Democrats Attack President Trump for Saying Exactly What Democrats Did About California’s Fires

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As California battles statewide wildfires, the death toll and expenditures are rising. The fires have torn through numerous counties throughout the state, and as many as 48 people have died in Camp Fire alone, as reported by NBC News. On Saturday, President Trump commented in a tweet criticizing “forest management.” . . .

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom stated, in a tweet responding to Trump’s, “Lives have been lost. Entire towns have been burned to the ground. Cars abandoned on the side of the road. People are being forced to flee their homes. This is not a time for partisanship. This is a time for coordinating relief and response and lifting those in need up.”

However, there may be more truth to Trump’s tweet than many of his critics care to admit. The Democrat-led Little Hoover Commission is an independent state oversight agency that released a report earlier this year on wildfire destruction and forest management practices that seemed to affirm Trump’s sentiments.

Former Democratic representative and deputy district attorney Pedro Nava, who is currently the commission’s chairman, addressed California’s governor and the legislature with an open letter that opens the February report. The first sentence of this letter states: “A century of mismanaging Sierra Nevada forests has brought an unprecedented environmental catastrophe that impacts all Californians.”

After describing the dilapidated state of the Sierra Nevada forests, and providing examples of the “imminent crisis,” Nava suggested “investing upfront to create healthier forests” in an effort to curb “the spiraling costs of state firefighting.” After further description of the economic costs incurred in the wake of wildfires, Nava concluded that “all these are symptoms of a larger problem of forest mismanagement and neglect.” (Read more from “Democrats Attack President Trump for Saying Exactly What Democrats Did About California’s Fires” HERE)

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Trump Effect: Booming Economy Creates Another 848,000 Millionaires…in a Year

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The tax cuts passed by President Trump in 2017 have created a solid foundation for economic growth. U.S. worker wages have reached its highest levels in a decade. Over three million new jobs created, three million working class families benefitting from bonus checks averaging $1,000 or more, and record unemployment, sinking to 3.7 percent.

The Dow Jones, while volatile now, had a 5,000-point surge in 2017, the largest annual gain in its history. Second quarter growth reached four percent, while third-quarter growth was a solid 3.5 percent. . .

The Trump effect has also created more wealth over the past year, with 878,000 Americans becoming millionaires over the past year (via Washington Examiner):

“Looking at the number of millionaires, we see that there are 42.2 million millionaires worldwide, which is up 2.3 million over the previous 12 months. Our research indicates that the United States added 878,000 new millionaires – representing around 40 percent of the global increase – to its already sizable stock,” the bank said.
. . .

“Total wealth and wealth per adult in the United States have grown every year since 2008, even when total global wealth suffered a reversal in 2014 and 2015. The United States has accounted for 40 percent of all increments to world wealth since 2008, and 58 percent of the rise since 2013. While not wishing to cast doubt on the ‘Trump Effect’ on financial markets, it seems inevitable that the uninterrupted spell of increasing wealth in the United States will come to an end at some time. Fortunately, there are signs that wealth inequality is no longer rising, which should mitigate the impact of any setback on the middle classes.”

(Read more from “Trump Effect: Booming Economy Creates Another 848,000 Millionaires…in a Year” HERE)

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North Korea Just Released Another American Citizen

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The State Department announced Friday afternoon North Korea has released an American citizen.

“The United States appreciates the cooperation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the embassy of Sweden in facilitating the release of an American citizen,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released in a statement. “The United States is grateful for the sustained support of Sweden, our protecting power in North Korea, for its advocacy on behalf of American citizens. The safety and well-being of Americans remains one of the highest priorities of the Trump Administration.” . . .

“Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s meeting with officials from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, scheduled for this week in New York, will now take place at a later date,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert released in a statement last week. “We will reconvene when our respective schedules permit. Ongoing conversations continue to take place. The United States remains focused on fulfilling the commitments agreed to by President Trump and Chairman Kim at the Singapore Summit in June.” (Read more from “North Korea Just Released Another American Citizen” HERE)

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Turns out the Caravan Is Reportedly a Bad Place for Gay and Trans People

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While the migrant caravan may have largely dropped off the media radar after the election, it’s still coming, and it’s apparently a really bad place to be for gay and transgender people.

According to a recent story at BuzzFeed News, gay and transsexual migrants actually had to leave and go ahead of the caravan because of how they were treated. The report focuses on the journey a migrant named Christian had made and some of the things he experienced along the way:

“We went ahead of the main caravan because we put our lives at risk on the road,” Christian told BuzzFeed News. “My heart feels lighter now that we’re here, we’re so close.”

The gay 24-year-old from Guatemala said that someone threw a bottle at him during the caravan’s march north. When the group, which includes several transgender women, would try to hitchhike while traveling with the main caravan, drivers who were offering a lift to other members of the caravan would deny them rides or leave them stranded along desolate highways, Christian said.

In fact, things are so bad for migrants like him that BuzzFeed reports one immigration group shelled out money for his group to ride on their own separate buses, away from the rest of the caravan.

Much as with the demands for near-unrestricted immigration from the Middle East, here we have another situation where two common policy positions of those on the Left find themselves at odds.

Here’s the question: If the caravan is such a dangerous place for gay people and transsexuals, why are so many on the Left so keen to let thousands of people who may treat them this way into the country on specious (if not outright bogus) asylum claims?

Sure, the open-borders crowd would find any way they can to deflect and change the subject if any of these migrants were to get drunk, drive a car, and kill or maim an American citizen, but what happens if any of them starts throwing beer bottles at pride parades?

Will those who harbor these kinds of views actually be expected to (gasp!) assimilate? But then, since calls for immigrants to assimilate and change their ways are so often decried as xenophobic and racist these days, what’s a leftist to do?

One big truth in politics: Absurd policy positions only lead to further absurdities. (For more from the author of “Turns out the Caravan Is Reportedly a Bad Place for Gay and Trans People” please click HERE)

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White House Responds to Federal Judge Ruling Jim Acosta’s Press Pass Must Be Restored

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The White House has released a statement after a federal judge ordered the White House to temporarily return CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass in an initial victory for the news network’s lawsuit against the Trump administration.

“Today, the court made clear that there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House. In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass. We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future.”

“There must be decorum at the White House,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Federal Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee, on Friday granted CNN’s request for a temporary restraining order restoring Acosta’s “hard pass” — which permits access to the White House grounds — after CNN had argued Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights had been violated by the suspension of his press pass.

Kelly did not rule on CNN’s underlying case. He did say that CNN and Acosta are likely to win their case with the argument that their Fifth Amendment rights to due process were violated by the White House.

“Indeed whatever process occurred within the government is still so shrouded in mystery that the government could not tell me at oral argument who made the initial decision to revoke Mr. Acosta’s press pass,” Kelly said. Though the White House provided written reasons for revoking Acosta’s pass after the fact, Kelly ruled that “these belated efforts were hardly sufficient to satisfy due process.”

He described his ruling as “very limited” and left open an avenue to remove Acosta’s pass with due process.

“We are gratified with this result and we look forward to a full resolution in the coming days. Our sincere thanks to all who have supported not just CNN, but a free, strong and independent American press,” CNN and Acosta said in a statement.

Acosta’s hard pass was suspended on November 7 after he refused to surrender his microphone at a White House press conference and touched a White House aide who attempted to take the mic away. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders accused Acosta of “placing hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.”

In a later statement, Sanders said Acosta’s pass had been pulled because he refused to allow time to other reporters and criticized Acosta’s unprofessional behavior.

CNN also argues that Acosta’s First Amendment rights were violated because the White House revoked his pass based on the “content” and “viewpoint” of his speech. The judge may consider the merits of CNN’s First Amendment argument in a ruling to come.

For now, Acosta gets his press pass back. (For more from the author of “White House Responds to Federal Judge Ruling Jim Acosta’s Press Pass Must Be Restored” please click HERE)

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State to Ban Abortions After Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected

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Today, by a vote of 58-35, the Ohio House passed an abortion bill which the Cincinnati Enquirer says “would effectively ban abortions after the first six weeks of a woman’s pregnancy by penalizing doctors who perform abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.” The Republican majority in the House passed the bill knowing the risks: Governor John Kasich, a Republican who vetoed the previous Heartbeat Bill that made it to his desk, could very well veto it again if it comes up before he leaves office… or the state Senate could refuse to take up the bill at all.

However, if the Senate does end up taking up the abortion legislation and it passes, the Enquirer notes, “To override a Kasich veto, the Ohio House would need 60 votes – two more than the 58 who supported the proposal Thursday.” This could be a challenge, because seven Republicans reportedly voted against the Heartbeat Bill in the House: “Reps. Marlene Anielski and Nathan Manning from Northeast Ohio; Rick Carfagna, Mike Duffey, Anne Gonzales, and Scott Ryan from Central Ohio and Steve Arndt of Port Clinton.”

House Democrats wanted to add items to it, such as “requiring comprehensive sex education in schools [and] providing access to contraception.” In addition, Democrats were hoping to make it so that abortionists who might break this law, if passed, would have no criminal penalties. (Read more from “State to Ban Abortions After Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected” HERE)

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Report: Florida Democrats Plotted Statewide Effort to Use Altered Election Forms to Fix Absentee Ballots After Deadline

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The day after the 2018 midterm elections, Florida Democrats attempted to launch a statewide effort to use fraudulent election forms to fix signature problems on absentee ballots after the state’s deadline, a blockbuster report from the Naples Daily News says.

Federal prosecutors are already investigating altered election forms from Broward, Santa Rosa, Citrus, and Okaloosa Counties for possible voter fraud. Ana Ceballos, writing from Tallahassee, Fla., reports that an email obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida shows Democratic party leaders attempted to organize an effort beyond those counties “to give voters the altered forms to fix improper absentee ballots after the Nov. 5 deadline.”

“Democratic party leaders provided staffers with copies of a form, known as a ‘cure affidavit,’ that had been modified to include an inaccurate Nov. 8 deadline,” Ceballos writes.

The election document was a state form to fix absentee ballots with signature problems. The original document provides that corrections must be submitted “no later than 5 p.m. on the day before the election.”

Three contested statewide elections, including the Senate race between Republican Rick Scott and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., are headed for recounts in which these absentee ballots may make a difference.

The Democratic Party collected a list of Florida voters whose ballots were flagged with signature problems and their contact information. Jennifer Kim, the party’s central Florida deputy field director, sent an email to party staffers on Nov. 7 explaining how volunteers and staffers could have these voters correct their ballots after the deadline. She attached the altered form to her email with copies in both English and Spanish.

“The voters MUST print out the form and sign it by hand,” Kim wrote.

Kim’s email instructed staff and volunteers to use the list of voters to contact about their signature problems on the absentee ballots, to complete the form on the phone with the voter and to email the completed form to the voter.

The voter was instructed to print the form and to sign it. And Kim’s email instructed the party workers to tell voters to deliver the signed form to their local election office.

Kim told staffers that voters should reply back to them after they delivered the forms at the party’s email, [email protected]. That email was also included in documents Florida election officials referred to federal prosecutors in connection to the altered forms received by Broward and the other three counties.

“If needed (party) staff or volunteer should go pick up their affidavit and deliver it for them if they are not able to deliver by 5 p.m. Thursday. (Each office should identify a runner that can do this.),” her email states.

A Palm Beach Democrat who spoke to the Daily News said the plan was to have voters fix and submit as many absentee ballots as possible with the altered forms, hoping that they would be counted if a judge rules to include such absentee ballots in the vote count.

On Thursday, Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled that voters should have until Saturday to fix their absentee ballot signatures, which the Daily News reports could mean the corrected ballots fixed by these altered forms will be counted. Walker was appointed to the District Court bench by President Barack Obama.

Florida Department of State officials argue that altering the forms constitutes a criminal offense.

“Making or using an altered form is a criminal offense under Florida law,” wrote State Department lawyer Bradley McVay in referring the altered forms to federal prosecutors. “More fundamentally, altering a form in a manner that provides the incorrect date for a voter to cure a defect (or an incorrect method as it related to provisional ballots) imposes a burden on the voter significant enough to frustrate the voter’s ability to vote.”

So let’s get this straight. Florida law gives voters a deadline to fix incorrect absentee ballots before Election Day. The Democratic Party schemes to have some voters who did not meet this deadline fix their ballots after Election Day. They alter election forms with an incorrect date to accomplish this and hope some Florida judge rules in their favor that the deadline established by state law disenfranchises voters. Then, an Obama-appointed federal judge rules that the deadline was wrong and gives voters till Saturday to fix their ballots, potentially letting the ballots corrected with these fraudulent forms be counted.

If that’s not election cheating, what is? (For more from the author of “Report: Florida Democrats Plotted Statewide Effort to Use Altered Election Forms to Fix Absentee Ballots After Deadline” please click HERE)

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Really? Broward County Missed Recount Deadline by Two Minutes…Results Not Accepted

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They said it would be done in time. They said it was going to get done. It was a herculean effort—and they failed. Broward County, Florida—a Democratic bastion—has been a problem child in the ballot counting process of the state’s elections. Palm Beach County, another liberal stronghold, isn’t much better. The county was taking its sweet time counting the ballots. Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who had declared victory over incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, sued them for their lack of transparency in the process. A judge later found that both counties’ operations violated public records laws; they weren’t giving regular updates on ballots that were outstanding. With Scott leading with less than half of one percent, a mandatory machine recount was executed. Broward waited until Tuesday to start counting ballots. They supposedly finished on time today; Palm Beach failed to reach the deadline. Yet, now, we’re hearing they were two minutes late. All that work was done for nothing, as the recount tabulations were not accepted; the original unofficial results were used. In the gubernatorial race, Democrat Andrew Gillum only gained a voteon Republican Ron DeSantis, who still leads by a little over 33,600 votes. That election is over, but Gillum has refuses to concede (via Sun Sentinel):

Amid a dizzying whir of legal action, questions over uncounted ballots and the failure of two South Florida counties to meet the deadline, a machine recount produced little change in the overall results to three statewide races Thursday.

[…]

In the governor’s race, the recount showed that Democrat Andrew Gillum trailed Republican Ron DeSantis by 33,683 votes, a net gain of 1 vote for Gillum from the unofficial results reported last week. The margin was 0.41 percent out of more than 8 million votes cast, outside the 0.25 percent threshold needed for a manual recount.

Although the lead appears insurmountable, Gillum would not concede and called for counting to continue. He stopped short, however, of filing a lawsuit to demand that.

(Read more from “Really? Broward County Missed Recount Deadline by Two Minutes…Results Not Accepted” HERE)

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Trump Admin Meets With Pro-Life Groups to Review Experiments on Aborted Babies’ Remains

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Trump administration health officials are meeting with national pro-life leaders in hopes of resolving concerns over the pro-life administration’s continued funding of medical research using tissue obtained from aborted babies.

In August, a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) surfaced detailing a contract to the fetal tissue procurement firm Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (ABR) to acquire “Tissue for Humanized Mice.” The tissue was meant to give mice a “humanized” immune system for the purpose of drug testing.

Forty-eight pro-life leaders representing LifeSiteNews, the Center for Medical Progress, Susan B. Anthony List, Priests for Life, Operation Rescue, and other groups sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on September 11 demanding the contract’s cancellation. Eighty-five U.S. House members sent a letter to FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, as well.

The administration terminated the contract in September and promised to review all remaining research involving fetal tissue, but concerns remained over nearly $100 million in tax dollars that continued to pay for other research using tissue and organs from aborted babies.

Last week, the administration began to arrange meetings to discuss cancelling the remaining projects, Politico reported Tuesday. Both sides of the issue will be represented, with scientists who use fetal tissue invited to defend their work and pro-life groups such as Susan B. Anthony List invited to critique it. (Read more from “Trump Admin Meets With Pro-Life Groups to Review Experiments on Aborted Babies’ Remains” HERE)

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Studies Indicate Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion Bought Democrats Votes

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Forcing taxpayers to subsidize people’s health insurance increases the recipients’ voting registration, turnout, and likelihood of voting Democrat, says a New York Times article covering three recent studies. Among childless adults allowed to tap into Medicaid in Oregon in 2008, voter turnout subsequently increased 7 percent. Another study found 3 to 4 point higher voter registration in counties that expanded Medicaid.

While the Times said it’s impossible to know the overall political effects for sure, “the people eligible for Medicaid expansion tend to be poor, single adults, a demographic more likely to be Democratic-leaning. And the Oregon study showed bigger voting effects in more heavily Democratic parts of the state.” The effect fades after the election directly following an expansion of government redistribution, which provides yet another reason beyond ideology Democrats are so keen to keep increasing our welfare state.

The Times’ report suggests some utterly clueless potential explanations for this effect. Since healthier and wealthier people are more likely to vote, goes one, by making people more healthy and wealthy, perhaps Medicaid also makes them more likely to vote!

Yet Medicaid leads to inferior health outcomes. Medicaid also has a higher proportion of people with heath problems that are the result of lifestyle choices rather than genetics or accident. Just ask a doctor how likely it is that his Medicaid patients smoke compared to his middle-class patients, or to compare the rates of soda and junk food intake between the two. So no, new Medicaid patients aren’t likely to be suddenly voting more because they’re more healthy and wealthy.

Or perhaps, the Times suggests, new Medicaid recipients simply vote in higher numbers because getting Medicaid put them in greater contact with government. If that were probable, getting busted for speeding or attending public school ought to also make you more likely to vote, but neither is true (private school graduates are more civically engaged). (Read more from “Studies Indicate Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion Bought Democrats Votes” HERE)

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