A new report details the massive amount of money the city of San Antonio has allegedly spent thus far in order to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant at an airport because six members of the city council believes the popular fast-food franchise is &#8220;anti-LGBTQ.&#8221;
Chick-fil-A, which recently became the nation&#8217;s third-largest fast-food franchise, has been under perpetual fire from the progressive left because of the traditional Christian views of its owners and its charitable arm&#8217;s donations to Christian organizations, including some that have expressed traditional views on marriage and sexuality. Though Chick-fil-A does not discriminate against LGBT customers and employs LGBT individuals, it has been branded as &#8220;anti-LGBTQ&#8221; by the left.
Among those who have condemned the franchise are six members of San Antonio&#8217;s city council, who voted last March to ban the franchise from opening a restaurant at the San Antonio International Airport, citing its supposed &#8220;legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.&#8221;
&#8220;With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,&#8221; the city council declared in a <a href="https://www.kens5.com/article/news/community/plan-to-bring-new-restaurants-to-sa-airport-amended-by-city-council-to-exclude-chick-fil-a/273-b8e90ec4-f077-48c3-a79d-7511dca48ba0">press release</a>, announcing its 6-4 vote. &#8220;San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.&#8221;
The decision sparked two lawsuits and a federal investigation, and, according to calculations by CBS-affiliate <a href="https://www.kens5.com/article/money/citys-chick-fil-a-fight-has-cost-more-than-300k-so-far/273-2bae1e94-62fe-4bc8-ba95-3dab02558696">KENS5</a>, has thus far cost more than $300,000 in legal fees. &#8220;According to the latest numbers, to day, the city has paid at least $315,000, with other invoices pending,&#8221; the outlet reports.
Days after the council&#8217;s decision in March to exclude the franchise, the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation, while multiple Texas political figures publicly condemned the city council&#8217;s discriminatory move, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The details of this story are even worse. San Antonio City Council voted to ban ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/ChickfilA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChickfilA</a>⁩ from the airport bc the company gave to&#8230;the Fellowship of Christian Athletes &amp; the Salvation Army?!? That’s ridiculous. And not Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeftistIntolerance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeftistIntolerance</a> <a href="https://t.co/ApTnlpS2E0">https://t.co/ApTnlpS2E0</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1109532206542848000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Among the reasons cited for labeling the company &#8220;anti-LGBTQ&#8221; was its donations to Christian charities, particularly the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home, which were listed a day earlier in a report by left-wing site <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/chick-fil-a-anti-lgbtq-donations-tax-filings-62ca15281f17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Think Progress</a> on Chick-fil-A&#8217;s <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/402397177/Chick-Fil-A-Foundation-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017 tax filings</a>.
In a decision met with backlash from the company&#8217;s large number of faith-based fans, Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-chick-fil-a-to-stop-donating-to-christian-charities-branded-anti-lgbt">announced</a> in November that the foundation was no longer going to donate to the Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes or the Paul Anderson Youth Home.
“There’s no question we know that, as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are,” Tassopoulos said. “There are lots of articles and newscasts about Chick-fil-A, and we thought we needed to be clear about our message.”
As noted by <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/san-antonio-chick-fil-a-open-legal-fees">Fox Business</a>, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy has since admitted that the chain &#8220;inadvertently discredited&#8221; groups with the decision.
&#8220;We understand how some thought we were abandoning our longstanding support of faith-based organization,&#8221; Cathy wrote in a Dec. 5 <a href="https://www.afa.net/media/449831/letter-from-chick-fil-a.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">letter</a> to American Family Association President Tim Wildmon. &#8220;We inadvertently discredited several outstanding organizations that have effectively served communities for years.&#8221;
&#8220;The intent of our corporate giving has always been to have impact &#8212; not to make a statement or support a political or social agenda,&#8221; wrote Cathy. &#8220;Chick-fil-A will give to faith-based and other organizations that we believe to be highly effective in a particular area.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chick-fil-a-ceo-says-company-will-still-glorify-god-after-throwing-salvation-army-under-the-bus">Chick-Fil-A CEO Says Company Will Still ‘Glorify God’ After Throwing Salvation Army Under The Bus</a>

Chick-fil-A

Report Details Ungodly Amount Of Money San Antonio Has Spent Blocking Chick-Fil-A

Christianity

Texas

In an interview with Turning Point USA published Sunday (video below), Jack Wilson, who was awarded the Texas Governor&#8217;s Medal of Courage last week for his life-saving response to a mass shooter at his church, gave a powerful defense of Second Amendment rights, which he maintains, are essential to keeping all our other rights under the Constitution.
Jack Wilson, 71, is a volunteer member of the security team at the West Freeway Church of Christ near Fort Worth, Texas, where a mass shooter opened fire during a church service on Dec. 29, 2019. As Texas allows licensed congregants to carry in churches, Wilson, a former Texas Army National Guardsman and NRA instructor, was armed, along with other members of the security team.
The expert marksman responded with remarkable speed when the shooter opened fire. Within six seconds of the gunman&#8217;s first shot, Wilson shot him dead, undoubtedly saving many lives. For his heroic actions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Abbott presented Wilson last week with the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bloomberg-misfires-on-jack-wilson-11579219312">Governor’s Medal of Courage</a>, the highest civilian honor the state of Texas awards.
After receiving the prestigious award, Wilson spoke with TPUSA about what prepared him for that harrowing moment when he confronted the shooter, including not only his years of training with firearms but his realist views on self-defense and the presence of &#8220;evil&#8221; in the world.
&#8220;There&#8217;s evil in the world,&#8221; Wilson told the conservative nonprofit. &#8220;Be prepared to protect yourself.&#8221;
&#8220;I killed evil. I took out evil,&#8221; Wilson said of the harrowing moment he took down the gunman with a single shot.
&#8220;I spent six years at Texas Army National Guard, 30 years in the defense world, D.O.D. world, had my own business for 21 years teaching people how to shoot,&#8221; said Wilson.
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t start at the moment that you need to protect yourself,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;You have to learn, choose a firearm you&#8217;re comfortable with, become proficient with it, train with it.&#8221;
&#8220;Without the Second Amendment — my opinion, very strongly — you will lose all other rights,&#8221; Wilson stressed. &#8220;The firearm is not the evil thing. The person behind it is either good or evil. It’s not a firearm issue. It is a person issue.&#8221;
Wilson also provided some details about how he and the rest of the security team was prepared for the actions of the shooter. When he first walked into the service, Wilson said he recognized him as an &#8220;obvious&#8221; potential threat in part because he appeared to be wearing a wig and a fake beard. &#8220;We were observed the individual, we were watching the individual,&#8221; he said, noting that he walked into the audio-visual room and instructed them to train one of the cameras on the individual.
&#8220;The individual got up and that&#8217;s when he turned &#8230; and pulled the shotgun &#8230; from underneath his coat,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Richard told him, &#8216;Drop the gun! Drop the gun!&#8217; I had people in front of me that prevented me from taking a body shot, a torso shot. The only shot I had was the headshot. When I took the headshot, the subject went down. From the time the individual turned with the gun in his hand till I was over him was a total of six seconds.”
&#8220;I did not do what I did &#8230; for hero status. I don&#8217;t see myself as a hero,&#8221; Wilson emphasized. &#8220;My role is more of a protector for anyone who happens to be in the congregation&#8230;&#8221;
In the end, he said, God is the one who should get the credit for the lives saved, saying, &#8220;God gave me the training, gave me the mindset, to be able to stop the situation.&#8221;
Video below via TPUSA:
<iframe title="Church Shooting Hero: Evil Exists, Defend Yourself" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0iNJ51YfP1U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hammers-bloomberg-for-his-comments-on-hero-with-gun-who-stopped-shooting">Trump Hammers Bloomberg For His Comments On Hero With Gun Who Stopped Shooting</a>

West Freeway Church of Christ

WATCH: Hero Who Stopped Texas Church Shooter: ‘Without The Second Amendment, You Will Lose All Other Rights’

Greg Abbott

Gun Control

Second Amendment

President Trump has been directing more criticism as of late toward former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose platform features radical gun control, which he has been promoting through his pro-gun control nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety since 2013.
After several tweets slamming &#8220;Mini Mike Bloomberg&#8221; last week, Trump hit the late addition to the Democratic presidential field on his past comments on Jack Wilson, a 71-year-old NRA instructor and volunteer security guard at a Texas church who stopped a shooter literally dead in his tracks before he could take more lives.
&#8220;It may be true that someone in the congregation had his own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people, but it’s the job of law enforcement to have guns and to decide when to shoot,&#8221; Bloomberg <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/479007-trump-slams-bloomberg-over-comments-on-man-who-shot-dead-texas-gunman">said</a> during an appearance at a church in Montgomery, Alabama, a few weeks ago. &#8220;You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.&#8221;
Trump added to his growing collection of &#8220;Mini Mike&#8221; tweets on Sunday by calling out Bloomberg over the comment.
&#8220;Now Mini Mike Bloomberg is critical of Jack Wilson, who saved perhaps hundreds of people in a Church because he was carrying a gun, and knew how to use it,&#8221; Trump tweeted. &#8220;Jack quickly killed the shooter, who was beginning a rampage. Mini is against the 2nd A. His ads are Fake, just like him!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Now Mini Mike Bloomberg is critical of Jack Wilson, who saved perhaps hundreds of people in a Church because he was carrying a gun, and knew how to use it. Jack quickly killed the shooter, who was beginning a rampage. Mini is against the 2nd A. His ads are Fake, just like him!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1219004689716412416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Texas&#8217; Republican Gov. Greg Abbott honored Wilson last week with the Governor’s Medal of Courage for rapidly shooting a gunman who opened fire in the church. Within six seconds of the shooter firing on congregants of the West Freeway Church of Christ, Wilson took down the gunman with a single shot. As <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bloomberg-misfires-on-jack-wilson-11579219312">The Wall Street Journal</a> noted last week, &#8220;most of America rightly regards Mr. Wilson as a hero who used his gun to save innocent life on that December Sunday.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s tweet comes amid massive backlash to the Democrats&#8217; gun control agenda in Virginia. Late last week, the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate passed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-over-massive-gun-control-protest-here-are-the-three-gun-control-laws-causing-all-the-controversy">three controversial gun bills</a> that have inspired tens of thousands of pro-Second Amendment rallyers to converge on Richmond, a development that has prompted Virginia&#8217;s Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to issue a temporary state of emergency, banning all weapons at the state capitol.
Bloomberg&#8217;s <a href="https://www.mikebloomberg.com/policies/gun-safety?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxb6H9NKS5wIVRR6tBh1rEASKEAAYASAAEgLaAfD_BwE&amp;utm_expid=.Ean3QEj9S1KUM4de8VlRlg.2&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F">gun control platform</a> calls for imposing an &#8220;effective background check system so that no one can purchase a gun without passing a completed background check,&#8221; closing all so-called &#8220;loopholes,&#8221; &#8220;including one that prohibits married domestic abusers from possessing guns, but not many unmarried ones,&#8221; &#8220;reinstat[ing] the federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and banning &#8220;all guns in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities – except for law enforcement.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s Sunday tweet followed a series of posts hammering Bloomberg last week, including one accusing the former mayor of engaging in a &#8220;vanity project.&#8221;
“Mini Mike Bloomberg ads are purposely wrong — A vanity project for him to get into the game,” Trump wrote Friday. “Nobody in many years has done for the USA what I have done for the USA, including the greatest economy in history, rebuilding our military, biggest ever tax &amp; regulation cuts, &amp; 2nd A!”
The president also mocked &#8220;Mini Mike&#8221; for avoiding the debate stage thus far. “Mini Mike Bloomberg doesn’t get on the Democrat Debate Stage because he doesn’t want to,” her wrote. “He is a terrible debater and speaker. If he did, he would go down in the polls even more (if that is possible!).”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mini Mike Bloomberg ads are purposely wrong &#8211; A vanity project for him to get into the game. Nobody in many years has done for the USA what I have done for the USA, including the greatest economy in history, rebuilding our military, biggest ever tax &amp; regulation cuts, &amp; 2nd A!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1218174158280019968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mini Mike Bloomberg doesn’t get on the Democrat Debate Stage because he doesn’t want to &#8211; he is a terrible debater and speaker. If he did, he would go down in the polls even more (if that is possible!).
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1218165916451602432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Trump

Trump Hammers Bloomberg For His Comments On Hero With Gun Who Stopped Shooting

Donald Trump

Michael Bloomberg

Texas Governor Greg Abbott awarded Jack Wilson, the hero who stopped the church shooting last month near Forth Worth, with the prestigious Governor&#8217;s Medal of Courage for his heroic actions.
On December 29, an armed man opened fire on churchgoers at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, for approximately five seconds before being neutralized by Wilson, who used a handgun he was carrying to stop the attacker.
&#8220;When faced with an evil that few of us will ever comprehend, Jack Wilson responded with strength, bravery, and with love for those in the church that day,&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-presents-governors-medal-of-courage-to-west-freeway-church-of-christ-hero-jack-wilson">said</a> in a statement.  &#8220;The courage in his actions cannot be understated, and Jack is not only a hero to West Freeway Church of Christ — he is a hero to the entire State of Texas.&#8221;
&#8220;So many lives were saved because of Jack Wilson&#8217;s quick action, his calmness under pressure, and above all else his courage and his willingness to risk his own life to save the lives of others,&#8221; Abbott said before giving the award to Wilson. &#8220;Only God knows who is alive today because of Jack Wilson.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today I presented the Governor’s Medal of Courage to Jack Wilson. 
He’s the hero who risked his life to save the lives of others by stopping a gunman in a deadly shooting at a church near Fort Worth. 
It’s the highest award given to civilians in Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/UPaWjmsjTi">pic.twitter.com/UPaWjmsjTi</a>
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1216831092092735488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last September, 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden attacked Abbott for allowing churchgoers to carry weapons with them in places of worship so they can defend themselves from attackers.
“Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,” Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-attacked-texas-governor-for-signing-law-letting-churchgoers-carry-guns-totally-irrational">told</a> reporters on September 2. “On the very day you see a mass shooting … and we’re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.”
The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/us/texas-new-gun-laws-trnd/index.html">new</a> laws that went in place in Texas last year include:
<ul>
<li>Allow licensed gun owners to have their firearms in their cars on school property</li>
<li>Allow for school districts to have more school marshals</li>
<li>Allow for some foster homes to be able to have firearms</li>
<li>Ban homeowners or landlords of rental property from prohibiting residents from having firearms</li>
<li>Prohibit residents from being charged with a crime for carrying a handgun during a disaster</li>
<li>Allow people to carry weapons in places of worship</li>
</ul>
Other Democrats responded to Wilson&#8217;s heroic actions by attacking the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Earlier this month, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren responded to Wilson&#8217;s heroic actions by announcing that she would not support laws that make it easier for law-abiding citizens to carry weapons to protect themselves and others.
“Will you support a universal conceal carry law for everyone in the country who’s willing to be licensed and checked by the government?” Warren was asked at a town hall even.
“No,” Warren <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warren-responds-to-hero-stopping-texas-church-shooting-i-will-not-support-conceal-carry">responded</a> as she repeatedly shook her head.
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, an anti-gun extremist, responded to Wilson&#8217;s heroic actions by essentially saying that Wilson should not have been the one who took out the shooter.
“It may be true — I wasn’t there; I don’t know the facts — that somebody in the congregation had their own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people, but it’s the job of law enforcement to have guns and to decide when to shoot,” Bloomberg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bloomberg-on-hero-stopping-church-shooting-cant-let-the-average-american-have-guns-in-church">said</a>. “You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.”

Jack Wilson Greg Abbott

WATCH: Texas Governor Greg Abbott Awards Church Hero Jack Wilson With Prestigious Medal

mass shooting

Shooting

According to a letter sent today to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that was just obtained by The Daily Wire, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced Texas&#8217;s refusal to accept any additional refugees for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The letter was prompted by <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-enhancing-state-local-involvement-refugee-resettlement/">Executive Order 13888</a>, on &#8220;Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement,&#8221; which was issued by President Donald Trump on September 26, 2019.
According to the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-enhancing-state-local-involvement-refugee-resettlement/">text</a> of the September executive order, &#8220;[t]he Federal Government consults with State and local governments &#8230; to be respectful of those communities that may not be able to accommodate refugee resettlement.&#8221; Furthermore, &#8220;if either a State or locality has not provided consent to receive refugees under the Program, then refugees should not be resettled within that State or locality,&#8221; and &#8220;the Secretary shall notify the President of such decision.&#8221;
Today, Greg Abbott, governor of the nation&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-at-texas-scorecard-texas-is-a-less-business-friendly-environment-than-you-might-think-its-time-to-fix-that">most iconic red state</a>, has made clear that Texas does not consent.
&#8220;Texas is one of the most welcoming states for refugees seeking to escape dangers abroad,&#8221; Abbott begins. &#8220;Since FY 2010, more refugees have been received in Texas than in any other state. In fact, over that decade, roughly 10% of all refugees resettled in the United States have been placed in Texas. Even today, the process of resettling continues for many of these refugees.&#8221;
&#8220;In addition to accepting refugees all these years, Texas has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system,&#8221; the governor continues. &#8220;In May 2019, for example, around 100,000 migrants were apprehended crossing this state&#8217;s southern border. In June 2019, individuals from 52 different countries were apprehended here. And in FY 2018, the apprehensions included citizens from disparate countries like China, Iran, Kenya, Russia, and Tonga. Texas continues to have to deal with the consequences of an immigration system that Congress has failed to fix.&#8221;
&#8220;At this time, the state and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless — indeed, all Texans,&#8221; the Republican writes in his denouement. &#8220;As a result, Texas cannot consent to initial refugee resettlement for FY2020. This decision does not deny any refugee access to the United States. Nor does it preclude a refugee from later coming to Texas after initially settling in another state.&#8221;
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
&#8220;Texas has carried more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process and appreciates that other states are available to help with these efforts,&#8221; Abbott concludes.
Abbott&#8217;s bold stand will please immigration hawks, who have long sounded the alarm on America&#8217;s shoddy, loophole-ridden refugee system and our wholly inadequate vetting capabilities for prospective refugees. As the Center for Immigration Studies&#8217; investigative journalist extraordinaire Todd Bensman <a href="https://cis.org/Bensman/Idiot-Lights-Blinking-Vetting-Failures-Still-Favor-Lying-Terrorist-Migrants">wrote</a> last April: &#8220;Few outside of intelligence and law enforcement circles — and perhaps not even those inside the circles — really know the actual extent of vetting failures that grant legal status to those hiding terrorism involvement. <a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/extreme-vetting-immigrants-estimating-terrorism-vetting-failures" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One tally</a> found an entirely unacceptable 13 cases of vetting failures involving actual terrorists caught or killed between 9/11 and April 2018. But the numbers are undoubtedly higher, accounting for cases where the liars just haven&#8217;t been made public yet or there was strong terrorism intelligence rather than some sort of conviction under terrorism statutes or attack.&#8221;
Abbott&#8217;s move also follows closely on the heels of at least 15 separate Republican governors who have all affirmatively signed onto more refugee resettlement in their states in the aftermath of Executive Order 13888. Immigration hawk Daniel Horowitz recently <a href="https://www.conservativereview.com/news/15-gop-governors-asking-refugee-resettlement-red-states/">excoriated</a> these governors at Conservative Review: &#8220;Except for New England, these are all states carried by Trump, some of them by a very wide margin. Trump won every single county in West Virginia and Oklahoma, for example. Why are conservatives with platforms not talking about this? &#8230; Who needs George Soros when you have GOP governors endorsed by Trump doing his bidding, along with the help of so-called evangelical groups?&#8221;
Governor Abbott will take no shortage of heat for this move, even within the still-reliably Republican Lone Star State. But he should rest well at night, for he has done the right thing for his state.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Texas Governor Greg Abbott

BREAKING: Texas Governor Abbott Boldly Rejects Additional Refugee Resettlement

Immigration

Mike Pompeo

Refugee

State Department

Texas Governor Greg Abbott revealed on Tuesday that the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) has seen an explosion of cyber attacks from Iran this week as tensions between the U.S. and Iran have continued to escalate.
ABC 13 <a href="https://abc13.com/5824116/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>While addressing the Domestic Terrorism Task Force on Tuesday &#8230; Abbott said there have been up to 10,000 attempted attacks per minute from Iran over the last 48 hours.</blockquote>
&#8220;These attacks from Iran-based entities, as well as other entities across the globe, are going to continue,&#8221; Abbott said. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s very important that everyone be particularly vigilant right now about what may happen out of Iran.&#8221;
In a statement, DIR executive director Amanda Crawford said, &#8220;The Texas Department of Information Resources constantly detects and blocks malicious traffic on the networks of the multiple state agencies it services. In the past 48 hours, DIR observed an increase in network activity from outside the United States, including Iran. As global threats to cybersecurity increase, we urge Texans to be vigilant and use heightened awareness as they conduct Internet activity.&#8221;
Late last week, Politico<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/03/iran-retaliation-qassem-soleimani-093608"> reported</a> that Iran, which has a &#8220;history of aggressive cyberattacks,&#8221; could potentially seek revenge against the United States through cyber attacks:
<blockquote>Tehran is widely considered to be one of the world’s most malicious online actors — alongside China, Russia and North Korea — and has a lengthy rap sheet of transgressions with an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of digital weapons.
One of its specialties is so-called wiper attacks, in which malicious software erases the hard drives of infected computers. Those include a massive 2012 hack on the Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco that is reported to have debilitated an estimated 30,000 computers.</blockquote>
The statement from Abbott comes as tensions between the United States and Iran reached a new-level on Tuesday night when Iran fired numerous missiles at bases in Iraq that reportedly housed U.S. troops. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/world/middleeast/iran-fires-missiles-us.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=Homepage">reported</a>:
<blockquote>“The fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement on a Telegram messaging app channel.
Iraqi military officials said that Iran had fired 22 missiles at two military bases in Iraq where American troops are stationed. United States officials initially said there were no immediate indications of American casualties, and senior Iraqi officials later said that there were no American or Iraqi casualties in the strikes.</blockquote>
Bloomberg reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported that the following officials were with President Donald Trump in the Situation Room on Tuesday night after Iran launched the attack:
<ul>
<li>Mike Pence &#8211; Vice President</li>
<li>Mike Pompeo -Secretary of State</li>
<li>Mark Esper &#8211; Secretary of Defense</li>
<li>Mark Milley &#8211; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff</li>
<li>Mick Mulvaney &#8211; Director of the Office of Management and Budget</li>
<li>Robert O’Brien &#8211; United States National Security Advisor</li>
<li>Joseph Maguire &#8211; Acting Director of National Intelligence</li>
<li>Stephanie Grisham &#8211; White House Press Secretary</li>
<li>Gina Haspel &#8211; CIA Director (joined remotely)</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Among those with Trump in Situation Room tonight after Iran fired a series of missiles at two U.S.-Iraqi airbases:
Mike Pence Mike Pompeo Mark Esper Mark Milley Mick Mulvaney Robert O’Brien Joseph Maguire Stephanie Grisham. 
CIA’s Gina Haspel joined remotely.
&mdash; Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1214764173038694400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Trump posted an update on the assessment of the damage from the attacks on Twitter late Tuesday: “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties &amp; damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties &amp; damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1214739853025394693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Texas Governor Greg Abbott Hosts Roundtable On School Safety In Wake Of Last Week&#8217;s Mass Shooting At Santa Fe High School

Governor Abbott: Texas Facing Up To 10,000 Cyber Attacks Per Minute From Iran

Iran

Iraq

There has to be a way to honor someone’s religious beliefs and respect members of the LGBT community at the same time. <a href="https://firstliberty.org/hensley/">Judge Dianne Hensley</a> thought she struck that balance. Instead, she received an official reprimand from the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct (“Commission”).
Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, public officials who are authorized (but not required) to officiate wedding ceremonies have faced the same dilemma Dianne faced. Many, rather than risk compromising their religious convictions, simply stopped officiating all weddings. But some demand that justices of the peace like Dianne either officiate all marriages or find themselves disqualified from office altogether.
Dianne knew there had to be another way. What if she were able to reconcile her religious beliefs with serving the needs of her community?
She knows that her convictions prevent her from officiating gay weddings, but she also respectfully understands that many of her gay friends do not share that same conviction. If she, like most of the justices of the peace in McLennan County, Texas, stopped officiating weddings altogether, it is those without ready access to low-cost alternatives who suffer most.
Instead, she found a way to honor her religious convictions and make sure any gay couple who wanted to get married could get married without delay or additional cost. Her referral system worked brilliantly.
If, because of schedule or moral reasons, Dianne could not officiate a requested wedding, she referred them to those who could — including a nearby walk-in wedding chapel. As soon as the couple holding a marriage license could make the three-block walk to the walk-in wedding chapel, they could be married.
It would cost the same, too. In fact, Judge Hensley offered to pay from her own pocket the difference between her rate and that of the walk-in wedding chapel. But the walk-in wedding chapel simply agreed to reduce its rate, instead, for those referred by Judge Hensley’s office.
It worked well. Dianne’s religious convictions remained undisturbed and her referral efforts accounted for more low-cost gay weddings than perhaps any other public official in all of McLennan County. But then, without having received a complaint, the Commission launched an investigation. Rather than praise her proactive problem solving, they determined she had to be reprimanded.
Dianne received a “Public Warning” for trying to honor her religious beliefs while respecting members of the gay community. It’s understandable why many have strong feelings about gay marriage, but surely we should be able to agree that justices of the peace like Dianne Hensley should not have their careers ruined for following both the rules of their faith and the law alike.
Surely in 2020, we can find a way to protect those with religious beliefs that prevent them from officiating weddings with which they morally disagree, while also accommodating the marriage of anyone lawfully allowed to wed. At the very least, no state agency should be punishing Dianne for her reasonable effort to reconcile her religious beliefs while meeting the needs of her community.
In fact, in a lawsuit we at First Liberty Institute filed in defense of Dianne, we argue that the Commission’s disciplinary actions violate the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act. There’s no compelling justification for the commissioners to punish a justice of the peace who, rather than cease officiating weddings entirely, accommodated more low-cost same-sex marriages than perhaps anyone in her entire local area.
Judge Hensley also hopes to continue using her referral system, even though she’s not required to officiate weddings at all. More than that, justices of the peace and other elected officials with the ability to officiate weddings are watching, hoping for a way to honor the distinctiveness of their faith while also respecting those in the gay community who wish to be married.
Is the only option really more reprimands? More penalties? More fines? Why must it either be officiate no weddings, officiate all weddings, or be disqualified from office because of your religious convictions, when there is a reasonable way to respect everyone involved?
Rather than punish her, the Commission ought to have recognized Dianne’s effort to balance her faith with the needs of her community — a type of basic, human, and much needed fairness missing in much of America today.
&nbsp;
Jeremy Dys (<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremydys">@JeremyDys</a>) is Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at <a href="https://firstliberty.org">FirstLiberty.org</a>.

judge gavel

DYS: Religious Liberty Must Be Respected In The Era Of Same-Sex Marriage

Homosexuality

Lawsuit

LGBT

Religion

Same-Sex Marriage

Supreme Court

<a href="https://www.predictit.org/markets/detail/3633/Who-will-win-the-2020-Democratic-presidential-nomination">Top-tier</a> 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-michael-bloomberg-stand-on-the-issues-heres-everything-you-need-to-know">long been an adamant foe</a> of Second Amendment rights, has now come out with his latest anti-gun doozy.
In the aftermath of the recent church shooting outside Fort Worth, Texas, which saw an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-church-shooting-reported-in-texas-armed-churchgoers-appear-to-have-stopped-it-reporter-suggests">armed churchgoer hero take down the culprit</a> a mere six seconds after he initially opened fire, Bloomberg has seen fit to opine that we as a society &#8220;can&#8217;t let the average American have guns&#8221; in a &#8220;crowded place&#8221; such as a house of worship.
&#8220;It may be true — I wasn’t there; I don’t know the facts — that somebody in the congregation had their own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people, but it’s the job of law enforcement to have guns and to decide when to shoot,&#8221; Bloomberg recently said, as <a href="https://www.conservativereview.com/news/bloombergs-texas-shooting-take-government-guns/">reported</a> by Conservative Review. &#8220;You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.&#8221;
That is a curious response, to say the least, to the revelation that the Texas church shooting hero was able to quickly neutralize the madman shooter. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-footage-emerges-of-good-guy-with-gun-taking-down-attacker-in-seconds">reported</a> on the dramatic video footage from West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas that flooded national media after the horrific tragedy.
<blockquote>The footage shows a man dressed in black in the back corner of the auditorium talking to another man, who has been blurred out in the video. The alleged attacker then pulls out what appears to be a short shotgun and opens fire on the man with whom he was interacting.
The alleged attacker fires one shot at the man he was talking to before being immediately shot by a good guy with a gun. The alleged attacker fires off one more shot toward the front of the church before he falls to the ground.
Within a matter of only a few seconds, at least four armed people in the congregation draw their firearms and immediately provide backup assistance to the individual who engaged the alleged attacker.</blockquote>
Bloomberg, who is himself Jewish and has long been involved in Jewish/Israel-related philanthropy, also seems uniquely out of touch amidst an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/phillips-a-year-of-rampant-anti-semitism-in-new-york-city">alarmed</a> American Jewish community that seems increasingly interested in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-an-armed-and-trained-jew-is-the-best-kind-of-jew">arming itself</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/remer-its-time-for-jews-to-take-up-arms">en masse</a>.
Here is how The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-michael-bloomberg-stand-on-the-issues-heres-everything-you-need-to-know">summarized</a> Bloomberg&#8217;s stances on Second Amendment-related issues:
<blockquote>Bloomberg’s anti-gun advocacy is perhaps the single most defining issue of his recent private citizen activism — and perhaps the single most defining issue of his 2020 presidential bid. He is very closely affiliated with and has <a href="https://everytown.org/press/new-gun-violence-prevention-group-everytown-for-gun-safety-unites-mayors-moms-and-millions-of-americans-on-new-paths-to-victory-state-capitols-corporate-responsibility-voter-activation/">helped</a> <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/bloomberg-gun-violence-moms-demand-action-volunteers">fund</a> Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, which are both groups deeply hostile to Second Amendment rights. He also co-founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns while he was mayor of New York City. Bloomberg supports <a href="https://www.mikebloomberg.com/policies/gun-safety">“universal” background checks</a>, which often serve as a rhetorical euphemism for the government serving as an intermediary in all private firearms transfers. Bloomberg believes that every gun owner should need a permit before making a gun purchase. He <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/cory-booker-wants-a-ban-on-assault-weapons-and-yes-it-means-putting-gun-owners-in-jail" data-reader-unique-id="49">supports a ban</a> on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer" data-reader-unique-id="50">lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</blockquote>

Michael Bloomberg campaign trail

Bloomberg On Hero Stopping Church Shooting: ‘Can’t Let The Average American Have Guns’ In Church

2020 Election

Anti-Semitism

Crime

Democratic Party

Gun Laws

Gun-Free Zones

Guns

Homicide

In a statement that stands in stark contrast to past comments by Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden, President Trump stated Tuesday that if it were not for Texas&#8217; law allowing churchgoers to carry arms, a shooting at a Texas church Sunday would have been far worse.
In a tweet Tuesday morning, Trump thanked the armed churchgoers who responded with remarkable speed when a gunman opened fire at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. Within seconds, one of the congregants who was carrying a weapon, 71-year-old Jack Wilson, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-footage-emerges-of-good-guy-with-gun-taking-down-attacker-in-seconds">killed the shooter with a single shot</a>. The armed churchgoers&#8217; actions, Trump suggested, saved many lives.
&#8220;Armed congregants quickly stopped a crazed church shooter in Texas,&#8221; wrote Trump. &#8220;If it were not for the fact that there were people inside of the church that were both armed, and highly proficient in using their weapon, the end result would have been catastrophic. A big THANK YOU to them!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Armed congregants quickly stopped a crazed church shooter in Texas. If it were not for the fact that there were people inside of the church that were both armed, and highly proficient in using their weapon, the end result would have been catastrophic. A big THANK YOU to them!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1212008798849814528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The tweet follows another statement addressing the attack posted Monday by the president in which he specifically cited Texas laws allowing congregants to carry at church services.
&#8220;Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday’s church attack,&#8221; Trump tweeted Monday. &#8220;It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the congregation of yesterday’s church attack. It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers. Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1211813523581546496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump&#8217;s praise of Texas gun laws is a strong rebuke of Biden&#8217;s criticism of the very law that ended up likely saving many people&#8217;s lives at the West Freeway Church of Christ on Sunday.
“Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-attacked-texas-governor-for-signing-law-letting-churchgoers-carry-guns-totally-irrational">told</a> reporters in early September. &#8220;On the very day you see a mass shooting … and we’re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.&#8221;
<a href="https://fox6now.com/2019/12/30/texas-church-security-member-who-shot-gunman-is-a-former-reserve-deputy-and-firearms-instructor/">Wilson</a>, a former reserve deputy and firearms instructor, posted a statement on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=124185712393438&amp;id=108631773948832">Facebook</a> on Sunday after the harrowing incident.
&#8220;I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today,&#8221; Wilson wrote. &#8220;The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church. I’m thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-pastor-demolishes-joe-bidens-desire-to-disarm-churchgoers-top-official-hero-saved-hundreds">Texas Pastor Demolishes Joe Biden’s Desire To Disarm Churchgoers; Top Official: Hero Saved Hundreds</a>

Trump: If Texas Didn’t Allow Churchgoers To Carry, More Would Have Died

A police sergeant in Fort Bend County, Texas, has had his home and car targeted with explosive devices twice in one week.
The Houston Chronicle <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Fort-Bend-sheriff-Molotov-cocktails-thrown-at-14937732.php">reported</a> that the sergeant, whose name has not been publicly released, was awoken last Monday night and discovered his house was on fire. “An investigation determined a molotov cocktail was thrown at the front window of the home,” the Chronicle reported. No one was injured.
The following Sunday, at around 3 a.m., a second Molotov cocktail was thrown at the sergeant’s car, which was parked in the driveway of his home.
“This is a dangerous game people are playing,” Fort Bend Sheriff Troy Nehls said during <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortBendCountySheriffsOffice/videos/540645996664667/?__xts__%5b0%5d=68.ARDG7Ek7qfggJq8smfkIhCudMx68F4Y5kHVhqXbERAgTtfvFSxhHMkY9anvzdx9NRINtjHf2fQ8x72p5_NwPf09fQjEhkwRHS0jLtvUdug4_NzPfkH8OBXQfRsRJwZt6Wg-zoJz-vqShFoXT2o5AdZP4323LlmEfBAqXz_s9PHME7vkIu_Wvwt-h16yFxCWzpNHHCQPbTyyDbM2fqoels5_aiH5-susbZeBd7S490yYcnzw_lO5xaX4b1fAAtnDWrXf9e2A91B-wmoTwSQgUKYxZpHxN1Fh9kw24CF9lp3YFOpBC89jHNYXzKYn8HDKAwHg51SIWbcbQH52Md0OXkdwn&amp;__tn__=-R">a press conference</a>. “It’s scary. It’s sad and we’re on top of this investigation.”
The Chronicle reported that “A surveillance video shows a dark-colored four-door Ford F250 truck with a silver ladder rack pull up to the house, at least one person exit the vehicle and drive away seconds before the blaze engulfed the car.”
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/texas-police-sergeants-home-car-hit-by-molotov-cocktails-in-separate-attacks/">reported</a> that the video also shows the driver of the suspected vehicle was “wearing blue jeans, white sneakers and a baseball cap.”
KHOU <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/arsonist-may-be-targeting-fort-bend-county-deputy-out-of-revenge/285-00331635-5b37-4f5a-8d3f-94d9a658069e">reported</a> that Nehls also said he believed this sergeant was targeted.
“I believe this is targeted,&#8221; Nehls said. &#8220;I believe that if this had happened one time last Monday, OK, but to come back five days later.”
The Molotov cocktail thrown at the home on Monday narrowly missed a front window, the outlet reported.
&#8220;If one of those glass bottles would’ve gone through those windows in front of that house, it could’ve been deadly,&#8221; Nehls said, according to KHOU. &#8220;Deadly for anyone inside that bedroom.”
Nehls also said during his press conference that the targeted sergeant worked on robbery and homicide investigations, so investigators will look at past cases for leads.
&#8220;If we find out that this is related to a case, a prior case that this individual investigated, this could be a federal hate crime,&#8221; Nehls said. &#8220;It could be a federal hate crime: targeting a peace officer.”
A $10,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of the suspected arsonist.
There have been several high-profile examples of police officers being targeted, the most famous in recent memory being the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers. In that example, a gunman opened fire on a group of officers, killing five and injuring nine others. The suspect in the shooting was killed shortly after.
Earlier this year, an officer in Baltimore, Maryland, was shot while on duty in an incident authorities said was a targeted attack. The officer was not injured, WBAL <a href="https://www.wbaltv.com/article/police-officer-targeted-in-west-baltimore-shooting-police-department/28831429">reported</a>. The targeted officer noticed a suspicious vehicle around 1:15 a.m. on August 27. The driver got out of the vehicle and started shooting at the officer before getting back in his vehicle and driving away. Police believe the same driver then tried to hit a police officer who was working a traffic stop.

Siren

A Texas Police Sergeant’s Home And Car Were Targeted With Molotov Cocktails

Police

Britt Farmer, Senior Minister of West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas, praised the Texas government on Sunday for allowing lawful gun owners in the state to protect themselves at places of worship after a good guy with a gun stopped an attack at the church.
Farmer&#8217;s remarks are a strong rebuke of remarks made by Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden earlier this year when Biden attacked Texas Governor Greg Abbott for signing a bill into law that allowed lawful gun owners to carry firearms in places of worship.
“First off, I want to say that I am extremely thankful to lieutenant governor and the governor &#8212; Governor Patrick and Governor Abbott &#8212; and their rapid response to this,&#8221; Farmer said. &#8220;To the law enforcement agencies that have been here, we couldn&#8217;t have asked for more professional, seamless interviews, and work with our congregation and our people and the kindness that was shown to them by law enforcement.&#8221;
&#8220;We lost two great men today, but it could have been a lot worse, and I&#8217;m thankful that our government has allowed us the opportunity to protect ourselves,&#8221; Farmer continued. &#8220;We have a congregation here of open-hearted people, we help people, we&#8217;re here to help people and to have something like this happen destroys my heart and when I say destroys it, destroys it because there is evil in this world.&#8221;
&#8220;Today is one sermon I&#8217;ll never preach, it&#8217;ll go away, it was called leaving a legacy, and two men today left legacy, but the congregation is going to build on that legacy,&#8221; Farmer added. &#8220;Right now I&#8217;d like to say to all those that are watching: thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray for the West Freeway Church family.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;d like to say we&#8217;re a place you and your family can call home, today our home was invaded by evil,&#8221; Farmer concluded. &#8220;The sad thing is it happens all the time as far as evil&#8217;s concerned, but I know two men right now that are better off than any of us are, and I hope and I pray that not only will we survive this, I know we will, but that in some way we might be a beacon to those who don&#8217;t know what to do because today we proved that not only can we be God loving, God-fearing people, but we can protect each other as well.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
West Freeway Church of Christ Senior Minister Britt Farmer: &quot;I’m thankful our government has allowed us the opportunity to protect ourselves&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5fLSnSjQzg">pic.twitter.com/5fLSnSjQzg</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1211442736399818754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Farmer&#8217;s remarks cut against what Biden, who is ardently anti-Second Amendment, said in September.
“Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,” Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-attacked-texas-governor-for-signing-law-letting-churchgoers-carry-guns-totally-irrational">told</a> reporters on September 2. “On the very day you see a mass shooting … and we’re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.”
Jeff Williams, Regional Director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, praised the hero who immediately engaged and killed the attacker.
&#8220;It cannot be overstated how important it is that everyone recognize what took place here today,&#8221; Williams said. &#8220;The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved 242 other parishioners, and that might get swept aside in this whole conversation about active shooter response, and God knows law enforcement has done a whole bunch of work to make our response better, we needed to do that.&#8221;
&#8220;But we’re starting to find out that, as the Lt. Governor mentioned, over half of these are over before we get there, and I want to commend the chief and his department, their response, it is never going to get faster than that, it was miraculous,&#8221; Williams continued. &#8220;And so the true heroes in this are the people who were sitting in those pews today and responded, the immediate responders that saved their fellow citizens. I just can’t overstate how critical that is, I just want to recognize it, it’s truly heroic and this citizens of this community have a lot to be proud of for their response.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Texas DPS Director Joeff Williams: “The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved 242 other parishioners”; “it was miraculous … true heroes” <a href="https://t.co/Mdj9N86tgj">pic.twitter.com/Mdj9N86tgj</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1211444880523874309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jeff Williams

Texas Pastor Demolishes Joe Biden’s Desire To Disarm Churchgoers; Top Official: Hero Saved Hundreds

Joe Biden

A report published late on Sunday night identified the man who allegedly used a firearm on Sunday to stop an armed attacker at West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas as 71-year-old Jack Wilson.
Heavy.com, which specializes in collecting hard to find information about trending news stories, first identified Wilson as the man who was allegedly responsible for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-church-shooting-reported-in-texas-armed-churchgoers-appear-to-have-stopped-it-reporter-suggests">preventing the shooting</a> in White Settlement from being significantly worse.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted out a link to Heavy.com&#8217;s report on Wilson, which noted that Wilson &#8220;is a former reserve deputy sheriff who was the long-time owner of a firearms training academy.&#8221;
Massie, who is a staunch Second Amendment supporter, told The Daily Wire, &#8220;I shudder to think what would have transpired if that church had been a gun free zone.&#8221;
&#8220;Several in the media have tried to downplay the heroic actions of this individual, by misleading people into thinking that he was a paid guard or career law enforcement,&#8221; Massie continued. &#8220;It appears to me that he was a highly trained citizen who cared enough about his fellow churchgoers to carry a firearm and risk his life in order to protect them.&#8221;
The report highlighted a Facebook post from a page that purportedly belongs to Wilson, who is running for a campaign for county commissioner for Precinct 3, which is in Hood County.
In the post, Wilson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=124185712393438&amp;id=108631773948832">wrote</a> the following about the incident that transpired at the church:
<blockquote>I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today. The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exist and I had to take out an active shooter in church. I’m thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Please pray for all the members and their families in this time. Thank you for your prayers and understanding.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This link has more information on the hero in Texas&#8230;<a href="https://t.co/XUFfVvHaw4">https://t.co/XUFfVvHaw4</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mb8OA2SkKU">pic.twitter.com/Mb8OA2SkKU</a>
&mdash; Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1211556508795908096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The report says that Wilson, who allegedly shot the attacker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-footage-emerges-of-good-guy-with-gun-taking-down-attacker-in-seconds">approximately 5 seconds</a> after the attacker fired his first shot, owned a shooting range in Texas called On Target Firearms Training Academy, Inc., until it burned down a couple of years ago.
<div id="fb-root"></div>
<script async="1" defer="1" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v5.0"></script>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/1146875188667515" data-width="500">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/1146875188667515" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
As a result of the MAJOR FIRE at ON TARGET, on January 23,2016, which resulted in total destruction of the ranges, major&#8230;
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/">On Target Firearms Training Academy, Inc.</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/1146875188667515">Sunday, May 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
On the page, Wilson&#8217;s company appears to have taught, or at least allowed, NRA FIRST Steps courses to be taught at the facility.
<div id="fb-root"></div>
<script async="1" defer="1" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v5.0"></script>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/733791453309226" data-width="500">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/733791453309226" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
April&#039;s weekday Concealed Handgun License class is Wednesday the 30th. Starts at 1:00pm. NRA First Steps starts at 9:00am.
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/">On Target Firearms Training Academy, Inc.</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTargetFirearms/posts/733791453309226">Tuesday, April 15, 2014</a></blockquote>
</div>
The tragic shooting comes after Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden attacked Texas Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year for signing a bill into law that allowed lawful gun owners to carry firearms into their places of worship to protect themselves.
“Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,” Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-attacked-texas-governor-for-signing-law-letting-churchgoers-carry-guns-totally-irrational">told</a> reporters on September 2. “On the very day you see a mass shooting … and we’re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.”
An NRA instructor also stopped the tragic shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in 2018 when he grabbed his rifle and ran to the church and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-who-shot-texas-church-murderer-nra-instructor-hank-berrien">engaged the terrorist</a>.
Biden also demonized the hero from the Sutherland Springs tragedy, telling a national audience that he should not have been allowed to have the firearm that he used to stop the terrorist.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden says that the man who stopped the Texas church shooter should not have been armed. <a href="https://t.co/pY3hBHPHuX">pic.twitter.com/pY3hBHPHuX</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/930362687409631232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Armed worshippers quickly kill gunman after fatal shooting at Fort Worth-area church

Texas Church Hero Delivers Powerful Message; Owned Gun Range, Appears To Be NRA Supporter, Report Says

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden attacked Texas Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year for signing a bill into law that allowed lawful gun owners to carry firearms in places of worship, repeatedly calling Abbott&#8217;s decision &#8220;irrational.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s resurfaced remarks come as an attacker opened fire on a church congregation in Texas on Sunday, where he was immediately stopped by a good guy with a gun.
&#8220;Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,&#8221; Biden told reporters on September 2. &#8220;On the very day you see a mass shooting &#8230; and we&#8217;re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it&#8217;s just absolutely irrational. It&#8217;s totally irrational.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In September, Democrat Joe Biden attacked TX Gov Greg Abbott for signing a law that let lawful gun owners carry guns into places of worship
Biden: &quot;it&#39;s just absolutely irrational. It&#39;s totally irrational&quot;
Today, a good guy with a gun saved countless lives inside a Texas church <a href="https://t.co/qeK31Bvm84">pic.twitter.com/qeK31Bvm84</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1211416447097831424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden continued, saying that any weapon that was capable of carrying “magazines that can hold multiple bullets” should be banned – which is nearly all firearms.
“It’s no violation of the Second Amendment,” Biden falsely claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden makes the most extreme gun-control push of all the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates:
Biden calls for banning &quot;magazines that can hold multiple bullets in them&quot;
All magazines hold &quot;multiple bullets,&quot; that&#39;s the point
This call from Biden would ban most handguns <a href="https://t.co/4iQkalBxVa">pic.twitter.com/4iQkalBxVa</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1168615170395922432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Later asked if there could be any compromises with Republicans on the issue, Biden responded, “None. None on this. I think this is no compromise. This is one we have to just push, and push, and push, and push, and push.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden goes far-left on guns, says there is “no compromise” on the issue and that it must be his way
Biden told CNN earlier this month that semi-auto firearms should be confiscated from law-abiding Americans <a href="https://t.co/5lpJjfkv0M">pic.twitter.com/5lpJjfkv0M</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1168603614648029184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/us/texas-new-gun-laws-trnd/index.html">reported</a> on the bill went into law on September 1, 2019:
<blockquote>Senate Bill 535 clarifies the possession of firearms at churches, synagogues or other places of worship. It allows licensed handgun owners to legally carry their weapons in places of worship – and comes nearly two years after a gunman killed 26 people at Sutherland Springs church.</blockquote>
&#8220;We have learned many times over that there is no such thing as a gun free zone. Those with evil intentions will violate the law and carry out their heinous acts no matter what,&#8221; Texas state Senator Donna Campbell, co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. &#8220;It makes no sense to disarm the good guys and leave law-abiding citizens defenseless where violent offenders break the law to do great harm.&#8221;
&#8220;The existing statute is confusing and clunky when it comes to clearly stating the rights of licensed Texans to carry on the premises of a church,&#8221; Campbell added. &#8220;This bill provides clarity of the legislature’s intent to treat churches in the same manner as other privately owned establishments in Texas.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/01/us/texas-new-gun-laws-trnd/index.html">new</a> laws in Texas:
<ul>
<li>Allow licensed gun owners to have their firearms in their cars on school property</li>
<li>Allow for school districts to have more school marshals</li>
<li>Allow for some foster homes to be able to have firearms</li>
<li>Ban homeowners or landlords of rental property from prohibiting residents from having firearms</li>
<li>Prohibit residents from being charged with a crime for carrying a handgun during a disaster</li>
<li>Allow people to carry weapons in places of worship</li>
</ul>
The resurfaced clips from Biden come as an attacker opened fire on a congregation on Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-footage-emerges-of-good-guy-with-gun-taking-down-attacker-in-seconds">Footage of the attack in Texas</a> shows a good guy armed with a gun taking down the attacker with a matter of only a few seconds, preventing further harm from happening to the church congregation.

Greg Abbott Joe Biden

Biden Attacked Texas Governor For Signing Law Letting Churchgoers Carry Guns: ‘Totally Irrational’

For all that’s said about Texas, there are still elements of the state that do not necessarily mix with conservative values about the Constitution. For McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley, she found out the hard way that the First Amendment’s religious protections only go so far in The Lone Star State.
Texas law does not require judges to officiate weddings, but they are free to do so if they wish. Hensley noticed that after the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision in 2015, which paved the way for same-sex marriages across the country, most judges in Waco and McLennan County simply stopped officiating weddings. This meant that same-sex couples wishing to get married would have to travel to be married, which would end up costing them more.
Hensley came up with a solution that allowed her to continue to live in accordance with her faith, but still allow same-sex couples to get married in her courthouse. She worked with a local private vendor and her staff to make sure her courthouse still officiated marriages that she herself would not have to officiate for religious reasons. This plan also worked if scheduling prevented her from officiating a marriage.
No complaints were filed against Hensley for her workaround, yet some time after the program started, she received a “Public Warning” from the Commission for Judicial Conduct, which had investigated her for her solution.
Hensley has now sued the commission with the help of the First Liberty Institute, which represents clients with religious liberty issues. Jeremy Dys, special counsel for litigation and communications at the Institute, said in a press release that Hensley was punished for “meeting the needs of her community.”
“Because of Judge Hensley, anyone who wants to get married in McLennan County can get married,” Dys said.  “For simply trying to reconcile her religious beliefs while meeting the needs of her community—ensuring anyone can get married who wants to be married—the Commission on Judicial Conduct punished her.”
Hensley’s lawsuit claims the “Commission violated the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act by investigating and punishing Judge Hensley for recusing herself from officiating at same-sex weddings, in accordance with the commands of her Christian faith.”
“By investigating and punishing her for acting in accordance with the commands of her Christian faith, the State of Texas has substantially burdened the free exercise of her religion, with no compelling justification,” she adds in her lawsuit.
Hensley is seeking $10,000 in damages for the Commission’s actions.
First Liberty has been responsible for some interesting cases in the past few years. Earlier this year the Supreme Court heard the case of the Bladensburg Cross, which had been erected as a memorial for World War 1 casualties. Opponents in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the American Humanist Association argued that the cross violated the Constitution. They argued that it elevated religion above nonreligion and Christianity above all other religions. The Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-rules-war-memorial-cross-public-land-can-paul-bois">ruled</a> in a 7-2 decision that this was not the case and that the cross was part of a nationwide trend in the early part of the 20th century to honor the dead with monuments from the community, many of which were crosses.

Texas Judge Finds Way To Marry Same-Sex Couples Without Violating Her Faith, Gets Punished

Daily Wire Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer, a Texas transplant, has the following piece today at <a href="https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/commentary-texas-is-a-less-business-friendly-environment-than-you-might-think-its-time-to-fix-that/">Texas Scorecard</a>, which is a publication of Empower Texans.
Texas is the largest and perhaps the nation’s most iconic conservative state. Cowboy culture, gun-totin’ ranchers, top-notch barbecue, evangelical megachurches — in the minds of many Americans outside the Lone Star State, this is what the thought of Texas conjures up in the imagination.
The fact that Texas doesn’t have a state income tax is a defining feature of the state’s business climate, and property tax reform served as the marquee issue for the most recent state legislative session. Accordingly, Chief Executive Magazine <a href="https://chiefexecutive.net/2019-best-worst-states-for-business-an-overview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chiefexecutive.net/2019-best-worst-states-for-business-an-overview/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344833000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE9v6v_rVzPZ7uFw0GEw-y3cK61XA">consistently ranks Texas</a> as the No. 1 state in the country to do business. Impressive, for sure.
But, unfortunately, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
While Texas does share some business-friendly elements, the state remains a litigation-friendly, plaintiff-friendly lawsuit haven. The threat of litigation makes it more difficult to do business in the Lone Star State and undermines our state’s ability to recruit new businesses to relocate here. Recently, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform <a href="https://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/states" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/states&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344833000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE8hlyQLCkqgjJtAV2lTIAuSdeTeg">ranked</a> Texas’ lawsuit climate an eye-popping 38th in the country — behind such leftist bastions as New York, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. This ought to serve as a wakeup call for legislators.
One particularly glaring problem is the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which is so notoriously plaintiff-friendly that it hosts <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-patent-case-may-shake-up-the-domination-of-eastern-texas-1490261403" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-patent-case-may-shake-up-the-domination-of-eastern-texas-1490261403&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344834000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE3ALIyTMJDhLwZKD7mChJJP4ctiA">nearly half of all new patent infringement lawsuits</a> in the country. In fact, Apple was so concerned with having a presence in the district, that it <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/22/apple-closing-stores-in-eastern-district-texas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/22/apple-closing-stores-in-eastern-district-texas/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344834000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHis_7d-fEgS_RNYOiEaEJmtfr3tw">took the extreme measure</a> of physically closing its retail stores there to protect itself from the scourge of patent trolls.
Recently, similar high volumes of patent infringement cases have sprouted up across the Lone Star State. One prominent example is Amrock v. HouseCanary, which was brought in Texas state court. In this case, a jury awarded an astonishing <a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/titanic-texas-trade-secrets-verdict-29320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/titanic-texas-trade-secrets-verdict-29320/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344834000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGbXVvtvL7rTldmHp6o3aSOK0IcfQ">$740 million on HouseCanary’s counterclaim.</a> However, after the jury rendered their verdict, four HouseCanary whistleblowers came forward to confirm that HouseCanary was not able to develop the technology that the contract called for. The jury had been duped. Now, more than a year later, the case is under appeal in the Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals.
The merits of the case stand on their own. HouseCanary promised to develop an appraisal app that would allow Amrock’s appraisers to complete appraisals in the field and agreed to provide other data and analytic products, such as an automated valuation model — all in an effort to save time, money, and resources in valuing a property. Amrock never received what it was owed.
Putting the merits of the case aside, such a judgment far exceeds the actual injury. Specifically, HouseCanary, the winner of the case, had just <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/housecanary#section-overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/housecanary%23section-overview&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344834000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH1Bm4pLzMvAhh7WHCsdlZBvl4enQ">$64 million</a> in total venture funding and had never turned a profit, yet was awarded nearly 150 times more than what the original contract was worth. This demonstrates the kind of massive punitive damages awarded in many Texas cases that can overly incentivize litigation and de-incentivize investment. My former law professor Richard Epstein <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardepstein/2018/09/12/jackpot-justice-in-texas/#56d7e6737158" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardepstein/2018/09/12/jackpot-justice-in-texas/%2356d7e6737158&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1576867344834000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEXSyR6mTMv7Xb5EAHmkdhKoVZhrA">summed up</a> the judgment well: “[O]ne does not need to know the details of this case to recognize that only in fairy tales does a party get a hundred-fold return from failing to keep its own contractual obligations.”
<a href="https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/commentary-texas-is-a-less-business-friendly-environment-than-you-might-think-its-time-to-fix-that/">Read the rest here.</a>

Texas State Capitol

Hammer At ‘Texas Scorecard’: Texas Is A Less Business-Friendly Environment Than You Might Think. It’s Time To Fix That.

Economy

Earlier this month, a Catholic Church in El Paso, Texas, was vandalized. Multiple windows and doors were broken and a small fire was set inside the church, which set off a fire alarm that alerted emergency response.
&#8220;St. Thomas did have an alarm system that did go off that alerted the fire department to come to the facility to address the problem,&#8221; Fernando Ceniseros, a spokesman for El Paso&#8217;s Catholic diocese, <a href="https://kvia.com/news/crime/2019/12/05/east-el-paso-catholic-church-latest-vandalized-fbi-unsure-if-cases-are-connected/">told KVIA</a> shortly after the attack.
Father Ed Roden-Lucero, the pastor for the vandalized church, <a href="https://kvia.com/news/crime/2019/12/08/east-el-paso-catholic-church-vandalism-included-bible-burning-and-satanic-symbols-pastor-says-fbi-probing-it-as-a-hate-crime/">told KVIA</a> on Monday that a bible was also set on fire, satanic symbols were painted around the church, and two crosses were turned upside down. He said the damage done to the church, St. Thomas Aquinas, was estimated to be $75,000 according to their insurance company.
&#8220;A bible was set on fire on a chair but was not completely consumed,&#8221; the pastor told the outlet. &#8220;A second fire was started on a table that apparently was set to intentionally burn a large framed image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The fire badly damaged the picture and did considerable damage to the wall.&#8221;
When the attack first occurred, the FBI said it was too early to say this fire was connected to the three other cases of Catholic churches being vandalized earlier this year. Fr. Roden-Lucero says the FBI told him the attack on his church is now being investigated as a hate crime.
In May and June, three Catholic churches in west El Paso – St. Matthew Catholic Church, St. Patrick Cathedral, and St. Jude Catholic Church – were all attacked with “incendiary devices,” KVIA <a href="https://kvia.com/news/2019/09/19/fbi-boosts-reward-to-15000-in-hopes/">reported</a>. In September, the FBI offered a $15,000 reward for information on the culprits.
“Every lead will be thoroughly investigated,” the FBI said at the time. “Regardless of how insignificant you think your information might be, we strongly encourage you to come forward and welcome your information and assistance.”
KVIA reported that “vandals broke into the church around 2 a.m. on Dec. 6 after using what Fr. Roden-Lucero described as large, heavy stones from the church landscaping to smash windows at the entrance to the gathering area, the parish main office and the bookkeeping office &#8211; which he said was ransacked before a pair of small fires were set.”
Parishioners and the community offered support to the church, Fr. Roden-Lucero said.
&#8220;Parishioners have mostly expressed sadness that someone would do such a thing to a parish that is known for its hospitality and service to the poor,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Every Sunday we pray for personal conversion as well as for the conversion of those, like the perpetrators of the crimes committed here, who are filled with anger, hate or prejudice.&#8221;
KVIA spoke to one parishioner at the time of the attack who were shocked something like this could happen, but remained resolute.
&#8220;To whoever did it we are not afraid of you, we will continue to come here to worship god and we will continue praying for those who did it,&#8221; the parishioner said.
No one was injured in any of the El Paso church attacks this year.

Hell signs

A Catholic Church In Texas Was Vandalized With Satanic Symbols. Pastor Says FBI Investigating A Hate Crime.

Catholic Church

Hate Crime

Don&#8217;t look now, but twice-failed Democratic candidate Beto O&#8217;Rourke may be back for a third run at Washington, D.C.
Supporters of the former Congressman (and former Texas Senate candiate and former Democratic presidential candidate) are reportedly trying to convince O&#8217;Rourke to jump in the Democratic primary to challenge Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) at the eleventh hour &#8212; a move that would displace a handful of Democrats who have been running for the opportunity to take on Cornyn for several months.
But, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/12/03/beto-orourke-backers-cite-poll-showing-hed-sail-through-senate-primary-cornyn-wary-hell-heed-the-call/?fbclid=IwAR1RDwVO6gQacApa2PUhb_Fl_vhE0t3j-y2WxJuWgYYr_iNpN7GIzgT5Wn0/">the Dallas Morning News reports</a>, there is no candidate in the race that truly presents a challenge to Cornyn and Texas Democrats are rather convinced that O&#8217;Rourke is their best chance to unseat the longtime Republican Senator.
&#8220;Poll after poll shows Cornyn would trounce the dozen or so contenders for the Democratic nomination at this point. None can touch the near-universal name recognition O’Rourke enjoys among Texas Democrats after his near-miss against Sen. Ted Cruz last year,&#8221; according to the Dallas outlet.
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s supporters even went so far as to commission a poll, testing whether O&#8217;Rourke would be competitive against Cornyn. Unfortunately for O&#8217;Rourke, though, it doesn&#8217;t seem he&#8217;d win, though he would fare better than the current crop of contenders.
&#8220;[A] new poll commissioned by backers worried that the current crop of candidates would fall short shows that O’Rourke is by far the top choice of Democratic voters in Texas at 58%, with the runner-up, state Sen. Royce West of Dallas at 13%&#8230;The poll also shows [O&#8217;Rourke] in a near-tie, trailing Cornyn 46-42 at this point, which is far stronger than others already seeking the nomination.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s campaign operation is currently dormant, and it doesn&#8217;t appear he shares the enthusiasm of his supporters &#8212; and, as the Dallas News points out, Beto O&#8217;Rourke specifically took a pass on taking on Cornyn in order to run for president, a move that some Texas Democrats interpreted as O&#8217;Rourke abandoning the state party for a more lucrative national career.
To get back into Texas Democrats&#8217; good graces, O&#8217;Rourke has been quietly pushing an effort to flip the Texas House, according to the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Democrat-Beto-O-Rourke-turns-his-attention-to-14876379.php">Houston Chronicle</a>.
&#8220;A month after ending his presidential campaign, Democrat Beto O’Rourke has turned his attention to state politics — namely, an effort to help flip the Texas House of Representatives from Republican control to the Democrats,&#8221; the Chronicle reports. &#8220;With Texas Democrats nine seats away from retaking the majority of seats in the Texas House, O’Rourke is trying to convince his donor base to send money to an organization called Flip The Texas House, which has targeted 17 House Districts in which Republican candidates won by fewer than 10 percentage points last year. More than half are districts in which O’Rourke won the majority of votes as he ran for U.S. Senate.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke has even sent out emails on behalf of the &#8220;Flip Texas House&#8221; effort, pushing some of the same themes he pushed in his presidential campaign. In his latest missive, O&#8217;Rourke claims a Democratic Texas House would mean &#8220;an end to racist gerrymandering, and a chance to address gun violence, reproductive rights, Medicaid expansion, criminal justice and climate change in Texas.”
Texas has come close to flipping before, but O&#8217;Rourke is just the latest in a long line of Democrats to fall short of expectations there.

Beto O&#8217;Rourke

Beto Back? Texas Dems Looking To Recruit Failed Presidential Contender To Take On John Cornyn

Beto O'Rourke

A San Antonio, Texas, family that set up a large inflatable snowman, reindeer and a Santa helicopter on their front lawn on November 1 got a message from their homeowners association: Pull it down.
Claudia Simonis, who has resided at the Lakeside at Canyon Springs subdivision with her family for four years, received a letter from Diamond Association Management &amp; Consulting on November 4 reading: &#8220;Maintenance &#8211; holiday decorations need to be removed. Please remove the snowman until closer to the holiday season,&#8221; <a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/too-soon-festive-family-told-to-take-down-christmas-decorations">WOAI</a> reports. The Lakeside at Canyon Springs subdivision is located on the far north side of San Antonio.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-family-told-take-down-snowman-because-too-early-christmas-n1082106">NBC News</a> reported, “The letter from the association goes on to say that it allows holiday decorations, but they should be taken down 10 days after the holiday. It doesn&#8217;t say when residents can put up decorations prior to the holiday.”
Claudia’s husband Nick said, &#8220;I was like, &#8216;Wow, that&#8217;s a first.’ I was angry, because there’s a reason why we&#8217;re doing it.&#8221;
Claudia Simonis, who is pregnant and due on Christmas Day, stated, &#8220;I just couldn’t believe it. My husband sent it to me and I said, &#8216;Are you serious?'&#8221; She added, “I feel kind of heavy, so the earlier we can put out the decorations, the better. Because probably in two more weeks, I&#8217;m not going to be able to build all this.&#8221;
Claudia continued, &#8220;I just found it crazy.  Especially that they didn’t give us a time. Like, when is the right time to put it?&#8221;
As NBC News reported, Claudia and Nick “put up their Christmas decorations a little earlier than usual in case the baby arrives early and because they wanted their two sons, a 7- and 3-year-old, to enjoy the display.”
Simonis insisted she won’t take down the display, adding, “I’m pregnant. And it took us forever to put them up. If anything, we’re adding more stuff.” Nick added, &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to do it. It&#8217;s the Christmas spirit. We&#8217;re not going to be forced by the HOA to take it down.&#8221;
According to Simonis, after she posted the association&#8217;s letter in a neighborhood Facebook group, some other residents reacted by supporting their support; one set up a 12-inch snowman in their yard; another put up Christmas lights.
One resident told WOAI, &#8220;We always abide by the rules and regulations. So, when we see it in black and white, there&#8217;s no problem. But if it&#8217;s not in black and white, who&#8217;s to say what&#8217;s what?&#8221; He added, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think this should be an issue. These are the holidays. This is what we do. We take care of our neighbors. That&#8217;s what a neighborhood is about.&#8221;
As <a href="https://thestir.cafemom.com/parenting_news/222524/hoa-tells-family-take-down-early-christmas-decorations">CafeMom</a> writes, commenting on the story, &#8220;Sure, you could make the argument that putting up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving has even hit might feel a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but get this: Studies have proven that <a title="Link: https://nypost.com/2019/11/01/decorating-for-christmas-early-is-good-for-you-study/" href="https://nypost.com/2019/11/01/decorating-for-christmas-early-is-good-for-you-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">putting up Christmas decorations early is actually good for you</a>, since it can drum up nostalgic memories from childhood and bring on an overall mood boost.&#8221;
Nick concluded, &#8220;So, you&#8217;re going to see in a couple days, everybody will have decorations up.”
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/npBoIPIXNOw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

NFL: DEC 07 Giants at Titans

Texas Family Sets Up Christmas Display On November 1. Their Homeowners Association Tells them To Pull It Down.

Christmas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection were surprised to discover liquid cocaine packaged inside 24 bottles of shampoo inside a man’s suitcase at the Houston airport.
The bottles totaled 35 pounds and contained $400,000 worth of liquid cocaine, Fox 10 Phoenix <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/400k-of-liquid-cocaine-found-hidden-in-24-shampoo-bottles-in-luggage-at-houston-airport-cbp">reported</a>. Officers at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport discovered the drugs, thanks to a K9 unit, and questioned the man who was carrying them, a 26-year-old  Columbian citizen, after he picked up the checked luggage. From Fox 10:
<blockquote>CBP says officers questioned the passenger, and that interaction led them to conduct a baggage search where they discovered the two dozen shampoo bottles concealing the liquid cocaine valued at $400,000.
Authorities say a K9 alerted to the bottles in a manner to indicate the presence of narcotics, and a test conducted by officers indicated the substance was cocaine.
“Our officers are the first line of defense at our ports of entry, so they are trained in the various smuggling methods people use to bring illicit goods into the U.S.,” said CBP Port Director Shawn Polley.  “We take every opportunity to intercept those illicit goods before they enter our communities, in this case it was 35 pounds of liquid cocaine.”</blockquote>
The drugs were seized and the man was sent back to Columbia, the outlet reported.
This was just the latest large drug bust this year.
In mid-June, federal law enforcement officials in Philadelphia seized 16.5 tons of cocaine &#8212; the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/record-bust-feds-seize-33000-pounds-cocaine-worth-ryan-saavedra">largest bust</a> in the history of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“A U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations-led multi-agency inspection of shipping containers aboard the MSC Gayane resulted in a substantial cocaine seizure in Philadelphia on June 17, 2019,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. “Authorities continue to process the seized cocaine and continue its inspection aboard the vessel in the Port of Philadelphia. Authorities have made two arrests, and will release a final tally and additional details when this operation concludes.”
U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain added: “This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history. This amount of cocaine could kill millions – MILLIONS – of people. My Office is committed to keeping our borders secure and streets safe from deadly narcotics.”
In September, police in Virginia arrested more than 30 people who were suspected of possessing “enough fentanyl to kill 14 million people,” <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fentanyl-drug-bust-investigators-seize-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-14-million-people-in-massive-bust/">according to CBS News</a>. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/35-people-arrested-virginia-having-enough-fentanyl-ashe-schow">reported</a> that it was the largest drug bust in the state in the past 15 years, and authorities seized more than 30 kilograms each of fentanyl and heroine, along with five kilograms of cocaine and more than $700,000.
“This opioid crisis is not an issue that is happening someplace else, or to someone else. It’s happening right here in Norfolk,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, G. Zachary Terwilliger, said during a press conference at the time of the arrests.
“We’re not talking about $500 and $600 deals, we’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he added. “You know, $20,000 in the trunk of somebody’s car in a gym bag, you know, behind a local restaurant.”
And in late October, police in North Carolina <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/6800-pounds-of-marijuana-39-pounds-of-cocaine-200000-seized-as-part-of-drug-trafficking-scheme">arrested four people</a> in connection with a drug trafficking scheme. In that bust, authorities seized 6,800 pounds of marijuana, 39 pounds of cocaine, and $200,000. One of the four who was arrested was charged with trafficking heroin.

Drugs

Border Patrol Found $400k Worth Of Liquid Cocaine In Shampoo Bottles At Houston Airport

Not all heroes wear capes.
Kayla Denney took over the animal shelter in Taft, Texas last November. At the time, the shelter was in disrepair and failing to find homes for its animals, leading to a 100% kill rate, <a href="https://www.kztv10.com/news/community/vista-semanal/local/petco-awards-local-woman-35-000-after-she-brings-animal-shelters-kill-rate-from-100-percent-to-zero-percent?sfns=mo">according to KZTV</a>. In the year since Denney took over, that rate has dropped to 0%, with 565 dogs and cats finding homes.
Thanks to her lifesaving changes, Denney has been awarded Petco’s 2019 National “Unsung Hero” Award.
“There are thousands of applicants, I didn&#8217;t know I was nominated,” Denney told KZTV. “I became the 2019 unsung hero for the country so one person in the whole United States and it still just blows my mind that that&#8217;s still a thing.”
Denney’s work in Taft quickly gained attention, because just four months into the job, she was among the top five contenders for the Petco award. For that she was awarded $10,000. After winning first place in the contest, she will be awarded an additional $25,000.
Denney told KZTV that the money will be reinvested into the animal shelter.
“It’s an older shelter and its run down,” said Denney. “We got lights thanks to a donor who put in electricity for us, but I want indoor outdoor kennels with a guillotine in between so when it’s raining we can put them inside.”
Just to clarify, Denney was referring to a type of door that raises and lowers when an animal enters or exits, not an actual guillotine.
Denney also talked about her plans for the future of the animal shelter.
“We want an area where they can have meet and greet out in the field and somewhere, they can have grass time rather than just cement time,” she told KZTV.
While Denney has been working to save the lives of hundreds of animals, Congress has been working to make animal cruelty a federal crime. While animal cruelty is deserving of harsh punishment, it is unclear just how much authority the feds have over the crime.
Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would make animal cruelty a federal crime, with exemptions for those who hunt, trap, and fish. On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed its own version of the bill, known as the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act. The bill increases the penalties for those purposefully hurt animals, including fines and up to seven years in prison.
As The New York Times reported, the House bill “was meant to bolster a law signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama, which banned videos showing animal abuse.” At the time, the bill did not make the videos a federal crime. That has changed under the new legislation, which now goes to President Donald Trump to sign into law.
It is unlikely that Trump would fail to sign the law.

Menu