Thought it was interesting since Trump silently endorsed it.
He got NATO to pay up.
If he gets in, he may get Ukraine to pay up.
Not holding my breath though.

Just skimmed through it. The far right tab will take you to related bills (H.R. 815 -- Israel & Taiwan).
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8035/text/ih
Ridiculous amount of money.
Why isn't this going to protect our border?
and
Why do they keep threatening SS and Medicare?
The only reason the latter are running out of money is
because Congress stole it.

Have a good one.

Why Donald Trump Didn’t Sink Mike Johnson’s Ukraine-Aid Bill
Story by Vivian Salama • 12h • (Wall Street Journal via msn.com)

WASHINGTON—For months, it seemed the road to unlocking the Ukraine security funding gridlock in Congress ran through Mar-a-Lago, with former President Donald Trump long skeptical of more aid for Kyiv. Already about half of House Republicans had indicated they would oppose more support, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) couldn’t afford a jailbreak.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had railed on the campaign trail about the billions of dollars the U.S. gives to foreign countries while problems continue to mount at home. As he grew more vocal in his opposition to U.S. assistance to Kyiv, support was also deteriorating among GOP voters, polls showed.

Trump’s objections had already helped sink support for a bipartisan border deal linked to Ukraine earlier this year, and his stance was seen as putting the new Ukraine-aid effort at risk as well. Ukraine proponents on Capitol Hill feared that one bad-mouth social-media post from the former president could tank the whole thing.

But some strategic outreach by Republican senators, a high-profile visit by Johnson and a small but politically significant change to the package helped convince Trump of the case for the Ukraine measure, according to people familiar with the former president’s thinking. That cleared the way for Johnson to move ahead with the bill without sparking the powerful former president’s ire, passing the bill through the House on Saturday.

The House voted 311 to 112 to approve the Ukraine aid, with one Republican voting present. It was backed by all Democrats but slightly less than half of Republicans. The bill contains $60 billion related to Ukraine, with much of the funding going to U.S. defense contractors or the Defense Department to offset weapons and supplies that have already been provided to Ukraine.

A key change in the House bill was to make $9.5 billion for economic aid in the form of forgivable loans, not grants, to align with an idea Trump floated months earlier.

The Democratic-run Senate had passed a similar bill in February, but it languished in the House, where Johnson has a razor-thin majority and a large contingent of Ukraine skeptics. With Ukraine running short of supplies, some proponents had seized on the loan idea to get Trump on board.

A group of senators, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.), and Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.), held joint phone calls, first among themselves to strategize, and then with Trump, after he had floated first the idea of making Ukraine aid into a loan.

“We should never give money anymore without the hope of a payback, or without ‘strings’ attached,” Trump posted on social media in February.” The U.S. “should be ‘stupid’ no longer!” he said in the all-caps message.

The lawmakers’ plan, according to people familiar with the outreach, was to expand on the idea of the loan, and make it Trump’s idea, so that he would embrace it. Trump, officials said, was open to the idea—so long as the U.S. is guaranteed something in return.

Ukraine occupies a complicated position in Trump world. The former president has for years criticized Ukraine as a “corrupt” country, and he notoriously was impeached by the House for leaning on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an investigation into the Biden family. Trump has often complained about U.S. support for Ukraine, describing the country to European leaders as “your Ukraine” and “part of Russia,” U.S. and foreign officials said.

But those familiar with Trump’s thinking said he has been open to hearing from various officials who have both warned him of the potential consequences of a Russian victory and the opportunities a second Trump administration might have to broker a peace agreement. Those lobbying him said it wasn’t so much that they needed him to agree; they just needed him to accept it.

Ukraine, Trump and the senators discussed, is rich with minerals and has the potential of being a rich country able to pay its debts back, people familiar with the discussions said. Payback is contingent on defeating Russia, since most of those resources are in occupied territories, they said.

Graham, in an interview, played down any evolution in Trump’s thinking on foreign assistance, and stressed that he has always embraced the concept of collateral. Graham pointed to Trump’s past comments about Iraq, when he said the U.S. should “take the oil,” saying that was never intended literally, but rather, as a form of collateral. “Trump’s foreign policy has always been about leverage—what is in America’s interest,” he said. “He’s trying to get Europeans to do more but the loan concept goes way back to Iraq.”

Graham said he floated the loan idea to Zelensky while visiting Kyiv last month, saying it is “the most likely path forward.” Speaking to “PBS NewsHour” last week, Zelensky said his country would be open to assistance structured as a loan, though it wasn’t his preference.

“We wanted another way to get this money last year, but, for today, it doesn’t matter. We need to survive, and we need to defend our people, and that’s why your decision, the ball is on your field. Yes, please, just make [a] decision,” he said.

Johnson, who visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach earlier this month, has called standing up for Ukraine and passing aid for Israel and Taiwan as part of a broader fight against Russia, Iran and China. His decision was also driven by his religious convictions, people familiar with his thinking said.

Johnson had called the loan idea “a common sense suggestion.” Johnson has also played to Trump’s ambitions, saying a stable Ukraine would be critical to a successful second term. Trump is “the one who has the strength to go in and negotiate a peace in this. But not if Russia rolls through the country,” Johnson said on the “Ben Shapiro Show” last week.

Trump’s stance was key. Standing alongside Johnson last week, the former president didn’t outwardly reject an aid package for Ukraine, and instead said that they were looking at options.

“We’re thinking about making it the form of a loan instead of just a gift,” he said. He also backed Johnson while acknowledging his predicament. “I think he’s doing a very good job, he’s doing about as good as you’re going to do,” he said.

In recent days, Trump dined with Poland’s right-wing President Andrzej Duda, whom Trump described as a friend. Those familiar with Duda and Trump’s relationship said that they bonded with Trump over Duda’s understanding of Trump’s transactional approach to negotiations. Duda, in an interview ahead of his meeting, expressed confidence that the Ukraine bill would pass.

In a social-media post the next day, Trump backed the idea that Ukraine’s security is a U.S. national-security interest, while again lashing out at European allies, who for years he has painted as freeloaders for what he sees as insufficient spending on defense.

“As everyone agrees, Ukrainian Survival and Strength should be much more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! GET MOVING EUROPE!” he wrote Thursday.

Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-donald-trump-didn-t-sink-mike-johnson-s-ukraine-aid-bill/ar-AA1nrMJT?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=83a601a69f924a0cbdf06e9cc9d2d3c7&ei=57

Patriots owner Robert Kraft pulls support from Columbia after anti-Israel protests: ‘No longer an institution I recognize’
By Ronny Reyes Published April 22, 2024, 1:16 p.m. ET
(Good for him. I hope other big bucks donors will pull their support from Columbia and all other big name schools that turn a blind eye to this vile wave of antisemitism.
While they're at it, I'd give them bonus points for going after woke DEI.)

New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft announced Monday that he was pulling his support from Columbia University over the ongoing anti-Israel protest at the Manhattan campus.

“It was through the full academic scholarship Columbia gave me that I was able to attend college and get my start in life and for that I have been tremendously grateful,” Kraft said in a statement. “However, the school I love so much – the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity – is no longer an institution I recognize.”

“I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country,” Kraft added. “I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.

“It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in the institution,” he continued.

“It is my hope that in this difficult time, the Kraft Center at Columbia will serve as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus who want to gather peacefully to practice their religions, to be together and to be welcomed.”

Kraft, who is worth $11.1 billion, has been a prolific donor to the university and funded the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life across from Columbia’s campus.

The center was kickstarted with a $11.5 million donation in 2000, with the billionaire donating another $1.5 million in 2005.

Two years later, The Kraft Group pledged another $5 million in support of Columbia’s athletics program, which led to the naming of the Robert K. Kraft Field at the Baker Field Athletics Complex.

The 82-year-old Massachusetts native has ramped up efforts to fight antisemtism following the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, with his Foundation to Combat AntiSemitism running a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl as part of his “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign.

Kraft has also committed $25 million to raise awareness about rising antisemitism, according to The Wall Street Journal.

He has previously donated millions of dollars to causes in Israel, including the funding of sports complexes and other philanthropic endeavors.

Kraft made his announcement following the high profile protest taking place at Columbia University where hundreds have gathered to demand an end to the war in Gaza.

The demonstrations, however, have included ugly episodes where protesters could be heard shouting antisemitic, anti-Israel and pro-Hamas chants.

What to know about the antisemitism controversy at Columbia University:
• Columbia University president Minouche Shafik was accused of “gross negligence” while testifying before the House Education and Workforce Committee about antisemitic incidents at the school and pro-Palestinian indoctrination. Shafik defended the school’s response after Oct. 7, but refused to tell lawmakers at the hearing if the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic.

• A report from the Ivy League school’s Task Force on Antisemitism found “repeated violations by student groups” at Columbia after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel.

• Ahead of the hearing, Jewish students told The Post that they have been targeted and witnessed antisemitism at the Morningside Heights campus. The Columbia University Jewish Alumni Association told The Post that the college’s administrators must “do their job” in reining in unauthorized student protests.

• Shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks, more than 100 Columbia professors signed a letter defending students who support the “military action” by Hamas.

• In February, an antisemitic poster depicting Israel as a skunk appeared on campus — which experts liken to a propaganda poster used by the Nazis in World War II.

• An unsanctioned “Resistance 101” event was held on campus in March by a Palestinian activist with alleged ties to a group labeled a terror organization by the US. Four students who participated were later suspended by Columbia.

• While the congressional hearing was in progress, Columbia students erected 60 tents on campus to demand that the university divest from Israel. One of the leaders of the protests, Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was suspended from Barnard College — a women’s college affiliated with Columbia.

• Shocking video footage captured a protester near the university declare, “We’re all Hamas” and “Long live Hamas” Wednesday. Another protester was arrested Wednesday night for repeatedly hitting and scratching an NYPD cop, according to law enforcement officials.

• On Thursday, more than 100 other protesters were arrested after Shafik announced the campus’s closure.

• Columbia canceled in-person classes on April 22 as the protests continued. Israeli-born professor Shai Davidai was barred from campus after he attempted to lead a pro-Jewish rally.

• Every New York House GOP lawmaker demanded that Shafik resign immediately for failing to crack down on the “large unauthorized antisemitic riot” on campus. Columbia University’s Jewish Alumni Association also called for Shafik’s resignation.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/22/us-news/robert-kraft-pulls-support-from-columbia-after-anti-israel-protests-no-longer-an-institution-i-recognize/

What happened?
Did he get lost in the White House???

Toobin tweeting about Pecker... good one. Thanks, Flo-zee.

Remember the source... the NY Times.
That's why they didn't build the other answers around "A S S."

Yesterday's NY Times crossword puzzle:
The clue for 7 Down (a three-letter word) was
"Many a lib"
My gut reaction was "A S S"
Wrong.
The correct answer was a synonym... "D E M"

Boo Hoo: Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, says she’s homeless, cries poverty after suspension from $90K-per-year college over anti-Israel protests
By Nika Shakhnazarova Published April 22, 2024, 5:48 a.m. ET
(Obviously, this three-bagger has been well schooled in playing the victim.
If this is the face she has when she turns 25, I dread the face she'll earn by the time she's 50.)

Photo: William C. Lopez/New York Post

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, has revealed that she has nowhere to live and nothing to eat after she was suspended for taking part in a disruptive anti-Israel protest at Columbia University last week.

The 21-year-old was among the more than 100 people arrested and summoned for trespassing by NYPD officers after the group of demonstrators set up a tent encampment on the Ivy League school’s campus to protest Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.

Now, after being temporarily booted from the prestigious, $90K-per-year Barnard College, Hirsi said that she’s been evicted from campus housing and banned from using the dining hall.

“I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? And also all of my s–t is thrown in a random lot. It’s pretty horrible,” she told Teen Vogue.

“I don’t know when I can go home, and I don’t know if I ever will be able to.”

Hirsi said that when she sought help from administration staff at Barnard, she heard crickets.

“I sent them an email like, ‘Hey, I rely on campus for my meals, I rely on my dining plan,’ and they were like, Oh, you can come pick up a prepackaged bag of food, a full 48 hours after I was suspended,” she said. “There was no food support, no nothing.”

Hirsi was hauled away in cuffs by the NYPD Thursday afternoon after the protesters erected a tent city on campus.

By late afternoon Thursday, the protests had dispersed, and cleaning crews were brought in to disassemble and remove dozens of tents that littered the campus.

“We had so many people who were born female in our group that they didn’t have enough space for us,” Hirsi told Teen Vogue of her arrest. “It was a very slow process in getting everybody into the cells.

“I was zip-tied for about seven hours and wasn’t released for about eight,” she added.

Hirsi also slammed Barnard’s president Laura Rosenbury.

“I think it’s really on a school-by-school basis, and Barnard has decided to take a very egregious stand against us,” Hirsi said.

She added that Rosenbury’s leadership “feel like there isn’t a big limelight on them right now and that they have the ability to do this, because [Columbia President Minouche] Shafik was on the congressional stage and is actively being harassed about what she’s doing.”

Hirsi’s mother has since spoken out about her daughter’s arrest, saying she is “enormously proud” of her taking a stand.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/22/us-news/ilhan-omars-daughter-says-shes-homeless-after-being-suspended-from-college-over-anti-israel-protests/

Weekend at Biden's: Democrats are using an infirm 81-year-old Joe Biden to defraud the electorate
By Miranda Devine Published April 21, 2024, 10:37 p.m. ET


There was a macabre familiarity to the sight last week of a dead man in Brazil being wheeled into a bank by a greedy relative to sign a loan document.

The woman is seen on social-media video talking to the corpse in the wheelchair while trying to hold up his floppy head with one hand.

In her other hand she clutches a pen lodged between the dead man’s fingers as she attempts to sign documents to secure a loan of $3,250.

“Uncle Paulo, are you listening?” the woman, named by CNN Brazil as Érika de Souza Vieira Nunes, tells the late Paulo Braga, 68. “Sign so you don’t give me any more headaches. I can’t take it anymore.”

Uncle Paolo does not respond. His eyes are closed. His mouth is agape.

“He doesn’t look well,” the bank teller says, in the understatement of the year. “He’s very pale.”

Rio De Janeiro police who arrested Nunes said Uncle Paulo, who was actually her cousin, had been dead for at least two hours. They charged her with fraud and abuse of a corpse.

Pander platform
Isn’t it a pity we can’t charge the Democratic Party with the same offenses? After all, the barbaric treatment of Uncle Paolo in Brazil is a metaphor for how Democrats are using an infirm 81-year-old Joe Biden to defraud the electorate.

Those of us not in on the scam are the bank teller saying: “He doesn’t look well. Are you sure he’s OK?”
It’s as if the whole country is strapped in with the corpse in that wheelchair as it hurtles toward a cliff edge.

Most Americans agree that the “Weekend at Bernie’s” presidency has not turned out well.

It’s not just Biden’s sepulchral presentation, but his administration’s increasingly unpopular policies covering the economy, the border, foreign affairs and a raft of fringe social engineering projects, such as Friday’s rewriting of Title IX, which effectively abolishes the distinction between women and men.

The nation was not exactly crying out for this Orwellian policy, but it’s part of the curious tapestry of bespoke pandering that constitutes Biden’s re-election platform.

Pretending you’ve stopped inflation, pretending you need Congress to shut the border, pretending that your uncle was eaten by cannibals: these are not vote-winners for Biden.

Whether he’s walking “like a toothpick,” as Donald Trump describes the president’s stiff gait, falling over, garbling teleprompter scripts, or breaking into sudden angry yelling, in the normal political calculus, such a candidate should be heading for a car crash.

Even worse, the back-up plan is Kamala Harris, who doesn’t even have the benefit of the vapor trail of Honest Joe’s self-mythology that has fooled America for 50 years.

With Harris, what you see is what you get: a complete phony spouting condescending claptrap.

The polls reflect the Democrats’ problem.

You could sense their heads exploding as they watched NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday, where a new poll showed Trump smashing Biden by between four and 22 points on “Handling a crisis” (46% to 42%), “Strong record as president” (46% to 39%), “Dealing with inflation and cost of living” (52% to 30%) and “Necessary mental and physical health” (45% to 26%).

The ouchiest of all was Trump’s 9-point edge on Biden over who was “Competent and effective” (47% to 36%), a category where Biden had a 10-point edge over Trump in 2020.

There were more head explosions for the Dems over at CNN where voters in the battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin viewed Trump more favorably than Biden by four points, 47% to 43%. In 2020 the situation was flipped, with Biden ahead 50% to 45%.

“Donald Trump is, in fact, better liked than he was four years ago — and is better liked than Joe Biden is right now,” declared CNN polling analyst Harry Enten. Double ouch.

As if to emphasize Biden’s disconnect from the voters, his campaign rolled him out three days in a row last week in Pennsylvania, the state pollsters say he cannot lose.

The motto was “Scranton v. Mar-a-Lago: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share,” as if Biden doesn’t live a billionaire’s lifestyle in a bespoke mansion he built on a lakefront estate in chateau country in one of the ritiziest parts of the country, and as if his son isn’t facing tax fraud charges in California over the family influence peddling operation.

The folksy “Working Class Joe” schtick appears to have worn thin, judging from the lackluster reception he received from regular folk when he made supposedly “unscheduled” campaign stops at eating establishments to pick up food.

The true purpose of these stilted interludes seems to be so the campaign videographer can obtain footage of the president interacting with real people. But you really don’t want to look too hard at how the sausage is made.

When he entered a Sheetz gas station mart in Pittsburgh, for instance, Biden never took off his trademark Aviators. Video footage shows him standing in front of a woman and a little girl, gawping at them wordlessly, before he moved through the store, not interacting with a soul until he reached the counter where the shop assistant was primed to ask for a selfie.

Biden posed, and then woodenly exited stage left. Reporters tried to call out questions: “Are you concerned the new steel tariffs will hurt your relationship with Xi Jinping?”

“No!” said Biden, pausing in the doorway before delivering his inexplicable and well-worn riposte: “Don’t jump!”

The comparison with Trump’s crowd-engagement charisma is inescapable.

Fan favorite
The former president was mobbed in Harlem last week when he took a post-courtroom opportunity to visit the bodega where Jose Alba fatally stabbed an ex-con in self-defense and then was unjustly charged with murder. Unlike Biden’s random campaign pit stops, there was a point to Trump’s visit.

He wanted to highlight the skewed priorities of an unjust justice system, which has been weaponized to neutralize him as Biden’s opponent.

At one point in Pittsburgh, a reporter pointed out the obvious to Biden: “When you drive around the area, you see a lot of Trump signs, not very many Biden signs. Do you feel like you’re in trouble here?”

That didn’t go down well with the president, who is only animated by anger.

“Well, you haven’t been driving in the right places, pal,” he snapped.

Snarling denials of reality probably aren’t a recipe for electoral success. But these days that isn’t the only way to win elections, and turnout will be key this year as voter enthusiasm sinks to all-time lows.

Even if Biden is a dead man walking, you can bet Democrats have plenty of dirty tricks up their sleeves.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/21/opinion/democrats-are-using-an-infirm-81-year-old-joe-biden-to-defraud-the-electorate/

Former National Enquirer Publisher David Pecker Reportedly First to Testify in Trump Trial
ELIZABETH WEIBEL21 Apr 2024 2:02
(Is Pecker his real last name?)

David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, is reportedly set to be the first to testify in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

Pecker, whose tabloid reportedly engaged in “catch and kill” practices to bury damaging stories about Trump, will be the first to take the stand after opening arguments in the trial on Monday, a source close to the matter told the New York Times.

Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in relation to hush money payments made to adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

The hush money trial will center around allegations that Trump falsified his business records to hide reimbursement payments made to Michael Cohen, his former attorney.

Cohen was provided with reimbursement payments after he had arranged hush money payments to people such as Daniels to bury negative stories about Trump.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection in New York on April 15, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/Pool Photo via AP)

As Pecker takes the stand on Monday, he will reportedly “recount” multiple conversations he had with Trump “about the hush money,” according to the source.

The trial will also bring up hush money payments made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a “onetime doorman” to Trump who alleged that the former president had fathered a child out of wedlock.

Pecker was reportedly able to buy the silence of the doorman and buy the rights to McDougal’s story, only to have it killed.

After learning about Daniels’ potentially damaging story about Trump, the National Enquirer contacted Cohen, who said he arranged to pay the porn star $130,000 for her silence.

Cohen has pled guilty to arranging deals to pay both Daniels and McDougal for their silence and has claimed he acted at Trump’s direction.

Trump is currently under a gag order that prevents him from speaking about witnesses and counsel in the case, with the exception of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/21/former-national-enquirer-publisher-david-pecker-reportedly-first-testify-trump-trial/

Melania Trump Selling $245 Mother’s Day Necklaces: ‘Being a Mother Is One of the Most Important Roles’
ELIZABETH WEIBEL 21 Apr 2024 1:54
(Cheesy... Priced at $2.45 would be fair. JMO)

Former first lady Melania Trump revealed on Sunday that she is selling $245 necklaces ahead of Mother’s Day weekend on May 12, noting that “being a mother is one of the most important roles.”

The customizable gold necklace, which is named “Her Love & Gratitude” became available on the former first lady’s website on Sunday morning. It is described as a “flower pendant” necklace with an “adjustable chain.”

“Being a mother is one of the most important roles in life,” Trump told the Hill in a statement. “For this Mother’s Day, I have designed the ‘Her Love & Gratitude’ necklace to express immense gratitude and honor all mothers.”

The necklaces can “be engraved with names, initials, or significant dates to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry,” according to Trump’s website.

You can view it here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Cdgrrv18h/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=27ad13b3-5399-4aef-8432-8c195b3cdd3a

Each necklace also comes with the former first lady’s signature on it.

Trump has largely remained out of the spotlight as former President Donald Trump campaigns for reelection in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

A political and social source close to the former first lady told People that she “dislikes a petting zoo” and will attend events “when she has to.” The former first lady has also been known to focus on raising her and the former president’s son, Barron.

“Melania dislikes a petting zoo. She goes when she has to but if it’s not essential she prefers to stay out of the public eye,” the source told the outlet. “When an event is packed full of campaigning types and crowds of people even at Mar-a-Lago, she tries to opt out.”

The former president has also been known to sell his own items, from shiny, gold high tops with the American flag for $399, to Bibles for $60.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/21/melania-trump-selling-245-mothers-day-necklaces/

Maher: Drag Queen Story Hour Is Like Behavior that ‘Borders on Abuse’ — DeSantis Was Right About Disney
IAN HANCHETT 20 Apr 2024

During his closing monologue on Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was correct when he accused Disney of sexualizing children, compared drag queen story hours to behavior that everyone agrees “borders on abuse” in other contexts.

After discussing the allegations of mistreatment of child stars by Nickelodeon in the “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” documentary, Maher said the documentary “also exposed hypocrisy, because it must be pointed out that, when the evil Governor of Florida was saying the exact same thing about kids and creepy stuff at Disney that liberals now find intolerable at Nickelodeon, he was dismissed as a hick and a bigot. But why would a kids’ content factory like Disney be all that different than the one at Nickelodeon? … [I]n 2021, Disney child star Alyson Stoner confessed she only ‘narrowly survived the toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline.‘ The next year, child star Cole Sprouse told The New York Times that young actresses at the Disney Channel were ‘heavily sexualized’ from an early age. Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because that’s where the money is, and the reason we find pedophiles in the Boy Scouts and the rectory and kids’ TV is that’s where the kids are. DeSantis wasn’t wrong. But we’re so tribal now, the left will overlook child f*cking if the guy from the wrong party calls it out. Sure, Nickelodeon messed up Amanda Bynes, but The Mickey Mouse Club was where Britney Spears got her start, and she’s perfectly fine. And get this: After Brian Peck, who was one of the lead creeps at Nickelodeon, served 16 months in prison for the molesting he did there, Disney hired him, naturally, to work on a children’s series.”

He continued, “And not just Hollywood, there are Instagram moms these days who are practically OnlyFans-ing their itty-bitty beauty queen daughters by having them wear skimpy bikinis and eat bananas to build social media stardom. … And people who believe in social justice have agreed this is wrong and this is bad and exposing kids to an adult world of lurid costumes and garish makeup borders on abuse. Now, hurry up and get in the car, we’re late for drag queen story hour. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a drag queen, but maybe it’s time to admit that, sometimes, drag queen story hour is more for the queen than the kids. Sure, kids love a clown, but does the clown have to have tits? … If you want kids to be more tolerant, why not have handicapped people read them stories? Kids are more likely to encounter disabled people than drag queens in life.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/04/20/maher-drag-queen-story-hour-is-like-behavior-that-borders-on-abuse-desantis-was-right-about-disney/

Issues for women... Title IX vs. Abortion Rights... Which will have the stronger pull?

Good Morning, Flo-zee.
It is finished. The man from St. Augustine is dead.
I like to believe God is far more forgiving than human beings are and
that He welcomes that tortured soul home.

Politics are poison in this day and age.

P.S. Bet that bread didn't make it through the night.

Good for her. Sounds like she could play for free.
Hope she does as well professionally as she has done on the college level...
And has a lot of fun doing it.

Ouch... Bet Kunstler didn't/doesn't...
get laid much.

‘Conspiracy theorist’ Max Azzarello dead after setting himself on fire across from Trump trial in NYC
By Joe Marino and David Propper Published April 19, 2024, 11:21 p.m. ET


Troubled “conspiracy theorist” Max Azzarello died Friday night hours after he set himself on fire in a Manhattan park across the street from former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, police said.

The 37-year-old Florida man succumbed to the severe burns he suffered following the sickening self-immolation inside Collect Pond Park.

He threw a stack of pamphlets in the air, including a link to a Substack newsletter, before he poured fuel on his body and ignited a lighter in front of horrified witnesses.

The self-described “investigative researcher” traveled to New York City in recent days from Florida without his family knowing and had been protesting in front of the courthouse where he bashed political leaders from both sides of the aisle.

“This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup,” Azzarello wrote in part of a rambling manifesto on the Substack page.

After the self-immolation, cops swarmed the area as an ambulance was close behind and he was brought to a nearby hospital’s burn unit in critical condition. But he died at around 10:30 p.m., police and sources said.

Azzarello was previously arrested three times across several days in the Sunshine State that included charges of disturbing the peace and damage to property last August.

Following his third arrest, Florida cops noted he was suicidal and listed him as unemployed, per police reports.

One witness who spoke to Azzarello and then minutes later saw him light himself on fire recalled the horrifying scene in an interview Friday.

“He was just standing there, and after a minute hit the ground. By the time the cops got there, all of the fuel had burnt off of his body, and you could see his skin,” 25-year-old start-up founder William Schoeffler said. “He didn’t make too much noise, he was very quiet. Pretty horrifying.”

https://nypost.com/2024/04/19/us-news/conspiracy-theorist-max-azzarello-dead-after-setting-himself-on-fire-across-from-trump-hush-money-trial/

Good Morning, bbotcs. I sure hope you're wrong.
Michelle keeps saying she doesn't want to do it.
Let's hope she's telling the truth.
Stay safe. Watch your back.

Max Azzarello who set himself on fire outside Trump trial stuck tongue out in mugshot, was ‘suicidal’ when arrested: records
By Jennie Taer Published April 19, 2024, 6:05 p.m. ET

(Hmmm... he might have a point there. More pictures at the link.)

The man who lit himself on fire outside Manhattan court during former President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial Friday had been arrested twice in Florida in the last year, police reports obtained by The Post show.

Max Azzarello was arrested in St. Augustine and booked on Aug. 21, 2023 on charges he disturbed the peace. He was let go the next day then arrested again on Aug. 24 on charges of damage to property and criminal mischief.

At the second booking cops noted he was suicidal and in the bizarre accompanying mugshot, Azzarello can be seen sticking out his tongue with one eye closed.

On both occasions he was listed as unemployed. Azzarello remained in the St. Johns County jail until Oct. 3, when he was sentenced to 180 days of probation and released.


Max Azzarello in a bizarre mugshot from August 2023
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office

Mugshot of Max Azzarello from his Aug. 21, 2023 arrest in St. Augustine, Florida
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office

Man who set self on fire outside Trump trial ID'd as self-described 'investigative researcher'

Man in critical condition after setting himself on fire in 'propaganda'-based incident outside Trump trial: NYPD
Shortly before the two arrests, in an August 9, 2023 Facebook post, Azzarello also said he spent “three days in the psych ward,” although there was no way to immediately verify that claim.

Azzarello also posted four months ago on his Instagram that he had been “protesting and breaking unwritten rules in St. Augustine, taunting the cops, embracing the homeless, celebrating the freedom of leaving a cult, and begging anybody and everybody to join me in this liberation.”

Azzarello, 37, describes himself in online profiles as an “investigative researcher,” but his voluminous postings and rants show him to be more of a conspiracy theorist.

He came to New York last week, though his family was unaware he had traveled out of Florida, New York City police said.

Just before he self immolated, Azzarello threw papers into the air, which included print outs of a Substack newsletter he dubbed “The Ponzi Papers.”

The last entry in his was an article entitled, “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump trial,” accompanied by a manifesto riddled with conspiracy theories and mentions of prominent figures.

He mentioned former president Bill Clinton, who he had attempted to sued last year in a huge, but conspiracy laden filing with more than 100 other individuals named. The case was quickly thrown out.

“My name is Max Azzarello, and I am an investigative researcher who has set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan,” the nearly 2,700-word posting begins.

“This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup.”

In the arrest records, Azzarello is listed as a resident of St. Augustine, Florida.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/19/us-news/max-azzarellos-bizarre-mugshot-and-florida-arrest-record/

FWIW, I'm taking this Trump 5% kickback piece with a large grain of salt.
The original source is USA Today which leans (to the point of falling over) lefty libtard.
Of course they're going to write the story to make Trump look bad.
Sadly, people tend to pick the news source that reinforces their point of view.
Not much any of us can do about it.that.
I'd be curious to read the Trump side of the story.

Hang in there, bbotcs. All we can do is vote our consciences...
That makes me a Never Presidementia. Biden must go.

Ya got yer bases covered. I should have known.
Enjoy your bread.
The timer just went off. Time for me to put supper together.
Take care.

Your guess is as good as mine.
Going to be an interesting story...
until something else that's nuttier happens.

Good work, Farmer Flo-zee.
Here's to a bountiful growing season.
Watch out for those early spring frosts.
We're due for a few starting this weekend I believe.

An excerpt from the WSJ...
... Investigators were combing through his social-media accounts and believe he harbored conspiracy theories, according to the officials.

Before lighting himself on fire, Azzarello walked into the park, took colorful pamphlets out of a knapsack and threw them into the air, according to officials and eyewitnesses. The officials said the pamphlets contained conspiracy-based writings, including alleged Ponzi schemes and how local educational institutes were tied to the mob.

Officials said Azzarello was in a part of the park that was open to the public but that they were reassessing security around the courthouse.

“We’re very concerned,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said. “Of course we’re going to look at everything with the magnitude of what’s going on around right here.”

Julie Berman, a Manhattan resident, said she saw Azzarello with two signs—one about a Ponzi scheme and the other about President Biden and Trump being in cahoots together. Azzarello told her to get away, she said.

“I guess he thought I was going to stop him. It didn’t occur to me to stop him,” she said. “It happened so fast.”

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/man-sets-himself-on-fire-outside-trump-hush-money-trial-abddf572?mod=hp_lead_pos6

No kidding. Remember the Buddhist monks who set themselves on fire in Vietnam?
No way in hell would I chose that way to go.
Stay safe, Flo-zee.

Hmmm. He should have sat on the Wall Street Bronze Bull and fired up there.
Crazier and crazier as the world turns.

lol... No.
Probably a moot point anyway. I suspect he may not survive his injuries.

Sagely and succinctly accurate as always.
I'm in total agreement with you.
As well as totally understanding your reluctance to spend money here.
If I hadn't gotten in on the $50 lifetime subscription offer, I'd be long gone too.

Hope life in the real world puts a smile on your face (as long as you stay away from the news).
Stay healthy and stop by when the spirit moves you.

Thanks, Gmenfan. Damn politicians caused the problem.
Let them reap the rewards.

Hey, cap! Welcome home. Here's to Happy Hour.

You beat me to the story.
Maybe he was the lone Biden supporter in the state.
Probably not.

Here's the latest, possh. He's from St. Augustine FL and had pamphlets with him. No word on the content of the pamphlets.
Hmmmm... St Augustine, eh? Wonder how he was planning to vote.
AN HOUR AGO
What we know after NYPD presser on man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial
By Christopher Scarglato

NYPD offered details on the man who set himself on fire outside former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial in NYC.

NYPD's Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said the man wandered into the park, threw out multiple pamphlets and lit himself on fire.

He later fell on an NYPD barricade.

He is currently in the burn unit in critical condition at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Maxwell Azzarello, the man who burned himself, is from St. Augustine, Florida.

He arrived in the New York City earlier in the week, said Joe Kenny, the NYPD's chief of detectives.

Kenny called the incident "propaganda"-based, and Azzarello, 37, reportedly didn't say anything before lighting himself on fire.

Officials also notified Azzarello's family about the incident.

"We're very concerned," Maddrey said. "This man did not breach security protocols."

Maddrey added that officials will plan on having ample security following the incident.

“No one knew this guy was going to light himself on fire,” said Tarik Sheppard, NYPD deputy commissioner of public information.

Sheppard added that everyone inside Trump's trial is aware of the incident.

https://nypost.com/2024/04/18/us-news/trumps-hush-money-nyc-trial-live-updates-photos-and-analysis-from-jury-selection/

Funny... the lib trolls in the NY Post comment section assume the guy was a Maga.
These days, the truth is dependent on your POV.

Good grief. If the guy's lucky, he's dead.
Wonder what was behind that act of insanity.
Crazier and crazier... this world of ours.

Howdy back, Mr. G. It got cloudy (and breezy) around here.
Just got in from mowing the front yard.
Slowly fixing and eating lunch before I get in the shower.
We're due for rain later. Fine by me.
The snow shovel is in the basement and can stay there.

Nah. Move the local politicians out of their homes. Let as many illegals as possible into the house. Then encourage them to squawk... "Squatters rights!"
If they can say it in English, sign over the deed.
I cannot begin to express how much I hate what's going on.

IMF Official: Joe Biden’s Open Border Is Hurting Americans’ Wages
NEIL MUNRO 19 Apr 2024 5:57

“Abundant labor coming across the border” is reducing the wages paid to American employees, said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

“Not everybody who crosses the border adds positively to the economy,” the Bulgarian-born Georgieva told the media at the IMF’s spring meeting, which was held with its sister organization, the World Bank, adding:

But that labor supply also gave to the United States [overall economy an] advantage: Wages are not pushing up, because there is no strong pressure because of lack of labor.

Not counting inflation, the annual growth in average hourly earnings has dropped to 4.1 percent in March 2024, down from 5.9 percent during the coronavirus turmoil on March 22, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But after counting inflation, wages in President Joe Biden’s migration-inflated economy have remained flat or dropped — especially for the many young Americans who are facing rising rents.

Migration also spurs inflation, chiefly by driving up housing prices amid Biden’s welcome for more than 7 million southern migrants and at least 2 million legal migrants. “Inflation is down but not gone,” Georgieva said at the meeting.

But cheap labor is also very good for employers, investors, government tax collectors, and bankers because it grows the number of revenue-generating workers, consumers, and taxpayers — even though Americans’ wages remain flat or decline. That way the overall economy, Wall Street values, and the size of government, all grow from migration — even when Americans’ wages drop.

The mismatch “creates a domestic political problem,” Georgieva admitted. Indeed, many polls that show the majority of Americans reject Biden’s high-migration, low-wage “Bidenomics” economy.

Many business leaders, government agencies, and academics admit that wages are reduced by migration. They include independent academics, the National Academies of Science, the Congressional Budget Office, executives, more academics, New York Times reporters, state officials, unions, more business executives, lobbyists, employees, the Wall Street Journal, federal economists, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs again, oil drillers, Wall Street analysts, fired professionals, legislators, construction workers, New York Times subscribers, Robert Rubin, and even by the Bank of Ireland.

Worse, the flood of cheap workers also drags down the productivity growth needed for growing middle-class wealth.

Migration allows companies to generate profits from low-productivity jobs, such as labor-intensive manufacturing, or restraint jobs.

The flood of cheap workers also reduces companies’ incentive to buy productivity-boosting machinery or to invest in risky ideas. Instead, they can profit by using their subsidized workers to operate old machinery that would otherwise be sold to companies in developing countries.

In contrast, China opposes immigration and is investing heavily in wage-boosting, high-tech factories.

Democrats help companies profit from migration by forcing local and federal taxpayers to pay the welfare and housing costs that keep the migrant workers from squalor. In April, Bloomberg reported on the economic difficulties facing Ukrainian parole migrants who cannot get city-paid housing:

“I couldn’t stretch my pay, not just for an apartment but even for a room,” said Marina Kostenko, a former teacher from Odesa who moved to New York in 2022.

The 52-year-old said she offered child-care services in exchange for housing, an arrangement that fell through on three different occasions, each time leaving her without a place to live.

The state of Massachusetts is using sales taxes to provide roughly $1 billion per year in housing subsidies for imported workers in 2024.

But the Democratic support for corporate migration also pushes many Americans out of major cities.

The flood of migrants inflates housing costs, pushing American families out of high-opportunity cities. WBH.org reported April 18:

A recent report by Boston Indicators found that Massachusetts lost a population about the size of Winchester. The staggering cost of housing in the Commonwealth is driving people out, and younger residents are feeling the squeeze.

“For younger buyers who want to get out of their rental apartment or maybe they’re starting a family, they need more space. …They’re going to look to communities where it’s more affordable,” said Boston Globe Business Columnist Shirley Leung on Boston Public Radio Thursday.

The concerning amount of people moving out across 2021 and 2022 — almost 23,000 — were between the ages 25 to 44. They were predominantly white, middle- and high-income earners and college-educated.

For decades, officials and lobbyists in New York City have used each new flood of migrants to suppress wages, spike rents, and push outspoken middle-class Americans out of the city.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2024/04/19/global-banker-bidens-migration-cuts-us-wages/

Who Are the 12 Jurors Seated in the Trump Hush Money Trial?
KRISTINA WONG 19 Apr 2024 7:05
(Impartial? I doubt it. This makes me sick.)

Here is a breakdown of the 12 jurors seated in the trial of former President Donald Trump. The trial is taking place in solidly-Democrat Manhattan, making it challenging for Trump’s defense to find fair and impartial jurors.

The jurors who were selected on Thursday include:

— A man who lives in Hells Kitchen, works in investment banking, has an MBA in finance, is married and lives with his wife, and enjoys hiking, music concerts and living with his wife. He describes himself as agnostic, but raised Catholic. He said he uses X, follows Truth Social Posts via X, follows trial witness Michael Cohen, the anti-Trump X account user Mueller She Wrote, and follows news on the Ukraine and Israel Wars. He said he also listens to SiriusXM radio.

— A man who lives in West Village, has worked as a security engineer for 25 years, is married with three children, and whose wife is a teacher. His hobbies are his children, and metal and woodworking. He said he does not have social media and follows a “spattering” of news outlets. He answered “yes,” when asked “Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked for any company or organization that is owned or run by Donald Trump or anyone in his family?”

— A man who lives in the Upper East Side originally from Lebanon, is retired but still consults with some clients, has an MBA, is married with a son and a daughter, enjoys fly fishing, and skiing and does yoga and meditation every morning. He said he follows the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and CNBC. His brother in law is a lawyer.

— A woman who lives in the Upper East Side who grew up in New Jersey, works as a speech therapist for the Department of Education, has a B.A. and Master’s degree, is single with no children, lives alone, enjoys walks, restaurants, and taking advantage of living in New York City, said, “I don’t watch any news or follow it too closely.” She said she subscribes to the New York Times’ “morning whatever” and CNN’s Five Things newsletters, listens to podcasts about reality TV, and has a mom who works for the state of New Jersey. She said about Trump, “I do have opinions, yes,” but she insisted she can be fair and impartial. She also said, “I do not agree with a lot of his politics and his decisions as a president, but I have really taken the past two days to reflect and make sure that I could leave that at the door and be a totally impartial juror, and I feel like I can.”

— A man who lives in Murray Hill, is originally from Ohio, works for an eyewear company in commerce, is unmarried with no children, lives with an accountant, likes the outdoors and animals. He said he did not have a “strong opinion” about Trump, and said, “Some things I am in favor, for things I am not in favor.”

— A woman who lives in Upper Manhattan, works as a product development manager for a multinational apparel company, is unmarried with no children, enjoys exploring New York and eating, said, “I don’t really follow the news,” but uses Google and reads industry-specific outlets. She said, “I don’t have strong opinions about him, but I don’t like his persona, how he presents himself in public. I don’t really agree with some of his politics, but that does not mean I can’t be impartial.” She added, “I don’t like some of my co-workers, but I am not going to — but I can hear him out and understand his point of view and understand his issues.” She also said, “He just seems very selfish and self serving, so I don’t really appreciate that in any public servant. So I don’t, I mean I don’t know him as a person, so I don’t know how he is in terms of his integrity or anything in his personal life. But how he is in public and how he himself portrays himself in public, it just seems to me it is not my cup of tea.”

— A woman who lives on the Upper East Side who works as a physical therapist, has a B.A. and doctorate in physical therapy, is married with no children, and has a husband who works as a coach for a professional sports team, and enjoys running, playing tennis, and paddle boarding with husband and dog. She said she reads the New York Times, USA Today, and CNN. She also listens to podcasts related to sports and faith. She said her in-laws are attorneys. She said she did not have strong feelings about Trump.

The jurors who were selected on Monday and Tuesday include:

— A man who lives in West Harlem and works in sales, who is married, enjoys “anything outdoorsy,” and said he follows the New York Times, Daily Mail, some Fox News and MSNBC.

— A man who lives in Chelsea, is a corporate law attorney, is not married with children, enjoys hiking and running, and get his news from the the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Google.

— A woman who lives in Harlem, is a teacher and lives with her brother, a basketball coach. She enjoys writing, theater, and traveling, and gets her news from Google and TikTok. She said she listens to podcasts on relationships and pop culture, as well as the Breakfast Club podcast.

— A woman who lives in Chelsea and works as a software engineer. She has three roommates, and said she gets news from the New York Times and TikTok.

— A man who lives on the Upper East Side and is a civil litigator. He said he knew virtually nothing about criminal law and election finance. He said he did not think a former president should be held to a higher standard and said he was ambivalent about Trump, saying something things he liked, and some he did not. He said he was not sure if he had any opinion about his character.

As far as alternates, the first one selected is:

— A woman who lives in Midtown East, is an analyst for an asset manager, lives with a self-employed boyfriend, likes to run and hang out with friends and eat, and reads the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Her sister is a law student.

Judge Juan Merchan ordered reporters to stop specifying the physical appearances of jurors, after one juror asked to be dismissed out of concern she would be identified.

The court convenes on Friday at 9:30 a.m. to continue questioning potential alternates.

The court needs five more before opening arguments can begin.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has accused Trump of violating New York state law by falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to hide an alleged campaign finance violation that involved paying former adult actress Stormy Daniels a hush money payment before the 2016 election.

The case is New York v. Trump, No. 71543-23, in the New York Supreme Court for New York County.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/19/who-are-the-12-jurors-seated-in-the-trump-hush-money-trial/

Let them make arrangements for their own long-term housing...
BACK in their country of origin.
This is ridiculous.
Biden and the demorrhoids MUST be defeated in November.

Oh and a sunny Good Morning to ya, Gmenfan.
Don't put away your winter jammies yet.
We've got some chilly nights heading our way.

Democrats Seize Control of House: For First Time in Recorded History, Speaker Mike Johnson Relies on Minority Party Votes to Advance Foreign Aid Plan
BRADLEY JAYE 18 Apr 2024 2:11
(Tens of billions to be sent overseas. And yet, they keep telling us Social Security and Medicare are in jeopardy. Maybe that money should go to pay back the money they "borrowed" from those funds.)

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made history Thursday night just before midnight by essentially surrendering Republican majority control to Democrats.

For the first time in recorded history — since the House began keeping records — the House Rules Committee relied on minority party votes to overcome objections from the majority and advance a rule bill to the House floor.

The committee voted nine to three, with all four Democrats on the committee voting with five Republicans to move a rule to the House floor, which, if passed with Democrat support as expected, would allow votes on Johnson’s foreign aid package, including a bill that includes tens of billions to fund Ukraine.

Conservative Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ralph Norman (R-SC) voted no.

The powerful House Rules Committee, known for generations as “the Speaker’s committee” for the control the Speaker of the House possesses over the committee and its reputation as a rubber stamp for the Speaker’s agenda, sets the floor agenda for the House through what are known as rules.

Rules do not simply allow votes on bills. The complicated, convoluted language of the eight-page rule, as with many rules, intentionally deflects from what the rule does.

For example, after questioning from Massie, Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX) acknowledged the rule contains language that merges the four bills together, sending the different components together as one package to the Senate as part of Johnson’s complicated scheme to exploit the urgency to pass aid to Israel to ensure Ukraine funding can pass Congress.

“The four bills that we’ve heard testimony on today will be transmitted to the senate as an amendment to the underlying bill,” Burgess said, acknowledging the underlying bill itself was an unrelated “veterans bill.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/18/democrats-seize-control-house-speaker-mike-johnson-relies-minority-party-votes-advance-foreign-aid/

Really? I had no idea.