Good morning! Here is your news for Wednesday January 15, 2020.
THE DAILY SIGNAL
| Jan 15, 2020 Good morning from Washington, where some lawmakers still talk about “fixing” Obamacare. From the get-go, the health care law actually hurt those with preexisting conditions, two authorities on the subject write. In New Jersey, Kevin Mooney talks with parents who oppose the state’s LGBT curriculum in public schools. Plus: cracking down on criminals, remembering a brave conservative, and, on the podcast, making a difference against poverty. On this date in 1929, future Baptist pastor and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is born in Atlanta, the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist preachers. NEWS Parents Challenge ‘Radical’ LGBT Curriculum in New Jersey Schools By Kevin Mooney “Gender ideology has brainwashed my son and erased his childhood,” says Crystal Lopez. “My son now thinks he is really a girl. The curriculum that is being implemented is really harmful and is meant to confuse our children.”More COMMENTARY How Obamacare Made Things Worse for Patients with Preexisting Conditions By John Goodman Nationwide, one-quarter of the cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute participate in no Obamacare plans.More ANALYSIS ‘It’s Got to Be More Than a Handout’: A Charity’s Innovative Approach By Rachel del Guidice In addition to offering short-term relief, charity needs to help people get back on their feet and become self-sufficient. How? James Whitford is trying to do that with Watered Gardens, a nonprofit that aims to lift participants out of poverty.More COMMENTARY Roger Scruton Was a Giant of Conservatism By David Burton Scruton influenced ideas and events not only in Britain, but around the world. At significant personal risk, he spoke to, taught, and assisted dissidents in communist Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary during the Cold War.More COMMENTARY To Keep African Americans Safe, Target Criminals, Not Police By Walter E. Williams Leftists and social justice warriors charge that what blacks have to fear most is being shot and killed by police, but the numbers don’t add up.More The Daily Signal is brought to you by more than half a million members of The Heritage Foundation. Donate to The Daily Signal Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter How are we doing? We welcome your comments, suggestions, and story tips. Please reply to this email or send us a note at comments@dailysignal.com.The Daily Signal 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (800) 546-2843 Add morningbell@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us.You are subscribed to this newsletter as rickbulow74@live.com. If you want to receive other Heritage Foundation newsletters, or opt out of this newsletter, please click here to update your subscription. |
THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
DAYBREAK
| Your First Look at Today’s Top Stories – Daybreak InsiderHaving trouble viewing this email? View the web version.SPONSORED BYDaybreakInsider.com @DaybreakInsider WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020 1.Warren and Sanders Contradict Each Other in Final Debate Before Iowa CNN helped start this mess by breaking the story that Sanders told Warren a woman couldn’t win, and the network clearly took Warren’s side in the debate (Fox News). From Hugh Hewitt: Why believe self-appointed “fact-checkers” when an imminently fact-checkable-in-real-time issue of consequence comes up and media passes on chance to fact check it? (Twitter). From Tim Carney: Can anyone honestly deny, at this point, that Warren is the preferred candidate of the media? (Twitter). At last night’s debate, the candidates largely avoided any contact with front runner Joe Biden. From Jim Geraghty: About 30 minutes into tonight’s debate, we finally got the long-awaited Bernie Sanders–Elizabeth Warren showdown . . . but clearly, both candidates lost their nerve and didn’t see much benefit from a sustained head-on confrontation (National Review). Video of the end, where Sanders put out a hand to Warren, who rejects it as she appears to spar with him a bit (Twitter). From Rich Lowry: That the mayor of South Bend has managed to get on the debate stage this late in the campaign and make grand pronouncements on matters of war and peace is very impressive—and wholly ridiculous (Twitter). After the candidates pushed for federally funded childcare, Mona Charen tweeted: Is any Democrat going to mention that many moms and some dads prefer to care for their own children? (Twitter). Warren got the most speaking time, followed by Sanders and Klobuchar. Steyer had the least, by far (NY Times). 2.Pelosi Agrees to Finally Send Articles of Impeachment to Senate From the story: Pelosi’s strategy on withholding the articles from the Senate was to force McConnell to negotiate but McConnell didn’t have to negotiate and eventually even Senate Democrats began saying this was a losing strategy (Hot Air). The House will vote today to send the articles to the Senate (Politico). Advertisement 3.Federal Debt Continues to Balloon At over 23 trillion dollars today. Remember when that was a political topic? Heritage 4.Trudeau Pins Partial Blame on Trump for Downed Passenger Plane The leftist Canadian Prime Minister joins the media, progressive Democrats and Iran in this bizarre take. Hot Air 5.Google Agrees to Give Special Prosecutor Smollett Emails and MessagesWhich should help clear up the lies. This includes all delete emails. Washington Examiner Advertisement6.Shepard Smith Could End Up at MSNBCStory indicates the issue is money. MSNBC can’t afford anywhere near the $15 million per year Smith got at Fox News. Hot Air 7.Sex Offender Defends Himself by Claiming to Identify as 8-Year-Old He’s 45 and the jury didn’t buy it. NY Post 8.That Instagram Influencer Your Daughter is Watching Might Be Fake And apparently this has offended some. But it’s big business. NY Post Advertisement Copyright © 2020 DaybreakInsider.com SUBSCRIPTION INFO This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider OR Send postal mail to: The Daybreak Insider Unsubscribe 6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063 Were you forwarded this edition of The Daybreak Insider? Get your own free subscription Copyright © 2020 Salem Media Group and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. |
THE FLIP SIDE
| View this email in your browser Wednesday, January 15, 2020Democratic DebateTuesday was the final Democratic primary debate before the Iowa caucuses. Read the full transcript here. Des Moines RegisterFrom the LeftThe left doesn’t believe the debate will have a large impact on the polls and focuses on foreign policy.“In 2008, Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential nomination arguably based on a single policy position that distinguished him from his chief rival: his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq from its outset. Twelve years later, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont could conceivably capture the party’s nomination because of that same stance on that same war. At tonight’s Democratic debate, in Iowa, Sanders had his best chance yet to remind progressive primary voters that on the most consequential foreign-policy decision of the 21st century, he stood alone among the six candidates onstage in clearly opposing the Iraq War… “In 2016, Trump took (dubious) credit for having opposed the Iraq War, using it as a cudgel against both his Republican-primary opponents and Hillary Clinton in the general election. The U.S. has now elected two presidents in a row who were, or claimed to be, against the war. Sanders is hoping voters decide to pick a third.” Russell Berman, The Atlantic “With tensions with Iran and controversy over President Trump’s decision to kill Qasem Soleimani big in the news, Democrats had a chance to define their party on the issue. And the debate began on that subject, with the candidates talking at some length. What we got instead was a lot of general talk about taking out combat troops but leaving in other troops who would be tasked with other missions… “[Meanwhile] Medicare-for-all has come up so much in these debates that bringing it up often elicits groans from people who cover these things… But Klobuchar carved out her niche on it Tuesday night. [She pointed out that most Senate Democrats don’t support the plan endorsed by Sanders and Warren]… Klobuchar then went a step further, pointing to concrete things she’s done and would do, including on drug importation and a bipartisan bill on lowering drug prices… she made a strong play for the substantial-alternative [to Medicare-for-all] mantle over which she, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden have been fighting.” Aaron Blake, Washington Post “Once again, the candidates in second, third, fourth, and fifth place seemed largely content to argue among themselves rather than make the case against the frontrunner… Biden did back Bush on Iraq. He backed Social Security cuts. He backed a bad bankruptcy bill in 2005. And he lauded a bad budget deal with Republican Mitch McConnell as an example of sound bipartisan policymaking… “This pattern of behavior raises, to me, a real worry about a potential Biden presidency. Not that his talk of a post-election Republican Party ‘epiphany’ is unrealistic — every candidate in the field is offering unrealistic plans for change — but that he has a taste for signing on to bad bargains. There’s potential for a critique of Biden that isn’t just about nitpicking the past or arguing about how ambitious Democrats should be in their legislative proposals, but about whether Biden would adequately hold the line when going toe-to-toe with congressional Republicans… [But] Biden walked onto another Democratic debate stage Tuesday night as the frontrunner and once against walked off the winner by default.” Matthew Yglesias, Vox Regarding Warren and Sanders, some note that “Only two participants were in that room, there are no recordings of the meeting, and the two participants have starkly different recollections of the conversation… Here, though, is how the question was raised to Sanders. ‘CNN reported yesterday, and Senator Warren confirmed in a statement, that in 2018, you told her that you did not believe that a woman could win the election,’ CNN moderator Abby Phillip said… “[After Sanders denied the allegation], Phillip asked Warren about it: ‘What did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?’ Sanders chuckled along with the audience. Warren seemed almost surprised, at first, that she hadn’t been asked to litigate the essential truth of the claim, as CNN had granted her the assumption that her version was correct… There was no particular candidate on stage earning most of the scorn and scrutiny from their fellow candidates… The moderators, however, had a clear focus, and it was Sanders.” Jim Newell, SlateFrom the RightThe right is critical of the candidates’ foreign policy views and accuses CNN of pro-Warren bias.“In Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, Joe Biden claimed a vast array of foreign policy accomplishments in an attempt to make the case that his foreign policy experience made him the best prepared candidate to be commander in chief. But all he did was remind viewers that he has an extensive history of getting it wrong… “This is the man who once tried to dissuade Obama from his operation against terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden; who supported the Iraq War and said in 2003, ‘I voted to go into Iraq, and I’d vote to do it again;’ and who vocally opposed President Ronald Reagan’s military buildup and the Strategic Defense Initiative, which helped bring down the Soviet Union. In Tuesday night’s debate, Biden claimed he had atoned for his Iraq War vote by spearheading President Obama’s 2011-2012 withdrawal from Iraq. But that withdrawal was a disaster and it led to the rise of ISIS.” Editorial Board, Washington Examiner The candidates “were tripping over themselves to condemn Trump’s strike on Iran’s military chief before declaring their intention either to pull all our troops from the Middle East or almost all of our troops from the Middle East. Combat troops aren’t the answer, they said. They were prepared to be commander in chief because they care about health care for veterans or education for veterans, which is lovely but really doesn’t address the question of how they would confront threats to the United States of the sort posed by the Tehran regime.” John Podhoretz, New York Post Regarding the moderators, “CNN has two candidates calling each other plain liars about a factual matter on a story that CNN broke. Yet they didn’t follow up by pressing the candidates to get to the bottom of who was lying on their stage. And they didn’t follow up on what is now a clear pattern for Elizabeth Warren. But then again, why would they? Debate moderators have been covering for Warren for the entire cycle. Warren’s single biggest liability in a general election matchup with Trump is her ‘Pocahontas problem.’ She has not yet been asked about that in a debate… “Neither has she been pressed on her claim to have been fired for being pregnant. Which is, at best, factually disputed. And now, at a critical moment in the campaign, here she is claiming that a rival candidate once told her that a woman couldn’t win the presidency—a claim he denies. Are you sensing a pattern? It sure looks as if Warren has a habit of making up claims of victimhood to advance her interests. And no debate moderator has pushed her on it.” Jonathan V. Last, The Bulwark “We had 48 hours of buildup to the Great Progressive Presidential Candidate Duel, and then both contenders threw away their shots. About 30 minutes into tonight’s debate, we finally got the long-awaited Bernie Sanders–Elizabeth Warren showdown… but clearly, both candidates lost their nerve and didn’t see much benefit from a sustained head-on confrontation… “Watching Joe Biden tonight, I realized why his not-so-great debate performances over the past year haven’t damaged his standing in the polls much. Everybody already knows what they think of Biden, Democrats by and large like him, and it would take something really dramatic to get them to change their mind about him. Their opinion about Biden was written in cement that dried sometime in Obama’s first term. Month after month, he turns in debate performances that are shaky here and there, but overall okay or good enough, and surprisingly, few others on the stage take big swings at him.” Jim Geraghty, National Review “Buttigeg, tonight, said that the Dow Jones was up but people still felt down. Biden said that everyone but the rich is getting clobbered. And they’re the two leading candidates in the ‘moderate lane.’ These remarks don’t reflect the actual economic statistics, and they don’t reflect the public’s assessment of the economy either. The economy’s condition is helping President Trump’s campaign. Democrats can’t do a lot about that fact, but denying reality seems like a good way to compound the problem.” Ramesh Ponnuru, National ReviewOn the bright side… Japanese billionaire seeks ‘life partner’ for Moon voyage. BBCThe Flip Side team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated!Were you forwarded this by a friend? Sign up hereOur ArchivesShareTweetForwardCopyright © 2020 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here. |
THE SUNBURN
| Eight years ago, this happened!Happy anniversary to the love of my life, Michelle.___The 2020 Legislative Session has only just begun, but the most plugged-in people in Tallahassee already have some ideas about who’ll emerge as the ultimate winner in mid-March.The most popular pick is the popular-as-ever Gov. Ron DeSantis. A full two-thirds of Florida Influencers, including 60% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans, say DeSantis will end up getting most of what he wants come Sine Die.Coming in second was Senate President Bill Galvano, followed by House Speaker José Oliva, who was undoubtedly a major winner coming out of the 2019 Legislative Session.Ron DeSantis, Bill Galvano, José Oliva — who comes out on top? Insiders weigh in.Just because you’re not a winner doesn’t make you a loser. Unless you’re DeSantis, Galvano or Oliva, that is. The top-3 on the winner prediction also had strong showings on the loser side of things.Democrats were also a popular pick for the loser ranking, with Minority Leader Kionne McGhee getting a couple of votes of his own. Other mentions: Amendment 4 voters, CFO Jimmy Patronis, Hospitals and local governments.And, finally, the most important question of all: Will the 2020 Legislative Session end on time?More than 90% of Influencers — 86% of Democrats, 97% of Republicans and all NPAs — don’t envision it going into overtime. Just 7%, most of them Democrats, say they won’t be planning their post-Session vacation just yet. |
| Today’s Sunrise The 2020 Session of the Florida Legislature is off and running.On today’s Sunrise:— Hitting the highlights ofDeSantis’ second annual State of the State address, as well as the response from Democratic leaders of the House and Senate. DeSantis asked lawmakers to pass a bill requiring employers to use the federal E-Verify system to screen all new hires, to pass a bill requiring parental consent for minors who want an abortion and bring more transparency to health care.— Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson is still waiting on the Governor to make good on promises he made during last year’s State of the State speech.— House Democratic Leader Kionne McGhee said 20 years of Republican leadership in Tallahassee had been a disaster for working men and women struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, lawmakers bend over backward for corporations and the donor class.— Also, an examination of the agendas laid out by the House Speaker Oliva and Senate President Galvano.— Spoiler alert: Oliva has declared war on the health care industry.— A Florida man is in jail for beating up an elderly Ocala man after stealing his balls at a golf club. Deputies say 22-year-old Tyler Dearden was taking golf balls from another man’s bucket.To listen, click on the image below: |
| Situational awareness —@HillaryClinton: Russians appear to be rerunning their 2016 hacking playbook, once again to benefit Donald Trump. Will the media play along again? Will the GOP open the door again? Will the Russians help pick our POTUS again?—@SBG1: One of the great things about Congress is its openness to journalists, a striking contrast to the rest of the federal government. Hope this proposal to restrict access to the Senate impeachment trial will not standTweet, tweet:—@BrianJBurgess: Attention @GovRonDeSantis comms shop: Next year, splurge on an actual teleprompter instead of the iPad(s) or whatever he’s looking at on the rostrum.—@MDixon55: The executive agency last to issue a news release praising @GovRonDeSantis’ state of the state loses an FTE—@Fineout: Senate President @BillGalvano kicks off 2020 session with a short speech — no policy initiatives — just a request for civility and an acknowledgment that the Session will largely turn on the budget. “We know the issues,” Galvano said. “Everyone knows what the issues are.”Tweet, tweet:—@CHeathWFTV: Welcome to Florida: we’re building unneeded rural toll roads while our cities feature more toll roads and free roads where you stop at green lights! |
| Days until Sundance Film Festival begins — 8; “Star Trek: Picard” premiers — 8; Annual Red Dog Blue Dog Celebrity Bartender Benefit — 11; New Brexit deadline — 16; Super Bowl LIV in Miami — 18; Great American Realtors Day — 19; Iowa Caucuses — 19; Eighth Democratic presidential debate in Manchester — 24; Capitol Press Corps press skits — 27; New Hampshire Primaries — 27; Pitchers and catchers begin reporting for MLB Spring Training — 27; Ninth Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas — 35; Roger Stone’s sentencing — 36; Nevada caucuses — 38; “Better Call Saul” Season 5 premiers — 39; 10th Democratic presidential debate in Charleston — 41; South Carolina Primaries — 45; Super Tuesday — 48; Last day of 2020 Session (maybe) — 58; Florida’s presidential primary — 62; “No Time to Die” premiers — 86; Florida Chamber Summit on Prosperity and Economic Opportunity — 125; “Top Gun: Maverick” premiers — 163; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 180; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premiers — 184; 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo start — 191; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 216; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 222; First Vice Presidential debate at the University of Utah — 266; First Presidential Debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 274; Second presidential debate at Belmont — 281; 2020 General Election — 293. |
| Top story “Ron DeSantis touts ‘bold beginnings,’ but legislators may not grant a repeat performance” via Emily Mahoney, Samantha Gross, Mary Ellen Klas, Elizabeth Koh, and Lawrence Mower of the Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau — DeSantis told state lawmakers to seek out new political frontiers, declaring that “there is no reason why we can’t seize this moment.” Despite his show of confidence, however, his honeymoon period with lawmakers seems to be ending. Already, legislative leaders have expressed disagreement with two of the governor’s top priorities: requiring employers to check their hires’ immigration status using E-Verify and creating a statewide minimum teacher salary of $47,500. DeSantis pressed the need for both during his speech. “We are a state that has an economy, not the other way around. And we need to make sure that our Florida citizens from all walks of life come first,” he said.Ron DeSantis tells lawmakers there is no reason they can’t ‘seize the moment.’“DeSantis calls for teacher raises, new abortion law” via Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press — DeSantis called for teacher raises, the eradication of Burmese pythons in the Everglades and a new law to force girls to get their parents’ permission before getting an abortion during his State of the State address. DeSantis said keeping taxes low, improving education and protecting the environment will help Florida continue to grow. He wants to build on some of his successes from his first year. “In 2019, we took bold steps to expand educational opportunities, protect our environment and natural resources, reform health care, invest in infrastructure and bolster public safety — all while reducing taxes and maintaining healthy budget reserves,” DeSantis said. “While we should look with favor on these bold beginnings, we have much more to do.” |
| Dateline: Tally Assignment editors — DeSantis will make an announcement, 10:15 a.m., Everglades Holiday Park, 21940 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale.“As Session begins, activists offer alternative agenda for Florida” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — DeSantis opened the 2020 Session of the Florida Legislature with a call for lawmakers to be bold in their initiatives and to continue to follow a recipe of lower taxes and fewer regulations. But a cadre of Democratic legislators and community activists say that’s a recipe for a state economy that ignores the needs of working people. Progressive Democrats and their allies among grassroots organizations back what they call a “Sunrise Agenda” that calls for more funding for health care, public transportation, education. They say a regressive tax system needs to be changed to rebuild a social safety net and also support abortion rights, gun regulations, and clean water initiatives.Democrats countered the State of the State address with their own version — Sunrise Agenda.“Gun proposal draws fire from DeSantis, José Oliva” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — The proposal (SB 7028) would close the gun-show “loophole,” create a record-keeping system for private gun sales and set aside $5 million to establish a “statewide strategy for violence prevention,” among other things. The measure would also expand on the state’s “red-flag law,” which was included in a wide-ranging law passed shortly after the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. DeSantis appeared skeptical of the proposal to close the gun-show “loophole” by requiring background checks and a three-day waiting period for firearms sold at gun shows, saying screenings are already being performed by “anyone selling firearms at any of those tables.”“Oliva tags health care industry as ‘robber barons’” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — Oliva’s aggressive remarks on the opening day of the 2020 Legislative Session painted a bleak picture of the industry as putting profits over patients. The Miami Lakes Republican outlined what he considers to be a fix, including allowing advanced practice registered nurses to provide care independently from physicians. It’s not clear, though, that DeSantis or the Senate see things the same way, setting the stage for a potentially contentious back-and-forth over the next 60 days. Oliva dedicated a large part of his 18-minute opening day speech in the House to the need to revamp medical professional licensure regulations, which he called “archaic and backward.”“Oliva names ‘Nurse Practitioner of the Day,’ reiterates health care priorities” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Oliva announced a “Nurse Practitioner of the Day,” and for the first time in nearly three days, the opening day pick was a woman. Oliva’s selection was Doreen Cassarino, a doctor of nursing practice from Naples. The Miami Lakes Republican also used the opportunity to highlight his push to expand the scope of practice for Florida nurses. “By inviting an advanced practice registered nurse to see patients in the Legislative Clinic today, we acknowledge the vital role they play in ensuring the health of Floridians,” Oliva said. “I am proud to support legislation this year to grant APRNs independent practice across our state to improve access to quality care for all, and allow these professionals to work to the full extent of their training and education.”Battle for independent nurses, gender equity heats up — The House Majority Office is distributing research on gender disparities between Florida nurses and physicians ahead of an expected fight over a bill allowing nurses to work independently of physicians. As reported by Alexandra Glorioso of POLITICO Florida, HB607 (20R) is a priority for House Speaker Oliva, which he sees as part of his health care legacy. Produced by the Florida Center for Nursing, a statutorily created body to analyze industry labor trends, the report shows that in 2017, women submitted 85% of the renewals for state advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). During the same period, the Florida Department of Health reports that 70% of Florida physicians were male.“E-Verify divides Republican leaders” via News Service of Florida — DeSantis’ push for a politically charged immigration proposal has begun to expose a clash between Republicans as this year’s legislative session starts. The Governor kicked off the Session Tuesday by reminding lawmakers about one of his top priorities: a proposed mandate for all Florida employers to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check new hires to make sure they are not undocumented immigrants. But House Speaker Oliva and Senate President Galvano say they worry an E-Verify mandate would add too much burden on private businesses — and are more open to considering a compromise that would have less effect on the private sector. “E-Verify is going to be a very big fight, quite honestly, between Republicans,” Democratic Rep. Evan Jenne told The News Service of Florida.“Tom Lee responds to backlash to removing ‘white supremacy’ from resolution on rejecting hateful ideologies” via Sarah Mueller of Florida Politics — Senate Infrastructure and Security Chairman Lee said he’s open to adding back language condemning white supremacy to a committee substitute resolution that passed his committee yesterday. Miami-Dade Democratic State Sen. José Javier Rodriguez filed a resolution (SR 214) in September that condemns white nationalism and white supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance. But the committee passed a substitute resolution removing that language and instead approving language that rejects any ideology or philosophy that advocates the superiority of one group of people over another because of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion as hateful, dangerous and morally corrupt expressions of intolerance. Lee says he’s not married to the language, but he wants it to be a bipartisan effort.Tom Lee is responding to backlash over removing the words ‘white supremacy’ from an anti-hate bill.“Aviation tax repeal flies through Senate committee — for now” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee voted 4-1 in favor of the bill (SB 1192). But multiple members said they want more financial data before it lands on the floor. State Sen. Joe Gruters, the bill’s sponsor, said Florida needs to stop charging taxes of jet fuel. It only makes airlines fill their tanks in other states. Fred Baggett, a lobbyist for Airlines for America, said several airlines right now fly planes from Charlotte to Miami and will manage fuel, so they only refill in North Carolina. The reason? That state charges 0.0025 cent-per-gallon tax, and Florida charges 4.27 cents. That’s something that affects airline decisions on where to place hubs.“Senate panel approves annual cost-of-living pay adjustment plan for state workers” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — State employees could get an annual cost-of-living pay raise under a plan approved Monday by a Senate committee. SB 1114 would create an annual salary adjustment for most rank-and-file workers in the state budget tied to the consumer price index — the annual change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services — a 1.6% increase between 2018 and 2019. While the measure requires state economists to calculate an annual cost of living adjustment, the proposal does not require the Legislature to fund it. Armed with a staff analysis that documented state pay raises and the rate of inflation since 2005, Sen. Bill Montford made his case for an annual cost-of-living increase for more than 90,000 state employees.“Senate committee approves ATM pill bill” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The measure (SB 708), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, next goes to the Senate Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee. Rep. Matt Willhite has filed the bill’s House companion (HB 59). Automated kiosks are already used to dole out medication in long-term care facilities, hospices, and prisons. However, these expand possibilities beyond institutionalized populations into, for example, rural areas. Dispensaries could not distribute controlled substances through the kiosk. Medical cannabis is issued through order rather than a prescription and therefore could not be dispensed.Lauren Book bill on declawing cats gets TP’d — The Senate Agriculture Committee temporarily postponed Book’s legislation that would punish veterinarians who declaw a cat unless the procedure is medically necessary. Committee Chair Ben Albritton said the measure still needs work, but that the bill isn’t completely kaput. “Sen. Book is certainly interested in making sure the bill is in proper posture,” Albritton said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I didn’t want anybody to read into that particular issue, that there is trouble on the horizon. It was a mutually agreed-to situation.” Book’s bill currently provides exceptions to the declawing ban, such as addressing “an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition of the cat which compromises the cat’s health.”“NAS Pensacola shooting first responders, victims, families honored by lawmakers” via Nada Hassanein of the Tallahassee Democrat — At the first Senate sitting of this year’s Legislative Session, lawmakers recognized the victims, survivors and first responders of the shooting last month at Naval Air Station Pensacola that killed three men and injured eight others. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Tinch entered the West Gallery of the Florida Senate chambers along with about a dozen other law enforcement officers. First responders like Tinch, injured trying to save lives during the Dec. 6 NAS Pensacola shooting, were recognized by Senate President Galvano. He called the deputies “heroes,” saying that honoring them adds “additional meaning to our very important tradition of pledging our flag.”“’Unifying’ art replaces mural that featured Confederate flag” via Bobby Caina Calvan of The Associated Press — The new artwork — a huge piece of wood in the shape of the state — represents the latest effort by lawmakers to strip away the divisive symbol from its official emblems amid scrutiny in recent years over public monuments to the Confederacy. The Senate commissioned the original “Five Flags” mural in 1978. Senate officials said the renovation of the chambers in 2016 prompted the removal of the mural. Still, it was never returned to the space it occupied for nearly 40 years at the public entrance of the Senate gallery. The five flags refer to the banners that once flew over the state, including the Confederate flag.The Senate unveils a gleaming new piece of art at one of its most-visited corridors in The Capitol, after removing an old mural that included the Confederate flag.“The Legislature is a male bastion: Several committees that create state laws have few, or even zero, women” via Diane Rado of the Florida Phoenix — As it stands now, only 30% of women serve in each of the chambers — the state Senate and the House of Representatives, according to a Florida Phoenix analysis. The percentages can be even lower when it comes to the gender makeup of lawmakers on committees that help create laws. The committees lean toward men. And when it comes to chairing a committee — a pivotal role — very few women are chosen in these leadership positions, the Phoenix found. When they are, it’s not unusual for them to be chairs in traditional fields, such as education, children and families and health care, the data show. |
| Legislation “Jeff Brandes bill, citing Dan Markel murder case, could allow grandparents more visitation rights” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Friends of Markel are hoping a bill filed by Brandes could afford the slain Florida State law professor’s parents, and others like them, more access to their grandchildren. Markel’s parents, Phil and Ruth Markel, have not seen their grandchildren since 2016 amid allegations that the family of their mother, Wendi Adelson, is being investigated in connection with a murder-for-hire plot. Brandes proposes changing a 2015 law that allows grandparents to petition for visitation if a living parent is convicted of a felony. The 2020 revision, SB 1886, looks to expand the court remedy to lingering cases in which the living parent’s family is being investigated but is still active in the children’s lives.“Parkland parent hopes legislators will honor her daughter by embracing ‘Alyssa’s Law’” via Skyler Swisher of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Lori Alhadeff wants her daughter’s name to live on through a law that she says will prevent deaths if a gunman threatens another Florida school. Nearly two years ago, Alhadeff’s 14-year-old daughter, Alyssa, was one of 17 students and staff who were killed in the Parkland school shooting. Now, Alhadeff is urging the Florida Legislature to pass Alyssa’s law, which would require each school building to be equipped with at least one panic alarm that could be triggered during a mass shooting or lockdown. The legislation (SB 70/ HB 23) received its first hearing Monday with a Senate panel moving it forward with a favorable recommendation. State legislators kicked off their 60-day Session Tuesday.Parkland parent Lori Alhadeff is embracing Alyssa’s Law, named after her daughter.“Janet Cruz, Ben Diamond file safe drinking water bill to limit contaminants” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — The identical bills (HB 1427 and SB 1720) would require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to establish maximum contamination levels for a variety of contaminants and chemicals. “We have a responsibility to ensure that every resident in our state has access to safe, clean drinking water,” Diamond said. The Florida Safe Drinking Water Act would also direct the FDEP to consider limits on other pollutants in drinking water systems when other states have set limits or issued guidance on a given pollutant. The bills specify that contaminant limits must be sufficient to protect vulnerable populations, including pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, children, and financially disadvantaged small communities.“Proposed law would bring Florida up to speed on electric bicycling” via Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A bill filed by Brandes aims to bring Florida’s electric bicycle regulations in line with those in at least 22 other states. Current Florida law considers electric bicycles as no different from traditional bicycles as long as they require riders to pedal them before the electric motor kicks in to help propel the bike. Under Brandes’ proposed law, all types would be defined simply as bicycles, but the three categories would be spelled out in the law for local governments that might want to restrict one or two but not all three.“Gift ban exemption gets House companion” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — State Rep. Jayer Williamson is sponsoring a bill that would provide for some exceptions in the state’s lobbying gift ban. Current law prohibits state employees from accepting gifts or services valued at more than $100 from any lobbyists, as well as employees at companies that have a lobbyist working for them in the Capitol. Disallowing the practice has caused problems for some employees when they face extreme financial circumstances, such as being diagnosed with a serious illness. HB 1435 will suspend the ban for if a state employee or their child is diagnosed with such an illness, or if they are in a severe accident that causes them to incur substantial medical bills. |
| Today in Capitol The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs and Space Committee meet to consider confirmation of Florida National Guard Adjutant Gen. James Eifert., 8:30 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building.The Senate Rules Committee meets to consider SB 172 from Sen. Rob Bradley, which would ban local regulation of over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics, such as sunscreen, 8:30 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building.The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meets, 8:30 a.m., 404 House Office Building.The House Health Quality Subcommittee meets, 8:30 a.m., 306 House Office Building.The Revenue Estimating Conference will revise general revenue projections, 9 a.m., 117 Knott Building.The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 9:30 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building.The House Energy & Utilities Subcommittee meets, 9:30 a.m., 212 Knott Building.The House Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee meets, 9:30 a.m., 12 House Office Building.The House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 9:30 a.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building.The Senate Judiciary Committee meets to consider SB 404 from Sen. Kelli Stargel, which would require parental consent before minors can have abortions, 10:15 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building.The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee meets to consider SB 116 from Sen. Janet Cruz, which would help control the cost of insulin, 10:30 a.m., 412 Knott Building.The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee meets to consider SB 82 from Sen. Aaron Bean, which seeks to make changes in the “iBudget” program to help Floridians with disabilities, 10:30 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building.The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee meets, 1 p.m., 12 House Office Building.The House Business & Professions Subcommittee meets, 1 p.m., 212 Knott Building.The House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 1 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building.The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 1 p.m., 404 House Office Building.The House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee meets, 1 p.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building.The Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider confirmation for executive directors of the state’s five water management districts, 1:30 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building.The House Health Market Reform Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., 306 House Office Building.The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., 212 Knott Building.The House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., 404 House Office Building.The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building.The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building.The House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee meets, 3:30 p.m., 12 House Office Building.The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider the confirmation of Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, 4 p.m., 412 Knott Building.Assignment editors — Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and NFIB will hold a news conference alongside Sen. Doug Broxson and Rep. Bob Rommel, announcing the results of a study assessing the economic benefits of tort reform, 12:30 p.m., 4th-floor Rotunda.Happening today — Florida TaxWatch hosts its annual “State of the Taxpayer” dinner. Scheduled speakers include Attorney General Ashley Moody, state CFO Jimmy Patronis, state Sen. Rodriguez, state Rep. Paul Renner, Department of Children and Families Secretary Chad Poppell and Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Ken Lawson; media availability is 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6 p.m., Hotel Duval, 415 North Monroe St., Tallahassee. |
| Gov. Club buffett Bradley’s sausage and white bean soup; mixed garden salad with dressings; cucumber, tomato & feta salad; pineapple coleslaw; deli board with tomato, lettuce, cheeses and breads; turkey potpie; old fashion meatloaf with red wine mushroom sauce; crispy fried catfish; cheese grits; braised collard greens with country ham; candied carrots; and pomegranate mousse for dessert. |
| For the puppies Three cheers for puppies — Animal lovers will have the opportunity to grab a drink and do some good later this month, when Red Dog Blue Dog hosts its annual Celebrity Bartender fundraiser. In addition to raising money for shelter dogs, the night will allow attendees to get some facetime with major players on both sides of the aisle in Tallahassee. Tending bar for the Republicans is VISIT FLORIDA CEO Dana Young, Sen. Gruters, Rep. Colleen Burton, and Rep. Alex Andrade. Team Blue features DEM Director Jared Moskowitz, Sen. Gary Farmer, Sen. Jason Pizzo, and Rep. Tracie Davis. Of course, those unable to show up and order a greyhound or salty dog can still show their support by sending a few bucks to Red Dog Blue Dog — they accept donations through their website.Time to do some good for shelter dogs. |
| Statewide “Ashley Moody announces new name of human trafficking council’s fundraising arm” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking is the new name for the direct-support organization of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. Last Session, the Legislature established the organization as a nonprofit fundraising arm of the council. “In 2014, when the statewide task force was set up, few people were talking about human trafficking,” Moody said. “In just a few short years, we saw our statewide prosecution start going up because we were putting it in front of lawmakers. We were putting it in front of statewide leaders.”Attorney General Ashley Moody, flanked by a bipartisan group of supporters, announced the name of the state’s human trafficking nonprofit.“Captains for Clean Water caught clubbing with lobbyists before criticizing Nikki Fried for associating with them” via Brian Burgess of The Capitolist — Captains for Clean Water executive director Daniel Andrews sent a letter to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Fried complaining about her appointment of a pair of water experts to a board with oversight of Lake Okeechobee. Their sin? Being registered lobbyists who happen to represent agricultural interests in the Lake Okeechobee area. But The Capitolist has obtained a photo showing that Andrews himself isn’t averse to hanging with lobbyists, either, and lots of them, in one of Tallahassee’s best-known lobbyist watering holes: the Governor’s Club. The photo shows Andrews, rocking a sport coat along with his iconic beard and baseball hat, sipping expensive wine and chatting with a pair of Tallahassee lobbyists, with plenty more visible in the background.“Court wades into marijuana licensing dispute” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — A Tampa-based orchid grower seeking to enter Florida’s highly restricted medical-marijuana market tried to convince a state appeals court that health officials erred in granting a handful of medical marijuana licenses to competing firms last year. Louis Del Favero Orchids, Inc. is challenging a settlement agreement between the Florida Department of Health and what is known within the industry as “one-pointers.” The agreement, finalized in April, provided licenses to eight firms but reduced the remaining licenses that were expected to be available under a 2017 law. Del Favero argues, among other things, that the settlement was unfair and contrary to public policy because it “contravenes the legislative intent” of the 2017 law. |
| Mother nature “Florida Forever could aid hurricane recovery, sea-level efforts” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — The Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved a proposal (SPB 7024) that would set aside at least $10 million a year from Florida Forever to buy land and add conservation easements in areas that had been damaged by hurricanes during the previous five years. “This bill serves as both a hurricane recovery strategy and a way to make our state more resilient to hurricanes and sea-level rise,” committee Chair Montford said. The measure would require the Department of Environmental Protection to coordinate with other state agencies and water management districts on projects intended to conserve land in coastal areas subject to flooding as a result of sea-level rise.“As seas rise, a Florida Keys ‘ghost forest’ makes a last” via Jenny Staletovich of WLRN — A pine rockland forest once stood here, maybe a century ago. Not that long in tree years. The stumps still give off a sharp, tarry smell when gouged with a knife. Freshwater sawgrass could be found as recently as the 1990s. But now, it’s a stark and solemn warning about rising seas. “It’s really kind of pathetic,” said Florida International University forest ecologist Michael Ross, who’s been studying the Keys pineland since the 1990s. Just three decades ago, when he started studying the forests, a healthy pineland grew on at least 10 islands. Today, the forests are thinning or gone. The only healthy tract stands on Big Pine.Across the U.S. coast, sea rise has left behind swathes of skeletal ghost forests. Image via WUSF. |
| Peachy “House will vote Wednesday to send impeachment articles, Nancy Pelosi” says via Nicholas Fandos of The New York Times — “The American people deserve the truth, and the Constitution demands a trial,” she said. The Speaker said she would announce the names of her managers at 10 a.m. In the Senate, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, indicated that Senators would be ready to receive the articles and take sworn oaths to render “impartial justice” in the trial shortly thereafter, if not the following day. The announcements paved the way for an elaborate, choreographed exchange between the two chambers to unfold as they look toward the third presidential impeachment trial in American history.Nancy Pelosi sets Wednesday votes to send the impeachment articles to the Senate. |
| D.C. matters “Donald Trump tears into Apple for refusing to unlock Pensacola shooter’s cellphones” via Myah Ward of POLITICO — Trump’s broadside comes after Attorney General William Barr added pressure to the tech giant, calling on the company to help investigators access the locked cellphones of the deceased shooter in the Pensacola naval base attack. The FBI asked for the company’s help accessing the devices after they were unable to, and Apple said it assisted as much as it could. But in a news conference about the FBI’s investigation, Barr said the company “has not given us any substantive assistance.” “We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues,” Trump’s tweet said. “ … They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”Trump blasts Apple for refusing to unlock the Pensacola shooter’s phone.“Donald Trump in Palm Beach: Local security bill for 27 visits to Mar-a-Lago at $13.7M” via Christine Stapleton of the Palm Beach Post — Local governments and law enforcement spent $13.7 million to protect Trump during the 27 visits he and his family made to Mar-a-Lago between his election in November 2016 and Easter of last year, according to county records. The federal government has already reimbursed the county nearly $10 million for expenses through September 2018. The county is waiting to be paid for the remaining $3.8 million racked up during the fiscal year ending in October 2019. Most of the money has been spent on overtime accumulated by Palm Beach County Sheriff Department deputies, said Assistant County Administrator Todd J. Bonlarron. |
| Why Trump is popular “Donald Trump,” writes Peter Hamby in Vanity Fair, “has derived much of his political success by ignoring Washington finger-waggers and connecting with the more primal instincts of his supporters … with or without the good graces of the national press and savvy insiders.”On the campaign trail, Trump stumbled — intentionally or not — onto a critical element of the electorate: The main split in American politics is between those who follow politics closely and those who do not.Reaching outside the political ‘bubble’ is the secret of Donald Trump’s popularity.What many Democrats and members of the press fail to realize is that political media culture is a “bubble of its own.” For on the inside, Hamby writes: “The inside game is everything. The political media blob tumbles forward every day on the assumption that people are aware of the storylines and characters, that voters are tuning in.” In actuality, the average person is not.One point of contention — at this point most voters could not tell you who is running for President. “This doesn’t mean voters are dumb,” Hamby says. “It means they are normal — and that Democrats have serious work to do to reach them.” |
| 2020 Assignment editors — One day before Vice President Mike Pence will hold a “Latinos for Trump” event in Osceola County, the Florida Democratic Party will host a news conference with members of the Latino community, 2 p.m., Buenaventura Lakes Library, BVL Multipurpose Room, 405 Buenaventura Blvd., Kissimmee.“Impeachment? Iran? Early state voters more swayed by basics” via Will Weissert and Hunter Woodall of The Associated Press — Standing in the back of a New Hampshire brewery, Janie Shaklee said the political basics are much more likely to decide her vote. “The economy is much realer to me,” said the 69-year-old retired professor who was attending a campaign event for businessman Andrew Yang ahead of her state’s Feb. 11 primary. “The world can blow apart at any point, no matter what. It’s always been that way … anything can happen.” 2020 has been characterized by a striking amount of political turmoil. But for many in the states that will soon begin choosing the Democratic presidential nominee, the same bread-and-butter issues that have long dominated the primary — health care, higher wages, student debt, climate change — remain top of mind.“Elizabeth Warren promises to cancel student loan debt using executive powers” via Michael Stratford of POLITICO — Warren detailed a sweeping new strategy to provide student debt relief to 42 million Americans on “day one” of her administration — which she said could be achieved through a presidential directive under existing law. Both Warren and her chief progressive rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, have advocated major student loan debt relief plans but Warren took that campaign promise a step further as Democrats head for a clash in the last debate before the Iowa caucuses. The Education Department “already has broad legal authority to cancel student debt, and we can’t afford to wait for Congress to act,” Warren wrote in a Medium post.Elizabeth Warren promises an executive order on student debt if elected.“Biden super PAC amps up spending with Iowa ad buy” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO — The Unite the Country super PAC is accelerating its support for Joe Biden in Iowa with a new TV ad buy targeting President Donald Trump for his controversial handling of Iran. The new statewide commercial is part of $2 million statewide ad buy scheduled to run through the state’s caucus day, Feb. 3, where polls show a tight race. Unite the Country has already spent about $2.2 million on TV to help Biden. Called “Consequences,” the ad features Biden’s recent criticisms of Trump’s controversial decision to order a missile strike in Iraq that killed an Iranian general accused of terrorism.“Priorities USA ups national, Florida buys in 2020 presidential campaign” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Democratic political committee Priorities USA is increasing its campaign against Trump by another $50 million in digital advertising in swing states with much of that going toward Florida. The commitment means Priorities USA‘s digital advertising campaign budget is rising to $150 million. In addition, Priorities USA is reserving $70 million in TV and digital advertising slots, including its first TV reservations in Florida. The newly reserved time slots begin March 24. And Priorities USA stated it has millions of dollars set aside to begin running TV ads before that date to counter any attempts by Trump and his allies to define the general election before the Democrats have a nominee. |
| The trail “Vern Buchanan raised $524K during final quarter of 2019” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — In total, the Sarasota Republican pulled in $1.91 million throughout 2019. The funding comes as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sets its sights on Florida’s 16th Congressional District as a target in November. State Rep. Margaret Good, who defeated Buchanan’s son James Buchanan in a nationally watched statehouse special election in 2018, announced she would challenge Buchanan this cycle. Buchanan’s campaign this week revealed a major poach of a former Good supporter. Developer Hugh Culverhouse, who backed Good in two state legislative campaigns this year and donated already to her congressional campaign, said he’s now supporting Buchanan.“Alan Cohn raises big in fourth quarter for congressional campaign” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Cohn raised $117,000 in the final quarter of 2019; his three-month earnings follow an aggressive initial fundraising push in which Cohn raised $73,000 in the final three weeks of the third quarter, the first period in which he was a declared candidate. The combined earnings put Cohn at more than $190,000 raised to date. The campaign says its earnings include contributions from more than 1,000 donations. Cohn is running in the Democratic primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District against state Rep. Adam Hattersley. Republican Congressman Ross Spano is seeking reelection to the district and will face whoever wins the Democratic primary.Alan Cohn is posting some impressive numbers in his bid to unseat Ross Spano.“José Javier Rodríguez collects nearly $590K for reelection effort” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Rodríguez has added nearly $590,000 in his bid to defend the Senate District 37 seat in November. Those totals include money raised through Jan. 13, one day before the start of the 2020 Legislative Session. Lawmakers are barred from raising money while the Legislature is formally in Session. That will prevent the Rodríguez campaign from collecting money into early March. That won’t pose much of a problem as of yet, as Rodríguez has not courted any challengers in the district contest so far. And his impressive fundraising operation may play a part in potential candidates’ reticence to mount a challenge to Rodríguez.“Debbie Wasserman Schultz endorses Shevrin Jones in SD 35” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Jones is one of five Democrats competing for the nomination in SD 35. The Wasserman Schultz endorsement adds to current SD 35 Sen. Oscar Braynon II‘s decision to back Jones as his successor. Braynon is term-limited in 2020. Wasserman Schultz released a statement announcing her support of the Jones campaign. “Shevrin Jones has been a friend for many years and I am proud to back his people-powered campaign for State Senate,” Wasserman Schultz said. “He is a proven champion for all Floridians as a State Representative, and I am very confident that he will continue to lead and fight for the same values of equality and opportunity for all, as our next State Senator.”“Jenna Persons remains the fundraising leader in HD 78” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — While her $110,000-plus first month remained her best of all, she continued building a war chest. She closed 2019 having raised $179,210. That includes $2,730 raised in December. Notably, the Persons-chaired political committee Conservative Legacy Fund also raised $4,000 in December — the committee raised $104,000 in 2019 and starts the new year with $97,546 to spend. All this leaves Persons with a massive resource advantage in the race to represent HD 78. By comparison, philanthropist Roger Lolly entered the Republican primary the same month as Persons and raised a total of $40,525 in 2019. Of that, $2,000 was raised in the last month of the year.“Rick Kozell dominates in HD 82 fundraising” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Two months in, Jupiter Republican Kozell has raised nearly $100,000 in hard money for his campaign to succeed term-limited Rep. MaryLynn Magar. Capping the year was a $24,180 campaign report, which included 16 checks for $1,000. The December report follows a $75,585 report in November. To date, Kozell has only spent about $3,200, leaving him with $96,550 in the bank heading into 2020. Kozell has also been piling on cash through an affiliated political committee, Rick Kozell for Florida. His first 30 days saw him reel in $90,805, while December saw him add an even $5,000 to the fund. Spending has been light on the committee side as well, setting him up with $93,270 banked at the start of the year.“Vance Aloupis campaign tops $30K in December, enters 2020 with nearly $187K cash on hand” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — In October, Franccesca Cesti-Browne filed to challenge the incumbent Aloupis in HD 115. Cesti-Browne is the former chairperson for the Miami-Dade County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board. From October through December, Aloupis posted three of his five highest fundraising months of the cycle. Aloupis’ December totals included several maxed-out $1,000 donations from various industries including FPL, Anheuser-Busch and a pair of $1,000 donations from two Disney Vacation subsidiaries. Powerhouse law firm Greenberg Traurig also kicked in $1,000, as did state Rep. Daniel Perez’ political committee, Conservatives for a Better Florida. Aloupis closed out 2019 with more than $220,000 added for the campaign. He carries nearly $187,000 in remaining cash into 2020.“Anthony Rodriguez begins 2020 with $160K banked in defense of HD 118” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — GOP state Rep. Rodriguez added nearly $37,000 in December, giving him more than $171,000 raised through the end of 2019. Rodriguez is attempting to defend his HD 118 seat against Ricky Junquera, the Vice-Chair of Outreach for the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. After his December haul, Rodriguez has about $160,000 on hand entering 2020. Junquera, who entered the race in October, is well short of those totals. He posted $14,000 in October, bringing him within shouting distance of Rodriguez’ October fundraising total. That was thanks in part to a campaign kickoff fundraiser held by Junquera toward the end of that month. |
| Local “Aaron Zahn’s attorney says he’s being scapegoated for unpopular decision to consider privatization” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union — As ousted JEA CEO Zahn contends that an attempt to scapegoat him is driving attempts to fire him without any severance pay, City Council members are rolling out reform legislation in response to the flameout of JEA’s exploration of privatizing the city-owned utility. The JEA board voted Dec. 17 to cut ties with Zahn, but he has been on paid administrative leave since then while the board decides whether to dismiss him without cause or fire him with cause. An attorney for Zahn sent a letter, first reported by WJXT TV-4, saying Zahn has already agreed to a substantially smaller payout than required by his employment agreement, but he will withdraw that agreement if JEA doesn’t accept it by 5 p.m. Friday.Aaron Zahn’s lawyer says he the former JEA CEO is being scapegoated.“Andrew Pollack says new school safety tech would save lives” via Brooke Baitinger and Lisa J. Huriash of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Pollack, whose daughter was killed in the Parkland shooting, has joined forces with a software company to ready for school threats with many new high-tech safety tools. The company, IntraLogic Solutions, links law enforcement agencies to schools and gives them access to an intercom system, among other upgrades. Either at the push of a button or at the first 911 call, a map that includes interactive floor plans and photos of classrooms will pop up in command centers. Dispatchers can view live camera footage at the location within five to 10 seconds, allowing them to see a shooter’s location so they can direct first responders accordingly. “Seconds save lives,” said Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, 18, a senior, was killed during the Valentine’s Day 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.“In his last major speech as County Mayor, Carlos Giménez touts ‘fantastic turnaround’” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Eyeing the end of nearly a decade as mayor, Giménez used his final formal address to tout himself as a consensus builder who brought prosperity to Miami-Dade and discipline to Florida’s largest local government. “What a fantastic turnaround,” said the two-term Republican who took office in 2011 at the tail end of a housing crash, cut the budget enough to undo his predecessor’s unpopular tax increase and was comfortably reelected in 2016 amid a building boom and job growth. “We have a lot to be proud of.” Gimenez’s expected entry into the Republican primary for the District 26 seat held by Democrat Mucarsel-Powell sets up a test of the two-term mayor’s legacy and political base against Trump’s standing in a district the incumbent flipped blue in 2018.“School Board maneuvering with developers to transform downtown HQ … and add housing” via Colleen Wright of the Miami Herald — The Miami-Dade County School Board wants to downsize from its 10 acres of prime, development-ready land in downtown Miami. District officials are turning to a private developer and a community redevelopment agency to leverage its downtown headquarters for office space next door. It’s a move they say will finance the rebuild of two nearby schools, include affordable housing for teachers and the elderly, and eventually direct more dollars that could be used for teacher salaries and educational programs. The conversation started in 2017, but on Wednesday, the School Board will hold a vote on whether to continue those negotiations and set into motion a “21-acre vision” that keeps the School Board in the arts and entertainment district.“12 hours, no decisions. Winter Park commissioners debated 2 major issues before pausing discussions” via Lisa Maria Garza of the Orlando Sentinel — By 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, commissioners were at a deadlock on construction price talks for Canopy, the $40 million library and event center project, and the Orange Avenue Overlay District, a proposal for new land-development code standards aiming to spur development within 75 acres of property. Commissioners need to approve a guaranteed maximum price from the contractor of Canopy that covers the construction portion of the project. The price tag presented to the city at the meeting was $33,505,169 and is based on construction beginning immediately. Further delays to the project, which was stalled by an unsuccessful lawsuit, is estimated to cost about $167,500 per month. The total cost of Canopy is projected to run about $41.1 million.“Tallahassee police: Florida man drove on airport runway after stealing FedEx truck to get home” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — A Port Richey man is in custody after police say he stole a FedEx truck and drove it onto the runway at the Tallahassee International Airport. The driver, 23-year-old Aaron Lennihan, was arrested on-site. He is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. He told TPD officers he was trying to get back home in Pasco County but did not know where he was or how he got to Tallahassee. He said he found the truck with the keys in it after jumping several fences and was trying to drive out of the airport complex on Capital Circle SW.“Former NFL star Antonio Brown throws sex-themed gummies in domestic spat in Hollywood” via Lisa Huriash of the Orlando Sentinel — Cops were called to the home of former NFL star Antonio Brown when he got into an argument with the mother of three of his children. The argument appears to have started over his girlfriend using his Bentley to take their child to school. “You don’t drive Bentleys, this is not your life!” he told the woman, Chelsie Kyriss, 30. At one point, Brown grabbed gummy candies shaped like penises and threw them toward Kyriss, TMZ said. Brown played with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2010-2018 and then one game with the New England Patriots in 2019, before they released him. He was raised in Liberty City and bought a $6.6 million home in Hollywood in 2016. |
| Opinions “Impartiality is more important in an impeachment trial than in a criminal one. Not less.” via Louis Virelli for the Tampa Bay Times — What makes a fair impeachment trial? Criminal proceedings come with a predetermined set of procedures — like subpoenas, witness testimony, documentary evidence, and a right to appeal — that help create an even playing field for the two sides regardless of who the jurors are. The Senate may adopt similar procedures in an impeachment trial, but are not required to do so. Impeachment relies on two different forms of impartiality. It requires that the jurors not make up their minds in advance. This is true for all trials, but in traditional trials, the parties meet and choose their jurors beforehand. That is why it is so vital that the Senator-jurors in the president’s impeachment trial appear impartial to the viewing public.”From bold to blah: DeSantis’ second-year agenda overlooks many needs” via the Editorial Board of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — It’s a new year at the dawn of a new decade, and DeSantis enjoys a level of public support most politicians can only dream about. With a recent poll showing that two-thirds of Floridians approve of his performance, the Republican governor is at the peak of his popularity. Good for him. But this is no time to play it safe. The leader who boldly arrived on the scene one year ago seems unwilling to spend some of his goodwill to really drive Florida in the right direction when the state faces huge challenges. In his second State of the State address, delivered Tuesday as the traditional starting point for the annual session of the Legislature, DeSantis offered next to nothing in critical areas such as affordable housing, climate change, health care and public safety.“Joe Henderson: Teachers ‘Take On Tallahassee’ out of frustration” via Joe Henderson of Florida Politics — It is regrettable that Polk County public school teachers feared for their jobs when an estimated 600 of them traveled to Tallahassee on Monday to exercise free speech. The march was organized by the Florida Educational Association. They were lobbying for better pay, fewer tests, improved working conditions. An email from Florida Department of Education General Counsel Matthew Mears last Friday seemed to imply the “TOT” trip was tantamount to a strike. Since it’s illegal for teachers to strike, those taking part could lose their jobs. That seems unlikely to happen. Bravo for Republican House Speaker Oliva, who tweeted, “Teachers, like all Americans, are entitled to petition their government and (Monday) we proudly witnessed the First Amendment in action …”“The big immigration lie: Florida GOP has never been serious about cracking down on illegal hiring” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — My question for Rep. Cord Byrd was simple: “Do you think the people of this state are stupid?” There was a pause. Finally, he responded: “Of course not.” I told Byrd I had trouble believing that, because any politician who filed a bill like his would have to believe his constituents were total morons. The conversation didn’t improve after that. For more than a decade, Florida Republicans have promised to force every business in Florida to hire only legal workers. But the politicians won’t do it. Instead, Florida Republicans have repeatedly promised to implement “mandatory E-Verify” — a law that would force all companies to first run any potential hires through a federal database to make sure they’re authorized workers. But they never followed through. Never.“Lace up your shoes for child sexual abuse victims who can’t yet tie theirs” via Lauren Book for the Tallahassee Democrat — I know that one in three girls and one in five boys fall victim to sexual abuse before their 18th birthday. One in five children who touch a computer is solicited for sex. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring a safe community. We must all stand up for the most vulnerable among us. I invite you to join me and take a stand. Be a part of the Lauren’s Kids “42 Hours” advocacy walk-a-thon at the Florida Capitol Feb. 4-6, honoring the 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the U.S. today — including the children in the videos confiscated by TPD this week.“How a wrong or flawed response can often become the crisis after the crisis in politics, business, and life” via Ron Sachs for Florida Politics — Elton John’s 1976 song “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” could be the unfortunate theme for too many powerful politicos, organizations, and insiders to the “process” who find themselves in the throes of a crisis in which they are too slow to own up to the cause of the problem As Florida’s 2020 political world gets fully engaged in the start of this early-year Session of the Florida Legislature, some powerful individuals or groups inevitably may make mistakes that can quickly mushroom into full-blown media firestorms and crisis situations. For some, failure to prevent the crisis may quickly be compounded by mishandling it. Sometimes, the absence of contrition or a painful delay in taking responsibility to worsen an already bad situation. |
| Movements “Personnel note: Jeff Miller joins Mercury as co-chair” via Florida Politics — Mercury has a new co-chair. The global, bipartisan public strategy firm announced Tuesday that former U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller is stepping into the position. “We are proud to welcome Congressman Miller to Mercury,” Mercury CEO Kieran Mahoney said. “With a long tenure on Capitol Hill helping to drive policy in key arenas, the Congressman will be an exceptional resource for clients and leader for the firm.” Miller represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District from 2001 through 2017. He opted not to seek reelection in 2016. Mercury said Miller will work out of its Tampa and Washington offices.Former Rep. Jeff Miller has moved over to Mercury.“Friends of the Everglades taps TCPalm opinion chief Eve Samples as executive director” via Tyler Treadway of the TCPalm — Friends of the Everglades, an environmental group started in 1969 by the late Marjory Stoneman Douglas, has a new location and new leadership. The nonprofit recently moved to Stuart from Miami and its new executive director will be Stuart resident Eve Samples, the opinion and engagement editor for the USA TODAY-Network Florida. She begins her new post Feb. 4. “After two decades in journalism, I can’t think of a more fitting mission to pivot to,” Samples said. “In the last 10 years, I’ve focused on advocating for the estuaries, Lake Okeechobee, the greater Everglades and cleaner water in Florida in general. This feels like a natural next act.” |
| Aloe “Bah humbug? Neighbors of Milton’s Sowell Farms Christmas lights display want solution to traffic” via Annie Blanks of the Pensacola News Journal — A massive Christmas lights display in Milton may delight thousands of visitors each year, but neighbors who live near the property say the traffic from cars trying to view the display puts them in anything but the Christmas spirit. Doyle Caudell and Sandra Heath, who live in a house just down the street from the Sowell Farms North Pole Christmas Light Display on Sowell Road, are asking Santa Rosa County Commissioners and law enforcement to come up with a better solution for the massive traffic backup that results from guests waiting to get onto the Sowell Farms property at Christmastime. “This year was really bad,” Caudell told commissioners at a Jan. 6 committee meeting.Neighbors of Milton Sowell Farms Christmas lights display are saying bah humbug over traffic congestion for the attraction. Image via PNJ.com.“Nik Wallenda to wirewalk over active volcano” via Alan Shaw of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Wallenda will make a 1,800-foot walk over the active Masaya Volcano in Masaya, Nicaragua. The stunt will be broadcast as part of a two-hour “Volcano Live! with Nik Wallenda” special at 8 p.m. March 4 on ABC. “It is by far the most dangerous walk I have ever attempted, and that alone makes it very intimidating,” Wallenda said in a news release. “I am pushing myself beyond my comfort zone by the feat itself, but I know that I am up to the challenge. I must admit, it is scary.” According to the news release, the volcano is one of the few on earth to feature a lava lake. |
| Happy birthday Happy birthday, belatedly to Floridian Partners’ Jorge Chamizo. Celebrating today are U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, Melody Arnold of the Florida Health Care Association, Daniel Davis of JAX Chamber, Florida Politics contributor Andrew Meachem, and former state Rep. Jake Raburn. |
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POLITICO PLAYBOOK
What you need to know about Tuesday night’s Dem debate
By JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER
01/15/2020 06:02 AM EST
Presented by
DRIVING THE DAY
ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION after last night’s debate: Are you at all certain who will emerge from the Iowa caucus victorious? Did any candidate have a breakout moment that will absolutely wow voters with 19 days remaining? It seems equally probable that JOE BIDEN or BERNIE SANDERS could win Iowa, and possible that PETE BUTTIGIEG or ELIZABETH WARREN could place in the top two or pull out a victory — leaving an infinite number of scenarios for Democrats to ponder.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI’S DELAY in sending the impeachment articles to the Senate could have a tremendous impact, as SANDERS, WARREN and AMY KLOBUCHAR will have to be in Washington nearly all day every day for the next month or so — limiting their ability to connect with voters face-to-face in the days leading up to the caucus.
AND BEYOND IOWA: With two billionaires — TOM STEYER and MICHAEL BLOOMBERG — willing to spend a seemingly endless amount of their own money, the nominating process could take a very different path after the caucuses.
JOHN HARRIS’ ALTITUDE COLUMN: “It is something we learned long ago as young journalists, drilled into us by sage mentors like the late David S. Broder: An election belongs always to the voters. We must never imagine that it belongs to us the campaign reporters or the insular circle of operatives and analysts and horserace junkies who loom so large in our stories and expense accounts.
“Well, after two hours Tuesday night watching the latest presidential debate — live but not especially alive from Des Moines — the voters we all respect so deeply can rest assured they will get no argument from me. This election belongs to them. Take it. All yours, please. No, no, I insist.
“It is true we will never get those two hours of our lives back, but no complaints from this quarter. It’s our job to watch. It was not one of those moments, however, as sometimes happens in journalism, that left anyone thinking, ‘I can’t believe I get paid to do this.’” POLITICO
— RYAN LIZZA: “As expected, for the first time in a debate this cycle, foreign policy featured prominently. Presidents have far more latitude over foreign policy — where Congress can be virtually ignored — than any other area of responsibility, and yet it has been given little attention. That’s partly for political reasons. Polls show Biden, the former globe-trotting vice president and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, with an enormous advantage on the issue, and most of his opponents don’t see discussing it as beneficial to them.
“CNN’s Wolf Blitzer did an admirable job teasing out some of the subtle differences that have crystallized among Democrats in the post-Obama world. The party is now divided into two broad camps. The first, represented by Biden, is the Clinton and Obama era establishment that is deeply chastened by the failed military interventions of the last two decades, but that is insistent on preventing the debacle in Iraq and endless war in Afghanistan from turning Democrats into isolationists.
“The other camp, represented by Sanders, is defined by its opposition to the Iraq War, and sometimes struggles to articulate a foreign policy that extends beyond its righteousness about getting the war right.” POLITICO … More on the winners and losers of the debate
WARREN’S RESPONSE TO THE BERNIE WOMEN-CAN’T-WIN CHARGE … CNN’S ABBY PHILLIP: “So Sen. Sanders — Sen. Sanders, I do want to be clear here, you’re saying that you never told Sen. Warren that a woman could not win the election?”
SANDERS: “That is correct.” PHILLIP: “Sen. Warren, what did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?”
WARREN: “I disagreed. Bernie is my friend, and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie. But, look, this question about whether or not a woman can be president has been raised, and it’s time for us to attack it head-on.
“And I think the best way to talk about who can win is by looking at people’s winning record. So, can a woman beat Donald Trump? Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women.”
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NYT’S MAGGIE HABERMAN and ANNIE KARNI’S White House Memo: “Trump and His Aides Focused for Now on 2 Rivals (Neither Is the Front-Runner)”: “President Trump’s advisers see Senator Bernie Sanders as their ideal Democratic opponent in November and have been doing what they can to elevate his profile and bolster his chances of winning the Iowa caucuses, according to Republicans familiar with the plans.
“But their new focus on Mr. Sanders, independent of Vermont, comes at a time the president himself has been closely watching Michael R. Bloomberg, a late arrival to the Democratic primary race, unnerved by his campaign spending and his suggestion he might spend $1 billion of his own fortune on opposing Mr. Trump, even if he does not emerge as the nominee.”
POST-DEBATE BIDEN AD … THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN has a new ad in rotation in Iowa (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Sioux City) called “United.” It’s a 30-second spot that makes the case that Biden has spent his career bringing people together to notch legislative accomplishments. The 30-second spot
— WSJ: Penny Pritzker endorses Biden
Good Wednesday morning.
INSIDE THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS … BURGESS EVERETT and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “McConnell courts GOP and Trump amid tensions over impeachment witnesses”: “On Tuesday, the GOP leader quietly invited Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah to his office to discuss strategy, according to people familiar with the meeting.
“During the 30-minute session, Cruz pitched McConnell on the idea of witness reciprocity — if Democrats want to hear from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton on the Ukraine scandal, then Republicans get to hear from Hunter Biden. McConnell was open to that message, said a source familiar with the discussion. Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) later raised the strategy to the broader Senate Republican Conference.”
IF ONLY IMPEACHMENT HADN’T WRAPPED UP … “House Dems release new impeachment evidence related to indicted Giuliani associate,” by Andrew Desiderio: “The House Intelligence Committee released new evidence on Tuesday related to the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, including information turned over by Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. …
“The material released on Tuesday contains several handwritten notes, emails, encrypted messages, and other documents that underscore the close relationship between Parnas and Giuliani, who was actively pursuing an effort last year to push the Ukrainian government to announce investigations targeting Trump’s political rivals. The documents also complicate one of Trump’s oft-stated defenses of his actions toward Ukraine.
“A previously undisclosed May 2019 letter from Giuliani to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the tranche of documents the Democrat-led committee made public on Tuesday … Giuliani asked for a half-hour meeting with Zelensky … and Giuliani made clear that he was acting with Trump’s ‘knowledge and consent’ and in his capacity as a ‘personal’ attorney for the president.” The documents
— WOW … WAPO: “The text messages and documents … also show that before the ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, was removed from her post, a Parnas associate now running for Congress sent menacing text messages suggesting that he had Yovanovitch under surveillance in Ukraine. A lawyer for Yovanovitch said Tuesday that the episode should be investigated.”
HAPPENING TODAY … PELOSI will announce the impeachment managers at 10 a.m. in the Capitol. … At 5 p.m., Pelosi will sign the bill, and printed copies of the articles will be marched to the Senate by the managers; Cheryl Johnson, who is the clerk of the House; and Paul Irving, the sergeant-at-arms.
WE WOULD BE REMISS not to speak out forcefully here about the restrictive rules being imposed on the Capitol Hill press corps for the pending impeachment trial. They are ridiculous. This is a big moment in American history, and the American people are getting shut out.
ROLL CALL’S KATHERINE TULLY MCMANUS lays it out: “When the articles of impeachment are delivered to the Senate, a procession full of pomp and circumstance, just one video camera and no still photographers will be allowed to document the historic moment. No audio recording at all will be permitted, leaving radio reporters empty handed. …
“During the trial, a single press pen will be set up on the second floor of the Senate, where lawmakers enter and exit the chamber. Reporters will be confined to the pen, unable to move with senators. No movement will be allowed outside of the corrals and reporters and photographers will need to be escorted to and from the pen. …
“Credentialed members of the media, who go through security screening to enter the Capitol each day, will be screened a second time to enter the Senate chamber to watch the trial proceedings. Magnetometers will be set up in the Senate Daily Press Gallery, requiring reporters to enter the chamber one by one after being cleared by Capitol Police operating the machine.”
NYT’S CARL HULSE, a veteran Capitol Hill reporter for the New York Times, put it this way: “Pretty much an outrage. Either Senate Republican leadership has no interest in recording history or perhaps they just want to play down the coming events altogether.”
BEHIND THE SCENES, via Marianne LeVine: Sen. ROY BLUNT (R-Mo.) used a PowerPoint presentation at lunch Tuesday to show how access to the Senate side would work during the impeachment trial, an attendee told LeVine. The presentation had pictures of different entry and exit points, including locations for media. According to the attendee, Blunt joked that based on the information, members who wanted to avoid reporters could do so, while others who wanted to talk to the press would know where to go.
— KLOBUCHAR post-debate told CBS: “No, I don’t support [the restrictions] and I have been in contact with both sides on this issue. I’ve made [that] very clear. I’ve talked with Sen. Blunt about this, that I thought we should have open access for the press.”
“I think this is a big mistake. I see no reason why you wouldn’t have an open hearing. I actually wanted to open the hearing more and allow laptops to be used in the press gallery. … I’m a staunch believer in the First Amendment, and I think this is wrong.” The clip
— WE’RE TOLD the rules are not yet 100% set.
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FWIW … IT APPEARS NEARLY CERTAIN NOW that TRUMP will deliver his Feb. 4 State of the Union in the middle of the impeachment trial.
NEW … CHAD PERGRAM — a longtime fixture on Capitol Hill — is now a congressional correspondent for Fox News. He previously was a senior Capitol Hill producer at the network.
DCCC PICKS UP FROM KAMALA’S CAMPAIGN — The DCCC has hired Kirsten Allen as deputy comms director, Erica Kwiatkowski as regional political director, Pavitra Abraham for constituency organizing and as regional field director, Missayr Boker as deputy IE director and Emilie Pollock as regional field director.
TRUMP’S WEDNESDAY — The president will greet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in the Oval Office at 11:15 a.m. He will participate in the signing of the U.S.-China trade deal at 11:30 a.m. in the East Room. The two will have lunch in the State Dining Room at 12:15 p.m. Trump will meet with Defense Secretary Mark Esper at 2:15 p.m. in the Oval Office.
— THE EXPECTED ATTENDEES of the signing of the China deal, per the White House.
PLAYBOOK READS
TRADE WARS — “Tech Tensions Simmer in Washington as U.S., China Near Trade Truce,” by WSJ’s Bob Davis and Katy Stech Ferek: “The U.S. and China are about to declare a pause in their trade war by signing an initial pact this week, but a continuing battle over technology is bound to keep relations between the two superpowers on edge.
“The Trump administration’s immediate focus is tightening restrictions on Huawei Technologies Co., the giant Chinese telecommunications company that the White House and Congress view as a national-security threat. The Commerce Department recently sent to the Office of Management and Budget regulations that would largely eliminate a loophole that allowed U.S. companies to sell to Huawei from their overseas facilities, people familiar with the matter said.” WSJ
NYT’S MICHAEL CROWLEY on A9: “Trump, Like Obama, Seeks Change in Iran. But He Differs in How to Do It”: “President Trump and his senior officials insist they do not seek ‘regime change’ in a military sense. But they clearly would not mind seeing their campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ against Iran, now reinforced by the killing of its most valued military leader, result in a drastic upheaval — and possibly even fall — of Iran’s theocratic government.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest remarks on Iran
— BACKSTORY: “How one Democrat convinced Republicans to vote to curb Trump’s Iran moves,” by Marianne LeVine
— “Poll: Majority supports Trump’s decision to not strike back against Iran,” by Quint Forgey: “An overwhelming majority of voters support President Donald Trump’s decision to not pursue military action against Iran last week after Tehran launched a missile strike targeting two air bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found.
“The survey was conducted in the days after Trump addressed the nation in the wake of the assault on the Iraqi installations — which resulted in no American casualties — and sought to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran that had steadily heightened since late last month.
“Seventy-one percent of those surveyed in the poll said they approved of Trump’s decision to not attack Iran, with 43 percent ‘strongly’ approving and 28 percent ‘somewhat’ approving. Only 14 percent disapproved of the president’s decision, and 15 percent said they did not know or had no opinion.” POLITICO … The poll
A message from the National Retail Federation:
Federal privacy legislation should preserve customer services and benefits, so things like rewards and loyalty programs don’t go away.
FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK … AP/NEW YORK: “Michael Avenatti arrested in court”
LATE BREAKING … “Michael Flynn seeking to withdraw guilty plea,” by Josh Gerstein: “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn — the only Trump administration official to face criminal prosecution in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — is seeking to withdraw the guilty plea he offered more than two years ago to a charge of making false statements to the FBI.
“The move, made just two weeks before Flynn is supposed to face his long-delayed sentencing, follows Flynn’s shift to more confrontational defense lawyers about half a year ago and an ensuing, acrimonious showdown with prosecutors over the retired Army general’s planned testimony in a related case.” POLITICO
NEW STEPHEN MILLER EMAIL DUMP — SPLC: “Miller Dismisses DACA in Emails, Mirroring Anti-Immigrant Extremists’ Views”
MURDOCH VS. MURDOCH … THE DAILY BEAST’S LACHLAN CARTWRIGHT: “In a long-simmering rift between factions of the Murdoch family over climate change, Rupert’s younger son, James, and his activist wife, Kathryn, are attacking the climate denialism promoted by News Corporation, the global media group, and also by the Fox News Channel overseen by James’ older brother, Lachlan.
“‘Kathryn and James’ views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known,’ a spokesperson for the couple exclusively told The Daily Beast as wildfires rage in Australia. ‘They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary.’ Daily Beast
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.
SPOTTED at Esther Coopersmith’s 90th birthday party at her Kalorama residence Tuesday: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Joanna Breyer, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Franki Roberts, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Katherine Van Hollen, Anthony and Mary Kennedy, Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Pete King (R-N.Y.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) …
… Ann and Lloyd Hand, Susan Blumenthal, Kathy “Coach” Kemper, Ed and Marie Royce, Henry Waxman, Loretta Sanchez, Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall and Greta Mulhall, Judge William Webster and Lynda Webster, Chuck and Lynda Robb, Capricia Marshall, John and Diana Negroponte, Diana Enzi, Jim and Janet Blanchard, Janet Pitt, Lucky Roosevelt and Kathleen Kennedy.
TRANSITION — Brad Whitford, not to be confused with the “West Wing” actor, is now SVP and creative director at DDC Public Affairs. He previously was VP and design director at the Glover Park Group.
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Lorraine Voles, VP for external relations at George Washington University. What she’s reading: “‘Midnight Assassin’ by Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf. It combines two of my passions, true crime and Iowa. Margaret Hossack was accused of killing her husband in 1900 in Indianola, Iowa (Warren County), as he slept in their bed. The story was big news in Iowa and famously reported by Susan Glaspell for the Des Moines Daily.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Dan Scavino …Hawaii Gov. David Ige is 63 … CNN’s Jeremy Diamond … Mark Penn, president of the Stagwell Group, is 66 … Sarah Kliff, NYT investigative reporter … New Yorker staff writer Jon Lee Anderson is 63 … Stuart Eizenstat, senior counsel at Covington and Burling, is 77 … Jonny Hiler, principal at Miller Strategies … Deesha Dyer … Robin Goldman … Scott Hall … Invernergy’s Andrew Wills (h/t Mitchell Rivard) … Chuck Babington … Carol Kellermann (h/t Jon Haber) … Pat White … Adam Levine … POLITICO’s Wesley Morgan … Valeri Vasquez … Lisa Zamosky … Lisa Garcia … Jaymi Light, health policy director for Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and the pride of Westchester, N.Y. (h/t Kevin Dowling) … Matthew Hoeck, scheduler for Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), is 26 (h/t Lauren French) … IPCC’s Jonathan Lynn is 65 … Jason Larrabee is 47 … Jeff Carroll, staff director for the House Energy and Commerce Dems (h/t Justin Davey) …
… Scott Stanzel, managing VP of corporate communications at Capital One … Sam Schulz … David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Inc., is 6-0 … Katherine LaBeau … Brookings Brexit expert Amanda Sloat … Dale Bishop is 3-0 … Don Sapatkin … Joe Fuld (h/t Teresa Vilmain) … Mina Hamblet … Alison Percich … Rebecca Haller … Claire DeMatteis, Delaware commissioner of correction, is 55 (h/t Michael Marquardt) … Sarah Svoboda, BBC North America producer (h/t Ben Chang) … WaPo’s Aaron Gregg is 3-0 … Airbnb’s Margaret Richardson and Christopher Nulty … Belgian PM Sophie Wilmès … Adam Sexton … Spencer Chretien … Erin Lardy … Daniel Arkin … Mike Hoffman … Stephen Lewis … Lisa (Burgess) Belot … Melissa Green, partner at Rational360 … David Agnew … Joe Coletti … Jordan Ray … Gregory Ehrlich … Alex Xu … James Thompson is 4-0 … Toni Verstandig … Todd McKinley … Israr Khan … Bruce Schneier is 57
A message from the National Retail Federation:
Why is a comprehensive federal privacy law important to enact now? As businesses leverage new technologies to meet consumers’ growing expectations for personalization and a seamless experience between online and in-store shopping, consumers are sharing an increasing amount of data. But states are crafting and enacting privacy laws that don’t require all businesses – such as third-party businesses which consumers don’t even know exist – to protect consumers’ personal information. If this trend continues, it’s American consumers who stand to lose the most. It’s time for federal data privacy legislation that will provide a uniform and fair framework for consumers and businesses alike, across all industry sectors. Learn more at
- Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
- Jake Sherman @JakeSherman
THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineThe morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors. (AP)Ukraine prosecutor offered information related to Biden for ambassador’s ouster, records showThe cache of documents included menacing messages written by an associate of Lev Parnas suggesting he had then-U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch under surveillance.IMPEACHMENT ● By Paul Sonne, Rosalind Helderman and Tom Hamburger ● Read more » Impeachment spotlight turns to key question: whether to call witnessesA group of influential swing GOP senators is pushing to hold a vote on whether to call witnesses later in the proceedings. At the same time, the Senate’s right flank is increasingly making the case for a more aggressive posture in defense of President Trump.By Seung Min Kim, Elise Viebeck and Robert Costa ● Read more » House to vote on sending articles to Senate, launching historic trialThe vote ends one political standoff but sets the stage for an intense partisan fight in the heat of an election year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said opening arguments are unlikely to begin for another week.By Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis ● Read more » Democrats clash over views on war and peace — and gender in politicsIowa’s Democratic debate came just 20 days before the caucuses.By Matt Viser, Michael Scherer and Annie Linskey ● Read more » Winners and losers from the Iowa debateElizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders addressed their feud without damaging themselves, while Pete Buttigieg’s dull performance landed him in the loser column for the first time.The Fix | Analysis ● By Aaron Blake ● Read more » Warren-Sanders clash has been a story waiting to happenBernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren avoided open conflict in Tuesday’s debate, but they remain on a collision course.Analysis ● By Dan Balz ● Read more » Eight claims that caught our attentionHow truthful were the candidates in their assertions about the Iraq war, health care and more?Fact Checker | Analysis ● By Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo and Meg Kelly ● Read more » OpinionsDemocrats reason to hope for a happy ending. The debate shows why.By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » Can a woman be elected president? Let’s put that silly question behind us.By Karen Tumulty ● Read more » Klobuchar and Biden shine in the debate. The rest, not so much.By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » Why we’re introducing a resolution on war with IranBy Tim Kaine and Mike Lee ● Read more » A U.S. citizen died while jailed by the regime of Trump’s ‘favorite dictator’By Editorial Board ● Read more » This has to be one of the most successful failures in modern political historyImpeachment Diary ● By Dana Milbank ● Read more » More NewsMichael Flynn moves to withdraw guilty plea, claiming government ‘vindictiveness’Flynn, the highest-ranking Trump official charged and convicted in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian election interference, alleges that prosecutors demanded he testify falsely.By Spencer Hsu ● Read more » Iranians vent rage at both the U.S. and their own leadersProtests over Iran’s downing of the passenger plane are clouding anger over the U.S. killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.By Erin Cunningham ● Read more » More than 100 billion pain pills were shipped nationwide over nine yearsNewly disclosed data reveals 24 billion additional pills were distributed during the epidemic.EXCLUSIVE ● By Steven Rich, Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz ● Read more » Michael Avenatti arrested for allegedly violating bail terms a week before federal trialAvenatti, who is accused of extorting Nike for up to $25 million and stealing millions of dollars from clients, was arrested by IRS agents during an appearance before the State Bar Court in Los Angeles.By Timothy Bella ● Read more » ‘Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time’: Here’s who won the fourth thrilling prime-time gameKen Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter competed again in another nerve-racking competition that came down to the final seconds.By Emily Yahr ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out Lean & Fit for expert advice on how to eat right, get lean and stay fit, including curated healthy recipes every Wednesday. Sign up » |
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| Wednesday, January 15, 2020 |
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| Wednesday, January 15, 2020 Ready, Set, Fight! Here are last night’s pre-debate predictions. How well did they stack up?Your guide to the seventh Democratic debate. (The Federalist)Why tonight’s debate could be way more aggressive than in the past. (Politico)No clear frontrunner as six candidates head into the debate. (Time)Contra Time, why it’ll come down to Biden v Bernie, and it’ll get tougher for Bernie if he doesn’t win Iowa. (The Federalist)Topics included foreign policy, trade, health care, higher education, childcare, and more. My least favorite moment of the debate was the cloying kumbaya about women candidates being more successful that was supposed to be Bernie calling out Warren for (in this editor’s opinion) likely lying about what he said to her back in 2018. Some background on that spat: Anonymous sources (*cough* Warren campaign *cough*) told CNN that Senator Bernie Sanders told his fellow Senator Elizabeth Warren that “a woman couldn’t win.” Sanders denies making the comments, saying instead that he warned Trump would weaponized “sexism” against Warren, and while I’m definitely no Bernie fan (see below), the characterization at CNN doesn’t really sound like something he would say. And lest we forget, Warren has a history of stretching the truth to make herself a victim. Ah, the battle between identity politics and socialism. As Henry Kissinger might say, what a pity both sides can’t lose (in the Democratic Party). More background at The Federalist in case you missed it in yesterday’s BRIGHT. Bernie Campaign Official Praises Stalin’s Gulags An undercover Project Veritas video captured Kyle Jurek, a campaign staffer for Bernie Sanders, advocating for violence if his preferred candidate is not elected or people dare to speak in ways that offend him. Jurek also crassly minimized the horrors of the gulags in the USSR that imprisoned up to 1.5 million people, where many of them died. Daily Wire reports on Jurek’s remarks: “’There’s a reason Joseph Stalin had gulags, right?’ Jurek said. ‘And actually, gulags were a lot better than what the CIA has told us that they were. Like, people were actually paid a living wage in gulags, they had conjugal visits in gulags, gulags were actually meant for like re-education.’” My own grandfather spent a couple years in a gulag work camp in Siberia, where I can definitively report he did not receive a “living wage.” Perhaps it’s unsurprising that a Senator who has always had kind words for brutal Communist regimes from the USSR itself to Cuba, Venezuela, and most recently, Bolivia would hire someone with such fanciful and offensive views about Communism’s horrors. But a serious media would hold him to account, and perhaps publish the stories of those who lived under socialist regimes for the many Americans who remain sadly uneducated about the realities of that system. #ImpeachGate Update: Impeachment Finally Advances – Or Does It? Nancy Pelosi has finally sent over articles of impeachment, but the shape of the trial to come in the Senate is far from clear. More from The Hill: “Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told reporters on Monday that the Senate Republican caucus doesn’t have the votes to dismiss the articles of impeachment against President Trump, who endorsed an “outright dismissal” over the weekend. “I think our members generally are not interested in a motion to dismiss. … Certainly there aren’t 51 votes for a motion to dismiss,” Blunt, the No. 4 Senate Republican, told reporters after a closed-door leadership meeting. Republicans have warned for months that they will not dismiss the two articles of impeachment against Trump, predicting a trial will end with votes on either acquitting or convicting him.” Fashion Moment of the Week Every year, Zara has a huge winter sale. The fashion-favorite budget brand does little to advertise its blowout, so here I am, reminding all of you BRIGHT readers that now’s the time to scoop up your fav pieces from winter coats and blazers to dresses, blouses, and shoes. Almost the whole store is on sale! I myself scooped up a couple of my latest obsession: patterned tops with strong 80s shoulders. This suggestion list from Refinery 29 is a good start if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the riches. Wednesday Links Usually, celeb endorsements bring eye rolls. But for someone lacking name recognition like Andrew Yang, getting Dave Chappelle’s endorsement might be a huge deal. (The Federalist) But here’s your celebrity eye roll: Vince Vaughn is still facing backlash for daring to shake the President’s hand at a football game. (Independent) For the first time in 26 years, not a single metropolitan area in the U.S. saw personal income per capita fall, showing that this economy is not just strong for one area of the country. (Yahoo Finance) Full trans insanity in Canada: court rules a 15-year-old girl’s father cannot prevent her from taking male hormones after her school and doctors began treating her as male at age 12. (The Federalist) Marion Smith beautifully memorializes Sir Roger Scruton. (The Federalist) This could be good: the new James Bond theme will be written and performed by Billie Eilish, while the rest of the soundtrack will be by famed composer Hans Zimmer. (Deadline)BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist. |
| Today’s BRIGHT Editor Inez Feltscher Stepman is a senior policy analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum and a senior contributor to The Federalist. She is a San Francisco Bay Area native with a BA in Philosophy from UCSD and a JD from the University of Virginia. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Jarrett Stepman, her puggle Thor, and her cat Thaddeus Kosciuszko. You can follow her on Twitter at @inezfeltscher and on Instagram (for #ootd, obvi) under the same handle. Opinions expressed on this website are her own and not those of her employers. Or her husband.Copyright © BRIGHT, All rights reserved. www.GetBRIGHTemail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Note: By using some of the links above, Bright may be compensated through the Amazon Affiliate program and Magic Links. However, none of this content is sponsored and all opinions are our own. |
THE DISPATCH
| The Morning Dispatch: A Clunker of a Democratic Debate Plus, Justin Amash asks: “Is there any better time to have a president who might be not from either party?”The Dispatch StaffJan 15 Happy Wednesday! Yesterday, for the first time ever, all 11 Dispatch staff were in the same room at the same time. We traveled from distant lands—Tennessee, Ohio, northeastern D.C.—to be together and map out all the great things we plan to build in the coming months and years (plus lots of trust falls, three-legged races, and other team-building exercises). Quick Hits: What You Need To KnowThe House of Representatives will vote on sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate today.At the same time, House Democrats continue to release new information related to President Trump and Rudy Giuliani’s campaign in Ukraine, including evidence suggesting that Giuliani associates were tracking the movements of then-ambassador Marie Yovanovitch early last year as their campaign to have her ousted ramped up.The Senate is expected to pass a Democratic war powers resolution disapproving of further military action in Iran, which President Trump will likely veto.France, Germany, and the United Kingdom accused Iran of failing to meet its commitments under the JCPOA (nuclear deal). Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former pick for national security adviser and one of the early casualties of the Russia investigation, is attempting to withdraw the guilty plea he entered on charges of lying to the FBI in late 2017. The Iowa Debate: Much Ado About Nothing No candidate from either party has gone on to win its party’s nomination after coming in fifth in the Iowa caucus. With six people on the stage last night and less than three weeks until caucus night, this means that last night’s debate was the last chance for the candidates to contrast their records on a national stage and change votes heading into Iowa. And, for at least two of the candidates debating last night, it might have been a last stop.And yet this debate never had the feeling of a “do or die” moment for anyone on the stage. Elizabeth Warren is currently sitting in fourth place in Iowa but seemed distracted or just uninterested during the foreign policy questions in the first 30 minutes of the debate. Amy Klobuchar, more than any other candidate on that stage, has to outperform expectations in Iowa but fell back on talking points she had used at several previous debates, including James Madison’s height. And Tom Steyer, who has already spent $106 million, is below the 15 percent delegate threshold in every state and had difficulty articulating why he was on that stage. And what happened with the rumble in the progressive jungle? As we wrote yesterday, on Monday an anonymously sourced CNN story alleged that Bernie Sanders once told Warren that a woman couldn’t beat Donald Trump in 2020—an accusation seemingly designed to lend new credence to old accusations that Sanders is a misogynist incapable of expanding the Democrat Party’s double digit lead with women against Donald Trump. Bernie had categorically denied the story, so all eyes were on Warren to see whether she would insist on live TV that the exchange had really taken place.When the question went to him, Sanders strongly repudiated the allegation once more: “As a matter of fact, I didn’t say it. Anybody who knows me knows that it’s incomprehensible that I think a woman cannot be president of the United States… In 2015, I deferred, in fact, to Senator Warren. There was a movement to draft Senator Warren to run for president. And you know what? I stayed back.”The CNN moderators, oddly, did not ask Warren whether Bernie was lying. Instead, perhaps because CNN broke the original story that included the allegation, they proceeded as though it had already been proven that he was: “Senator Warren, what did you think when Sen. Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?”“I disagreed,” Warren replied. The exchange set the tone for the evening. Missed opportunities and pulled punches. For Iowa voters just tuning into this race for the first time last night, they didn’t hear any candidate make a strong case to switch their votes. The debates don’t appear to have mattered much so far, but last night was an opportunity for a candidate to change that. Nobody on that stage seemed to want to. Is Justin Amash Running for President?There are millions of moments, and billions of decisions, that will ultimately determine the next president and the next four years of the American experiment. But few will be as consequential as the decision now looming before a reserved, quirky, classical liberal from south central Michigan.The 2016 presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was decided by 77,744 votes, split between three states: Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Rep. Justin Amash received nearly three times as many that year (203,545) running to continue on as the representative of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District. After winning re-election in 2018, however, Amash’s frustration with the GOP and its current leader led him to leave the party he’d called home for more than a decade. And with his new independence came calls for him to make good on his criticism of both political parties with a third-party run for president.Amash hasn’t committed to a run. But he hasn’t ruled one out, either. And with the incredible volatility in American politics over the past two decades, marked by the record-low faith in Washington and the institutions of the federal government, taking such a leap seems less crazy today than it might have just a few years ago.As Amash himself put it last week: “Is there any better time to have a president who might be not from either party?”So, is he running? Maybe. Declan talked to the newly independent Michigan congressman last week seeking answers that question and many others. Be sure to check out the full piece here, but we’ve pulled out a few key snippets below. Amash is thinking about running for president.Since his Independence Day declaration, Republicans and Democrats alike have watched Amash carefully for signs he’d be open to running for president. They’re unmistakable.“I’ll say what I’ve said before, I haven’t ruled it out,” Amash said, the closest he came to sounding like a traditional politician. “But I’m running for Congress as an independent in my district. I’m very excited about that. I feel very good about that.”He wants to be clear that he’s not abandoning his re-election bid—yet. “Just to be clear, I am running for office as an independent for, you know, my congressional seat. And I’ve filed for that, and you know, we’re, we’re doing what it takes to, to win that race.”One more time. He begins to speak more cautiously.“At some point you’ll be at, we’ll be at the point where I have to rule out, you know, running for president. And I’m not at that point yet. But, you know, we’re probably getting closer to that point now. If you’re going to run a campaign for president, you need enough time to run a strong campaign and you need enough time to win the campaign. I’m not running for president unless I believe I can win.”If Amash doesn’t like the questions, he has no one but himself to blame. He’s long played coy with the idea, repeatedly, as he mentioned, refusing to rule out the possibility. When asked to describe the ideal Libertarian party presidential candidate at Students for Liberty’s LibertyCon last spring, he said that candidate would be wearing Air Jordans—coincidentally the shoes he had on at the time. Republican strategist Karl Rove, on the likely impact of an Amash run. “It’s unclear whether or not Amash will specifically split the anti-Trump vote or whether he will have the ability to draw away people who might otherwise be inclined to vote for Trump. I think it’s more likely that he would split the anti-Trump vote.” Amash took the Trumpification of the House Freedom Caucus hard.On May 20, 2019, the bloc, now boasting more than 30 members, unanimously condemned their co-founder when Amash determined—after the release of the Mueller Report—that President Trump had “engaged in impeachable conduct.” Three-and-a-half weeks later, Amash quit the group of limited-government stalwarts he helped create.They “sanctioned him for coming out in favor of impeachment in the same week that like, they increased the debt by another trillion dollars or something,” Welch said, referring to a two-year budget deal that was floated at the time, but ultimately never came to fruition. “It’s like, what is the use of this group?”“As soon as you had a Republican president, and especially one who is fairly charismatic and entertaining and can rally a lot of people,” Amash said, choosing his words very carefully, “Republicans totally mailed it in. They said, ‘Look, we’re just going to go with this guy on everything.’ And when I started to see even my House Freedom Caucus colleagues do that, it was really disheartening.”“This is a group that had formed,” he continued, “for the purpose of standing on principle, standing up for the American people, doing what was right, ensuring that all voices were heard. And now, the group had moved more toward Trump cheerleading and that’s not why the group was formed. And that was really tough.” Amash loved … John Boehner?Okay, he didn’t really love the former GOP speaker. But Amash says he has a newfound appreciation for him.“I think John Boehner is the best speaker that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Amash. “And I say that as someone who tried to oust him from the speakership!”And:“Boehner would swear at me, he would curse me, he would criticize me in public,” Amash recounted with a grin, almost fondly. “But he also, in some sense, would listen. He didn’t dismiss you totally. You could engage with him. You could have some back and forth. He might swear at you, but then also allow you to have an amendment vote.”Amendment votes might just be—aside from his family, the Detroit Pistons, and Friedrich Hayek—Amash’s favorite thing. He grew notorious in his first few years in Congress for his attempts to attach riders to larger bills aimed at curtailing what he calls “the surveillance state,” prioritizing the deficit, and limiting the executive branch’s war powers. Most of them failed to gain majority support, but several passed. In the Michigan legislature, Amash once noticed a missing comma in a piece of legislation; he introduced an amendment to remedy the crisis. That one passed, too. Worth Your TimeOn Monday, Major League Baseball handed down its penalties against the Houston Astros after an investigation found they cheated by stealing signs via video during their World Series-winning 2017 season. The year-long suspension of the Astros’ GM and manager and heavy draft pick confiscations showed MLB is willing to come down hard on teams that countenance cheating—or so it seemed. This deeply reported piece from ESPN’s Jeff Passan may convince you otherwise, showing how lightly the league treaded around Astros owner Jim Crane, who comes out the other side with a World Series ring in his pocket, painstakingly exonerated by MLB, smelling like a rose. With the impeachment trial finally beginning in earnest, no one knows exactly how it will unfold. But Lawfare’s Benjamin Wittes and Quinta Jurecic have a pretty good prediction: By design, it’ll be a boring affair, for the simple reason that the Republican Party has grown perfectly predictable. “There is no real doubt about how Trump will respond to the events of the trial,” they write in The Atlantic. “Trump will react to impeachment precisely as one expects him to react, and the Republican Party will act as though his reactions, just like his abuses of power toward Ukraine, are normal.”It’s early, but the plight of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn might just be the most insane story of 2020. Arrested in Japan on charges of white collar crime in 2018, Ghosn recently orchestrated an escape, smuggling himself out of Japan and into Lebanon in a box. Read Matthew Campbell’s excellent reporting in Bloomberg on how it all went down. Presented Without Commentandrew kaczynski@KFILEwhen you came to class but forgot to do the reading January 15th 202052 Retweets256 Likes Something FunNathaniel Rateliff released the title track of his upcoming solo album last Friday, and one of your Morning Dispatchers has probably listened to it at least 30 times since then. Check out “And It’s Still Alright” below. Toeing the Company LineIn Tuesday’s edition of the French Press, David took a look at a thorny truth for Bernie Sanders’ progressive fans: the socialist senator has no real plan to deal with the congressional GOP obstructing his ambitious policy agenda. And hell hath no fury like a utopian thwarted. Give it a read here. Vital Interests, The Dispatch’s newest addition to the newsletter ranks, is debuting later today. Tom Joscelyn, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, will be writing weekly about foreign policy, national security, and the threats we face. Be sure to subscribe to get it in your inbox here. Let Us KnowApparently other teams around baseball think the Houston Astros—who lost their manager, general manager, four draft picks, and $5 million—got off easy in the aftermath of their sign-stealing scandal. What additional punishments should Major League Baseball have levied against the cheaters?They aren’t allowed to use signs at all—the catcher will have no idea what the pitcher is throwing, and base coaches can’t tell runners what to do.They have to ship Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez and perennial MVP candidate Alex Bregman to the Cubs. Why the Cubs? Because this is our newsletter and we get to make the rules, that’s why.Every single Astros player suspended for 30 games—they’ll have to host tryouts in Houston to field a JV team through the entire month of April. They can only use wiffle ball bats for the 2020 season. Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes). You’re on the free list for The Morning Dispatch. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber. Subscribe © 2020 Steve Hayes Unsubscribe PO Box 720263, San Francisco, CA 94172 |
LIBERTY NATION
| Daily BriefingCONSERVATIVE NEWS | LIBERTARIAN NEWS | COMMENTARYVISIT LibertyNation.com FROM OUR NEWSROOMDem Debate: Dull and Dreary in the Blue CocoonBy Joe SchaefferA promising start ended in tedium in Des Moines.Click Here What America’s Thinking45% of likely U.S. voters believe Trump should nominate someone to fill any Supreme Court position that opens up this year. 49% disagree and say that should be a job for whoever wins the 2020 election.39% of voters agree with Trump’s statement earlier this week: “… Iraq was the worst decision. Going into the Middle East was the worst decision ever made in the history of our country.”49% of voters approve of President Trump’s job performance.Just 24% of all voters think the upcoming trial in the Senate will result in Trump’s removal from office. As Democratic Primaries Tighten, Who Has the Money to Fight On?By Graham J NobleDwindling campaign chests continue to claim Dem 2020 hopefuls, but which ones still pull in the dollars?Click Here Washington WhispersComing down the pipeline:Michael Flynn has asked a court to let him withdraw his guilty plea on charges of lying to the FBI just two weeks before he is set to be sentenced.President Trump said he agreed with the suggestion to replace the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal with a new pact negotiated by his own administration.The U.S. political and media elite have warned any journalist who might think of publishing (or even looking at) material potentially hacked from Ukrainian gas firm Burisma that they may be handing the 2020 election to Russia.Members of Bernie Sanders’ campaign team were recorded by Project Veritas saying that Trumpers would be sent to Gulag-style re-education centers. Read Our Latest BookBy Liberty Nation StaffThe Second American Revolution: Tech Tyranny and Digital DespotsClick Here Your Daily Political DevotionalA Glimpse at What’s Hot in the PolitisphereWith news that Burisma Holdings may have been hacked, some in the media are already suggesting that journalists avoid even “looking” at the material when it eventually comes out. They state that real information will be mixed with false information in order to harm Joe Biden if he becomes the Democratic Party nominee. Since when was it the media’s job to discourage its own from evaluating and assessing the veracity of information? Could this be further proof that the media are biased toward any candidate that isn’t President Trump? Immigration Roundup: The End of Catch and ReleaseBy Kelli BallardOperation Remain-in-Mexico begins this month.Click Here News RoundupWe’ve Surfed The Web for YouDespite Overwhelming ‘Whiteness,’ This Year’s Oscar Nominations Show The Academy Awards Might Actually Be FunKate Bock Shares Scandalous Picture On InstagramTrump’s In-Kind Contribution to Bernie By Patrick J. Buchanan‘Rigged’: Critics Cry Foul as CNN Debate Slants Against Bernie SandersTom Steyer’s red plaid tie trends during Democratic debate Liberty Nation On The Go: Listen to Today’s Top News 01.15.20By Liberty Nation StaffConservative News – Hot Off The Press – Audio Playlist – AD FREEClick Here WATCH NOWFEATURED LNTVLNTV: Illinois Lets Gun Owners In On New Marijuana Rules – WATCH NOW!LNTV: Bernie Closing In On Biden – WATCH NOW!LNTV: 2019 Moments Haunting 2020 Democrats – WATCH NOW! The Rabbit Hole: Retaliation or Revenge? Check out one of our podcasts!Subscribe and get notified of new arrivals.SUBSCRIBELNTV: 2019 Moments Haunting 2020 Democrats – WATCH NOW! Check out one of our videos!View the latest Liberty Nation videos on YouTube.WATCH NOW© 2019 Liberty Nation. All Rights Reserved.This email was sent to rickbulow1974@gmail.com Why did I get this? Unsubscribe from this list. Update subscription preferences. LibertyNation.com is a project of One Generation Away · 1629 K Street NW · Washington, DC 20006 · USA |
THE HILL
| © Getty Images Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It’s Wednesday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe! The House is set to vote today to send the two articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate after holding onto them for nearly a month as the upper chamber continues to prepare for the trial to get underway in earnest next week. As part of that preparation, senators remain locked in a public back-and-forth over witnesses appearing at the trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) decried calls from Senate Democrats for fresh witnesses, saying they want the chamber to go “fishing” during the trial (The Hill). The GOP leader also indicated that he is open to bringing Hunter Biden to testify about his dealings with Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, if Democrats proceed with their push to have former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, among others, testify. “We’ll be dealing with the witness issue at the appropriate time into the trial, and I think it’s certainly appropriate to point out that both sides would want to call witnesses that they wanted to hear from,” McConnell told reporters when asked about GOP senators who want the son of former Vice President Joe Biden to testify. “When you get to that issue, I can’t imagine that only the witnesses that our Democratic colleagues would want to call would be called” (The Hill). With the House vote coming down the rails today, one thing that remains unknown is which lawmakers will serve as managers for the trial. According to Cristina Marcos, Scott Wong and Mike Lillis, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) are widely expected to serve as managers, along with others from their committees. Among those whose names are being floated are Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). They declined to discuss their roles or the expected list of managers. The Hill: House poised to hand impeachment articles to Senate. The Hill: Senate braces for Trump impeachment trial. On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the president’s legal team is readying for the upcoming trial, which will take place in part while Trump and his aides are out of the country at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. As Morgan Chalfant and Brett Samuels write, White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his team of lawyers, as well as the president’s personal attorney Jay Sekulow, have planned for weeks in the event of a trial to challenge the pair of articles that charge the president with abuse of power. “We’ve been prepared to proceed as early as mid-December,” Sekulow told The Hill. GOP senators expect the trial to extend beyond Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 4, meaning it could continue through the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3 and possibly the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11. That would complicate the presidential bids of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) while they work to mobilize support in the early-voting states (The Hill). The Hill: GOP senators say impeachment rules won’t include motion to dismiss. The New York Times: Trump’s impeachment trial a perilous duty for Chief Justice John Roberts. Roll Call: Impeachment trial security crackdown will limit Capitol press access. The wait is also on for the Senate to release the resolution that will lay out the rules from the outset of the trial. Some in the GOP are weighing whether to allow a vote to dismiss the trial because such a vote does not have sufficient support in the Senate. However, a growing number of senators want the opportunity to call new trial witnesses. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is leading such an effort with outreach to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and others. “My position is that there should be a vote on whether or not witnesses should be called,” Collins said (The Associated Press). Elsewhere, House Democrats released a load of new documents they obtained from Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani. The documents revealed new details about the push to oust former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate the Bidens (The Hill). According to the documents, Giuliani requested a private meeting with Zelensky with the “knowledge and consent” of Trump. They also included handwritten notes by Parnas Ritz-Carlton hotel stationary from Vienna. Though the notes are undated, one refers to the need to “get Zalensky [sic] to Annouce [sic] that the Biden case will be Investigated,” ending with asterisks around Giuliani’s name (NBC News). The Washington Post: Ukraine prosecutor offered information related to Biden in exchange for ambassador’s ouster, newly released materials show. Daily Beast: Meet the Trump donor who allegedly stalked America’s ambassador in Ukraine. And read his Tuesday text response on Tuesday to The Associated Press. READ: House docs on Giuliani associate Lev Parnas’s texts, notes. © Getty Images LEADING THE DAYCAMPAIGNS & POLITICS: The 2020 Democratic primary field debating in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday night holstered their familiar weaponry against one another from the stump and largely took aim at Trump during the seventh debate of the primary process. While the four top-tier candidates are bunched together in polling in early voting states, none scored a breakout debate moment. And none of the six candidates on the stage stumbled badly during the final televised debate event before Hawkeye State Democrats head to the polls in 19 days. In recent days, headlines have centered on the emerging feud between Sanders and Warren, the two most prominent progressives, particularly over a private meeting in December 2018 during which Sanders allegedly opined that a woman cannot win in 2020. The Vermont Independent forcefully denied the report this week, and did so again on Tuesday night. “As a matter of fact, I didn’t say it,” Sanders said. “Anyone who knows me knows that it is incomprehensible that I do not think a woman could be president of the United States.” (The Hill). Warren gave no ground, saying that Sanders did make the remark. “Bernie is my friend, and I’m not here to fight with my friend,” she said after her point was made. She quickly pivoted from battling with the Vermont senator to talking up female candidates’ winning track record, pointing to the election success she and Klobuchar have enjoyed. “Look at the men on this stage,” she added. “Collectively they have lost 10 elections.” The Hill: Warren: Women on stage the only ones undefeated in elections. “Thanks, Elizabeth,” Klobuchar responds in agreement. The Associated Press: Warren makes debate case: Democratic women can beat Trump. Biden showed a flash of emotion after a largely low-energy night when asked at the end of the debate whether he might wilt under Trump’s campaign barrage if he becomes the nominee. Arguing that Trump wants to run on the economy, Biden said he advocates for the middle class and those trying to climb. “They’re being clobbered. They’re being killed,” he said, noting wryly that he’s been the “object of Trump’s affection” for months and has held up under the pummeling. “I’m looking forward to the economic debate.” For the second straight debate, it was a strong night for Klobuchar, who made her presence felt on a number of topics. On healthcare, she battled with Sanders over the strength of a public option compared with the expensive “Medicare for All” proposals he and Warren champion. “If you want to be practical and progressive at the same time, and have a plan and not a pipe dream, then you have to show how you’re going to pay for it,” Klobuchar said. “And I would also note, practically, that the Affordable Care Act right now is 10 points more popular than the president of the United States.” Niall Stanage: Five takeaways from the Democratic debate. The Hill: Sanders, Warren exchange underscores Iowa stakes. The Associated Press analysis: Dems strain for civility, contrasts burst through. The Hill: Biden, Sanders tangle on the Iraq vote. The Hill: Sanders stands alone in opposition to U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Hill: Biden slams Trump on Soleimani strike: “He flat-out lied.” Candidates are scheduled to debate for the eighth time during the primary process on Feb. 7, just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11. Those who qualify will assemble on at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., for a broadcast anchored by ABC with partners WMUR-TV and Apple News. Next month, there are three scheduled debates during an 18-day span. © Getty Images > Trump in Milwaukee: The president rallied Wisconsin supporters on Tuesday night by defending his decision to kill a top Iranian general. At the same time in Washington, Democrats vowed to remove him from office, and Democratic presidential candidates used a debate in Iowa to argue that Trump has made the country less safe. The contrast on Iran in nearly real time was a stark reminder about the nation’s political divide, including on national security, the Middle East and terrorism (The Associated Press). The New York Times: Trump and his aides are focused for now on two rivals (neither is the front-runner). The Hill: Trump touts killing of “son of a bitch” Soleimani. The Hill: Trump suggests LBJ is in hell. “He’s probably looking down — or looking up.” IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKESADMINISTRATION & WHITE HOUSE: After more than a year of fitful negotiations and uncertainty between the United States and China over trade and intellectual property, Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are scheduled this morning to sign a “phase one” agreement and release 86 pages of details. The two countries agreed that existing U.S. tariffs are to remain in place until after the November elections as an enforcement mechanism — and an unmistakable sign that Trump sees his approach to China as a reelection selling point (Bloomberg News). Businesses remain concerned that commitments by Beijing, including purchases of U.S. agricultural products, will not be enforceable. News that tariffs will remain in place for at least another 10 months sent stock prices lower. China hawks remain dubious that the deal will resolve Beijing’s reputation for violating terms of such agreements (The Hill). Barron’s reported five broad areas of progress in the phase one agreement, which is to be followed immediately with negotiations for a second phase that Trump has said won’t wrap up until after the elections. Trump initially predicted next phases of talks will be more difficult with China, which is why trade watchers are eager to see today’s details. Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit with China shrank in 2019 (The Wall Street Journal). The Associated Press: U.S.-China pact signing to ease tension but leave much undone. > Mexico & Canada: A measure to implement the administration’s trade accord negotiated with Mexico and Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement comes before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this morning. The question among many businesses and labor groups is whether a Senate floor vote happens before an impeachment trial gets underway next week. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said during an interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday that he believes a vote by the full Senate on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will take place next week. The Senate may relegate the six-day-a-week impeachment trial to afternoons, he added, while other legislative business takes place in the mornings. > Department of Justice: Trump, Attorney General William Barr and lawmakers from both parties have pressed tech giant Apple to unlock iPhones belonging to a Saudi national accused of fatally shooting three Americans on Dec. 6 at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., before he was killed by authorities (The Hill). Apple has refused to unlock the password-protected devices but says it is providing assistance to the federal government, which labeled the shootings as terrorism (CNBC). Experts argue the FBI can unlock the phones without Apple’s help as a years-old debate continues between the government and tech companies about providing “backdoor” access so that law enforcement can override encryption (Bloomberg News). Trump voiced his objections to the company’s long-established stance via a tweet on Tuesday night: “We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW!” © Getty Images OPINIONDNC goof: Bloomberg should be on debate stage, by Liz Peek, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2RuoXEL Tehran could turn Trump into a regime changer, by Ilan Berman, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/3a9m0ll WHERE AND WHEN📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, with his reaction to the Iowa debate; Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 campaign communications director, also discusses the Democratic candidates and the debate in Des Moines; Cenk Uygur, host and founder of “The Young Turks,” joins with campaign analysis; and co-founder of Democracy at Work and Marxian economist Richard D. Wolff offers his take on the state of the U.S. economy. Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube. The House meets at 10 a.m. At noon, lawmakers will debate and vote on authorizing managers for the Senate impeachment trial following transmittal to the Senate of two articles against Trump alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. The president joins Chinese officials at the White House for the signing of a long-negotiated trade accord at 11:30 a.m. He will have lunch with Vice Premier Liu of China. Trump meets with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper at 2:15 p.m. The Hill hosts an event, “Mayors Matter: Deepening the Generational Compact in Communities,” next Tuesday in Washington from 2 to 4 p.m. with influential mayors from Michigan, Kansas and Florida and community leaders who describe contributions of older adults and the societal benefits of intergenerational bonds. Find information HERE. ELSEWHERE➔ Mystery virus warning: The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a new coronavirus identified in China could lead to a wider outbreak. For the first time, the mystery strain that caused one known death on Saturday was identified outside of China in Thailand and a female patient was quarantined, according to the United Nations agency, which advised hospitals worldwide about infection prevention and control. There is no specific treatment for the new virus, which is thought to be tied to at least 41 cases of pneumonia in China (Reuters). Chinese health officials concurred today with the agency’s information (The Associated Press). ➔ Boeing: American Airlines and United Airlines extended cancellations of 737 Max flights into June, while Southwest Airlines pulled the plane from its schedule until April. Boeing tasked its newest CEO, David Calhoun, who began work on Monday following the board’s December decision to fire his predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg, with getting the troubled plane back in the air in the midst of a regulatory and safety crisis involving the Federal Aviation Administration, investors and a troubled culture within the company (Reuters). Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday that Boeing approached a collection of banks handled through Citigroup to help the company with loans. © Getty Images ➔ UFOs: U.S. Navy Intelligence says “grave damage” could befall U.S. national security if top secret UFO files are released (CBS). In response to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the government confirmed the Office of Naval Intelligence possesses several top-secret documents and at least one classified video pertaining to a 2004 encounter between Navy pilots and unknown aerial phenomenon over the Pacific Ocean, Vice reported. ➔ “Jeopardy!” It’s official: Ken Jennings is the greatest “Jeopardy!” competitor of all time. Jennings, best known for his 74-day win streak on the show in 2004, defeated James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter for the third time on Tuesday night in the show’s “Greatest of all Time” tournament, taking home the $1 million prize. After putting up a strong performance in the first half of Tuesday’s show, Jennings clinched his third match win after correctly answering the “Final Jeopardy!” clue, which asked which non-title character in a Shakespearean tragedy delivered the most speeches. Jennings correctly answered, “Who is Iago?” although he bet none of his points. Holzhauer could have won the match with a correct answer, but incorrectly wrote “Who is Horatio?” and bet all of his points (The Associated Press). THE CLOSERAnd finally … The Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne continued to battle smoke and bad air on Tuesday caused by months of brush fires. Dalila Jakupović, a Slovenian player, quit her qualifying match after falling to her knees on the court in a coughing fit brought on by thick smoke that prevented her from continuing. Tournament managers are being criticized by some for holding the competition in environmentally precarious conditions (The Associated Press). © Twitter © Getty Images The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! TO VIEW PAST EDITIONS OF THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT CLICK HERETO RECEIVE THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT IN YOUR INBOX SIGN UP HEREMORNING REPORT SIGN UPFORWARD MORNING REPORTPrivacy Policy | Manage Subscriptions | UnsubscribeEmail to a friend | Sign Up for Other NewslettersThe Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006©2020 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc. |
THE HILL
Morning Headlines
Impeachment trial security crackdown will limit Capitol press access
The Senate sergeant-at-arms and Capitol Police are launching an unprecedented crackdown on the Capitol press corps for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, following a standoff between the Capitol’s chief security officials, Senate Rules Chairman Roy Blunt and the standing committees of correspondents. Read More…
‘Documents don’t lie’ — the other fight over evidence at Trump impeachment trial
The high-profile fight over potentially dramatic witness testimony at an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump has overshadowed the Senate’s possible demand for a different type of revealing cache of new evidence: withheld documents. Read More…
Pelosi’s poor choices helped sink her impeachment gambit
OPINION — While Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sat on the articles of impeachment for the past month, the world has, apparently, decided that the “imminent” threat another 11 months of Donald Trump in the Oval Office poses isn’t quite as imminent or as dire as Democrats would have you believe. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.
Is Trump really the MVP of the GOP?
After a tumultuous 2018 that saw them lose their House majority, Republicans often seem eager to dismiss those results while pining for the next election, when President Donald Trump will top the ballot and drive turnout in their favor. But a closer look shows Trump may not be as extraordinary a candidate as he gets credit for. Read More…
Tough political tactics are not criminal, ‘Bridgegate’ defendants argue
Former New Jersey public officials convened at the Supreme Court on Tuesday to argue lingering questions from “Bridgegate,” the last major public corruption scandal to disrupt a presidential election campaign. The court is expected to issue an opinion before the end of the term, typically the last week of June. Read More…
Repeal of Obamacare taxes stirs questions on durability of offsets
The repeal last month of three taxes levied under the 2010 health care law represents one of several ways Congress has chipped away over the years at provisions paying for it, but a left-leaning budget think tank calculates that the law will still save money overall. Read More…
Senators look to clear legislative decks before impeachment trial
The Senate appears set to try to clear the decks of pending legislative business before diving into the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Under the likely impeachment timeline, assuming that the House votes to name trial managers on Wednesday, the Senate has two or three days left to legislate before the Senate protocols for the trial take over. Read More…
Senate could vote to curb Trump war powers, but timing unclear
Sen. Tim Kaine has lined up the votes to adopt a resolution to restrict President Donald Trump’s ability to attack Iran, although a vote on the matter this week would fall short absent a procedural agreement with Republican leadership. Read More…
Brett Kavanaugh brings pizza to the Supreme Court and it is not good
Brett Kavanaugh has already left his mark on the Supreme Court — the pizza he championed is now on the cafeteria menu. Is it good enough to define an entire legacy? No, it isn’t. Read More…
Capitol Ink | On the edge of her seat
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THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
| Washington Examiner’s Examiner Today NewsletterView this as website ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTS‘It’s incomprehensible’: Sanders angrily denies he told Warren a woman could not be presidentWarren and Sanders bicker over whether November 1990 was 30 years agoCNN debate moderator assumes Bernie Sanders is lying about women The impeachment trap: Endangered Senate Republicans face peril whether they support Trump or notSenate Republicans vulnerable to a Democratic challenge this year are facing a kind of political Catch-22 as the impeachment trial looms: Voting against President Trump risks the wrath of GOP primary voters, but voting for him ensures renomination but could cost them their careers in November. ‘Elephant that doesn’t even fit in this room’: 2020 Democrats avoid dwelling on Trump Democrats seeking to oust President Trump in 2020 largely skirted mentions of him in a low-key debate whose most impassioned moments included Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren clashing over her claims that he said a woman can’t be elected president. Giddy campaign staff put Bloomberg’s face on a meatball and batteries in his mouth Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign is making up for his absence on the debate stage by staging a series of eccentric social media jokes. Bernie Sanders says no trade deals without fossil fuel-slashing provisions Bernie Sanders emphasized his strong opposition to the revamped North American trade deal on the Democratic presidential debate stage Tuesday night because it lacks measures to curb climate change. ADVERTISEMENT Editorial: Joe Biden’s streak of being wrong on foreign policy continues, uninterruptedIn Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, Joe Biden claimed a vast array of foreign policy accomplishments in an attempt to make the case that his foreign policy experience made him the best prepared candidate to be commander in chief. But all he did was remind viewers that he has an extensive history of getting it wrong. ‘Joe saw it differently’: Sanders slams Biden for Iraq War vote in Iowa debate At the final debate before the Iowa caucuses, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ripped Joe Biden for his vote in favor of the Iraq War. ‘Innocent’: Michael Flynn files to withdraw guilty plea Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn filed to withdraw his guilty plea late Tuesday. The motion, filed by Flynn’s legal team, which cites “the government’s bad faith, vindictiveness, and breach of the plea agreement,” comes one week after the Justice Department asked a federal judge to sentence President Trump’s former national security adviser to up to half a year in prison. Americans drink more than two gallons of alcohol per year: Report At more than two gallons per year on average, Americans are drinking more alcohol than at any other time in U.S. history since the Prohibition era. Top-secret Navy UFO slides: What’s likely on themWe can confidently guess what’s on at least some of the Navy’s Top Secret UFO briefing slides. Northam to ban guns from grounds of Virginia State Capitol Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is planning to impose a temporary emergency ban on bringing guns on Capitol Square in Richmond. ‘King of the roadside bomb’: Trump slams Soleimani at rally President Trump ripped the late Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani during a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Giuliani associate Lev Parnas documents point to surveillance of US ambassador to Ukraine A recently released trove of documents from Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, provides a glimpse inside the former New York City mayor’s murky efforts in Ukraine on the president’s behalf. Anti-abortion and anti-contraception healthcare provider eyes federal family planning funds Stanton Healthcare, a women’s health organization that opposes contraception and presents itself as the anti-abortion alternative to Planned Parenthood, is weighing applying for federal family planning funds this year. THE ROUNDUPSenate has votes to pass limits on Trump’s Iran war powerIn Iran, it’s possible to be angry at both the government and the U.S.McConnell courts GOP and Trump amid tensions over impeachment witnessesADVERTISEMENT |
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AXIOS
Axios AMSubscribe
By Mike Allen
Happy Wednesday!
- Today’s Smart Brevity™ count: 1,196 words … 4½ minutes.
1 big thing: The future of firefighting
The world is entering the age of extreme fire — and we’re unprepared for it, Axios’ Erica Pandey writes.
- Why it matters: As we’ve seen in Australia, California and the Amazon, fires are burning hotter, longer and more frequently around the world. Our resources to suppress them are stretched dangerously thin. And the way we fight them hasn’t changed in a century.
Even with help from seasonal workers, student volunteers, inmates and more, the crews that fight wildfires are often understaffed, says Don Whittemore, a wildland fire expert in Boulder, Colo.
- “There’s no such thing as a fire season anymore,” says Fernanda Santos, a former New York Times reporter and author of “The Fire Line.” “There has to be a rethinking of the way we fight fires.”
What’s next: In the face of bigger fires and labor shortages, firefighters are turning to technology to help. They now use 747s and air tankers, which help give firefighters a break, “but at the end of the day all fires need to stopped on the ground,” says Whittemore.
- Experts say one new tool that would make a big difference is GPS locators for fighters, who currently use radios but often run into dead zones while on the job.
- And some researchers haven’t given up on moonshot ideas. XPRIZE, a California company, has teamed up with the state to solicit proposals and award multimillion dollar grants to researchers who want to develop a system to detect and suppress a wildfire within five minutes.
2. Warren: “Look at the men on this stage”
Photo: CNN
Elizabeth Warren had the line of the night at the Democratic debate in Des Moines when she resisted prods to spar with Bernie Sanders:
- “Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women — Amy [Klobuchar] and me!”
Why it matters: The exchange, 20 days before caucus night, was a microcosm of a broader debate about electability.
- But Iowa voters Axios has spoken with don’t look at gender as a signifier of electability. They say they’re more likely to reach for qualities like truth-telling and candidates’ willingness to work across the aisle.
Other top bites:
- Joe Biden, on whether he’s prepared for President Trump’s insults: “Look, I’ve been the object of his affection now more than anybody else on this stage. [Laughter.] I’ve taken all the hits he can deliver, and I’m getting better in the polls.”
- Sanders: “[T]he two great foreign policy disasters of our lifetimes were the war in Vietnam and the war in Iraq. Both of those wars were based on lies.”
- Warren, on Afghanistan: “We’ve turned the corner so many times, we’re going in circles.”
- Pete Buttigieg: “If a guy like Donald Trump keeps trying to use religion to somehow recruit Christianity into the GOP, I will be standing there not afraid to talk about a different way to answer the call of faith and insist that God does not belong to a political party.”
- Klobuchar: “We’re not going to have a shortage of MBAs. We’re going to have a shortage of plumbers.”
Between the lines: Billionaire Tom Steyer said in the final 10 minutes: “We’re going to have to beat [Trump] on the economy.” But the candidates spent the first hour and 50 minutes talking about everything else.
- The bottom line: The discussions of foreign policy and health care underscored the basic fault lines: Warren-Sanders vs. Biden-Buttigieg-Klobuchar.
Go deeper: 4 takeaways from the debate, via Axios’ Zach Basu.
3. In pics: Warren-Sanders post-debate set-to
Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP
Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
4. Australia from space
Photo: NASA
The smoke from Australia’s wildfires, pulled into the stratosphere, “is expected to make at least one full circuit around the globe.” (NASA)
5. ⚖️ Senate impeachment trial begins Tuesday
President Trump arrives at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena for a campaign rally last night. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
In the age of PDFs and email, the House will deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate the old-fashioned way — on paper, and in person, Axios’ Alayna Treene reports.
- Speaker Pelosi will announce the House managers for the Senate’s impeachment trial at a press conference at 10 a.m.
- It’s unclear how many and who Pelosi will pick, but House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler will almost certainly be named.
- During President Clinton’s 1999 Senate trial, there were 13 House managers. Hill sources tell Axios to expect six to 12.
The House will then vote on a resolution appointing House managers and transmitting the articles impeaching President Trump.
- After the vote, Pelosi will hold an Engrossment Ceremony photo op with the House impeachment managers, then they will travel through the Capitol to present the articles to the Secretary of the Senate.
6. Last-minute impeachment evidence
House Democrats released a trove of documents they obtained from Lev Parnas, a close associate of Rudy Giuliani, including a handwritten note that mentions asking Ukraine’s president to investigate “the Biden case,” AP reports.
- The documents, obtained as part of the impeachment investigation, were sent to the House Judiciary Committee by three other House panels “to be included as part of the official record that will be transmitted to the Senate.”
The documents show Parnas communicating with Giuliani before the removal of Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
- A man named Robert F. Hyde gave Parnas updates on Yovanovitch’s location and cell phone use, raising questions about possible surveillance.
Among the documents is a screenshot of a previously undisclosed letter from Giuliani to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dated May 10, 2019, which was before Zelensky took office.
- Giuliani requests a meeting with Zelensky “as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent.”
7. 🇮🇷 Iran threatens Europe
Iranian police officers take position Saturday while anti-regime protesters gather in Tehran. Photo: AP
Iran’s president warned today that European soldiers in the Mideast “could be in danger” after three nations — Britain, France and Germany — challenged Tehran over breaking the limits of its nuclear deal, AP reports.
- Why it matters: President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks in a televised Cabinet meeting represent the first direct threat he’s made to Europe.
🥊 Tehran’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, acknowledged that Iranians “were lied to” after the shootdown of a Ukrainian jet:
- “In the last few nights, we’ve had people in the streets of Tehran demonstrating against the fact that they were lied to for a couple of days.”
8. First look: Sarah Sanders to tell press tales
Cover: St. Martin’s Press
Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ new book includes “a candid account of my relationship and interactions with the press. And some reporters come out a lot better than others!”
Gearing up for a possible run for Arkansas governor, Sanders will be out Sept. 8 — during the home sprint of the presidential race — with “Speaking for Myself,” from St. Martin’s Press.
- Sanders says: “From Arkansas to the White House and back, I’m excited to tell my story about the challenges of being a working mom at the highest level of American politics.”
Reality check: A book tour means Sanders, who had tense relations with the press, will be pushed to explain her approach.
9. Red Sox boot Cora
Alex Cora looks over the lineup before a Red Sox spring training game last March. Photo: John Bazemore/AP
The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora over his role in a sign-stealing scandal “less than 15 months after winning the World Series in his record-setting rookie season,” writes the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham.
10. 1 “Jeopardy!” thing
Ken Jennings won the “Jeopardy!” greatest-of-all-time title (and $1 million) by being bold, per AP:
- In “Final Jeopardy,” Jennings bet all 32,800 of his points on the clue: “This area of Greece, home to Pan, is synonymous with a rural paradise; it’s a setting for Vergil’s shepherd poems the ‘Ecologues.'”
- He correctly answered: “What is Arcadia?”
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CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
| Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTubeView this email in your browser“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship,” (Romans 12:1, ESV).Reynolds Addresses Tax Cuts, Life Amendment in 3rd Condition of State AddressBy Shane Vander Hart on Jan 14, 2020 03:33 pm In her address, Gov. Kim Reynolds made several proposals including income tax cuts, funding the state’s mental health system, and passing the Life Amendment. Read in browser » WATCH: Shane Vander Hart on CBN NewsBy Caffeinated Thoughts on Jan 14, 2020 11:52 am Caffeinated Thoughts’ Editor-in-Chief, Shane Vander Hart, appeared last Friday on CBN News’ Newswatch with Heather Sells to discuss the Iowa Caucus. Read in browser » This is why Democrats are joining the Republican Party in 2020By Shane Vander Hart on Jan 14, 2020 11:03 am John Pence: President Trump’s pro-growth policies are improving the lives of all Americans, and the residents of Iowa are no exception. Read in browser » Recent Articles: Iowa Senate Republican Leadership 2020 Opening Remarks Iowa House Republican Leadership 2020 Opening Remarks Buttigieg Discusses Faith, Interrupted by Protesters At Des Moines Rally Cory Booker Suspends His Presidential Campaign Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller Endorses Joe BidenLaunched 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.ShareTweetShareForwardCopyright © 2020 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
| CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first!View this email in your browserCDN Daily News Blast01/15/2020Excerpts:President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Wednesday, January 15, 2020By R. Mitchell -President Donald Trump will participate in the signing of a trade agreement between China and the United States then have lunch with the Vice Premier of China. Later, the president will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary …President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Wednesday, January 15, 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 » Still at it: House Democrats Launch Investigation Into Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ ProgramBy Jason Hopkins -Democrats on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigrant and Citizenship announced on Tuesday an investigation into the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols program. Migrant Protection Protocols, or “Remain in Mexico,” calls on asylum seekers who reach the southern border to wait in Mexico for the duration of their court proceedings, …Still at it: House Democrats Launch Investigation Into Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ Program 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: President Donald Trump Holds KAG Rally in Wisconsin Tuesday – 01/14/20By R. Mitchell -President Donald Trump holds a Keep America Great rally in Milwaukee, WI, Thursday evening. The president is scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m. CST. Live Streams of President Trump’s Rally in Wisconsin – 1-14-20 Golden State Times GOP Channel Fox News RSBN Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content …Watch: President Donald Trump Holds KAG Rally in Wisconsin Tuesday – 01/14/20 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 » Apple Responds To Barr’s Criticisms, ‘Rejects’ Suggestion That It’s Not Helping DOJ With Gunman’s iPhonesBy Chris White -Apple is rejecting Attorney General William Barr’s assertion that the company has been unwilling to provide much assistance to the Justice Department’s effort to collect data from the Pensacola gunman’s iPhones. “We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation,” Apple noted in a …Apple Responds To Barr’s Criticisms, ‘Rejects’ Suggestion That It’s Not Helping DOJ With Gunman’s iPhones 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 Proof That Democrats Are Anti-Democracy, RacistsBy Dave King -Democrats, swooning over their lovely racial, ethnic and gender diverse candidates for president in 2020, while demonstrating no diversity in the slightest regarding political and economic positions, are now only identified as far-left, radical, big-government, Trump-hating, fools. Democrats believe that their identity with race and ethnicity first and foremost make …Here’s Proof That Democrats Are Anti-Democracy, Racists 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 » Eyes Wide Shut – A.F. Branco CartoonBy A.F. Branco -Funny how so many people who think they’re “Woke” are really actually blind to the reality of President Trump’s many accomplishments. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2020. See more Branco toons HEREEyes Wide Shut – 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 » AG Barr Reveals Stricter Procedures For Counterintelligence Investigations Of Presidential CampaignsBy Chuck Ross -Counterintelligence investigations of future presidential campaigns will have to first be approved by the attorney general and FBI director, Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference on Monday. “The opening of a counterintelligence investigation of a presidential campaign would be something that the director of the FBI would …AG Barr Reveals Stricter Procedures For Counterintelligence Investigations Of Presidential Campaigns 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 » The Meghan Show – Grrr Graphics – Tina ToonBy Tina -Time to walk the Dog! Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been in the news cycle for a couple days. There’s nothing that the Fake News media loves more (besides impeachment) than a good Royal Family Feud with or without Richard Dawson. Seems Megham has big plans for her Royal …The Meghan Show – Grrr Graphics – Tina Toon 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 » ‘Time For Other States To Step Up’: Texas AG Explains Why The State Isn’t Accepting RefugeesBy Jason Hopkins -Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, adamantly defended his governor’s decision to not accept refugees this year, noting that Texas has done more for refugees than any other state. Paxton, who has served as the top lawyer for Texas since 2015, appeared on Fox News to discuss Texas …‘Time For Other States To Step Up’: Texas AG Explains Why The State Isn’t Accepting Refugees 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 » ‘Wiser Than Most’: Iranian State Media Loves Bernie SandersBy Peter Hasson -Democratic 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders is a favorite of Iran’s state media mouthpieces. Iran’s propaganda arms have hyped the Vermont senator and touted his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s order to kill Iranian terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani. The Dec. 29 international print edition of the Tehran Times, which describes …‘Wiser Than Most’: Iranian State Media Loves Bernie Sanders 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 » Left-Wing Groups Say FEC Should Remain Crippled Throughout 2020 ElectionsBy Andrew Kerr -A coalition of mostly left-wing groups Monday rejected a bipartisan call for the immediate nomination and confirmation of six new members of the Federal Election Commission. The FEC has only three active commissioners on its six-member board, rendering it unable to meet its four-member quorum to enforce campaign finance laws. …Left-Wing Groups Say FEC Should Remain Crippled Throughout 2020 Elections 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 » Mark Meadows: GOP Will Appeal To Surveillance Court Over Choice To Oversee FBI ReformsBy Chuck Ross -Rep. Mark Meadows said Monday that congressional Republicans plan to appeal to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) over its choice to oversee the FBI’s surveillance reforms in the wake of a damning inspector general’s report regarding the bureau’s wiretapping of Carter Page. In an interview with journalist Sara Carter, …Mark Meadows: GOP Will Appeal To Surveillance Court Over Choice To Oversee FBI Reforms 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 » Border Patrol Arrests Driver of SUV Stuffed with MethBy R. Mitchell -TEMECULA, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man who had more than 90 packages of methamphetamine hidden inside various locations of his car on Friday. At approximately 11:15 a.m., an agent patrolling Interstate 15 near Temecula observed a suspicious 2001 Green Ford Explorer. The driver of the Explorer …Border Patrol Arrests Driver of SUV Stuffed with Meth 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 » CBP Chief Confident That 450 Miles Of Border Wall Will Be Built By End Of 2020By Jason Hopkins -Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), expressed deep confidence that the Trump administration would complete its goal 450 miles of new border wall by the end of the year. During a Monday appearance on Fox News, Morgan confirmed that he strongly believes the administration will be …CBP Chief Confident That 450 Miles Of Border Wall Will Be Built By End Of 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 » See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page. Follow on TwitterFriend on FacebookAdd on Google PlusCopyright © 2020 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? 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THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
Morning Mix: A teenager went missing weeks ago. Then police looked inside a nearby chimney.Getting too much email? Unsubscribe | Manage subscriptions
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineStories from all over. Law enforcement officers walk around a vacant house, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Port Clinton, Ohio. where the body of Harley Dilly, 14, was found inside the chimney.A teenager went missing weeks ago. Then police looked inside a nearby chimney.Officials in Port Clinton, Ohio, say 14-year-old Harley Dilly died of “compressed asphyxia” after he became trapped in the chimney of a vacant house.By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » Riot police in armored vehicle roust homeless mothers from illegally-occupied Oakland houseThe standoff marked a flash point in the Bay Area’s struggle to house a rapidly growing population of displaced residents, many of whom cannot afford housing, even with full-time work.By Katie Shepherd ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Michael Avenatti arrested by IRS agents for allegedly violating his bail terms a week before federal trialAvenatti, who is accused of extorting Nike for up to $25 million and stealing millions of dollars from his clients for his own interests among other charges, was arrested while appearing before the State Bar Court in Los Angeles.By Timothy Bella ● Read more » A campaign aide charged with killing an Arkansas politician now accused of offering gold and silver in other murder plotsRebecca O’Donnell allegedly asked fellow inmates to kill the former state senator’s husband and his new wife in exchange for thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver coins.By Meagan Flynn ● Read more » ‘A huge loss for lovers of romantic music’: Chamín Correa, legendary Mexican guitarist, dies at 90He was known as the “requinto de oro,” or “requinto of gold,” for his distinctive playing style on the smaller, higher-pitched guitar.By Teo Armus ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Capitol Hill reporters protest expected restrictions on press access during Senate impeachment trialA magnetometer in the Senate press gallery will require reporters to trickle into the chamber one at a time.By Derek Hawkins, Felicia Sonmez and Fred Barbash ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out The Trailer for news and insight on political campaigns around the country, from David Weigel. 435 districts. 50 states. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Sign up » |
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THE BLAZE
DESERET NEWS
AMERICAN THINKER
| View this email in your browserRecent ArticlesHow Scalia Botched Heller and Let the Left Undermine the 2nd AmendmentJan 15, 2020 01:00 am The Second Amendment is in worse shape than ever. It’s the late Antonin Scalia’s fault. Read More… Everyone in Politics Needs an EnemyJan 15, 2020 01:00 am Our liberal friends have Donald Trump, the enemy of the ages. Read More… Making the Planet Fit for Food: Climate Protesters Attack Vermont’s Dairy FarmsJan 15, 2020 01:00 am Many who reside in Vermont are so utterly disconnected from farming and food that they do not perceive their own peril from consuming fossil fuel– and fertilizer-dependent foods from California. Read More… Roger Scruton: A Defender of Life on a Human ScaleJan 15, 2020 01:00 am One of the most original and perceptive conservative thinkers of our time passed away on January 12. Read More… Making America America AgainJan 15, 2020 01:00 am Americans are going to have to find a balance between being neighborhood tattletales and being libertines. Read More… Iran and the Nobel Peace Prize PresidentsJan 15, 2020 01:00 am For the second time in 40 years, a Republican president was forced to clean up the mess left by his Democrat predecessor’s failures in Iran. Read More… Recent Blog Posts Question for Justice Roberts: Were President Trump’s procedural due process rights violated? Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am The public is apparently encouraged to write letters to the Justices present such questions. Read more… Five little-noted doozies from last night’s Democratic debate Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am The evening’s most annoying trolls, hypocrisies, fantasies and whoppers from the last of the Democrat clown car. Read more… Democrats are getting nervous as they realize their base is tuning them out Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am When he looks past his reflexive Trump-hatred, a Leftist writer realizes that the Leftist media are failing to engage the base. Read more… With medieval conditions in California, Gov. Newsom looks back to the old Poor Laws Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am Gavin Newsom’s new plan to fight homelessness will ensure that most cities do everything they can to kick their homeless out. Read more… The Democrat candidates live in Never-Neverland Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am They really do believe in their heart of hearts that Trump supporters are dumb as rocks and that we will fall for their anti-American nonsense Read more… Will Trump’s Pentagon stand tall when atheists attack? Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am Mikey Weinstein, whose goal is to remove Christianity from the military, has his sights set on the Space Force Bible. Read more… Interfaith and extremism Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am Churches and synagogues engaged in interfaith dialogue with Islamic organizations must vet their partners better and disengage from dialogue with radicals. Read more… What a way to blow up the best team in baseball Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am A new twist on an old baseball stratagem. Read more… Elizabeth Warren has a plan…to put taxpayers on the hook Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am To cancel student loan debt, Warren announces that, on her first day as president, she’ll use her pen and phone to bypass Congress. Read more… James O’Keefe is back, with a truly chilling look at a Bernie-supporter Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am James O’Keefe, doing the investigative reporting the mainstream media won’t, has now turned to the 2020 candidates, starting with Bernie. Read more… Iran to collapse? Be careful what you wish for Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am The mullahs’ fall would be the biggest geopolitical shock since the death of the USSR. Read more… Chief Justice Roberts: The unseen impeachment missile Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am The Senate and the president have much to be concerned about. Read more… Europe criticizes US for withdrawing troops from West Africa Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am Do the Europeans expect the USA to solve all their problems forever? Read more… A glorious weekend with fellow deplorables in California Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am East and west coast deplorables join together to support DJT. Read more… Why is the WSJ downplaying Trump’s tax cuts? Jan 15, 2020 01:00 am The hard facts show that Trump’s tax cuts have helped the economy immensely. Read more… View this email in your browserAmerican Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans. |
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THE RESURGENT
| The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for January 15,2020View this email in your browserShareTweetForwardApple and Facebook Are Right — No Back DoorsThe federal government is pushing Apple with iMessage and Facebook with WhatsApp to add “back doors” that governments can use to snoop on people. The government always presents the special and emotional case of terrorists plotting on apps that they cannot get access to.Right now, the government is demanding Apple somehow access the phone of the terrorist shooter at the base in Florida, but it is mathematically impossible for Apple to give the government everything it wants. Apple simply cannot access it because Apple did not design a system it can get in to.Apple values privacy and locked itself out of the ability to access its users devices.While the case is understandable from an emotional level, Apple and Facebook should be commended for their refusals to add backdoors.Read More… At What Point Do We Admit Nancy Pelosi Isn’t Fit?I know most people have settled on the notion that former Vice President Joe Biden is the most confused, muddled, and unintelligible individuals among active Democrats today. And Biden has done much to secure that title, from the Corn Pop gangster bit to young kids shaving and rubbing his legs.But call me crazy, I’m not ready to hand out the trophy to Uncle Joe quite yet. He has a formidable opponent in the land of nonsense that, for whatever reason, doesn’t get the same treatment Biden does when it comes to being verbally challenged and perhaps mentally unstable.Read More… Warren plans to use executive action to forgive student loan debtIf a Democrat wins the 2020 presidential election, you can be sure they have a bag chock full of ideas about free programs. One of the big ticket items they continue to push is student loan debt forgiveness.On the surface, loan forgiveness is a blatant attempt to garner votes from specific voting blocs, in this instance college students.For months, Democrat hopefuls have touted their plans to forgive student loan debt. And up until the last few days, they believed that they would need Congressional approval to institute this program.Read More… There May Be More Witnesses At Senate Impeachment Trial After Allll hope is not lost for those who would like to see a real impeachment trial in the Senate rather than a pro forma acquittal of the president. When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced last week that he had the votes to move forward on a quickie trial without Democratic input, it seemed that the impeachment would be over in a jiffy. Now, however, it looks as though the House impeachment managers may have a chance to call witnesses in the Senate after all.On Tuesday morning, CBS News reported that unnamed “senior White House officials” said that they expected several Republican defections in the upcoming vote to establish ground rules for the trial. In addition to the usual dissidents, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitt Romney of Utah, the report also named Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Corey Gardner of Colorado, and Rand Paul of Kentucky as Republicans who might possibly vote to hear additional witness testimony….Read More…Meet Some Conservation Reformers Who Are Draining the SwampIn Episode 3 of my CFACT video series CONSERVATION NATION, I chatted with several conservation stakeholders who are implementing reforms in the name of true conservation.First, I spoke with Safari Club International—a hunting rights organization that boasts 50,000 members across 180 chapters here and abroad. Then I visited with Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), who sits on the House Natural Resources Committee, to hear what gains have been made there.Watch the video here:Read More… Virginia is for [Sugar Daddy] Lovers?Did you know college students in Virginia are increasingly turning to sugar daddies to help pay off student loans? I was unaware of this.According to NB12 in Richmond, students in the Commonwealth are turning to sugar daddies and mommies to offset the exorbitant cost of student loans. Incredible.Per the website Seeking Arrangement, which caters to those interested in this bizarre niche of dating, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) ranks 13 on their 5th annual list of Top U.S. Sugar Baby Universities and College for 2020.Read More…Remember, as always, to go check out The Resurgent and be sure to like us on Facebook. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick EricksonTHE RESURGENTFacebookTwitterInstagramCopyright © 2020 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences |
TOWNHALL
THE FEDERALIST
| Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray January 15, 2020 New Evidence In Michael Flynn Case Shows Government Prosecutors Pushed Him To LieBy Margot Cleveland While this evidence provides his attorney a solid argument that the prosecution sought to push Michael Flynn to lie, that might not be enough to carry the day with Judge Sullivan. Full articleWhy Hollywood’s Cozy Relationship With China Could Face An Ugly Reckoning In The 2020sBy Emily Jashinsky From the Golden Globes to ‘Mulan,’ the foreshocks of a fight over Hollywood’s cozy relationship with China are trembling beneath our feet. Full article27 Problems With Media’s Latest Failed Attack On Attorney General William BarrBy Mollie Hemingway Every paragraph in the nearly 10,000-word New Yorker article has significant problems. Taken together, it is just one long string of innuendos insinuating that William Barr is evil. Full articleThe Cult Of Pelosi Is A Deadly Thing For Democrats’ FutureBy Christopher Bedford The cult of Pelosi isn’t just a ‘hot take’ or a ‘be smart,’ it’s a mindset through which Washington’s media elites interpret the world. It’s false, and the harsh light of reality easily shows as much. Full articleWhy The 2010s Were Absolutely The Worst ‘Saturday Night Live’ Era EverBy Ellie Bufkin Allegiance to the show has ebbed and flowed throughout its continuous 45-year run, and depth of talent among the cast and writers’ room has never been static. Full articleDon’t Blame Climate Change For Raging Wildfires, Blame Bad ManagementBy Krystina Skurk Despite common sense, the historic record, and scientific evidence, leftist environmentalists would fight and protest for a utopia we will never see, all while the world burns. Full articleRoger Scruton Taught Us To See The World In Its Mystery And BeautyBy Sean Haylock Roger Scruton has bodied forth a concrete ideal, and though most of us are destined to fall short of it, we can look to it through all the challenges that lie ahead as proof of how beautiful and noble a life can be. Full articleGig Workers Fight The Unions Trying To Take Away Their Self-Designed JobsBy Libby Emmons No longer able to force employees to unionize, the AFL-CIO is trying to force contract workers into employment. But freelancers are fighting back. Full articleHere’s Why I’m Not Going Back To The Women’s MarchBy Libby Emmons It felt weird to sense that claiming my actual female body as female was offensive to people. It was like I was an undercover female at the Women’s March. Full articleNew Arrest Warrant Out For Creepy Porn Lawyer Michael AvenattiBy Chrissy Clark A new filing in the case United States v. Avenatti shows an arrest warrant for ex-Stormy Daniels lawyer and Resistance darling Michael Avenatti. Full article5 Highlights From Last Night’s Seventh Democratic DebateBy Tristan Justice Six Democratic candidates faced each other on stage last night for the seventh and final time before the first votes are cast in the 2020 election. Full article‘Phase One’ Marks New Chapter In Trade Between United States And ChinaBy Leo Briceno For the first time in a long time, the United States and China are striking a deal to set up better trade relations for both countries. Full articleCNN Accuses Bernie Sanders Of Saying A Woman Can’t Be PresidentBy Chrissy Clark During the Democratic debates, CNN asked a shameful question that accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of saying a woman could not win the 2020 election. Full articleBernie And Warren Squabble Over Counting Instead Of Debating IssuesBy Paulina Enck Such depth and substance is why the Democrat debates are worth watching. Who wants to listen to the actual merits (or lack thereof) of the candidates when they can argue over who said what? Full articleDave Chappelle Endorses Andrew Yang For PresidentBy Emily Jashinsky “I’m Yang Gang!” Dave Chappelle announced in a press release issued by Andrew Yang’s campaign on Tuesday. Full articleThe Best And Worst Of ‘The Bachelor’s’ Revolve Fashion ShowBy Chrissy Clark Episode two of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’ featured a group date in which eight ladies competed in a fashion show for a chance to win a new wardrobe and Peter’s heart. Full articleAre Democrats Silent On Iran Because They’re Angling To Resurrect The Iran Deal?By Erielle Davidson Just as the Democrats ignored Iranian protesters in 2010 to allow the Iran Deal to come into existence, they’re likely ignoring them once again in order to resurrect it. Full articleAngry Leftists Try To Cancel Vince Vaughn For Shaking Donald Trump’s HandBy Chrissy Clark Anger Twitter users lashed out when cameras caught actor Vince Vaughn chatting with President Donald Trump at the LSU versus Clemson game. Full articleDespite Overwhelming ‘Whiteness,’ This Year’s Oscar Nominations Show The Academy Awards Might Actually Be FunBy Ellie Bufkin It is refreshing to see the Academy buck the outrage culture crying over “inequality,” and it is a delight to see films we all loved get recognition in a circle that seemed to have been shrinking around more unpopular films each year. Full articleJohn Bolton’s Testimony Would Not Be The Smoking Gun Democrats NeedBy David Marcus Hope springs eternal for congressional Democrats, but to think John Bolton will take down the president is pure wish casting. Full article THE LAST DEBATE BEFORE THE VOTING Here’s Your Guide To The Seventh Democratic Primary Debate. http://vlt.tc/3uv6 “On Monday, Warren accused Sanders of claiming in a December 2018 meeting between the two that a woman could not capture the White House in 2020, after anonymous sources told CNN of Sanders’ alleged comments. Sanders denied the comments and labeled the allegations “ludicrous” in a statement. The back-and-forth between the senators who have stood together as socialist allies in the race will likely be front-and-center in tonight’s debate as Warren continues to slide in the polls while Sanders begins to surge.” More: 6 Big Questions Ahead of Final Debate. http://vlt.tc/3uvg Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
IJR
NBC
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann.
FIRST READ: In a relatively tame debate, Sanders versus Warren stands out
When the fieriest moment at last night’s Democratic presidential debate was that Ron Reagan Jr. TV commercial (“Ron Reagan, life-long atheist, not afraid of burning in hell”), you know it was a relatively tame debate.
Still, what was NEW was the anticipated clash between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren over gender politics – as well as the fact that Warren appeared to reject Sanders’ handshake after the debate.
(If you’re promising to be the unity candidate, like Warren and her supporters have done, you have to accept that handshake, right?)
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Here’s their debate exchange:
CNN’s ABBY PHILLIP: Senator Sanders, CNN reported yesterday that — and Senator Sanders, Senator Warren confirmed in a statement, that in 2018 you told her that you did not believe that a woman could win the election. Why did you say that?
SANDERS: Well, as a matter of fact, I didn’t say it. And I don’t want to waste a whole lot of time on this, because this is what Donald Trump and maybe some of the media want. Anybody knows me knows that it’s incomprehensible that I would think that a woman cannot be president of the United States…
PHILLIP: So Senator Sanders — Senator Sanders, I do want to be clear here, you’re saying that you never told Senator Warren that a woman could not win the election?
SANDERS: That is correct.
PHILLIP: Senator Warren, what did you think when Senator Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?
WARREN: I disagreed. Bernie is my friend, and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie. But, look, this question about whether or not a woman can be president has been raised, and it’s time for us to attack it head-on.
And I think the best way to talk about who can win is by looking at people’s winning record. So, can a woman beat Donald Trump? Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women…”
Zing.
Besides that exchange, however, there weren’t many fireworks. And we have a theory as to why.
With the Iowa caucuses less than three weeks away, the candidates all realize that Iowa Democrats are all that matter right now.
And Iowans typically don’t reward negative campaigning.
DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is… 19 minutes and 11 seconds.
19 minutes and 11 seconds.
That’s how long Elizabeth Warren spoke during last night’s debate, according to NBCNews.com’s tracker. Warren spoke the most of any candidate, while Bernie Sanders spoke the second longest — 18 minutes and 26 seconds.
Second-to-last and more than only last-minute debate participant Tom Steyer?
That would be Joe Biden, who has consistently been at or near the top of Democratic polls, but who spoke for just 16 minutes and 17 seconds.
TWEET OF THE DAY: Well, those weird Team Bloomberg tweets did get our attention!
The Lev Parnas documents
One of the truisms of the entire Ukraine scandal is that the more we learn, the worse the story looks for President Trump and his allies.
“New materials released by House Democrats appear to show Ukraine’s top prosecutor offering an associate of President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, damaging information related to former vice president Joe Biden if the Trump administration recalled the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine,” the Washington Post writes.
“The text messages and documents provided to Congress by former Giuliani associate Lev Parnas also show that before the ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, was removed from her post, a Parnas associate now running for Congress sent menacing text messages suggesting that he had Yovanovitch under surveillance in Ukraine. A lawyer for Yovanovitch said Tuesday that the episode should be investigated.”
It’s all a reminder that Democrats benefit when the impeachment storyline turns to the substance, and Republicans benefit when it’s about process.
Our question: In retrospect, did House Democrats make a mistake in wrapping up their impeachment inquiry so quickly, before we even learned of these Parnas documents?
2020 VISION: Things are getting interesting in KS-SEN
“Rival Kansas Senate candidates Kris Kobach and Rep. Roger Marshall have talked to President Donald Trump, with Marshall looking to boost his chances of defeating Trump’s earliest prominent supporter in the state,” the AP writes.
On the campaign trail today: A few of the candidates remain in Iowa after last night’s debate: Biden makes a local stop in Des Moines before heading to Dallas… Pete Buttigieg holds town halls in Newton, Cedar Falls and Mason City… And elsewhere, Tulsi Gabbard stumps in New Hampshire.
Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: NBC’s Maura Barrett and Priscilla Thompson report from the spin room after the Democratic debate: “Julian Castro, now in the role of surrogate to Elizabeth Warren rather than that of candidate, waivered when asked if he still believed Iowa should not go first in the Democratic nominating contest. ‘I had a good conversation with Tom Perez after I decided to end my campaign, and I said that after this 2020 cycle I hope that the DNC will take a look at a number of things; the debate thresholds, how we do the nominating contest,’ Castro said. He did, however, tout Warren’s being the ‘only’ candidate on stage to defeat an incumbent Republican in the last 30 years.’ Some context, 30 years ago, in 1990, Bernie Sanders won his first election against an incumbent Republican.”
And Pete Buttigieg surrogate, Rep. Deborah Berry, tried to downplay fears that Pete Buttigieg still doesn’t have much support from the black community, saying in the spin room, ‘I remember when Barack Obama came out and he made his announcement. I was like, who is this guy and I wasn’t behind him. I didn’t support him because I didn’t know him. But then as I begin to listen and hear his messages and the words he was saying and all about hope you know the future. I said, this man is saying something. And that’s what I think people just need to hear Mayor Pete and hear his message of unity and uniting all of us.’”
NBC’s Gary Grumbach reports from Bernie Sanders world that the campaign is saying the debate day was “the best single day for fundraising on a debate day for the entire campaign.” Grumbach reports, per the campaign, Sanders raked in $1.7 million from more than 100,000 contributions.
THE LID: Wild n’ crazy Tuesday night
Don’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we previewed the debate.
ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss
New documents show that Rudy Giuliani sought a private meeting with the Ukrainian president — and that former ambassador Marie Yovanovitch appears to have been closely monitored by a Trump donor and congressional candidate.
Michael Flynn is withdrawing his guilty plea.
It looks like the Senate impeachment trial will finally get underway next Tuesday. (And here’s how the process actually starts.)
What was the deal with the Sanders/Warren non-handshake at the end of the debate? (The Washington Post reports that Warren wanted to “raise a concern.”)
Trump weighed in on the question of whether Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren that a woman can’t win the presidency.
Thanks for reading.
If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here.
We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.
Thanks,
Chuck, Mark and Carrie.
NOQ REPORT
- Bernie Sanders supporters finally starting to realize CNN is fake news
- Supercut of Joe Biden’s debate stumbles should terrify anyone considering voting for him
- Debunking common myths about America’s energy future
- California lawmakers request audit of homelessness spending
- Elizabeth Warren refuses to shake Bernie Sanders’ hand after debate
- Ron Reagan atheist ad found its target audience at the Democratic debate
- DNC Chair Tom Perez: ‘I take a back seat to no one in my commitment to diversity and inclusion’
- Project Veritas: Bernie 2020 field organizer calls for violence and ‘reign of terror’
- Mainstream and social media are already suppressing Sanders campaign exposé by Project Veritas
- CNN’s Chris Cillizza: Nancy Pelosi gambled and lost
| Bernie Sanders supporters finally starting to realize CNN is fake newsPosted: 15 Jan 2020 05:04 AM PSTCNN is the worst of the worst when it comes to fake news in mainstream media. They’re worse than MSNBC, which is exceedingly bad. They’re worse than the networks who at least attempt to work in some balanced reporting every now and then. They’re even worse than Washington Post and NY Times, both of which allow a semblance of conservative perspectives on their pages. Not much, but some.For years, conservatives have been declaring the facts about CNN. Yet, we’re constantly rebuked by leftists who feel the bias is warranted because their candidates, policies, and goals are promoted on the network. But a primary contest brings a different level of bias to some. We’ve seen it with MSNBC completely ignoring candidates they don’t like, namely Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard. We’ve seen it with the wonder twins of print media, WaPo and NYT, who slyly try to tip the scale towards moderates. But CNN takes the cake with their level of manipulation. They may not have selected a winner to support, though some believe Joe Biden is their favorite. But they’ve certainly selected a loser: Bernie Sanders.At the Democratic debate last night, moderator Abby Phillips demonstrated the most biased questioning technique ever used in a presidential debate. She first acknowledged that Sanders denied saying a woman could not beat President Trump. Then she turned to Elizabeth Warren and asked her how she reacted when Sanders said it to her, completely dismissing the possibility that it wasn’t said and essentially calling Sanders a liar. As Bonchie at RedState noted, the moderator inserted herself into the equation to essentially become the story.The real story tonight wasn’t any of the answers given, but the conduct of the moderators in regards to Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. We all knew a clash was coming after Warren’s campaign seeded a story to CNN which accused Sanders of telling her a woman couldn’t win the presidency. Sanders has vehemently denied saying that, and to this point, it seems like Warren is the one lying in this scenario.This slap fight came up at the debate and Sanders once again denied having said it, but it was the moderator’s response that left people asking “what the heck did I just watch?”CNN: “Sen. Sanders, I do want to be clear here, you’re saying that you never told senator Warren that a woman could not win the election?” SANDERS: “That is correct.” CNN: “Sen. Warren, what did you think when senator Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?” pic.twitter.com/BZ1NajmQE9— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 15, 2020Was this a case of an activist journalist picking favorites. That’s possible, but it seems more likely based on the fact that CNN reported the story in the first place that this is part of a concerted and widespread effort by the network to take Sanders down. One might counter that the network likely wasn’t involved in the questions. That would be the most ludicrous assumption one could make. It’s been made clear by multiple points of contact at CNN that Sanders has a vendetta against him from the network, which some are speculating may be on orders from the DNC.CNN’s Joe Lockhart: “I can’t imagine any woman watching last night and saying, ‘I believe Bernie.’ I think people believe Elizabeth and his explanation was not great.” pic.twitter.com/TrPHxx8WwW— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 15, 2020Several hashtags rose quickly on Twitter trashing both Warren and CNN, ranging from #CNNisTrash to #CNNisFakeNews. The funny part is, these hashtags or similar ones have been posted before… by Trump supporters. It’s a rare moment of outrage from a large group of progressives against the left’s second favorite (out of two) progressive news channel. Supporters of Sanders have proven to be powerful on social media, which is why along with the CNN attacks, Warren has been the subject of negative hashtags as well.Ya’ll loved CNN when they bashed Trump, pushed wild conspiracy theories and race hoaxes involving MAGA hats. Now they turn on you and all of a sudden, they’re trash Dr. Frankenstein’s lamenting the horrors unleashed by the monster he createdWe tried to warn you#CNNisTrash— Leonydus Johnson (@LeonydusJohnson) January 15, 2020Bernie just crushed this ludicrous allegation but everyone just pretended he said it anyway. Moderators are covering for Warren’s lies. https://t.co/ABkjtC4GSW— Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) January 15, 2020#NeverWarren #CNNisTrashThis debate was an alternative universe crafted by the ruling class to derail Sanders. I hope there are enough people to see through this baloney.That his “friend” Liz Warren would play a role in this manipulative scenario is deeply disturbing. pic.twitter.com/z002F3BYK9— 𝚂𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚛 (@SocialistBoomer) January 15, 2020lol, wow, this trending on Twitter? I never thought I’d see something like this on leftist propaganda Twitter. How bizarre. Is this real life? #NeverWarren #CNNisTrash pic.twitter.com/i7zvWeU2qs— Eric Wright (@EricWright0) January 15, 2020You should be annoyed with @CNN who set this up. Warren is lying to try to get women voters from the debated candidates. But CNN presented it like it was fact. Disgraceful. #DemDebate https://t.co/gArxrCp4D9— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnnDeMoro) January 15, 2020#CNNisTrash – looks like the civil war within the Democrat party between its extreme radical leftist globalists vs. extreme radical leftists communists is coming to a head. pic.twitter.com/6rwOS7xMKQ— Felix Rex BPS (@navyhato) January 15, 2020Bernie: I have never said that a woman cannot be Presidentand here is the evidence.CNN: Senator Warren how did you respond when Bernie said a woman cannot be President?You can’t make this stuff up #DemDebate— Russ for Congress NJ-6 (@RussForUs2020) January 15, 2020Mika gets it. #CNNisTrash pic.twitter.com/M3SlVFzwOI— Ԍεοϝϝ (@SpittingBack) January 15, 2020Utterly sleazy framing of that last question from CNN #DemDebate— Luke Savage (@LukewSavage) January 15, 2020#CNNisTrashAnderson Cooper is a CIA asset & a member of the Vanderbilt Oligarchs.He works for Wall Street & the War Industry, directly against America & the interests of the 99%.Cooper is part of #OperationMockingbird which deliberately lies to deceive the American people. pic.twitter.com/xh194GMXur— Ian56 (@Ian56789) January 15, 2020#CNNisTrashEach and every question was phrased from a conservative perspective.And the cherry on top of was this zinger which treated Sanders as a liar to his face:pic.twitter.com/fhtWlfp7UB— 𝚂𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚛 (@SocialistBoomer) January 15, 2020CNN, likely on behalf of the DNC, is trying to subvert Bernie Sanders’ nomination. As conservatives, we have no horse in this race, but it’s ironic to see our political adversaries coming to a conclusion we made years ago. Yes, #CNNisTrash.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Bernie Sanders supporters finally starting to realize CNN is fake news appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Supercut of Joe Biden’s debate stumbles should terrify anyone considering voting for himPosted: 15 Jan 2020 03:44 AM PSTThe folks over at Grabien are quickly becoming one of my favorite content producers on the internet. They have a knack for isolating the important takeaways from extended footage of events and boiling them down to their essential parts. Such is the case when they took a shot (well, several) at former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner who doesn’t seem to have a solid grasp of his own cognitive abilities.Supercut: Biden stumbles his way through the final Democratic debate pic.twitter.com/d1S7mYNXCx— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 15, 2020Ageism isn’t really in play when we examine Biden’s foibles. After all, he’s younger than Senator Bernie Sanders and billionaire Michael Bloomberg while being not much older than Senate Elizabeth Warren, and few are concerned that any of them are losing their mental skills. The same goes for President Trump, who is only four years younger. But with Biden, it’s crystal clear. He simply gets confused a heck of a lot more than he used to, which is saying a lot considering how he’s already built his reputation as a gaffe machine.If he’s having this much trouble answering debate questions or trying to tell us how he feels, can we really trust him to deal with world leaders or make important decisions on the fly? These are questions that have nothing to do with party. America needs answers.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Supercut of Joe Biden’s debate stumbles should terrify anyone considering voting for him appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Debunking common myths about America’s energy futurePosted: 15 Jan 2020 03:26 AM PSTThere are several myths pervading the energy industry in America. As Democrats debated these things last night, especially how they affect Iowans, here are some points from the American Petroleum Institute that should be understood. These are four myths that need reality infused into them.Editor’s Note: This is a press release that will be published without edits, but it should be known that we do not agree with all of it. We are not in favor of unions, for example. People should have the freedom to work and negotiate as they choose just as businesses should be competing with each other, not union bosses. Man-made climate change is questionable science and should be treated with skepticism. Nevertheless, it’s important to address these myths whether readers are climate change skeptics or not.Myth 1: Plans that mandate a transition to renewable energy will create jobs that pay as well as the union jobs that will be lost. The FactsMyth 2: Americans who lose their job in the natural gas and oil industry can easily transition to a new job working in renewable energy. The FactsMyth 3: A ban on U.S. natural gas and oil exports will help reduce CO2 emissions. The FactsMyth 4: Iowa would benefit from policies limiting natural gas and oil. The Facts“The risks of climate change are real and so the solutions must be real as well. Policy proposals that hide the key role of natural gas and oil in powering America towards a brighter, cleaner energy future are more focused on powering applause lines than power lines, and can delay progress towards finding real policy solutions,” API’s Director of Communications Ben Marter said.The American natural gas and oil industry is committed to addressing the challenge of climate change while meeting society’s growing energy needs. Bold and achievable action on climate change at the global level is essential, and America’s natural gas and oil industry is committed to innovation and leadership to make these ambitions more than just hopes and dreams.Myth:Plans that mandate a transition to renewable energy will create jobs that pay as well as the union jobs that will be lost.Facts:Bloomberg Law reports that a ‘shift to renewable energy is a move away from an industry with union jobs.’ (Bloomberg Law, 2/21/19)According to Vox, many renewable energy companies are led by individuals ‘hostile’ to union activity and the industry relies on labor practices that ‘hamper organizing.'(Vox, 7/19/19)3.4% of solar photovoltaic workers are unionized while 4% of workers in wind power generation were unionized. (‘U.S. Energy and Employment Report,’ U.S. Department of Energy, 1/20/17)President of the North America’s Building Trades Unions: ‘Members working in the oil and gas sector can make a middle-class living, whereas renewable energy firms have been less generous.’ (Reuters, 2/12/19)AFL-CIO President: ‘[P]lans that devastate communities today, while offering vague promises about the future…are not worthy of the American heroes who build and power this country every day.’ (AFL-CIO, 7/24/19)President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers: ‘Workers who have completed an apprentice program or otherwise dedicated years of their lives in a craft don’t want to see their skill sets devalued or be thrown into junior positions in a new occupation.’ (International Brotherhood of Boilermakers,, 3/7/19/19)The average annual pay for natural gas and oil extraction workers is $91,370. (BLS, 5/2018)The average annual pay for solar photovoltaic installers is $46,010. (BLS, 5/2018)The average annual pay for wind turbine service technicians is $58,000. (BLS, 5/2018)Myth:Americans who lose their job in the natural gas and oil industry can easily transition to a new job working in renewable energyFacts:As workers in any industry that has lost jobs know, a steep drop in employment within one’s industry can have a devastating impact even if someone is able to eventually find employment in a different field. But beyond any emotional and psychological toll, creating a federal retraining program won’t guarantee workers a successful transition:The Atlantic: ‘[M]ost [job-retraining programs] have been found to be ineffective according to numerous studies over the years.’ (The Atlantic, 1/18/18)Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy: ‘Despite promises from the federal government for a quarter century to provide worker retraining, education, and other support to help communities displaced by globalization and displacement, both parties have failed to fulfill those promises.’ (Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy, 3/25/19)And according to a report titled ‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation’ by Resources for The Future, an environmental research institution:A transitional ‘worker who loses his job won’t immediately find a new job at the same wage, but instead will likely spend a significant amount of time searching for work, and might well need to accept a lower wage in the new job.’ (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 9)‘[W]orkers who lose their jobs in mass-layoff events suffer not just a spell of unemployment, but also have persistently lower earnings for a long period even after finding a new job.’ (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 1)One case study cited found that older workers were disproportionately subjected to a decrease in wages following a regulation-induced job transition. (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 15)Unemployed transitional workers ‘are much less likely than the average unemployed worker to find jobs in the period immediately after implementation of a new regulation.’ (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 41)Accommodating transitional workers back into the labor market ‘becomes more and more difficult as the amount of [transitional workers] grows.’ (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 43)Workers may need to relocate to find a new job, especially in areas with a high concentration of unemployed transitional workers, which creates additional financial barriers to gaining employment. (‘Jobs and Environmental Regulation,’ Resources For The Future, 7/2019, p. 6)Urban Institute: A mismatch of where jobs and job seekers are located leads to ‘spatial mismatch’ and that can ’cause high unemployment rates and lead to longer spells of joblessness.’ (‘Too Far from Jobs: Spatial Mismatch and Hourly Workers,’ Urban Institute, 2/21/19)National Bureau Of Economic Research: ‘Blacks, females, and older workers are more sensitive to [spatial mismatch] than other subpopulations.’ (‘Job Displacement and the Duration of Joblessness: The Role of Spatial Mismatch,’ National Bureau Of Economic Research, 4/2014)Myth:A ban on U.S. natural gas and oil exports will help reduce CO2 emissionsFacts:A ban on U.S. oil exports would shift oil production away from the U.S. and towards many countries that have less stringent environmental regulations. And with natural gas playing a key role in displacing coal power-which emits almost twice as much carbon dioxide as natural gas-a ban on U.S. natural gas exports could actually increase the growth of coal-generated power worldwide and lead to a rise in global CO2 emissions.Bloomberg News: ‘New export terminals are exporting cheap American gas worldwide, prompting countries across Asia, especially China and Pakistan, to buy LNG as an alternative to coal for power generation.’ (Bloomberg, 7/22/19)IEA: Natural gas ‘replaces more polluting fuels,’ ‘reduces air pollution and limits emissions of carbon dioxide.’ (‘The Role of Gas in Today’s Energy Transitions,’ International Energy Agency, 7/17/19, p. 2)‘Despite growth in coal use, fuel switching between coal and gas accelerated in 2018, reducing the carbon intensity of global energy use.’ (‘Global Energy & CO2 Status Report,’ International Energy Agency, 3/26/19)The continued rise of coal power abroad despite the current availability of renewables makes it clear that power generation is not a binary choice between natural gas and renewables.Global coal use increased by 75% between 2000 and 2013, and IEA expects it to ‘expect it to remain broadly steady thereafter through 2024.’ (‘Coal 2019,’ International Energy Agency, 12/2019)IEA: ‘In the absence of sufficient access to gas, the expansion of India’s industrial base may continue to be characterised by a high reliance on coal.’ (‘The Role of Gas in Today’s Energy Transitions,’ International Energy Agency, 7/17/19, p. 14)Lastly, as the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory explicitly states, ‘…U.S. LNG exports for power production in European and Asian markets will not increase GHG emissions…’ (‘Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective On Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas From The United States: 2019 Update,’ DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, 9/2019, p. 32)Myth:Iowa would benefit from policies limiting natural gas and oilFacts:Having access to affordable natural gas and petroleum products is vital for Iowa’s agricultural industry.‘Manufacturing and agriculture help make Iowa the fifth-largest energy-consuming state per capita’ and natural gas and oil accounted for nearly 50% of the energy consumed in Iowa in 2017. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 1/13/20)Iowa is the nation’s fourth largest consumer of hydrocarbon gas liquids, where farmers use propane to dry their corn. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Accessed 1/13/20)‘Natural gas is a feedstock for ammonia. Ammonia is a primary component in fertilizers, especially the ammonium nitrate fertilizer that is used on corn.’ (Quad-City Times, 3/20/13)Wall Street Journal: ‘U.S. fertilizer producers are benefiting from the long-brewing shale revolution. The combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling has significantly boosted production, bringing down the cost of gas.’ (Wall Street Journal, 2/12/17)American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Debunking common myths about America’s energy future appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| California lawmakers request audit of homelessness spendingPosted: 15 Jan 2020 02:13 AM PSTSACRAMENTO – Senator Brian Jones (R-Santee) and Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) announced today that they have requested a statewide audit of homelessness spending in California. Joining them as coauthors on the request are Assemblymembers Phillip Chen, Steven Choi, James Gallagher, Tom Lackey, and Jay Obernolte. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee will consider the request on February 19, 2020.‘Solving this dire crisis will definitely take aggressive funding, but simply throwing money at the problem is not a smart solution,’ said Senator Jones. ‘We need to ensure taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars are being spent wisely and used effectively. This audit is necessary and will show us what’s working – and what’s not working – so we can make informed decisions moving forward that will actually help us start making a dent in the problem.’This week the Governor’s homelessness taskforce led by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recognized the need to evaluate past and current spending citing, ‘In order to expand access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for individuals experiencing homelessness, the state should work in tandem with counties to ensure that existing funding, funding proposed in the Governor’s budget, and proposed Medi-Cal reforms align with the state’s goals to improve access to treatment.’‘The Governor is approaching our homelessness crisis with the sense of urgency it requires, but it’s important that we do not measure success just by how many dollars we spend,’ Assemblyman Kiley said. ‘Billions have been spent in recent years, yet people are not getting the help they need and the problem continues to grow. For the Governor’s proposed investments to make a difference, we need a much better understanding of what is and is not working in our use of existing resources.’See the audit request attached for more information.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post California lawmakers request audit of homelessness spending appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Elizabeth Warren refuses to shake Bernie Sanders’ hand after debatePosted: 15 Jan 2020 12:50 AM PSTSo much for the notion that socialism unites. At last night’s Democratic debate on CNN, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were clearly contentious towards one another after months of being cordial, even complimentary. When the debate was over, Sanders offered an outstretched hand for Warren to shake. She declined.”The campaigns are trying to de escalate but looks like Bernie and Warren may still have some stuff to work out,” says @AlxThomp.This interaction between the two happened at the end of tonight’s #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/CeNYDcaPbf— POLITICO (@politico) January 15, 2020There have been a few issues popping up the last few days that pointed to a cold war between the two, but it escalated to shots fired at the debate. The biggest point of contention started yesterday when CNN ran a report that Sanders told Warren he didn’t think a woman could beat President Trump. CNN moderators were swift to not only bring it up, but also clearly side with Warren on the issue.CNN debate moderator assumes Bernie Sanders is lying about women“Senator Sanders, CNN reported yesterday, and Senator Warren confirmed in a statement, that in 2018, you told her that you did not believe that a woman could win the election. Why did you say that?” Phillips asked.Sanders maintained that he did not say that women could not be president and vowed to fight for any candidate who wins the Democratic nomination. That answer didn’t work for Phillips, who pivoted the question back to Warren.Phillips asked, “Senator Warren, what did you think when Senator Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?”Warren attempted to brush off the moment by claiming that Sanders was her friend but noted that the only two candidates who have been undefeated in their campaign history are herself and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who were the only two women on the stage.This is not only an example of how elections can tear friends apart, but also an unambiguous indicator that CNN is picking winners and losers. Does that mean they support Warren? No. It’s much more likely the leadership at CNN, or perhaps only CNN President Jeff Zucker, have decided that former Vice President Joe Biden is their candidate. He’s the one who would benefit most from a rift between the two far-left candidates as it makes it less likely their bases will unite when one drops out.Needless to say, Sanders fans weren’t impressed.#CNNDebate It was a train wreck. #NeverWarren https://t.co/FhEWWtkWU2— Glenda Sue Naleway (@IWANT2NO) January 15, 2020Yeah, I’m now 100% #WomenForBernie .And #CNNisTrashNow here’s an old painting I did of him to show support. #Bernie2020 pic.twitter.com/ouCr0WINHD— Karla Ortiz (@kortizart) January 15, 2020Conservatives and Bernie supporters now that #CNNisTrash is trending pic.twitter.com/1uoZFohTA2— Tanner (@TannerClarkso) January 15, 2020The amount of restraint shown by @ninaturner is absolutely admirable, here.Liz let everyone down, this week. Unfortunately, I have the feeling her childish behavior is only beginning.#RefundWarren #NeverWarren https://t.co/uiP7cJchk5— Dedicated BernieBruh Dunk on #Donuts (@AndrewFrisbie05) January 15, 2020Bernie Sanders supporters are SO DUMB they’re just now learning that #CNNisTrash? (They got it trending cuz they’re pissed how Bernie was treated at the #DemocraticDebate)— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) January 15, 2020Going down my trending topics, I see #CNNisTrash, #LyingLiz, #NeverWarren, and #WarrenIsASnake. so like. that went well— i bless the rains down in castamere (@Chinchillazllla) January 15, 2020What you just saw tonight IS rigging an election. But go on, CNN, Nancy Pelosi, and corporate dems, do keep telling us how Russia is the real boogie man trying to destroy our democracy. #CNNisTrash— beth, purity test enthusiast (@bourgeoisalien) January 15, 2020Omg the media already framing the handshake as both of the snubbing each other instead of Warren being a sore sportOur MSM is literally serving as a SuperPac to Elizabeth Warren at this point #DemDebate #NeverWarren #CNNisTrash https://t.co/q5jjHe1SIv— Barack Obama is a Joe Manchin Democrat (@FlyThaiMMA) January 15, 2020#CNNisTrashabsolutely disgusting pic.twitter.com/QWdop3oBFe— shoe (@shoe0nhead) January 15, 2020Democrats are trippin’ if they think leftists are gonna vote for a weak ass Hillary 2.0. I’m absolutely done with Warren and #CNNIsTrash— Rutherford (@theknightofmeh) January 15, 2020The DNC could also be at work, here. They’ve already taken heat for picking Hillary Clinton over Sanders in 2016. If they do not want another black eye for subverting Sanders again, their best ally would be progressive mainstream media. We’ve contended for years that DNC leadership and other progressive groups like Open Society Foundations have a direct line to mainstream media leadership. This move, once again, gives credence to the notion.The great divide between Warren and Sanders threatens to keep supporters of both radical progressive candidates from unifying during crunch time. This isn’t about a far-left movement. It’s personal. CNN, the DNC, and Joe Biden are loving it.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Elizabeth Warren refuses to shake Bernie Sanders’ hand after debate appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Ron Reagan atheist ad found its target audience at the Democratic debatePosted: 15 Jan 2020 12:05 AM PSTPresident Ronald Reagan’s son, Ron Reagan, is an “unabashed atheist.” He’s a spokesperson for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, an atheist and agnostic group that attempts to stifle the faithful at every turn. They claim to be against government engagement with religion, but their exploits go deep into the heart of what it means to be faithful in America.Here’s the video including the end line, “Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.”:During last night’s Democratic debate, CNN aired the “iconic” commercial, as FFRF puts it. Since they run the ad so infrequently, focusing mostly on CNN debates, it was seen for the first time by enough people to get their spokesperson’s name trending on Twitter.Did you guys all see Ron Reagan say he was “not afraid of burning in hell” or am I hallucinating again?— Peter Sagal (@petersagal) January 15, 2020The Ron Reagan ads from @FFRF during the #DemDebate only strengthen my faith in God and my resolve that the Democratic Party are absolute reprobates.— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) January 15, 2020Ron Reagan is smart…what better place to advertise for atheism than the #DemDebate???— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 15, 2020It’s not a debate commercial break until Ron Reagan tells us he’s going to Hell.— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) January 15, 2020The most entertaining part of tonight’s #DemDebate was the attitude in Ron Reagan’s commercial. pic.twitter.com/u1boLP09qM— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) January 15, 2020CNN is running atheist ads during the commercial break from Ron Reagan.“Not afraid of burning in hell”WTF pic.twitter.com/2RU1vGw2EY— Ramp Capital (@RampCapitalLLC) January 15, 2020The same DC atheist group that’s attacking me for protecting Christian values is running ads like this:“Ron Reagan, life-long atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.”Fitting that this radical atheist group would run ads on #FakeNews CNN during the #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/DM3xPslHMV— Bradley Byrne (@BradleyByrne) January 15, 2020This draws us back to something that often gets forgotten in our politically divided world. Attacks on religion are as consequential if not more so than attacks on conservatism. At NOQ Report, we do not separate the two. Sure, we have categories that differentiate the topics, but we’re just as focused on pushing forward a Biblical worldview as we are about promoting a conservative political structure.The smugness in Reagan’s notorious closing line may be infuriating to Christians, but we must remember to pray for them to see the light. We must not match anger with anger. Then again, we shouldn’t linger with those who are unwilling to see the truth.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Ron Reagan atheist ad found its target audience at the Democratic debate appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| DNC Chair Tom Perez: ‘I take a back seat to no one in my commitment to diversity and inclusion’Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:04 PM PSTThere’s a huge difference between talking about diversity and engaging in it in a way that is meaningful. Democrats have policies that, on the surface, seem to be beneficial to the classes of people they protect. From affirmative action to reparations to forced diversity quotes, they do everything they can to virtue signal to people of various races and people groups. But in the end, they invariably end up harming the people they pretended to help by weakening their requirements and creating dependency on government.None of that has anything to do with tonight’s debate, which didn’t suffer from any of those problems. But it does go to show that in the end, the party of quiet racism is not capable of true diversity. At tonight’s Democratic debate, six Caucasians will take the stage. No Cory Booker. No Andrew Yang. No Kamala Harris, Deval Patrick, or Julian Castro. Just white people.DNC Chair Tom Perez: “I take a back seat to no one in my commitment to diversity and inclusion.”#DemDebate… pic.twitter.com/ZU26TEZ1Zg— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) January 14, 2020As you watch (or don’t watch) the Democratic debate, remember that the final five contestants in 2016 for the Republican nomination included a Cuban-, Puerto Rican-, and an African-American.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post DNC Chair Tom Perez: ‘I take a back seat to no one in my commitment to diversity and inclusion’ appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Project Veritas: Bernie 2020 field organizer calls for violence and ‘reign of terror’Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:40 PM PSTA stunning new video released by James O’Keefe of Project Veritas has hidden camera footage of Kyle Jurek, Iowa Field Organiser, Sanders Campaign. The video has the organizer revealing his opinion of liberals in that that they:Should be ‘placed in Gulags or be put to death: “Liberals Get the F***ing Wall First.”The operative makes it clear that he has no use for free-speech or the electoral processFamiliar themes.The subject’s use of the term “Reign of Terror” was particularly disturbing since that refers to the French Revolution. It should be noted that Jacobins were closely associated with the violence during that time, it is also the name of a socialist magazine of the American left, but that’s probably a ‘coincidence’.All of this should also sound strangely familiar to those acquainted with the story of Larry Grathwohl, an FBI informant to the domestic terrorist group Weather Underground. As reported by PJ Media in a 2008 story: Eyewitness to the Ayers Revolution.He related a story on what the group planned to do with the 25 million people who didn’t want to embrace communism:I asked, “Well what is going to happen to those people we can’t reeducate, that are diehard capitalists?” And the reply was that they’d have to be eliminated.And when I pursued this further, they estimated they would have to eliminate 25 million people in these reeducation centers.And when I say “eliminate,” I mean “kill.”Twenty-five million people.I want you to imagine sitting in a room with 25 people, most of which have graduate degrees, from Columbia and other well-known educational centers, and hear them figuring out the logistics for the elimination of 25 million people.The far-left’s true opinion of liberals.The video is an object lesson for those who are true or ‘classic’ liberals. While the radicals are perfectly willing to use liberals to attain power, they have no real use for them afterwards. Just as they have no use for liberty itself.The bottom line: this is why the liberty grabber left obsesses over gun confiscation.These revelations make it perfectly clear why the authoritarian socialist left obsesses over liberty control and gun confiscation. While it may be quite disturbing to consider recent events in this context, there is no point in sugar coating the truth. The liberty grabber left talks a good game with deceptive language on our unalienable human rights, with phrases such as ‘gun violence prevention’ or ‘gun safety’.However, the blunt truth is that their measures of ‘universal’ background checks, registration and then confiscation will do nothing to keep anyone safe. This video reveals what we have known to be the case for decades, that we cannot trust the left with our liberty and that we have to hold tight to our guns.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Project Veritas: Bernie 2020 field organizer calls for violence and ‘reign of terror’ appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Mainstream and social media are already suppressing Sanders campaign exposé by Project VeritasPosted: 14 Jan 2020 01:38 PM PSTThe Bernie Sanders campaign is reeling. At least they should be. The exposé done by Project Veritas is one of the most damning pieces of investigative journalism produced by the premier undercover truth seekers in America today. But mainstream media is silent and social media is keeping it as under wraps as possible.James O’Keefe III and his team released videos showing a communist working as a state campaign director for the Sanders campaign. Kyle Jurek said gulags were misunderstood education camps, cops would be beaten in Minneapolis if Sanders loses, and conservative “reactionaries” should be shot like they were in Cuba. Twitter’s responses have been epic.NEW @Project_Veritas Video:Bernie Sanders Field Organizer:If Trump gets re-elected, “f*cking cities burn”MAGA People will have to be “re-educated”Bernie’s Free Education will “Teach you to not be a f*cking Nazi.”#Expose2020 pic.twitter.com/WsjhRH8mE8— Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 14, 2020Violence, force, and gulags are integral to socialism.This Bernie Bro wants to light MSM pundits on fire, kill resistors of their socialist revolution, beat cops, burn cities…How many Bernie staffers share this radical ideology?#Expose2020 pic.twitter.com/GWjXLHQJmd— Morgan Zegers (@MorganZegers) January 14, 2020For those who just didn’t believe. @JamesOKeefeIII of @Project_Veritas will be with us on AMERICA First today. https://t.co/7aWY1JQIDP— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) January 14, 2020BERNIE CAMP EXPOSED #ProjectVeritas https://t.co/U7BSEv9yjL— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) January 14, 2020Gosh this is horrifying!Bernie Sanders’ staffer: “Do you want to fight against the revolution? You’re gonna die for it motherf$cker.”(He suggests people who “resist change” should be shot like dissidents in Cuba.)pic.twitter.com/S6mfv17T4l— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) January 14, 2020BREAKING NOW: Project Veritas Drops Bombshell Hidden Camera Videos Exposing Bernie’s Campaign…RT IF YOU THINK BERNIE’S CAMPAIGN IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE…https://t.co/zZ2csYs4mo— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) January 14, 2020Why do Bernie Bros want people to be put into “education” camps while their cities burn? Any comment @BernieSanders?#Expose2020 pic.twitter.com/Lw6PZLOEPu— Carpe Donktum (@CarpeDonktum) January 14, 2020Kyle Jurek of Bernie Sanders campaign advocates shooting anyone who resists change just like they did in Cuba. As the son of a Cuban mother who escaped these monsters in Cuba and the grandson of grandparents who had their home stolen by Castro, I’m disgusted. We will resist this. https://t.co/HqnsnfvrHH— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 14, 2020Don’t worry. The ‘good socialists’ just want to tax the hell out of you, re-educate you, and force you into a really nice gulag. #2020election #BernieSanders #JamesO‘Keefe https://t.co/0I1BpIdbVG— Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) January 14, 2020The Bernie Sanders staffer calling for media pundits to be pulled out of their studios and set on fire has (of course) deleted his Twitter account (@KyleJurek) to further destroy evidence. It was active last night before the Project Veritas #Expose2020 video released.— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) January 14, 2020This has the potential to end Bernie Sanders runA lot of people on Twitter are used to hearing this kind of rhetoric, but if the media or enemies of Sanders latch onto this it will be devastating.Normal people would be shocked by this kind of talk from a campaigner https://t.co/xfEC06TdkC— Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 14, 2020What are the odds Bernie won’t be asked during tonight’s debate about one of his organizers calling for gulags, “re-education” and violent riots?pic.twitter.com/eTFM0szhiD— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) January 14, 2020Felony conspiracy to commit a riot and murder police.Will @BernieSanders disavow this? https://t.co/JOXU8Jowv0— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) January 14, 2020BREAKING:Bernie Sanders campaign reveals the REAL reason for their “free college” platform—to “re-educate” Trump supporters to “not be Nazis”Watch @Project_Veritas expose the truth behind Bernie’s socialist plotThis is sickWill the media cover this?RT! pic.twitter.com/WdxnyPRGvw— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 14, 2020A totally sane, definitely well-adjusted Bernie Sanders campaign organizer says that “f***ing Milwaukee will burn” if Sanders is denied the Democratic presidential nomination. https://t.co/pXlp82Iy6S— Dan O’Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) January 14, 2020Wow. https://t.co/yNLL3BxH3d— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 14, 2020Reports from mainstream media have been exactly nil in the six hours since the story broke. Nothing from CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, or the Washington Post. There hasn’t even been anything from Fox News. When we reached out to a media contact at CNN, we were told there would be no coverage of the story at this time, though they may be forced to report on it if others do as well. That seems to be the prevailing narrative; as long as nobody breaks the bubble of silence, the story can safely remain off the airwaves. If only Fox News does, then it will likely still be ignored by the others.This is why independent journalism is so important in America. Those of us reporting on the story may not have the reach of the big dogs, but collectively we can try to get the word out to as many people as possible.One might look at all the Tweets above and think at least it’s spreading on social media. But there’s a problem with that notion. Social media’s puppetmasters are very tricky. They allow conservatives to have our little echo chambers in which we’re Tweeting and retweeting each other, but they keep that echo chamber contained.The hashtag for the story, #Expose2020, broke the 100,000 Tweets threshold in six hours. Would it be enough to let it trend in the United States? After all, hashtags like #AskStephenA with 1,500 Tweets is trending. So is “Antonio Gates” despite barely breaking 15,000 Tweets. Meanwhile, #Expose2020 is nowhere to be seen.#Expose2020 has seen over 107,000 tweets in just 6 short hours since we launched but somehow it hasn’t even cracked into the United States trends list. #Expose2020 has more tweets than anything currently trending.What the hell are you doing @jack? pic.twitter.com/DjBh3KdCvM— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) January 14, 2020Imagine if a Trump campaign employee was caught saying word-for-word what Jurek was caught saying. It would have been the top story on mainstream media within minutes and remained the topic of conversation throughout the day, into tonight, and onto tomorrow at the very least. CNN would have brought in experts blaming it on President Trump’s rhetoric. MSNBC would have pundits come in and say this behavior is indicative of the entire campaign staff. NY Times would have done a 10,000-word analysis of it, profiling the entire life history of the person spewing vitriol and connecting it all to becoming indoctrinated into the GOP at an early age.But it isn’t about President Trump. It’s about Bernie Sanders. Therefore, they will ignore it for as long as they possibly can.As for social media, don’t get me started on how many hashtags pertaining to the story would be trending all day. They would be manually placed at the top of the trending list so others would then click and retweet things from it. Instead of being relegated to an ideological echo chamber, it would be shoved in everyone’s faces as much as possible the moment we checked our Twitter feed. That’s the state of affairs in social media. Those who control the narrative on it pick winners and losers, and invariably the losers are truthseekers like Project Veritas.Not covered by networks. Not trending on social media. The Project Veritas bombshell is being systematically suppressed. What are patriots going to do about it? You bet we’re going to amplify the story as much as possible.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Mainstream and social media are already suppressing Sanders campaign exposé by Project Veritas appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| CNN’s Chris Cillizza: Nancy Pelosi gambled and lostPosted: 14 Jan 2020 10:33 AM PSTConservative politicians and journalists have been questioning Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s actions and motives throughout the impeachment ordeal. After over three weeks of political jockeying over what the House can tell the Senate to do, some progressive politicians have started question Pelosi’s strategy as well. Now, she is finally ready to send the Articles of Impeachment over to the Senate. This comes after a clear answer to her own question. The House can’t tell the Senate to do anything.CNN’s Chris Cillizza acknowledged the severity of the Speaker’s mistake.Nancy Pelosi gambled and lost on the impeachment delayWhat Pelosi seemed to, uh, underestimate is the extent to which the Senate, by its very nature, resists being told what to do in any way, shape or form. While it is easy to lay all of that on McConnell, the truth of the matter is that the Senate has never liked being told what to do by the House. And the House has never liked being told what to do by the Senate. Each body views itself as an independent fiefdom, governed by its own rules and codes of conduct. The idea of one chamber telling the other what to do is simply anathema — no matter which party is in charge of each.That, plus McConnell’s remarkable ability to keep his 53 Republican senators in line, led to Pelosi being left holding not much of a hand. The move she announced Tuesday is the equivalent of throwing her hand in, understanding that what she was holding was, in a word, dreck.Dreck, indeed. Cillizza was much nicer to Pelosi than she deserves after mucking this up so badly. As our EIC noted, she had tons of momentum following the House hearings and votes on the Articles. Even though there were defectors, she claimed she didn’t whip the caucus, meaning the overall support from vulnerable Democrats in Trump districts was mostly organic. Mainstream media was on her side. The people were ready to get the trial started shortly after the new decade started, but even at that point poll showed many had already become fatigued and disinterested.She waited at least a week longer than she should have. Had she sent them over once the new session began, nobody would have blinked. But instead, she let it fester. This was a critical mistake, one that may cost her the chair she cherishes whether Democrats retain control of the House or not in November.The spin game has been going on since last week. Pelosi says she had a plan and it worked as more people are aware that the White House is withholding witnesses and documents, but that’s a weak argument since Senator Chuck Schumer and his team would have made that crystal clear if her impeachment managers didn’t. It’s noteworthy that even her closest allies in Congress are silent about the failed strategy. Pelosi is stuck trying to spin it on her own.House Minority Leader offered an interesting conspiracy theory:This is the dirty little secret that nobody is talking about: Remember how the Dem Party cheated Bernie Sanders out of the nomination last time? Now they’re at it again.By withholding articles of impeachment from the Senate, Speaker Pelosi is hurting Bernie and helping Biden. pic.twitter.com/DCqfA7DHer— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 12, 2020Did Nancy Pelosi withhold the articles to benefit Joe Biden? When left-leaning journalists like Chris Cillizza are calling her delay tactics a mistake, it should make us question her motivations. Then again, it may make perfect sense to the Democratic Establishment.American Conservative MovementAs we prepare for the 2020 election, we are joining with fellow patriots to form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We will focus on two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats from winning elections and promoting strong conservative candidates wherever they are viable. After the election, we will shift to focusing on educating America about the tenets of conservatism. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post CNN’s Chris Cillizza: Nancy Pelosi gambled and lost appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
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ARRA SERVICE
- 207 Members of Congress Ask SCOTUS To Rethink Roe v. Wade
- Media Cartel Upset Over Trump Retweeting Image of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as Iranian Agents
- This Is How Fake News Spreads
- Cook County, Illinois, Defied ICE, Released 1,070 Criminal Illegals In 2019
- Pelosi Pushes Impeachment Along, Tehran In Turmoil, Debate Night
- Remembering the Farming Way
- American Citizenship Is Eroding
- Eyes Wide Shut . . .
- Groupthink
- Study: Worst Run States Are Run By Democrats
- Poked, Stoked and Woke
- Trump Overseeing Best Peacetime Labor Market & Economy In Modern History As 2020 Election Looms
- The Capitalist League: Why Is a GOP Senator Brandishing Hammer and Sickle Against Tech?
- Leftists Do Federalism Terribly – To Then Do Policy Terribly
- Environmentalists Want To Take Your Food, Your Home, And Your Children
| 207 Members of Congress Ask SCOTUS To Rethink Roe v. WadePosted: 14 Jan 2020 06:01 PM PSTby Star Parker: In March 2020, the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of Louisiana’s new abortion law, which requires that physicians doing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic. Under the leadership of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, an amicus — “friend of the court” — brief supporting the law was just filed, signed by 207 members of Congress, 39 senators and 168 House members. A press release from Scalise summarizes the arguments made and lists a number of conservative organizations supporting the brief, one of which is my organization — the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. What makes this filing particularly interesting is not just the sheer volume of congressional signatories — almost 40% of the Senate and House combined; it’s also the fact that it goes further than just arguing support for the constitutionality of the Louisiana law to suggest that the widespread confusion regarding abortion law ties directly to the confusing basic premises under which abortion was found constitutional in the 1973 Roe v. Wade and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decisions. The brief urges the Supreme Court to cast new scrutiny on these two landmark decisions that have defined the abortion legal landscape. Asking the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade is provocative, to say the least. But it is also courageous and on target. How can we possibly function as a nation when an issue as critical as abortion defies consensus as to its constitutional pedigree as well as its morality? Can there be any better evidence of this confusion than recalling the famous interchange in August 2008 when Pastor Rick Warren asked then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?” Obama, a Harvard-educated lawyer who would go on to be twice elected president, replied lamely, “answering that question … is above my pay grade.” Yet despite his candor about his inability to clarify the biological and legal status of the unborn child, he didn’t hesitate to be the first sitting American president to address the national meeting of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, and tell them, “God bless you.” There is a well-known expression from the world of computing that says, “garbage in, garbage out.” Faulty premises will produce faulty results and output. This is a pretty good summary of what has been happening to American culture since the Roe v. Wade decision. Once sanctity of life and its legal protections became ambiguous, our entire culture began to unravel. The percentage of American adults married since Roe v. Wade has dropped by one-third. The percentage of children in households with married parents is down 15%, and the percentage of babies born to unwed mothers up over 300%. The last decade, according the Census Bureau, is estimated to have the slowest 10-year growth in the U.S. population since the first census was taken in 1790. The Census Bureau forecasts that by 2034, for the first time, there will be more Americans over age 65 than under 18. And, of course, we cannot overlook the damage our national soul has incurred by looking away as 61,628,584 babies have been destroyed in the womb since 1973, as the Guttmacher Institute reports. In the latest Gallup polling, 49% identified as pro-life and 46% as pro-choice. Fifty percent say abortion is “morally wrong,” and 42% say it is “morally acceptable.” For the 47th time, hundreds of thousands will arrive in Washington for the March for Life, noting the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Jan. 22, 1973. There is growing appreciation for the notion that what’s driving a sense that something is wrong in our nation is ambiguity regarding the sanctity of life. Let’s pray that the court heeds these 207 members of Congress and starts rethinking the Roe v. Wade decision. —————– Star Parker (@UrbanCURE)is an author at and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. CURE is a non-profit think tank that addresses issues of race and poverty through principles of faith, freedom and personal responsibility. Tags: Star Parker, Congress, Ask SCOTUS, To Rethink, Roe v. Wade To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Media Cartel Upset Over Trump Retweeting Image of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as Iranian AgentsPosted: 14 Jan 2020 05:40 PM PSTby Michael Van Der Galien: On Monday, President Trump hilariously retweeted a doctored image of Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer standing in front of an Iranian flag. Although it had me laughing out loud, the reaction of the liberal Media Cartel was completely different. They’re outraged. The original tweet was posted by an anonymous user: The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah’s rescue.#NancyPelosiFakeNews pic.twitter.com/a0ksPHeXCy— داون آندر (@D0wn_Under) January 13, 2020 “Democrats 2020,” and then an image of Schumer and Pelosi in Iranian clothes and standing in front of an Iranian flag. It’s both hilarious and painful at the same time. Painful? Yes, because the idea behind it is entirely correct. Democrats have sided with the thugs in Tehran against their own democratically-elected president. It’s sickening. In any case, Trump clearly thought the same thing, so he went and retweeted the image. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham explained afterward that “the president is making clear that the Democrats have been parroting Iranian talking points, and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill the Americans.” “I think the president was making the point that the Democrats seem to hate him so much that they’re willing to be on the side of countries and leadership of countries who want to kill Americans,” she rightfully concluded. It’s difficult to argue with that, of course. This is exactly what’s going on. Funny enough, however, the leftist Media Cartel and Democrats (but I repeat myself) have responded with great outrage to Trump’s retweet. Here’s a typical liberal reaction: This is from the President of the United States. How disgusting, and inappropriate for him to be in the oval office, not as a citizen but as the leader of the country! This shows that he is unfit, unqualified, and doesn’t deserve the privilege of being president! — Joseph Ruisi (@RuisiJoseph) January 13, 2020“This is form the President of the United States,” Joseph Ruisi writes. “How disgusting, and inappropriate for him to be in the Oval Office, not as a citizen but as the leader of the country! This shows that he is unfit, unqualified, and doesn’t deserve the privilege of being president!” CBS News also covered the tweet by pointing out that it’s a “fake image” (really?! Wow, nobody understood that!) and trying to fan the flames by pretending it’s just horrible. Truly horrific. Very bad. Terrible. Oh yes, it’s very serious headline news. How can he DO this? But wait a minute! Didn’t Democrats and their minions on social media accuse Trump for three years of being a Russian spook? Somehow, CBS News, liberal Twitter-users, and Democrats in Congress didn’t have a problem with that, though. Oh no, they actually amplified and repeated those attacks. But when Trump does something similar it suddenly proves he’s The Worst Person In The World? Get over yourselves, libs. Nobody’s interested in your faux outrage. ————————————– Michael van der Galien (@GalienMichael) is Editor-in-Chief of Dutch news and opinion website De Dagelijkse Standard, a freelance journalist and columnist, and a regular contributor to several American websites including PJ Media. RINO added by ARRA News Service editor. Tags: Michael Van Der Galien. PJ Media, Media Cartel, Upset Over Trump, Retweeting Image, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, as Iranian Agents To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| This Is How Fake News SpreadsPosted: 14 Jan 2020 05:15 PM PSTNewsweek’s retraction of story written about conservative Dennis Prager’s comments on Anne Frank has not stopped left-wing sites from misleading readers. by Dennis Prager: In my last column, “Newsweek Hits a New Low,” I wrote about Newsweek’s dishonest description of what I had said on one of my weekly PragerU “Fireside Chats.” A viewer had asked me to respond to a statement Anne Frank made in her epic Holocaust diary. Frank said, “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.” The Newsweek headline, “Conservative Radio Host Ridicules Anne Frank,” was simply a lie. In order for readers to appreciate the level of mendacity, I had my entire response transcribed and placed it in the column. A few days later I received a message from Nancy Cooper, global editor-in-chief of Newsweek. She emailed me her personal cellphone number and asked me to call her. I did, and we had a good conversation. She agreed that what Newsweek published mischaracterized my remarks and corrected both the headline and the article, written by deputy editor Benjamin Fearnow. She changed the headline to “Conservative Radio Host Counters Anne Frank’s View That People Are ‘Good at Heart.’” In addition, she deleted Fearnow’s sentence characterizing me as having mocked Anne Frank. And she deleted another Fearnow falsehood: “He also brings up Nazi comparisons frequently on his radio program, “The Dennis Prager Show,” to criticize modern Democrats and liberals.” I told Cooper that in 37 years of radio, I have never compared Democrats or liberals to Nazis; Fearnow had made that up out of whole cloth. In its place, she wrote the truth: “He also brings up Nazi comparisons on his radio program, ‘The Dennis Prager Show,’ saying the left ‘cheapens’ Nazi evil by using the term to dismiss political opponents or that liberals focus on Nazism while failing to acknowledge the horrors wrought by Communism.” The following notice now appears at the end of the article: “Update 1/8, 4:45 p.m. ET: The original headline on this story misrepresented Prager’s comments; the headline and story have been edited to reflect that Prager did not ‘ridicule’ or ‘mock’ Anne Frank but took issue with her view.” As I wrote to Cooper, “Your attention to this says a lot about you and your hopes for Newsweek. Thank you.” But the story doesn’t end there. First, has Newsweek disciplined Fearnow in any way? (I never heard from Fearnow.) Second, and more important, the original lie about me has taken on a life of its own. It was conveyed on numerous left-wing sites. Wonkette, under the sarcastic headline “Dennis Prager Will Not Be Bullied by Anne Frank,” wrote a deceit-filled article about my comments about Anne Frank. At this writing, the column is followed by 654 reader comments—virtually every one of them repeating the lie started by Newsweek and continued by Wonkette. There has not been a word on Wonkette about Newsweek’s correction. The Daily Dot—”conceived as the Internet’s ‘hometown newspaper,’ focuses on topics such as streaming entertainment, geek culture, memes, gadgets, and social issues, such as LGBT, gender, and race,” as Wikipedia describes—reprinted the original Newsweek charge. There has not been a word on The Daily Dot about Newsweek’s correction. Under the headline “Dennis Prager on Anne Frank: ‘I Don’t Get My Wisdom from Teenagers,’” the Patheos website’s Friendly Atheist page wrote, “Leave it to right-wing commentator Dennis Prager, founder of a fake online ‘university’ … to dismiss Frank’s comment … because she was a child and therefore too dumb to understand anything.” There has not been a word on Patheos about Newsweek’s correction. Inquisitr, which claims 40 million readers a month, headlined its disparaging article “Conservative Pundit Dennis Prager Ridicules Anne Frank.” There has not been a word on Inquistr about Newsweek’s correction. Democratic Undergound’s headline read, “Conservative Radio Host Dennis Prager Ridicules Anne Frank.” It features a tweet from @Kokomothegreat that has 499 retweets. There has not been a word on Democratic Underground or from Koko about Newsweek’s correction. I note all of this to make three points. First, as I have said for decades: While truth is a conservative value and a liberal value, it has never been a left-wing value. Second, the left’s primary response to those with whom it differs is to smear. Third, smears cannot be undone. This was brilliantly brought home to me in a famous Jewish story I first heard when I was a student in yeshiva. The tale is told of a Jew in Eastern Europe who had slandered his rabbi but soon regretted it. So, he went to his rabbi, told him what he had done, sincerely apologized, and asked the rabbi’s forgiveness. “Bring me two feather pillows,” the rabbi responded. The man did. “Am I now forgiven?” he asked. “Now cut open the pillows,” the rabbi responded. The man had no idea why the rabbi made these requests, but deeply wanting the rabbi’s forgiveness, he did as he was told. “Am I now forgiven?” the man asked. “Now let the feathers fly away,” the rabbi responded. Once again, the man did as the rabbi requested. “Am I now forgiven?” the exasperated man asked. “Just do one more thing,” the rabbi responded. “Bring back the feathers.” Benjamin Fearnow and the left-wing websites cannot bring back the feathers. Nor, apparently, do they want to. ——————– Dennis Prager @DennisPrager is a columnist for The Daily Signal, nationally syndicated radio host, and creator of PragerU. Tags: Dennis Prager, How Fake News Spreads To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Cook County, Illinois, Defied ICE, Released 1,070 Criminal Illegals In 2019Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:55 PM PSTby Free Press International News Service: Cook County in Illinois freed about 1,070 criminal illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2019, according to recently released Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, has been a so-called “sanctuary” county since September 2011. “The most concerning issue about working in an area that refuses to cooperate with ICE is not only that we do not know which criminal aliens are being released from custody, but the public doesn’t know either,” ICE official Henry Lucero said in a statement. ICE officials specifically cited the cases of illegals Rasheed Abass, a 50-year-old from South Africa, and Kennete Acevedo Ortiz, a 28-year-old from Nicaragua, who were released from Cook County custody despite ICE agents requesting they be turned over to them for arrest and deportation. Abass was arrested in June 2019 and charged with indecent exposure. A month later, Abass was arrested for assault. After each arrest, ICE requested that Abass be turned over to them, but the requests were ignored and he was freed back into the community. His current location is unknown, ICE said. Ortiz was arrested in December 2018 for drunk driving, in February 2019 for domestic violence, and March 2019 for failure to appear in court. After each arrest, ICE requested the illegal alien be turned over to them. Ortiz remains in Illinois state custody but will likely not be turned over to ICE. ICE officials detailed similar cases: On Dec. 3, 2018, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Rokas Ablacinskas, a 22-year-old citizen of Lithuania, following his arrest for attempted murder, aggravated battery of a victim over the age of 60 and aggravated battery in a public place. Without notifying ICE, the Cook County Jail released Ablacinskas Sept. 17, 2019, and he remains at large in the community. On, Dec. 10, 2018, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Isidro Ramirez-Hernandez, a 52-year-old citizen of Mexico, following his arrest for aggravated domestic battery and strangulation. Despite an active immigration detainer, the Cook County Jail released Ramirez-Hernandez March 18, 2019, and he remains at large in the community. On Aug. 10, 2019, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Mahmoud Abu Maghli, a 27-year-old citizen of Jordan, following his arrest by the Burbank (Illinois) Police Department for recklessly discharging a firearm. He remains in the Cook County Jail where, under existing sanctuary laws, he will be released into the community. Breitbart reporter John Binder noted that “Every year, sanctuary counties released tens of thousands of illegal aliens back into American communities rather than turning them over to ICE agents. In Los Angeles County, California, about 100 criminal illegal aliens are released every day back into the general public. Federal officials have said about 80 percent of these released illegal aliens are likely to commit more crimes.” Legislation filed in the Senate, supported by Angel Families, would allow Americans and legal immigrants to sue sanctuary jurisdictions when they or their loved ones are victimized by illegal immigrants who have been shielded from deportation. in Illinois freed about 1,070 criminal illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2019, according to recently released Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, has been a so-called “sanctuary” county since September 2011. “The most concerning issue about working in an area that refuses to cooperate with ICE is not only that we do not know which criminal aliens are being released from custody, but the public doesn’t know either,” ICE official Henry Lucero said in a statement. ICE officials specifically cited the cases of illegals Rasheed Abass, a 50-year-old from South Africa, and Kennete Acevedo Ortiz, a 28-year-old from Nicaragua, who were released from Cook County custody despite ICE agents requesting they be turned over to them for arrest and deportation. Abass was arrested in June 2019 and charged with indecent exposure. A month later, Abass was arrested for assault. After each arrest, ICE requested that Abass be turned over to them, but the requests were ignored and he was freed back into the community. His current location is unknown, ICE said. Ortiz was arrested in December 2018 for drunk driving, in February 2019 for domestic violence, and March 2019 for failure to appear in court. After each arrest, ICE requested the illegal alien be turned over to them. Ortiz remains in Illinois state custody but will likely not be turned over to ICE. ICE officials detailed similar cases: On Dec. 3, 2018, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Rokas Ablacinskas, a 22-year-old citizen of Lithuania, following his arrest for attempted murder, aggravated battery of a victim over the age of 60 and aggravated battery in a public place. Without notifying ICE, the Cook County Jail released Ablacinskas Sept. 17, 2019, and he remains at large in the community. On, Dec. 10, 2018, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Isidro Ramirez-Hernandez, a 52-year-old citizen of Mexico, following his arrest for aggravated domestic battery and strangulation. Despite an active immigration detainer, the Cook County Jail released Ramirez-Hernandez March 18, 2019, and he remains at large in the community. On Aug. 10, 2019, ICE lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail on Mahmoud Abu Maghli, a 27-year-old citizen of Jordan, following his arrest by the Burbank (Illinois) Police Department for recklessly discharging a firearm. He remains in the Cook County Jail where, under existing sanctuary laws, he will be released into the community. Breitbart reporter John Binder noted that “Every year, sanctuary counties released tens of thousands of illegal aliens back into American communities rather than turning them over to ICE agents. In Los Angeles County, California, about 100 criminal illegal aliens are released every day back into the general public. Federal officials have said about 80 percent of these released illegal aliens are likely to commit more crimes.” Legislation filed in the Senate, supported by Angel Families, would allow Americans and legal immigrants to sue sanctuary jurisdictions when they or their loved ones are victimized by illegal immigrants who have been shielded from deportation. ———————————- Free Press International News Service, aka: Free Pressers (@FreePressers). Tags: Free Press International, News Service, Free Pressers, Cook County, Illinois, Defied ICE, Released, 1,070 Criminal Illegals, 2019 To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Pelosi Pushes Impeachment Along, Tehran In Turmoil, Debate NightPosted: 14 Jan 2020 03:21 PM PSTGary Bauerby Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Pelosi Pushes Impeachment Along Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this morning that the House of Representatives will vote tomorrow to send articles of impeachment against President Trump to the U.S. Senate. The House impeachment managers will also be named then. What is this impeachment thing all about again? It has something to do with a brief phone call between President Trump and the leader of Ukraine, a call Trump knew that several White House officials were listening to. This is the left’s attempt to legitimize its ongoing efforts to overturn the last presidential election ten months before the next presidential election because Pelosi, Schumer and Schiff just aren’t sure any of their candidates can beat Donald Trump. So while a phone call is being used to justify impeachment, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on what the president has accomplished. In three years, the Trump Administration has created more than six million new jobs. He has shown that free enterprise really does lift all boats because unemployment rates for blacks, Hispanics and women are all at record lows.He has reoriented trade policy so that preserving American jobs is the top priority while ending communist China’s exploitation of our markets. Median household income is the highest it has ever been.Under Trump’s leadership, we have begun rebuilding the American military after eight years of neglect. We have restored the U.S. alliance with Israel. We have taken out ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Iranian terror master Qassem Soleimani and Al Qaeda leader Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s son.Every day more of the border wall gets built, reinforcing our national sovereignty.Each week, his conservative judicial appointments, now numbering nearly 200, bring the federal courts closer in line with the Constitution and the values of the American people.He has advocated for the sanctity of life unlike any president in history.Against the wishes of the GOP establishment to avoid the so-called “culture war,” Trump has not hesitated to use the bully pulpit to defend our values whenever progressive ingrates offend our country, our flag and our law enforcement officers.But there’s that dang phone call, so none of that matters and we’d better throw him out of office. That’s left-wing logic for you, and I’m confident that most Americans will reject it at the ballot box this November! A Tale Of Two Stadiums I still have a burr under my saddle about the disrespectful reaction the president received from some in the crowd at a stadium here in Washington, D.C., during the World Series. But when the president walked out onto the field at last night’s college football championship game, he got a very different reaction. The crowd roared with cheers and applause. One side of the stadium was chanting, “USA! USA!,” while the other side was chanting, “Four More Years!” Unfortunately, the always angry left is furious that actor Vince Vaughn dared to speak to the president and shook his hand last night. Tehran In Turmoil Protests against the Iranian regime are continuing, even amid reports of violent government oppression. Yesterday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a statement putting Tehran on notice. In the statement, I am quoted as saying: “I am deeply concerned for the welfare of religious minorities in Iran amid the government’s already violent response to the current protests. The United States must closely monitor Iran’s treatment of religious minorities as protests continue and speak out strongly against any attempts to target these groups.” There are additional cracks emerging, as a number of news anchors at official Iranian media outlets announced their resignations. One journalist, Gelare Jabbari, posted on her Instagram account, “Forgive me for the 13 years I told you lies.” The Trump Administration’s policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran is clearly working. For proof, look no further than this New York Times headline: “Iran’s Grim Economy Limits Its Willingness To Confront The U.S.” The article notes that Trump’s sanctions have decimated Iran’s economy, “which is now contracting at an alarming 9.5 percent annual rate.” Our European allies are also stepping up the pressure. Reuters reports that Britain, France and Germany have “formally triggered the dispute mechanism in Iran’s nuclear deal,” accusing the regime of violating the terms of the 2015 deal. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson seemed open to replacing the Obama deal with a new “Trump deal” that actually prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Debate Night Six Democrat candidates will take the stage tonight for the seventh and final debate before the critical Iowa caucuses. The debate will take place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and will air on CNN at 9:00 PM ET. The participating candidates include: Former Vice President Joe BidenFormer Mayor Pete ButtigiegSen. Amy KlobucharSen. Bernie SandersBillionaire activist Tom SteyerSen. Elizabeth WarrenTonight’s debate could produce real fireworks as the candidates are sharpening their attacks and time is running out for some of them to breakout of the pack. It also comes amid a number of major shakeups in the primary campaign. Yesterday, Sen. Cory Booker dropped out of the race, citing the upcoming impeachment trial among several reasons. (More on that below.) ulian Castro and Marianne Williamson also dropped out recently. It also comes as Bernie Sanders appears to be surging in the polls. He’s leading in Iowa and California, and he’s essentially tied for first place in Nevada and New Hampshire. But Sanders is really blowing out the competition when it comes to fundraising. According to the latest reports, Sanders raised more than $34 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, followed by Buttigieg with $25 million, Biden with $23 million and Warren with $21 million. Needless to say, the “Sanders Surge” is sparking panic within the Democrat establishment. (Here, here and here.) In fact, some commentators are credibly arguing that Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment stalling strategy is really all about sandbagging Sanders and boosting Biden right before the Iowa caucuses. Buttigieg & Iran It strikes me as strange and disturbing that Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate for president of the United States, has not found the time to condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran, which maintains the death penalty for open homosexuality. Buttigieg has viciously attacked Vice President Pence because the vice president opposes same-sex marriage. But he has shown no such vitriol toward the Islamist homophobes who run Iran and who are on their way to getting a nuclear bomb. Will any reporter question him about this blatant hypocrisy? Or will it just remain one of those many unanswered mysteries? ——————— Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer) is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Pelosi Pushes Impeachment Along, Tehran In Turmoil, Debate Night To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Remembering the Farming WayPosted: 14 Jan 2020 02:43 PM PSTby Dr. Victor Davis Hanson: We need to pause sometimes and remember who these dinosaurs were and what they have contributed. For a while longer, a few are still with us, a sort of collective keyhole through which we can look back into a now unremembered American past, whose codes and mores we simply abandoned—and to our great and present loss. Almost all the pragmatic agricultural wisdom that my grandparents taught me has long ago been superseded by technology. I don’t anymore calibrate, as I once did when farming in the 1980s, the trajectory of an incoming late summer storm by watching the patterns of nesting birds, or the shifting directions and feel of the wind, or the calendar date or the phases of the moon. Instead, I go online and consult radar photos of storms far out at sea. Meteorology is mostly an exact science now. Even the agrarian’s socio-scientific arts of observation that I learned from my family are seldom employed in my farming anymore. Back in the day, when a local farmer’s wife died, I was told things like, “Elmer will go pretty soon, too. His color isn’t good and he’s not used to living without her”—and tragically the neighbor usually died within months. Now I guess I would ask Elmer whether his blood tests came back OK, and the sort of blood pressure medicine he takes. I don’t think we believe that superficial facial color supersedes lab work. Farmers did because in an age of limited technology they saw people as plants, and knew that the look and color of a tree or vine—in comparison to others in the orchard or vineyard—was a sign of their viability. I grew up with an entire local network of clubs and get-togethers, and ferried my grandparents to periodic meetings of the Walnut Improvement Club, Eastern Star, the Odd Fellows, Masons, the Grange, and Sun-Maid growers. They exchanged gossip, of course, but also vital folk and empirical information on irrigation, fertilizers, and machines. The point was to remind us that “we” (i.e., the vanishing rural classes) needed to stick together—especially given glimpses of what the country would be like in the 21st century. When one of us died or got sick, people showed up with flowers, food, and offered help—whether the use of a tractor, or truck or hired man to “get you through this.” Now? Zilch. I don’t know any of my neighbors. Most are recent immigrants from south of the border, many here illegally. The land is almost all leased out to or has been purchased by large corporations. The old farmhouses are also rented and often poorly maintained: a sort of rural skeleton, with the flesh gone and the bones flaking apart. I hear from our coastal elites all about diversity, community, and caring. But out here, no one believes there is much diversity. Community does not exist. And as for caring, it is about making sure you get home at night without a drunk driver forcing you off the road—or worse. So Much for Diversity or Community I don’t know where exactly all my Armenian, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Portuguese, Scandinavian agrarian friends of my childhood went, but they and their offspring are all long gone. And it is mostly rich versus poor left now, with little in between in California. I’m not sure massive illegal immigration is going to lead to the sort of communities that legal immigration and family farming once built. I once remember locals saying things like, “We can’t find the damn key to our house. Never had a need for it,” and, “Say, did you see that stranger two weeks ago prowling around the ditch bank?”—as if such a rare occurrence demanded neighborhood consultation. Now? Rural houses have walls, fences, barbed wire, cameras, and fierce pit bulls. I feel like it is North Africa circa AD 430, and the world is retreating into rural makeshift fortifications. And the occupants—few of them farmers—are armed to the teeth. The local sheriffs by needs appear in raids against the Norteños and Sureños gangs, equipped like the 82nd Airborne. The science and culture of family farming are about gone. I used to worry when my grandfather got the flu: who will run the farm? And how without him, given his stored wisdom that was never written down? He himself used to lecture about the bankruptcy of a neighbor, “He was a good enough farmer, but no one counted on his son getting killed in that accident and a cancer in his lung.” I learned that often just health and constitution meant success while fragility and illness failure. Continuance was always in the balance. The Solid Constitution of the Farmer To extend the farming logic, one ingredient in Donald Trump’s success appears to be his underappreciated constitution that somehow defies the logic of septuagenarian preventive medicine. I had a Swedish grandfather like that whose lungs and esophagus were scarred and shriveled from gassing in World War I, who made a hardscrabble living by raising what he ate and breaking horses, and yet his constitution made it to 80—before the ancient scar tissues and cysts in his gassed mouth finally went malignant. We pried him off his 40-acre pasture and took him to an oncologist in 1968, the first doctor he had visited in 30 years. Agribusiness wisely does not depend on the health of a paterfamilias, much less the regimens it once took to keep him going. Protocol is on the internet and managers are university trained in the sciences of hydrology, genetics, and plant chemistry. I can often spot a rare vestigial family-owned and operated 100-acre almond orchard by its less impressive, less tidy look, in comparison to the garden-like corporate-operated tesserae of the same size as part of huge 10,000-acre mosaics. So the health of a single middle-aged male farmer used to determine whether the farm thrived or failed. The males I grew up with used all sorts of creams, balms, ointments, folk remedies, and embraced strange regimens about eating, when to go to bed, and when to get up. These habits were felt essential to ensuring trees were pruned or grapes picked. I never could figure out why locals wore either railroad engineer overalls, or matching khaki pants and shirt, or blue shirts and jeans that variously reflected their own idiosyncratic theories about how to endure the scorching summer heat, or frosty winter mornings, or to protect from wasp stings or sand burrs. I don’t particularly miss the endemic grouchiness of agrarians, reflective I suppose of the tragic nature of family farmers. Even when a neighbor produced three tons of raisins per acre and in a rare year of good prices no less, he would sigh when complimented, “Well, I did alright, at least good enough.” And when the rain took his crop and the market prices dropped even in the midst of shortages, you would hear, “I’m done for and about had it with this farming business.” In other words, much of the natural and human knowledge I picked up on a five-generation small farm in Central California is no longer applicable to the 21st century in the age of social media, the internet, huge wealth, globalization, open borders, and the transformations of the arts of farming into the sciences of agribusiness. Or is that assessment entirely true? Aren’t there occasional vestigial insights? Vestigial Insights of a 20th-Century Farmer Call them philosophical reflections or perhaps reminders of the tragic view of human existence of the last 2,500 years in the agrarian West since Hesiod that still remain invaluable in our rich and faceless society. One is the idea of hubris incurring nemesis. Farmers taught me to save in good times, because they would not, could not last. If religious—and most were—they assumed an omniscient God watches over us and tempers the good with the bad. A healthy son, a banner plum year, a new shed meant “watch out!” Such good luck could not last, especially if one took such good times as a referendum on one’s own talent or brilliance—which, human nature being what it is, one usually and catastrophically did. Nemesis then followed haughtiness. The wise instead sought balance (to hide from the jealous roaming pagan goddess Nemesis): to remain cautious and humble when things were good, and defiant and resolute when they turned awful. I still remember their wisdom of unintended consequences, irony, and paradox. Sometimes farmers who never smoked, drank, or ate too much dropped dead of strange cancers or wasting diseases. Model peach orchards of hardy stock on occasion were sickened by bacterial gummosis. Beautiful two-story Victorian farmhouses of the 19th century burned down right after expensive restorations. That edged legacy still haunts me. I’m as afraid of good times as of bad, as if the two faced off on some baleful teeter totter, each having a commensurate turn, raising us higher and then taking us down. I still cannot shake agrarian wisdom even in our suburbanized world. Watch out for fast-talkers and know-it-alls whose speech substitutes for real accomplishment, a lore that I guess evolved from the solitary nature of farming when people worked days alone, had few with whom to talk, and failed or succeeded by how much they got done—all and only visible to the naked eye. Not talking to a single person for an entire day while pruning or tractor driving or irrigating is no longer a normal experience. Sometimes agrarian genes are outright curses. Why cannot a person lodge a legitimate excuse? Aren’t there extenuating circumstances? Excess of Independence as Corrective to Today’s Acedia Most of my near own disasters over the last 60 years were needless and self-inflicted and came from foolishly “pressing on” in order that I didn’t “let someone down”—as if one always had to finish pruning the entire vine row with the flu, or disc the entire 20 acres with pink eye. I would hear in my farming brain “You gave your word.” “You said you’d do it.” “What if everyone did that?” Or rather I heard what had been instilled by others. And so when I had a dull ache in my groin, I went to fulfill a speaking engagement for an educational consortium touring in Muammar Gadaffi’s nightmare of a country and ended up in shock with a ruptured appendix in Libya, in a desperate search for a surgeon. (I found one 26 hrs. later). A reluctance long ago in Greece to tell the archaeological director of an excavation that my urine was turning pink soon led to a staghorn calculus, a severed ureter, and an iffy flight back to the United States for an emergency operation. Getting Middle East malaria or dysentery was usually because I didn’t want to seem to “house up” as they said on the farm. Farmers believe, apparently, that there is some natural force in the universe that rewards continuance when in fact they often make their own plight worse by not taking simple precautions. I remember a 70-year-old farmer showing me a “small” bruise on his back from falling out of his cab: his entire back from neck to belt was bright purple. I once begged my 66-year old father not to patch old telephone wire (the remnants of a shared rural country line) on a 25-foot high, 70-year-old shoddy extension ladder. He badly broke his foot. When one does that in his sixties, and is a bit too heavy, it can devolve into all sorts of other imbalances. But he did fix the wire and the phone. By the early 5th-century AD, “Rome”—already a crumbling Mediterranean hegemony—was a world away from the Italian agrarian state of the 3rd-century BC, in customs, values, and outlook: richer and more cosmopolitan, but unsustainable in its excesses, disunity, and rootlessness. In our own late imperial days, honor the independent truck driver, the farmer, the guy who runs the 24-hour 7-Eleven store, and the owner-welder in a fabrication shop. We need to pause sometimes and remember who these dinosaurs were and what they have contributed. For a while longer, a few are still with us, a sort of collective keyhole through which we can look back into a now unremembered American past, whose codes and mores we simply abandoned—and to our great and present loss. ———————— Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) is a senior fellow, classicist and historian and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution where many of his articles are found; his focus is classics and military history. He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush. H/T American Greatness Tags: Victor Davis Hanson, remembering, Farming Way To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| American Citizenship Is ErodingPosted: 14 Jan 2020 02:28 PM PSTVictor Davis Hansonby Dr. Victor Davis Hanson: Today, many condemn the idea of nationalism by connecting it to race hatred (e.g., white nationalism). But historically, the modern nation-state has proven uniquely suitable to preserving individual rights. The American nation in particular was successful in uniting individuals of different races, ethnic backgrounds and creeds into one people based on shared principles, a unique physical space, and a common national story. Our nation is the best example in human history of positive nationalism. The key to this benign nationalism is American citizenship, based on an understanding of American exceptionalism and formed by the American melting pot. But today, our citizenship is eroding and, along with it, American nationalism in the positive sense is disappearing. American citizenship is eroding in three ways. First, we are blurring the line between mere residents and citizens. We have between 45-50 million non-native-born residents in the U.S. today—the largest absolute number we’ve ever had. There’s no legal problem with the 30 million of them who have green cards or have acquired citizenship—although even 30 million is a challenge for the American melting pot to assimilate and integrate. But we also have, according to a recent Yale and MIT study, about 20 million people who are here illegally. In regard to them, the classical ingredients of American citizenship—the right to leave or enter the country as one pleases, for example, or to vote in elections, or to reside here as long as one pleases—are being blurred. Where I live, in California, if you’re here illegally, you can de facto go back and forth across the border as you wish. In San Francisco, you can vote in some school board elections (the same is under consideration in some places in New England). And as we see with the DACA program, illegal residents can de facto live in the U.S. indefinitely. Some policies even discriminate against citizens. An illegal resident in California who is charged with a crime is not subject to federal immigration law to the full extent, whereas a citizen who flies into Los Angeles from overseas without a passport will be detained. If you are in California as an illegal resident, you can obtain a driver’s license as citizens have in the past; whereas for citizens, starting next year, there will be an extra burden: to travel by commercial air, they will have to provide at least three sources of proof of citizenship to obtain a valid ID—given the apparent devaluation of the driver’s license. People who come to the U.S. illegally and in great numbers usually do not have the degree of investment citizens do in our constitutional documents and are often unacquainted with our national story. Candidates from south of the border today fly into California’s Central Valley to campaign. Illegal residents vote in their home countries’ elections—and yet are unacquainted with political issues and candidates here in the U.S. To avoid a fragmentation of society based on racial and ethnic chauvinism takes an extra effort to keep the melting pot working. We’re no longer making that effort. Indeed, we’re doing the opposite, encouraging diversity rather than unity. Second, we’re becoming a country of tribes. The idea of multi-racialism—the notion that we’re of different races but we share a common culture—is eroding. At many colleges and universities today, you can choose in advance the racial background of your roommate. Campuses have “safe spaces” that are reserved for people of particular races. There are dorms where students segregate according to race. Ethnic studies departments thrive by emphasizing racial exceptionalism. Do we wonder why Elizabeth Warren chose to be a Native American, which, according to her own logic—the power of white privilege and systemic racism—would put her at a disadvantage? The answer is that she sought a careerist advantage. And Harvard was happy to comply: the law school bragged that she was its first “woman of color” faculty member. I went to a grammar school that was about 90 percent Mexican-American. Some people who I went to first grade with later changed their names from Juan to John and dropped the accent on their last names. Now in their 60s, they’re changing back to Juan and adding back the accents. Why? Because there is now a disadvantage in identifying as an un-hyphenated American, and an advantage to belonging to a tribe. And the danger is that this logic of tribalism leads to the kind of social breakup and civil discord that we saw in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Iraq. Third, the middle class, which had been encouraged and celebrated since the time of the American Founding, is now under sustained attack. A solid, property-owning middle class anchors the nation. Traditionally, its members show the sobriety and judgment to achieve autonomy. They don’t look to government for help. They stand as a barrier against both property redistribution and crony capitalism. Today, America’s middle class is threatened. Homeownership is down to about 62 percent from 71 percent just over ten years ago. The percentage of a family budget that goes to housing has risen from 20-30 percent in the 1950s to 30-40 percent today, especially in coastal corridors. Middle class wages, until an annual increase of three percent under President Trump, had been frozen for ten years. And we have an aggregate $1.6 trillion in student debt. If the middle class continues to erode, we will become a nation of peasants and oligarchs. In California, more than one out of five people live below the poverty line—despite the fact that California has one of the highest number of zip codes of America’s most affluent people and the highest number of billionaires. If you drive through Palo Alto, you’ll see people living in RVs because they can’t afford to buy or rent a home—and these are people working for Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Oracle, and Apple, with a total market capitalization of nearly $4 trillion. Additionally, we are seeing a formal assault on the Constitution by our elites. Consider the nullification of federal law through the creation of sanctuary cities, in direct defiance of the immigration statutes. (Of course, such nullification seems to go only one way: otherwise, imagine how our elites would respond if the people of Provo, Utah, decided within their municipal jurisdiction to nullify federal handgun registration or the Endangered Species Act.) Almost every single Democratic candidate for president is in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, which is in the Constitution to ensure equal representation to people living outside big cities, and to prevent the splintering of the electorate into several small parties. There is also a growing academic attack on the mode of electing the U.S. Senate—“Why should North Dakota or Wyoming have the same number of U.S. Senators as New York?” progressives ask, in their eagerness to make U.S. Senators proportionally elected in the manner of House members. This insidious assault on the Constitution results from the fact that popular elections haven’t been going the Left’s way, and the Left believes that its superior moral agenda justifies using any means necessary. Ancient authors from Plato and Aristotle to Petronius and Tacitus have suggested that affluence combined with leisure paradoxically creates a laxity that leads to the kind of societal and institutional disintegration we are currently seeing. Another major ingredient of our current crisis is the failure of our education system to offer disinterested instruction, following from the post-1960s takeover by the Left of our colleges and universities. In response, we need to support colleges that continue to teach the principles and practices of liberty. We must support policies that recognize the distinction between citizens and non-citizens and that bolster the middle class. And we need to defend the Constitution, our last great hope to ensure American continuity and security. ———————— Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) is a senior fellow, classicist and historian and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution where many of his articles are found; his focus is classics and military history. He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush. Courtesy of Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College. Tags: Victor Davis Hanson, Imprimis, Hillsdale College, American Citizenship Is Eroding To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Eyes Wide Shut . . .Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:08 PM PST. . .Funny how so many people who think they’re “Woke” are really actually blind to the reality of President Trump’s many accomplishments. Editorial Cartoon by AF “Tony” BrancoTags: AF Branco, editorial cartoon, Eyes Wide Shut To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| GroupthinkPosted: 14 Jan 2020 01:59 PM PSTby Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: In our world today, there is a great danger of groupthink. That is a name given to the way in which a group begins to think and reinforce that thinking due to pressures put on the group. One of the classic examples is the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Even though there was evidence that the Japanese might attack the US, military officials discounted that evidence believing that Japan would recognize the futility of war with the US. Recently Victor Davis Hanson wrote about the dangers of “elite groupthink.” This has become a real problem especially for the liberal elite who only read each other’s editorials and live in a world that reinforces liberal and progressive ideas. What stimulated his commentary was a recent Washington Post criticism of MSNBC host Rachel Maddow for claiming that the discredited Steele dossier was largely verifiable. He also cited other examples like the House Intelligence Committee memos and the Mueller report. But his last example was the best because it focused on all the economic predictions made after Donald Trump was elected president. It was a great warning to all of us to take such predictions with a large measure of salt. Former Princeton professor and Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman predicted that Trump would crash the stock market and that those stocks would never recover. Former Treasurer Secretary Larry Summers said Trump would bring on a recession within a year and a half. And the former head of the National Economic Council, Steven Rattner, predicted we would have a stock market crash of “historical proportions.” I think you can see how accurate these experts were about the economic consequences of electing Donald Trump. It would be fair to say that just the opposite happened. And that illustrates the danger of “elite groupthink.” They were all saying the same thing and reinforcing the others’ dire predictions. This illustrates the danger of groupthink. —————- Kerby Anderson (@kerbyanderson) is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network (@PointofViewRTS) and is endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service. Tags: Kerby Anderson, Viewpoints, Point of View, Groupthink To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Study: Worst Run States Are Run By DemocratsPosted: 14 Jan 2020 01:49 PM PSTby Matt Palumbo: The national debt is a ticking time bomb now topping $23.1 trillion – and that isn’t even the total debt that American taxpayers owe. Forty of the nation’s fifty states don’t have enough money to meet their obligations, with a total of $1.5 trillion in growing unfunded liabilities. While most states are in hot water, the problem is worst in states with a Democrat governor alongside a Democrat controlled legislature. A new study from Truth in Accounting analyzed the fiscal health of the fifty states and and the trend was clear. The more Republican control, the better (and less-worse) fiscal health those states are in. The worst run states and their unfunded liabilities per citizen, according to their “2019 Financial State of the States,” are: Vermont, -$19,000New York, -$20,500California, -$21,800Kentucky, -$25,700Delaware, -$27,100Hawaii, -$31,200Massachusetts, -$31,200Connecticut, -$51,800Illinois, -$52,600New Jersey, -$65,100Kentucky is the only state on the list with a Republican controlled legislature (and still had a Republican governor during the time-frame of this study). Every single other state has a Democrat controlled legislature. The only hints of Red is Massachusetts’ and Vermont’s Republican governors. The best states actually had a surplus per citizen. They are: Alaska, $74,200 per taxpayerNorth Dakota, $30,700Wyoming, $20,800Utah, $5,300Idaho, $2,900Tennessee, $2,800South Dakota, $2,800Nebraska, $2,000Oregon, $1,600Iowa, $700Alaska is an outlier due to oil wealth combined with a low population, and has a split legislature with a Republican governor. Every single other state with the exception of Oregon has a Republican governor and legislature. Nebraska is technically an exception in that they’re the only state with a unicameral legislature – but that is Republican controlled. The next nine states on the list have relatively low levels of unfunded liabilities under $2,500 per citizen, and are majority Republican controlled (with Virginia as the only exception). This all being said, the majority of states are still being mismanaged. Fortunately, there are ten other states they can model themselves after. ——————— Matt Palumbo (@MattPalumbo12) authored article on The Bongino Show. Tags: Matt Palumbo, Truth in Accounty, Study, Worst Run States, Run By Democrats To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Poked, Stoked and WokePosted: 14 Jan 2020 01:27 PM PSTby Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: “Let’s have an honest conversation based on fact,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam chided in his annual State of the Commonwealth speech before assembled legislators last week. “Not fear.” Last year, fear was more popular. In the frightful aftermath of a Virginia Beach city employee shooting and killing 12 co-workers, Northam was quick to call a special session of the legislature to pass gun control legislation. Republicans said no, however, and adjourned. With Democrats newly in control of both chambers of the state legislature, the governor now runs interference for “a package of eight gun-restricting measures, including universal background checks; banning assault-style weapons; requiring owners to report lost or stolen guns; and a ‘red flag law’” — along with raising the legal age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21. “When the General Assembly passes new guns safety laws,” proclaims Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, “they will be enforced, and they will be followed.” In response, Virginia’s many Second Amendment defenders are stepping up. Already, more than 110 cities and counties have declared their status as Second Amendment sanctuaries. “These resolutions have no legal force,” informs the AG, adding, “and they’re just part of an effort by the gun lobby to stoke fear.” Oh, yes, unmistakable stoking has occurred. On January 20, the Virginia Citizens Defense League is organizing a massive lobby day at the capital, where the stoked will politically poke their delegates. Join us. This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob. * You may recall Northam as that fellow whose personal medical school yearbook page contained a photo of a man in black-face next to someone donning a KKK robe. First, the governor apologized, then reversed course, claiming he had no idea how the picture mysteriously materialized into the yearbook — though he acknowledged other instances of wearing black-face in the past. A limited investigation by a law firm hired by the medical school came to no conclusion and the media seemed to move on. ** Herring apologized for his own blackface past. —————— Paul Jacob (@Common_Sense_PJ ) is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacob is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service. Tags: Paul Jacob, Common Sense, Poked, Stoked, Woke, Virginia, Ralph Northam To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Trump Overseeing Best Peacetime Labor Market & Economy In Modern History As 2020 Election LoomsPosted: 14 Jan 2020 01:11 PM PSTby Robert Romano: With 3.5 percent unemployment, the lowest since 1969 when U.S. involvement the Vietnam War was still at its height, and 6.7 million jobs created since Jan. 2017 — President Donald Trump is presently overseeing the best peacetime labor market conditions in modern history. And it could get even better, the reason being because working age adults 16-to-64 years old continue to pour into the U.S. economy at levels nobody expected prior to 2016. In 2019, 1.1 million more 16-to-64-year-olds found jobs, even as the population of 16-to-64-year-olds decreased by 238,000, according to the latest average, annual, seasonally unadjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a result, labor participation among working age adults increased to 74.1 percent, its highest level since 2009. While still a ways off from its 1997 high of 77.37 percent participation, it is still dramatically improved from its 2015 low of 72.61 percent when younger workers were still struggling to enter the U.S. economy. Much of the improvement has been since 2016, and comes at a critical time when labor participation among working age adults had been dropping every single year since 1997 save 2006. In 2016, this represented about 9.1 million 16-to-64-year-olds who would have been in the labor force had the participation rate remained what it was in 1997. In 2019, that number was down to 6.7 million, an improvement of 2.3 million. But for two decades it was a lost generation of opportunity for millions after the dotcom bust and the financial crisis more recently. We still have not fully recovered, leaving a lot of room to grow to bring more Americans into the labor force. Within the 16-to-64-year-old group, a majority the job gains have been among females, at 2.7 million new jobs for working aged women versus 2.1 million more jobs for working aged males. Unemployment for blacks and Hispanics remains near historic lows as well. 487,000 new manufacturing jobs have been created. All of which makes the Trump economy one of the most equitable in American history, something to aspire to where the financial well-being of the nation is one that benefits Americans of all backgrounds. Now, to be fair, there are favorable demographics that factor in here in the near-term, namely, as Baby Boomers retire younger Americans are boosting their labor participation and finding jobs that were previously unavailable, and the percent of workers without high school diplomas continues to plummet while those with college education continues to skyrocket. And the good news economically is those developments will continue for the next several years, which, barring a recession, promise to drive the unemployment rate even lower than its currently historically low numbers. Finally, for those who, for partisan reasons alone, were aspiring for an economic downturn sometime before the end of the year in the hopes that it would help oust President Donald Trump in November, you might not want to hold your breath. This economy is great, making a strong case for Trump’s reelection in 2020, where he can point to his tax cuts, deregulation and new trade deals as being big difference makers, and where everyone who wants a job can find one. It’s tough to argue against success. —————— Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government. Tags: Robert Romano, Americans for Limited Government, Trump Overseeing, Best Peacetime, Labor Market, Economy, In Modern History, As 2020, Election Looms To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The Capitalist League: Why Is a GOP Senator Brandishing Hammer and Sickle Against Tech?Posted: 14 Jan 2020 12:54 PM PSTU.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) speaks with reporters about Iran and a potential Senate impeachment trial.by Ralph Benko, Contributing Author: A year ago, after Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai testified before a painfully clueless Congress, I wrote at the techie site Hacker Noon: “Innovate Don’t Regulate: The Message of George Gilder’s Life After Google”:“Incongruously, some big league conservatives are calling for what used to be considered conservative heresy: using antitrust law to break up big companies — call it the Hammer. Or to, at least, regulate them hard — call it the Sickle. “Even worse, there is truculent talk in some circles about changing the law governing online content to hold companies like Google, Facebook or Twitter liable for material posted there by users. “Doing that would effectively ‘break’ the Internet. “Unclear how many of our Senators and Congressmen grasp this key fact.”Then things took a turn for the worse. Freshman Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, of Missouri, knows that his jihad against successful internet companies would, if enacted, break the internet. What’s worse? He revels in the prospect of breaking the internet. Emily Stewart writing at the stylishly leftish Vox’s Recode just before last Halloween observed:“[Hawley’s] thinking on the tech sector feels almost punitive: He doesn’t just want to rein in Big Tech. He might prefer a world where it doesn’t exist at all.… In a way, Hawley was a pioneer — this September, state attorneys general from across the country launched antitrust investigations of their own into both companies…. Hawley has built his career with tech in the crosshairs….”Emma Green, writing for the smart, center-left The Atlantic digs down quite approvingly into Hawley’s long term agenda to “end the GOP’s free market worship for good.” “For good.” Or ill, if you prefer the prosperity free markets bring to the heavy hand of Big Government. Even that curmudgeonly dissident George Will has gone to town on Hawley. Recently, in “ Josh Hawley sounds like he has too much faith in government” Will steals a phrase from William F. Buckley to ridicule Sen. Hawley’s ridiculous anti-tech posturing. Will calls Hawley: “a pyromaniac in a field of straw men. Through the smoke of burning straw one can see in Hawley’s social diagnosis the belief, held by many progressives and an increasing number of conservatives, that individualism, as expressed in and enabled by capitalism, is making Americans neither better off nor better.” Will then deftly wields facts to humiliate Hawley’s misguided arguments against liberty, individualism, and capitalism. Will is not alone in his contempt for Josh Hawley. My friend and sometimes colleague George Gilder, author of “Wealth and Poverty,” the bible of Reaganomics, founder of the Discovery Institute, distinguished futurist, wrote of Hawley:“Oh my, am I going to have to worry about my conservative friends joining the dims in a Luddite turn against technology? … “A communitarian desire to deny the claims and accomplishments of individuals easily glides into socialism, or worse. In his short career in the Senate, Hawley has not been able to resist the temptation. … “If telephone companies had been liable for any hate speakers or news fakers using their lines, we would still be communicating by some upgraded pony express. If providers of internet platforms had been required to ensure that no lies, frauds, hate speech or fake news passed through their facilities, they could not have functioned at all. There would be no internet.”Trump’s trusted advisor and Heritage Foundation Distinguished Visiting Fellow Stephen Moore, with whom I served on the President’s Commission on Privatization under Reagan and with whom I recently spoke, told me: “One of the Reagan White House’s first actions directed the Justice Department to cease and desist bullying businesses with antitrust actions. It desisted. The new infatuation of a few Republican Senators and state attorneys general with antitrust is a brick through the plate glass window of the Reagan Library. Bullying Google – on spurious grounds no less! – spits in the face of the Reagan legacy.” As for me, I’m an old school small government conservative. I was a Reagan White House junior official. I went on to become a Tea Party leader. I remain, as chairman of The Capitalist League, a passionate, full spectrum conservative. As a small-government conservative I favor having the rhetorical torches and pitchforks in the hands of the people, not the politicians. The spectacle of powerful Republicans brandishing the hammer of antitrust and the sickle of regulation over the heads of some of America’s greatest companies is confounding. Companies such as Google and Facebook are part of what makes America great. Sen. Hawley? You don’t have to be anti-free-enterprise to be pro-family. Stop crying victim and stop pushing Big Government. That’s the progressives’ game. It is conduct unbecoming for you to play it. —————— Ralph Benko is Chairman, The Capitalist League and co-author of “The Capitalist Manifesto.” He is is the founder of The Prosperity Caucus and is an original Kemp-era member of the Supply Side revolution and contributor to the ARRA News Service. ————————— Ralph Benko is Chairman, The Capitalist League and contributor to the ARRA News Service.. Tags: Ralph Benko, The Capitalist League, Why Is a GOP Senator, Brandishing, Hammer and Sickle, Against Tech? To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Leftists Do Federalism Terribly – To Then Do Policy TerriblyPosted: 14 Jan 2020 12:16 PM PSTWAY Too Ignoredby Seton Motley, Contributing Author: Leftists like to pretend they’re things they are not. Because the things they are – are so decidedly unpopular amongst We the People. By and large, We the People like less government. Which, of course, is antithetical to Leftists. The more leftover, warmed-over Leftist “ideas” Democrat Massachusetts’ Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren put forward as she tried to overtake Socialist Vermont Senator and primary opponent Bernie Sanders – the less popular she became. Warren enjoyed a post-Sanders-heart-attack bump – but since his recovery she has receded back into the primary ether. Sanders learned his lesson with the huge pushback he received to the very ridiculous Medicare for All. And has never again offered any specifics at all for his myriad planned Socialist assaults on We the People. Behold one of the less government principles We the People like – Federalism: “The distribution of power in an organization (such as a government) between a central authority and the constituent units.” In the United States – per our Constitution – this means: “Federalism in the United States, also referred to as the doctrine of shared sovereignty, is the constitutional division of power between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States. “Since the founding of the country, and particularly with the end of the American Civil War, power shifted away from the states and toward the national government.’ This last sentence describes the Left’s two-plus-century assault on the Founders’ Federalism. The Founders wanted the states and municipalities to do the vast majority of the governing. Which is what the Constitution’s Ninth and Tenth Amendments are all about. Ninth: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” Tenth: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The federal government is only supposed to do things – the states and municipalities alone can not. But there are several of those things. For instance, no single state or municipality is responsible for defending our national borders. Which means – quite clearly – immigration policy is the prerogative of the federal government. Leftists don’t like our federal immigration laws. So they declare Sanctuary States, Cities and Whatevers all over the country – to break, end run and otherwise undermine them. So they can instead impose their terrible policies. Which we have already said we think are terrible – by outlawing them federally. And the Left does this – while ridiculously declaring “Federalism!” Federalism Permits Sanctuary Cities No, it does not. Fight Over Sanctuary Cities Is Also a Fight Over Federalism No, it is not. Even some alleged Rightists get duped. Do We Hate Sanctuary Cities More Than We Like Federalism? We hate Sanctuary Cities – BECAUSE we like Federalism. Our enamor of Federalism – also makes things like the following so incredibly annoying. Behold the Left’s anti-Federalism assault on the Internet – ridiculously executed in the name of “Federalism!” States Will Be the Battlegrounds for 2020 Tech Policy Fights Will 2020 See a State-by-State Return to Net Neutrality in the US? Will More States Adopt Privacy Laws in 2020? How Progressive Federalism Can Help Preserve Net Neutrality: “(I)nternet policy should be a welcome opportunity to use one of our country’s most valuable traditions, federalism, to identify policies and approaches that work, as well as those that fail to achieve their goals.” Ummm….no. The World Wide Web – is a WORLD Wide Web. An entire planet of countries – interconnected. So quite obviously, Internet law and regulation is the purview of our federal government. Our Feds pass and impose Internet policy for US – and then negotiate terms of interchange with the nations of the world. Having fifty different slates of state-by-state Internet policies – is omni-directional insane. It’s insane for every single business that does business online. Which is…just about every business: “The result is going to be a patchwork of statewide laws with which each company doing business in those states must comply. What’s worse is that there will be independent reporting requirements, different enforcement methods and wildly different penalties for non-compliance. “Another way to describe that result is ‘chaos.’ The tech industry will either have to start depending on location services so that it knows where each user’s data is during the course of each transaction, or it’s going to have to start excluding (wherever possible) states with regulations that it deems too onerous. “That in turn means that small states with strong privacy rules may find themselves without some services. After all, a small business without the resources to determine the rules in each state may well decide that the risk isn’t worth it. “This is not unlike the situation those businesses are dealing with, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has said that states and localities can demand sales tax from ecommerce companies.” And having fifty different slates of state-by-state Internet policies – is insane for our federal government. As they try to negotiate Internet interchange with every other country on the planet. The Feds will have to try to make chicken salad out of fifty-state chicken…excrement. Which will mean eternal, everlasting chaos. In the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, our Founders yet again expressly stated why Internet policy is federal policy – centuries before there was an Internet. Because our Founders were really quite intelligent. “The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). “The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power ‘To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.’” Like with Federalism, the Left has bastardized the living daylight out of the Commerce Clause: “(The Commerce Clause) is often paired with the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the combination used to take a broad, expansive perspective of these powers.” But like Federalism, the Commerce Clause was intended to be a government-limiting clause: “‘And’ is the key word (in the Commerce Clause) because it tells us the power to regulate foreign commerce is the exact same as the power to regulate interstate commerce. “That’s critical because it means that any type of commerce that Congress can regulate domestically among the states also has to be something it could regulate with a foreign country. “What’s cool about that is it makes it very easy for you to figure out what Congress has the authority to regulate when it comes to commerce ‘among the several states.’” The Commerce Clause and Federalism – limit the Feds to only things that require their participation internationally. We don’t need the Feds internationally on, say, medicine. So the Feds have no constitutional role in medicine. We need the Feds internationally on immigration. So the Feds – and only the Feds – have a constitutional role in immigration. And we need the Feds internationally on the Internet. So the Feds – and only the Feds – have a constitutional role on the Internet. This ain’t that hard. As the late, inordinately great Ronald Reagan noted: “There are no easy answers – but there are simple answers.” —————- Seton Motley is the President of Less Government and he contributes articles to ARRA News Service. Please feel free to follow him him on Twitter / Facebook. Tags: Seton Motley, Less Government, Leftists, Do Federalism, Terribly, To Then, Do Policy Terribly To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Environmentalists Want To Take Your Food, Your Home, And Your ChildrenPosted: 14 Jan 2020 11:52 AM PST. . . Give up everything. For the planet. by Daniel Greenfield: At CNN’s Climate Town Hall, which set out to save the world by having ten of the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates, their staffers, drug dealers, and mistresses fly out to appear in the fake news network’s facilities, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed saving the planet by killing the children. A concerned questioner at a forum being held in a green mega complex built on the site of a former slaughterhouse, appropriately enough, urged Sanders to discuss the importance of “educating everyone on the need to curb population growth.” “Would you be courageous enough to discuss this issue and make it a key feature of a plan to address climate catastrophe?” the anti-kids schoolmarm demanded Once upon a time, environmental activists claimed that they wanted to save the planet for the children. Now they want to save the planet from the children. “The answer’s yes,” said the socialist politician who has a poor relationship with his only son. Then he suggested that this brand of environmental eugenics really ought to be applied to “poor countries around the world.” Poor countries being any country in which the socialist millionaire doesn’t own three homes. Saving the planet from the children is a popular environmental cause. The World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency letter published in the Bioscience journal boasted the signatures of 11,000 scientists lending the full weight of their useless degrees to order that “the world population must be stabilized—and, ideally, gradually reduced—within a framework that ensures social integrity.” Reducing populations for social integrity was the specialty of such innovative environmental activists as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mohammed. “There’s scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez announced on an Instagram video. That’s where most scientific consensus debut. “And it does lead young people to have a legitimate question: Is it okay to still have children?” How many resources do children consume versus the resources consumed by streaming video via Instagram’s massive array of Facebook server farms in places like Alabama, Singapore, or near the Arctic Circle, to millions of people around the country? But if AOC were forced to choose between having 2.5 kids and being a celebrity living in a luxury building with an infinity pool, a rooftop dog park, massage rooms and a wood-fired pizza oven, which is especially good for the environment, it’s an easy choice. Hello infinity pool, goodbye kids. But the competitive 2020 race to ruin everyone’s life for the environment is just getting started. While Bernie and AOC want to get rid of other people’s kids, Senator Cory Booker wants to get rid of meat. This radical position allowed him to stay in the race while Senator Kamala Harris, who just wanted to ban straws, had to drop out. “We’ve seen this massive increase in consumption of meat produced by the industrial animal agriculture industry,” Booker, who claims to be a vegan whose “spirit” won’t allow him to have an omelet, insisted. “The tragic reality is this planet simply can’t sustain billions of people consuming industrially produced animal agriculture.” There are too many kids and burgers for the planet. And if you take a kid out for a burger, you might as well be running over polar bears in a Hummer or holding a Climate Town Hall in Manhattan. And just think about what that will do to Cory Booker’s spirit animal chickens. No plan to make the planet miserable to save it from having fun can go without being endorsed by a few hundred grant grifters who had spent six figures of taxpayer money to buy themselves a PhD in busybodying. And so a letter in Lancet Planetary Health by assorted scientists, grad students, people who claim to be scientists, and people who once watched an episode of Cosmos, demanded that meat consumption drop by 2030. Not that it matters. Rep. Alexandria Cortez had claimed,”The world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.” If we’re all going to be gone by 2031, the final year of the fall of man, why not go out with a burger and a glass of wine? Speaking of wine, that’s also on the list. Or, as the New York Times recently inquired, “How Does Your Love of Wine Contribute to Climate Change?” . The Times never gets around to asking its readers how their love of lies printed on the skin of dead trees is killing the planet. Coffee? Forget about it. A large cappuccino, the kind that pays Starbucks to indoctrinate staffers on their white privilege for asking crazed vagrants to stop shooting up heroin in the non-gendered bathrooms, has a carbon footprint of 235g. That’s the equivalent of driving from Cleveland to Toronto. And if you get a large latte, that’s like a car trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I didn’t make that up. Environmentalists did. Will those ecos at least let you have some bread and water? Even the living standard of medieval prisoners is too much for our green barons. The ecos have been waging a long bitter war on bottled water. “A million bottles a minute: world’s plastic binge ‘as dangerous as climate change,” a typically non-hysterical Guardian headline bleats. Since the ecos also tell us that climate change is worse than WW2, you can understand why Roger Hallam, the co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, a bunch of shrieking grad students who spray red paint on things to spread awareness of what a bunch of wankers environmentalists are, dismissed the Holocaust as no big deal. Who can be expected to care about gas chambers when the bottled water catastrophe is upon us? Your daily bread? Forget about it. One loaf of bread puts out 1.7 pounds of carbon dioxide. That’s like tying a whale to a jet liner, basting it in gasoline, and having it along with some bottled water through a plastic straw. An estimated half a percent of the UK’s imaginary carbon emissions are caused by bread. The obvious answer is a bread ban. At least Marie Antoinette would have let the people eat cake. Her latter day successors in the UK won’t even let you have a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, coffee, wine, or anything except soy and more soy. Or Soylent Green. Forget about eating or kids. What about being left alone to live in your house? Hah. “If we want to keep cities safe in the face of climate change, we need to seriously question the ideal of private homeownership,” The Nation clamors “We need another kind of escape route—away from our ideologies of ownership and property, and toward more collective, healthy, and just cities,’ the socialist rag argues. If you’re keeping track, you can’t have kids, a house, a glass of wine, a burger, or anything. The real question is what in your life will environmentalists allow you to keep? The answer is nothing. The environmentalists claim that if they’re not allowed to have their way, the planet will be destroyed. And if they are allowed to have their way, they will take everything from us that makes life worth living. ————– Daniel Greenfield (@Sultanknish) is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an investigative journalist and writer focusing on radical Left and Islamic terrorism. Tags: Daniel Greenfield, FrontPage Mag, Sultan Knish, Environmentalists, Want To Take, Your Food, Your Home, Your Children To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
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REALCLEARPOLITICS
01/15/2020Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning NoteIowa Debate; Warren-Sanders; Thomas Nast Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Ninety-one years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, the middle child of a Baptist pastor and Alberta Williams King, herself the daughter of a pastor and likewise martyred (she was killed while playing the organ in her husband’s church).I’ve written about Dr. King the past two years on this anniversary, so today I’ll mention that on this date in 1870, German-born political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew the Democratic Party as a donkey. In a moment, I’ll have a word on Nast, and how he also portrayed the Republican Party as an elephant. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following:* * *In Iowa Debate, Mild Feuding and No Fireworks. Susan Crabtree assesses how what each candidate needed to do and whether they succeeded.Old Friends, Bad Blood: War Simmers Between Sanders, Warren. Phil Wegmann has the story.National Popular Vote: Bipartisan Reform to Presidential Elections. Patrick Rosenstiel & Scott Drexel praise the movement to change how electoral votes are won.Data Underscore Brokaw’s Assertion of Media Negativity. Kalev Leetaru lays out the numbers.Impeachment and the Fight Over the Deep State. Charles Lipson weighs in.Could Missouri’s Eric Greitens Make a Comeback? Steve Hantler argues that the political establishment weaponized the justice system to go after the conservative governor.Reagan, Trump Have More in Common Than Attacks on Gadhafi, Soleimani. Peter J. Wallison cites similarities that go well beyond the efforts to eliminate purveyors of terrorism.President Trump Exposed Iran’s Weakness, for All to See. Rudy Giuliani writes that last week’s events demonstrated the regime’s dread of an all-out confrontation with the United States.* * *The donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party has been around since Andrew Jackson’s presidency. But it was permanently etched into the nation’s collective political memory with a wood engraving called “A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion,” which appeared on page 48 of Harper’s Weekly on Jan. 15, 1870.This depiction wasn’t necessarily a compliment. The donkey (or jackass) stood for Northern Democrats known as “Copperheads.” More precisely, the donkey represents the newspapers loyal to the Copperheads. The lion they were kicking was Edwin M. Stanton, Abraham Lincoln’s former secretary of war, who had died the previous year.Nonetheless, the image solidified Democrats as donkeys. Four years later, Nast returned the compliment to the opposing political party by employing an elephant to lampoon the GOP. This Harper’s cartoon was titled “Third-Term Panic.” Again, the satirist’s direct target is partisan newspapers.The New York Herald, which Nast depicts as hysterically terrified over the mere possibility of a third White House term for Ulysses Grant, is the donkey wearing lion’s skin. “Caesarism,” it cries. Although the donkey-in-lion’s skin is transparently counterfeit, he still manages to stampede other timid animals, i.e., the New York Times and the New York Tribune.Meanwhile, a raging rogue elephant is standing over a cliff labeled “Chaos,” while breakings its restraints, which are platform planks. The elephant is “the Republican vote,” which only goes to show that everything old is new again — and vice versa.Nast’s busy cartoon, which has more going on in it than an early Bruce Springsteen song, is captioned: “An Ass having put on the Lion’s skin, roamed about the Forest, and amused himself by frightening all the foolish Animals he met with his wanderings.”Extrapolate that to current politics (or the state of modern journalism) any way you wish, my fellow donkeys, elephants, lions — or independents — but as you do, try to take some solace in the realization that American politics has been screwed up before. We almost always find a way to muddle through. Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau Chief RealClearPolitics Twitter: @CarlCannonHaving trouble viewing this email? | [Unsubscribe] | Update Subscription Preferences Copyright © 2020 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 Add us to your address book |
MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
| January 15, 2020Featuring the latest analysis, commentary, and research from Manhattan Institute scholarsEDUCATIONPhoto: monkeybusinessimages/iStockCharter Schools Boost Student Achievement in NewarkCharter schools have long been a politically divisive issue. A new report by Marcus Winters finds that attending a charter school in Newark, where Cory Booker helped expand the charter school sector during his tenure as mayor, leads to large improvements in math and reading scores, especially at those run by national organizations (KIPP and Uncommon). Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty ImagesCory Booker Goes Down Fighting“The growth of charter schools has tapered off as teachers unions have ‘tarred and feathered’ Democrats like Mr. Booker. It wasn’t long ago that President Obama used federal dollars to encourage charter schools. Nearly all of today’s Democratic presidential candidates oppose charter-school expansion.” By Marcus A. Winters The Wall Street Journal January 15, 2020 Based on a new report HOUSING POLICYPhoto: U.S. House Financial Services Committee/YouTubeTestimony Before the House Financial Services CommitteeMichael Hendrix testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services in a hearing entitled “On the Brink of Homelessness: How the Affordable Housing Crisis and the Gentrification of America Is Leaving Families Vulnerable.” Photo: Andrei Stanescu/iStockGrowing Cities UpCalifornia’s SB 50 is a model for addressing the urban housing crisis. By Christopher S. Elmendorf City Journal Online January 14, 2020 NEW YORK CITY & STATEPhoto: Ian Gavan/Getty ImagesFear in Crown HeightsDecades of progress in intercommunal relations are threatened by an outbreak of anti-Semitic attacks. By Malka Groden City Journal Online January 14, 2020 PODCASTPhoto: Mike Mozart via FlickrWhy Ban Dollar Stores?Steven Malanga joins Seth Barron to discuss efforts to restrict dollar stores in cities across the country—the subject of Malanga’s popular story for City Journal, “Unjust Deserts.” CITY JOURNALCity Journal Winter 2020 Our new issue explores the needless panic over disposable plastic, Los Angeles’s epidemic of drug addiction, how the incarceration of fathers affects children, the promise of next-generation nuclear power, ideological purity tests for artists, and more. Get your print copy today! CIVIL SOCIETY AWARDSNominations are open for the Manhattan Institute’s 2020 Civil Society Awards. This fall, four winners will each receive a $25,000 award for their efforts to keep our social fabric from fraying, assist those who need it most, and help people change the course of their lives. Nominate an outstanding nonprofit by March 20, 2020. Learn more at civilsocietyawards.com.SUBMIT A NOMINATIONFEATURED BOOKPhoto: Manhattan InstituteDigital CathedralsToday’s global Cloud is society’s first foundationally new infrastructure in nearly a century. It is comprised of thousands of warehouse-scale computers and history’s biggest network of “information superhighways.” Powering this data behemoth consumes more energy than all global aviation. Yet, as disruptive as the Cloud has already become, we are only at the end of the beginning of what digital masons are building for the 21st century. In Digital Cathedrals, Mark Mills explores this new infrastructure through the lens of energy demand, and the implications for policymakers and regulators, who will be increasingly tempted—or enjoined—to engage issues of competition, fairness, and even social disruptions, along with the challenges of abuse of market power, both valid and trumped up.Buy NowManhattan Institute is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility. 52 Vanderbilt Ave. New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-7000SUPPORT MICopyright © 2020 Manhattan Institute, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Manhattan Institute52 Vanderbilt Ave.New York, NY 10017 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list View this email in your browser |
NATIONAL JOURNAL
| What’s NewsFIELD OF DEMS: On Tuesday, six Democratic presidential candidates—former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), megadonor Tom Steyer (D), and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)—attended the final pre-Iowa Democratic debate, which was hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register. The first question of the night dove into foreign policy and who is best fit to be commander-in-chief amid tensions with Iran, a topic candidates addressed for roughly 30 minutes. The private phone call between Sanders and Warren alleging a sexist remark from Sanders was also disputed, making gender and “electability” focal points of the forum. (Washington Post)SENATE FUNDRAISING ROUNDUP: In Colorado, former Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) announced he raised $2.8 million and ended Q4 with $3.2 million on hand. (release) Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) announced his best fundraising quarter of the election cycle with $1.4 million raised in Q4, ending the year with more than $5 million on hand. (release) ENDORSEMENTS: Immigrant rights group Make the Road Action, “which mobilizes immigrants and minority communities for political action in Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania,” endorsed Sanders. (Politico) Former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker endorsed Biden. (Wall Street Journal) KS SEN: Rep. Roger Marshall’s (R-01) campaign launched a digital ad Tuesday highlighting Bob Dole’s endorsement. The campaign is already airing an ad statewide on Fox News and digital backed by a small six-figure buy that touts Marshall’s relationship with Trump. (Hotline reporting) RACE FOR THE HOUSE: The DCCC hopes “to build on” its “winning formula from the 2018 midterms by investing in House races in districts with significant populations of people of color who are eligible to vote,” announcing Tuesday it is sending more organizers to 12 battleground states. “As part of its effort to reach Latino voters, the DCCC commissioned Latino Decisions, a polling firm, with BOLD PAC, the political fundraising arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to conduct focus groups with Latinos on election issues and determine how best to reach them.” (NBC News) UT-01: Former state Agriculture Commissioner Kerry Gibson (R) has filed to run for the safe GOP seat held by retiring Rep. Rob Bishop (R). Only on the job for nine months, Gibson resigned as the head of the department Tuesday morning. (Salt Lake Tribune)KY SEN: The state GOP filed an FEC complaint against 2018 KY-06 nominee Amy McGrath’s (D) campaign for encouraging donations to “Fire Mitch Save America,” a super PAC approved by her campaign. McGrath campaign manager Mark Nickolas: “A laughable complaint by partisan hacks who can’t believe we have the audacity to fight them using the rules they created.” (Lexington Herald Leader) UT-04: Despite the fact that there are already “five candidates currently in the race,” the NRCC is scrambling to find a suitable challenger to Rep. Ben McAdams (D) to fill one of its biggest remaining recruitment holes in the House. The committee has met with Utah Clean Air Partnership Executive Director Thom Carter (R), “in an effort to convince him to jump into the race against McAdams.” The outreach came a day after the former Republican frontrunner, state Senate Majority Whip Dan Hemmert (R), bowed out of the race in December.” (Utah Policy) NJ-03: Rep. Andy Kim (D) raised $900,000 in Q4 and had $2.2 million cash on hand going into 2020. (New Jersey Globe) Hair of the Dog“Man asks judge’s leave for sword battle with ex-wife, lawyer” (AP) Our CallAt last night’s Democratic debate, the most interesting moment happened after it was over. It appears as if Elizabeth Warren refused to shake Bernie Sanders’ hand at the end of the debate after they clashed about what was said at a 2018 meeting they had before they both announced their runs for president and if a woman could win the presidency. Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg were happy to make their cases without drawing their opponents into conflict, as they each gear up for the home stretch in Iowa while Warren and Sanders will be stuck in Washington for President Trump’s impeachment trial. — Matt Holt Democratic Rep. Andy Kim’s $2.2 million stockpile entering 2020 will go a long way towards quelling concerns about his vulnerability. His likely GOP opponent, former Burlington County Freeholder Kate Gibbs, only entered the race five weeks ago, and she has to contend with a primary challenge from Barnegat Deputy Mayor John Novak. NJ-03 is expensive to run in, given that it is split between the Philadelphia and New York City media markets, and the parts of the district near Philadelphia are getting bluer while the rest is solidly Republican but not becoming more so. If Gibbs’s fundraising is anything less than good, or if she has to spend real money against Novak, this race could quickly move off the top tier of potential GOP pickups. — Alex Clearfield Fresh Brewed Buzz“The Celebrity Primary: Danny Glover, Judge Judy, Mandy Moore and a Still-Crowded 2020 Field” (New York Times) “With former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) in attendance, the Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed sympathetic to the two defendants at the heart of the Bridgegate scandal, which put a stain on Christie’s second term in office.” (National Journal)“Despite Election Security Fears, Iowa Caucuses Will Use New Smartphone App” (NPR) “Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has closed his congressional campaign account and given nearly all of the fundraising cash that was left to a charitable foundation he started and his wife now runs.” (HuffPost) “Meet the Trump Donor Who Allegedly Stalked America’s Ambassador in Ukraine” (Daily Beast) Several Latino leaders say “they are dissatisfied with the level of engagement they are seeing from the Democratic primary contenders and are noticing the same kind of poor strategizing by candidates that yielded disappointing turnout among Hispanic voters in 2016.” (The Atlantic) During a campaign stop byBiden in Las Vegas over the weekend, several Latino voters “didn’t see his reluctance to apologize for the deportations” conducted by the Obama administration or to “commit to more specifics as a disqualifying factor—something that so far has been reflected in Nevada polls, which in recent months have shown Biden consistently ahead of or neck-in-neck with” Sanders. (BuzzFeed) “Missouri’s controversial voter photo ID rules ‘eviscerated’ by state Supreme Court” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) “Journalists’ time-honored practice of ‘strolling’ with lawmakers—the walking, talking and relationship-building considered necessary by many resident reporters in the Capitol—is one that the new security apparatus will squelch during the” Senate impeachment trial. (Roll Call) Businessman George Nader, “who was a witness named in the Mueller report pleaded guilty on Monday to child pornography possession and sex trafficking charges, according to court documents.” (New York Times) “Remember, defending champion Ken Jennings wants you to vote for Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.” — Jeopardy! contestant Ken Jennings, in response to a tweet by the Bloomberg campaign joking that the winner of the Democratic debate would go on to face him. (Twitter) Rooster’s CrowThe House and Senate are in at 10 a.m. Trump participates in a signing ceremony of an agreement between the United States and China at 11:30 a.m. He meets with the Secretary of Defense at 2:15 p.m. Swizzle ChallengePresident Andrew Johnson‘s Senate impeachment trial was 83 days long. No one correctly answered yesterday’s challenge. Here’s our challenge: President Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer. Name the other president who shares this distinction. The 3rd correct email gets to submit the next question. Early Bird SpecialHotline’s Senate Power Rankings Judicial-Confirmation Parade Hits Impeachment Blockade Are Democrats Ditching a Carbon Tax? Effort to Block Chinese Tech Broadens Beyond Telecom Wednesday Q+A With Michael Li Shot…“By defeating Donald Trump in November, Mike would become our first president with functioning gills. (Chester A. Arthur had gills, but they were non-functional.)” — Bloomberg’s campaign, on Twitter. Chaser…“He’s a wild creature. We can’t ask him to be anything else.” — Giles (The Shape of Water) Mini Racker, Wake-Up Call! EditorEditor: Leah AskarinamDigital Editor: Mini Racker Staff Writers: Madelaine Pisani, Drew Gerber, Matt Holt, Kirk A. BadoFellow: Mary Frances McGowanContributor: Alex Clearfield National Journal 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 |
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GATEWAY PUNDIT
| Web version FILLED WITH HATE: Pelosi Announces Sham Impeachment Managers SAME DAY as President Trump Signs Historic China Trade Deal and Dow Hits Historic Highs! On Wednesday at 11:30 AM Eastern President Trump will sign the new US trade agreement with China. President Trump is THE ONLY PERSON to confront… Read more… Pelosi Names Impeachment Managers, Adam Schiff to Lead in Senate Trial Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) introduced the House Managers for the Senate trial of President Donald Trump, naming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam… Read more… SHOCKING: Constitutional Scholar Robert De Niro Has No Clue How The Constitution Works Actor Robert De Niro, in case you didn’t know, is also a constitutional scholar. The “Goodfellas” star thinks President Trump will flout the Constitution because… Read more… EFFIN’ CRAZY! Nancy Pelosi: “Important – for Putin to Know the American Voter Should Decide Who Our President Is, Not Vladimir Putin” (VIDEO) Nancy Pelosi and Democrats are holding another insane presser this morning on their latest coup attempt, the sham articles of impeachment. During the press conference… Read more… BREAKING: Entire Russian Government Resigns After Putin State Of Nation Address The entire Russian government is resigning in a surprise move shortly after President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state of the nation address, Russian Prime… Read more… Democrat Darling Michael Avenatti Arrested and Cuffed by IRS Agents During Hearing From Hero to Zero– Attorney Michael Avenatti was arrested and cuffed Tuesday by federal agents during a break in a disciplinary hearing in Los Angeles…. Read more… Steve Bannon’s “War Room” Live on The Gateway Pundit 9-10 AM ET – Wednesday 1-15-20 … WITH VIDEO The Bannon War Room is live this morning from his bunker in Washington DC. The War Room is live each day twice a day with… Read more… UPDATE: The Exact Same Operatives Who Pushed the GRU Hacked the DNC Scam Are Now Pushing the GRU Hacked Burisma Scam — WITHOUT PROOF! NOTE: Until they offer proof, this is just an elitist conspiracy The New York Times, reported on Monday that Russian hackers from the military unit… Read more… Wow! Democrats Stand with Murderous, Anti-Semitic Regime — Block Vote to Support Iranian Protesters Over 1,500 protesters, mostly young men and women, were murdered by the regime in Iran in the November 2019 protests. (NCR-Iran) Democrats on Tuesday blocked… Read more… You Might Like Advertisement Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy This email was sent to rickbulow74@live.com. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive information from The Gateway Pundit. We take your privacy and your liberty very seriously and will keep your information in the strictest confidence. Your name will not be sold to or shared with third parties. We will email you from time to time with relevant news and updates, but you can stop receiving information from us at any time by following very simple instructions that will be included at the bottom of any correspondence you should receive from us. Our mailing address is: 16024 Manchester Rd. | St. Louis, MO 63011 Unsubscribe |
HOT AIR
| __________________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO__________________________ WERE YOU FORWARDED THIS EDITION OF THE HOT AIR DAILY? You can get your own free subscription to the #1 blog delivered to your email inbox early each morning by visiting: http://www.hotair.com This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this newsletter on Hot Air OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately. Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions You can unsubscribe by clicking here.. Or Send postal mail to: Hot Air Daily Unsubscribe P.O Box 9660, Arlington, VA 22219* Copyright Hot Air and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. |
BERNARD GOLDBERG
| A new post from Bernie.Off the Cuff: When I Interviewed George Carlin…By Bernard Goldberg on Jan 15, 2020 02:00 am Below is a sneak peek of this content! A couple decades ago, I interviewed comedic legend, George Carlin. The two of us hit it off…but not without some awkwardness. That’s the topic of today’s Off the Cuff audio commentary. You can listen to it by clicking on the play (arrow)… CONTINUE Read More » More to read:Trump, Soleimani, and Partisan Politics … in an Election Year Bernie’s Q&A: Trump/Soleimani, Megyn Kelly, Royal Family Drama, and more! (1/10) — Premium Interactive ($4 members) Off the Cuff: Good Journalism vs. Good Racial Manners Democrats Game Plan for 2020: Bash the Rich Bernie’s Q&A: Christianity Today, Chuck Todd, Evangelicals, the Monsey Attack, and more! (1/3) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)Become A FanFollow on TwitterForward to a FriendWant emails sent directly to you?SIGN UP NOW In this issue:Off the Cuff: When I Interviewed George Carlin… Want to Help Spread the Word? Forward this Email!About BernieBernard Goldberg, the television news reporter and author of Bias, a New York Times number one bestseller about how the media distort the news, is widely seen as one of the most original writers and thinkers in broadcast journalism. He has covered stories all over the world for CBS News and has won 13 Emmy awards for excellence in journalism. He won six Emmys at CBS, and seven at HBO, where he now reports for the widely acclaimed broadcast Real Sports. [Read More…] Bernie’s Amazon Page follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 BernardGoldberg.com, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
NATIONAL REVIEW
| WITH JIM GERAGHTYJanuary 15 2020These Bad and Boring DebatesOn the menu today is just a big review of why last night’s debate was pretty terrible — not for partisan or ideological reasons, but for the way it offered the viewers watching at home the soothing balm that the next president won’t face any truly difficult decisions — and a reminder that we were supposed to be in Armageddon by now.These Are Bad DebatesI’m not a fan of these debates, and I don’t think it’s just because I’m not a Democrat.On foreign policy, the default answer of every Democratic candidate is always: “we need to work with our allies.” As a slogan, that’s fine as far as it goes, but anybody who has paid attention to foreign policy knows that our allies don’t always want to do what we want to do. Back in 2015, the New York Times reported that even before the Iran deal was signed, “European leaders and executives were heading to the airport to restart trade with an Iranian market described in almost feverish terms as ‘an El Dorado’ and potential ‘bonanza.’” … READ MORE |
| ADVERTISEMENTTRENDING ON NATIONAL REVIEW1. In Chelsea, S&M Goes High-Fashion, Pastels Go High-Octane2. Soleimani Killing: A Change for the Better?3. The Democrats Have Had This Primary BeforeTOP STORIESMICHAEL TANNERTo Beat Trump, 2020 Democrats Will Need to Convince Voters They Can Be Trusted with the…It will be hard for Democrats to sustain a narrative that the economy is some sort of dystopian nightmare if it …NR PLUSThe Fourth-Best Reason to Overturn RoeThe ‘workability’ argument enjoys its 15 minutes of fame. ANDREW C. MCCARTHYSaudi’s Terrorist Massacre at Florida Naval Base Highlights the Weakness of U.S. VettingThough the Saudi shooter in the December terrorist attack at a Florida Naval base acted alone, the U.S. is …NEWSPelosi Announces Impeachment ManagersHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday named impeachment managers to make the House’s case in the upcoming Senate …NEWSIran President Suggests Western Troops ‘Could Be in Danger’ over Threats to Nuclear Deal“We want you to leave this region but not with war,” Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting, “We want you to …WHAT NR IS READINGThe Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and FreeBY RICHARD LOWRY“Makes an original and compelling case for nationalism . . . A fascinating, erudite—and much-needed—defense of a hallowed idea unfairly under current attack.” — Victor Davis HansonLEARN MOREPODCASTSEpisode 114: Moby Dick by… Episode 281: The Essential Works… PHOTOSDemocratic Primary Debate Philippines Volcano Eruption VIDEOMichael Avenatti Arrested… Democrats Debate But No… NRPLUS ARTICLESThe New Post-Trump Constitution Of Course Artificial-Intelligence… Ready for Election Season?National Review subscribers get the most out of National Review. Don’t miss out.SEE MY OPTIONSADVERTISEMENTFollow Us & Share19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser. |
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THE EPOCH TIMES
“It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.” EPICTETUSSenate Impeachment Trial Will Likely Start Next Week: McConnell USMCA Clears Key Senate Hurdle, Might See Final Vote This Week Sanders Field Organizer Advocates Violent Revolution, Gulags for Trump Supporters, Liberals, in Undercover Videos FAA Investigating: LAX-Bound Plane Dumps Fuel on Elementary School Children Former Financial Crimes Enforcement Network senior official Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards faces up to five years in prison after she pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiring to illegally leak documents to a journalist. Read moreProtesters were jubilant late on Jan. 13 as the New Jersey state Senate failed on the last day of the legislative session to bring to a vote a measure that would have eliminated religious exemptions for state-mandated vaccines. Read moreThe Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to uphold the convictions of the two former New Jersey political operatives who orchestrated the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal—the “Bridgegate” traffic-congestion scandal of 2013—but the justices didn’t seem to have been moved. Read moreIran arrested an unspecified number of suspects on Jan. 14 in connection with the accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet, although experts said the arrests won’t solve the crisis, and that the Iranian regime isn’t trustworthy. Read moreFrance, Germany, and the UK announced they have triggered a formal dispute resolution process in response to Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, according to statements released by European diplomats on Jan. 14. Read moreThe World Health Organization warned on Jan. 14 that the virus behind a respiratory illness that broke out in China could be contagious. Read more See More Top StoriesDon’t Be Duped by Iranian Regime and Leftist Media: Soleimani Was Not Magnificent By Darlene Casella The effigies of President Donald Trump, Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are burned by government-organized demonstrators. Read moreWhy Hollywood Promotes Abortion By Brian Cates The biggest news out of the recent Golden Globes award ceremony was the scathing opening monologue from host Ricky Gervais, in which he expertly skewered his audience of Hollywood elites. Read more See More OpinionsFed Loses Patience but Markets Rally By Valentin Schmid (March 18, 2015) Is it good for stocks when the economy slows down? Apparently so, as long as the Fed doesn’t raise rates. “It will require continued improvement of the U.S. economy… Read moreFor years, the mainstream media has complained loudly about smaller news outlets they consider “fringe,” who have been stealing their audience by offering what they have snidely referred to as “alternative facts.” Is the News Media in a Position to Be Concerned About ‘Fake News’?Copyright © 2020 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list or remove my account. |
THE CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
| Highlighted Articles/InterviewsTrump was ‘resolute’ in striking Iran terror chief – but the regime won’t stopIran’s red flag of war flies over JamkaranVOA talked to Clare Lopez about Kataeb Hezbollah boss before drone strikeFleitz: In terminating Soleimani, Trump ‘laid down a marker’ for Iran’s mullahsHow a CIA officer should file a whistleblowing complaint against the PresidentFleitz on Fox: Trump clearly named the radical Islam enemy that Obama deniedTo solve a problem you first have to acknowledge it exists, accepting reality even when it isn’t politically correct. Attorney General William Barr did this Monday when he said the December triple-murder by Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani was “an act of terrorism.” Read the article by Center President and CEO, Fred Fleitz.‘Restore Deterrence’ of bad Chinese trade practicesThe US-China “Phase One” trade deal being signed today bears little resemblance to President Trump’s ambitious agenda for dramatically restructuring bilateral commercial ties, let alone ending Chinese predatory trade practices.To be sure, the PRC is supposed to buy additional US foodstuffs. But China would likely be purchasing more pork, wheat and other commodities from us anyway given the disease-driven decimation of late of their domestic production.Mr. Trump is certainly alive to the danger that, as with all of the previous trade deals with the Chinese Communist Party, this one will be violated by Beijing. We can also bet that the Chinese will stonewall any effort to get more – and more enforceable – structural reforms in a “Phase Two” deal. There must be real costs for such bad faith, and notice should be served now in the interest of deterring it later.This is Frank Gaffney.With Fred Fleitz, Michael Cutler, Chuck Devore, and Christine Douglass-WilliamsFRED FLEITZ, President and CEO Center for Security Policy, Former CIA analyst, Former Chief of Staff for Amb. John Bolton in the State Dept., Author of The Coming North Korea Nuclear Nightmare: What Trump Must to Reverse Obama’s Strategic Patience (2018):What did the President gain from taking out Soleimani?How Trump “forced Iran to blink”How the calibrated response of the US established deterrence without starting a new warMICHAEL CUTLER, Retired Senior Special Agent of the former Immigration and Naturalization Services, Hosts the radio show “The Michael Cutler Hour” on Friday evenings on BlogTalk Radio:The presence of Hezbollah and other terror organizations in the USThe infiltration of the Iranian Qods force in Central and South AmericaIssues associated with giving illegal aliens drivers licensesCHUCK DEVORE, Vice President of National Initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs (Reagan White House appointee in the Pentagon) from 1986 to 1988, Former California Assemblyman:An overview of the social credit system in ChinaThe dangers of 5G and ‘big tech’CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS, Nine-Time International Award-Winning Journalist and Television Producer, Federally Appointed Director with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Author of The Challenge of Modernizing Islam:Michael McCain’s critique of President TrumpIran’s expanse into CanadaTWEET OF THE DAYRetweet, like, and comment!DONATEView this email in your browser Copyright © 2020 Center for Security Policy, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 189 Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 835-9077 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |