News and Headlines: In The News, Immigration, Tech Watch/Censorship, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Lawmaker wants US Navy ship to be named after female service member killed in Syria
The Senate minority leader from New York introduced an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill urging the Navy to name a ship after Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, who died Jan. 16 alongside four other Americans after a suicide bomber struck in northern Syria.
“Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent deserves to be honored in a manner befitting of her noble service to our country and enduring contributions to the United States Navy,” Schumer said.
Kent, who was 35 when she was killed, deployed five times, spending her tours serving as a member of Navy SEAL teams and other special operations elements.
California farmers furious over delayed payments for land seized in high-speed rail push
Thanks to an order of possession by the Superior Court, California can take private land through eminent domain for the troubled bullet train project.
While landowners are expected to eventually be reimbursed for the property – and for expenses like lost farming production, irrigation replacement projects and road construction – many farmers in California’s agricultural heartland say state officials have offered them a myriad of excuses as to why they haven’t yet doled out the cash.
What’s even more frustrating for California’s farmers are the constantly changing plans for the train, the multiple delays in construction, the seemingly skeleton-staffed California High-Speed Rail Authority and the difficulty in getting concrete answers.
‘Gun free zone’ law disarmed Virginia Beach shooting victim, attorney says
Now, Nixon’s family is calling for an independent investigation into events leading up to the May 31 shooting and what could have been done differently before and during it, particularly given the explicit concerns about shooter DeWayne Craddock.
“Kate expressed to her husband concerns about this individual in particular, as well as one other person,” Nixon family attorney Kevin Martingayle told WHRV’s “HearSay with Cathy Lewis” radio show Monday.
“In fact, they had a discussion the night before about whether or not she should take a pistol and hide it in her handbag — and decided not to, ultimately, because there’s a policy apparently against having any kind of weapons that are concealed in the building.”
The city of Virginia Beach prohibits employees from carrying “any weapon” while working or on city property, unless authorized by a supervisor. The city policy notes:
“The prohibition against possession of a weapon applies even if a member has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.”
Man sentenced in deaths of 2 girls found on Colorado farm
The bodies of the sisters were found in a car parked on a San Miguel County farm near Norwood in southwest Colorado in September 2017.
Authorities said they died of heat, dehydration and starvation.
Archer was a member of a religious group that moved to the property earlier that year, according to court documents.
Investigators say they believe the group’s spiritual leader, Madani Ceus, declared the two girls were possessed by unclean spirits during a past life and ordered the girls kept in a car without food or water for days as the others waited for the apocalypse in advance of the 2017 solar eclipse.
WOMAN ACCUSED OF RAPING FEMALE ROOMMATE AT PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL
Susquehanna University sophomore Pratigya Thakur, 19, was arrested Monday on rape, assault and harassment charges related to an alleged rape May 16, the New York Post reported Friday.
Her roommate was moving her belongings to another university room for the summer and slept on Thakur’s bed because her bed was covered with various items, according to the affidavit.
Thakur and her roommate had allegedly been smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol.
Thakur allegedly later began to make sexual advances.
Landlord Kicks Out Planned Parenthood, Ends Abortion Business’ Lease
Slowly, things began to change. First, the landlord stunned the 40 Days for Life team when he welcomed a mobile ultrasound unit to park on the property.
And then he made the decision not to renew Planned Parenthood’s lease.
He didn’t have another tenant lined up to replace Planned Parenthood. Sheila said he simply realized that ending the lease with America’s leading abortion provider was “the right thing to do.
Pro Volleyball Player Eric Zaun Jumps to His Death in New Jersey: Reports
A week before his death, Zaun made an Instagram post related to volleyball.
“June is gonna be a good month,” he wrote in the post.
A forum for beach volleyball players issued a statement about his death.
Zaun, who was 25, was found dead in the parking lot of the hotel.
Officials later confirmed that he had jumped from the 29th floor of the hotel room, People magazine reported.
California inmates can now possess marijuana in their prison cells – with one catch
The 3rd District Court of Appeal’s 20-page ruling says the state’s voters legalized recreational possession of less than an ounce of cannabis in 2016, with no exception — even for those behind bars.
The decision Tuesday overturned the Sacramento County convictions of five inmates who’d been found with marijuana in their prison cells.
“According to the plain language of…Proposition 64, possession of less than an ounce of cannabis in prison is no longer a felony,” a three-judge panel wrote in the ruling. “Smoking or ingesting cannabis in prison remains a felony.
Immigration:
Body of a 7-Year-Old Girl From India Is Found in the Arizona Desert
Authorities said the unidentified girl was trying to cross into the United States with a group of people from her country.
Her body was discovered 17 miles west of Lukeville, just over the U.S.-Mexico border.
The group was trying to get into the United States after human smugglers dropped them off near the Mexico border, the agency said in a statement Thursday.
Temperatures in the rugged wilderness where agents found her remains Wednesday hovered around 108 degrees.
Border Patrol agents got the information on her movements from two women from India who told officials they’d been separated from a woman and two children traveling in their group hours earlier.
Sen. Graham says he’s had substantive talks with top Democrat on deal to combat border crisis
The South Carolina senator said on “Fox & Friends” Friday that he’s working on a bill to reverse the Flores decision, which outlines how illegal immigrant children should be processed once they’ve crossed the border illegally.
Graham highlighted the issue of asylum during an immigration hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday and said 90 percent of migrants fail to appear for their court cases.
He also said his bill will aim to force central Americans to apply for asylum in their own country, before attempting to immigrate to America.
Trump Admin Takes First Step to Demand Payback From Sponsors of Immigrants Who Use Welfare
“If the sponsored immigrant receives any federal means-tested public benefits, the sponsor will be expected to reimburse the benefits-granting agency for every dollar of benefits received by the immigrant,” the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) wrote on Twitter on June 14.
The USCIS is taking the step in response to a presidential memorandum signed by President Donald Trump in May.
The order directs federal agencies to update their regulations to comply with a federal law which prohibits non-citizens from receiving public benefits.
Both legal and illegal immigrants use welfare at a far greater rate than native households, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies.
In 2012, 51 percent of legal and illegal immigrant households used welfare, compared to 30 percent of native households.
That year, the federal government spent roughly $500 billion on the programs reviewed by the study.
Tech Watch/Censorship:
YouTube and Twitter Censor Project Veritas EXPLAINED
Project Veritas has recently learned that Pinterest insider Eric Cochran has been placed on administrative leave.
Facebook will rank comments to make conversations more meaningful
The changes will apply to comments on public posts from Pages and people with a lot of followers, but anyone can opt-in to comment ranking feature through their settings.
Facebook will base the rankings on how people interact with the comments, whether they like, react or reply.
Users will still be able to moderate comments on their own posts by hiding, deleting or responding as they choose.
Facebook will also look for “integrity signals,” and if comments violate its standards, the company will remove them.
Politics:
President Trump Delivers Remarks on Second Chance Hiring
Donald Trump Announces Health Care Expansion Without Socialism
The president held an announcement ceremony in the Rose Garden.
Trump said the decision would help expand the level of coverage, particularly for small businesses, calling it a “monumental” achievement.
The president brought to the podium small business owners, who explained that the new rules would help them considerably. One businessman noted that after the Obama administration hurt the HRA option, he lost employees because they needed better healthcare options.
Trump warned Americans away from free government healthcare plans proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, pointing out that it would lead to socialism.
The Hezbollah Cover-Up, and Bruce Ohr Connection
Terrorists linked to Iranian-backed Hezbollah were stockpiling bomb-making ingredients, including three tons of ammonium nitrate, in London in 2015 in what was described as a “secret British bomb factory,” the Daily Telegraph reported this week.
The 2015 case was kept “hidden from the public” until now.
It’s Not Just Local Jewish Leaders Who Are Tired Of Ilhan Omar’s Antics
Well, now, Omar has been caught committing tax fraud and campaign finance violations—and the local media is sick of her crap (via Free Beacon):
The Free Beacon added that the Minnesota Star Tribune editorial board also mentioned that more investigating might be necessary.
Aren’t delirious Democrats now accusing Team Obama of treason?
Commentary/Opinion: No offense, but the media really are giving Trump way too much credit for the idea he floated on ABC News.
The real scandal is that he’s just plagiarizing a playbook already used by Obama, Clinton and those 2016 Democrats.
And every Democrat and media pundit who accuses Trump of treason for considering taking dirt from, say, Norway in 2020 has now, by extension, accused the Obama administration of committing treason in 2016.
In other words, the Democratic administration accepted dirt from a foreign friendly and used it to justify investigating its GOP rival.
And then, OMG, they did it again just a few weeks later.
Of course, you’d never know that from the way the media and politicians have treated it.
AOC spokesman tweets, then deletes, F-bomb rant against potential GOP challenger
“Yo @RichValdes what in the actual f— makes you think you’re entitled to a debate with AOC,” spokesman Corbin Trent tweeted Sunday at the conservative talk radio producer who’s mulling a run against the freshman congresswoman.
Earlier that day, Valdes said he tried to challenge Ocasio-Cortez to a debate on the merits of capitalism versus socialism as they both marched in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Valdes responded, “If Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez condones her spokesperson’s belligerent behavior and language, that’s on her.
It speaks volumes to how much she respects civility and respectful civil
discourse. Something we desperately need today.”
Progressive Privilege: Who does the media hold in contempt? • Fox & Friends
Commentary/Opinion: Independent Women’s Voice.
How the States Can Save America
Commentary/Opinion: Washington is gigantic, corrupt, and unaccountable. Can it be fixed?
Learn more about the Convention of States and Article V of the Constitution.
Jim DeMint, former Senator from South Carolina, explains.
World News:
Tanker crew detained by Iran after first being rescued by another vessel: US officials
The crew of the Front Altair was first rescued by the Hyundai Dubai, according to U.S. officials, but Iranian gunboats quickly surrounded the ship and demanded the crew be turned over.
The captain ultimately relented and ordered his crew to surrender.
The 23 crew members are now being held in Iran. It’s not immediately clear what the next steps are.
Pictures and footage from Iran’s English-language Press TV showed the crew members, saying they are all in “full health”.
The 23 crew members, who were apparently in the Iranian southern port town of Bandar-e-Jask, appeared to be watching a speech by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
UNHCR: 5,400 Venezuelans enter Peru in single day
UNHCR Information Officer Regina de la Portilla said that 5,400 Venezuelans poured into the Andean country on Thursday before new entry requirements are imposed on migrants fleeing the crisis-wracked South American nation.
She said the agency was “supporting and complementing the efforts of Peruvian authorities as we face the largest number of Venezuelan people coming to Peru so far.”
Early on Friday, lines of people stood outside a border crossing in northern Peru or tried to sleep until their ID cards were checked by officers.
Commentary/Opinion:
Liberal Policies in California Have Left the State in Crisis • Hannity
Tammy Bruce. Independent Women’s Voice.
In the mainstream media, women on the left are almost always portrayed as paragons of compassion and virtue.
But when it comes to conservative women, it’s a different story. Why is this?
Who Does the Media Most Want to Silence?
Heather Higgins, chairman of Independent Women’s Forum and CEO of Independent Women’s Voice, explains the reasons behind the double standard.
One Year of #WalkAway—Brandon Straka & Friends
On this special episode of American Thought Leaders, we interview #Walkaway founder Brandon Straka, as well as two other New Yorkers who have Walked Away from the democratic party: Daniel Morchy and Christopher Wright.
When Brandon posted his iconic first #Walkaway video just over a year ago, he didn’t imagine that it would turn into movement of roughly half a million unique social followers, and inspire 10’s of thousands to make original Walkaway videos themselves.
Why did they walk away? How where their lives affected as a result? And what was the media’s role in all of this?
