More Than 670 Feared Dead Following Landslide

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Days after a landslide struck Papua New Guinea, the United Nations’s International Organization for Migration increased its estimated death count to more than 670, the Associated Press (AP) reported Sunday.

The increased death toll estimate follows many first responders and local relatives reportedly giving up hope finding survivors in the aftermath of Friday’s disaster, according to the AP.

Serhan Aktoprak, a United Nations representative, told the AP that initial calculations of destroyed homes came out to 60, but local officials updated that number to 150.

“They are estimating that more than 670 people (are) under the soil at the moment,” Aktoprak told the AP. (Read more from “More Than 670 Feared Dead Following Landslide” HERE)

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NFL Officials Walk Back Criticism as Christians Come to Butker’s Defense

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In the face of rabid leftist backlash over an explicitly Christian commencement speech he delivered, football star Harrison Butker is finding plenty of support. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker’s bold proclamation of countercultural Christian truth to the 2024 graduating class at the Catholic Benedictine College sparked the ire of leftists, both within the National Football League and without.

Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and top diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, tried to distance the organization from the biblical worldview espoused by Butker, saying last week, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Others have taken aim at Butker’s Catholic faith, smearing him as “extremist,” and an online petition has garnered over 200,000 signatures calling for the kicker to be fired for “discriminatory remarks.”

As clamorous as the left-wing condemnation of Butker has been, support for the outspokenly Christian kicker has been just as loud. During a press conference this week, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid came to his player’s defense.

“Everybody is from different areas, different religions, different races. And so we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions. And not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice. It’s the great thing about America, man,” Reid told reporters. “The guys are good with that. They understand. They understand how things work. Everybody’s got their own opinion; that’s what’s so great about this country. You can share those things, and you work through it. And that’s what guys do.” (Read more from “NFL Officials Walk Back Criticism as Christians Come to Butker’s Defense” HERE)

Veterans in Congress Wash Vietnam War Wall for Memorial Day

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Several veterans currently serving in Congress — from both sides of the aisle — joined together to wash the Vietnam War Memorial ahead of the Memorial Day holiday honoring fallen service-members.

CBS News’ “Face the Nation” shared video of the project on Sunday, showing several members of Congress who served in different branches of the military as they hand-washed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“Democrat, Republican, black, white, brown, none of that matters,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) said. “It just matters that we’re all Americans.”

Waltz and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) also spoke with “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan about the “divide” between the 99% of Americans who have never served in the military and the 1% who have. Calling that chasm “deeply problematic as a democracy,” they told Brennan that they have been working together to find better ways to recruit more young Americans to serve.

(Read more from “Veterans in Congress Wash Vietnam War Wall for Memorial Day” HERE)

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Oregon Sees 13th County Vote to Secede, Join Idaho as ‘Greater Idaho’ Gains Steam

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Another rural county has voted to break off from blue-state Oregon and join its red-state neighbor by reconfiguring the state border, the latest victory for the grassroots movement called Greater Idaho.

Crook County voters approved by 53-47% the Greater Idaho resolution asking if they want to enter into negotiations to relocate the border, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election.

The vote made Crook the thirteenth county to approve the measure, a proposal rooted in frustration with the Democrat-controlled Legislature dominated by Portland and coastal lawmakers with little knowledge or appreciation of the priorities of eastern residents.

Mike McCaw, Greater Idaho executive director, said the “voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward.”

“With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes,” he said. “We call on the governor, speaker of the House, and Senate president to sit down with us and discuss next steps toward changing governance for eastern Oregonians, as well as for the Legislature to begin holding hearings on what a potential border change will look like.”

(Read more from “Oregon Sees 13th County Vote to Secede, Join Idaho as ‘Greater Idaho’ Gains Steam” HERE)

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Joe Biden’s Latest ‘Racist’ Comment Is Low Even for Him

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President Joe Biden made an eyebrow-raising comment about his former boss, President Barack Obama.

During a prominent dinner with Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto, Biden appeared to pull out the race card, leaving the audience confused.

The 81-year-old president made a puzzling remark about Obama, saying ““Jill and I are honored to have you here and we’re representing… including many members of the African diaspora. One just left — Barack…”

. . .

His comments come as Biden is focusing his attention on winning back black voters ahead of the November election. A recent New York Times/Siena poll found that Biden is losing black voters to former President Donald Trump. The Republican candidate is currently winning 20 percent of the support from black voters— which, according to the NYT, would be the highest level of Black support for a Republican presidential candidate since the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964. (Read more from “Joe Biden’s Latest ‘Racist’ Comment Is Low Even for Him” HERE)

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You Have to Be an Exceptionally Bad President to Lose Silicon Valley

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You must be a deplorable president to lose one of the most reliable bases of support for Democrats: Silicon Valley. Joe Biden lost these guys, which is pathetic. It’s a cadre of billionaire leftists who would fund any Democrat to the hilt. So, what caused so much love to be lost in one term?

They hate Biden’s policies that entail the reining of cryptocurrency and new tax proposals. Yet, overall, Biden is bad for business, which hurls a rock through the glass house narrative this administration has created regarding how they’re building the greatest period of economic growth known to man. Some have voiced support for Trump, others are hosting fundraisers for the former presidents, and others are bashing Biden on social media but stopping short of endorsing Trump in this year’s cycle. Either way, the tech sector and venture capitalism have seen enough of Joe’s Build Back Better (via NY Post):

Some Silicon Valley venture capitalists have begun to turn against President Biden while openly touting their support for former President Donald Trump — a sea change for an industry that has overwhelmingly supported Democrats in years past.

Prominent moguls such as David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, Marc Andreessen and Shaun Maguire have grown disillusioned with signature Biden policy proposals such as his call for a 25% “billionaire tax” as well as antitrust crackdowns waged by the Federal Trade Commission.

“It’s impossible to support Biden,” Keith Rabois, an early executive at PayPal who also played a role in the growth of LinkedIn, Square and Slide, told the New York Times.

[…]

Tech executives are also unhappy with the stringent regulations imposed on the cryptocurrency sector by Gary Gensler, Biden’s pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(Read more from “You Have to Be an Exceptionally Bad President to Lose Silicon Valley” HERE)

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Mom Fined $88K After Kids Collect 72 Clams From Beach Thinking They Were Seashells

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. . .A California mother was slapped with a fine worth $88,000 after her kids mistakenly collected clams — thinking they were picking up seashells — on the beach without a fishing license.

Charlotte Russ was on a family trip to Pismo Beach, known as the “Clam Capital of the World,” when she said her kids picked up 72 clams from the clamming hotspot during their getaway, according to ABC 7.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife confronted the mother of five and told her that her kids were collecting the clams without a license, and issued her a ticket.

“Right before we went, that’s when I opened it and that’s when I saw the amount,” Russ said

She later received a fine in the mail ordering her to pay $88,993 before a San Luis Obispo County judge knocked her fine down to $500. (Read more from “Mom Fined $88K After Kids Collect 72 Clams From Beach Thinking They Were Seashells” HERE)

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Airline Facing ‘Rampant Abuse’ of Passengers Using Wheelchair Service to Skip Lines in Pre-boarding Process

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Frontier Airlines passengers are abusing the company’s wheelchair service to skip the line and secure priority boarding on their flights, the budget airline claims.

“There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don’t need it at all,” CEO Barry Biffle said at a luncheon at the Wings Club in New York on Thursday, according to CNBC.

Frontier seating is based on a first-come-first-serve basis and those who request wheelchair assistance board the plane before other flyers.

Biffle says he has personally seen 20 people board a flight in a wheelchair but only 3 requested the assisted service when disembarking.

The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits airlines from discriminating against people with disabilities and requires the companies to provide “safe carriage” including wheelchairs for the passengers to board the aircraft. (Read more from “Airline Facing ‘Rampant Abuse’ of Passengers Using Wheelchair Service to Skip Lines in Pre-boarding Process” HERE)

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Trump Says He ‘Would Absolutely’ Rehire Former Aide Imprisoned by Biden’s DOJ

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Former President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that he “would absolutely” hire back a former aide whom President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) jailed.

A judge sentenced 74-year-old Peter Navarro to federal prison for four months after he defied a Jan. 6 congressional subpoena and Congress held him in contempt. Despite the sentencing, Trump told The WSJ that he would rehire Navarro should he return to the White House, to which Navarro said he wasn’t looking for work but would return “if the boss needs me.”

“I would absolutely have Peter back. This outrageous behavior by the Democrats should not have happened,” the former president told The WSJ.

Navarro added that he wasn’t interested in a pardon from Trump if he returns to the White House, but he wouldn’t change a thing about what he did.

“I have no regrets,” Navarro, who is two months into his sentencing, told the outlet. “I didn’t choose this fight; this fight chose me.” (Read more from “Trump Says He ‘Would Absolutely’ Rehire Former Aide Imprisoned by Biden’s DOJ” HERE)

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Jack Smith Requests Gag Order on Trump

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Special counsel Jack Smith requested a gag order Friday against former President Donald Trump regarding his case involving the alleged mishandling of classified documents, according to a court filing.

Smith filed the request Friday evening asking presiding Judge Aileen Cannon to modify Trump’s “conditions of release,” seeking that it makes clear “he may not make statements that pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”

“The law enforcement agents participating in this case conducted the search in an appropriate and professional manner, subject to the Department of Justice’s standard use-of-force policy. Trump’s repeated mischaracterization of these facts in widely distributed messages as an attempt to kill him, his family, and Secret Service agents has endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings,” the filing stated.

“A restriction prohibiting future similar statements does not restrict legitimate speech. Trump’s conditions of release should therefore be modified to prohibit similar communications going forward.”

Smith’s request comes swiftly after court documents were released regarding the language used within the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) authorization of their raid at Mar-A-Lago in August 2022, according to Fox News. As part of the special counsel’s investigation, the federal agency’s “Operations Order” was produced within the released filing, showing that the FBI “believed its objective for the Mar-a-Lago raid was to seize ‘classified information, NDI, and US Government records,’” court documents stated. (Read more from “Jack Smith Requests Gag Order on Trump” HERE)