Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech as prophetic -- and chilling -- today as it was 72 years ago

The statue of Britain's former Prime Minister Winston Churchill is silhouetted in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, January 30, 2015.  (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh)

Monday marks the anniversary of the delivery of a critical address by one of the most important figures of our time: Winston Churchill’s “Sinews of Peace” speech.  This stirring oration delivered on March 5, 1946 at Fulton, Missouri, in the presence of President Truman, was vitally important to defining events and inspiring sentiment unique to the time, but its messages have significance and lessons far beyond.

Known colloquially as “the Iron Curtain Speech,” this event had an important impact on framing the primordial threat to world peace in the post-World War II period – the Cold War – and to focusing attention on the leading global alliance motivated to protect world peace, the Anglo-American Special Relationship.

In the speech, Churchill sounds a chilling warning to the West to be vigilant against the gathering clouds in Europe: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent…seeking everywhere to obtain totalitarian control.” Worse still, he cautions as to the acquisition of nuclear weapons in the hands of our enemies.
He reminds us with an authority no one else could have that, “Last time [World War II] I saw it all coming and cried aloud to my fellow countrymen and the world, but no one paid attention…It could have been prevented, in my belief, without the firing of a single shot… but no one would listen, and one by one we were all sucked into the awful whirlpool.”

Even with his legacy of having saved the free world, and his great oration, Churchill’s speech earned scorn from many sides, unsurprisingly fueled by the media, both American and British.

The great war leader went on to outline his hope for the outcomes of the Marshall Plan and the formation of global organizations committed to peace-keeping.  The subsequent history of these, one fears, would have left Churchill sadly disappointed. Of particular note, the United Nations and the European Union, with their sovereignty-leeching tendencies to stifle nation states and great bi-lateral friendships such as that of the U.S. and United Kingdom, would have confounded as well as disappointed Churchill.
Notably, he coined a phrase in this speech, “THE Special Relationship”—referring to the Anglo-American alliance— which suggests the importance it deserves.  At Fulton, Churchill highlighted the need, for the whole world, of our great alliance—a relationship based upon a compassionate world view underpinned by “the great principles of freedom and the rights of man which are the joint inheritance of the English-speaking world,” undergirded by the resources of our combined military might.
While he would have been let down by the trajectory of many global organizations, Churchill would have been reassured by the achievements of the Special Relationship, which endures to help stabilize the world, notwithstanding new global threats and all manner of heads of government in both countries.
Indeed, thank heaven for a bi-lateral alliance that has not only the strength, but the resolve to take on the world’s great menaces, undeterred by the voices of protest.
If not for leadership like that of Churchill, and Reagan and Thatcher after him, freedom would surely not prevail today.
What if, for instance, Churchill had bent to public opinion favoring appeasement in Britain before she entered the war?  The period of darkness and inhumanity unleashed by the Nazis likely would have penetrated the whole world, including our own shores.
Even with his legacy of having saved the free world, and his great oration, Churchill’s speech earned scorn from many sides, unsurprisingly fueled by the media, both American and British. The New York Times said Churchill had painted "a dark picture of post-war Europe." He was accused after the speech for positing “poisonous doctrines” that were tagged as alarmist, racist, and imperialist.  Even Truman initially backed away, but once again, under Stalin’s leadership, events proved Churchill prophetic.
Contemporary detractors wail against the American Exceptionalism embodied by President Trump’s approach and protest on the streets of San Francisco and elsewhere. In the UK socialist-embracing Corbynistas and American Sandersites wail against capitalism and free markets and wring their hands over holding our enemies in the Middle East and North Korea to account.
Happily good sense still prevails in some quarters.  The stirring new film “Darkest Hour” is an example.  It portrays for a new generation Churchill’s stand against the whirlwind of adversity and reminds us just how close we came to losing everything we fight for.    And for its part, Fulton, Missouri, has a museum dedicated to the inspiring statesman.
In the end, Churchill’s instincts were right—about nearly everything that counts.  Thank you, Winston for Fulton and for your courage and resolve.
Lee Cohen is a Senior Fellow in Western European Affairs at the London Center for Policy Research, and the New York Director of the Anglosphere Society.  He was formerly the Director of the Congressional United Kingdom Caucus.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel makes anti-GOP jabs after first professing positivity

The unique monster movie "The Shape of Water" took home the award for best picture at the 2018 Academy Awards on Sunday as host Jimmy Kimmel and some stars brought things to a political place during Hollywood’s biggest award show of the year with jabs at President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and even Fox News viewers.

Despite calling for a show filled with positivity, both the host and stars like Common, Kumail Nanjiani and Lupita Nyong'o made the movie-centric show political.

Kimmel began with an old-timey announcement in which he listed the stars in attendance, making his first political jab with “Black Panther” actress Lupita Nyong’o.
ANNE HATHAWAY TALKS ABOUT DRESS THAT SHOWED OFF WAY TOO MUCH
“The stunning Lupita Nyong’o, she was born in Mexico and raised in Kenya,” Kimmel said at the top of the show. “Let the tweetstorm from the president's toilet begin!”
From there, the host launched into a positive monologue that poked fun at the whirlwind year in Hollywood, which saw the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements dominate the headlines and previous award shows. In commenting on the year’s diversity, he highlighted “Get Out” helmer Jordan Peele.

“We don’t make films like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ for money. We make them to upset Mike Pence.”

“Jordan is only the first person in 90 years to be nominated for directing, writing and best picture for his debut film,” he said. “What a debut it was. None other than President Trump called ‘Get Out’ the best first three quarters of a movie this year.”
The final political jab came when discussing the gay romance film “Call Me By Your Name.” The host noted that the film, despite being an Oscar-nominated feature, did not score big at the box office.
OSCAR DOUBLE STANDARD? ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES SHORT, MOVIE MONTAGES LONG
“We don’t make films like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ for money,” he quipped. “We make them to upset Mike Pence.”
He lauded the actual Oscar statue, noting its age of 90 and taking a swipe at Fox News viewers in the process: "Oscar is 90 years old tonight, which means he’s probably at home tonight watching Fox News."
He also said the Oscar, "Keeps his hands where you can see them, never says a rude word, and most importantly no penis at all. He is literally a statue of limitations."

Sam Rockwell took home the Oscar for best supporting role for his part in “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.”  (AP)

The host ended his opening monologue by explaining that winners are allowed to say whatever they want in their acceptance speech, encouraging people to comment on the recent shooting in Parkland, Fla. as well as other activism with regards to the #MeToo movement.
From there, the show launched into its first trophy of the evening, with Sam Rockwell taking home the Oscar for best supporting role for his part in “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
WEINSTEIN STILL A PRESENCE AT OSCARS
In later quips, the host commented on the recent departure of Hope Hicks from the White House, joking there was now a lack of hope at the White House.
Later, after the best documentary feature award went to “Icarus,” a film that portrays an unflattering look at doping in sports, particularly with regards to the recent scandal in Russia, Kimmel made another jab at the current political climate.
“Now at least we know Putin didn’t rig this competition, Right?”

"I did it all by myself," Janney joked before launching into her speech, in which she thanked a bird.

Kimmel wasn't the only one getting political throughout the night. Stars Kumail Nanjiani and Nyong'o took the stage to share a message of support to Dreamers ahead of announcing "Shape of Water" as the winner of best production design.
“Like everyone in this room and everyone watching at home, we are dreamers. We grew up dreaming of one day being in the movies. Dreams are the foundation of Hollywood and dreams are the foundation of America,” Nyong’o said.
“To all the dreamers out there,” Nanjiani continued. “We stand with you."
The next major award of the evening went to Allison Janney, who took home the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for her work on "I, Tonya."
"I did it all by myself," she joked before launching into her real speech, which included a thanks to her bird co-star from the hit ice skating biopic.
In the biggest stunt of the evening, Kimmel wanted to thank moviegoers for their contribution to the industry. He  enlisted the help of celebrity volunteers from the crowd to surprise a group of unsuspecting people at a nearby theater who thought they were seeing “A Wrinkle in Time.”
The starpower for the stunt included Ansel Elgort, Mark Hamill, Guillermo del Torro, Gal Gadot, Lupita Nyong’o, Emily Blunt, Armie Hammer, Lin Manuel Miranda and Margot Robbie
Kimmel and Gadot entered first before inviting the others in, armed with candy, a hot dog cannon and sandwiches.
“This is so much better than the Oscars,” Gadot said, before Kimmel noted that the theater had a stench of marijuana.
“It’s true,” she said. “Not that I would know.”
From there, Kimmel asked a random audience member to introduce Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph to introduce the next category.
Dave Chappelle took the stage soon after to introduce a musical performance from Common and Andra Day to perform “Stand Up for Something” as an ode to American activism with politically charged lyrics about topics like the NRA, the Parkland shooting, immigration, feminism and Puerto Rico.
As they sang, famed activists Alice Brown Otter (Standing Rock Youth Council), Bana Alabed (author and Syrian refugee), Bryan Stevenson (Equal Justice Initiative), Cecile Richards (Planned Parenthood Action Fund), Dolores Huerta (Dolores Huerta Foundation, United Farm Workers of America), Janet Mock (#GirlsLikeUs), José Andrés (ThinkFoodGroup), Nicole Hockley (Sandy Hook Promise), Patrisse Cullors (Black Lives Matter) and Tarana Burke (Me Too) took the stage behind them, with one holding up a Puerto Rican flag at the end of the performance.

Common and Andra Day performed a song accompanied by activists at the 2018 Oscars.  (Reuters)

After that, a pre-taped segment in which actors, directors and many more spoke about the diversity of the year and the rise of diversity and the “#MeToo” and Time’s Up movements. The segment was a complete about-face from last year, in which the awards were criticized for a total lack of diversity.
“Some of my favorite movies are movies by straight white dudes about straight white dudes,“ Nanjiani said in the video. ”Now straight white dudes can watch movies starring me and you relate to them. It’s not that hard, I’ve done it my whole life.”
"I remember going to see 'Wonder Woman,' sitting in the theater and hearing women cry at this big action extravaganza. And something clicked," Berry Jenkins said. "And I’ll say it, this is what white men feel all the time, and all these women are having this experience for the first time. I imagine it will be the same thing when people go see 'Black Panther.'”

From there, "Call Me By Your Name" was awarded best adapted screenplay right before Jordan Peele took home an historic trophy for best screenplay with "Get Out."
Soon after, though, the first female nominated for best cinematography, Rachel Morrison, lose out to Roger A. Deakins for "Blade Runner 2049."
From there, “Shape of Water” took home the award for best musical score and the animated film “Coco” won best song for “Remember Me” before the special musical tribute to the artists we've lost this year.
Eddie Vedder took the stage to sing Tom Petty's "Room at the Top" as images of departed actors, directors and others in showbusiness flahsed on screen. John Heard, Martin Landau, Glenne Headly, Roger Moore, Sam Shepard and Jerry Lewis were given special mention.
From there, it was time for the biggest awards of the night, starting with best director.
“These four men, and Greta Gerwig,” Emma Stone joked while announcing the nominees, noting the only female-nominee in the category.
Guillermo del Torro ultimately took home the trophy, though.
He thanked everyone for giving him and everyone in showbusiness an opportunity to "erase the lines in the sand."
"We should continue doing that when the world tells us to make them deeper."
The coveted award for best actor in a leading role came next, with Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren taking the stage to discuss the “#MeToo” movement. They announced Gary Oldman for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in “The Darkest Hour.”

Guillermo del Torro took home the award for best director and best picture for "The Shape of Water."  (Reuters)

“Put the kettle on, I’m bringing Oscar home,” he said to his 99 year old mother watching at home.
From there, Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster took the stage to announce Frances McDormand as the winner of best actress in a supporting role for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.”
While accepting her award, the star asked every female that was nominated in any category in 2018 before making a plea to Hollywood to finance their stories and their projects. Her parting words for the academy were "inclusion rider."
When it was all said and done, Guillermo del Torro took the stage to thank the youth for showing how films should be done while he accepted the award for best picture for his film "The Shape of Water."
"This is a door, kick it open and come in," he said.

Marion Barry Cartoons (Putting up a statue, Really?)

Are you kidding me?

Five Consequences of America's Moral Collapse

  by John Hawkins

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Posted: Jul 25, 2015 12:01 AM

Americans have become so “non-judgmental” that many people can no longer tell the difference between good and evil. We congratulate ourselves for being “nicer,” more sensitive and less prejudiced than past generations of Americans, but we don’t stop to consider how much more there is to morality than that. An America that isn’t full of good people won’t remain a good nation, nor will it remain strong and free over the long haul. Our country’s lack of morality has real consequences that are capable of eventually sinking us as a nation.
1) The Collapse Of Marriage: There used to be quite a bit of social stigma attached to getting a divorce or having a child out of wedlock. That’s no longer true and consequences for society have been horrific.
Although there is some dispute about the numbers, roughly 40% of marriages now end in divorce and “half of all children born to women under 30 in America now are illegitimate. Three in 10 white children are born out of wedlock, as are 53 percent of Hispanic babies and 73 percent of black babies.”
That’s important because children raised without a mother AND a father are statistically worse off in just about every area imaginable.
"Controlling for socioeconomic status, race, and place of residence, the strongest predictor of whether a person will end up in prison is that he was raised by a single parent. By 1996, 70 percent of inmates in state juvenile detention centers serving long-term sentences were raised by single mothers. Seventy-two percent of juvenile murderers and 60 percent of rapists come from single-mother homes. Seventy percent of teenage births, dropouts, suicides, runaways, juvenile delinquents, and child murderers involve children raised by single mothers. Girls raised without fathers are more sexually promiscuous and more likely to end up divorced. A 1990 study by the Progressive Policy Institute showed that after controlling for single motherhood, the difference between black and white crime rates disappeared.
Various studies have come up with slightly different numbers, but all the figures are grim. According to the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, children from single-parent families account for 63 percent of all youth suicides, 70 percent of all teenage pregnancies, 71 percent of all adolescent chemical/substance abuse, 80 percent of all prison inmates, and 90 percent of all homeless and runaway children.
A study cited in the Village Voice produced similar numbers. It found that children brought up in single-mother homes ‘are five times more likely to commit suicide, nine times more likely to drop out of high school, 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances, 14 times more likely to commit rape (for the boys), 20 times more likely to end up in prison, and 32 times more likely to run away from home.’ Single motherhood is like a farm team for future criminals and social outcasts."
Instead of trying to reverse the crippling damage being done to our country by the collapse of marriage, we’ve chosen to degrade it even further by allowing same sex unions, soon to be followed by polygamous unions that will degrade the institution ever further. If it’s true that marriage is the bedrock of society, then our nation’s house is built on sand.
2) Crime: Despite the fact that China and India have populations four times our size, it’s stunning that America has the largest prison population on Earth. Not coincidentally, America’s once sky-high crime rate dropped as massive numbers of criminals were locked away.
Bizarrely, many people talk about crime as if it’s divorced from morality. We hear about a supposed “rape culture,” school shootings, the “Knockout Game,” child abuse, etc., etc., etc. without making the obvious connection to morals. Good kids aren’t raping anybody, assaulting strangers to prove they’re tough or shooting up movie theaters unless they’re mentally ill.
Kids who are taught about good and evil, right and wrong, patriotism, chivalry and honor are going to make mistakes. A few of them will even turn out to be bad apples. However, full though our prisons may be, they are not full of God-fearing men. They’re full of people who are morally adrift.
3) Poor Government: America seems to be becoming progressively less governable and there are many reasons for that.Government has become too big to effectively manage, both parties have moved away from the center, gerrymandering has decreased the power of voters and increased the power of special interest groups – we could go on and on. Despite the fact that it’s seldom discussed, one of the biggest factors is the dishonesty of our own politicians.
How does that play a role? Well, it’s impossible to cut any kind of meaningful long-term deal on taxes, spending, immigration or any other big issue because neither party can be trusted to stick to a deal. Politicians lie to the voters, they lie to the other party and they even lie to their colleagues on the same side of the aisle.
Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation, Obamacare, was entirely built on lies. Hillary Clinton has been caught lying more times than Pinocchio – and it’s not much different for the GOP leadership in Congress. Today, as I write this, Ted Cruz has stepped to the Senate floor to call out Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for lying to his own caucus.
On the one hand, it’s extraordinarily difficult to govern a nation without long term planning, but how do you plan for the future when no politician’s word means anything?
4) Dependence: Americans have traditionally been some of the most self-reliant people on the face of the earth. People used to be ashamed to be on the dole even if they felt like they had no other choice. Judging by the numbers we see today, that’s no longer true.
More than 1/3 of the population, 109 million Americans, are on welfare. That’s more people than there are in the four most populous states in America (California, Texas, New York and Florida) COMBINED. More than 45 million Americans are receiving food stamps. Nearly 11 million Americans, a number larger than the population of Greece, are on disability.
Does anyone care how many of these people are legitimately having hard times and need a little temporary assistance to get back on their feet versus how many are parasites who are looting the system? It certainly doesn’t seem like it. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of people who even feel bad about being on the dole either. In fact, it’s probably more of a social faux pas to suggest that people should feel bad about living off other people’s labor than it is to sponge off the taxpayers without regret. That’s why it’s not just an economic problem, it’s a moral problem and it’s one that is likely to get larger as a smaller and smaller share of workers are asked to shoulder the load for people who don’t work for a living.
5) Lack Of Civility And Manners: The great Samuel Adams once said, “A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”
Between the anonymity of the Internet, the crudity of much of modern music and TV along with our bad habit of rewarding every reality show star and jackass with 15 minutes of fame as long as they’re willing to go to any lengths to catch our attention, we’ve become a crass, rude and obnoxious culture.
We live in a country that often rewards sarcasm instead of wisdom, rudeness instead of insight and the squeaky wheel instead of the farsighted patriot. You’re more likely to get your way in America if you claim to be angry, offended or can just make enough noise on social media than if you’re plain old right. How well is that working out for our country?

Statue of Marion Barry, controversial former mayor, unveiled in Washington (where's his crack pipe?)

Mayor Crack Pipe Marion Barry

To some in Washington, D.C., he was a “living legend” who advocated for the city’s poor. To others he was a controversial figure remembered for being re-elected mayor despite serving a prison sentence for possession of crack cocaine.

On Saturday, an 8-foot-high bronze statue of former Mayor Marion Barry was unveiled on Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital, just blocks from the White House.

The statue, designed by artist Steven Weitzman, was ordered by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington's Fox 5 reported. The estimated $250,000 cost was covered by a combination of public and private funds, the Washington Business Journal reported.
The move to honor Barry, who died at age 78 in 2014, may seem mystifying to non-Washingtonians. But among Barry's supporters, the statue is an appropriate tribute to a legitimate D.C. icon — a man so popular and influential that he walked out of federal prison and immediately began winning elections again with one of the most improbable comebacks in American political history.
"He was a living legend," said City Councilman Trayon White, during an appearance Thursday on an influential local radio show hosted by Kojo Nnamdi. "Marion Barry was an integral part of getting D.C. where it is today. ... To honor a man like that who touched so many people — it's right for the city.”

What a Joke.

Marion Barry, a former mayor of Washington, D.C., who died in 2014, is seen in a photo from July 6, 2009.  (Associated Press)

Not everyone views Barry so fondly. When the radio show started taking phone calls, the first caller blasted Barry as an "abysmal mayor" who presided over an era of corruption and mismanagement but now benefits from what the caller referred to as "convenient historical amnesia."
Regardless of the personal opinions on him, there's no denying that Barry had a massive influence on the capital city. With modern Washington undergoing widespread gentrification and large numbers of poorer black residents being priced out and leaving, Barry evokes an earlier time when the District truly was "Chocolate City" — one of the power centers of black America.

"Marion Barry was an integral part of getting D.C. where it is today."

- City Councilman Trayon White

Despite his widely acknowledged personal failings, he is regarded as having enriched and elevated other black residents, and partially credited with helping create the robust black middle class that populates both Washington and neighboring Prince George's County in Maryland.
City Councilwoman Anita Bonds, in an email to the Associated Press, recalled Barry's "magnetic personality" and credited him with directing 45 percent of government contracts to minority-owned businesses and launching multiple initiatives, "to uplift communities that were often overlooked and left out."
A local columnist in the 1990s coined the title "mayor for life" — a term which evokes something closer to a third world demagogue than a modern democratic official. But Barry's supporters embrace that nickname as a badge of pride, a symbol of Barry's lifelong connection to the city and its residents. A generation of black Washingtonians got their first paying jobs through one of Barry's summer youth employment programs.
Barry brought a legitimate and undeniable pre-politics resume as a pioneering civil rights activist. A Memphis native, Barry became heavily involved in the nascent civil rights movement as a university student in the late 50s and 60s, serving as the first chairman of the seminal Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He moved to Washington in 1965 to run the SNCC office there.
Barry quickly became deeply involved in Washington's black community, founding a program to provide job training to unemployed black men and getting elected first to the school board, then to city council. In 1978, he became Washington's second elected mayor. He served three terms, which were marked by increasingly erratic behavior, corruption allegations and widespread suspicions of drug and alcohol abuse.
The 1990 sting and subsequent trial caused him not to seek a fourth term. He was sentenced to six months in prison for cocaine possession, although a deadlocked jury couldn't convict him on some of the more serious charges.
In one notorious episode, the Washington Post reported in January 1992 that inmates and a federal official claimed to have seen Barry engaged in a sex act with a female visitor in front of dozens of people. Barry denied the claims.
After his 1992 release, Barry immediately ran for and won a seat on the city council, then successfully ran for mayor again in 1994 and served one term. Barry left politics for few years, then ran for city council again and won in 2005, serving until his death in 2014.
Throughout his entire career, Barry was dogged by legal troubles, corruption allegations, drunk-driving arrests and a host of other issues that would have obliterated the career of most politicians.
But Barry's ultimate legacy and popularity might be summarized by the campaign slogan he adopted when he emerged from prison and dove straight back into politics: "He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for D.C."

Violent criminals among illegal immigrants caught in California raid derailed by Dem mayor

Oakland Mayor Schaaf is protecting the gangs that if given the chance would not hesitate in raping and killing her in a second, what a idiot.

A sweep of Northern California by federal immigration officials this week, which was partly thwarted when the Oakland mayor sounded the alarm, nabbed a number of illegal immigrants convicted of a variety of serious and violent crimes.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials announced this week that the four-day raid led to the arrest of 232 illegal immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Of those 232, 180 “were either convicted criminals, had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed” from the country and had come back illegally.
Another 115 “had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses.”
The numbers might have been greater, but for the intervention of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who tweeted out a warning of the impending raid, tipping off others who might have been caught.
Acting ICE Director Tom Homan said on "Fox & Friends" that Schaaf’s warning meant that there are roughly 800 illegal immigrants they were unable to locate.
"What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling 'police' when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except she did it to a whole community. This is beyond the pale," he said.
An ICE spokesperson gave Fox News a list of the types of crimes for which those arrested in the rad had been convicted. They cover a range of bad behavior: aggravated assault, murder, hit-run, lewd acts with a minor, burglary, cruelty toward a child, indecent exposure, domestic violence, drug trafficking, battery, sex offenses and false imprisonment.
ICE pointed, in particular, to the case of Armando Nunez-Salgado, a Mexican gang member who had been deported four times and had convictions including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, hit-and-run causing injury and evasion of a police officer.
ICE ARRESTS 232 PEOPLE IN FOUR-DAY RAID OF CALIFORNIA'S BAY AREA 
Another deportee was a Mexican gang member with convictions for, among other things, possession of a dangerous weapon, spousal abuse, burglary and battery on a police officer.
Officials were furious with the Oakland mayor's actions to diminish the effectiveness of the raid.
In a statement, ICE also said that recent legislation has hurt the agency’s ability to enforce immigration laws.
“Recent legislation has negatively impacted ICE operations in California by nearly eliminating all cooperation and communication with our law enforcement partners in the state by prohibiting local law enforcement from contracting with the federal government to house detainees,” the statement.
“Ultimately, efforts by local politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect,” it said.
The White House called Mayor Schaaf’s actions “outrageous” and said the Department of Justice was conducting a review.
“I think it’s outrageous that a mayor would circumvent federal authorities and certainly put them in danger by making a move such as that,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Thursday
But Schaaf was unapologetic.
"I did what I believe was right for my community as well as to protect public safety," Schaaf said Friday, according to NBC Bay Area. "People should be able to live without fear or panic and know their rights and responsibilities as well as their recourses."

At Gridiron Dinner, Trump jokes on politics -- but gets serious about North Korea talks

President-elect Donald Trump smiles as he arrives to speak at an Election Night rally, in New York City, Nov. 9, 2016.  (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump on Saturday night traded humorous jabs with a cabal of lawmakers, administration officials, media figures and military officers at the annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington.

But the president also used the occasion to deliver some serious remarks about North Korea.

"I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un, I just won't," Trump said, according to Politico. "As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that’s his problem, not mine."

"I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un, I just won't. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that’s his problem, not mine."

- President Donald Trump

Trump also laid out the conditions for any such discussions.
"By the way, a couple days ago they said we would like to talk, and I said, so would we, but you have to de-nuke, you have to de-nuke. So let’s see what happens ... Maybe positive things are happening, I hope that’s true … We will be meeting and we’ll see if anything positive happens," the president said.
The comments came during Trump's speech at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, at an event that he skipped last year. Every president since 1885 has attended the annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation at least once.
But unlike the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, no cameras are allowed inside the Gridiron event.
According to eyewitness accounts, Trump delivered a speech in which he took shots at the media, his administration, and even himself.
“So many people have been leaving the White House,” Trump said at one point, joking about this week’s spate of White House departures. “It’s invigorating since you want turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Who’s going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania?”

"I like chaos. It really is good. Who’s going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania?"

- President Donald Trump

Referring to his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s loss of security clearance, he said, "We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security."
Addressing Vice President Mike Pence’s supposed hostility toward the LGBT community, he said, "He is one of the best straight men you're ever going to meet. ... He is straight. Man." Trump also said, "I really am proud to call him the apprentice."
Another target was former chief strategist Steven Bannon: "That guy leaked more than the Titanic."
When others were speaking or performing, Trump was reportedly a good sport — laughing and applauding at times during the evening's entertainment.
He closed by saying: "I just want to say this, this is one of the best times I've had with the media — this might be the most fun I've had since watching your faces on Election Night."

"This is one of the best times I've had with the media — this might be the most fun I've had since watching your faces on Election Night."

- President Donald Trump

A charitable organization, the Gridiron Club and Foundation contributes to college scholarships and journalistic organizations. Active membership is limited to 65 Washington-based journalists.

Liberal Democrat Cartoons

Recently convicted Texas Democrat now facing divorce

The wife of Texas state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, filed divorce papers one week after his conviction on corruption charges, a report said.

Troubles continue to mount for a Texas Democrat who was recently convicted on 11 federal counts of money laundering and wires and securities fraud. On Friday the wife of state Sen. Carlos Uresti filed for divorce.

Margaret “Lleanna” Uresti submitted legal papers in Bexar County District Court, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The couple have been married for six years.

Uresti, 54, served as her lawyer during her 2008 divorce from her previous husband, the newspaper reported. Margaret Uresti is 12 years the senator’s junior, the report said.
The Urestis’ marital trouble comes as the San Antonio lawmaker faces pressure to resign from his seat in the Texas Senate, and as his license to practice law is in jeopardy.
In addition, he could face as much as 20 years in prison, plus restitution, when he is sentenced in June.
During Uresti’s corruption trial, prosecutors said he and a co-defendant lied to investors to make money for a fracking sand company that went bankrupt in 2015.
Meanwhile, the Daily Beast recently reported that Uresti faces a separate bribery trial in May, and also faces accusations of sexual harassment from several women.
Those women include a reporter who claimed Uresti groped her and “put his tongue down my throat,” and a data director at the state Democratic Party who said he ogled her.
“We were being introduced and when we shook hands, he spun me around and said something like, ‘Damn, girl -- you’re trouble,’” Jenn Cervella told the Daily Beast.
Another woman claimed that Uresti asked her in the middle of a staircase at the state Capitol whether she was wearing a polka-dot thong. Uresti had denied a number of allegations to the Daily Beast when some women came forward in December, but did not respond to the outlet for comment on the latest claims against him.
Uresti could not be reached Friday for comment about his wife’s divorce petition, the Express-News reported.

PBS to launch conservative talk show April 13

Amy Holmes and Michael Gerson will co-host "In Principle," which PBS says will be a conservative-oriented talk show.

PBS, the public television network long accused of having a liberal bias, plans to launch a weekly conservative-oriented talk show April 13.

“In Principle” will feature hosts Michael Gerson and Amy Holmes, who plan to interview two guests each Friday on topics including race, gun control and whether conservatism is the right message for the working class.

“I find when I go around the country that there is actually a hunger for serious, civil dialogue as an alternative to the bitterness of our civic discourse," said Gerson, a columnist who has been a frequent guest on “PBS NewsHour.”
"We need a place where we can have thoughtful, reasonable, in-depth conversations about politics, policy, culture — you name it — where we're really talking to each other instead of shouting at each other," said Holmes, who has appeared on Fox News Channel and worked for Glenn Beck’s “The Blaze.”
While Gerson has often found himself at odds with President Donald Trump, he said Holmes more often takes the president's side, or acts as the "anti-anti-Trump."
"I think the Trump era has been a very difficult time for traditional conservative discourse," he said. "I think a lot of institutions and places have been co-opted in this era. I view conservatism not only as a belief but a state of mind, a respect for tradition but also a respect for facts."

"I view conservatism not only as a belief but a state of mind, a respect for tradition but also a respect for facts."

- Michael Gerson, co-host of "In Principle," on PBS

“In Principle” arrives just weeks after the White House unveiled a 2019 federal budget proposal that would eliminate all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes allocations to PBS and NPR.
The Trump administration contends that the broadcasters’ “non-federal” funding sources make public subsidies unnecessary, Fox News reported.
“In Principle” will originate from PBS’s WETA-TV studio outside Washington. The chief programming executive at WETA, Dalton Delan, will be executive producer.

Supreme Court needs to clarify gun rights under the Second Amendment

The debate about how to deal with guns in our country rages on in the wake of the shooting deaths of 14 students and three adults at a Florida high school Feb. 14.

We are again confronting the challenge of remaining faithful to the unalienable right to life articulated in the Declaration of Independence – a challenge that the Constitution demands we protect from two angles.

By seeking to “insure domestic tranquility,” the government has an obligation to protect us from violence. But by acknowledging “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” it also recognizes the need for individuals to protect themselves by means of self-defense.
We must have a conversation about how to navigate the tension between these two realities. It should involve everyone in our society and within our government. President Trump is talking about it. Congress is talking about it. The media, educators and citizens are talking about it.
But one potential participant remains conspicuously silent: the United States Supreme Court. On Feb. 20, the Supreme Court refused to hear the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case Silvester v. Becerra. That case concerned a California law requiring a 10-day waiting period before purchasing a firearm.
The challenge to the law said it should not apply to people who previously had gone through the background check process and now sought to buy an additional gun. The 9^th Circuit Court upheld the 10-day waiting period.
Regardless of this case’s particular merits, the high court’s denial represents a larger pattern. For nearly a decade, the court has refused to rule on the constitutionality of gun regulations in a systematic fashion.
The justices’ reticence is both strange and problematic. It is strange in light of prior decisions. A decade ago, in the 2008 case of D.C. v. Heller, the Supreme Court interpreted the Second Amendment to the Constitution for the first time as protecting the right of an individual to own a gun. But far from making this right absolute, the court declared that limits existed to gun ownership.
What exactly were those limits? The court didn’t really say.
Beyond affirming that “longstanding prohibitions” could continue, Justice Antonin Scalia refused to give details when the Heller decision was announced. No need to do so, he said, “since this case represents this Court’s first in-depth examination of the Second Amendment, one should not expect it to clarify the entire field … there will be time enough to expound upon the historical justifications for the exceptions we have mentioned if and when those exceptions come before us.”
It seemed that the court, having established the baseline of an individual right, expected a series of future cases to draw the lines for how to balance gun safety and gun rights. The court ruled in 2010 that the Second Amendment applied to the states in McDonald v. City of Chicago. 
However, the decision in the McDonald case didn’t break much new ground on the content of the right itself. Instead, it merely kicked the can of further definition down the road. After that case, when given numerous options to further delineate the Second Amendment, the court has refused – again and again.
The Supreme Court’s failure to define the scope of gun rights is problematic because it leaves too much unsettled. The Heller and McDonald decisions opened up myriad questions about gun rights and their regulation without settling on a standard by which to judge gun laws.
This means that, absent further precedent, lower courts possess little guidance in how to rule on competing claims, which in turn has given rise to confusion.
As Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out when objecting to the latest court refusal to hear the Silvester case, there is a great disparity in the standards exercised by lower courts in gun cases. While some judges seek to impose a more stringent standard on gun laws, others – like many on the 9^th Circuit Court – adopt a “deferential analysis” that accepts as valid nearly any regulation.
The Supreme Court once argued that “liberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.” That remains true for gun owners, who are subject to the accident of whatever lower court judge’s jurisdiction they happen to live in.
It is also true for legislators, who are left without guidelines to follow when crafting legislation. But it is especially true for the victims of gun violence.
Liberty does not find a refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt, and neither does life. The Supreme Court cannot and should not try to settle every detail of gun policy. But it should begin to fulfill the promise made in the Heller case.
The nation’s highest court should seek to further describe what it believes the Second Amendment protects regarding gun ownership and what the amendment allows for gun regulations. The high court should also police lower courts to hold them accountable to those standards.
In so doing, the Supreme Court can make its own needed contribution to the present conversation. It can bring the Constitution to bear in its own way in the gun debate.
Above all, the Supreme Court can play a part in furthering the right that proponents of gun regulation and of gun protection both seek – a right that has been so desecrated by our seemingly endless school shootings: the unalienable right to life.

The incredible Trump agenda -- What most Americans don't know about the war the president has waged

President Trump’s style has dismayed many on the right as well as the left. But when it comes to actions, conservatives find much too delight them.

While the 2016 presidential elections were underway, policy analysts at The Heritage Foundation (my employer and one of the nation’s leading think tanks) compiled a six-volume series of conservative, research-based policy recommendations for the next president.

The recommendations were calculated to help the incoming president and Congress jumpstart the economy, strengthen national security and halt the increasing centralization of power in the federal government.
At the end of 2017, we reviewed all 334 recommendations presented in our “Mandate for Leadership” series and found that the Trump administration had embraced fully 64 percent of them. That’s nearly two out of three – and that’s very good indeed.

From pulling America out of the unaffordable and unworkable Paris Protocol on Climate Change to ending the damaging Obama era regulations on net neutrality, the Trump administration has advanced a broad conservative agenda on dozens more fronts in 2017.

Most Americans are already familiar with some of the conservative agenda items adopted in the last year.
The once-in-a-generation tax reform passed in December, for example, reflected the fundamental changes we recommended to transform the tax code from one that penalized economic growth to one that promotes it. Already, the American people have begun to reap the benefits: higher take-home pay, tax cut-fueled bonuses and a burgeoning job market.
And many are aware of how Congress acted on another key recommendations to exercise its authority under the long-ignored Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn ill-considered rules implemented by regulatory agencies. During the first few months of its session, Congress used CRA resolutions to eliminate 14 major rules finalized by the Obama administration in its waning days.
But relatively few Americans are aware that the president has waged his own war on over-regulation. For example, President Trump has lifted the Obama-era moratorium on coal leases on federal lands. And he has instructed executive branch agencies to review and reconsider pending rules, with a goal of eliminating two regulations for every new one implemented.
By year’s end, the Trump administration had withdrawn or delayed 1,500 proposed regulations. It has made a difference. On Dec. 14, the administration reported that the regulatory rollback had saved the American economy $8.1 billion, and would save another $9.8 billion in fiscal 2019.
Conservatives cheered the nomination and confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, a strong constitutionalist, to the U.S. Supreme Court. And President Trump followed this up with many other outstanding judicial appointments.
By the end of 2017, the Senate had confirmed 12 circuit court of appeals judges – the largest number of appellate judges confirmed during the first year of any president in history. Why does that matter? Because most federal cases stop at the appellate level. Only one of every 700 cases heard by these courts goes on to the Supreme Court.
President Trump has eschewed President Obama’s practice of filling these slots with activist judges who interpret the laws as what they think the laws should say, rather than as they are actually written. It’s a huge change – and a tremendous boost for the rule of law.
From pulling America out of the unaffordable and unworkable Paris Protocol on Climate Change to ending the damaging Obama era regulations on net neutrality, the Trump administration has advanced a broad conservative agenda on dozens more fronts in 2017.
Yes, there is much more work to do. The Senate badly fumbled ObamaCare repeal last year, leaving millions of Americans saddled with increasingly unaffordable health coverage. Welfare reform remains a major challenge, and restoring some sense of fiscal responsibility to Washington seems as elusive as ever.
But make no mistake, 2017 was a banner year for conservative policy victories. On that score, President Trump can confidently stack his record right up there next to President Reagan’s first year.
The politicians and pundits of the left would lead you to believe that the administration has been just as distracted and discombobulated by the president’s tweets as they have been. But the scores of principled conservatives President Trump has brought into the executive branch have very much kept their eye on the ball. The conservative agenda is marching forward.
Thomas Binion is the director of congressional and executive branch relations for The Heritage Foundation.

Union Liberal Worker Cartoons

Marc Thiessen: It's time to protect public workers from unions who want them to finance their liberal agenda

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is ostensibly a public worker union. In truth, it is nothing more than an appendage of the Democratic Party. One hundred percent of its political contributions go to Democrats, and it works tirelessly to increase government spending and stop Republicans who want to reform state government.

Should AFSCME be able to force public workers who disagree with its liberal agenda to pay union dues and support it? That was the question before the Supreme Court this week, when justices heard oral arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case brought by Illinois child-support specialist Mark Janus, who argues that forcing him to contribute to union coffers violates his First Amendment rights by compelling him to support speech with which he disagrees.

Public worker unions cannot compel nonmembers to directly pay for political activities, but in states that have not passed "right to work" laws, they can force public employees to pay an "agency fee" to support the union's collective bargaining efforts. Of course, the union gets to decide what spending is political, and the fees are usually between 80 and 100 percent of union dues. Moreover, to stop paying for the union's political activities, workers must proactively object -- and then get a partial refund of what the union claims is the extent of its political spending.
This is a scam. The unions know that if they cannot compel workers to pay union dues, most will choose not to do so. In Indiana, when then-Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) signed a "paycheck protection" law barring forced collection of union dues, only 5 percent of state employees chose to continue paying -- and public worker union membership dropped from 16,408 in 2005 to just 1,490 in 2011. In Wisconsin, when Gov. Scott Walker (R) passed Act 10, which included paycheck protection, AFSCME membership fell by more than half -- from 62,818 in 2011 to 28,745 the following year. Other public worker unions faced similar losses in membership. And those losses have been sustained. According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis, by 2016 Wisconsin had "132,000 fewer union members, mostly teachers and other public workers -- enough to fill Lambeau Field and Miller Park, with thousands more tailgating outside." (Disclosure: I have co- written a book with Walker.)
Apparently, when you don't force workers to stay in a union, many choose to leave.
Janus wants the same freedom to choose. He argues that all spending by public-sector unions is political spending. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. seemed sympathetic to this type of argument in a similar case that deadlocked two years ago after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, noting that even negotiations over wages affect the state budget. "The amount of money that's going to be allocated to public education as opposed to public housing, welfare benefits, that's always a public policy issue," he said.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy got to the heart of the matter this week, when he asked AFSCME lawyer David Frederick, "If you do not prevail in this case, the unions will have less political influence?" Frederick admitted they would. "Isn't that the end of this case?" Kennedy asked. Yes, it is. As Kennedy put it, the question before the court is whether states can "mandate people that object to certain union policies to pay for the implementation of those policies against their First Amendment interests."
Liberals say conservatives are trying to use the court to break the power of public-sector unions. But if the only way they can maintain their political power is through coercion, then they don't deserve that power in the first place. The reason so many workers quit when given the chance is because they know the unions use their power not to benefit workers but to enrich themselves. In Wisconsin, the teachers unions used collective bargaining to force school districts to buy health plans from union-affiliated insurers at inflated prices, when they could have gotten much cheaper insurance on the open market. Once the unions' coercive power was broken and school districts were able to open their health insurance to competitive bidding, they saved $404.8 million over five years -- money they were able to put into merit pay increases for teachers, and other classroom improvements.
Public union bosses want that money for themselves. They want to dictate spending decisions to state and local governments, and collect compulsory union dues to perpetuate their political power and line their coffers. The Supreme Court can end this unconstitutional coercion. The only way unions will be hurt by this is if the workers they claim to represent reject them. arc Thiessen is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Thiessen served as chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush and to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Suspect in 'white powder' letter to Trump Jr. donated to Dems, posted anti-Trump rants on Facebook

Daniel Frisiello, of Beverly, Mass., is accused of sending five letters with white powder, including to Donald Trump Jr., in early February.  (Facebook)

The Massachusetts man who allegedly mailed a white powder to Donald Trump Jr. has previously donated to a Democratic political action committee and shared anti-Trump posts on social media, including comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.

Daniel Frisiello, 24, was arrested Thursday after authorities tracked him down following the examination of a “glitter bomb” letter sent to Stanford University law professor Michele Dauber. Investigators matched the text font from the letter to other threats sent to those seen on the letters of the white-powder envelopes.

Authorities said the letter included a threatening note that read: “You are an awful, awful person. I am surprised that your father lets you speak on TV. You the family idiot. Eric looks smart."
Trump Jr.’s wife, Vanessa Trump, opened the letter in the couple’s New York City apartment Feb. 12 and reported feeling nauseous and coughing. President Trump’s daughter-in-law and two other people were taken to a hospital in the incident.
The letter was postmarked in Boston on Feb. 7, had an American flag stamp and no return address. The powder was ultimately determined to be corn starch, the Associated Press reported.
Frisiello is accused of sending a total of five letters filled with white powder and faces charges of mailing a threat to injure the person of another and false information and hoaxes.
MAN ARRESTED FOR SENDING WHITE POWDER TO DONALD TRUMP JR.’S NYC APARTMENT
Frisiello’s Facebook account and other public information suggest strong hostility toward the Trump family and Republicans and sympathy toward Democratic causes, prompting him to even donate despite being reportedly unemployed.

Daniel Frisiello compares President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.  (Facebook)

In April 2016, he contributed $75 to ActBlue, a political action committee that works to raise money online for Democratic candidates and committees, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The address on the contribution matches Frisiello’s home address. The donation lists him as “not employed.”
On social media, the man – registered as a Democrat – compared President Trump, whom he also branded as the “Dark Lord, at least twice to Adolf Hitler, sharing photos from hyper-partisan left-wing Facebook pages. In another instance, he called Trump an “Adolf Hitler wannabe.”

Daniel Frisiello, a registered Democrat, made a series of inflammatory Facebook posts.  (Facebook)

Another shared photo shows a Ku Klux Klan rally in Washington, D.C., in the 1920s, but is captioned “a sneak peek of Trump’s inauguration.”
Frisiello also takes an indirect shot at first lady Melania Trump, sharing a British newspaper article claiming Trump is a “mentally ill narcissist” and noting that this “Explains his kids and the women he chooses.”
On Dec. 16, 2016, the accused man also speculated that the unsealing of the Clinton email probe search warrant would show that “Russia, [then-FBI Director] Comey and Trump were in on this horrific act.”
But Frisiello also has posted bizarre rants against his own party. He criticized Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., after she said was disappointed that a father was prevented from punching Larry Nassar, the disgraced sports doctor accused of molesting more than 260 women and girls.
Stabenow was reportedly an addressee of one of the white powder letters.
“Good god now the democrats are going off the rails,” Frisiello wrote Feb. 8. “This is not the democratic means and I am embarrassed to be in part of the same party as her, because I am not her. I would be offended if anyone I know in the democratic party has the dame[sic] feelings and thoughts of this imbecile of a senator!”
Many social media users mocked Frisiello after it appeared that he shared a news story Feb. 12 about a his alleged crime of sending a threatening letter to Trump Jr. filled with white powder.
“Dude you actually posted about your own crime? Get help you,” one person commented yesterday below Frisiello post.
“Darwin Award,” wrote another person, referring to a tongue-in-cheek award recognizing people who have contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool by their own actions.