Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian pushed back this week on claims from the political Left that President Donald Trump’s cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will impact air travel safety. The comments from Bastian come after one of Delta’s planes was involved in an accident in Toronto this week during landing. The plane’s rear landing gear snapped upon impact, causing the plane’s wing to clip the ground and the jetliner to flip over. Bastian appeared on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday to address the recent plane crash at Toronto-Pearson International Airport, where a Delta flight from Minneapolis overturned while landing at the Canadian airport. “Do those cuts worry you and do you think that impacts safety?” CBS News host Gayle King asked Bastian on “CBS Mornings.” “Do these cuts affect you?” “The cuts do not affect us, Gayle,” Bastian responded. “I’ve been in close communication with the Secretary of Transportation. I understand that the cuts at this time are something that are raising questions, but the reality is there’s over 50,000 people that work at the FAA. And the cuts, I understand, were 300 people, and they were in non-critical safety functions.” “The Trump administration has committed to investing deeply in terms of improving the overall technologies that are used in the air traffic control systems and modernizing the skies,” he continued. “They’ve committed to hiring additional controllers and investigators, and safety investigators. So no, I’m not concerned with that at all.” WATCH: CBS’s Gayle King tries to blame Trump for the plane crashes, is debunked by Delta’s CEO pic.twitter.com/P9m5SxYKOQ — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 19, 2025 Bastian said that the crew responded appropriately to the accident, which pilots continuously train to be prepared for. “This is what we train for,” Bastian insisted. “We train for this continuously.” He added that despite the accident last month in Washington, D.C., and some smaller crashes since then, flying remains “the safest form of transportation, period.”

Former NATO Deputy Supreme Commander General Sir Richard Shirreff warned this week that the U.S. and European leaders are asleep at the wheel when it comes to confronting Russia in Ukraine. Shirreff told the BBC that he believes that remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia were “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” “I think that it shows a failure to understand what Russia is about,” he said. “What Russia is about is removing Ukraine from the map as a sovereign state, incorporating Ukraine, either physically annexing it in terms of the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine, or installing a puppet government in Kiev so that Ukraine becomes a sort of client state, rather like Belarus.” He said that any negotiator who believes that Russia will accept peace terms that Ukraine is comfortable with “is deluding themselves.” Shirreff said that President Donald Trump’s intense criticism of Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, means that “Pax Americana is finished.” “America has effectively abdicated its leadership of the free world,” he said. “Because with leadership comes responsibilities, and it has made it very clear that it is not going to be the security guarantor for Europe.” He said that it was up to Europe and Canada to forge a new security alliance without the U.S. to guarantee their own safety. Shirreff warned that if Russia senses that NATO is weakening that it may invade all the Baltic states in an attempt to rebuild the Russian empire. “We through our failure to spend more on defense, our willingness to freeload off American largesse for the last umpteen decades, have now got to dig deep,” he said. “Because now we’ve got to replace the capabilities that America brought to the alliance. Now, that is one massive ask. Of course, it is.” He said the only way to stop Russian aggression on the continent was to build a “strong NATO deterrent presence from the Baltic to the Black Sea, incorporating Ukraine as a NATO member.” “That requires every NATO member—including America—to lean in and, as a start, put together a strategy to support the Ukrainians in defeating Russia,” he added. “Because that’s the only way Russia is going to be stopped. Anything less than that, which is what we’re seeing now in spades, is merely starting the unraveling of European security, which could so easily end in catastrophe.” WATCH:

Meghan Markle recently came back to social media after a nearly decade-long hiatus, and now it seems we know why. She announced on Instagram that she’s launching a lifestyle brand and television show with Netflix called “As Ever.” To celebrate her new venture, Meghan had a photo shoot featuring her rarely seen daughter, Princess Lilibet, 3. The mother and daughter appear to be flocking on a lush green yard. We see two palm trees predominantly high in the sky, a nod to their California home. It’s a happy, serene photo that looks to set the stage for her brand. Meghan Markle Shares Rare Photo of Her Daughter, Lilibet https://t.co/IdDYHm7iNP— House Beautiful (@HouseBeautiful) February 19, 2025 Meghan Markle shared in her video “The cat’s out of the bag.” She added it surprised her how well they kept their secret for as long as they did. Meghan said, “As Ever essentially means ‘as it’s always been’, and if you’ve followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I’ve always loved cooking and crafting and gardening — this is what I do,” she said. “And I haven’t been able to share it with you in the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first.” Meghan Markle Gave Us A Few As Ever Easter Eggs Recently Her slow reemergence on social media included several posts on Instagram. She’s signed them all “As ever, Meghan.” In her latest post, she wrote with much pride. “This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday. I will keep sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love…As ever, Meghan.” This story’s featured image is by Samir Hussein/WireImage. The post Princess Lilibet Joins Meghan Markle For As Ever Photo Shoot appeared first on InspireMore.

'It was a race against time prior to Inauguration Day'

Brad Marchand is a real one

'The Chinese government wages a whole-of-society People’s War'

President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders, but few have received as much media attention as his directive protecting women’s sports. And few subsequent developments were as gratifying as the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s about-face on women’s athletics, which reversed the NCAA’s previously trans-inclusive policy and relegated women’s collegiate athletics to biological women, alone. Or did it? The NCAA—a nonprofit membership organization that regulates student athletics among 1,100 schools in the United States—organizes the athletic programs of colleges and universities within its three divisions. It oversees the sports participation of approximately 500,000 college student athletes who compete annually in college sports. As a nonprofit organization, approximately 96% of its $1.28 billion in annual revenue is distributed among its member colleges and universities, making NCAA membership—and a division ranking—incredibly lucrative. It’s this profitability that now has member colleges and universities over a barrel on women’s sports: keep your NCAA ranking, or violate Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination in government schools, putting your federal funding at risk? The NCAA released its “Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes” one day after the president’s executive order on women’s sports. Its title alone presents the first problem: there are no “transgender” student athletes in American collegiate athletics. All athletes are either male or female, regardless of their purported “gender identity.” The policy then defines terms: “Sex Assigned at Birth: The male or female designation doctors assign to infants at birth, which is marked on their birth records.” Infants are not assigned a sex at birth. Their sex is objectively identified at birth. What’s more, while the reference to “birth records” may seem to be a backstop against gender orthodoxy in sports, 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia now allow individuals to change their birth records to whatever sex they identify with, regardless of their underlying biology. There is no way to determine whether a birth record has been amended. The NCAA policy concludes by noting that “As with all other NCAA eligibility criteria, member schools remain responsible for certifying student-athlete eligibility for practice and competition.” This directive puts member schools right back where they started from when the NCAA issued its first missive on “trans-inclusive” athletics policies. Schools themselves will need to make determinations on which athletes are male or female and will be left holding the bag for whatever eligibility determination they make. Meanwhile, rather than, for example, requiring uniform cheek swabs to determine natal sex and participation eligibility, the NCAA gets to shirk all responsibility for enforcing its toothless policy. With its many deficiencies, the NCAA’s new policy runs contrary to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the global Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights. It’s also contrary to President Trump’s recent Executive Orders “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” and Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” If the NCAA’s leaders really want to keep college athletics separated by biological sex, they should tear up their policy and try again. The post The NCAA Policy ‘Protecting’ Women’s Sports is a Head Fake. Don’t Fall for It appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump’s enraptured supporters, gathering just outside Washington, D.C., for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, have much to celebrate after Trump’s first month in office. They summarize Trump’s accomplishments with one of his campaign mottos, “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” Trump has signed about 70 executive orders aimed at securing the border; cutting wasteful spending; eliminating radical gender ideology; establishing an “America First” foreign policy approach; challenging discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion practices; and much more. Seventy percent of Americans think Trump is doing exactly what he campaigned on, according to a CBS News poll released Feb. 9. “It’s restoring confidence that you can have leaders who really will make a commitment and stick to it and do the things that they share in a campaign that they’re going to do,” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told The Daily Signal. Many of Trump’s accomplishments echo what the House Freedom Caucus has fought for since its inception, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told The Daily Signal. “From rooting out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our government, to rolling back the woke Biden administration policies that allowed biological men to compete in women’s sports, to deporting violent criminal illegals from our streets,” the Maryland lawmaker said. “President Trump is delivering on his promises to the American people—and doing it in record speed.” Securing the Border Two days into his second term, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, enabling him to deploy additional personnel to the border, and directing the acting secretaries of the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to finish the border wall. The White House has touted January’s 36% decline in border apprehensions—resulting in the lowest number of illegal aliens apprehended along the border in almost five years—as the “Trump effect.” That total includes 29,116 apprehended at the border outside of official ports of entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That’s the lowest since May 2020. And that compares with 47,316 apprehensions outside of official ports in December, before Trump took office. The January total also includes 32,349 apprehensions at ports of entry, compared with 48,719 in December. ?CBP encounters with illegal aliens at U.S. borders fell significantly in January. ??January encounters: 81,792??December encounters: 124,734??November encounters: 125,173??October encounters: 142,943 pic.twitter.com/r4aQIfXiZC— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) February 18, 2025 Hundreds of illegal immigrants from Venezuela were sent home on Venezuelan-owned planes. Panama and Costa Rica officials held a meeting to discuss how to handle the droves of migrants returning home after being turned away at the U.S. southern border. The first piece of legislation the president signed into law was the Laken Riley Act, which prioritizes the arrest of some criminal illegal aliens. The bill is named after Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered by an illegal alien in February 2024. The Trump administration has tightened the southern border and obtained cooperation from Mexico to address drug cartels within the country, Heritage Foundation border expert Lora Ries told The Daily Signal. “Joe Biden opened our borders and refused to pressure the government of Mexico to crack down on the cartels and fentanyl production that has been killing Americans,” Ries said. “After four years, approximately 11 million inadmissible aliens entered the U.S. and hundreds of thousands of Americans died from drugs.” Slashing Government Inefficiency Trump launched the Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at identifying and eliminating wasteful spending. DOGE, which Trump tapped Elon Musk to lead as a special adviser to the president, says it’s already saved $55 billion in federal spending. On his first day in office, Trump placed a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Harris, the North Carolina lawmaker, told The Daily Signal everyone in the Freedom Caucus is “thrilled” with the work DOGE has done so far. “Many of us feel is that we’ve got to catch up,” Harris said. “Congress needs to get to work on time. Many of these things that he’s been able to do by executive order, we’ve got to catch up with him.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds “that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels.” I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels. FEMA was funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations and was used to house Laken Riley’s killer.Mark my words: there will not be a…— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) February 12, 2025 The federal Department of Education announced it had terminated more than $600 million in grants to institutions and nonprofits that were using taxpayer funds to train teachers in critical race theory and radical gender ideology. That comes after investigative reporter Chris Rufo found millions in waste, including funds to “left-wing activists who push the idea that babies are racist, kids should do ‘sex work,’ and America is a ‘concentration camp.’” The Department of Education funded an NGO which promotes the idea that the American public school system is a "concentration camp" designed to "harm black and brown children.""There's gas chambers everywhere, and I'm part of that system." pic.twitter.com/c2v4ci5VlV— Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) February 14, 2025 DOGE uncovered $1.9 billion at the Department of Housing and Urban Development that was “misplaced during the Biden administration due to a broken process,” DOGE revealed on X. Protecting Women, Children From Gender Ideology On Inauguration Day, Trump issued an executive order clarifying the existence of only two sexes, male and female, ending the Biden-Harris administration’s war on biological reality. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., proposed the Defining Male and Female Act in the 118th Congress. She said federal legislation is necessary to codify the order into law. “The American people gave Republicans an overwhelming mandate in November that the woke madness of the last four years must stop,” she told The Daily Signal. “I commend President Trump for following through on these campaign promises, and now it’s time for Congress to back up his executive orders by enshrining them in federal law.” He signed an executive order in the Oval Office surrounded by female athletes of all ages protecting women’s and girls sports from male intrusion. The NCAA then changed its policy on transgender-identifying athletes. The Department of Education announced an investigation into the Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation for failing to adhere to the order by continuing to allow males to compete in female sports. Former Auburn University football coach and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would solidify the sports executive order. He praised Trump for championing women’s and girls sports. “When 79% of the population agrees that men competing in women’s sports is wrong, you listen,” Tuberville told The Daily Signal. “That’s exactly what President Trump did when he signed an executive order preserving Title IX and protecting women’s sports. This isn’t about Republican or Democrat, it’s about right and wrong.” The president also prohibited radical gender ideology and critical race theory instruction in federally funded public schools. On Tuesday, Trump’s Education Department gave schools two weeks to end all practices that factor in race “preferences and stereotypes.” “President Trump’s focus has been on policies that encourage all students to succeed based on their abilities and aspirations, free from the grips of identity politics,” Nicki Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told The Daily Signal. “This merits-based approach is setting the stage for a more accountable and results-driven education system that better serves every student.” On Tuesday, Trump's Education department gave schools 2 weeks to end all practices that factor in race “preferences and stereotypes.”The administration cited the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard as precedent for its action. https://t.co/8TwUKol353— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) February 19, 2025 Another executive order ending federal support for irreversible child sex-change procedures inspired many children’s hospitals to cease so-called gender-affirming care for minors. “We’ve seen far too many young kids damaged by the drugs and surgeries. We’ve just seen so many times where this erasing of what it means to be female and male has caused harm,” said Matt Sharp, senior counsel at religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom. Sharp told The Daily Signal that ADF hopes to see legislation passed in Congress to codify executive orders protecting kids and athletes from gender ideology. Confirming Cabinet Nominees Trump said it was essential for his Cabinet nominees to get confirmed so they can start working as quickly as possible, and after a month, he has been able to swear in the majority of his Cabinet. “We want fast confirmations, and the Democrats are doing everything they can to delay them,” Trump told The Daily Wire. “They’ve taken too long.” Getting Trump’s nominees through the Senate confirmation process has not been an easy feat for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who told The Daily Signal that Democrats have been doing everything they can to slow him down. “While Senate Republicans are confirming President Trump’s Cabinet faster than the previous three administrations, the only things Democrats are committed to are obstruction and delay,” Thune said. “We’re working as quickly as possible to get President Trump’s full team in place so we can secure our borders, bolster national security, and unleash American energy.” The Senate has outpaced itself for the number of Cabinet confirmations completed by this point in time since the George W. Bush administration in 2001. Instituting One-Voice Foreign Policy Since the Constitution vests foreign policy authority in the president, Trump declared on Feb. 12 all foreign policy must be conducted under his direction. He announced reciprocal tariffs on countries currently assessing tariffs on the U.S. “On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff—meaning, whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Feb. 13. “No more, no less,” he said. “In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple.” Tariffs have both a diplomatic and economic purpose, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, explained. “It’s a good way to go about trying to reset the trading relationship around the world,” he said. Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump would assess 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% on China as punishment for allowing fentanyl to cross the border. China responded by imposing levies on some U.S. imports on Tuesday, but Mexico ordered 10,000 Mexican troops to the border to help stop the flow of fentanyl into America. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about a peace deal to end their ongoing war. Trump facilitated the return of an American citizen wrongfully detained in Russia and another American detained in Belarus—the 10th and 11th hostages freed since he took office. Hamas announced it would release remaining hostages from its 2023 invasion of Israel after Trump declared “all hell is going to break out” if the terrorist group delayed. Feb. 17 marked 500 days in captivity for the remaining 76 of the 250 hostages taken when Hamas terrorists struck southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed more than 1,200 people. The post ‘Restoring Confidence’: 5 Highlights of Trump’s First Month as CPAC Gathers to Celebrate appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A stray kitten let nothing hold him back. Now, he has a cat-adoring friend by his side and the promise of a great life. DiegoNikkiA tiny white kitten was spotted near an animal rescue, Hearts Alive Village, with a small sock covering his left ear, which was packed with gauze."Someone cared enough to help stop the bleeding but then abandoned him near a busy road in a parking lot. Another person walking by found him and frantically rushed him into the rescue," Nikki, an animal rescuer and fosterer, shared with Love Meow.Nikki quickly stepped in to help the 5-week-old kitten and took him to the vet. Nikki"The vet took him to the back to check him out. She shaved his ear so that she could get a better look, and there were some small puncture wounds."Though they had no idea what had happened to the kitten or how he ended up that way, they were relieved to find that the wounds on his ear were minor. Nikki"He was otherwise healthy. He had good energy and a ferocious appetite."After they cleaned and treated his ear, he dashed to a food dish and devoured its contents like there was no tomorrow. Once his belly was full, his playful, mischievous, energizer-bunny personality emerged. NikkiNikki set up a cozy pen to keep the kitten, Diego, safe, but the brave little guy wouldn't be contained.When she returned to check on Diego, she was surprised to find him strutting about outside his playpen. After a bit of investigating, she discovered Diego, the little escape artist, had simply hopped the fence with his impressive agility. NikkiNikki also noticed that Diego would chase toys whenever he saw them, but he couldn't hear them. He could purr and meow just like any other cat, yet he never responded to her voice or other sounds."He is such a sweet little boy. He's not afraid of anything, including the vacuum, and that makes sense because he's deaf." NikkiDiego loves company and doesn't like being alone. Nikki lets him out of his room whenever she's home and supervises him as he socializes with other furry residents.When he met Bradley, the dog, he immediately ran up to her. "Bradley is used to the foster kittens but doesn't typically interact with them. She was so gentle with Diego and started playing with him right away." Diego and BradleyNikki"Bradley is such a good girl. Diego is so interested in her, and he follows her around the house and even steals her bed."Diego loves to snuggle up in the dog bed with his canine friend, often grabbing her face for attention. Despite his small size, he acts as if he's the boss of the house, calling the shots. NikkiAfter rounds of play, Diego finds a comfy spot to nap and recharge. Whether it's a big chair, a large bed, or a comfy rug, he curls up like a perfect dollop of cream and drifts off to sleep.When Nikki walks in, he keeps snoozing until she wakes him with a gentle touch. Excited to see his foster mom, he gets up to greet her, eager for pets and attention. Nikki"His favorite thing to do is run through the kitty tunnel. I can hear him in the other room running in and out of it over and over again because it crinkles. He can't hear it, of course, but maybe he can feel the crinkling as he runs through it."When Diego isn't zooming around his indoor playground, he trots over to offer Nikki some "help." "My nosey co-worker climbed on the table and started licking my soup." NikkiThe little stray found near a busy road has blossomed into a bundle of energy with a fearless attitude and a love for company.He's discovered another favorite napping spot, a cozy kitty couch, where he blends in effortlessly, almost disappearing into the cushions. NikkiShare this story with your friends. More on Diego and Nikki's fosters on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Cat, Size of a Small Bobcat, Found Wailing in Front of House Until a Couple Scoops Him Up and Finds Him Help

Schools Scramble in Response to Letter Calling on Them to Do Away with DEI