On Monday‚ Democrat Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY)‚ one of the staunchest supporters of Israel in Congress‚ gave the annual Martin Luther King sermon at Central Synagogue in Manhattan‚ where he offered aid impassioned response to those who have cheered and celebrated the Hamas massacre of 1‚230 Israelis on October 7. Speaking of the “moral crisis we are facing in a post-October 7 world‚” Torres continued‚ “Like all of you‚ I was profoundly shaken‚ not only by October 7‚ but by its aftermath. I found it utterly horrifying to see fellow Americans openly cheering and celebrating the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.” “And for me‚ the aftermath of October 7 revealed the barbarity of the American heart that reminded me of an earlier and darker time in our nation’s history; a time when the public mobs of Jim Crow would openly celebrate the lynching of African-Americans or the lynching of a Jewish-American like Leo Frank‚” he continued. “And so words cannot express the overwhelming outrage that I felt at the barbaric reaction to the barbarism of October 7. You know‚ people often ask me‚ ‘Why do you care so deeply? Why do you speak out so frequently and forcefully against anti-Semitism?’ And I simply reply‚ ‘You are asking the wrong question. The question is not why have I chosen to be outspoken; the question is why have others chosen to be silent amid the deadliest day for the Jews since the Holocaust.’” “Dr. King once said that history will record that the greatest tragedy is not the strident clamor of the bad people‚ but it’s the appalling silence of the good people‚” Torres recalled. “Elie Wiesel once said that the opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. And what we’ve seen in the aftermath of October 7 is appalling silence and indifference and cowardice from so-called leaders in our society; from institutions that we once respected and admired. And if we as a society cannot bring ourselves to condemn the murder of innocents with moral clarity‚ then we must ask: What are we becoming as a society? What does that reveal about the depth of anti-Semitism in the American soul?” “October 7 has been an awakening for the Jewish community‚ but it must be a reckoning for all of America‚” he declared. “We must confront the deepening rot of anti-Semitism; on social media platforms‚ on college campuses‚ and elsewhere in America. We must ask ourselves: What kind of society do we wish to be? Do we wish to be a society that affirms that every life‚ every Jewish life‚ every black life‚ every life‚ has inherent dignity and value and worth? That each of us is a child of God‚ that each of us is an equal creation in the image of God?” “Or do we wish to be a society that affirms that violence and terror‚ no matter how barbaric‚ can be justified and even glorified‚ under the guise of ‘resistance‚’” he asked pointedly. “I‚ for one‚ cannot imagine anything‚ more hostile to the teachings of Dr. King. More contemptuous of the non-violent life that he led and the non-violent legacy that he left behind‚ than the glorification of violence and terror that we saw in the aftermath of October 7‚” he continued. ‘And so let us reshape our society in the image of Dr. King.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Like Dr. King‚ I had the honor of speaking at the National Mall in the presence of hundreds of thousands of people; the context was the March for Israel‚ the march against anti-Semitism‚ the march to secure the release of our hostages‚” he said. “And as I spoke‚ I took note that year in which I spoke‚ 2023‚ was historic in more ways than one; it marked the 75th anniversary of Israel’s rebirth and the 60th anniversary of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech. And those words‚ ‘I have a dream‚’ reminded me that the Jewish people have long had a dream of Jewish liberation through a Jewish state. And Israel itself is the realization of a dream that is both ancient and modern. And that realized dream‚ despite the tragedy and trauma of October 7‚ will live on for the next 75 years and beyond.” “You know‚ a rabbi once shared with me a story about the origins of the phrase‚ ‘Am Yisrael Chai’” (The people of Israel live)‚ he remembered‚ continuing: In 1945‚ there was a BBC reporter‚ Patrick Gordon walker‚ who was present during the fifth day of the British Second Army’s liberation of the (Bergen) Belsen Nazi concentration camp. And since he arrived on a Friday on the eve of Sabbath‚ he recorded for the BBC broadcast a religious service held in the concentration camp by Rabbi Leslie Henry Hartman. And as you might imagine‚ the religious service was both inspired and inspiring. Here you had survivors who had just been liberated; many of them were frail and seriously ill; many of them were starved and emaciated. These survivors easily could have felt overwhelming despair‚ but instead found the inner strength and inspiration to sing HaTikvah‚ which is‚ as all of you know‚ means hope. And after the singing of HaTikvah‚ the rabbi cried out loud the words Am Yisrael Chai‚ which was captured live on the BBC radio broadcast. “That was said to be the first and earliest recording of those words‚ and for me‚ I find that there’s something poignant and even providential about the words Am Yisrael Chai emerging from a moment of hope and liberation‚” he stated. “And I always found it poignant that the national anthem HaTikvah predates the Jewish state by half a century‚ which meant that there were early Jewish leaders and dreamers who were singing HaTikvah‚ hoping for a Jewish state‚ but realizing that they themselves may never live to see one. And this thought reminded me of Dr. King’s final and fateful speech; a speech in which he prophetically yet tragically predicts that he himself may never live to see the realization of his own dream.” “Even though he knew he would never live to see the realization of the dream for which he fought‚ Dr. King never lost hope‚” Torres declared. “The survivors of the Holocaust who sang HaTikvah from the depths of a Nazi concentration camp‚ never lost hope. And so if some of the greatest people who ever lived can never lose hope‚ then neither should we.” “Hope is the anthem of the Jewish people‚ and hope was the animating principle of America’s greatest dreamer‚ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. God bless you all‚” he concluded. I had the honor of delivering the annual MLK sermon at Central Synagogue. My speech touches on a range of topics and themes: October 7th‚ Jim Crow‚ Leo Frank‚ MLK‚ Elie Wiesel‚ silence‚ indifference‚ moral clarity‚ nonviolence‚ Israel‚ Am Yisrael Chai‚ Hatikvah‚ and hope. pic.twitter.com/stxqxzgyLi — Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 16‚ 2024

An Ontario‚ Canada‚ court dismissed Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s appeal on Tuesday that challenged the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s mandate that the renowned psychologist undergo social media training.  Peterson was ordered to undergo a “specified continuing education or remedial program” after he criticized transgender ideology‚ climate alarmism‚ and the Canadian government. The College of Psychologists of Ontario‚ which has embraced radical gender theory in recent years‚ has threatened to remove Peterson’s clinical psychology license over his social media activity if he did not go through the mandated training.  “A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now‚” Peterson said in a post on X. “It’s capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional licence.” “Congratulations‚ @CPOntario! You won this round‚” Peterson added. “Mark my words‚ however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I’m unwilling to lose. So watch out. Seriously. You’ve been warned.” A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now. It's capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional… — Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 17‚ 2024 A panel of three judges on the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed Peterson’s motion for leave as he appealed a previous decision from the Ontario Divisional Court‚ which ruled last August that the psychologist organization could mandate the social media training for Peterson‚ the National Post reported. In August‚ the DailyWire+ host was also ordered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to pay $25‚000 to the College of Psychologists.  “If you think that you have a right to free speech in Canada‚ you’re delusional. I will make every aspect of this public. And we will see what happens when utter transparency is the rule. Bring it on‚” Peterson said at the time.  Later‚ Peterson vowed “to do everything I can” to publicly broadcast the social media training he was mandated to undergo.  The College of Psychologists is not punishing Peterson for any interactions with patients; rather it is censuring‚ fining‚ and attempting to “reeducate” him for public comments he made‚ including on social media and during podcast appearances.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Some of Peterson’s supposed offenses‚ according to the College of Psychologists‚ include retweeting Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre’s criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‚ criticizing a former senior Trudeau aide‚ and expressing opposition to the idea of the Ottawa police taking custody of the children of Trucker Convoy protesters. Other supposed offenses do not involve direct criticism of the Canadian government‚ such as Peterson saying on Joe Rogan’s podcast that accepting radical gender theory is a sign of “civilizations collapsing‚” calling climate change models unreliable‚ and criticizing Sports Illustrated for putting a plus-sized swimsuit model on the cover. Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

“James Bond” actor Pierce Brosnan pleaded not guilty to walking in a restricted hot spring at Yellowstone National Park. The violation carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison.  According to The Daily Mail‚ Brosnan entered the plea in a court filing on January 4. The alleged incident took place in November 2023 when the 70-year-old movie star was cited twice over violations at the thermals in the Mammoth Terraces section of the park. A photo allegedly showing Brosnan posing on the snow-encrusted springs was uploaded to a social media account featuring “tourons‚” internet slang for tourist morons‚ per The Daily Mail.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) Brosnan had been ordered to appear in a Wyoming state courtroom on January 23‚ the outlet noted‚ but Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick granted the celebrity’s request to reschedule and have a virtual conference on February 20 instead. Not only is the restricted hot springs area fragile and prone to damage from the trampling feet of tourists‚ but they’re also dangerous for Yellowstone visitors. The Daily Mail noted that at least 22 people have died from burns they received from the springs and geysers in the park.  The water temperatures at Mammoth Terraces’ springs routinely reach 161 degrees‚ while acid can scald human skin. Federal law instructs park visitors to stay on the designated walkways. Leaving the boardwalk path carries a punishment of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5‚000. One woman who violated these rules and got too close to the thermals in 2021 was fined $2‚000 and banned from Yellowstone for two years.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The park makes warnings about the thermal springs very clear for visitors. The National Parks website has a statement that says these popular attractions “have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature.”  “Boardwalks and trails protect you and delicate thermal formations‚” a warning on the NPS website read. “Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns‚ and scalding water underlies most of the thin‚ breakable crust around hot springs.” In 2022‚ a 70-year-old Los Angeles man is suspected to have died in the springs after breaking the rules and leaving the boardwalk path. Il Hun Ro’s foot was found floating in the hot spring‚ and even though the rest of his body was never recovered‚ no foul play was suspected.

The late talk show host Jerry Springer’s “longtime rep” reportedly said she’s disappointed about the celebrity being left off the “In Memoriam” segment that aired at the 2024 Emmy Awards. “Very sad‚” the unnamed rep reportedly told RadarOnline Tuesday‚ also mentioning her phone was ringing “off the hook” following the award show’s glaring omission. “But thank you for remembering him‚ he deserves to be remembered!” she told the outlet. Fans on social media also voiced their surprise that the Emmys snubbed Springer‚ who died in April at the age of 79 after battling pancreatic cancer.  “Uhhh… where the heck was Jerry Springer in the memorial?!” one account asked on X. The daytime TV staple was the host of “The Jerry Springer Show” from 1991 until 2018‚ hosting more than 3‚000 episodes during that time. Springer is considered a pioneer in the daytime talk show genre. His tabloid style was controversial‚ but the program was a commercial success that changed the landscape of daytime TV. The “In Memoriam” segment featured recording artist Charlie Puth joined onstage by the husband-wife R&;B duo The War and Treaty to sing Puth’s song‚ “See You Again‚” originally written to honor the late actor Paul Walker. The Emmys paid tribute to several prominent TV industry celebrities who died last year‚ including Norman Lear‚ Angela Lansbury‚ Bob Barker‚ Andre Braugher‚ Barbara Walters‚ Angus Cloud‚ Lance Reddick‚ and Paul Reubens‚ among others. There was also a special tribute to “Friends” star Matthew Perry featuring the NBC sitcom’s theme song. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Emmy producer Jesse Collins told Entertainment Tonight that selecting who gets memorialized is one of the “hardest parts of the show.” “The selection process is handled by the Television Academy‚ so we focus more on the creative side of it‚” the producer told ET. “And it’s just about making sure that when we are acknowledging someone we give them their just due and it’s respectful and loving‚ and we just try to make sure that we accomplish that.” TV fans noticed that the “In Memoriam” segment was missing other prominent TV stars who passed last year besides Springer‚ including Raquel Welch and Ray Stevenson.

A second network cancelled a GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire‚ indicating there will not be another on-stage clash between candidates before the state’s primary next week. Following ABC News nixing its Thursday event‚ CNN eschewed plans for a debate on Sunday as two of the top three remaining candidates‚ former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley‚ are holding out on participation. “CNN is no longer moving forward with a New Hampshire Republican Presidential Primary Debate‚ as only one qualifying candidate accepted our invitation to take the stage‚” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday‚ according to The Wrap. “We will continue to pursue other opportunities as the campaign season progresses through 2024‚ including candidate Town Halls.” A separate announcement said CNN anchor Jake Tapper will host a town hall event with Haley from New England College in Henniker‚ New Hampshire‚ on Thursday. The cable news network held a town hall with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Five Republican presidential debates have taken place this election cycle‚ with the most recent being held in Iowa last week featuring a head-to-head matchup between Haley and DeSantis. Trump‚ the frontrunner in the polls and the winner of the Iowa caucuses‚ has declined to participate in any primary debates so far. DeSantis‚ who narrowly beat out Haley for second place in Iowa‚ indicated he was eager to get back on the debate stage and took aim at his GOP rivals. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I won’t snub New Hampshire voters like both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump‚ and plan to honor my commitments. I look forward to debating two empty podiums in the Granite State this week‚” DeSantis said in a post to X on Tuesday. Haley released a statement on Tuesday that took aim at Trump‚ saying he “ducked all” the debates. “He has nowhere left to hide‚” Haley added. “The next debate I do will either be with Donald Trump or with [President] Joe Biden. I look forward to it.” Biden’s long-shot challengers have been left to debate by themselves in New Hampshire as the incumbent and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) eschewed the state in favor of putting South Carolina first on the party’s election calendar. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‚ who chose to run as an independent in a break with the Democratic Party‚ is already looking to qualify for the general election debates later in the year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) promised to demand “transformative policy change” on the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday‚ just ahead of a planned meeting with President Joe Biden and other leaders on Capitol Hill. Johnson‚ who just recently returned from a visit to the border‚ has said on several occasions that any deal to secure additional funding and aid for Ukraine and Israel would necessarily be tied to funding and policy changes aimed at securing the border. WATCH: Today I will tell President Biden directly: House Republicans are demanding transformative policy change to secure the border. The American people deserve nothing less. pic.twitter.com/R5g80zlqFa — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 17‚ 2024 Johnson shared a brief video via X ahead of the meeting‚ along with the caption: “Today I will tell President Biden directly: House Republicans are demanding transformative policy change to secure the border. The American people deserve nothing less.” “We’re not playing politics with this‚” Johnson said in the video. “We’re demanding real‚ transformative policy change because that’s what the American people need and deserve — and what they’re demanding as well. House Republicans are standing on that line‚ and I will tell the president that today.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP ”I’ve been saying it consistently since the moment I was handed this gavel‚” Johnson continued. “And that’s never changed.” Johnson went on to lay out some of the reasons that policy change was so important‚ noting that fentanyl was the “leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-49” and addressing the ongoing issue of human trafficking and sex trafficking of children. “The cartels on the border are making billions of dollars trafficking humans into the U.S.‚” Johnson added‚ echoing some of the concerns he raised during a recent interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper. “Sixty to seventy percent of the people that cross at the — Eagle Pass‚ which is the main funnel right now — are single‚ adult males between the ages of 18 and 40. These are not ‘huddled masses’ of families seeking refuge and asylum‚ these are people coming here probably with ill design.” The meeting is scheduled to take place at the White House on Wednesday.  

The talented singer Dionne Warwick is 83 years old‚ but if you ask her‚ she’s only getting started. For decades‚ she’s taken the music world by storm. Now‚ she’s reflecting on her career‚ and life overall‚ after receiving the 46th Kennedy Center Honors in December 2023. Every year‚ this award is given to five folks in the performing arts for their contribution to American culture. If you ask Warwick’s family‚ which includes her two sons Damon and David Elliot‚ this recognition is well deserved. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dionne Warwick (@therealdionnew) “Words can’t express how proud both me and my brother are of mom‚” Damon says. “We’ve watched her our entire lives do incredible things‚ not only for her career‚ but for many others. It’s about time‚ so it’s great. It’s well overdue.” Talent clearly runs in Warwick’s family. She and Damon have a Gospel song together called I Kneel. Needless to say‚ this has and continues to be a joyous opportunity for them both. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dionne Warwick (@therealdionnew) “How much more can you have than working with someone that you love?” she asks. Dionne Warwick Shares What Faith Means to Her To anyone who knows this family well‚ it’s no wonder that Warwick and Damon’s song focuses on faith‚ something all three of them are proud to say they rely on every day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dionne Warwick (@therealdionnew) “It’s my whole being‚” Warwick says. “It’s what I live by‚ it’s what I thrive on. I believe the Heavenly Father is unsurmountable.” “Our entire household puts God first in everything we do‚” Damon adds. “We pray on it‚ and we leave a lot on God’s plate.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saks Fifth Avenue (@saks) It’s Warwick’s faith that also keeps her going career-wise. She shares that she feels her secret to staying so youthful and active‚ even in her 80s‚ has to do with both God and self-love. “I like me‚” Warwick says. “That’s the first thing‚ and I try to take care of myself the best that I possibly can. I can’t do anything that I feel is gonna harm me. So‚ if that’s a secret then — that’s it.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post “It’s My Whole Being‚” Dionne Warwick Opens Up About Her Family &; Faith. appeared first on InspireMore.

When you live on the beach‚ you get lots of access to all sorts of fun things. Swimming‚ sand castles‚ and sun! However‚ you might miss out on some of the chillier parts of the year‚ including snow. These great-grandparents came to the rescue to deliver this little lad his first snow day ever! Living in the mountains‚ these family members had easy access to all the snow they could need. When they came to visit‚ they brought a truck full of wintery wonders! @jessenicholr Ill never forget this day #firstsnow #grandparents #greatgrandparents ♬ snowfall – Øneheart &; reidenshi This little boy was totally amazed. He was enjoying his first snow day in the comfort of moderate temperatures! In the clip‚ you can see Great-Grandpa loading up this sweet dude into the back of the truck to explore the snow. He was totally amazed by the texture‚ and you could tell he was surprised by the cold! This precious picture is from TikTok. The family enjoyed watching the baby enjoy his first snow day‚ and then they broke out into a classic snowball fight. “This is actually the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen‚” commented one fan of this chilly treat. Surrounded by family‚ this kiddo got to celebrate his first snow day ever! Hooray! The featured image for this post is from TikTok. The post Little Boy Rejoices When His Great-Grandparents Bring His First Snow Day. appeared first on InspireMore.

Dionne Warwick had an interview with Damon Elliott this week‚ and she relived some memories of earlier times in her career. One of the most “overwhelming” moments? Being in the same room as Elvis! “Looking at that man was overwhelming‚” she began. “I’ve never seen a man that pretty in my life!” This *overwhelming* image is from Wikimedia Commons. Dionne Warwick went on to explain how‚ when she saw Elvis‚ he was opening at a hotel. Dionne’s family members and choir pals were in a singing group that performed backup for him that night called the Sweet Inspirations. She must’ve got some seriously sweet inspiration watching Elvis sing live and in the flesh! This image is from Wikimedia Commons. Dionne went on to detail his character once she met him. “He was so wonderful and so kind to me‚” she said. “He said‚ ‘You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to do something for you.'” Elvis came up with the idea to put a signed photograph of himself in every album at the record store in Las Vegas. Then he announced what he’d done‚ and people ran to the store to purchase albums. “I sold so many albums‚” Dionne Warwick recalled. What an incredible story! The featured images for this post are from Wikimedia Commons — here and here. The post Dionne Warwick On Elvis Presley: “Looking At That Man Was… Overwhelming.” appeared first on InspireMore.

Prepare for a hilarious clip. This woman‚ a singing telegram performer‚ was hired to sing a Kid Rock song at a birthday party. Unfamiliar with his work‚ she came prepared to sing a song called “Bawitdaba.” Of course‚ to make the performance more powerful‚ this musical genius decided to personalize the lyrics. The birthday party was for a pair of doctors‚ Paul and Guy. Paul… wit da Guy. Genius. @thejoybrookershow I have a newfound respect for sheryl crow #kidrock #singingtelegram #singingtelegramentertainer #bawitdaba #dabang #countryrock #yeehaw #officeprank #doctorlife #nurselife ♬ Funny video “Carmen Prelude” Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai) Clearly‚ this singing telegram went off swimmingly. While this heart-dressed performer may have broken a table‚ she thrilled the audience. They could not stop laughing. Paul and Guy couldn’t have been happier! Fans of the clip took to the comments to express their adoration for this committed singing telegram performer’s Kid Rock cover. This image is from TikTok. “Omg this was at my work today!!! You were so great! Made me laugh so hard and made everyone’s day!” commented one fan who was able to witness the performance in person. “You truly have a gift‚” said another viewer. This performer captured the joy of music in her truly absurd singing telegram. Happy Birthday‚ Paul and Guy! “Call me Amadeus‚” said the singer. Yes‚ ma’am. You deserve it. The featured image for this post is from TikTok. The post Woman Performs Side-Splitting “Kid Rock” Singing Telegram For Birthday Party. appeared first on InspireMore.