thestream--2020-08-13--Andrew Cuomo Is Worried Wealthy New Yorkers Won’t Come Back. He Should Be

His state is looking at a $ 13 billion budget deficit , and New York City residents are leaving in droves .
Many wealthy residents have fled to the suburbs of Long Island , while many working-class New Yorkers have split for new opportunities across the country .
This has resulted in a real estate boom in the Hamptons , but it has created a major problem for Cuomo .
The governor recently expressed his fear that New York City might not be able to rebound , noting that many of Manhattan ’ s big spenders show few signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming back right now .
And you know what else they ’ re thinking ?
If I stay there , I pay a lower income tax because they don ’ t pay the New York City surcharge , ” Cuomo told reporters at a Monday press conference .
“ They are in their Hamptons homes , or Hudson Valley or Connecticut .
I talk to them literally every day .
I say .
‘ When are you coming back ?
I ’ ll buy you a drink .
I ’ ll cook.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the city ’ s outdoor restaurants , which close on Oct. 31 , are scheduled to remain closed until June 1 , 2021 .
One of the great appeals of New York City has always been its culture and social life : the restaurants and bars ; the theaters , museums and operas ; the hot dogs at Madison Square Garden and the beer at Yankee Stadium .
The coronavirus has put a damper on social life across America , but the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a waning social life is hardly the city ’ s only problem .
Mayor de Blasio recently announced harsh crackdowns that threaten turn Gotham into a quasi-police state , complete with random checkpoints at tunnel crossings and bridges .
People found to have traveled out of state face $ 10,000 fines if it ’ s determined they had not been quarantined for 14 days .
That ’ s regardless of whether they ’ re infected with COVID-19 .
( Fortunately for the Cuomo family , the law was not in effect when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught breaking quarantine in April after he tested positive for COVID-19 . )
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
This is not the way to bring New Yorkers back to a reeling city .
A city that has already shed more than half a million jobs .
One projected to lose one-third of its small businesses .
Its unemployment rate is hovering around 20 percent , a figure not seen since the height of the Great Depression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are up 72 percent from last year .
Murder is up 25 percent .
A friend of mine , who has spent the last six years living as a writer in Brooklyn and the Upper East Side , says huge swathes of the city are unrecognizable .
“ There ’ s a lot of abandoned and boarded up buildings , graffiti everywhere , ” she says .
“ And a lot of moving trucks.
” Gov .
Cuomo is well aware of these problems — and the state ’ s $ 13 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shambles , progressive lawmakers and activists are proposing to fill the hole ( or part of it ) with a “ Make Billionaires Pay ” campaign .
( Yes , it ’ s really called that . )
The proposal , currently circulating in the state legislature , would slap a new tax on capital gains .
It would apply to residents with at least $ 1 billion in assets , raising an estimated $ 5.5 billion .
The tax wouldn ’ t actually raise that amount , of course .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about to just let themselves be fleeced .
Cuomo knows this , which is why he came out against the proposal .
“ A single percent of New York ’ s population pays half of the state ’ s taxes and they ’ re the most mobile people on the globe , ” he told reporters .
The solution Cuomo is calling for , however — a federal bailout — won ’ t fix the long term problems , even if all that money does come from taxpayers in other states .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package is being finalized in Congress , and the legislation will no doubt contain hundreds of billions of digitally created dollars ( Democrats are currently asking for $ 1 trillion ) targeted for cities and states who have struggled from government mandated lockdowns during the pandemic .
Yet bailout money can ’ t stop the capital flight underway in the Big Apple or address the city ’ s fundamental problem : a hostility to markets and freedom and the collapse of peace and order .
It ’ s not just policies like universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the city ’ s $ 15 minimum wage hike .
Nor is it that New Yorkers are the most heavily taxed citizens in the US and suffer from rent-controlled housing .
The fundamental problem is that New York ’ s political class has shown a hostility to capitalism and private property , and a mania for central planning .
“ I think people all over this city , of every background , would like to have the city government be able to determine which building goes where , how high it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , what the rent will be , ” de Blasio told told New York Magazine in 2017 .
“ I think there ’ s a socialistic impulse , which I hear every day , in every kind of community , that they would like things to be planned in accordance to their needs.
” COVID-19 has allowed de Blasio and Cuomo to govern the only way they seem to know how : by diktat .
New York ’ s oppressive climate has yielded a batch of bad fruits — spasms of violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression , joblessness and despair .
This should come as no surprise .
“ The more the state plans , the more difficult planning becomes for the individual , ” the Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A .
Hayek once observed .
In their 2012 book Why Nations Fail , economists Daron Acemoglu of MIT and James A. Robinson of the University of Chicago show that countries are poor primarily because their leaders make bad decisions that prevent the spread of prosperity .
“ Nations fail today because their extractive economic institutions do not create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , invest , and innovate , ” writes Acemoglu .
Much the same can be said of states .
New York ’ s problems are solvable , and we should all hope the Empire State rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic .
But that ’ s unlikely to happen if its leaders persist in their extractive , regulatory , and freedom-stifling practices .
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org .
His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine , The Wall Street Journal , CNN , Forbes , Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Washington Times , MSN.com , The Washington Examiner , The Daily Caller , The Federalist , and the Epoch Times .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a problem.
His state is looking at a $13 billion budget deficit, and New York City residents are leaving in droves. Many wealthy residents have fled to the suburbs of Long Island, while many working-class New Yorkers have split for new opportunities across the country.
This has resulted in a real estate boom in the Hamptons, but it has created a major problem for Cuomo. The governor recently expressed his fear that New York City might not be able to rebound, noting that many of Manhattan’s big spenders show few signs of returning.
“They’re not coming back right now. And you know what else they’re thinking? If I stay there, I pay a lower income tax because they don’t pay the New York City surcharge,” Cuomo told reporters at a Monday press conference. “They are in their Hamptons homes, or Hudson Valley or Connecticut. I talk to them literally every day. I say. ‘When are you coming back? I’ll buy you a drink. I’ll cook.’”
Cuomo might have to cook, since New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the city’s outdoor restaurants, which close on Oct. 31, are scheduled to remain closed until June 1, 2021.
An Unrecognizable City
One of the great appeals of New York City has always been its culture and social life: the restaurants and bars; the theaters, museums and operas; the hot dogs at Madison Square Garden and the beer at Yankee Stadium.
The coronavirus has put a damper on social life across America, but the problem has been worse in New York, and a waning social life is hardly the city’s only problem.
Mayor de Blasio recently announced harsh crackdowns that threaten turn Gotham into a quasi-police state, complete with random checkpoints at tunnel crossings and bridges. People found to have traveled out of state face $10,000 fines if it’s determined they had not been quarantined for 14 days. That’s regardless of whether they’re infected with COVID-19. (Fortunately for the Cuomo family, the law was not in effect when the governor’s younger brother was caught breaking quarantine in April after he tested positive for COVID-19.)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This is not the way to bring New Yorkers back to a reeling city. A city that has already shed more than half a million jobs. One projected to lose one-third of its small businesses. Its unemployment rate is hovering around 20 percent, a figure not seen since the height of the Great Depression. Petty crime is surging and shootings are up 72 percent from last year. Murder is up 25 percent.
A friend of mine, who has spent the last six years living as a writer in Brooklyn and the Upper East Side, says huge swathes of the city are unrecognizable.
“There’s a lot of abandoned and boarded up buildings, graffiti everywhere,” she says. “And a lot of moving trucks.”
No Easy Fix
Gov. Cuomo is well aware of these problems — and the state’s $13 billion budget gap. With its business nucleus in shambles, progressive lawmakers and activists are proposing to fill the hole (or part of it) with a “Make Billionaires Pay” campaign. (Yes, it’s really called that.)
The proposal, currently circulating in the state legislature, would slap a new tax on capital gains. It would apply to residents with at least $1 billion in assets, raising an estimated $5.5 billion.
The tax wouldn’t actually raise that amount, of course. New York’s wealthiest people are not about to just let themselves be fleeced. Cuomo knows this, which is why he came out against the proposal.
“A single percent of New York’s population pays half of the state’s taxes and they’re the most mobile people on the globe,” he told reporters.
The solution Cuomo is calling for, however — a federal bailout — won’t fix the long term problems, even if all that money does come from taxpayers in other states. As it likely will.
A second relief package is being finalized in Congress, and the legislation will no doubt contain hundreds of billions of digitally created dollars (Democrats are currently asking for $1 trillion) targeted for cities and states who have struggled from government mandated lockdowns during the pandemic.
An Oppressive Climate
Yet bailout money can’t stop the capital flight underway in the Big Apple or address the city’s fundamental problem: a hostility to markets and freedom and the collapse of peace and order.
It’s not just policies like universal pre-K, mandated paid sick leave, and the city’s $15 minimum wage hike. Nor is it that New Yorkers are the most heavily taxed citizens in the US and suffer from rent-controlled housing.
The fundamental problem is that New York’s political class has shown a hostility to capitalism and private property, and a mania for central planning.
“I think people all over this city, of every background, would like to have the city government be able to determine which building goes where, how high it will be, who gets to live in it, what the rent will be,” de Blasio told told New York Magazine in 2017. “I think there’s a socialistic impulse, which I hear every day, in every kind of community, that they would like things to be planned in accordance to their needs.”
COVID-19 has allowed de Blasio and Cuomo to govern the only way they seem to know how: by diktat. New York’s oppressive climate has yielded a batch of bad fruits — spasms of violence, disorder, property crime, economic depression, joblessness and despair.
This should come as no surprise.
“The more the state plans, the more difficult planning becomes for the individual,” the Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A. Hayek once observed.
In their 2012 book Why Nations Fail, economists Daron Acemoglu of MIT and James A. Robinson of the University of Chicago show that countries are poor primarily because their leaders make bad decisions that prevent the spread of prosperity.
“Nations fail today because their extractive economic institutions do not create the incentives needed for people to save, invest, and innovate,” writes Acemoglu.
Much the same can be said of states.
New York’s problems are solvable, and we should all hope the Empire State rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic. But that’s unlikely to happen if its leaders persist in their extractive, regulatory, and freedom-stifling practices.
Jonathan Miltimore is the Managing Editor of FEE.org. His writing/reporting has been the subject of articles in TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, Fox News and the Star Tribune. Bylines: The Washington Times, MSN.com, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, and the Epoch Times.
Originally published at FEE.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-08-13--‘Where Can I Flee From Your Presence?’

‘Where Can I Flee From Your Presence?’

To the leader .
Of David .
A Psalm .

The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
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thestream--2020-08-13--Unexpected Blessing: A Day With President Trump

Shortly after President Trump took office , he invited a number of Christian leaders to the White House .
In @ @ @ @ @ Franklin , we talked about how this special gathering turned into an unexpected time of @ @ @ @ @ to me .
My complete interview with Pastor Franklin will be posted tomorrow , but @ @ @ @ @ touching experience with you today .
I think it will bless you to hear .
@ @ @ @ @ You can view all the videos in this interview series here .
James Robison is @ @ @ @ @ and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today @ @ @ @ @ author of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) and Living Amazed @

Shortly after President Trump took office, he invited a number of Christian leaders to the White House. In a recent conversation with Jentezen Franklin, we talked about how this special gathering turned into an unexpected time of prayer and a personal blessing to me.
Over a million views already. Please watch and share.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.


thestream--2020-08-13--Kamala Harris: The ‘Ferocious’ Hired Gun

Let me put this on the record : If I ’ m ever innocent of a crime , I want Sidney Powell to be my lawyer .
If I ’ m guilty , get me Democratic lawyer Richard Goodstein .
You ’ ve seen him on Fox News .
He ’ s so slippery his sweat is used to grease engine pistons .
He flips questions the way a short order cook at Denny ’ s flips pancakes .
He spins so fast he could be a ride at Six Flags .
He ’ s got the same twinkle in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just convinced a jury the chopped up bodies in his client ’ s basement were accidentally delivered there by Amazon Prime .
Which gets us to Kamala Harris .
Tuesday night , Goodstein was on Tucker Carlson with the simple task of celebrating the selection of Harris as Joe Biden ’ s VP pick .
You ’ d think with talking points distributed , and being as skilled as he is , whatever questions Tucker tossed at him he ’ d turn into the highest praise of Kamala Harris .
At the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Review writer Jim Geraghty on how her pick signifies the wonder of America .
Geraghty writes , “ it ’ s pretty amazing and awesome that immigrants can come to the U.S. , meet , marry , have a child , and their daughter can grow up to be a DA , state attorney general , U.S .
Senator , and on a presidential ticket.
” It was definitely a tale to tout , especially in those first crucial hours after her selection .
But to my surprise , Goodstein never actually said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first tack was to criticize Carlson for how he pronounced her name .
( Giving the media plenty to write about other than Tucker ’ s questions about Harris .
Funny thing , Biden yesterday pronounced it the same way Carlson did . )
Then Goodstein kept pivoting to what a horrible person Trump is .
Bobbing and weaving , jabbing .
But never really raising the Harris flag .
He was not an advocate defending the innocent .
He was a shyster trying to get off the guilty by befuddling the jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime boss wants his muscle sprung from the joint .
They Didn ’ t Want a Leader , They Wanted an Assassin Harris ’ selection is not about what she could do for the country .
It ’ s what the Democrats think she can do to Trump .
They didn ’ t seek someone who could step into the Oval Office day one .
They want someone who can stomp on the current occupant for the next three months .
The Democratic mob didn ’ t want a leader .
They wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her first appearance with Biden Wednesday , “ Trump is also the reason millions of Americans are unemployed , ” she said , blaming Trump for the Wuhan virus .
He ’ s responsible for a “ crisis of poverty , of homeless … afflicting Black , brown and indigenous people the most.
” ( In other words , “ he ’ s a racist.
” ) She even ripped Trump for paving his way to power through his family ’ s wealth .
On and on .
“ Kamala Harris just showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate , ” crowed CNN .
She doesn ’ t care about the blood in the streets .
The Antifa/BLM rioters to her are what she called yesterday “ a new coalition of conscience.
” It ’ s all about the blood she can draw on the campaign trail .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Many of her rivals in congratulating Harris used words like “ tenacious ” and “ fierce.
” The Washington Post described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team.
” Remember one of Harris ’ main campaign pitches , “ I will prosecute the case against Donald Trump.
” She used a similar line yesterday .
Remember how she was lauded for her vicious assault on then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh .
She was , as Mollie Hemingway noted in her column Tuesday , “ the ringleader in Brett Kavanaugh Character Assassination Attempt.
” Heck , her only spike in the polls came when she brutally painted Joe Biden as a racist .
Good for Joe he doesn ’ t hold grudges against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him , like Sen. Chris Dodd do . )
He got his hired gun .
But did he bother to check her aim ?
Judge Kavanaugh is now Justice Kavanaugh .
And Joe “ Racist Policies ” Biden strolled to the nomination .
But Does America Want an Unlikable Leader ?
Let ’ s assume Harris does spend the next 81 days shredding Trump .
The anti-Trump crowd will enjoy it , but who else will ?
Although the media gave her rave reviews yesterday , historically Kamala Harris wears on people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Domenech of The Federalist , “ You love her on the first date , you like her on the second , on the third you ’ re done.
” The primaries showed that .
She went from being a front runner after attacking Biden to a meager 2 % before quitting the race .
( Then blamed racism and sexism for her collapse . )
Besides , does America really need more negativity in the air ?
One of the advantages Democrats have with moderates , independents and even some Republicans is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being .
Even if I agree with him on issues , he ’ s such an amoral bully !
” If , thanks to Harris , Trump is no longer the nastiest person in the race , where ’ s that advantage go ?
Imagine the gut reaction of swing voters if Harris takes a chainsaw to the amiable Mike Pence in their debate .
Pence , regardless of what you think of his politics , is a gentleman .
He makes Mr. Rogers look like a member of Motley Crue .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s actually a cagey fellow .
But a legitimate reaction will be , “ Ugh .
Could I put up with that for four years ?
” Before you object : Trump gets away with it for three reasons : First , he ’ s a construction guy from Queens , not a California liberal .
Two , it ’ s been his brand for years .
People didn ’ t watch The Apprentice because of the business tips .
Third , there is very rarely actual malice in what Trump says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were the target of his barbs in 2016 are cabinet members or golfing buddies today .
And don ’ t say , “ It ’ s because Trump ’ s a male and Harris is female , you sexist pig.
” Unless you want to call 98 % of the Democratic primary voters sexist .
Harris ’ penchant for Nasty and talent for eventually rubbing people the wrong way is especially important given she ’ s running with Joe Biden .
Vice Presidents normally are like fire extinguishers .
Stuck quietly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergencies .
But with 59 % of Americans convinced Biden wouldn ’ t be able to serve out his full term , Harris gets extra scrutiny .
Voters must assess : What would she be like as president ?
What would it be like having her headlining the Big Show , day after day , night after night , year after year ?
This was Joe Biden ’ s first major decision as the Democratic nominee .
He says one of the reasons he went with Harris is because his late son Beau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been Attorney General in Delaware while Kamala filled the same role in California .
That ’ s a pretty sentimental reason for picking potentially the most powerful person in the world .
One from the heart , but without much consideration for the heartland .
( Plus , with all due respect , it ’ s fair to assume Beau Biden ’ s feelings for Harris would have changed once she accused his old man of being racist . )
Joe Biden repeatedly insists he wants to unify the country .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search and destroy mission .
The only way she reaches across the aisle is with a switchblade .
In this year of lockdowns , we don ’ t need someone who specializes in beat downs .
We needed someone who could help lift us up .
On that criteria alone , Joe Biden ’ s first decision fails .
Harris wants to prosecute the case against Trump .
But right now , with our country on the line , she ’ s the one on trial .
And even Richard Goodstein couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Let me put this on the record: If I’m ever innocent of a crime, I want Sidney Powell to be my lawyer. If I’m guilty, get me Democratic lawyer Richard Goodstein. You’ve seen him on Fox News. He’s so slippery his sweat is used to grease engine pistons. He flips questions the way a short order cook at Denny’s flips pancakes. He spins so fast he could be a ride at Six Flags. He’s got the same twinkle in his eye as the mob lawyer who just convinced a jury the chopped up bodies in his client’s basement were accidentally delivered there by Amazon Prime.
Which gets us to Kamala Harris.
Tuesday night, Goodstein was on Tucker Carlson with the simple task of celebrating the selection of Harris as Joe Biden’s VP pick. You’d think with talking points distributed, and being as skilled as he is, whatever questions Tucker tossed at him he’d turn into the highest praise of Kamala Harris. At the very least, he’d echo National Review writer Jim Geraghty on how her pick signifies the wonder of America. Geraghty writes, “it’s pretty amazing and awesome that immigrants can come to the U.S., meet, marry, have a child, and their daughter can grow up to be a DA, state attorney general, U.S. Senator, and on a presidential ticket.” It was definitely a tale to tout, especially in those first crucial hours after her selection.
You know, whatever else you think of Kamala Harris, it’s pretty amazing and awesome that immigrants can come to the U.S., meet, marry, have a child, and their daughter can grow up to be DA, state attorney general, U.S. Senator, and on a presidential ticket. pic.twitter.com/cTRW8c0tyf — Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) August 11, 2020
But to my surprise, Goodstein never actually said anything really nice about Harris. His first tack was to criticize Carlson for how he pronounced her name. (Giving the media plenty to write about other than Tucker’s questions about Harris. Funny thing, Biden yesterday pronounced it the same way Carlson did.) Then Goodstein kept pivoting to what a horrible person Trump is. Bobbing and weaving, jabbing. But never really raising the Harris flag.
He was not an advocate defending the innocent. He was a shyster trying to get off the guilty by befuddling the jury. Why? The same reason a crime boss wants his muscle sprung from the joint.
They Didn’t Want a Leader, They Wanted an Assassin
Harris’ selection is not about what she could do for the country. It’s what the Democrats think she can do to Trump. They didn’t seek someone who could step into the Oval Office day one. They want someone who can stomp on the current occupant for the next three months. The Democratic mob didn’t want a leader. They wanted an assassin.
Harris showed it in her first appearance with Biden Wednesday, “Trump is also the reason millions of Americans are unemployed,” she said, blaming Trump for the Wuhan virus. He’s responsible for a “crisis of poverty, of homeless … afflicting Black, brown and indigenous people the most.” (In other words, “he’s a racist.”) She even ripped Trump for paving his way to power through his family’s wealth. On and on. “Kamala Harris just showed why Biden chose her as his running mate,” crowed CNN.
She doesn’t care about the blood in the streets. The Antifa/BLM rioters to her are what she called yesterday “a new coalition of conscience.” It’s all about the blood she can draw on the campaign trail.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Many of her rivals in congratulating Harris used words like “tenacious” and “fierce.” The Washington Post described the Biden-Harris ticket as a “ferocious team.” Remember one of Harris’ main campaign pitches, “I will prosecute the case against Donald Trump.” She used a similar line yesterday.
Remember how she was lauded for her vicious assault on then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh. She was, as Mollie Hemingway noted in her column Tuesday, “the ringleader in Brett Kavanaugh Character Assassination Attempt.” Heck, her only spike in the polls came when she brutally painted Joe Biden as a racist.
Good for Joe he doesn’t hold grudges against Harris. (Even as some close to him, like Sen. Chris Dodd do.) He got his hired gun. But did he bother to check her aim? Judge Kavanaugh is now Justice Kavanaugh. And Joe “Racist Policies” Biden strolled to the nomination.
But Does America Want an Unlikable Leader?
Let’s assume Harris does spend the next 81 days shredding Trump. The anti-Trump crowd will enjoy it, but who else will? Although the media gave her rave reviews yesterday, historically Kamala Harris wears on people. As a Democratic insider told Ben Domenech of The Federalist, “You love her on the first date, you like her on the second, on the third you’re done.” The primaries showed that. She went from being a front runner after attacking Biden to a meager 2% before quitting the race. (Then blamed racism and sexism for her collapse.)
Besides, does America really need more negativity in the air?
One of the advantages Democrats have with moderates, independents and even some Republicans is, “Donald Trump is a nasty human being. Even if I agree with him on issues, he’s such an amoral bully!” If, thanks to Harris, Trump is no longer the nastiest person in the race, where’s that advantage go?
Imagine the gut reaction of swing voters if Harris takes a chainsaw to the amiable Mike Pence in their debate. Pence, regardless of what you think of his politics, is a gentleman. He makes Mr. Rogers look like a member of Motley Crue. Now, Pence can handle her. He’s actually a cagey fellow. But a legitimate reaction will be, “Ugh. Could I put up with that for four years?”
Before you object: Trump gets away with it for three reasons: First, he’s a construction guy from Queens, not a California liberal. Two, it’s been his brand for years. People didn’t watch The Apprentice because of the business tips. Third, there is very rarely actual malice in what Trump says. That’s why so many who were the target of his barbs in 2016 are cabinet members or golfing buddies today. And don’t say, “It’s because Trump’s a male and Harris is female, you sexist pig.” Unless you want to call 98% of the Democratic primary voters sexist.
Harris’ penchant for Nasty and talent for eventually rubbing people the wrong way is especially important given she’s running with Joe Biden. Vice Presidents normally are like fire extinguishers. Stuck quietly in a corner, only pulled out in emergencies. But with 59% of Americans convinced Biden wouldn’t be able to serve out his full term, Harris gets extra scrutiny. Voters must assess: What would she be like as president? What would it be like having her headlining the Big Show, day after day, night after night, year after year?
Joe Biden’s First Decision
This was Joe Biden’s first major decision as the Democratic nominee. He says one of the reasons he went with Harris is because his late son Beau had such respect for her. Beau had been Attorney General in Delaware while Kamala filled the same role in California. That’s a pretty sentimental reason for picking potentially the most powerful person in the world. One from the heart, but without much consideration for the heartland. (Plus, with all due respect, it’s fair to assume Beau Biden’s feelings for Harris would have changed once she accused his old man of being racist.)
Joe Biden repeatedly insists he wants to unify the country. Yet his first hire is tasked with a search and destroy mission. The only way she reaches across the aisle is with a switchblade.
In this year of lockdowns, we don’t need someone who specializes in beat downs. We needed someone who could help lift us up. On that criteria alone, Joe Biden’s first decision fails.
Harris wants to prosecute the case against Trump. But right now, with our country on the line, she’s the one on trial. And even Richard Goodstein couldn’t get her off.
WATCH: Kamala Harris jokes about killing President Trump and Mike Pence. pic.twitter.com/nFZP9yfxNU — Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 13, 2020
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-08-13--The Soon-to-Be No. 1 Song Underscores Why We Need a Moral and Cultural Revolution

I ’ m quite aware that hip hop and rap lyrics have long been sexually explicit and vulgar .
And I ’ m quite aware , that already in 1968 , the Beatles were singing “ Why Don ’ t We Do It in the Road ?
” But when the latest hot song , expected to hit No .
1 next week , is too vulgar even to quote , and when you realize it will be sung by millions of young children , it ’ s time to say , “ Enough !
We really need a gospel-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , when Cardi B , the rapper and former stripper , began to skyrocket in fame , she said , “ I realized , after Halloween , a lot of little girls , they be looking up to me .
They love me , and I ’ m thinking to myself , like , ‘ yo , I really need to be a better example.
’ ” At that point , she had 12 million Instagram followers .
Today she has 72 million .
How many of them are “ little girls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I be trying to be a better example , though , you know what I ’ m saying ?
I ’ ve been trying to be more PG-13 , less rated R. But I be hanging out with my hood rat friends and then they [ expletive ] me up all over again.
” Based on her latest hit , “ WAP , ” which she performed together with Megan Thee Stallion , who is also known for salacious lyrics , it would appear that she was hanging out with her “ hood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are virtually unquotable in a family friendly environment .
Yet there is no doubt that little girls are singing along and dancing along to the filthy lyrics , even if they don ’ t have the slightest idea what the words mean .
As for the tens of millions who celebrate the song , they are a picture of just how depraved our culture has become .
In truth , this is nothing new , and music videos have been celebrating vulgarity for decades , with younger and younger audiences singing and dancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean we get used to it or we look the other way .
The truth is that the sexual revolution of the 1960s has scarred us more deeply than we imagine .
We literally wallow in moral and sexual pollution .
Not only so , but we glory in it .
Filth has become a path to fame .
Yet my point here is not to attack the women who performed this song .
As a preacher of the gospel , I recognize that all of us fall infinitely short of God ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of us can receive mercy .
Speaking for myself , I started getting high at the age of 14 and was shooting heroin by the time I was 15 .
To my shame , I sunk as low as stealing money from my own father before having a radical conversion experience in 1971 at the age of 16 .
God ’ s mercy transformed my life , and I pray that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will receive His mercy too .
As for those who find nothing wrong with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point here is not to condemn them .
The Church of America has little to boast about in terms of freedom from sexual and moral scandals .
We dare not play the card of moral superiority .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
My point is simply to say , no , to shout from the rooftops , “ WAKE UP !
” We really are in a deep moral malaise .
We really have become desensitized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might say , “ But how bad could this new song be ?
And , if lyrics like this have been around for a while , why make such a fuss about it ?
” Our Society is Celebrating Filth .
God ’ s People Can not Ignore That Which Grieves God First , the lyrics are really , really bad .
As Matt Walsh wrote on the Daily Wire , “ I can ’ t reprint any of the lyrics , but suffice it to say that the song begins and ends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some whores in this house ’ and everything that happens in between would seem very much to confirm those declarations.
” Second , just because something has been around for a while doesn ’ t mean we have to accept it .
To the contrary , the longer the offense has been with us , the greater the outrage should be .
Third , the song is being celebrated .
According to the Los Angeles Times , “ Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion ’ s ‘ WAP ’ is a savage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian , “ Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion ’ s WAP should be celebrated , not scolded.
” According to Teen Vogue , “ ‘ WAP ’ Reaction Shows How Threatened Men Are By Female Sexuality .
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion ’ s new anthem brought out an age-old debate over female sexuality.
” And on and on it goes .
Have we totally lost our minds ?
Have we become so hardened that there is no place for purity , no place for personal honor , no place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Matt Walsh ’ s article stated , “ Hit Song Encourages Girls To Degrade , Objectify , Prostitute Themselves .
This Is Not Empowerment.
” We Must Wake Up and Become Those Who Change Society With the Power of the Gospel In the year 2000 , at a massive , young-people ’ s prayer gathering in Washington , DC , we gave away more than 70,000 copies of my just published book Revolution !
I was convinced that a wide-scale , moral and cultural revolution was at hand , one that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wrote : “ Only the life-changing power of the gospel will ultimately change a society for good .
Only new hearts will bring forth the new life that the oppressed so long for and desire .
Only the Spirit of God will truly liberate captives !
But if we do not rise up and act , Satan will .
The dissatisfaction is rising .
The discontent is growing thick .
Revolution is near — either heaven-sent or hell-bent — and only we have the truth that will set slaves free.
” A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approached me , asking if I would be willing to produce a new , revised and updated version of the book to be released this October .
( The new title is Revolution : An Urgent Call for a Holy Uprising . )
I immediately agreed , recognizing the urgency of the hour .
But I must admit it was jarring to do the update .
So much has changed for the worst in the last 20 years .
The cultural degradation has become much more severe , and so much of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass .
In short , if we desperately needed a moral and cultural revolution back then , how much more today ?
But , to say it once more , my purpose here is not to point fingers at the “ terrible sinners ” out there .
Instead , it is to say to my fellow-believers , let us awaken from our slumber and stir ourselves from our moral stupor .
And let us seek God with holy desperation and repent of the sins that plague our own lives .
The revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait any longer ?
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

I’m quite aware that hip hop and rap lyrics have long been sexually explicit and vulgar. And I’m quite aware, that already in 1968, the Beatles were singing “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” But when the latest hot song, expected to hit No. 1 next week, is too vulgar even to quote, and when you realize it will be sung by millions of young children, it’s time to say, “Enough! We really need a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution.”
Back in 2017, when Cardi B, the rapper and former stripper, began to skyrocket in fame, she said, “I realized, after Halloween, a lot of little girls, they be looking up to me. They love me, and I’m thinking to myself, like, ‘yo, I really need to be a better example.’”
At that point, she had 12 million Instagram followers. Today she has 72 million. How many of them are “little girls”?
She continued, “But I be trying to be a better example, though, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been trying to be more PG-13, less rated R. But I be hanging out with my hood rat friends and then they [expletive] me up all over again.”
Based on her latest hit, “WAP,” which she performed together with Megan Thee Stallion, who is also known for salacious lyrics, it would appear that she was hanging out with her “hood rat friends” again. The results are virtually unquotable in a family friendly environment.
We’re Wallowing in Moral and Sexual Pollution
Yet there is no doubt that little girls are singing along and dancing along to the filthy lyrics, even if they don’t have the slightest idea what the words mean. As for the tens of millions who celebrate the song, they are a picture of just how depraved our culture has become.
In truth, this is nothing new, and music videos have been celebrating vulgarity for decades, with younger and younger audiences singing and dancing along.
But that doesn’t mean we get used to it or we look the other way.
But that doesn’t mean we get used to it or we look the other way. The truth is that the sexual revolution of the 1960s has scarred us more deeply than we imagine. We literally wallow in moral and sexual pollution. Not only so, but we glory in it. Filth has become a path to fame.
Yet my point here is not to attack the women who performed this song. As a preacher of the gospel, I recognize that all of us fall infinitely short of God’s standards and that, through Jesus, all of us can receive mercy.
God’s Mercy Transformed My Life
Speaking for myself, I started getting high at the age of 14 and was shooting heroin by the time I was 15. To my shame, I sunk as low as stealing money from my own father before having a radical conversion experience in 1971 at the age of 16.
God’s mercy transformed my life, and I pray that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will receive His mercy too.
As for those who find nothing wrong with the content of their song, my point here is not to condemn them. The Church of America has little to boast about in terms of freedom from sexual and moral scandals. We dare not play the card of moral superiority.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
My point is simply to say, no, to shout from the rooftops, “WAKE UP!”
We really are in a deep moral malaise. We really have become desensitized. We really are polluted.
You might say, “But how bad could this new song be? And, if lyrics like this have been around for a while, why make such a fuss about it?”
The answers are simple.
Our Society is Celebrating Filth. God’s People Cannot Ignore That Which Grieves God
First, the lyrics are really, really bad. As Matt Walsh wrote on the Daily Wire, “I can’t reprint any of the lyrics, but suffice it to say that the song begins and ends with the refrain ‘there’s some whores in this house’ and everything that happens in between would seem very much to confirm those declarations.”
Second, just because something has been around for a while doesn’t mean we have to accept it. To the contrary, the longer the offense has been with us, the greater the outrage should be.
Third, the song is being celebrated.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ is a savage, nasty, sex-positive triumph.”
According to The Guardian, “Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP should be celebrated, not scolded.”
According to Teen Vogue, “‘WAP’ Reaction Shows How Threatened Men Are By Female Sexuality. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s new anthem brought out an age-old debate over female sexuality.”
And on and on it goes.
Have we totally lost our minds? Have we become so hardened that there is no place for purity, no place for personal honor, no place for sexual dignity?
As the headline to Matt Walsh’s article stated, “Hit Song Encourages Girls To Degrade, Objectify, Prostitute Themselves. This Is Not Empowerment.”
Indeed.
We Must Wake Up and Become Those Who Change Society With the Power of the Gospel
In the year 2000, at a massive, young-people’s prayer gathering in Washington, DC, we gave away more than 70,000 copies of my just published book Revolution! I was convinced that a wide-scale, moral and cultural revolution was at hand, one that could be from above or from below.
I wrote: “Only the life-changing power of the gospel will ultimately change a society for good. Only new hearts will bring forth the new life that the oppressed so long for and desire. Only the Spirit of God will truly liberate captives! But if we do not rise up and act, Satan will. The dissatisfaction is rising. The discontent is growing thick. Revolution is near — either heaven-sent or hell-bent — and only we have the truth that will set slaves free.”
A few months ago, my main publisher approached me, asking if I would be willing to produce a new, revised and updated version of the book to be released this October. (The new title is Revolution: An Urgent Call for a Holy Uprising.)
I immediately agreed, recognizing the urgency of the hour. But I must admit it was jarring to do the update. So much has changed for the worst in the last 20 years. The cultural degradation has become much more severe, and so much of what we warned about in 2000 has come to pass.
In short, if we desperately needed a moral and cultural revolution back then, how much more today?
But, to say it once more, my purpose here is not to point fingers at the “terrible sinners” out there. Instead, it is to say to my fellow-believers, let us awaken from our slumber and stir ourselves from our moral stupor. And let us seek God with holy desperation and repent of the sins that plague our own lives. The revolution starts with us.
Can we really wait any longer?
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-08-13--A Historic Day for Middle East Peace: Trump Announces Israel and United Arab Emirates Are Establishi

A Historic Day for Middle East Peace: Trump Announces Israel and United Arab Emirates Are Establishing Full Diplomatic Ties

“ Blessed are the peacemakers , for they will be called children of God.
” ( Matthew 5:9 ) After nearly half a century , Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be establishing full diplomatic relations .
President Trump announced the “ historic peace agreement ” Thursday morning at the White House .
“ This is a truly historic moment .
Not since the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty more than 25 years ago has so much progress toward peace been made toward peace in the Middle East.
” Trump added that “ the problems of the Middle East can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come together to fight Islamic extremism and pursue economic opportunity.
” He also tweeted out a joint statement from himself , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan .
In the statement , the leaders announced that “ Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President ’ s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.
” Trump ’ s “ Vision for Peace ” is his comprehensive Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the annexation of land sought by Palestinians for their future state is a step toward that comprehensive peace .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement , “ This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world ’ s most forward leaning , technologically advanced states ; and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region.
” Pompeo said he hopes “ this brave step will be the first in a series of agreements that ends 72 years of hostilities in the region , ” and holds “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire region.
” UAE joins Egypt and Jordan as the only Arab nations to maintain full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state .
Today ’ s historic agreement will be known as the “ Abraham Accord.
” “ In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed , because you have obeyed My voice.
” ( Genesis 22:18 )

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
After nearly half a century, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be establishing full diplomatic relations. President Trump announced the “historic peace agreement” Thursday morning at the White House. “This is a truly historic moment. Not since the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty more than 25 years ago has so much progress toward peace been made toward peace in the Middle East.”
Trump added that “the problems of the Middle East can only be solved when people of all faiths come together to fight Islamic extremism and pursue economic opportunity.”
WATCH:
He also tweeted out a joint statement from himself, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In the statement, the leaders announced that “Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.” Trump’s “Vision for Peace” is his comprehensive Middle East peace plan. Israel’s halting the annexation of land sought by Palestinians for their future state is a step toward that comprehensive peace.
Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates pic.twitter.com/oVyjLxf0jd — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, “This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world’s most forward leaning, technologically advanced states; and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region.” Pompeo said he hopes “this brave step will be the first in a series of agreements that ends 72 years of hostilities in the region,” and holds “the promise of a better day for the entire region.”
UAE joins Egypt and Jordan as the only Arab nations to maintain full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
Today’s historic agreement will be known as the “Abraham Accord.”
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:18)


thestream--2020-08-13--‘Abolish the United States of America’: Radical ‘Youth Liberation Front’ Active in Portland Encourag

‘Abolish the United States of America’: Radical ‘Youth Liberation Front’ Active in Portland Encourages Violence, Explicitly Rejects Peaceful Protesting

A radical group credited with organizing anti-police rallies in Portland openly cheers violence and explicitly rejects efforts to keep protests peaceful , a Daily Caller News Foundation review found .
The Youth Liberation Front is credited with organizing protests in Portland last week that extended into the early morning hours and turned violent , The Seattle Times and the Associated Press have reported .
Portland police declared riots on multiple nights throughout the week .
The radical group ’ s goals extend far beyond changing policies and even beyond abolishing the police , as noted in a July 8 tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be led , and we don ’ t want to lead , we just want to destroy the United States of America.
” “ Abolish the United States of America , ” the group wrote on Twitter in October .
YLF has more than 32,000 followers on the social media platform .
“ Members of our group report that watching the senate hearing on Antifa was very inspiring .
Countless times the movement was referred to as being well organized , and it was conceded that ‘ they are winning ’ on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolishing amerikkka !
” YLF wrote on Twitter on Aug. 4 , following a Senate hearing on Antifa violence .
A July 25 tweet from the group cheered agitators in Seattle who set fire to trailers at a proposed juvenile detention center .
“ Seattle starting off the day strong !
” the tweet said .
“ Let ’ s keep this energy up tonight , Portland !
” When some members of a crowd at a June 2 protest booed the burning of the American flag , the group tweeted : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbol of white supremacy and state violence at a protest against white supremacist state violence , what the f— is wrong with you ?
” The group on July 23 tweeted instructions to burn American flags if anyone was seen waving them .
“ If you see someone waving an American flag… burn it , ” the group wrote .
YLF has denounced those who seek to keep protests peaceful .
“ To all the people on the streets who call themselves ‘ peaceful protesters ’ .
I don ’ t know where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4+ years , but being peaceful doesn ’ t stop the police , how do I know this ?
Because people have been doing this for years before you hopped on the protest trend , ” the group wrote in a June 6 tweet .
“ The pigs are in a PR battle so they say there ’ s a difference from ‘ peaceful ’ and ‘ violent ’ protesters .
When in fact what we are fighting is the ultimate form of violence , making any and all resistance self and community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ If you ’ re gon na use violence to police other protestors , our fight is just as much with you as it is with the cops on uniform ; you just do that s— for free .
The pigs don ’ t need any help , ” the group wrote on Twitter on July 4 .
The tweet included an image that read : “ Peace police are police.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as predominantly made up of teenagers .
“ We ’ re a bunch of teenagers armed with ADHD and yerba mate— we can take a 5 AM raid and be back on our feet a few hours later .
We f—-d around a bit , found some s— out , and we ’ ll be back again and again and again , until every prison is reduced to ashes and every wall to rubble , ” YLF wrote in a June 18 tweet .
“ So our soft age range right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one YLF member said on an anarchist podcast in October .
“ We have members that are older than youth , but who are still in like the same schools as youth and stuff like that who are in like community colleges with other youth members of the YLF who are like specifically facing a lot of the same issues that the YLF are facing , ” the member added .
“ We are aware of this group , however we do not assign actions to a group .
We will take action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they have committed a crime , ” Sergeant Kevin Allen of the Portland Police Department told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

A radical group credited with organizing anti-police rallies in Portland openly cheers violence and explicitly rejects efforts to keep protests peaceful, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.
The Youth Liberation Front is credited with organizing protests in Portland last week that extended into the early morning hours and turned violent, The Seattle Times and the Associated Press have reported. Portland police declared riots on multiple nights throughout the week.
The radical group’s goals extend far beyond changing policies and even beyond abolishing the police, as noted in a July 8 tweet: “we don’t want to be led, and we don’t want to lead, we just want to destroy the United States of America.”
“Abolish the United States of America,” the group wrote on Twitter in October. YLF has more than 32,000 followers on the social media platform.
Abolish the United States of America — PNW Youth Liberation Front (@PNWYLF) October 12, 2019
“Members of our group report that watching the senate hearing on Antifa was very inspiring. Countless times the movement was referred to as being well organized, and it was conceded that ‘they are winning’ on various occasions. We will succeed in abolishing amerikkka!” YLF wrote on Twitter on Aug. 4, following a Senate hearing on Antifa violence.
https://twitter.com/PNWYLF/status/1290833584840781825
YLF has applauded violence and explicitly rejects peaceful protesting.
A July 25 tweet from the group cheered agitators in Seattle who set fire to trailers at a proposed juvenile detention center. “Seattle starting off the day strong!” the tweet said. “Let’s keep this energy up tonight, Portland!”
When some members of a crowd at a June 2 protest booed the burning of the American flag, the group tweeted: “If you are booing someone burning a symbol of white supremacy and state violence at a protest against white supremacist state violence, what the f— is wrong with you?”
The group on July 23 tweeted instructions to burn American flags if anyone was seen waving them. “If you see someone waving an American flag… burn it,” the group wrote.
YLF has denounced those who seek to keep protests peaceful.
“To all the people on the streets who call themselves ‘peaceful protesters’. I don’t know where you’ve been for the past 4+ years, but being peaceful doesn’t stop the police, how do I know this? Because people have been doing this for years before you hopped on the protest trend,” the group wrote in a June 6 tweet.
“The pigs are in a PR battle so they say there’s a difference from ‘peaceful’ and ‘violent’ protesters. When in fact what we are fighting is the ultimate form of violence, making any and all resistance self and community defense,” the group added.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“If you’re gonna use violence to police other protestors, our fight is just as much with you as it is with the cops on uniform; you just do that s— for free. The pigs don’t need any help,” the group wrote on Twitter on July 4.
The tweet included an image that read: “Peace police are police.”
The group’s members describe themselves as predominantly made up of teenagers.
“We’re a bunch of teenagers armed with ADHD and yerba mate— we can take a 5 AM raid and be back on our feet a few hours later. We f—-d around a bit, found some s— out, and we’ll be back again and again and again, until every prison is reduced to ashes and every wall to rubble,” YLF wrote in a June 18 tweet.
“So our soft age range right now is 14 to about 25,” one YLF member said on an anarchist podcast in October.
“We have members that are older than youth, but who are still in like the same schools as youth and stuff like that who are in like community colleges with other youth members of the YLF who are like specifically facing a lot of the same issues that the YLF are facing,” the member added.
“We are aware of this group, however we do not assign actions to a group. We will take action against individuals when we have probable cause that they have committed a crime,” Sergeant Kevin Allen of the Portland Police Department told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email.
YLF didn’t return an email seeking comment.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-08-13--Here’s Where Kamala Harris Stands on Abortion

Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , has been praised by pro-abortion groups and promised to increase abortion access .
The California Democrat , who the Planned Parenthood Action Fund called a “ steadfast champion for reproductive rights and health care , ” has made it clear that she would prioritize women ’ s “ reproductive health ” from the White House .
“ We can not go back to the days before Roe v. Wade where people were dying from unsafe abortions , ” she tweeted in January .
“ Reproductive health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activists like Americans United for Life CEO Catherine Glenn Foster warn that Harris could present a greater threat to pro-life causes than Biden .
“ We don ’ t know what Joe Biden really believes when it comes to abortion , ” Foster said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ But the scary thing about Kamala Harris is that we know exactly what she believes when it comes to abortion.
” The California senator has a 100 % voting record with the National Abortion Right ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Choice for every year that she has served in the Senate .
The organization praised Biden for picking Harris as his running mate , pointing to her years-long support of abortion .
“ She has cosponsored critical legislation to protect and advance reproductive freedom , including the Women ’ s Health Protection Act ( WHPA ) to protect our right to access abortion care free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans , the Global HER Act to expand access to reproductive healthcare internationally by permanently ending the global gag rule , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on abortion coverage like the Hyde Amendment once and for all , ” NARAL Pro-Choice America said in a Tuesday statement .
As a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination , Harris promised to codify Roe v. Wade , require judicial nominees to support Roe v. Wade , repeal the Hyde Amendment , require private insurers to cover abortion and contraception , make abortion drugs and birth control available over the counter , ban abstinence-only sex ed , preserve funding for Planned Parenthood and much more , according to The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider a running mate who opposed abortion rights , according to the Times article .
Her Medicare for All plan promised to provide comprehensive reproductive health care and to establish a list of states that would be banned from imposing pro-life laws without the approval of the Department of Justice , Vox reported .
“ Medicare for All will cover all medically necessary services , including emergency room visits , doctor visits , vision , dental , hearing aids , mental health and substance use disorder treatment and comprehensive reproductive health care services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 explanation of her Medicare plans .
Harris and Biden previously clashed over abortion during the July 2019 Democratic debates .
Harris highlighted Biden ’ s flip on the Hyde Amendment , which bans the use of federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape , incest or if the mother ’ s life is in danger .
“ You made a decision for years to withhold resources to poor women to have access to reproductive health care , including women who were the victims of rape and incest , ” Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that you have evolved and you regret that ?
” “ Why did it take you so long to change your position on the Hyde Amendment ?
” she added .
“ Why did it take so long until you were running for president to change your position on the Hyde Amendment ?
” Harris supported the United States Supreme Court ’ s decision against a Louisiana law in June .
The law required abortion providers to obtain admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion facility , ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court ruling “ a huge victory for reproductive rights ” in a tweet .
“ Abortion is a fundamental issue of justice in America and we will never stop fighting for it , ” she added .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
When Harris evaluated Brian Buescher for a Nebraska district judge seat in 2018 , the senator highlighted his association with the Catholic charity organization , the Knights of Columbus , noting the group ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Review reported .
“ Since 1993 , you have been a member of the Knights of Columbus , an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men , ” Harris said in a written question .
“ In 2016 , Carl Anderson , leader of the Knights of Columbus , described abortion as ‘ a legal regime that has resulted in more than 40 million deaths.
’ Mr. Anderson later said ‘ abortion is the killing of the innocent on a massive scale.
’ ” “ Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose when you joined the organization , ” Harris asked Buescher .
She also questioned whether Buescher was “ aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when [ he ] joined the organization ” as well as whether Buescher “ ever , in any way , assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women ’ s reproductive rights.
” As a Catholic organization , the Knights of Columbus support official Catholic doctrine that states abortion is “ a crime against human life ” and that marriage should be between a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catechism .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, has been praised by pro-abortion groups and promised to increase abortion access.
The California Democrat, who the Planned Parenthood Action Fund called a “steadfast champion for reproductive rights and health care,” has made it clear that she would prioritize women’s “reproductive health” from the White House.
“We cannot go back to the days before Roe v. Wade where people were dying from unsafe abortions,” she tweeted in January. “Reproductive health is on the ballot in 2020.”
Abortion bans won’t end abortions; they will just end safe and legal abortions. #SOTU — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 5, 2020
Activists like Americans United for Life CEO Catherine Glenn Foster warn that Harris could present a greater threat to pro-life causes than Biden.
“We don’t know what Joe Biden really believes when it comes to abortion,” Foster said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “But the scary thing about Kamala Harris is that we know exactly what she believes when it comes to abortion.”
The California senator has a 100% voting record with the National Abortion Right’s Action League’s Congressional Record on Choice for every year that she has served in the Senate. The organization praised Biden for picking Harris as his running mate, pointing to her years-long support of abortion.
“She has cosponsored critical legislation to protect and advance reproductive freedom, including the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) to protect our right to access abortion care free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans, the Global HER Act to expand access to reproductive healthcare internationally by permanently ending the global gag rule, and the EACH Woman Act to block racist bans on abortion coverage like the Hyde Amendment once and for all,” NARAL Pro-Choice America said in a Tuesday statement.
I am sick and tired of Republican politicians restricting women’s access to reproductive health care, especially abortion. We have got to build a coalition of Americans who will fight to ensure women get the care they need. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 14, 2019
As a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Harris promised to codify Roe v. Wade, require judicial nominees to support Roe v. Wade, repeal the Hyde Amendment, require private insurers to cover abortion and contraception, make abortion drugs and birth control available over the counter, ban abstinence-only sex ed, preserve funding for Planned Parenthood and much more, according to The New York Times.
Harris also said she would not consider a running mate who opposed abortion rights, according to the Times article. Her Medicare for All plan promised to provide comprehensive reproductive health care and to establish a list of states that would be banned from imposing pro-life laws without the approval of the Department of Justice, Vox reported.
“Medicare for All will cover all medically necessary services, including emergency room visits, doctor visits, vision, dental, hearing aids, mental health and substance use disorder treatment and comprehensive reproductive health care services,” Harris said in a July 29 explanation of her Medicare plans.
WATCH:
Harris and Biden previously clashed over abortion during the July 2019 Democratic debates. Harris highlighted Biden’s flip on the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.
“You made a decision for years to withhold resources to poor women to have access to reproductive health care, including women who were the victims of rape and incest,” Harris told Biden. “Do you now say that you have evolved and you regret that?”
“Why did it take you so long to change your position on the Hyde Amendment?” she added. “Why did it take so long until you were running for president to change your position on the Hyde Amendment?”
WATCH:
Harris supported the United States Supreme Court’s decision against a Louisiana law in June. The law required abortion providers to obtain admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion facility, ABC News reported.
Harris called the Supreme Court ruling “a huge victory for reproductive rights” in a tweet.
“Abortion is a fundamental issue of justice in America and we will never stop fighting for it,” she added.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
When Harris evaluated Brian Buescher for a Nebraska district judge seat in 2018, the senator highlighted his association with the Catholic charity organization, the Knights of Columbus, noting the group’s opposition to abortion, the National Review reported.
“Since 1993, you have been a member of the Knights of Columbus, an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men,” Harris said in a written question. “In 2016, Carl Anderson, leader of the Knights of Columbus, described abortion as ‘a legal regime that has resulted in more than 40 million deaths.’ Mr. Anderson later said ‘abortion is the killing of the innocent on a massive scale.’”
“Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization,” Harris asked Buescher. She also questioned whether Buescher was “aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when [he] joined the organization” as well as whether Buescher “ever, in any way, assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women’s reproductive rights.”
As a Catholic organization, the Knights of Columbus support official Catholic doctrine that states abortion is “a crime against human life” and that marriage should be between a man and a woman, according to the Catechism.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-08-13--Donald Trump: The Whole Life Choice for President

Since I lost a daughter to a forced abortion as a teenager , my life has had a single focus .
That is , protecting the most vulnerable .
The loss of my daughter birthed in me a desire to live a life in solidarity with those whom society or the government targets , neglects , or forgets .
And that ’ s why this fall I ’ m voting to re-elect President Donald Trump .
Which Son Did His Father ’ s Will ?
I know that saying this will anger or sadden some friends of mine .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let me try to help them disarm their instantaneous emotional reactions .
My friends , I ask you sincerely to read the following passage .
Read it slowly and prayerfully , as Scripture should be read .
Ask for the Spirit ’ s guidance in fully understanding it .
The speaker is Jesus .
What do you think ?
A man had two sons ; and he went to the first and said , ‘ Son , go and work in the vineyard today.
’ And he answered , ‘ I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went .
And he went to the second and said the same ; and he answered , ‘ I go , sir , ’ but did not go .
Which of the two did the will of his father ?
” They said , “ The first.
” Jesus said to them , “ Truly , I say to you , the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you .
For John came to you in the way of righteousness , and you did not believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the harlots believed him ; and even when you saw it , you did not afterward repent and believe him .
( Matt .
21 : 28-32 ) Jesus ’ Words Apply Everywhere and Always It ’ s true that Jesus meant this parable for something specific .
He referred to the “ righteous , ” religious leaders who rejected Him , compared to the sinners who were humble enough to follow Him .
But Jesus ’ words always have much wider application to life as a whole .
He made the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke for the millennia — well aware that someday those words would end up as scripture .
How might we apply this passage to our world today ?
Well Our Lord Himself said that whatsoever we do to the least of our brethren , we do unto Him .
That in fact at the end of our lives , and of the world , that ’ s the exact criterion by which He will judge our souls .
So to understand this parable , we ought to plug in for “ work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behalf of the least of our brothers and sisters .
Does that sound fair to you ?
And insofar as our Christian , pro-life principles should infuse how we vote , we ought to judge candidates for every public office by this standard as well .
Does that public official obey our Father ’ s command to serve the most vulnerable ?
How does he treat the powerless , as opposed to the powerful ?
How much does he simply “ yes ” us to death with empty promises to get working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or instead , hunker down and get himself dirty , tending the vines ?
And how much do we ourselves settle for rhetoric and virtue-signaling , instead of concrete results ?
I ’ d like to apply these tests to the track record of the Trump administration , compared to that of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
Let ’ s see which set of candidates are more like the brother who shuts up his father with happy talk , or more like the brother who works .
I ’ m going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see as the most vulnerable people on earth , the least among us .
For each , I ’ ll compare the track records or platforms of Trump and Biden .
Preborn children are surely by any standard the most vulnerable people on earth .
Not only are they tiny , silent , and voiceless .
In much of the world , and here at home , they are rights-less .
They legally have no standing .
They don ’ t even get the same protection from cruelty as farm animals raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here and abroad has sought to increase protection for unborn children .
The president tried to defund Planned Parenthood , and pare back as much as he could the brutal implications of Roe v. Wade .
He faced a hostile or do-nothing Congress , of course .
Not all the vines lived .
But he tried and will go on trying — witness the almost fanatical opposition he faces from the abortion industry .
Joe Biden , by contrast , has flip-flopped on even the Hyde Amendment , which once he backed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ through birth , and promoting legal abortion in countries where it ’ s still banned .
Kamala Harris , as California Attorney General , took campaign money from Planned Parenthood .
Then she tried to imprison the pro-life journalists ( friends of mine ) who exposed how that group sells baby parts in Styrofoam coolers for profit .
Around the world millions of people face violence , bias , and legal discrimination because of their faith or their ethnicity , or both .
Just the most well-known instances are : • Yezidi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of these cases , the Trump administration has applied pressure and tried to take action .
Ambassador Sam Brownback and Secretary Mike Pompeo have used American “ soft power ” and the bully pulpit to raise awareness of these human rights outrages .
What has Joe Biden done ?
He has soft-pedaled any criticism of tyrannical regimes , out of deference to governments where his family has major business interests .
Or regimes he wants to make political deals with .
He supports forcing Catholic nuns who serve the elderly to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispense abortion pills .
For decades , factories and agribusinesses have exploited illegal immigrants .
Big corporations have lobbied to keep our borders porous and lawless .
Meanwhile , control over who comes and goes into our country has fallen in the hands of narcotics cartels , who now specialize in human trafficking , especially to the sex industry .
Donald Trump , despite bitter obstruction , has moved to extend the rule of law to our chaotic , dangerous borders .
Joe Biden , by contrast , has promised to essentially cease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s democratically enacted immigration laws .
That ’ s the best news imaginable to the coyotes who trade women and children as commodities , leaving behind them “ rape trees ” and the bodies of those who die in the desert .
Despite all the dire warnings by GOP elites invested in reckless nation-building ( or breaking ) , Donald Trump has not embarked on aggressive wars .
The brutal reign of ISIS over Syria and Iraq , which the Obama administration enabled , has come to an end .
Trump managed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by supporting local Kurdish and Christian freedom-fighters .
He ought to support their efforts at “ self-administration , ” now threatened by Turkey and al Qaeda .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Biden , by contrast , fully backed Obama ’ s “ junior varsity ” view of ISIS .
He fiddled , while Iraq burned .
He backed the Obama plan that destroyed the nation of Libya , returning it to premodern chaos , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arab masters , now rife in that country .
Almost half of Libya is now controlled by Islamists linked to ISIS .
As I ’ ve documented here the economic lockdowns imposed supposedly to stop the Coronavirus are causing famines .
Combined with historic locust plagues , the slow-down or shut-off of U.S. food exports threatens to starve whole nations in Africa and Asia .
The Trump administration has acted aggressively to avert this looming catastrophe , that threatens hundreds of millions with hunger — and could spark regional wars .
Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered no plan , and barely bothered to mention the impact of the virus lockdown on poor , foreign brown people .
Their view of the virus has been a spectacular instance of national narcissism .
Which Brother Are You ?
Now , there ’ s plenty in Trump ’ s rhetoric and personal past to distract us from this .
Just so , there was much that the Pharisees could point to amidst the disciples of Jesus .
These were the sinners , the tax collectors , the wrestling promoters and reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast the Pharisees were the denizens of CNN , Harvard and Google .
They talked a good game of righteousness .
But when Jesus called on people to serve the least among them , which one went to the vineyard ?
I ask the same question today .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , author , activist and human rights worker .
You can follow him @ JasonJonesShow .
He is co-author with John Zmirak of The Race to Save Our Century , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Government.
” Mr. Jones is a member of the Catholics for Trump advisory board .

Since I lost a daughter to a forced abortion as a teenager, my life has had a single focus. That is, protecting the most vulnerable. The loss of my daughter birthed in me a desire to live a life in solidarity with those whom society or the government targets, neglects, or forgets.
And that’s why this fall I’m voting to re-elect President Donald Trump.
Which Son Did His Father’s Will?
I know that saying this will anger or sadden some friends of mine. Before I make my case on the merits, let me try to help them disarm their instantaneous emotional reactions. My friends, I ask you sincerely to read the following passage. Read it slowly and prayerfully, as Scripture should be read. Ask for the Spirit’s guidance in fully understanding it. The speaker is Jesus.
What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him. (Matt. 21: 28-32)
Jesus’ Words Apply Everywhere and Always
It’s true that Jesus meant this parable for something specific. He referred to the “righteous,” religious leaders who rejected Him, compared to the sinners who were humble enough to follow Him. But Jesus’ words always have much wider application to life as a whole. He made the world, and the human race, and spoke for the millennia — well aware that someday those words would end up as scripture.
How might we apply this passage to our world today? Well Our Lord Himself said that whatsoever we do to the least of our brethren, we do unto Him. That in fact at the end of our lives, and of the world, that’s the exact criterion by which He will judge our souls. So to understand this parable, we ought to plug in for “work in the vineyard” our own work on behalf of the least of our brothers and sisters. Does that sound fair to you? And insofar as our Christian, pro-life principles should infuse how we vote, we ought to judge candidates for every public office by this standard as well.
Virtue or Virtue-Signaling
Does that public official obey our Father’s command to serve the most vulnerable? How does he treat the powerless, as opposed to the powerful? How much does he simply “yes” us to death with empty promises to get working on that vineyard, sooner or later? Or instead, hunker down and get himself dirty, tending the vines? And how much do we ourselves settle for rhetoric and virtue-signaling, instead of concrete results?
I’d like to apply these tests to the track record of the Trump administration, compared to that of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Let’s see which set of candidates are more like the brother who shuts up his father with happy talk, or more like the brother who works.
Kamala Harris, as California Attorney General, took campaign money from Planned Parenthood. Then she tried to imprison the pro-life journalists who exposed how that group sells baby parts.
I’m going to go group by group through those whom I see as the most vulnerable people on earth, the least among us. For each, I’ll compare the track records or platforms of Trump and Biden.
Preborn Children
Preborn children are surely by any standard the most vulnerable people on earth. Not only are they tiny, silent, and voiceless. In much of the world, and here at home, they are rights-less. They legally have no standing. They don’t even get the same protection from cruelty as farm animals raised for slaughter.
The Trump administration both here and abroad has sought to increase protection for unborn children. The president tried to defund Planned Parenthood, and pare back as much as he could the brutal implications of Roe v. Wade. He faced a hostile or do-nothing Congress, of course. Not all the vines lived. But he tried and will go on trying — witness the almost fanatical opposition he faces from the abortion industry.
Joe Biden, by contrast, has flip-flopped on even the Hyde Amendment, which once he backed. He now favors legal abortion right up through birth, and promoting legal abortion in countries where it’s still banned. Kamala Harris, as California Attorney General, took campaign money from Planned Parenthood. Then she tried to imprison the pro-life journalists (friends of mine) who exposed how that group sells baby parts in Styrofoam coolers for profit.
Persecuted Minorities
Around the world millions of people face violence, bias, and legal discrimination because of their faith or their ethnicity, or both. Just the most well-known instances are:
Muslim Uyghurs and Christians in China.
Christians in Nigeria.
Yezidi and Christians in Syria and Iraq.
Christians in Iran.
On each of these cases, the Trump administration has applied pressure and tried to take action. Ambassador Sam Brownback and Secretary Mike Pompeo have used American “soft power” and the bully pulpit to raise awareness of these human rights outrages.
What has Joe Biden done? He has soft-pedaled any criticism of tyrannical regimes, out of deference to governments where his family has major business interests. Or regimes he wants to make political deals with. He supports forcing Catholic nuns who serve the elderly to close their doors if they won’t dispense abortion pills.
Exploited Immigrants and Victims of Human Trafficking
For decades, factories and agribusinesses have exploited illegal immigrants. Big corporations have lobbied to keep our borders porous and lawless. Meanwhile, control over who comes and goes into our country has fallen in the hands of narcotics cartels, who now specialize in human trafficking, especially to the sex industry. Donald Trump, despite bitter obstruction, has moved to extend the rule of law to our chaotic, dangerous borders.
Joe Biden, by contrast, has promised to essentially cease any efforts to enforce our country’s democratically enacted immigration laws. That’s the best news imaginable to the coyotes who trade women and children as commodities, leaving behind them “rape trees” and the bodies of those who die in the desert.
Victims of War
Despite all the dire warnings by GOP elites invested in reckless nation-building (or breaking), Donald Trump has not embarked on aggressive wars. The brutal reign of ISIS over Syria and Iraq, which the Obama administration enabled, has come to an end. Trump managed that with minimal loss of U.S. life, by supporting local Kurdish and Christian freedom-fighters. He ought to support their efforts at “self-administration,” now threatened by Turkey and al Qaeda.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Biden, by contrast, fully backed Obama’s “junior varsity” view of ISIS. He fiddled, while Iraq burned. He backed the Obama plan that destroyed the nation of Libya, returning it to premodern chaos, and permitting the sale of black slaves to Arab masters, now rife in that country. Almost half of Libya is now controlled by Islamists linked to ISIS.
The Global Poor
As I’ve documented here the economic lockdowns imposed supposedly to stop the Coronavirus are causing famines. Combined with historic locust plagues, the slow-down or shut-off of U.S. food exports threatens to starve whole nations in Africa and Asia. The Trump administration has acted aggressively to avert this looming catastrophe, that threatens hundreds of millions with hunger — and could spark regional wars.
Biden and his party, by contrast, have offered no plan, and barely bothered to mention the impact of the virus lockdown on poor, foreign brown people. Their view of the virus has been a spectacular instance of national narcissism.
Which Brother Are You?
Now, there’s plenty in Trump’s rhetoric and personal past to distract us from this. Just so, there was much that the Pharisees could point to amidst the disciples of Jesus. These were the sinners, the tax collectors, the wrestling promoters and reality TV oddballs of the age. By contrast the Pharisees were the denizens of CNN, Harvard and Google. They talked a good game of righteousness. But when Jesus called on people to serve the least among them, which one went to the vineyard?
I ask the same question today.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him @JasonJonesShow. He is co-author with John Zmirak of The Race to Save Our Century, and of “God, Guns & the Government.” Mr. Jones is a member of the Catholics for Trump advisory board.


thestream--2020-08-13--Here’s Where California ‘Top Cop’ Kamala Harris has Stood on Police Issues in the Past

Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris sided with police unions when she was San Francisco ’ s district attorney and California ’ s attorney general , but recently sidestepped questions recently about defunding police departments nationwide .
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden selected Harris , who labeled herself as California ’ s “ top cop ” when she served as the state ’ s attorney general , to be his running mate Tuesday .
Some progressives , however , criticized the pick citing Harris ’ record as a prosecutor in California .
A joint statement from Roots Action and Progressive Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years to hold police accountable for gross misconduct in California ” and that they would hold her accountable if she was elected to be vice president .
Former national press secretary for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ 2020 Democratic presidential campaign Briahna Joy Gray tweeted , “ We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history , the subject of which is excessive policing , and the Democratic Party chose a ‘ top cop ’ and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contempt for the base is , wow.
” The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations ( AFL-CIO ) , which is a federation of dozens of unions including the International Union of Police Associations , came out in support of Harris being chosen as Biden ’ s running mate Tuesday .
Harris didn ’ t say police departments should be defunded , but said departments should be “ reimagined ” when asked about defunding the police in June .
Defunding police departments has become a topic of discussion in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after a police officer kneeled on his neck , video shows .
“ I think that a big part of this conversation really is about reimagining how we do public safety in America , ” Harris told The View host Meghan McCain , who asked if police departments should be defunded .
“ We have confused the idea that to achieve safety , you put more cops on the street instead of understanding to achieve safe and healthy communities , you put more resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities , into affordable housing , into home ownership , into access to capital for small businesses , access to health care regardless of how much money people have.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Harris ’ history with police dates back to when she first ran for elected office in the early 2000s .
Harris ran for San Francisco district attorney in 2003 against one of the country ’ s most progressive district attorneys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris attacked Hallinan for being weak on crime and for having a low conviction rate , SF Gate reported .
“ Let ’ s be clear .
I ’ m not running for public defender , ” Harris said during a December 2003 debate .
“ We need in our city to have a district attorney who recognizes her responsibility for making sure the consequences occur for serious and violent crime.
” One of Harris ’ 2003 campaign pamphlets depicted a man holding a gun and says “ enough is enough , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The inside of that pamphlet mentions that the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association endorsed her .
The San Francisco Police Officers Association also endorsed Harris ’ s campaign , Hallinan said in the 2003 debate .
“ I believe they believe she will be easier on police misconduct than I ’ ve been , ” Hallinan said , explaining why the union endorsed Harris .
Harris beat Hallinan in the run-off election and assumed office in January 2004 .
In 2007 , Harris wouldn ’ t support state legislation that would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to The New York Times .
Police unions had come out against the legislation .
“ There could not have been a more profound wall of silence , ” said Gloria Romero , the former state senate majority leader who authored the bill , according to The Times .
“ It ’ s easy to call yourself progressive today , but I mean , come on , it ’ s easy to reinvent yourself.
” Gary Delagnes , who had been the president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association when Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s most “ pro-public safety D.A.
” of the last 20 years , The Times reported .
In 2010 , a judge accused Harris ’ office of not having a policy for producing exculpatory information on police witnesses after a crime technician , who had been convicted of domestic violence in the past , was caught skimming drugs , according to The Times .
“ She never pushed hard for it , and we were obviously happy about that , ” Delagnes said of Harris ’ lack of a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California ’ s attorney general , Harris wouldn ’ t support a 2015 bill , which would ’ ve required her office to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate any incident in which a police officer used deadly force , The Times reported .
The special prosecutor would alone decide if charges would be filed .
Harris has been outspoken in criticizing police brutality and advocating for criminal justice reform in recent years .
She has also been vocal about police brutality in the months following Floyd ’ s death .
“ For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been burdened with the unjust responsibility of keeping ourselves safe from police , ” Harris and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey wrote in a June op-ed .
“ And for too long , Congress has failed to require accountability and hold officers who do wrong responsible for their actions to prevent the killing of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement from occurring again , and again , and again.
” Harris current position , though , seems to contrast with her record as a prosecutor in California .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was in 2004 , ” Delagnes said , according to The Times .
“ That is not the Kamala Harris that I knew.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris sided with police unions when she was San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s attorney general, but recently sidestepped questions recently about defunding police departments nationwide.
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden selected Harris, who labeled herself as California’s “top cop” when she served as the state’s attorney general, to be his running mate Tuesday. Some progressives, however, criticized the pick citing Harris’ record as a prosecutor in California.
A joint statement from Roots Action and Progressive Democrats of America Tuesday said Harris “failed for years to hold police accountable for gross misconduct in California” and that they would hold her accountable if she was elected to be vice president.
Former national press secretary for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 Democratic presidential campaign Briahna Joy Gray tweeted, “We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a ‘top cop’ and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump.”
She added: “The contempt for the base is, wow.”
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), which is a federation of dozens of unions including the International Union of Police Associations, came out in support of Harris being chosen as Biden’s running mate Tuesday.
Harris didn’t say police departments should be defunded, but said departments should be “reimagined” when asked about defunding the police in June. Defunding police departments has become a topic of discussion in the wake of the death of George Floyd who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after a police officer kneeled on his neck, video shows.
“I think that a big part of this conversation really is about reimagining how we do public safety in America,” Harris told The View host Meghan McCain, who asked if police departments should be defunded. “We have confused the idea that to achieve safety, you put more cops on the street instead of understanding to achieve safe and healthy communities, you put more resources into the public education system of those communities, into affordable housing, into home ownership, into access to capital for small businesses, access to health care regardless of how much money people have.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Harris’ history with police dates back to when she first ran for elected office in the early 2000s.
Harris ran for San Francisco district attorney in 2003 against one of the country’s most progressive district attorneys, Terence Hallinan. During the campaign, Harris attacked Hallinan for being weak on crime and for having a low conviction rate, SF Gate reported.
“Let’s be clear. I’m not running for public defender,” Harris said during a December 2003 debate. “We need in our city to have a district attorney who recognizes her responsibility for making sure the consequences occur for serious and violent crime.”
One of Harris’ 2003 campaign pamphlets depicted a man holding a gun and says “enough is enough,” according to a photo from The Intercept. The inside of that pamphlet mentions that the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association endorsed her.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association also endorsed Harris’s campaign, Hallinan said in the 2003 debate.
“I believe they believe she will be easier on police misconduct than I’ve been,” Hallinan said, explaining why the union endorsed Harris.
Harris beat Hallinan in the run-off election and assumed office in January 2004.
In 2007, Harris wouldn’t support state legislation that would allow the public to view disciplinary hearings, according to The New York Times. Police unions had come out against the legislation.
“There could not have been a more profound wall of silence,” said Gloria Romero, the former state senate majority leader who authored the bill, according to The Times. “It’s easy to call yourself progressive today, but I mean, come on, it’s easy to reinvent yourself.”
Gary Delagnes, who had been the president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association when Harris was the district attorney, called her the city’s most “pro-public safety D.A.” of the last 20 years, The Times reported.
In 2010, a judge accused Harris’ office of not having a policy for producing exculpatory information on police witnesses after a crime technician, who had been convicted of domestic violence in the past, was caught skimming drugs, according to The Times.
“She never pushed hard for it, and we were obviously happy about that,” Delagnes said of Harris’ lack of a policy, according to The Times.
As California’s attorney general, Harris wouldn’t support a 2015 bill, which would’ve required her office to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate any incident in which a police officer used deadly force, The Times reported. The special prosecutor would alone decide if charges would be filed.
Harris has been outspoken in criticizing police brutality and advocating for criminal justice reform in recent years. She has also been vocal about police brutality in the months following Floyd’s death.
“For too long, Black people in America have been burdened with the unjust responsibility of keeping ourselves safe from police,” Harris and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey wrote in a June op-ed.
“And for too long, Congress has failed to require accountability and hold officers who do wrong responsible for their actions to prevent the killing of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement from occurring again, and again, and again.”
Harris current position, though, seems to contrast with her record as a prosecutor in California.
“She is Jekyll and Hyde from what she was in 2004,” Delagnes said, according to The Times. “That is not the Kamala Harris that I knew.”
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].