Podcast appearances and mentions of ben merkle

It's another day in the Golden Age, and the Democrats' losing streak continues as we witness more insanity from activist judges. Most recently, an Obama-appointed judge ordered planes carrying illegal migrant gang members to turn around midflight, an absurd decision that has led to articles of impeachment being filed. This rogue judge's blatant overreach has sparked outrage, and now Congressman Brandon Gill is pushing back. I'll break down the latest in this battle, from Trump's response to judicial overreach, to how the Republican Congress is backing him up. With the Supreme Court dragging its feet, Trump has a green light to keep pushing back against these ridiculous rulings — and the fight for common sense continues.In the second part of this episode, Randi Weingarten is back on MSNBC, panicking over massive cuts to the Department of Education, where nearly half of its workforce has been removed. These cuts are a direct response to the Department's failure to uphold educational standards, with schools increasingly pushing radical ideologies instead of foundational knowledge. Parents are outraged as their children fall behind in education, while the department's bloated budget continues to fund wasteful spending. The Trump administration is taking action to root out "wokeness" in education. Ben Merkle, president of New Saint Andrews College, joins to discuss the battle against this educational corruption and the importance of returning to a curriculum based on truth, goodness, and beauty. Check out NSA here! https://nsa.edu/donate. They have an amazing mission and provide a solution to the wokeness in higher education, equipping students with useful skills and knowledge.--If you need help getting back on track and could use relief, let the mortgage consultants at American Financing get you the support you need! Call 866-889-1776 or visit http://americanfinancing.net/turley.NMLS 182334, http://nmlsconsumeraccess.org/ APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.014% for well-qualified borrowers. Call 866-889-1776 for details about credit costs and terms.*Get Your Free Gold Report Now At turleytalkslikesgold.com.**The content presented by sponsors may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*--Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review.FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalksSign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter**The use of any copyrighted material in this podcast is done so for educational and informational purposes only including parody, commentary, and criticism. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). It is believed that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

Send us a text On this special Christmas episode, this week Greg welcomed back to the show Ben Merkle. Ben is the President of New Saint Andrews College. They discussed the national platform that they have been thrust into with Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth speaking about them recently. (Secretary of Defense) They also talked about how employers are moving away from finding talent at larger liberal universities and instead focusing on recruiting at smaller conservative colleges and universities. It's always a fun and informative episode when we can sit down with Ben. Enjoy! Private Family Banking: Protect your wealth!Book your next church conference HERE!FREE SHIPPING on the book "What Do We Believe?" Use code "DMW"Dominion Wealth Strategists: Full Service Financial Planning! Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV AppCheck out our snarky merch HERE

Send us a textOn this special Christmas episode, this week Greg welcomed back to the show Ben Merkle. Ben is the President of New Saint Andrews College. They discussed the national platform that they have been thrust into with Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth speaking about them recently. (Secretary of Defense) They also talked about how employers are moving away from finding talent at larger liberal universities and instead focusing on recruiting at smaller conservative colleges and universities. It's always a fun and informative episode when we can sit down with Ben. Enjoy! Private Family Banking: Protect your wealth!Book your next church conference HERE!FREE SHIPPING on the book "What Do We Believe?" Use code "DMW"Dominion Wealth Strategists: Full Service Financial Planning! Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV App

Send us a text On this special Christmas episode, this week Greg welcomed back to the show Ben Merkle. Ben is the President of New Saint Andrews College. They discussed the national platform that they have been thrust into with Trump Nominee Pete Hegseth speaking about them recently. (Secretary of Defense) They also talked about how employers are moving away from finding talent at larger liberal universities and instead focusing on recruiting at smaller conservative colleges and universities. It's always a fun and informative episode when we can sit down with Ben. Enjoy! Private Family Banking: Protect your wealth!Book your next church conference HERE!FREE SHIPPING on the book "What Do We Believe?" Use code "DMW"Dominion Wealth Strategists: Full Service Financial Planning! Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV AppCheck out our snarky merch HERE

(Note: This episode is from Tonight with Dr. Steve's special livestream.) Find out where Trump is going this weekend and how it relates to the entire purpose of his second-term presidency. I also discuss the so-called “Bible boom” that is going on and how leftist media are freaking out over the prospects of Pete Hegseth becoming Secretary of Defense. In the second part of this episode, I chat with Dr. Ben Merkle, the president of New Saint Andrews College and a Senior Fellow of Theology. We talk about what is happening in our schools, where the good colleges (the colleges upholding the values of faith, family, and freedom) and what can we do to help preserve and support these institutions. – Go support the great work of the NSA (New Saint Andrews College)! https://nsa.edu/donate Shop early access to Beam's Cyber Monday sale when you click https://shopbeam.com/turleytalks and get up to 50% off for a limited time only. *The content presented by our partners may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*  -- Join my new Courageous Conservative Club and get equipped to fight back and restore foundational values.  Learn more at http://fight.turleytalks.com/join Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks Sign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter **The use of any copyrighted material in this video is done so for educational and informational purposes only including parody, commentary, and criticism. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). It is believed that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

Have you seen it yet? That New Saint Andrews Ad is really causing a stir… Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

Have you seen it yet? That New Saint Andrews Ad is really causing a stir… Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

Have you seen it yet? That New Saint Andrews Ad is really causing a stir… Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Daniel Hummel (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) director of The Lumen Center and a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to discuss the history of dispensationalism. Together they discuss the origins of this theological system and its key players from its inception to today as well as dispensationalism's impact on American culture, the church, and Christian higher education over the past century.  Resources: ⁠The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation⁠ by Daniel Hummel  ⁠J.N. Darby and the Roots of Dispensationalism⁠ by Crawford Gribben ⁠Three Views on the Rapture: Pretribulation, Prewrath, or Posttribulation  ⁠by Craig Blaising, Doug Moo, Alan Hultberg ⁠The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views⁠ by George Ladd, Herman Hoyt, Lorraine Boettner, and Anthony Hoekema ⁠Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture⁠ edited by Richard Lucas and Brent Parker ⁠Discontinuity to Continuity: A Survey of Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies⁠ by Ben Merkle

Today begins the first of the shows recorded in Oxford! Today Tom and Chris are joined by Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College. Ben was visiting Oxford at the same time as the Pugs, and this afforded an opportunity to discuss with Tom and Chris what Ben learned at Oxford about post-secondary education and how those lessons are being applied at New Saint Andrews College half a world away.

Today begins the first of the shows recorded in Oxford! Tom and Chris are joined by Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College. Ben was visiting Oxford at the same time as the Pugs, and this afforded an opportunity to discuss with Tom and Chris what Ben learned at Oxford about post-secondary education and how those lessons are being applied at New Saint Andrews College half a world away. Learn more about New Saint Andrews at https://nsa.edu/ Support the Pugcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thetheologypugcast?fbclid=IwAR17UHhfzjphO52C_kkZfursA_C784t0ldFix0wyB4fd-YOJpmOQ3dyqGf8 The Theology Pugcast is a ministry of Trinity Reformed Church in Huntsville Alabama. To view more media from TRC, visit their website: https://trinityreformedkirk.com/trc-media/

Today begins the first of the shows recorded in Oxford! Today Tom and Chris are joined by Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College. Ben was visiting Oxford at the same time as the Pugs, and this afforded an opportunity to discuss with Tom and Chris what Ben learned at Oxford about post-secondary education and how those lessons are being applied at New Saint Andrews College half a world away.

Today begins the first of the shows recorded in Oxford! Today Tom and Chris are joined by Dr. Ben Merkle, President of New Saint Andrews College. Ben was visiting Oxford at the same time as the Pugs, and this afforded an opportunity to discuss with Tom and Chris what Ben learned at Oxford about post-secondary education and how those lessons are being applied at New Saint Andrews College half a world away.

In this final, bonus episode of Building Christian Communities, we look specifically at education. Dr Ben Merkle and Pastor Jacob Tanner discuss a range of topics pertaining to christian education, classical education, King Alfred, Postmillennialism and more.

There are a few parallels between modern America and the kingdom inherited by Alfred the Great. It was crumbling from within, besieged from without, and poised at the crossroads between greatness and oblivion. How did this unexpected king build the foundations that England and the United States still rest on? And how does he stack up against the pantheon of other Great military leaders in history?

In this final bonus episode of Building Christian Communities, we look specifically at education. Dr Ben Merkle and Pastor Jacob Tanner discuss a range of topics pertaining to christian education, King Alfred, Postmillennialism and more...

In this interview, I speak with Dr. Ben Merkle, who is the President of New Saint Andrews college in Moscow, ID. We talk all things related to students and parents picking a school in clown world 2024, including the right and wrong ways to think about sending our kids to college, whether or not college should be the default option, the value of trade school, a selection strategy for Christian parents, and blind spots of choosing schools.

Check out The White Horse King in audiobook now: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/audiobooks/26457 And check out more from Jared Longshore and Ben Merkle on Canon+. Jared: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/pages/jared-longshore Ben: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/collections/597

Get Jared's book now: https://canonpress.com/products/the-case-for-the-christian-family/

We've come to expect the politically correct and increasingly “woke” posture of many of the Church of England's official statements and policies in recent years. Recent announcements on issues such as race, Islam, sexuality, and even evangelism, showcase a desire to “play nice” with the secular and multicultural political establishment rather than offering a genuinely prophetic voice. But is the CofE's descent into ever more progressive viewpoints is inevitable? What about those who seek to reform Anglicanism from within, restoring its evangelical roots? Is there a case for disestablishing the Church of England altogether? What would we lose (or gain) if we did? Andy (a reluctant Anglican) and Aaron (a Methodist exile) dive into this entirely non-controversial topic with the usual mix of wit, wisdom, and insight. RESOURCES ETC MENTIONED IN THE SHOW * CofE Press Release: https://bit.ly/48XQiEF * CofE "Healing, Repair and Justice" report (see clause 32): https://bit.ly/49Pnj7u * Justin Welby's Ramadan video: https://bit.ly/3PjxqJt * ChatGPT's attempt at impersonating the Archbishop of Canterbury: https://bit.ly/4c9ZkBt * Michael Hampson, "Last Rites: The End of the Church of England " (Granta, 2006) * Ben Merkle, "The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great" (Thomas Nelson. 2009)

Alfred is one of the greatest heroes of the Christian West. Once exiled, he regained a foothold on the island and drove out the Danes, who had ruthlessly overwhelmed the countryside. He led reforms in education, government, and monetary policy. He also developed the idea of Christian burroughs. Known as the White Horse King, we'll talk about Alfred's legendary military campaigns against Guthrum and the Vikings. The White Horse King, Ben Merkle. Be sure to sign up at the King's Hall Patreon to get exclusive access to interviews with historians like Glenn Sunshine and to access the Deus Vault, a Patreon-exclusive podcast that goes deeper into the histories, mysteries, and heroes of Christendom.Alpine Gold Exchange Website: alpinegoldogden.comSet Up a Meeting: https://calendly.com/alpinegold/alpine-gold-consultation10 Ways to Make Money with Your MAXX-D Trailer.Buy your beef or pork box today from Salt and Strings Butchery. Use code "KINGS" to get $20 off your next order. Visit PremierBodyArmor.com and use promo code KINGSHALL for 10% off your order. Got questions? Reach out to customer service or send their President an email directly at alex@premierbodyarmor.com and speak to him yourself.Talk to Joe Garrisi about managing your wealth with Backwards Planning Financial.Squirrelly Joe's Coffee.Visit their website here to purchase your first bag!Share Coffee. Serve Humbly. Live faithfully.Contact Defined Benefit Partners at talk@definedbenefitpartners.com or call 830-339-9472. Set up a meeting now at:  https://calendly.com/familybankingnow/defined-benefit-pension-planning Defined Benefit Pension Planning: Business Owners Only - Chuck DeLadurantey - Private Family Banking. In our first meeting we will explore the way forward for you to leverage the tax benefits and the exit planning and succession planning advantages of our Defined Benefit Pension plans.Contact Private Family Banking Partner at banking@privatefamilybanking.com to set up a free private consultation and get started building wealth now and unto future generations. "For a free copy of a new book "Protect Your Money Now!  How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown" by Private Family Banking Partner, Chuck DeLadurantey,   go to www.protectyourmoneynow.net

Get a Table Runner from Rebekah Merkle! https://www.rebekahmerkle.com/ MEMBERS! We’re doing giveaways every week! Make sure you’re a Fight Laugh Feast Member to be included! https://flfnetwork.com/product/fightlaughfestclub/?attribute_member-tier=silver-monthly Make sure you keep up with us daily on our Fight Laugh Feast App, The FLF Pub! https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub

Get a Table Runner from Rebekah Merkle! https://www.rebekahmerkle.com/ MEMBERS! We’re doing giveaways every week! Make sure you’re a Fight Laugh Feast Member to be included! https://flfnetwork.com/product/fightlaughfestclub/?attribute_member-tier=silver-monthly Make sure you keep up with us daily on our Fight Laugh Feast App, The FLF Pub! https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub

Ben Merkle, president of New St. Andrews College, joins me to discuss the broken financial model of higher education in America.Read Big Ed, Too Big to Fail: https://nsa.edu/blog/big-ed-too-big-to-failSubscribe to my newspaper: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

With a little help from Dr. Ben Merkle, I offer a non-compliant, non-regime-approved take on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Subscribe to my podcast at https://anchor.fm/jason-modar #israelpalestineconflict #hamas #israel

A talk from Grace Agenda 2023 from Dr. Ben Merkle.

In this conversation with Dr. Ben Merkle, we discuss New Saint Andrews and his vision for Christian Higher Education. We dive into the state of Christian Higher Education today, federal funding, getting a college degree, student loans, and whether NSA will ever have a football team. New Saint Andrews - https://nsa.edu/Ben Merkle Twitter - https://twitter.com/PresidentNSAThe White Horse King - https://amzn.to/46GyYUaSupport the show!! - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavisSupport the showSign up for the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavisFollow Full Proof Theology on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fullprooftheology/Follow Full Proof Theology on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fullprooftheology/

In Today's episode of "Moment of Truth," Nick sits down with Dr. Benjamin Merkle, President and Senior Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College, to discuss the state of Christian higher education, why college admissions counsellors lie, the reality about college degrees and job prospects, and why a college degree may not matter as much as you think.#BenjaminMerkle #PresidentMerkle #NSA #NewSaintAndrews #College #Admissions #Degree #Jobs #RealWorldDr. Ben Merkle is the president of New Saint Andrews College, as well as a Fellow of Theology. He holds a DPhil in Oriental Studies and an MSt in Jewish Studies from Oxford University, England; an MA degree in English Literature, a Greyfriars Letter, and a BS in Education (Secondary Education-Chemistry, with a minor in History) both from the University of Idaho. He is a teaching elder Christ Church, Moscow, regularly preaching at their downtown service. Dr. Merkle is the author of The White Horse King (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) and Defending the Trinity in the Reformed Palatinate (Oxford University Press 2015). He and wife Rebekah have five children.Learn more about Dr. Benjamin Merkle's work at:https://nsa.edu/authors/benjamin-merklehttps://twitter.com/PresidentNSA––––––Follow American Moment across Social Media:Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmMomentOrgFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmMomentOrgInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/ammomentorg/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qmB5DeiFxt53ZPZiW4TcgRumble – https://rumble.com/c/ammomentorgCheck out AmCanon:https://www.americanmoment.org/amcanon/Follow Us on Twitter:Saurabh Sharma – https://twitter.com/ssharmaUSNick Solheim – https://twitter.com/NickSSolheimAmerican Moment's "Moment of Truth" Podcast is recorded at the Conservative Partnership Center in Washington DC, produced by American Moment Studios, and edited by Jake Mercier and Jared Cummings.Subscribe to our Podcast, "Moment of Truth"Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-truth/id1555257529Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5ATl0x7nKDX0vVoGrGNhAj Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, September 12th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/09/10/estimated-300000-impacted-by-earthquake-in-morocco-with-at-least-2000-dead/ Estimated 300,000 Impacted by Earthquake in Morocco, with at Least 2,000 Dead A magnitude 3.9 aftershock rattled Moroccans on Sunday as they prayed for victims of the nation’s strongest earthquake in more than a century and worked to rescue survivors while soldiers and workers brought water and supplies to mountain villages in ruins. More than 2,000 people are dead – a number that is expected to rise. The United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake and some Moroccans complained on social networks that the government wasn’t allowing more help from outside. International aid crews were prepared to deploy, but remained in limbo waiting for the Morocco government to request their assistance. “We know there is a great urgency to save people and dig under the remains of buildings,” said the, founder of Rescuers Without Borders, who had a team stuck in Paris waiting for the green light. “There are people dying under the rubble, and we cannot do anything to save them.” Those left homeless – or fearing more aftershocks – from Friday night’s earthquake slept outside Saturday, in the streets of the ancient city of Marrakech or under makeshift canopies in Atlas Mountain towns like Moulay Brahim, which were among the hardest-hit. The worst destruction was in small, rural communities that are hard for rescuers to reach because of the mountainous terrain. Those same areas were shaken anew Sunday by a magnitude 3.9 quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It wasn’t immediately clear if the temblor caused more damage or casualties, but it was likely strong enough to rattle nerves in areas where damage has left buildings unstable and people have spoken of their fears of aftershocks. The earthquake on Friday toppled buildings not built to withstand such a mighty quake, trapping people in the rubble and sending others fleeing in terror. A total of 2,012 people were confirmed dead and at least 2,059 more people were injured – 1,404 of them critically – Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday night. Flags were lowered across Morocco, as King Mohammed VI ordered three days of national mourning starting Sunday. The army mobilized specialized search and rescue teams, and the king ordered water, food rations and shelter to be provided to those who lost their homes. Aid offers have poured in from around the world and the U.N. said it had a team in Morocco coordinating with authorities about how international partners can provide support. About 100 teams made up of a total of 3,500 rescuers from around the world are registered with a U.N. platform and ready to deploy in Morocco when asked, Rescuers Without Borders said. In a sign that Morocco may be prepared to accept more help from outside, the Spanish military said it had sent an air force plane carrying an urban search and rescue team of 56 soldiers and four dogs to Marrakech to help. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a radio interview that the deployment was in response to a bilateral request for help from Moroccan authorities. Another rescue team from Nice, France, also was on its way. In France, home to many people with links to Morocco, towns and cities have offered more than 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in aid, and popular performers are rallying to collect donations. The Moroccan king ordered the opening of special bank accounts to allow donations to help those in need. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66771568 Kim Jong Un: North Korea leader's armoured train reportedly heading to meet Putin The armoured train that Mr Kim uses for foreign visits appears to have departed Pyongyang, South Korean media reported citing a government official. The meeting between the two leaders is expected to take place as early as Tuesday local time. The Kremlin has confirmed that Mr Kim will visit Russia "in the coming days". The Pentagon said it believes Mr Kim is travelling to Russia and it expects "some type of meeting", according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. If the summit with Mr Putin goes ahead, it will be the North Korean leader's first international trip in more than four years, and the first since the pandemic. The two leaders will likely discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Moscow with weapons to support its war in Ukraine, a US official earlier told CBS, the BBC's US partner. Mr Kim's last trip abroad was also to Vladivostok in 2019 for his first summit with Mr Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with then US President Donald Trump. It is rumoured to include at least 20 bulletproof cars, making it heavier than average trains and unable to go beyond 59 km/h (37mph). His journey to Vladivostok is expected to take an entire day. The possible meeting comes after the White House said it had new information that arms negotiations between the two countries were "actively advancing". National Security Council spokesman John Kirby earlier said Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, had tried to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition" to Russia during a recent visit to North Korea. The summit comes at a time when both Russia and North Korea have things that the other country wants, according to Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "What'll matter now is if both sides can find suitable prices they're willing to pay for the other's assistance," he told the BBC. Russia will likely ask North Korea for conventional arms, including artillery shells and rocket artillery munitions in exchange for food and raw materials, and continuing support at international forums like the United Nations, he said. "This could open up the possibility of North Korea transferring more sophisticated weaponry to Russia to allow Moscow to maintain and backfill its own stocks of conventional weapons," he said. It is thought that Russia might need 122mm and 152mm shells because its stocks are running low, but it is not easy to determine North Korea's full artillery inventory, given its secretive nature. Weapons on display at the meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu in July included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile, believed to be the country's first ICBM to use solid propellants. It was the first time Mr Kim had opened the country's doors to foreign guests since the Covid pandemic. https://thepostmillennial.com/police-budget-cut-in-nyc-as-illegal-immigrant-crisis-forces-women-children-to-sleep-in-tents?utm_campaign=64487 Police budget cut in NYC as illegal immigrant crisis forces women, children to sleep in tents On Saturday, city officials announced that the New York Police Department's budget would be cut, with that money re-allocated to solving the migrant crisis. The move comes as New York City continues to deal with rampant crime and an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants, many of whom, including women and children, may soon be forced out of shelters and into tents on the street. Budget Director Jacques Jiha revealed in a memo over the weekend explaining that Mayor Eric Adams, who recently said the migrant crisis could "destroy" the city, will soon "issue a directive to implement an overtime reduction initiative for our city's four uniformed agencies." These include the NYPD, the fire department, the corrections department, and the department of sanitation, all of whom provide vital services to the city and its residents. Jiha also asked the agencies to "track overtime spending and their progress in meeting the reduction target," and submit monthly reports to the city. The head of the Police Benevolent Association, Patrick Hendry, slammed the move as out of touch with reality. "It is going to be impossible for the NYPD to significantly reduce overtime unless it fixes its staffing crisis," he said. "We are still thousands of cops short, and we're struggling to drive crime back to pre-2020 levels without adequate personnel." As the Daily Mail reports, New York City is currently spending close to $10 million per day dealing with the surge of migrants, with no end to the crisis in sight. The massive cuts to the budgets of essential city services will only cover two-thirds of the projected costs. As more migrants arrive, shelters and other facilities have reached their breaking point. During an interview with PIX11 on Sunday, Adams said that those who had been given priority for indoor sleeping areas could lose that privilege. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fauci-federal-recommendations-possible-not-mandates-uptick-covid Fauci says federal mask 'recommendations' are possible amid uptick in COVID Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci predicted Sunday that federal recommendations for masking may be given as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, but not federal mandates. In an appearance on ABC's This Week, Fauci told Jon Karl he would be "extremely surprised" if a federal mask mandate were put in place. "I can see that if we get a significant uptick in cases that you may see the recommendation that masks be used under certain circumstances and indoor crowded settings, but I don't see there'd be certainly not federal mandates," he said. "There may be local organizations that may require masks, but I think what we're gonna see mostly are, if the cases go up that there might be recommendations, not mandates. There's a big difference there," Fauci continued. Karl also pressed the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director at the National Institutes of Health on the efficacy of masking in retrospect. Asked about new studies indicating that the practice of masking may not have been effective in containing the COVID-19 virus, Fauci claimed some studies are being misconstrued. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/michigan-state-suspends-mel-tucker-without-pay-sexual-harassment-allegations Michigan State suspends Mel Tucker without pay amid sexual harassment allegations Michigan State suspended football coach Mel Tucker Sunday amid an investigation after he was accused of sexually harassing a rape survivor last year. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller made the announcement following conflicting reports Tucker was going to be fired and/or suspended. He added that Tucker was suspended without pay. Tucker has been the head coach of the Spartans since 2020 and signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension in November 2021. The allegations against Tucker surfaced earlier in the day in a USA Today report. According to ESPN, he was under investigation over the allegations. Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett will serve as the interim head coach. Former coach Mark Dantonio is returning as an associate head coach. Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault prevention advocate who was gang raped by four college football players in 1998, filed the complaint against Tucker and alleged the coach had asked whether she would date him if he weren’t already married and gratified himself without her consent during a phone call, according to USA Today. Tucker claims all of this was consensual - stating: "Ms. Tracy’s distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me," Tucker wrote to the Title IX investigator in March, according to USA Today. "I am not proud of my judgment and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition."

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, September 12th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/09/10/estimated-300000-impacted-by-earthquake-in-morocco-with-at-least-2000-dead/ Estimated 300,000 Impacted by Earthquake in Morocco, with at Least 2,000 Dead A magnitude 3.9 aftershock rattled Moroccans on Sunday as they prayed for victims of the nation’s strongest earthquake in more than a century and worked to rescue survivors while soldiers and workers brought water and supplies to mountain villages in ruins. More than 2,000 people are dead – a number that is expected to rise. The United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s magnitude 6.8 quake and some Moroccans complained on social networks that the government wasn’t allowing more help from outside. International aid crews were prepared to deploy, but remained in limbo waiting for the Morocco government to request their assistance. “We know there is a great urgency to save people and dig under the remains of buildings,” said the, founder of Rescuers Without Borders, who had a team stuck in Paris waiting for the green light. “There are people dying under the rubble, and we cannot do anything to save them.” Those left homeless – or fearing more aftershocks – from Friday night’s earthquake slept outside Saturday, in the streets of the ancient city of Marrakech or under makeshift canopies in Atlas Mountain towns like Moulay Brahim, which were among the hardest-hit. The worst destruction was in small, rural communities that are hard for rescuers to reach because of the mountainous terrain. Those same areas were shaken anew Sunday by a magnitude 3.9 quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It wasn’t immediately clear if the temblor caused more damage or casualties, but it was likely strong enough to rattle nerves in areas where damage has left buildings unstable and people have spoken of their fears of aftershocks. The earthquake on Friday toppled buildings not built to withstand such a mighty quake, trapping people in the rubble and sending others fleeing in terror. A total of 2,012 people were confirmed dead and at least 2,059 more people were injured – 1,404 of them critically – Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday night. Flags were lowered across Morocco, as King Mohammed VI ordered three days of national mourning starting Sunday. The army mobilized specialized search and rescue teams, and the king ordered water, food rations and shelter to be provided to those who lost their homes. Aid offers have poured in from around the world and the U.N. said it had a team in Morocco coordinating with authorities about how international partners can provide support. About 100 teams made up of a total of 3,500 rescuers from around the world are registered with a U.N. platform and ready to deploy in Morocco when asked, Rescuers Without Borders said. In a sign that Morocco may be prepared to accept more help from outside, the Spanish military said it had sent an air force plane carrying an urban search and rescue team of 56 soldiers and four dogs to Marrakech to help. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a radio interview that the deployment was in response to a bilateral request for help from Moroccan authorities. Another rescue team from Nice, France, also was on its way. In France, home to many people with links to Morocco, towns and cities have offered more than 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in aid, and popular performers are rallying to collect donations. The Moroccan king ordered the opening of special bank accounts to allow donations to help those in need. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66771568 Kim Jong Un: North Korea leader's armoured train reportedly heading to meet Putin The armoured train that Mr Kim uses for foreign visits appears to have departed Pyongyang, South Korean media reported citing a government official. The meeting between the two leaders is expected to take place as early as Tuesday local time. The Kremlin has confirmed that Mr Kim will visit Russia "in the coming days". The Pentagon said it believes Mr Kim is travelling to Russia and it expects "some type of meeting", according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. If the summit with Mr Putin goes ahead, it will be the North Korean leader's first international trip in more than four years, and the first since the pandemic. The two leaders will likely discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Moscow with weapons to support its war in Ukraine, a US official earlier told CBS, the BBC's US partner. Mr Kim's last trip abroad was also to Vladivostok in 2019 for his first summit with Mr Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with then US President Donald Trump. It is rumoured to include at least 20 bulletproof cars, making it heavier than average trains and unable to go beyond 59 km/h (37mph). His journey to Vladivostok is expected to take an entire day. The possible meeting comes after the White House said it had new information that arms negotiations between the two countries were "actively advancing". National Security Council spokesman John Kirby earlier said Russia's Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, had tried to "convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition" to Russia during a recent visit to North Korea. The summit comes at a time when both Russia and North Korea have things that the other country wants, according to Ankit Panda from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "What'll matter now is if both sides can find suitable prices they're willing to pay for the other's assistance," he told the BBC. Russia will likely ask North Korea for conventional arms, including artillery shells and rocket artillery munitions in exchange for food and raw materials, and continuing support at international forums like the United Nations, he said. "This could open up the possibility of North Korea transferring more sophisticated weaponry to Russia to allow Moscow to maintain and backfill its own stocks of conventional weapons," he said. It is thought that Russia might need 122mm and 152mm shells because its stocks are running low, but it is not easy to determine North Korea's full artillery inventory, given its secretive nature. Weapons on display at the meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu in July included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile, believed to be the country's first ICBM to use solid propellants. It was the first time Mr Kim had opened the country's doors to foreign guests since the Covid pandemic. https://thepostmillennial.com/police-budget-cut-in-nyc-as-illegal-immigrant-crisis-forces-women-children-to-sleep-in-tents?utm_campaign=64487 Police budget cut in NYC as illegal immigrant crisis forces women, children to sleep in tents On Saturday, city officials announced that the New York Police Department's budget would be cut, with that money re-allocated to solving the migrant crisis. The move comes as New York City continues to deal with rampant crime and an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants, many of whom, including women and children, may soon be forced out of shelters and into tents on the street. Budget Director Jacques Jiha revealed in a memo over the weekend explaining that Mayor Eric Adams, who recently said the migrant crisis could "destroy" the city, will soon "issue a directive to implement an overtime reduction initiative for our city's four uniformed agencies." These include the NYPD, the fire department, the corrections department, and the department of sanitation, all of whom provide vital services to the city and its residents. Jiha also asked the agencies to "track overtime spending and their progress in meeting the reduction target," and submit monthly reports to the city. The head of the Police Benevolent Association, Patrick Hendry, slammed the move as out of touch with reality. "It is going to be impossible for the NYPD to significantly reduce overtime unless it fixes its staffing crisis," he said. "We are still thousands of cops short, and we're struggling to drive crime back to pre-2020 levels without adequate personnel." As the Daily Mail reports, New York City is currently spending close to $10 million per day dealing with the surge of migrants, with no end to the crisis in sight. The massive cuts to the budgets of essential city services will only cover two-thirds of the projected costs. As more migrants arrive, shelters and other facilities have reached their breaking point. During an interview with PIX11 on Sunday, Adams said that those who had been given priority for indoor sleeping areas could lose that privilege. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fauci-federal-recommendations-possible-not-mandates-uptick-covid Fauci says federal mask 'recommendations' are possible amid uptick in COVID Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci predicted Sunday that federal recommendations for masking may be given as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, but not federal mandates. In an appearance on ABC's This Week, Fauci told Jon Karl he would be "extremely surprised" if a federal mask mandate were put in place. "I can see that if we get a significant uptick in cases that you may see the recommendation that masks be used under certain circumstances and indoor crowded settings, but I don't see there'd be certainly not federal mandates," he said. "There may be local organizations that may require masks, but I think what we're gonna see mostly are, if the cases go up that there might be recommendations, not mandates. There's a big difference there," Fauci continued. Karl also pressed the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director at the National Institutes of Health on the efficacy of masking in retrospect. Asked about new studies indicating that the practice of masking may not have been effective in containing the COVID-19 virus, Fauci claimed some studies are being misconstrued. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/michigan-state-suspends-mel-tucker-without-pay-sexual-harassment-allegations Michigan State suspends Mel Tucker without pay amid sexual harassment allegations Michigan State suspended football coach Mel Tucker Sunday amid an investigation after he was accused of sexually harassing a rape survivor last year. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller made the announcement following conflicting reports Tucker was going to be fired and/or suspended. He added that Tucker was suspended without pay. Tucker has been the head coach of the Spartans since 2020 and signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension in November 2021. The allegations against Tucker surfaced earlier in the day in a USA Today report. According to ESPN, he was under investigation over the allegations. Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett will serve as the interim head coach. Former coach Mark Dantonio is returning as an associate head coach. Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault prevention advocate who was gang raped by four college football players in 1998, filed the complaint against Tucker and alleged the coach had asked whether she would date him if he weren’t already married and gratified himself without her consent during a phone call, according to USA Today. Tucker claims all of this was consensual - stating: "Ms. Tracy’s distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me," Tucker wrote to the Title IX investigator in March, according to USA Today. "I am not proud of my judgment and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition."

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, August 18th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayor-blindsided-after-entire-police-force-resigns-in-minnesota-town Mayor ‘Blindsided’ After Entire Police Force Resigns In Minnesota Town Every police officer, including the chief of police, has stepped down from the force in a Minnesota town after they say complaints of low pay and long hours were left unresolved. Goodhue, a city about 65 miles southeast of Minneapolis with just over 1,000 residents, could be without police officers by August 23. It has struggled to attract new police recruits and give competitive pay to officers. The nonpartisan mayor said she was “blindsided” by the resignations and promised that the city would be protected. “I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,” Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9. “That is not an issue.” Police Chief Josh Smith said the force had trouble getting anyone interested in police work. Smith, another full-time employee, and five part-time employees all announced their resignations last week. “This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects,” Smith said in July. “I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There’s nobody getting into the game.” “Not that I’m leaving you guys, because I told you I’m in it,” he said at a meeting on July 26. “But the harsh reality is, I don’t want to be the guy working 80 hours a week just running this PD, being on call 24 hours a day, which I already am, and leaving no time for my family.” According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Goodhue City Council raised Smith’s salary by $13,000 and the other officers by 5% this year. “Right now … trying to hire at $22 an hour, you’re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,” Smith said, noting that cities could frequently give more benefits and higher pay. After all the officers leave, the town is set to contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services. The police department in Morris, another Minnesota town, was disbanded last year after it could not retain staffers. Police departments across the U.S. have struggled to attract recruits in urban and rural areas. The shortage of officers comes following a wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in 2020. https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2023/08/16/pakistan-muslim-mob-of-10000-people-burns-down-hundreds-of-christian-homes-churches-over-blasphemy/ Muslim Mob of 10,000 People Burns Down Hundreds of Christian Homes, Churches, over ‘Blasphemy’ A mob reportedly made of up as many as 10,000 men began burning down, looting, and otherwise violently assaulting Christian communities in Jaranwala, Pakistan, on Wednesday in response to reports that a Christian man had allegedly desecrated a Quran. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn, citing local Christians in the northern Pakistani region of Punjab, documented the burning down or otherwise complete destruction of at least five churches. The British Asian Christian Association, an international aid group that serves persecuted Christians in Pakistan, reported that the mob destroyed over 500 homes and left “tens of thousands” of Christians homeless. Muslim mob violence in Pakistan, an officially Islamic state, is common. Islamist mobs often riot when rumors spread of a Christian allegedly desecrating a Quran, insulting the Islamic figure Muhammad, or otherwise offending the religion. Islamists have also rioted over international news, such as riots in support of the Charlie Hebdo massacre of 2015 or riots against France following the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, which the French government condemned. Christians are often the targets of such violence and local police rarely intervene effectively, particularly when the mob attacks are triggered by allegations of blasphemy. “Blasphemy” is a crime in the Pakistani penal code, punishable by death when directed at Muhammad personally. Pakistan has never in its history executed a person for blasphemy, but mobs have “extra-judicially” killed or severely injured untold numbers over the alleged crime. Many of those killed for “blasphemy” are not charged with the crime and little evidence exists that the blasphemy occurred. Christians in Pakistan are disproportionately poor and some accused of “crimes” such as writing on a Quran are illiterate, making the accusations impossible. The incidents triggered on Wednesday reportedly began when Muslims in Jaranwala began accusing Saleem Masih, a Christian man believed to work as a cleaner, of desecrating a copy of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. According to the British Asian Christian Association, the violence began when Islamic officials used mosques to make community announcements demanding that mobs organize and begin destroying Christian communities in response. “The affected regions, including Cinema Basti, Christian Town, and Esa Nagar, have witnessed the destruction of over 500 houses,” the organization detailed. “According to reports provided by on-ground volunteers, Pastors Muratib and Moon, a tumultuous mob of approximately 10,000 individuals has wreaked havoc within the Christian towns.” The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that pastors had confirmed the burning down and looting of at least five churches in the community throughout Wednesday. “Images on social media showed smoke rising from the church buildings and people setting fire to furniture that had been dragged from them. A Christian cemetery was also vandalised, as well as the local government office,” Dawn documented. Videos from the greater fay-sala-bad area showed large crowds of men starting fires around churches, looting the homes of Christians, and chanting anti-Christian slogans. In one such video, one police officer appears in front of a crowd of what appears to be hundreds of people, calmly attempting to address the men and being ignored as they continue ransacking what appears to be a residential community. Bishop Azad Marshall, the president bishop of the Church of Pakistan, posted a message on Twitter on Wednesday stating that churches were burning as he was writing and demanding police take action. The mob attacks appear to be ongoing at press time, though local police claim they are organizing a response. Pakistan’s Geo TV cited the information minister for Punjab, Amir Mir, claiming “dozens” of people had been arrested for their participation in the mob attacks and that police believed the eruption of violence was not spontaneous. “There was a plan to disturb the peace by inciting public sentiments. After the desecration of the Holy Quran, the angry protesters reacted strongly,” Mir claimed, apparently accepting the alleged blasphemy as a fact. Geo TV added that Mir claimed police were working swiftly to investigate “the tragic incident of the desecration of the holy book” – the Quran, presumably, though Mir did not clarify if he was also investigating Bishop Marshall’s report of desecrations of Bibles. Mir also astoundingly claimed “no one was injured nor was there any loss of life” in the riots, contradicting the on-the-ground reports from the British Asian Christian Association, which alleged thousands of injuries. https://www.witn.com/2023/08/16/north-carolina-house-overrides-multiple-vetoes/?fbclid=IwAR2myIPVYdQ3mhoinGOu-CMbUkNH8KnFZEFCOYQ4KaxoBq9BV0JmYywKkpI North Carolina legislature overrides Governor’s vetoes on transgender and charter school bills The North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate voted along party lines to override several of Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes on Wednesday afternoon. All of the bills that had their vetoes overridden now become law. House and Senate members first voted to override House Bill 574, which is better known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The bill would ban all transgender girls and women (biological boys or men) from competing in women’s athletics at the middle school, high school, and college levels in North Carolina. After passing the House, the Senate then overrode the governor’s veto as well along party lines.. Also on the calendar Wednesday was House Bill 808, a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for children. This bill prohibits doctors in North Carolina from treating any child under 18 years old with drugs associated with gender transitioning. The House overrode the Governor’s veto of that bill by a vote of 73-46. The NC Senate then voted to override the veto by a vote of 27-18. Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents Bill of Rights or also by the nickname “Don’t Say Gay bill” is a bill that would force educators from kindergarten through high school to notify parents if a child asked school personnel to use other pronouns or other names for them. Senate Bill 49′s veto was also overridden in both chambers of the General Assembly Wednesday as well. The House and Senate also voted to override House Bill 219, known as the Charter School Omnibus Bill, by a House vote of 74-45 and a Senate vote of 27-18. House Bill 219 allows charter schools in the state to expand without seeking permission as long as they’re not considered low-performing. It would also allow them to give preferential treatment to applicants instead of using the lottery system as well as begin to allow enrollment and charge tuition for out-of-state and foreign exchange students. House Bill 219 would also allow county governments to use funds collected from property taxes to pay for charter school buildings and other capital projects, under current law using public funds for this reason is not possible. Both chambers also voted along party lines to override Governor Cooper’s veto of HB618 dealing with charter school review boards. House Bill 488, a bill allowing for Code Council Reorganization and various code amendments was also overridden in both chambers on Wednesday along party lines. Upon adjournment, House Speaker Tim Moore (R - Cleveland County) told members that there would be no legislative votes for the rest of this week or next, and possibly the week beyond that, meaning that the General Assembly will not be taking up a state budget until at least September, well after the start of the new year for North Carolina’s public schools. Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! https://www.boundingintosports.com/2023/08/tuohy-family-from-the-blind-side-responds-to-accusations-from-nfl-vet-michael-oher-as-he-seeks-film-royalties/ Tuohy Family From ‘The Blind Side’ Responds To Accusations From NFL Vet Michael Oher As He Seeks Film Royalties Former NFL player Michael Oher, who was the focus of the 2009 blockbuster film The Blind Side, has filed a lawsuit in a Shelby County, Tennessee court against Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, the people who took him into their home and raised him as a wayward teenager. Oher accuses them of misleading him intentionally regarding his ‘adoption,’ which he claims was a conservatorship instead. Needless to say, this revelation has completely altered the images of Oher and the Tuohy’s portrayed in the popular film, suggesting that this Christian, kind family may have had other motives for taking Oher into their home. Oher, now 37 years old, had his attorney file a 14-page document to the court alleging that as a teenager, the Tuohy’s convinced him to sign a document back in 2004 giving them full legal authority over any business decisions he could potentially be involved in, rather than what he believed was an adoption by the family. Sean Tuohy said in an interview with The Daily Memphis that the accusations of ill-intent and that his family simply wanted to profit off of Oher were ridiculous. “I sat Michael down and told him, ‘If you’re planning to go to Ole Miss — or even considering Ole Miss — we think you have to be part of the family. This would do that legally,’” he said at the time when Oher believed they were legally adopting him. “We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn’t adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship. We were so concerned it was on the up-and-up that we made sure the biological mother came to court.” Tuohy also stated that the family did not earn the sizable amount of money Oher’s attorneys believe they did. Touhy, who is already wealthy himself from owning and selling a chain of fast food franchises for upwards of $200 million, claimed that those saying it was all about the money should think again. https://twitter.com/i/status/1691179803821359105 - Play Video The lawsuit being brought by Oher, paints a vastly different picture… if you want more information on that lawsuit, go listen to my newsbrief from yesterday.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, August 18th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayor-blindsided-after-entire-police-force-resigns-in-minnesota-town Mayor ‘Blindsided’ After Entire Police Force Resigns In Minnesota Town Every police officer, including the chief of police, has stepped down from the force in a Minnesota town after they say complaints of low pay and long hours were left unresolved. Goodhue, a city about 65 miles southeast of Minneapolis with just over 1,000 residents, could be without police officers by August 23. It has struggled to attract new police recruits and give competitive pay to officers. The nonpartisan mayor said she was “blindsided” by the resignations and promised that the city would be protected. “I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,” Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9. “That is not an issue.” Police Chief Josh Smith said the force had trouble getting anyone interested in police work. Smith, another full-time employee, and five part-time employees all announced their resignations last week. “This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects,” Smith said in July. “I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There’s nobody getting into the game.” “Not that I’m leaving you guys, because I told you I’m in it,” he said at a meeting on July 26. “But the harsh reality is, I don’t want to be the guy working 80 hours a week just running this PD, being on call 24 hours a day, which I already am, and leaving no time for my family.” According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Goodhue City Council raised Smith’s salary by $13,000 and the other officers by 5% this year. “Right now … trying to hire at $22 an hour, you’re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,” Smith said, noting that cities could frequently give more benefits and higher pay. After all the officers leave, the town is set to contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services. The police department in Morris, another Minnesota town, was disbanded last year after it could not retain staffers. Police departments across the U.S. have struggled to attract recruits in urban and rural areas. The shortage of officers comes following a wave of anti-police sentiment after the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in 2020. https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2023/08/16/pakistan-muslim-mob-of-10000-people-burns-down-hundreds-of-christian-homes-churches-over-blasphemy/ Muslim Mob of 10,000 People Burns Down Hundreds of Christian Homes, Churches, over ‘Blasphemy’ A mob reportedly made of up as many as 10,000 men began burning down, looting, and otherwise violently assaulting Christian communities in Jaranwala, Pakistan, on Wednesday in response to reports that a Christian man had allegedly desecrated a Quran. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn, citing local Christians in the northern Pakistani region of Punjab, documented the burning down or otherwise complete destruction of at least five churches. The British Asian Christian Association, an international aid group that serves persecuted Christians in Pakistan, reported that the mob destroyed over 500 homes and left “tens of thousands” of Christians homeless. Muslim mob violence in Pakistan, an officially Islamic state, is common. Islamist mobs often riot when rumors spread of a Christian allegedly desecrating a Quran, insulting the Islamic figure Muhammad, or otherwise offending the religion. Islamists have also rioted over international news, such as riots in support of the Charlie Hebdo massacre of 2015 or riots against France following the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, which the French government condemned. Christians are often the targets of such violence and local police rarely intervene effectively, particularly when the mob attacks are triggered by allegations of blasphemy. “Blasphemy” is a crime in the Pakistani penal code, punishable by death when directed at Muhammad personally. Pakistan has never in its history executed a person for blasphemy, but mobs have “extra-judicially” killed or severely injured untold numbers over the alleged crime. Many of those killed for “blasphemy” are not charged with the crime and little evidence exists that the blasphemy occurred. Christians in Pakistan are disproportionately poor and some accused of “crimes” such as writing on a Quran are illiterate, making the accusations impossible. The incidents triggered on Wednesday reportedly began when Muslims in Jaranwala began accusing Saleem Masih, a Christian man believed to work as a cleaner, of desecrating a copy of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. According to the British Asian Christian Association, the violence began when Islamic officials used mosques to make community announcements demanding that mobs organize and begin destroying Christian communities in response. “The affected regions, including Cinema Basti, Christian Town, and Esa Nagar, have witnessed the destruction of over 500 houses,” the organization detailed. “According to reports provided by on-ground volunteers, Pastors Muratib and Moon, a tumultuous mob of approximately 10,000 individuals has wreaked havoc within the Christian towns.” The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that pastors had confirmed the burning down and looting of at least five churches in the community throughout Wednesday. “Images on social media showed smoke rising from the church buildings and people setting fire to furniture that had been dragged from them. A Christian cemetery was also vandalised, as well as the local government office,” Dawn documented. Videos from the greater fay-sala-bad area showed large crowds of men starting fires around churches, looting the homes of Christians, and chanting anti-Christian slogans. In one such video, one police officer appears in front of a crowd of what appears to be hundreds of people, calmly attempting to address the men and being ignored as they continue ransacking what appears to be a residential community. Bishop Azad Marshall, the president bishop of the Church of Pakistan, posted a message on Twitter on Wednesday stating that churches were burning as he was writing and demanding police take action. The mob attacks appear to be ongoing at press time, though local police claim they are organizing a response. Pakistan’s Geo TV cited the information minister for Punjab, Amir Mir, claiming “dozens” of people had been arrested for their participation in the mob attacks and that police believed the eruption of violence was not spontaneous. “There was a plan to disturb the peace by inciting public sentiments. After the desecration of the Holy Quran, the angry protesters reacted strongly,” Mir claimed, apparently accepting the alleged blasphemy as a fact. Geo TV added that Mir claimed police were working swiftly to investigate “the tragic incident of the desecration of the holy book” – the Quran, presumably, though Mir did not clarify if he was also investigating Bishop Marshall’s report of desecrations of Bibles. Mir also astoundingly claimed “no one was injured nor was there any loss of life” in the riots, contradicting the on-the-ground reports from the British Asian Christian Association, which alleged thousands of injuries. https://www.witn.com/2023/08/16/north-carolina-house-overrides-multiple-vetoes/?fbclid=IwAR2myIPVYdQ3mhoinGOu-CMbUkNH8KnFZEFCOYQ4KaxoBq9BV0JmYywKkpI North Carolina legislature overrides Governor’s vetoes on transgender and charter school bills The North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate voted along party lines to override several of Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes on Wednesday afternoon. All of the bills that had their vetoes overridden now become law. House and Senate members first voted to override House Bill 574, which is better known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The bill would ban all transgender girls and women (biological boys or men) from competing in women’s athletics at the middle school, high school, and college levels in North Carolina. After passing the House, the Senate then overrode the governor’s veto as well along party lines.. Also on the calendar Wednesday was House Bill 808, a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for children. This bill prohibits doctors in North Carolina from treating any child under 18 years old with drugs associated with gender transitioning. The House overrode the Governor’s veto of that bill by a vote of 73-46. The NC Senate then voted to override the veto by a vote of 27-18. Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents Bill of Rights or also by the nickname “Don’t Say Gay bill” is a bill that would force educators from kindergarten through high school to notify parents if a child asked school personnel to use other pronouns or other names for them. Senate Bill 49′s veto was also overridden in both chambers of the General Assembly Wednesday as well. The House and Senate also voted to override House Bill 219, known as the Charter School Omnibus Bill, by a House vote of 74-45 and a Senate vote of 27-18. House Bill 219 allows charter schools in the state to expand without seeking permission as long as they’re not considered low-performing. It would also allow them to give preferential treatment to applicants instead of using the lottery system as well as begin to allow enrollment and charge tuition for out-of-state and foreign exchange students. House Bill 219 would also allow county governments to use funds collected from property taxes to pay for charter school buildings and other capital projects, under current law using public funds for this reason is not possible. Both chambers also voted along party lines to override Governor Cooper’s veto of HB618 dealing with charter school review boards. House Bill 488, a bill allowing for Code Council Reorganization and various code amendments was also overridden in both chambers on Wednesday along party lines. Upon adjournment, House Speaker Tim Moore (R - Cleveland County) told members that there would be no legislative votes for the rest of this week or next, and possibly the week beyond that, meaning that the General Assembly will not be taking up a state budget until at least September, well after the start of the new year for North Carolina’s public schools. Now it’s time for my favorite topic, sports! https://www.boundingintosports.com/2023/08/tuohy-family-from-the-blind-side-responds-to-accusations-from-nfl-vet-michael-oher-as-he-seeks-film-royalties/ Tuohy Family From ‘The Blind Side’ Responds To Accusations From NFL Vet Michael Oher As He Seeks Film Royalties Former NFL player Michael Oher, who was the focus of the 2009 blockbuster film The Blind Side, has filed a lawsuit in a Shelby County, Tennessee court against Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, the people who took him into their home and raised him as a wayward teenager. Oher accuses them of misleading him intentionally regarding his ‘adoption,’ which he claims was a conservatorship instead. Needless to say, this revelation has completely altered the images of Oher and the Tuohy’s portrayed in the popular film, suggesting that this Christian, kind family may have had other motives for taking Oher into their home. Oher, now 37 years old, had his attorney file a 14-page document to the court alleging that as a teenager, the Tuohy’s convinced him to sign a document back in 2004 giving them full legal authority over any business decisions he could potentially be involved in, rather than what he believed was an adoption by the family. Sean Tuohy said in an interview with The Daily Memphis that the accusations of ill-intent and that his family simply wanted to profit off of Oher were ridiculous. “I sat Michael down and told him, ‘If you’re planning to go to Ole Miss — or even considering Ole Miss — we think you have to be part of the family. This would do that legally,’” he said at the time when Oher believed they were legally adopting him. “We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn’t adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship. We were so concerned it was on the up-and-up that we made sure the biological mother came to court.” Tuohy also stated that the family did not earn the sizable amount of money Oher’s attorneys believe they did. Touhy, who is already wealthy himself from owning and selling a chain of fast food franchises for upwards of $200 million, claimed that those saying it was all about the money should think again. https://twitter.com/i/status/1691179803821359105 - Play Video The lawsuit being brought by Oher, paints a vastly different picture… if you want more information on that lawsuit, go listen to my newsbrief from yesterday.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 25th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! We start today at the southern border… https://justthenews.com/government/security/biden-has-border-terrorism-problem-encounters-flagged-aliens-explode-nine-fold Biden has a border terrorism problem as encounters with flagged aliens explode ninefold The number of foreigners on the U.S. terrorist screening list who have tried illegally crossing into the United States has exploded ninefold since President Joe Biden took office, an alarming increase that experts say puts national security at risk. So far in fiscal 2023, 140 people on the terror list have been apprehended between ports of entry, already crushing last year’s record of 98. There were only three such crossings in the last year of Donald Trump’s presidency, and 16 in Biden’s first year. The rapid growth in crossings by illegal aliens with terror ties is a warning sign that countries with bad intent may be trying to sneak potential terror cells into the United States, experts told Just the News. Added Mark Morgan, the former acting commissioner of the Customs Border Protection agency: “We literally could have the next terrorist sleeper cell in United States planning a terrorist attack, and we would have no idea.” The pattern also has alarmed Congress, which began an investigation earlier this summer. Lawmakers said they are particularly concerned that there have been 1.5 million gotaways who have never been encountered illegally crossing the border, raising the possibility there are many more potential terrorists already in the country. “These ‘known gotaways’ do not provide biometric or biographic information to USBP agents and continue their journey into the interior of the country without background checks against law enforcement databases,” Reps. Jim Jordan, James Comer and Mark Green wrote in a recent letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Jordan, Comer and Green chair three of the most powerful committees in Congress: Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security. The lawmakers also cited a recent change in language by the Homeland Security Department, raising concerns that some illegal aliens with terror ties may not have been deported. Concerns have been exacerbated by the recent revelation the Biden released an illegal alien with known terrorism ties, and it took two weeks to apprehend him. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/china-publishes-then-deletes-official-covid-data-indicating-over-1 China publishes then deletes official COVID data indicating over 1 million more deaths than reported While Beijing has claimed about 83,700 people have died in China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zhejiang provincial government published and quickly deleted official data indicating the true death toll is significantly higher. The Zhejiang government deleted the data last week just days after it was published, but epidemiologists who reviewed the information said it was the latest indication that China's official death toll is vastly undercounted, according to The New York Times. Provincial data shows that the number of cremations rose to 171,000 in the first quarter of 2023, which is 72,000 more cremations than the same period last year when China's stringent COVID mandates were still in place. China has only acknowledged about 83,700 deaths in total. An analysis earlier this year from the New York paper estimated that China's most recent wave of COVID, which started late last year, may have resulted in between one million and 1.5 million deaths. Experts say the data from Zhejiang, which has a population of 65.8 million people, when extrapolated to China's population of 1.4 billion, is consistent with earlier mortality estimates. "I’m not sure the impact would have been exactly the same in every province, but I think it would be useful for a rough extrapolation," University of Hong Kong epidemiologist Ben Cowling said. "It’s consistent with the estimates of around 1.5 million." Over to Portland we go… https://thepostmillennial.com/former-kmart-in-portland-that-became-a-homeless-squat-burns-down-in-huge-fire?utm_campaign=64487 Former Kmart in Portland that became a homeless squat burns down in huge fire An abandoned Kmart store that homeless vagrants have been using as their temporary home in Portland, Oregon was riddled by a massive fire on Wednesday, authorities say. Portland Fire Bureau spokesperson Rick Graves told The Oregonian that it was only a matter of time before the site was set ablaze. "We know this structure," Graves asserted. "We've known this has been vacant for some time … [with] people gaining occupancy and using it as their home." Several complaints from nearby residents have recently been made towards the city over the building's accessibility and draw for homeless individuals, trash, and debris. The most recent complaint, filed on July 6, prompted a city inspection, which is currently ongoing. It is unknown at this moment if anyone was trapped inside the structure when the fire broke out on Wednesday morning. No known injuries exist, authorities say. Firefighters were able to gain control of the blaze on Wednesday morning, with Graves explaining that the "major challenge" in controlling the fire was a lack of water supply due to a lack of water hydrants in the area, according to the outlet. A nearby resident, 67-year-old Laurel McAfee, told reporters that huge bunches of ash were scattered throughout the yard of her home. McAfee said the initial "boom" was so loud she had "thought maybe a car had hit a building or something." The cause of Wednesday’s fire has not yet been identified. So while Portland is continuing it’s decent into Mordor status, Disney does the same! https://notthebee.com/article/disneys-new-snow-white-its-not-1937-shes-not-gonna-be-saved-by-the-prince-and-shes-not-going-to-be-dreaming-about-true-love-shes-dreaming-about-becoming-the-leader-she-knows-she-can-be?fbclid=IwAR1-Lnh2oHRUkC7B62wlOx4v6tQukl3sn81zXp26vGDGzM5Ct6Uazpd4UJg Disney's new Snow White: "It's not 1937. She’s not gonna be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be." Another remake that's here to smash the patriarchy. https://twitter.com/i/status/1683121280390660097 - Play Video How many billions will this Snow White remake cost Disney? Good luck with that Disney! In other entertainment news… https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/07/20/nolte-sound-of-freedom-crosses-100-million-mark/ ‘Sound of Freedom’ Crosses $100 Million Mark Thanks to a Wednesday haul of another $4.5 million, Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom has crossed the magic $100 million mark at the domestic box office. “Angel Studios, the platform empowering filmmakers with full creative control to crowdfund and create, has reached a new theatrical milestone,” the studio said in a statement released Thursday. “Its independent summer hit, SOUND of FREEDOM. has now sold over 8.9 million tickets, and the film has now passed $100M in box office revenue.” “Since the films’ July 4 release, SOUND of FREEDOM has never left the top 3 positions on the charts[.]” On Wednesday, after 16 days of release, Sound of Freedom also managed to nearly top Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One once again, which is only in its eighth day of release — $4.37 million for Dead Reckoning’s Wednesday haul compared to Sound of Freedom’s $4.5 million. As Breitbart News reported Tuesday, Tom Cruise’s seventh outing as Ethan Hunt enjoys the advantage of playing in 1,000+ more screens—4,327 to 3,265. So, as far as packing in the crowds on a per-screen average, Jim Caviezel’s $14.5 million movie is beating Tom Cruise’s $250 to $300 million blockbuster, and doing so after being in wide release a week longer. Currently, Sound of Freedom is the second most popular movie in the country and there are no signs it will slow down. Barbie and Oppenheimer open this weekend, but just as we saw with Dead Reckoning the previous weekend, Sound of Freedom is operating in a lane all of its own. The anti-child trafficking movie (a topic the pro-grooming left finds offensive and controversial) is bringing normal people back to movie theaters. all kinds of people who long ago divorced mainstream Hollywood and have or intend to see Sound of Freedom. Top Gun: Maverick did the same last year. Normal people are craving normal entertainment. No gay sex. No smug lectures about the patriarchy. No deconstructing our heroes. No Mary Sues. Normal people want good stories created around interesting and complicated characters. Hollywood did this without breaking a sweat for a hundred years. Now a normal movie is an exception in an ocean of woketardery, shaming, and the normalization of destructive perversions. By all accounts, Sound of Freedom is a quality movie about an important subject that’s making a fortune and driving the left-wing establishment crazy. It doesn’t get any better than that. I suspect Disney will soon produce a remake where the sex traffickers are the heroes rescuing children from their traditional parents. Yes, the liberation of gay sex to unshackle the suffocating tenets of the Christian Faith. Coming soon to an empty theater near you.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 25th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! We start today at the southern border… https://justthenews.com/government/security/biden-has-border-terrorism-problem-encounters-flagged-aliens-explode-nine-fold Biden has a border terrorism problem as encounters with flagged aliens explode ninefold The number of foreigners on the U.S. terrorist screening list who have tried illegally crossing into the United States has exploded ninefold since President Joe Biden took office, an alarming increase that experts say puts national security at risk. So far in fiscal 2023, 140 people on the terror list have been apprehended between ports of entry, already crushing last year’s record of 98. There were only three such crossings in the last year of Donald Trump’s presidency, and 16 in Biden’s first year. The rapid growth in crossings by illegal aliens with terror ties is a warning sign that countries with bad intent may be trying to sneak potential terror cells into the United States, experts told Just the News. Added Mark Morgan, the former acting commissioner of the Customs Border Protection agency: “We literally could have the next terrorist sleeper cell in United States planning a terrorist attack, and we would have no idea.” The pattern also has alarmed Congress, which began an investigation earlier this summer. Lawmakers said they are particularly concerned that there have been 1.5 million gotaways who have never been encountered illegally crossing the border, raising the possibility there are many more potential terrorists already in the country. “These ‘known gotaways’ do not provide biometric or biographic information to USBP agents and continue their journey into the interior of the country without background checks against law enforcement databases,” Reps. Jim Jordan, James Comer and Mark Green wrote in a recent letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Jordan, Comer and Green chair three of the most powerful committees in Congress: Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security. The lawmakers also cited a recent change in language by the Homeland Security Department, raising concerns that some illegal aliens with terror ties may not have been deported. Concerns have been exacerbated by the recent revelation the Biden released an illegal alien with known terrorism ties, and it took two weeks to apprehend him. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/china-publishes-then-deletes-official-covid-data-indicating-over-1 China publishes then deletes official COVID data indicating over 1 million more deaths than reported While Beijing has claimed about 83,700 people have died in China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zhejiang provincial government published and quickly deleted official data indicating the true death toll is significantly higher. The Zhejiang government deleted the data last week just days after it was published, but epidemiologists who reviewed the information said it was the latest indication that China's official death toll is vastly undercounted, according to The New York Times. Provincial data shows that the number of cremations rose to 171,000 in the first quarter of 2023, which is 72,000 more cremations than the same period last year when China's stringent COVID mandates were still in place. China has only acknowledged about 83,700 deaths in total. An analysis earlier this year from the New York paper estimated that China's most recent wave of COVID, which started late last year, may have resulted in between one million and 1.5 million deaths. Experts say the data from Zhejiang, which has a population of 65.8 million people, when extrapolated to China's population of 1.4 billion, is consistent with earlier mortality estimates. "I’m not sure the impact would have been exactly the same in every province, but I think it would be useful for a rough extrapolation," University of Hong Kong epidemiologist Ben Cowling said. "It’s consistent with the estimates of around 1.5 million." Over to Portland we go… https://thepostmillennial.com/former-kmart-in-portland-that-became-a-homeless-squat-burns-down-in-huge-fire?utm_campaign=64487 Former Kmart in Portland that became a homeless squat burns down in huge fire An abandoned Kmart store that homeless vagrants have been using as their temporary home in Portland, Oregon was riddled by a massive fire on Wednesday, authorities say. Portland Fire Bureau spokesperson Rick Graves told The Oregonian that it was only a matter of time before the site was set ablaze. "We know this structure," Graves asserted. "We've known this has been vacant for some time … [with] people gaining occupancy and using it as their home." Several complaints from nearby residents have recently been made towards the city over the building's accessibility and draw for homeless individuals, trash, and debris. The most recent complaint, filed on July 6, prompted a city inspection, which is currently ongoing. It is unknown at this moment if anyone was trapped inside the structure when the fire broke out on Wednesday morning. No known injuries exist, authorities say. Firefighters were able to gain control of the blaze on Wednesday morning, with Graves explaining that the "major challenge" in controlling the fire was a lack of water supply due to a lack of water hydrants in the area, according to the outlet. A nearby resident, 67-year-old Laurel McAfee, told reporters that huge bunches of ash were scattered throughout the yard of her home. McAfee said the initial "boom" was so loud she had "thought maybe a car had hit a building or something." The cause of Wednesday’s fire has not yet been identified. So while Portland is continuing it’s decent into Mordor status, Disney does the same! https://notthebee.com/article/disneys-new-snow-white-its-not-1937-shes-not-gonna-be-saved-by-the-prince-and-shes-not-going-to-be-dreaming-about-true-love-shes-dreaming-about-becoming-the-leader-she-knows-she-can-be?fbclid=IwAR1-Lnh2oHRUkC7B62wlOx4v6tQukl3sn81zXp26vGDGzM5Ct6Uazpd4UJg Disney's new Snow White: "It's not 1937. She’s not gonna be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be." Another remake that's here to smash the patriarchy. https://twitter.com/i/status/1683121280390660097 - Play Video How many billions will this Snow White remake cost Disney? Good luck with that Disney! In other entertainment news… https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/07/20/nolte-sound-of-freedom-crosses-100-million-mark/ ‘Sound of Freedom’ Crosses $100 Million Mark Thanks to a Wednesday haul of another $4.5 million, Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom has crossed the magic $100 million mark at the domestic box office. “Angel Studios, the platform empowering filmmakers with full creative control to crowdfund and create, has reached a new theatrical milestone,” the studio said in a statement released Thursday. “Its independent summer hit, SOUND of FREEDOM. has now sold over 8.9 million tickets, and the film has now passed $100M in box office revenue.” “Since the films’ July 4 release, SOUND of FREEDOM has never left the top 3 positions on the charts[.]” On Wednesday, after 16 days of release, Sound of Freedom also managed to nearly top Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One once again, which is only in its eighth day of release — $4.37 million for Dead Reckoning’s Wednesday haul compared to Sound of Freedom’s $4.5 million. As Breitbart News reported Tuesday, Tom Cruise’s seventh outing as Ethan Hunt enjoys the advantage of playing in 1,000+ more screens—4,327 to 3,265. So, as far as packing in the crowds on a per-screen average, Jim Caviezel’s $14.5 million movie is beating Tom Cruise’s $250 to $300 million blockbuster, and doing so after being in wide release a week longer. Currently, Sound of Freedom is the second most popular movie in the country and there are no signs it will slow down. Barbie and Oppenheimer open this weekend, but just as we saw with Dead Reckoning the previous weekend, Sound of Freedom is operating in a lane all of its own. The anti-child trafficking movie (a topic the pro-grooming left finds offensive and controversial) is bringing normal people back to movie theaters. all kinds of people who long ago divorced mainstream Hollywood and have or intend to see Sound of Freedom. Top Gun: Maverick did the same last year. Normal people are craving normal entertainment. No gay sex. No smug lectures about the patriarchy. No deconstructing our heroes. No Mary Sues. Normal people want good stories created around interesting and complicated characters. Hollywood did this without breaking a sweat for a hundred years. Now a normal movie is an exception in an ocean of woketardery, shaming, and the normalization of destructive perversions. By all accounts, Sound of Freedom is a quality movie about an important subject that’s making a fortune and driving the left-wing establishment crazy. It doesn’t get any better than that. I suspect Disney will soon produce a remake where the sex traffickers are the heroes rescuing children from their traditional parents. Yes, the liberation of gay sex to unshackle the suffocating tenets of the Christian Faith. Coming soon to an empty theater near you.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.theblaze.com/news/ban-on-transgender-surgery-for-tennessee-children-goes-into-effect Tennessee's ban on transgender surgery for kids goes into effect immediately, federal appeals court rules Tennessee can implement its ban on transgender surgery and related medical interventions for minors as a case challenging the law works its way through the court, a divided federal appeals court panel ruled Saturday. Tennessee's 44th House District Representative William Lamberth (R) wrote on Twitter Saturday: "I am thankful to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for confirming what Tennesseans already know: Children cannot give consent to experimental medical procedures or drugs that destroy their healthy bodies," The Tennessee law now in effect, at least temporarily, prohibits surgical procedures and administration of hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition, as Reason explains. Judge Thapar joined Sutton, concluding that the lower court had wrongly stopped the law's implementation. Judge White delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ban, originally set to take effect July 1, will now take effect immediately. The ban was held up when a lower court sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN argued that the law interfered with parental rights and was unconstitutional, as The Hill reported. This is the first federal court to allow such a ban, with other courts unanimously blocking similar bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN brought the suit on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lac. https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/09/portland-distribute-foil-straws-snorting-kits-paraphernalia-drug-addicts/ City To Distribute Foil, Straws, Snorting Kits To Drug Addicts Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city. As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported. The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.” Others are not happy with the move. “This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.” Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported. The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported. The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/07/09/the-winner-of-miss-netherlands-2023-is-a-man-n563401 The winner of Miss Netherlands 2023 is a man Transgender activism marches on. The newly crowned Miss Universe Netherlands is a man. The runner-up is a woman. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 on Saturday. Rikkie is 22 years old, a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress in Leusden. He will represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. The first runner-up is Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam. The reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, Texas, was a special guest at the pageant. He makes history as the first transgender woman to win the national title. In 2018, Angele Ponce, Miss Universe Spain, was the first transgender to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The question of having a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe pageant goes back to 2012. That is when Trump owned it and he overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organization to disqualify a Canadian model. Jenna Talackova was not being allowed to compete because “she was not a naturally born female.” Trump bowed to the laws of Canada and allowed Jenna to compete. The LGBTQ community applauded Trump. Now he’s running against a very socially conservative Republican, Ron DeSantis, among others, and Trump has flipped on the issue. The Miss America pageant is also having its share of problems. Ever since former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson came out as super woke and joined the organization, internal battles have leaked into the press. One big issue is that when Carlson joined the organization in 2018, she made the decision to ban the swimsuit segment. Now a former Miss America, Caressa Cameron, says that the pageant feels like a Ted Talk. There is a new docuseries on A&E that exposes scandals, misogyny, and racism in the Miss America competitions. Now in world news: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-centcom-says-killed-isis-leader-syria-airstrike-no-civilian-casualties US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties U.S. forces killed ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike in eastern Syria on Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Sunday statement. Al-Muhajir was killed by the same MQ-9 reaper drones that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in the region. The two incidents occurred the same day, the U.S. says, with the drones carrying out the strike after the interaction with Russian craft. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM clarified that there were no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike, but the U.S. and allies were assessing reports of a civilian injury. The U.S. and allied forces in the region have carried out a consistent campaign against remaining ISIS leaders operating in Syria. The U.S. killed the head of the organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 2019 raid. Since then, ISIS forces have operated as cells. The MQ-9 drones used in the attack had earlier interactions with Russian SU-35 fighter jets throughout last week. The Russian craft have repeatedly flown into the path of the drones, forcing them to take evasive action to avoid a collision. "Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 a.m. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria," said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, 9th AF and CFACC for CENTCOM. "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved." "This is the second instance of dangerous behaviors by Russian pilots within the past 24 hours, with the first happening Wednesday at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time," he added. The U.S. military has also urged Russian forces in Syria to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force, so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said. The U.S. maintains a force of about 900 troops deployed in Syria. They primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their struggle against Islamic State militants. Now in entertainment… https://thepostmillennial.com/cnn-discourages-viewers-from-watching-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom?utm_campaign=64487 CNN discourages viewers from watching anti-pedophile movie, Sound of Freedom In a clip from CNN, network host Abby Phillip brought on an author named Mike Rothschild to talk about the new and popular anti-child sex trafficking film, Sound of Freedom. Rothschild charged the film is created out of a "moral panic" and "QAnon concepts." Sound of Freedom is based on the adventures of Tim Ballard, who started an organization known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). OUR's mission is to save children from human trafficking. Rothschild wrote a book titled, "The Storm is Upon Us," which details many QAnon conspiracy theories such as the idea that the Democratic Party elites are part of a cabal of Satanic worshippers that drink the blood of children. Rothschild targeted said the film is "being marketed to either specific QAnon believers or to people who believe all of the same tenets as QAnon, but claim they don't know what it is." https://rumble.com/v2yw470-cnn-encourages-viewers-not-to-see-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom.html - Play Video CNN has had its own problems with employees being involved in child sex crimes. One former producer at the network, John Griffin, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Griffin coerced a woman online to bring her nine-year-old daughter to Vermont to engage in illicit acts. The story depicted in the film is of Ballard, played by Caviezel, rescuing children. After much strife with working in the US government, he bumps up against bureaucracy in his position as an agent. He had to quit his job to rescue the kids in the film and did so in reality as well. This was the beginning of OUR as a non-government organization. The movie focuses on Ballard's mission to save the two children and reunite a family torn apart by child sex trafficking. At the end of the movie, Caviezel appears on screen with a special message to share and urges people to "pay it forward" and donate to allow others to see the film. Caviezel says, "Steve Jobs once said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Abraham Lincoln credited Harriet Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. This powerful story inspired millions to rise up and fight against slavery. I think we can make Sound of Freedom the Uncle Tom's Cabin of modern-day slavery." "Sound of Freedom is a hero's tale, but I'm not talking about the character I play. It's the heroic brother and sister in this film that work to save each other." Caviezel added, "Together, we have a chance to make these two kids, and the countless children that they represent, the most powerful people in the world by telling their story in a way only the cinema can do." Before we wrap up today’s show, let’s talk about on this day in history! On this day in history, July 11th: 138 Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian as Emperor of Rome 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch) near Kortrijk (cor-tray), Belgium: Flemish coalition defeat the French army of Philip IV 1405 Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail on his first major expedition, to the Spice Islands, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicates England's King Henry VIII On 11th July 1533, the Pope declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was null and void, as was the annulment declared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in May 1533, and he restored Catherine of Aragon to her “royal state”. He ordered the wayward king to abandon the newly crowned and pregnant Anne Boleyn and return to Catherine of Aragon. If the king refused then the Pope would issue the bull of excommunication that he had drawn up. He’d give Henry until September to sort himself out, but if he didn’t heed the Pope’s warning then he’d be excommunicated, the most severe punishment that the Church could inflict. Of course, Henry took absolutely no notice of the Pope, but he escaped excommunication until 17th December 1538 when Pope Paul III excommunicated him following his break with Rome, his persecution of those who did not accept his supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s desecration of religious shrines including that of Thomas Becket. 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher sights Greenland 1740 Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Tsarina Anne 1781 Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US By the age of 30, the remarkable Thomas Hutchins (1730?-1789) was an experienced frontiersman, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and a skilled Indian agent. He was best known, however, as a formidable surveyor, cartographer, and geographer. A native of New Jersey, the particular combination of skills made Hutchins the perfect candidate for surveying the vast western regions of the British North American empire. In 1766, he was officially assigned to duty as an engineer in the British army, gradually becoming the most respected surveyor and map maker in the colonies. From 1764 through 1768, he took part in expeditions spanning the west from the northern reaches of the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans, and in 1770, was transferred from the Illinois territory to Pensacola, where he was charged with reorganizing the provincial defenses and mapping. 1798 US Marine Corps established by an act of Congress 1801 French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his 1st comet 1882 British fleet bombards Alexandria, Egypt 1906 The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1984 Government orders air bags or seat belts would be required in cars by 1989 1988 Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, July 11th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.theblaze.com/news/ban-on-transgender-surgery-for-tennessee-children-goes-into-effect Tennessee's ban on transgender surgery for kids goes into effect immediately, federal appeals court rules Tennessee can implement its ban on transgender surgery and related medical interventions for minors as a case challenging the law works its way through the court, a divided federal appeals court panel ruled Saturday. Tennessee's 44th House District Representative William Lamberth (R) wrote on Twitter Saturday: "I am thankful to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals for confirming what Tennesseans already know: Children cannot give consent to experimental medical procedures or drugs that destroy their healthy bodies," The Tennessee law now in effect, at least temporarily, prohibits surgical procedures and administration of hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition, as Reason explains. Judge Thapar joined Sutton, concluding that the lower court had wrongly stopped the law's implementation. Judge White delivered a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The ban, originally set to take effect July 1, will now take effect immediately. The ban was held up when a lower court sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN argued that the law interfered with parental rights and was unconstitutional, as The Hill reported. This is the first federal court to allow such a ban, with other courts unanimously blocking similar bans in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. ACLU-TN brought the suit on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lac. https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/09/portland-distribute-foil-straws-snorting-kits-paraphernalia-drug-addicts/ City To Distribute Foil, Straws, Snorting Kits To Drug Addicts Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city. As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported. The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.” Others are not happy with the move. “This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.” Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported. The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported. The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported. https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2023/07/09/the-winner-of-miss-netherlands-2023-is-a-man-n563401 The winner of Miss Netherlands 2023 is a man Transgender activism marches on. The newly crowned Miss Universe Netherlands is a man. The runner-up is a woman. Rikkie Valerie Kollé was crowned Miss Universe Netherlands 2023 on Saturday. Rikkie is 22 years old, a Dutch-Moluccan model and actress in Leusden. He will represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador. The first runner-up is Nathalie Mogbelzada, 26, from Amsterdam. The reigning Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, Texas, was a special guest at the pageant. He makes history as the first transgender woman to win the national title. In 2018, Angele Ponce, Miss Universe Spain, was the first transgender to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The question of having a transgender competitor in the Miss Universe pageant goes back to 2012. That is when Trump owned it and he overturned a decision by the Miss Universe organization to disqualify a Canadian model. Jenna Talackova was not being allowed to compete because “she was not a naturally born female.” Trump bowed to the laws of Canada and allowed Jenna to compete. The LGBTQ community applauded Trump. Now he’s running against a very socially conservative Republican, Ron DeSantis, among others, and Trump has flipped on the issue. The Miss America pageant is also having its share of problems. Ever since former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson came out as super woke and joined the organization, internal battles have leaked into the press. One big issue is that when Carlson joined the organization in 2018, she made the decision to ban the swimsuit segment. Now a former Miss America, Caressa Cameron, says that the pageant feels like a Ted Talk. There is a new docuseries on A&E that exposes scandals, misogyny, and racism in the Miss America competitions. Now in world news: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-centcom-says-killed-isis-leader-syria-airstrike-no-civilian-casualties US CENTCOM says it killed ISIS leader in Syria airstrike, no civilian casualties U.S. forces killed ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in an airstrike in eastern Syria on Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a Sunday statement. Al-Muhajir was killed by the same MQ-9 reaper drones that had been harassed by Russian aircraft in the region. The two incidents occurred the same day, the U.S. says, with the drones carrying out the strike after the interaction with Russian craft. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. "ISIS remains a threat, not only to the region but well beyond." CENTCOM clarified that there were no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike, but the U.S. and allies were assessing reports of a civilian injury. The U.S. and allied forces in the region have carried out a consistent campaign against remaining ISIS leaders operating in Syria. The U.S. killed the head of the organization, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 2019 raid. Since then, ISIS forces have operated as cells. The MQ-9 drones used in the attack had earlier interactions with Russian SU-35 fighter jets throughout last week. The Russian craft have repeatedly flown into the path of the drones, forcing them to take evasive action to avoid a collision. "Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 a.m. local time, while interacting with U.S. MQ-9 drones carrying out our D-ISIS mission in Syria," said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, 9th AF and CFACC for CENTCOM. "Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved." "This is the second instance of dangerous behaviors by Russian pilots within the past 24 hours, with the first happening Wednesday at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time," he added. The U.S. military has also urged Russian forces in Syria to "cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force, so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS," he said. The U.S. maintains a force of about 900 troops deployed in Syria. They primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their struggle against Islamic State militants. Now in entertainment… https://thepostmillennial.com/cnn-discourages-viewers-from-watching-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom?utm_campaign=64487 CNN discourages viewers from watching anti-pedophile movie, Sound of Freedom In a clip from CNN, network host Abby Phillip brought on an author named Mike Rothschild to talk about the new and popular anti-child sex trafficking film, Sound of Freedom. Rothschild charged the film is created out of a "moral panic" and "QAnon concepts." Sound of Freedom is based on the adventures of Tim Ballard, who started an organization known as Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). OUR's mission is to save children from human trafficking. Rothschild wrote a book titled, "The Storm is Upon Us," which details many QAnon conspiracy theories such as the idea that the Democratic Party elites are part of a cabal of Satanic worshippers that drink the blood of children. Rothschild targeted said the film is "being marketed to either specific QAnon believers or to people who believe all of the same tenets as QAnon, but claim they don't know what it is." https://rumble.com/v2yw470-cnn-encourages-viewers-not-to-see-anti-pedophile-movie-sound-of-freedom.html - Play Video CNN has had its own problems with employees being involved in child sex crimes. One former producer at the network, John Griffin, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Griffin coerced a woman online to bring her nine-year-old daughter to Vermont to engage in illicit acts. The story depicted in the film is of Ballard, played by Caviezel, rescuing children. After much strife with working in the US government, he bumps up against bureaucracy in his position as an agent. He had to quit his job to rescue the kids in the film and did so in reality as well. This was the beginning of OUR as a non-government organization. The movie focuses on Ballard's mission to save the two children and reunite a family torn apart by child sex trafficking. At the end of the movie, Caviezel appears on screen with a special message to share and urges people to "pay it forward" and donate to allow others to see the film. Caviezel says, "Steve Jobs once said, 'The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.' Abraham Lincoln credited Harriet Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. This powerful story inspired millions to rise up and fight against slavery. I think we can make Sound of Freedom the Uncle Tom's Cabin of modern-day slavery." "Sound of Freedom is a hero's tale, but I'm not talking about the character I play. It's the heroic brother and sister in this film that work to save each other." Caviezel added, "Together, we have a chance to make these two kids, and the countless children that they represent, the most powerful people in the world by telling their story in a way only the cinema can do." Before we wrap up today’s show, let’s talk about on this day in history! On this day in history, July 11th: 138 Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian as Emperor of Rome 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs (Guldensporenslag in Dutch) near Kortrijk (cor-tray), Belgium: Flemish coalition defeat the French army of Philip IV 1405 Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail on his first major expedition, to the Spice Islands, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicates England's King Henry VIII On 11th July 1533, the Pope declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was null and void, as was the annulment declared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in May 1533, and he restored Catherine of Aragon to her “royal state”. He ordered the wayward king to abandon the newly crowned and pregnant Anne Boleyn and return to Catherine of Aragon. If the king refused then the Pope would issue the bull of excommunication that he had drawn up. He’d give Henry until September to sort himself out, but if he didn’t heed the Pope’s warning then he’d be excommunicated, the most severe punishment that the Church could inflict. Of course, Henry took absolutely no notice of the Pope, but he escaped excommunication until 17th December 1538 when Pope Paul III excommunicated him following his break with Rome, his persecution of those who did not accept his supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s desecration of religious shrines including that of Thomas Becket. 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher sights Greenland 1740 Jews are expelled from Little Russia by order of Tsarina Anne 1781 Thomas Hutchins designated Geographer of US By the age of 30, the remarkable Thomas Hutchins (1730?-1789) was an experienced frontiersman, a veteran of the French and Indian War, and a skilled Indian agent. He was best known, however, as a formidable surveyor, cartographer, and geographer. A native of New Jersey, the particular combination of skills made Hutchins the perfect candidate for surveying the vast western regions of the British North American empire. In 1766, he was officially assigned to duty as an engineer in the British army, gradually becoming the most respected surveyor and map maker in the colonies. From 1764 through 1768, he took part in expeditions spanning the west from the northern reaches of the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans, and in 1770, was transferred from the Illinois territory to Pensacola, where he was charged with reorganizing the provincial defenses and mapping. 1798 US Marine Corps established by an act of Congress 1801 French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons discovers his 1st comet 1882 British fleet bombards Alexandria, Egypt 1906 The Gillette-Brown murder inspires Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1984 Government orders air bags or seat belts would be required in cars by 1989 1988 Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor

The classical education world has experienced some healthy internal debate recently. Two significant features of modern education - an emphasis on diversity and the prevalence of standardized testing - have come into focus in discussions around the increasingly popular Classical Learning Test (CLT). Here, we repost audio of a Twitter Spaces conversation between Colin Redemer and Jeremy Tate, Founder and CEO of the CLT as they discuss the state of the CLT and classical education more broadly.Articles Behind the Discussion"Classical Education's Woke Co-Morbidity" by Matthew Freeman"Awkward Family Dinner: A Review of Reforming Classical Education" by Austin Hoffman"Revisiting Platonic Education: The Ever Shareable Feast" by Colin Redemer"The Ends of "Mere Classical" Schools" by Clifford Humphrey"Diverse Classics and Whole Person" by Jeremy Tate"Toward A Classical Counter Elite" by Matthew Freeman"Is the CLT going woke?" by Ben Merkle

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 27th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/anniversary-roe-v-wade-being-overturned-gop-rep-promotes-bill-help-expectant On anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, GOP Rep. promotes bill to help expectant mothers On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Minnesota Republican Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach promoted a proposed bill titled "The HOPE Act" that promotes helping expectant mothers. "It is crucial that women are supported when facing an unexpected pregnancy, which is why I have introduced The Health, Opportunity, Protecting Life, Education (HOPE) Act, which improves access to prenatal telehealth care, supports positive alternatives to abortion, and improves access to information for expectant mothers, providing tangible ways to help women feel confident during and beyond their pregnancy," Fischbach wrote in an opinion piece published by The Hill. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion and allowing individual states to decide for themselves on whether to restrict or allow abortions. The HOPE Act would provide funding for grants and other activities related to maternal care. It would also establish informed consent and parental notification requirements for abortion providers. "The HOPE Act creates a pilot grant program to provide support and equipment like blood pressure monitors, scales, and portable fetal heart rate monitors to community health providers," Fischbach wrote. "Increasing telehealth options gives expectant mothers the flexibility they need to receive the care they deserve." It would also prohibit any government funding going to Planned Parenthood. https://www.foxnews.com/media/bud-light-sponsors-toronto-pride-parade-naked-men-children Bud Light sponsors Toronto Pride parade attended by naked men, children Bud Light is serving as an official sponsor of the Toronto Pride parade, where video footage shows naked men standing around and riding bicycles in clear view of children attending the event. The footage, captured by Beth Baisch of the Post Millennial, shows dozens of attendees riding past a large cheering crowd. The fully naked bikers, some covered in paint or tattoos, wave back at the crowd. One naked man high-fives an onlooker while another peddles a recumbent bike with a gold blow-up swan adorned around his neck. A second video shows a group of naked men with hats standing in a circle amidst the crowd. Several children walk past the group of men with their families. Another clip shows a person wearing a giant penis costume that covers his entire head. The camera captures a young girl sitting in a stroller and staring toward the phallic-costumed individual. Other videos show a group of naked men playing and rinsing themselves off alongside a fountain surrounded by kids. Meanwhile, a stage, clearly adorned with Bud Light branding, featured scantily clad dancers wearing fishnets, nipple stickers and strange sock-like masks. The company's website notes that this year's sponsorship is representative of a longstanding partnership with the Pride event. "Bud Light Canada has been a proud partner of Pride Toronto for the last 10 years. This year, we're commemorating this milestone with Pride Toronto by featuring them on our can design, as well as continuing as the official beer sponsor of the festival," the beer brand's website states. According to the website, Bud Light Canada also provides $100,000 to various organizations that support the LGBTQUA2S+ community across Canada and has created a range of commemorative Pride beer cans to celebrate the collaboration. The partnership comes nearly three months after Bud Light received massive backlash for partnering with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. The decision angered consumers and the brand saw a significant decrease in sales, resulting in billions of dollars in lost market value. In early April, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth attempted to douse the flames with a lengthy statement to customers. "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer," he said in part. "My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage." Despite losing business, Bud Light continued to anger customers for co-sponsoring an "all-ages Pride event" in Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 17. The party, called "Pride in the Pines," included drag queens and other performers, and listed Bud Light as one of the companies sponsoring the June 17 event. (Bud Light was initially mentioned prominently in one of the posters.) The event is listed as a "family festival event" and a family-friendly, "safe space" for all visitors. https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-springs-club-q-nonbinary-shooting-suspect-pleads-guilty-murder-charges Colorado Club Q 'nonbinary' shooter sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder Club Q shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder and attempted murder charges during an arraignment hearing Monday morning, avoiding the prospect of a public trail just seven months after the deadly Colorado attack. Aldrich, who public defenders have said identifies as nonbinary and prefers to be described using they/them pronouns, is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding 17 others at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Nov. 19, 2022. The suspect, whom the judge referred to as "Mx. Aldrich" during Monday’s arraignment hearing, accepted a plea agreement for a life sentence without the possibility of parole in exchange for pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree murder. Aldrich also pleaded guilty Monday to 46 counts of attempted murder in the first degree. The suspect pleaded no contest to felony and misdemeanor charges of bias-motivated crimes. "Because of the evidence presented I believe there is a high probability of being convicted at trial to those counts, and so I am pleading no contest or nolo contendere," Aldrich told the court Monday, explaining the no contest plea. In an interview from jail, Aldrich reportedly admitted to The Associated Press to being on a "very large plethora of drugs" and abusing steroids at the time, expressing regret for the attack and adding that suggesting the shooting was motivated by hate was "completely off base." In court hearings earlier this year, law enforcement testified that Aldrich ran a neo-Nazi website and used gay and racial slurs while gaming online, while the defense countered that Aldrich's sometimes abusive mother forced the suspect to frequent LGBTQ+ clubs. Two veterans out at Club Q reportedly helped thwart the attack by disarming Aldrich, who was beaten by patrons and displayed a bruised and bloodied face in his initial mugshot and court appearance. Aldrich was facing more than 300 state counts, including murder and hate crimes. The Justice Department is also considering pursuing federal hate crime charges, according to a senior law enforcement official who spoke to the AP. However, the charges against Aldrich were thrown out in July 2022 after Aldrich's mother and grandparents, the victims in the case, refused to cooperate with prosecutors, evading efforts to serve them with subpoenas to testify, according to court documents unsealed after the shooting. Other relatives told a judge they feared Aldrich would hurt the grandparents if released, painting a picture of an isolated, violent person who did not have a job and was given $30,000 that was spent largely on the purchase of 3D printers to make guns, the records showed. Aldrich was released from jail then and authorities kept two guns -- a ghost gun pistol and an MM15 rifle – seized in the arrest. But there was nothing to stop Aldrich from legally purchasing more firearms, raising questions immediately after the shooting about whether authorities should have sought a red flag order to prevent such purchases. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-half-bee-colonies-died-2023 Nearly half of honey bee colonies died in 2023 after three tumultuous years From April of last year to April of this year, 48% of honey bee colonies prematurely died off. University of Maryland and Auburn University have collaborated with nonprofit Bee Informed to track and report on managed bee colonies every year since 2007. Last year saw losses of 48%, the previous year’s loss was 39%, and the year before that, it was 50.8%. The average loss over the last 12 years is 39.6%. The cause of these losses is a mix of the parasitic mite, varroa destructor, which helps spread viruses between bees, increased use of pesticides, which inhibit the bee's ability to stave off diseases, and dramatic changes in the environment. When it becomes warmer than usual during the winter, bees will leave their colonies to begin pollinating many of the crops we eat, as well as other plants, but when the weather chills again, the bees die off. Still, the most commonly reported cause of death during the winter was the varroa. During the rest of the year, the most common report revolved around issues with the queen bee. "High levels of losses do not necessarily result in a decrease in the total number of colonies managed in the United States because beekeepers can replace lost colonies throughout the year," the report read. This report comes from a self-reported survey of 3,006 beekeepers from across the United States who collectively manage 314,360 colonies, the majority of which are commercially operated. This is only 12% of the estimated 2.70 million managed honey-producing colonies in the country in 2022, per the report. The collaboration, known as "the Bee Informed Partnership," is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving honey bee colony health in particular. https://www.conservativereview.com/unable-to-rely-on-wind-and-solar-sweden-ditches-100-renewable-target-and-bets-big-on-nuclear-power-2661896744.html Unable to rely on wind and solar, Sweden ditches 100% renewable target and bets big on nuclear power The Swedish parliament determined last week that in order to ensure the country has a "stable energy system," it will have to abandon its goal of "100 per cent renewable electricity production by 2040." To satisfy electricity demand, which is set to double to around 300 TwH by 2040, Sweden's right-of-center government announced June 20 that it would instead lean more heavily on nuclear energy and subsidize the construction of new nuclear plants — plants green-lit in 2016 but sidelined for fear they would be too expensive, reported Reuters. The country, home to just over 10.5 million people, presently has three nuclear plants with six nuclear reactors in commercial operation. The state-owned Vattenfall aims to bring the tally up to eight reactors and refurbish extant facilities. While Sweden's heightened nuclear focus is consistent with the country's commitment to shifting entirely off fossil fuels in a way that doesn't altogether cripple the nation, this bullishness on carbon-free nuclear power represents a significant about-face on atomic energy, which the country decided in a 1980 referendum to phase out. Swedish support for nuclear energy is presently at a record high of 56%, up from 42% in 2022, reported Bloomberg. The jump in support has been attributed in part to the energy crisis that overwhelmed Europe in concert with the invasion of Ukraine and the revelation that renewable energies are not tenable as alternatives. A 2021 study published in the journal Nature Communications indicated, "If future net-zero emissions energy systems rely heavily on solar and wind resources, spatial and temporal mismatches between resource availability and electricity demand may challenge system reliability." The researchers indicated that "the most reliable renewable electricity systems are wind-heavy and satisfy countries' electricity demand in 72-91% of hours ... Yet even in systems which meet >90% o demand, hundreds of hours of unmet demand may occur annually." These lost hours could prove too dear in a country where temperatures routinely drop below freezing several months out of every year. Even the former energy minister for the defeated leftist Social Democratic Party, was cognizant of the country's strained energy situation, warning last August of "strains on the power system this winter," both in terms of outages and high prices. The U.S. Department of Energy indicated that nuclear energy is the most reliable energy source on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Each nuclear reactor typically produces the same amount of power as 431 utility-scale wind turbines or 3.1 million solar panels. According to the Swedish government, roughly 75% of its electricity comes from hydroelectric (43%) and nuclear (31%) power. 16% of the electricity comes from wind power. Approximately 9% comes from combined heat and power plants, largely powered by biofuels. Solar energy has yet to crack 1% of total supply. Finance Minister Elisabeth Svan-tesson of the Moderate Party said, "We need more electricity production, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system." Since wind and solar won't cut it, "This creates the conditions for nuclear power," said Svantesson.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 27th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/anniversary-roe-v-wade-being-overturned-gop-rep-promotes-bill-help-expectant On anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, GOP Rep. promotes bill to help expectant mothers On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Minnesota Republican Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach promoted a proposed bill titled "The HOPE Act" that promotes helping expectant mothers. "It is crucial that women are supported when facing an unexpected pregnancy, which is why I have introduced The Health, Opportunity, Protecting Life, Education (HOPE) Act, which improves access to prenatal telehealth care, supports positive alternatives to abortion, and improves access to information for expectant mothers, providing tangible ways to help women feel confident during and beyond their pregnancy," Fischbach wrote in an opinion piece published by The Hill. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion and allowing individual states to decide for themselves on whether to restrict or allow abortions. The HOPE Act would provide funding for grants and other activities related to maternal care. It would also establish informed consent and parental notification requirements for abortion providers. "The HOPE Act creates a pilot grant program to provide support and equipment like blood pressure monitors, scales, and portable fetal heart rate monitors to community health providers," Fischbach wrote. "Increasing telehealth options gives expectant mothers the flexibility they need to receive the care they deserve." It would also prohibit any government funding going to Planned Parenthood. https://www.foxnews.com/media/bud-light-sponsors-toronto-pride-parade-naked-men-children Bud Light sponsors Toronto Pride parade attended by naked men, children Bud Light is serving as an official sponsor of the Toronto Pride parade, where video footage shows naked men standing around and riding bicycles in clear view of children attending the event. The footage, captured by Beth Baisch of the Post Millennial, shows dozens of attendees riding past a large cheering crowd. The fully naked bikers, some covered in paint or tattoos, wave back at the crowd. One naked man high-fives an onlooker while another peddles a recumbent bike with a gold blow-up swan adorned around his neck. A second video shows a group of naked men with hats standing in a circle amidst the crowd. Several children walk past the group of men with their families. Another clip shows a person wearing a giant penis costume that covers his entire head. The camera captures a young girl sitting in a stroller and staring toward the phallic-costumed individual. Other videos show a group of naked men playing and rinsing themselves off alongside a fountain surrounded by kids. Meanwhile, a stage, clearly adorned with Bud Light branding, featured scantily clad dancers wearing fishnets, nipple stickers and strange sock-like masks. The company's website notes that this year's sponsorship is representative of a longstanding partnership with the Pride event. "Bud Light Canada has been a proud partner of Pride Toronto for the last 10 years. This year, we're commemorating this milestone with Pride Toronto by featuring them on our can design, as well as continuing as the official beer sponsor of the festival," the beer brand's website states. According to the website, Bud Light Canada also provides $100,000 to various organizations that support the LGBTQUA2S+ community across Canada and has created a range of commemorative Pride beer cans to celebrate the collaboration. The partnership comes nearly three months after Bud Light received massive backlash for partnering with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. The decision angered consumers and the brand saw a significant decrease in sales, resulting in billions of dollars in lost market value. In early April, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth attempted to douse the flames with a lengthy statement to customers. "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer," he said in part. "My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage." Despite losing business, Bud Light continued to anger customers for co-sponsoring an "all-ages Pride event" in Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 17. The party, called "Pride in the Pines," included drag queens and other performers, and listed Bud Light as one of the companies sponsoring the June 17 event. (Bud Light was initially mentioned prominently in one of the posters.) The event is listed as a "family festival event" and a family-friendly, "safe space" for all visitors. https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-springs-club-q-nonbinary-shooting-suspect-pleads-guilty-murder-charges Colorado Club Q 'nonbinary' shooter sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder Club Q shooting suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder and attempted murder charges during an arraignment hearing Monday morning, avoiding the prospect of a public trail just seven months after the deadly Colorado attack. Aldrich, who public defenders have said identifies as nonbinary and prefers to be described using they/them pronouns, is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding 17 others at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Nov. 19, 2022. The suspect, whom the judge referred to as "Mx. Aldrich" during Monday’s arraignment hearing, accepted a plea agreement for a life sentence without the possibility of parole in exchange for pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree murder. Aldrich also pleaded guilty Monday to 46 counts of attempted murder in the first degree. The suspect pleaded no contest to felony and misdemeanor charges of bias-motivated crimes. "Because of the evidence presented I believe there is a high probability of being convicted at trial to those counts, and so I am pleading no contest or nolo contendere," Aldrich told the court Monday, explaining the no contest plea. In an interview from jail, Aldrich reportedly admitted to The Associated Press to being on a "very large plethora of drugs" and abusing steroids at the time, expressing regret for the attack and adding that suggesting the shooting was motivated by hate was "completely off base." In court hearings earlier this year, law enforcement testified that Aldrich ran a neo-Nazi website and used gay and racial slurs while gaming online, while the defense countered that Aldrich's sometimes abusive mother forced the suspect to frequent LGBTQ+ clubs. Two veterans out at Club Q reportedly helped thwart the attack by disarming Aldrich, who was beaten by patrons and displayed a bruised and bloodied face in his initial mugshot and court appearance. Aldrich was facing more than 300 state counts, including murder and hate crimes. The Justice Department is also considering pursuing federal hate crime charges, according to a senior law enforcement official who spoke to the AP. However, the charges against Aldrich were thrown out in July 2022 after Aldrich's mother and grandparents, the victims in the case, refused to cooperate with prosecutors, evading efforts to serve them with subpoenas to testify, according to court documents unsealed after the shooting. Other relatives told a judge they feared Aldrich would hurt the grandparents if released, painting a picture of an isolated, violent person who did not have a job and was given $30,000 that was spent largely on the purchase of 3D printers to make guns, the records showed. Aldrich was released from jail then and authorities kept two guns -- a ghost gun pistol and an MM15 rifle – seized in the arrest. But there was nothing to stop Aldrich from legally purchasing more firearms, raising questions immediately after the shooting about whether authorities should have sought a red flag order to prevent such purchases. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/nearly-half-bee-colonies-died-2023 Nearly half of honey bee colonies died in 2023 after three tumultuous years From April of last year to April of this year, 48% of honey bee colonies prematurely died off. University of Maryland and Auburn University have collaborated with nonprofit Bee Informed to track and report on managed bee colonies every year since 2007. Last year saw losses of 48%, the previous year’s loss was 39%, and the year before that, it was 50.8%. The average loss over the last 12 years is 39.6%. The cause of these losses is a mix of the parasitic mite, varroa destructor, which helps spread viruses between bees, increased use of pesticides, which inhibit the bee's ability to stave off diseases, and dramatic changes in the environment. When it becomes warmer than usual during the winter, bees will leave their colonies to begin pollinating many of the crops we eat, as well as other plants, but when the weather chills again, the bees die off. Still, the most commonly reported cause of death during the winter was the varroa. During the rest of the year, the most common report revolved around issues with the queen bee. "High levels of losses do not necessarily result in a decrease in the total number of colonies managed in the United States because beekeepers can replace lost colonies throughout the year," the report read. This report comes from a self-reported survey of 3,006 beekeepers from across the United States who collectively manage 314,360 colonies, the majority of which are commercially operated. This is only 12% of the estimated 2.70 million managed honey-producing colonies in the country in 2022, per the report. The collaboration, known as "the Bee Informed Partnership," is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving honey bee colony health in particular. https://www.conservativereview.com/unable-to-rely-on-wind-and-solar-sweden-ditches-100-renewable-target-and-bets-big-on-nuclear-power-2661896744.html Unable to rely on wind and solar, Sweden ditches 100% renewable target and bets big on nuclear power The Swedish parliament determined last week that in order to ensure the country has a "stable energy system," it will have to abandon its goal of "100 per cent renewable electricity production by 2040." To satisfy electricity demand, which is set to double to around 300 TwH by 2040, Sweden's right-of-center government announced June 20 that it would instead lean more heavily on nuclear energy and subsidize the construction of new nuclear plants — plants green-lit in 2016 but sidelined for fear they would be too expensive, reported Reuters. The country, home to just over 10.5 million people, presently has three nuclear plants with six nuclear reactors in commercial operation. The state-owned Vattenfall aims to bring the tally up to eight reactors and refurbish extant facilities. While Sweden's heightened nuclear focus is consistent with the country's commitment to shifting entirely off fossil fuels in a way that doesn't altogether cripple the nation, this bullishness on carbon-free nuclear power represents a significant about-face on atomic energy, which the country decided in a 1980 referendum to phase out. Swedish support for nuclear energy is presently at a record high of 56%, up from 42% in 2022, reported Bloomberg. The jump in support has been attributed in part to the energy crisis that overwhelmed Europe in concert with the invasion of Ukraine and the revelation that renewable energies are not tenable as alternatives. A 2021 study published in the journal Nature Communications indicated, "If future net-zero emissions energy systems rely heavily on solar and wind resources, spatial and temporal mismatches between resource availability and electricity demand may challenge system reliability." The researchers indicated that "the most reliable renewable electricity systems are wind-heavy and satisfy countries' electricity demand in 72-91% of hours ... Yet even in systems which meet >90% o demand, hundreds of hours of unmet demand may occur annually." These lost hours could prove too dear in a country where temperatures routinely drop below freezing several months out of every year. Even the former energy minister for the defeated leftist Social Democratic Party, was cognizant of the country's strained energy situation, warning last August of "strains on the power system this winter," both in terms of outages and high prices. The U.S. Department of Energy indicated that nuclear energy is the most reliable energy source on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Each nuclear reactor typically produces the same amount of power as 431 utility-scale wind turbines or 3.1 million solar panels. According to the Swedish government, roughly 75% of its electricity comes from hydroelectric (43%) and nuclear (31%) power. 16% of the electricity comes from wind power. Approximately 9% comes from combined heat and power plants, largely powered by biofuels. Solar energy has yet to crack 1% of total supply. Finance Minister Elisabeth Svan-tesson of the Moderate Party said, "We need more electricity production, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system." Since wind and solar won't cut it, "This creates the conditions for nuclear power," said Svantesson.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, June 8th, 2023. Club Membership Plug: (1/9) Ladies and gentleman, it’s never been a better time to become a club member at CrossPolitic. This year, CrossPolitic will be dropping exclusive content into our club portal for club members ONLY. Some of this content will include a pilot TV Show called This America, a Bible study series with Pastor Toby, a special with New Saint Andrew’s President, Ben Merkle, our backstage content, and our conference talks! You can grab a club membership for 10 bucks per month… that’s two cups of coffee. So again, head on over to fightlaughfeast.com to get signed up today! That’s fightlaughfeast.com. We start today’s news brief in the city of Greensboro, NC. Shout out to Wade Choate for sending in this story, and by the way, if you want to send me a news story, email me at garrison@fightlaughfeast.com - or you can find me on Facebook, or our own fightlaughfeast.com website, where we have our own social media page set up. https://greensboro.com/news/local/after-greensboro-firefighter-fired-over-straight-pride-and-other-facebook-posts-crowd-erupts-at-city/article_2a1fe822-04c6-11ee-8f48-078ab7addc66.html After Greensboro firefighter fired over 'Straight Pride' and other Facebook posts, crowd erupts at city council meeting The City of Greensboro has fired Capt. Dustin Jones of the Greensboro Fire Department, citing a history of social media posts criticizing transgender people and Black Lives Matter along with an unwillingness to accept training and heed warnings from his supervisors. Jones was fired on May 12, according to the city. On Tuesday night, citizens packed the council meeting, which was punctuated by loud outbursts as some protested Jones' firing and others supported it. North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a politician known for his anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ positions had weeks earlier urged "normal people" to "take a stand and absolutely flood this hall" in an interview shared on Jones' Facebook page. Jones had gone to Facebook to protest his termination in a video in which he claimed he was fired because of a "Straight Pride" meme post made on April 16. The image, covered with pink and white stripes, featured a white, heterosexual couple being married with the title "Straight Pride" and the caption "It’s natural, it’s worked for thousands of years and you can make babies." After Jones appealed his termination by the Greensboro Fire Department, the City Manager a upheld the decision in a letter obtained by the News & Record in a records request. In his response, Jaiyeoba defended the termination, citing Jones' "misuse of social media" and "disrespectful behavior." Jaiyeoba wrote that Jones had "grown defiant" after numerous coaching sessions and warnings from supervisors. The response letter includes other instances of posts and re-posts attributed to Jones included one that stated: "You know what’s insane... A white person can paint their face black and be accused of being a racist. Yet a man can dress as a woman and be called a hero… [shrug emoji]". All sides of the political spectrum flocked to the Greensboro City Hall to make their voices heard, and more than 40 people signed up to speak during the public comment period. Members of Guilford For All, an organization advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, wore green shirts and packed the inside of the assembly room. Outside the building, the Communist Party of America flew Pride flags and displayed a sign that read "FASCIST FIREMAN, YOU'RE FIRED." Jennifer Ruppe, the executive director of the Guilford Green Foundation and LGBTQ Center, addressed the room: "The true test of your commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive city is how you all show up when it's not all rainbows and parades. Because freedom of speech is not freedom of consequences." https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-bidens-doj-tells-trump-he-will-be-indicted-next-week-on-charges-of-gathering-transmitting-or-losing-national-defense-docs?utm_campaign=64487 Biden's DOJ tells Trump he will be indicted next week on charges of 'gathering, transmitting or losing' national defense docs Former President Donald Trump has reportedly been notified by federal prosecutors that he is a criminal target and is likely to face imminent indictment in the classified document probe. People familiar with the case told Just The News that the revelation comes as the Justice Department has declined to delay charges to allow an investigation into allegations of witness tampering in connection with a senior prosecutor working on the case attempting to influence a key witness by discussing federal judgeship with the lawyer representing the witness provided by Trump’s legal team. The sources said that the allegation is still pending in a secret case before Chief US District Judge James E Boasberg in Washington, DC. A federal indictment brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith could be handed by a federal grand jury to Trump as early as next week. Smith’s prosecutorial team informed Trump’s team in recent days that the charges he faces include a violation of 18 US Code Chapter 37 Section 793 which prohibits the “gathering, transmitting or losing” of national defense information. Other charges reportedly being considered are alleged false statements and obstruction of justice. Sources told the outlet that Trump’s lawyers have been preparing their defense for months based on months of legal research in anticipation of charges. The 2024 presidential candidate’s lawyers are prepared to argue that Trump had Constitutional powers to declassify documents during his presidency and take them with him when his term ended. His lawyers will reportedly rely heavily on a US District Court case out of Washington over a decade ago regarding former President Bill Clinton, which concluded that a president had the power to determine what documents from his presidency can be kept in personal possession. A document posted to Twitter on Wednesday from the Federal Registrar has revealed that Trump declassified certain materials pertaining to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation during his last days in office. "At my request, on December 30, 2020, the Department of Justice provided the White House with a binder of materials related to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Portions of the documents in the binder have remained classified and have not been released to Congress or the public," the document states. "I requested the documents so that a declassification review could be performed and so I could determine to what extent materials in the binder should be released in unclassified form," the document continues. "I determined that the materials in that binder should be declassified to the maximum extent possible." The document states that FBI had objected to further declassification of the materials, and gave suggestions as to redactions that the documents needed, which Trump obliged to. Crossfire Hurricane was the name given to the investigation into allegations of coordination between Trump and Russia that surfaced during the 2016 election. The Durham report, released in May, found that the FBI "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law" in their launching of the investigation. https://thepostmillennial.com/cessna-pilot-was-slumped-over-in-cockpit-before-virginia-crash-that-killed-4?utm_campaign=64487 Cessna pilot was 'slumped over' in cockpit before Virginia crash that killed 4 National Guard F-16 fighter pilots revealed that the pilot operating the Cessna plane that flew over restricted airspace in Washington D.C. on Sunday was found "slumped over" moments before the plane crashed in a remote area of Virginia, which killed four people. United States Military officials said that the US fighter pilots attempted to get the civilian pilots attention for around 30 minutes before the plane plummeted at approximately 3 pm, Fox News reports. "The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the pilot did not respond to air traffic control instruction around 1:28 p.m. EDT," North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement. "Subsequently, the NORAD pilots visually inspected the Cessna as it was still airborne and confirmed that the pilot was unresponsive. NORAD pilots described the Cessna pilot as being slumped over." The people killed in the crash have been identified as Hamptons realtor Adina Azarian, 49, her daughter Aria Azarian, 2, Evadnie Smith, the child's nanny, and the pilot Jeff Hefner. Adina Azarian is the adopted daughter of a longtime GOP donor, John Rumpel, who owned the plane, according to Washington Post. The fatal crash sparked a flurry on Sunday after a loud "supersonic boom" could be heard in Washington D.C. following reports of an unidentified plane flying above restricted US airspace. According to Fox News, the US deployed six F-16 jets to intercept the plane, including two from Washington, DC, two from New Jersey and two out of South Carolina. Rumpel, who is a pilot and runs Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc., said his family was returning to their home in East Hampton after visiting his house in North Carolina, Fox reports. On Monday, the White House expressed its "deepest condolences" and National Security spokesman John Kirby said during a press brief regarding the US military response, "What I saw was just a classic, textbook response." Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash but experts say it's likely that the plane lost pressurization, causing hypoxia, a condition that occurs when someone's brain is deprived of adequate oxygen, according to Fox News. https://www.dailyfetched.com/cnn-ceo-chris-licht-to-leave-network-after-just-16-months/ CNN CEO Chris Licht to Leave Network after Just 16 Months On Wednesday, Licht announced he would leave CNN after meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The CEO will be replaced in the interim by a three-person leadership team, including CNN executive Amy Entelis, who worked closely with former cable news boss Jeff Zucker who left in February of 2022. “For a number of reasons, things didn’t work out, and that’s unfortunate,” Zaslav said. “It’s really unfortunate. And ultimately, that’s on me. And I take full responsibility for that.” Zaslav said CNN is “in the process of conducting a wide search” for a new leader that could “take a while.” As The Daily Wire reported: Licht’s tenure at CNN was rough from the start. Weeks after Licht took over the reins, the cable news giant’s attempt at launching a streaming service failed after a month in operation, attracting fewer than 10,000 daily users. The CNN executive also faced criticism from his employees and poor ratings performances in the news channel’s primetime slots. Familiar faces on the network, such as longtime journalist Brian Stelter and host Don Lemon, were axed under Licht’s reign. The tumultuous leadership of Licht came to a boiling point when the network hosted a town hall with President Donald Trump in May. Leftist critics ripped the company for giving Trump a platform. Politicians and media personalities from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Joe Scarborough were angered by CNN’s decision to host Trump on the platform that has consistently offered friendly coverage to Democrats. Licht faced fire last week after the Atlantic published a 15,000-word profile titled “Inside the Meltdown at CNN,” which angered executives at Warner Bros. Discovery.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 30th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://nypost.com/2023/05/28/mccarthys-debt-ceiling-deal-with-biden-comes-up-short-on-vow-to-reign-in-irs/ McCarthy’s debt-ceiling deal with Biden comes up short on his vow to rein in IRS It struck a chord with voters, wary of funding a new “army” of armed IRS agents to harass middle-class families and small business owners and abuse their powers to target political dissidents, Soviet-style. “Our very first bill will repeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents,” McCarthy vowed. “You see, we believe government should be to help you, not go after you.” Sure enough, the House voted 221-210 to repeal the extra IRS funding. “Promises made,” the newly minted speaker said Jan. 9, banging the gavel on the first bill of the Republican-controlled House. What about promises kept? In the debt-ceiling deal outlined Sunday and due to be inked later this week, McCarthy has allowed the lion’s share of that extra IRS funding to remain unmolested: preserving $78.1 billion of the $80 billion. As rebel GOP Rep Dan Bishop put it: “So there will be 85,260 more IRS agents rather than 87,000 to eat you alive. Big win.” Overpromising and underdelivering is what turns voters off the GOP. You don’t mount a powerful six-month fear campaign about 87,000 new, armed IRS agents ready to break down people’s doors, and then meekly capitulate at the first sign of resistance. Even if those fears were exaggerated, your credibility rests on delivering a lot more than 2% of what you promised. In any case the fears about a weaponized IRS targeting Biden’s opponents are very real. If anything, the IRS is worse today than it was during the Obama administration, when Lois Lerner presided over the targeted harassment of Tea Party groups and other conservatives. Not a single IRS employee was held accountable for the scandal. Lerner retired on a full pension without even a slap on the wrist. This is the same IRS which went after journalist Matt Taibbi last December, three weeks after he started reporting on the so-called “Twitter Files,” which revealed that censorship on the social-media platform had been coordinated by federal government agencies such as the FBI and CIA. On March 9, when Taibbi was testifying in Congress about, ironically enough, the weaponization of the federal government, IRS agents showed up unannounced at his New Jersey home. The IRS file on Taibbi was opened the day he posted his ninth and most explosive Twitter file, detailing how agencies including the Pentagon and the State Department had colluded with Twitter to stifle dissent. It was Christmas Eve, a Saturday, which shows what an unusual priority it was for an agency that normally goes to sleep for two weeks over Christmas and whose standard work week is Monday through Friday. Under questioning from Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, the IRS has claimed it had concerns about “identity fraud” with Taibbi’s 2018 and 2021 tax returns, and that he was sent two letters before the home visit. Yet Taibbi says he and his accountant never received any letters. Even more “unnerving” as Taibbi puts it, was the fact that an IRS case agent had compiled a dossier on him which included personal information such as his voter registration records and whether he had a concealed-weapons permit or a hunting or fishing license. Unlike Hunter Biden, Taibbi didn’t owe the IRS any taxes and in fact was due a refund. And yes, this is the same IRS which removed its entire investigative team from the Hunter Biden case on DOJ orders after two senior agents complained about DOJ interference. https://thepostmillennial.com/blm-co-founder-loses-multi-platform-warner-brothers-deal-after-delivering-no-content-on-contract?utm_campaign=64487 BLM co-founder loses multi-platform Warner Brothers deal after delivering no content on contract In October 2020, 39-year-old Black Lives Matter co-founder and former leader Patrisse Cullors signed a multi-year contract with Warner Bros Television Group to create content for the entertainment giant, but the studio quietly ended then relationship last year with no material produced, reports the New York Post. On Friday, a source familiar with the situation told the outlet, "The studio signed an overall deal with BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors at some point in 2020" but the "Deal expired at end of October 2022." "The deal unfortunately did not result in any produced shows," the source added. The agreement was a multi-year, multi-platform deal in which Cullors would produce original material, including scripted comedies and dramas, animated shows, and documentary series, that would focus on black stories. The content would go out on the distributor's broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. Variety first reported on the deal in 2020 but did not disclose its value. Previously, Cullors said in an interview that she was working on material for Warner Bros, including documentaries focused on reparations and social mobility of black Americans as well as a scripted program on marijuana. Patrisse Cullors, who helped found BLM in 2013, stepped down from the organization after a real-estate scandal emerged in May 2021 when it was revealed she spent $3.2 million on four different homes in Georgia and California. Soon after more reports started to emerge of Black Lives Matter leadership using company funds for personal luxury. Upon stepping down, Cullors claimed she was doing so in order to focus on her book and TV deal. In April 2022, Cullors said that 990 tax forms required for charities were "triggering" and that the forms were being "weaponized" against organizations like hers. The IRS 990 is a routine document charities must fill out annually to disclose their financial activities. Now this!!! https://www.theepochtimes.com/eu-issues-waring-after-elon-musk-pulls-twitter-out-of-anti-disinformation-agreement_5296657.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport EU Issues Warning After Elon Musk Pulls Twitter Out of Anti-‘Disinformation’ Agreement Senior European Union officials were furious over the weekend after Twitter owner Elon Musk pulled the social media platform out of the bloc’s “Code of Practice,” which critics say is tantamount to a censorship regime. The EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, wrote that Twitter left the bloc’s Code of Practice, after reports claimed the platform would do so. Breton warned that Twitter would face some legal liabilities. “Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run, but you can’t hide,” Breton wrote. “Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under #DSA as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement.” An EU official also told Euractiv that the bloc is “waiting for this,” and “it was purely a matter of time” before reports surfaced that Musk would withdraw. The rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) require companies to do risk management, conduct external and independent auditing, share data with authorities and researchers, and adopt a code of conduct by August. The 19 companies that are subject to the rules include Alphabet’s Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping, YouTube, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Amazon’s Marketplace, Apple’s App Store, and Twitter. The others are Microsoft’s two units LinkedIn and Bing, booking.com, Pinterest, Snap Inc’s Snapchat, TikTok, Wikipedia, Zalando, and Alibaba’s AliExpress. Breton said he was checking to see whether another four to five companies fall under the DSA, with a decision expected in the next few weeks. Breton singled out Facebook’s content moderation system for criticism because of its role in building opinions on key issues. Twitter had agreed earlier to a stress test, and Breton said he and his team would travel to the company’s headquarters in San Francisco at the end of June of this year to carry out the voluntary mock exercise. Breton didn’t detail what the test would entail. There are guardrails for content generated by artificial intelligence, like deep fake videos and synthetic images, which will have to be clearly labeled when they come up in search results, Breton said. He’s also said that under the Digital Services Act, violations could be punished with hefty fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s annual revenue. Platforms will have to “completely redesign” their systems to ensure a high level of privacy and safety for children, including verifying users’ ages, Breton said. Big Tech companies also will have to revamp their systems to “prevent algorithmic amplification of disinformation,” he said, saying he was particularly concerned about Facebook’s content moderation systems ahead of September elections in Slovakia. Now for my favorite topic… sports! https://www.foxnews.com/sports/actor-will-ferrell-to-portray-nfl-legend-john-madden-in-upcoming-feature-film-report Actor Will Ferrell to portray NFL legend John Madden in upcoming feature film Actor and comedian Will Ferrell will play the lead role of an upcoming film about NFL icon John Madden, according a report from Deadline. The movie "Madden" will be directed by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell, who previously served as director of the critically acclaimed film "Silver Linings Playbook," among others. The film is expected to touch on Madden's time as head coach of the Raiders, his television broadcasting career and how he became the creative force behind one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time. This project is independent of a separate limited series about Madden's life, with Tom Brady as executive producer, Deadline previously reported. It remains unclear when filming on "Madden" will begin. An official release date for the film has not been announced. New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch is listed as one of the "Madden" producers. It is widely expected the NFL "will embrace the feature film on one of the sport's most beloved figures," according to Deadline. Ferrell is a California native and attended the University of Southern California, where he studied sports information. He makes frequent appearances at USC Trojans football games and is a diehard Los Angeles Kings fan.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023. Club Membership Plug: (1/9) Ladies and gentleman, it’s never been a better time to become a club member at CrossPolitic. This year, CrossPolitic will be dropping exclusive content into our club portal for club members ONLY. Some of this content will include a pilot TV Show called This America, a Bible study series with Pastor Toby, a special with New Saint Andrew’s President, Ben Merkle, our backstage content, and our conference talks! You can grab a club membership for 10 bucks per month… that’s two cups of coffee. So again, head on over to fightlaughfeast.com to get signed up today! That’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://thefederalist.com/2023/05/02/in-reynosa-mexico-15000-haitian-immigrants-wait-for-key-biden-policy-to-end/ In Reynosa, Mexico, 15,000 Haitian Immigrants Wait For New Chaotic Biden Policy To Kick In An estimated 15,000 mostly Haitian immigrants have packed into every crevice of this northern Mexican city on the Rio Grande across from McAllen, Texas, and won’t leave. At least not until after 11:59 p.m. on May 11. That’s the moment when the pandemic-era “Title 42” rapid expulsion policy finally expires and is replaced by a new, untested Biden administration plan for keeping them in Reynosa as well as the “volatile logjam,” as The New York Times recently termed them, of tens of thousands of other immigrants now waiting for the policy change all over Mexico. But because of a powerful deterrent of Title 42 fairly unique to them, the 15,000 Haitians in Reynosa make for a good bellwether for if the administration’s replacement strategy will hold them back as Title 42 has, or will invite the most chaotic rush on the U.S. southern border yet in this third long year of the most voluminous mass migration event in recorded American history. The reason to watch Reynosa after May 12 is that most of its Haitians, long ago overflowing migrant camps all over town, will not dare cross the river while Title 42 is in effect, unlike other nationalities who have already disregarded it by crossing in large numbers. The Haitians of Reynosa won’t go even as they enviously witness large numbers of Venezuelans nearby illegally cross in an overwhelming new surge despite Title 42 and see the American government admit them into the country. Title 42’s impact on them is why its ending makes Reynosa and its reticent population of Haitians almost the perfect bellwether to know if the Biden administration’s plan for May 12 is going to work as sold. Either way, many hundreds of thousands, turning into millions by the end of the Biden term, will enter. The question is whether it will be an orderly flow no one can see — or a schizophrenic rush that overflows border management preparations into towns and cities across the country, hurts the country, and poses a political liability for Democrats thinking about 2024 elections. https://time.com/6276438/biden-troops-border-title42/ Biden Sending 1,500 Troops to Southern Border Ahead of Expected Migration Surge The Biden Administration will send 1,500 troops to the southern border of the U.S. to support immigration authorities facing tens of thousands of migrants expected to surge into the country once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, U.S. officials said. At the request of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. service members will be sent on a 90-day temporary deployment assisting Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. The troops will not carry out law enforcement work, but instead perform support duties that will free up CBP agents to detain and process migrants. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday the government is bracing for a record tide of migration across the southwest border when pandemic restrictions, known as Title 42, end on May 11. The Trump-era authorities prevented migrants from requesting asylum and allowed U.S. border agents to quickly expel migrants out of public-health concerns. Mayorkas emphasized the immigration system was stretched thin on resources and made a public case for federal relief.“I just want to be clear that we are working within significant constraints,” he said Sunday on “Meet the Press.” “We need people. We need technology. We need facilities. We need transportation resources—all of the elements of addressing the needs of a large population of people arriving irregularly at our southern border.” Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller told Congress last month his agency is preparing for about 10,000 migrant crossings every day once Title 42 ends. President Joe Biden signed an executive order April 27 to call-up active-duty troops to combat international drug trafficking, officials said. The DHS then formally asked for the Pentagon’s support, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved on Tuesday. Currently, there are about 2,500 troops—members of the National Guard on active-duty orders—deployed along the 2,000-mile-long southwest border supporting CBP’s efforts. For years, U.S. forces have monitored “Mobile Surveillance Cameras” in all nine border sectors in each of the four states bordering Mexico. The devices are armed with infrared cameras, enabling service members to watch for illegal border crossings day or night. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-jay-inslee-will-not-seek-4th-term-as-washingtons-governor-in-2024?utm_campaign=64487 Jay Inslee will not seek 4th term as Washington's governor in 2024 Washington state Governor Jay Inslee (D) announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2024. In a statement, Inslee said: "Today I announced I will not be running for a fourth term. We've made Washington a beacon for progress, and now it's time to pass the torch," Gov Inslee said on Twitter. "I'm proud of the progress we've made on so many fronts: climate, financial aid, paid family leave, legal justice system reforms, gun safety, reproductive freedom... Now is the time to intensely focus on all we can accomplish in the next year and a half. I intend to do just that.” Inslee's announcement follows the conclusion of an "intense" and "controversial" legislative session where the democrat-controlled House and Senate voted to ban semi-automatic firearms, make Washington a sanctuary state for minors seeking gender affirming care and abortions, and legalized possession of illicit drugs, to name a few. Governor Inslee became the second governor in state history to serve three consecutive terms after he was re-elected in 2020, and in his announcement Inslee called his tenure a "dynamic success." Under Inslee's governance, Washington state has succumbed to criminal lawlessness as well as an existential homeless crisis rippling throug the evergreen state. Immediately following the announcement, critics of the governor took to social media to praise Inslee's decision to step down from his post, saying "good riddance." https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/05/01/carjackings-in-washington-dc-skyrocketing/ How Many Carjackings in Washington, D.C. in 2023? Here Are The Staggering Numbers… Carjackings in Washington D.C. continue to skyrocket in line with a five-year trend that has the local police chief Robert Contee lamenting that crimes are happing “at a pace that I have not seen in my 30-plus year career here with the Metropolitan Police Department.” Since the beginning of the year, there have been a staggering 228 carjackings in the District, 78 of which occurred in April alone, with 23 in the last week, according to the Washington D.C. Metropolitical Police Department (MPD). Despite 74 percent of this year’s carjackings featuring a firearm, less than 35 percent of carjacking offenses are prosecuted. In 2018, there were 148 carjackings in D.C., and 152 in 2019. However, following the death of George Floyd, the D.C. city council announced its intention to slash $15 million from the MPD’s annual budget. This resulted in an explosion in carjackings, amongst other crimes. In 2020, there were 360 carjackings, followed by 425 in 2021, and 485 last year. If carjackings continue to occur at the current rate, there may be as many as 600 by the end of 2023. Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives were forced to intervene earlier this year after the D.C. council wanted to reduce penalties for violent crimes such as carjacking and gun possession. The D.C. council thought it better to lower the maximum jail time for carjackings, and eliminate most mandatory minimum sentences for crimes in the capitol than addressing the problem as the MPD demanded. The Criminal Code Act of 2022 was, however, blocked by the U.S. Congress from coming into force, with 33 Democrat Senators even voting against the bill. Andrew Clyde, a House Representative from Georgia’s 9th District, led the charge against the Criminal Code Act, arguing that Congress had to “stop this insanity in its tracks.” The Democrat Mayor of Washington D.C., Muriel Bowser, has also promised free steering wheel locks for some cars after suggesting one of the reasons why carjackings are so common had something to do with a “recent social media challenge.” These actions, however, do not meet the demands of the local police force. A representative of the MPD Carjacking Task Force, Valkyrie Barnes, argues, “It’s ridiculous… unless there is some kind of deterrent to this, it’s not going to stop… we need more [detectives].” The District of Columbia and many of its residents currently support the notion of adding D.C. as a fully-fledged state, arguing that residents are taxed as citizens, but do not receive commensurate representation as a result. Opponents of this cause point out that D.C. residents often have far more political sway than ordinary voters around the country, and that the purpose of the District, per the nation’s founders, was to be separate from the Congress and its machinations. Many of the latter group believe that much of D.C. should be given back to Virginia and Maryland as a means to create a compromise over representation. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/vice-media-bankruptcy-journalism-layoffs-b2330554.html Vice heading for bankruptcy after once being worth $5.7bn, reports say Vice, once heralded as the insurgent leader of a new generation of media companies, is heading for bankruptcy, according to The New York Times. Two people familiar with Vice operations told the paper the media company is looking for a buyer. Otherwise, the company will have to file for bankruptcy, the unnamed sources said. “Vice Media Group has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning,” Vice said in a statement on Monday to the Times. “The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path for the company.” The media company, which got its start as a Canadian alternative publication, eventually became a digital powerhouse known for its in-your-face, youth-focused stories about politics, music, and culture, told across a constellation of websites, films, podcasts, TV shows, the flagship magazine, and eventually a standalone TV network. Vice News reporters filed memorable documentaries like a report from the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in 2017, as well as reporting gonzo tales like chronicling NBA legend Dennis Rodman’s visit to North Korea. A 2017 investment round led by TPG once valued the company at $5.7bn. More recently, the company was thought to be worth less than $1bn, according to reports earlier this year about the company’s potential search for a buyer. Despite receiving acclaim for its unique style of storytelling, as well investments from marquee names like Disney and Fox, the company has continued to struggle financially. Last week, the company announced it would cancel its flagship “Vice News Tonight” show and lay off dozens of employees amid a larger corporate restructuring, the latest in a bruising season of media layoffs that saw cuts at Insider, NPR, Paper magazine, and the demise of Buzzfeed News. That follows reports that the Vice got an emergency $30m in financing to pay off a growing number of debts. In February, Vice Media chief executive Nancy Dubuc left the company. The company fell short of a 2022 revenue goal by more than $100m, The Wall Street Journal reported in December. The previous year, the company scuttled plans to go public through a special purpose acquisition company. In addition to its financial woes, Vice has been plagued by scandals, with critics charging the company’s anti-establishment ethos at times covered up a corporate culture rife with abuse.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-says-chinese-coast-guard-harassing-philippine-vessels/3069316/ US says Chinese coast guard harassing Philippine vessels The United States urged China on Saturday to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines after another maritime confrontation between the two Asian countries. “We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The Philippines on Friday accused China’s coast guard of “aggressive tactics” following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. China on Sunday said it was willing to handle maritime differences with countries of concern in the South China Sea through friendly consultations and warned the United States against interference. “The U.S., as a country outside of the region, must not interfere with the South China Sea matter or use the South China Sea matter to sow discord among regional countries,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a written statement. The Second Thomas Shoal is home to a small military contingent aboard a rusty World War Two-era U.S. ship that was intentionally grounded in 1999 to reinforce the Philippines’ territorial claims. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a “military-grade laser” at one of its resupply vessels. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, with a “nine-dash line” on maps that stretches more than 1,500 km off its mainland and cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. An international arbitral ruling in 2016 dismissed that line as having no legal basis. China’s foreign ministry on Friday said the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and made deliberate provocative moves. The State Department said Washington “stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/us/politics/debt-limit-date-janet-yellen.html#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%94%20Treasury%20Secretary%20Janet%20L,defaulting%20on%20the%20nation's%20debt.’ U.S. Could Run Out of Cash by June 1, Yellen Warns Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said on Monday that the United States could run out of money to pay its bills by June 1 if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit, putting pressure on President Biden and lawmakers to reach a swift agreement to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt. The more precise warning over when the United States could hit the so-called X-date dramatically reduces the projected amount of time lawmakers have to reach a deal before the government runs out of money to pay all of its bills on time. The new timeline could force a flurry of negotiations between the House, Senate and Mr. Biden over government spending — or a high-stakes standoff between the president and the House Republicans who have refused to raise the limit without deep spending cuts attached. Economists have warned that failure to raise the debt limit, which caps the total amount of money the United States can borrow, threatens to rock financial markets and throw the global economy into a financial crisis. Because the United States runs a budget deficit — meaning it spends more money than it takes in — it must borrow huge sums of money to pay its bills. In addition to paying Social Security benefits, along with salaries for the military and government workers, the United States is also required to make interest and other payments to the bondholders who own its debt. White House officials had not expected the date of possible default to arrive so soon, and the accelerated timetable could scramble the president’s approach to the potential crisis. The newly compressed calendar leaves little time for the president and congressional leaders to find agreement on raising the limit. Mr. McCarthy is traveling in the Middle East this week. Later this month, Mr. Biden is scheduled to attend the Group of 7 nations leaders’ summit in Japan, then travel on to Australia for a summit with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia. House Republicans passed legislation in April that would raise the debt limit in exchange for deep spending cuts and roll back recent climate legislation that Democrats passed along party lines. Mr. Biden has blasted that bill, saying it would hurt working families while benefiting the oil and gas industry, and he has accused Republicans of putting America’s economy on the line. On Monday, the president called on Republicans “to make sure the threat by the Speaker of the House to default on the national debt is off the table.” Mr. Biden has said he will meet with Mr. McCarthy to discuss government spending and the budget. But he has insisted that raising the debt limit is not negotiable and has urged Republicans to lift the borrowing cap without strings attached. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-05-01/biden-administration-to-end-many-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-next-week#:~:text=The%20Biden%20administration%20will%20also%20end%20the%20controversial%20Title%2019%20travel%20restrictions.&text=May%201%2C%202023%2C%20at%205%3A43%20p.m.&text=The%20Biden%20administration%20on%20Monday,international%20air%20travelers%20next%20week. Biden Administration to End Many COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements Next Week The Biden administration on Monday announced that it will end its COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers, federal contractors and international air travelers next week. “While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting the efficiency of workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary,” the White House said in a statement. The mandates will end May 11, the same day the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration is set to expire. The Biden administration will also begin the process to end coronavirus vaccine requirements for “Head Start educators, CMS-certified healthcare facilities, and certain noncitizens at the land border.” Additional details on the process will be available in the coming days, according to the White House. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security on Monday said it would end its Title 19 travel restrictions on May 12. The agency will “no longer require non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request.” Coronavirus vaccine requirements were among the most controversial decisions from the Biden administration during the pandemic. As coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations have declined, the administration rolled back nearly all of its COVID-19 mitigation measures. The Pentagon in January dropped its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops after President Joe Biden signed into law a massive defense spending bill that required the measure’s termination, bringing a close to the contentious issue that drew considerable ire from Republicans. https://www.theepochtimes.com/bernie-sanders-calls-for-confiscation-of-wealth-above-999-million_5232590.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport Bernie Sanders Calls for Confiscation of Wealth Above $999 Million Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for the U.S. government to confiscate assets over $999 million, and also announced his support for President Joe Biden. The senator spoke with CNN anchor Chris Wallace last week for an interview when he declared that billionaires should not exist. Sanders said he believes that the government should seize personal assets over his suggested limit before any American could become a billionaire. He appeared on Wallace’s show to talk about his new book, “It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.” A former Democratic party presidential candidate, in 2016 and 2020, the senator amassed huge support in the primaries and raised large amounts of money, but failed to secure the nomination each time. The CNN host questioned Sanders about a statement in his book that called for the government to prevent the creation of new billionaires. “So are you basically saying that once you get to $999 million, that the government should confiscate all the rest?” Wallace asked. “Yeah, I think people can make it on $999 million,” Bernie responded. “Which would mean that all these billion dollars, basically, it all goes to the government,” said Wallace. Sanders recently got into an exchange during a contentious Senate hearing over Starbuck’s labor practices, with a not too subtle remark on the billionaire status of the company’s former CEO, Howard Schultz. Bernie, who is himself worth $3 million, according to GoBankingRates, previously criticized both millionaires and billionaires, but now only opposes those worth over a billion dollars. The Vermont senator said that a return to the 90 percent top marginal tax rate of the Eisenhower administration was a way to accomplish that. The proposed legislation calls for wealthy heirs to pay more on their inheritances by expanding the estate tax to 45 percent on estates worth at least $3.5 million. It will also impose a 65 percent tax—a so-called “billionaire’s tax”—on estates worth over $1 billion. The amount of inheritances exempt from the estate tax has gradually increased over the last two decades, according to the Tax Policy Center. As of 2023, the estate tax exemption stands at just under $13 million, a rise from around $12 million the previous year. The bill also targets loopholes that the very wealthy can exploit to shield their assets from taxation such as trusts that do not incur estate or gift taxes when money is doled out from an inherited trust. However, any legislation to hike tax rates would be dead on arrival due to the Republican-controlled House. https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-mexico-mom-sentenced-18-years-tossing-baby-trash-bin New Mexico mom sentenced to 18 years for tossing baby in trash bin A New Mexico teenage mother was sentenced Monday to a mandatory 18 years in prison for tossing her newborn son into a trash bin behind a shopping center, but a state district judge cited mental health concerns and the defendant's age in suspending two years of the punishment. Jurors convicted Alexis Avila, 19, of child abuse involving great bodily harm following a days-long trial last month in which her public defender argued her actions were not premeditated and that a previously undiagnosed mental health disorder played a role. Judge William Shoobridge told Avila that had it not been for luck and the grace of God he would have been deliberating a sentence in a murder case as there was a high probability the child would have died had it not been found by three people looking through the dumpster that winter day in Hobbs, near the Texas border. He ordered that Avila continue with treatment, medication and her higher education while serving her sentence. Avila told the judge she wants to learn how to deal with stress and anxiety so she can handle her emotions in a healthier way. She also said she regrets missing out on her son's first milestones and that she denied him motherly love. Police said a group of people were looking through the dumpster when they heard what they thought was a dog or kitten. They moved a trash bag and found a baby inside, wrapped in a towel with its umbilical cord still attached. They tried to keep the boy warm until police and paramedics arrived. Prosecutors argued during trial that Avila made a choice to ignore her pregnancy and place her newborn son into two trash bags, secure them with a hair tie and toss the boy into the bin. They told jurors the boy had been in the cold for over six hours. The judge told Avila that she had the opportunity to correct her actions within in that time but did not. Her Public defender disputed that Avila made a premeditated attempt to kill her baby. He said while Avila's actions were wrong, they were the result of her bipolar disorder and that she was disassociated and detached from her feelings. Her defender told the judge Avila did not pose a threat to the public, has made progress with her therapy and does not take lightly what she did to her child. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-04-26/fox-news-ratings-plummet-without-tucker-carlson Fox News prime-time ratings plummet after Tucker Carlson firing as Newsmax sees boost Fox News is feeling the effects of life without Tucker Carlson. “Fox News Tonight” — the program temporarily filling the slot long occupied by Carlson — pulled in 1.7 million viewers with “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade, according to Nielsen data. The number is 47% below what “Tucker Carlson Tonight” delivered in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour a week earlier on April 16. Carlson averaged 3.2 million viewers in the first quarter of 2023. Fox News now is faced with replacing a top-rated prime-time star, a situation it has dealt with successfully in the past. But in the short term, the network may be in for a rocky ride from a ratings standpoint. CNN’s Anderson Cooper won the hour in the demo with 163,000 viewers, with MSNBC’s “All in With Chris Hayes” close behind at 162,000. Kilmeade scored 149,000 in the category. The ratings indicate Kilmeade won’t be giving up the morning shift anytime soon. Without the tentpole that Carlson’s program provided, the ratings for other Fox News shows were down as well. “Hannity” averaged 2 million viewers, a decline of 20% from the previous week. “The Ingraham Angle” scored 1.56 million, down 12%. Fox News will be tested again, as the sharp decline in Tuesday’s ratings is a clear sign that the audience is upset. One possible fix is moving Fox News fan favorite Jesse Watters into Carlson’s time slot while auditioning hosts an hour earlier.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, April 20th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! We start this off with some somber news coming out of Alabama. https://www.foxnews.com/us/two-teens-charged-dadeville-alabama-mass-shooting-sweet-16-birthday-party Two teens charged in Dadeville, Alabama, mass shooting at Sweet 16 birthday party Alabama authorities announced Wednesday that two teenagers have been arrested and charged in the Dadeville mass shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party last weekend. Four people were killed, and another 32 people were injured when gunfire erupted at approximately 10:34 p.m. Saturday at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, located in the 200 Block of Broadnax Street in Dadeville, a sleepy town of just 3,200 people in Tallapoosa County, about 62 miles northeast of the state capital of Montgomery. Days later, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, were both formally charged with four counts of reckless murder. The teens from Tuskegee were arrested by Special Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). "These individuals have been charged after a complex and thorough investigation was conducted with assistance from a multitude of law enforcement agencies," the ALEA said in a statement. At a press conference Wednesday, District Attorney Mike Segrest said the pair would be charged as adults and that prosecutors would ask a judge to hold them without bail. A bond hearing must be held by Friday under Alabama law. He said four people remain in the hospital in critical condition and that more charges would be coming. The gunfire broke out Saturday at a 16th birthday party for Alexis Dowdell, which was being held at the dance studio just off the town’s courthouse square. Witnesses have said multiple people began shooting some time after Dowdell’s mother paused the celebration to ask people with guns to leave. The birthday girl’s brother, Philstavious "Phil" Dowdell, reportedly died in his sister’s arms. Besides Phil Dowdell, a star wide receiver with plans to play college football at Jacksonville State this fall, those killed were fellow Dadeville High senior Shaunkivia Nicole "KeKe" Smith, 17, an athlete-turned-team manager; 2022 Opelika High School graduate Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, an aspiring singer who planned to start college this fall; and 2018 Dadeville High graduate Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, another former athlete at the school. Holston had gone to the party to check on a younger family member who feared trouble, Holston’s mother Janett Heard told AL.com. Relatives told the news outlet that the shooting began shortly after Holston arrived, and that he pulled his younger relative to safety. https://nypost.com/2023/04/18/chinese-police-stations-allegedly-spying-on-nyc-la-more/ After FBI busts Chinese ‘police station’ in NYC, six more exposed in US The FBI helped shut down a clandestine Chinese “police station” in Manhattan after the arrest of two alleged operatives earlier this week — but The Post is told that there are several more of these illegal organizations scattered across the US. In addition to the Chinese police station above a noodle restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown, there is another station at an undisclosed address in New York City, as well as an outpost in Los Angeles, according to a new report by Safeguard Defenders. The Madrid-based human rights group initially published a report last year detailing 100 clandestine Chinese police stations around the world. In addition to Los Angeles and New York, the nonprofit has found so-called “overseas service stations” in San Francisco and Houston as well as in cities in Nebraska and Minnesota. These law enforcement organizations, operated by the Chinese Communist Party, are tasked with spying on Chinese nationals around the world. UFWD is an acronym for United Front Work Department, a Chinese government agency that controls overseas ethnic and religious affairs. Often, the police stations — whose operatives allegedly spy on dissidents and others — hide behind nonprofits and community associations, according to Safeguard Defenders’ reports. In Chinatown, the police station was run by the America ChangLe Association NY Inc., which owns the building at 107 East Broadway where the operation was located, The Post revealed in October. The nonprofit, which listed its charitable mission as a “social gathering place for Fujianese people,” paid $1.3 million in 2016 for the suite of offices that houses the Fuzhou Police Overseas Chinese Affairs bureau at the East Broadway location, filings show. Last year, the group held its annual gala dinner, featuring New York City Mayor Eric Adams as the guest of honor — an event that was not disclosed on the mayor’s official agenda. On Monday, federal agents arrested “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan for allegedly establishing the East Broadway station, known as the Fuzhou branch of the Ministry of Public Security in China. The men allegedly shut down the station last year when they became aware of a federal investigation, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. According to the criminal complaint, Lu also helped track down dissidents who were living in the city. Chinese officials also requested that he participate in demonstrations against Falun Gong, a religious movement subject to crackdown across the globe by the Chinese Communist Party, the complaint said. Lu and Chen also tried to obstruct the DOJ’s investigation by deleting their communications with an official of MPS after finding out about the FBI investigation, federal prosecutors said. The criminal complaint against Lu and Chen was unsealed Monday at the same time that 44 other defendants were charged, in two separate complaints in Brooklyn federal court, for various crimes related to illegally acting on behalf of China in the US. Speaking of China, "PrayforChina.us is a nationwide initiative helping Christians pray more strategically for China by matching up every state (and eventually every county) with their own Chinese province (and county) to adopt for prayer! Learn more at Pray for China dot us." https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/19/meta-started-latest-round-of-layoffs-focusing-on-technical-employees.html Meta has started its latest round of layoffs, focusing on technical employees As part of Meta’s latest round of job cuts announced in March, the company on Wednesday started laying off employees in technical roles. Employees with technical backgrounds like user experience, software engineering, graphics programming and other roles announced on LinkedIn that they had been let go by the company on Wednesday morning. A Meta spokesperson confirmed to CNBC the cuts had started. One employee impacted by the moves told CNBC that Wednesday’s layoffs also hit product-facing teams and that Meta plans to cut business-facing roles, such as finance, legal and HR, beginning in May. The employee, who discussed the layoffs under condition of a-nuh-ni-muh-tee to speak freely, said Meta suggested tech teams who weren’t impacted by Wednesday’s cuts may also be included in layoffs next month. LinkedIn posts indicated that multiple people who worked as gameplay programmers were also affected by the layoffs. Gameplay engineers work on virtual and augmented reality products, according to a Meta job listing. With ad revenue slumping last year and its stock price in free-fall, Facebook’s parent announced its first round of layoffs in November, affecting some 11,000 workers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg then declared 2023 the “year of efficiency,” and proceeded with a plan of an additional 10,000 job cuts in March, resulting in restructuring costs of between $3 billion and $5 billion. As Zuckerberg said at the time, the new round of April layoffs targets technical workers. He said cuts in the business groups would take place in late May. Wall Street has applauded the downsizing. Meta shares have soared 81% this year after losing about two-thirds of their value last year. Revenue has declined for three straight quarters, and analysts are projecting another quarterly sales drop when Meta reports its first-quarter earnings next week. The company’s previous guidance called for sales of between $26 billion and $28.5 billion, which means the streak of revenue declines could end if Meta reaches the top end of the range. https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2023/04/18/bidens-border-roughly-180000-more-migrants-in-march/ Biden’s Border Flood: 180,000 More Migrants in March President Joe Biden’s deputies accepted roughly 180,000 more illegal migrants in March to take jobs and homes that would otherwise go to better-paid Americans. The March inflow brings Biden’s total southern inflow to roughly 4.3 million — or more than one migrant for every American born in 2022. That massive inflow spikes Wall Street by cutting Americans’ wages, inflating housing prices, and shifting new jobs and wealth to the coastal states. The two leading GOP candidates for 2024 — Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — are promising to end the illegal migrant inflow. Federal data released on April 17 shows that 162,317 illegal migrants were arrested at the border in March by the border agents. Biden’s deputies rejected 90,000 of the migrants under the Title 42 border barrier, which is due to expire on May 11. They allowed 104,238 migrants into the United States to take jobs while they plead for asylum. The 104,238 accepted migrants include roughly 80,000 people admitted after they were arrested along the borders, plus 26,583 people who used the agency’s “CBP One” to get an appointment inside the United States for the catch-and-release process. But federal officials also allowed in another 30,000 migrants via quasi-legal loopholes cut by Biden’s pro-migration, Cuban-born border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas. These Cuban, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan migrants fly into the United States by aircraft and are not recorded in the border arrest data. This legal trick allows Mayorkas to claim that he is managing the border chaos created by Biden’s welcome for migrants, despite a judge’s order barring the process. But the monthly data also excludes the so-called “gotaways” who sneak past the half-built wall, decommissioned sensor networks, and diminished border patrol. This “gotaway” population added roughly 50,000 more job-seeking illegal migrants in March. These gotaways are quasi-legal because Mayorkas has announced he will not deport them unless they commit a violent crime. So the total inflow in March was about 180,000 — 104,238 let through the border, 30,000 lets in via Mayorkas’ pathway, plus 50,000 gotaways. Biden’s policies have allowed entry by roughly 4.3 million illegal migrants since January 2021 — or roughly one migrant for every two births in the United States during his tenure. In their press release on the monthly numbers, GOP leaders touted the bigger number of migrants who arrived at the border, not the smaller number of migrants who were actually admitted by Mayorkas. Donor-backed GOP officials rarely mention the huge economic impact of Biden’s migration on voters — or even on swing voters. Roughly 75 percent of the welcomed migrants in March are working-age job-seekers who need to pay their high-interest smuggling debts by working even tough jobs at low wages. That makes them attractive hires for U.S. employers who do not want to hire the roughly six million Americans who have been sidelined by age, criminal records, drugs, laziness, obesity, disability, or reluctance to take jobs for wages below what they have been paid before. The federal government annually admits about 1 million temporary workers — many of whom never go home — plus about 1 million legal immigrants. Those numbers were largely set by Congress in 1990. All told the combination of legal and illegal immigrants delivers roughly one migrant for every American birth each year. And now this! Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a parody of the old Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" commercials taking aim at transgender female athletes, including Lia Thomas and CeCé Telfer among others. Instead of Bud Light, which has been involved in a massive controversy over the brand’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, the ad introduces Freedom Heavy and "real men of women’s sports." https://twitter.com/i/status/16481268 78207680513 - Play Video 0:00-0:30

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, April 13th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! Now ladies and gentleman… I have some audio for you to listen to. Listen to this exchange between Elon Musk, and a BBC reporter. A warning… Elon slaughters this “journalist”. Seeing as this is audio, just know I use air quotes when I say journalist. 'You Just Lied': Elon Musk Slaughters BBC Reporter In Live Interview-Play Video That ladies and gentleman, is the state of journalism these days. Now, let’s get to the news: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/farmers-score-victory-biden-admin-judge-pauses-controversial-eco-rules Farmers score victory over Biden admin as judge pauses controversial eco rules A federal judge granted a request Wednesday from a coalition of 24 states and several industry groups to block environmental regulations redefining how water sources are protected. Judge Daniel Hovland of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota ruled that the so-called Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late December poses "great" risks to states. The judge also ruled that the federal government should wait until the Supreme Court soon rules on a related case pending before it. On Dec. 30, the final working day of 2022, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers quietly announced they had approved the WOTUS regulation and that it would be implemented in March. After announcing it, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the rule "safeguards our nation’s waters." The rule ultimately opens the door for the federal government to regulate wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams and "relatively permanent" waterways, largely mimicking a pre-2015 environmental rule set during the Obama administration which implemented the changes in an effort to curb water pollution. The regulation is a broad interpretation of which water sources require protection under the Clean Water Act. However, in its lawsuit filed in February, the 24-state coalition — led by West Virginia, Georgia, Iowa and North Dakota — argued the regulations were an example of federal overreach and an attack on their sovereign authority regulating bodies of water and surrounding land. A series of industry groups — including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Realtors, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association and National Mining Association — also entered the lawsuit as intervenor-plaintiffs. Meanwhile, the Senate and House both passed a bipartisan resolution earlier this year overturning the WOTUS regulation. President Biden vetoed the bill on April 6. https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-admin-unveils-rule-to-force-67-percent-of-cars-sold-to-be-electric-by-2032_5189758.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport US Unveils Toughest-Ever Car Emissions Rule in Bid to Force Surge in EV Purchases President Joe Biden further accelerated the nation’s switch to electric vehicles by announcing two proposed federal rule changes aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants in motor vehicle emissions. The changes, announced on April 12, would affect virtually all gasoline-powered vehicles on U.S. highways, save consumers an estimated $12,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the life of a vehicle, and avoid almost 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions through 2055, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The move aims to further the president’s goal of having 50 percent of all new cars and light trucks and 30 percent of new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) are considered zero-emission vehicles. The EPA estimates that approval of these rules would result in 67 percent of new passenger vehicles and light trucks being EVs by 2032, along with 50 percent of buses, 35 percent of short-haul freight tractors, and 25 percent of long-haul freight tractors. Critics have claimed that the move, which will increase the price of new cars, was made without consideration of the ability of the nation’s supply chain to meet the demand. The Biden administration has spent roughly $31 billion on the development of so-called clean transportation over the past two years, including the development of a network of EV charging stations, improving the supply chain for materials needed to produce EV batteries, and making loans to companies that manufacture EVs and EV components in the United States. General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis—the maker of Chrysler, Fiat, Ram, and Jeep brands—stated in 2021 that they would aim to reach EV sales of at least 40 percent of all their new vehicle sales by 2030. The rule change comes 10 months after six major automakers pledged to stop selling gas and diesel-powered cars worldwide by 2040. Speaking of hemoraging money… https://thepoliticalinsider.com/federal-government-borrowing-astronomical-6-billion-per-day/ Federal Government Borrowing Astronomical $6 Billion Per Day The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said Monday the federal government has accumulated more than a trillion dollars in debt only six months into the fiscal year. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released a report pointing out that those figures amount to an average of $6 billion per day so far in fiscal year 2023. The data figures come as Republicans and Democrats approach a deadline to raise the debt ceiling or face defaulting on the national debt, an unprecedented event that would have huge ramifications for the U.S. and global economy. Republicans have pointed to those figures as proof of the need for spending cuts. President Joe Biden, though, has shown no interest in negotiating. Democrats argue the fiscal deadline is too risky to play with in negotiations. The CRFB said if nothing changes, the annual deficit will hit $3 trillion by the end of this decade. Down to Florida we go… https://www.dailyfetched.com/florida-lawmakers-prepare-to-pass-measure-to-permit-death-penalty-for-pedophiles/ Florida Lawmakers Prepare to Pass Measure to Permit DEATH PENALTY for Pedophiles The House will consider its version of the bill (HB 1297) after (SB 1342) was cleared on Tuesday by the Rules Committee, as it readies for the bill to be presented to the full Senate. For decades, the U.S. Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court rulings have prohibited the execution of child rapists and sexual abuse cases. The last time someone was executed for a non-murder offense in the U.S. was 1964, according to a Senate staff analysis. However, the House and Senate bills argue that a Florida Supreme Court case in1981 and a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2008 were both “wrongly decided.” The Senate version declared the cases represent an “egregious infringement of the state’s power to punish the most heinous of crimes.” The bill’s sponsor, former prosecutor turned Republican state senator Jonathan Martin, said the legislation would allow for “constitutional boundaries by providing a sentencing procedure for those heinous crimes.” “If an individual rapes an 11-year-old, a 10-year-old, a 2-year-old or a 5-year-old, they should be subject to the death penalty,” Martin said Tuesday. As Red State reports: The legislation inevitably has drawn criticism, with Aaron Wyat of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers pointing out that although people want “vengeance” against pedophiles, the death penalty would represent an overturning of decades of legal precedent. “This bill invites a longer, costlier (legal) process for the victim and their family that they will endure,” Wayt said. “While this crime, anyone convicted of it is vile, heinous, the Constitution itself, the case law, the Supreme Court demands a maximum of life in prison. And so while it’s not the vengeance we all want, it’s the justice that the Constitution demands,” Wayt added. Meanwhile, left-leaning Slate Magazine argued a “sentence of life without parole is a harsh and severe punishment,” even for pedophiles. Despite the media pushback, the bill has attracted support from some Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, who suffered sexual abuse as a child and founded the advocacy organization Lauren’s Kids. Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign off on this legislation after voicing support for the death penalty for pedophiles. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-sues-michael-cohen-for-500-million Trump sues former attorney Michael Cohen for $500 million Former President Donald Trump is suing his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for more than $500 million, alleging a breach of his attorney-client relationship, unjust enrichment, and more, Fox News Digital has learned. Trump’s legal team filed the more-than 30-page federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday. The lawsuit alleges Cohen breached his attorney-client relationship by "spreading falsehoods" about Trump that were "likely to be embarrassing or detrimental, and partook in other misconduct," while also breaching contractual terms of a confidentiality agreement he signed as a condition of employment with Trump. The lawsuit alleges Cohen spread falsehoods about Trump "with malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends." The lawsuit details Cohen’s "myriad of public statements, including the publication of two books, a podcast series, and innumerable mainstream media appearances," while ignoring "cease and desist" orders. It claims Cohen has, in recent months, "increased the frequency and hostility of the illicit acts" and "appears to have become emboldened and repeatedly continues to make wrongful and false statements" about Trump through various platforms. The lawsuit comes a week after the former president pleaded not guilty in Manhattan court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York, related to alleged hush money payments made ahead of the 2016 presidential election. https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/04/11/nc-state-senator-moves-to-ban-participation-trophies/ NC State Senator Moves to Ban Participation Trophies Coffee is for closers, and if a state senator in North Carolina has his way, trophies at state-sponsored events will be for winners and winners only. North Carolina State Senator Timothy Moffitt (R) introduced the “Eliminate Participation Trophies Act” on Thursday, known in the legislature as SB 430. If passed, the bill would ban the awarding of trophies to children at state-sponsored athletic events simply for participating in the event. “Youth sports or other youth recreation activities operated under the authority of a local government shall not include awards for participants based solely on their participation in the sport or other activity,” the proposed law states. “Awards provided in connection with the activity, if any, shall be based on identified performance achievements.” Moffitt and the bill’s co-sponsors, Republican Senators Bobby Hanig and Eddie Settle say the bill will apply only to state-sponsored youth events. Though, no ages are listed explicitly in the bill. Many argue that participation trophies aren’t that big of a deal. After all, awarding trophies for merely showing up tends to fade out once kids progress past pee-wees and enter the junior high ranks. However, proponents of laws such as Moffitt’s will point to things like the Colts’ 2014 AFC Finalist Banner: Clearly, the participation trophy culture has made its way past pee-wees. Is it worth passing a law? The North Carolina legislature will soon decide.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, March 7th, 2023. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend with you and yours! Before we get to the news… Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! In world news, we visit Greece. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-05/thousands-protest-in-athens-after-greeces-deadly-train-crash Greeks Protest Over Deadly Train Crash, Station Master Jailed Pending Trial ATHENS (Reuters) -A Greek railway employee was jailed on Sunday pending trial over a deadly train crash that killed at least 57 people, as Greeks seethed with anger over the worst rail disaster in living memory. Protests continued to reverberate days after a head-on collision of a passenger train and a freight carrier on the Athens-Thessaloniki route late in the evening of Feb. 28. Clashes erupted between police and demonstrators in Athens on Sunday, after thousands rallied to protest over the crash. The 59-year-old Larissa station master faces multiple charges of disrupting transport and putting lives at risk. The man, who cannot be named under Greek law, was questioned for seven hours before a magistrate on Sunday before being detained. "For about 20 cursed minutes he was responsible for the safety of the whole of central Greece," his lawyer said. On Thursday, his lawyer said that his client was devastated and had assumed responsibility "proportionate to him" but other factors were also at play, without elaborating. Railway workers say the country's rail network has been creaking under cost-cutting and underinvestment, a legacy of Greece's debilitating debt crisis from 2010 to 2018. The Prime Minister of transportation, who blamed the crash on human error, acknowledged that decades of neglect could have contributed to the disaster. "As prime minister, I owe everyone, but most of all the relatives of the victims, an apology," he wrote on his Facebook account. "Justice will very fast investigate the tragedy and determine liabilities." After protests over the past three days across the country, some 10,000 people gathered in an Athens square on Sunday to express sympathy for the lives lost and to demand better safety standards on the rail network. "That crime won't be forgotten," protesters shouted as they released black balloons into the sky. A placard read: "Their policies cost human lives." Railway workers' unions say safety systems throughout the rail network have been deficient for years as a remote surveillance and signalling system has not been delivered on time. They have called on the government to provide a timetable for the implementation of safety protocols. The prime minister of transportation said on Sunday that if there had been a remote system in place throughout the rail network "it would have been, in practice, impossible for the accident to happen". https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/us/boston-flight-exit-door-arrest/index.html Man arrested after allegedly trying to open emergency door on plane and stabbing flight attendant A Massachusetts man was arrested for allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon three times during a flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Monday, after attempting to open an emergency exit door, according to the Justice Department. Francisco Severo Torres, 33, faces one charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. Torres was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport Monday and will remain detained pending a hearing set for Thursday. During a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston, the flight crew saw an alarm that a door in the plane had been disarmed and, after inspection, a flight attendant saw the door’s locking handle had been pushed out of the fully locked position and an emergency slide arming lever had been disarmed, according to the Justice Department. A flight attendant who saw Torres near the door went to talk to Torres about the door, according to the department, who asked if there were cameras showing he had tampered with the door. “According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible,” the Justice Department said. Soon after, Torres allegedly got out of his seat, mouthing something, before thrusting “towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times,” the department said. Torres was then tackled by other passengers on the flight and was immediately taken into custody after the flight landed. According to a criminal complaint, Torres told investigators he broke a spoon in half a bathroom on the airplane to use as a weapon. He also told law enforcement that he tried to open the emergency door and “had gotten the idea” to jump out of the plane, according to the complaint. Torres told investigators he was trying to defend himself and tried to stab the flight attendant because he believed they were trying to kill him, the complaint states. The flight attendant felt the object Torres was holding in his hand “hit him on his shirt collar and tie three times,” according to the complaint. United Airlines says it has banned Torres from flying on future flights following this incident. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/03/06/one-third-biden-2020-voters-do-not-want-him-run-again/ Poll: One-Third of Biden 2020 Voters Do Not Want Him to Run Again More than one-third of Biden 2020 voters do not want him to run for reelection in 2024, a recent survey from YouGov/The Economist revealed. The survey found 58 percent, overall, revealing they do not want President Joe Biden to run for office again in 2024, while 24 percent said they do. Another 18 percent remain unsure. Predictably, opinions are divided along party lines, as 83 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of independents do not want him to run. Less than a majority of Democrats, 43 percent, believe Biden should run in 2024, while more than one-third, 34 percent, said he should not. Another 23 percent of Democrats remain unsure. Notably, over one-third of Biden 2020 voters, 36 percent, do not want him to run in the next presidential race, while less than a majority, 39 percent, said he should. One-quarter of Biden 2020 voters remain unsure. For further comparison, most Trump 2020 voters, 55 percent, want former President Donald Trump to run in 2024, and 53 percent of Republicans across the board say the same. The survey was taken February 25-28, 2023, among 1,500 U.S. adult citizens. It coincides with other polls showing Biden’s inability to win over a majority of Democrats to support his potential 2024 presidential bid. A recent Fox News survey, for instance, found 53 percent of Democrat voters asserting that “someone else” should be their nominee in the forthcoming presidential election, compared to 37 percent who said “keep Biden” as the nominee. As Breitbart News reported: The article added further perspective to Biden’s figures among the Democrat base, noting that Trump saw far more support from his Republican base at the same point in his presidency, as 72 percent of Republican voters wanted to see him as the GOP nominee again in 2020. Similarly, a McLaughlin & Associates survey released last month found just more than a quarter, 26 percent, supporting Biden in a crowded Democrat field. https://www.theblaze.com/news/bob-ferguson-ministry-of-truth AG pushes state level 'Ministry of Truth' critics say could jail conservatives who express mainstream views A state attorney general is advocating for a bill some critics argue could punish outspoken conservatives as domestic extremists, KTTH's Jason Rantz reported Wednesday. "Some conservative views, or anything [Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson] deems as 'misinformation,' are examples of 'domestic extremism,'" Rantz said. It's the "most dangerous bill in legislative history," the Seattle radio host added. Washington is creating a state version of the ill-fated "Ministry of Truth," according to Rantz and others who have analyzed the bill. The controversial bill proposes the establishment of a commission on domestic violence extremism. Rep. Bill Ramos, a Democrat, sponsored the bill which would create the 13-member commission. HB 1333 describes the duties of the proposed commission as involving efforts to "combat disinformation and misinformation" and collecting data on incidents of "domestic violent extremism," the Center Square explains. Though DVE is not explicitly defined in the bill, Ferguson has described the term as including noncriminal activities or speech, the outlet also says. The legislation was spawned by the Attorney General's 2022 "Domestic Terrorism" study, according to Center Square. That study warned that "effective State intervention to address these threats has the potential to implicate speech or association that may be protected by the First Amendment, or the individual right to bear arms protected by the Second Amendment." Further, the commission, though charged with examining ways to treat DVE as a public health issue through the state's Department of Health, would have only one member required to be an expert in public health. The basic idea is to "take preemptive measures to stop actual domestic terrorist acts through community intervention." Such "community intervention" could include, for example, compelling people identified as "extremists" to undergo counseling, according to Rantz's interpretation of comments Ferguson made in an interview with PBS in January. How a Washington state plan to fight domestic extremism could be a model for the nation- Play Video 3:13-5:46 Rantz went on to explain that opposing critical race theory, mask mandates, and radical gender ideology could all be seen by the commission as tied to "white supremacy." Now lastly, let’s end on some good news: https://www.dailywire.com/news/walgreens-wont-distribute-abortion-pill-in-21-states-spokesperson-says Walgreens Won’t Distribute Abortion Pill In 21 States, Spokesperson Says American pharmacy chain Walgreens faced backlash over the weekend after announcing it would not sell abortion pills in states where the drugs remain legal after nearly two dozen Republican state attorney generals threatened legal action against the company. Walgreens, the second-largest pharmaceutical chain in the United States, told Politico last week they would not dispense abortion pills either by mail or at locations in 21 states, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana, where the drug is legal. The decision followed a letter from 20 Republican attorneys general last month, who warned of violating state laws if the company mailed out abortion pills. Several other pharmacies, including CVS, Walmart, and Costco, also received a similar letter from those state officials. Following the announcement, Business Insider reported the phrases “Walgreens” and “#BoycottWalgreens” trended on Twitter as critics called on consumers to stop supporting the pharmacy — which cited tweets from one of President Joe Biden’s aides, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) — all calling on the pharmacy to reverse its decision. Kristi Hamrick, a spokesperson for Students for Life, praised Walgreens’ decision. Students for Life and other pro-life groups have also written to Walgreens and CVS, threatening “legal ramifications” for the pharmacies if they begin filling prescriptions for abortion pills, Politico reported. Other states Walgreens included in the announcement were those that made it illegal to dispense the abortion pill through mail such as Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, March 3rd, 2023. Club Membership Plug: Ladies and gentleman, it’s never been a better time to become a club member at CrossPolitic. This year, CrossPolitic will be dropping exclusive content into our club portal for club members ONLY. Some of this content will include a Bible study series with Pastor Toby, a special with New Saint Andrew’s President, Ben Merkle, our backstage content, and our conference talks! You can grab a club membership for 10 bucks per month… that’s two cups of coffee. So again, head on over to fightlaughfeast.com to get signed up today! That’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2023/03/02/is-iran-less-than-two-weeks-away-from-having-a-nuclear-bomb-n2620152 Could Iran Make a Nuclear Bomb in Less Than Two Weeks? After it was reported this week that Iran had more than 18 times the amount of enriched uranium it was allowed to have under the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Biden administration claimed Iran would need less than two weeks in order to finalize enrichment to produce the material needed for a nuclear bomb. https://twitter.com/i/status/1 630679650249654273 - Play Video Calling Iran's nuclear progress "remarkable," Defense Under Secretary for Policy Colin Kahl told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that "it would take about twelve days" for Iran "to produce one bomb's worth of fissile material." Recent evaluations by the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran has managed to enrich some of its uranium stockpiles to 84 percent, just shy of the 90 percent enrichment needed for fissile material in a nuclear bomb. Kahl, as with everyone else in the Biden administration, sought to place blame for Iran's nuclear progress on the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA — blame the mainstream media quickly repeated — but the 2015 nuclear deal was flawed and mostly served as a massive payday for the murderous regime. What's more, the Biden administration has wasted years trying to negotiate a new deal with Iran, while Biden's own State Department has admitted Iran played the United States by using lengthy and unserious negotiations to continue ramping up its nuclear efforts as it feigned good faith efforts. While President Biden and his administration were apparently content to continue pursuing diplomacy despite Iran using negotiations for its latest kabuki theater production, Israel is taking the threat more seriously and calling for international deterrents to Iran's nuclear ambitions. To that end, Israel's "Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi are set to fly out early next week to Washington for talks on progress made in Iran's nuclear program," the Jerusalem Post reports. The situation is even more concerning given the deepening ties between Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea, and the fact that the United States' reaction to all this is being decided by Joe Biden — who has bungled multiple international incidents and hasn't shown himself able to present the United States as a powerful deterrent to bad actors on the world stage. https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2023/03/02/discover-to-track-gun-purchases/ Discover Card to Begin Tracking Gun Purchases in April Beginning in April 2023, Discover will become the first credit card issuer to track gun purchases made by their cardholders. On September 11, 2022, Breitbart News noted that Visa caved to pressure from gun control groups and New York Democrats, agreeing to flag gun and ammo purchases via a new sales categorization. The Associated Press observed that Mastercard and other major credit cards also agreed to flag gun sales. On March 2, 2023, the Independent Journal Review (IJR) reported that Discover will be first among credit card companies to track gun sales, inasmuch as the company will begin doing so in April. IJR explained, “Anyone using a Discover card to make a purchase in a gun store will have that purchase tracked, beginning in April.” There are over 55 million Discover cards in usage, so a lot of information on gun purchases can be gathered via that one company. Reuters pointed out Discover Financial Services was ahead of Visa and Mastercard in February 2023, noting that Discover would “allow its network to track purchases at gun retailers come April, making it the first among its peers to publicly give a date for moving ahead with the initiative, which is aimed at helping authorities probe gun-related crimes.” Discover told Reuters, “We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders.” The code for tracking gun purchases was approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in September 2022, and an ISO representative indicated, “The decision to use the new merchant category code is eventually left up to the users in the industry.” https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-spends-nearly-100-million-house-migrants-hotels-after-out-state-busing?intcmp=tw_fnc NYC spends nearly $100 million to house migrants in hotels after out-of-state busing New York City’s public hospital system will spend more than $90 million to house migrants at hotels in the Big Apple through the spring, local reports found. The ​​New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation, which operates public hospitals and clinics in the city, is tasked with overseeing housing for the influx of illegal immigrants. The group’s CEO, Mitchell Katz, has approved spending millions on four hotels to house the migrants in Manhattan, the New York Post reported. Katz approved $40 million to go to the four-star hotel Row NYC near Times Square, another $28 million to the four-star Stewart Hotel near Madison Square Garden, $20 million to the three-star hotel the Watson in Hell’s Kitchen and another $5.8 million to the two-star Wolcott Hotel near the Empire State Building, the Post and online publication The City reported this month. All in, the cost for housing the migrants through the spring of this year sits at $93.8 million. At least 47,600 migrants have inundated the city since last year, including when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending buses of migrants to the city in August amid the ongoing border crisis. There are a total of seven "Humanitarian Response and Relief Centers" in the city, including the four hotels, housing at the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel in Long Island City, one at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and another at the Holiday Inn in the Financial District. "Since the beginning of this humanitarian crisis, New York City has mounted a multi-agency response to ensure we are meeting our moral obligations and providing compassionate, comprehensive care to those arriving in our city," a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams told The City, "and NYC Health + Hospitals has been key in that response from the start." The housing plans have come with a series of issues, including Row NYC found to throw out nearly a ton of food each day, according to a hotel whistleblower who previously spoke to the Post. While late last month, a group of migrants who were staying at the Watson Hotel in Midtown Manhattan refused to leave the hotel – and even protested by sleeping in the streets – after city officials said they would be housed at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Adams even slept at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on the coldest night of the year earlier this month in an effort to fend off criticism that the facilities were lackluster. The mayor has meanwhile pleaded with the White House for more assistance from the government as the migrant population grows "I have a Republican governor dumping on my city," Adams said last month. "I have a Democratic governor dumping on my city. That is where the national government should have stepped in and said, ‘Wait a minute, let's coordinate this effort.’" Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis had also bused migrants to New York City and Chicago as the migrant crisis swelled in Denver and other areas, but announced a halt to the busing program last month after outcry from Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Smart Pricing Table: Do you own a business and write a lot of proposals? If so, you should check out SmartPricingTable.com. Smart Pricing Table allows you to create quick and accurate proposals; and it's loaded with features like recurring fees, quantities and line item upsells. When your prospect is ready, they can e-sign and you're off to the races. Visit SmartPricingTable.com and mention Cross Politic to get 25% off your first 2 months https://www.boundingintosports.com/2023/02/christian-high-school-withdraws-from-state-tournament-instead-of-facing-team-with-transgender-player/ Christian High School Withdraws From State Tournament Instead Of Facing Team With Transgender Player A girls’ high school basketball team in Vermont made a big decision last week when they opted out of playing in their biggest game of the year. The institution, Mid-Vermont Christian School forfeited their first-round state tournament game against Long Trail because the team didn’t believe it was fair to play against a transgender athlete. They explained that their decision not to compete was based on concerns for player safety and fairness. Vermont state law permits transgender females to play in girls’ sporting leagues and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. “We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” a statement from MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg said. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.” The state acknowledged the school’s decision and thus, their self-elimination from the postseason proceedings. Vermont’s policy regarding transgender athletes has led to other controversies recently. In October, a middle school soccer coach from Randolph Union High School was suspended after he allegedly ‘misgendered’ a trans student. This action came in the course of him defending his daughter, who said she was uncomfortable with the individual being in the girls’ locker room. Also that month, administrators at the school banned members of the girls’ volleyball team after they also objected to sharing it with a fellow student who is biologically male. That situation lit a fire of controversy surrounding the Randolph school, which lies in a community with a population of fewer than 5,000 people. There were several verbal taunts exchanged, some even leading to threats of violence. Randolph Union High School draws national controversy over decision regarding transgender student...-Play Video 0:00-2:56 While the policy regarding transgender athletes varies on the state level in high school, it has a uniform policy at the next level. Current NCAA rules state that transgender women are allowed to participate in women’s sports after undergoing one year of testosterone suppression. During an April 2021 survey in the United States, 17 percent of male respondents and 24 percent of female respondents strongly supported allowing transgender girls to compete against other female athletes at the high school level.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, March 1st, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it! Visit fightlaughfeast.com for more information! https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/price-tag-biden-loan-forgiveness-plan-supreme-court $500 billion question: The real cost of Supreme Court decision on Biden student loan plan The gargantuan price tag for President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is garnering renewed scrutiny as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the policy Tuesday. In August, Biden announced a plan to eliminate $10,000 in student loan debt to borrowers who make less than $125,000 a year and $20,000 in loan forgiveness to Pell Grant recipients. The policy, which has been blocked by federal courts prior to the Supreme Court's review, would cost $400 billion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which said it was "highly uncertain" about the estimate. Meanwhile, a study from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business said the cost could easily exceed $500 billion. In January, Biden’s Department of Education unveiled new proposed regulations that substantially overhauled the department’s income-driven repayment program, which allows low-income borrowers to make lower monthly payments than their loan would otherwise provide. The Penn-Wharton model estimated that the total cost of the proposed changes to the income-driven repayment program, coupled with the widespread forgiveness plan, could push the cost beyond $1 trillion. The plan, despite its eye-popping price tag, has drawn praise from members of the president's party, who blasted Republicans for attempting to block the policy. In contrast, Republican politicians have blasted the policy as an unfair redistribution of wealth from noncollege-educated workers to educated elites and raised alarms about the policy's cost to the taxpayer. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) noted in a statement to the Washington Examiner the plan's accompanying price tag and added that the administration's continued extension of a pause on collecting payments had cost "taxpayers $195 billion.” House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) told the Washington Examiner that she was optimistic that the court would strike down the administration's policy and called on the president to work with Congress to reform the federal student loan program. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2023/02/28/cnn-hits-10-year-low-in-prime-time-as-fox-news-glides-to-victory-in-february-cable-news-ratings/?sh=580e7cfa7d09 CNN Hits 10-Year Low As Fox News Glides To Victory In Cable News Ratings February marked CNN’s lowest-rated month in a decade, with the network’s prime time lineup dropping 42% among viewers 25-54—the key demographic group valued by advertisers—compared to the same month one year ago. CNN drew an average prime time audience of 122,000 viewers in the key demo, compared to Fox News Channel’s 299,000 viewers (down 33%). MSNBC was third overall with 119,000 viewers (down 15%). Among total viewers, Fox News dominated prime time with 2.262 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (1.165 million viewers) and CNN (587,000 viewers). All of the networks saw year-over-year declines, with CNN down the most at 24%. Fox News was down 14% and MSNBC declined the least, down 2%. Fox News had 94 of the 100 most-watched telecasts in February, which marked two consecutive years as the highest-rated network in cable news, among both total viewers and viewers in the key demo. The most-watched show in cable news for the month was FNC’s The Five, which drew an average total audience of 3.310 million viewers, followed by Tucker Carlson Tonight (3.303 million viewers), Jesse Watters Primetime (2.833 million viewers), Hannity (2.684 million viewers), and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.439 million viewers)—all airing on the Fox News Channel. In the key demo, Tucker Carlson Tonight finished the month in first place with an average audience of 461,000 viewers, followed by The Five (371,000 viewers), Hannity (355,000 viewers), Gutfeld! (322,000 viewers), and Jesse Watters Primetime (314,000 viewers)—all airing on Fox News. https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-asks-congress-to-reauthorize-fisa-surveillance-powers Biden Admin Asks Congress To Reauthorize FISA Surveillance Powers Ahead of an expiration date at the end of the year, the Biden administration formally requested on Tuesday that Congress reauthorize Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial spy program used to combat threats around the world. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines sent a letter to congressional leaders arguing that maintaining Title VII is a “top legislative priority” for the Biden administration. The letter places particular emphasis on Section 702, which was enacted in 2008 and is used to monitor non-U.S. citizens abroad, but Title VII also contains other sections that concern procedures and protections for surveillance of U.S. persons abroad. Garland and Haines argue Section 702 has been critical in identifying and protecting against national security threats to the United States and its allies, including “conventional and cyber threats” posed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. They listed some examples touting Section 702’s usefulness, including noting that it contributed to the operation that led to a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan killing Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri in 2022. Privacy and civil liberty advocates have raised concerns about warrantless surveillance due to the mass incidental collection of data, including the communications of Americans in contact with a foreign target, and the mishandling of surveillance powers, such as the FBI’s targeting of a Trump 2016 campaign aide using an unverified dossier. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to FISA as it stands. Among them are Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who this month called for “meaningful reforms” to protect Fourth Amendment rights, and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray two weeks ago demanding answers about “backdoor searches” sifting through FISA data that appear to have targeted politicians. Members of Congress will have a chance to grill the Biden administration about the FISA program, as Garland and Haines are set to appear before key committees in the coming days. https://www.dailyfetched.com/toxic-chemical-waste-from-ohio-is-now-headed-to-other-states/ Toxic Chemical Waste from Ohio Now Headed to Other States Contaminated waste from the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, is being shipped to Indiana and could also be heading to other states in the wake of the ongoing cleanup. There have already been fifteen truckloads of toxic waste disposed of in Michigan, while five truckloads carrying 280 tons had been in East Palestine, according to an update from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office. The report added that liquid waste had been disposed of at a Texas treatment site, while 02,000 gallons of liquid waste remains in East Palestine. EPA’s regional administrator, Debra Shore, said that solid waste would be sent to an incinerator operated by Ross Environmental Services in Grafton, Ohio, and also a Heritage hazardous waste landfill in Roachdale, Indiana, which also operates the facility in East Liverpool. The two facilities in Ohio, which began taking in shipments on Monday, “don’t have enough capacity to handle all the liquid and solid waste from this cleanup,” Shore explained. This means the agency had to look for other disposal locations. Meanwhile, a demonstration held by local Republicans and residents in Michigan said: “Stop these shipments. Do not bring these shipments to Michigan.” Texas officals said they were unaware that toxic materials from the crash were being sent to a site near them until they heard about it from the press. “That’s unacceptable,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “I know our community was taken aback by the news just as much as I was.” The Ohio derailment saw 38 rail cars containing hazardous material go off the tracks earlier this month. Ohio residents have since complained of mysterious symptoms after being exposed to the toxic chemicals Officials have since discovered toxic chemicals in the soil surrounding the derailment site and in nearby waterways. Last week, an attorney representing more than 30,000 people impacted by 9/11, warned East Palestine residents not to trust what the EPA says about water quality. Accountable2You Jesus is Lord. In public and in private, every area of life must be subject to his Lordship—and our use of technology is no exception. What captures our attention on the screen either glorifies or dishonors our Lord. That’s why Accountable2You is committed to promoting biblical accountability in our families and churches. Their monitoring and reporting software makes transparency easy on all of your devices, so you can say with the Psalmist, “I will not set anything worthless before my eyes.” Guard against temptation with Accountable2You, and live for God’s glory! Learn more and try it for free at Accountable2You.com/FLF https://www.boundingintosports.com/2023/02/after-being-removed-from-super-bowl-coverage-michael-irvin-and-attorneys-demand-marriott-release-super-bowl-surveillance-video/ After Being Removed From Super Bowl Coverage, Michael Irvin and Attorneys DEMAND Marriott Release Super Bowl Surveillance Video Throughout his Hall of Fame playing career with the Dallas Cowboys and even since Michael Irvin has been no stranger to controversy. Or, for that matter? Brushes with the law here and there. Irvin has been arrested multiple times over the years for everything from drug possession charges to assault. Always volatile, the former University of Miami Hurricane has been known to display an explosive temper. One that he displayed quite often. In an incident that took place at the Cowboys’ training facility in 1998, he stabbed teammate Everett McIver in the neck with a pair of scissors when the younger player refused to get up from a barber chair. Though McIver survived the attack, the wound could have been fatal. Irvin’s checkered history also includes multiple allegations of sexual misconduct that date back to the early days of his playing career. In 1996, a woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Irvin and his Cowboys teammate Erik Williams. Authorities concluded that her allegations were fabricated. The accuser later recanted her story. In 2007, Irvin was accused of sexual battery by a woman who said he got her drunk and raped her at a Florida hotel. Criminal charges were never filed, but she filed a civil lawsuit in 2010. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, police investigated Irvin for an alleged sexual assault on March 22, 2017. Then, on July 24, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office announced they had closed the investigation and would not charge Irvin in the case. Flash forward to 2023. Prior to this year’s Super Bowl coverage, Irvin was pulled from his duties as a commentator for the NFL Network, due to more allegations. This time, it was for an exchange at a Marriott hotel between the Hall of Famer and the accuser. However, details both then and now regarding their interaction remains unclear. Irvin immediately denied any wrongdoing, saying that his only interaction with the woman included nothing more than a mere handshake. “We shook hands. Then, I left. … That’s all I know,” Irvin explained to The Dallas Morning News when the story broke. From the beginning, Irvin has professed his innocence, and he is now asking for surveillance video to be released to clear him of any wrongdoing. The Playmaker is also now pursuing legal action against the woman and the hotel chain, and he got a big win in the matter late last week. Irvin’s lawyers had been arguing that he had the right to view the video, as the accusations involved could jeopardize not only his public persona but his potential to earn millions as a television personality, as well. In essence, they are looking to clear the star’s name completely. It must have worked because it appears now that Marriott hotels and their parent company won’t have much choice in the matter. A federal judge ordered Marriott to release the Michael Irvin security video. On Friday, things came to a head in the matter when Judge Amos Mazzant III ruled in the East District of Texas that Marriott has until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to answer the request for “any and all video recordings, written reports, and/or witness statements gathered that pertain to Michael Irvin’s stay at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in February 2023.” This is not a notice to produce the video and other materials, it’s merely setting a deadline for Marriott’s response. It’s still not clear how this will all play out. And unless someone decides to fold, this could be a long standoff between the parties involved. In most legal situations such as these, it is essentially the ‘smoking gun,’ the evidence that will make or break a case. Marriott’s only argument here could be claiming that the footage is private property. However, it’s looking more and more like the corporation will be forced to give up any pertinent material they have in relation to the complaint.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief, for Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it? https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2023/02/21/retailers-to-shut-down-over-800-big-box-stores-as-inflation-anemic-sales-and-interest-rates-create-perfect-storm-n706431 Retailers to Shut Down Over 800 Big-Box Stores as Inflation, Anemic Sales and Interest Rates Create Perfect Storm The retail world continues its downward spiral, as holiday sales failed to meet expectations and wary consumers are keeping their wallets in their pockets due to rampant inflation and soaring interest rates. While 2022 Christmas holiday sales did increase from the prior year; it’s just that expectations were primed for an even higher increase after two years of the pandemic. The end result: over 800 big-box stores are slated to shut down across the country in 2023. Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Gap, and Party City are among the big names who will be downsizing. Bath & Beyond, which narrowly escaped bankruptcy proceedings earlier this month, is the biggest loser, aiming to cut its number of stores to 480 when it once had over 1,500 locations. At least 416 stores have been identified for closure, along with all 65 of its locations in Canada. Thirty-five will close in California alone. Next up is homegoods outlet Tuesday Morning, which will close 265 stores as it struggles to survive through bankruptcy proceedings. Once again, California will be hardest hit, with 30 stores shutting their doors. Macy’s, Big Lots, JCPenny, and even Amazon Fresh grocery stores also have plans to shutter locations. What’s going on here? CNBC explains: For retailers, the shopping season’s results reflect the challenges ahead. As Americans continue to pay higher prices for groceries, housing and more month after month, they are racking up credit card balances, spending down savings and having fewer dollars for discretionary spending. Plus, retailers are following years of extraordinary spending. During the Covid pandemic, Americans fought boredom and used stimulus checks by buying loungewear, throw pillows, kitchen supplies, home theater systems and more. Party City, the ubiquitous entertainment supply chain, has filed for bankruptcy and is in the process of auctioning off many of its leases. NJBIZ reports: A month after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Party City Holdco Inc. is looking to shrink its retail footprint as part of an expedited financial restructuring. In a Feb. 16 filing with U.S. bankruptcy court, the Woodcliff Lake-based operator of 800-plus stores said it is working with A&G Real Estate Partners to auction off leases for 12 underperforming locations in six states. In coming weeks, additional lease auctions will follow, with the total number of closures depending on the outcome of ongoing negotiations with landlords, according to A&G. Unfortunately, this is not a new trend. CVS, Rite-Aid, Kroger, Nordstrom, and Best Buy have also been quietly culling their stores over the last several years. Another factor: many locations are closing simply because they’re not safe to operate as lax laws and woke prosecutors have turned many spots into virtual free-for-alls for organized shoplifters. https://nypost.com/2023/02/21/border-patrol-begs-for-help-after-record-migrant-surge-from-canada/ Border Patrol now begs for help to stop 800% surge of migrants sneaking in from Canada The Border Patrol is begging agents to volunteer in the north after a staggering nearly-850% surge of mostly-Mexican migrants illegally crossing into the US from Canada. The agency’s Swanton Sector in Vermont — covering parts of upstate New York and New Hampshire — requested a “quick turnaround” of agents from the already overwhelmed southern border to make their way north to volunteer for at least a month starting next week. Help is needed to control the “strain caused by the surge” of “primarily Mexican migrants with no legal documents,” Swanton’s Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia wrote in a memo obtained this week by Fox News. “Due to the increased numbers, stations are task saturated with processing large groups, which has contributed” to more migrants being able to slip into the country, the memo notes. The request came a week after Garcia reported that crossings had reached “historic highs” — even as temperatures plummet to deadly lows of minus-four degrees. His sector said that the current fiscal year — which started in October — “demonstrates an approximate 846% increase in encounters and apprehensions compared to the same period” in the previous year. In fact, the first four months of the current fiscal year have seen more encounters than the whole of the previous two years combined. Last month, agents recorded 367 apprehensions and encounters — more than the total of the past 12 Januarys combined, which was 344. The desperate conditions in the south have also seen a steady flow of agents transferred there from the north, creating part of the “vulnerability,” Clem said He blamed electronic travel authorization for allowing migrants to travel “basically visa-free” from Mexico to Canada. The Swanton sector has seen families with young kids, even infants, crossing, and late last year provided life-saving aid in separate incidents in Vermont and upstate New York, Garcia said. https://thepostmillennial.com/don-lemon-to-undergo-formal-training-after-sexist-remarks-about-nikki-haley-will-be-back-on-cnn-wednesday?utm_campaign=64487 Don Lemon to undergo 'formal training' after sexist remarks about Nikki Haley, will be back on CNN Wednesday Don Lemon is set to return to the air on Wednesday after beign removed from CNN This Morning over sexist comments he made about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's age. https://twitter.com/i/status/1626263301758898176 - Play Video The longtime host will reportedly be taking part in "formal training" to help him understand why what he said was wrong. According to Brian Stelter, CNN CEO Chris Licht sent a memo to staff on Monday outlining the situation. Lemon said in a tweet: The reference I made to a woman’s “prime” this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn't define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day. Smart Pricing Table: Do you own a business and write a lot of proposals? If so, you should check out SmartPricingTable.com. Smart Pricing Table allows you to create quick and accurate proposals; and it's loaded with features like recurring fees, quantities and line item upsells. When your prospect is ready, they can e-sign and you're off to the races. Visit SmartPricingTable.com and mention Cross Politic to get 25% off your first 2 months https://thepostmillennial.com/project-veritas-hemorrhages-twitter-followers-after-release-of-founder-james-okeefe?utm_campaign=64487 Project Veritas HEMORRHAGES Twitter followers after release of founder James O'Keefe On Monday, Project Veritas lost over 80,000 followers on social media after it was announced company founder James O'Keefe was removed from the organization, which he founded in 2011, after the board placed him on paid leave earlier in February. According to Social Blade, a social media analytics website, the live tally as of 4:30 pm showed Project Veritas had lost almost 80,000 followers on Twitter. Since February 16, on YouTube, Project Veritas has lost over 10,000 followers. A February 6 memo leaked from 16 Project Veritas employees detailed their problems with the news organization's founder and claimed he exhibited "cruel behavior." "James has become a power drunk tyrant and he is exactly who he pontificates on who we should be exposing," wrote one of the employees. Initial reporting on Monday from Neil McCabe of OAN claimed O'Keefe had resigned. Later, RC Maxwell from Project Veritas said O'Keefe was in fact removed from his role as CEO by the Board.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Wednesday, February 15th, 2023. Fight Laugh Feast Conference - Ark Encounter This year, our Fight Laugh Feast Conference is at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky on The Politics of Six Day Creation. The politics of six day creation is the difference between a fixed standard of justice and a careening standard of justice, the difference between the corrosive relativism that creates mobs and anarchy and the freedom of objectivity, truth, and due process. The politics of six day creation establishes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word for all of life: from what is a man or a woman, when does human life begin, and how is human society best organized? Come hear Ken Ham, Pastor Doug Wilson, Dr. Ben Merkle, Dr. Gordon Wilson, me and more, and of course a live CrossPolitic show! Mark your calendars for October 11th-14th, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, our Rowdy Christian Merch, and a Sabbath Feast to wrap up the occasion. Maybe an infant baptism while we’re at it? https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ohios-apocalyptic-chemical-disaster-rages "Get The Hell Out Of There" - Ohio's Chemical Disaster Rages On While the US government is dispensing millions of dollars in resources to treat balloons as an existential crisis, a small town in Ohio finds itself engulfed in what actually looks like the apocalypse. Perhaps by design, all of the drama surrounding violations of US airspace by Chinese spy initiatives has done well to keep what is becoming one of the worst environmental disasters in recent memory from getting any headlines. The chaos began early last week when a train of more than 100 cars derailed in East Palestine, Ohio near the state’s border with Pennsylvania with roughly 5,000 residents. The accident launched fifty of those hundred freight cars from the tracks. Twenty of the freight cars on the train were carrying hazardous materials, ten of which were derailed. While the accident had no fatalities, of those ten cars, five contained pressurized vinyl chloride, a highly flammable carcinogenic gas. https://youtu.be/DHiXZUgQEwc - Play Video In order to address the volatile scenario around the crash site, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency executed its plan of venting the toxic gas with a controlled burn in order to evade an uncontrolled explosion which presented the risk of catastrophic damage. “Within the last two hours, a drastic temperature change has taken place in a rail car, and there is now the potential of a catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile,” Gov. Mike DeWine warned in statement explaining the decision to take action to avert widespread devastation. However, that operation sent large plumes of smoke containing vinyl chloride, phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and other gases into the air as the flames from the controlled burn raged on for days. Phosgene in particular is a highly toxic gas that can cause vomiting and respiratory trouble. The toxicity of phosgene gas is so potent that it was previously used as a chemical weapon during the First World War. https://twitter.com/i/status/1625155991724605440 - Play Video The hazardous airborne chemicals prompted officials to issue mandatory evacuation and shelter-in-place orders within a one-mile radius of where the train derailed. Those orders forced nearly 2,000 residents of East Palestine out of their homes. Despite the public safety risk in proximity to the crash site, over 500 people within the parameters of the evacuation order refused to leave their homes. However, those orders were lifted on February 8th, allowing residents to return to the area adjacent to the disaster. Dead fish are being pulled from rivers outside East Palestine, Ohio. The trucks doing the work are labeled EnviroScience, an Ohio-based company that provides "time-sensitive solutions to environmental challenges." https://twitter.com/i/status/1625214717945057282 - Play Video Amanda Breshears found her chickens dead ten miles from East Palestine. https://twitter.com/i/status/1625214716443504641 - Play Video Holzer’s concerns were echoed by reports from other residents who described similar conditions near their own properties. One of those residents was Katlyn Schwarzwaelder, the operator of a local dog kennel in nearby Darlington, Pennsylvania. The catastrophe caused her to leave her home despite the fact that it lies more than 10 miles away from the site of the controlled burn. After fleeing to Boardman, Ohio, 15 miles away from the derailment, Schwarzwaelder stated she received multiple reports of dead chickens, fish, and other animals from friends and acquaintances. One affected resident told Schwarzwaelder that they let their 2-year old dog out to use the bathroom only for it never to return. When they embarked upon a search for their missing pet, they found it dead in their yard. Testimony from Holzer, Schwarzwaelder, and others paints a drastically different picture than the official narrative tailored by officials who assured residents that the situation was under control. The poor air quality presents short and long term health risks to the public considering the carcinogenic effects of the chemicals. Carcinogens like vinyl chloride can cause cancer in organs including the liver, according to Kevin Crist, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering who also serves as the Director of Ohio University’s Air Quality Center. The magnitude of this story has been seemingly scrubbed from the public view as national media outlets continue to run sensationalist headlines about issues that look innocuous in comparison. It is an instance of history being rewritten in real time, setting a precedent that would allow victims of other widespread devastation to be swept under the rug. However, the scenes of the horror engulfing this small town in America’s heartland may prove to make this disaster impossible to ignore, rightfully putting the spotlight on the shortcomings of state and federal agencies tasked with emergency response management whose continued lack of accountability enables them to fail the American public time and time again. Before I move on, I want to remind everyone, that the federal government isn’t who we should be relying on. All their authority was granted by our creator. It’s our Lord and savior Jesus Christ who our faith must lie upon. So we take our prayer requests about Ohio to our Lord. CrossPolitic Email List: Are you subscribed to our CrossPolitic email list? If you’re not you really should be. 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Again, that’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.yahoo.com/now/us-sell-26-million-more-200426064.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9ib25naW5vcmVwb3J0LmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIRfGaa1QNkAfNxqnKns3HFDpurTPZEMAJQbZHkm9Kd8dvCnqjRS3cHiKD959zLzu9NcskeVkzAiZKU6-n5SA1uQw2mlegpwCbky6OuwDVOwvPMNPu1RNebs3YtTmaKn3QVrOwnVrhWKovrJhtBzNcYaY6q1wDmiRxlbXfOk4Udi US to Sell 26 Million More Barrels From Strategic Oil Reserve The Biden administration plans to sell more crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, fulfilling budget directives mandated years ago that it had sought to stop as oil prices have stabilized. The congressionally mandated sale will amount to 26 million barrels of crude, according to people familiar with the matter. The sale is in accordance with a budget mandate enacted in 2015 for the current fiscal year, said a spokesperson for the Department of Energy. The Energy Department has sought to stop some of the sales required by 2015 legislation so that it can refill the emergency reserve, which currently has about 371 million barrels. After this latest release, the reserve will dip to about 345 million. Biden officials decided last year to tap 180 million barrels from the strategic reserve in an effort to ease supply issues after Russia invaded Ukraine, upending global oil flows and sending crude above $100 a barrel. Some Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for that drawdown, which was the biggest release ever and helped drain the SPR to its lowest level since 1983. Critics admonished the move as a political stunt intended to combat rising gasoline prices ahead of midterm elections. Biden officials have since spoken with energy companies about purchasing oil to refill the SPR when prices approach $70 a barrel. The latest release comes after Russia unveiled plans to curtail production by half-a-million barrels a day next month to retaliate against sanctions. Russia’s move, which was downplayed by the European Union, follows China’s rapid economic reopening with the scrapping of Covid-19 restrictions. The SPR release may give pause to the OPEC+ alliance, which earlier said that global oil markets remain balanced. So how did the market react? The US House last month passed legislation meant to curb the Energy secretary’s ability to use the reserve unless the government increases the amount of federal lands available for gas and oil drilling. Other congressionally required releases — about 140 million barrels slated for fiscal years 2024 through 2027 — were canceled at the Energy Department’s behest after lawmakers in December approved a provision in a giant spending bill. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark for crude, fell 1% to trade near $79 a barrel after the announcement of more barrels. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-suspect-in-michigan-state-university-shooting-found-dead-from-self-inflicted-gunshot-at-least-3-people-killed?utm_campaign=64487 Suspect in Michigan State University shooting found dead from self-inflicted gunshot, at least 3 people killed The suspect in the Michigan State University shooting was found dead off campus late Monday night from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. MSU Police Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said, “There is no longer a threat on campus and the shelter-in-place has been lifted.” Police had earlier described the suspect as a "black male, shorter in stature, red shoes, jean jacket, wearing a baseball cap that is navy with a lighter brim." Rozman said the deceased individual matched the description of the suspect but did not reveal the suspect's identity. During a press conference late Monday night, Rozman said 3 people had been killed and 5 have been hospitalized. The victims, some in critical condition, were transported to Sparrow Hospital. Police responded to reports of an active shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing Monday night and students were ordered to shelter in place. The incident took place at 8:18 pm inside Berkey Hall the location of MSU's Department of Sociology on the northern boundary of the campus. The shelter-in-place order went out at 8:31 pm telling students to stay inside and barricade themselves. "Run, Hide, Fight. Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely, Hide means to secure-in-place, and Fight means protect yourself if no other option," MSU said in the alert. According to authorities, the suspect walked to the MSU Union, approximately 19 minutes away from the initial shooting site and opened fire. Hundreds of officers from the FBI, ATF, Michigan State Police, and other agencies are still assisting on campus. All campus activities have been canceled for 48 hours and authorities have asked people not to come to the campus on Tuesday. Now that was some heavy subject matter, so let’s go ahead and end with this… this is the fight laugh feast network afterall! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/14/man-facing-jail-over-theft-of-almost-200000-cadbury-creme-eggs Man facing jail over theft of almost 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs A chocolate thief is facing jail after admitting he stole almost 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs in a heist worth more than £31,000. Joby Pool, 32, dubbed “the Easter bunny” by police, used a stolen lorry cab to make off with chocolate after breaking into a Telford industrial unit with a metal grinder on Saturday. He is expected to be jailed for about two years next month, after pleading guilty to theft and criminal damage. Opening the facts of the case on Tuesday, prosecutor Owen Beale told Kidderminster magistrates court: “I don’t know if you have seen the news recently – there was a load that was stolen and on the trailer was Cadbury’s products, a large number of Creme Eggs.” He said Pool, a self-employed ground worker, used a tractor unit that had been stolen in the Yorkshire area in October to tow away the trailer full of chocolate, which was then driven away, eventually reaching the northbound M42. Pool was spotted by police and “gave up at junction 11 and walked towards the police with his hands up. He was arrested and the load was recovered”. “This clearly wasn’t spur-of-the-moment offending, if I can put it like that, because he had taken with him a tractor unit and he had to know that the load was there in the first place,” said Beale. Magistrates were told Pool, from West Yorkshire, was previously convicted of theft, handling stolen goods and driving while disqualified in 2019. Beale said: “This is clearly an organised criminal matter. You don’t just happen to learn about a trailer with that kind of value being available.” Defence solicitor John McMillan, told the court that Pool understood a substantial sentence was likely. In a series of tweets on Monday, West Mercia police described the incident as an “eggs-travagent theft” of a “chocolate collection box”. “Shortly after the theft a vehicle, presumably purporting to be the Easter bunny, was stopped northbound on the M42 and a man was arrested on suspicion of theft,” they said. Pool will be sentenced at Shrewsbury crown court on 14 March.