News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.

In The News:

Attorney seeks justice for Marine confined more than two years without trial or charges

Jay-Ar Ruiz’ case raises questions about how the military justice system handles complex issues involving mental health, his attorney says, and how someone like Ruiz — who his lawyer says had a pre-existing mental illness — was allowed to ship off to boot camp in the first place.

“Within days (of arriving at boot camp) he starts exhibiting behaviors with this personality disorder,” said attorney Beth Payton-O’Brien during an interview. “He gets dropped within 30 days. He should have never been recruited.”

Ruiz’ issues began well before he shipped off to boot camp in November 2017.

In June 2017, a woman in Los Angeles County filed a temporary restraining order against him, according to online court records, which did not provide details. However, upon arrival in boot camp, Ruiz began sending the woman letters, violating the order.

375,000 detained illegal immigrant family members released into US in 2019

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) previously released their statistics for fiscal year 2019, but did not reveal the latest details about the number of illegal immigrants released into the U.S. until it responded to an information requests by the Washington Examiner.

In total, CBP arrested 851,508 people who illegally crossed the border between established points of entry in the 2019 fiscal year. Along with the 473,682 people who arrived to the U.S. in a family unit, another 76,000 unaccompanied minors were also apprehended.

Those individuals who were released were reportedly allowed to go anywhere within the country.

The CBP reportedly began releasing a large portion of the immigrants between March and September.

Judge will sentence Roger Stone while retrial motion is pending

Jackson, who has handled the GOP operative’s case since January 2019, including the two-week trial in November, held a scheduling hearing by phone with Justice Department prosecutors and Stone’s defense team, with Stone listening in.

Jackson also did not delve into the specifics of the Stone defense team’s claims that the conviction should be tossed amid allegations of a biased jury member.

“This call is for purposes of scheduling only,” Jackson said, saying she’d rule on the merits of Stone’s mistrial motion only after she announces his sentence two days from Tuesday.

But she assured the defense team that this would not adversely affect Stone and that she would defer executing the sentence and would extend the appeal deadline.

Uniformed cops denied meal at restaurant — and bartender who blew them off lands in hot water with management

A Facebook post from Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Wives indicated that as the graveyard shift officers entered the establishment, the bartender shook his head “no” and motioned his fingers across his neck as if to say “stop.”

The post added that when the officers asked if they could take a seat and order food, the bartender replied, “We don’t serve you guys here anymore.”

The post added that the officers left the restaurant without incident.

Florida man tries to evade police by stripping off his clothes. Steaks fall out instead and he gets a taser to the genitals.

Authorities responded to a phone call Friday night notifying police that Stefan Short, a 28-year-old man from DeLand, Florida, was attempting to shoplift from a local grocery store in DeLand.

Witnesses to the alleged shoplifting say that ribeye steaks were falling out of Short’s pants as he defrocked himself in an attempt to escape. Those steaks — four packs — were worth about $41.

When police arrived on the scene, they witnessed Short stripping naked and attempting to get away from the store on foot.

SpaceX will offer space tourism flights sooner than you think

The Space Adventures missions will consist of up to five days free-orbiting in space; passengers will have to complete a few weeks of training beforehand. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon space capsule will be used for the private spaceflight missions that will be able to hold up to four people. The partnership was announced on Tuesday, February 18.

“This historic mission will forge a path to making spaceflight possible for all people who dream of it, and we are pleased to work with the Space Adventures’ team on the mission,” SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement from Space Adventures.

The mission will take passengers into a higher orbit than the International Space Station (ISS), which itself sits at an altitude of 254 miles above the Earth, according to Space.com.

It will be the first time that humans will orbit that high in space since the Gemini program in 1961.

Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid wave of crippling sexual abuse lawsuits

The filing, which was made in Delaware, is directly related to thousands of pending sexual assault lawsuits against the BSA, the New York Times reported.

The bankruptcy declaration will bring pending lawsuits to a screeching halt and allow other victims to come forward.

BSA said in an announcement that the bankruptcy proceedings will allow for the organization to “provide equitable compensation to victims” through the creation of the Victims Compensation Trust.

Violent Political Satire The Hunt Has Been Uncanceled, Just in Time for the Primaries

Even though the initial trailer made it very clear that viewers are supposed to identify with and support the down-to-earth, working-class, likely conservative victims, some people, particularly vocal people at Fox News, were insistent that the movie glorified murdering them. Pundit outrage reached President Donald Trump’s ears, and he even tweeted about it. So the movie was shelved.

But the movie has been rescheduled to hit theaters March 13, a little more than a week after America’s ritual political primary slaughter known as “Super Tuesday.”

Kent State ‘gun girl’ confronted by protesters at Ohio University

Sharing video of an angry crowd appearing to curse at her and toss a clear liquid into the open window of her truck, Bennett claimed the event amounted to a “riot.”

She also called on President Trump to strip federal funding from the university for harboring “terrorists” after she said campus police just “let it happen.”

“This is what happens when a Trump supporter goes to a college campus.

Leftists at @ohiou started a riot when @Joelpatrick1776 and I showed up, and the @oupolice let it happen,” Bennett tweeted.

“I think @realDonaldTrump should strip funding from universities like this that harbor terrorists.”

Eastern Oregon Wants A Divorce: County-By-County Initiative Underway To Join Idaho

Citing a very different culture, citizens in the more rural eastern counties of Oregon said that the laws passed in the progressive urban center of Portland have been at best unhelpful to their families and their way of life — and their solution, it seems, is to flip several of the more conservative counties into Idaho, moving the state’s border.

“They live in the same state but different worlds with conservatives in rural Oregon wanting a divorce from the liberals in Portland.

Make part of it Idaho,” La Jeunesse explained, noting that those in favor of the move had taken a smart tack by going from county to county rather than attempting a statewide initiative.

Politics:

Horowitz: Senate Republicans looking to repeat 1986 amnesty, seeking President Trump’s support: Sources

Commentary/Opinion:
Sen. Tillis, along with Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), began working this Wednesday on an effort to get Trump’s support for a mass amnesty bill that passed the House last year.

Rosemary Jenks, government relations director of Numbers USA, which is opposing the bill, confirmed to me that those are the three leaders of the potential bill in the Senate.

Conservative HQ, a publication run by legendary conservative Richard Viguerie, reports that Tillis is expected to be the lead Senate sponsor and that Vice President Pence’s PAC is rumored to be supporting this bill.

Tillis has already publicly praised the bill, and according to my sources, has met with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, along with several other GOP senators, to plan support for the bill.

Notably, nobody from the DHS was present at the meeting to offer the border security perspective on the bill.

DOJ-Mueller Operatives ABUSED POWERS to “Punish” Roger Stone

Tom Fitton: AG Should Freeze Flynn Investigation Amid Potentially Corrupt DOJ Prosecution

Durham Investigates: Did CIA Withhold Intel From FBI in Russia Probe?

According to the article, “Durham appears to be pursuing a theory that the C.I.A., under its former Director John O. Brennan, had a preconceived notion about Russia or was trying to get to a particular result—and was nefariously trying to keep other agencies from seeing the full picture lest they interfere with that goal.”

Additionally, Durham is reportedly looking into “whether and how information from foreign governments or the C.I.A. played any role in stoking suspicions at the F.B.I. about Trump campaign links to Russia.”

It had previously been reported that Durham was expected to seek an interview with Brennan as well as former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, following an expansion of his investigation.

Lisa Boothe has this prediction for Bloomberg debate showing

Commentary/Opinion:
Will Michael Bloomberg perform well in his first debate appearance with rival Democrats?

Pelosi’s GOP challenger describes being threatened by alleged ‘Antifa bully’

Dennis said he was working with the San Francisco Police Department and the man has been identified.

“[The police have] been very good about it and we’ll just let them do their jobs,” Dennis told host Laura Ingraham.

Dennis, who released the video earlier this month, was taking part in a clean-up event in San Francisco where the confrontation took place.

Tucker: Bloomberg is trying to buy the election

Commentary/Opinion:
Bloomberg isn’t running on any agenda, trying to subvert democracy with cash.

World News:

U.S. Sanctions Unit Of Russia’s Rosneft For Aiding Venezuela’s ‘Dictatorial’ Leader

In a statement on February 18, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said sanctions were also placed on the brokerage’s president, Didier Casimiro, for having “acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Rosneft Trading.”

“As the primary broker of global deals for the sale and transport of Venezuela’s crude oil, Rosneft Trading has propped up the dictatorial [President Nicolas] Maduro, enabling his repression of the Venezuelan people,” Pompeo said in the statement released by the State Department.

Rosneft Trading is a Swiss-based unit of Russian state-owned energy giant Rosneft and was established in 2011, according to the company’s website.

Afghan Government Says Taliban To Reduce Violence Within Five Days Under Peace Deal

“According to the agreement, all foreign troops will leave Afghanistan,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on February 17. “We will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan’s land [to launch attacks] against another country.”

Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners are to be released following the signing of the agreement and before the beginning of intra-Afghan negotiations, Shaheen said.

The New York Times reported last week that U.S. President Donald Trump had given his “conditional” approval of a peace deal.

Wuhan hospital chief dies of coronavirus; death toll climbs to 1,871, 72,500 infected

Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital and a neurosurgeon, died Tuesday morning, state media reported.

The fatality follows the death earlier this month of Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old doctor in Wuhan who was reprimanded by the Wuhan police for trying to bring the mysterious illness — then yet to be identified as a coronavirus — to light.

Chinese medics working in Hubei and especially Wuhan have been working through a big shortage of medical supplies including protective clothing.

“Chinese authorities have rolled out a slew of measures to reward medical workers for their sacrifices and contributions in the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak,” state news agency, Xinhua reported.

Iran sentences eight environmental activists on charges of spying for US

Iran does not recognize dual or multiple nationalities. That means Iranians detained by authorities in Tehran cannot receive consular assistance from the other countries where they also are citizens.

Esmaili, the judiciary spokesman, said two other activists, Houman Jokar and Taher Ghadirian, each received eight-year sentences for allegedly “collaborating with the hostile government of America.”

Another three activists — Sam Rajabi, Sepideh Kashan Doust, and Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi — were each sentenced to six years in prison.

The eighth activist, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, was sentenced to four years in an Iranian prison.

A ninth activist who was arrested at the time, Iranian-Canadian national Kavous Seyed Emami, died while in custody in February 2018 under disputed circumstances.

Seven men convicted of grooming teenage girls in Huddersfield

The two teenagers were “systematically groomed and exploited” by the men, who “viewed the girls as merely objects, to be used and abused at will”, according to prosecutors.

The guilty verdicts at Leeds crown court brings the total number of men convicted following West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Tendersea investigation into child sexual exploitation in the town to 34.

The 27 men already convicted in relation to Operation Tendersea have received jail sentences totalling 322 years.

The seven defendants will be sentenced on Wednesday, the CPS said.

Commentary/Opinion:

The Latest Amnesty Bill NO ONE Is Talking About | Ep 531

Does anyone think it was an accident that President Trump won on campaigning against illegal immigration? It wasn’t.

So what are Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis doing trying to resurrect an already failed amnesty bill? This kind of political blunder will win the election for the Democrats.

Then, Jesse Kelly predicts Mike Bloomberg will be the Democrat nominee. He joins to discuss.

Plus, there are all kinds of lies and misinformation spreading about the new border wall, but rest assured it is doing just fine.

Ambassador: Exposing Elite’s Gay Rights Hypocrisy (Pt. 1)| Richard Grenell | POLITICS | Rubin Report

Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Richard Grenell (US Ambassador to Germany) about what it’s like to be the US Ambassador to Germany under President Trump.

Richard shares his experience in getting other nations on board for Donald Trump’s policy to decriminalize homosexuality in other parts of the world.

He also shares what he feels is the liberal elite’s hypocrisy on the issue of gay rights and equality.

He has personally encountered many international partners who don’t understand why some Americans are vocal supporters of gay rights in the west, but remain completely silent on the issue for people around the world.

Richard also discusses how LGBT groups like GLAAD, which once demanded tolerance and diversity, have changed course and support the worst aspects of cancel culture.

China’s Communist Party Uses All Sectors to Wage War on the US; The US Must Respond—Casey Fleming

How has the Chinese Communist Party used unconventional tactics to wage war on the US for the past several decades? And why did almost nobody notice?

What is asymmetric hybrid warfare, and how is it central to the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy of attack on the West?

And, how can companies, universities, and governments effectively protect their innovation against this assault?

In this episode, we’ll sit down with Casey Fleming, Chairman and CEO of the intelligence consulting firm, BlackOps Partners.

He is an expert on security strategy, asymmetric hybrid warfare, cybersecurity, and economic espionage, and he regularly advises the private sector as well as Congress, the Department of Justice, and the White House.