theblaze--2020-01-21--'Which of the suspects raped Suzy?' High school homework question sparks controversy in Texas

'Which of the suspects raped Suzy ? '
High school homework question sparks controversy in Texas What kind of 'lesson @ @ @ @

A Texas school district has apologized and taken unspecified "corrective action" after a biology teacher at Klein Collins High School near Houston, Texas, assigned a controversial homework question about rape for a lesson on DNA, reported KPRC Click2Houston.
"Suzy was assaulted in an alley and is a victim of rape. The police collected a sample of sperm that was left at the crime scene and now have three suspects in custody. Which of the suspects raped Suzy?" the assignment read.
On Monday's episode of "The Chad Prather Show," Chad and the crew discussed the controversial question.
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theblaze--2020-01-21--NFL star Benjamin Watson is producing a pro-life documentary to 'unveil the truth about abortion'

NFL star Benjamin Watson is producing a pro-life documentary to 'unveil the truth about abortion' ' I believe in the @ @ @ @ @ it in the womb or on your deathbed '

New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson is putting the finishing touches on a documentary about abortion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Watson, a pro-life Christian who has been vocal on the issue of abortion in the past, said he never expected to be involved in making a movie, but the frenzy around the issue could not be ignored.
"It seems this issue — which has always been a part of our national consciousness — has ramped up recently," he told The Hollywood Reporter.
"Things are at a fever pitch," he added. "My goal is to unveil the truth about abortion, the laws, the history and where our country is headed. I believe in the sanctity of life, be it in the womb or on your deathbed. That's my conviction. But with the film, I'll engage those who disagree and hear their reasoning. The No. 1 thing I'm looking for is empathy on both sides."
What about the documentary?
In the documentary, "Divided Hearts of America," Watson interviews roughly 30 Americans with a variety of perspectives on the issue, including prominent Americans such as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Along the lines of his goal of producing empathy on both sides, Watson added that he hopes those castigated for their pro-life views would receive better treatment from the cultural left.
"Dissenting views should be respected and in fact encouraged. There are many people in Hollywood who would consider themselves pro-life but they feel as though their viewpoint is unacceptable in the industry," Watson said. "No one should feel like their job is in danger because of their convictions on this issue."
The documentary's budget is less than $1 million and it is financed by a few donors along with the Christian charity he runs with his wife called the One More Foundation.
What's the background?
You may remember Watson's high profile dust-up with Alyssa Milano last May after the pro-choice actress argued laws restricting abortion especially injure "women of color."
Watson stood up to Milano, tweeting that her claims revealed "ignorance, racism, or some combination of both."
The two settled the matter when Milano tweeted in reply: "If you'd like to discuss further, please DM me. My door & heart are always open."
Watson's film was in production at the time of the exchange, The Hollywood Reporter noted, and Watson reportedly told Milano about his intentions of producing a film about abortion in America.
Earlier in the year, Watson also called on men to step up to prevent abortions, saying, "men are protectors" and "providers."
"Many women would not be seeking abortions if the men involved in their lives were doing what they were supposed to be doing," he told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. "And that's a challenge to myself, that's a challenge to all men who are listening, that's a challenge to men everywhere to step up."
What else?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Watson is currently negotiating with distributors about the film and said that some groups have already guaranteed they'd be buying out theaters.
Watson, who may be retiring this year after 15 seasons in the NFL, called his recent movie-making venture a "fun learning experience."
"This is my first foray into filmmaking," he added. "But, hopefully not my last."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Denver Post fires conservative columnist after he criticizes leftist notion that 'there are more tha

Denver Post fires conservative columnist after he criticizes leftist notion that 'there are more than two sexes' 'There was a @ @ @ @ @ the press fought hard to protect free speech .
Now they fight hard to mandate @ @ @

Jon Caldara had penned his conservative/libertarian columns for the Denver Post since 2016 — until Friday's op-ed in which he criticized the leftist notion that "there are more than two sexes."
What are the details?
In a Facebook post about his firing, Caldara noted that his editor — whom he says he respects and still likes very much — "found my writing too insensitive. And yes, it is. My column is not a soft voiced, sticky sweet NPR-styled piece which employs the language now mandated by the victim-centric, identity politics driven media."
He added, "Plain talk that doesn't conform to the newspeak law of 'use only the words mandated by the perpetually offended.' So, it is labeled as 'mean spirited' and banned. If conservatives and libertarians are granted a voice in the mainstream media, they must use the language of their ideological opponents. That is, they are not allowed to have their own voice."
'The last straw'
Caldara went on to explain that "what seemed to be the last straw for my column was my insistence that there are only two sexes and my frustration that to be inclusive of the transgendered (even that word isn't allowed) we must lose our right to free speech."
Here's a bit of what his column in question had to say on the point:
Democrats don't want transparency in hospital billing and they certainly don't want education transparency when it comes to their mandate to convince your kid that there are more than two sexes, even if it's against your wishes.
Among the most controversial laws that passed last year was the comprehensive human sexuality education mandate which ripped local control away from your neighborhood school board. Now if your school district wants to teach even basic sex ed, the teacher must also teach the 'health needs' of LGBT individuals.
And in the anti-free-speech style that the left now embraces, the new law bans discussions that "employ gender stereotypes," or any language the state's new oversight board of LGBT activists consider "stigmatizing." In case you hadn't noticed, just about everything is stigmatizing to the easily triggered, perpetually offended.
The law actually makes for some pretty funny Orwellian reading. It says nothing in the law "shall be interpreted to prohibit discussion of health, moral, ethical, or religious values…" And then it goes on to proscribe exactly what must and cannot be said during those "discussions."
Caldara emphasized in his Facebook post that he is "strongly pro-gay marriage, which has frustrated many of my socially conservative friends. I have friends, family, and employees from the LGBT community. I don't care who uses whose bathroom, what you wear, or how you identify. People from this community have rights which we must protect."
But he also argued that "to force us to use inaccurate pronouns, to force us to teach our kids that there are more than two sexes, to call what is plainly a man in a dress, well, not a man in a dress violates our right of speech."
More from Caldara's Facebook post:
There was a time when the liberals in the press fought hard to protect free speech. Now they fight hard to mandate speech because, heaven forbid, someone be offended or have their feelings hurt. It's okay people get offended. In fact, I encourage it. It means we are being challenged. It's not hate speech. It's speech. It used to be the press was all about.
I believe the reason so many people distrust the news media is the lack of intellectual diversity in it. My column is the most read column on the editorial pages. Perhaps it's because people hated it so much. Who knows?
I do know that the stifling of conservative and libertarian voices because journalists and those in entertainment see it as mean-spirited, has built up the frustration with the politically correct to the point someone who speaks as vilely as Donald Trump becomes president.
He ended his post with the following zinger: "It's why I think he'll be re-elected. I guess, thank you media. Your intolerance created him."
What did Caldara's editor have to say?
Caldara's editor, Megan Schrader, confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that she fired Caldara but wouldn't discuss her reasons.
"I am writing a job description as we speak to fill his position," she told the Free Beacon. "I hope that conservative Colorado writers will apply knowing that we value conservative voices on our pages and don't have a litmus test for their opinions."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Dems suggest that Trump’s lawyer shouldn’t take part in the impeachment trial. Ted Cruz fires back.

Dems suggest that Trump ’ s lawyer shouldn ’ t take part in the impeachment trial .
Ted Cruz fires @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump threatens to undermine the integrity of the pending trial '

The House Democrats, prosecuting the lower chamber's impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump, kicked off the day Tuesday by taking aim at the White House's lead defense attorney in the case, suggesting that he shouldn't take part in the trial.
In a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone dated Tuesday, the House's team of impeachment managers — which is led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) — wrote to "notify you that evidence received by the House of Representatives during its impeachment inquiry indicates that you are a material witness to charges in both Articles of Impeachment for which President Trump now faces trial."
The letter went on to describe instances that supposedly make Cipollone a witness to the events underlying the articles of impeachment. With regard to the article of impeachment for abuse of power, for example, the letter cited "multiple witnesses" who told the House that they "raised concerns" with a White House attorney who reports to Cipollone. Regarding the article of impeachment for obstruction of Congress, the managers claimed that Cipollone's office was "directly involved in potential efforts to conceal President Trump's scheme from Congress and the public."
The managers added that Cipollone's knowledge of such events brings into question his ability to act as the president's legal representative in this case.
"In light of your extensive knowledge of these key events, your personal representation of President Trump threatens to undermine the integrity of the pending trial," the letter contended. "You may be a material witness to the charges against President Trump even though you are also his advocate."
The managers' letter concluded by telling Cipollone that "at a minimum, you must disclose all facts and information as to which you have first-hand knowledge that will be at issue in connection with evidence you present or arguments you make in your role as the President's legal advocate so that the Senate and Chief Justice can be apprised of any potential ethical issues, conflicts, or biases."
In a fiery statement following the release of the letter, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) fired back at the managers' "absurd request" and said that the upper chamber wouldn't deny the president Cipollone's legal counsel.
"Unlike the House, the Senate will have a FAIR trial," Cruz said. "That means we won't deny the President his lawyer ON THE DAY the trial starts."
The senator suggested that Schiff should be disqualified from trying the case instead.
"Under the standard put forth by the House Democrats today — that any potential fact witness cannot serve as counsel in the impeachment hearing — there is an obvious person who should be disqualified: Adam Schiff," Cruz said. "Schiff, it has been alleged, spoke directly with the so-called 'whistle-blower' and may even have helped him draft the complaint that launched this entire impeachment. So, maybe we should disqualify Schiff as a lawyer, and schedule him instead as a witness to explain his role in creating the 'evidence' in this proceeding?"


theblaze--2020-01-21--How 'middle class' Joe's brother, Frank, joined the ranks of ultra-wealthy Bidens

How 'middle class ' Joe 's brother , Frank , joined the ranks of ultra-wealthy Bidens Hint : Your tax @ @ @ @ @ dreams come true

On the radio program Tuesday, Glenn Beck and Stu Burguiere discussed recent reports that former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, wasn't the only family member to capitalize on his connections to land an unbelievably lucrative job even though he lacked qualifications or experience.
According to Peter Schweizer's new book, "Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite," Joe Biden's younger brother, Frank, enjoyed the benefit of $54 million in taxpayer loans during the Obama administration to try his hand at an international development venture.
A lawyer by training, Frank Biden teamed up with a developer named Craig Williamson to build a sprawling luxury resort in Costa Rica, which claimed to be on a mission to preserve the country's forests but actually resulted in the decimation of thousands of acres of wilderness.
The then-vice president's brother also reportedly earned hundreds of thousands of dollars as the front man of a for-profit charter school company called Mavericks in Education.
The charter schools, which focused on helping at-risk teens, eventually failed after allegations of mismanagement and a series of lawsuits derailed the dubious business venture.
Watch the video below to get Glenn's take on these latest revelations in the Biden family corruption saga:
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theblaze--2020-01-21--Adam Schiff says calling Hunter Biden would be 'an illegitimate abuse' of the Senate's impeachment t

Adam Schiff says calling Hunter Biden would be 'an illegitimate abuse' of the Senate's impeachment trial

Adam Schiff says calling Hunter Biden would be 'an illegitimate abuse ' of the Senate 's impeachment trial 'The chief @ @ @ @ @ the senators , should not permit that kind of abuse '

The House's top impeachment prosecutor said this week that calling in Hunter Biden to testify as a witness during the Senate's impeachment trial would constitute "an illegitimate abuse" of the process.
In an interview with "CBS Evening News" that was posted Tuesday morning, House Intelligence Committee Chairman and lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said that, while it would only be fair for the president to be able to call witnesses, calling Biden would be a political effort immaterial to the case.
"It would certainly be fair for the president and his team to be able to call witnesses that can provide material information on the charges," Schiff told the network. "It would not be appropriate for the president to seek to call witnesses merely to try to perpetuate the same smear campaign that was foiled when his plot was discovered."
The scandal that precipitated the impeachment process, however, initially began with questions of Hunter Biden's employment as a board member at the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings, while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president and handling Ukraine policy for the Obama administration.
In case anyone forgot, Joe Biden once admitted to pressuring Ukraine's former president to fire the country's Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, while Shokin was leading an investigation into Burisma Holdings. That vignette came up during the now-infamous July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was the subject of the whistleblower's complaint that triggered the House's impeachment probe.
But despite the role of his business dealings in the origins of the trial, Schiff told CBS that Hunter Biden "can't tell us anything about whether the president withheld military aid, whether he withheld that aid to coerce Ukraine to conduct political investigations. Or why he wouldn't meet with the president of Ukraine."
He added that the "only purpose in putting him on their list is they wish to trade material witnesses ... for immaterial ones that will allow them to continue to attack a political opponent."
As to which witnesses are actually relevant to the impeachment case, Schiff said, may end up falling to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial.
"That's an illegitimate abuse of the trial," Schiff said. "And the chief justice, who may have an opportunity to rule on materiality of witnesses, as well as the senators, should not permit that kind of abuse."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Teen activist Greta Thunberg scolds world leaders on climate — 'our house is still on fire' — but Pr

Teen activist Greta Thunberg scolds world leaders on climate — 'our house is still on fire' — but President Trump isn't singing her tune

Teen activist Greta Thunberg scolds world leaders on climate — 'our house is still on fire ' — but President @ @ @ @ @ tune Trump argued that 'we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions @ @ @ @

Greta Thunberg — the teen activist who went on an oft-mocked "How dare you?" tirade about climate change at the United Nations in September — wasn't tearful or noticeably angry during her message Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
But her address was just as accusatory toward global and big business leaders.
"Our house is still on fire," she said. "Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour. And we are telling you to act as if you loved your children above all else."
"The climate and environment is a hot topic right now, thanks to young people pushing," Thunberg told those at the annual gathering in a ski resort in the Swiss alps, Bloomberg News reported. "Pretty much nothing has been done, since the global emissions of CO2 have not reduced."
The outlet added that only a handful of executives from the oil, gas, and coal industries "chiefly responsible for warming the planet" were in attendance. But another world figure was there, and he made some headlines of his own.
'This is not a time for pessimism'
President Donald Trump spoke at the forum later on Tuesday and didn't appear to be on Thunberg's frequency as he focused instead on America's growing economy and record oil and gas production, Bloomberg News said.
"This is not a time for pessimism, this is a time for optimism," the president said as Thunberg watched from the audience, the outlet reported. "We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. They are the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers."
More from Bloomberg News:
The president and the activist's first and only meeting last year became instantly viral as Thunberg was filmed furiously staring at Trump. While they've never spoken face to face, they both seem to follow each other closely on Twitter.
“Greta must work on her anger management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!", Trump tweeted in December shortly after the activist was named person of the year by Time magazine. Thunberg didn't directly answer, but changed her Twitter biography to “A teenager working on her anger management problem."
But Thunberg did say toward the end of 2019 that she wouldn't have bothered to speak with Trump if she had run into him at the United Nations climate summit in September.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Sorry liberals—MLK Jr.'s beliefs would not align with progressive ideology

Sorry liberals—MLK Jr. 's beliefs would not align with progressive ideology

Once a year, every year, progressives stand on the grave of Martin Luther King Jr. and try to use his words for political expediency, and it is just not accurate.
On Monday's episode of "Louder with Crowder," Steven Crowder set the record straight about MLK Jr.'s beliefs. According to Crowder, the civil rights pioneer would be more aligned with modern-day conservatism than with liberal progressivism.
Crowder pointed to an excerpt from one of King's letter from Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963:
"One day, the south will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were, in reality, standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, and thusly carrying our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence."
Later, Crowder asked the poignant question, "What could white people give up in 2020 to right the wrongs of the past?" Watch the video below for the answer.
youtu.be
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theblaze--2020-01-21--Twitter fumes after Mitt Romney says he won't back Chuck Schumer on impeachment trial rules

Twitter fumes after Mitt Romney says he wo n't back Chuck Schumer on impeachment trial rules

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is taking some criticism from people disappointed that he didn't say he'd join efforts to oppose Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's impeachment trial rules.
The evening before the impeachment trial was set to start on Tuesday, McConnell (R-Ky.) unveiled the package of rules to govern how the trial operates — which has been a point of contention on Capitol Hill for weeks — and that package was summarily lambasted by congressional Democrats.
The House Democrats tasked as managers for the impeachment trial said that the rules were different from the ones used during the Clinton impeachment trial and represented "an effort to prevent the full truth of the President's misconduct from coming to light."
At a news conference Tuesday morning, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized McConnell's rules package as a partisan measure that appeared "to be designed by President Trump for President Trump."
"It appears that leader McConnell decided to go along with the president's desire to cover up his wrongdoing, hook, line and sinker," Schumer said. "It almost seems the resolution was written in the White House, not the Senate."
Schumer also said that he would put forward amendments to the package dealing with subpoenas for witness testimony and White House documents.
After Schumer's announcement, in an interview with CNN's Manu Raju, Romney said that the changes from the Clinton rules were "pretty modest" and not "significant in any dramatic way." He went on to add that Democrats "make a mistake when they claim outrage time and time again; if everything is an outrage, then nothing is an outrage."
He also said that, while he still wants to hear from former White House national security adviser John Bolton, he would vote against any witness amendments brought up that day.
This may have come as disappointing to those hoping Romney might possibly deviate from the party line in order to support Schumer's efforts to change the rules on witnesses, given his previously expressed desire to hear from Bolton during the trial.
Romney's remarks to CNN were met with some rather unhappy responses on social media.
But just because of what he said Tuesday doesn't mean he's necessarily in the tank for Trump as this trial goes forward. In a statement dated Tuesday, Romney said that the "allegations outlined in the articles of impeachment passed by the House are extremely serious" and that they "demand that the Senate put political biases aside, and make good faith efforts to listen to arguments from both sides and thoroughly review facts and evidence."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Oregon State University to put feminine hygiene products in men’s restrooms, too, because ‘not all s

Oregon State University to put feminine hygiene products in men’s restrooms, too, because ‘not all students who menstruate are female-identified’

Oregon State University to put feminine hygiene products in men ’ s restrooms , too , because ‘ not all @ @ @ @ @ ’ This is what 'the world needs '

Starting this winter term, Oregon State University will begin placing free feminine hygiene products in all restrooms on campus.
The decision, which comes as a result of a student-led initiative, aims to fulfill the needs of people that experience menstruation "regardless of gender," a report from the school's news site, The Daily Barometer, said.
According to Julian Chu, Queer Affairs Coordinator for the school's student association, not all students who menstruate are female.
"We are adding these resources to all bathrooms, as not all students who menstruate are female-identified, some may identify as LGBTQIA+, male, other, etc. Those students may not be comfortable entering a specific bathroom if we provided these resources only in a specific bathroom, and would exclude them from receiving these resources," Chu said.
The College Fix, in its report on the news, notes that Chu is referencing transgender men who identify as male, but are biologically female, and accordingly still get their periods.
Chu also argued that the new initiative will help accommodate students who may not be able to afford feminine hygiene products.
"With the increasing numbers of homelessness and poverty in Corvallis, this will be able to alleviate student's budgets to other things such as food/groceries, books, gas, rent, etc.," he added.
According to The Daily Barometer, the school currently has at least 207 gender-inclusive restrooms in 75 buildings on campus. The first buildings to showcase the free feminine hygiene products and waste bins in its restrooms will be the Memorial Union and Student Experience Center. Eventually, all other buildings will follow suit.
This is good, argues student association Vice President Kylie Boenisch, who said access to the products "is not a privilege, it's a right."
Rachel Josephson, student association president, suggested that the initiative helps shape a future that the world needs.
"Providing these services to all genders is absolutely necessary in serving the needs of the student body and also to shape an inclusive future students want to see, and that the world needs," she said.
The installation of new products and dispensers will cost the Memorial Union and Student Experience Center around $2,000, the report noted.
Chu added that the end goal is to have dispensers available in every campus building and have the school paying for all student menstrual products.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Ocasio-Cortez: We don't want billionaires' money, 'as much as we want your power'

Ocasio-Cortez : We do n't want billionaires ' money , 'as much as we want your power' 'To be ethical @ @ @ @ @ you need to do is give up control and power '

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained the democratic socialist case against billionaires during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event Monday, saying that it's more about redistributing power than it is about money.
Ocasio-Cortez was talking to author Ta-Nehisi Coates during an event called MLK Now. Coates asked Ocasio-Cortez to elaborate on how the existence of billionaires is problematic toward efforts to provide services like health care to the masses.
"I'm Joe Billionaire, I made widgets, I sold those widgets, I made billions of dollars selling those widgets, making those widgets. Therefore, those billions of dollars are mine. Why am I the enemy of health care?" Coates asked.
"Well, you didn't make those widgets, did you?" Ocasio-Cortez replied. "Because you employ thousands of people and pay them less than a living wage to make those widgets for you.
"You didn't make those widgets," she continued. "You sat on a couch while thousands of people were paid modern-day slave wages, and in some cases real modern-day slavery, depending on where you are in terms of food production. You made that money off the backs of undocumented people. You made that money off the backs of black and brown people being paid under a living wage. You made that money off of the backs of single mothers. All these people who are literally dying because they can't afford to live. And so no one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars."
www.youtube.com
Ocasio-Cortez then went on to say that it wasn't that billionaires are inherently evil or corrupt, but that the problem with capitalism is that "it always ends in billionaires."
The congresswoman said billionaires don't need to simply ask what they should do with their money, but they should surrender the power they have over various industries and institutions out of ethical responsibility.
"Usually if you're a billionaire, that means you control a massive system," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It means that you own oil supplies. It means you control textiles. It means that you have a massive labor force under your control. And to be ethical if you're a billionaire today, the thing that you need to do is give up control and power.
"So I don't want your money as much as we want your power," she said. "The people, not me."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Ryan: Bernie at the disco

Ryan: Bernie at the disco

On a Saturday afternoon , the dance hall turned serious and wild for `` Unidos Con Bernie . ''
Accidental @ @ @ @ @ in Des Moines , and proof that Bernie is popular with the youth .
( @ @ @ @ @

On an August afternoon at El Malecón Events Center, we waited for the democratic socialist. He had the wild white hair like a monk and the thick glasses and the booming voice full of hacks and no niceties.
The Des Moines, Iowa, venue had been redecorated since we visited a few nights before when we chatted with Julian Castro. It didn't even feel like the same place. No bouncy castle this time.
Photo by Sean Ryan
A black curtain blocked the stage, giving the room much-needed depth.
Behind the podium, two rows of mostly young people, all holding Bernie signs, all so diverse and picturesque and strategic.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Lots of empty seats. Poor showing of Bernie fans for a Saturday afternoon. At one point, someone from Bernie's staff offered us seats in the audience, as if eager to fill up those empty seats.
Photo by Sean Ryan
There were about 75 people in the dance hall, a place built for reunions and weddings and all those other festivities. But for a few hours on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, it turned serious and wild for "Unidos Con Bernie."
People had been murmuring about Sanders' speech from the night before at Wing Ding. By all appearances, he had developed a raving lust to overthrow President Trump. He had even promised, with his wife just out of view, that, if elected, he'd end white nationalism in America. For good.
Photo by Sean Ryan
El Malecón lacked its previous air of celebration. It had undertaken a brooding yet defiant spirit. Media were sparse. Four cameras faced the podium. Three photographers, one of whom had been at nearly all the same events as us. A few of the staffers frowned at an empty row of chairs, because there weren't that many chairs to begin with.
At the entrance, Bernie's staff handed out headsets that translated English to Spanish or Spanish to English, depending on who the speaker was. The translators stood behind the bar, 20 feet from the podium, and spoke into a lip-ribbon microphone.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Bernie's staff was probably the coolest, by far. As in, they looked cool and acted stylishly. Jeans. Sandals. Careworn blazers. Tattoos. One lad had a black Levi's shirt with lush crimson roses even though he wasn't a cowboy or a ranch hand. Mustaches. Quirky hats. A plain green sundress. Some of them wore glasses, big clunking frames.
Photo by Sean Ryan
The outfits were distinctly Bernie. As Bernie as the tie-dyed "BERNIE" shirts for sale outside the club. Or later, at the Hilton, like a Grateful Dead cassette stand.
Immigration was the theme, and everyone in the audience bore some proof of a journey. Because America offers life, freedom, and hope.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Sanders' own father emigrated from Poland to America at 17, a high school dropout who could barely speak English. As a Jew, he'd faced religious persecution.
Within one generation, Bernie Sanders' father contributed to the highest stratum of American society. In one generation, near hopelessness had transformed into Democracy, his son a congressman with a serious chance at the presidency.
Photo by Sean Ryan
That's the beauty of America. Come here broken and empty and gutted and voiceless. And, within your lifetime, you can mend yourself then become a pillar of society. Then, your son can become the President of the United States of America!
Four people gave speeches before Sanders. They took their time, excited and nervous. They putzed. Because how often do you get to introduce a presidential front-runner?
Photo by Sean Ryan
All the native English speakers jammed their earpieces when the woman with the kind and dark energy took the stage.
She mumbled in Spanish and did not look up and said that, when her parents died, she couldn't go home for the funeral. She fought back tears. She swallowed hard to shock herself calm. And the room engulfed each silence between every word.
Photo by Sean Ryan
It felt more like a therapy session than a political rally. A grueling therapy session at that. Was that what drew people to Bernie Sanders, that deep anguish? That brisk hope? Or, rather, the cessation of it, through Sanders? And, of course, the resultant freedom? Was it what gave Sanders a saintlike ability to lead people into the realm of the confessional? Did he have enough strength to lead a revolution?
While other front-runners hocked out money for appearances, like the studio lights, Sanders spent money on translators and ear-pieces. The impression I got was that he would gladly speak anywhere. To anyone. He had the transitory energy you can capture in the writings of Gandhi.
Photo by Sean Ryan
I'm not saying he's right or wrong — I will never make that claim, about any of the candidates, because that's not the point of this, not the point of journalism, amen — what I'm saying is he has the brutal energy of someone who can take the subway after a soiree or rant about life by a tractor or chuck it up with Sarah Silverman, surrounded wherever he goes.
Without the slightest fanfare, Sanders emerged from behind the black curtain. The woman at the podium gasped a little. The room suctioned forward when he entered. In part because he was so nonchalant. And, again. That magnetism to a room when a famous or powerful or charming person enters. Not many people have it. Not many can keep it. Even fewer know how to brace it, to cull it on demand. But several of the candidates did. One or two even had something greater.
Photo by Sean Ryan
I'll only say that Bernie had it with a bohemian fervor, like he was a monk stranded in a big city that he slowly brings to God.
"We have a President who, for the first time in my lifetime, who is a President who is a racist," he shouted. "Who is a xenophobe and anti-immigrant. Who is a sexist. Who is a religious bigot. And who, is a homophobe. And, what is very disappointing is that, when we have a President, we do not necessarily expect to agree with him, or her, on every issue. But we do believe that one of the obligations is to bring people to-geth-ah. As Americans."
Photo by Sean Ryan
After listening silently for several minutes, the audience clapped. Their sweet response felt cultish. But, then again, what doesn't feel cultish these days? So this was cultish like memes are cultish, in a striving-to-understand kind of way.
"The essence of our campaign is in fact to bring people together," he said. "Whether they're black, or white, or latino, or Native American, or Asian American. We understand that we are Americans."
Photo by Sean Ryan
At times, this meant sharing a common humanity. Others, it had a slightly more disruptive feel. Which worked. Sometimes all we want is revolution. To be wild without recourse. To overthrow. To pass through the constraints of each day. To survive. The kind of rowdy stuff that makes for good poetry but destroys credit lines. Sanders radiated with this intensity, like a reclusive philosopher returning to society, from his cave to homes and beds and fences and maybe electricity.
Photo by Sean Ryan
But, as he says, his revolution would involve health care and wages and tuition, not beheadings and purges and starvation.
Seeing the presidential candidates improvise was amazing. They did it constantly. They would turn any of their beliefs into a universal statement. And Sanders did this without trying. So he avoided doing the unbearably arrogant thing of pretending to speak like a native Guatemalan, and he looked at the group of people, and he mumbled in his cloudy accent:
"My Spanish — is not so good."
Photo by Sean Ryan
This is the same and the opposite of President Trump's Everyman way of speaking English like an American. Of speaking American.
Often, you know what Sanders will say next. You can feel it. And, anytime this happened, it brought comfort to the room.
Like, it surprised no one when he said that he would reinstate DACA on his first day in office. It still drew applause.
Photo by Sean Ryan
But other times, he expressed wild ideas with poetic clarity. And his conclusions arrived at unusual junctures. Not just in comparison to Republicans. To all of them. Bernie was the Tupac of the 2020 election. And, to him, President Trump was Suge Knight, the evil force behind it all.
Photo by Sean Ryan
"Donald Trump is an idiot," he shouted.
Everybody loved that. Everybody clapped and whooped and some even whistled like they were outside and not in a linoleum-floor dance hall.
"Go get 'em, Bernie," someone in the back shouted.
This was the only Sanders appearance with no protesters.
"Let me say this about the border," he shouted. And everybody listened to every thunking syllable. He probably could have spoken without a mic. Booming voice. Loud and clear. Huddling into that heavy Vermont slug accent.
They'll say many many things about Bernie. One being, you never had to lean forward to hear him. In person, even more so. He's less frail. More dynamic.
Despite the shoddiness of the venue, there was a sign language interpreter. Most of the rallies had a designated interpreter.
"If you work 40 hours a week you shouldn't be living in poverty," he shouted, provoking chants and applause from the audience, as if he were talking about them. Maybe he was.
Photo by Sean Ryan
An anecdote about the people at an emergency food shelf blended into the livable wage of $15 an hour. He shifted into his spiel about tuition-free college and pointed at the audience, "You're not doing well," then at the kids behind him, "they are." He craned his head sideways and back. "Do your homework," he said.
Laughter.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Half of the kids looked like they hadn't eaten in days. Maybe it was their unusual situation, a few feet from Bernie Sanders at a stucco community center.
Before the room could settle, Sanders wove through a plan for how to cancel debt.
Did he have a solution?
"Tax Wall Street," he shouted.
And he made it sound easy. "Uno dos trey," he said. "That's my Spanish for today."
Photo by Sean Ryan
A serious man, he shoved through his speech like a tank hurtling into dense jungle. He avoided many of the typical politician gimmicks. Proof that he did not practice every expression in front of a mirror. That he did not hide his accent. That he did not preen his hair. That he did not smile for a precise amount of time, depending on the audience. That he did not pretend to laugh.
He laughed when humor overtook him. But it was genuine. With none of the throaty recoil you hear in forced laughter.
"I want everyone to take a deep breath," he said. And a palpable lightness spread through the room, because a deep breath can solve a lot of problems.
Then he roused some more.
"Health care is a human right," he shouted.
"A human privilege," he shouted. He told them that he lives 50 miles from the Canadian border in Burlington, Vermont, and health care works better up north.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Each candidate had a bad word, and Sanders' was "corporate."
At every speech, he mentioned "corporate media" with the same distrust and unpleasantness that conservatives derive from the term "mainstream media." Another would be "fake news," as popularized by Sanders' sworn enemy. Either way it's the same media. Just different motivations that irk different people.
Photo by Sean Ryan
But the discrepancies varied. Meaning two opposing political movements disliked the same thing, but for opposite reasons.
It sounded odd, Sanders' accusation that the media were against him. The media love Bernie. I can confirm this both anecdotally and judiciously. Yes, OK, in 2016, the media appeared to have sided with Hillary Clinton. As a result, Sanders was publicly humiliated. Because Clinton took a mafioso approach to dealing with opponents, and Sanders was her only roadblock.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Imagine if a major political organization devoted part of each day to agitating your downfall. And then you fail. And who's fault is it?
Sanders wanted to know: Those negative ads targeting him, who paid for them?
Corporations, of course. Corporations that hated radicals like him. And really was he so radical? He listed off the possibilities: Big pharma, insurance companies, oil companies.
Photo by Sean Ryan
Because he had become a revolutionary, to them. To many.
He said it with certainty, although he often didn't have to say it at all. This spirit of rebellion had become his brand. He would lead the wild Americans into a utopia.
But just as quickly, he would attack. Trump, as always, was the target.
He called Trump the worst president in American history.
"The fates are Yuge," he shouted.
Photo by Sean Ryan
The speech ended as informally as it had begun. And Sanders' trance over the audience evaporated, replaced by that suction energy. Everyone rushed closer and closer to the man as Neil Young's "Keep on Rockin in the Free World" blared. Sanders leaned into the podium and said, "If anyone wants to form a line, we can do some selfies."
Photo by Sean Ryan
It was like meeting Jesus for some of the people.
There he was, at El Malecón. No stage lights, no makeup, no stylist behind the curtain. Just him and his ideas and his erratic hand commotion.
Then a man holding a baby leaned in for a photo. He and Sanders chatted. And, I kid you not, the whole time the baby is staring at Bernie Sanders like he's the image of God, looking right up at him, with this glow, this understanding.
Bernie, if you're reading this, I'd like to suggest that — if this election doesn't work for you — you could be the next Pope.
New installments come Mondays and Thursdays. Check out my Twitter. Email me at kryan@blazemedia.com


theblaze--2020-01-21--New medical research finding unborn babies may feel pain as early as 13 weeks could have significant

New medical research finding unborn babies may feel pain as early as 13 weeks could have significant implications 'Flirts with @ @ @ @ @ are motivated to avoid '

Medical consensus has believed that unborn babies do not feel pain until the middle or end of the second trimester, 20 to 24 weeks. But newly published medical research indicates that unborn babies can feel pain much sooner.
The new research indicates that unborn babies can feel "something like pain" as early as 13 weeks, pro-choice British pain expert Stuart Derbyshire — who has previously consulted Planned Parenthood — and American Dr. John Bockmann told the Daily Mail.
The new evidence is so telling, in fact, that Derbyshire and Bockmann say ignoring the evidence "flirts with a moral recklessness that we are motivated to avoid."
The strong statement comes despite a 2006 declaration by Derbyshire in the British Medical Journal that not informing women seeking abortions about the potential pain their unborn child will experience is "sound policy based on good evidence that fetuses cannot experience pain."
Previously, medical experts thought younger unborn babies could not feel pain because the cerebral cortex, which controls sensory information and the nervous system, is not sufficiently developed until about 24 weeks.
However, one recently medical study discovered that an adult with an "extensively damaged" cerebral cortex could still feel pain, according to the Daily Mail.
"Given the evidence that the fetus might be able to experience something like pain during later abortions, it seems reasonable that the clinical team and the pregnant woman are encouraged to consider fetal analgesia [pain relief]," the doctors said.
The implications of the new research are significant because abortion limits are often built on the belief that unborn babies do not feel pain until 24 weeks. If the findings are confirmed — that unborn babies feel pain as early as the beginning of the second trimester — new abortion regulations to protect unborn life could be implemented around the world.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Iranian lawmaker announces $3 million cash bounty on President Trump in speech to Parliament

Iranian lawmaker announces $ 3 million cash bounty on President Trump in speech to Parliament

An Iranian lawmaker has offered a $3 million cash reward to anyone who kills President Donald Trump.
The comments came Tuesday during a session of Iranian Parliament in Tehran, Reuters reported, citing the ISNA news agency.
What did he say?
"On behalf of the people of Kerman province, we will pay a $3 million reward in cash to whoever kills Trump," lawmaker Ahmad Hamzeh reportedly declared in front of the 290-member Parliament.
In response, U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood dismissed the bounty as "ridiculous," reportedly telling reporters in Geneva the comments further demonstrate the Iranian government's "terrorist underpinnings."
According to Reuters, Hamzeh did not say whether the bounty had any official backing from Iran's rulers.
The city of Kerman was the hometown of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian terrorist military leader killed on Jan. 3 by a U.S. rocket strike in Iraq.
After the strike, which was ordered by President Trump, the Iranian regime launched retaliatory missile strikes on military facilities in Iraq housing U.S. personnel. Trump has since declared victory following the largely symbolic retaliatory strikes, saying in an address that "Iran appears to be standing down."
Also in the address, Trump doubled down on a vow to deter Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as long as he is in office.
"As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon," Trump declared.
Reuters reported that in his speech before Iranian Parliament, Hamzeh argued, "If we had nuclear weapons today, we would be protected from threats ... we should put the production of long-range missiles capable of carrying unconventional warheads on our agenda. This is our natural right."
His comments come only a week after three countries who signed the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 — Britain, France, and Germany — slammed Iran for not meeting terms and threatened to reimpose sanctions on the country.
Waiting on a response from George Lopez
Earlier this year, it was reported that the government of Iran had placed an $80 million bounty on Trump's head. Responding to a report of the news on Instagram, comedian George Lopez quipped about a potential Trump assassination.
"We'll do it for half," Lopez said.
Soon after, the Secret Service responded to the apparent joke, saying they are "aware" of it.
"The Secret Service is aware of the Tweet (sic) made by Mr. Lopez," the agency said. "The Secret Service takes all threats against the President and or any of our protectees seriously, and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence."
There is no word yet from Lopez regarding this most recent bounty announcement.


theblaze--2020-01-21--LIVE VIDEO: Senate begins impeachment trial of President Trump with fight over the rules

LIVE VIDEO : Senate begins impeachment trial of President Trump with fight over the rules

The U.S. Senate will reconvene Tuesday and begin debating Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's proposed rules for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. You can watch a live feed of the proceedings below.
Should the Kentucky Republican's proposal pass, arguments would begin Wednesday morning. However, Senate Democrats plan to offer amendments to McConnell's resolution, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday. At issue are the rules of evidence and the calling of witnesses. Democrats say the Republicans' proposed rules would severely hamper House managers' ability to submit evidence to the full Senate.
There is also continuing debate over which witnesses the mangers' should be permitted to call. Over the last few weeks, at least two people Democrats believe could have evidence harmful to the president's case — and did not testify before the House — have come forward to say they are willing to testify before the Senate if called.
Lev Parnas, a former associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, has reportedly turned over documents that, he says, show the president pressured the Ukrainian government to announce an investigation into the family of former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Parnas, facing federal charges that could see him serving prison time, has expressed a willingness to testify in the impeachment trial, USA Today reported.
Another witness Democrats have said they hope to call is former Trump national security adviser John Bolton. House Democrats never subpoenaed Bolton to testify, but he announced Jan. 6 that he would testify if subpoenaed by the Senate. Bolton's testimony could be crucial if rumors that he has crucial knowledge about the White House's dealings in Ukraine are true.
Republicans have responded to Democrats' demands about witnesses by vowing to call their own witnesses, potentially even Hunter Biden, son of the former vice president.
www.youtube.com
The seven Democratic House impeachment managers appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will present the impeachment articles and evidence. Those managers are: Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (Calif.), Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), and Reps. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Val Demings (Fla.), Jason Crow (Colo.), and Sylvia Garcia (Texas).
The U.S. House voted Dec. 18 to impeach the president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. On Thursday, the House formally delivered the two articles of impeachment to the Senate.
President Trump's defense team, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, will make the president's case. Two famous lawyers joined the president's team last week: Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr. And on Monday night, the president added eight House Republicans to his defense team: Reps. Doug Collins (Ga.), Mike Johnson (La.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), Mark Meadows (N.C.), John Ratcliffe (Texas), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.). These eight Republicans are expected to advise Trump's official defense team, but it is not clear yet if they will participate in the actual impeachment proceedings.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Bernie Sanders says he would consider tearing down existing wall and fencing at the southern border

Bernie Sanders says he would consider tearing down existing wall and fencing at the southern border As long as it @ @ @ @ @

Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday he would be open to tearing down existing barriers at the U.S.-Mexico border if the demolition didn't cost too much, according to Vice News.
When he was first asked the question during the 2020 Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum, he seemed to try to avoid directly answering.
"You said the wall is symbolic, so wouldn't it be proper to tear that symbol down in order to achieve that?" asked Vice News' Alzo Slade.
"It may be, but how much is it going to cost to tear it down?" Sanders replied. "Should you do that, tear it down? I don't know, maybe the answer is yes."
David Noriega pressed the issue, asking Sanders to clarify: "That's something you're willing to consider; you're willing to consider tearing down existing fencing between the U.S. and Mexico?"
"Yeah, you do," Sanders replied. "But if it's going to cost me billions of dollars to tear it down, I'd rather invest that money in the needs of childcare in this country. But it's something we can look at."
Sanders, who had previously said he would put a moratorium on all deportations as president, revised that to say he would only pause 99 percent of deportations — making an exception for violent criminals.
Sanders has tried to push back against people who claim he and other Democrats support open border policies.
"What we need is comprehensive immigration reform," Sanders said in April. "If you open the borders, my God, there's a lot of poverty in this world, and you're going to have people from all over the world. And I don't think that's something that we can do at this point. Can't do it. So that is not my position."
Sanders wants to reinstate and expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, stop most deportations until the process can be audited, and end the policy requiring asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while waiting for their cases to be heard. He also favors decriminalizing illegal border crossing.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Left-wing mob rips UFC superstar Conor McGregor for praising Trump as 'quite possibly' greatest pres

Left-wing mob rips UFC superstar Conor McGregor for praising Trump as 'quite possibly' greatest president of all time

Left-wing mob rips UFC superstar Conor McGregor for praising Trump as 'quite possibly ' greatest president of all time 'He @ @ @ @ @ I 'm beginning to think you are too '

The left-wing mob punched back at Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor McGregor for calling President Donald Trump “quite possibly" the greatest president of all time — not that the Irish champion fighter is scared or anything.
What are the details?
Here's the tweet from McGregor — who also wished America a happy Martin Luther King Day:
“Phenomenal President," McGregor tweeted along with a goat icon, which typically refers to the "Greatest of All Time" or "GOAT" in the world of sports. He added, “Most certainly one of them anyway, as he sits atop the shoulders of many amazing giants that came before him. No easy feet [sic]. Early stages of term also. Incredible. Congrats and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day America."
McGregor — who beat Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in less than a minute in a highly publicized mixed martial arts bout Saturday — was responding to Trump's tweet celebrating the third anniversary of his inauguration while touting record low black unemployment and calling attention to MLK Day.
According to The Hill, black unemployment is at 5.9 percent while in December 1981 it stood at 20.9 percent.
What did McGregor's detractors have to say about his Trump love?
Celebrity Trump hater Rosie O'Donnell didn't like McGregor's take one bit:
Image source: Twitter
The rest of the left-wing mob took McGregor to the virtual woodshed for daring to laud Trump — though it remains to be seen if the keyboard warriors would be so courageous in a face-to-face chat:
"Stay in your lane of punching people for a living, Mr. 'feet.'"
"Have u already forget where you've come from? At one point, you were on government cheese. There are people like u here too, Conor. Just bcuz ur income is endless now, doesn't mean you can be careless w/ your voice & influence. He is a POS, and I'm beginning to think you are too."
"Just got off the McGregor bus, I was a huge fan until this tweet, I'm sure this will cost you more fans than any fight you lose."
"Rigged fight. Rigged presidency. Makes sense."
"Putting DJT and MLK in the same sentence demonstrates complete ignorance, bigotry or a head injury."
"You just lost a large number of fans."
"Unfollowed."
"Your support for someone who kidnaps and cages children is a shock to me."
Also it was repeatedly pointed out that McGregor misspelled "feat" and erroneously stated that Trump is in the "early stages" of his term. But other folks saw the humor in the backlash:
Anything else?
The Hill noted that McGregor appeared to see Trump negatively a few years back. When Trump was on the campaign trail in 2015 and ripped UFC fighter Rounda Rousey, McGregor shot back saying Trump should “shut his big, fat mouth."
“I don't give a f*** about Donald Trump," he also noted, the outlet said.
Aside from McGregor's ringing endorsement, Trump also received a thumbs up from UFC President Dana White, who spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, the Hill added.


theblaze--2020-01-21--After 'liberal hack' criticism, CNN hires former CNBC reporter who coordinated with the Clinton camp

After 'liberal hack' criticism, CNN hires former CNBC reporter who coordinated with the Clinton campaign in 2016

After 'liberal hack ' criticism , CNN hires former CNBC reporter who coordinated with the Clinton campaign in 2016

Former CNBC White House correspondent John Harwood announced Tuesday that he had been hired by CNN — a notable acquisition by the network given its recent outrage over one of its reporters being called a "liberal hack."
Last week, Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally caused a stir when she dismissed CNN reporter Manu Raju as a "liberal hack" and refused to answer his question about President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial.
Harwood, a longtime CNBC correspondent, has a high-profile reputation of partisanship, particularly stemming from leaked Hillary Clinton campaign emails that exposed his conversations with her staff.
In hacked emails published by WikiLeaks in 2016, Harwood is revealed to have been complimenting Clinton in conversation with campaign chairman John Podesta, as well as angling for an interview with Clinton he said would be accommodating of her preferences.
In September 2015, Harwood asked Podesta what questions he should pose to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at an upcoming interview.
Also in September, Harwood wrote to Podesta complimenting how much more "comfortable" Clinton looked in a recent interview. In October, Harwood checked in with Podesta to see how he felt about "where things stand."
In November, he pressed Podesta to grant him an interview with Clinton about the economy, saying "It will be the kind of substantive, deep, textured conversation about the economy she wants."
Harwood was a moderator for the Republican primary debate in October 2015, during which he had a highly criticized exchange with then-candidate Donad Trump, asking if he was running a "comic book version of a presidential campaign."
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Harwood seemed to gloat about that question in an email to Podesta in December 2015.
"I imagine," Harwood wrote, "that Obama feels some (sad) vindication at this demonstration of his years-long point about the opposition party veering off the rails. I certainly am feeling that way with respect to how I questioned Trump at our debate."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Illinois admits noncitizens voted in 2018 election; Democratic leader blames 'programming error'

The Illinois State Board of Elections admitted Monday that noncitizens illegally voted in the 2018 election due to the state 's new automatic voter registration process .
Agency spokesman Matt Dietrich told WCIA-TV that 574 noncitizens were inadvertently registered to vote prior to the election — and a number of them exercised that power .
`` We do know that some of them voted , '' he said .
Unfortunately for Illinois citizens , Dietrich did not say how many noncitizens actually cast a vote in the 2018 election .
Meanwhile , state Secretary of State Jesse White , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` programming error '' in the state 's new voter registration system and characterized the problem as an `` isolated '' incident , according to WCIA .
Illegal voting was made possible because noncitizens are permitted to obtain a driver 's license in Illinois , and automatic voter registration also takes place at the DMV .
Automatic voter registration was signed into law by former Illinois Gov .
Bruce Rauner ( R ) in 2017 .
In response to the news , Illinois Republicans are calling for an investigation into the AVR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R ) told WCIA that an investigation critical to protect the integrity of Illinois elections , and because inadvertently permitting illegal voting could have swift legal consequences for noncitizens who are legal residents .
`` If that person voted , that 's a huge problem when it comes to the federal government , '' Butler said .
`` That 's a deportable offense for this person .
And if that 's the case , that 's something that 's on the Secretary of State 's office for allowing that offense to happen .
@

The Illinois State Board of Elections admitted Monday that noncitizens illegally voted in the 2018 election due to the state's new automatic voter registration process.
Agency spokesman Matt Dietrich told WCIA-TV that 574 noncitizens were inadvertently registered to vote prior to the election — and a number of them exercised that power.
"We do know that some of them voted," he said.
Unfortunately for Illinois citizens, Dietrich did not say how many noncitizens actually cast a vote in the 2018 election.
Meanwhile, state Secretary of State Jesse White, a Democrat, blamed the illegal voting on a "programming error" in the state's new voter registration system and characterized the problem as an "isolated" incident, according to WCIA.
Illegal voting was made possible because noncitizens are permitted to obtain a driver's license in Illinois, and automatic voter registration also takes place at the DMV. Automatic voter registration was signed into law by former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in 2017.
In response to the news, Illinois Republicans are calling for an investigation into the AVR system.
State Rep. Tim Butler (R) told WCIA that an investigation critical to protect the integrity of Illinois elections, and because inadvertently permitting illegal voting could have swift legal consequences for noncitizens who are legal residents.
"If that person voted, that's a huge problem when it comes to the federal government," Butler said. "That's a deportable offense for this person. And if that's the case, that's something that's on the Secretary of State's office for allowing that offense to happen."
Illinois' government is run by Democrats.


theblaze--2020-01-21--Social justice mob bullies writer into pulling transgender story. Turns out the writer is trans — ju

Social justice mob bullies writer into pulling transgender story. Turns out the writer is trans — just not authentically trans enough.

Social justice mob bullies writer into pulling transgender story .
Turns out the writer is trans — just not authentically @ @ @ @ @ like `` Isabel Fall '' is a straight cis person … Probably a white dude @

A transgender writer who recently published a short story about her own transgender experience for a monthly magazine decided to take it down shortly after facing a "barrage of attacks" from the social justice mob online.
What are the details?
The story, titled, "I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter," was published in Clarkesworld, a monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine, and aimed to repurpose a viral meme from 2014 that mocked the evolving spectrum of transgender identities.
Isabel Fall, the story's author, intended to subvert the meme's critique and reclaim the phrase for gender exploration.
"I decided that I was done with womanhood, over what womanhood could do for me; I wanted to be something furiously new," Fall wrote in the story. "To the people who say a woman would've refused to do what I do, I say — isn't that the point?"
But shortly after its publication, internet critics descended on the story, taking to Twitter to lambaste the story as insensitive, transphobic, and a hoax.
In a lengthy statement last week, the magazine's editor, Neil Clarke, announced that he had pulled the story at Fall's request, saying the "attacks on Isabel have taken a toll and I ask that even if you disagree with the decision, that you respect it."
"This was not a hoax," Clarke continued. "Isabel honestly and very personally wanted to take away some of the power of that very hurtful meme."
According to Clarke, the story had been through a number of "sensitivity readings," which is a manuscript evaluation prior to publication to discern whether a story's characters are portrayed with authenticity, respect, and sensitivity. But that did not stop the social justice mob from eviscerating the story.
The only information provided about Fall at the time of the story's publication was the year of her birth, 1988. This, Clarke said, was to shield her against attacks from anti-transgender campaigners, "unfortunately, the same shield used against them opened her up to an unexpected attack from others," he admitted.
In the statement, he directly confronted critics who evidently accused her of symbolically using the 88 in 1988 to signify allegiance to Hitler: "Isabel was born in 1988. That does not make one a neo-Nazi. I'm honestly surprised and disappointed that I have to say that."
Fall was not officially out as transgender when the story was published, but came out during the attacks to defend herself.
"Various claims being made against her pressured [her] into publicly outing herself as a defense against the attacks," Clarke acknowledged in the statement, adding, "That should never be the case and is very disturbing to me."
Scathing critique
In its report on the news, The Atlantic recalled the scathing critique from Arinn Dembo, acting president of Canada's National Association for Speculative Fiction Professionals.
In a series of tweets, Dembo blasted that the story "did not feel like it was written by a queer trans author" and "feels flat and fake."
"It feels like 'Isabel Fall' is a straight cis person … Probably a white dude," she said in another tweet. "Because honestly, this story is just dripping with all the lies that straight men tell themselves about both cis and trans women."
Even if the story was authentic, she mused, it still "just sucks" because "no amount of beautiful writing can dispel the toxicity, the oily taste of garbage" of its title.
When The Atlantic reached out to Dembo to ask if she stood by her original critique after learning that Fall is transgender, she replied in the affirmative.
"It was my take when I first read the story. No information on the author or her intentions was provided, and I gave my first impressions and opinion," she argued.
Instead of apologizing for any insensitivity, Dembo blamed Fall for not outing herself and Clarkesword for not providing helpful context along with the story.
"All I can say at this point is that a lot of people might have been spared a lot of mental anguish if that story had simply been accompanied by a sentence or two of context — an artist's statement of the author's identity and her intention for the work," she said. "I don't think every story needs a content warning or a statement of author's intent before you read it, but this one clearly did."
In light of the backlash against "Attack Helicopter," The Atlantic conceded that we should "pity the fiction writers trying to make art in the era of social-media mobs."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Left-wing media frets endlessly over 'white supremacist' gun rally in Virginia. They must have forgo

Left-wing media frets endlessly over 'white supremacist' gun rally in Virginia. They must have forgotten to interview these attendees.

Left-wing media frets endlessly over 'white supremacist ' gun rally in Virginia .
They must have forgotten to interview these @ @ @ @ @ live in an alternate reality

Right on cue, the left-wing media fretted and wrung its hands raw over a massive gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia, Monday that the talking heads not only feared would be violent — but also claimed was a "white supremacist" gathering filled with "hate groups."
Check out this supercut of the media commentary — and then the punch-line ending courtesy of none other than a CNN reporter on the ground:
Not that it stopped far-left Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam from incredulously claiming afterward that the rally — protesting him and fellow Democrats for pushing extreme gun control laws — had been "successfully de-escalated."
Oh, and that 'white supremacist' rally thing?
And what about the media's claims that the rally was supposed to be fueled by white nationalists and white supremacists and white extremists?
Well, Antonia Okafor Cover — director of outreach for Gun Owners of America — spoke at the rally and later gloriously mocked the preemptive claims that it was a "white supremacist" brigade:
"Hands down the WORST white supremacist rally I've ever seen!" she tweeted, along with short clip of her speaking. "I mean they let me speak and everything. People shaking my hands and stuff. What would MLK do if he saw all of these people judging me by the content of my character instead of the color of my skin?"
Other attendees of color had their say, too:
A fitting end
You also may have heard that rally attendees made sure to clean up after themselves, unlike infamous left-wing gatherings such as Occupy Wall Street. What was that about conservatives not caring about the environment?


theblaze--2020-01-21--AOC says the Democratic Party is not leftist, calls it 'center or center-conservative'

AOC says the Democratic Party is not leftist , calls it 'center or center-conservative' 'This is not a left party @

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the Democratic Party is not on the left of the political spectrum, but rather a majority of its members are centrist or right-of-center in their beliefs, according to the Washington Examiner.
To support her position, she pointed to Democrats' inability to even get votes on major progressive issues like single-payer health care.
"We don't have a left party in the United States," Ocasio-Cortez said during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. "The Democratic Party is not a left party. The Democratic Party is a center or center-conservative party. We can't even get a floor vote on Medicare for All, not even a floor vote that gets voted down. So, this is not a left party. There are left members inside the Democratic Party that are working to try to make that shift happen."
Ocasio-Cortez is a democratic socialist who has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Democratic presidential primary. She recently said America is the only country in which she and former Vice President Joe Biden would be in the same political party.
Ocasio-Cortez also argued against the idea that capitalism was the solution to people's economic struggles.
"There are a lot of true believers that we can 'capitalism' our way out of poverty in the Democratic Party," Ocasio-Cortez said. "If anything, that's probably the majority. And that's an area which I agree with Dr. King, that that assessment is flawed."
King wrote and spoke critically of capitalism on multiple occasions, having held the opinion that capitalism had "outlived its usefulness" even though he conceded that it had some benefits.
"I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic," King wrote to Coretta Scott in 1951. "And yet I am not so opposed to capitalism that I have failed to see its relative merits. It started out with a noble and high motive...to block the trade monopolies of nobles, but like most human system[s] it [fell] victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has outlived its usefulness. It has brought about a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes."


theblaze--2020-01-21--Hillary Clinton rips 'career politician' Bernie Sanders with brutal honesty: 'Nobody likes him'

Hillary Clinton rips 'career politician ' Bernie Sanders with brutal honesty : 'Nobody likes him '

Hillary Clinton nearly lost the 2016 Democratic nomination to Sen. Bernie Sanders — and now we know she personally does not like the Vermont socialist, either.
Ahead of a new documentary about her failed 2016 campaign, Clinton confirmed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that she is not a "Bernie Bro," a phrase used to refer to Sanders supporters.
In the documentary, Clinton says of Sanders, "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it."
When asked if her assessment still holds today, Clinton told the Hollywood Reporter, "Yes, it does."
In fact, Clinton declined to say whether she would endorse Sanders and campaign on his behalf if he secures the Democratic nomination later this year. Instead, she slammed Sanders and his campaign culture.
"I'm not going to go there yet. We're still in a very vigorous primary season. I will say, however, that it's not only him, it's the culture around him. It's his leadership team. It's his prominent supporters. It's his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women," Clinton said.
"I really hope people are paying attention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture — not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it," she continued. "I think that that's a pattern that people should take into account when they make their decisions."
Responding to allegations that Sanders privately told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that she would not be elected president because she is a woman, Clinton ripped into Sanders — and likened him to President Donald Trump.
"I just think people need to pay attention because we want, hopefully, to elect a president who's going to try to bring us together, and not either turn a blind eye, or actually reward the kind of insulting, attacking, demeaning, degrading behavior that we've seen from this current administration," Clinton said.
The documentary on Clinton's campaign, which will stream on Hulu, will be released on March 6.


theblaze--2020-01-22--Adam Schiff apparently mischaracterized further 'evidence' in impeachment: report

Politico says they have the documents to prove it

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) may have mischaracterized new "evidence" he wants presented in the Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, according to a new report, adding to an existing list of occasions when the congressman has been discredited after making assertions against the president.
What are the details?
Politico reported Tuesday that in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) a week ago, Schiff wrote that Lev Parnas — an associate of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani — "continued to try to arrange a meeting with [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenksy" providing a text exchange in which Parnas told Giuliani, "trying to get us mr Z."
But an unredacted version of the supplemental documentation obtained by Politico, the outlet says, shows the cited reference to 'Mr. Z" was referring to Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Ukrainian gas firm Burisma—not to President Zelensky.
Burisma is the company that has been the subject of several corruption probes by Ukrainian authorities, and its employment of Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, has been an issue House Democrats have dismissed as irrelevant to the impeachment efforts against President Trump.
Politico referred to Schiff's mischaracterization as "a possible error the GOP will likely criticize as another example of the Democrats' rushed effort to impeach President Donald Trump."
The "possible error" by Schiff is also another example of the congressman being discredited.
The California Democrat claimedrepeatedly prior to the finalization of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election that there was "ample evidence" that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Of course, the report concluded that there was no evidence of collusion on the part of the Trump campaign.
After President Trump released the transcript of a phone call between himself and President Zelensky last year in an attempt to show he was innocent of the allegations House Democrats alleged were grounds for impeachment, Schiff delivered his own fictional version of what President Trump said in the call as part of his opening statement at a House Intelligence Committee hearing.
Schiff later called his fabricated rendition "a parody."
On Tuesday, arguing as a House impeachment manager on the Senate floor, Schiff asserted President Zelensky was afraid to admit Democrats' claims that he was pressured by President Trump to re-up an investigation into Burisma and the Bidens. Once again, Schiff delivered a "parody," this time of what he believes Zelensky would say. President Zelensky has said he did not feel pressured by President Trump.
Anything else?
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan (Ohio) reacted to Politico's report by tweeting, "@RepAdamSchiff produced erroneous information as evidence to support his impeachment sham. Just another example of Schiff misleading the American people."


theblaze--2020-01-22--Construction worker stabs and kills pro-Trump boss with a trowel, drapes American flag on his body

Construction worker stabs and kills pro-Trump boss with a trowel , drapes American flag on his body The family of @ @ @ @ @ had anything to do with the shocking murder

Police say that a man with anti-government views killed his boss on a construction site, and draped his body with an American flag, and some believe it was politically motivated.
Mason Trever Toney, 28, was arrested for the murder of his boss, William Knight, who was also 28 years old.
Toney was a longtime friend of Knight, and he had just been hired on for a construction job widening a freeway exit in Florida.
Witnesses told police that Toney and Knight got into a heated debate on Monday, possibly over their political differences, and that Toney stabbed Knight to death with a construction trowel.
Afterward, he's said to have draped Knight's body with a brand new American flag.
Witnesses said they attempted to stop Toney but that he jumped into a company truck and fled the scene while calling them "terrorists." He was later apprehended by police.
Contrary to some media reports that the killing was politically motivated, the family of Knight said that Toney had been a friend of the family for many years. They implied that he might have been suffering from mental illness.
"I don't know, I don't know what, I can't explain what happened to my son," said Julia Knight, the victim's mother. "I don't understand. I never thought Mason would do this to my son. But it wasn't about politics, I can tell you right now.
"There's something wrong with Mason," she said later in the interview.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with the funeral expenses.
Here's a local news report about the murder:


theblaze--2020-01-22--Oxford college plans 'equality conversation' on transgender issues — but bans speech that questions

Oxford college plans 'equality conversation' on transgender issues — but bans speech that questions transgender agenda

Oxford college plans 'equality conversation ' on transgender issues — but bans speech that questions transgender agenda '' ... universities @ @ @ @ @ be upholding free speech ... ''

An Oxford college is being criticized for planning a discussion about transgender issues while banning any dissenting view from being aired during the event.
The discussion planned for Merton College will include "perspectives on trans intersectionality," but will explicitly exclude "language which denies the validity of trans identity."
The talk is being marketed under the ironic name of an "Equality Conversation," according to the Telegraph. Attendees must sign an agreement to not dissent in order to attend.
Critics quickly pointed out the problematic nature of banning free speech at the event.
"My understanding is that universities and colleges are supposed to be upholding free speech," said Oxford University professor Selina Todd.
Todd added that she was "stunned" by the regulation on free speech and said that it set a "dangerous" precedent.
"Merton College seemed to me a place where you could debate calmly and an informed matter," she added, "and the way this has now been couched as 'you're not allowed to debate' has left me staggered."
Oxford sociology professor Michael Biggs said, "The code of conduct seems intended to instill anxiety in the audience, who cannot know what viewpoints are forbidden."
Others called the ban "intellectual cowardice" and "censorship."
Here's more about the LGBT agenda:


theblaze--2020-01-22--Watch: Mark Levin delivers his own opening statement on impeachment — and dismantles House Democrats

Watch: Mark Levin delivers his own opening statement on impeachment — and dismantles House Democrats' case

Watch : Mark Levin delivers his own opening statement on impeachment — and dismantles House Democrats ' case 'It is @ @ @ @ @ that has violated the Constitution '

Mark Levin delivered his own opening statement defending President Donald Trump on Tuesday, addressing the senators taking up the impeachment trial and exposing House Democrats' effort to oust the president as a sham.
In the address, Levin provides a thorough view of Constitutional context and historical perspective while dismantling the case House impeachment managers — led by Adam Schiff — have attempted to build.
"The Senate is not a lap dog to the House of Representatives," Levin explained. "It's the Senate's job to be the check on the House" whose majority party, Levin argued, railroaded President Trump using arbitrary proceedings and fabricated charges in an attempt to gain political wins.
Levin spelled out how House Democrats abandoned the Constitution in the charges they lobbed against the president, when they rejected the language and parameters the framers set for justifying impeachment.
"The House [impeachment] managers want you to believe it's the president of the United States who violated the Constitution," Levin said. "It is our contention it is the majority in the House that has violated the Constitution, because they can't even state with specificity what exactly it is under the Constitution that the president violated."
"So, they want to turn the Senate into a circus much the way they had the House conduct itself as a circus," Levin added.
Levin emphasized the upper chamber's responsibility to protect and defend the Constitution, while breaking down how the House Democrats' efforts are purely political and corrupt in nature. He further provided a list of actions by several former presidents who, Levin asserted, current House Democrats would have impeached under the new low bar they have set with their allegations against President Trump.
Watch Mark Levin's opening statement on impeachment in its entirety here:


theblaze--2020-01-22--Migrants attack Mexican soldiers at Guatemala border, demand entry across to US

Migrants attack Mexican soldiers at Guatemala border , demand entry across to US '' If they do n't let us @ @ @ @ @ will go through the river ... ''

Hundreds of migrants from Central America demanded that the Mexican government give them passage to make their way to the U.S. border on Monday, and reacted violently when Mexican soldiers stopped them.
The migrants attempted to force their way into Mexico by wading across the Suchiate River while others attacked the Mexican national guardsmen that tried to drive them back, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In a video produced by the Associated Press, migrants can be seen scuffling with soldiers, and one is shown lobbing a boulder at them.
"If they don't let us cross through here, we will go through the river, and helped by God, to see what the future holds," said a migrant on the video.
Standing on the bridge between the two countries, migrants read a public letter addressed to Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asking for permission to enter Mexico in order to make their way northward to the U.S. border.
"Mexico's president said he would give us work and an opportunity," said Honduran vendor Esther Madrid.
She referred to promises of support that the Mexican government made to migrants in order to dissuade them from continuing their trek to the U.S. border. President Donald Trump has pressured the government of Mexico to help stop migrants from attempting to gain entry to the U.S .through immigration policies for refugees.
Another portion of the video shows migrants chanting, "si se puede!" which translates to, "yes we can!" The slogan has been used in various political campaigns in Latin America and elsewhere, including that of former President Barack Obama.
Here's the video of the migrants at the Guatemala border:


theblaze--2020-01-22--Jon Miller: Where were the violent neo-nazis and white supremacists?

Jon Miller : Where were the violent neo-nazis and white supremacists ?

On Monday's episode of "White House Brief," Jon Miller discussed the Second Amendment rally in Virginia and explained how the public was told the rally was going to be swarming with violent, aggressive neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
That could not have been further from the truth.
In reality, what Miller and his team saw was thousands of Americans standing peacefully, yet firmly united in support of their right to bear arms.
Watch the video below for more details.
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theblaze--2020-01-22--WATCH: Mark Levin: 'Where is the treason? Where is the bribery?'

WATCH : Mark Levin : 'Where is the treason ?
Where is the bribery ? '

On Tuesday, LevinTV host Mark Levin held a mock trial where he delivered an opening statement to the Senate defending President Donald Trump and responding to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) during the opening of the impeachment trial.
"Thank you, Senators, Mr. Chief Justice, House Managers, and the president's legal team. We are here today not to defend the Constitution against the president of the United States. But to defend the Constitution from the House Managers. Two of the House Managers were Chairman of two of the so-called impeachment committees in the House of Representative," Levin said.
Levin continued, "Mr. Schiff, as you well know, was the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Mr. Nadler was the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. They come here before the United States Senate; 100-senators, 300 million Americans, and the Chief Justice of the United States, and they say, "We need witnesses to prove our case." And, if we do not get witnesses, then it is a cover-up. It is a sham. We need a fair and partial process."
Then, Levin looked to the Constitution of the United States for context regarding the proper process of impeachment.
"The United States Constitution could not be clearer. The framers could not be clearer," Levin began. He continued, "After debating at length the impeachment clause of the Constitution, they came up with very specific language for what the House can do if it seeks to impeach a president. The House is limited in what it can do to start the process of removing a president of the United States."
"Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, as I stand here before you today, they have presented no information on treason, no information on bribery —Those words don't even exist in their so-called impeachment charges. And other high crimes and misdemeanors, meaning other offenses that are as serious as treason and bribery," Levin said.
"Where is it? Just tell us. Where is the treason? Where is the bribery? What are the other high crimes and misdemeanors," Levin asked rhetorically.
Levin drove his point home as he concluded his opening statement:
"So what did they do? They amended the Constitution of the United States, illegally. They changed the language to fit their narrative. And now they come before the United States Senate and say that if you don't accept their narrative then You, in the United States Senate, you are involved in a cover-up."
Watch the video below for more details.
www.youtube.com
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theblaze--2020-01-22--Senate rejects Democrats' attempt to subpoena White House for documents on Ukraine

Senate rejects Democrats ' attempt to subpoena White House for documents on Ukraine Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. @ @ @ @ @ his first effort to amend impeachment trial rules .

Democrats were hit with a denial in their first attempt to amend the rules dictating the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Tuesday, when the GOP-led Senate rejected an effort by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to demand the White House hand over documents and other records related to Ukraine.
What are the details?
Sen. Schumer put forth a pair of amendments that would have required the Trump administration to provide documentation of conversations and records among top administration officials and the president relating to Ukraine and the timing of military aid released to the country.
According to The Hill, the first amendment offered by Democrats requested documents related the President Trump's phone calls with the Ukrainian government and any communication between White House aides regarding Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden..
The second amendment sought records from top officials at the State Department, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It also sought communications with Rudy Giuliani, a personal attorney for President Trump.
Both amendments were tabled in separate 53-47 party-line votes.
Ahead of the votes, Democratic impeachment managers sent to the Senate by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged senators to support the two amendments to the rules resolution released Monday night by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
"The Senate should act on this subpoena now, at the outset of the trial," impeachment manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) argued, according to the Washington Examiner. "Documents that are directly relevant to evaluating the president's scheme. If it won't even ask for this evidence, this trial, and your judgement, will be questioned."
Sen. Schumer told reporters prior to amendment votes, "No one can argue that these documents are not directly related...People should understand that the documents can shed as much light on why the aid was cut off, who did it."
What's the background?
House Democrats approved two articles of impeachment against the president over allegations that he withheld aid to the country in exchange for dirt on Joe Biden, whose son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president and former President Barack Obama's point man on Ukraine. The firm, Burisma, has been the subject of multiple corruption probes by Ukrainian prosecutors.
President Trump has repeatedly denied there was any quid pro quo related to the Ukrainian aid.


theblaze--2020-01-22--'We need to give women more rights than men': Confused crowds lack purpose at Women's March 2020

'We need to give women more rights than men ' : Confused crowds lack purpose at Women 's March 2020 @ @ @ @ @ just need a reason to let go of that emotion '

BlazeTV correspondent and host of Slightly Offens*ve, Elijah Schaffer, headed to Saturday's fourth annual Women's March in downtown Los Angeles to ask protesters what they believe are the most important issues facing women in this country.
"What do you feel is still to be accomplished for women in 2020 that hasn't already been accomplished?" Elijah asked one protester.
"I think that we need to give women more rights than men," came the answer.
Another attendee said she came to the march to stand up for sex-worker's rights.
"I am a sex-worker and I feel really strongly about the rights of the people I work with, especially the trans-women I work with," she said. "If you like [being a sex-worker], follow your dreams and do what you want to do."
"You can get periods and you don't have to identify as a woman," asserted a protester who was passing out "Periods Are Cool" stickers.
"I think there was a legitimate problem, a long time ago, with sexism in the workplace. But I think a lot of that is over now," offered an unusually rational attendee. "I think we're past that and now they're just stuck. I feel like they just need a reason to let go of that emotion."
As with previous Women's March demonstrations, many protesters appeared to be in attendance for the sole purpose of bashing President Donald Trump.
"I'm here to oppose Trump's fascist regime," shouted a man in a pink pussyhat.
"We have a president who mocks the disabled and wants to take away women's rights. I mean, hate crimes have doubled, tripled, since he became president," claimed one woman.
"F*** Donald Trump. He's stupid!" yelled a trio of young children.
Watch the video below for more:
(Content warning: Strong language)
youtu.be
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theblaze--2020-01-22--Steve Cortes says he was ousted as a CNN contributor because he defended Trump

Steve Cortes says he was ousted as a CNN contributor because he defended Trump '' ... the unpardonable sin , @ @ @ @ @ of CNN ... ''

Steve Cortes said he was forced out as a CNN contributor because he refuted accusations of racism against President Donald Trump over his comments about a political rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Cortes was a frequent defender of the president on the network, and he is a former member of Trump's Hispanic advisory council.
He said that CNN got rid of him because of a PragerU video where he defended the president against claims that he called white nationalists at the 2017 Charlottesville rally "very fine people."
Cortes explained his claims Monday to Laura Ingraham on her Fox News show.
"I really detailed why that is a lie, the Charlottesville lie, the 'fine people' hoax, the president never called neo-Nazis fine people," he said.
"And for committing what was, I guess, the unpardonable sin, at least in the eyes of CNN, for declawing that deception that they continued to push, they put me on the bench," he explained. "They took me off the air after I did a PragerU video that got 6 million hits detailing exactly why the Charlottesville myth was a deception."
Critics of the president say that he was referring to neo-Nazis at the rally when he said there were "very fine" people on both sides, but supporters of the president say he was referring to protesters opposing the removal of confederate monuments.
Ingraham asked Cortes if CNN specifically cited the video in the notification of his dismissal, and he said that they did but not in writing.
"Not in writing, no, but they did tell me it was directly because of the Charlottesville video. The president retweeted it, the PragerU video that I did, the president retweeted it.
"It got as I said, many millions of views, and I think we did strong work at improving the truth of the matter," Cortez concluded.
Here's the video that got Cortes dismissed:
www.youtube.com
[H/T: Washington Examiner.]


theblaze--2020-01-23--Tinder adds a 'panic' button for people to use when dates get dangerous

Tinder adds a 'panic ' button for people to use when dates get dangerous

Creators of Tinder, the digital dating app, will roll out a new update to its platform Tuesday, allowing users to use a "panic button" in case a date goes awry.
What are the details?
The update, which will feature as a new section of the app called the "Safety Center," will also allow users to check in at certain locations so that their friends can track them.
Match, the company that owns Tinder, says that the move is to encourage and promote safety in online dating.
The panic button function, according to CNN, will contact dispatchers from Noonlight, a safety platform that Tinder previously invested in. Those dispatchers will contact the user via text and phone call if necessary. If the user doesn't respond, Noonlight will dispatch emergency services to the user's location.
The outlet reported that the online dating giant will also test a new update, which features a photo verification tool to ensure that users are actually communicating with a real, live person. The new update is expected to roll out later in 2020.
Engadget reported that users will have to share their real-time location data with the Noonlight app in order to use the feature. The company insists that the user's personal information will not be shared for marketing purposes. Additionally, users who utilize the safety feature will also be publicly flagged as opting in — which Engadget reports is to "act as a deterrent to any bad actors on the [dating] platform."
Mandy Ginsberg, who is the company's group chief, told the Wall Street Journal,that there's always a possibility that a user could inadvertently trigger a false alarm.
"The false positives, believe me, we took them into account," Ginsberg said. "If someone doesn't respond, worst case someone shows up and knocks on the door. It's not the worst thing in the world."