theblaze--2020-02-06--DNC chair Tom Perez steps into Iowa disaster, calls for recanvass of caucus vote: 'enough is enough'

DNC chair Tom Perez steps into Iowa disaster , calls for recanvass of caucus vote : 'enough is enough' Will @ @ @ @ @ Iowa ?

Don't hold your breath for the results of the Iowa Democratic caucuses, because now the Democratic National Committee is stepping in and calling for a total recanvass of the vote.
All the results have still not been reported, and the ones that have been reported are not accurate. That's why Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez, seeing the credibility of his party's primary crumbling in the very first state, is attempting to intervene.
"Enough is enough," Perez said in a tweet. "In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass."
Perez said the recanvass will be a review of worksheets from the caucus sites to ensure accuracy.
With 97 percent of the results reported, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, is leading democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by 0.1% — meaning even insignificant errors could potentially result in the wrong candidate being declared the winner.
Sanders supporters already hold to a belief that the Democratic Party establishment opposes his candidacy, and uncertainty about the accuracy of the results will pour gas on that fire if Sanders comes out on the losing end.
Even the timing of the call for recanvassing has the potential to upset Sanders supporters, who may feel that calling for a review of the results before they're all in is just another way of undercutting Sanders' momentum.
"The Iowa caucus should be recanvassed AFTER the results are fully reported out," wrote Hill.tv host Krystal Ball on Twitter. "It is wildly manipulative and irresponsible to do so at 97% of the vote just as Sanders' lead was set to be revealed."
Buttigieg, meanwhile, declared victory in Iowa on Monday night based on his campaign's internal data, then simply moved on to New Hampshire. On Thursday, Sanders also declared victory, pointing to a slight lead in the raw vote total.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny reported that the Iowa Democratic Party was blindsided by this sudden request for a recanvass — and also noted that Perez conveniently omitted the fact that the Democratic National Committee had been "running the show in Iowa for the last 48 hours."


theblaze--2020-02-06--Harvard professor offers powerful call for 'moral courage' during National Prayer Breakfast speech a

Harvard professor offers powerful call for 'moral courage' during National Prayer Breakfast speech about division and our need for national healing

'The biggest crisis facing our nation ... [ is ] the crisis of contempt and polarization that 's tearing our @ @ @ @ @ professor offers powerful call for 'moral courage ' during National Prayer Breakfast speech about division @ @ @ @ @ healing President Donald Trump listens as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) speaks @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast in Washington , D.C. , Thursday , the day after the U.S. Senate acquitted @ @ @ @ @ House 's articles of impeachment .
( Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

Dr. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and the former president of the American Enterprise Institute, delivered an impassioned speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, calling all Americans to help usher in "national healing."
Surrounded by politicians, including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Brooks, who is a political conservative and a Catholic, spoke about the importance of "loving others," regardless of political disagreement.
(Read also: 20 Short Bible Verses About Love For God And Others)
"I'm a follower of Jesus — the Jesus who taught each of us to love God and who taught us to love each other," Brooks said. "The biggest crisis facing our nation ... [is] the crisis of contempt and polarization that's tearing our societies apart."
Watch the speech at the 55-min mark:
But he went on to say that this crisis can also usher in an amazing opportunity to bring people together, and he pointed to Jesus — "history's greatest social entrepreneur" — as the litmus test for positively moving forward.
"Here's what [Jesus] said," Brooks recapped, quoting from the Book of Matthew. "'You have heard that it was said, 'love your neighbor and hate your enemy,' but I tell you 'love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"
(Read also: Colossians 1: What It Really Means To Keep Our Eyes Fixed On Jesus)
The professor noted that these words have had a shocking impact on human history — one that continues to reverberate today.
"It changed the world starting 2,000 years ago," Brooks said. "And it is as subversive and counterintuitive today as it was then."
He then offered a truly powerful, introspective moment to the thousands in attendance at the National Prayer Breakfast when he posed a transformational question: "Let me ask you this: How many of you love somebody with whom you disagree politically?"
Brooks then said he would round the response "off to 100 percent" and joked than anyone not raising their hands must have been on their phones.
But he then made another convicting proclamation about true "moral courage."
(Read also: 'Encounter Jesus': A Unprecedented Look At The Bible And Christ's Life)
"Moral courage is standing up to the people with whom you agree on behalf of those with whom you disagree," he proclaimed. "Can you do it? Are you up for it?"
For those struggling with this — something Brooks himself admitted he has grappled with — he encouraged people to turn to the Scriptures and prayer.
"Ask God to give you the strength to do this hard thing ... to love your enemies," he said. "To take political contempt from your heart."
For more powerful messages of hope and inspiration, be sure to read the Pure Flix Insider blog.
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.


theblaze--2020-02-06--To avoid a repeat of 2016, AG Barr issues an order restricting the launch of any investigations into

To avoid a repeat of 2016, AG Barr issues an order restricting the launch of any investigations into 2020 presidential candidates

To avoid a repeat of 2016 , AG Barr issues an order restricting the launch of any investigations into 2020 @ @

Attorney General William Barr issued an order Wednesday restricting the launch of any investigations into 2020 presidential candidates without first coming through the Department of Justice.
The new order, announced in a memo obtained by The New York Times, aims to avoid upending the presidential election, as was the case in 2016 when the FBI's inquiries into both the Trump and Clinton campaigns disrupted the election process.
What are the details?
Barr, who has been an outspoken critic of the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign, said in the memo that the Justice Department has a duty to ensure that elections are "free from improper activity or influences."
"In certain cases, the existence of a federal criminal or counterintelligence investigation, if it becomes known to the public, may have unintended effects on our elections," he wrote.
Under the new guidelines, the FBI will be required to receive a written sign-off from Barr before opening any politically sensitive investigations into presidential candidates or their senior staff or advisers.
Also, the Times notes, before FBI officials can investigate Senate or House candidates or their campaigns, they must also "notify and consult" with relevant leaders at the DOJ.
Barr's order comes after DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report last December found that FBI officials falsified information and made numerous significant errors in their probe into Trump's former campaign aide, Carter Page. Barr has since launched an investigation into the investigators regarding the origin of the Trump-Russia probe.
But the call for accountability should be bipartisan, as 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was also unhappy with the way the FBI handled an investigation into her alleged use of a private email server as secretary of state. The FBI reopened the investigation just days before the election, in a move that Clinton argues cost her the presidency.
'Three cheers for future accountability'
Barr previewed the policy at a news conference in January. It is the first official policy change to land in the aftermath of the 2016 Trump-Russia probe.
In an op-ed following the presser, the Wall Street Journal editorial board offered a glowing review.
"Henceforth, both an AG and the FBI director must sign off on any proposed counterintelligence investigation into a presidential campaign," the op-ed recounted. "Three cheers for future accountability,"
The WSJ board noted how incredible it was that "no such basic rule has existed" previously, recalling IG Horowitz's alarm over FBI policy at the time, which didn't even require that "a senior [DOJ] official be notified" about an investigation into presidential candidate.
This "loose system," they said, "made a presidential probe too easy" and enabled FBI leadership, like former director James Comey, to shrug off responsibility for the department's crucial missteps during the investigation.
This will not be the case during the 2020 election cycle, at least.
According to the Times report, the requirements outlined in the memo will remain in effect through the remainder of the current election cycle, and after that will be reviewed based on its effectiveness.


theblaze--2020-02-06--Nancy Pelosi gets irritated when asked about ripping up SOTU: 'I don’t need any lessons from anybody

Nancy Pelosi gets irritated when asked about ripping up SOTU: 'I don’t need any lessons from anybody'

Nancy Pelosi gets irritated when asked about ripping up SOTU : ' I don ’ t need any lessons from @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) got slightly heated during her weekly press conference Thursday when asked about ripping up a copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
During the question-and-answer portion of the press conference, the speaker was asked, "You often counsel new members to be dignified in their response to the president, take the high ground; did you step on that message by tearing up the state of the union?"
"No, I did not," Pelosi snapped back.
"I tore up a manifesto of mistruths. It is very hard to get you to talk about the issues that we are working on — H.R. 3, infrastructure and the rest," she continued while striking the podium with the side of her hand.
Pelosi went on to say that ripping up the speech "was necessary to get the attention of the American people, to say 'this is not true and this is how it affects you.' And I don't need any lessons from anybody, especially the president of the United States, about dignity."
After she ripped up a copy of the president's prepared address in the House chamber, video of the address later appeared to show her preparing for the big moment by making tiny tears in the paper ahead of time.
Pelosi also defended her actions by pointing to congressional Republicans' actions Tuesday evening and once again accusing the president of twisting the truth in his address.
"Is it OK to start saying 'four more years' in the House of Representatives?" the speaker continued, referring to a chant Republican members started during the Tuesday night address. "I mean, it's just unheard of."
"Is it unheard of for the president to insult people there who don't share his view as well as to misrepresent, present falsehoods — some would use the word 'lie'; I don't like to use the word 'lie' — about what he was saying," Pelosi concluded. "So, no, I think it was completely, entirely appropriate, and — considering some of the other exuberances within me — the courteous thing to do."


theblaze--2020-02-06--Chinese doctor who raised early alarm on coronavirus — and was reprimanded by police — just died of

Chinese doctor who raised early alarm on coronavirus — and was reprimanded by police — just died of the virus

' ( Everything ) has to adhere to the official line' Chinese doctor who raised early alarm on coronavirus — @ @ @ @ @ — just died of the virus Medical staff rally before taking over a large temporary @ @ @ @ @ in an exhibition center in Wuhan in central China 's Hubei province Wednesday .
The @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus .
( Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images )

In late December, a doctor working in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei province of China, posted online about a SARS-like virus that he observed in seven recent patients.
His message, which was posted in a medical school alumni group, attracted the attention of Wuhan police, who accused him of rumor-mongering. But Dr. Li Wenliang was concerned about these patients, all of whom had come from a local seafood market and had been quarantined.
Just over a month later, tens of thousands of Chinese residents have been diagnosed with coronavirus, and hundreds have died. Including, now, Li himself, CNN reported. Li was 34.
A few days after Li posted about the illness in the online group. he was called in by Wuhan police and questioned about his knowledge of the situation, and made to sign a document acknowledging the misdemeanor of disrupting the social order and spreading online rumors.
Wuhan officials had already become aware of the outbreak when Li posted about it, but it wasn't until the day after Li's post that officials announced it and notified the World Health Organization.
Li was hospitalized Jan. 12 and officially diagnosed with coronavirus Feb. 1. He reportedly contracted it from one of his patients, who he didn't know had coronavirus.
CNN spoke to Li before he died, but had to communicate via text message because Li was coughing and struggling to breath too much to talk.
He feared he was going to be detained. "My family would worry sick about me, if I lose my freedom for a few days," he told CNN over a text message on WeChat -- he was coughing too much and breathing too poorly to speak over the phone.
He was released by police, but returned to work at Wuhan Central Hospital feeling helpless. He said: "There was nothing I could do. (Everything) has to adhere to the official line."
More than 560 people have died from coronavirus so far, and more than 28,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the illness — nearly all of them in China.


theblaze--2020-02-06--Bette Midler has paranoid meltdown of epic proportions after Trump shares Dem-trolling video: 'YOU T

Bette Midler has paranoid meltdown of epic proportions after Trump shares Dem-trolling video: 'YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE DON'T YOU'

Bette Midler has paranoid meltdown of epic proportions after Trump shares Dem-trolling video : 'YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE @ @ @ @ @ from the keyboard , Midler

Bette Midler offered up a stunning reaction to a video President Donald Trump shared on Wednesday.
The president shared the entertaining, tongue-in-cheek video after his Senate acquittal on both counts of impeachment.
What are the details?
The video features a manipulated animation of a Time magazine cover with Trump 2020 campaign signs dating through the year 90000 and beyond.
While the video was clearly a clever joke, Midler, 74, took it very seriously.
"HE PINNED THIS. YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE, DON'T YOU?" she blasted in an all-caps tweet. "IT'S NOT. HE MEANS IT. HE WILL CHANGE THE RULES AND HIS ENABLERS WILL LET HIM. IF HE WINS AGAIN, HE WILL RULE YOU UNTIL HE DIES, YOU DIE, OR BOTH. THEN ... YOU'LL GET IVANKA."
At the time of this writing, Midler's tweet has attracted more than 19,000 comments — many of them calling her out for not being able to take a joke.
Despite the outcry against her reaction, Midler tweeted on Thursday that the president is "the malignant force."
"The most unprincipled man to ever hold the highest office in the land will be spinning his ass off for YOU, the American public, at 12pm today. He will try to convince you that he is pure and the victim of malignant forces you cannot see. He's not. HE IS THE MALIGNANT FORCE."
Anything else?
This is hardly the first time one of Midler's many anti-Trump tweets has fallen flat.
In July, Midler caught the ire of some of her fellow celebrities after a controversial tweet about black Trump supporters.
She shared a photo of black men at a Trump rally and captioned it, "Look, there are African American men in this shot! How much did [Trump] pay them to be 'blackground?'"
She later deleted the tweet after the backlash.


theblaze--2020-02-06--Public school teacher tweets it's 'awesome' cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh 'is dying' — and gets plac

Public school teacher tweets it's 'awesome' cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh 'is dying' — and gets placed on leave for it

Public school teacher tweets it 's 'awesome ' cancer-stricken Rush Limbaugh 'is dying ' — and gets placed on leave @ @ @ @ @ said Limbaugh 'absolutely should have to suffer '

Milwaukee Public Schools placed a teacher on leave after he tweeted that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh "absolutely should have to suffer from cancer. it's awesome that he's dying, and hopefully it is as quick as it is painful," WITI-TV reported.
Image source: WISN-TV video screenshot
Limbaugh, 69, announced Monday that he's been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
What are the details?
Milwaukee School of the Arts teacher Travis Sarandos posted the tweet, WITI reported, citing a statement from Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan. Sarandos teaches English, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said.
Donovan — who ran twice as a Republican for state assembly in the 1980s — wants Sarandos disciplined, WISN reported.
"It would be easy enough to dismiss ill-written, juvenile nonsense like this were it not for his role in teaching our city's young people," Donovan said in a news release, WISN said. "He is supposed to be an example of the inclusive, tolerant, and respectful spirit of the Milwaukee Public Schools. He is clearly nothing of the sort."
Donovan also told WISN on camera, "Let's just say that some right winger was attacking some liberal. And let's just say this same right winger was attacking Muslims. This guy would've been gone in a heartbeat. But it seems to be OK to attack conservatives."
Image source: WISN-TV video screenshot
WITI said it obtained a screenshot of another Sarandos tweet that read: "I was in the room when my grandpa died of lung cancer, and my grandma nearly lost her house paying for his end-of-life costs because of people like Rush Limbaugh, who thinks being poor should be a death sentence. You can [redacted] all the way off."
Donovan also said in his statement that Sarandos suggested the extinction of Christian conservative voters could foster a better future — and asked "maybe we poison the communion wine?" WITI noted.
Sarandos' Twitter account was down Thursday morning.
What did the teacher have to say?
"I regret the statements," Sarandos told WITI. "It was meant as a joke, but it was in very poor taste. I do not have any further comment."
What did the school district have to say?
"We are aware of Mr. Sarandos' actions and can confirm that he was not speaking on behalf of any students or staff of Milwaukee High School of the Arts or Milwaukee Public Schools," district spokeswoman Shahree Douglas said in a statement to WISN. "The district is following policy and procedures related to personnel matters."
youtu.be
Anything else?
As TheBlaze previously reported, the left immediately attacked Limbaugh on social media upon hearing the news about his cancer diagnosis.
Leftist commentator Reza Aslan noted the following:
In addition, left-wing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) went so far as to call Limbaugh a "virulent racist" after President Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Tuesday's State of the Union address.


theblaze--2020-02-06--Barnes & Noble nixes Black History Month series amid major backlash: 'Classics in blackface'

Barnes & Noble is under fire after plans to launch a series of books with `` diverse '' covers to honor Black History Month .
After some social media users called the initiative `` classics in blackface , '' the bookseller nixed its plans for the launch .
What are the details ?
The big box bookseller teamed up with Penguin Random House publisher to release 12 classic novels including `` The Wizard of Oz '' and `` Moby Dick '' with a twist : `` inclusive '' and `` diverse '' covers called `` Diverse Editions . ''
AM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ title had five culturally diverse custom covers designed to ensure the recognition , representation , and inclusion of various multiethnic backgrounds reflected across the country .
The new covers are a part of a new initiative to champion diversity in literature . ''
You can see some of the book covers below .
The initiative was to go live on Wednesday , but the retailer canceled the campaign after outcry .
In an online statement , Barnes & Noble said , `` The Diverse Editions event at our @ BNFifthAvenue location originally scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Please see our statement . ''
A portion of the statement said , `` We acknowledge the voices who have expressed concerns about the Diverse Editions project at our Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue store and have decided to suspend the initiative . ''
The statement added that `` diverse '' book covers are a poor substitute for showcasing the works of `` black voices or writers of color . ''
`` Diverse Editions presented new covers of classic books through a series of limited-edition jackets , designed by artists hailing from different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
`` The covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of color whose work and voices deserve to be heard . ''
Here are some of the more interesting reactions • `` They could have Googled , chosen a dozen books by actual Black authors that are classics & sent those out with fresh covers & a big event .
Add in bringing in contemporary Black authors to discuss these works & the whole thing is a win .
They did n't do the easy or logical thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ classics in blackface . ''
• `` This fake diversity nonsense ( where they replace white characters with people of color ) is disgusting .
It is not sincere or a solution .
NEW STORIES BY PEOPLE OF COLOR ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR is the solution .
WE get to tell OUR stories !
Stop USING us and GET OUT OF THE WAY ! ''
• `` Jesus .
Slapping cartoon POC on books by white folks when the words within those books do n't promote anything but the white narrative is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to be published in a predominately white marketplace .
Do better . ''

Barnes & Noble is under fire after plans to launch a series of books with "diverse" covers to honor Black History Month.
After some social media users called the initiative "classics in blackface," the bookseller nixed its plans for the launch.
What are the details?
The big box bookseller teamed up with Penguin Random House publisher to release 12 classic novels including "The Wizard of Oz" and "Moby Dick" with a twist: "inclusive" and "diverse" covers called "Diverse Editions."
AM New York Metro reported, "Each title had five culturally diverse custom covers designed to ensure the recognition, representation, and inclusion of various multiethnic backgrounds reflected across the country. The new covers are a part of a new initiative to champion diversity in literature."
You can see some of the book covers below.
The initiative was to go live on Wednesday, but the retailer canceled the campaign after outcry.
In an online statement, Barnes & Noble said, "The Diverse Editions event at our @BNFifthAvenue location originally scheduled for this evening has been cancelled. Please see our statement."
A portion of the statement said, "We acknowledge the voices who have expressed concerns about the Diverse Editions project at our Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue store and have decided to suspend the initiative."
The statement added that "diverse" book covers are a poor substitute for showcasing the works of "black voices or writers of color."
"Diverse Editions presented new covers of classic books through a series of limited-edition jackets, designed by artists hailing from different ethnicities and backgrounds," the statement continued. "The covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of color whose work and voices deserve to be heard."
Here are some of the more interesting reactions


theblaze--2020-02-06--Iowa caucus results contain blatant errors in more than 100 precincts, NY Times reports

Iowa caucus results contain blatant errors in more than 100 precincts , NY Times reports How can the results ever @ @ @

We almost have all the results from the Iowa Democratic caucus — but we have little reason to trust that they are accurate, according to an analysis by the New York Times.
Caucuses entail a lot of moving around, and a lot of manual data collection and entry. Combine that with some new rules and a faulty smartphone app, and you get a lot of errors — errors that could be the difference between winning and losing for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.
"The results released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday were riddled with inconsistencies and other flaws," Nate Cohn, Andrew Fischer, Josh Katz, Denise Lu, Charlie Smart and Ben Smithgall reported for the Times. "According to a New York Times analysis, more than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, that were missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses."
"In some cases, vote tallies do not add up. In others, precincts are shown allotting the wrong number of delegates to certain candidates," the report continued. "And in at least a few cases, the Iowa Democratic Party's reported results do not match those reported by the precincts."
To summarize, the results are wrong in so many different ways that it may be impossible to ever produce a truly accurate tally of who won the Iowa caucuses.
The Iowa Democratic Party relies on precinct officials to record and validate results. Then, the IDP reports what it gets from the precincts. The problem is, there is significant evidence that many precinct officials didn't know what they were doing. Here are some examples of types of detected errors:
Candidates who were viable after the first alignment sometimes lost support upon final alignment (This violates caucus rules).
More voters are recorded in the final alignment than were recorded in the first alignment (New voters are not allowed to join the caucus after first alignment).
Some precincts awarded candidates more state delegates than the precinct was allotted.
Some candidates won more votes but received fewer delegates than other candidates.
One precinct award all of Bernie Sanders' votes to Deval Patrick, and all of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) to Tom Steyer, apparently due to someone entering data on the wrong column or row of a spreadsheet.
The Times is reporting the errors it finds to the Iowa Democratic Party, but not all of them have been corrected. The party appears to be overwhelmed and does not have the resources to ensure that all results are validated and fully accurate.


theblaze--2020-02-06--VIDEO: President Trump speaks out day after Senate votes to acquit him on impeachment. DC establishm

VIDEO: President Trump speaks out day after Senate votes to acquit him on impeachment. DC establishment braces itself.

VIDEO : President Trump speaks out day after Senate votes to acquit him on impeachment .
DC establishment braces itself @ @ @ @ @ National Prayer Breakfast was any indication , this could be wild

President Donald Trump will give a nationwide address at noon ET Thursday, one day after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit him on both impeachment articles. You can watch a live feed of the address below as soon as it begins.
If Trump's performance at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning is any sort of preview, this speech could have fireworks.


theblaze--2020-02-06--President Trump touts impeachment acquittal headlines, takes swipes at Pelosi and Romney at National

President Trump touts impeachment acquittal headlines, takes swipes at Pelosi and Romney at National Prayer Breakfast

President Trump touts impeachment acquittal headlines , takes swipes at Pelosi and Romney at National Prayer Breakfast 'They put themselves @ @ @ @ @ country '

President Donald Trump celebrated the news of his impeachment and took some veiled swipes at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) during his appearance Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
As the president took to the stage at the annual event, he held up two newspaper headlines reporting his acquittal of impeachment charges in the Senate the previous afternoon, to applause from the audience. The first paper was a copy of USA Today and the second was a copy of the Washington Post.
After he got behind the microphone to give his remarks, Trump appeared to take veiled shots at Pelosi, who was also in attendance at the event.
"As everybody knows, my family, our great country, and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said. "They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country."
The president later added that, "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you, when they know that that's not so. So many people have been hurt and we can't let that go on."
The comment appears to be a veiled shot at Pelosi who has previously said on multiple occasions that she prays for Trump. For example, after announcing the start of impeachment efforts against him in late September, she told MSNBC that she prays for the president "all the time." She also made a similar comment in an angry response to a reporter's question about whether or not she hated the president in December.
"I was raised [to have] a heart full of love and always pray for the president. And I still pray for the president," Pelosi said. "I pray for the president all the time. So don't mess with me when it comes to words like that."
The line about "justification" also appears aimed at Romney, who cited his faith as a motivating factor for his vote to convict the president of abuse of power in a Senate floor speech the day before.
"I am aware there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced," Romney said. "I'm sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?"
During his Thursday morning remarks, Trump also went on to comment on the difficulty of trying to love one's political adversaries in the context of the impeachment effort.
"We're grateful to the people in this room for the love that they show religion — not one religion but many religions," Trump said toward the end of his speech. "They're brave, they're brilliant, they're fighters, they like people, and sometimes they hate people. I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm trying to learn."
"When they impeach you for nothing then you're supposed to like them? It's not easy, folks," Trump said to laughs from the audience. "I do my best."


theblaze--2020-02-06--Iowa Democratic official blames Trump supporters for Iowa caucuses debacle

Precinct Chair Carl Voss shows the phone app he used for the Iowa Caucus to news media at the Iowa @ @ @ @ @ 4 , 2020 , in Des Moines , Iowa .
( John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune @ @ @ @ @ )

It took two full days, but Iowa Democrats found a way to connect their total failure to count Iowa caucus votes to President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg reported Wednesday night that state Democratic caucus central committee member Ken Sagar, without evidence, blamed the communications breakdown on Trump supporters jamming up phone lines and preventing precinct officials from calling in results to the state party.
Plan A for compiling results was to use a smartphone app. However, a combination of factors — including the app malfunctioning and some people waiting until the day of the caucuses to download it and figure out how it worked — ruined that effort.
So, they went to plan B: Old-fashioned telephones. Precinct officials were to tally their results (with some precincts having to resort to take votes on paper), and call the results in. The hotline designated for that purpose was quickly jammed up with calls, leaving precinct captains on hold for hours.
And sometimes, getting hung up on because they weren't ready when they finally got through:
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This, according to Bloomberg, was the fault of Trump supporters, who found the hotline number online and called in large enough numbers to derail the results reporting. Bloomberg, it should be noted, is owned by Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, and has a policy of not investigating any Democratic candidates since it cannot investigate its owner.
According to two participants on the call, Ken Sagar, a state Democratic central committee member, was among those answering the hotline on caucus night and said people called in and expressed support for Trump. The phone number became public after people posted photos of caucus paperwork that included the hotline number, one of the people on the call, said.
The Trump campaign said Wednesday night it had no knowledge of its supporters calling the hotline.
As of Thursday morning, about 96 percent of precincts had been reported in the Iowa caucuses. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had a slight lead in raw votes, while former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg had a narrow lead in state delegates. The race was still too close to call.


theblaze--2020-02-06--What we can learn from the Iowa caucus debacle: Dems in trouble in rural America, Biden in trouble e

What we can learn from the Iowa caucus debacle: Dems in trouble in rural America, Biden in trouble everywhere

What we can learn from the Iowa caucus debacle : Dems in trouble in rural America , Biden in trouble @

Some stream of consciousness takeaways from the still-not-official Iowa Democratic caucus, and what they mean moving forward in the 2020 election.
1. The Iowa caucuses may really mean nothing this time.
Iowa's detractors on the right and left peddle the line "Iowa is meaningless" every time, mainly out of a loathing for flyover country and/or jealousy that where they live isn't give such prominence. But the truth says differently. For example, since the Iowa caucuses began in 1972, only one Democrat has won the presidency without first winning the Iowa caucus. And that was Bill Clinton in 1992, when Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin also ran for president as a favorite son so it wasn't contested. However, the complete and total face-plant by the Iowa Democratic Party may make the quadrennial lament that Iowa doesn't matter true this time. As of this writing, the results were still neither complete nor certified, and New Hampshire is just a few days away. It seems public perception has ruled Iowa null and void following this debacle, and perception is nine-tenths of the law in politics.
2. Joe Biden is a mortally wounded candidate.
When you lead the polls for a year, and then are soundly rejected by actual voters the first time they get the chance to decide your fate, you have been weighed, measured, and found wanting. Especially when you're a high name ID candidate like a former vice president. Joe Biden also had stalwart Democrats like popular former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and former Iowa caucus winner John Kerry attempt to save him late in the process to no avail. Iowa is a retail politics state, with only one top 100 television market, so you can't buy it with massive ad buys. You have to let voters get to know you, and when voters saw Biden up close and personal they saw a politician way past his prime. Only once ever has a major party nominated for president someone who didn't finish in the top three in Iowa. That was John McCain in 2008, who went on to get trounced in the general election.
3. Democrats failed to take back ground in rural America.
There are 33 counties in Iowa, almost all rural, that voted at least once for Barack Obama in a general election and then went to Donald Trump in 2016. Which is emblematic of what we saw in states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania that Trump also flipped. These are the kinds of places a candidate like Biden was supposed to bring back into the Democratic fold. However, he failed to capture the attention and imagination of rural Iowa, and that was the main reason both overall caucus turnout failed to reach Democrats' lofty expectations, as well as Biden failed. That does not bode well for Democrats in rural America later in the general election.
4. Twitter is not America.
About 80% of Iowa Democrats told exit pollsters they don't get their news from Twitter, which mirrors Twitter's actual demographics — almost 80% of its users are outside the U.S. This demonstrates a disconnect between the left/Democrat Party we see portrayed on Twitter — with its cancel culture, woke police, and obsession with fake collusions/hoaxes — and those who call themselves Democrats in places between New York City and Los Angeles. This presents a challenge for conservatives. On one hand, we must respond and confront the crazed left that shows itself on Twitter. On the other hand, we should be careful not to stereotype everybody not voting our way as a construct of those tropes, lest we risk alienating people we might have a chance at persuading at some point.
5. 2020 polling is off to a bad start.
There was the Des Moines Register Iowa Poll getting pulled for mysterious reasons (and no, I don't buy simple user error), but that has overshadowed the exposing of Biden's polling house of cards. Monmouth's final poll had Biden winning with 25%. CBS/YouGov final poll is also had Biden tied for the lead at 25%. Ditto USA Today's final poll. He finished fourth and 10 points below that. Just a bit outside. Biden finished a full 5 points below his final Iowa Caucus RealClearPolitics polling average.
6. Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang got screwed.
Those same polls that way overestimated Biden's support were used by the Democratic Party to keep candidates like Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang off the debate stage to make their case. Those candidates got royally screwed by the polling scam.


theblaze--2020-02-06--MSNBC’s Brian Williams questions the ‘faith’ of senators who didn’t convict President Trump on impea

MSNBC’s Brian Williams questions the ‘faith’ of senators who didn’t convict President Trump on impeachment

MSNBC ’ s Brian Williams questions the ‘ faith ’ of senators who didn ’ t convict President Trump on @ @ @ @ @ burdened by the oath '

Responding to news of President Trump's acquittal on impeachment charges Wednesday, MSNBC's Brian Williams questioned the "faith" of those senators who didn't vote to convict the president.
Earlier in the segment, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson took time to praise Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for being the only Republican to vote to convict the president.
"When he spoke, he spoke about the oath he took to God. And he is really a man of faith," Robinson said of the senator. "He has made a solemn oath and took that very seriously and that's a rare thing."
Williams proceeded to enter the conversation, suggesting that others in the Senate failed to live up to the faithful standard set by Romney: "A lot of the 99 [other senators] insist faith is central to their lives. They were not so burdened by the oath."
"It would appear not," added fellow host Nicolle Wallace.
"It's called walking the walk," lectured Robinson.
Earlier on Wednesday, Romney made headlines by announcing he would break with his Republican colleagues and vote to convict Trump on one of the impeachment charges brought against him: abuse of power.
"The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor," Romney said. "Yes, he did."
Romney cited his faith and conscience as compelling reasons for his decision, saying that "were he to ignore the evidence" it would "censure [his] own conscience."
He later added, "Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?"
Regardless of Romney's vote, Trump was formally acquitted on both charges brought against him in the Senate and the impeachment trial has officially come to a close — or has it?
(H/T: NewsBusters)


theblaze--2020-02-06--VIDEO: 'Courageous' Nancy Pelosi appears to make tiny tears in President Trump's State of the Union

VIDEO: 'Courageous' Nancy Pelosi appears to make tiny tears in President Trump's State of the Union speech long before ripping it up

VIDEO : 'Courageous ' Nancy Pelosi appears to make tiny tears in President Trump 's State of the Union speech @ @ @ @ @ Video screenshot shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holding her copy of President Donald Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ — and an apparent tiny tear can be seen on the edge of it in @ @ @ @ @ Image source : New York Post video screenshot )

Leftists far and wide praised Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for ripping up her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Their operative word for her viral stunt? Courageous.
Famed author Joyce Carol Oates seemed to think so, calling Pelosi's actions — and GOP Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) decision to vote to convict Trump prior the Democrats' failed impeachment attempt — "courageous & noble." Oates went even further, noting "there is something Shakespearean, or at least excitingly theatrical, in these public gestures."
Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Other Twitter users agreed:
"AMEN to courageous SPEAKER PELOSI! So proud of what she did after Trump refused to shake her hand at SOTU address."
"Nancy that was awesome; it's about time someone call out this f***ing liar; not classless, Pelosi is courageous."
"Pelosi's defiance is courageous."
"Your final SOTU speech will be remembered for the courageous Nancy Pelosi ripping it up."
"Speaker Pelosi's tore up his speech. America yelled out with you. We are in anguish and feel you. We all do things we wish we hadn't, but this was courageous and came from your heart. Much love today and always."
"SPEAKER PELOSI is my hero! The most courageous person alive, next to Adam Schiff my hero!"
Oh, really?
If the left-wing consensus is that Pelosi is a "hero" and was "courageous" amid an act that appeared to spring spontaneously from her "heart," a clip of the speaker prior to her gutsy stand for truth and justice would seem to say otherwise.
Video from the New York Post shows Pelosi grabbing her copy of Trump's speech, placing it near her lap and mostly out of camera view, and apparently making tiny tears into it — a "pre-rip," if you will — presumably so that her big moment at the conclusion of Trump's address would go flawlessly.
Check it out:
The Post added that photos of the sheets of paper show them face down with small slits on the side, apparently near where Pelosi soon ripped them up.
The Post said Pelosi's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Anything else?
In the aftermath, a number of Republicans said they're taking action against Pelosi for her stunt: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tweeted that he's filing an ethics complaint against the Democratic leader; Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) introduced a resolution criticizing Pelosi for her act; and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) tweeted that he introduced a resolution to censure Pelosi.


theblaze--2020-02-06--Delaware university shuts down online art exhibit after submission features Trump beheading

'It 's more violent than it is expression of speech '

Wilmington University in Delaware shut down an online art show after one of its submissions depicted violence against President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
The submission, a parody of Italian painter Caravaggio's 16th century "Judith and Holofernes" (pictured above) showed Lady Liberty cutting off Trump's head.
Jennie Williams, the student artist, featured the submission in the school's online art show, which began Jan. 13 and is slated to run through Feb. 14.
In a statement, Joe Aviola, the college's senior director of administrative and legal affairs, said the submission "did not meet the university's values" and that it was not protected under "expression of speech" because of its overt violence.
"It's more violent than it is expression of speech," he explained, pointing out that there were no specific guidelines for submissions.
You can see a screenshot of the controversial artwork here.
What else?
The Delaware News Journal reported that John Flaherty, president of the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, said that if there are not explicit guidelines prohibiting such art, all submissions should be displayed.
"Even violent inappropriate art pieces should be judged for what they are," Flaherty argued. "You ought to have controversial pieces submitted. That's part of being an artist."
Aviola added, "In hindsight, we maybe should've had some other people review it" before posting it.
The school opted to remove the submission from its online portal on Tuesday after an anonymous complaint.


theblaze--2020-02-06--ICE slams California sanctuary law after data shows thousands of illegal immigrant inmates released

ICE slams California sanctuary law after data shows thousands of illegal immigrant inmates released in one county alone 'These are @ @ @ @ @ importantly , preventable victims '

Since California's controversial sanctuary law went into effect at the beginning of 2018, one county jail has been forced to release more than 2,100 illegal immigrants with immigration detainers on them, according to a Wednesday news release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Citing data released by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes earlier this week, the release says that 1,015 of the Orange County Jail's inmates with ICE detainers were released back into the community without notifying federal authorities in 2019 as a result of the law's limitations and 1,106 inmates with detainers were released in 2018 without ICE notification for the same reason.
But that's not all. Of those released without ICE notification, the data says, 411 were later arrested on additional charges. Those charges included rape, assault with a deadly weapon, identify theft, domestic violence, and drunk driving, according to the release.
California's "sanctuary state" law, SB 54, was signed into law in October 2017 and went into effect in January 2018 and places several restrictions on state and local law enforcement's ability to enforce federal immigration law or cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
In light of the data, Orange County's sheriff criticized the law, saying that it makes it harder for his department to protect and serve the public.
"SB 54 has made our community less safe," Barnes said in a statement. "The law has resulted in new crimes because my deputies were unable to communicate with their federal partners about individuals who committed serious offenses and present a threat to our community if released."
Barnes added, "The two-year social science experiment with sanctuary laws must end. Rather than protect our immigrant community, the law has enabled offenders to be released, often times back into the immigrant communities they prey upon, and create new victims."
Acting ICE Director Matthew Albence praised Barnes for speaking up against the state's sanctuary law.
"These policies do nothing but ensure that criminals are released back into the community, where many re-offend, instead of being turned over to ICE," Albence said. "These are preventable crimes, and more importantly, preventable victims. As the data released by Sheriff Barnes clearly demonstrates, all communities are safer when local law enforcement works with ICE."
During his 2020 State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump also criticized California's sanctuary law, saying that it was "outrageous" and had led to "catastrophic results," such as the death of 51-year-old Rocky Jones at the hands of a released illegal immigrant.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Six women quit Liz Warren campaign over 'culture' of racism — Warren blames 'legacy' of racism in th

Six women quit Liz Warren campaign over 'culture' of racism — Warren blames 'legacy' of racism in the US

Six women quit Liz Warren campaign over 'culture ' of racism — Warren blames 'legacy ' of racism in the @ @ @ @ @ oppression in this country have left a long legacy ... . ''

Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was questioned about accusations from six female staffers who left her campaign after accusing it of "tokenism" and other racial insensitivity.
Warren apologized but blamed the "legacy" of racism in the United States for what her former staffers experienced. She made the comments on MSNBC to host Chris L. Hayes.
"There's a story in Politico that I saw you responded to, and I just want to get your response to it here on air, about six women of color that quit your Nevada campaign with complaints of a toxic work environment and tokenism; one of them went on the record. I saw that you responded to that and apologized. What do you want to say in response to learning about that?" Hayes asked.
"You know, I believe these women without any equivocation, and I apologize personally that they had a bad experience on the campaign," Warren responded.
"I really work hard to try to build a campaign and a work environment where it's diverse and open and everyone is welcomed and celebrated and gets to bring their whole self to work every day," she said.
"But I'm also very aware that racism and oppression in this country have left a long legacy, and it creates the kind of toxicity where people, power structures, people take advantage of other people, it's something for which we have to be constantly vigilant and constantly determined to do better," Warren continued.
"I take responsibility for this, and I'm working with my team to address these concerns," she concluded.
Warren came in third in the final, but disputed, results from the Iowa caucuses. Her campaign has put its hopes on performing well in New Hampshire.
Here's the video of her comments:


theblaze--2020-02-07--Glenn Beck unveils money laundering scheme linked to Hunter Biden and Burisma

This provides context to President Trump 's discussions last year with the president of Ukraine

In a Thursday night special, BlazeTV host Glenn Beck laid out the evidence implicating a possible international money laundering scheme linked to Ukrainian gas firm Burisma and former Burisma board member Hunter Biden.
The links provided by Beck show that $1.8 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars sent to Ukraine during the Obama administration is unaccounted for — and raises the question: Why hasn't Congress launched an investigation into how those funds were spent?
What are the details?
During the special, Beck explained that in 2014, $23 million was sent to a bank in London via wire transfer by Mykola Zlochevsky, the head of Burisma. British authorities immediately froze the accounts and began tracing the funds back to their origins.
According to Beck, the evidence suggests that the money had been laundered through the minimally regulated Latvian banking system and transferred into an array of shell companies.
"Not only did Biden not seem to care about his new company being investigated for stealing and laundering money," Beck said, "he also apparently didn't mind that the primary owner of Burisma [Valeriyovych Kolomoyskyi] was on a U.S. visa ban list for — get this — murders and beheadings."
A few weeks after Burisma was implicated in a money laundering ring, Hunter Biden became a board member, and within a few months, then-Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry lobbied for $1.8 billion to be delivered into PrivatBank — which was owned by Kolomoyskyi and became Ukraine's state bank.
That $1.8 billion is still missing and could have gone anywhere — possibly into Kolomoyskyi's own pocket, or possibly spent in whole or in part to bankroll Ukraine's war with Russia, given that the oligarch was known for "bankrolling" the conflict. But if the funds were used to fund a war with Russia, those taxpayer dollars were not authorized by Congress.
The International Monetary Fund has also been investigating corruption and money laundering in Ukraine, and in 2016, the Ukrainian government finally seized PrivatBank from Kolomoyskyi for enriching himself off of IMF loans.
On September 10, 2019, the IMF informed the White House Budget Office that there was an "obligating event" that needed to occur in order for Ukraine to receive further IMF funds.
On Sept. 11, police special forces raided PrivatBank, seizing documents and evidence needed to investigate the scheme. The same day, President Donald Trump released military aid to Ukraine.
"Trump wanted a public announcement of 'investigations,' and everyone assumed that he meant an interview on CNN," Beck said. "I'd say a special forces daylight raid on Ukraine's biggest and most corrupt bank is one hell of a public announcement."


theblaze--2020-02-07--VIDEO: CAIR demands hate crime probe into pro-Trump protesters shouting down Democrat candidate call

VIDEO: CAIR demands hate crime probe into pro-Trump protesters shouting down Democrat candidate calling for 'Trump wife' ban

VIDEO : CAIR demands hate crime probe into pro-Trump protesters shouting down Democrat candidate calling for 'Trump wife ' ban @ @ @ @ @ protesters offended a Muslim woman for wearing Islamic garb .

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for a hate crime investigation into comments made against a Muslim woman at a public political forum in Palmdale, California, that quickly devolved into a shouting match.
The forum was held Saturday by CAIR for candidates seeking to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Katie Hill, who resigned after photos were published of her unethical "throuple" relationship with a staffer.
One of those candidates is Cenk Uygur, a YouTube personality from the far-left progressive "Young Turks" video series.
Pro-Trump protesters began to argue with the candidates and objected strenuously when Uygur insulted President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
"So I'm not a normal Democrat, I'm not a run-of-the-mill Democrat," said Uygur.
"I'm not a run-of-the-mill Democrat, I'm very aggressive. I believe in counter-striking, so when they say Muslim ban, I say Trump wife ban, OK?" he continued.
"OK, so he has many immigrant wives, and by the way, Melania has broken the law in how she came here!" he claimed.
"Muslims didn't break the law in how they came here. Muslims are law-abiding citizens and Americans just like anyone else. Trying to ban them is pure bigotry. And the Republican Party agrees with Donald Trump and they almost always do, a hundred percent, the politicians, then call them what they are, you are bigots!" Uygur exclaimed.
"And by the way, if you vote for them, you're also a bigot!" he added.
A Trump supporter in the crowd objected and yelled at Uygur that he was lying.
"Don't degrade my president or his wife! OK?" the Trump supporter added.
"I will, and when I get there, I will kick his ass!" responded Uygur emphatically.
The forum was abruptly canceled after others jumped into the debate.
Uygur posted video of the event on his Twitter account.
During the angry confrontation, one woman reportedly told another, "This is America. You want to assimilate to America? Take that hijab off and be American."
A man also reportedly said, "That's what we want, assimilation. Muslims don't assimilate."
In a statement by CAIR-LA executive director Hussam Ayloush, the organization called for law enforcement to investigate what they saw as threats being made against Muslims.
"Their actions showed a lack of decency and respect for the voters attempting to learn more about people wanting to represent them in Congress," said Ayloush.
A video of the altercation was posted on YouTube by a group calling themselves "We The People Rising."
Here's the video of the kerfuffle:


theblaze--2020-02-07--White House confirms top al Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi killed in US airstrike

The strike in Yemen occurred at the direction of President Trump

The White House confirmed Thursday that top al Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi was killed in Yemen in an airstrike at the direction of President Donald Trump.
What are the details?
The White House issued a statement that read:
At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that successfully eliminated Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and a deputy to al-Qa'ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Rimi joined al-Qa'ida in the 1990s, working in Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden. Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civilians in Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against the United States and our forces. His death further degrades AQAP and the global al-Qa'ida movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security. The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result of his death. We will continue to protect the American people by tracking down and eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm.
Last month, several media outlets reported that al-Rimi was killed by an airstrike — citing unnamed American officials — and one U.S. defense official told CNN at the time, "While we are aware of the reports alleging the death of AQAP leader Qassim al-Rimi, the Department of Defense has nothing to offer on this matter."
Although the White House statement confirmed al-Rimi's death, it did not give a date for when the airstrike occurred.
Anything else?
Al-Rimi previously taunted President Trump in 2017, after an airstrike targeting the al Qaeda leader failed.
"The fool of the White House got slapped at the beginning of his road in your lands," al-Rimi said.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Iowa caucus catastrophe worsens for Democrats as AP says no clear winner can be declared

Iowa caucus catastrophe worsens for Democrats as AP says no clear winner can be declared '' ... it is not @ @ @ @ @ at this point . ''

The woes of the Iowa Democratic Party worsened on Thursday when the Associated Press reported that it would not be able to declare a winner of the key first election of the Democratic primary.
The AP released a statement citing the demand from the Democratic National Committee that the state party recanvass the results.
"The Associated Press calls a race when there is a clear indication of a winner," read a statement from AP senior vice president and executive editor Sally Buzbee.
"Because of a tight margin between former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this year's caucus process, it is not possible to determine a winner at this point," the statement continued.
Iowa Democrats were stunned and angered by the demand from DNC chairman Tom Perez on Thursday that they recanvass the disputed results. They indicated that they may not follow the demand from the DNC unless a candidate specifically asks for the same re-tabulation of results.
Hill.tv host Krystal Ball criticized the demand from Perez, calling it "manipulative" and "irresponsible."
"The Iowa caucus should be recanvassed AFTER the results are fully reported out," she tweeted. "It is wildly manipulative and irresponsible to do so at 97% of the vote just as Sanders' lead was set to be revealed."
The development was just the latest in a series of embarrassing blunders of the Iowa Democratic Party in implementing the first state primary caucuses of the Democratic presidential effort.
The massive incompetence manifested in the debacle has led some supporters to cling to conspiracy theories that their candidates have been shortchanged by the party rigging the presidential competition.
Here's more about the Iowa debacle:


theblaze--2020-02-07--Veteran slams AOC after she lectures that it's 'impossible' for someone to pull themselves up by the

Veteran slams AOC after she lectures that it's 'impossible' for someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps

Veteran slams AOC after she lectures that it 's 'impossible ' for someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps @ @ @ @ @ from black victims , not victors . '

A U.S. Army veteran and conservative political analyst accused Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) of taking a "veiled swipe" Wednesday at his testimony before Congress, after the democratic socialist lectured the hearing room that it is "impossible" for someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
What are the details?
Iraq War veteran Rob Smith spoke as a witness for a hearing titled, "A Threat to America's Children: The Trump Administration's Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation."
Smith delivered powerful testimony discussing how he overcame poverty and criticized the notion that "more government" is the solution — crediting his success to growing up in America and praising President Donald Trump's policies.
At the end of the hearing, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez referred to the testimony of a witness called by Democrats before stating, "You know this idea of a bootstrap and this metaphor of a bootstrap started off as a joke? Because it's a physical impossibility to lift yourself up by a bootstrap, by your shoelaces."
"It's physically impossible," the congresswoman repeated. "The whole thing is a joke."
Smith shared a clip of the New York Democrat's comments on Twitter the next day, saying, "This is @AOC veiled swipe at my testimony of being a poor kid who lifted myself up via the Army, hard work, and the blessing of being born in the USA. They only want to hear from black victims, not victors."
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez defended her statements, first criticizing President Trump "and his friends" before tweeting, "I worked my butt off to get elected against all odds, without any special connections or money. I worked double shifts and wore through my shoes, outspent 10:1 to get elected. Even w/ all that hard work, it would be narcissistic to pretend I 'bootstrapped' it alone & w/o others."


theblaze--2020-02-07--Impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman escorted from the White House

The National Security Council aide 's 'job is over , ' according to his attorney

National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was escorted from the White House on Friday afternoon and his "job is over," according to his attorney, in retaliation for testifying during the House impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
President Trump was acquitted in the Senate earlier this week, and had already signaled that Vindman could be on his way out the door.
What are the details?
Lt. Col. Vindman's attorney, David Pressman, issued a statement saying, in part:
Today, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he has dutifully served his country and his President. He does so having spoken publicly once, and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress.
There is no question in the mind of any American why this man's job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor ,his commitment to right, frightened the powerful. During his decades of service to this country, LTC Alexander Vindman has served quietly but dutifully, and he has served with honor. He came into the public eye only when subpoenaed to testify before Congress, and he did what the law commanded.
Pressman added:
The truth has cost LTC Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy. He did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril. And for that, the most powerful man in the world - buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit - has decided to exact revenge.
According to The Washington Post, Vindman had already informed NSC officials that he intended to leave his post by the end of the month, "but [President] Trump (was) eager to make a symbol of the Army officer sooner after the Senate acquitted him of the impeachment charges approved by House Democrats."
NPR reported that earlier in the day on Friday, President Trump told reporters of Vindman, "I'm not happy with him. You think I'm supposed to be happy with him? I'm not." Regarding the prospect of whether the NSC aide would remain at the White House, the president said, "They'll make that decision. You'll be hearing."
Anything else?
Lt. Col. Vindman is a 20-year Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served in the Iraq War. He is an expert on Ukraine, his birth country, and was on the July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski that House Democrats used to launch an impeachment probe against President Trump.
PBS noted that during his testimony before Congress, Vindman "testified that he didn't think it was 'proper' for Trump to 'demand' that a foreign government investigate' former Vice President Joe Biden and his son's dealings with the energy company Burisma in Ukraine."


theblaze--2020-02-07--Former Obama, Clinton staffers are helping write Hollywood award acceptance speeches

Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor visit in the green room after filming HBO 's live `` Pod Save America '' @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , in Los Angeles .
( Photo by Jessica Pons/ For The Washington Post @ @ @ @

Hollywood awards season has brought some extremely political acceptance speeches. Instead of simply thanking those who contributed to a project or telling a personal story, award recipients are likely to make a statement on issues such as abortion or climate change.
That may be due to a trend of more Hollywood personalities enlisting professional speechwriters for their acceptance speeches, rather than doing it themselves. Additionally, some political figures have stepped in to meet the demand.
One example of that is Fenway Strategies. Fenway is a firm that was founded in 2013 by a couple of former Obama administration officials: Jon Favreau, the former director of speechwriting, and Tommy Vietor, the former national security spokesman.
Also on board with Fenway is Sam Koppelman, a former speechwriter for Michael Bloomberg and digital strategist for Hillary Clinton. The firm began with a mostly political angle, but in recent years has transitioned into the Hollywood space. From Vulture:
Although the firm's most obvious connection is to the political arena, helping speakers prep TED talks or United Nations addresses, Fenway has branched out into Hollywood. And over the last few years the firm has helped ghostwrite awards acceptance speeches for a number of A-list clients; you definitely know them but their identities are protected by non-disclosure agreements.
"Writing for actors is a speechwriter's dream come true," Koppelman told Vulture. "Because unlike politicians, who are not professionals at memorizing lines or delivering them in compelling and charismatic ways, actors actually know how to deliver the lines."
Although it's unclear who wrote it, or whether she wrote it on her own, an example of a recent political acceptance speech is one from Michelle Williams during the Golden Globes. Her speech focused on the right for women to choose abortion.
"I'm grateful for the acknowledgment of the choices I've made, and I'm also grateful to have lived at a moment in our society where choice exists. Because as women and as girls, things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice," Williams said. "I've tried my very best to live a life of my own making, and not just a series of events that happened to me, but one that I could stand back and look at and recognize my handwriting all over — sometimes messy and scrawling, sometimes careful and precise, but one that I had carved with my own hand. And I wouldn't have been able to do this without employing a woman's right to choose: to choose when to have my children, and with whom."


theblaze--2020-02-07--Here's a montage of Dems saying the dumbest things you will hear all week

Here 's a montage of Dems saying the dumbest things you will hear all week

On Friday's episode of "Steve Deace Show," Steve released: "This Week in Democrats Say," a weekly montage packed full of the most outrageous comments made by Democrats this week. The most incredible part of the week was, of course, the Iowa Democrats ruining their own caucus.
Watch the video below for more details.
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theblaze--2020-02-07--Rush Limbaugh describes emotional moment he received Medal of Freedom: ‘You have no idea what this i

Rush Limbaugh describes emotional moment he received Medal of Freedom: ‘You have no idea what this is like’

Rush Limbaugh describes emotional moment he received Medal of Freedom : ‘ You have no idea what this is like @ @ @ @ @ for the radio legend

Nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh described the poignant moment he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump during Tuesday's State of the Union address.
www.youtube.com
What are the details?
As Trump recognized Limbaugh during the State of the Union address, first lady Melania Trump placed the Medal of Freedom around Limbaugh's neck.
During his Friday radio show, Limbaugh — who is suffering from advanced lung cancer — detailed his experience at the address, admitting that he had no idea he was about to receive such a high honor from the president.
He told listeners that he had a surgery scheduled for that day, but requested it be rescheduled after learning that the president asked him to appear at the address.
“Remember, I don't know what's gonna happen. I had no clue," Limbaugh said. "He's told me he's going to present me with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but a couple weeks from now. I had no idea at this point, on Tuesday morning, that this was going to happen at the State of the Union."
Limbaugh added, “You have no idea what this is like. Of all the things you think might happen to you in your life, this is not one of them."
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During his Tuesday night remarks, Trump said, "Here tonight is a special man, beloved by millions of Americans, who just received a stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis. This is not good news, but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet.
"Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation — the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity — I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country's highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom," he added.


theblaze--2020-02-07--California lawmakers introduce legislation that would require citizens to vote

A newly proposed bill in California would require every citizen who is registered to vote to cast ballots in all future elections, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Though it would likely be challenged in court after passage, Assembly Bill 2070, if enacted, would "require a person who qualifies and is registered to vote to cast a ballot, marked or unmarked in whole or in part, at every election held within the territory within which the person resides."
Will there be a punishment?
What happens if a citizen fails to do so? Well, the bill doesn't actually say, instead granting the power to determine a punishment to California's secretary of state.
"The bill would require the Secretary of State to enforce this requirement," is the exact language the legislation uses.
Citing as examples the 30 countries around the world that currently have compulsory voting laws — such as Australia and Belgium — author Assemblyman Marc Levine (D) argues he proposed the bill "with democracy on the line."
"Democracy is not a spectator sport — it requires the active participation of all its citizens," Levine added in a statement regarding the legislation. "California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens. Those rights come with a responsibility by registered voters to cast their ballot and make sure that their voice is heard by their government."
Hot Air, in its coverage of the news, takes issue with Levine's bit about democracy not being "a spectator sport" but requiring "the active participation of all its citizens":
That's not really true, is it? There are countries that have mandatory voting, including Australia, but they don't have constitutionally mandated free speech. In America, you have the right to vote (assuming you're of age and don't commit any felonies), but not an obligation to do so. You have the right to speak, but also to remain silent if you wish. And voting is a form of speech.
What about illegal aliens with driver's licenses?
"Here's another question," the Hot Air article poses. "What about the illegal aliens who inevitably wind up being mistakenly registered under the motor voter program?"
As of June 1, 2015, California's AB 60 law allows illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license, except these driver's licenses are not exactly the same as those held by legal residents. For example, the licenses have "a visible distinguishing feature" and do not give the holder access to restricted federal areas or the right to vote.
That said, according to the Sacramento Bee, as of last year, California officials were still unable to confirm whether non-citizens voted in the June 2018 primary elections, which doesn't exactly instill trust in the system. At the very least, you would expect Levine's proposed bill to offer some safeguards against circumstances like this, but no such language yet exists.
The bill may be amended, however, as it still must be referred to a policy committee and is unlikely to be considered until the spring, according to reports.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Trudeau seemed CONFUSED about his plan to cut back on single-use water bottles

On Thursday's episode of "Pat Gray Unleashed," Pat and Keith discussed an uncomfortably scattered explanation Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave last year about cutting back on single-use plastic water bottles.
"What do you and your family do to cut back on plastics?" the reporter asked.
"We have recently switched to drinking water bottles out of… water out of… when we have water bottles out of plastic. Sorry! Away from plastic towards paper-like drink-box water bottles sort of things," Trudeau replied.
Watch the video below for more.
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theblaze--2020-02-07--Warren nods as audience member calls AIPAC an ‘unholy alliance’ of ‘islamophobes’ and ‘white nationa

Warren nods as audience member calls AIPAC an ‘unholy alliance’ of ‘islamophobes’ and ‘white nationalists’

Warren nods as audience member calls AIPAC an ‘ unholy alliance ’ of ‘ islamophobes ’ and ‘ white nationalists @ @ @ @ @ last year , too

At a campaign event in Derry, New Hampshire, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) committed to boycotting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual conference this year, while nodding along with an attendee's criticism that the pro-Israel group is getting too cozy with "islamophobes" and "white nationalists."
During the Thursday rally, a member of the audience asked Warren whether or not she would boycott the pro-Israel group's annual event, saying that Democrats shouldn't "legitimize" the group's supposed "bigotry."
"I'm an American Jew and I'm terrified by the unholy alliance that AIPAC is forming with islamophobes and anti-Semites and white nationalists, and no Democrat should legitimize that kind of bigotry by attending their annual policy conference," she said to Warren. "I'm really grateful you skipped the AIPAC conference last year, so my question is if you'll join me in committing to skip the AIPAC conference this March?"
While taking a drink from her water glass, the candidate can be seen nodding along with the attendee's assessment before answering with a quick "yeah" to applause from the audience.
Footage of the full event can be found on C-Span, but a snippet containing the exchange can be seen here:
She later went on to outline her vision for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that "we need to get both parties to the table. We're not getting that if we just stand with one party."
The leftist Jewish group IfNotNow later tweeted that the question was asked on their behalf as part of an effort along with other leftist organizations to get Democratic presidential candidates to skip the pro-Israel conference.
Warren was one of several 2020 Democrats who joined together to boycott last year's AIPAC annual conference. This year's conference will be March 1-3 in Washington, D.C.
Warren's campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.


theblaze--2020-02-07--'The View's' Joy Behar goes on bizarre rant after Trump acquittal, evokes fear in Meghan McCain

'The View 's ' Joy Behar goes on bizarre rant after Trump acquittal , evokes fear in Meghan McCain That @ @ @ @ @ 'meltdown '

Joy Behar, co-host on "The View" erupted Friday over the Senate acquittal of President Donald Trump, complaining that his winning is making her "nuttier and nuttier."
During the outburst, Behar also attempted to rip out her earpiece, which prompted the audience to gasp.
What are the details?
"I'm crazy today," she blared, following a segment about Trump's acquittal. "He's made me crazy this week. He's winning because I'm getting nuttier and nuttier."
Behar added that she's going to spend the weekend in hibernation following the news, indulging in what she would surely call "self-care."
"This weekend, I'm not watching the news, I'm turning it off," she proclaimed. "I'm going to get a massage and I'm going to drink. I'm going to eat every carb in the house."
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Later during the show, Behar and co-hosts Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin criticized Trump's joyful post-acquittal speech.
"What about when he says that Hunter Biden was kicked out of the military?" Behar asked, turning to co-host Meghan McCain. "President Bone Spurs has the nerve? What do you say?"
An uncharacteristically quiet McCain responded, saying that Behar — as well as the rest of the co-hosts — scared McCain with erratic behavior and venom.
"I don't want to say my opinion today because you're very angry today, and everyone's been very angry backstage," McCain revealed.
Behar spat back, "We're very angry today."
McCain responded, "I just feel like today is maybe a day for me to be a conservative quietly, because I don't want to get booed and yelled at today, and that says a lot."
"You're very upset today and I don't want to exacerbate it," she added.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Store caves to Twitter mob outraged at sign asking customers to report tampon thieves. Mob adds stea

Store caves to Twitter mob outraged at sign asking customers to report tampon thieves. Mob adds stealing tampons is OK since they 'should be free.'

Store caves to Twitter mob outraged at sign asking customers to report tampon thieves .
Mob adds stealing tampons is @ @ @ @ @ free . '
'Very sorry for any offense caused '

A grocery store in the United Kingdom hatched a plan that most would consider rather normal: Curtailing shoplifters.
So a sign reading "Help us build safer communities — report shoplifting to a member of staff" was placed by the tampons in a Tesco store in Kensington, London, BuzzFeed News reported.
Oops
Soon a photo of the sign was posted on Twitter with the following retort: "We really need a genuine conversation as a society about what 'safety' means."
"Signs like these encourage ordinary people to be suspicious and resentful toward their neighbors, rather than be angry about the root causes of someone needing to shoplift menstrual products," the poster, Oonagh Ryder, told BuzzFeed News. "The UK has very high levels of inequality due to the decisions of successive governments, with increasing numbers of people unable to afford basic necessities."
The sentiment caught fire, the outlet reported. Here are just a few of the subsequent reactions:
"Shoplifting isn't the problem," another Twitter user added. "It's the fact that sanitary products aren't free and accessible to those who menstruate."
Another user noted, "If the government can offer free condoms then they should offer free sanitary products."
"If I see someone stealing feminine hygiene products of all things from a huge chain supermarket, I'm minding my business.... and you should, too," another Twitter user said.
"These products should be free," yet another user declared. "I'ma pretend I ain't seen nothin', ladies."
Caving to the mob
With that, Tesco caved — apologizing for the sign and removing it, BuzzFeed News reported, adding that a company spokesman said claimed the sign in the viral photo was placed "in error."
"We know that the cost of buying essential sanitary products can be a real struggle for some, which is why we were the first retailer to cover the cost of the 'tampon tax' [also known as the 'pink tax'] to make these items more affordable," the spokesperson added to the outlet. “We want everyone to feel welcome in our stores and are very sorry for any offense caused."


theblaze--2020-02-07--DNC chair dodges responsibility, throws Iowa Dems under the bus for caucus disaster

DNC chair dodges responsibility , throws Iowa Dems under the bus for caucus disaster 'How much of this is on @ @ @ @ @

Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez declined to take responsibility for the electoral fiasco that was this week's Iowa Democratic caucuses, instead laying the blame squarely at the feet of the state party.
During a Friday morning appearance on CNN, Perez was asked by CNN's John Berman, "How much of this is on you, chairman?"
"Well again, the Iowa Democratic Party runs the caucus. Okay?" Perez responded. "And they, what happened was unacceptable.
"At the same time, we came in there, we want to make sure that everything is right, and we at the Democratic National Committee — you know, this was unacceptable," the chairman continued. "And that's why we had people, we still have people on the ground there. We completed the counting last night."
Perez said that the national party would work to keep other primary contests in other states from turning out badly.
"And we're going to continue not only to work in Iowa, but also to learn the lessons of Iowa. So moving forward we are, we have caucuses in the remaining states that are, that run smoothly," Perez said.
The day before his comments Perez stepped in to call for a total recanvass of the vote in the state "in order to assure public confidence in the results."
The Iowa Democratic caucuses became a point of national mockery this week after purported technical problems with a vote-counting app meant that no winner could be declared on Monday night. After days of chaos and confusion, the final numbers finally came in on Thursday evening, but even those were plagued by accuracy concerns.
On Thursday, the Associated Press said that it couldn't declare a winner in the contest, citing the "tight margin between Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and irregularities in this year's caucus process."
A New York Times analysis also found that "more than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, that were missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses."
In response to the concerns about those inconsistencies, the state party has extended the deadline for campaigns to request a recanvass of the results until noon Monday.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Outrage ensues when four white students win MLK Jr. Day essay contest at University of Montana

No black students participated in the contest Outrage ensues when four white students win MLK Jr. Day essay contest at @ @ @ @ @ in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade on Jan. 19 , 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ ( Photo by Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images )

The University of Montana has very few black students. Which is understandable, because the state of Montana has very few black people.
This demographic profile created some issues, however, when the school sponsored a Martin Luther King Jr. Day essay contest and four white students were announced as the winners. Students and other observers (most of them white themselves) got very upset.
"Jesus Christ this is shameful and embarrassing, and I say that as a pasty ass white girl," wrote Nika Martignoni on a Facebook post announcing the contest winners. "I'm cringing for you because clearly none of you who ran this contest were raised with the good grace to do the cringing yourselves. You should be ashamed of yourselves."
The fact that white students were the only winners wasn't due to racism by the judges, though. It turns out, no black students entered the contest at all — a revelation that led to another category of public criticism, aimed at the university's lack of scrutiny about why no black students had participated.
"Why was there no curiosity from the panel, the head of the department, or others involved, about the absence of black participants?" wrote Laura Nigh, who is black, on Facebook. "Having grown up in all white spaces, I often avoided events such as this because I knew the purpose was a performative gesture from the administration. ... Rather than sellout/compromise myself, I would avoid the performance."
Adding to the fire was the fact that the MLK Jr. Day committee chairman, who is also the director of the African American Studies program, is white.
The university's Facebook post about the contest winners was eventually taken down, as the winners had begun receiving threats from people online, through no fault of their own.
Heather MacDonald of The Wall Street Journal noted in an opinion piece that as much as the university may be lacking diversity, it actually contains a slightly higher percentage of black students in its population than the state has in its population. The university's undergraduate population is 79 percent white and 1 percent black, while the state is 89 percent white and 0.6 percent black.
"The essay submission rate for white undergraduates was 0.1%," MacDonald wrote. "If the school's population of black students had submitted at the same rate, 0.08% of the essay contest submissions would have been from black writers. That's essentially zero, which is, in fact, how many such submissions were received."
The university called criticism of the contest results both "fair" and "troubling."
"Yes. These students are white. But the color of their skin does not preclude them from submitting an essay, publicly honoring MLK or working toward equality," read a post on the University of Montana's Facebook page.


theblaze--2020-02-07--GOP senators announce effort to ban telemedicine abortions

'This is for the safety of the mother '

The growth of telemedicine is changing the shape of the health care field for both doctors and patients, but while it allows for a wide range of medical services to be accessed and dispensed remotely, it also allows for some abortions to be performed without a doctor's immediate supervision, and a group of Republican lawmakers wants to stop that.
In a news release issued Friday afternoon, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced the introduction of the "Teleabortion Prevention Act," along with six co-sponsors. The bill would make it a federal crime for a health care provider to perform a chemical abortion without physically examining the patient, being present for the procedure, and scheduling a follow-up appointment within two weeks of the procedure.
In a statement, Cassidy said the purpose of banning "teleabortion" is to protect women's safety.
"Louisiana requires a physician performing an abortion to have admitting rights at a local hospital," Cassidy, who is also a medical doctor, said. "This is for the safety of the mother. Teleabortion clearly does not comply."
A provider found in violation of the law could be subject to a maximum $1,000 fine and/or a maximum two-year prison sentence. However, the bill makes an exception in the case of an abortion "that is necessary to save the life of a mother."
A chemical — or "medical" — abortion can be conducted during the first few weeks of a pregnancy through the use of abortion drugs. In the case of an abortion conducted through telemedicine, the drugs can be authorized following a video consultation with a clinician, or — in the case of a pilot program in some states — the drugs can be mailed directly to the abortion-seeking woman after a video consultation, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. The first telemedicine abortion program was started by Planned Parenthood in Iowa in 2008, Wired reported.
"Prescribing chemical abortions to moms over the internet without an examination or even physically seeing them is not health care," said Sen. James Lankford (R-Olka.), one of the bill's co-sponsors. "In addition to taking the life of an unborn child, chemical abortions can pose serious health risks and complications for pregnant women."
The release also claimed that the proposed federal ban would prevent pro-abortion groups from using remote medical services to get around state-level abortion laws.
As of January 2020, 18 states already had laws banning the use of telemedicine for abortion procedures, according to Guttmacher.


theblaze--2020-02-07--Man allegedly attempts to burglarize apartment, but resident is armed with a gun — and suspect flees

Man allegedly attempts to burglarize apartment, but resident is armed with a gun — and suspect flees scene with bullet wound

Man allegedly attempts to burglarize apartment , but resident is armed with a gun — and suspect flees scene with @ @ @ @ @ homeowner had a gun and protected himself '

A resident was inside his Las Vegas apartment just before 5:30 p.m. Thursday when an intruder he didn't know tried to burglarize it, police told KSNV-TV.
Unfortunately for the alleged burglar, the apartment resident had a gun — and the station said he fired at least one round and hit the alleged intruder.
What happened next?
The injured suspect left the scene and soon entered a convenience store, KSNV said.
"He went and got a beer and came up to me and said, 'I need a beer,'" the store clerk told the station in the aftermath, adding that she noticed the man's bullet wound.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
The clerk also noted to KSNV that a female "was behind him and calling for an ambulance for him, and she told me that he was the one who got shot, and I could see a hole."
When the shot man departed the store, the clerk told the station she saw him with police: "He was right out front, and they put his hands behind his back and had him on the ground."
The suspect was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, KSNV said.
'Thank God the homeowner had a gun and protected himself'
Others were surprised by the shooting.
"It's shocking, and the neighborhood needs to step up," nearby neighbor Bruce Schilke told the station.
Harley Gill lives nearby, too, and told KSNV the area "is pretty calm. It's just mostly like drugs and stuff. People get into fights but not breaking into houses."
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Schilke added to the station that he stands behind the man who pulled the trigger.
"Thank God the homeowner had a gun and protected himself," he told KSNV. "These home invasions have got to stop."


theblaze--2020-02-07--Dem senator still in denial about Trump’s acquittal slapped back to reality by ... CNN’s Wolf Blitze

Dem senator still in denial about Trump’s acquittal slapped back to reality by ... CNN’s Wolf Blitzer

Dem senator still in denial about Trump ’ s acquittal slapped back to reality by ... CNN ’ s Wolf @ @ @ @ @ call , guilty or not guilty , not guilty was the majority '

Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) was still in denial Thursday about the verdict reached in the impeachment trial against President Trump, insisting in an interview with CNN that the president "wasn't acquitted."
"The Senate has clearly spoken now, the president was acquitted," CNN host Wolf Blitzer began to say. "Do you think your House colleagues—"
"Wolf," Hirono jumped in, laughing to herself. "He wasn't acquitted; it was a rigged trial."
"You don't get acquitted when you don't even get to call witnesses or relevant witnesses or have the documents because the president stonewalled all efforts on the part of the House to get the information they requested," the senator continued.
"So, there you go," Hirono said. "It was a rigged trial, he can run around saying he was acquitted but you don't get acquitted in a rigged trial."
"Well, I just want to point out, senator," Blitzer responded, hoping to clarify things for Hirono so that the interview could continue with some semblance of reality. "There was a roll call, guilty or not guilty, not guilty was the majority, and the Chief Justice of the United States announced that he was acquitted, that he was not guilty."
His attempts to clarify did not work, however, as Hirono proceeded to double down in defiance.
"But the American public knows that it was a rigged trial," Hirono insisted. "So, OK, you're found not guilty in a rigged trial. I don't think that they think this was all kosher, not it wasn't. So, meanwhile you have the president crowing about it, which is totally expected, and now it's anything goes for this president and this administration and all his enablers."
Watch the exchange here:


theblaze--2020-02-07--Woke college students: Too many white, male Oscar nominees is a 'problem.' But a couple of them don'

Woke college students: Too many white, male Oscar nominees is a 'problem.' But a couple of them don't stick to the script.

Woke college students : Too many white , male Oscar nominees is a 'problem . '
But a couple of @ @ @ @ @ the script .
'Qualifications and the quality of the work should be the priority as @ @ @ @ @ melanin or chromosomes '

The ultra woke in recent years have fretted that nominees for the Academy Awards, set to air Sunday evening, are too white and too male — and students at American University in Washington, D.C., echoed that complaint recently to Campus Reform's Eduardo Neret.
One telling response came from a black female student: "White men need to understand that not every thought that they have is worth saying."
But first let's break down relevant nominees and their categories for this year:
Lead actor: Of the five contenders, the only nominee of color is Antonio Banderas ("Pain and Glory").
Of the five contenders, the only nominee of color is Antonio Banderas ("Pain and Glory"). Lead actress: Of the five contenders, the only nominee of color is Cynthia Erivo ("Harriet").
Of the five contenders, the only nominee of color is Cynthia Erivo ("Harriet"). Supporting actor and actress: All 10 nominees are white.
All 10 nominees are white. Director: All five contenders are men — and the only nominee of color is Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite").
All five contenders are men — and the only nominee of color is Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite"). Cinematography: All five contenders are men — and the only nominee of color is Rodrigo Prieto ("The Irishman").
All five contenders are men — and the only nominee of color is Rodrigo Prieto ("The Irishman"). Costume design: Of the six contenders, the only nominee of color is Mayes C. Rubeo ("Jojo Rabbit"), but four of the six nominees are women.
Of the six contenders, the only nominee of color is Mayes C. Rubeo ("Jojo Rabbit"), but four of the six nominees are women. Film editing: Of the five contenders, the only female nominee is Thelma Schoonmaker ("The Irishman"), and the only nominee of color is Jinmo Yang ("Parasite").
What did the students have to say about the Oscars?
"I definitely think there's a problem," one student told Campus Reform of the mostly white and male Oscar nominees. "I feel like, as a Latina woman, I want to see more representation in entertainment."
"It's not reflective of our actual population," a white female student told the outlet.
Another white female student noted that the Academy Awards have been "predominantly white for such a long time, and we need more representation."
But one student — a white male — said the "race or gender of specific nominees" shouldn't be taken into consideration "too much." He added: "Qualifications and the quality of the work should be the priority as opposed to your level of melanin or chromosomes."
Another white male student noted, "If the white actors, if the male actors deserve the Oscars, they should be receiving them — but that goes for any actor of color, too."
Here's the video: