Political Correctness and the Immigration Debate

There are two contrasting styles of debating an issue: those who prefer normative arguments, and those who choose descriptive line of reasoning. Most intellectuals nowadays adopt the former approach, but the truth unfortunately is generally bitter.

Let me admit at

The post Political Correctness and the Immigration Debate appeared first on Global Research.

What good are gun control laws if police issue gun permits to violent criminals anyway?

(Natural News) In recent days Democrats once again pounced on a ‘mass shooter’ story without knowing all the facts and details, grousing about the need for ‘more gun control’ and how evil Republicans are impediments to ‘sensible gun laws.’ The incident took place in Aurora, Ill., where six people including the gunman were killed at…

REPORT: Chase Bank Suspends Conservative Jewish Activist Laura Loomer From Her Online Banking Account

THE TECH GIANTS CONTINUED THEIR WAR ON CONSERVATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE VOICES TODAY—

The Republican Party and conservative leaders are AWOL on this issue as the tech giants continue to ban, de-platform and demonetize conservative voices.

Conservative activist Laura Loomer was already banned from Twitter months ago. This was after Laura attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar on her own record and beliefs.
A CAIR activist was reportedly behind the silencing of Laura Loomer.

In January Laura Loomer was banned by PayPal.

Democrats are now going after commerce and and incomes of their political opposition.
This is America today.
This is like something you would read about in a banana republic.

And today Laura Loomer was blocked from her Chase Bank app.

Laura Loomer told The Gateway Pundit she spoke with the company today and she is not able to access her account online.

Laura told The Gateway Pundit:

 

Chase Bank targeting a Jewish Conservative activist and journalist is a disgusting attack on our rights as Americans. First they marginalized a colored man for his support of President Donald Trump. Then they targeted combat veteran Joe Biggs. Now they have suspended my access to the Chase app which I used to manage my bills. These censorship tactics that are being carried out by left leaning executives like Jamie Dimon, Jack Dorsey, and Mark Zuckerberg are disgusting and depraved. I’m the target today. Tomorrow, it could be any one of you who dares to have a conservative opinion or idea. These Nazi like censorship tactics send a clear message that supporting Donald Trump can bankrupt, silence, and marginalize people who ought to be considered a protected class. I’m sick to my stomach knowing that I am being targeted by billionaires who have now suspended my access to my online banking via the Chase App, and I am contemplating ways to fight back. The suspension of my chase app comes just weeks after I was banned by PayPal. Why am I being treated like a terrorist in my own country? Is it now a crime in America to be a supporter of President Donald Trump? It sure feels like it.

This is an initial report.
We are waiting to hear more from Chase Bank.

Republican leaders remain silent.

There is a petition at Change.org to restore Laura Loomer’s Paypal account.

Laura Loomer is planning a protest outside of the Twitter headquarters in New York City on Wednesday.

 

Mr. Butler’s Silver Newsletter – Icing on the Cake

by Theodore Butler, Silver Seek: MR. BUTLER’S SILVER NEWSLETTER By James Cook Silver analyst Theodore Butler writes a twice weekly newsletter on precious metals. Only a few people get to read this important newsletter. I’ve been talking to Ted about releasing one full issue for people to read. It’s important for investors to see the scope […]

The post Mr. Butler’s Silver Newsletter – Icing on the Cake appeared first on SGT Report.

Step Aside Volkswagen: Ford Finds “Problem” With Emissions Testing; Stock Slides

Regardless of whether overt fraud is suspected or not, after the numerous emissions scandals that have rocked the global auto industry over the past ten years (Volkswagen diesel-fuel emissions scandal being the most memorable and probably the most egregious), headline-scanning algos are bound to react to the word “emissions” in a headline – and that’s exactly what happened late Thursday when Ford announced that its workers had discovered an unspecified issue with the techniques used by the company to test whether its cars meet emissions standards.

Ford

But there’s no obvious reason to panic – at least, not yet. In a statement, Ford claimed that the problems didn’t involve “defeat devices” like those Volkswagen admitted were deliberately installed in its cars to circumvent federal regulations – a scandal that resulted in billions of dollars in fines and mass recalls. Some of the company’s executives even faced criminal charges.

Ford also said none of its fuel economy ratings had been found to be inaccurate (again, at least not yet).

The issue was reported to the company by employees back in September, prompting an internal probe. The company then reported the issue to the EPA and California regulators this week. An explanation for the lag was not offered.

Ford has hired an outside firm to investigate road load specifications used in its testing, according to a statement.

Again, so far, there’s no need to panic – yet. But the EPA confirmed Ford’s disclosure and said the investigation was “too incomplete” to arrive at any preliminary conclusions. And after a rough year for auto stocks as global sales slumped and Ford said it would shutter production on some poor-selling brands, the last thing the company needs is another scandal.

Justin Trudeau’s Top Adviser Resigns amid Corruption Scandal

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 17: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at the Canadian Consulate General, May 17, 2018 in New York City. Earlier in the day, speaking at the Economic Club of New York, Trudeau said the sticking points to renegotiating the North American …

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top political adviser and confidant Gerald Butts resigned on Monday from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), claiming that allegations of political corruption levied against him by “anonymous sources” had become a “distraction” to the prime minister.

Butts held the position of principal secretary in the PMO. He and Trudeau became friends during their university student years. The state-run CBC reported:

In addition to the political partnership, the prime minister is close friends with Butts — a relationship that dates back to their time as students at McGill University in Montreal where they were members of the campus debating club.

Citing anonymous sources, the Globe and Mail accused Trudeau’s government — including then-Principal Secretary Butts — of pressuring then-Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to seek remediation with Quebec-based construction engineering company SNC-Lavalin instead of criminal prosecution.

In 2015, SNC-Lavalin was charged with corruption and fraud by federal authorities. The Globe and Mail reported:

The RCMP [charged] SNC-Lavalin and two subsidiaries with corruption and fraud for allegedly paying nearly $48-million to public officials in Libya between 2001 and 2011 to influence government decisions under the Moammar Gadhafi regime. The RCMP also charged the Montreal-based company, its construction division and a subsidiary with fraud and corruption for allegedly defrauding Libyan organizations of about $130-million.

A Globe and Mail opinion editorial accused Trudeau of abusing political power in pursuit of assisting SNC-Lavalin’s desire to evade federal charges:

Breaking an election promise by using an omnibus bill to slip remediation agreements into last year’s budget for the benefit of SNC-Lavalin, and then pressuring the justice minister to play ball, and then demoting her when she didn’t, and then blaming her for not saying anything if she felt pressured, and then standing by while “Liberal insiders” spread rumours about her character – that’s called doing your job in the modern PMO.

Wilson-Ray has since retained former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell as legal counsel.

In his resignation letter, Butts denies any wrongdoing while warning of “climate change” as “one issue above all others.” He wrote:

I also need to say this (and I know it’s a non sequitur). Our kids and grandkids will judge us on one issue above all others. That issue is climate change. I hope the response to it becomes the collective, non-partisan, urgent effort that science clearly says is required. I hope that happens soon.

Butts further praised politicians, political staffers, and government bureaucrats as “good” and “hard-working people” who “put service of country above self every day.”

Trudeau and Kate Purchase — the prime minister’s communications director — both praised Butts via Twitter:

Assorted Canadian news media figures offered their analyses on Twitter:

On February 11, Trudeau said Wilson-Raybould’s ongoing presence in his cabinet illustrates the latter’s contentment with his government. He said, “Her presence in cabinet should actually speak for itself.”

On February 12, Wilson-Raybould resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet.

The Wilting Green New Deal

Marc Morano in his book, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change”, refutes the argument that “climate change” will destroy all life on Earth.  In the book’s foreword, the late John Coleman, who was a meteorologist, TV weatherman and co-founder of The Weather Channel, writes:

“We meteorologists are well aware of how limited our ability is to predict the weather. Our predictions become dramatically less reliable as they extend into the future. When we try to predict just a few weeks into the future our predictions become increasingly inaccurate. Yet the ‘climate change’ establishment that now dominates the UN bureaucracy and our own government science establishment claim that they can predict the temperature of the Earth decades into the future.”

Coleman then gets to the heart of the issue:

“Their global warming scare is not driven by science; it is now being driven by politics. So today anybody who defies the prevailing ‘climate change’ scare puts his career and his reputation into extreme danger.”

McCabe: Rosenstein Was Counting Votes on 25th Amendment Effort for Trump’s Removal

Source: Jeff Poor

In an interview that aired on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday night, former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe revealed details of the alleged 25th Amendment push to remove President Donald Trump from office.

According to McCabe, current Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was the thrust of the push.

“Discussion of the 25th Amendment was simply — Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort,” McCabe said. “I didn’t have much to contribute, to be perfectly honest, in that conversation. So, I listened to what he had to say. But, to be fair, it was an unbelievably stressful time. I can’t even describe for you how many things must have been coursing through the deputy attorney general’s mind at that point. So, it was really something that he kind of threw out in a very frenzied, chaotic conversation about where we were and what we needed to do next.”

“The deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time,” he added.

McCabe went on to describe Rosenstein’s effort as “counting votes, or counting possible votes.”

McCabe Rosenstein Was Counting Votes on 25th Amendment Effor

Health Ranger denounces Chase bank, Twitter, PayPal for blacklisting Jewish activist Laura Loomer

(Natural News) Full video below, where I call the leaders of the tech giants “fascist pigs” for carrying out coordinated censorship and blacklisting campaigns against the most important independent voices of our time. As covered today via The Gateway Pundit: The Republican Party and conservative leaders are AWOL on this issue as the tech giants…

German government unlikely to make quick decision on Huawei: source

February 19, 2019

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government will probably not take a quick decision on whether to allow China’s Huawei to build Germany’s 5G network, a government source said on Tuesday.

“There will probably not be a quick decision,” the source said.

Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with the Chinese government and allegations of enabling state espionage. The United States has called for its allies not to use its technology.

An auction for the next generation 5G mobile network is due to start in the second half of March.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier had told Reuters on Friday that Germany planned to tighten the law on the security standards that must be met by telecoms operators bidding to participate in the build-out of next generation 5G telephony networks in Germany.

He said the issue of network equipment would not come up for a couple of months.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Madeline Chambers)

Spanish warship ordered ships to leave British waters near Gibraltar

February 18, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – A Spanish warship tried to order commercial shipping to leave anchorages in British waters near Gibraltar but was challenged by the British navy and sailed away, Gibraltar said, the latest example of tension over the strategic port as Brexit approaches.

The Spanish ship tried to order ships to leave their anchorages on the eastern side of the Rock, but the ships stayed in position, Gibraltar’s authorities said. After being challenged by the British navy, the Spanish warship then sailed slowly along the coast with its weapons uncovered and manned.

Spanish authorities did not immediately comment on the issue.

Tensions over territorial waters around the peninsula in southern Spain often erupt between Spanish and British vessels. Gibraltar, overlooking the strait between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, has been ruled by Britain since 1713.

Its status and the status of its 30,000 residents have been gaining attention as Britain’s exit from the European Union approaches on March 29, raising questions about free movement across its land and sea borders with Spain.

“There is only nuisance value to these foolish games being played by those who don’t accept unimpeachable British sovereignty over the waters around Gibraltar,” a spokesman for Gibraltar said.

Spain has already secured a right of veto over whether future Brexit arrangements can apply to Gibraltar. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held up an agreement on Britain’s withdrawal treaty in November over the issue and said Spain would seek joint sovereignty after Britain leaves the EU.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; additional information by Jose Elias Rodriguez; Editing by Kate Holton and Peter Graff)

CALIFORNIA BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION ISSUES WARNING ON DANGERS OF 5G

by Alex Pietrowski, Waking Times: At the center of the debate about 5G technology is the issue of whether or not 5G is safe. Already underway, though, the rapid rollout will deploy 20,000+ satellites, millions of small towers, and use the same range of EMF waves as a military crowd-control system. Proponents of the technology don’t seem to […]

The post CALIFORNIA BRAIN TUMOR ASSOCIATION ISSUES WARNING ON DANGERS OF 5G appeared first on SGT Report.

U.S. envoy on Syria tells allies troop withdrawal won’t be abrupt

February 17, 2019

MUNICH (Reuters) – The United States will not make an abrupt and rapid withdrawal of its troops from Syria and will consult closely with its allies on the issue, its special envoy on Syria said on Sunday.

“We’ve been telling them (allies) continuously this is not going to be an abrupt, rapid withdrawal but a step-by-step withdrawal,” James Franklin Jeffrey told the Munich Security Conference, addressing concerns from allies over the U.S. decision to pullout 2,000 troops.

With talks of creating a safe zone on the Turkish-Syrian border, Jeffrey and Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar appeared to differ on what to do about Kurdish-led militias working with the U.S.-backed coalition fighting Islamic State militants.

“We have respect for the territorial integrity of Syria, but the main issue is the safety and security of the Turkish border and Turkish people,” Akar said. “The main issue is security to get rid of the terrorists regardless of whether the YPG (Kurds) or Daesh (Islamic State).”

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Madeline Chambers)

‘He Was in His Face’: Trump Confronts Top Democrat on Late-Term Abortion

‘He Was in His Face’: Trump Confronts Top Democrat on Late-Term Abortion

Source: Michael Foust | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor

President Trump’s opposition to late-term abortion resulted in a tense scene in the White House last week when he confronted a Democratic senator who is a professing Christian.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons (Del.) and other religious politicians and leaders were attending a dinner in the White House’s Blue Room the night before the National Prayer Breakfast when the encounter occurred, Politico reported. Coons describes himself as a “practicing Christian and a devout Presbyterian.” He was co-chair of the breakfast and joined a Republican senator in praying for Trump the next day.

Three sources told Politico the scene was tense when Trump approached Coons in the Blue Room to discuss the Democrats’ support of a New York law and a Virginia bill that allow abortion up to the moment of birth.

“He was in his face about it,” one source told Politico. The same person described Trump as “worked up.”

“He saw a Democrat in the room, a Democrat who’s known to be a person of faith, and he was like, ‘Why aren’t you speaking out about this?’” the source told Politico.

A second source said the confrontation was awkward and attention-grabbing. Coons was elected in 2010 and holds the seat that Joe Biden formerly filled. He serves on five committees and is considered one of the top dealmakers in D.C. Coons also helps lead a weekly prayer breakfast for senators.

Trump also raised the issue during a private meeting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

A White House official told Politico that Trump “genuinely views abortion… and isn’t afraid to make the Democrats defend their extreme positions.”

Politico reported that “people close to Trump say that he has developed an increasingly sincere passion for the cause.”

Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, said Trump’s pro-life beliefs developed long before he ran for president in 2016.

“I talked to him about it in 2010 and 2011 and he was unapologetically pro-life,” Reed said.

David O’Steen, executive director of the National Right to Life Committee, said he welcomes Trump’s outspokenness on the issue.

“He feels convicted,” O’Steen told Politico. He hopes Trump will “continue to speak from the heart if he’s as shocked as most people are by the idea of after-birth abortions.”

Trump discussed the issue of late-term abortion in his State of the Union address.

“There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days,” Trump said. “Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.

“These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world,” he added. “And then, we had the case of the governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb.

“Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life,” Trump concluded. “And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: All children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.”

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pool

NYC Councilman Says Union Dispute Killed Amazon Deal, Not Subsidies

When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s blamed opponents of the Amazon tax incentive package for the company’s decision to scrap its plans to move to New York City, he might have been leaving out a crucial piece of the story – and minimizing his own culpability in the process. To wit, the Daily News reported on Thursday that Cuomo and a group of labor unions met with Amazon earlier this week to try and salvage the deal. But when the company refused to relent on its opposition to unions being formed among its employees, and the employees tasked with building the new facilities it planned to inhabit, it put Cuomo and other pro-union politicians in a “tricky spot.”

When one top Amazon official testified to the City Council a few weeks ago that the company wouldn’t stay neutral on union bids by its New York staff, members of the council replied that this would be unacceptable. The two unions who had supported Amazon’s bid – the Building and Construction Trades and the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ – also threatened to withdraw their support.

AMZN

As a result, Amazon balked. And according to once councilman, the union issue was the company’s real breaking point, not the AOC-inspired opposition to the tax incentive plan.

“They buckled because we held firm on the values of New Yorkers – we told them that you cannot come to New York City and declare that you will crush the rights of workers to organize,” said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the area where the headquarters would have been.

“Amazon insisted and refused to change their ways and we said no deal. And they would rather leave and go elsewhere than allow workers who make $18 an hour to organize a union,” Van Bramer said.

While there had been outrage surrounding the $3 billion in subsidies the company was getting, Van Bramer said he thought the union issue was what made the deal “untenable” in the end.

The structuring of the Amazon deal was done in such a way that it bypassed the City Council, which was one factor that some said contributed to the tensions.

“Rather than addressing the legitimate concerns that have been raised by many New Yorkers, Amazon says you do it our way or not at all, we will not even consider the concerns of New Yorkers,” said Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union spokeswoman Chelsea Connor. “That’s not what a responsible business would do.”

Michael Gianaris, the state senator who led the charge in opposing the deal, hinted at the union issue during an interview with CNBC Thursday afternoon.

“They came in and told us they were a proudly anti-union company…they came in and said they would work with ICE to deport people…these are not the type of companies we should support,”

There you have it: A company that had promised to create 25,000 jobs with an average salary of $130,000 a year saw its plans upended because it wouldn’t support – in principle – an $18-an-hour minimum wage.

Athletics: Jamaica sticking with June world trials dates

February 14, 2019

By Kayon Raynor

KINGSTON (Reuters) – The Jamaican Athletics Federation is sticking with its decision to hold their world championships trials during a period typically reserved for Diamond League and other meetings despite concerns from track and field stakeholders.

The general secretary of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) said on Thursday that the trials were set to go ahead as planned between June 20-23.

“Suffice to say that the executive has reviewed the (world governing body) IAAF calendar along with our domestic and local events including our local championships and at the moment the dates that have been put to the press and into the media, the public domain, remains the date for the senior and junior championships,” Garth Gayle told Television Jamaica.

Organizers of other events had expressed concerns that staging the Jamaican trials between these dates would result in high-profile athletes from the Caribbean nation missing their one-day meetings.

Athletics’ global governing body, the IAAF, confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that there were “ongoing discussions between the IAAF and JAAA about this scheduling issue.” It did not elaborate.

Jamaica’s 2018 Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase gold medalist Aisha Praught-Leer said the trials would have been better in July.

“While I would prefer it to be later, if the date is going to remain as June 20-23, then we’ll all just have to amend our plans and be ready on the day,” Praught-Leer told Reuters in Kingston.

“As an athlete it is really difficult, especially when dates change because often we have our schedules already set, or at least our training already set, so really the most important thing is setting the date and making sure that it is not changing so that we can continue on our training plan.”

As currently scheduled, Jamaica’s trials would be held near or during the dates set for the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco and Adidas Boost Boston Games, both on June 16, the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting on June 20 and Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Stanford, California on June 30.

(Editing by Toby Davis)

BBC Producer Says Footage of Alleged Gas Attack Victims in Syria’s Douma Staged

from Sputnik News: LONDON (Sputnik) – Riam Dalati, a BBC Syria producer, has said that the footage of people being treated after an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma was staged. Dalati wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that the issue had been investigated for six months. The journalist pointed out that no fatalities had occurred […]

The post BBC Producer Says Footage of Alleged Gas Attack Victims in Syria’s Douma Staged appeared first on SGT Report.

Majority of California Residents Want to Leave: Poll

Welcome to California (Tony Hisgett / Flickr / CC / Cropped)

Source: Joel B. Pollak

A new poll reveals that 53% of California residents are considering leaving the Golden State because of the high cost of living.

The “Trust Barometer” poll, by Edelman Intelligence, was conducted January 4-20 among 1,500 California residents, with a margin of error of 2.5%. A special oversample of 400 tech workers in the San Francisco Bay Area was also conducted, with a margin of error of 4.8%.

The results are sobering. Nearly two-thirds, 62%, of respondents said they believed the best days of California were in the past.

In addition, more than two-thirds, 68%, of Californians, believe the tech industry has been under-regulated — up 6% from 2018. That proportion is slightly higher among tech employees, 69% of whom think their industry has been under-regulated. 58% of Californians said the tech industry should be more regulated, up 12% from last year.

Nearly three-fourths of residents, 72%, say “cost and availability of housing is a very serious issue for California” — rising to 76% in the Bay Area.

And 62% of residents say “homelessness is a very serious issue for California. The proportion in the Bay Area is the same.

SFGate.com notes: “It appears the housing and homelessness crises have led to a pessimistic outlook.”

It adds (original links):

The trend is backed up by much of SFGATE’s past reporting. We’ve spoken with people who’ve left California for the Pacific Northwest, Texas and Denver — all popular destinations for Bay Area ex-pats. Nearly everyone we talked to cites the high cost of living as the primary reason they left. Others were looking for a slower pace of life, lower taxes, less traffic and more time with family.

There have been other signs of the California exodus. In December, it was revealed that one of the most frequently Googled questions in California last year was “Should I move out?”

California passed the United Kingdom last year to become the fifth-largest economy in the world, behind only the U.S. as a whole, China, Japan, and Germany.

The Bay Area was also found to be leading the nation in outward migration, meaning more people are leaving the region than moving in. However, most people who moved out of the Bay Area didn’t go to far; the number one destination was Sacramento, followed by Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and San Diego.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

Pediatric cancer patients found to benefit from improved diet and exercise, boosting treatment success

(Natural News) Even as you undergo cancer treatment, simple things like proper diet and exercise can help increase your levels of successful treatment and recovery. This is according to researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, who recently performed a study that was published in an online issue of Pediatrics Research….

WATCH: Democrat Blames Trump For Virginia Racism Scandal, Gets Destroyed On CNN

Source: Ryan Saavedra

Democrat Nina Turner ripped Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA) on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday after Barragán tried to blame the Virginia Democrat racism scandal on President Donald Trump.

CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Barragan about a scenario where Democrat Governor Ralph Northam, Democrat Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, and Democrat Attorney General Mark Herring could all have to resign for their respective scandals, which would lead to a Republican becoming governor.

“I mean, the race issue in today’s day and age with the president at the helm who has been one of the most divisive presidents and, frankly, racist himself, is a conversation we do need to have,” Barragan said. “And we can’t forget about the person who is dividing us and who himself is injecting this into the country to live up again and coming out again. We haven’t seen it be this bad in recent time until the president has really made this a race issue whether it’s about African-Americans, certainly he’s doing it all over the board with immigrants, but we need to have this conversation.”

Turner exploded on Barragan over her comments.

“Jake, I cannot. I just can’t. 1984, 1980, Gucci just a few days ago,” Turner responded. “This is not about President Donald Trump. This is about racism in the United States of America. Congresswoman, I hear you, but on this, we’re not blaming President Trump.”

“I am not going to continue to let politicians use this man as the excuse to deal with racism in this country,” Turner continued. “So no more about this — these three men. It had nothing to do with President Trump. What Lieutenant Governor Fairfax is going through don’t have nothing to do with President Trump. Northam wearing blackface don’t have nothing to do with Donald Trump.”

WATCH:

Transcript provided via CNN:

JAKE TAPPER: Let me ask you a question, Congresswoman, as the elected Democrat at the table, if all three of them resign, then I believe the Republican speaker of the house of delegates becomes governor. You don’t want that.

BARRAGAN: No, but we need to think about doing what’s right and what’s right for Virginians and what’s right overall. I mean, the race issue in today’s day and age with the president at the helm who has been one of the most divisive presidents and, frankly, racist himself, is a conversation we do need to have. But looking at just the line of order and saying we’re not going to do that because of the consequence is not the right way to do this. And so for me, I would — I do think we need to have this conversation and we should continue to have this conversation, but it has to be front and center. And we can’t forget about the person who is dividing us and who himself is injecting this into the country to live up again and coming out again. We haven’t seen it be this bad in recent time until the president has really made this a race issue whether it’s about African-Americans, certainly he’s doing it all over the board with immigrants, but we need to have this conversation.

NINA TURNER: Jake, I cannot. I just can’t. 1984, 1980, Gucci just a few days ago. This is not about President Donald Trump. This is about racism in the United States of America. Congresswoman, I hear you, but on this, we’re not blaming President Trump.

BARRAGAN: I’m saying he has divided this country —

TURNER: No, let me just say this.

BARRAGAN: He is using —

(CROSSTALK)

TURNER: I am not going to continue to let politicians use this man as the excuse to deal with racism in this country. It’s been going on for far too long in the United States of America. We need some real truth and reconciliation.

Yes, president Trump is a racist. There is no doubt about it. But as we have seen, Democrats delve in racism as well. We’ve got to stop making this about who is a Republican, who is a Democrat. I want to know who say humanitarian.

BARRAGAN (ph): That’s right.

TURNER: I want to know who’s going to stand up for people’s lives, starting with black people’s lives. Because when you take care of black lives everybody’s life is taken care of. Everyone’s life taken care of.

So no more about this — these three men. It had nothing to do with President Trump. What Lieutenant Governor Fairfax is going through don’t have nothing to do with President Trump. Northam wearing blackface don’t have nothing to do with Donald Trump.

Herring, wearing blackface has nothing to do with Donald Trump. This is about racism in the DNA of this country. And I am over it.

We are traumatized, Jake, and we are sick of it. Politicians need to stop playing games.

MIA LOVE: What is being said is exactly right. It’s about personal responsibility for your own actions and things you’ve done. When he was 25 years old, it wasn’t — he couldn’t blame Trump for his behavior at 25 years old. I mean, you can’t —

(CROSSTALK) TURNER: And in medical school.

LOVE: — take responsibility for the things you do. And I think that that’s a problem with Virginia governor is that first he said, oh, I’m sorry. Yes, that was me I’m sorry about the picture. Then it was like, well, I don’t really remember.

And his wife is keeping him from actually moonwalking. I mean, this is a person that does not know what were the appropriate levels are. I mean, he cannot — he can’t govern.

So it’s absolutely time for him to go and wipe the slate clean. And I appreciate by the way the representative saying that this has nothing to do with what — you know who is next in line and the risk of Republicans actually taking office. This has to do with right and wrong, and this — these are clearly the wrong places for these people.

KEN CUCCINELLI: I appreciate those comments as well, but — and I’m not speaking to you, but they’re new on the Democrat side. Ralph Northam got universal calls for resignation when this became the whole Democrat power structure. It got really quiet.

TAPPER: Well, there haven’t been —

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: — for Herring to resign.

CUCCINELLI: Until — until the second sexual assault allegation. Then it broke it loose again. But if you look at that timeline it got very quiet, and it was, we might be more accepting of racism or rape than we are of Republicans. It started to look like that.

TURNER: Thank you for telling me truth on that, Jake. I mean, I hate that, you know, Fairfax has to go, too, but when Northam was running in 2017, you recall because of a labor union, he wouldn’t put Fairfax’s picture on his literature.

CUCCINELLI: That’s right.

TAPPER: Thanks one and all for being here.

Venezuelan Colonel Urges Soldiers To Help US Aid Enter, Says 90% Of Army Against Maduro

The latest senior military officer to defect from the Nicolas Maduro government claims that 90% of the armed forces are “unhappy” with Maduro and stand ready to defect, according to The Times

Colonel Rubén Paz Jimenez posted a short video to social media over the weekend declaring his support for US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó. “Ninety per cent of us in the armed forces are really unhappy,” he said in the video message. “We are being used to keep them in power.” He further urged soldiers to resist orders to block humanitarian aid shipped by the United States and to instead facilitate its entry into the country

Venezuela’s Bolivarian Armed Forces, via Ultimas Noticias

According to The Times Col. Paz is a military doctor and appears to be taking advantage of Guaido’s offer of amnesty to army officers who switch loyalties to him as interim president:

A stockpile of US aid — medicines, medical equipment and nutritional supplements — is in the Colombian border city of Cucuta. Colonel Paz, a doctor, urged soldiers to help the aid get into Venezuela. Mr Guaidó has offered amnesty to those in the army who abandon Mr Maduro, 56, peacefully.

He’s been further described as deputy of the Directorate of the Military Hospital in Maracaibo and the timing of his defection is interesting given the contested issue of US humanitarian aid. 

Trump administration officials like John Bolton have also of late actively encouraged Venezuelan military defections, something that so far has been limited to a tiny handful of officers, at least one of them an Air Force commander — while also attempting to force the issue of American aid delivery. 

Colonel Ruben Paz Jimenez, deputy of the Directorate of the Military Hospital in Maracaibo, announced his support for Guaido and urged others to follow:

Bolton recently invoked the “authorization” of Interim President Juan Guaido to ship humanitarian aid into the country including “medicine, surgical supplies, and nutritional supplements for the people of Venezuela” according to his statement. He urged Maduro “to get out of the way”.

The Times report noted the Venezuelan pharmaceutical association has put the situation of medicine access to the population at extreme crisis levels

The Venezuelan pharmaceutical association has said that 80 per cent of medicines are in short supply. Most Venezuelans report involuntary weight loss over the past two years, and three million people — almost a tenth of the population — have left since 2014. The economy has collapsed and inflation is estimated at 2.7 million per cent.

Meanwhile the socialist government in Caracas insists it isn’t experiencing a humanitarian crisis; instead Maduro has slammed US aid to the country as a “political show”.

The United States urged the UN to act by presenting a draft resolution before the security council demanding that Venezuelan forces unblock the aid at the border, reportedly coming via Brazil and US ally Colombia, in order for the people to access it. Russia is expected to block the resolution. 

Interestingly, prior to this latest defection of military doctor Col. Paz, another high ranking officer had cited the exact same “90 percent” figure describing armed forces who are actually against Maduro. The highest ranking armed forces member to defect thus far, Air Force General Francisco Yanez, who was part of the air force’s high command, in his own video message early this month claimed a wave of defections is coming.

The obvious question remains: is this a mere opposition propaganda talking point employed in the hopes of gaining momentum? Given the scant number of high level officers willing to abandon Maduro over the past two weeks as international pressure grows, it appears merely an empty scripted claim. 

Last month National Assembly leader and now US-recognized “Interim President” Guaido first began appealing to the military to switch sides following a local and short-lived attempt of 27 officers to lead a revolt on Jan. 21, quickly put down by security forces after they stormed an armory and police checkpoint.

To encourage more such defections, which so far hasn’t appeared to penetrate the top layers of military leadership, Guaido has offered amnesty protection to any officer previously accused of corruption or human rights abuses should they defect. 

But so far there’s been a tiny – we might even say insignificant – trickle as the country’s most powerful institution continues to stand by Maduro’s side against “foreign aggression” and the regime change rhetoric issuing from the White House.  

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