Tuesday, January 12, 2016
CNN's Barbara Starr Reports: Iran Assures U.S. of Safe Return of Sailors (VIDEO)
Watch:
PREVIOUSLY: "DEVELOPING: Tehran Takes 10 U.S. Sailors Captive as Two Small Navy Ships Seized by Iran (VIDEO)," and "UPDATE: U.S. Sailors Taken Hostage by Iran Revolutionary Guard, the Gestapo of the Tehran Mullahs!"
UPDATE: U.S. Sailors Taken Hostage by Iran Revolutionary Guard, the Gestapo of the Tehran Mullahs!
Key here: Iran's Fars News agency says US sailors picked up by Revolutionary Guard Corps, from hardline camp & v. opposed to nuclear deal
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 12, 2016
@jimsciutto @NickKristof if Fars is reporting that Rev Guard is involved suggests this was no Good samaritan rescue mission.
— Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2) January 12, 2016
Iranian hardliners have been systematically trying to undermine Rouhani and damage US-Iranian relations. Seizing sailors, that'll do it.
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) January 12, 2016
PREVIOUSLY: "DEVELOPING: Tehran Takes 10 U.S. Sailors Captive as Two Small Navy Ships Seized by Iran (VIDEO)."
DEVELOPING: Tehran Takes 10 U.S. Sailors Captive as Two Small Navy Ships Seized by Iran (VIDEO)
And the Iranians are supposed to be returning the sailors shortly, according to the Obama Pentagon.
That's, of course, Democrat propaganda! Our relations with the mullahs have never been better!
At the Telegraph UK, "Iran holds two US Navy boats in Persian Gulf":
US military officials say they briefly lost contact with two small Navy craft in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian forces seized two US vessels crossing the Persian Gulf it has been claimed, but later gave American officials assurances that the craft and their crews would be returned unharmed.This is a major slap in the face of the American people.
The Pentagon has said it briefly lost contact with two small Navy craft in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday but has received assurances from Iran that the crew and vessels will be returned safely and promptly.
A Pentagon spokesman said that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the US lost contact with them.
"We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," he said
Fox News claimed that they strayed into Iranian waters.
"Earlier Tuesday we lost contact with two small U.S. Naval craft en route from Kuwait to Bahrain," a US defence official told the Reuters news agency.
The White House confirmed that it was aware of the situation and is working to get U.S. personnel returned.
Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters at the White House the administration was working to resolve the situation and was hopeful about it.
U.S. officials said that the incident happened near Farsi Island, situated in the middle of the Persian Gulf. They say it stemmed from some type of mechanical trouble with one of the boats, causing them to run aground. The troops were then picked up by Iran.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has forged a personal relationship with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif through three years of nuclear negotiations, called Zarif immediately on learning of the incident, according to a senior U.S. official...
The sailors should be released within four hours, before the president's address tonight, or we know for a fact this is a hostile act.
Expect updates.
Chronicle of Higher Education Profiles the 'Monkey Cage'
Here, "How the Monkey Cage Went Ape."
Of course, it's a cocooned far-left blog, although nevertheless interesting.
Model Paige Watkins Loves a Bikini Even When She's Not at Work (VIDEO)
And watch, "Model Paige Watkins Loves a Bikini."
Plus, she's not on Instagram!
Denying the Obvious About Islamist Terror
From Dorothy Rabinowitz, at the Wall Street Journal:
It required only half a minute for the mayor of Philadelphia, Democrat Jim Kenney, to achieve national fame. On Friday, an already sensation-crowded day, it fell to the mayor to take part in the official pronouncements on the attempted murder of city police officer Jesse Hartnett, shot and severely wounded as he sat in his patrol car when a would-be assassin emptied his gun at him—13 shots in all.The mayor's no different from the president: disgusting PC commandos endangering American lives.
Police Commissioner Richard Ross Jr., appointed just three days earlier, delivered the details with noteworthy eloquence: The wounded officer, bleeding heavily from three wounds, one arm useless, had gotten himself out of the car, chased the attacker and shot him.
The drama of this recital needed no amplification, but there it was anyway: Clear security video images showed the assailant in his flowing white dishdasha—a robe favored by Muslim men—running toward the patrol car, shooting, sticking his hand in the window, and racing speedily away. Pictures too of the police officer lurching out of the car to give chase.
The wounded shooter, Commissioner Ross revealed, told police after his capture that he had mounted the attack in the name of Islam, that he believes that “the police defend laws that are contrary to Islam.” The man apparently wanted to talk only about his devotion to Islam.
Undaunted by anything he’d heard so far, Mayor Kenny then came to the microphone and declared: “In no way, shape or form does anybody in this room believe that Islam or the teaching of Islam” had anything to do with the attack. “This was a criminal with a stolen gun.”
Mr. Kenny’s tone was fervent. Out of this event—involving a murderous assault on a police officer, and a heroic response by that officer—the mayor, awash in excitation, had divined what was, for him, the most important concern of this day. Namely, persuading citizens that this attack had nothing to do with allegiance to Islam...
More.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Alabama Crimson Tide Wins College Football National Championship
And at the Other McCain, "#RollTide: Alabama Crimson Tide Defeats Clemson 45-40 for National Title."
Alabama wins the #NationalChampionship, 45-40, over Clemson. https://t.co/o6Jkp7BfpK
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 12, 2016
https://t.co/0LwXX42bhF
@rsmccain appreciates #RollTide defense #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/ZMMW6AEKBo
— Evi L. Bloggerlady (@MsEBL) January 12, 2016
Roll Tide Roll! @AlabamaFTBL YOUR 2015 National Champions! #RollTide #NationalChampionship #Sweet16 pic.twitter.com/AWhJFOqNDu
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) January 12, 2016
Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina Dumped from Next GOP Presidential Debate (VIDEO)
Watch, Greta Van Susteren interviews RNC Chair Reince Priebus:
And at Politico, via Memeorandum, "Paul, Fiorina excluded from main stage in Thursday's GOP debate."
Jackie Johnson's Tuesday Forecast
Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Rolling Stone Stirs Controversy with Sean Penn's Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Interview
There almost had to be something wrong with this picture: Rolling Stone magazine, still bruised from erroneous reporting about campus rape, scores an exclusive interview with escaped Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán.Keep reading.
The interview conducted by tough-guy actor Sean Penn and posted on the Rolling Stone website late Saturday fueled several journalistic misgivings. An editor's note said Guzmán was given right of refusal after reading a finished version, and some names had been changed. The magazine said Guzmán, who does not speak English, asked for no changes.
Ceding such control to Guzmán was professionally "inexcusable," wrote Reuters reporter Andrew Seaman, who chairs the ethics committee for the Society of Professional Journalists, in a blog Saturday night. The New York Post cited the same reason in labeling Penn "El Jerko."
Questions remain about whether the magazine's efforts to secure the interview in October helped law enforcement recapture the renowned prison escapee on Friday. An unnamed Mexican federal law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the Penn interview assisted its efforts.
Penn, in the article, makes clear he worked hard to avoid being noticed by police.
Other journalism analysts said the Guzmán interview was a bona fide exclusive or scoop — aside from the ethical issue of giving him the right to change the article — and could help restore the nearly 50-year-old magazine's tarnished image.
"Rolling Stone needed this story," said Samir Husni, professor at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the school. It was crucial for the magazine to show it remains a major player in journalism, he said.
"They are still a very relevant magazine doing such a great job that very few are actually doing," Husni said Sunday.
He said the decision allowing an actor to conduct the interview was a classic Rolling Stone mix of pop culture and journalism..
Actually, I think this "good journalism" take is the minority position.
See Hadas Gold, "Rolling Stone has been just a whole study of journalism ethics these past couple years."
The Nation Launches Metered Paywall System, Abandoning Its Commitment to the Utopian Socialist Collective
Old Man Marx must be spinning in his grave.
At the Nation, "Paying for Journalism That Matters":
The only way to read everything The Nation publishes (including our 150-year digital archive) has always been to subscribe. Unlike most magazines that rely on advertising to pay their bills, The Nation depends upon the support of our readers and the generosity of our donors. But starting on January 11, 2016, we’re changing to a different model of accessing all of our content online. We think this new metered system will better allow people to read and share our most important work during critical moments (after all, we’re working to help build a movement here), while also asking our regular readers to chip in to support our journalism. Here’s how it will work...In other words, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Somebody's gotta pay, heh.
Still more.
Actually, you'll notice they're still committed to the socialist collective, it's just that the people's collective of peasants and workers is going to have to pony-up to get there.
Ammon Bundy Removes Barbed-Wire Fence About Five Miles South of #Malheur Refuge Headquarters
Not sure what destroying a fence is supposed to do, but it's being called the "boldest" move yet by the Bundy militiamen.
See the Portland Oregonian, "Oregon standoff: Bundy, militants destroy fence at federal refuge."
Pair of New Republican Primary Polls Shows Donald Trump Surging to Lead in Iowa
Maybe Ted Cruz peaked early in the Hawkeye State. Or, voters there have been won over by Donald Trump's steady inroads on the campaign trail.
Either way, it's basically neck and neck now, with the polling results within the margin of error. One survey's from Quinnipiac, which is quite reputable. The other's out from the American Research Group, of which I'm less familiar. No matter, no doubt it's a merciless horse race right now in Iowa. Indeed, we're nearing the final stretch and it's exciting.
See, the Conservative Treehouse, "Two Iowa Polls Put Donald Trump Back On Top – Ted Cruz a Close Second."
PREVIOUSLY: "Latest Gravis Marketing National Poll Shows Donald Trump with Whopping Lead Over Ted Cruz."
Latest Gravis Marketing National Poll Shows Donald Trump with Whopping Lead Over Ted Cruz
Interesting, but despite all the pundit chatter about Ted Cruz polling lead in the Iowa caucuses, he's made barely a dent in the real estate mogul's national standing.
See, "OANN Gravis Marketing national poll conducted over the weekend."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Under Fire After Muslim Rape Attacks in Cologne (VIDEO)
COLOGNE, Germany—The aftershocks spreading from allegations of New Year’s Eve assaults by migrants in German cities have provoked the biggest challenge to Chancellor Angela Merkel since she threw open Germany’s borders to refugees last summer.Actually, she's toast if you ask me. It's going to get worse before it gets better, and it's still a ways off until Germany's scheduled for federal elections. She could be forced to resign before then.
On Sunday, German officials disclosed that the man French authorities say tried to attack a Paris police station in an Islamic State-inspired assault last week had been living at a German refugee shelter—adding more fuel to a debate that has exploded over the security threats tied to the arrival of more than 1 million asylum seekers in Germany over the past year.
Meanwhile, a growing number of people, largely women, have reported being robbed and sexually assaulted on New Year’s Eve by mobs of what many described as largely North African or Arab-looking men. In Cologne, where most of the assaults have been reported, police said 516 complaints had been filed by Sunday—40% of them for sexual offenses, including at least two rape allegations—and that many of the suspected attackers were migrants.
The assaults and fresh evidence of other security risks linked to migrants bring new difficulties to Ms. Merkel’s efforts to preserve her open-door refugee policy and get other European Union countries to agree on a common response to the migration crisis. The chancellor—Western Europe’s most influential political leader—has warned that without a united strategy, the EU’s cherished principle of open internal borders will fall.
At home and abroad, politicians skeptical of Ms. Merkel’s migrant policy pointed to the assaults as a turning point, casting the events as confirmation of their warnings of a violent culture clash resulting from the mass migration.
Conservative Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said the incidents “should shake up public opinion at last.” UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who advocates much stricter immigration policies and wants his country to leave the European Union, warned the events in Cologne were “not far removed from us” in Britain, adding, “Whilst these men may not have EU passports, they soon will.”
The German chancellor reacted to the public outrage over the assaults with what has become her trademark strategy after 10 years in power: She sought to channel the public mood without substantially changing course.
She used tough language after a meeting of senior party officials on Saturday, pledging to more aggressively deport migrants convicted of crimes. But she gave no indication that she would back away from her refusal to cap the number of refugees Germany accepts or from her insistence that Europe come up with a joint solution to the crisis.
Ms. Merkel described the New Year’s Eve assaults as “repugnant, criminal offenses” that required a decisive response. “When crimes are committed, and people place themselves outside the law then there must be consequences for asylum claims,” she said.
Whether this response will suffice to quell the public’s concerns is uncertain...
But keep reading.
Molly Crabapple Loves Pornography!
Remember, this was an intra-leftist spat, and considering that Taryn Fivek's life is pretty much destroyed for the time being, perhaps Ms. Crabapple doesn't want to be reminded of her deeds.
Robert Stacy McCain took an interest to my post on Ms. Quangel (a.k.a. Ms. Fivek), and is researching the case. He tagged me along with Ms. Crabapple and BuzzFeed's Hayes Brown in a couple of tweets. I responded with more information on Ms. Quangel, and it turns out Ms. Crabapple blocked me.
That was quick, I thought.
So, Googling her it turns out that she not only likes porn but she tweets out her favorite pornography links. Now that's progressive!
If you like porn, Check this out for the beauty and hotness but also damn that is done sharp dialogue https://t.co/Ht5ReExsOk
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) August 19, 2015
Check back for more on all of this. Robert's digging up some stuff and he's expecting to publish a major entry soon enough.
American Power Gets the Coveted Katie Pavlich Endorsement!
Watching "American Newsroom," Martha MacCallum brought on Democrat Mary Anne Marsh to debate Katie Pavlich on Hillary's Clinton's personal war on women. It wasn't a fair fight. Ms. Pavlich destroyed Ms. Marsh. It was brutal.
I sent Ms. Pavlich a tweet and she shot back a kind thank you. So nice.
And watch the debate at the clip below.
Thanks! Keep up the great work @AmPowerBlog @FoxNews
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) January 11, 2016
Oh, she's the author of two books, Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up, and Assault and Flattery: The Truth About the Left and Their War on Women.
A great woman, super smart and beautiful.
Playboy Mansion Listed for $200 Million
I doubt he's going to go out with many regrets. What a life.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion lists for $200 million":
What does $200 million buy in Los Angeles these days? The Playboy Mansion, for one.Heh.
The legendary Holmby Hills estate where Hugh Hefner has worked and made his home for four decades is on the market for the nine-figure sum, making it among the priciest residential properties for sale in the United States.
As part of any sale, the 89-year-old Hefner will be allowed remain in residence for the remainder of his life, media reports said.
Among the major works of architect Arthur R. Kelly, the stone-clad Gothic Tudor-style mansion was built for department store scion Arthur Letts Jr. in 1927. Playboy acquired the estate of more than five acres in 1971 for around $1.1 million.
"At the time Hef and Playboy purchased the home, it was the largest real estate transaction in Los Angeles history," Gary Gold of Hilton & Hyland, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, said in a news release. Gold holds the listing with Drew Fenton, also of Hilton & Hyland, and Mauricio Umansky of The Agency.
Within nearly 20,000 square feet of interiors are 29 rooms including chef's and catering kitchens, a game room, a wine cellar and a screening room with a built-in pipe organ. The master suite occupies parts of two floors.
The mansion is also among a select number of L.A. properties to have a zoo license...
A zoo license, roarrr!
Still more.
Behind the Scenes with Abigail Ratchford for Playboy (VIDEO)
Playboy Magazine is dead ... Long Live Playboy!
Katy Perry at the Golden Globes
Daily Mail, "'I got my wig out and my globes': Katy Perry wears big hair and a VERY low-cut pink dress on red carpet."
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 11, 2016
Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes Puts 'The New Republic ' Up for Sale
At the Wall Street Journal, "New Republic Owner Chris Hughes Puts Magazine Up for Sale." (Via Memeorandum.)
'Fast Times' Actor Has Courted Controversy
Here's more on him, at WSJ, "Sean Penn’s Interview With El Chapo Latest in Long History of Controversial Meetings":
Sean Penn shot to fame playing a high-school stoner who wanted to do anything but engage with the world.A classic Hollywood useful idiot.
Now, more than 30 years after his breakthrough role in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the two-time Oscar winner is as well known for his off-screen political activism as he is for his intense on-screen performances.
Mr. Penn’s meeting with Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, revealed on Saturday, is the latest example of the 55-year-old actor inviting controversy by making high-profile visits with figures who are at odds with the U.S. government.
Mr. Penn’s interview with the drug kingpin follows the actor’s style of reporting—sparing no detail about the arrangements getting there or his emotional impressions of the man before him. “In what would be a seven-hour sit-down, I saw him without that smile only in brief flashes. As has been said of many notorious men, he has an indisputable charisma,” wrote Mr. Penn.
Over the past 20 years, Mr. Penn, with a mix of outrage and irreverence, has traveled to countries about to be attacked by the U.S., pledged support to Communist leaders who decry America and criticized the U.S. government for its handling of domestic affairs.
The “El Chapo” meeting, recounted by Mr. Penn in an article for Rolling Stone magazine, isn’t the first time the actor has taken on a provocative assignment for a publication.
In 2008, Mr. Penn recounted his meetings with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and Cuban president Raúl Castro for The Nation magazine.
Mr. Penn’s dispatches read like a travelogue sprinkled with diplomatic purpose; he writes of having mechanical difficulties on the plane ride there and then of asking Mr. Castro if he’d be willing to meet with President Obama.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Penn said Sunday the actor wasn’t commenting at this time...
Still more, FWIW.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Emma Quangel Doxed: Hardline Communist @EMQuangel on Twitter Outed as Taryn Fivek, Public Information Officer at International Organization for Migration
Her parents are Clark Fivek and Marcia Ladendorff.Of course, the reader sent corresponding links and I Googled a little myself and it all checked out. And that was that. She was still tweeting at the time, and I've had enough of the Internet flame wars to last me for awhile. Besides, she wasn't mean or anything.
Her mom, Marcia Ladendorff, was one of CNN's first anchors when the cable network launched. She was also the top anchor at WTLV-12 First Coast News in Jacksonville, before semi-retiring as a professor and media personality working at the University of North Florida. Her dad owns a company.
The parents are divorced and BOTH are likely multi-millionaires who live very comfortable lives.
Communist Taryn Fivek (aka Emma Quangel) is an American-born, pampered TRUST FUND BABY.
Her dad, a successful businessman who lives in the upscale suburban town of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL clearly doesn't appreciate Taryn's conversion to communism:
In any case, she was definitely hardline communist and was pretty familiar with a lot of the literature, as evidenced by her blog, Manyfesto. Both the blog and her Twitter page have been taken down.
It turns out that BuzzFeed doxed her after she sent out a batch of rather deranged tweets denying news of the recent starvation in Syria. See, "An Aid Worker is Being Accused of Owning a Twitter Account That Denies People Are Starving in Syria."
Remember, according to someone like this, Third World dictators like Bashir al-Assad can never be culpable for the poverty, misery, and obliteration of their own people. It's always the West's fault. That's one of the reasons I blogged about this woman a few times. Her Twitter feed was a veritable treasure trove of the most deranged Stalinist ravings you'd find. See, "Far-Left 'Anti-Racist' Says the United States Should be 'Eradicated'," and "Emma Quangel, Feminist Who Outed Dylann Roof Manifesto, is Militant Communist Who Wants U.S. 'Eradicated'."
There was some chatter on Twitter directed at me this last couple of days, no doubt from folks who found my posts on Google.
Go back and check out that BuzzFeed piece. This woman was getting progressively worse as her online activism gained traction. And it turns out another far-left activist, Molly Crabapple, doxed Quangel on Twitter:
This woman, Taryn Fivek, is a current press officer at the UN (@IOMatUN) while denying the starvation of Madaya pic.twitter.com/oMUYdTl94r
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
While working for the United Nations as a press officer, Taryn Fivek cheered Russian bombing of Syrians pic.twitter.com/cuvlJD6Rmk
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
Why does a United Nations press officer excuse Hezbollah's starvation of #Madaya? pic.twitter.com/dQsd3FrRSi
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
UN press officer Taryn Fivek cheers Russian bombings of Syria, denies starvation of #madaya https://t.co/zNYpIeWVdh pic.twitter.com/ylfmb9uGo5
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
. @IOMatUN press officer Taryn Fivek also wrote that James Foley's murder was maybe faked
https://t.co/sS6P6vqJgz
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
Pt# Taryn Fivek down her social media after being asked for comment on her opinions on the Madaya siege https://t.co/2SMNv2YA1f
— Molly Crabapple (@mollycrabapple) January 8, 2016
Frankly, Quangel wasn't all that good at being anonymous. The Manyfesto blog actually linked to her LinkedIn account, now deleted as well.
Still more on Twitter:
Taryn Fivek was a "leader" of something called FIST, "Fight Imperialism, Stand Together" https://t.co/z46Ue8yRnw pic.twitter.com/w7Gka4sOYd
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 10, 2016
And she worked for a U.N.-aligned NGO. Let that sink in for a minute.
Germany on the Brink
If you believe that an aging, secularized, heretofore-mostly-homogeneous society is likely to peacefully absorb a migration of that size and scale of cultural difference, then you have a bright future as a spokesman for the current German government.RTWT.
You’re also a fool. Such a transformation promises increasing polarization among natives and new arrivals alike. It threatens not just a spike in terrorism but a rebirth of 1930s-style political violence. The still-imaginary France Michel Houellebecq conjured up in his novel “Submission,” in which nativists and Islamists brawl in the streets, would have a very good chance of being realized in the German future...
Hat Tip: Instapundit.
#GoldenGlobes and Popular Culture
Are there any roles left for men who are not gay, transsexual, transgender, transvestite, cross dressers, bi-sexual or unsure? #GoldenGlobes.
Kohl’s Stores Considers Going Private or Breaking Up
I shop Kohl's a lot, as does my wife.
At WSJ, "Kohl’s Weighs Next Steps as Woes Mount":
Department stores have been under siege for decades, but lately their fortunes have hit a new low that could spark a wave of deal making that could sweep up companies such as Kohl’s Corp.Hmm... Wouldn't want activist investors to launch a power grab, heh.
Shoppers are flocking to newer types of stores that sell similar brands at deep discounts and buying more online, leaving behind cavernous stores that are difficult to fill productively. Investors, too, are abandoning the companies. Shares of major department-store chains fell nearly 37% last year, while the overall S&P 500 Index fell just 0.7%.
The troubles are prompting some soul searching at these decades-old businesses. With sales shrinking, Sears Holdings Corp. has been selling off stores to raise cash. Macy’s Inc. is talking with real-estate developers to take over space in its flagship locations and other stores.
Kohl’s, a national department-store chain with roughly 1,200 stores, is debating whether to pursue more drastic action, such as taking itself private or breaking up the company, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Once among the fastest-growing retailers, the Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based retailer has stumbled in recent years. Despite improvements that include recent sales gains at existing stores, its shares are down 40% from their high of $79.07 on April 2. It ended Friday with a market value of $9 billion, or roughly half its expected annual sales for the current fiscal year.
Concerned that its depressed share price could make it a target for activist investors, directors are considering whether to hire an investment bank to advise it on alternatives that could include a sale to a private-equity firm, the person familiar with the situation said.
The discussions are preliminary and directors might opt not to explore such a strategy. Kohl’s top executives are open to the strategic review and the board is expected to discuss the company’s multiple options further this week, the person continued. A sale to a private-equity firm is an idea that management has rejected in the past despite interest from such firms, people familiar with the situation said. Kohl’s declined to comment...
More.
Fire Consumes Jerusalem Offices of Far-Left Anti-Israel Group B’Tselem (VIDEO
Israel's far-right is screwing up these days. Sheesh. (See, "Israel's Homegrown Enemies.")
At the Jerusalem Post, "Arson suspected in fire at offices of left-wing NGO B'Tselem."
And at the radical +972, "Amid right-wing attacks, suspected arson at B'Tselem offices":
Headquarters of Israel’s oldest human rights organization sustain heavy damage. Spokesperson says if fire turns out to be arson, ‘it must be seen in the context of the wave of government incitement and smear campaigns against Israel’s human rights groups, and B’Tselem in particular.’There's video here, "Suspected arson at B'Tselem offices in Jerusalem."
I blogged about this awful group previously. Still, I wouldn't wish an arson fire on them.
Here, "B'Tselem: The World's Most Destructive Anti-Israel Organization."
Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz (R) Visits Bundy Millitiamen at #Malheur National Wildlife Reserve (VIDEO)
Now, at the Portland Oregonian, "Oregon standoff: Roseburg state legislator ignores local warnings, visits protesters."
Heh, the dude took a posse of officials with him, which I don't think was a bad idea. Better to talk it out than shoot it out.
Emmy Rossum at the #GoldenGlobes
Check out @emmyrossum's amazinf diamonds. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/VxK16Ous90
— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) January 10, 2016
Here's That Wild Martavis Bryant Flip Catch Touchdown (VIDEO)
It was miraculous.
Watch, via the NFL, "Martavis Bryant is Out of His Flipping Mind for This TD."
Kristen Soltis Anderson on How Candidates Try to Reach Millennials Through Social Media (VIDEO)
And here she is, on Fox News, "Candidates try to win over millennials through social media."
Mexican Actress Kate del Castillo Brokered Interview Deal for Sean Penn
And London's Daily Mail, "El Chapo's moll: How trusted Mexican actress Kate del Castillo brokered deal for Sean Penn to interview cartel boss... But ultimately proved his femme fatale."
And at LAT:
Actress Kate Del Castillo urged 'El Chapo' to use his power for good, brokered meeting with Sean Penn https://t.co/9cGSJzsL4q
— L.A. Times World (@latimesworld) January 10, 2016
Beth Baumann Likes the Packers!
Just now on Twitter:
@AmPowerBlog NO
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) January 10, 2016
And Ms. Beth a little while ago, lol:
Here we go, @packers!! #GoPackGo #GBvsWAS pic.twitter.com/vLbt9tFw0S
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) January 10, 2016
This girl got game!
Emily Ratajkowski Posts Bikini Selfies as She Vacations in Thailand
Chillin pic.twitter.com/toY5NhNcm8
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) January 6, 2016
Hat Tip: London's Daily Mail, "Island girl Emily Ratajkowski goes topless with lei and strikes model poses in bikini as she vacations at Thai beach resort."
Lena Dunham to Campaign for Hillary Clinton in Iowa
At USA Today, "Lena Dunham to campaign for Hillary Clinton in Iowa."
And at Twitchy, "Lena Dunham tears up thinking of ‘horrific gendered attacks’ against Hillary Clinton."
Oh brother.
Cruz Leads Trump in Iowa 28-to-24 Percent, Latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News Poll Finds
But Marist, who did the survey, has a summary at their homepage, "Cruz and Trump Vie in IA, Trump NH Favorite… Clinton and Sanders Competitive":
With just weeks to go until the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 28%, edges businessman Donald Trump, 24%, among likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, 13%, and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, 11%, are vying for the “third ticket” out of Iowa. In New Hampshire, Trump, 30%, outdistances Rubio, 14%, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 12%, among likely Republican primary voters statewide including those who are undecided yet leaning toward a candidate. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 10%, Ohio Governor John Kasich, 9%, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, 9%, follow.Keep reading.
Jeb and Kasich are both at 9 percent, which is almost three points lower for each when compared to the NH1 poll also out this week, "NH1 News Poll Shows Jeb Bush Battling John Kasich for 2nd Place; Donald Trump Holds Lead at 31.7 Percent."
In both polls, though, Donald Trump is far and away the Granite State frontrunner.
In any case, more at NBC News, "Poll: Neck-and-Neck 2016 Races in Iowa, New Hampshire." Hillary's up 48-45 percent in Iowa, which is within the margin of error (and should be freaking out the Clinton campaign, either way.)
Sunday Cartoons
Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES," and Theo Spark's, "Cartoon Round Up..."
Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Obama Cares."
Judge Jeanine Pirro Slams Philadelphia Democrat Mayor Jim Kenney! (VIDEO)
Here, "Philly Mayor Jim Kenney Says Jihadist Police Ambush Shooting 'Had Nothing to Do With Islam' (VIDEO)."
Judge Jeanine hammers this PC POS:
Arthur Laffer Predicts Republicans Will Win the White House in Landslide
At the Hill:
Economist says GOP could win 47 states in November: "We’re going to landslide" https://t.co/jWijnF6rS6 pic.twitter.com/juwJzE8YbP
— The Hill (@thehill) January 10, 2016
Majorities Say Obama Has Failed on Every Measure
See, "Donald Trump Beats Hillary Clinton in General Election Match-Up, 47-44 Percent (VIDEO)."
More at Fox News:
Fox poll shows 59% of men & 56% of women say Obama Admin. has mostly failed on making the country safer. @ANHQDC pic.twitter.com/hkXCBIF5Fa
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 10, 2016
Kristen Keogh's Got Your Sunday Forecast
At ABC News 10 San Diego:
Conservative Ideology and the #Malheur Wildlife Reserve Occupation (VIDEO)
IT is tempting to dismiss the antigovernment gunmen who took control of an animal refuge in Oregon on Jan. 2 as fanatics working at the fringes of American politics. But if the methods used by the rancher Ammon Bundy to seize the federal property were radical, the ideological roots of the operation were somewhat more mainstream.Still more.
By storming the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and vowing to return it — by force of arms, if necessary — to the people of Harney County, Mr. Bundy and his men were echoing the teachings, if not the tactics, of the Wise Use movement: a conservative land-use doctrine that has been a part of the national discourse for nearly 30 years.
A successor to the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s (itself a successor to the anti-national parks Boomers project of the early 1900s), Wise Use answers the question of who should own the West by granting moral primacy to natural resource companies and to logging and ranching families like the Bundys, some of which have worked the land since the pioneer expansion.
Though composed of many activists and scores of organizations, Wise Use found its voice in the late 1980s when a timber industry adviser named Ron Arnold published “The Wise Use Agenda.” The manifesto offered an expansive plan to gut environmental regulation, increase private ownership of public land and compel the federal government to open its holdings to mining, oil and logging companies and to the unrestricted use of off-road vehicles.
Mr. Arnold adopted the phrase “wise use” from Gifford Pinchot, the first head of the United States Forest Service (who said that “conservation is the wise use of resources”). In 1988 he held a conference, bringing together the likes of Exxon and the National Cattlemen’s Association, with the goal of seeding the West with grass-roots groups that could wrest control of federal land and give a local flavor to his Reaganite aims.
“Arnold sent organizers into distressed rural communities to set up front groups with environmentally friendly sounding names that whipped up hostility against the government,” said Tarso Ramos, the executive director of Political Research Associates, a research group that studies right-wing movements. What resulted, Mr. Ramos said, was a “coalition of natural-resource companies, property developers and conservative activists working with a network of community organizations.”
This coalition achieved success in pushing its agenda. By the early 1990s, politicians friendly to the Wise Use cause had introduced or passed legislation in nearly 30 states giving local governments and citizens expanded powers to lay claim to federal land. Among those politicians was Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage, an Idaho Republican, who became notorious for mocking the Endangered Species Act by holding what she called “endangered salmon bakes.” There was also Gale A. Norton, the interior secretary under President George W. Bush, who once worked as a lawyer for the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which has billed itself as “the litigation arm of Wise Use.”
“The Wise Use crowd got very close to the centers of power,” Mr. Ramos said...
Previous Malheur blogging is here.
Is Ted Cruz a 'Natural Born Citizen'? (VIDEO)
In just a couple of days the MSM's spent more time on it than on Obama's eligibility, at least from the point of view of critical vs. sympathetic analysis. (Nothing shall derail the political momentum of Democrat candidates.)
Breitbart dredged up Cruz's mom's birth certificate, so that's not in question, while Obama never actually released his long-form birth certificate, only a printout of "certification of live birth" from the county government offices there in Hawaii. (A real birth certificate includes medical information, full legal name at time of birth, doctors' signatures and all that --- none of which was included on the county printout.)
Here's the Bretibart piece, via Memeorandum, "Exclusive: Birth Certificate for Ted Cruz's Mother." I have no idea if it's actually authenticated, but I haven't seen anyone claiming Cruz's mom wasn't born in the U.S. Or at least not yet.
Professor Thomas Lee, of Fordham Law School, provides a high-brow scholarly analysis, at the Los Angeles Times, "Is Ted Cruz a 'natural born Citizen'? Not if you're a constitutional originalist."
Perhaps, but then the Supreme Court makes the final decision on these issues. I expect the law's settled enough nowadays to show that one American-citizen parent is enough to constitute presidential eligibility for the children.
More video at CNN, "Sen. Ted Cruz on State of the Union: Part 1," and "Sen. Ted Cruz on State of the Union: Part 2."
Video of 'Heavily Armed Security Detail' at the #Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Following-up from this early this morning, "Pacific Patriot Network Opposes #Malheur Occupation, Issues Call for Peaceful Resolution of Standoff (VIDEO)." (Linked by Ed Driscoll at Instapundit. Thanks!)
And here's the dramatic video from KOIN News 6 in Portland:
Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Take Different Paths to Iowa Voters
At the Los Angeles Times:
Donald Trump launched his TV advertising just after New Year's with his familiar swagger: He was so far ahead in the polls that it might be a waste, he said, but he felt guilty for not spending his money.More.
The reality was more sobering.
After six months of branding opponents and critics as losers, Trump faces the threat of becoming one himself in Iowa, the first state to hold a Republican presidential nominating contest. The ads are a crucial part of Trump's strategy to keep Ted Cruz from beating him in the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.
Cruz's appeals to evangelicals, tea party followers and other conservatives have made the Texas senator the current favorite in Iowa, though the New York billionaire remains a solid front-runner in the rest of the country.
Cruz's surge in Iowa is jeopardizing Trump's quest to "run the table" by winning every GOP primary and caucus nationwide.
The two are taking sharply contrasting approaches to Iowa. Trump has darted in for occasional rallies before huge crowds, relying on TV news coverage to reach Iowans. He typically spends a few hours in the state, then returns to New York in his private jet. Trump's rallies Saturday afternoon in Ottumwa and Clear Lake came after an 11-day absence from Iowa.
Cruz has devoted far more time and resources to the state, following the playbook of previous Iowa caucus winners Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum...
Los Angeles Homeless Woman 'died without a tent, rain-soaked and wrapped in a wet blanket on a piece of plastic...'
Apparently the police can't force people off the street, even if they're not in their right mind. The woman was offered shelter from homeless advocates and she refused.
At LAT, "Homeless woman died of exposure on skid row sidewalk during El Niño storm."
ADDED: L.A.'s a Democrat city. Just think about that for a minute.
Mass Muslim Immigration Will Bring Islam's Problems Here
To hear the Left tell it, the debate over mass Muslim immigration — especially from conflict zones — is a simple contest between compassionate tolerance and cowardly xenophobia. They claim their opponents are cowards because the percentage of refugees or immigrants who are terrorists is very small (your bathtub is more dangerous than a Muslim immigrant), and they’re xenophobes because they have no understanding or appreciation for the blessings and benefits of diversity. Conservatives are all fear and no heart.Well, that's for sure.
According to the rules of this debate, there are but two kinds of Muslim immigrants — the tiny few terrorists and the overwhelmingly deserving, suffering majority. Question this narrative, or call attention to the vast cultural gaps between the refugees and the Western nations they’re fleeing to, and you’re a racist. After all, our cultural elite understands the Muslim world better than you do. They went to Harvard with Muslims, and the Muslims they know have great accents, cool customs, and — most importantly — tales of imperialist oppression that turn the leftist heart to mush. What’s not to love?
The recent events in Cologne and other German and Austrian cities represent a necessary, reality-based corrective to this absurd binary thinking...
Still more.
And previously, "Cologne's Muslim Rape Gangs Spark Bitter Debate on Refugees in Germany (VIDEO)."
For Republicans, Mounting Fears of Lasting Split
Isn't it always the Republicans risking a "lasting split"?
I tweeted the New York Times:
For Republicans, Mounting Fears of Lasting Split. Blah, blah. https://t.co/COXWig20fD
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) January 10, 2016
Also at Memeorandum.
NH1 News Poll Shows Jeb Bush Battling John Kasich for 2nd Place; Donald Trump Holds Lead at 31.7 Percent
And at NH1, "New NH1 News Poll: Donald Trump leads in NH but Jeb Bush battles John Kasich for 2nd":
CONCORD - A new NH1 News poll in New Hampshire indicates Donald Trump remains well out in front of the rest of the Republican presidential field. But the survey stands out by suggesting that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are battling for second.Trump's support surges to 35.6 percent among undeclared voters who might vote in the Republican primary.
And the automated telephone survey, released Friday, indicates a divide between undeclared voters and registered Republicans when it comes to support for Trump, the front runner in virtually all polls since last summer. And the survey point to a gender gap, with Trump surprising holding larger lead among female voter than their male counterparts.
The survey, conducted Thursday by REACH Communications, questioned 1,000 Republicans and independents likely to vote in the Feb. 9 GOP primary in the Granite State.
Among the overall sample, Trump grabs 31.7% support. Bush is at 11.9%, with Kasich at 11.8% and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 11%. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is backed by 9.7% of those questioned, with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 8.9%. Taking into account the overall poll's 3.1% sampling error, all four candidates are basically all knotted up.
Following further behind are businesswoman Carly Fiorina (4.6%), famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson (3.8%), Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky (3%), former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (2.6%), and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (1%).
Among registered Republicans, Trump stands at 26.2%. But his support surges to 35.6% among undeclared voters likely to vote in the GOP primary...
I thought Jeb was done by now, but he's apparently camped out in the Granite State and has probably shaken a lot of hands.
More.
Things are going to shake out quickly after New Hampshire. Super Tuesday's March 1st. That's going to be the big day!
No Powerball Winner, So Jackpot Expected to Hit $1.3 Billion
At the Los Angeles Times, "No winning Powerball tickets sold; jackpot hits $1.3 billion."
'El Chapo' Met with Actor Sean Penn Months Before Recapture, Rolling Stone Magazine Says (VIDEO)
Also at Rolling Stone, via Memeorandum, "El Chapo Speaks."
More at Fausta's, "Mexico: Sean Penn, El Chapo, friends?"
And watch, at CBS News 2 New York:
Germany's 'Right-Wing Extremists' Reinvent Themselves as Grassroots Activists
Far left-wing Stalinists are "liberals," to hear the idiots in the mainstream press.
At the Wall Street Journal, "Tapping Fears Over Migrants, Germany’s Far Right Expands Influence":
#WSJ Migrant Crisis Re-Energizes German Far Right: After failing at the ballot box, Germany’s right-wing extre... https://t.co/0SEBl6QHk5
— guynextdoor (@guynextdoorRVA) December 29, 2015
BERLIN—For years, Klaus Armstroff, head of an obscure German far-right party that calls for sweeping nationalizations, the death penalty and the return of lost pre-World War II territories, struggled to market his ideas. Now he can hardly keep up with demand for his “propaganda material.”
“People call us who have nothing to do with our party. But they order material to wake up their neighbors,” said Mr. Armstroff, who founded the party, called The Third Way, in 2013. Chancellor Angela Merkel, he said, “is playing into our hands.”
Public angst about the government’s decision to open the country’s doors to hundreds of thousands of migrants and the absence of a counterproposal from Germany’s mainstream parties have energized a far-right scene that, until recently, had appeared on the verge of political extinction....
Ballhausen, in the eastern German state of Thuringia, is one of many towns and villages where far-right activists have harnessed anxiety about the migrants to push their agenda, as Dorothea Schröder, a 59-year-old social worker, found out recently.
When Ms. Schröder and her local church decided to help refugees this autumn, she first turned to neighbors in Ballhausen for support. But it wasn’t forthcoming. After she and the local parish announced that they would host a migrant family in a house owned by the church, Ms. Schröder and her few supporters found stickers from The Third Way opposing refugees on mailboxes and doors. The village’s bus stops are currently daubed with a swastika and the runes of the Nazi Waffen-SS unit.
Known far-right activists turned up at a meeting on the issue that the church organized last month. The gathering soon descended into a shouting match, and police had to intervene to restore order.
“Some said the migrants should all drown in the Mediterranean, they should all be put into mines and be buried, or that they should fight in Syria and help to rebuild their country just as the Germans did after 1945,” Ms. Schröder said.
The NPD, the most well-known of Germany’s few, small extreme-right parties, had limited electoral success regionally in the past decade but has since become marginalized. Now, local politicians say, its former and current leaders are often among the organizers of the anti-migrant and anti-Muslim protests that have popped up across the country this year, particularly in the former communist east. And police said they suspected neo-Nazi activists of coordinating a rising wave of attacks against refugee shelters, which have quadrupled to more than 800 this year from 2014.
Pacific Patriot Network Opposes #Malheur Occupation, Issues Call for Peaceful Resolution of Standoff (VIDEO)
We've got some interesting new developments.
The Pacific Patriot Network (PPP), a so-called "umbrella group" for local militias, is putting pressure on the Bundy militiamen to wind down the occupation. Their leaders met with law enforcement authorities and spoke out for a "deescalation" at a press conference yesterday afternoon. At the video below is Joseph Rice, one of the founders of the PPP.
The group issued an "articles of resolution," apparently delivered to the FBI, seen at their website, "Proposal for Resolution of the Peaceful Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by Citizens for Constitutional Freedom":
Before the Board of County Commissioners for Harney County State of OregonI see nothing so far to indicate that the "Citizens for Constitutional Freedom" (the Bundy militiamen) are prepared to accept the PPP articles as a basis for a resolution to the crisis.
Proposal for Resolution of the Peaceful Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by Citizens for Constitutional Freedom
First Request
The Harney County Board of Commissioners and Sheriff have been presented with a Redress of Grievance by the Committee of Safety, detailing out concern’s of the citizens. Harney County Administration has stated they wish to work with the Committee of Safety, yet have failed to respond nor answer the Committee’s Redress of Grievance.
Therefore;
Citizens for Constitutional Freedom request the Harney County Government address all stated grievances in writing, demonstrating they intend to work with the newly formed Committee of Safety addressing matters of county citizens concern.
Second Request
Two witness have come forward and provided recorded eye witness accounts of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), using drip torches, lighting fire along the boundary of the Hammond Ranch. One BLM crew started at the south end of the ranch and the second BLM crew started on the east side of the ranch creating a horseshoe of fire around the Hammond ranch. The Hammond’s responded with lighting back burns to prevent fire spread onto their ranch protecting their private property. The witness was interview[ed] by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Frank Papagni, Jr. AUSA Papagni never called on this witness, nor in pre trial discovery reported to the defense the existence of these witnesses.
Therefore;
Citizens for Constitutional Freedom request the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conduct a criminal investigation into prosecutorial misconduct for unlawfully withholding eyewitness testimony which would have aided in the Hammond’s defense. The withholding of evidence and action’s by U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshal has further lead to the violation of the Hammond’s 5th Amendment and 8th Amendment Constitutional Rights.
Third Request
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, publicly owned land, is currently undermanagement by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, a Federal Government agency. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States Constitution clearly states what land the Federal Government may own, with permission of the State. Article 6, Section 2, Clause 2 define the United States Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Therefore;
Citizens for Constitutional Freedom request Harney County Government petition and give notice to the Federal Government for the transfer and unconditional return to local control of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as allowed by Article 4, Section 3, Clause 2. Harney County Government in equal Partnership with the Burns Paiute Tribe will manage and administer this publicly owned land to the values and vision of the local community.
NOW, THEREFORE, based on the foregoing, Citizens for Constitutional Freedom put forth these requests, to be individually address in written format and entered into the official record, to bring resolution to the peaceful occupation of publicly owned land currently identified as the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Upon deliver and posting of documents in the official record, Citizens for Constitutional Freedom will vacate the aforementioned land within 24 hours.
Signed this 8th day of January in the year of 2016.
More at the Portland Oregonian, "Arrival of rifle-toting 'Patriots' breaks relative calm at Oregon standoff compound."
And at Oregon Public Broadcasting, "New Armed Group Enters Harney County, Meets With Sheriff."
Also at Memeorandum.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Amber Lee's Sunday Forecast
Calm before the storm, really!
Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:
Cologne's Muslim Rape Gangs Spark Bitter Debate on Refugees in Germany (VIDEO)
Heh, sexual savagery in Germany is fomenting a major backlash.
Here's Der Spiegel, "Chaos and Violence: How New Year's Eve in Cologne Has Changed Germany" (via Memeorandum):
New Year's Eve in Cologne rapidly descended into a chaotic free-for-all involving sexual assault and theft, most of it apparently committed by foreigners. It has launched a bitter debate over immigration and refugees in Germany -- one that could change the country.
A lot happened on New Year's Eve in Cologne, much of it contradictory, much of it real, much of it imagined. Some was happenstance, some was exaggerated and much of it was horrifying. In its entirety, the events of Cologne on New Year's Eve and in the days that followed adhered to a script that many had feared would come true even before it actually did. The fears of both immigration supporters and virulent xenophobes came true. The fears of Pegida people and refugee helpers; the fears of unknown women and of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Even Donald Trump, the brash Republican presidential candidate in the US, felt it necessary to comment. Germany, he trumpeted, "is going through massive attacks to its people by the migrants allowed to enter the country."You gotta love how Spiegel's all trying to be even handed. The fact is conservatives predicted these very outcomes from the beginning. For the left, they think the conservative reaction confirms their warning of "fascism." In the end, it's the voters who get to decide. Angela Merkel's gonna find out she made a huge mistake. Epic.
For some, the events finally bring to light what they have always been saying: that too many foreigners in the country bring too many problems along with them. For the others, that which happened is what they have been afraid of from the very beginning: that ugly images of ugly behavior by migrants would endanger what has been a generally positive mood in Germany with respect to the refugees.
As inexact and unclear as the facts from Cologne may be, they carry a clear message: Difficult days are ahead. And they beg a couple of clear questions: Is Germany really sure that it can handle the influx of refugees? And: Does Germany really have the courage and the desire to become the country in Europe with the greatest number of immigrants?
The first week of 2016 was a hectic one. Tempers flared and hysteria spread. It should be noted that an attack would have triggered similar national emotions, or the murder of a child in a park or any other crime that touched on our deepest fears and serviced our long-held stereotypes -- any crime in which a foreigner was involved. On New Year's Eve in Cologne, it was -- according to numerous witness reports -- drunk young men from North Africa who formed gangs to go after defenseless individuals. They humiliated and robbed -- and they sexually assaulted women.
Their behavior, and the subsequent discussion of their behavior in the halls of political power in Berlin, in the media and on the Internet, could easily trigger a radical shift in Germany's refugee and immigration policies. The pressure built up by the images and stories from Cologne make it virtually impossible to continue on as before. That, too, is a paradox: The pressure would be no less intense even if not a single one of the refugees and migrants who arrived in 2015 were among the perpetrators...
But keep reading.
Pittsburgh Steelers Defeat Cinnicinati Bengals, 18-16, in Wild Wild-Card Win (VIDEO)
Just wow.
At LAT, "Steelers escape with wild-card win, 18-16, as Bengals lose control":
A knockout hit by Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict wound up knocking the Bengals out of the playoffs -- yet again.Keep reading.
Thanks to Burfict's headhunting hit to the helmet of Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown -- followed by an unsportsmanlike call on the Bengals after the play -- the Steelers pulled off an 18-16 victory in a wildcard game, clinching with a 39-yard field goal by Chris Boswell.
The rain-soaked crowd, delirious just minutes earlier, watched in devastated disbelief. Orange crushed.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had to be carted to the locker room late in the game with a right shoulder injury (the result of another Burfict hit), came back to direct the final scoring drive.
Pittsburgh moves on to play a divisional game at Denver next weekend.
For the Bengals, more heartache...
Donald Trump Beats Hillary Clinton in General Election Match-Up, 47-44 Percent (VIDEO)
At Memeorandum, "Fox News Poll: Trump, Cruz top GOP race nationally." And, "Poll: Trump Beats Hillary in General Election Match-Up."
Also, at Gateway Pundit, "FOX News Poll: Trump Gains 20 Points on Hillary Since June – Now Leads Her by 3."
The raw internals are here, "Fox News Poll: National presidential race, Obama ratings."
And watch, from Fox & Friends, "Latest Rankings - Brand New Fox News Poll Released."
Tensions Flare as New Heavily Armed 'Security Detail' Appears at #Malheur National Wildlife Reserve (VIDEO)
And now a new group has arrived on the scene, members of the Pacific Patriot Network, who are heavily armed. They weren't welcomed by Ammon Bundy and were asked to leave.
As I said last night, it's getting testy up there. (See, "Armed Idaho Militia Arrives to 'Secure Perimeter' at #Malheur, Prevent 'Waco-Style Situation' [VIDEO].")
And now, at the Portland Oregonian, "Heavily armed 'security detail' shows up at Oregon standoff encampment":
Armed members of the Pacific Patriot Network are leaving the occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.More.
Joseph Rice, a spokesman for the network, told reporters that his group presented occupation leader Ammon Bundy and other protesters with "articles of resolution."
He didn't say what was in the document, but noted that his group wants to move the sides to an end to the standoff.
Then network members got into most of the cars and trucks they'd parked nearby and started heading out of the reserve.
Rice didn't address whether his group would return, saying only: "We are moving on to present them (the articles of resolution) to other government agencies."
The network is maintaining a neutral stance in the dispute, he said...
Life in Prison for Woman Who Killed Her Kids After Losing Custody Battle
Democrat family values.
At the Los Angeles Times, "Woman who killed her children after losing custody gets life in prison."
Kansas City Chiefs Score Early and Often in Blowout Win Over Houston Texans (VIDEO)
At LAT, "Chiefs score early and often in dominating shutout of Texans":
.@lamblock #KansasCity looks like a freakin' Super Bowl team, dang! #KCvsHOU
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) January 9, 2016
Knile Davis had a 106-yard kickoff return and the Kansas City defense forced five turnovers to cruise to their first playoff win since 1994, a 30-0 wild-card victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.More.
On the opening kickoff, Davis got three good blocks around the 10-yard line and then simply outran the rest of the defenders for the second-longest kickoff return TD in postseason history.
The defense took over after that, harassing Brian Hoyer into a fumble and three of his career-high four interceptions before halftime to help the Chiefs (12-5) take a 13-0 lead at halftime...
Also at USA Today, "Kansas City Chiefs steamroll Texas in AFC wild-card game; WR Maclin injured."
Ted Cruz Holds 27 Point Lead in Latest Fox News Iowa Primary Poll (VIDEO)
Now, what if, hypothetically, Cruz wins Iowa and then heads into New Hampshire to knock Trump out of first place in the polls days before the election? Oh boy, this is going to be an excruciating primary season.
Watch, via Fox News:
More, via Memeorandum, "Fox News Poll: Cruz, Trump remain top GOP picks in Iowa."
Edward Archer, Philadelphia Jihad Shooter, Traveled to Egypt and Saudi Arabia
At the Wall Street Journal, "Suspect in Philadelphia Police Shooting Had Visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia":
The man arrested for allegedly shooting a Philadelphia police officer three times in a late-night ambush traveled to Saudi Arabia in late 2011 and to Egypt in 2012, according to a person familiar with the matter.Keep reading.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the 30-year-old man, Edward Archer, had any connections to foreign terror suspects and whether his overseas travel is of any significance to the investigation of policeman’s shooting, the person added.
The Philadelphia Police Department is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The person familiar with the situation said Mr. Archer traveled to Saudi Arabia for a couple of weeks in October-November of 2011. The following year, he spent several months in Egypt. It wasn’t immediately clear why he traveled to those countries.
Police officials on Friday said Mr. Archer told detectives he was inspired by the Islamic State extremist group. Police Commissioner Richard Ross, however, had said that day that he didn’t know if the suspect had any connection to the group or acted alone.
Meanwhile, prosecutors on Saturday said Mr. Archer was charged with attempted murder. He is being held without bail, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 25, according to online court records.
In addition to the attempted murder count, Mr. Archer also faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer and several gun-related offenses...
Sarah Stephens Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Casting Call (VIDEO)
Do You Suffer from Islamist Denial Syndrome?
RT @BiffSpackle "Do you suffer from Islamist Denial Syndrome?"
https://t.co/MQjAqD9LcC
pic.twitter.com/ILkQp8YOqV
— Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) January 9, 2016
Dow Industrials Tumbled More Than 1,000 Points This Week (VIDEO)
At WSJ, "Bad Week for U.S. Stocks Dims Outlook":
The Dow industrials tumbled more than 1,000 points this week, marking the worst first five days of any year, as volatility across the globe rattled investors.Keep reading.
Traders said they are bracing for further big swings in the weeks to come.
The Dow fell 1% Friday after starting the day in positive territory amid a strong U.S. jobs report and an uneventful session in China’s markets overnight. But shares slumped in afternoon trading as investors became unwilling to enter the weekend exposed to the risk of further losses.
In all, U.S. stocks lost $1.36 trillion in value this past week. The unusually severe drop highlighted the precarious position of markets caught between relatively high valuations—attributable in part to years of easy money from central banks—and a new round of uncertainty about the fundamental underpinnings of key parts of the global economy.
“The conundrum is there are parts of the world that are doing fine...and we have pockets that aren’t doing so well,” said Lawrence Kemp, head of BlackRock’s Fundamental Large Cap Growth team. “Given what’s going on in China and the rest of the world, the U.S. economy could grow a little more slowly.”