theblaze--2020-02-10--Chased by threatening Antifa mob, videographer runs into unsympathetic cop: 'We're not gonna come ou

Chased by threatening Antifa mob, videographer runs into unsympathetic cop: 'We're not gonna come out and save you.'

Chased by threatening Antifa mob , videographer runs into unsympathetic cop : 'We 're not gon na come out and @ @ @ @ @ better come up with a different plan , like maybe go somewhere else , dude @

A videographer tried filming Portland Antifa militants who'd gathered Saturday to protest a Ku Klux Klan rally — which turned out to be canceled — and was soon chased by the threatening Antifa mob himself.
"They had concealed objects or weapons in their hands," Nate Millsap — who runs the Stumptown Matters YouTube page and documents Portland rallies and protests — wrote in the description of the clip he recorded. He added that one of the masked Antifa militants was "approaching me while shaking a can of pepper spray. I wanted no part of whatever intentions they had for me so I immediately abandoned my camera duties and sprinted to safety."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Ahh, safely in the arms of the police
Millsap quickly encountered police decked out in riot gear at the city's Justice Center — and one might assume that would've taken care of his worries, as members of the brave Antifa mob stopped chasing him at that point but continued to yell at him, calling him a "b***h."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
But the cops had little sympathy for the video journalist, telling him if he goes back toward the Antifa mob, "we're not gonna come out and save you" adding that "you better come up with a different plan, like maybe go somewhere else, dude."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Police at least let Millsap get away from the Antifa mob by using a different route to the street — and the officer even suggested he "skirt along the building so they don't see you."
Here's the video. (Content warning: Language):
www.youtube.com
What did Portland police have to say?
When conservative journalist Andy Ngo picked up on the video, he asked Portland police to comment on the officer's declaration that he wouldn't help Millsap, who was simply doing his job and exercising his right to shoot video of a public event.
Ngo said police wrote back to him, not answering his inquiry but saying "just because an arrest is not made on the spot, it does not mean that an arrest won't be made in the future."
'Masked thugs run the streets of Portland, Oregon'
Concluding his video description, Millsap noted that cops' non-action on his behalf said loudly and clearly that "masked thugs run the streets of Portland, Oregon, and if you are targeted by them, then you are the problem, according to Portland police."
Anything else?
Amid the large Antifa gathering, police tweeted around 1 p.m. that "lit flares" were being thrown in the street and that "several subjects" were seen spray painting a monument within the park, KOIN-TV reported.
More from the station:
Some of the protesters used "metal-tipped umbrellas" to jab "people and chase them down the street," PPB said in a release.
Earlier, a group of protesters pushed police while throwing oranges, a glass bottle, tennis balls, rock, concrete, batons, cans, and mud at the officers and other people. Three people were treated after being pepper-sprayed by people in the crowd, police said, noting officers "did not use force against anyone during this event."
Three people were arrested, KOIN said: Brandon Farley, 31, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct; Heaven Davis, 19, was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief; and Willy Cannon, 25, was charged with a misdemeanor for abusing a memorial and a felony for criminal mischief.


theblaze--2020-02-10--NYPD officers targeted in 'assassination' attempts. AOC blames NRA, McConnell, lack of gun control

'Perhaps you would get less mixed up if McConnell stood up to the NRA '

Two New York Police Department officers were shot over the weekend in what New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio characterized as "an attempt to assassinate police officers." In response, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) lashed out at Republicans and the National Rifle Association.
According to the New York Times, the perpetrator shot two NYPD officers sitting in a van after asking them for directions. Then he opened fire inside an NYPD precinct in the Bronx. Fortunately, no officers were killed.
"Thank God our officers are alive," de Blasio said Sunday. "This was an attempt to assassinate police officers, we need to use the word. It was a premeditated effort to kill."
When asked to respond to the incident, Ocasio-Cortez did not condemn the shooter — but instead recited Democratic talking points.
"This is not my district, but our thoughts are with all officers & people impacted by this shooting & the epidemic of gun violence in this country," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Perhaps you would get less mixed up if [Mitch] McConnell stood up to the NRA & passed common-sense gun safety measures to reduce shootings."
However, Ocasio-Cortez's suggestion that gun control would have prevented the attacks is untrue.
New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a news conference Sunday that the perpetrator has a "lengthy violent criminal history," including serving more than a decade in prison for attempted murder before being paroled in 2017, the Washington Post reported.
This means that the perpetrator is a felon and already barred from owning or possessing firearms.


theblaze--2020-02-10--Bill Maher is 'depressed' after Trump has 'his best week ever,' admits he will be 'hard to beat' com

Bill Maher is 'depressed' after Trump has 'his best week ever,' admits he will be 'hard to beat' come November

Bill Maher is 'depressed ' after Trump has 'his best week ever , ' admits he will be 'hard to @ @ @ @ @ I thought it was his best week ever '

In a recent interview, Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," regretfully acknowledged President Donald Trump's recent winning streak and admitted that the president will be "hard to beat" in this year's election.
"I thought it was his best week ever," Maher told CNN's Fareed Zakaria Sunday morning.
"And the most depressing week for me, as someone who's not a fan of Donald Trump and what he's doing to this country," he added.
Maher's comments come after Trump experienced a week full of political victories, including the Democratic Party's Iowa caucus debacle, a State of the Union speech well received by the public, his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, and subsequent "celebration" speech at the White House. Not to mention Trump notching the highest approval rating of his presidency.
youtu.be
"If you watched that State of the Union, it was very effective," Maher said. "And the showmanship, pulled out every stop with the medals and the Marine being reunited. I mean, that's what he does, and it's going to be hard to beat."
Maher added the Democrats' seeming inability to compete with Trump as another reason for his current depression.
"At [Trump's] best moment, the Democrats just look like the gang who can't shoot straight or can't run straight," Maher said later in the interview. "If they can't get their act together soon, it's going to be over before it begins."
Maher's political analysis on Trump soon became a psychological analysis, as Maher insisted to Zakaria that the worst possible outcome has happened: Trump's erratic behavior has been "normalized."
"This man has a disease: malignant narcissistic personality disorder," Maher said. "It's a real thing.
"The worst thing that could possibly have happened, that we all feared and talked about, has happened," Maher said. "He's normalized. Anything you see enough becomes normal. You don't notice it.
"The bad is baked into the cake," he added.


theblaze--2020-02-10--Joe Scarborough trashes the media because it didn't take seriously Snoop Dogg's threats against Gayl

Joe Scarborough trashes the media because it didn't take seriously Snoop Dogg's threats against Gayle King

Joe Scarborough trashes the media because it did n't take seriously Snoop Dogg 's threats against Gayle King The rapper @ @ @ @ @ King

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough blasted the media because he believes that it ignored rapper Snoop Dogg's "attacks" on "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King.
Snoop Dogg expressed his disapproval of a recent interview in which King asked former WNBA star Lisa Leslie about the old Kobe Bryant sexual assault case.
Much of social media — including the rapper — was disturbed that King brought up the 17-year-old case after Bryant, his daughter, and several family friends were killed in a January helicopter crash.
What are the details?
During Monday's "Morning Joe," Scarborough insisted that the media ignored Snoop Dogg's attacks on King.
The rapper took to social media with a scathing rebuke of King's line of questioning during the interview.
He said, "Gayle King, out of pocket for that s***. Why y'all attacking us? We yo' people. You ain't coming after f***ing Harvey Weinstein asking them dumb-ass questions. I get sick of y'all. I wanna call you one. Is it OK if I call her one? Funky dog-haired b***h! How dare you try to torch my motherf***ing homeboy's reputation. Punk motherf***er! Respect the family and back off, b***h, before we come get you."
Scarborough called out the rapper along with guest the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sharpton said, "The media silence is deafening [including silence from] people like Katy Perry [who] worked with Snoop in the past. People like Martha Stewart, who's working with him now."
Scarborough added, "It's time for people to speak out. Again, let's just keep this very simple, because it is very simple. A black female journalist asked a tough question, in the middle of a wide-ranging interview, and because of that her life was threatened. 'We're coming to get you' from a man it must be remembered, who was arrested for murder."
He continued, "'We're coming to get you' and the New York Times doesn't write an editorial about this? The Washington Post doesn't write an editorial, the Wall Street Journal doesn't, nobody talks about [it]?"
After the clip went viral, King insisted that CBS promoted the interview with a clip that was taken "out of context."
What else?
On Sunday, Snoop Dogg insisted that he did not threaten King.
"When I said what I said, I spoke for the people who felt like Gayle was very disrespectful towards Kobe Bryant and his family," he said. "Now with that being said, what do I look like, wanting some harm to come to a 70-year-old woman? I was raised way better than that. I don't want no harm to come to her, and I didn't threaten her. All I did was say, 'Check it out. You out of pocket for what you doing, and we watching you. Have a little bit more respect for Vanessa, her babies and Kobe Bryant's legacy.'"
(H/T: Mediaite)


theblaze--2020-02-10--Joe Biden calls for 'rational' gun policy banning '50 clips in a weapon,' mocks idea of guns as defe

Joe Biden calls for 'rational' gun policy banning '50 clips in a weapon,' mocks idea of guns as defense against government

Joe Biden calls for 'rational ' gun policy banning '50 clips in a weapon , ' mocks idea of guns @ @ @ @ @ he know what he 's talking about ?

Former Vice President Joe Biden once again struggled with gun terminology as he attempted to articulate his position on gun control, and he mocked the idea that someone would own a gun as a form of protection from government oppression, according to The Daily Wire.
Biden has never been the most precise speaker when it comes to firearms, and Sunday he had another stumble while answering a voter question about why students in schools had to go through active shooter drills.
"Because we're unwilling to have a rational gun policy that says you cannot have weapons that have 20, 30, 40, 50 clips in a weapon," Biden responded.
Biden also seemed unsure of what kind of shotgun he owned while discussing the limits placed on what kinds of guns a person can use to shoot geese.
"No amendment is absolute," Biden said, referring to the Second Amendment. "I own a 20-gauge shotgun, I own a 12-gauge shotgun — I'll answer your question in a minute, sir — I own a 20-gauge and a 10-gauge shotgun. I just skeet shoot, I don't even hunt. My sons are hunters, they bird hunt. We protect, by the way, geese crossing the international boundary more than we do people.
"You can only have three shells in your shotgun if you're going goose hunting. But you can have a hundred rounds in a magazine that you can buy today," Biden continued.
The Democratic presidential candidate, who finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses and is polling badly in New Hampshire, dismissed the idea that gun ownership is a legitimate protection against the government.
"Those who say 'the tree of liberty is watered with the blood of patriots' — a great line, well, guess what: The fact is, if you're going to take on the government you need an F-15 with Hellfire Missiles," Biden said. "There is no way an AK-47 is going to take care of you if you're worried about the government coming and knocking down your door."


theblaze--2020-02-10--VIDEO: Chris Rock, Steve Martin jab Democratic Party, LA homeless problem at Oscars

'Twitter !
Everybody 's got an embarrassing tweet somewhere .
I know I do ! '

Although the Academy Awards went on without a host for the second year in a row, comedians Chris Rock and Steve Martin opened the awards show by taking jabs at the Democratic Party and the homeless problem in Los Angeles.
Mocking the Iowa caucus disaster, Martin quipped, "Now, a couple of years ago there was a big disaster here at the Oscars where they accidentally read out the wrong name — and it was nobody's fault — but it's guaranteed that won't happen this year because the Academy has switched to the new Iowa Caucus App. But what a night!"
The comedians then immediately highlighted the homeless problem plaguing Los Angeles — and how Hollywood ignores it.
"I don't know, Steve. I'm a little conflicted, you know? I was driving here tonight, seeing the terrible homeless problem in L.A.—" Rock said.
"Thank you, Chris! So many stars!" Martin interjected.
Rock and Martin even made light of the reason why the Oscars went without a host, calling their opening monologue an "incredible demotion."
"They don't really have hosts anymore, why is that?" Martin asked.
Rock responded, "Twitter! Everybody's got an embarrassing tweet somewhere. I know I do!"
Of course, the comedians were referring to the incident that forced Kevin Hart to step down from hosting last year's award ceremony. Hart became the subject of fierce social media backlash after years-old tweets joking about the LGBT community circulated online.


theblaze--2020-02-10--Bernie Sanders doesn’t see a future for pro-lifers in the Democratic Party: 'Being pro-choice is an

Bernie Sanders doesn’t see a future for pro-lifers in the Democratic Party: 'Being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat'

Bernie Sanders doesn ’ t see a future for pro-lifers in the Democratic Party : 'Being pro-choice is an absolutely @ @ @ @ @ Democrat '

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesn't see a future for people who believe in protecting the rights of the unborn in his vision of the Democratic Party.
At a presidential candidate forum in New Hampshire on Saturday, Sanders was asked, "Is there such a thing as a pro-life Democrat in your vision of the party?"
Sanders responded in the negative, saying, "I think being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat, if you're asking me," to applause and cheers from the audience.
"And I may be wrong on this, I think, in the Senate probably 95% of the Democrats are pro-choice, you have a few who are not," Sanders continued, adding that there is "maybe even a higher percentage" of pro-abortion Democrats in the House of Representatives.
"So that's kind of what my view is," Sanders concluded. "I think by this time in history, I think, when we talk about what a Democrat is, I think being pro-choice is essentially, an essential part of that."
Princeton University professor Robert George took to Twitter to condemn Sanders' remarks as "officially excommunicating pro-life Democrats." He added "So, if you're pro-life you are unacceptable, unwanted, an intruder. Time to go elsewhere."
Sanders is currently one of the front-runners for the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination. His comments about the future of pro-lifers in the party follow similar remarks from fellow top contender, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who was confronted on his abortion stance by Pro-Life Democrats executive director Kristen Day late last month.
"I am a proud pro-life Democrat. So, do you want the support of pro-life Democrats, pro-life Democratic voters? There are about 21 million of us," Day asked of the former mayor. "And if so, would you support more moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity and inclusion really does include everybody?"
Buttigieg wouldn't say whether he would support more moderate abortion platform language, but he did respond that "if we can't agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line and in my view it's the woman who's faced with that decision in her own life."
Sanders' and Buttigieg's comments speak to a much larger and far-reaching trend among Democrats. The space for pro-life Democrats keeps getting smaller and smaller in the party. The overall trend of the party abandoning the bygone mantra of "safe, legal, and rare" for a far more unapologetic and extreme stance has been welldocumented over the last few years. Indeed, supporting for the protection of unborn life is becoming a more and more precarious position for elected Democrats.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's leftward push on abortion appears to be leaving a lot of its voters behind, as polling suggests that a Democratic Party removed of pro-life viewpoints would alienate more than just a minor fringe. Gallup polling conducted in May 2019 showed that 29% of Democrats identified as "pro-life." And while it found that a smaller percentage of Democrats identified as "pro-life," Marist polling conducted in January found that 44% of Democrats favor restrictions on abortions ranging from limiting it to the first three months of a pregnancy to not allowing it under any circumstances.


theblaze--2020-02-11--President Trump wraps up New Hampshire rally early to pay respects to soldiers killed in Afghanistan

President Trump wraps up New Hampshire rally early to pay respects to soldiers killed in Afghanistan Sgt .
Antonio Rodriguez @ @ @ @ @ gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country

President Donald Trump held a scheduled campaign rally in New Hampshire on Monday night, and the media noticed that his speech was a bit shorter than usual. But there was a reason for that.
According to the Associated Press, the president wrapped up his speech a little early in order to fly to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be in attendance when the remains of Sgt. Antonio Rodriguez and Sgt. Javier Gutierrez were brought home. The two American heroes were killed in Afghanistan on Saturday.
What are the details?
The AP reported that Sgts. Rodriguez and Gutierrez — both assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Elgin Air Force Base, Florida — were killed when a person "dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire with a machine gun." The attack left six other American service members wounded.
The person who attacked them was also killed, and the incident is under investigation. Both soldiers were highly decorated prior to their deaths, and each received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously.
In Dover, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were in attendance as the bodies of the soldiers were transferred off an airplane to a waiting vehicle.
"As Trump and Pence stood on the tarmac in a falling mist," the outlet reported, "a woman among the mourners struggled to reach the plane's ramp, pulling her companions with her as they tried to hold her back. She wailed as the doors on the transfer vehicle closed."
Who was Sgt. Rodriguez?
Sgt. First Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, was on his 10th overseas deployment when he was killed. He graduated from Mayfield High School in Las Crucas, New Mexico, where he was born.
The author of a GoFundMe page set up for Sgt. Rodriguez's loved ones wrote, "Rod inspired many of his fellow Rangers while serving in the Ranger Regiment. His role within Delta company, the Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon and the Ranger Military Intelligence Company was paramount in training new recruits and maintaining the readiness of their teams.
"Rod was the guy in the teams that always put his men before himself," the author continues. "Rod was a familiar face, both in and out of the U.S., [whose] personality radiated on those around him. No matter where you went on the globe, Rod always had a friend there."
Rod is survived by his wife, Ronaleen Rodriguez; parents David Hernandez, Javier and Guadalupe Jaramillo; and brother Christopher.
Who was Sgt. Gutierrez?
Sgt. First Class Javier Gutierrez, 28, was from San Antonio, Texas. He was on his second deployment when he was killed. He was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, according to Heavy.com.
On a GoFundMe page set up for Sgt. Gutierrez's family, the author wrote, "Javi was a stand up brother, Green Beret, husband and dad. He has paid the ultimate sacrifice while conducting Special Operations in Afghanistan. He leaves behind his wife and four children who could never fill the void lost in any way. Please help me, help his family that is devastated. De Oppresso Liber. Please pray and help support their family during this time of need."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Liz Warren calls Mike Pence a 'dog' and Democrats say this quick wit will defeat President Trump

Liz Warren calls Mike Pence a 'dog ' and Democrats say this quick wit will defeat President Trump Do they @ @ @ @ @ it 's going to take ?

Democrats are praising Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) over an insult she lobbed at Vice President Mike Pence, and they say that it's an example of the quick wit that she will use to defeat President Donald Trump.
The Democratic presidential candidate made the insult during a rally Sunday in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Referring to Bailey, the name of Warren's dog, a voter asked if she ever whispered to Bailey, "Who is going to be my Mike Pence? Who is going to look at me with adoring eyes?"
"I already have a dog," responded Warren to great laughter and applause from the audience.
Democrats thought the jab at Pence was the perfect example of why Warren has the best chance to defeat Trump, who is known for his rhetorical punches.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) opined on MSNBC that Warren would use those kinds of insults in debates against the president.
"She's absolutely quick-witted, she's funny, she's sharp, this is a woman that managed to get herself out of her, um, out of Oklahoma into college on a debate scholarship," said Porter.
"When it comes time to go toe to toe with Donald Trump, Elizabeth has the ability to think on her feet, she has the depth of policy knowledge, she has the courage and the quick wit to absolutely defeat Donald Trump in those debates and make the strongest possible contrast," she continued.
"The kind of robotic talking points are not going to work when you're up against a candidate like President Trump, who has so many different ways and directions he goes. So I think someone who has that quick wit, who has that ability to make the audience laugh, but at the same time really drive home what this election really is about," Porter said.
"I think she has tremendous retail politics skills," she concluded.
Polling has Warren in fourth place in New Hampshire for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Here's the video of Warren's insult:


theblaze--2020-02-11--Complaint questions $530,000 federal grant to Hookers for Jesus

Whistleblowers at the Department of Justice say other organizations are more worthy of anti-trafficking funds

A whistleblower complaint has been filed with the Department of Justice's inspector general, questioning $530,000 in anti-human-trafficking grant funds awarded to Christian ministry Hookers for Jesus, according to a new report.
What are the details?
Reuters published an exclusive report on Monday detailing that a Department of Justice employees' union is complaining that two organizations recommended for anti-trafficking funds "by career DOJ officials" were passed over for Hookers for Jesus in Nevada and a South Carolina group called the Lincoln Tubman Foundation.
The whistleblowers say outside contractors recommended "Tier 1" organizations — the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach and Chicanos Por La Causa of Phoenix — but those "long-established non-profits" were passed over. Hookers for Jesus and the Lincoln Tubman Foundation were ranked as "Tier 2" by outside reviewers.
The complaint is asking the IG to investigate whether politics played a part in the decision. According to Reuters, "Chicanos Por La Causa has opposed the Trump administration's immigration policies," while "the head of Catholic Charities in Palm Beach has participated in past Democratic National Committees as a delegate or standing committee member."
Hookers for Jesus fell under scrutiny for allegedly requiring their trafficking victims to attend church services, a claim founder Annie Lobert denies.
"We are not going to discriminate toward anyone," Lobert told the outlet. "But, we are Christian. And there is an understanding before they come in here that we are Christian."
The $530,000 to Hookers for Jesus will be paid out over three years. Another $549,345 will be paid out over three years to the Lincoln Tubman Foundation, which was "launched by the daughter of a prominent local Republican who supported President Donald Trump as a delegate at the 2016 convention and is close to South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott," Reuters' Sarah Lynch writes.
The DOJ's Office of Justice Programs awarded $53 million in taxpayer funds to 77 groups in 2019 for the purpose of assisting human trafficking victims.
What is Hookers for Jesus?
Lobert, a born-again Christian and former escort, founded Hookers for Jesus after nearly dying of a drug overdose in 2003. Her organization operates a shelter for adult female trafficking victims. TheBlaze interviewed her in 2015. Watch her story below:


theblaze--2020-02-11--Feminist superhero movie 'Birds of Prey' bombs at the box office — and feminists are blaming sexism

Feminist superhero movie 'Birds of Prey ' bombs at the box office — and feminists are blaming sexism The ridiculously @ @ @ @ @ help either

The latest entry in the DC Universe of superhero movies bombed badly at the box office, and feminist critics are blaming the misogyny and sexism of the male audience.
Others say the unwieldy title of "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" might be partially to blame.
Whatever the cause, "Birds of Prey" only racked up a disappointing $33 million in its domestic opening weekend. It is estimated to have cost upwards of $100 million to produce and market.
Actor Ewan McGregor explicitly described the movie as a feminist-themed attack on misogyny in an interview from October 2019.
"What interested me with Birds of Prey is that it's a feminist film. It is very finely written, there is in the script a real look on misogyny," he said. "And I think we need that, we need to be more aware of how we behave with the opposite sex. We need to be taught to change."
McGregor went on to say that the movie tackles "everyday misogyny," as well as overt sexism.
"[I]n the Birds of Prey dialogues, there is always a hint of everyday misogyny, of those things you say as a man you do not even realize, mansplaining," he explained. "All it's in the script in a very subtle way. I found that brilliant."
Feminists agreed, but were angered by the poor showing at the box office and blamed male misogyny and sexism.
"The blatant sexism around the conversations about #BirdsOfPrey is wild," tweeted women's rights advocate Sai Sailaja Seshadri.
"It's funny what kind of standards everyone holds women-centric films to, and everything has to be 'perfect' but dude-bro movies can lack good actors, story lines and logic and still be praised," she added.
Comic book legend Gerry Conway agreed that sexism was to blame.
"I'm so disappointed by 'Birds of Prey' box office and what it says about the male audience for superhero films. Here's my controversial take (don't hate me): the movie didn't pull teenage boys because Margot Robbie didn't want Harley Quinn to be sexualized as she was in [Suicide Squad]," he tweeted.
"Unfortunately what she may have proved (who can say off one movie) is that the male audience for superhero movies isn't as mature as we'd like to hope, and the female audience isn't large enough to compensate," he added.
Warner Bros. is changing the title of the movie to "Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey"in hopes of raising audience interest.
Here's the movie trailer [caution: language]:


theblaze--2020-02-11--Dems urge Facebook, Twitter to take down edited video of Nancy Pelosi ripping up State of the Union

Dems urge Facebook, Twitter to take down edited video of Nancy Pelosi ripping up State of the Union speech

Dems urge Facebook , Twitter to take down edited video of Nancy Pelosi ripping up State of the Union speech @ @ @ @ @ by President Trump and Donald Trump , Jr .

Several House Democrats are demanding that Facebook and Twitter remove an edited video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ripping up a copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address — but so far, both platforms are refusing to censor the clip.
What are the details?
The video was released by a Turning Point USA Facebook and Instagram channel. In a press release announcing its refusal to pull down the content, the organization described the clip as "juxtaposing the human stories highlighted by the president with the Speaker's highly publicized act of ripping the president's speech in two."
According to TPUSA, the video had been viewed more than 20 million times as of Monday. Last week, Donald Trump Jr. pinned the video to his Twitter feed, and President Trump retweeted it over the weekend.
Democrats claim the video is "deceptively altered" because Speaker Pelosi only ripped up the president's speech once after it was completed, and they are demanding that the video be censored.
CBS News noted that Speaker Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, wrote on Twitter, "The latest fake video of Speaker Pelosi is deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people, and every day that these platforms refuse to take it down is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders' interests than the public's interests."
Hammill added, "The American people know that the President has no qualms about lying to them - but it is a shame to see Twitter and Facebook, sources of news for millions, do the same."
Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, responded, "Sorry, are you suggesting the President didn't make those remarks and the Speaker didn't rip the speech?" to which Hammill fired back, "What planet are you living on? this is deceptively altered. take it down."
A number of Democratic lawmakers also chimed in personally urging for the viral video to be taken down by social media platforms.
Fox News pointed out that Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) wrote on Twitter, "This video is clearly another deceptive effort by @realDonaldTrump to mislead and manipulate the American people." Rep. Escobar went on to ask Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to "show your commitment to cut down on the misinformation corroding our nation and take down this fake video."
Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Don Beyer (Va.), wrote, "If I posted a doctored video it would be a clear violation of House Rules. Twitter should take this down."
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) added, "Social media platforms are a place where people come for news and information. They need to have certain standards. Falsity has never been part of our 1st Amendment tradition."
Anything else?
TPUSA founder and president Charlie Kirk issued a statement saying, "This is cancel culture coming to Congress. Our Turning Point USA production team had the brilliant idea to make a visually moving clip of what Speaker Pelosi was ripping up when she tore up the president's speech.
"There was absolutely nothing deceptive about the video. We've been surprised, and frankly horrified, by the many Democrats calling for censorship including from the speaker's own office. Thankfully, many patriots have come out and reposted the video including the president. Needless to say, we will not be pulling the video and the Speaker's misguided attempts at silencing us have had the exact opposite effect."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Steven Crowder destroys Brad Pitt's Oscar acceptance speech with truth

Let 's be real .
Brad Pitt is n't known for being a thinking man .
But , that did @ @ @ @ @ throwing a political jab at Senate Republicans during his Oscar acceptance speech on Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ wit may have fallen flat , but he unknowingly presented an opportunity for Crowder to @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and their hatred for not just President Trump but for Republicans in general .
@ @ @ @ @ ... Use code LWC to save $ 10 on one year of BlazeTV Want more @ @ @ @ @ enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy that 's actually funny , subscribe to @ @ @ @ @ network of voices who love America , defend the Constitution and live the American dream @

Let's be real. Brad Pitt isn't known for being a thinking man. But that didn't stop him from throwing a political jab at Senate Republicans during his Oscar acceptance speech on Sunday.
Pitt's limp-wristed attempt at wit may have fallen flat, but he unknowingly presented an opportunity for Crowder to drop some hard-hitting truth about Democrats and their hatred, not just for President Donald Trump, but for Republicans in general.
Take it away, Crowder ...
youtu.be
Use code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Breaking: Attorney General Barr announces 'significant escalation'  to shut down sanctuary cities

Barr outlined many lawsuits set to challenge states on their immigration policies

U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced that the Department of Justice would be escalating its efforts to combat the policies of "sanctuary cities" to aid illegal aliens.
Barr made an announcement at the National Sheriff's Association 2020 Winter Legislative and Technology Conference on Monday.
"The department is filing a complaint against the State of New Jersey seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against its laws that forbid state and local law enforcement from sharing vital information about criminal aliens with DHS," Barr said, according to Fox News.
Barr went on to say the legal action against New Jersey is just one of a number of lawsuits against municipalities that employ "sanctuary city" policies to undermine the enforcement of federal immigration law.
"We are filing a complaint seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against King County, Washington, for the policy," Barr explained, "that forbids DHS from deporting aliens from the United States using King County International Airport."
Barr said the Justice Department would also be reviewing the actions of "certain district attorneys" who lessen charges against foreign nationals in order to avoid consequences of federal immigration enforcement from more serious charges.
"The express purpose of these policies is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for crimes," Barr said. "This is neither lawful nor sensible."
Here's more about Barr's announcement:


theblaze--2020-02-11--Transgender man sues hospital for refusing sex reassignment surgery: 'Catholic hospitals do not perf

Transgender man sues hospital for refusing sex reassignment surgery: 'Catholic hospitals do not perform sterilizing procedures'

Transgender man sues hospital for refusing sex reassignment surgery : 'Catholic hospitals do not perform sterilizing procedures' Was this a @ @ @ @ @ conviction ?

On Monday's episode of "Pseudo-Intellectual," Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan talked about a Catholic hospital in California that is being sued for refusing to perform a hysterectomy on a transgender man as part of a gender reassignment process.
The hospital, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, canceled Evan Minton's surgery two days before the procedure was scheduled after discovering that he is transgender.
The hospital claimed the reason for canceling had nothing to do with Minton's status as transgender, but because "Catholic hospitals do not perform sterilizing procedures" based on "the Catholic Church's theological and moral teachings."
"Catholic hospitals do not perform sterilizing procedures such as hysterectomies for any patient regardless of their gender identity, unless there is a serious threat to the life or health of the patient," read a statement released by hospital management. "Courts have repeatedly recognized the right of faith-based hospitals not to provide services based on their religious principles. ... In this case, Mr. Minton was able to quickly receive the sought-after procedure at another nearby Dignity Health hospital that is not Catholic-affiliated."
Is refusing to provide patients with gender-reassignment surgery the same as denying life-saving health care on a discriminatory basis? Should Catholic hospitals have a right to refuse to perform operations that violate their convictions? Lauren and Liam weigh in.
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theblaze--2020-02-11--Islamic world outraged at transgender activist posting photos at religious shrines while wearing gar

Islamic world outraged at transgender activist posting photos at religious shrines while wearing garb for women

Muslims were outraged when a transgender activist documented their religious pilgrimage while wearing clothing intended for women.
34-year-old Nur Sajat was born a male and named Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruzzaman, but she angered many when she wore a telekung, a prayer garment for females, while participating in the Umrah, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, sacred Islamic sites in Saudi Arabia.
Sajat is from Malaysia, which is a Muslim-majority country.
Malaysian Islamic affairs minister Mujahid Yusof criticized the Instagram celebrity, who has 1.6 million followers on the popular social media site.
"I will take firm steps over the action of Muhammad Sajad Kamaruz Zaman, who uploaded photos and video of him wearing women's prayer garments when in Mecca which circulated widely on the social media and led to discomfort among Muslims," he told reporters, according to the Straits Times.
"What's important is that we want to safeguard the interests of Islam and all Muslims must adhere to shariah law," he added.
Other voices in the Islamic world called for tolerance and acceptance of Sajat in consideration that she was acting as a faithful Muslim and participating in a holy ritual.
"She also probably didn't disturb any other fellow Muslims around her on holy ground. So, why not respect the way she identifies herself?" asked Mustafa Akyol, a prominent Turkish scholar. "I think the right Islamic response to this fact is not discrimination or persecution, but rather compassion and help."
Sajat apologized in a video posted to social media, but she also criticized those who objected to her presence at the holy sites.
"If I was religiously distant before, do they want me to throw away my faith? I am sad, why aren't people like me accepted in the house of God?" she said, according to a translation.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Polls show Trump's approval ratings at record-high, but 2020 election is still a 'real risk'

Polls show Trump 's approval ratings at record-high , but 2020 election is still a 'real risk' 'Is there any @ @ @ @ @ ?
Yeah , there absolutely is . '

On the radio show Tuesday, Glenn Beck and Stu Burguiere talked about the latest polls from Gallup, which show Americans have record-high optimism when it comes to their financial future and President Donald Trump's approval rating at a new high.
According to Gallup's annual Mood of the Nation survey, 59 percent of Americans said they are financially better off now than one year ago, topping the all-time high of 58 percent recorded in 1999.
Nearly 75 percent also said they expect to be even better off next year, which is the most optimistic "mood of the nation" in Gallup polling history.
A second Gallup poll shows President Trump's job approval rating at 49 percent, his highest since taking office. However, the same poll found that 50 percent of Americans disapprove of the president, and only 1 percent had "no opinion."
Glenn and Stu noted that the "cautious optimism" as the Obama administration came to a close has turned into "full-blown optimism," but warned Trump supporters not to become complacent about voting in November.
"Is there any chance that Trump loses this? Yeah, there absolutely is," Stu said. "Forty to forty-five percent of people in this country, no matter what, are going to vote against Donald Trump. No matter what. That being said ... one or two big news events timed incorrectly — the economy being the biggest one — puts him at a real risk."
"If everybody doesn't go out and vote, [Trump] could lose the election," Glenn added.
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theblaze--2020-02-11--Jussie Smollett indicted again in Chicago over alleged fake attack

Jussie Smollett indicted again in Chicago over alleged fake attack The news comes nearly a year after 16 felony charges @ @ @ @ @

The special prosecutor tasked with investigating the handling of the Jussie Smollett hoax attack allegations in Chicago has indicted the former "Empire" actor, nearly a year after previous charges against Smollett were dropped.
What are the details?
Special prosecutor Dan Webb announced Tuesday that he has decided to move forward with prosecuting Smollett, after "a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, knowing that he was not the victim of a crime."
Mr. Webb went on to write in the press release, "the grand jury's investigation revealed that Jussie Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Department officers on multiple occasions, reporting a heinous hate crime that he, in fact, knew had not occurred."
Smollett was accused last year of concocting a story that he was jumped and harassed by masked men who yelled "MAGA country" in what he claimed was a homophobic and racially charged attack.
Chicago police investigated the alleged attack and determined that Smollett staged the ordeal in order to gain attention and further his career. Smollett was indicted by a grand jury in March 2019 and charged with 16 felonies in connection with the fake attack allegations — but all the charges against him were mysteriously dropped a few weeks later by the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, who had recused herself from the case.
Following outrage over the dropped charges, Mr. Webb was hired in August of last year to investigate why Kim Foxx's office dropped the charges against Smollett and to determine whether to file new criminal charges against the actor.
In his press release, Mr. Webb noted that his investigation into the Cook County State's Attorney's Office is ongoing, but added that the Office of the Special Prosecutor "has obtained sufficient factual evidence to determine that it disagrees with how the CCSAO resolved the Smollett case."
Smollett is due to appear in court on Feb. 24. He has repeatedly claimed he is completely innocent.


theblaze--2020-02-11--In New Hampshire, Dems brace for a Sanders win and hope to put Iowa behind them. But will any of it

In New Hampshire, Dems brace for a Sanders win and hope to put Iowa behind them. But will any of it matter?

In New Hampshire , Dems brace for a Sanders win and hope to put Iowa behind them .
But will @ @ @ @ @ All eyes are on New Hampshire tonight

All eyes are on New Hampshire tonight as voters in the Granite State head to the polls in the second nominating contest of the presidential primary season, moving the Democratic Party one step closer to selecting their eventual nominee.
Results will (hopefully) start coming in shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern Time when the first polls close, and results will be added to the midnight tallies already entered in Hart's Location, Millsfield, and Dixville Notch — where 20% of the electorate wrote in Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg for the GOP nod.
Things to watch for
Democrats across the country are eager to put last week's debacle in Iowa behind them and are bracing for a clean and smooth election night. Fortunately, New Hampshire is a primary election state, which means that state election officials — not the state's Democratic Party — will be responsible for tallying votes and releasing results. All indicators point to a night free of technical difficulties and results delay misery — but only time will tell.
Both Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg will look to build on their strong finishes in Iowa last Monday with victories in New Hampshire. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Sanders with a sizable lead heading into tonight with 28.7% of the vote and Buttigieg coming in second with 21.3%. The next three runner-ups are Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and former Vice President Joe Biden, who are all polling within one point of each other at around 11%.
While it may appear to be a runaway for Sanders, The Hill notes that things are still wide open as nearly half of the New Hampshire voters polled last week were undecided heading into the contest.
What's at stake?
In 2016, Sanders' decisive win in New Hampshire jump-started his campaign. Four years later, the senator will be looking for a similarly decisive victory. But this time, a big win in the first-in-the-nation primary could carry through to an eventual nomination.
Sanders is now competing with Biden for front-runner status in the race, as recent polling shows him with a growing lead over Biden nationally. A Sanders win in New Hampshire, coupled with a weak finish from Biden, could spell doom for the Biden campaign and catapult Sanders to a firm position at the top.
But threatening Sanders' path to victory is Buttigieg, who walked away from Iowa with more delegates than the progressive candidate. Another strong showing from the former mayor will certainly hurt Sanders' chances of running away with the nomination. Similarly, Sen. Warren, who shares ideological views with Sanders, could put a damper on his momentum with a strong finish.
Biden has all but given up on the state, with polling showing his chances of finishing anywhere near the top are slim. His campaign is reportedly planning to skip town ahead of the results and shuttle off to the next contest in South Carolina, a move that Warren swiftly criticized. Earlier on Tuesday, Biden assured reporters half-heartedly that his campaign is "still mildly hopeful" about New Hampshire.
Does it even matter?
Pundits across the political spectrum indicated that President Trump was the clear winner following the Democratic catastrophe in Iowa last week, and regardless of results, the same may be true following the primary in New Hampshire.
Writing for the American Spectator, Amber Athey made this just point, alluding to Trump's packed rally in New Hampshire Monday night, on the eve of the primary election.
"The near-overflowing arena at Southern New Hampshire University stood in stark contrast to the sparsely attended campaign trail events put on just around the corner by Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, and the rest of the Democratic field," Athey wrote. "Bernie Sanders may have a rabid online fan base, but how many would camp out all night and day in the frigid February snow for a chance to see their political hero? Warren couldn't even get hungry diners to glance up from their meals long enough to ask for their vote."
Trump was sure to hammer home this same point during the rally.
"We have more in this arena and outside this arena than all of the other candidates, meaning the Democrats, put together and multiplied by five," blasted Trump. "We have never had an empty seat from the day your future First Lady and I came down the escalator."


theblaze--2020-02-11--AOC's newest primary challenger is former CNBC correspondent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera

The field is getting crowded

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has a new primary challenger aiming to win the right to represent New York's 14th Congressional District — former CNBC correspondent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.
Caruso-Cabrera filed Monday to enter the race as a Democrat and run against Ocasio-Cortez — one of the most well-known members of Congress, and a freshman lawmaker who earned her spot with a shocking primary win in 2018.
"I am the daughter and granddaughter of working class Italian and Cuban immigrants," Caruso-Cabrera said in a statement. "I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I've had. That's why I'm running."
Caruso-Cabrera's website prominently hypes the matchup of "MCC vs. AOC for the Bronx and Queens." It does not include any details about her proposed policies, or ways she might differ from Ocasio-Cortez in how she would represent the district in Congress, although CNBC reports that Caruso-Cabrera is known for her skepticism of government and support of the free market.
Ocasio-Cortez, 30, is known for her advocacy of Bernie Sanders' brand of socialism, and for her outspoken opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration.
Caruso-Cabrera is a longtime journalist, dating back to her time with her high school newspaper and developing all the way to her stint as Chief International Correspondent for CNBC, where she also co-anchored a show called "Power Lunch." After she stepped down from the position in 2018, she remains a contributor. That role will pause as she runs for Congress.
Caruso-Cabrera, who is in her early 50s, serves on the board of directors for Beneficient, a financial services firm.
Although Ocasio-Cortez will face numerous challengers from both parties this year, she is extremely likely to be re-elected. She's one of the top fundraisers in Congress and has the support of current Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whom she has endorsed in the primary and for whom she has served as a campaign surrogate during the recent impeachment trial.
The primary is scheduled on June 23.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Republican-dominated committee votes down South Dakota bill outlawing transgender medical treatments

Republican-dominated committee votes down South Dakota bill outlawing transgender medical treatments on children

Which means the state legislature likely wo n't consider the Vulnerable Child Protection Act again this year

After the South Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill outlawing transgender medical procedures on children late last month, a state Senate committee — dominated by Republicans — voted down the bill Monday, which the Associated Press said likely means the Vulnerable Child Protection Act won't be considered by the legislature again this year.
The House passed the bill 46-23; the Senate committee voted it down 5-2, the AP said.
What are the details?
House Bill 1057 deems it illegal — a Class 1 misdemeanor — for doctors to perform gender-affirming operations or surgeries or prescribe hormone replacement therapy to assist gender transitions for anyone under the age of 16, Inforum reported, adding that the penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor is a year in jail and a $2,000 maximum fine.
Here's what would be outlawed, Inforum noted:
Performing the following surgeries: castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, metoidioplasty, orchiectomy, penectomy, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty.
Performing a mastectomy.
Prescribing, dispensing, administering or otherwise supplying the following medications: Puberty-blocking medication to stop normal puberty, supraphysiologic doses of testosterone to females, supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males.
Removing any otherwise healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue.
Conservative lawmakers in other states — South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, and New Hampshire — are pushing similar proposals, the AP said.
But some Republican state senators in South Dakota and the state's Republican Gov. Kristi Noem wondered about the prudence of moving forward with the bill, the outlet said, even though the GOP holds a super-majority in the Legislature.
More from the AP:
LGBT advocates and Democrats argued that the proposal would have stopped children with gender dysphoria from receiving medically necessary health care that improves their mental health. They demonstrated outside the Capitol before Monday's Senate Health and Human Services Committee meeting.
Quinncy Parke, a 17-year-old transgender teenager, testified before the committee and had one word to describe the feeling of seeing the bill die: "ecstatic."
"It's gone," Parke said. "I don't have to worry about it until next year."
What do the bill's backers have to say?
The sponsor of the legislation — Republican state Rep. Fred Deutsch — likened procedures that would have been outlawed to "bizarre" medical experiments conducted by the Nazis.
"To me, that's a crime against humanity when these procedures are done by these so-called doctors ... that dance on the edge of medicine," Deutsch told Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council recently. "You know, I'm the son of a Holocaust survivor. I've had family members killed in Auschwitz. And I've seen the pictures of the bizarre medical experiments. I don't want that to happen to our kids. And that's what's going on right now."
At first Deutsch doubled down on his controversial comments with the caveat that he wasn't likening doctors who treat transgender children to Nazis: "I've been to a whole bunch of Holocaust museums all over the world. It's very personal to me. It's just a simple reflection that the pictures seem similar to me."
But he soon told CNN he regretted the comparison: "Comments I made based on my history of being the son of a Holocaust survivor are regrettable."
Deutsch told the AP he wouldn't bring the issue again this year but added that the governor worked "behind the scenes" to oppose the bill.
"That's simply not accurate," Kristin Wileman, the governor's spokeswoman, told the outlet, adding that Noem never took a formal position on the bill.
What do the bill's opponents have to say?
Dozens protested outside the Capitol Monday, riding horses on the grounds, waving rainbow flags, and holding signs to support transgender people, the AP reported.
The outlet also said the South Dakota State Medical Association opposed the bill, arguing it discriminated against transgender people and interfered with physicians' ability to administer necessary medical treatment.
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota also was against the bill — and applauded the committee's down vote, NBC News said.
"Though supporters claimed House Bill 1057 was aimed at protecting vulnerable youth, it was clearly fueled by a fear and misunderstanding of transgender South Dakotans," Libby Skarin, policy director for the group, told the network. "It's time we stop these attacks and the very real harm they cause to transgender youth across our state. Let this be a signal to the South Dakota Legislature that discrimination against a marginalized group is a distraction from the needs of the state and hurts us all."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Ohio couple charged with manslaughter after allegedly letting baby die after failed self-induced lat

Ohio couple charged with manslaughter after allegedly letting baby die after failed self-induced late-term abortion 'At no time did either @ @ @ @ @ 911 '

A couple in Ohio are facing charges after allegedly self-inducing a late-term abortion with mail-order medication from India and leaving their baby to die and putting the child's body in a shoebox.
WCMH-TV reports:
Kalina V.E. Gillum and Braden C. Mull have been indicted on one count each of involuntary manslaughter, child endangering, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
The couple appeared via video monitor in Licking County court Monday.
According to Licking County Prosecuting Attorney William Hayes, on Sept. 18, 2019, Gillum took 12 misoprostol tablets she and Mull ordered from India with the intention to "induce labor and terminate Gillum's pregnancy," Hayes wrote in a press release.
According to Hayes, Gillum took the pills while in her third trimester at either 28 or 29 weeks pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy in the bathroom of her and Mull's apartment.
"At no time did either one of them ever call 911 or seek emergency medical treatment for the child," Hayes wrote.
The next day, the two went to the hospital, where medical staff contacted law enforcement. Officers then went to their home and found the child's body in a shoebox inside of a trash bag, Hayes said. The prosecutor also said that the two planned together to order the drugs and terminate the pregnancy, knowing Gillum was in her third trimester.
Each is being held on a $150,000 cash bond, according to multiple outlets.
A child born prematurely at 28 or 29 weeks gestation has a very high chance of surviving outside of the womb if given proper medical attention. According to information from the University of Utah, the survival rate for premature babies born at 28 weeks gestation is between 80% and 90%.
A neighbor of the couple told WSYX-TV that she had no idea that Gillum was even pregnant, but would regularly greet the two.
"It's breaking my heart," the neighbor told the outlet. "I'm really shocked. I didn't know my neighbors were like that."
Chemical — or "medical" — abortions, which are done through the use of certain drugs are typically only done in the first few weeks of a pregnancy.


theblaze--2020-02-11--'The View' co-host Sunny Hostin goes after Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar for

'The View' co-host Sunny Hostin goes after Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar for failing to 'prosecute a single killing by the police'

'The View ' co-host Sunny Hostin goes after Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar for failing to 'prosecute a single @ @ @ @ @

"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin went on the offensive while questioning Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for failing to "prosecute a single killing by the police" during her tenure as U.S. attorney.
What are the details?
Klobuchar appeared on the popular daytime TV show Tuesday, where she talked about her presidential campaign.
During a question-and-answer session, Hostin also pushed Klobuchar on her lack of support from black voters.
"Your tough-on-crime approach when you were a county attorney in Minnesota is criticized for disproportionately harming black and brown people, and when I look at that record, you know, you failed to prosecute a single killing by the police during the eight years you headed prosecutions, and there were more than two dozen police-involved killings in that period," Hostin told Klobuchar. "How do you defend that record?"
Klobuchar responded by pointing out her support from within the black community.
"We all know there is systematic racism in this criminal justice system, there's no doubt about that," Klobuchar answered. "But there is so much more work that we have to do, and that's why when I got to the U.S. Senate, I started working on things like the First Step Act, which we passed, which has decreased the criminal penalties and allowed some nonviolent offenders to get out of prison."
What else?
Elsewhere during the exchange, Hostin asked Klobuchar about the case of Myon Burrell. Klobuchar prosecuted Burrell — who was 16 years old at the time — following the 2002 shooting death of an 11-year-old girl. Burrell is currently serving a 45-year sentence.
Earlier this month, the Associated Press published an investigation of the case posing questions as to whether Burrell was justly convicted of the fatal shooting. Throughout the process, Burrell — now 33 years old — maintained his innocence.
You can read more about the background of the case here.
Hostin, a former prosecutor herself, said the case is "one of the most flawed investigations and prosecutions that I think I have ever seen."
Pointing out a lack of gun, fingerprints, and DNA evidence, Hostin spat, "How do you defend something like that to someone like me, who is the mother of a black boy, a black teenager? This case would be my worst nightmare."
Klobuchar admitted that she believes Burrell's case should be reviewed.
"I've called for the office and the courts to review the evidence," she amended. "That's what we must do in the justice system. I've also worked extensively with the Innocence Project in my previous job, and we reviewed all the serious cases we had that involved DNA evidence."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Tulsi Gabbard supports fully decriminalizing prostitution, calling it a human 'right'

Other Democratic candidates are moving her direction

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) has publicly expressed her support for the decriminalization of sex work, Reason magazine reported Monday.
What did she say?
"If a consenting adult wants to engage in sex work, that is their right, and it should not be a crime," Gabbard said in a statement to the libertarian news outlet over the weekend. "All people should have autonomy over their bodies and their labor."
Reason also noted that Gabbard is the only candidate in the Democratic field to receive a "good grade" from Decriminalize Sex Work, an advocacy organization aiming to "end the prohibition of prostitution in the United States."
Gabbard was awarded an A- for supporting full decriminalization, "which removes criminal and civil penalties from adults engaged in consensual acts of prostitution," but was notched down from a perfect grade for supporting the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act signed into law by President Trump in 2018.
DSW claims that FOSTA, along with its counterpart in the Senate, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, which aims to cut down on illegal sex trafficking online by punishing platforms that host sex ads, have in fact "endangered the safety and health of sex workers," arguing that the laws force the sex work industry to go underground, ultimately endangering the workers.
Last year, while reporting on the issue of sex work edging into the 2020 presidential race, The Intercept echoed the sentiments of many who opposed the SESTA-FOSTA bills, saying, "passage of the law resulted in the shutdown of prominent personal ad sites and marketplaces, forcing sex workers to resort to working on the streets or with pimps."
Previously, websites such as Backpage and Craigslist were not legally liable for third-party content, but under the new laws they will be. Proponents of the legislation say it clarifies the country's stance against sex trafficking and holds online platforms accountable for their roles in proliferating the crime.
Where are other Democratic presidential candidates on the issue?
The Democratic position on the criminalization of sex work is evolving.
Though all of the congressional Democrats running for president supported the bipartisan SESTA-FOSTA legislation, including Gabbard, many are also beginning to follow Gabbard's lead when it comes to pushing for the decriminalization of sex work.
After Gabbard, the next highest scorer on DSW's report card is Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who expressed openness to decriminalization last year.
"I'm open to decriminalization," Warren said. "Sex workers, like all workers, deserve autonomy but they are particularly vulnerable to physical and financial abuse and hardship. We need to make sure we don't undermine legal protections for the most vulnerable, including the millions of individuals who are victims of human trafficking each year."
Sen. Bernie Sanders holds a similar openness to the issue, as expressed in a statement by his campaign.
"Bernie believes that decriminalization is certainly something that should be considered. Other countries have done this and it has shown to make the lives of sex workers safer," the campaign statement read.
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, has expressed concern about SESTA-FOSTA and similar legislation, calling the policies "well-intentioned but harmful in practice."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg are opposed to decriminalization, while others, including former Vice President Joe Biden and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, have not expressed any concrete opinions on the matter.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she still sees room for pro-lifers in Democratic Party

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she still sees room for pro-lifers in Democratic Party ' I think we need to build @ @ @ @

While some of her 2020 presidential primary opponents have not been welcoming of the prospect, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Tuesday that she does indeed see room in the Democratic Party for pro-life members.
During an interview on ABC's "The View," co-host Meghan McCain asked the candidate if there was "room for pro-life Democrats" to vote for her.
"Well, first, I say this: I am strongly pro-choice; I have always been pro-choice," Klobuchar answered. "But I believe we're a big tent party and there are pro-life Democrats, and they are part of our party."
The senator added, "I think we need to build a big tent; I think we need to bring people in instead of shutting them out. And I think that includes independents right here in New Hampshire as well as moderate Republicans."
Klobuchar's statement comes on the heels of a far more exclusionary statement made by Klobuchar's fellow 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) about whether pro-lifers can be members of the party.
"I think being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat, if you're asking me," Sanders said at a Saturday campaign event to applause and cheers from the audience. "I think by this time in history, I think, when we talk about what a Democrat is, I think being pro-choice is essentially, an essential part of that."
Prior to that, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked last month by Pro-Life Democrats executive director Kristen Day if he would support "more moderate platform language in the Democratic Party to ensure that the party of diversity and inclusion really does include everybody?"
Buttigieg wouldn't say whether or not he would support more moderate abortion language, but instead responded, "If we can't agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line and in my view it's the woman who's faced with that decision in her own life."
But Klobuchar's position seems to be a lot closer to where Democratic voters actually are, at least according to the numbers. Gallup polling conducted in May 2019 showed that 29% of Democrats identified as "pro-life." And while it found that a smaller percentage of Democrats identified as "pro-life," Marist polling conducted in January found that 44% of Democrats favor restrictions on abortions that range between limiting it to the first three months of a pregnancy to not allowing it under any circumstances.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Authorities intercept suitcase containing dead birds from China at DC-area airport

Airport authorities at Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Virginia, discovered a suitcase on Jan. 27 containing dead birds from China.
A package inside the suitcase read "cat food."
What are the details?
According to WTHR-TV, the suitcase contained dozens of dead birds of an unknown variety ranging in size from 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length.
The suitcase belonged to a traveler from Beijing. Authorities say that the traveler's final destination was a residence in Prince George's County, Maryland. The traveler insisted that the birds were to be pet food.
Casey Durst, director of field operations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Baltimore field office, said that such items are prohibited due to the risk of avian influenza.
"These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nation's poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza," Durst said in a statement. "Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nation's agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases."
A tweet from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said, "@CBP agriculture specialists at Dulles airport continue to protect our nation's vital agricultural resources and our economy by intercepting potential animal threats, like those posed by these tiny dead birds from China packaged as 'pet food.'"
Anything else?
A media release from CBP also pointed out a typical day in 2019 turned up at least "4,695 prohibited plant, meat, animal byproduct, and soil."
"CBP agriculture specialists perform a critical border security role in safeguarding America's agricultural and natural resources from harmful pests and plant diseases," the release added. "They have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection, inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, and air and sea cargoes nationally being imported to the United States."
A spokesperson for the CBP told People that the passenger who had the dead birds would not face criminal charges because he did declare that he was traveling with pet food.


theblaze--2020-02-11--'Lord of the Rings' star John Rhys-Davies defends Christianity, says it has made the world better, n

'Lord of the Rings' star John Rhys-Davies defends Christianity, says it has made the world better, not worse

'Lord of the Rings ' star John Rhys-Davies defends Christianity , says it has made the world better , not @ @ @ @ @ of things right

"Lord of the Rings" actor John Rhys-Davies says that Christianity has made the world better and not worse.
What are the details?
Rhys-Davies, who recently voiced a character in the new animated film "Pilgrim's Progress," said that he often finds himself defending Christianity during interviews.
"I count myself as a rationalist and a skeptic, and I find myself constantly defending Christians and Christianity," he told the Christian Post. "We seem to forget that Christian civilization has made the world a better place than it ever was."
He added that all good things have evolved from the church's early days.
"All the things that we value — the right of free speech, the right of the individual conscience — these evolved in first and second century Roman Christendom, where the individual Christian said, 'I have a right to believe what I believe and not what the emperor tells me,'" he added. "From that, our whole idea of democracy and the equality that we have has developed."
The "Lord of the Rings" actor also pointed out that people "owe Christianity the greatest debt of thanks," and warned against casting its importance aside.
"[T]o slight it and to dismiss it as being irrelevant is the detritus of rather ill-read minds, I think," he concluded.
What else?
In 2015, Rhys-Davies — who is from the United Kingdom — told podcaster Adam Carolla, "Western inaction and political correctness in the face of Islamic terrorism threatens civilization as we know it."
"There is an extraordinary silence in the West," he said. "Basically, Christianity in the Middle East and in Africa is being wiped out. I mean not just ideologically but physically, and people are being enslaved and killed because they are Christians. And your country and my country are doing nothing about it."
The 75-year-old actor continued, mocking politically correct talking points. "But it's all relevant. It's all equally relative, isn't it? We're all the same," he said. "And God and the devil, they're the same aren't they, really? Right and wrong? It's really just two faces of the same coin.
"[W]e have lost our moral compass completely," he warned. And if we don't find it, he cautioned, "we're going to lose our civilization.
"I think we're going to lose Western European Christian civilization, anyway," he added.
In 2015, Rhys-Davies spoke with Glenn Beck, where he discussed unity, religion, and science.


theblaze--2020-02-11--NYC police union 'declaring war' on Mayor Bill de Blasio after police shootings

'We do not respect you '

The Sergeants Benevolent Association, a large police union in New York City, declared "war" on Mayor Bill de Blasio, blaming his policies for two recent police shootings, according to Fox News.
Suspect Robert Williams, over the course of two days, ambushed two police officers in a parked vehicle — wounding one — and opened fire at the 41st Precinct station the next day, injuring another officer. Both survived, and Williams was arrested.
"Mayor DeBlasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you!" read a tweet on the SBA Twitter page, in response to a statement from de Blasio about the shootings. "We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isn't over, Game on!"
That ominous statement does not reflect the opinion of every NYPD officer, however. Chief of Department Terence Monahan said "none of the other unions" follow the lead of SBA President Ed Mullins, and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea called the tweet "inappropriate."
"The men and women that are out on the street right now, they care about keeping people safe," Monahan told WPIX-TV. "They care about keeping themselves safe. And that's what this is about. This isn't politics. This isn't grandstanding."
"When you see a tweet like that, I think it's wrong," Shea said. "I think [SBA President] Ed Mullins should think before he tweets something like that because it's not helpful. It's not helpful to where we're going and when you look at what the mayor does for this city, he's been extremely supportive of the NYPD.
"That's not the voice of the NYPD," Shea said. "One hundred percent misrepresented."
De Blasio said Mullins should face consequences for his divisive remarks.
"I have to say it's sad when someone feels they can be openly divisive and get away with it," de Blasio told reporters in Albany, the New York Post reported.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Drag Queen Story Hour at Ohio elementary school canceled after 'outside agitators' complain — and di

Drag Queen Story Hour at Ohio elementary school canceled after 'outside agitators' complain — and district doesn't sound happy

Drag Queen Story Hour at Ohio elementary school canceled after 'outside agitators ' complain — and district does n't sound @ @ @ @ @ school community who feels it is important to recognize and support people from all walks @ @ @

A Drag Queen Story Hour set to take place Tuesday at an Ohio elementary school after school hours was canceled for safety reasons after "outside agitators" complained, WCMH-TV reported.
"We support Clinton Elementary School and its PTA in their efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, and safe spaces within their school community," Columbus City Schools said in a statement late last week, the station noted. "The response to the event from our Clinton Elementary School families has been overwhelmingly positive. This is a diverse school community who feels it is important to recognize and support people from all walks of life. It is unfortunate that outside agitators feel the need to influence what we do locally."
Patricia Price, the school's principal, told WCMH that malicious messages were sent to the school, so the decision was made to cancel the event to maintain the safety of students and staff.
The district's statement added, "It is important that we all work together to keep our children safe and our schools a welcoming environment that is conducive to learning and growth for everyone. The District does not discriminate based upon sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, ancestry, familial status or military status with regard to admission, access, treatment or employment."
What else?
Prominent Ohio drag queens Valerie Taylor and Courtney Kelly were set to dress as Disney characters Mary Poppins and Cruella de Vil for the Drag Queen Story Hour, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
According to a poster advertising the event, the plan was to "sing songs and read books exploring diversity, self-love, and an appreciation of all people" and raise money for those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, the paper added.
A parent of two students at the school declined to go on camera but told WCMH she was disappointed about the cancellation as she was planning to take her kids to the Drag Queen Story Hour.
Those opposed to the event made their voices heard on social media, the station said, adding that one individual tweeted an image of the story hour poster along with the phone numbers for the school's principal and the school board president and encouraged people to call them.
Here's a clip of Taylor doing a Mary Poppins routine a few years back:


theblaze--2020-02-11--Democratic senator calls anti-infanticide bill 'a solution to a problem that does not exist.' Ben Sa

Democratic senator calls anti-infanticide bill 'a solution to a problem that does not exist.' Ben Sasse quickly corrects her.

Democratic senator calls anti-infanticide bill ' a solution to a problem that does not exist . '
Ben Sasse quickly @ @ @ @ @ claimed it was an effort to 'take control of women 's bodies . '
These @ @ @ @ @ babies in the womb .

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act doesn't place any new restrictions on abortion procedures, but that doesn't stop its opponents from using the same tropes they would employ against a bill that does.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Tuesday, Democratic committee member Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) criticized the measure as unnecessary under federal law and called it part of an effort to "take control of women's bodies."
"No one here is in favor of infanticide; no one here is in favor of killing or harming infants," Hirono said. "Infanticide is a crime, and it always has been."
The senator then went on to cite a 2002 law that says all infants are treated as legal persons with legal protections, echoing a common Democratic talking point against the born-alive legislation.
"So if infanticide is already illegal in this country, then why are we here? Why are my Senate Republican colleagues pushing so hard for this bill?" Hirono asked. "And the answer is simple: This bill is the latest in a decadeslong effort by Republicans aiming to take control of women's bodies and prevent us from exercising our constitutional right to make personal decisions which include abortion in this country."
Later in her prepared remarks, Hirono also said that the bill "offers a solution to a problem that does not exist."
"I heard that the state has an interest in the unborn child," Hirono concluded. "I thought the state also has an interest in women having control over our own bodies."
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) — who was chairing the hearing and is sponsoring the bill in question — countered Hirono's remarks assertions about the alleged redundancy of the legislation.
"Infanticide is indeed illegal in the U.S., and yet in half of the states, there is no criminalization of walking away from the baby and allowing it to die by exposure," Sasse said. "There's an active-passive distinction and a state-federal distinction which are both pretty fundamental."
To Sasse's point, earlier in the hearing, Family Research Council Director Of Life, Culture And Women's Advocacy Patrina Mosley testified that only 26 states have laws that "require health care practitioners to exercise professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life of an infant born-alive after an abortion attempt."
Also, one of the key arguments behind the current born-alive legislation is that the law passed in 2002 insufficiently protected abortion survivors because it didn't specify what the obligations to care for them were or impose penalties for not doing so.
And to the never-ending claim about "control of women's bodies," the bill imposes no restrictions on when someone can obtain an abortion or through what kind of procedure is used in the process. It simply says that once a child is born alive as the result of an attempted abortion, any medical professional present is obligated to give "the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence" to them as they would "any other child born alive at the same gestational age."
At the beginning of the hearing, Sasse used his opening remarks to point out that, because the bill doesn't contain any restrictions on abortion, it offers the opportunity for members to come together on a bipartisan basis.
"For two centuries, Americans have worked relentlessly to extend basic human rights to more and more of our fellow citizens," Sasse said. "It's time to protect these newborn and vulnerable babies."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Police report says suspect in Florida attack on Trump volunteers admitted the crime was motivated by

Police report says suspect in Florida attack on Trump volunteers admitted the crime was motivated by political hate

Gregory Timm, the 27-year-old Florida man accused of intentionally running his van into a tent where elderly Trump supporters were registering people to vote, reportedly admitted to cops that he purposely ran into the tent because he "does not like President Trump."
A partially redacted police report, which was obtained byseveral Jacksonville news stations on Tuesday, suggests what Jacksonville Major Lenny Curry declared: The crime was motivated by political hate.
According to the report, Timm showed police a video that he took of the Trump volunteers prior to attacking them.
"The suspect then showed another video to us of him and driving towards the tent with the victims standing in front of the tent. The video cuts out prior to him actually striking the tent," the report states.
"The suspect was upset that the video ended before 'the good part' as he described it," the report continues.
"The suspect advised that he does not like President Trump and that is part of [REDACTED]. He advised the other reason was because 'it's like someone s**tting on your grave' as the other reason," the report goes on to say.
Timm was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a person 65 years of age or older, one count of criminal mischief, and driving with a suspended license. He remains in the Duval County Jail after a judge set his bail at more than $500,000.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Atlanta fire captain suspended without pay for rushing into burning house to save 95-year-old woman

Atlanta fire captain suspended without pay for rushing into burning house to save 95-year-old woman A hero disciplined for doing @ @

A Georgia fire captain has been suspended from his job because he ran inside a burning house to rescue a 95-year-old woman.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Atlanta Fire Captain Daniel Thomas Dwyer was suspended without pay this week because he broke "protocol" when he heroically rushed into the burning home of 95-year-old Sally Skrine last June, WXIA-TV reported.
Apparently, Dwyer was supposed to wait for his fire crew before attempting to save Skrine's life.
WXIA obtained Dwyer's disciplinary report, which states, "You entered the structure without your crew members which is in immediate conflict with no freelancing, accountability and maintaining crew integrity."
Paul Gerdis, the head of the fire union, told WAGA-TV that Dwyer made a "split-second" decision to enter the burning home because the intensity of the blaze significantly decreased the survival chances of any occupants. Gerdis said Dwyer's suspension "sends the wrong message."
Unfortunately, Skrine was unable to survive her injures.
Dwyer will be suspended without pay for four days and will be able to return to work on Feb. 19, WXIA reported. He is appealing the decision.


theblaze--2020-02-11--Ruth Bader Ginsburg throws cold water on Democrats' latest constitutional amendment push: 'I would l

Ruth Bader Ginsburg throws cold water on Democrats' latest constitutional amendment push: 'I would like to start over'

Ruth Bader Ginsburg throws cold water on Democrats ' latest constitutional amendment push : ' I would like to start @ @

House Democrats are trying to eliminate the ratification deadline for a constitutional amendment that expired more than 30 years ago, but one of the Supreme Court's left-leaning jurists says that the whole effort just needs to start over from the beginning.
At a Monday event at Georgetown University celebrating the centennial of the 19th Amendment, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was asked about her prognosis for the future of adding an Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution.
"I would like to see a new beginning," the justice said. "I would like to start over."
The Equal Rights Amendment — which said that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex" — was passed by Congress in 1972 and was given a seven-year deadline followed by a three-year extension for the requisite three quarters states to sign on. By the time the extended deadline expired in 1982, only 35 of the 38 states necessary had ratified it.
"There is too much controversy about latecomers — Virginia — long after the deadline passed," Ginsburg said Monday, "Plus, a number of states have withdrawn their ratification; so if you count a latecomer on the plus side, how can you disregard states that said, 'We have changed our minds'?"
Five states — Tennessee, Nebraska, Kentucky, Idaho, and South Dakota — have withdrawn support for the amendment since ratification.
The expired ratification deadline has become a point of contention as, in recent years, other states have moved to ratify the amendment. Nevada ratified it in 2017, as did Illinois in 2018. Virginia's Legislature ratified the measure in January, bringing the total number of ratifications to 38, and once again raising the question about whether or not those ratifications count.
The Democratic attorneys general of Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois filed a lawsuit in federal court in January, arguing that the Constitution doesn't place deadlines on amendments and that the deadline wasn't included on the article that was sent to the states.
However, the Trump administration has argued that the issue died almost 40 years ago when the deadline expired.
"Congress has constitutional authority to impose a deadline for ratifying a proposed constitutional amendment," a Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion last month stated. "It exercised this authority when proposing the Equal Rights Amendment and, because three-fourths of the state legislatures did not ratify before the deadline that Congress imposed, the Equal Rights Amendment has failed of adoption and is no longer pending before the States."
Meanwhile, the Democrat-led House of Representatives is expected to pass a resolution this week intended to simply eliminate the deadline.
Outside of the constitutional debate about the ratification process, critics of the amendment have warned that it could be used as an effort to bolster abortion.
"It would enshrine abortion in our Constitution for all nine months — even during the birth of a child — and could force taxpayers, including Feminists for Life, to pay for abortions," Feminists for Life of America President Serrin Foster wrote at The Washington Examiner. "Abortion is a betrayal of feminism."
A 2018 paper from the Charlotte Lozier Institute says that the ERA is seen by many as an effort to protect abortion rights in case the Supreme Court ever does away with the "weak prop" of the Roe v. Wade decision.
"Because legal abortion has no actual constitutional authority, abortionists and their Congressional allies are convinced they need to add the ERA to the Constitution to keep abortion 'legal,'" the paper contends. "Taking a radical short cut to this goal is, in their view, self-justifying."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Mississippi prison inmates are dying at an alarming rate — now the DOJ is investigating

Sixteen inmates in Mississippi prisons have died since late December, and the Department of Justice announced last week it will investigate the deaths and the conditions that may be causing them, according to The Hill.
The 16th inmate death was a 54-year-old man named James Allen Brown, who had been in prison since 1993 serving a life sentence for murder and burglary.
Brown was being treated for a terminal illness at the time of his death, and no foul play is expected, although an official cause of death has not yet been released.
At least three of the 16 deaths have been the result of violence. Ten of the deaths, including Brown's, occurred at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
"The investigation will focus on whether the Mississippi Department of Corrections adequately protects prisoners from physical harm at the hands of other prisoners at the four prisons, as well as whether there is adequate suicide prevention, including adequate mental health care and appropriate use of isolation, at Parchman," a Department of Justice statement read.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced the closing of Parchman's Unit 29 due to the high rate of deaths. Nine people have recently died in Unit 29.
"The problems were infuriating," Reeves said. "There is no excuse. We can do better."
The issue has attracted some celebrity attention, increasing the scrutiny of the conditions in the Mississippi prison system. Music artists such as Jay-Z and Yo Gotti have gotten involved, supporting a lawsuit filed by Parchman inmates.
"Beyond that, [Gov. Tate] must implement broader safety measures to address similar issues in other units and urgently provide inmates with medical attention," Yo Gotti told CBS News. "In the interim, we're calling for the Department of Justice to step in, move the Parchman inmates to federal prisons and ensure their immediate well-being."


theblaze--2020-02-11--Dad hears daughter scream, runs to her room, tackles intruder — and holds him at gunpoint until poli

Dad hears daughter scream, runs to her room, tackles intruder — and holds him at gunpoint until police arrive

Dad hears daughter scream , runs to her room , tackles intruder — and holds him at gunpoint until police @ @ @ @ @ handy once again

A North Carolina husband and father told Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies that he was lying in bed Thursday morning when his wife and daughter returned to their Lincolnton home from a dentist appointment, WHKY radio reported.
But soon after he heard his daughter scream and ran to her room where he encountered an intruder, the station said.
Fatherly instincts naturally in full effect, he tackled the intruder, WHKY noted.
And Dad also had a gun, which he used to hold the intruder until deputies arrived on the scene, the station said, adding that no one was injured during the incident.
What do we know about the alleged intruder?
Jason Kane Tillman, 43, of Lincolnton was arrested and charged with four counts of felony breaking and entering, one felony count of attempted breaking and entering to a building, one felony count of larceny from a building, and one felony count of possession of stolen property, WHKY said.
Jason Kane Tillman Image source: Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Tillman was jailed under a $51,000 secured bond, the station said. His district court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 24, WHKY added.
The station also said deputies were in the area at the time of the incident for reports of a suspicious vehicle and building break-ins; authorities believe entry into the gun owner's home was made through a basement window.
(H/T: BizPac Review)


theblaze--2020-02-11--County agrees to pay $10 million to gay police lieutenant who said he was told to tone down his gayn

County agrees to pay $10 million to gay police lieutenant who said he was told to tone down his gayness

County agrees to pay $ 10 million to gay police lieutenant who said he was told to tone down his @ @ @ @ @ county to move forward

St. Louis County has agreed to a $10.25 million settlement with St. Louis County Police Lt. Keith Wildhaber, who is gay.
A brief history?
In October, a jury awarded $19 million to the officer who said that he was told to "tone down" his gayness and insisted that he was passed over for promotion on 23 separate occasions because of his sexuality.
Wildhaber opted to settle for $10.25 million because "each side had reason to negotiate after the verdict because Wildhaber could keep a larger share of the award by settling."
Just hours after the agreement was finalized, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar announced his retirement.
Belmar promoted Wildhaber from sergeant to lieutenant in December, and placed him at the head of a brand-new diversity and inclusion unit.
What are the details of the settlement?
On Monday, county executive Sam Page said the settlement will allow the county to "move forward."
“I think it's important to recognize that this sends a message to everyone in county government and to all of our employers in the St. Louis region, that discrimination will not be tolerated," Page added.
In his initial 2017 legal complaint, Wildhaber said that a county board of police commissioners member told him, "The command staff has a problem with your sexuality. If you ever want to see a white shirt [i.e., get a promotion], you should tone down your gayness."
The board member, however, denied ever making such a remark.
In October, the Washington Post reported that Wildhaber — an Army veteran who has been with the department since 1994 — worked his way from patrolman to sergeant in 2011.
Wildhaber filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2016, but says that he was transferred from a nearby precinct to one about 27 miles away from his home and received a less-than-optimal shift.
You can read more background on the case here.
What else?
County executive Page revealed that former Police Chief Belmar's retirement was "not a condition of the settlement" and that the former chief previously intended to retire in 2020.
Page added, "This is an opportunity for our department to move forward and to continue to make the progress that has been made and to stay focused on my ... goals for our police department, which is first to keep us safe and second to respect all people."