Severe reductions to federal expenditures would be required in order to attain a balanced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget</a> while keeping intact critical programs such as Social Security, according to a new analysis.
Policymakers must enact 26% across-the-board spending cuts in order to balance the budget within the next decade, according to an <a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/what-would-it-take-balance-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. In order to balance the budget but also exempt programs such as defense, veteran benefits, Social Security, and Medicare from cuts, all other federal spending would have to be reduced 85%.
“Due to continued borrowing over the past several years, the desirable fiscal goal of budgetary balance has become much more difficult to reach, and it is highly unlikely it could be achieved in a decade or less, particularly if revenue, defense, and other parts of the budget are excluded from the solution,” the analysis said. “We recommend Congress adopt an aggressive but achievable fiscal goal in its budgets and any fiscal deals.”
Keeping veteran and defense spending intact would require 33% spending reductions for all federal programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The average annual benefit for a new retiree would decrease by as much as $13,000, while as many as 25 million recipients of Medicare would lose eligibility. Between 1.1 million and 1.4 million federal employees would be dismissed.
Another alternative is keeping defense, veterans, and Social Security expenditures intact while enacting cuts to Medicare and all other federal programs. Such a course would require 51% spending reductions for affected agencies.
“Wanting to balance the budget is an admirable and desirable goal. However, the path to get to balance within ten years is likely infeasible, and it is virtually impossible if major parts of the budget and tax code are exempt from change,” the analysis remarked. “Policymakers should set aggressive but realistic fiscal goals, should keep all areas of the budget on the table, and should put forward policies to begin reducing deficits. The first step, of course, is to avoid actions that would worsen our already unsustainable fiscal situation. Policymakers should agree not to pass legislation that calls for any new borrowing. We commend the adoption of a specific and realistic fiscal target.”
The analysis from the conservative think tank comes after Republican lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-concessions-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-gave-to-republican-holdouts-to-win-their-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck a deal</a> with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) under which the party’s new majority will introduce a budget that refrains from increasing the debt ceiling, an artificial limit on federal obligations imposed by Congress. Several Republican lawmakers initially hesitant to hand the gavel to the leader of their caucus had expressed concern about excessive federal spending.
The national debt is currently nearing $31.5 trillion even as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/interest-payments-on-the-national-debt-on-pace-to-surpass-military-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintenance costs</a> soar due to a higher interest rate environment. An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/government-must-raise-taxes-40-or-cut-spending-30-to-achieve-fiscal-balance-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from economists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School recently found that a 30% decrease in spending or a 40% increase in taxation would be necessary to handle current spending and future obligations.
“Just like all individuals and businesses, the federal government is subject to a budget constraint: it must fund all expenditures, current and future, from its tax and non-tax receipts over time,” the economists said. “By construction, the fiscal imbalance must be zero for a fiscal policy to be sustainable without future changes.”

U.S. Capitol Building

Federal Spending Must Be Cut 26% To Balance Budget, Even More To Keep Core Social, Defense Programs Intact: Analysis

Budget

Department of Defense

Economy

Medicare

National Debt

Social Security

U.S.

Veterans

On Friday, a woman was sentenced to three years in a New Jersey state prison for participating in a scam that brought in over $400,000 on a GoFundMe campaign. 
“This sentencing brings to a close a case that defrauded more than 14,000 people whose decency and compassion for others elicited a tremendously heartwarming response to assist someone they believed was truly in need,” Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw <a href="https://burlpros.org/third-defendant-in-402k-gofundme-scam-sentenced-in-superior-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“With the new year comes new hope for a better world, and our wish is that prosecutions like this will serve to deter criminals from such deceitful actions, but not discourage individuals from caring about those who are in crisis as a result of a tragedy, or simply need a helping hand after experiencing a hardship or setback,” Bradshaw added.
Katelyn McClure, a 32-year-old woman from Burlington Township, New Jersey, worked with her former boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, to make a GoFundMe campaign in November of 2017. The funds were allegedly being raised for Johnny Bobbitt, and the fundraiser claimed that he was a homeless veteran living in Philadelphia, prosecutors <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/08/nyregion/katelyn-mcclure-gofundme-scam-sentenced.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
McClure and D’Amico said on the platform that Bobbitt had given McClure money when she had run out of gasoline, which prosecutors said was a fabrication. The couple said they were aiming to bring in $10,000 for Bobbitt, but they ended up getting $402,000. They didn’t give all of the funds to Bobbitt, however, and instead splurged on a BMW, gambling, Louis Vuitton merchandise, and a vacation. 
The sentencing lands her in a state prison, but she is already serving out a federal sentence of 366 days and wasn&#8217;t at the sentencing because she is in federal prison. The state sentence will be carried out at the same time as the federal sentence.
Bobbitt <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/07/1147706326/gofundme-bogus-fundraising-sentence-3-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the two of them, saying that he hadn’t gotten all of the money. However, officials said he had described a similar encounter with a woman on his Facebook page in 2012. In 2019, he <a href="https://burlpros.org/third-defendant-in-402k-gofundme-scam-sentenced-in-superior-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded</a> guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception, Second Degree. 
A spokeswoman for GoFundMe said in a statement that “we take the misuse of our platform very seriously.”
“While the overwhelming majority of people use our platform every day to help others, we are aware that bad actors do exist and will attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity,” the statement said. It also said that for this event, GoFundMe “refunded 100 percent of all donations through our GoFundMe Giving Guarantee and, as we always do, we worked closely with law enforcement to ensure justice was done.”
The couple also has to completely pay back GoFundMe.

gold-trimmed wooden judicial gavel

Woman Sentenced To Three Years In State Prison Over GoFundMe Veteran Scam

Crime

New Jersey

Houston police have released a dashcam video of an Army Reserves veteran driving an uber who escaped after two passengers attacked him with one holding a gun to the vet&#8217;s head.
The police are hoping that releasing the video to the public will help them to find the suspects.
“They put the gun to my head, behind me, and shouting like, ‘Get out of the car,’” the Uber driver Dovran, who reportedly served seven years in the U.S. Army Reserves, told <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/01/03/get-out-before-i-kill-you-video-shows-terrifying-armed-robbery-of-rideshare-driver-in-west-houston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KPRC 2</a>.
The incident occurred on October 18, at roughly 11 a.m. Dovran said a pickup request came from a man named “MJ” in a parking lot behind a McDonald’s. The initial plan was for Dovran to make the drop-off near a Walmart, but then was changed to an apartment complex, Houston police stated. Dovran said that when the Uber approached the drop-off site, one man pulled out a gun and put it to Dovran’s head, demanding Dovran get out of the car, snapping, “&#8217;Get out before I kill you. Get out before I kill you. I&#8217;m going to kill you. Get the f*** out the car. Get the f*** out the car!”
“Luckily, he didn’t shoot me,” Dovran said.
The Dashcam video caught one suspect exiting the rear passenger door in order to open the driver’s side door to yank Dovran out. “I was holding my seatbelt so they failed,” Dovran recalled.
The ensuing struggle with the suspect who had left the car left him on the ground along with Dovran’s phone, prompting Dovran to try to drive away. “I was thinking, ‘Okay, if I drive off, at least one guy will be behind me because he was outside. Luckily, the guy who was in the driving seat, he just jumped out,” Dovran told <a href="https://abc13.com/rideshare-robbery-caught-on-video-dashcam-shows-passengers-hold-driver-at-gunpoint-houston-crime-stoppers-uber-threatened-with-a-gun/12646712/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 13</a>.
As Dovran drives away, the video shows the suspect with the gun insisting, “I&#8217;m gonna shoot you! I&#8217;m gonna shoot you!” before apparently jumping out of the car.
“I was shocked, you know. I was thankful to God like, he didn’t shoot me,” Dovran admitted. “Thankful. I’m lucky.”
Uber released a statement regarding the incident. &#8220;The actions of the riders shown in the video were chilling to watch and we are grateful the driver wasn’t injured,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;We removed the rider’s access and have reached out to the driver to offer support. We look forward to assisting police in identifying those responsible.&#8221;
Police have asked anyone who can identify the suspects to call Crime Stoppers of Houston.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yFWGGwOH7F4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Car Driver with GPS

Dashcam Video: Army Reserves Vet Driving Uber Escapes After Suspect Holds Gun To His Head

Houston

U.S. Army

Uber

Disabled veteran Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) took issue with fellow Congresswoman <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/democrat-sheila-jackson-lee-claims-that-biden-did-not-really-make-bigoted-you-aint-black-remark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sheila Jackson Lee</a> (D-TX) over the way she chose to transport her American flag while she was moving from one office to another.
Mast, who lost both legs and his left index finger in 2010 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) while clearing a path for the Army Rangers in Kandahar, Afghanistan — was clearly unimpressed when he saw that <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/report-rep-sheila-jackson-lee-retaliated-against-emily-zanotti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Lee</a> had placed a rolled up American flag in a trash can in the hallway with instructions detailing where it was to be moved.
&#8220;Today’s rescue mission: saving Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s American flag from the garbage can,&#8221; Mast tweeted a photo of the offending trash can along with a short video. &#8220;@JacksonLeeTX18, anytime you’d like a lesson on flag etiquette, let me know. It’s one of the first things we’re taught in basic training.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today’s rescue mission: saving Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s American flag from the garbage can. <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLeeTX18?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacksonLeeTX18</a>, anytime you’d like a lesson on flag etiquette, let me know. It’s one of the first things we’re taught in basic training. <a href="https://t.co/dZljLi41GA">pic.twitter.com/dZljLi41GA</a>
&mdash; Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBrianMast/status/1600966553281105920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So, this is a W-T-F moment here in the House of Representatives,&#8221; Mast began, adding, &#8220;People moving offices and this is apparently where Representative Sheila Jackson Lee keeps her American flag, her POW flag, in the garbage can, in the trash.&#8221;
Mast panned the camera to show the trash can in the hallway, clearly labeled with a sign saying where it was to be moved.
&#8220;That&#8217;s her idea of appropriate for moving the American flag. WTF. What the — what the hell is wrong with these people?&#8221; he asked.
Some critics quickly pointed out that Jackson Lee was only moving the flag and did not likely mean for it to remain in the trash can, but Mast himself acknowledged that — and his argument appeared to simply be that even just transporting a flag in a trash can was disrespectful.
And according to the <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title4-chapter1&amp;saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU0LXNlY3Rpb244%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim&amp;edition=prelim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Flag Code</a> (4 U.S. Code Ch. 1), Mast makes a reasonable point:
<ul>
<li> §8 (b) &#8220;The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.&#8221;</li>
<li>§8 (e) &#8220;The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

Flag

Disabled Vet Congressman Torches Colleague For Putting American Flag In Trash Can

Disabled Vet Congressman Brian Mast Torches Sheila Jackson Lee For Putting American Flag In Trash Can

American Flag

Congress

Sheila Jackson Lee

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-pratt">Chris Pratt</a> and other cast members from “The Terminal List” took the time Friday to thank those who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans">served</a> in the military in honor of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans-day">Veterans Day</a>.
The official Twitter account for the series shared a brief message Friday. 
“Hey, I’m Chris Pratt. I play James Reece in ‘The Terminal List,’” the video begins. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For your sacrifice, we thank you. Today and every day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VeteransDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VeteransDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/DzmcpH6Oik">pic.twitter.com/DzmcpH6Oik</a>
&mdash; The Terminal List (@TerminalListPV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerminalListPV/status/1591083335203291136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“I want to take a moment to appreciate our armed forces today,” Christina Vidal, who plays Mac Wilson, says next. “Thank you so much for your service,” Taylor Kitsch (Ben Edwards) continues. “Thank you for keeping us safe,” Tyner Rushing, who plays Liz Riley, adds. 
Pratt concludes the message saying, “God bless you.” 
“For your sacrifice, we thank you. Today and every day. #VeteransDay,” the Twitter post caption reads.
“The Terminal List” resonated strongly with audiences thanks to what many claim is a realistic portrayal of the military. The series follows Navy SEAL commander James Reece, portrayed by Pratt, as he embarks on a mission to find out who killed his platoon and get revenge.
Though it became the most-watched video on Amazon Prime with 1.6 billion minutes of streaming during one week in July, the drama was largely panned by critics, leading some fans to accuse them of being unfairly critical to non-woke entertainment.
Pratt even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-pratt-mocks-woke-critics-of-the-terminal-list-by-touting-audience-stats-1-6-billion-minutes-streamed-so-far">shared the link</a> to a Daily Mail article with the title, “The new Yellowstone: Chris Pratt’s new Navy thriller The Terminal List defies woke critics’ scathing reviews to shoot up ratings chart with 1.6 BILLION minutes of streams.”
He followed that with a photo of Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” franchise with the caption, “One point six BILLLLLLLLLION minutes.”
This isn’t the first time Pratt went public with his appreciation for veterans. In 2019, he penned a lengthy tribute to his older brother Cully, who served in the military. 
He wrote in part on the Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ueswlJoLc/">post</a>, “We have the greatest armed forces the world has ever seen. It’s made up of real people who joined for myriad reasons. Brave men and women who sacrifice a whole hell of a lot. Today is their day.”

“The Terminal List” Los Angeles Premiere – Arrivals

‘God Bless You’: Chris Pratt And ‘Terminal List’ Cast Honor Military On Veterans Day

Chris Pratt And 'Terminal List' Cast Honor Military On Veterans Day

Celebrities

Chris Pratt

Entertainment

Veterans Day

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> Superior Court judge ordered a prospective juror to spend 24 hours in jail after he refused to wear a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/face-mask" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mask</a> in the courtroom.
Judge Charles Gilchrist is the only judge in the courthouse who enforces a mask mandate after North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2021/05/14/following-new-cdc-guidance-face-coverings-governor-cooper-lifts-many-covid-19-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifted</a> a statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings over a year ago. Gilchrist found 47-year-old Gregory Hahn of Harnett County in contempt of court for his refusal to follow the judge’s mask order, WRAL News <a href="https://www.wral.com/mask-dispute-lands-potential-harnett-county-juror-in-jail/20520640/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“The irony of all this is the judge was talking to me without a mask,” said Hahn, a Navy veteran who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/north-carolina-judge-sends-prospective-juror-jail-for-refusing-wear-mask-mask-optional-courthouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> served on the President&#8217;s Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “If safety was such a concern, I go to jail [with] no mask requirements with inmates.”
Clerk of Superior Court Renee Whittenton said in a statement that each of the prospective jurors were told of Gilchrist’s mask rule when they checked in, and the court provided them with masks if they did not have one, but Hahn said he was not made aware of the mandate, and it was not listed on Hahn’s court summons. The courthouse does not have any signs that state masks are required.
“You can go in any district courtroom without a mask, you can come into superior clerk court without a mask and the [district attorney’s] office without a mask, but with Judge Gilchrist he has a mandate that you must wear a mask,” she said.
A joint order by Harnett and Lee counties from March stated that masks are optional in hallways, foyers, restrooms, meeting rooms, and similar areas, but the order allowed presiding judges to decide whether they wanted a mask mandate in the courtroom.
The Navy veteran and single father said Gilchrist asked him twice if he was refusing to wear a mask, and Hahn said he was. The judge then reportedly ordered Hahn to spend 24 hours in jail, and he was handcuffed and taken away minutes later. Hahn said he asked Gilchrist if he could call his son who was at home, but the judge refused his request.
&#8220;I never thought this could happen in this country,&#8221; Hahn said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m jailed for doing my civic duty and not doing anything,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s mind-boggling.&#8221;

Gavel and Mask

A Navy Veteran Showed Up For Jury Duty. The Judge Sent Him To Jail For Not Wearing A Mask.

Judge Sends Prospective Juror To Jail For Not Wearing Mask

Court

Face Masks

Judge

North Carolina

<div>
A Virginia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/naacp-demands-washington-commanders-jack-del-rio-be-fired-for-comments-about-january-6-george-floyd-riots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NAACP</a> leader and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/honor-them-for-their-great-sacrifice-chris-pratt-shakes-hands-and-thanks-wwii-veterans-at-premiere-for-the-terminal-list/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army veteran</a> was shot dead while shielding his girlfriend earlier this week when they were caught in the crossfire of an apparent gang-related shootout during a Caribbean vacation.
</div>
<div>
Kent Carter, who was first vice president of the civil rights organization’s Arlington, VA, chapter, was killed in Turks and Caicos Islands Sunday, according to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.
</div>
<div>
“NAACP Arlington Branch mourns the tragic and unexpected loss of our 1st Vice President, Kent Carter, who passed away Sunday, October 2, 2022, while vacationing abroad,&#8221; the chapter wrote on Facebook. “Our deepest sympathies go out to his family. May God grant them strength during this time of sorrow.”
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pay attention to this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NAACP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NAACP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KentCarter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KentCarter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/e1hQ2O5f1u">pic.twitter.com/e1hQ2O5f1u</a>
&mdash; smoove (@KyseJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyseJ/status/1577806925168787457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Police Commissioner Trevor Botting told reporters investigators believe Carter&#8217;s killing was random and may have been linked to a turf war between rival gangs. Carter and his girlfriend, who was not identified, were visiting the islands to celebrate his 40th birthday,  The pair were leaving the beach on a hotel shuttle bus when he was shot.
</div>
<div>
Botting  <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/arlington-virginia-man-kent-carter-killed-on-vacation-turks-and-caicos-naacp/3174605/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NBC4</a> that gang members shot “indiscriminately,” hitting the shuttle bus and sparking a shootout with police. In addition to Carter, a tour guide and a suspect were killed and five other people were injured.
</div>
<div>
“These criminals proceeded to indiscriminately shoot into the vehicle transporting the employees and tourists,” Botting said. &#8220;Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those murdered.”
No arrests had been made, but police recovered the suspects&#8217; car and several guns, authorities said.
</div>
<div>
A U.S. State Department spokesman said officials are providing consular assistance to Carter’s loved ones.
</div>
<div>
NAACP Arlington Branch President Julius Spain told the outlet Carter shielded his girlfriend from the gunshots, potentially saving her life.
</div>
<div>
“Words alone aren&#8217;t enough to say how much this hurts, how much we grieve right now,” Spain said.
</div>
<div>
Carter worked as a real estate agent in the Northern Virginia area. Robert York, a neighbor of Carter’s, said the slain man will be greatly missed.
</div>
<div>
&#8220;He and his family, just really great neighbors. So this is just incredibly sad news,&#8221; he told FOX 5 DC.
</div>

Screen Shot 2022-10-06 at 10.04.38 AM

Virginia NAACP Leader Killed In Gang Shootout During Caribbean Vacation

Murder

NAACP

Virginia

A blind army veteran is at the center of a burgeoning legal fight between the Seattle Seahawks and his wife&#8217;s campaign for U.S. Senate.
The Seattle Seahawks issued a cease-and-desist letter to Washington state Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley, over the inclusion of what looks like a team jersey in one of her ads. But the Seahawks previously honored Smiley&#8217;s husband, former U.S. Army Major Scotty Smiley, for his service. The decision is part of a larger legal battle that appears to be brewing between the Tiffany Smiley campaign and <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-senate-candidate-tiffany-smiley-criticizes-seattle-times-starbucks-seahawks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several Seattle institutions</a>.
&#8220;It has been brought to our attention that the Smiley for Washington campaign is making commercial use of trademarks and/or copyrights belonging to [the Seahawks] in connection with its “Game Day” television ad,&#8221; the team wrote in its <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wsJhuftgMYWFbhBpZDCQOSig-rXRIYTz/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Smiley campaign.
&#8220;Absent an agreement with the National Football League (“NFL”) or the Seahawks, third parties are prohibited from using Seahawks Trademarks in any manner that may suggest that it is in any way endorsed by, or otherwise affiliated with, the NFL or the Seahawks. Given that the Smiley for Washington campaign has no such agreement with the NFL or the Seahawks, we must ask that it immediately cease its unauthorized commercial use of Seahawks Trademarks&#8230; It is our hope to resolve this matter quickly and amicably.&#8221;
In the ad, Smiley is discussing the impact of inflation on her family&#8217;s grocery bills on football Sundays. The ad cuts to her husband for less than two seconds; in the original cut of the ad, he could be seen wearing a dark blue jersey with neon green stripes and what looks like an NFL shield. But it is not immediately clear that the jersey is a Seahawks jersey. The Smiley campaign published an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7st-x0xWHw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated version</a> of the ad in which all distinct markings are removed, and Scotty Smiley is wearing a plain blue jersey.
Seattle-based radio talk show host Ari Hoffman called out the Seahawks over the move, pointing out that in 2014, the team honored him as part of their &#8220;Salute to Service&#8221; initiative. &#8220;Hey @Seahawks. You guys honored Scott Smiley in 2014,&#8221; Hoffman <a href="https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/1576415146289041408?s=20&amp;t=3mQtmrhJuKX8f81adaV9sQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. &#8220;Now you&#8217;re mad about him wearing a Seahawks jersey in a campaign ad because his wife is running as a Republican for Senate. How about you guys focus on football instead of politics? You got enough trouble winning these days.&#8221;
Hoffman also shared pictures of Smiley at the Seahawks&#8217; stadium in his army uniform, then ripping open his shirt to reveal a Seahawks jersey underneath. Hoffman questioned whether that jersey was the one he wore in the ad, and whether the team gave him the jersey.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I wonder if this is the same jersey from the ad. It&#39;s hard to tell in the ad because you just see part of the top of his shoulders, which demonstrates exactly why these copyright claims are bogus. 
I am also curious if the Seahawks gave him the jersey <a href="https://t.co/aGlfqqGr7d">pic.twitter.com/aGlfqqGr7d</a>
&mdash; Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/1576449101918765056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Seattle-area journalist Brandi Kruse said on Twitter that they had, and also pointed out that while they sent Smiley a cease-and-desist notice, they did not level similar notices against a Democrat running for re-election to the Washington State Legislature. &#8220;Hey @Seahawks: You sent a cease and desist letter to the @SmileyForWA (R) camp because her hero husband who was blinded serving our country wore the jersey YOU gave him for TWO seconds in a campaign ad,&#8221; Kruse wrote. &#8220;You said it could suggest an endorsement.&#8221;
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🧵 Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/Seahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Seahawks</a>: You sent a cease and desist letter to the <a href="https://twitter.com/SmileyForWA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SmileyForWA</a> (R) camp because her hero husband who was blinded serving our country wore the jersey YOU gave him for TWO seconds in a campaign ad. You said it could suggest an endorsement. <a href="https://t.co/HWjSSsr4J4">pic.twitter.com/HWjSSsr4J4</a>
&mdash; Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/1576267324667330561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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So how do you explain this from a Democratic candidate’s campaign page?&#8221; Kruse added, sharing screenshots of Democratic State Representative Tarra Simmons spending the day with the team promoting her &#8220;work to advance racial and social justice,&#8221; in an explicit campaign message on Facebook. &#8220;@TarraSimmons5 has done AWESOME things with her life — but so has the Smiley family. Are you a football team or a political organization?&#8221;
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So how do you explain this from a Democratic candidate’s campaign page? <a href="https://twitter.com/TarraSimmons5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TarraSimmons5</a> has done AWESOME things with her life — but so has the Smiley family. 
Are you a football team or a political organization? <a href="https://t.co/ChJdd7RegA">pic.twitter.com/ChJdd7RegA</a>
&mdash; Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/1576267332623953920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The @Seahawks have every right to protect their brand – but do they apply their own rules evenly?&#8221; Kruse <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/1576268212559192065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>.
<a href="https://hopeunseen.com/about/">Scotty Smiley</a> was deployed to Iraq in 2005, when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb; shrapnel entered his eyes, permanently blinding him. He continued to serve until 2015, the first blind active-duty officer in military history.
Tiffany Smiley is locked in a tight Senate race against incumbent Democrat Patty Murray. A recent poll from the <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WA-General-Poll-Report-0926.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trafalgar Group</a> found the Smiley trails Murray by just 2 points.

Seattle Seahawks helmet

GOP Senate Candidate’s Blind Army Vet Husband At Center Of Legal Fight Between Her Campaign And The Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks Issues Cease-And-Desist Against WA GOP Senate Candidate. The Team Previously Honored Her Veteran Husband 

2022 Midterms

Republican

Seattle Seahawks

U.S. Senate

Washington

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In a fiery letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, ripped him for the FBI’s alleged targeting of conservative individuals and organizations — including one led by a veteran — accusing the organization of classifying such organizations as extremist threats in order to advance a partisan political narrative.
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Jordan began by noting that as far back as July 27 he had written to Wray about “whistleblower disclosures that FBI officials were pressuring agents to reclassify cases as ‘domestic violence extremism’” even if the cases did not meet the criteria to be classified as such, and said that Wray had refused to respond.
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He pointed out that a whistleblower had revealed the FBI, in its “Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide” on “Militia Violent Extremists” included symbols such as “2A,”  the “Betsy Ross Flag” and the “Gadsden Flag&#8221; as extreme symbols.
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Jordan then turned to the FBI &#8220;characterization&#8221; of the group American Contingency — which was founded by former U.S service member Mike Glover — as a domestic violent extremist group. Citing a whistle blower, Jordan said that the FBI investigated Glover’s life by perusing his military records, veteran&#8217;s disability rating, and monthly disability benefit. According to documents provided to Jordan, the FBI found in 2020 that Glover&#8217;s group only “desires to assist Americans in preparing themselves for catastrophic events and not to overthrow the United States Government.”
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“This whistleblower information suggests that the FBI opened an investigation into an American citizen — and deemed him a potential ‘threat’ — simply because he exercised his First Amendment right to speak out in protest of the government,” Jordan charged, adding that the whistleblower stated, “It seems clear that this is an instance where an FBI employee reported something because it didn’t align with their own Woke ideology.  I think this is a primary example of how woke and corrupt the FBI has become.”
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“This disclosure comports with other whistleblowers who have described how the FBI is pressuring its employees to recharacterize cases as DVE cases to artificially pad its data and advance a misleading political narrative,” Jordan continued.
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“One whistleblower described the level of politicization within the FBI&#8217;s leadership as ‘rotted at its core,’” Jordan related. “As we have detailed, multiple whistleblowers have disclosed how the Biden FBI is conducting a ‘purge’ of FBI employees holding conservative views. You have ignored these concerns and instead suggested the FBI is above any criticism or accountability.”
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Whistleblower Reveals FBI Labeled Veteran-Led Organization as Domestic Terrorist Group <a href="https://t.co/v4an06dWQB">pic.twitter.com/v4an06dWQB</a>
&mdash; House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1570246091974774786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Jordan Wray

Jordan Rips FBI Director Wray: FBI Called Veteran-Led Group Domestic Terrorists

Christopher Wray

Jim Jordan

Terrorists

A nursing home has issued an apology after video went viral of a stripper hired to entertain wheel-chair bound senior citizens at a veteran home for retired army personnel.
A spokesperson for the state-run Taoyuan Veterans Home in Taiwan explained that the exotic dancer was brought in to lift the spirits of the seniors was &#8220;too enthusiastic and fiery&#8221; as they apologized for hiring the dancer in an effort to celebrate &#8220;Mid-Autumn Festival,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/13/stripper-performs-for-wheelchair-bound-seniors-at-nursing-home-sparks-backlash/?utm_source=NYPTwitter&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=SocialFlow">New York Post</a> reported in a piece published Tuesday.
&#8220;The intention of the event was to entertain residents and make them happy,&#8221; the statement to the outlet read. &#8220;We are very sorry for the offense that was caused.&#8221;
The spokesperson also said the adult dancer&#8217;s actions were &#8220;too enthusiastic and fiery,&#8221; and promised to be &#8220;more cautious&#8221; with future events.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMDjuOrm8ak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> taken September 7 by one of the attendees and then shared on social media, the scantily clad woman put her chest in the faces of the men as she danced around, spread her legs, and gave the men a lap dance as they touched the woman&#8217;s breasts and crotch.
It is clear from the video the senior citizens are loving the raunchy show as they clap along with the masked dancer.
Once the video went viral, the nursing home was faced with a backlash and had to end up releasing a statement apologizing for their decision.
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Nothing But Respect To This Nursing Home That Hired A Stripper For Their Seniors <a href="https://t.co/Jd2bFgGDOl">https://t.co/Jd2bFgGDOl</a> <a href="https://t.co/VNkWjO2wZq">pic.twitter.com/VNkWjO2wZq</a>
&mdash; Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1569794302691131399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The two previous Mid-Autumn Festivals had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. It is a holiday in Chinese culture when people gather to celebrate the rice and wheat harvests of the season and wish for a fruitful harvest in the coming year, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/backlash-after-nursing-home-hires-strippers-for-cultural-holiday/news-story/7bd0ed5badecde08118a83e9d61ec4b9">one outlet</a> noted.
Reading through a lot of the comments on social media, the majority of reactions seemed to be favorable to the nursing homes&#8217; original decision.
One person tweeted, &#8220;More moral do-gooders getting their knickers in a twist about a nursing home in Taiwan that brought in strippers for the elderly army veterans. The men seem to be loving it. Yet, apparently this is not &#8216;treating them with dignity.&#8217; They could have left!&#8221;

Strippers

‘Too Enthusiastic And Fiery’: Nursing Home Issues Apology After Video Goes Viral Of Stripper Hired To Entertain Residents

'Too Enthusiastic And Fiery’: Nursing Home Issues Apology After Video Goes Viral Of Stripper Hired To Entertain Residents

Nursing Homes

Taiwan

Vietnam veteran Glenn Cook, 70, left behind no family when he passed away in May of this year — but on Tuesday, his community came together to give him a hero&#8217;s farewell.
Cook, who served in the U.S. Army, left everything he had to the BackStoppers — an organization which, according to the <a href="https://backstoppers.org/how-we-help/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, &#8220;provides ongoing needed financial assistance and support to the spouses and dependent children of all police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and publicly-funded paramedics and EMTs in our coverage area who have lost their lives in the line of duty.&#8221;
When the BackStoppers learned that Cook had left them everything — and that he had passed away without any family — they stepped up to repay his kindness with a final farewell. Michel Funeral Home joined in the effort as well, and took care of the cremation. A service was arranged at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery where Cook would be interred with full military honors including a 9-gun salute and a bugler playing &#8220;Taps.&#8221;
&#8220;REMINDER&#8230;&#8230;.. Tomorrow we are going to inter Vietnam Veteran Glenn Cook at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. He will receive full military honors. This veteran has no family (unclaimed veteran). If you can please try to attend these funeral services tomorrow. No veteran should be laid to rest with no one in attendance,&#8221; Michel Funeral Home put out a call to the public, asking people to take some time out of their day to pay their respects.
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And the community answered the call. Dozens of cars joined a procession led by the Patriot Guard riders, waiting in the heat for nearly an hour as a prior interment ceremony finished.
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Vietnam veteran Glenn Cook, 70, passed away with no surviving family. But St. Louis will not allow a hero to be buried alone. <a href="https://t.co/RCNYlBkUbJ">pic.twitter.com/RCNYlBkUbJ</a>
&mdash; Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAKruta/status/1562118200397123585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Three men fired three shots each, and the bugler began to play. Those gathered around placed their hands over their hearts — and veterans raised their hands to salute — as the final notes echoed around them.

Soldier folding flag at military funeral

Vietnam Veteran Dies With No Surviving Family — So The Community Lines Up To See Him Off

Vietnam

Military and veteran suicide has become an epidemic in our country. In 2017, a year when only 21 soldiers were killed in combat, <a href="https://dcas.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/app/summaryData/deaths/byYearManner">318 active-duty</a> soldiers and <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2019/2019_National_Veteran_Suicide_Prevention_Annual_Report_508.pdf">6,139 veterans</a> died by suicide.
The military has tried to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Military-and-Veteran-Suicide-Prevention-Strategy.pdf">address this issue</a> by providing a variety of counseling and support resources to soldiers and veterans. Unfortunately, those resources are not taken advantage of as fully as they should be, as soldiers often <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC443475/">avoid seeking help</a> for reasons of pride or fear.
Soldiers fear they could lose their security clearances, become non-deployable, look bad to their command or weak to their peers, and ultimately have their reputations affected. Despite those in command positions encouraging soldiers to seek support, many still avoid doing so. And with no required mental health checks, those who need it most may not receive the support they need.
With all the emotions, anxiety, lack of sleep, anger, grief and trauma soldiers experience after returning from war zones, why are there no required counseling and mental health checks to make sure they are mentally and emotionally well?
In police departments across the United States, when one or more officers are involved in a shooting, the <a href="https://cops.usdoj.gov/ric/Publications/cops-p370-pub.pdf">mental wellness of every officer</a> present is typically addressed. Officers who are involved in or witness a shooting are put on <a href="https://cops.usdoj.gov/ric/Publications/cops-p370-pub.pdf">administrative leave</a> pending counseling. But young men coming home from war zones who experience things such as being shot at, losing friends, having their vehicles blown up, or having to help pick up their injured friend’s body parts, have little time away from duty and no required counseling.
Many people wonder why veteran suicide has become such a big issue. I do not think we should be surprised at all.
We send these men and women into battle and give them all the tools they need to win a war but we give them no tools to survive after they return home. Winning wars is the easy part. The real challenge begins when we allow our men and women to bring the mental and emotional wounds they have sustained from those wars home with them, but give them no tools or time to heal.
Soldiers who need help but fear their careers may be at stake if they seek counseling instead choose to handle the issue on their own. They shove the pain and anger down deep and, when that doesn’t work, they try to numb it. They joke about PTSD and they drink. They joke about being shot and blown up and they drink. They joke about the guy they put a bullet in who nearly got them first and they drink. And they drink.
Then, one day they retire. In the blink of an eye they have gone from living, breathing, and eating military to being a civilian. They are no longer surrounded by those who understand the jokes that keep their pain at bay. Their brothers who check in on them to make sure they are doing okay slowly drift away. They are instead surrounded by people who criticize the wars these veterans fought in and lost friends in because they don’t understand them and did not give up any part of their lives or hearts to fight in. These veterans are surrounded by people but still feel completely alone. And while the world grows slowly quieter and lonelier, their demons grow louder as distance and life separates them from the brotherhood they once knew.
The tape of the moments of on-the-ground fighting to keep their brothers alive is forever running in their mind. They relive the battles in which they lost friends, all of those moments that left them with guilt for surviving, the times they spoke with the families of those killed and wished they had done something different. Wondering again if maybe they could have changed the outcome somehow.
The heartache and suffering builds, causing them to feel separated and detached from every other person in their lives. They don’t have the tools to stop these thoughts and painful memories, so they take whatever actions they see fit to end the pain. And when they die, we pretend they never existed. The military doesn’t honor all of those who die of the emotional and mental wounds inflicted by battle – only those who die from physical wounds.
Those emotional and mental wounds often lead to suicide. We pretend suicide shows dishonor and a problem with the individual, not the system. When a soldier dies of suicide, you will never see his or her name etched into any memorial on base. You won’t see them honored on the National Mall. Their memory is wiped away. Those who die in war have plaques made in their honor, but those who serve alongside them courageously and later die from their survivor’s guilt have their names wiped from the hallowed halls they walked with their brothers in arms.
What are we teaching the soldiers by doing this? It’s clear: shame on you for being human, shame on you for caring, and shame on you for ending your pain while we turned a blind eye to it.
As a country we <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272473/us-military-spending-from-2000-to-2012/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20United%20States,when%20adjusted%20to%202019%20dollars).">spend</a> around $700 billion a year on our military. So why is it that we haven’t done more for these men and women coming home from battle? Why don’t we have a better plan? This year we sent billions of dollars to Ukraine. We spend millions a year planning and preparing to deploy every soldier. But we have no effective program to assist those on the front line to recover from the horrors of war before they re-enter society.
We as a nation need to do better. Our men and women on the frontline fighting for our freedom deserve it. It’s time we fight for them.
Michelle Black is a mother of two boys, a Gold Star wife, and author of Sacrifice: The Green Berets, a Fateful Ambush, and a Gold Star Widow’s Fight for the Truth. As the first woman in her family to graduate high school, she attended California Polytechnic State University where she graduated with a degree in environmental sciences and horticulture. She lives in Washington state.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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