WASHINGTON — Three years ago, The Washington Post deemed a story about an upside-down flag outside U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s Virginia home as too thin. As the Post reported May 25, the paper had corroborated the story, but “decided not to report on the episode at the time because the flag-raising appeared to be the work of (wife) Martha-Ann Alito, rather than the justice, and connected to a dispute with her neighbors.” You can’t divorce them from politics or their deeply held personal beliefs. On May 16, The New York Times ran the Alito flag story — just as the court is about to rule on two cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Opposition research usually is saved so it can be leaked when it can do the most damage. Senate Democrats have called on Alito, a George W. Bush nominee, to recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol because of that 2021 flag display at his home. (READ MORE from Debra J. Saunders: Trump Is Now a Convicted Felon. That May Not Be Good for Biden.) Also, in 2023, an “Appeal to Heaven” flag flew at a New Jersey beach house, according to the Times. “My wife is fond of flying flags,” the justice wrote in a letter to Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. To the skepticism of critics, Alito has denied any involvement in the flying of the flags, which he credited to “a very nasty neighborhood dispute” involving his wife and a neighbor who called Mrs. A “the vilest epithet that can be addressed to a woman.” The Alitos didn’t have Trump campaign signs on their lawn. But now the justice is in trouble for banners that, to the casual observer, might seem unrelated to a presidential election. In the letter, Alito explained that his wife also has flown flags that support colleges and sports teams, as well as seasonal flags. When he became aware of the upside-down banner, he added, he asked his wife to take it down, “but for several days, she refused.” Marriage. Multiple outlets have reported on the story with little to no mention of the rights of spouses to their own political beliefs. To some of us chickens, expecting wives to subjugate their views for their husbands’ careers, well, that’s so 1950s. I write this fully aware that appearances matter. That’s why the conservative jurist pushed his conservative wife to stifle her conservative expressions. But, sheesh, if the “Appeal to Heaven” flag so clearly denotes support for Donald Trump or his bogus view that he won the 2020 election, why was that flag hanging in front of San Francisco’s City Hall until May 25? As for the efforts of Durbin and Whitehouse to push Alito to recuse himself from votes on all things 2020, Alito rightly noted he has a duty to rule on cases before the nine-person court. Citing separation of powers concerns, Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday declined the two senators’ invitation to meet for a discussion of the situation. (READ MORE: 2024 Could Be a Race Between Bidenomics, Trump Tax Cuts) All of the justices have political ties. Their careers have flourished with the support of like-minded leaders; they were confirmed by the U.S. Senate. You can’t divorce them from politics or their deeply held personal beliefs, and yet the system is predicated on the belief that all nine justices will rule impartially. It’s a system that, while imperfect, generally works. So the idea that Martha-Ann Alito’s choice of flags ruins that balancing act is downright risible. Contact Review-Journal Washington columnist Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com. Follow @debrajsaunders on X. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post Democrats Overreach on the Alito Flag Kerfuffle appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

As Gen Z youth reach adulthood, graduate college, and head off into the workforce, they’re quickly finding that housing prices are more expensive than ever, grocery bills are through the roof, and that it might just be Bidenomic’s fault. There are many reasons President Joe Biden is unpopular among younger voters, including the potential ban on TikTok and his administration’s position on the war in Gaza. But it’s undeniable that as the cost of living has risen for young Americans, their approval of Biden has correspondingly decreased. The president won the young vote in 2020 by more than 20 points. Recent polling, however, shows Donald Trump winning the Gen Z vote by six points. That’s a massive shift that has Democrats rather nervous for the 2024 election cycle. (READ MORE: Gen Z Has Had Enough Therapy) Watch the video to find out more! Check out the latest on the Spectator P.M. Podcast:   Ep. 49: UCLA Faculty Members Admit Medical School’s Preference for Black, Hispanic Students Ep. 48: Dead Worms, Bad Speeches, and Old Politicians The post Democrats Failed Gen Z. That Will Matter in November. appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Back in April the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI) announced the following: On June 5, 2024, twenty years after the passing of former President Ronald Reagan, speakers will reflect on his enduring legacy and examine his profound influence on both domestic and foreign policy. Panelists will include senior Reagan administration officials and media commentators. With June 5th upon us, many of those speakers have now been announced. They include: Carol Thatcher, Journalist, Author, and Daughter of Former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher Ben Mulroney, Producer, Broadcaster, and Son of Former Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney William Inboden, Academic and Author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink Steven Hayward, Author of The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964–1980, Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leader and The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980–1989 Paula Dobriansky, Vice Chair of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, the Atlantic Council, Director of European and Soviet Affairs, Reagan White House Guy Benson, Columnist, commentator, and political pundit on Fox News, Townhall.com, and talk radio Ken Adelman, President Reagan’s Arms Director, and author of Reagan at Reykjavik Art Laffer, Member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board KT McFarland, Former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Moore, Reagan Administration Office of Management and Budget The following day, the Foundation will be celebrating the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. Those speakers will be: Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State (Keynote Conversation) Douglas Brinkley, Historian and Author of The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion Richard Burt, Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Lisa Zanatta Henn, Daughter of D-Day Army Engineers 37th Combat Battalion Private First Class Peter Robert Zanatta Matt Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council James Kuhn, Assistant to the President, Reagan White House Frank Lavin, Former Political Director, Reagan White House, and Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kate Bachelder Odell, Member of the Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board Cameron Toor, Veteran of the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment In other words, what the Reagan Foundation has put together is a decided celebration of, first, President Reagan himself. Followed by a remembrance of one of the most memorable moments in all of American history: the day Allied troops hit the beaches of Normandy to begin bringing down the horrendous evil that was Adolph Hitler’s Third Reich. With all the chaos surrounding the current president and the lawfare targeting the former president … a decided reminder that life is never without its struggles. Not to be missed is the fact that D-Day and the Allied victory over Hitler set the stage for a postwar world rhat would, as it turned out, birth what became known as the Cold War. Which in turn was an epic, thankfully mostly peaceful, battle between former allies America versus the Communist Soviet Union. And that battle, (again, thankfully mostly peaceful with the decided exceptions of the Korean and Vietnam wars and other flare-ups in places like Central America, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia), brought forth the unique political career of the man there-to-fore known as an American movie and television star: Ronald Reagan. Reagan began to gather political attention when he took on the role of president of the Screen Actors Guild and discovered that Communism had infected Hollywood. Historian ( and the The American Spectator’s own) Paul Kengor has recounted Reagan’s career in multiple books. Notable in the group would be 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative, a decidedly important book for upcoming young conservatives to learn from the man himself. Then there is The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, in which Kengor recounts “The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged–and ultimately triumphant–effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.” Then there is the amazing behind-the-scenes story of A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century   There is more like this from historian Kengor, including the not to be forgotten God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life And it should also be noted that Reagan biographer Steven F. Hayward has a two-part very detailed Reagan biography: The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980 and The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980-1989.  Time, as they say, flies. And for those like myself who had the distinct honor of working in the White House for the President and will be gathering at the Reagan Library to recall and celebrate his remarkable life and achievements, it will be a momentous evening. With all the chaos surrounding the current president and the lawfare targeting the former president, remembering President Reagan and the battles he fought — and won — will serve as a decided reminder that life is never without its struggles. The issue always is standing up for principle — and America. Twenty years before he was sworn in as the 40th president — in fact five years before being elected Governor of California — private citizen Reagan gave a speech to the Phoenix, Arizona Chamber of Commerce. In which he said this: Our Founding Fathers, here in this country, brought about the only true revolution that has ever taken place in man’s history. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another set of rulers. But only here did that little band of men so advanced beyond their time that the world has never seen their like since, evolve the idea that you and I have within ourselves the God-given right and the ability to determine our own destiny. But freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free. Twenty years later, President Reagan’s words and wisdom still ring true. With this week serving as a particular reminder for Americans to celebrate Ronald Reagan’s life and times. READ MORE from Jeffrey Lord: ‘Our Republican Legacy’ Is Not What the Washington Post Claims Biden Presidency Becomes Biden Dictatorship The post Reagan Remembered appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Teenagers are stereotypically rebellious. They push boundaries, make bad decisions, and are frequently ornery enough to do things precisely because they were told not to. In retrospect, banning rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t an effective strategy if the goal was to encourage teenagers to pick a different kind of music to jam to. (READ MORE from Aubrey Gulick: The Mother of Invention) It all started at a weekend dance in the town’s Civic Auditorium. Lieutenant Richard Overton of the Santa Cruz Police Force was assigned to the event and clearly did not enjoy the assignment. At 12:20 a.m. on Sunday — a full 40 minutes before the dance was supposed to end — Overton decided to send the band packing and the teenagers home to bed (which, it should be noted, they did so obediently and quietly). The issue? Overton determined that the music “excited the crowd to passion at times, and it was feared the crowd might become uncontrollable.” There doesn’t seem to have been alcohol present or even any kind of disturbance; it was simply that Overton thought a few of the teenage couples were engaging in what he considered objectionable dancing. The following Monday, the Santa Cruz Sentinel-News reported that authorities had decided on June 3, 1956, to ban rock ‘n’ roll “and other frenzied forms of terpsichore” (which is the kind of word we should use far more frequently to spice up news reports). On June 3, 1956, the City of Santa Cruz, California, imposed a ban on rock and roll music, as a result of 'obscene & highly suggestive dancing' by teenagers pic.twitter.com/EgKUH50vnD — RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) June 3, 2019 And Santa Cruz wasn’t the only town to ban rock ‘n’ roll. In Boston, a police commissioner shut down a planned concert because he was concerned that the event could result in riots. San Antonio, Texas banned the music in dance halls, and in Jersey City, New Jersey, Mayor Bernard Berry banned both rock ‘n’ roll and blues concerts. (READ MORE: Hunter S. Thompson: American Idiot) Rather than suppress the teenage urge to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, the bans helped the music grow in popularity. Now the music wasn’t just cool, it had become associated with rebelling against cultural norms. Santa Cruz’s ban lasted for just a few weeks that summer. Not only did the community itself complain about it, but the media picked up the story and the Santa Cruz Police Department’s phones didn’t stop ringing for weeks with eager calls from reporters around the country. The City Council quickly clarified that they hadn’t really banned rock ‘n’ roll, just “what some people do while listening to it” and gave the Civic Auditorium’s manager permission to end any dance he deemed immoral. The issue with that resolution, however, was that the council hadn’t exactly defined what it meant by “immoral” dance. Besides, as some parents noted in letters to the city newspaper, rock ‘n’ roll was “dead” compared to “the Modern and Jazz dances during and since” their youth. (READ MORE: Defeating China’s ‘Great Game’ in Cold War II) Just a year later, Santa Cruz youth were back, happily jamming away to rock ‘n’ roll, undisturbed by Lieutenant Overton. This article originally appeared on Aubrey’s Substack, Pilgrim’s Way on June 3, 2024. The post How Not to Ban Music appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

While we still do not know — indeed, likely will never know — what conduct the Manhattan jury convicted President Trump of committing, one possibility would evidence the gross duality and unfairness of “justice” in America, 2024.  If Trump was convicted of disguising campaign expenses as legal fees in order to influence an election, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s analogous conduct should have resulted in similar treatment by our justice system.  It did not. For her campaign misconduct, the Clinton campaign was ordered to pay a civil — not a criminal — fine of $8,000.  In 2022, the Federal Election Commission fined the Clinton campaign for fraudulently mislabeling payments made for the bogus Steele dossier as “legal fees” to the law firm Perkins Coie in the 2016 election.  That is, the payments for the Steele dossier were clearly non-legal campaign expenditures — “opposition research” — but the Clinton campaign falsely labeled them as “legal fees.”  The purpose of the Clinton misrepresentation was to hide the fact that the Russia collusion fraud was paid for by the Clinton campaign; thus concealing her involvement in sleazy conduct influencing the election and embroiling the country in a three-year paroxysm of the Russia collusion hoax.  The Steele dossier was, until then, the most effective campaign dirty trick in US history — although arguably the Bragg prosecution eclipses the dossier in the dirty tricks pantheon. (READ MORE: Liberals Willfully Deluded Themselves on the Russia Collusion Hoax) Trump may have been convicted of similar conduct, though his treatment was starkly different.  The Manhattan jury may have found Trump guilty of mislabeling an alleged campaign expenditure, the non-disclosure payment to Stormy Daniels, as legal fees.  (Many have argued the non-disclosure payments are not campaign contributions and have discussed the legion of defects in the prosecutor’s case and the prosecution’s and judge’s misconduct.  Here I only address the dichotomy between how Trump and Clinton were treated based on essentially the same conduct.) For her campaign misconduct, the Clinton campaign was ordered to pay a civil — not a criminal — fine of $8,000.  The Democratic Party was ordered to pay $105,000.  Unlike Trump, Clinton was not the subject of a local DA’s selective prosecution in a county that had voted against her by almost 90 percent. She was not indicted, not charged with any crime, did not have family sexual peccadillos paraded before a court, was not trapped in a courtroom for four weeks just months before the election when she should have been campaigning, and did not have her due process rights trampled. By the way, Clinton’s 2016 campaign was headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. (READ MORE: Post-Trump Verdict, Will the American Right Finally Wake Up?) So, Hillary Clinton is found to be liable for mislabeling payments for the Steele Dossier as legal fees and gets an $8,000 civil fine; Trump has been found guilty of mislabeling non-disclosure payments as legal fees and is a convicted felon.  Justice in America. Mr. Daukas served as Principal Deputy and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, 2020-21; and as a Chief Counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 2023. The post Hillary Mislabeled Steele Dossier Payments as ‘Legal Fees’ appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

The surviving members of the Sex Pistols, sans John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten), are getting back together for a pair of benefit gigs August 13th and 14th at London’s Bush Hall. Guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook will play the band’s debut album “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols” with vocalist/tattoo artist Frank Carter (pictured) filling in for Lydon, who is on the outs with his former bandmates over the use of Sex Pistols music in the “Pistol” miniseries based on Jones’s “Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol.” That dispute reignited longstanding, and apparently still unresolved feuds, among the band’s surviving members. Proceeds from the shows will benefit Bush Hall, which like many independent live music stages, has been struggling lately. ### The post Sex Pistol’s Reunion To Feature Frank Carter appeared first on RockinTown.

from Mark Dice:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Stefan Stanford, All News Pipeline: Conservatives are understandably outraged after the “guilty” on all counts verdict against Donald Trump came in, set up by a Democrat judge that donated to Joe Biden, from a jury of New Yorkers, a state which went to Biden in 2020 by 23.2 percent. There were no riots, nor vandalism, and […]