westernjournal--2020-01-20--Dem Bill in VA Could Limit Number of Outdoor Gun Ranges

A Virginia Democrat is calling for new rules that could vastly limit the number of outdoor gun ranges in Virginia .
The proposal comes amid major steps by Democrats to curtail gun rights and strong pushback from Virginians that includes a march in Richmond on Monday .
The proposed legislation was introduced Jan. 8 by Democratic state Sen. John Bell .
The bill would make it “ unlawful to operate an outdoor shooting range within 500 yards of any property zoned for residential use unless the Range Design Criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Energy , Office of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mark Oliva , director of public affairs of the National Shooting Sports Foundation , said the issue is not what the bill does , but what it could do .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money “ The key language [ in the bill ] is any property zoned for residential use .
That language would allow a county commission to simply change the zoning designation to regulate out the existence or potential for a small business outdoor range to operate , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranges set up on private property could be considered to be breaking the law .
“ This language is unclear if this applies strictly to a commercial , county , state or federal outdoor range , ” he said .
“ That seems to apply to private parties who are participating in recreational shooting on their own property , making them subject to fines of up to $ 1,000,000 for the first violation and an additional $ 5,000 each day following.
” “ This is an attempt to legislate out of existence the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recreational shooting sports and limit the ability of law-abiding Virginians to exercise their Second Amendment rights , ” he said .
Bell ’ s state Senate district includes Loudon County , where in September a woman was injured by a bullet fired by individuals who were target shooting on private property , according to Loudon Now .
That incident prompted calls for new regulations .
“ While I ’ m grateful the latest shooting incident in a heavily populated area of Loudoun did not result in loss of life , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s families should be left to chance , ” Democratic County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall said at the time .
“ Loudoun County has seen over eight incidents of stray bullets from backyard shooting ranges in the last eighteen months.
” Another Virginia Democrat proposed HB 567 , which would require indoor gun ranges to be housed in buildings owned by the state of Virginia or the federal government .
The only exceptions are for indoor ranges with fewer than 50 employees and indoor ranges where police or federal law enforcement officers make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , who gained majorities in both chambers of the Virginia legislature in November , have aggressively pushed gun control bills this month .
The state Senate has already passed three of these bills .
RELATED : Trump Speaks Out on Virginia Gun Rally : Democrats 'Working Hard To Take Away Your 2nd Amendment Rights' At the local level , Virginians have pushed back , with 136 counties , cities and towns passing some version of a Second Amendment sanctuary resolution to protect gun owners from any confiscation plan that might be adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like this in the Second Amendment movement , ” Cam Edwards , a Virginia resident and editor of Bearing Arms , a gun rights website , said , according to The Guardian .
The closest political analogy would be the tea party , he said , “ but this movement is centered around a single issue.
” “ I ’ ve never seen this much intensity with so many people , ” said Philip Van Cleave , president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t know where it ’ s going , but I ’ m just praying they don ’ t do it .
Leave it alone .
Walk away.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A Virginia Democrat is calling for new rules that could vastly limit the number of outdoor gun ranges in Virginia.
The proposal comes amid major steps by Democrats to curtail gun rights and strong pushback from Virginians that includes a march in Richmond on Monday.
The proposed legislation was introduced Jan. 8 by Democratic state Sen. John Bell.
The bill would make it “unlawful to operate an outdoor shooting range within 500 yards of any property zoned for residential use unless the Range Design Criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health, Safety and Security have been met.”
Mark Oliva, director of public affairs of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the issue is not what the bill does, but what it could do.
“The key language [in the bill] is any property zoned for residential use. That language would allow a county commission to simply change the zoning designation to regulate out the existence or potential for a small business outdoor range to operate,” he told the Washington Examiner.
Oliva said ranges set up on private property could be considered to be breaking the law.
“This language is unclear if this applies strictly to a commercial, county, state or federal outdoor range,” he said. “That seems to apply to private parties who are participating in recreational shooting on their own property, making them subject to fines of up to $1,000,000 for the first violation and an additional $5,000 each day following.”
“This is an attempt to legislate out of existence the opportunity to learn and participate in the recreational shooting sports and limit the ability of law-abiding Virginians to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” he said.
Do you think think private gun ranges should be banned? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 0% (2 Votes) No: 100% (410 Votes)
Bell’s state Senate district includes Loudon County, where in September a woman was injured by a bullet fired by individuals who were target shooting on private property, according to Loudon Now.
That incident prompted calls for new regulations.
“While I’m grateful the latest shooting incident in a heavily populated area of Loudoun did not result in loss of life, I don’t believe the safety of Loudoun’s families should be left to chance,” Democratic County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall said at the time. “Loudoun County has seen over eight incidents of stray bullets from backyard shooting ranges in the last eighteen months.”
Another Virginia Democrat proposed HB 567, which would require indoor gun ranges to be housed in buildings owned by the state of Virginia or the federal government. The only exceptions are for indoor ranges with fewer than 50 employees and indoor ranges where police or federal law enforcement officers make up 90 percent of the users.
Democrats, who gained majorities in both chambers of the Virginia legislature in November, have aggressively pushed gun control bills this month. The state Senate has already passed three of these bills.
At the local level, Virginians have pushed back, with 136 counties, cities and towns passing some version of a Second Amendment sanctuary resolution to protect gun owners from any confiscation plan that might be adopted, according to the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in the Second Amendment movement,” Cam Edwards, a Virginia resident and editor of Bearing Arms, a gun rights website, said, according to The Guardian. The closest political analogy would be the tea party, he said, “but this movement is centered around a single issue.”
“I’ve never seen this much intensity with so many people,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. “If they pass gun control, I don’t know where it’s going, but I’m just praying they don’t do it. Leave it alone. Walk away.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Warren Claims She Is Only Dem Candidate with Executive Branch Experience

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , currently running a distant third behind front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , informed Iowa voters last week that she alone brings an “ executive side ” perspective to the race .
“ Let me remind you , I think I ’ m the only one who ’ s running for president who ’ s actually been on the executive side , ” Warren said during a town hall event in Newton , Iowa , according to The Washington Free Beacon .
She then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , according to the Washington Examiner .
“ Remember , after the consumer agency was passed into law , Barack Obama , President Obama , asked me to set it up .
So I set up a federal agency .
We effectively went from two employees the day I walked in the door to about 1,000 and spent a year getting it up and operational , ” the senator said .
Warren was tapped to help create the agency in 2010 but left it in 2011 after being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money Her claim to being the only candidate “ who ’ s been on the executive side ” doesn ’ t bear out .
Among Warren ’ s competitors , Biden served from 2009 through 2017 as the titular second-in-command to Obama , the leader of the nation ’ s executive branch .
Two other candidates also have public-sector executive experience .
Pete Buttigieg served as mayor of South Bend , Indiana , while Sanders formerly served as mayor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Real Clear Politics average of polls , Warren is third with the support of 14.1 percent , while Biden is at 28.4 percent and Sanders is at 20.4 percent .
The CFPB was founded as part of the Obama administration ’ s effort to avert any repetition of the 2008 recession by creating an office to oversee the lending practices and related activities of financial institutions .
A report in Politico Magazine included some less-than-flattering summaries of Warren ’ s character from what Politico said were former administration officials who are not identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ former White House and Treasury officials say they consider Warren a self-serving grandstander who cast them as villains while they were trying to save the global economy from catastrophe.
” The Politico report did not list gratitude among the characteristics former Obama officials attributed to Warren , who wanted to be appointed the head of the CFPB .
Instead , they called her a “ professional critic , ” “ sanctimonious ” and a “ condescending narcissist , ” according to the report .
“ She loved herself , and some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , and that ’ s not aligned with government and bureaucrats which , require teamwork , ” one former administration said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, currently running a distant third behind front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, informed Iowa voters last week that she alone brings an “executive side” perspective to the race.
“Let me remind you, I think I’m the only one who’s running for president who’s actually been on the executive side,” Warren said during a town hall event in Newton, Iowa, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
She then cited her experience in the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to the Washington Examiner.
“Remember, after the consumer agency was passed into law, Barack Obama, President Obama, asked me to set it up. So I set up a federal agency. We effectively went from two employees the day I walked in the door to about 1,000 and spent a year getting it up and operational,” the senator said.
Warren was tapped to help create the agency in 2010 but left it in 2011 after being passed over as its first director.
Her claim to being the only candidate “who’s been on the executive side” doesn’t bear out.
Among Warren’s competitors, Biden served from 2009 through 2017 as the titular second-in-command to Obama, the leader of the nation’s executive branch.
Two other candidates also have public-sector executive experience. Pete Buttigieg served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, while Sanders formerly served as mayor of Burlington, Vermont.
Warren’s remark raised eyebrows on Twitter.
I’m confused. Did Elizabeth Warren just say she’s the only one running for President with executive experience? ? pic.twitter.com/fRvMK4NWvO — chris evans (@notcapnamerica) January 18, 2020
Yesterday, Warren bizarrely claimed she was the only person running for president with executive experience. She seemingly forgot about Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders( a former mayor) and Pete Buttigieg.https://t.co/gW4jPX27IP — Joe Gabriel Simonson (@SaysSimonson) January 18, 2020
Warren is a 2 time senator/professor who’s expertise is limited to economics/banking. Beyond that nothing. She has NO foreign policy experience at all even though, in a recent interview, when asked she cited visiting the troops as experience. https://t.co/9oxOMM1mau — Bettie Rose ? (@BettieRose100) January 19, 2020
According to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Warren is third with the support of 14.1 percent, while Biden is at 28.4 percent and Sanders is at 20.4 percent.
The CFPB was founded as part of the Obama administration’s effort to avert any repetition of the 2008 recession by creating an office to oversee the lending practices and related activities of financial institutions. A report in Politico Magazine included some less-than-flattering summaries of Warren’s character from what Politico said were former administration officials who are not identified by name.
Do you think Warren's executive experience makes her a better candidate? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 1% (3 Votes) No: 99% (456 Votes)
The report said that “former White House and Treasury officials say they consider Warren a self-serving grandstander who cast them as villains while they were trying to save the global economy from catastrophe.”
The Politico report did not list gratitude among the characteristics former Obama officials attributed to Warren, who wanted to be appointed the head of the CFPB. Instead, they called her a “professional critic,” “sanctimonious” and a “condescending narcissist,” according to the report.
“She loved herself, and some of her staff had a God view of her, and that’s not aligned with government and bureaucrats which, require teamwork,” one former administration said.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Planned Parenthood Exposed: Report Shows Why Oft-Mentioned 4 Percent Stat Is Misleading

Although the number of yearly abortions in the U.S. appears to be declining , Planned Parenthood reached an all-time high in the 2018 fiscal year and performed 345,672 abortions , nearly 13,000 more than the year before .
Planned Parenthood is the nation ’ s leading abortion provider , but its most recent annual report claims abortions were only 4 percent of the 9.8 million “ medical services ” provided in 2018 — services which also included testing for sexually transmitted infections , screening for cancer , administering pregnancy tests and more .
That 4 percent figure is highly misleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit law firm that defends pro-life values .
“ Planned Parenthood arrives at this false statistic by dividing the number of children it aborted ( 345,672 ) for the year by the number of ‘ services ’ the group provided ( 9.8 million ) , ” Liberty Counsel said in a news release .
“ This means when a woman visits a Planned Parenthood facility to obtain an abortion , she is also given a pregnancy test , an STI test , a cancer screening and contraception .
Therefore , the abortion procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ services ’ she received.
” TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money The additional services provided for women who come to Planned Parenthood to obtain an abortion skew the statistics , making the number of abortions performed appear smaller than it really is , Liberty Counsel said .
“ Planned Parenthood is the largest killer of unborn children and educating people about the truth about its motives and profits is important for the public to know , ” Liberty Counsel ’ s director of communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement to The Western Journal .
Planned Parenthood ’ s 2018-19 annual report indicates the organization received $ 616 million in total government funding for the year that ended on June 30 , 2019 , $ 53 million more than the prior year , according to the Washington Examiner .
“ As we push forward our mission to deliver care in the year ahead , we will also be at the forefront of challenging unconstitutional laws whenever they are passed — just as we will continue to champion policies that give patients even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to abortion into state law making it easier to get birth control , ” Planned Parenthood wrote in its report .
Even though Planned Parenthood is technically a nonprofit organization , the Family Research Council , a pro-life advocacy group , noted in a news release that in the 2018 fiscal year , Planned Parenthood generated its highest ever gross revenue — $ 1.638 billion .
In analyzing how women pay for their abortion , the Guttmacher Institute , a pro-abortion research group , said in 2018 that Medicaid was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 24 % of abortion patients .
The overwhelming majority of these patients lived in 15 states that allow state funds to be used to pay for abortion.
” And according to the pro-life group LiveAction , as Planned Parenthood ’ s market share on performing abortions increases , so too will the amount of taxpayer dollars that pour into the organization both directly and indirectly .
“ There is no more urgent time than now to defund Planned Parenthood and it is imperative that pro-lifers continue to pressure political leaders at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced taxpayer funding of this abortion behemoth , ” LiveAction wrote in its analysis .
Patrina Mosley , the FRC ’ s director of life , culture and women ’ s advocacy , noted some of the biggest takeaways from Planned Parenthood ’ s annual report in the FRC news release .
“ It is a sad day in our country when an organization can publicly announce their earnings from taking innocent human life , ” Mosley said in a statement .
“ As Planned Parenthood ’ s profit increased , so did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every single day in fiscal year 2018 .
It ’ s inexplicable that a company as scandal-ridden as Planned Parenthood obtains nearly forty percent of their total revenue from the American taxpayer.
” “ We want people to realize what Planned Parenthood really is .
It ’ s not your neighborhood health care service , it is making its money killing innocent children , ” Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in an interview with The Western Journal .
The Western Journal reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment but did not immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Although the number of yearly abortions in the U.S. appears to be declining, Planned Parenthood reached an all-time high in the 2018 fiscal year and performed 345,672 abortions, nearly 13,000 more than the year before.
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading abortion provider, but its most recent annual report claims abortions were only 4 percent of the 9.8 million “medical services” provided in 2018 — services which also included testing for sexually transmitted infections, screening for cancer, administering pregnancy tests and more.
That 4 percent figure is highly misleading, according to Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit law firm that defends pro-life values.
“Planned Parenthood arrives at this false statistic by dividing the number of children it aborted (345,672) for the year by the number of ‘services’ the group provided (9.8 million),” Liberty Counsel said in a news release.
“This means when a woman visits a Planned Parenthood facility to obtain an abortion, she is also given a pregnancy test, an STI test, a cancer screening and contraception. Therefore, the abortion procedure would be considered 20 percent of the ‘services’ she received.”
The additional services provided for women who come to Planned Parenthood to obtain an abortion skew the statistics, making the number of abortions performed appear smaller than it really is, Liberty Counsel said.
“Planned Parenthood is the largest killer of unborn children and educating people about the truth about its motives and profits is important for the public to know,” Liberty Counsel’s director of communications, Holly Meade, said in a statement to The Western Journal.
Planned Parenthood’s 2018-19 annual report indicates the organization received $616 million in total government funding for the year that ended on June 30, 2019, $53 million more than the prior year, according to the Washington Examiner.
“As we push forward our mission to deliver care in the year ahead, we will also be at the forefront of challenging unconstitutional laws whenever they are passed — just as we will continue to champion policies that give patients even more access to care, from codifying the right to abortion into state law making it easier to get birth control,” Planned Parenthood wrote in its report.
Even though Planned Parenthood is technically a nonprofit organization, the Family Research Council, a pro-life advocacy group, noted in a news release that in the 2018 fiscal year, Planned Parenthood generated its highest ever gross revenue — $1.638 billion.
In analyzing how women pay for their abortion, the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research group, said in 2018 that Medicaid was the “second-most-common method of payment, reported by 24% of abortion patients. The overwhelming majority of these patients lived in 15 states that allow state funds to be used to pay for abortion.”
And according to the pro-life group LiveAction, as Planned Parenthood’s market share on performing abortions increases, so too will the amount of taxpayer dollars that pour into the organization both directly and indirectly.
“There is no more urgent time than now to defund Planned Parenthood and it is imperative that pro-lifers continue to pressure political leaders at the state and federal level to end all forced taxpayer funding of this abortion behemoth,” LiveAction wrote in its analysis.
Patrina Mosley, the FRC’s director of life, culture and women’s advocacy, noted some of the biggest takeaways from Planned Parenthood’s annual report in the FRC news release.
“It is a sad day in our country when an organization can publicly announce their earnings from taking innocent human life,” Mosley said in a statement. “As Planned Parenthood’s profit increased, so did their abortions. They aborted 1,768 babies every single day in fiscal year 2018. It’s inexplicable that a company as scandal-ridden as Planned Parenthood obtains nearly forty percent of their total revenue from the American taxpayer.”
“We want people to realize what Planned Parenthood really is. It’s not your neighborhood health care service, it is making its money killing innocent children,” Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in an interview with The Western Journal.
The Western Journal reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Impeachment Manager Says Trump Attempted Bribery, Can’t Explain Why It Isn’t in the Articles

The difficult thing about Donald Trump ’ s impeachment for Democrats is that he ’ s not accused of any crime .
Scholars have said this isn ’ t a prerequisite for impeachment and removal , especially given that impeachment is an inherently political act , but it helps when you ’ re trying to convince a skeptical public ( not to mention Republican senators ) of your case when you can point to an actual felony the president has committed .
Democratic impeachment manager Rep. Jason Crow , however , insists that attempted bribery occurred during President Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Colorado Democrat just can ’ t explain why that wasn ’ t in the articles of impeachment .
Crow was appearing on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” on Sunday where he made the case yet again for the Senate calling witnesses ( “ He has said that his call was a perfect call , he has said that he has done nothing wrong , so let ’ s have the people that are in the best position to confirm that come in and testify before the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the House Democratic majority that ran the vulgarized , fast-track inquiry , that what they really wanted was fairness in the upper chamber ( “ The American people deserve a fair trial , so let ’ s have that fair trial ” ) .
So far , so repetitive .
What really set Crow ’ s appearance apart was his willingness to accuse the president of bribery with a total lack of explanation of why the accusation wasn ’ t in the articles of impeachment .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Own Money To be fair , Crow didn ’ t bring it up unprompted .
“ State of the Union ” host Brianna Keilar asked whether he thought the president had committed the offense .
“ I think that the president did a lot of things that abused his power , ” Crow responded .
When asked if it was bribery specifically , he responded affirmatively .
“ Specifically , you know , he did attempt to bribe and coerce a foreign government official , ” Crow said .
“ In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And why isn ’ t that an article ?
” Keilar asked .
See if you can pick out anything about bribery in Crow ’ s answer : “ We have to look at the entire context of what happened here .
That is what this is about .
It is about the abuse of power .
It ’ s about jeopardizing our national security , our troops .
It is about undermining our free and fair elections .
The broad context of the pattern of this president is what is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeded with the impeachment.
” Keilar pushed the point , especially since Trump defense team member Alan Dershowitz , the constitutional scholar , was on earlier in the show arguing that the articles set forth by the Democrats — obstruction and abuse of power — didn ’ t meet the criteria for impeachment set out in the Constitution .
Bribery , however , is specifically mentioned as an impeachable offense .
Check out his answers here : RELATED : Pelosi Uses Nearly Identical , Decades-Old Attack on Reagan/Bush , Says Proof Is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had bribery as an article and then abuse of power as an article , and , for instance , Alan Dershowitz is going to argue on the Senate floor , as he basically just stated , that bribery is in the Constitution when it comes to impeachment .
He will argue , or will certainly feel , that you , Democrats , would have had a much better case to actually say bribery if you thought it was bribery , ” Keilar said , asking if Crow thought it would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to argue , to include bribery in the articles of impeachment .
Again , Crow didn ’ t actually talk about bribery : “ Let ’ s broaden back out here and talk about what is really going on here .
The president ’ s team is trying to say that the president can ’ t be indicted , because it is DOJ policy that a standing president or sitting president can ’ t be indicted .
“ At the same time , they are also making arguments that the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents or witnesses , and that we can ’ t bring an impeachment case , that it has to be a crime .
That high crimes and misdemeanors do not include abuse of power and abuse of the public trust , ” he said .
“ So if all of the president ’ s arguments are true , that a president can not be indicted , that the abuse of power and abuse of the public trust does not constitute impeachable offense .
If that is true , then no president can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is above the law , ” he said .
“ So those arguments can ’ t possibly be true .
They can ’ t stand because then our entire system of checks and balances would not hold.
” Right .
Crow , like plenty of other Democrats , wants to say Trump is guilty of bribery .
They can ’ t .
They had that opportunity , but they realized it would be difficult to make the point that , statutorily , what Trump did constituted bribery — even if they could prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate that bribery occurs when an official “ directly or indirectly , corruptly demands , seeks , receives , accepts , or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally … in return for … being influenced in the performance of any official act.
” Members of the Democratic majority in the House likely realized they couldn ’ t prove there was a corrupt demand or that “ anything of value ” changed hands .
So instead , their impeachment case hinges on something more nebulous — which means it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scarlet “ I ” could finally be applied to the president .
And that ’ s the important thing for Democrats .
Just ask Nancy Pelosi : “ He has been impeached and you can never erase that , ” she said at the news conference where she announced the impeachment managers .
But impeached for what ?
Of the three presidential impeachment trials in the history of the country , this one easily starts with the weakest evidence against the accused .
But , as GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pens from the signing of the articles of impeachment : There was no chance of ever proving bribery and the Democrats knew it .
They couldn ’ t even get their own conference to agree to include it in the articles of impeachment , even when those articles were entirely cosmetic .
The time to talk about bribery has passed .
Rep. Crow and the Democrats should have spoken then .
Now it ’ s time for them to forever hold their peace , along with those precious pens .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The difficult thing about Donald Trump’s impeachment for Democrats is that he’s not accused of any crime.
Scholars have said this isn’t a prerequisite for impeachment and removal, especially given that impeachment is an inherently political act, but it helps when you’re trying to convince a skeptical public (not to mention Republican senators) of your case when you can point to an actual felony the president has committed.
Democratic impeachment manager Rep. Jason Crow, however, insists that attempted bribery occurred during President Trump’s dealings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Colorado Democrat just can’t explain why that wasn’t in the articles of impeachment.
Crow was appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday where he made the case yet again for the Senate calling witnesses (“He has said that his call was a perfect call, he has said that he has done nothing wrong, so let’s have the people that are in the best position to confirm that come in and testify before the U.S. Senate”) and insisted, as a member of the House Democratic majority that ran the vulgarized, fast-track inquiry, that what they really wanted was fairness in the upper chamber (“The American people deserve a fair trial, so let’s have that fair trial”).
So far, so repetitive. What really set Crow’s appearance apart was his willingness to accuse the president of bribery with a total lack of explanation of why the accusation wasn’t in the articles of impeachment.
To be fair, Crow didn’t bring it up unprompted. “State of the Union” host Brianna Keilar asked whether he thought the president had committed the offense.
“I think that the president did a lot of things that abused his power,” Crow responded. When asked if it was bribery specifically, he responded affirmatively.
“Specifically, you know, he did attempt to bribe and coerce a foreign government official,” Crow said. “In this case, the president of Ukraine.”
“And why isn’t that an article?” Keilar asked.
Do you think the president should have been impeached for bribery? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 1% (33 Votes) No: 99% (4446 Votes)
See if you can pick out anything about bribery in Crow’s answer:
“We have to look at the entire context of what happened here. That is what this is about. It is about the abuse of power. It’s about jeopardizing our national security, our troops. It is about undermining our free and fair elections. The broad context of the pattern of this president is what is really important, and that is why we proceeded with the impeachment.”
Keilar pushed the point, especially since Trump defense team member Alan Dershowitz, the constitutional scholar, was on earlier in the show arguing that the articles set forth by the Democrats — obstruction and abuse of power — didn’t meet the criteria for impeachment set out in the Constitution. Bribery, however, is specifically mentioned as an impeachable offense.
Check out his answers here:
“You could have had bribery as an article and then abuse of power as an article, and, for instance, Alan Dershowitz is going to argue on the Senate floor, as he basically just stated, that bribery is in the Constitution when it comes to impeachment. He will argue, or will certainly feel, that you, Democrats, would have had a much better case to actually say bribery if you thought it was bribery,” Keilar said, asking if Crow thought it would have been a better idea, given what Dershowitz was going to argue, to include bribery in the articles of impeachment.
Again, Crow didn’t actually talk about bribery:
“Let’s broaden back out here and talk about what is really going on here. The president’s team is trying to say that the president can’t be indicted, because it is DOJ policy that a standing president or sitting president can’t be indicted.
“At the same time, they are also making arguments that the House of Representatives and Congress cannot subpoena documents or witnesses, and that we can’t bring an impeachment case, that it has to be a crime. That high crimes and misdemeanors do not include abuse of power and abuse of the public trust,” he said.
“So if all of the president’s arguments are true, that a president cannot be indicted, that the abuse of power and abuse of the public trust does not constitute impeachable offense. If that is true, then no president can be held accountable, that the president truly is above the law,” he said.
“So those arguments can’t possibly be true. They can’t stand because then our entire system of checks and balances would not hold.”
Right. Crow, like plenty of other Democrats, wants to say Trump is guilty of bribery. They can’t. They had that opportunity, but they realized it would be difficult to make the point that, statutorily, what Trump did constituted bribery — even if they could prove a quid pro quo.
Federal statutes indicate that bribery occurs when an official “directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally … in return for … being influenced in the performance of any official act.”
Members of the Democratic majority in the House likely realized they couldn’t prove there was a corrupt demand or that “anything of value” changed hands. So instead, their impeachment case hinges on something more nebulous — which means it’s mostly just election-year posturing and making sure the scarlet “I” could finally be applied to the president.
And that’s the important thing for Democrats. Just ask Nancy Pelosi: “He has been impeached and you can never erase that,” she said at the news conference where she announced the impeachment managers.
But impeached for what? Of the three presidential impeachment trials in the history of the country, this one easily starts with the weakest evidence against the accused. But, as GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming pointed out, at least Democrats got the pens from the signing of the articles of impeachment:
Saying it doesn’t make it so, @RepJasonCrow. You impeached the President with no direct evidence in a totally partisan process where Dems set all the rules, picked all the witnesses, and denied due process. And you still failed to prove your case. But you got a cool pen. https://t.co/PvpIsxoJcz — Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) January 19, 2020
There was no chance of ever proving bribery and the Democrats knew it. They couldn’t even get their own conference to agree to include it in the articles of impeachment, even when those articles were entirely cosmetic.
The time to talk about bribery has passed. Rep. Crow and the Democrats should have spoken then.
Now it’s time for them to forever hold their peace, along with those precious pens.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Prince Harry Breaks Silence After ‘Megxit’ Announcement: ‘It Brings Me Great Sadness That It Has Com

Prince Harry Breaks Silence After ‘Megxit’ Announcement: ‘It Brings Me Great Sadness That It Has Come To This’

Prince Harry took aim at the journalists who have dissected his life since the day he was born as he expressed regret for the way he has had to step down from royal duties .
In a personal speech that referenced his late mother , Princess Diana , who died in a car accident in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi , Harry said Sunday he had “ no other option ” but to step away so that he and his wife , Meghan , could seek a more peaceful life .
“ When I lost my mum 23 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing , ” Harry said at a dinner in London for Sentebale , his Africa-based charity supporting youngsters with HIV .
“ You looked out for me for so long .
“ But the media is a powerful force .
And my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us.
” The comments were Harry ’ s first public remarks since Saturday night , when his grandmother , Queen Elizabeth II , announced the terms under which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from most royal duties , give up public funding and try to become financially independent .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money The couple are expected to spend most of their time in Canada while maintaining a home in England near Windsor Castle .
Meghan has already returned to Canada , where the couple spent a Christmas break with their 8-month-old son , Archie .
Harry , 35 , continued in his royal role Monday , attending a U.K.-Africa investment summit in London alongside British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear how soon Harry will join Meghan , Archie and the couple ’ s dogs in Canada , or where in the country they plan to live .
The couple spent the holiday season on Vancouver Island , and Meghan worked for seven years in Toronto as an actress filming the TV series “ Suits.
” The queen ’ s statement said the agreement , reached after crisis talks among the top royals and their staff , was a “ constructive and supportive way forward.
” But Harry ’ s speech made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten their wish to be able to carry on with some royal duties while still becoming independent .
“ Our hope was to continue serving the queen , the Commonwealth and my military associations , but without public funding .
Unfortunately , that wasn ’ t possible , ” he said .
RELATED : Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Wed in South Africa : 'My Dreams Have Come True' Under the terms of the deal , Harry and Meghan this spring will no longer use the “ royal highness ” titles — although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive public funds for their work .
They will no longer represent the queen , and Harry must relinquish his honorary military appointments , including his role as captain general of the Royal Marines .
The conditions represent a starker break with the monarchy than Harry and Meghan had envisioned when they announced on Instagram that they planned to “ step back ” from royal duties .
Harry said “ it brings me great sadness that it has come to this.
” ” The decision that I have made for my wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I made lightly .
It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges .
And I know I haven ’ t always got it right , but as far as this goes , there really was no other option , ” he said .
Harry has made no secret of his disdain for Britain ’ s tabloid media in the past , with both he and Meghan filing lawsuits against press outlets last fall .
At the time , Harry gave an interview drawing parallels between the treatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to the death of his mother .
Harry praised his grandmother , the queen , and the rest of his family for supporting him and his wife in recent months .
He called the decision to change both jobs and continents “ a leap of faith ” and said he hopes the move will allow him and his family to achieve a “ more peaceful life.
” Harry opened his speech Sunday by noting that many in the audience had watched him grow up and said he wanted them “ to hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I can share , not as a prince , or a duke , but as Harry.
” He framed the decision to leave as his own , made on behalf of Meghan and Archie .
Harry spoke of both during his remarks , telling the audience that 8-month-old Archie had seen snow for the first time a few days ago and “ thought it was bloody brilliant.
” He then turned to his relationship with the queen and other members of his family .
“ I will always have the utmost respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief — and I ’ m incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months , ” he said .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Prince Harry took aim at the journalists who have dissected his life since the day he was born as he expressed regret for the way he has had to step down from royal duties.
In a personal speech that referenced his late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi, Harry said on Jan. 19 he had “no other option” but to step away so that he and his wife, Meghan, could seek a more peaceful life.
“When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing,” Harry said at a dinner in London for Sentebale, his Africa-based charity supporting youngsters with HIV. “You looked out for me for so long.
“But the media is a powerful force. And my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us.”
The comments were Harry’s first public remarks since the night of Jan. 18, when his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, announced the terms under which the prince and his wife will walk away from most royal duties, give up public funding and try to become financially independent.
The couple are expected to spend most of their time in Canada while maintaining a home in England near Windsor Castle.
Meghan has already returned to Canada, where the couple spent a Christmas break with their 8-month-old son, Archie.
Harry, 35, continued in his royal role Monday, attending a U.K.-Africa investment summit in London alongside British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It was not clear how soon Harry will join Meghan, Archie and the couple’s dogs in Canada, or where in the country they plan to live.
The couple spent the holiday season on Vancouver Island, and Meghan worked for seven years in Toronto as an actress filming the TV series “Suits.”
The queen’s statement said the agreement, reached after crisis talks among the top royals and their staff, was a “constructive and supportive way forward.”
But Harry’s speech made it clear that the couple had not gotten their wish to be able to carry on with some royal duties while still becoming independent.
“Our hope was to continue serving the queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible,” he said.
Under the terms of the deal, Harry and Meghan this spring will no longer use the “royal highness” titles — although they will formally retain them — or receive public funds for their work. They will no longer represent the queen, and Harry must relinquish his honorary military appointments, including his role as captain general of the Royal Marines.
The conditions represent a starker break with the monarchy than Harry and Meghan had envisioned when they announced on Instagram that they planned to “step back” from royal duties.
Harry said “it brings me great sadness that it has come to this.”
”The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I haven’t always got it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option,” he said.
Harry has made no secret of his disdain for Britain’s tabloid media in the past, with both he and Meghan filing lawsuits against press outlets last fall. At the time, Harry gave an interview drawing parallels between the treatment of his wife and the media frenzy that contributed to the death of his mother.
Harry praised his grandmother, the queen, and the rest of his family for supporting him and his wife in recent months.
He called the decision to change both jobs and continents “a leap of faith” and said he hopes the move will allow him and his family to achieve a “more peaceful life.”
Harry opened his speech Sunday by noting that many in the audience had watched him grow up and said he wanted them “to hear the truth from me, as much as I can share, not as a prince, or a duke, but as Harry.”
He framed the decision to leave as his own, made on behalf of Meghan and Archie. Harry spoke of both during his remarks, telling the audience that 8-month-old Archie had seen snow for the first time a few days ago and “thought it was bloody brilliant.”
He then turned to his relationship with the queen and other members of his family.
“I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother — my commander in chief — and I’m incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months,” he said.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Unlikely Hero’s Historic Day Carries 49ers to Win Over Packers, Trip to Super Bowl

Coach Kyle Shanahan received the NFC championship trophy from his Super Bowl-winning father Mike and raised it to the sky .
The San Francisco 49ers have gone on a surprising journey from No .
2 pick in the draft to one of the last two teams standing .
They have one of the most unlikely playoff heroes to thank for it .
Journeyman Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns to make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo mostly a spectator , Nick Bosa harassed Aaron Rodgers from the start and the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money “ I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers , ” said Mostert , who has been cut seven times in his career .
“ Now I get to actually tell them , ‘ Look where I ’ m at now.
’ “ I never gave up on my dreams.
” The Niners ( 15-3 ) also had their skeptics after winning just 10 games in the first two seasons under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those rough two seasons and now have advanced to the franchise ’ s first Super Bowl in seven years .
The Niners will play the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks in Miami when Shanahan tries to join his father as coaching champions .
“ It was pretty special , ” Shanahan said of getting handed the trophy from his father at the postgame ceremony .
“ To get a trophy handed to you by anyone is really cool .
… It was pretty cool it happened there at the end.
” After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season to Rodgers and the Packers ( 14-4 ) , the 49ers are the third team to make it to the Super Bowl a year after winning four or fewer games .
Cincinnati did it in 1988 and the Rams 1999 , with the Rams the only team to go from four wins to a championship in one year .
“ It ’ s still kind of surreal , ” linebacker Fred Warner said .
“ With the stuff this team has gone through , this organization , it ’ s special .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” RELATED : Still Plenty To Play for in Last Week of NFL Regular Season as Six Teams Battle for Crucial First-Round Bye Bosa , the prize for last year ’ s rough season as the No .
2 overall pick , helped set the tone when he ended Green Bay ’ s second drive of the game with a 13-yard sack of Rodgers .
Mostert , a former special teams standout , did much of the rest in a remarkable redemption story for a former surfer who carried the ball only eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NFL while bouncing between teams .
But he has become a key part of the NFC ’ s top team this year , leading the Niners with 772 yards rushing in the regular season and delivering a performance for the ages in the NFC title game .
He had the second-most yards rushing in a playoff game to Eric Dickerson ’ s 248 for the Rams on Jan. 4 , 1986 , and was the first player to rush for at least four TDs and 200 yards in a playoff game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yards on a third-and-8 trap play to open the scoring on San Francisco ’ s second drive and kept ripping off long runs behind impressive blocking .
“ He ’ s so fast , ” tackle Joe Staley said .
“ He ’ s incredibly fast .
He ’ s fearless going through the hole .
He has trust in the linemen to block it up .
He ’ s a great running back.
” He added TD runs of 9 and 18 yards in the second quarter and had 160 yards rushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player in NFL history to rush for at least 150 yards and three TDs in the first half of a playoff game .
Mostert added a 22-yard TD run in the third quarter .
“ The lanes that we saw and the way he was running we just wanted to keep feeding him , ” Shanahan said .
“ I know he was feeling it .
That wasn ’ t too hard to see.
” Rodgers and the Packers were unable to match that performance as they got overwhelmed by San Francisco ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this season .
Rodgers had a career-low 3.15 yards per attempt in a 37-8 loss here back in November and wasn ’ t much better in the first half of the rematch .
He lost a snap from center to end Green Bay ’ s only promising drive of the half , threw an interception to Emmanuel Moseley late in the half and didn ’ t convert his first third down of the season — in 18 attempts — against the Niners until connecting on a 6-yard pass to Aaron Jones on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We just weren ’ t very consistent the first half , ” Rodgers said .
“ Made a couple of mistakes personally that hurt us and kind of let it get away from us.
” Rodgers capped that drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Jones , but the game was too far out of hand by that point .
He led Green Bay to two more TDs and finished with 326 yards passing , but it wasn ’ t nearly enough as the Packers lost the NFC title game for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip following the 2010 season .
“ Right now , they are the gold standard in the NFC , ” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the 49ers .
The Niners asked very little of Garoppolo , who threw only eight passes thanks to the big-play running game and lopsided score .
He went 24 minutes of game time between his sixth and seventh passes and finished with six completions for 77 yards .
It was tied for the second-fewest passes thrown in a playoff game .
Miami threw six and seven passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
Rodgers ’ two TD passes gave him 40 in his playoff career , breaking Brett Favre ’ s franchise record of 39 .
Rodgers also has seven straight playoff games with at least two TD throws , one shy of Joe Flacco ’ s record .
Packers : S Adrian Amos left after injuring his pectoral muscle in the first half .
… CB Jaire Alexander left in the second half with a thumb injury .
49ers : RB Tevin Coleman left in the first half with a shoulder injury .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs on Feb. 2 .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Coach Kyle Shanahan received the NFC championship trophy from his Super Bowl-winning father Mike and raised it to the sky.
The San Francisco 49ers have gone on a surprising journey from No. 2 pick in the draft to one of the last two teams standing. They have one of the most unlikely playoff heroes to thank for it.
Journeyman Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns to make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo mostly a spectator, Nick Bosa harassed Aaron Rodgers from the start and the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 for the NFC championship on Sunday.
“I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers,” said Mostert, who has been cut seven times in his career. “Now I get to actually tell them, ‘Look where I’m at now.’
“I never gave up on my dreams.”
The Niners (15-3) also had their skeptics after winning just 10 games in the first two seasons under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
But they put pieces and systems in place during those rough two seasons and now have advanced to the franchise’s first Super Bowl in seven years.
Will the 49ers win the Super Bowl? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 56% (59 Votes) No: 44% (46 Votes)
The Niners will play the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks in Miami when Shanahan tries to join his father as coaching champions.
“It was pretty special,” Shanahan said of getting handed the trophy from his father at the postgame ceremony. “To get a trophy handed to you by anyone is really cool. … It was pretty cool it happened there at the end.”
After giving a second thorough beating of the season to Rodgers and the Packers (14-4), the 49ers are the third team to make it to the Super Bowl a year after winning four or fewer games.
Cincinnati did it in 1988 and the Rams 1999, with the Rams the only team to go from four wins to a championship in one year.
“It’s still kind of surreal,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “With the stuff this team has gone through, this organization, it’s special. Its the pinnacle of football right here.”
Bosa, the prize for last year’s rough season as the No. 2 overall pick, helped set the tone when he ended Green Bay’s second drive of the game with a 13-yard sack of Rodgers.
Mostert, a former special teams standout, did much of the rest in a remarkable redemption story for a former surfer who carried the ball only eight times in his first three seasons in the NFL while bouncing between teams.
But he has become a key part of the NFC’s top team this year, leading the Niners with 772 yards rushing in the regular season and delivering a performance for the ages in the NFC title game.
He had the second-most yards rushing in a playoff game to Eric Dickerson’s 248 for the Rams on Jan. 4, 1986, and was the first player to rush for at least four TDs and 200 yards in a playoff game.
Mostert got started when he burst 36 yards on a third-and-8 trap play to open the scoring on San Francisco’s second drive and kept ripping off long runs behind impressive blocking.
“He’s so fast,” tackle Joe Staley said. “He’s incredibly fast. He’s fearless going through the hole. He has trust in the linemen to block it up. He’s a great running back.”
He added TD runs of 9 and 18 yards in the second quarter and had 160 yards rushing at the half, becoming the only player in NFL history to rush for at least 150 yards and three TDs in the first half of a playoff game.
Mostert added a 22-yard TD run in the third quarter.
“The lanes that we saw and the way he was running we just wanted to keep feeding him,” Shanahan said. “I know he was feeling it. That wasn’t too hard to see.”
Raheem Mostert finished with a career-high 220 rushing yards on 29 carries in the @49ers NFC Championship win, reaching 15+ MPH on all 4 TD runs: ➤ 36-yard TD: 21.87 MPH
➤ 9-yard TD: 18.02 MPH
➤ 18-yard TD: 18.16 MPH
➤ 22-yard TD: 16.71 MPH#GBvsSF | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/LgbNC2ifX5 — Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 20, 2020
Rodgers and the Packers were unable to match that performance as they got overwhelmed by San Francisco’s dominant front for a second time this season.
Rodgers had a career-low 3.15 yards per attempt in a 37-8 loss here back in November and wasn’t much better in the first half of the rematch.
He lost a snap from center to end Green Bay’s only promising drive of the half, threw an interception to Emmanuel Moseley late in the half and didn’t convert his first third down of the season — in 18 attempts — against the Niners until connecting on a 6-yard pass to Aaron Jones on the opening drive of the second quarter.
“We just weren’t very consistent the first half,” Rodgers said. “Made a couple of mistakes personally that hurt us and kind of let it get away from us.”
Rodgers capped that drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Jones, but the game was too far out of hand by that point.
He led Green Bay to two more TDs and finished with 326 yards passing, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Packers lost the NFC title game for the third time since their last Super Bowl trip following the 2010 season.
“Right now, they are the gold standard in the NFC,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the 49ers.
QUIET DAY
The Niners asked very little of Garoppolo, who threw only eight passes thanks to the big-play running game and lopsided score. He went 24 minutes of game time between his sixth and seventh passes and finished with six completions for 77 yards. It was tied for the second-fewest passes thrown in a playoff game. Miami threw six and seven passes on the Super Bowl following the 1973 season.
PASSING FAVRE
Rodgers’ two TD passes gave him 40 in his playoff career, breaking Brett Favre’s franchise record of 39. Rodgers also has seven straight playoff games with at least two TD throws, one shy of Joe Flacco’s record.
INJURIES
Packers: S Adrian Amos left after injuring his pectoral muscle in the first half. … CB Jaire Alexander left in the second half with a thumb injury.
49ers: RB Tevin Coleman left in the first half with a shoulder injury.
UP NEXT
49ers: The team’s seventh appearance in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs on Feb. 2.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-01-21--Kellyanne Conway Says Impeachment Goes Against Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Vision’ for America

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Monday she does not believe the Democrat-led impeachment of President Donald Trump fits with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s “ vision ” for America .
NBC News White House correspondent Geoff Bennett asked Conway what Trump was doing to observe Martin Luther King Jr. day .
Conway responded that the president — who was traveling to the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , on Monday – “ agrees with many of the things that Dr. Martin Luther King stood for and agreed with for many years , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump is not trying to tear the country apart through impeachment , as , she implied , congressional Democrats are .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money “ I ’ ve held my opinion on it for a very long time , ” Conway said , “ but when you see the articles of impeachment they came out , I don ’ t think it was within Dr. King ’ s vision to have Americans dragged through a process where the president is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not being charged with bribery , extortion , high crimes or misdemeanors .
“ And I think that anybody who cares about ‘ and justice for all ’ on today or any day of the year will appreciate the fact that the president now will have a full-throttle defense on the facts , and everybody should have that.
” she continued .
Trump ’ s legal team filed a lengthy legal brief with the Senate on Monday calling the House Democrats ’ impeachment effort an “ affront to the Constitution ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s 110-page legal brief highlights that the House voted to impeach the president without alleging any criminal conduct .
Article II , Section 4 of the Constitution provides that the president “ shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for , and Conviction of , Treason , Bribery , or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
” The president ’ s attorneys argued that “ the Senate should speedily reject these deficient Articles of Impeachment and acquit the President.
” “ The only threat to the Constitution that House Democrats have brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment process and trampling of the separation of powers , ” the legal brief read .
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia argued on Fox News ’ “ Life , Liberty , and Levin ” that House Democrats did not afford Trump the due-process rights that are a hallmark of equal justice under the law during their impeachment proceedings .
RELATED : Trump 's Legal Team Files Lengthy Brief Calling Impeachment Articles 'an Affront to the Constitution' Collins pointed out that House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burden of proving his innocence , rather than have the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty .
Similarly , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in October , when launching the impeachment inquiry , that Trump would have the chance to “ exonerate himself.
” “ Did we all of a sudden suspend the Bill of Rights ?
” Collins asked Levin .
“ Did we suspend any modicum of due process ?
” The lawmaker mentioned that while Democrats like Hoyer and Pelosi shifted the burden of proof to Trump , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses during the House hearings or have legal counsel present during the questioning of fact witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee .
“ I don ’ t care if you think this president ought to be impeached or not , ” Collins said .
“ This is irrelevant .
This should bother everybody.
” “ This is a political impeachment , ” he said .
“ It has been a political impeachment from day one.
” On Martin Luther King Jr. Day last year , Trump argued that King ’ s vision for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his administration .
The president pointed to record-low unemployment rates for African-Americans , Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans .
Trump also highlighted the “ First Step Act , ” passed with bipartisan support in December 2018 , which is intended to give those who have been incarcerated for non-violent crimes a “ second chance at life , ” through new sentencing guidelines and education and job-training programs designed to make their transition back into society easier .
“ We have also made great strides as a nation , ” he said , “ but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for , in the words of Dr. King , ‘ justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream . '
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Monday she does not believe the Democrat-led impeachment of President Donald Trump fits with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “vision” for America.
NBC News White House correspondent Geoff Bennett asked Conway what Trump was doing to observe Martin Luther King Jr. day.
Conway responded that the president — who was traveling to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday –“agrees with many of the things that Dr. Martin Luther King stood for and agreed with for many years, including unity and equality.”
She then said that Trump is not trying to tear the country apart through impeachment, as, she implied, congressional Democrats are.
WATCH: Asked about President Trump observing #MLKDay today, Kellyanne Conway discusses MLK’s values and the impeachment effort against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/Tx5q70Yf1d — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 20, 2020
“I’ve held my opinion on it for a very long time,” Conway said, “but when you see the articles of impeachment they came out, I don’t think it was within Dr. King’s vision to have Americans dragged through a process where the president is not going to be removed from office, is not being charged with bribery, extortion, high crimes or misdemeanors.
“And I think that anybody who cares about ‘and justice for all’ on today or any day of the year will appreciate the fact that the president now will have a full-throttle defense on the facts, and everybody should have that.” she continued.
Trump’s legal team filed a lengthy legal brief with the Senate on Monday calling the House Democrats’ impeachment effort an “affront to the Constitution” that should be rejected on its face.
Do you think Conway's right? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 98% (106 Votes) No: 2% (2 Votes)
Trump’s 110-page legal brief highlights that the House voted to impeach the president without alleging any criminal conduct.
Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution provides that the president “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
The president’s attorneys argued that “the Senate should speedily reject these deficient Articles of Impeachment and acquit the President.”
“The only threat to the Constitution that House Democrats have brought to light is their own degradation of the impeachment process and trampling of the separation of powers,” the legal brief read.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia argued on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty, and Levin” that House Democrats did not afford Trump the due-process rights that are a hallmark of equal justice under the law during their impeachment proceedings.
Collins pointed out that House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland had said that Trump bore the burden of proving his innocence, rather than have the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty.
Similarly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in October, when launching the impeachment inquiry, that Trump would have the chance to “exonerate himself.”
“Did we all of a sudden suspend the Bill of Rights?” Collins asked Levin. “Did we suspend any modicum of due process?”
The lawmaker mentioned that while Democrats like Hoyer and Pelosi shifted the burden of proof to Trump, they also denied him the opportunity to call witnesses during the House hearings or have legal counsel present during the questioning of fact witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee.
“I don’t care if you think this president ought to be impeached or not,” Collins said. “This is irrelevant. This should bother everybody.”
“This is a political impeachment,” he said.
“It has been a political impeachment from day one.”
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day last year, Trump argued that King’s vision for a more equitable America had advanced under his administration.
The president pointed to record-low unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans.
Trump also highlighted the “First Step Act,” passed with bipartisan support in December 2018, which is intended to give those who have been incarcerated for non-violent crimes a “second chance at life,” through new sentencing guidelines and education and job-training programs designed to make their transition back into society easier.
“We have also made great strides as a nation,” he said, “but we acknowledge that more work must be done for, in the words of Dr. King, ‘justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.'”
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Report: It Looks Like Bernie Voters Could Throw Win to Trump If Biden Gets Nomination

The supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are a loyal bunch and they do not tend to get on board with anyone who is not their socialist hero .
Many of them sat at home during the 2016 presidential election , which was not the only reason that President Donald Trump won — but it certainly did not hurt .
And now many of them are threatening to sit home again in 2020 if the Democratic Party insists on rigging its primary for former Vice President Joe Biden .
Sanders supporters believe that the senator , who is at or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very close race in Iowa , is getting shafted by the Democrats and the establishment media again .
And they are not happy about it , the Washington Examiner reported .
Joe Jackelen , 35 , told the Examiner that he wrote Sanders ’ name in on his 2016 presidential ballot as he refused to vote for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , saying that he did not like what she “ stood for.
” TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money “ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates out there , I can see them just sucking any enthusiasm from any undecided voters .
So anyone who might have been for Bernie won ’ t vote for Biden or any of the others out there , ” he said after a town hall for Sanders in Newton , Iowa .
“ I think that people will sit at home because they see establishment Democrats that don ’ t really care .
The only thing that they bring to the table is that they ’ re not Trump .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will get a win over Trump , ” Jackelen , an IT professional , said .
Another voter , 65-year-old Kay Pence , is also disillusioned by the state of the Democratic Party , who said that she did not see the “ hope and change ” that former President Barack Obama promised .
“ A lot of people are backing away from voting , ” Pence said .
And her sentiment is backed up by many people on social media who are not interested in Biden as a candidate .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the nominee , I ’ m sitting the election out , ” one Twitter user wrote .
“ Joe Biden has way too many skeletons in his closet to win an election with Trump .
Democrats will nominate him at their own peril .
Biden guarantees 4 more years of Trump .
# NeverBiden , ” another wrote .
RELATED : After Russia Hacks Ukrainian Company , Bernie Sanders Finds a Way To Blame Republicans And there were many more similar sentiments .
But some Democrats , like 51-year-old insurance analyst Bryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that way .
“ Bernie ’ s had his chance four years ago .
He ’ s 78 ; he had a heart attack .
Come on .
His electability is not there .
His demographic is the 20-something age group , right ?
Who are the ones who get out and vote or go caucus ?
” he told the Examiner .
“ ‘ If Bernie doesn ’ t get the nomination , well , I ’ m not going to vote.
’ How did that work for you last time ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70-year-old white men rule the presidency , and the Senate , and the House .
It ’ s time to usher in that new era we ’ ve been talking about , ” Crowder said .
It is primary season and far too early to know if the Bernie-or-bust crowd will stick to their guns the way many did in 2016 .
And there is also no way to know if they represent enough votes to affect the election .
As it stands , there are major electability issues with all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be running on a platform of “ Hey , I ’ m not Trump.
” But one thing is for certain : Watching them fight amongst themselves is comedy gold .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are a loyal bunch and they do not tend to get on board with anyone who is not their socialist hero.
Many of them sat at home during the 2016 presidential election, which was not the only reason that President Donald Trump won — but it certainly did not hurt.
And now many of them are threatening to sit home again in 2020 if the Democratic Party insists on rigging its primary for former Vice President Joe Biden.
Sanders supporters believe that the senator, who is at or near the top of most polls in a very close race in Iowa, is getting shafted by the Democrats and the establishment media again. And they are not happy about it, the Washington Examiner reported.
Joe Jackelen, 35, told the Examiner that he wrote Sanders’ name in on his 2016 presidential ballot as he refused to vote for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying that he did not like what she “stood for.”
“When I look at some of these other candidates out there, I can see them just sucking any enthusiasm from any undecided voters. So anyone who might have been for Bernie won’t vote for Biden or any of the others out there,” he said after a town hall for Sanders in Newton, Iowa.
“I think that people will sit at home because they see establishment Democrats that don’t really care. The only thing that they bring to the table is that they’re not Trump. That is not going to drive enough people out that will get a win over Trump,” Jackelen, an IT professional, said.
Another voter, 65-year-old Kay Pence, is also disillusioned by the state of the Democratic Party, who said that she did not see the “hope and change” that former President Barack Obama promised.
“A lot of people are backing away from voting,” Pence said. And her sentiment is backed up by many people on social media who are not interested in Biden as a candidate.
“If Joe ‘Crime Bill’ Biden is the nominee, I’m sitting the election out,” one Twitter user wrote.
If Joe “Crime Bill” Biden is the nominee, I’m sitting the election out. #NeverBiden https://t.co/ZFv8rQC9y4 — yellow vest america ? (@america_vest) January 15, 2020
“Joe Biden has way too many skeletons in his closet to win an election with Trump. Democrats will nominate him at their own peril. Biden guarantees 4 more years of Trump. #NeverBiden,” another wrote.
Joe Biden has way too many skeletons in his closet to win an election with Trump. Democrats will nominate him at their own peril. Biden guarantees 4 more years of Trump.#NeverBiden https://t.co/5SKnba64eK — Blue Check! (@torstrick) January 20, 2020
And there were many more similar sentiments.
Joe Biden in 1993 speech warned of ‘predators on our streets’ – CNN Video
joe biden is a racist trump democrat this is disqualifying @joebiden drop out #NeverBiden https://t.co/hp8o5XyJTr — #GayWaiterPaul2020 (@PaulSorrentino3) January 19, 2020
Why isn’t creepy @joebiden being talked about more? I mean he does not interact with women in a normal fashion, he’s actions border on sexual assault IMHO#NeverBiden #CreepyJoe https://t.co/gZu3jq6pbI — Mark Buckman for Bernie Sanders! (@bAdmArk) January 20, 2020
If you’re looking for a president with a track record of boosting foreign intervention, expanding the surveillance state, and steadfastly backing Israel despite its war crimes, Joe Biden is your guy.#BidenIsaWarhawk #NeverBiden#NoMoreWars https://t.co/gby9QXJcK3 — ?Dark Warlord? (@drkwarlord) January 20, 2020
Thread. 5 videos of Biden calling for social security cuts. Show your parents & grandparents what they have at stake with a Biden Presidency. This man is a Republican in Democrat clothing. #NeverBiden https://t.co/si7CZ6jt5C — BernItUpOrBurnItDown?? (@kicranston) January 19, 2020
But some Democrats, like 51-year-old insurance analyst Bryan Crowder, don’t see it that way.
“Bernie’s had his chance four years ago. He’s 78; he had a heart attack. Come on. His electability is not there. His demographic is the 20-something age group, right? Who are the ones who get out and vote or go caucus?” he told the Examiner.
Do you think Bernie Sanders is unelectable? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 90% (372 Votes) No: 10% (40 Votes)
“‘If Bernie doesn’t get the nomination, well, I’m not going to vote.’ How did that work for you last time? We’ve got to stop letting 70-year-old white men rule the presidency, and the Senate, and the House. It’s time to usher in that new era we’ve been talking about,” Crowder said.
It is primary season and far too early to know if the Bernie-or-bust crowd will stick to their guns the way many did in 2016. And there is also no way to know if they represent enough votes to affect the election.
As it stands, there are major electability issues with all of the Democratic candidates and they all appear to be running on a platform of “Hey, I’m not Trump.”
But one thing is for certain: Watching them fight amongst themselves is comedy gold.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Singer-Songwriter David Olney Reportedly Says ‘I’m Sorry’ to Crowd, Then Dies Onstage During Perform

Singer-Songwriter David Olney Reportedly Says ‘I’m Sorry’ to Crowd, Then Dies Onstage During Performance

Singer-songwriter David Olney , 71 , quietly passed away in the midst of a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival on Saturday night .
According to NBC News , Olney was in the middle of playing for a crowd at Santa Rosa Beach in Florida when he paused , apologized , then “ fell silent and dropped his head.
” Olney , considered a musical giant in the folk-rock community , was in the middle of his second festival performance of the day when he died .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the musicians on stage and the crowd did not realize that Olney had passed away , thinking he was perhaps just taking an artistic pause .
Amy Rigby , who was sitting beside Olney when he stopped playing , recounted the moment on Facebook .
“ Olney was in the middle of his third song when he stopped , apologized and shut his eyes , ” she wrote .
“ He was very still , sitting upright with his guitar on , wearing the coolest hat and a beautiful rust suede jacket we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell outside the boathouse where we were playing.
” “ I just want the picture to be as graceful and dignified as it was , because it at first looked like he was just taking a moment , ” Rigby wrote .
Rigby said that fellow musician Scott Miller initiated an attempt to revive Olney , joined by doctors from the crowd as well as festival officials in hopes to save the singer ’ s life .
“ I am so sorry for his wife and family and friends and all the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even those who never heard of him , ” Rigby wrote .
RELATED : Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Wed in South Africa : 'My Dreams Have Come True' “ We all lost someone important last night.
” Miller echoed Rigby ’ s words in a post of his own , describing Olney ’ s calm and gentle final moments .
“ David was playing a song when he paused , said ‘ I ’ m sorry ’ and put his chin to his chest , ” Miller wrote .
“ He never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stool .
It was as easy and gentle as he was .
“ We got him down and tried our best to revive him until the EMT ’ s arrived , ” Miller continued .
“ The world lost a good one last night.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Singer-songwriter David Olney, 71, quietly passed away in the midst of a performance at the 30A Songwriters Festival on Saturday night.
According to NBC News, Olney was in the middle of playing for a crowd at Santa Rosa Beach in Florida when he paused, apologized, then “fell silent and dropped his head.”
Olney, considered a musical giant in the folk-rock community, was in the middle of his second festival performance of the day when he died.
Singer-songwriter David Olney has died at age 71, after falling silent and dropping his head in the midst of a performance at a songwriters festival in Florida on Saturday. https://t.co/vE0YvjB4CT — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 20, 2020
NBC reported that at first, the musicians on stage and the crowd did not realize that Olney had passed away, thinking he was perhaps just taking an artistic pause.
Amy Rigby, who was sitting beside Olney when he stopped playing, recounted the moment on Facebook.
“Olney was in the middle of his third song when he stopped, apologized and shut his eyes,” she wrote.
“He was very still, sitting upright with his guitar on, wearing the coolest hat and a beautiful rust suede jacket we laughed about because it was raining like hell outside the boathouse where we were playing.”
Singer-songwriter David Olney, whose songs were recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and others, died on stage while performing at a festival in Florida, his website says. He was 71. https://t.co/1nqhHoAV2O pic.twitter.com/5SShKPcRie — CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 20, 2020
“I just want the picture to be as graceful and dignified as it was, because it at first looked like he was just taking a moment,” Rigby wrote.
Rigby said that fellow musician Scott Miller initiated an attempt to revive Olney, joined by doctors from the crowd as well as festival officials in hopes to save the singer’s life.
“I am so sorry for his wife and family and friends and all the people who loved him and his music. Even those who never heard of him,” Rigby wrote.
“We all lost someone important last night.”
Miller echoed Rigby’s words in a post of his own, describing Olney’s calm and gentle final moments.
“David was playing a song when he paused, said ‘I’m sorry’ and put his chin to his chest,” Miller wrote.
“He never dropped his guitar or fell off his stool. It was as easy and gentle as he was.
“We got him down and tried our best to revive him until the EMT’s arrived,” Miller continued. “The world lost a good one last night.”
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Wealth Tax Pioneer: Warren’s Wealth Tax Would Have Hardly Any Effect on Equality

One of the hallmarks of Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s 2020 presidential campaign ( aside from repeated examples of blatant dishonesty ) is her incessant attacks against the wealthiest people in this country .
Warren has framed her attacks as being based on a concern over inequality in income and wealth .
But in all likelihood , the reality of the situation is that Warren , like many others on the progressive left , is driven more by envy and greed than a true concern over inequality .
In fact , a December study of the senator ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal economist highly in favor of taxing the wealthy — showed that Warren ’ s proposal would actually do very little , if anything , to address the level of economic inequality in this nation .
Sen. Warren has proposed a wealth tax that would impose an additional 2 percent tax on wealth in excess of $ 50 million , with an extra 1 percent surcharge — 3 percent overall , on top of existing tax rates — on accumulated wealth in excess of $ 1 billion .
In the minds of Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax on the wealthy would somehow bring in enough extra revenue to the federal government to redistribute to the less wealthy 99 percent of the country and supposedly substantially reduce the measure of inequality in terms of income and total wealth .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money According to economist Edward Wolff , however , Warren ’ s plan would do next to nothing to actually address economic inequality .
The tax would not bring in a substantial amount of revenue and could , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthy to flee the nation with their wealth to avoid paying the tax .
In his paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research , Wolff studied Warren ’ s wealth tax proposal alongside a similar Swiss wealth tax .
He found that both fell far , far short of achieving the desired end result of impacting wealth inequality , at least in terms of the common unit of measurement for such known as the Gini coefficient .
The Gini coefficient measures the distribution of income and wealth across a society on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with zero representing complete equality and one representing complete inequality .
According to the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , or OECD , the U.S. , as of 2017 , rates a 0.39 in terms of income inequality on the Gini scale .
According to Wolff ’ s study , Warren ’ s wealth tax proposal would only actually impact about 0.07 percent of American households and raise approximately $ 303.4 billion in additional revenue for the U.S. government .
Considering that annual spending runs well over $ 4 trillion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mere drop in the bucket in the big picture .
Furthermore , even if the entire $ 303 billion were put toward reducing income and wealth inequality , it would likely only reduce the Gini coefficient by a “ miniscule ” 0.0005 percent .
In other words , Warren would essentially be confiscating the accumulated riches of wealthy Americans to literally no effect , save for making them less wealthy than they were before , and would do nothing to raise the wealth of the middle and bottom tiers of distribution , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made .
Furthermore , it isn ’ t a given that Warren would be able to achieve even that tiny , near non-existent impact on the Gini coefficient .
Her threat of confiscatory taxes on wealth , simply for the sake of being wealthy , could prompt many of America ’ s wealthy individuals and families to take their money and run to another nation that won ’ t rob them out of progressive envy and greed .
To be sure , folks like Wolff who support the idea of a wealth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even higher than the two-to-three percent proposed by Warren , or lower the threshold of income and wealth to include more citizens in that additional tax .
RELATED : NYT 's Bizarre Double Presidential Endorsement Should Be Good News for Trump Re-Election In truth , what Wolff ’ s study revealed is that Warren ’ s wealth tax proposal would be an ineffectual half-measure that would do nothing to actually address the problem it is supposedly intended to solve .
Were Warren to drop the pretense and simply come right out and openly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth from the wealthy , well , then at least she ’ d be honest about what her plan would actually accomplish .
As for us , we hold true to the notion that the best way to address income and wealth inequality is not to steal from those at the top but to instead implement economic policies that help employ more people , raise wages through market demands , and support small businesses .
That way , income earners and workers at the bottom to middle of the equality scale can more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own , without the thieving hands of the federal government being involved .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

One of the hallmarks of Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign (aside from repeated examples of blatant dishonesty) is her incessant attacks against the wealthiest people in this country.
Warren has framed her attacks as being based on a concern over inequality in income and wealth. But in all likelihood, the reality of the situation is that Warren, like many others on the progressive left, is driven more by envy and greed than a true concern over inequality.
In fact, a December study of the senator’s proposed wealth tax — by a liberal economist highly in favor of taxing the wealthy — showed that Warren’s proposal would actually do very little, if anything, to address the level of economic inequality in this nation.
Sen. Warren has proposed a wealth tax that would impose an additional 2 percent tax on wealth in excess of $50 million, with an extra 1 percent surcharge — 3 percent overall, on top of existing tax rates — on accumulated wealth in excess of $1 billion.
In the minds of Warren and her progressive supporters, this extra tax on the wealthy would somehow bring in enough extra revenue to the federal government to redistribute to the less wealthy 99 percent of the country and supposedly substantially reduce the measure of inequality in terms of income and total wealth.
According to economist Edward Wolff, however, Warren’s plan would do next to nothing to actually address economic inequality. The tax would not bring in a substantial amount of revenue and could, in fact, backfire by prompting the wealthy to flee the nation with their wealth to avoid paying the tax.
In his paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Wolff studied Warren’s wealth tax proposal alongside a similar Swiss wealth tax. He found that both fell far, far short of achieving the desired end result of impacting wealth inequality, at least in terms of the common unit of measurement for such known as the Gini coefficient.
The Gini coefficient measures the distribution of income and wealth across a society on a scale of zero to one, with zero representing complete equality and one representing complete inequality.
According to the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, the U.S., as of 2017, rates a 0.39 in terms of income inequality on the Gini scale.
Are you disgusted by the progressive left's attacks on the wealthy? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (163 Votes) No: 1% (2 Votes)
According to Wolff’s study, Warren’s wealth tax proposal would only actually impact about 0.07 percent of American households and raise approximately $303.4 billion in additional revenue for the U.S. government. Considering that annual spending runs well over $4 trillion, that extra $303 billion is a mere drop in the bucket in the big picture.
Furthermore, even if the entire $303 billion were put toward reducing income and wealth inequality, it would likely only reduce the Gini coefficient by a “miniscule” 0.0005 percent.
In other words, Warren would essentially be confiscating the accumulated riches of wealthy Americans to literally no effect, save for making them less wealthy than they were before, and would do nothing to raise the wealth of the middle and bottom tiers of distribution, where substantial change in the coefficient could actually be made.
Furthermore, it isn’t a given that Warren would be able to achieve even that tiny, near non-existent impact on the Gini coefficient. Her threat of confiscatory taxes on wealth, simply for the sake of being wealthy, could prompt many of America’s wealthy individuals and families to take their money and run to another nation that won’t rob them out of progressive envy and greed.
To be sure, folks like Wolff who support the idea of a wealth tax would probably set the tax rates even higher than the two-to-three percent proposed by Warren, or lower the threshold of income and wealth to include more citizens in that additional tax.
In truth, what Wolff’s study revealed is that Warren’s wealth tax proposal would be an ineffectual half-measure that would do nothing to actually address the problem it is supposedly intended to solve.
Were Warren to drop the pretense and simply come right out and openly admit that her goal is to confiscate wealth from the wealthy, well, then at least she’d be honest about what her plan would actually accomplish.
As for us, we hold true to the notion that the best way to address income and wealth inequality is not to steal from those at the top but to instead implement economic policies that help employ more people, raise wages through market demands, and support small businesses.
That way, income earners and workers at the bottom to middle of the equality scale can more easily increase their income and wealth on their own, without the thieving hands of the federal government being involved.
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westernjournal--2020-01-20--Jimmy Heath, Legendary Jazz Composer and Saxophone Player, Dead at Age 93

Jimmy Heath , a Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist and composer who performed with such greats as Miles Davis and John Coltrane before forming the popular family group the Heath Brothers in middle age , has died .
He was 93 .
Heath ’ s grandson Fa Mtume told The New York Times that he died Sunday at his home in Loganville , Georgia .
The cause of death was not immediately given .
Heath , a native of Philadelphia , had been playing jazz since the 1940s , in the early days of bebop .
He was mentored by Dizzy Gillespie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ Bird , ” and would become known as “ Little Bird ” for how well he emulated Parker ’ s fluid style .
TRENDING : Teenage Cashier Suspended After Buying Cop $ 2.75 Dessert with Own Money Heath overcame his battles with heroin addiction , which landed him in prison in the mid-1950s , and had a long and productive career .
He wrote most of the material for the Chet Baker-Art Pepper album “ Playboys , ” recorded with everyone from Davis and Coltrane to Milt Jackson and Gil Evans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and released several of his own albums .
In the 1970s , he helped found the Heath Brothers , which also featured brothers Percy Heath on bass and Albert “ Tootie ” Heath on drums .
Their albums included “ Marchin ’ On ” and the Grammy-nominated “ Live at the Public Theater.
” In 1993 , he received a Grammy nomination for his own “ Little Man , Big Band ” album ( Heath stood just 5 feet , 3 inches ) .
Heath also played in a jazz concert at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself borrowed his saxophone for one number .
In 2003 , he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts , which noted that “ By combining his versatile style of performing and his outstanding writing and arranging abilities , he has set a high standard of accomplishment in the jazz field.
” RELATED : Singer-Songwriter David Olney Reportedly Says ' I 'm Sorry ' to Crowd , Then Dies Onstage During Performance Survivors include Tootie Heath ; his second wife , Mona ; and a child from each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first marriage , James Mtume , became a Grammy-winning musician and songwriter who helped write the Stephanie Mills hit “ Never Knew Love Like This Before.
” Another son , Jeffrey , died in 2010 .
Percy Heath died in 2005 .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Jimmy Heath, a Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist and composer who performed with such greats as Miles Davis and John Coltrane before forming the popular family group the Heath Brothers in middle age, has died. He was 93.
Heath’s grandson Fa Mtume told The New York Times that he died Sunday at his home in Loganville, Georgia.
The cause of death was not immediately given.
Heath, a native of Philadelphia, had been playing jazz since the 1940s, in the early days of bebop.
He was mentored by Dizzy Gillespie, idolized Charlie Parker, whose nickname was “Bird,” and would become known as “Little Bird” for how well he emulated Parker’s fluid style.
Heath overcame his battles with heroin addiction, which landed him in prison in the mid-1950s, and had a long and productive career.
He wrote most of the material for the Chet Baker-Art Pepper album “Playboys,” recorded with everyone from Davis and Coltrane to Milt Jackson and Gil Evans, worked on charts for Ray Charles and released several of his own albums.
In the 1970s, he helped found the Heath Brothers, which also featured brothers Percy Heath on bass and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums.
Their albums included “Marchin’ On” and the Grammy-nominated “Live at the Public Theater.”
In 1993, he received a Grammy nomination for his own “Little Man, Big Band” album (Heath stood just 5 feet, 3 inches).
Heath also played in a jazz concert at the White House, when President Bill Clinton himself borrowed his saxophone for one number.
In 2003, he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, which noted that “By combining his versatile style of performing and his outstanding writing and arranging abilities, he has set a high standard of accomplishment in the jazz field.”
Survivors include Tootie Heath; his second wife, Mona; and a child from each of his marriages.
His son from his first marriage, James Mtume, became a Grammy-winning musician and songwriter who helped write the Stephanie Mills hit “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”
Another son, Jeffrey, died in 2010. Percy Heath died in 2005.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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