Some 1‚000 black pastors nationwide are reported to have weighed in to pressure President Joe Biden to force a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. According to one pastor‚ the war “has evoked the kind of deep-seated angst among black people that I have not seen since the civil rights movement.” And per another‚ regarding the Palestinians‚ “we see them as a part of us … They are oppressed people. We are oppressed people.” Indeed‚ in a Gallup poll at the end of November‚ 61% of white adults expressed approval for the Israeli military action taken in Gaza‚ whereas only 30% of “people of color” expressed approval. Unfortunately‚ much of what is driving opinion on this issue among many black Americans is bad‚ confused information. The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel‚ resulting in some 1‚200 deaths‚ targeted Israeli Jews. On Sept. 11‚ 2001‚ our country was attacked‚ resulting in almost 3‚000 deaths. However‚ in tiny Israel‚ with a population of 9.8 million‚ 1‚200 deaths equate to over 40‚000 in our country. Nevertheless‚ despite a far lower relative casualty rate on 9/11‚ our country was in shock and outrage‚ and we went to war in Afghanistan to attack the source. That war resulted in 176‚000 deaths‚ 46‚319 of which were civilians. The death toll in Gaza is now a little over 27‚000. Israelis take no joy in this. But there is no choice. Hamas shields their bodies and infrastructure among civilians‚ even in hospitals. Just as no one questioned our country going after those who attacked our homeland in 2001‚ why should anyone question the justification of Israel going after those who daily threaten their lives and existence? How many of these black pastors who identify with the Palestinians—and say‚ “They are oppressed‚ we are oppressed”—have any idea of the history of the region and the conflict? Oppression means having no choice. Choosing to live in squalor because of a refusal to take responsibility for one’s life is not oppression. These pastors might consider doing some homework and learning that Israel was founded by Jewish immigrants‚ motivated to return to their historic homeland after many‚ many years of oppression and persecution. This came to a peak in the Holocaust when 6 million Jews—40% of all the Jews in the world—were murdered by the German Nazis. Jews returned to their historic homeland‚ worked‚ and built‚ despite ongoing Arab hostility to their settlements. The situation was resolved by the United Nations in 1947. The U.N. voted to partition the area into two states—a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews said‚ “Yes.” The Arabs said‚ “No.” And then they attacked. Despite endless attacks and war‚ Israelis have shown what taking responsibility for one’s life means. They built from nothing a modern country that today has a per capita gross domestic product higher than most European nations. Saying no and choosing war‚ as the Palestinians have done‚ is not oppression. It is stupidity and irresponsibility. I would remind readers again that Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005. The Palestinians then could have started to build. They were free to do it. Instead‚ they elected Hamas and started more rounds of endless attacks against Israel. The latest and most horrible was what happened Oct. 7. We see now the more than 300 miles of high-tech tunnels in Gaza that have been constructed since Hamas took leadership‚ at a cost of hundreds of millions‚ with the sole objective of attacking Israel. Despite billions in aid‚ resources in Gaza have been focused on eliminating Israel‚ not on improving the quality of life and building a future for Palestinians. I would remind these progressive black clergy of the sad but accurate observation of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir: “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Progressive Black Pastors Misguided on War in Gaza appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The open border has enabled the Left to amass more political power. Democratic-controlled states have gained congressional seats by welcoming and harboring illegal aliens. As president‚ Donald Trump tried to halt this wrongdoing by ordering the census to exclude all noncitizens from apportionment. But one of President Joe Biden’s first acts in office was to reverse this policy as he began to open the border to millions of illegal aliens. Barring the census from including noncitizens in apportionment is critical in making sure that American citizens—the only population who can and should vote in U.S. elections—are picking America’s leaders. Biden’s intentional border crisis has produced unprecedented apportionment issues‚ distorting the representation that states have in the House‚ and how many electoral votes they have in presidential elections. Congressional and Electoral College apportionment is based on the number of residents‚ as determined by the census. Currently‚ the census includes illegal aliens and other noncitizens as residents.  Consequently‚ a state can gain extra congressional districts and representation in Congress thanks to the presence of a large population that isn’t legally allowed to vote. Since the number of congressional seats is limited to 435‚ this additional representation comes at the expense of other states. This warped representation is carried over into the Electoral College‚ where each state is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its congressional delegation. In a 2018 lawsuit against the Census Bureau within the Commerce Department‚ then-Rep. Mo Brooks‚ R-Ala.‚ wrote: In a state in which a large share of the population cannot vote‚ those who do vote count more than those who live in states where a larger share of the population is made up of American citizens. Counting large illegal alien populations in the Census appropriates voting power from Americans and bestows it on other[s]. Solving this flawed process is of paramount importance going into an election year. First‚ excluding noncitizens—tens of millions of whom are illegal aliens—from apportionment would help discourage sanctuary policies. Sanctuary jurisdictions like California‚ Illinois‚ and New York have welcomed illegal immigrants‚ at least in part‚ to keep their populations high.  During a 2021 hearing about Haitian migrants‚ Rep. Yvette Clarke‚ D-N.Y.‚ stated that her district “can absorb a significant number of these migrants‚” adding‚ “I need more people in my district just for redistricting purposes.” These states need to keep their population numbers inflated with illegal aliens because Americans citizens are fleeing in droves due to their disastrous policies. Making it clear to these states and their radical governors that they won’t be able to use illegal aliens to “cook their books” to maintain disproportionate political power (and money) will go a long way toward breaking the sanctuary state trend. Second‚ no longer including noncitizens in apportionment will help ensure that only American citizens will shape our political landscape and pick future leaders. Letting states include millions of aliens in their census counts is the equivalent of letting foreign countries determine the political destiny of the United States‚ which is unacceptable. To address this issue and restore trust in the electoral process‚ Congress should pass legislation to ensure that all future apportionment determinations only include American citizens. A Senate bill to do just that was recently unveiled by Sen. Bill Hagerty‚ R-Tenn.‚ and 20 of his colleagues‚ followed by a House companion led by Reps. Chuck Edwards‚ R-N.C.‚ and Warren Davidson‚ R-Ohio‚ that is gaining steam. If passed into law‚ this would likely end up before the Supreme Court‚ but it is on firm legal footing. The Constitution requires the counting of “persons‚” who the Founding Fathers almost certainly assumed to be citizens. Regardless of history or tradition‚ Congress has the plenary authority to define “persons” or otherwise clarify how the census is to be conducted.  To the extent past federal cases disagree with Congress on this point‚ Congress can effectively overrule case law and define “persons” as citizens and require the counting of only citizens in the census (or the non-counting of noncitizens) for apportionment. U.S. citizenship should mean something and come with rights‚ such as voting in elections‚ as well as responsibilities‚ such as obeying our laws. Congress must put an end to the electoral influence of a growing noncitizen population that is unfairly altering both representation in the House and the Electoral College. American citizens should not have their voting rights devalued or their congressional and presidential representation corrupted due to the inclusion of noncitizens in our census. Originally published by Fox News Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Stop Allowing Noncitizens to Determine Congressional and Presidential Representation appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Joining the United States military can be a rewarding experience‚ one that can connect people with a high-paying‚ six-figure job. Of course‚ there’s a lot of skill and dedication involved. From a dental laboratory technician or pharmacist to a music composer or social worker‚ take a look at some of the military’s highest-paying job opportunities. According to My Future... Source

'Is There ANYTHING You're Willing to Draw a Line in the Sand on and Say 'We Will Fight?'' Hello? Mitch?

A Strippers' Bill of Rights in Washington

EU Considering Sanctions Against Tucker Carlson for Interviewing Putin

Gov. Newsom Sends 120 CHP Officers to Oakland to Do Something About Crime

Yup‚ it’s happened again. Megan Pauline Jordan‚ a 25-year-old now-former teacher in the Richmond area of Virginia‚ pled guilty to four counts of carnal knowledge and one count of indecent liberties of a minor according to WRIC‚ a local news station.  Jordan reportedly engaged in sexual relations with her 14-year-old student from the Hungary Creek Middle School during the 2022-2023 school year. She’d visit the young boy in his home‚ sneaking into his bed to rape him. Reports indicate that her DNA was found on the victim’s bedsheets according to attorney Shannon Taylor of the Henrico Commonwealth area. It looks like Mrs. Jordan took the phrase “Virginia is for Lovers” a wee bit too far. Related: Another Teacher Pleads Guilty To Sex Acts With Her Students The New York Post indicated that other students admitted that they thought the relationship between Jordan and the 14-year-old student was odd.  “The student wouldn’t do any work and she wouldn’t bat an eye‚” one user wrote on social media‚ “I noticed subtle flirting and teasing‚ the tension between them was insane. She deserves a life sentence for grooming this poor kid.” Jordan was arrested this past summer when the student came forward. Jordan’s sentencing date is set for May 20 and she faces up to 50 years in prison. “I must recognize the brave action of those who brought this matter to the attention of Henrico Police Division. We are always asking people if they see something unusual‚ or not quite right‚ to say something‚” prosecutors said in a statement. “Because of their efforts‚ this predator is off the streets‚ out of our schools‚ and will be held accountable for her actions.” I really hate that these stories are becoming all too common. If you needed another hint as to why homeschooling might be a good option‚ this is it. Follow us on Twitter/X: "Have you ever seen this much chocolate leading the city of New York?" No‚ because we have the Civil Rights Act of 1964. pic.twitter.com/MiWTQbVTVD — MRCTV (@mrctv) February 6‚ 2024

While they’ve largely been unwilling to put a spotlight on how bad the economy has been‚ due in large part to them trying to keep President Biden clean for the election‚ ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today discovered that inflation was causing people to pay more on their debt and shell out more money for fast food on Wednesday. Reacting to the cost of fast food‚ NBC co-anchor Craig Melvin declared “Now we care about inflation‚” meanwhile‚ his colleague made a joke out of high prices. On ABC‚ co-anchor Robin Roberts sounded the alarm. “Now to what could be a debt crisis brewing in our country. Household debt rising to record levels as more Americans struggle to pay the bills‚” she announced. Chief economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis reported that Americans had taken on a record $17.5 trillion in debt. “Plus‚ more people are falling behind on their payments…” she warned. She also lamented that this was happening‚ “despite the strong jobs market‚ consumers are facing higher prices and much higher interest rates.” Jarvis broke down the numbers to reveal how much more Americans were being forced to pay on their debt: So‚ take a look at this. In just the last two years‚ the typical credit card has gone from 14.5 percent APR to now 21.5 percent APR. So‚ let’s say you’re carrying a $1‚000 balance on your credit card. Two years ago‚ if you were making minimum payments‚ it would have cost you $729 in interest to pay it off. At today's rate‚ you are paying almost $1‚200 in interest. That is a nearly $500 difference. At no point did ABC mention that this was happening despite Biden and his White House claiming the economy was amazing.     Over on NBC‚ inflation was apparently a joke to Melvin and senior business correspondent Christine Romans: MELVIN: Now we care about inflation! ROMANS: Oh yeah! Now we do! MELVIN: Now we care! ROMANS: Right‚ because inflation has come for your fast food menu! “Once upon a time‚ a few dollars could purchase a quick meal at a fast food restaurant‚” Romans quipped at the top of her report‚ followed by a clip from an old Wendy’s ad featuring founder Dave Thomas: “I think people should be able to eat good food without spending much money.” The eating and food puns were a constant throughout Romans’ report: But these days‚ grabbing a burger and fries takes a much bigger bite out of our wallet. (…) Once home to the dollar menu‚ prices at the Golden Arches leaving a bad taste in the mouth of consumers who just want value. Romans even seemed to make a reference to the “food at home” meme. “The price of food at home rose just 1.3 percent over the past year. But food away from home jumped more than five percent‚” she noted. And when they cut back to the live shot‚ there was a large plate with a pile of McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches on it. With a laugh‚ Melvin claimed it cost “$250.” To his credit‚ Al Roker grabbed the plate and handed them out to the studio crew. Co-anchor Savannah Guthrie then made a wisecrack that the crew had pitched the story to them in order to be fed. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s Good Morning America February 7‚ 2024 8:02:52 a.m. Eastern ROBIN ROBERTS: Now to what could be a debt crisis brewing in our country. Household debt rising to record levels as more Americans struggle to pay the bills. Our chief economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis is back now with more. Good morning again‚ Rebecca. REBECCA JARVIS: Nice to see you‚ Robin. And Americans are taking on more debt. $17.5 trillion overall‚ $1.3 trillion of that is a record amount and it's on credit cards. Plus‚ more people are falling behind on their payments because‚ despite the strong jobs market‚ consumers are facing higher prices and much higher interest rates. So‚ take a look at this. In just the last two years‚ the typical credit card has gone from 14.5 percent APR to now 21.5 percent APR. So‚ let’s say you’re carrying a $1‚000 balance on your credit card. Two years ago‚ if you were making minimum payments‚ it would have cost you $729 in interest to pay it off. At today's rate‚ you are paying almost $1‚200 in interest. That is a nearly $500 difference. So‚ there are some things you can do. You want to put your savings in an FDIC high-yield savings account so you're getting paid five percent instead of .5 percent. Check out sites like Nerd Wallet and Bankrate for your best options there. Also‚ check out CDs at your current bank. And if you are considering a balance transfer to a zero-percent-interest credit card‚ just make sure it is not a license to spend more money. Linsey. LINSEY DAVIS: But zero percent interest sounds like a good idea for so many. JARVIS: A lot better than 21.5‚ yes. DAVIS: You are so right on that. Rebecca Jarvis‚ our thanks to you as always. NBC’s Today February 7‚ 2024 7:38:18 a.m. Eastern HODA KOTB: This morning we are focusing on fast food. SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Rising prices have popular chains under fire‚ this morning. Some customers are thinking twice about that quick bite to eat. CRAIG MELVIN: NBC’s senior business correspondent Christine Romans is here with more. Now we care about inflation! CHRISTINE ROMANS: Oh yeah. Now we do. MELVIN: Now we care. ROMANS: Right‚ because inflation has come for your fast food menu! And frankly‚ consumers are fed up with this. As some companies have become more creative with their menus‚ customers have become much more price-sensitive‚ they just want cheap. And those chains are hearing the complaints. [Cuts to video] Once upon a time‚ a few dollars could purchase a quick meal at a fast food restaurant. DAVE THOMAS (founder of Wendy’s‚ via old advertisement): I think people should be able to eat good food without spending much money. ROMANS: But these days‚ grabbing a burger and fries takes a much bigger bite out of our wallet. MOMALLDAY_ (TikTok user): Why we not talking about these fast food restaurants going up‚ too. REECYPIECES (TikTok user): Almost $9 for a Big Mac. ROMANS: Once home to the dollar menu‚ prices at the Golden Arches leaving a bad taste in the mouth of consumers who just want value. Going viral‚ the Big Mac meal priced at $18 at a Connecticut rest stop and an egg McMuffin selling for $7. Fast food companies are listening. McDonald's CEO says he's focusing on affordability this year. Telling analysts that customers making $45‚000 a year and less are ditching their McD's and buying groceries instead. You can see why. The price of food at home rose just 1.3 percent over the past year. But food away from home‚ jumped more than five percent. (…)

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) blasted the Biden administration’s obsession with censorship amidst revelations of a multimillion-dollar government campaign to silence free speech.  Schmitt reacted to news of the National Science Foundation spending millions towards developing artificial intelligence (AI) censorship tools to fight so-called “misinformation.” Schmitt accused President Joe Biden’s administration in an X (formerly Twitter) post of being “addicted to censoring Americans' speech” with its new machinations. While serving as Missouri’s attorney general‚ Schmitt was one of the filers of the landmark free speech lawsuit against the Biden administration‚ Missouri v. Biden (2022). He cited the importance of this case‚ which will be heard by the Supreme Court‚ in his post. “Biden was the architect of the biggest censorship enterprise we've ever seen‚” Schmitt said on X (formerly Twitter)‚ in response to a new Congressional report. House Judiciary Committee Republicans announced the report this week exposing the Biden administration’s latest censorship efforts. The goal‚ as summarized by New York Post‚ is to design anti-“misinformation” tools to provide to Big Tech platforms to suppress free speech. “That's why MO v. Biden is the most important free speech case in American history. It's time to stop this once and for all‚” the senator insisted.The Missouri v. Biden lawsuit cites exclusive MRC Free Speech America research from its unique CensorTrack.org database. The case is pending before the Supreme Court. Last year‚ a U.S. district court judge issued a temporary injunction to restrict the federal censorship efforts the lawsuit exposed. An appeals court then upheld part of the injunction. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.