Sign of the Times? White House's First Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Leaves Administration

A woke airline has come under fire for firing Christians after allegedly asking for “critical dialogue.”  Alaska Airlines‚ currently under scrutiny after one of its plane doors fell off mid-air‚ has been sued by two employees who say that the airline fired them for expressing their religious views. According to the federal lawsuit‚ the company invited the employees to engage in “open and critical dialogue” on the Equality Act but then fired them for criticizing the corporation’s pro-LGBTQIA+ political activism.   According to the terminated employees‚ flight attendants Marli Brown and Lacey Smith‚ the airline had a three-strike policy which it disregarded to terminate them for remarks the company itself had solicited. Both Brown and Smith insist that they had been exemplary employees without any prior strikes. Brown said that Alaska Airlines’ Carmen Williams‚ then-vice president of Inflight‚ overruled a human resources recommendation that the company not take any disciplinary action at all. According to the lawsuit‚ both employees had a strong performance record; Marli had “no documented performance concerns” and Lacey had only one relating to her opposition to the Marxist group Black Lives Matter. MRC Vice President Dan Schneider bluntly bashed Alaska Airlines: “When the company invited employees to have an open and critical dialogue‚ it was essentially promising these women that they would be protected for expressing their religious views. Then the company violated their rights because of their religious views. What Alaska Airlines has done is Un-American.”  Schneider added‚ “Both the company and the union claimed to stand against discrimination in all its forms‚ but they then immediately turned around and discriminated against these women‚ specifically because of their religious beliefs. It’s like the airline set a trap for Christians in order to push them out. ” Brown and Smith are suing Alaska Airlines under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and its Washington state counterpart‚ the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). Both statutes prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of religion. Brown and Smith are also suing their union‚ the Association of Flight Attendants.  According to Brown and Smith‚ union representative Terry Taylor — who was supposed to defend their workers’ rights — instead asked her colleagues to “put Marli and Lacey in a burlap bag and drop them in a well.” Beyond the allegations of this lawsuit‚ Alaska Airlines also offers to refund travel costs up to $4‚000 for employees who wish to kill their unborn children. The woke airline also embraces Diversity‚ Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and gender ideology. In fact‚ in a March 2023 DEI statement‚ the company strongly implied they were racially discriminating in hiring.  According to the radical leftist Human Rights Campaign‚ Alaska Airlines has a perfect Corporate Equity Index (CEI) score. Achieving this score requires allowing men to use women’s bathrooms‚ pushing “LGBTQ” propaganda on employees in training and “equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care.” Conservatives are under attack! Contact ABC News (818) 460-7477‚ CBS News (212) 975-3247 and NBC News (212) 664-6192 and demand they report on the dangers of leftist DEI ideology infecting corporate America

Eighteen states are taking a firm stand for free speech against Big Tech censorship. In the cases Big Tech front group NetChoice has against Florida and Texas‚ NetChoice has attempted to fight against the states’ anti-censorship laws. Eighteen state attorneys general‚ led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) and Missouri AG Andrew Bailey (R)‚ and the Arizona state legislature have filed an amicus brief to support Florida and Texas. According to the brief‚ the states are compelled by the goal of protecting Americans’ rights and liberties according to our founding documents. If social media platforms “censor based on viewpoint‚” then “States can pass laws to prevent that censorship‚” the brief argued. Just as States can pass laws “to secure for their citizens” other constitutional rights‚ including the right to life and “the right to bear arms‚” just so states can protect their citizens from attacks on the right to free speech‚ the brief argued. The States who filed the brief maintain that it is vital for their governments to know what their citizens are saying and thinking. This does not entail spying but rather an attention to what citizens urge their government to do. The brief cited the judge’s argument for NetChoice v. Paxton (2022) that States have actually been passing laws to protect free speech from the technology companies carrying that speech for more than a century. From the age of telegraphs up to our present social media landscape‚ state governments have tried to protect free speech when it comes to common carriers. “That interest is especially weighty here in light of the unprecedented control these platforms have over speech central to political and public discourse‚” the brief added. A 2019 Facebook memo cited in the brief reportedly boasted that the Big Tech company could “pull any lever” to influence a presidential election‚ the brief noted. While NetChoice contends that the Texas and Florida laws would limit social media companies’ speech‚ and potentially associate the companies themselves with certain opinions‚ the states disagreed. Rather‚ the brief insisted that‚ like telephone companies‚ the social media companies are carriers of the public’s free speech‚ which must be protected. These companies deny liability for users’ speech‚ so they are not editors; neither is censorship a form of speech‚ and thus protected by the First Amendment. Ultimately‚ the brief emphasized‚ the Florida and Texas laws are meant to protect citizens’ constitutional rights. Besides Ohio and Missouri‚ the state attorneys general who signed the brief hailed from Alabama‚ Montana‚ Alaska‚ Nebraska‚ Arkansas‚ New Hampshire‚ Iowa‚ North Dakota‚ Kentucky‚ Oklahoma‚ Louisiana‚ South Carolina‚ Mississippi‚ Utah‚ South Dakota‚ and Tennessee. The counsels for the Arizona State Senate and House‚ and the speaker of the Arizona House‚ also signed the brief.  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.

The email newsletter from TIME.com had an inflammatory headline: "Lawsuit alleges Biden is complicit in Palestinian genocide." Isn't it surprising that a liberal media outlet would object to Trump mocking Biden tripping on a staircase‚ but they're find with accusations of genocide? The only acceptable criticism of Biden is from the left -- the radical‚ dishonest left in this case.  The headline on the website is "The Stakes of the Lawsuit Alleging Biden is Complicit in Palestinian Genocide." Young reporter Solcyre Burga began:  A federal court case filed against President Joe Biden and two U.S. cabinet officials for allegedly being complicit in Israel’s genocide against Gazans will move forward with a hearing on Friday. The case‚ which names Biden‚ Secretary of State Antony Blinken‚ and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as defendants‚ was filed by Palestinian human rights groups and individuals with help from the nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights. Two things stick out: Israel's genocide is not "alleged‚" it's treated as a fact. Only America's complicity in genocide is "alleged." And the Center for Constitutional Rights is radical left‚ but is merely described as a "nonprofit." The lawsuit is "unusual‚" say the experts‚ because it's....a publicity stunt. The lawsuit is unusual‚ experts say. “In the past‚ when such complaints have been filed with an American court‚ usually the courts tended to throw them out… because of issues of national security‚” says George Washington University professor Michael Barnett. “That said‚ the fact that you have complaints filed in an American court brings attention to the very support that the U.S. continues to give to Israel.” ....Even if the court does decide to throw out the case‚ it could have political effects rather than legal ones. “What really matters is that you make noise‚ raise the attention and volume‚” Barnett says. “You get the ability to stand in court‚ and register your overall concerns and make your case.” And TIME.com is a willing participant in making noise against Israel. At least they let Biden spokesman John Kirby deny the G-word. No one notes the Palestinians were genocidal on October 7. The projection is obvious. The stunts go on and on‚ from the Center for Constitutional Rights pinned tweet:  LIVESTREAM: 1/26 "We Charge Genocide: Int'l Day of Action"‚ stream Palestinian organizers &; allies ahead of the historic lawsuit against Biden for complicity in genocide in Gaza. Then join us LIVE in the court for testimony from our Palestinian plaintiffs. https://t.co/bASOJqaHhN pic.twitter.com/uT9FFbfCZ6 — The CCR (@theCCR) January 19‚ 2024

The House Ethics Committee will not take disciplinary action against Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) despite finding that he was not honest about the infamous fire alarm incident.Last September‚ Bowman claimed he "mistakenly" pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building believing that it would open an exit door. Bowman claimed he made the mistake because he was "rushing" to the House floor "to make a vote."But a 16-page report from the Office of Congressional Ethics found that Bowman lied."Surveillance video obtained by the OCE shows Rep. Bowman deliberately pulling the fire alarm lever without ever looking back to determine whether the alarm facilitated the opening of the emergency doors‚" the report explained. "Indeed ... Rep. Bowman casually walked away from the secured area upon triggering the fire alarm‚ appearing seemingly disinterested in actually departing through the exit."More importantly‚ at the time of this incident‚ the House stood adjourned. Rep. Bowman‚ contrary to statements issued by his office‚ was en route to an emergency Caucus (Democrat) meeting — not to cast an imminent vote‚" the report added.The report included text messages showing that Bowman knew about the caucus meeting "prior to activating the fire alarm‚" which proves he knew that he was not heading to the House floor to vote.The OCE‚ however‚ stopped short of accusing Bowman of deliberately lying."In light of this evidence‚ the OCE finds the explanation provided by Rep. Bowman’s official statement and those published by his staff to be less than credible or otherwise misleading‚" the report said.Despite the misleading statements‚ the House Ethics Committee determined that taking disciplinary action against Bowman "would be moot" because the House already voted to censure him.Bowman‚ moreover‚ has complied with a deferred sentencing agreement‚ the committee explained. As part of that agreement‚ Bowman pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of setting off a false fire alarm. Bowman was also required to pay a $1‚000 fine and issue a formal apology to the Capitol Police in exchange for prosecutors dropping the criminal charge. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Monday‚ the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration regarding its ongoing war with the state of Texas. The court declared that federal agents be permitted access to the border‚ where they will remove the razor wire fences Texas officials have erected as a means of keeping out illegal immigrants. Texas Governor Greg Abbott‚ however‚ has defied these orders. In an official statement released earlier this week‚ Abbott declared that Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense superseded federal statutes. Now‚ the state has begun reinstating previously removed razor wire fences. Yesterday‚ Abbott explained his decision to defy Supreme Court orders on Fox News. “Because the Biden administration has really‚ truly abdicated its responsibility to secure the border and enforce the laws‚ Texas‚ very simply‚ is securing the border‚” he told Fox News’ Dana Perino. “We put up all these barricades that actually have denied illegal entry … There are criminals coming across our border‚ and Texas has a right as a state to stop criminals from coming into our state [and] to make arrest of those criminals. We have the National Guard as well as Texas Department of Public safety officers who are there to make those arrests and to deny illegal entry‚” he continued. “Joe Biden does actually have an option here. Joe Biden’s option is to enforce the laws of the United States and stop this illegal entry.” “It seems to me that we have needed this fight for a long time. This is overdue‚” Dave Rubin tells Sara Gonzales and Michael Malice. “This is treasonous on part of the Biden regime. This is absolute treason. It is contrary to what is in our founding documents [and] to what our Founding Fathers intended‚” says Sara‚ adding that “if the Biden administration really cared about Americans‚ they would be thanking Texas for doing what they couldn’t do.” “Unless the plan was to destroy America‚ in which case‚ they’re not so thrilled‚” says Dave. To see Abbott’s full segment on Fox and hear Dave‚ Sara‚ and Michael’s analysis‚ watch the episode below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

They say you can’t build a smartphone in the United States. They say an American smartphone would be insanely expensive. They say there isn’t enough manufacturing talent to build a smartphone in America. Sadly‚ they may be right. Smartphones are a fantastic invention but a nightmare for privacy and security. They almost all come from China. They run proprietary and extremely locked-down software. They are nigh-impossible to service‚ even for even technically minded users. Even simple things we used to take for granted‚ like replacing our batteries‚ are frowned upon. For years‚ the liberty-minded in the tech scene have dreamed of a smartphone made in the United States. A smartphone that lets you replace your battery. Ideally‚ it would run open-source software without being controlled by the tech giants. Here it is‚ the Purism Liberty Phone — an All-American (nearly) variant of its Librem 5 phone. The Liberty Phone is everything you may have always thought you wanted in a phone. As the company proudly states‚ “All the electronics of the Liberty Phone is made in our USA facility‚ and the entire phone is assembled in the USA.” Which is what makes this review so difficult. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a phone‚ but sadly it falls short – and at $1‚999.00‚ double the price of the Librem 5. Purism Liberty tech specs CPU: NXP® i.MX 8M Quad core Cortex A53‚ 64bit ARM @max 1.5GHz (auxiliary Cortex M4) GPU: Vivante GC7000Lite RAM: 4 GB Storage: 128 GB eMMC internal storage‚ supports expansion up to 2 TB via microSD Screen: 5.7″ IPS TFT 720×1440 WLAN: SparkLAN WNFB-266AXI(BT): 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz/5GHz Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.3 GPS: TESEO LIV3 multiconstellation GNSS receiver b Wolfson Media WM8962 3.5mm jack: Yes (stereo out and mono microphone in) Battery: 4‚500mAh‚ user-replaceable USB: USB C: USB 3.0 data‚ PowerDelivery (Dual-Role Port)‚ video out (DisplayPort) Cameras: 13 MP rear sensor‚ 8 MP front sensor What’s good about the Purism Liberty I feel legitimately awful about what I will say about this phone‚ so let me start by saying what’s great about it. For one‚ it has a headphone jack‚ a rare quality in smartphones these days. You can replace the battery rather easily by popping off the back cover. Underneath the cover‚ you’ll be pleased to see standard Phillips-head screws‚ as opposed to the hodgepodge of tamper-resistant screws and glue you see in most modern smartphones. The Liberty has a unique privacy feature: along the left are three small kill switches for cellular‚ wi-fi‚ and the camera and microphone. However‚ their placement is a bit too prominent‚ and they’re easy to engage accidentally. And did I mention that this phone was produced in America‚ with a minimal number of overseas parts? That in itself is an impressive feat. Purism Liberty build quality Now‚ let’s get to the rest. Pulling the Liberty Phone from the box was a shock. First of all‚ this is the thickest smartphone I’ve ever held. And the back of the phone is plastic — rather cheap-feeling plastic at that. In many ways‚ handling this phone is a trip back to 2010. Another flashback to 2010 is a total lack of fingerprint or facial recognition. Your only option for unlocking the phone is to manually enter a passcode. Looking at the back of the phone‚ there is only one camera sensor‚ and a small one at that. Whether you take photos with the 13 MP rear sensor or the 8 MP front sensor‚ images will be grainy‚ banded‚ and washed out. I haven’t seen photo quality this poor since the days of the Motorola RAZR. The large camera sensors of the Solana Saga (left) vs. the Purism Liberty (right).The screen is a plus … if you’ve missed seeing pixels. To be fair‚ you can just barely make them out.Purism Liberty software I’d love to show you some screenshots of the Liberty’s software‚ but I can’t. See‚ if the Purism Liberty ran a variant of Google’s Android mobile OS‚ I could press a combination of buttons to take a screenshot. However‚ the Liberty does not run Android but rather Purism’s own flavor of Linux‚ which apparently doesn’t have a screenshot shortcut. I asked Purism how to take a screenshot. They suggested I search for “screenshot” in the PureOS Store. I did. Nothing appeared. Someone on the forum suggested installing the “librem5-goodies” package. I searched for it but didn’t find it. Oh well. Onward. Since the Purism Liberty doesn’t run Android‚ don’t expect your usual set of apps like Facebook‚ Spotify‚ YouTube‚ and X. However‚ this … may not be such a bad thing. Instead‚ the PureOS Store offers a set of apps that will feel familiar to many desktop Linux users‚ like the email app Geary and the music player Lollypop (which is quite good on the desktop). For most of the rest of the apps I mentioned‚ the Firefox web browser is baked in. Even if you can get on board with having a non-standard set of phone apps‚ you’re going to have to adapt to an operating system that hasn’t quite adapted to the phone. Take sharing‚ for instance. On Android and iOS‚ pretty much every app has an icon you can tap to share a link or image with another person or app. PureOS does not have this. Just figuring out how to access the photos I had taken took some work. Settings >; Sharing offers options to enable file sharing over the ancient WebDAV protocol‚ but I could never figure out how to access the phone from another computer. There is also a media sharing option that isn’t explained. Even if I couldn’t take a screenshot‚ I at least wanted to figure out how to send one of the photos I had taken on the device to something else. I tried setting up my Fastmail email account with Geary‚ the built-in email client. Unfortunately‚ that only led to errors‚ even after triple-checking the settings and password. I tried connecting the Liberty phone directly to a MacBook Pro‚ but it didn’t appear as a storage device that I could extract files from. I was about to attempt another method when the battery spontaneously died. There just comes a certain point where the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I’ve been using Linux on and off since 1996 — starting with Slackware — and I simply cannot figure out this phone. It doesn’t help that the Liberty phone is so bloody slow. Loading web pages or browsing the PureOS Store is excruciating. Even on fast wi-fi‚ it feels like I’m on dial-up or‚ at best‚ a negligible cellular connection. And the phone runs uncomfortably hot on top of that. Unfortunately‚ even the built-in apps may not work correctly. When I first opened the Maps app‚ it was pinpointed by location on the western coast of Africa. It eventually tracked me down to the correct country‚ state‚ and even county but still presents my location many miles from where it actually is. Likewise‚ the Weather app thinks I’m 30 miles from where I am. You could not navigate with this thing. Not recommended at any price I wanted to like this phone. I wanted to love it. I wanted it to be just good enough that I’d throw my iPhone into the creek and say goodbye to Apple’s tyrannical ways forever. That said‚ I’m sticking with my iPhone 15 Pro. I could deal with some non-standard apps‚ a clunky interface‚ or some other peccadillos. However‚ the Liberty Phone doesn’t merely have a few flaws. It’s completely unusable. It also pains me to say this because I know the team at Purism has performed a Herculean task building this thing. They’ve designed not just a phone but also an entire operating system and supply chain. The fact that they’ve worked so hard to build something utterly unusable is tragic. Commendable perhaps‚ but tragic. What we can learn from the Liberty Phone I want to leave this review on a somewhat positive note. What the Purism team attempted here is simply Herculian‚ swimming upstream from 40 years of globalist American foreign policy and corporate offshoring. This product is a failure‚ but it’s not for lack of effort. The simple truth is that no single company alone — perhaps not even a giant like Apple — can reverse this trend. If we are to rebuild America’s manufacturing base‚ it’s going to have to be a concerted and government-driven effort. And it’s something that must be done. Right now‚ the vast majority of semiconductors come from the little island of Taiwan — 60% of all semiconductors and over 90% of the advanced ones. Those chips power almost every new device you buy‚ whether it’s a computer‚ a car‚ or a toaster oven. Those chips are critical infrastructure. Unfortunately for the world and the Taiwanese people‚ that little island is highly desired by China. China is slowly stealing the island. One day‚ the Chinese will figure out some way to take it. We must diversify our electronic supply chain. I applaud Purism for its efforts‚ but the company can’t be expected to do this alone.

The Heritage Foundation released its annual assessment of U.S. military strength this week‚ and the results are damning. The "2024 Index of U.S. Military Strength" indicates the country's overall military posture "must be rated 'weak.'" "This is the inevitable result of years of prolonged deployments‚ underfunding‚ poorly defined priorities‚ wildly shifting security policies‚ exceedingly poor discipline in program execution‚ and a profound lack of seriousness across the national security establishment even as threats to U.S. interests have surged‚" said the assessment. The first and only other time the military has received a "weak" rating was last year. While this weakness has been years in the making‚ significant American strength has been sapped in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Hamas' terror attacks on Israel. For its assessment‚ Heritage measured American military power in terms of its capacity for operations‚ its capability for modernity‚ and its readiness to handle assigned missions. Scrutineers also factored in the capabilities and behavior of America's adversaries; existing alliances; regional political stability; the condition of key infrastructure; and the presence of U.S. forces. Heritage rated the Air Force's capacity and capability "marginal‚" while noting its readiness was "very weak." To manage more than a single major conflict‚ the assessment suggested the Air Force would need 1‚200 active-duty‚ combat-coded fighter aircraft. Presently‚ the branch reportedly only has 897 at the ready and 64% of what would otherwise be an optimal inventory of bombers. The Government Accountability Office published a "Weapon System Sustainment" report in late 2022 revealing that only a handful of Air Force aircraft associated with American air superiority "met their annual mission capable goal" in a majority of the years from 2011 through 2021. In addition to a questionable fleet‚ the assessment indicated there is a shortage of pilots. "There is not a fighter squadron in the Air Force that holds the readiness levels‚ competence‚ and confidence levels required to square off against a peer competitor‚ and readiness continues to spiral downward‚" said the report. The Army alternatively had a readiness rating of "very strong" but was rated "weak" on capacity and "marginal" on capability. It is supposedly aging faster than it can modernize and continuing to struggle with recruitment. The Navy was rated "very weak" on capacity‚ "marginal" on capability‚" and "weak" on readiness. It reportedly needs a battle force of 400 manned ships to satisfy expectations‚ but in actuality only floats a battle force fleet of 297 ships. Making matters worse‚ its former technological edge has been blunted both by age and by advances made by competitors such as China and Russia. Space Force received a "marginal" rating across the board. America's nuclear capability‚ treated separately‚ received an overall "marginal" rating. While the Marine Corps received an overall rating of "strong‚" Heritage indicated it remains a "one-war force" on account of its capacity‚ adding that its strength would not be enough the compensate for the other branches. The report concluded that the currently military faces the real risk of being incapable of meeting the "demands of a single major regional conflict while also attending to various presence and engagement activities." These findings are especially troubling in light of the various threats to U.S. vital interests also highlighted in the report. Heritage indicated that China‚ Russia‚ Iran‚ North Korea‚ and various non-state actors all pose high risks to vital U.S. interests. China and Russia in particular can make apparently make good on their threats whereas Iran and North Korea are still gathering capabilities. Heritage echoed the Pentagon's understanding that China presents the U.S. with "its most comprehensive and daunting national security challenge across all three areas of vital American national interests: the homeland; regional war ... and international common spaces." Blaze News previously reported that Gen. Mike Minihan‚ head of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command‚ predicted war with China in 2025. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall similarly suggested in September that war with China could soon occur‚ especially if "our power projection capability and capacity are not adequate to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan or elsewhere. ... If it does‚ and we cannot prevail‚ the results could cast a long shadow." The Heritage Foundation's Rob Greenway and Dakota Wood said in a statement Wednesday‚ "Faced with mounting threats and a new Cold War with China‚ our weakened military amplifies global dangers. Yet‚ the chance to restore American military might remains—if we heed the urgency and act decisively." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Friday morning's episode of "The Glenn Beck Program‚" host Glenn Beck chatted with Kari Lake about the bombshell audio clip that appears to show former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party Jeff DeWit attempting to bribe her to keep her from running for the U.S. Senate seat in Arizona currently occupied by Democrat-leaning Independent Kyrsten Sinema."Is there a number at which [you] take a pause for a couple years and then come right back to what you're doing?" DeWit asked Lake‚ according to the clip. She vehemently refused. "$10 million? $20 million? ... No. A billion? No‚" she replied. "This is not about money. This is about our country."DeWit resigned from his position after the audio clip‚ which Lake secretly recorded at her home about 11 months ago‚ was released earlier this week. In his resignation letter‚ DeWit claimed that the clip was "selectively edited" and that he had merely offered Lake a friendly‚ "helpful perspective" about the viability of her candidacy‚ not a bribe.Beck has his doubts. The only way Lake could have taken the conversation "out of context‚" Beck said‚ would be if she had omitted DeWit saying something along the lines of‚ "Everything I'm about to say‚ I'm totally making up‚ Kari‚" or if he had simply been describing a movie‚ rather than giving her a legitimate offer on behalf of some unnamed GOP bigwig "back east.""This is not taken out of context‚" Lake insisted to Beck. "This is not creative editing. Creative editing would be a 30-second clip. This is a conversation about him bribing me. There's no ifs‚ ands‚ or buts."Still‚ Beck pressed Lake about several important issues related to the audio clip. First‚ he wondered why she had secretly recorded it in the first place. Lake claimed that she got "a bad feeling" in her stomach when DeWit called her that afternoon last year and asked if he could stop by since what he had to say‚ he had to say "in person‚" not "over the phone.""I thought‚ is there going to be a threat? Why does he have to come to my door and talk to me?" Lake recalled to Beck."That's why I recorded it. I just thought‚ if he's going to threaten me‚ I need to have this on recording."Under those circumstances‚ "I know I would record that conversation as well‚" Beck admitted‚ but he still wanted to know why she waited nearly a year to release the tape."I taped it because I was afraid there was going to be a physical threat‚" Lake responded. "And when there wasn't‚ I just kind of put that file away."Lake then noted that she did make reference to the alleged bribe in a speech at CPAC a few days after it occurred. "Somebody showed up at my door this week‚" she said at the popular annual conservative convention. "... They came to my door‚ and they tried to bribe me out of getting out of politics. ... This is how disgusting politics is."Despite the alarming allegation‚ no one ever asked her follow-up questions‚ Lake said‚ and she forgot about the tape until recently. Then she‚ her husband‚ and her daughter sat down and listened to it once again and were "shocked" by what they heard."Our jaws dropped to the floor. We were shocked‚" she told Beck. "I went‚ 'Oh my gosh. This is so much worse than I even remembered it being.'"At that point‚ she said she resolved to expose the bribe and the dirty politics that it represents. "Right now‚ Glenn‚ it seems we have a lot of corruption on the Republican Party‚" Lake said. "And I think a lot of it is resistance to Trump. They don't want Trump running ... because he will reveal a lot of the corruption."Beck couldn't agree more about exposing corruption‚ no matter which party engages in it. "That all has to be exposed‚" he said. "I can't call out corruption on the other side if I don't call it out on our side." — (@) Finally‚ Beck asked Lake about some of the allegations DeWit made in his resignation letter. Not only did DeWit claim he had been "set up" in that conversation‚ but he claimed that Lake's team then threatened to release another‚ more damning tape if he didn't immediately resign as chair of the Arizona GOP. "I'm truly unsure of [the other recording's] contents‚ but considering our numerous past open conversations as friends‚ I have decided not to take the risk‚" DeWit wrote. "I am resigning as Lake requested in the hope that she will honor her commitment to cease her attacks‚ allowing me to return to the business sector — a field I find much more logical and prefer over politics."Lake denied having "more tapes" or any recent contact with DeWit. "I haven't talked to him‚ returned any calls‚ even texted him in a long time‚" Lake told Beck. She then indicated that she couldn't have "blackmailed" DeWit since he never knew she'd recorded the conversation or that she planned to release it."Usually‚ if there's a blackmail situation‚ you say‚ 'This is going out if you do that.' He didn't even know until the media contacted him for comment. He didn't know it was going out‚" Lake explained. "This is a bunch of BS."Lake also hinted that DeWit was telling on himself by alluding to possibly more incriminating recordings. "I'm like‚ 'What could be more damaging than a bribery?'" Lake quipped. "I mean‚ what the heck is going on with this guy?" — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Superhero movies and their counterparts in the gaming world are all about becoming the ultimate hero and saving the world‚ but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League offers us something entirely new‚ and that's very exciting. With the chance to play as some of DC's greatest villains‚ though‚ you might be wondering who to pick‚ and who better to ask than the people who made the game? Continue reading There isn’t a “best character” in Suicide Squad‚ but that’s okay MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Kill the Justice League system requirements‚ Kill the Justice League release date‚ Best PC games