelmingly by repeated Republican giveaways skewed to big corporations and the wealthy," Michael Kikukawa, White House assistant press secretary, said in a statement provided to FOX Business.   Even more worrisome is that the spike in interest rates over the past year and a half has made the cost of servicing the national debt more expensive.   That is because as interest rates rise, the federal government's borrowing costs on its debt will also increase. In fact, interest payments on the national debt are projected to be the fastest-growing part of the federal budget over the next three decades, according to the CRFB.   Payments are expected to triple from nearly $475 billion in fiscal year 2022 to a stunning $1.4 trillion in 2032. By 2053, the interest payments are projected to surge to $5.4 trillion.    To put that into perspective, that will be more than the U.S. spends on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and all other mandatory and discretionary spending programs.   https://mynorthwest.com/3944857/rantz-homeless-fecal-matter-behind-explosion-shigella-cases-portland/ https://mynorthwest.com/3944857/rantz-homeless-fecal-matter-behind-explosion-shigella-cases-portland/   HOMELESS FECAL MATTER BEHIND EXPLOSION OF SHIGELLA CASES IN PORTLAND   Homeless people are spreading Shigella in and around downtown Portland, Oregon. Cases are now surging and could lead to a public health emergency.   Shigella is a highly contagious bacteria that spreads through fecal matter. It’s usually spread when the bacteria is on someone’s hand and then they touch their mouth, or through sex. The Portland metro saw at least 218 cases of shigellosis in 2023, with 45 cases in December alone. Many of them occurred in Old Town.   As cases rise, Multnomah County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Teresa Everson is advising the public to be alert, but not panic, as the cases are not occurring in the general public. But there’s fear in the community that that may change. The county is offering some infected homeless people free motel rooms to isolate in so they can mitigate the spread.   “These cases can occur because bathrooms, handwashing sinks and soap can be hard to access when you aren’t housed,” she told KGW-TV. “And unhoused community members are at higher risk of infectious diseases in general, as they experience poorer health than the broader public.”   Still, Everson advises people living and working in Old Town to be extra vigilant in washing hands. Though, she said most of the cases appear to be a result of sexual contact.   Symptoms of Shigella infection include diarrhea, stomach cramps fever and vomiting that can last anywhere from three to 10 days. It can be treated with antibiotics.   Though it’s rare to see this specific kind of outbreak amongst the homeless, once it spreads, it may be hard to contain since the homeless aren’t especially hygienic with a lack of access to restrooms. But it’s a crisis of Portland’s own making. Permissive left-wing policies have allowed homelessness to explode in Portland, rendering the city unrecognizable.   In the waning months of 2023, officials finally committed to implementing a new strategy to target homelessness after public pressure forced them to accept the reality on its streets. In a long-overdue move, the city finally decided to enforce a camping ban on public property. The new policy was set to put much-needed restrictions in place, banning camping on all public property from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and limiting it during other hours. It’s a clear message: No more overnight stays in city parks, along riverbanks or near busy streets.   But a judge stopped the ban from commencing after activist attorneys representing five homeless Portlanders sued the city. It’s part of a consistent strategy to stop any homeless policies from being enforced, with Radical Left activists fighting to keep homeless on the streets where they will now spread Shigella.   Seattle and King County experienced a similar surge in cases that were addressed in 2021 after Public Health learned that 84% of the cases hit the homeless.   https://www.foxnews.com/world/japan-airlines-passenger-plane-burst-flames-tokyos-haneda-airport https://www.foxnews.com/world/japan-airlines-passenger-plane-burst-flames-tokyos-haneda-airport   JAPAN AIRLINES PLANE BURSTS INTO FLAMES AFTER COLLISION AT TOKYO'S HANEDA AIRPORT, LEAVING 5 DEAD   A thick plume of black smoke rose over an airport runway in Japan on Tuesday after a Japanese aircraft collided with a coast guard aircraft and burst into flames, local media reported.   Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed Japan Airlines passenger plane JAL-516 on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport with flames coming out of its windows. Shortly after, the plane was entirely consumed.   The coast guard aircraft pilot escaped, but the five crewmembers were killed, NHK reported. An official confirmed that a Bombardier Dash-8 Coast Guard plane was involved in the collision.   A Japan Airlines spokesperson said more than 300 passengers were on board when the aircraft initially caught fire. NHK reported all 379 passengers and crew ultimately escaped from the plane.   The aircraft JAL flight 516 had flown out of Shin Chitose airport in Japan to Haneda, officials said. Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan.   All runways and services at the airport were suspended.   https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2024/01/02/veterans-and-service-members-demand-pentagon-accountability-for-vaccine-mandates-n2633048 https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2024/01/02/veterans-and-service-members-demand-pentagon-accountability-for-vaccine-mandates-n2633048   'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH': VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM DOD   Saying that "all internal efforts to rectify recent criminal activity within the Armed forces" have been "exhausted," more than 200 military veterans and service members signed and published a "Declaration of Military Accountability" on January 1 over the Department of Defense's its enactment and enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.   Invoking the Declaration of Independence in a declaration of their own, the current and former members of the U.S. military state that America has reached a point in its history where it is "necessary to admonish the lawless, encourage the fainthearted, and strengthen the weak" as the "affairs of our nation are now steeped in avaricious corruption and our once stalwart institutions, including the Dept of Defense, are failing to fulfill the moral obligations upon which they were founded."   Unlike the Declaration of Independence, the signers of the Declaration of Military Accountability "seek no separation" as the patriots of 1776 did from Great Britain, "but through this letter and the efforts we pledge herein, we pursue restoration through accountability."   On the Pentagon's enactment of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the declaration states that "military leaders broke the law, trampled constitutional rights, denied informed consent, permitted unwilling medical experimentation, and suppressed the free exercise of religion," actions that meant "[s]ervice members and families were significantly harmed."   "Their suffering continues to be felt financially, emotionally, and physically," the declaration emphasizes of those affected by the DoD's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. "Some service members became part of our ever-growing veteran homeless population, some developed debilitating vaccine injuries, and some even lost their lives."   Despite these outcomes, the declaration says "military leaders are continuing to ignore our communications regarding these injuries and the laws that were broken," calling the DoD's silence "an apparent attempt to avoid accountability."   Naming a list of military leaders who "enabled lawlessness and the unwilling experimentation on service members" including "GEN Milley, ADM Grady, GEN McConville, ADM Gilday, ADM Lescher, Gen Brown, Gen Berger, Gen Smith, VADM Kilby, VADM Nowell, VADM Fuller, LTG Martin, Lt Gen Davis, MG Edmonson, GEN Williams, ADM Fagan, VADM Buck, Lt Gen Clark, MG Francis, LTG Dingle, Lt Gen Miller, RADM Gillingham, and numerous others," the declaration emphasizes that they "betrayed the trust of service members and the American people."   "Their actions caused irreparable harm to the Armed Forces and the institutions for which we have fought and bled," the current and former members of the military say. "These leaders refused to resign or take any other action to hold themselves accountable, nor have they attempted to repair the harm their policies and actions have caused."   Due to this lack of accountability, the 231 signatories to the declaration state their intention to "do everything morally permissible and legally possible to hold our own leadership accountable" because they "as service members and veterans...feel particularly responsible for the DoD and, in according with our oaths...will make every effort to demonstrate by example how an institution can put its own house in order."   Signing "on behalf of hundreds of thousands of service members and the American people, while appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for guidance and purity of intention, mutually pledge to each other that we will do everything in our power, through lawful word and action, to hold accountable military leaders who failed to follow the law when their leadership and moral courage was most desperately needed," the declaration explains.    The action that will follow from the declaration, it explains, includes running for Congress and seeking appointments within the executive branch while those in active service "will continue to put fulfilling our oaths ahead of striving for rank or position."   In addition, the declaration pledges that those who have the legal authority to do so will "recall from retirement the military leaders who broke the law and will convene courts-martial for the crimes they committed." Those who become lawmakers will "introduce legislation to remove all retirement income for the military leaders who were criminally complicit, and we will ensure none serve in or retire from the Senior Executive Service."   Emphasizing that fulfilling their oaths to the Constitution requires "persistent vigilance," the declaration's signers also pledge to "train those who come after us to fulfill their duty in achieving this accountability and safeguarding against such leadership failures hereafter."   "While all good things come to an end, we refuse to allow our nation to go quietly into the depths of decadence and decay," the veterans and service members declare. "We promise to exhaust all moral, ethical, and legal means to restore the rule of law and will begin by attempting to hold senior military leaders accountable" in addition to fighting to enforce the Constitution and "put an end to the two-tiered justice system."   The Declaration concludes: "May future generations see our efforts and, God willing, may they also be recipients of the great gift of liberty that we have had the honor of safeguarding.”

12m

Jan 04, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024.    FIGHT LAUGH FEAST MAGAZINE   Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com.   https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/01/universities-college-course-queer-sex-bdsm-bitch/ https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/01/universities-college-course-queer-sex-bdsm-bitch/   ‘QUEERING GOD’ AND ‘HOW TO BE A BITCH’: HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CRAZIEST COURSES UNIVERSITIES OFFERED IN 2023   Universities offered students in the U.S. the opportunity to enroll in many courses that push gender ideology and left-wing activism during the 2023-2024 school year.   Princeton University offered a class titled “Black + Queer in Leather: Black Leather/BDSM Material Culture” in the Spring 2023 semester, according to the university’s course catalog. The class will survey black BDSM culture via research available in libraries and individuals involved in the groups that participate in the culture.   “We will consider the fragility of archival engagement with these communities by surveying existing BDSM archives in research libraries, community groups,” the course description reads.   Princeton made headlines in 2022 following the addition of this course to the catalog as well as “FAT: The F-Word and the Public Body” and “Anthropology of Religion: Fetishism and Decolonization.”   Tuition at Princeton costs more than $59,000 per year and can cost more than $76,000 including housing and food costs, according to the university’s website.   Westminster College offers a course titled “How to Be a Bitch.” Students are encouraged to “unpack” the words “bitch” and bossy,” which are “interesting but problematic.”   One course offered at Wesleyan University, titled “Queer Russia,” offers students an overview of the influence of queer people on Russian culture, according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course “focuses on gender and sexuality in exploring an alternative cultural history of Russia, which highlights its queer legacy from the nineteenth century to the present.”   Wesleyan announced it would cover abortion-related costs and emergency contraception for students in the fall 2023 semester. The university charges more than $66,000 a year for tuition and nearly $20,000 for housing, according to their website.   Occidental College in California offers a course titled “Black Queer Thought,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course critiques “the demands of heteronormativity, white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism.”   The course also explores “how the cultural producers in question complicate and elaborate upon the sometimes static and often U.S.-centered definitions we hold for ‘Black’ and ‘queer,'” according to the course’s description.   The Southern University of Oregon (SOU) offered a class titled “Decolonizing Transgender” in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course examines the development of the word transgender across “social, cultural, historical, legal, medical, and political contexts.”   The course can be taken as a part of the university’s “Certificate in Transgender Studies,” according to the school’s website.   The University of Chicago offered a course titled “Queering God” that questions if God is queer and what queerness has to do with the concept of God. “What does queerness have to do with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?” the course description reads.   The university made headlines for its “Queering God” class in July. The school also offered a class titled “The Problem of Whiteness” initially in December 2022 but later moved the course to the Spring 2023 semester after backlash to the course.   A course titled “Unsettling Whiteness” was offered by Northwestern University in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course seeks to make the “historical, political, and cultural formation of whiteness in Western modernity visible” for analysis.   Students at Northwestern hosted a speaker in April that accused Israelis of eating the organs of Palestinians. Tuition at the school for the 2023–24 academic year was estimated to be nearly $65,000 and nearly $92,000 with all expenses including books, fees, room and board, according to the university’s website.   Davidson College offered a course titled “Latinx Sexual Dissidence and Guerrilla Translation,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The class seeks to mix feminist, queer, body positivity and leftist activism all into one class.   “Students will study the rhetorics and aesthetic strategies of feminist and queer activist collectives focused on social issues such as immigration, transgender rights, anti-racism, economic equality, anti-speciesim, body positivity, and prison abolition with a pro-pleasure, leftist perspective,” the course description reads.   Westminster College, Princeton, Wesleyan, Occidental College, SOU, Northwestern, the University of Chicago and Davidson College did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comments.   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-fox-news-town-hall-snub-cnn-iowa-debate https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-fox-news-town-hall-snub-cnn-iowa-debate   TRUMP HOLDS FOX NEWS TOWN HALL TO COUNTER CNN IOWA DEBATE WITH DESANTIS AND HALEY   Fox News is set to hold a town hall event in Des Moines, Iowa, with President Donald Trump on Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern time, a move that directly competes with CNN's Iowa GOP primary debate held on the same night at the same time.   The Fox News Trump event, announced on Tuesday, marks the former president's fifth time snubbing a debate matchup with his 2024 Republican rivals. He has skipped all four primary debates sponsored by the Republican National Committee.   Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the Trump town hall for the first time since May 2020, when Trump last sat down for an interview with the pair. The Jan. 10 town hall, just five days before the Iowa caucuses, also marks Trump's return to holding counterevents during GOP debate nights.   He held a competing event during the first three GOP debates, including the first one in late August, which was co-sponsored with Fox News. But the former president did not seek to take attention from his rivals during last month's fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.   CNN's debate on Jan. 10 required candidates to reach at least 10% in three national or Iowa polls, but only Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have met the qualifications.   Vivek Ramaswamy also announced on Tuesday he will participate in a live studio town hall with podcast host Tim Pool, as it appears he likely won't make the CNN debate qualification deadline on Tuesday. "Forget @CNN’s fake Iowa 'debate' on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We’re doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead. Won’t hold back."   Trump dominates his competitors at 62.5%, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average. DeSantis and Haley are polling at 11.2%, followed by Ramaswamy at 4.2%.   The former president is seeking a strong showing in Iowa as DeSantis and Haley seek to become the dominant second place in the field. CNN's debate will be the final time before the Iowa caucuses that DeSantis and Haley will face off. Trump, meanwhile, is likely to brag about his advantageous lead during the competing town hall and denigrate his competitors.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/tucker-tells-dan-bongino-that-trump-assassination-could-be-next/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/tucker-tells-dan-bongino-that-trump-assassination-could-be-next/   TUCKER TELLS DAN BONGINO THAT TRUMP ‘ASSASSINATION’ COULD BE NEXT   Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned in an interview with conservative commentator and author Dan Bongino that the establishment may be preparing to assassinate President Donald Trump in a desperate move to stop his political momentum.   Carlson emphasized that Trump’s political opponents are prepared to do anything to make sure the president does not take back the White House.   Tucker charted out whether circumstances are accelerating toward a possible Trump assassination, which is looking more likely due to Trump’s soaring popularity.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1741572121346683017 https://twitter.com/i/status/1741572121346683017 - Play Video    Last year, Megyn Kelly voiced fears that the demonization of Trump could eventually lead to his assassination.   During an episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show” on YouTube, Kelly was joined by former Secret Service agent and author of “The Gift of Failure,” Dan Bongino, as the pair discussed the portrayal of Trump and its potential escalation.   “You heard Tucker asked Trump about it when he interviewed him,” Kelly said, referring to an August interview between Trump and Tucker Carlson.   “Whether Trump is worried, whether there’s a realistic possibility, the left is going to so meltdown as his power rises, as he rises toward a second term … that they try to do something to him, God forbid, or that they try to do something to our country,” she added.   https://www.thefencepost.com/news/water-fight-federal-government-sues-state-of-idaho-over-water-rights/ https://www.thefencepost.com/news/water-fight-federal-government-sues-state-of-idaho-over-water-rights/   WATER FIGHT: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUES STATE OF IDAHO OVER WATER RIGHTS   A lawsuit brought by the U.S. government against the State of Idaho will have far-reaching implications for both how water is managed in the West and states’ rights.   According to Idaho Farm Bureau government affairs specialist, Russ Hendricks, the state of Idaho began adjudicating water rights in Idaho’s Snake River Basin (southern Idaho) in the late 1980s. As is the case with many western states, Idaho’s water law provides a right to the beneficial user of the water. During this adjudication process in the ’80s and ’90s, many ranchers considered claiming their stockwater rights on federally administered grazing allotments through the state, but were convinced by the federal government to withdraw their claims, being told that the government was prepared for a lengthy legal battle. Only a few ranchers ignored the “strong-arming, bullying” by the federal government, said Hendricks. So, according to Hendricks, the federal government ended up with nearly all of the stockwater rights on federal allotments in the Snake River Basin, save for those claimed by Paul Nettleton and Tim Lowry (called the “Joyce” case.) Those men entered what eventually was a 15-year battle with the federal government. Eventually they won their case in the Idaho Supreme Court on the simple premise that the federal government does not own cattle and therefore is not able to put the water to beneficial use.   And that brings us to the current lawsuit wherein the federal government has filed suit against the state of Idaho in federal district court, saying that they are being discriminated against. Hendricks believes this suit will have far reaching affects, not only for Idaho water users, but for any water users across the country.   The Idaho Farm Bureau has enlisted the help of the Mountain States Legal Foundation in the legal battle.   The reason I bring this up - is The WEF has already announced that "water was the next crisis, everyone understands water" since "climate change was too difficult to get people to understand"   https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-seiler-robos-llc_the-wef-has-already-announced-that-water-activity-7145163060037513216-aEqk/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-seiler-robos-llc_the-wef-has-already-announced-that-water-activity-7145163060037513216-aEqk/ - Play Video    The US Government Is Attempting to Seize All Water Rights for All Bodies of Water on American’s Property in Idaho. If Residents Do Not Register For Each Body Of Water Individually By Their Timeline The State Takes Control & Owns Them Forever. The "state" requires you to register your well, pond, creek or the water automatically become the "state's" property.    https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/12/31/video-appears-to-show-panthers-owner-david-tepper-throwing-a-drink-at-panthers-fan/ https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/12/31/video-appears-to-show-panthers-owner-david-tepper-throwing-a-drink-at-panthers-fan/ - Play Video    Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! This is for my friends out in North Carolina…    VIDEO APPEARS TO SHOW PANTHERS OWNER DAVID TEPPER THROWING A DRINK AT PANTHERS FAN   Completions have been tough to come by this year for the Carolina, but a thrown drink from Panthers Owner Dave Tepper hit its intended receiver on Sunday.   During Carolina’s 26-0 demolition at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Panthers Owner Dave Tepper appeared to throw a drink at a fan.   Tepper beats a hasty retreat after tossing the drink. It was probably a good thing since the fan turned around and immediately climbed up to the opening of the suite.   The NFL has said they are “aware” of the incident. However, they have not said whether Tepper’s display is actionable under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Presumably, some disciplinary action will be taken against Tepper lest the league allow fans to labor under the impression that they’re perfectly okay with their owners showing extreme disrespect for their paying customers.

19m

Jan 03, 2024

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday , December 22nd, 2023.    Quick shout out to Andrea & Jonah Briggs!    SAMARITAN MINISTRIES: NOVEMBER This is the time of year many of us are thinking about how we’re going to pay our medical bills next year. Before making a final decision, take a look at health care sharing with Samaritan Ministries. As a Samaritan member, you’re connected to 80,000 Christan households across the nation who stand ready to care for one another spiritually and financially when a medical need arises. Samaritan Ministries is affordable, and with no network restrictions you’re in control of your health care, choosing the doctors, hospitals, and treatments that are right for you. And with direct member-to-member sharing, you’ll always know who your money is helping, and that you’re not supporting medical procedures that go against your values. Get started today at samaritan ministries dot org slash cross politic.   https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html   TRUMP IS DISQUALIFIED FROM 2024 BALLOT, COLORADO COURT SAYS IN EXPLOSIVE RULING   Colorado’s top court ruled on Tuesday that President Donald J. Trump is disqualified from holding office again because he engaged in insurrection with his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.   The Colorado Supreme Court was the first in the nation to find that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which disqualifies people who engage in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it — applies to Mr. Trump, an argument that his opponents have been making around the country.   The ruling directs the Colorado secretary of state to exclude Mr. Trump’s name from the state’s Republican primary ballot. It does not address the general election.   “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” a four-justice majority wrote, with three justices dissenting. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”   Mr. Trump’s campaign said immediately that it would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado justices anticipated that likelihood by putting their ruling on hold at least until Jan. 4; if Mr. Trump appeals before then, the hold will continue until the Supreme Court rules. And while Tuesday’s ruling applies only to one state, it could all but force the nation’s highest court to decide the question for all 50.   “It’s hard for me to see how they don’t take this one, because this certainly seems to be one of those questions that requires some national resolution,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University who has closely followed the Colorado case and related lawsuits around the country.   If the justices take up the case, it will join a pile of other Trump-related matters they have agreed or are likely to decide, including whether he is immune from criminal prosecution for actions he took in office and the scope of an obstruction charge that is central to his federal Jan. 6 case.   The U.S. Supreme Court has a 6-to-3 conservative majority, with three justices appointed by Mr. Trump himself, and it is already under extraordinary political pressure and scrutiny both for its rulings and its justices’ ethics.   “Once again, the Supreme Court is being thrust into the center of a U.S. presidential election,” said Richard L. Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, who compared the stakes to Bush v. Gore. “But, unlike in 2000, the general political instability in the United States makes the situation now much more precarious.”   In the Colorado court’s lengthy ruling on Tuesday, the justices there reversed a Denver district judge’s finding last month that Section 3 did not apply to the presidency. They affirmed the district judge’s other key conclusions: that Mr. Trump’s actions before and on Jan. 6, 2021, constituted engaging in insurrection, and that courts had the authority to enforce Section 3 against a person whom Congress had not specifically designated.   “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the justices wrote. “Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado secretary of state to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.”   Mr. Trump’s campaign denounced the ruling, which is likely to inflame a Republican base that he has primed to see the array of civil and criminal cases against him as a witch hunt. Politically, his standing among Republican primary voters has only risen in the wake of the dozens of criminal charges against him.   “Unsurprisingly, the all-Democrat appointed Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against President Trump, supporting a Soros-funded, left-wing group’s scheme to interfere in an election on behalf of Crooked Joe Biden by removing President Trump’s name from the ballot and eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice,” a campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said. “We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these un-American lawsuits.”   Similar lawsuits in Minnesota and New Hampshire were dismissed on procedural grounds. A judge in Michigan ruled last month that the issue was political and not for him to decide, and an appeals court affirmed the decision not to disqualify Mr. Trump there. The plaintiffs have appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.   Tuesday’s ruling “is not only historic and justified, but is necessary to protect the future of democracy in our country,” Noah Bookbinder, the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in a statement. His organization represented the voters seeking to disqualify Mr. Trump in Colorado.   Mr. Trump himself, who has routinely railed against unfavorable rulings, did not explicitly mention the Colorado Supreme Court decision in a speech Tuesday evening in Waterloo, Iowa — but his campaign was already fund-raising off it. An email to his supporters accused Democrats of trying to “nullify” Trump votes and asked for contributions to help defend his place on ballots.   Republican elected officials quickly circled the wagons around Mr. Trump, and a super PAC supporting him blasted out some of their comments to supporters.   In one more illustration of the unusual nature of the 2024 Republican primary race — in which even the candidates seeking to defeat Mr. Trump for the party’s nomination have largely shied away from condemning him — his main rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, both suggested that the ruling was an abuse of judicial power.   The case hinged on several questions: Was it an insurrection when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to stop the certification of the 2020 election? If so, did Mr. Trump engage in that insurrection through his messages to his supporters beforehand, his speech that morning and his Twitter posts during the attack? Do courts have the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment without congressional action? And does Section 3 apply to the presidency?   Again, an explosive ruling that is likely to put the basic contours of the 2024 election in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.   https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/21/at-least-11-dead-in-prague-shooting/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/21/at-least-11-dead-in-prague-shooting/   AT LEAST 15 DEAD IN PRAGUE SHOOTING.   At least 15 people have been reported dead and injured in a shooting incident at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts located near the Old Town, a major tourist hub within the city, as per the official statement from Prague police. The horrific event unraveled at this educational facility in the capital city of the Czech Republic, erupting fear and panic among students and faculty present at the scene. Local authorities confirmed the shooter’s elimination shortly after the attack, while refraining from revealing exactly how many victims were impacted.    Eyewitness reports and visual evidence posted on social media depicted the terrifying scene on the university campus, with sirens blaring and police vehicles flooding the streets around the building. Videos on social media platforms showed bystanders looking visibly panicked and attempting to escape the premises. Prague police issued a plea, urging residents to stay away from the area and to remain indoors for safety reasons.   Jakob Weizman, a journalist sheltering inside a darkened classroom, shared his experience on social media: “Currently stuck inside my classroom in Prague. Shooter is dead, but we’re waiting to be evacuated. Praying to make it out alive,” he wrote. He later added, “Locked the door before the shooter tried to open it. F—ing hell.” Yet another social media user furnished the world with a chilling image of what appeared to be students desperately huddled on the university building’s scaffolding, emphasizing the level of fear and panic induced by the tragic event.   https://www.eurasiantimes.com/game-on-with-china-us-to-restore-tinian-airfield-once-home/ https://www.eurasiantimes.com/game-on-with-china-us-to-restore-tinian-airfield-once-home/   GAME-ON WITH CHINA! US TO RESTORE TINIAN AIRFIELD ONCE HOME TO LARGEST B-29 BOMBER FLEET DURING WWII   US Air Force General Kenneth Wilsbach shared this development in a discussion with Asia Nikkei, revealing that the military branch is increasing construction efforts at Tinian North Airfield and Tinian International Airfield.   This effort is a crucial component of a broader initiative to disperse aircraft strategically across the Indo-Pacific region, responding to the escalating missile threat posed by China.    “If you pay attention in the next few months, you will see significant progress, especially at Tinian North,” Wilsbach said. During World War II, the Tinian North Airfield served as the operational base for the largest B-29 bomber fleet.   Describing the airfield as having extensive pavement hidden beneath an overgrown jungle, he revealed plans to clear the jungle between now and summertime. The goal is to transform the site into a comprehensive facility upon completion.   Tinian, positioned approximately 200 kilometers north of Guam within the Northern Mariana Islands, is undergoing a revitalization in line with the US Air Force’s operational strategy, Agile Combat Employment.     This strategic approach, a departure from post-Cold War era tactics, involves deliberately relocating aircraft to various sites across the western Pacific. The primary goal is to mitigate vulnerability to potential enemy missile strikes during periods of crisis.    As documents released in March revealed, as part of the Air Force’s 2024 budget request, several projects are outlined for Tinian, seeking a budget allocation of US$78 million for the fiscal year.    Among these projects is an airfield development initiative encompassing the demolition of World War II-era airfield pavements, clearing and leveling surfaces, and installing drainage, utilities, and secure fencing.   Another project focuses on establishing a fuel-pipeline system involving the installation of storage tanks, pipes, and safety equipment to facilitate fuel unloading from ships for transport to the airfield via pipeline and truck.   Additionally, a parking-apron project is detailed, which aims to pave areas designated for aircraft parking and taxiways. The taxiways must adhere to the Pentagon’s standards for ground control operations for large-frame aircraft, as specified in the documents.    The proposed apron size would accommodate up to 12 KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft and the necessary fueling equipment.   Tinian currently houses one international airfield, while Tinian North Airfield, once the most extensive B-29 base during World War II, lies largely concealed by jungle growth. However, the runways and taxiways remain intact.    Tinian was captured from Japanese control by US forces in the summer of 1944, toward the end of World War II. The northern expanse of the island hosted a substantial and historically momentous airfield, famously recognized as North Field.    This airfield played a crucial role in Operation Silverplate, serving as the departure point for two specially modified B-29 bombers on separate sorties, marking the sole operational use of nuclear weapons to date.   Beyond these historic missions, North Field was instrumental as the launch site for many bomber and reconnaissance flights conducted over Japan and across the Western Pacific during the latter phases of the war.   In the aftermath of World War II, the airfield witnessed a substantial deterioration in maintenance, resulting in the decline of its expansive parallel runways, aprons, and supporting infrastructure.   The US Air Force is now intensifying its endeavors to enhance the airfield’s capabilities to accommodate fighter jets, bombers, and significant support aircraft. These expanded capabilities align with the standards commonly met by the nearby Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.    However, the US believes that if Andersen Air Force Base faces disruption due to enemy actions, notably those from China, or natural disasters, this facility on Tinian would be crucial in ensuring continuity and resilience in US military operations in the Pacific region.   https://pagesix.com/2023/12/20/celebrity-news/hulk-hogan-70-gets-baptized-surrenders-to-jesus-greatest-day-of-my-life/ https://pagesix.com/2023/12/20/celebrity-news/hulk-hogan-70-gets-baptized-surrenders-to-jesus-greatest-day-of-my-life/   HULK HOGAN, 70, GETS BAPTIZED, ‘SURRENDERS’ TO JESUS: ‘GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE’   WWE icon Hulk Hogan has been baptized.   His ceremony took place at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida, as noted by the social media slideshow he shared Wednesday night.   “Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” the 70-year-old star captioned the post.   “No worries, no hate, no judgment… only love!”   Hogan’s slideshow included a video of him and his wife, Sky Daily Hogan, submerging themselves in a pool of water and resurfacing with huge grins on their faces.   They were both garbed with white clothing, with the former pro wrestler rocking his signature bandana and a gold cross necklace.   A photo included at the end of the post appeared to show Hulk and Sky, plus others, bowing their heads in prayer.   The Indian Rocks Baptist Church took to its Instagram Story to celebrate the “Hogan Knows Best” alum’s special moment.

14m

Dec 22, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday , December 20th, 2023.    ROWDY CHRISTIAN MERCH PLUG: If you’re a fan of CrossPolitic, or the Fight Laugh Feast Network, then surely, you know we have a merch store right? Rowdy Christian Merch is your one-stop-shop for everything CrossPolitc merchandise. We’ve got T-Shirts, hoodies, hats, but we’ve also got specialty items like backpacks, mugs, coffee, even airpod cases! Visit Rowdy Christian Merch at rowdychristian.com, and buy that next gift, or a little something for yourself. Again, that’s rowdychristian.com.   https://thepostmillennial.com/kamala-harris-to-take-pro-abortion-reproductive-freedoms-tour-across-us?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/kamala-harris-to-take-pro-abortion-reproductive-freedoms-tour-across-us?utm_campaign=64487   KAMALA HARRIS LAUNCHES 'REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS' PRO-ABORTION TOUR ACROSS US   Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that she plans to travel around the United States in what she calls a "Reproductive Freedoms" tour. Harris announced that these trips will be taken "to organize, build community, and fight back" against what she calls a "full-on attack on a woman's fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body" across the nation.    The pro-abortion tour will kick off in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, which marks the 51st anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade.   The White House promises that "Vice President Harris will also hold extremists accountable for proposing a national abortion ban," although it does not specify what those consequences may be.   https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/18/britain-bans-prayer-near-abortion-clinics/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/18/britain-bans-prayer-near-abortion-clinics/   BRITAIN BANS PRAYER NEAR ABORTION CLINICS.   England’s High Court has upheld a local government order establishing a so-called “buffer zone” against prayers being said near an abortion clinic. Livia Tossici-Bolt, who heads the pro-life group 40 Days for Life Bournemouth, and Christian Concern had attempted to overturn the ban, arguing it “criminalized prayer and reading from the Bible”.    Judges determined on Friday that the banning order “lawfully followed the democratic and consultative procedures”. They said any infringements of freedom of religion, speech, and the right to protest were “justified by the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of women attending the clinic.”   Christian Concern intends to appeal the decision. “Peaceful witness near abortion centers are helpful to many women in crisis pregnancies, offering genuine choice by providing support,” argued Christian Legal Centre chief executive Andrea Williams. British police are exceptionally rigid in enforcing “buffer zones” protecting abortionists. Lone Christians have in some cases been arrested or fined for praying silently inside their heads near clinics.   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/border-officials-encounter-14-509-illegal-immigrants-new-record https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/border-officials-encounter-14-509-illegal-immigrants-new-record   BIDEN BORDER CRISIS SHATTERS RECORD WITH 14,509 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENCOUNTERED IN ONE DAY   U.S. border officials encountered the highest number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday than any day, upending all other records that the Biden administration has set over the past three years.   The Washington Examiner obtained internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection data Tuesday that revealed 14,509 immigrants were encountered by federal law enforcement at the southern border on Monday. The large majority of encounters were of immigrants who walked around the port of entry and crossed into the country illegally, while a small percentage tried to enter at the port of entry but were denied admission.   The most recent record of 12,000 was set last week, according to Fox News. If yesterday's rate of 14,509 arrests per day continued for a month, it would translate to more than 435,000 immigrant arrests.   Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district runs along 800 miles of the 2,000-mile border, described the situation in his region as "all very sad." Gonzales told the Washington Examiner in a text message Tuesday morning that he believes the situation in Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town where 2,500 immigrants were arrested on Sunday, will continue to decline but that the extent would depend on how the Biden administration responds.   "Depends on how much pressure gets put on U.S. and Mexican officials," Gonzales wrote.   House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) reacted to the new one-day record on X, formerly Twitter.   "Another Record: Over 14,500 illegal immigrants have been encountered while entering our country," Green wrote. "This has been the single worst 24 hours for our Southwest border in our nation’s history."   Border officials in the Eagle Pass-Del Rio region encountered 3,100 illegal immigrants Monday, while officials in the Tucson region of Arizona encountered 3,089 people.   Government numbers obtained Tuesday show 26,758 immigrants were in custody as of Tuesday morning, including 5,197 in Del Rio, Texas; 5,004 in Tucson, Arizona; 4,968 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; and 4,722 in El Paso, Texas.   Existing Border Patrol stations in the Eagle Pass area are too small to accommodate more than several hundred people, so immigrants are being processed at a large tent facility outside town known as "Firefly" for the road that it is located on. The tent facility was set up last year with the intent of holding up to 1,000 immigrants, but as of Tuesday, more than 3,000 immigrants were at the site — putting the facility three times over the legal limit.   Border Patrol is also busing immigrants to other regions for processing. One official at the tent facility told the Washington Examiner that it sends out 30 to 50 large buses of immigrants to other regions each day.   Border Patrol highway checkpoints, including the only one north of Eagle Pass, were shuttered this week as agents were pulled to transport and process migrants.   President Joe Biden has yet to react to the situation.   The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/germany-begins-deploying-troops-for-first-time-since-world-war-ii/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/germany-begins-deploying-troops-for-first-time-since-world-war-ii/   GERMANY BEGINS DEPLOYING TROOPS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II   The announcement was made on Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met Boris Pistoriusto to outline a “Roadmap Action Plan” involving 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers.   The new move was described as “historical” for both nations and NATO.   German troops will be stationed in the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas and Vilnius in early 2024, with the majority of troops being deployed in 2025 and 2026 and full-operation capability expected by 2027.   Meanwhile, Lithuania committed to providing all necessary civilian and military infrastructure.   “The German commitment of permanently stationing a brigade in Lithuania is a historical step for both Germany and Lithuania,” Anusauskas said Monday, according to a press release.   “We are turning over to a page of even deeper strategic partnership.   Pistorius noted the step as being positive for defense relations, considering the war between Ukraine and Russia, We will ensure reliable deterrence, and we will be ready to [defend] NATO. We are sending a clear signal with this step to those who present a threat to peace and security in Europe.”   Newsweek reported that experts within the two defense ministries formulated the plan:   “Most of the German troops will be stationed in the territory of Rūdninkai military training ground, while the rest will be deployed in the town of Rukla, where some 1,000 allied troops already reside.”   Logistical hubs will cater to the new brigade, including three maneuver battalions and combat support and supply units formed by new and existing units.“   “The 203rd Panzer Battalion, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion, based in Bavaria, will be moved to Lithuania. Lithuania’s enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group will be transformed into a multinational battalion to become “an integral part of the brigade,” the release said.   The head of the parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee, Laurynas Kasciunas, said the country would allocate 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product to help fund the deployment and to build housing.   Earlier this year, Germany faced pressure from the US to provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.   https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2023/12/18/americans-yawn-at-cdc-warnings-about-tripledemic-n4924835 https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2023/12/18/americans-yawn-at-cdc-warnings-about-tripledemic-n4924835   AMERICANS YAWN AT CDC WARNINGS ABOUT 'TRIPLEDEMIC'   While America's public health officials issue one warning after another about this winter's "tripledemic" of COVID, flu, and RSV, the American public is responding with a collective yawn — if vaccination rates are anything to go by.   The CDC's most recent weekly vaccination update says that "receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine is low across all socio-demographic subgroups and has consistently varied by age, race and ethnicity, poverty status, health insurance status, and urbanicity." As of December 2, fewer than 18% of adults reported getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine since Sept. 14, and about another 15% of adults said they would "definitely" get vaccinated.    RSV — respiratory syncytial virus infection — is another one of those bugs that poses its most serious risk to the 60-and-over crowd. Although a serious RSV infection might require hospitalization, the uptake rate among the eligible 60-plus cohort is just 16%.    Vaccinations for the ordinary flu are down a bit, too. "Adult vaccination rates for influenza reached their peak for the 2020-2021 cycle," the Washington Examiner reported on Monday, "with 50.2% of those over 18 getting vaccinated. For the 2022-2023 season, however, only 46.9% of the same population obtained their shot." Rates are expected to be about the same or lower for the current 2023-2024 flu season.   The drop isn't huge but the trendline is clear: Americans don't seem to be all that worried about the flu — and aren't concerned at all about COVID or RSV.   That's not for any lack of effort on the part of our public health system.   The CDC began its big vaccination push more than two months ago, with this tragically hip tweet from CDC director Mandy Cohen.   Chicago health officials took a more traditional (and much less wince-inducing) approach on Monday, with Dr. Colleen Nash, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center, warning, "We’ve now been lucky enough to kind of live with COVID but still enjoy normal life and activities and things. And that is directly attributable, at least in part, to vaccinations. So I would really encourage people to do that if they haven’t already."   While reports show that Illinois' hospitalization rate for COVID is "ticking up," the actual numbers aren't anything like 2020, with an additional 1,251 COVID hospital admissions this week statewide. And yet according to the Chicago Tribune, only about 11% of city residents are fully up to date on their COVID vaccinations.   The CDC tried on Twitter/X again on Saturday, reminding readers, "‘Tis the season for joy and family. Now is the time to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu before you see your loved ones again."   "Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccines near you."   The ratio, as the kids like to say, is epic.   While the replies were all over the place in tone, this one reasonable-sounding tweet captured the general sentiment.   When vaccination rates are down even for the innocuous (and generally trusted) flu shot, it's clear that the CDC no longer enjoys the clout it used to with the American public.

12m

Dec 20, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, December 19th, 2023.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership at fightlaughfeast.com… we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.foxnews.com/media/navy-vet-defends-beheading-iowa-capitols-satanic-baphomet-statue-christian-civil-disobedience https://www.foxnews.com/media/navy-vet-defends-beheading-iowa-capitols-satanic-baphomet-statue-christian-civil-disobedience   NAVY VET DEFENDS BEHEADING IOWA CAPITOL'S SATANIC BAPHOMET STATUE: 'CHRISTIAN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE'   A Mississippi Navy reserve pilot instructor who admitted to beheading a statue of the satanic half-man, half-goat Baphomet inside the Iowa State Capitol told Fox News he was simply engaging in "Christian civil disobedience."   Michael Cassidy said he decided "spur of the moment" to travel north to Des Moines and take action against the statue, which had been permitted to be erected not far from the rotunda's Nativity display for Christmas.   He told "Jesse Watters Primetime" he wrecked the statue then went straight to Capitol security to tell them what he did.   "I wasn't running away or anything like that. I told them what I did," he said, thanking law enforcement for their professionalism following the incident.    He was cited for criminal mischief in the fourth degree and released.   "I saw that this was going on, I was surprised that the legislature allowed it up and that they didn't do anything to take it down," Cassidy added.   He said he wasn't sure what to expect when he came upon the Capitol, citing a prior incident in Springfield, Ill., where groups were chanting after a 2021 erection of a satanic statue in the Illinois State House.   In a Tuesday statement, Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said she found the statue "absolutely objectionable," but that the best response to objectionable speech is more speech and prayer.   After he was charged, several conservative figures rallied to Cassidy's defense, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservative commentator Matt Walsh.   DeSantis promised to "chip in" for Cassidy's legal fees, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that "Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government." Walsh similarly tweeted he will contribute to Cassidy's defense.   Host Jesse Watters noted the contrast between reaction to Cassidy's act and the dozens of protests in recent years that featured left-wing activists tearing down statues of Confederate officers, former U.S. presidents and historical figures like Christopher Columbus.   He pointed to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's, D-Calif., dismissal of the crowd in her home neighborhood of Little Italy, Baltimore, who leveled the Columbus statue and tossed it in the Patapsco River.   "People will do what they do," Pelosi said at a July 2020 press conference.   The city of Richmond, Va., in recent years removed an entire street's worth of statuary dedicated to Confederate Gens. A. P. Hill, "Stonewall" Jackson and J. E. B. Stuart, all of which lined the former Confederate capital's "Monument Avenue" for decades.   Left-wing protesters notably failed to topple the statue of Andrew Jackson, the first Democratic president, near the White House in 2020 after being rebuffed by law enforcement.   In that respect, Watters said there appears to be a dichotomy between what statuary destruction causes mainstream or left-wing outrage.   Cassidy's attorney, Davis Younts, said his client's case is a question of good versus evil, and that he and those who have come to his defense will continue to stand by him to make sure he gets equal protection under law.   He also said there has not yet been a First Amendment suit in case law that has found Satanism to be considered a religion under the Constitution, and that anti-blasphemy laws still exist in the United States.   https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/12/17/church-of-england-blesses-same-sex-couples-for-the-first-time/ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/12/17/church-of-england-blesses-same-sex-couples-for-the-first-time/   CHURCH OF ENGLAND BLESSES SAME-SEX COUPLES FOR THE FIRST TIME   Church of England priests offered officially sanctioned blessings of same-sex partnerships for the first time on Sunday, though a ban on church weddings for gay couples remains in place amid deep divisions within global Anglicanism over marriage and sexuality.   In one of the first ceremonies, the Rev. Catherine Bond and the Rev. Jane Pearce had their union blessed at St John the Baptist church, in Felixstowe, eastern England, where both are associate priests.   The couple knelt in front of Canon Andrew Dotchin, who held their heads as he gave “thanks for Catherine and Jane, to the love and friendship they share, and their commitment to one another as they come before you on this day.”   The church´s national assembly voted in February to allow clergy to bless the unions of same-sex couples who have had civil weddings or partnerships. The words used for the blessings, known as prayers of love and faith, were approved by the church´s House of Bishops on Tuesday and used for the first time on Sunday.   The compromise was struck following five years of discussions about the church´s position on sexuality. Church leaders offered an apology for the church´s failure to welcome LGBTQ people, but also endorsed the doctrine that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Clergy won´t be required to perform same-sex blessings if they disagree with them.   The blessings can be used in regular church services. The church´s governing body has also drawn up a plan for separate “services of prayer and dedication” for same-sex couples that would resemble weddings, but it has not yet been formally approved.   Public opinion surveys consistently show that a majority of people in England support same-sex marriage, which has been legal since 2013. The church didn´t alter its teaching on marriage when the law changed.   Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said he won´t personally bless any same-sex couples because it´s his job to unify the world’s 85 million Anglicans. Welby is the spiritual leader of both the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion of which it is a member.   Several Anglican bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific said after the February decision that they no longer recognize Welby as their leader.   https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/12/18/poll-54-of-democrat-voters-want-to-replace-joe-biden-as-2024-nominee/ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/12/18/poll-54-of-democrat-voters-want-to-replace-joe-biden-as-2024-nominee/   POLL: 54% OF DEMOCRAT VOTERS WANT TO REPLACE JOE BIDEN AS 2024 NOMINEE   Democrat party voters are unhappy President Joe Biden, 81, is the presumptive Democrat nominee to likely challenge former President Donald Trump, Fox News polling revealed Sunday.   The poll highlights the disconnect and discord inflicting the Democrat party after Biden refused to step aside and allow a different Democrat to lead the party. The survey showed:   54 percent of Democrat primary voters prefer an alternative to Biden. Just 43 percent of Democrat primary voters want to keep Biden.   The polling showed a slight uptick in negative sentiment against the president:   October: 53 percent prefer an alternative, while 45 want to keep Biden March: 52 percent prefer an alternative, while 44 want to keep Biden   Biden previously told reporters in December he must run for reelection after prominent Democrats implored him to reconsider a second bid against Trump. “Would you be running if Trump wasn’t running?” a reporter asked Biden.   “I expect so,” Biden replied. “But he is running, and — I just — I have to run.”   Biden’s comment came on the same day he told donors he probably would not run if Trump was not running. “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running,” Biden said, adding that Democrats “cannot let him [Trump] win.”   National and battleground state polling shows Biden losing to Trump:   Morning Consult: Trump leads Biden in six of seven crucial swing states. NBC News: Trump leads Biden by two points. Fox News: Trump trounces Biden by four points.   The poll surveyed 1,0007 registered voters from December 10-13 with a 4.5 point margin of error.   https://thepostmillennial.com/eric-adams-admits-biden-admin-will-not-help-nyc-with-illegal-immigrant-crisis?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/eric-adams-admits-biden-admin-will-not-help-nyc-with-illegal-immigrant-crisis?utm_campaign=64487   ERIC ADAMS ADMITS BIDEN ADMIN WILL NOT HELP NYC WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRISIS   On Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that Democrats "underestimated" the impact that illegal immigration would have on their cities, and warned New Yorkers to brace for "extremely painful" budget cuts to pay back the debt created by it.    In an interview with WPIX-TV, Adams said, that a low for the city in 2023 was "150,000 migrants and asylum seekers that put a real bump in the road of our recovery effort in the city."   https://twitter.com/i/status/1736507664308277364 https://twitter.com/i/status/1736507664308277364 - Play Video    https://twitter.com/i/status/1736512831963430927 https://twitter.com/i/status/1736512831963430927 - Play Video COMBINE THESE VIDEOS After a meeting with the congressional leaders of the Biden administration earlier this month, Adams said he was not optimistic about getting help from the federal government to deal with the illegal immigrant crisis plaguing New York City.   Adams was forced to cut the budget for the New York City Police Department last month, taking the department below 30,000 personnel.   https://www.foxnews.com/sports/aaron-rodgers-likely-cleared-return-ruptured-achilles-next-week-report https://www.foxnews.com/sports/aaron-rodgers-likely-cleared-return-ruptured-achilles-next-week-report   AARON RODGERS LIKELY TO BE CLEARED FOR RETURN FROM RUPTURED ACHILLES NEXT WEEK   Aaron Rodgers' bold prediction is apparently about to play out.   The four-time MVP ruptured his Achilles Sept. 11 on just his fourth snap as a New York Jet.   Four days later, he shocked the world when he said, "Give me your doubts,then watch what I do."   At that time, Rodgers did not rule out a return this season, saying that "anything is possible." Most doubted, but it may actually become a reality.   According to ESPN, the 40-year-old is likely to be medically cleared to return next week.   Rodgers returned to practice Nov. 29, roughly seven weeks since his injury. It was an unprecedented time frame to practice after such an injury.   However, Rodgers said he underwent "innovative" surgery in his best effort to get back on the field this season.   Rodgers has said he wanted a return on Christmas Eve. The Jets have until Wednesday to decide whether to activate Rodgers from injured reserve. Otherwise, he would miss the rest of the season.   Rodgers has wowed just about everyone in the organization with how quickly he has progressed. Earlier this week, he even lined up as a linebacker for the scout team and made a one-handed interception.   However, being cleared isn't exactly a guarantee Rodgers would play.    The quarterback and the Jets have said the team's playoff chances will play a role in whether he returns. He likely would not return if they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, which could happen this weekend.   Rodgers recently said there are hardly any risks in taking the field this season.   "My thing is, what’s the worst that can happen?" he told reporters shortly after returning to practice. "Something unfortunate again, and then you just slow the rehab down. I think by my own timetable that if you take the rehab slower and a little more deliberate — five months, six months max — is probably the length to get back to 100% if you really take it slow. So, in my opinion, there's not like a downside to coming back and reinjuring it."   The Jets face the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve. 

12m

Dec 19, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday,, December 15th, 2023.    DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP!: You guys are aware that we have a new app right? If not you should download it right now! Head on over to your app store, and type in “CrossPolitic”, “Fight Laugh Feast”, or “PubTV”. Once you find the app, you may need to update your app, or if you have a droid phone, you may need to delete your current FLF app, and re-download it! Once downloaded you’ll be able to view or listen to our content right on your mobile device! As always, if you’d like to sign up for a pub membership, you can head on over to fightlaughfeast.com… that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/13/fed-interest-rate-decision-december-2023.html https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/13/fed-interest-rate-decision-december-2023.html   FED HOLDS RATES STEADY, INDICATES THREE CUTS COMING IN 2024   The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its key interest rate steady for the third straight time and set the table for multiple cuts to come in 2024 and beyond.   With the inflation rate easing and the economy holding in, policymakers on the Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to keep the benchmark overnight borrowing rate in a targeted range between 5.25%-5.5%.    Along with the decision to stay on hold, committee members penciled in at least three rate cuts in 2024, assuming quarter percentage point increments. That’s less than market pricing of four, but more aggressive than what officials had previously indicated.    Markets had widely anticipated the decision to stay put, which could end a cycle that has seen 11 hikes, pushing the fed funds rate to its highest level in more than 22 years. There was uncertainty, though, about how ambitious the FOMC might be regarding policy easing. Following the release of the decision, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 400 points, surpassing 37,000 for the first time.   The committee’s “dot plot” of individual members’ expectations indicates another four cuts in 2025, or a full percentage point. Three more reductions in 2026 would take the fed funds rate down to between 2%-2.25%, close to the long-run outlook, though there was considerable dispersion in the estimates for the final two years.    Markets, though, followed up the meeting and Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference by pricing in an even more aggressive rate-cut path, anticipating 1.5 percentage points in reductions next year, double the FOMC’s indicated pace.   In a possible nod that hikes are over, the statement said that the committee would take multiple factors into account for “any” more policy tightening, a word that had not appeared previously.  Along with the interest rate hikes, the Fed has been allowing up to $95 billion a month in proceeds from maturing bonds to roll off its balance sheet. That process has continued, and there has been no indication the Fed is willing to curtail that portion of policy tightening.    That echoed new language in the post-meeting statement. The committee added the qualifier that inflation has “eased over the past year” while maintaining its description of prices as “elevated.” Fed officials see core inflation falling to 3.2% in 2023 and 2.4% in 2024, then to 2.2% in 2025. Finally, it gets back to the 2% target in 2026.   Economic data released this week showed both consumer and wholesale prices were little changed in November. By some measures, though, the Fed is nearing its 2% inflation target. Bank of America’s calculations indicate that the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge will be around 3.1% year over year in November, and actually could hit a 2% six-month annualized rate, meeting the central bank’s goal.   The statement also noted that the economy “has slowed,” after saying in November that activity had “expanded at a strong pace.”    In the news conference, Powell said: “Recent indicators suggest that growth in economic activity has slowed substantially from the outsized pace seen in the third quarter. Even so, GDP is on track to expand around 2.5% for the year as a whole.”   Committee members upgraded gross domestic product to grow at a 2.6% annualized pace in 2023, a half percentage point increase from the last update in September. Officials see GDP at 1.4% in 2024, roughly unchanged from the previous outlook. Projections for the unemployment rate were largely unchanged, at 3.8% in 2023 and rising to 4.1% in subsequent years.     Officials have stressed their willingness to hike rates again if inflation flares up. However, most have said they can be patient now as they watch the impact the previous policy tightening moves are having on the U.S. economy.     Stubbornly high prices have exacted a political toll on President Joe Biden, whose approval rating has suffered in large part because of negative sentiment on how he has handled the economy. There had been some speculation that the Fed could be reluctant to make any dramatic policy actions during a presidential election year, which looms large in 2024.    However, with real rates, or the difference between the fed funds rate and inflation, running high, the Fed would be more likely to act if the inflation data continues to cooperate.   https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/11/even-leftist-governments-around-the-world-are-moving-to-slash-migration/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/11/even-leftist-governments-around-the-world-are-moving-to-slash-migration/   EVEN LEFTIST GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MOVING TO SLASH MIGRATION.   Leftist governments in Denmark and Australia are adopting a more hardline stance on immigration than many notionally conservative governments. Australia’s governing Labor Party has pledged to cut net immigration in half. Denmark’s Social Democrats have pledged zero net immigration, a.k.a. balanced immigration.    Australia, with a population of only around 25 million, suffered net immigration of around 510,000 in the year to June. The government has conceded the system is “broken” and “in tatters” – blaming the previous center-right government. They say they will reduce it to around 250,000 by June 2025.   There is growing acknowledgment that an ongoing housing crisis cannot be resolved if mass migration continues at current levels.    Denmark, a generous welfare state, is going even further. They aim to balance the number of people entering the country against the number of people leaving, with the government insisting: “If you want to be a party of the working class and middle class, you have to ensure that migration has a manageable level.”    Social Democrat lawmaker Rasmus Stoklund explained his party’s increasingly anti-immigration stance is the true left-wing position.    “The part of society that bears the brunt of unchecked migration is the working-class population that we should be representing,” he said. “It is their children who have to go to schools that experience cultural clashes. It is those people who have to experience the criminality and social problems that follow. The more privileged people in society will only meet migrants if they are the children of diplomats, so for them the issue is not so clear.”    Denmark is also taking radical action to integrate the existing migration background population. Vollsmose, a notorious suburban “no go zone”, is being bulldozed, to help integrate its predominantly “non-Western” residents. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/11/suicide-is-consistently-killing-more-u-s-soldiers-than-anything-else-including-war/ https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/12/11/suicide-is-consistently-killing-more-u-s-soldiers-than-anything-else-including-war/   SUICIDE IS CONSISTENTLY KILLING MORE U.S. SOLDIERS THAN ANYTHING ELSE, INCLUDING WAR.   Suicide accounted for just under 40 percent of United States active military deaths as of December 2022, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, which found that U.S. military suicide rates have dramatically increased over the past several decades.    Indeed, the current leading cause of death among servicemen is currently categorized as “self-inflicted,” with a total of 333 incidents last year. Suicide was recorded as almost ten percent higher in prevalence than accidents, of which there were 265.   Yet, last year represents a slight decrease in the rate of self-inflicted deaths compared to October 2020, in which suicide rates were just under 41 percent.   Suicide accounted for roughly ten percent of military deaths when records began in 1980, with that figure remaining mostly stable until the 1990s, in which the rate jumped to 23 percent in 1995. The rate of self-inflicted deaths fell sharply in the mid-2000s, however, much of the decline can be attributed to the increase in “hostile action” fatalities in 2008.   Suicide rates across American society have reached unprecedented levels under the Biden government, with just under 50,000 people killing themselves in 2022. The rate was 14.3 three people per 100,000 – the highest since 1941.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/donations-to-harry-and-meghans-woke-charity-collapse-by-11-million/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/donations-to-harry-and-meghans-woke-charity-collapse-by-11-million/   DONATIONS TO HARRY AND MEGHAN’S ‘WOKE’ CHARITY COLLAPSE BY $11 MILLION   Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell charitable foundation has reported a massive loss of a $11 million year-on-year collapse in donations.   According to the foundation’s website, Harry and Meghan aimed to “uplift and unite communities, both local and global, online and offline.”   But that didn’t happen.   In a tax filing disclosed Tuesday, the non-profit organization received just over $2 million in charitable contributions in 2022, compared to $13 million in 2021.   However, some $8.2 million funds remain in the Archewell Foundation accounts.   The 28-page report also details the charitable work the foundation has undertaken during 2023.   The report stated:   “We are committed to a simple but profound mission: Show Up, Do Good.”   But “doing good” has not come cheap for the woke pair, who recently made the decision only to have two children to help fight climate change.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1734930901883129891 https://twitter.com/i/status/1734930901883129891 - Play Video    Breitbart reported that Archewell’s total expenses exceeded its revenue the year before, leaving it down by more than $674,000, according to the public filing. Its revenue in 2021 had exceeded $9 million.   The organization’s executive director, James Holt, earned a salary of $227,405, including a $20,000 bonus, in 2022.   The figure represents a 280 percent increase from his salary of less than $60,000 in 2021.   Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also faced more bad news earlier this week after they named Showbusiness’ biggest losers of 2023.   They also faced a belittling on South Park and were dropped from their lucrative $20 million Spotify deal.   The Royal couple also faced a roasting in the Hollywood Reporter’s “brutally honest rundown.”   James Hibberd contributed the scathing review, noting they were labeled “f**king grifters” by top executive Bill Simmons.   Earlier this week, NBC reported a judge ordered Prince Harry on Monday to pay nearly 50,000 pounds (more than $60,000) in legal fees to the publisher of the Daily Mail tabloid for his failed court challenge in a libel lawsuit.   The Duke of Sussex is suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. over an article that said Harry tried to hide his efforts to retain publicly funded protection in the U.K. after leaving his role as a working member of the royal family.

14m

Dec 15, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday,, December 7th, 2023.    FIGHT LAUGH FEAST MAGAZINE Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com.   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12833565/Biden-Russia-Ukraine-Congress-war-conflict-aid-NATO.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12833565/Biden-Russia-Ukraine-Congress-war-conflict-aid-NATO.html   JOE BIDEN RAISES THE SPECTER OF AMERICAN TROOPS HAVING TO FIGHT RUSSIANS IN EUROPE IF CONGRESS STANDS BY AND ALLOWS UKRAINE TO FALL   President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that American troops could have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further aid being sent to Ukraine.    He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic assistance.    Republicans have said they are not willing to countenance another major package of aid unless the administration takes action on the southern border.   But Biden said Republicans were handing Russian President Vladimir Putin a gift.    'This cannot wait,' he said in a televised address.    'Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, simple as that, frankly.'   Biden presses Congress to pass Ukraine aid to prevent Russian win https://youtu.be/7UBC-UluphU?list=RDNS7UBC-UluphU Play 1:24-3:00   He accused Republicans of holding aid 'hostage' over the border and of being willing to 'kneecap' Ukrainian forces on the battlefield   But he hinted that he was ready to do a deal with Republicans, even if they would have to accept they were not going to get everything they wanted.   Biden's speech came soon after he held a video call with leaders of the Group of Seven advanced democracies, who have all backed Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.   Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion to fund conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as other matters of national security. However, Republicans on Capitol Hill have resisted the request, some insisting that Biden first take measures to secure the nation's southern border.    The White House has warned repeatedly of the consequences of failing to back Ukraine.   In a blunt letter sent to Congress on Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote: 'We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now.   However, Republican leaders quickly dug in.   Speaker Mike Johnson promised there would be no funding for Ukraine without 'transformative' border security provisions.   https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/12/us-troops-suing-govt-for-billions-in-backpay-over-covid-vaccine-mandate/ https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/12/us-troops-suing-govt-for-billions-in-backpay-over-covid-vaccine-mandate/   US TROOPS SUING GOV’T FOR ‘BILLIONS’ IN BACKPAY OVER COVID VACCINE MANDATE   In a groundbreaking development, three lawsuits with the potential for a class action suit are being filed on behalf of former United States service members. The service members, represented by attorneys Dale Saran, Andy Meyer, and Brandon Johnson, allege they were unjustly discharged or prevented from drilling, causing significant financial loss, as a result of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate policies.   According to Breitbart, the lawsuits, which are currently in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, could involve backpay claims totaling billions of dollars.   Saran, a retired Marine, emphasized the massive scale of the compensation, telling Breitbart, “It’s worth billions. That’s just flat-out. That’s what it is in backpay. It’s billions of dollars.” This statement underscores the potential magnitude of the lawsuit’s financial implications for the Department of Defense.   The court, with its roots in the Reconstruction Era, is known for handling cases of illegal discharge and pay-related grievances in the military. Saran explained its unique role, saying that the Court of Claims is where service members can go when they have a claim and say, “Hey, I was illegally discharged, or the military did something to impede my pay.” According to Breitbart, the lawsuits allege that 80,000 to 100,000 service members, including both active-duty personnel and reservists, were impacted by the Biden administration’s actions. Saran detailed the lack of due process in the cases, noting, “They were basically [without] the benefit of any due process. No boards were held. They didn’t hold any administrative separation boards; they didn’t hold any hearings. They didn’t do any federal recognition boards; none of the administrative or judicial procedures were used. They just flat-out did it.”   One notable case involves former Coast Guard member Zach Loesch, who was commended by President Joe Biden for his heroics during Hurricane Ian but faced discharge for not complying with a vaccine mandate, according to Breitbart.   The claims also involve the repayment of enlistment bonuses, adding to the financial stakes. Saran stated, “Not only did they throw them out — unceremoniously [and] wrongfully — now they’re…without a job instantly, no separation pay, none of that. And instead, they’re standing out in the cold, and worse yet, here comes the government…here comes the debt collectors. Now you owe us money.”   Saran drew parallels between the current situation with the service members who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate policies and his past experience defending service members who refused the Anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s.   “I did some work on the lawsuit Doe v. Rumsfeld that shut down the anthrax vaccine,” he said. “And so…here we are, second go around again, 15 years in, and we’re right back at the mass vaccination of unlicensed vaccines like the government didn’t learn last time.”   According to Saran, those interested in more information about the current lawsuits can learn more at militarybackpay.com. The ongoing legal battle, with cases like Bassen v. USA, Botello v. USA, and Harkins v. USA, marks a significant moment in military legal history, raising questions about due process, financial responsibility, and the broader implications for the rights of U.S. service members.   https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-constructs-large-pumps-flood-hamas-terror-tunnels-seawater-wall-street-journal https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-constructs-large-pumps-flood-hamas-terror-tunnels-seawater-wall-street-journal   ISRAEL CONSTRUCTS LARGE PUMPS TO FLOOD HAMAS TERROR TUNNELS WITH SEAWATER   The Israeli military has assembled several large pumps it could use to flood the Hamas tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip with seawater, driving out terrorists hiding there, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.   Construction of five large seawater pumps was completed in November about one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. Each pump is capable of drawing water from the Mediterranean Sea and can move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, which would flood the tunnels within weeks, the report said.   Israel has not yet committed to the plan, and it is unclear whether it would attempt to flood the tunnels while there are still hostages, including Americans, held by Hamas. The Palestinian terror group took some 240 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and brought them back to the Gaza Strip.   According to the report, Israel has identified about 800 tunnels beneath Gaza that Hamas has used to move fighters, store weapons and plan terror attacks on Israel. However, Israeli officials believe the tunnel network is much larger.   By flooding the tunnels over several weeks, Israel would enable Hamas terrorists and potentially hostages to move out, the outlet reported, citing a source familiar with the plan.    "We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them," the source said. "It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before."   The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces official declined to comment on the flooding plan, but said: "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools."   U.S. officials were informed of the plan last month, the Wall Street Journal reported, but the U.S. does not know how close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is to executing the plan.   Israel has committed to continuing its war effort until Hamas is eradicated in Gaza. The Israeli military said it launched its 10,000th airstrike against the terror group in the Gaza Strip late Sunday.   https://thepostmillennial.com/dem-witness-who-cannot-define-what-a-woman-is-says-women-should-learn-to-lose-gracefully-against-trans-athletes?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette https://thepostmillennial.com/dem-witness-who-cannot-define-what-a-woman-is-says-women-should-learn-to-lose-gracefully-against-trans-athletes?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette   DEM WITNESS WHO CANNOT DEFINE WHAT A WOMAN IS SAYS WOMEN SHOULD 'LEARN TO LOSE GRACEFULLY' AGAINST TRANS ATHLETES   Head of the National Women's Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, encouraged women who are forced to compete against men in women's sports to "lose gracefully." This she sees as the preferable alternative to keeping men out of women's sports at the scholastic level altogether. She made these remarks at a hearing over Title IX in the US House.   "The reality is, that like their peers, trans girls and women, they sometimes lose at sports and sometimes they win. And success in school sports depends on a whole range of factors including how hard you work and coaching and access to really good resources and facilities," Goss Graves said. Goss Graves is married to Matthew Graves, a key prosecutor in J6 cases. She also co-founded Times Up to hold high-profile men accountable for sexual misconduct.   She did not address the problems that arise when boys shower in girls locker rooms and expose themselves, or when girls miss out on opportunities because men have taken their places in the winners' circle.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1732214013499412976 https://twitter.com/i/status/1732214013499412976 - Play Video (If you can find it somewhere else that’s fine.)    Goss Graves also does not know what a woman is. Or at least she refused to define the term when asked. She was asked in July 2022 by Rep Andrew Clyde - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2Uo111tBKd4?feature=share https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2Uo111tBKd4?feature=share - Play Video    The hearing was to consider changes proposed by the Department of Education to Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The change would prevent schools from having women's or girl's-only sports. It would bring a new understanding and interpretation of Title IX, removing protections for women and girls and changing that to protection against discrimination for gender identity as a protected class. Under those provisions, the male student's stated gender identity would give him the standing to shower with girls and use other facilities that were previously women only.   https://thepostmillennial.com/auto-makers-seek-to-remove-am-radio-from-all-new-models?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/auto-makers-seek-to-remove-am-radio-from-all-new-models?utm_campaign=64487   AUTOMAKERS SEEK TO REMOVE AM RADIO FROM ALL NEW MODELS   As vehicles become more and more complex, many manufacturers have begun doing away with AM radios, citing concerns that the proximity of electrical components could potentially negatively interact with signals from short-wave broadcasts.   While it could be argued that the AM radio one day going the way of the dashboard tape deck was inevitable, the fact that many Americans still tune into, and in some cases rely on, the technology has led to pushback against the companies attempting to omit it from new cars.   In May, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in the House to introduce the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which, if passed, will direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require manufacturers to ensure AM radio is included free of charge in every model for the foreseeable future.   According to a press release that announced the bill in May, eight of the world's 20 leading car makers, BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo, have done away with AM radio in their vehicles.   "I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas," New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer lamented. "Instead, Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk."   While many of the bill's proponents cited the use of AM radio for emergency alerts, others pointed out that despite its archaic reputation, it is still an integral part of many people's technology arsenal.   Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, for example, said that his constituents "rely on AM broadcast radio for breaking news and entertainment as they make their daily commutes, especially in rural areas where constituents spend a lot of time in their vehicles."   As Spectrum News covered, a report from the Center for Automotive Research found that the electromagnetic interference generted by EVs can make the AM signals fuzzy and unlistenable, and that while there is a workaround, it may cost automakers an estimated $3.8 billion over the next seven years.

16m

Dec 07, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, December 6th, 2023.    TACTICS CONFERENCE The Tactics Conference is coming! Learn how to build Christ’s kingdom from those that are doing it. Join C.R. Wiley, the campus preacher Keith Darrel, Gabe Rench, Chocolate Knox, and Pastor Toby Sumpter for two days of boots on the ground training on how to take your community for Christ. Great talks, great food, and great people. Come see us in Lafayette, Louisiana (that's only about 2 and a half hours east of Houston, Texas) on January 19th-20th.   And take note - Seating is limited. Families are welcome, come experience some Cajun hospitality, while we labor together to build the new Christendom.   Beer and psalms, panel discussions, Cajun dancing, and more…   Go to TacticsCon.com to buy your tickets today AND use the coupon code “FLFPUB” to get 20$ off your ticket price. That’s TacticsCon.com - and we’ll see you in South Louisiana this January.   https://thepostmillennial.com/72-of-canadians-want-trudeau-gone-poll?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/72-of-canadians-want-trudeau-gone-poll?utm_campaign=64487   72% OF CANADIANS WANT TRUDEAU GONE   Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in political free-fall.    In the latest Ipsos poll, 72 percent of Canadians want Trudeau to exit federal politics and leave as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.    Ipsos says that number is up from 60 percent in September. Even within his own party, 33 percent of Liberal supporters would like Trudeau to resign.    That's consistent with other recent polls that show the Conservative Party of Canada, under its leader Pierre Poilievre, 19 percentage points ahead of the Liberals and headed for one of the larger majority governments in Canadian history.   Nanos Research founder Nik Nanos described what the Liberals need to stand a chance in the next federal election is a "complete reboot."   "Either with a new leader or… Justin Trudeau with a renewed vision of why he believes that he should deserve another mandate," Nanos said in a recent episode of CTV News Trend Line.   Canadians have even taken to the internet to try to remove Trudeau from office through the traditional legislative process.    As of Monday morning, more than 175,000 Canadians have signed a petition for a vote of non-confidence in the House of Commons against the minority Liberal government.   The petition is sponsored by MP Michelle Ferreri (CPC-Peterborough-Kawartha) and reads:    "The policies of this government aren't aligning with the crisis Canada is facing: housing costs, infringement of civil liberties, highest inflation in history, unbalanced immigration policies, taxation to the point of poverty, weakening of our economy by importing natural resources that Canada already has and under-utilizes; and based on the past eight years of this Prime Minister, Canadians do not have confidence in this Prime Minister, after five ethics investigations and Canada's reputation being tarnished on a global scale under his leadership. To the extent that Canada is being discluded from participating in statements regarding important geopolitical events."   Sen. Percy Downe, a Liberal who was chief of staff to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, recently wrote that it is time Trudeau left office.   Trudeau laughed off the appeal. There is considerable doubt that his departure would save the Liberals' fortunes in the next federal election.    Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, who was prime minister of Canada from 1968-1984 with the exception of a nine-month period in 1979 when a minority Progressive Conservative government was in power, famously took "a walk in the snow" on Feb. 28, 1984 when he decided to leave politics.     He announced his resignation the following day, Feb. 29 – a date that only occurs on a leap year.   https://www.foxnews.com/media/doctor-treating-freed-hamas-hostages-reveals-unprecedented-abuse-rewrite-textbooks https://www.foxnews.com/media/doctor-treating-freed-hamas-hostages-reveals-unprecedented-abuse-rewrite-textbooks   DOCTOR TREATING FREED HAMAS HOSTAGES REVEALS UNPRECEDENTED ABUSE: 'WE HAVE TO REWRITE THE TEXTBOOKS'   A doctor treating freed Hamas hostages in Israel says survivors are suffering from an unprecedented level of "extremely severe psychological abuse" endured during captivity.    "I can tell you that on behalf of all the medical and psychological teams treating those who return, the mental states we encountered have no precedent in medical literature. We feel that we have to rewrite the textbooks of post-trauma," Dr. Renana Eitan told "Sunday Night in America."   Eitan revealed the Tel Aviv Medical Center is actively treating more than 15 former hostages and described their "severe physical and mental abuse." "Those held captive were subject to starvation, to beating, to sexual abuse. They were being held in inhumane sanitary conditions. Extremely severe psychological abuse was inflicted on them, including separation from family members, separation of siblings, separation of children from their mothers. They were held in solitary confinement and spent long days in total darkness until they developed severe hallucinations," Eitan claimed. "Children were forced to watch brutal videos. They were under constant threats by weapons and threats to harm them even after they were released. They refer to the forced use of psychiatric drugs and other substances."   Eitan also detailed cases where individuals, though appearing physically unharmed, are dealing with "severe post-traumatic symptoms."   "Some of the home comers, they look happy, they look fine, they look physically fine, and we try to hold on to those optimistic signs, but still, even those who seem fine, we know that most of them [are] suffering from severe post-traumatic symptoms, they have painful, traumatic memories. And they are entering into dissociative states, where for a moment they feel as if they are still in captivity and only later do they return to the understanding that they have been released," she said.   This week marks two months since the Hamas terror attack on Israel which left 1,200 dead and 240 held hostage. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, 73 Israelis and 24 foreign citizens have been released from Hamas to date.   Eitan urged the release of the remaining hostages "as soon as possible" as they face a long road ahead of physical and mental rehabilitation.   https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2023/12/04/israeli-security-minister-we-are-approving-up-to-3000-gun-license-applications-day/ https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2023/12/04/israeli-security-minister-we-are-approving-up-to-3000-gun-license-applications-day/   ISRAELI SECURITY MINISTER: WE ARE APPROVING ‘UP TO 3,000’ GUN LICENSE APPLICATIONS A DAY   Israel Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says his ministry is now approving “up to 3,000” gun license applications a day.   The Times of Israel quoted Ben Gvir saying, “When the war started, we knew that we were right when we said that every place that has a weapon can save a life.”   He went on to say, “My policy within the office was to permit as many people as possible to get a weapon…[and] in a short period of time, we were giving up to 3,000 approvals a day.”   Ben Gvir indicated over 260,000 gun license applications have been approved since October 7, 2023.   On November 15, 2023, Breitbart News pointed to a Times of Israel report which indicated over 236,000 gun license applications had been filed in Israel at that point in time.   In mid-November roughly 1,700 applications were being approved daily, and the number of daily approvals has nearly doubled since then.   Breitbart News noted that an armed civilian opened fire Thursday on terrorists who attacked a Jerusalem bus stop. Two off-duty soldiers opened fire as well and the terrorists were killed.   https://thepostmillennial.com/arlington-home-explodes-after-suspect-sets-off-flares-as-police-serve-search-warrant?utm_campaign=64487 https://thepostmillennial.com/arlington-home-explodes-after-suspect-sets-off-flares-as-police-serve-search-warrant?utm_campaign=64487   ARLINGTON HOME EXPLODES AFTER SUSPECT SETS OFF FLARES AS POLICE SERVE SEARCH WARRANT   On Monday, a home in the Bluemont neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia exploded as police were attempting to serve a search warrant following reports that a flare gun had been fired from within earlier in the evening.   While three members of law enforcement suffered minor injuries, the fate of the suspect, who is believed to have been in the home at the time, has not been revealed.   According to the Arlington County Police Department, officers were called to a duplex on the 800 block of North Burlington Street around 4:45 pm to investigate reports that someone had "discharged a flare gun 30 - 40 times from inside his residence into the surrounding neighborhood."   While his actions did not result in any injuries or property damage, officers nonetheless obtained a search warrant and tried to make contact with him via telephone and loudspeaker. Their attempts proved fruitless, and the suspect remained "barricaded" inside.   At around 8:25 pm, he "discharged several rounds" from what authorities believe was a firearm, resulting in the aforementioned explosion. The blast sent shockwaves through the surrounding area as residents watched debris fly into the air and the structure burn to the ground.   The fire department arrived on the scene a short time later, and by 10:30 pm, the blaze was extinguished.   While police have not released the name of the suspect, local outlet ARLNow has reported that public records show the resident of the now-leveled home to be a man named James Yoo.   According to Newsweek, Yoo's social media posts were reportedly filled with rants about the government, the police, and his own neighbors, who he repeatedly labeled "spies," suggesting they had fake identities and were assigned to monitor him for their "handlers." His YouTube channel included videos with pictures from his LinkedIn page depicting people he claimed were his neighbors entering and leaving their homes, according to the outlet.   One of Yoo's neighbors, Alex Wilson, told ARLNow that he kept to himself and often had his windows covered with aluminum foil. Yoo also allegedly chased away prospective buyers with a knife while his house was on the market.

9m

Dec 06, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, December 5th, 2023.    VANGELDER TECHNOLOGIES: VanGelder Technologies is a US-based custom software development company specializing in cross-platform mobile applications, web applications, and desktop programs. Leveraging open-source frameworks, they quickly and efficiently build custom software solutions that are tailor made to fit your specific needs. 

   There’s no need for New Christendom companies to be content with offering sub-par mobile or web experiences. VanGelder Technologies can help you build better software for the glory of God! You can learn more, view examples of their work, or get in touch, at www.vangelder.tech

 That’s V-A-N, G-E-L, D-E-R dot T-E-C-H VanGelder Technologies, where technology and tradition meet.   https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2023/12/04/congress-freezes-6-billion-for-iran-n596478#google_vignette https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2023/12/04/congress-freezes-6-billion-for-iran-n596478#google_vignette   CONGRESS FREEZES $6 BILLION FOR IRAN   This took place on Thursday, but it’s looking increasingly real. In a move that the Daily Mail described as “humiliating” for Joe Biden, lawmakers cast a bipartisan vote to freeze the six billion dollars that the President had previously freed up for Iran as part of his hostage negotiation deal. The move drew the support of nearly every Republican but also attracted nearly 100 Democrats. Now it’s looking as if it might pass in the Senate as well. During a time when it’s been seeming as if common sense had been banned in Washington, we have lawmakers seemingly conceding that sending billions of dollars to the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism might not be such a great idea.   President Biden is facing a humiliating foreign policy setback as $6 billion he used to leverage the release of five imprisoned Americans from Iran could be frozen.   Lawmakers including members of Biden’s own party voted on Thursday to approve a bill that would permanently freeze the funds, which were unfrozen by the White House in September as part of a controversial deal.   The bill, named the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, passed in a 307 to 119 vote – which was approved by almost every Republican and 90 Democrats.   The money is being held in Qatar, where most negotiations between the West and terror groups take place these days. The reality is that Joe Biden had already “refrozen” the money after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. Congress is now close to locking the door to those funds indefinitely.   Keep in mind that the money was originally leveraged to free five American hostages as well as five Iranian prisoners. But before the cash transfer was even complete, an even larger number of Americans were taken hostage by Hamas, which is almost entirely funded by Iran. In that sense, the United States was losing ground in the exchange, rather than getting something of value for the money.   Plenty of people were warning the Biden administration about this when the talks first began. This is why we’ve long had a rule about not negotiating with terrorists. If you pay to secure the release of hostages, you will inevitably wind up with more hostages because the terrorists see that their tactics are working. And that’s precisely where we are today.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/blm-rioters-in-atlanta-who-burnt-down-wendys-get-500-fine/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/blm-rioters-in-atlanta-who-burnt-down-wendys-get-500-fine/   BLM RIOTERS IN ATLANTA WHO BURNT DOWN WENDY’S GET $500 FINE   Two Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters who pleaded guilty to torching Wendy’s fast food restaurant in Atlanta in 2020 were sentenced to five years of probation and a $500 fine.   Chisom Kingston and Natalie White were charged with conspiracy to commit arson in the first degree, and two counts of first-degree arson.   Both pleaded guilty in a plea deal, according to court records.   Kingston and White must complete 150 hours of community service.   In addition to charges, John Wesley Wade, 35, was indicted for the same fire in January this year.   Initially, all three pleaded not guilty and waived their arraignments in March 2022,   The charges stem from BLM riots, which took place over the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was killed in a police-involved shooting in June 2020.   Brooks allegedly punched police officer David Brosnan and stole his taser while under investigation for a DUI in the parking lot of the Wendy’s restaurant.   Brooks reportedly aimed the Taser at Officer Brosnan.   However, a second officer, Garrett Rolfe, shot and killed rooks during the altercation.   Brooks allegedly punched Brosnan, causing a concussion.   In response to the incident, BLM rioters burnt down Wendy’s in protest of Brooks’ death.   Later, violent demonstrations exploded over the city in the months following.   Former Fulton County District Attorney charged officers Rolfe and Brosnan.   Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault, while Rolfe faces felony murder and assault charges.   Ninety-nine percent of charges brought against BLM rioters in 2020 were dropped by local prosecutors, according to an analysis from The Guardian.   Earlier this year, the United States Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, admitted that BLM rioters were treated better compared to some pro-life protesters.   The news comes just under a month after New York City officials agreed to pay $13 million to violent “2020 Summer of Love” BLM and Antifa protesters after they caused damage to 45 businesses.   https://www.foxnews.com/us/derek-chauvin-returns-prison-after-alleged-blm-inspired-stabbing https://www.foxnews.com/us/derek-chauvin-returns-prison-after-alleged-blm-inspired-stabbing   DEREK CHAUVIN RETURNS TO PRISON AFTER ALLEGED BLM-INSPIRED STABBING   Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has returned to a federal prison in Arizona more than a week after a fellow inmate allegedly stabbed him 22 times with a shank in the library in a Black Friday attack partially inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.   Chauvin is serving more than 20 years for the death of George Floyd and for depriving him of his civil rights in a May 2020 encounter that kicked off nationwide protests.   Chauvin's family is "very concerned about the facility’s capacity to protect Derek from further harm," his lawyer, Greg Erickson, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "They remain unassured that any changes have been made to the faulty procedures that allowed Derek’s attack to occur in the first place."   John Turscak, 52, allegedly told federal correction officers that he targeted Chauvin because he was a high-profile inmate, that he plotted the attack for a month and that he would have killed him if guards had not intervened, according to court documents.   Turscak could see 60 years added to his federal sentence if he gets the maximum punishment on the four new charges he faces, which includes attempted murder. He was due for release in 2026, according to the Bureau of Prisons.   Turscak, a former gang member and snitch, was dropped as an FBI informant for dealing drugs, greenlighting assaults and extorting money, according to prosecutors.   He allegedly told investigators that he picked Black Friday for the attack to symbolize both BLM and the "Black Hand" of the Mexican Mafia prison gang.   The attack took place from behind in the law library inside Federal Correctional Institution Tucson on Nov. 24.   Authorities said guards intervened "immediately," but Erickson questioned how fast the response really was – noting Chauvin's 22 stab wounds.    "Why was Derek allowed into the law library without a guard in close enough proximity to stop a possible attack?" he asked. "His family continues to wonder."   Prison experts have warned that Chauvin, like other high-profile inmates, is at increased risk.   "He was a dead man walking his first day in prison," said Keith Rovere, a former prison minister and the host of the "Lighter Side of Serial Killers" podcast. "This definitely won't be the last attack."   In an appeal filed last month, Chauvin claimed new evidence shows he was not responsible for the death. Separately, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal for a new trial just days before the stabbing.   Chauvin was one of four officers who arrested Floyd that day after he allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a coffee shop and refused to cooperate with police.   Chauvin, who was seen on a video that prompted riots around the country, knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes leading up to his death.   Erickson previously slammed the prison for "poor procedures and lack of institutional control" – referencing an incident last year in which an inmate allegedly smuggled a firearm into the facility and tried to shoot someone.   Prison officials said they "[take] seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community."   Citing privacy and safety concerns, authorities said they do not discuss the medical status or other "conditions of confinement" for inmates.   https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2023/12/1/hb03oy7zedb5m0rhj557tbnr6znepm https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2023/12/1/hb03oy7zedb5m0rhj557tbnr6znepm   RAVES FOR ‘GODZILLA MINUS ONE’   Who’s seen Toho’s “Godzilla Minus One”? The reviews are almost all glowing. Unless I somehow missed my invitation, I don’t believe there was a press screening for this one. Regardless, it made $11 million domestically this weekend, a real success.   “Godzilla Minus One” has a 97% (8.2/10) with critics, from 75 reviews. On Metacritic it’s scoring a very strong 79/100 from 24 reviews. On IMDB, it has an impressive 8.5 user rating.   The film takes place in a devastated post-war Japan where Godzilla goes on a rampage. This is the second of the live-action Reiwa era ‘Godzilla’ films, the first being 2016’s “Shin Godzilla”. It looks as though director Takashi Yamazaki has made one of the better films of the franchise.   This is the 37th film in the ‘Godzilla’ franchise, and Toho's 33rd Godzilla film.   IT’S BEEN AWHILE GUYS… HOW ABOUT A LITTLE ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY?    On this day December 5th   __ __   Did you know? Ship the Mary Celeste is discovered mysteriously abandoned by her crew in the Atlantic Ocean on December 5th, 1872?    On November 7, 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York City, with more than 1,700 barrels of alcohol destined for Genoa, Italy. On board were 10 people, including Captain Briggs, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter. Over the next two weeks, the ship encountered harsh weather. According to the last log entry—dated November 25—the Mary Celeste was some 6 nautical miles (11 km) from the Azores. Ten days later, December 5th, the vessel was spotted by the British brig Dei Gratia. Crew from that ship boarded the Mary Celeste and discovered it deserted. Although there was more than 3 feet (1 metre) of water in the hold—an amount that would not have caused panic—the vessel was seaworthy. Adding to the mystery was the fact that the cargo and personal belongings were largely undisturbed, although a longboat was missing. It appeared that the ship had been abandoned quickly. Crewmen from the Dei Gratia sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar, some 800 miles (1,482 km) away. There British authorities conducted an investigation, which ultimately found no evidence of foul play.   How about some famous birthdays for December 5th? __ __

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Dec 05, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, December 1st, 2023.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership at fightlaughfeast.com… we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.theblaze.com/news/damning-study-suggests-pandemic-lockdowns-accelerated-significant-memory-and-cognitive-decline-in-seniors https://www.theblaze.com/news/damning-study-suggests-pandemic-lockdowns-accelerated-significant-memory-and-cognitive-decline-in-seniors   DAMNING STUDY SUGGESTS PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS ACCELERATED 'SIGNIFICANT' MEMORY AND COGNITIVE DECLINE IN SENIORS   The lockdowns and societal restrictions championed by teachers' unions and other leftists during the pandemic were not just ruinous for the mental health of children and teens. A new study out of the U.K. indicates pandemic restrictions also had a deleterious impact on the minds of the elderly.   Dr. Anne Corbett of the University of Exeter Medical School and her team examined neuropsychology data from 3,142 individuals, all 50 years of age or over, who had been participating in a multi-decade dementia study in Britain. The researchers compared data on this cohort collected before the pandemic, early in the pandemic, then once more toward the tail end of the pandemic.   The researchers observed "[s]ignificant worsening of executive function and working memory" in the first year of the pandemic across the whole cohort, the average age of which was 67.5. Working memory continued to worsen across the whole cohort in the second year of the pandemic. By the time restrictions had ultimately been eased, the damage had been done.   According to the study, cognitive decline was significantly associated with reduced exercise and increased drinking across the whole cohort. Depression, another driving factor of cognitive decline, was notable amongst those who contracted COVID-19. Loneliness proved especially detrimental to those with mild cognitive impairment.   "People aged 50 years and older in the UK had accelerated decline in executive function and working memory during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the UK was subjected to three societal lockdowns for a total period of 6 months," said the study, published in the Lancet journal Healthy Longevity.   The British government, which funded this study via the National Institute for Health and Care Research, not only limited the number of times citizens could exercise outside during the pandemic, but shuttered gyms, golf courses, sports courts, swimming pools, and indoor sports facilities.   "The scale of change is also of note, with all groups—the whole cohort and the individual subgroups—showing more than a 50% greater decline in working memory and executive function and many effect sizes reaching a clinically significant threshold of greater than 0·3," said the researchers.   The researchers further stressed that "[t]hese factors map closely to the population-wide changes in health and lifestyle seen during and after the lockdowns, raising the important question of the effect of the pandemic on cognitive health and risk across populations."   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/appeals-court-reinstates-gag-order-trump-fraud-case https://www.foxnews.com/politics/appeals-court-reinstates-gag-order-trump-fraud-case   APPEALS COURT REINSTATES GAG ORDER IN TRUMP FRAUD CASE   A New York appeals court reinstated a gag order preventing former President Donald Trump from maligning court staffers on Thursday.   New York Judge Arthur Engoron had initially issued the gag order in early October after Trump lashed out at one of his law clerks on social media. Trump is currently fighting accusations of business fraud leveled by New York Attorney General Letitia James.   Appeals court Judge David Friedman had issued a stay on Engoron's gag order on Nov. 16, saying it potentially infringed on Trump's First Amendment rights.   By that time, Engoron had already fined Trump $5,000 for violating the order on social media on Oct. 20, and did so again on Oct. 25 for another $10,000 before threatening imprisonment if further violations were committed.   Trump took the stand to testify personally in early November. He repeatedly cast James’ yearslong investigation and lawsuit as a "disgrace" and an attack on his business and his family.   Trump has denied any wrongdoing and insists his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks.   Engoron ruled in September that both Trump and his company had committed fraud by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.   Trump has attacked Engoron and James — both Democrats — as politically biased "operatives."   "They are defending the Worst and Least Respected Attorney General in the United States, Letitia James, who is a Worldwide disgrace, as is her illegal Witch Hunt against me. The Radical and Unprecedented actions of Judge Engoron will keep BUSINESSES and JOBS forever out of New York State," Trump wrote in a recent social media post.   https://www.justfactsdaily.com/1-in-every-39-americans-will-die-of-a-drug-overdose-at-current-rate https://www.justfactsdaily.com/1-in-every-39-americans-will-die-of-a-drug-overdose-at-current-rate   1 IN EVERY 39 AMERICANS WILL DIE OF A DRUG OVERDOSE AT CURRENT RATE   Despite the passage of state and federal laws that were supposed to reduce fatal drug overdoses, the annual U.S. drug overdose death rate has quintupled over recent decades:   Over the most current year of available data, more than 110,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses, a rate of 33 per 100,000 population.   In order to measure these deaths in clear, relevant terms, Just Facts enlisted the expertise of a licensed actuary and a Ph.D. mathematician to calculate, double-check, and triple-check the average lifetime odds of dying of a drug overdose.   The shocking result of these calculations is that 1 in 39 people will have their lives cut short by drug overdoses if the rate of such deaths stays at the current level. Those odds will become far worse if the rising trend continues.   The lifetime risks of tragic events are much more revealing than the raw numbers or annual rates commonly reported by government agencies and the media. This is partly because the U.S. is the third-most populous nation in the world, so tens, hundreds, or even thousands of events may amount to a very low risk.   The other reason, which is less obvious, is explained by a 1987 Department of Justice report on the likelihood of being a crime victim:   Annual victimization rates alone do not convey the full impact of crime as it affects people. No one would express his or her concern by saying, “I am terribly afraid of being mugged between January and December of this year.” People are worried about the possibility that at some time in their lives they will be robbed or raped or assaulted, or their houses will be burglarized.   Each month, the CDC estimates drug overdose deaths based on data reported by the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The latest estimates, which include deaths up through June 2023, show that 111,877 people died of a drug overdose in the prior 12 months.   To place such figures into the broader context of the U.S. population and people’s lifespans, Just Facts asked a licensed actuary to develop a method for calculating the average lifetime risk of death from various causes. The actuary used two separate methods, both of which yielded the same results. To further ensure accuracy, Just Facts had a Ph.D. mathematician check the formulas.   Applying this methodology to the CDC’s latest estimates of overdose deaths, roughly 1 in every 39 people will die of drug overdose if the rate of such deaths stays at its current level.    Beyond lifetime risk, another important measure of a mortal danger is the years of life that it robs from its victims. Because humans cannot prevent death but only delay it, there is a material difference between the tragic premature deaths of a 20-year-old in the prime of her life and a 90-year-old in poor health.   Although some leading medical scholars ignored that vital fact during the Covid-19 pandemic, a 1983 CDC report about fatal accidents explains that the “the allocation of health resources must consider not only the number of deaths by cause but also by age.”   The average age of people who die of drug overdoses is about 43 years, while the average U.S. lifespan is about 77 years. In contrast, the average age of people whose deaths involved Covid-19 is about 75 years. Yet, government officials locked down entire states for extended periods to prevent the spread of Covid, causing multitudes of collateral deaths. This likely included overdoses, which soared in the wake of these measures.   https://www.foxnews.com/sports/jets-aaron-rodgers-takes-big-step-hopeful-return-achilles-injury https://www.foxnews.com/sports/jets-aaron-rodgers-takes-big-step-hopeful-return-achilles-injury   JETS' AARON RODGERS TAKES BIG STEP IN HOPEFUL RETURN FROM ACHILLES INJURY   The New York Jets opened the 21-day practice window for Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday, sparking hope the quarterback could return this season just mere months after tearing his Achilles.   Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that it doesn’t necessarily mean Rodgers is going to come back and play, but is rather a "progression in his rehab."   "For Aaron, what he would be doing in practice is no different than what he’d be doing on the field with regard to certain drills in the individual – instead of throwing with staff members, he’s throwing with teammates," Saleh told reporters. "There’s no added risk to it. There’s certain things he’s been cleared for that we’re going to allow him to do."   Saleh lauded Rodgers’ drive and motivation for pushing himself to get back to where he is and the want and need for him to be with his teammates.   "He’s sacrificed so much already for the organization and himself and his teammates and he’s doing it again. I think it’s a testament to who he is as a human," Saleh added.   Rodgers’ timeline is still really unclear.   He tried to lay it out the best he could in his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week.   "Once I'm healthy, then it's where we're at, are we alive, are we in it… It's health first, and are we alive for the playoffs second.".   New York is 4-7 entering Week 13 and their playoff hopes are dwindling.  

10m

Dec 01, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, November 30th, 2023.    DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP!: You guys are aware that we have a new app right? If not you should download it right now! Head on over to your app store, and type in “CrossPolitic”, “Fight Laugh Feast”, or “PubTV”. Once you find the app, you may need to update your app, or if you have a droid phone, you may need to delete your current FLF app, and re-download it! Once downloaded you’ll be able to view or listen to our content right on your mobile device! As always, if you’d like to sign up for a pub membership, you can head on over to fightlaughfeast.com… that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/29/hidden-tax-how-much-does-regulation-cost-average-american-family/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/29/hidden-tax-how-much-does-regulation-cost-average-american-family/   HERE’S HOW MUCH REGULATIONS COST AVERAGE AMERICAN FAMILY—AND HOW BIDEN IS MAKING IT WORSE   FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Americans expect to pay federal taxes, but the federal government also picks their pockets in more hidden ways, and President Joe Biden is making the problem worse in pursuing his political agenda, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute.   American households pay at least $14,000 in hidden regulatory costs every year,” Wayne Crews, the Fred L. Smith fellow in regulatory studies at the institute, says in a new video provided exclusively to The Daily Signal.   10,000 Reasons to Reform the Regulatory State https://youtu.be/ANxJVzePPG0- Play 0:00-1:18   His analysis—the latest in a series of annual reports—finds that the average American household pays $14,514 annually in a hidden regulatory cost.   Crews calculated the costs of regulation on the entire economy as $1.939 trillion, and found the average cost per household by dividing that gargantuan number by 133.6 million households.   While federal law requires an annual estimate of the cost of regulation, the federal government has not met that requirement since 2002, according to the report. While the Office of Management and Budget has estimated some costs and benefits of major rules, the report finds those analyses incomplete because they do not encompass all rulemaking in each year.   Crews’ report uses a baseline of roughly $1.9 trillion for the costs of federal regulation, encompassing compliance costs, economic losses and losses in gross domestic product, social costs, and other costs. The analyst took recent government reports into account to reach the $1.939 trillion figure, although he acknowledged that it represents an estimate “based on a nonscientific, disclaimer-laden, of GDP losses and compliance costs derived from available official data and other accessible sources.”   The $1.9 trillion represents more than three-fifths the level of corporate pretax profits in 2022 ($3.138 trillion) and a far larger number than estimated corporate tax revenues ($382 billion).   The report notes that while President Donald Trump’s four years “brought unique reversals, such as a reduced flow of new rules and some rollbacks of existing ones”, President Joe Biden reversed those trends. “Unprecedented open-ended deficits now standing at $1.4 trillion annually are expected to top $2 trillion annually by 2030,” Crews writes. The national debt is nearing $34 trillion (at $33.8 trillion now, according to the U.S. Treasury), which Crews notes is “up from almost $20 trillion when Donald Trump assumed office in 2017.”   The report notes that Biden has launched many “whole-of-government interventions,” most notably on climate change and rooting out “inequity from our economy.”   “These efforts have accelerated a long-standing process that is replacing self-determination and limited government with top-down behavioral, social, and civil rights codes,” Crews writes.   Regulations issued by the executive branch far outstrip the number of laws Congress passes each year. During the 2022 calendar year, agencies issued 3,168 rules, while Congress enacted only 247 laws.   While taxes clearly impact Americans’ pocketbooks and appear itemized on pay stubs, “regulatory costs are baked into prices, without separate charges on receipts,” the report notes. “Many regulations have opportunity costs, which are invisible and impossible to calculate. They can affect households directly or indirectly, such as when businesses will pass some regulatory costs on to consumers, just as they do the corporate tax.”   The report suggests a wide range of reforms to check the growth of regulation. It urges Congress to require congressional approval of significant or controversial agency rules before they become binding. It urges Congress to require annual regulatory transparency report cards and legislation requiring the automatic sunsetting of regulations. It urges Congress to pass a law preventing presidents from using “emergency declarations” to impose permanent government controls. It also urges Congress to identify which federal agencies do more harm than good and to eliminate them or shrink their budgets. It also urges Congress to set up a regulation-reduction commission to identify unneeded regulations to eliminate.   https://mynorthwest.com/3940877/rantz-inside-look-seattle-antifa-antisemites-starbucks/ https://mynorthwest.com/3940877/rantz-inside-look-seattle-antifa-antisemites-starbucks/   AN INSIDE LOOK AS SEATTLE ANTIFA, ANTISEMITES VANDALIZED STARBUCKS   Antisemitic Antifa activists, anarchists and other radicals targeted the Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery as part of a call to “Block Black Friday.” They caused felony-level damage that led to one arrest.   Activists promoted direct action by sharing social media flyers. The flyer claims the protest and mass vandalism were “autonomously organized by Seattle area radicals, anarchists, and community members.” The hope was to “shut [Black Friday] down for Palestine.” They were mostly successful.   Exclusive videos from inside the café as Antifa and anarchists vandalized the storefront and taunted customers with vulgar hand gestures and taunts. It got so rowdy and dangerous that activists said they forced Starbucks to close.   Several dozen activists surrounded the Starbucks Roastery. Many of them were dressed in black bloc, a style of clothing intended to hide personally identifiable characteristics so that police have trouble making arrests. It’s a hallmark of Antifa action.   The video shows one masked activist tagging the building with the phrase “Free Palestine” in spray paint. They also spray-painted the Palestinian flag, anarchist symbols and messages like “Never Again,” “Free Gaza,” , “You are genocide supporters” and “Land Back.”   The video also captures a masked activist flipping off customers. They even carved “Free Gaza” into the store’s wooden door. Another activist pounds his hand on the storefront window, taunting customers. One of the windows was nearly shattered and must be replaced and security cameras on the roof were sprayed with paint.   “During all of this, the atmosphere was upbeat but chill, with people eating tamales and drinking coffee that were being distributed from a truck parked next to the demo,” an anonymous author published on Puget Sound Anarchists.   The anarchist went on to brag about how effective the Starbucks protest was for their movement.   The damage was significant, yet Seattle Police (SPD) did not intervene.   “It was a temporary disruption that was handled and thankfully did not turn into a major issue,” a Seattle Police Department spokesperson told The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “As with any crime, incidents of vandalism are handled on a case-by-case basis. There are a multitude of factors that can determine when officers intervene. We are not at liberty to discuss our tactics as far as when officers will intervene.”   The group marched into downtown Seattle after their assault on Starbucks. Once there, they disrupted the annual Seattle Christmas tree lighting ceremony.   The author admits that activists “took over the stage soon after arriving and started throwing Christmas decorations to the ground and trashing the scenery.” There were a handful of activists who stayed on the stage, holding a banner reading “From Turtle Island to Gaza: Land Back.” Land Back refers to a movement of literal land reclamation to its so-called original stewards.   As activists chanted and gave speeches in front of a crowd angry that the ceremony was interrupted, an officer spotted suspect Tarik Aly Youssef, who is based in Vancouver, Washington.   On a TikTik account (@_thesphinx_) that appears to belong to the 25-year-old suspect, Youssef described himself as a transgender, polyamorous, pansexual, anti-capitalist, autistic Egyptian who is an “honorary member of Trantifa” (a name for transgender Antifa members). After The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH contacted Youssef via TikTok, the account’s videos were removed, and the account appears to be deleted.   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/united-nations-set-call-americans-reduce-meat-consumption https://www.foxnews.com/politics/united-nations-set-call-americans-reduce-meat-consumption   UNITED NATIONS SET TO CALL ON AMERICANS TO REDUCE MEAT CONSUMPTION   A lead United Nations agency overseeing food and agriculture policy is expected to issue a road map in the coming weeks which will call on the West, including America, to dramatically reduce its meat consumption.   The UN's Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) will publish its so-called global food systems’ road map during the upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai which will kick off on Thursday and extend nearly two weeks until mid-December. FAO's first-of-its-kind document will recommend nations that "over-consume meat" to limit their consumption as part of a broader effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Bloomberg reported.   "The failure of leading meat and dairy companies to reduce emissions underlines the urgent need for more policy focus on the food and agriculture sector," Jeremy Coller, the chair and founder of the FAIRR Initiative, an investor network that works with financial institutions to promote climate-friendly agriculture worldwide, said in a recent statement.   In addition to issuing guidelines for reducing meat consumption in the West, the FAO is expected to highlight how farmers should adapt to "erratic weather" and tackle their emissions produced from food waste and use of fertilizer, according to Bloomberg. The recommendations, which the U.S. COP28 delegation may sign onto, will not be binding.   Overall, the road map will seek to guide policy on lowering the climate impact of the global agriculture industry, which has rarely received such attention at past UN climate conferences. Past COP summits have been far more keen to address emissions generated from the global power, transportation and manufacturing sectors. The global food system — which includes land-use change, actual agricultural production, packaging and waste management — generates about 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of 34% of total worldwide emissions, according to a March 2021 study published in the Nature Food journal. FAO data indicates livestock alone is responsible for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.   The UN has, for years, called for individuals to ditch animal-based diets, which it says "have a high impact on our planet." Instead, individuals should choose plant-based foods, according to the UN, which can reduce a person's annual carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons.   In the U.S., though, agriculture alone generates about 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions, federal data shows. The American agriculture sector accounts for just 1.4% of global emissions and has implemented a wide range of solutions, making it the nation's lowest-emitting economic sector.

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Nov 30, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, November 28th, 2023.    KEPLER EDUCATION: Kepler is an online marketplace for Classical Christian education that assures parents maintain their agency without forfeiting the assistance and expertise of qualified conservative Christian teachers. Kepler offers university model courses in the classical tradition that fit your schedule and budget. Visit www.kepler.education http://www.kepler.education/ and use our simple search tool to find the course and teacher that meets your child’s needs. Or simply ask for help to get assistance from a real human being.   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/27/talks-under-way-to-extend-israel-hamas-ceasefire-as-return-to-fighting-looms https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/27/talks-under-way-to-extend-israel-hamas-ceasefire-as-return-to-fighting-looms   TALKS UNDER WAY TO EXTEND ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE AS RETURN TO FIGHTING LOOMS   Talks are under way to extend the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas and Israel both saying they would like to see further releases of hostages in return for freedom for more Palestinians held in Israeli jails.   But the ceasefire is due to expire, threatening a return to the bloody fighting and bombardment that has devastated swaths of Gaza, killed many thousands of civilians and caused an acute humanitarian crisis.   The third release of prisoners and of mostly Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas took place without major problems on Sunday night.   Israel and Hamas have each raised concerns over the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners due to be released on Monday, which Qatari mediators are now working to resolve.   “There is a slight issue with today’s lists. The Qataris are working with both sides to … avoid delays,” an official briefed on the matter said.   Seventeen hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday, including a Russian national and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were all women or children. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, mostly children, were freed from Israeli jails, authorities said.   Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he did not want to end the ceasefire but pledged that Israel would resume its military offensive in Gaza at the end of the truce.   Netanyahu, who has promised Israelis he will “crush” Hamas, said he would welcome an extension to allow the release of 10 additional hostages every day in return for freedom for 30 Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the original deal.   Israeli officials insist they will not call off their offensive until they are certain that Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel.   Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration would “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well”.   Local media in Israel reported optimism among senior officials that the truce, which was the result of several weeks of complex indirect negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, would be extended.   Sixty-two of the more than 240 hostages held by Hamas since last month have been released, one hostage was freed by Israeli forces, and two were found dead inside Gaza. A total of 117 Palestinians have been freed since the truce began.   Between 13,000 and 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas attack, roughly two-thirds of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1 million people have been forced from their homes.   The UN says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, while humanitarian needs have soared.   Details have emerged of the conditions of the detention of some hostages. Local media has reported shortages of food and medicine, and cramped accommodation possibly underground, but no physical mistreatment. According to one report, a former hostage has told his friends that his captors had brought other children to play with him while he was in captivity. Some learned of the fate of relatives from Hebrew-language radio networks they could listen to. Two teenagers learned that their mother had been killed and their father remained missing only when released.   Calls from the hostages’ families to prioritise their release have sharpened the dilemma facing Israel’s leaders as they seek to reconcile the military offensive with the goal of freeing all of the captives.   https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/23/new-biden-rule-reveals-transgender-movements-endgame-no-dissenting-parents-allowed/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/23/new-biden-rule-reveals-transgender-movements-endgame-no-dissenting-parents-allowed/   LACK OF ‘AFFIRMATION’ IS CHILD ABUSE: NEW BIDEN RULE APPLIES TRANSGENDER STANDARD TO FOSTER CARE   The transgender standard is set to become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.   A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of “affirmation” constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly.   The rule would reinterpret the Social Security Act, which requires agencies to ensure that each child in foster care receives “safe and proper” care. The rule would lay out steps agencies must take to meet that requirement for “LGBTQI+ children,” defined as kids who “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression.”   Before agencies place a child with a foster parent, known as a “provider,” that person must “establish an environment free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status;” receive training “to be prepared with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;” and must be able to “facilitate the child’s access to age-appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.”   As the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Rachel Morrison pointed out for The Federalist Society, the rule does not define “hostility,” “mistreatment,” or “abuse.” However, it does clarify that “a provider who attempted to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of a child, including through the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ would not be a safe and appropriate placement.”   The proposed rule cites medical associations such as the American Psychological Association to claim that efforts to “undermine, suppress, or change” sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression “are not supported by evidence and have been rejected as harmful.”   The rule does not acknowledge that gender ideology has infiltrated these medical associations and that many doctors—including those who once embraced gender ideology—have warned against confusing children on their gender and putting them on a path to mutilating their own bodies.   Dr. Stephen B. Levine, a psychiatrist and early proponent of transgender medical interventions, joined and briefly helped lead the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, which later became the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the central medical group that organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association rely upon.   European countries, long considered more “progressive” than the U.S., have found a lack of evidence for medical interventions on children and are recommending a “watchful waiting” approach for minors.   Yet Levine argues that “affirming” a transgender identity is a “powerful psychotherapeutic intervention” that will set kids on the path to mutilation and sterilization—long before they have any concept about what their own fertility means.   Under Biden’s proposed new rule, any potential foster parent who aims to protect a child from this confusion and damage may soon face expulsion from the program. That means the process will be designed to weed out guardians who actually would take good care of the kids and enable guardians who would assist in harming them.   California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill turning California into a “sanctuary state” for “gender-affirming care,” which the law defines as an absolute right. The law gives California courts the ability to award custody over a child if someone removes the child from his or her parents in another state in order to obtain such “care” for that child despite the parents’ disagreement.   https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/27/businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-economic-uncertainty/ https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/27/businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-economic-uncertainty/   BUSINESSES DITCH ‘DIVERSITY’ INITIATIVES IN DROVES AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY   Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives lost steam in 2023 compared to previous years as companies increasingly shift resources due to tightening economic condition   The total percentage of American organizations with a DEI budget dropped 4 percentage points, from 58% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, while the number of organizations with a DEI strategy fell 9 points in that same time frame, according to a report from a consulting firm. DEI initiatives in the workplace gained huge traction following the death of George Floyd, which encouraged companies to divert resources to the practice, but now “external forces,” including tightening economic conditions as well as public and judicial pressure, are pushing back on those efforts.   “After two years of unprecedented investment sparked by 2020’s racial justice movement, this year, global momentum around DEI slowed,” according to the report from Paradigm. “There are a number of headwinds contributing to this shift: the first is economic uncertainty that not only led to reduced spending across the board, it also firmly shifted the power balance back to employers.”   Despite the decline in funding, there was a 6-point increase in the number of companies that had a senior DEI leader and an 8-point increase in organizations that had goals related to representation for women in leadership from 2022 to 2023, according to Paradigm. A total of 20% of companies in 2023 had goals related to increasing employment related to race or ethnicity, which is a 4-point increase year-over-year.   The shift follows concerns from companies that the Supreme Court could target DEI and race-based hiring in the workplace the same way it struck down race-based admissions at colleges and universities earlier this year. A pair of decisions by the Supreme Court in June involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina cumulatively ruled that using race as a factor in college admissions is not permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.   “Over the past several months, we’ve heard from a number of HR leaders who are de-emphasizing data and analytics as a part of their DEI efforts, in response to the changing legal landscape and increased scrutiny on DEI efforts,” according to the report from Paradigm.   Only 26% of companies examine the final results of hiring by race or ethnicity, while 33% analyze promotions in the same manner, according to Paradigm. Around 36% of organizations measured the attrition rate of their employees by race or ethnicity.   Businesses pulled back from hiring in October, adding only 150,000 jobs for the month compared to 297,000 in September, while unemployment ticked up to 3.9% from 3.8%. The Leading Economic Index predicted that 2024 will only see 0.8% in the U.S. economy due to a possible recession.   https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/business/ny-retailers-blast-hochul-over-theft-which-has-cost-stores-4-4-billion/ https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/business/ny-retailers-blast-hochul-over-theft-which-has-cost-stores-4-4-billion/   NY RETAILERS LOST $4.4 BILLION DUE TO ORGANIZED SHOPLIFTING RINGS IN 2022: GROUP   Retailers across New York state say there’s no end in sight to the rising epidemic of organized shoplifting rings — and warn it could lead to more store closures, increased costs for consumers and threats of violence against store employees.   Store owners said they lost $4.4 billion last year as a result of retail theft — which they say adds to the urgency for Gov. Kathy Hochul to crack down.   However, Hochul vetoed a bipartisan bill last week — to the chagrin of store owners — that would have created a task force to combat organized theft.   Hochul rejected a proposal that would have created a 15-member panel made up of experts appointed by the governor, Legislature and the state attorney general that would have put together a list of recommendations to respond to retail theft.   The Retail Council of New York State, the Albany-based lobbying group which represents retailers statewide, said it was “extremely disappointed” by Hochul’s veto.   Melissa O’Connor, the president and CEO of the group, released a statement saying that she urged the governor to take “immediate action” so as to formulate “an effective, collaborative response to this problem.”   “She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results,” O’Connor said.   A spokesperson for Hochul said that adopting the proposal would have cost the state $35 million — an expenditure that wasn’t allotted in the most recent budget.   Law enforcement officials from New York City to Albany to Syracuse have reported increases in incidents of retail theft — blaming the spike on progressive prosecutors who encourages criminal behavior with lenient punishment for shoplifters.   Last month, the chief of police in Syracuse said that the city has seen a 55% spike in shoplifting since 2021 — and that’s a conservative estimate.   “That number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said.   So far this year, the Albany Police Department has fielded 23 calls for larcenies at a single Stewart’s convenience store on Central Avenue — up from 14 at the same time in 2022.   The rash of retail thefts at the location forced the owner to shut down.   A New York Police Department spokesperson pointed to crime statistics showing that there were more than 93,000 incidents of petty larceny through the end of October — which is 29% higher compared to the same period two years ago but 5% lower compared to the same period last year.   Around one-third of all shoplifting arrests in the five boroughs last year involved just 327 people who were collectively arrested and re-arrested a total of more than 6,000 times, according to the NYPD.   These 327 alleged shoplifters targeted 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations, which accounted for 20% of all complaints, the NYPD said.

14m

Nov 28, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider, or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social center, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns, and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership at fightlaughfeast.com… we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    Ladies and gentlemen, we start today’s news brief with a broken record to announce!    https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trans-swimmer-breaks-nj-college-record-switching-mens-team-womens https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trans-swimmer-breaks-nj-college-record-switching-mens-team-womens   TRANS SWIMMER BREAKS NEW JERSEY COLLEGE RECORD AFTER SWITCHING FROM MEN'S TEAM TO WOMEN'S   Yes, yes… Lia Thomas 2.0. Mediocre men striking again!   A transgender swimmer at Ramapo College of New Jersey broke a women's school record over the weekend after competing for the men's team for three years.   Meghan Cortez-Fields won first place and broke a school record in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.22 at the Cougar Splash Invitational, a two-day meet between six schools in Dallas, Pennsylvania. She also came in first place in the 200-yard individual medley and earned second place in the 200-yard butterfly.   The Ramapo swim team congratulated Cortez-Fields on Instagram for breaking the school record but deleted the post after former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines drew attention to meet results on X.   "Those who choose to remain blind to the injustice of allowing mediocre male athletes to become record-breaking female athletes are either incompetent or misogynists. There is no in-between anymore," Gaines, an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum, told Fox News. "Women are being asked to smile and step aside and allow these men onto our teams all the while stripping us of opportunities, privacy, and safety."   A Ramapo spokesperson told Fox News the school "supports all of our student-athletes."   "The original post of Meghan’s achievement was deleted by a peer who wanted to protect their teammate from insulting comments on the post," the spokesperson continued. "The College continues to post team and individual student-athlete achievements for all programs on our Athletics website."   Cortez-Fields swam on Ramapo’s men's team for three years before moving to the women’s team this season as a senior. Last year, she told The Ramapo News she admired Lia Thomas, the trans-University of Pennsylvania swimmer who won an NCAA Championship in 2022.   Some hailed Thomas for her bravery, while others, like Gaines, accused her of robbing biological females of opportunities to compete and win.   Cortez-Fields has won at least one heat in three of the four women's meets so far this year.   https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/11/20/trans-athlete-who-seriously-injured-female-player-quits-team-after-opponents-refuse-play-against-him/ https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/11/20/trans-athlete-who-seriously-injured-female-player-quits-team-after-opponents-refuse-play-against-him/   TRANS ATHLETE WHO SERIOUSLY INJURED FEMALE PLAYER QUITS TEAM AFTER OPPONENTS REFUSE TO PLAY AGAINST HIM   A male-born transgender athlete has quit a British soccer team when faced with opposing teams refusing to play against his team after he broke an opponent’s knee during a match. But even after quitting, the trans player is threatening to sue.   Opponents had refused to play against Francesca Needham, 30, after he broke a female player’s knee as she tried to block his shot. Many claimed they were “terrified” to face Needham on the field, according to the Daily Mail.   Needham ultimately resigned from the Rossington Main Ladies team in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, saying he did so for the good of the team after many opponents refused to play them. But he was not happy to fade off into the sunset.   In a statement to the team’s Facebook page, Needham decried the fact that he “faced challenges from teams unwilling to play against us while I am on the field.”   He went on to warn about legal action.   “This unfortunate circumstance has prompted me to investigate pursuing a case of discrimination, as I believe it represents a breach of a code of conduct regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as safeguarding of adults in football established by both the Football Association and the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women and Girls League,” he wrote.   “It was obvious,” the manager told the Mail. “Unfortunately, the FA allowed it to happen but didn’t let anyone know. She’s quite a big, strong player. People have refused to play because they are worried about the safety of the players.”   “My players were backing out of challenges as psychologically it’s quite a big thing when you are playing against a biological man, it’s quite scary. They were terrified,” he added.   Another league manager said that he has teenagers on his team, and parents were not happy over Needham’s inclusion.   https://redstate.com/jeffc/2023/11/21/bombshell-report-j6-footage-shows-capitol-police-officers-firing-rubber-bullets-at-peaceful-protesters-n2166603 https://redstate.com/jeffc/2023/11/21/bombshell-report-j6-footage-shows-capitol-police-officers-firing-rubber-bullets-at-peaceful-protesters-n2166603   BOMBSHELL REPORT: J6 FOOTAGE SHOWS CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS FIRING RUBBER BULLETS AT PEACEFUL PROTESTERS   In what could possibly be a major revelation related to the J6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building, a recent report suggests that Capitol Police fired rubber bullets into a peaceful crowd of Trump supporters during the incident. If true, this development raises serious questions about the potential role of law enforcement in the escalation of violence on that day.   Human Events published a report detailing an interview between conservative commentator Jack Posobiec and conservative activist Raheem Kassam, who were both present near the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. The report claimed that new footage released by House Speaker Mike Johnson shows that Capitol Police, at least in one instance, opened fire on a crowd of peaceful protesters.   New footage from January 6, 2021, released by Speaker Mike Johnson, reveals that Capitol Police fired rubber bullets and other projectiles into the non-violent crowd that was protesting outside of the building, inciting chaos and confusion.   Jack Posobiec and Raheem Kassam were reporting on the grounds in Washington DC that day, walking towards the Capitol when they heard flash bangs go off at around 1:10 pm EST, right around the time President Donald Trump’s speech was ending.   Posobiec hosted Kassam on his show, Human Events, Monday to recount the events and timeline of the day from their perspective now that these new revelations have finally come to light.   Raheem recalled hearing a bang for the first time and initially thought it sounded like “pallets falling off of the back of a truck” before quickly getting a better view from a rooftop of the scuffle unfolding.   https://twitter.com/i/status/1726698078399308152 https://twitter.com/i/status/1726698078399308152 - Play Video    The footage showed law enforcement firing non-lethal rounds into a crowd that was protesting outside the Capitol building, which incited chaos and confusion among the participants.   Last week, Speaker Johnson announced the release of all the J6 footage, explaining that it would allow people “to see for themselves what happened that day, rather than having to rely upon the interpretations of a small group of government officials,” a thinly veiled dig at the Democratic House Select Committee that was formed shortly after the incident.   If Kassam’s claims are true and it is verified by further investigation, it would further wreck the narrative spun by Democrats and others on the left about the matter. It would mean that law enforcement is, at least in part, responsible for the violence that occurred at the Capitol building.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/truth-social-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-20-leftist-media-outlets/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/truth-social-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-20-leftist-media-outlets/   TRUTH SOCIAL FILES MASSIVE DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST 20 LEFTIST MEDIA OUTLETS   Trump-owned social media company Truth Social filed a defamation lawsuit on Monday against 20 leftist media outlets and two social media companies for defamation.   Plaintiff Trump Media & Technology Group Corp sued the following outlets:   The Guardian   Hollywood Reporter   The Miami Herald   Reuters   Rolling Stone   The Hill The suit alleges:   “An unprecedented and seemingly coordinated media campaign by no less than 20 major media outlets, to attack Trump Media & Technology Group (“TMTG”) and its social media platform, Truth Social, by falsely reporting that TMTG had lost $73 million.”   The suit claimed the number was “an utter fabrication” and that each defendant, “in apparent coordination,” published the number almost in unison.   The suit claims the outlets sourced an SEC filing, but that $73 million loss amount is not contained in the cited filing.   Truth Social alleges that this was “a coordinated effort” to damage its reputation and hinder an anticipated merger.   The suit contends:   “All defendants ran nearly identical headlines that reported some variation of ‘Trump’s Truth Social’ having lost ‘$73 million.'”   The suit states the false reports “deeply harmed” Truth Social as it had the effect of “eroding faith in the company’s operations and management.”   It also adds that it made it “more difficult” for the company to raise additional funds ahead of its anticipated merger, which is currently pending with the SEC.   Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said:   “Truth Social just filed an unprecedented defamation lawsuit incorporating twenty media companies. The tide is finally turning, corporate media and activists are going to feel the heat.”   Meanwhile, Elon Musk has initiated a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against the George Soros-backed Media Matters for America.   In a statement attached to a post on X, Musk said:   “This week, Media Matters for America posted a story that completely misrepresented the real user experience on X in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.”

10m

Nov 22, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, November 21st, 2023.    DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP!: You guys are aware that we have a new app right? If not you should download it right now! Head on over to your app store, and type in “CrossPolitic”, “Fight Laugh Feast”, or “PubTV”. Once you find the app, you may need to update your app, or if you have a droid phone, you may need to delete your current FLF app, and re-download it! Once downloaded you’ll be able to view or listen to our content right on your mobile device! As always, if you’d like to sign up for a pub membership, you can head on over to fightlaughfeast.com… that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://nypost.com/2023/11/20/news/supreme-court-spurns-chauvin-appeal-of-george-floyd-verdict/ https://nypost.com/2023/11/20/news/supreme-court-spurns-chauvin-appeal-of-george-floyd-verdict/   SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR DEREK CHAUVIN’S APPEAL OF GEORGE FLOYD MURDER CONVICTION   The Supreme Court said Monday that it would not hear former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s appeal of his second-degree murder conviction in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.   Chauvin was found guilty by a state court in April 2021 and sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison in connection with Floyd’s May 25, 2020, death, which triggered riots across the country and a prolonged debate on race relations in America.   The high court did not specify why it declined to take up the appeal and did not indicate whether any justices would have heard the case.   Chauvin, 47, is also appealing his conviction and 21-year sentence on separate federal charges in connection with Floyd’s death. Those punishments were not considered by the high court.   The ex-cop’s lawyers had argued their client was denied a fair trial due to the publicity surrounding the case and concerns about potential violence if he was acquitted.   “Mr. Chauvin’s case shows the profound difficulties trial courts have to ensure a criminal defendant’s right to an impartial jury consistently when extreme cases arise,” Chauvin’s legal team told the Supreme Court.   “This was particularly true here when the jurors themselves had a vested interest in finding Mr. Chauvin guilty in order to avoid further rioting in the community in which they lived and the possible threat of physical harm to them or their families.”   Approximately nine minutes of harrowing cellphone footage showed Chauvin placing his knee on Floyd’s neck despite pleas from the 46-year-old black man that he couldn’t breathe.   Floyd was being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill when Chauvin confronted him. A medical examiner concluded that recent methamphetamine and fentanyl use may have contributed to his death as well.   Chauvin’s legal team had argued his case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, but that court upheld his conviction back in April and declined to give him a new trial.   Then in July, the highest court in Minnesota upheld the lower court rulings, which led to the request to the US Supreme Court.   The nine-member Supreme Court receives somewhere around 7,000 case requests on average every year and typically only accepts between 90 and 150 of them.   https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/infrastructure/buttigieg-promises-less-chaos-travelers-2022-season-lurks-memories https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/infrastructure/buttigieg-promises-less-chaos-travelers-2022-season-lurks-memories   BUTTIGIEG PROMISES LESS CHAOS FOR TRAVELERS AS 2022 NIGHTMARE SEASON LURKS IN MEMORIES   Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said this Thanksgiving travel season is expected to be one of the busiest in U.S. history, but travelers can anticipate fewer flight cancellations than they've seen in recent years.   Speaking alongside Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker at a Monday news conference, Buttigieg said, “We are seeing more people flying than ever with fewer cancellations.”   The National Airspace System is reporting the lowest cancellation rates in five years. Flight cancellations are down to 1.3% so far in 2023, compared to 2.3% in 2022, according to preliminary data from the Aviation System Performance Metrics.   Airlines have made some improvements from post-pandemic complications that were seen in Southwest’s 2022 holiday travel disaster. Canceled and delayed flights affected an estimated 2 million passengers, and the company lost around $220 million in the final three months of last year.   The FAA is investigating multiple domestic airlines for unrealistic scheduling of flights, including Southwest’s December meltdown.   “In the Southwest case, there was a huge volume of passengers impacted, which means there's been a huge volume of work for the team to go through,” Buttigieg said. “But I can tell you that it's underway and that we intend to send a continued signal that airlines need to only schedule the flights that they can serve.”   “I want to remind the industry that unrealistic scheduling is prohibited under the law,” Buttigieg added.   Whitaker said skies will remain extremely busy like last year, adding, "We will be working around the clock to make sure passengers get to their destination safely."   In an earlier projection, the Transportation Security Administration said the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are the busiest travel days. TSA is expecting to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday, 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday, and 2.9 million passengers on Sunday, the busiest travel day.   “We expect this holiday season to be our busiest ever. In 2023, we have already seen seven of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a press release last week. “We are ready for the anticipated volumes and are working closely with our airline and airport partners to make sure we are prepared for this busy holiday travel season."   https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2023/11/19/michigan-township-declares-itself-a-second-amendment-sanctuary-promptly-forms-militia-n2166546 https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2023/11/19/michigan-township-declares-itself-a-second-amendment-sanctuary-promptly-forms-militia-n2166546   MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP DECLARES ITSELF A 'SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY,' PROMPTLY FORMS MILITIA   As the Biden Border Crisis continues unchecked, Chicago and New York City recently made news with their efforts to push back against the shipping of illegal aliens to their respective "sanctuary cities."   The Holton Township Board of Trustees in Michigan's Muskegon County last Tuesday adopted a resolution declaring the township a "Second Amendment Sanctuary" and also adopted an addendum establishing a township militia.   Self-explanatory, on the surface:   Whereas, the Holton Township Board declares and confirms to express its intent to stand as a Sanctuary Township for Second Amendment rights, and to oppose, within the limits of the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Michigan, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights.   Holton Township officials made clear to the media that the resolution means the township will not enforce red flag laws restricting firearms or ammunition possession.    [Have long been promoted by the left] as a way to prevent gun violence by allowing law enforcement to temporarily seize firearms from individuals deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. While this may sound like a good idea on the surface, there are several compelling reasons not to rely on this approach.   First and foremost, red flag laws violate due process and the constitutional rights of gun owners. Under these laws, individuals can have their firearms confiscated based solely on the suspicion of a third party, without being given the opportunity to defend themselves or even be heard in court. This is a clear violation of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures, and guarantee due process of law.   Moreover, red flag laws are inherently subjective and can be easily abused. The criteria for determining who is a “dangerous” individual are often vague and open to interpretation, leaving room for personal bias and political agendas to influence the decision-making process.    In other words, in the case of the Holton County Township Board: "Not in our township. Not on our watch."   The Militia Public Security Act addendum states the township is adopting “policies necessary for the security and rights of Holton Township residents,” including a militia compromised of everyday citizens.   Legal residents of the township are eligible to join the militia and may make their intentions known by acknowledging their intent on social media or stating their intent by letter to the Township Militia. Restrictions include:   https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/china-taiwan-airspace/2023/11/19/id/1142840/ https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/china-taiwan-airspace/2023/11/19/id/1142840/   TAIWAN REPORTS CHINESE AIRCRAFT THREATENING AIRSPACE   Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity around the island on Sunday, with nine aircraft crossing the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait and warships carrying out "combat readiness patrols." Democratically-governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past four years of regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island, as Beijing seeks to pressure Taipei over its sovereignty claims.   With Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco last week for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he met U.S. President Joe Biden, the scale of that military activity around Taiwan had scaled off.   But Taiwan's defense ministry reported that starting onSunday morning it had detected nine Chinese aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line, which had previously served as an unofficial barrier between the two and which Chinese planes now regularly fly over.   The aircraft involved included Su-30 and J-10 fighters, as well as early warning and electronic warfare aircraft, the ministry said.   The aircraft were accompanying Chinese warships carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols" it added.   Taiwan sent its own forces to monitor, the ministry said.   China's defense ministry did not answer calls seeking comment. China says its activities near Taiwan are aimed at "collusion" between Taiwan separatists and the United States and to protect China's territorial integrity.   Taiwan's government, which has repeatedly offered talks with China, rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.   Taiwan was a major focus of the Biden-Xi talks in San Francisco.   Xi told Biden during their four-hour meeting on Wednesday that   Taiwan was the biggest, most dangerous issue in U.S.-China ties, according to a senior U.S. official.   Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 13, with the island's fraught relations with China an important topic on the campaign trail.   Over the past year and a half China has staged two large-scale war games around Taiwan, though China's air force has not flown over the island or into its territorial air space.

10m

Nov 21, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, November 17th, 2023.    DOWNLOAD OUR NEW APP!: You guys are aware that we have a new app right? If not you should download it right now! Head on over to your app store, and type in “CrossPolitic”, “Fight Laugh Feast”, or “PubTV”. Once you find the app, you may need to update your app, or if you have a droid phone, you may need to delete your current FLF app, and re-download it! Once downloaded you’ll be able to view or listen to our content right on your mobile device! As always, if you’d like to sign up for a pub membership, you can head on over to fightlaughfeast.com… that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-ethics-committee-head-moves-to-expel-george-santos-after-release-of-damning-report https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-ethics-committee-head-moves-to-expel-george-santos-after-release-of-damning-report   HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HEAD TO MOVE TO EXPEL GEORGE SANTOS AFTER RELEASE OF DAMNING REPORT   The chairman of the House Ethics Committee will move to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress after the release of a damning report into the embattled Long Island Republican.   "Chairman Guest feels that the evidence uncovered in the Committee’s investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and that the most appropriate punishment is expulsion," Republican Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest's personal office told Fox News Digital on Thursday.   "So, separate from the Committee process and his role as Chairman, he plans to file an expulsion resolution during tomorrow’s 9:00 am pro forma session."   The ethics committee released a damning report that accused Santos of having "used campaign funds for personal purposes" and "engaged in fraudulent conduct," among other allegations.   Guest filing the resolution on Friday tees up an expected vote on whether to boot Santos from the House sometime after lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28.   A 56-page deep dive into the allegations against Santos by the panel's Investigative subcommittee detailed campaign funds being spent at spas and luxury stores, among other questionable places.   The bipartisan subcommittee unanimously agreed that Santos "knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House."   That includes $50,000 in campaign donations that were wired to Santos' personal account on Oct. 21, 2022, and allegedly used to, among other things, "pay down personal credit card bills and other debt; make a $4,127.80 purchase at Hermes; and for smaller purchases at OnlyFans; Sephora; and for meals and for parking."   Santos also spent more than $2,200 at resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from July 23, 2022, to July 24, 2022, according to the report, despite a staffer telling the subcommittee that "he was not aware of any events in Atlantic City and did not attend any campaign events in Atlantic City."   Santos posted a lengthy response to the report on X, in which he announced he would not seek re-election in 2024 and accused the House Ethics Committee of bias.   "If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the ‘Ethics committee’, they would have not released this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my legal team about me not being forthcoming (My legal bills suggest otherwise)," Santos wrote. "It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk. Everyone who participated in this grave miscarriage of Justice should all be ashamed of themselves."   GOP lawmakers from New York previously moved to expel Santos earlier this month, but the effort failed along bipartisan lines. Most Democrats who said they voted to punt the measure explained they were waiting for the findings of the ethics committee report.   https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/16/chinas-xi-receives-standing-ovation-american-business-leaders/ https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/16/chinas-xi-receives-standing-ovation-american-business-leaders/   CHINA’S XI RECEIVES STANDING OVATION FROM AMERICAN BUSINESS LEADERS   Chinese President Xi Jinping received a standing ovation from American business leaders during an exclusive dinner in San Francisco on Wednesday.   Xi met with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco Wednesday and had talks on a broad range of issues, including military communications, fentanyl trafficking and Taiwan. During a private dinner in the city’s downtown Hyatt Regency hours later, Xi gave a speech about the need for China-U.S. cooperation and received praise from hundreds of high-level American business executives. “China is pursuing high-quality development, and the United States is revitalizing its economy,” Xi said during his speech. “There is plenty of room for our cooperation.”   Among the leaders at the reception and dinner were Apple CEO Tim Cook, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink, Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk and a number of executives from FedEx, Qualcomm, KKR, Blackstone and Boeing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tickets to attend the dinner started at $2,000 per person, up to $40,000 for a chance to dine with Xi at his table.   “I think it’s important Americans and Chinese are meeting again face to face,” said managing director for China of McLarty Associates John L. Holden, who attended the dinner, according to The New York Times. “This is not a magic bullet, but it is something that can provide possibilities that wouldn’t exist otherwise.”   “All of you here this evening remain keenly interested to do business in China, and to find ways to advance our bilateral economic relationship,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told the audience at the dinner, CNBC reported. “I know that, because half of you have come to see me to tell me that.”   During his speech, Xi claimed that China is “ready to be partners and friends” rather than adversaries with the U.S, according to the Times. He also evoked China’s history with the U.S., recalling American and Chinese cooperation to defeat the Japanese during World War II.   Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom gifted Xi a Golden State Warriors Basketball jersey during the dinner, according to a Chinese Foreign Affairs spokesperson in attendance.   In his meeting with Biden hours prior, Xi agreed to reestablish military-to-military communication lines with the U.S., which had been cut off in February. Xi also agreed to take steps to “dramatically curtail” the creation of fentanyl precursors created in China, which often end up in Mexico to be made into completed products and are subsequently trafficked into the U.S.   Biden praised his Wednesday meeting with Xi and then called him a “dictator” minutes later.   “Well, look, he is,” Biden said during a press conference Wednesday.   Biden again calls Xi ‘dictator’ after Chinese prez warns against ‘turning back’ on Beijing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoeFN1wgTdo-Play Clip   The White House and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-block-bridges-boston-san-francisco-rush-hour https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-palestinian-protesters-block-bridges-boston-san-francisco-rush-hour   PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS BLOCK BRIDGES IN BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO DURING RUSH HOUR   Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on bridges in Boston and San Francisco during rush hour Thursday morning to call for a cease-fire in Gaza as Israel continues to target Hamas leadership more than a month after the militant group’s deadly incursion into Israel.   On the Boston University bridge, the group IfNotNow, which says it represents members of Boston’s Jewish community, chanted "Cease-fire now!" and demanded that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., support an immediate cease-fire and use her influence to stop the Israeli government’s military action in Gaza.    The protest slowed traffic to a trickle on the bridge, which connects Boston and Cambridge, as the group held signs that said, "Let Gaza Live," and unfurled a banner across the roadway that read, "Jews say: Ceasefire now."   "We care about Palestinian lives, we only want to hurt Hamas," one protester on the bridge told NBC Boston, while another said, "There can’t be peace for Jews unless there is peace for Palestinians."   Meanwhile, Pro-Palestinian protesters also shut down the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, where President Biden was courting world leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.   The Arab Resource and Organizing Center planned the demonstration, in which protesters were heard shouting, "Free Palestine" and "We want justice." Others chained themselves to the bridge or lay in the road covered with sheets smeared with fake blood, FOX2 KTVU reported.   Authorities had closed one lane on the bridge as a preventative measure during the summit, the station reported, citing the California Highway Patrol.   Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas after the militant group launched its Oct. 7 surprise attack, in which at least 1,200 people died in Israel and around 240 were taken captive by militants back to Gaza.   More than 11,200 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.   The protest came as Israeli forces dropped leaflets warning Palestinians to flee parts of southern Gaza, residents said Thursday, signaling a possible expansion of their offensive.   https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/15/nolte-miserable-chicagoans-drop-mayor-brandon-johnsons-approval-rating-to-28/ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/15/nolte-miserable-chicagoans-drop-mayor-brandon-johnsons-approval-rating-to-28/   MISERABLE CHICAGOANS DROP MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S APPROVAL RATING TO 28%   In Wednesday’s glorious edition of Democrats Getting What They Voted For, newly elected Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has an approval rating of just 28 percent.   Echelon Insights polled 800 registered voters in Chicago between October 18 and 22.   So how is it possible that Johnson, who won a majority just seven short months ago, is now sitting with a dismal 28 percent approval rating, which is only one point higher than Lori Lightfoot (the sitting mayor he defeated) had in February 2023, which was only one month before she lost her reelection campaign?   I think the answer to this disconnect is obvious.   In Chicago, dead people can vote, but dead people cannot be polled over the telephone.   When asked about Chicago’s worst issues, 69 percent of those polled said crime. That’s only a two-point decrease since February. Then came high taxes (31 percent) and homelessness (20 percent). Everything else was under 15 percent.   When asked how Mayor Johnson is doing on those top three issues, only 21 percent approved of the job he’s doing on crime, while 66 percent disapproved. On economic development, only 32 percent approved, while 43 percent disapproved. On housing and homelessness, only 18 percent approved, while 63 percent disapproved.   On the specific issue of “management of immigrants transported to the city,” only 23 percent approved, while 64 percent disapproved. This question relates directly to His Fraudulency, Joe Biden, throwing the southern border wide open to millions of unvetted, third-world illegal aliens.   On that same question, living Chicago voters were asked, “How do you feel about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed plan to house migrants in ‘base camps’ made up of large, heated tents in various parts of Chicago?” Only 28 percent approved, while 63 percent disapproved. Those who said they “strongly oppose” on this question made up nearly half, 46 percent.   When asked if they supported or opposed Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city, a majority of 52 percent opposed, while 42 percent supported.   In February 2023, the month before Chicago voted Lightfoot out, 28 percent said the city was headed in the right direction. That number has now dropped to just 20 percent, while 65 percent say things are headed in the wrong direction.   Now that cash bail has been eliminated statewide, it hurts Chicago more than any other city. Only 35 percent of Chicagoans support that policy, but the Democrat governor who instituted that suicide pact won around 80 percent of the vote in Cook County, which is where Chicago sits.   This poll tells us that Chicagoans are getting exactly what they voted for and are quite upset over it, which tells you just how damaged Democrats are.

12m

Nov 18, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, November 16th, 2023.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership with CrossPolitic! We have a lot of big projects we’re working on behind the scenes here at CrossPoltiic. Projects like This America, our rowdy Christian Guides, our new and improved Fight Laugh Feast App, with more to come… and we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://ij.org/press-release/new-jersey-parents-file-federal-class-action-lawsuit-challenging-states-secret-retention-of-newborn-blood-for-23-years/ https://ij.org/press-release/new-jersey-parents-file-federal-class-action-lawsuit-challenging-states-secret-retention-of-newborn-blood-for-23-years/   NEW JERSEY PARENTS FILE FEDERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CHALLENGING STATE’S SECRET RETENTION OF NEWBORN BLOOD FOR 23 YEARS     A group of New Jersey parents teamed up with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to file a federal lawsuit challenging New Jersey’s practice of keeping blood samples taken from newborn babies for 23 years, all without parents’ knowledge or consent. Not only does New Jersey hold onto the blood, it can use the blood samples in any manner it chooses.    When babies are born in New Jersey, state law requires that blood be taken from the newborns and tested for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, hormonal deficiencies, and other immunity issues. All states perform similar tests.     But, after the testing is over, New Jersey’s Department of Health keeps the leftover blood for 23 years. The state does not ask parents for their consent to keep their babies’ blood, failing to even inform parents that it will hold on to the residual blood. The only way parents could learn about such retention is by proactively looking it up on one of the third-party websites listed on the bottom of the card they’re given after the blood draw. And, once the state has the blood, it can use it however it wishes, including selling it to third parties, giving it to police without a warrant, or even selling it to the Pentagon to create a registry—as previously happened in Texas.    “Parents have a right to informed consent if the state wants to keep their children’s blood for decades and use it for purposes other than screening for diseases,” said IJ Senior Attorney Rob Frommer. “New Jersey’s policy of storing baby blood and DNA and using that genetic information however it wants is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment rights of all New Jersey parents and their newborns.”    The plaintiffs challenging this law are two Boonton parents, Erica and Jeremiah Jedynak, and Hannah Lovaglio, a Cranbury mother of two.    “It’s not right that the state can enter an incredibly intimate moment, the tender days of childbirth, and take something from our children which is then held on to for 23 years,” said Hannah. “The lack of consent and transparency causes me to question the intent and makes me worried for my children’s future selves.”    “As a mother, I deserve the right to decide whether or not the government takes blood from my son and holds onto it for decades past its claimed use.”    Although all 50 states and the District of Columbia require blood screening for newborns, whether a state will destroy leftover newborn blood, return it, or keep it with a form of parental consent varies on a state-by-state basis.     “What makes New Jersey’s program so uniquely disturbing is the complete lack of safeguards for future abuse and the lack of consent, which leave the program ripe for abuse,” said IJ Attorney Christie Hebert. “Parents should not have to worry if the state is going to use the blood it said it was taking from their baby to test for diseases for other, unrelated purposes.”    New Jersey is not alone in facing legal issues for the lack of consent when obtaining blood and over what the state does with the blood. Texas, Minnesota, and Michigan have all faced lawsuits over their retention of blood samples without informed consent from the parents. The 2009 lawsuit in Texas resulted in the state destroying 5.3 million blood samples, and now, all blood samples obtained after 2012 must be destroyed after two years. A 2014 settlement in the Minnesota lawsuit resulted in 1.1 million blood samples being destroyed. In 2022, Michigan agreed to destroy 3 million blood spots, but that lawsuit continues to move forward.       “It’s incredibly misleading for the state to tell parents they are simply drawing blood from their babies to test for diseases when it could be sold to third parties or used by other government agencies to build invasive databases or registries,” said IJ Attorney Brian Morris. “As Texas and other states have shown, these concerns aren’t hypothetical.”    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-xi-meeting-seal-deals-fentanyl-military-communications-white-house https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-xi-meeting-seal-deals-fentanyl-military-communications-white-house   BIDEN-XI MEETING TO SEAL DEALS ON FENTANYL, MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS   Wednesday's meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will address hard issues such as fentanyl supplies coming in from Asia and a lack of military communication, the White House said.   Fox News spoke with NSC Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell this week — Campbell was just recently nominated to become deputy secretary of state.   "I can tell you that President Biden intends to make very clear to President Xi to get ready. He's going to be dealing with President Biden for the next five years," Campbell told Fox News Digital.   "These are tough diplomatic encounters," he continued. "President Biden has a lot of experience. They've known each other a long time. This is an important meeting. It'll be intense."   Biden and Xi shook hands in San Francisco Wednesday. One key talking point for the two world leaders is the ongoing fentanyl crisis in the United States.   "The president tasked us several months ago to try to come up with some sort of progress on one of the most terrible things that is a blight on America, the fentanyl crisis," Campbell told Fox News Digital. "So we've worked over the course of several months with Chinese interlocutors demanding progress on cutting off support from precursors that are produced by Chinese companies and then shipped largely to Latin America. And then they make their way up into the United States."   "We're going to have to see how it's implemented," Campbell continued. "But so far, we believe the Chinese are going to take consequential steps that will essentially help us get a handle on really one of the most terrible drug epidemics the United States has ever faced. There's a back and forth on this. If they, in fact, make these arrests and shut down these companies, then we will be lifting a few sanctions."   Another major concern to be addressed between Biden and Xi is the trend of increasingly common incidents between the Chinese and U.S. military. Government officials have reported that communications between China and U.S. military commands has become difficult, with Chinese military leaders refusing to meaningfully converse with their U.S. counterparts.   "We seek to establish responsible mechanisms that can deal with communications in a crisis to prevent escalation and inadvertence. And I believe that the Chinese will come around to see that some of this is also in their best interest as well," Campbell added.   https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/14/national-education-association-teachers-union-strike/ https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/14/national-education-association-teachers-union-strike/   TEACHER’S UNION THAT ENCOURAGED TEACHER STRIKES NOW FACES ITS OWN EMPLOYEE REBELLION   The National Education Association (NEA) has a labor strike on its hands as its 48 employees protest low wages, Axios reports.   The NEA, which represents 3 million educators, has encouraged several massive teacher strikes in past. Now, its own employees have voted unanimously to strike, claiming that wages have not risen to meet surging inflation in recent years.   Thousands of NEA-affiliated Portland teachers went on strike in October over low pay and large class sizes, among other issues. The strike is ongoing. Teachers in Massachusetts and Columbus enjoyed NEA support while they went on strike last year.   “The NEA is going to have step up and honor the values of the organization,” the bargaining chair for the union representing the NEA’s staff, LaToya Johnson, said.   Johnson said she hoped that the organization would give their employees the same benefits they fought for the teachers they represent to have.   “NEA has engaged in negotiations in good faith,” an NEA spokesperson told Axios. “[A]nd continues to apply a solutions-based approach to resolve the outstanding issues in a manner that addresses articulated priorities of AFSE while also balancing the strategic priorities of NEA and its members.”   The NEA, along with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to decide on when and how in-person education would be allows after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to emails obtained by Americans for Public Trust.   https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/11/13/as-the-marvels-bombs-disney-doubles-down-on-pushing-lgbtq-streaming-shows/ https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/11/13/as-the-marvels-bombs-disney-doubles-down-on-pushing-lgbtq-streaming-shows/   AS ‘THE MARVELS’ BOMBS, DISNEY DOUBLES DOWN ON PUSHING LGBTQ STREAMING SHOWS   The Walt Disney Company is rolling out more LGBTQ content as its latest superhero movie The Marvels crashed and burned at the box office on its opening weekend.   The Disney+ drama series Culprits focuses on a gay domestic relationship between two men played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Kevin Vidal. The show focuses on Joe (Stewart-Jarrett), whose past criminal life threatens to re-emerge and disrupt the quiet suburban existence he has built with his male fiancé Jules (Vidal)   The series — which is streaming on Disney+ in the U.K. and Hulu in the U.S. —  also stars drag queen comedian Eddie Izzard, who now apparently goes by the name “Suzy Eddie Izzard.”   In December, Hulu is set to debut the new documentary We Live Here in the Midwest — a look at gay, transgender, and “non-binary” families that live in small towns and cities throughout America’s heartland.   Among the families profiled in the documentary are those with transgender parents. “What my dad was feeling and why she felt like she did, was more than just her. There are more people out there who are like this,” said one child whose father transitioned to become a “woman.”   In another scene, a “non-binary” student discussed how she is treated in class.   “The students believe that ‘non-binary’ do not exist,” she said. “I’m here right now so we do exist.”   We Live Here in the Midwest is set to debut on December 6.   Disney has embraced LGBTQ messaging in its entertainment aimed at children and families.   As Breitbart News reported, Disney along with Netflix put out more LGBTQ content than any other studio in Hollywood in 2022, according to a GLAAD report.   GLAAD said Disney released 59 films in 2022, and 24 of them were so-called “LGBT inclusive films.”   In the past two years, Disney has fought Florida over its anti-grooming Parental Rights in Education law, created multiple transgender characters for its children’s shows, put gay characters at the center of its big-budget movies, and even launched an LGBTQ-themed apparel line.   This year, Disney eliminated 7,000 jobs worldwide as its profitability cratered. CEO Bob Iger is planning on slashing an additional $2 billion in spending in the months ahead.

11m

Nov 16, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 15th, 2023.    PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership with CrossPolitic! We have a lot of big projects we’re working on behind the scenes here at CrossPoltiic. Projects like This America, our rowdy Christian Guides, our new and improved Fight Laugh Feast App, with more to come… and we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com.    https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/14/iran-expects-10-billion-sanctions-waiver-gift-biden/ https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/14/iran-expects-10-billion-sanctions-waiver-gift-biden/   IRAN EXPECTS $10 BILLION SANCTIONS WAIVER GIFT FROM BIDEN   The Iranian pro-regime propaganda site Tasnim News reported on Tuesday that the administration of President Joe Biden is likely to “agree with Iran’s getting access to $10 billion” currently frozen under sanctions, adding to tens of billions in relief the White House has already processed.   “The Biden administration may approve a sanctions waiver on Tuesday that will allow Iran to access at least $10 billion in previously frozen funds held in Iraq,” the outlet declared. “According to reports, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohammad Reza Farzin held talks with his Omani counterpart last month on the acceleration of Iran’s access to its financial resources.”   Tasnim News made the claim based on a report published on Monday by the Washington Free Beacon that described the $10 billion in question as already under a sanctions waiver, but one set to expire on Tuesday. The initial sanctions relief was reportedly issued in July, months before the unprecedented massacre of 1,200 civilians in Israel by the Iran proxy terrorist group Hamas on October 7.   That mass killing – in which Hamas slaughtered children as young as infants, extensively tortured victims and desecrated corpses on camera, and took about 250 hostages – has increased pressure on the Biden administration to end sanctions relief programs that unfreeze money for Iran, allowing the government to use the unfrozen funds on legitimate needs and freeing up other funding to share with terrorist organizations such as Hamas.   According to the original report, the money represents payments made by the government of Iraq to Iran in exchange for electricity services.   “The Trump administration first allowed Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran, but only on the condition that the payments were kept in an escrow account in Baghdad,” the Free Beacon explained. “The Biden administration continued to issue that waiver, and then broadened it in July so that Iraq could move more than $10 billion outside the country, enabling Tehran to draw on the funds for its budget and humanitarian needs.”   The Iranian site Tasnim is sanctioned by the U.S. government for its close ties to the Iranian Islamist dictatorship. It was founded by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and a formal arm of the Iranian military, so it serves as an informal mouthpiece for the Iranian regime.   The October 7 Hamas attack, which the terrorists branded the “al-Aqsa flood,” has renewed calls for the Biden administration to stop its policy of sanctions relief for Iran. Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and pours hundreds of millions of dollars a year into jihadist organizations threatening Israel. According to the U.S. State Department, Hamas itself receives about $100 million a year from the Iranian government. The Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and vocally threatening attacks on Israel regularly, receives about $700 million a year from Iran.   Despite the overwhelming evidence of coordination between Iran and groups such as Hamas, according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Biden administration has granted Iran over $50 billion in sanctions relief. A month before the Israel attacks, Biden approved an agreement that gifted Iran $6 billion in sanctions relief in a single spell. In exchange for the $6 billion, which had been frozen in South Korean banks and which Washington allowed to be transferred to Iran-friendly Qatar, Iran freed five Americans it had been holding hostage in its political prisons.   In October, shortly after the Hamas attack, the Biden administration “temporarily” lifted all oil and gas sanctions on socialist Venezuela, in response to dictator Nicolás Maduro’s short-lived promise to allow a free and fair presidential election. Iran and Venezuela are close allies; Iran refines a significant percentage of its own crude in Venezuela and has helped Venezuela refurbish its dilapidated oil facilities. The two countries recently signed an agreement with the Syrian dictatorship to jointly build a new refining facility.   https://www.foxnews.com/world/nepal-bans-tiktok-disrupting-social-harmony https://www.foxnews.com/world/nepal-bans-tiktok-disrupting-social-harmony   NEPAL BANS TIKTOK FOR 'DISRUPTING SOCIAL HARMONY' Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting "social harmony" in the country.   The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately.   "The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials," Saud said.   He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country's laws and regulations.   It wasn't clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal's requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.   TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in a number of countries because of concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest user data or advance its interests. Countries including the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned the app on government phones despite TikTok repeatedly denying that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked.   Nepal has banned all pornographic sites in 2018.   https://thepostmillennial.com/oregon-voters-want-to-walk-back-legalization-of-hard-drugs?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette https://thepostmillennial.com/oregon-voters-want-to-walk-back-legalization-of-hard-drugs?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette   OREGON VOTERS WANT TO WALK-BACK LEGALIZATION OF HARD DRUGS   In 2020, voters in Oregon passed Measure 110, which decriminalized the possession of certain drugs in small quantities for personal use and shuffled revenue from cannabis taxes to resources aimed at helping addicts. Since it went into effect the following year, crime and substance use has not gone down as intended, and as a result, residents are calling for a reintroduction of criminal penalties for users.   A poll conducted by DHM Research earlier this year revealed that more than 60 percent of Oregonians want to see the decriminalization aspect of Measure 110 repealed, though support for the use of cannabis taxes to fund treatment programs has maintained popularity.   According to the poll, 51 percent of those surveyed said they believed Measure 110 has been bad for Oregon. Of those, 33 percent deemed it "very bad." Over 60 percent said drug addiction, homelessness, and crime had become worse in the time since it was adopted.   Rural voters who identified as Republicans were more likely than their Democratic urban neighbors to believe that the policy has had a negative impact on the state, though a sizable proportion of every demographic said as much.   The poll, conducted via online survey among 500 Oregon voters between April 24 and 30, also found that drug addiction and mental health were viewed as more likely root causes of homelessness than access to affordable housing.   As the Wall Street Journal reports, law enforcement officers across the state have found that contrary to what was expected, doing away with the threat of jail time has not resulted in more addicts seeking help.   Since 2021, while 6,000 tickets have been issued for drug possession, only 92 people have gotten in touch with the helpline to complete an assessment that would connect them with the necessary assistance. Those who fail to call are supposed to receive a $100 fine, however that is hardly ever enforced.   Overdoses have also continued to rise, jumping 23 percent between May 2021-2022 and May 2022-2023 to 1,500 statewide.   https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/sport/adam-johnson-police-arrest-spt-intl/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/sport/adam-johnson-police-arrest-spt-intl/index.html   MAN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MANSLAUGHTER OVER DEATH OF ICE HOCKEY PLAYER ADAM JOHNSON, POLICE SAY   A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson last month, South Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Tuesday.   Johnson died after sustaining a cut to the neck while playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in England on October 28.   A Sheffield coroner’s report found that the 29-year-old “sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by the skate of another player” and later died in hospital as a result of the injury.   “Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a police statement.   “We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.”   The police statement added that the man arrested remains in custody.   Following Johnson’s death, which the Panthers described in a statement on October 29 as a “freak accident,” there has been increased focus on player safety in ice hockey, particularly on whether protective neck guards should be more widely worn.   “Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world,” Horsfall said.   Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Johnson started his professional career in the American Hockey League before progressing to the National Hockey League (NHL).   He featured in 13 games over two years for the Pittsburgh Penguins and also played in Sweden and Germany before joining the Panthers for the 2023-24 season.   In an online obituary, Johnson’s family remembered him as a “thoughtful, patient and genuinely authentic” person who “took pleasure in the small, everyday things.”   Members of the ice hockey community across the world have paid tribute to the forward, including in the city of Nottingham, where fans have laid flowers outside the Motorpoint Arena.   Police said on Tuesday that officers are supporting Johnson’s family while the investigation into his death remains ongoing.

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Nov 15, 2023

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuessday, November 14th, 2023.    FIGHT LAUGH FEAST MAGAZINE Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com.   https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834 https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834   MEDIA IN PANIC MODE OVER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THEY KNEW IN ADVANCE ABOUT HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL   On October 7, four photojournalists who provide reporting and photos for the likes of the Associated Press (AP), CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and other outlets were allegedly at the Israeli border with Hamas terrorists who committed acts of atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians that shocked the world. Since an Israel-supporting news watchdog website reported the claim, everyone wants to know if these Gaza-based reporters knew in advance about the attack and, more importantly, if they could have saved lives by alerting the world about it. The question arises: Did the AP, CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters know about the Hamas terror attack in advance?   The allegations have sent major media into panic mode and generated even more mistrust in the corporate press.   The website HonestReporting, which chronicles coverage of Israel by an increasingly one-sided press to contrast the "Pallywood" and crisis actor coverage by Hamas and its agents, asks: "Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?"   Hamas terrorists paraglided and drove into the civilian populations that day and committed acts of horrific brutality. They wanted their murders and acts of terror chronicled for the world, which is why they wore GoPro cameras and apparently arranged for these traditional media photographers to go in with them.    HonestReporting reported that "four names appear on AP’s photo credits from the Israel-Gaza border area on October 7: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali." The news watchdog took a close look at Elsaiah, a "freelancer who also works for CNN, crossed into Israel, took photos of a burning Israeli tank, and then captured infiltrators entering Kibbutz Kfar Azza."   Elsaiah "did not wear a press vest or a helmet," the website reported. He posted a video of himself on Twitter/X saying that “everyone who were inside this tank were kidnapped, everyone who were inside the tank were kidnapped a short while ago by al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas’ armed wing], as we have seen with our own eyes.”   The website later featured an older photo of Elsaiah with the Hamas leader who planned the attack.   In war reporting, journalists are often given a heads-up and allowed to chronicle American troops heading into battle, for example. But this wasn't an act of war -- it was terror. It was murder for murder's sake. There hadn't been an Israeli offensive to which the Gaza terror organization was responding. Indeed, if Hamas had been wearing uniforms and acting as an "army" they would be accused of war crimes. As it is, they're accused of crimes against humanity.   https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options   UK INFANT INDI GREGORY DIES AMID LEGAL BATTLE WITH BRITISH GOVERNMENT OVER TREATMENT OPTIONS   A terminally ill baby in the United Kingdom, who was the focus of a legal battle involving her parents, British health officials and the Italian government over treatment options, died Monday morning in hospice care.   Christian Concern, a group supporting the family, said 8-month-old Indi Gregory died after her life support was withdrawn on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.   The infant had suffered brain damage because of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease.   The child's doctors said her life support should be removed to allow her to die at a hospital or in hospice, but her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, continued to fight for her to remain on life support, hoping that experimental treatments may extend her life.   The Italian government had solicited permission for her to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the baby amid the legal battle over her health care.   Doctors claimed that Indi was not aware of her surroundings and was suffering as they argued she should be allowed to die peacefully. Legal challenges supported by Christian Concern were rejected by British judges.   Indi's case is the latest in a series of legal battles in the United Kingdom between parents and doctors over treatment for children with terminal illnesses. British judges have repeatedly taken the side of doctors in cases about the best interests of the child, despite parental objections to a proposed treatment option.   Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jackson said on Friday that doctors treating Gregory and other critically ill children were put in an "extremely challenging" position by the legal battle. He also criticized "manipulative litigation tactics" that attempt to frustrate orders made by judges after careful consideration.   https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/ https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/   OVER 70% OF AMERICANS UNWILLING TO BE DRAFTED IF WW3 BREAKS OUT, POLL   A new poll has found that 72 percent of Americans would be unwilling to volunteer to serve their country if WW3 breaks out, compared to just 21 percent who said they would.   As the US becomes deeply embedded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Echelon Insights findings suggest most Americans hold a more ‘America First’ view of foreign policy than the political establishment.   Since 1987, the US military has shrunk by 39 percent, and the Army and Air Force missed their recruitment targets in 2023 by 10,000.   Meanwhile, the Navy missed its target by 6,000.   The lack of troops could pose a big problem for America’s war readiness.   While infantry soldiers are relatively easy to train in a crisis, pilots and naval specialists require years of instruction.   As The National Pulse noted, the traditionally conservative-leaning young people the military has often relied on for manpower may also have been deterred by its intolerant attitude towards unvaccinated Americans in recent years and senior officers’ promotion of far-left interests such as drag and “white rage.”   Meanwhile, with the prospect of WW3 is becoming more likely, Americans may not have to worry about being drafted as nuclear weapons would destroy most countries.   Last week, President Donald Trump warned that Mexico could be at risk of nuclear destruction in the Event of WW3 breaking out from the war in the Middle East.   Trump said the potential ramifications of another nuclear war could involve the total destruction of Mexico.   “The biggest threat is nuclear weapons,” Trump said.   https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/ https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/   FORMER NATIONAL CHAMPION HEAD COACH JIMBO FISCHER FIRED FOR POOR PERFORMANCE   Texas A&M has fired head football coach Jimbo Fischer, bringing his six-year tenure with the Aggies to a close while netting himself $76 million.   The firing comes on the heels of a 51-10 victory of Mississippi State, moving Texas A&M to 6-4 on the season, according to CBS Sports.   Fisher took the Texas A&M head coaching position in 2018, coming off a successful tenure at Florida State, where he won a national championship in 2014, per the outlet. While the Aggies did manage to go 9-4 in 2018, Texas A&M has struggled over the past two seasons, barely cracking eight wins in 2021 and going 5-7 in 2022, per the outlet.   When Fischer became head coach of the Aggies, he signed a 10-year, $75-million contract, which was later extended through 2031. The contract also came with a massive buyout clause worth $76 million, which he is now owed by Texas A&M, per the outlet.   “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and then Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in a statement.   The Aggies will finish off their regular season with Abilene Christian University and top-25 LSU.

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Nov 14, 2023