News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Female inmate’s execution on hold; 2 more halted over COVID
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The U.S. government’s plans to carry out its first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades were on hold Tuesday amid a flurry of legal rulings, and two other executions set for later this week were halted because the inmates tested positive for COVID-19.
Lisa Montgomery faced execution Tuesday for killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004.
She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.
Enbridge to defy Gov. Whitmer’s Line 5 shutdown order
Enbridge had received state approval from former Gov. Rick Snyder’s office to build a tunnel 100 feet beneath the lakebed to house the pipelines while operating the current pipelines until tunnel construction is completed.
In a countersuit filed in U.S. District Court against the state in November, Enbridge asserted authority rests with the federal Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency.
“Our review shows that the State lacks the authority to terminate or revoke the 1953 Easement,” Yu wrote, noting the termination and revocation are contrary to federal law, and the state’s legal case “fails to specify an existing violation of Easement terms that would justify termination.”
Yu continued: “For these reasons, we intend to operate the Dual Lines until the replacement pipeline under the Straits within the Great Lakes Tunnel is placed into service.”
Michigan Court of Claims dismisses challenge to statewide mask mandate
Judge Christopher Murray dismissed a complaint from Grand Haven-based Semlow Peak Performance Chiropractic, which sought relief from the state health department’s epidemic order requiring masks be worn indoors.
When the mask mandate was first implemented on Oct. 5, Semlow allegedly didn’t enforce it inside the medical office.
Ottawa County Health Department on Oct. 6 issued a cease-and-desist order to Kirk Semlow’s business, threatening a misdemeanor charge and sanctions to his business through the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs if he didn’t comply with the order.
Two private schools also have filed lawsuits challenging the mask mandate claiming religious liberty exemptions.
The Biggest Gun Forum On The Planet Was Just Kicked Off The Internet Without Explanation
AR15.com, the biggest gun forum in the world, was deplatformed on Monday by web hosting company GoDaddy.
“ARFCOM IS DOWN. We’ve been booted from GoDaddy and are looking for an alternative solution,” the site announced Monday afternoon on Twitter.
The swift termination by internet host GoDaddy forced AR15.com’s leadership to think on their feet and quickly create a temporary URL so “freedom lovers and firearm enthusiasts” could continue to access the information and resources on the site.
“It remains unclear specifically what content allegedly violated the registrar’s terms of service,” he added.
When asked by The Federalist about the decision to remove AR15.com, GoDaddy claimed that the site “both promotes and encourages violence,” but did not offer any specific examples. Instead, they offered AR15.com 24 hours to relocate its business.
NY Dem Accused of ‘Strangling Wife’ Turns Himself In to Authorities
State senator Luis Sepúlveda, who provided a critical early endorsement to de Blasio during the mayor’s first bid for Gracie Mansion, turned himself in to the NYPD’s 48th Police Precinct in the Bronx district he represents, according to local reports.
He was accused of strangling his wife during a Jan. 9 altercation and was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing.
Sepúlveda has become a leading voice among New York progressives and received attention from national political figures such as Sanders, who used his popular campaign website to spotlight Sepúlveda alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) as a candidate worthy of support.
Sepúlveda’s close relationship with de Blasio has continued since the first endorsement—the pair have fundraised together, and de Blasio was a featured speaker at the 2018 election night party for Sepúlveda when he was voted into the senate.
California liberals extend Bay Area ‘stay-at-home’ order indefinitely
The new lockdown orders forced more people to stay at home, business owners to close their shops, and sports — even without crowds — to be canceled or moved.
The San Francisco 49ers were forced to play the remainder of their home games in Arizona because Santa Clara County, in an effort to try to meet state standards under the lockdown mandates, banned all contact sports.
Now things are getting worse for folks in the Bay Area: State officials announced over the weekend that the region’s COVID lockdown orders have been extended indefinitely, KNTV-TV reported.
With a continuing surge in cases, state public health officials declared citizens must stay home except for work, shopping, or other activities deemed essential until the region’s projected four-week ICU bed capacity is at least 15%.
School Evacuated After Student Brings Antique Dinner Plate
The students were evacuated to the football field as Hazmat teams rushed to the scene. The local prosecutor was alerted, as were the police. Responders entered the building and went room by room.
What calamity beset Haddon Township High School in New Jersey’s Camden County last week? A bomb threat? A gas leak? Anthrax?
Worse. Dinnerware.
Specifically, Fiestaware, the colorful plates that took the U.S. by storm during the Great Depression. A sophomore had brought a quarter-size piece to his science class, because some of the plates were originally glazed with a red color that contained uranium oxide (at least until our war effort required uranium for the atom bomb, at which point the government confiscated them).
The student had received a Geiger counter for Christmas and was going to do a little experiment in class.
‘Several’ US Capitol police officers suspended, 10 more under investigation
According to Democrat Representative from Ohio Tim Ryan, who chairs a Capitol Police oversight committee, an officer that appeared to take a selfie with protesters was among those who were suspended.
Ryan also noted that another officer who was seen guiding protesters into the building was suspended, and 10 to 15 more were under investigation.
Sund reportedly asked House and Senate security for permission to ask that the D.C. National Guard be put on standby in the event that backup was needed in the days leading up to Wednesday’s protest, according to The Washington Post.
Sund said his request for assistance would ultimately be denied or postponed six times.
When the mob of protesters arrived at the Capitol, they managed to breach the perimeter within 15 minutes, he said.
Scream into the void until Inauguration Day with Just Scream
Have you been bubbling up your emotions this week? Do you have a burning desire to let it all out? Do you wish you had an outlet to just let loose?
Fear not, because such an outlet exists — for a limited time. Just Scream is a phone service that lets you do exactly that: just scream. Call +1-561-567-8431, wait for the beep, and scream (or sing, or rant) your heart out.
The number launched Oct. 24 last year, less than two weeks before the presidential election. The number has received 55,000 calls, which Gollmar screens to put on the project’s website. Many are available to listen to here, and range from actual screams to baby coos to renditions of “The Circle of Life.”
Gollmar said there was a major increase in recordings the couple days before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Calls have been up since the new year, which Gollmar attributes to getting attention on TikTok.
Parents charged with murder in lice-linked death get bail
IVEY, Ga. — Parents charged with the murder of their 12-year-old daughter have been granted bail because prosecutors have not yet sought their indictment by a grand jury.
Yozviak and Horton are both charged with child cruelty and second-degree murder. Investigators said in September that the girl, Kaitlyn Yozviak, may have died as an indirect result of a severe lice infestation that may have gone on for years.
Hilton testified that, at the time of her death, Kaitlyn had “the most severe” lice infestation the GBI’s office had ever seen, and it may have lasted on and off for at least three years.
He said he believed repeated lice bites lowered her blood iron levels, causing anemia and triggering the cardiac attack.
PBS Principal Counsel Michael Beller Incites Political Violence In Radical Left-Wing Agenda
[WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jan. 12, 2021] Project Veritas released a new video today exposing Michael Beller,
Principal Counsel for The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), for his statements defending violent attacks on the White House, re-education for the children of Trump supporters and praising the deaths of red state voters as a result of COVID-19.
PBS Principal Counsel Michael Beller FIRED Following Project Veritas #ExposePBS Investigation
The White House:
01/12/21: President Trump Delivers Remarks Upon Departure
Politics:
The 5-year attack on Trump | George Papadopoulos
Commentary/Opinion: Former Trump advisor George Papadopoulos, a self-proclaimed victim of the hard fought ‘witch hunt’ campaign against President Donald Trump’s administration over his one term as president, reflects on the headlines and stories that dominated news coverage of The Donald from the moment he announced a campaign for The White House, to the Capitol chaos seen on the day the electoral college’s numbers were confirmed.
They’re dividing America | Rob Schmitt
Commentary/Opinion: “We’re just SO united…” Rob calls out the words expressed by the soon to be ‘co-presidents’ of the United States. –
Trump: Latest impeachment push ‘greatest witch hunt in the history of politics’
“The case cannot come to trial in the Senate. Because the Senate has rules, and the rules would not allow the case to come to trial until, according to the majority leader, until 1 p.m. on Jan. 20, an hour after President Trump leaves office,” Dershowitz told Fox Business Sunday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., sent a letter to Republican senators explaining the process. In it, he writes that the Senate could legally “dispose of any articles of impeachment” proposed by House Democrats.
“The Senate is currently in recess and is holding pro forma sessions every three days until January 19,” the letter states. “Pursuant to the unanimously approved order setting up the recess and these pro forma sessions, the Senate may conduct no business until January 19.”
McConnell noted, “without unanimous consent, the Senate may not conduct any business of any kind during pro forma sessions, including beginning to act on received articles of impeachment from the House.”
Even if the House did vote to impeach Trump for a second time through a simple majority vote, McConnell said that all 100 senators would have to agree to conduct “any business of any kind,” and that is not going to happen.
Hemingway: Media And Democrats Should Join Republicans’ Stand Against All Political Violence
Commentary/Opinion: While the left focuses on pressuring President Donald Trump to resign and threatening to impeach him, Hemingway said Democrats and the media should address other problems, including the destruction caused by the Black Lives Matter rioting last summer.
“We’ve had a year where people, millions of people, have lost their jobs, lost their livelihoods, had their businesses burned down, you know, had calls for destruction of rule of law, and defunding the police,” Hemingway said.
“The summer of rage, which was enabled by many Democrats — which was, you know, Kamala Harris put out a link to bail out the people who were rioting in Minneapolis where dozens of people were killed, cops were dragged through the streets, all of this stuff — nobody cared, nobody cared.”
“It took months to get condemnation of even a light variety from Democrats,” Hemingway continued.
“And to have people say that only now, when there’s been this escalation to the Capitol, only now should people do anything in response, is so unserious and so damaging.”
Hemingway: Biden’s Overtly Racist Aid Plan Won’t Help Struggling Economy Recover
Commentary/Opinion:
Federalist Senior Editor Mollie Hemingway said on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” that the best path forward for economic recovery involves letting people back to work rather than government wokeism dictating winners and losers.
“We are in a really horrible economic situation, and the way to get out of that is not through anything other than letting people get back to work and letting people thrive,” Hemingway said.
“We had so many gains for minority business holders and just minority wage growth in the last four years. It wasn’t by government dictating who would be winners and who would be losers, it was just by letting people work.”
President-elect Joe Biden’s business plan, however, prioritizes racial inequality in small businesses.
Biden’s team is currently in the process of finalizing its proposal for a multitrillion-dollar stimulus package expected to reaffirm the incoming Democratic administration’s pledge to woke politics, favoring some races over others.
Anti-Trump group pledges $50 million effort to defend Republican impeachment supporters
A Republican group has pledged to amass a $50 million war chest to help GOP lawmakers who vote to impeach President Donald Trump ward off potential primary challenges.
The effort is led by Defending Democracy Together, an umbrella organization that includes Republicans for the Rule of Law and Republican Voters Against Trump, groups that campaigned against the president during his unsuccessful reelection bid.
“We want to say to any Republican who votes to impeach or remove Donald Trump:
You will not be left alone,” said Bill Kristol, a leading conservative critic of Trump’s, in a release. “We will help you against primary challenges. And before the challenges emerge, we will help explain your vote to your constituents.”
Before Becoming Boston’s Mayor, Biden’s Labor Pick Was Embroiled in Union Extortion Scandal
President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for labor secretary was once caught on a wiretap admitting that he threatened a development company for refusing to use union workers.
Biden chose Boston mayor Marty Walsh (D.) to lead the Department of Labor, praising the longtime union ally as a “good friend” and “stand up guy” in a Friday announcement. As head of Boston’s Building and Construction Trades Council, however, Walsh was ensnared in a federal probe alleging strong-arm tactics by union leaders.
Federal agents captured Walsh on tape candidly discussing strong-arm tactics with a fellow local labor leader in October 2012.
Georgia Gov. Kemp wants photo ID requirements for mail-in ballots in future elections
“It’s a simple way to make sure that type of voting is further secured, and it’s a good first place to start,” Kemp said at the start of the state’s legislative session, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It’s completely reasonable in this day and time, and in light of what’s going on, it would give all voters peace of mind and wouldn’t be restrictive.”
The news comes as Georgia is still reeling from a tense election season in which the state was aggressively scrutinized for potentially opening itself up to fraud.
Record turnout fueled by mass mail-in voting helped Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and incoming Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof achieve victory in the state, which is traditionally a Republican stronghold.
Proof that President Trump Did Not “Incite” Violence
Commentary/Opinion:
The media wants you and every other American to believe that Donald Trump “incited” violence – and, of course, the Democratic Party wants that. But that is an opinion, not a fact.
And Donald Trump would not put himself in a position like that to destroy his legacy.
Cancel Trump Supporters Immediately
Commentary/Opinion:
Anyone who has supported President Trump is to be canceled immediately.
The Democratic Party, the media, social media, and corporations are now after anyone that ever has given Donald Trump a fair hearing
FOX NEWS VIDEO: Tucker: Corporations colluding with Democrats to silence Americans
‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ host exposes the left’s hypocrisy on violence and insurrection: People who had nothing to do with the violence in the U.S. Capitol are being punished for that violence, and that is repugnant and immoral and anti-American. It should shock our sensibilities.
So even in Russia, they know what’s happening here is dangerous and it’s wrong, because it is.
In the past five days, PayPal, keep in mind, is supposed to be a payment processor, not a political party or a law enforcement agency. PayPal suspended the account of a group that paid for Trump supporters to travel to Washington last week.
So the question is, and everything hangs on this definition: what’s an insurrectionist?
Well, according to a letter from Democrats in Congress, it is anyone who sympathizes with what happened on Wednesday. Think about that.
FOX NEWS VIDEO: Shocking statements by Biden pick to lead DOJ Civil Rights Division
‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ host discusses offensive statements made by Kristen Clarke
World News:
Egypt court overturns TikTok stars’ jail sentences
Mawada al-Adham and Haneen Hossam were among five young women sentenced to two years in prison and given fines of nearly $20,000 (£15,300; 17,000 euros) over videos posted online.
Ms Hossam has been acquitted of all charges, according to local media.
However, the court upheld the fines on Adham and the other defendants.
Ms Hossam was arrested in April 2020 after posting a three-minute clip telling her 1.3 million followers that girls could make money by working with her, according to the AFP news agency.
Iran Is Al Qaeda’s New Home Base, Pompeo Says
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed Tuesday that al Qaeda’s number-two leader was killed last year in Iran, which Pompeo said has become the terror group’s primary base of operations in recent years.
“Al Qaeda has a new home base: the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Pompeo said during a small gathering at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Al Qaeda leader Abu Muhammad al-Masri, who was on the FBI’s most wanted list, was eliminated in the streets of Tehran in August of last year, Pompeo said, confirming media reports at the time. This is the first time the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged al-Masri’s death.
Jerusalem’s political instability amid challenges – Jerusalem Studio 571
The State of Israel is evidently struggling to attain much needed stability. Following a relatively short hiatus of attempts by those poised to grip Jerusalem’s power reins – at least declaratively so – for the purpose of dealing with the nations numerous challenges; on March 23rd, the country will once again head to the polls.
Naturally, the following question arises:
Will these upcoming elections draw Israel from what appears to be a bottomless well – or are we expected to linger in a political limbo of sorts, which spells growing hardships amid lurking military, diplomatic, economic and social dangers?
Media: Israel Must Be Denigrated for Its World-Beating Vaccination Programme
Few outside Israel, Jewish communities around the world and the places that have benefited from IDF assistance have any idea of any of this because the media is not interested. In some cases, news items about countries contributing teams to disaster relief have omitted Israel despite knowing the IDF was playing an important role.
The same negative policy extends to other major benefits that Israel has brought to the world, including scientific innovation, medical technology and life-saving intelligence.
It goes against editorial agendas to report on the Jewish state in a positive light unless they can somehow twist a good story to turn it bad.
This week we have seen exactly that in newspapers and broadcast media on both sides of the Atlantic as they contort themselves — and the truth — to bash Israel over its remarkable success in vaccinating against Coronavirus. In the UK, the Guardian newspaper reported:
Reports also suggest that some doses of vaccine had already been secretly provided by Israel to the Palestinian Authority, following earlier unofficial approaches.
The reason for this smoke-and-mirrors approach is the embarrassment the PA has at publicly seeking assistance from Israel, which it unfailingly rages against and vilifies at every opportunity. None of this is likely to be known or covered by the majority of media: it doesn’t fit their agenda.
Watch This is the most HEARTBREAKING lockdown enforcement video so far
It was perfectly legal during Sydney’s first lockdown. But because Renee was carrying a sign objecting to the restrictions, she was swarmed by police.
She was doing nothing wrong. She wasn’t at a demonstration. She wasn’t at a rally.
She was literally just out for some exercise with her child. And then police ripped her child out of her arms, and smashed her into the back of a police van.
Listening to her son scream and cry will haunt you
Commentary/Opinion:
Davis: Big Tech Only Cares About Stopping Dissent, Not Violence
Federalist Co-Founder Sean Davis said that despite big tech’s insistence that its recent crackdown was due to an increase in violence, the Silicon Valley giants only care about stopping dissent.
“We have found, especially over the last year, a massive double standard from the left and from big tech,” Davis said.
“Recall all of the BLM and Antifa riots. Recall all of the corporate support we saw for that.
Recall all of the members of Congress we even had saying, ‘You know what, protest isn’t supposed to be comfortable.’
You had Vox, a left-wing website saying ‘violence works.’ You had the Atlantic justifying and rationalizing it.”
“What is happening now isn’t a crackdown on so-called violent speech,” Davis continued. “It’s a crackdown on anyone who the left and its big tech masters doesn’t want to be heard.”
This list shows American censorship is OUT OF CONTROL
Deutsche Bank, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Go Daddy, Chapman University, Shopify…these are just SOME of the companies announcing either an end to all relations/business transactions with President Trump OR, in some cases, censoring Americans they believe dangerously support him.
To make matters worse, reporters are now calling for a ‘cleansing’ of the conservative movement that backs the president.
But nothing bad in history ever began with the idea of a ‘cleansing,’ right?!
Twitter BANS President Trump
Here’s how Big Tech purges conservatives: #1: Pretend objective truth doesn’t exist #2: Redefine “hate” & “violence” #3: Claim mainstream conservative speech “incites violence” #4: Purge.