Another State to Propose Banning Abortion on Babies With Beating Hearts

By Life Site News. The Missouri legislature is slated to debate legislation that would protect preborn babies from abortion as soon as their heartbeats can be detected, as part of a national trend toward more comprehensive pro-life laws that protect babies early in pregnancy.

Introduced by state Sen. Andrew Koenig and state Rep. Nick Schroer, H.B. 126 (S.B. 139 in the Senate) requires abortionists to test for a fetal heartbeat prior to abortion. If one can be found, the woman seeking the abortion must be given the opportunity to hear it and the abortion cannot be committed except in cases of “medical emergency.”

Women would not be punishable, but abortionists who don’t perform the test would face six-month suspensions of their medical licenses and a $1,000 fine. Physicians who do test and abort the child anyway would permanently lose their licenses and be barred from applying for a new one. . .

That’s much earlier than the current limits defined by Roe v. Wade, but many pro-lifers argue that, in light of President Donald Trump having nominated two justices to the Supreme Court so far, now is the time for state legislatures to enact legislation that would provoke a new U.S. Supreme Court case. If Roe is overturned, Americans would be free for the first time since 1973 to vote directly on every aspect of abortion’s legality. (Read more from “Another State to Propose Banning Abortion on Babies With Beating Hearts” HERE)

_________________________________________________

Battles expected in many states over abortion-related bills

By AP. On each side of the abortion debate, legislators and activists emboldened by recent political developments plan to push aggressively in many states this year for bills high on their wish lists: either seeking to impose near-total bans on abortion or guaranteeing women’s access to the procedure.

For abortion opponents, many of whom will rally Friday at the annual March for Life in Washington, there’s a surge of optimism that sweeping abortion bans might have a chance of prevailing in the reconfigured U.S. Supreme Court that includes Donald Trump’s appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Legislators in at least five states — Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida and South Carolina — are expected to consider bills that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, possibly just six weeks into a pregnancy.

Conversely, results of the midterm elections buoyed supporters of abortion rights in several states, including New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Mexico. Abortion-rights groups there are now hopeful that lawmakers will pass bills aimed at protecting access to abortion even if the Supreme Court eventually reversed or weakened the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. Tuesday will mark the 46th anniversary of that ruling. (Read more from “Battles expected in many states over abortion-related bills” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

State Bans Transgender ‘Discrimination,’ Treatment for Unwanted Gay Attraction

In a move various media outlets are hailing as “historic,” the New York legislature passed two bills this week that add “gender identity” to the state’s wide-ranging non-discrimination rules and banning medical professionals from treating minors for unwanted homosexual attraction.

The so-called Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) bans “discrimination based on gender identity or expression,” making gender-confused individuals a protected class for the purposes of housing, employment, and public accommodation regulations, and adds “gender identity or expression” to the list of factors that can elevate crimes to the status of “hate crimes.”

GENDA passed the State Assembly 100-40 and the State Senate 42-19 on Tuesday morning, the Daily Beast reported, after eight years of the bill passing the Assembly but dying in the Republican-controlled Senate. Last fall’s midterm elections delivered the Senate to Democrats, all 39 of whom co-sponsored the legislation.

“We are finally welcoming a fairer and more equal New York because of the bold and tireless leadership of trans and gender non-conforming New Yorkers,” LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York executive director Eric Lesh declared.

“This is an issue of basic fairness, and today marks an historic day for those in the LGBTQ community who fought tirelessly for the passage of this bill,” said New York Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has pledged to sign GENDA. “I applaud the Legislature for acting quickly to pass this critical component of our Justice Agenda.” (Read more from “State Bans Transgender ‘Discrimination,’ Treatment for Unwanted Gay Attraction” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

White House Releases Statements on ISIS Attack Against U.S. Troops in Syria

By Townhall. The White House released a series of statements Wednesday afternoon condemning the ISIS attack on U.S. troops in Syria.

“Our deepest sympathies and love go out to the families of the brave American heroes who were killed today in Syria. We also pray for the soldiers who were wounded in the attack. Our service members and their families have all sacrificed so much for our country,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

(Read more from “White House Releases Statements on ISIS Attack Against U.S. Troops in Syria” HERE)

____________________________________________________

U.S. Troops Killed in Syria Suicide Attack Claimed by ISIS

By CBS News. Four Americans, including two U.S. service members, were among those killed in an attack in northern Syria Wednesday, the same day Vice President Mike Pence said ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the attack, “has been defeated.”

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that an apparent explosion killed two service members, a Department of Defense civilian and a Pentagon contractor while they were “conducting a local engagement in Manbij, Syria.” Three service members were also injured.

“Initial reports indicate an explosion caused the casualties, and the incident is under investigation,” the statement said.

The attack comes just weeks after President Trump declared ISIS defeated and said U.S. troops were coming home. Speaking to a gathering of U.S. ambassadors at the State Department on Wednesday, after the Pentagon confirmed the deaths of American troops in Syria, Pence repeated both of Mr. Trump’s assertions. (Read more from “U.S. Troops Killed in Syria Suicide Attack Claimed by ISIS” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

CNN Analyst Called out Conservative Commentator for His ‘White Privilege’…but He’s Black

Well, if you want to talk about a rake-stepping moment hitting CNN, there are many, but this one might be one of the worst and we’re not even 30 days into 2019. CNN’s Areva Martin did a radio interview on David Webb’s show on SiriusXM Tuesday and tried to criticize him for exercising white privilege; they were talking about applying for media jobs. There was only one problem: Webb is black. He’s a frequent guest on Fox News and a known conservative commentator. It’s a rather cringe-worthy moment (via WaPo):

. . .“How do I have the privilege of white privilege?” Webb asks.

“David, by virtue of being a white male you have white privilege. This whole long conversation, I don’t have time to get into — ”

Webb then interrupts her to let her know he’s a black man, causing Martin to take a pause.

“You see, you went to white privilege; this is the falsehood in this,” Webb replies. “You went immediately with an assumption. Your people, obviously, or you didn’t look.

(Read more from “CNN Analyst Called out Conservative Commentator for His ‘White Privilege’…but He’s Black” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Secret Service Fact Checks Nancy Pelosi: We Are Fully Prepared and Able to Handle Trump’s State of the Union Address

By Townhall. The United States Secret Service is pushing back against claims from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that agents are incapable of providing sufficient security for President Trump’s State of the Union address due to the government shutdown.

. . .

“The U.S. Secret Service was designated as the lead federal agency responsible for coordinating, planning, exercising, and implementing security for National Special Security Events by Public Law 106-544, December 19, 2000. However, both the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security have not been funded for 26 days now – with critical departments hamstrung by furloughs,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to the president Wednesday.

(Read more from “Secret Service Fact Checks Nancy Pelosi: We Are Fully Prepared and Able to Handle Trump’s State of the Union Address” HERE)

_______________________________________________

Everyone Rejects Pelosi’s Excuse for Cancelling State of the Union

By Breitbart. Multiple reports indicate that the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security both reject Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s stated reason for asking the President of the United States to postpone the State of the Union address. . .

Pelosi blamed a lack of available security due to the ongoing partial government shutdown: “This requires hundreds of people working on the logistics and security of it. Most of those people are either furloughed or victims of the shutdown. The president’s shutdown. But that isn’t the point. The point is security. … [It’s] a security decision which is completely out of my hands.”

(Read more from “Everyone Rejects Pelosi’s Excuse for Cancelling State of the Union” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

CAUGHT: ‘To Catch a Predator’ Host Busted by Police

Former “To Catch A Predator” host Chris Hansen has been arrested and charged with writing a bad check and larceny after agreeing to pay a vendor nearly $13,000 for marketing materials.

Hansen, 59, promised Peter Psichopaidas, owner of Promotional Sales LTD., $12,998.05 for 355 ceramic mugs, 288 T-shirts, and 650 vinyl decals, according to the Stamford Advocate. Hansen said he would pay for the merchandise before it was delivered.

“Three months after receiving invoices for the goods in September 2017, a person working for Hansen sent a Hansen News LLC check for the entire amount, police said. But police said the check bounced and Psichopaidas spoke to Hansen, who apologized and attempted to make a partial payment. Psichopaidas filed a complaint with police last April when he was still not paid,” the Advocate reported. . .

The arrest affidavit, according to WGN TV, notes that Hansen “bailed” after he agreed to provide police with a statement. Investigator Sean Coughlin of the Stamford Police Department warned Hansen that he could be arrested for larceny, according to the affidavit. . .

Hansen had used similar marketing materials as incentives for those who sent money to the former NBC host’s Kickstarter campaign to revive “To Catch A Predator” in 2015. The new show was to be called “Hansen vs. Predator,” according to the Wrap, and people who donated money could receive the coffee mugs or t-shirts. Other fundraising incentives included a private screening of the new show with Hansen and his crew and an outgoing voicemail message from the host himself, a surefire way to scare off spam callers. It is unclear when Promotional Sales provided Hansen with the items for which he did not pay. (Read more from “CAUGHT: ‘To Catch a Predator’ Host Busted by Police” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

FBI Foils Terror Plot on White House

Federal law enforcement officials announced on Wednesday that authorities foiled a terror plot against the White House and other government buildings in Washington, D.C.

. . .

U.S. Attorney B.J. Pak said that federal authorities, including the Atlanta Joint Terrorism Task Force, had been investigating (the alleged terrorist), 21, for a year after receiving the tip.

“(The alleged terrorist) is charged as the result of a year-long investigation by FBI Atlanta’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We want to thank the Forsyth County Sheriff Office and Gwinnett County Police Department for assisting us with his arrest. The investigation is continuing, but at this stage it is believed (the alleged terrorist) was acting on his own.”

The AJC notes that “(the alleged terrorist) allegedly said he planned to travel to ‘hijra,’ a term said to refer to Islamic State territory.” . . .

WXIA-TV reported: “(The alleged terrorist)has been charged with violating Title 18USC 844(f)(1), an ‘attempt to damage by means of an explosive any building owned, possessed, or leased by the United States or any department or agency thereof, or any institution or organization receiving federal financial assistance.'”

(Read more from “FBI Foils Terror Plot on White House” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

WATCH: Democrat Rep Defends Past Anti-Semitic Statement on Exposing ‘Evil Doings’ of Israel

Far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) defended a past anti-Semitic remark she made on Twitter in an interview with PBS on Tuesday, saying those were “the only words I could think about expressing at that moment.”

. . .

“Can I just move on to something that’s generally a rite of passage for politicians in the United States, and that is to sort of profess a sort of fealty or at least pay homage to AIPAC, the pro-Israel PAC that is very, very prominent,” PBS’s Christiane Amanpour said. “Should Jewish Americans be worried about congresswoman Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib because of the BDS movement, because of one of the tweets you made a long time ago, you were part of a new wave of Democrats not afraid to be critical of the government of Israel.”

“During the 2012 military offensive in Gaza, you tweeted, ‘Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel,” Amanpour continued. “How do you put that into context now and what do you say to American Jews?”

“I remember when that was happening, watching tv and really feeling as if no other life was being impacted in this war and that really, those unfortunate words were the only words I could think about expressing at that moment,” Omar replied. “What is really important to me is that people recognize that there is a difference between criticizing a military action by a government that has exercised really oppressive policies and being offensive or attacky [sic] to particular people of faith.”

Omar then tried to justify her criticism of Israel by attacking another U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia, saying that she also calls for action against them.

(Read more from “WATCH: Democrat Rep Defends Past Anti-Semitic Statement on Exposing ‘Evil Doings’ of Israel” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

CAIR Official Exposed as Avowed Hamas Supporter

A senior official of the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) who spoke last week at an event celebrating the election of three Muslim members of Congress is an avowed supporter of the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas.

Jinan Shbat (who goes by “Jinan Deena” on Twitter), CAIR’s national outreach manager, tweeted her support for the Palestinian terrorist group in June, expressing her preference for Hamas over the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Palestinian areas of the disputed West Bank.

Last week, she opened CAIR’s congressional reception celebrating Democrat Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Mich., Ilhan Omar, Minn., and Andre Carson, Ind. Shbat spoke prior to CAIR executive director Nihad Awad, who has in the past also declared his support for Hamas. CAIR was founded by Hamas-tied operatives for the purpose of raising clandestine funds for the Gaza-based terror group. Today, CAIR describes itself as a “grassroots civil rights and advocacy group.”

This follows news that Rep. Tlaib invited Abbas Hamideh, an open Hezbollah (a U.S.-designated terrorist group) supporter and the executive director of the extremist group Al-Awda, to her inaugural private dinner party. In 2016, Shbat led a pro-Palestinian rally held by Hamideh’s Al-Awda. Officials within the extremist organization have supported terrorist groups and called for terrorist attacks against Israelis.

It is unclear whether Shbat was also invited to the private dinner, but she did appear in multiple photos that day with Rep. Tlaib and posted them on social media.

The CAIR official is not just a Hamas supporter. Shbat is a passionate advocate for Israel’s destruction, often taking to social media to express her support for the boycott of Israel and for the country’s extermination.

Shbat, who, like Rep. Tlaib, identifies as a Palestinian-American, has expressed a deep hatred for America:

Conservative Review has reached out to Rep. Rashida Tlaib inquiring about her associations with Jinan Shbat. We will update the story if her congressional office responds. (For more from the author of “CAIR Official Exposed as Avowed Hamas Supporter” please click HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Senate Rejects Resolution to Block President Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russia

The Senate failed to advance a bill to prevent President Donald Trump from lifting sanctions on three Russian businesses. Eleven Republicans joined 46 Democrats to vote for cloture on the bill, but they fell three votes short of the 60 votes needed to end debate. . .

In April, the Trump administration placed U.S. sanctions on three businesses connected to an oligarch associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, had also been cited by prosecutors as a financial supporter of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s alleged criminal activity in Ukraine. Deripaska accused Manafort and Rick Gates (Trump campaign’s former deputy chairman) of disappearing with $26 million of his money.

In December, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it was lifting sanctions on these three businesses. Sanctions on Deripaska will remain.

“Treasury sanctioned these companies because of their ownership and control by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, not for the conduct of the companies themselves. These companies have committed to significantly diminish Deripaska’s ownership and sever his control. The companies will be subject to ongoing compliance and will face severe consequences if they fail to comply,” Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in the department’s news release. (Read more from “Senate Rejects Resolution to Block President Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russia” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE