Mother Nature can be one wild and crazy lady. While she usually keeps things pretty chill, now and then, she pulls out all the stops. She unleashes some intense natural phenomena that can be deadly. Brace yourself because these ten rare but terrifying events will blow your mind. Related: 10 Misconceptions About the World Around […] The post 10 Rare but Deadly Natural Phenomena appeared first on Listverse.

Rushan Abbas, a Muslim Uyghur living in America, delivered remarks at the Hudson Institute in 2018 about China’s persecution of Uyghurs. Six days later, her sister was arrested by the Chinese government. “My freedom of speech in America as an American citizen, my First Amendment right, cost my own sister’s freedom,” Abbas, founder and executive director of Campaign for Uyghurs, says. Abbas describes her sister as someone who was living an “ordinary life.” “She’s not famous. She’s not an educator. She never traveled to any of the Muslim-majority countries. But yet, [the] last five years and nine months, that she’s in jail now,” says Abbas, who was born in China but moved to America 35 years ago. The Chinese Communist Party views “anything that’s different as a threat,” Abbas says. “So, the Uyghurs believing in religion and speaking a different language and … having completely unique cultural differences—all this the Chinese government is taking as a threat.” Since her sister was imprisoned in China, Abbas quit her job and began advocating full time for the freedom of Uyghurs just like her sister. She joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why the Chinese Communist Party is persecuting Uyghurs and what Americans can do to help. Listen to the podcast below: The post She Spoke Out in Defense of China’s Uyghurs, Then China Abducted Her Sister appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Some in the senior class of 2020 who did not have a high school graduation because of COVID-19 will now be denied a college graduation as well.  Columbia University and the University of Southern California have canceled their traditional large graduation ceremonies due to the pro-Palestine protests on campus. Emory University in Atlanta has announced it is moving its graduation off campus to an arena due to safety concerns following protests on campus.  As many Americans have experienced firsthand, a college graduation is often a family affair as parents and grandparents see the fruits of their, and their child’s, labors. The value a family places on graduation extends past political views—a sentiment that was humorously expressed in a recent “Saturday Night Live” sketch.  In a mock news show panel interview, a reporter asks a group of three parents how they feel about the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses. Cast member Kenan Thompson, acting as a proud father of a Columbia University senior, first expresses support for young people making their voices heard but changes his tune when asked about his own daughter protesting. With wit and humor, Thompson depicts a father who feels strongly that his daughter “better have her butt in class.”  When the father is confronted with the fact that he may not see his daughter graduate because of the protests, he exclaims, “Man, if she don’t walk, Columbia’s gonna be on the news for something else.” Parents of New York City college students share their thoughts on campus protests pic.twitter.com/Ew4jmThlhS— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 5, 2024 Since the summer of 2020 and the death of George Floyd, Americans have become accustomed, and maybe even a little numb, to young people protesting in the streets. But the pro-Palestine protests are striking a different chord in the political landscape. Democrats and Republicans alike are being personally affected by a political movement rooted in anti-American sentiment, and they may be seeing behind the curtain of where the radical far-left’s agenda leads.  On this week’s edition of the “Problematic Women” podcast, we discuss the ways the pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests are affecting Americans and if the recent protests could have the opposite effect of what was intended and instead usher in a movement of patriotism and unity in America.  Also on today’s show, the Boy Scouts is changing its name, and the big losers in this situation may be the Girl Scouts. Additionally, we explain why more young women are considering physician-assisted suicide. And as always, we’ll be crowning our Problematic Woman of the Week! Listen to the podcast below:  The post ‘SNL’ Gets It Right With Pro-Palestine Protest Sketch appeared first on The Daily Signal.

At just 11 years old, I watched as a midwife cared for my mother and delivered my baby sister. A spark burst into a flame inside of me, and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a part of the beauty and wonder of birth and be a mother myself one day. One of the most rewarding aspects of my now almost 40-year career as a nurse and a midwife has been seeing women tap into their truest potential as they become mothers. Unfortunately, many women today are being misled by the false notion that motherhood is too much for them to handle and that abortion is their pathway to empowerment. Even the centuries-old practice of midwifery has fallen prey to this misguided notion. Leading medical organizations such as the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the International Confederation of Midwives, which this past Sunday celebrated the International Day of the Midwife, have abandoned the historical focus of midwives walking beside women in pregnancy and birth in favor of abortion politics. The American College of Nurse-Midwives, for example, no longer focuses on the physiological process of birth for women. Instead, the refrain “abortion is necessary care” resounds as the association has made the shift away from things that used to matter toward the idea that abortion is health care, and that midwives should be providers of that care. In truth, we are failing women by telling them that abortion is their only option—or that it is empowering. Women deserve to know that abortion doesn’t fulfill the promises of going back to what you were before, nor does it solve life’s problems. We limit women’s true power and potential by pushing the notion that power can only come externally and that ending the life inside of them can help them find it. This Mother’s Day, we should recommit to encouraging women to work with their bodies, instead of against them, by offering them holistic medical care instead of the one-size-fits-all “solution” of abortion. Thankfully, there are programs out there that can help women discover the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual transformation of motherhood. Backed by 45 years of evidence-based research, the Nurse-Family Partnership program is a national effort supporting vulnerable first-time moms for the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives. The program’s goals are a healthier pregnancy, a full-term delivery, supporting mom/baby attachment, and helping moms work toward wholeness in their lives. We support new moms both physically and emotionally by offering education and resources as they journey through pregnancy and birth, and into the new world of parenthood. Through home visits, we establish trust and support moms as they work toward achieving the future goals they have always dreamed about. Listening to women is essential to midwifery, and that’s something I have carried to my visits with moms in my current role as director of Tennessee’s Erlanger Nurse-Family Partnership program. I’ve had the privilege of creating deep bonds with women during the months of pregnancy, through birth, and into parenthood. I’ve heard women tell their stories, share their joys and fears, and the excitement that new life brings for them. Simply listening to and encouraging women to trust their bodies can reset their whole outlook about what’s ahead for them. As we know, moms who are healthy in mind, body, and soul have a better chance of delivering healthy babies. At the end of the day, mothers need to feel seen, safe, confident, and capable, not only in pregnancy, but also in the transition to motherhood. I’ve had the privilege in my roles as a nurse and a midwife, and especially as a mother, to experience key times in life where a women’s natural power and strength is showcased; namely, during pregnancy and birth. For this Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the true strength and empowerment that motherhood brings, and commit to supporting mothers through pregnancy and birth, and in the wonders and challenges of bringing new life into the world. The post On Mother’s Day, Let’s Celebrate the True Strength and Empowerment Motherhood Brings appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can breathe a little easier now that more than 80% of his House colleagues put an end to the latest drama gripping Capitol Hill. Six months after ascending to the speakership, a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly voted to table a motion to vacate the chair—the House’s terminology for removing its leader. The final vote was 359-43; seven voted present and 21 others didn’t cast a vote. (See how your representative voted.) “Hopefully, this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s vote. “It’s regrettable. It’s not who we are as Americans and we’re better than this. We need to get beyond it.” Don’t count on it. Johnson may have survived the vote, but the anger toward him among some Republicans likely won’t subside anytime soon. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who offered the motion to vacate, bemoaned the “uniparty” that saved the speaker. Tonight, you saw the Uniparty in action.Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, and the rest of the Democrats saved Mike Johnson. pic.twitter.com/67ZOn76yDN— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) May 8, 2024 Petty squabbles and personal recriminations are nothing new for the House of Representatives. History offers many lessons. But today’s divisions—among the majority party, nonetheless—seem irreparable. The GOP’s narrow House majority after the November 2022 election emboldened rank-and-file conservatives to demand much-needed changes. After multiple rounds of voting in January 2023, then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy acquiesced to their requests and secured the votes needed to be speaker. >>> 20 Lawmakers Stood Up to the Washington Establishment. This is Their Story. With any member of the narrowly divided House able to initiate the process of removing the speaker, it was perhaps inventible that Johnson would eventually face the same scenario as McCarthy. And when Johnson opted to rely on Democrats to pass bills, that’s precisely what happened. To avoid a showdown, Johnson reportedly spent hours meeting with Greene this week, only to have her deliver a fiery floor speech that was met by a chorus of boos and jeers. When she wasn’t being interrupted, Greene accused the speaker of selling out his party and turning over House control to Democrats. ? I just called up my Motion to Vacate Nancy Pelosi-endorsed Uniparty Speaker Mike Johnson.WATCH: pic.twitter.com/LaTu76QSLR— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) May 8, 2024 Sitting by her side, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., repeatedly came to Greene’s aid. Their grievances against Johnson include his decision to pass government spending bills with Democrat support, expel embattled New York Republican George Santos from the House, and advance a $95 billion foreign aid bill over the objections of conservatives. Greene even managed to work in a defense of ousted Speaker McCarthy, whom both she and Massie considered an ally. Hours later, Massie doubled down on their defense of McCarthy by contrasting him as a favorable option to Johnson. Vacating Kevin McCarthy was a huge mistake. Every Democrat voted to vacate him because he fought them tooth and nail.Keeping Mike Johnson is an even bigger mistake. An overwhelming majority of democrats voted to keep him because he’s given them everything they want.— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 8, 2024 Sorry, Mr. Speaker, personality politics reign supreme. In reality, Johnson will never know just how many Republicans want to see him gone beyond Greene, Massie, and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. That’s because before Greene’s motion to vacate came to vote, the House opted to table it. Of the 11 Republicans against motion to table, only a few explained their vote. But it’s safe to say not all were aligned with Greene, despite what Massie suggested. It’s a new paradigm in Congress. Nancy Pelosi, and most republicans voted to keep Uniparty Speaker Mike Johnson. These are the eleven, including myself, who voted NOT to save him. pic.twitter.com/8HnfDQ7lBe— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 8, 2024 At least three said not to interpret their opposition as an indication of their feelings toward Johnson. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, opposed Greene’s motion to vacate even though he joined her on the procedural vote. “One should not be viewed as a proxy for the other,” he said. New Speaker, same vote. To be clear, the motion to table and the motion to vacate are separate questions. One should not be viewed as a proxy for the other. As I did when Speaker McCarthy was ultimately vacated, I opposed the passive-aggressive motion to table which neuters…— Warren Davidson ?? (@WarrenDavidson) May 8, 2024 Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., declared her opposition to Green’s motion to vacate but opposed the effort to table it. “I fought a lot to change Pelosi rules and have more accountability on the speaker in Congress,” she explained. I am not happy with where we are now, but would not vote to vacate the speaker at this time. However, I fought a lot to change Pelosi rules and have more accountability on the speaker in Congress, so I voted not to table the motion consistent with my vote on McCarthy last fall.— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) May 8, 2024 And finally, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., put it bluntly when he said that “joining Democrats in a motion to table was more than I could stomach.” While I may not agree with the timing of a MTV, joining Democrats in a motion to table was more than I could stomach. That is why I voted against the motion to table.— Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) May 8, 2024 While Johnson’s critics will continue to complain that Democrats helped save him, more Republicans had his back Wednesday. So where does Johnson go from here? He most certainly shouldn’t let Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dictate the chamber’s agenda for the next six month. Across the halls of the Capitol, Senate Democrats are already plotting to change the narrative on border security, one of President Joe Biden’s greatest vulnerabilities. A sustained effort by the House to elevate the issue of illegal immigration is needed now more than ever. Republicans took an important step Wednesday to pass the Equal Representation Act, which prevents illegal aliens from influencing congressional representation and the Electoral College. >>> House Passes Bill to Restore Citizenship Question to Census Those same lawmakers must redouble their efforts on other fronts, including the strong measures already adopted in the Secure the Border Act (HR 2). With only a few must-pass pieces of legislation remaining this Congress, there’s precious little time to squander the opportunity. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The post Greene’s Gambit Fails: Speaker Johnson Survives High-Stakes Ouster Attempt appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Some top Democrat strategists are sweating Joe Biden’s chances in Michigan in November, a state they agree is a must-win for Democrats. Trump won Michigan in 2016 and he can certainly win there again.…

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