Well‚ the lefties can stop freaking out over delays in ruling on Donald Trump's presidential immunity claims‚ delaying the Trump trial they think will get Biden re-elected. The appeals court ruled against Trump on Tuesday. His appeals will continue. But Washington Post columnist and associate editor Ruth Marcus let the cat out of the bag on their hopes for lawfare to ruin Trump's campaign. The very title of her opinion piece on Friday admits to that‚ "Slowpoke federal appeals court puts 2024 election in jeopardy." The theme of her frantic diatribe is that the orderly appeals process of how the justice system is supposed to work is interfering with the election interference she and her fellow liberals are desperately desiring since things look quite dire for Biden at the moment. Here is Marcus sounding every bit as deranged on the subject of Donald Trump as MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner or Keith Olbermann: It is approaching four weeks since a federal appeals court considered Donald Trump’s audacious claim that he should enjoy absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for his actions as president. Under ordinary circumstances‚ it can take months for appellate judges to produce a ruling. In the current case‚ this delay borders on unconscionable. It plays right into Trump’s hands. So Marcus admits that "under normal circumstances‚ it can take months for appellate judges to produce a ruling‚" yet this infuriates her because somehow playing by the normal rules somehow "plays right into Trump's hands" and this she finds to be "unconscionable." What’s going on? The immunity panel included two Biden appointees — Florence Pan and Michelle Childs — and a George H.W. Bush nominee‚ Karen Henderson. They appeared disposed to rule against Trump‚ but perhaps a concurring or even dissenting opinion is slowing things down. Your honors‚ the clock is ticking more loudly every day. Hurry! Before it is too late to use lawfare election interference to stop Trump! Marcus proceeds to continue going full kvetch for several paragraphs expressing her angst over the delay caused by Trump's immunity appeal. Finally she amazingly suggests that the normal rules for appeal be bypassed because she wants Trump stopped at any cost. What can be done? The appeals court‚ delayed decision notwithstanding‚ has demonstrated its awareness of the need for quick action; it set an expedited schedule for briefing and oral argument. When the panel finally rules‚ it must take care to set limits that prevent Trump from exploiting the usual deadlines for filing appeals. As a useful analysis from Protect Democracy in Just Security demonstrates‚ Trump would ordinarily have 30 days to ask for review by the full appeals court‚ and 90 days after that to go to the high court. But both the appeals court and the Supreme Court have mechanisms to frustrate this kind of gamesmanship. They can set tighter deadlines and allow pretrial preparation to go forward while they weigh any appeal. Justice has been delayed enough already. Wow. So Marcus admits that Trump has the right to take 30 days to ask for review by the full appeals court and 90 days to later appeal to the Supreme Court but she wants that changed because... Trump!

The jury is still out on the usefulness of bunkers; at least‚ as far as I’m concerned. Militarily‚ the predecessors to bunkers came about to protect people from bombardment by artillery. The post Can You Build a Bunker on the Cheap? appeared first on Survivopedia.

Some conservatives right now seem to think Taylor Swift is a secret operative of the Democratic Party’s deep-state operation. One popular theory on social media holds that the relentless media coverage of Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is actually a sophisticated psyop designed to culminate in a decisively well-timed endorsement of Joe Biden. Not only is this theory rather far-fetched‚ but if history is any guide‚ a political endorsement by Swift isn’t likely to affect the 2024 election in any meaningful way. The most Republican thing ever would be to jump on the attack bandwagon just as Swift’s influence on American culture is making a major turn for the better. Swift and Kelce do‚ however‚ have the potential to help start an entirely different kind of revolution — an American family revolution — if‚ as is apparently rumored‚ the power couple ends up getting married. In that case‚ as the incomparable Peachy Keenan puts it‚ “We will witness the greatest spike in weddings in American history. Mimetic desire will grip the hearts and minds of millions of Millennial women‚ who will awaken from their rosé hangovers and start issuing marital ultimatums to whoever they left on read that week.” Big if true — and especially big for conservatives. A trend-setting example of normal‚ married family life would be the worst possible thing that could happen in pop culture for the Democratic Party’s long-term future. In 2018‚ my organization‚ the American Principles Project‚ commissioned a nationwide study on the effect that family formation has on voting behavior and ideology. The findings were staggering: People who are married with children hold much more conservative viewpoints and are much more likely to vote Republican across the demographic spectrum. For example‚ married black and Hispanic voters are twice as likely to vote for Republicans as their never-married peers. Never-married and cohabiting Americans‚ by contrast‚ are overwhelmingly progressive in their ideology and voting habits. What’s more‚ the study showed that how children are raised has a significant impact on their political alignment in adulthood. Children from married families vote more conservatively when they grow up‚ while children from broken households tend to prefer left-wing candidates as adults. These gaps have persisted since then. In 2020‚ married people voted for Donald Trump 54-45‚ a nine-point margin. Unmarried people‚ meanwhile‚ voted for Joe Biden 59-40‚ a 19-point margin. This is a far bigger difference than even the much-touted “gender gap.” Trump won married women by five points‚ after all — and lost among unmarried men by a similar margin. One can try to explain this gap away through all other sorts of other factors — age‚ education‚ religiosity‚ etc. But the causal link between marriage and parenthood on the one hand and conservatism and Republican voting habits on the other is strongly suggested by social science research and‚ more importantly‚ is clear to anyone with an ounce of common sense. It follows‚ then‚ that the political right should welcome the high-profile transformation of one of America’s biggest pop stars from single cat-mom to‚ potentially‚ happily married to a normal-seeming guy. It’s at the very least a bigger deal than any potential endorsement coming down the pike. Swift’s previous endorsements — Biden in 2020 and failed Tennessee Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in 2018 — turned out to be nonfactors in both races. Sometimes it’s hard not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Still‚ conservatives should try to avoid it. The most Republican thing ever would be to jump on the attack bandwagon just as Swift’s influence on American culture is making a major turn for the better. Ultimately‚ if Swift and Kelce are going to have any impact on American elections‚ it won’t be this November. But if all goes well for them‚ and I hope it does‚ they really do have the potential to help Make Marriage Great Again. And a true family revival would indeed shape elections for the better‚ for many years to come.

Upon hearing the news that country music star Toby Keith died Monday night after a lengthy battle with stomach cancer‚ comments gleeful about his passing appeared on social media — coupled with loving shout-outs to country music outfit the Dixie Chicks (now known as "the Chicks"). Keith haters apparently are still smarting two decades after a headline-grabbing feud between the two camps — which mirrored a growing rift in America between leftists and conservatives — involving 9/11‚ the Iraq War‚ and then-President George W. Bush. What's more‚ who paying attention back then can forget the T-shirt Natalie Maines wore onstage emblazoned with a not-so-subtle message directed at Keith? — (@) What have Keith haters been saying? Keith haters have been leveling stunning vitriol against him on social media following the announcement of his death while pouring love upon the Dixie Chicks — so much so that "Dixie Chicks" was trending on X Tuesday morning. Content warning: Language: — (@) — (@) — (@) Here are more examples: — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) What's the background?The feud between Keith and the Dixie Chicks began with Maines' reaction to Keith's famous 2002 song‚ "Courtesy of the Red‚ White and Blue (The Angry American)‚" according to Wide Open Country. Released after the death of Keith's veteran father and the September 11‚ 2001‚ terrorist attacks‚ the song includes the iconic promise to enemies of the U.S.: "We'll put a boot in your ass‚ it's the American way.""I hate it‚" Maines told the Los Angeles Times in 2002 regarding Keith's tune‚ according to Wide Open Country. "It's ignorant‚ and it makes country music sound ignorant. It targets an entire culture — and not just the bad people who did bad things. You've got to have some tact. Anybody can write‚ 'We'll put a boot in your a—.' ..."Then came Maines' comment during a March 2003 concert in London‚ England‚ after the U.S. invaded Iraq: "Just so you know‚ we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war‚ this violence‚ and we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas‚" Wide Open Country noted.The outlet added that Maines' commentary led to a huge backlash against the Dixie Chicks‚ as country radio stations banned their music‚ and the group ducked out of the spotlight.Keith then displayed a fake photo of Maines next to Saddam Hussein at his concerts‚ Wide Open Country said‚ adding that Maines punched back with her "F.U.T.K." shirt at the Academy of Country Music Awards.Here's video of Maines and others discussing her wearing the infamous shirt and acknowledging that it means "F*** you‚ Toby Keith." Content warning: Language: Dixie Chicks - FUTK youtu.be Anything else?Not long afterward in 2003‚ Keith said he was done battling Maines and the Dixie Chicks after a friend's child went through a cancer battle‚ Wide Open Country said: "I saw a picture on the cover of Country Weekly with a picture of me and Natalie and it said‚ 'Fight to the Death' or something. It seemed so insignificant. I said‚ 'Enough is enough.'"The Dixie Chicks returned in 2006 with their single "Not Ready to Make Nice" from their "Taking the Long Way" album‚ Wide Open Country said‚ which addressed the backlash against them — but the outlet added that it didn't directly address the feud with Keith.There was no mention of Keith's passing on the Chicks' X page as of Tuesday morning. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Last night‚ the 66th annual Grammy Awards was hosted by Trevor Noah at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena. Some of the biggest awards were given to Taylor Swift for best album of the year‚ Billie Eilish for song of the year‚ and Miley Cyrus for record of the year. And speaking of the first-time Grammy-winner‚ there’s apparently two conspiracy theories circulating around Cyrus’ mysteriously stiff-armed bodyguard who accompanied her at the event. “During the red carpet event‚ Miley Cyrus was with her bodyguard‚ and his left arm did not move as a normal left arm moves‚” reports producer Kris Cruz. One theory is that “the umbrella that he was holding was a hidden gun inside of it to protect her‚” and the second theory is that “the guy had a left fake arm.” After watching the footage‚ Pat thinks “it didn't seem extraordinary at all‚” but others beg to differ. Watch the clip below and check it out for yourself. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A police K-9 in Massachusetts helped track down a 12-year-old who was located more than two miles away. The child reportedly went missing last week amid freezing temperatures‚ according to Fox News Digital.The authorities called on K-9 Biza — a female German shepherd — to help track down a child who went missing. The Auburn Police Department posted to Facebook: "On Wednesday January 31‚ 2024‚ at approximately 10:30PM the Auburn Police Department learned that a 12-year-old child left their home at approximately 8:30PM. The child was last seen in the Pakachoag Hill area of Auburn and their whereabouts was currently unknown."The report noted that the child left home without a cell phone or a parent's permission. As freezing temperatures passed through the area‚ detectives and Massachusetts State Police acted quickly to locate the missing child.Auburn Police Officer David Ljunggren and Biza were soon called into action. Biza soon picked up the child's scent and tracked it for more than two miles. During Biza's search‚ officers discovered evidence that the child had recently passed through the area‚ confirming they were on the right track. The child was found a short time later and reunited with the family‚ according to the New York Post.“We are proud of the hard work put in by K9 Biza and are happy to report a positive outcome!” the Auburn Police Department posted to Facebook.Late last month‚ Blaze News reported that K-9 Mary Lu in Florida helped track down an 11-year-old girl who had disappeared from her home. The girl was eventually found to have locked herself in a park bathroom.Mary Lu tracked the girl's scent to a neighbor's home‚ where the authorities discovered that the residents had given the girl a ride to a nearby apartment in Wimauma. Several police units made their way to the apartment complex‚ where Lu alerted the authorities to a locked bathroom door in a nearby park. The girl was discovered unharmed‚ and the police were able to convince her to unlock the door.She was safely returned to her family. Lu was reportedly happy to have found the young girl‚ wagging her tail at the sight of the 11-year-old.“Look at you! Can she give you a kiss? That’s her reward for finding you‚” Deputy Ernstes said‚ which was captured on her bodycam video of the rescue. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Nevada Supreme Court hosted a course that taught judges how to "creat[e] access for trans and gender nonconforming people‚" according to documents recently obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.In July‚ the court hosted a one-time class titled "Transgender and Gender Nonbinary People in the Nevada Courts: Practical Tools and Best Practices for Nevada Judges‚" led by Todd Brower‚ the director of the Judicial Education Program at UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute.The course included a presentation highlighting data and information about sexual orientation‚ gender expression‚ terminology‚ and pronoun use. Participants were also provided with hypothetical courtroom scenarios involving trans-identifying litigants‚ according to the slideshow presentation obtained by the DCNF."You have a case in your courtroom with Lawrence Thompson listed as a party‚" the presentation read. "A self-represented litigant with a feminine hairstyle and wearing a dress‚ high heels‚ and lipstick appears before you and says that this is their case.""What if that person says their name is Laura Thompson? What do you call that person when speaking to them?" the presentation asked. A later slide added to the presented hypothetical scenario‚ stating‚ "Assume you have decided and informed everyone that the person should be called Laura Thompson and referred to using female pronouns during the proceedings. However‚ opposing counsel calls this individual Lawrence and uses male pronouns.""What‚ if anything‚ do you do?" it asked.Brower's course advises judges to ask the litigant or their attorney how they should be addressed. Judges are advised to avoid "gender-specific titles like 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.'" "Consider identifying people by role ('the minor' 'the witness' 'the defendant' 'juror 5') or by articles of clothing instead of using gendered language. e.g.‚ the 'person in the blue shirt' instead of the 'lady in front‚'" it stated.The course suggests implementing court sign-in sheets or courtroom rules that ask for so-called preferred pronouns and honorifics to allow litigants to "self-identify." Judges are advised to put their pronouns on their benches‚ in their chambers‚ and on their email signatures."In your introduction at the start of the day‚ consider stating your pronouns there: 'Good morning. I am Judge ___; my pronouns are 'she/her‚'" the course added.A spokesperson for the Nevada Supreme Court told the DCNF that neither Brower‚ the Williams Institute‚ nor the UCLA School of Law received compensation for the online course.The news outlet reported that the one-time course was not mandatory but noted that Nevada district and municipal court judges must complete 13 hours per year of continued legal education‚ which includes two hours of ethics courses. Judges who completed the gender ideology "best practices" webinar received 1.5 hours of continued education credits in ethics. It is unclear how many judges participated in the course‚ the DCNF reported.The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County hosted a similar course last year‚ the DCNF originally reported Friday. The training‚ titled "Pride + Pronouns - Understanding Gender Identity in the Courtroom and Beyond‚" was presented by Tristan E.H. Higgins‚ a "consultant and coach on diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion." Brower also spoke at the training.Higgins told the DCNF she has worked with the San Diego and Santa Cruz courthouses. "I have taught at the National Judicial College and the National Association of Women Judges‚ which included a cross-section of judicial officers from all over the country. I have trained district attorneys‚ city attorneys‚ U.S. attorneys‚ and the U.S. Department of Labor‚" Higgins explained.Brower did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

I was certainly rooting for the Baltimore Ravens to beat the Kansas City Chiefs a couple Sundays back. And after that‚ I wanted the underdog Detroit Lions to pounce all over the San Francisco 49ers. To be clear‚ the drama staged by the NFL powers that be surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was not the motivating factor for cheering on the opposition Ravens. What turned me into a Ravens fan was my appreciation that Baltimore’s head coach gave glory where glory was due the previous Sunday following his team's win over the Houston Texans. The coach began his postgame press conference by reading a scripture verse where all praise went to God Most High when it came to victory. The “silent majority” once referred to folks who were a strong‚ motivating force in the culture but did not have a media megaphone. Something similar is stirring today. I watched most of the Ravens-Chiefs game until the Ravens were involved in a couple of wacky plays. Behind by 10 points at the time but with most of the fourth quarter yet to play‚ the deficit was certainly not insurmountable. But when quarterback Lamar Jackson threw an interception into the end zone with just under seven minutes to play‚ I’d had enough. I mean‚ Jackson had a receiver wide open but decided to try to thread the needle with another receiver caught between three defensive players? Go figure. Postgame analysis‚ which spanned several days‚ got people talking about the possibility of a rigged game. It certainly seems that if you're looking for viewership in the upcoming Super Bowl‚ you would want more than just a toss-up and a “may the best team win” as the sole ho-hum driving force. Wouldn't you want drama and intrigue and‚ yes‚ a bit of romance thrown into the mix? Now that's a show! Such a heady combination would draw in a totally new audience to replace the fans that have dwindled because of the NFL’s far-left end-zone messaging and its everything-gay promotions. (By the way‚ can a man who has “transitioned” soon be part of an NFL squad so that the league can boast of gender inclusivity?) And if you want to ensure that your Chiefs are seen as the good guys in the upcoming matchup‚ you certainly don't want the underdog‚ never-been-to-the-Big-Dance Lions in the mix. We all know how much America loves to root for the underdog. Now‚ I want to make myself clear. I am not suggesting any provable hanky-panky is afoot within the halls of power of the NFL. I am simply suggesting I think it is fair to say that the way things have worked out has caused more than just a few of us to utter one big‚ “Huh?” Yes‚ the NFL has gone woke‚ and the upcoming Super Bowl is appealing to many in that peculiar camp. I for one will be tuning out‚ but I'm sure things will work out for the best. It will at least be an exciting‚ close-enough game‚ and the result will wrap up a wonderful‚ season-long narrative. So‚ where are the stories from those on the right? Why are we always playing defense? Where is our offense? Recently‚ I watched Tucker Carlson interview the internet sensation on X who goes by the moniker "Catturd." Catturd‚ of course‚ is not his real name‚ like William or Mike or Carl Catturd. Nonetheless‚ he has an interesting story about how he went from being a drug-using‚ tie-dye wearing‚ honest-to-goodness hippie to championing the common-sense viewpoint of the right. What happened? While working construction‚ Catturd and his builder buddies would listen to Rush Limbaugh on the radio. Because he overwhelmingly agreed with Rush and his arguments against the left‚ Catturd soon came to realize that he himself was a conservative. Catturd decided to start tweeting his own opinions and before long found himself internet-famous. His tweets even got under the skin of the high and mighty‚ such as former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Catturd posted a cartoon mocking the congressman’s support of the war in the Ukraine‚ and this started a heated tweet exchange. Kinzinger threatened to punch Catturd’s lights out if ever they met on the field of battle. Now why would a relatively small player in the culture wars be used here as an example of pushback against the Taylor Swifts of the world? I think it comes down to what’s going on behind the scenes. The left controls all the big messaging outlets known as the mainstream media. But the right seems to have a whole army of rabble-rousers behind the scenes in social media. In political days of yore (Nixon in the 1970s)‚ the term “silent majority” referred to the folks who were a strong‚ powerful motivating force in the culture but did not have a media megaphone. Something very similar is stirring today. Bold‚ outspoken champions on the right may have been shoved to the sidelines. (Think of Tucker Carlson‚ whose newfound home on X is roaring like a house on fire.) But add to their continued influence rising stars like Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk and mainstays like Glenn Beck and Eric Metaxas (both of whom I have worked with previously)‚ and let’s just say that America’s personal 2024 Super Bowl‚ this year’s presidential election‚ is far from played out. Be encouraged. Our movement is grassroots. And when we can build on the conservative clawing and scratching of a guy named Catturd‚ anything is possible.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) rebuked billionaire Elon Musk on Monday for criticizing the controversial so-called border bill that he helped co-author.After the Senate released the full text of the bill on Sunday‚ Musk expressed concern that the overall trajectory of immigration policy in the U.S.‚ as the bill demonstrates‚ is that eventually‚ immigrants living in the U.S. illegally will be allowed to vote."The long-term goal of the so-called 'Border Security' bill is enabling illegals to vote!" Musk reacted. "It will do the total opposite of securing the border."Importantly‚ Musk did not say the bill itself would permit non-citizens to vote. But Lankford‚ in an interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper‚ still used the concern to attack Musk personally‚ making reference to a Tesla recall over a software update."I think he needs to go back to doing the 2 million Teslas currently being recalled to be able to focus in on that‚" Lankford said. "It is not focused on trying to get more illegals to vote. That is absurd. It is against the law for anyone that is not a citizen of the United States to be able to vote in the United States in any federal election. That remains so." — (@) Musk's present concern‚ he later explained‚ centers on automatic voter registration‚ which 24 states and the District of Columbia have implemented."Many states automatically register anyone with a driver’s license to vote (no citizenship verification)‚ ballots are then mailed out and 'ballot harvesters' pick them up mail them in‚ making fraud traceability impossible‚" he wrote on social media.Over the past several days‚ Musk has been outspoken with his concerns about the current state of the immigration system. But Musk has also made it clear that he is not anti-immigrant."As a reminder‚ I am very much PRO increasing legal immigration significantly‚" Musk said on Sunday. "I’m not anti-immigration‚ I’m just against a massive number of unvetted people flooding into America‚ which any rational person should be."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An 85-year-old former doctor from Arizona is facing manslaughter charges after he allegedly assisted in a woman's suicide in a Hudson Valley motel room in November‚ according to the New York Times.Stephen P. Miller‚ 85‚ was indicted and arraigned on Friday on charges of first- and second-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter in connection what what appears to be an assisted suicide that took place on November 9‚ 2023. All the charges are felonies. Miller pleaded not guilty on Friday and was being held at the Ulster County Jail. He has since been released on a $1 million bond.The authorities showed up at the motel on Washington Avenue after a report of an unconscious and unresponsive person‚ according to the Times Herald-Record. The police said that the woman‚ who was not identified in the reports‚ had died by suicide while alone in the motel room.Investigators soon found evidence that there was likely a second person in the motel room when the incident occurred. It was not immediately clear how the second individual was a factor in the woman's death. Miller was found not to be related to the dead person.After a more detailed assessment of the situation in the motel room‚ investigators consulted with the Ulster County District Attorney's Office to get a warrant for Miller's arrest. The Kingston police noted a person can be charged with second-degree manslaughter when "a person intentionally causes or aids another person to commit suicide."However‚ Jeffrey Lichtman‚ Miller's attorney‚ does not see it that way‚ saying‚ "Providing advice on ending one's life does not necessarily run afoul of the law." He went on to say that his team "believe[s] in [Miller's] innocence."Lichtman added that the woman who died had been battling severe‚ chronic pain and felt that she had exhausted her options for dealing with it. He did not mention whether the woman had a terminal illness‚ according to the Times.Miller allegedly gave the woman a book and counseling and eventually traveled to New York from Arizona to be a witness to her death. The former doctor has offered the same service on several occasions in the recent past‚ Lichtman said.Lichtman admitted that he did not know the specific cause of death‚ but he went on to say that he believed it was asphyxiation and that the woman had inhaled some sort of gas. “This was done carefully‚ compassionately‚ and with a lot of research and reflection."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!