Washington State Economist Refused to Lie‚ So They Forced Him Out

Employees of a zoo in Pakistan's Punjab province noticed that a big cat had a shoe in its mouth. As workers investigated the strange situation‚ they quickly made a grisly discovery — a man had been mauled to death by the big cat. On Wednesday‚ workers saw a big cat with a shoe in its mouth at the Sherbagh Zoo in Bahawalpur‚ Pakistan. "When they cleaned the zoo and the dens‚ they found the (animal) holding a shoe in its mouth‚" said Zaheer Anwar‚ a senior government official in Bahawalpur. "The staff got suspicious‚ and then they found a body inside the den‚" he added. An official with the rescue service in Bahawalpur told AFP that the victim's legs had been severely mauled."It is yet not known who he is and how he got there. It is being investigated. The body looked several hours old‚" the official said‚ adding that forensic experts were examining the body.Officials are not sure how the man got into the big cat enclosure. Authorities did not reveal the identity of the man who was mauled to death in the animal attack."Our assessment so far is that this appears to be a lunatic because a sensible person would not jump into the den‚" Anwar added. "You can see that the den is secured. There are stairs behind the den‚ maybe he jumped from there."Anwar identified the animal only as a "big cat‚" which can be a tiger‚ lion‚ jaguar‚ cougar‚ leopard‚ or cheetah. The Sherbagh Zoo's website notes that it hosts Asiatic lions and Bengal tigers."The exhibits are a mix between old style cages and newer moated enclosures‚" the Sherbagh Zoo's website reads. "Lions‚ tigers‚ and hyenas are housed in more modern moated enclosures‚" the site adds. The animal attack fatality in Pakistan comes just days after a zookeeper was mauled to death by a black bear in India. The 23-year-old zookeeper was killed by a Himalayan black bear at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park‚ according to the Times of India.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is attempting to clarify controversial remarks about Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel.Speaking at the annual Convention for Palestine in the U.S. in Chicago last month‚ Nihad Awad admitted the Oct. 7 attack — which included Hamas murdering more than 1‚200 innocent people‚ takings hundreds of hostages‚ and using rape as a weapon of war — made him "happy" because Palestinians were able to break through the "walls of the concentration camp."Awad‚ who is Palestinian‚ said:The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege‚ the walls of the concentration camp on Oct. 7. And yes‚ I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their lands that they were not allowed to walk in. And yes‚ the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense‚ have the right to defend themselves. And yes‚ Israel as an occupying power does not have that right to self-defense. — (@) Later in the speech‚ Awad claimed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is controlling the U.S. government."AIPAC and its affiliates have been controlling the United States government and the United States Congress‚" he said. "And if someone says 'Oh‚ Nihad Awad said this about the Congress‚' I tell you‚ 'Yes‚ I say it today‚ and I will say it tomorrow.' Unless we free Congress‚ we will not be able to free Palestine."The remarks are jarring‚ not only because of their contents but because Awad leads the most prominent and influential Muslim advocacy group in the U.S.Awad responded to concern about his remarks by claiming they were taken out of context in order to "create a completely false meaning." Instead of being happy because of the terrorist attack‚ Awad alleged his "happy" reference was about the "average Palestinians who briefly" entered Israel on Oct. 7."The average Palestinians who briefly walked out of Gaza and set foot on their ethnically cleansed land in a symbolic act of defiance against the blockade and stopped there without engaging in violence were within their rights under international law; the extremists who went on to attack civilians in southern Israel were not‚" Awad said. "Targeting civilians is unacceptable‚ no matter whether they are Israeli or Palestinian or any other nationality."American Muslims for Palestine‚ the group that hosted the conference‚ has since removed the video of Awad's remarks.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

As the Biden administration obsesses over every last Israeli troop movement in Gaza‚ international shipping and our own naval vessels are under assault from Hamas’ Iranian proxy allies in the Red Sea.Meanwhile‚ over 60 U.S. troops have been injured in at least 73 attacks in Syria and Iraq since October‚ as our soldiers remain there with no discernable mission. Isn’t it time we get our own military strategy in order before we meddle in Israel’s fight against Hamas and its human shields?In general‚ the United States needs to divest its resources from refereeing Middle Eastern civil wars and focus a lot more on our borders. But one paramount foreign policy goal‚ going back to America’s founding‚ has always been to keep the shipping lanes open. We spend more than any other nation on defense by a mile and squander billions on operations well outside our national and strategic interests. When it comes to the ultimate national security threat of Iranian proxies blocking shipping lanes‚ however‚ our government is feckless in not immediately neutralizing the problem. On November 19‚ the Houthis hijacked the Galaxy Leader‚ a Bahamian-flagged cargo ship‚ as it was traveling in the Red Sea. The crew‚ composed of nationals of allied countries‚ is still being held hostage. Several days later‚ the Iranian-backed terrorists that the Biden administration inexplicably de-listed from the terrorism designation tried to attack a Malta-flagged container ship with a drone as it traveled on the other side of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. On November 27‚ two missiles were fired at the USS Mason after terrorists tried to hijack the M/V Central Park‚ a Liberian-flagged tanker. Finally‚ on Sunday‚ the Houthis fired missiles and suicide drones at several commercial vessels and the USS Carney in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait‚ the critical outlet from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. According to one government source quoted by the Associated Press‚ the attack lasted for five hours. None of this is unexpected. On November 14‚ the Houthis issued a warning in English‚ Arabic‚ and Hebrew: “We will sink your ships.” Yet the Biden administration officials are so busy bullying Israel they refuse to respond to direct kinetic action against our own troops and assets from the same forces aligned with Iran. In the early years of our republic‚ Americans had a slogan: “Millions for defense‚ but not one cent for tribute.” But today‚ we spend nearly $1 trillion on defense but then fail to use it when it’s appropriate to do so. Our military doesn’t perform well when precariously stationed in isolated areas on land between Sunni and Shiite civil wars with no civil society to hold our gains. That’s why we need to remove our troops from Syria and Iraq. On the other hand‚ our air and naval assets are perfectly designed to create a kill zone in maritime waters to destroy anything that threatens our ships and the free flow of commerce. If we don’t use our naval and air assets to keep shipping lanes open‚ then what is the purpose of continuing to bankrupt this nation to pay for the military?Four government officials told Politico that ships are constantly under attack‚ but the administration has made a concerted effort to downplay the nature of the threat and to de-escalate rather than deter.“If our ships see something is coming near them or toward them‚ they are going to assess it as a threat and shoot it down‚” said one Pentagon official‚ who‚ like others in this story‚ was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “You’d be hard-pressed to find another time” U.S. ships have been this challenged in the region.“We are not taking this seriously‚” said retired Vice Admiral John Miller‚ former commander of Fifth Fleet. He added that the attacks both at sea and in Iraq and Syria “have gone largely unanswered.” “We’re not deterring anybody right now.”Hence the Biden administration is pursuing the worst possible mix of policies vis-à-vis military deterrent toward Iran. The government is refusing to respond to either the land or sea-based attacks but won’t at least withdraw our troops from Iraq so they don’t remain vulnerable to the undeterred attacks‚ all in pursuit of an aimless mission — a mission that was designed to protect those very Iranian-backed militias from the Sunnis. Congress is currently putting the finishing touches on the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. Lawmakers continue to fund everything we shouldn’t be funding: troop deployments in Iraq and Syria; assistance to Hezbollah-backed Lebanese forces; State Department missions promoting a Palestinian state; border security in Jordan but not the United States. And on and on. Nobody has bothered to ask what the purpose of our military is and what it should be used for. The threat to shipping lanes is a much bigger problem than Ukraine‚ even if one believes Ukraine is worthy of our attention. Yet Ukraine is consuming the entire debate over military aid and strategy. After House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Senate leaders he wouldn’t tie Ukraine aid with anything less than H.R. 2‚ which abolishes catch-and-release at the border‚ red-state Republicans like Senator James Lankford called it “not rational.” No‚ what is not rational is uniparty senators’ obsessing over every foreign theater but the ones that most directly threaten American interests.

Comedians are known for being truth-tellers‚ and Dave Landau is no exception — especially when it comes to his post-debate analysis. Glenn Beck found Landau’s roast-style analysis “strangely spot-on” following the fourth GOP debate hosted by Megyn Kelly and News Nation. “They did have better etiquette than usual‚ but I’ve still seen more manners at a fist fight at Golden Corral‚” he tells a laughing Glenn. One moment Landau seems to remember fondly is the sign Vivek made‚ which was a piece of paper with “NIKKI = CORRUPT” scribbled across it. “He didn’t have time to do a bad drawing of her‚” Landau laughs before showing Glenn that he made some signs as well. “Chris Christie + current eating habits = diabetes‚” one sign reads. “Nikki Haley + two more years = hot flashes and night sweats‚” reads another. He even went after the originator of the sign method‚ Vivek. “Vivek + fake hate crimes = Hasan Minaj‚” he reads‚ holding the sign proudly for the BlazeTV team. He didn’t spare DeSantis either. “DeSantis + shoe lifts = DeSantis‚” he reads. But the roast doesn’t end there. “I think Vivek could be a good attack dog‚ I just don’t see him as a president. He just seems a kind of nerdy kid you’d invite to a party just so when he passes out you could draw genitals on his forehead‚” he jokes. As for Nikki Haley‚ “she just looks like an actress who’s about to lose a lot of work. Like she’s right at that level.” And while others believe DeSantis won the debate‚ Landau sees it a different way. “DeSantis is coming off less to me like a strong presidential candidate and more like an angry WNBA coach who’s down by 40 in the half‚” he says‚ adding that while he likes him‚ “he just seems like he’s very mad at‚ like‚ his high school daughter.” Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A badly burglarized Los Angeles businessman is fed up with crime in the area — and with Democrats he supported at the polls‚ KTTV-TV reported. "I voted for [Mayor] Karen Bass. I voted for [President Joe] Biden. I voted for [Gov.] Gavin Newsom‚" Ryan Baggaley of the Delta Construction &; Electric Co. on North San Fernando Road told the station. "I'm sick of it. It's like‚ at some point‚ you have to give me a reason to vote for you again."What are the details? Video shows a group of at least 10 thieves using a car to smash through a gate and then proceeding to steal from the business in the Glassell Park neighborhood early Wednesday morning‚ KTTV said. Image source: YouTube screenshot "This whole strip has been broken into‚" Baggaley explained to the station while pointing out various victims nearby. "Our neighbors have been broken into four times. These guys got broken into two months ago. What are we supposed to do? We're a small construction company." Image source: YouTube screenshot Baggaley told the station the thieves stole construction tools from his business — along with musical equipment and instruments stored on site‚ as he and his brother had played in a band together.Now gone are six of his family's guitars‚ KTTV said. Image source: YouTube screenshot Image source: YouTube screenshotBaggaley added to the station that the getaway car‚ a blue Kia Soul‚ was stolen from an impound yard owned by the Los Angeles Police Department. He noted to KTTV that police knew it was from the yard because of chalk marks on the window.Now what?The station said the business is now boarded up‚ and Baggaley is frustrated. Beside the stolen items‚ there are demolished gates and doors — all adding up to thousands of dollars in losses‚ KTTV noted.He also told the station that he and other business owners just want to "do our jobs‚ make a living‚ help our employees make a good living‚ and move on. But it's really freaking difficult to survive."KTTV added that police are investigating‚ but as of Wednesday night‚ there have been no arrests. Thieves smash thru gate with minivan‚ steal from LA business youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The RNC’s fourth Republican debate of the 2024 primaries is over‚ and there was one person who truly stood out as the clear winner. And it wasn’t one of the candidates. Glenn Beck was thrilled with Megyn Kelly’s performance as the moderator and believes she was the winner of the fourth debate. “She was the winner. This was the best debate. She held everybody’s feet to the fire. She asked tough questions. She was fair. She told people‚ ‘Shut up‚ nobody can hear you‚’ when they were talking over each other‚ and it ended it‚” Glenn explains. He believes her questions were also incredibly well laid out. “She was framing all of her questions the way a conservative would want it framed‚” Glenn says. Stu Burguiere is in total agreement‚ adding that her questions were “substance related‚” “actually issue related‚” and “policy related.” “They were important questions that all of the candidates needed to answer‚” he adds. Those candidates being Nikki Haley‚ Ron DeSantis‚ Chris Christie‚ and Vivek Ramaswamy — but not yet Donald Trump‚ who was a no-show for the fourth time. “If I were Donald Trump [and] I was this far ahead‚ I wouldn’t do it either‚” Glenn says. While Trump has not won the primary yet‚ Glenn and Stu suspect he may. “If Donald Trump were being tried fairly‚ he was charged fairly‚ then it would be a different story. But nobody‚ most people don’t feel that this is anything but a political trial‚” Glenn explains‚ adding‚ “Every time you go after him‚ you make him stronger.” Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Overall‚ Chris Christie has not been taken seriously as a presidential candidate. He’s often the butt of jokes‚ the subject of viral memes‚ and the laughingstock of former debates. However‚ he did seem to have a shining moment during the fourth GOP debate when he was awarded with applause and cheers of approval from the audience. Dave Rubin plays the clip when Christie ripped into Vivek Ramaswamy for hurling petty insults at competitor Nikki Haley. “This is the fourth debate that you would be voted in the first 20 minutes as the most obnoxious blowhard in America‚ so shut up for a while‚” Christie fired as Ramaswamy attempted to interrupt. But Christie wasn’t even close to finished. “We’re now 25 minutes into this debate‚ and he has insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence — not her positions‚” Christie continued‚ referencing Ramaswamy’s former comments that Haley “doesn't know regions” and “wouldn't be able to find something on a map that his 3-year-old could find.” “Look‚ if you want to disagree on issues‚ that’s fine‚ and Nikki and I disagree on some issues‚ but I'll tell you this: I've known her for 12 years‚ which is longer than he's even started to vote in a Republican primary‚” Christie said over the laughter of the audience‚ “and while we disagree about some issues and we disagree about who should be president the United States‚ what we don't disagree on is this is a smart‚ accomplished women‚ and you should stop insulting her.” Again‚ the crowd cheered and whooped in obvious support. “The 12-year line was kind of good‚” admits Dave‚ but he doesn’t think Ramaswamy necessarily insulted Haley’s intelligence by asking her to point out some Ukrainian provinces that she wants to “give hundreds of millions‚ if not billions‚ of dollars to.” To hear Vivek’s fiery response to Christie’s castigation‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A grieving Texas mom is speaking out after she discovered her 16-year-old daughter dead in the bathtub of the apartment they both lived in. Jacqueline Medina told Fox News Digital that she found the remains of her daughter‚ Lizbeth "Liz" Medina‚ on Tuesday evening just before 7 p.m. after not hearing from her all day. "I decided to go look for her. And I kept calling her phone nonstop‚ and it would take me straight to voicemail‚" said Medina. "I called a bunch of people and nobody knew anything‚" she continued. "It wasn't until I walked into the restroom that I was on the phone with my friend asking him to come help me look for her — is when I [saw] her foot‚ and it was in the bathtub. And so I opened the curtains. There she was." Medina and her daughter had temporarily moved from Nebraska to the Cottonwood Apartments in the town of Edna just southeast of Houston. The victim was a cheerleader at Edna High School. The mom says she had gone back to the apartment to change her work clothing and had not seen that her daughter was dead in the bathtub before she left. "It hurts me. When I went to go change‚ I didn't realize that she had been there the whole time. I could have seen her‚" said Medina. "I didn't look. I just didn't go into the restroom."Medina says their apartment was broken into a few weeks prior to the death of her daughter‚ and she believes it might be related. Police have not released any further details about how the teenager died. "I don't understand why. My God‚ why would they do this to her?" Medina added. "She's such a beautiful‚ smart‚ and amazing girl. There's moments where I just can't take it. And then there's moments where I feel like I need to be strong for her." Here's a local news report about the incident: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Apparently‚ calling for genocide is only considered unacceptable in certain “contexts.” That’s the hill Harvard president Dr. Claudine Gay is willing to die on‚ anyway. In a recent Congressional hearing‚ Dr. Gay was questioned on Harvard’s policies regarding bullying and harassment. “At Harvard‚ does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard's rules of bullying and harassment? Yes or no?” asked Rep. Elise Stefanik. “It can be‚ depending on the context‚” was Dr. Gay’s disgraceful answer. “What’s the context?” Stefanik pressed. “Targeted at an individual‚” Dr. Gay responded. “It’s targeted at Jewish students — Jewish individuals. Do you understand your testimony is dehumanizing them? Do you understand that dehumanization is part of anti-Semitism?” Stefanik fired back before repeating her initial question about whether or not support for genocide violates Harvard’s policies. “Anti-Semitic rhetoric‚ when it crosses into conduct‚ amounts to bullying‚ harassment‚ intimidation. That is actionable conduct‚ and we do take action‚” Dr. Gay responded flatly. Dave Rubin has a translation for Dr. Gay’s morally bankrupt testimony: “It turns into ‘conduct’ ... when we have 10 dead Jews hanging in Harvard Square.” Until then‚ apparently calling for genocide is just exercising First Amendment rights. On top of her disgraceful position‚ Dr. Gay’s response is dripping in hypocrisy. “Imagine if there was a whole bunch of white kids rampaging through Harvard calling for the genocide of black people. What do you think Harvard would be doing?” asks Dave. We all know the answer to that. Elon Musk‚ among many‚ was disgusted by Dr. Gay’s testimony and took the opportunity to call out her complete and utter moral failure. Yesterday‚ he tweeted: To get the full story‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.