Al Sharpton Turns Aretha Franklin’s Funeral Political, Steals Limelight Like Only He Can

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By Conservative Tribune. As the world mourned the passing of a great American musical icon, Aretha Franklin, Al Sharpton used the opportunity to turn her funeral into a political spectacle. And, of course, the target of his comments was President Donald Trump. . .

He continued, “When word went out that Ms. Franklin passed, Trump said she used to work for me. No, she used to perform for you. She worked for us. Aretha never took orders from nobody but God.” . . .

Trump’s apparent gaffe came on Aug. 16, the day Franklin died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.

“I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well. She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific — Aretha Franklin — on her passing,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting.

“She’s brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come. She was given a great gift from God — her voice, and she used it well. People loved Aretha. She was a special woman. So just want to pass on my warmest best wishes and sympathies to her family.” (Read more from “Al Sharpton Turns Aretha Franklin’s Funeral Political, Steals Limelight Like Only He Can” HERE)

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Aretha Franklin funeral eulogy slammed; pastor stands firm

By AP. A fiery, old-school pastor who is under fire for saying black America is losing “its soul” at Aretha Franklin’s funeral stands firm by his words with the hope critics can understand his perspective.

Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. told The Associated Press in a phone interview Sunday he felt his sermon was appropriate at Franklin’s funeral Friday in Detroit. He felt his timing was right, especially after other speakers spoke on the civil rights movement and President Donald Trump.

“I was trying to show that the movement now is moving and should move in a different direction,” he said. “… What we need to do is create respect among ourselves. Aretha is the person with that song ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ that is laid out for us and what we need to be as a race within ourselves. We need to show each other that. We need to show each other respect. That was the reason why I did it.” (Read more from “Aretha Franklin funeral eulogy slammed; pastor stands firm” HERE)

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WATCH: Kanye West Explains Why Trump Is Good for the Black Community

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During a radio interview Wednesday, Kanye West said that President Donald Trump cares “about the way black people feel about him” because he wants to be the greatest president ever and he knows that can’t happen without the “acceptance of the black community.”

“I feel that he cares about the way black people feel about him, and he would like for black people to like him,” West said. “And he will do the things that are necessary to make that happen because he’s got an ego, like all the rest of us, and he wants to be the greatest president, and he knows that he can’t be the greatest president without the acceptance of the black community. So it’s something he’s gonna work towards, but we’re gonna have to speak to him.”

Filling in for Glenn Beck on Thursday’s episode of “The Glenn Beck Radio Program,” Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere, and Jeffy Fisher were impressed with West’s anayisis.

“That was actually a decent case that he lays out,” Pat said. “We all know that President Trump likes to be liked, wants to be liked, and so will try to please people … that’s what he’s playing into there.” (Read more from “Watch: Kanye West Explains Why Trump Is Good for the Black Community” HERE)

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TRANS TRAINS? ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ Goes ‘Gender-Balanced,’ ‘Multicultural’

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The classic children’s series, “Thomas the Tank Engine,” is relaunching next week with an updated set of characters and a commitment to being more “inclusive, gender-balanced,” and “multicultural.” . . .

According to The Independent, Thomas’s “Stem Team” — the core group of anthropomorphic railroad cars that make up the show’s cast — will now be “gender balanced,” with three “male” trains and three “female” trains taking center stage, rather than the male-heavy team that held down Sir Toppem Hat’s rail yard in the original series. . .

“The new female characters include Isla, an Australian flying doctor; Hong-mei, a number 1 blue tank engine from China; and Churubala, a female railway controller from India,” The Independent reports. “The Steam Team is now gender-balanced, with three male and three female characters: Percy, James, Gordon, Emily and new members Nia and Rebecca, as well as Thomas.”

The team behind “Thomas” hopes that’ll boost the show among female viewers, and satisfy viewers across the world.

“The show has undergone an evolution to remain relevant for the next generation of parents and children by opening up the world of Thomas & Friends so children can discover the world around them while being entertained,” the show’s senior producer, Ian McCue, said in a statement. (Read more from “TRANS TRAINS? ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ Goes ‘Gender-Balanced,’ ‘Multicultural'” HERE)

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Watch: Bill Clinton Stares Creepily at Ariana Grande Singing at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

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At Aretha Franklin’s funeral service, former President Bill Clinton ogled 25-year-old Ariana Grande as she sang Carole King’s “Natural Woman.”


. . .

At President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Clinton was also seen ogling Ivanka Trump, and was hilariously caught by his wife Hillary Clinton.

(Read more from “Watch: Bill Clinton Stares Creepily at Ariana Grande Singing at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral” HERE)

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School District Buys Hammers and Duct Tape to Thwart Active School Shooters

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Brockton Public Schools in Brockton, Massachusetts, are preparing for an active shooter incident by equipping classrooms with blue buckets containing hardware store items in an effort to keep kids safe.

Senior WCVB reporter Jorge Quiroga tweeted an image of one of the buckets, which contains a hammer, a wooden doorstop block, duct tape, and rope to be used in case of an emergency school lockdown or shooter situation. Lowe’s is providing the materials to the school district wholesale, at about $11 per bucket.

School Deputy Superintendent Mike Thomas told WCVB that keeping kids safe is “the number one most important job I have.”

He said that the school district trains teachers to either “hide, run, or fight” in emergency situations. The hardware store materials are meant to aid teachers. Thomas explained, for example, that the hammer and wooden block can be used to jam the door shut to create an “extra barrier” to make it harder to open the door or that the hammer can be used to break windows to help kids escape.

The roll of duct tape is for sealing the door to prevent smoke from seeping in to the room. The rope is intended to help “tie off the door.”

In a video posted to YouTube, Thomas walked through how the materials in these buckets are meant to keep kids safe from an active gunman.

He said that the school district trains teachers to either “hide, run, or fight” in emergency situations. The hardware store materials are meant to aid teachers. Thomas explained, for example, that the hammer and wooden block can be used to jam the door shut to create an “extra barrier” to make it harder to open the door or that the hammer can be used to break windows to help kids escape.

The roll of duct tape is for sealing the door to prevent smoke from seeping in to the room. The rope is intended to help “tie off the door.”

In a video posted to YouTube, Thomas walked through how the materials in these buckets are meant to keep kids safe from an active gunman.

Even the bucket can be used — as a toilet.

“The bucket could be used for, you know, if you’re in the room for a very long time,” Thomas explains. “What we’re taught is if you feel you’re safe in the room you stay in that room and you could be in there for two hours until the police come and release you.

“So if you’re in there for a couple hours also it could be used for a bathroom.”

Every classroom in the district will receive one of these “emergency kits.” Enterprise news reports that Lowe’s helped prepare 1,080 bucket kits and that teachers will be trained how to properly use the hammer, rope, and duct tape in case an individual with a gun attacks the school. (For more from the author of “School District Buys Hammers and Duct Tape to Thwart Active School Shooters” please click HERE)

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McCain’s Final Statement Revealed

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The late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has a final message for America. His former aide and friend Rick Davis read those final words for the nation on Monday.

The late senator and military hero wrote that he “lived and died a proud American,” before explaining why.

[McCain’s statement:]

“My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for sixty years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

“Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

“I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for ten satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else’s.

(Read more from “McCain’s Final Statement Revealed” HERE)

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Watch: California ‘Progressive’ Church Pastor Claims Jesus Was ‘a Person of Color That Was Killed by White Supremacy’

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A “progressive” church in Santa Cruz, California likes to think of itself as progressive, serving beer during services and opening a brewery, while its pastor claims Jesus was a feminist and a “person of color that was killed by white supremacy.”

The pastor of the Greater Purpose Church, Christopher VanHall, said, “What would it look like to be a church that looked like the movement that Jesus started and not like the church that we know in America today? Out of that consistent questioning came this model for a brewery church that generates funds for local charities.” . . .

He continued:

We are open and affirm LGBTQ. We are feminists and I believe Jesus was, too. We are environmentalists, which I believe that’s the original mandate of the children of God to take care of the planet that we all know and enjoy. We are anti-war, which I believe Jesus was, too. We are all for racial justice, which Jesus was a Palestinian. Jewish rabbi. He was a person of color that was killed by white supremacy so we’re usually making every effort to be on the frontlines for racial justice. So that’s what sets us apart from many American churches.

(Read more from “Watch: California ‘Progressive’ Church Pastor Claims Jesus Was ‘a Person of Color That Was Killed by White Supremacy'” HERE)

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Texas Lt. Governor Calls out ‘Accomplices’ in Death of Mollie Tibbetts

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) accused the political left, CNN, MSNBC and other media outlets, as well as Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera of being “accomplices” in the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a 24-year-old Mexican national, has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Tibbetts, 20, who was to begin her sophomore year at the University of Iowa this month. According to federal authorities, Rivera was in the country illegally, the Des Moines Register reported.

In an appearance on Fox News on Thursday, Patrick alleged that the political left and certain news media outlets are playing politics with the immigration issue and it is costing people’s lives.

“On the left, it’s pure politics. They’re playing with people’s’ lives,” he said. “The blood is on Chuck Schumer’s hands and every Democrat, and the Republicans who won’t change the rules.”

“The CNNs, MSNBCs, most of the print media in this country and Democrats are all accomplices in the death of this young girl and the death of everyone else,” Patrick declared.

“Even Geraldo Rivera,” Patrick continued. “I’ve never met the guy. I seem to like him. Seems like he has a good heart. I saw him here on Fox saying, ‘I feel badly about this but…’ There is no ‘but.’”

“I’ll be happy to debate Geraldo Rivera any time, any place, anywhere on this issue.”

On FNC’s “Hannity” on Wednesday night, Rivera said, “I totally understand the anger that so many people are expressing and feeling over this horrible case and my heart breaks for the Tibbetts’ family.”

“It is sad for what this family suffered, and it is sad because it will fuel the malignant, false notion that this terrible, savage crime is characteristic of this population,” he argued.

Rivera accepted Patrick’s challenge to a debate, tweeting “anytime, anyplace,” and suggesting they do it on Sean Hannity’s program.

“@DanPatrick claims outrageously that I’m effectively an accomplice to horrifying murder of #mollytibbetts because I beg compassion & mercy for undocumented immigrants,” he wrote. “How dare he make so false an allegation? He is fear-mongering & I accept his challenge for debate.”

Rivera alleged that Patrick is trying to play politics with the issue, tweeting, “Enough jingo rhetoric to gain votes rather than heal this wound & fix this problem.”

Patrick responded via Twitter saying “Hannity” as a debate forum works for him.

He related, “I will fly to NYC for a 30 minute face to face.” (For more from the author of “Texas Lt. Governor Calls out ‘Accomplices’ in Death of Mollie Tibbetts” please click HERE)

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Watch: CNN Asks Americans About Cohen, Manafort. Doesn’t Go as Planned.

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CNN traveled to a county in North East Pennsylvania that voted for former President Barack Obama twice and asked voters what they thought about the recent legal drama facing the Trump administration surrounding Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen. The voters did not care.

CNN’s Jason Carroll asked three Democrats, three independents, and one Republican about the recent legal developments regarding Trump’s former campaign chairman and former personal attorney.

Registered Democrat Anne Marie Lenahan said that the economy is so strong that she doesn’t have a problem overlooking allegations about Trump’s infidelity, “unless the money came from campaign funds” . . .

Registered Democrats Richard and Eileen Sorokas, who voted for Obama twice, said they wanted to get rid of political correctness, that they are happy with the direction of the stock market, and they see the drama with Manafort and Cohen as a sideshow.

Registered Republican Bob Sellon noted that the ongoing investigations were supposed to be about Russian interference in U.S. elections and he hasn’t seen anything notable come from it. (Read more from “Watch: CNN Asks Americans About Cohen, Manafort. Doesn’t Go as Planned.” HERE)

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Trump Hits Mueller for Multiple Conflicts of Interest in Overseeing Russia Investigation

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President Donald Trump listed multiple reasons Thursday why Robert Mueller should not be serving as special counsel in the Russia investigation.

“When you see Mueller with the conflicts, he is so conflicted,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt.

“Comey’s his best friend,” Trump added, referring to former FBI Director James Comey. “He had a really nasty business transaction with me, which he never reported. I’ve been talking about, he never reports it.”

“He wanted the FBI job that Christopher Wray has,” Trump added.

Comey and Mueller served together in the Justice Department during the administration of George W. Bush.

According to Politico, “While (then-FBI director) Mueller technically reported to Comey as deputy attorney general, Comey, two decades his junior, treated Mueller as a close friend and almost mentor.”

The two had known each other for years prior, as they rose through the ranks as prosecutors in the DOJ.

Trump told Reuters earlier this week that he is concerned the two men could be setting a perjury trap for him if he were to agree to be interviewed by special counsel prosecutors.

“So if I say something and he (Comey) says something, and it’s my word against his, and he’s best friends with Mueller, so Mueller might say: ‘Well, I believe Comey,’ and even if I’m telling the truth, that makes me a liar. That’s no good.”

One avenue of inquiry Mueller has reportedly been pursuing is whether Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey in May 2017.

The president’s reference to a “nasty business transaction” involved club dues at Trump’s golf course in northern Virginia of which Mueller was a member.

The dispute prompted the then-FBI director to end his membership, The New York Times reported.

Finally, Trump pointed to his decision not to hire Mueller as FBI director as another conflict of interest.

According to CNN, Trump interviewed Mueller to potentially replace Comey, but decided against him. A day later, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named Mueller as special counsel.

The president has repeatedly characterized the team Mueller has chosen as “angry” Democrats.

Earlier this week he tweeted, “Disgraced and discredited Bob Mueller and his whole group of Angry Democrat Thugs spent over 30 hours with the White House Councel, only with my approval, for purposes of transparency. Anybody needing that much time when they know there is no Russian Collusion is just someone looking for trouble.”

He continued, “They are enjoying ruining people’s lives and REFUSE to look at the real corruption on the Democrat side – the lies, the firings, the deleted Emails and soooo much more! Mueller’s Angry Dems are looking to impact the election. They are a National Disgrace!”

In a May tweet, Trump questioned why the Mueller’s “13 Angry and heavily conflicted Democrats” are not investigating Hillary Clinton.

Politifact confirmed in March that at least 13 of the 17 lawyers on Mueller’s team are Democrats, six of whom contributed to Clinton.

Of the four remaining attorneys, the fact checker could not determine their party affiliation.

According to The Wall Street Journal one prosecutor — Andrew Weissmann — attended Clinton’s election night party in November 2016. (For more from the author of “Trump Hits Mueller for Multiple Conflicts of Interest in Overseeing Russia Investigation” please click HERE)

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