. . .On Wednesday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous ruling blocking that law, mandating that Ohio taxpayers fund abortions . . .
U.S. Circuit Judge Helene White said the two Planned Parenthood affiliates had a right to taxpayer dollars because abortion was a “protected activity” outside of the government-funded programs . . .
Reuters reports that “White said the law had violated Planned Parenthood’s due process rights by requiring a health care provider surrender its right to provide legal abortions as a condition of participating in programs that have nothing to do with abortion.” More of the ruling written by White below:
The issue in the instant challenge is … whether Ohio may require a provider to surrender the right to provide safe and lawful abortions on its own “time and dime” as a condition of participating in government programs that have nothing to do with abortion.
Thus, as a condition of retaining access to abortion free of undue governmental interference, Ohio women must forego the extensive and subsidized access to health services under federal programs that they previously enjoyed. Although Ohio women do not have a right to the programs, they do have a right not to have their access to important health services curtailed because their major abortion providers opted to protect women’s abortion rights rather than yield to unconstitutional conditions.
(Read more from “Federal Appeals Court Forces State to Fund Planned Parenthood” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Planned_Parenthood_in_St._Paul-2-1.jpg15002000Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-04-18 23:57:592018-04-18 23:57:59Federal Appeals Court Forces State to Fund Planned Parenthood
By Bizpac Review. Stoneman Douglas High School student David Hogg is set to announce yet another boycott target after the media sensation’s liberal-backed success in going after Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s advertisers.
“Going to announce another boycott this week… Stay tuned,” Hogg tweeted Monday, using a Hermit the Frog GIF to accentuate his message.
There’s no telling what may have irritated the now 18-year-old high school student this time, but the nation — or at least the liberal media — will be on pins and needles awaiting his decree.
Hogg, who called NRA members “child murderers,” is also plugging another student walkout this Friday, repeating another previous action as media attention begins to wane. . .
Kashuv, the strong Second Amendment supporter the media has little interest in, didn’t hold back in reacting to Hogg’s latest attention-grabbing campaign, tweeting: “Is this a game now?”
"Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic Twitter Account and said… By the power of Parkland, Florida! Boycott-Man: I have the Power! My classmates became the Mighty Battle Bros, and I became Boycott-Man the most bored man in the universe." https://t.co/hNTke5yFH9
David Hogg Tells Twitter Followers to Boycott Blackrock and Vanguard
By Yahoo. David Hogg, a 17-year-old high school senior and survivor of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is now an outspoken gun law activist. He took to Twitter on Tuesday to encourage a boycott of BlackRock (BLK) and The Vanguard Group.
.@blackrock and @Vanguard_Group are two of the biggest investors in gun manufacturers; if you use them, feel free to let them know. Thanks 😉
BlackRock, Invesco (IVZ) and Vanguard are the top three institutional holders of American Outdoor Brands (AOBC), the parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., one of the world’s largest gun manufacturers. BlackRock and Vanguard are also the largest holders of gunmaker Sturm Ruger (RGR).
Many of these funds are passively managed, which means companies like American Outdoor Brands and Sturm Ruger are in the portfolios because they are part of major stock market indexes.
Earlier this month, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, announced that it would offer two new exchange-traded funds and new index-tracking products for pensions and 401(k) plans that exclude stocks of gunmakers and large gun retailers. This was in response to the mounting pressure from customer pressure for Wall Street to take a stand on the gun debate. (Read more from “David Hogg Tells Twitter Followers to Boycott Blackrock and Vanguard” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/David_Hogg_at_the_Rally_to_Support_Firearm_Safety_Legislation_in_Fort_Lauderdale.jpg14871115Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-04-17 23:23:182018-04-21 23:17:49David Hogg Pretty Smug About His Next Boycott Until Kyle Kashuv Drops Some Hellfire on His Little ‘Game’
We can now add a new Microsoft policy of punishing account users who use “offensive language” while logged into one of their products or services to the growing list of draconian measures employed by tech companies to police online content.
In a release summarizing the new policy, which will go into effect May 1, Microsoft stated:
In the Code of Conduct section, we’ve clarified that use of offensive language and fraudulent activity is prohibited.
Microsoft stated that they may temporarily suspend or boot offending users permanently from their products. They also reserve the right to search through user content.
The company’s code of conduct was written to crack down on spam, the transmission of malware, child exploitation, and illegal activity. So far, Microsoft has not been explicit about what will constitute offensive language.
Users expect the policy to have the biggest effect on Xbox Live players, who are known to troll each other during games. But other Microsoft customers worry the new code of conduct could restrict free speech on platforms like Skype and OneDrive.
Civil rights activist Jonathan Corbett challenged the company in a blog post, writing:
So wait a sec: I can’t use Skype to have an adult video call with my girlfriend? I can’t use OneDrive to back up a document that says ‘f–k’ in it? What’s clear here is that Microsoft is reserving the right to cancel your account whenever they feel like it.
While users commenting on Reddit claim the policy is really nothing new, many Microsoft customers and tech users fear the move is a pretext for censoring people. It adds to an intensifying debate regarding tech companies and social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google tweaking their algorithms to control page reach and enacting measures that restrict creative expression and free speech. Some journalists claim the Big 5 tech companies — Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon — as well as other information gatekeepers, are taking censorship cues from Washington lawmakers and acting as the de facto face of repressive government. (For more from the author of “Microsoft Warns Customers: Watch What You Say When Using Our Products – or Else” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/building-cologne-facade-architecture-wallpaper-preview.jpg727970Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-30 03:52:342020-08-14 20:51:59Microsoft Warns Customers: Watch What You Say When Using Our Products – or Else
By The Daily Wire. On Wednesday, a new report claimed that recently-fired senior FBI official Andrew McCabe authorized a criminal investigation into Attorney General Jeff Sessions more than a year ago to determine if he “lacked candor ” when testifying before Congress. . .
Sessions was interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller two months ago about his testimony in which he was asked about his contacts with Russian operatives.
Attorney Chuck Cooper told ABC News, “The Special Counsel’s office has informed me that after interviewing the attorney general and conducting additional investigation, the attorney general is not under investigation for false statements or perjury in his confirmation hearing testimony and related written submissions to Congress.” (Read more from “Fired FBI Official McCabe Authorized Criminal Probe of AG Sessions” HERE)
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Fired FBI Official Authorized Criminal Probe of Sessions, sources Say
By ABC News. Nearly a year before Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired senior FBI official Andrew McCabe for what Sessions called a “lack of candor,” McCabe oversaw a federal criminal investigation into whether Sessions lacked candor when testifying before Congress about contacts with Russian operatives, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly accused Sessions of misleading them in congressional testimony and called on federal authorities to investigate, but McCabe’s previously-unreported decision to actually put the attorney general in the crosshairs of an FBI probe was an exceptional move.
One source told ABC News that Sessions was not aware of the investigation when he decided to fire McCabe last Friday less than 48 hours before McCabe, a former FBI deputy director, was due to retire from government and obtain a full pension, but an attorney representing Sessions declined to confirm that.
Last year, several top Republican and Democratic lawmakers were informed of the probe during a closed-door briefing with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and McCabe, ABC News was told. (Read more from “Fired FBI Official Authorized Criminal Probe of Sessions, sources Say” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Jeff_Sessions_hearing_swearing_in-2.jpg8001200Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-22 03:59:262018-03-25 02:54:44Fired FBI Official McCabe Authorized Criminal Probe Of AG Sessions
By The Blaze. Summer Zervos, a contestant on “The Apprentice” in 2005, is bringing a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump.
Trump’s lawyers tried to get the case thrown out, but on Tuesday, New York State Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter ruled that “no one is above the law” and Zervos can bring her case. Schecter wrote in her decision that the accusations were not related to any of Trump’s presidential duties and cited the precedent set when Paula Jones sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment in the ’90s . . .
Glenn and Stu analyzed this story and the dangers for Trump on today’s show. Trump will obviously be in a lot more trouble if Zervos can provide evidence during her day in court, but one of the biggest risks for anyone in this situation is having to speak under oath, increasing the chances that you will make a mistake . . .
Stu pointed out that you can be pinned for a “wrongly worded phrase” once you’re under oath.
“The goal would be to wreck [Trump],” Stu said. “Just get him on something.” (Read more from “This Lawsuit Is a Real Threat to Trump” HERE)
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‘No One Is Above the Law’: Trump Loses Bid to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit by ‘Apprentice’ Contestant Who Says He Groped Her
By CNBC. A New York state judge Tuesday said “no one is above the law” as she denied President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss a defamation lawsuit by a former “Apprentice” contestant who claims he sexually groped her.
Manhattan Court Justice Jennifer Schecter’s decision, which allows the suit by Summer Zervos to proceed, rejected Trump’s argument that a sitting president cannot be subject to a state court’s jurisdiction.
Schecter cited the U.S. Supreme Court case that found a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of exposing himself to her, could proceed when Clinton was in the White House. (Read more from “‘No One Is Above the Law’: Trump Loses Bid to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit by ‘Apprentice’ Contestant Who Says He Groped Her” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Wreath-laying_ceremony_with_President-elect_Donald_J._Trump_170119-A-IP333-119.jpg532800Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-22 03:57:512018-03-22 04:05:35This Lawsuit Is a Real Threat to Trump
No matter who you are, you don’t want to get caught in the crosshairs of Benghazi hero Kris Paronto, an Army Ranger.
Paronto unleashed a fiery Twitter takedown of Obama-appointed Deep State agents Andrew McCabe, James Comey, and John Brennan. And they’re going to need some aloe to nurse those sick burns.
Paronto started off by blasting McCabe, who whined to the media that his firing was an attempt by the Trump White House to “slander” him and the entire FBI.
For the record, President Trump has repeatedly praised the rank-and-file members of the FBI as hard-working patriots. Trump’s issue is with top-level political appointees, most of whom are Obama holdovers that have been working nonstop to undermine his presidency.
Paronto tweeted: “Slander the @FBI and Law Enforcement?! You’ve got to be sh*tting me, Andy. You , James [Comey] and your @BarackObama appointed syndicate brought nothing but lies, politics, corruption & disgrace to a once great FBI.”
Slander the @FBI and Law Enforcement?! You’ve got to be shitting me Andy. You , James and your @BarackObama appointed syndicate brought nothing but lies, politics, corruption&disgrace to a once great FBI. @Comey#AndrewMcCabe#LockThemUp
By the way, as you’re on your way out I want to thank you, James and your @HillaryClinton supporting hacks at the @FBI for trying to pin excessive force use on myself and my team after coming home from Benghazi. You all are the worst scum of human. @Comey 🖕🏼#SorryNotSorry
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/Mueller_comey_obama_september_2013.jpg291500Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-20 19:25:202018-03-25 02:56:12Benghazi Hero Unloads on McCabe, Comey for What They ‘Tried to Pin on Him’ and His Team
As the termination of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe continues to fuel controversy, one law professor is speaking up on what he believes should really be worrying McCabe.
As reported by BizPac Review, George Washington University School of Law Professor Jonathan Turley told CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday that he sees the FBI official’s termination as “justified” and that McCabe should be grateful he has not yet seen criminal charges thrown his way.
“It was justified in the sense that these were career officials — at the Office of Professional Responsibility — that made this recommendation, which is exceedingly rare,” Turley said.
“In fact, it’s unprecedented for someone in this position. These are not political appointees,” he added. “The OPR, quite frankly, is not viewed as a particularly aggressive office.”
“So, all of that makes this a relatively rare sanction coming from career officers,” Turley explained. “They clearly concluded that McCabe misled them — and that he misled them on one of the core issues they were investigating, not a collateral issue.”
Though many have reported that the firing of the 21-year-veteran of the FBI was politically motivated, Turley has joined a long list of others stating that the move was anything but retaliatory.
The law professor noted that Attorney General Jeff Sessions — who ultimately fired McCabe — is absolutely apolitical.
Turley insisted that, unlike many other figures throughout Washington, Sessions is “insulated like a Sherman Tank from any outside forces,” which made his firing of McCabe even more “substantial.”
Turley also admitted that the initial report of McCabe’s dismissal brought on a feeling of surety that Sessions would essentially do what is right and get rid of those who lack integrity and honesty in their work.
“It would be very surprising for Sessions to turn down this type of rare recommendation from the career staff,” Turley said. “After all, he followed a recommendation from career staff to recuse himself — and I think rightfully so.”
As reported by The Western Journal, McCabe had been fired after the Department of Justice determined that he displayed a blatant disregard for the truth when giving testimony to investigators about the bureau’s probe into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of private email server.
Sessions had made the decision under a growing pressure to fire the 21-year-veteran of the FBI, after a thorough review of recommendations made by the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility that he be terminated.
The attorney general pointed out that FBI employees are expected to adhere to standards of honesty and integrity, and that McCabe had ultimately failed in that regard.
However, McCabe denies any wrongdoing, and Turley further suggests that the controversy will only grow if it isn’t thoroughly looked into or prosecuted.
“What’s going to create an issue going forward is whether there will be a criminal referral,” Turley continued. “Michael Flynn was indicted for making a false statement to investigators.”
“Now, it’s true that they were looking at him for other crimes as well,” he added. “But there will be some that will argue, ‘Why would you indict Michael Flynn, but a deputy FBI director is just worried about his pension, not prison?’” (For more from the author of “Law Professor to McCabe: Don’t Worry About Pension, Worry About Prison” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/jailed.jpg9601280Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-19 20:04:232018-03-19 20:13:45Law Professor to McCabe: Don’t Worry About Pension, Worry About Prison
Crowder suspended … Last night Steven Crowder uploaded a portion of his CRTV show “Louder with Crowder” to social media, including Twitter. The segment focused on an undercover turn by a show intern, who crashed an LGBTQ meetup at SXSW. Crowder’s tweet text accompanying the video said:
New MEGA-VIDEO up! HIDDEN CAM: Intern Crashes LGBTQ #SxSW Meetup! #LwC #MugClub Watch Now ==>
For that tweet, Crowder got a 12-hour suspension from Twitter. The video was edited to attempt to conform to Twitter’s standards and uploaded again. For that, Crowder’s account has been suspended from Twitter for seven days. LwC team member Courtney Kirchoff has all the details about what has happened. A #FreeCrowder campaign has been started on Twitter to get the suspension overturned.
The Khan effect … Coincidence or not? The undercover video that got Crowder suspended was filmed at the annual SXSW conference in Austin, Texas. Yesterday at that same conference, London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave a speech calling on tech companies to censor what he termed hateful content. Khan read a series of racist tweets aimed at himself. Step back and think about what Khan did. The mayor of the capital of the United Kingdom, the home of Magna Carta and the notion of individual liberty, has used the power of his government office to press for the censoring of speech. That’s obnoxious. Then a few hours later, one of those tech giants banned Steven Crowder for content they don’t approve of.
Choosing sides … This morning, millions of children at thousands of schools took part in a nationwide walkout in support of infringing on the constitutional rights of their fellow citizens. In support of this action, organized by the Women’s March, Viacom decided to have its cable networks suspend programming for 17 minutes. The number 17 was chosen because it is the number of students murdered in Parkland. The following message was broadcast on Comedy Central during the time:
VIACOM STANDS WITH ALL STUDENTS AS THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL WALKOUT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE.
MTV showed photos of the victims with no sound. Even the country music-focused network CMT went dark. Viacom has every right to support whichever causes it chooses. But the inclusion of a network like CMT that caters to rural America, where gun ownership rates are higher, doesn’t seem like the best business decision.
Truth from Vox … One of the unending refrains of gun control proponents is that “nobody wants to take away all your guns.” That, of course, is a false statement; it is exactly what they want. Today at Vox, Dylan Matthews proves that unequivocally. His thesis is that in order for the U.S. to see gun violence levels like those of Europe, it will require the confiscation of guns.
Mika breaks down … In a segment of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mika Brzezinski had a little mental breakdown as a panel discussed President Donald Trump’s trip to the border in San Diego to inspect prototype sections of the border wall. According to NewsBusters, Mika stumbled and fumbled her way through commenting on the piece. It really is an amazing clip to watch. She just doesn’t get why Trump’s plainspoken words resonate with vast parts of the country. (For more from the author of “Twitter Suspends Steven Crowder for Undercover LGBTQ Video” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/twitter-2430933_960_720.png720720Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-03-15 03:28:172018-03-15 03:28:17Twitter Suspends Steven Crowder for Undercover LGBTQ Video
Former national security advisor Susan Rice issued a stand down order to national security council officials developing aggressive options to respond to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, a new excerpt from Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump reveals.
NSC officials were reportedly alarmed by Russia’s attempts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, including the hacking of Democratic National Committee officials’ emails, and those belonging to Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
Michael Daniel, an NSC official responsible for the Russia portfolio, told to the book’s authors of multiple plans to strike fear in Russian President Vladimir Putin with the aim of ending Russia’s election meddling. These plans included surreptitiously releasing personal information about Putin’s family, which revealed corruption in Putin’s political party, and even crafting a large cybersecurity exercise as a public threat to Russia.
Daniel additionally told the authors that when Rice caught wind of his planning, she called him and berated him.
One day in late August, national security adviser Susan Rice called Daniel into her office and demanded he cease and desist from working on the cyber options he was developing. “Don’t get ahead of us,” she warned him. The White House was not prepared to endorse any of these ideas. Daniel and his team in the White House cyber response group were given strict orders: “Stand down.” She told Daniel to “knock it off,” he recalled.
(Read more from “Susan Rice Told NSC Officials to ‘Stand Down’ in Response to Russian Meddling Attempts” HERE)
By Fox News. Sitting between her mom, Missy, and dad, David, 17-year-old Maddy Wilford told a room full of media how grateful she was to be alive after a gunman opened fire and shot her three times during the Valentine’s Day shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
“I’m so grateful to be here. It wouldn’t be possible without the first responders and the amazing doctors and the love everyone has sent,” she said.
The high school junior sat just feet away from the doctors at Broward Health North Hospital in Deerfield Beach, who performed three surgeries on her within 48 hours, and the Coral Springs Fire Department lieutenant who was part of a team of five who triaged and rushed her to the hospital 11 miles away — an act that may have saved her life.
“I was sitting on my couch thinking of all the letters, love that was passed around. I wouldn’t be here without — I just want to send my love and appreciation,” Maddy said . . .
Maddy is one of more than a dozen students who were shot and survived the attack by former classmate, Nikolas Cruz. Seventeen other students, teachers and coaches died after police say Cruz opened fire with an AR-15 assault-style weapon, shooting more than a hundred rounds of ammunition in building 12. That building now is closed and is scheduled to be demolished. (Read more from “Florida School Massacre Survivor Who Was Shot 3 Times ‘Grateful’ She’s Alive” HERE)
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Florida Deputy Who Didn’t Enter School During Mass Shooting Is Not ‘a Coward,’ Lawyer Says
By Fox News. The Florida deputy who resigned after it emerged he didn’t enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the mass shooting on Valentine’s Day is not “a coward” and acted appropriately, his lawyer said in a statement Monday.
Broward Deputy Scot Peterson has been heavily criticized for failing to enter the school and confront the gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, during the rampage that left 17 people dead.
Peterson had been assigned to guard the school, and his actions — or lack of them — were even lambasted by President Trump, who called Peterson “a coward” last week. Trump on Monday again slammed Peterson and other officers who allegedly did not enter the school, saying “the way they performed was frankly disgusting.”
Peterson’s lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said in a news release obtained by Fox News the one-time school resource officer of the year didn’t go inside the high school because he believed the shooting was happening outside the building. (Read more from “Florida Deputy Who Didn’t Enter School During Mass Shooting Is Not ‘a Coward,’ Lawyer Says” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/hospital-736568_960_720-1.jpg628960Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2018-02-26 18:57:432018-02-26 18:57:43Florida School Massacre Survivor Who Was Shot 3 Times ‘Grateful’ She’s Alive