Mother Shamed for Mentioning ‘Father Christmas,’ Told Santa Is Now Gender-Neutral

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A mother from Plymouth, England, says she was scolded online for daring to mention “Father Christmas,” and informed that Santa Claus “is now seen as gender-neutral.”

The Plymouth Herald reported on the alleged incident last week, and quoted the unnamed mother as telling them, “I’ve just been shamed [on a Facebook group] for using the name ‘Father Christmas’ and [told] that ‘Santa’ is now seen as gender neutral. I was only referring to the book below [‘Father Christmas’ by Raymond Briggs] but it’s left me a little confused/on edge about what we are aloud [sic] to say.”

The mother added, “I have a small child and don’t really want to raise him saying ‘Father Christmas’ if it’s hurtful to some.”

The original message stream on Facebook has not been disclosed, but as other media outlets have picked up the story, debate over the incident has gained momentum online.

Fox News reported that one user reacted by saying of Santa, “Seriously! He’s a guy, quite clearly a guy. I would have bitten back by calling him St. Nicholas to be honest. The clue’s in the name, Nicholas not Nicola.” (Read more from “Mother Shamed for Mentioning ‘Father Christmas,’ Told Santa Is Now Gender-Neutral” HERE)

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First Person Charged Under Florida ‘Red Flag’ Law Found Guilty

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The first person to have his guns confiscated under Florida’s 2018 “red flag” law has been found guilty over his refusal to voluntarily surrender the weapons.

Jerron Smith, 33, now faces up to five years in prison after a jury in Broward County rejected his argument that he did not fully understand the new law. The jury returned the verdict Friday after a short trial.

Smith, of Deerfield Beach, was the subject of a risk protection order soon after the law was enacted in response to the Parkland high school mass shooting in February 2018.

Smith owned an AR-15 rifle and a .22-caliber rifle which Broward deputies seized after his arrest in March 2018 on charges of firing six shots at a vehicle being driven by his best friend, according to reports.

Smith is facing trial on an attempted murder charge in connection with that incident. He was accused of firing at his friend with a Glock handgun that deputies also took, according to reports. (Read more from “First Person Charged Under Florida ‘Red Flag’ Law Found Guilty” HERE)

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SCOTUS Denies First Amendment Challenge to Ultrasound Abortion Law

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The Supreme Court has opted to leave in place a pro-life Kentucky law that requires women seeking an abortion to see an ultrasound of their unborn children before making the decision to abort.

In a lengthy list of court orders put out Monday morning, the Supreme Court declined to take up the case of EMW Women’s Surgical Center v. Meier — a challenge to a Kentucky law that requires women seeking an abortion to be shown an ultrasound of their unborn children before making a final decision.

Earlier this year, the law was upheld by a ruling of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Opponents of the law — such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky — argue that by compelling abortionists to show women ultrasounds of their children, the law violates the free speech rights of abortion providers. The appeals court, however, found the statute’s ultrasound requirements to be within the parameters of the First Amendment as it applies to speech required in professional settings.

“We hold that [the law] provides relevant information,” the 6th Circuit opinion reads. “The information conveyed by an ultrasound image, its description, and the audible beating fetal heart gives a patient greater knowledge of the unborn life inside her. This also inherently provides the patient with more knowledge about the effect of an abortion procedure: it shows her what, or whom, she is consenting to terminate. That this information might persuade a woman to change her mind does not render it suspect under the First Amendment. It just means that it is pertinent to her decision-making.” (Read more from “SCOTUS Denies First Amendment Challenge to Ultrasound Abortion Law” HERE)

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Bank Employee Claims He Was Denied Promotion Because He’s Heterosexual

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The Federal Court of Canada ruled in favor of a male employee for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce who said his boss informed him he had “no hope” for promotion unless he joined a “group” of gay and bisexual men. The employee, Aaren Jagadeesh, who is heterosexual, filed a discrimination complaint in April 2017, but the Canadian Human Rights Commission dismissed the complaint in November 2018, writing, “Before rendering the decision, the Commission reviewed the report disclosed to you previously and any submission(s) filed in response to the report. After examining this information, the Commission decided … to dismiss the complaint because, having regard to all of the circumstances of the complaint, further inquiry is not warranted.”

But the Federal Court has ordered a new investigation and assessment.

The National Post reports, “An investigator with the human rights commission was assigned to look into the complaint. CIBC officials were interviewed — but not the manager who allegedly made the remarks about only gay and bisexual men being promoted. That manager, the investigator was told, was on ‘extended leave of absence.’”

Jagadeesh was employed by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Toronto as a financial services representative. He claims he was repeatedly turned down for promotions. Jagadeesh said he met alone with his manager on Sept. 15, 2015, and the manager said every male manager in the office was was gay or bisexual, and followed by informing him of his zero chances for promotion unless he joined the group.

The National Post adds, “Jagadeesh claims the manager said this was why young male employees with little or no qualifications were promoted; told him to ‘be smart and learn’; and then allegedly asked Jagadeesh what he thought of him.” According to Jagadeesh, he told his boss that he simply viewed him as his manager, that he had no problem working with anyone, and that he was heterosexual. (Read more from “Bank Employee Claims He Was Denied Promotion Because He’s Heterosexual” HERE)

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Devin Nunes Reveals Alarming Fact About His Phone Records (VIDEO)

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Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) revealed over the weekend that his personal phone records do not match those that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) publicized last week.

Prior to the House Judiciary Committee holding its first public impeachment hearings, Schiff’s committee released its 300-page report on impeachment. Included in the document were the personal phone records of Nunes — the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking member — Rudy Giuliani, journalist John Solomon, among others. Schiff did not say how he obtained the records or why he publicized them.

But according to Nunes, who spoke with Fox News on Saturday, the records of his that Schiff publicized are not accurate.

“Finally, yesterday, I had a chance to go through all of my phone records, and I can tell you — my phone records do not match what Schiff and the Democrats put in that report,” Nunes said.

In response to a follow up question from Fox News’ Ed Henry, Nunes added, “Let me tell you what I have. What I have doesn’t match [what Schiff released].” (Read more from “Devin Nunes Reveals Alarming Fact About His Phone Records” HERE)

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Trump Holds Nothing Back After IG Report Is Released

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By Townhall. President Trump lashed out after being briefed about the Department of Justice Inspector General’s report on FISA abuses that was finally released on Monday, saying the abuses were an “attempted overthrow of the government.”

The report stated that while the Inspector General’s office found no evidence of political bias concerning the FBI’s operation to infiltrate the Trump campaign and that the investigation was justified, they did find 17 errors and incidents of omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications. . .

Speaking at the White House, Trump said the FBI “fabricated evidence” and “lied” to the courts.

“This was something that we can never allow to happen again,” Trump said. “The report actually and especially when you look in to it and the details of the report are far worse than anything I would have even imagined. What they were doing and what they would’ve done if I didn’t make a certain move, a certain move that was a very important move because it would have been even worse if that’s possible.”

(Read more from “Trump Holds Nothing Back After IG Report Is Released” HERE)

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FISA Report Drops: 7 Takeaways from DOJ Watchdog’s Russia Probe Review

By Fox News. Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz on Monday released the highly anticipated findings from his nearly two-year review concerning the origins of the Russia investigation and the issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants for a Trump campaign official. . .

The report said investigators found no intentional misconduct or political bias surrounding either the launch of the Trump-Russia investigation or as efforts to seek the controversial FISA warrant to monitor former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in the early stages of that probe. . .

Despite the inspector general’s finding that there was no evidence of political bias or improper motivation, Horowitz’s report revealed there were at least 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the Page FISA applications. . .

Steele’s now-infamous dossier and research surrounding the 2016 presidential election provided much of the information used in the FISA application and renewals, but the inspector general found that the FBI did not have any specific information corroborating allegations against Page from Steele’s reporting.

“We determined that prior to and during the pendency of the FISAs the FBI was unable to corroborate any of the specific substantive allegations against Carter Page contained in the election reporting and relied on in the FISA applications, and was only able to confirm the accuracy of a limited number of circumstantial facts, most of which were in the public domain,” the report said, noting that the information confirmed was only timing of events and dates when Page traveled to Russia. (Read more from “FISA Report Drops: 7 Takeaways from DOJ Watchdog’s Russia Probe Review” HERE)

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House Judiciary Report BOMBSHELL: Dems Trying to Change the Constitution

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The jig is up. The Democrats have now actually admitted—in writing—that their sad little attempt at impeachment is entirely baseless. The House Judiciary Committee Report was released Saturday and admitted two very critical points:

First, the Democrats are trying to change the standard of impeachment. They are literally changing the rules to fit their theatrical story. Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler wrote in the preface that the previous reports on grounds for impeachable offenses in the Nixon and Clinton eras “remain useful points of reference, but no longer reflect the best available learning on questioning relating to presidential impeachment.”

Why, Jerry? Because you have no evidence for legitimate grounds of impeachment? This only proves that President Trump indeed does not belong in the ranks of Nixon and Clinton, where there was actually evidence of impeachable offenses.

Second, the Democrats are proceeding with impeachment against President Trump not because of any past wrongdoing which they have no proof of, but to “save the Nation” from Trump remaining in office. That is not a constitutionally permissible reason to impeach. That’s why we have elections. The American people get to decide who remains in office, absent clear evidence of impeachable offenses actually committed. We don’t impeach or convict based on a vague fear for democracy from the opposition party. (Read more from “House Judiciary Report BOMBSHELL: Dems Trying to Change the Constitution” HERE)

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FBI Partners with the Postal Service to Get Your Fingerprints

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It wasn’t all that long ago that the public was made aware of the huge privacy concerns with sharing your DNA with consumer genetic testing companies to find out your origins. One such concern was the ability of the federal government and law enforcement agencies to gain access to your DNA. As the public has become more aware of such privacy concerns, it seems strange that on Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a new partnership with the United States Postal Service where customers like you can voluntarily provide them with their fingerprints while you’re at the post office.

Isn’t that nice and convenient? The government is making it that much easier for you to give them your fingerprints! Gotta buy some stamps or mail a package, why not help the government build up a national database of fingerprints. That sounds great for your privacy. . .

According to the FBI website, “Only you may request a copy of your own Identity History Summary (or proof that one does not exist). You would typically make this request for personal review, to challenge information on record, to meet a requirement for adopting a child, or to meet a requirement to live, work, or travel in a foreign country.”

Of course, there are plenty of ways to obtain a criminal background check without providing the federal government your fingerprint. Most of the information is a part of the public record. If you’ve forgotten that you’ve been arrested in the past and want to check, you can start with local records before you give Big Brother your fingerprints. There are also some websites that can pull up records for a fee as well, without giving up your fingerprints. (Read more from “FBI Partners with the Postal Service to Get Your Fingerprints” HERE)

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Joe Biden Says Son Hunter Will Not Engage in Foreign Business If He Wins 2020 Race; Biden Still Can’t Explain What Son Was Doing ‘Working’ for Ukraine Company

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By Washington Examiner. Joe Biden said that his family members, including Hunter Biden, would not engage in any foreign business if he wins the presidency in 2020.

That’s not because Hunter did anything wrong as a board member of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, the former vice president said, but due to questionable business activities of President Trump’s children.

“They will not be engaged in any foreign business because of what’s happened in this administration,” Biden said of Hunter Biden and brother James Biden, in an Axios on HBO interview that aired Sunday. “No one’s going to be seeking patents for things from China. No one’s going to be engaged in that kind of thing.”

Hunter Biden was on the board of Burisma while Joe Biden, 77, worked on Ukrainian policy while vice president. House Democrats launched impeachment proceedings against Trump after revelations of a phone call in which Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate the Bidens, which Democrats argue Trump did for personal political interests rather than legitimate policy reasons.

Trump and his allies suggest that Joe Biden acted in Hunter’s interest when he conditioned $1 billion in aid to Ukraine on firing an official who was investing Burisma, but many international organizations at the time wanted the prosecutor removed for other reasons, and there is no evidence that Biden acted with the intention of helping his son. (Read more from “Joe Biden Says Son Hunter Will Not Engage in Foreign Business If He Wins 2020 Race” HERE)

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Biden Still Can’t Explain What Son Was Doing ‘Working’ for Ukraine Company

By Townhall. During an interview with Axios, former Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden still couldn’t explain why his son Hunter was hired by Ukraine’s largest energy company. Hunter, who had recently been discharged from the Navy for drug use, was hired by Burisma and paid more than $80,000 a month despite the fact that Hunter had no relevant experience whatsoever. When Hunter was hired by Burisma, the company was mired in a corruption scandal and Hunter’s father just so happened to be the point man on Ukraine for the United States. Hmmm.

It gets worse. Biden forced Ukraine into firing the prosecutor investigating the company that was paying his son’s lucrative salary by threatening to cancel a billion-dollar loan guarantee from the United States. Basically, all the accusations of “bribery,” “quid pro quo” and “abuse of office for personal enrichment” that you hear Democrats accusing Donald Trump of doing, Joe Biden actually did. It’s a problem.

“There’s one thing that a lot of Democrats even do wonder about, and that is Hunter Biden, your son, was getting paid a lot of money to serve on the board of a Ukrainian energy company facing serious corruption charges,” the interviewer began. “You were the vice president running point on Ukraine. The average joe hears that and says ‘that sounds fishy.’ What’s your understanding of what your son was doing for an extraordinary amount of money?”

“I don’t know what he was doing,” Biden responded indignantly. “I know he was on the board. I found out he was on the board after he was on the board. And that was it.” (Read more from “Biden Still Can’t Explain What Son Was Doing ‘Working’ for Ukraine Company” HERE)

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Shocking Number of Children Show Signs of Smartphone Addiction

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Recent national surveys project that 53% of children will own a smartphone by age 11. While the reality of a child being able to utilize the features of a smartphone has provided many new benefits to both them and their parents, the harm of unlimited access to smartphone technology on a child’s mental health has many experts worried.

According to a recent systematic review conducted by researchers at King’s College London, roughly one in four children and young people who own a smartphone display what mental health experts call “problematic smartphone usage,” which can be further described as “behaviours linked to smartphone use that resemble features of addiction.”

While many people think of addiction as a behavior driven by things such as drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, the concept of addiction to technology has become a serious reality in recent years, which has caused people to display behavior similar to those with dependence on hard or soft drugs.

In their findings, the researchers sought to identify several different features of addiction to smartphone technology, including specific behaviors such as: “having an intense urge to use your phone,” “feeling panicked if it runs out of battery,” “neglecting other more important things to use it,” “spending more time on it than you first intended to,” “having other people complain about how much someone used their phone,” and “continuing to use it despite knowing how much it affected other areas of your life, including sleep or school work.” (Read more from “Shocking Number of Children Show Signs of Smartphone Addiction” HERE)

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