Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress last week at the invitation of House Speaker Mike Johnson. The prime minister’s job that night was to make clear to Congress, the nation, and the world the “what” and “why” of Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, following the murderous attack by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7 inside Israel. Why, for example, should Americans identify with and support Israel’s struggle? My heart went out to this brave and besieged leader as he made his case. As I watched and listened, I thought of the words of another brave and besieged leader of the nation Bibi Netanyahu represents—King David. I thought of the 23rd Psalm, authored by that great king and leader: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,/Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Perhaps it is too prosaic to compare the struggle of war to business. But a few days earlier, I received in my email a quote from Apple founder Steve Jobs. Jobs observed: “I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. It is so hard. You pour so much of your life into this thing. There are such rough moments … that most people give up. I don’t blame them. It’s really tough.” The message is that in life’s most defining and difficult moments, we often stand, from the perspective of the outside, alone. But those who make it through do not feel totally alone. They are convinced that there is truth in this world, and they feel connected to it. They feel part of something bigger than themselves. Of course, the difference is that, in business, what is on the line is your money. In war, it’s your life. Those who really know history—far too few—can appreciate the common bond between Israel’s struggle and the American struggle. When Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared its birth as an independent state on May 14, 1948, and when America’s Founders signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, both did so in solitude in the face of certain war and attack by powers far larger and stronger. Israel then was a tiny island surrounded by a sea of hostility from neighboring Arab countries far greater in number, all committed to the destruction of the newly declared Jewish state. The American Founders, representing 13 American colonies, took a great, lonely stand against the mighty British empire. Following both declarations was war. And, against the odds, both small fledgling nations were victorious and prevailed. Both struggles were for eternal values and the freedom to struggle for and pursue them. It’s why both peoples prevailed against great odds. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi boycotted Netanyahu’s address last week and then called it “the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary … addressing the Congress of the United States.” The California Democrat lectured that Israel’s prime minister should be using his time working on “a cease-fire deal that will bring the hostages home.” This is exactly what Netanyahu is doing. But in contrast to Pelosi, who has nothing on the line except her political calculations, he understands what is involved and how to protect his people and his nation. In 2011, Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, held hostage. One of the 1,027 released was Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader and mastermind of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Sinwar was in prison, sentenced for the murder of two Israeli soldiers. He is known to have murdered at least 12 of his own people accused of cooperating with Israel, several of whom he admits to personally having strangled to death. Negotiating with murderers is no path to peace. Benjamin Netanyahu understands this. Israel’s struggle is indeed America’s struggle. Let’s turn our prayers to support this brave leader. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Bibi Netanyahu: Profile in Courage appeared first on The Daily Signal.

So, Kamala Harris is the new Democratic candidate for president. And, we’ve been told, she is incredible. Not merely serviceable, a middle innings relief pitcher brought in when your starter suddenly implodes in the third inning. She is the Mariano Rivera of politics. She’s lights-out. She’s charismatic, fascinating, quick on her feet, charming. She is, in the words of the legacy media, a historic candidate—not just because she’s a black woman, a fact that explains her lightning-fast political ascent but that only Democrats are allowed to mention, and only then in the context of explaining why America requires a black female president—but because she is, apparently, so good at this. Apparently, Harris was the candidate America needed all along. As in a bad romcom, all we needed to do was remove her glasses, brush out her hair, and put her in a better outfit—and she would transform from high school weirdo nerd into prom queen. The media’s shift in position regarding Harris has been whiplash-inducing. After all, we were told in 2020 that she had run one of the worst campaigns in modern presidential history—mechanical, off-putting, unpleasant, incompetent, and arrogant. Then we were told that she was one of the worst vice presidents in modern history—free of accomplishment, running a completely dysfunctional office with extraordinary rates of staff turnover, so wildly unpopular that even a senile Joe Biden worried about whether Harris could compete with Donald Trump. But now all is forgiven. All her oddities—coconut trees and electric school buses, Venn diagrams, and the significance of the passage of time—are delightful TikTok memes. Her strangely incoherent word salads, topped off with a heavy helping of smugness, are now evidence of her rhetorical brilliance. Her wild hand motions, so reminiscent of a drunken tarmac operator attempting unsuccessfully to usher a jumbo jet toward the gateway, are actually enchanting symptoms of her enthusiasm. And her positional dishonesty—the fact that she has now shifted virtually every position she ever held—is not evidence that she is a liar, but that she is astute and clever. So, precisely what happened to turn Kamala Harris from a deeply disliked politician (35% approval rating) into an Obama-esque talent (44% approval rating)? Joe Biden dropped out. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. When Biden dropped out, the legacy media could finally end the rock-in-the-shoe discomfort of cognitive dissonance from which they had been suffering since Biden’s brain-dead debate with Trump. They had been forced by circumstance into doing something they despise: objective journalism, in which Democrats are treated as normal figures subject to cross-examination. Since Barack Obama’s ascent nearly 20 years ago, the media have avoided just this sort of thing. Biden’s collapse onstage compelled them to do some journalism, just to cover their asses—otherwise, they would have been implicated in his health cover-up. So they did. But they didn’t like it. Now, Biden is gone. They can declare victory. And they can go right back to bathing in the warm, urine-filled kiddie pool of Democrat-media coordination they so enjoy. They’ve eaten their vegetables. Now it’s time for dessert: a heavy helping of Kamala cake. And they’re going to enjoy it. The only question is whether the American people will fall for this quite obvious and heavy-handed routine. So far, some have. But presidential campaigns have a way of sanding off the varnish lacquered on by the friendly media. After all, at one point, the legacy media gave Hillary Clinton the same treatment. It didn’t work out well. In the end, politicians tend to stand or fall on their own merit. Which is terrible news for Kamala Harris, since she has none. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Kamala Harris, Candidate of Myth appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Kamala Wants You to Pay for Sex-Change Surgery for Inmates

Qatar: Say, Mediation's Difficult When Negotiators Drop Dead

After waiting a week, NewsBusters can report that ABC’s The View had finally done the meme and falsely claimed Vice President Kamala Harris (the presumptive Democratic Party nominee) was “never” the border czar. In fact, during Wednesday’s episode, moderator Whoopi Goldberg literally held up a note card and seemingly read the widely spread Democratic Party talking points about “root causes” of migration and the lie that President Biden never appointed her to that role. After playing dueling ads where the Trump campaign noted that Harris was the border czar, Goldberg snarkily suggested: “let’s get some factual information, right?”     Goldberg then proceeded to hold up a note card and read talking points off it: Kamala Harris was never the border czar. Never. Her job was to deal and find out the root causes of migration from Central America. That was what Biden asked her to do. To lead diplomatic efforts to reduce poverty, violence, corruption in the northern triangle, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Now, if y'all ain't sure about this, ask Joe Biden. He gave her the job. She made sure that she went to all these countries to see what was going on. That was the job she was asked to do, and that's what she did. “So, if you're going to go after her, at least try to be factual,” she chided Republicans. “They don't like facts. They don't like facts and I get it but I can’t help it. I just get very annoyed.” Pretend independent Sara Haines, clownishly added: “The facts aren’t on their side.” Let’s take a look at the talking points the Democratic Party sent out and see how they match up with what Goldberg said.   “Vice President Harris was NEVER appointed ‘border czar.’” Check! “Was NOT asked to lead on the Admin’s immigration or border enforcement policies. POTUS tasked her to lead Admins diplomatic ‘root causes’ strategies in Central America not border policy.” Check! “Tasked with addressing ‘push’ factors driving migrants to flee these countries.” Check! Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Interestingly, Wednesday’s episode was the first time since the talking points went out that faux-conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin was not on set. As NewsBusters has shown in the included video, Farah Griffin had indeed referred to Harris as the border czar while doing her CNN gig. Further in their conversation about political ads, Haines beclowned herself by gushing about Harris’s “bad ass swagger”: HAINES: She comes out of like Air Force One and has this, like, I don't know if I can say -- badass look to her and then she goes and says this is what I'm going to do. This is who is stopping it. That is what’s gonna happen and this. That is hope, inspiration, aspiration. That's what moves people to do exactly what they're doing right now. GOLDBERG: And what did you say she came off the plane with what? HAINES: A badass swagger! “That's not a phrase you should ever whisper. Never whisper badass. Say it,” Goldberg told her. “You say it with your full chest,” added staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin (the descendant of slave owners). Liberals are so weird. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View 7/31/2024 11:07:29 - 11:09:15 AM WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Also let’s get some factual information, right? Kamala Harris was never the border czar. Never. Her job was to deal and find out the root causes of migration from Central America. That was what Biden asked her to do. To lead diplomatic efforts to reduce poverty, violence, corruption in the northern triangle, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Now, if y'all ain't sure about this, ask Joe Biden. He gave her the job. She made sure that she went to all these countries to see what was going on. That was the job she was asked to do, and that's what she did. So, if you're going to go after her, at least try to be factual. I know you don't like to do – SARAH HAINES: They don’t have – The facts aren’t on their side. GOLDBERG: They don't like facts. They don't like facts and I get it but I can’t help it. I just get very annoyed. HAINES: Well I also love that what I always say is I just want to hear politicians with substance. I want – I want -- tell me what you're going to do. Because right now it's turned into such a mudslinging name-calling who can go lower. Her contrast in that ad like he's doom, gloom and fear and mocking. She comes out of like Air Force One and has this, like, I don't know if I can say -- badass look to her and then she goes and says this is what I'm going to do. This is who is stopping it. That is what’s gonna happen and this. That is hope, inspiration, aspiration. That's what moves people to do exactly what they're doing right now. GOLDBERG: And what did you say she came off the plane with what? HAINES: A badass swagger. [Applause] GOLDBERG: Okay, yeah. SUNNY HOSTIN: It's true. GOLDBERG: If you’re gonna – you know that's not a phrase you should ever whisper. Never whisper badass. Say it. HOSTIN: Yeah. GOLDBERG: Because it’s how she came off the – [Crosstalk] HOSTIN: You say it with your full chest. (…)

If you thought the “White Women for Kamala” Zoom calls were painstakingly cringe and performative, wait until you see the “White Dudes for Kamala” version. The video has been cast all over social media and features a bunch of semi-famous white men who spent the call championing Biden’s replacement, Kamala Harris. Activist David Hogg was featured in the middle, flanked by what Alex Stein calls “C-list actors” on every other side of him. “I also happen to be a father of two girls,” actor Josh Gad said somberly on the call. “I’m not sure you guys can recall that feeling you had on the night of Tuesday, November 8, 2016. I remember that feeling. I stood over my kids' bed and I wept.” “Creepy. That’s weird,” Stein comments, clearly a little disturbed. “I wept because I felt like I let them down. I wept because they had the chance, and we had the chance, to have a female president for the first time in our lives and in the history of this nation. And instead we put a man in office who not only disdains women but whose own wife can’t look him in the eye,” Gad continued. “Josh Gad, he looks like a human nipple,” Stein says, still disturbed. “Crying in front of your children is the least father-like thing you could ever do.” Sean Astin, who played Sam in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, also had some nonsense to spew. “We said in our invitation: Everyone is welcome. That’s a really interesting phrase. Everyone is welcome. You might hear it in other places; I’m pretty sure you can feel that it’s true here with this particular political party,” Astin said. “How many times does Caitlyn Jenner have to poop at Mar-a-Lago for these people to realize that conservatives are not bigots, they’re not racist at all. Like literally, we don’t give a damn. We just don’t want you to indoctrinate our children with your weird literature,” Stein says. Want more from Alex Stein?To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming, comedic monologues, skits, and street segments, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Former President Donald Trump participated in the National Association of Black Journalists convention on Wednesday afternoon.The interview with a panel of reporters started on a bad note, with one moderator immediately accusing Trump of previous racist attacks.'I got treated so rudely.'"You have used words like 'animal' and 'rabid' to describe black district attorneys. You've attacked black journalist, calling them a 'loser,' saying the questions that they are asking are, quote, 'stupid and racist.' You've had dinner with a white supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort. So, my question, sir, now that you are asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that?" said ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott.The former president slammed the reporter for the "nasty" question and introduction after the moderator failed to greet him before jumping into the exchange.Trump responded, "Well, first of all, I don't think I've ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner. The first question. You don't even say, 'Hello, how are you?'""Are you with ABC?" Trump asked the reporter. "Because I think they're a fake news network. A terrible network."The former president's response elicited a boisterous reaction from the audience. "I think it's disgraceful that I came here in good spirit," Trump added. — (@) At another point in the interview, Trump stopped Scott from interrupting him during a response."We have you for a limited time, sir. I'd love to move on to different topics if we can," she insisted.Trump retorted, "No, excuse me. You're the one that held me up for 35 minutes, just so you understand." — (@) Trump later torched the reporter again for how she started the interview when asked by a different moderator whether he would be willing to step down as president if he becomes no longer mentally fit for office."Look, if I came onto a stage like this and I got treated so rudely as this woman treated me," Trump said, pointing to Scott. "Very rude. That was a nasty — that wasn't even a question. She didn't ask me a question. She gave a statement."Scott asked Trump whether he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris was a "DEI hire," referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion.Trump pushed the reporter to define DEI, but she responded by stating what the acronym stands for and refused to provide a definition.The reporter rephrased her question, "Do you believe that Vice President Kamala Harris is only on the ticket because she is a black woman?"Trump responded, "No, I think it's maybe a little bit different.""She was always of Indian heritage. She was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. And now she wants to be known as black. So, I don't know — is she Indian or is she black?" Trump questioned. "I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A former tenured professor in California has reached a whopping $2.4 million settlement with his former employer after he was allegedly disciplined for criticizing DEI policies at the community college where he once worked, the College Fix reported.In 2021, Matthew Garrett filed a lawsuit against the Kern Community College District after he was allegedly disciplined for voicing conservative views and questioning DEI policies at Bakersfield College, where Garrett taught history. Among other things, Garrett openly criticized Bakersfield's numerous alleged faculty trainings related to implicit bias and microaggressions; "racial quotas and preferences, affirmative action-type behavior ... [and] racially segregated classes"; and mandates related to COVID-19, as Blaze News previously reported.'Facing an imminent ruling in my favor and the prospect of paying millions of dollars in damages, KCCD had only one viable option: settlement.'Garrett also began exploring whether any Bakersfield faculty were illicitly diverting grant money to social justice projects.Between his outspoken views and his involvement in the Renegade Institute for Liberty, a group of Bakersfield faculty members who value "free speech" and the "Western tradition," Garrett said he became a target of Bakersfield colleagues and administrators, who accused him of engaging in racism and hate speech.Now, more than four years later, Garrett and Kern Community College District have reached a settlement. The district will pay Garrett $2.4 million over the course of 20 years plus a one-time payment of $154,520 less taxes for lost wages. In exchange, Garrett resigned his tenured position effective April 2023.As part of the settlement, neither party admitted wrongdoing."To be clear, the dispute with Matthew Garrett was a disciplinary matter due to his disruptive actions on campus, none of which concerned freedom of speech," the district said in a statement about the settlement. "Kern Community College District unequivocally supports the right for our students and faculty to share their views and opinions on campus and elsewhere. As a District, we create an environment that provides our diverse students and communities with the opportunity to professionally engage with new ideas.""KCCD believes the settlement is in the best interest of the District and allows us to focus on the future and continue to deliver quality higher education for students of Kern County without any further legal distractions."Garrett, by contrast, hailed the settlement as a victory for free speech and academic freedom."Facing an imminent ruling in my favor and the prospect of paying millions of dollars in damages, KCCD had only one viable option: settlement," Garrett said. "To my colleagues at Bakersfield College and nationwide, I say: Keep the faith; we are winning the battle, one case at a time."As Blaze News previously reported, Garrett is hardly the only former or current Bakersfield faculty member who accused administrators of persecuting conservatives. Professor Erin Miller, who still works at the school, joined Garrett in a federal lawsuit to allege that the district had violated their First Amendment rights. Garrett has since left the lawsuit, telling the College Fix that Miller "will continue on alone, and has ample grounds for litigation." He also told the outlet that she "continues to suffer retaliation by the administration," including having some of her classes canceled.In June 2023, Daymon Johnson, a current Bakersfield history professor and member of the Renegade Institute for Liberty, filed a lawsuit against KCCD, alleging that he routinely "refrains from expressing himself on political matters for fear of being subjected to further investigations and termination." Johnson's lawsuit also seeks "to block enforcement of unconstitutional, repressive rules and practices that prevent Bakersfield College ... faculty from exercising basic rights to free speech and academic freedom."That litigation appears to be ongoing.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The violent Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua has given its members a "green light" to attack and shoot police officers, according to multiple reports. The gang reportedly has notified members that it's open season on law enforcement officers in the United States, the New York Post reported, citing a government memo the paper said it obtained. 'Today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.' The alleged memo from the Homeland Security Investigations office in Chicago advises staffers to be “vigilant” as they come across gang members or affiliates of the gang. “Credible human sources from Colorado provided information on TdA [Tren de Aragua] giving a ‘green light’ to fire on or attack law enforcement,” read the alleged memo. The memo reportedly added, “As you may know, we have a TdA presence here in Chicago, so please be vigilant as you encounter TdA members or affiliates during your investigative and operational activities." The Post added that the intel from Colorado came through the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico. The alert regarding the dangerous Tren de Aragua directive also was noted in a bulletin from the Colorado Information Analysis Center, Fox News reported. The cable network added that Albuquerque police had received the concerning information from "federal partners." "The Albuquerque New Mexico Police Department (APD) has released this officer safety bulletin to notify law enforcement of information regarding the Tren De Aragua criminal organization and reports that TDA members in Denver have been given a 'green light' to fire on or attack law enforcement," the alleged bulletin read. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tren de Aragua for "engaging in diverse criminal activities, such as human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and illicit drug trafficking." Brian Nelson, under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated on July 11 that “today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.” Nelson vowed to "deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system." On the same day, the U.S. State Department offered up to a $12 million reward for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of the gang’s leaders. Specifically the State Department offered rewards ranging from $3 million to $5 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Tren de Aragua leaders Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero, also known as ”Niño Guerrero,” Yohan Jose Romero, a.k.a. “Johan Petrica,” and Giovanny San Vicente, a.k.a. “Giovanny,” “Viejo Viejo,” and “El Viejo.” Members of Tren de Aragua have infiltrated the U.S. by crossing the southern border illegally and asking for asylum. As Blaze News previously reported, two illegal immigrants tied to Tren de Aragua were accused of attacking two NYPD officers in January. A report released last month found that more than 100 criminal investigations in the U.S. are tied to Tren de Aragua. Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, is reportedly a member of Tren de Aragua. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

CNN 'Churn-a-list' Abby Phillip Gloats About Hard Questions Yet Cat's Got Her Tongue About Missing Kamala