Adoption is a beautiful decision that should always be celebrated‚ but especially in November‚ during National Adoption Month. From the first time I unexpectedly saw that positive pregnancy test‚ I knew that I was destined to become a birth mom and give another woman the chance to experience the beauty of motherhood. Growing up in my Christian household‚ adoption was always discussed and viewed as a gift‚ and without the shame or secrecy that is‚ sadly‚ often associated with it. Having known many people who adopted‚ we never questioned or judged how families came to be‚ but rather cherished the light they brought to our corner of Minnesota.    Knowing that I wanted my child to grow up in a loving family‚ I found New Life Adoption and made an appointment when I was three months pregnant.    I was assigned a personal social worker who interviewed me about what I was looking for in a family: What kind of life did I want my child to be brought into? Did I want there to be a faith foundation? What kind of schooling would she have? Would she be raised in an athletic family?   After my interview‚ I was handed a stack of books‚ filled with details and pictures of families that matched what I wanted. Looking down at the stack‚ the maroon book on top seemed to instantly call to me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it‚ but something was telling me this was the family meant to raise my child.    Wanting to give the others a fair chance‚ I put the maroon book on the bottom of the stack and continued my search. I gave the stack to my parents‚ family‚ friends‚ and co-workers. All of them independently chose the same maroon book from the pile.    Unable to ignore the signs pointing toward this family‚ I set up an interview to meet with them. After getting to know them and learning that the son they already had was adopted as well‚ I knew in my heart that my baby belonged with them.     As the months passed and my womb grew‚ I began spending more time with the family. We would meet for dinners and doctors’ appointments‚ and I made sure to involve them in every step of the process‚ including the naming of our baby girl. Sitting down and seeing that we had come up with similar names‚ and spontaneously agreeing on “Avery‚” I was again assured that this was the right family.    As I met their relatives‚ and they met my uncles‚ aunts‚ and sisters‚ we never felt like strangers‚ but instead like extended family.    Going into labor‚ I was relieved knowing that I was bringing a child into the world with an entire family full of love and support waiting to welcome her with open arms.    I wanted Avery’s parents to experience each part of the birth‚ and so I opted to have two hospital rooms. When it came time to have Avery‚ her new mom was in the room‚ as well as my own mother and best friend.    Once Avery’s sweet cries blessed our ears‚ I didn’t want to risk changing my mind and urged the nurses to place her in a crib. As Avery took her first breath‚ I told the woman next to me to go see her baby‚ as she was now a mom to a beautiful healthy girl. Avery’s family was able to spend the night holding her‚ just as any other newborn parents would have the opportunity to do.    Now‚ 11 years later‚ Avery has grown‚ and she reflects my personal creativity and zeal for life. She is being raised in a strong family of faith‚ full of patience and care‚ all while knowing who I am and the immense love that I have for her. I remain close with her family‚ and see them for holidays‚ birthdays‚ and random lunches‚ as they live just 40 minutes away.    I am grateful that in my family we do not treat adoption as a word that must be whispered‚ but celebrate it as a chance for new life‚ happiness‚ and unconditional love. Having control over the birth and getting to choose the family who would raise my child gave me an immense sense of peace and empowerment‚ as well as the confidence and certainty that my child has the best life possible.    The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Sharing the Selfless Blessing of Life and Motherhood During National Adoption Month appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Jewish students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report fearing for their lives after pro-Hamas protesters blocked entrances to a central building‚ called for ethnic cleansing‚ and surrounded students holding Israeli flags. One Jewish student‚ who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal‚ told The Daily Signal that he is afraid of sitting in class with “classmates and teachers who were just calling for my death—as the university did nothing.” MIT acknowledged that it didn’t suspend students participating in a pro-Hamas protest Nov. 9 because those students likely would have been deported. A left-wing group called Coalition Against Apartheid organized a large protest event in Lobby 7 of MIT’s campus in Cambridge‚ Massachusetts‚ a violation of university policy forbidding students from doing that due to safety concerns and fire hazards.  MIT warned the pro-Hamas coalition days beforehand that holding a protest in Lobby 7 would violate school policy and lead to consequences‚ including suspension. The pro-Hamas group held the protest anyway‚ and so far the only consequences from MIT include a promise of an investigation from MIT President Sally Kornbluth and a temporary restriction from “participating in non-academic campus activities” after the fact. This protest joins a growing list of marches and demonstrations that have resulted in antisemitic incidents on college campuses around the country since Hamas terrorists’ Oct. 7 massacre of 1‚200 civilians in Israel. The MIT protesters‚ who called for jihad and the slaughter of Jews by chanting the phrases “Globalize the intifada” and “Raise up your two fists and sacrifice everything for Palestine‚” have not been condemned by the university. In 2020‚ MIT issued diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion statements denouncing discrimination against black and Asian students. Protesters at MIT also chanted “Resistance is justified when people are occupied‚” in reference to Hamas’ bloody attacks on Israel over what the terrorist organization claims is Israel’s “occupation” of the Gaza Strip. Israel has not occupied Gaza‚ which shares a border with Egypt‚ since 2005. Hamas terrorists have controlled the government there since 2007. Kornbluth‚ MIT’s president‚ described the pro-Hamas protesters’ calls for ethnic cleansing‚ and the Israeli response to it‚ as “complex.” Talia Khan‚ president of the MIT Israel Alliance‚ told The Daily Signal in an interview that she was shocked that students on her campus could shout support for Hamas.“We knew they hated Israel‚” she said‚ “but their supporting Hamas terrorism was something we didn’t understand rational people could even do.” The anonymous student who spoke to The Daily Signal said he was “horrified” at the open antisemitism of the pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian protesters.  “I couldn’t even get to my classes‚” he said. “They marched around me yelling for intifada.” Already‚ several staff members have written a letter condemning any action MIT might take against the pro-Hamas protesters. In a revealing statement‚ MIT officials acknowledged that they chose not to enforce policies because they feared that doing so would put participating students at risk of deportation. Foreign nationals residing in the U.S. on student visas are not allowed to foment terrorism. At one point during the protest in Lobby 7‚ pro-Hamas demonstrators surrounded a smaller group of students with Israeli flags and pictures of hostages taken by Hamas. They chanted slogans and yelled at the supporters of Israel‚ marching around them in circles.  This action and other protests in front of entrances and stairs prevented Jewish students from attending classes. Khan says that part of MIT’s current epidemic of antisemitism is a result of the “administration’s feckless inability to respond according to the rules that they set.” Khan contends that MIT staff and department heads openly tell pro-Hamas students that‚ although they know the protesters violated school policy‚ the university’s employees will make sure the students won’t be punished for it. Sarah McDonnell‚ deputy director of media relations for MIT‚ responded to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by providing Kornbluth’s statement promising an investigation of complaints filed “against individual students‚ on both sides of the conflict.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post ‘CALLING FOR MY DEATH’: Jewish MIT Student Opens Up About Fears After Pro-Hamas Protest appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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After omitting the story on their morning and evening newscasts on Thursday‚ Friday was the day NBC’s Today finally decided that they should mention that the China-own social media platform TikTok had been promoting a letter written by late Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. But instead of piling on the criticism of the app used by the Chinese Communist Party to harm Americans‚ NBC senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson ran defense by parroting TikTok’s deflection to other platforms. “It might sound stunning that a letter written two decades ago by a terror leader is now getting traction online in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. But that is the reality with social media companies now scrambling to pull down those posts‚” Jackson announced ahead of her report.     After noting that the letter criticized “U.S. support for Israel and policies on Palestinian territories and citing anti-Semitic and homophobic tropes‚” Jackson noted that the far-left‚ U.K.-based newspaper “The Guardian‚ which published the letter in 2002‚ removing it criticizing how it's been ‘widely shared without the full context.’” Stepping up to defend the Chi-Com app‚ Jackson added: “TikTok now stripping the hashtag #lettertoAmerica from its search function.” In a statement on X‚ formerly Twitter‚ TikTok tried to claim the trend didn’t originate on their platform and tried to shift blame to their competitors (bolding theirs): “The number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate. This is not unique to TikTok and has appeared across multiple platforms and the media.”   Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform. The number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our… https://t.co/n9Zo7l94r2 — TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) November 16‚ 2023   Without mentioning that that was TikTok’s line defense‚ Jackson used her report to make that argument for them and shifted the blame to X and YouTube: New research shows searches for Bin Laden up 400 percent on YouTube and X‚ formerly Twitter‚ references to him up 4‚000 percent since Tuesday. One journalist's post on that platform compiling some of the videos getting more than 25 million views. TikTok saying interest spiked only after tweets and media attention from fewer than 2 million views to 13 million on its app. A spokesperson telling NBC News‚ “Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism‚” adding‚ they’re proactively and aggressively” removing it. YouTube saying‚ “Our community guidelines apply consistently‚” guidelines which prohibit terrorist content. X did not respond to our request for comment. Jackson did note that “Jewish celebrities and creators confronted TikTok executives about doing more to fight anti-Semitism on that platform” with TikTok telling NBC “in a statement‚ ‘Leadership has been meeting with creators and experts and others for feedback on how TikTok can remain a place for community‚ discovery‚ and sharing authentically.’” But she failed to inform viewers that TikTok was controlled by the Chinese government and that there was growing talk about cracking down on the app and possibly banning it in America. Banning TikTok was even brought up by moderators at the third GOP debate hosted by NBC News. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NBC’s Today November 17‚ 2023 7:10:57 a.m. Eastern HODA KOTB: Now to an unexpected and troubling trend on social media tied to the war that has social media companies cracking down on posts about Osama Bin Laden. NBC Senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson is on the story. Hey‚ Hallie‚ good morning. HALLIE JACKSON: Hey‚ Hoda‚ good morning. It might sound stunning that a letter written two decades ago by a terror leader is now getting traction online in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. But that is the reality with social media companies now scrambling to pull down those posts. [Cuts to video JACKSON: The videos‚ viral this morning. UNIDENTIFIED TIKTOKER: I need you to stop what you're doing and go read “A Letter to America.” JACKSON: Referencing Osama Bin Laden’s so-called “Letter to America” written by the late terrorist leader about a year after the 9/11 attacks. And now‚ the propaganda getting new attention on social media in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. Bin laden‚ in the decades-old letter‚ criticizing U.S. support for Israel and policies on Palestinian territories and citing anti-Semitic and homophobic tropes. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The way it's going viral is giving me the greatest sense of relief. JACKSON: The Guardian‚ which published the letter in 2002‚ removing it criticizing how it's been “widely shared without the full context” and TikTok now stripping the hashtag #lettertoAmerica from its search function. New research shows searches for Bin Laden up 400 percent on YouTube and on X‚ formerly Twitter‚ references to him up 4‚000 percent since Tuesday. One journalist's post on that platform compiling some of the videos getting more than 25 million views. TikTok saying interest spiked only after tweets and media attention from fewer than 2 million views to 13 million on its app. A spokesperson telling NBC News‚ “Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism‚” adding‚ they’re proactively and aggressively” removing it. YouTube saying‚ “Our community guidelines apply consistently‚” guidelines which prohibit terrorist content. X did not respond to our request for comment. The issue even reaching the White House with a spokesperson saying‚ “There is never a justification for spreading the repugnant‚ evil and anti-Semitic lies that the leader of Al Qaeda issued just after committing the worst terrorist attack in American history.” It all comes as demonstrations‚ pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian‚ stretch coast to coast. [Cuts back to live] All of this puts yet another spotlight on the issue of moderating content at a time of war. The New York Times is now reporting‚ overnight‚ this “Letter to America” came up during a private meeting Wednesday night in which Jewish celebrities and creators confronted TikTok executives about doing more to fight anti-Semitism on that platform‚ according to a recording obtained by The Times. TikTok tells us in a statement‚ “Leadership has been meeting with creators and experts and others for feedback on how TikTok can remain a place for community‚ discovery‚ and sharing authentically.” Hoda‚ back to you. KOTB: All right. Hallie Jackson for us there in D.C. Hallie‚ thank you.

The fight over abortion in America is as much a religious contest as a political one. Until the pro-life movement recognizes this‚ it will keep getting shocked by referendum results like those in Ohio last week‚ which planted a right to abortion in the state’s constitution. Opponents of abortion are not theocrats; on the contrary‚ so devoted are they to the separation of faith and law that they think it would discredit the pro-life cause to tie it too closely to religion. The movement’s leaders prefer to argue from neutral premises acceptable even to secular liberals: objective science‚ they insist‚ proves a fetus is a human life. Progressives often point to science as a moral authority‚ on questions ranging from climate change to gender and various disparate impacts and outcomes correlated with race. But this is philosophically naive whether pro-lifers or progressives do it. Even if science accurately describes a thing‚ it cannot say whether the phenomenon is good or bad; those judgments rely on prior moral commitments. This is where the pro-life movement meets defeat. The moral assumptions of most pro-lifers are more religious than those of other Americans. That’s not a bad thing‚ but it suggests that to defeat abortion at the ballot box‚ pro-lifers ought to begin by getting more Americans to go to church. Gallup’s 2023 survey of who identifies as pro-life or pro-choice tells the tale. “Pro-choice” self-identification leads in most categories: among all adults (52-44)‚ among women (55-41)‚ among whites (51-46)‚ and people of color (54-40).  Men are narrowly divided; Gallup has them favoring the pro-life label 48-47. But in the category of “religious service attendance‚” pro-lifers predominate. Those who attend church weekly identify as pro-life 66-28. Even those who attend less regularly‚ between weekly and monthly‚ favor the pro-life designation 56-41. Among those who seldom or never attend‚ however‚ the balance is reversed: they identify as pro-choice 64-31. The difference is not down to mere physical presence in a church building -- the point is that attending services regularly is a sign of strong religious convictions. The Catholic Church authoritatively teaches that abortion is a sin‚ and the more conservative Protestant denominations and Orthodox Jews broadly concur. Of course‚ many people who belong to a religion don’t believe what it teaches‚ but these members tend not to be the ones filling the pews every Sunday. If more voters were like those who attend church regularly‚ referendums in red states like Ohio would be winnable for abortion opponents‚ and they would have a better chance in less Republican-leaning states‚ too. But with an electorate composed of voters whose moral outlook is not shaped by religion‚ defeat is almost certain. Better communications strategies won’t help sell abortion bans to people who don’t already agree that abortion is wrong: it’s like trying to sell sirloin to vegans. Pro-lifers are not the only ones who have this problem‚ of course. Libertarian conservatives are constantly disappointed to discover how persistent public demand for government services is. Progressives have their own frustrations with voters -- especially those who continue to vote Republican‚ even for Donald Trump‚ despite being told that it’s immoral‚ deplorable and undemocratic to do so. Liberals have all the communications firepower of the mainstream media at their disposal‚ and plenty of billionaire backing‚ too‚ but they still can’t talk voters out of what millions of them already want. Efforts at persuasion aren’t futile‚ but they have to take account of the difference between what people already believe and what they would have to believe -- what their core moral convictions would have to be -- in order to embrace a pro-life‚ libertarian or fully progressive agenda. Family‚ church‚ school and college are the institutions that form moral commitments; we have a culture war because these institutions are on different sides. Families are disintegrating and schools are failing; the strongest religious institutions are generally conservative‚ while higher education is run by progressives. So highly educated social liberals do battle with highly religious conservatives‚ as moral anarchy or mere utilitarianism prevails among the less educated and non-religious -- which happens to be the kind of voter that makes Ohio a Trump state. Neither cold scientific reason nor beautiful natural-law syllogisms made today’s pro-lifers pro-life: their churches did that. If the movement needs more voters‚ the obvious way to make them is the same way existing opponents of abortion were made. A political party can’t do that‚ and expensive ad campaigns won’t. All a party can do is work with the material on hand: meeting voters where they are and getting the most pro-life (or libertarian‚ progressive or otherwise) results possible within an existing moral framework. That’s not enough for those who want to save souls now -- but the place where that happens is in the pews and the pulpit. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

As Communist Chinese government-tied TikTok spreads anti-Semitic hatred‚ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) emphasized the need to ban the popular app. A fired-up Hawley joined Fox News's Hannity to blast TikTokers who launched a disturbing trend of promoting eliminated Al-Qaeda terrorist and 9/11 architect Osama Bin Laden’s anti-Semitic and anti-American “Letter to America” on the Communist Chinese government-tied platform. When host Sean Hannity asked Hawley why TikTok is even allowed in America at this point‚ the senator agreed‚ calling the social media platform an “espionage” and “propaganda” tool. “We ought to ban it‚” Hawley declared. Hawley mentioned the conference in California where Chinese dictator Xi Jinping was a feted and honored guest. “I think Communist China right now is just laughing‚” Hawley stated. “I mean‚ you’ve got Joe Biden‚ who is bowing and scraping and begging Xi to be nice to him‚ while China walks all over us.” Meanwhile‚ TikTok is demonstrably poisoning the minds of Americans. In fact‚ Hawley called TikTok “basically the social media arm of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]‚ and they’re spewing this anti-American propaganda‚ this virulent anti-Israel‚ anti-Semitic propaganda.” He added‚ speaking of the CCP‚ “I think they’re just sitting back and they can’t believe that we’re letting them get away with it. We shouldn’t be letting them get away with it.” Notably‚ TikTok is owned by ByteDance‚ in which the CCP owns a board seat and maintains a financial stake. As MRC president and founder Brent Bozell said‚ “The Chinese are the number one enemy of the United States. They’re using [TikTok] while playing with their algorithms to mess with the American society. They’re stealing all the data.” That’s why lawmakers like Hawley aim to have it banned. Hawley emphasized just why TikTok is so dangerous. The app “tracks everything you do on your phone‚ it tracks everywhere you go‚ every text message you send‚ every email you write‚ and it’s all that information‚ all of that is available to the Chinese Communist Party. It’s an espionage tool‚ it’s a propaganda machine and we ought to ban it.” TikTok bragged on a Oct. 14  press statement that it had removed “over 500‚000 videos and closed 8‚000 livestreams” related to the Hamas-Israel conflict‚ for allegedly “violating our guidelines.” TikTok did try to deal with the Bin Laden trend after the fact‚ saying‚ according to NBC News‚ that “We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform” as it violates “rules on supporting any form of terrorism.” Conservatives are under attack. Contact TikTok via email at communitymanager@tiktok.com and demand Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment and provide transparency. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

On the one hand‚ good on CBS Mornings for noticing on Friday that one recent trend in the seemingly never-ending invasion of illegal immigrants across the U.S. southern border now includes tens of thousands from China. On the other hand‚ CBS showed little to no concern at this problem and relied on the usual trope of commiserating with the illegal aliens in the predictable narrative that they simply want a better life. CBS’s also failed from a labeling standpoint‚ refusing to label China’s a certain c-word: communist. INSANE: 'CBS Mornings' had a full story (over four-minutes long) cheering the explosion of Chinese illegal immigrants pouring across the U.S. southern border. Nothing about the country being communist and run by a regime with concentration camps. Instead‚ they said what the… pic.twitter.com/awr6mgUdZr — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 17‚ 2023 The tone was set from the tease by fill-in co-host Adriana Diaz about CBS “follow[ing] the journey of a Chinese migrant trying to travel to the U.S. over the Mexican border” to show “[w]hy more and more Chinese people are trying to enter this country illegally”.  As if to boost CBS as trustworthy on the issue‚ co-host Nate Burleson said the border’s “a topic that we have covered extensively on this show” before telling viewers about “the big increase in Chinese migrants” to the tune of “more than 24‚000” arrests “over the past year through September.”  He added this is “more than 10 times higher than the previous year‚ and part of the overall rise in illegal border crossings. Going to a taped story from Tokyo-based foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer‚ Burleson promised an explanation on “why the Chinese migrants are willing to risk everything for a chance to make it to America.” Palmer led off with video taken by one such wannabe illegal‚ Wei-Wei Wang‚ who’s “surviving on chocolate bars” and part of “a group of migrants struggle through the rain and mud of the Panamanian jungle” Instead of raising national security concerns about citizens from perhaps America’s number one adversary invading our country or calling out China for being a communist regime that starves its people of basic freedoms‚ Palmer chalked up the “surge” to “people with their hopes crushed by China’s weak economy‚ repression‚ and corruption.” Palmer upped the volume on the pity party (click “expand”): PALMER: “The government wanted my family’s land‚” Shan Yu Xiao explains and he has got video of what he says are thugs sent to beat them up. At the border‚ American volunteers help out the new arrivals. Samuel Schultz — SAMUEL SCHULTZ: We’re used to seeing border crossers here‚ Central Americans‚ Mexicans‚ trying to avoid the Border Patrol. And here we have this giant mass of Asians coming in saying‚ "Please arrest me. Where’s — where’s the guy who’s going to arrest me?" PALMER: The route is an open secret. First from China to Quito in Ecuador‚ which Chinese can enter without a visa‚ and then onward with detailed online advice. In this video‚ for example‚ a guide shows Quito Airport on Google Maps. If you land at night‚ he says don’t go outside. Next morning‚ catch the bus to Tulcan and carry on north. The online cartoons make it look easy‚ it is not. Going to a Chinese immigration lawer‚ Xiao Xiang Wang bemoaned the “risky” journey that could lead to rape‚ robbery‚ or death‚ but also played into the left‚ libertarian‚ and corporate bit about boasting how “[s]eventy percent of the people” caught can stay and thus fulfill the need from “a lot of employers” for “low-paid employees.” Palmer spotlighted “[t]he poor‚ rural town of Changla in China’s southeast” as known for exporting Chinese illegals to the U.S. before concluding with one final note of positive spin that‚ for those who aren’t part of the 30 percent deported‚ survived‚ and paid their way to America‚ “the biggest win of all is to have left China far behind.” She even capped with one Chinese illegal singing “Hallelujah.” Eye-roll. At the co-hosts table‚ Diaz called this phenomenon “shocking” while at the same time not given what former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday’s show about China needing the Biden summit more than the U.S. did given the state of their economy. To see the relevant transcript from November 17‚ click “expand.” CBS Mornings November 17‚ 2023 7:18 a.m. Eastern [TEASE] [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Ahead; Chinese Migrants Journey] ADRIANA DIAZ: Still ahead‚ we follow the journey of a Chinese migrant trying to travel to the U.S. over the Mexican border. Why more and more Chinese people are trying to enter this country illegally. (....) 7:33 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Chinese Migrant Spike; 24K+ Arrested at Border Through September] NATE BURLESON: All right‚ let’s turn to a topic that we have covered extensively on this show in the wake of President Biden’s meeting with China’s president. We turn now to a story about the big increase in Chinese migrants coming through the U.S. border down in Mexico. Border Patrol agents arrested more than 24‚000 Chinese people for crossing the U.S. southern border illegally over the past year through September. That’s more than 10 times higher than the previous year‚ and part of the overall rise in illegal border crossings that has made headlines. Elizabeth Palmer shows us why the Chinese migrants are willing to risk everything for a chance to make it to America. ELIZABETH PALMER: A group of migrants struggle through the rain and mud of the Panamanian jungle toward the U.S. border. Wei-Wei Wang is one of them. ‘I’m surviving on chocolate bars‚” he says‚ “And running out of drinking water.” He videoed the whole grueling trek undertaken by people from all over the world‚ including recently a record number from China. Since January‚ Border officials have processed more than 10 times as many Chinese migrants as last year. A surge of people with their hopes crushed by China’s weak economy‚ repression‚ and corruption. “The government wanted my family’s land‚” Shan Yu Xiao explains and he has got video of what he says are thugs sent to beat them up. At the border‚ American volunteers help out the new arrivals. Samuel Schultz — SAMUEL SCHULTZ: We’re used to seeing border crossers here‚ Central Americans‚ Mexicans‚ trying to avoid the Border Patrol. And here we have this giant mass of Asians coming in saying‚ "Please arrest me. Where’s — where’s the guy who’s going to arrest me?" PALMER: The route is an open secret. First from China to Quito in Ecuador‚ which Chinese can enter without a visa‚ and then onward with detailed online advice. In this video‚ for example‚ a guide shows Quito Airport on Google Maps. If you land at night‚ he says don’t go outside. Next morning‚ catch the bus to Tulcan and carry on north. The online cartoons make it look easy‚ it is not. XIAO XIANG WANG: It is very‚ very dangerous. PALMER: Immigration lawyer‚ Xiao Xiang Wang represents Chinese migrants in the U.S. XIAO XIANG WANG: They could be killed‚ or they could be raped or they could be robbed. It is really‚ really risky. I keep warning people‚ don’t come this way. PALMER: The poor rural town of Changla in China’s southeast is famous for the number of migrants who have left from here for America‚ but for most‚ the price‚ more than $5‚000.00 is just too high. One local woman who scrapes by selling secondhand textiles told us — “My brother and his family left years ago. Of course‚ I want to go‚ too‚ but wishing won’t do it. I need cash.” On the U.S. border‚ more and more have found the cash to gamble on a new life‚ even though attorney Wang says about 30 percent will be deported. But — WANG: Seventy percent of the people would be allowed to settle down in the U.S. In the meantime‚ the U.S. economy is growing very fast and a lot of employers need low-paid employees. So that’s kind of a win-win situation. PALMER: — and the biggest win of all is to have left China far behind. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHINESE MAN: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! PALMER: For CBS Mornings‚ I’m Elizabeth Palmer in Tokyo. DIAZ: It is shocking how far they’ve come and you know‚ Mark Esper was here yesterday‚ the secretary — former secretary of Defense talking about how China’s weak economy‚ high youth unemployment‚ that’s what’s driving a lot of these people here. TONY DOKOUPIL: It’s a huge number‚ 24‚000. Those are the ones that turned themselves in or were captured and you wonder how many were not‚ and that’s only one part of the border situation. You’ve got Congress working on the Santos question and you wonder could they pay some attention to what’s going on down there? We need a lot more of everything‚ right? There’s more enforcement. There’s more judges needed. There’s more legal pathways needed -- all of it. It’s a mess and this is while our mind is elsewhere. BURLESON: You’re right about that‚ Tony. DIAZ: People are coming from farther and farther.

Target is under fire once again - this time for selling LGBTQ+ styled Christmas decorations. And conservatives are NOT having it.  One of the new items on the chain's inventory is a 2023 nutcracker decoration which features the nutcracker in a jacket with a pride flag running down the middle‚ a pride flag hat‚ and a pride flag in his hand. I say “his” hand loosely‚ as the statue also has pink hair‚ eyeshadow‚ and feminine eyelashes. Perhaps he's a drag queen as well.  Another new item this year is a Christmas snow globe with a rainbow heart in the middle and the phrase “love is love” in the center.  Target also recently collaborated with an artist named Kurt S. Adler‚ whose creations include more gay nutcrackers‚ a pride drinking glass ornament‚  a 10-inch fabergé Pride Santa‚ and a pride picture frame ornament.  Other Christmas/Pride collaborations include a rainbow “Love is Love” ornament‚ the description for which reads: “Spread love and acceptance this holiday season with this charming pride 'Love is Love' holiday ornament‚" adding‚ “Whether you're an ally‚ a member of the LGBTQ+ community‚ or simply someone who believes in love and equality for all‚ this ornament is the perfect way to showcase your support during the festive season.” A snowflake with the word “Liberal” is also for sale‚ but as far as I could see‚ there were no “Conservative” ornaments. Target also sells pride wrapping paper for Christmas in two different styles. Sounds like a good fire starter to me! Conservatives were disgusted at how “socially just” Target’s Christmas decorations are.  Fox News host Jesse Watters called the whole thing the “Dylanization” of America as a jab at Dylan Mulvaney‚ the man who parades around as a little girl who ruined Bud Light among other brands. Watters brought in some of the merchandise to his show‚ "Jesse Watters Primetime‚" pointing out that the pride decor could be a way of “sexualizing Christmas for children.” Related: Disney Provides Pronoun Pins to Epcot Janitors Riley Gaines‚ former NCAA swimmer who focuses on keeping men out of girls sports who appeared as a guest on Watters' show‚ asked‚ “Why do they keep pushing this? Who are they trying to appeal to? Because despite what the media portrays or how politicians are voting this doesn’t represent the overwhelming majority of this country‚ really how the world‚ feels on this issue.”   A user on Twitter wrote‚ “Seems @Target didn't learn their lessons from the tuck friendly promoting gay in their children's section. They're back at it for Christmas‚ I will NO longer spend a dime at Target‚ let's see if the gay/trans community can carry them” and another pointed out the hypocrisy of Target selling this woke crap when “They don't even allow their employees to say Merry Christmas.”  That user brings up a great point. This is kinda funny considering the fact that Christmas is a Christian holiday‚ and being gay or trans or anything other than straight is antithetical to the Bible’s teachings.  But leave it to the woke mob who runs Target to show how big of idiots they are once again.  Follow us on Twitter/X: Being on the ground at the March for Israel rally was a peaceful reminder of the reality of this conflict pic.twitter.com/r9lTxxtZMz — MRCTV (@mrctv) November 16‚ 2023