SweaterGate: Nikki Haley Dons a Sweater by a Pro-Palestine Designer on the Campaign Trail

Taking wild speculation to an absurd extreme is not normally considered the proper role of journalists. But that didn't deter Jake Tapper from doing just that in an oh-so-solemn closing segment on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning. Tapper keyed off a question that D.C. Circuit Judge Florence Pan had put to Donald Trump lawyer John Sauer in the claim Trump has made that he is immune from prosecution in the J6 case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Sauer had argued that a president can only be subjected to criminal prosecution after he has been impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate for the conduct in question. Pan asked Sauer whether that meant that if a president ordered Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival‚ he could not be prosecuted for it unless previously impeached and convicted for it in the House and Senate. Sauer stood by his position‚ saying that impeachment and conviction would indeed be a prerequisite to a criminal prosecution. This was Tapper's clip:  FLORENCE PAN: Could a president who ordered Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival‚ who was not impeached‚ could he be subject to criminal prosecution? JOHN SAUER: If he were impeached and convicted first.  PAN: So your answer is‚ is no. SAUER: My answer is qualified yes. There's a political process that would have to occur. Pan presumably meant her question as the most extreme example possible‚ trying to put Sauer on the spot. But Tapper chose to take it literally. Tapper failed to note that Pan is an Obama-appointed and Biden-appointed federal judge. Tapper left out some of Sauer's argument. He cherry-picked. Here's how the Washington Post summarized:  D. John Sauer‚ representing Trump‚ insisted that for any crime connected to a president’s “official duties‚” the “political process” of impeachment and conviction by the Senate “would have to occur” before prosecution. He predicted that if a president was involved in murder‚ he would be “speedily” impeached. Tapper then proceeded with his butchered clip to fret that if Trump did order such an assassination‚ there wouldn't be enough Republican Senators voting to convict him. In Tapper's fevered imagination‚ the "no" votes would come from a combination of "ride-or-die" Trump supporters‚ and mainstream Republicans fearing for the safety or even lives of themselves and their families if they voted to convict Trump‚ as some members of Congress professed during the impeachment over the January 6 riot.    Tapper rolled a clip of Chris Christie recounting the story of Benjamin Franklin being asked by a woman‚ after the Constitutional Convention‚ "What kind of government did you give us?" And Franklin answering: "a Republic—if you can keep it."  Tapper‚ doing his best Edward R. Murrow imitation‚ portentously ended the segment by intoning‚ "can we?" Note the glaring flaw in Tapper's logic. He claimed that if an insufficient number of Republican senators voted to convict Trump on his impeachment for ordering the assassination of a political rival‚ he could "escape prosecution." But that would only be true if the D.C. Circuit Court‚ and potentially the Supreme Court on appeal‚ upheld Trump's theory of immunity requiring a prior impeachment and conviction on the relevant charges. All the members of the D.C. Circuit Court's three-judge panel expressed skepticism about the theory. It seems entirely unlikely that they will uphold Trump's claim of immunity. Would the Supreme Court overturn such a ruling? Despite the Court's current composition‚ that also seems unlikely. So Tapper's scenario of Trump escaping prosecution for ordering a political assassination is the stuff of near-fantasy. But that didn't stop Tapper from playing it for all its melodramatic worth. We know Tapper writes novels in his spare time. But fiction isn't supposed to end his news/talk show. Here's the transcript. CNN State of the Union 1/14/24 9:55 am ET JAKE TAPPER: In court‚ Trump and his lawyers are claiming that he cannot be charged because of presidential immunity. But at least one of the judges‚ Florence Pan‚ tried to put their argument to something of a stress test. FLORENCE PAN: Could a president who ordered Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival‚ who was not impeached‚ could he be subject to criminal prosecution? JOHN SAUER: If he were impeached and convicted first.  PAN: So your answer is‚ is no. SAUER: My answer is qualified yes. There's a political process that would have to occur. TAPPER: The answer was‚ no. That person would not be prosecutable. To translate that from the legalese‚ Trump's lawyers are arguing Trump as president could order an assassination of a political rival using Seal Team Six without prosecution‚ unless he's first impeached by the House then convicted by the Senate. And that prompts this question. If a President Trump were to order the assassination of a political rival using Seal Team Six‚ would a majority of the House of Representatives vote to impeach him? Would there be 67 U.S. Senators willing to vote to convict him? Let's restate this. According to Trump and his team‚ he could use the U.S. military to assassinate a political rival‚ and he could escape prosecution if 34 senators‚ Republicans‚ were willing to acquit him for such an action. . . .  It is not difficult to imagine Trump getting votes from his ride-or-die congressional supporters. The ones who helped pave the path for what happened on January 6th by mounting challenges based on these election lies. But what about the others? Not ride-or-die. The mainstream Republicans. How would they vote? You remember what former Congresswoman Liz Cheney told me about why only ten House Republicans voted to impeach Trump in the House for his role in the insurrection? LIZ CHENEY: There were Members who told me they were afraid for their own security. Afraid‚ you know‚ in some instances for their lives. And that tells you something about where we are as a country.  TAPPER: That's terrible. CHENEY: Members of Congress aren't able to cast votes‚ or feel that they can't because of their own security. TAPPER: In a recent book‚ Senator Mitt Romney shared similar anecdotes. Quote‚ one Republican congressman confided to him he wanted to vote for Trump's second impeachment but chose not to out of fear of his family's safety. Why put his wife and children at risk if it wouldn't change the outcome? A member Republican Senate leadership was talked out of voting to convict Trump in the Senate.Quote‚ you can't do that‚ Romney recalled someone saying. Think of your personal safety‚ said another. Think of your children. The senator eventually decided they were right‚ unquote. Now‚ how do you think those fears might impact votes after this hypothetical assassination of a political rival? We're in a dangerous place right now as acountry. A major swath of the United States has lied to by Republican leaders and MAGA media such as Fox. People who know better‚ but who have bet on power versus principle. . . .  Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie looked out at Capitol Hill on January 7th‚ 2021‚ and he hated what he saw. And he hated the role he felt he had played in it. And he feared that what might come next would be worse. CHRIS CHRISTIE: I remember what Benjamin Franklin said when he was walking down the street in Philadelphia after the Constitutional Convention‚ and a woman approached him on the street and said‚ Mr. Franklin‚ what kind of government did you give us? And he said to the woman‚ "a republic—if you can keep it." TAPPER: Can we? Thanks for spending your Sunday morning with us.

The Associated Press recently reported on a survey that appears to suggest that the culture in Hollywood has changed since Harvey Weinstein was exposed for sexual assault and rape. However‚ there are those within the entertainment industry who are not convinced that perpetrators will ever be held responsible for their actions.The Hollywood Commission‚ founded in 2017‚ was created to help put a stop to workplace harassment and discrimination throughout the entertainment industry. Chaired by Anita Hill‚ the commission released its second survey‚ which featured the results of interviews with more than 5‚200 industry workers. The workers were asked if they felt the behaviors and attitudes have changed throughout Hollywood since Weinstein's case.During an interview‚ Hill said: “There has been increased awareness of what the problems are‚ what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors aren’t acceptable‚ and what the systems are for confronting those problems." “Now‚ people are understanding that this is a systemic problem.”The study was carried out throughout 2022 and 2023. It found that a staggering 82% of workers are aware of some kind of unacceptable behaviors in the workplace‚ which represents a 6% increase from 2020. However‚ 74% of workers said they knew how to share their concerns about questionable work environments‚ which is also up 6% from 2020‚ per the report.However‚ just 31% of workers in the entertainment industry believe it is likely that a perpetrator would be held accountable for their actions. Only 27% of women believe the perpetrator would be held accountable — a statistic that has largely remained unchanged over the past few years‚ according to the survey.Additionally‚ just 41% of workers who experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct said they did not report the incident because they were not convinced that anything would be done about it. That is an increase of 8% from 2020.“Accountability has been a problem‚” Hill said. “What we’re seeing now is that people recognize that those high-profile cases are out there‚ but they don’t see those cases having much of an impact that work their way down through their organizations.”Some 64% of women and 62% of men said that they had been on the receiving end of sexual misconduct in the workplace.“This is a problem that has gone on probably since the entertainment industry came into being‚” Hill noted. “It’s not something that’s going to turn around overnight. But it will happen in large and small ways if we continue to push for the change.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Ohio parents of a four-year-old boy who overdosed on fentanyl on his birthday have been arrested‚ according to authorities.A 4-year-old boy was thought to be napping in his bedroom at the father's home in Gold Manor‚ Ohio. However‚ the boy was found gasping for air on Nov. 25. According to court documents obtained by Fox19 Now‚ the young child suffered from "agonal breathing."WebMD defines agonal breathing as: "Agonal breathing is when someone who is not getting enough oxygen is gasping for air. It is usually due to cardiac arrest or stroke. It's not true breathing. It's a natural reflex that happens when your brain is not getting the oxygen it needs to survive. Agonal breathing is a sign that a person is near death."The boy was rushed to Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Doctors determined that the 4 year old was overdosing on fentanyl and was a victim of child abuse‚ according to court docs. The mother of the boy – 34-year-old Alexis Scarborough – was visiting the father's home to celebrate the child's birthday on the day he allegedly overdosed.Scarborough was reportedly arrested on Monday.The father of the child – 39-year-old Denard Bishop – had remained at large before being taken into custody by police on Thursday. Scarborough was charged with one count of endangering children.Bishop is also facing a criminal charge of endangering children. Court documents said the father "did neglect to show a duty of care and safety" for the boy. Scarborough pleaded not guilty to the child endangerment charge during a hearing on Wednesday.The judge rejected a request from the mother's lawyers to release her on her own recognizance so she could return to her job as a hotel housekeeper.Scarborough's bond was set at $10‚000. The judge ordered her not to have any contact with her children unless she received permission from child services. Scarborough's children are currently in the care of Hamilton County Job &; Family Services‚ according to her attorneys.Bishop appeared in court for the first time on Friday.The boy is expected to recover from the fentanyl overdose. "Fortunately‚ hopefully‚ this child will be okay‚" said Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition co-chair chief Tom Synan."Luckily‚ they got medical attention‚" Synan stated. "It is something that in some cases you can reverse.""And hopefully‚ there's no further impact‚ and the child and everyone in this incident learns from it and is able to take those safeguards and get the help and the resources they need so that they're not using drugs anymore‚" Synan added.According to the Ohio Department of Health‚ there were 4‚915 unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2022 in the state – a 5% decrease from 2021. Of the drug overdose fatalities‚ 81% involved fentanyl. Ohio Department of Health director Bruce Vanderhoff said‚ "While the numbers headed in the right direction last year‚ they are no cause for celebration. Tragically‚ thousands of Ohioans are still dying from substance use disorders. I urge Ohioans to do what they can to prevent these deaths‚ from learning how to use naloxone to knowing where to turn for help for you or a loved one in need."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! Mom arrested after 4-year-old ODs on fentanyl on his birthday: court docs www.youtube.com

Two Israeli civilians were killed in northern Israel on Sunday after a missile was fired from Lebanon and hit their home. The attack could present a new element in the ongoing fight between Israel and Hamas‚ according to the New York Post.The strike comes as more than 20‚000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict and pushed some 2.3 million Gazans from their homes. It has also been reported that nearly 50% of the Gazan population is now at risk of starvation. The war erupted after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack against the Jewish state on October 7‚ killing 1‚200 Israelis and abducting 240 more.But now the Jewish state has engaged in conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist organization. And militias supported by Iran have launched attacks against U.S. targets in both Iraq and Syria. The fallout has resulted in the U.S. carrying out several airstrikes‚ according to the report. — (@) It does not appear the conflict has an end in sight. Following Hamas' attack against Israel‚ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the terrorists needed to be eradicated. However‚ Hezbollah's leader‚ Hassan Nasrallah‚ said his group would not stop its attacks until there was a ceasefire in Gaza.“We are continuing‚ and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people‚” Nasrallah said in a speech. He appears to have been referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been forced to flee northern border areas.South Africa has recently claimed that Israel has committed war crimes in the region‚ but Israel's legal team in The Hague has denied the allegations‚ according to the Times of Israel. The exchange took place at the International Court of Justice on Friday.The report noted that Israel's legal representatives suggested that the international court has no jurisdiction over South Africa's complaints since they relate to armed conflict and not genocide. They also "argued that 'random' inflammatory comments of Israeli politicians did not reflect policy determined in the state bodies making war policy; and insisted that the widespread harm to Palestinian civilians during the war was a result of Hamas’s massive use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes‚ and not genocidal acts‚" according to the Times of Israel.Foreign Ministry legal adviser Tal Becker condemned the arguments made by South Africa's legal team on Thursday‚ stating that it was a "grossly distorted story."“If there were acts of genocide‚ they have been perpetrated against Israel‚” Becker said‚ alluding to the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

What a year! With all-time classics among the year's best with songs by the Rascals‚ Steppenwolf‚ Grass Roots‚ the Doors‚ the Beatles‚ the Stones‚ and more The post Radio Hits of 1968: It’s a Gas‚ Gas‚ Gas appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Indulging in extravagant feasts throughout history‚ these banquets were grand spectacles of excess and luxury. Read moreSection: NewsVideosHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later 

It's no joke. Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will soon disappear from highways and freeways across the country.

Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday did not rule out launching a last-minute race as a third-party candidate for the 2024 presidential election but said decisions about any such attempts should wait until after the Super Tuesday elections on March 5.

Have the wonderful experience of eating New Orleans Beignets right in your home with this easy Homemade Beignets recipe. Think you have to live in New Orleans to enjoy Beignets? Think again. These pillowy pieces of deep fried dough coated in powdered sugar can be enjoyed at home. They’re really not hard at all to make. All it takes to make beignets is some dough and some hot oil. They can be enjoyed for breakfast‚ dessert‚ or a snack and are especially good with a cup of coffee. That’s a mound of beignets isn’t it? What Are Beignets? Beignets are pieces of yeast dough that has been cut into squares‚ deep-fried until golden and covered with powdered sugar. They are ownderful paired with a cafe au lait. Beignets were brought to New Orleans by 18th century French Colonists and they have become one of New Orleans most iconic foods. This Homemade Beignets recipe is from Paula Deen and like all her recipes‚ it is slap your mama good! It is best to make the dough a day ahead of time so plan ahead. Also‚ this recipe makes a huge amount of beignets‚ so you may want to cut it in half if you don’t plan on feeding half the neighborhood. Be sure to go heavy on the powdered sugar.  I think you will find these are some of the best beignets you have eaten. Even better than Cafe du Monde. If you’re looking for a quick and easy beignet recipe‚ try these Biscuit Beignets. Keep Dough For 3 Days The dough needs to be made a day in advance and will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. That’s 3 days you can have fresh beignets! How To Store Beignets unfortunately do not keep well. It’s best to fry up just the amount you want to eat right away. Leave the rest of the dough in the refrigerator where it will keep for 3 days. Cook’s Note Be careful when you eat beignets that you don’t inhale the powdered sugar. It is easy to do! More New Orleans Favorites Mardi Gras Monkey Bread Mardi Gras Pound Cake Bananas Foster Coffee Cake Pecan Praline Cheesecake King Cake Cracker Candy Cinnamon-Pecan King Cake Bananas Foster Cake Never miss a recipe. Follow Spicy Southern Kitchen on Pinterest and Facebook. Watch the short video below to see how easy it is to make Homemade Beignets. Print Homemade Beignets Have the wonderful experience of eating New Orleans Beignets right in your home with this easy Homemade Beignets recipe. Dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days! Course BreakfastCuisine SouthernKeyword Mardi Gras‚ New Orleans Prep Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutesCook Time 15 minutes minutesTotal Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes Servings 3 dozen beignets Calories 142kcal Author Christin Mahrlig EquipmentDutch OvenPizza Cutter Ingredients1 1/2 cups lukewarm water1/2 cup granulated sugar1 envelope active dry yeast2 eggs‚ slightly beaten1 1/4 teaspoons salt1 cup evaporated milk7 cups bread flour1/4 cup shorteningVegetable oil3 cups confectioners’ sugar InstructionsMix water‚ sugar‚ and yeast in a large bowl and let sit 10 minutes.In a medium bowl‚ whisk the eggs‚ salt‚ and evaporated milk together.Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix.Stir in 3 cups of bread flour. (A wooden spoon is good for stirring.)Add shortening and stir it in. Stir in remaining flour.Note: The video above shows melted shortening being used‚ but there is no need to melt the shortening. It will mix in just fine in solid form.Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.Coat a large bowl with oil‚ place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap.Let rise at least 2 hours or place in refrigerator overnight.Pour about 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven and heat to 350 degrees.Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut 2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)Working about 4 at a time‚ place in oil and fry‚ flipping continuously until they are golden brown.Test one to make sure it is cooked through. Drain on paper towels and coat with powdered sugar. NotesBeignets don’t save well and are best eaten right away. NutritionCalories: 142kcalWant to Save This Recipe?Save This Recipe Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Paula Deen Originally posted February 4‚ 2015. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. The post Homemade Beignets appeared first on Spicy Southern Kitchen.