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Biden Admin. Spending $1 Billion of ‘Inflation Reduction’ Grants on ‘Equitable Access to Trees and Green Spaces’

Craig Bannister — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 21:05:52 +0000

Biden Admin. Spending $1 Billion of ‘Inflation Reduction’ Grants on ‘Equitable Access to Trees and Green Spaces’

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Pres. Biden plants tree.

(Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker)

The Biden Administration is spending $1 billion of taxpayer money from Pres. Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act” on grants “to increase equitable access to trees and green spaces” in urban and community forests.

The grants will create “jobs in tree-planting and maintenance” and advance “environmental justice” - all while combating climate change - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release announcing the $1 billion in grants:

“Whether it’s reducing heat stress or creating jobs in tree-planting and maintenance, this grant funding will support local communities and partners who are working on the ground to advance environmental justice by mitigating the impact of climate change on communities who lack tree cover in urban spaces while giving kids more safe spaces to play outdoors.”

“The funding for these efforts is made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and is part of a 10-year, $1.5 billion investment in the Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program,” the USDA explains.

States and territories will receive $250 million of the $1 billion of tree/green-equity grants, with the largest share ($43 million) going to California.

Craig Bannister Wed, 04/19/2023 - 17:05

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Craig Bannister

Kyiv Planned to Name Street After Ukrainian Nazi Collaborator Until Israeli Ambassador Intervened

Michael W. Chapman — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 19:14:41 +0000

Kyiv Planned to Name Street After Ukrainian Nazi Collaborator Until Israeli Ambassador Intervened

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Volodymyr Kubiyovych, a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator, in center background. (Wikipedia)

The city council in Kyiv, Ukraine supported and planned to vote in favor of naming a street after a notorious Nazi collaborator last week, but the mayor, Vitali Klitschko, stopped the vote after an unscheduled meeting with Israel's ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, reported The New York Sun.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. It is the most populous city in the country and is the seat of government. The Kyiv City Council passed a motion on Apr. 11 to name a street after Volodymyr Kubiyovych, "who during the Holocaust was heavily involved in the formation of the Waffen-SS Galizien, a Nazi military force made up of Ukrainian volunteers," reported The Jerusalem Post.

Final voting on the measure was scheduled to end on April 16. There were several other names in the mix but none had a higher percentage than Kubiyovych, who was backed by 31% of the vote.

Volodymyr Kubiyovych, a ukrainian Nazi collaborator, who helped form the Waffen-SS Galizien. (Wikipedia)

After the mayor met with the Israeli ambassador, though, the situation changed.

According to The New York Sun, "Mr. Brodsky had made it clear to Mr. Klitschko that the initiative to name the street in honor of the Nazi official Kubiyovich, who many in Ukraine still regard as a hero, was inappropriate. Kyiv’s relations with Israel since Russia invaded Ukraine last year have been testy at times."

In a statement, B’nai B’rith International said, “We welcome the decision by Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko to cancel the initiative to name a street after Volodymyr Kubiyovych. Mayor Klitschko has done the right thing. There should never be a place for venerating individuals who collaborated with and supported Nazis.”

In September 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland from the west and the Soviets invaded from the east. They had signed a deal in Moscow that summer to split Poland in half. One of the consequences of this arrangement was that many Ukrainians in western Ukraine essentially allied with the Nazis and, in 1941, helped Germany battle the USSR.

Along the way, many Ukrainians collaborated with Nazi and SS units in collecting and then executing Jews and others deemed as racial or political enemies of the Third Reich. Kubiyovych supported the Nazis and proclaimed his willingness to join the Waffen SS.

(Screenshot, The Jerusalem Post)

"Kubiyovych was a strong supporter of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-M) and in April 1941 he requested the creation of an autonomous state within Ukraine in which Poles and Jews would not be allowed to live," reported The Jerusalem Post.

"Later in the war in 1943, Kubiyovych took on a key role in the formation of the Waffen-SS Galizien, publicly announcing his willingness to take up arms and fight for the Nazi cause," said The Post.

In Kyiv there is a large ravine called Babyn Yar, noted The Sun, "where more than 33,770 Jews were massacred by Nazi forces on September 29 and 30, 1941. By the end of the German occupation as many as 150,000 people may have been murdered at the infamous site."

Kiev, Ukraine, Bodies of Jews on Michailowska Street, 06/11/1943. Photographed on the day of the city's liberation. (Yad Vashem, photo)

In 1944, as the Soviets moved west against the Nazis, Kubiyovych fled to Germany and ended up in the U.S. occupation zone after the war ended in 1945. He eventually settled in France, where he became well known as one of the top scholars on Ukraine. He died in Paris in 1985.

Although the vote on the street name has been halted, there already exists a plaque in Lviv that honors Kubiyovych. Also, in 2000, "a pre-stamped envelope was issued by the Ukrainian postal service in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth," reported The Post.

SS men or German police officers on one of the sandy cliffs near the Babyn Yar killing site. Below them are unidentified men, perhaps Soviet prisoners of war or local Ukrainians, who sorted through the huge piles of clothing belonging to the more than 33,000 Jews from Kyiv (Kiev) who were murdered at Babyn Yar. Kyiv, German-occupied Soviet Union, after September 30, 1941. (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Michael W. Chapman Wed, 04/19/2023 - 15:14

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Michael W. Chapman

Pope Francis Gives King Charles Two Wooden Relics Believed to Come from Cross Used to Crucify Christ

Terence P. Jeffrey — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 18:51:58 +0000

Pope Francis Gives King Charles Two Wooden Relics Believed to Come from Cross Used to Crucify Christ

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The relics from the cross upon which Christ was crucified that Pope Francis gave King Charles, as seen mounted in the Cross of Wales. (Screen Capture)

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has given King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, two wooden relics believed to come from the cross that was used to crucify Jesus Christ.

The relics were described in a report in The Telegraph as a “personal gift” from the pope to the monarch.

At the request of King Charles, as reported in the British press, the two relics have been embedded in a silver cross that will be used to lead the procession at the King’s May 6 coronation in Westminster Abby in London.

Pope Francis’ gift of these relics to King Charles was first reported in the British press on April 18.

Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, poses with the Cross of Wales ahead of a ceremony to bless the cross at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno, Wales, April 19, 2023. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

In a report published on April 19, the Telegraph of London said the following:

“The Pope has given the King two fragments from the True Cross—said to have been used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—to mark his coronation.

“The relic, described as a ‘personal gift’ from Pope Francis to His Majesty, was formally presented to the Royal Household by Vatican representatives at the Chapel Royal at St. James Palace last week.

“In what was hailed a ‘significant ecumenical gesture,’ the King requested that the shards be incorporated into a new processional cross that he commissioned for the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary before becoming monarch.

“Both fragments are shaped as crosses, one measuring 1 cm and the other 5mm. They have now been set into the large silver cross behind a rose crystal gemstone.

“On the day of his Coronation, the cross will be sued to lead the process into Westminster Abbey, a decision said to reflect the King’s ‘deep and long standing affection for Wales.”

This ceremonial cross that now holds relics from the cross that was used to crucify Jesus Christ is called the Cross of Wales.

This morning, the Independent reported:

“The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, blessed the Cross of Wales at a church service on Wednesday morning, ahead of it being brought to London to be carried before the King at the head of the coronation procession next month. …

“The Cross of Wales was a gift from the King to the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary and upon its return to Wales after the coronation, the cross will be shared between the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales."

Both Anglican Archbishop Andrew and Roman Catholic Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff expressed gratititude for the cross and the relics it contains.

The Independent reported:

“Archbishop Andrew said: ‘We are honoured that His Majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic. Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability. We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide Their Majesties into Westminster Abbey at the coronation service.”

The Independent also reported that Roman Catholic Archbishop O’Toole said: “With a deep sense of joy we embrace this cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See. It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We look forward to honouring it, not only in the various celebrations that are planned, but also in the dignified setting in which it will find a permanent home.”

A paper published by the Royal Collection Trust explains the various roles of the British monarch, including his role as the "Head of the Church of England."

"The sovereign is the 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England,' says this explanation. "These titles date back to the reign of King Henry VIII."

King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church and started the Church of England after the pope refused to allow him to divorce Catherine of Aragon--his brother's widow whom he had married--and marry Anne Boleyn.

Prince Charles kisses Princess Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding, July 29, 1981. (Photo by Keysone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

"After Catherine's 'failure' to produce an heir, Henry became interested in one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn," explains the website of the Royal Museums Greenwich.

"Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, and believed she could produce an heir, but he was still married to Catherine," says this royal museum's website. "When he discovered that Anne Boleyn was pregnant, Henry arranged to marry her in secret at Whitehall Palace--this marked the beginning of his break with Rome.

"Henry had asked Pope Clement VII for his marriage with Catherine to be dissolved, but the Pope would not agree," says the website. "When Henry secretly married Anne, he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

"In 1534, however, Henry pushed through the Act of Supremacy," says this website of the Royal Museums Greenwich. "The Act made him, and all of his heirs, Supreme Head of the Church of England. This meant that the Pope no longer held religious authority in England, and Henry was free to divorce Catherine."

Terence P. Jeffrey Wed, 04/19/2023 - 14:51

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CNSNews.com Staff

The Only Businesses Given Tax Breaks in Dem’s ‘Small Business Tax Equity’ Bill are Marijuana Sellers

Craig Bannister — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 18:37:29 +0000

The Only Businesses Given Tax Breaks in Dem’s ‘Small Business Tax Equity’ Bill are Marijuana Sellers

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(Screenshot)

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced a bill Monday to provide tax breaks only to marijuana sellers.

Labeled the “The Small Business Tax Equity Act,” the bill actually helps only one specific type of small business: those that sell marijuana, in violation of the federal Controlled Substance Act.

As the Congressional Research Service explains, state laws legalizing marijuana are at odds with federal statue:

“It is increasingly common for states to have laws and policies allowing for medical and/or recreational use of marijuana—activities that violate the CSA.”

IRS Code Section 280E says that businesses selling controlled substances (such as marijuana) that violate federal law are not entitled to tax deductions for expenditures:

§280E. Expenditures in connection with the illegal sale of drugs

“No deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act) which is prohibited by Federal law or the law of any State in which such trade or business is conducted.”

The IRS notes that marijuana may deduct the cost of goods sold, just not overhead expenses:

“While IRS Code Section 280E is clear that all the deductions and credits aren’t allowed for an illegal business, there’s a caveat: Marijuana business owners can deduct their cost of goods sold, which is basically the cost of their inventory. What isn’t deductible are the normal overhead expenses, such as advertising expenses, wages and salaries, and travel expenses, to name a few.”

Blumenauer’s bill removes that restriction, not for other types of controlled substances, but only for marijuana:

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow deductions and credits relating to expenditures in connection with marijuana sales conducted in compliance with State law.

…

ALLOWANCE OF DEDUCTIONS AND CREDITS RELATING TO EXPENDITURES IN CONNECTION WITH MARIJUANA SALES CONDUCTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.

(a) IN GENERAL—Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following: ‘‘, unless such trade or business consists of marijuana sales conducted in compliance with State law’’.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE—The amendment made by this section shall apply with respect to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Rep. Blumenauer is co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, which he founded in 2017.

March 20 is known as "420 Day," an unofficial annual holiday, during which enthusiasts celebrate their love of marijuana.

"Henry Hemp" vapes marijuana.

(Getty Images/Jack Taylor)

Craig Bannister Wed, 04/19/2023 - 14:37

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Craig Bannister

Musk: With Birth Control and Abortion We Don't 'Procreate,' But We Need to Make 'Civilization Go Onward'

Michael W. Chapman — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:31:16 +0000

Musk: With Birth Control and Abortion We Don't 'Procreate,' But We Need to Make 'Civilization Go Onward'

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Elon Musk. (Getty Images)

While discussing the decline of civilizations throughout history, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he is "concerned about decreasing birth rates" in many countries and explained that with "birth control" and "abortion" people can enjoy intimacy but not "procreate."

He added that, "if we don't make enough people ... then civilization is going to crumble."

Musk made his remarks during an April 18 interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

"[I]f you look at the history of civilizations, the rise and fall of the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Sumerians, Rome, you know, just throughout the world, there had been rise and fall of many civilizations," said Musk. "So there's an arc -- there is sort of a lifecycle arc to civilizations, just as there is to individual humans."

He continued, "And I think we just want to make sure that, you know, we have civilization go onward and upward. And that's, for example, why I'm concerned about decreasing birth rates and the fact that, for example, Japan had twice as many deaths last year as births. And there are leading indicators this is --."

At that point, Carlson interjected, "Can I just say -- and you've written on and talked a lot about this -- but can I just ask you to pause just for a parenthetical note. Why is that? I mean, the urge to have sex and to procreate is, after breathing and eating, the most basic urge."

"Yes," said Musk, and Carlson asked, "How has it been subverted?"

"Well, it's just that in the past, we can rely upon, you know, simple limbic system rewards in order to procreate," said Musk.

(Screenshot)

"But once you have birth control, and, you know, abortions and what-not, now you can still satisfy the limbic instinct, but not to procreate," he added. "So we don't -- we haven't yet evolved to deal with that, because this is all fairly recent, you know? Last 50 years or so for birth control."

Musk continued, "I'm sort of worried that, hey, civilization, you know, if we don't make enough people to at least sustain our numbers, perhaps increase a little bit, then civilization is going to crumble."

"There is the old question of, like, will civilization end with a bang or a whimper?" said Musk. "Well, it's currently trying to end with a whimper in adult diapers."

The conversation continued:

Carlson: "Yes."

Musk: "Which is depressing as hell."

Carlson: "The most depressing."

Musk: "I mean, seriously. Yes."

Carlson: "War is less depressing."

Musk: "Yes, I'd rather go out with a bang."

(Getty Images)

Carlson: "Yes, with your shoes on."

Musk: "Yes."

Carlson: "Not with your diapers on."

Musk: "More exciting."

Carlson: "Yes."

Musk, 51, has been married twice and has 10 children. He is the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter, and the founder of the Boring Company, Neuralink, and OpenAI. He also is the president of the Musk Foundation. He has an estimated net worth of $189 billion.

Michael W. Chapman Wed, 04/19/2023 - 12:31

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Michael W. Chapman

Mother of Murdered Son Challenges Dems: ‘Go Down to the Morgue,’ ‘Lean Over into the Casket’ – Then, Tell Me It’s a ‘Sham’

Craig Bannister — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:22:52 +0000

Mother of Murdered Son Challenges Dems: ‘Go Down to the Morgue,’ ‘Lean Over into the Casket’ – Then, Tell Me It’s a ‘Sham’

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Madeline Brame

(Screenshot)

After being insulted, demeaned and dismissed by House Democrats for testifying at a “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan” hearing about how her son was murdered, Victims’ Rights Reform Council Chairwoman Madeline Brame fired back with a challenge.

Brame's son, Sgt. Hason Correa, an Afghanistan war veteran, was beaten and stabbed to death in Harlem in October 2018 by four people he did not know -- four people who had the most serious charges against them, including gang assault and murder, either dropped or reduced by Bragg's office.

During Monday’s hearing, Democrats insulted Brame and other grieving witnesses, accusing them of being “props” in a “sham hearing.”

“How do you respond to these members of Congress who are so rude and demeaning to the loss that you suffered from your son?” Brame was asked later that day in an interview on Fox Business Channel’s “The Bottom Line,” which aired a montage of the House Democrats' insults.

Brame responded by challenging the disrespectful Democrats to “step foot in the hood” and experience, first-hand, the pain suffered by mothers who’ve seen their children victimized by the soft-on-crime policies of the city’s District Attorney, Alvin Bragg:

“I would challenge any one of them, okay, to go down to the morgue with one of the mothers when they are called down there to identify their dead child's body.

“Or, go to the funeral parlor and lean over into the casket and watch them close that hood down on your child and you know they're getting ready to go into the ground.

“Or, go to Harlem Hospital, go to Kings County Hospital, and stand by a mother's bedside while she prays and cries through the night in hoping that her child survives after being shot, stabbed or assaulted, all right?

“Step foot in the hood, all right – and, then, tell me that it’s a sham, all right?”

“What it is, it's a disgrace. It's a disgrace. There are millions of law-abiding, tax-paying citizens -voters - that live in these communities, okay?” Brame said, calling for an end to generations of neglect that have left minorities at the mercy of criminals:

“And, it is not right that we're neglected, the way that we’ve been neglected, generation after generation. It is time for the people in black and brown communities to leave the plantation of the Democratic Party, or else it’s going to do nothing but continue on and on and on.”

Craig Bannister Wed, 04/19/2023 - 10:22

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Craig Bannister

Musk: Inflation is Caused by Govt Issuing More Money, So Why Not Make Everyone a Trillionaire? They Tried That in Venezuela

Michael W. Chapman — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:21:21 +0000

Musk: Inflation is Caused by Govt Issuing More Money, So Why Not Make Everyone a Trillionaire? They Tried That in Venezuela

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Space X and Twitter CEO Elon Musk. (Getty Images)

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, Space X, and Twitter, explained that inflation is caused when the government increases the money supply -- which reduces the value of the money -- and that if this could be done "without negative consequences," then why not print continuously and turn everyone into a trillionaire?

He added that this was tried in socialist Venezuela and it was a disaster.

"As the old saying goes, there is no free lunch," Musk told Tucker Carlson on the Apr. 18 edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight. "So if you could just issue massive amounts of money without negative consequences, why don't we just take that to the limit and make everyone a trillionaire? Well, I mean, they tried that in Venezuela. How did that work out?"

Carlson replied, "Well, they ate zoo animals."

That is accurate. The economic and humanitarian situation became so bad, because of government-created inflation, that some Venezuelans turned to eating the animals at the zoo.

Earlier in the interview, Musk and Carlson talked about how interest rates set by the Federal Reserve can affect banks, mortgages, long-term loans, and Musk noted that "the last time the Fed raised rates going into a recession was in 1929," which helped spark "the Great Depression."

At that point, Carlson said, "[B]ut the concern is, if the Fed drops rates again, then inflation will accelerate and you can't do that in an election year."

A starving cougar is pictured in its cage at the Metropolitan Zoo in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela. (Getty Images)

Musk replied, "So inflation is going to happen no matter what. If you increase the money supply, you get inflation."

"So there's no -- there is not some magical cure for getting rid of inflation, except to increase the productivity, the output of goods and services," added Musk. "So if you say, like, what is money, you've got these sort of -- it's basically numbers in a database, that sum up to something, come up with the sum total, then you've got the output of goods and services of the economy."

He continued, "And the -- as long as the ratio of money to ratio of goods and services stays, if that stays constant, you have no inflation. If you add more money -- if you add money to the system faster than you increase goods and services, then you have inflation."

"So all of these COVID sort-of stimulus bills were not paid for," said Musk. "They just generated more currency, more -- you know, more money was created because the federal government, the checks never -- the checks always passed, you know, unless you had a debt limit, which there's probably going to be some debt limit crisis later this year."

The Biden administration announced last week that the EPA is requiring tighter emission standards on cars to compel manufacturers to make more electric vehicles. (Getty Images)

"But provided you haven't hit the debt limit, the federal government, unlike state governments, or city governments, or individuals can simply issue more money, and that's what they did," said Musk.

"As the old saying goes, there is no free lunch," he added. "So if you could just issue massive amounts of money without negative consequences, why don't we just take that to the limit and make everyone a trillionaire? Well, I mean, they tried that in Venezuela. How did that work out?"

They ate zoo animals, said Carlson.

"Right, it is not good," said Musk. "You know, there is no free lunch. There is not some ability to issue money and not have inflation."

As for the current inflation and interest rates, CNBC reported on March 22 that the Federal Reserve "enacted a quarter percentage point interest rate increase, expressing caution about the recent banking crisis and indicating that hikes are nearing an end."

(Getty Images)

"Along with its ninth hike since March 2022, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee noted that future increases are not assured and will depend largely on incoming data," said CNBC.

The interest rate (national average) on a 30-year fixed mortgage today, April 19, is 6.81%, according to Bankrate.com. On April 26, 2022, the national average mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed was 5.75%. On April 17, 2021, it was 3.37%.

On March 31, 2023, the U.S. inflation rate was 4.98%. On June 30, 2022, nine months ago, the inflation rate was 9.06%.

The 4.98% inflation rate is higher than the long-term national average of 3.28%.

Michael W. Chapman Wed, 04/19/2023 - 10:21

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Michael W. Chapman

After Losing a Quarter Billion on 2 Animated Films with LGBTQ Elements, Disney Concocts ‘Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite’

Craig Bannister — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:45:50 +0000

After Losing a Quarter Billion on 2 Animated Films with LGBTQ Elements, Disney Concocts ‘Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite’

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(Screenshot)

After a woke-driven 44% drop in stock price in 2022 and more than a quarter billion dollars lost on two animated films with LGBTQ elements, Disney is promoting its first-ever “Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite.”

Disneyland announced the new event in a tweet posted last Thursday:

“Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, proudly join us for the ﬁrst-ever Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite at Disneyland Park on June 13 & 15!”

According to the Disneyland website, the “Proud Celebration” is a separately-ticketed, after-hours evening event and “Tickets are $139 per Guest (ages 3+).”

The “Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite” will feature:

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dressed in “special attire,”
Disney photographers taking pictures of guests in front of “Pride-themed backdrops” and “inspirational messages,”
“Themed Eats” food options, and
A “family-friendly, joyful dance party with Disney Characters.”

In 2022, as the company immersed itself into politics and liberal gender ideology, Disney’s stock plummeted 44%, falling to a 52-week low by years’ end and recording its worst year since 1974.

“Disney Lost Over a Quarter of a Billion Dollars on Two Woke Failures,” The Western Journal reported Monday, noting that “Two of the three biggest box office bombs of 2022 were both animated Disney movies.”

Both movies abandoned Disney’s tried-and-true family-friendly tradition (which had amassed legendary profits) in order to inject same-sex romantic themes, The Western Journal notes.

“Lightyear” lost $106 million:

“The movie moved away from the normal ‘Toy Story’ tone choosing instead to focus on a science fiction angle and featuring a same-sex kiss that was initially removed from the movie but reinstated prior to its release.”

“Strange World” lost nearly $200 million:

“Disney pushed the envelope and featured the first openly gay main character in an animated Disney film. At one point, the 14-year-old character opens up to his grandfather about his same-sex crush on a classmate.”

(Screenshot)

Craig Bannister Tue, 04/18/2023 - 15:45

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Craig Bannister

Levin: Rep. Nancy Mace Lacks the Guts to Take Up Abortion Fight, She's 'Mitt Romney in a Dress'

Michael W. Chapman — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:09:36 +0000

Levin: Rep. Nancy Mace Lacks the Guts to Take Up Abortion Fight, She's 'Mitt Romney in a Dress'

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Talk-radio host and best-selling author Mark Levin. (Screenshot)

Conservative talk-radio host and best-selling author Mark Levin criticized House Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) for going on MSNBC and claiming that many pro-life voters are "far-right, crazy nutjobs." Levin charged that Mace lacks the guts (and intellect) to fight wisely against Democrats on the issue because she is, politically, "Mitt Romney in a dress."

In recent weeks, Rep. Mace has appeared on numerous news programs and argued that Republicans did not do well in the 2022 races because of an "extreme" position on abortion. She calls it "over the top and extreme," and contends "we need to find a middle ground."

Levin responded to her claims on his April 14 nationally syndicated radio program, The Mark Levin Show.

"Nancy Mace was on MSNBC today," said Levin. "She’s a congressperson from South Carolina. I use her as a foil, basically. And she says the Republicans can’t win, if the issue is abortion. You know, it’s an amazing thing. Ronald Reagan was pro-life. You know, the two greatest landslides, certainly, of any Republican president in history, I believe, both in terms of the popular vote and the Electoral College. Now why is that? Because Reagan knew how to communicate. He knew how to speak to you. He knew how to connect with you...."

"So there are ways to do this," said Levin. "But, that said, you don’t completely give up on the subject because you claim you’re going to lose the vote of women."

“Do women support abortion at the last minute, at birth?" asked Levin. "Do they support sticking a large syringe in the soft top of a baby’s head and sucking their brains out? The enormous pain that causes that baby, that baby who’s literally centimeters away from birth. Because Democrats want to codify that. That is what they want to codify. That is what they want to codify."

House Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) (Screenshot)

He continued, "Now, Nancy Mace goes on MSNBC, CNN, and she’s very comfortable on these networks because she’s a gadfly. She’s a contrarian. She is, as I said, ‘Mitt Romney in a dress.’"

"We can have this discussion about what about rape and incest and so forth," added Levin. "That’s fine. I don’t mean it’s [rape] fine. It’s fine to have that discussion and those kinds of exceptions are the kind of exceptions that many people will agree on. That said, we’re not even talking about that. We’re not even talking about that. The left wants to drag us into that debate, and yet we’re well, well, well beyond that."

“Again, it’s the way you discuss these things,” said Levin. “If you play defense and you allow the Democrats to lie, to poison the well, to spin, you lose. And it’s not just on abortion, it’s on everything."

“Nancy Mace does not have the guts to stand up to this," he said. "So, she surrenders. And as for if we run on this issue, the Democrats are running on this issue. So you’re going to have to respond. ... So it’s not a matter of even running on this issue. It’s a matter of coherently addressing and confronting the issue."

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) (Getty Images)

Levin then ran an audio clip of Mace saying, "I’m in a bellwether district and I see the pulse of everyday Americans on both sides of the aisle, men and women alike. And they are not with us. They’re not with the extreme, far-right crazy nutjobs that want to take this" issue.

"That’s her," replied Levin. "There you go. She’s a big help. That’s why she’s on MSNBC."

He continued, “She’s in a bellwether state, excuse me, a bellwether district, she says, and she gives the hard-left propaganda. You must be a ‘far-right, extreme, crazy nutjob.’ That’s it. Are you persuaded by her?"

"She’s a real ass," he added. "She really is. She’s very cocky. She’s got a fairly safe district. She says it’s a bellwether district. It’s not that bellwether. But that’s who she is and that’s the way she wants to be. And that’s why she gets invited on these television shows."

“She’s a backbencher," said Levin. "She’s accomplished literally nothing in the few years that she’s been in the House of Representatives. She hasn’t made a profound statement ever. She hasn’t taken a lead on anything that matters to you. She’s a pundit who’s elected to the House of Representatives. That’s it."

The abortion pill (mifepristone), the use of which is supported by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). (Getty Images)

“MSNBC would never have me on to discuss this or anything else," added Levin. "But they’ll have her on because she’s exactly the kind of 'repubic' they want. So this isn’t the best face of the Republican Party. This isn’t how this is to be discussed. ‘You’re not with me. You’re an extreme crazy nutjob.’"

He continued, "And you know what the producers at MSLSD still are saying? ‘We love her. What other shows can we put her on? Maybe Al Sharpton. Joe Scarborough? Yeah, she’d be great.’ CNN said, ‘Hey, we need to have her on more often. She’s our kind of Repubican.’ And she likes to say we can find solutions, you know, we can meet in the middle, we can be bipartisan -- except, of course, [not with] extreme far-right, crazy nutjobs. And we don’t really want anything to do with you.’"

"She’s an idiot," concluded Levin. "A low IQ moron. Nancy Mace."

In addition to his radio program, Levin is the host of FNC's Life, Liberty & Levin. Levin was chief of staff to Attorney General Ed Meese, and is the author of nine books, several of which were New York Times best sellers.

Michael W. Chapman Tue, 04/18/2023 - 15:09

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Michael W. Chapman

‘Ms. Brame’s Not a Prop, She’s Not a Stunt - She’s a Mom on a Mission,’ Jim Jordan Responds to Hank Johnson’s Slurs

Craig Bannister — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 14:19:29 +0000

‘Ms. Brame’s Not a Prop, She’s Not a Stunt - She’s a Mom on a Mission,’ Jim Jordan Responds to Hank Johnson’s Slurs

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Madeline Brame

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After Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) called grieving witnesses, like a woman whose son was murdered in Harlem, “props in a MAGA Broadway production” on Monday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fired back.

At a “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan” hearing in New York City, Rep. Johnson called Republicans “jack-booted thugs” and accused witnesses, like Madeline Brame, of serving as “props in a MAGA Broadway production”:

“[L]ike jack-booted thugs, they’ve descended on New York City, using crime as their pretext. The MAGA Republican extremists are not interested in gun violence or even knife violence. Republican witnesses who have used their time to criticize District Attorney [Alvin] Bragg have served as props in a MAGA Broadway production.”

Brame told the House Judiciary Committee hearing that she and her family had been "totally disrespected" by Bragg's office.

“He dismissed, completely dismissed, gang assault and murder indictments against two of the defendants, clearly (seen) on video, participating in the brutal, savage slaughter of my son,” Brame testified.

“Ms. Brame’s not a prop; she’s not a stunt - she’s a mom on a mission,” Rep. Jordan said in an appearance on “Hannity” Monday night.

“Moms on a mission beat politicians every single time,” Jordan added. “And she showed that today.”

“These weren’t props. These weren’t stunts. These were people telling their stories. They’re not into politics,” Jordan said, noting that the witnesses just want to be kept safe from crime:

“They just want a DA who’s not soft on crime. They want safe streets. They want a subway they can ride. And, this is happening all across the country.

“Twenty-seven of the 30 most dangerous cities are run by Democrats, where they typically have a DA, like Mr. Bragg, who’s soft on crime.”

Craig Bannister Tue, 04/18/2023 - 10:19

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Craig Bannister