Video: Transgender Male Completely Loses It on Store Clerk for ‘Misgendering’

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By The Blaze. A transgender [man] became visibly enraged after a store worker and a customer reportedly said “sir” instead of “ma’am” when addressing [him], according to video obtained by the Daily Mail. . .

The transgender [man] had apparently purchased an item at the store’s front counter when the male cashier reportedly called the transgender woman “sir” instead of [his] apparent preferred term, “ma’am.”

Another customer, clearly bothered by the [man’s] language, interjected and asked that [he] refrain from using such language — also calling the transgender woman “sir,” further enraging [him].

The customer can be heard saying, “Excuse me sir, there is a young man in here you need to watch your mouth. I can call the police if you would like me to. You need to settle down.”

The transgender woman shot back, shouting, “Excuse me — it is ma’am! It is ma’am!” and telling the customer to mind her own business. (Read more from “Video: Transgender Male Completely Loses It on Store Clerk for ‘Misgendering'” HERE)

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‘Take It Outside If You Want to Call Me Sir Again!’ Furious Transgender Rages at Store Clerk After He Calls Him ‘Sir’ Instead of ‘Ma’am’

By Daily Mail. A furious transgender shopper threatened a store worker after he called [him] ‘sir’ instead of ‘ma’am’.

An argument broke out at the GameStop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when the [man] had just bought an item at the counter.

[He] demanded [his] money back after being called ‘sir’ by the male shop attendant, then raged at a fellow shopper who called [him] ‘sir’ again and asked her to stop swearing as there were children present.

After screaming and booting over a stand of toys as [he] stormed out, the [man] then walked back towards to counter to continue the tirade.

[He] complained of being repeatedly misgendered by the store clerk and demanded to have the company’s corporate number in order to make a complaint. (Read more from “‘Take It Outside If You Want to Call Me Sir Again!’ Furious Transgender Rages at Store Clerk After He Calls Him ‘Sir’ Instead of ‘Ma’am'” HERE)

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Obama’s Syria Ambassador Has a Surprising Response to Trump’s Decision

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to begin pulling American troops from Syria was met with criticism and outcry from pundits and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but former Ambassador to Syria Robert S. Ford called the move “essentially correct.”

Critics of Trump’s decision announced on Dec. 19 by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, are calling it a “huge Obama-like mistake,” win for America’s enemies and betrayal of our allies.

But Ford, who served as U.S. ambassador to Syria under President Barack Obama from 2011-2014, debunked the reasons for critique and added that the president needs to develop a national security team that can better relay and implement his foreign policy objectives.

“[T]he president should view the hullabaloo that erupted after he announced the Syrian pullout as an opportunity to take a number of steps to make the most of his essentially correct, but widely unpopular, move,” Ford wrote Thursday in The Washington Post.

Ford pointed out that many opponents fear the pullout will lend a victory to Russia, Iran and Syria, but the former ambassador called this fear “absurd,” noting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime already controls roughly two-thirds of Syria. The regions that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control are largely deserts and drought-prone oil fields with low-value crude. (Read more from “Obama’s Syria Ambassador Has a Surprising Response to Trump’s Decision” HERE)

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Franklin Graham Banned From Facebook

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Reverend Franklin Graham says that he was banned from Facebook pursuant to a more than two-year-old post in support of North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which mandated that citizens use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological sex.

The bill was signed into law in 2016 and was considered by many to be bigoted — and it provoked a wave of corporate boycotts targeting the state. It’s not clear which specific post got Graham banned, but the evangelist has been outspoken in support of that bill and of other similar pieces of legislation. . .

“Facebook is censoring free speech,” Graham said via his Twitter account. “They’re making & changing the rules. Truth is truth. God made the rules & His Word is truth. The free exchange of ideas is part of our country’s DNA. You can read the post that Facebook took down last week here.” (Read more from “Franklin Graham Banned From Facebook” HERE)

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Is This Mega Actress Seriously Considering Running in 2020?

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When asked by presenter Justin Webb if she would be getting involved in politics, Jolie said that her answer 20 years ago would have been no, but now the answer is more complicated.

“If you asked me 20 years ago, I would’ve laughed,” she said. “I always say I’ll go where I’m needed, I don’t know if I’m fit for politics… but then I’ve also joked that I don’t know if I have a skeleton left in my closet. I’m also able to work with governments and I’m also able to work with militaries, and so I sit in a very interesting place of being able to get a lot done.”

Unlike other celebrities who have been floated as potential political candidates, Jolie actually does have legitimate credentials in the arena, being that she serves as a special envoy to the U.N. Refugee Agency and actively campaigns on various issues like refugees, sexual violence, and conservation. Though her father, Jon Voight, is a noted conservative, Jolie is a registered Independent. She also is not necessarily a card-carrying leftist in line with other celebrities and has presented a more balanced view of politics in the past. . .

In the social arena, however, Jolie is undoubtedly to the left-of-center. Nothing better illustrates that than the treatment of Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt of their daughter, Shiloh Jolie Pitt, after she insisted on being treated like a boy. . .

In 2014, LGBT enthusiasts hailed the two parents as “heroes” for turning their five-year-old daughter into a boy after she insisted they see her as such. According to various leftist sites, including The Advocate, the now-divorced couple reportedly supported their eight-year-old daughter Shiloh’s “decision” to both wear suits and be referred to by the name “John.” (Read more from “Is This Mega Actress Seriously Considering Running in 2020?” HERE)

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SWAT Officer Ends Hours-Long Standoff by Singing ‘White Christmas’ to Suspect

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On Christmas day, Nathaniel Lewis, a 34-year-old member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, began behaving erratically after separating from his wife, authorities in the East Vincent Township in Pennsylvania said.

“An hours-long standoff ensued with Lewis firing at police officers from a second-story bedroom. Bullets struck the sides of an armored police vehicle, a civilian’s vehicle, and a nearby home,” the local CBS affiliate in Philadelphia reported. . . 

The local SWAT team was called in to handle the situation.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan says police initially conducted a wellness check on Lewis after his wife asked for a separation. Lewis refused to come out of the house, and then took his rifle, firing some 20 shots at officers outside.

Nearly nine hours later, Lewis demanded a negotiator sing him “White Christmas.” Four verses later, Lewis came out.

(Read more from “SWAT Officer Ends Hours-Long Standoff by Singing ‘White Christmas’ to Suspect” HERE)

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WORLD FIRST: American Man Treks Across Antarctica in Just 54 Days

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On November 3, American endurance athlete Colin O’Brady began his trek across Antarctica, unaided by a sail, and carrying with him approximately “400 lbs of food and equipment” in a pull-sleigh, reports CBS.

932 miles and 54 days later, O’Brady became the first person in history to make the journey across the ice-covered southern continent without assistance. . .

As CBS This Morning noted, this achievement is even more incredible due to the fact that O’Brady’s legs were severely burned in a fire just a decade ago.

O’Brady has been an athlete for most of his life, and following his injury, he’s continued to flourish, even breaking the “speed record in 2016 for the Explorers Grand Slam — a mission in which climbers summit the tallest peak on each continent and reach the North and South Poles,” reports Business Insider.

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Day 56: HUMAN CONTACT. There he is! Captain Louis Rudd arrived at the finish line this afternoon. I’ve been waiting here to greet him – the only other person on the planet to have completed this crossing. It is amazing to see him and be the first to congratulate him in person! Not to mention it’s quite refreshing to see and speak to another human being after the long, quiet walk the last two months. We certainly have a lifelong bond now having both completed this epic journey. Quoting Lou, “It’s a miracle that we both cracked this in the same year, after many people failing over the years to complete this crossing.” Agreed, Lou! I’m reminded of when Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile and in quick succession many others followed – proving that what was once thought to be impossible can become attainable when people believe in their minds that it can be done. Lou, well done my friend and major congratulations! Lou has now spent more than 200 days on the ice on 3 expeditions and is one of the most experienced Antarctica expeditioners. It’s an honor to know you, and it will be great fun debriefing all of our experiences over the coming days as we make our way out of Antarctica together. #TheImpossibleFirst #BePossible

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Day 54: FINISH LINE!!! I did it! The Impossible First ✅. 32 hours and 30 minutes after leaving my last camp early Christmas morning, I covered the remaining ~80 miles in one continuous “Antarctica Ultramarathon” push to the finish line. The wooden post in the background of this picture marks the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, where Antarctica’s land mass ends and the sea ice begins. As I pulled my sled over this invisible line, I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided. While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced. I was locked in a deep flow state the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey. I’m delirious writing this as I haven’t slept yet. There is so much to process and integrate and there will be many more posts to acknowledge the incredible group of people who supported this project. But for now, I want to simply recognize my #1 who I, of course, called immediately upon finishing. I burst into tears making this call. I was never alone out there. @jennabesaw you walked every step with me and guided me with your courage and strength. WE DID IT!! We turned our dream into reality and proved that The Impossible First is indeed possible. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela. #TheImpossibleFirst #BePossible

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(Read more from “WORLD FIRST: American Man Treks Across Antarctica in Just 54 Days” HERE)

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China Is America’s Biggest Rival, and Russia Isn’t Even Close

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President Trump’s decision to move the remaining American troops out of Syria came under heavy criticism from the mainstream media the day it was announced. Trump’s Syria blunder marks “a win for Putin,” reports The Washington Post. The New York Times labels Russia “a winner” in the Syria decision.

Everything Trump does seems to be giving leverage to a more powerful and hungry Russia, says the media, so much so that Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank is now claiming that Trump singlehandedly “lost [America] the Cold War.”

It is no surprise that the media exaggerates the scale of Russia’s threatening nature whenever given the chance. Many American journalists, relishing the way Trump’s foreign policy dovetails into the media’s narrative of his collusion with Russia over the 2016 election, have an interest in doing so. But all this talk of Russia over the past two years has diminished attention towards the far bigger, more poised, and more capable geopolitical threat America faces today: China.

China easily economically dominates Russia. The gross domestic products of the United States, China, and Russia are mapped in the Google public data graph... The United States still has the world’s highest GDP, but China’s economic growth in the past ten years has doubled that of the United States and put it on track to compete directly for the world’s economic supremacy. Russia, meanwhile, has a GDP lower than that of Italy.

China’s military adventurism, too, outpaces Russian expansionism. In contrast, China’s moves into the South China Sea have made its control over an extremely large portion of East Asian waters practically “a done deal.” Who cares about ocean waters, one might ask? How about maritime traders and aircraft carriers, for a start? It is true that Russia annexed Crimea in a show of force. But while Russia gained access to one strategic port, China’s recent exploits have cemented legions of ports and bases across East Asia for years to come. (Read more from “China Is America’s Biggest Rival, and Russia Isn’t Even Close” HERE)

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Trump Threatens to Shut Down the Southern Border Without Wall Funds, and He Has the Power to Do It

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If the partial government shutdown continues without a congressional deal to fund the wall, President Trump says, he’ll be forced to shut down the border entirely. And he could do it, with or without Congress’ cooperation.

“We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with,” the president tweeted Friday, one week after the start of the partial shutdown.

And while this claim might send the cadre of Trump’s usual critics into a violent fainting spell, closing the border is completely within his power.

As Conservative Review’s Daniel Horowitz explained back in October, President Trump not only has the inherent executive authority to close the border, as well as other immigration powers delegated by past Congresses, but he also has the popular mandate that got him elected.

Federal law “allows the president, whenever he finds that ‘the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,’ to ‘suspend’ all forms of immigration ‘for such period as he shall deem necessary,’” Horowitz explains. It also “grants the president an almost equal level of authority to subject entry of all aliens entering or departing to ‘such reasonable rules, regulations, and orders, and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may prescribe.’”

“If demanding that all immigrants enter legally or apply for asylum in a safe and controlled environment at a consulate rather than at a border controlled by some of the most dangerous people in the world is not a ‘reasonable rule,’” Horowitz concludes, “I’m not sure what is.”

President Trump has long made the case that physical border security is critical to America’s interests, both for our national security and the preservation of our national sovereignty. Closing the border down until the American people get the security they voted for would be a logical next step. (For more from the author of “Trump Threatens to Shut Down the Southern Border Without Wall Funds, and He Has the Power to Do It” please click HERE)

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Look How Much of These Federal Departments Is ‘Nonessential’

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The eight-year run of GOP control of the House of Representatives is coming to an end. The partial government shutdown in the eleventh hour of Republicans’ control is mainly centered around their failure to push border security when they had control, particularly over the past two years. But the fact that so much of government is shut down this week and nobody noticed should demonstrate that Republicans have also failed to cut elements of government that are evidently invisible to all but those who work at those agencies. If Republicans were smart, they would use this imperceptible shutdown to lay the groundwork for a spending fight during the debt ceiling deadline next year.

Now that Pelosi is slated to take over the House, we can post the full tally of GOP debt accumulation over the past eight years since Republicans were ushered into power in the year of the Tea Party. Since John Boehner was put into the speaker’s chair and handed the gavel on January 3, 2011, the debt has increased from $14 trillion to $21.86 trillion, a tab of almost $8 trillion. Just this past year alone, Republicans have increased the debt by almost $1.4 trillion. And in the first two months of fiscal year 2019, the deficit has increased by $305 billion, despite record revenue.

Not only have Republicans failed to cut a single agency of government, they have grown all of the programs Trump promised to cut. Republicans have increased or suspended the debt limit seven times since taking over the House. The only spending cuts they secured were the ones we won in August 2011 by actually blocking an automatic debt ceiling increase. However, that hard-fought and rare victory was completely wiped out by the budget bills in February and March of this year, which dramatically increased spending while suspending the debt limit yet again until March 2019. Now, with interest rates rising fast, we face a crisis just on the interest payments, which are slated to surpass the cost of the military in five years.

But with Pelosi scheduled to take control of the House next week, a GOP committed to reducing the size of government could use her as the perfect foil to push concessions in return for raising the next debt limit. She will be forced to either look weak by giving Trump a blank check for more debt or raise taxes without cutting spending. This week’s stealth shutdown, however, should provide conservatives with the perfect opportunity to distinguish the fat from the muscle of government largesse and craft a plan to reduce the debt.

According to OMB data compiled by Government Executive, here are the percentages of federal employees deemed “nonessential” by department (among those departments that don’t already have full fiscal year 2019 appropriations):

HUD – 95.4%
Commerce – 86%
Treasury – 83.3%
Interior – 76%
Agriculture – 66.5%

Obviously, most of the employees of the DHS and Justice are deemed essential and are working this week. But why is nobody asking what can be cut from these agencies with such high percentages of nonessential personnel? The media will virtue-signal over the paychecks of these federal workers, but if the only effect we see from their absence is their own paycheck, shouldn’t we have a debate over how many of these positions should exist in the first place, especially in light of a debt crisis?

These are just the departments that are not funded this year. Also, a certain percentage of these departments will not be furloughed even though they are deemed nonessential because they are already funded by appropriations of cross-sectional programs from other departments that have already received full-year funding. There are many more agencies that are already funded but are full of wasteful positions. To get a better sense of how many workers are deemed nonessential during a complete shutdown, here is a breakdown of how many workers are nonessential among all departments that were subject to the 2013 appropriations lapse, when the entire nonessential government shut down.

Here are some more targets for conservatives in the upcoming debt ceiling fight:

EPA – 95%
Education – 95%
Labor – 81%
Energy – 69%

In total, 43 percent of the federal workforce was furloughed during the 2013 shutdown, but many departments and agencies had as many as 80-95 percent of their employees deemed nonessential. Shouldn’t those departments be the first place for any audit on cutting government? Isn’t this pure common sense, irrespective of one’s political ideology? Of course, nonessential is not synonymous with a completely unnecessary job, but when those workers are the overwhelming majority of staff in a given department, one must ask why the federal government should have that agency in the first place?

For example, with 50 state governments and roughly 90,000 local and municipality governing authorities, why should things local in nature like housing and education be within the federal purview at all? Given the existence of these governing authorities, the federal government should only take on extra functions that are inherently essential. Yet we now spend $71.4 billion on the Department of Education and $42.6 billion on HUD, and that doesn’t include the cost of mandatory programs. These are departments where 95 percent of their employees are deemed nonessential. Even at HHS, where we spend almost a trillion dollars on federal market-distorting health care programs that create a monopoly for the insurance cartel, it now costs over $90 billion just in discretionary spending to run the bureaucracy itself controlling the trillion-dollar programs!

It’s time to start taking notes on what is truly essential and target the rest for cuts in the coming showdown with Pelosi over the debt ceiling. (For more from the author of  “Look How Much of These Federal Departments Is ‘Nonessential'” please click HERE)

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Democrats Take Over the House Next Week. What Happens to the Partial Shutdown?

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It looks like the federal government will remain partially shut down until 2019 and the 116th Congress. So what happens when Democrats take over the House on Jan 3 and when Rep. Nancy Pelosi takes the speaker’s gavel as expected? That remains to be seen.

Like the Pentagon, Veteran’s Affairs, and some other federal agencies, appropriations for the legislative branch were covered in the pair of “minibus” spending packages passed and signed in September. So members of Congress don’t have to worry about showing up to negotiate short-staffed, as with other funding lapses. The 116th Congress will be sworn in Wednesday, and a new speaker will be chosen by members of the House.

Then, members of the Democrat-run House and the Republican-led Senate will have to get to work on figuring out how to fund the remaining portions of the federal government that weren’t covered by those bills. They’ll have a week to deal with it before any federal paychecks are actually impacted. Thanks to a last-minute call made by the Trump administration, federal employees will still get their next paycheck and won’t miss one unless the partial shutdown lasts through January 11.

The next step could play out a few different ways. Republican leadership could play a game of “pin the deal on the donkey” and use the new House speaker as an out to strike an agreement that would have been politically untenable under Republican control – like settling for less money – all the while blaming it on Pelosi.

Then there’s the possibility that the partial shutdown continues until Democratic leadership decides, if ever, to go ahead and cut a deal for the $5 billion in requested wall funding. But that probably would require a very long shutdown first, which is where House Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said he sees things headedon Thursday.

There’s also the option that many fiscal hawks and small-government advocates wouldn’t be the least bit heartbroken to see: Keeping the government partially shut down, as Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, says, “till hell freezes over.”

This funding lapse has already defied the standard script for Washington brinksmanship theater by happening in the first place and by lasting longer than a few hours; what happens next is anybody’s guess. (For more from the author of “Democrats Take Over the House Next Week. What Happens to the Partial Shutdown?” please click HERE)

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