theblaze--2020-01-16--Ryan: Trump in the Funhouse Finale

Ryan: Trump in the Funhouse Finale

A civilization is defined not only by what it creates , but also what it discards

Part One. Part Two. Part Three.
At the end of President Trump rallies, I would throw on my Carhartt jacket, sneak out of the press area, then blend in with everyone as they left, filing out through swinging doors.
Often, someone held the door open for me. Just 30 minutes earlier, the same person had most likely hissed at me for being a journalist. And now they had Sunday smiles and "Oh, yes, thank you, sir" like some redneck concierge.
People flooded out of the arena with the stupidity of a fire drill mishap, desperate to survive.
The air smacked you as soon as you crossed the threshold, back into Louisiana. And the lawn was a wasteland of camping chairs and coolers and shopping bags and to-go containers and soda cans and articles of clothing and even a few tents.
In Monroe, in the dark, the Trump supporters bobbled over mounds of waste like elephants trying to tiptoe. And the trash was as neutral to them as concrete or grass. They plodded over it because it, an object, had somehow gotten in their way.
It did not matter that they were responsible for this wreckage.
Out in the sharp-edged moonlight, rallygoers hooted and yapped and boogied and danced, and the BBQ food truck was all smoke and paper plates.
They were even more pumped than they had been before the rally, like 6,000 8-year-olds who'd been chugging Mountain Dew for hours. Which made Donald Trump the father, the trooper, God of the Underworld, Mr. Elite, Sheriff on high horse, the AR-15 sticker of the family.
Ritualistic mayhem, all at once. And, there in Louisiana, Trump's supporters had gotten a taste of it. They were all so happy. It bordered on rage.
Still, I could not imagine their view of America. Worse, after a day of strange hostilities, I did not care.
My highest priority, my job as a reporter, was to care. To understand them and the world that they inhabit. But I did not give a damn, and I never wanted to come back.
Worst of all, I would be back. In less than a week.
Was this how dogs felt on the Fourth of July? Hunched in a corner while everyone else gets drunk and launches wailing light into the sky? Configurations of blue and red and white.
It was 10 p.m., and we'd been traveling since 11 a.m., and we still had 5 hours to go and all I wanted was a home, my home, any home, just not here, in the cold sweat of this nowhere. Gray-mangled sky. No evidence of planes or satellites or any proof of modern-day. Just century-old bridges that trains shuffled over one clack at a time.
And casinos, all spangles and neon like the 1960s in Las Vegas. Kitchy and dumb, too tacky for lighthearted gambling. And only in the nicer cities, like Shreveport, which is not nice at all.
And swamp. Black water that rarely shimmered. Inhabited by gadflies and leeches and not one single fish that was pretty.
Full of alligators, and other killing types. The storks gnawing on frogs, the vultures never hungry. The coyotes with nobody to stop them and so much land to themselves. The roaches in the wild, like tiny wildebeests.
Then, the occasional deer carcass on the side of the road, eyes splayed as if distracted, tongue out, relaxed but empty. The diseased willows like skeletons in hairnets. The owls that never quit staring. A million facets of wilderness that would outlive us all.
Because nature has poise. It thrives and is original.
Because silence is impossible. Even in an anechoic chamber, perfectly soundproofed, you can hear your own heartbeat, steady as a drum. A never-ending war.
I put "Headache" by Grouper on repeat as we glided west. We were deadlocked to asphalt, rubber over tarface.
And I thought about lines from a Rita Dove poem titled, "I have been a stranger in a strange land":
He was off cataloging the universe, probably,
pretending he could organize
what was clearly someone else's chaos.
Wasn't that exactly what I was doing? Looking for an impossible answer, examining every single accident, eager for meaning? telling myself, "If it happens and matters the next year, in America, I want to be there, or to know what it means. I owe it to whoever cares to listen."
Humans are collectors, and I had gone overboard.
Because maybe this wasn't even my home. These landmarks, what did they mean? Was I obvious here? When I smiled, did I trick them into believing that I felt some vague sense of approval? Or did my expressions betray me?
Out in all that garbage-streaked emptiness — despite the occasional burst of passing halogen — I couldn't tell if everything we encountered was haunted or just old, derelict, broken, useless. One never-ending landfill.
Around those parts, they'd made everything into junk. Homes. Roads. Glass. Nature. Life itself, they made into junk.
I cringed as we passed yet another deer carcass on the side of the road.
Look at nature and you feel something powerful. Look at an animal, in all of its untamable majesty, and you capture a deep love, all swept up in the power of creation. But, here, all I saw were poor creatures who people had slammed into and kept driving. Driving to where? For what reason? What exactly was so important that they left a trail of dead animals behind them?
So I crossed myself dolorously and said an "Our Father" and recited a stanza from Charles Bukowski's "The Laughing Heart"
you can't beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
Out here, nothing but darkness. Needing some light, by God. Give me something better than a moon that hides like an underfed coward.
Jade told me about some of the more traumatic things she'd seen while working at the State Fair.
"Bro, they pull roaches out of the iced lemonade jugs and act like nothing happened."
"All right but what about the corn dogs?"
"You do not want to know, little bro."
She looked around in the quiet. "Back in the day, the Louisiana Congress refused to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21," she said. "They didn't want to lose all that drunk gambler money. So the federal government cut off funding to highways."
We glided through moon-pale landscape for an hour before I realized what she had meant. That there weren't any light poles or billboards along the road. Nothing to guide us or distract us. Just us, alone. And it felt like outer space had collapsed, swallowed us like jellybeans.
Like two teenagers playing a prank on the universe.
In the cozy Subaru Crosstrek, in the old wild night, brimming with the uncertainty of life and the nonchalance of failure, we paraded ourselves back to Dallas. Alive in the river silence that follows us everywhere.
New installments come Mondays and Thursdays. Next, the Iowa caucuses. Check out my Twitter. Email me at kryan@blazemedia.com


theblaze--2020-01-16--California university encourages dorm students to become ‘sexperts' and teach fellow students about

California university encourages dorm students to become ‘sexperts' and teach fellow students about 'kink, BDSM, and sex toys'

California university encourages dorm students to become ‘ sexperts ' and teach fellow students about 'kink , BDSM , and @ @ @ @ @ funded through mandatory student fees

The University of California-Santa Barbara is enlisting students to become residence hall "sexperts" and teach fellow students how to have sex — and it's all being funded through mandatory student services fees, The College Fix reports.
Residence hall students are encouraged to complete the school's "Safer Sex Peers Certification Training" for the chance to become an official Safer Sex Peer.
The perks? Safer Sex Peers receive condoms, lube, and various other forms of contraceptives to hand out, they learn all about safer sex, and earn 300 wellness points that go toward potential prizes.
The training to become a Safer Sex Peer is rigorous, though, as prospective sexperts are taught "all the basics safer sex at UCSB including gender, sexuality, pleasure, sex toys, STIs, hormonal contraception, and barrier methods."
In order to maintain their certification, students are also required to attend an additional hourlong training on "kink, BDSM, and sex toys."
The full announcement for the program reads:
Become a sex-pert at your residence hall! You'll receive free contraceptives to give out and learn all about safer sex. If you live in the Residence Halls, you can become a certified UCSB Safer Sex Peer. This two-unit training will cover all the basics of safer sex at UCSB including communication, gender, sexuality, pleasure, sex toys, STIs, hormonal contraception and barrier methods. You'll receive a door deck, stickers, buttons to identify you as a trained peer; condoms, lube, and various forms of contraception to hand out to residents, and a manual to reference for referring students to services on campus.
An additional 1 hour training on kink, BDSM, and sex toys during winter quarter is required to maintain your certification. 300 Wellness Points upon completion of series
The College Fix reports that the program is put on by the UC Santa Barbara Health and Wellness department, which is funded by students through student services fees.
"The training is four initial hours spread over two days with continuing education each quarter," UCSB health education specialist Joanna Hill told The College Fix.
"It educates students on the basics of holistic sexual health including information on communication, consent, contraception, reproduction, STIs, autonomy and agency over one's own body, and safety," Hill added.
But not all students are on board with the program, especially due to the fact that it is paid for out of their pockets.
"I don't want my tuition going to sex education," one student said. "We get enough of it in high school and my college tuition should not be going to this. It's unnecessary and quite frankly, I disagree with it."
Another student argued his classmates "can go to the local Planned Parenthood if they need contraception. We as college students should not be paying for it."


theblaze--2020-01-16--Police issue battery warrant for NFL star who spanked an officer in LSU's locker room after national

Police issue battery warrant for NFL star who spanked an officer in LSU's locker room after national title game

Police issue battery warrant for NFL star who spanked an officer in LSU 's locker room after national title game @ @ @ @ @ Jr. celebrates in the locker room with Joe Burrow of the LSU Tigers after their @ @ @ @ @ in the college football national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday in New Orleans @ @ @ @ @ )

New Orleans police issued a warrant for the arrest of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Thursday after the receiver slapped the behind of a police officer in the LSU locker room following the college football national championship game Monday, according to NOLA.com.
Beckham was seen in a viral video approaching a male officer from behind while the officer was chastising players for smoking cigars inside the locker room.
The officer clearly appeared to be unhappy with Beckham after the slap, but the situation did not escalate on the video. Beckham, a former LSU player, was enthusiastically involved with the championship celebration, dancing around the field and locker room, and handing out cash to some players after the game.
According to NOLA.com, police initially wanted to issue a warrant for sexual battery, but a judge rejected that so they settled for simple battery.
Sexual battery would've been a more serious charge, particularly because it cannot be expunged for first-time offenders the way simple battery can be. Sexual battery is defined in Louisiana as "intentional touching of the breasts or buttocks of a victim who did not consent to the contact." Both sexual and simple battery carry maximum sentences of six months in jail.
Beckham's NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, issued a statement.
"We are aware of the incident and have been in touch with Odell and his representatives on the matter," the team said. "They are cooperating with the proper authorities to appropriately address the situation."
One officer in the locker room, apparently the one who was spanked by Beckham, was telling LSU players they were subject to arrest for smoking victory cigars in the locker room. Another officer, however, gave the players permission to smoke them, and no players were arrested.


theblaze--2020-01-16--Report: Transgender activist under criminal investigation after video showing Jessica Yaniv allegedl

Report: Transgender activist under criminal investigation after video showing Jessica Yaniv allegedly punching reporter hits social media

A civil lawsuit against Yaniv reportedly is in the works as well

Transgender activist Jessica Yaniv — known for filing numerous human rights complaints against salons that refused to wax the activist's male genitalia — is under investigation for criminal assault by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, according to Rebel Media reporter Keean Bexte.
Bexte is the victim of Yaniv's alleged assault, which was caught on video Monday outside a British Columbia courthouse where Yaniv was on trial for a weapons charge.
In a video report posted Wednesday evening, Bexte — who referred to Yaniv as "Jonathan" and "he" — said the activist could face up to five years behind bars if the assault allegation sticks. Bexte also said he's filing a civil lawsuit against Yaniv and has retained a team of lawyers for that purpose.
The RCMP on Thursday told TheBlaze the incident is under investigation but no charges have been filed.
What's the background?
Bexte said Monday he wasn't allowed in a British Columbia courthouse where Yaniv was appearing, so Bexte tried to interview Yaniv outside the courtroom.
With that, Bexte turned on his cellphone video, and Yaniv flew into a rage with Bexte's first — and only — question, appearing to physically attack the reporter.
Image source: Twitter video screenshot
Video also showed Yaniv relentlessly going after the retreating reporter who said Yaniv punched him in the back of the head.
"Go away from me!" Yaniv hollered at Bexte.
Here's the clip. (Content warning: Language):
And that ain't all
While British Columbia's Human Rights Tribunal several months back determined Yaniv's complaints against the waxing salon were "divorced from reality" — and the trans activist was ordered to pay $2,000 to each of three respondents in the case — Yaniv is on full reload mode.
Yes, the activist recently launched a new complaint against a salon run by immigrant women of the Sikh faith, the National Post said. Seems the salon turned down Yaniv's waxing request, saying it only serves females — and further rejected the request because of "religious, cultural and safety reasons," the paper added.
Yaniv also made a stink about being turned away by a gynecologist and later vowed to shut down Ricky Gervais' live show after the comedian mocked Yaniv's complaint about the gynecologist's snub.
Oh, and last summer Yaniv pushed for LGBTQ "topless" swim parties for children as young as 12 at pools run by a Canadian town — and one of the stipulations was that parents and guardians are barred from attending. The municipality in question postponed voting on the matter.
This story has been updated.
(H/T: Louder With Crowder)


theblaze--2020-01-16--Virginia gun rights group considers legal action to block Gov. Northam's emergency gun ban

The governor may have overreached in his application of the law

The Virginia Citizens Defense League, the gun rights group organizing a large protest in Richmond next week, is considering legal action to block what it believes is an unlawful emergency declaration by Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to ban firearms from the protest site, according to Bearing Arms.
On Wednesday, Northam declared a state of emergency that banned people from carrying guns on state Capitol grounds, claiming the measure was necessary to guarantee safety when thousands of pro-Second Amendment demonstrators gather next week — and likely a significant number of counterprotesters.
In order to declare such an emergency, Northam appealed to a 2012 law that grants him authority to ban guns "to the extent necessary to ensure public safety in any place or facility designated or used by the Governor, any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or any other governmental entity as an emergency shelter or for the purpose of sheltering persons."
Northam's application of the law means he is attempting to classify the area around the Capitol as a shelter, an interpretation even one of the law's co-authors finds perplexing.
"So the Governor has declared the Capitol Grounds a "Shelter" in order to get around the law," wrote former Virginia delegate Mike Watson. "I'm curious how many times a 14 acre plot of land has been designated an emergency shelter?"
There is the question of whether the VCDL has enough time to get a legal injunction blocking the emergency declaration, with the protest scheduled to take place Monday.
Philip Van Cleave, president of the VCDL, has urged all protest participants to avoid engaging with counterprotesters and authorities, and discouraged militia groups from providing security, instead emphasizing that police can and will handle that.
"Lobby Day is a peaceful event about gun rights and NOTHING ELSE," Van Cleave wrote in a statement.


theblaze--2020-01-16--Bombshell: Bloody eyes suggest Jeffrey Epstein was murdered, says pathologist who was present during

Bombshell: Bloody eyes suggest Jeffrey Epstein was murdered, says pathologist who was present during the autopsy

Bombshell : Bloody eyes suggest Jeffrey Epstein was murdered , says pathologist who was present during the autopsy 'Red flags @ @ @ @ @ kill himself ; injuries consistent with manual strangulation

Jeffrey Epstein had burst capillaries in his eyes suggesting he was murdered and did not hang himself, a forensic pathologist said in a yet-to-air interview with Dr. Oz.
In the clip, which was obtained by the Daily Mail before the episode is set to air Thursday, pathologist Dr. Michael Baden examines photographs of Epstein's eyes and legs and concludes that the convicted pedophile likely did not commit suicide.
According to the Daily Mail, Baden was present with other physicians in the room when Epstein's autopsy took place and argues it is "highly unusual that the cause of his death went from being undetermined — when it was first ruled — to suicide by hanging five days later."
(Content warning: Graphic content):
Baden said he believes there are several "red flags" that suggest Epstein was murdered and did not kill himself.
Among those "red flags" are the burst capillaries in the eyes, which suggest manual strangulation, and the lack of any swelling or purple color to the legs.
"The blood settles after we die," Baden said. "If you're hanging, the lividity is on the lower part, on the legs, these would be maroon purple front and back, and they aren't."
Later, when examining Epstein's eyes, Baden said, "In a hanging, the arteries and the blood vessels, the veins are both clogged off and the person is pale. The face is pale."
'It suffocates you; no blood goes up there,' Dr. Oz. suggests.
'That's right. No blood coming in or out," Baden confirms. "With a manual strangulation, there's a backup of a pressure and the little capillaries can rupture and they're best seen in the eye."
Epstein was found dead in his prison cell on Aug. 10 in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. His death was officially ruled a suicide several days later.
But precarious details surrounding Epstein's death have fueled a slew of conspiracy theories, including the cameras surrounding Epstein's cell malfunctioning the night of his death, the two prison guards charged with watching Epstein's cell have been charged with federal crimes for falsifying prison records, and the fact that Epstein is missing from the only released crime scene photos of his cell.
Baden has previously commented on the suspicious absence of Epstein in the photos.
"There's no photograph taken of Mr. Epstein in the cell," Baden said.
"The forensic evidence released so far, including the autopsy, point much more to murder and strangulation than the suicide and suicidal hanging," Baden explained. "I hesitate to make a final opinion until all of the evidence is in."


theblaze--2020-01-16--Finally. The Feds — including ICE — appear to be investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Finally .
The Feds — including ICE — appear to be investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar .
At least three departments @ @ @ @ @ the worst-ever crime spree by an elected US official

On Oct. 30, I reported that the Department of Justice had assigned an FBI Special Agent in Charge, or SAC, to review Rep. Ilhan Omar's apparent, astonishing spree of felonies from 2009 to 2017.
Minnesota state Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R) had previously filed a complaint on the matter with the Minnesota District of the Department of Justice. That office — headed by U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald, a 2018 Donald Trump appointee — directed the FBI to review the complaint. An FBI SAC formally met with Rep. Drazkowski, and others, in mid-October to receive a prepared file of evidence and related information.
I can confirm that the FBI has taken additional steps since this October meeting.
***
In October, the FBI SAC stated that the wide range of criminal activity suggested by the evidence against Rep. Omar may lead the FBI to expand the review to other federal departments. In such situations, the SAC continued, the FBI often acts as a hub — sharing evidence, or coordinating a joint investigation, with several other investigative agencies.
Indeed, this has since occurred.
At least the following two federal agencies were contacted by the FBI with information regarding Rep. Omar. The FBI then placed the October meeting attendees in touch with selected investigators within these two agencies:
1. Department of Education Inspector General
This is related to evidence suggesting that Rep. Omar's 2009 marriage to a UK citizen may have been an attempt to facilitate federal student loan fraud, or other fraud involving higher education.
● Shortly after Omar's 2009 marriage, the new couple moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Omar enrolled at North Dakota State University in August 2009. Her husband enrolled the following year.
Omar received a degree in June 2011. According to Omar herself, she and her husband then permanentlyseparatedin June 2011. The marriage's start and end coincide with the start and end dates of Omar's NDSU enrollment.
Incredibly — according to address records, and a statement from Omar herself — she was also still living with her first husband, and their two kids, throughout this second marriage.
● In 2017, Omar finally filed for divorce. Under penalty of perjury, she submitted a nine-question form to the court attesting to having lost all contact with her NDSU husband in June 2011.
Dozens of verified social media posts, photos, and even a 2016 interview with the NDSU husband indicate otherwise. It appears Omar perjured herself eight times answering those nine questions.
(Click here for analysis of an additional court document Omar submitted, which suggests the likely motive for Omar taking such a risk. Each instance of perjury in Minnesota can receive a sentence of five years.)
2. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
● This is related to evidence suggesting a breathtaking number of possible immigration-related felonies. As I stated in an introductory passage within my July 18 article:
The [following] answers to those questions about [Rep. Omar's 2009 marriage] appear to give probable cause to investigate Omar for eight instances of perjury, immigration fraud, marriage fraud, up to eight years of state and federal tax fraud, two years of federal student loan fraud, and even bigamy.
To be clear: The facts describe perhaps the most extensive spree of illegal misconduct committed by a House member in American history.
The involvement of ICE with a possible criminal investigation could hardly be of greater political import to Omar.
For several years, Omar has vigorously supported the abolishmentof ICE. Her 2020 re-election platform — featured on her campaign site, and pictured below — targets ICE agents with vicious rhetoric that simply must be read by interested parties.
States Omar's site: "Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is an unreformable organization that has become increasingly militarized, brutal, and unaccountable."
Image source: Ilhan Omar campaign website screenshot
--
Since August 2016, the remarkable story of Rep. Ilhan Omar's past has produced scarce political, law enforcement, or media activity. A near-perfect inversion of the Trump/"Russian collusion" yarn, with which it is inseparable.
Consider how the Trump investigation was initiated, as former FBI Director James Comey tells it. (Recent statements from Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham suggest disagreement.) Comey treated an unverifiable claim, from a foreign diplomat, of a drunken remark by a low-level Trump staffer as predicate for spying on a presidential campaign.
Comey never did find stronger evidence. Yet the Democratic Party and supportive media hardly paused, for three years, covering this investigation.
Concurrently — in August 2016 — Minnesota reporters Scott Johnson and Preya Samsundar were publishing extensive, verified, still-unchallenged evidence implicating Rep. Omar in multiple felonies. Their exponentially more substantial evidence was ignored by the Democratic Party and supportive media. Their evidence was even ignored by law enforcement, per an extraordinary public dismissal shortly before Omar's 2016 election to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
FBI guidelines require only "'articulable factual basis' of possible criminal activity" to open an investigation. By September 2016, Johnson and Samsundar had objectively breached that threshold. Picture Comey applying his "Crossfire Hurricane" standards to their work — perhaps Omar's trial reaches the sentencing phase before the November election.
I followed up on Johnson and Samsundar's investigation in early 2018. A year later, the proportions of the verifiable case against Omar resemble that against a Batman villain. A comical number of likely felonies, all backed by gobsmacking evidence: Certified state and federal documents; certified UK government documents; archived state public school records; archived U.S. and UK address records; verifiably unmanipulated digital photographs; corroborating statements from Omar herself; corroborating statements from Omar's ex-husband himself; several years of social media posts from Omar's verified accounts; and several years of suddenly deleted social media posts from Omar's verified accounts.
And that's before we reach the good stuff.
Click here for what sure appears to be smoking-gun evidence. The only man on Earth with the same name and birthdate as Omar's ex-husband — appears to have been raised in the London home of Ilhan's verifiable sister. And has the same three family names.
Yet media continued to approach the developing story of Omar's background with zero rigor.
Literally zero.
Their distortions were provably deliberate, and their intentions blinking-red evident. Simply, Ilhan Omar's "identity" struck the Democratic Party and supportive media as being a best-case vehicle for selling progressivism. Omar's character? Worst-case. But they preferred the fantasy — they printed it, over and over, along with that other one sparked by drunken hearsay. The rule of law and the safety of Jews were roadblocks.
The Democratic Party and the media have not changed. Consider the coverage of the House Democrats' articles of impeachment, which do not even allege that the president committed a crime. However — much of the Obama-era, politically infected law enforcement leadership is indeed fired and gone. We have cause to believe many career federal investigators are honorable and were glad to see them go.
Rep. Omar now appears to be receiving the scrutiny her "articulable facts" have deserved since August 2016; perhaps a criminal investigation is open.


theblaze--2020-01-17--Bill O'Reilly: Here's why Michael Bloomberg is likely betting on a brokered Democrat convention

Bill O'Reilly : Here 's why Michael Bloomberg is likely betting on a brokered Democrat convention

On Friday's radio program, Bill O'Reilly joins Glenn Beck discuss the possible outcomes for the Democrats in 2020.
Why are former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama working overtime to convince Americans they're more moderate than most of the far-left Democratic presidential candidates? Is there a chance of a Michelle Obama vs. Donald Trump race this fall?
O'Reilly surmised that a post-primary nomination would probably be more of a "Bloomberg play." He said Michael Bloomberg might actually stand a chance at the Democratic nomination if there is a brokered convention, as many Democratic leaders are fearfully anticipating.
"Bloomberg knows he doesn't really have a chance to get enough delegates to win," O'Reilly said. "He's doing two things: If there's a brokered convention, there he is. And even if there is a nominee, it will probably be Biden, and Biden will give [him] Secretary of State or Secretary of Treasury. That's what Bloomberg wants."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-01-17--Iran's Supreme Leader calls Trump a 'clown' during first sermon in eight years, and he just fired ba

Iran's Supreme Leader calls Trump a 'clown' during first sermon in eight years, and he just fired back in a tweet

Iran 's Supreme Leader calls Trump a 'clown ' during first sermon in eight years , and he just fired @ @ @ @ @ He should be very careful with his words ! ''

President Donald Trump fired back at Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after he called him a "clown" in his first sermon in eight years.
The feud is the latest in escalating hostilities that were sparked by the drone strike death of Iranian military leader General Soleimani, who had been designated as a terror threat.
"The so-called 'Supreme Leader' of Iran, who has not been so Supreme lately, had some nasty things to say about the United States and Europe," tweeted Trump on Friday.
"Their economy is crashing, and their people are suffering," he added. "He should be very careful with his words!"
The president was responding to criticism Khamenei had lobbed in his sermon where he called Trump a "clown" and said he would negotiate with any country other than the United States.
The Iranian regime is under intense pressure from their own citizens protesting against the extremist policies that have led to a declining economy. Protesters were also outraged when the regime admitted shooting down a passenger plane taking off from Tehran after initially denying it.
Khameini warned his people that Trump was only pretending to be their friend, and said that he would "push a poisonous dagger" in their back.
"The noble people of Iran—who love America—deserve a government that's more interested in helping them achieve their dreams than killing them for demanding respect," the president said in a second tweet.
"Instead of leading Iran toward ruin, its leaders should abandon terror and Make Iran Great Again!" he added.
Here's a video of the sermon from Khamenei:


theblaze--2020-01-17--WATCH: Louder with Crowder live stream returns: Elizabeth Warren's top five lies

On Thursday , Steven Crowder kicked off 2020 with his weekly `` Louder with Crowder '' live stream and highlighted @ @ @ @ @ 's top five lies told during her political career .
• Bernie told her that @ @ @ @ @ president .
• Her principle fired her from her teaching job because she was pregnant @ @ @ @ @ have a straight path to college .
Crowder debunked each one of Warren 's lies @ @ @ @ @ video below for more details .
.Use code LWC to save $ 10 on one @ @ @ @ @ more from Steven Crowder ?
To enjoy more of Steven 's uncensored late-night comedy that @ @ @ @ @ to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America , defend the @ @ @ @ @ dream .

On Thursday, Steven Crowder kicked off 2020 with his weekly "Louder with Crowder" live stream and highlighted Democratic presidential nominee Elizabeth Warren's top five lies told during her political career.
Elizabeth Warren's top five lies
Bernie told her that a woman could not win the presidential election.
She was fired her from her teaching job because she was pregnant.
She sent her children to public school.
She did not have a" straight path" to college story.
She is a Cherokee Indian.
Crowder debunked each one of Warren's lies most entertainingly.
Watch the video below for more details.
youtu.be
.Use code LWC to save $10 on one year of BlazeTV.
Want more from Steven Crowder?
To enjoy more of Steven's uncensored late-night comedy that's actually funny, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.


theblaze--2020-01-17--'Giddy-up!': TSA agent snaps Native American woman's braids like reins during pat-down

The agency has apologized for the incident

A Native American woman has received an apology from the Transportation Security Administration, after she says an agent snapped her hair braids like horse reins and laughed while telling her to "giddy-up" during a pat-down at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport earlier this week.
What are the details?
Tara Houska wrote on Twitter Monday, "Going through @TSA at @mspairport, the agent said she needed to pat my shoulders, laughed & said 'giddyup!' as she snapped my braids like reins. My hair is part of my spirit. I am a Native woman. I am angry, humiliated. Your 'fun' hurt."
She added, "When I informed the middle-aged blonde woman who had casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me, she said 'Well it was just in fun, I'm sorry. Your hair is lovely.' That is NOT an apology and it is NOT okay."
According to The Washington Post, "Houska is an attorney and indigenous rights activist who was in Minnesota to protest the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project." The outlet noted that "she had flown from Washington, D.C., where she participated in the Fire Drill Friday climate protest" led by actress and activist Jane Fonda.
How did TSA respond?
In an email to KARE-TV from TSA's public affairs department, Federal Security Director Cliff Van Leuven was quoted as telling TSA employees of the incident, "Did it actually happen? Yes. Exactly as described? Yes."
Van Leuven said he spoke with Houska the day after the incident: "I apologized for how she was treated during the screening of her braids — and we had a very pleasant conversation. She reiterated that she doesn't want the Officer to get in trouble, but she is hoping we'll take the chance to continue to educate our staff about the many Native American Tribes/Bands in our state and region to better understand their culture."


theblaze--2020-01-17--Self-described 2nd Amendment supporter scolds Virginia's 2nd Amendment 'sanctuary counties'

Writer uses his gun-rights support to disagree with Virginians defending their gun rights , misses the point of the Second @

The center of the national gun debate today isn't Eminem's new album, but the State of Virginia. To make a long story rather short, gun-rights supporters have created Second Amendment "sanctuary counties" where the right to keep and bear arms is honored by officials leading those counties, going against direct orders from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.
For context, Northam is the same governor who admitted to appearing in a college year book photo as either in blackface or as the Ku Klux Klan. He didn't admit to which.
This is also the same Gov. Northam who, on radio, seemed rather at peace with infanticide if a baby survived an abortion and the mother still didn't want the squirming child. In his defense, this same Ralph Northam did suggest the baby should be made comfortable while doctor and mom decided whether or not to kill it. Isn't he just a sweetie pie?
But I digress. Virginia's gun battles have sparked many opinions across our great nation, including this one from the Washington Examiner titled, "Gun control is foolish, but 'Second Amendment sanctuaries' are an affront to rule of law." In it, writer Brad Polumbo, in my opinion now, demonstrates a lack of understanding of the Second Amendment and the history of the United States. (Let me be clear, I'm simply rebutting the idea put forth in the op-ed. This is neither an attack against Polumbo or the Examiner.)
Polumbo begins his article stating he's a gun-rights kind of guy. He also disagrees with how Virginia's Democrats are going about this entire messy process. So far, so good.
Then this:
But the proper response to anti-gun bills is to challenge them in court and punish their sponsors at the ballot box — not descend into lawlessness and anarchy, as "Second Amendment sanctuaries" threaten to do.
Hmm. And what, pray tell, is the kind of lawlessness and anarchy to which Polumbo is so opposed?
Essentially, some of these localities are openly saying they'll take arms against the state government before allowing laws they disagree with to take effect.
Seriously? This is madness.
The government taking people's guns is tyranny. A primary reason for the Second Amendment is to prevent government tyranny. In fact, the entire reason the United States exists, as a nation, was first to flee various tyrannical governments in Europe, but to then fight the tyranny of British rule.
But we needn't read historical tomes about the birth of the United States, nor the various documents and philosophies on which it is founded. Let's instead read the Second Amendment. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Question for those who disagree with the actions of gun-supporters in Virginia: What does "Militia" mean to you? What about "security of a free State"? What about the "right to keep and bear arms" as it relates to "being necessary" to that free state's security?
Now, I'm no historical scholar, but, humble brag, I do pride myself on my ability to read a full sentence. When I read the entire Second Amendment, from start to finish, what I see is the American people have the right to keep and bear arms in order to keep a free state. What I see the Democrats doing in Virginia is attempting to limit that right to keep and bear arms for what I must assume is to run rampant with that pesky "free state" malarkey.
Simpler: people carrying guns = free state. People disarmed = state does what it wants. See also countries throughout history that have barred its citizens from personal means of defense. Like Venezuela, Hong Kong, Germany, etc.
The op-ed continues, stating gun-rights advocates need to follow the court and judicial process essentially to set precedents, to allow the courts to fight back the encroaching Virginia government run by Democrats. That if these gun measures Democrats in Virginia are imposing are unconstitutional, then surely the courts will see them as such and roll them back. Were the people to take matters into their own hands, we the people would set our own bad precedents in laws going forward.
That belief isn't completely wrong, but the examples and reasoning are. The example provided is Roe v. Wade. Were we ever to overturn Roe, what would stop the blue states from having abortion sanctuaries?
After all, in their minds, however incorrect we feel they may be, liberals view abortion as a constitutional right the same way conservatives view the Second Amendment.
Yes, the left does view abortion as a constitutional right. View is the keyword. Abortion isn't a right, there is no mention in the Constitution or the Declaration for a woman's right to "seek the termination of her fetus." The Second Amendment is a constitutional right, placed conveniently in the Bill of Rights, in chronological order. It is smack dab in between Amendment One and Amendment Three. The numerical system, am I right?
This fight isn't about views or opinions, but what is versus what isn't. Liberals believe they have a right to kill a baby. They're wrong. But there is a right to keep and bear arms.
Let me make it even simpler: Why should the American people trust the political and court system to find for a right they already have, in the same political system led by people who say they don't have the right they actually have? Therein lies the frustration and conundrum of "But why not just wait for the government to fix what the government is attempting to break?"
The problem with "Second Amendment sanctuaries," however well-intentioned they may be, comes down to their impact on the rule of law. Supporters of gun rights, among which I firmly count myself, should take our fight to the public, to the ballot box, and to the court system — but never let it descend into lawlessness.
But keeping guns ensures the government doesn't descend into lawlessness. The U.S. government operates at the consent of the governed, not the other way around. If any of the states tried limiting the First Amendment, would we wait for the court system to work it out? Would we not pen op-eds, write stories, or spread the word publicly? Would we be content to take our fight to the ballot box? Or would we actively push back against a tyrannical government to keep our God-given rights?
I think the latter. Tyranny should be resisted. The Founding Fathers gave us a leg up by ensuring the people kept the power over government. Both with the First Amendment, by saying and writing what we need to say without government reprisal, and with the Second Amendment, having the means to fight back against a government descending into tyranny.


theblaze--2020-01-17--Portraying herself as a bipartisan dealmaker, Elizabeth Warren boasts sponsoring bills she voted aga

Portraying herself as a bipartisan dealmaker, Elizabeth Warren boasts sponsoring bills she voted against

Portraying herself as a bipartisan dealmaker , Elizabeth Warren boasts sponsoring bills she voted against

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) boasts of bipartisan dealmaking on her campaign website by crediting herself for passing more than a dozen bills into law since President Donald Trump took office. But several of those bills she actually voted against, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
On a section of Warren's campaign website titled, "Fact Squad," Warren brags that "Donald Trump has signed more than a dozen of [her] proposals into law," before going on to list 15 pieces of legislation that Warren sponsored.
But three of the bills listed, according to the Free Beacon, Warren voted against:
The Gambling Addiction Prevention Act, the Sexual Trauma Response And Treatment Act, and the National Guard Promotion Accountability Act all passed the Senate in August 2018 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019. Warren was one of only 10 senators who voted against the 2019 NDAA, along with fellow 2020 contenders Kamala Harris (RIP), Kirsten Gillibrand (RIP), and Bernie Sanders.
Warren serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the committee that was charged with negotiating the contents of the defense spending bill. But ahead of the vote last December, she allegedly informed the news outlet, In These Times, that her intentions were not to support the bill.
A Senate spokesperson for Warren contacted the news outlet, saying, "I just saw your piece on the NDAA. She does not support this level of defense funding and does not plan to vote in favor of the NDAA."
She subsequently tweeted that she "cannot support" a bill that "undermines our values and security."
Now, Warren is taking credit for introducing the legislation.
Her campaign website specifically boasts about how she "successfully got key provisions added to the National Defense Authorization Act" and how she introduced the National Guard Promotion Accountability Act, in particular.
That specific bill, designed to speed up National Guard promotions, is cited on the website as an example of how Warren is "looking after our veterans and servicemembers."
This is not the first time that Warren has been disingenuous on the campaign trail. During a presidential debate last December, Warren slammed former Mayor Pete Buttigieg for meeting with wealthy donors at a "wine cave" in California. But, as it turned out, Warren had also courted wealthy donors at a winery in 2018 in the run up to the launch of her presidential campaign.
This is not to mention her now infamous claims of Native American ancestry.


theblaze--2020-01-17--Man faces assault charges after reportedly beating female school bus driver to a pulp during bus rid

Man faces assault charges after reportedly beating female school bus driver to a pulp during bus ride — but she reacts heroically

Man faces assault charges after reportedly beating female school bus driver to a pulp during bus ride — but she @ @ @ @ @ children were on board during the attack

Police have laid a plethora of charges against 46-year-old Kenneth Latrel Revels after he reportedly forced his way onto a school bus in North Carolina and beat its driver to a pulp.
What are the details?
According to ABC News, Revels reportedly boarded the bus unexpectedly during a stop on the female driver's morning route Tuesday. Other children were said to be boarding the bus when Revels made his way on.
The female victim, a driver for Scotland County Schools, was reportedly able to keep her foot on the brake while the attack occurred and even after he knocked her out of her seat in order to keep the bus from moving erratically.
Revels, who is said to be the ex-boyfriend of the unnamed driver, reportedly punched the victim repeatedly and stomped on her head after she fell out of her seat. Revels allegedly fled the scene before police could arrive. Two days passed before Revels turned himself in.
At least 20 children were on board during the attack.
Police were seeking Revels for a myriad of charges, including assault on a female and school employee, disorderly conduct on a school bus, violation of a protective order, entering a school bus unlawfully, breaking and entering a motor vehicle, and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and assault with a deadly weapon in the presence of minors. The outlet reported that Revels used his hands and feet as "potentially deadly weapons."
The school district said that no students on the bus were injured as a result of the attack.
What else?
According to the Laurinburg Exchange, Revels turned himself in Friday.
The outlet reported that he was given a "$20,000 bond for the charges of breaking and entering, trespassing and assault on a school employee."
All other charges were domestic, so he did not received a bond, the Exchange noted.


theblaze--2020-01-17--BREAKING: John Solomon files lawsuit seeking records to expose Ukraine corruption and impeachment fr

BREAKING: John Solomon files lawsuit seeking records to expose Ukraine corruption and impeachment fraud

'It 's been a one-sided story so far '

On the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Friday, award-winning investigative reporter John Solomon, a central figure in the impeachment proceedings, explained his newly filed lawsuit, which seeks the records of contact between Ukraine prosecutors and the U.S. Embassy officials in Kiev during the 2016 election.
The records would provide valuable information on what really happened in Ukraine, including what then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were doing with Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings, Solomon explained.
The documents, which the State Department has withheld thus far despite repeated requests for release by Solomon, would likely shed light on the alleged corruption that President Donald Trump requested to be investigated during his phone call with the president of Ukraine last year.
With the help of Southeastern Legal Foundation, Solomon's lawsuit seeks to compel the State Department to release the critical records. Once released, the records are expected to reveal, once and for all, exactly why President Trump wanted to investigate the dealings in Ukraine, and finally expose the side of the story that Democrats are trying to hide in their push for impeachment.
"It's been a one-sided story so far, just like the beginning of the Russia collusion story, right? Everybody was certain on Jan. 9 of 2017 that the Christopher Steele dossier was gospel. And our president was an agent of Russia. Three years later, we learned that all of that turned out to be bunk, " Solomon said.
"The most important thing about politics, and about investigations, is that there are two sides to a story. There are two pieces of evidence. And right now, we've only seen one side of it," he continued. "I think we'll learn a lot about what the intelligence community, what the economic and Treasury Department community was telling the president. And I bet the story was way more complicated than the narrative that [House Intelligence Committee Chairman] Adam Schiff [D-Calif.] has woven so far."
Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:
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theblaze--2020-01-17--'You can't make this up': NY Public Library cancels feminist event about 'Canceled Women.' Group bac

'You can't make this up': NY Public Library cancels feminist event about 'Canceled Women.' Group backing event rejects transgender ideology.

'You ca n't make this up ' : NY Public Library cancels feminist event about 'Canceled Women . '
Group @ @ @ @ @ .
'This is what progressivism has come to '

David Marcus began his piece with the age-old saying, "You can't make this up." And indeed, the circumstances certainly seem to reflect the sentiment.
According to his New York Post op-ed, the New York Public Library canceled an event at its main branch scheduled for Friday titled, "Evening with Canceled Women."
And why?
Marcus said the NYPL wouldn't comment to him on the reasons. But he noted that the event was sponsored by "the Women's Liberation Front, a feminist organization that supports a biological definition of gender."
"The only plausible explanation is that the NYPL fears backlash from trans activists," Marcus added. "That is, the women are being denied a platform over their objections to trans ideology."
More from his piece:
At a time when our society is radically reengineering our conception of sex and gender — with policy decisions that will have profound ramifications on women's sports, prisons and homeless shelters, among other issues — the decision to silence these women is flat-out shameful.
A similar event to be hosted by the WLF on Feb. 1 at the Seattle Public Library will be going forward, despite complaints from trans activists. In a statement, the Seattle library said that it "must maintain its role as a stalwart protector of intellectual freedom for all, ensuring that all voices — even unpopular or offensive voices — are able to be heard."
Unfortunately, the decision-makers at NYPL seem to lack the courage of their counterparts in hyper-progressive Seattle.
Marcus added that the event was to feature women who've been victims of cancel culture, "including social-media bans, protests and hecklers — all for asserting the not-long-ago common view that gender is based in biological facts, not subjective feelings."
"Now," he noted, "the trans movement is telling them to shut up."
More from Marcus' op-ed:
In very short order, the academy, the media and the government have simply decided to overturn thousands of years of the understanding of gender, without so much as a discussion about it. Many on the left hold the view that speech critical of gender ideology is literally an act of violence. A free society can't survive such absurd nonsense.
It is vital that gender-critical feminists be a part of our debates over gender. To shame and shun speakers who insist that men can't become women, or vice versa, is to deprive important conversations about gender of a powerful, traditional feminist voice. But the tide might be turning: Author JK Rowling's recent refusal to bend the knee on the transgender issue has shown how toothless cancel culture can be when people of courage and conscience stand up to the bullies.
The event is still happening, Marcus said, but at "secret location that will be announced to ticket-holders the day of — to avoid protesters shutting it down. This is what progressivism has come to: Feminists have to hide to speak freely."


theblaze--2020-01-17--Georgetown students are asked if America is the greatest country in the world. Survey says: Um, no.

Georgetown students are asked if America is the greatest country in the world .
Survey says : Um , no @

Campus Reform's Cabot Phillips visited Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., recently to confirm polling that indicates a large swath of young Americans are declaring that the United States isn't the greatest country on Earth.
As you might expect, when Phillips quizzed a number of students, their answers reflected Pew Research Center's findings that 36 percent of Americans age 18 to 29 believe other countries are better than their own.
What did they say?
"It's awful," one student said of the U.S. because of "racism." She added that "America's not great, and we treat immigrants like s**t" by "trying to stop them from getting jobs" and "trying to deport families."
"It's not the greatest country in the world," another student said.
A senior invoked President Donald Trump's administration as part of the problem, the outlet noted, adding that she said another issue is "the history of America thinking that we're the best and so we kind of give ourselves the liberty to do whatever we want."
What countries are better than America?
One student at the elite college pointed out that "countries like Paris" — yes, Paris — "and other European countries" are greater because they're helping with "climate problems."
Some students couldn't or wouldn't name another country that's greater than America — but some weighed in with specific spots. (Hey, at least they named actual countries.)
One cited Norway and Finland because of the "happiness" factor in those two nations.
And the woman who called America "awful" early in the clip? She said she'd rather reside in "the ocean." Got it.
Check it out:


theblaze--2020-01-17--NY Times runs cover for James Comey as DOJ reportedly investigates whether he illegally leaked class

NY Times runs cover for James Comey as DOJ reportedly investigates whether he illegally leaked classified information

WTF MSM!? is a newsletter that puts a dose of sunlight on the mainstream media and exposes how the media twist facts, selectively report, and outright lie to advance their left-wing agenda. You can sign up for the WTF MSM!? newsletter here.
As it broke news Thursday of the Department of Justice investigating former FBI Director James Comey over leaks of classified information, the New York Times was quick to note the possible political nature of the probe. Contrasting this with how it has handled probes into Trump and his associates is a damning case of media bias.
In a tweet, the Times wrote, "U.S. prosecutors appear to be scrutinizing whether James Comey illegally disclosed classified secrets, part of an unusual inquiry into years-old leaks that leaves law enforcement officials open to accusations of politicizing their work."
The Times notes in the article, "Prosecutors and F.B.I. agents typically investigate leaks of classified information around the time they appear in the news media, not years later."
The leaks in question happened in 2017, according to the Times, which referred to articles it published in May of that year. James Comey had been fired by President Donald Trump earlier in the month. His friend Andrew McCabe had been tasked to run the FBI in his stead. Of course there wasn't an investigation into Comey then: His loyalists were still running the FBI.
The argument could be made that the original non-investigation was in itself political, but the Times article doesn't even touch on that.
The Russian collusion hoax was started when the Hillary Clinton campaign, working with the DNC, paid a law firm that hired an opposition research company to work with a retired foreign spy to produce a thoroughly discredited dossier. That's the height of a politically motivated investigation.
The Times, of course, would never admit that. Once again it shows how biased it truly is.
Links …
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theblaze--2020-01-17--9th Circuit Court ‘reluctantly’ throws out kids' climate change lawsuit for lack of standing

9th Circuit Court ‘ reluctantly ’ throws out kids ' climate change lawsuit for lack of standing 'The plaintiffs ' @ @ @ @ @ the political branches or to the electorate at large '

A federal appeals court has "reluctantly" dismissed a lawsuit originally brought by a group of kids and teens meant to force the government to take action on addressing climate change.
In a 2-1 majority ruling issued Friday, a three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the 21 plaintiffs in the case of Juliana v. United States did not have the proper legal standing to pursue their climate-related grievances through a federal court, because it's not the judicial branch's job to make the kinds of policy changes they're asking for in the lawsuit.
"The plaintiffs have made a compelling case that action is needed; it will be increasingly difficult in light of that record for the political branches to deny that climate change is occurring, that the government has had a role in causing it, and that our elected officials have a moral responsibility to seek solutions," the ruling says. "We reluctantly conclude, however, that the plaintiffs' case must be made to the political branches or to the electorate at large, the latter of which can change the composition of the political branches through the ballot box. That the other branches may have abdicated their responsibility to remediate the problem does not confer on [federal] courts, no matter how well-intentioned, the ability to step into their shoes."
In her dissent, Judge Josephine Staton accused both her colleagues and the government for acknowledging the existence of a problem and yet doing nothing in response.
"It is as if an asteroid were barreling toward Earth and the government decided to shut down our only defenses," Straton wrote. "Seeking to quash this suit, the government bluntly insists that it has the absolute and unreviewable power to destroy the Nation."
The lawsuit was originally brought against President Barack Obama and several other government officials in 2015 by a group of 21 kids and teenagers ranging in age from 8 to 19 at the time. The plaintiffs argued that the government had violated their rights to a stable climate that can sustain life.
In 2016, a federal judge allowed the matter to proceed, writing, "I have no doubt that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society."
In a legal brief filed in February, the Department of Justice not only challenged the lawsuit's legal standing, but also its core arguments about whether or not constitutional climate rights exist.
"A right to a 'climate system capable of sustaining human life' is simply nothing like any fundamental right ever recognized by the Supreme Court," the government said, noting that such rights often involve personal decisions. "The state of the climate, however, is a public and generalized issue having no connection to personal liberty or personal privacy."


theblaze--2020-01-17--Rep. Ayanna Pressley reveals her battle with alopecia and debuts bald head, says it's 'political'

Rep. Ayanna Pressley reveals her battle with alopecia and debuts bald head , says it 's 'political' Because , of @ @ @ @

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) has revealed her battle with alopecia, debuting her bald head exclusively for The Root.
Calling hair "political," Pressley insists that her hairstyles — specifically her Senegalese twists — have become her "political brand."
What are the details?
On Thursday, Pressley debuted her bald head, disclosing that she suffers from alopecia areata, a physical condition that results in hair loss. Prior to her debut on The Root, Pressley only reportedly showed her bald head in private.
Pressley said that she learned of her alopecia diagnosis in 2019 after losing massive amounts of her natural hair. She pointed out that she lost her very last hair the night before the House vote to impeach President Donald Trump.
"I was completely bald. And in a matter of hours, was going to have to walk into the floor [of] the House Chamber ... and cast a vote in support of articles of impeachment," she recalled. "And so I didn't have the luxury of mourning what felt like the loss of a limb. It was a moment of transformation, not of my choosing."
In addition to appearing on The Root, Pressley also shared the video reveal on her Twitter page, writing, "As a Black woman, the personal is political. Sharing a very personal story today to create space for others."
Of her Senegalese twists, Pressley said she was "very aware" that the hairstyle could be construed as a militant "political statement"
"People said, 'People will think you're angry,'" she added. "And I said, 'Well, they already think that.'"
She added, "My twists have become such a synonymous and a conflated part of not only my personal identity and how I show up in the world, but my political brand. And that's why I think it's important that I'm transparent about this new normal and living with alopecia."
What's next?
Pressley added that she had every right to keep her hair struggle private, but she felt compelled to exercise her power.
"The reality is that I'm black and I'm a black woman and I'm a black woman in politics and everything I do is political," she reasoned. "I think you might overly intellectualize it and say it's just hair."
She added, "And that's why I'm doing this today. It's about self-agency. It's about power. It's about acceptance. Right now on this journey, when I feel the most unlike myself is when I am wearing a wig. So I think that means I'm on my way."


theblaze--2020-01-17--'Own it': Acting ICE director blames NYC's 'sanctuary city' policies for the sexual assault and murd

'Own it': Acting ICE director blames NYC's 'sanctuary city' policies for the sexual assault and murder of 92-year-old woman

'Own it ' : Acting ICE director blames NYC 's 'sanctuary city ' policies for the sexual assault and murder @ @ @ @ @ sit there and try to pass the blame onto somebody else '

During a news conference Friday morning, Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, dealt out scathing criticism toward New York's "sanctuary city" policies following the sexual assault and murder of a 92-year-old woman by an alleged illegal immigrant last week.
"Make no mistake, it is this city's sanctuary policies that is the sole reason this criminal was allowed to roam the streets freely and end an innocent woman's life," Albence said.
"One simple phone call and Maria Fuertes could be alive today," he added later.
What are the details?
Maria Fuertes, 92, known to neighbors as a friendly elderly woman who loved cats, was thrown to the ground, sexually assaulted, and murdered just steps from her home Jan. 6.
After initially believing the cause of death to be an accidental fall, police later arrested 21-year-old Reeaz Khan on murder and sexual assault charges.
Khan, a Guyanese national, was in the country illegally, according to WABC-TV.
What's more, Khan had been in police custody after stabbing his father with a broken coffee cup in November. Following news of the arrest, ICE officials lodged an immigration detainer on Khan, requesting that law enforcement officials delay his release until ICE could assume custody and determine if he was eligible for removal.
However, Khan was not turned over to ICE due to New York City's sanctuary cities policy, which only turns over offenders after they've been convicted of a violent crime. Instead, he was released to the public.
Under fire after Fuertes' murder, New York City police maintained that it "did not receive an ICE detainer in regard to this individual," according to a spokesman for the department, but ICE quickly exposed that claim as false when it tweeted a copy of the detainer time-stamped for 7:42 on November 27.
'Own it ... It's disgusting.'
"As a 25-year law enforcement professional, it is unbelievable that I have to come here and plead with the city of New York to cooperate with us to help keep this city safe," Albence charged.
During the news conference he slammed New York for actively thwarting his agency's attempts to do their jobs by holding to sanctuary cities policies. This, he said, results in increased public safety risks.
He also called on city officials to "own" the blame that should come with adhering to such policies.
"If you're going to have a sanctuary city policy and you know it's going to result in people going back into the street and committing more crimes, at least own it," Albence said. "At least stand up and say that's our policy. Own it. Don't sit there and try to pass the blame onto somebody else. It's disgusting."
You can watch the full news conference here; Albence's remarks begin at the 17-minute mark.
youtu.be
(H/T: Hot Air)


theblaze--2020-01-17--Outraged CNN hosts go on and on about GOP Sen. McSally's 'despicable,' 'disgusting,' 'disgraceful' '

Outraged CNN hosts go on and on about GOP Sen. McSally's 'despicable,' 'disgusting,' 'disgraceful' 'slur' of their colleague

Outraged CNN hosts go on and on about GOP Sen. McSally 's 'despicable , ' 'disgusting , ' 'disgraceful ' @ @ @ @ @ She called CNN reporter Manu Raju a 'liberal hack ' when he asked her an @ @

In the wake of U.S. Sen. Martha McSally shutting down a question from CNN's Manu Raju and calling him a "liberal hack" Thursday, well-known hosts at the cable network went to bat — bigly — for their colleague.
What's the background?
As McSally walked to her office, Raju — CNN's senior congressional correspondent — chased down the Republican from Arizona and asked, "Should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial?"
"Manu, you're a liberal hack," McSally replied. "I'm not talking to you."
"You're not gonna comment?" Raju asked.
"You're a liberal hack," McSally repeated.
Oh, it's on
With that, notable hosts from CNN — which has been repeatedly called out for left-wing bias and unfair treatment of President Donald Trump — tore into McSally. Again and again.
Here's rough list of their descriptions of the senator's interaction with Raju:
"Despicable"
"Disgusting"
"Disgraceful"
"Indecent"
"Awful"
"Awful, awful thing"
"Rude"
"Unprofessional"
"Shocking"
"Beneath the dignity of how a senator should behave"
"Warning shot that Republicans and the Trump administration and the whole MAGA universe is just going to be trying to weaponize what President Trump has created, which is this groundswell of media hatred"
And let's not forget:
"Called him names"
Check out this entertaining supercut from MRC-TV:
Anderson Cooper during his segment "The RidicuList" seemed particularly peeved at McSally and tried to convey wit but instead often came off as immature, pretending to be shocked that she was appointed rather than elected to office and saying she has become a "desperate politician":
She's trying to make money off the fact that she called Manu Raju a liberal hack. And you know what? The president is now asking people to donate to her because she was rude and unprofessional to a reporter. So, big, long, slow clap for you.
This writer's perspective
Back in the "old days" of journalism, reporters were trained to take their verbal lumps from those they interview — and to simply keep doing their jobs, which at the time was reporting the facts — and from all angles. And you absolutely never became part of the story.
So CNN is put off by President Trump calling it "fake news"? Big deal. They're offended that one of their colleagues was called a "liberal hack"? Suck it up. Recognize that being treated rudely from time to time is part of the job. Sure, non-reporters like reporters when they're writing stories favorable to them — and of course hate the media when getting called on the carpet. It's called human nature.
Non-reporters and non-journalists — politicians included — aren't supposed to help out the media or be fair to the media or be respectful to the media. The media is supposed to help itself out, let verbal abuse slide right off their backs, and keep being fair despite poor treatment and keep informing the public.
Cooper said perhaps McSally shouldn't hold political office if she can't answer a question. Hey, Anderson — perhaps you and your buddies should rethink the titles of "reporter" and "journalist" if you can't take insults in stride and keep reporting the facts.
(H/T: NewsBusters)


theblaze--2020-01-17--NYC art exhibit stresses that 'abortion is normal,' raises funds for Planned Parenthood

NYC art exhibit stresses that 'abortion is normal , ' raises funds for Planned Parenthood Organizers want 'to create an @ @ @ @ @ to this conversation '

In an effort to destigmatize the act of taking unborn children's lives and protect the legal ability to do so, a large group of artists is putting on a New York City art show with the message that "abortion is normal."
The exhibition origins actually lie with Alabama's passage and its governor's signature of a near-total abortion ban last year, The Guardian said in a story published earlier this week:
On 15 May, the day the law was signed, Jasmine Wahi, co-founder and director of Newark-based arts not-for-profit Project for Empty Space, texted artist, activist and fellow SVA MFA instructor Marilyn Minter. "We have to do something," she wrote. Within minutes, Minter responded that she was game.
The "something" that the pair ended up doing was a two-part, multidisciplinary exhibit called "Abortion is Normal: An Emergency Art Show." Part One of the exhibit will be on display at New York City's Eva Presenhuber gallery until Saturday and then Part Two will show at New York's Arsenal Contemporary gallery from Tuesday through Feb. 1, the show's website says, noting a long list of participating artists. The current effort is a continuation of an exhibit that debuted last fall, the Guardian notes.
The event's website also explains that the exhibition "brings together a heterogeneous array of artists countering with their personal response to abortion and abortion access in order to create an inclusive and empathetic entry point to this conversation."
While not all of the featured artists have personally had abortions, the website explains "the underlying thread of this exhibition is that abortion and reproductive health affect everyone."
As to the title, the site claims that calling abortion normal is "not meant to mitigate the gravity" of someone's decision to abort their unborn child "nor is it trying to make light of it." Rather, the explanation goes, "This title is meant intended as a statement of camaraderie and caring that in short says: What you choose to do with your body is OK — it is normal."
"Our sentiment is that abortion is part of health and reproductive justice, and anything having to do with reproductive justice has to do with body autonomy and body sovereignty," Wahi told ARTnews about the show earlier this month. "Therefore any type of medical procedure—anything that affects one's body—that is their choice to do should be normal."
So how exactly do the artists want to spread the message that "abortion is normal?"
A Bloomberg video highlighting the event shows a T-shirt that reads "Thank God for abortion," paintings of Supreme Court Justice of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while the event's website highlights depictions of bare-breasted women with pro-abortion messages written on them and a painting telling Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh "If you don't like abortions, don't get one."
And while it's incredibly difficult to imagine a New York City-based art show with such a jarring message changing that many, if any, pro-life life minds, the effort also plans to channel money to pro-abortion political efforts in the upcoming campaign cycle.
People can purchase the exhibits various pieces online, some of which cost tens of thousands of dollars. Organizers say that the proceeds from those sales "will fund voter education and advocacy specifically on reproductive rights and Planned Parenthood PAC efforts in upcoming 2020 elections via Downtown for Democracy."


theblaze--2020-01-17--'Somber' Nancy Pelosi hands out souvenir pens used to sign impeachment bill

'Somber ' Nancy Pelosi hands out souvenir pens used to sign impeachment bill

On Thursday's episode of "White House Brief," Jon Miller discussed an annual peaceful rally in defense of the Second Amendment that may turn needlessly explosive as Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's authoritarian desires continued to stir a potentially unsafe situation for people who have the right to assemble peaceably.
Then, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was anything but somber when it came to the impeachment trial. Next, Miller shared his thoughts on the movie "1917."
Last, Lauren Chen, BlazeTV host of "Pseudo-Intellectual," joined to discuss a nurse being canceled on TikTok for daring to say that the best way to avoid contracting an STD is by practicing abstinence.
Watch the video below for more details.
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theblaze--2020-01-17--Reddit user brags about heading to Planned Parenthood to 'purge the two parasites,' 'goblins' inside

Reddit user brags about heading to Planned Parenthood to 'purge the two parasites,' 'goblins' inside of her

Reddit user brags about heading to Planned Parenthood to 'purge the two parasites , ' 'goblins ' inside of her

In a recent a post on Reddit, a woman discussed with eagerness her alleged upcoming trip to a local Planned Parenthood to "purge the two parasites" — human baby twins — in her womb.
The disturbing story, which Matt Walsh at the Daily Wire argued shows "the dark heart" of the pro-abortion movement, was discovered after a podcast listener alerted Walsh to the post on the subreddit "childfree," a forum where members discuss news of interest to child-free individuals.
According to the forum description, "childfree" refers to those "who do not have and do not ever want children (whether biological, adopted, or otherwise)."
The post, titled, "On my way to Planned Parenthood...." goes like this:
I am on my way to Planned Parenthood to purge the two parasites that somehow implanted into my uterus despite me being on the pill.
I can't f***ing wait to stop being nauseous and throwing up and being unable to keep water down. I can't wait to be rid of this hyperemesis gravidarum that destroyed my Christmas and ruined my [New Year's Eve] and is ruining my life.
I can't f***ing wait to be done with the anxiety of knowing these things are in my uterus and knowing that I will not have to birth dribbling horror goblins, will not have disgusting leaking [breasts], will not go home from the hospital in a nappy and with a sitched [sic] up vagina, I will not have post-partum depression or be left disfigured with stretch-marks. My relationship with my [significant other] will not be ruined.
I am dedicating this double fetus purge to the anti-choice movement because no matter how hard you try, you will not force us to be your handmaids. HAPPY 2020!
In the post, the woman who goes by the username "4amcurfew" calls the twins "dribbling horror goblins" and describes her elation at the thought of being free from the alleged pregnancy health complications that ruined her holidays.
In the story, Walsh noted the hundreds of comments that followed, all "rapturous in their applause and encouragement," and lamented how so many commenters could falsely "assure this mother that murdering her own children will earn her a life of luxury and joy."
Evidently pro-life comments began flooding into the discussion thread, because soon after the Daily Wire published a story on the post, moderators locked the thread for comments.
They did so because of the "sudden influx of pro-forced-birth brigading," one of the moderators said.
The woman, "4amcurfew," has since responded to the story, as well, with another Reddit post celebrating her abortion and new found infamy.
In the post directed at "right wing Anti-Choicers," she doubled down on her decision, saying, "I, the 'dark heart' of the pro-choice movement have no regrets about aborting twin crotch goblins. DIE MAD ABOUT IT."
"I am having a much better life because I had my abortion," she continued. "I'm sorry so many forced birthers don't want to face the uncomfortable truth that motherhood is life destroying for those who don't want to be mothers."
"YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME FEEL ASHAMED. I DO NOT REGRET MY ABORTION. MY BODY. MY LIFE. MY CHOICE," she wrote in conclusion.


theblaze--2020-01-17--Walmart under heavy fire after making Paul Walker joke

Many people believed the joke to be in very poor taste

Walmart issued an apology after making what many people perceived to be an insensitive joke about the late actor Paul Walker.
Walker, who starred in "The Fast and the Furious" movies, died in 2013 at the age of 40 following a fiery car crash in which he was a passenger. Exorbitant speed was a factor in the crash.
You can read more about Walker's sudden death here.
What are the details?
A social media user tweeted a photo about Walmart selling Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls. The tweet had an accompanying gif of a car racing through traffic.
The caption read, "Me racin[g] to the nearest Wally World."
Walmart acknowledged the tweet and responded, "Hey, Paul Walker. Click it, or ticket."
The offending tweet has since been deleted.
According to TMZ, the Walmart social media employee responsible for the tweet was "likely trying to make a 'Fast & Furious' reference."
"We did some digging, and the same line was actually used in an episode of 'Workaholics,'" TMZ reported.
What did Walmart say in response to the outcry?
In a statement, the retailer giant acknowledged their "poor judgment" in the response.
A spokesperson for the company said, "We apologize to Paul Walker's family, friends and fans. The tweet was posted in poor judgement and has been removed."


theblaze--2020-01-17--Democratic senator asks DOJ and FBI to not cooperate with colleagues' Ukraine-Chalupa probe

Democratic senator asks DOJ and FBI to not cooperate with colleagues ' Ukraine-Chalupa probe 'The FBI is not a political @ @

The top Democrat on an important Senate committee is asking that the Trump administration not cooperate with an investigation into a Ukraine-related investigation being conducted by two of his Republican colleagues.
In a letter first reported by The Daily Beast on Thursday, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) urged Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Chris Wray not to comply with a November request from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for information about Alexandra Chalupa, the former Democratic National Committee contractor who has been accused of working with Ukrainian officials to dig up dirt on the 2016 Trump campaign.
The request that Wyden is referring to was sent to the DOJ and FBI in November and was part of Grassley's and Johnson's committees' "ongoing investigation into collusive actions Chalupa and the DNC took to use foreign government sources to undermine the Trump campaign during the 2016 election." Grassley chairs the Senate Finance Committee while Johnson heads up the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
In the November letter, the two chairmen cited a Russian cyberattack that Chalupa reportedly experienced while working for the DNC during the 2016 campaign and subsequently reported to the feds. The letter contends that the attack happened while Chalupa was "reportedly trying to find dirt" on then-candidate Donald Trump and former campaign manager Paul Manafort "in order to undermine his presidential campaign" and in turn, asks for "all records relating to the DOJ's or FBI's interview of Chalupa" as well as "all records relating to the imaging of Chalupa's laptop and smartphone."
But Wyden wrote Thursday that the request was "outrageous" and warned that it would have negative consequences for national security and civil liberties, if fulfilled.
"The Senators' request will have a chilling effect on the victims of nation-state cyber-attacks and would discourage them from seeking law enforcement assistance, thereby jeopardizing our national security, limiting our ability to respond to sophisticated cyber-attacks, and undermining the civil liberties of American citizens," Wyden wrote.
Wyden also accused his two Republican colleagues of trying to "enlist the FBI and Department of Justice in their efforts to legitimize Russian propaganda" via their Ukraine probe.
"The FBI is not a political weapon and should be pressured into violating a citizen's civil liberties for political gain," he added.
In a statement to The Daily Beast, a Grassley staffer said, "Wyden's letter conflates Russian propaganda efforts with unrelated reports of potential election interference that have yet to be fully investigated. ... It's disappointing that Sen. Wyden has decided to ignore legitimate questions about election security and instead regurgitate misleading liberal talking points to quash scrutiny of reported election tampering by a Democratic political operative."
In addition to the Chalupa-Ukraine issue, Grassley and Johnson have also started looking into questions regarding Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, its former board member Hunter Biden, and the Obama administration's State Department. In November, the pair sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting information in an effort "to better understand what actions, if any, the Obama administration took to ensure that policy decisions relating to Ukraine and Burisma were not improperly influenced by the employment and financial interests of family members."


theblaze--2020-01-17--Rep. Ilhan Omar faces an unexpected Republican challenger in Minnesota — she’s a Muslim refugee, too

Rep. Ilhan Omar faces an unexpected Republican challenger in Minnesota — she ’ s a Muslim refugee , too 'We @ @ @ @ @ we could n't be further apart '

Controversial Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) will face an unexpected Republican challenger in this November's election — from a Muslim refugee woman like herself.
Dalia al-Aqidi, a journalist and former White House correspondent from Iraq, argues that since taking office in 2019 Omar has done nothing but seek to divide and undermine America, and that despite apparent similarities with Omar, she is nothing like the freshman Minnesota congresswoman.
"On the surface, we look the same. We're both women, refugees, Muslims, but we couldn't be further apart," al-Aqidi said in announcing her run for office.
"The difference is that while Dalia has used her life experience to expose oppression and boost the U.S, Omar has done the opposite — stoking fear, inspiring hatred, inciting violence, and embarrassing the U.S.," her campaign website states.
"To put it simply, Ilhan Omar needs to be stopped," al-Aqidi argues.
But al-Aqidi also views her and Omar's similar backgrounds as a strength of her campaign, telling Fox News that Omar won't be able to use her backstory as an identity politics ploy since the two candidates' backstories are "basically the same."
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Al-Aqidi has spent most of her professional career working as a political journalist, working for Voice of America as well as spending some time as a White House correspondent for Alhurra, a U.S.-based Arabic channel that airs in the Middle East.
Her career has given her firsthand experience of Middle Eastern conflict, and she says she has come away with more appreciation for America because of it. This stands in contrast to Omar, al-Aqidi told Fox News.
"Every time she opens her mouth she says something either anti-U.S. or anti-Semitic," she argued.
"I am loyal to the country that gave me a chance, gave me a brighter future," she added. "[Omar] continually tries to weaken the country and divide us."
Al-Aqidi joins a large and growing field of candidates for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District seat. Already, businessman Lacy Johnson, special-education professional Danielle Stella, minister Lucia Vogel, activist Alley Waterbury, and former auto sales manager Brent Whaley are running on the Republican side of the ballot.
On the Democratic side, Omar faces primary challenges from community organizer John Mason and attorney Antone Melton-Meaux.
Since her election to Congress in 2018, Omar has come under scrutiny from many on the right side of the aisle over controversial remarks about Israel and seeming support for U.S. adversaries — as well as potential criminalactivity.
On Thursday, TheBlaze reported that at least three federal agencies, including U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, were reviewing evidence and considering criminal cases against Omar.


theblaze--2020-01-18--Surveillance video captures man living in the ceiling of a grocery store — police have tried to catc

Surveillance video captures man living in the ceiling of a grocery store — police have tried to catch him for weeks

Surveillance video captures man living in the ceiling of a grocery store — police have tried to catch him for @ @ @ @ @ never seen anything like this

A mystery man living in the ceiling rafters of a grocery store has been captured on surveillance footage, but police have been unable to catch him for weeks.
The video comes from the Haggen Northwest Fresh Market in Auburn, Washington.
Police told KING-5 in Seattle that they believe he only comes out to steal from the store, then returns to a hiding place that they have been unable to find.
The man can be seen wearing black and a black mask. He has stolen thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes.
"There's ventilation that had been moved and tracks that had been moved. We spent probably about 4.5 hours up in the rafters trying to hunt this guy down," said Auburn Police Commander Mike Hirman.
Auburn police were originally called when employees discovered evidence of a break in and robbery, but then they began hearing footsteps above them, and saw the man's legs dangling from the ceiling.
Police have tried using infrared heat map technology and K9 dogs to find him, but have been unsuccessful.
"It's very difficult. There are many, many little hiding places where he could've been," explained Hirman. "It's such a large store and it's very crowded with venting and everything."
Here's KING-5's video about the bizarre story:


theblaze--2020-01-18--Arnold Schwarzenegger dismisses Green New Deal as 'bogus'

The former governor of California says the country should just copy his state

Hollywood actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said in an interview published Friday that the Green New Deal championed by progressives such as Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is "bogus" and dismissed the initiative as just being "a slogan."
What are the details?
When Schwarzenegger, a staunch environmentalist, was asked by The Atlantic to describe his thoughts on the Green New Deal, he responded, "A slogan. Kind of a marketing tool. Something that is very well intentioned, but, I think, bogus. Because that's what they always do—they call things different names and different people talk about it."
Schwarzenegger joins a chorus of critics of the Green New Deal. The sweeping proposal estimated to cost tens of trillions of dollars aimed to retrofit every building in the country and transform the economy through social justice initiatives and the dismantling of industries. It failed miserably before Congress last year, despite several Democrats' public support.
The former governor of California said the global warming laws implemented by his state should be the model for the country, saying, "If the nation really wants to be serious in reducing greenhouse gases by 25 percent like we did, all they have to do is copy us. That's what states are supposed to do, to be the laboratory for the federal government, and just have the federal government copy very good ideas done by various states."
The Hill described Schwarzenegger as "a vocal critic of President [Donald] Trump's climate policies," and in The Atlantic interview, the former governor was asked why he remains a Republican in the age of Trump.
"Well, I think I'm a true Republican," Schwarzenegger replied. "If you look at Ronald Reagan or President Nixon or President Lincoln, these were people that were fighting for equality. I'm inclusive. I see myself as that. I see myself as a Ronald Reagan Republican, someone that is very, very good with protecting the economy, but also good at protecting the environment."


theblaze--2020-01-18--Trey Gowdy explains Trump's single best piece of evidence for impeachment trial

Trey Gowdy explains Trump 's single best piece of evidence for impeachment trial '' I do n't think the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ conviction ... ''

Former congressman Trey Gowdy explained what he believed was the best piece of evidence that President Donald Trump's lawyers could use in his defense in an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.
Gowdy made the comments in an interview on "American's Newsroom" on Fox News Thursday.
"The transcript is the single best piece of evidence that the president has," said Gowdy, referring to a summary of a call between the president and Ukrainian President Zelensky that precipitated the impeachment charges by Democrats.
The president is accused of obstruction against Congress and abuse of power over claims that he was demanding an investigation into Joe Biden and his son for political motivations.
"Who brought up Rudy Giuliani's name? It wasn't Donald Trump. It was Zelensky," Gowdy continued.
"This was the second call, not the first call. If President Trump were really hellbent on ensuring that Ukraine investigate the Bidens, would he not have brought that up in the first telephone call we had with Zelensky? I mean why wait until the second?" Gowdy said.
"Who brought up [US Attorney General] Bill Barr and under what circumstances was Bill Barr's name brought up?" he added.
"I think the transcript is the single best piece of evidence that the president has, laying aside the reality that there was no announcement of an investigation, there was no investigation, and the aid was ultimately released, so I don't think the Democrats have a great case for conviction," Gowdy said.
"But also you would be hard-pressed to find five members of this jury that have not already made up their mind," he concluded.
Democrats sent two articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attempted to force Senate Republicans to agree to her terms for the impeachment trial.
Here's the video of Gowdy's comments:


theblaze--2020-01-18--HOA evicting orphaned teenager who moved in with his grandparents after both his parents died

HOA evicting orphaned teenager who moved in with his grandparents after both his parents died The rules prohibit anyone under @ @ @ @ @ living in the senior community

An orphaned 15-year-old who moved in with his grandparents after both his parents died is being evicted by an Arizona homeowner's association because the senior community's rules prohibit residents who are under the age of 19.
What are the details?
At the end of 2018, Collin Clabaugh's mother died in the hospital from an illness, and just two weeks later, the boy's father took his own life. With nowhere else to go, the now 15-year-old moved in with his grandparents, Melodie and Randy Passmore, who live in The Gardens at Willow Creek in Prescott, Arizona.
But the 55+ community's homeowner's association says Collin can't live there because of its rule prohibiting anyone under the age of 19 from residing at The Gardens at Willow Creek. They've told the Passmores that Collin has to be out by June of 2020.
"What they're telling us in the letter is not that we have to move, but that we have to get rid of him," Mrs. Passmore told KPNX-TV. "He's not a dog. He's not something you can just throw out."
In a statement released to the Daily Mail, the HOA said, "The board appreciates the difficulty of these circumstances but must balance the interests of all parties involved, the Passmores, and all other homeowners who purchased their property in an age restricted community expecting the age restrictions to be followed."
The association added, "Generally, community associations that fail to enforce their residency age restrictions leave themselves open to legal claims from other residents and could even endanger the ability of the association to remain an age restricted community."
Mrs. Prescott says her neighbors do not want Collin to leave. Regardless, she says that if the HOA does not make an exception to their age requirement for Collin, the Passmores will move before they kick out their grandson.
"I cry every day," she told AZFamily. "I try not to cry in front of him because I want him to be happy."
Collin says living with his grandparents has helped him with the grief of losing his parents, and he wants to stay where he is. "I want to be here," he told the outlet. "Cause I know I have two people who love me."


theblaze--2020-01-18--Alan Dershowitz explains why Constitution's Framers 'explicitly rejected' key Democrat impeachment c

Alan Dershowitz explains why Constitution's Framers 'explicitly rejected' key Democrat impeachment claim

' ... the framers explicitly rejected those kinds of broad , open-ended criteria '

Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz explained Friday that Democrats' claims that President Donald Trump abused his power is not an actual "impeachable offense."
Democrats approved two articles of impeachment against Trump last month: one for abuse of power and another for obstruction of Congress. Dershowitz has already explained how the Supreme Court could undercut the allegations of obstruction of Congress, and on MSNBC Friday, Dershowitz told MSNBC host Ari Melber how Democrats claim of abuse of power falls flat, too.
"Abuse of power, even if proved, is not an impeachable offense," Derwshowitz said.
"That's exactly what the framers rejected. They didn't want to give Congress the authority to remove a president because he abused his power," he explained. "They have to prove treason, they have to prove bribery, or they have to prove other crimes and misdemeanors."
In explaining why he believes Democrats' claims of abuse of power are not legitimate impeachment claims, Dershowitz partially revealed the legal strategy he will use to defend Trump at the president's upcoming impeachment trial.
"Virtually half of American presidents — from Adams, to Jefferson, to Lincoln, to Roosevelt — have been accused of abuse of power, and the framers explicitly rejected those kinds of broad, open-ended criteria," Dershowitz explained.
Although Dershowitz was announced Friday as one of lawyers who will defend the president, Dershowitz told Melber that he will not plan Trump's defense strategy, but instead present a "very nonpartisan view of the Constitution" during Trump's trial.