Progressives Are Celebrating Trump's Conviction, So Is the Trump Campaign

The serene wilderness of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park was the unexpected backdrop for a harrowing encounter between man and nature. Shane Patrick Burke, a 35-year-old army veteran from Massachusetts, experienced a life-threatening attack while hiking near Signal Mountain. This dramatic encounter serves as a chilling reminder of the unpredictable dangers present in the great... The post Army veteran survives grizzly bear attack saying it was “most violent experience” of his life appeared first on Animal Channel.

Having spent a gargantuan 168 minutes alone on the Trump trial from start to finish (April 15-May 31), ABC’s Good Morning America reacted as you’d expect on Friday to Thursday’s verdict with incessant reactions ranging from faux solemnity to openly partisan to pathetically disconnected from reality. Co-host and former Clinton tool George Stephanopoulos opened as he’s down throughout the trial, which is a mini-monologue of sorts with a pensive look and hushed tone. This time, he gushed over the jurors as though they’re deities:  And we begin, Michael, with another first in American history. Donald Trump, now the first and only man who’s held the presidency to face a felony conviction. There you see the verdict sheet filled out by a New York jury. Guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an illegal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election that made him president. This is the third time this year that citizen jurors have held Trump accountable. In January, an $83.3 million judgment for defaming E. Jean Carroll. In February, a $450 million judgment for civil fraud in his business dealings. Juries. Ordinary people doing their duty under enormous stress, demonstrating civic courage. Remarkably, convicted felons can run for president. So, this year, in this extraordinary time, American voters will be the ultimate jurors. We’re going to cover the fallout of this unprecedented event. Correspondent Aaron Katersky sounded moved like he was during ABC’s special report as he called what occurred “extraordinary.”     During his taped segment, Katersky added that “Trump and his allies cast doubt on his conviction, harnessing Trump’s political power and his grip on the Republican Party to rally supporters around calls for retaliation ahead of the election this fall.” ABC’s coverage took an even more embarrassing turn when it brought in Michael Cohen and Stephanopoulos treated him like a therapist speaking to a shaken patient (click “expand”): STEPHANOPOULOS: We are joined now by the star witness, Michael Cohen. Michael, thanks for coming back — COHEN: Good to see you, George. STEPHANOPOULOS: — on GMA. You were here with us, sitting in that chair in March 2023. You predicted this outcome, so you’re not surprised. COHEN: No, I’m not. In fact, next month, George, is when you and I sat down for that historic change in my life. That was July 1 of 2018 —  STEPHANOPOULOS: 2018! COHEN: — six years ago, when I told you that my wife, my daughter, my son and my country have my first loyalty and this has been one heck of a journey in order to see this. STEPHANOPOULOS: It has been one heckuva journey. How about that time in the courtroom? What was the toughest moment for you? COHEN: I really didn’t have a single moment that was tougher than the 21 hours that they had me on the stand, whether it was on direct or on cross-examination. The whole thing was very tough. It’s emotionally draining because you have to be perfect. I knew that any mistake that I made would be just — it would — it would become the topic of conversation that would just explode. And so, I really just needed to stay focused. And it wasn’t easy with Todd Blanche. He’s a meanderer as it goes to questioning. STEPHANOPOULOS: He called you the greatest liar of all time. You’ve been convicted for lying. Are you done lying? (....) STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you have any moments in the courtroom where you actually had some kind of contact, communication with Donald Trump? At another point, Stephanopoulos fretted Cohen “spent years fighting for Donald Trump, bullying people for Donald Trump, even lying, as you just said, for Donald Trump, in coordination with his people” before asking if he “wish[ed] you’d never met him.” Cohen replied it’s been “enormously difficult on my family more than anything” because they’ve “suffer[ed] as a direct result of my actions and the misloyalty that I gave to Donald”. As we’d also see on CBS, Stephanopoulos and Cohen expressed exasperation that anyone would vote for Trump and the Republican Party (since they presumably view issues such as the economy, education, immigration, and inflation as wholly secondary to Trump being a danger) (click “expand”): STEPHANOPOULOS: As you know, there are a lot of Republican officeholders out here, including the Speaker of the House who are saying this is a grace. They are still backing Donald Trump. What’s your message to voters who are still considering voting for Donald Trump for president? COHEN: I’m not sure how this makes any sense. This is not just a felon, convict, but it’s also a man who has openly stated he wants to rewrite the Constitution on day one. He wants to be a dictator. Not my words. His words. He wants to — he wants to destroy our tripartite system of government. He wants to get rid of the judiciary and the legislative branch and confer all power to the executive branch, meaning himself — turning himself into a king, a monarch. This country, for 259 years has followed one simple principle, democracy based on the Constitution. He wants to rewrite it as if he could. It’s — it’s just terrible, so how it is that he’s still even in the running, why anybody would want to vote for somebody who is anti-democratic makes no sense to me. With World News Tonight anchor David Muir not around to beat the drum suggesting how polling spells doom for Trump’s electoral prospects, that task fell to political director Rick Klein and tout the May 5 ABC News/Ipsos poll about 20 percent of Trump voters who “would either reconsider or withdraw their support based on a conviction”. “That’s one in five Trump voters which is an enormous number in an election expected to be as close as this one,” he boasted. Speaking moments later to congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, Stephanopoulos returned to expressing disgust and shock Americans would vote Republican (and, therefore, not for Biden): “And, Rachel, remarkably and yet, predictably, Republican politicians falling in line to — to support a convicted felon.” A far-left hack herself, Scott whined about Trump’s “very tight grip on the Republican party and the indictments didn’t really matter for most of the Republican Party”, but refused to consider why that would be the case and that, perhaps, other issues take precedent. She remained in denial, though: “In a lot of ways, George, the Republican Party is now closer to the former President even after this guilty verdict.” To see the relevant transcript from May 31, click here.

An organization repeatedly funded by leftist billionaire George Soros is pressuring Big Tech to target free speech after the guilty verdict against Donald Trump. Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the coalition the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released a statement after Trump was controversially convicted on all counts by a Manhattan court Thursday. In the statement, she urged both social media and government officials to target so-called “disinformation.” Notably, the coalition of some 240 national organizations has received millions of dollars from Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF). The coalition not only aims to crush free speech but has received extensive funding from Soros to help accomplish this goal. The OSF website lists no fewer than 10 grants to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights between 2016 and 2022. The grants range between $10,000 and $2,135,000 for a total of $6.92 million.  In her statement, Wiley claimed that the verdict would “generate massive amounts of online content, and a big chunk of it will be lies, disinformation, or conspiracy theories from white supremacists, political operatives, chaos agents, and maybe even adversarial foreign governments.” She did not cite any evidence to support this claim. The Leadership Conference CEO then issued her call for “content moderation,” the leftist catchphrase for censorship of free speech. “In this overheated environment, it’s vital for social media companies to enforce their content moderation policies and prevent lies from spreading unchallenged,” Wiley pontificated. “This environment is ripe for the worst actors online to sow mayhem and discord, and social media companies simply cannot allow that to happen.” Wiley cited the events of Jan. 6, 2021, as a supposed proof that online content from Trump supporters could turn violent as she argued for censorship. She ended by making the worrisome argument that both Big Tech and government officials have an obligation to protect users from content she considers false.  “Social media companies and elected officials have deep responsibilities to protect our society,” Wiley babbled. “We urge them not to permit falsehoods to flourish online or spill over into violence on our streets. The stakes could not be higher, and the consequences of inaction could not be more severe.” Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

On Friday's Morning Joe, MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin, the show's go-to person on the Trump trial, commenting on the reaction to the guilty verdicts by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and his prosecutorial team, made a flabbergasting claim: "This is not a group of people, despite what Donald Trump and his Republican allies are saying, that relished this victory, that are rejoicing in it." The prosecutors, knowing that the cameras of the world were upon them, might have been able to restrain their enthusiasm. But does Rubin really expect us to believe that—their outward demeanor notwithstanding—on the inside it wasn't unrestrained revelry? After all, as even the New York Times has reported, Bragg ran for DA on the platform of being the best person to prosecute Trump. So now that his big day has arrived, Bragg & Co. weren't "relishing and rejoicing?" Riight. Analysts Danny Cevallos and Chuck Rosenberg agreed that for someone like Trump, convicted of a first-time, non-violent felony, the normal sentence in New York would be probation, not prison time: CEVALLOS: There are plenty of arguments to be made for a probation-only sentence. Number one, this is a 71-plus-year-old offender. You have a non-violent offense, a first-time offender. No guns. No drugs. No violence involved.  (...) ROSENBERG: Nevertheless, as Danny articulated earlier, this is a first-time, non-violent offender, and, typically, in New York state courts, a first-time, non-violent offender does not get a jail sentence. However, Rosenberg said that Trump's repeated criticisms of Judge Merchan, and what Rosenberg expects to be Trump's lack of remorse when given the chance to speak before sentencing, might sway the judge away from the normal guidelines. Rosenberg analogized Trump's criticisms of Judge Merchan to a baseball player telling the umpire he "sucks." A "bad strategy," opined Rosenberg. Cevallos made one additional argument in support of his belief that probation rather than prison would be the appropriate sentence. He said that in determining a sentence, the judge will normally take into account the monetary loss that the defendant caused to others. Here, he said, the loss was "zero."  Further, Cevallos offered a very curious example of the kind of monetary loss that could justify a prison sentence: "I'm just thinking of an example. Let's say I made up a fake university and charged people fake tuition for my fake university and kept all that money -- I'm just giving a hypothetical example -- that might be a case where you could measure loss in terms of the number of victims multiplied by how much they paid." Although Cevallos stressed that he was "just giving a hypothetical example," surely he was aware that Trump paid $25 million in settlement of a lawsuit brought by students at Trump University who claimed they had been duped out of thousands of dollars by misleading marketing practices and aggressive sales tactics. Heck of a hypothetical, Danny! The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: MSNBC's Morning Joe 5/31/24 6:05 am EDT LISA RUBIN: The reactions of the parties was also so telling. Former President Trump tried to put a good face on the verdict. When he walked out, you could see he set his jaw in that Trump-like way, he pursed his lips in the way we're all used to. He set his face to look ahead. And yet, he looked like a man defeated and resigned. He walked slowly and lumberingly.  And then once they were out of the courtroom, we, the press corps, about 100 of us, were left in there with the DA's office. I don't know if I've shared this before, but when Trump moves out into the hallway, for security purposes, everyone is frozen. And that includes the staff of the Manhattan district attorney's office.  If you were counting on them to look as if they just scored the biggest score in that office's history, you wouldn't have seen it on their faces or on Alvin Bragg's face. He looked straight ahead, and the prosecutors on his team didn't crack a single smile among them. Maybe there was a little twinge of relief in their shoulders and body language, but this was a group of people that knew that all eyes of the world would be on them in this moment if they were lucky enough to get a conviction, let alone 34 of them, and they met the moment with their seriousness of purpose. This is not a group of people, despite what Donald Trump and his Republican allies are saying, that relished this victory, that are rejoicing in it. . . .  DANNY CEVALLOS: There are plenty of arguments to be made for a probation-only sentence. Number one, this is a 71-plus-year-old offender. You have a non-violent offense, a first-time offender. No guns. No drugs. No violence involved.  And I would make an additional argument, and I think reasonable minds could disagree here. That I would say that loss, and the great Chuck Rosenberg will tell you, that in fraud cases, especially in the federal system, the single biggest driver of a sentence is the dollar amount of loss.  And loss is measured in many different ways. But as a defense attorney, I'd argue that the loss in this case is 0.0. It's not a traditional fraud case where you have traditional victims who handed over their money, let's say, and I'm just thinking of an example. Let's say I made up a fake university and charged people fake tuition for my fake university and kept all that money -- I'm just giving a hypothetical example -- that might be a case where you could measure loss in terms of the number of victims multiplied by how much they paid. You don't really have that here. You could make the argument that the loss and the victims are the people of the State of New York. I get that. And I think reasonable minds could disagree. But as a defense attorney, I would be arguing that loss in this case is zero.  CHUCK ROSENBERG: With regard to sentencing, look, it's always a bad idea, before the first pitch, to tell the umpire that he sucks. It's just not the way you want to, sort of, go into the first inning of a baseball game. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Nevertheless, as Danny articulated earlier, this is a first-time, non-violent offender, and, typically, in New York state courts, a first-time, non-violent offender does not get a jail sentence. That said, continuing to yell at the umpire, to denigrate the ump, the courts, the jurors, the system, the prosecutors, is just a bad strategy.  And one thing that judges look for at sentencing is what the defendant has to say. Because al defendants have a chance to speak at sentencing. We call it allocution. And, you know, I sit there and listen as a prosecutor to whether or not the defendant is remorseful, whether he or she apologizes, whether he or she takes responsibility, and I think Mr. Trump is constitutionally incapable of doing that.  And so, you know, might that be determinative here? Perhaps. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Wow! ROSENBERG: The typical defendant in a case like this would get a sentence of probation. Danny is exactly right. But Mr. Trump has been and always will be a wild card, and his fate now resides in the hands of one person. And he's been spending a lot of time denigrating that one person. So we'll see.

Teaching your dog to lie down is one of several essential commands your dog should know. Of course, your pet should also come when called and know how to sit as well. But how exactly do you teach your pet commands like these? Canines are intelligent animals and can learn tricks quickly. Of course, treats make it easier, especially if you reserve them as training aids. Your dog can recognize your emotions, which can help your efforts. They will pick up on your enthusiasm and praise, so use those factors to your advantage. Many pups are eager to please, which can give them added motivation to stick with their lessons. So, if you want to teach your dog how to lie down, keep reading for a step-by-step guide. Before You Start Admittedly, lying down is an advanced command that requires patience and frequent repetition. Don’t despair if it takes your pet several attempts before the penny drops. Remember that the lessons don’t stop once your dog successfully lies down when asked; you should repeat it occasionally to reinforce the command. You should keep treats on hand during training sessions. One method of teaching this trick is rewarding your dog when they do it on their own. That helps create a positive association between the act and the treat. We recommend using a clicker as another audible cue for your pet to respond as you want them to do. Everyone in the house should also be on board with the procedure and the command word to avoid confusing your pet. You should conduct the lesson in a quiet room alone with your pet. You may find your pup more attentive if you work with your dog when they are calm or getting ready for naptime. After all, an excited pooch will be too distracted to make any connections with what you’re doing. Now that you’re a bit more mentally prepared and have some treats in hand, let’s go over the steps to teaching your dog to lie down. How to Teach a Dog to Lie Down in 7 Easy Steps 1. Begin by Encouraging Your Dog to Sit Getting your dog to sit has you halfway toward completion of the trick. If they already know this command, even better! However, make sure you reward your dog for completing the command before proceeding to the next step. The challenge of this method is keeping the actions separate in your pet’s mind. The goal is to keep sitting and lying down as distinct actions that are both rewarded when completed. Image Credit: Wasitt Hemwarapornchai, Shutterstock 2. Hold Out a Treat in Front of Your Dog Holding out a treat in front of your dog creates the anticipation necessary for action. Let your dog know it’s there, but hold on tightly to it if your pooch tries to snatch it away from you. After all, the treat has a price, and they need to work to get it. 3. Lure Your Pup to a Down Position With the Treat Trainers call this method “luring.” The object is to keep your dog focused on the treat, move it down to the floor, and encourage them to slide their body forward to get it. When your pet lies down, say the command, click your clicker if you’re using one, and reward them. Make sure to praise your pet for a job well done. We also find pets will stay in this position longer if you put the treat between their paws, as it may help forge the association. Image Credit: Artsiom P, Shutterstock 4. Repeat the Process With the Command, Clicker, and Treat Repetition is necessary to make the association. You should gradually start the process lower to the floor to help your dog understand what you’re asking. Mark your pet’s response with the command and a click. 5. Pay Attention to Your Dog’s Response We recommend paying attention to your pet’s response. If they don’t seem like they’re getting it, take a break and try again later. The hurdle you must face is teaching your dog the difference between sitting and lying down. They will likely touch their belly to the floor and jump up or go back into the sitting position. Your job is to show them that this command is different. Image Credit: Prostock-studio, Shutterstock 6. Alternatively, Start in a Standing Position You can avoid this sitting dilemma by beginning the lesson with your dog standing. Some pets may find it easier to separate the two actions if you eliminate the middle step. The process is the same, using the command, clicker, and reward. Make sure your pup’s hocks and elbows are down before giving them the treat. 7. Reward Lying Down An easy way to reinforce this command is to capture your dog in the act, and creating the association between stimulus and positive response means repeated lessons. If you see your pup in this position, you can use the command, clicker, and reward to bolster the association. Image Credit: Corey Terrill, Shutterstock What You Shouldn’t Do Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog, and many breeds are sensitive to harsh words. We see it often in canines with strong bonds with their owners. Therefore, we must re-emphasize patience and praise when your pooch does the right thing. We don’t recommend forcing your pup into the position; it’ll likely backfire. Your dog won’t like it and will probably balk. It may even create a negative association with the act, hampering your efforts. You shouldn’t use a leash, either. The best way is to make it a natural response to your training methods. It’s worth noting that this command usually isn’t a one-and-done response. You must repeat it over and over again until they finally make the association and learn what exactly it is that you expect from them. Final Thoughts Teaching your dog to lie down takes their training to the next level. However, it offers techniques you can use to add to the commands your pup can do. The trick is creating positive associations with cues that your pet can easily detect. That makes a clicker so valuable. Marking the action is an effective way to cement the command and the action. Plus, treats are just a really tasty bonus! Sources https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883 https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/training/liedown Featured Image Credit: Zbynek Pospisil The post How to Teach a Dog to Lie Down: 7 Effective Steps & Advice appeared first on Pet Keen.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, whose term ends in less than a year, announced that he has dropped his Democratic Party affiliation."From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what's best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It's who I am. It's who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens," Manchin said in a statement.'I don't hate either one and they're not our enemies.'"However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America's sensible majority," he added.But Manchin will still caucus with Senate Democrats, reports note.The politician, who has served in the Senate since late 2010, announced last year that he would not seek re-election. Prior to serving in the Senate, Manchin served as governor of West Virginia.In a video, Manchin suggested that while Democrats and Republicans are supposed to hate each other, "I don't hate either one and they're not our enemies, each one are not the enemy." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before a joint meeting of the U.S. legislature.In a message, the lawmakers noted, "the horrific attacks of October 7th shocked the world and forced your nation into a fight for its very existence. We join the State of Israel in your struggle against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders jeopardize regional stability."'The existential challenges we face ... threaten the security, peace, and prosperity of our countries and of free people around the world.'"For this reason, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we would like to invite you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress," the message signed by the four lawmakers stated."The existential challenges we face, including the growing partnership between Iran, Russia, and China, threaten the security, peace, and prosperity of our countries and of free people around the world. To build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America's solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government's vision for defending democracy, combating terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region," the message concludes.Last year, on October 7, terrorists perpetrated a heinous attack that included slaughter, rape, and kidnapping. Israel has been waging a war effort in response, and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has been steadfastly supporting the Jewish State. "Some members of Congress refuse to condemn this raw brutality. Calling for a Palestinian state or supporting the ICC request for arrest warrants—it's all a warped interpretation of justice, but also anathema to peace and bringing all hostages back home," a tweet on Fetterman's @SenFettermanPA X account states.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Alongside the remains of a high-status woman, researchers found a Roman-style brooch, a bronze mirror from China, and a pair of gold earrings inlaid with turquoise and rubies. The post 2,000-Year-Old Kangju Burial Mound Filled With Ornate Grave Goods Found In Southern Kazakhstan appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Archaeologists believe the coffin may belong to Prince Gao, one of the sons of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang. The post Archaeologists Unearth A Treasure-Filled Tomb Buried Amongst The Terracotta Warriors appeared first on All That's Interesting.