The Nation Asked Four Prominent Bernie Supporters If They’d Vote for Hillary in November

The four are Doug Henwood, Rania Khalek, Kathleen Geier, and Joshua Holland.

I'm not familiar with most of these folks except Ms. Khalek. She's a female version of Max Blumenthal, and is perhaps even more toxic.

Here, "We Asked 4 Prominent Bernie Supporters if They’d Vote for Hillary in November. Here’s What They Told Us."

And on Twitter:

At @thenation I explain why I can't in good conscience vote 4 Hillary Clinton if she makes it 2 the general election https://t.co/nXMKEjzRjR

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) April 11, 2016

.@DougHenwood is right, what we do in the long term is more important than Nov. And I totally respect @Kathy__Gee's & @JoshuaHol's position.

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) April 11, 2016

Hillary Clinton called into question the innocence of dead Palestinian civilians yesterday to attack Bernie Sanders https://t.co/Jd8S1yohjG

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) April 11, 2016

.@RaniaKhalek eviscerates Hillary Clinton, who blamed Palestinians for their own deathshttps://t.co/duyHoCCuO2 pic.twitter.com/uXUskLhcgt

— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) April 12, 2016

Gary Sernovitz, The Green and the Black

I love this.

The guy's a leftist.

At Amazon, The Green and the Black: The Complete Story of the Shale Revolution, the Fight over Fracking, and the Future of Energy.

Gary Sernovitz leads a double life. A typical New York liberal, he is also an oilman - a fact his left-leaning friends let slide until the word "fracking" entered popular parlance. "How can you frack?" they suddenly demanded, aghast. But for Sernovitz, the real question is, "What happens if we don't?"

Fracking has become a four-letter word to environmentalists. But most people don't know what it means. In his fast-paced, funny, and lively book, Sernovitz explains the reality of fracking: what it is, how it can be made safer, and how the oil business works.

He also tells the bigger story. Fracking was just one part of a shale revolution that shocked our assumptions about fueling America's future. The revolution has transformed the world with consequences for the oil industry, investors, environmentalists, political leaders, and anyone who lives in areas shaped by the shales, uses fossil fuels, or cares about the climate - in short, everyone. Thanks to American engineers' oilfield innovations, the United States is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions, has sparked a potential manufacturing renaissance, and may soon eliminate its dependence on foreign energy. Once again the largest oil and gas producer in the world, America has altered its balance of power with Russia and the Middle East.

Yet the shale revolution has also caused local disruptions and pollution. It has prolonged the world's use of fossil fuels. Is there any way to reconcile the costs with the benefits of fracking?

More.

Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton Hold Strong Leads in New York Ahead of Primary, Poll Finds

Trump holds a 36-point lead over Ted Cruz in New York, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll.

At WSJ:

Trump, Clinton hold strong leads in New York ahead of state’s primary, WSJ/NBC/Marist poll finds. https://t.co/UCr1m1SPBo

— Capital Journal (@WSJPolitics) April 12, 2016

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hold double-digit leads in New York and are poised to regain their footing in their home state’s primaries next Tuesday, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll finds.

On the Republican side, Mr. Trump holds a 33-point lead over his closest rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, 54% to 21%, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz trails both, as the top pick of 18% of likely Republican primary voters.

Mrs. Clinton maintains a 14-point lead in the Democratic contest, outpacing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 55% to 41% among likely Democratic primary voters. The former secretary of state’s lead is built on strength among women, African-Americans and Democrats age 45 and older.

The survey results will be welcome news to the two front-runners, who have both lost ground in recent weeks. Mr. Trump is looking to bounce back from a decisive loss in last week’s Wisconsin primary, while Mrs. Clinton has lost eight of the last nine Democratic contests.

“Right now, the front-runners look like they will erase recent setbacks and add significantly to their delegate margins,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey. “New York is not likely to enhance the hopes of those trying to close the gap in the delegate hunt.”

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump remain the clear leaders in their parties nominating contests. Mrs. Clinton has a particularly strong advantage because of her support from her party’s so-called superdelegates, the elected officials and other party leaders who have a say in determining the presidential nominee.

Mr. Trump is in a tougher spot because he is in a race to collect the 1,237 delegates required to clinch the nomination before the party gathers in Cleveland to determine the nominee. He has so far won 743. A big win in New York would help him reset his campaign narrative, after he surrendered delegates to the Cruz camp at a string of recent state party conventions.

On Monday, Mr. Trump, prompted by the result of the Colorado contest in which Mr. Cruz won all 34 delegates, complained that the GOP delegate-selection process, which differs from one state to the next, was established by party bigwigs to prevent political outsiders like him from winning the nomination. “The system is rigged, it’s crooked,” he said in an interview on Fox News.

At the same time, he acknowledged that two of his children won’t be able to vote in the New York primary because they missed the registration deadline. “They feel very, very guilty,” he said.

The Republican contest in New York, like the Democratic race, is limited to voters who have registered with the party.

Mr. Trump leads his two remaining rivals by at least a two-to-one margin among just about every demographic group in the New York electorate, among them women, college graduates and those primary voters who practice a religion—three groups with which he often struggles.

New York will award 95 Republican delegates next Tuesday. A candidate can win all of the delegates from any given congressional district if he eclipses the 50% mark...

And get this:

In the latest poll, New York Republicans were also asked about the biggest question hanging over the GOP contest: What should happen if no candidate enters the convention this summer with a majority of delegates, the threshold for clinching the nomination.

A large majority—64%—thinks Mr. Trump should win the nomination if he has the most delegates, even if he falls short of a majority, the poll found.

If Mr. Trump doesn’t win the nomination, most primary voters also said they would oppose any effort to crown someone who didn’t run for president this year, throwing cold water on speculation that party leaders should nominate House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) or some other Republican who sidestepped the primary. Some 59% said the nominee should be someone who ran in the primaries, while 32% said it would be acceptable to have a nominee who didn’t...

More at that top link.

The party bosses are clueless if they think a "dark horse" nominee at a "brokered" convention is gonna fly.

RELATED: At NY1 News, "NY1/Baruch College Poll: Trump Leads Rivals by 43 Percentage Points."

Sounds a little too big of a margin, but hey, if Trump can clear 50 percent, it'll be winner-take-all for the delegates.

Jackie Johnson's Partly Clearing Forecast

It's pretty normal weather for this time of year, and we've got something of an onshore flow coming tomorrow. Apparently, rainy storm conditions will be pushed north.

It should be nice.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Donald Trump Surrogate Paul Manafort Claims Ted Cruz Campaign Using 'Gestapo Tactics' (VIDEO)

Manafort's not just any old surrogate. He's an old GOP hand who was "the delegate-hunt coordinator" for Gerald Ford's 1976 convention floor fight in Kansas City, Missouri.

So, Manafort, along with Donald Trump himself, was pushing aggressively today to delegitimize the Colorado Republican state party convention, where Ted Cruz swept all of the state's 34 delegates to the national party convention in Cleveland. Boy, everything's a mess, and it's getting nasty out there.

At Fox News, via Memeorandum, "Trump slams GOP nominating process as top aide accuses Cruz of 'gestapo tactics' to win delegates."

And watch, from Greta's "On the Record" this afternoon:

Deterioration in U.S. Race Relations

You don't say?

At Gallup, "U.S. Worries About Race Relations Reach a New High" (via Memeorandum):

My favorite part about the Obama era is all the racial healing.

— jon gabriel (@exjon) November 24, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than a third (35%) of Americans now say they are worried "a great deal" about race relations in the U.S. -- which is higher than at any time since Gallup first asked the question in 2001. The percentage who are worried a great deal rose seven percentage points in the past year and has more than doubled in the past two years.

Concern about race relations in the U.S. has risen during an 18-month period marked by a series of deaths of unarmed blacks at the hands of police officers. These deaths sparked major, sometimes violent, protests and fueled the nationwide rise of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

Democrats, Liberals More Worried Than Republicans, Conservatives

Concern about race relations over the past two years has increased among Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, and blacks and whites. But the gap between the groups who were already most worried before 2015 -- Democrats, liberals and blacks -- and those less worried has not shrunk, and in some cases has widened. Of particular note is the 53% to 27% "worried" gap between blacks and whites, up from the 31% to 14% gap between blacks and whites in the 2012-2014 combined polls...

More.

Racial healing, heh.

Jered Weaver Comes Through for the Angels

Weaver's been fighting the hate on social media and has been reassuring critics his stuff's back up to 100 percent.

So, he sure proved himself healthy and capable in yesterday's 3-1 victory over Texas.

It was nice.

At the O.C Register, "Weaver and his 84 mph fastball help Angels split series with Rangers":

Weaver threw 84 pitches and used his fastball 19 times. Average velocity was 82 mph. Hit 84 mph four times.

— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) April 10, 2016

Jered Weaver on his start: "It makes me look forward to the future in baseball as opposed to maybe it’s going to be about shutting it down."

— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) April 10, 2016

ANAHEIM – Jered Weaver heard the same question from the same chorus for most of spring training.

Can a big-league starting pitcher still get outs, even with a fastball that fails to move much past 80 mph?

At least on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium, the answered appeared to be yes.

Weaver delivered a gutsy performance in his season debut, giving up six hits and one run over six innings, in the Angels’ 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers to split a four-game series.

“I can pitch like that for the rest of the season,” Weaver said, “but I only know it’s going to get better.”

The Angels improved to 2-4 and avoided what would have equaled their worst start through six games in franchise history...

Thank goodness, sheesh.

Keep reading.

West Hollywood Councilman John Duran Was Seen at Public Council Meetings 'trolling for men on Grindr...'

Well, there's those Democrat Party values for you.

When I was blogging homosexual marriage all the time back in the day, one of the biggest findings (that went against the left's "marriage equality" mantra), is that homosexual men are plagued with virtually unquenchable rampant sexual urges. They just can't get enough, and they're in no way likely to want to "settle down" monogamously with a "spouse." It's utter hypocrisy to claim that same-sex marriages are equal to, well, regular marriage (which somehow started to be called "opposite sex" marriage, smh). Andrew Sullivan was the personification of the hypocrisy, when his "milky loads" scandal broke wide open, lol.

More of this utter depravity, at LAT, "Sex scandal at West Hollywood City Hall spark calls for less Grindr, more respect":

West Hollywood is not shy about sex.

When city officials held a public forum about anal cancer, they called it "Booty Call to Action." The City Hall lobby offers free condoms. A water conservation campaign encouraged residents to "have a morning quickie" by taking short showers.

But in February, West Hollywood agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city and Councilman John Duran. The suit was brought on behalf of Ian Owens, whom Duran hired as his deputy after meeting him on Grindr, the smartphone dating app for gay and bisexual men, and then having sex with him.

Now, some residents and politicians in this mecca of gay culture and the home of the Sunset Strip counterculture are wondering if City Hall's famously cheeky attitude about sex needs to be checked a little.

Councilman John D'Amico, who like Duran is gay, said he often looked over during public meetings and saw Duran "trolling for men on Grindr."

"This is not gay-life excuse time, or 'This is how we do it because we're gay,'" D'Amico said at a council meeting. "This is we-live-in-the-21st-century time, and treating people with respect and care and following not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law is ... part of who we are as a city."

As part of the settlement, Duran and West Hollywood admitted no wrongdoing, but a private investigator's report commissioned by the city dinged Duran for openly talking about his sex life and making "inappropriate" comments that "were sexual in nature" in the workplace.

Duran publicly apologized last month for hiring "a friend," but he has repeatedly denied sexual harassment. He conceded in an interview that had the lawsuit against him and the city gone to trial, West Hollywood's "unique culture" might not have translated well with many members of a jury outside of the city.

"I'm not a stuffed-shirt politician," Duran said. "Yes, my humor is bawdy and funny and outrageous, but, you know what, so is everything else in this town. I could not get elected in Downey."

Indeed, West Hollywood council members occasionally engage in the kind of risque talk that in more strait-laced towns could possibly cost politicians voters or get them recalled. Here, residents sometimes playfully join in the banter during council meetings, whether it's a play-by-play about a visit to the gynecologist or riffs on porn collections.

But in an email, Owens said Duran crossed the line...

More.

University of Toronto Gender-Neutral Bathrooms Reduced After Voyeurism Reports

Heh. Leftists don't like it when you question transgender privilege, lol.

But the case for trans restrooms just keeps getting weaker.

At PuffHo:

The University of Toronto (U of T) is temporarily changing its policy on gender-neutral bathrooms after two reports of voyeurism in a student residence.

Two women showering in Whitney Hall, a residence at U of T's University College, reported they saw a cellphone reach over the shower-stall dividers in an attempt to record them, in two different incidents, police Const. Victor Kwong told The Toronto Star.

Melinda Scott, dean of students at University College, told campus newspaper The Varsity that some washrooms in the college's residences will now be separated by gender for "those who identify as men and those who identify as women."

"At the same time, there remains at least one gender-neutral washroom per floor and per house,” Scott said.

“The purpose of this temporary measure is to provide a safe space for the women who have been directly impacted by these events and other students who may feel more comfortable in a single-gender washroom in the wake of these incidents."

A first-year Whitney Hall resident told the Varsity she was disappointed by the voyeurism reports.

“I think it sucks that there are going to be people that don’t feel safe in Whitney now, and that we can’t have an inclusive environment," Melissa Birch said...

More.

Cowardice in the Face of Leftist Jew-Hate

From Daniel Greenfield, at FrontPage Magazine, "How Bernie Sanders and other leftists help whitewash anti-Semitism on the Left":

At a Bernie Sanders event in New York City, a black “community activist” began ranting about “Zionist Jews” running the Federal Reserve and Wall Street. At previous events, Sanders had been quick to condemn what he claimed was bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric by Republicans. But when confronted with the real thing by a left-wing activist at one of his own events, he couldn’t do it.

There was no condemnation of anti-Semitism. Instead after an initial claim that he was proud to be Jewish, he switched to a rambling speech criticizing Israel and distancing himself from Zionism.

Bernie Sanders had suggested at the same event that President Clinton was racist for defending his crime fighting policies to Black Lives Matter protesters, but would not condemn anti-Semitism. Instead of defying left-wing hatred for Jews, he tried to suggest that he wasn’t one of the “bad Zionists”. He was one of the “good Jews” who had a balanced position on Israel and “Palestine”.

It was a sad and shameful display. And this was not the first time that Bernie saw bigotry and blinked...

Folks should highlight this to the moon.

William Jacobson had a great report back in February, for example, "Anti-Israel activists hating on Bernie Sanders."

And keep reading Greenfield here.

Feminism and Multiculturalism in Western Europe

From Heather Mac Donald, at City Journal, "When Pieties Collide":

Feminists incessantly harp about a phantom “rape culture” in the United States and other Western countries. On New Year’s Eve 2016, Northern European cities experienced an outbreak of the real thing—and the opponents of patriarchy went silent. It turns out that a more powerful force exists on the left than feminist victimology: multiculturalism.

As revelers gathered in the central square of Cologne, Germany, for the traditional New Year’s Silvesternacht celebrations, thousands of North African and Middle Eastern males started throwing firecrackers into the crowd and attacking passersby. They pickpocketed and robbed males and females, but they directed most of their violence against women: grabbing their breasts and buttocks, inserting their fingers into the women’s vaginas, and, in a few instances, raping them, while shouting sexual insults. A total of 653 victims filed reports with the police.

Similar attacks were reported in Munich, Berlin, Nuremberg, Bremen, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, and Bielefeld, among other cities across 12 German states, though not on the same scale. Outbreaks of sexual violence also occurred in France, Greece, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, and Turkey. The assaults appeared to have been planned and coordinated through social media, Germany’s justice minister Heiko Maas later said. In Cologne, some of the suspects had notes in their pockets with scribbled German translations for female body parts. This mass sexual harassment of females recalled similar incidents during the occupation of Cairo’s Tahrir Square from 2012 to 2014.

German police and political leaders covered up the violence for days. A Cologne police-force press release originally reported that the Silvesternacht celebrations had been peaceful, though officers had witnessed the attacks. Police employees are “afraid of talking about these things in the context of the immigration debate today,” a Stockholm police spokesman told the Guardian, in reference to Sweden’s experience with Muslim sexual attacks on New Year’s Eve and at a music festival in 2014.

Eventually, however, news of the assaults leaked out, and the most surprising cover-up of all began. Leading feminists across the continent and in Great Britain either ignored the incidents entirely or distorted their significance beyond recognition. Silence was justified on the grounds that acknowledging the attacks would encourage opposition to the mass Muslim immigration that had engulfed Europe over the previous year. (German chancellor Angela Merkel accelerated that migration by declaring in August 2015 that her country would accept all Syrian asylum-seekers who made it in to her country.) Feminists were “finding it difficult to speak up about the event because of concerns it might be used to encourage aggression against refugees,” explained British journalist Jessica Abrahams. When feminists were cornered into addressing the violence, they tied themselves into knots trying to change the subject back to their favorite topic: Western white-male patriarchy. “The problem of sexualized violence has already existed here for some time and can’t simply be deported,” said German feminist Anne Wizorek to Der Spiegel. “It cannot be allowed to become the standard in gender debates that only male migrants are considered to be those responsible [for sexual violence].” In other words, the New Year’s assaults were continuous with the routine terror inflicted by German men on German women.

Actually, there was no precedent in Germany or the rest of Europe for mass peacetime sexual assaults, much less ones where the police merely look on. “I have never experienced such a thing in any German city,” a victim told the New York Times. But people who did name the attacks for what they were—a manifestation of Muslim misogyny and an alarm bell regarding mass immigration—were vilified as racists. An old-school German feminist, Alice Schwarzer, denounced the New Year’s assaults as a “gang bang” designed to terrorize women; she found herself condemned by other feminists and “antiracists.” Victims refused to give their names to reporters for fear of being pilloried on social media for xenophobia. Specious moral equivalencies poured forth: not only were the attacks a mere subset of everyday Western antifemale violence, but also ordinary citizens connecting those attacks to the out-of-control migrant situation were no different from the attackers themselves. Ralf Jäger, minister of the interior for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, announced: “What happens on right-wing platforms and in chat rooms is at least as awful as the acts of those assaulting the women.”

The most dazzling eruption of moral blindness came from a British feminist currently on a fellowship at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society...

She's the best. (Mac Donald that is, heh.)

RTWT.

Esteban Nuñez Released from Prison After Manslaughter Sentence Was Drastically Reduced by Arnold Schwarzenegger

This story really bothers me.

Esteban Nuñez is the son of former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, a close political ally of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The background is here, at LAT from last year, "Appeals court upholds Schwarzenegger's clemency for Nuñez son."

And here's the latest, "Esteban Nunez is released from prison after his sentence was drastically reduced by Schwarzenegger."

And see especially, "As Esteban Nuñez nears release from prison, victim's family remains outraged":

The slain student’s mother did the math a long time ago, so the news she recently received — that convicted killer Esteban Nuñez would soon go free after less than six years in prison — came as no real surprise.

That makes it no easier, Kathy Santos said, to know that a high-level political favor is sending him home at age 27, as her son lies in a grave.

“It makes you sick that something like this can happen, and you have no power,” said Santos, whose 22-year-old son, Luis, a San Diego Mesa College student, was killed by a knife to the heart.

Prosecutors said Nuñez and a co-defendant, both armed with knives, acted in concert in the attack that killed the unarmed Santos at San Diego State University in October 2008. Charged with murder, the defendants had faced the possibility of life in prison if they went to trial and lost. Instead, they pleaded guilty to lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter and assault. A judge gave them 16 years in prison.

Nuñez had a powerful father, former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, and the father had a powerful ally, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who — on his last day in office in 2011 — announced he was reducing the sentence to seven years. With good behavior, it would turn out to be less than six.

“Of course you help a friend,” Schwarzenegger later said, a remark that deepened widespread outrage over the commutation, which was reflected in editorials and denunciations by Republicans and Democrats alike...

More.

Deal of the Day: 45% Off AR Blue Clean Pressure Washer

At Amazon, AR Blue Clean AR383 1,900 PSI 1.5 GPM 14 Amp Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel.

Also, Save 40% on Far Cry Primal.

More, Moen 7594ESRS Arbor With Motionsense One-Handle High Arc Pulldown Kitchen Faucet Featuring Reflex, Spot Resist Stainless.

Plus, Stephen Moore and Kathleen Hartnett White, out on May 23rd, Fueling Freedom: Exposing the Mad War on Energy.

And from Neela Banerjee, John H. Cushman Jr., David Hasemyer, and Lisa Song, Exxon: The Road Not Taken.

BONUS: From Mark Steyn, "A Disgrace to the Profession": The World's Scientists - in their own words - on Michael E Mann, his Hockey Stick and their Damage to Science - Volume One.

Ernest May, Strange Victory

I'm still plugging along with Nicholas Stargardt, The German War.

Actually I was able to plow through the first couple hundred pages, but this week's been my vacation week, and my repetitive stress injury's getting better. I've been blogging like my old self.

The Stargardt book had a brief section on Nazi Germany's Blitzkrieg invasion of France. Not very long, but the discussion, particularly on early German expectations for a much more difficult campaign, reminded me of Professor Earnest May's classic volume, Strange Victory: Hitler's Conquest of France.

A dramatic narrative-and reinterpretation-of Germany's six-week campaign that swept the Wehrmacht to Paris in spring 1940.

Before the Nazis killed him for his work in the French Resistance, the great historian Marc Bloch wrote a famous short book, Strange Defeat, about the treatment of his nation at the hands of an enemy the French had believed they could easily dispose of. In Strange Victory, the distinguished American historian Ernest R. May asks the opposite question: How was it that Hitler and his generals managed this swift conquest, considering that France and its allies were superior in every measurable dimension and considering the Germans' own skepticism about their chances?

Strange Victory is a riveting narrative of those six crucial weeks in the spring of 1940, weaving together the decisions made by the high commands with the welter of confused responses from exhausted and ill-informed, or ill-advised, officers in the field...

More.

And I'll have more blogging tonight. I think I'll rest my blogging forearms and read for a while.

Deal of the Day: Samsung 65-Inch Smart LED TV [BUMPED]

An amazing deal, at Amazon, Samsung UN65J6300 65-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV (2015 Model).

Plus, Bushnell Tour V3 Jolt Standard Edition Golf Laser Rangefinder.

More, Up to 55% off Wood Outdoor Patio Sets.

Also, out Tuesday, from Kim R. Holmes, The Closing of the Liberal Mind: How Groupthink and Intolerance Define the Left.

And from James Piereson, Shattered Consensus: The Rise and Decline of America's Postwar Political Order.

Still more, James C. Bennett and Michael J. Lotus, America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity in the 21st Century — Why America's Greatest Days Are Yet to Come.

BONUS: Out April 19th, from Ryszard Legutko, The Demon in Democracy: Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies.

Eliza Cummings for Marie Claire Italy

She's nice.

At Egotastic!, "Eliza Cummings Perfection in Marie Claire Italy."

She's on Instagram.

Two More Colleges Hit by Pro-Trump Chalk Messages (VIDEO)

At USA Today, "'Chalking' officially a problem as pro-Trump messages set off new storms":

If three is officially a trend, chalking is now a trendy — and highly controversial — way for Donald Trump fans to show their love.

This week, two schools — the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga — jumped into the chalking fray, joining the headlines made in March at Emory University with pro-Trump messages scrawled on campus grounds.

Following a now-familiar timeline, the chalked messages appeared and the storms followed. At UTC, it hit the student government.

Hailey Puckett, a member of a UTC student government coalition called Empower UTC who chalked “Trump 2016” on April 5, was asked to resign by fellow coalition members.

Empower’s stance did not go over well with some students, who responded along the lines of this tweet. [Here.]

The next day, EMPOWER UTC members Phillip Stubblefield and Mikayla Long posted apologies. Stubblefield noted that his words had been poorly chosen. “I fully support every individual’s First Amendment rights and the senator-elect has every right to support any candidate of her choosing,” he wrote.

Long apologized and noted that “Hailey was asked by EMPOWER to resign from SGA because she disregarded her responsibility as an elected senator to represent the students that elected her. Her statement, ‘Super proud of our art work, but I have a feeling half of UTCs campus is going to hate it’ does not show that she is currently prepared to represent students effectively. That is the sole reason we asked her to resign.”

More.

That's Hailey Puckett at the clip, appearing on the "Kelly File."

Angels, in Last Place in American League West, Are Already 1 1/2 Games Back

During the post-game show last night, host Alex Curry was talking to analyst Jose Mota, and the latter blew off Manager Mike Scoscia's response to the team's season, that "it's still early." Mota argued that frankly every game matters, even in the first weeks of the season, because each loss puts you further behind your rivals. And when September comes all that matters is the win-loss record.

I have to agree. The Angels are already in the basement of the American League West. They can get out easily, but they need to make the move soon.

Here's Jeff Fletcher, at the O.C. Register, "Escobar's miscue adds to Angels' woes":

An Angels Rite of Spring: the "No one is panicking" speech. https://t.co/8JCCajctyz

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 10, 2016

ANAHEIM – We now bring you what has become a regular feature of an Angels season. …

After the Angels 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, their fourth loss in their first five games, Garrett Richards gave an answer that could have applied to most of the Angels recent Aprils.

“We’re a good club,” Richards said. “I truly believe that. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I don’t think anybody is panicking in here.”

That’s because, as Richards said, “It’s early in the season. We have a ton of games left to play… We’ve started out slow the last few years, but we’re right in it in the end.”

Sure enough, the Angels have started slowly regularly in recent years, and this seems to fit the mold perfectly. The problem is this team didn’t have quite the high expectations of some of those other clubs that started slowly.

The issue with this team is an offense that may be a little shallow, which has definitely been the case as they’ve scored nine runs in the first five games.

Another issue on Saturday night was the defense, which didn’t figure to be a problem in general but has been a concern – of the analysts, if not the Angels – with third baseman Yunel Escobar.

Richards was sailing along with the Angels best start of the season’s first week, trailing 2-1 when he got Elvis Andrus to hit a routine bouncer to Escobar, who fielded it charging toward the middle of the infield. He was just behind the mound when he nonchalantly flipped the ball to first, except his toss sailed over the head of C.J. Cron. As the ball skipped to the railing, Andrus took second.

Escobar came to the Angels with a reputation as a poor defensive player. The Angels have insisted that Escobar’s tools were better than the defensive metrics gave him credit for.

The Angels have worked with Escobar to alter his release point to make his throws more accurate, but this was not one of those cases. This wasn’t so much a throw as a flip.

“He just stayed open and tried to flip it over there and just threw it a little bit high,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “But when he sets his feet, he’s throwing the ball very well.”

More.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



And at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

Cartoon Credit: Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Blind Ambition."

Unbearable Grief in Iraqi Village of Asriya

Now this does seem pretty senseless, but then again, it's not.

Islam is just death. Death all around, wanton, and without remorse.

From Liz Sly, at WaPo, "‘It was a children’s soccer game. Of course he knew he was going to kill children...’":

The suicide bomber who blew up a youth soccer match late last month left barely a dent in the hard, dry earth, and only a faint scorch on a concrete wall nearby.

But he gouged a chasm of grief in the heart of the small community that lost more than two dozen of its sons in a single moment, at 6:15 on the evening of March 25.

A total of 43 people died in the bombing at the game, according to figures provided by the local government. Of those, 29 were boys younger than 17 who had either been participating in the match or watching their friends play.

The bomber also was a teenager, no more than 15 or 16 years old, judging by the picture of him released by the Islamic State, which asserted responsibility for the bombing, and the accounts of those who saw him at the match. The militants’ statement said the target was a gathering of members of the Shiite paramilitary group known as Hashd al-Shaabi, and the local government said two members of a militia were among the adults who died.

Yet that hardly explains the horror of an attack that inevitably would kill children.

The bomber “was a child, and he came to kill children,” said Mohammed al-Juhaishi, one of the sheiks from the area, who lost five relatives in the blast. “It was a children’s soccer game. Of course he knew he was going to kill children.”

For the boys of the impoverished, mixed Sunni-Shiite village of Asriya, 40 miles south of Baghdad in the area the U.S. military called the Triangle of Death, soccer is not a pastime. It is a passion and a purpose, offering the dream of escape from the grim monotony of life in one of Iraq’s more neglected communities.

One such boy was Mohaned Khazaal, age 10, who lived for the sake of Real Madrid, his favorite team, and his idol, the team’s star forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, said his brother, Ahmed, who is 12. Mohaned hoped one day to play for Iraq, and perhaps even
Real Madrid, said Ahmed, who dreamed of playing for Barcelona and often got into fights with his brother over which of the rival teams was better.

They also both played for a local team, which did not qualify for the final of the youth league tournament. But they attended the match nonetheless, along with an older brother, Farouq, 20, and almost all of the other boys living in the soccer-crazed community.

The final took place between a team called Ahli and a team called Salam, which means peace. The venue was a dusty field in the middle of the village, unmarked except for the goal post at either end. Local officials watched from plastic chairs on a small podium erected at one edge of the field. The spectators, most of them boys, stood around the perimeter of the field.

Hardly anyone seemed to notice that one of the boys watching the game was wearing a thick jacket on a warm spring evening while all the other boys were dressed in T-shirts. Anmar al-Janabi, 12, who was standing near the oddly dressed boy, said he did notice, although he did not think to say anything to the adults at the match.

“He was a little tall with long hair, and he looked different. He was wearing a thick jacket, and it was hot,” Anmar recalled. “He spoke to us. He said, ‘It’s a good game, isn’t it?’ ”

When the match ended, the boy in the jacket joined the scramble of boys converging at the podium to watch the awarding of the trophy and the medals, said Anmar, who attended the match with his 13-year-old brother, Bilal, and a group of friends.

“Then he blew himself up, and I felt a fire hit my face,” Anmar said. “And then I ran away.”

More at that top link.

This is one of the most deeply disturbing stories I have ever reported. I knew it was bad but I had no idea how bad. https://t.co/Jgg59jq9Yy

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

Just stepping onto the soccer field & seeing this memorial to the boys who died was overwhelming. pic.twitter.com/2Vg7f43UDv

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

This was the trophy that was to be given to the winning team when the bomb went off. The team was called Peace pic.twitter.com/rP5u1tKqAt

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

Karrar Idani,13, who died in the soccer bomb. His Dad arrived too late to give him the goalie gloves above the photo pic.twitter.com/mCoZwlAHfx

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

And this is Mohaned Khazaal, 10, the youngest victim of the soccer bomb. He dreamed of playing for @realmadrid pic.twitter.com/Hu5BipE4Py

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

This is Ahmed,12. His brother Mohaned died beside him. He's nicknamed @Neymarjr because he looks like his Barca hero pic.twitter.com/U3RlyetT9g

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

This photo of Walid,16, is on the wall of his parents' home. He failed exams because he was always playing soccer pic.twitter.com/sKiqLnEBvz

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

This is Abdullah Najah Nouri. I don't know his age. We didn't have time to meet all 29 families of the dead boys pic.twitter.com/y3tQCgQg0Z

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

This is Ahmed Khudair al-Shujairi, another of the 29 boys who died in the soccer game suicide bomb in Asriya pic.twitter.com/T9GYWAV9P8

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) April 8, 2016

Crushing story by @LizSly on the soccer game in Iraq where 43 people died in a suicide bombing, including 29 teens https://t.co/NlXdlkJl3S

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) April 8, 2016

Las Vegas Democrat Joe Cervantes, Two-Time Obama Voter, Backs Donald Trump in 2016

Heh.

I'm getting a kick out of this.

At LAT, "'We need an outsider like Trump,' says this two-time Obama voter":

On the vacant, sun-blasted streets southwest of the Strip, Joe Cervantes sees an America on the decline.

Sporting a fedora and a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt as he walks his chow chow, the 67-year-old retired car salesman grumbles when he passes a neighbor’s house with weeds in the rocks. Three cars with no license plates are parked outside.

Asians bought the place in foreclosure and didn’t care who they rented to, he says. Next door to him, he adds, low-income black renters tore up the place so badly the tile floors needed to be replaced. At a house around the corner, he says he’s noticed a Middle Eastern man always outside talking on his cellphone in a foreign language: Cervantes wonders whether he should call the police.

For Cervantes, life in these sand-blown suburbs has come to look like much that has gone wrong with the rest of the country. The homes are cheap and falling apart, he says, because “illegals” did the work and contractors were able to bribe the building inspectors. Foreclosures swept through the neighborhood and he almost lost his own home in the Great Recession because politicians stopped protecting the interests of regular Americans. He blames the same politicians for letting his factory job back in Wisconsin go to Mexico in 1982.

The way Cervantes sees it, the government is a high-stakes card game at which he and most Americans never get a seat. He voted for President Obama but has twice been disappointed. This election, the name he is betting on is emblazoned in gold on the Vegas skyline: Trump.

“The middle class is done in this country. I think we need an outsider like [Donald] Trump to come in and upset the establishment and make them help the middle class,” Cervantes says.

In some ways, Cervantes is like many Americans, of different stripes and widely varying locales, who have found themselves unexpectedly drawn to the real estate tycoon. The retiree lost his factory job to the pitfalls of free trade; he gets angry about illegal immigration; he resents having worked his whole life when others got a free ride.

Conversely, though, Trump's talk about closing the border and keeping out Muslim immigrants doesn't ring true with Cervantes, who is Latino and counts blacks and Arabs among his close friends. He looks forward to one friend’s annual Ramadan feast. And he is disturbed by Trump’s belligerent talk about pummeling protesters. Cervantes won’t swat a spider he finds in his house — he takes them outside — much less a person.

Nevada has always been a state of people who resist easy categorization — people who moved here, in some cases, to escape the categories they were born with elsewhere. As a lot, Nevada Republicans are less religious, less educated and less bound by tradition. They don’t care deeply about issues like abortion or gay marriage. Many own small businesses, often in construction or catering to the gaming industry. They have strong libertarian and anti-establishment streaks, with little tolerance for Washington politics.

Many other Western states have tended to support U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a strong social conservative from Texas. But Republicans here are planting a solid flag that says Trump country...

Heh.

Notice how Cervantes isn't too pleased with Trump's comments on Latinos and Muslism, but is still going to vote for him nevertheless.

Give you an idea just how bad things are in this country, and about the paucity of attractive alternatives in either party. Says a lot.

Keep reading.

No, California's Drought Not Over (VIDEO)

Well, leftists say the drought's not over.

Of course, dams and spillways are so full the state's mandated releasing water. Folsom Lake's water level is 10 feet higher than last month, with more high levels expected with the snow melt.

Still, it's been four years of drought, so apparently we're not out of the woods. CBS Evening News has the video report below.

And at LAT, "Sierra snowpack shows improvement, but not enough to declare California's drought over":

In a symbolic moment in California's slow but steady drought recovery, a state surveyor on Wednesday found several feet of snow in the same Sierra Nevada meadow that was bare and brown just a year ago.

The depth of the snowpack was declared to be just below average, a huge improvement from last year, but still far from enough to declare the drought over.

Around 11 a.m., Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, thrust a long silver tube into Phillips Station’s renewed, robust snowpack and, minutes later, told gathered reporters that there was more than 58 inches of snow on the ground.

That snow held 26 inches of water content, he said, just short of average for the date.

“A big improvement compared to last year,” Gehrke said, “but not what we had hoped for.”

The Phillips Station measurement — which officials said was 97% of average — provides data for just one location and therefore is considered more symbolic than definitive. The results from the station about 90 miles east of Sacramento are not necessarily representative of statewide conditions, officials say.

Water officials prefer to use the electronic readings taken remotely at about 100 stations across the Sierra Nevada for a more accurate assessment. The latest readings, taken Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. showed that the water content held by the state’s snowpack was about 24 inches, or 87% of normal...

Still more.

Plus, more video from KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "Disappointing results from Wednesday’s Sierra snow survey."

Boston Globe Publishes Fake Front Page to Attack Donald Trump

The so-called fake front page is supposedly "satirical," and runs as the first page of the Globe's Sunday editorial section.

Hadas Gold reports, at Politico, "Boston Globe to publish fake front page on Trump presidency" (via Memeorandum). And see PuffHo, "Boston Globe Hammers Trump With Fake Front Page."

There's a pdf of the entire page here, and the Globe's got an editorial smearing Trump, via Memeorandum, "The GOP Must Stop Trump."

It's a rank smear. A classic leftist, politically-correct globalist establishment smear. The Globe selectively highlights Trump's statements, and caricatures the nature of his "movement" as "un-American" (when in fact huge majorities support Trump's proposal on mass deportation, for example, to say nothing of his call to halt Muslim immigration to the U.S.).

The fringe ideologues with "un-American" views aren't folks who favor Donald Trump. It's the collectivist, politically-correct globalists, and the more they demonize The Donald, the more they work to bring about the very things they purportedly reject.

Erin Heatherton Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Video 2016

Following-up from yesterday, "Erin Heatherton Quit Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Being Told to Lose Weight."

She's a little heavier than when she first walked the runway for the VS Fashion Show in 2008 --- and she looks a lot better, much healthier.

Like I said earlier, she's a freakin' dream goddess of a babe.

Via Sports Illustrated:

Amber Lee's Rainy Weekend Forecast

Not too bad, but it's been consistently wet this weekend. And there's flood warnings for burn areas on Sunday.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Colorado Republican Party Deletes #NeverTrump Tweet

I guess folks in the Colorado GOP are really looking to foment those riots Donald Trump's warned about if he's denied the nomination. I mean, what else explains such utter stupidity?

If something like a third of primary voters have been consistently and implacably Trump supporters, you potentially could have tens of millions of potential Republican voters sit out the general election. Either that, or we could see Trump mount an independent presidential run after all. It's going to be something else, whatever happens.

At Politico:

Colorado GOP deletes #nevertrump tweet, pledges investigation https://t.co/T5OsjTKLzB | Getty pic.twitter.com/azNcT8EnRB

— POLITICO (@politico) April 10, 2016

Excited to see how Trump campaign reacts to what Colorado state party said was unauthorized access to their account pic.twitter.com/bmThY8UXcX

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) April 10, 2016

Thousands of Protesters March Through London, Call on David Cameron to Resign (VIDEO)

I've always tried to like David Cameron, but I can't stand his Islamo-appeasement. And now with the Panama Papers, I think his reputation with me is pretty much shot.

At the Telegraph UK, "Thousands of protesters march through London calling for David Cameron to resign, in pictures."

Also, "Thousands of protesters storm Downing Street calling on David Cameron to quit amid Panama Papers row":

Thousands of protesters marched on Downing Street on Saturday afternoon, calling on David Cameron to resign over the Panama Papers revelations detailing his tax affairs.

Demonstrators wielded placards which said "he's got to go" amid a heavy police presence in the capital.

In a humiliating apology to the party faithful at a conference in London, the Prime Minister attempted to draw a line under a dreadful week in which he repeatedly failed to clarify his tax affairs.

Mr Cameron also confirmed that “later on” he will publish his tax returns stretching back six years to 2009/10 when he sold shares in his father’s offshore company Blairmore Holdings.

Meanwhile, Lily Allen was among protesters who gathered outside Grand Connaught Rooms, the conference was held...

More.

And see, "Exclusive: David Cameron's 'hypocrisy' on Panama Papers after he ordered all parliamentary candidates to reveal their tax affairs."

Still more, from Janet Daly, "By demonising the super-rich, David Cameron set himself up for a fall."

Deal of the Day: Up to 61% Off GreenWorks 80V Tools [BUMPED]

At Amazon, Save on GreenWorks 80V Tools.

More, Save on Kenneth Cole Dress Shoes.

Also, National Geographic: 12 issues / 12 months, $19.00 (Save 74% off the cover price).

Plus, by Robert Bunting, The Pacific Raincoast: Environment and Culture of an American Eden.

And from Larry Pynn, Last Stands: A Journey Through North America's Vanishing Ancient Rainforests.

BONUS: William C. Davis, The American Frontier: Pioneers, Settlers, and Cowboys 1800–1899.

Erin Heatherton Quit Victoria's Secret Fashion Show After Being Told to Lose Weight

My goodness, the woman's a dream goddess, and she was dissed by Victoria's Secret? And that's after being one of their top angels for years.

At Stuff NZ, "Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton was 'told to lose weight' for show."

And at the Sun UK, "Model Erin Heatherton leaves contract with Victoria’s Secret after being told she had to lose weight."

Who told Erin Heatherton that she had to “lose weight”? https://t.co/cRSFZ89P52 pic.twitter.com/rda8UqSOhz

— VOGUE.CO.UK (@BritishVogue) April 9, 2016

Steve Miller Slams Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (VIDEO)

At USA Today, "Steve Miller rants at Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony":

Steve Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, but apparently he didn't enjoy the experience.

Speaking in the press room after his induction, Miller, 72, insisted, "The whole process needs to be changed ... It doesn't need to be this hard. There's nothing fancy going on out there that requires all of this stuff."

Miller complained about access to the event. "When they told me I was inducted they said 'You have two tickets, one for your wife and one for yourself.' ... What about my band? What about their wives?'"

He made other accusations concerning "legal work," and claimed, "They need to respect the artists they say they're honoring, which they don't."

When a press representative tried to wrap up the session, Miller became frustrated.

"No, we're not going to wrap this up ... Here's what you need to know: This is how close this show came to not happening because of how the artists are being treated right now.." Then he announced, "I'll wrap it up," and walked off...

Still more.

Bernie Sanders Wins Again (VIDEO)

He's won, what, 8 out of the last 9 contests?

At the Hill, via Memeorandum, "Sanders extends win streak with Wyoming victory."

Texas Rangers Hammer Matt Shoemaker

Not the best outing, not by a long-shot.

At LAT, "Matt Shoemaker lets Rangers get out of the gates fast in Angels' 7-3 loss."

Matt Shoemaker lets Rangers get out of the gates fast in Angels' 7-3 loss https://t.co/XBz6UY9ygg

— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) April 9, 2016

Kate Moss Honors the Rolling Stones in Her 37th Vogue U.K. Cover

At Fashionista, "MUST READ: KATE MOSS LANDS 37TH 'VOGUE' UK COVER.."

And at Vogue UK, "Kate Moss Covers May Vogue."

More, at Egotastic!, "Kate Moss Sweater Pokies for Vogue UK." (Zoom photo here.):

Back when I was in high school Kate Moss was THE supermodel. It's easy to see why. All these years later, she is still one of the sexiest women on the planet. In this spread for Vogue UK, you can see why. It must have been chilly when they took these pictures because she is nipping for realsies. She exemplifies the thin but slinky sexy silhouette.

Well, she also exemplified heroin-chic fashion druggy-culture, which wasn't cool, but let's just forget about that.

Kate Moss Is The Cover Girl Of Vogue May - https://t.co/kalLdTcoGp pic.twitter.com/qt3YvDkrVk

— POWER 107.9 LA (@POWER1079) April 4, 2016

Suspect in Epic Los Angeles Car Chase Was Trained to Drive by the U.S. Military (VIDEO)

Here's the backstory, "Wild car chase in rain includes 'doughnuts' on the 101, hugs and a TMZ tour bus."

And about the suspect's military training, at LAT, "Wheelman in epic L.A. car chase was trained to drive by the U.S. military":

Herschel Reynolds mesmerized TV viewers with a wild drive through Los Angeles that included skillfully performing doughnuts in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard and a teenage passenger busting out dance moves.

It now appears the 20-year-old can thank the U.S. Marine Corps for helping him hone some of his driving abilities.

The Pentagon confirmed Friday that Reynolds was a trained tactical driver for the Marines before being “prematurely discharged” in January. The U.S. military said Reynolds had served as a motor vehicle operator for the 1st Marine Logistics Group at Camp Pendleton. Reynolds served with the Marines for nearly two years as a private, according to military records.

“Reynold’s premature discharge and rank are indicative of the fact that the character of his service was incongruent with Marine Corps’ expectations and standards,” the Pentagon said.

Identified as the driver, Reynolds both horrified and delighted Angelenos for two hours Thursday during a televised chase that included a close call with a TMZ tour bus and ended with a hero’s welcome in a South L.A. neighborhood – with celebratory high-fives, hugs and selfies with a swelling crowd. Along with a 19-year-old passenger, Isaiah Young, Reynolds peacefully surrendered to sheriff’s deputies, who arrived minutes after he parked the rented Ford Mustang...

More.

And more video, via CBS News 2 Los Angeles, "TMZ Tour Bus Driver Caught Up In Bizarre Chase Speaks Out."

Funding for GOP National Convention Jeopardized Over Establishment Attacks on Donald Trump (VIDEO)

Hey, the GOPe deserves to have the big donors bail out.

If Reince and his cronies would have instead embraced Donald Trump, instead of excoriating him, they wouldn't be in this jam.

At LAT, "With Trump's rise, big donors and companies hesitate to commit money to the GOP convention":

GOP is trying to steal nomination from the winner (Trump) not block an insurgent catching up 2 frontrunner (Sanders) https://t.co/OGIsdbNEYq

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) April 9, 2016

With Donald Trump locked in a dogfight against much of the rest of the Republican Party, a lot of things are uncertain about the GOP’s convention in Cleveland in July.

Here’s a big one: Who will pay for it?

Four years ago, after Mitt Romney clinched the nomination, his fundraising team pulled in millions from GOP stalwarts to close a gap in money for the convention in Tampa, Fla. Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul, gave $5 million. Energy billionaire and activist David Koch, Los Angeles media figure Jerry Perenchio and hedge fund billionaires Robert Mercer, Paul Singer and John Paulson each donated $1 million.

But Trump’s improbable success has blown a hole in that model of convention financing. Trump hasn’t built a fundraising network of his own and has spent much of the campaign sneering at rivals for being under the thumb of their big donors.

Some of the party’s big-dollar donors from four years ago, unhappy about the prospect of contributing to a chaotic or brokered convention, are holding onto their money. Blue chip corporations that helped underwrite the 2012 convention, including Microsoft and AT&T, are now facing a pressure campaign to stay away.

“All I can tell is there’s disenchantment with the whole system right now,” said Jay Zeidman, a Republican fundraiser from Houston. With his father, Fred, another big GOP donor, Jay Zeidman supported Jeb Bush and now is backing Sen. Ted Cruz.

“You can’t compare last time with where we are now, because we’re sort of in uncharted territory,” he said.

Trump supporters call concerns about paying for the convention mere hand-wringing by traditional party power brokers who fear being shut out.

“There’s a little heartburn on K Street,” Washington campaign consultant Barry Bennett, who has advised Trump, said, referring to the downtown Washington street that houses many lobbying and law firms. “It’s a lot of people who make their living based on proximity to power, if not access, so they’re threatened.”

The convention won’t be at risk, he said; Trump has enough rich friends to write checks...

More.

'Sesame Street' Unveils Islamic Jihad Muppet: 'Zari'

Oh brother.

And to think I used to let my kids watch "Sesame Street." I thought it was harmless. But then, one of our daycare ladies used to change the channel to Disney, lol.

At Blazing Cat Fur, "‘Sesame Street’ Unveils Hijab-Clad Muppet: ‘Zari’ Is a Feminist from Afghanistan."

Poorest Sections of Los Angeles Blighted with Most Illegal Dumping, Littter, and Decay

To slightly paraphrase Glenn Reynolds, "WHY ARE DEMOCRAT-RUN CITIES SUCH CESSPITS OF OFFICIAL POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLENCE?"

At the Los Angles Times, "Cleanup need urgent on 4% of L.A. streets: New database to guide cleanup efforts":

New data reflects what many have long said: Poorer areas of LA have most trash on streets https://t.co/8dS0Kr43ZD pic.twitter.com/UAn4FlX67p

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 9, 2016

A new database measuring garbage on more than 9,100 miles of Los Angeles streets and alleys shows poorer areas of the city see more illegal dumping and litter than affluent ones.

City officials on Friday released details on the far-reaching study, which is designed to help guide the city sanitation bureau to prioritize the grimiest areas and send clean-up crews there.

More than 370 miles of roads and alleys in L.A. — or 4% of all city blocks — were found to be so dirty that they require immediate cleanup, according to the rating system released by the city Friday. An additional 42% of road miles need some form of service.

A little more than half of the dirtiest streets are in Central, East and South L.A. But pockets of filth were found across the city, including east San Fernando Valley, Venice and Wilmington, the analysis found.

Officials aim to clean all the dirtiest locations by 2018, a spokeswoman for LA Sanitation said.

“Prior to this, we had no data to really look [at] to intelligently deploy resources,” said Leo Martinez, who oversees solid resource operations for the bureau. “This has given us an incredible amount of knowledge.”

A Times data analysis last year found that cleanup of illegal dumping in many poor areas of L.A. lagged behind wealthier neighborhoods.

The findings of the database are not surprising for residents in some working-class neighborhoods, who say that dealing with street trash is a frustrating part of everyday life. Some expressed disappointment about the city's inability to clean up streets...

Bill Maher Rips #NeverTrump Lewandowski Outrage: Michelle Fields Clearly Exaggerated (VIDEO)

Heh.

Maher nails it every once in a while. He's equal opportunity in his attacks, and he's funny.

At the Daily Beast, via Memeorandum, "Bill Maher Defends Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski, Rips Michelle Fields."

And watch, via YouTube, "Outrage Over Corey Lewandowski Is Just Stupidity Michelle Fields Clearly Exaggerated."

'Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War'

From Sebastian Gorka, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.

Hat-Tip: Free Beacon. Click through for the book excerpt.

Read an excerpt from @Regnery's 'Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War' https://t.co/Odvxf9BOJh pic.twitter.com/nkX6EmIj3P

— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 9, 2016

Danal Loesch: "The Real 'Gunsplainers'" (VIDEO)

This is great!

And don't forget Dana's books, Hands Off My Gun: Defeating the Plot to Disarm America, and Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To.

Today's Jackie Johnson's Forecast

Well, I watched the Angels last night (who lost), and then doodled around, and read for a little bit before crashing.

I missed posting my evening Jackie Johnson post, so here you go. That tight black dress is to die for.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Tamara Draut, Sleeping Giant

Hey, just released this week!

At Amazon, Sleeping Giant: How the New Working Class Will Transform America.

Advertising Standards Authority in Britain Deems Gucci Advertisement 'Unhealthily Thin' (VIDEO)

Too thin. Too fat. Is there anywhere near a happy medium in our politically correct culture?

At Toronto's National Post, "British regulator bars ‘irresponsible’ Gucci advertisement showing ‘unhealthily thin’ fashion model."

Well, if their thinness doesn't kill them, their epic geekiness sure will.

I'd rather be an obese rapper, sheesh.

Fred Siegel, The Revolt Against the Masses

At Amazon, The Revolt Against the Masses: How Liberalism Has Undermined the Middle Class.

That's a timely book.

Hat-Tip: Ed Driscoll, who's got a fantastic entry at Instapundit on New York's Kitty Genovese murder-myth-making: "AND NOW YOU KNOW…THE REST OF THE STORY: “Queens Neighborhood Still Haunted by Kitty Genovese’s Murder...”"

Deal of the Day: Yamaha 7.2-Channel AV Receiver w/Bluetooth [BUMPED]

At Amazon, Yamaha TSR-5790BL 7.2-Channel AV Receiver w/4K Ultra HD and Bluetooth (Certified Refurbished).

Also, Save on Dyson Cinetic Vacuums.

And, Best Sellers in Toys & Games.

Still more, $15 Off Select Fire TV Devices.

BONUS: David Brion Davis, The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation.

Yo, Aaron Goggans, Black-on-Black Violences Surgin' in Chicago — Wake Up, Bro!

Leftism's a disease, so readily illustrated by this Aaron Goggans dude, seen at the previous post, "'Black Lives Matter' Organizer Claims Black-on-Black Crime's a 'Myth' (VIDEO)."

Now, stepping back into reality, at the New York Times, "Violence Surges in Chicago Even as Policing Debate Rages On":

CHICAGO — Late at night this month, the pastor’s phone beeped with a text message from an anguished parishioner. Andre Taylor, the church member’s great-nephew, had been shot and killed.

“Dre had just turned 16,” the message to the pastor, the Rev. Ira Acree, read. “I think that it’s time to call for action and solicit help, have the National Guard to take over and patrol the Chicago streets.”

Four days earlier, he had received another text. A different parishioner’s granddaughter, Daysha Wright, a 21-year-old nursing student, had been shot to death in a car, leaving a 2-year-old son.

At his desk at Greater St. John Bible Church, Mr. Acree said he was bracing for the coming months. “Unless something radical takes place, it’s going to be a blood bath this summer,” he said.

Chicago has long been troubled by violence, but homicides and shootings have risen sharply this year. Violent crime remains below the levels of two decades ago, and criminologists caution against finding trends in only a few months of data. But City Hall, the police and community leaders are alarmed by the surge: As of Friday, 131 people had been killed here in the first months of 2016, an 84 percent rise in homicides from the same period in 2015. There had been 605 shootings, nearly twice as many as at this point last year.

The increase could hardly have come at a more difficult time. The city is at a pivotal moment for law enforcement, mired in a crisis over police conduct and discipline and over distrust of officers, particularly among African-American residents, who make up about one-third of Chicago’s population.

The Justice Department is scrutinizing the patterns and practices of the city’s police force; the mayor on Monday named an interim police superintendent to replace the department’s fired leader; and voters have rejected Cook County’s top prosecutor, defeating her in a primary on March 15. The release in November of a police video that showed a white officer shooting a black teenager, Laquan McDonald, 16 times caused longstanding anger about police conduct to boil over.

And Mayor Rahm Emanuel faces enormous challenges: tamping down a flood of crime while simultaneously repairing frayed relations with the people who live here, as well as addressing low morale among officers.


“Trying to rebuild and do all of that at the same time, when violence is going up, creates all kinds of additional struggles and issues,” said Kim Foxx, who defeated a two-term incumbent in the Democratic primary to be the next Cook County state’s attorney in a race that revolved around the McDonald case.

Weekends and summer nights have often presented the most danger here, but these days shootings feel constant. On March 14, three police officers were shot and wounded in an exchange of gunfire that left a suspect dead. The next day, three people were killed in a single hour. The next, people inside two cars were reported shooting at one another along Lake Shore Drive.

“I’m really tired of it, and tired of worrying,” said Gloria Johnson, 37, who serves food at a restaurant in Austin, a neighborhood where the authorities say violence has been particularly harsh. Like other parts of the West Side, Austin has long wrestled with economic distress, gangs and crime, and Ms. Johnson bears a long scar on her elbow from a bullet fired about a decade ago. “But it seems like this year is just the worst of the worst,” she said.

The police say much of the violence in this city of about 2.7 million people is tied to gangs, which have become disorganized and have splintered into more factions. While shootings along Lake Shore Drive and near a W Hotel not far from Chicago’s Gold Coast have drawn notice, most of those dying are young men on the South and West Sides, the police say...

Keep reading.

The Ferguson effect is considered to be one of the likely factors causing the spike in violence this year.

Not only do the Black Lives Matter ghouls deny black-on-black crime, it's their own movement that's largely responsible for the violent upsurge in Chicago's black community. Just wow. *SMH*

'Black Lives Matter' Organizer Claims Black-on-Black Crime's a 'Myth' (VIDEO)

Hey, whatever version of the "truth" floats your boat.

Facts are hard for despicable leftists, so they resort to postmodernism to subvert reality. Black-on-black crime is a "myth."

Via RWN, "Black Lives Matter Organizer Calls Black-On-Black Crime a ‘Myth’."

Paris Attacks Suspect Mohamed Abrini Arrested in Brussels (VIDEO)

At the BBC, "Paris attacks: Key suspect Abrini arrested in Brussels."



More, at London's Daily Mail, "'Man in White snared': Dramatic footage ‘captures the moment Paris and Brussels terror suspect Mohamed Abrini is arrested by gun-toting anti-terror police’."

Bella Thorne Bikini Beach Photos in Miami

She's so cute.

At London's Daily Mail, "Sibling revelry! Bella Thorne and sister Dani frolic in the surf on bikini break in Miami."

She used to be on Disney Channel's "Shake It Up," but she's becoming quite a beautiful young woman nowadays.

Pope Francis Calls on Catholics to Be More Understanding, Except on Homosexual Marriage (VIDEO)

Well, the Church isn't budging on homosexual nuptials, which they still won't recognize.

At USA Today, "Pope has good news for divorced, but not for gays":

There had been hope among some Catholics that the pontiff might overhaul its position on gay marriage, but the large document that ends with the hand-written signature of “Franciscus” — the pope’s Latin name — made it clear that would not happen. It said there are “absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar … to God’s plan for marriage and family.”

The document also made repeated references to Christian marriage as a “union between a man and a woman.”

Bernie Sanders Disses the Vatican with 'Monumental Discourtesy'

Heh.

Here's Bernie putting the "bro" in "Bernie Bros," lol.

At Bloomberg, "Vatican Academy Criticizes Sanders's ‘Monumental Discourtesy’" (via Memeorandum):

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ plan to attend a Vatican-sponsored conference put him in the middle of a diplomatic row as a senior Vatican official accused the senator of showing “monumental discourtesy” in angling for an invitation that puts a political cast on the gathering.

Sanders, whose foreign policy experience is under attack by competitor Hillary Clinton, said Friday he was “very excited” to have been invited to the conference on economic and social issues hosted by a pontifical academy in Rome on April 15. It will put him at the seat of the Roman Catholic Church four days before the New York primary.

It has also inserted Sanders into a dispute among Vatican officials. The president of the academy said Friday that Sanders didn’t follow proper protocol by failing to contact her office, and that his presence threatens to make the event political. The academy’s chancellor said he arranged the invitation and defended the Vermont senator.

“Sanders made the first move, for the obvious reasons,” Margaret Archer, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which is hosting the conference, said in a telephone interview. “I think in a sense he may be going for the Catholic vote but this is not the Catholic vote and he should remember that and act accordingly -- not that he will.”

More.