theblaze--2020-02-18--Vice article offers readers instructions on how to conduct a DIY chemical abortion

Vice article offers readers instructions on how to conduct a DIY chemical abortion It also gives guidance on how to @ @ @ @

In case anyone needed a basic walk-through on how to end the life of their unborn child without having to seek out medical oversight in the process, a post published at Vice on Monday offers readers guidance on how to do just that with abortion pills obtained over the internet.
"[D]oing your own abortion in 2020 looks a lot different than it did pre- Roe v. Wade," the post begins:
People who self-induced abortions in the decades before the landmark Supreme Court ruling sometimes resorted to drinking toxic chemicals, throwing themselves down the stairs, or using crude instruments like knitting needles or a coat hanger, the latter of which has become a universal symbol of the life-threatening consequences of restricting people's access to abortion care. The hanger may still function as a powerful image, but it's no longer accurate when it comes to representing what it means to self-induce an abortion: Self-inducing or self-managing an abortion is now synonymous with taking pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy.
While the piece admits that buying abortion drugs online is a violation of federal Food and Drug Administration rules, it also points out that "there are several websites where people can buy the drugs online." The piece also instructs patients on where they can go online to get the pills, and points them to a report card website run by a pro-abortion nonprofit, which ranks the services on things like shipping time and quality of the product.
In 2019, an FDA spokesperson told NBC News that, though it's illegal to order prescription drugs on the internet, the agency "generally does not take enforcement action against individuals who purchase medicines online for their own personal use."
But, aside from the procurement of the pills themselves, there's also the legality of the abortion to think about about. The piece cautions readers that self-induced abortions are explicitly forbidden by law in five states — Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Oklahoma, and South Carolina — while 38 others have laws meant to protect the well-being of unborn children.
Further down the piece, the reader is walked through a basic explanation of the process in which one pill is taken to kill the unborn child and another one is taken later to cause contractions that expel the child from the womb. Readers are also given advice about how to deal with pain that results from the procedure as well as what to do if complications occur, such as fever, infection, or hemorrhaging.
But while the story argues that a do-it-yourself chemical abortion is safe, others have raised concerns about the procedure.
"The abortion industry markets the abortion pill as straightforward and safe," wrote Patrina Mosely, director of Life, Culture and Women's Advocacy at the Family Research Council, in December. "In reality, chemical abortions are a multi-day traumatic process that comes with over 4,000 documented life-threatening and health endangering risks."
Earlier this month, a group of Republican senators announced an effort to ban chemical abortions conducted via telemedicine, citing safety concerns about the process not being personally overseen by a physician.
"Chemical abortions already put women at astonishing risk, and mail-order abortions put up even more barriers between women and critical medical care," said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) of the legislation in a statement. "If we really want to protect vulnerable women and children, we have to stop the dangerous trend of mail-order abortions."


theblaze--2020-02-18--VIDEO: Surrogate at Bernie Sanders rally exclaims 'we need a powerful socialist movement to end all

VIDEO: Surrogate at Bernie Sanders rally exclaims 'we need a powerful socialist movement to end all capitalist oppression!' to thunderous applause

VIDEO : Surrogate at Bernie Sanders rally exclaims 'we need a powerful socialist movement to end all capitalist oppression !
@ @ @ @

Speaking at a rally Monday for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Tacoma, Washington, a campaign surrogate dispelled any remaining doubts that Sanders and his supporters ardently support socialism and desire to implement it in the United States.
Kshama Sawant, herself a socialist member on the Seattle City Council, delivered an impassioned speech at the rally, which aimed to criticize "corporate elites" and the "billionaire class" in Microsoft founder Bill Gates' and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' backyard.
"We need a powerful socialist movement to end all capitalist oppression and exploitation!" she exclaimed to thunderous applause during the speech.
The controversial figure — who helped lead the push to raise the minimum wage in Seattle to $15 an hour and once drew ire from the city's mayor after calling for a "wave of protests and strikes" to shut down highways, airports and other key infrastructure — made sure the crowd knew what kind of campaign Sanders is running.
"Bernie's socialist campaign is poised to win from Massachusetts to California," Sawant said.
During the speech, Sawant slammed the Democratic establishment, calling for the creation of "a new party of, by, and for working people" in order to "win Medicare for All, to end the racist mass incarceration system, and to win a bold Green New Deal to avoid climate catastrophe."
She also warned of elites "rigging" the election against Sanders in favor of their preferred candidates, such as former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Sanders has referred to himself as a democratic socialist akin to a type of socialism represented in some European countries, but has often shied away from labeling himself a socialist on the presidential campaign trail, despite a lengthy career of heaping praise on socialist and communist regimes.
Sawant had no problem doing as much for him, and his supporters didn't seem to mind.
Watch here:


theblaze--2020-02-18--Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy admits to meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. His explan

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy admits to meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. His explanation raises more questions than answers.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy admits to meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif .
His explanation raises more questions than @ @ @ @ @ hoping to accomplish ?

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), hoping to quell speculation of wrongdoing, has formally responded to reports that he held a secret meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Ziraf last week. But his explanation may raise more questions than it answers.
What's the background?
The Federalist first reported Monday that Murphy and other Democratic senators held a "secret" meeting with Zarif last week at the annual Munich Security Conference. The news immediately began to circulate in the media and led to speculation as to whether Murphy had undermined U.S. foreign policy or even potentially violated the Logan Act by holding the meeting.
The Logan Act is a federal law that forbids unauthorized American citizens from negotiating with foreign governments in a dispute with the United States.
Tuesday morning, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the reports, seeming to scold Murphy and his Democratic colleagues for meeting with Zarif, who, Pompeo noted, is "the foreign minister of a country that killed an American on December 27" and "is the largest world sponsor of terror and the world's largest sponsor of anti-Semitism."
"If they met, I don't know what they said. I hope they were reinforcing America's foreign policy and not their own," Pompeo added.
What is Sen. Murphy saying?
Murphy had not commented on the news until late Tuesday morning when he published a behind-the-scenes account of his trip on Medium, along with additional thoughts in a brief Twitter thread.
In the senator's account, he said that he has "no delusions about Iran" and even characterizes Iran as an "enemy" and "adversary" of the United States. But he adds: "Discussions and negotiations are a way to ease tensions and reduce the chances for crisis," before concluding that "Trump, of course, has no such interests."
Then Murphy confirmed that the meeting happened and commented at length about its subject matter:
I plan to meet Zarif Saturday night in his hotel suite, and I have several goals for the meeting. First, I want to gauge whether he thinks the reprisals for the Soleimani assassination are over, and I want to make sure it is 100 percent clear to him that if any groups in Iraq that are affiliated with Iran attack the United States' forces in Iraq, this will be perceived as an unacceptable escalation. Zarif may not have control over Iran's military decisions, but he is the country's chief diplomat and I want him to know that our government is united on this point.
Second, I want his help in Yemen. I tell him that I know it is not a coincidence that the recent uptick in attacks from Iranian-aligned Houthis in Yemen started right after the Soleimani killing. I tell him that Iran shouldn't let the Houthis waste an opportunity for peace. Of course, he predictably tells me that it's the Saudis, not the Houthis, that are holding up progress on peace talks ...
... Lastly, I raise the issue of American prisoners held in Iran. He is ready for this inquiry — he already knows how much I care about releasing innocent Americans from custody — and we spend a few minutes discussing how the situation could be resolved.
A regular reading of Murphy's account could plausibly characterize the conversation as a negotiation. In a follow-up tweet, Murphy used words like "urged," "pressed," and "pushed" in describing his stance toward Zarif at the meeting.
"Congress is a co-equal branch to the executive. We set foreign policy too," he added in the Twitter thread, before acknowledging that "no one in Congress can negotiate with Zarif or carry official U.S. government messages."
In a concluding statement about the meeting in his account on Medium, Murphy seems to backpedal a bit, saying he's "just a rank and file U.S. Senator."
I don't know whether my visit with Zarif will make a difference. I'm not the President or the Secretary of State — I'm just a rank and file U.S. Senator. I cannot conduct diplomacy on behalf of the whole of the U.S. government, and I don't pretend to be in a position to do so. But if Trump isn't going to talk to Iran, then someone should. And Congress is a co-equal branch of government, responsible along with the Executive for setting foreign policy. A lack of dialogue leaves nations guessing about their enemy's intentions, and guessing wrong can lead to catastrophic mistakes.
Yet, one potentially troublesome line from the statement is Murphy's assertion that "if Trump isn't going to talk to Iran, then someone should."
Anything else?
Perhaps none of this would be a problem had Murphy been more forthright about the meeting and his motivations for holding it before it took place. TheBlaze reached out to Sen. Murphy's office, requesting comments regarding allegations that the meeting was conducted in secret and that it potentially violated federal law.
In an email response, the senator's communications director, Lia Albini, directed us to the Medium publication and Twitter thread cited above, but did not address the specific requests for comment.
So, in a follow-up email, TheBlaze pressed again for specific responses to whether the meeting was intended to be secretive and if the senator had thoughts about allegations that he violated the Logan Act. In addition, TheBlaze sought to know if other congressional colleagues were present with Murphy at the meeting.
Murphy's team did not respond to our request for comment in time for publication.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Colorado State University creates 'rigorous' cannabis degree to help meet industry demand

'Hemp and marijuana has really come to the forefront in a lot of economic sectors in the country '

Colorado State University is launching a cannabis degree program aimed at meeting the demand for experts as legalized cannabis becomes more commonplace across the United States, according to the Associated Press.
The new Cannabis, Biology and Chemistry program at CSU will be similar to a double-major in biology and chemistry, with some specific emphases on analyzing cannabis.
"It's a rigorous degree geared toward the increasing demand coming about because of the cannabis industry," College of Science and Mathematics dean David Lehmpuhl told the AP. "Hemp and marijuana has really come to the forefront in a lot of economic sectors in the country. We're not pro-cannabis or anti-cannabis. What we're about will be the science, and training students to look at that science."
The natural products coursework would place students in a lab setting to learn about the genetics of cannabis or other plants with additional courses in neurobiology, biochemistry and genetics, university officials said.
The analytical chemistry coursework would also place students in a lab setting to learn about the chemical compounds, such as determining what kind of cannabidiol concentration should exist in a product, university officials said.
Marijuana is fully legal — both recreationally and medicinally — in 11 states. It is fully illegal in just eight states, with all other states carrying mixed legal status allowing for varying levels of medicinal use, and some having decriminalized the substance to different degrees.
Colorado legalized marijuana in 2014, and has since generated more than $1 billion in revenue from the industry.
When marijuana is legalized to any degree in a state, there comes a rush of would-be entrepreneurs seeking licenses to open dispensaries, as well as a need for pharmacies and qualified pharmacists to run them. Also, experts are needed to handle research and production of legal marijuana that meets whatever state guidelines apply.
The university had previously established the Institute of Cannabis Research in 2016 at its Pueblo campus, where the new cannabis degree program will be. The campus had a minor program in cannabis studies.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Sparks fly on ‘The View’ after Meghan McCain blasts Joy Behar: ‘You guys have done a p***-poor job o

Sparks fly on ‘The View’ after Meghan McCain blasts Joy Behar: ‘You guys have done a p***-poor job of convincing me that I should vote for a Democrat’

Sparks fly on ‘ The View ’ after Meghan McCain blasts Joy Behar : ‘ You guys have done a @ @ @ @ @ that I should vote for a Democrat ’

Co-hosts Meghan McCain and Joy Behar squared off on "The View" Tuesday over whether former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would make a good Democratic presidential nominee against President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
The co-hosts discussed the news that Bloomberg will be in Las Vegas on Wednesday for his first Democratic presidential debate.
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that Bloomberg will likely take fire for controversial statements and stances that have emerged over the last week.
McCain added that Bloomberg clinching the nomination is hardly a sure bet, and insisted that it will be "a lot harder" than what his team might think.
Clearly disturbed her fellow co-hosts' critical remarks against Bloomberg, Behar spat, "[I]f we keep taking the Democrats down, Trump is going to win."
McCain fired back, "If Democrats don't take [Bloomberg] out, Republicans will. ... You want to go up against Trump and you want to take the moral high ground, I don't know if [Bloomberg] is going to be the guy.
"I'm supposed to give Bloomberg a pass? Not on this show," she added.
'Who are you voting for?'
Behar, apparently taken aback by McCain's disdain for Bloomberg, demanded, "I would like to know who you are going to vote for. Who are you voting for?"
McCain responded by pointing out her vote was none of Behar's business.
“Who I vote for is none of your business," McCain quipped, “but I am not voting for Trump and I sure as hell am not voting for Bloomberg."
Behar took it as McCain wouldn't be voting.
"So you're not going to vote. So you're not going to vote," Behar griped. "You're not voting for Trump and you're not voting for a Democrat. You said that already."
McCain, undaunted, fired back, "[Y]ou guys have done a p***-poor job of convincing me to vote for a Democrat."
(H/T: The Daily Caller)


theblaze--2020-02-18--Trump administration to waive contract laws in effort to speed up border wall construction

Trump administration to waive contract laws in effort to speed up border wall construction '' President Trump is doing what @ @ @ @ @ ''

In an effort to speed up wall construction along the southern border, the Department of Homeland Security is planning to wave some of the rules about how the federal government agrees to work with contractors.
DHS said Tuesday that it will waive 10 federal laws that include requirements that the government hold open competition for contracts and get bonds from contractors before the work can start, according to the Associated Press. The department explained in the story that the waivers will help speed up construction on 177 miles of border wall.
The report also notes that acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf is waiving the laws under statutory authority given to him by a 2005 law that was also used multiple times during the George W. Bush administration.
"President Trump is doing what he said he would do and is building a wall to secure the border," tweeted DHS spokesperson Heather Swift about the news. "DHS will now waive certain procurement regulations in 6 border sectors. We can quickly build 177 miles of new wall using already vetted and tested contractors."
The waivers will be applied to border construction projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, the Associated Press reported.
In a Tuesday morning appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," Wolf explained that while the waiver authority had previously been used to get around environmental requirements, this would be the first time the department used it in the procurement process. The secretary said that the change would "allow us to speed up a lot of our contracts that the Army Corps [of Engineers] has, anywhere from 30 to 45 to 60 days. And so we hope that that will accelerate some of the construction that's going along the southwest border."
During the appearance, the acting secretary also pledged that the administration had put "about 120 miles of new border wall system in the ground today" and would be up to 450 miles of constructed border wall "by the end of the calendar year."
Wolf says that funding for the affected projects will come from appropriated DHS funds as well as from the Department of Defense. Last week, the Pentagon announced that it would transfer $3.8 billion in reprogrammed funds to assist in the wall construction efforts, per President Donald Trump's emergency declaration last year.
While this latest move is sure to spark its own specific backlash, DHS' border construction waiver authority has already been a target of environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers.
"DHS secretaries during the George W. Bush and Donald Trump Administrations have used the waiver in all four U.S. states along the U.S.-Mexico border to override important environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act," the Sierra Club said on its website. "This unprecedented power must not be allowed to remain on the books."
In March 2019, the Democrat-led House Homeland Security Committee passed an act aimed at rescinding the waiver authority in a party-line vote.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Mike Pence fires shot at Michael Bloomberg over insulting comments about farmers

Vice President Mike Pence appeared to take a shot at Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Monday after insulting remarks Bloomberg made about farmers in 2016 resurfaced over the weekend.
While speaking at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School in 2016, Bloomberg suggested that farming requires a low-level intelligence and that anyone could be successful in agricultural endeavors.
"I could teach anybody, even people in this room, no offense intended, to be a farmer," Bloomberg said. "It's a process. You dig a hole, you put a seed in, you put dirt on top, add water, up comes the corn."
The comments triggered bipartisan condemnation, including from supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders and a popular New York Times columnist.
Pence's response, on the other hand, was more subtle.
In lieu of a direct response, the vice president tweeted a video from Dodge that aired during the second half of the 2013 Super Bowl. Along with the ad, Pence said, "So God Made a Farmer."
The message in the ad is from a Paul Harvey speech from 1978.
And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.
God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.
"I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife's done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon -- and mean it." So God made a farmer.
God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt. And watch it die. Then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year.' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain'n from 'tractor back,' put in another seventy-two hours." So God made a farmer.
God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So God made a farmer.
God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark. It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week's work with a five-mile drive to church.
"Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life 'doing what dad does.'" So God made a farmer.
In response, Bloomberg's campaign accused critics of mischaracterizing Bloomberg's remarks. In a statement, the campaign specifically targeted Sanders.
"It's a shameful turn of events to see Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump deploy the very same attacks and tactics against Mike, but the reason is clear. At this point, the primary is Bernie's to lose, and ours to win. Bernie knows this. Trump knows this. That's why they are united in the campaign against Mike," the Bloomberg campaign said, the New York Post reported.
Sanders responded to the statement on Twitter by posting a photo of Bloomberg and President Donald Trump on a golf course together.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Uniformed cops denied meal at restaurant — and bartender who blew them off lands in hot water with m

Uniformed cops denied meal at restaurant — and bartender who blew them off lands in hot water with management 'We @ @ @ @ @ here anymore '

Two uniformed Las Vegas police officers were denied a meal by a restaurant's bartender overnight Thursday, KTNV-TV reported.
The incident occurred at The Lodge at Cactus, the station said.
What are the details?
A Facebook post from Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Wives indicated that as the graveyard shift officers entered the establishment, the bartender shook his head "no" and motioned his fingers across his neck as if to say "stop." The post added that when the officers asked if they could take a seat and order food, the bartender replied, "We don't serve you guys here anymore."
The post added that the officers left the restaurant without incident.
The police union sent its membership a letter Friday that called the incident disgusting and offensive, KTNV said.
What happened next?
The station said the restaurant apologized and that its director of operations indicated the establishment welcomes all first responders and have been serving them for 30 years.
The police union told KSNV-TV that the restaurant "reached out to us regarding this issue. They informed us that the bartender in question is on indefinite suspension facing potential termination. The Lodge has the highest respect for the men and women of LVMPD and love nothing more than to have them in their establishments, whether on duty or off. They explained that one man's actions are not indicative of the feelings of The Lodge Corporation ..."
Anything else?
KTNV added that two establishments — Distill and Remedy's — in response to the incident are offering free meals to all uniformed officers from midnight to 8 a.m. through Friday at all of their Las Vegas area locations.
(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)


theblaze--2020-02-18--Florida man tries to evade police by stripping off his clothes. Steaks fall out instead and he gets

Florida man tries to evade police by stripping off his clothes. Steaks fall out instead and he gets a taser to the genitals.

Florida man tries to evade police by stripping off his clothes .
Steaks fall out instead and he gets a @ @ @ @ @

A Florida man was arrested after trying to steal ribeye steaks in the buff, according to a USA Today report.
What are the details?
Authorities responded to a phone call Friday night notifying police that Stefan Short, a 28-year-old man from DeLand, Florida, was attempting to shoplift from a local grocery store in DeLand.
Witnesses to the alleged shoplifting say that ribeye steaks were falling out of Short's pants as he defrocked himself in an attempt to escape. Those steaks — four packs — were worth about $41.
When police arrived on the scene, they witnessed Short stripping naked and attempting to get away from the store on foot.
When it was clear that Short refused to stop, authorities deployed a taser and forced him to stop. He was later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment as it was determined that one of the taser's prongs struck him in the genitals.
Authorities charged Short with resisting an officer without violence, resisting a store employee while committing a theft, and first-degree petty theft." At the time of this writing, Short is being held without bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail.
The outlet reported that Short is a "regular shoplifter" at the store. A store manager reportedly attempted to stop Short from stuffing the steaks in his pants but was unsuccessful in preventing him from trying to leave.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Coronavirus is much deadlier than the common flu despite comparisons, new analysis shows

Coronavirus is much deadlier than the common flu despite comparisons , new analysis shows The situation does n't seem to @ @ @ @

The coronavirus that is infecting thousands of people per day in China is much deadlier than the common flu, according to a new analysis by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China.
Some, in downplaying the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, have pointed out how many people die from the common flu every year. During the 2017-18 flu season, about 61,000 people died.
Although the coronavirus has not yet registered such a high number of fatalities, early analysis indicates that there is reason to be more concerned about coronavirus than about the flu. From the New York Times:
An analysis of 44,672 coronavirus patients in China whose diagnoses were confirmed by laboratory testing has found that 1,023 had died by Feb. 11. That's a fatality rate of 2.3 percent. Figures released on a daily basis suggest the rate has further increased in recent days.
That is far higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, with which the new coronavirus has sometimes been compared. In the United States, flu fatality rates hover around 0.1 percent.
Still, skeptics might argue that a 2.3% death rate is not significant enough to be concerned about. But The Hill's Saagar Enjeti noted that such a rate, compared with estimates about the potential scope of the virus's spread, could result in millions of deaths.
"People saying 2.3% mortality rate is nothing to worry about; Some predictions say 40-70% of global population could be infected. Let's say it's 40, that means 64 million dead," Enjeti tweeted.
That 40% to 70% estimate comes from Harvard public health professor Marc Lipsitch, who told the Wall Street Journal that a global coronavirus pandemic is likely.
"I think it is likely we'll see a global pandemic," Lipsitch said. "If a pandemic happens, 40% to 70% of people worldwide are likely to be infected in the coming year."
China announced Tuesday that the total number of coronavirus cases was at 72,436, with a death toll of 1,868.


theblaze--2020-02-18--WaPo columnist complains that 2020 Democrats are ‘doing Trump’s job for him’

WaPo columnist complains that 2020 Democrats are ‘ doing Trump ’ s job for him ’

The Democratic primary race is heating up, with candidates attacking each other for various reasons as is to be expected from a presidential primary election. Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, however, thinks that they need to start taking more of a high road, lest they actually help out their eventual general election opponent: President Donald Trump.
In a column titled, "Democratic candidates are doing Trump's job for him," Robinson makes the case that all the mudslinging on the Democratic primary trail is just giving the Trump campaign more and more ammunition for when an eventual nominee is chosen:
Somebody, eventually, is going to win the Democratic nomination. If the candidates are sincere when they say this is the most important election of our lifetimes and ousting Trump must be the top priority — and I believe they are — then how does it make sense to generate so much fodder for Trump campaign ads in the fall?
Look, I know that politics ain't "Kumbaya." It would be insane to go through the grueling experience of running for president without trying to win, and that means convincing voters you're the best for the job. There's a difference, though, between making the most effective case for yourself and arguing that your opponents are so flawed as to be disqualified for office.
Rather than being nailed to the wall for something they did or said 20 years ago, the candidates need to be given time and space to evolve, just as the nation has evolved. President Barack Obama, you will recall, opposed marriage equality until the relatively late date of 2012 — long after it was a matter of faith for the progressive wing of the party.
Oddly enough, Robinson then goes through a lengthy list of all the purported deficiencies of the various candidates. Those include efforts to cast Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) "as the second coming of Karl Marx," accusations of racism and sexism against former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a controversial past prosecutorial decision made by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Vice President Joe Biden's lack of "sharpness" at campaign events and so on.
"The party will have to unite — not superficially, for the duration of the balloon drop at the convention in Milwaukee, but genuinely," the column concludes. "So dial back the hissing and spitting, people. It only helps Trump."
Robinson's far from alone in his concerns about infighting the primary process. A similar sentiment was recently echoed by Democratic pollster Brad Bannon in a recent op-ed at The Hill where he decried the "Democratic demolition derby" on the campaign trail.
"During the summer, I walked on a beach with a sign that warned people against throwing trash in the ocean," Bannon wrote. "My version of that warning would be that the candidate you trash now will be the candidate you will have to swim with in November. If Democrats don't hang together this year, we all will hang separately over the next four."
But while there's been no shortage of inter-candidate feuds, swipes and controversy over past statements and current policy positions on the Democratic campaign trail, is what we've been seeing really all that unusual? After all, it is a presidential primary election that we're talking about.
"Primary fights tend to be blood feuds toward the end when the desperate second-tier candidates are struggling for one last chance at the brass ring. It's the nature of the beast," HotAir's Jazz Shaw explained in response to Robinson's plea. "When you compare this year's Democratic primary to those of previous cycles, it really doesn't strike me as all that different."


theblaze--2020-02-18--White leftist lectures black man for wearing 'Black Guns Matter' shirt at Bernie rally, calls his sh

White leftist lectures black man for wearing 'Black Guns Matter' shirt at Bernie rally, calls his shirt 'racist' — and fight breaks out

White leftist lectures black man for wearing 'Black Guns Matter ' shirt at Bernie rally , calls his shirt 'racist @ @ @ @ @ out 'What 's he know about black lives , about discrimination , or , for @ @ @ @ @ of the shirt ? '

A fight broke out during a rally Sunday evening for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver — but a man who contacted KCNC-TV said he was involved in the dust-up and that it says a lot about the intolerance of the left.
What are the details?
A KCNC cameraman taking video of the rally caught the fight in progress. A white man in a light-blue jeans jacket slammed another man to the floor before several people pulled them apart:
Image source: YouTube screenshot
The man who was slammed to the ground was wearing a "Black Guns Matter" shirt underneath his jacket, as can be seen in the below clip of the fight:
youtu.be
What did the man who said he was wearing the 'Black Guns Matter' shirt have to say?
A man who anonymously contacted KCNC said he is black and was wearing the "Black Guns Matter" shirt and that the white man was the aggressor.
"He had a problem with the shirt I was wearing," the man told the station. "I was recording the event, he walks up and calls me a racist. But I thought, 'What's he know about black lives, about discrimination, or, for that matter, the representation of the shirt?'"
The man — who said he got the shirt from a concealed-carry class — added to KCNC that "black people and their ability to own firearms has historically been very restricted [in America]."
He also told the station he agrees with Sanders on a number of issues but not gun ownership — and that he was surprised at the intolerance of the white man who body slammed him.
"I think it's really a sad thing at a Bernie rally when someone has a difference of opinion that someone would be treated like that," the man added to KCNC. "I thought it really would be a lot more inclusive than that. It's not a safe place to express differences. I would expect that sort of thing at a Trump rally."
What did a man who said he was the other fight participant have to say?
A man who identified himself as "Tyler" also contacted the station and said he's a Sanders supporter and was the other fight participant.
Tyler told KCNC a person with a "Black Guns Matter" shirt was with two other men, and they were booing during Sanders' speech. He added to the station that when he tried to capture video of the booing, the man wearing the shirt shoved him through a barrier, and Tyler retaliated.
Here's a clip KCNC said was sent anonymously to the station that shows what led up to the fight. (Content warning: Language):
In the clip, the white man lectured about the shirt and said "you're equating black guns to black people, black lives, that's exactly what you're doing. I hope those guns are as important to you as other people's lives."
When things get heated, the white man asks, "Why are you getting so angry? Because you know I'm right."
At one point, another person who sounds like a woman tells the white man that "we don't have the right to speak on black lives."
Finally, the white man says "your shirt's racist" — and then it's on.
The station added that neither of the men involved in the fight was removed from the venue, and that security simply told them to separate.
(H/T: Louder With Crowder)


theblaze--2020-02-18--Liberal Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde praises Trump for Limbaugh honor — because she believes in

Liberal Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde praises Trump for Limbaugh honor — because she believes in the ‘right to disagree’

Liberal Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde praises Trump for Limbaugh honor — because she believes in the ‘ right to disagree @ @ @ @ @ way of doing things

Liberal Pretenders' lead singer Chrissie Hynde issued praise Monday of President Donald Trump for giving conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump awarded the medal to Limbaugh during the State of the Union address earlier this month.
What are the details?
In a tweet, Hynde said that she appreciated Trump's move in an open letter calling for the president to work toward helping to free WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange.
Hynde, 68, said that her late father, Melville Hynde, was a big fan of Limbaugh and his long-running radio show. Melville Hynde passed away in 2010 at the age of 88.
"An open letter to @realDonaldTrump, President of the United States," Hynde began. "Dear Mr. President, I often think of how much my father, Melville 'Bud' Hynde, who proudly served his country as a Marine on Guadalcanal, would have enjoyed your Presidency."
"The other day when you gave that award to Rush Limbaugh, my father would have been so delighted," she added. "He loved listening to Rush, which is why I allowed my song, 'My City Was Gone,' to be used on his radio show. My father and I didn't always see eye-to-eye. We argued a lot."
She continued, "But isn't that the American way? The right to disagree without having your head chopped off? Soon, I will be participating in a protest in London against the extradition of Julian Assange. I know my father would be mortified, but I feel strongly enough to do ... what I believe is the right thing."
Hynde concluded by pointing out that Assange should be set free.
"[T]o protest further punishment of a man who sought to defend Freedom, albeit in a way you rightly disagree with," she wrote. "I know Mr. Assange broke the law (as I have done defending the treatment of animals) but I believe ... he has been duly punished and should now be set free. Please consider my plea."
Authorities arrested Assange outside of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2019. Assange faces extradition to the U.S. You can read more on the background of the Assange case here.
What else?
"My City Was Gone" by The Pretenders has been Limbaugh's theme song since 1984. In 2011, Limbaugh said he chose the song because he found it ironic that a conservative would use such an anti-conservative song. He also voiced his appreciation for the song's "unmistakable, totally recognizable bass line."
In 1999, Hynde's manager revealed that Limbaugh did not license the song properly, nor did he request permission from Hynde to use it as his bumper song. EMI music publishing later issued a cease and desist to prevent Limbaugh from using it on his radio show, but Hynde later said that Limbaugh was welcome to use the song as both of her parents loved Limbaugh's show.
Hynde, instead, suggested that Limbaugh make a $100,000 payment to her that she would, in turn, turn around and donate to PETA.
At the time, she said, "In light of Rush Limbaugh's vocal support of PETA's campaign against the Environmental Protection Agency's foolish plan to test some 3,000 chemicals on animals, I have decided to allow him to keep my song, 'My City Was Gone' as his signature tune."


theblaze--2020-02-18--Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid wave of crippling sexual abuse lawsuits

Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid wave of crippling sexual abuse lawsuits 'This will be the largest bankruptcy @ @ @ @ @ '

The Boy Scouts of America, the iconic organization that controversially began accepting girls three years ago, announced Tuesday that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The filing, which was made in Delaware, is directly related to thousands of pending sexual assault lawsuits against the BSA, the New York Times reported. The bankruptcy declaration will bring pending lawsuits to a screeching halt and allow other victims to come forward.
BSA said in an announcement that the bankruptcy proceedings will allow for the organization to "provide equitable compensation to victims" through the creation of the Victims Compensation Trust.
The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children.
While we know nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered, we believe the Chapter 11 process — with the proposed Trust structure — will provide equitable compensation to all victims while maintaining the BSA's important mission.
Roger Mosby, CEO and president of the BSA, said:
Michael Pfau, a Seattle-based attorney whose firm is representing at least 300 victims in 34 states, told the New York Daily News that the filing represents "the largest bankruptcy the country has ever seen."
"You're talking about thousands of perpetrators. You're talking about tens of thousands of victims," he said. "This will be the largest bankruptcy the country has ever seen, and likely one of the largest corporate bankruptcies."
In the bankruptcy filing, BSA listed its assets between $1 billion and $10 billion and listed its total liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion, the Associated Press reported.
The Wall Street Journal first reported last month that filing bankruptcy would help the BSA finally protect itself and its assets while allowing the organization to adequately address abuse claims and compensate victims.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Elizabeth Warren wants Trump admin to reverse ‘dangerous, menacing’ decision to deploy tactical agen

Elizabeth Warren wants Trump admin to reverse ‘dangerous, menacing’ decision to deploy tactical agents to sanctuary cities

Elizabeth Warren wants Trump admin to reverse ‘ dangerous , menacing ’ decision to deploy tactical agents to sanctuary cities @ @ @ @ @ are attempting to punish American cities '

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) doesn't like that the Trump administration is sending tactical border immigration enforcement units to sanctuary cities and is calling on his administration to reverse the decision.
On Friday, news first broke that the Trump administration planned to send members of tactical law enforcement units from the southern border to assist immigration arrests operations in multiple cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
An administration spokesperson confirmed the news, saying that Customs and Border Protection would send 100 officers to help ICE efforts "in order to enhance the integrity of the immigration system, protect public safety, and strengthen our national security."
One of the cities to get tactical backup according to the reported plan is Boston. And on Saturday, along with fellow Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D), Warren sent a letter to the acting heads of the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement demanding answers on why the administration was sending them and demanded that they reverse the decision.
"Because this initiative is unnecessary, unwelcome, dangerous, menacing, retaliatory and unlikely to achieve its stated goal, we write to demand that you reverse course and to pose questions to better understand your rationale for employing paramilitary-style immigration personnel equipped with 'stun grenades and enhanced Special Forces-type training, including sniper certification' in Boston and elsewhere in the United States," the joint letter says.
Some of the agents being sent to assist ICE would come from CBP's Border Patrol Tactical Unit, or BORTAC, according to the New York Times' initial report. The other cities, according to the New York Times, include "San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Detroit and Newark, N.J."
"In short, BORTAC personnel are not meant to focus on routine operations in some of the United States' largest cities and there is no need for them to be part of these operations," the senators said in the letter. "The real explanation for this deployment appears to be that President Trump and his Administration are attempting to punish American cities that reject his misguided immigration policies."
In a tweet about the effort, Warren said that "The Trump administration shouldn't be deploying militarized @CBP agents to menace Boston & other cities that don't cooperate with the President's inhumane immigration policies."
In a Friday statement, acting ICE Director Matthew Albence said that the extra manpower would help his agency deal with the added enforcement difficulties created by sanctuary policies.
"As we have noted for years, in jurisdictions where we are not allowed to assume custody of aliens from jails, our officers are forced to make at-large arrests of criminal aliens who have been released into communities," Albence said, according to a story in the Washington Post. "This effort requires a significant amount of additional time and resources."


theblaze--2020-02-18--'It makes my day' when abortion patients come back to me for another, physician says

'It makes my day ' when abortion patients come back to me for another , physician says 'We take it @ @ @ @ @

A physician who provides abortions wrote on Twitter that he was happy when patients who had previously gotten an abortion from him returned to get another.
Joe Nelson, who describes himself on Twitter as "your friendly neighborhood abortion provider," and who has tweeted with the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion, said it's a "huge compliment" for these patients to return.
"Every single day, I see patients who I've seen before for abortion services but end up with another undesired pregnancy," Nelson wrote Saturday. "When they come back, they are often quite embarrassed to be in that position again and are worried we might be judging them. We don't.
"In fact, as a family physician who does exclusively abortion work now, it makes my day to see a familiar face," Nelson continued. "Those of us who do this work understand that this can happen to anyone at any time, and we take it as a huge compliment if you trust us with your care again."
According to statistics provided by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, there were 862,000 abortions performed in the United States in 2017.
After the tweet gained attention, Nelson addressed pro-life users who had responded negatively to him, calling them "part of the problem."
Nelson seems to be erroneously conflating opposition to killing unborn babies with mistreatment or judgment of women, which is a common stance taken by pro-abortion advocates to undermine the pro-life position. He then applies that logic to reach the conclusion that supporting women means celebrating abortion, to the point where it can "make your day" to see someone having to get another one.
To be pro-life doesn't mean to think that women who get one, or even multiple abortions are bad people. But it's a mistake to assert that the refusal to affirm a such a choice is equivalent to judgment or condemnation.
Pro-life advocates can agree with people like Nelson who decry the shaming and blaming of women who get abortions—women who have made or are considering making that difficult choice need and deserve support, empathy and compassion. But that support cannot expand to celebration if they again find themselves in the position of ending an innocent life.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Horowitz: Illegal alien acquitted of murder in Kate Steinle case ruled incompetent to stand trial on

Horowitz: Illegal alien acquitted of murder in Kate Steinle case ruled incompetent to stand trial on fed firearms charges

Horowitz : Illegal alien acquitted of murder in Kate Steinle case ruled incompetent to stand trial on fed firearms charges @ @ @ @ @ ever obtain justice if the trial occurs in a sanctuary city ?

With all the talk of a two-tiered justice system this past week stemming from the corruption in the trial against Roger Stone, there is another two-tiered system in use in cities like San Francisco. Can victims of illegal aliens ever obtain justice if the trial occurs in a sanctuary city? That is the question we should be asking after Jose Garcia-Zarate, the man who shot Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier in 2015, caught yet another break.
For the parents of Kate Steinle, the hits keep coming. First, in December 2017, a San Francisco jury acquitted Zarate of all murder charges, including manslaughter, related to the July 1, 2015, killing of Kate Steinle. She was killed by a bullet shot from the stolen .40-caliber gun held by Zarate. He is an illegal alien from Mexico who was deported five times and was released from San Francisco jail two and a half months before without notification to ICE. He remained in the country despite seven felony convictions.
Then, when the family sued the city of San Francisco and former Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi for negligence, the Ninth Circuit rebuffed the claim last year.
Last August, a state appeals court threw out the only remaining state charges. In 2015, the same jury that acquitted Zarate of manslaughter also convicted him of felony gun charges. The state appeals court overturned those charges. Zarate admitted to holding the gun that killed Steinle but maintains that the gun fired on its own.
"It is undisputed that defendant was holding the gun when it fired. But that fact alone does not establish he possessed the gun for more than a moment. To possess the gun, defendant had to know he was holding it," Judge Sandra Margulies wrote for the three-judge panel ruling that the trial judge erred in his instructions to the jury.
Finally, the federal government came in and charged Zarate on federal firearms violations. In 2017, he was indicted by a grand jury for being both a felon and illegal alien in possession of a firearm, both of which are federal crimes. The .40-caliber SIG Sauer P239 had originally been stolen from a U.S. Bureau of Land Management agent's car. But on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria, an Obama appointee, ruled that Zarate is not mentally competent to stand trial. Zarate's future remains unclear.
This man had enough mental acumen to cross our border five times after being deported. He was also competent to stand trial for seven prior felony convictions. What changed now?
The disquieting reality is that after 2015, Zarate was no longer a regular criminal in the eyes of the public. He became one of the most notorious illegal aliens in America. San Francisco politicians, judges, and jurors will do everything they can to ensure he gets off free.
It's truly shocking how American victims don't matter in the debate over our own sovereignty. Illegal aliens can sue our state and federal governments for simply enforcing our sovereignty, despite centuries of case law stating they have no standing in our country. Yet whenever Americans harmed by illegal aliens try to get standing to sue against lawlessness that affects their security and the public welfare, they are denied standing. Criminal smugglers can sue our government, yet Kate Steinle's parents can't sue San Francisco for harboring the illegal alien who killed their daughter.
However, there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency even from Republicans in Congress to pass a law giving victims of sanctuary cities a private cause of action to sue, as Trump called for in his State of the Union address. Instead, top Republicans are promoting a mass amnesty bill. They are also frantically trying to concoct a "DACA" amnesty bill for when the Supreme Court likely sides with Trump on canceling Obama's clearly illegal executive amnesty program. When will they finally view American citizens like Kate Steinle as highly as they view "dreamers?"


theblaze--2020-02-18--Two armed men enter pawn shop; one jumps over counter, points gun at employee. But a clerk grabs his

Two armed men enter pawn shop; one jumps over counter, points gun at employee. But a clerk grabs his own gun — and fatally turns the tables.

Two armed men enter pawn shop ; one jumps over counter , points gun at employee .
But a clerk @ @ @ @ @ and fatally turns the tables .
Shop staffers said they believe the same two men @ @ @ @ @

At least one suspect tried to rob the First Class Jewelry and Loan pawn shop in Houston around 3 p.m. Saturday before a store clerk shot him to death, Detective Kevin Collier told KHOU-TV.
What are the details?
Staff members of the shop said two men walked in with guns — the same pair, they believe, who hit the store in December, KTRK-TV reported.
Staffers said one of the men jumped over the counter and pointed a gun toward an employee's back, KTRK said.
But a store clerk also had a gun and fired it, killing one suspect, the station said.
The same clerk used a shotgun to blast out the back window of the suspects' truck — and the second suspect backed the truck into the store, shattering the front window, KTRK said.
Image source: KTRK-TV video screenshot
The truck sped away and was found abandoned about a mile away without license plates, the station said.
Image source: KTRK-TV video screenshot
The second suspect hadn't been identified or caught, police told the Houston Chronicle.
Police will review surveillance video to determine the chain of events, KTRK said.
"When you see the yellow tape, you know something bad probably happened," one woman who had to walk around the crime scene to go to dinner told the station.


theblaze--2020-02-18--'The quarantine process failed': Over 500 have tested positive for Coronavirus onboard the Diamond P

'The quarantine process failed': Over 500 have tested positive for Coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship

'The quarantine process failed ' : Over 500 have tested positive for Coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship

Some are questioning the effectiveness of the quarantine process after an additional 88 passengers onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan, tested positive for Coronavirus Tuesday.
At the time of this writing, 542 of the 3,711 passengers and crew had tested positive for the infection.
The newly reported total makes the ship the site of the most infections outside of China, USA Today reported.
The 14-day quarantine is scheduled to end on Wednesday, however, hundreds of American passengers already departed the ship on Sunday through an evacuation process facilitated by the U.S. Department of State. During the evacuation, it was discovered that 14 U.S. passengers had come down with the virus, despite testing negative only a few days prior.
The infected passengers "were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft," a joint statement from the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services read. And upon landing, they will restart the 14-day quarantine period.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, told USA Today that while the initial decision to quarantine wasn't unreasonable, something had gone "awry."
"The quarantine process failed," Fauci said. "I'd like to sugarcoat it and try to be diplomatic about it, but it failed. People were getting infected on that ship. Something went awry in the process of the quarantining on that ship. I don't know what it was, but a lot of people got infected on that ship."
News of more infections on the Diamond Princess cruise ship come amid reports that Coronavirus can reinfect people, and that the second infection could be more dangerous — potentially leading to heart failure.
Furthermore, speculation is on the rise regarding the virus' outbreak in China, with many believing that the country is lying about its death toll.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Report: Intruder breaks into $4 million penthouse. Superstar Taylor Swift’s dad is there to meet him

Report: Intruder breaks into $4 million penthouse. Superstar Taylor Swift’s dad is there to meet him and fights him off.

Report : Intruder breaks into $ 4 million penthouse .
Superstar Taylor Swift ’ s dad is there to meet @ @ @ @ @ .
Some might say he acted swiftly

Scott Swift, father of superstar musical artist Taylor Swift, reportedly fought off an intruder in his $4 million Florida penthouse.
What are the details?
According to a report in the Tampa Bay Times, Scott entered his St. Petersburg, Florida, penthouse on the evening of Jan. 17 only to discover that a man broke into the luxury apartment.
Scott confronted the intruder and engaged in a "struggle," the outlet reported. The intruder, however, was able to get away on foot.
Authorities identified the alleged intruder as 30-year-old Terrence Hoover of nearby St. Augustine. Despite the building's heavy security, Hoover was able to bypass the gate and its guards to use an emergency stairwell. From there, he was reportedly able to break into Scott's penthouse apartment, the outlet said, citing a police report.
The outlet reported that Hoover reported the encounter to police, and Scott was able to identify the suspect in a police lineup.
What else?
Authorities served an arrest warrant for burglary on Feb. 12. Hoover is being held on $50,000 bail, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The outlet adds that the suspect's arrest history spans years.
"Some prior arrests include domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated battery, burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and kidnapping and false imprisonment," the outlet points out.
Neither Taylor nor any members of her family have spoken out about the reports.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Bloomberg qualifies for first Democratic debate amid wave of controversy over past comments

Bloomberg qualifies for first Democratic debate amid wave of controversy over past comments Will the candidate have to answer for @ @ @ @ @ past ?

Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has qualified for the debate stage for the first time in this primary election cycle, but the biggest challenger he'll face Wednesday night might be himself.
Bloomberg will attend the event thanks to the findings of an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that was released early Tuesday morning that places his support at 19 percentage points nationally. The results show self-described "democratic socialist" Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) leading the primary pack with 31 percent and former Vice President Joe Biden coming in third at 15 percent. The polling also shows Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) with 12 and 9 percent, respectively, and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 8 percent.
In qualifying, Bloomberg also benefits from a rule change for the debates that the Democratic National Committee announced last month, in which the committee eliminated the individual donor requirements that kept other candidates from meeting the threshold for previous events. The decision drew criticism because it appeared to specifically benefit the former mayor, who has been self-funding his own bid and not taking outside campaign donations.
In order to make Wednesday night's debate in Las Vegas, candidates either had to garner one convention delegate from either the Iowa caucuses or New Hampshire primary or clear 10 percent support in four recognized polls or 12 percent support in two recognized single-state polls in South Carolina or Nevada. Tuesday's poll was Bloomberg's fourth with over 10 percent.
Responding to the news, Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheeky said that the campaign was seeing a "groundswell of support across the country."
Bloomberg's first debate appearance will come after days of being plagued by headlines about his controversial past comments. Last week, audio surfaced of 2015 remarks he made in defense of "stop and frisk" policing where he talked about profiling young minorities.
On Saturday, the Washington Post reported an allegation from a high profile 1990s case in which Bloomberg was accused of telling a female employee to "kill" her unborn child when he found out she was pregnant.
The candidate has also come under scrutiny in recent days for his 2016 comments insulting the intelligence of farmers.
Another thing to watch for will be potential fireworks between Bloomberg and Sanders. Following some highly critical comments that the Vermont senator made about Bloomberg's prospects of defeating President Donald Trump in a general election, Bloomberg put out a video ad on Monday going after some of Sanders' more hostile online supporters, pejoratively known as "Bernie bros."


theblaze--2020-02-19--SCARY: A shocking percentage of Americans would vote to elect a Socialist president

SCARY : A shocking percentage of Americans would vote to elect a Socialist president

On Tuesday's episode of "Pat Gray Unleashed," a shocking 47 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified candidate who is a socialist. Watch the video below to hear Pat's take.
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To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Chelsea Handler gets a dose of truth after trying to dunk on President Trump for the 'color' of the

Chelsea Handler gets a dose of truth after trying to dunk on President Trump for the 'color' of the 'criminals' he granted clemency

Chelsea Handler gets a dose of truth after trying to dunk on President Trump for the 'color ' of the @ @ @ @ @ ' I 've noticed a lot of them are black !
What are you trying @ @ @ @ @ '

Far-left activist and comedian Chelsea Handler made a bold assumption after President Donald Trump granted clemency to eleven people on Tuesday, suggesting her social media followers "notice what color" all of the "criminals" are.
But Handler herself appears not to have read past the headlines, and the Twittersphere was happy to enlighten her as to the fact that there was quite a bit of diversity in the group of people who received either a pardon or a commutation of their sentence from the president earlier in the day.
What are the details?
President Trump issued pardons to seven individuals and commuted the sentences of four others on Tuesday, and several of them were high-profile — even controversial. The media, in turn, highlighted the release of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the pardons of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, financier Michael Milken, and former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr.
While the notable names dominated the presses, one critic accused President Trump of granting favors to "crooks" with his executive actions. CNN's Chris Cuomo tweeted that President Trump "just pardoned only elites."
But several outlets took the time to reveal all eleven people who were soon to either reunite with their families or have their records wiped clean thanks to the president. Evidently, Ms. Handler did not read any such coverage.
"While our president exonerates criminals and releases them from jail, notice what color they all are," Handler tweeted, apparently ignorant of the fact that a number of women of color were pardoned or freed thanks to President Trump's actions on Tuesday.
"I've noticed a lot of them are black! What are you trying to say, Chelsea?" replied conservative writer and media analyst Mark Dice.
Director and producer Robby Starbuck took the time to educate Handler further, tweeting pictures of three of the women impacted with the message, "Chelsea, This is @theangiestanton, Tynice Hall & Crystal Munoz. All were granted commuted sentences or a full pardon. He did 11 commutations or pardons today. Out of 11, 7 looked white (63%). Whites (including white Hispanics) account for 77% of the population. You're ignorant."
One of the nonviolent offenders pardoned by President Trump, Angela Stanton-King, even weighed in herself, telling Handler, "I'm BLACK."
Anything else?
Others on social media reminded Handler that President Trump pushed for and signed into law the bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation, the First Step Act.
Senior Trump 2020 adviser Katrina Pierson pointed out that according to criminal justice reform advocacy group The Sentencing Project, since the First Step Act was passed, 91 percent of the people resentenced under its reforms have been black Americans.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Pete Buttigieg takes a swipe at President Trump and the Stormy Daniels affair in defense of his gay

Pete Buttigieg takes a swipe at President Trump and the Stormy Daniels affair in defense of his gay marriage

Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg took a swipe at President Donald Trump and the Stormy Daniels affair during a CNN town hall event on Tuesday.
The former South Bend, Ind., mayor was being interviewed by CNN's Erin Burnett about a critique made against him by right-wing radio talk icon Rush Limbaugh.
"The idea of the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump lecturing anybody on family values, I mean," he responded.
"Sorry, but one thing about my marriage is, it's never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse with him or her," he added.
"So, they want to debate family values, let's debate family values, I'm ready!" he concluded to applause from the audience.
During another part of the town hall, Burnett asked Buttigieg if he believed it was impossible to be a Christian and support Trump.
"Well, I'm not gonna tell other Christians how to be Christians. But I will say, I cannot find any compatibility between the way this president conducts himself and anything that I find in scripture," responded Buttigieg.
"Now I guess that's my interpretation, but I think that's a lot of people's interpretation, and that interpretation deserves a voice!" he concluded to loud applause from the audience.
Here's the video of Buttigieg's comments:


theblaze--2020-02-19--AG William Barr tells Trump advisers he might quit over president's DOJ tweets: reports

AG William Barr tells Trump advisers he might quit over president 's DOJ tweets : reports The attorney general said @ @ @ @ @ 's tweets make his job 'impossible '

Attorney General William Barr has reached out to multiple allies of President Donald Trump warning that he might quit over the president's insistence on tweeting about Department of Justice cases, according to numerous reports.
What are the details?
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Barr "has told people close to President Trump — both inside and outside the White House — that he is considering quitting" over the president's tweets relating to DOJ investigations. The outlet cited three unnamed administration officials. One source told the Post of Barr, "He has his limits."
The Associated Press also cited an administration official in reporting that "Barr has told people close to him he's considering quitting his post after President Donald Trump wouldn't heed his warning to stop tweeting about Justice Department cases."
Last week, the attorney general sat down for an interview with ABC News and expressed his frustration over the president commenting on DOJ cases on social media, saying such messages "make it impossible for me to do my job."
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham reacted to the interview a few hours after it aired, issuing a statement saying, "The President wasn't bothered by the comments at all and he has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions. President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country, including the fake news. The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law."
The news that Barr is purportedly mulling resignation came the same day President Trump tweeted that, in his opinion, the DOJ's case against his friend, Roger Stone, should be thrown out.
The Post reported that Barr's alleged signals to Trump advisers over the tweets could amount to "foreshadowing a possible confrontation between the president and his attorney general over the independence of the Justice Department." Neither the White House nor the DOJ offered a statement to the Post on the matter.
Yet DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec took to Twitter as the reports rolled in, tweeting, "Addressing the Beltway rumors: The Attorney General has no plans to resign."


theblaze--2020-02-19--Hero crossing guard struck and killed while saving two grade school kids in Kansas

Hero crossing guard struck and killed while saving two grade school kids in Kansas 88-year-old Bob Nill is being praised @ @ @ @ @

An 88-year-old crossing guard was struck and killed by a car, but he's being hailed as a hero because he saved the lives of two elementary school boys.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Christ the King Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas.
"He saved two of our students today," said principal Cathy Fithian. "I'm confident they would not be here if (he) had not stepped in and we are thankful, we feel very blessed to have had him in our lives for five years. We just pray for his family at this time."
The two boys were aged seven and eleven years.
The school later identified the crossing guard as Bob Nill. A neighbor to the school said he was well liked by the children and that it was a shock that he died.
"He had the stop sign in one hand and he yelled stop," explained Fithian. "The boys listened and they weren't struck because he saved their lives."
Police say the driver of the car is cooperating with the investigation.
Nill had worked as a crossing guard for the school for five years.
Here's more about the tragic incident:


theblaze--2020-02-19--Man arrested for allegedly forcing woman to watch 'Roots' to 'understand her racism'

Man arrested for allegedly forcing woman to watch 'Roots ' to 'understand her racism' The suspect was charged with false @ @ @ @

A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, man was arrested Monday on charges of false imprisonment and domestic assault over allegations that he forced a woman to watch the 9-hour slavery miniseries "Roots" so that "she could better understand her racism."
What are the details?
Local newspaper The Gazette first reported that Robert Lee Noye, 52, allegedly held a female victim captive, insisting that she sit with him to watch the television series based on a 1976 book by author Alex Haley in order that, according to a criminal complaint, the woman "could better understand her racism."
When the woman attempted to move, the complaint stated, Noye threatened her, telling the purported victim to "remain seated and watch the movie with him or he would kill her and spread her body parts across Interstate 380 on the way to Chicago."
Noye is African-American, and according to the Daily Mail, the woman he allegedly forced to watch "Roots" is Caucasian. Police reportedly told the outlet the two have been in an on-again off-again relationship for several years.
Anything else?
"Roots" first aired on television in 1977 and starred LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte, a Gambian warrior who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The show was based on Haley's book, "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," which chronicles several generations of the author's family.
The New York Post reported that the original acclaimed miniseries received a staggering 37 Emmy nominations. "Roots" was remade starring actor Malachi Kirby as Kinte a handful of years ago in a version that aired on the History Channel in 2016.


theblaze--2020-02-19--Students walk out of classes to protest Catholic high school allegedly forcing two gay teachers to r

Students walk out of classes to protest Catholic high school allegedly forcing two gay teachers to resign

A gay proposal at Disneyland has led to teacher resignations and angry student protests at a Catholic high school near Seattle, Washington.
English teacher Paul Danforth and his partner Sean Nyberg got engaged at Disneyland in November, and Danforth resigned soon after from Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Washington.
Soccer coach Michelle Beattie also got engaged to her same-sex partner and resigned.
The school says that they both voluntarily resigned, but Nyberg claims otherwise.
Nyberg said that Danforth was "no longer employed specifically because he and I got engaged," according to a statement he gave to CBS News.
"This is not only personally painful, it also harms former students who looked up to them," he added.
Students who are supportive of the gay teachers staged a sit-in and walked out in protest on Tuesday.
Another protest was planned against the Archdiocese of Seattle, which had not yet commented on the matter.
Family Policy Institute of Washington executive director Mark Miloscia defended the school.
"Especially what we believe is a constitutional right to hire the teachers and employees to go teach their children the beliefs and practices that are dear to their faith," Miloscia said.
Both of the gay teachers have hired an attorney, but CBS News noted that it was unclear what legal action they could take against the school or the archdiocese.
Here's more about the LGBT protest:


theblaze--2020-02-19--President Trump grants clemency to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, ten others

President Trump grants clemency to former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich , ten others The White House announced pardons for @ @ @

President Donald Trump granted clemency to eleven people on Tuesday, issuing pardons to seven individuals and commuting the sentences of four others, including former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
What are the details?
Blagojevich, a Democrat, was impeached and removed from office in 2009 before being convicted on a slew of corruption charges, including his attempt to sell the vacated Senate seat of former President Barack Obama after he won the White House in 2008. The former governor began serving a 14-year sentence in 2012.
"That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence, in my opinion," President Trump told reporters of Blagojevich's sentence on Tuesday. Fox News reported that the president expressed sympathy for the toll on the former governor's family, saying Blagojevich's time behind bars was "Very far from his children. They rarely get to see their father outside of an orange uniform. I saw that and I did commute his sentence."
In addition to Blagojevich, President Trump commuted the sentences of nonviolent offenders Tynice Nichole Hall, Judith Negron, and Crystal Munoz, who has been in prison for 12 years and still maintains her innocence after being linked to small role in a marijuana smuggling ring.
President Trump also issued several pardons on Tuesday, including former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was convicted for tax fraud and making false statements, as well as financier Michael Milken, "who pleaded guilty to insider trading and was barred from the securities industry in 1989," CBS News reported.
Another high-profile pardon went to former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., according to ABC News. The outlet reported that DeBartolo "pleaded guilty in 1998 to concealing an alleged extortion plot by former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, involving the licensing of a casino."
In addition to Kerik and DeBartolo, the president also pardoned nonviolent offenders Ariel Friedler, David Safavian, Angela Stanton, and Paul Pogue, a former construction company owner convicted of underpaying his taxes.


theblaze--2020-02-18--Bernie Sanders' healthcare plan makes as much sense as a grown man voluntarily crushing his manhood

Bernie Sanders' healthcare plan makes as much sense as a grown man voluntarily crushing his manhood wearing skinny jeans

Bernie Sanders ' healthcare plan makes as much sense as a grown man voluntarily crushing his manhood wearing skinny jeans

Poor Bernie Sanders. His campaign is now pushing a propaganda video designed to convince voters to believe a simple tax hike on the wealthy, reduction in paperwork, and reduced costs for drugs will somehow be enough to pay for the dream that socialists call Medicare for All.
Makes sense, right?
Wrong. It makes as much sense as a grown man voluntarily crushing his manhood wearing skinny jeans.
Here's Steven Crowder to break down the facts.
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theblaze--2020-02-20--Trump's chief of staff says Republicans only care about deficits when a Democrat is president

Trump 's chief of staff says Republicans only care about deficits when a Democrat is president

President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who was formerly the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, pointed out the hypocrisy of the Republican Party when it comes to the deficit, The Washington Post reported.
In a Wednesday night speech at the Oxford Union, Mulvaney said Republicans take a very different tone on the budget when a Democrat is president than they do when a Republican is in the White House.
What did he say?
"My party is very interested in deficits when there is a Democrat in the White House," Mulvaney said, according to the Post. "The worst thing in the whole world is deficits when Barack Obama was the president. Then Donald Trump became president, and we're a lot less interested as a party."
Mulvaney also said that although he finds the deficit, which reached $1 trillion in 2019, "extraordinarily disturbing," Republicans don't care about it, and neither do voters.
Is he correct?
In 2011, a group of 23 Republican senators wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama, urging him to address the rising deficit.
"Government spending is growing at an alarming rate, and the federal budget deficit has reached record levels," the group of senators wrote to Obama. "Congress will soon face a vote to increase the debt ceiling yet again, the fourth time in your Presidency and the 11th time in the last decade. Future generations will drown in debt forced onto them by the inactions of Congresses and Administrations far before their time. The time to remedy these failures is now."
In 2019, as it turns out, 23 Republican senators (although not all the same ones) voted against a budget deal supported by President Trump, citing concerns that it did not address the deficit problem.
However, those 23 senators also either voted in favor of the president's tax cuts or publicly supported them while they weren't yet in Congress. Although the tax cuts have helped create a strong economy, they come at the cost of a likely shortfall of $1 trillion or more over the 10 years following adoption of the tax law.


theblaze--2020-02-20--Bloomberg claims he's a 'fan' of Obamacare at debate after previously calling it a ‘disgrace’

Bloomberg claims he 's a 'fan ' of Obamacare at debate after previously calling it a ‘ disgrace ’ He @ @ @ @ @ n't go far enough

During Wednesday night's Democratic primary debate, 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said that he supported Obamacare despite previously calling the 2010 health care law "a disgrace" shortly after its passage.
Responding to a criticism from rival candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and a moderator's related question about his earlier criticism of the health care law, the former New York City mayor said, "I am a fan of Obamacare."
"Since when, Mr. Mayor?" the former vice president shot back, interrupting Bloomberg's answer.
Bloomberg responded that he initially supported the legislation, but that it ultimately didn't go far enough for his liking.
"Mr. Vice President, I just checked the record, because you'd said one time that I was not," the mayor said. "In '09, I testified and gave a speech before the mayors' conference in Washington advocating it and trying to get all the mayors to sign on. And I think at that time I wrote an article praising Obamacare. It was either in the New York Post or the Daily News. So the facts are I was there."
"Didn't you call it a disgrace, though, Mr. Mayor?" Biden persisted, interrupting the answer yet again.
"Let me finish, thank you," Bloomberg told Biden.
"I was in favor of it; I thought it didn't do as, go as far as we should," the former mayor continued. "What Trump has done to this is a disgrace. The first thing we've got to do is get the White House and bring back those things that were left and then find the ways to expand it: another public option, to having some rules about capping charges, all of those things."
Being given a chance to respond by one of the debate moderators, Biden once again went after Bloomberg's past comments.
"The mayor said when we passed it — the signature piece of this administration — it's a disgrace," the former vice president said. "They're the exact words, it was a disgrace. Look it up, check it out: It was a disgrace."
The remarks that Biden was referring to came just months after Obamacare was passed at a July 2010 appearance at Dartmouth College, CNN reported over the weekend.
"We passed a health care bill that does absolutely nothing to fix the big health care problems in this country; it is just a disgrace," the former mayor said at the time. "The president, in all fairness, started out by pointing out what the big problems were, but then turned it over to Congress, which didn't pay any attention to any of those big problems and just created another program that's going to cost a lot of money."
He also voiced concerns that there wouldn't be enough doctors for the newly insured "and unless they fix immigration and let people who come here for medical education stay here, those people are just going to do the same thing. They're going to have to go to the emergency rooms where they've been except that now it's going to cost a lot more money."


theblaze--2020-02-20--New York county legislator wants to ban smoking — in citizens’ private homes

New York county legislator wants to ban smoking — in citizens ’ private homes Many people are up in arms @ @ @ @

Some lawmakers in Suffolk County, New York, want so badly to stamp out tobacco smoking that they believe private citizens shouldn't be allowed to smoke in their own private residences.
According to a Wednesday WCBS-TV report, those lawmakers are proposing to act on that.
What are the details?
WCBS' Jennifer McLogan reported that while smoking is banned in a vast majority of public spaces, lawmakers are eyeing laws to make apartment buildings, condominiums, and multi-family homes smoke-free, too.
Leglislator Sam Gonzalez is sponsoring a bill that would effectively ban all smoking in such areas.
"It's not going too far," he insisted. "We're heading in that direction anyway. We can't smoke in restaurants. We can't smoke in buildings. We can't smoke inside the theaters. There are parks, there are beaches, that you can't smoke in. We are headed there."
Many citizens reportedly say that such legislation will be impossible to enforce, but Gonzalez refuted that idea.
"When I get the pushback from individuals that say, 'No, you can't stop me from smoking,' I say, 'Why not?'" Gonzalez insisted.
Gonzalez said that if the legislation is passed, offenders could be fined up to $1,000 and face possible prosecution. All reports of smoking inside residences, he added, will be complaint-driven.
The county is set to hold public hearings on the matter later this month.
What else?
Suffolk Legislator Dr. William Spencer said that such legislation would place priority on the non-smokers' health by tamping down their exposure to secondhand smoke.
“Let me be clear, any legislation that there is a vote required that would have an impact on preventing the public or innocent people who have made a choice not to smoke, from being exposed to smoke, I will support that legislation," Spencer said.
In a Wednesday statement, Gonzalez told the New York Post that his intent is simply to protect human life.
"We need to protect the way of life of those individuals that want to live their apartments smoke-free," he explained.


theblaze--2020-02-20--Bloomberg obliterates socialist Bernie Sanders over his 3 homes during Democrat debate

Bloomberg obliterates socialist Bernie Sanders over his 3 homes during Democrat debate The debate got very heated and personal in @ @

New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg obliterated Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for owning three homes while declaring himself a socialist democrat during the Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sanders criticized President Donald Trump and Walmart over what he called "socialism for the rich," when Bloomberg inserted his verbal assault.
"I believe in democratic socialism for the working people, not billionaires!" exclaimed Sanders. "Health care for all, educational opportunities for all!"
"What a wonderful country we have!" interjected Bloomberg. "The best-known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses! What'd I miss here?"
"Well, you miss that I work in Washington, house one!" exclaimed Sanders.
"That's the first problem," Bloomberg retorted.
"Live in Burlington, house two!" Sanders continued.
"That's good!" said Bloomberg.
"And like thousands of other Vermonters, I do have a summer camp. Forgive me for that! Where is your home? Which tax haven do you have your home?" Sanders asked loudly.
"New York City, thank you very much! And I pay all my taxes!" responded Bloomberg.
Earlier in the debate, Bloomberg himself came under attack by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) over comments attributed to him that were seen as sexist and misogynist.
Sanders is considered by many to be the Democratic presidential front-runner after a disastrous showing for Joe Biden in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.
Here's the video of that interaction:


theblaze--2020-02-20--'An American patriot': WWII veteran gets carried to his seat and honored by President Trump at Arizo

'An American patriot': WWII veteran gets carried to his seat and honored by President Trump at Arizona rally

'An American patriot ' : WWII veteran gets carried to his seat and honored by President Trump at Arizona rally @ @ @ @ @ a lump in my throat . '

A World War II veteran was given a hero's welcome at a "Keep America Great" rally for President Donald Trump in Arizona on Wednesday, when he was carried by fellow attendees to his seat and honored by the commander in chief when the president spoke on stage.
What are the details?
Reporter Kari Lake from KSAZ-TV posted a video online showing two men giving the hero a careful lift to his seat ahead of President Trump's speech at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The crowd chanted "USA! USA!" and cheered as the veteran was carried to the front row of the venue where he could see.
Lake added, "Got to admit I got a lump in my throat."
The precious cargo was later identified by the Trump campaign as 100-year-old Navy veteran Ervin Julian, and the president of the United States did not allow Mr. Julian to go unnoticed.
During President Trump's speech, he honored Mr. Julian before the inside audience of an estimated 20,000 people, thanking Mr. Julian before the veteran was lifted up by the men who had carried him to his place of prominence. The crowd roared and chanted again as the president faced Mr. Julian and continued to clap for the World War II veteran.
The president's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., then approached Mr. Julian and the men assisting him, shaking each of their hands and giving them hats.
"I want to thank you, really," President Trump said to Mr. Julian, adding, "Thank you for the great job you've done. An American patriot."


theblaze--2020-02-20--VIDEO: Liz Warren opens Democratic debate with blistering attack on Mike Bloomberg

Warren locked horns with the New York billionaire early in the debate

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) opened the Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a blistering attack on New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg.
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against," said Warren.
"A billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians!' And no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump, I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg!" she added.
"Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like red-lining and stop and frisk," she continued.
"Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is, but understand this, Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another," she concluded. "This country has worked for the rich for a long time and left everyone else in the dirt."
Bloomberg responded by reciting items from his resume and claiming he has the best chance to beat President Donald Trump.
"I'm a New Yorker, I know how to take on an arrogant con man like Donald Trump who comes from New York," said Bloomberg.
"I'm a mayor, or I was a mayor. I know how to run a complicated city, the biggest, more diverse city in this country," he added.
Here's the video of her attack:


theblaze--2020-02-20--President Trump names Ambassador Richard Grenell to be director of national intelligence

President Trump names Ambassador Richard Grenell to be director of national intelligence Liberals are fuming over the pick

President Donald Trump has named U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to serve as the next acting director of national intelligence, in a move celebrated by the president's supporters and slammed by his critics.
What are the details?
Grenell has been an ardent supporter of the president and his policies, and his appointment is historic: He will become the first openly gay Cabinet member selected by a U.S. president.
The diplomat and foreign policy expert will replace current acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.
"I am pleased to announce that our highly respected Ambassador to Germany, @RichardGrenell, will become the Acting Director of National Intelligence," President Trump tweeted on Wednesday night. "Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him," he continued.
President Trump also praised Maguire, saying, "I would like to thank Joe Maguire for the wonderful job he has done, and we look forward to working with him closely, perhaps in another capacity within the Administration!"
Fox News reported that President Trump's selection of Grenell "heartened conservatives eager for new leadership as a series of scandals have plagued the intelligence community." Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported, "Grenell's appointment is likely to exacerbate tensions between the president and members of the intelligence community, who have been frequent targets of Trump's ire."
Ned Price, a former CIA officer who served as a special assistant to former President Barack Obama, reacted to news of Grenell's appointment by tweeting, "Another slap in the face to my former intel colleagues. Grenell is a partisan bombthrower whose only skill is defending Trump. Trump's decision not to nominate a permanent DNI underscores that he has no use for intel and no regard for national security."
Republican Senate aide John Noonan praised the president's selection of Grenell while hitting back at critics who claimed the diplomat did not have the qualifications for the role, tweeting, "@RichardGrenell is sharp and competent. Harvard Kennedy School grad, senior UN official, ambassador to one of the most important US partners. Susan Rice went from UN Ambassador to National Security Advisor but Ambassador to Germany to ODNI is somehow out of bounds? Ok."


theblaze--2020-02-20--'Radical' group releases pigeons with MAGA hats glued on their heads for President Trump's visit to

'Radical' group releases pigeons with MAGA hats glued on their heads for President Trump's visit to Nevada

'Radical ' group releases pigeons with MAGA hats glued on their heads for President Trump 's visit to Nevada The @ @ @ @ @ United to Interfere Now '

An anonymous group released pigeons with tiny "Make America Great Again" hats glued on their heads just ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump to Las Vegas, Nevada.
And one pigeon had a blonde wig affixed on his head.
The group calls itself by the acronym PUTIN, which stands for "Pigeons, United to Interfere Now," and may give a hint of their political motivations. They said they are an "underground radical group."
The group told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the pigeon prank was an "aerial protest piece in response to the arrival of the 2020 Democratic debate," which is also being held in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
"The release date was also coordinated to serve as a gesture of support and loyalty to President Trump," said Coo Hand Luke, a member of the group.
They said that they used eyelash glue for the hats and rejected suggestions from some who said they were guilty of cruelty to animals.
"It's what women use to put around their eyes for eyelash extensions. The hats usually stay on for a day or two, depending on the bird's movements," said Luke.
"We can also remove them ourselves as they fly back to the coop. They could be gone for a day, two days or a week, but they always come back," he explained.
Here's a promotional video from PUTIN:


theblaze--2020-02-19--Pentagon policy official who signed off on Ukraine aid resigns at President Trump's request

Pentagon policy official who signed off on Ukraine aid resigns at President Trump 's request John Rood reportedly lost the @ @ @ @ @ officials

Defense Under Secretary for Policy John Rood submitted his resignation on Wednesday at the request of President Donald Trump, after reportedly facing pressure from administration officials who expressed concern over his ability to carry out the president's agenda.
Rood is the official who initially told Congress in May 2019 that Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts were sufficient for the Pentagon to release $250 million in military aid earmarked for the country. The Trump administration's temporary hold on releasing the aid became the central focus of House Democrats' failed impeachment efforts against the president.
What are the details?
Bloomberg News reported Rood held a top position in the Pentagon and "faced pressure to resign" after "some senior national security officials had lost confidence in Rood's ability to carry out Trump's agenda."
In his resignation letter to President Trump, Rood wrote, "It is my understanding from Secretary [Mark] Esper that you requested my resignation from serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. I leave with the utmost admiration for the outstanding team with which I worked at the Defense Department."
According to CBS News, Sec. Esper issued a statement on Rood's departure, saying he "played a critical role on a wide range" of issues. Esper added, "I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
President Trump offered his farewell to Rood on Twitter, saying, "I would like to thank John Rood for his service to our Country, and wish him well in his future endeavors!"
Deputy Under Secretary James Anderson will replace Rood in an interim capacity until a permanent replacement is found for the role, Bloomberg News reported.
Prior to serving in the Pentagon, Rood held positions at several government agencies including the State Department, National Security Council, Defense Department, and Central Intelligence Agency. He is also a former senior vice president of Lockheed Martin and a former vice president of Raytheon.


theblaze--2020-02-19--LIES: Samantha Bee blatantly lies about conservative censorship across social media platforms

Have you ever wished you had coronavirus ?
You might if you 've heard the shrill tone of Samantha Bee @ @ @ @ @ conservatives are n't censored on social media platforms .
After all , a full-frontal Samantha @ @ @ @ @ for content distribution , while pro-life groups are labeled pornography and banned on social platforms @ @ @ @ @ explain what would make Samantha Bee happy .
Hint : Conservatives lose .
Use code @ @ @ @ @ off one year of BlazeTV .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more @ @ @ @ @ comedy that 's actually funny , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of @ @ @ @ @ defend the Constitution and live the American dream .

Have you ever wished you had coronavirus? You might if you've heard the shrill tone of Samantha Bee's voice screeching about how conservatives aren't censored on social media platforms. After all, a full-frontal Samantha Bee pic passes the test for content distribution, while pro-life groups are labeled pornography and banned on social platforms.
Here's Crowder to explain what would make Samantha Bee happy. Hint: Conservatives lose.
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Want more from Steven Crowder?
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