'The entire Cranmore family grieves this tragic loss'

A post shared on Facebook claims New York Judge Juan Merchan was purportedly executed by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps on Dec. 23, 2024. Verdict: False The claim is false and originally stems from a Dec. 27 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for Navy JAG denied […]

Different decades tend to emphasize different genres of music, but for music star Barbara Mandrell, Country was all that mattered. From a young age, the multitalented musician performed in her family band and alongside such giants as Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. To the surprise of record labels, Barbara's music career got off to a rocky start. That didn't stop her from persevering and eventually... Source

President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda will meet its first hurdles Friday afternoon, as Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., vies to stay on as House speaker with a narrow Republican majority. The Louisiana representative, who emerged from obscurity after the overthrow of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker, has warned that if he is not reelected, Trump’s legislative agenda will be put in peril. Although Trump has endorsed Mike Johnson, libertarian firebrand Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already promised not to vote for Johnson’s reelection as speaker. If Johnson loses one more Republican vote, Trump may have to contend with a dysfunctional House upon his inauguration.  Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie is the only hard no on Johnson’s reelection so far, telling former Rep. Matt Gaetz Thursday, “you can pull all my fingernails out” before he votes for the Louisiana congressman as speaker. Massie, a Tea Party firebrand, has long opposed Johnson as speaker, citing Johnson’s support aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as his compromises on Democrat-backed spending bills. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. Also a Tea Party veteran, Spartz has repeatedly signaled her hesitance to elect Johnson. Although Spartz has not ruled out voting for Johnson, the Ukrainian-born representative has demanded that Johnson commit to more transparency and audits in federal spending. With a reputation as a “budget hawk,” Spartz told Steve Bannon in December that she “cannot vote” for Johnson if he does not commit to her proposed changes in the budget process. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas A self-described “friend” of Massie and Spartz and policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Roy has become a headache for Trump and Johnson. Although he remains uncommitted, Roy has already gone on record saying he doesn’t believe Johnson has enough votes to become speaker. A budget hawk much like Massie and Spartz, Roy voted against the GOP’s spending package, voicing his opposition to the raising of the debt ceiling. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. Perry has also made no clear indication of how he will vote, telling Fox, “I’m going to keep my options open. I want to have a conversation with Mike.” As chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Scott Perry has butted heads with the GOP establishment, rejecting Johnson’s push to provide aid for the Ukrainian and Israeli war efforts. Rep. Timothy Burchett, R-Tenn. Burchett recently expressed confidence that Johnson would prevail in his bid, but stated he would decide his vote the day of the election. “I’ll talk to Mike some and maybe President Trump even, and discuss some ideas and issues that I have,” Burchett noted. Rep. Joshua Brecheen, R-Okla. Breechen has said in the past that he remains undecided about supporting Johnson. Breechen was the only member of the Oklahoma delegation that opposed the $110 billion spending bill for hurricane victims and farmers. His objection to the bill came even as Trump charged Republican lawmakers who opposed the spending package as “Republican obstructionists [that] have to be done away with.” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. Harris, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, told Newsmax that he would need to see “some changes in the procedure and how we are dealing with things in the House,” as a condition for supporting Johnson. Harris pointed to the wide-ranging hurricane recovery and farm relief spending bill as an example of fiscal irresponsibility that requires better leadership.  Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. The Arizona congressman was instrumental in voting to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He was one of eight Republicans who joined with the Democratic opposition to remove McCarthy in October 2023. According to one of Briggs’s aides he has “not made any public or private commitments on Speaker Johnson.”  Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio Jordan has been suggested by some of his peers as a possible alternative to Johnson should the Louisiana congressman’s bid to keep the speakership fail. Jordan’s candidacy would face an upward battle after the October 2023 speaker’s race led to bad blood with more moderate members of the party.  Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas Although Nehls has not publicly committed to voting for Johnson, the Trump loyalist appears the most likely of the uncommitted representatives to follow Trump’s endorsement. Nehls told the press of Johnson’s reelection, “I think the holdouts are going to have to realize that, listen, Trump is right all the time.” If Johnson prevails Friday afternoon, it will solidify his status as a shrewd survivor of the political gauntlet and place him in his desired position as “quarterback” of Trump’s legislative gameplan. The post Here Are Mike Johnson’s Potential Holdouts appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The United Kingdom’s Labour Party blocked an inquiry into Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s conduct as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, which was charged with investigating a massive child-sex grooming operation in Oldham more than a decade ago. That’s according to the Telegraph of London and other news outlets. The story has been in the news as of late in large part because of Elon Musk, who has been posting about the numerous child-sex grooming operations conducted by Pakistani immigrants to the UK. In many cases, British authorities ignored or refused to investigate the gangs for fear of being labeled “racist.” The Telegraph reported that Jessica Phillips, a Labour member of Parliament, said that the decision to launch an investigation into the child-sex rings that allegedly operated between 2011 to 2014 should be “for Oldham council alone.” On X, former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss noted that Phillips also serves as “Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls,” to which Musk replied, “she deserves to be in prison.” Musk has posted relentlessly about this topic in the last week. He responded to another Telegraph story in which former Member of Parliament Simon Danczuk accused ex-Labour Chairman Tony Lloyd of wanting to suppress the story and its link to Muslim immigrants because it might “have adverse electoral impact.” Musk posted that “incentives explain behavior.” Incentives explain behavior https://t.co/wKpGcOTX9z— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2025 On Friday, Musk doubled down, posting that the “mass rapes in Britain are still happening.” The mass rapes in Britain are still happening https://t.co/krsbVIdB0I— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2025 Starmer responded to Musk’s postings by saying that his criticism of the government’s behavior is “misjudged and certainly misinformed.” Oldham wasn’t the only city alleged to have mass Pakistani child sex-grooming gangs. “Girls as young as 11 were groomed and raped across a number of towns in England—including Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, and Telford—over a decade ago in a national scandal that was exposed in 2013,” Sky News reported. The story is more than a decade old, but has been exploding on X. Author J.K. Rowling wrote, “The details emerging about what the rape gangs (why call them ‘grooming’ gangs? It’s like calling those who stab people to death ‘knife owners’) did to girls in Rotherham are downright horrific. The allegations of possible police corruption in the case are almost beyond belief.” The details emerging about what the rape gangs (why call them 'grooming' gangs? It's like calling those who stab people to death 'knife owners') did to girls in Rotherham are downright horrific. The allegations of possible police corruption in the case are almost beyond belief. https://t.co/0SVoxuqw6K— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 2, 2025 Sam Ashworth-Hayes, a Telegraph columnist, has been posting details of the sex-grooming cases and the failure of authorities to do anything about it because they feared it would inflame “racial tensions.” It's worth remembering that when cases came to the attention of the authorities, they leapt into action. They buried them in case investigating inflamed 'racial tensions'. Maintaining the lie that everything was fine was more important than children's safety. https://t.co/E9xiK9OGZ6 pic.twitter.com/uenAZQwRuA— Sam Ashworth-Hayes (@SAshworthHayes) December 31, 2024 In some cases, police arrested fathers trying to rescue their daughters from the Pakistani rape gangs. Parents who attempted to rescue their children were arrested when the police arrived https://t.co/gVjSrmai2G pic.twitter.com/pfDOoM7ZFA— Sam Ashworth-Hayes (@SAshworthHayes) January 1, 2025 Journalist Ben Sixsmith wrote that the reason this story is only now blowing up despite being more than a decade old is because of the institutional actors involved downplaying the extent of the crimes and making sure the story got as little traction as possible. He called it a “conspiracy of murmuring.” “The establishment—that is, the organs of the state, the traditional media, and the web of charities and [nongovernmental organizations] that some of us have called ‘the Blob’—have addressed the scandal in the most minimal terms,” Sixsmith wrote. “ … Overall the issue has been obscured—not swept under the rug, no, but placed neatly in a drawer.” Sixsmith further noted that the criminals faced minimal consequences, officials even less, and that there was generally a denial that there was any kind of larger issue in the Pakistani community. The post UK Labour Party Blocks Inquiry Into Prime Minister’s Conduct as Prosecutor in Pakistani Sex-Groomer Gang Cases appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – its Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) – published the interim findings of research into the state of the digital identity sector as of 2024. Among other results, the analysis revealed that in the last decade, the companies involved in the digital identity market managed to raise $1 billion ($185.8 million in 2023 alone), with 2023-24 fiscal annual revenue reaching US$2.5 billion. Related: Bill Gates Pushes for Age Verification Digital ID In producing the report, OfDIA enlisted the US consultancy Oliver Wyman, Belfast-based Perspective Economics, and UK’s Projects by IF, with the aim of establishing the current size of the UK’s digital ID market and the way it is likely to develop – money-wise, the forecast is that it will reach $5 billion in revenue over the next five years. As for where the investments are going to, the current tally is 270 companies involved in either creating and managing digital identity (70 percent, or 231 companies), or verification of identity or attributes. They employed nearly 11,000 “full time equivalent” workers. Neither the UK nor the rest of Europe has managed to make any mark in the general tech market where innovation and competition is concerned, but when it comes to digital identity, OfDIA sees it as a strong sector, with both economic contribution and growth described as “significant.” The distribution of these companies is not very diversified – half are located in London, with another 15% elsewhere in the south-east of the country and a majority fall in the small and medium (SME) category with up to 250 employees. About three-quarters (74%) are headquartered in the UK; the rest are mostly in the US, the interim report revealed. As for what they do – and are expected to grow their business doing – document verification is currently the main focus with 54% of services engaged in this, along with identity management (51%). Digital signatures, seals, and certificates account for 34%. Related: The End of Online Anonymity? Australia’s New Law Pushes Digital ID for Everyone To Ban Kids From Social Media These companies serve financial services (85% of providers), health and public (58%), and tech sectors (57%). The digital identity sector in the UK has grown close to 12% over the past five years, and comes to gross-value-added-per-employee figure that is some “42% higher than average UK employee estimates,” the interim report said. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK Digital ID Sector 2024: Centralized Growth Raises Concerns Amid $2.5B Revenue appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Want to make amazing cinnamon rolls at home? This recipe shows you exactly how to do that, using a family recipe for homemade rolls. They are truly the best I have ever eaten.  I've  grown up eating these cinnamon rolls as well as making them, along with the homemade rolls on which this recipe is based : How To Make Homemade Rolls From Scratch: Mom’s Recipe for Yeast Rolls  A neighbor taught my mother how to make both of these delicious treats before I was born, and I learned how to make them when I was a very young sous chef. Best Recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Homemade rolls are not difficult to make, and neither are homemade cinnamon rolls, not nearly as hard as you might think. For these, you are just making homemade roll dough, then instead of making nice round rolls, you flatten the whole thing into a rectangle, add cinnamon, sugar and butter, and roll it up. If you have ever made a jelly roll or seen one made, it is like that. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: You roll up homemade bread dough, then cut it like you would a jelly roll I guess I am lucky, because I grew up in the kitchen with a mother who is an incredible baker and cook, so my training was hands on. However, the photos and instructions should walk you through the whole process, and if you end up with questions, I am happy to answer them. Just add a comment below. Making homemade cinnamon rolls requires time, a couple of hours from start to finish.  The process, however is pretty simple, and a lot of that time, you will just be waiting for your dough to rise, which you certainly do not have to stand around and watch.  T Once you make these and see how easy they are to make, as well as how incredibly delicious they are, you will want to make homemade cinnamon rolls all the time. Hopefully, that is a good thing. People ask me to make them all the time, especially my kids. I make a special point to have them ready on holiday mornings, but also like to just surprise them sometimes. The recipe is tested and tried over a 100 times. No worries there. Never had a bad batch, and never, ever had a single one left over. Supplies You Need To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Supplies: Mixing Bowl Electric mixer or whisk plus some patience 1 Cookie Sheets or large rectangular baking dish Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons Pastry Brush Rolling Pin  You will need ingredients for all of the following: Roll Dough: 3/4 cup warm water 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 packages yeast (rapid rise is fine, just cuts rising times) 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups very warm water 1 teaspoon salt 8 to 9 cups flour Cooking oil 2 Tablespoons butter, softened, or shortening Homemade Cinnamon Roll Filling 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cinnamon 1/2 cup butter, melted Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons milk 2 Tablespoons butter, softened Here's how to make the roll dough: Most of this is from the roll dough recipe in this post. Basically, you do the same thing, but stop at the step where you shape the rolls. These are the ingredients you need to make homemade roll dough for homemade cinnamon rolls. (Salt not pictured)   Step 1: Mix 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 packages of yeast in a container that will hold at least double that amount. Set aside. How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Step One – Add yeast, water and sugar, then set aside Step 2: Cream butter and sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 cups of water, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes. Add yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour. Mix for 2 more minutes. Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. (This just means the dough needs not to be too sticky. If it still sticks to your hands more than a little bit, add more flour) Knead for five minutes, adding flour to working surface as needed to prevent sticking. How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Cream butter and sugar. Add 3 1/2 cups flour. How To Make Homemade Rolls- Step Two: Add two cups of water Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Beat at low speed until mixed, then at high speed for 3 minutes. Note: Your yeast will look like this after it has been set aside. The yeast mixture should foam up like this and double in volume. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls- Step 2: Add the yeast mixture and 2 more cups of flour. Add one more cup of flour if needed for workable dough. Now, I know workable dough is not something everyone is familiar with. Don't be afraid. This recipe is a little bit forgiving here. You will know if the dough is too sticky, and you will learn to get it just right. Meanwhile, the rolls will taste about the same if you add a little too much or not quite enough.   Step 3: Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and warm, damp, dish towel. Set on pilot light or in warm spot. If you have a larger bowl, you can fill it with warm water and place this bowl inside. Filling the sink with warm water and setting the bowl in there will also work great. Let rise one hour. How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Oil large mixing bowl. Make a ball with the dough and roll it in the oil in the bowl to coat. How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Cover with plastic wrap and warm, damp, dish towel. Set on pilot light or in warm spot. If you have a larger bowl, you can fill it with warm water and place this bowl inside. Filling the sink with warm water and setting the bowl in there will also work great. How to Make Homemade Rolls- Step 3: Let Rise One hour. Your dough will double in volume like this. Step 4: Grease cookie sheet or rectangular pan with your softened butter or shortening. Use softened butter or crisco to grease a cookie sheet. This is what you do to turn your dough into cinnamon rolls: Step 5: Flour a countertop or large cutting board, basically a flat, clean work surface. Take the dough out of the bowl and lay it flat. Using a floured rolling pin, make a rectangle with the dough. Step 6: Get out these ingredients and mix them in a bowl: Filling 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cinnamon Step 7: Melt 1/2 cup of butter. Using a pastry brush, cover the dough with melted butter. Step 8: Sprinkle the dry ingredients, the brown sugar white sugar and cinnamon, over the butter on the dough. Use a butter knife to gently spread the ingredients evenly. This is the dough once you have added the cinnamon and sugars, then spread evenly with a knife. Step 9: Starting at one of the short side of your dough rectangle, roll toward the center until you have a cylindrical shaped roll of dough with all your filling inside. Roll your dough up like this until you have a cylinder of dough, your cinnamon and sugar layered inside.   Step 10: Slice into 1 inch pieces with a knife. Your cuts do not have to be exact. They will all look good and taste good, some may just be a little taller or shorter than others. They will rise in the next step, and even out a little, anyway. Using a knife, cut the dough into approximately 1 inch pieces. This is what the cinnamon roll dough looks like when you slice it. Step 11: Place cut pieces in a pan, placing them close together, but not necessarily touching. If you want cinnamon rolls that pull apart, have them touch. If you would like them to be individual pieces, place them at least an inch apart. This is what mine look like on the pan. (These have already started to rise a bit, but not completely) Step 12: Cover your cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap. If possible, put them in a warm place to rise. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Step 13: Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes or until the tops have turned a light golden brown. Step 14: Mix Icing from this recipe. I use a fork or small whisk to make mine. The butter needs to be very soft for this to work. You can put it in the microwave set on defrost for a couple of minutes to speed it along. It may end up a little melted, then, but that is ok. Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing Recipe 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons milk 2 Tablespoons butter, softened Step 15: Ice Cinnamon Rolls and Serve   Want to see how to make cinnamon rolls in 30 minutes flat? Now you can with this video from POPSUGAR Food:   That’s all, fellow homesteaders! Did you enjoy our recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls? Let us know in the comments section below what you thought of our recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls. Do you have a favorite recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls that’s a staple on your homestead? Share it with us and we’ll give it a shot. We love doing DIY homesteading projects and becoming more self-reliant by learning more about how everything works around the homestead. That’s why Homesteading was created. We want all folks looking to lead a self-sufficient life, either on a homestead or in an urban environment, to come together and learn from each other! Of course, we welcome your help in creating a community of homesteaders.  Come and share your homesteading tips and ideas, recipes and expect the best advice on self-reliance and homesteading trials from our team of long-time homesteaders, self-reliant wilderness, and preparedness experts. Want to write for Homesteading? Shoot us an e mail and make sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Do you have Instagram? Don’t forget to join us @HomesteadingUSA. Click here to Like Us on Facebook. Click here to Follow Homesteading on Pinterest. LIKE this? I'm sure you'll LOVE: Grandma’s Homemade Biscuits Recipe Homemade French Toast Recipe Baked Oatmeal Recipe | Boring Old Oatmeal Just Got Better

There Are Many Lessons From 'Grooming Gang' Scandal, But This One Stands Out

The researchers were interested in supernatural stories associated with specific features in the historical landscape.

Sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down in episode 46...