On November 8, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a fervent supporter of abortion, signed Senate Bill 660, a bill which unconstitutionally insists that pro-life organizations are not allowed to discriminate against pro-abortion applicants in their hiring. Additionally, the bill would make it impossible for the pro-life organization to fire an employee who chooses to have an abortion.
The <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s660">bill states</a>:
<blockquote>An employer shall not: (a) discriminate nor take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of or on the basis of the employee&#8217;s or dependent&#8217;s reproductive health decision making, including, but not limited to, a decision to use or access a particular drug, device or medical service; or (b) require an employee to sign a waiver or other document which purports to deny an employee the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, including use of a particular drug, device, or medical service.</blockquote>
Late last week, the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is famous for defending the constitutional rights of religious Americans, filed a <a href="http://www.adfmedia.org/files/CompassCareComplaint.pdf">lawsuit</a>  in federal court. They represented CompassCare, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, which is comprised of pro-life pregnancy centers, and First Bible Baptist Church against Cuomo, Roberta Reardon, who is the Commissioner of the Labor Department of New York, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
ADF writes, “SB 660, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday, requires all employers—including churches, religious schools, faith-based pregnancy care centers, and religious nonprofits—to disavow their beliefs about abortion, contraception, and sexual morality by forcing them to hire and employ those who refuse to abide by the organizations’ statements of faith.”
ADF Legal Counsel Denise Harle stated:
<blockquote>CompassCare offers comprehensive information and free medical care, practical resources, and hope to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Every woman deserves the support she needs to make the healthiest choice for everyone involved in her pregnancy. But New York’s new law forces CompassCare to contradict its own beliefs and to employ staff who endorse abortion—a decision that harms women and ends innocent lives. No one would force PETA to hire employees that hunt on the weekends. CompassCare deserves that same courtesy and equal freedom under law.</blockquote>
ADF Senior Counsel Ken Connelly added, “No government has the right to tell pro-life or religious organizations they must hire someone who doesn’t agree with their core mission. New York is directly demeaning religious pro-life pregnancy centers and other faith-based organizations—like religious schools, Catholic hospitals, and even churches—by ordering them to violate their beliefs in key personnel and leadership decisions. The state is requiring our clients to contradict their convictions and undercut their freedom of association—requirements that are flatly unconstitutional.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom has won a number of historic cases, including Town of Greece v. Galloway, in which the Supreme Court ruled that opening legislative sessions with prayer was constitutional; McCullen v. Oakley, in which “buffer zones” designed to restrict pro-life activists were ruled unconstitutional; Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, in which the Supreme Court struck down the contraceptive mandate of Obamacare as applied to those with religious objections, and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-know-about-masterpiece-ben-shapiro">ruled</a> that a religious Christian baker could not be forced to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, albeit only if the commissioners in charge of making such a decision were nasty to the Christian baker.

Columbus Day Parade : NYC

Abortion Champion NY Gov Cuomo Signs Bill Telling Pro-Lifers Whom They Can Hire. ADF Files Lawsuit.

Abortion

Andrew Cuomo

Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio mocked President Trump after he announced he would leave New York and make Florida the state of his permanent residence. Cuomo <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1190059166129426432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1190059166129426432&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fandrew-cuomo-snaps-good-riddance-at-trump-leaving-ny-don-jr-levels-">tweeted,</a>&#8221; Good riddance. It’s not like <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; He’s all yours, Florida.” De Blasio <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1190118081181487104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1190118081181487104&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2019%2F11%2Fhateful-idiots-nyc-mayor-de-blasio-and-ny-governor-cuomo-">echoed</a>, “Our deepest condolences to the good people of Florida as Trump attempts to outrun his past (and near future).”
What Cuomo and de Blasio ignore are these salient facts: more people reportedly leave New York City daily than any other city in the nation, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, between July 2017 and July 2018, New York state lost 48,560 people, the biggest plunge in the U.S. The <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/01/19/why-more-people-are-leaving-new-york-than-any-other-state/">New York Post</a> added, “In 2017, roughly 131 people left the metropolitan area each day, compared with 43 in 2014.”
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-29/new-york-city-metro-area-exodus-soars-to-277-people-every-day">Bloomberg News</a> wrote in August that according to 2018 Census data, “Scores of people are leaving the New York City area behind every day. New York leads all U.S. metro areas as the largest net loser with 277 people moving every day — more than double the exodus of 132 just one year ago.” Bloomberg added, “Seven cities had on average more than 100 new arrivals every day. Dallas, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Austin.”
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/09/05/new-yorkers-are-leaving-the-city-in-droves-heres-why-theyre-moving-and-where-theyre-going/#455da51a41ac">Forbes</a> noted in September 2019:
<blockquote>The costly living expenses, crumbling infrastructure and high tax rates are a big problem for residents. If you live in NYC, you are forced to pay exorbitant taxes. The schools, bridges, tunnels, trains, airports and hospitals are falling apart. Casually walk the streets of NYC and you’ll notice that they are crowded and dirty … The politicians don&#8217;t seem to care. Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, was out of the state—busy with his Don Quixote quest for the presidency of the United States—while New York suffered a major blackout.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/3-reasons-so-many-people-are-getting-the-hell-out-of-the-northeast-2018-10-20">Marketwatch</a> reported in January 2019, “<a href="https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/survey-reveals-americans-biggest-money-fears-2017/">Data released by personal finance site GoBankingRates.com</a> reveals that the No. 1 financial fear of people who live in the Northeast is that they will live in debt forever; the Northeast is the only region of the country ranking this factor as No. 1.”
As Kristin Tate wrote in <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/442210-moving-from-new-york-to-florida-saves-much-more-than-just-taxes">The Hill </a>in May 2019 of a fictional character considering whether to move to Florida from New York, his “$100,000 salary would go much further outside the Empire State. After inflation and relative costs, that amount would be equivalent to only $87,000. In Florida, the same $100,000 is worth roughly $101,000. Tally up the totals and it is easy to understand why so many people flee New York for Florida, especially as they enter peak earning years and think about retirement.”
Trump wrote on Twitter, “I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned.”

Erin Scott/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

NY Dems Mock Trump For Leaving. Data Shows Trump Is Far From Alone.

Bill de Blasio

Donald Trump

Florida

New York

President Donald Trump slammed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – both Democrats – on Friday after they lashed out at him for his decision to leave New York and make Florida his permanent residence after his time in the White House is done.
&#8220;I love New York, but New York can never be great again under the current leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo (the brother of Fredo), or Mayor Bill DeBlasio,&#8221; Trump tweeted. &#8220;Cuomo has weaponized the prosecutors to do his dirty work (and to keep him out of jams), a reason some don’t want to be in New York, and another reason they are leaving. Taxes and energy costs are way too high, Upstate is being allowed to die as other nearby states frack &amp; drill for Gold (oil) while reducing taxes &amp; creating jobs by the thousands.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;.in New York, and another reason they are leaving. Taxes and energy costs are way too high, Upstate is being allowed to die as other nearby states frack &amp; drill for Gold (oil) while reducing taxes &amp; creating jobs by the thousands. NYC is getting dirty &amp; unsafe again, as&#8230;.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190375830247104513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
&#8220;NYC is getting dirty &amp; unsafe again, as our great police are being disrespected, even with water dumped on them, because a Mayor and Governor just don’t ‘have their backs.’ New York’s Finest must be cherished, respected and loved,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Too many prople are leaving our special New York. Great leaders would work with a President and Federal Government that wants our wonerful City and State to flourish and thrive. I Love New York!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;..with a President and Federal Government that wants our wonerful City and State to flourish and thrive. I Love New York!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190375834529468423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
The president&#8217;s remarks came after Cuomo and de Blasio <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-leaves-new-york-for-florida-de-blasio-and-cuomo-mock">attacked</a> him for moving out of the state.
&#8220;Don’t let the door hit you on the way out or whatever,&#8221; de Blasio tweeted. &#8220;Our deepest condolences to the good people of Florida as Trump attempts to outrun his past (and near future).&#8221;
&#8220;Good riddance,&#8221; Cuomo tweeted. &#8220;It’s not like <a class="PrettyLink profile customisable h-card" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" data-mentioned-user-id="25073877" data-scribe="element:mention">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; He’s all yours, Florida.&#8221;
CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/01/why-president-trumps-move-from-new-york-to-florida-could-hit-a-wall.html">noted</a> the tax benefits that come with living in Florida versus living in New York:
<blockquote>The warm weather isn’t the only reason why someone would want to leave New York for the Sunshine State.
Florida doesn’t tax personal income, and it has no estate or inheritance tax.
In New York, the top state income tax rate is 8.82%. Residents of New York City also face top rate of 3.8% on income.</blockquote>
The remarks from the New York Democrats came after Trump tweeted on Thursday: &#8220;1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence. I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8230;.New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make&#8230;.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079192358105088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
Trump added, &#8220;I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
&#8230;.this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079193582899200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>

Trump

Trump Punches Back At ‘The Brother Of Fredo’ And De Blasio Over Leaving New York

On Thursday, President Trump announced he was leaving New York and would make Florida his permanent residence. He tweeted:
<blockquote>1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence. I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make.this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence. I cherish New York, and the people of&#8230;..
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079191355670529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</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">
&#8230;.New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make&#8230;.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079192358105088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</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">
&#8230;.this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1190079193582899200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The New York Times, in their own inimitable way, announced Trump’s plans, writing, “President Trump doesn&#8217;t want to be a New Yorker anymore. He filed residency paperwork for Florida, a favorite of the wealthy for tax reasons.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump doesn&#39;t want to be a New Yorker anymore. He filed residency paperwork for Florida, a favorite of the wealthy for tax reasons.<a href="https://t.co/NSz8FVxFre">https://t.co/NSz8FVxFre</a>
&mdash; The New York Times (@nytimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1190053604037668864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That prompted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to issue a biting tweet, snapping, “Good riddance. It’s not like <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; He’s all yours, Florida.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Good riddance.
It’s not like <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> paid taxes here anyway&#8230; 
He’s all yours, Florida. <a href="https://t.co/9AX0q1aBkQ">https://t.co/9AX0q1aBkQ</a>
&mdash; Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1190059166129426432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Unfortunately for Cuomo, a member of Trump’s family happened to notice his dismissal of Trump. Donald Trump Jr. fired back with a tweet that sledgehammered Cuomo, writing, “Nice soundbite. Now do the tens of thousands of other successful New Yorkers and businesses fleeing your idiotic policies every week. I’ll wait. Also I don’t remember this sentiment ever stopping you from coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s office begging for $. I was there. GOOD TIMES.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Nice soundbite. Now do the tens of thousands of other successful New Yorkers and businesses fleeing your idiotic policies every week. I’ll wait.
Also I don’t remember this sentiment ever stopping you from coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s office begging for $. I was there. GOOD TIMES <a href="https://t.co/jDbK3k9daY">https://t.co/jDbK3k9daY</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1190250969747116032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham fired back at Cuomo as well, asserting on Fox News, “We&#8217;re not going to waste our time with a governor who would say something like that. That was petty and that was silly. I’ll leave it at that,” as <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/01/trump-jr-andrew-cuomo-good-riddance-063782">Politico</a> reported.
Cuomo also went on MSNBC to slam the president, snapping, “The fight will continue, and I think it is a desperate legal move where he&#8217;s now going to argue, ‘Well, the state should have no right to my taxes because I moved out; I&#8217;m a Florida resident.’ That&#8217;s besides the point. When you filed your taxes, you were a New York resident. If you defrauded the state, you defrauded it when you are a New York state resident.”
In July 2018, Cuomo was asked about the $64,000 Trump had donated to him in the past for his campaign. Cuomo responded, “I’m going to be deeply critical of him and keep the contributions,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook/2018/07/06/cuomo-holds-onto-his-trump-donations-lead-in-housing-is-a-statewide-problemnew-condos-rise-in-flood-zones-trump-loses-a-nyc-tax-break-283739">Politico</a> noted.
When apprised of the fact that Cuomo&#8217;s 2018 opponent in the Democratic primary, Cynthia Nixon, had <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ads/experience/confirmation/?experience_id=198901694146514">launched attacks</a> against Cuomo for taking the money from Trump,  Cuomo spokeswoman Abbey Fashouer wailed, “No governor has fought harder against Donald Trump than Gov. Cuomo. In fact, Trump considered running against the governor in 2014. Gov. Cuomo is 100 percent focused on continuing to lead the fight against the Trump Administration and win the U.S. House and State Senate so we can keep families together, protect New Yorkers from Trump’s disastrous tax plan, safeguard our state’s environment and defend New Yorkers’ civil rights — and no press release is going to change that.”
H/T <a href="https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2019/11/01/ouch-donald-trump-jr-fires-back-at-andrew-cuomo-with-a-flashback-reality-check-after-gov-bids-florida-bound-family-good-riddance/">Twitchy</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Donald Trump Holds MAGA Rally In Grand Rapids, Michigan

Andrew Cuomo Snaps ‘Good Riddance’ At Trump Leaving NY. Don Jr. Levels Him.

Donald Trump Jr.

In the wake of two deadly mass shootings, gun-control advocate and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked Democrat presidential candidates to pledge that they would accept his state’s strict gun laws.
“I’m asking all Democrats, Democrats who want to run for president and coming to the State of New York: just make it a simple, clear choice for the American people — the ‘Make America Safer Pledge,’” Cuomo said in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday. “Four elements: an assault weapon ban and high capacity magazines, universal background check, mental health database, Red Flag laws. Those four elements of gun control will change this nation.”
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Democrats should come together with one clear message on gun safety.
The federal gov&#8217;t must:
1) Outlaw assault weapons and high-capacity magazines 
2) Create a mental health database 
3) Pass universal background checks 
4) Pass a Red Flag Law <a href="https://t.co/0odxSpeDQT">pic.twitter.com/0odxSpeDQT</a>
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1159174172452499458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Cuomo also appeared on local radio and news stations to discuss his pledge. In <a href="http://www.wxxinews.org/post/connections-governor-andrew-cuomo-updates-redi-commission">an interview</a> with WXXI public radio in Rochester, Cuomo slightly expanded on his proposal for a mental health database by saying it would prevent some people with mental health issues from obtaining firearms.
Cuomo’s proposals are already the law in New York. The assault-weapon ban, the mental health database, and universal background checks have been the law in The Empire State for six years, <a href="https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/39296/20190808/cuomo-wants-presidential-candidates-to-endorse-ny-s-gun-control-laws">according to North Country Public Radio</a>. Cuomo’s fourth proposal, the Red Flag law, was made law in the state earlier this year. The laws, according to National Review’s David French when he was endorsing them, “permit a spouse, parent, sibling, or person living with a troubled individual to petition a court for an order enabling law enforcement to temporarily take that individual’s guns right away.&#8221;
The Daily Wire’s resident legal scholar, Josh Hammer, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50404/hammer-conservatives-should-be-very-skeptical-red-josh-hammer">suggested</a> on Thursday that conservatives should be “very, very skeptical” (emphasis original) of “red flag” laws because they turn due process on its head.
“The Framers would have been positively aghast at the notion that a next-door neighbor or workplace supervisor could successfully petition a court to deprive an individual of his Second Amendment rights — let alone in ex parte, secretive fashion — for <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/06/red-flag-laws-not-good-solution-mass-shootings/">up to two weeks</a> before a gun owner may attempt to defend himself,” Hammer wrote. “To many, that may seem awfully reminiscent of the old English Star Chamber. And even more horrifyingly Orwellian is the on-the-ground reality that people have <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/11/06/maryland-police-officer-shoots-kills-man-being-served-with-gun-grab-order-under-new-red-flag-law">already died at the hands of law enforcement</a> after they have been unwilling to turn in their GVRO-stripped firearms.”
Similar due process issues would exist for a mental health database. It’s reminiscent of another secretive government database — the “no fly” list — which <a href="https://observer.com/2015/12/democrats-want-to-take-rights-away-from-muslims/">removes due process</a> from those who are on it (who are mostly Muslims). A mental health database would act in a similar way and prevent people from exercising their Second Amendment rights without the ability to defend themselves once they have been diagnosed. If one thinks only the most extreme cases where mental health professionals have determined a person is a danger to themselves or others would be banned from purchasing firearms, consider the possibility that professionals are also human, make mistakes, and may deem someone a danger out of fear they may someday be wrong.

New York Governor Cuomo Joined By Al Gore Announces State Investment In Offshore Wind Power

NY Governor Suggests Creating A Database Of People With Mental Illness

Gun Control

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ripped the NYPD and New York mayor Bill de Blasio, calling New York City police officers who simply walked away after being doused with water “impotent.”
Speaking on <a href="https://www.wamc.org/programs/roundtable">WAMC</a> radio, Cuomo snapped:
<blockquote>There was an incident in New York City where police officers were doused with water and the police officers walked away and got back in the car. That is wholly unacceptable. Walking away was one of the most disturbing and embarrassing actions I&#8217;ve seen, I don&#8217;t blame those officers, I believe they were relatively new.”</blockquote>
Cuomo then took a shot at de Blasio, asserting, “I look to the training and the policies of the police department that would’ve instructed them to act that way. The training has to be you don’t turn around and get back in the car and drive away. You literally make law enforcement ineffective and impotent and that hurts everyone. You’re assaulted; you take the perpetrator into custody; that’s what you do.”
Cuomo boasted of New York State Police, “If that ever happened to the New York State Police, I would bet you my bottom dollar that you would not see State Police officers assaulted and they turn around and get back in the car,” <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7324459/Governor-Cuomo-slams-impotent-NYPD-cops-embarrassing-reaction-getting-doused-water.html">The Daily Mail</a> reported.
Cuomo added, “If a police officer is being assaulted, the police officer has to do something. If the police officer is not willing to defend himself or herself, how are they going to defend me?” Speaking of de Blasio, he said, “I think both situations require his intervention and action.”
As <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/08/05/disturbing-and-embarrassing-cuomo-slams-nypd-cops-over-response-to-water-dousing/">The New York Post</a> reported, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, who has long been at odds with de Blasio, echoed, “Gov. Cuomo is right: the NYPD is frozen, but don’t blame the cops. Instead, blame the complete lack of leadership from City Hall,” adding that officers with the NYPD “have nothing even remotely close to that kind of support from our city’s elected leaders. Troopers may be patrolling city streets in increasing numbers, but they do not have to deal with a mayor who demonizes them for his own political gain, a City Council that imposes new burdens and second-guessing at every turn, or NYPD bosses who look to protect their own careers at the expense of the men and women they lead. It also doesn’t hurt that state troopers are paid about 30 percent more than NYPD cops.”
After the Democratic debate in late June in which de Blasio recalled discussing with his biracial son how to act around NYPD officers so he didn’t become a target, Lynch <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/27/pba-chief-slams-de-blasio-over-anti-police-rhetoric-at-debate/">snapped</a>:
<blockquote>Mayor de Blasio has apparently learned nothing over the past six years about the extremely damaging impact of anti-police rhetoric on both cops and the communities we serve. The hostile and dangerous environment we now face on the street is a direct result of the demonization of cops by de Blasio and other elected officials. By rolling out that rhetoric again on a national stage, it’s clear he wants to take the country down the same path.</blockquote>

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Holds Media Briefing

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Rips NY Cops’ Response After They Were Doused: ‘Impotent’

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo slammed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Wednesday during a press conference over her recent remarks comparing immigrant detention facilities to concentration camps.
&#8220;It&#8217;s wholly inappropriate comparison,&#8221; Cuomo said. &#8220;The Holocaust, you&#8217;re talking about a tragedy of Biblical proportion and one of the greatest scourges in history. Six million Jews died during the Holocaust, there is no comparison to the Holocaust, period.&#8221;
&#8220;To draw an equivalency suggests one does not understand what happened in the Holocaust,&#8221; Cuomo continued.
WATCH:
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Governor Cuomo on AOC&#8217;s concentration camp remarks: &#8220;It&#8217;s wholly inappropriate comparison. &#8230; Six million Jews died during the Holocaust, there is no comparison to the Holocaust, period.&#8221;
&#8220;To draw an equivalency suggests one does not understand what happened in the Holocaust&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/igPyTTwBhA">pic.twitter.com/igPyTTwBhA</a>
&#8212; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1144023215464824832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Cuomo&#8217;s remarks came in response to Ocasio-Cortez engaging in Holocaust trivialization last week, which led liberal Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48765/holocaust-denier-dershowitz-slams-ocasio-cortez-ryan-saavedra">calling</a> her a &#8220;Holocaust denier.&#8221;
&#8220;The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border and that is exactly what they are,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez claimed last Monday. &#8220;They are concentration camps. And, um, if that doesn&#8217;t bother you, I don&#8217;t, I don&#8217;t know, I like, we can have, okay whatever.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez then referenced &#8220;Never Again,&#8221; which is a direct reference to the Holocaust.
&#8220;I want to talk to the people that are concerned enough with humanity to say that we should not that &#8216;Never Again&#8217; means something and that the fact that concentration camps are now an institutionalized practice in the home of the free is extraordinarily disturbing and we need to do something about it,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez continued. &#8220;This week, children, immigrant children were moved to the same internment camps where the Japanese were held in, in the early, in the earlier 20th century and this is, um, this is not even about a crisis for, this is not just about the immigrant communities being held in concentration camps being a crisis.&#8221;

Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to press before joining 55th

New York Governor Cuomo Shreds Ocasio-Cortez Over ‘Concentration Camp’ Remarks

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Erie Country Clerk Michael &#8220;Mickey&#8221; Kearns, a Democrat, and Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican, are in the process of drafting legislation to sue New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after the Democrat signed the highly controversial Green Light bill into law, mandating that county clerks issue driver&#8217;s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Kearns sent a letter to Erie County Attorney Michael Siragusa on Tuesday, the day after Cuomo signed the Green Light bill, asking him for representation in a lawsuit over the new law in federal court, WIVB 4 <a href="https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/erie-county-clerk-maintains-he-won-t-enforce-new-green-light-law/2084066504?fbclid=IwAR3WC2jN0h9Lc6EHFfvBuMI-TkEDd9rKFb5VYjtuEBmXGtyB-wfe2KRYoLg">reported</a>.
&#8220;I will not be granting driver&#8217;s licenses to illegal immigrants,&#8221; Kearns vowed. &#8220;As the duly elected Clerk of the County of Erie, I took an oath whereby I solemnly swore to &#8216;support&#8217; the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of New York, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Erie County Clerk according to the best of my ability.&#8217;&#8221;
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Here is the letter Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns sent to Erie County Attorney Michael Siragusa, asking for legal representation in a lawsuit over the state law that gives undocumented immigrants drivers&#8217; licenses. <a href="https://t.co/u1QmS4mymH">pic.twitter.com/u1QmS4mymH</a>
&#8212; Chris Horvatits (@ChrisHorvatits4) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisHorvatits4/status/1141064144449417217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Dinolfo, bypassing Monroe Country Clerk Adam Bello, announced on Wednesday that she would fight Cuomo&#8217;s Green Light law. &#8220;County Clerks on both sides of the aisle plan to sue to stop drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants. Here at home, Clerk Bello has indicated he won&#8217;t stand up to Governor Cuomo. If he won&#8217;t lead on this issue, I will. I intend to take the state to court,&#8221; the county executive said.
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County Clerks on both sides of the aisle plan to sue to stop drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants. Here at home, Clerk Bello has indicated he won&#8217;t stand up to Governor Cuomo. If he won&#8217;t lead on this issue, I will. I intend to take the state to court. <a href="https://t.co/q0riSj8Fzl">pic.twitter.com/q0riSj8Fzl</a>
&#8212; Cheryl Dinolfo (@CherylDinolfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/CherylDinolfo/status/1141363861179834373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Back in 2007, when I served as County Clerk, I did everything in my power to prevent drivers&#8217; licenses from being issued to illegal immigrants &#8211; including suing Governor Spitzer to stop the policy in its tracks,&#8221; Dinolfo said in a statement, <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/dinolfo-drafting-legislation-to-sue-new-york-over-green-light-law">according</a> to 13WHAM News. &#8220;This year, County Clerks on both sides of the aisle have said they are prepared to do the same. Yet here at home, Clerk (Adam) Bello has indicated he is not willing to stand up to Governor Cuomo.&#8221;
&#8220;Let me be clear: because this policy puts State Law at odds with Federal Law, endangers public safety, and rewards those who have not followed the rule of law in the first place, I will not allow drivers&#8217; licenses to be issued to illegal immigrants here without a fight,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I am preparing to introduce legislation in our County Legislature that would bring a lawsuit against the State to challenge the constitutionality of this policy, just as the Democrat County Clerk in Erie County has said he will do. If Clerk Bello will not lead on this issue, I will.&#8221;
&#8220;The basis of the lawsuit is very clear,&#8221; the county executive <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/dinolfo-drafting-legislation-to-sue-new-york-over-green-light-law">elaborated</a> to 13WHAM News. &#8220;There certainly is a discrepancy between state and federal law on immigration, and certainly unequal protection under the law for those who are here without legal status and who have entered the country illegally, and those who are with full status as full American citizens. There is an issue of fairness at play here. There is also a significant issue of public safety that is at risk and at issue, and we&#8217;ll be addressing those issues in our lawsuit as we go forward.&#8221;
As reported by The Associated Press, clerks in Niagara, Allegany, Rensselaer, and Erie County have said they will not issue driver&#8217;s licenses to illegals.

NY County Clerks Refuse To Issue Driver&#8217;s Licenses To Illegals, Launch Lawsuit Against Cuomo

Illegal Immigration

On Wednesday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show,&#8221; Knowles breaks down CNN&#8217;s petty reaction to the Trump rally crowd chanting, &#8220;CNN sucks!&#8221; Video and partial transcript below:
We all knew this was happening. It&#8217;s no big surprise that he&#8217;s announcing his campaign. The campaign never really ended. He&#8217;s done rallies throughout his presidency. This is true of other presidents too. So, it doesn&#8217;t seem like a huge moment except there was a massive crowd there in Orlando, Florida.
Everyone was super excited. It was visually a very good start to the campaign, and it had one of the most beautiful moments of recent political memory. You&#8217;re watching this on CNN. CNN has to cover it, because this is the news, and within six minutes of the rally starting, you hear a chant begin, spontaneously, from the crowd that says &#8220;CNN sucks! CNN sucks!&#8221; You can hear it and then what do you think CNN does? They&#8217;ve got to cut away.
Wait, CNN! You&#8217;re telling me you interrupted all of your programming so that you could cover six minutes of the rally? I don&#8217;t know about that. Usually, you&#8217;d have to cover, I don&#8217;t know, 20 minutes, 30 minutes of the rally. But they start, almost from the beginning, they start chanting &#8220;CNN sucks.&#8221; Trump turns around and he&#8217;s got a grin on his face from ear to ear. Then within a minute of that happening, CNN cuts away. Also, show me the lie. What the crowd said is just objectively true.
It reminds you why people are really fired up. We&#8217;re fired up about all of these issues. We&#8217;re fired up about immigration we&#8217;re fired up about the economy we&#8217;re fired up about America. Keep loving America, loving the country, keeping the nation, keeping our sovereignty, making America great again. We love all of those things and we really hate being lied to.
It drives us crazy when these guys unzip their flies on CNN and then they tell us &#8220;it&#8217;s raining&#8221;, we hate that. When they tell us not to believe our lying eyes, we hate that. We don&#8217;t like them. They&#8217;re dishonest, they&#8217;re just dishonest people and they don&#8217;t like this country very much and they make that clear day after day and we&#8217;re sick of it. It was a great moment. Then President Trump gets to all the classic points of what this campaign is going to be about.
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Donald Trump: With your help with your love and your devotion and with your drive, we are going to keep on working, we are going to keep on fighting, and we are going to keep on winning, winning, winning. We are one movement, one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God. And together, we will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America safe again. AND WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! THANK YOU, FLORIDA!
Knowles: It&#8217;s great. Obviously, all the classic points are very popular and it&#8217;s exactly the opposite of what the Democrats want to do. Joe Biden says the first thing he&#8217;s going to do is take away the tax cuts. Trump wants to make America wealthy, strong, safe, great. What do Democrats want to do? They want to make it less wealthy, and they want to take wealth away from you.
They want America to be less strong, not to project strength overseas. To reduce our military, and to reduce our military spending. They don&#8217;t care for America to be safe. They want totally open borders and they don&#8217;t want to deport any criminals and they want sanctuary cities for criminals who spit in the face of our laws and they don&#8217;t want America to be great. They don&#8217;t think America was ever great, to begin with. Andrew Cuomo, sitting governor of New York, he said during a speech &#8220;America was never that great, to begin with&#8221;. That&#8217;s what they believe. Trump is doing exactly the opposite.
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-michael-knowles-show/id1266577963?mt=2">Listen to &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on iTunes.</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/michael-knowles-show">Subscribe to watch &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on-demand.</a>

KNOWLES: CNN&#8217;s Petty Reaction To Trump&#8217;s Florida Rally

Conservatism

Michael Knowles

Republican Party

Trump Administration

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a bill into law that will immediately end religious exemptions for vaccine mandates.
Cuomo said he signed the bill in order to protect the public in the midst of one of the worst measles outbreak in decades, which he categorized as a &#8220;public health crisis,&#8221; <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/06/14/new-york-ends-religious-exemptions-for-measles-vaccinations/">reported</a> CBS New York.
The outbreak first sparked in October, the outlet noted, and spread in parts of New York City, particularly among Orthodox Jewish communities.
&#8220;Rockland County declared a countywide State of Emergency relating to the ongoing measles outbreak,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Rockland-County-State-Emergency-Measles-507672921.html?ff">reported</a> NBC in March. &#8220;Effective at the stroke of midnight, Wednesday, anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until this declaration expires in 30 days or until they receive the MMR vaccination.&#8221;
With the passing of the law, parents will be forced to vaccinate their children before they can attend school in the state, and religious exemptions won&#8217;t get them out of it. Parents and teens have <a href="http://objection%20to%20its%20apparent%20ties%20to%20abortion">morally objected</a> to certain vaccines based upon ties to abortion. Now, the only acceptable exemptions from the mandate will be for medical reasons, such as a child&#8217;s weakened immune system.
While opponents of the legislation protested in Assembly chambers on Thursday, sponsors of the bill praised its passing as a measure of protection for children.
&#8220;If your kid is immunocompromised and going to school or a day care center, you want to know that they&#8217;re going to be safe,&#8221; said State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a sponsor of the legislation, according to CBS New York.
&#8220;It&#8217;s our obligation to act,&#8221; State Sen. David Carlucci said. &#8220;We have to do everything we can to get the number of people vaccinated up.&#8221;
&#8220;The government does not have the right to interfere with my personal religious beliefs,&#8221; said one woman protesting the law. &#8220;We will not vaccinate. What&#8217;s going to happen is we&#8217;re going to either home school or we&#8217;re going to move out of state.&#8221;
Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, a Democrat, noted that he is pro-vaccine but could not vote for the bill out of &#8220;constitutional duty.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite my pro-vaccination stance and despite my beliefs that there are no religious restrictions, it is my constitutional duty to vote in the negative,&#8221; he said.
California is headed the way of New York when it comes to vaccines via SB 276. Actress Jessica Biel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48355/jessica-biel-branded-anti-vaxxer-after-meeting-ca-amanda-prestigiacomo">sparked</a> debate over vaccines earlier this week when she met with some 15 California legislators to discuss her concerns about the bill and advocate for parental rights.
Biel said she is &#8220;not against vaccinations&#8221; but supports &#8220;families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;This week I went to Sacramento to talk to legislators in California about a proposed bill,&#8221; she wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. &#8220;I am not against vaccinations &#8212; I support children getting vaccinations and I also support families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;My concern with #SB277 is solely regarding medical exemptions. My dearest friends have a child with a medical condition that warrants an exemption from vaccinations, and should this bill pass, it would greatly affect their family&#8217;s ability to care for their child in this state,&#8221; the post continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I spoke to legislators and argued against this bill. Not because I don&#8217;t believe in vaccinations, but because I believe in giving doctors and the families they treat the ability to decide what&#8217;s best for their patients and the ability to provide that treatment.&#8221;
Proponents of vaccination mandates claim SB 276 &#8220;will have minimal impact on those with valid reasons for exemption, citing medical authorities like the bill&#8217;s prominent co-sponsors: the California Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, California,&#8221; The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/jessica-biel-comes-out-as-anti-vaxx-activist-joins-robert-f-kennedy-jr-to-lobby-against-ca-vaccination-bill?via=twitter_page">reported</a>.
As reported by The Daily Wire in April, a judge told a Catholic teenager from Kentucky, Jerome Kunkel, that he is not allowed back in school after morally objecting to receiving a vaccination for the chicken pox due to its apparent ties to abortion.
&#8221;It&#8217;s my understanding that the vaccine is derived from aborted fetal cells,&#8221; said Kunkel, <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/judge-denies-unvaccinated-teens-demand-to-return-to-school/">according</a> to WLWT. &#8220;And it is against my religion. Abortion is against my religion.&#8221;
As <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/catholic-church-has-given-green-light-to-using-vaccines-derived-from-aborted-fetal-cells-but-one-family-is-still-suing-over-beliefs/">noted</a> by KHN Morning Briefing, &#8220;The Varicella vaccine, specifically, is derived from the cell lines of two fetuses that were electively aborted in the 1960s.&#8221;

New York Ends Religious Exemptions For Vaccine Mandates

Vaccines

On Monday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show,&#8221; the host discusses the conscious effort by Democrats to use the phrase &#8220;Easter worshippers&#8221; instead of Christians when discussing the attack on churches in Sri Lanka by radical Muslims. Transcript and video below.
A new phrase yesterday entered into the English language that came by way of our political elites, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The phrase is, &#8220;Easter worshippers&#8221;. Barack Obama responding to the terror attacks in Sri Lanka said, &#8220;The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka.&#8221; Attack on tourists and Easter worshippers. Does he mean Christians? I think the word that Barack Obama is looking for is &#8220;Christians.&#8221; Specifically, actually Catholics. Even the language he uses, &#8220;On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka.&#8221; It is a day devoted to love and redemption and renewal because of the resurrection of Christ. There are other days devoted to love and redemption and renewal. Easter Sunday is about the resurrection of Christ.
People would always say, actually, Chris Cuomo was just going off on this because we&#8217;ve been pointing this out. A number of conservatives have pointed out how ridiculous the phrase Easter worshippers is when Barack Obama should&#8217;ve used the phrase, Christian. And what Chris Cuomo said was, oh you guys are just using code to say that Barack Obama isn&#8217;t one of us. First of all, we&#8217;re not using &#8220;code.&#8221; It&#8217;s not &#8220;code&#8221; when you directly criticize somebody and you&#8217;re explicit about what you&#8217;re criticizing them for.
And we&#8217;re not even saying that Barack Obama isn&#8217;t one of us. We&#8217;re saying that he&#8217;s not even the guy that he&#8217;s pretending he is. Remember, Barack Obama ran on, oh I would go to church all the time. He&#8217;s a professed patriot, professed Christian. All of these words. But then in his behavior and in the language that he uses after he gets elected, it doesn&#8217;t seem that way. Easter worshippers. I&#8217;ve never heard that phrase before. Have you ever heard that phrase before?
Hillary Clinton said the same thing. &#8220;On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. I&#8217;m praying for everyone affected by today&#8217;s horrific attacks on Easter worshippers and travelers in Sri Lanka.&#8221; Not Christians, not Catholics, Easter worshippers. A holy weekend for many faiths, you see, it&#8217;s not Easter Sunday, no. It&#8217;s the holy weekend for many faiths, and it was actually just those evil attacks that hurt people. It was those evil attacks. It was just hate. It was hatred and violence. It wasn&#8217;t Islamic militants waging war on Christians as they prayed on Easter Sunday&#8230; no. It was these broad terms, Easter worshippers. That&#8217;s all we can talk about.
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Now, Julian Castro did the same thing by the way. He said, &#8220;On a day of redemption and hope, the evil of these attacks on Easter worshippers and tourists in Sri Lanka is deeply saddening. My prayers today are with the dead and injured, and their families. May we find grace.&#8221; This is so strange. Why all of these responses say, &#8220;Easter worshippers.&#8221; Hillary Clinton, when there are attacks on gay people, she says I stand with the LGBT community. When Orlando gets hit, she doesn&#8217;t say, I stand with nightclub dancers, my heart goes out to nightclub dancers. No, it&#8217;s I stand with the LGBT community.
When Muslims are attacked for something, she doesn&#8217;t say, I stand with Ramadan worshippers. I stand with Hijab wearers. No, she says I stand with Muslims. But when it&#8217;s Christians, then we can&#8217;t say that. We&#8217;re not allowed to say that word. It&#8217;s just too accurate and precise. We&#8217;re not allowed to use that kind of language when we&#8217;re talking about our culture, our civilization. Christians aren&#8217;t allowed to do that. We need this generic, made up term which no one had used until last night.
So why is the left using the phrase? Nobody worships Easter. We&#8217;ve never heard of this phrase before. We worship Christ, we are Christ worshippers. If you want to use the word worshippers, use the word Christ. Why can&#8217;t the left say the word Christian? It&#8217;s because Christians can&#8217;t be victims. Obviously, not in reality though. In reality, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world. But in leftist ideology, Christians cannot be victims because of all of their theories, because of intersectionality. Because we know that at the top of the oppressor pyramid is the straight white man who knows that he is a man, who is a Christian. That&#8217;s the worst oppressor in the whole world. So, when that person is the victim, he can&#8217;t be a Christian. He has to be some new phrase. He has to be an Easter worshipper.
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-michael-knowles-show/id1266577963?mt=2">Listen to &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on iTunes. </a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/show/michael-knowles-show">Subscribe to watch &#8220;The Michael Knowles Show&#8221; on-demand. </a>

KNOWLES: The Attacks Were On Christians, Not &#8216;Easter Worshippers&#8217;

Barack Obama

Catholic Church

Christianity

Hillary Clinton

Persecution

The case of a 16-year-old alleged gang member who is accused of shooting up a street in the Bronx, causing a terrified little girl in the way of the bullets to flee in terror, is prompting harsh criticism of the Raise the Age law, which New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed in 2017.
According to <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/03/04/east-harlem-shooting-suspect-will-be-tried-as-a-minor/">The New York Post</a>, Edgar Garcia, an alleged member of the Los Vagos gang that police say is engaged in an &#8220;ongoing dispute&#8221; with rival gang Los Cholos, could possibly have his case transferred to Family Court because the Raise the Age law forbids the automatic prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Garcia is accused of firing three rounds at a 19-year-old man and four others on February 22.
After Cuomo signed the bill in 2017, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/nyregion/raise-the-age-new-york.html">The New York Times</a> reported:
<blockquote>
Some sections of the new law are simple: 16- and 17-year-olds accused of misdemeanors &#8212; who make up the vast majority of juveniles arrested &#8212; would have their cases handled in Family Court. The picture gets more complicated, however, with nonviolent felony cases, which would still start in Criminal Court, albeit in a new section known as &#8220;youth part&#8221; and in front of judges trained in Family Court law.
Once there, the 16- and 17-year-olds would be automatically sent to Family Court after 30 days unless a district attorney proved &#8220;extraordinary circumstances,&#8221; a term that is undefined in the law. Those arrested in violent felony cases &#8212; which make up about 1 percent of the more than 20,000 juvenile charges in New York per year &#8212; could also be diverted from youth part if they pass a three-part test: whether the victim sustained significant physical injury, whether the accused used a weapon, and whether the perpetrator engaged in criminal sexual conduct.
</blockquote>
After the bill went into effect in October 2018, Cuomo <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-raise-age-law-now-effect">stated</a>, &#8220;At a time when President Trump and this federal government are taking us backward, New York is moving forward with bold criminal justice reform. By raising the age of criminal responsibility, New York is putting an end to an injustice that falls disproportionately on people of color and once again proving that we are the progressive beacon for the nation. In New York, we will never stop fighting for a more equal and more just society for all.&#8221;
The video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows the suspect wearing a navy hoodie aiming his firearm at a group of people while a young girl in pink leggings who had been walking toward the suspect flees the scene. The group also fled, leaving the gunman to eventually run away.
Residents of the neighborhood <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/02/28/bronx-gunman-fires-into-crowd-that-included-a-child/">acknowledged</a> that the neighborhood has become a frightening place to live; one said, &#8220;We don&#8217;t go out. We don&#8217;t go to the park. I keep my kids in the house. We&#8217;re scared.&#8221; Another commented, &#8220;People don&#8217;t feel safe. People shooting in the street like that? No one is safe.&#8221; A third commented of the young girl, &#8220;She is lucky. Like an angel is watching over her because she was really close.&#8221;
Garcia was arrested last Friday on charges including attempted murder and criminal use of a firearm. NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/03/01/teen-busted-for-opening-fire-on-crowded-street-missing-little-girl-with-backpack/">said</a> that the police had found Garcia after some &#8220;old-fashioned&#8221; &#8220;pounding the pavement,&#8221; adding, &#8220;It wasn&#8217;t hard, people were outraged . . . the whole country I think has seen this video of the little girl. I&#8217;m happy to report significant progress on this. We have the shooter in custody as we speak. &#8230; Great work by our Bronx detectives.&#8221;
Bronx Supreme Court Justice John Collins made Garcia&#8217;s release contingent on either $10,000 bail or $25,000 bond, he made bail and he was freed. As The New York Post explains, &#8220;The law already guarantees that he can&#8217;t be held in a jail that also houses adults &#8212; and if convicted, his sentencing judge would have to take his age into account.&#8221;
On Monday, prosecutor Daniel Defilippi indicated he would try to stop the case from being transferred to Family Court. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, referring to the case as a &#8220;prime example&#8221; of the problems with the Raise the Age bill, said, &#8220;One of the things we brought up during debate was how this encourages gang recruitment. Gangs can recruit young people to do dirty work because they won&#8217;t be treated the same when caught.&#8221;
Video below:
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Case Of 16-Year-Old Accused Of Shooting Up Bronx Street Prompts Criticism Of NY&#8217;s Raise The Age Law

New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo is aggressively working to bring Amazon back to New York after Democratic Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) played a role in derailing Amazon&#8217;s plan to bring tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity to New York City.
&#8220;The governor has had multiple phone conversations with Amazon executives, including Mr. Bezos, over the past two weeks, according to two people with knowledge of the efforts,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/nyregion/amazon-hq2-nyc.html">The New York Times</a> reported. &#8220;In those calls, Mr. Cuomo said he would navigate the company through the byzantine governmental process.&#8221;
While a source said that Cuomo did not specify a new location for Amazon, he did guarantee support for the project, which he later alluded to in an interview on Friday, saying there were &#8220;other ways that the state can get it done.&#8221;
The Times notes that the push to get Amazon to come back to New York included a full-page ad in The New York Times on Friday that was signed by more than 70 supportive unions, local businesses, business leaders, community groups, and elected officials. The letter <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/641-read-the-open-letter-to-amazon/0a112e77301026beb86d/optimized/full.pdf#page=1">states</a>:
<blockquote>
Dear Mr. Bezos:
New Yorkers do not want to give up on the 25,000 permanent jobs, 11,000 union construction and maintenance jobs, and $28 billion in new tax revenues that Amazon was prepared to bring to our state. A clear majority of New Yorkers support this project and were disappointed by your decision not to proceed. We understand that becoming home to the world&#8217;s industry leader in e-commerce, logistics and web services would be a tremendous boost for our state&#8217;s technology industry, which is our fastest growing generator of new jobs. As representatives of a wide range of government, business, labor and community interests, we urge you to reconsider, so that we can move forward together.
We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming. Opinions are strong in New York&#8212;sometimesstrident. We consider it part of the New York charm! But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.
Governor Cuomo will take personal responsibility for the project&#8217;s state approval and MayordeBlasio will work together with the governor to manage the community development process, including the workforce development, public education and infrastructure investments that are necessary to ensure that the Amazon campus will be a tremendous benefit to residents and small businesses in the surrounding communities.
NewYorkattracts the best, most diverse talent from across the globe. We are a dynamic new center of the country&#8217;s most inclusive tech economy. We all hope you reconsider and join us in building the exciting future of New York.
</blockquote>
Ocasio-Cortez helped undermine the deal&#8217;s alleged economic efficacy because she did not understand how the $3 billion in proposed tax incentives worked.
&#8220;If we were willing to give away $3 billion for this deal, we could invest those $3 billion in our district ourselves, if we wanted to,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/de-blasio-ocasio-cortex-claim-spending-amazon-tax-break-money">said</a>. &#8220;We could hire out more teachers. We can fix our subways. We can put a lot of people to work for that money, if we wanted to.&#8221;
In an interview on MSNBC, New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio explained: &#8220;And that $3 billion that would go back in tax incentives was only after we were getting the jobs and getting the revenue.&#8221;

Governor Cuomo ‘Working Intensely’ To Bring Amazon Back To New York

Amazon

Jeff Bezos

The anti-Trump mainstream media and many top Democrats uncritically pushed a dubious &#8212; and since-discredited &#8212; account of a &#8220;MAGA&#8221;-backed homophobic and racist attack on &#8220;Empire&#8221; star Jussie Smollett.
Smollett contends he was targeted by two Trump supporters, who verbally and physically accosted him as he was walking home from a Subway sandwich shop in downtown Chicago on January 29. The actor says the men called him a &#8220;f*****&#8221; and a &#8220;n*****,&#8221; tied a noose around his neck, poured bleach on him, and kicked him in the ribs.
The suspicious &#8220;hate crime&#8221; account by Smollett, however, has just about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/43590/watch-jussie-smollett-told-audience-he-fought-amanda-prestigiacomo">fallen apart</a> based on new evidence. Police sources have told reporters that Smollett hired two Nigerian men to stage the attack. The actor has also reportedly been resistant to full cooperation with authorities, such as waiting a full two weeks to turn over &#8220;limited and heavily redacted&#8221; phone records meant to corroborate his account.
Top Democrats, such as House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), media darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and presidential hopefuls Sen. Cory Booker (D-NY) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), swiftly posted uncritical tweets regarding Smollett&#8217;s suspicious account of the attack, in a clear effort to help push a beneficial partisan narrative, which is essentially: &#8220;President Trump and his deplorable supporters are unleashing hate on marginalized groups and must be stopped!&#8221;
Here are just some of the tweets from these top Democrats that have aged poorly, to put it mildly:
House Speaker Pelosi wrote: &#8220;The racist, homophobic attack on [Jussie Smollett] is an affront to our humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery &amp; that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once and for all.&#8221;
Pelosi has since deleted the tweet without explanation or follow-up. It&#8217;s unclear if Pelosi, for example, still wants justice to be served if Smollett really did orchestrate the attack.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hello <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a>, it appears you&#8217;ve deleted this tweet&#8230;.care to explain why? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JussieSmollett?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JussieSmollett</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JussieHoax?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JussieHoax</a> <a href="https://t.co/MKjqbK8hqI">pic.twitter.com/MKjqbK8hqI</a>
&#8212; Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraGonzalesTX/status/1097311452388605953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Ocasio-Cortex (D-NY): &#8220;There is no such thing as &#8216;racially charged.&#8217; This attack was not &#8216;possibly&#8217; homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack. If you don&#8217;t like what is happening to our country, then work to change it. It is no one&#8217;s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
There is no such thing as &#8220;racially charged.&#8221;
This attack was not &#8220;possibly&#8221; homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack.
If you don&#8217;t like what is happening to our country, then work to change it. It is no one&#8217;s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes. <a href="https://t.co/QAi0IYtSeR">https://t.co/QAi0IYtSeR</a>
&#8212; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1090491674575454208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Sen. Booker: &#8220;The vicious attack on actor Jussie Smollett was an attempted modern-day lynching. I&#8217;m glad he&#8217;s safe. To those in Congress who don&#8217;t feel the urgency to pass our Anti-Lynching bill designating lynching as a federal hate crime&#8212;I urge you to pay attention.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The vicious attack on actor Jussie Smollett was an attempted modern-day lynching. I&#8217;m glad he&#8217;s safe.
To those in Congress who don&#8217;t feel the urgency to pass our Anti-Lynching bill designating lynching as a federal hate crime&#8211; I urge you to pay attention. <a href="https://t.co/EwXFxl5f2m">https://t.co/EwXFxl5f2m</a>
&#8212; Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoryBooker/status/1090341255786184704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Sen. Harris: &#8220;[Jussie Smollett] is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I&#8217;m praying for his quick recovery. This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JussieSmollett</a> is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I&#8217;m praying for his quick recovery.
This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.
&#8212; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1090361495119187969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA): &#8220;Jussie is my friend &#8211; a very talented &amp; beautiful human being. It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving. I&#8217;m dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Jussie is my friend &#8211; a very talented &amp; beautiful human being. It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving. I&#8217;m dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!
&#8212; Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMaxineWaters/status/1090446736848535552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY): &#8220;New York State calls this attack on Jussie Smollett what it is &#8212; a hate crime. Homophobia and racism will not be tolerated &#8212; not now, not ever.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
New York State calls this attack on Jussie Smollett what it is &#8212; a hate crime. Homophobia and racism will not be tolerated &#8212; not now, not ever. <a href="https://t.co/h6wDa7SVsX">https://t.co/h6wDa7SVsX</a>
&#8212; Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1090437558549561344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), currently serving as House Intelligence Chairman, wrote: &#8220;I met [Jussie Smollett] at the Pride Parade in Los Angeles, and I&#8217;ve seen the passion and moral clarity of his activism first hand. This week he was the victim of an horrific attack. We pray for your speedy recovery, Jussie, and reject this act of hatred and bigotry.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I met <a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JussieSmollett</a> at the Pride Parade in Los Angeles, and I&#8217;ve seen the passion and moral clarity of his activism first hand. This week he was the victim of an horrific attack. We pray for your speedy recovery, Jussie, and reject this act of hatred and bigotry. <a href="https://t.co/wDZuLcznFZ">pic.twitter.com/wDZuLcznFZ</a>
&#8212; Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchiff/status/1090634894818963456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA): &#8220;This kind of violence should be unacceptable. We cannot continue to allow racism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-semitism, or any other form of hate continue to drive violence in our country.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
This kind of violence should be unacceptable. We cannot continue to allow racism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-semitism, or any other form of hate continue to drive violence in our country. <a href="https://t.co/ipstMGLHEI">https://t.co/ipstMGLHEI</a>
&#8212; Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1090650415258103813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX): &#8220;Hate in any form is unacceptable &#8211; I was deeply troubled to hear of the attack on him and I am relieved that [Jussie Smollett] is safe and receiving medical attention and is not deterred from being the best actor and performer can be &#8211; #NoHate.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hate in any form is unacceptable &#8211; I was deeply troubled to hear of the attack on him and I am relieved that <a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JussieSmollett</a> is safe and receiving medical attention and is not deterred from being the best actor and performer can be &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoHate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoHate</a> <a href="https://t.co/G2wy01MPE4">https://t.co/G2wy01MPE4</a>
&#8212; Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLeeTX18/status/1090384661845549057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL): &#8220;While relieved that [Jussie Smollett] has not suffered any permanent physical damage, I am deeply concerned by how free some people feel to attack others for who they are or who they love and the long-term damage it does to our society.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
While relieved that <a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JussieSmollett</a> has not suffered any permanent physical damage, I am deeply concerned by how free some people feel to attack others for who they are or who they love and the long-term damage it does to our society.
&#8212; Rep Frederica Wilson (@RepWilson) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepWilson/status/1090655635371446274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI): &#8220;&#8216;When one of the most famous black and gay men in America is not safe, the message is clearer than it has ever been.&#8217; The dangerous lies spewing from the right wing is killing &amp; hurting our people. Thinking of you [Jussie Smollett], and my LGBTQ neighbors.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
&#8220;When one of the most famous black and gay men in America is not safe, the message is clearer than it has ever been.&#8221; The dangerous lies spewing from the right wing is killing &amp; hurting our people.
Thinking of you <a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JussieSmollett</a>, and my LGBTQ neighbors. 
<a href="https://t.co/edtIFWYAX1">https://t.co/edtIFWYAX1</a>
&#8212; Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) <a href="https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1090608076015759360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Chair of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez: &#8220;Let&#8217;s call it what it is: A vicious hate crime. My heart goes out to Jussie&#8217;s family &#8212; all of us at the DNC are praying for his full recovery.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
Let&#8217;s call it what it is: A vicious hate crime. My heart goes out to Jussie&#8217;s family &#8212; all of us at the DNC are praying for his full recovery. <a href="https://t.co/W5nDQ70OgJ">https://t.co/W5nDQ70OgJ</a>
&#8212; Tom Perez (@TomPerez) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomPerez/status/1090677110329483269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Host <a href="http://timyoung.com/">Tim Young</a> posted top Democrats&#8217; hasty reactions to the alleged hate crime against Smollett, which has essentially fallen apart now, in one tweet:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Here&#8217;s the &#8216;Jussie Smollett is a victim&#8217; tweets from all your favorite Democratic members of Congress&#8230;
Just gonna&#8230; put these here. <a href="https://t.co/qubpzSguiF">pic.twitter.com/qubpzSguiF</a>
&#8212; Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimRunsHisMouth/status/1097345390301585409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

12 Top Democrats’ Tweets About The Jussie Smollett ‘Hate Crime.’ They Didn&#8217;t Age Well.

Adam Schiff

Hate Crime

Jussie Smollett

Kamala Harris

Maxine Waters

Nancy Pelosi

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took aim at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among others for creating so much unrest about Amazon&#8217;s plans to build an 8,000,000 square feet campus that would have brought an estimated 25,000 jobs to the city that Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/43508/amazon-drops-nyc-much-vaunted-second-headquarters-josh-hammer">pulled out of the deal</a>.
Cuomo issued a <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-andrew-m-cuomo-196">statement</a> in which he said, &#8220;A small group politicians [sic] put their own narrow political interests above their community &#8212; which poll after poll showed overwhelmingly supported bringing Amazon to Long Island City &#8212; the state&#8217;s economic future and the best interests of the people of this state.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez, who was one of the leaders of the charge <a href="https://www.apnews.com/707c71ec398bf7a9dbe69704f6044719">against the Amazon project,</a> celebrated the demise of the project on Twitter, writing, &#8220;Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers &amp; their neighbors defeated Amazon&#8217;s corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world.&#8221;
She was joined by state senator Michael N. Gianaris, who <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6707007/Cuomo-blasts-AOC-Democrats-derailing-Amazon-headquarters-plans-New-York.html">chortled</a>, &#8220;Rather than seriously engage with the community they proposed to profoundly change, Amazon continued its effort to shakedown governments to get its way. It is time for a national dialogue about the perils of these types of corporate subsidies.&#8221;
Mayor Bill De Blasio decided to blame Amazon rather than alienate Ocasio-Cortez, despite the fact that the project would have created over $10 billion in revenue over the next 20 years. He stated, &#8220;You have to be tough to make it in New York City. We gave Amazon the opportunity to be a good neighbor and do business in the greatest city in the world. &#8230; Instead of working with the community, Amazon threw away that opportunity. We have the best talent in the world and every day we are growing a stronger and fairer economy for everyone. If Amazon can&#8217;t recognize what that&#8217;s worth, its competitors will.&#8221;
Cuomo&#8217;s complete statement read:
<blockquote>
Amazon chose to come to New York because we are the capital of the world and the best place to do business. We competed in and won the most hotly contested national economic development competition in the United States, resulting in at least 25,000-40,000 good paying jobs for our state and nearly $30 billion dollars in new revenue to fund transit improvements, new housing, schools and countless other quality of life improvements. Bringing Amazon to New York diversified our economy away from real estate and Wall Street, further cementing our status as an emerging center for tech and was an extraordinary economic win not just for Queens and New York City, but for the entire region, from Long Island to Albany&#8217;s nanotech center.
However, a small group politicians put their own narrow political interests above their community &#8212; which poll after poll showed overwhelmingly supported bringing Amazon to Long Island City &#8212; the state&#8217;s economic future and the best interests of the people of this state. The New York State Senate has done tremendous damage. They should be held accountable for this lost economic opportunity.
The fundamentals of New York&#8217;s business climate and community that attracted amazon to be here &#8211; our talent pool, world-class education system, commitment to diversity and progressivism &#8211; remain and we won&#8217;t be deterred as we continue to attract world class business to communities across New York State.
</blockquote>

NY Gov Cuomo Blasts NY Pols, Including AOC, For Wrecking Amazon Plans For NYC

On Wednesday night, the eve of the one-year-anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were murdered, a senior aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/cuomo-adviser-deletes-tweet-mocking-sen-scott-for-school-shooting/">mocked</a> Sen. Rick Scott&#8217;s tweet comparing Florida to New York by tweeting, &#8220;Nice schools you got there.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Would just like to repeat &#8211; This is <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYGovCuomo</a>&#8216;s top aide mocking <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenRickScott</a> over a school shooting.
He has since deleted the tweet. <a href="https://t.co/uxzvHe0jka">pic.twitter.com/uxzvHe0jka</a>
&#8212; Rusty Weiss(@rustyweiss74) <a href="https://twitter.com/rustyweiss74/status/1096006326172483585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
The nasty remark, which was later deleted, came after Cuomo had reportedly bemoaned New York losing its population to Florida, <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/02/08/south-florida-luxury-condos-being-scooped-up-by-relocating-new-yorkers-looking-to-save-on-taxes/">claiming</a> New Yorkers were moving to Florida to avoid paying higher taxes.
Scott responded on Twitter, &#8220;.<a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo">&#8234;@NYGovCuomo</a> is blaming FL for NY&#8217;s population loss and budget shortfall. I say: guilty as charged.&#8221; He followed by putting check marks after &#8220;Lower taxes, Balanced budget, Job openings, and Better weather &amp; beaches,&#8221; then wrote &#8220;FL population&#8221; with an arrow pointing up and &#8220;NY population&#8221; with an arrow pointing down. Scott concluded, &#8220;Keep doing what you&#8217;re doing, Governor.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYGovCuomo</a> is blaming FL for NY&#8217;s population loss and budget shortfall.
I say: guilty as charged.
Lower taxes 
Balanced budget 
Job openings 
Better weather &amp; beaches 
FL populationNY population
Keep doing what you&#8217;re doing, Governor. <a href="https://t.co/FEDZhrPaO6">https://t.co/FEDZhrPaO6</a>
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1095846386644500481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
According to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education">U.S. News &amp; World Report</a>, Florida&#8217;s schools rank seventh in the nation; New York&#8217;s rank 23rd.
Scott had his own way to mark the one-year anniversary: he issued a series of tweets commemorating the victims of the massacre. He wrote: &#8220;On the 1-year anniversary of the tragedy in Parkland, we remember the 17 souls that were taken from us in a brutal act of violence. They were bright lights with bright futures &#8211; the kind of young men and women that made me proud to represent the state of Florida. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDStrong?src=hash">#MSDStrong</a>.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
On the 1-year anniversary of the tragedy in Parkland, we remember the 17 souls that were taken from us in a brutal act of violence. They were bright lights with bright futures &#8211; the kind of young men and women that made me proud to represent the state of Florida. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDStrong</a>
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096072831618744321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Alyssa Alhadeff, 14. A beloved daughter and dedicated soccer player at her school. Her mother Lori Alhadeff, now a Broward County School Board member, continues the fight to ensure our schools are safe.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Alyssa Alhadeff, 14. A beloved daughter and dedicated soccer player at her school. Her mother Lori Alhadeff, now a Broward County School Board member, continues the fight to ensure our schools are safe.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096074281195327488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Scott Beigel, 35. Scott, a geography teacher at MSD, risked his life to help students hide from the shooting. He is forever remembered as a hero.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Scott Beigel, 35. Scott, a geography teacher at MSD, risked his life to help students hide from the shooting. He is forever remembered as a hero.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096075491524661248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Martin Duque, 14. Martin was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. with his family to live the American dream. He was a cadet in JROTC where he received many awards including the Medal of Heroism.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Martin Duque, 14. Martin was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. with his family to live the American dream. He was a cadet in JROTC where he received many awards including the Medal of Heroism.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096076782221045760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Nicholas Dworet, 17. Nicholas was a senior and the captain of the school&#8217;s swim team. He enjoyed swimming competitively, and was planning to attend the University of Indianapolis. Eventually he wanted to swim in the 2020 Olympics in Sweden.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
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Today we remember Nicholas Dworet, 17. Nicholas was a senior and the captain of the school&#8217;s swim team. He enjoyed swimming competitively, and was planning to attend the University of Indianapolis. Eventually he wanted to swim in the 2020 Olympics in Sweden.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096078089719812097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Coach Aaron Feis, 37, the assistant coach for the MSD Varsity football team. He died a hero, shielding a student from a bullet. We created the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program in his honor.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Coach Aaron Feis, 37, the assistant coach for the MSD Varsity football team. He died a hero, shielding a student from a bullet. We created the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program in his honor.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096079342071959552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Jaime Guttenberg, 14. A bright young girl and dancer. Jaime had a heart for those with disabilities. She was involved in many organizations such as Best Buddies and the Friendship initiative.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Jaime Guttenberg, 14. A bright young girl and dancer. Jaime had a heart for those with disabilities. She was involved in many organizations such as Best Buddies and the Friendship initiative.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096080650136940546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Chris Hixon, 49. A loving father, veteran, athletic director and wrestling coach who had a huge impact on the lives of his students. His legacy lives on with the Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship, which helps further the education of student-athletes.&#8221;
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Today we remember Chris Hixon, 49. A loving father, veteran, athletic director and wrestling coach who had a huge impact on the lives of his students. His legacy lives on with the Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship, which helps further the education of student-athletes.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096081871073697793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Luke Hoyer, 15. Luke loved basketball and chicken nuggets. His mom Gena was by my side when I signed the MSD High School Public Safety Act. Gena and her husband Tom are fighting for safe schools across the nation.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Luke Hoyer, 15. Luke loved basketball and chicken nuggets. His mom Gena was by my side when I signed the MSD High School Public Safety Act. Gena and her husband Tom are fighting for safe schools across the nation.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096083168766115840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Cara Loughran, 14. Cara was an incredible young lady who loved Irish dancing and was a part of the Drake School of Irish Dance in Coral Springs.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Cara Loughran, 14. Cara was an incredible young lady who loved Irish dancing and was a part of the Drake School of Irish Dance in Coral Springs.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096084376557944833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Gina Montalto, 14. Gina was a freshman and member of the winter guard team. Gina&#8217;s father Tony Montalto is the president of Stand with Parkland, an organization founded by all 17 victims&#8217; parents.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Gina Montalto, 14. Gina was a freshman and member of the winter guard team. Gina&#8217;s father Tony Montalto is the president of Stand with Parkland, an organization founded by all 17 victims&#8217; parents.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096085941410762752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Joaquin Oliver, 17. Known as &#8220;Guac&#8221; to friends and family, he loved sports and graffiti and was a beloved son to his parents.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Joaquin Oliver, 17. Known as &#8220;Guac&#8221; to friends and family, he loved sports and graffiti and was a beloved son to his parents.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096087129149583360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Alaina Petty, 14. Alaina had a servant&#8217;s heart. After Hurricane Irma, I met her family when they volunteered to help storm victims. Her father, <a href="https://twitter.com/rpetty">@rpetty</a> has been very involved in passing legislation for school safety and joined me in TLH to ensure it got done.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Alaina Petty, 14. Alaina had a servant&#8217;s heart. After Hurricane Irma, I met her family when they volunteered to help storm victims. Her father, <a href="https://twitter.com/rpetty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rpetty</a> has been very involved in passing legislation for school safety and joined me in TLH to ensure it got done.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096088498979946496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Meadow Pollack, 18. Meadow was an extremely smart young lady. Her father, <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewPollackFL">@AndrewPollackFL</a> and brother <a href="https://twitter.com/PollackHunter">@PollackHunter</a> have been partners in fighting to keep our schools safe. But more importantly, they both have become a great friend to me.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Meadow Pollack, 18. Meadow was an extremely smart young lady. Her father, <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewPollackFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndrewPollackFL</a> and brother <a href="https://twitter.com/PollackHunter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PollackHunter</a> have been partners in fighting to keep our schools safe. But more importantly, they both have become a great friend to me.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096089607798697987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Helena Ramsay, 17. Helena was an incredibly smart young girl who participated in many school activities. She cared deeply about her community and other communities in FL. She went to Orl for a concert after the Pulse night club shooting to support the community.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Helena Ramsay, 17. Helena was an incredibly smart young girl who participated in many school activities. She cared deeply about her community and other communities in FL. She went to Orl for a concert after the Pulse night club shooting to support the community.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096091045778112518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Alex Schachter, 14. Alex was a great young man and a talented trombone player in the MSD marching band. His father Max has been part of the MSD School Safety Commission and has been a powerful voice to prevent future tragedies.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Alex Schachter, 14. Alex was a great young man and a talented trombone player in the MSD marching band. His father Max has been part of the MSD School Safety Commission and has been a powerful voice to prevent future tragedies.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096092382976716803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Carmen Schentrup, 16. Carmen was a dedicated student who was driven to become a medical researcher and find a cure for ALS. Both her parents Philip &amp; April and her siblings Robert &amp; Evelyn are all focused on activism nationwide.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Carmen Schentrup, 16. Carmen was a dedicated student who was driven to become a medical researcher and find a cure for ALS. Both her parents Philip &amp; April and her siblings Robert &amp; Evelyn are all focused on activism nationwide.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096093669063569409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
&#8220;Today we remember Peter Wang, 15. Peter dreamed of being a soldier and was posthumously accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Peter risked his life to save his classmates and was awarded with the Medal of Heroism award.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today we remember Peter Wang, 15. Peter dreamed of being a soldier and was posthumously accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Peter risked his life to save his classmates and was awarded with the Medal of Heroism award.
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096094952541556736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Scott concluded, &#8220;Nothing we say can bring back the lives that were lost. Nothing we do can replace the angels of MSD High School that were taken from us too soon. But we must honor their memory every day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDStrong?src=hash">#MSDStrong</a>.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Nothing we say can bring back the lives that were lost. Nothing we do can replace the angels of MSD High School that were taken from us too soon. But we must honor their memory every day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDStrong</a>
&#8212; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/1096096127328370688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

Senior Aide To NY Governor Cuomo Taunts Florida About Their Schools On Eve Of Parkland Massacre

Parkland Shooting

Rick Scott

New York lost 48,510 residents between July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018, <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/estimates-national-state.html">according to the census bureau</a>. It was one of only nine states that year to suffer a population loss.
Some of that loss comes from more people dying than being born, but its also obvious that high taxes in the state and a high cost of living make it unattractive for many Americans. But late last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, spun the news of a budget shortfall another way: <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/02/08/south-florida-luxury-condos-being-scooped-up-by-relocating-new-yorkers-looking-to-save-on-taxes/">It&#8217;s Florida&#8217;s fault</a>.
Darn that Sunshine State and its warmer climate and lower taxes!
Cuomo also blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s tax law, which limited &#8220;federal deductions on real estate and other local taxes,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-04/cuomo-blames-trump-tax-plan-for-reduced-new-york-tax-collections">according to Bloomberg</a>. This hurt states with high taxes, like New York and other states in the North East, and helped states with already low tax liabilities, like Florida.
&#8220;It was politically diabolical and also highly effective,&#8221; Cuomo said, according to Bloomberg. &#8220;And if your goal is to help Republican states and hurt Democratic states this is the way to do it.&#8221;
The Empire State suffered a $2.3 billion revenue shortfall, which Cuomo blamed on the tax law, even though <a href="https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/trump-tax-cuts-federal-revenues-deficits/">national tax revenue is higher</a> than it was before the tax cuts. Wealthy New Yorkers are looking to leave the high-tax state and provide 46% of the state&#8217;s income-tax revenue, Bloomberg reported.
&#8220;They are investors, they have accountants, they are making informed decisions,&#8221; Cuomo acknowledged. &#8220;This is going to be the tipping point and people will now be making a geographical change.&#8221;
Maybe instead of blaming another state for stealing residents, Cuomo could make New York more attractive to its own residents.
Instead, the state does whatever it can to make moving to the Sunshine State <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-23/trapped-in-new-york-salt-cap-haters-find-moving-isn-t-that-easy">a nightmare</a>.
&#8220;Like other high-tax states, New York&#8217;s Department of Taxation and Finance will go to great lengths to keep wealthy residents on their tax lists. The states&#8217; methods can be aggressive: Issuing subpoenas to pore through credit card statements, bank transactions or phone records to track a taxpayer&#8217;s location, and sending auditors to interview doormen or confirm doctors&#8217; appointments,&#8221; Bloomberg reported.
Cuomo also plans to sue the Trump administration over the new tax law. High-tax states really don&#8217;t want people to realize just how bad it is to live in them.
Over at Hot Air, Jazz Shaw explained that only a small number of people would see their state and local tax bill increase &#8212; <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/2019/02/11/youre-upset-tax-refund-went/">and that would be extremely wealthy people</a>, who are also the ones most likely to leave high-tax states.
&#8220;It&#8217;s probably not going to do any good, but somebody should really ask Governor Cuomo if it&#8217;s really fair to &#8216;blame Florida&#8217; for the exodus of New Yorkers. If you tax people heavily enough while doing your level best to suppress their constitutional rights, they&#8217;ll eventually just leave. And if you&#8217;re bleeding out all of the top earners and replacing them with lower skilled labor or illegal immigrants, that&#8217;s not going to do much for your budget situation,&#8221; Shaw wrote in <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/2019/02/12/new-york-governor-florida-stealing-population/">an article</a> about Cuomo blaming Florida &#8212; and not himself or his state&#8217;s high taxes &#8212; for the exodus.

Guess What The New York Governor Blamed For State’s Budget Problems?

Taxes

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/06/opinion/cuomo-roe-abortion-trump.html">writing in The New York Times</a>, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was so delighted with New York&#8217;s new abortion law allowing the killing of babies up until the moment of birth that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42529/ny-governor-cuomo-celebrates-allowing-abortion-hank-berrien">ordered the World Trade Center </a>to be lit pink, linked Cardinal Timothy Dolan to the &#8220;religious Right.&#8221; That triggered Dolan; on Thursday, he fired off a <a href="https://archny.org/news/hiding-behind-labels">statement</a> slamming Cuomo, saying, &#8220;Debate abortion on what it is. Don&#8217;t hide behind labels like &#8216;right wing&#8217; and &#8216;Catholic.&#8217;&#8221;
Cuomo had written:
<blockquote>
Mr. Trump and the religious right are spreading falsehoods about New York&#8217;s law to inflame their base. Activists on the far right continue to mislead with the ridiculous claim that the act will allow abortions up to a minute before birth. While Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, and the Catholic Church are anti-choice, most Americans, including most Catholics, are pro-choice. The 73 percent of New Yorkers who support Roe includes 59 percent of Catholics. While governments may very well enact laws that are consistent with religious teaching, governments do not pass laws to be consistent with what any particular religion dictates.
I was educated in religious schools, and I am a former altar boy. My Roman Catholic values are my personal values. The decisions I choose to make in my life, or in counseling my daughters, are based on my personal moral and religious beliefs.
</blockquote>
Dolan wasted no time mocking Cuomo and the Times, beginning his statement, &#8220;Today, with a home field advantage in the New York Times, Governor Cuomo linked me with the &#8216;religious right.&#8217;&#8221;
He continued:
<blockquote>
This is something new from the governor. He did not consider me part of the &#8220;religious right&#8221; when seeking my help with the minimum wage increase, prison reform, protection of migrant workers, a welcome of immigrants and refugees, and advocacy for college programs for the state&#8217;s inmate population, which we were happy to partner with him on, because they were our causes too. I guess I was part of the &#8220;religious left&#8221; in those cases.
The civil rights of the helpless, innocent, baby in the womb, as liberal Democrat Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey once remarked is not about &#8220;right versus left, but right versus wrong.&#8221;
The governor also continues his attempt to reduce the advocacy for the human rights of the pre-born infant to a &#8220;Catholic issue,&#8221; an insult to our allies of so many religions, or none at all. Governor Casey again: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t get my pro-life belief from my religion class in a Catholic school, but from my biology and U.S. Constitution classes.&#8221;
Yes, religion is personal; it&#8217;s hardly private, as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.&#8217;s life and struggle for civil rights so eloquently showed. Governor Cuomo&#8217;s professed faith teaches discrimination against immigrants is immoral, too. Does that mean he cannot let that moral principle guide his public policy? Clearly not.
Debate abortion on what it is. Don&#8217;t hide behind labels like &#8220;right wing&#8221; and &#8220;Catholic.&#8221;
</blockquote>
On January 17, after the new abortion law had been passed in New York, many Catholics demanded that Cuomo be <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-leaders-excommunicate-gov.-cuomo-over-nys-extreme-abortion-law">excommunicated</a> for his part in the debacle. The ordinaries of the Catholic dioceses in New York, headed by Dolan, would not call for his excommunication but did condemn the new abortion law, writing:
<blockquote>
Words are insufficient to describe the profound sadness we feel at the contemplated passage of New York State&#8217;s new proposed abortion policy. We mourn the unborn infants who will lose their lives, and the many mothers and fathers who will suffer remorse and heartbreak as a result.
The so-called &#8220;Reproductive Health Act&#8221; will expand our state&#8217;s already radically permissive law, by empowering more health practitioners to provide abortion and removing all state restrictions on late-term procedures. With an abortion rate that is already double the national average, New York law is moving in the wrong direction &#8230;
Our Governor and legislative leaders hail this new abortion law as progress. This is not progress. Progress will be achieved when our laws and our culture once again value and respect each unrepeatable gift of human life, from the first moment of creation to natural death. Would that not make us truly the most enlightened and progressive state in the nation?
</blockquote>

Abortion Champion NY Gov. Cuomo Links Cardinal Dolan To &#8216;Religious Right.&#8217; Dolan Rips Him.

The Democratic Party has moved from the Clintonian abortion formulation of &#8220;<a href="http://harvardpolitics.com/united-states/safe-legal-and-rare-the-democrats-evolving-stance-on-abortion/">safe, legal, and rare</a>&#8221; to the unapologetic <a href="http://time.com/4608364/lena-dunham-wish-abortion-comments/">Lena Dunham</a>-esque braggadocio of &#8220;<a href="https://shoutyourabortion.com/book/">shout your abortion</a>&#8221; quicker than an Usain Bolt 100-meter dash. And while the silver lining of what National Review&#8217;s Ramesh Ponnuru aptly dubs &#8220;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/infanticide-craze-new-york-virginia-abortion-laws">the infanticide craze</a>&#8221; currently sweeping its way across sundry Democratic-controlled state legislatures and gubernatorial mansions is that abortion backers seem genuinely worried about a possible blow the current U.S. Supreme Court may soon strike at Roe and it <a href="https://www.themaven.net/theresurgent/contributors/it-s-time-for-congress-to-declare-war-on-the-judiciary-QeK4JAnjxEaPyz6yD-RGxQ/">grisly progeny</a>, the barbaric fact remains that these blue states are now in something akin to a race to the bottom to see who can most closely approximate the abortion regime of such &#8220;progressive&#8221; bastions as <a href="https://www.pop.org/forced-abortion-still-mandated-chinas-planned-birth-laws/">China</a> or <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/02/virginia-abortion-bill-controversy-moral-low-ground/">North Korea</a>.
One supposes that these open supporters of infanticide are at least <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormickProf/status/947222708093444096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E947222708093444096&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2F42465%2Fhammer-what-alyssa-milano-gets-so-very-wrong-about-josh-hammer">intellectually honest</a> about their <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1999/09/11/a-professor-who-argues-for-infanticide/cce7dc81-3775-4ef6-bfea-74cd795fc43f/">convictions</a>. Alas, that does not make those convictions &#8212; however honestly and consistently held &#8212; any less barbaric. As Vice President Mike Pence nicely <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/life-is-under-attack-pro-abortion-rampant-in-america/">put it</a>, &#8220;This shameless embrace of a culture of death is startling to every American who cherishes life.&#8221;
Yet perhaps there is an additional silver lining for pro-lifers. The spectacle of Democratic governors from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42529/ny-governor-cuomo-celebrates-allowing-abortion-hank-berrien">New York</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42924/watch-virginia-governor-doubles-down-infanticide-ryan-saavedra">Virginia</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42811/fake-catholics-unite-rhode-islands-catholic-hank-berrien">Rhode Island</a> falling all over themselves to legalize de facto on-demand abortion up until birth provides pro-lifers with a unique opportunity to proselytize to the <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/235469/trimesters-key-abortion-views.aspx">overwhelming majority</a> of Americans who are not full-on crazy prenatal baby killers.
Pro-lifers should do their best to seize this moment &#8212; to both preach our substantive message and to tactically appeal to those who hold centrist views on the abortion issue. In doing so, here are four key areas we ought to emphasize.
1. The Democratic Party&#8217;s Shift On Abortion Has Been Enormous. As aformentioned, the Democratic Party&#8217;s shift on the issue of unborn life has been nothing short of remarkable. For decades, the Democratic Party was the comfortable political home for many pro-life Catholics. Even after the 1973 constitutional atrocity of Roe, the Democratic Party continued to serve as a political home for many pro-life Christians (and especially Catholics) who valued the unborn but leaned to the left on issues such as immigration or the welfare state. As late as the 1990s, Democrat Bob Casey Sr. was a staunchly pro-life governor of a major state. Whereas Gov. Mario Cuomo was instrumental in concocting the &#8220;personally pro-life but won&#8217;t force that belief unto others&#8221; faux-intellectual <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mario-cuomos-abortion-argument-is-a-bloody-legacy">farce</a>, his son Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewcuomo/status/1037002946981052416">no such pretensions</a> &#8212; such is the inter-generational shift in the party&#8217;s militant thinking vis-à-vis the unborn.
The halcyon days of Democratic acceptance of pro-lifers is unfortunately over. As Cardinal Timothy Dolan <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-democrats-abandon-catholics-1521761348">lamented</a> in The Wall Street Journal last March, foreshadowing the grisly abortion bill that Gov. Andrew Cuomo would sign into law less than a year later:
<blockquote>
An esteemed pro-life Democrat in Illinois, Rep. Dan Lipinski, effectively [has been] blacklisted by his own party. Last year, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez insisted that pro-life candidates have no place in the modern Democratic Party. &#8230;
More sobering, what is already the most radical abortion license in the country may soon be even more morbidly expanded. For instance, under the proposed Reproductive Health Act, doctors would not be required to care for a baby who survives an abortion. The newborn simply would be allowed to die without any legal implications. And abortions would be legal up to the moment of birth. &#8230;
[I]t saddens me, and weakens the democracy millions of Americans cherish, when the party that once embraced Catholics now slams the door on us.
</blockquote>
2. Science Is On Our Side. This point speaks for itself, but it is too crucial to dismiss as a merely incidental strand of pro-life argumentation. As I recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42465/hammer-what-alyssa-milano-gets-so-very-wrong-about-josh-hammer">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>
In truth, the pro-life argument is deceptively simple. There are only two core components.
The first component is science. It is a rudimentary embryological/biological factthat, upon sperm fertilization of an egg, a new DNA code is formed. Removing morality or bioethics from the equation, there is no more obvious place in the gestational continuum to demarcate the scientific origin of a new, discrete human life. &#8230;
At a sperm&#8217;s fertilization of an egg, the biological process commences through which a new member of the human species is formed. That biological process, if left unimpeded by external actors, will result in the eventual live birth of an organism that every lay person would intuitively recognize as a full-fledged new human being.
</blockquote>
Science now informs us when unborn children first develop various body parts, when brain activity commences, when they feel pain, and so forth. This really should be compelling &#8212; electrical brain activity usually begins as early as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/books/chapters/the-ethical-brain.html">fifth or sixth week</a> of pregnancy. It is extraordinarily difficult to interpret, on a non-scientific and purely visceral, intuitive level, a biological organism emitting electrical brain waves as merely being an amorphous &#8220;clump of cells.&#8221; Similarly, ultrasound imagery is also hugely beneficial to the pro-life community, and we ought to invoke and use it frequently.
3. Defunding Planned Parenthood Does Not Mean All Women&#8217;s Health Clinics Should Be Defunded. As a general observation of what I have experienced in various modes and settings of pro-life advocacy, there is only so far that constantly calling one&#8217;s pro-abortion foe a baby killer will go. To the extent pro-lifers want to engage in the dialectic and persuade hearts and minds &#8212; as opposed to merely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/22404/conservative-movement-needs-both-bomb-throwers-and-josh-hammer">throwing bombs</a> &#8212; it is deeply important to sometimes soften our tone and emphasize lighter, more delicate points. Pro-lifers (properly) speak routinely about defunding Planned Parenthood &#8212; an organization founded by an unapologetic eugenicist (Margaret Sanger) and which today <a href="https://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2017/may/15/glenn-grothman/glenn-grothman-says-planned-parenthood-leading-abo/">performs more abortions</a> than any institution in America. And yet besides the death cult with which it is most famously intertwined, it is also undeniable that Planned Parenthood also performs some (non-death-inducing) women&#8217;s health services that pro-lifers and conservatives ought to support: STD testing, vaccine services, and cancer screenings all come to mind.
Pro-lifers ought to discuss more frequently the notion that any defunding of Planned Parenthood could easily be replaced by a funding of women&#8217;s health clinics that do not perform abortions. Consider this <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/08/17/planned-parenthood-loses-government-funding-heres-map-health-clinics-take-place/">2015 study</a> by the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Charlotte Lozier Institute, which identified across the country a startling ratio of 20 comprehensive women&#8217;s health care clinics for every one Planned Parenthood clinic in the country: 13,540 to 665, in total. The Daily Signal <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2015/08/17/planned-parenthood-loses-government-funding-heres-map-health-clinics-take-place/">wrote</a> at the time:
<blockquote>
Alliance Defending Freedom and Charlotte Lozier Institute, the education arm of the Susan B. Anthony List, identified the different Planned Parenthood locations and community health care clinics across America.
The two groups argue there are plenty of health centers &#8212; that also can receive federal funding &#8212; to absorb Planned Parenthood&#8217;s patients should the organization be defunded by Congress.
&#8220;What these graphics put into pictures is what the data has been telling us for a long time,&#8221; Casey Mattox, a senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom who focuses on pro-life issues, told The Daily Signal. &#8220;Planned Parenthood is really a small part of the national health care picture in America.&#8221;
</blockquote>
To be pro-life is not in any way to be anti-woman &#8212; but it is incumbent upon pro-lifers to forcefully drive that point home.
4. Substantive Investment In And Rhetorical Emphasis Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers Can Go A Long Way. Along the same lines of the need for pro-lifers to sometimes take a softer tone and exude compassion for women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies, I have long been of the belief that pro-lifers need to place more intellectual, social, and, indeed, financial capital toward supporting and maintaining distinctly pro-life crisis pregnancy centers. Put simply, it ought to be much easier for centrists and moderates on the abortion issue to come around to our side when they know that pro-lifers have a firm interest in helping the very best they can the invariably depressed, scared, lonely single women who suffer through unwanted pregnancies. Without a firm commitment to pro-life crisis pregnancy centers (i.e., those centers that do not offer abortions), the pro-life argument risks ringing hollow for many. It is easy to preach the natural rights theory and rudimentary embryology that both support the right to life for unborn children. It is far more difficult, though just as important, to preach the need for pro-lifers to fully and unequivocally endorse and support our caring for single women who endure unplanned pregnancies. Churches, synagogues, and the various other mediating institutions of civil society need to do a better job than they already are of funding and supporting pro-life crisis pregnancy centers across the country. Pro-lifers are not just pro-unborn baby, but also pro-woman &#8212; but we need our actions to consistently match our beliefs in demonstrating that.

HAMMER: Democrats’ Abortion Radicalism Is On Full Display. Here Is How Pro-Lifers Should Respond.

Ralph Northam

The public has been outraged by a recent slew of state legislatures and Democrat politicians looking to legalize the murder of the unborn up to the moment of birth or, astonishingly, even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42839/watch-democratic-va-governor-endorses-murder-born-ben-shapiro">after birth</a>. Earlier this month, pro-lifers and even many who consider themselves &#8220;pro-choice&#8221; were horrified to see New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Catholic Democrat, sign and celebrate the passing of the euphemistically-named Reproductive Health Act. Aside from legalizing abortion up to the moment of birth, the legislation loosens restrictions on who can perform abortions, and strips the murder of the unborn (including the murder of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42749/new-yorks-new-abortion-law-even-removes-emily-zanotti">wanted</a> babies) from the state&#8217;s criminal code.
But, unfortunately, such barbaric legislation is nothing new. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42838/walsh-democratic-party-completely-overrun-matt-walsh">noted</a> by The Daily Wire&#8217;s Matt Walsh on Wednesday morning, there are a total of eight states (plus the District of Columbia) which allow the murder of the unborn up to birth. The following states have no gestational limits on abortion, thanks to Democratic lawmakers:
<blockquote>
Alaska
Colorado
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Oregon
Vermont
New York
*Plus, the District of Columbia
</blockquote>
And the horror of legalized late-term abortions doesn&#8217;t stop there. All states which do have gestational cut-offs for abortion have exceptions to the limit, <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/7-states-already-allow-abortion-up-to-birth-not-just-new-york.html">reports</a> the Christian Post:
<blockquote>
Similarly, all states that have laws banning late-term abortion still allow exceptions under certain circumstances, as noted by the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that advocates for abortion rights worldwide. Such exemptions include &#8220;babies with physical anomalies, and the health of the mother, which can include &#8216;mental health,'&#8221; according to the pro-life group Operation Rescue.
</blockquote>
It&#8217;s also worth noting that dishonest Democrats and abortion advocates have been posturing radical abortion legislation as a mere alleged protection of women who need &#8220;life-saving&#8221; abortions. But when legislation, such as New York&#8217;s Reproductive Health Act, include the &#8220;health&#8221; of the mother, it gives abortionists leeway to essentially perform an abortion for any reason. Here&#8217;s why: &#8220;health&#8221; is defined by the Supreme Court (Doe v. Bolton) to broadly include &#8220;emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman&#8217;s age.&#8221;
Moreover, medical professionals have disputed the idea that there is even such a thing as a &#8220;life-saving&#8221; abortion. Dr. Anthony Levatino, a practicing OBGYN who has performed over 1,200 elective abortions in his lifetime, rejected this notion while testifying before Congress on May 17, 2012. &#8220;During my time at Albany Medical Center I managed hundreds of such cases by &#8216;terminating&#8217; pregnancies to save mother&#8217;s lives. In all those cases, the number of unborn children that I had to deliberately kill was zero,&#8221; he told Congress.
Here&#8217;s fuller context of the testimony <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/former-abortionist-abortion-is-never-medically-necessary-to-save-the-life-of-the-mother/">via</a> Live Action:
<blockquote>
In cases where a pregnancy places a woman in danger of death or grave physical injury, a doctor more often than not doesn&#8217;t have 36 hours, much less 72 hours, to resolve the problem. Let me illustrate with a real-life case that I managed while at the Albany Medical Center. A patient arrived one night at 28 weeks gestation with severe pre-eclampsia or toxemia. Her blood pressure on admission was 220/160. A normal blood pressure is approximately 120/80. This patient&#8217;s pregnancy was a threat to her life and the life of her unborn child. She could very well be minutes or hours away from a major stroke.
This case was managed successfully by rapidly stabilizing the patient&#8217;s blood pressure and &#8220;terminating&#8221; her pregnancy by Cesarean section. She and her baby did well.
This is a typical case in the world of high-risk obstetrics. In most such cases, any attempt to perform an abortion &#8220;to save the mother&#8217;s life&#8221; would entail undue and dangerous delay in providing appropriate, truly life-saving care. During my time at Albany Medical Center I managed hundreds of such cases by &#8220;terminating&#8221; pregnancies to save mother&#8217;s lives. In all those cases, the number of unborn children that I had to deliberately kill was zero.
</blockquote>
WATCH:
<div class="embed tweet"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ysl1tRnk-ig" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="embed tweet"> </div>
<div class="embed tweet">Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42839/watch-democratic-va-governor-endorses-murder-born-ben-shapiro">WATCH: Democratic VA Governor Endorses Murder Of Born-Alive Infants</a></div>
<div class="embed tweet">Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42838/walsh-democratic-party-completely-overrun-matt-walsh">WALSH: The Democratic Party Is Completely Overrun With Bloodthirsty, Abortion-Loving Radicals</a></div>

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Andrew Cuomo

Articles tagged with Andrew Cuomo

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