No Cellphones, Laptops Were Allowed to Go With U.S. Paratroopers Deploying to Middle East

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Paratroopers deploying to the Middle East were told to leave behind their cellphones, laptops, tablets and other personal electronic devices, according to Army 82nd Airborne Division officials.

The move was made to ensure operational security was maintained during the emergency deployment, which saw 3,500 paratroopers from 1st Brigade Combat Team begin to fly out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, over the first week of January.

“Anything considered a personal electronic device. All those things,” Lt. Col. Mike Burns, division spokesman, told Army Times. “But banned is a harsh word. The decision was made so soldiers weren’t put at risk.”

Burns confirmed that the decision was intended to both ensure that sensitive information pertaining to the deployment and mission was not shared outside official channels, and also to prevent any potential cyberattacks against the soldiers. . .

The paratroopers began deploying to the region following a rapid increase in tensions between the United States and Iran in early January, which culminated in a Thursday night U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Pentagon officials said at the time Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members,” but has yet to provide proof to support that claim. (Read more from “No Cellphones, Laptops Were Allowed to Go With U.S. Paratroopers Deploying to Middle East” HERE)

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CNN Settles Nick Sandmann Defamation Lawsuit in Covington Catholic High School Controversy

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CNN on Tuesday settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann over its botched coverage of a viral confrontation with a Native American elder that had portrayed the Kentucky teen as the aggressor.

Fox 19 first reported that CNN settled with Sandmann for an undisclosed amount. The $250 million defamation suit sought damages for the “emotional distress Nicholas and his family suffered” in the fallout of the network’s reporting.

A lawyer for Sandmann declined to comment on the settlement but confirmed to Fox News that lawsuits against The Washington Post and NBC were ongoing. Fox 19 also reported that Sandmann attorney L. Lin Wood told the judge they planned to sue media company Gannett, the publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer among other newspapers, within 60 days. Gannett did not immediately comment either.

Last March, Sandmann’s attorneys launched their suit against CNN for its coverage of the incident before all the facts had surfaced. The teen was seeking a whopping $800 million in damages between the three news outlets.

(Read more from “CNN Settles Nick Sandmann Defamation Lawsuit in Covington Catholic High School Controversy” HERE)

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Report: U.S. Mother Beats Man With Pipe for Trying to Kiss 9-Year-Old

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Shantika Briley was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly beating a man with a pipe when he reportedly sexually assaulted her 9-year-old daughter.

The 35-year-old Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, mom said she caught the presently unnamed 39-year-old man “licking her daughter’s lips and trying to kiss her.” Briley allegedly responded with a pipe, beating the man in the head and face until he fled out the front door with Briley still in pursuit.

Responding officers found them both in his home around 8 p.m. and took Briley into custody and transported the alleged assaulter to a hospital. He reportedly lost consciousness on the way. (Read more from “Report: U.S. Mother Beats Man With Pipe for Trying to Kiss 9-Year-Old” HERE)

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WATCH: Did Jeffrey Epstein Kill Himself? Here’s What the People of DC Had to Say

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Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? People in Washington, D.C., told the Daily Caller News Foundation what they thought about the late sex predator’s death.

The millionaire financier, who was facing sex-trafficking charges at the time of his death, was found in his jail cell Aug. 10, 2019. His death has come under major public scrutiny, though authorities said in August that Epstein committed suicide.

(Read more from “WATCH: Did Jeffrey Epstein Kill Himself? Here’s What the People of DC Had to Say” HERE)

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79-Year-Old Gun Shop Owner and Military Veteran Kills Burglar During Shootout (VIDEO)

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The attempted burglary of a gun shop in Harris County, Texas, left one dead after an exchange of gunfire.

The 79-year-0ld gun shop owner and military veteran woke up Tuesday around 4:30 a.m. local time to find a group of men attaching chains to a car and the doors of his store, according to local news station KHOU. The store owner said he heard a ruckus outside and went to check, where he watched a vehicle pull the doors off of his shop.

After one suspect entered the shop, the owner was noticed by another burglar and fired upon. The elderly veteran returned fire, striking at least one suspect before the group fled in multiple vehicles.

Seven miles away from the gun store, officers found a man lying in the road near a vehicle. Despite attempts to administer CPR, the man was pronounced dead due to a gunshot wound. Two handguns were recovered near the body, believed to be stolen from the gun store.

(Read more from “79-Year-Old Gun Shop Owner and Military Veteran Kills Burglar During Shootout” HERE)

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Senate Democrat All but Tells Nancy Pelosi to End Impeachment Articles Holdup

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. . .The scores of witnesses Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) brought before the House Intelligence Committee didn’t back up their elaborate impeachment scheme. in fact, it only increased Trump’s approval ratings and made swing state voters look on this move with greater disapproval; it pushed key battleground areas further away from Democrats this year. Bravo. Oh, and the whistleblower report from which this big top event was spawned was from a CIA agent who is a registered Democrat and had contacted Schiff’s’ staff prior to filing the report. Schiff knew the contents beforehand and prepared to weaponize them in this effort. Yeah, not a witch hunt. This whistleblower also worked with a 2020 Democratic candidate. There is zero credibility with this impeachment nonsense. None. All it did was lower the bar for this political maneuver.

The House voted on the impeachment articles, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi withheld them because she wanted assurances that the Republican Senate would hold a fair trial. That’s not her call. She stalled because she knew this faces certain death in the Senate. As Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal noted, this is “rolling impeachment.” Democrats don’t want a trial; that’ll only further rip apart their garbage case. They want time to logroll other nonsense into this circus act. The more this is in the news, to them, the greater the chance Trump’s numbers are damaged. Well, that didn’t happen, and the economy is booming, so great strategy there, Democrats.

Now, with even moderate Republicans holding firm on nixing a witness deal that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wants, despite him not wanting witnesses for when Bill Clinton was impeached—Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) has accepted defeat. He pretty much told Nancy that with the GOP not budging, she might as well send over the articles. Yet, McConnell probably should have moved on this without the articles and dismiss the charges. The longer this stayed in limbo, the longer the Democrats had a chance to further degrade constitutional order on the Hill.

(Read more from “Senate Democrat All but Tells Nancy Pelosi to End Impeachment Articles Holdup” HERE)

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Two Dozen Arrested for Setting Australia’s Fires

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. . .In a news release issued Monday, the NSW Police Force said legal action has been taken against more than 180 people since late last year. The bushfires have killed 18 people and burned 4.9 million hectares of land, consuming thousands of structures, and millions of animals, the statement said.

In breaking down their figures, the police said “24 have been charged over deliberately-lit bushfires; 53 people have had legal actions for allegedly failing to comply with a total fire ban; and 47 people have had legal actions for allegedly discarding a lighted cigarette or match on land.”

(Read more from “Two Dozen Arrested for Setting Australia’s Fires” HERE)

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Trump Responds to Iranian Attacks, Pentagon Releases Statement

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By Daily Wire. President Donald Trump responded to Iran attacks [on] U.S. forces in Iraq on Tuesday night by announcing that damage assessments that are taking place appear to show that minimal, if any, damage was done.

Trump tweeted, “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”

(Read more from “Trump Responds to Iranian Attacks, Pentagon Releases Statement” HERE)

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U.S. Military Bases Attacked by Iran Have Hosted Trump and Pence, Damage Unclear: What We Know

By USA Today. Two military bases attacked by at least a dozen Iranian missiles late Tuesday have hosted President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the past year or so, and Trump appeared to refer to one of them this week when he threatened Iraq with sanctions if it tried to expel U.S. troops.

The Pentagon confirmed missile strikes on the Ain Assad Airbase in western Iraq and a base in Irbil in northern Iraq. It was unclear late Tuesday whether there were casualties. . .

Both bases host U.S. and coalition forces assigned to fighting the Islamic State. The United States has about 5,000 soldiers in Iraq.

“It was a massive attack with ballistic missiles,” said a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. (Read more from “Us Military Bases Attacked by Iran Have Hosted Trump and Pence, Damage Unclear: What We Know” HERE)

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Sad: Planned Parenthood Reports Record-High Abortions

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. . .“Planned Parenthood reported a record-high number of abortions and government funding for 2018-2019, despite encountering a wave of Republican-led measures designed to restrict resources and access to the controversial procedure,” reports Fox News.

The organization’s annual report released on Monday showed that Planned Parenthood received a whopping $617 million in taxpayer funds for the fiscal year ending in June 2018 — a full 9% increase from the previous year and representing 37% of its overall organizational funding. Those funds could decline with the next fiscal year, given the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Planned Parenthood with “executive-level funding for clinics that refer clients for abortion.”

Acting Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson said in the report that the organization has been forced out of government-funded programs due to “unethical” gag rules on referring women for abortions.

“We stand at an inflection point for reproductive health and rights,” Johnson said. “Our opponents moved to dismantle our nation’s program for affordable birth control this year, forcing providers like Planned Parenthood out of the program with an unethical gag rule.”

Pro-life groups were largely frustrated with Planned Parenthood’s reported figures. Alison Centofante, director of external affairs for Live Action, said the record-high numbers only proves that Planned Parenthood needs to be stripped of its governmental funds. (Read more from “Sad: Planned Parenthood Reports Record-High Abortions” HERE)

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Advocate for Pro-Criminal Policies Arrested for Burglary

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I guess we now know why some people advocate so vociferously for abolishing incarceration in America.

Alex Friedmann, 50, a longtime advocate of reducing criminal penalties, was arrested on Saturday for attempted burglary of the Nashville Downtown Detention Center. He was also charged with evidence tampering and possessing burglary tools.

Friedmann, the managing editor of the anti-incarceration Prison Legal News, was caught on surveillance camera at the detention center entering while posing as a construction worker and spray-painting around the key control room door, according to the Davidson County sheriff’s office.

Fox17 reports that when sheriff’s deputies apprehended Friedmann, he was holding “an Igloo cooler containing bolt cutters, a key chit, and a DDC schematics document.” He also tried to destroy the document as evidence. According to the sheriff’s office, surveillance camera footage shows that he had entered the facility disguised as a construction worker three other times in the last week of December.

Well, I guess that is one way to pursue criminal justice “reform.”

Friedmann served six years in Tennessee prison for attempted murder, armed robbery, and attempted aggravated robbery. That’s certainly not a lot of time for such serious offenses, but ever since his release, he has been a vocal critic of incarceration. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad, but Friedmann’s recent actions demonstrate the problem with so many violent offenders – that they never rid themselves of the criminal mentality. If anything, Friedmann himself is a living example of the need for longer sentences and stronger deterrent, even as he advocates for jailbreak.

One might think Friedmann is some radical left-wing voice that would only resonate in places like San Francisco and New York, but Governor Bill Lee in Tennessee is drinking out of his watercooler. He is using the same buzzwords as those who pushed the disastrous bill in New York – promoting more parole and “community supervision” for so-called low-level offenders. This is absurd because as it is, even high-level offenders often get off easy in Tennessee. Yet Lee’s “Criminal Justice Reform Task Force” is not designed to focus on the needs of victims but of criminals. Nothing in his plan focuses on ensuring that repeat violent offenders are locked up.

Friedmann, for his part, posted bail and has been released. But he’s not the only jailbreak advocate who has tried out the system firsthand.

Yesterday, the New York Daily News reported that Orlando Dennis, whose wife is chief of staff to state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a cocaine shipment at Kennedy airport. “This isn’t someone who had drugs in his stomach through desperation. This is someone who was organizing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cocaine,” assistant U.S. attorney Jonathan Siegel said.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was one of the lead figures in passing the New York bill to abolish bail. Last year, when the General Assembly voted to decriminalize marijuana, Heastie complained, “The drug laws that are currently on the books have devastated our communities by disproportionately targeting people of color, forcing them to live with a criminal record that makes it harder to get a job or find housing.” Well, he’s right – drugs have devastated black communities, particularly cocaine. They have destroyed countless lives and have increased the homelessness problem. I guess his top aide now has firsthand experience. (For more from the author of “Advocate for Pro-Criminal Policies Arrested for Burglary” please click HERE)

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