Canada is facing an existential crisis like much of the rest of the West‚ and Canadians need to understand that to finally fight back against the people in power there. That was the message from former Fox News host Tucker Carlson‚ who delivered an impassioned speech in Calgary‚ Alberta‚ on Tuesday. His Calgary speech was one of two sold-out appearances in Alberta‚ with 4‚000 attending in Calgary and 8‚000 in Edmonton‚ according to Politico. On X‚ formerly known as Twitter‚ Carlson dubbed his lecture “Liberating Canada: The Calgary Speech.” Liberating Canada: The Calgary Speech pic.twitter.com/nidv7KHHlz— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 25‚ 2024 Carlson said that the three things that strike him most about Canada when he visits are its natural beauty‚ the politeness of its people‚ and that its comedians left decades ago. “I do think it’s important to laugh at your circumstances‚ not just because it makes you feel better—though it does—but because it gives you perspective on them‚” he said. “Humor requires some distance‚ some critical distance both from yourself and your surroundings‚ and you can’t really see things clearly until you have that.” If you have a country where humorous people feel they have to leave‚ “that’s a huge problem‚” Carlson said. Furthermore‚ he explained that you can’t form an effective political or resistance movement if you can’t laugh at your enemies. Pointing out that your enemies are both evil and ludicrous “saps their power‚” the former Fox News host said‚ citing the example of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Let’s say you had some sort of weird prime minister who liked to dress up in fussy costumes‚ it would be superimportant to point that out‚ like‚ a lot—like‚ relentlessly‚” Carlson said. He followed up by saying that because many young Canadians take Trudeau seriously‚ it’s important to point out “what an absurd poseur this guy is.”  “He’s a ridiculous figure‚” he said. Carlson said that Canadians should resist Trudeau to the maximum extent of their ability‚ but before they do that‚ they should laugh at him until they “can’t breathe.” Trudeau is like a person who shows up for a costume party‚ but it’s not a costume party‚ and speaks as though he has some moral authority‚ he said. The second piece of advice Carlson had for Canadians is that they need to recognize what’s happening to them. “This is not a political debate in which you’ve been invited to participate. This is a destruction of you‚ and your culture‚ and your beliefs‚ and your children‚ and your future as a country‚” he said. That isn’t hyperbole‚ Carlson stressed. “If you have a government giving fentanyl to your children as they are in [British Columbia] … what’s the message of that?” he said. Carlson was referring to a provisional government policy in British Columbia that‚ as of last August‚ reportedly began allowing “safe” recreational fentanyl to be distributed to adults and minors. He noted that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for people under 40 in the United States. “If someone is giving fentanyl to your children without telling you‚ they’re trying to kill your children‚ which are your inheritance‚ the only meaningful thing you will ever produce on earth‚” he said. He then turned his attention to Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program‚ or MAiD. “If you are killing 50‚000 of your citizens—the government is doing that through the MAiD program‚ and a lot of them are not terminally ill; they are just sad—and the government is encouraging them to submit to being killed by the government‚ and then won’t release the recent statistics‚ what is that?” Carlson asked rhetorically. Carlson called that a “genocide” and said that it’s hard to know who is actually being killed‚ because the government is holding back statistics. Carlson also spoke about the erosion of civil liberties in Canada. He said he’s not talking about liberties granted by the “crown‚” but about the most basic civil liberties granted by God‚ including “the freedom of speech‚ which is inalienable. It cannot be taken from you‚ no matter who is in Ottawa‚” the nation’s capital. “It doesn’t matter who is in the prime minister’s office. Your rights remain the same. You were born with them‚ because you are not a slave‚ you are a human being‚” and you have inherent dignity because God made you‚” he said. If the government is trying to take those rights away in the “name of safety‚” he said‚ and then they take away your right to bear arms and defend yourself‚ then saying that you don’t have a right to complain about it while subsidizing what is becoming state media to promote this message‚ their message is “you are bad.” Carlson said that Canada has the highest level of immigration per capita in the world. No matter where that population is coming from‚ “if you change the population of the country‚ you change the country‚ and you dilute the voting power of the people who invested in that country‚ the people who were born there and lived there long term.” He said that was simple “math.” Not only is that “horrifying‚” Carlson said‚ but there’s been no public debate over it. Even if those who promoted that policy said that it was for economic reasons‚ he said he would be OK with that. But they can’t do that‚ he said‚ because when you look at factors such as housing prices and the strain on public services‚ such as the health care system‚ it’s clear that the system is overburdened. Finally‚ he pointed out what Canada is doing to its Christians. If 90 churches are burned to the ground‚ and the prime minister and his associates are “endorsing that‚” Carlson said‚ and pastors are put in jail for preaching the Gospel‚ “you’re serving someone other than the people of Canada.” “That’s really scary‚ and if you dress it up in the passive-aggressive‚ self-help language of the modern Left‚” that’s just another form of authoritarian fascism‚ Carlson said. Politics and politicians won’t save the country from these problems‚ he concluded. Instead‚ he said‚ Canadians who wish to resist need an “attitude change.” Timidity needs to be replaced with bravery‚ he said‚ and muddled thinking must be replaced with clarity to understand that all the terrible policies are aimed at “you.” The stakes in this conflict are “existential‚” he said. 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 In Calgary Speech‚ Tucker Carlson Warns of ‘Existential Crisis’ for Canada‚ Faults Trudeau appeared first on The Daily Signal.

As the old saying goes‚ you reap what you sow. It seems that liberal politicians who sowed the specious seeds of their version of “criminal justice reform” in blue cities across the country now don’t like their crop: high crime rates. Gallup polls show that 63% of Americans think the crime problem is “extremely or very serious‚” up from 54% in 2021. Crime rates have exploded since 2016‚ after a 30-year decline. And that is a political millstone around the necks of the so-called reformers. To survive in their political positions‚ they need crime rates to come down. So‚ when the FBI announced in December that crime rates declined in the third quarter of 2023 relative to the same period in 2022‚ reformers and liberal pundits took to the media and celebrated the decline and mocked those (like us) who argue that crime rates are unacceptably high. The FBI did Not include crime rates in Los Angeles and Chicago‚ which have suffered massive crime spikes since district attorneys George Gascon and Kim Foxx‚ both George Soros-supported rogue prosecutors‚ were elected in 2020 and 2017‚ respectively.   An article by a self-described “humor(ish) columnist” in USA Today chortled that the news of supposedly declining crime rates “threatens one of the Republican Party’s most-valued narratives.” An NBC News article noted that the FBI data “contradicts a widespread national perception that lawbreaking and violence are on the rise.” Notice the use of the word “perception‚” as if victims of crime—inner city store owners ravaged by rampant looting and others—are imagining crime versus actually experiencing it week after week.    Philip Bump‚ a Washington Post “columnist focused on the numbers behind politics‚” snarked that Fox News ignored the “the narrative” that crime rates fell for one quarter. Ironically and cynically‚ he ignored the actual numbers showing that crime rates have risen dramatically since 2016. So much for “focusing” on the numbers. Another recent Washington Post article trumpeted the headline “Homicides fell in many big U.S. Cities in 2023‚ report says.” Except that when you read the article‚ it makes important concessions: (1) in many cities where homicides fell‚ other violent crimes are still rising; (2) homicides are still higher than pre-pandemic levels; and (3) the homicide rates in certain cities such as Memphis and Washington‚ D.C.‚ are still rising. So much for the article’s headline. Here are the facts: Crime exploded in 2016 and peaked in 2022 in many blue cities. Last year‚ in some cities‚ some crimes took a slight dip. That slight dip‚ celebrated by the Left‚ is an infinitesimal step in the right direction‚ but rates are still way above where they were in 2015.  Crime rates have dropped across the country as a whole over the last 30 years‚ as the chart below depicts.  They have dropped since 1992 primarily because states passed stronger laws holding violent criminals accountable while at the same time creating alternative courts and programs‚ like drug courts‚ domestic violence courts‚ family justice centers‚ and thousands of alternatives to incarceration that help provide resources and services that are more effective at keeping offenders from reoffending. Of course‚ an essential ingredient to the success of these programs is accountability—meaning that if someone could not‚ or would not‚ complete an alternative program‚ he would be sent to jail or prison to serve out his sentence. States also empowered police and prosecutors to appropriately enforce these new‚ tougher laws. But starting in 2015‚ prison abolitionists and other “reform” radicals‚ including “defund the police” zealots‚ planted the seeds that led to a new crime spike in the blue cities that implemented such so-called reforms. And in cities with the toxic trio of defund the police‚ demoralize the police‚ and the election of Soros-backed rogue prosecutors‚ crime exploded.  Looking at statistics in four of the largest cities in America—Los Angeles‚ Chicago‚ Philadelphia‚ and New York—crime rates are still higher compared to rates from when crime was steadily decreasing years ago.  Los Angeles Gascon is the rogue prosecutor in Los Angeles County who was elected in November 2020 with a $2.5 million donation by Soros to the California Justice and Safety PAC‚ which supported Gascon. In the three years before he was the Los Angeles DA‚ there were 1‚913 homicides‚ or an average of 637 per year in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times‚ between 2021 and 2023‚ there have been 2‚304 homicides‚ or an average of 768 per year. So‚ even though 680 people were killed in 2023 compared to 764 in 2022‚ an 11% decrease‚ looking at the three-year average‚ there would still be 131 “extra” souls killed each year since Gascon was elected DA. And that’s just homicides. Lootings‚ robberies‚ gang violence‚ and organized crime have all skyrocketed under Gascon’s watch compared to the pre-Gascon era.  Chicago Foxx was the first big-city Soros-backed rogue prosecutor‚ elected in 2016 and assuming office in 2017. And while it is true that there has been a 13% decrease in homicides in 2023 from 2022 (617 versus 709‚ respectively)‚ the numbers are still shockingly high. In the six years before Foxx began as the state’s attorney for Cook County‚ there was an average of 510 homicides per year (2011-2016). But in 2017‚ when she took office‚ homicides spiked to 660 in her first year and have averaged 661 per year through 2023. In other words‚ there have been an “extra” 1‚057 homicides in Chicago during Foxx’s tenure (and counting)—an average of 151 more deaths per year. Additionally‚ over 75% of homicide victims during Foxx’s tenure have been black‚ and the majority of those (approximately 87%) were men. To put this carnage into perspective‚ between 2003 and 2010‚ there were 3‚481 Americans killed in action in Iraq—an average of 435 a year.  In the war in Afghanistan‚ between 2001 and 2014‚ there were 1‚833 Americans killed in action—an average of 141 per year.  In other words‚ the City of Chicago’s annual murder rate is worse than the number of U.S. military personnel annually killed in action in Afghanistan and Iraq at the height of the fighting in those countries. In parts of Chicago on any given weekend‚ it is—literally—a domestic war zone. Chicago has seen a spike in other crimes‚ too‚ since its rogue prosecutor was elected. For example‚ in the three years before Foxx was elected‚ there were 4‚460 rapes reported to the police‚ an average of 1‚486 per year.  During Foxx’s tenure (2017-2022)‚ there were 10‚789 rapes reported to the police‚ an average of 1‚804 per year. That means that there were an “extra” 318 rapes per year in Chicago (and counting) during her tenure.  Philadelphia Larry Krasner is the rogue prosecutor in Philadelphia‚ elected to office in 2017 with $1.7 million from Soros and reelected in 2021 with $1.26 million from Soros. According to the Philadelphia Police Department‚ Philadelphia recorded 410 homicides in 2023 compared to 514 in 2022‚ around a 20% decrease. But when you open up the lens‚ you see how crime‚ including murder‚ nonfatal and fatal shootings‚ aggravated assaults‚ retail theft‚ and car theft have skyrocketed during his tenure compared to the years before he assumed office. As we detailed in our book‚ “Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers Are Destroying America’s Communities‚” in the five years before Krasner became the DA‚ there were 1‚356 homicides‚ an average of 271 per year. Since he took office in 2018 through 2023‚ there have been 2‚696 homicides‚ an average of 449 per year. That’s 1‚340 “extra” homicides in total‚ or an “extra” 233 per year. It’s the same disaster with nonfatal shootings (an extra 500 per year and counting)‚ aggravated assaults (an extra 906 per year and counting)‚ retail theft (an extra 1‚672 per year and counting)‚ and auto thefts (an extra 2‚974 per year and counting). Krasner‚ channeling his inner Donald Trump‚ calls reports of rising crime rates in Philadelphia “fake news.” New York City Alvin Bragg is the rogue prosecutor in Manhattan. According to Fox 5 NY‚ overall crime in New York City was down less than a percentage point in 2023 compared to 2022. There was a 12% decrease in homicides‚ from 438 murders in 2022 down to 386 murders in 2023. The New York Times reported that there were 328 murders in 2014. This means that another 15% decrease would be required to meet pre-spike murder numbers. In fact‚ just last year‚ New York’s mayor claimed that he had “never witnessed crime at this level”—clearly‚ an 11% decrease in murders is not enough to lessen concerns about crime. And while rapes and burglaries were down last year in the city‚ assaults were up 6.3%‚ grand larceny was up 15%‚ and stabbings and slashings were up just over 5% year over year. No wonder residents and tourists don’t want to take the subway!    It’s understandable that those who planted the cancerous seeds of “reform” throughout the U.S. are engaged in deception by calling rising crime rates “fake news”—because acknowledging the reality of their crop would be tantamount to admitting that their “reforms” actually made matters much worse. But when the media parrots their lies and refuses to look at the data over time‚ they are doing the public a disservice. And they are doing so at the expense of public safety and people’s lives. 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 Crime Rates Continue to Explode in Blue Cities‚ Despite Media’s Narrative to Contrary appeared first on The Daily Signal.

CNN Takes a Dump on Australians

Trump Ordered to Pay Another $83 Million to E. Jean Carroll

Imagine a task as mundane as raking leaves‚ but with a twist – you’re surrounded by a group of baby pandas. These little creatures are known for their endearing clumsiness‚ mischievous behavior‚ and an overwhelming desire to play. Their curious and playful nature turns any simple task into an unexpected and often hilarious adventure‚ especially... The post Mischievous pandas gang up against caretaker and it soon turns into hilarious standoff appeared first on Animal Channel.

Rocky‚ a German Shepherd‚ encountered a puzzling sight: a tiny white and yellow furball‚ unlike anything he’d seen before. His initial reaction was one of confusion. He sniffed the strange creature‚ but that didn’t clarify things. Even looking to his humans for answers proved futile. The furball then began to move and emit a high-pitched... The post German Shepherd can’t understand all the “noise” this kitten is making so he investigates appeared first on Animal Channel.

X owner Elon Musk touted his social media platform as a glaring and much-targeted news island in an ocean of elite media bias.  During a conversation in Poland with The Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro‚ Musk made the point that X was not only an exception among social media companies‚ but an exception among the media in general. Shapiro and Musk agreed that media elites abruptly changed their treatment of Musk after he purchased the social media platform. “It was amazing to me how much the legacy media walks in lockstep — nobody breaks ranks‚ so now we have X that breaks ranks and doesn’t just go with whatever the approved narrative is‚” Musk said. “I think for many in the public‚ they don’t quite realize just how much deception is really going on with the media. The biggest deception is the choice of narrative.”     Musk added that the media “can write a story about this or write a story about that.” However‚ he warned that “only a few stories can go on the front page – so you’re deciding essentially‚ what people should pay attention to.” Musk went on to say that instead of catering to the concerns of the public‚ the leftist media responded to a different audience: newsroom editors. Musk said that the media prominently addressed only “what a handful of editors care about.” He continued‚ “They’re telling the people what to pay attention to‚ so the deception by choice of narrative is a big thing. So that’s why I really want the narratives to bubble up organically from the people in the case of the X system‚ which they do.”  When Shapiro told Musk that “there was a censorious hand placed on all of these tech companies‚” Musk agreed that this was “unequivocally” true.  Later on in the interview‚ Musk and Shapiro contrasted the current situation on X with the censorship regime that preceded Musk’s takeover.  Musk told Shapiro that he generally tries to “increase the so-called Overton window of what can be discussed‚ what is okay to discuss without being ostracized.” He stated‚ “Certainly attacking DEI–would have been ostracized before and not anymore. And anything that’s sort of sensitive or that the media ignores‚ the public can then raise it on the X platform and make that an actual topic of discussion.”  In response‚ Shapiro brought up prior the rampant censorship of biological reality‚ when accounts were censored for referring to men as men and women as women. Since taking over the platform‚ Musk ended censorship around “misgendering” and “deadnaming” and ended the suspension of satire site The Babylon Bee’s account for the same reason.  Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representative and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

The biggest threat to the Constitution in 2024 is the “lawfare” being waged against Donald Trump — and the Supreme Court is as much its target as Trump is. Consider attempts in Colorado‚ Maine and elsewhere to ban Trump from the ballot. The architects of these efforts are counting on most Americans not knowing how presidential primaries and general elections actually work. What happens if a blue-state Supreme Court or Democratic secretary of state rules that Trump isn’t eligible to be president? If the question stayed at the state level‚ very little would change. This is because voters don’t directly pick either a party’s nominee or a president. Primaries and caucuses are only first steps in a process — which differs from state to state — that ultimately selects delegates to the party’s national convention. Those delegates‚ in turn‚ pick the nominee. Colorado requires delegates to support the candidate they’re pledged to‚ even if that candidate drops out of the race. But a candidate who withdraws can free up his or her delegates with a simple letter‚ and after the first round of voting at the convention‚ delegates are often automatically unbound. If Colorado kept Trump off the ballot‚ but he needed the state’s delegates — an unlikely scenario at this point — he could get them by having his voters throw their support behind one of the candidates who’s on the ballot but has already dropped out and endorsed Trump: Ron DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy would do. Yes‚ it would be messy‚ but if the GOP is determined to nominate Trump‚ a handful of blue states won’t stop him with ballot bans. The general election is also indirect. When voters choose a president and vice president‚ they’re actually voting for a slate of electors pledged to those candidates. Disqualifying Trump from the ballot wouldn’t disqualify the electors pledged to him and his running mate — and the Republican candidate for vice president would appear on the ballot even if Trump didn’t. In blue or battleground states‚ it’s even conceivable that this could help the Republican ticket‚ if moderate voters turned off by Trump found it easier to vote GOP with only his running mate on the ballot. The same slate of electors‚ however‚ represents both the presidential and VP nominees; Trump would get the electors pledged to the ticket even if his name wasn’t on voters’ ballots. A state that banned Trump might try to disqualify his electors‚ but this would risk a constitutional crisis on both the state and federal levels. Colorado‚ for example‚ has a law that replaces “faithless electors” who don’t vote for the winner of the state’s popular election — but what happens if the Republican ticket wins‚ yet there’s no presidential candidate listed on it? Replacing Republican electors with Democrat electors would hardly make sense if the GOP ticket‚ with only a vice president listed‚ won the popular contest. With so many different rules in different states‚ the results would be wide-open to challenge when Congress counts the Electoral College vote. Savor the irony: If Trump won the Electoral College vote despite state attempts to ban him‚ Vice President Kamala Harris and congressional Democrats would be in the same position Mike Pence and the Republicans were in on Jan. 6‚ 2021. Would Harris count the votes from Trump electors? Yet it won’t come to that — because even Democrats pushing to ban Trump know that the states will be preempted by the U.S. Supreme Court. In fact‚ that’s the trap they’ve laid. SCOTUS is set to take up the Colorado case‚ and Democrats want to embarrass the Republican-majority court. If the justices rule against Trump‚ they’ll throw the election and the Republican Party into turmoil. Trump and his supporters‚ red-state governments‚ and perhaps the institutional GOP as a whole might defy the ruling‚ putting Trump on ballots anyway and opening a deeper constitutional crisis. But it’s more likely the justices will decide in Trump’s favor‚ in which case Democrats will be the ones questioning the court’s legitimacy. And that’s the strategy: to get another decision that juices Democratic enthusiasm and turnout the way the Dobbs abortion ruling did. Trump’s reputation will be further damaged even if he prevails‚ and if he does‚ Democrats will harness their voters’ fury at the Republican-majority Supreme Court. Lawfare subverts democracy by taking decision-making away from voters and giving it to the courts‚ while ensuring that half the country — one party or the other — is outraged by the judiciary’s conclusions. Democrats have led their supporters to entertain a fantasy of winning by disqualifying Trump rather than beating him‚ but the scenarios don’t work‚ and lawfare only breeds strife. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

Friday’s White House press briefing went for 86 minutes‚ but it had fireworks on everything from the border crisis to climate to the Israel-Hamas war. Most notably‚ Fox’s Peter Doocy was only one of two reporters to ask the National Security Council’s John Kirby over the bombshell that roughly a dozen United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) workers — the group responsible for U.N.-directed aid in Gaza — may have participated in Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel. A Biden potted plant‚ CNN’s Arlette Saenz was surprisingly the other reporter and went first with an open-ended request for comment. Doocy came along a few minutes later and called out Kirby for having said earlier this month (January 4‚ specifically) that “you can’t hold [UNRWA] accountable for the depredations of Hamas.”     Asked what he thought now‚ Kirby had a look of eating crow and fretted: “[I]t certainly looks as if there is cause to be concerned about the actions of some of the members of UNRWA...but that does not and nor should it impugn the entire agency” because their “important work” has “helped save literally thousands of lives in Gaza”. Doocy was incensed Kirby wasn’t more outraged: DOOCY: That’s bad‚ though! If there are 12 people who are accused of — KIRBY: It’s bad! It’s bad if there’s one! It’s bad if there’s one! DOOCY: — that’s bad! And the U.S. is giving them money‚ how much money? KIRBY: We have suspended the — they have suspended — DOOCY: How much before the suspension? KIRBY: — I don’t have the dollar figures here‚ Peter. DOOCY: John! After Kirby told Doocy he’d “get back to you‚” Doocy ripped the White House as irresponsible: “[W]ho does this White House vet because we know that people coming across the southern border are not vetted. Now we know that people that are getting hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. money are not being vetted. So‚ who do you guys check out?” Kirby called it “interesting” to “combin[ed] the two” and scolded Doocy for doing so since the border “has nothing to do and you know it has nothing to do with UNRWA and Gaza.” He also offered a hilarious answer about the border: “[I]t’s not like we don’t have a process at the border‚ and there is a challenge there‚ and the President does want to get more Border Patrol agents. But this idea that just there’s no vetting and there’s no proper immigration enforcement going on at the border just is not — does not comport with reality.” Ooof. Doocy’s last question set Kirby off (click “expand”): DOOCY: But up until today‚ the U.S. policy then has been we don’t negotiate with terrorists‚ but we will give them hundreds of millions of dollars? KIRBY: Come on now. That’s — that’s conflating here. This is not — you’re — you’re — that’s like saying the whole UNRWA is a terrorist organization. You know who is a terrorist organization? Hamas‚ not UNWRA. Now‚ if they have — if the investigation proves that‚ in this case‚ I think it’s about a dozen employees were assisting Hamas and even to the point of‚ maybe even‚ you know‚ involved in hostage taking‚ then absolutely they need to be held to account and we will — although we’ve already suspended any additional allocations to UNRWA‚ we’ll certainly consider additional‚ you know‚ what it — depending on the investigation‚ whether that requires any additional changes in the way we support UNRWA going forward. Prior to Kirby‚ White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi took questions about President Biden’s announcement of a ban on certain liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. CBS’s Weijia Jiang had the obvious question of why now and The Washington Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa correctly sniffed out the fact that this move was to suck up to the demands of far-left climate activists Biden needs to keep wedded to his administration (click “expand”): JIANG: So why is this pause coming now and not on day one? It’s almost three years into the President’s term and‚ since he took office‚ the administration has approved thousands of oil and gas projects. So‚ why didn’t you take this pause on day one to do all the critical analysis you just talked about? ZAIDI: So‚ great question. Um‚ the Dept of Energy — this analysis that the agency is undertaking — it’s not unprecedented. It’s routine and the analytical basis for these decisions — the economic analysis‚ the environmental analysis — is‚ at this point‚ in most cases‚ about five years old. We’ve also seen the market changed dramatically over this period of time. Um‚ if you look just at the United States‚ which has now become the number one exporter...[W]e’ve seen change is our evolving understanding of the environmental implications of this. Look‚ over the last 10 years‚ for example‚ we have started to really understand the potency and threat that methane presents to the environment. Methane is this super polluting greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than C02. And in some instances‚ some scientists believe that it’s represents about half a degree of the warming we’re seeing here...I think this will inform how we approach this program going forward. (....) OLORUNNIPA: To what extent is this a response to activists who have expressed some displeasure with the President’s overall record on climate so far? ZAIDI: You know‚ young people have been such a central part of the coalition that really helped‚ I think‚ the President imagine this climate agenda...that‚ I think‚ young people are excited about. One that’s not about just getting sucked into the doom and gloom of the sky‚ turning orange and the smoke that we breathe into our lungs‚ but of what we can see together...[Y]oung people know they’ve got in Joe Biden‚ a partner‚ a ally‚ a leader who is taking on this crisis and unlocking the...massive‚ massive opportunity that sits on the other side of that. OLORUNNIPA: And what’s your message to activists who say you have to — you should move beyond the pause to actually reject some of these projects? ZAIDI: Look‚ if the question is‚ does the science urge us to find every single way to move as quickly as we can‚ faster and faster each day to take on the climate crisis? It does. It’s code red. That’s what the scientists say...[W]e’ve been creative‚ innovative‚ and‚ I think‚ intrepid in finding ways to move faster and faster in taking on this crisis. Fox Business’s Edward Lawrence had the best question of this portion as he noted this ban could “push countries specifically in Asia to turn to coal plants when they can’t get that increased LNG”: FBN's @EdwardLawrence: “So‚ 32 oil and natural gas industry groups have signed onto a letter saying that the pause sends a wrong message to the allies‚ but also that it will push countries specifically in Asia to turn to coal plants when they can't get that increased LNG‚ you… pic.twitter.com/7OHUk6gURM — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 26‚ 2024 During Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s turn‚ the AP’s Aamer Madhani actually stepped up and asked if Biden will finally visit East Palestine‚ Ohio as it’s nearly been a year since the toxic train derailment.  Madhani also questioned whether‚ if he won’t go‚ this shows East Palestine is “a hindrance” to Biden and/or “a sign of almost insensitivity”. Not surprisingly‚ Jean-Pierre offered a lengthy answer resembling many of her previous answers on the topic (see here‚ here‚ and here for examples). Fast-forwarding to the end of the briefing‚ Andrew Feinberg of The Independent spent over five minutes demanding Biden federalize the Texas National Guard and all other state National Guards dispatched by their respective governor to help Texas control the southern border. WATCH: Far-left reporter @AndrewFeinberg of The @Independent repeatedly blasts KJP from the left‚ demanding President Biden nationalize the Texas National Guard and any state National Guard sent by their governor to assist Texas at the border. By doing so‚ those guardsmen that… pic.twitter.com/shT8Jcktvg — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 26‚ 2024 To see the relevant transcript from the January 26 briefing (with more noteworthy questions‚ including one from taxpayer-funded Voice of America kvetching that Biden’s “really out of touch” with the rest of the world by daring to support Israel)‚ click here.

A satanist Veteran Affairs staffer working at an undisclosed facility recently filed a complaint with a nonprofit civil rights group‚ claiming that his or her supervisor's desk display‚ which reads "Not today‚ Satan‚ not today‚" was a "grotesque Christian supremacist" sign‚ the New York Post reported. The sign was subsequently removed from the supervisor's desk.The self-described satanist staffer is an Air Force veteran who "subscribes to many non-theist teaching[s] (including Satanist)."According to the worker‚ the undisclosed VA facility already had a hostile work environment when he or she was invited into the supervisor's office. The staffer then observed the sign on the supervisor's desk‚ which he or she claimed was placed "in such a way that it was physically directed at anyone sitting in the guest chair across from her desk."A letter sent by the staffer to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation‚ a civil rights group‚ explained that he or she sent a "passionate and deeply emotional email to my supervisor describing my feelings towards her and it." The organization has agreed to take up the veteran's case against the supervisor.According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation's founder and president‚ attorney Michael Weinstein‚ the worker "was already having significant problems with his or her immediate supervisor‚ and this didn't help any."According to Weinstein‚ some individuals are not aware of "the full nature of Satanism." He told the Christian Post that the supervisor's sign was a "noxious example of trying to express a particular religious view in a situation where it simply was not warranted.""It's not sacrificing children at midnight with knives‚" Weinstein stated. "Remember‚ in our perspective‚ we don't look at it as to what is good and bad. We look at what is legal and what's not legal.""We don't look at whether Satan is bad‚ or Jesus is bad‚ or Vishnu is bad‚ or Buddha or Yahweh. We look at the time‚ place‚ and manner of an expression of a faith or non-faith tradition‚" he added. "We're a secular democratic republic. And that's why we have a separation of church and state. It's all time‚ place‚ and manner."The staffer explained in his or her letter that the sign was ultimately removed "with absolutely no resistance whatsoever from my hostile Christian supervisor." The worker also noted that upper management is "now considering bringing in more cultural sensitivity awareness training‚ moving me to a new supervisor‚ and sending an apology email to my entire team."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!