The cold blue sky was spattered with red bursts and puffs of anti-aircraft fire on July 7‚ 1944. Downward streaks of black smoke to our front marked the demise of both Allied and Axis aircraft. Chaos drew closer and closer as our B-24 Liberator hummed onward. From my copilot’s seat‚ I squinted through the windshield to gauge the approaching whirlwind. Distant German planes were at first no larger than tiny specks whizzing through our advanced formations. Having just kicked the enemy’s nest‚ we were soon to be engulfed by an angry swarm.  Moments prior‚ we had dropped our payload on the morning’s target—a Junkers aircraft plant in Aschersleben‚ located in the north-central region of Nazi Germany. Our Second Air Division dropped over 200 tons of incendiary and high-explosive bombs on that plant. Ordnance plowed into the factory with devastating impact. On a larger scale‚ more than 1‚100 American heavy bombers took off that morning to strike eleven priority targets throughout the Reich. The assault was the biggest aerial blow since D-Day.  A voice shouted over the intercom‚ “Bandits! One o’clock!”  Rapid flashes of yellow and orange suddenly appeared to our front. In a matter of no time‚ the enemy was among us. My mind raced. “Stay focused‚” I told myself. “There’s no time to be scared up here. Do your job.”  As many as 200 Messerschmitt fighters engaged us in a death struggle four miles above earth. They spewed red sheets of fire in swift succession. My heart raced at the sight. Veteran crews quickly realized the Germans had changed their tactics. Rather than charging at us obliquely‚ the enemy sped to the front of our formation and charged head-on—going down our line of four or five air groups at 400 miles per hour‚ twice the speed of our planes. The scene resembled a massive domino effect. Squeezing the triggers of their powerful 20mm cannons with each pass‚ oncoming Germans could hardly miss. Minus brief pauses for cooling‚ their heavy guns could unleash 700 shells per minute. The enemy put these weapons to shocking use.  Homan enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 19‚ 1943‚ determined to become a pilot despite a dearth of experience with airplanes. Just shy of a year later he received his silver wings and a commission as a second lieutenant. One of my comrades later referred to the sudden onslaught as “a huge ball of German fighters.” Bandits screaming forward at closing speeds of 600 miles per hour were the stuff of nightmares. White gun flashes dotted the sky. Deathly volleys had the capacity to shred our 37‚000-pound Liberators to pieces. With crazed determination‚ Jerries sometimes pressed their assaults within yards of our aircraft. I maintained a tight grip on the controls‚ doing my best to concentrate amid the struggle.         In hot pursuit of the enemy was an array of American fighters assigned to protect those of us in the heavies. Among the support squadrons were vaunted P-51 Mustangs‚ now known as “Cadillacs of the Sky” for their sleek design and astounding velocity of up to 440 mph. The arrival of these long-range fighters we referred to as “little friends” was a form of deliverance. When Mustangs emerged‚ Nazi fighters sometimes dispersed to prey on vulnerable bombers with less protection. These prompt reinforcements helped level the playing field and led to a swirl of dogfights. Flyboys corkscrewed in and out of the clouds at a dizzying pace. At the nose of our plane‚ Sgt. George “Bill” Puska blared away at oncoming intruders with hefty twin .50-caliber machine guns. Tracer rounds fired in short bursts allowed for aiming correction and served as targeting markers for five fellow gunners onboard. Cabin floors were littered with small mountains of spent‚ sizzling brass. I hardly heard any of the racket with the constant whir of the twin Pratt &; Whitney engines I could see outside my window. In this frenzied environment‚ gunners set their targets with extreme precision to avoid instances of friendly fire. Our Mustangs or P-47 Thunderbolts could be misidentified even at close range. The ability to distinguish friend from foe was essential.  As copilot‚ I kept watch on other planes in formation. If my skipper was wounded or killed‚ command passed to me. I hoped that would never be the case. The main pilot carefully observed instruments and control panels. His primary duty was to take our plane to a target and back safely. Both our jobs in the cockpit were exceedingly technical. The operation of our equipment required constant attentiveness. If I made a mistake‚ it could be fatal. I spoke into my throat microphone‚ “How’s everybody doing?” If one of the crew didn’t answer‚ I sent another man to check him. Communication and teamwork were fundamental to our endurance. The emergence of the Luftwaffe that summer morning put us to the ultimate test.  The fight lasted perhaps eight minutes. Despite the tempo of combat‚ time seemed to slow as we tried to escape. One by one‚ Jerries eventually peeled from the engagement. No longer hunted by German interceptors‚ many a battered ship staggered the 450 miles back to base. Surviving aircraft rumbled through Holland‚ toward the Channel‚ and on to England. Thankfully‚ I somehow remained cool and composed through it all. Our crew was luckier than many. A group flying adjacent to us lost all eleven crews of its lower squadron. Over 100 men were gone in a matter of minutes. To our immediate right was Lt. Frank Fulks‚ piloting the high squadron’s lead plane. His aircraft suffered several hits on the nose and top turret from 20mm cannons. His ship was in a shambles. Fulks’s navigator and bombardier were seriously wounded as well. The pilot fell out of formation for a brief time and then took position on our wing‚ remaining there until we reached home. All the while‚ we fell into dire straits ourselves. Our number three engine failed just before we crossed back over the German border. Although the B-24 could still fly with one engine out of commission‚ the malfunction made a difficult day even more harrowing. We were certainly not alone in our predicament. The bomb group endured many difficult landings that afternoon.  During the stressful return flight‚ my eyes were drawn to the top of Fulks’s battered plane. The sight has never left me.  The turret was shattered and caved in. The gunner’s head had been ripped away by the brute force of the explosion that claimed his life. The wind of the slipstream had siphoned his blood across the plane’s exterior surface. The top fuselage was painted with ghastly red streaks all the way to the tail.     It was the goriest sight I’ve ever seen in my life. To cope with this horror‚ I tried erasing the memory. My job required so much concentration that I couldn’t dwell on such scenes. That operation marked just my second journey into combat. When we returned to quarters that night‚ we discovered our names listed on the board for the next day’s mission. “Oh‚ Jesus Christ‚” we collectively moaned. The deathly cycle was already reset for morning‚ but I was too exhausted to contemplate matters of life and death. I collapsed into my bunk and promptly fell asleep. Over the next four months‚ there would be many more missions to fly‚ many more targets to bomb‚ and many more friends to mourn. this article first appeared in AVIATION HISTORY magazine See more stories Subscribe now  

Hunter: You Need to Drop Those Gun Charges

Is the Lovely Mrs. Fetterman Not As Impressed As the Rest of Us With John Ver. 2.0?

In a world where the bond between humans and animals often goes unnoticed‚ Kevin Richardson’s story stands out among the crowd. Kevin‚ a man with a heart as big as the African savannah‚ made a life-changing decision seven years ago. He rescued two lion cubs‚ Meg and Amy‚ from a fate unknown‚ nurturing them with... The post Man reunites with lions he saved as cubs 7 years later and films the encounter appeared first on Animal Channel.

On Sunday‚ ABC’s Martha Raddatz tried and failed to get Gen. Charles Brown to attack Donald Trump as he tries to pull a Grover Cleveland and return to the presidency. On Wednesday‚ it was CNN’s Poppy Harlow’s turn to try to get someone to denounce Trump. However not only did Harlow‚ like Raddatz‚ fail‚ but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg actually had positive things to say about Trump. Harlow teed up a clip of Trump by declaring that he “is likely the Republican nominee for president. He has been very clear how he feels about NATO. He reiterated that feeling just a couple days ago. Listen to this.”     Trump was then shown at a rally telling the crowd “We're paying for NATO‚ and we don't get so much out of it. And‚ you know‚ I hate to tell you this about NATO. If we ever needed their help‚ let's say we were attacked‚ I don't believe they'd be there.” Harlow then asked “You look at the Trump campaign website‚ Mr. Secretary General‚ it says‚ quote‚ ‘we have to finish the process that we began under my administration of fundamentally re-evaluating NATO's purpose and NATO's mission.’ Would a second Trump presidency concern you about the future of U.S. membership in NATO? NATO did come to the defense of the United States after 9/11‚ but Stoltenberg refused to be drawn into American electoral contests “I believe that the United States will continue to be a staunch NATO ally regardless of the outcome of the U.S. elections because it is in the U.S. interest to have a strong –” After Harlow interrupted to add “Even under President Trump?” Stoltenberg recalled his time working with Trump‚ arguing he highlighted a very real problem and got results‚ “Well‚ I worked with him for four years and I listened carefully because the main criticism has been about NATO allies spending too little on NATO and the message has been taken across the alliance in Europe and Canada.” Stoltenberg elaborated‚ “So‚ over the last years‚ NATO allies have significantly increased defense spending. More and more allies meet the NATO guideline on spending two percent of GDP on defense. Poland is actually spending four percent of GDP‚ no other allies spending more than that. And in total‚ they have added 450 billion extra for defense. So‚ the message from the United States that the European allies have to step up has been understood and they are now really moving in the right direction and that strengthens also the transatlantic bond within the alliance.” Earlier in the interview‚ Harlow tried to get Stoltenberg to go after another Republican‚ “Just earlier this week you said‚ quote‚ ‘I'm confident that all NATO allies‚ including the United States‚ will continue to provide support to Ukraine.’ And I wonder if you are still confident in that after your meeting with Speaker Johnson yesterday. Stoltenberg said he was while acknowledging and respecting the Congressional back-and-forth over the “important and difficult” issue of border security. Here is a transcript for the January 31 show: CNN This Morning 1/31/2024 7:17 AM ET POPPY HARLOW: Just earlier this week you said‚ quote‚ “I'm confident that all NATO allies‚ including the United States‚ will continue to provide support to Ukraine.” And I wonder if you are still confident in that after your meeting with Speaker Johnson yesterday. JENS STOLTENBERG: Yes‚ I continue to expect that also the United States will find a way to support Ukraine‚ because that is in the security interest of the United States. If President Putin wins in Ukraine‚ it will embolden him‚ but also other authoritarian leaders to use military force. Today‚ it is Ukraine‚ tomorrow it could be Taiwan. And when I visited the Hill yesterday‚ I met many politicians from both parties‚ and I saw broad support for Ukraine‚ but then‚ of course‚ there is this link to the border issue‚ which I respect is an important and difficult issue‚ but I believe it's possible to find a way forward to support Ukraine‚ regardless of how the border issue is handled. HARLOW: If you could take us inside that meeting with Speaker Johnson‚ what did he say that made you so confident‚ like that this would be separated and he thinks the border deal has no path forward‚ so it would be separate and that funding would come for Ukraine? STOLTENBERG: Well‚ the Speaker and I‚ we agreed a joint statement where we clearly stated that President Putin must not win the war in Ukraine. And the only way to prevent President Putin from winning is to provide support. And we all hoped for more advances in the offensive the Ukrainians launched last year‚ but we need to also remember where the whole thing started when the full-fledged invasion happened in 2022. Most experts expected that Russia would take control over Kyiv within days‚ and the rest of Ukraine within weeks. That did not happen. The Ukrainians have liberated 50 percent of the land Russia occupied in the beginning. They have opened the corridor in the Black Sea‚ pushing back the Russian fleet. And they are inflicting heavy losses on the Russian Armed Forces. So‚ with a fraction of the U.S. defense budget‚ significant combat capabilities of the Russian Army has been destroyed. So‚ our support is making a difference on the ground every day. … HARLOW: Former President Trump is likely the Republican nominee for president. He has been very clear how he feels about NATO. He reiterated that feeling just a couple days ago. Listen to this. DONALD TRUMP: We're paying for NATO‚ and we don't get so much out of it. And‚ you know‚ I hate to tell you this about NATO. If we ever needed their help‚ let's say we were attacked‚ I don't believe they'd be there. HARLOW: You look at the Trump campaign website‚ Mr. Secretary General‚ it says‚ quote‚ “we have to finish the process that we began under my administration of fundamentally re-evaluating NATO's purpose and NATO's mission.” Would a second Trump presidency concern you about the future of U.S. membership in NATO? STOLTENBERG: I believe that the United States will continue to be a staunch NATO ally regardless of the outcome of the U.S. elections because it is in the U.S. interest to have a strong – HARLOW: Even under President Trump? STOLTENBERG: Well‚ I worked with him for four years and I listened carefully because the main criticism has been about NATO allies spending too little on NATO and the message has been taken across the alliance in Europe and Canada. So‚ over the last years‚ NATO allies have significantly increased defense spending. More and more allies meet the NATO guideline on spending two percent of GDP on defense. Poland is actually spending four percent of GDP‚ no other allies spending more than that. And in total‚ they have added 450 billion extra for defense. So‚ the message from the United States that the European allies have to step up has been understood and they are now really moving in the right direction and that strengthens also the transatlantic bond within the alliance.

Leftist Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made clear in an interview on artificial intelligence (A.I.) that Microsoft will be fixated on fighting so-called disinformation in the 2024 election. Nadella told NBC anchor Lester Holt on the Jan. 30 edition of NBC Nightly News that the tech industry was putting in a lot of work to build the technology to “identify the issues around disinformation and misinformation.” Holt had put a question to Nadella on how he planned to deal with the “first A.I. election‚” asking Nadella if he was nervous about “how A.I. Can help and how it may be weaponized?" The CEO of the censor-happy company gave a concerning answer. “This is not the first election where we dealt with disinformation or propaganda campaigns by adversaries and election interference‚” said Nadella‚ before elaborating on techniques his company employs. “We're doing all the work across the tech industry around watermarking‚ detecting deep fakes and content IDs. There is going to be enough and more technology quite frankly in order to be able to identify the issues around disinformation and misinformation.”     MRC Free Speech America Director Michael Morris‚ however‚ called out Nadella for his comments‚ given infamously leftist Microsoft’s terrible track record on free speech. Morris said‚ “The left often hides behind the veneer of providing for public safety when in actuality they intend to step on Americans’ freedoms. Suggesting that technology will be utilized to protect against election interference‚ Nadella appears to use the in-vogue words ‘mis-’ and ‘disinformation’ here as a dog whistle of sorts to do precisely that in calling for what will likely ultimately amount to more censorship.” Microsoft has a history of pushing censorship. In fact‚ the head of Microsoft’s Xbox division Phil Spencer once proclaimed that “Xbox Live is not a free speech platform‚” before whining that users were more free to act on social media platforms. Additionally‚ a then-Microsoft product program manager Dare Obasanjo‚ once publicly clamored in 2019 for Facebook to remove 80 percent of Fox News’s and The Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro’s videos from the platform.  Microsoft-owned social networking site LinkedIn locked 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy out of his account. In Vivek’s case‚ as well as a number of others‚ LinkedIn censored free speech to protect environmentalist talking points on “climate change.”    As for A.I.‚ Microsoft has invested $10 billion into OpenAI‚ the parent company of ChatGPT. If ChatGPT’s track record of left-wing bias is any indication of the path Microsoft will take the technology in 2024‚ Americans should be concerned. Eric Spitznagel of The New York Post documented repeated instances of ChatGPT demonstrating a leftist bias and refusing to provide requested responses to non-politically correct prompts.  Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable

I feel like if you work at a school called “Catholic University‚” you should know what things are and aren’t “Catholic.” Melissa Goldberg‚ a now former psychology lecturer at the Catholic University in Washington D.C.‚ was let go after she invited a self-declared “abortion doula” to give a lesson on helping a “birthing person” get an abortion. Carbonneau is the founder and CEO of the doula company Family Ways. A doula’s role is usually to help provide physical and emotional support to women giving birth. Whether it’s before‚ during or after the actual birthing process‚ a traditional doula role is to help mom and baby.  Doulas‚ as Catholic News Agency noted‚ also have been known to help women through miscarriages. Carbonneau‚ however‚ talked about a doula’s role as a support during an abortion.  A student who attended the January 23 lecture by Rachel Carbonneau recorded the lesson in which Carbonneau was heard saying that the “goal for a lot of providers is to try to perform the abortion before the baby’s nerve endings are formed...at a time when the baby is not going to feel any pain.” She also referred to a pregnant lady as a “birthing person.”  I wonder if she knew she was at a Catholic university before she said something so obviously against biblical teachings. Here’s what Catholic News Agency reported about when Carbonnneau was challenged by a student in the class: When asked by a student to expand on her use of the term “birthing persons‚” Carbonneau said that she works with clients who identify as transgender. “Birthing person” is a term transgender advocates often use to avoid gendered language such as “woman” or “mother.” According to the audio recording‚ the “abortion doula” also talked about helping “pregnant men” deliver in what she called a “seahorse birth.” Related: Catholic All-Girls College to Admit Transgender Girls (Men) For Fall 2024 When word broke‚ Catholic University President Peter Kilpatrick sent an email indicating that the professor’s contract was “terminated” over inviting Carbonneau. “As a Catholic institution‚ we are committed to promoting the full truth of the human person and to protecting human life from conception to natural death. In our rigorous pursuit of truth and justice‚ we engage at times with arguments or ideologies contrary to reason or to the Gospel‚” Kilpatrick noted including‚ “But we do so fully confident in the clarity given by the combined lights of reason and faith‚ and we commit to never advocate for sin or to give moral equivalence to error.” Needless to say‚ Carbonneau was advocating for sin (abortion) and Goldberg‚ who’s equally at fault for inviting her‚ was doing the same. Catholic University also told The Daily Signal that “The guest speaker will not be speaking again to the class‚ and we are re-communicating the terms and expectations by which all outside speakers are vetted and invited.” Let’s hope they stick to their word. Follow us on Twitter/X: Woke of The Weak: Cutting Off Genitals &; Songs About Pronouns Does anyone else feel like the pool of crazies is getting larger? These wackos are doing their best to make that argument for us. pic.twitter.com/syyaJuFPY2 — MRCTV (@mrctv) January 30‚ 2024

In anticipation of the start of Black History Month on Wednesday‚ ABC’s The View decried “the downward spiral of black Republicans” and smeared ALL of them as “grifters” that would betray America and their race for “power.” They singled out South Carolina Senator Tim Scott‚ mocking and ripping his engagement to a white woman and claimed he would choose to placate former President “Trump’s ego” over the Constitution. They spoke with race baiter and author Clay Cane about his new anti-black Republican book: “The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump.” Moderator and racist‚ Whoopi Goldberg suggested that since “Black History Month starts tomorrow” Cane’s book “should be required reading.” Teeing up her guest‚ Goldberg agreed that “grifters” was “the right word for them.” Cane‚ a liberal extremist‚ said he was “so saddened at the direction” black Republicans were going. He went on to argue that black Republicans were providing no benefit to the black community: And when you think about the original black Republicans‚ they were the first progressives. They were the ones that pushed Abraham Lincoln into emancipation. They were the ones who forced him into glory. After the Civil War‚ they are forming communities that will help black folks and poor white folks. “So‚ I wanted to examine how did black Republicans go from Frederick Douglass to Clarence Thomas‚” he huffed. Without evidence‚ he asserted that black Republicans would do “anything to get access to power‚ even if it means demeaning your own community.”     The focal point for most of their racist hatred during the segment was directed at Senator Scott. Co-host Joy Behar‚ who once claimed Scott didn’t know what it was like to be a black man in America‚ said it was “horrible to watch” a “strong black man” like him “shamelessly groveling” before Trump. “I didn't like it at all. And can you explain how -- what happened to him?” she asked Cane. According to Cane‚ Scott had “gone full-blown down grifter road‚” with Behar adding that Scott was “So desperate for the power.” Behar and Cane then attacked Scott’s recent engagement to a white woman. They mocked how their names rhymed and suggested he only decided to marry her because it was good optics for a shot at being vice president: BEHAR: And also‚ this other business that he recently got engaged. CANE: Ah‚ Timothy and Mindy. [Laughter] BEHAR: Timmy and Minnie. That's because he wants the job as VP‚ right? So‚ the engagement was a good way to say‚ “Hey‚ I'm going to be married. I'm going to be legit. I can be a vice president to Trump.” CANE: I mean‚ it's so obvious. It's clear as day that he's saying‚ “Pick me I want to be the vice presidential pick.”   Cane mocks Scott's engagement to a white woman and claims Scott would betray America for "power at any cost."Whoopi called Scott "a looney tune." Sunny Hostin falsely claims he "insulted" her when he was on the show (meanwhile‚ all they do is insult him). pic.twitter.com/nglOMU8ruN — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 31‚ 2024   Last week‚ staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin insisted that Scott’s engagement proved he was a puppet of white people. The conversation took a break with Goldberg calling Scott a “looney tune” for denying that America was inherently racist. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View January 31‚ 2024 11:37:41 a.m. Eastern WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Welcome back. Black History Month starts tomorrow and there’s a new book that should be required reading called The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump. JOY BEHAR: Wow. GOLDBERG: Yeah. SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah. GOLDBERG: Please welcome author‚ Clay Cane. HOSTIN: Yes. CLAY CANE: Thank you. Thank you. BEHAR: Let's hear this. GOLDBERG: You know‚ I listened to it‚ and I was -- it knocked me out so I'm show glad you're here today because you describe the current era of black Republicans as “grifters” and I say that's the right word for them. HOSTIN: Yeah. GOLDBERG: But you need to explain to people what you mean when you say it and what made you decide to write this book? CANE: Well‚ first and foremost I wrote this book because I care about this country and I've been so saddened at the direction that it's going in under the Republican Party. It really broke my heart. And when you think about the original black Republicans‚ they were the first progressives. They were the ones that pushed Abraham Lincoln into emancipation. They were the ones who forced him into glory. After the Civil War they are forming communities that will help black folks and poor white folks. So‚ I wanted to examine how did black Republicans go from Frederick Douglass to Clarence Thomas. HOSTIN: Yeah. CANE: How did we get here? How did we get here? And so‚ what I realize is now the current version‚ they are grifters. And what I mean by that is somebody who is hustling and scheming that will say anything and do anything to get access to power‚ even if it means demeaning your own community. And in many way‚ they provide racial cover for the issues in the Republican Party. So‚ this book is also about the downward spiral of racial politics in the GOP. (…) 11:42:26 a.m. Eastern BEHAR: Let's talk about Tim Scott. CANE: Ah‚ Tim. HOSTIN: Yes. BEHAR: Because we saw him shamelessly groveling the other day‚ telling Trump that he loves him. It was really kind of – [makes groveling sound] CANE: “I just love you.” BEHAR: It was horrible to watch‚ to tell you the truth‚ to see a strong black man grovel like that. I was very -- I didn't like it at all. And can you explain how -- what happened to him? CANE: It's interesting. He exists before and after the Trump era. And he has gone full blown down grifter road. BEHAR: So desperate for the power. CANE: Exactly. What's sad about Tim Scott is that I think he knows that if he called out the bigotry in his own party versus endorsing a bigot for president‚ he knows they would throw him out faster than Liz Cheney. BEHAR: Probably. CANE: And being that he knows that‚ that's why it's a grift because he knows better. He knows better‚ it's conscious. BEHAR: It's pathetic to watch. CANE:  Yeah. BEHAR: And also‚ this other business that he recently got engaged. CANE: Ah‚ Timothy and Mindy. [Laughter] BEHAR: Timmy and Minnie. That's because he wants the job as VP‚ right? So‚ the engagement was a good way to say‚ “Hey‚ I'm going to be married. I'm going to be legit. I can be a vice president to Trump.” CANE: I mean‚ it's so obvious. It's clear as day that he's saying‚ “pick me I want to be the vice presidential pick.” But what scares me is that‚ if for some reason he was‚ Tim Scott‚ I believe‚ would show Trump the loyalty that Mike Pence didn't. GOLDBERG: Did not. That’s right. CANE: And if Tim Scott had to choose between the Constitution and Trump's ego‚ what do you think he's going to choose? BEHAR: What is the matter with him? What is the matter? CANE: Access to power at any cost. SARA HAINES: Mike Pence actually looks better right now. I didn’t even think about that. HOSITN: He’s a grifter. CANE: And let's not forget he voted against the Voting Rights Act‚ gutted the George Floyd Policing Act‚ came on this very show and denied systemic racism. HOSTIN: Insulted me. Yes‚ he did. Yes‚ he did. GOLDBERG: I was here too. HOSTIN: You came behind me and we both looked at him like he was crazy. GOLDBERG: He was a looney tune. CANE: [Laughter] (…)

The Department of Defense recently held a staff event discussing the "rise of far-right terrorism" in America‚ according to a Tuesday report by the Daily Caller News Foundation.The DCNF revealed that the Pentagon launched a new "brown bag events" series featuring both internal and guest speakers. An email invitation obtained by the outlet appeared to invite "all" staff with the DOD's Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict office‚ also known as the SO/LIC.Bruce Hoffman‚ a professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations‚ and Jacob Ware‚ a research fellow at the CFR‚ were invited by the Pentagon to discuss their book titled "God‚ Guns‚ and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America." "Reminder to please join us at 1200 tomorrow morning via Teams (link below) for this virtual brown bag book talk event — renowned terrorism scholars Dr. Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware‚" read the invitation obtained by DCNF."This is the first of what we hope will be a series of brown bag events featuring internal and external speakers‚" it continued. "This talk‚ derived from the speakers' new book‚ God‚ Guns‚ and Sedition (Columbia Univ. Press) discusses the rise of far-right terrorism in the United States‚ the impact of U.S. domestic terrorism on our foreign policy and our allies‚ and policy recommendations to counter far-right terrorism."The email invitation included information about the book and a link to the authors' biographies.A description of the book on the CFR's website states‚ "Shocking acts of terrorism have erupted from violent American far-right extremists in recent years‚ including the 2015 mass murder at a historic Black church in Charleston and the January 6‚ 2021‚ attack on the U.S. Capitol. These incidents‚ however‚ are neither novel nor unprecedented. They are the latest flashpoints in a process that has been unfolding for decades‚ in which vast conspiracy theories and radical ideologies such as white supremacism‚ racism‚ antisemitism‚ xenophobia‚ and hostility to government converge into a deadly threat to democracy."The recently released book purports to account for the "rise of far-right terrorism in the United States — and how to counter it." During a podcast interview in early January‚ Hoffman defined and explained "far-right terrorism.""One of the challenges we had in researching the book is we're talking about a vast movement with many different constituent parts‚ not a hierarchical single organization‚ and that's been part of the movement's strength is that it is consistently over decades‚ one could argue over a century and a half‚ has sought to appeal to an increasingly diverse constituency. You have the Ku Klux Klan types‚ racists‚ anti-Semites‚ xenophobes‚ anti-LGBTQ‚ and so on‚" Hoffman stated. "We're talking about people that are militantly opposed to paying federal income tax‚ that militant zealous adherence to the Second Amendment‚ that believe that there is an ongoing attempt by the federal government to seize their arms. So a diverse array of people‚ conspiracy theorists‚ militant‚ anti-globalists‚ and so on that come together to comprise this movement."It is unclear who approved the book discussion event‚ the DCNF reported. The outlet noted that domestic terrorism is outside the DOD's purview. Neither the DOD‚ Hoffman‚ nor Ware responded to the DCNF's requests for comment regarding the event.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Pop star Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been the topic of plenty of contention lately. Fans complain that they don’t care to watch the games if the cameras are going to be focused on Swift in the stands instead of the players on the field. However‚ Front Office Sports estimates that Swift has had greater than a $300 million impact on the Chiefs and the NFL’s bottom line. Shannon Sharpe believes Swift’s presence is a smart move for the Chiefs. “Y’all need to understand. NFL playing chess‚ y’all playing checkers. Y’all talking about stop playing Taylor Swift‚” Sharpe says‚ adding that "she’s bringing a different demographic and a new set of eyeballs.” Sharpe also notes that while he loves artists like Beyonce who have played Super Bowl halftime shows in the past‚ “Beyonce ain't moving the needle like this chick.” “She’s the closest thing to moving the needle like Michael Jackson that we’ve seen‚” he adds. Jason Whitlock agrees with Sharpe. “I agree with Shannon as it relates to Taylor Swift moving the needle more than Beyonce‚” Whitlock tells Shemeka Michelle. “I don’t think she’s remotely in the same stratosphere as Michael Jackson.” “When Michael Jackson died‚ he did look like a skinny white woman‚ so that is maybe what they have in common‚” Michelle adds. To hear the full conversation‚ watch the clip belowWant more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture‚ faith‚ sports‚ and comedy with Jason Whitlock‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.