'A conflict between the very same people'

Senate Republicans Back Big Change To Prevent Repeat Of McConnell Era

Thin Lizzy was the first major rock band that I ever saw in concert. The group was opening for Queen in 1976 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You never forget your first time, and so this band holds a special place in my rock and roll heart. I remember Phil Lynott standing center stage with his bass pointing out to the audience as the band broke into the song “Jailbreak.” It was wonderful. This Thin Lizzy’s Best Song On Each Of Their Studio Albums article presents a showcase of what I believe was the best song from The post Thin Lizzy’s Best Song On Each Of Their Studio Albums appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

National elections have been occasions for celebration for European conservatives in the past year, with victories in national elections in Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. Alongside those, European polling indicated continued growth for conservative political groups ahead of the recently concluded European Parliament elections, in which conservatives charged to victory. While the votes are still being counted, conservative parties gained ground in the European Parliament, mainly at the expense of the Greens and French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renew party, which appears set to lose about 40 seats in the 720-seat European Parliament. Turnout in this year’s elections is estimated at 51%. If confirmed, that would be a 30-year high for European Parliament elections and would lend credence to voters’ concerns. In fact, owing to a crushing defeat of his Renew party at the hands of the National Rally in the European Parliament vote in France, Macron has already dissolved the French parliament and called snap elections. Thanks to their additional seats overall, conservatives will have greater influence on migration and climate policies and can contribute to a heightened respect for national sovereignty within the European Union. Perhaps the starkest message voters sent to the European Union was their rejection of Europe’s Green Deal, as the Greens are set to lose about a quarter of their seats. The Green Deal aims to make Europe carbon-neutral by 2050, in the most ambitious agenda of its kind, with dictates imposed by Brussels to force compliance. This push has featured the economic bulldozing of European farmers and the equivalent of billions of dollars in state spending to make progress on these unrealistic goals. With all conservative party groups poised to overtake the Greens, Europe has a window of opportunity to jettison the Green Deal’s unrealistic targets and bureaucratic dictates that ignore Chinese and Russian free-riding, disincentivize agricultural production, and fuel massive state spending. Not only does illegal immigration stand out as a lead issue in American voters’ minds, our transatlantic cousins also see illegal immigration, from Eastern Europe down across the Mediterranean, as a defining political issue. In prior years, Eastern European countries, such as Lithuania and Poland, have built border fences and reinforced border security patrols to prevent illegal migration, even in the face of European Union criticism. Sensing the direction of the political winds, the EU has recently expanded its border security force, Frontex, and signed legislation to speed up asylum-application processing at the borders of the European Union. Having now seen the popular support behind actions taken by countries such as Poland and Lithuania, as well as Italy, to curb illegal migration, often despite criticism from Brussels, conservatives’ victories in the European Parliament elections open the door for further enhancing border protection measures while reworking uncalibrated asylum systems. As they contemplate the outlook for their five-year terms, the newly elected conservative members of the European Parliament should work to reframe the bloc’s approach to national sovereignty. Philosophically, conservatives have long championed localism against centralization of power, arguing that turning from proximate decision-makers to far-off bureaucrats leads to worse policymaking. Yet, the European Union has steadily chipped away at national sovereignty in areas ranging from trade to defense policy, centralizing power in Brussels, and effectively demoting national lawmakers to bystanders. That centralizing tendency has fueled support for conservative parties reaching back even to the 2019 EU elections as conservatives have rejected this supranational overreach in favor of domestic solutions. Despite being bolstered by their success in the EU Parliament elections, conservatives should be wary of repeating recent history where electoral victories have not translated into governing victories. For example, after seven months of negotiations, the Dutch ended up with a technocratic prime minister, and both the Spanish and the Portuguese ended up with governing coalitions led by, or dependent on, Socialist parties. For that reason, it’s essential for newly elected conservatives to staunchly back their voters’ preferences when it comes to reducing illegal immigration, reworking climate policy, and respecting national sovereignty. The post France’s Macron the Big Loser as European Parliament Elections Take Right Turn appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Baltimore 12-Year-Old (Yes... 12) Arrested for Assault, Robbery

Don't Paint Your Religious Symbols on the Street

On Monday morning, following another eventful weekend, The View took to the air to, once again, complain about Donald Trump, in their own words, “you-know-who.” The women reacted to a video recap of Trump's comments from a rally. Yet their confusion from the video should more accurately be attributed to the deceptive and chaotic editing, and not the delivery of the former President.  The soundbites in question came from Trump’s campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada and were stitched together with multiple cuts: TRUMP: I'm up here sweating like a dog. Secret service said, we have to make sure everyone's safe. I said, what about me? Oh, we never thought of that. [Cut] Are the teleprompters not working? Not even a little bit. Great job, and then I don't pay the company that does it, right? Then I end up with a story, Trump doesn't pay. I don't pay contractors that do a [ bleep ] Job, and that's a [ bleep ] Job. [Cut] They're in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery's now underwater, and there's a shark that's approximately 10 yards over there. [Cut] The boat is sinking. Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted? [Cut] I'll take electrocution every single time. I'm not getting near the shark. [Cuts back to Live] Its clear from the production, that properly informing their viewers, was not a clear intention of ABC News here. As the clip of Trump finished, no context was given as the hosts - clearly confused – launched into a ridiculous and uninformed conversation: SARA HAINES: What? WHOOPIE GOLDBERG: Okay. So y'all always concerned that I'm smoking something. What's he smoking? Oh my god.  (...) GOLDBERG: I don't know what is going on. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Okay so the first part, that literally sounds like me after, like, four espresso martinis, like, “shark, water, boat.” It's just. Bizarre. (...)     As a faux-conservative on the panel, Farah Griffin then used this clip to suggest Trump’s old age and decline, as equivalent to or worse than President Biden’s (Click “expand”): But this election has been a lot about mental acuity and the stamina of these two presidential candidates who are the oldest in history, and I have at times been critical of Joe Biden. But I think that if you’re going to be critical of Joe Biden, you have to look at the glaring warning signs about Donald Trump. (...) He's not where he once was. And, yeah exactly it's the look. I'm convinced that the stress of having lost the 2020 election, the legal, you know, the convictions, the indictments, all just piling up, and him finally maybe being held accountable. “And these pending trials I think they’re getting to him and I don't think he's as sharp as he once was, and I don't recognize how his voters don't see that more,” she huffed. Ana Navarro suggested that their video was enough evidence to “take him in for a neurological exam.” “Donald Trump is senile, incoherent, crazy, offensive, outrageous, disgusting, evil, and convicted,” she added. Truly a misplaced comparison, as Trump’s teleprompter difficulties had nothing to do with his own faculties, or mental capability. This has not been the first time The View has gone out of their way to highlight those who are “ageist” toward President Biden. Yet Monday morning’s segment made it clear that the ABC producers are not trying to explain any part of the story in a fair way. Instead taking every opportunity to twist the narrative, manipulate their audience, and further spread misinformation. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’S The View 6/10/2024 11:02:09 AM EST Total Run Time: 4 minutes 41 seconds WHOOPI GOLDBERG: So, when a candidate makes a public appearance, they usually lay out their vision for the future, and the policies they'll put in place, but then there's you-know-who. He held his first campaign rally since his conviction, and I think it was the 110-degree heat in Vegas that really got to him. Take a look. [Cuts to Video] DONALD TRUMP: I'm up here sweating like a dog. Secret service said, we have to make sure everyone's safe. I said, what about me? Oh, we never thought of that. [Cut] Are the teleprompters not working? Not even a little bit. Great job, and then I don't pay the company that does it, right? Then I end up with a story, Trump doesn't pay. I don't pay contractors that do a [ bleep ] Job, and that's a [ bleep ] Job.  [Cut] They're in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery's now underwater, and there's a shark that's approximately 10 yards over there.  [Cut] The boat is sinking. Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?  [Cut] I'll take electrocution every single time. I'm not getting near the shark. [Cuts to Live] SARA HAINES: What? GOLDBERG: Okay. So ya’ll always concerned that I'm smoking something. What's he smoking? Oh my god. So a few days earlier, he hinted that he'd make payback a policy during a very bizarre interview with Dr. Phil. Take a look. [Cuts to Video] DR. PHIL: I know you got a thick skin. You're not one of those people that's afflicted with the need to be loved by strangers. I get that. [Cut] TRUMP: I think that's true. PHIL: You're a billionaire. You've got a great family. You're a very dedicated father. People may not see this in you a lot because you keep that kind of private. [Cut] You have so much to do, you don't have time to get even. You only have time to get right. TRUMP: Well, revenge does take time, I will say that. PHIL: It does. TRUMP: And sometimes revenge can be justified, but I have to be honest here –  PHIL: No TRUMP: – Sometimes it can. PHIL: But is the country better or worse for them going after you? TRUMP: I think the country is really worse for what they've done. [Cuts to Live] GOLDBERG: I don't know what is going on. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Okay so the first part, that literally sounds like me after, like, four espresso martinis, like, “shark, water, boat.” It's just. Bizarre. But this election has been a lot about mental acuity and the stamina of these two presidential candidates who are the oldest in history, and I have at times been critical of Joe Biden. But I think that if you’re going to be critical of Joe Biden, you have to look at the glaring warning signs about Donald Trump. Listening to him now doesn't sound like him in 2016. And he was not ever particularly eloquent. 2016 it's not like he was — SUNNY HOSTIN: That was really nice of you, that was said nicely. GRIFFIN: — William Shakespeare by any means, but I'm recognizing and seeing a decline in him, and others have said it. And I think that that matters because, I mean, from comparing Nancy Pelosi and Nicky Haley to confusing the president of Turkey with the president of Hungary, to confusing Obama and Biden left and right, he does this constantly. –  HAINES: Maybe ‘cause they look alike. GRIFFIN: – He's not where he once was. And, yeah exactly it's the look. I'm convinced that the stress of having lost the 2020 election, the legal, you know, the convictions, the indictments, all just piling up, and him finally maybe being held accountable. GOLDBERG: The 34 one? GRIFFIN: 34 convictions felony counts. GOLDBERG: I'm just, I’m just asking. GRIFFIN: And these pending trials I think they’re getting to him and I don't think he's as sharp as he once was, and I don't recognize how his voters don't see that more. ANA NAVARRO: You know I said during the trial that I thought being on trial was actually helping him because he was off the campaign trail and we weren't seeing the crazy stuff he says on a daily basis. Now it took him about ten days to get -- eight days to get back on the campaign trail. He was playing golf so, you know, for the first few days and now that he's back, we see –  HOSTIN: Yeah. NAVARRO: – the crazy things he says. Listen, if this was your uncle, if this was your father,  HOSTIN: Oh! NAVARRO: – you would take him in for a neurological exam. HOSTIN: Yeah. NAVARRO: So, people talk about Joe Biden being old. Yes, Joe Biden is old. So is Donald Trump, and Donald Trump is senile, incoherent, crazy, offensive, outrageous, disgusting, evil, and convicted. That's your binary choice, people. [Applause] (…)  

Hunter Biden is currently standing trial for allegedly purchasing and possessing a firearm illegally in late 2018, and the case has now gone to the jury after both sides made closing arguments on Monday.Closing argumentsIn its closing arguments, the prosecution claimed that at the time Biden purchased a Colt revolver from the StarQuest Shooters in Wilmington, Delaware, he was an "habitual" drug "addict" who "had lost control." Prosecutor Leo Wise told the jury that evidence of Biden's crack addiction in the months before and after he purchased the gun on October 12, 2018, was "personal," "ugly," and "overwhelming." Furthermore, the prosecution claimed it didn't have to prove that Biden had used illegal drugs on the date the gun was purchased to demonstrate that he was an addict at the time, a key argument of the defense.Lowell argued that the excerpts of the audiobook were meant to 'blur' Biden's state of mind at the time he purchased the gun with other instances of drug use to which he admitted 'after the fact.' "The defendant knew he used crack and was addicted to crack at the relevant time period," Wise added."You can convict on those facts alone."Wise also instructed the jury not to be swayed by the high-profile people, including first lady Jill Biden, sitting in the courtroom gallery to support Biden."People sitting in the gallery are not evidence," he said. "You may recognize them from the news, … but respectfully, none of that matters."For its part, the defense has attempted to separate Biden's well-documented drug use in the months leading up to October 2018 from his behavior and state of mind between October 12, when the gun was purchased, until October 23, when Hallie Biden — the widow of Biden's brother, Beau, who became romantically involved with Hunter Biden following Beau's death in 2015 — threw the gun away.Defense attorney Abbe Lowell noted in closing arguments that none of the prosecution's witnesses had personally seen "actual drug use" from Biden that month. Gordon Cleveland, the former StarQuest Shooters employee who sold Biden the weapon, also did not sense that Biden was under the influence that day, Lowell said.Lowell slammed prosecutors for playing an audiobook version of Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," narrated by Biden."They spent hours, I mean literally hours, recounting Hunter Biden’s terrible journey with alcohol and drug use," Lowell claimed. Lowell argued that the excerpts of the audiobook were meant to "blur" in the minds of the jury Biden's state of mind at the time he purchased the gun with other instances of drug use to which he admitted "after the fact." Lowell described this legal strategy as a kind of "magician's trick": "Watch this hand, pay no attention to the other one."Finally, Lowell insisted that all the accusations from prosecutors and their witnesses were based on "suspicion" and "conjecture." "With this very high burden, it’s time to end this case," he told the jury, calling for an acquittal.Anything else?The defense was expected to call President Joe Biden's brother, James Biden, to the stand on Monday but did not do so. Hunter Biden also didn't take the stand in his own defense.Prosecutors did call FBI special agent Erika Jensen back to the stand to testify to text messages Biden allegedly exchanged to arrange drug deals at 7-Eleven convenience stores in and around the time of the gun purchase.`"It’s Q. I’m at 7-11 now," someone wrote to Biden on October 11. Biden allegedly replied, "Meet me at 7-11 at 3."The defense had previously dismissed another text message Biden sent to Hallie Biden, appearing to reference a meeting with a drug dealer named "Mookie," as Blaze News previously reported. The defense claimed Biden had made up the meeting with the drug dealer to avoid seeing Hallie.Finally, Judge Maryellen Noreika denied a motion from the defense to add language favorable to Biden in her jury instructions. Specifically, the defense wanted Noreika to reiterate the word "knowledge" and further explicate the phrase "reasonable doubt," but she declined.The case went to the jury sometime during the afternoon on Monday. How long they may have deliberated before recessing for the night is unclear.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio said that former President Donald Trump has been backing moderate candidates in most cases where there is a conservative running."He is endorsing moderates in most races if there's a conservative in the race," Davidson said, according to Punchbowl News. "We can't send the swamp any people that are just going to keep funding the status quo."'We can't drain the swamp if he is endorsing moderate squishes.'Blaze Media's Daniel Horowitz praised the congressman, tweeting, "Kudos to @WarrenDavidson. Someone needs to say it." North Dakota state Rep. Matt Heilman also agreed with Davidson: "100%. The endorsements have been so disappointing. We can't drain the swamp if he is endorsing moderate squishes," he tweeted.But U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said in a post, "Did anyone take a second to think maybe Trump would like to actually govern instead of screaming at the sky and pretending like you are accomplishing anything other than getting yourself reelected? Did that occur to anyone?" Trump, who is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, is backing incumbent GOP Rep. William Timmons in the Republican primary for South Carolina's 4th Congressional District. Timmons is facing a challenge from state Rep. Adam Morgan, the South Carolina freedom caucus chairman."[Trump] needs to listen to a lot of different people on who to endorse," GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, said, according to Punchbowl, which reported that Norman supports Morgan. "I don't know how much time and thought he puts into it."Norman backed Nikki Haley for president last year, but she ultimately dropped out of the Republican presidential primary earlier this year. Norman has indicated that he supports Trump, according to The Hill.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Europe Begins the Long, Hard March Back From the Abyss After Stunning Right-Wing Election Victories