Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton waded into the debate over a recently pulled “60 Minutes” story highlighting the conditions at El Salvador’s Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison — but Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele pushed back. The twice-failed presidential candidate shared a video after CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a story on the prison, promising a look at what was really going on. “Curious to learn more about CECOT? Hear Juan, Andry, and Wilmer share firsthand how the Trump administration branded them as gang members without evidence and deported them to the brutal El Salvadoran prison,” Clinton posted. The video she shared, originally from PBS News, interviewed three Venezuelan men who had been deported to the prison by President Donald Trump’s administration. Salvadoran President Bukele responded to Clinton with a lengthy post of his own and proposed a trade-off: “Madam Secretary Hillary Clinton, If you are convinced that torture is taking place at CECOT, El Salvador is ready to cooperate fully,” Bukele began in his response. “We are willing to release our entire prison population (including all gang leaders and all those described as ‘political prisoners’) to any country willing to receive them. The only condition is straightforward: it must be everyone.” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “This would also greatly assist journalists and your favorite NGOs, who would then have thousands of former inmates available for interviews, making it far easier to find additional voices critical of the Salvadoran government (or willing to confirm whatever conclusions are already expected),” Bukele continued. “Surely, if these testimonies reflect a systemic reality, a much larger pool of sources should only reinforce the claim, and many governments should be eager to offer protection.” His conclusion was simple: “Until then, we will continue prioritizing the human rights of the millions of Salvadorans who today live free from gang rule. Respectfully, Nayib Bukele.” A number of others also responded to Clinton’s post, with some referencing the fact that when she was First Lady, her husband — then-President Bill Clinton — had played a role in deporting Salvadoran gang members back to El Salvador en masse. Many of those Salvadoran criminals — who had come to the United States as their country was being torn apart by civil war — formed MS-13 in Los Angeles. When the Clinton administration first expanded the list of crimes that could result in deportation and then began deporting MS-13 members in large numbers, the still-rebuilding Salvadoran government was unable to handle the overwhelming number of gang members being dropped at their doorstep.

Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. There’s been quite a controversial article by one Jacob Savage in the conservative magazine Compact. In it, he describes the destruction of a whole generation, career-wise, of white males, particularly in the entertainment industry, screenwriting, journalism, the humanities, academia. And his thesis is tri-part. He says that, traditionally, white males had dominated these fields, as they did others. And that was a part of demography. After all, until about 1965 or ’70, 90% of the country was so-called white, but as immigration increased and there was more emphasis on feminism, civil rights, the white male hierarchy decided to help people who otherwise would not be encouraged to apply to these marquee jobs. And this was sort of a proto affirmative action. And then it was reified by the government. And so, we saw the beginning in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s of affirmative action, and this reduced the number of white males from their demo from being overrepresented, let’s say 70%, when their demographic now is 35, down to the millennium proportionality. There was no disproportionate demographics. They were more or less proportionate in screenwriting and writing and movie scripts, etc. Right before and then especially after George Floyd, there was something, I guess we would call it reparations or repertory hiring, admissions. In my case, I watched Stanford University go down to 9% white males were admitted to their freshman class, even though that demographic is about 35% of the population. And this radically changed journalism, screenwriting, academia. And as Mr. Savage points out, some of the exclusionary actions were outright and unabashed, I would call it, racism. He doesn’t, he says prejudicial behavior. So, you would get down to 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12% white males. That meant there was almost no opportunity. And instead, women and minorities were hired. He ends the article by suggesting that if you get rid of meritocracy—and all of these fields, forget about the tribal affiliations of those who were in them, they did have meritocratic standards. So, I guess I came away from his article thinking, if you don’t think the movies are very good today, the “Star Wars” franchise has gone downhill, the “James Bond” franchise has gone downhill, the entertainment at the halftime shows are pretty bad, Disneyland is not very welcoming anymore, you know the scenario. It’s because we destroyed standards and we replaced them with tribal chauvinism. Where I think some of you are gonna disagree with this very powerful and well-written article is that he allots no anger, no blame. He says that the white male hierarchy that implemented these changes on another generation, i.e., his generation, it is not to blame, and the people who took advantage of these repertory or race-based or gender-based hiring should not be faulted either. They just took advantage of a welcoming position. And then, rather than being defined, he sort of shrugs his shoulders and says, I told my children maybe I didn’t succeed. It was kind of tragic. I do blame the older white hierarchy, mostly liberal professors, liberal journalists, liberal directors, liberal actors, liberal screenwriters. They all had nice cushy jobs. They earned them. Then they decided in their utopian generosity that they were going to admit people into their guilds without the same criterion that they had had because it made them feel better. In other words, they didn’t accept Tom Sowell’s or Shelby Steele’s advice or Jason Riley’s that says, when you do that, you’re going to encourage mediocrity and opportunist, and you’re going to deprecate the work of African Americans or Hispanics that are very talented. But that’s what you’re going to do just to gratify your own sense of ego and shame. And that’s exactly what happened. So, I do blame that group because all they had to do is say, they could have said: “We have to have a radical change at Disney Pictures. We have to have a radical change at sitcoms. We have to have a radical change in screenplays. And because we have seven white males in the journalism room and we’re all 70, we’re making great money, one of us is gonna have to retire and give our slots to other white males that are young, and then we can hire additional ones.” They didn’t do that. It was all, I’m going to experiment on these Guinea pigs without any exposure of my title, my job, my salary, my benefits. And they destroyed a whole series of genres. The other thing that I would say is I do blame the people who took advantage of that, especially those who knew they were not qualified. And then to stay in those positions when they did not have the meritocratic criteria, they had to perpetuate the idea of systematic racism. What do I mean by that? Anybody, to take one example, who listened to Joy Reid on MSNBC, “The ReidOut,” or whatever her show was, knew that she was A) not truthful, B) paranoid, C) hypocritical, D) ignorant. I don’t care where she went to school or what kind of degree she got, she was not qualified for that job. She tanked all of their ratings. People did not wanna watch her. And I don’t think that she was an innocent victim. I think she took advantage of that goodwill, especially when she was supercharged after the death of George Floyd to take advantage of that situation and to voice, I think, opinions that were objectively racism. So, not everybody, but I do think people took advantage of this system. What did he end up with, Mr. Savage? He sort of said this was so unfair and so tragic. We lost such talent. It was so unfair. Yes. But I would urge all of you listeners to read a little essay in response by Jeremy Carl. He said, no, no, that’s not—you’ve got the diagnosis right, but you don’t have the therapy right. We don’t just shrug our shoulders and say that was unfair, and it’s tragic, and millions of lives were destroyed. We fight back. And that’s what President Donald Trump has done with the destruction of DEI. And Jeremy Carl said it’s racism. Whether it’s white on black or black or white, or white on minority or minority on white, doesn’t matter. You don’t address a perceived injustice by creating a greater injustice. You don’t destroy the lives of a whole generation of people for the goodwill of your own spirit or something to make you feel good. No. These people were culpable. They did great damage, and they have to be held accountable. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The War on White Men Is Real—Here’s the Proof appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Christmas Eve

A Democratic politician from Rhode Island was caught on camera berating and arguing with police officers during a DUI traffic stop.'God forbid I was a black person, I’d be arrested!'East Greenwich police pulled over Cranston Democratic Committee Chair Maria Bucci after midnight on Thursday.Bucci, a former Cranston City Council member and former mayoral candidate, told authorities that she only had one glass of wine and was driving her cousin home from a Christmas party, according to the officer’s bodycam footage.One of the officers claimed that he could smell alcohol on her breath and noted that her driving was “pretty erratic.”Bucci accused the officer of abuse and claimed he was trying to embarrass her.“You know who I am, right?” she asked.“I don’t know who you are, miss,” the officer responded. RELATED: Police video shows unhinged Democrat official melting down during arrest: 'You're gonna regret this!' Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAfter several outbursts, Bucci reluctantly agreed to a field sobriety test. The officer asked Bucci to follow the tip of his pen with her eyes, then asked whether she would submit to a walk-and-turn test.Bucci began arguing with the officers at the scene.“I honestly feel bad. If I was a black human, I think you guys — no, honestly ... I feel bad for the people that are not in my position,” she shouted while pointing at the officers. Bucci shouted at her cousin, who remained in the vehicle to make some phone calls for her.“Call my husband right now, and call the attorney general and everybody else in town,” Bucci said.RELATED: The carnage no one talks about: Drunk driving and illegal aliens Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images“This is disgusting. God forbid I was a black person, I’d be arrested,” she continued. “What are you going to do? Shoot me? ... Arrest me?”After Bucci continued to be argumentative and did not complete the walk-and-turn portion of the sobriety test, the officer instructed her to turn around so he could place her in handcuffs.“Give me the camera,” Bucci said, as she leaned toward the officer’s body camera. “You’re a dick!”Bucci received a misdemeanor DUI charge, the New York Post reported. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Each December, the days get darker, colder, and shorter. But this is also the time that Christmas decorations begin to appear across the world, and perhaps no place is more famous for its sprawling Christmas decorations in America than the White House. However, White House Christmases weren’t always as magnificent — or even as public. For many years, presidents celebrated private Christmases at the White House (or elsewhere). It wasn’t until the early 20th century that White House Christmases started to become a public affair, and many festive traditions that we recognize today — including Christmas “themes” and elaborate gingerbread houses — didn’t emerge until the 1960s and 1970s. Take a look at past White House Christmas celebrations in the gallery below, and read on to learn more about the evolution of White House Christmases. Click here to view slideshow Simple Celebrations, Children's Parties, And "Secret" Trees Before the 20th century, White House Christmases were quiet affairs. According to the White House Historical Association, the White House would be decorated modestly, and presidential families would celebrate the holiday in private. However, some presidents hosted larger Yuletide gatherings. The first presidential couple to occupy the White House, John and Abigail Adams, threw a Christmas party in 1800, mostly for the benefit of their four-year-old granddaughter Susanna Boylston Adams. Over three decades later, Andrew Jackson also threw a party for children in his family in 1835 that included games, dancing, and snowballs made of cotton. As Christmas trees became more popular around the world, they too began to make their way to the White House. Historians believe that Benjamin Harrison was the first president to bring a Christmas tree into the White House, when he and his family decorated a tree with toys and candles and placed it on the second floor of the building in 1889. Christmas trees were far from ubiquitous in the United States at the time, however, and when Theodore Roosevelt and his family moved into the White House at the turn of the 20th century, they purportedly did not celebrate with a tree at all. In 1902, Roosevelt's son Archie allegedly snuck a small tree into the White House, which he decorated before revealing it to his family. White House Historical Association Theodore Roosevelt "discovering" the tree that had allegedly been smuggled into the White House by his son Archie. Still, more public White House Christmas celebrations would not emerge until many years later. Though Calvin Coolidge oversaw the first public lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 1923, and though some presidential families placed trees inside the White House, it wasn't until the 1950s that First Lady Mamie Eisenhower began the holiday tradition of consistently placing a Christmas tree in the Blue Room. With a few exceptions, that's where the official tree has stood ever since. How The Modern White House Christmas Was Formed By First Ladies Mamie Eisenhower didn't just start the Blue Room Christmas tree tradition. She also expanded the holiday decorations at the White House, filling the Executive Mansion with numerous Christmas trees, poinsettias, wreaths, and holly. According to the White House Historical Association, there were 16 Christmas trees in the White House in 1957, and 26 trees in 1959. Her successor, Jacqueline Kennedy, also embraced the tradition of public White House Christmases. And she put her own touch on it by suggesting that each year have a festive "theme." In 1961, the theme that the First Lady chose was "Nutcracker Suite," and the Christmas tree in the Blue Room was decorated with toys, birds, and angels inspired by the Nutcracker ballet. Her successor, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, embraced an "early American" theme with her Christmas tree, which she decorated with traditional ornaments, nuts, fruit, popcorn, and gingerbread cookies. White House Historical AssociationJohn F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy celebrating Christmas at the White House in 1962. But perhaps the First Lady who developed modern White House Christmas traditions the most was Pat Nixon. Hoping to share more of the White House with the public, Nixon oversaw several different developments, including adding wreaths to the White House windows, opening up the Executive Mansion for candlelight tours at night, and working with White House Sous Chef Hans Raffert to create a special 40-pound gingerbread house. "Before we came to the White House, our friends always looked to us to see what surprises we were going to give them at Christmas, with our decorations, our 'open house' party," Pat Nixon explained to House and Garden magazine in 1971. "We've always tried to make Christmas special and different. At the White House we enjoy giving surprises, too." White House Christmases that followed largely adhered to the mold created by First Ladies like Mamie Eisenhower, Jackie Kennedy, and Pat Nixon. But there were surprising moments too, like when Elvis Presley met Richard Nixon in the Oval Office on Dec. 21, 1970, or when First Lady Nancy Reagan sat on Mr. T's lap while he was playing the White House Santa in 1983. Christmas At The White House In Recent Years For the rest of the 20th century — and into the 21st century — White House Christmases have always had a theme. In 1975, Betty Ford chose "An Old-Fashioned Christmas in America," and decorated the official tree with dried flowers, fruit, acorns, pinecones, straw, and yarn. Rosalynn Carter embraced a "Victorian" theme, and Nancy Reagan had both a "Mother Goose" theme and an "Old-Fashioned" theme, which saw the reuse of Christmas ornaments from the Eisenhower administration. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARANancy Reagan's Christmas tree from 1988. In 1989, Barbara Bush used the White House Christmas theme to champion one of her causes — reading — and chose the theme of "Children's Literacy," whereas Hillary Clinton picked themes like "Year of the American Craft" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Meanwhile, Laura Bush — who decorated the White House with 19 Christmas trees, 660 feet of garlands, 245 wreaths, 251 bows, and 70,000 lights in 2001 — oversaw themes like "Home for the Holidays" and "All Creatures Great and Small" to honor animals. In more recent years, Michelle Obama chose holiday themes like "Reflect, Rejoice, Renew," and "Simple Gifts," Melania Trump picked themes such as "Time-Honored Traditions" and "American Treasures," and Jill Biden opted for "A Season of Peace and Light." White House Christmases also continue to feature a gingerbread house — though they've come a long way from the relatively simple structure designed for Pat Nixon. For many years, the shape of the gingerbread house stayed mostly the same (though the house grew in size and complexity), but after Chef Hans Raffert retired, things evolved. His successor, Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, created a gingerbread "village" for George H.W. Bush in 1992, and an entire gingerbread White House for the Clintons in 1993. White House Historical AssociationAn entire gingerbread White House, created by Chef Mesnier, in 1993, which celebrated the Clintons' cat, Socks, with 22 marzipan sculptures of their beloved pet. In the end, many of the White House Christmas traditions we enjoy today can be traced back to Yuletides from decades ago. But each administration puts their unique stamp on the holiday. To see how celebrations at the White House evolved over the years, take a trip through time in the gallery above. After reading about the history of Christmas celebrations at the White House, enjoy these vintage Christmas photos from decades ago. Or, learn about unique Christmas traditions from around the world. The post From Jackie Kennedy’s ‘Nutcracker Suite’ Tree To Mr. T In A Santa Costume, See 33 Vintage Photos Of White House Christmases appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Aside from Easter, Christmas is perhaps Christianity’s most sacred date. As a celebration of Christ’s birth, the holiday is often rife with nativity scenes and holy hymns. However, many of the most beloved Christmas traditions actually have pagan roots. Public DomainSaturnalia, a 1783 painting by French artist Antoine-François Callet. Wreaths, mistletoe, holly, and yule logs all date back to pre-Christian times. Mistletoe was sacred to the Druids of the ancient Celtic world, and yule logs may have Baltic or Germanic origins. Even the day we celebrate Christmas, Dec. 25, has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. The Bible never says when Jesus was born — and it likely wasn’t even during the winter. Instead, Dec. 25 may have been selected as the official date for Christmas to coincide with the pagan Saturnalia celebrations of ancient Rome, making it easier for Romans to accept Christianity as it spread through the empire nearly 2,000 years ago. From stockings and gifts to trees and caroling, read on to learn more about the pagan origins of popular Christmas traditions. The Pagan Origins Of Decorating With Wreaths More than 2,500 years ago, the Romans began celebrating Saturnalia each December. The festival honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and celebrated the return of longer, more fertile days after the winter solstice. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia CommonsSaturnalia was a celebration of Saturn, the Roman god of time, abundance, and agriculture. The deity is pictured here in a fresco found in Pompeii. While Saturnalia involved religious rites and ceremonies, it was also a period of feasting, merriment, and spending time together — much like Christmas is today. At the time, wreaths represented power in ancient Europe. Etruscan rulers wore them as crowns, and in Greece and Rome, laurel wreaths were symbols of victory. They were even used to crown winners at the early Olympic Games. So, it makes sense that Romans utilized them as decor, hanging them on their front doors and public buildings during Saturnalia. They crafted the wreaths from plants that were still green in the winter, like holly, fir, and ivy. Their circular shape may have also represented the never-ending cycle of the seasons. Yann Forget/Wikimedia CommonsAn Italian fresco of musicians with wreaths on their head from the fifth century B.C.E. As Brent Landau, a religious studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told USA Today in 2023, “The imagery of the circle is particularly prevalent because by marking the winter solstice, you’re saying, ‘OK, this is a cyclical process that we go through every year and it gets really dark, and it gets really cold, but it doesn’t last.'” The post The Surprising Pagan Backgrounds Of Nine Popular Holiday Traditions, From Christmas Trees To Caroling appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday for six Southern California counties hit by storms that have produced flooding and wind damage. The declaration covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties.