Driver Ryan Newman is showing &#8220;great improvement&#8221; after enduring a ghastly crash during the final lap of the Dayton 500 racing competition Monday night, Roush Fenway Racing announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
&#8220;Ryan Newman continues to show great improvement after Monday night&#8217;s last-lap accident at Daytona International Speedway,&#8221; the statement said.
&#8220;The veteran driver is fully alert and walking around Halifax Medical Center,&#8221; Roush Fenway Racing continued. &#8220;True to his jovial nature, he has also been joking around with staff, friends and family while spending time playing with his two daughters.&#8221;
A photo of a smiling, standing Newman alongside his two young daughters accompanied the heartening update. &#8220;Ryan Newman Continues Great Improvement,&#8221; the photo is captioned.
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Ryan Newman Continues Great Improvement <a href="https://t.co/xIZRiaRApi">pic.twitter.com/xIZRiaRApi</a>
&mdash; Roush Fenway (@roushfenway) <a href="https://twitter.com/roushfenway/status/1230173060143161344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, NASCAR released a statement informing viewers that Newman was in serious condition and being treated at Halifax Medical Center for non life-threatening injuries, though nothing more was known, at the time, of the driver&#8217;s condition.
“Ryan Newman is being treated at Halifax Medical Center,” the statement said. “He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time.&#8221;
As reported by <a href="https://www.everythinglubbock.com/sports/big-race-daytona/driver-ryan-newman-rushed-to-hospital-after-horrific-wreck-at-daytona/">Everything Lubbock</a>, “Safety crews rushed to Newman’s No. 6 Ford and worked to extricate the 42-year-old driver from his seat&#8221; on Monday night. &#8220;The car was on fire as it skidded to a stop and had to be turned onto its tires before they could get him out.&#8221;
Compounding the horror of the scene, “Fox opted not to broadcast Newman’s removal, which was shielded by large black screens put up by track crews,” the report noted. Media was reportedly asked to leave the scene while emergency crews worked.
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You don’t fully understand the magnitude of a crash until you see a picture like this. 
Ryan Newman has been taken to an area hospital. 
The sports world is praying he’s ok🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/t9aJM9ZLXl">pic.twitter.com/t9aJM9ZLXl</a>
&mdash; Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanFieldABC/status/1229586759782215681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Absolutely brutal crash at the end of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DAYTONA500?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DAYTONA500</a> 
Praying that Ryan Newman is okay🙏🙏<a href="https://t.co/2RTVvZWOg8">pic.twitter.com/2RTVvZWOg8</a>
&mdash; Sports ReUp (@SportsReUp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsReUp/status/1229574682749415426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As outlined by Bob Pockrass, wiring at <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/ryan-newman-denny-hamlin-daytona-500-021820">Fox Sports</a>, the crash reminded NASCAR enthusiasts and drivers of the danger looming in the sport.
“That NASCAR hasn’t had a fatality in its three national series since Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500 has conditioned fans and those in the industry that every wreck is survivable,” said Pockrass. &#8220;That even the vicious hits don’t do more than bruise.”
“But everyone in the grandstands saw the reality, as Newman’s crushed car initially caught fire while upside-down,” he explained. “They saw safety workers hold up screens as they put him in an ambulance, which then sped to leave the track to Halifax Health Medical Center.”
Similarly, famed retired NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon said Monday night, “Safety’s come a long way in this sport, but sometimes we are reminded that it is a very dangerous sport. Thoughts and prayers, right now, are with Ryan Newman and his family.&#8221;
As noted by Everything Lubbock, Denny Hamlin won the race for Joe Gibbs Racing and celebrated near the finish line. They did not understand the full scope of Newman’s crash &#8212; only that a driver behind Hamlin had hit the wall &#8212; and later apologized.
“Some people may have saw us and said, ‘Those guys are celebrating when there’s a serious issue going on.’ I apologize to everybody,” Gibbs said afterward. “We really didn’t know. We got in the winner’s circle and then that’s when people told us. I wanted to explain that to everyone.”
“That’s what makes it so hard,” Gibbs added. “Such a close-knit community, you know everybody. … If you think about all the wrecks that we’ve had over the last how many number of years, some of them have been real serious. We’ve been real fortunate.”

Ryan Newman Car Wreck Daytona 500

JUST IN: Roush Racing Provides Update On Ryan Newman After Horrifying NASCAR Crash

NASCAR

Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates killed a bill that had been introduced by one of the state senators who joined Republicans to vote against a separate bill that would have banned “assault weapons” in the state.
A House panel was discussing a bill introduced by state Sen. Chap Petersen, which had passed unanimously in the state Senate, which would allow part-time law enforcement officers to purchase their service firearms when they retired. Currently, full-time officers can purchase their firearms once they retire.
Amy Friedenberger, state capitol correspondent for The Roanoke Times, reported that many of the people who were present when the bill was being discussed in the House suggested it was killed because Petersen had voted against Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D-VA) gun ban proposal. Friedenberger even suggested gun-control advocates liked Petersen’s bill.
“House panel dealing with guns killed a bill from Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/ChapPetersen">@ChapPetersen</a>, Democrat, that would have allowed part-time law enforcement to purchase their service firearms at retirement (only full-time can right now). It passed out of the Senate 40-0,” Friedenberger tweeted. “People in the room — including gun control advocates who liked the bill — believe Democrats killed it because Petersen voted against the assault weapons bill yesterday.”
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People in the room — including gun control advocates who liked the bill — believe Democrats killed it because Petersen voted against the assault weapons bill yesterday <a href="https://t.co/jm9L9aoZD2">https://t.co/jm9L9aoZD2</a>
— Amy Friedenberger (@AJFriedenberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJFriedenberger/status/1229788545059082240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Graham Moomaw, a reporter for The Virginia Mercury, also reported that Petersen appeared on “Fox and Friends” the morning his bill was killed to explain why he voted against the Northam gun ban.
“Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, went on Fox and Friends this morning to explain why he voted against the assault weapon bill,” Moomaw tweeted. &#8220;‘I was surprised, frankly, that the bill came over from the House of Delegates,’ he says.”
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Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, went on Fox and Friends this morning to explain why he voted against the assault weapon bill.
&#8220;I was surprised, frankly, that the bill came over from the House of Delegates,&#8221; he says<a href="https://t.co/ptZXyeXR6W">https://t.co/ptZXyeXR6W</a>
— Graham Moomaw (@gmoomaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/gmoomaw/status/1229789791740481537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms <a href="https://bearingarms.com/cam-e/2020/02/18/va-house-dems-punish-senator/">called</a> the move by Virginia House Democrats “pure political pettiness,” and added that it is not Petersen who will be hurt by the move.
“Instead, it will be part-time law enforcement officers who bear the brunt of the anti-gun Democrats’ willingness to play games with public safety. House Democrats aimed for Petersen but ended up hitting Virginia residents, all because they wanted to send a message to Petersen that he’s going to pay a political price for his intransigence,” Edwards wrote.
More from Edwards:
<blockquote>Will House Democrats also target bills by Sen. John Edwards, who chaired the Judiciary Committee that sent HB961 off to the Virginia Crime Commission to be studied instead of voting to pass the gun ban? What about Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democrat who was the one to propose letting the VCC study the bill instead of lawmakers voting on it? If not, why not? They’ve already demonstrated their petulance with the political temper tantrum they threw on Tuesday morning. Why stop now?
We have about three weeks left in the legislative session, and the more in-fighting among Senate and House Democrats the better. Many of the gun control proposals passed by the state Senate have been modified by the House of Delegates, and they’ll likely end up in a conference committee to hash out the differences. I suspect that behind closed doors, Democrats will work for a way to come to an agreement on the gun control bills, but stories like this give me a little bit of hope that the rancor will last long enough to kill the momentum for at least a few more of Ralph Northam’s gun control proposals, whether its [sic] in a conference committee or even on the Senate floor.”</blockquote>

Virginia Legislature

Virginia Democrats Punish One Of Their Own For Voting Against Northam-Backed Gun Ban

Democratic Party

Gun Laws

Virginia

Avowed Christian Justin Bieber recently opened up about the many issues he struggled to overcome before finding faith in Jesus Christ.
In an interview with Apple Music&#8217;s Zane Lowe to promote his album &#8220;Changes,&#8221; Bieber talked about how faith in Christ eventually led him to obedience in sin.
&#8220;I really took a deep dive in my faith,&#8221; Bieber said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-jesus-changes-album">Fox News</a>. &#8220;I believed in Jesus but I never really, like&#8230;when it says following Jesus is actually turning away from sin, and so there&#8217;s no, it talks about it in the Bible, there&#8217;s no faith without obedience.&#8221;
Though Bieber always believed in who Jesus was and accepted his death on the cross to save humanity from sin, he &#8220;never really implemented it&#8221; in his life, he said. When he allowed faith to penetrate his heart, Bieber claims he turned his life around. The difficulty for him, however, was overcoming the bad examples of Christians in his life, who he said would &#8220;say one thing and do another.&#8221;
&#8220;I think it was my perception of who Jesus really was,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;d had really bad examples of Christians in my life, who would say one thing and do another, so they were my direct example of who Jesus was.&#8221;
&#8220;The way I look at God and my relationship with Jesus is I&#8217;m not trying to earn God&#8217;s love by doing good things,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;God has already loved me for who I am before I did anything to earn or deserve it. It&#8217;s a free gift by accepting Jesus, giving your life to him, and what he did is the gift. The forgiveness is the thing that we look at and we go, you know, I&#8217;m going to worship you, God, because you gave me something so good.&#8221;
Though Bieber has no desire to tell people what to believe, he does want to use his story of faith to persuade others to find Christ.
&#8220;Jesus wasn&#8217;t this religious elite guy&#8230;but he was in the dirt, and he found me in my dirt and pulled me out,&#8221; Bieber said. &#8220;I never want to be someone that&#8217;s trying to persuade anyone to believe in what I believe. I think God persuades people. But I definitely want to tell my story so that if that resonates with anybody they can hopefully learn from it.&#8221;
Watch the video below. Bieber&#8217;s remarks about Christ begin around the 10-minute mark:
<iframe title="Justin Bieber - Zane Lowe and Apple Music ’Changes’ Interview" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_fw3qNx1OM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Justin Bieber began opening up about how faith in Jesus altered his life after marrying his wife, Hailey Baldwin. Speaking with <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/justin-bieber-hailey-bieber-cover-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-tracker-added="true">Vogue</a> last year, Bieber confessed to giving up sex for a year, admitting he had a “legitimate problem” with premarital relations.
“He doesn’t ask us not to have sex for him because he wants rules and stuff,” Bieber told Vogue. “He’s like, I’m trying to protect you from hurt and pain. I think sex can cause a lot of pain.”
The pop star went on to say that premarital sex often serves as a crutch for people who are making up for a lack of perceived self-worth, adding that he wanted to “rededicate” his body to God to cleanse his soul.
“Sometimes people have sex because they don’t feel good enough. Because they lack self-worth,” Bieber said. “Women do that, and guys do that. I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behavior.”

Bieber

WATCH: Justin Bieber Talks Finding Faith In Christ: ‘He Found Me In My Dirt And Pulled Me Out’

Christianity

Justin Bieber

President Donald Trump granted clemency to eleven people Tuesday in what mainstream media outlets are calling a &#8220;clemency spree,&#8221; but many are ignoring the several women &#8212; including women of color &#8212; who were granted relief from long prison sentences, in pursuit of headlines tying Trump to &#8220;corruption&#8221; and &#8220;white collar crime.&#8221;
Trump did, of course, grant commutations and pardons to several high-profile individuals, including former governor Rod Blagojevich, former New York police comissioner Bernard Kerick, financier Mike Milken, and pro-football Hall of Famer Edward DeBartolo, Jr.
But while media focused on creating a common thread tying these commutations and pardons together in an effort to, it seems, connect them back to Trump campaign operative Roger Stone&#8217;s ongoing trial, the media missed several other pardons and commutations granted to women who took minor roles in criminal enterprises yet received major Federal prison sentences.
Angela Stanton received a pardon, at the behest of Alaveda King (neice of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.), after serving &#8220;a 6-month home confinement sentence for her role in a stolen vehicle ring.&#8221; After doing her time, Stanton went on to become an advocate for former inmates, pioneering &#8220;re-entry&#8221; programs for those returning to the workforce from a stint in prison, &#8221; focusing on the critical role of families in the process,&#8221; according to the White House&#8217;s official statement on the matter.
Trump, it seems, built on his earlier criminal justice reform initiatives in deciding to commute the sentences of several other women, including Crystal Munoz, who served her time with Alice Marie Johnson &#8212; the woman found herself free after forging a friendship with Kim Kardashian West who, subsequently, took her case to the White House. Johnson came to consider Munoz &#8220;one of her prison daughters,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.whec.com/national/woman-granted-clemency-got-support-from-another-ex-prisoner/5648989/?cat=10036">told the Associated Press</a>, and urged the President to grant her the same mercy he&#8217;d granted Johnson.
&#8220;We did a lot of crying and a lot of praying together for things to change for us,&#8221; Johnson said.
Munoz gave birth in Federal custody, while awaiting trial on charges of &#8220;conspiring to distribute majujuana.&#8221; She was sentenced to 20 years in prison despite contending that &#8220;her only role was drawing a map others allegedly used in moving the drugs from Mexico to Texas.&#8221; The AP reports that Munoz received ineffective counsel at her trial and suffered dire consequences.
Tynice Nichole Hall also received a commutation Tuesday, releasing her from an &#8220;18-year sentence for allowing her apartment to be used to distribute drugs,&#8221; after serving more than 14 years, according to the White House. &#8220;While in prison, Ms. Hall has completed a number of job-training programs and apprenticeships, as well as coursework towards a college degree.  In addition, Ms. Hall has taught prison educational programs to other inmates.&#8221;
And then there&#8217;s Judith Negron who, the AP reports, &#8220;had been serving 35 years at a Florida prison for health care fraud, conspiracy and money laundering when she was released Tuesday.&#8221; Negron&#8217;s own prison warden wrote a letter to the president in support of granting Negron clemency.
The White House pushed these names into the spotlight Tuesday night, but few media outlets seemed to pick up on them, and when they did, they scoffed at their inclusion. The Associated Press, who did report on Munoz and Negron, even accused the Trump White House of trying to distract from more high-profile pardons and clemencies.
&#8220;But Trump also commuted the sentences of several women with more sympathetic cases to balance out the men convicted of corruption,&#8221; they said.

Donald Trump

IGNORED: Trump Grants Commutations To Several Women In Need In ‘Clemency Spree,’ Media Focuses On ‘Corruption’

On Wednesday, former National Rugby League (NRL) player Rowan Baxter, 42, reportedly doused his estranged wife Hannah Baxter, 31, in gasoline and set her and their three children on fire to be burned alive in a car.
Hannah reportedly made it out of the car while engulfed in flames screaming that Rowan had poured gasoline on her as she fought to save her babies. Rowan, it has been reported, left the accident and died of self-inflected knife wounds, in an apparent suicide.
Rowan, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8019461/Ex-footballer-shared-footage-play-fighting-kids-Brisbane-car-inferno-left-four-dead.html?fbclid=IwAR2yPLk9lJr0aislqsM6AzI7ExkCYSxb_TrpQOJsbaQqH-iUCvT7Y6diSh8">The Daily Mail</a>, set the family&#8217;s white SUV aflame on Wednesday morning at Camp Hill, in Brisbane, Australia. &#8220;Baxter survived the blast but stabbed himself in the chest on the sidewalk next to the car as locals desperately tried to free the children trapped inside,&#8221; the report outlined.
All three children, 6-year-old Aaliyah, 4-year-old Laianah, and 3-year-old Trey, perished on Wednesday. Hannah was brought to a hospital, but later succumbed to her injuries.
One witness, reported The Daily Mail, claimed Hannah screamed, &#8220;he&#8217;s poured petrol on me.&#8221;
&#8220;The former New Zealand Warriors player stabbed himself after the blast and begged first responders not to put out the flames on the car,&#8221; the report said.
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MOTHER DIES: Hannah Baxter, the mother badly burned in the deliberately lit Brisbane car fire which killed her three&#8230;
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/10NewsAdl/">10 News First Adelaide</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/10NewsAdl/photos/a.611472955584121/2912448478819879/?type=3">Wednesday, February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Det. Insp. Mark Thompson called the scene &#8220;horrific,&#8221; while speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/19/three-dead-including-children-after-car-allegedly-set-alight-in-brisbane">The Guardian</a> reported.
“It will be a horrific thing for police and emergency services to deal with in the coming days,” said Thompson.
“We’ve all got different experiences in life. I’ve seen some horrific scenes, this is up there with the [worst] of them,&#8221; he added.
“Preliminary investigations indicate the woman was driving the car and the man was in the front passenger seat prior to the incident,&#8221; a police report said, noting, &#8220;A man who assisted in rescuing the woman from the vehicle sustained burns and was transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for treatment.”
According to The Daily Mail, Rowan posted a video to Facebook of himself playing with his children about a month ago:
<blockquote>
Baxter uploaded to his Facebook account about a month ago, the three children giggled as he took turns grabbing them by the neck and pushing them away from him.
Trey, who was still in diapers at the time, eventually grew tired of the game after having his head slammed into a bed and ran off camera in tears.
Baxter laughed and continued playing with his two older girls.
The video was met with messages of support from his friends, who said he was teaching his children to have a thick skin.
</blockquote>
Hannah and Rowan ran a gym together called <a href="http://integr8fit.com.au">Integr8</a> and even created a video, as seen below, to advertise their services. According to reporting from The Guardian, the gym stopped operating within the last few months.
&#8220;By far the best trainers I have ever experienced,&#8221; reads a review posted to the gym&#8217;s website from a woman named Erika. &#8220;They are so passionate about what they do and care so much about their members, and for their member to reach their goals.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve been at Integr8 for 4 months now and love it more every week. From the moment I joined the welcome was warm and the vibe was like nothing I’d experienced,&#8221; praised another reviewer.
&#8220;Rowan and Hannah are top notch athletes with a wealth of knowledge in various areas of fitness,&#8221; a review from Sima said.
WATCH:
<iframe title="Introduction video" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nzQRczkRvp8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rowan Baxter

‘Horrific’: Ex-Rugby Player Burns Alive Wife, Three Young Children: Report

Australia

Murder

On May 4, 1970, during a huge protest against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war at Kent State University, Ohio National Guard troops fired at students, killing four students and injuring nine others.
Now, for an event at the university marking the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, Kent State is shelling out $83,000 to a famous celebrity to come and speak: Jane Fonda.
<a href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/kent-state-to-pay-hanoi-jane-83k-for-may-4-commemoration-speech-ohio-sos-wants-her-yanked-calls-it-a-disgrace/">PJ Media</a> reports:
<blockquote>In a move that surprised many in the Northeast Ohio area and beyond, Kent State President Todd Diacon announced that actress, activist, and (former?) communist sympathizer Jane Fonda will be one of the speakers at an anniversary commemoration of the shooting on May 3—and she&#8217;ll be paid a whopping $83,000 to ostensibly reminisce about her anti-war activism.</blockquote>
Ohio GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who served in the 101st Airborn Division and later as a Green Beret in Iraq, expressed his anger on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/franklarose/posts/3050153538330470">Facebook</a>, writing:
<blockquote>The 50th anniversary of one of Ohio’s darkest days has the potential to serve as a moment of unity, understanding &amp; healing in a nation that is deeply divided. However, Kent State’s decision to pay Jane Fonda $83,000 to speak at their commemoration event does the very opposite.
I served 10 years in the US Army, and eight years in the Ohio Senate before becoming Secretary of State. I certainly understand that people disagree on policy issues, especially matters of war &#8212; and that’s ok. What’s not ok is providing aid and comfort to the enemy and willfully serving as a propaganda tool for those engaged in hostilities against the United States. And Ms. Fonda did that – the very definition of treason.
American service members coming home from Vietnam deserved a much better reception than the one they received. They weren’t the politicians who chose which battle to fight &#8212; they were the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines sent into the battle. And we should say one thing to them: Welcome Home.
There’s still time to make the 50th anniversary commemoration of this awful day one that can be inclusive and educational for Ohioans, Americans and the world. I urge Kent State University to immediately rescind their invitation to Ms. Fonda.</blockquote>
As PJ Media noted, Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield defended the decision, asserting that the commemoration advisory committee “developed three pillars that guided the planning: honoring and remembering those killed and wounded; educating about May 4, 1970, and the dangers of polarizing rhetoric and divisive discourse; and above all, inspiring current and future students to be leaders in peaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation.”
In January 2018, after Fonda continually targeted former NBC host Megyn Kelly for daring to ask Fonda about her plastic surgery, Kelly decided she had had enough, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-megyn-kellys-finally-responds-hanoi-jane-amanda-prestigiacomo">firing back</a>:
<blockquote>Apparently, when she came here, however, again, to promote her film about aging, I was supposed to discern that this subject was suddenly off limits. Look, I gave her the chance to empower other women, young and old, on a subject which she purports to know well, and she rejected it. That’s OK. But I have no regrets about that question, nor am I in the market for a lesson from Jane Fonda on what is or is not appropriate …
Look at her treatment of our military during the Vietnam War. Many of our veterans still call her “Hanoi Jane” thanks to her radio broadcast, which attempted to shame American troops; she posed on an anti-aircraft gun used to shoot-down our American pilots; she called our POWs hypocrites and liars and referred to their torture as “understandable.”</blockquote>
PJ Media noted that in 2011 Fonda <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11359078/Jane-Fonda-says-Hanoi-Jane-photo-will-hurt-to-my-grave.html">allowed that the photo shoot was a mistake</a>, saying she would “regret to my dying day. I allowed myself to be photographed on a Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun,&#8221; but then added this excuse: &#8220;It happened on my last day in Hanoi. It was not unusual for Americans who visited North Vietnam to be taken to see Vietnamese military installations and when they did, they were always required to wear a helmet like the kind I was told to wear during the numerous air raids I had experienced.”
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Of course I’m all for free speech. <a href="https://twitter.com/Janefonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Janefonda</a> can come to campus and give a speech for free anytime — but we shouldn’t be paying her $83k to travel to Ohio and speak at such a solemn occasion as this. <a href="https://t.co/u1kxJCusgh">https://t.co/u1kxJCusgh</a>
&mdash; Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankLaRose/status/1229859069659406341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Jane Fonda Climate Change Rally in Los Angeles, USA

Kent State Marks 50th Anniversary Of Vietnam Protest Tragedy. They Pay $83,000 For A Speaker: Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Kent State

Vietnam

Michael Bloomberg, whose self-funded campaign is gaining national momentum amid former frontrunner Joe Biden&#8217;s collapse, revealed his plan Tuesday for his multi-billion-dollar company should he manage to secure the Democratic nomination and take down President Trump in November. The morning after the statements about the plans for his multi-billion-dollar business, Trump slammed Bloomberg News for its election coverage and accused the former New York City mayor of having already violated campaign finance laws.
In an appearance on CNN Tuesday, Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign policy adviser said that Bloomberg — who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-primary-update-the-latest-2020-presidential-primary-polling">recent polls</a> indicate is now frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders'(I-VT) biggest threat — would put his company in a blind trust and then eventually sell it should he win the 2020 election. The claim was backed up by his campaign spokeswoman.
As the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bloomberg-qualifies-for-nevada-debate-after-new-poll-11582022050">Wall Street Journal</a> noted in its reports on the pair of statements from Bloomberg&#8217;s campaign, the future of his massively successful and influential financial-data and media company &#8220;had been in question since he announced his run for president in November, with him and his advisers going back and forth on whether he would place the business in a blind trust if he won, or if he would divest his interests entirely.&#8221;
The Journal highlights the conflict posed by Bloomberg&#8217;s significant financial interests and his attacks on Trump&#8217;s handling of his own business empire after becoming president:
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<blockquote>Mr. Bloomberg, 78, has aggressively campaigned by challenging Mr. Trump’s ethics, noting that the president never placed his business interests in a blind trust, instead turning them over to his sons to run. Democrats in Congress have accused the president of accepting payments from foreign governments through his hotels and golf resorts, claiming he has violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which bars such transactions. The White House has argued in court that stays at the president’s hotels were not in violation of the law, and an appeals court recently rejected a lawsuit by House Democrats saying they lacked standing to bring the case.</blockquote>
In a social media post Wednesday morning, Trump took aim at Bloomberg&#8217;s media company and then leveled an accusation at the Democratic candidate that has plagued Trump himself.
&#8220;Is corrupt Bloomberg News going to say what a pathetic debater Mini Mike is, that he doesn’t respect our great farmers, or that he has violated campaign finance laws at the highest and most sinister level with &#8216;payoffs&#8217; all over the place?&#8221; Trump wrote.
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Is corrupt Bloomberg News going to say what a pathetic debater Mini Mike is, that he doesn’t respect our great farmers, or that he has violated campaign finance laws at the highest and most sinister level with “payoffs” all over the place?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1230143683699175424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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When Bloomberg first entered the race, Bloomberg News announced that it would continue its policy of not investigating him and said that it would likewise refrain from investigating any other Democratic candidates during the primary, but would continue to investigate and report on the Trump administration. The announcement was met with blowback about the inevitable political bias that would characterize the news organization&#8217;s 2020 election coverage as a result of the policy.
Trump&#8217;s &#8220;hush money&#8221; payments during the 2016 election to two women, former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels, over alleged past affairs, have prompted <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/14/evidence-that-trump-broke-campaign-finance-laws/">accusations</a> of campaign finance violations against him, including by his former &#8220;fixer&#8221;-turned-&#8220;rat&#8221; Michael Cohen, who was famously involved in the deal with Daniels.
The Journal notes that Bloomberg is estimated to be worth some $54 million and owns roughly 90% of Bloomberg LP, which brought in around $10.5 billion in revenue in 2019, a 5.7% increase from 2018.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-primary-update-the-latest-2020-presidential-primary-polling">Democratic Primary Update: Bernie Builds Lead, Biden Collapses, Bloomberg Makes Move</a>
</div>

Michael Bloomberg

Bloomberg Reveals Plan For His Company If He Wins; Trump: He’s Already Violated Campaign Finance Laws

2020 Election

Michael Cohen

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, convicted years ago of corruption but released Tuesday after having his sentenced commuted by President Donald Trump, revealed his gratitude for the decision in his first interview following his release from a Denver-area Federal prison, labeling himself a newly minted &#8220;Trumpocrat.&#8221;
President Trump is the one who did this and I&#8217;m profoundly grateful,&#8221; Blagojevich told reporters while waiting for a flight home to Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday night. &#8220;He&#8217;s got, obviously, a big fan in me, and if you&#8217;re asking me what my party affiliation is, I&#8217;m a Trumpocrat.&#8221;
“He didn’t have to do this. He’s a Republican president; I was a Democratic governor,” Blagojevich added. “My fellow Democrats have not been very kind to him. In fact, they’ve been very unkind to him.”
Blagojevich served eight years of a fourteen year prison sentence he earned for trying to sell then-President Barack Obama&#8217;s former Senate seat to the highest bidder. Blagojevich &#8212; or &#8220;Blago&#8221; as he is affectionately known &#8212; was captured on tape by the FBI offering to trade favors for the honor of being appointed to succeed Obama, and calling the seat a &#8220;f***ing golden&#8221; thing that he would not simply give away for free.
The FBI&#8217;s investigation also netted former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., and even, tangentially, the current governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzer, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-jb-pritzker-rod-blagojevich-fbi-wiretap-recordings-met-0601-20170531-story.html">according to the Chicago Tribune</a>. Pritzker was one of a handful of prominent Illinois Democrats offered the seat, but instead of turning Blagojevich down outright, Pritzker tried to negotiate with the governor, suggesting that he could be made state treasurer.
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<blockquote>&#8220;Ooh, interesting,&#8221; Blagojevich said during a November 2008 phone call with Pritzker. &#8220;Let&#8217;s think about that. You interested in that?&#8221;</blockquote>
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<blockquote>&#8220;Yeah,&#8221; Pritzker answered, &#8220;that&#8217;s the one I would want.&#8221;</blockquote>
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Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, lobbied for his early release, first in the courts and then in the court of public opinion. Most recently, a Federal court tossed out several of the charges on which Blagojevich had been convicted, but stubbornly refused to mitigate his sentence. Patti Blagojevich then went on Fox News to plead her husband&#8217;s case directly to the president, who is known to be a regular viewer of the network.
Trump commuted Blago&#8217;s sentence Tuesday as part of a wave of commutations and pardons. The president was reportedly sympathetic to Blagojevich&#8217;s plight, but told reporters that he was not a personal friend of the former governor (though he did once fire Blagojevich from his show, &#8220;Celebrity Apprentice&#8221;).
&#8220;Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich. He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person, don’t know him,&#8221; Trump said in a drive-by interview Tuesday.
“So he’ll be able to go back home with his family after serving eight years in jail,” Trump said. “That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others.”
Blagojevich, for his part, says he was surprised by the commutation, but plans to use his newfound freedom to help improve the criminal justice system, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-commutes-prison-sentence-of-rod-blagojevich">Washington Examiner</a>. Prison, Blagojevich said, &#8220;all too often persecutes and prosecutes people who did nothing wrong, who over-sentence people, who show no mercy.&#8221;
&#8220;They can put you into prison for things that aren&#8217;t crimes,&#8221; he added, calling the Federal prison system &#8220;unfair,&#8221; &#8220;broken,&#8221; and &#8220;racist,&#8221; per the outlet.

Rod Blagojevich

‘I’m A TRUMPOCRAT!’: Rod Blagojevich Thanks President In First Interview After Release

Sen. Bernie Sanders — the 78-year-old Democratic socialist who suffered a heart attack in October while campaigning for president — has backtracked on a promise to release his full medical records.
“We have released, I think, quite as much as any other candidate has,” said Sanders. “We released two rather detailed letters from cardiologists and we released a letter that came from the head of the U.S. Congress medical group.”
But after his heart attack, Sanders promised to release his full health records “before the first votes are cast,&#8221; saying it was “the right thing to do.&#8221; That didn&#8217;t happen.
At the time, Sanders said on CNN that &#8220;people do have a right to know about the health of a senator and someone running for president. At the appropriate time, we’ll make all the medical records public for you or anyone else who wants to see them.&#8221;
The Hill also reported that Sanders said he&#8217;d put out extensive health records.
&#8220;We’ll release them, we always planned to release them. And we have more medical records obviously now, and we will release them at the appropriate time,&#8221; he said.
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Question: &quot;Plan to release your medical records sooner than originally planned now?&quot;
Sen. Bernie Sanders: &quot;We’ll release them, we always planned to release them. And we have more medical records obviously now, and we will release them at the appropriate time.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/X8b0bWvnPc">pic.twitter.com/X8b0bWvnPc</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1181636969404780544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Sanders joked that “If you think I’m not in good health, come on out with me on the campaign trail and I’ll let you introduce me to the three or four rallies a day that we do,&#8221; <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/bernie-sanders-medical-records-heart-attack/2020/02/19/id/954732/">Raw Story</a> reported.
But his campaign took offense at the repeated questions about the 2020 frontrunner&#8217;s health records, saying they are tantamount to &#8220;birtherism.&#8221;
&#8220;The campaign’s national press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, compared requests for Sanders’ full medical records to the birtherism attacks volleyed at former President Barack Obama,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-campaign-says-asking-for-his-health-records-is-a-smear-like-birtherism">Daily Beast</a> reported.
<blockquote>Asked by CNN if people deserve to know more about Sanders’ health, Gray said: “I think the American people deserve to know exactly as much as every other candidate has released in this race currently and historically. What you’re seeing right now is really reminiscent of some of the smear and skepticism campaigns that have been run against a lot of different candidates in the past, questioning where they’re from and aspects of their lineage.”
The press secretary went on: “It’s really telling, given that none of the same concern is being demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg, who’s the same age as Bernie Sanders and has suffered heart attacks in the past.”</blockquote>
Health records have become a huge deal among the Democratic candidates running for the nomination.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also 78, has been forced to deny that he has had a heart attack. On Gray&#8217;s claim that Bloomberg &#8220;has suffered heart attacks in the past,&#8221; Bloomberg adviser Tim O’Brien called that a &#8220;Trumpy lie.&#8221;
&#8220;Mike Bloomberg has *never* had a heart attack,&#8221; O&#8217;Brien wrote on Twitter. &#8220;Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, has had a heart attack. Those are the facts. It’s a dangerous time when Sanders goes all in with Trumpism.&#8221;
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This is such a Trumpy lie from the Sanders camp, which rolls like Trump in many ways.
Mike Bloomberg has *never* had a heart attack. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, has had a heart attack. 
Those are the facts. 
It’s a dangerous time when Sanders goes all in with Trumpism. <a href="https://t.co/Yk6RlI8WaN">https://t.co/Yk6RlI8WaN</a>
&mdash; Tim O&#39;Brien (@TimOBrien) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimOBrien/status/1230128743068266496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Gray later clarified: &#8220;I mispoke when I said Bloomberg had a heart attack. Rather, he underwent the same stent procedure as Bernie. Bernie released 3 detailed medical reports in December — just like the other candidates.&#8221;
In 2000, Bloomberg underwent surgery to place coronary stents for a blocked artery, and he has an irregular heartbeat.

Bernie Sanders Campaigns In Las Vegas In Week Leading Up To Caucus

FLIP-FLOP: Sanders Breaks Promise, Won’t Release Full Medical Records

Bernie Sanders

Pop that trial balloon.
After a series of headlines over the weekend, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she&#8217;s not interested in joining Michael Bloomberg on his ticket should he win the Democratic presidential nomination.
&#8220;Oh no! I&#8217;m just waiting and watching as this plays out. I will support whoever the nominee is,” Clinton said in Puerto Rico for a Clinton Global Initiative event.
Blogger Matt Drudge on Saturday reported that the former New York City mayor was eying Clinton as a potential running mate.
&#8220;Sources close to Bloomberg campaign tell DRUDGE REPORT that candidate is considering Hillary Clinton as running mate, after their polling found the Bloomberg-Clinton combination would be formidable force&#8230; MORE,&#8221; said one header.
&#8220;DRUDGE has learned that Bloomberg himself would go as far as to change his official residence from New York to homes he owns in Colorado or Florida, since the electoral college makes it hard for a POTUS and VPOTUS from the same state&#8230; Developing&#8230;&#8221; said the other.
News sites quickly jumped on the story.
&#8220;The top right-leaning news aggregator, citing sources close to the Bloomberg team, reported on Saturday that the former New York mayor is contemplating Clinton as a vice presidential running mate after his campaign&#8217;s polling found the combination would go over well with voters,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/drudge-report-bloomberg-considering-hillary-clinton-for-running-mate">Washington Examiner</a> wrote.
&#8220;Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge said in a rare tweet, which he will likely delete, that the former mayor would go as far as moving his official residence from New York to Colorado or Florida, where he owns homes, so that he and Clinton are not from the same state during the race.&#8221;
Both of Drudge&#8217;s tweets are now deleted.
Clinton has kept open the option to run, despite her humiliating defeat in 2016, when she lost the Electoral College vote to Donald Trump 304-227.
In 2018, Clinton was asked, “Do you want to run again?” “No, no,” she replied, prompting laughter. Then she added: “I’d like to be president.”
Last November, Clinton told the BBC that “many, many, many people” were pressuring her to consider jumping into the 2020 race, but she said, “I, as I say, never, never, never say never. &#8230; But as of this moment, sitting here in this studio talking to you, that is absolutely not in my plans.&#8221;
About the same time, the Associated Press wrote a piece headlined: “Democrats’ 2020 race has a new shadow: Hillary Clinton.&#8221;
“The first woman to win a major party presidential nomination — and the national popular vote leader with almost 3 million more votes than Trump — Clinton remains a popular figure in her party, even after enduring criticism for losing key Midwestern states to Trump,” AP wrote.
At the end of 2019, Clinton said “maybe there does need to be a rematch. Obviously, I can beat him again,” referring to her pulling in three million more votes than Trump.
And then earlier this month, Clinton declared she wouldn’t run for a third time, but left open the option to join another candidate’s ticket.
&#8220;I never say never, because I do believe in serving my country, but it’s not going to happen,” Clinton told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
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Celebrities Visit Broadway &#8211; January 30, 2020

‘Oh No!’ Hillary Says Not Interested In Running For Veep

Hillary Clinton

The following is satirical.
Michael Bloomberg has decided to use a portion of his 60-billion buckaroo fortune to build a time machine, travel into the past, and change who he was up until he started running for president.
The itty-bitty candidate has already spent somewhere between twelve and a gazillion somolians in advertisements depicting him as voters wish he were, but now feels those ads don’t quite accomplish the necessary task of changing his history of high-handed contempt for ordinary Americans and supercilious statements that treat other people as a sort of chess problem only he can solve.
Bloomberg says he has already sent an offer of forty squillion potatoes to Doc Brown from the Back to the Future Movies in hopes he’ll help invent the time traveling device and also intends to enlist the aid of Mr. Peabody and Sherman and H.G. Wells, though he will offer them less money because they are cartoon characters and dead, respectively.
Bloomberg says that by traveling back into the past he will be able to correct his mistake of telling the truth, which makes it almost impossible to get elected as a Democrat.
In a statement to the belt buckle of the person standing next to him, Bloomberg said, “When I said that stop and frisk saved lives or that loaning mortgages to people who could not pay them back contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, those statements were one hundred percent accurate and therefore approximately ninety-five percent more accurate than a statement by a Democrat candidate is allowed to be. When I go back in time, I will change those statements to statements that are only five percent accurate, which will then allow me to apologize for that five percent, which Democrat voters apparently like.”
Bloomberg says he will also change that time he said that a 95-year-old with cancer should be left to die because it would save money. This time, he will say a 95-year-old with cancer should be left to die unless he’s named Michael Bloomberg.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-declaring-no-dems-can-beat-trump-cher-has-message-for-bloodied-biden-biden-thanks-her">After Declaring No Dems Can Beat Trump, Cher Has Message For ‘Bloodied’ Biden, Bloomberg; Biden Thanks Her</a>

Time Machine

Bloomberg Will Spend Billions To Travel Back In Time And Change Who He Used To Be [Satire]

Satire

It&#8217;s been a terrific month for democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and the latest polling out of the third primary state, Nevada, indicates that his momentum will continue at least through South Carolina (Feb. 29). The story for two former frontrunners &#8212; former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) &#8212; however, couldn&#8217;t be more different: both are rapidly seeing their chances of securing the nomination evaporate, while billionaire Mike Bloomberg&#8217;s self-financed campaign is rapidly looking like Sanders&#8217; biggest threat. Here&#8217;s the latest national and key state polling data.
In national polls, Sanders has now taken a sizable lead over the field after Biden&#8217;s stunningly bad performance in both Iowa and New Hampshire. <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html">Real Clear Politics</a>&#8216; current average of the national polls gives Sanders a double-digit lead, with Biden now holding only a narrow edge over the surging relative moderate Bloomberg.
Despite strong performances in the first two primary contests, both former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar continue to be stuck at disappointing levels of national support (10 percent or below in most polls). Below are RCP&#8217;s latest averages of the national polls:
<ul>
<li>Sanders 28.6 (+11)</li>
<li>Biden 17.6</li>
<li>Bloomberg 15.9</li>
<li>Warren 12.3</li>
<li>Buttigieg 10.3</li>
<li>Klobuchar 6.6</li>
<li>Steyer 2.3</li>
<li>Gabbard 1.7</li>
</ul>
<div>
A new <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-surges-into-national-lead-in-new-post-abc-poll/2020/02/19/868266a4-5280-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html">Washington Post-ABC poll</a> gives Sanders an even more impressive lead, his support improving by nine points since January, his close-second in Iowa and first place finish in New Hampshire clearly having a significant impact on Democrats&#8217; views of his national viability. The opposite is true of Biden.
According to the Post&#8217;s survey, Sanders now has 32 percent of the Democratic vote, while Biden, who enjoyed the same percentage of the vote back in January, has plummeted to just 16 percent support. Biden, the Post writes, &#8220;faces significant hurdles as he attempts to mount a comeback, with his hopes pinned on success in Nevada and especially South Carolina, where he had long been the favorite of African American voters who make up a hefty majority of the Democratic electorate there.&#8221;
Bloomberg, despite not participating in the first two primary contests, is on the verge of overtaking Biden, earning 14 percent of Democratic support, up six points since January. The combination of the collapse of relative centrist Biden and Bloomberg&#8217;s expensive ad blitz appears to be fueling the former Republican mayor&#8217;s rise.
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Warren, meanwhile, is mired in the low teens (12 percent in the Post&#8217;s poll), where she&#8217;s been for a few months. Buttigieg is similarly stuck at disappointingly low support (8 percent) despite his surprise primary performances in the early states.
Nevada
Heading into the Nevada caucuses this Saturday (Feb. 22), Sanders remains the prohibitive favorite. <a href="http://filesforprogress.org/datasets/2020/2/nv/nv_2_17_2020.pdf">Data for Progress</a>&#8216;s latest survey gives Sanders a 19-point lead over the field (Sanders 35, Warren 16, Buttigieg 15, Biden 14, Steyer 10, Klobuchar 9, Gabbard 2), while <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/sanders-holds-lead-heading-into-nevadas-democratic-caucuses-poll-finds-1957583/">Las Vegas Review-Journal</a> gives Sanders a 7-point advantage (Sanders 25, Biden 18, Warren 13,  Steyer 11, Buttigieg 10, Klobuchar 10). <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/nv/nevada_democratic_presidential_caucus-6866.html#polls">RCP</a> currently gives the following averages from the most recent Nevada polls:
<ul>
<li>Sanders 30</li>
<li>Biden 16</li>
<li>Warren 14.5</li>
<li>Buttigieg 12.5</li>
<li>Steyer 10.5</li>
<li>Klobuchar 9. 5</li>
</ul>
South Carolina
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Biden is still clinging to his lead in South Carolina, but the situation is getting precarious for the former dominant frontrunner. Even without Bloomberg in the mix in key polls, Biden&#8217;s lead is now merely 4 points by average, Sanders closing the gap over the last few weeks. Below is the averages of the polls as calculated by <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/sc/south_carolina_democratic_presidential_primary-6824.html#polls">RCP</a>:
<ul>
<li>Biden 25.5</li>
<li>Sanders 21.5</li>
<li>Steyer 17</li>
<li>Buttigieg 11.5</li>
<li>Warren 8</li>
<li>Klobuchar 7.5</li>
<li>Gabbard 1</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/483577-biden-sanders-tied-for-first-place-in-south-carolina-poll#.Xk03Bx_F-_A.twitter">Change Research</a>&#8216;s latest polling data from the state gives an even more troubling picture for Biden. According to the survey, conducted late last week, Biden and Sanders are tied at 23 percent support, while Steyer is just 3 points behind.
</div>
</div>

Mike Bloomberg

Democratic Primary Update: Bernie Builds Lead, Biden Collapses, Bloomberg Makes Move

Amy Klobuchar

Elizabeth Warren

Joe Biden

Presidential candidate and billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been funding climate lawyers inside liberal state attorney general offices to push his climate agenda.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bloomberg-network-climate-lawyers-ag">reported</a> that a program funded by Bloomberg pays the salaries of these attorneys to “pursue climate-based litigation.”
“The arrangement, which currently pays the salaries of Special Assistant Attorneys General (SAAGs) in 10 Democratic AG offices, is drawing new scrutiny now that Bloomberg is running for president. The New York University School of Law&#8217;s State Energy &amp; Environmental Impact Center, which was started in 2017 with $5.6 million from Bloomberg&#8217;s nonprofit, hires mid-career lawyers as ‘research fellows’ before providing them to state AGs where they assist in pursuing ‘progressive’ policy goals through the courts,” Fox reported.
A number of Republican attorneys general have raised concerns about Bloomberg’s funding of government lawyers, especially since he began his 2020 presidential campaign.
&#8220;This is a fundamental question of ethics and who&#8217;s running our government,&#8221; West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey told Fox. &#8220;When you actually get to place someone in under a specific agenda and then pay them and they’re within the office, that starts to call into question whether there are multiple masters within an attorney general office and that starts to really stink.”
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill told the outlet: “What’s problematic is the arrangement through which a private organization or individual can promote an overtly political agenda by paying the salaries of government employees.&#8221;
Fox reported that a website for the program claims to have climate lawyers placed in AG offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.
“The NYU center was first announced in an August 2017 press release, noting that it was boosted with funding from &#8220;Bloomberg Philanthropies,&#8221; the informal name for Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc. According to the foundation&#8217;s 2017 IRS 990 form, the $5.6 million came in the form of one $2.8 million payment in 2017 and another to follow in 2018. The Bloomberg Family Foundation&#8217;s 990 forms are not available for 2018 or 2019, so it is unclear whether Bloomberg continued to fund the State Impact Center last year or if he has yet in 2020,” Fox reported.
David Hayes, who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations, sent an email in 2017 to state attorneys general about the program, writing “The opportunity to potentially hire an NYU Fellow is open to all state attorneys general who demonstrate a need and commitment to defending environmental values and advancing progressive clean energy, climate change, and environmental legal positions.&#8221;
&#8220;State attorneys general should describe the particular scope of needs within their offices related to the advancement and defense of progressive clean energy, climate change, and environmental matters,&#8221; the email continued.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The email and other documents were provided to Fox by conservative nonprofit Energy Policy Advocates.
Fox reported that publicly and privately, those working for the State Impact Center, which claims to be “nonpartisan,” are openly hostile toward President Donald Trump and his administration. The “website celebrates the fact state AGs have taken at least 300 legal actions against President Trump&#8217;s administration since his inauguration,” Fox reported.

Bloomberg Has Been Funding Climate Lawyers Inside Liberal State AG Offices

Climate Change

On Tuesday, meeting with the Los Angeles Olympic committees to discuss the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, President Trump bluntly warned the city’s leaders that their ineptitude regarding the homeless situation won’t be tolerated, asserting that if Los Angeles doesn’t “clean it up fast,” the Trump administration would.
As <a href="https://apnews.com/85ac88f755a9d6b2bb98b54b3db7b5b6">The Associated Press</a> reported, Trump said, “If they can’t do it themselves, we’re going to do it. The federal government is going to take it over, we’re going to do it.“
As he signed an agreement guaranteeing the federal government would support the first Olympics in the U.S. since the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Trump said, “This is a big deal. We’re going to give them tremendous support. You need the support of the federal government to make it really work.”
Trump implicitly slammed the Obama administration for its lack of support for the Olympics, saying, “The Olympic committee, really wanted the government; they just wanted some support and they were not getting it at all from the past administration. We’re going to give them tremendous support. You need the support of the federal government to make it really work.”
In December, California governor Gavin Newsom blamed the state’s ferocious homeless problem on President Trump and the Trump administration. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-governor-gavin-newsom-blames-homelessness-on-president-trump">The Daily Wire</a> reported:
<blockquote>Newsom claimed that Trump is deliberately withholding &#8220;key information&#8221; that California needs in order to properly address the homelessness problem, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Trump-administration-holding-up-California-14882297.php">according to the San Francisco Chronicle</a>. “California is making historic investments now to help our communities fight homelessness,” Newsom said. “But we have work to do and we need the federal government to do its part.”</blockquote>
The Daily Wire added:
<blockquote>The &#8220;very important material&#8221; California is waiting on from the federal government is nothing more than an official Housing and Urban Development count of precisely how many homeless people live in the state of California. Newsom claims that, without those numbers, he can&#8217;t release more than $500 million earmarked to abate the systemic problem. California conducted those counts months ago, however, and merely sent the results to the government to certify</blockquote>
Shortly after that, Trump fired back, tweeting, “Governor Gavin [Newsom] has done a really bad job on taking care of the homeless population in California. If he can’t fix the problem, the Federal Govt. will get involved!” The next day, he added, &#8220;California and New York must do something about their TREMENDOUS Homeless problems. They are setting records! If their Governors can’t handle the situation, which they should be able to do very easily, they must call and &#8216;politely&#8217; ask for help. Would be so easy with competence!&#8221;
In January, Newsom <a href="https://grabien.com/story.php?id=269269">admitted,</a> “Let’s just be candid; the state of California has been nowhere to be found on the damn issue of homelessness.” Newsom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ca-gov-newsom-admits-dems-have-been-nowhere-to-be-found-solving-homelessness">seemingly admitted</a> that Democrats, who have controlled the state for years, were responsible for the problem as he continued, “We haven’t been focused on this issue; there’s a reason things are the way they are. It’s because we haven’t addressed them. It’s happened on our watch over the last decade; in particular, it’s really gotten bad over the last decade. And we were just slow to respond.”

President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s Air Force One Arrival In Los Angeles, California

Trump Warns LA On Homeless Crisis: Clean It Up Or ‘We’re Going To Do It’

Homelessness

Los Angeles

On Tuesday, NBA All-Star LeBron James weighed in on the major league baseball cheating scandal involving the Houston Astros, who have been accused of stealing the 2017 World Series title because they used electronic communications to steal signs. James lectured MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for not doing more to address the situation, prompting sports commentator Clay Travis to remind James that James had no moral high ground to stand on after he had defended the brutally repressive government of Communist China when Houston Rockets&#8217; General Manager Daryl Morey stood up for Hong Kong&#8217;s democracy against Communist China.
James tweeted:
<blockquote>Listen I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do! Listen here baseball commissioner listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this. Literally the ball is in your court (or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Listen I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do! Listen here baseball commissioner listen to your&#8230;..
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1229894652234321920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this. Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court(or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustMyThoughtsComingFromASportsJunkieRegardlessMyOwnSportIPlay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JustMyThoughtsComingFromASportsJunkieRegardlessMyOwnSportIPlay</a>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1229895410426118144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Travis blasted:
<blockquote>LeBron, as someone who is in sports what do you think about a league, players and coaches that refuse to endorse democracy and the first amendment because it’s bad for business, yet constantly lecture us about politics here in America. Thanks, bud.
I find it wildly hypocritical how LeBron is outspoken on sports issues that don’t impact his bottom line at all. Yet totally silent when his bottom line is threatened in any way. Says nothing on China. Weighs in to try and make the NFL and MLB look bad when he can.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LeBron, as someone who is in sports what do you think about a league, players and coaches that refuse to endorse democracy and the first amendment because it’s bad for business, yet constantly lecture us about politics here in America. Thanks, bud. <a href="https://t.co/CemDzXEFQB">https://t.co/CemDzXEFQB</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1229906244611256320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I find it wildly hypocritical how LeBron is outspoken on sports issues that don’t impact his bottom line at all. Yet totally silent when his bottom line is threatened in any way. Says nothing on China. Weighs in to try and make the NFL and MLB look bad when he can.
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1229908011151437825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Morey had tweeted, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” The Chinese consulate in Houston <a href="http://houston.china-consulate.org/eng/sgxw/t1705494.htm">snapped,</a> “We are deeply shocked by the erroneous comments on Hong Kong made by Mr. Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets. We have lodged representations and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Houston Rockets, and urged the latter to correct the error and take immediate concrete measures to eliminate the adverse impact.”
Though Morey deleted the tweet after the blowback, the Chinese Basketball Association said they would <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/10/6/20901828/daryl-morey-hong-kong-china-houston-rockets-tweet-controversy">sever ties</a> with the Rockets.
NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass stated:
<blockquote>We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable. While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them. We have great respect for the history and culture of China and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together.</blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-bows-to-communist-china-pro-hong-kong-advocates-not-educated-negative-things-come-with-free-speech">The Daily Wire</a> reported, James echoed the NBA, saying:
<blockquote>We all talk about this freedom of speech, yes, we all do have freedom of speech but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others and you&#8217;re only thinking about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a &#8230; feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke. So many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So, just be careful what we tweet and say and what we do even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech there can be a lot of negatives that comes with that too.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hong-kong-protestors-lebron-james-he-supports-totalitarianism-1247621">The Hollywood Reporter</a> noted the backlash to James’ statements from the protestors in Hong Kong who were putting their lives on the line for democracy:
<blockquote>The online platform LIHKG, the forum favored by Hong Kong&#8217;s protestors, was awash with criticism and handwringing Tuesday. &#8220;Has he been brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s fake news or has he been bought?&#8221; wrote one user. &#8220;I really cannot believe that someone from the U.S. would not cherish the precious freedom of speech they have,&#8221; added another.</blockquote>
James’ <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/952902403422150657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E952902403422150657&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fnews%2Fhong-kong-protestors-lebron-james-he-supports-totalitarianism-">tweet</a> from Martin Luther King Day in 2018 honoring King was mocked by another LIHKG user, who wrote, &#8220;Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights, but LeBron James supports totalitarianism?&#8221;

Los Angeles Lakers v Denver Nuggets

LeBron James Lectures MLB Commissioner About Ethics. Clay Travis Blasts Back On James, The NBA, And China

Clay Travis

LeBron James

The FBI not only gave ex-British Intelligence officer Christopher Steele classified information, they paid him to show up to accept the information, according to the Inspector General report released late last year.
The information about Steele received little media attention, but Eric Felten at RealClearInvestigations (my former employer) has now brought that information into the light. Remember, Steele is the one who compiled the infamous Steele Dossier filled with salacious information about President Donald Trump. He was paid by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee.
“The report by Inspector General Michael Horowitz details how a team of FBI agents in early October 2016 shared with Steele extensive classified materials, just weeks before the bureau cut off ties with him for leaking his own research to the media. The secrets included foreign intelligence information still considered so sensitive that the IG’s report refers to it even now only as coming from a &#8216;Friendly Foreign Government.&#8217; In fact, this is a reference to Australia. That country’s ambassador to Britain sent the United States a tip about loose talk by junior Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The FBI has <a href="http://archive.is/xbIUi">described that as the predicate</a> for its Trump-Russia investigation,” Felten wrote.
Further, the FBI, according to the IG report, promised Steele $15,000 to attend the meeting where they provided him the classified information.
“The IG report also discloses that FBI agents knew Steele worked for Glenn Simpson, whose opposition research firm Fusion GPS was paying Steele to dig up dirt on Trump for the Clinton campaign, and that Steele informed the FBI that the ‘candidate’ – Clinton herself – knew about Steele’s work. Steele did not keep to himself the classified material he had learned from the FBI. Shortly after the Rome meeting, Steele briefed Simpson on what the FBI had disclosed to him,” Felten wrote.
Felten reported that the FBI’s disclosures to Steele, a partisan operative and private foreign citizen being paid by a presidential candidate’s campaign, violated laws relating to the handling of classified information.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ig-report-here-are-the-17-specific-inaccuracies-and-omissions-in-the-fbis-fisa-warrants-against-carter-page">reported</a>, Steele’s information consisted of rumors and gossip, yet was used by Democrats and the media to suggest Trump was a puppet of Russia. The IG report on FBI surveillance abuses. Among the 17 errors and omissions included in the four FISA warrant applications against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page were numerous references to Steele. The FBI insisted Steele’s prior work with the bureau had been “corroborated and used in criminal proceedings.” This greatly exaggerated Steele’s past work. In another instance, the FBI included information from one of Steele’s sub-sources whom Steele himself called a “boaster,” an “egoist,” and who “may engage in some embellishment.” The FBI did not include the information that the source was not credible. Further, the FBI lied when it claimed Steele had not provided information to Yahoo News for an article about Trump and Russia, which the FBI then used to “corroborate” the Steele Dossier. In fact, Steele was the source for the Yahoo article, meaning it didn’t corroborate anything and was instead simply circular reporting.
For added measure, the FBI also omitted information about Steele’s poor work performance, including information that he demonstrated “poor judgment,” “pursued people with political risk but no intelligence value,” “didn’t always exercise great judgment,” and it was “not clear what he would have done to validate” his reporting.

Christopher Steele

FBI Reportedly Gave Classified Information To Anti-Trump Spy Christopher Steele

Singer and actress Cher continued her stream of consciousness social media commentary on the presidential race this week, blasting out a series of all caps, emoji-filled thoughts on the viability of the Democratic field, expressing despair at their collective chances to take down Donald Trump, and zeroing in on two particular candidates — &#8220;bloodied&#8221; Joe Biden and &#8220;billionaire&#8221; Mike Bloomberg — for whom and about whom she has emphatic messages. &#8220;Bloodied&#8221; Biden has since responded.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cher-loses-it-when-she-realizes-none-of-the-2020-democratic-candidates-can-beat-trump">The Daily Wire</a> chronicled, Cher took to Twitter over the weekend to publicly lament the electoral chances of the fractured, faltering Democrats ahead of the Nevada caucuses. &#8220;Don’t Think Dems Running 4 PRES.Can Beat Trump,&#8221; she declared in her standard mixture of all-caps and space-free punctuation. 
&#8220;WE NEED DEM WITH STRONGEST CHANCE 2 WIN MAJORITY OF [American flag emoji],&amp; INSPIRE AMERICANS OF ALL COLORS,TO FIGHT TO THE END,AS A FAMILY.WE NEED MAGNETIC,LEADER TO BRING US TOGETHER,WITH IMPECCABLE-BACKGROUND, WHO CAN HIT GROUND RUNNING.we need [prayer emoji].&#8221;
She followed that up by admitting that she does not fully &#8220;trust&#8221; or &#8220;love&#8221; any of the current candidates and that she&#8217;s forcing herself to embrace the &#8220;lesser of two evils&#8221; stance on the election. She then offered some backhanded praise for Biden, who she described as &#8220;a good, honest man&#8221; who could &#8220;be&#8221; a successful president, but can&#8217;t  seem to&#8221;run&#8221; for president successfully.
“Trust &amp; Love In Candidate Is Heaven..BUT WE LIVE HERE [Earth emoji] FOR ME ITS LESSER OF TWO EVILS.I LOVED JOE, BUT JOE HAD MANY STRIKES AGAINST HIM. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE..HES A GOOD, HONEST MAN WHO COULD BE PRES, BUT NOT RUN 4 PRES. He Doesn’t Do Social Media,&amp;He’s Joe Warts &amp; All.&#8221;
After taking a couple days off from her presidential lamentations, Cher returned on Monday with a new, slightly more hopeful message directly for Biden, who she promised not to forsake again. &#8220;Your Head is Bloodied, But Unbowed,&#8221; she wrote in an exhortation to the embattled candidate, who&#8217;s been plummeting in the polls.
&#8220;Good [four-leaf clover emoji] Today &amp;Everyday [Joe Biden],&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;I 4Got 4 Min. What a Good,Wise,Kind Man You Are,But I WONT Turn My Back On You Now That You’re Struggling.Many Times In My Life Ppl Said,&#8217;Shes,Untalented, Too Old For Movies,Music,The Stage.Dont Give Up Joe. &#8216;Your Head is Bloodied [blood emoji],But Unbowed&#8217;.&#8221;
She then went to bat for Biden by taking the bat to &#8220;BILLIONAIRE&#8221; Bloomberg. Her following comments, she predicted, might be &#8220;unpopular&#8221;:
&#8220;This will Most Likely Be Unpopular,but Last Nite I Asked Myself,&#8217;Who, Would I Be,if I denied a Man I Know &amp; Respect 4 a Shiny,New,Tech Savey BILLIONAIRE&#8217;.Joe’s Made Mistakes,like all of Us,but I Believe He Would Be Honest,Smart,&#8217;CIVIL&#8217;PRES.Who Doesn’t Have 2 Learn On The Job.&#8221;
She continued the anti-Bloomberg messaging Tuesday with an impassioned warning about him &#8220;buying America, like Trump&#8221;:
&#8220;[American flag emoji] ,SHOULD WE VOTE 4 SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE RICH [flying money emojis] &amp; WE’RE SCARED[!?] BLOOMBERG’S BUYING AMERICA,LIKE TRUMP DID[!!] WE DONT KNOW BLOOMBERG,JUST LIKE WE DIDNT KNOW TRUMP,MICHAEL MILKEN,BERNIE MADOFF, HARVEY WEINSTEIN.THEY ALL SEEMED NICE, SMART,KIND CARING,HONEST.AAH[pondering emoji] NO.&#8221;
After finding the caps lock button again, Cher offered something of a closing thought on the Bloomberg question: &#8220;Be Careful What You Wish For. Would You give a [passenger jet emoji] Fk For Bloomberg If He Wasn’t a Billionaire. Do You Even Know His Politics,That He Was a Republican Till it Suited Him To To Become Democrat.When He Was Mayor,He Changed Laws 4 His Benefit.Dont Be Blinded by SHINY,NEW [flying money emoji] OBJECT.&#8221;
On Tuesday, Biden responded to Cher&#8217;s &#8220;kind words&#8221; by thanking her. &#8220;[Cher]— thanks for the kind words,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1229584698843836417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1229584698843836417&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotair.com%2Farchives%2Fkaren-townsend%2F2020%2F02%2F18%2Fcher-endorses-biden-twitter-dont-give-joe%2F">tweeted</a> in response to a Vanity Fair article on Cher endorsing him (h/t <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/karen-townsend/2020/02/18/cher-endorses-biden-twitter-dont-give-joe/">Karen Townsend</a>). &#8220;I’m in Vegas this week. Let me know if you need an opener!&#8221;
Cher&#8217;s colorful Biden-cajoling, Bloomberg-condemning tweets and Biden&#8217;s response below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Don’t Think Dems Running 4 PRES.Can Beat Trump.WE NEED DEM WITH STRONGEST CHANCE 2 WIN MAJORITY OF🇺🇸,&amp; INSPIRE AMERICANS OF ALL COLORS,TO FIGHT TO THE END,AS A FAMILY.WE NEED MAGNETIC,LEADER TO BRING US TOGETHER,WITH IMPECCABLE-BACKGROUND, WHO CAN HIT GROUND RUNNING.we need🙏🏻
&mdash; Cher (@cher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1228560288816881666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trust &amp; Love In Candidate Is Heaven..BUT WE LIVE HERE🌎. FOR ME ITS LESSER OF TWO EVILS.I LOVED JOE, BUT JOE HAD MANY STRIKES AGAINST HIM. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE..HES A GOOD, HONEST MAN WHO COULD BE PRES, BUT NOT RUN 4 PRES. He Doesn’t Do Social Media,&amp; He’s Joe Warts &amp; All.
&mdash; Cher (@cher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1228779549011279873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Good🍀Today &amp;Everyday <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> .I 4Got 4 Min. What a Good,Wise,Kind Man You Are,But I WONT Turn My Back On You Now That You’re Struggling.Many Times In My Life Ppl Said,”Shes,Untalented, Too Old For Movies,Music,The Stage.Dont Give Up Joe. “Your Head is Bloodied🩸,But Unbowed”
&mdash; Cher (@cher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1229480041672626176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-xoduu5 r-1mlwlqe r-1d2f490 r-1udh08x r-u8s1d r-h9hxbl r-417010" aria-label="🙏🏻"></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🇺🇸,SHOULD WE VOTE 4 SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE RICH💸💸&amp; WE’RE SCARED⁉️BLOOMBERG’S BUYING AMERICA,LIKE TRUMP DID‼️WE DONT KNOW BLOOMBERG,JUST LIKE WE DIDNT KNOW TRUMP,MICHAEL MILKEN,BERNIE MADOFF, HARVEY WEINSTEIN.THEY ALL SEEMED NICE, SMART,KIND CARING,HONEST.AAH🤔NO
&mdash; Cher (@cher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1229873519292321792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Be Careful What You Wish For. Would You give a ✈️ Fk For Bloomberg If He Wasn’t a Billionaire. Do You Even Know His Politics,That He Was a Republican Till it Suited Him To To Become Democrat.When He Was Mayor,He Changed Laws 4 His Benefit.Dont Be Blinded by SHINY,NEW 💸OBJECT
&mdash; Cher (@cher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1229878315508367360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/cher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cher</a> — thanks for the kind words. I’m in Vegas this week. Let me know if you need an opener! <a href="https://t.co/zKKoyC10nU">https://t.co/zKKoyC10nU</a>
&mdash; Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1229584698843836417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cher

After Declaring No Dems Can Beat Trump, Cher Has Message For ‘Bloodied’ Biden, Bloomberg; Biden Thanks Her

If running for president of the United States were indeed a game of &#8220;Jeopardy,&#8221; then the Mexican president&#8217;s name would be filed under &#8220;World Leaders For $100.&#8221; According to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), though, knowing the name of the leader for a neighboring country is a task too far for a presidential candidate.
Speaking at a CNN Town Hall in Nevada on Tuesday, Klobuchar addressed the big gaffe she made during an interview on Telemundo in which she admitted to not knowing who Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador actually was. According to Klobuchar, she was too tired after a day of hard work while dismissing her critics as being trivia-obsessed. Take a look:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amy Klobuchar reacts to Pete Buttigieg knocking her for not recalling the Mexican president&#39;s name: &quot;When that happened, for what it&#39;s worth, I had been in the Senate all day. … I would say to the mayor, this isn&#39;t like a game of &#39;Jeopardy!&#39;&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cnntownhall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cnntownhall</a> <a href="https://t.co/S9S8IYLXb7">https://t.co/S9S8IYLXb7</a> <a href="https://t.co/q1VrxptfPv">pic.twitter.com/q1VrxptfPv</a>
&mdash; CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1229977777480327169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You were asked to give the name of the president of Mexico, you couldn&#8217;t at the time, mayor Buttigieg did know the name, and he says it helps his argument that Washington experience is not necessary to be president. Does it?&#8221; CNN host Anderson Cooper asked Klobuchar.
Klobuchar, appearing flummoxed, stuttered for a moment as she attempted to explain herself. Most impressively, she even managed to lay some of her gaffe&#8217;s blame at the feet of President Trump, because she was apparently too tired after being in the &#8220;Senate all day&#8221; voting on a resolution to rein in his power.
&#8220;Well, first of all I would like to give my greetings to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico,&#8221; Klobuchar began. &#8220;When that happened, for what it&#8217;s worth, I had been in the Senate all day, we had six votes, including a resolution to be a check on the president so that he does not go to war with Iran. I got on a plane and got there, I think, at midnight my time, and had a fast interview, and then did two forums after that, ending at about two or three in the morning.&#8221;
In response to Mayor Buttigieg&#8217;s dig, Klobuchar suggested he stop acting like the election is a &#8220;game of &#8216;Jeopardy.'&#8221;
&#8220;I would say to the mayor, this isn&#8217;t like a game of &#8216;Jeopardy,'&#8221; she said. &#8220;I have been in the Senate, I have passed over 100 bills. As a lead Democrat, I think that matters, and most importantly, I have been able to win in rural and suburban districts. I have been able to win with independent Republicans.&#8221;
Below is a brief transcript of the awkward exchange between Klobuchar and Telemundo’s Guadalupe Venegas:
<blockquote>VENEGAS: Do you, I’m sorry to ask this, but do you know who he is? Do you know his name?
KLOBUCHAR: Yeah, yeah- I know that he is the Mexican president.
VENEGAS: But can you tell me his name?
KLOBUCHAR: No.
VENEGAS: Don’t you think it would be important if you’re running for president to know who the president of Mexico, the country to the south of the United States is?
KLOBUCHAR: Yes.
VENEGAS: Because it affects so many Americans. Mexican Americans are the largest Hispanic — the largest number of Hispanics in the US are Mexican-Americans.
KLOBUCHAR: Of course it is, yes.</blockquote>
The senator from Minnesota has been playing hard damage control over the past two days to minimize the gaffe, which occurred just she as was experiencing a surge in support.

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