Podcasts about balvenie

Both Miroki and Andre are lovers of whisk(e)y, but how much do they know, outside of the fact that Scotch spells it “whisky”? Miroki had a chance to attend a UK tasting that featured drams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Plus, she catches up with Foxes Bow co-founder, Tony Foote, to talk about how they are reinventing the image of Irish whiskey, and Jamie Johnson, Ambassador for Glenfiddich and Balvenie, to discuss why Scotch is such a household name globally and why women are STILL dealing with gatekeeping in the whisk(e)y world?You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textIn this episode, Lady Petra and Saffermaster chat with Jay about his experience choosing to live in a Female Led Relationship as a cuckold over The Balvenie 14 Spayside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The Kinky cocktail Hour is brought to you by Motorbunny, the best saddle style vibrator on the market today. Save $40 on your Motorbunny purchase with the code LADYPETRAPLAYGROUND at Motorbunny.com You can order the TechRing, "Where health meets pleasure" at http://myfirmtech.com using the code "KINKY" to save 15%. Put a ring on it!Support the showListen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Chris Perugini of Single Maltsavvy discussed the evolution of the whiskey landscape since 2008.They highlighted the shift from limited availability and special orders to a widespread online market, including price gouging.The conversation covered regional differences, preferences for smaller whiskey gatherings over large festivals, and the transformation of distilleries from small operations to larger, more technologically advanced facilities.Perugini shared their journey into whiskey, the creation of singlemaltsavvy.com to fill a gap in review content, and the impact of AI-generated reviews.The discussion also touched on the influence of COVID-19, increased consumer knowledge, and predictions of consolidation in the American whiskey market. Memorable experiences, such as a private Balvenie distillery tour, were also shared.

Welcome to the Big Rab Show Podcast.  In this our 423rd Episode we chat with Helen Urquhart from the National Piping Centre, and respected judge and broadcaster Bob Worrall, as we learn all about the Balvenie Medal and its nomination process. You can learn more on the link below.   https://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/play/competitions/glenfiddich-solo-piping-championships/the-balvenie-medal   All this, plus we catch up with all the latest news and views from around the piping scene. Weekly Drone also makes a welcome return, as we delve into some opinions on player poaching.  It's an interesting show this week !   Email us now - bigrabshow@gmail.com Support us  www.patreon.com/BigRabShow   We have lots of amazing backstage videos, and audio recordings, exclusive interviews, episodes of Big Rab Show Plus! and loads more to share with you on there, so click support and get your hands on all this extra stuff!! We are the show for the piping folk, reflecting everything to do with the bag piping world. Feel free to message us on Facebook and on Twitter and let us know what you would like to hear on the show, as well just to let us know that you're listening. Our live show continues to broadcast live every week on Fuse FM Ballymoney on Tuesday nights 7pm-9pm (uk time) be sure to check it out. Thank you to our very kind sponsors, G1 Reeds. If you would be interested in sponsoring the show, please do get in touch.  Or help support us via our Patreon page.   www.thebigrabshow.com www.facebook.com/TheBigRabShow www.twitter.com/bigrabshow bigrabshow@gmail.com

Mark (The Ownch) - Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14Mark's Second Drink - Balvenie 19yrMatt (The Whiskey Guy) - McConnell's Irish WhiskeyUnopened Treasures - New Riff - Bottled in Bond Malted RyeExtra - Chieftain's - Glenturret 25Top 10 creepiest place1) Old Farm House2) Insane Asylum3) Abandoned Hospital4) Cemetery5) Swamp6) Boat wreckage7) Basement8) Forrest9) Castle10) Carnival

https://www.whisky.de/p.php?id=BALVE12SB1 Nosing 04:34 Wir verkosten den Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill 12 Jahre 2024. Für diese Abfüllung wählte Balvenies Malt Master nur Fässer mit süßem Vanille- und Eichencharakter aus. ► Balvenie Brennereibesichtigung: https://youtu.be/jqUiV7UOQbI ► Balvenie Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BEDD41F88E2E5BA ► Abonnieren: http://www.youtube.com/user/thewhiskystore?sub_confirmation=1 ► Whisky.de Social Media ○ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskyde ○ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whisky.de/ ○ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Whisky.de/ ○ Twitter / X: https://www.threads.net/@whisky.de ○ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whisky.de ○ Telegram: https://t.me/whisky_de ► Podcast: https://www.whisky.de/shop/newsletter/#podcast ► Merch: https://whiskyde-fanartikel.creator-spring.com/ Mehr Informationen finden Sie in unserem Shop auf Whisky.de/shop

A Sip of Curiosity – Reviewing The Balvenie A Collection of Curious Casks, 14yr In this spirited episode, A.J. and Eric uncork The Balvenie A Collection of Curious Casks, 14-Year-Old, for a deep dive into its complex flavors and captivating aroma. With their trademark blend of sharp wit and whiskey wisdom...kind of, the duo breaks down everything from the rich malt notes to the subtle smoky undertones — all while trading hilarious stories and good-natured jabs. As they sip, sniff, and savor, A.J. and Eric share honest ratings, surprising flavor revelations, and plenty of laughs. Whether you're a seasoned Scotch enthusiast or just curious about this unique cask-aged gem, this episode is sure to leave you both informed and entertained. Pour yourself a dram and enjoy! Brothers and Sisters, Together We Drink! Cheers to great whisky and even better company!

Mark (The Ownch) - GlenAllachie 35 Mark's Second Drink - Balvenie - Cask & Character 19yr Matt (The Whiskey Guy) - Heaven Hill - Grain to Glass Straight Bourbon Unopened Treasures - Jameson - Triple Triple

Spannende Rulantica News, nachhaltige Mitarbeiterwohnungen und das exklusive „Balvenie Fifty“-Erlebnis warten auf euch!„Tonnevirvel“ ist zurück! Das Rulantica Bauteam hat den interaktiven Wasserspaß Rekordzeit komplett mit Wänden und Dach verkleidet, sodass es jetzt auch im Winter ein unvergessliches Erlebnis ist. Architekt Charles Botta gibt uns einen exklusiven Einblick in den Bauprozess und erläutert die beeindruckenden Details hinter dieser Entwicklung. Zum 5. Geburtstag von Rulantica zieht Roland Mack eine äußerst positive Bilanz und gewährt uns spannende Ausblicke auf die kommenden Erweiterungen der einzigartigen Wasserwelt.Doch das ist längst nicht alles. In Ringsheim wurde das Richtfest für 99 neue Mitarbeiterwohnungen gefeiert. Architektin Ann-Kathrin Mack erklärt, wie der Bau unter dem klaren Fokus auf Nachhaltigkeit realisiert wurde. Frederik Mack und Bürgermeister Pascal Weber werfen einen Blick auf die zahlreichen Vorteile des Standorts und erläutern, wie diese neuen Wohnungen nicht nur den Mitarbeitern, sondern auch den Anwohnern zugutekommen.Stellt euch vor, ihr dürftet ein Glas Whiskey aus einer Flasche genießen, die 50.000 Euro wert ist. Genau das war kürzlich im Eatrenalin möglich! Manuel war für euch vor Ort, als der legendäre „Balvenie Fifty“ verkostet wurde. Mitorganisatorin des Abends Kay Oestmann verrät uns, wie alles mit einer unvergesslichen Reise nach Schottland begann. Instagram-Star Mauricio Fuentes Corridian und Influencerin Rabea Schifer teilen ihre ganz persönliche „Mindblowing Experience“ bei diesem einmaligen Event.Ihr möchtet keine Folge mehr verpassen? Dann abonniert Zeit.Gemeinsam.Erleben. auf eurer Lieblingsplattform. Außerdem freuen wir uns auf Bewertungen und Feedback.Unsere Sondersendung läuft jeden Samstag von 11 bis 15 Uhr bundesweit im Schwarzwaldradio und auch weltweit auf europa.radio Unsere weiteren Podcastformate: Parkgeflüster, Ride & Slide, The World Beyond, Schlagertalk und Grenzenlos findet ihr bei VEEJOY: veejoy.de/de/podcast und natürlich überall, wo es Podcasts gibt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark (The Ownch) - Arran 10yr Mark's Second Drink - Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask Matt (The Whiskey Guy) - Clay Turner 4yr Straight Bourbon Unopened Treasures - Left Bank Straight Bourbon Chris (The Dealer) - Mary Dowling - Kentucky Straight Bourbon

As the spirits industry navigates shifting consumer trends and evolving market landscapes, staying agile has become essential for growth, even for a company that is 137 years old. I sat down with Paul Basford, President of William Grant & Sons USA, to discuss how this family-owned, independent company famous for brands such as Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, and Milagro Tequila has adapted to change. In our discussion, Basford talks about their data-driven approach to regional shifts, the company's commitment to core brands, and strategies for cultivating a strong, future-focused team culture.

Muckety Muck is my stage name@tamnavulin @benriachwhisky @balvenieus @diageo #Whiskey #Scotch #Podcast #RadioShow #Host Co hosts : Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Brent, Made Man Maury, Made Man BobSIPS – On this episode we discuss Tamnavulin, Benriach, Balvenie & Muckety Muck 26. Prepare your senses for an exploration of Scotch whiskey like no other! Whether you're a seasoned Scotch enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this episode is packed with tasting notes and lively banter that will keep you entertained and informed. Discover the nuances of each glass and learn why patience and a splash of water can transform your whiskey experience. We will be discussing this whisky and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:7:01 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky White Wine Cask Edition         3 SIPS13:40 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition                   3 SIPS18:45 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Red Wine Cask Edition                     3 SIPS22:38 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Cask                                3 SIPS28:35 Benriach Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Malting Season 3rd Edition     3 SIPS34:23 Benriach The Sixteen                                                                                       3 SIPS40:19 Balvenie 19 Yr Revelation of Cask & Character                                                  5 SIPS48:45   Muckety Muck Single Grain Scotch Whisky 26 Year                                         4 SIPSinfo@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell Swing / FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBeanProducer: Made Man BobScotch Whisky, Single Malt, Cask Edition, Sherry Cask, Red Wine Cask, Double Cask, Malting Season, Floor Malting, Oloroso Casks,  Port Dundas, Whiskey Tasting, Distillery, Whiskey Review, Scotch Show, Whiskey Ratingshttps://www.tamnavulinwhisky.com/https://www.benriachdistillery.com/https://www.thebalvenie.com/https://www.diageo.com/https://www.scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/1875/port-dundas/

Muckety Muck is my stage name @tamnavulin @benriachwhisky @balvenieus @diageo #Whiskey #Scotch #Podcast #RadioShow #Host Co hosts : Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Brent, Made Man Maury, Made Man Bob SIPS – On this episode we discuss Tamnavulin, Benriach, Balvenie & Muckety Muck 26. Prepare your senses for an exploration of Scotch whiskey like no other! Whether you're a seasoned Scotch enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this episode is packed with tasting notes and lively banter that will keep you entertained and informed. Discover the nuances of each glass and learn why patience and a splash of water can transform your whiskey experience. We will be discussing this whisky and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best: 7:01 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky White Wine Cask Edition         3 SIPS 13:40 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition                   3 SIPS 18:45 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Red Wine Cask Edition                     3 SIPS 22:38 Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Cask                                3 SIPS 28:35 Benriach Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Malting Season 3rd Edition     3 SIPS 34:23 Benriach The Sixteen                                                                                       3 SIPS 40:19 Balvenie 19 Yr Revelation of Cask & Character                                                  5 SIPS 48:45   Muckety Muck Single Grain Scotch Whisky 26 Year                                         4 SIPS info@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf.  Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast. Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Xblorc The easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes”  Credits: TITLE: Maxwell Swing / Flapperjack PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Back Roads PERFORMED BY: Woods & Whitehead COMPOSED BY: Terry Whitehead PUBLISHED BY: Terry Whitehead COURTESY OF: Terry Whitehead Post production services : Pro Podcast Solutions Advertising sales: Contact us directly Content hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBean Producer: Made Man Bob Scotch Whiskey, Tamnavulin, Ben Riach, Balvenie, Diageo, Single Malt, Cask Edition, Sherry Cask, Red Wine Cask, Double Cask, Malting Season, Floor Malting, Oloroso Casks, Muckety Muck, Port Dundas, Whiskey Tasting, Distillery, Whiskey Review, Scotch Show, Whiskey Ratings https://www.tamnavulinwhisky.com/ https://www.benriachdistillery.com/ https://www.thebalvenie.com/ https://www.diageo.com/ https://www.scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/1875/port-dundas/

@tamnavulin @benriachwhisky @balvenieus @diageo #Whiskey #Scotch #Podcast #RadioShow #Host Dive into the world of Scotch whisky with us! From Tamnavulin's unique cask editions to the legendary Balvenie, explore the depths of flavor and craftsmanship. Perfect for whiskey enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike. Join us this Fri. @ noon on FB, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.

We cover every match in the Premier League. This week the Sam's open with the rise of Chelsea and Fulham to challenge Villa for the Champions League. Then attention is turned to the top of the table as Liverpool find themselves on top, Arsenal needs late heroics, and the question is asked did City slip up or was it a great game plan from Newcastle? Everton finally wins, United looks uninspired and Southampton finds themselves in dead last. The Sam's enjoy the limited release from Balvenie, a 14-year American Oak.   Match Order Chelsea 4 - Brighton 2 Villa 2 - Ipswich 2 Fulham 1 - Forest 0 City 1 - Newcastle 1 Arsenal 4 - Leicester 2 Liverpool 2 - Wolverhampton 1 Brentford 1 - West Ham 1 Everton 2 - Palace 1 Tottenham 3 - Man U 0 Bournemouth 3 - Southampton 1 www.Dufootballshow.com   Facebook @DUfootballshow Instagram @DUfootballshow Tiktok @DUfootballshow YouTube @DUfootballshow   Support the show and get extra content: https://www.patreon.com/dufootballshow www.DUdripshack.com

Paul Basford of William Grant & Sons discusses marketing strategies and industry trends

Bar Talk (our recommendations):Jessica is reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King; drinking a PBR shandy, baby.Damien is reading Chlorine by Jade Song; drinking Maine Beer Company's Dinner DIPA.Ryan is watching Exhuma (2024; dir. Jang Jae-hyun); drinking the Balvenie 14 yr, Caribbean Cask finish.If you liked this week's story, watch The Apostle (2018; dir. Gareth Evans).Up next: The Guardian of Mystery Island by Edmond NolciniSpecial thank you to Dr Blake Brandes for our Whiskey and the Weird music! Like, rate, and follow! Check us out @whiskeyandtheweird on Instagram, Threads & Facebook, and at whiskeyandtheweird.com

LOUNGE LIZARDS PRESENTED BY FABRICA 5 - Visit Fabrica005.com and use code LIZARDPOD at checkout for 10% off THE ENTIRE STORE! Free worldwide shipping from Miami on all orders over $125. See website for more information and terms.Recorded at Ten86 Cigars in Hawthorne, New Jersey, the lizards pair the Byron 21st Century Elegantes with fourteen year aged The Balvenie Curious Casks Collection American Bourbon Barrel single malt scotch whisky. The guys discuss the long history of the Byron name and the story of its renaissance, this marca's relation to Atabey, Senator reviews Biggs Cigar Lounge in Chicago and they share listener email.Plus: Supporting local cigar lounges, Chicago food and hospitality & Crowdstrike outageJoin the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh.website/merch/rating archive: loungelizardspod.comemail: hello@loungelizardspod.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode!instagram: @loungelizardspod

  Monkey Shoulder is one of the best values in scotch because it's essentially Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kininvie blended together. Three fantastic single malts. No grain whiskey anywhere and at around $30 bucks, the low-key malty goodness and the fresh malt fruit note contribute to a huge value proposition on both the low end and high end of the category.

In this episode of Schiffbauer Over Rocks, host Paul Schiffbauer Jr. welcomes Jim Rafferty, Principal of JMRketing, LLC and the author of the inspiring book "Leader by Accident."Jim shares his compelling journey into leadership, as detailed in his book. He and Paul discuss the essential qualities of effective leadership, the role of the INSIGHT Community in fostering relationships, and the importance of a personal touch in business. They also highlight the significance of gratitude in both life and work. And when you get two marketing guys together, they of course are going to talk about all the relevant topics of today.Throughout the episode, Jim's enthusiasm for leadership and marketing is evident as he and Paul enjoy a glass of Balvenie on air.Connect with Jim Rafferty and discover more about his work at the following links:"Leader by Accident": leaderbyaccident.comJMRketing, LLC: jmrketing.comINSIGHT Community: insightconnex.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimrafferty1Special thanks to our host location & sponsor, Casta Cigars Co. for having us.Casta Cigars aims to offer the embodiment of luxury when it comes to cigar smoking. Handcrafted using rare and aged tobacco, every puff is a journey through time and tradition. Visit them online at www.castacigars.com and at their shop in York, PA.

In today's review, your boys review single barrel offering from The Balvenie. This product is from Speyside, Scotland and definitely tastes like it. Tune in to see how it rates in comparison to other Speyside and Balvenie products! Thank you to our Sponsor Addys Wine and Liquor. If you are in the market for a new bottle of whiskey or some wine, this is the place to go. Located on Transit Road in Williamsville, they have all the right staff to guide you in the perfect direction. Download their App to be notified when they have events, allocated products, and sales, and they can also ship to you! Download the app here!Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cta.AddyFineWineApple Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/addys-lexis-wine-spirits/id1375492533 **Ethics Statement**All whiskey review is 100% honest and we have no obligation to review or give a higher rating just because it is sent to us. Any one that wants to send us a bottle can contact us through our Instagram, but know that it will be our honest rating. We want to provide all of you with a genuine analysis that you can take as our stamp of approval, and we wouldn't be able to have that if we inflated just because we received it for free. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Satya Sharma is the new CEO of Australia's pioneering whisky company, Lark Distilling. Sash – as he prefers to be called – has only been on deck since May 2023. But already, he has put his stamp on the Lark business. The frenzy of special releases has been dialled back in favour of a clearly defined core range. Export deals have been announced for several markets in South East Asia. 700ml bottles are on the cards, and as you just heard, the business has committed to greater transparency about the provenance of whiskies that carry the Lark name. Sash joined Lark following ten years with William Grant & Sons, most recently in Singapore, where he played an integral role establishing export markets for its iconic brands including Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. We'll explore that career background and Sash's vision for Lark coming up in this extended interview that gets the Drinks Adventures podcast underway for 2024. If you haven't already, make sure you listen to the special episode I did for the 30th anniversary of Lark Distillery in 2022. I've linked to it from the show notes. First up this episode, I asked Bill Lark his thoughts on the new leadership, which signals the beginnings of another chapter for the business he founded back in 1992.

Old Pulteney, sounds like a bad British food choice #whisky #scotch #whiskey #peaty #podcast #radioshow #host Co hosts : Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Brent, Made Man Maury, Made Man BobSIPS – On this episode we discuss Balvenie, Glendronach, Old Pulteney & Ardbeg. Imagine savoring the Balvenie French Oak 16, a single malt that dances on the palate with floral notes and hints of apple skin. Or the Glendronach Batch 12, with its marriage of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks that Rachel Barrie, a master blender, has turned into a symphony of flavor. And then, there's the Old Pulteney lineup—the 12, 15, 18, and 25-year-olds—each offering a different shade of the coastal distillery's signature maritime charm. We will be discussing this whiskey and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best:Balvenie French Oak 16 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 4 SIPSGlendronach Cask Strength Batch 12 Single Malt Whisky 4 SIPSOld Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 3 SIPSOld Pulteney 15 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5 SIPSOld Pulteney 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 4 SIPSOld Pulteney 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5 SIPSOld Pulteney Huddart Single Malt Whisky 4 SIPSArdbeg Heavy Vapours 4 SIPSinfo@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell SwingPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)COURTESY OF: AudioSparxTITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, & PodBeanProducer: Made Man BobWhiskey Tasting Podcast, Balvenie French Oak 16, Glendronach Batch 12, Old Pulteney 12, Old Pulteney 15, Old Pulteney 18, Old Pulteney 25, Old Pulteney Huddart, Ardbeg Heavy Vapors, Single Malt Scotch, Whiskey Ratings, Sip Suds Smokes, Whiskey Enthusiasts, Distillery Insights, Flavor Profiles, Aroma Exploration, Peated Whiskey, Scotch Whiskey Reviews, Whiskey Education, Limited Release WhiskeyBalveniehttps://www.thebalvenie.com/Glendronachhttps://www.glendronachdistillery.com/Old Pulteneyhttps://www.oldpulteney.com/Ardbeghttps://www.ardbeg.com/Apple TVhttps://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/Slow Horseshttps://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.3s4mgg2y7lj0t4c5x6o54e5m3YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/Dr. Bill Lumsdenhttps://www.ardbeg.com/en-gb/our-whisky-committee/dr-bill-lumsdenRachel Barriehttps://www.brown-forman.com/team/rachel-barrie/David C. Stewart MBEhttps://www.maltwhiskytrail.com/mwt-members/david-c-stewart-balvenie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bar Talk (our recommendations):Jessica is playing Wingspan (board game); drinking Peerless Kentucky Straight Bourbon.Damien is reading Spin A Black Yarn by Josh Malerman; drinking Navigator Straight Bourbon Whiskey.Ryan is reading "The Engine at Heartspring's Center" by Roger Zelazny; drinking the Balvenie 15 Carribean cask.If you liked this week's story, read The Grip of It by Jac Jemc.Up next: "The Eidoloscope" by Robert Duncan Milne.Special thank you to Dr Blake Brandes for our Whiskey and the Weird music! Like, rate, and follow! Check us out @whiskeyandtheweird on Instagram, Threads & Facebook, and at whiskeyandtheweird.com

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 31st, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison Pro-Life Demonstrators Found Guilty, Face Up To 11 Years In Federal Prison Six pro-lifers were found guilty on Tuesday after the Biden administration charged them over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021. They face up to 11 years in prison. The pro-life activists were accused by the Department of Justice of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy for a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions. Those on trial included Chet Gallagher of Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia. All six defendants were found guilty of both counts. They are expected to be sentenced in July. The conspiracy charge can be punished with up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000 while the FACE Act charge can lead to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine. The verdict was delivered on the fifth day of the trial, which took place at the Fred D. Thompson courthouse in Nashville. The case was overseen by Judge Aleta Trauger, appointed to the court in 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton. One of the government’s key witnesses was Caroline Davis, a woman who was arrested with the group at Carafem. During her testimony, Davis claimed that she had a change of heart about attending the protest and that her “rational side” was “in the toilet” at the time of her participation. She said that she changed her mind “over time” and that being indicted by the federal government “terrified” her. Video of the demonstration showed the group singing songs like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” while others showed members of the group talking to police. Another video showed one participant telling another to speak “in love” to a man with his girlfriend who had shown up at Carafem and that someone’s “baby is a gift from God.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-governor-abbott-stark-message-sanctuary-cities-migrant-crisis Texas Gov. Abbott sends stark message to sanctuary cities as migrant crisis continues Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a stark message to sanctuary cities on Monday, vowing his state's transportation of migrants to their areas would continue until the federal government takes action on the worsening border crisis. "Texas has transported over 102,000 migrants to sanctuary cities. Overwhelmed Texas border towns should not bear the brunt of Biden’s open border policies. Our transportation mission will continue until Biden secures the border," Abbott wrote in a post on X. Abbott's promise comes amid his feud with the Biden administration over enforcement of the border, and whether Texas has the authority to defend itself from the waves of migrants overwhelming law enforcement and immigration officials. The two sides have been feuding since 2021 when the migrant crisis escalated and Texas launched Operation Lone Star to surge resources to the border. The administration recently sued over an anti-illegal immigration law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. It has also sued over the state’s setting up of buoys in the Rio Grande. The administration says immigration enforcement is up to the federal government and Texas is interfering. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on an emergency appeal to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues. Following the ruling, Abbott declared his constitutional authority to reserve the right of his state to self-defense against an invasion, adding that the executive branch had broken its constitutional pact with the states by failing to enforce federal immigration laws. Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his backing to Abbott amid the latter’s feud with the Biden administration — urging states to send their National Guards to the border and promising to work "hand in hand" with the state to combat the "invasion" if he is inaugurated again in January 2025. Abbott has also picked up the support of more than two dozen Republican states who have publicly expressed their support for the state. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to seize control of the National Guard. https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-disneyland-posts-woke-wheel-of-privilege-in-employee-kitchen-removes-it-after-daily-wire-inquiry Disneyland Posts Woke ‘Wheel Of Privilege’ In Employee Kitchen, Removes It After Daily Wire Inquiry Posters featuring a “wheel of power/privilege” were hung in employee spaces in Disneyland, instructing employees that being white, “cisgender male,” and even speaking English means you have “unearned” privilege that your “marginalized” coworkers do not, according to images obtained by The Daily Wire. The wheel featured for all employees to see has the word “power” in the middle, and is sectioned like a dart board, with certain traits fanning outward that are labeled “marginalized.” For example, being white, a “cisgender male,” owning property, and speaking English are all considered privileged, while being dark-skinned, transgender, homeless, and not speaking English are considered marginalized. In between the inner and outer circle – which would be considered not completely marginalized but not totally privileged either – are “cisgender women,” gay men, people with a high school education, and who learned English. Included with the wheel is a definition of “privilege,” stating that it is “unearned access or advantage granted to specific groups of people because of their membership in a social group.” “Privilege can be based off a variety of different social identities such as race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexuality, age, education level, and more,” it continues. “Within the US, members of social groups that hold privileges (white, male, wealthy, able-bodied, etc) have historically held dominance and power over targeted groups.” The poster also asks, “why should we accept that we have privileges?” It provides the following answer: “By accepting that we have privileges, we can see that not everyone sees the world from our perspective and that we have privileges in our life that have hindered our awareness of the world.” The image was provided by source who works for the Walt Disney Company, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company. The employee said the materials were posted in the production kitchen on Main Street USA in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This production kitchen services Carnation Cafe, The Tropical Hideaway, Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe, and Refreshment Corner sponsored by Coca Cola. The employee said divisive materials like this are “destroying the magic” of the park. “So many cast members, myself included, are tired of the division being pushed by companies with a lack of regard for the founder’s vision,” the source told The Daily Wire. “This isn’t what Walt would have wanted for his company. He once said, ‘To ALL who come to this happy place, Welcome.’ Things like this make people feel unwelcome, destroying the magic.” The Daily Wire reached out to the Walt Disney Company to ask about the poster and why they are posted. Within hours of reaching out, our source said a manager removed the poster, and sent a photo of the now-empty display cabinet, which still features another poster about the lunar new year and 2024 being the year of the dragon. Disney did not ultimately respond to the request for comment. Disney has come under fire in recent years for its turn toward “wokeness,” with numerous box-office blunders for films deemed to be pushing Leftist political agendas. Top-ranking employees at Disney have also admitted to pushing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” The Daily Wire previously reported. In 2023, the company lost nearly $1 billion on movies like Elemental and The Little Mermaid. Company CEO Bob Iger admitted last year that Disney lost sight of entertainment as it put more political messaging into its content. https://www.dailyfetched.com/serbia-to-introduce-a-mandatory-military-draft-amid-ww3-tensions/ Serbia to Introduce a Mandatory Military Draft amid WW3 Tensions Serbia is reportedly considering reintroducing compulsory military service as tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe begin increasing amid WW3 fears. President Aleksandar Vucic said army commanders gave him “a strong argumentation” in favor of mandatory draft. Compulsory drafts here were suspended in 2011 in a push to professionalize the armed forces. However, the Serbian president did not specify when the draft would return but said the national parliament would vote on the proposal. “We are not threatening anyone,” Vucic said. “Today, if you don’t have (a strong) army, you don’t have a country.” “We will see if it (military service) will last 90 or 100 days, or maybe 110 days,” Vucic told reporters. “As well as when it will be introduced and how the financial and logistical assumptions will be fulfilled.” The Washington Post reported: “Opposition politicians and other critics of a draft have questioned the logic of a military buildup when Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries which have superior firepower in case of a conflict. There are also concerns that the government may struggle to foot the bill for a larger military. Tensions have been high in the Balkans, which went through the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Although formally neutral, the Serbian Army has maintained close ties to Russia, from which it purchases most of its arms, including fighter jets and tanks.“ Serbia was one of the few countries to refuse sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Tensions revolved around Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, which Serbia and allies Russia and China have not recognized. Over the last few months, Serbia has raised the combat readiness on the border with Kosovo several times. The country also maintained cordial relations with NATO, whose troops have been stationed in Kosovo since 1999. Earlier this week, top military officials warned that conscription could happen in the UK if NATO goes to war with Russia. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said such a conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking.” “Within the next three years, it must be credible to talk of a British Army of 120,000, folding in our reserve and strategic reserve. But this is not enough,” he said. “We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking,” Sanders added. “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them. “But we’ve been here before, and workforce alone does not create capability.” The BBC reports that “other senior NATO military commanders have also recently been calling on the alliance to ready itself for a potential conflict.” According to the outlet: In response to Gen Sir Patrick speech the UK prime minister’s spokesman said hypothetical scenarios of a future potential conflict were not helpful and ruled out any move towards a conscription model for the Army. One senior Conservative MP told the BBC he did not think Rishi Sunak had fully appreciated the threat posed by Russia. The MP said that might be because the prime minister when growing up had not experienced the existential threat posed by the old Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Gen Sir Patrick said the nation could not afford to make the same mistakes of 1914, when it failed to perceive the escalations that led to World War One. And that is your news for today… Now folks, normally this is the part where I’d ask you to send me a news story to my email, or if you have questions about the upcoming FLF conference shoot me an email, etc. But alas, not this time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing you the news over the last year and a half or so. I’ve enjoyed giving you a look at what’s happening around the world on your morning commute to work… but I’ve received a job offer out of state - down in Huntsville AL, that I just couldn’t pass up. If you’re down that way, friend me up on Facebook by the way and we’ll meet up! With that being said, I wanted to tell you, the listener, how thankful I am for you giving my news show a listen. For saying hello at our FLF Conferences when I was out and about, for sending me news stories to my email, for the encouragement, or constructive criticism I’d receive when I couldn’t pronounce something… which believe me, I’m aware of those things… All of that to say. I’m thankful for the FLF community

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 31st, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison Pro-Life Demonstrators Found Guilty, Face Up To 11 Years In Federal Prison Six pro-lifers were found guilty on Tuesday after the Biden administration charged them over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021. They face up to 11 years in prison. The pro-life activists were accused by the Department of Justice of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy for a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions. Those on trial included Chet Gallagher of Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia. All six defendants were found guilty of both counts. They are expected to be sentenced in July. The conspiracy charge can be punished with up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000 while the FACE Act charge can lead to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine. The verdict was delivered on the fifth day of the trial, which took place at the Fred D. Thompson courthouse in Nashville. The case was overseen by Judge Aleta Trauger, appointed to the court in 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton. One of the government’s key witnesses was Caroline Davis, a woman who was arrested with the group at Carafem. During her testimony, Davis claimed that she had a change of heart about attending the protest and that her “rational side” was “in the toilet” at the time of her participation. She said that she changed her mind “over time” and that being indicted by the federal government “terrified” her. Video of the demonstration showed the group singing songs like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” while others showed members of the group talking to police. Another video showed one participant telling another to speak “in love” to a man with his girlfriend who had shown up at Carafem and that someone’s “baby is a gift from God.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-governor-abbott-stark-message-sanctuary-cities-migrant-crisis Texas Gov. Abbott sends stark message to sanctuary cities as migrant crisis continues Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a stark message to sanctuary cities on Monday, vowing his state's transportation of migrants to their areas would continue until the federal government takes action on the worsening border crisis. "Texas has transported over 102,000 migrants to sanctuary cities. Overwhelmed Texas border towns should not bear the brunt of Biden’s open border policies. Our transportation mission will continue until Biden secures the border," Abbott wrote in a post on X. Abbott's promise comes amid his feud with the Biden administration over enforcement of the border, and whether Texas has the authority to defend itself from the waves of migrants overwhelming law enforcement and immigration officials. The two sides have been feuding since 2021 when the migrant crisis escalated and Texas launched Operation Lone Star to surge resources to the border. The administration recently sued over an anti-illegal immigration law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. It has also sued over the state’s setting up of buoys in the Rio Grande. The administration says immigration enforcement is up to the federal government and Texas is interfering. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on an emergency appeal to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues. Following the ruling, Abbott declared his constitutional authority to reserve the right of his state to self-defense against an invasion, adding that the executive branch had broken its constitutional pact with the states by failing to enforce federal immigration laws. Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his backing to Abbott amid the latter’s feud with the Biden administration — urging states to send their National Guards to the border and promising to work "hand in hand" with the state to combat the "invasion" if he is inaugurated again in January 2025. Abbott has also picked up the support of more than two dozen Republican states who have publicly expressed their support for the state. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to seize control of the National Guard. https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-disneyland-posts-woke-wheel-of-privilege-in-employee-kitchen-removes-it-after-daily-wire-inquiry Disneyland Posts Woke ‘Wheel Of Privilege’ In Employee Kitchen, Removes It After Daily Wire Inquiry Posters featuring a “wheel of power/privilege” were hung in employee spaces in Disneyland, instructing employees that being white, “cisgender male,” and even speaking English means you have “unearned” privilege that your “marginalized” coworkers do not, according to images obtained by The Daily Wire. The wheel featured for all employees to see has the word “power” in the middle, and is sectioned like a dart board, with certain traits fanning outward that are labeled “marginalized.” For example, being white, a “cisgender male,” owning property, and speaking English are all considered privileged, while being dark-skinned, transgender, homeless, and not speaking English are considered marginalized. In between the inner and outer circle – which would be considered not completely marginalized but not totally privileged either – are “cisgender women,” gay men, people with a high school education, and who learned English. Included with the wheel is a definition of “privilege,” stating that it is “unearned access or advantage granted to specific groups of people because of their membership in a social group.” “Privilege can be based off a variety of different social identities such as race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexuality, age, education level, and more,” it continues. “Within the US, members of social groups that hold privileges (white, male, wealthy, able-bodied, etc) have historically held dominance and power over targeted groups.” The poster also asks, “why should we accept that we have privileges?” It provides the following answer: “By accepting that we have privileges, we can see that not everyone sees the world from our perspective and that we have privileges in our life that have hindered our awareness of the world.” The image was provided by source who works for the Walt Disney Company, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company. The employee said the materials were posted in the production kitchen on Main Street USA in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This production kitchen services Carnation Cafe, The Tropical Hideaway, Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe, and Refreshment Corner sponsored by Coca Cola. The employee said divisive materials like this are “destroying the magic” of the park. “So many cast members, myself included, are tired of the division being pushed by companies with a lack of regard for the founder’s vision,” the source told The Daily Wire. “This isn’t what Walt would have wanted for his company. He once said, ‘To ALL who come to this happy place, Welcome.’ Things like this make people feel unwelcome, destroying the magic.” The Daily Wire reached out to the Walt Disney Company to ask about the poster and why they are posted. Within hours of reaching out, our source said a manager removed the poster, and sent a photo of the now-empty display cabinet, which still features another poster about the lunar new year and 2024 being the year of the dragon. Disney did not ultimately respond to the request for comment. Disney has come under fire in recent years for its turn toward “wokeness,” with numerous box-office blunders for films deemed to be pushing Leftist political agendas. Top-ranking employees at Disney have also admitted to pushing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” The Daily Wire previously reported. In 2023, the company lost nearly $1 billion on movies like Elemental and The Little Mermaid. Company CEO Bob Iger admitted last year that Disney lost sight of entertainment as it put more political messaging into its content. https://www.dailyfetched.com/serbia-to-introduce-a-mandatory-military-draft-amid-ww3-tensions/ Serbia to Introduce a Mandatory Military Draft amid WW3 Tensions Serbia is reportedly considering reintroducing compulsory military service as tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe begin increasing amid WW3 fears. President Aleksandar Vucic said army commanders gave him “a strong argumentation” in favor of mandatory draft. Compulsory drafts here were suspended in 2011 in a push to professionalize the armed forces. However, the Serbian president did not specify when the draft would return but said the national parliament would vote on the proposal. “We are not threatening anyone,” Vucic said. “Today, if you don’t have (a strong) army, you don’t have a country.” “We will see if it (military service) will last 90 or 100 days, or maybe 110 days,” Vucic told reporters. “As well as when it will be introduced and how the financial and logistical assumptions will be fulfilled.” The Washington Post reported: “Opposition politicians and other critics of a draft have questioned the logic of a military buildup when Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries which have superior firepower in case of a conflict. There are also concerns that the government may struggle to foot the bill for a larger military. Tensions have been high in the Balkans, which went through the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Although formally neutral, the Serbian Army has maintained close ties to Russia, from which it purchases most of its arms, including fighter jets and tanks.“ Serbia was one of the few countries to refuse sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Tensions revolved around Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, which Serbia and allies Russia and China have not recognized. Over the last few months, Serbia has raised the combat readiness on the border with Kosovo several times. The country also maintained cordial relations with NATO, whose troops have been stationed in Kosovo since 1999. Earlier this week, top military officials warned that conscription could happen in the UK if NATO goes to war with Russia. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said such a conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking.” “Within the next three years, it must be credible to talk of a British Army of 120,000, folding in our reserve and strategic reserve. But this is not enough,” he said. “We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking,” Sanders added. “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them. “But we’ve been here before, and workforce alone does not create capability.” The BBC reports that “other senior NATO military commanders have also recently been calling on the alliance to ready itself for a potential conflict.” According to the outlet: In response to Gen Sir Patrick speech the UK prime minister’s spokesman said hypothetical scenarios of a future potential conflict were not helpful and ruled out any move towards a conscription model for the Army. One senior Conservative MP told the BBC he did not think Rishi Sunak had fully appreciated the threat posed by Russia. The MP said that might be because the prime minister when growing up had not experienced the existential threat posed by the old Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Gen Sir Patrick said the nation could not afford to make the same mistakes of 1914, when it failed to perceive the escalations that led to World War One. And that is your news for today… Now folks, normally this is the part where I’d ask you to send me a news story to my email, or if you have questions about the upcoming FLF conference shoot me an email, etc. But alas, not this time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing you the news over the last year and a half or so. I’ve enjoyed giving you a look at what’s happening around the world on your morning commute to work… but I’ve received a job offer out of state - down in Huntsville AL, that I just couldn’t pass up. If you’re down that way, friend me up on Facebook by the way and we’ll meet up! With that being said, I wanted to tell you, the listener, how thankful I am for you giving my news show a listen. For saying hello at our FLF Conferences when I was out and about, for sending me news stories to my email, for the encouragement, or constructive criticism I’d receive when I couldn’t pronounce something… which believe me, I’m aware of those things… All of that to say. I’m thankful for the FLF community

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 31st, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison Pro-Life Demonstrators Found Guilty, Face Up To 11 Years In Federal Prison Six pro-lifers were found guilty on Tuesday after the Biden administration charged them over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021. They face up to 11 years in prison. The pro-life activists were accused by the Department of Justice of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy for a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions. Those on trial included Chet Gallagher of Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia. All six defendants were found guilty of both counts. They are expected to be sentenced in July. The conspiracy charge can be punished with up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000 while the FACE Act charge can lead to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine. The verdict was delivered on the fifth day of the trial, which took place at the Fred D. Thompson courthouse in Nashville. The case was overseen by Judge Aleta Trauger, appointed to the court in 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton. One of the government’s key witnesses was Caroline Davis, a woman who was arrested with the group at Carafem. During her testimony, Davis claimed that she had a change of heart about attending the protest and that her “rational side” was “in the toilet” at the time of her participation. She said that she changed her mind “over time” and that being indicted by the federal government “terrified” her. Video of the demonstration showed the group singing songs like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” while others showed members of the group talking to police. Another video showed one participant telling another to speak “in love” to a man with his girlfriend who had shown up at Carafem and that someone’s “baby is a gift from God.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-governor-abbott-stark-message-sanctuary-cities-migrant-crisis Texas Gov. Abbott sends stark message to sanctuary cities as migrant crisis continues Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a stark message to sanctuary cities on Monday, vowing his state's transportation of migrants to their areas would continue until the federal government takes action on the worsening border crisis. "Texas has transported over 102,000 migrants to sanctuary cities. Overwhelmed Texas border towns should not bear the brunt of Biden’s open border policies. Our transportation mission will continue until Biden secures the border," Abbott wrote in a post on X. Abbott's promise comes amid his feud with the Biden administration over enforcement of the border, and whether Texas has the authority to defend itself from the waves of migrants overwhelming law enforcement and immigration officials. The two sides have been feuding since 2021 when the migrant crisis escalated and Texas launched Operation Lone Star to surge resources to the border. The administration recently sued over an anti-illegal immigration law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. It has also sued over the state’s setting up of buoys in the Rio Grande. The administration says immigration enforcement is up to the federal government and Texas is interfering. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on an emergency appeal to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues. Following the ruling, Abbott declared his constitutional authority to reserve the right of his state to self-defense against an invasion, adding that the executive branch had broken its constitutional pact with the states by failing to enforce federal immigration laws. Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his backing to Abbott amid the latter’s feud with the Biden administration — urging states to send their National Guards to the border and promising to work "hand in hand" with the state to combat the "invasion" if he is inaugurated again in January 2025. Abbott has also picked up the support of more than two dozen Republican states who have publicly expressed their support for the state. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to seize control of the National Guard. https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-disneyland-posts-woke-wheel-of-privilege-in-employee-kitchen-removes-it-after-daily-wire-inquiry Disneyland Posts Woke ‘Wheel Of Privilege’ In Employee Kitchen, Removes It After Daily Wire Inquiry Posters featuring a “wheel of power/privilege” were hung in employee spaces in Disneyland, instructing employees that being white, “cisgender male,” and even speaking English means you have “unearned” privilege that your “marginalized” coworkers do not, according to images obtained by The Daily Wire. The wheel featured for all employees to see has the word “power” in the middle, and is sectioned like a dart board, with certain traits fanning outward that are labeled “marginalized.” For example, being white, a “cisgender male,” owning property, and speaking English are all considered privileged, while being dark-skinned, transgender, homeless, and not speaking English are considered marginalized. In between the inner and outer circle – which would be considered not completely marginalized but not totally privileged either – are “cisgender women,” gay men, people with a high school education, and who learned English. Included with the wheel is a definition of “privilege,” stating that it is “unearned access or advantage granted to specific groups of people because of their membership in a social group.” “Privilege can be based off a variety of different social identities such as race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexuality, age, education level, and more,” it continues. “Within the US, members of social groups that hold privileges (white, male, wealthy, able-bodied, etc) have historically held dominance and power over targeted groups.” The poster also asks, “why should we accept that we have privileges?” It provides the following answer: “By accepting that we have privileges, we can see that not everyone sees the world from our perspective and that we have privileges in our life that have hindered our awareness of the world.” The image was provided by source who works for the Walt Disney Company, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company. The employee said the materials were posted in the production kitchen on Main Street USA in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This production kitchen services Carnation Cafe, The Tropical Hideaway, Jolly Holiday Bakery and Cafe, and Refreshment Corner sponsored by Coca Cola. The employee said divisive materials like this are “destroying the magic” of the park. “So many cast members, myself included, are tired of the division being pushed by companies with a lack of regard for the founder’s vision,” the source told The Daily Wire. “This isn’t what Walt would have wanted for his company. He once said, ‘To ALL who come to this happy place, Welcome.’ Things like this make people feel unwelcome, destroying the magic.” The Daily Wire reached out to the Walt Disney Company to ask about the poster and why they are posted. Within hours of reaching out, our source said a manager removed the poster, and sent a photo of the now-empty display cabinet, which still features another poster about the lunar new year and 2024 being the year of the dragon. Disney did not ultimately respond to the request for comment. Disney has come under fire in recent years for its turn toward “wokeness,” with numerous box-office blunders for films deemed to be pushing Leftist political agendas. Top-ranking employees at Disney have also admitted to pushing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” The Daily Wire previously reported. In 2023, the company lost nearly $1 billion on movies like Elemental and The Little Mermaid. Company CEO Bob Iger admitted last year that Disney lost sight of entertainment as it put more political messaging into its content. https://www.dailyfetched.com/serbia-to-introduce-a-mandatory-military-draft-amid-ww3-tensions/ Serbia to Introduce a Mandatory Military Draft amid WW3 Tensions Serbia is reportedly considering reintroducing compulsory military service as tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe begin increasing amid WW3 fears. President Aleksandar Vucic said army commanders gave him “a strong argumentation” in favor of mandatory draft. Compulsory drafts here were suspended in 2011 in a push to professionalize the armed forces. However, the Serbian president did not specify when the draft would return but said the national parliament would vote on the proposal. “We are not threatening anyone,” Vucic said. “Today, if you don’t have (a strong) army, you don’t have a country.” “We will see if it (military service) will last 90 or 100 days, or maybe 110 days,” Vucic told reporters. “As well as when it will be introduced and how the financial and logistical assumptions will be fulfilled.” The Washington Post reported: “Opposition politicians and other critics of a draft have questioned the logic of a military buildup when Serbia is almost completely surrounded by NATO member countries which have superior firepower in case of a conflict. There are also concerns that the government may struggle to foot the bill for a larger military. Tensions have been high in the Balkans, which went through the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Although formally neutral, the Serbian Army has maintained close ties to Russia, from which it purchases most of its arms, including fighter jets and tanks.“ Serbia was one of the few countries to refuse sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Tensions revolved around Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, which Serbia and allies Russia and China have not recognized. Over the last few months, Serbia has raised the combat readiness on the border with Kosovo several times. The country also maintained cordial relations with NATO, whose troops have been stationed in Kosovo since 1999. Earlier this week, top military officials warned that conscription could happen in the UK if NATO goes to war with Russia. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said such a conflict would need to be a “whole-of-nation undertaking.” “Within the next three years, it must be credible to talk of a British Army of 120,000, folding in our reserve and strategic reserve. But this is not enough,” he said. “We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking,” Sanders added. “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them. “But we’ve been here before, and workforce alone does not create capability.” The BBC reports that “other senior NATO military commanders have also recently been calling on the alliance to ready itself for a potential conflict.” According to the outlet: In response to Gen Sir Patrick speech the UK prime minister’s spokesman said hypothetical scenarios of a future potential conflict were not helpful and ruled out any move towards a conscription model for the Army. One senior Conservative MP told the BBC he did not think Rishi Sunak had fully appreciated the threat posed by Russia. The MP said that might be because the prime minister when growing up had not experienced the existential threat posed by the old Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Gen Sir Patrick said the nation could not afford to make the same mistakes of 1914, when it failed to perceive the escalations that led to World War One. And that is your news for today… Now folks, normally this is the part where I’d ask you to send me a news story to my email, or if you have questions about the upcoming FLF conference shoot me an email, etc. But alas, not this time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing you the news over the last year and a half or so. I’ve enjoyed giving you a look at what’s happening around the world on your morning commute to work… but I’ve received a job offer out of state - down in Huntsville AL, that I just couldn’t pass up. If you’re down that way, friend me up on Facebook by the way and we’ll meet up! With that being said, I wanted to tell you, the listener, how thankful I am for you giving my news show a listen. For saying hello at our FLF Conferences when I was out and about, for sending me news stories to my email, for the encouragement, or constructive criticism I’d receive when I couldn’t pronounce something… which believe me, I’m aware of those things… All of that to say. I’m thankful for the FLF community

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 25th, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/01/24/calls-grow-louder-for-haley-to-drop-out-of-gop-primary/ Calls Grow Louder for Haley to Drop Out of GOP Primary Demands grew louder for former Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the GOP primary race on Tuesday after placing second in New Hampshire to former President Donald Trump. Many Republicans believe Haley should leave the race so all available GOP resources can be allocated towards defeating President Joe Biden. Republicans spent over $167 million in losing efforts to defeat Trump in New Hampshire and Iowa, with plans to release millions more in future primaries. https://twitter.com/i/status/1750015374639390818 - Play Video After Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) exited the race Sunday, Haley’s path to the nomination did not appear to improve. In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of Trump further consolidated support behind the former president, placing pressure on Haley to also end her fledgling campaign. In all states besides New Hampshire, Trump leads by no less than 30 points. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Trump is the de facto GOP nominee moving forward. “Congratulations to President Trump on another decisive win in New Hampshire and becoming the presumptive nominee of our party,” he said. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) congratulated Trump on his big win Tuesday evening: “To no one’s surprise, @realDonaldTrump won BIG tonight in New Hampshire. President Trump’s message is resonating with voters. It’s only a matter of time until 45 becomes 47. Congratulations, Mr. President!” CEO of the Federalist Sean Davis urged Haley to drop out, noting that if she did not, she would be “fully owned by the left-wing Democrats.” “If Nikki Haley’s primary goal is to defeat Joe Biden in November, she will drop out tonight and endorse Trump. If she continues to stay in a race she cannot win just to attack Trump, then we’ll know she’s fully owned by the left-wing Democrats who are funding her campaign,” he said. Social media influencer Ryan Fournier demanded Haley just give up and drop out. “Nikki Haley is refusing to drop out, claiming “this race is far from over.” It’s been over from the start. You all betted on the worst happening to Trump to secure victory. It’s time to give it up.,” he said. Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, wrote on Monday the polling undoubtedly shows Haley’s inevitable resignation from the race, so Trump can turn his focus to defeating President Joe Biden. “So, without a monumental shift in the race, he will secure the nomination in short order,” he said. “Too little, too late,” Haley backer and a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, Fergus Cullen, told the New York Times about Haley’s prospects. “She had to inspire and engage unaffiliated voters, and I just haven’t seen her doing what she needs to do to reach that audience and turn them out in the numbers that she needs.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/2814985/biden-administration-demands-texas-grant-dhs-access-border/ Biden administration demands Texas grant border access following Supreme Court decision The Biden administration has demanded the state of Texas relinquish control of a 2.5-mile strip of land on the border and grant federal agents access following a Supreme Court decision that gave Border Patrol agents to slash state-installed razor wire. The Department of Homeland Security sent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) a letter Tuesday obtained first by the Washington Examiner in which General Counsel Jonathan Meyer called out the state for its inaction after the highest court rescinded an appeal court injunction and allowed federal police to cut down razor wire fencing in Eagle Pass in order to rescue and apprehend illegal immigrants as they cross the Rio Grande. “The state has alleged that Shelby Park is open to the public, but we do not believe this statement is accurate,” Meyer said. “To our knowledge, Texas has only permitted access to Shelby Park by allowing public entry for a memorial, the media, and use of the golf course adjacent to Shelby Park, all while continuing to restrict U.S. Border Patrol’s access to the park.” Meyer said the Supreme Court decision allowed federal law enforcement not only to cut wire at the border but to be present on the border, the latter of which has not been possible since the Texas National Guard commandeered the 2.5-mile strip of city land and locked out all federal employees on Jan. 10. “As you are aware, yesterday, the Supreme Court vacated the injunction prohibiting the Department from cutting or moving the concertina wire that Texas had placed along the border except in case of emergency, and restored the Department’s right to cut and move the concertina wire placed by Texas in order to perform their statutory duties,” Meyer wrote. “The Department must also have the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.” But despite the court’s decision, Texas National Guard soldiers reaffirmed the state’s position Tuesday. Soldiers in Eagle Pass installed more razor wire at the river and laid out more fencing and concertina wire despite the rain that swept through the region Tuesday, according to video. The DHS maintained in its letter that it had the upper ground in terms of legal ground that allowed its personnel to be on city land along the border. It cited the U.S. Code, in which the department acquired permanent real estate interests in and around Eagle Pass in 2008 to build border wall barriers in the vicinity. “Because the Department owns property rights to the areas depicted on the attached map, we demand that you immediately remove any and all obstructions on it,” Meyer said. Border Patrol still has limited access to a boat ramp within Shelby Park despite the state’s initial concession earlier in the land seizure to let agents load and unload a boat into the river. Meyer called for full access to the boat ramp and river. The Biden administration had threatened Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) with legal action on Jan. 14 if Texas did not relinquish control of land, but has not followed up with a lawsuit. “We demand that Texas cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol’s access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access in the Shelby Park area,” Meyer told Paxton in the letter. The showdown between state and federal leaders comes 12 days after three immigrants drowned attempting to wade across the river from Mexico on Jan. 12. Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass were alerted to immigrants who had drowned and two others in distress and attempted to respond but were denied access at a gate into the state-seized land. The state has taken issue with Border Patrol cutting its wire on the basis that the wire would deter and prevent more illegal immigration. Federal law enforcement agents are required to arrest anyone who has illegally entered the country or is illegally present, including those who cross the river and are blocked from continuing up the riverbank by the razor wire. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/holocaust-survivors-numbers-report-claims-conference/2024/01/23/id/1150570/ Almost 80 Years after the Holocaust, 245,000 Jewish Survivors Are Still Alive Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, about 245,000 Jewish survivors are still living across more than 90 countries, a new report revealed Tuesday. Nearly half of them, or 49%, are living in Israel; 18% are in Western Europe, 16% in the United States, and 12% in countries of the former Soviet Union, according to a study by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference. Before the publication of the demographic report, there were only vague estimates about how many Holocaust survivors are still alive. Their numbers are quickly dwindling, as most are very old and often of frail health, with a median age of 86. Twenty percent of survivors are older than 90, and more women (61%) than men (39%) are still alive. The vast majority, or 96% of survivors, are “child survivors” who were born after 1928, says the report “Holocaust Survivors Worldwide. A Demographic Overview'” which is based on figures that were collected up until August. “The numbers in this report are interesting, but it is also important to look past the numbers to see the individuals they represent,” said Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president. “These are Jews who were born into a world that wanted to see them murdered. They endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in their youth and were forced to rebuild an entire life out of the ashes of the camps and ghettos that ended their families and communities." Six million European Jews and people from other minorities were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. It is not clear exactly how many Jews survived the death camps, the ghettos or somewhere in hiding across Nazi-occupied Europe, but their numbers were a far cry from the pre-war Jewish population in Europe. In Poland, of the 3.3 million Jews living there in 1939, only about 300,000 survived. Around 560,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power. At the end of World War II in 1945, their numbers had diminished to about 15,000 — through emigration and extermination. Germany's Jewish community grew again after 1990, when more than 215,000 Jewish migrants and their families came from countries of the former Soviet Union, some of them also survivors. Nowadays, only 14,200 survivors still live in Germany, the demographic report concluded. For its new report, the Claims Conference said it defined Holocaust survivors "based on agreements with the German government in assessing eligibility for compensation programs.” For Germany, that definition includes all Jews who lived in the country from Jan. 30, 1933, when Hitler came to power, to May 1945, when Germany surrendered unconditionally in World War II. The group handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis and negotiates compensation with Germany's finance ministry every year. In June, the Claims Conference said that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion, (1.29 billion euros), overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for 2024. Since 1952, the German government has paid more than $90 billion to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-announces-2-billion-medical-debt-bailout-500000-residents NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces $2B medical debt bailout for up to 500K residents New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday a plan to buy up millions of dollars in medical debt owed by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. In what the mayor said would be a "one-time" deal, the city will spend $18 million in taxpayer funds over the next three years to pay off medical debt owed by up to 500,000 residents. Officials estimate that the program will wipe out over $2 billion of medical debt owed in what they call the "largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." "Getting health care shouldn't be a burden that weighs on New Yorkers and their families," Adams said in a statement. "Since day one, our administration has been driven by the clear mission of supporting working-class New Yorkers and today's investment that will provide $2 billion in medical debt relief is another major step in delivering on that vision. Up to half a million New Yorkers will see their medical debt wiped thanks to this life changing program — the largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." Medical debt is among the top causes of bankruptcy in the United States, especially for those who lack health insurance. Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults (9%), or roughly 23 million people, owe medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The collective medical debt owed by Americans nationwide is estimated by the group to be as much as $195 billion. New York City will partner with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to acquire debt portfolios and retiree debt from health care providers and hospitals and erase it, officials said. "No one chooses to go into medical debt — if you're sick or injured, you need to seek care. But no New Yorker should have to choose between paying rent or for other essentials and paying off their medical debt, which is why we are proud to bring this relief to families across the five boroughs, as we continue to fight on behalf of working-class New Yorkers," Adams said. Founded in 2014, RIP Medical Debt uses donations to buy debt from health care providers in bundles at a steep discount. The group uses data analytics to identify debtors who are most in need — households that earn less than four times the federal poverty level or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income — and buys their debt. Those who benefit from the organization's work receive letters in the mail announcing that their debt has been erased, tax and penalty-free. The group has partnered with local governments before, including with Cook County in Illinois to abolish more than $280 million in medical debt owed by residents, but never at the scale of its partnership with New York City. To supplement the city's spending on the program, RIP Medical Debt and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City are soliciting private donations to raise additional funding over the next three years. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/22/ngsegtq5k078chahr8s3etgus3983p New ‘Jurassic World’ Movie in the Works, 2025 Release Being Eyed A new “Jurassic World” movie is in the works. In fact, it’s so deep in development that Universal is eyeing a 2025 release date for this one. If that’s the case then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if it goes into production this year. The good news is that “Jurassic Park” screenwriter David Koepp is back, his last script for the series was 1997’s “The Lost World.” Koepp is set write the script to introduce a “new Jurassic era,” which likely means Chris Pratt won’t be returning as the lead. It’s only been two years since the last one, 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion”, but Universal’s clearly looking to make more of these films. No director is attached for now, but, the way things are speeding up, one will surely be hired soon.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 25th, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/01/24/calls-grow-louder-for-haley-to-drop-out-of-gop-primary/ Calls Grow Louder for Haley to Drop Out of GOP Primary Demands grew louder for former Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the GOP primary race on Tuesday after placing second in New Hampshire to former President Donald Trump. Many Republicans believe Haley should leave the race so all available GOP resources can be allocated towards defeating President Joe Biden. Republicans spent over $167 million in losing efforts to defeat Trump in New Hampshire and Iowa, with plans to release millions more in future primaries. https://twitter.com/i/status/1750015374639390818 - Play Video After Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) exited the race Sunday, Haley’s path to the nomination did not appear to improve. In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of Trump further consolidated support behind the former president, placing pressure on Haley to also end her fledgling campaign. In all states besides New Hampshire, Trump leads by no less than 30 points. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Trump is the de facto GOP nominee moving forward. “Congratulations to President Trump on another decisive win in New Hampshire and becoming the presumptive nominee of our party,” he said. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) congratulated Trump on his big win Tuesday evening: “To no one’s surprise, @realDonaldTrump won BIG tonight in New Hampshire. President Trump’s message is resonating with voters. It’s only a matter of time until 45 becomes 47. Congratulations, Mr. President!” CEO of the Federalist Sean Davis urged Haley to drop out, noting that if she did not, she would be “fully owned by the left-wing Democrats.” “If Nikki Haley’s primary goal is to defeat Joe Biden in November, she will drop out tonight and endorse Trump. If she continues to stay in a race she cannot win just to attack Trump, then we’ll know she’s fully owned by the left-wing Democrats who are funding her campaign,” he said. Social media influencer Ryan Fournier demanded Haley just give up and drop out. “Nikki Haley is refusing to drop out, claiming “this race is far from over.” It’s been over from the start. You all betted on the worst happening to Trump to secure victory. It’s time to give it up.,” he said. Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, wrote on Monday the polling undoubtedly shows Haley’s inevitable resignation from the race, so Trump can turn his focus to defeating President Joe Biden. “So, without a monumental shift in the race, he will secure the nomination in short order,” he said. “Too little, too late,” Haley backer and a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, Fergus Cullen, told the New York Times about Haley’s prospects. “She had to inspire and engage unaffiliated voters, and I just haven’t seen her doing what she needs to do to reach that audience and turn them out in the numbers that she needs.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/2814985/biden-administration-demands-texas-grant-dhs-access-border/ Biden administration demands Texas grant border access following Supreme Court decision The Biden administration has demanded the state of Texas relinquish control of a 2.5-mile strip of land on the border and grant federal agents access following a Supreme Court decision that gave Border Patrol agents to slash state-installed razor wire. The Department of Homeland Security sent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) a letter Tuesday obtained first by the Washington Examiner in which General Counsel Jonathan Meyer called out the state for its inaction after the highest court rescinded an appeal court injunction and allowed federal police to cut down razor wire fencing in Eagle Pass in order to rescue and apprehend illegal immigrants as they cross the Rio Grande. “The state has alleged that Shelby Park is open to the public, but we do not believe this statement is accurate,” Meyer said. “To our knowledge, Texas has only permitted access to Shelby Park by allowing public entry for a memorial, the media, and use of the golf course adjacent to Shelby Park, all while continuing to restrict U.S. Border Patrol’s access to the park.” Meyer said the Supreme Court decision allowed federal law enforcement not only to cut wire at the border but to be present on the border, the latter of which has not been possible since the Texas National Guard commandeered the 2.5-mile strip of city land and locked out all federal employees on Jan. 10. “As you are aware, yesterday, the Supreme Court vacated the injunction prohibiting the Department from cutting or moving the concertina wire that Texas had placed along the border except in case of emergency, and restored the Department’s right to cut and move the concertina wire placed by Texas in order to perform their statutory duties,” Meyer wrote. “The Department must also have the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.” But despite the court’s decision, Texas National Guard soldiers reaffirmed the state’s position Tuesday. Soldiers in Eagle Pass installed more razor wire at the river and laid out more fencing and concertina wire despite the rain that swept through the region Tuesday, according to video. The DHS maintained in its letter that it had the upper ground in terms of legal ground that allowed its personnel to be on city land along the border. It cited the U.S. Code, in which the department acquired permanent real estate interests in and around Eagle Pass in 2008 to build border wall barriers in the vicinity. “Because the Department owns property rights to the areas depicted on the attached map, we demand that you immediately remove any and all obstructions on it,” Meyer said. Border Patrol still has limited access to a boat ramp within Shelby Park despite the state’s initial concession earlier in the land seizure to let agents load and unload a boat into the river. Meyer called for full access to the boat ramp and river. The Biden administration had threatened Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) with legal action on Jan. 14 if Texas did not relinquish control of land, but has not followed up with a lawsuit. “We demand that Texas cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol’s access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access in the Shelby Park area,” Meyer told Paxton in the letter. The showdown between state and federal leaders comes 12 days after three immigrants drowned attempting to wade across the river from Mexico on Jan. 12. Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass were alerted to immigrants who had drowned and two others in distress and attempted to respond but were denied access at a gate into the state-seized land. The state has taken issue with Border Patrol cutting its wire on the basis that the wire would deter and prevent more illegal immigration. Federal law enforcement agents are required to arrest anyone who has illegally entered the country or is illegally present, including those who cross the river and are blocked from continuing up the riverbank by the razor wire. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/holocaust-survivors-numbers-report-claims-conference/2024/01/23/id/1150570/ Almost 80 Years after the Holocaust, 245,000 Jewish Survivors Are Still Alive Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, about 245,000 Jewish survivors are still living across more than 90 countries, a new report revealed Tuesday. Nearly half of them, or 49%, are living in Israel; 18% are in Western Europe, 16% in the United States, and 12% in countries of the former Soviet Union, according to a study by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference. Before the publication of the demographic report, there were only vague estimates about how many Holocaust survivors are still alive. Their numbers are quickly dwindling, as most are very old and often of frail health, with a median age of 86. Twenty percent of survivors are older than 90, and more women (61%) than men (39%) are still alive. The vast majority, or 96% of survivors, are “child survivors” who were born after 1928, says the report “Holocaust Survivors Worldwide. A Demographic Overview'” which is based on figures that were collected up until August. “The numbers in this report are interesting, but it is also important to look past the numbers to see the individuals they represent,” said Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president. “These are Jews who were born into a world that wanted to see them murdered. They endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in their youth and were forced to rebuild an entire life out of the ashes of the camps and ghettos that ended their families and communities." Six million European Jews and people from other minorities were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. It is not clear exactly how many Jews survived the death camps, the ghettos or somewhere in hiding across Nazi-occupied Europe, but their numbers were a far cry from the pre-war Jewish population in Europe. In Poland, of the 3.3 million Jews living there in 1939, only about 300,000 survived. Around 560,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power. At the end of World War II in 1945, their numbers had diminished to about 15,000 — through emigration and extermination. Germany's Jewish community grew again after 1990, when more than 215,000 Jewish migrants and their families came from countries of the former Soviet Union, some of them also survivors. Nowadays, only 14,200 survivors still live in Germany, the demographic report concluded. For its new report, the Claims Conference said it defined Holocaust survivors "based on agreements with the German government in assessing eligibility for compensation programs.” For Germany, that definition includes all Jews who lived in the country from Jan. 30, 1933, when Hitler came to power, to May 1945, when Germany surrendered unconditionally in World War II. The group handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis and negotiates compensation with Germany's finance ministry every year. In June, the Claims Conference said that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion, (1.29 billion euros), overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for 2024. Since 1952, the German government has paid more than $90 billion to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-announces-2-billion-medical-debt-bailout-500000-residents NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces $2B medical debt bailout for up to 500K residents New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday a plan to buy up millions of dollars in medical debt owed by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. In what the mayor said would be a "one-time" deal, the city will spend $18 million in taxpayer funds over the next three years to pay off medical debt owed by up to 500,000 residents. Officials estimate that the program will wipe out over $2 billion of medical debt owed in what they call the "largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." "Getting health care shouldn't be a burden that weighs on New Yorkers and their families," Adams said in a statement. "Since day one, our administration has been driven by the clear mission of supporting working-class New Yorkers and today's investment that will provide $2 billion in medical debt relief is another major step in delivering on that vision. Up to half a million New Yorkers will see their medical debt wiped thanks to this life changing program — the largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." Medical debt is among the top causes of bankruptcy in the United States, especially for those who lack health insurance. Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults (9%), or roughly 23 million people, owe medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The collective medical debt owed by Americans nationwide is estimated by the group to be as much as $195 billion. New York City will partner with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to acquire debt portfolios and retiree debt from health care providers and hospitals and erase it, officials said. "No one chooses to go into medical debt — if you're sick or injured, you need to seek care. But no New Yorker should have to choose between paying rent or for other essentials and paying off their medical debt, which is why we are proud to bring this relief to families across the five boroughs, as we continue to fight on behalf of working-class New Yorkers," Adams said. Founded in 2014, RIP Medical Debt uses donations to buy debt from health care providers in bundles at a steep discount. The group uses data analytics to identify debtors who are most in need — households that earn less than four times the federal poverty level or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income — and buys their debt. Those who benefit from the organization's work receive letters in the mail announcing that their debt has been erased, tax and penalty-free. The group has partnered with local governments before, including with Cook County in Illinois to abolish more than $280 million in medical debt owed by residents, but never at the scale of its partnership with New York City. To supplement the city's spending on the program, RIP Medical Debt and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City are soliciting private donations to raise additional funding over the next three years. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/22/ngsegtq5k078chahr8s3etgus3983p New ‘Jurassic World’ Movie in the Works, 2025 Release Being Eyed A new “Jurassic World” movie is in the works. In fact, it’s so deep in development that Universal is eyeing a 2025 release date for this one. If that’s the case then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if it goes into production this year. The good news is that “Jurassic Park” screenwriter David Koepp is back, his last script for the series was 1997’s “The Lost World.” Koepp is set write the script to introduce a “new Jurassic era,” which likely means Chris Pratt won’t be returning as the lead. It’s only been two years since the last one, 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion”, but Universal’s clearly looking to make more of these films. No director is attached for now, but, the way things are speeding up, one will surely be hired soon.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, January 25th, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/01/24/calls-grow-louder-for-haley-to-drop-out-of-gop-primary/ Calls Grow Louder for Haley to Drop Out of GOP Primary Demands grew louder for former Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the GOP primary race on Tuesday after placing second in New Hampshire to former President Donald Trump. Many Republicans believe Haley should leave the race so all available GOP resources can be allocated towards defeating President Joe Biden. Republicans spent over $167 million in losing efforts to defeat Trump in New Hampshire and Iowa, with plans to release millions more in future primaries. https://twitter.com/i/status/1750015374639390818 - Play Video After Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) exited the race Sunday, Haley’s path to the nomination did not appear to improve. In fact, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of Trump further consolidated support behind the former president, placing pressure on Haley to also end her fledgling campaign. In all states besides New Hampshire, Trump leads by no less than 30 points. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Trump is the de facto GOP nominee moving forward. “Congratulations to President Trump on another decisive win in New Hampshire and becoming the presumptive nominee of our party,” he said. Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) congratulated Trump on his big win Tuesday evening: “To no one’s surprise, @realDonaldTrump won BIG tonight in New Hampshire. President Trump’s message is resonating with voters. It’s only a matter of time until 45 becomes 47. Congratulations, Mr. President!” CEO of the Federalist Sean Davis urged Haley to drop out, noting that if she did not, she would be “fully owned by the left-wing Democrats.” “If Nikki Haley’s primary goal is to defeat Joe Biden in November, she will drop out tonight and endorse Trump. If she continues to stay in a race she cannot win just to attack Trump, then we’ll know she’s fully owned by the left-wing Democrats who are funding her campaign,” he said. Social media influencer Ryan Fournier demanded Haley just give up and drop out. “Nikki Haley is refusing to drop out, claiming “this race is far from over.” It’s been over from the start. You all betted on the worst happening to Trump to secure victory. It’s time to give it up.,” he said. Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, wrote on Monday the polling undoubtedly shows Haley’s inevitable resignation from the race, so Trump can turn his focus to defeating President Joe Biden. “So, without a monumental shift in the race, he will secure the nomination in short order,” he said. “Too little, too late,” Haley backer and a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, Fergus Cullen, told the New York Times about Haley’s prospects. “She had to inspire and engage unaffiliated voters, and I just haven’t seen her doing what she needs to do to reach that audience and turn them out in the numbers that she needs.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/2814985/biden-administration-demands-texas-grant-dhs-access-border/ Biden administration demands Texas grant border access following Supreme Court decision The Biden administration has demanded the state of Texas relinquish control of a 2.5-mile strip of land on the border and grant federal agents access following a Supreme Court decision that gave Border Patrol agents to slash state-installed razor wire. The Department of Homeland Security sent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) a letter Tuesday obtained first by the Washington Examiner in which General Counsel Jonathan Meyer called out the state for its inaction after the highest court rescinded an appeal court injunction and allowed federal police to cut down razor wire fencing in Eagle Pass in order to rescue and apprehend illegal immigrants as they cross the Rio Grande. “The state has alleged that Shelby Park is open to the public, but we do not believe this statement is accurate,” Meyer said. “To our knowledge, Texas has only permitted access to Shelby Park by allowing public entry for a memorial, the media, and use of the golf course adjacent to Shelby Park, all while continuing to restrict U.S. Border Patrol’s access to the park.” Meyer said the Supreme Court decision allowed federal law enforcement not only to cut wire at the border but to be present on the border, the latter of which has not been possible since the Texas National Guard commandeered the 2.5-mile strip of city land and locked out all federal employees on Jan. 10. “As you are aware, yesterday, the Supreme Court vacated the injunction prohibiting the Department from cutting or moving the concertina wire that Texas had placed along the border except in case of emergency, and restored the Department’s right to cut and move the concertina wire placed by Texas in order to perform their statutory duties,” Meyer wrote. “The Department must also have the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.” But despite the court’s decision, Texas National Guard soldiers reaffirmed the state’s position Tuesday. Soldiers in Eagle Pass installed more razor wire at the river and laid out more fencing and concertina wire despite the rain that swept through the region Tuesday, according to video. The DHS maintained in its letter that it had the upper ground in terms of legal ground that allowed its personnel to be on city land along the border. It cited the U.S. Code, in which the department acquired permanent real estate interests in and around Eagle Pass in 2008 to build border wall barriers in the vicinity. “Because the Department owns property rights to the areas depicted on the attached map, we demand that you immediately remove any and all obstructions on it,” Meyer said. Border Patrol still has limited access to a boat ramp within Shelby Park despite the state’s initial concession earlier in the land seizure to let agents load and unload a boat into the river. Meyer called for full access to the boat ramp and river. The Biden administration had threatened Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) with legal action on Jan. 14 if Texas did not relinquish control of land, but has not followed up with a lawsuit. “We demand that Texas cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol’s access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access in the Shelby Park area,” Meyer told Paxton in the letter. The showdown between state and federal leaders comes 12 days after three immigrants drowned attempting to wade across the river from Mexico on Jan. 12. Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass were alerted to immigrants who had drowned and two others in distress and attempted to respond but were denied access at a gate into the state-seized land. The state has taken issue with Border Patrol cutting its wire on the basis that the wire would deter and prevent more illegal immigration. Federal law enforcement agents are required to arrest anyone who has illegally entered the country or is illegally present, including those who cross the river and are blocked from continuing up the riverbank by the razor wire. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/holocaust-survivors-numbers-report-claims-conference/2024/01/23/id/1150570/ Almost 80 Years after the Holocaust, 245,000 Jewish Survivors Are Still Alive Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, about 245,000 Jewish survivors are still living across more than 90 countries, a new report revealed Tuesday. Nearly half of them, or 49%, are living in Israel; 18% are in Western Europe, 16% in the United States, and 12% in countries of the former Soviet Union, according to a study by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference. Before the publication of the demographic report, there were only vague estimates about how many Holocaust survivors are still alive. Their numbers are quickly dwindling, as most are very old and often of frail health, with a median age of 86. Twenty percent of survivors are older than 90, and more women (61%) than men (39%) are still alive. The vast majority, or 96% of survivors, are “child survivors” who were born after 1928, says the report “Holocaust Survivors Worldwide. A Demographic Overview'” which is based on figures that were collected up until August. “The numbers in this report are interesting, but it is also important to look past the numbers to see the individuals they represent,” said Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s executive vice president. “These are Jews who were born into a world that wanted to see them murdered. They endured the atrocities of the Holocaust in their youth and were forced to rebuild an entire life out of the ashes of the camps and ghettos that ended their families and communities." Six million European Jews and people from other minorities were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. It is not clear exactly how many Jews survived the death camps, the ghettos or somewhere in hiding across Nazi-occupied Europe, but their numbers were a far cry from the pre-war Jewish population in Europe. In Poland, of the 3.3 million Jews living there in 1939, only about 300,000 survived. Around 560,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933, the year Adolf Hitler came to power. At the end of World War II in 1945, their numbers had diminished to about 15,000 — through emigration and extermination. Germany's Jewish community grew again after 1990, when more than 215,000 Jewish migrants and their families came from countries of the former Soviet Union, some of them also survivors. Nowadays, only 14,200 survivors still live in Germany, the demographic report concluded. For its new report, the Claims Conference said it defined Holocaust survivors "based on agreements with the German government in assessing eligibility for compensation programs.” For Germany, that definition includes all Jews who lived in the country from Jan. 30, 1933, when Hitler came to power, to May 1945, when Germany surrendered unconditionally in World War II. The group handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis and negotiates compensation with Germany's finance ministry every year. In June, the Claims Conference said that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion, (1.29 billion euros), overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for 2024. Since 1952, the German government has paid more than $90 billion to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-announces-2-billion-medical-debt-bailout-500000-residents NYC Mayor Eric Adams announces $2B medical debt bailout for up to 500K residents New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday a plan to buy up millions of dollars in medical debt owed by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. In what the mayor said would be a "one-time" deal, the city will spend $18 million in taxpayer funds over the next three years to pay off medical debt owed by up to 500,000 residents. Officials estimate that the program will wipe out over $2 billion of medical debt owed in what they call the "largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." "Getting health care shouldn't be a burden that weighs on New Yorkers and their families," Adams said in a statement. "Since day one, our administration has been driven by the clear mission of supporting working-class New Yorkers and today's investment that will provide $2 billion in medical debt relief is another major step in delivering on that vision. Up to half a million New Yorkers will see their medical debt wiped thanks to this life changing program — the largest municipal initiative of its kind in the country." Medical debt is among the top causes of bankruptcy in the United States, especially for those who lack health insurance. Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults (9%), or roughly 23 million people, owe medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The collective medical debt owed by Americans nationwide is estimated by the group to be as much as $195 billion. New York City will partner with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit, to acquire debt portfolios and retiree debt from health care providers and hospitals and erase it, officials said. "No one chooses to go into medical debt — if you're sick or injured, you need to seek care. But no New Yorker should have to choose between paying rent or for other essentials and paying off their medical debt, which is why we are proud to bring this relief to families across the five boroughs, as we continue to fight on behalf of working-class New Yorkers," Adams said. Founded in 2014, RIP Medical Debt uses donations to buy debt from health care providers in bundles at a steep discount. The group uses data analytics to identify debtors who are most in need — households that earn less than four times the federal poverty level or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income — and buys their debt. Those who benefit from the organization's work receive letters in the mail announcing that their debt has been erased, tax and penalty-free. The group has partnered with local governments before, including with Cook County in Illinois to abolish more than $280 million in medical debt owed by residents, but never at the scale of its partnership with New York City. To supplement the city's spending on the program, RIP Medical Debt and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City are soliciting private donations to raise additional funding over the next three years. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/1/22/ngsegtq5k078chahr8s3etgus3983p New ‘Jurassic World’ Movie in the Works, 2025 Release Being Eyed A new “Jurassic World” movie is in the works. In fact, it’s so deep in development that Universal is eyeing a 2025 release date for this one. If that’s the case then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if it goes into production this year. The good news is that “Jurassic Park” screenwriter David Koepp is back, his last script for the series was 1997’s “The Lost World.” Koepp is set write the script to introduce a “new Jurassic era,” which likely means Chris Pratt won’t be returning as the lead. It’s only been two years since the last one, 2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion”, but Universal’s clearly looking to make more of these films. No director is attached for now, but, the way things are speeding up, one will surely be hired soon.

Kylie Kullack, the Head of Client Engagement at Struck, is a dynamic leader in the realm of brand transformation. Her extensive experience spans diverse sectors, including destination marketing, outdoor recreation, and biotechnology. Known for her strategic acumen and problem-solving prowess, Kylie consistently empowers her teams to achieve exceptional results. Her impressive portfolio features collaborations with esteemed clients such as the Utah Office of Tourism, Snowbird, Westminster College, and Altabank. Kylie's expertise extends across traditional and digital marketing communications, where she has seamlessly orchestrated campaigns in collaboration with various agency partners, including creative, public relations, promotion, social media, and event activation teams. Kylie's career boasts a diverse client roster, encompassing travel (Catalina Island, Avis Budget Group), QSR/Fast Casual (Jack in the Box), CPG (Uinta Beer, Creminelli Fine Meats), higher education, retail real estate (Sotheby's International Realty, Coldwell Banker), and premium liquor (Johnny Walker, Bulleit, Balvenie). Outside her professional pursuits, she is an active member of Chief, a leading network of female executives revolutionizing the industry. Kylie's true joy lies in her role as a parent, cherishing family moments and exploring the vibrant local culinary scene. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Kylie Kullack, Head of Client Engagement at Struck, about the evolving world of destination marketing. Kylie shares her expertise in helping brands like Snowbird Resort and Utah's “Mighty Five” transform their positioning and stand out in increasingly crowded markets. We also explore the importance of collaboration and clear messaging to create memorable visitor experiences. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Kylie explains the challenges of destination marketing organizations, including limited budgets and complex stakeholder needs, and gives examples of how to overcome them How Struck has worked with clients such as the Utah Office of Tourism and Palisades Tahoe to help them rebrand and reposition How Struck leverages 1-star reviews from unsatisfied visitors who were not their target audience to showcase the resort to the ideal visitor Why we should use a messaging funnel to tailor messages at different stages of the visitor journey, using various channels like social media and visitor centers The importance of involving locals in planning and implementation to create a positive visitor experience Transformation Work and Brand Positioning Kylie sheds light on Struck's focus on working with companies and brands ready to transform, and discusses the transformation work they've done for clients such as the Utah Office of Tourism, Snowbird, Sundance, Solitude, and Palisades Tahoe. We dig into the rebranding process, defining a destination's core positioning and Kylie shares details of the campaign she worked on for the Snowbird Resort and how they used negative feedback to define and appeal to the destination's ideal audience. Breaking Through the Crowded Marketplace On the show, we also explore how tourism brands can break through the crowded marketplace to stand out. Kylie discusses the strategy of dispersing visitation to national parks to avoid overwhelming them and to encourage visitors to explore local state parks and other attractions along the way. Destination marketing is evolving, and DMOs now need to expand beyond simply attracting visitors to also managing the destination message, involving locals, and addressing various challenges such as public affairs, infrastructure, sustainability, and resident sentiment. Branded Experiential Design and Collaboration Kylie and I also talk about the importance of branded spaces and experiential design in reflecting a destination's values for both visitors and employees. Kylie talks about the importance of collaboration among agency partners and the marketing team, particularly when it comes to clarity of goals and key messages. Resources: Website: www.struck.com LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylie-kullack-466a335/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinchief/

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/01/universities-college-course-queer-sex-bdsm-bitch/ ‘Queering God’ And ‘How To Be A Bitch’: Here Are Just A Few Of The Craziest Courses Universities Offered In 2023 Universities offered students in the U.S. the opportunity to enroll in many courses that push gender ideology and left-wing activism during the 2023-2024 school year. Princeton University offered a class titled “Black + Queer in Leather: Black Leather/BDSM Material Culture” in the Spring 2023 semester, according to the university’s course catalog. The class will survey black BDSM culture via research available in libraries and individuals involved in the groups that participate in the culture. “We will consider the fragility of archival engagement with these communities by surveying existing BDSM archives in research libraries, community groups,” the course description reads. Princeton made headlines in 2022 following the addition of this course to the catalog as well as “FAT: The F-Word and the Public Body” and “Anthropology of Religion: Fetishism and Decolonization.” Tuition at Princeton costs more than $59,000 per year and can cost more than $76,000 including housing and food costs, according to the university’s website. Westminster College offers a course titled “How to Be a Bitch.” Students are encouraged to “unpack” the words “bitch” and bossy,” which are “interesting but problematic.” One course offered at Wesleyan University, titled “Queer Russia,” offers students an overview of the influence of queer people on Russian culture, according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course “focuses on gender and sexuality in exploring an alternative cultural history of Russia, which highlights its queer legacy from the nineteenth century to the present.” Wesleyan announced it would cover abortion-related costs and emergency contraception for students in the fall 2023 semester. The university charges more than $66,000 a year for tuition and nearly $20,000 for housing, according to their website. Occidental College in California offers a course titled “Black Queer Thought,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course critiques “the demands of heteronormativity, white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism.” The course also explores “how the cultural producers in question complicate and elaborate upon the sometimes static and often U.S.-centered definitions we hold for ‘Black’ and ‘queer,'” according to the course’s description. The Southern University of Oregon (SOU) offered a class titled “Decolonizing Transgender” in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course examines the development of the word transgender across “social, cultural, historical, legal, medical, and political contexts.” The course can be taken as a part of the university’s “Certificate in Transgender Studies,” according to the school’s website. The University of Chicago offered a course titled “Queering God” that questions if God is queer and what queerness has to do with the concept of God. “What does queerness have to do with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?” the course description reads. The university made headlines for its “Queering God” class in July. The school also offered a class titled “The Problem of Whiteness” initially in December 2022 but later moved the course to the Spring 2023 semester after backlash to the course. A course titled “Unsettling Whiteness” was offered by Northwestern University in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course seeks to make the “historical, political, and cultural formation of whiteness in Western modernity visible” for analysis. Students at Northwestern hosted a speaker in April that accused Israelis of eating the organs of Palestinians. Tuition at the school for the 2023–24 academic year was estimated to be nearly $65,000 and nearly $92,000 with all expenses including books, fees, room and board, according to the university’s website. Davidson College offered a course titled “Latinx Sexual Dissidence and Guerrilla Translation,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The class seeks to mix feminist, queer, body positivity and leftist activism all into one class. “Students will study the rhetorics and aesthetic strategies of feminist and queer activist collectives focused on social issues such as immigration, transgender rights, anti-racism, economic equality, anti-speciesim, body positivity, and prison abolition with a pro-pleasure, leftist perspective,” the course description reads. Westminster College, Princeton, Wesleyan, Occidental College, SOU, Northwestern, the University of Chicago and Davidson College did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comments. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-fox-news-town-hall-snub-cnn-iowa-debate Trump holds Fox News town hall to counter CNN Iowa debate with DeSantis and Haley Fox News is set to hold a town hall event in Des Moines, Iowa, with President Donald Trump on Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern time, a move that directly competes with CNN's Iowa GOP primary debate held on the same night at the same time. The Fox News Trump event, announced on Tuesday, marks the former president's fifth time snubbing a debate matchup with his 2024 Republican rivals. He has skipped all four primary debates sponsored by the Republican National Committee. Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the Trump town hall for the first time since May 2020, when Trump last sat down for an interview with the pair. The Jan. 10 town hall, just five days before the Iowa caucuses, also marks Trump's return to holding counterevents during GOP debate nights. He held a competing event during the first three GOP debates, including the first one in late August, which was co-sponsored with Fox News. But the former president did not seek to take attention from his rivals during last month's fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. CNN's debate on Jan. 10 required candidates to reach at least 10% in three national or Iowa polls, but only Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have met the qualifications. Vivek Ramaswamy also announced on Tuesday he will participate in a live studio town hall with podcast host Tim Pool, as it appears he likely won't make the CNN debate qualification deadline on Tuesday. "Forget @CNN’s fake Iowa 'debate' on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We’re doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead. Won’t hold back." Trump dominates his competitors at 62.5%, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average. DeSantis and Haley are polling at 11.2%, followed by Ramaswamy at 4.2%. The former president is seeking a strong showing in Iowa as DeSantis and Haley seek to become the dominant second place in the field. CNN's debate will be the final time before the Iowa caucuses that DeSantis and Haley will face off. Trump, meanwhile, is likely to brag about his advantageous lead during the competing town hall and denigrate his competitors. https://www.dailyfetched.com/tucker-tells-dan-bongino-that-trump-assassination-could-be-next/ Tucker Tells Dan Bongino That Trump ‘Assassination’ Could Be Next Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned in an interview with conservative commentator and author Dan Bongino that the establishment may be preparing to assassinate President Donald Trump in a desperate move to stop his political momentum. Carlson emphasized that Trump’s political opponents are prepared to do anything to make sure the president does not take back the White House. Tucker charted out whether circumstances are accelerating toward a possible Trump assassination, which is looking more likely due to Trump’s soaring popularity. https://twitter.com/i/status/1741572121346683017 - Play Video Last year, Megyn Kelly voiced fears that the demonization of Trump could eventually lead to his assassination. During an episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show” on YouTube, Kelly was joined by former Secret Service agent and author of “The Gift of Failure,” Dan Bongino, as the pair discussed the portrayal of Trump and its potential escalation. “You heard Tucker asked Trump about it when he interviewed him,” Kelly said, referring to an August interview between Trump and Tucker Carlson. “Whether Trump is worried, whether there’s a realistic possibility, the left is going to so meltdown as his power rises, as he rises toward a second term … that they try to do something to him, God forbid, or that they try to do something to our country,” she added. https://www.thefencepost.com/news/water-fight-federal-government-sues-state-of-idaho-over-water-rights/ Water fight: Federal government sues state of Idaho over water rights A lawsuit brought by the U.S. government against the State of Idaho will have far-reaching implications for both how water is managed in the West and states’ rights. According to Idaho Farm Bureau government affairs specialist, Russ Hendricks, the state of Idaho began adjudicating water rights in Idaho’s Snake River Basin (southern Idaho) in the late 1980s. As is the case with many western states, Idaho’s water law provides a right to the beneficial user of the water. During this adjudication process in the ’80s and ’90s, many ranchers considered claiming their stockwater rights on federally administered grazing allotments through the state, but were convinced by the federal government to withdraw their claims, being told that the government was prepared for a lengthy legal battle. Only a few ranchers ignored the “strong-arming, bullying” by the federal government, said Hendricks. So, according to Hendricks, the federal government ended up with nearly all of the stockwater rights on federal allotments in the Snake River Basin, save for those claimed by Paul Nettleton and Tim Lowry (called the “Joyce” case.) Those men entered what eventually was a 15-year battle with the federal government. Eventually they won their case in the Idaho Supreme Court on the simple premise that the federal government does not own cattle and therefore is not able to put the water to beneficial use. And that brings us to the current lawsuit wherein the federal government has filed suit against the state of Idaho in federal district court, saying that they are being discriminated against. Hendricks believes this suit will have far reaching affects, not only for Idaho water users, but for any water users across the country. The Idaho Farm Bureau has enlisted the help of the Mountain States Legal Foundation in the legal battle. The reason I bring this up - is The WEF has already announced that "water was the next crisis, everyone understands water" since "climate change was too difficult to get people to understand" https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-seiler-robos-llc_the-wef-has-already-announced-that-water-activity-7145163060037513216-aEqk/ - Play Video The US Government Is Attempting to Seize All Water Rights for All Bodies of Water on American’s Property in Idaho. If Residents Do Not Register For Each Body Of Water Individually By Their Timeline The State Takes Control & Owns Them Forever. The "state" requires you to register your well, pond, creek or the water automatically become the "state's" property. https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/12/31/video-appears-to-show-panthers-owner-david-tepper-throwing-a-drink-at-panthers-fan/ - Play Video Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! This is for my friends out in North Carolina… Video Appears to Show Panthers Owner David Tepper Throwing a Drink at Panthers Fan Completions have been tough to come by this year for the Carolina, but a thrown drink from Panthers Owner Dave Tepper hit its intended receiver on Sunday. During Carolina’s 26-0 demolition at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Panthers Owner Dave Tepper appeared to throw a drink at a fan. Tepper beats a hasty retreat after tossing the drink. It was probably a good thing since the fan turned around and immediately climbed up to the opening of the suite. The NFL has said they are “aware” of the incident. However, they have not said whether Tepper’s display is actionable under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Presumably, some disciplinary action will be taken against Tepper lest the league allow fans to labor under the impression that they’re perfectly okay with their owners showing extreme disrespect for their paying customers.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/01/universities-college-course-queer-sex-bdsm-bitch/ ‘Queering God’ And ‘How To Be A Bitch’: Here Are Just A Few Of The Craziest Courses Universities Offered In 2023 Universities offered students in the U.S. the opportunity to enroll in many courses that push gender ideology and left-wing activism during the 2023-2024 school year. Princeton University offered a class titled “Black + Queer in Leather: Black Leather/BDSM Material Culture” in the Spring 2023 semester, according to the university’s course catalog. The class will survey black BDSM culture via research available in libraries and individuals involved in the groups that participate in the culture. “We will consider the fragility of archival engagement with these communities by surveying existing BDSM archives in research libraries, community groups,” the course description reads. Princeton made headlines in 2022 following the addition of this course to the catalog as well as “FAT: The F-Word and the Public Body” and “Anthropology of Religion: Fetishism and Decolonization.” Tuition at Princeton costs more than $59,000 per year and can cost more than $76,000 including housing and food costs, according to the university’s website. Westminster College offers a course titled “How to Be a Bitch.” Students are encouraged to “unpack” the words “bitch” and bossy,” which are “interesting but problematic.” One course offered at Wesleyan University, titled “Queer Russia,” offers students an overview of the influence of queer people on Russian culture, according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course “focuses on gender and sexuality in exploring an alternative cultural history of Russia, which highlights its queer legacy from the nineteenth century to the present.” Wesleyan announced it would cover abortion-related costs and emergency contraception for students in the fall 2023 semester. The university charges more than $66,000 a year for tuition and nearly $20,000 for housing, according to their website. Occidental College in California offers a course titled “Black Queer Thought,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The course critiques “the demands of heteronormativity, white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism.” The course also explores “how the cultural producers in question complicate and elaborate upon the sometimes static and often U.S.-centered definitions we hold for ‘Black’ and ‘queer,'” according to the course’s description. The Southern University of Oregon (SOU) offered a class titled “Decolonizing Transgender” in the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course examines the development of the word transgender across “social, cultural, historical, legal, medical, and political contexts.” The course can be taken as a part of the university’s “Certificate in Transgender Studies,” according to the school’s website. The University of Chicago offered a course titled “Queering God” that questions if God is queer and what queerness has to do with the concept of God. “What does queerness have to do with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?” the course description reads. The university made headlines for its “Queering God” class in July. The school also offered a class titled “The Problem of Whiteness” initially in December 2022 but later moved the course to the Spring 2023 semester after backlash to the course. A course titled “Unsettling Whiteness” was offered by Northwestern University in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the university’s course catalog. The course seeks to make the “historical, political, and cultural formation of whiteness in Western modernity visible” for analysis. Students at Northwestern hosted a speaker in April that accused Israelis of eating the organs of Palestinians. Tuition at the school for the 2023–24 academic year was estimated to be nearly $65,000 and nearly $92,000 with all expenses including books, fees, room and board, according to the university’s website. Davidson College offered a course titled “Latinx Sexual Dissidence and Guerrilla Translation,” according to the university’s 2023-2024 course catalog. The class seeks to mix feminist, queer, body positivity and leftist activism all into one class. “Students will study the rhetorics and aesthetic strategies of feminist and queer activist collectives focused on social issues such as immigration, transgender rights, anti-racism, economic equality, anti-speciesim, body positivity, and prison abolition with a pro-pleasure, leftist perspective,” the course description reads. Westminster College, Princeton, Wesleyan, Occidental College, SOU, Northwestern, the University of Chicago and Davidson College did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comments. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-fox-news-town-hall-snub-cnn-iowa-debate Trump holds Fox News town hall to counter CNN Iowa debate with DeSantis and Haley Fox News is set to hold a town hall event in Des Moines, Iowa, with President Donald Trump on Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern time, a move that directly competes with CNN's Iowa GOP primary debate held on the same night at the same time. The Fox News Trump event, announced on Tuesday, marks the former president's fifth time snubbing a debate matchup with his 2024 Republican rivals. He has skipped all four primary debates sponsored by the Republican National Committee. Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the Trump town hall for the first time since May 2020, when Trump last sat down for an interview with the pair. The Jan. 10 town hall, just five days before the Iowa caucuses, also marks Trump's return to holding counterevents during GOP debate nights. He held a competing event during the first three GOP debates, including the first one in late August, which was co-sponsored with Fox News. But the former president did not seek to take attention from his rivals during last month's fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. CNN's debate on Jan. 10 required candidates to reach at least 10% in three national or Iowa polls, but only Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley have met the qualifications. Vivek Ramaswamy also announced on Tuesday he will participate in a live studio town hall with podcast host Tim Pool, as it appears he likely won't make the CNN debate qualification deadline on Tuesday. "Forget @CNN’s fake Iowa 'debate' on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We’re doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead. Won’t hold back." Trump dominates his competitors at 62.5%, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average. DeSantis and Haley are polling at 11.2%, followed by Ramaswamy at 4.2%. The former president is seeking a strong showing in Iowa as DeSantis and Haley seek to become the dominant second place in the field. CNN's debate will be the final time before the Iowa caucuses that DeSantis and Haley will face off. Trump, meanwhile, is likely to brag about his advantageous lead during the competing town hall and denigrate his competitors. https://www.dailyfetched.com/tucker-tells-dan-bongino-that-trump-assassination-could-be-next/ Tucker Tells Dan Bongino That Trump ‘Assassination’ Could Be Next Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned in an interview with conservative commentator and author Dan Bongino that the establishment may be preparing to assassinate President Donald Trump in a desperate move to stop his political momentum. Carlson emphasized that Trump’s political opponents are prepared to do anything to make sure the president does not take back the White House. Tucker charted out whether circumstances are accelerating toward a possible Trump assassination, which is looking more likely due to Trump’s soaring popularity. https://twitter.com/i/status/1741572121346683017 - Play Video Last year, Megyn Kelly voiced fears that the demonization of Trump could eventually lead to his assassination. During an episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show” on YouTube, Kelly was joined by former Secret Service agent and author of “The Gift of Failure,” Dan Bongino, as the pair discussed the portrayal of Trump and its potential escalation. “You heard Tucker asked Trump about it when he interviewed him,” Kelly said, referring to an August interview between Trump and Tucker Carlson. “Whether Trump is worried, whether there’s a realistic possibility, the left is going to so meltdown as his power rises, as he rises toward a second term … that they try to do something to him, God forbid, or that they try to do something to our country,” she added. https://www.thefencepost.com/news/water-fight-federal-government-sues-state-of-idaho-over-water-rights/ Water fight: Federal government sues state of Idaho over water rights A lawsuit brought by the U.S. government against the State of Idaho will have far-reaching implications for both how water is managed in the West and states’ rights. According to Idaho Farm Bureau government affairs specialist, Russ Hendricks, the state of Idaho began adjudicating water rights in Idaho’s Snake River Basin (southern Idaho) in the late 1980s. As is the case with many western states, Idaho’s water law provides a right to the beneficial user of the water. During this adjudication process in the ’80s and ’90s, many ranchers considered claiming their stockwater rights on federally administered grazing allotments through the state, but were convinced by the federal government to withdraw their claims, being told that the government was prepared for a lengthy legal battle. Only a few ranchers ignored the “strong-arming, bullying” by the federal government, said Hendricks. So, according to Hendricks, the federal government ended up with nearly all of the stockwater rights on federal allotments in the Snake River Basin, save for those claimed by Paul Nettleton and Tim Lowry (called the “Joyce” case.) Those men entered what eventually was a 15-year battle with the federal government. Eventually they won their case in the Idaho Supreme Court on the simple premise that the federal government does not own cattle and therefore is not able to put the water to beneficial use. And that brings us to the current lawsuit wherein the federal government has filed suit against the state of Idaho in federal district court, saying that they are being discriminated against. Hendricks believes this suit will have far reaching affects, not only for Idaho water users, but for any water users across the country. The Idaho Farm Bureau has enlisted the help of the Mountain States Legal Foundation in the legal battle. The reason I bring this up - is The WEF has already announced that "water was the next crisis, everyone understands water" since "climate change was too difficult to get people to understand" https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-seiler-robos-llc_the-wef-has-already-announced-that-water-activity-7145163060037513216-aEqk/ - Play Video The US Government Is Attempting to Seize All Water Rights for All Bodies of Water on American’s Property in Idaho. If Residents Do Not Register For Each Body Of Water Individually By Their Timeline The State Takes Control & Owns Them Forever. The "state" requires you to register your well, pond, creek or the water automatically become the "state's" property. https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/12/31/video-appears-to-show-panthers-owner-david-tepper-throwing-a-drink-at-panthers-fan/ - Play Video Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! This is for my friends out in North Carolina… Video Appears to Show Panthers Owner David Tepper Throwing a Drink at Panthers Fan Completions have been tough to come by this year for the Carolina, but a thrown drink from Panthers Owner Dave Tepper hit its intended receiver on Sunday. During Carolina’s 26-0 demolition at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Panthers Owner Dave Tepper appeared to throw a drink at a fan. Tepper beats a hasty retreat after tossing the drink. It was probably a good thing since the fan turned around and immediately climbed up to the opening of the suite. The NFL has said they are “aware” of the incident. However, they have not said whether Tepper’s display is actionable under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. Presumably, some disciplinary action will be taken against Tepper lest the league allow fans to labor under the impression that they’re perfectly okay with their owners showing extreme disrespect for their paying customers.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday,, December 7th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12833565/Biden-Russia-Ukraine-Congress-war-conflict-aid-NATO.html Joe Biden raises the specter of American troops having to fight Russians in Europe if Congress stands by and allows Ukraine to fall President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that American troops could have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further aid being sent to Ukraine. He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic assistance. Republicans have said they are not willing to countenance another major package of aid unless the administration takes action on the southern border. But Biden said Republicans were handing Russian President Vladimir Putin a gift. 'This cannot wait,' he said in a televised address. 'Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, simple as that, frankly.' Biden presses Congress to pass Ukraine aid to prevent Russian win Play 1:24-3:00 He accused Republicans of holding aid 'hostage' over the border and of being willing to 'kneecap' Ukrainian forces on the battlefield But he hinted that he was ready to do a deal with Republicans, even if they would have to accept they were not going to get everything they wanted. Biden's speech came soon after he held a video call with leaders of the Group of Seven advanced democracies, who have all backed Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion to fund conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as other matters of national security. However, Republicans on Capitol Hill have resisted the request, some insisting that Biden first take measures to secure the nation's southern border. The White House has warned repeatedly of the consequences of failing to back Ukraine. In a blunt letter sent to Congress on Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote: 'We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. However, Republican leaders quickly dug in. Speaker Mike Johnson promised there would be no funding for Ukraine without 'transformative' border security provisions. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/12/us-troops-suing-govt-for-billions-in-backpay-over-covid-vaccine-mandate/ US troops suing gov’t for ‘billions’ in backpay over Covid vaccine mandate In a groundbreaking development, three lawsuits with the potential for a class action suit are being filed on behalf of former United States service members. The service members, represented by attorneys Dale Saran, Andy Meyer, and Brandon Johnson, allege they were unjustly discharged or prevented from drilling, causing significant financial loss, as a result of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate policies. According to Breitbart, the lawsuits, which are currently in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, could involve backpay claims totaling billions of dollars. Saran, a retired Marine, emphasized the massive scale of the compensation, telling Breitbart, “It’s worth billions. That’s just flat-out. That’s what it is in backpay. It’s billions of dollars.” This statement underscores the potential magnitude of the lawsuit’s financial implications for the Department of Defense. The court, with its roots in the Reconstruction Era, is known for handling cases of illegal discharge and pay-related grievances in the military. Saran explained its unique role, saying that the Court of Claims is where service members can go when they have a claim and say, “Hey, I was illegally discharged, or the military did something to impede my pay.” According to Breitbart, the lawsuits allege that 80,000 to 100,000 service members, including both active-duty personnel and reservists, were impacted by the Biden administration’s actions. Saran detailed the lack of due process in the cases, noting, “They were basically [without] the benefit of any due process. No boards were held. They didn’t hold any administrative separation boards; they didn’t hold any hearings. They didn’t do any federal recognition boards; none of the administrative or judicial procedures were used. They just flat-out did it.” One notable case involves former Coast Guard member Zach Loesch, who was commended by President Joe Biden for his heroics during Hurricane Ian but faced discharge for not complying with a vaccine mandate, according to Breitbart. The claims also involve the repayment of enlistment bonuses, adding to the financial stakes. Saran stated, “Not only did they throw them out — unceremoniously [and] wrongfully — now they’re…without a job instantly, no separation pay, none of that. And instead, they’re standing out in the cold, and worse yet, here comes the government…here comes the debt collectors. Now you owe us money.” Saran drew parallels between the current situation with the service members who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate policies and his past experience defending service members who refused the Anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s. “I did some work on the lawsuit Doe v. Rumsfeld that shut down the anthrax vaccine,” he said. “And so…here we are, second go around again, 15 years in, and we’re right back at the mass vaccination of unlicensed vaccines like the government didn’t learn last time.” According to Saran, those interested in more information about the current lawsuits can learn more at militarybackpay.com. The ongoing legal battle, with cases like Bassen v. USA, Botello v. USA, and Harkins v. USA, marks a significant moment in military legal history, raising questions about due process, financial responsibility, and the broader implications for the rights of U.S. service members. https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-constructs-large-pumps-flood-hamas-terror-tunnels-seawater-wall-street-journal Israel constructs large pumps to flood Hamas terror tunnels with seawater The Israeli military has assembled several large pumps it could use to flood the Hamas tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip with seawater, driving out terrorists hiding there, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials. Construction of five large seawater pumps was completed in November about one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. Each pump is capable of drawing water from the Mediterranean Sea and can move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, which would flood the tunnels within weeks, the report said. Israel has not yet committed to the plan, and it is unclear whether it would attempt to flood the tunnels while there are still hostages, including Americans, held by Hamas. The Palestinian terror group took some 240 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and brought them back to the Gaza Strip. According to the report, Israel has identified about 800 tunnels beneath Gaza that Hamas has used to move fighters, store weapons and plan terror attacks on Israel. However, Israeli officials believe the tunnel network is much larger. By flooding the tunnels over several weeks, Israel would enable Hamas terrorists and potentially hostages to move out, the outlet reported, citing a source familiar with the plan. "We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them," the source said. "It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before." The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces official declined to comment on the flooding plan, but said: "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." U.S. officials were informed of the plan last month, the Wall Street Journal reported, but the U.S. does not know how close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is to executing the plan. Israel has committed to continuing its war effort until Hamas is eradicated in Gaza. The Israeli military said it launched its 10,000th airstrike against the terror group in the Gaza Strip late Sunday. https://thepostmillennial.com/dem-witness-who-cannot-define-what-a-woman-is-says-women-should-learn-to-lose-gracefully-against-trans-athletes?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette Dem witness who cannot define what a woman is says women should 'learn to lose gracefully' against trans athletes Head of the National Women's Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, encouraged women who are forced to compete against men in women's sports to "lose gracefully." This she sees as the preferable alternative to keeping men out of women's sports at the scholastic level altogether. She made these remarks at a hearing over Title IX in the US House. "The reality is, that like their peers, trans girls and women, they sometimes lose at sports and sometimes they win. And success in school sports depends on a whole range of factors including how hard you work and coaching and access to really good resources and facilities," Goss Graves said. Goss Graves is married to Matthew Graves, a key prosecutor in J6 cases. She also co-founded Times Up to hold high-profile men accountable for sexual misconduct. She did not address the problems that arise when boys shower in girls locker rooms and expose themselves, or when girls miss out on opportunities because men have taken their places in the winners' circle. https://twitter.com/i/status/1732214013499412976 - Play Video (If you can find it somewhere else that’s fine.) Goss Graves also does not know what a woman is. Or at least she refused to define the term when asked. She was asked in July 2022 by Rep Andrew Clyde - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2Uo111tBKd4?feature=share - Play Video The hearing was to consider changes proposed by the Department of Education to Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The change would prevent schools from having women's or girl's-only sports. It would bring a new understanding and interpretation of Title IX, removing protections for women and girls and changing that to protection against discrimination for gender identity as a protected class. Under those provisions, the male student's stated gender identity would give him the standing to shower with girls and use other facilities that were previously women only. https://thepostmillennial.com/auto-makers-seek-to-remove-am-radio-from-all-new-models?utm_campaign=64487 Automakers seek to remove AM radio from all new models As vehicles become more and more complex, many manufacturers have begun doing away with AM radios, citing concerns that the proximity of electrical components could potentially negatively interact with signals from short-wave broadcasts. While it could be argued that the AM radio one day going the way of the dashboard tape deck was inevitable, the fact that many Americans still tune into, and in some cases rely on, the technology has led to pushback against the companies attempting to omit it from new cars. In May, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in the House to introduce the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which, if passed, will direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require manufacturers to ensure AM radio is included free of charge in every model for the foreseeable future. According to a press release that announced the bill in May, eight of the world's 20 leading car makers, BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo, have done away with AM radio in their vehicles. "I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas," New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer lamented. "Instead, Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk." While many of the bill's proponents cited the use of AM radio for emergency alerts, others pointed out that despite its archaic reputation, it is still an integral part of many people's technology arsenal. Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, for example, said that his constituents "rely on AM broadcast radio for breaking news and entertainment as they make their daily commutes, especially in rural areas where constituents spend a lot of time in their vehicles." As Spectrum News covered, a report from the Center for Automotive Research found that the electromagnetic interference generted by EVs can make the AM signals fuzzy and unlistenable, and that while there is a workaround, it may cost automakers an estimated $3.8 billion over the next seven years.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday,, December 7th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12833565/Biden-Russia-Ukraine-Congress-war-conflict-aid-NATO.html Joe Biden raises the specter of American troops having to fight Russians in Europe if Congress stands by and allows Ukraine to fall President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned that American troops could have to fight Russian forces if Congress prevents further aid being sent to Ukraine. He demanded that lawmakers approve his request for tens of billions in military and economic assistance. Republicans have said they are not willing to countenance another major package of aid unless the administration takes action on the southern border. But Biden said Republicans were handing Russian President Vladimir Putin a gift. 'This cannot wait,' he said in a televised address. 'Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, simple as that, frankly.' Biden presses Congress to pass Ukraine aid to prevent Russian win Play 1:24-3:00 He accused Republicans of holding aid 'hostage' over the border and of being willing to 'kneecap' Ukrainian forces on the battlefield But he hinted that he was ready to do a deal with Republicans, even if they would have to accept they were not going to get everything they wanted. Biden's speech came soon after he held a video call with leaders of the Group of Seven advanced democracies, who have all backed Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden has asked Congress for more than $100 billion to fund conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as other matters of national security. However, Republicans on Capitol Hill have resisted the request, some insisting that Biden first take measures to secure the nation's southern border. The White House has warned repeatedly of the consequences of failing to back Ukraine. In a blunt letter sent to Congress on Monday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote: 'We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. However, Republican leaders quickly dug in. Speaker Mike Johnson promised there would be no funding for Ukraine without 'transformative' border security provisions. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/12/us-troops-suing-govt-for-billions-in-backpay-over-covid-vaccine-mandate/ US troops suing gov’t for ‘billions’ in backpay over Covid vaccine mandate In a groundbreaking development, three lawsuits with the potential for a class action suit are being filed on behalf of former United States service members. The service members, represented by attorneys Dale Saran, Andy Meyer, and Brandon Johnson, allege they were unjustly discharged or prevented from drilling, causing significant financial loss, as a result of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate policies. According to Breitbart, the lawsuits, which are currently in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, could involve backpay claims totaling billions of dollars. Saran, a retired Marine, emphasized the massive scale of the compensation, telling Breitbart, “It’s worth billions. That’s just flat-out. That’s what it is in backpay. It’s billions of dollars.” This statement underscores the potential magnitude of the lawsuit’s financial implications for the Department of Defense. The court, with its roots in the Reconstruction Era, is known for handling cases of illegal discharge and pay-related grievances in the military. Saran explained its unique role, saying that the Court of Claims is where service members can go when they have a claim and say, “Hey, I was illegally discharged, or the military did something to impede my pay.” According to Breitbart, the lawsuits allege that 80,000 to 100,000 service members, including both active-duty personnel and reservists, were impacted by the Biden administration’s actions. Saran detailed the lack of due process in the cases, noting, “They were basically [without] the benefit of any due process. No boards were held. They didn’t hold any administrative separation boards; they didn’t hold any hearings. They didn’t do any federal recognition boards; none of the administrative or judicial procedures were used. They just flat-out did it.” One notable case involves former Coast Guard member Zach Loesch, who was commended by President Joe Biden for his heroics during Hurricane Ian but faced discharge for not complying with a vaccine mandate, according to Breitbart. The claims also involve the repayment of enlistment bonuses, adding to the financial stakes. Saran stated, “Not only did they throw them out — unceremoniously [and] wrongfully — now they’re…without a job instantly, no separation pay, none of that. And instead, they’re standing out in the cold, and worse yet, here comes the government…here comes the debt collectors. Now you owe us money.” Saran drew parallels between the current situation with the service members who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate policies and his past experience defending service members who refused the Anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s. “I did some work on the lawsuit Doe v. Rumsfeld that shut down the anthrax vaccine,” he said. “And so…here we are, second go around again, 15 years in, and we’re right back at the mass vaccination of unlicensed vaccines like the government didn’t learn last time.” According to Saran, those interested in more information about the current lawsuits can learn more at militarybackpay.com. The ongoing legal battle, with cases like Bassen v. USA, Botello v. USA, and Harkins v. USA, marks a significant moment in military legal history, raising questions about due process, financial responsibility, and the broader implications for the rights of U.S. service members. https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-constructs-large-pumps-flood-hamas-terror-tunnels-seawater-wall-street-journal Israel constructs large pumps to flood Hamas terror tunnels with seawater The Israeli military has assembled several large pumps it could use to flood the Hamas tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip with seawater, driving out terrorists hiding there, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials. Construction of five large seawater pumps was completed in November about one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. Each pump is capable of drawing water from the Mediterranean Sea and can move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, which would flood the tunnels within weeks, the report said. Israel has not yet committed to the plan, and it is unclear whether it would attempt to flood the tunnels while there are still hostages, including Americans, held by Hamas. The Palestinian terror group took some 240 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and brought them back to the Gaza Strip. According to the report, Israel has identified about 800 tunnels beneath Gaza that Hamas has used to move fighters, store weapons and plan terror attacks on Israel. However, Israeli officials believe the tunnel network is much larger. By flooding the tunnels over several weeks, Israel would enable Hamas terrorists and potentially hostages to move out, the outlet reported, citing a source familiar with the plan. "We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them," the source said. "It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before." The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces official declined to comment on the flooding plan, but said: "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." U.S. officials were informed of the plan last month, the Wall Street Journal reported, but the U.S. does not know how close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is to executing the plan. Israel has committed to continuing its war effort until Hamas is eradicated in Gaza. The Israeli military said it launched its 10,000th airstrike against the terror group in the Gaza Strip late Sunday. https://thepostmillennial.com/dem-witness-who-cannot-define-what-a-woman-is-says-women-should-learn-to-lose-gracefully-against-trans-athletes?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette Dem witness who cannot define what a woman is says women should 'learn to lose gracefully' against trans athletes Head of the National Women's Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, encouraged women who are forced to compete against men in women's sports to "lose gracefully." This she sees as the preferable alternative to keeping men out of women's sports at the scholastic level altogether. She made these remarks at a hearing over Title IX in the US House. "The reality is, that like their peers, trans girls and women, they sometimes lose at sports and sometimes they win. And success in school sports depends on a whole range of factors including how hard you work and coaching and access to really good resources and facilities," Goss Graves said. Goss Graves is married to Matthew Graves, a key prosecutor in J6 cases. She also co-founded Times Up to hold high-profile men accountable for sexual misconduct. She did not address the problems that arise when boys shower in girls locker rooms and expose themselves, or when girls miss out on opportunities because men have taken their places in the winners' circle. https://twitter.com/i/status/1732214013499412976 - Play Video (If you can find it somewhere else that’s fine.) Goss Graves also does not know what a woman is. Or at least she refused to define the term when asked. She was asked in July 2022 by Rep Andrew Clyde - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2Uo111tBKd4?feature=share - Play Video The hearing was to consider changes proposed by the Department of Education to Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The change would prevent schools from having women's or girl's-only sports. It would bring a new understanding and interpretation of Title IX, removing protections for women and girls and changing that to protection against discrimination for gender identity as a protected class. Under those provisions, the male student's stated gender identity would give him the standing to shower with girls and use other facilities that were previously women only. https://thepostmillennial.com/auto-makers-seek-to-remove-am-radio-from-all-new-models?utm_campaign=64487 Automakers seek to remove AM radio from all new models As vehicles become more and more complex, many manufacturers have begun doing away with AM radios, citing concerns that the proximity of electrical components could potentially negatively interact with signals from short-wave broadcasts. While it could be argued that the AM radio one day going the way of the dashboard tape deck was inevitable, the fact that many Americans still tune into, and in some cases rely on, the technology has led to pushback against the companies attempting to omit it from new cars. In May, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ed Markey (D-MA) joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in the House to introduce the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which, if passed, will direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require manufacturers to ensure AM radio is included free of charge in every model for the foreseeable future. According to a press release that announced the bill in May, eight of the world's 20 leading car makers, BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo, have done away with AM radio in their vehicles. "I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas," New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer lamented. "Instead, Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk." While many of the bill's proponents cited the use of AM radio for emergency alerts, others pointed out that despite its archaic reputation, it is still an integral part of many people's technology arsenal. Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, for example, said that his constituents "rely on AM broadcast radio for breaking news and entertainment as they make their daily commutes, especially in rural areas where constituents spend a lot of time in their vehicles." As Spectrum News covered, a report from the Center for Automotive Research found that the electromagnetic interference generted by EVs can make the AM signals fuzzy and unlistenable, and that while there is a workaround, it may cost automakers an estimated $3.8 billion over the next seven years.

Tasting Notes:  William Grant hit a HOME RUN when they brought out the Balvenie DoubleWood, taking a practice that had been fairly common in scotch aging, the addition of sherry aged cask whiskies to ex-bourbon barrel casks and giving it a name and providing some insight into the process. The label was creative, and more importantly, the juice was excellent. Along with the barrels, they stuck a 12yr age statement on it and have never backed down. Pure arm-chair leather malt with dark fruit, cherry, honey malt, and just a pinch of cinnamon. The Balvenie has always been a juicy malt, but the addition of the sherry adds a fruit element that provides even more complexity.  Arm-Chair Leather Honey Malt Deliciousness

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuessday, November 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834 Media in Panic Mode Over Questions About Whether They Knew in Advance About Hamas Attack on Israel On October 7, four photojournalists who provide reporting and photos for the likes of the Associated Press (AP), CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and other outlets were allegedly at the Israeli border with Hamas terrorists who committed acts of atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians that shocked the world. Since an Israel-supporting news watchdog website reported the claim, everyone wants to know if these Gaza-based reporters knew in advance about the attack and, more importantly, if they could have saved lives by alerting the world about it. The question arises: Did the AP, CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters know about the Hamas terror attack in advance? The allegations have sent major media into panic mode and generated even more mistrust in the corporate press. The website HonestReporting, which chronicles coverage of Israel by an increasingly one-sided press to contrast the "Pallywood" and crisis actor coverage by Hamas and its agents, asks: "Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?" Hamas terrorists paraglided and drove into the civilian populations that day and committed acts of horrific brutality. They wanted their murders and acts of terror chronicled for the world, which is why they wore GoPro cameras and apparently arranged for these traditional media photographers to go in with them. HonestReporting reported that "four names appear on AP’s photo credits from the Israel-Gaza border area on October 7: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali." The news watchdog took a close look at Elsaiah, a "freelancer who also works for CNN, crossed into Israel, took photos of a burning Israeli tank, and then captured infiltrators entering Kibbutz Kfar Azza." Elsaiah "did not wear a press vest or a helmet," the website reported. He posted a video of himself on Twitter/X saying that “everyone who were inside this tank were kidnapped, everyone who were inside the tank were kidnapped a short while ago by al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas’ armed wing], as we have seen with our own eyes.” The website later featured an older photo of Elsaiah with the Hamas leader who planned the attack. In war reporting, journalists are often given a heads-up and allowed to chronicle American troops heading into battle, for example. But this wasn't an act of war -- it was terror. It was murder for murder's sake. There hadn't been an Israeli offensive to which the Gaza terror organization was responding. Indeed, if Hamas had been wearing uniforms and acting as an "army" they would be accused of war crimes. As it is, they're accused of crimes against humanity. https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options UK infant Indi Gregory dies amid legal battle with British government over treatment options A terminally ill baby in the United Kingdom, who was the focus of a legal battle involving her parents, British health officials and the Italian government over treatment options, died Monday morning in hospice care. Christian Concern, a group supporting the family, said 8-month-old Indi Gregory died after her life support was withdrawn on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The infant had suffered brain damage because of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease. The child's doctors said her life support should be removed to allow her to die at a hospital or in hospice, but her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, continued to fight for her to remain on life support, hoping that experimental treatments may extend her life. The Italian government had solicited permission for her to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the baby amid the legal battle over her health care. Doctors claimed that Indi was not aware of her surroundings and was suffering as they argued she should be allowed to die peacefully. Legal challenges supported by Christian Concern were rejected by British judges. Indi's case is the latest in a series of legal battles in the United Kingdom between parents and doctors over treatment for children with terminal illnesses. British judges have repeatedly taken the side of doctors in cases about the best interests of the child, despite parental objections to a proposed treatment option. Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jackson said on Friday that doctors treating Gregory and other critically ill children were put in an "extremely challenging" position by the legal battle. He also criticized "manipulative litigation tactics" that attempt to frustrate orders made by judges after careful consideration. https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/ Over 70% of Americans Unwilling to Be Drafted If WW3 Breaks Out, Poll A new poll has found that 72 percent of Americans would be unwilling to volunteer to serve their country if WW3 breaks out, compared to just 21 percent who said they would. As the US becomes deeply embedded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Echelon Insights findings suggest most Americans hold a more ‘America First’ view of foreign policy than the political establishment. Since 1987, the US military has shrunk by 39 percent, and the Army and Air Force missed their recruitment targets in 2023 by 10,000. Meanwhile, the Navy missed its target by 6,000. The lack of troops could pose a big problem for America’s war readiness. While infantry soldiers are relatively easy to train in a crisis, pilots and naval specialists require years of instruction. As The National Pulse noted, the traditionally conservative-leaning young people the military has often relied on for manpower may also have been deterred by its intolerant attitude towards unvaccinated Americans in recent years and senior officers’ promotion of far-left interests such as drag and “white rage.” Meanwhile, with the prospect of WW3 is becoming more likely, Americans may not have to worry about being drafted as nuclear weapons would destroy most countries. Last week, President Donald Trump warned that Mexico could be at risk of nuclear destruction in the Event of WW3 breaking out from the war in the Middle East. Trump said the potential ramifications of another nuclear war could involve the total destruction of Mexico. “The biggest threat is nuclear weapons,” Trump said. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/ Former National Champion Head Coach Jimbo Fischer Fired For Poor Performance Texas A&M has fired head football coach Jimbo Fischer, bringing his six-year tenure with the Aggies to a close while netting himself $76 million. The firing comes on the heels of a 51-10 victory of Mississippi State, moving Texas A&M to 6-4 on the season, according to CBS Sports. Fisher took the Texas A&M head coaching position in 2018, coming off a successful tenure at Florida State, where he won a national championship in 2014, per the outlet. While the Aggies did manage to go 9-4 in 2018, Texas A&M has struggled over the past two seasons, barely cracking eight wins in 2021 and going 5-7 in 2022, per the outlet. When Fischer became head coach of the Aggies, he signed a 10-year, $75-million contract, which was later extended through 2031. The contract also came with a massive buyout clause worth $76 million, which he is now owed by Texas A&M, per the outlet. “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and then Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in a statement. The Aggies will finish off their regular season with Abilene Christian University and top-25 LSU.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuessday, November 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/11/12/us-news-outlets-must-answer-if-they-knew-about-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel-before-october-7-n4923834 Media in Panic Mode Over Questions About Whether They Knew in Advance About Hamas Attack on Israel On October 7, four photojournalists who provide reporting and photos for the likes of the Associated Press (AP), CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and other outlets were allegedly at the Israeli border with Hamas terrorists who committed acts of atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians that shocked the world. Since an Israel-supporting news watchdog website reported the claim, everyone wants to know if these Gaza-based reporters knew in advance about the attack and, more importantly, if they could have saved lives by alerting the world about it. The question arises: Did the AP, CNN, the New York Times, and Reuters know about the Hamas terror attack in advance? The allegations have sent major media into panic mode and generated even more mistrust in the corporate press. The website HonestReporting, which chronicles coverage of Israel by an increasingly one-sided press to contrast the "Pallywood" and crisis actor coverage by Hamas and its agents, asks: "Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?" Hamas terrorists paraglided and drove into the civilian populations that day and committed acts of horrific brutality. They wanted their murders and acts of terror chronicled for the world, which is why they wore GoPro cameras and apparently arranged for these traditional media photographers to go in with them. HonestReporting reported that "four names appear on AP’s photo credits from the Israel-Gaza border area on October 7: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali." The news watchdog took a close look at Elsaiah, a "freelancer who also works for CNN, crossed into Israel, took photos of a burning Israeli tank, and then captured infiltrators entering Kibbutz Kfar Azza." Elsaiah "did not wear a press vest or a helmet," the website reported. He posted a video of himself on Twitter/X saying that “everyone who were inside this tank were kidnapped, everyone who were inside the tank were kidnapped a short while ago by al-Qassam Brigades [Hamas’ armed wing], as we have seen with our own eyes.” The website later featured an older photo of Elsaiah with the Hamas leader who planned the attack. In war reporting, journalists are often given a heads-up and allowed to chronicle American troops heading into battle, for example. But this wasn't an act of war -- it was terror. It was murder for murder's sake. There hadn't been an Israeli offensive to which the Gaza terror organization was responding. Indeed, if Hamas had been wearing uniforms and acting as an "army" they would be accused of war crimes. As it is, they're accused of crimes against humanity. https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-infant-indi-gregory-dies-legal-battle-british-government-treatment-options UK infant Indi Gregory dies amid legal battle with British government over treatment options A terminally ill baby in the United Kingdom, who was the focus of a legal battle involving her parents, British health officials and the Italian government over treatment options, died Monday morning in hospice care. Christian Concern, a group supporting the family, said 8-month-old Indi Gregory died after her life support was withdrawn on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. The infant had suffered brain damage because of a rare condition known as mitochondrial disease. The child's doctors said her life support should be removed to allow her to die at a hospital or in hospice, but her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, continued to fight for her to remain on life support, hoping that experimental treatments may extend her life. The Italian government had solicited permission for her to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the baby amid the legal battle over her health care. Doctors claimed that Indi was not aware of her surroundings and was suffering as they argued she should be allowed to die peacefully. Legal challenges supported by Christian Concern were rejected by British judges. Indi's case is the latest in a series of legal battles in the United Kingdom between parents and doctors over treatment for children with terminal illnesses. British judges have repeatedly taken the side of doctors in cases about the best interests of the child, despite parental objections to a proposed treatment option. Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jackson said on Friday that doctors treating Gregory and other critically ill children were put in an "extremely challenging" position by the legal battle. He also criticized "manipulative litigation tactics" that attempt to frustrate orders made by judges after careful consideration. https://www.dailyfetched.com/over-70-of-americans-unwilling-to-be-drafted-if-ww3-breaks-out-poll/ Over 70% of Americans Unwilling to Be Drafted If WW3 Breaks Out, Poll A new poll has found that 72 percent of Americans would be unwilling to volunteer to serve their country if WW3 breaks out, compared to just 21 percent who said they would. As the US becomes deeply embedded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Echelon Insights findings suggest most Americans hold a more ‘America First’ view of foreign policy than the political establishment. Since 1987, the US military has shrunk by 39 percent, and the Army and Air Force missed their recruitment targets in 2023 by 10,000. Meanwhile, the Navy missed its target by 6,000. The lack of troops could pose a big problem for America’s war readiness. While infantry soldiers are relatively easy to train in a crisis, pilots and naval specialists require years of instruction. As The National Pulse noted, the traditionally conservative-leaning young people the military has often relied on for manpower may also have been deterred by its intolerant attitude towards unvaccinated Americans in recent years and senior officers’ promotion of far-left interests such as drag and “white rage.” Meanwhile, with the prospect of WW3 is becoming more likely, Americans may not have to worry about being drafted as nuclear weapons would destroy most countries. Last week, President Donald Trump warned that Mexico could be at risk of nuclear destruction in the Event of WW3 breaking out from the war in the Middle East. Trump said the potential ramifications of another nuclear war could involve the total destruction of Mexico. “The biggest threat is nuclear weapons,” Trump said. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/12/former-national-champion-texas-head-coach-jimbo-fischer-fired-poor-performance/ Former National Champion Head Coach Jimbo Fischer Fired For Poor Performance Texas A&M has fired head football coach Jimbo Fischer, bringing his six-year tenure with the Aggies to a close while netting himself $76 million. The firing comes on the heels of a 51-10 victory of Mississippi State, moving Texas A&M to 6-4 on the season, according to CBS Sports. Fisher took the Texas A&M head coaching position in 2018, coming off a successful tenure at Florida State, where he won a national championship in 2014, per the outlet. While the Aggies did manage to go 9-4 in 2018, Texas A&M has struggled over the past two seasons, barely cracking eight wins in 2021 and going 5-7 in 2022, per the outlet. When Fischer became head coach of the Aggies, he signed a 10-year, $75-million contract, which was later extended through 2031. The contract also came with a massive buyout clause worth $76 million, which he is now owed by Texas A&M, per the outlet. “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and then Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said in a statement. The Aggies will finish off their regular season with Abilene Christian University and top-25 LSU.

On this episode the brother taste and review The Balvenie 12yr. Eric brings back Whiskey History for this episode while A.J. explains how this is THE scotch that got him into scotch. Pour yourself a dram, kick back, relax and enjoy. A.J. and Eric sip on The Balvenie 12yr - 47.8% ABV

Recorded at Ten86 Lounge in Hawthorne, New Jersey, the lizards pair the Padrón 50 Years The Hammer in Maduro with Pol Roger 2013 Vintage Champagne and The Balvenie 21 Year Aged Portwood Scotch. The guys celebrate 100 episodes by recapping their favorite podcast memories, reviewing the best and worst rated cigars on the podcast and sharing stories of their lizard origins.Join the Lounge Lizards for a weekly discussion on all things cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban), whiskey, food, travel, life and work. This is your formal invitation to join us in a relaxing discussion amongst friends and become a card-carrying Lounge Lizard yourself. This is not your typical cigar podcast. We're a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh.website/merch/rating archive: loungelizardspod.comemail: hello@loungelizardspod.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode!instagram: @loungelizardspod

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, September 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-mexico-mayor-calls-legislative-debate-after-gun-ban-2023-09-13/ US judge freezes New Mexico governor's gun ban A federal judge in New Mexico on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order against the state governor's ban on carrying guns in Albuquerque and its surrounding county, a move which threw the state into the center of the U.S. gun-rights debate. U.S. District Court Judge David Urias said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's 30-day suspension of concealed and open firearm carry rights went against a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that people had a right to carry a gun outside their homes for self defense. “They just want the right to carry their guns,” Urias said of the several plaintiffs who requested restraining orders against Lujan Grisham's Sept. 8 emergency public health order. The Democratic governor issued the suspension on firearm carry laws to offer a "cooling-off period" in which authorities could address solutions to the state's high rates of gun crime after several children were fatally shot. Lujan Grisham's order outraged gun-rights advocates and drew backlash from fellow Democrats and law enforcement officials, also Democrats, who called it unconstitutional. Gun control campaigners called the move "courageous" and the Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe feared more value was being given to gun rights than the life of an 11-year-old boy shot dead last week in an apparent Albuquerque road rage incident. Albuquerque's mayor and Bernalillo County's sheriff, both Democrats, have urged Lujan Grisham to call a special state legislative session on gun crime after the gun ban. Mayor Tim Keller said that, in order to fight gun crime, he needed legislation to fix a broken criminal justice system, regulate assault weapons and provide addiction and mental health services, among other measures. "Albuquerque families can't afford political debates that distract us from fighting violent crime," Keller wrote in a letter to the governor. Gun violence kills around 500 people a year in New Mexico, which ranks sixth among U.S. states for gun deaths per capita, according to gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety. Albuquerque is among the 10 most dangerous U.S. cities, based on FBI violent crime data. Lujan Grisham favors a ban on so-called semi-automatic assault weapons, among other gun control measures, and her office on Wednesday welcomed Keller's call for a special legislative session. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/police-biden-energy-secretary-uses-car-reserve-ev Police called after Biden's energy secretary uses nonelectric car to reserve EV charger A Georgia family called the police on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm after an electric vehicle charging station was blocked by a gas-powered car, which had been parked by a staff member of the Department of Energy. The event occurred during a four-day road trip that Granholm was taking to demonstrate the effectiveness of electric vehicles. During the trip, the group's caravan was going to charge up at a suburb of Augusta, Georgia, but due to a lack of charging stations needed for all of their vehicles, a staff member with the group parked a nonelectric vehicle by one of the chargers to reserve a spot. Shortly after, a family with a baby was planning to charge their vehicle but could not due to the nonelectric vehicle blocking the charger, leading to them calling the police. However, it is not illegal for nonelectric vehicles to park at EV charging stations in Georgia, meaning the police could not do anything about the situation. The Energy Department staff were eventually able to work things out after they sent other vehicles to slower chargers to allow the family to charge their vehicle. "It's just par for the course," said John Ryan, a driver of an electric BMW who was also waiting to charge his vehicle. "They'll get it together at some point." Granholm's road trip comes as the Biden administration pushes for electric vehicles in the auto industry, with the Energy Department announcing last month that it would be allocating $2 billion in grants and $10 billion in loans to support automakers and part suppliers. This allocation would be for automakers to retrofit their existing facilities and expand the production of electric vehicles and their components. In August, Ford CEO Jim Farley said he received a "reality check" when he tried to charge his electric vehicle during a road trip he took himself. When charging his vehicle, he said his car was only charged to 40% during the 40 minutes he charged it, according to a video he posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. https://twitter.com/i/status/1690858328606355456 - Play Video President Donald Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, has criticized the Biden administration's stance against gas-powered cars and appliances, saying voters want to have a "choice for buying cars and washing machines." He has encouraged auto industry workers to ask their leaders to vote for him in the next presidential election, stating he will "immediately" end the electric vehicle "madness." https://justthenews.com/nation/economy/income-dropped-poverty-soared-under-biden-census-bureau Income dropped, poverty soared under Biden: Census Bureau Despite the Biden administration's efforts to tout the alleged successes of "Bidenomics," a report from the United States Census Bureau has revealed that many Americans saw their economic situation deteriorate dramatically in the first half of Biden's term. While the official poverty rate hovered around 11.5% in both 2021 and 2022, according to the report, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) increased 4.6% in 2022 to reach 12.4%, marking the first overall increase in that metric since 2010. In total, 37.9 million Americans lived in poverty in 2022. The report partially attributed the increase to the expiration of tax credits and pandemic stimulus payments. Income, meanwhile, dropped across an array of metrics. Real median household income declined by 2.3% from $76,330 to $74,580, while real median earnings of all workers dropped 2.2%. The drop was less severe among full-time, year-round workers, who saw a 1.3% decline. Inflation soared 7.8% from 2021 to 2022, marking the largest single-year increase in cost of living since 1981. The Census Bureau statement follows some other bad economic news for the president. The unemployment rate in August rose from 3.5% to 3.8% while inflation ticked up to 3.2%, marking the first increase after a consistent, year-long decline. Biden has repeatedly insisted that economic conditions are improving in the United States and has consistently attributed the nominal upswing to his policies. Americans, however, appear skeptical of that assertion, with 37.8% approving of his handling of the economy in the RealClearPolitics polling average, compared to 58.9% who disapprove. https://www.foxnews.com/media/chicago-mayor-faces-pushback-local-leaders-plan-house-migrants-tents-help-your-people-first Chicago mayor faces pushback from local leaders for plan to house migrants in tents: ‘Help your people first' Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing opposition from local leaders after he asked that "all 50 city council members" find space in their wards to help house "more than 200 migrants" in tents, according to a new report. But some aldermen are pushing back on Johnson’s plans. "I've looked in my ward. I just don't have any available space. I have one of the most dense wards in the city," Alderman Brian Hopkins said, according to ABC7 Chicago. Alderman David Moore of the 17th Ward called on Chicago to help its own community first. "I'm a believer in help your people first, help yourselves first, help your community first. Then reach out and help others," Moore said. But some aldermen have also voiced support for Johnson’s plan to house migrants. Johnson has announced that he wants to relocate the city’s nearly 1,600 asylum-seeking migrants, currently living in police stations, to winterized camps with big tents before cold weather hits. Each of the massive tents will be able to hold up to 1,000 migrants, the mayor said, and under his plan the camps will provide meals as well as recreational and educational programming. Currently, 16 shelters in the city house 13,500 migrants, and more arrive every day. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the cost to shelter the 13,500 migrants costs the city about $30 million per month. Johnson and his administration are working with the state of Illinois and Cook County to establish more shelters to take some of the pressure off Chicago, the mayor said. "These families are coming to the city of Chicago," Johnson said. "If we do not create an infrastructure where we’re able to support and, quite frankly, contain these individuals who have experienced a great deal of harm, individuals who are desperate … that type of desperation will lead to chaos." Johnson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, September 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-mexico-mayor-calls-legislative-debate-after-gun-ban-2023-09-13/ US judge freezes New Mexico governor's gun ban A federal judge in New Mexico on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order against the state governor's ban on carrying guns in Albuquerque and its surrounding county, a move which threw the state into the center of the U.S. gun-rights debate. U.S. District Court Judge David Urias said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's 30-day suspension of concealed and open firearm carry rights went against a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that people had a right to carry a gun outside their homes for self defense. “They just want the right to carry their guns,” Urias said of the several plaintiffs who requested restraining orders against Lujan Grisham's Sept. 8 emergency public health order. The Democratic governor issued the suspension on firearm carry laws to offer a "cooling-off period" in which authorities could address solutions to the state's high rates of gun crime after several children were fatally shot. Lujan Grisham's order outraged gun-rights advocates and drew backlash from fellow Democrats and law enforcement officials, also Democrats, who called it unconstitutional. Gun control campaigners called the move "courageous" and the Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe feared more value was being given to gun rights than the life of an 11-year-old boy shot dead last week in an apparent Albuquerque road rage incident. Albuquerque's mayor and Bernalillo County's sheriff, both Democrats, have urged Lujan Grisham to call a special state legislative session on gun crime after the gun ban. Mayor Tim Keller said that, in order to fight gun crime, he needed legislation to fix a broken criminal justice system, regulate assault weapons and provide addiction and mental health services, among other measures. "Albuquerque families can't afford political debates that distract us from fighting violent crime," Keller wrote in a letter to the governor. Gun violence kills around 500 people a year in New Mexico, which ranks sixth among U.S. states for gun deaths per capita, according to gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety. Albuquerque is among the 10 most dangerous U.S. cities, based on FBI violent crime data. Lujan Grisham favors a ban on so-called semi-automatic assault weapons, among other gun control measures, and her office on Wednesday welcomed Keller's call for a special legislative session. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/police-biden-energy-secretary-uses-car-reserve-ev Police called after Biden's energy secretary uses nonelectric car to reserve EV charger A Georgia family called the police on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm after an electric vehicle charging station was blocked by a gas-powered car, which had been parked by a staff member of the Department of Energy. The event occurred during a four-day road trip that Granholm was taking to demonstrate the effectiveness of electric vehicles. During the trip, the group's caravan was going to charge up at a suburb of Augusta, Georgia, but due to a lack of charging stations needed for all of their vehicles, a staff member with the group parked a nonelectric vehicle by one of the chargers to reserve a spot. Shortly after, a family with a baby was planning to charge their vehicle but could not due to the nonelectric vehicle blocking the charger, leading to them calling the police. However, it is not illegal for nonelectric vehicles to park at EV charging stations in Georgia, meaning the police could not do anything about the situation. The Energy Department staff were eventually able to work things out after they sent other vehicles to slower chargers to allow the family to charge their vehicle. "It's just par for the course," said John Ryan, a driver of an electric BMW who was also waiting to charge his vehicle. "They'll get it together at some point." Granholm's road trip comes as the Biden administration pushes for electric vehicles in the auto industry, with the Energy Department announcing last month that it would be allocating $2 billion in grants and $10 billion in loans to support automakers and part suppliers. This allocation would be for automakers to retrofit their existing facilities and expand the production of electric vehicles and their components. In August, Ford CEO Jim Farley said he received a "reality check" when he tried to charge his electric vehicle during a road trip he took himself. When charging his vehicle, he said his car was only charged to 40% during the 40 minutes he charged it, according to a video he posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. https://twitter.com/i/status/1690858328606355456 - Play Video President Donald Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, has criticized the Biden administration's stance against gas-powered cars and appliances, saying voters want to have a "choice for buying cars and washing machines." He has encouraged auto industry workers to ask their leaders to vote for him in the next presidential election, stating he will "immediately" end the electric vehicle "madness." https://justthenews.com/nation/economy/income-dropped-poverty-soared-under-biden-census-bureau Income dropped, poverty soared under Biden: Census Bureau Despite the Biden administration's efforts to tout the alleged successes of "Bidenomics," a report from the United States Census Bureau has revealed that many Americans saw their economic situation deteriorate dramatically in the first half of Biden's term. While the official poverty rate hovered around 11.5% in both 2021 and 2022, according to the report, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) increased 4.6% in 2022 to reach 12.4%, marking the first overall increase in that metric since 2010. In total, 37.9 million Americans lived in poverty in 2022. The report partially attributed the increase to the expiration of tax credits and pandemic stimulus payments. Income, meanwhile, dropped across an array of metrics. Real median household income declined by 2.3% from $76,330 to $74,580, while real median earnings of all workers dropped 2.2%. The drop was less severe among full-time, year-round workers, who saw a 1.3% decline. Inflation soared 7.8% from 2021 to 2022, marking the largest single-year increase in cost of living since 1981. The Census Bureau statement follows some other bad economic news for the president. The unemployment rate in August rose from 3.5% to 3.8% while inflation ticked up to 3.2%, marking the first increase after a consistent, year-long decline. Biden has repeatedly insisted that economic conditions are improving in the United States and has consistently attributed the nominal upswing to his policies. Americans, however, appear skeptical of that assertion, with 37.8% approving of his handling of the economy in the RealClearPolitics polling average, compared to 58.9% who disapprove. https://www.foxnews.com/media/chicago-mayor-faces-pushback-local-leaders-plan-house-migrants-tents-help-your-people-first Chicago mayor faces pushback from local leaders for plan to house migrants in tents: ‘Help your people first' Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing opposition from local leaders after he asked that "all 50 city council members" find space in their wards to help house "more than 200 migrants" in tents, according to a new report. But some aldermen are pushing back on Johnson’s plans. "I've looked in my ward. I just don't have any available space. I have one of the most dense wards in the city," Alderman Brian Hopkins said, according to ABC7 Chicago. Alderman David Moore of the 17th Ward called on Chicago to help its own community first. "I'm a believer in help your people first, help yourselves first, help your community first. Then reach out and help others," Moore said. But some aldermen have also voiced support for Johnson’s plan to house migrants. Johnson has announced that he wants to relocate the city’s nearly 1,600 asylum-seeking migrants, currently living in police stations, to winterized camps with big tents before cold weather hits. Each of the massive tents will be able to hold up to 1,000 migrants, the mayor said, and under his plan the camps will provide meals as well as recreational and educational programming. Currently, 16 shelters in the city house 13,500 migrants, and more arrive every day. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the cost to shelter the 13,500 migrants costs the city about $30 million per month. Johnson and his administration are working with the state of Illinois and Cook County to establish more shelters to take some of the pressure off Chicago, the mayor said. "These families are coming to the city of Chicago," Johnson said. "If we do not create an infrastructure where we’re able to support and, quite frankly, contain these individuals who have experienced a great deal of harm, individuals who are desperate … that type of desperation will lead to chaos." Johnson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, August 30th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://justthenews.com/government/state-houses/desantis-expands-floridas-state-emergency-hurricane-idalia-make-landfall DeSantis expands Florida's state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia to make landfall Wednesday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency to include more counties as the southern U.S. braces for Hurricane Idalia to make landfall Wednesday. While 33 of Florida's 67 counties were under the previous executive order, DeSantis' updated order issued Monday now includes 46 counties. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that Idalia is "expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous major hurricane" before making landfall. DeSantis said Monday that Idalia is expected to develop into at least a category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall, according to CBS News. The National Weather Service states that with a category 3 hurricane, "devastating damage will occur," and things such as utilities, trees and well-built homes may incur major damages. In preparation for Idalia's landfall, DeSantis fully activated the Florida National Guard, and 5,500 are expected to be mobilized to respond to the storm. Additionally, dozens of public schools have closed down and the state government is taking additional steps to ensure people have access to food. Biden posted Monday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he spoke with DeSantis "to inform him that we've approved the Emergency Declaration for Florida as they prepare for Hurricane Idalia," and he said, "Florida has my full support as they prepare for Idalia and its aftermath." https://www.theblaze.com/news/kyle-rittenhouse-sued-by-estate-of-the-child-molester-he-blew-away-in-self-defense Kyle Rittenhouse sued by estate of the convicted child molester he blew away in self-defense Kyle Rittenhouse shot three attackers who mobbed him during a leftist riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020. Two of the three are no more. He was cleared of all charges in 2021. Despite being found not guilty by a jury of his peers, Rittenhouse has since had to fight various efforts to paint him as a villain and to punish him for defending himself. The most recent attempt comes in the form of a civil lawsuit filed by the convicted child molester Joseph Rosenbaum's estate Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Texas Scorecard reported that the suit names Rittenhouse as a defendant along with local sheriff's departments, Kenosha officials, the City of Kenosha, the City of West Allis, and various counties, demanding "compensatory and punitive damages" for the "wrongful death" of Rosenbaum. The Washington Post noted that Rosenbaum spent most of his adult life in prison after preying upon five preteen boys. It appears his life on the outside was marked by rage and rootlessness. For instance, one month prior to his demise, Rosenbaum's fiancée, Kariann Swart, pressed charges against him for domestic abuse. Just hours before catching four bullets, the homeless and bipolar 36-year-old had been released from a hospital following a suicide attempt, reported NPR. Fresh out of the hospital, Rosenbaum joined in the destructive riots that kicked off in response to the non-fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake, whom state prosecutors indicated had been wanted on a felony warrant and was armed with a knife. Rittenhouse's lawyers claimed during his murder trial that Rosenbaum attempted to "engage" the youth, at which point Rittenhouse attempted to flee. Rosenbaum gave chase, threw a sack of belongings at him, then, according to witness testimony, attempted to disarm the then-17-year-old by force. Footage of the incident shows that it was only when the 17-year-old appeared cornered in a car lot did he open fire. In addition to claiming Rosenbaum was a peaceful protester who "was not a danger to himself or others," the Rosenbaum estate cast Rittenhouse in the lawsuit as a menace who "fired his assault rifle indiscriminately multiple times," despite the 17-year-old's documented restraint and sure aim. While Rosenbaum can be seen on film chasing down the boy, the suit alleges that "there was no justification for Defendant Rittenhouse to point his weapon at Joseph Rosenbaum." https://www.foxnews.com/media/federal-judge-dismisses-university-wyoming-students-lawsuit-trans-sorority-member Federal judge dismisses University of Wyoming students' lawsuit against trans sorority member University of Wyoming sorority members’ lawsuit for the inclusion of a transgender student in their organization was dismissed by a federal judge on Friday. In March, several current and former members of the University of Wyoming’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sued the national sorority to revoke the membership allowing what they described as "peeping" transgender student Artemis Langford. Despite the women’s descriptions of Langford’s alleged actions, the judge ruled that the school did not violate any policies by allowing the student to join. "The University of Wyoming chapter voted to admit - and, more broadly, a sorority of hundreds of thousands approved - Langford. With its inquiry beginning and ending there, the Court will not define ‘woman’ today. The delegate of a private, voluntary organization interpreted ‘woman’, otherwise undefined in the nonprofit's bylaws, expansively; this Judge may not invade Kappa Kappa Gamma's freedom of expressive association and inject the circumscribed definition Plaintiffs urge," the judge said. The ruling continued, "Holding that Plaintiffs fail to plausibly allege their derivative, breach of contract, tortious interference, and direct claims, the Court dismisses, without prejudice, Plaintiffs' causes of action." The lawsuit brought by seven members of Kappa Kappa Gamma claimed that Langford violated sorority policies by joining a sorority despite not being a woman or making efforts to appear female. https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/29/biden-ukraine-funding-deal/ Biden Seeks Long-Term Military Aid to Ukraine to Prevent Next President From Scaling Back Funding The Biden administration is seeking to hammer out a long-term Ukraine aid agreement with European allies in hopes of both preventing Russia from gaining an edge on the battlefield and hamstringing a future president’s ability to scale back U.S. commitments, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The scheme emerged during sideline talks among Group of Seven leaders at a NATO summit in July, and so far involves negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine, and between the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Ukraine, according to the WSJ. It’s an attempt, in part, to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin he can simply wait until a new American administration, as several top GOP political contenders have expressed intention to reduce or eliminate U.S. aid that makes up the brunt of Western support. Building up Kyiv’s defense forces in the long term can theoretically deter Russia from invading again, officials calculated, according to the WSJ. Former President Donald Trump has maintained a lead in Republican primary candidate polling and could face a second showdown with President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Trump has claimed he could solve the war “within 24 hours.” At the first Republican primary debate Wednesday, several candidates indicated they would support drawing down aid for Ukraine. Eighteen countries not belonging to the G-7 wealthy democracies, including the Netherlands and Sweden, have also agreed to the long-term security assistance pledge for Ukraine, according to the WSJ. European capitals want to cement support and restrict ways countries could renege on pledges, fearing what might happen during a second Trump administration, according to the WSJ. At present, Western European nations lack the industrial and financial capacity to match the billions in annual military aid provided by the U.S. Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has devoted more than $40 billion worth of weapons and equipment, as well as training and investment into U.S. weapons companies, for the purpose of aiding Ukraine’s resistance. The aid has exposed weaknesses in American military readiness and industrial base capacity, provoking criticism that the U.S. should be using those funds to shore up defenses with an eye toward China as the war in Ukraine drags on with no end in sight. However, the practical workings of the agreement pose significant hurdles to the Biden administration’s goals, the WSJ reported, citing officials. A sitting president has limited ability to bind his successor to any initiative or policy.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, August 30th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://justthenews.com/government/state-houses/desantis-expands-floridas-state-emergency-hurricane-idalia-make-landfall DeSantis expands Florida's state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia to make landfall Wednesday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency to include more counties as the southern U.S. braces for Hurricane Idalia to make landfall Wednesday. While 33 of Florida's 67 counties were under the previous executive order, DeSantis' updated order issued Monday now includes 46 counties. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that Idalia is "expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous major hurricane" before making landfall. DeSantis said Monday that Idalia is expected to develop into at least a category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall, according to CBS News. The National Weather Service states that with a category 3 hurricane, "devastating damage will occur," and things such as utilities, trees and well-built homes may incur major damages. In preparation for Idalia's landfall, DeSantis fully activated the Florida National Guard, and 5,500 are expected to be mobilized to respond to the storm. Additionally, dozens of public schools have closed down and the state government is taking additional steps to ensure people have access to food. Biden posted Monday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he spoke with DeSantis "to inform him that we've approved the Emergency Declaration for Florida as they prepare for Hurricane Idalia," and he said, "Florida has my full support as they prepare for Idalia and its aftermath." https://www.theblaze.com/news/kyle-rittenhouse-sued-by-estate-of-the-child-molester-he-blew-away-in-self-defense Kyle Rittenhouse sued by estate of the convicted child molester he blew away in self-defense Kyle Rittenhouse shot three attackers who mobbed him during a leftist riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25, 2020. Two of the three are no more. He was cleared of all charges in 2021. Despite being found not guilty by a jury of his peers, Rittenhouse has since had to fight various efforts to paint him as a villain and to punish him for defending himself. The most recent attempt comes in the form of a civil lawsuit filed by the convicted child molester Joseph Rosenbaum's estate Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Texas Scorecard reported that the suit names Rittenhouse as a defendant along with local sheriff's departments, Kenosha officials, the City of Kenosha, the City of West Allis, and various counties, demanding "compensatory and punitive damages" for the "wrongful death" of Rosenbaum. The Washington Post noted that Rosenbaum spent most of his adult life in prison after preying upon five preteen boys. It appears his life on the outside was marked by rage and rootlessness. For instance, one month prior to his demise, Rosenbaum's fiancée, Kariann Swart, pressed charges against him for domestic abuse. Just hours before catching four bullets, the homeless and bipolar 36-year-old had been released from a hospital following a suicide attempt, reported NPR. Fresh out of the hospital, Rosenbaum joined in the destructive riots that kicked off in response to the non-fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake, whom state prosecutors indicated had been wanted on a felony warrant and was armed with a knife. Rittenhouse's lawyers claimed during his murder trial that Rosenbaum attempted to "engage" the youth, at which point Rittenhouse attempted to flee. Rosenbaum gave chase, threw a sack of belongings at him, then, according to witness testimony, attempted to disarm the then-17-year-old by force. Footage of the incident shows that it was only when the 17-year-old appeared cornered in a car lot did he open fire. In addition to claiming Rosenbaum was a peaceful protester who "was not a danger to himself or others," the Rosenbaum estate cast Rittenhouse in the lawsuit as a menace who "fired his assault rifle indiscriminately multiple times," despite the 17-year-old's documented restraint and sure aim. While Rosenbaum can be seen on film chasing down the boy, the suit alleges that "there was no justification for Defendant Rittenhouse to point his weapon at Joseph Rosenbaum." https://www.foxnews.com/media/federal-judge-dismisses-university-wyoming-students-lawsuit-trans-sorority-member Federal judge dismisses University of Wyoming students' lawsuit against trans sorority member University of Wyoming sorority members’ lawsuit for the inclusion of a transgender student in their organization was dismissed by a federal judge on Friday. In March, several current and former members of the University of Wyoming’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sued the national sorority to revoke the membership allowing what they described as "peeping" transgender student Artemis Langford. Despite the women’s descriptions of Langford’s alleged actions, the judge ruled that the school did not violate any policies by allowing the student to join. "The University of Wyoming chapter voted to admit - and, more broadly, a sorority of hundreds of thousands approved - Langford. With its inquiry beginning and ending there, the Court will not define ‘woman’ today. The delegate of a private, voluntary organization interpreted ‘woman’, otherwise undefined in the nonprofit's bylaws, expansively; this Judge may not invade Kappa Kappa Gamma's freedom of expressive association and inject the circumscribed definition Plaintiffs urge," the judge said. The ruling continued, "Holding that Plaintiffs fail to plausibly allege their derivative, breach of contract, tortious interference, and direct claims, the Court dismisses, without prejudice, Plaintiffs' causes of action." The lawsuit brought by seven members of Kappa Kappa Gamma claimed that Langford violated sorority policies by joining a sorority despite not being a woman or making efforts to appear female. https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/29/biden-ukraine-funding-deal/ Biden Seeks Long-Term Military Aid to Ukraine to Prevent Next President From Scaling Back Funding The Biden administration is seeking to hammer out a long-term Ukraine aid agreement with European allies in hopes of both preventing Russia from gaining an edge on the battlefield and hamstringing a future president’s ability to scale back U.S. commitments, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The scheme emerged during sideline talks among Group of Seven leaders at a NATO summit in July, and so far involves negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine, and between the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Ukraine, according to the WSJ. It’s an attempt, in part, to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin he can simply wait until a new American administration, as several top GOP political contenders have expressed intention to reduce or eliminate U.S. aid that makes up the brunt of Western support. Building up Kyiv’s defense forces in the long term can theoretically deter Russia from invading again, officials calculated, according to the WSJ. Former President Donald Trump has maintained a lead in Republican primary candidate polling and could face a second showdown with President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Trump has claimed he could solve the war “within 24 hours.” At the first Republican primary debate Wednesday, several candidates indicated they would support drawing down aid for Ukraine. Eighteen countries not belonging to the G-7 wealthy democracies, including the Netherlands and Sweden, have also agreed to the long-term security assistance pledge for Ukraine, according to the WSJ. European capitals want to cement support and restrict ways countries could renege on pledges, fearing what might happen during a second Trump administration, according to the WSJ. At present, Western European nations lack the industrial and financial capacity to match the billions in annual military aid provided by the U.S. Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has devoted more than $40 billion worth of weapons and equipment, as well as training and investment into U.S. weapons companies, for the purpose of aiding Ukraine’s resistance. The aid has exposed weaknesses in American military readiness and industrial base capacity, provoking criticism that the U.S. should be using those funds to shore up defenses with an eye toward China as the war in Ukraine drags on with no end in sight. However, the practical workings of the agreement pose significant hurdles to the Biden administration’s goals, the WSJ reported, citing officials. A sitting president has limited ability to bind his successor to any initiative or policy.

Thousands of illicit distilling sites exist around Scotland. Derek Alexander and his team of archaeologists at the National Trust for Scotland have barely scratched the surface of the country's bothys, but their recent digs have uncovered some rare artifacts of illicit distilling's past. We'll catch up with Derek on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, The Balvenie's longtime Malt Master, David Stewart, is standing down after 47 years in the post. The UK, Australia, and New Zealand all raised liquor taxes this week, and Suntory is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a “tiny house” tour of America. 

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 14th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-dairy-explosion-leaves-least-18000-cattle-dead-person-critically-injured Texas dairy explosion leaves at least 18,000 cattle dead, 1 person critically injured Approximately 18,000 cows were killed, and one person was critically injured, in an explosion at a dairy farm in the Texas Panhandle on Monday. The Castro County Sheriff’s Office confirmed with Fox News Digital that the cows were in a holding area before being brought in for milking when the blast occurred at the Southfork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt. Very few cows in the holding area survived, officials told local outlet KFDA. Police said they received eight calls just before 7:30 p.m. Monday about an explosion and fire. Callers said some employees were trapped inside the milking building. When law enforcement officials arrived at the dairy farm, they determined only a woman was trapped in the dairy building. Officials said the trapped individual was rescued from the building and airlifted to UMC Hospital in Lubbock for treatment. Lubbock is located about 80 miles from Dimmitt. Officials said all the other dairy employees were accounted for and were safe. The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/legal-abortions-fell-post-roe Legal abortions fell 6% in six months after Supreme Court overturned Roe Legal abortions in the United States dropped more than 6% in the six months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade , a testament to the new rules and regulations that now vary from state to state. A new report released by the Society of Family Planning, called the "#WeCount" report, determined that there were 32,260 fewer abortions from July to December 2022 when compared to data taken in April and May. In the months post-Dobbs v. Jackson's Women's Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade in June, there were an average of 5,377 fewer abortions per month. Telehealth abortions provided through virtual clinics have increased every month since pre-Dobbs in April, and by December, the appointments represented 9% of all abortions across the six months post-Dobbs. The organization found that the effect of the Dobbs decision is based on state abortion policies. States with bans in place witnessed a total of 43,410 fewer people cumulatively having abortions. On the other side, states that permitted abortion access following the end of Roe v. Wade saw a total of 11,150 more people who had abortions. By Dec. 31, 13 states had banned abortion with almost no exceptions, and Georgia imposed a six-week ban. In Georgia, the number of abortions decreased by 40%, according to the report. Florida saw 1,200 more abortions in the months post-Dobbs because state law currently permits abortions up to 15 weeks. The Sunshine State is inching closer to a six-week ban after the state Senate passed the legislation , sending it to the House, where it is also expected to pass, and eventually Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) desk, where he is likely to sign it. The Dobbs decision also pushed thousands of women to travel long distances to obtain abortions if their home states had restrictions. The report showed that the number of abortions increased significantly in states that have solidified abortion access and are located near states with bans, the largest increases occurring in Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina. Abortions declined significantly in places where the courts overturned proposed bans, such as Arizona and Ohio. Several clinics in Arizona, which allows abortions up to 15 weeks, temporarily shut down while the court determined whether the near total ban that predated Arizona's statehood could be enforced. Eventually, the court ruled that the 15-week ban overruled the near-total ban and went into effect in December 2022. The number of abortions per month in Arizona dropped 85% to 230 between April and July and shot back up to 870 by December, according to the report. In Ohio, a six-week ban went into effect after the Dobbs decision. In that time, the number of abortions dropped 62% from before Dobbs to 790. However, a judge halted the six-week ban, and abortions are now legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The number of abortions now sits at over 1,400 per month. Pro-abortion activists in Ohio created a committee in December to explore putting abortion on the ballot , and in March, the Ohio Ballot Board certified the language of the proposed ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion in the state constitution. https://www.politico.eu/article/euco-eu-crosses-into-the-border-fence-game-migration/ EU vows more cash for frontier policing as border fence debate revives The EU that once largely dismissed border walls as a crude Trumpian solution is vowing to channel “substantial” funds into frontier guards and surveillance equipment, as countries ramp up calls for help paying for their border fences. For several hours at an EU Council summit on Thursday, the only show in town was Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then the Ukrainian leader left, and a well-worn clash over migration instantly returned. There were stark signs that the bloc’s stance is hardening. Well into the early hours of Friday morning, EU leaders made proposal after proposal, all seeking to stem the rise in people arriving to the Continent outside legal channels. Some wanted Brussels to help pay for border fences. Others stressed a focus on returning rejected asylum seekers. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at one point tried to calm passions, according to one official familiar with the discussion. Did the EU want to turn itself into a fortress? Walls, simply put, do not work, he said, pointing to the U.S.-Mexico border, where a fractious debate over a wall hasn’t abated crossings. Ultimately, however, Scholz and the other EU leaders did back more stringent EU border control methods — an indication of how the EU has toughened its stance on the subject since the apex of the 2015-2016 Syrian refugee crisis. Border fences, especially, were once anathema in much of Europe, treated as a blunt instrument meant more for show than practical use. But a growing coalition of EU countries has now built such barriers, with some wanting Brussels to help pay for more. And while EU officials won’t cross the red line into fence funding, they usually agree to fund surveillance technology and border guards. As EU leaders went round and round, Austria led the pack in pushing for more border resources from Brussels. The country has experienced an increase in migrants arriving through the Western Balkans, often crossing from Serbia into Hungary and then into Austria. At Thursday’s summit, the country got its preferred language into the final statement, which implores the Commission “to immediately mobilise substantial EU funds and means” to help countries bolster their “border protection capabilities and infrastructure.” The statement specifically referenced “surveillance, including aerial surveillance, and equipment.” After the leaders broke up around 3 a.m., Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer lauded the result, which may be the EU’s strongest language yet on the issue. Bulgaria has been a particular focus for Austria. It wants the EU to help reinforce a fence between the EU border country and Turkey, a project it pegs at €2 billion. But the Commission has cautioned that it only has €3 billion left for all fence-related projects, according to multiple diplomats. Austria was not the only country stumping for more border funding. A clutch of countries including Hungary, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Greece signed a letter backing tougher border measures on the eve of the summit. The missive echoed a similar letter from October 2021 that saw 12 member states asking the European Commission to let EU cash go toward border barriers. Von der Leyen, who opposes the EU entering the fence-funding business, said after the meeting that leaders had only agreed to use EU money for infrastructure like cameras, watch towers and vehicles. She even made a point of mentioning that an existing fence the EU was looking to rehab “doesn’t function” since it doesn’t have adequate personnel and surveillance equipment. The effort is part of a series of “pilot projects” von der Leyen said the EU would launch to illustrate, among other things, how an ideal border would process asylum seekers. https://www.conservativereview.com/trans-teacher-allegedly-threatened-to-shoot-students-and-parents-say-the-middle-school-failed-to-notify-them-2659853038.html Trans teacher allegedly threatened to shoot students, and parents say the middle school failed to notify them Parents with children attending Fox Chapel Middle School in Hernando County, Florida, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that school officials failed to notify them after a transgender teacher allegedly threatened to shoot and kill students. Assistant Principal Kerry Thornton and guidance counselor Kimberly Walby contacted the middle school’s resource officer on March 24 to file an incident report regarding a teacher allegedly expressing thoughts about suicidal ideation and possibly shooting students. The report, obtained by Moms for Liberty’s Hernando County chapter, stated that Alexander Renczkowski, a biologically male teacher who identifies as female and goes by the name Ashlee, had confessed to having “bad thoughts” but denied threatening to harm students. According to the report, the teacher stated that “she does not want to harm herself.” Authorities then confiscated three firearms and ammunition from Renczkowski’s home, the report noted. After conducting a threat assessment, Hernando County School District’s mental health coordinator, Sandra Hurst, found that the teacher did not meet the criteria to be involuntarily institutionalized for mental illness under Florida’s Baker Act law, the report added. Renczkowski was reportedly allowed back into the classroom the next day. Several parents told the DCNF that they learned about the incident from a local reporter, not the school. According to the parents, the school did not contact them until 17 days after the report was filed and the news had already circulated. Hernando County Sheriff’s Office released a statement Wednesday about the March incident. “On 03-24-23, the HCSO was notified of, and did investigate, an event at Fox Chapel Middle School,” the sheriff’s office said. “The investigation revealed that no criminal offense(s) occurred; therefore, no arrest(s) could be made. Further, deputies found that the individual did not, at that moment, meet the required criteria for involuntary commitment under the Baker Act.” The sheriff’s office noted that the teacher cooperated with law enforcement to hand over all firearms. The Hernando County School District, Fox Chapel Middle School, and Alexander Renczkowski did not respond to requests for comment, the DCNF reported. https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/12/south-korea-ammunition-biden-administraiton-ukraine/ US Gets 500,000 Artillery Shells On Loan From South Korea To Fill Plummeting Stocks The U.S. reached an agreement last month to obtain 500,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery shells on loan from South Korea, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing a South Korean newspaper. U.S. stocks of the 155 mm round, which see a high level of consumption on the battlefield in Ukraine, have fallen to critically low levels, and the Biden administration sought artillery ammunition from South Korea in March, according to documents seen by the DCNF. South Korea will “lend” the shells to the U.S. rather than selling to avoid the possibility of those shells being delivered to Ukraine in a future assistance package, thereby violating a South Korean policy against supplying lethal items to countries at war, the DongA Ilbo outlet reported, citing government sources, according to Reuters. South Korea’s defense ministry told Reuters that Seoul and allies are exploring a variety of ways to provide Ukraine with much needed munitions but did not speak to specific discussions or agreements. The U.S. for the first time struck a deal with South Korea to purchase 100,000 155 mm rounds for ultimate delivery to Ukraine in November. Routing the deal through the U.S. allowed South Korea to avoid complicity in Ukraine’s attacks on Russian forces, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The shells will primarily serve to backfill U.S. stockpiles, DongA Ilbo reported, according to Reuters. News of the agreement comes after leaked Pentagon documents from March described a conversation between two South Korean national security officials about potentially routing artillery through Poland — alarming officials and prompting Seoul to confront Washington about the disclosure, Reuters reported. The South Korean president’s office affirmed the leaked documents would not damage relations with the U.S., The New York Times reported. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed in a phone call Tuesday that “quite a few of the documents in question were fabricated.” So far, the country has declined to provide overt military assistance to Ukraine, citing its own precarious security situation as its northern neighbor has not relented on threats against Seoul’s sovereignty, according to Reuters. However, Seoul is one of the U.S. key allies in Asia and a large ammunition producer. The U.S. has sent more than 1.5 million 155 mm shells for the Howitzer system to Ukraine, as well as an additional 6,500 GPS-guided rounds, according to a fact sheet that was accurate as of April 4. For comparison, the U.S. produces about 15,000 rounds per month, the NYT reported.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, March 2nd, 2023. Happy Friday Jr. everyone! Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://thepoliticalinsider.com/recent-study-shows-a-majority-of-americans-are-too-fat-and-dumb-to-join-the-military/ Recent Study Shows a Majority of Americans are too Fat and Dumb to Join the Military Last year, the Pentagon had to grapple with quite a few negative headlines. The most alarming repetitive headline was that recruiting goals were not met across the board. Of course, one might think that isn’t a big deal given that we have pulled out of Afghanistan and aren’t technically in an active war with anyone. That is, if you ignore the ‘secret wars’ in Syria and Iraq and our proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, but I digress. This news rightly rocked legislators and should concern Americans at large because of our increased tensions with China, which seems to be inevitably heading toward a future war. However, let’s say you think the prospects of us finding ourselves in a hot war, like Afghanistan or a conflict with China, are slim to null. The fact that most young Americans couldn’t join the military if they wanted to should matter to every American, as it directly reflects the type of society we currently elevate. A recent study has found that 77% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are physically unqualified to join the armed services, up 6% from 2017. To put that into simpler terms, over three-quarters of Americans within the prime military recruitment ages are too fat to raise their right hand to serve. Look at those two statistics I mentioned again. It might be bad now, but that same demographic was just as fat and unqualified six years ago. According to 2020 numbers, 42% of American adults are considered obese, with 19% on active duty falling into that category. That number is up from 16% of obesity in the active duty force in 2015. Ironically, some of the blame, according to experts, falls on a food insecurity program many active duty and young Americans are forced to participate in. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture found in 2015 that 40% of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are obese. An estimated 22,000 Active Duty and over 250,000 National Guard families receive SNAP benefits. For those of us familiar, that means a whole lot of government cheese and other processed food. Here’s Bill Maher on the obesity crisis: https://twitter.com/i/status/1555939261043511296 - Play Video Anybody who has tried to eat healthily knows it is costly and cumbersome. For example, research from Utah State University found that if a family of four were to grocery shop based on the healthy dietary guidelines, it would cost them approximately $14,400 annually. The recruiting dilemma facing the military, like most issues plaguing the Armed Forces, is multifaceted. Army Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson explains, “Some of the challenges we have are obesity, we have pre-existing medical conditions, we have behavioral health problems, we have criminality, people with felonies, and we have drug use.” That’s a pretty damning yet accurate depiction of America’s youth. Additionally, many Americans need help to pass the education standards the Armed Forces require. Often joked as a test you get half credit for if you can spell your name right, the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) is used to see if you are smart enough to wear the uniform and what jobs you might have a natural aptitude for. According to security analyst Irina Tsukerman, “falling intelligence and education standards” have made the military less prepared for “asymmetrical or conventional challenges.” The Navy is tossing around the idea of lowering the minimum scores for acceptance on the AFQT and increasing the age ceiling from 35 to 41. Lowering standards might increase the number of recruits, but what about the quality? The Army is opting to keep its standards but has stood up what they call the Future Soldier’s Prep Course at Fort Jackson to get recruits whose scores are too low up to snuff. The Centers for Disease Control classifies obesity as a security threat stating that 1 in 5 kids and 2 in 5 adults are obese. With American kids graduating high school without knowing how to read or do simple math, one could argue our public education system is also a security threat. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/01/uk-cat-cull-was-considered-early-in-covid-crisis-ex-minister-says UK cat cull was considered early in Covid crisis, ex-minister says The UK government considered whether it might have to ask people to exterminate all pet cats during the early days of the Covid pandemic, a former health minister said. It was unclear whether domestic cats could transmit coronavirus, James Bethell said. He told Channel 4 News: “What we shouldn’t forget is how little we understood about this disease. There was a moment we were very unclear about whether domestic pets could transmit the disease. “In fact, there was an idea at one moment that we might have to ask the public to exterminate all the cats in Britain. Can you imagine what would have happened if we had wanted to do that?” In July 2020, at the height of the Covid crisis, cat owners were warned not to kiss their pets after a female Siamese became the first known animal in the UK to catch the disease. Margaret Hosie, a professor of comparative virology at Glasgow University who led the screening programme, advised cat owners at the time to “observe very careful hygiene”. It comes as Lord Bethell’s boss at the time, Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, is facing a series of claims based on a leaked cache of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages. The messages provide an insight into the way the UK government operated at the start of the pandemic. They include the suggestion that Hancock rejected advice from England’s chief medical officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, to test everyone going into care homes in England for Covid. Hancock vehemently denies overruling clinical advice. A spokesperson called the claim “categorically untrue”. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-mayor-lightfoot-reacts-election-loss-says-she-was-treated-unfairly-because-her-race-gender Chicago Mayor Lightfoot reacts to election loss, says she was treated unfairly because of her race, gender Ding Dong the Witch is Dead- Play 0:08-0:15 How’d that get in there? Ousted Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explained away her Tuesday election loss as a result of her being a "Black woman in America." Lightfoot faced eight challengers and finished Tuesday night's election in third place, failing to get enough support to continue into a runoff election. Reporters pressed her on whether she believed she was treated unfairly during the campaign process. "I’m a Black woman in America. Of course," she responded, according to reports. "Regardless of tonight’s outcome, we fought the right fights and we put this city on a better path," Lightfoot said Tuesday night, adding that serving as Chicago's mayor was "the honor of a lifetime." She also blamed the tricksie hobbitses for her loss. For those keeping score: Paul Vallas lead the way with 33.8% of the vote, Brandon Johnson received 20.3%, and Lightfoot received 17.1%. With Lightfoot out of the race, Chicago Public Schools CEO and city budget director Paul Vallas will face off against Cook County Board of Commissioners member Brandon Johnson in the April 4 runoff. Neither candidate reached the 50% necessary to win the election outright on Tuesday, though Vallas came closest with 33%. Dime Payments Dime Payments is a Christian owned processing payment business. Every business needs a payment process system, so please go to https://dimepayments.com/flf and sign your business up. Working with them supports us. They wont cancel you, like Stripe canceled President Trump. They wont cancel you, like Mailchimp canceled the Babylon Bee. Check them out. At least have a phone call and tell them that CrossPolitic sent you. Go to https://dimepayments.com/flf. https://www.theepochtimes.com/mississippi-bans-gender-affirming-care-for-minors_5091041.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=partner&src_cmp=BonginoReport Mississippi Bans ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors Mississippi has become the latest state to ban health care professionals from providing “gender-affirming care” for transgender youth in what officials say will stop the attempt to “push a sick and twisted ideology” on children. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, signed the GOP-led House Bill 1125, also known as the “Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act” into law on Feb. 28. Under the legislation, which is effective immediately, individuals in the state are banned from “knowingly engaging in conduct that aids or abets” the performance or inducement of gender transition procedures for Mississippians under the age of 18. The bill also prevents public funds or tax deductions for prohibited gender transition procedures, noting that the direct or indirect use, grant, payment, or distribution of public funds to any entity, organization, or individual that provides gender transition procedures to individuals under the age of 18 is also prohibited. It also puts in place enforcement procedures on the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. Any health care professional found to be in violation of the ban will have their license to practice medicine in the state revoked. The measure, which also prevents Medicaid from reimbursing or providing coverage for gender transition for persons under the age of 18, allows for health care providers to be sued by their former patients, via their “parent or next friend” within 30 years. In a separate statement on Twitter shortly before signing the law, Reeves said there are individuals in the state who are “attempting to push a sick and twisted ideology that seeks to convince our kids they’re in the wrong body and the solution is to drug, sterilize, and castrate themselves.” The signing of the bill makes Mississippi the latest state to enact a ban on gender-affirming care after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, also a Republican, signed a similar “Help Not Harm” bill into law last month. Similar bans have also been passed in Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, although some of them are currently being blocked by lawsuits. Nebraska and Oklahoma are also considering similar bills and last month, Republican Florida state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia introduced a bill that would require businesses that cover the cost of gender-transition medical care for their employees to pay for any subsequent detransition care. Supporters of such bills claim that they are intended to safeguard children. Experts have said that four out of five children grow out of gender dysphoria once they reach adolescence. However, opponents, including a string of major medical organizations like the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association, have all voiced support for gender transition care among minors, arguing that it is safe and effective. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which works to “protect and defend individuals’ rights,” said in a statement on Tuesday that the new legislation “shuts the door on medical best practice and puts politics between parents, their children, and their doctors.” “This life-saving care was already difficult to access for trans youth across the state, and is now entirely out of reach,” ACLU said. “Our politicians continue to fail trans youth — but we will never stop fighting back against this ongoing attack against trans rights across the nation. Trans youth shouldn’t have to fight this hard to be who they are.”

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Thursday, February 9th, 2023… Happy Friday Jr. everyone! Fight Laugh Feast Magazine Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don’t water down our scotch, why would we water down our theology? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Sign up today, at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-wants-downed-spy-aircraft-back-does-not-belong-to-us China wants its downed spy aircraft back, saying it 'does not belong to the US' The People's Republic of China is requesting the return of its surveillance aircraft after the balloon was shot down over the continental United States on Saturday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning fielded questions Tuesday about the incident, which dominated news cycles and commanded attention from U.S. politicians. Asked for additional information regarding the purpose of the spy balloon and reports of similar aircraft making routes through North American and South American airspace, Mao declined. "The Chinese side has given information about the unmanned airship on several occasions. I don’t have anything to add at the moment," she stated. The Pentagon said it "acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information" from the spy platform. But geopolitical experts said there is little reason to believe those efforts were successful as the balloon almost certainly transferred surveillance data over to China as it flew over several military bases. Asked if China has requested that the debris from the destroyed aircraft be returned, Mao said Tuesday, "The airship does not belong to the U.S. It belongs to China." Mao reiterated in her Tuesday press conference the Chinese Communist Party's claim that the balloon was civilian in nature and criticized the U.S. government for not acting in a "calm and professional manner." https://contra.substack.com/p/us-led-west-opposed-peace-deal-in?r=lj90&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post U.S.-Led West Opposed Peace Deal in Ukraine Naftali Bennett, then the prime minister of Israel, found himself praying aboard a cramped, decrepit plane last year as it sailed over Kazakhstan. The long flight, arranged with help from the Mossad, was bound for Moscow on a desperate mission: broker peace between Russia and Ukraine just after the two countries had gone to war. According to Bennett, Russian President Vladimir Putin made two major concessions during their March 5 meeting. First, he renounced “denazification”—that is, regime change in Kiev. Second, he dropped his demand for Ukraine’s demilitarization. Bennett said President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to abandon Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership in exchange. Both Putin and Zelensky seemed eager to end the fighting. But the U.S. had other plans. Bennett said a “decision by the West” was made “to keep striking Putin” through Ukraine. “They blocked it and I thought they were wrong,” he said. Bennett noted that the governments of Germany and France were pragmatic toward the idea compared to the U.S. and the U.K., which took a more belligerent attitude against Russia. Considering the U.K. is little more than a neutered lapdog of D.C., it is more than likely that it was the U.S. who decided to keep the war going. Indeed, Bennett said he deferred “to America in this regard.” In an interview with author and comedian Hanoch Daum, Bennett provided a behind-the-scenes look at his efforts to establish a ceasefire and how it initially showed promise until being doomed by imperial intrigue. It was the first time time he talked about his attempt to mediate peace between the two countries. His solution was “creating contact with both sides and trying to mediate,” leveraging his good relations with Putin and Zelensky. Bennett maintained contact with the governments of Germany, France, the U.K., and the U.S. throughout the negotiations, keeping them appraised as talks, mostly by phone, progressed. While Putin was open to diplomacy, the U.S. was not, according to Bennett. Bennett described Putin as “pragmatic” and not “Messianic” but governed by limited, concrete objectives, contra the Western portrait of him as a madman bent on world domination. Putin does not think of himself as an imperialist, Bennett said, but as someone fighting against imperialism in the form of NATO expansionism. Someone, maybe Mark Twain, said that history doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. What Bennett revealed is a reminder that the U.S. has been calling the war tune for decades. https://www.theepochtimes.com/texas-sues-biden-admin-over-pharmacy-mandate-to-dispense-abortion-drugs_5042103.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=partner&src_cmp=BonginoReport Texas Sues Biden Admin Over ‘Pharmacy Mandate’ to Dispense Abortion Drugs Texas filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Tuesday to block federal health guidance that allegedly forces pharmacies to dispense abortion-inducing drugs. The Biden administration in July 2022 released guidance requiring pharmacies to supply women with abortion-inducing drugs or risk losing Medicaid and Medicare funds, even if certain state laws prohibit the procedure. Texas argues in its lawsuit, which refers to the guidance collectively as the “pharmacy mandate,” that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has attempted to impose, via executive fiat, a federal right to abortion. The lawsuit said this was a part of the Biden administration’s “war against” the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision. That ruling reversed a 1973 ruling that made abortion legal nationwide. “But whether the Biden Administration likes it or not, the question of abortion is up to the people’s elected representatives—not unelected bureaucrats,” the lawsuit states (pdf). “The Biden Administration’s attempt to inject itself into that question is both procedurally and substantively illegal.” The HHS guidance, which involved roughly 60,000 U.S. retail pharmacies, claims that federal anti-discrimination law requires pharmacies to provide these drugs. The guidance was released on July 13, 2022, a few days after President Joe Biden, a Democrat, signed an executive order that made it easier to obtain abortion services following the Dobbs decision. However, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, argues that Title IX’s anti-discrimination protections don’t require companies to provide abortions, and instead protect any person or entity from being forced to aid in the provision of abortions. According to Paxton’s office, the alleged HHS assertion that federal anti-discrimination law mandates every pharmacy to provide abortion drugs is “patently false.” Paxton further argues that the Supreme Court returned the power to decide on abortion law back to the states, instead of the federal government. The “pharmacy mandate,” therefore, preempts certain state laws, which prohibit pharmacies from providing abortion-inducing drugs, and goes against the Dobbs decision, according to Paxton. The original copy of the HHS guidance document published in July 2022 is not currently available on the department’s website, but a version archived on Jan. 23, 2023 can still be accessed (pdf). The guidance reminds approximately 60,000 retail pharmacies and their employees of their obligation “under federal civil rights laws” to ensure access to prescription medication. HHS said in the guidance that among its civil rights enforcement responsibilities, its Office for Civil Rights is responsible for “protecting the rights of women and pregnant people in their ability to access care that is free from discrimination.” Examples of discrimination include denying a prescription for medication to assist with a miscarriage and denying medication for a disability, according to the guidance. Dime Payments Dime Payments is a Christian owned processing payment business. Every business needs a payment process system, so please go to https://dimepayments.com/flf and sign your business up. Working with them supports us. They wont cancel you, like Stripe canceled President Trump. They wont cancel you, like Mailchimp canceled the Babylon Bee. Check them out. At least have a phone call and tell them that CrossPolitic sent you. Go to https://dimepayments.com/flf. https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2023/02/07/could-chicago-be-about-to-elect-a-pro-life-pro-cop-democratic-mayor-n528896 Could Chicago be about to elect a pro-life, pro-cop Democratic mayor? Chicago’s next mayoral election is quickly approaching, scheduled for the 28th of this month. Most of the polls indicate that the incumbent mayor, Lori Lightfoot, is not doing well and she might not be given another term. That wouldn’t be a terribly surprising result, given the soaring crime rates and the generally decrepit state of the Windy City these days. If that’s the case, who will replace her? Interestingly enough, one of the current frontrunners is a man named Paul Vallas. What makes him unique among Chicago Democrats is his history of being opposed to abortion and his promises to crack down on crime. But can someone like that really be elected in a liberal stronghold? (ABC7 Chicago) Chicago mayoral candidates are touting dueling endorsements as Paul Vallas comes under fire for his Democratic credentials and past statements opposing abortion. Several recent polls suggest Vallas is one of the frontrunners in the mayor’s race, so it’s no surprise he’s coming under attack, but it’s also an indication that this race will be rough and tumble in its final three weeks. One of the other candidates, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, has been running attack ads against Vallas. He dug up a clip from some years ago where Vallas describes himself as “more of a Republican than a Democrat” and saying that he’s personally opposed to abortion. Garcia is accusing him of not being a “real” Democrat and claims that Vallas would be “dangerous” for Chicago. Really? More dangerous than, say… stopping your car at a red light for more than ten seconds?Vallas has now received the endorsement of both the Chicago Tribune and the Fraternal Order of Police, which is rather remarkable. The Chicago Sun-Times has run a number of articles on this Vallas, listing all of the progressive liberals who are losing their minds about him. They’re accusing him of having trodden upon the rights of workers in previous positions he’s held and wanting to outlaw abortions. There are probably a couple of them calling him a satan worshipper by now. In other words, all of the right people hate him.

Breathe In Breathe Out @brownforman @Glendronach @BalvenieUS @4RosesBourbon @Arranwhisky #podcast #radioshow #host #bestof2022 Co hosts : Good ol Boy Harmeet, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Brent, Made Man Maury, Made Man Bob SIPS – It's our Best of SIPS episode for Season 10. Yep, we reflect on everything we have been sipping, like green Jello for Bob and Brent this year. Always one of our most popular episodes and we know, you're lazy and just want to know what is the good stuff. We also picked plenty of things you can actually find and buy. We will be discussing this whiskey and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best: Brent – Best of 2022 - King of Kentucky – 2022 Release Best New Product of 2022 – Lucky Seven The Proprietor Single Barrel 14 year – Barrel #28 Best Distillery - Heaven Hill Justin Best of 2022 - Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 10 Best New Product of 2022 - Jack Daniel's Small Batch Coy Hill Best Distillery of 2022 – Balvenie Harmeet Best of 2022 - The Balvenie Forty Best New Product of 2022 – Arran 18 Best Distillery of 2022 - Arran Maury Best of 2022 - Four Roses 2022 Limited Edition Small Batch Best Distillery – Buffalo Trace Best New Product- Compass Box The Circle No. 2 Bob Best of 2022 - Arran 18 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Honorable Mention - The Last Drop 1977 Glenturret, Gordon & Macphail 1952 Platinum Jubilee Glen Grant, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 4 Best New Product of 2022 – Barrel Bourbon Gold Label Honorable Mention - Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof, Torabhaig Allt Gleann Best Distillery of 2022 – Glendronach info@sipssudsandsmokes.com TW- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple & Google Podcasts, PRX, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast. Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Xblorc The easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits: TITLE: Maxwell Swing PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Flapperjack PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Back Roads PERFORMED BY: Woods & Whitehead COMPOSED BY: Terry Whitehead PUBLISHED BY: Terry Whitehead COURTESY OF: Terry Whitehead Post production services : Pro Podcast Solutions Advertising sales: Contact us directly Content hosting services: PRX, NCRA, Radio4All, PodBean, Soundcloud

Excellent, now just go away @Glendronach @TheBenriach @BalvenieUS #scotch #whiskey #whisky #podcast #radioshow #host Co hosts : Good ol Boy Harmeet, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Brent, Made Man Maury, Made Man Bob SIPS – On this episode we discuss Glendronach, Benriach & Balvenie. It's a good day in the neighborhood. Nealy a full sweep of 5's in this flight. Dr. Rachel Barrie is making magic at Glendronach and you get to taste the magic. There were no less than 287 different tasting adjectives used on this episode. We even helped you to actually find some of these rare gems in the episode notes as well. We will be discussing this whiskey and rating them from 1-5 with 5 being the best: Glendronach Cask #5080 5 SIPS released in AZ, CO, DE, DC, IL, FL, MD, MN, MD, NV, SC Glendronach Cask #6052 4 SIPS released in CA, ID, IN, KY, LA, NM, NC, ND, NE, MT, OH, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY Glendronach Cask #217 5 SIPS released in GA, MA, NY, NJ Benriach Cask #3812 5 SIPS released in CA, KY, OR, WA, GA, MA, and NY Benriach Cask #10297 5 SIPS released in in AZ, CO, IL, DE, DC, FL, MD, NV, PA, SC, and WI Benriach Cask #15058 5 SIPS released in GA, MA, NY Balvenie 25 5 SIPS Balvenie 40 5 SIPS info@sipssudsandsmokes.com TW- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf. Available on Apple & Google Podcasts, PRX, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast. Enjoying that cool Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Xblorc The easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits: TITLE: Maxwell Swing PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Flapperjack PERFORMED BY: Texas Gypsies COMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI) PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI) COURTESY OF: AudioSparx TITLE: Back Roads PERFORMED BY: Woods & Whitehead COMPOSED BY: Terry Whitehead PUBLISHED BY: Terry Whitehead COURTESY OF: Terry Whitehead Post production services : Pro Podcast Solutions Advertising sales: Global, True Native Media Solutions, PodBean Content hosting services: PRX, NCRA, Radio4All, PodBean, Soundcloud