Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday April 16, 2019

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON

Trump on Notre Dame Cathedral: ‘No Cathedral In the World Like It’ By Cameron Cawthorne Pompeo Slams Lawmakers Pushing to Choke Off Iran’s Nuclear Work, Oil Trade as ‘Grandstanding’ By Adam Kredo Petition Demands Purge of Corrupt UAW Official By Bill McMorris Left-leaning Outlet In CO Says Hickenlooper ‘Making Stuff Up’ On Death Penalty By Todd Shepherd Tiger Woods Ends ‘Obama Drought’ with Stunning Masters Victory By Andrew Stiles More Americans Say Jews Face Discrimination in the United States By Jeffrey Cimmino Jones Raises Only 12 Percent From Alabama Residents In First Quarter By Haris Alic The Mainstream Media Really, Really Like Mayor Pete By David Rutz You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Copyright © 2019 Free Beacon, LLC, All rights reserved.  To reject freedom, click here. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

THE DAILY SIGNAL

Apr 16, 2019

Good morning from Washington, where we’re still reeling from images of flames engulfing Notre Dame Cathedral. Kate Pesey shares thoughts from Paris, while Fred Lucas and Rachel del Guidice record responses from President Trump, faith leaders, and others. What’s the potential fallout if the government spied improperly on the Trump campaign? Lucas talks to some who know. Plus: Rep. Tim Walberg on a disappointing 100 days for House Democrats, Rachel Greszler on how long we work to pay income tax, and Jarrett Stepman on the media’s Electoral College misrepresentations.

News Potential Consequences of Spying on the Trump Campaign Actions by Justice Department officials in spying on a Trump campaign adviser in 2016 could be a crime or merely an administrative offense, legal experts say. More Commentary I Live in Paris. Here’s What the Loss of Notre Dame Means. In 2017 alone, the French government recorded 887 attacks on Christian artifacts or churches. More Analysis Correcting Media Distortions About the Electoral College “The Founders did not think they were creating a pure, simple democracy,” says Tara Ross, author of “The Indispensable Electoral College,” but with the Electoral College they were achieving “democracy plus federalism.” More Commentary In 1 Chart, How Many Days Americans Work to Pay Each Tax Americans work for 105 days of the year to pay their collective $5.42 trillion tax bill—a figure equal to about 29% of Americans’ incomes. More News Trump and the Rest of the World Mourn on Twitter as Notre Dame Burns President Trump says Notre Dame in Paris is “greater than almost any museum in the world.” More Analysis Podcast: Recovering the Lost Art of Civility Alexandra Hudson joins the podcast to discuss the critical role of civility in helping us survive our disagreements. More Commentary After 100 Days, House Democrats Have Offered Partisanship, Not Solutions “At every turn, the recurring theme has been embracing a socialist agenda that takes power from the American people and centralizes it in Washington,” writes Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich. More News Why Couldn’t They Put Out the Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral? Firefighters stood helpless to stem the blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral, likely because of Gothic engineering techniques that waterproofed the roof, consigning it to destruction. More

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POLITICO PLAYBOOK

Bernie’s viral Fox moment, plus: Is Trump bored?

By ANNA PALMER, JAKE SHERMAN and DANIEL LIPPMAN 

04/16/2019 05:54 AM EDT

Presented by

DRIVING THE DAY

BERNIE’S FOX NEWS MOMENT — HOLLY OTTERBEIN in Bethlehem, Pa.: “Sanders takes on Fox — and emerges triumphant”: “Bernie Sanders entered the Fox’s den on Monday night — and he not only survived the hour-long encounter, but often dominated.

“Appearing at a Fox News-hosted town hall smack dab in the middle of Trump Country, the Democratic presidential front-runner played the part, swatting down tough questions from the hosts about health care, defense spending, and his newfound wealth. At one point, the Vermont senator even led the network’s audience in a call-and-response that found them cheering loudly for his policies.

“In the days preceding the event, Sanders faced backlash from liberals who said he shouldn’t participate given the network’s nativist bent and cheerleading for President Donald Trump. But when it was over, Sanders had received an hour of positive exposure on the highest-rated cable channel — something none of his primary rivals have yet risked.” POLITICO

— “Bernie became a millionaire in 2016, records show,” by Nolan McCaskill

— Don’t you get the sensethat PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP seems a bit bored with the 2020 Democratic field at the moment? He’s spitting fire at REPS. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ and ILHAN OMAR, but hasn’t said a peep about BERNIE SANDERS since Feb. 20: “Crazy Bernie has just entered the race. I wish him well!”He’s tweeted just twice about JOE BIDEN this year!

MEANWHILE … THE DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING RAGES ON — “The Rematch: Bernie Sanders vs. a Clinton Loyalist,” by NYT’s Elizabeth Williamson and Ken Vogel

LOCK HIM UP? … WSJ’S RICH RUBIN: “Beto O’Rourke Underpaid Two Years of Taxes”: “Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke and his wife, Amy, appear to have underpaid their 2013 and 2014 taxes by more than $4,000 combined because of an error in the way they reported their medical expenses, according to tax returns the couple released Monday evening.

“They took deductions for those costs without regard to the limit that only allowed that break for medical and dental expenses above 10% of income for people their age. Had they not taken the nearly $16,000 in medical deductions, their taxable income would have been higher. In those years it would likely have been subject to the rates they were paying under the alternative minimum tax.” WSJ

Good Tuesday morning. JOIN US TONIGHT … JAKE and ANNA will be at Politics & Prose at the Wharf at 7 p.m. for a discussion with NBC’S HALLIE JACKSON of their new book “The Hill to Die On.” More info

MUELLER WATCH … A lot of folks in Washington thought we’d have the Mueller report by now. One of them was Attorney General Bill Barr!

DARREN SAMUELSOHN emailed us: “A Thursday release means Barr missed his mark by 48 hours. Recall he told House appropriators on April 9 it’d be out ‘within a week.’ He’d also written in his March 29 letter that Mueller’s report would land by mid-April ‘or sooner.’”

ONE THING WE KNOW about the delay: It’s one day closer to Good Friday, Passover and Easter and much smaller news-consuming audiences. D.C. and Northern Virginia public schools are on spring break this week, too — meaning that many folks in and around Washington are already out of town.

“So did Barr buy Trump more time to give the Mueller report a soft landing? A source familiar with the White House planning said it had been prepping for a Tuesday or Wednesday release, and the extra time doesn’t make much of a difference except it now has a date and approximate time certain. All eyes will be on Trump and how he responds, whether it be with a White House statement, a tweet or with remarks to reporters as he heads out to Marine One for what’s expected to be an Easter weekend at Mar-a-Lago.”

— NBC NEWS’ CAROL LEE, HALLIE JACKSON and KRISTEN WELKER: “White House officials concerned about being exposed by Mueller report”: “Some of the more than one dozen current and former White House officials who cooperated with special counsel Robert Mueller are worried that the version of his report expected to be made public on Thursday will expose them as the source of damaging information about President Donald Trump, according to multiple witnesses in the investigation.

“Some of the officials and their lawyers have sought clarity from the Justice Department on whether the names of those who cooperated with Mueller’s team will be redacted or if the public report will be written in a way that makes it obvious who shared certain details of Trump’s actions that were part of the obstruction of justice probe, people familiar with the discussions said. But, they said, the Justice Department has refused to elaborate.

“Of particular concern is how Trump — and his allies — will react if it appears clear precisely what specific officials shared with Mueller, these people said.” NBC

TRUMP’S NEW CAMPAIGN MANTRA — “Trump focuses on divisive messages as 2020 reelection bid takes shape,” by WaPo’s Seung Min Kim and Toluse Olorunnipa: “President Trump escalated his attacks on a Muslim member of Congress and ‘Radical Left Democrats’ on Monday ahead of a reelection campaign that is quickly taking shape around divisive messages centered on immigration and patriotism.

“Speaking Monday at an event billed as a tax and economy roundtable, Trump told a suburban Minneapolis audience ‘how unfairly you’ve been treated as a state’ when it comes to immigration, and he rattled off a litany of grudges against the current system: The loopholes are ‘horrible and foolish,’ the visa lottery is ‘insane,’ and the concept of asylum is ‘ridiculous.’ ‘People come in, they read a line from a lawyer that a lawyer hands them out online,’ Trump said at the event as he mimicked an asylum seeker reading from a piece of paper. ‘It’s a big con job. That’s what it is.’” WaPo

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YOUTH VAPING IS A PROBLEM. HERE’S WHAT WE’RE DOING ABOUT IT. Combustible cigarettes are the top cause of preventable death. Our mission is to improve the lives of adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes. Youth use of vapor products endangers that mission, so we’re taking actions to address the problem head-on.

IMMIGRATION LATEST … via Molly O’Toole of the L.A. Times: “Internal memos say Trump officials to resume forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico”: “The Trump administration moved Monday to restart a controversial policy that forces Central American asylum seekers to return to Mexico to await adjudication of their claims, an approach dubbed ‘Remain in Mexico.’ The move came after a federal appeals court in California temporarily lifted an injunction on Friday that had blocked the policy.

“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials told staff at the agency’s main asylum office in Arlington, Va., on Monday to prepare for asylum seekers to again be sent back across the border, according to emails obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

“An internal agency memo on Monday cited Friday’s decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that granted the government’s emergency motion for a stay of a lower court ruling that had blocked the policy. The administration calls the policy ‘Migrant Protection Protocols.’” LAT

— ARIZONA REPUBLIC’S DANIEL GONZALES: “U.S. deports spouse of fallen soldier, quickly reverses decision”: “Immigration officials deported the spouse of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan last week, leaving the couple’s 12-year-daughter in Phoenix, then abruptly reversed its decision on Monday when the deported man was allowed to return to the U.S.

“Jose Gonzalez Carranza, 30, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last Monday on his way to his welding job and then deported to Nogales, Sonora, early Thursday morning, according to Gonzalez Carranza and his attorney, Ezequiel Hernandez. Gonzalez Carranza was married to Army Pfc. Barbara Vieyra, who was killed on Sept. 18, 2010, while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. She was 22.

“During an interview, Gonzalez Carranza told The Arizona Republic he was allowed to re-enter the U.S. through the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales, Arizona Monday afternoon. … Gonzalez Carranza said he was eager to see his daughter, who lives with her grandparents.” AZ Republic

CAMPAIGN FINANCE NUGGETS …

— WHAT IS FORMER REP. PAT TIBERI (R-OHIO) up to? He spent $14,000 in non-federal polling in March, per his campaign finance report. And he has more than $5 million on hand. He hasn’t declared for any race.

— ROBERT MERCER gave the president’s Make America Great Again Committee $10,000,

— BERNIE MARCUS and his wife Billi gave Take Back the House — KEVIN MCCARTHY’S joint fundraising committee — $1.5 million in March. Hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin gave $343,100 and Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman gave $161,800.

— THE WALL STREET LINEUP OF Paul Singer ($253,500), Charles Schwab ($246,700), John Paulson ($100,000) and Daniel Loeb ($100,000) were among MCCARTHY’S top donors.

— ROSS PEROT gave STEVE SCALISE $50,000.

— AVRAM GLAZER, who owns Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gave the NANCY PELOSI victory fund $200,000. Architect Frank Gehry gave $23,050.

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THE INVESTIGATIONS — ZACH WARMBRODT and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “House Democrats subpoena Deutsche Bank in Trump investigation”: “House Democrats on Monday issued a subpoena to the German lender Deutsche Bank seeking information on President Donald Trump’s finances, a major escalation of their investigation into his business dealings.

“In addition to the Deutsche Bank subpoena, House Democrats subpoenaed other banks — including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup — seeking information on Russian money laundering. The issuance of the subpoenas was first reported by The New York Times. Democrats were expected to issue additional subpoenas targeting Trump’s finances soon, Democratic aides said.” POLITICO

2020 WATCH — “Harris’ Hollywood haul: Donors include Ben Affleck, Elizabeth Banks, Wanda Sykes,” by Maggie Severns and Chris Cadelago

— MARC CAPUTO in Miami: “Biden Spanish-language ad becomes ‘hot mess’”: “The Saturday film shoot was a hushed affair — paid local actors signed non-disclosure agreements promising not to discuss the job. But some posted images on social media of the Fort Lauderdale commercial anyway, prompting a flurry of emails warning of legal exposure and requesting that those involved delete any images of the shoot and not talk to the media about it.” POLITICO

TRUMP’S TUESDAY — The president will have lunch with VP Mike Pence in the private dining room at 12:15 p.m. He will swear in the EPA administrator at 4 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room.

PLAYBOOK READS

FRANCE WEEPS — AP: “Fire out but much work ahead for destroyed Notre Dame,” by Thomas Adamson in Paris: “Firefighters declared success Tuesday morning in their more than 12-hour battle to extinguish the flames that engulfed Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral.

“What remained was a blackened shell of the monument immortalized in Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ a building that had survived almost 900 years of tumultuous French history. The two iconic 69-meter bell towers remained intact and swarmed with building specialists and architects at dawn, looking tiny from the ground as they conducted analysis. The cathedral’s spire and roof were gone, however.” AP

— WAPO’S JAMES MCAULEY, MICHAEL BIRNBAUM, GRIFF WITTE and REIS THEBAULT: “Donations flow in as crews assess damage to Notre Dame Cathedral”: “Speaking on French radio early Tuesday, Culture Minister Franck Riester said many priceless works of art in the cathedral were saved and that Notre Dame’s organ had survived.

“He also confirmed the preliminary reports from firefighters that they had been able to save the church’s two most hallowed relics: a tunic worn by Saint Louis, a 13th-century French king, and the crown of thorns that Jesus is said to have worn. These objects are now in safekeeping at Paris City Hall, Riester said. …

“Even as the flames still burned, France was making plans to reconstruct the church. In an address to the nation just before midnight, President Emmanuel Macron said the worst had been avoided, that the exterior structure had been preserved and that the cathedral would rise again.” WaPo

— MACRON: “We will rebuild Notre-Dame, because that is what the French expect.”

— WHY IT MATTERS … NYT’s Michael Kimmelman: “Through its many transformations, Notre-Dame has remained ‘the great stage where great events in France have been rehearsed and repeated for centuries,’ as the historian Robert Darnton has put it — where the cathedral’s archbishop blessed the flags carried by French armies going off to war, before crowds of weeping parents and spouses.” NYT

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Learn more about our youth prevention efforts at

BRAZIL’S TRUMP … via NYT’s Graham Bowley: “The American Museum of Natural History said Monday that it would no longer host an event at the museum by an outside organization that was to have honored President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, whose environmental policies have come under fire.

“The announcement followed days of criticism that a prominent institution dedicated to nature and science would serve as a platform to recognize someone who has proposed environmental deregulation and opening more of the Amazon rain forest to mining and agribusiness.

“The event was to have been held in May in the museum’s Hall of Ocean Life, a popular space for galas. The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization that promotes business and cultural ties between the United States and Brazil, had rented the space.” NYT

VALLEY TALK — JUST POSTED: “15 Months of Fresh Hell Inside Facebook,” by Nicholas Thompson and Fred Vogelstein on the cover of May’s Wired: “Scandals. Backstabbing. Resignations. Record profits. Time Bombs. In early 2018, Mark Zuckerberg set out to fix Facebook. Here’s how that turned out.”

MEDIAWATCH — “Pulitzers honor investigations into Trump’s ‘tax dodges’ and hush money payments,” by Michael Calderone

— Guess who donated to Pete Buttigieg? James Murdoch — yeah, that one. He gave $2,800 to the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contender, according to campaign finance filings released on Monday. (hat tip: Oliver Darcy)

PLAYBOOKERS

SPOTTED on Monday night at Uber’s D.C. office for a party for Jake and Anna’s book “The Hill to Die On” and discussion led by Uber’s Danielle Burr: Greta van Susteren and John Coale, Ted Johnson, Will Dunham, Susan Hendrick, Ruth Marcus, Chris Isham, Parker Poling, Matthew Donnellan, Hugh Halpern, Patrick Steel and Lee Satterfield, Shawna Thomas, Kris Coratti, Fred Humphries, Carol Melton, Robert Edmonson, Mitchell Rivard, Craig Gordon, Matt Mowers, Kathy O’Hearn, John McCarthy and Eve O’Toole. Buy the book

TRANSITIONS — DOD ARRIVAL LOUNGE: Per Ted Hesson: “Jonathan Hoffman, the top spokesperson at the Homeland Security Department, will leave for the Pentagon … Hoffman will become assistant to the secretary for public affairs at the Defense Department, a similar position to the role he held at DHS. The position has been vacant since Dana White left following the resignation of former Defense Secretary James Mattis.”

— Elliot Gault has been named as the new executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party. He most recently was director of appointments to Gov. Chris Sununu and liaison to the Executive Council.

USTR ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Sam Scales on Monday joined USTR as deputy assistant U.S. trade rep for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement. He previously was manager of government affairs at Ford.

WEEKEND WEDDING — Erin Katzelnick-Wise, a senior director of federal advocacy at PhRMA and an Anna Eshoo alum, married David Mendelsohn, a government affairs specialist at Morgan Lewis. The couple met in the summer of 2016 and got married in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. Pic … Another pic

BIRTHWEEK: Asher MacDonald (was yesterday) …Bob Hormats turned 76 (was Saturday)

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney, celebrating with wife April and two of his four daughters in Maryland, is 56. A fun fact about John: “I’ve seen Springsteen 30 times in concert and as an electrician’s son, I’m pretty handy and can fix most things.” Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Tony Blinken is 57 … former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker is 68 … Ann Romney is 7-0 … Bradley Beychok, president and co-founder of American Bridge, is 37 … Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI is 92 … Scott Pastrick, president and CEO of Prime Policy Group … Matt Saunders … Chuck DeFeo, VP of products at i360, is 45 … Jason Embry … Sally-Shannon Birkel of the U.S. Chamber … Matt Duckworth … Virginia Coyne … Mariette DiChristina, EIC of Scientific American (h/ts Kelley McCormick) … Fran Lanzone, COS of Global Entrepreneurship Network (h/t Ben Chang) … Deborah Zabarenko … Ramona Oliver … Jane Oates … Stephen Kessler (h/t Heather Podesta) … a Reuters trio: Andy Sullivan, Frances Kerry, and Anthony Boadle … David Zalaznick … Doug Elmendorf is 57 … former VA Secretary Anthony Principi is 75 … Sefy Hendler …

… Israeli Amb. Ron Dermer is 48 … Spencer Brown, spokesman for the Young America’s Foundation, is 26 … Doug Heye, CNN political commentator (h/t Tim Burger) … Heather Purcell, comms director for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) (h/t Nihal Krishan) … Alex Glass … Nick McGee, director of public affairs at PhRMA … former Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) is 78 … Fred Graefe … Alix Ohrt … Tori O’Neal-McElrath, VP of Demos … Nao Matsukata … Clovis Young is 45 (h/t dad, Geoff) … Sarah Wolfson … Adam Gotbaum … Aubree Abril … AP’s Ted Anthony … NBC News’ Mosheh Gains … Paolo Sacco … Andie Taverna, deputy cabinet secretary for the Michigan governor … Lynn Schnurnberger … Geoff Middleberg (h/t Josh Brown) … Christopher Finan … Amy Kaslow … Brett Coughlin … Josh Goldstein … Brian Bravo … Annie Bardach … Jim Hollis … Howard Bauleke … Mary Tabor … Arlene Branca (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

A message from JUUL Labs:

We have stopped distribution of certain flavored products to traditional retail and currently limit their sale to our 21+ age-verified website with bulk-purchase limits.

We have exited Facebook and Instagram and removed 40k+ marketplace listings, 23k+ inappropriate posts, 1k+ accounts impacting nearly 1 million followers and 100+ unauthorized online stores.

We expanded our secret-shopper program to 2,000 stores per month to promote retailer compliance with federal age-verification requirements and our own bulk-purchasing restrictions.

In addition to these actions, JUUL Labs is advocating to raise the minimum-purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor like JUUL, to 21+ nationwide.

• Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
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THE FLIP SIDE

View this email in your browser Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Taxes On Tax Day, both sides weigh in on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which took effect this year. House.gov “Independent analyses have consistently found that a large majority of Americans would owe less because of the law. Preliminary data based on tax filings has shown the same… [but] a survey conducted in early April for The New York Times by the online research platform SurveyMonkey found that just 40 percent of Americans believed they had received a tax cut under the law. Just 20 percent were certain they had done so.” New York Times Calculate the new law’s effect on your own taxes here. Tax Foundation From the Left The left is critical of the tax cuts and proposes making tax returns public. “Households making between $500,000 and $1 million will see their after-tax income rise by an average of 5.2%. Households making less than $50,000 (the median income is $61,372 in the US) see only a 0.6% increase.” Lydia DePillis, CNN “Because of all these tax cuts — and especially the corporate cuts — budget deficits are expected to skyrocket past $1 trillion per year starting in 2022 and stay there. With the national debt over $22 trillion, that means the US will ultimately have to make some hard choices. So enjoy that tax cut, everyone.” Zachary B. Wolf, CNN “A few companies have made a big show of opening a new plant in the United States, but the hard data show the 500 largest public companies have used their tax savings to buy back stock far more than they have on capital spending… Trump [also] cut the tax rate on repatriated money and said it would unleash a flood of cash coming home. According to government data, $665 billion has come back so far, a fraction of the roughly $3 trillion many analysts believe is overseas.” Heather Long, Washington Post “According to the most recent forecasts, the GOP’s tax cut will ultimately cost $1.9 trillion over a decade… For about that much money, they could have sent a $1,000 check to every worker in America (and adjusted it for inflation) for the next ten years. Heck, they could have included an auto-signed picture of the president to go along with it; instead of a bunch of stories about how nobody realizes they got a tax cut, the headlines would be all about how Americans were spending their Trump Bux… If you’re going to cut people’s taxes, don’t write a bunch of draft bills that make it look like you’re raising them instead. And once you do pass the legislation, make sure people realize they actually got a cut.” Jordan Weissmann, Slate “In October 1924, the federal government threw open for public inspection the files that recorded the incomes of American taxpayers, and the amounts they had paid in taxes… Almost a century later, it’s time to revisit the merits of universal public disclosure… Calling for more disclosure may seem discordant at a time of growing concern about privacy. But income taxation is an act of government, not an aspect of private life. Property tax records provide a reasonable model. Local governments disclose the name of the property owner, the value of the property and the amount of taxes owed and paid. The same information should be available for income taxes.” Binyamin Appelbaum, New York Times “Norway has been putting out records since 1814; in Sweden, they’ve been public since 1903. Public tax returns help reduce gender and racial pay disparities, make labor markets more efficient, encourage workers to bargain for higher pay, prevent tax evasion, and create a rich font of data for economists and other researchers. The US ought to give the idea a try.” Dylan Matthews, Vox From the Right The right is supportive of Trump’s tax cuts, and dismayed that many individuals are not aware they paid less in taxes. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) writes, “There’s a reason that 91 percent of middle-class taxpayers are getting a tax cut… Tax rates are lower at every income level, proportionally the most at low-to-middle income levels. The popular Child Tax Credit was doubled to $2,000, made available to more workers who don’t have a tax liability, and expanded so 8 million more middle class families are newly eligible. Doubling the standard deduction not only keeps more earnings from being taxed, but makes tax filing simpler. Nine out of 10 taxpayers in America no longer have to itemize to get their full tax cut.” Kevin Brady, Fox News “You’d think Republicans would be vindicated, at least on the narrow question of whether tax cuts cut taxes, now that everyone has filed their 2018 returns and seen the benefits. H&R Block says its customers saw their liability fall 25 percent, and that the average savings was $1,200…

[but]

instead of sending everyone a GOP Tax Cut Check, the bill adjusted withholding formulas so people would get a little bit more in each paycheck throughout the year. This is better for household budgeting but doesn’t give people that warm fuzzy lottery-winner feeling.”
Robert Verbruggen, National Review

“This is yet another case of perception trumping reality. The [New York Times’] own polling shows that the liberal messaging war about how the tax cuts only [benefited] the wealthy has really sunk in. Only 20% of respondents were ‘certain’ that they’d gotten a tax cut. (The number is closer to 70%.) Of course, the New York Times hasn’t done much to correct these falsehoods until now, so it’s no wonder there are so many misconceptions.”
Jazz Shaw, Hot Air

“Americans in the top 20 percent paid an estimated 87 percent of income taxes for 2018. This was up from 84 percent in 2017, which means that the ‘Trump tax cuts’ actually made the tax code more progressive… It’s not preposterous to argue that the rich, however defined, should pay a few percentage points more in income tax in the name of fairness. But it’s also not preposterous to say that when 1 percent of the people provide more than a third of income-tax revenue, they’re already paying their fair share.”
Jonah Goldberg, National Review

“In 2017, the IRS collected $1,838,403,489,000 in individual income tax and a further $1,123,473,137,000 in payroll taxes. That’s nearly $3 trillion in revenue, and most of us have no solid idea where it goes… Congress should require that within six months of Tax Day, the Internal Revenue Service must issue to all taxpayers a rundown of how much they paid, and what programs it went to fund. Seeing the figures in black and white will be a shock, and might wake people up to the runaway costs created by our ever-expanding government.”
Kyle Sammin, The Federalist

On the bright side… Strange ‘unicorn’ sheep saved from death by two cases of beer. News.com.au

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CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS

Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTube View this email in your browser “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (Philippians 2:8, ESV). Reynolds Calls For Legislative Funding for Flood Relief By Caffeinated Thoughts on Apr 15, 2019 07:20 pm Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a $15 million legislative funding package for FY 19, and created the Flood Recovery Advisory Board by executive order. Read in browser » After Loebsack Retirement, Cook Report Considers Iowa 2nd District a Toss-Up By Shane Vander Hart on Apr 15, 2019 04:00 pm After U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, announced his retirement, Cook Political Report moved Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District Race from likely D to toss-up. Read in browser » It’s Time to Audit Iowa’s Medicaid Program By John Hendrickson on Apr 15, 2019 08:55 am It is unclear how much Medicaid fraud may be present in Iowa, but the evidence from other states strongly suggests that a program audit is needed. Read in browser » Recent Articles: Yes, John Kerry Lacks Actual Science Credentials Loebsack Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2020 Pence Surveys Iowa Flood Damage with Reynolds, Ernst, and Grassley Taylor Raises Almost $58K in Iowa 4th Congressional District Primary Challenge Grassley, Ernst Seek Tax Relief for Iowa Flood Victims Launched in 2006,  Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view.  Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Share Tweet Share Forward Copyright © 2019 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

CDN NEWS BLAST

CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first! View this email in your browser CDN Daily News Blast 04/16/2019 Excerpts: Twitter Drops SPLC Following Controversy. But What About Facebook And Google? By Chris White – Twitter distanced itself from the Southern Poverty Law Center following reports suggesting that the group scams liberal donors out of money. Facebook has not yet revealed whether it plans on ending its partnership with the group. Twitter appears to one of the only big tech companies in Silicon Valley to … Twitter Drops SPLC Following Controversy. But What About Facebook And Google? is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Tuesday, April 16, 2019 By R. Mitchell – President Donald Trump will have lunch with Vice President Pence and participate in the swearing-in ceremony for the EPA Administrator. Keep up with Trump on CDN’s Presidential Schedule Page. President Trump’s schedule for 4/16/19 All Times EDT 12:15 PM Lunch with the Vice President – Private Dining Room 4:00 PM Participates … President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Tuesday, April 16, 2019 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » YouTube Accidentally Links Notre Dame Fires To 9/11 By Mary Margaret Olohan – YouTube accidentally linked the fires at Notre Dame Cathedral Monday to the September 11 terrorist attacks with a feature designed to stop the spread of misinformation. When viewers clicked on the YouTube live stream of the fires at Notre Dame, a link popped up offering information from Encyclopedia Brittanica on … YouTube Accidentally Links Notre Dame Fires To 9/11 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » AOC Gives Up Facebook Because Social Media Is Bad. Fortunately, Her Instagram Has 3 Million Followers By Mary Margaret Olohan – Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said in an interview Sunday that she will no longer be using Facebook because social media poses a “public health risk,” but the Democratic representative still retains use of her gigantic followings on Twitter and Instagram. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has used social media significantly to … AOC Gives Up Facebook Because Social Media Is Bad. Fortunately, Her Instagram Has 3 Million Followers is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Trump To Give Tiger Woods Presidential Medal Of Freedom After Winning The Masters By Henry Rodgers – President Donald Trump said he will award professional golfer Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom after winning The Masters on Sunday. Trump said he called Woods to congratulate him on his “great victory,” and also informed him that he would be presenting Woods with the Presidential Medal of … Trump To Give Tiger Woods Presidential Medal Of Freedom After Winning The Masters is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Democrats Turn Sights on Miller As Trump Mulls Stricter Immigration Action By Jason Hopkins – A growing number of House Democrats are targeting White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and his influence on the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. “Steve Miller, who seems to be the boss of everybody on immigration, ought to come before Congress and explain some of these policies,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman … Democrats Turn Sights on Miller As Trump Mulls Stricter Immigration Action is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Gillibrand Posts Dismal Quarter At $3 Million, Blames Al Franken By Whitney Tipton – Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s 2020 presidential campaign reported disappointing first-quarter fundraising results Sunday, raising only $3 million and placing her last among rival candidates. The candidate still has considerable cash, however, because she had an estimated $10 million leftover from her senate election account, according to the New … Gillibrand Posts Dismal Quarter At $3 Million, Blames Al Franken is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Here’s Why Firefighters Couldn’t Save Notre Dame Cathedral By Joshua Gill – A Gothic engineering technique used to waterproof the top of Notre Dame cathedral made the structure impervious to firefighter’s efforts to douse the flames. The fire destroyed the cathedral’s roof, spire, and stained glass windows, and may have also destroyed a priceless Christian relic – Christ’s crown of thorns. The … Here’s Why Firefighters Couldn’t Save Notre Dame Cathedral is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Liz Warren Unveils Her Plan For Federal Lands: Ban Drilling, Make National Parks Free By Michael Bastasch – Senator Elizabeth Warren pledged to ban new fossil fuel production on federal lands if elected president. Warren also said she’d make all national parks free to the public, eliminating entrance fees. Conservatives criticized the plan, saying it would threaten hundred of thousands of jobs. Massachusetts Senator and 2020 presidential candidate … Liz Warren Unveils Her Plan For Federal Lands: Ban Drilling, Make National Parks Free is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Former ICE Director Tom Homan Makes The Case For Trump’s Sanctuary City Plan By Nick Givas – Former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan said President Donald Trump’s sanctuary city plan is a plausible option and would reveal Democratic hypocrisy. “Illegal aliens are already going to sanctuary cities. That’s one of the reasons they’re coming,” Homan said Monday on “Fox & Friends.” “They want to get to … Former ICE Director Tom Homan Makes The Case For Trump’s Sanctuary City Plan is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Goldman Sachs Says The Markets Point To Trump Advantage In 2020 By Whitney Tipton – President Trump has the advantage for 2020 if the economy stays on track, according to Goldman Sachs economists. Goldman analysts Alec Phillips and Blake Taylor wrote that Trump has advantages over the Democrats, in a report released Saturday and covered by Bloomberg. “The advantage of first term incumbency and the … Goldman Sachs Says The Markets Point To Trump Advantage In 2020 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Watch Live: President Trump Participates in a Roundtable Discussion on the Economy and Tax Reform By R. Mitchell – President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion during his visit to the Nuss Truck and Equipment company in Burnsville, Minnesota. The event is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Watch: Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content syndicated through CDN is available for re-publication without charge under … Watch Live: President Trump Participates in a Roundtable Discussion on the Economy and Tax Reform is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Democrats, The Great Pretenders – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon By Ben Garrison – There are a great many Democrats who have tossed their collectivist hats into the 2020 presidential election ring and many of them aren’t exactly household names. Many of the frontrunners have one thing in common: they all hate President Trump. All they have are hopes and pretenses. Many lack a … Democrats, The Great Pretenders – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Socialism for Dummies – A.F. Branco Cartoon By A.F. Branco – Capitalism has been very good to Bernie Sanders making millions writing books bashing the wealthy and propagating socialism. Political Cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019. See more Branco toons HERE Socialism for Dummies – A.F. Branco Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Preferred Pronouns or Prison By R. Mitchell – “He.” “She.” “They.” Have you ever given a moment’s thought to your everyday use of these pronouns? It has probably never occurred to you that those words could be misused. Or that doing so could cost you your business or your job – or even your freedom. Journalist Abigail Shrier … Preferred Pronouns or Prison is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Corruption and Chaos in Venezuela By R. Mitchell – “Maduro usurped power; he’s not the duly elected president. Juan Guaido is the person that the Venezuelan people chose. America and now 54 other nations simply have ratified that, have said, ‘Yep, we recognize that’s what Venezuelans want.’” – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, March 19, 2019. Venezuela’s former … Corruption and Chaos in Venezuela is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Did ‘Our Planet’ Lie To Viewers When It Claimed Climate Change Drove Walruses Off A Cliff? By Michael Bastasch – A veteran zoologist says Netflix’s “Our Planet” is lying about its viral scene of walruses falling off a cliff. “Our Planet” blames climate change for walruses falling to their deaths, but it may have actually been caused by polar bears. Experts were skeptical about other claims made in the Netflix … Did ‘Our Planet’ Lie To Viewers When It Claimed Climate Change Drove Walruses Off A Cliff? is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Nancy Pelosi Contends The First 100 Days Have Had Many Victories Despite Nothing Getting Done By Molly Prince – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi contended on Sunday that despite taking control of the House of Representatives three months ago, the Democratic agenda has thus far been successful. “We’ve only been together 100 days,” Pelosi responded on ’60 Minutes’ when confronted with the accusations that she refuses to reach across the … Nancy Pelosi Contends The First 100 Days Have Had Many Victories Despite Nothing Getting Done is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » UK Seeks To Protect Children On Social Media By Banning Likes By Mary Margaret Olohan – The United Kingdom is taking steps to protect children’s privacy on social media by banning ‘nudge tactics’ which encourage users to spend more time online. The Information Commissioner’s Office provided the document “Age appropriate design: a code of practice for online services” which explains that the U.K. wants to protect … UK Seeks To Protect Children On Social Media By Banning Likes is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on »       See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page.       Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Add on Google Plus Copyright © 2019 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

ROLL CALL

Morning Headlines

Bernhardt’s office acknowledges meetings left off schedule

The Interior Department has acknowledged that Secretary David Bernhardt’s staff intentionally left controversial meetings with representatives of fossil fuel, timber and water interests off his public calendar, citing “internal protocol” governing his schedules. Read More…

Has the longtime swing state of Ohio stopped swinging?

When it comes to presidential elections, no one picks ’em like Ohio. Going back to 1896, the Buckeye State has backed the winning candidate in all but two elections — the best record for any state in recent history. But recent trends have political insiders questioning whether the state is slowly shedding its swing-state status. Read More…

Nationalization question hangs over White House’s 5G announcement

Announcing the latest phase of his plan to implement a fifth-generation broadband network throughout the United States, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Friday reiterated his agency’s stance that a free-market approach to implementation is the key to beating China in “the race to 5G.”  Read More…

‘Renovation, what’s that all about?’ Trump asks about burning Notre Dame

ANALYSIS — President Donald Trump lingered on Air Force One in Minnesota on Monday, later telling workers at Nuss Truck and Equipment in Burnsville that he and others were watching coverage of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris engulfed in flames. Read More…

Progressive power play: Pentagon-level spending for nondefense programs

CQ Roll Call’s appropriations reporter Kellie Mejdrich unpacks the demands — and their possible consequences — of the Democratic Party’s progressives, who last week derailed plans to vote on raising the spending caps to prevent across-the-board spending cuts next fiscal year. Listen here…

Sen. Blumenthal joins chorus offering robocall remedy with ROBOCOP Act

Sen. Richard Blumenthal was the latest in a chorus of lawmakers from both parties to decry robocalls, an irritant that afflicts nearly anyone in the U.S. who owns a mobile phone. Read More…

Trump on Notre Dame flames: ‘A terrible sight to behold’

President Donald Trump commented on the burning of Notre Dame in Paris Monday, saying the tragedy “is beyond countries, that’s beyond anything.” Watch the video here…

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Mourning the Cathedral of Notre Dame The start of Holy Week took a tragic turn as the Cathedral of Notre Dame burst into flames due to what officials believe to be an accident resulting from recent renovation efforts, though a full investigation has yet to take place. While much of the roof and signature spire was destroyed, both towers have thankfully been declared safe.   Completed in the 14thcentury, the Cathedral of Notre Dame survived the neglect of the French Revolution, witnessed the crowning of Napoleon Bonaparte, and oversaw the beatification of Joan of Arc.  Indeed, its magnificent centrality to Catholicism and Western civilization cannot be overstated.    Today, we mourn deeply. My heart is with those in the Catholic community who feel the profound and utter pangs of this tragedy.  Alexandra DeSanctis of National Review penned a particularly somber, yet poignant piece regarding yesterday’s destruction:  “This is a disaster for Paris and for France, for French history, and for French Catholics. It is a grave loss for the history of Western civilization, and for future generations who, like me, will never see the cathedral’s glorious rose windows or the grandeur of her magnificent spires. But first and foremost, it is a tragedy for the Catholic Church, whose members are already suffering in so many places. To many Catholics, it feels as if the Church is on fire in a sense already. And now we are watching it blaze. Though Notre Dame de Paris is a testament to world history, to art, to architecture, and to centuries of civilization, above all she is — was — a place of inestimable beauty dedicated to God. The cathedral’s Gothic arches pointed heavenward not for their own sake, not to glorify their creator, but to direct the eye to Him. It was a house of worship, a home for His Presence. That is the loss Catholics mourn this afternoon. Watching this holy place slowly collapse at the start of Holy Week — which will culminate in the commemoration of Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection — is of undeniable significance. Notre Dame has fallen, the way everything in the earthly city must. She will not rise from these ashes as she was. Catholics take comfort in the belief that our Church will stand firm.” The Federalist’s David Marcus offered his reflections Monday evening on the transcendental importance of the Cathedral, which was and is so much more than a structure:    “The secular world suffered a terrible loss today; all of mankind did. As a historical monument, Notre Dame bespeaks a moment of Western history that, perhaps even more than the Renaissance, signaled the coming of a new world, one in which the public was the beneficiary of remarkable beauty, and when a menaced Europe created grand structures to pronounce its power. But this is not a mere building, magnificent as it is. It is a house of God, specifically a house of the Lord Jesus Christ.   For the Catholic Church, there has always been a tension between the grandiose structures, the incense and gold, and the modest ways of Christ who was more comfortable preaching in the fields than in the temple. It is an unmistakable realization that Notre Dame burned during Holy Week, when Jesus overturned the table of the moneychangers at the temple. But we are mere humans, we are not Christ, we are more like the Magi, and we offer him gifts. For 12th century Parisians, Notre Dame was such a gift. And for a millennium, it has stood near the center of our faith…   Yes, this a tragedy for the world, for all of us. But for Catholics it is more, as the grieving Parisians showed us. It is an opportunity, such as we have everyday in quieter, less famous moments, to ask ourselves if we are with Christ, if we trust and obey him. For most, if not all Catholics, the answer is usually no, and a request for forgiveness. But today, in Paris, as Catholics sang before the ashes of their soon-to-be ruin, as they took comfort in the Lord to soothe them, as they and all of us prepare to celebrate his resurrection and the life to come, the answer was yes.”   Emily Zanotti of The Daily Wire shared her thoughts in a piece yesterday evening, discussing the relationship between rebuilding the Cathedral and restoring unity in the global Catholic community: “I have stood in some of the greatest structures in the world. One fall, I sang in the choir at the Vatican, and crawled through the quiet places of St. Peter’s Basilica — the secret archives, the music room, the sacristy, even the broom closests (home to the tombs of a few poor, forgotten Popes) — but nothing ever made me feel quite the way Notre Dame did, especially when the sun broke through the monstrous Rose Window, an unmistakeable reminder of heaven even when God’s voice in my life wasn’t particularly clear. When I watched the video of the spire falling this morning, I could feel it breaking my heart into a million pieces inside me. That reminder was gone. And that’s why Notre Dame must be rebuilt. Because now, more than ever, we need a reminder that art, that beauty, and most of all, that faith, transcend human error. At a time when the Catholic Church needs unity, rebuilding one of our great structures — the historical home of the Crown of Thornes, and the site of so much of our history — may be the one way that we can recommit to facing the trials at present and ahead together… Rebuild. Rebuild Notre Dame, to show that our lives and our faith are more than just temporary. Rebuild to show that we will continue to withstand the destructive forces that threaten to tear us apart, even when they drive us to our knees and burn us to the ground. Show that we may only have a few decades of life, but that our legacy, our strength, and our beauty live on.”   Quick Links Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld Announced Primary Challenge to Trump in 2020 (National Review) What We Should Expect from the Release of the Full Mueller Report (The Federalist) “The Whole World Knows”: This Quote Captures the Crisis at the Border (The Daily Wire) How Trump Masterfully Frames the Ilhan Omar Debate (American Greatness)   Beauty Recommendations That I LOVE (Drugstore Edition) Concealer: Maybelline, Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer Treatment, $9.99  I found this foundation to be the better of the three I tried. It’s not too heavy, and it doesn’t look cakey up close. My one beef with this foundation is the sponge tip, which starts to look and feel not amazing after extended usage. That being said, this is one of the better under eye concealers I’ve encountered at CVS and added bonus is that it also contains a treatment for fine lines.  Mascara: CoverGirl, Lash Blast, $8.99   I couldn’t find my usual mascara at CVS, which was a Revlon two-step primer and mascara, so I ended up experimenting with this one via recommendation from my friend. It’s great. I applied two coats. Was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the applicator, which did a good job of separating my lashes and no clumping in the slightest. I would still use a primer if you have it to give the added volume that a regular mascara can’t provide.  Lip Stick: Burt’s Bees, Liquid Lipstick, $9.99  I purchased this lipstick in Niagara Nude, and I LOVED the color. The formula went on smooth—really a hybrid between a lipstick and a lip gloss. My only concern is that it didn’t stay on for as long as I would have hoped, but I enjoyed the color and feel a lot. It has a nice subtle smell, but nothing over the top. I’m looking forward to purchasing it in more colors. BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist.

Today’s BRIGHT Editor Erielle Davidson is a law student at Georgetown University Law Center. She previously was an economic research assistant at the Hoover Institution and a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute.  She enjoys Chick-Fil-A, her pug, and Russian literature. Find her on Twitter at @politicalelle.

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SCOTT RASMUSSEN

ScottRasmussen.com Launch – Check Out My All New Website No Images? Click here   Good morning,Thirty-five percent (35%) of voters believe the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. A ScottRasmussen.com national survey found that 41% disagree and 24% are not sure.Not surprisingly, there is a wide partisan divide on this question. By a 62% to 20% margin, Republicans believe that the FBI did spy illegally on the Trump campaign. By a 64% to 15% margin, Democrats take the opposite view. Independent voters are more evenly divided.The survey also found that 48% believe the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign was motivated primarily by political considerations. Thirty-three percent (33%) believe national security concerns drove the investigation and 19% are not sure.Just 34% of voters are aware that Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid for the secret dossier used by the FBI to obtain search warrants on Trump campaign officials. Of those who were aware of that fact, just half (48%) recognized that the FBI did not inform the courts about who paid for the information.On a different topic, 41% believe our nation’s economic system is fair to most Americans while 45% disagree and believe it is unfair. Men, by a 52% to 40% margin, tend to believe the system is fair. Women, by a 50% to 32% margin, disagree.The results are slightly more pessimistic than we found in January. It’s impossible to know whether this is a trend or merely statistical noise. We will be asking this question regularly and will perhaps gain clarification when the next results arrive.Finally, when the federal government collects taxes for Social Security and Medicare, 35% of voters mistakenly believe those taxes are set aside in a separate trust fund. However, 35% recognize that the money is used to fund the general operations of the government. Thirty percent (30%) are not sure.Thank you for your interest in our work,Scott     Stay Informed Up To The Minute and Share ContentDeeper CurrentsScott Rasmussen offers his personal insight, analysis, and opinion on current political races, issues, and controversy. Read more     Scott’s ColumnsPresident Trump has perfected the art of antagonizing his opponents with provocative tweets. He demonstrated this skill recently in declaring that the tax reform act,… Read more   SCOTT RASMUSSEN info@scottrasmussen.com https://www.scottrasmussen.com 142 W 57th Street, 11 Floor New York, NY 10023 ScottRasmussen.com Launch – Check Out My All New Website   Like    Tweet    Share    Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

THE RESURGENT

The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for April 16,2019 View this email in your browser Share Tweet Forward The Loss of Notre Dame Reminds Us Sacredness and Doctrine Matter and Matter Together Let me make a point that should be utterly without controversy. To be a Christian, a person must believe in the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is not opinion. It is scriptural. 1 Corinthians 15 is Paul’s dissertation on the subject. It is Christianity 101. Jesus himself talks of his resurrection and reveals himself as physically living after the resurrection. He was no ghost. Now let me offer another point that should be utterly without controversy. To be a Christian means to believe in the trinity. There is one God in three persons. It is one reason why our Mormon and Jehovahs Witness friends fall outside orthodox Christianity. While scripture never uses the word trinity, it is woven throughout scripture and is one of the earliest doctrines derived from scripture… Read More… Don’t be Shocked When Many “Christians” Cheer the Criminalization of Christianity As I read the enraged responses from professing Christians at the news that Vice President Mike Pence would be the commencement speaker for Taylor University (a leading private, Christian institution located in tiny Upland, Indiana) I realized something. Keep in mind that Pence has been one of the most outspoken Christian public servants in recent decades.  He makes no effort to hide his faith, acknowledging himself as, “A Christian, a conservative, and a Republican…in that order.”  Therefore, it is completely logical that a Christian institution would invite him to speak, in addition to the fact that he was a long-time Congressman from the  Read More…   Marshal Petain Surrendered All France to Save Notre Dame. Now Rebuild It to Save All France. Notre Dame cathedral survived the Black Death, when 100 million Europeans perished. It flourished in the Renaissance, then survived the French Revolution, where the church was overthrown in blood. Now the cathedral belongs to the Republic of France–it is a church that is the property of the state. This is something very ancient in Europe, but foreign to most Americans. The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. is owned by the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, though it was constructed under a charter from  Read More…   Arguments Against The Heartbeat Bill Keep Falling Flat The Red & Black recently published an opinion piece lamenting how Georgia’s LIFE Act “shows a disturbing regression of women’s rights.”  The author lays out several arguments against our Heartbeat Bill that I have heard around the Capitol and regularly in the media, so I wanted to take a moment to explore these arguments a little more in depth…  Read More… This Woman Makes Speaker Pelosi Look Like a Poser Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a profile on 60 Minutes last night and I will give interviewer Lesley Stahl some points for challenging her. Stahl asked point blank about the problems Pelosi is having the the progressive members of the party and when Pelosi answered, Stahl challenged her again. Here is a short clip: Read More…   I Nearly Leased a Tesla Model 3. Here’s Why I Didn’t. Normally, I grace these pages with mildly interesting political and social analysis. Occasionally, I venture into movies, religion or sports. But at heart, I’m kind of a car nut. And last weekend, Tesla announced a lease program, which had me really close to pulling the trigger. I love looking at cars and buying cars. To some it’s torture but to me, it’s fun. Since I was a teenager, I’ve owned countless vehicles. Okay, technically not “countless.” In truth, I have a very accurate count of all of them. Read More…   Daily Video: Booker Claims Releasing Illegal Aliens in Sanctuary Cities Would ‘Make Us Less Safe’ WATCH: Remember, as always, to go check out The Resurgent and be sure to like us on Facebook. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick Erickson THE RESURGENT Facebook Twitter Instagram Copyright © 2019 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

LEGAL INSURRECTION

Share This       Democratic Campaigns Are Recruiting Talent From Elite Schools and it Could be Hurting Them Suspect in Attack on Conservative Speaker at UMKC Identified and Facing Charges Antifa and Other Leftists Threaten Upcoming Candace Owens Event at U. Pennsylvania William Jacobson: “I LOST THE BET — I thought the Mueller report would be released on Tuesday, but it will be Thursday. The headlines already have been written.” Kemberlee Kaye: “Notre Dame is not just a national symbol and church, it was and is a work of art in every way. The place is magnificent and its history incredible. Surviving two world wars only to suffer this tragedy is heartbreaking, truly.” Mary Chastain: “A devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Luckily they saved important artifacts like the Crown of Thorns.” Leslie Eastman: “My heart is broken over the destruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  My family visited Notre Dame in 2015, and it was so special to see the art, history, and faith that was on display…especially as we are Catholics.  I will never forget the images of the spire’s collapse, and will remember this day forever.” David Gerstman: “All sorts organizations hold fundraisers. But Iran-backed terror group apparently is taking their fundraising to a new level. Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told of one man who offered to sell his own kidney, as well as the kidney of his wife and son to raise money for the resistance. P.S. This means that sanctions are working.”                   Legal Insurrection Foundation is a Rhode Island tax-exempt corporation established exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to educate and inform the public on legal, historical, economic, academic, and cultural issues related to the Constitution, liberty, and world events. For more information about the Foundation, CLICK HERE.   Legal Insurrection Foundation 18 Maple Avenue #280 ​ Barrington, Rhode Island 02806  info@legalinsurrection.com Follow Us Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Unsubscribe

AMERICAN THINKER

View this email in your browser Recent Articles The Left’s Overreach on Abortion Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am When the dust settles, abortion in America may be more restricted than at any time since the Roe decision, all because the left couldn’t leave well enough alone.  Read More… Deep State: Idiots and Knaves and Crazy-Cakes Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am How do we understand the crazy-cakes, the Sandy Os and Ilhans and Rashidas? Just what planet are they living on? Read More… Mourning Notre Dame Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am This fire reminds us that even the most permanent human accomplishments aren’t permanent at all.  Read More… Should Americans Have to Pay to Access Police Body Cam Footage? Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am The Vermont Supreme Court will decide. Read More… Pete Buttigieg, the Democrats’ Latest Lightweight Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am Is Mayor Pete’s re-election proof that the voters of South Bend approve of homosexuality, as Buttigieg and his media cheerleaders are now implying? Read More… Trump and Drug Reform Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am The new Trump drug pricing reform is critical in restoring incentives, ensuring that companies that are paid to negotiate on behalf of enrollees are bringing them lower prices. Read More…   Recent Blog Posts Glib talk in the wake of the immensely sorrowful Notre Dame inferno Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am Obama has a tin ear about what needs to be said. And he’s not the only one…  Read more… What will it take for journalists and other Democrats to tell the truth to the public? Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am I would have expected more of the media to be embarrassed by now in their support of corrupt politicians, but instead they remain on the attack and willing to spread lies to get Democrats back in power.  Read more… Trump confronts China with aircraft carrier bristling with F-35Bs Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am MAGA reaches the South China Sea.  Read more… It’s time to get the federal government out of education Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am It is federal funding plus the student loan program that has allowed universities to run so far off the rails.  Read more… WaPo covers up information to make Israel look bad Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am Whom did the Israelis take the Golan Heights from again?  Read more… The progressive road map Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am The moral masquerading from liberal progressives is nothing less than mind-boggling.  Read more… Flawed souls, flawed choices Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am If Mayor Pete doesn’t like the rules, then he’s the one who has a problem with his Creator.  Read more… When VP Nixon met Fidel Castro Apr 16, 2019 01:00 am Fidel managed to fool even Nixon.  Read more… 60 Minutes gives Nancy Pelosi a softball interview — and exposes a weakling Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am The buildup that didn’t work.  Read more… Five reasons why campaign cash is rolling in for Trump and even Goldman Sachs is forecasting victory Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am From filthy streets in San Francisco to the dumpster fire in Congress to the clown car of candidates in the Democratic lineup, Trump is surging to victory. And this is just Monday.  Read more… Not in Cher’s neighborhood Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am President Trump forced the woman who promised to leave the country (even the planet Earth) to show her true colors.  Read more… Little noticed change in visa procedures leads to skyrocketing number of denials Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am Should visas be given to people who are likely to become “public charges”?  Read more… Man’s inhumanity to man. The Democrats have mastered it. Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am Our left has driven itself into a Jacobin frenzy.  Read more… Dallas will no longer prosecute ‘petty crimes’ Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am Is this what “criminal justice reform” will look like?  Read more… The European left’s ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is more radical than even the ‘Green New Deal’ Apr 15, 2019 01:00 am The Extinction Rebellion (XR) shares similar goals with the Green New Deal but is not wasting time and plans to launch worldwide climate protests starting today.  Read more… View this email in your browser American Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans.

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THE FEDERALIST

Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray April 16, 2019 The Silence Of The Bells: Notre Dame Cathedral In Ashes By Ellie Bufkin In its 850 years, the cathedral has also become a symbol for France, the West, and Christendom. In its lifetime, it has seen the highest points and the darkest hours of France. Full article No, Joe Scarborough, Spying On Trump Wasn’t Done ‘By The Book’ By Mollie Hemingway Joe Scarborough would have you believe that these actions are completely typical and normal, that informants are placed against campaigns all the time. If that’s true, who else are they doing it against? Full article Feminist, Pro-Gay Mother Of Trans Child Critiques Bans On ‘Conversion Therapy’ By Anonymous What the general public does not understand is that standard mental health therapy is now considered conversion therapy when practiced with gender-dysphoric youth. Full article At Fox Town Hall, Bernie Sanders Still Can’t Explain How He’s Paying For ‘Medicare For All’ By Mark Hemingway Sanders doesn’t have a health care plan, so much as a branding strategy for one. Medicare is very popular, but it’s already bankrupting the nation. Full article How Identity Politics Plays Right Into The Hands Of Big Business By Libby Emmons Advertisers are specifically targeting individuals based on their group identity, and algorithms are driving our choices as much as we’re driving them. Full article The Moral Case For Israel Annexing The West Bank—And Beyond By Jason Hill Israel has the moral right to annex all of the West Bank, for a plethora of reasons. Israel’s right to exist is non-negotiable and it has a right to unilaterally apply Israeli law over its nation-state. Full article Why One-Third Of Biologists Now Question Darwinism By Benjamin R. Dierker Dedicated Neo-Darwinists often say ‘no serious scientists disagree’ with Darwinism, or ‘only creationists have problems.’ These contentions are increasingly disproven. Full article What ‘Game Of Thrones’ Has To Teach Us About Real-Life Power Conflicts By Sumantra Maitra How realistic are the politics, international relations, and war strategy in ‘Game of Thrones,’ and how does our daily life reflect in the fantasy series? Full article This Hate Crime Helps Show How To Know Real Ones From Hoaxes By Chad Felix Greene It’s worthwhile to take a look at the anatomy of real sexual orientation-related hate crimes so we can take them seriously and identify hoaxes more easily. Full article Banning Straw Emojis Will Relieve About As Much Pollution As Banning The Straws Themselves By Brad Slager Activist-peddled environmental hysterics are leading to nonsensical calls for plastic straw emojis to be banned. Prosecute the emoji thought crimes! Full article If You’re Getting a Huge Tax Refund, You’re Doing It Wrong By Christopher Jacobs An individual who adjusts his withholding and saves the difference every month will earn a chunk of money compared to someone who waits for the refund. Full article Even As His Church Was Destroyed, Christ Gave Paris His Peace By David Marcus Today, as if so often the case, Christ’s mercy made itself clear through a tragic loss and His followers’ power to overcome it through Him. Full article Christian Adoption Agency Sues Michigan And HHS For Religious Discrimination By Madeline Osburn Because of their religious beliefs, Michigan foster families and St. Vincent Catholic Charities have been barred from uniting children and families. Full article 9 Apocalyptic Lies Fed To Americans About The Republican Tax Bill By Madeline Osburn Democratic lawmakers and members of the media did their best to perpetuate the myth that poorer and middle-class Americans would suffer from the 2017 tax reform bill. Full article Canadian Comedian Sugar Sammy Offends Audiences Across Cultures By The Federalist Staff Ben Domenech interviews Canadian Comedian Sugar Sammy on the Federalist Radio Hour. Full article Top 15 ‘Game Of Thrones’ Theories For The Final Season By Ellie Bufkin Now that the last season is officially underway, here are some of the favorite theories floated by several Federalist writers. Full article YOU PROBABLY GOT A TAX CUT But Fake News convinced you otherwise. http://vlt.tc/3lxt “If you’re an American taxpayer, you probably got a tax cut last year. And there’s a good chance you don’t believe it.” Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2019 The Federalist, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

REAL CLEAR POLIITICS

04/16/2019 Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning Note O.J. Redux; Opioid ‘Cash Grab’; Bob Feller in WWII By Carl M. Cannon on Apr 16, 2019 08:20 am Good morning, it’s Tuesday, April 16, 2019. On this day in 1940, 21-year-old Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller pitched the Tribe to a 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of the season. As young as he was, Feller was an established star by then, having broken into the major leagues at 17. But what he did in Comiskey Park had never been done before — and hasn’t been done since. “Rapid Robert” threw an Opening Day no-hitter. Feller would win 266 games in his career, pitch two more no-hitters, and hurl an astonishing 12 one-hitters. He is enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, deservedly so. In four straight seasons, 1938 to 1941, he led the American League in strikeouts while averaging more than 20 wins per season. I’m not old enough to have seen him pitch, but when I came along the men who had watched Feller ply his trade could hardly contain their superlatives. This included those who competed against him. “It wasn’t until you hit against him that you knew how fast he really was, until you saw with your own eyes that ball jumping at you,” said Hall of Famer pitcher Ted Lyons. Another Ted — the great hitting legend Ted Williams — called Feller “the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw in my career.” But some of the men in my youth who admired Feller did so for reasons that had little to do with baseball, as I’ll explain in a moment. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion columns spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters and contributors, including the following: * * * Bill Barr, Dirty Cops, and the O.J. Simpson Case. Charles Lipson lays out parallels between public perceptions of the Russia-Trump outcome and the guilt or innocence of Simpson 25 years ago. Executive Order Could Avert Next Major Energy Crisis. In RealClearEnergy, Matthew Kandrach discusses how President Trump could help install more infrastructure to increase U.S. energy security. Opioid Lawsuits Are Just a Cash Grab. In RealClearPolicy, Jeffrey Miron and Laura Nicolae argue that increased prescribing during the 1990s is not what catalyzed the painkiller epidemic. Americans Will Benefit From 5G Regardless of Who Gets There First. In RealClearMarkets, Allan Golombek asserts that it matters little which country’s telecom companies win the 5G race, but rather which national economy best takes advantage of it. Afghanistan Needs an International Solution. Sandy Adams explains in RealClearWorld. Why the U.S. Army Must Remain in Poland. In RealClearDefense, Daniel Goure writes that a permanent presence complicates Russian planning for aggression, reducing the chance of a successful “smash-and-grab” attack.  Combating a Rare Disease That Turns People to Bone. RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy spotlights advances that have helped sufferers of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva live fuller, more meaningful lives. * * * Three weeks before Christmas in 1941, Bob Feller was driving from his hometown of Van Meter, Iowa to Chicago to negotiate his 1942 contract with Indians General Manager Cy Slapnicka. No agent accompanied him, and baseball’s salaries were not stratospheric, as they are today. Even so, Feller figured he would be getting a raise: He’d won 25 games that year, leading the league — the third year in a row he was the American League’s winningest pitcher — while throwing an incredible 343 innings, another league high. Instead of a pay raise, Feller took a big cut — as did most of the stars in MLB. On his car radio while heading to Chicago, Feller listened in horror to news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. “I was angry as hell,” he recalled later. He still went to Chicago, but only to tell Slapnicka that he planned to enlist in the United States Navy. Feller then phoned his good friend Gene Tunney, the former heavyweight boxing champion, informing him of his decision. Tunney, who was overseeing the U.S. Navy’s physical training program, immediately flew to the Midwest from Washington, and personally swore Feller in on Dec. 9, 1941. However cool he was — and enlisting despite a deferment as his family’s breadwinner and being besties with Gene Tunney was pretty cool — that’s not what most impressed Bob Feller’s contemporaries. It was this: After basic training, Chief Petty Officer Robert Feller was assigned to be a physical training instructor. It’s valuable work, and Feller excelled at it, but as he recalled later, “I wanted to go into combat.” “I’d had a lot of experience with guns as a kid, so I applied for gunnery school and sea duty,” he added. After four months of naval gunnery school in Newport, Rhode Island, he was assigned to a battleship, the USS Alabama. With Feller aboard, that storied battleship spent six months on convoy duty in the North Atlantic before being dispatched to the Pacific theater, where it saw action off Tarawa, in the Marshall Islands, and in the Philippines. “We bombarded beaches to support amphibious assaults, served as escorts for aircraft carriers, and fended off kamikaze attacks,” he recalled. “Two enemy bombs hit the ship during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, and we survived a typhoon that pummeled us with 80-knot gusts off the Philippine coast. The Alabama never lost a man to enemy action. The people we had on the gun crews were very good shots.” When the war ended, Feller returned to the Indians and picked up right where he left off, leading the lead in wins and innings pitched in 1946 and 1947 and in strikeouts for three straight seasons. His first full season back was probably the best of his career — and perhaps the best of any pitcher in history. Did Feller really throw any harder after being away from the game for so long? That’s unlikely. But if you listened carefully, he explained it himself. Bob Feller once described the bombing attack on the USS Alabama as the most exciting hours of his life. “After that,” he added, “the pinstriped perils of Yankee Stadium seemed trivial.”  Carl M. Cannon   Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com   Having trouble viewing this email? | [Unsubscribe] | Update Subscription Preferences  Copyright © 2019 RealClearHoldings, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email becuase you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: RealClearHoldings666 Dundee RoadBldg. 600Northbrook, IL 60062

NOQ REPORT

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• Insanity: Laguna Beach to decide if American flag art on patrol vehicles is too racist
• Avengers: Endgame ending has leaked. Here are two reasons to avoid watching it.
• Seriously, stop asking socialist candidates this stupid question
• Washington has America standing on the precipice of a fiscal abyss
• Why pro-abortion candidate Bill Weld is just a fundraising tool for President Trump
• Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem caught fire while Notre-Dame cathedral was burning
• Two men arrested after allegedly attacking, robbing victim over MAGA hat
• An interesting perspective on the first five trumpets of Revelation
• Surveillance nightmare: Huawei P30 Pro’s 50x zoom lens makes anyone a spy
• Not really news: Bill Weld to challenge Trump in 2020

Insanity: Laguna Beach to decide if American flag art on patrol vehicles is too racist Posted: 16 Apr 2019 05:50 AM PDT Every few weeks, something happens in California that makes me wonder why I ever left the political safety of Oklahoma a dozen years ago. This time, it’s something even closer to home. Laguna Beach, quite near to where I’ve lived for over a decade, is deciding today whether the American flag art on the side […] The post Insanity: Laguna Beach to decide if American flag art on patrol vehicles is too racist appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Avengers: Endgame ending has leaked. Here are two reasons to avoid watching it. Posted: 16 Apr 2019 03:53 AM PDT Don’t worry. I won’t spoil the movie for you for two reasons. First, I haven’t watched the leak. Second, if I watched the leak, I wouldn’t be so cruel as to spoil it for anyone. I’m not Rosie O’Donnell. What I will do is attempt to dissuade you from trying to find the ending. There […] The post Avengers: Endgame ending has leaked. Here are two reasons to avoid watching it. appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Seriously, stop asking socialist candidates this stupid question Posted: 16 Apr 2019 03:11 AM PDT It happens about 50% of the time any time a right-leaning journalist gets a hold of a socialist candidate, or if a heckler makes it into a rally. They have this “gotcha” question that is supposed to make the poor, stupid socialist crawl under a rock – probably someone else’s rock – and assume the […] The post Seriously, stop asking socialist candidates this stupid question appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Washington has America standing on the precipice of a fiscal abyss Posted: 16 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT Yesterday was Tax Day, an annual reminder that our tax-and-spend government continues to get taxier and spendier. Fox News is reporting that Donald Trump will be holding campaign events across the country this week to do some damage control in the wake of his unpopular tax cuts, but the destruction being caused by Washington’s spending […] The post Washington has America standing on the precipice of a fiscal abyss appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Why pro-abortion candidate Bill Weld is just a fundraising tool for President Trump Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:18 AM PDT A puncher needs someone to punch. Now, President Trump has one if he chooses to treat former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld with any level of seriousness. That remains to be seen. It’s just as likely he’ll Tweet a few jabs and be done with him as he would actually take Weld seriously enough to make […] The post Why pro-abortion candidate Bill Weld is just a fundraising tool for President Trump appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem caught fire while Notre-Dame cathedral was burning Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:22 PM PDT On just about any other day, a fire breaking out at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem would be big news, but not when it was a minor blaze at the same time the historic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris was a devastating inferno. طواقم الإطفاء تخمد حريقاً اندلع على سطح المصلى المرواني في المسجد الأقصى. pic.twitter.com/CVx8X7nx4N — […] The post Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem caught fire while Notre-Dame cathedral was burning appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Two men arrested after allegedly attacking, robbing victim over MAGA hat Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:06 PM PDT Two men in Germantown, MD, just north of Washington DC, were arrested for allegedly attacking and robbing a man who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat. Jovan Crawford, 27, and Scott Duncan Roberson, 25, were arrested after the alleged incident. They were discovered hiding among children who were playing basketball at the […] The post Two men arrested after allegedly attacking, robbing victim over MAGA hat appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

An interesting perspective on the first five trumpets of Revelation Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:35 PM PDT Our desire to preach only the true Word of God keeps us very careful when it comes to eschatology. However, there are certain perspectives that pop up that are intriguing enough to take into consideration. One such perspective can be found in the video above. In it, the folks at 119 Ministries go through the […] The post An interesting perspective on the first five trumpets of Revelation appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Surveillance nightmare: Huawei P30 Pro’s 50x zoom lens makes anyone a spy Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:14 PM PDT Peeping Tom’s, amateur spies, and the generally creepy have a new smartphone to crave. The Huawei P30 Pro boasts a 50x zoom camera that is going viral on social media and making tech publications scream in every direction imaginable. Huawei’s new zoom-in camera phone feature is a privacy and surveillance nightmare. pic.twitter.com/xVlpuMSEtc — Bessma Momani (@b_momani) […] The post Surveillance nightmare: Huawei P30 Pro’s 50x zoom lens makes anyone a spy appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

Not really news: Bill Weld to challenge Trump in 2020 Posted: 15 Apr 2019 02:57 PM PDT It was bound to happen. With all the controversy that constantly surrounds President Trump and with whole conservative organizations designed to thwart his reelection efforts, it was never a question of “if” but “when” someone would challenge him and “who” it would be. We now have answers. Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld announced his candidacy […] The post Not really news: Bill Weld to challenge Trump in 2020 appeared first on Conservative Christian News.

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RED STATE

Thursday’s Release of the Mueller Report Will Free President Trump to Orchestrate Sweet, Complete Retaliation     READ STORY

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MEET THE PRESS

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Carrie Dann and Ben Kamisar

FIRST READ: Six things we’ve learned so far from the 2020 candidates’ FEC reports

 Now that we can look under the hood of the 2020 candidates’ first quarter fundraising reports, we’re getting a better picture of how candidates are shaping their strategies — and what their limitations are. 

Here are some of our top takeaways: 

1. Among the Dems, there’s Sanders, O’Rourke and then everyone else: We knew from early totals that Sanders and O’Rourke had put up big numbers, but the latest breakdowns show how those engines chugged along at a rate that far outpaced their rivals.

Sanders raised about $445k in contributions per day during the 41 days he was in the race, and O’Rourke hit about $520k a day over 18 days. The next closest was Kamala Harris, who pulled in about $172k for every day she was in.

2. Warren is making a big gamble on a big operation: Elizabeth Warren has spent the most of any Democratic candidate, at $5.3 million in the 90 days she’s been in the race. By our count, she’s shelled out about $1.2 million on 161 staff salaries, suggesting that she’s planning to outhustle other contenders with a lot of resources on the ground early.

She’s still got a big chunk of money in the bank from her $10m+ transfer from her Senate campaign, but that high spending rate meant that she burned through more than 85 percent of her Q1 contributions. The question is: How long is that spending rate sustainable?

3. Team U.S. Senate is staying above water — mostly because of their past campaign nest eggs: Of the senators running for president, all moved at least some reserves from their Senate accounts over to their 2020 war chest. But for Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, those were very substantial investments — ranging from about a third of their topline fundraising total (for Booker) up to three-quarters (for Gillibrand). Those transfers give those candidates healthy-looking war chests, but it’s not because of great outside fundraising prowess.

The exception, by the way, is Kamala Harris, who transferred about $1.2 million from her Senate campaign but raised an additional $12 million in other contributions.

AP Photo/Paul Sancyat

4. Buttigieg’s lean campaign: It’s striking how Buttigieg’s fundraising took off as he gained name ID and buzz.  He raised just $72,000 in itemized donations (donations of $200 or more) on Jan. 23, the day he announced his exploratory committee, compared with the million+ hauls of some of his competitors on their announcement days. (Of course, Buttigieg went on to raise more than $7 million more.)

He’s also spending very little so far, with a burn rate of under 10 percent and just about $200k spent on payroll and consulting. That means that he’s got plenty left in the bank to compete on a Tier One/Tier Two level, but will have to start growing out his organization to compete on the ground.   

5. Tough news for Julian Castro: Yes, it’s a crowded field, and it’s hard to catch fire. But Castro, at a $1.1m haul, is being outraised by not one but two candidates who are basically unknown outside of niche constituencies — Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang.

6. Looming over all of this — Trump’s totals: We learned over the weekend that Trump’s campaign brought in $30 million in the first quarter and has about $40 million on hand.

Combine that with the RNC’s efforts, and his reelection campaign heads into the spring with $82 million in the bank. (The Democratic candidates combined are currently sitting on about $91 million cash on hand.)  

What’s more, Trump’s latest paperwork shows that — for all the talk of how Democrats are playing the small-dollar fundraising game — he’s still pulling in a lot of those under-$200 donations himself.

By our math, small donations made up about 54 percent of the Trump campaign’s haul. That pales in comparison to a Sanders or a Warren, but it’s competitive or better than most of the other top-tier 2020 Democrats. 

Click here for the web version of today’s First Read to see all the topline fundraising numbers in one place.

Bernie Sanders releases 10 years of tax returns

It was a battle in the 2016 Democratic primary. It was a topic of repeated questioning in the run up to his announcement. But finally: We’ve now seen 10 years of Bernie Sanders’ tax returns.

NBC’s Shaquille Brewster reports that Sanders’s total income, which previously came mostly from his U.S. Senate salary, “popped to over $1 million in 2016 and 2017, after he wrote ‘Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In’ in November 2016, raising his effective tax rate for those years to over 30 percent.”

One thing worth remembering: Back in 2016, under intense pressure to release them, Sanders only opted for a brief summary of his 2014 returns.

Shortly before that release, he said: “They are very boring tax returns. No big money from speeches, no major investments. Unfortunately — unfortunately, I remain one of the poorer members of the United States Senate. And that’s what that will show.”

Compare that with his defense — last night during a FOX News town hall— of the big payout from his book: “In my and my wife’s case, I wrote a pretty good book. It was a bestseller, sold all over the world, and we made money. If anyone thinks I should apologize for writing a bestselling book, I’m sorry, I’m not gonna do it.”

Our question: Sanders has been resistant to this disclosure for years, which fueled plenty of speculation about what the returns might show. If the headline all along was just “we made money” … why did Sanders absorb all those questions rather than just make the release last cycle?  

(Also yesterday, Beto O’Rourke released 10 years of his own tax returns, with the most recent filing showing an income of more than $360,000.)

2020 VISION: Bill Weld is in

Trump is now the first incumbent president to face a notable primary challenge since George H.W. Bush in 1992, with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld making his longshot run official.

Weld said in his announcement that Trump’s “priorities are skewed toward promotion of himself rather than for the good of the country,” and urged “a return to the principles of Lincoln — equality, dignity and opportunity for all.”

On the campaign trail today: Joe Biden travels to South Carolina to deliver a eulogy for the late Fritz Hollings… Beto O’Rourke has a series of events in Virginia… Pete Buttigieg and Cory Booker are in Iowa… Amy Klobuchar has a health care roundtable in Florida… Elizabeth Warren holds an organizing event in Colorado… John Delaney stumps in New Hampshire.. and Howard Schultz tours the southern border in Nogales, Ariz.

Clear your calendar

In case you somehow missed it: The Department of Justice says that it EXPECTS to release the redacted version of the Mueller report on THURSDAY morning.

Some reading while you wait: NBC’s Carol E. Lee, Hallie Jackson and Kristen Welker write that some of the more than a dozen current and former White House officials who cooperated with Mueller are worried that his report will expose them as the source of damaging information about the president.

TWEET OF THE DAY: How do you say ‘subtweet’ in French?

From the official account of the French General Directorate for Civil Security and Crisis Management: 

DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is … net +5 percent 

Net +5 percent.

That’s former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore’s net favorability rating among registered Alabama Republican voters in a new poll from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy.

Thirty-four percent of those voters have a favorable view of Moore in the poll, compared to 29 percent who view him unfavorably.

Moore, if you remember, is the main reason why Republicans gifted Democrats an Alabama Senate seat in 2017 after bombshell allegations that he groped women decades ago while they were teenagers and he was an adult.

Not only does Moore have a net favorability rating in the poll, but he also has a lead over the potential Alabama Senate GOP primary field.

Part of that lead is due to Moore’s overwhelming name recognition among Republican voters—two of his top potential challengers are unknown by about half of Republicans.

And the GOP establishment will likely move to bury Moore if he decides to run again, spurned by a failure to do so in 2017 and encouraged by results like this poll, where 50 percent of registered Alabama voters say they want to replace Jones with a Republican.

But as Moore continues to flirt with another bid, polling like this won’t dissuade him from doing so. And that could create another problem for the GOP.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

THE LID: Donor dash

Don’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we looked at how smart Americans think their own electorate is. 

ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss 

Firefighters have fully extinguished the Notre Dame Cathedral fire and believe the structure and main works of art have been saved.

The newly-installed Interior Department Secretary is under ethics investigation by the agency’s inspector general. 

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Ranking Member Devin Nunes want a classified briefing from Robert Mueller.

NBC reports that Facebook leveraged user data as a way to reward allies and push back on its rivals.

Pete Buttigieg spoke with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow yesterday in a wide-ranging interview.

Thanks for reading.

If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here.

Have thoughts on our new format? We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.

Thanks, 

Chuck, Carrie and Ben

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