News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
NRA Files For Voluntary Bankruptcy, Vows to Reincorporate in Texas
“Today, the NRA announced a restructuring plan that positions us for the long-term and ensures our continued success as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom–free from the toxic political environment of New York,” LaPierre wrote in his statement.
“The plan can be summed up quite simply: We are DUMPING New York, and we are pursuing plans to reincorporate the NRA in Texas,” he continued.
“To facilitate the strategic plan and restructuring, the NRA and one of its subsidiaries have filed voluntary chapter 11 petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
Graham releases Russia probe docs, slams probe as ‘one of the most incompetent, corrupt’ in FBI, DOJ history
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham on Friday released a slew of additional documents and transcripts related to his panel’s investigation into the origins and aftermath of the Trump-Russia probe, calling the original probe into whether members of President Trump’s first campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 “one of the most incompetent and corrupt investigations in the history of the FBI and DOJ.”
Graham, R-S.C., on Friday, released transcripts of interviews with FBI and Justice Department officials conducted by the committee, between March 3, 2020 and October 29, 2020.
“I consider the Crossfire Hurricane investigation a massive system failure by senior leadership, but not representative of the dedicated, hardworking patriots who protect our nation every day at Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice,” Graham said in a statement Friday, saying his committee has released “as much material as possible,” but noted that “some classified material has still been withheld.”
Georgia student who walked 7 miles to work each day receives new car through woman’s act of kindness
Jayden Sutton, an 18-year-old high school senior from Cobb County, was presented a new car at a local Honda dealership Thursday following a fundraising effort organized by Lavonda Wright Myers.
The Atlanta resident told Fox News on Friday that she first encountered the teenager walking on the side of the road in the rain in December — and since then wanted to find a way to help.
“We need more love in this world,” she said. “Hate and division has plagued this world and I’m determined to do my part, one person at a time.”
Pennsylvania restaurant owner ‘totally shocked’ by Barstool Fund help
Over 30% of businesses in the Keystone State have closed over the lockdowns and regulations, The Washington Examiner reports.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, called Jaime Weber a week after her kids submitted a video on Christmas day.
“I was totally shocked,” Weber, owner of Flanigan’s Boathouse in Conshohocken, she told “Fox & Friends.”
“I wish I could give Dave the biggest hug ever and everyone else that keeps donating,” she added. “It’s huge.
A bunch of restaurants near us have just gotten some of the money too, which we’re so happy for them!”
Armie Hammer’s ex Courtney Vucekovich claims he wanted to ‘barbecue and eat’ her ribs amid messaging scandal
Courtney Vucekovich said in a recent interview that she previously dated the 34-year-old actor and during that time he allegedly discussed his desire to eat her body parts.
“He said to me he wants to break my rib and barbecue and eat it,” Vucekovich alleged to Page Six.
Despite previously not paying much thought to Hammer’s odd fantasies, Vucekovich went on to share other dark examples of their time spent together.
Leftist Activist Among Those Arrested in Capitol Riot
An affidavit in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant alleges Sullivan “knowingly and willfully joined a crowd of individuals who forcibly entered the U.S. Capitol and impeded, disrupted, and disturbed the orderly conduct of business” by the U.S. House and Senate.
While Sullivan claims he attended last week’s “Stop the Steal” march as a journalist, the affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger says otherwise.
In the affidavit, Foulger goes on to detail videos — that Sullivan provided to the FBI — in which the left-wing activist can allegedly be heard encouraging protesters inside and around the Capitol Building.
Corey Johnson, Virginia killer of 7, executed after SCOTUS coronavirus ruling
Johnson was strapped to a gurney and injected with lethal doses of pentobarbital, according to Reuters.
Before his final comments, Johnson said he was “sorry for my crimes,” that he was “not the same man that I was,” and wanted the slaying victims to be remembered.
He also thanked his minister and lawyer, the AP reported, and said his final meal of pizza and a strawberry milk shake was “wonderful,” but added he didn’t get the “jelly-filled doughnuts” he wanted.
California bill would ban intersex surgery for young kids
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, introduced the bill late Thursday night. It would ban specific types of surgeries on infants born with intersex characteristics.
That refers to people with genitalia, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit typical definitions for male or female bodies, like people born with both ovaries and male genitals or incompletely formed genitals that can be ambiguous.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, introduced the bill late Thursday night. It would ban specific types of surgeries on infants born with intersex characteristics.
That refers to people with genitalia, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit typical definitions for male or female bodies, like people born with both ovaries and male genitals or incompletely formed genitals that can be ambiguous.
Bail fund promoted by Kamala Harris won’t share records of alleged criminals it sprung from jail
Harris’s support for the organization amid the riots last year was one of the factors that helped the Minnesota Freedom Fund realize a reported windfall of tens of millions of dollars, a gargantuan increase over the group’s 2018 returns of around $100,000.
Yet the bail fund was mired in controversy over the summer due to reports that it had helped spring from jail multiple alleged violent criminals, including at least one individual with multiple rape convictions on his rap sheet.
A review by the Washington Post found that MFF helped bail out of jail one individual who allegedly shot at police officers during riots in Minnesota.
Local Fox affiliate KMSP, meanwhile, found that among those who received bail money from the MFF were also “a woman accused of killing a friend [and] a twice convicted sex offender.”
Gym owner who defied lockdowns claims state emptied entire bank account
Atilis Gym Owner Ian Smith joins ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ to discuss New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s latest executive action on his business.
Politics:
Slim majorities of voters confident in Biden’s ability to handle the economy, race relations
Just 51% said they were confident in Biden’s ability to manage economic affairs throughout the country, while 52% expressed confidence in how he might manage race relations and climate change issues.
A slightly higher percentage of voters – 55% – was confident about Biden being up to the task of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
High percentages of voters, meanwhile, were “not confident” in the incoming president’s abilities in those areas.
Senate Dems eye punishing Hawley and Cruz for election objections
The House impeached President Donald Trump earlier this week for inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, and Democrats argue that Hawley and Cruz should face similar consequences.
Some have called on them to resign or be expelled from the Senate altogether, which is unlikely to happen; but others are coalescing around an official rebuke in the form of a censure.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) this week joined the growing calls for Hawley and Cruz to be censured, but said the penalties under consideration should also extend to the six other GOP senators who joined them in objecting to the election results, including Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
Even though the others were less vocal about their objections, Murphy said they were all “legitimizing this view amongst the crowd [of rioters] that Congress had the power to overturn the election.”
Ayanna Pressley: There Will Be ‘No Return to Normal’ — It Was ‘Unjust in the First Place’
Pressley, a member of the House’s far-left “Squad,” made the remarks a little more than a week after violent riots broke out at the U.S. Capitol.
“There will be no reset button. No return to normal,” she wrote on her verified Twitter account. “The status quo was unjust in the first place.”
Pressley’s remarks come in direct contrast to that of Biden, who has insisted ever since he won the presidency in November that it is time for America to “heal” and “unite.”
On Sunday, Biden wrote on social media that soon “we move forward and rebuild — together.
Minimum Wage Mandate in Biden’s Pandemic Relief Bill Estimated to Wipe Out 1.3 Million Jobs
Biden introduced the minimum wage provision in a speech laying out his priorities for a tax-payer funded stimulus package to tackle the damage wreaked on the economy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.
According to a July 2019 estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 would lead to the loss of 1.3 million jobs while boosting the wages of 17 million workers.
“People tell me that’s going to be hard to pass. Florida just passed it. As divided as that state is, they just passed it. The rest of the country is ready to move as well,” Biden said.
Move for State Governments to Divest Big Tech Stocks Expands to Tennessee
The state of Florida has $200 billion under management by the Florida State Board of Administration.
On Wednesday, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, who specifically referenced Fine’s letter to DeSantis as a model, sent a letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Speaker Cam Sexton, and all members of the Tennessee General Assembly, requesting “that the Governor and/or General Assembly take the immediate steps necessary to divest Any and All Tennessee-held equity and debt of the following companies: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet aka Google.”
It is unclear whether calls for divestment of Big Tech stocks will be made in other state legislatures.
Over the past several decades, calls for state government pension funds to divest their portfolios of equity and debt of controversial companies has been an increasingly effective political tactic.
FOX NEWS Video:Musician dropped by record label after attending pro-Trump rally
Ariel Pink sits down with ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ to discuss the effect being canceled has had on his career.
FNC’s Carlson: Democrat, Media Reaction to U.S. Capitol Incident Not About Trump — ‘It Is About Controlling You and the Country’
Commentary/Opinion:
Thursday on FNC’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson warned elements on the American left were using last week’s incident at the U.S. Capitol to justify threats and fear to gain control over the country.
According to Carlson, that included tying race to the incident.
CARLSON: What happened at the Capitol last Wednesday was wrong. We’ve said that very clearly at the time. We’ve said it very clearly everyday sense since and we will continue to say it.
We are opposed to political violence. We hate mobs. No matter who they claim to represent. Period.
But that’s not all we’re against. We’re also against lying. Political propaganda is its own form of violence it.
Destroys people’s minds. In the end, it enslaves them.
World News:
Trump Admin Issues Last-Minute Sanctions on Iran, China, Cuba
New sanctions were slapped on Iran for its arms proliferation in the region and efforts to skirt measures aimed at blocking the country from importing steel.
Several Cuban and Chinese officials were also sanctioned for widespread human rights abuses, according to information provided by the State and Treasury Departments.
All of the measures are aimed at keeping up pressure on American foes as the Biden administration enters office and decides how it will approach diplomacy with these countries.
Poland confirms new bill to protect internet users’ speech
Polish government officials have now publicly confirmed the early reports we made that they are working on legislation that would make it illegal for Big Tech giants to engage in censorship and are stepping up its development after US Big Tech platforms banned President Donald Trump.
“Algorithms or the owners of corporate giants should not decide which views are right and which are not,” Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote. “There can be no consent to censorship.”
“Censorship of free speech, which is the domain of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, is now returning in the form of a new, commercial mechanism to combat those who think differently,” he added, indirectly comparing the censorship by social media companies to the communism era in Poland.
Iran’s Guard Goes Ballistic with Advanced Missile Drill amid Tensions
In the first phase of the drill Friday morning, the Guard’s aerospace division launched several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles against simulated enemy bases, state TV reported.
It said the drill included Zolfaghar and Dezful solid-fuel ballistic missiles.
Bomb-carrying drones were also deployed. The Dezful, a version of the Zolfaghar, has a 700-kilometer (430-mile) range and 450-kilogram (992-pound) warhead.
In recent weeks, Iran has increased its military drills. On Wednesday, Iran’s navy held a two-day short-range missile drill in the Gulf of Oman. On Saturday, the Revolutionary Guard held a naval parade in the Persian Gulf. A week earlier, Iran held a massive drone maneuver across half the country.
UK Police Chief: ‘Now Is Really Not the Time’ for Freedom of Speech, Right to Assembly
Chief Constable James Vaughan was speaking after the controversial arrest of two women for, seemingly, being recorded leaving home more than once and “sitting on a bench”, in an incident the police now allege was “stage-managed” by lockdown protesters, as one of the women is a Covid sceptic — although she denies any pre-planning.
Chief Constable Vaughan’s zero-tolerance attitude towards protesters differs markedly from that shown by British police leaders towards Black Lives Matter activists, who have been allowed to break lockdown rules largely unmolested throughout the pandemic — in part, London Police Commissioner Cressida Dick admitted in June, because officers are afraid to enforce the law against them.
Incredibly, Chief Constable Vaughan seemed to admit the apparent double standard was an issue, and that the perhaps over-zealous enforcement of lockdown regulations against easier targets might be an issue — one causing damage to the public’s relationship with the police.
IRGC deploys suicide-UAVs in Yemen – Israel within range; IAEA voices alarm – TV7 Israel News 15.01
1) Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan warns the UN Security Council that unless the Ayatollah Regime is held accountable for its actions, Israel would not hold-back from taking all necessary steps to protect its citizens.
2) Iran has recently provided its Houthi proxies in Yemen with the Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicle, referred to as Kamikaze suicide drone, which have a reported range of up-to 2,200 kilometers – a distance which puts Israel within range.
3) The United Nations calls on the United States to revers its designation of the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
Iran’s nuclear ambitions amid global changes – Jerusalem Studio 572
Commentary/Opinion:
These are tense days in Iran’s relationship with the rest of the world, or at least those countries and organizations that are suspicious of the Islamic Republic and its nuclear aspirations.
As the Trump administration is in transition mode to the incoming Biden administration, whose principal officials have already signaled their intention to refresh the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action rejected by their predecessors,
Tehran is on a maximum pressure campaign of its own to push Biden to do its bidding.
What is at stake and how is it going to unfold?
North Korea Reveals New Submarine-Launched Missiles at Parade
According to state-run KCNA, Kim appeared at a parade on Thursday evening along with what state media described as the “world’s most powerful weapon,” claiming they’re North Korea’s “submarine-launch ballistic missile (sic)” that “entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces.”
Kim did not address the crowd, but, according to state media, he waved to them. Instead, Kim Jong Gwan, the communist regime’s defense minister, gave a speech.
The minister said the military will “always remain faithful only to the order and instructions of the Supreme Leader and successfully fulfil (sic) their duty and mission” on behalf of the ruling Workers’ Party and the Kim dynasty.
Commentary/Opinion:
Does the Left LOVE hatred? Bill O’Reilly on the ‘cancellation’ of Trump
The cancellation of Trump has gone far beyond just social media — companies now are making it near impossible for him to do business once he leaves the White House.
Glenn says today will be remembered as a “dark” chapter in American history, and Bill O’Reilly agrees.
But O’Reilly predicts most of America is NOT like the mainstream media and the far left, both of which seem “gleeful” at the Trump hatred currently spreading throughout our nation.
So what will it take for those Americans to realize we’re heading towards totalitarianism? O’Reilly gives his prediction…
How to Fight Big Tech: Tim Pool, Dennis Prager, Michael Malice & More! | TECH | Rubin Report
Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks about big tech with Tim Pool, Dennis Prager, Tucker Carlson, Michael Malice, Tulsi Gabbard, Glenn Beck and more.
This compilation shows how long the big tech censorship problem has been growing with clips spanning the last few years.
Dave discusses section 230, social media censorship, and free speech with tech innovators like Peter Thiel, politicians like Ted Cruz, creators like Bridget Phetasy, commentators like Michael Knowles, and activists like Charlie Kirk.
Why A Corrupt Society Enables SOCIALISTS
Here’s Morgan Zegers with three ways socialists rely on a morally corrupt society to push their socialist agenda.
Live Q&A: BLM Activist Charged for Storming Capitol; Trump Declassifies Russia-gate Documents
Investigations are still ongoing into the storming of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, and authorities have now charged Black Lives Matter activist John Earle Sullivan who illegally entered the building and was recorded encouraging crimes.
Also, journalist John Solomon is reporting that Trump has ordered the declassification of Russiagate documents, including debriefings of Christopher Steele.
In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp we’ll be discussing these stories and others, and answering questions from the audience.