theblaze--2020-02-14--Newly updated Air Force dress code will allow hijabs, turbans, and beards for Muslim and Sikh servic

Newly updated Air Force dress code will allow hijabs, turbans, and beards for Muslim and Sikh servicemen

Newly updated Air Force dress code will allow hijabs , turbans , and beards for Muslim and Sikh servicemen

A new report by the Air Force Times reveals that the U.S. Air Force dress code will now allow hijabs, turbans, and beards for all of its Sikh and Muslim servicemen.
Previously, the Air Force permitted its servicemen to apply for religious accommodations, which were addressed on a case-by-case basis.
What are the details?
The news, released last week, revealed that U.S. airmen will be permitted to use religious exemptions in order to wear such items during active duty.
The guidelines stipulate that such items need to be worn in a "neat and conservative manner" and be in colors that closely resemble the airman's uniform. No patterns are permitted unless it matches the traditional camouflage pattern of the military uniforms. The items must also be worn in a "manner that presents a professional and well-groomed appearance."
Airman 1st Class Gurchetan Singh told the outlet, "I am grateful to hear of this policy change, because it codifies in writing what I already know: The U.S. Air Force values the service and contribution of religious minorities like me.
"Accommodations, after all, aren't about special treatment — they are about ensuring that religiously observant Sikhs and others don't have to choose between staying true to our faith and serving our country," Singh added.
What else?
According to CNN, certain advocacy groups say this is just one step in a series of many that need to occur in order to achieve equality.
SAVA President Kamal Singh Kalsi said that the U.S. Department of Defense should expand the policy to apply across all branches of the military.
"The Department of Defense should have a consistent and department wide policy on religious accommodation," Kalsi said. "Those who are committed and qualified to serve our country in uniform should be able to do so in a more streamlined and efficient manner."
Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for CAIR, said, "We support these new guidelines as a step toward religious accommodation and inclusion for military personnel of all faiths."
Giselle Klapper, staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition, announced that the new update is a "great step forward" in "ensuring equality."
"Sikhs have served honorably and capably in the U.S. Armed Forces and other militaries around the world, and while we are eager for a blanket proclamation that all observant Sikh Americans can serve in every branch of the military without seeking accommodations, this policy clarification is a great step forward towards ensuring equality of opportunity and religious freedom in the Air Force," Klapper said.


theblaze--2020-02-14--Sanders tweets list of 27 countries with 'universal health care,' but not one uses his socialist sys

Sanders tweets list of 27 countries with 'universal health care,' but not one uses his socialist system

Sanders tweets list of 27 countries with 'universal health care , ' but not one uses his socialist system Some @ @ @ @ @ close

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders took to Twitter Thursday afternoon to promote his health care plan. In a tweet, the socialist senator from Vermont said, "Remember: our 'crazy idea' of universal health care is a reality in..."
He then proceeded to list 27 countries, mostly in Europe, that left-wing Americans often cite as examples of nations with the kind of health care they would want for the United States.
There's only one problem: Not a single country Sanders listed has anything like the socialist health care system he wants to impose on the American people. Literally, not a single one.
Sanders' system
Let's start by identifying the key features of Sanders' health care plan as identified by the Twitter account "Bad Econ Takes" and all of which are listed on Sanders' website:
A universal, state-run system that acts as an insurance company that covers everyone in the U.S. A ban on private insurance except for elective procedures A public health care plan that covers prescription drugs, mental health services, and long-term care No co-payments or deductibles
Not even close
Dissecting 27 different global health care systems is a large undertaking, but for the purpose of this article, we'll focus on the ones that are nothing like what Sanders is pitching.
The Democratic presidential candidate listed three countries — Israel, the Netherlands, and Switzerland — whose health systems are nothing like what Sanders is proposing. None of these countries have a public health insurance program that everyone automatically qualifies for and covers prescription drugs and other services; all of them operate on private insurance; and none of them prohibit co-payments or deductibles.
The Swiss, for instance, have achieved universal health coverage entirely through private insurance plans that everyone is required to purchase. Meanwhile, the Israelis have access to a mix of large non-profits/NGOs and private insurance companies. About 40 percent of Israelis purchase private health insurance. Similarly, the Dutch do not have anything like "Medicare For All." Their health system is a privately run two-track system where partly state-financed private insurance covers routine doctor visits and hospital stays, and a state-run system kicks in for long-term elderly care and the terminally ill.
What about the UK, Canada, and Denmark?
Sanders often points to the British, Canadian, and Danish health systems as role models. The problem is that their systems are also quite different from what he's proposing.
To be clear, all three countries do have large state-run insurance mechanisms. However, unlike Sanders' proposal, Canada and Denmark do have some private insurance markets and the residents of those countries have co-payments and deductibles. Moreover, their immigration and naturalization laws are far stricter than those of the United States to qualify for benefits.
The British NHS program may be the closest to what Sanders is proposing in that the Brits do have a nationalized system with limited private insurance; however, there are some major differences. For instance, in the U.K., prescription medications, dental care, and eye care do require payments.
We'll go into greater detail some other time, but for the time being, the tweet below by "Bad Econ Takes" provides a summary of how these countries' health programs differ from Sanders' Medicare For All scheme.


theblaze--2020-02-14--New Republican bill would punish states that give driver's licenses to illegal aliens

New Republican bill would punish states that give driver 's licenses to illegal aliens It 's seen as the latest @ @ @ @ @ city policies

A new bill sponsored by Republicans would cut funding to states that grant driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
The bill is called the "Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act" and would end funding to those states from a program that issues federal criminal justice funding from the Department of Justice.
The bill was introduced to the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
"Tennesseans know all too well what can happen when illegal immigrants are granted driver licenses," Blackburn said in a statement.
"While Tennessee and many other states prohibit driver licenses for illegal aliens, a growing number of states are moving in the opposite direction and unleashing dangerous open borders policies. Immigrants must follow the proper federal process and obtain citizenship or lawful status before obtaining a state driver license," she added.
"In America, no one is above the law," she concluded.
Proponents of laws that grant driver's licenses to illegals say that such policies would allow them to obtain insurance and put citizens at less risk. Critics argue that it rewards criminality.
The state of New York has been the latest to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens, which prompted the federal government to respond by cutting off New York residents from the federal Global Entry program over security concerns.
Here's more about the issue:


theblaze--2020-02-16--NY Times reporter criticizes President Trump for Daytona 500 appearance. It doesn't end well.

NY Times reporter criticizes President Trump for Daytona 500 appearance .
It does n't end well .
'What did you @ @ @ @ @ ?
An Uber ? '

A New York Times reporter criticized President Donald Trump for using his presidential limo, known as "The Beast," during his visit to the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Reporter Maggie Haberman said, "Using the official apparatus of government for what appears to be a political event."
In response, Haberman was rebuked for her characterization of Trump's activities on Sunday.
Indeed, Trump was not in Daytona for a political event; rather, he was on hand as a VIP guest to give the iconic command of "Gentleman, start your engines" and to lead the field of 40 drivers during the pace laps before the race got under way.
"I'm sorry, but this is just an absurd characterization of what's actually happening here and describing it this way betrays a real bias," Mark Hemingway responded to Haberman.
"To be blunt, get a life, Maggie. Obama went to a #MarchMadness game and that was fine. Relax. I know the #Daytona500 is the opposite of what The Times represents readership-wise, but chill," another person responded.
"Maggie, your unique insights are invaluable. Keep up the solid journalisming!" another critic responded.
"What did you want him to ride in? An Uber?" another person responded.
"Wait until you learn that the president rides in that thing to literal campaign events," another person responded.
"So what do you call it when you use journalism as a politics apparatus for the Democratic Party?" one person mocked.


theblaze--2020-02-16--WATCH: ABC reporter stomps Dem presidential candidate Tom Steyer on Trump's strong economic record

Steyer accused the reporter of repeating Trump campaign talking points

For someone who has spent $200 million running for president, Tom Steyer can't seem to catch a break.
Steyer has come in seventh and sixth place in Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively, and the raison d'être of his campaign — namely, that he can go toe to toe with President Donald Trump as a fellow businessman — has little appeal among voters who are generally satisfied with the state of the American economy.
Seventy percent say the economy is doing well under Trump
In an interview on ABC News' "This Week," host Martha Raddatz shredded Steyer's candidacy with a single question:
Mr. Steyer, you say that you can take on Donald Trump on the economy, but the latest Quinnipiac national poll again released just this week says 70 percent of voters describe the nation's economy as excellent or good. So how do you convince them that a change is needed when they think they're doing so well under Donald Trump?
Steyer seemed stunned by the question.
After an awkward pause, the billionaire environmental activist said, "I think if you take a look at what he says, everything he says superficially sounds right, but is actually a lie," followed by a series of misleading claims about the gap between the rich and poor.
Raddatz was having none of it and cut off Steyer in the middle of his soliloquy.
"But I want to go back to that 70 percent number. You talk about the wealthy. They're not all wealthy people. Seventy percent say the economy is good and they're doing well," she said.
Steyer accuses the reporter of being pro-Trump
Steyer, again, was at a loss for words, and rather than responding to the question, he proceeded to attack Raddatz by accusing her of parroting Trump campaign talking points. "Well, I'm just saying, here we are on a show and you're standing up for Mr. Trump's version of the economy. And I'm telling you ..."
Raddatz assertively stopped Steyer dead in his tracks, telling him, "I'm telling you about a national poll. I'm not standing up for anybody. I'm telling you about a national poll."
At that point, Steyer came undone and returned to his claim about two different economies.
"And what I'm saying is this: There is a different story of this economy and this country that has to be told. Mr. Trump has to be faced down about what he's saying on the economy because he is running on the economy ..." he said.
As of the writing of this story, Steyer stands at slightly less than 2 percent in national polls, according to the RealClearPolitics average. That means he has spent $100,000,000 per percentage point in national polling. That's a lot of money for someone who claims to be an expert on economic issues.


theblaze--2020-02-16--NYC man thanks Democrats following 139th arrest — and he has a very good reason: 'You can't stop me!

NYC man thanks Democrats following 139th arrest — and he has a very good reason: 'You can't stop me!'

NYC man thanks Democrats following 139th arrest — and he has a very good reason : 'You ca n't stop @ @ @ @ @ take $ 200 , $ 300 a day of your money , cracker !
You @ @ @ @ @ '

When Charles Barry was arrested in Manhattan on Thursday for allegedly stealing cash from people riding the subway, he knew exactly who to thank for his impending quick release from jail.
Barry, who was arrested for the 139th time, immediately thanked Democrats as police transported him Manhattan Central Booking.
"Bail reform, it's lit! It's the Democrats! The Democrats know me and the Republicans fear me. You can't touch me! I can't be stopped!" Barry yelled, the New York Daily News reported.
"I'm famous! I take $200, $300 a day of your money, cracker! You can't stop me!" he also said.
Barry — who has served six stints in state prison and has been arrested six times since Jan. 1 of this year — was thanking Democrats because their efforts to pass bail reform last year meant that Barry would be released from jail without posting bail because the charges against him are nonviolent.
More from the Daily News:
Since the bail law took effect, Barry has been freed three times on supervised release, which did not require him to post bail. He was convicted of a minor charge of bending a MetroCard in a way that would let him on the subway for free, and sentenced to time served.
Police officials said that under the state's former bail laws, Barry would more likely have been held on bail, thereby increasing the number of days he spent in custody.
New York's bail reform law took effect on Jan 1. Critics predicted it would be a boon for habitual criminals, but criminal justice reform advocates said it would provide relief for vulnerable communities.


theblaze--2020-02-16--PARODY: Chad Prather looks back to the days when Jussie Smollett was 'innocent'

PARODY : Chad Prather looks back to the days when Jussie Smollett was 'innocent '

Chad Prather reflected on a time when Jussie Smollett was "innocent." In this parody video, Prather pressed Smollett on his creative little story and asked if Smollett believed the story he was spewing.
According to Smollett, he was on his way to Subway to purchase a sandwich at 2:00 a.m. on a cold, icy morning. Smollett wove a tale of two MAGA hat-wearing racists who shouted homophobic hate speech at him. The three men allegedly "tussled" for a bit, but the men suddenly ran off and the "attack" was over.
Smollett escaped punishment for filing a false police report. However, according to recent reports, Smollett may be back in hot water.
Here's Chad to tell the rest of the story.


theblaze--2020-02-16--VIDEO: Trump makes history by taking lap around Daytona 500, delivers iconic command

President Donald Trump sure knows how to make an entrance .
The 45th president of the United States wowed NASCAR fans on Sunday at the annual Daytona 500 race in Florida .
Thousands erupted into a raucous applause and chants of `` U-S-A !
U-S-A !
U-S-A ! ''
as Air Force One circulated the Daytona International Speedway just 800 feet off the ground .
While other presidents have attended the Daytona 500 , Trump made history on Sunday by being the first commander in chief to deliver the iconic driver command : `` Gentlemen , start your engines !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump addressed the 100,000-seat racetrack before the event .
“ The Daytona 500 is the legendary display of roaring engines , soaring spirits and the American skill , speed and power that we 've been hearing about for so many years , '' Trump told the ecstatic crowd .
Trump described the crowd in attendance at the Great American Race as `` patriots , '' according to Fox .
The president added that `` NASCAR fans never forget that no matter who wins the race , what matters most is God , family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lap around the track , the president joked that although the Secret Service does not let him drive his own cars , he was tempted to behind the wheels of one of the super-fast NASCAR race cars .
`` Right now , if I can , I 'm gon na hop into one of these cars and I 'm gon na get into this race , if possible , '' he said .
The president and Mrs. Trump then boarded the presidential limousine dubbed `` The Beast '' and took a lap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Four more years ! ''
and gave Trump and his wife a standing ovation .

President Donald Trump sure knows how to make an entrance.
The 45th president of the United States wowed NASCAR fans on Sunday at the annual Daytona 500 race in Florida. Thousands erupted into a raucous applause and chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!" as Air Force One circled the Daytona International Speedway just 800 feet off the ground.
Trump makes history
While other presidents have attended the Daytona 500, Trump made history on Sunday by being the first commander in chief to deliver the iconic driver command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
The president and first lady Melania Trump addressed the 100,000-seat racetrack before the event.
“The Daytona 500 is the legendary display of roaring engines, soaring spirits, and the American skill, speed, and power that we've been hearing about for so many years," Trump told the ecstatic crowd.
'God, family and country'
Trump described the crowd in attendance at the Great American Race as "patriots," according to Fox. The president added that "NASCAR fans never forget that no matter who wins the race, what matters most is God, family, and country."
Minutes before taking a lap around the track, the president joked that although the Secret Service does not let him drive his own cars, he was tempted to get behind the wheel of one of the super-fast NASCAR race cars.
"Right now, if I can, I'm gonna hop into one of these cars and I'm gonna get into this race, if possible," he said.
The president and Mrs. Trump then boarded the presidential limousine, dubbed "The Beast," and took a lap around the speedway while fans cheered "Four more years!" and gave Trump and his wife a standing ovation.


theblaze--2020-02-16--Pete Buttigieg slams Rush Limbaugh for being 'lectured on family values' over gay marriage

Pete Buttigieg slams Rush Limbaugh for being 'lectured on family values ' over gay marriage ' I 'm not going @ @ @ @ @

Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg fired back at Rush Limbaugh on Sunday in response to comments the conservative radio host made about the possibility of a gay president.
While speaking on his radio show last week, Limbaugh said, "America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president."
Limbaugh added:
They're looking at Mayor Pete, 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage. And they're saying, OK, how's this going to look, 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What's going to happen there?
Buttigieg, who is married to a man, responded to Limbaugh's comments during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."
"I love my husband. I'm faithful to my husband. Onstage we usually just go for a hug. I love him very much. I'm not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh," Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg doubled down on his response during a subsequent interview on "Fox News Sunday."
"I'm not going to be lectured on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or anybody who supports Donald J. Trump as the moral as well as political leader of the United States," Buttigieg said.
"America has moved on and we should have politics of belonging that welcomes everybody. That's what the American people are for. And I am saddened for what the Republican Party has become if they embrace that kind of homophobic rhetoric," he added.


theblaze--2020-02-16--DOJ opens news investigation into James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, former top DOJ official

DOJ opens news investigation into James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, former top DOJ official says

DOJ opens news investigation into James Comey , Andrew McCabe , Peter Strzok , former top DOJ official says 'All @ @ @ @ @ a loser case for starting an investigation ... '

Andrew Weissmann, a former top lawyer at the Justice Department who played a central role in Robert Mueller's investigation, said Friday the Justice Department has begun a new investigation into several former top FBI officials.
Weissmann, speaking to MSNBC host Chuck Todd, said the Justice Department has swapped its "loser case" against Andrew McCabe — in which the DOJ declined to pursue charges against McCabe for lying to investigators — for a new case against former FBI Director James Comey, McCabe, and Peter Strzok.
"All they did was swapped out a loser case for starting an investigation that is going to be of Comey, McCabe, Pete Strzok," Weissmann said, the Washington Examiner reported.
The investigation is related to the DOJ's review of the Michael Flynn case, Weissmann explained.
Last week, Attorney General William Barr appointed Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to investigate the circumstances of the Flynn case, including his interview with FBI investigators.
NBC News reported that Jensen is "broadly" reviewing the case, suggesting latitude in the scope of his inquiry.


theblaze--2020-02-16--There is 'strong evidence of criminal misconduct' by Hunter Biden, says top government watchdog

There is 'strong evidence of criminal misconduct ' by Hunter Biden , says top government watchdog 'This Biden scandal ai @ @ @ @

The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump may be over, but federal officials are examining the behavior of former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden. At least one major government watchdog believes the younger Biden may find himself in serious trouble.
Hunter Biden's business dealings were at the center of Trump's impeachment case, following the revelation that he was being paid up to $50,000 per month to sit on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas producer, an amount well above the average paid to top executives who sit on major corporate boards.
Moreover, the younger Biden had no experience on energy matters or in Ukraine, further raising suspicions that he was inappropriately leveraging his relationship with his father, who was serving as the U.S. vice president, for his personal financial gain.
'Strong evidence of criminal misconduct'
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton says that Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine could land him in hot water with prosecutors at the Justice Department.
In an interview with One America News, Fitton said there is "strong evidence of criminal misconduct" by the younger Biden, as the U.S. Treasury Department has begun turning over confidential bank records related to Biden in response to a request from Senate investigative committees that are scrutinizing his activities.
The Washington Examiner reported the documents requested by Senate investigators are known as "suspicious activity reports," or "banking alerts involving money laundering or fraud, related to Biden and his associates."
Senate investigators have also asked the Secret Service to turn over Hunter Biden's travel records, which Fitton explained could be the beginning of a broader criminal probe.
"This would be the basic investigative work one would do if you were trying to figure out where Hunter Biden was and who he was traveling with during the Obama presidency," Fitton, who recommended that federal investigators also look into Joe Biden's travels to China, another country where his son was working, said.
www.youtube.com
'No evidence it was a legitimate business relationship'
Fitton also raised questions about Hunter Biden's role with Burisma.
"There's no evidence that it was a legitimate business relationship or that Biden had the background or capability to serve on the board," he said.
Additionally, Fitton explained that "the payments were out of the ordinary and extraordinary, suggesting some other improprieties. Now we have Rudy Giuliani with documents, some of them from court cases here in the United States, suggesting that money he was receiving was, in part, laundered."
"This Biden scandal ain't going away," he said.
A recent poll shows that most Americans seem to agree with Fitton. According to a Politico/Morning Consult survey, 52 percent of voters believe it was inappropriate for Hunter Biden to take the job with Burisma, while only 18 percent said it was appropriate. Fifty-seven percent of respondents also said Biden's relationship with the Ukrainian firm was a scandal, while 19 percent said it was not.


theblaze--2020-02-16--Female athlete forced to compete against biological males finally gets major victory

Female athlete forced to compete against biological males finally gets major victory Two Connecticut transgender high school athletes have dominated @ @ @ @ @

Connecticut high school athlete Chelsea Mitchell finally got her big win.
Mitchell is one of three girls who filed a lawsuit in federal court last week challenging the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference's policy of letting boys compete in girl's sports. She and other top sprinters have consistently lost events to Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, two biological males who identify as females.
But that changed on Friday at the Class S state championship when Mitchell beat Miller in a 55m event.
Image source: WVIT-TV screenshot
According to the Hartford Courant, Mitchell of Canton High bested Miller of Bloomfield by just .02 seconds, clocking in at 7.18 seconds to Miller's 7.20 seconds.
The race was Mitchell's first ever victory over Miller in the event, according to WVIT-TV.
"I try to just clear everything out of my mind, this is just track, you know, it's just running, just focusing on myself, not trying to think about anything else that's been happening," Mitchell told WVIT after the race.
When asked if her victory would hurt her lawsuit, Mitchell said, "I don't think it could go against, there's still tons of girls that lose on a daily basis."
There was no interaction between the two athletes after the race, the Courant reported. However, Miller, who clapped after the race, appeared to take a subtle jab at Mitchell in her post-race comments.
"I clapped because, for me, I'm not a hater," Miller said. "When you take a win, you take the win. And even if you don't respect me, I'll respect you."
The CIAC contends their policy of allowing boys to compete in girls' sports follows federal anti-discrimination laws. Meanwhile, ACLU has called the lawsuit "a dangerous distortion of both law and science in the service of excluding trans youth from public life."


theblaze--2020-02-16--Russians posing as Greta Thunberg dupe Sanders in prank call: You're a sleeper KGB agent!

Sanders told 'Greta ' he wants her endorsement

A pair of Russian comedians claim they have successfully pranked Sen. Bernie Sanders into believing he was speaking to climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father in an 11-minute phone call.
According to the New York Post, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who have a history of targeting politicians and high-profile leaders, shared a recording of the phone call on YouTube on Thursday and confirmed the call to the Associated Press.
The call took place in early December, but Kuznetsov said they decided to release it now as a result of Sanders' front-runner status in the Democratic presidential primary.
The conversation
www.youtube.com
The conversation began with Stolyarov playing the role of Greta's father, Svante, while a woman posed as the teenage girl discussing with Sanders the possibility of "Greta" endorsing his campaign, WJBL-TV reported.
"Let us continue to talk and when you come to the United States I will bring some people together and we can do some interesting things, and if you wanted to make a statement in support of my candidacy and the program we have outlined for climate change, I would be very very appreciative," Sanders said.
"Greta" also proposes to record a rap song in support of the Vermont socialist along with "singer Billie Eilish and rapper Kanye West."
Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union
Sanders welcomed "Greta's" support and said her endorsement would be "terrific." He then attempted to end the conversation, but the pranksters said the teenager is about to visit Russia and asked Sanders for advice on proper protocol during the visit.
The presidential candidate warned "Greta" to be cautious and highlighted Russia's poor record on environmental issues. "I think what you don't want to do is simply walk in there and get used," he said.
"Russia and Putin have been very bad, as far as I know, on climate change," Sanders explained. "They have a lot of oil, oil is important for their economy, they make a lot of money on oil."
"Greta" then turned her attention to Sanders' 1988 honeymoon in the Soviet Union; that's when the Vermont senator caught on to the prank.
"In the Soviet Union in 1988, after you were recruited you were programmed to work for Russia and your memory was erased so the CIA wouldn't track you down," she said.
"This is what you believe?" Sanders responded.
"Yes, you became a sleeper agent of the KGB. Now it's time to wake up and fulfill your mission, become president of the United States, build communism in the United States and work for Russia!" the pranksters said.
Sanders then hung up the phone.
The presidential candidate's campaign has not confirmed the authenticity of the call.


theblaze--2020-02-16--Video: Granddaughter of elderly Hispanic woman killed by illegal immigrant blasts 'sanctuary' laws

The alleged killer was released in November despite an ICE detention order

Daria Ortiz, the granddaughter of a 92-year-old Hispanic woman who is said to have been murdered by an illegal immigrant in New York that was previously spared deportation under the city's sanctuary ordinance, blasted the controversial policy on Friday.
At a press conference alongside Donald President Trump, Ortiz said her grandmother would still be alive if the New York Police Department had complied with a standing order to turn-over the alleged killer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November when he was in police custody for a separate matter.
"The tragedy in all of this is the fact that this could have been avoided, had there been no sanctuary law," Ortiz said. "The tragedy is my grandmother is not ever going to be here again."
She added: "The man who was responsible for this should have never had the opportunity to do this."
Her grandmother was 'a shining example of people who come legally' to America
Ortiz was President Trump’s guest at the National Border Patrol Council where she delivered an emotional tribute to her grandmother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. The young woman described 92-year-old Maria Fuertes as a "shining example of when people come legally to this country, work hard, and do the right thing and are law-abiding citizens."
Ortiz said Furtes "raised her children and her grandchildren while working hard to give us a future."
www.youtube.com
NYPD ignored an ICE detention order
As TheBlaze previously reported, Maria Fuertes was sexually assaulted and murdered just steps from her home in Queens on Jan. 6.
Initially, police officers thought her death was the result of a slip-and-fall accident. Upon further investigation, law enforcement officials arrested 21-year-old Reeaz Khan and charged him with raping and then strangling the nonagenarian to death.
According to WABC-TV, Khan is a Guyanese national who was in the country illegally despite having a violent criminal record. He was arrested in November after stabbing his own father. While he was in police custody, immigration enforcement ordered Khan to be detained. Had the NYPD followed the detainer order, Khan would have been turned over to ICE. Instead, pursuant to Mayor Bill de Blasio's "sanctuary city" policy, the alleged violent criminal was released back to the streets.
Following Fuertes' murder, police leaders and federal immigration officials slammed de Blasio's policy as "dangerously flawed."
"Make no mistake, it is this city's sanctuary policies that is the sole reason this criminal was allowed to roam the streets freely and end an innocent woman's life," ICE Acting-Director Matthew Albence said.
"One simple phone call and Maria Fuertes could be alive today," he said


theblaze--2020-02-16--Ukrainian president slams Trump impeachment as a 'soap opera,' undermines key Dem argument

He compared it to 'Dallas ' and 'Santa Barbara '

Americans are not the only ones who were exhausted by the Democratic Party-led impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was a key subject of the controversy related to Trump's dealings with his country, says he is ready to turn the page on the scandal and even compared it to a 'soap opera.'
According to the AFP, Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday: "After the whole impeachment soap opera, I want to go (to Washington) and start a blank page on our relations."
It's like 'Dallas' and 'Santa Barbara'
The Ukrainian president echoed the television series comparison in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. The Federalist's David Marcus reported Zelensky even compared the impeachment process to the hit 1980s soap operas "Santa Barbara" and "Dallas," which were known for their dramatic style.
According to Marcus, during his CNN interview Zelensky severely undermined key arguments by Democrats in their impeachment efforts against Trump. For instance, by stating that he looks forward to meeting soon with Trump, Zelensky throws "cold water" on the suggestion that he was being extorted or unduly pressured in his July 25 phone call with the American commander in chief.
"I'm ready to host him before he hosts me," he told the audience in Munich, which drew applause from attendees.
Making progress on corruption
The Ukrainian leader also pushed back against the notion that his country is corrupt. However, he did acknowledge that his country had suffered from corruption under previous governments. Zelensky also said that his administration is making a concerted effort to fight for transparency.
Government malfeasance was at the center of the impeachment controversy focused on Trump asking Zelensky to address corruption in order to qualify for foreign assistance. Democrats allege that the U.S. had no legitimate interest in cracking down on foreign corruption in the eastern European and that Trump was merely pressuring the Ukrainians to launch a bogus investigation into Burisma, an energy company where former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board.
However, several key witnesses during House impeachment hearings testified that the U.S. had a long-standing policy of demanding that foreign governments, including Ukraine, clean-up their internal affairs before releasing foreign aid. Moreover, no investigation into Biden or Burisma was announced by Ukrainian officials and the country received its foreign aid funds.
On Feb. 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on two articles of impeachment related to the controversy.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Bombshell buried deep inside IG report: FBI gave 'highly classified' info to British spy Christopher

Bombshell buried deep inside IG report: FBI gave 'highly classified' info to British spy Christopher Steele

Inspector General Michael Horowitz discovered that FBI agents shared `` highly classified '' intelligence with British spy Christopher Steele during a meeting in Rome just weeks before the 2016 election .
The revelation is buried deep in the IG report on the government 's abuse of federal surveillance powers , RealClearInvestigations reported .
According to the report , senior FBI agents met with Steele , the man who compiled the anti-Trump `` dossier '' for Hillary Clinton 's campaign , in October 2016 in Rome .
They gave Steele a `` general overview '' of Crossfire Hurricane — the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign — as well as info on key Trump campaign members .
Shockingly , the FBI also compensated Steele $ 15,000 for the meeting and knew that Steele was compiling research for Clinton and Fusion GPS .
Just weeks after `` unlawfully '' sharing highly classified information with Steele , the FBI severed its relationship with the British spy for leaking information to the media , according to the report .
The IG report states that the breach of classified information was investigated , but action was not taken against the agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report offers possible explanations for the agent 's behavior , '' RealClearInvestigates noted .
The report , though , suggests the agent had permission to share classified information with Steele , but such permission , if it had been granted , was not properly recorded .
Unfortunately , Office of the Inspector General spokesperson Stephanie Logan declined to comment , RealClearInvestigations reported .

Inspector General Michael Horowitz discovered that FBI agents shared "highly classified" intelligence with British spy Christopher Steele during a meeting in Rome just weeks before the 2016 election.
The revelation is buried deep in the IG report on the government's abuse of federal surveillance powers, RealClearInvestigations reported.
According to the report, senior FBI agents met with Steele, the man who compiled the anti-Trump "dossier" for Hillary Clinton's campaign, in October 2016 in Rome. They gave Steele a "general overview" of Crossfire Hurricane — the name for the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign — as well as info on key Trump campaign members.
Shockingly, the FBI also compensated Steele $15,000 for the meeting and knew that Steele was compiling research for Clinton and Fusion GPS.
From RealClearInvestigations:
Much of the public reporting regarding this meeting has focused on the information Steele shared with the FBI – and the many reasons agents should have doubted its credibility. But largely neglected has been the opposite side of the equation – what the FBI told Steele. The Inspector General reports that the bureau revealed to him much of the highly classified information that it had gathered regarding alleged Trump-Russia links.
Just weeks after "unlawfully" sharing highly classified information with Steele, the FBI severed its relationship with the British spy for leaking information to the media, according to the report.
The IG report states that the breach of classified information was investigated, but action was not taken against the agents responsible.
Instead, "the IG report offers possible explanations for the agent's behavior," RealClearInvestigates noted.
The report, though, suggests the agent had permission to share classified information with Steele, but such permission, if it had been granted, was not properly recorded.
Unfortunately, Office of the Inspector General spokesperson Stephanie Logan declined to comment, RealClearInvestigations reported.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Vermont's Republican governor refuses to support Trump's re-election, endorses challenger

The first sitting Republican governor to oppose Trump 's re-election

Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott announced Saturday that he will not endorse his party's presidential nominee — President Donald Trump — in the 2020 election.
Instead, Scott has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
"I've met with him before, I think a lot of him and his platform so I would be supporting him," Scott said Saturday, WPTZ-TV reported.
In response, Weld thanked Scott for his endorsement.
"I'm a great admirer of @GovPhilScott of Vermont, and am delighted to have his endorsement in the Republican presidential primary on Super Tuesday. VT has been well served in the past by Republican governors, and Gov. Scott admirably extends that tradition," Weld said
Scott now becomes the first sitting Republican governor to publicly oppose Trump's re-election. Indeed, Scott has been vocal about his opposition to the president.
From Politico:
Scott, a frequent critic of Trump, said in January that Trump "abused his powers" and shouldn't be in office after the Senate voted to acquit the president on the two articles of impeachment brought against him by the House for delaying nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine in an attempt to force the country to announce an investigation of his Democratic political opponents' actions there.
Weld is the only major Republican who has continued to campaign against Trump. Two others — former Reps. Mark Sanford (S.C.) and Joe Walsh (Ill.) — have already folded their campaigns.
Scott's endorsement came just three weeks before the Vermont primary.
As WPTZ noted, Scott identifies with the libertarian-wing of the Republican Party, as does Weld.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Video: Biden snaps at reporter who confronts him on Obama locking immigrant kids in cages

Video : Biden snaps at reporter who confronts him on Obama locking immigrant kids in cages 'You actually did ' @ @ @ @

Joe Biden has described President Donald Trump's immigration policies as "an assault on human dignity" and an example of "cruelty and callousness." The former vice president has gone as far to falsely claim that, unlike Trump, he and Barack Obama "didn't lock people up in cages. We didn't separate families."
However, a Mexican-American journalist is taking Biden to task for misrepresenting the Obama administration's immigration policies. In an interview with Univision's Jorge Ramos, the Spanish-language reporter confronted Biden on his distortions.
'You actually did' lock people in cages
"At that debate in Houston, you said this about the Obama-Biden administration, and I quote, 'we didn't lock people in cages,' but you actually did," Ramos told Biden, noting that the Trump administration has detained more immigrants.
"We found a picture of an eight-year-old boy from Honduras," Ramos added while handing Biden a photograph of a child detained in an immigration facility.
"This was in 2014 at a detention center in McAllen, Texas," Ramos explained.
Confronted with photographic evidence, a visibly uncomfortable Biden was forced to admit that, despite his past assertions, the Obama administration did detain migrant children.
"Yes, yes, yes and what happened was that all the unaccompanied children were coming across the border. We tried to get them out. We kept them safe and get them out of the detention centers....that were run by Homeland Security and get them into communities as quickly as we can," Biden said.
Ramos, who himself is a fierce critic of Trump's immigration measures, then held up the photo again and told Biden: "Many people will say these are cages."
Biden snaps
The former vice president then snapped at Ramos.
"You know you're not telling the truth here about the comparison of the two things," he said.
However, The Hill has reported that Obama and Biden were more aggressive in pursuing deportations than the Trump administration has ever been:
The Trump administration has deported fewer overall people than were deported under former President Obama despite the ongoing crackdown on immigrants without legal status, according to the Washington Post.
While the Obama administration deported 1.18 million people in his first three years, the number of deportations has been a little under 800,000 so far under Trump, according to the Post.
The Obama administration also deported 409,849 people in 2012 alone, while the Trump administration has yet to deport more than 260,000 people in a year, the Post reported.
Moreover, as former Daily Caller writer Benny Johnson reported in 2018, the Trump administration did not initiate the practice of detaining migrants or children along the southern border.
"The policy of prosecuting immigrants for crossing the border illegally has been in place for multiple administrations. The Obama administration prosecuted half a million illegal immigrants and similarly separated families in the process. So did the Bush administration," Johnson wrote.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Hillary Clinton is being seriously considered as a vice presidential running mate for Bloomberg, rep

Hillary Clinton is being seriously considered as a vice presidential running mate for Bloomberg, report says

Hillary Clinton is being seriously considered as a vice presidential running mate for Bloomberg , report says 'Bloomberg himself would @ @ @ @ @ change his official residence from NY ... '

Hillary Clinton could find herself on the Democratic Party's ticket in 2020 — only this time as the vice presidential nominee.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering Clinton has his running mate, the Drudge Report exclusively revealed Saturday.
According to Bloomberg campaign sources who spoke with Drudge, internal polling "found the Bloomberg-Clinton combination would be formidable force."
Matt Drudge, the website's founder, tweeted, "Bloomberg himself would go as far as to change his official residence from NY to homes he owns in CO or FL, since electoral college makes it hard for a POTUS and VPOTUS to be from same state.
The question then becomes: Would Clinton accept a vice presidential nod?
The former secretary of state told Ellen DeGeneres last week that she will "never say never," but predicted that "it's never going to happen."
Despite his late entry to the 2020 Democratic race, Bloomberg has soared to third place overall in the race for the Democratic nomination, according to RealClearPolitics, with a polling average of 14.2 percent. He now only trails Sen. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
When reached for comment, Bloomberg campaign communications director Jason Schechter did not confirm or deny Drudge's reporting.
"We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation," Schechter told the Daily Mail.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Report: Woman who worked for Bloomberg claims he told her to 'kill it' after learning she was pregna

Report: Woman who worked for Bloomberg claims he told her to 'kill it' after learning she was pregnant

Report : Woman who worked for Bloomberg claims he told her to 'kill it ' after learning she was pregnant @ @ @ @ @ company of having a racist work culture

As former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg climbs in the polls in the 2020 Democratic primary race, past allegations of sexism, racism, and misogyny against the candidate have resurfaced to haunt his campaign. The Washington Post reported Saturday that when Bloomberg turned 48-years-old in 1990, his employees gave him a 32-page booklet containing his most outlandish remarks as a gag-style present.
The most explosive revelation, however, stems from a high-profile 1990s case where a former saleswoman sued Bloomberg and his company alleging she was discriminated against on the basis of her sex. According to the woman, Bloomberg told her to "kill it," referring to her unborn baby, when he learned that she was pregnant.
The Post also interviewed a former Bloomberg employee, David Zielenziger, who said he witnessed the exchange between the business mogul and the woman and describes the candidate's behavior toward the woman as "outrageous."
"I remember she had been telling some of her girlfriends that she was pregnant," Zielenziger said. "And Mike came out and I remember he said, 'Are you going to kill it?' And that stopped everything. And I couldn't believe it."
'It's a f---ing baby!'
According to court documents, the plaintiff, whose name is Sekiko Sakai Garrison, claimed that Bloomberg was upset that several of his female employees were pregnant:
On April 11, 1995 at approximately 11:20 a.m., Bloomberg was having a photograph taken with two female Company salespeople and a group of N.Y.U. Business School students, in the company snack area. When Bloomberg noticed Garrison standing nearby, he asked, "Why didn't they ask you to be in the picture? I guess they saw your face." Continuing his penchant for ridiculing recently married women in his employ, Bloomberg asked plaintiff, "How's married life? You married?" Plaintiff responded that her marriage was great and was going to get better in a few months: that she was pregnant, and the baby was due the following September. He responded to her "Kill it!" Plaintiff asked Bloomberg to repeat himself, and again he said, "Kill it!" and muttered, "Great! Number 16!" suggesting to plaintiff his unhappiness that sixteen women in the Company had maternity-related status. Then he walked away.
Garrison also alleged that Bloomberg berated other expecting mothers.
"What the hell did you do a thing like that for?" he is accused of saying to a pregnant employee.
In her lawsuit, Garrison accused the New York businessman of mistreating another woman struggling to find childcare services. "It's a f------ baby! . . . All you need is some black who doesn't have to speak English to rescue it from a burning building."
Bloomberg has denied the allegations under oath and later entered into a financial settlement with Garrison.
Anti-Asian 'derogatory comments'
In her 1998 lawsuit, Garrison also claimed that she "and other female employees were subjected, on virtually a daily basis, by Bloomberg and his male executives, to repeated and unwelcome sexual comments, repeated and unwelcome sexual overtures, and repeated and unwelcome overt sexual gestures, including, upon information and belief, unauthorized touching and inappropriate acts."
Additionally, the woman described the workplace as having racist undertones, claiming she "was subjected, frequently, to derogatory comments about her Japanese origin."
Campaign spokesman Stu Loeser told the Post that Bloomberg "did not make any of the statements alleged in" the case.


theblaze--2020-02-15--President Trump planning massive, double-digit tax cut for middle-class American families

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a massive tax cut for middle-class families .
In a forthcoming tax relief package @ @ @ @ @ being billed as `` Tax Cuts 2.0 , '' middle-class Americans could see an additional @ @ @ @ @ `` In a meeting in the Oval , I guess two days ago , he @ @ @ @ @ said , 'Let 's get it out by September , ' '' National Economic Council @ @ @ @ @ on Fox Business .
`` We 'd love to have a 10 percent middle-class tax @ @ @ @ @ love to strengthen and make permanent some of other tax cuts , '' Kudlow explained @ @ @ @ @ plans to `` strengthen and make permanent '' many of the tax cuts passed in @ @ @ @ @ Act of 2017 , which were scheduled to expire by 2025 .
Kudlow explained that @ @ @ @ @ Director Russell Vought would use a $ 1.4 trillion budget request to `` craft '' @ @ @ @ @ `` It 'll come out sometime in September , '' Kudlow said .

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a massive tax cut for middle-class families.
In a forthcoming tax relief package this September, which is being billed as "Tax Cuts 2.0," middle-class Americans could see an additional 10 percent tax cut.
"In a meeting in the Oval, I guess two days ago, he looked at me and he said, 'Let's get it out by September,'" National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said Friday on Fox Business.
"We'd love to have a 10 percent middle-class tax cut, and we would love to strengthen and make permanent some of other tax cuts," Kudlow explained.
The Trump administration also plans to "strengthen and make permanent" many of the tax cuts passed in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which were scheduled to expire by 2025.
Kudlow explained that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought would use a $1.4 trillion budget request to "craft" the upcoming tax plan.
"It'll come out sometime in September," Kudlow said.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo: The guillotine as 'a symbol of the work we have to

Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo: The guillotine as 'a symbol of the work we have to do'

Dem U.S. Senate candidate unveils campaign logo : The guillotine as ' a symbol of the work we have to @ @ @ @ @ to be a more convenient revolution '

The donkey has long been the symbol of the Democratic Party since President Andrew Jackson embraced his detractors labeling him "a jackass" in 1828, but a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine may have a rebrand in mind.
Bre Kidman unveiled a new campaign logo last week: a guillitone, the execution apparatus commonly associated with the French Revolution that was used for the beheadings of King Louis XVI and his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. But fear not, Kidman, who hopes to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November, says using an image of the deadly device in campaign materials is not meant to be taken literally.
"We're not going to start a guillotine in Monument Square (in Portland) and start beheading people," Kidman clarified to the Portland Press-Herald. "It's a symbol of the work we have to do to overcome flaws in our system – flaws that have become deeply evident in the last few weeks."
'Reign of Terror'
The self-described democratic socialist, who identifies as non-binary, added that printing the French Reign of Terror execution device on campaign t-shirts is meant to symbolize ongoing class struggles that may inevitably lead to a violent overthrow of the federal government.
"A guillotine t-shirt reminds others about it in hopes that we'll all be motivated to address the very serious problems with our government before a similarly violent uprising becomes inevitable," said Kidman, who recently endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, on Twitter.
The Maine Democrat unveiled the campaign merchandise shortly after the Senate acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial.
"More details on how to get your GuilloTee tomorrow! In the meantime, remember: there is not going to be a more convenient revolution," Kidman added.
In a separate tweet, Kidman clarified the intent is only to symbolically behead Republicans and money in politics.
"The guillotine is for the plutocratic & kleptocratic norms that have undermined our democratic process. We have to develop ways to subvert the stranglehold of wealth on our government," Kidman said.
Bernie Bros, Guillotines and Gulags
As TheBlaze's Aaron Coleman reported last month, Kidman's use of the guillotine as a campaign symbol is not the first time that democratic socialists invoke violent imagery. In an undercover video taken by Project Veritas, a campaign staffer named Kyle Jurek argued that if Sanders were to win in November, Trump voters will be subject to "reeducation" in Soviet-style gulags.
"In Nazi Germany after the fall of the Nazi party there was a sh*t ton of the populace that was f**king Nazi-fied. Germany had to spend billions of dollars to reeducate their people to not be Nazis. We're probably going to have to do the same f**king thing here," Jurek said.
"That's kind of what Bernie's whole free education for everybody...because we're going to have to teach you to not be a f**king Nazi," he added. "There's a reason Josef Stalin had gulags. And actually, gulags were a lot better than what the CIA has told us that they were. Like, people were actually paid a living wage in gulags, they had conjugal visits in gulags. Gulags were actually meant for, like, reeducation."


theblaze--2020-02-15--Watch and learn the sole purpose for the immigration system to exist in less than five minutes

Listen! Progressives would be thrilled if Americans ignored the basic facts about why we have national borders and the sole purpose for the immigration system to exist.
In fact, they've gone as far as to say that borders are racist and sexist. Democrats would prefer that voters ignore our nation's borders in the same way transgender persons ignore their reflection in the mirror. But, I digress.
Here's Crowder to explain the sole purpose for an immigration system to exist and why borders must be observed and protected. Hint: American values.
www.youtube.com
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theblaze--2020-02-15--Michigan's lesbian attorney general takes shot at cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh over Buttigieg remar

Michigan's lesbian attorney general takes shot at cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh over Buttigieg remarks

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel , who is married to a woman , took a shot at cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh @ @ @ @ @ a message at the conservative radio host after Limbaugh made light of Democratic presidential contender @ @ @ @ @ Limbaugh said of the former South Bend mayor on Wednesday : In response , Nassel @ @ @ @ @ kissing her `` super hot wife '' at Limbaugh .
`` In honor of Valentines @ @ @ @ @ awkward picture of me making out with my super hot wife on election night .
@ @ @ @ @ going back in the closet , and neither am I .
Happy VD to you @ @ @ @ @ '' Nassel said .
Limbaugh 's comments generated controversy on social media , but culminated @ @ @ @ @ in an interview that he would vote for a gay person for president .

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is married to a woman, took a shot at cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh on Friday.
Nessel directed a message at the conservative radio host after Limbaugh made light of Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg's sexuality.
Limbaugh said of the former South Bend mayor on Wednesday:
They're looking at Mayor Pete, 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage. And they're saying, OK, how's this going to look, 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What's going to happen there?
America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president.
There may be some Democrats who think that's exactly what we need to do, Rush. Get a gay guy kissing his husband on stage, ram it down Trump's throat, and beat him in the general election. Really. Having fun envisioning that.
In response, Nassel directed a picture of her kissing her "super hot wife" at Limbaugh.
"In honor of Valentines Day, here is an awkward picture of me making out with my super hot wife on election night. @PeteButtigieg is not going back in the closet, and neither am I. Happy VD to you too, Rush Limbaugh," Nassel said.
She added the hashtag "#Loveislove."
Limbaugh's comments generated controversy on social media, but culminated with President Donald Trump revealing in an interview that he would vote for a gay person for president.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Illegal alien who was acquitted in death of Kate Steinle is found incompetent to stand trial for gun

Illegal alien who was acquitted in death of Kate Steinle is found incompetent to stand trial for gun charges The @ @ @ @ @ debate about sanctuary city policies

The illegal alien who was acquitted in the 2015 death of Kate Steinle was found incompetent to stand trial for the federal gun possession charges against him.
Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate was diagnosed with an untreated mental condition by a court-ordered competency evaluation.
The Steinle murder became a flashpoint in the immigration debate when then-candidate Donald Trump publicized her death as an example of the lawlessness stemming from sanctuary cities like San Francisco, California.
Garcia-Zarate claimed that he had found a gun abandoned at the pier and that it went off accidentally when he picked it up. The bullet ricocheted and hit 32-year-old Steinle in the back, who died of the injury.
While he was acquitted for her murder, a jury found him guilty of felony possession of a gun. That state conviction was overturned in August 2019 by an appeals court.
On Friday a court said he was not competent to stand trial for the federal gun possession charges.
His attorney Tony Serra said they would contest the finding in a hearing on Wednesday.
"He is entitled to a hearing," Serra said. "I'm protesting that he is competent enough for this case."
Garcia-Zarate had been previously deported five times, and admitted that he sought out refuge in San Francisco because of the liberal city's sanctuary city policies.
Here's more about the Steinle murder case:


theblaze--2020-02-15--Chad Prather delivers brilliant rant explaining the rise and fall of disgraced lawyer Michael Avenat

Chad Prather delivers brilliant rant explaining the rise and fall of disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti

Friday, disgraced lawyer Micheal Avenatti was found guilty on the charge of extortion in a case that involved Nike. Chad Prather delivered a brilliant rant about Avenatti's misdeeds and provided biting commentary about the "legacy" Avenatti will leave behind.
"Michael Avenatti has been convicted of extortion so Happy Valentine's Day. Stormy Daniels must be dancing over this," Chad said.
Be sure to download "The Chad Prather Show" and get caught up on what you've been missing.
Watch the video below for the full story.
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theblaze--2020-02-15--Is it rude to recline your seat on an airplane? Debate rages as Delta's CEO says it's 'proper' to as

Is it rude to recline your seat on an airplane? Debate rages as Delta's CEO says it's 'proper' to ask permission first

Is it rude to recline your seat on an airplane ?
Debate rages as Delta 's CEO says it 's @ @ @ @ @ first A viral video of a man hitting a woman 's seat sparked controversy over @ @

Last month, a woman flying on an American Airlines flight took video of the man behind her repeatedly hitting the back of her seat as she reclined. After posting the clip to social media on Saturday, it went viral, sparking a debate over who was in the wrong.
New fire fed the controversy on Friday, when the CEO of Delta Air Lines weighed in saying it is "proper" for passengers to ask permission before reclining their seat.
What are the details?
Wendi Williams told TMZ she was on an American Airlines flight from New Orleans to Charlotte on Jan. 31 when the unidentified man sitting behind her began punching her seat in a "violent" manner before she began filming him, at which point he reduced the force he used but continued to repeatedly hit her seat.
Williams is now in search of the man's identity, because she wants to sue him for assault. She is also demanding that a flight attendant be fired for asking her to delete the footage and offering the man a drink.
The incident sparked debate across social media, with some arguing passengers who paid their fare have the right to utilize the available function of a reclining seat, and others arguing that reclining is rude and intrudes on the already-limited space of another traveler.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian waded in on the debate by siding with the latter stance, telling CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday, "The proper thing to do is, if you're going to recline into somebody, you ask if it's OK first." He added, "I never recline, because I don't think it's something as a CEO I should be doing, and I never say anything if someone reclines into me."
But even among experts there is disagreement on the issue. Etiquette guru William Hanson told the Daily Mail, "We can all agree it is irritating when the passenger in front reclines but it is within their rights to do so. The only time it is wrong is when the meal service is still happening and yet to be cleared."


theblaze--2020-02-15--Trump admin ordering elite tactical units to enforce immigration law at sanctuary cities, and they'r

Trump admin ordering elite tactical units to enforce immigration law at sanctuary cities, and they're already angry

Trump admin ordering elite tactical units to enforce immigration law at sanctuary cities , and they 're already angry '' @ @ @ @ @ , period !
Especially by a bully like President Trump ! ''

The Trump administration confirmed a plan to send elite tactical units to enforce immigration law in sanctuary cities and officials in several municipalities are already criticizing the new policy.
The New York Times first reported on Friday that the immigration enforcement officers would be sent to ten cities that had implemented sanctuary city policies.
Those cities are Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, New Orleans, Detroit and Newark, New Jersey.
A spokesman confirmed the report, saying that the 100 agents will help aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement "in order to enhance the integrity of the immigration system, protect public safety, and strengthen our national security."
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement that he opposed the action.
"We cannot allow the federal government to weaponize our immigration system for partisan politics," Villanueva said.
"This poorly thought out plan can only be seen as a tactic to intimidate an already vulnerable population and drive them deeper into the shadows," he added.
Houston Police Chief Alex Acevedo also decried the action as "political theater" in statement.
"The @houstonpolice focuses its efforts on going after crooks, not cooks. We give zero sanctuary for people committing violent or property crimes," said Acevedo.
"We hope our Federal partners continue to focus on going after bad actors, not on political theater," he added.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the policy "fear-mongering" and "xenophobia" in a video statement.
"We will not be bullied, period," she said.
"Especially by a bully like President Trump, who trades in hatred and scare tactics," she added.
"We are a welcoming city, and proud of it," Lightfoot concluded. "And no amount of vitriol will make us think otherwise."
Here's the latest in immigration enforcement:


theblaze--2020-02-15--President Trump to start the engines at Daytona 500 — and Fox News report says he'll take a lap in t

President Trump to start the engines at Daytona 500 — and Fox News report says he'll take a lap in the presidential limo

President Trump to start the engines at Daytona 500 — and Fox News report says he 'll take a lap @ @ @ @ @ are plans for him to attend the drivers ' meeting as well

President Donald Trump is already set to start the engines at the NASCAR Daytona 500 car race, but according to a Fox News report he's also planning to do a lap around the course in the presidential limousine.
The president was announced to be the grand marshal to the opening ceremonies of the race on Sunday, and give the famous command, "gentleman, start your engines!"
The report that he will also take a lip in "the Beast" came from Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts, who said they had several sources for the story.
"Multiple Sources tell @FoxNews that @realDonaldTrump is planning to take a lap at the @DISupdates Daytona International Speedway in the 'Beast' presidential limo ahead of the Daytona 500," Roberts tweeted.
"It's not 100%, but that is the plan at the moment," he added.
The report created a stir on social media with supporters praising the president, but some critics booing the report.
WFLA-8 also reported that there are plans to have him attend the race drivers meeting.
"I'm told, I don't think it's official, but I'm told that he may be in the drivers meeting! So, that doesn't happen everyday! He doesn't come in to our sports meetings!" joked WFLA reporter Dan Lucas.
"That's kinda cool for these guys!" he added.
Trump will be the first sitting president to attend the Daytona 500 since former President George W. Bush in 2004.
Here's more about the Trump Daytona 500:


theblaze--2020-02-15--Report: Rep. Ilhan Omar's husband busted her cheating when he made surprise visit to DC

Report : Rep. Ilhan Omar 's husband busted her cheating when he made surprise visit to DC He walked in @ @ @ @ @ lover in their pajamas according to a new report

Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) now ex-husband suspected she was having an affair long before the rumors were public, and made a surprise visit to her Washington, D.C., apartment last year to find the congresswoman and her lover in their pajamas according to a new report.
What are the details?
The Daily Mail published an exclusive story on Friday revealing that Omar's ex-husband, Ahmed Hirsi, believed she was cheating on him with her head fundraiser, Tim Mynett. Despite the Minnesota Democrat's insistence that she was faithful, Hirsi walked in on Omar and Mynett both wearing sleepwear when he made an unannounced visit to his wife's D.C. residence.
"[Hirsi] suspected she was cheating but she kept telling him he was paranoid," one source told the outlet. "He told her he wanted to move down to D.C. to be with her but she insisted he should stay in Minneapolis with the children. Eventually he surprised her down there and his worst fears were confirmed."
The source clarified, "It wasn't that he actually caught them in bed but they were clearly in a romantic situation."
The Mail cited a second unnamed source who purportedly confirmed the incident, saying Hirsi was left "angry and humiliated" over the encounter that reportedly occurred in the spring.
Omar and Hirsi, who have three children together, divorced in November. Neither he nor Omar have spoken publicly about the reason for their split, and The Daily Mail further reported that Omar agreed to pay Hirsi as much as $250,000 over the course of six years to stay quiet about the matter.
Omar's rumored infidelity became public when Mynett's now ex-wife, Beth Mynett, filed for divorce in August citing her husband's affair with Omar as the reason for the demise of their marriage. It was soon discovered that Omar's campaign had paid Mynett's consulting firm hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the New York Post, conservative groups have filed Federal Election Commission complaints against Omar over the payments to her lover's company, which totaled more than $500,000 last year.


theblaze--2020-02-15--Amy Klobuchar embarrassed by foreign policy question from Telemundo interviewer

Billionaire Steyer was also stumped by the question

Presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) suffered an embarrassing moment when she was quizzed on the name of the president of Mexico during an interview with a Spanish language news network.
Klobuchar was unable to remember the president's name, despite Mexico being the third largest trading partner to the United States.
"Can you tell me his name?" asked Guadalupe Venegas of Telemundo.
"No," she responded simply.
California billionaire Tom Steyer also failed the global leader gotcha test, but South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg was able to recall Andrés Manuel López Obrador's last name.
Obrador has also made headlines as the media in Mexico has painted him as the country's version of President Donald Trump. While he has criticized Trump for comments he's made about migrants, Obrador has also cooperated with demands from Trump that he pressure migrants from Central America to stay in Mexico.
Telemundo is an American Spanish language news network owned by Comcast through NBCUniversal.
Klobuchar's campaign got a much-needed lifeline when she came in third place in the New Hampshire primary, just behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Buttigieg.
ABC news campaign reporter Will Steakin noted that Klobuchar had voted in favor of the United States–Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), but could not name the president.
Here's the video of the exchange:


theblaze--2020-02-16--DOJ opens new investigation into James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, former top DOJ official s

DOJ opens new investigation into James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, former top DOJ official says

DOJ opens new investigation into James Comey , Andrew McCabe , Peter Strzok , former top DOJ official says 'All @ @ @ @ @ a loser case for starting an investigation ... '

Andrew Weissmann, a former top lawyer at the Justice Department who played a central role in Robert Mueller's investigation, said Friday the Justice Department has begun a new investigation into several former top FBI officials.
Weissmann, speaking to MSNBC host Chuck Todd, said the Justice Department has swapped its "loser case" against Andrew McCabe — in which the DOJ declined to pursue charges against McCabe for lying to investigators — for a new case against former FBI Director James Comey, McCabe, and Peter Strzok.
"All they did was swapped out a loser case for starting an investigation that is going to be of Comey, McCabe, Pete Strzok," Weissmann said, the Washington Examiner reported.
The investigation is related to the DOJ's review of the Michael Flynn case, Weissmann explained.
Last week, Attorney General William Barr appointed Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to investigate the circumstances of the Flynn case, including his interview with FBI investigators.
NBC News reported that Jensen is "broadly" reviewing the case, suggesting latitude in the scope of his inquiry.


theblaze--2020-02-17--Florida teen murdered 13-year-old for mocking Islam — family is suing the grocery store that sold hi

Florida teen murdered 13-year-old for mocking Islam — family is suing the grocery store that sold him the knife The @ @ @ @ @ to Islam

The family of a 13-year-old murdered in a stabbing attack by a Muslim teenager is suing the grocery store that sold him the knife he used in the crime.
Corey Johnson attacked Jovanni Alexander Sierra and others in 2018 in a horrifying attack in 2018. Johnson, who had converted to Islam prior to the attack, had been under investigation by the FBI because he was viewing radicalization propaganda online, including beheading videos.
"Corey Johnson has confessed his actions to our investigators stating that he stabbed the victims because of his religious beliefs," said Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Clint Shannon at the time. "Our understanding is he had converted to Islam and had been watching violent videos online."
Sierra died of his injuries, including a slash at his throat, and Johnson is to be tried as an adult for the crime.
The family filed a lawsuit on Monday against Publix for selling the knife to Johnson just hours before he killed Sierra.
It is unlawful to sell weapons to anyone under the age of 18 in Florida.
"Publix has refused to change their reckless policy of selling knives to underage buyers and has spurned Florida law by intentionally failing to check identification before selling dangerous weapons to underage knife purchasers," said the family's lawyer to WPEC.
"Publix is fully responsible for the damages caused by their illegal knife sale and could be responsible for punitive damages if their conduct rises to the level of intentional disregard of Florida law," he added.
When prompted for a response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Publix said it would "inappropriate" to comment on pending litigation.
Here's a local video about the lawsuit:


theblaze--2020-02-17--Trump refuses to be politically correct when discussing the dangerous reality of illegal immigration

During a press conference on Friday, President Trump revisited a story of a 92-year-old great grandmother who was raped, beaten, and murdered by an illegal immigrant. Trump's prepared statement included the word "allegedly." The woman was allegedly raped, beaten, and murdered. As Trump read the statement, he removed allegedly and stated that his lawyers put the word in the statement.
Refusing to play the game of political correctness, Trump said the following:
"In my State of the Union address, I shared the tragic story of Maria Fuentes, a 92-year-old great-grandmother who was allegedly raped, beaten, and murdered by a criminal illegal alien in New York City. I think I can; no, I don't think — I'll take the word allegedly out. Do you mind if I do that? See, the lawyers put it in, but if you don't mind, I'll leave it out. She was raped, beaten, and murdered," Trump said.
Watch the video below for more on this story.
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theblaze--2020-02-17--Trump critic Arnold Schwarzenegger thanks the president for addressing California homelessness

Trump critic Arnold Schwarzenegger thanks the president for addressing California homelessness The two have certainly had their differences

Hollywood actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) expressed his gratitude toward President Donald Trump and his administration's efforts to combat California's homelessness crisis last week, offering noteworthy praise despite his past criticisms of the president.
What are the details?
"Everyone knows @realDonaldTrump & I have our disagreements," Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter. "But I want to thank you for sending @SecretaryCarson to our homelessness summit. We'll only solve this if everyone works together. This issue is bigger than all of us. Now is time for action."
Fox News reported that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson participated in a homelessness summit in Los Angeles on Friday. The outlet followed Sec. Carson as he toured housing facilities and relief organizations in California while assessing the crisis firsthand.
Sec. Carson told Fox News the administration plans to take action to assist with California's homelessness "within a matter of weeks," adding, "We're not talking months and years."
Last month, President Trump tweeted that California's current Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) "has done a really bad job on taking care of the homeless population" in the state. "If he can't fix the problem, the Federal Govt. will get involved!" the president added.
President Trump has blamed overregulation and liberal agendas for California's homelessness epidemic, while Schwarzenegger has specifically pointed to the environmental movement's "no-growth" push as a reason so many people in California are living on the streets and unable to afford housing.
Anything else?
Schwarzenegger, an avowed environmentalist, has criticized President Trump in the past for the president's support of the coal industry. The Hill reported that the two have "repeatedly" sparred on social media in recent years despite previously being friends.


theblaze--2020-02-17--Longtime Democrat whose viral essay praises supporters of President Trump says she had to turn off F

Longtime Democrat whose viral essay praises supporters of President Trump says she had to turn off Facebook reviews after leftist attacks

Longtime Democrat whose viral essay praises supporters of President Trump says she had to turn off Facebook reviews after leftist @ @ @ @ @ said she 's leaving the Democrats to be an independent

A mere few days ago, Karlyn Borysenko was a relatively anonymous Democrat of two decades, organizational psychologist, and "compulsive knitter."
But that was so last week.
Borysenko's essay "After Attending a Trump Rally, I Realized Democrats Are Not Ready For 2020" went viral by the end of the week and caught the attention of the likes of Glenn Beck, founder of TheBlaze, as well as "Fox & Friends" — which interviewed her Saturday.
What are the details?
In her essay, Borysenko described herself as "one of those Democrats who considered anyone who voted for Trump a racist. I thought they were horrible (yes, even deplorable) and worked very hard to eliminate their voices from my spaces by unfriending or blocking people who spoke about their support of him, however minor their comments."
But then Borysenko said she began observing the vitriol coming from her leftist circles — and it began to disturb her. And when she started peering over to the other side of the aisle, she found herself surprised.
"The more voices outside the left that I listened to, the more I realized that these were not bad people," Borysenko wrote. "They were not racists, nazis, or white supremacists. We had differences of opinions on social and economic issues, but a difference of opinion does not make your opponent inherently evil. And they could justify their opinions using arguments, rather than the shouting and ranting I saw coming from my side of the aisle."
With that, she decided to attend a rally for President Donald Trump in New Hampshire — her very first. Not that she was a budding fan: "I do not believe that Trump's attitude is worthy of the highest office in the land. I abhor his Twitter. I am vehemently opposed to so many of his policies. But still, I wanted to see for myself."
More from her essay:
So, I headed over an hour and a half before the doors were scheduled to open — which was four hours before Trump was set to take the stage — and the line already stretched a mile away from the entrance to the arena. As I waited, I chatted with the folks around me. And contrary to all the fears expressed, they were so nice. I was not harassed or intimidated, and I was never in fear of my safety even for a moment. These were average, everyday people. They were veterans, schoolteachers, and small business owners who had come from all over the place for the thrill of attending this rally. They were upbeat and excited. In chatting, I even let it slip that I was a Democrat. The reaction: "Good for you! Welcome!"
Once we got inside, the atmosphere was jubilant. It was more like attending a rock concert than a political rally. People were genuinely enjoying themselves. Some were even dancing to music being played over the loudspeakers. It was so different than any other political event I had ever attended. Even the energy around Barack Obama in 2008 didn't feel like this.
After the rally, Borysenko — who said she voted for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the New Hampshire primary — said she would be "changing my voter registration from Democrat to Independent and walking away from the party I've spent the past 20 years in to sit in the middle for a while."
What's more, she said the Democrats are in for an "ass-kicking" come November: "I truly believe that it doesn't matter who the Democrats nominate: Trump is going to trounce them. If you don't believe me, attend one of his rallies and see for yourself. Don't worry, they really won't hurt you."
Leftists attack
Indeed, Borysenko has been dealing with overnight celebrity status, but not all of the attention has been positive. She tweeted Sunday that she had to "turn off the reviews on my Facebook page because people I've never spoken to, and have certainly never worked with, don't like that I wrote an article that said 'Trump supporters are not Nazis.'"
She added in another tweet that "after the last few days I see the left in a whole new way."
Not that Borysenko is deterred from sharing further thoughts — in fact, she also said she's "thinking about doing a follow-up about the experiences of Trump supporters who have been excommunicated from their family/friend/social circles because they support him."
Encouragement, once again, from outside the left-wing bubble
Amid the pushback and attacks over Borysenko's piece, her Twitter feed is full of encouragement from outside the left-wing bubble. Here's one fitting example she especially appreciated:


theblaze--2020-02-17--Bloomberg goes after ‘Bernie bros’ in online ad after scathing remarks from Sanders

Bloomberg goes after ‘ Bernie bros ’ in online ad after scathing remarks from Sanders

Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg attacked rival candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a Monday video ad showing bullying and threatening tweets and messages purportedly sent by the latter's supporters.
"We need to unite to defeat Trump in November. This type of 'energy' is not going to get us there," Bloomberg said in a Monday morning tweet containing the 53-second video.
The ad begins by showing multiple threatening or insulting social media posts and messages either in favor of Sanders or against Bloomberg or other 2020 Democratic primary candidates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
"Vote Bernie or bad things will happen," one of the tweets says.
"Love how you broke the system. We know where you live. Where you work. Where you eat. We know where your kids go to school/grandkids," a string of messages in a screenshot stated. "We have everything on you."
"Libs who are flirting with Bloomberg now should be aware that they are going on lists," one tweet in the video said. "Next time they pretend to care about racism or sexual harassment or really anything other than money and power, we will remember what they were doing right now and we will remind everyone."
After the messages, the video then shows a series media headlines about "Bernie bros," a pejorative term used for Sanders supporters who have been accused of using overly aggressive, threatening, or bullying tactics online.
"Bernie's Angry Bros" blares a headline from the New York Times in the video. "Are you being harassed by a Bernie bro or Bernie bot?" asks another from the Daily Dot. "Is Bernie Sanders' Angry Army Really What we Want?" another headline from the Chicago Tribune says.
After the headlines, the video shows a clip of Sanders saying, "It is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse."
"Really?" text on the video asks. "Really."
The language of Bloomberg's tweet was a reference to a video remarks tweeted out Sunday by the Vermont senator in which Sanders blasted the former New York City mayor for "racist policies like stop and frisk" and later added that "Mayor Bloomberg, with all his money, will not create the kind excitement and energy we need to have the voter turnout we must have to defeat Donald Trump."
Bloomberg's campaign also put out a statement Monday citing "repeated attacks by Bernie Sanders, his spokespeople and supporters."
In a tweet referring to the ad shortly after its release, Sanders' campaign managers, Faiz Shakir, accused Bloomberg of trying to "smear" Sanders.
"Candidate trying to buy the election is trying to smear candidate trying to win with a people-powered movement," Shakir wrote.


theblaze--2020-02-17--Anthony Wiener is allegedly trying to get more access at his son's school — and parents are not happ

Anthony Wiener is allegedly trying to get more access at his son's school — and parents are not happy about it

Anthony Wiener is allegedly trying to get more access at his son 's school — and parents are not happy @ @

The school board where Anthony Weiner's son attends is reportedly upsetting parents by considering letting the disgraced former congressman and convicted sex offender back onto school grounds.
Weiner — who was recently imprisoned for sexting with a 15-year-old girl — has been lobbying for the change so that he can pick up his son, Jordan, 8, and attend events such as parent-teacher conferences, Page Six reported.
Page Six noted that while it is commonly held that sex offenders are not allowed in places where children are often found, such as parks and schools, New York State law allows for an exception to be made if the offender has a child at a school. In those cases, it is up to the school board to make the ultimate determination.
The news that the school board is deliberating over the matter has evidently caused a stir in the community.
"Parents are very upset," a source allegedly told Page Six. "The school has kids that are 16 and 17 — the same age as [the kid] that he was [sexting] with."
In September 2016, Weiner was caught sexting and sending lewd pictures of himself to a 15-year-old girl, even asking the girl to engage in "rape fantasies" with him, the Daily Mail reported. He was later sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for the crime but only served 16 months.
After being released, Weiner was required to register as a sex offender and undergo three years of supervised release. Despite filing for a divorce after news broke that he was sexting with a minor, Weiner's wife, longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, withdrew her petition.
According to the New York Post, Weiner has since moved into the same East Village apartment building where Abedin and their son live.


theblaze--2020-02-17--Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to help stamp out climate change

Jeff Bezos pledges $ 10 billion to help stamp out climate change

Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos — the world's richest man — is pledging $10 billion of his massive fortune in order to quash climate change and its effect on the globe.
Bezos' $10 billion pledge is approximately 8% of his massive fortune, reportedly valued around $130 billion.
What are the details?
Bezos shared the news Monday on Instagram.
In his post, Bezos said the money would help finance advancements in science and supplement activist work through grants.
Bezos' fund — called the Bezos Earth Fund — is set to begin distributing the grants over the summer.
His post read, "Today, I'm thrilled to announce I am launching the Bezos Earth Fund. Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share."
"This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world," the post continued. "We can save Earth. It's going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals."
"I'm committing $10 billion to start and will begin issuing grants this summer. Earth is the one thing we all have in common — let's protect it, together," Bezos' post concluded.
What else?
According to CNBC, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice issued a statement about the new program.
"We applaud Jeff Bezos' philanthropy, but one hand cannot give what the other is taking away," the group said in a Monday statement. "The people of Earth need to know: When is Amazon going to stop helping oil & gas companies ravage Earth with still more oil and gas wells?"
In September, Amazon pledged to purchase a large fleet of electric-powered vehicles to deliver packages to consumers beginning in 2021. The company said that all 100,000 Amazon delivery vehicles will be replaced by electric-powered vehicles by 2030 at the latest. USA Today reporter Nathan Bomey reported that the fleet will be fully electric by 2024.
At the time, Bezos announced that Amazon purchased the vehicles — all 100,000 of them — from Michigan-based electric vehicle startup, Rivian.
That same month, Bezos also issued The Climate Pledge, vowing to make Amazon carbon-neutral by 2040, and aiming for at least 80% of the corporation's energy use to be renewable by 2024.
In April, thousands of Amazon employees banded together by writing an open letter demanding that their employer draft a climate change plan.
A portion of the open letter — which was signed by more than 3,500 Amazon employees — read, "Amazon has the resources and scale to spark the world's imagination and redefine what is possible and necessary to address the climate crisis. We believe this is a historic opportunity for Amazon to stand with employees and signal to the world that we're ready to be a climate leader."


theblaze--2020-02-17--Teen with Asperger’s fined, placed under house arrest after questioning trans police officer's gende

Teen with Asperger’s fined, placed under house arrest after questioning trans police officer's gender

Teen with Asperger ’ s fined , placed under house arrest after questioning trans police officer 's gender This is @ @ @ @ @

A teen with Asperger's syndrome is under house arrest after questioning a transgender police officer's gender.
What are the details?
According to the U.K.'s Metro, the incident took place in October while PSCO Connor Freel was on foot patrol in Mold, North Wales.
The teen, 19-year-old Declan Armstrong, was with his friends when he noticed Freel on patrol and reportedly said — quite loudly — "Is it a boy or a girl?" in front of a friend. When Freel looked over, Armstrong reportedly said it once more.
Freel, 25, said he was "upset and embarrassed" by Armstrong's remarks.
A judge ordered that Armstrong be put under house arrest after 9 p.m. local time, and pony up $767 — including an amount of $260 in compensation to Freel. Armstrong was convicted of an offense of "using abusive or insulting words with intent to cause harassment," as reported by the Daily Mail. His house arrest — which takes place between the hours of 9 p.m and 7 a.m. local time — is set to last 12 weeks.
According to the Daily Mail, Freel — a biological woman — "came out" as transgender at the age of 15.
Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said that Armstrong's remarks deeply hurt Freel.
"To have something shouted at him that had such personal connotations whilst he was on his own in the middle of a public place, that was rather busy due to market day footfall, did leave [Freel] vulnerable, distressed, and embarrassed," Jackson said in a statement on the case.
What else?
When he came out at the age of 15, fellow students reportedly harassed Freel and threw rocks at him. Freel also claimed to have faced similar harassment after finishing high school and took a job at a local McDonald's.
In 2018, Freel said, "I was born female, but from my earliest memories and before I could even talk, I knew I was a boy in the wrong body. I told my parents when I was a small child that I was a boy. However, I was brought up as a girl and began to transition to male when I was around 15."
"I went to my parents and explained to them how I felt, and they couldn't have been more supportive," Freel said. "In fact, they basically knew and had been waiting for me to tell them. I came out first as being gay and got a bit of abuse for that and I almost didn't want to come out as transgender."


theblaze--2020-02-17--VIDEO: 20-year-old moved to tears after community center gifts him a car allowing him to start class

VIDEO: 20-year-old moved to tears after community center gifts him a car allowing him to start classes at college

VIDEO : 20-year-old moved to tears after community center gifts him a car allowing him to start classes at college @ @ @ @ @ ! '

A 20-year-old Tennessee student couldn't hold back tears when he found out the community center where he volunteers was giving him a car so that he could start college classes.
Jared was holding off on enrolling because, without a car, he was unable to get to and from school.
But when Angie Odom, the founder and director of the TLC Community Center, a pro-life counseling center and food pantry in Elizabethton, Tennessee, heard that a supporter of the foundation was hoping to give a car away, she immediately thought of Jared. The man's 90-year-old mother had passed away and he was looking to give the car to someone who deserved and needed it, Odom said.
In a Facebook post, Odom recalled how Jared has volunteered at the center for years, always with a smile and never complaining. He got to and from the center and a job by riding his bike, regardless of the weather.
"God provide[d] just what we knew he needed. God honors and blesses hard work!" She added in the heartwarming post.
Jared reportedly "cried for over 35 minutes" when he found out about the gift, and then was moved to tears again when he started up the engine and sat in the driver's seat.
In an update, Odom reported that another TLC Community Center supporter pitched in to cover a year's worth of his auto insurance costs.
"God has supplied his needs!" she said.