Before the 1913 ratification of the 16th Amendment, which introduced the slippery slope of the income tax, the federal government primarily funded itself through tariffs.

What Happens to Your Ballot if Biden Drops Out?

Former South Carolina State Representative and current CNN talking head Bakari Sellers joined HBO’s Bill Maher on Friday’s edition of Real Time, but unfortunately for him, his anti-American race baiting ran into The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, who succinctly dismantled his arguments. Sellers had no response except to say, “I don't know what he just said.” Shapiro and Sellers were going back and forth over “systemic racism” and the state of America in 2024 versus previous decades when Shapiro asserted, “If I were to say to you, as a Jew, that the experience of Jews in the United States today is worse than the experience of Jews in Europe in 1939, I would be stating accurately. It’s not true and it’s also not true to say that the experience of black people in America in 2024 is worse, on a general level, than the experience of black men in 1954 in Alabama. It’s just crazy.”     Sellers was not thrilled with the argument, “I think that’s genuinely intellectually dishonest because when we go through the litany of not just – imagine, so for example, one of my major political issues is African American female mortality, right, if you want to talk about structural racism. Did you know, I'm sure you do, black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women?” That does not prove anything about racism or America, as Shapiro interrupted to point out, “That's also true in Europe, by the way.” After Sellers wondered what Europe had to do with anything, Shapiro educated him on how data analysis is supposed to work, “I know, but the problem is you have to have a control.” Following some crosstalk, Sellers wondered what Shapiro’s explanation for the discrepancy is, “And so tell me why that is.” Shapiro replied, “Okay, the answer is because black people in the United States have a lower household income, median household income, which means they typically go to worse hospitals.” Again, Sellers wasn’t happy, “I would call bullshit because it actually crosses socioeconomic lines, so you could be my wife, who almost died during childbirth, you could be Serena Williams, who almost died during childbirth.” Shapiro then turned the tables on Sellers and asked him, “So, what's your answer? White doctors are racist?” Sellers replied, “No, but there, actually, is implicit bias in our health care delivery system and there have been medical studies that show people respond to the pain of black women differently than they respond to the pain of white women. That literally is a fact and so I am trying to help both of you all understand that sometimes there are systems in place –" Shapiro countered, “So, that, for example, would have nothing to do with the rates of say, pregnant obesity by various communities. There are many, many confounds when it comes to these particular issues and unless you remove the statistical confounds, you end up trying to blame vague, shadowy figures like implicit bias, which are innately, insanely difficult, if not impossible, to measure.” A stupefied Sellers could only muster, “I don't know what he just said.” Let us try to help Sellers out. There is more to a person than just their race. For example, personal choices, such as their diet, impact healthcare outcomes. Additionally, implicit bias is virtually impossible to prove because, by definition, it is unconscious. Finally, those studies Sellers likes to cite have all sorts of problems with them, leading implicit bias to end up being just another conspiracy theory that says denial of the accusation is proof the accusation is true. Here is a transcript for the July 12 show: HBO Real Time with Bill Maher 7/12/2024 10:34 PM ET BEN SHAPIRO: If I were to say to you, as a Jew, that the experience of Jews in the United States today is worse than the experience of Jews in Europe in 1939, I would be stating accurately— BAKARI SELLERS: Correct. SHAPIRO: It’s not true and it’s also not true to say that the experience of black people in America in 2024 is worse, on a general level, than the experience of black men in 1954 in Alabama. It’s just crazy. SELLERS: But, I mean, I think that’s also, I also think that’s easily intellectually dishonest and that’s my problem with, I think that’s genuinely intellectually dishonest because when we go through the litany of not just – imagine, so for example, one of my major political issues is African American female mortality, right, if you want to talk about structural racism. Did you know, I'm sure you do, black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women? BEN SHAPIRO: That's also true in Europe, by the way. SELLERS: But, we’re talking about the United States of America. SHAPIRO: I know, but the problem is you have to have a control. SELLERS: We do have a control. SHAPIRO: No, a statistical control. SELLERS: And so tell me why that is. SHAPIRO: Okay, the answer is because black people in the United States have a lower household income, median household income, which means they typically go to worse hospitals. SELLERS: But that’s—I would call bullshit because it actually crosses socioeconomic lines, so you could be my wife, who almost died during childbirth, you could be Serena Williams, who almost died during childbirth. SHAPIRO: So, what's your answer? SELLERS: Because actually— SHAPIRO: White doctors are racist? SELLERS: No, but there, actually, is implicit bias in our health care delivery system and there have been medical studies that show people respond to the pain of black women differently than they respond to the pain of white women. BILL MAHER: I believe that. SELLERS: That literally is a fact and so I am trying to help both of you all understand that sometimes there are systems in place – SHAPIRO: So, that, for example, would have nothing to do with the rates of say, pregnant obesity by various communities. There are many, many confounds when it comes to these particular issues and unless you remove the statistical confounds, you end up trying to blame vague, shadowy figures like implicit bias, which are innately, insanely difficult, if not impossible to measure. SELLERS: I don't know what he just said. 

Jason Whitlock has a new segment on his show called Justice for TT, where he finds “the most outlandish ... far-fetched claims of racism” so that he can “demand justice” (i.e., mock the absurdity). Today’s subject involves the War and Treaty – a country music husband-wife duo who threw a fit when they found a certain plant in their greenroom at the Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Summer Festival in Texas. Country Music Stars Cry Racism Over 'Incident' at Texas Music Festival youtu.be “The War and Treaty felt ‘betrayed’ after finding cotton plant in dressing room,” says Jason, reading from a People magazine headline. According to the article, the duo found the presence of the botanical “deeply offensive.” Tanya Trotter was especially upset considering she’s “the granddaughter of a sharecropper.” “Beyond it just being about racism, it’s broader now,” she said. “It’s now a safety issue because we have to feel safe coming to these festivals.” Tanya’s husband, Michael Trotter, shared his wife’s offense.“Anger is what I felt. Disrespect is what I felt. Sadness is what I felt — sadness not just because of what that plant represents to people who look like me but sadness for myself because I am a son of this country,” he lamented. Jason finds the “incident” funny and certainly worthy of mockery. “Do these people wear cotton underwear? Cotton T-shirts? Where does it end?” he asks. Apparently, Tanya Trotter’s “grandfather actually bought the plantation he picked cotton on,” and her family “still lives there," but Jason only sees hypocrisy. “Your grandfather bought a plantation that grew cotton, so when your grandfather would step out of the house and look at a cotton field did he go, ‘Oh my God, there's cotton, I'm so traumatized!’?” he asks. “People magazine and many other media outlets picked up on this story, and they're treating it seriously,” laughs Jason, adding that this is clearly the work of people who are looking to “hunt down some racism.” To hear more of the story, check out the clip above. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer – the famous sex therapist who became a pop icon, a media personality, and best-selling author – has died. Westheimer passed away on Friday at the age of 96. Pierre Lehu – Westheimer's publicist and who co-authored books with her – confirmed the celebrity death of the famous sex guru. Westheimer died at her home in New York City surrounded by family. "She was restful when she passed away. Her son and daughter were with her and holding her hand at that moment. It was as peacefully as she could possibly go," Lehu told People magazine. "It's amazing, there was stuff still going on in her life [she has a book coming out this fall with Allison Gilbert] and someone wants to make a biopic about her."Lehu did not offer any further details of Westheimer's death. Westheimer was born Karola Ruth Siegel in Germany in 1928.Westheimer described herself as "an orphan of the Holocaust" after losing her entire family during World War II. At age 10, she was sent by her parents on a train to Switzerland to escape Kristallnacht. Westheimer never saw her parents again. At 16, Westheimer moved to Palestine and reportedly joined the Haganah – the underground movement for Israeli independence. Westheimer was trained as a sniper, but she said she never shot at anyone.Westheimer suffered severe leg injuries when a bomb exploded in her dormitory, killing many of her friends. Westheimer developed numerous sex education programs after graduating from Columbia University. She delivered lectures at Yale, Hunter, Princeton, and Columbia universities.In 1980, she began her call-in show "Sexually Speaking" on sex education. By 1984, her radio show was nationally syndicated.In 1985, she starred in her own TV show called "The Dr. Ruth Show." She was a regular guest on popular late-night talk shows. Westheimer penned more than 40 books and also wrote a nationally syndicated advice column.She even had a board game named after her: "Dr. Ruth’s Game of Good Sex."Westheimer was married three times. Her last husband – Manfred Westheimer who she married in 1961 – died of heart failure in 1997.Westheimer is survived by her two children, Miriam and Joel, and four grandchildren. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

From Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 to Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2, there are plenty of great, free multiplayer games on Steam to choose from. One that’s quietly stood the test of time, racking up a ‘very positive’ 85% rating on the Valve platform with more than 344,000 reviews since it launched in 2016, is Paladins. Now, the hero shooter from developer Evil Mojo and publisher Hi-Rez Studios is launching an all-new PvE horde mode, created as a passion project, as part of its latest free update. Continue reading Free multiplayer game Paladins launches a new PvE horde mode MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Play Paladins Free, Paladins guide, Best Paladins champions

While the Press Slobber Over Biden's 'Comeback,' Western Diplomats Are Horrified and Turning to Trump

Could They Be More Based? In-N-Out Ponies Up $500K to Support the Prop 36/Reform Prop 47 Cause

Bill Maher Decimates Biden and Predicts the Date He Will Be Forced Out

President Joe Biden has gone from saying he will step down from his reelection campaign, only if the "Lord Almighty" tells him so, to saying he will stay in the presidential race unless his team tells him to bow out.