White House press secretary Jen Psaki snapped at a reporter Thursday after he asked how President Biden can consider himself a Catholic while also supporting abortion.
Owen Jensen, a reporter with EWTN, a Catholic news network, asked Psaki during her daily press briefing why the president supports abortion “when his own Catholic faith teaches abortion is morally wrong.”
McCarthy threat offers dark preview of possible Republican House – CNNPolitics
(CNN)House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is offering a glimpse of the Donald Trump-inspired authoritarian streak likely to animate a Republican majority if the party triumphs in next year’s midterm elections.
In the latest manifestation of the possible future House speaker’s hard right turn, he warned telecom and social media companies could lose their right to operate on US soil if they comply with any requests by the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection to turn over records of calls made by lawmakers.His threat is best understood in the context of McCarthy’s role as the ex-President’s chief protector on Capitol Hill, after helping to scupper an independent commission into the worst attack on US democracy in modern history and joining the whitewash of what happened. He has also made clear he sees Trump as his best hope of capturing the House next November, after several visits to consult with the de-facto GOP leader, who retains a firm hold on his loyal base voters. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has made a different calculus when it comes to retaking the Senate. He also helped thwart that independent commission but has had a much icier relationship with the former President after blaming him for January 6, and Trump on Wednesday called for the Kentucky Republican to be “removed as the leader.”The idea that a Republican House could simply close telecommunications companies on a whim appears fanciful and lacking any obvious legal basis. The Republican leader might simply have been trying to please his party’s most powerful figure and to engage GOP voters in a new political fight. Nothing would be more Trump-like than stirring the conservative media machine by making a bullying threat that he has no legal capacity or even an inclination to carry out.Yet McCarthy’s warning was still one of his most extraordinary moves yet in the service of a twice-impeached former President who left office in disgrace after inciting the insurrection based on his multiple lies about election fraud.In effect, a potential future speaker was warning he could use government power to punish private companies that comply with routine requests by a legally mandated committee probing a political mob that sacked the US Capitol.
Source: McCarthy threat offers dark preview of possible Republican House – CNNPolitics
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Joe Biden’s call to Afghan president is impeachable: Devine
BY MIRANDA DEVINE
Psst, Nancy Pelosi! Still looking for a phone call worth impeaching a president?
Do I have news for you.
Reuters has a bombshell report about a July phone call between Joe Biden and then-Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, in which the US president promises military aid in return for lies.
The “perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things aren’t going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban,” says Biden in the July 23 call. “And there’s a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.”
Whether it is true or not.
No, things weren’t going well, three weeks after the US abandoned Bagram Airfield in the dead of night.
Biden’s solution was to create the “perception” that all was fine. He wanted to keep the illusion going long enough to cover his Aug. 31 self-imposed deadline to withdraw US troops and have a victory lap on September 11th, when he would preen as the first president to end the forever war.
So he asked Ghani to trick up an event to make it look as if he had a plan to push back on the Taliban to reassure America’s allies who were beginning to question Biden’s timetable.
“I don’t know whether you’re aware,” said Biden, “just how much the perception around the world is that this is looking like a losing proposition . . . so the conclusion I’m asking you to consider is to bring together everyone from [ex-Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid] Dostum, to [ex-President Hamid] Karzai and in between. If they stand there and say they back the strategy you put together, and put a warrior in charge, you know a military man . . . in charge of executing that strategy, and that will change perception.”
Ghani tried to explain that the situation was dire: “Mr. President, we are facing a full-scale invasion, composed of Taliban, full Pakistani planning and logistical support, and at least 10-15,000 international terrorists.”
He begged for US air support. “What is crucial is, close air support . . . a very heavy reliance on air power.”
The Afghan army was based on the US model, which relies on air support for enemy strikes, ferrying the wounded, and so on. But the contractors who serviced Afghan aircraft had left, leaving the Afghan army exposed.
Biden offered conditional air support, in return for Ghani going along with his ruse, but only until his Aug. 31 deadline. After that, “who knows?”
Source: Joe Biden’s call to Afghan president is impeachable: Devine
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U.S. drone strikes an ISIS-K vehicle packed with explosives in Kabul
WASHINGTON – The United States carried out a military strike on Sunday against an ISIS-K target in Kabul, a development that comes in the final days of an immense humanitarian evacuation mission.
“U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Navy Capt. Bill Urban wrote in a statement.
“We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material,” he added.There were no known civilian casualties following the strike.
The latest strike follows a Friday drone strike that killed two high-profile ISIS-K members believed to be involved in planning attacks against U.S. forces in Kabul. Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor said that there were no known civilian casualties following the strike.
Friday’s strike came less than two days after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive near the gates of Kabul’s airport, resulting in the deaths of 13 American service members.
The White House said Sunday that the president and first lady will meet with the families of the fallen and observe a dignified transfer of the remains at Dover Air Force Base.
A dignified transfer is a solemn process in which the remains of fallen service members are carried from an aircraft to an awaiting vehicle. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. service member killed in action.
Source: U.S. drone strikes an ISIS-K vehicle packed with explosives in Kabul
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What to make of the intelligence community’s unclassified report on UFOs | Washington Examiner
This summer’s blockbuster read was a congressionally mandated government report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence titled Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.
It had a little something for the UFO believer and nonbeliever alike — a minimal something, but something nonetheless.
UNCLASSIFIED
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The limited amount of high-quality reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)
hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of UAP. The
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) considered a range of information on UAP
described in U.S. military and IC (Intelligence Community) reporting, but because the reporting
lacked sufficient specificity, ultimately recognized that a unique, tailored reporting process was
required to provide sufficient data for analysis of UAP events.
• As a result, the UAPTF concentrated its review on reports that occurred between
2004 and 2021, the majority of which are a result of this new tailored process to
better capture UAP events through formalized reporting.
• Most of the UAP reported probably do represent physical objects given that a
majority of UAP were registered across multiple sensors, to include radar, infrared,
electro-optical, weapon seekers, and visual observation.
In a limited number of incidents, UAP reportedly appeared to exhibit unusual flight
characteristics. These observations could be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or
observer misperception and require additional rigorous analysis.
There are probably multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations based on the
range of appearances and behaviors described in the available reporting. Our analysis of
the data supports the construct that if and when individual UAP incidents are resolved they will
fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric
phenomena, USG or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a
catchall “other” bin.
UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security.
Safety concerns primarily center on aviators contending with an increasingly cluttered air
domain. UAP would also represent a national security challenge if they are foreign adversary
collection platforms or provide evidence a potential adversary has developed either a
breakthrough or disruptive technology.
Consistent consolidation of reports from across the federal government, standardized
reporting, increased collection and analysis, and a streamlined process for screening all
such reports against a broad range of relevant USG data will allow for a more
sophisticated analysis of UAP that is likely to deepen our understanding. Some of these
steps are resource-intensive and would require additional investment.And a Handful of UAP Appear to Demonstrate Advanced Technology
In 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or
flight characteristics.
Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver
abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. In a small
number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with
UAP sightings.
The UAPTF holds a small amount of data that appear to show UAP demonstrating acceleration
or a degree of signature management. Additional rigorous analysis are necessary by multiple
teams or groups of technical experts to determine the nature and validity of these data. We are
conducting further analysis to determine if breakthrough technologies were demonstrated.
Source: What to make of the intelligence community’s unclassified report on UFOs | Washington Examiner
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Biden admits admin may have given Taliban ‘kill list’ of Afghans who aided US
A potentially deadly blunder by President Joe Biden’s administration effectively handed the Taliban a “kill list” to target Afghans who aided the US, according to a report Thursday — and admitted it may have happened when asked later at a White House briefing.
Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul, US officials there gave the Islamic extremist group the names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies so they could be allowed to enter the Taliban-controlled perimeter around the Hamid Karzai International Airport, according to Politico.
The decision was reportedly made despite the Taliban’s notorious reputation for brutally executing Afghans who helped the US military and other Western forces during the war and occupation that followed the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Source: Biden admits admin may have given Taliban ‘kill list’ of Afghans who aided US
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Recall candidates target California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his top GOP rival Larry Elder in debate – CNNPolitics
(CNN)As polls have tightened dramatically in recent weeks in the effort to recall Gavin Newsom, the Democratic California governor and his allies have been warning of doomsday scenarios if he is ousted on September 14 and replaced by a conservative Republican bent on unraveling the state’s progressive agenda.
But as some of the major candidates vying to replace Newsom met for a debate in Sacramento Wednesday night — where they portrayed him as ill-equipped to handle the state’s many crises — there are some early signs that rank-and-file Democrats aren’t wasting time returning their vote-by-mail ballots in their effort to stop the recall.
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New Yorkers disappointed in Hochul’s answer on investigating nursing home tragedy: ‘Not good enough’ | Fox News
New Yorkers, many of whom were still grieving, were not thrilled with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s, D., answer Wednesday regarding how she plans to investigate last year’s COVID-19 nursing home tragedy and the Cuomo administration’s reported cover-up.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D., was condemned for enforcing a mandate that forced COVID patients into nursing homes last year, which critics alleged led to the staggering death toll in those facilities, and reports later revealed his administration blocked the release of the true death toll.
Hochul was asked what she would do to get to the bottom of the sweeping tragedy.
“I need to continue working to identify the principals involved in those decisions,” Hochul told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday, adding she plans to assemble a new team over the next 45 days.
CUOMO ADMIN DELIBERATELY BLOCKED RELEASE OF TRUE NURSING HOME DEATH TOLL: REPORT
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Seth Moulton, a Democrat who is speaking the truth about Afghanistan — and President Biden – The Boston Globe
US Representative Seth Moulton is back to a familiar place in the Massachusetts congressional delegation — out there, alone, as he speaks the truth about the chaotic aftermath of President Biden’s decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.“
To say that today is anything short of a disaster would be dishonest,” Moulton said in a statement he also posted on Facebook after the Taliban took over Kabul and scenes of Afghans, desperate to leave their country, took over cable news. When Biden first went on television to defend the withdrawal and blamed the chaos on Afghans who “did not want to leave earlier,” Moulton called out that presidential excuse as “utter BS.” He also told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the hasty withdrawal could lead to more veteran suicides.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation Tuesday, stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said.
Moulton and Meijer were on the ground at the Kabul airport for several hours. That led officials to complain that they could be taking seats that would have otherwise gone to other Americans or Afghans fleeing the country, but the congressmen said in a joint statement that they made sure to leave on a flight with empty seats.
“As Members of Congress, we have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch,’” the two said in their statement. “We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand.”
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Groups clash in NE Portland after planned rallies; man arrested after shooting downtown | Local News | kptv.com
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – On the one-year anniversary of demonstrators fighting in downtown Portland, groups again faced off against each other on Sunday.
A group of about 100 gathered at the old K-Mart on Northeast 122nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard was met by another group around 4 p.m. The latter group of about 50 set off fireworks, smoke bombs and shot paintballs briefly. The crowd then advanced and retreated for about 45 minutes.
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Harris laughs at, shuts down questions as she says Afghanistan is her highest priority | Washington Examiner
Vice President Kamala Harris chuckled at and cut off a reporter to say that Afghanistan is the administration’s top priority.
Harris, who is currently traveling through South Asia, was asked about the situation in Afghanistan, where the United States and other Western countries have been rapidly working to get their own citizens as well as Afghan refugees out of the country since the Taliban took over.
“Hold on. Hold on. Slow down, everybody,” she said when approached with questions after disembarking from her voyage. “Hahaha. Um, I want to talk about two things. First, Afghanistan — we couldn’t have a higher priority right now.”
The Biden administration, which was slow to address the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan publicly, has sought to protect Americans and Afghan allies from danger after the Taliban quickly and easily rose to power in Afghanistan, the speed of which caught U.S. officials by surprise.
Military and intelligence experts said the Taliban could defeat the Afghan army in a matter of months or years, even though the latter had both greater numbers and nearly two decades of U.S. military training. However, the Taliban were able to capture nearly the entire country during an 11-day offensive.
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British military: 7 Afghans killed in chaos at Kabul airport
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A panicked crush of people trying to enter Kabul’s international airport killed seven Afghan civilians in the crowds, the British military said Sunday, showing the danger still posed to those trying to flee the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
The deaths come as a new, perceived threat from the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has seen U.S. military planes do rapid, diving combat landings at the airport surrounded by Taliban fighters. Other aircraft have shot off flares on takeoff, an effort to confuse possible heat-seeking missiles targeting the planes.
The changes come as the U.S. Embassy issued a new security warning Saturday telling citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without individual instruction from a U.S. government representative. Officials declined to provide more specifics about the IS threat but described it as significant. They said there have been no confirmed attacks as yet by the militants, who have battled the Taliban in the past.
On Sunday, the British military acknowledged the seven deaths of civilians in the crowds in Kabul. There have been stampedes and crushing injuries in the crowds, especially as Taliban fighters fire into the air to drive away those desperate to get on any flight out of the country.
“Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
On Saturday, British and Western troops in full combat gear tried to control the crowds pressing in. They carried away some who were sweating and pale. With temperatures reaching 34 degree Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), the soldiers sprayed water from a hose on those gathered or gave them bottled water to pour over their heads.
“Listen sir, you need to calm down,” one soldier told a man laying in the dirt, as another gave him an orange liquid. “Calm down.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether those killed had been physically crushed, suffocated or suffered a fatal heart attack in the crowds. Soldiers covered several corpses in white clothes to hide them from view. Other troops stood atop concrete barriers or shipping containers, trying to calm the crowd. Gunshots occasionally rang out.
Speaking to an Iranian state television channel late Saturday night in a video call, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem blamed the deaths at the airport on the Americans in what quickly became a combative interview.
“The Americans announced that we would take you to America with us and people gathered at Kabul airport,” Naeem said. “If it was announced right now in any country in the world, would people not go?”
Source: British military: 7 Afghans killed in chaos at Kabul airport
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Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review Opinion
Joe Biden has badly, visibly bungled America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has compounded the problem with his sluggish and dishonest public statements. This has gone so badly that even people and institutions that are normally sympathetic to Biden and his party have noticed. American allies have been appalled, and vocal about it. What is slowly dawning on people is that Biden’s critics were right about him all along. Not since James Buchanan has America had a president who came so prepared by experience for the job, yet had so little clue how to do it. That reality will be shoved from consciousness soon enough by people with a professional stake in not acknowledging it, but a growing number of the American people are likely to remember. So will our allies and enemies around the world.
It was possible, if you did not look too closely, to construct a case on paper over the past year and a half for Joe Biden as an appropriate person to be president of the United States, commander in chief of its armed forces, and leader of the free world. Certainly, Biden did not lack for experience in high, national public office, exposing him to everything a man would need in order to be prepared for the job. He was a senator for 36 years, dating back to the closing days of the Vietnam War. He chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice, including during the post–9/11 era when Congress authorized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He served two terms as vice president. He traveled to war zones and met scores of foreign leaders. Biden was also a man who came up from humble means and was seasoned by personal tragedy. One could characterize his years in office as the record of a public servant who values important institutions, took many mainstream positions, and showed a willingness and ability to work with people across the aisle.
Source: Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review
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Rashida Tlaib discloses thousands of dollars in rental income, despite co-sponsoring ‘cancel rent’ bill | Fox News
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s annual financial disclosure shows that she made thousands of dollars in rental income last year, despite being a co-sponsor of a bill to cancel rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tlaib joined fellow “Squad” Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and other progressives in April 2020 to co-sponsor Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minn., bill to “institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.”She tweeted during the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 that there should be a “moratorium” on mortgage and rent payments to “combat this public health crisis.”
“I’m joining Rep. @IlhanOmar and fellow colleagues for a press conference on the Rent & Mortgage Cancellation Act,” Tlaib tweeted earlier this year amid the re-introduction of the bill. “Our residents need help during this ongoing pandemic & this legislation seeks to provide that help to ensure our neighbors have the housing they need.”
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Democrats Attempt to Circumvent Supreme Court Rulings with New Voting Bill: Opinion
House Democrats who failed in their first attempt to secure federal control of elections across America have introduced new legislation they hope to pass this fall.
The bill would restore pieces of the 1965 Voting Rights Act the Supreme Court has already struck down, according to the Washington Examiner.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats must pass new legislation because neither diabolical red states nor the Supreme Court can be trusted, according to a news release on her website.
AUGUST 17, 2021PRESS RELEASESan Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement upon the introduction of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021:
“The House today is taking a momentous step to secure the sacred right to vote for generations to come. With the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, proudly introduced today by Congresswoman Terri Sewell alongside Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Democrats are fighting back against an anti-democratic tide, protecting access to the ballot box for every American and carrying on the cause to which our beloved John Lewis devoted his entire life.
“A brazen, partisan campaign of voter suppression silences voters of color across the nation and threatens to erode our democracy. Further, the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Shelby v. Holder opened the floodgates of voter suppression, allowing states with dark histories of bigotry and discrimination to pass hundreds of laws designed to keep communities of color from the ballot box. This year alone, eighteen states have enacted thirty dangerous voter suppression laws, while the Court has continued its assault on the Voting Rights Act with its shameful decision in Brnovich v. DNC.
“As confirmed in a recent House report, Congress has not only an ironclad Constitutional mandate, but a moral responsibility to enact H.R. 4 to combat destructive and discriminatory voter suppression. In doing so, we live up to the powerful legacy of this bill’s late namesake, Congressman Lewis: a titan of the Civil Rights Movement and a courageous champion for voting rights.
“With the attack on the franchise escalating and states beginning the process of redistricting, we must act. When the House returns on August 23rd, Democrats plan to pass H.R. 4 – and we hope it can secure the bipartisan support this vital legislation deserves. We must also enact H.R. 1, the For The People Act, to ensure that every American has a say in the destiny of our democracy.
Source: Democrats Attempt to Circumvent Supreme Court Rulings with New Voting Bill
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Joe Biden & Afghanistan: Something Is Wrong with the President | National Review
Biden’s latest interview, insistence that he was incorrectly briefed, and low profile amid the Afghanistan crisis all raise troubling questions.
After making no public appearances for four days — during a major foreign crisis — President Biden read a 20-minute speech off a teleprompter on Monday afternoon and took no questions. He immediately returned to Camp David. He had no events on his schedule Tuesday. On Wednesday, he gave another 20-minute speech about vaccine boosters off a teleprompter from Camp David, and again took no questions. Also on Wednesday, the president sat for an on-camera interview with George Stephanopoulos that did not go well. According to the White House public records, Biden has had two phone conversations with foreign leaders in the past ten days — one with Boris Johnson and one with Angela Merkel.
As of this writing, Biden has no public events on his schedule for today. He is scheduled to receive the president’s daily briefing from the intelligence community and meet with his national-security team. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, he is scheduled to return to his house in Delaware today.
This is a highly unusual schedule for a president during a foreign-policy crisis. Yes, a president can perform his job anywhere, whether it’s Camp David or his own private residence.
Biden began the interview by insisting that the intelligence community had given him unclear and excessively optimistic answers about the state of the Afghan military and government:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Back in July, you said a Taliban takeover was highly unlikely. Was the intelligence wrong, or did you downplay it?
BIDEN: I think — there was no consensus. If you go back and look at the intelligence reports, they said that it’s more likely to be sometime by the end of the year.
The first problem is that there is no way to square what Biden said yesterday with his July 8 declaration that the intelligence community had not stated that the Afghan government would likely collapse:
Q: Mr. President, thank you very much. Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse.
THE PRESIDENT: That is not true.
Q: Is it — can you please clarify what they have told you about whether that will happen or not?
THE PRESIDENT: That is not true. They did not — they didn’t — did not reach that conclusion.
Then during the Stephanopoulos interview, Biden insisted that he himself had predicted that the Afghan government would collapse by the end of the year:
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you know that Senator McConnell, others say this was not only predictable, it was predicted, including by him, based on intelligence briefings he was getting.
BIDEN: What — what did he say was predicted?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator McConnell said it was predictable that the Taliban was gonna take over.
BIDEN: Well, by the end of the year, I said that’s that was — that was a real possibility. But no one said it was gonna take over then when it was bein’ asked.
The president either does not remember what he said on July 8, or he is simply trying to gaslight everyone into believing that he did warn of the Afghan government’s collapsing.
This morning, Douglas London, a former CIA counterterrorism chief and former member of Biden’s counterterrorism working group, writes that the president is lying: “Ultimately, it was assessed, Afghan forces might capitulate within days under the circumstances we witnessed, in projections highlighted to Trump officials and future Biden officials alike.”
Biden not only dodged questions — we’re used to politicians doing that — he offered a barely coherent word salad in some responses:
STEPHANOPOULOS: So when you look at what’s happened over the last week, was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment?
BIDEN: Look, I don’t think it was a fa– look, it was a simple choice, George. When the– when the Taliban — let me back — put it another way. When you had the government of Afghanistan, the leader of that government get in a plane and taking off and going to another country, when you saw the significant collapse of the ta– of the– Afghan troops we had trained — up to 300,000 of them just leaving their equipment and taking off, that was — you know, I’m not– this — that — that’s what happened. That’s simply what happened.
Stephanopolous continued, “We’ve all seen the pictures. We’ve seen those hundreds of people packed in a C-17. We’ve seen Afghans falling-”
“That was four days ago, five days ago!” Biden interjected. It was two days ago, but that’s not really what is important; what is spectacularly odd is that Biden is reacting as if he thinks Stephanopolous was bringing up irrelevant ancient history.
Perhaps most unsettling was President Biden’s insistence that nothing could have been done any differently, and that none of the horrors we are witnessing could have been prevented.
Source: Joe Biden & Afghanistan: Something Is Wrong with the President | National Review
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Bodybuilder charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot – YouTube
More than seven months after a mob of pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol building, authorities have identified and arrested a high-profile suspect who was photographed dragging a police officer down a set of stairs during the siege.
Logan Barnhart, a 40-year-old Michigan bodybuilder, faces multiple charges, including assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, according to the FBI.
HuffPost, which first reported Barnhart’s arrest, said Barnhart became a “white whale” for online internet sleuths searching for information on unidentified insurrectionists in the aftermath of the attack. The “Sedition Hunters” community gave Barnhart the nickname “CatSweat” because he is alleged to have worn a Caterpillar brand sweatshirt to the Capitol on January 6.
The FBI had been referring to the suspect, who was wanted for assaulting officers, as Capitol suspect 128-AFO. According to HuffPost, the outlet identified Barnhart months ago thanks to the work of “citizen sleuths,” but refrained from publishing his name because of his violent history, which includes rioting charges from his teenage years.
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Pence claims Biden broke Trump administration’s deal with Taliban
Former Vice President Mike Pence claimed Tuesday that President Joe Biden reneged on the cease-fire deal his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, agreed with the Taliban in February 2020, setting the stage for what Pence called “a foreign-policy humiliation unlike anything our country has endured since the Iran hostage crisis.”
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pence claimed that by the time the 45th president left office, “the Afghan government and the Taliban each controlled their respective territories, neither was mounting major offensives, and America had only 2,500 U.S. troops in the country—the smallest military presence since the war began in 2001.”
The key provisions of the agreement — described as “foolhardy” in the pages of The Post by Rich Lowry last month — included the US withdrawing all combat forces from Afghanistan by May of this year, the Taliban denying safe haven to terror groups, the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security forces held by the Taliban, and the beginning of comprehensive peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Western-backed Afghan government.
In Tuesday’s op-ed, Pence credited the agreement with the fact that the US “has not suffered a single combat casualty” in Afghanistan in 18 months.
Source: Pence claims Biden broke Trump administration’s deal with Taliban
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Early Voting in Newsom Recall Election Underway – YouTube
The 2021 California gubernatorial recall election is an upcoming special election on whether to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, scheduled to be held in-person on September 14, 2021, with every voter set to receive a ballot at their address for the option to vote by mail, beginning August 16, 2021.[1][2]
Before this election, the only other gubernatorial recall attempt in California that qualified for a general vote happened in 2003, which resulted in Gray Davis being replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.[3][4] The recall election will be the fourth gubernatorial recall election ever held in the United States.[5] This election is the result of one of at least 54 attempts in California’s history to remove an elected governor from office and one of six efforts to remove Newsom.[3][4] Every California governor since 1960 has faced some form of recall attempt.[6]
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_California_gubernatorial_recall_election
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Chris Cuomo breaks silence on brother Andrew’s scandal
Chris Cuomo on Monday night finally broke his on-air silence about his brother’s sexual harassment scandal and subequent resignation — claiming network rules prevented him from covering the groundbreaking news.
“I never covered my brother’s troubles because I obviously have conflict, and there are rules at CNN about that,” Cuomo said at the end of his 9 p.m. show.
“My position has never changed. I never misled anyone about the information I was delivering or not delivering on this program.”
The CNN host’s comments come after he spent the last week on vacation as his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, announced his resignation following a damning official report by state Attorney General Letitia James that concluded he sexually harassed several women.
Chris Cuomo had faced scrutiny for failing to address the governor’s spiraling scandal and for his role advising his brother after the sexual harassment claims surfaced earlier this year.
On Monday night, he downplayed the conversations he had with his sibling during that time as simply brotherly advice.
Source: Chris Cuomo breaks silence on brother Andrew’s scandal
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Afghanistan: striking image appears to show 640 people fleeing Kabul in packed US military plane | Afghanistan | The Guardian
US defence officials reportedly said the passengers – among them women and children – on the flight were safely evacuated from Kabul to Qatar on Sunday.
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Protest outside White House as Taliban seizes Afghan cities | wusa9.com
5,000 troops are being sent to Afghanistan to evacuate U.S. Diplomats and Afghan allies.
WASHINGTON — People with ties to Afghanistan are pleading to President Joe Biden to step in and help as hundreds of people protested Saturday afternoon outside the White House.
The protest was hours after President Biden authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to evacuate U.S. diplomats and Afghan allies.
“We want Mr. President to hear and to act immediately, we want him to act now because Afghanistan is in a tragedy and we want him to stop the Taliban,” Azahullah Zalmay said.
Zalmay lives in Northern Virginia but his home country is Afghanistan.
He said it’s been hard to watch what’s happening from 7,000 miles away.
“To be honest I am dying,” Zalmay said. “Since last night I haven’t slept yet. I couldn’t sleep. It’s a tragedy for my people. I can’t sleep.”
Source: Protest outside White House as Taliban seizes Afghan cities | wusa9.com
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Biden restates commitment to Afghan drawdown amid Taliban offensive – POLITICO
President Joe Biden showed no sign of backing away from his decision to withdraw all troops and a significant portion of the diplomatic corps from Afghanistan, restating his determination to leave the country in a statement released Saturday.
Biden authorized the deployment of some 5,000 U.S. troops to ensure “an orderly and safe” drawdown of U.S. and allied personnel in Afghanistan, which came after reports of the evacuation of U.S. Embassy staff in Kabul to the international airport as the Taliban rapidly close in on the capital.
Source: Biden restates commitment to Afghan drawdown amid Taliban offensive – POLITICO
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Independent candidate for Pittsburgh mayor withdraws from race
PITTSBURGH —Independent candidate for Pittsburgh mayor Marlin Woods announced his withdrawal from the ballot Saturday.
Campaign officials said the withdrawal was due to “petition challenges” and logistics.
“…regrettably our petitions were challenged by a few Democratic voters on August 9th, 2021. The law requires my campaign to present each person we consider a fixable challenge at a hearing this Monday, August 16th, 2021. Unfortunately, this requirement is logistically impossible to achieve in such a short period of time. As such, I have no other option than to withdraw from this year’s race,” said the campaign in a release.
Woods is a motivational speaker and business consultant who’s also worked as a minister.
“I can promise you have not heard the last from me,” wrote Woods. “I will continue to advance my positive message and respond to opportunities to provide leadership where and when appropriate in the next four years. Stay tuned; we’re just getting started.”
Source: Independent candidate for Pittsburgh mayor withdraws from race
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Jeannette-based gun marketplace website sues Facebook, Instagram over removal | TribLIVE.com
The owner of a Jeannette-based weapons marketing internet site contends he and his company were improperly removed from two social media platforms and suggested his conservative, pro-gun politics were the cause, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Westmoreland County.
Armslist LLC and owner Jonathan Gibbon of Jeannette said in January 2020 both Facebook and Instagram closed off access to and removed his private and business accounts without explanation.
According to the lawsuit, Armslist and Gibbon contend there was no basis for those actions and no policies of Facebook or Instagram were violated.
“Armslist doesn’t sell or market guns. It’s a site that is similar to Craigslist, and it drives traffic to its site by making posts on social media. To do that, they make posts supporting the Second Amendment,” said Jay Carson, Armslist’s Cleveland-based attorney.
Gibbon, a lawyer from Jeannette, has owned Armslist since its inception in 2007. He, along with one of his employees, filed the lawsuit that demands Facebook and Instagram restore their accounts. No monetary damages are being sought in the lawsuit.
Neither Facebook nor Instagram responded to requests for comment.
Source: Jeannette-based gun marketplace website sues Facebook, Instagram over removal | TribLIVE.com
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Joe Biden heads to Camp David for the weekend as Jill is spotted wearing a walking boot and crutch | Daily Mail Online
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden left Friday from Delaware for a weekend at Camp David, as the president’s planned withdrawal from Afghanistan is becoming a crisis.
- President Biden and first lady Jill Biden left Friday afternoon from Delaware for a long weekend at Camp David
- Biden left and is set to stay until Wednesday while his planned withdrawal from Afghanistan turns into a crisis
- Taliban fighters are closing in on Kabul, while 3,000 American troops are expected to arrive this weekend
- They have been sent in to help evacuate some US personnel from the Kabul embassy as situation deteriorates
- The White House said the president had been briefed about ‘the ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan’
- A memo sent to embassy staff told them to prepare to destroy sensitive documents and computers
- The first lady was spotted with a walking boot and crutch, marking the first time she’s been seen publicly since she injured her foot on a Hawaii beach
- On Friday the insurgents claimed Kandahar, the country’s second biggest city, Herat, close to the Iranian border, and Ghazni, on the road south from Kabul
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9 Dems threaten mutiny over Pelosi’s budget plan – POLITICO
A group of nine moderates is threatening to withhold their votes from Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget resolution later this month, endangering Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s two-track plan to push both a massive infrastructure bill and social spending agenda through the House in the coming weeks.
That missive — which was made public Friday — quickly escalated tensions across the Democratic caucus, with anxieties already running high about how the tightly divided House will be able to muscle through both of President Joe Biden’s priorities in short order.
Source: 9 Dems threaten mutiny over Pelosi’s budget plan – POLITICO
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Incoming New York governor says she is “fully prepared” for the job
New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul gave her first public remarks Wednesday since Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation a day earlier. “It is not something I expected or asked for, but I am fully prepared to assume the responsibilities of the 57th governor of the state of New York,” Hochul said. Watch her remarks and a press conference she held.
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Demonstration planned as parents push back against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ delayed start
A demonstration is planned Wednesday evening to protest against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ announcement that the academic year may be delayed by two weeks due to transportation issues.
The protest was organized by city school parents and is set for 6 p.m. outside the school board’s headquarters on South Bellefield Avenue in Oakland.
District officials Tuesday said they wanted to delay the start of the year due to a shortage of about 6,000 bus seats for students entering the 2021-22 school year. In order to add enough bus drivers to make close the gap, the first day of school is set to be pushed back from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8.
Source: Demonstration planned as parents push back against Pittsburgh Public Schools’ delayed start
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Biden filmed ‘ignoring’ Secret Service while entering White House | Daily Mail Online
- In Biden’s latest bizarre gaffe, the president was filmed returning to the White House after spending time in Wilmington, Delaware
- Secret Service agent points for him to follow the sidewalk path into White House
- Instead, Biden is seen following the agent up the lawn and through the gardening into the presidential estate
- The video has left shocked critics of the president once again surmising whether Biden is suffering the effects of cognitive decline
President Joe Biden was filmed seemingly ignoring the direction of a Secret Service agent tried to direct him to a path leading to the White House.
In Biden’s latest bizarre gaffe, the president was filmed returning to the White House after spending time in Wilmington, Delaware when the agent points for him to follow the sidewalk path into the White House.
Instead, Biden is seen following the agent up the lawn and through the garden into the presidential estate.
Source: Biden filmed ‘ignoring’ Secret Service while entering White House | Daily Mail Online
