theblaze--2020-01-30--The truth about 'Palestine' and Israel's modern borders

The truth about 'Palestine ' and Israel 's modern borders

The Left detests Israel's right to sovereignty and a secure border as much as they detest our own. Following the release of President Trump's peace plan, the raging Left passed around a graphic on the internet attempting to depict Israel as gradually "stealing" land from a supposed Arab Muslim "Palestinian" state. The reality is just the opposite. And it's time to set the record straight.
There is no such thing as a Muslim "Palestinian" state
There is no such thing as a Palestinian ethnicity, at least not in the way the term is used in geopolitical parlance. Palestine is not an Arab term, nor does the term "Palestinian" accurately identify the Arabs living in modern-day Israel, including in Judea and Samaria. The term originated from the Romans, who captured ancient Judea (which was Jewish, not Arab) almost 2,000 years ago. The Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed the Jewish kingdom of Judea "Philistia" after the ancient Philistines (Plishtim in old Hebrew), a pagan group of Aegeans who moved to what is modern-day Gaza during the times of the Canaanites, referred to throughout the Bible as a nemesis to the Jewish people.
In more modern history, the Holy Land was a no-man's-land under control of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. There never was an Arab Palestinian state in the Holy Land, and all the land west of the Jordan River, including Gaza, was originally earmarked for the Jewish state under the Balfour Declaration 100 years ago. That plan was adopted by the Allied powers and the League of Nations in 1920 and 1922. On Sept. 21, 1922, President Warren Harding signed H.J. Res. 322, which formally adopted the Mandate for Palestine as official U.S. policy.
The committee report from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 1922 recognized the fact that the land had become desolate, and the committee laid the blame at the feet of the "deplorable" Ottoman Turks. The report observed that the Jews were already rehabilitating the conditions of the people living there from the "wanton and deplorable policy of desolation systemically carried out by its rulers, the Turks, for centuries." And: "What was once the land of milk and honey, has become, through misrule and oppression, a devastated and sparsely settled land."
(For more on what both Republicans and Democrats said in 1922 of Jewish control over the Holy Land, read here.)
The notion that there was a large native Arab populace indigenous to the Holy Land is completely unfounded. The Jews, on the other hand, had a presence in the land for over 3,000 years, long before the advent of Islam.
The idea that an Arab Palestinian label has any legal or historical legitimacy was clearly eschewed by officials of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in its early days. In an interview with the Dutch newspaper Trouw on March 31, 1977, PLO executive committee member Zahir Moshen said the following:
The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism. (James Dorsey, Wij zijn alleen Palestijn om politieke reden, Trouw, 31 March 1977.)
Fast-forward 38 years, and the term "Palestinian" is at the root of the near-unanimous global clamor to create an Arab nation-state west of the Jordan River – something that has never existed in either modern or ancient history.
The non-revisionist history of modern Israeli borders
After World War I and the defeat of the Turks, when the Allied powers were first forming nation-states in the Middle East, they earmarked modern-day Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia as Arab Muslim states. Modern-day Lebanon was to be a Christian state, and the "Palestine Mandate" – which included modern-day Israel and Jordan — was to be used for a Jewish state.
However, due to tremendous Arab pressure, they established in 1922 all of the land to the east of the Jordan River as the Emirate of Transjordan, essentially excluding 77% of the original Mandate of Palestine from the Jewish state. It became a full-fledged Arab state in 1946, just two years before the creation of modern-day Israel. As former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat said in a 1974 interview with the New Republic, "What you call Jordan is actually Palestine." That is your "Palestinian" state.
Lebanon was soon gobbled up by the same Islamists, beginning a slow bleed of the Christians living there in the ensuing decades.
To this day, the only binding resolution of international law that has never been countermanded is this 1922 Mandate for Palestine. The territory under the Palestine Mandate, along with Iraq, was given to Britain as a temporary trustee, based on the resolution between the four principal Allied powers in April 1920 at the San Remo conference in Italy, which was signed by 51 nations.
Once the League of Nations was disbanded and the United Nations took its place, the member states agreed to maintain all agreements and not "alter in any manner the rights whatsoever of any states or any peoples or the terms of existing international instruments to which Members of the United Nations may respectively be parties" (Article 80, U.N. Charter). The Mandate for Palestine adopted by the League of Nations was the last legally binding document pertaining to the parceling out of the Holy Land. In Article 5 of the mandate, it explicitly states, "The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed under the control of the Government of any foreign Power."
Accordingly, to this very day, all Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are legal, while all unauthorized Arab settlements are illegal.
It's not about land; it's about jihad
The binding agreement from the League of Nations never came to fruition on the ground because the Islamic supremacist ideology of the local Muslim leaders wouldn't allow Jews to live in peace and establish a state in the remaining 23% of the mandate, land that is 1/640th the size of modern-day Muslim lands.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, local Arabs and their surrounding neighbors fomented a violent jihad against the Jews living in their own homeland. The riots were incited by Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Hussein, a close ally of Hitler who was eventually expelled from the region and fled to Germany. After much turmoil and Arab rioting, in 1947, the U.N. recommended a plan via nonbinding Resolution 181 to partition off most of the land to the west of the Jordan River for a new Arab state and a tiny swath of non-contiguous land, mainly along the Mediterranean coast, for a Jewish state. Those borders were indefensible, and the crafters of the plan knew it. That was the point.
Yet Israeli leaders were willing to accept it. Their Arab neighbors, though, were not willing to accept anything short of annihilating the Jewish presence in the region. By rejecting this recommendation, which was nonbinding to begin with, the Arabs permanently lost any legal or moral grounds for demanding another state west of the Jordan River.
In 1948, the neighboring countries launched what Arab League Secretary General Azzam Pasha referred to as "a war of extermination" against the Jews. After over a year of fighting, God's providence allowed a ragtag group of Jewish militia forces to fight off the forces of the Arab Legion, gaining them more breathing room in the South and Galilee. Israel now grew to 6.7% of the original Balfour proposal and 30% of the 1922 Mandate.
While Jordan remained in control of Judea and Samaria and Egypt conquered the Gaza Strip, the Arab communities in those areas – many of whom had recently immigrated to those territories – never established a unique Arab "Palestinian" state or expressed a desire to do so. Those territories always remained under the control of Jordan and Egypt. Meanwhile, no nation recognized Jordan's occupation of Judea and Samaria and its renaming those territories as the "West Bank" (of Jordan), because it was completely illegal. The Jordanians and Egyptians also expelled all the Jews who had lived there for generations.
This was important in setting the stage for the next major war, in 1967, in which Jordan and Egypt lost those territories to Israel in yet another war of aggression. Once again, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria sought to destroy Israel and wipe out every Jew in the land. But in a matter of six days, God performed one of the greatest miracles in the modern era, and the collective Arab armies were kicked out of the entire area. Egypt lost the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, Syria lost the Golan Heights, and Jordan lost "the West Bank."
Beginning in the 1970s, after another failed attempt to destroy Israel in the Yom Kippur War, the jihadists switched tactics. Rather than try to destroy Israel with conventional forces from neighboring countries, they promoted Yasser Arafat, and the PLO began to foment this myth of a distinct Arab "Palestinian" entity entitled to statehood west of the Jordan River – outside the original "Palestinian" state of Jordan (comprising 77% of the Palestine Mandate). Thanks to leftist policies in Israel and beginning with President Clinton, we began recognizing Arafat, the modern-day architect of jihad, as a "man of peace." It took 10 years for our government to finally realize that this monster wasn't a man of peace. Yet nearly two decades later, our government still recognized his deputy, Abbas, as a "man of peace," until the Trump administration finally reversed policy.
And as they say, the rest is history.
This illusion of a Palestinian people and state is what is driving the push for Israel to surrender the remainder of Judea and Samaria after it has already ceded well over 90% of the lands it won in defensive wars – from Sinai and Gaza to south Lebanon.
Then again, who are we trying to convince? These are the same people who have no problem with violent drug cartels, every bit as violent as Hamas, controlling our own border.


theblaze--2020-01-30--South Dakota House passes bill outlawing transgender medical procedures on children

The Vulnerable Child Protection Act now heads to the state Senate

The South Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill outlawing transgender medical procedures on children Wednesday — the Vulnerable Child Protection Act — by a 46-23 vote, Inforum reported, adding that it now heads to the state Senate.
House Bill 1057 deems it illegal — a Class 1 misdemeanor — for doctors to perform gender-affirming operations or surgeries or prescribe hormone replacement therapy to assist gender transitions for anyone under the age of 16, the outlet said, adding that the penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor is a year in jail and a $2,000 maximum fine.
Here's what would be outlawed, Inforum noted:
Performing the following surgeries: castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, metoidioplasty, orchiectomy, penectomy, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty.
Performing a mastectomy.
Prescribing, dispensing, administering or otherwise supplying the following medications: Puberty-blocking medication to stop normal puberty, supraphysiologic doses of testosterone to females, supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males.
Removing any otherwise healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue.
Nurses would be exempt from prosecution, the outlet added.
Controversy
The sponsor of the legislation — Republican state Rep. Fred Deutsch — likened such procedures to "bizarre" medical experiments conducted by the Nazis.
"To me, that's a crime against humanity when these procedures are done by these so-called doctors ... that dance on the edge of medicine," Deutsch told Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council recently. "You know, I'm the son of a Holocaust survivor. I've had family members killed in Auschwitz. And I've seen the pictures of the bizarre medical experiments. I don't want that to happen to our kids. And that's what's going on right now."
At first Deutsch doubled down on his controversial comments with the caveat that he wasn't likening doctors who treat transgender children to Nazis: "I've been to a whole bunch of Holocaust museums all over the world. It's very personal to me. It's just a simple reflection that the pictures seem similar to me."
But he soon told CNN he regretted the comparison: "Comments I made based on my history of being the son of a Holocaust survivor are regrettable."
Opposition
Democratic state Rep. Kelly Sullivan asked the House to vote down the bill, Inforum reported: “What this is telling me is that it's OK for the government to involve itself in the private family matters of South Dakotans when it's convenient for the agenda of some. Why are we legislating and involving ourselves into some aspects of health care but not others?"
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota has said it will fight the legislation, Newsweek noted.
"By blocking medical care supported by every major medical association, this legislation represents a callous disregard for the health and wellness of South Dakota's transgender youth, some of the most vulnerable people in our state," Heather Smith, executive director of the ACLU of South Dakota, said in a statement, according to the magazine. "We want South Dakotans to know that we are investigating all of our legal options. If this bill becomes law, it will be challenged. We will see you in court."
'The child can't consent'
But GOP state Rep. Jon Hansen asked the House to “be not afraid" and pass the bill, Inforum reported.
“In the testimony, it was presented that it's the parents who really consent, it's not the child," Hansen said, according to the outlet. “That makes sense because the child can't consent. It's been covered already. We treat young children differently. We don't let them smoke, drink, gamble, drive, have sex. It's a perversion of the whole notion of parental rights to say that a parent can consent to a young child to having sex. We don't say that. Minors need protection because they're prone to irrational decisions. They don't have the reasoning capacity to make these types of decisions."


theblaze--2020-01-30--ABC News suspends reporter who reported that all 4 of Kobe Bryant's daughters were killed in helicop

ABC News suspends reporter who reported that all 4 of Kobe Bryant's daughters were killed in helicopter crash

ABC News suspends reporter who reported that all 4 of Kobe Bryant 's daughters were killed in helicopter crash

ABC News suspended chief national correspondent Matt Gutman after he erroneously reported on the deaths of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and all four of his daughters.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a Sunday helicopter crash in California that also claimed the lives of seven of the Bryant family's friends.
Neither the other daughters nor his wife were on board during the fatal crash.
What are the details?
ABC suspended Gutman, 42, after he reported that all of the Bryant family daughters died in the crash.
Gutman issued an apology following the mishap. On Twitter, he wrote, "Today I inaccurately reported it was believed that four of Kobe Bryant's children were on board that flight. That is incorrect. I apologize to Kobe's family, friends, and our viewers."
ABC confirmed the suspension in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
"Reporting the facts accurately is the cornerstone of our journalism," the statement read. "As he acknowledged on Sunday, Matt Gutman's initial reporting was not accurate, and he failed to meet our editorial standards."
The spokesman did not reveal the details of Gutman's suspension.
In a further statement to the Times, Gutman added, "We are in the business of holding people accountable. And I hold myself accountable for a terrible mistake, which I deeply regret. I want to personally apologize to the Bryant family for this wrenching loss and any additional anguish my report caused."


theblaze--2020-01-30--LIVE VIDEO: Republicans get another stab at Adam Schiff and the impeachment managers, might try to f

LIVE VIDEO: Republicans get another stab at Adam Schiff and the impeachment managers, might try to force Justice Roberts to allow whistleblower to be named

LIVE VIDEO : Republicans get another stab at Adam Schiff and the impeachment managers , might try to force Justice @ @ @ @ @ be named Will lawmakers finally name the whistleblower ?
Will they call John Bolton ?

The Senate will reconvene at 1 p.m. ET Thursday to wrap up the questioning phase of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. You can watch the live feed of the proceedings below once it begins.
Following three days of opening statements from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and his crew of House impeachment managers and three days of presentations from the president's defense team, senators began the first of two days of questioning Wednesday. Per the rules of the trial, senators are required to submit all questions for the impeachment managers and the defense team in writing to Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial.
During Wednesday's question time, Justice Roberts reportedly refused to read questions from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that named the whistleblower whose actions revealed the controversial call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that is at the center of the impeachment efforts.
But the fight is not over: Paul told reporters Wednesday, "It's still an ongoing process, it may happen tomorrow." Fox News reported that Paul might even try Thursday to force Roberts to read questions that name the whistleblower.
Once the questioning phase is concluded, the Senate will vote on whether to subpoena more documents and/or call witnesses. That vote is expected to occur Friday.
Democrats have been clamoring to call former national security adviser John Bolton after leaked portions of his book manuscript reportedly claimed that the president said he was withholding aid to Ukraine in order to get an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Also, news broke Wednesday that Bolton reportedly told Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) to look into the firing of former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
Republicans, in turn, have threatened to call the Bidens — and even the whistleblower — as witnesses. And at least one Democratic senator seems to believe calling Hunter Biden would be a worthwhile endeavor.
But the fight could all be for naught: GOP senators revealed Wednesday night that they believe they now have the votes to block any calls for witnesses.


theblaze--2020-01-30--NBA player apologizes for saying opponent has 'female tendencies' after in-game brawl

NBA player apologizes for saying opponent has 'female tendencies ' after in-game brawl That 's the offensive part of all @ @

After a brawl at the end of Wednesday night's NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks, one player issued an apology. But not for the fight — but for making a comment about an opponent that was deemed to be sexist.
Jae Crowder of the Grizzlies stole the ball and shot a 3-pointer late in a blowout game while the Knicks, who were losing with under a minute to play, were trying to run the clock down.
Elfrid Payton, a guard for the Knicks, took exception to this shot, and leveled Crowder by pushing him in mid-air. A scuffle ensued, and Knicks forward Marcus Morris got involved. Both Morris and Payton were ejected from the game, and could face suspensions.
After the game, Morris told reporters what he thought about Crowder's behavior.
"He plays the game a different way," Morris said. "He's got a lot of female tendencies on the court, flopping and throwing his head back the entire game. It's a man's game, and you just get tired of it. When you step back and shoot a three ... and like rub it in ... he's unprofessional. He's soft. His game is soft. He's very womanlike."
Morris later posted a tweet apologizing for using "womanlike" as an insult.
"I apologize for using the term 'female tendencies' I have the upmost respect for women and everything they mean to us," Morris wrote. "It was a Heat of the moment response and I never intended for any Women to feel as though in anyway I'm disrespecting them. Again I apologize with my comments."
Morris's comment, in addition to being offensive to many, is also not really accurate. In fact, "flopping" (exaggerating contact in order to draw fouls), is far more common in men's basketball than women's basketball.


theblaze--2020-01-30--Joe Biden tries to hit Trump on religious freedom. The administration he served in tried to force nu

Joe Biden tries to hit Trump on religious freedom. The administration he served in tried to force nuns to pay for birth control.

Joe Biden tries to hit Trump on religious freedom .
The administration he served in tried to force nuns to @ @ @ @ @ 'The Obama administration determined religious freedom to be a worthy sacrifice on the altar of @ @

Former Vice President Joe Biden says that we need a president who respects religious freedom, but the administration where he held the No. 2 position came under repeated fire for violating that fundamental right.
In a short social media ad released Wednesday, Biden is seen talking with a man who thanks him for making remarks against President Donald Trump's so-called "Muslim ban," which is the travel suspension the administration placed on multiple countries due to national security concerns.
Biden responds that he "was against it from the beginning" and calls the policy "ridiculous." A message then wipes over the screen, saying, "We need a president who respects religious freedom."
While the religious freedom-based criticisms on the travel ban have indeed been widespread, the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the administration's policy was "expressly premised on legitimate purposes: preventing entry of nationals who cannot be adequately vetted and inducing other nations to improve their practices" and noted that the text of the proclamation "says nothing about religion."
But if Biden really does want to make religious freedom a campaign issue, he's probably going to have a lot to explain from his past job as Barack Obama's vice president.
After all, Biden's message may come as ironic to those who remember the Obama administration's yearslong legal fight against the Little Sisters of the Poor over the Obamacare contraception mandate, where the administration Biden served in tried to force an order of Catholic nuns — in addition to other religious organizations — to pay for birth control despite their religious beliefs to the contrary.
And in addition to the contraception mandate, other Obama administration actions took considerable criticism from religious freedom advocates.
In the waning days of the last administration, Andrew Walker and John Wester of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission pointed out several different Obama-era actions that conflicted with the conscience rights of traditional believers, many of which were over matters of sexual orientation and transgender policy. These ranged from an executive order affecting the hiring practices of federal contractors to the administration's attempt to affect transgender bathroom policies in public schools.
"Religious conservatives are often portrayed as angry aggressors in the culture war," the two wrote at National Review. "Nothing could be further from the truth, as evident in the case of the Obama administration's progressive assaults upon religious liberty. The Obama administration determined religious freedom to be a worthy sacrifice on the altar of progressivism."


theblaze--2020-01-30--Bernie Sanders' campaign is preparing ‘dozens of executive orders’ to bypass Congress in his first d

Bernie Sanders' campaign is preparing ‘dozens of executive orders’ to bypass Congress in his first days in office, document shows

Bernie Sanders ' campaign is preparing ‘ dozens of executive orders ’ to bypass Congress in his first days in @ @ @ @

In anticipation of his winning the 2020 presidential election, the campaign for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is preparing "dozens of executive orders" that he could unilaterally enact in his first days in office, bypassing Congress in doing so.
What are the details?
The potential executive orders touch on a number of different domestic policy issues, such as immigration, the environment, and economic policy, according to a campaign document obtained by the Washington Post:
Aides have presented Sanders with a list of possible executive actions, including more than a dozen options for reversing President Trump's immigration policy, such as lifting the cap on the number of refugees accepted into the United States and immediately halting border wall construction. Another option is the reinstatement of an Obama-era program that granted legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to America as children.
The list of potential executive orders includes unilaterally allowing the United States to import prescription drugs from Canada; directing the Justice Department to legalize marijuana; and declaring climate change a national emergency while banning the exportation of crude oil. Other options cited in the document include canceling federal contracts for firms paying less than $15 an hour and reversing federal rules blocking U.S. funding to organizations that provide abortion counseling.
The fact that the Sanders campaign has been preparing the list shows a willingness to work around Congress to achieve policy objectives in case the Republicans maintain control of the Senate or take back the House in 2020.
Many of Sanders' proposals would not be supported by Republicans, and perhaps even many Democrats, in Congress.
The document, put together by Faiz Shakir, Sanders's campaign manager; Warren Gunnels, a senior adviser; and Josh Orton, the campaign policy director, urges Sanders to use executive authority to right the wrongs of the Trump administration.
"We cannot accept delays from Congress on some of the most pressing issues, especially those like immigration where Trump has governed with racism and for his own corrupt benefit," the document states.
Why does it matter?
Expanding presidential power has been a concern in American politics for some time. Who expresses the concern, however, is largely determined by which political party has representation in the executive branch.
Last January, amid reports that President Trump intended to declare the crisis at the souther border a national emergency, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) expressed concern that one day a Democratic president, using Trump's declaration as precedent, could declare a national emergency for a liberal policy objective — like climate change.
"I think the president has broad powers to declare national emergencies. I think they should be used very judiciously," Rubio said. "It sets long-term precedents, and I can tell you, that for people on my side of the aisle, one of our concerns we should have is: If today, the national emergency is border security and it entitles him to go out and do something, and we all support that — tomorrow, the national security emergency might be, ya know, climate change, so let's seize fossil fuel plants or something."
The Sanders campaign document seems to indicate that Rubio's concerns were valid.
Speaking with the Washington Post, Jason Pye, vice president of legislative affairs at the conservative think tank, FreedomWorks, argued "every time a president leaves office, they leave office with more power the next president in line can take and expand."
"You're getting to the point where the legislative branch has lost so much of its power to the point where it almost does not matter. And that should concern every person in this country," he added.
With Sanders surging to a lead in the Democratic primary polls, the release of this document may cause even greater concern among those wary of expanding executive power.
Currently, the Vermont senator leads by a sizable margin in the first two primary states, Iowa and New Hampshire.


theblaze--2020-01-30--PETA calls for Punxsutawney Phil to be replaced by an an artificial intelligence groundhog: 'Groundh

PETA calls for Punxsutawney Phil to be replaced by an an artificial intelligence groundhog: 'Groundhogs are not barometers'

PETA calls for Punxsutawney Phil to be replaced by an an artificial intelligence groundhog : 'Groundhogs are not barometers '

PETA — or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — is calling on the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire the living, breathing iteration of Punxsutawney Phil.
The animal rights organization is, instead, presenting a rather new concept for their review: Replacing the groundhog with an AI robot version of the real thing.
Groundhog Day is Monday and the annual ceremony takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is about 85 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
What are the details?
In a Tuesday letter, PETA asked the club to consider its plea and release Punxsutawney Phil to a "reputable sanctuary."
The organization proposes that the club substitute the groundhog with a "cutting-edge animatronic groundhog that could actually predict the weather using artificial intelligence instead."
According to tradition — and legend — there will be another six weeks of winter weather if Phil sees his shadow. If he doesn't, it will be an early spring. Punxsutawney has been using a groundhog in the annual ceremony for at least 134 years.
Tracy Reiman, who is PETA's executive vice president, said, "Gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers. PETA is offering the club a win-win situation: Breathe life into a tired tradition and finally do right by the long-suffering animal."
According to the letter — which was penned by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk — using a live groundhog diminishes the animal's rights.
"Today's young people are born into a world of terabytes, and to them, watching a nocturnal rodent being pulled from a fake hole isn't even worthy of a text message," Newkirk wrote. "Ignoring the nation's fast-changing demographics might well prove the end of Groundhog Day."
Anything else?
Newkirk pointed out that the groundhog ends up befuddled by the entire tradition.
"When Phil is dragged out of his hole and held up to flashing lights and crowds, he has no idea what's happening," Newkirk complained. "Being relegated to a library 'habitat' for the other days of the year doesn't allow him or the other groundhog there to dig, burrow, or forage. It's no kind of life for these animals."


theblaze--2020-01-30--Virginia Senate narrowly passes bill relaxing abortion laws after tiebreaking vote

Democrats ' efforts to use their new majority to change Virginia 's abortion laws took another step forward on Wednesday after an abortion bill narrowly passed in the state Senate .
WRIC-TV reported that lawmakers came to a 20-20 tie on the bill , which was subsequently broken by Democratic Lt. Gov .
Justin Fairfax .
The Associated Press reported that the tie was the result of one Democratic senator breaking ranks to vote with Republicans against the measure .
As National Review pointed out , the Senate 's measure will remove Virginia 's law requiring that women receive a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation of the nature , benefits , and risks of and alternatives to the proposed procedures or protocols to be followed in her particular case '' prior to an abortion , as well as a requirement that women get an ultrasound before prior to the procedure .
It also gets rid of a requirement that only doctors perform abortions and lowers health standards for clinics that perform first-trimester abortions , no longer classifying them as `` as hospitals for the purpose of complying with regulations establishing minimum standards for hospitals . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill 's sponsor — Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan — criticized the targeted abortion restrictions as `` unnecessary and onerous . ''
But opponents say the proposed changes benefit abortion providers while doing a disservice to women .
`` Today , abortion industry controlled elected officials in the General Assembly voted to ensure that the industry 's profit increases at the expense of women and unborn lives , '' a statement from the Family Foundation 's Victoria Cobb said , WRIC reported .
`` Women making life-altering decisions deserve the dignity of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no less expertise than when they obtain any other outpatient surgery . ''
A similar measure passed the state 's lower chamber by a vote of 52-45 Tuesday .
As for when the changes might be signed into law by the governor , a Democratic Senate aide told CNN that the two chambers will evaluate differences in each other 's bills in order to reconcile them when they exchange legislation for consideration next month .
Virginia 's abortion debate became the subject of national discussion after Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion bill proposed in the state legislature last year after the bill 's sponsor said it would even allow for abortions to be performed during labor .
`` If a mother is in labor , I can tell you exactly what would happen , the infant would be delivered , '' Northam said in an interview last January .
`` The infant would be kept comfortable .
The infant would be resuscitated if that 's what the mother and the family desired , and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northam 's 2019 comments at last week 's March for Life in Washington , D.C. `` We love the Commonwealth of Virginia , '' the president remarked , `` but what is going on in Virginia ? ''

Democrats' efforts to use their new majority to change Virginia's abortion laws took another step forward on Wednesday after an abortion bill narrowly passed in the state Senate.
WRIC-TV reported that lawmakers came to a 20-20 tie on the bill, which was subsequently broken by Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. The Associated Press reported that the tie was the result of one Democratic senator breaking ranks to vote with Republicans against the measure.
As National Review pointed out, the Senate's measure will remove Virginia's law requiring that women receive a "full, reasonable and comprehensible medical explanation of the nature, benefits, and risks of and alternatives to the proposed procedures or protocols to be followed in her particular case" prior to an abortion, as well as a requirement that women get an ultrasound before prior to the procedure. It also gets rid of a requirement that only doctors perform abortions and lowers health standards for clinics that perform first-trimester abortions, no longer classifying them as "as hospitals for the purpose of complying with regulations establishing minimum standards for hospitals."
In a tweet after the vote, the bill's sponsor — Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan — criticized the targeted abortion restrictions as "unnecessary and onerous."
But opponents say the proposed changes benefit abortion providers while doing a disservice to women.
"Today, abortion industry controlled elected officials in the General Assembly voted to ensure that the industry's profit increases at the expense of women and unborn lives," a statement from the Family Foundation's Victoria Cobb said, WRIC reported. "Women making life-altering decisions deserve the dignity of a doctor giving her the best information available and no less expertise than when they obtain any other outpatient surgery."
A similar measure passed the state's lower chamber by a vote of 52-45 Tuesday. As for when the changes might be signed into law by the governor, a Democratic Senate aide told CNN that the two chambers will evaluate differences in each other's bills in order to reconcile them when they exchange legislation for consideration next month.
Virginia's abortion debate became the subject of national discussion after Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's highly controversial remarks about a more extreme abortion bill proposed in the state legislature last year after the bill's sponsor said it would even allow for abortions to be performed during labor.
"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered," Northam said in an interview last January. "The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother."
President Trump criticized Northam's 2019 comments at last week's March for Life in Washington, D.C. "We love the Commonwealth of Virginia," the president remarked, "but what is going on in Virginia?"


theblaze--2020-01-30--Whoopi Goldberg gets frustrated with Alan Dershowitz for making reasoned arguments, says ‘I’m cuttin

Whoopi Goldberg gets frustrated with Alan Dershowitz for making reasoned arguments, says ‘I’m cutting you off,’ then insists he show her respect

Whoopi Goldberg gets frustrated with Alan Dershowitz for making reasoned arguments , says ‘ I ’ m cutting you off @ @ @ @ @ show her respect

ABC's "The View" has made for some juicy daytime television over the past several months, and Wednesday's episode featuring impeachment defense attorney and Harvard professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz continued that trend.
During the video interview, Dershowitz was responding to a question from co-host Joy Behar when Whoopi Goldberg had apparently reached her limit on patience during his long-winded and historically reasoned answer.
Goldberg interrupted Dershowitz and proceeded to mock him while he tried to speak. Then moments later, she insisted that he show her some respect.
Here's a clip from the segment provided by The Daily Caller:
youtu.be
"You still don't think any of this is impeachable. But the only people who actually agree with you are on your defense team, and 75 percent of Americans want to hear from [John] Bolton," Behar said, referring to claims made in the former national security adviser's forthcoming book in which he alleges President Trump told him directly of a quid pro quo with Ukraine.
"So why should we listen to you?" she asked.
"Well, I made the constitutional arguments," Dershowitz answered.
"I'm not arguing about witnesses, what I'm saying is the charge of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power are not within the constitutional terms 'high crimes and misdemeanors,'" he said.
"You're the only constitutional scholar who goes with that line. There is not one other that agrees with you, not one," Behar pushed back.
"Let me be very clear about that. In 1867, the dean of the Columbia law school—" Dershowitz began to say, before Goldberg jumped in.
"Wait, Alan. In 1492, you know, Columbus sailed the seas of blue," Goldberg interrupted, singing and waving her hands in mockery. "But, listen, I need to move on."
Evidently, understanding the historical views on what should constitute an impeachable offense was not a priority for Goldberg. Perhaps Dershowitz should've known.
"No, no, no, you're not going to get me to move on until I make this point—" Dershowitz insisted to no avail as Goldberg proceeded to speak over him, insisting that there was no time for his answer.
Dershowitz continued anyway.
"Shortly after the Constitution was enacted, the dean of the Columbia Law School said that the weight of authority was in favor of it being a crime. Now the academics all say it isn't. Why? Because Donald Trump is being impeached. If Hillary Clinton were being impeached, they'd all be on my side," he said as Goldberg continued to interrupt him.
"Are you done?" Goldberg then asked. "OK. You're saying you need a crime or criminal-like behavior—"
"Not me. That's what the framers said, of the Constitution—" Dershowitz retorted.
"So I'm moving you on or I'm cutting you off," Goldberg clapped back to cheers from the audience. "One or the other is going to happen. I don't want to make this contentious but we only have several minutes."
"You're laughing," she observed, before insinuating that Dershowitz should respect her.
"I've always been respectful to you and you've always been respectful to me," she said.
(H/T: The Daily Caller)


theblaze--2020-01-30--Dave Chappelle: 'I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy'

Dave Chappelle : ' I don ’ t look at Trump supporters as my enemy '

Dave Chappelle is certainly not a conservative. In fact, he's endorsed Andrew Yang in the Democratic primary — the candidate whose signature policy proposal is a $1,000 per month universal basic income.
But Chappelle has both sparked criticism and gained some admiration for calling things like he sees them, even when it goes against what might be expected of him as a wealthy liberal celebrity.
His latest violation of liberal elite dogma: He doesn't hate people who voted for or support President Donald Trump.
"I don't look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all," Chappelle said. "I understand why people voted for Trump, I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected. I got friends on both sides of the political aisle, I got fans on both sides of the political aisle. A lot of people say professionally it's not wise to support any candidate, but this idea is so good, that I think it should exist. And I think the fountainhead of many of the good ideas on the table this year are coming from a single source — Andrew Yang. And for some reason, no one's paying attention. This guy is the origin of a platform that really does address where I think the country needs to go."
Chappelle's stance on Trump supporters is vastly different than that of CNN host Don Lemon and his guests, Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali. A Saturday night segment on Lemon's show devolved into hysterical mocking of Trump supporters as uneducated "boomer rube[s]."
During the segment, Lemon threw all pretense of professionalism out the window, doubling over and laughing until he cried as his guests impersonated stereotypical Trump supporters using mock redneck accents. That segment has become a representation of liberal elite condescension of Trump supporters, and has even found its way into a GOP political ad.


theblaze--2020-01-30--Ellen DeGeneres gifts black teen $20,000 after school tells him to cut dreadlocks before graduation.

Ellen DeGeneres gifts black teen $20,000 after school tells him to cut dreadlocks before graduation. School says there's more to the story.

Ellen DeGeneres gifts black teen $ 20,000 after school tells him to cut dreadlocks before graduation .
School says there @ @ @ @ @ .

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres surprised Texas teen DeAndre Arnold with a $20,000 scholarship during a recent appearance on "Ellen."
School officials told DeAndre, a 17-year-old student at Barbers Hill Independent School District, that he would not be able to participate in graduation events if he refused to cut his lengthy dreadlocks. Officials also suspended DeAndre after he refused to cut his dreadlocks — which the family says is part of their Trinidadian heritage — in order to be in compliance with school dress code.
His story ended up going viral, but the district says there's more to the story.
What are the details?
DeAndre appeared on Wednesday's broadcast, where entertainer Alicia Keys appeared in order to gift him the $20,000 scholarship.
DeGeneres spoke to DeAndre, telling him that she understood his struggle.
"Let's say you want to go back to school tomorrow," DeGeneres said. "What happens?"
DeAndre pointed out that if he chose to go back to school, he would either be placed in school suspension, or shuffled over to an "alternative school."
"Alternative school," he explained, "is where all the kids that have behavioral issues, sell drugs, fight all the time. ... I wish them the best, and I know that they have good qualities in them, but I don't deserve to be grouped with them."
DeGeneres agreed.
"No," she responded. "You have good grades. You don't do drugs. You don't do any of that. And they won't allow you to walk in graduation, which is the biggest — you get that far through school, and you want to walk graduation."
DeAndre said that he worked hard his entire life and he feels cheated out of being excluded from graduation.
"I've worked for this all my life," he answered. "I've strived for this. I deserve this moment, to walk across stage and enter into life. My parents deserve this. ... They're the ones who, you know, they got me through everything. And, you know, they just taught me everything. They deserve to see me walk across the stage."
Later in the segment, DeGeneres issued a public plea to the school district, encouraging it to "do the right thing."
Keys appeared with the check a short while later and addressed DeAndre directly.
"I want to tell you that I couldn't believe the story when I heard it," she said. "And I'm super proud of you for standing up for what you know is right. And I know that the school needs to do the right thing."
What is the district saying?
At the time of this writing, Barbers Hill ISD is sticking to its guns and insisting that the length of DeAndre's dreadlocks are simply not within the scope of the long-standing dress code.
"[W]e absolutely allow dreadlocks," a representative told The Hill in a statement. "What we do not allow is any action that circumvents or violates the provision regarding hair length."
However, the statement added, "The student in question was NEVER forbidden from attending school."
Still, DeAndre and his family are not budging at this point.
“It's part of our culture and our heritage," the teen told DeGeneres said. “And I really wish the school would kind of be open to other cultures, and just at least let us try to tell you some things. Don't just shut us out."


theblaze--2020-02-05--Iowa Democratic Party releases further precinct results showing Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders st

Iowa Democratic Party releases further precinct results showing Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders still ahead Still no word on when @ @ @ @ @

The Iowa Democratic Party released another 10% of the state's precincts' presidential caucus results late Tuesday night, showing former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) holding on to the lead with 71% reporting.
What are the details?
Politico reported at 11:45 p.m. ET that the numbers now show Buttigieg has 418 delegates, Sanders 393, and from there a gap exists as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) has so far racked up 286. Former Vice President Joe Biden earned 241 delegates, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) has 196.
CBS translated the percentage breakdown as Buttigieg having 26.8%, Sanders 25.2%, Warren 18.4%, Biden 15.5%, and Klobuchar 12.6%. Businessmen Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer held 1.1 and 0.3% of State Delegate Equivalents, respectively.
Reporter Ed O'Keefe noted that Biden — originally considered the favorite in the race — is "barely making the 15% threshold for delegates."
The counts from late Tuesday showed little movement from numbers released by the IDP hours earlier, when 62% of the results were disclosed. At that point, Buttigieg was at 26.9%, Sanders was at 25.1%, Warren held 18.3%, and Biden was at 15.6%.
The latest results come a day after the IDP admitted that "irregularities" were found in its caucus reporting and announced that it would delay releasing results until officials could be sure of the numbers.
Multiple factors contributed to what has become a debacle. The Democratic National Committee imposed new caucus rules, and the state used a new app for precincts to submit results for this year's caucus. Both systems failed in Iowa — the first caucus held in the nation — leading to chaos and confusion on all fronts as the IDP scrambles to verify its numbers and has begun releasing results in increments.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Trump invited Rush Limbaugh to the State of the Union after his cancer diagnosis — and presented him

Trump invited Rush Limbaugh to the State of the Union after his cancer diagnosis — and presented him with the Medal of Freedom

Trump invited Rush Limbaugh to the State of the Union after his cancer diagnosis — and presented him with the @ @ @ @ @ Melania Trump presented the medal during the State of the Union address

Conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh was visibly moved when President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
What are the details?
Limbaugh accepted a last-minute invitation to the State of the Union address after announcing the day before to his millions of listeners that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
"Here tonight is a special man," President Trump said in his speech to the nation, "beloved by millions of Americans, who just received a stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis. This is not good news, but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet."
After introducing Limbaugh, the president said, "Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation — the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity — I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country's highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
The master of the airwaves appeared stunned and rose from his seat exhibiting a range of emotions before first lady Melania Trump, whom he was seated next to, presented the medal and placed it around Limbaugh's neck immediately.
As President Trump continued his speech, Limbaugh could not help but admire the medal he wore, according to Daily Caller reporter Henry Rodgers, who referred to the scene as "a really moving moment."
Anything else?
Reports circulated earlier in the day that Limbaugh had been invited to the State of the Union and that President Trump planned to present the radio legend with the Medal of Freedom in the near future.
A reporter from Fox News caught up with Limbaugh as he was making his way to the gallery for the president's address to the nation and asked about the rumors that he might receive the honor.
"I'm still in awe," Limbaugh proclaimed.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Nancy Pelosi expressed her anger at the State of the Union by tearing up her copy of Trump's speech

Nancy Pelosi expressed her anger at the State of the Union by tearing up her copy of Trump 's speech @ @ @ @ @ the speech much .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attempted to create a viral moment after President Donald Trump's State of the Union address when she ripped up her copy of his speech.
The president finished up his address by promising Americans that the best was yet to come, but Pelosi responded by angrily tearing the sheets of the speech.
The move was seen by some on social media as a response to the president snubbing her as she reached for a handshake before the speech began.
CNN's Dana Bash said that a source close to Pelosi told her that the incident was not planned and was instead a natural response to what she feeling during the president's speech.
When asked about why she tore up the speech, Pelosi responded, "It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative. It was such a dirty speech."
Trump touched on many subjects during the address, including illegal immigration and the economy, but one noticeably absent topic was impeachment.
The president was impeached by the Democrat-controlled U.S. House, but is expected to be acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Here's the video of Pelosi tearing up the speech:


theblaze--2020-02-05--President Trump creates viral moment when Nancy Pelosi reaches to shake his hand at the State of the

President Trump creates viral moment when Nancy Pelosi reaches to shake his hand at the State of the Union Social @ @ @ @ @ it

Social media erupted after President Donald Trump appeared to refuse to shake the hand of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) before the State of the Union address even began.
The president walked to the lectern in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives amidst thunderous applause and chants of "four more years!" from his supporters and the Republicans.
He turned away from Pelosi just as she was reaching to shake his hand. It was unclear if the snub was intentional or not.
The moment quickly went viral on social media:
"Well that's the moment. Unless he lights himself on fire trumps refusal to shake Pelosi's hand or what looked like it will be the meme," responded former Obama administration official Jen Psaki.
"Pelosi reached out to shake Trump's hand and Trump snubbed her," noted CNN's Manu Raju.
"BREAKING: Speaker Pelosi just went to shake Trump's hand and he ignored her. What a classless lunatic. An international embarrassment. Gross," responded liberal activist Scott Dworkin.
ABC News senior producer John Santucci noted that Pelosi also appeared to shorten the traditional introduction for the president.
"Usually the speaker says - 'Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States.' Pelosi just said 'the President of the United States,'" noted Santucci.
Several Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), refused to attend the address in protest against the president.
Here's a video about the viral interaction:


theblaze--2020-02-05--WATCH: 2020 State of the Union, presented by BlazeTV

WATCH : 2020 State of the Union , presented by BlazeTV Glenn Beck , Eric Bolling , and special guest @ @ @ @ @ of the Union address

BlazeTV's Eric Bolling hosts the most entertaining and pro-America coverage of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Glenn Beck joins from the heart of the action at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., along with Jon Miller and Stu Burguiere. Plus, special guest Bill O'Reilly stops by to dish out his unapologetic, no-spin analysis.
Join us for our livestream coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on BlazeTV and YouTube.
youtu.be
Use promo code SOTU to save $20 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-02-05--'You're the party of this bulls**t!' — Bill Maher ridicules Liz Warren over transgender statement

'You 're the party of this bulls**t ! '
— Bill Maher ridicules Liz Warren over transgender statement '' Is @ @ @ @ @ Berkeley ? ''

Liberal comedian Bill Maher mocked Sen. Liz Warren (D-Mass.) over a statement she made in support of the transgender cause, and it's enraged liberals on social media.
Maher made the comments during his HBO show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," on Friday.
"Elizabeth Warren, who I've always liked, but she kind of like did some stuff I didn't like, and today she came out, listen to this, she wants her secretary of education to be vetted by a high school student, I'm not kidding," Maher said to his audience.
"She said a young trans person, I believe in high school, 'I'm going to have a secretary of education that this young trans person interviews on my behalf, and only if this person believes our secretary of education nominee is absolutely committed,'" he continued.
"Now Obama said people just don't want crazy stuff; is this not crazy stuff?" Maher added.
"Is she running for president of Berkeley?" he mocked to applause and laughter from his audience.
"I always worry when this stuff happens, I always say, there's only two teams now," Maher continued.
"Everything that happens on the left goes into the blue bin," he explained. "You're the party of this bulls**t!"
Warren was seen as a competitor to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the progressive vote in the Democratic primary, but her campaign has fallen on tough times while Sanders has seen a surge in polling.
Here's Warren pandering to the trans lobby:
www.youtube.com
[H/T: Washington Examiner]


theblaze--2020-02-05--President Trump to award Rush Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom: reports

President Trump to award Rush Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom : reports The talk radio icon will also reportedly attend @ @ @ @ @ address Tuesday night

President Donald Trump reportedly told news anchors during a private lunch on Tuesday that he plans to honor conservative talk radio pioneer Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Limbaugh announced on his show Monday that he was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
What are the details?
According to multiple outlets, the president told members of the press during an off-the-record lunch that he wants to present Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom in the near future. CNN reported that a "person familiar with the discussion" said President Trump would like to hold the ceremony "in the coming months," while Politico reported that "the president also said he could award the Medal of Freedom to Limbaugh as soon as next week."
Politico also cited two individuals who claimed President Trump's preference would be to honor Limbaugh with the medal during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The outlet further reported that the president invited the radio legend to attend his speech and "join the first lady in the gallery."
A source told Fox News that Mr. Limbaugh will, indeed, be in attendance at the State of the Union address.
President Trump and Mr. Limbaugh have been friends for years, and the radio host has been a staunch supporter of the president throughout his time in the White House.
After Limbaugh revealed his diagnosis, President Trump tweeted, "Many people do not know what a great guy & fantastic political talent the great Rush Limbaugh is. There is nobody like him. Looking for a speedy recovery for our friend!"
Anything else?
Limbaugh explained to his audience on Monday that he will likely miss some days on the radio in order to receive and recover from treatments for his disease. He went on to thank his listeners, saying, "I know you're there in great numbers, and I know that you understand everything I say. The rest of the world may not when they hear it expressed in a different way, but I know that you do. You've been one of the greatest sources of confidence that I've had in my life."


theblaze--2020-02-04--Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders lead early results — Iowa Democratic Party refuses to say when fin

Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders lead early results — Iowa Democratic Party refuses to say when final numbers will be released

Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders lead early results — Iowa Democratic Party refuses to say when final numbers will be @

The Iowa Democratic Party on Tuesday afternoon announced partial results from the state's presidential caucuses held Monday evening, and the initial numbers show former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) leading the pack.
But only 62% of the results were disclosed, and the party refused to offer a timeline for when the final results will be released.
What are the details?
With 62% of precincts reporting, Buttigieg was in the lead at 26.9%, Bernie Sanders close behind with 25.1%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) came in third at 18.3%, and former Vice President Joe Biden was next at 15.6%.
Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price held a news conference shortly before the partial results were released, and told reporters the party was still reviewing "irregularities" in reporting of the remaining results, according to The Hill.
Refusing to give a timeline for when those final numbers might be released, Price said, "We're going to take the time we need to do that."
The nation has been waiting for nearly a full day for the IDP to present its results, after the party finally admitted late Monday night that it discovered irregularities. The chaos was met with widespread condemnation of the process and of Democratic Party leaders at the state and national level.
Price released a statement blaming Monday night's debacle on a "coding issue" with the app designed to collect voting data. He claimed that while the app was "recording data accurately, it was reporting out only partial data."
This is a developing story and will be updated as necessary.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Republicans plan to expunge impeachment of President Trump if they take back the House

Republicans plan to expunge impeachment of President Trump if they take back the House Impeached forever ?
The GOP says @ @ @ @

House Republicans say they plan to remove the impeachment of President Donald Trump from the "books" if they regain power in the lower chamber in 2021, a move they began plotting even before the president was acquitted in the Senate on Wednesday.
While Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared that President Trump's "impeachment will last forever," members of the GOP say expunging the impeachment of the president is a very real possibility — even if it is largely symbolic.
What are the details?
The New York Post spoke with several members of the House GOP in an article published ahead of Wednesday's Senate acquittal. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told the outlet, "This is the fastest, weakest, most political impeachment in history. I don't think it should stay on the books."
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) concurred, telling the Post, "The president should have never been impeached in the first place." He called "expungement "a good idea."
Over the weekend, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) declared on Twitter, "The House of Representatives should EXPUNGE this sham impeachment in January 2021! This was absolutely disgusting what Pelosi and [House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)] just dragged our country through. The end is near not only for impeachment, but hopefully also for their abusive grip on their gavels."
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley — who was called by Republicans to testify during House impeachment proceedings — told the Post that even if the House were to vote on expunging the impeachment of the president, the move "would be more cathartic than constitutional."
Turley reasoned, "Trump is impeached. ... Even if the Senate were to cancel the trial or dismiss the charges, impeachment is a historical and unavoidable fact."
George Washington University professor Sarah Binder agrees. She told the Washington Examiner, "If a future Republican House were to vote to expunge the House-passed impeachment resolution, it would be a purely symbolic, even cosmetic move."
Binder added, "This current House agreed to H.Res. 755. And while a future House could adopt a resolution that says it is striking the adoption from the Record, that doesn't undo the fact that the current House agreed to those two articles of impeachment."
Anything else?
Whether the record of the House impeachment is expunged or not, Minority Leader McCarthy declared after the Senate found the president "not guilty" that President Trump is now "acquitted for life."


theblaze--2020-02-05--Iowa Democratic Party says they made a 'minor' mistake on partial vote tally — Bernie Sanders campai

Iowa Democratic Party says they made a 'minor' mistake on partial vote tally — Bernie Sanders campaign is blaming racism

Iowa Democratic Party says they made a 'minor ' mistake on partial vote tally — Bernie Sanders campaign is blaming @ @ @ @ @ failures mount in Iowa

After a complete disaster of caucus organization, the Iowa Democratic Party announced that they needed to make a "minor correction" to the partial results they reported, and one campaign is implying racism was the motivation.
The furor began shortly after the Iowa Democratic Party announced the correction on Wednesday.
"There will be a minor correction to the last batch of results and we will be pushing an update momentarily," they tweeted.
Those mistakes just happened to take votes away from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and his campaign was not happy about it.
Bill Neidhardt, the Iowa deputy state director for the Sanders campaign, called the correction "disturbing to say the least," in a tweet that implied the party had disenfranchised Latino, black, and Muslim voters.
"Day 3 of this mess. Not what I would a 'minor' issue," he added in a second tweet.
Other Sanders supporters excoriated the Iowa Democratic Party for the error.
"So Iowa Dems get caught undercutting Bernie in Black Hawk county and we only know because Black Hawk county released their info on their own? And now Iowa Dems are forced to fix. This is out of this world," said YouTube activist Kyle Kulinski.
The error was the latest in a series of embarrassing mistakes by the Iowa Democratic Party in their incompetent attempt to complete the key Iowa caucuses for the Democratic primary election.
The correction will no doubt add fuel to the conflagration in the Democratic Party between far-left progressives who support Sanders and the more centrist establishment Democrats.
In 2016, "Bernie Bros" excoriated the party for evidence that appeared to show the Democratic Party rigging the primary election against Sanders for the benefit of Hillary Clinton. Clinton supporters would go on to blame "Bernie Bros" for her defeat at the hands of President Donald Trump.
Here's more about the Iowa caucus debacle:


theblaze--2020-02-05--Reps. Tlaib and Omar chat, laugh during Trump's SOTU, then walk out because 'it was all beneath the

Reps. Tlaib and Omar chat, laugh during Trump's SOTU, then walk out because 'it was all beneath the dignity of the office'

Reps. Tlaib and Omar chat , laugh during Trump 's SOTU , then walk out because 'it was all beneath @ @ @ @ @ '

Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) made a dramatic exit in the middle of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday.
"I walked out of that speech. The lies, the bigotry, and the shameless bragging about taking away food stamps that people depend on to live — it was all beneath the dignity of the office he occupies. Shame on this forever impeached president," Tlaib tweeted on Tuesday night.
Tlaib later told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that the mention of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the "trigger" that pushed her to leave the House chamber.
"I couldn't stand still and not do anything about it, and I needed to walk away from that," Tlaib claimed. "[W]e're tired of the hate rhetoric. We're tired of divisiveness in our country."
On Wednesday's radio program, Glenn Beck, who watched President Trump's third State of the Union address from inside the chamber, said he'd be surprised if either Tlaib or Omar heard a single word of the speech.
"Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, they were sitting in the back. They were laughing. They were giggling," Glenn said. "They weren't paying any attention. And no one was paying any attention to them."
In this clip, Glenn exposed what was really going on inside the chamber during President Trump's State of the Union address, and likened Tlaib and Omar's behavior to "those girls" in high school — you know, the ones that think they're too cool for school, and assemblies, and everything else?
Watch:
Want more from Glenn Beck?
To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.
Use code SOTU to save $20 on one year of BlazeTV


theblaze--2020-02-05--It’s hard for blacks to support Trump — and it’s important to understand why

It ’ s hard for blacks to support Trump — and it ’ s important to understand why It 's @ @ @ @ @ the issues

I'm black, and I'm politically conservative. And I have struggled mightily with the presidency and candidacy of Donald Trump.
This wasn't a big problem for me in 2016. I didn't work in conservative political media then. I worked at a university, doing decidedly non-political work. I was an observer. I never had to have opinions on politics, unless I wanted to. Usually, I kept them to myself.
Now, every day, I immerse myself in politics. I know everything Trump does and says. I'm very aware that there is an election coming up, and regardless of who the Democratic nominee is, there will be only one candidate who isn't hostile to my values — Donald Trump.
I didn't vote in the general election in 2016. I voted in the Republican primary, for Marco Rubio. That vote didn't age well.
I thought Trump's candidacy was a joke when it began. I felt he lacked substance and presidential demeanor during the debates. I didn't think he really believed most of the stances he was running on. I found him lacking in moral character. I didn't think he was qualified to be president. So I didn't want to vote for him.
Now it's 2020, and as it turns out, Trump has done a pretty good job as president, by many standards. Is my life better than it was in 2016? Yeah, it is. Trump may not be responsible for that, but his policies haven't hurt.
That reality strips away much of the basis of my 2016 opposition, and forces me to confront an uncomfortable truth: It can be very hard for black people to support Donald Trump, even if it's in their best interest to do so from a policy standpoint.
Black Trump supporters are certainly out there. There are possibly more of them than you might imagine. They don't advertise it, but when you really get into the conversation you'll often hear sort of an apologetic admission from a black person that they actually agree with much of what Trump has done.
But Trump is a racist. At least, that's the prevailing narrative. Yes, there's the black unemployment rate. Yes, there's criminal justice reform. But there's also a history of racially questionable conduct and comments to reckon with. There's the not-so-subtle exploitation of white angst and fear of immigrants to mobilize support. There's the immigration policy and rhetoric which, regardless of who started it, had some truly devastating human consequences.
It's even harder for black women. Add sexual assault allegations and sexist comments to the problematic racial issues, and it's easy to see why Trump earned low single digits with that demographic.
There exists a strong social pressure for a black voters not to support Trump. And if they must support him, they might want to keep it quiet. Otherwise, they may be subject to shaming and ridicule. Sell out. Uncle Tom. Bigot. Even racist. "Trump supporter" is often an insult in the black community. Go look at some of the comments Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the U.S. Senate, gets. Even working for a conservative outlet like TheBlaze in the Trump era arouses suspicion among friends and family about my beliefs.
Appealing to black voters with policy achievements and economic statistics is fine, and a necessary strategy. Criminal justice reform is a good thing for the black community. Federal financial support for historically black colleges and universities is good for the black community. Opportunity zones and school choice are good for black communities. And I'll grant that they may move the needle some on the black vote. But we're still leaving a lot of potential untapped if we view that like the only approach.
Because numbers and policies don't cut through what a black voter might feel when they remember the president calling football players protesting police brutality "sons of bitches" while a mostly white, deep south audience cheers. That issue matters to us.
Legislation doesn't remove hesitation when we think about how excited white nationalist groups got about Trump, and why that might be. Budget allocations don't make us feel good about seeing the president tweet that American minority lawmakers should "go back" to the "crime infested places from which they came." Stats don't change how we might interpret him calling Haiti and African nations "s**thole countries," or why it might not seem appealing to vote for someone who talks about Nigerian people going "back to their huts."
The conservative establishment is great at telling us why these things don't matter, or how they are out of context, or why they shouldn't be offensive. And sometimes, they're right. Other times, it's a matter of opinion. And you can hold whatever opinion you want on those incidents, but if you want black votes, it might require more understanding and openness to a different opinion. All these occurrences have a cumulative impact. You can insist none of this matters, but if you want black voters to "Blexit" or "Walk Away" from the Democratic Party, it needs to start mattering.
This isn't an anti-Trump article. It's not a pro-Trump one, either. It's an "I need you to understand why this isn't as simple as you might think" article. The biggest problem with GOP outreach to minority communities has been, and continues to be, a lack of empathy and a tendency to defensively dismiss all race-based concerns. Don't be a snowflake. Don't be a victim. Reject PC culture. Move on from the wounds and remnants of segregation. Stop race-baiting.
Trump only needed 8% of black voters to become president. He may get slightly more than that in November. And if that's all Republicans want, then maybe nothing needs to change. But if we want more, there needs to be a sincere acknowledgment of the non-policy obstacles that cause millions of minorities to vote against their own values.
I don't have all the answers on this one. I don't have an action step or an outreach plan. For now, I just want you to understand. To see a different perspective. To respect it and be willing to talk about it with your guard down. If we start there, maybe we can get somewhere.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Undercover cop posing as prostitute tells man short on cash he can pay her for sex with a hamburger.

Undercover cop posing as prostitute tells man short on cash he can pay her for sex with a hamburger. It goes downhill for him from there.

Undercover cop posing as prostitute tells man short on cash he can pay her for sex with a hamburger .
@ @ @ @ @ from there .
Police also discovered the suspect was a sex offender on probation

A man rode his bicycle up to what turned out to be an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute for a sting operation in southeast Albuquerque, KRQE-TV reported.
The pair got to talking and after agreeing on terms and a price, 36-year-old Dominic Calderon asked for the officer's phone number because he wasn't going to have enough money until Friday, the station said, citing a criminal complaint.
Such a deal
At that point, the undercover officer noticed Calderon was carrying a "To-Go" bag from Chili's, KRQE reported.
She asked Calderon what was in the bag, and he told the officer it was a hamburger, the station said.
With that, the officer told Calderon that her fee could be the burger — and after Calderon agreed, he was arrested, KRQE reported.
It was one of 11 prostitution arrests made Jan. 28 along Central Avenue, the station said.
Not just any suspect
Police ran a check on Calderon and discovered he was a sex offender on probation, KRQE reported. The probation office confirmed Calderon's status with police, and his probation was revoked and upgraded to a felony warrant, the station added.
Oh, and that hamburger? KRQE said it indeed was tagged into evidence.


theblaze--2020-02-05--'Not guilty': President Trump acquitted in Senate impeachment trial

Months of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump came to a long-anticipated conclusion on Wednesday afternoon as the president was acquitted in the Senate 's impeachment trial .
The chamber held two separate votes on the two articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives .
The first article alleged that Trump had abused his powers as president in asking the Ukrainian government to look into suspected corruption involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son , Hunter Biden ; the second alleged that the president unconstitutionally obstructed Congress in refusing to cooperate with the House 's impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood at their desks and responded either `` guilty '' or `` not guilty '' to the charges leveled against the president .
The first article of impeachment failed by a vote of 52 senators voting to acquit and 48 to convict , with Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) voting to convict the president along with Democrats .
The second article of impeachment failed by a vote of 53 to 47 , with Romney joining his Republican colleagues on the second .
`` The Senate having tried Donald John Trump , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives , and two-thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein it is , therefore , ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be , and he is hereby , acquitted of the charges in said articles , '' Roberts concluded after the votes .
While the prospect of the Senate ever mustering up the two-thirds majority necessary to impeach Trump was highly improbable from the outset of the trial , questions of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote have hung over the duration of the upper chamber 's proceedings .
But — out of the senators who were considered to be possible swing votes — only Romney ultimately decided to cross party lines when it came to the final vote .
`` The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor , '' Romney said from the Senate floor just hours before the votes .
`` Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sen. Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) announced that she will vote to acquit Trump , as did potential swing vote Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-Alaska ) the day before .
Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) has also said that he would vote to acquit the president .
On the other side of the aisle , the three likeliest crossovers among Senate Democrats — Sens .
Doug Jones ( Ala. ) , Kyrsten Sinema ( Ariz. ) , and Joe Manchin ( W.V . )
— all announced Wednesday that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove him from office .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) announced `` an official impeachment inquiry '' against President Trump on Sept. 24 .
After months of closed-door depositions and public hearings , the House approved the articles of impeachment on Dec. 18 .
After a few more weeks of Pelosi controversial holdout , the articles were finally transmitted to the Senate on Jan. 15 and the trial began the day after .

Months of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump came to a long-anticipated conclusion on Wednesday afternoon as the president was acquitted in the Senate's impeachment trial.
The chamber held two separate votes on the two articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives. The first article alleged that Trump had abused his powers as president in asking the Ukrainian government to look into suspected corruption involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden; the second alleged that the president unconstitutionally obstructed Congress in refusing to cooperate with the House's impeachment investigation.
One by one, senators stood at their desks and responded either "guilty" or "not guilty" to the charges leveled against the president.
The first article of impeachment failed by a vote of 52 senators voting to acquit and 48 to convict, with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voting to convict the president along with Democrats.
The second article of impeachment failed by a vote of 53 to 47, with Romney joining his Republican colleagues on the second.
"The Senate having tried Donald John Trump, president of the United States, upon two articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, and two-thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein it is, therefore, ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted of the charges in said articles," Roberts concluded after the votes.
While the prospect of the Senate ever mustering up the two-thirds majority necessary to impeach Trump was highly improbable from the outset of the trial, questions of which members might cross party lines on the vote have hung over the duration of the upper chamber's proceedings. But — out of the senators who were considered to be possible swing votes — only Romney ultimately decided to cross party lines when it came to the final vote.
"The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor," Romney said from the Senate floor just hours before the votes. "Yes, he did."
On Tuesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced that she will vote to acquit Trump, as did potential swing vote Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) the day before. Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has also said that he would vote to acquit the president.
On the other side of the aisle, the three likeliest crossovers among Senate Democrats — Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), and Joe Manchin (W.V.) — all announced Wednesday that they would vote to convict the president and remove him from office.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced "an official impeachment inquiry" against President Trump on Sept. 24. After months of closed-door depositions and public hearings, the House approved the articles of impeachment on Dec. 18. After a few more weeks of Pelosi controversial holdout, the articles were finally transmitted to the Senate on Jan. 15 and the trial began the day after.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Sen. Marco Rubio spearheads push to nominate Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement for the Nobel Peace

Sen. Marco Rubio spearheads push to nominate Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement for the Nobel Peace Prize

Sen. Marco Rubio spearheads push to nominate Hong Kong 's pro-democracy movement for the Nobel Peace Prize Their 'bravery and @ @ @ @ @ '

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) are headlining a bipartisan push to nominate the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
Rubio announced in a news release Tuesday that he and seven other members of Congress have submitted a nomination letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.
In the letter, they urged the committee to recognize the "countless and often anonymous individuals [who] risked their lives, their health, their jobs, and their education to support a better future for Hong Kong."
"They have demonstrated civic courage, extraordinary leadership, and an unwavering commitment to a free and democratic Hong Kong that upholds the rule of law and fundamental human rights and freedom," the letter said. "This prize would honor the millions of people in Hong Kong whose bravery and determination have inspired the world."
What's the background?
Beginning in the spring 2019, large-scale protests broke out in Hong Kong contesting a proposed extradition bill that would allow China to more easily extradite fugitives to mainland China.
Opponents of the bill argued that it included no guarantee of a fair trial and that it would undermine the city's semi-autonomous status. The bill would essentially allow Chinese authorities to operate without restriction in the city, and Hong Kong residents felt that their freedom of expression was threatened.
The demonstrations kept growing and on June 16, 2019, one protest included over 2 million participants in a city of about 7.5 million, making it "one of the largest mass protests in history," the letter to the Nobel Peace Prize committee notes.
Later that summer and continuing into the winter, protests turned violent as police began breaking up the crowds with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water hoses.
"The pro-democracy movement made five reasonable demands of the Hong Kong government: 1) withdraw the extradition bill; 2) conduct an independent inquiry into the police violence; 3) drop charges against all arrested protesters; 4) retract the characterization of the June protests as "riots"; and 5) the use of universal suffrage to elect the chief executive and legislative council members," the letter recalls.
In response, the Hong Kong government finally withdrew the extradition bill, but have continued to use violent force to combat protests and refer to the protesters as "rioters." The government has also refused to implement free elections.
Anything else?
Another notable nominee for the 2020 prize is teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was nominated by two Swedish lawmakers, in her second consecutive nomination.
According to the Associated Press, the two lawmakers argued that Thunberg "has worked hard to make politicians open their eyes to the climate crisis," and that "action for reducing our emissions and complying with the Paris Agreement is therefore also an act of making peace."
The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was Saturday, and now the committee will head into its next stage, which is determining the short list of nominees.
It won't be until October that Nobel laureates are chosen, and until December that they actually receive their prize.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Authorities arrest Delaware school bus driver for vehicular assault with a bus carrying at least 30

Authorities arrest Delaware school bus driver for vehicular assault with a bus carrying at least 30 children Inappropriate behavior to @ @ @

Delaware State Police arrested a school bus driver Tuesday and charged him with multiple counts of reckless endangerment and vehicular assault.
What are the details?
According to WMDT-TV , the incident took place Jan. 28 when Delaware State Police learned that 65-year-old Granville Lawson intentionally slammed on the brakes in order to stop kids from getting out of their seats.
At least 11 children were injured as a result of Lawson's actions including bruising, abrasions, and concussion-like symptoms.
According to a Delaware State Police news release , "The remaining 19 victims did not report any injury, however, all reported the reckless manner in which Lawson intentionally stopped the bus."
Before abruptly stopping, Lawson reportedly announced on the bus's PA system, "See what I can do when you get out of your seats." WMDT reported that "Lawson made no announcements regarding children being out of their seats before slamming on the brakes."
The bus was carrying about 30 students ranging in age from 6 to 11 years, as well as a 77-year-old bus aide.
Authorities report that "10 of the parents whose child did not sustain injury declined prosecution in lieu of disciplinary action by the school."
What was the driver charged with?
Police took Lawson into custody and charged him with nine counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and 11 counts of third-degree vehicular assault.
Lawson was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court and later released upon his own recognizance.
Indian River School District spokesman David Maull said the district informed parents of the incident on the same day it took place, according to Delaware Online. Maull also encouraged parents to take their children to the emergency room for examination "if they had any concerns about injuries that may have been sustained."
Maull added that the authorities were immediately informed of Lawson's actions.


theblaze--2020-02-05--QUIZ: Steven Crowder takes Pete Buttigieg's 'microaggression' quiz on air

Steven Crowder and his team took Pete Buttigieg 's micro-aggression survey for nonwhite employees .
According to the survey , @ @ @ @ @ chains and being interrupted are examples of microaggression , and they seem to only happen @ @ @ @ @ nonwhite .
How racist is this survey ?
Watch the video below to find out @ @ @ @ @ full show every day ?
Join # MugClub !
http : //louderwithcrowder.com/mugclub Use code LWC @ @ @ @ @ one year of BlazeTV .
Want more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of @ @ @ @ @ that 's actually funny , subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution and live the American dream .

Steven Crowder and his team took Pete Buttigieg's micro-aggression survey for nonwhite employees. According to the survey, being left off high-priority email chains and being interrupted are examples of microaggression, and they seem to only happen to persons who identify as nonwhite. How racist is this survey? Watch the video below to find out.
youtu.be
Want to watch the full show every day? Join #MugClub! http://louderwithcrowder.com/mugclub
Use code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-02-05--Illegal immigrant approved for police ride-along — even after background check showed warrant for fa

Illegal immigrant approved for police ride-along — even after background check showed warrant for failure to appear in immigration court @ @ @ @ @ the department to be shuttling around people who are wanted by federal authorities '

An illegal immigrant was approved for a police ride-along in Maryland — even though a background check by Montgomery County Police revealed the man had an active warrant for failure to appear at an immigration hearing, WJLA-TV reported.
The station noted that some on the force are concerned by the revelation.
"It's not a good look for the department to be shuttling around people who are wanted by federal authorities," a police source with more than 10 years in the department told WJLA.
What are the details?
The Clarksburg resident — the station didn't identify him — in November submitted a one-page ride-along application, which included a question regarding why the applicant wants to go on the police ride-along.
The man's reply? "In order to know a little about the responsibilities and dangers of an officer," WJLA said.
Adhering to standard procedure, Montgomery County Police performed a background check on the man — and it returned an active warrant for failure to appear at an immigration court date, the station said.
A note dated Dec. 8 attached to the application said the man has a criminal history and "is 10-60 FTA for immigration deportation," WJLA said.
Still, 5th District Commander Mark Plazinski approved the ride-along, the station said.
Image source: WJLA-TV video screenshot
What did a county leader have to say about the issue?
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) has said he views immigration warrants as civil matters rather than criminal, the station said.
"This is not the role of the county government, per se, to be involved in doing this," Elrich said last summer regarding the county's strained relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, WJLA reported.
What happened after the ride-along was approved?
The ride-along was scheduled for Saturday morning, but the illegal immigrant canceled Friday — fewer than 24 hours before the start time, the station said.
"Somebody called me and told me they were not able," the illegal immigrant told WJLA by telephone Monday. "I told him, 'If there's a problem, no problem. That's no problem.' It would have been a good experience, but it's nothing I have to do."
More from the station:
The man, who is married with kids, went on to explain he is a chaplain at his Christian church. That position led him to enroll in the Montgomery County Police Department's Hispanic Community Academy. The 12-week course is taught in Spanish and aims to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the Latino community.
"Graduates of the program have used their newly-gained knowledge of MCPD to help their family, friends, and the larger Hispanic community build stronger bonds of trust with the officers of their police department," the program website states. "They continue to give back to the community through volunteer opportunities and are currently working on a project to increase pedestrian safety."
WJLA said ICE declined to comment for its story.
(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)


theblaze--2020-02-05--Joe Biden calls possible fourth-place Iowa finish a 'gut punch,' then takes aim at Bernie Sanders, P

Joe Biden calls possible fourth-place Iowa finish a 'gut punch,' then takes aim at Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg

Joe Biden calls possible fourth-place Iowa finish a 'gut punch , ' then takes aim at Bernie Sanders , Pete @ @ @ @ @ in New Hampshire

We still don't know who won Iowa. But, based on the roughly 75% of the data we have, it looks like former Vice President Joe Biden is heading for a disappointing fourth-place finish, behind Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.
That's not great. Biden didn't have to win Iowa, and there are some indications he wasn't fully trying to, but many analysts — and potential donors — said leading into the Iowa caucuses that a fourth-place finish could indicate trouble for Biden's candidacy.
"If he came in fourth, yeah, that could hurt," said Biden donor Bill Freeman. "That's a bad night, no matter how you spin it."
Campaigning in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Biden acknowledged as much.
"I am not going to sugarcoat it, we took a gut punch in Iowa," Biden said, according to the Associated Press. "But look, this isn't the first time in my life I've been knocked down."
Now Biden is having to punch up at other candidates, like Buttigieg and Sanders, for the first time. Until recently, Biden has looked like the unquestioned front-runner. He also needs to convince potential donors not to bail on him at this sign of trouble, telling them that he will bounce back and win South Carolina and Nevada.
On Sanders, Biden said that granting the the Vermont senator the nomination would permanently attach the detrimental "socialist" stigma to the party, something on which President Donald Trump will capitalize, and for which Democratic congressional candidate in purple or blue districts will pay the price.
Biden also said 38-year-old Buttigieg does not have the experience to run the country, as "someone who's never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana."
Now, Biden must hope for a better showing in Feb. 11's New Hampshire primary.
"I'm not going anywhere," Biden told supporters. "And I'm counting on New Hampshire. We're going to come back."
Despite his Iowa finish, Biden still leads in the national poll, according to RealClearPolitics.


theblaze--2020-02-05--VIDEO: Elizabeth Warren accused of trying to hide behind a staffer after being caught flying on a pr

VIDEO: Elizabeth Warren accused of trying to hide behind a staffer after being caught flying on a private jet

VIDEO : Elizabeth Warren accused of trying to hide behind a staffer after being caught flying on a private jet

A video is making the rounds on the internet showing Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) appearing to hide behind a staffer after being caught exiting a private jet.
Warren reportedly was flying back into Iowa Monday night after spending the day in Washington, D.C., for the closing arguments in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump.
In the video obtained by Fox News, the senator looks at the camera after stepping off the jet, then appears to stay behind a staffer for the remainder of her walk on the tarmac.
Warren has made environmental awareness and the abuses of the "rich and powerful" central themes of her presidential campaign, both of which work against her extensive use of private jet travel.
She likely knows that the optics of her chartering across the country in her gas-guzzling jet run afoul of her humble and green campaign initiatives, but that hasn't led her to cut back. Warren spent more than $700,000 on private plane travel in the last quarter of the election cycle alone.
Yet only days ago, Warren maintained a position of superiority, calling out former Trump-appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price for his use of private jets.
According to the Daily Wire, last October, when asked how she is personally fighting climate change, Warren assured supporters that she is "mostly flying commercial."
Besides that obviously not being the case, Warren also struggled to come up with any answer at all. "We've been trying to look at other ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint and it's everything from the kind of car we drive, uh, and down to … do we purchase offsets, can we make that work as a way to try to reduce the footprint," she said.
"So, Warren doesn't always fly commercial, and her campaign is merely looking into other ways to reduce their carbon footprint?" the Daily Wire noted. "So basically, she's doing nothing while stoking fears about a climate crisis."