Watch: Dan Crenshaw Graciously Accepts SNL Apology, Then Roasts Him Before Making a Call for Unity

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Newly elected Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) appeared on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and graciously accepted an apology from Pete Davidson, whose classless mocking of Crenshaw last week drew national outrage.

“You may be surprised to hear that he’s a congressional candidate from Texas and not a hitman in a porno movie,” Davidson said last week, which exploded on social media. “I’m sorry. I know he lost his eye in war or whatever.”

On Saturday, Crenshaw made a surprise appearance on SNL where he accepted an apology from Davidson, roasted him, and then made a final call for unity.

“In what I’m sure was a huge shock for people who know me, I made a poor choice last week,” Davidson said before Crenshaw appeared on set. “I made a joke about Lieutenant Commander Dan Crenshaw, and on behalf of the show and myself, I apologize.”

“I mean this from the bottom of my heart. It was a poor choice of words. The man is a war hero and he deserves all of the respect in the world,” Davidson continued. “And if any good came of this, maybe it was that for one day the left and the right finally came together to agree on something: that I’m a dick.”

(Read more from “Watch: Dan Crenshaw Graciously Accepts SNL Apology, Then Roasts Him Before Making a Call for Unity” HERE)

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Californians and Their Animals Are Flooding Zuma Beach to Escape Wildfires

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Californians living near Malibu began evacuating their animals to Zuma Beach Friday as the Woolsey Fire threatened thousands of homes and other structures, the Los Angeles Times reports.

People filled the beach with horses, alpacas, dogs and other animals to sit and wait until they could return home. The beach, though safer than other areas, was covered in smoke carried by strong winds that fueled the fire’s rapid expanse. The Woolsey Fire consumed 83,000 acres from Thursday to Sunday. . .

California fire officials expect conditions to worsen as winds pick up again Sunday. Santa Ana winds are expected to blow between 30 and 50 miles per hour later Sunday and continue through Tuesday, according to AccuWeather. . .

Two other large fires, the Camp Fire burning north of Sacramento and the Hill Fire burning near Los Angeles, have burned an additional 110,000 acres. The Camp Fire has killed at least 23 people who lived in or near Paradise. The fire swept through the town Friday morning, catching many by surprise. The Camp Fire has destroyed nearly 6,500 buildings, CBS News reports.

(Read more from “Californians and Their Animals Are Flooding Zuma Beach to Escape Wildfires” HERE)

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American Flag Sellers Violating Rules to Trick Buyers

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Prominent sellers of American flags are peddling U.S. flags that are made in China while misrepresenting and mislabeling their wares, according to laboratory test results and other research.

A trade association said the flags are being sold illegally and has requested the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launch an investigation.

Take VSVO Flag Company, whose website says, “We believe in selling only the highest quality American made flags … Many of our best customers are military men.” It encourages Americans to “support our troops” by buying from the company.

“The inspiration behind our flag company is my father,” its Amazon listing says. “He is a veteran and growing up as a child I looked up at him with pride for what he did for our country. I created this company to honor him and, people like him who love and serve their country.” . . .

Two textile manufacturers, Glaser Mills and Schneider Mills, separately conducted tests on flags from VSVO, Jetlifee and G128, and both concluded that the material was not nylon, but 200 denier, 60-by-60 thread count polyester that typically comes from China. TheDCNF also examined the flags after they were tested, and none had the required tags on them. (Read more from “American Flag Sellers Violating Rules to Trick Buyers” HERE)

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Fallen Soldier’s Gift to His Son 15 Years Later Brings Him to Tears

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Army First Lt. Jonathan Rozier gave his life for his country in 2003, leaving behind his wife and 8-month-old son, Justin.

Years later, Justin came to treasure anything that had belonged to his father, and he desperately wanted to own the same car his father had.

(Read more from “Fallen Soldier’s Gift to His Son 15 Years Later Brings Him to Tears” HERE)

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Judge Rules for Rick Scott. Florida Supervisor Must Release Public Records.

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On Friday, Florida Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips ruled in favor of Florida Governor Rick Scott, who was ahead in votes in his race for the Senate seat held by incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson when the polls closed Tuesday night, and had filed suit along with the National Republican Senatorial Committee against Broward County election supervisor Brenda Snipes in order to force her to release public records surrounding the votes in Broward County. The lawsuit stated that Snipes was “unwilling to disclose records revealing how many electors voted, how many ballots have been canvassed, and how many ballots remain to be canvassed.”

The lawsuit stated:

Voting in the 2018 General Election concluded November 6, 2018. Two days after voting has concluded, the Supervisor Of Elections is unwilling to disclose records revealing how many electors voted, how many ballots have been canvassed, and how many ballots remain to be canvassed. The lack of transparency raises substantial concerns about the validity of the election process. An emergency hearing is necessary as the Canvassing Board is obligated to submit the unofficial elections results to the Division of Elections by noon November 10, 2018. A recount in at least two, possibly three, of the statewide races appears likely. Plaintiffs seek an immediate, emergency hearing of this matter pursuant to section 119.11, Florida Statutes; an Order from this Court declaring Defendants to be in breach of their constitutional and statutory duties to permit access to public records; and an Order from this Court compelling Defendants to provide Plaintiffs with access to those records.

The judge found that Snipes, the Broward Supervisor of Elections, violated public records act and the Florida constitution, and must provide public records requested by Scott and NRSC. (Read more from “Judge Rules for Rick Scott. Florida Supervisor Must Release Public Records.” HERE)

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Nonprofit Lines for Life Launches New Help Line for Veterans Struggling With Mental Health

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An Oregon-based nonprofit is opening a new call center Friday to help veterans struggling with mental health issues.

Lines for Life, a 24/7, 365-days-a-year suicide prevention hotline, has expanded its mission to help veterans in need, KATU reports.

“We’ll be cutting the ribbon on a new call center that’s designed to make sure we’re standing up and supporting the veterans who stood up and defended us over the years,” said CEO Dwight Holton.

The new call center will offer free and anonymous help calls and texts for veterans, their family, and their friends struggling with mental health.

The Veterans Association estimates that since 2008, roughly 6,ooo veterans kill themselves each year. This new call center, in partnership with the Veterans Crisis Line, is expected to field about 1,200 additional calls each month.

“Services like this where we’ve got partnerships with national VA and organizations like Lines for Life are essential to helping meeting those mental health crisis needs and helping folks find a way forward and help build strong families among our veterans,” Holton said.

There is a strong need to help care for the mental health of America’s veterans. According to the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research, 20 percent of those who served in either Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from either major depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you are a veteran in need, contact the free military help line at (888) 457-4838. You can also text MIL1 to 839863. Someone is available to talk to you at all hours of the day. (For more from the author of “Nonprofit Lines for Life Launches New Help Line for Veterans Struggling With Mental Health” please click HERE)

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Hero Sgt. Ron Helus Called ‘A True Cop’s Cop,’ Died Bravely Confronting Thousand Oaks Shooter

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Several hundred people were inside the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, Wednesday night when a gunman attacked the venue, killing 12 people including a police officer.

The officer’s name was Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Helus had intended to retire next year. Instead, he died heroically.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Garo Karedjian said Helus was a first responder to the shooting, which began around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday night. The sheriff’s office received multiple calls of shots fired at the bar after the hooded gunman began his massacre.

At least 13 people were killed, including the gunman. Somewhere between 10 and 15 more were injured.

Helus and a California Highway Patrol officer responded in minutes. Helus reportedly called his wife before entering the building to confront the shooter. The shooter fired upon the police officers when they entered the bar. Helus was hit several times. He died in an area hospital Thursday morning.

At a press conference, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said that Helus died as “a hero.”

“He gave his all … he went in to save lives, to save other people,” Dean said. He added that Helus was a “hard-working, dedicated Sheriff’s Sergeant.”

“A true cop’s cop,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Buschow told CNN Thursday morning. “I don’t think there’s anything more heroic than what he did.”

“He went in there to save lives. He took decisive action, and it’s just a tragic loss for us,” Buschow said.
“This was in his blood. He had just a natural instinct for going after crooks, and he did it with enthusiasm, with a great deal of intelligence.”

Profile pictures from Helus’ Facebook page, now memorialized, show he had a love for the outdoors and fishing.

“He loved spending time with his son,” Buschow added. “They would go fishing up in the Sierras together. My heart goes out to his family — I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.”

Helus was an accomplished firearms instructor and competitive shooter. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. (For more from the author of “Hero Sgt. Ron Helus Called ‘a True Cop’s Cop,’ Died Bravely Confronting Thousand Oaks Shooter” please click HERE)

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Liberal Gun Reporter Reveals Something Terrifying About Gun Control Solutions

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. . .Yet, there are some reporters writing for left-leaning publications, like The Guardian, who are actually very good on this issue. Yeah, believe it or not, the Left has a couple, not many of course; dedicated reporters who follow the gun beat. The Washington Free Beacon’s Stephen Gutowski is one of the best for conservative media. Lois Beckett is one on the Left who you should follow. You may not always agree, but she’s fair. She wrote in The New York Times about the myth that the 1994 assault weapons ban was effective, while also dispelling the liberal lie that banning AR-15 rifles would reduce crime. Handguns commit the most gun violence, but there is zero political support for that initiative. . .

Yet, Beckett is more concerned about the media’s lack of coverage in the solutions to these types of horrible events. Gutowski has also commented about the media’s poor grasp of gun policy is probably because there is no dedicated staff tasked with reporting and researching at major newspapers and news organizations. Beckett added that Long could have been subjected to a gun violence restraining order law, which was passed in California, but no one knows it exists, not even law enforcement. . .

Beckett added that these horrible incidents never happen out of the blue. No one ever snaps; there is a trail of red flags. She also said that there are research-driven solutions that gun rights advocates do support, which coupled with some of the ones on the Left, that don’t veer into ‘take all the guns’ territory, there has to be solutions both sides can agree on to at least provide some framework to prevent more tragedies like Sandy Hook, Borderline, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. For now, the aftermath is the same: mourn the dead for two seconds, blame the NRA, blame Trump, recycle straight trash reporting on gun laws that have been on the books since Kennedy was in office, and repeat. I don’t mind having conservations with pro-gun control, folks, but when they say I’m evil for supporting the Second Amendment, the conversation ends…quickly. (Read more from “Liberal Gun Reporter Reveals Something Terrifying About Gun Control Solutions” HERE)

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CNN Prepares to Sue the White House

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The rumor mill is swirling. Reports are coming in that CNN and their Chief White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, are preparing to sue the Trump administration over the revocation of Acosta’s permanent press credentials, commonly referred to as a “hard pass.”

Former ABC News reporter and anchor Sam Donaldson appeared Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” with Brian Stetler and said he believed a lawsuit had already been filed, The Washington Examiner reported. . .

According to Floyd Abrams, a constitutional law expert who appeared on Stetler’s show, CNN should sue the Trump administration over the issue.

“I think it’s a really strong lawsuit. I can understand CNN being reluctant to sue because the president keeps saying CNN is the enemy of me, and CNN might have reluctance to have a lawsuit titled ‘CNN vs. Donald Trump.’ That said, yes, I think they should sue,” Abrams said. “This is going to happen again. It’s likely to happen again. So whether it’s CNN suing or the next company suing, someone is going to have to bring a lawsuit. And whoever does is going to win unless there’s some sort of reason.”

The alleged lawsuit is the latest in a string of incidents involving CNN’s Jim Acosta. On Wednesday, the White House pulled his permanent press pass after determining that he was inappropriate during a press conference earlier in the day. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the Trump administration won’t stand for “a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.” (Read more from “CNN Prepares to Sue the White House” HERE)

Never Bet Against God

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My son’s not a six-footer anymore. After too many parachute jumps with the 75th Ranger Regiment, medics told him his skeleton has compressed by a half inch, and that he’s not getting it back. It probably didn’t do his skeleton (or brain stem) any good to get blasted off a ladder by an improvised bomb, either. Even the routine and repetitive discharge of Army weaponry at the firing range can result in cumulative concussions that complicate questions of free will and moral accountability.

The burdens of defending our freedoms and our country’s strategic interests have never been equally or fairly distributed. But he came home reasonably intact and upright, and is having a great life now as an entrepreneur, inventor, husband and fierce soccer dad on the grassy battlefields of California.

His cousin Jake wasn’t as fortunate. Jake’s mom and dad got his body back from Syria in May. I don’t know much about how he died, but thanks to a remarkably meaty, substantial funeral, and thanks to long talks with his comrades at the wake, I know how he lived.

Not that Jacob Klipsch was ever a stranger to me. I remember him as a freakishly intelligent child. He talked with smart adults all day and I’m not sure he ever learned baby talk. He was so big and so articulate that most people assumed he was much older.

We got back in touch after the invention of email chat rooms. His was a restless intellect. He had not paused from reading broadly and thinking deeply. It was never a superficial conversation with Jacob.

He was at least agnostic, maybe an atheist then. Not a sneering, dismissive secular humanist like I was at that age, but rather a sincerely unconvinced pagan. He wasn’t going to pretend he believed, if he didn’t.

He knew of ancient “god-slaughter” cults with suspicious similarities to Christianity, and was conversant in the Gnostic claims of Roman hanky-panky in the selection of the Biblical canon. I thought he was mistaken, but too smart and inquisitive to stay wrong. He was young, and had plenty of time to sort it all out.

But he was dead by age 36. I felt some panic when I heard he had died, and guilt. Throughout his lengthy funeral, I thought that despite all his virtues and selfless deeds, I’d have to bet he is probably roasting in Hell now, and from now on. We had let the clock run out on Jacob.

But it’s not our clock.

The final speaker at the funeral mentioned in passing that Jake tried to take Communion last Christmas at an ancient Syrian church near the front lines. Anybody sitting behind me at the funeral may have been startled to see my head snap up sharply. It was the only thing I heard all morning that actually matters anymore.

He wasn’t able to get to the church last Christmas, but that’s not the point. Jacob wouldn’t have just gone through the motions. He wouldn’t even consider taking Communion unless he was a believer. I’m sure of that. Glory!

I learned later that he had told his dad that he was operating in “Yahweh’s stomping grounds.” The contested Syrian territory includes Chaldean villages that still speak Aramaic, the native tongue of Jesus. They trace their lineage to Aram, son of Shem, who was on the ark with his father, Noah. It’s from Shem that we get the term Semite. Aram’s brother Arphaxad is the ancestor of Abraham.

Of course it’s ALL Yahweh’s stomping grounds, including the next gazillion galaxies past ours, but I get Jake’s point: Yahweh had worked many judgments and wonders in Syria, according to the Bible. And He wasn’t done yet.

Maybe Jacob was called to Syria, not just to fight for the freedom and human dignity of complete strangers (which God could have accomplished much more efficiently), but for an intimate and unmistakable encounter with Christ, who knows a thing or two about unequally, unfairly distributed burdens. Death was in the offing, but not annihilation. I believe Jacob received something more than a mechanical, algebraic cancellation of sin; he entered the Savior’s lavish hospitality.

I remember the period just before Jacob sought Communion with Christ. It was, for me, a time of unusual spiritual dryness. Now, I like to think of it as a time when the Shepherd left the 99 to seek the lost lamb, the hard-headed one, because He alone grasped how precious that lamb is in the sight of the Father.

Never bet against God.

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