Professor Jonathan Turley exposed a “breathtaking mistake” by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in an Opinion piece he wrote for The Messenger. It could put Joe Biden in more legal jeopardy. During a presser by Hunter Biden who was flouting a subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee‚ Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president‚ […] The post Joe Biden Knew Hunter Was Going to Skip appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Pregnancies centers across the country provided more than $350 million in goods and services last year‚ a new report shows. In 2022‚ pregnancy centers provided at least $358 million in services‚ according to a new report released Friday by the Charlotte Lozier Institute‚ the research arm of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Pregnancy centers offer expectant mothers alternatives to abortion‚ including support for the mother and baby both before and after the baby is born. The report surveyed 2‚750 pregnancy centers across the country‚ pulling data from the Charlotte Lozier Institute itself‚ Care Net‚ Heartbeat International‚ and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. The pregnancy centers met with clients more than 16 million times‚ including nearly 975‚000 new clients‚ the report found. The clients reported that they had a positive experience in about 97% of those over 16 million client sessions. Pregnancy centers provided many crucial services to women at no cost including pregnancy tests‚ ultrasounds‚ parenting education programs‚ baby diapers‚ wipes‚ formula‚ baby clothes‚ and more. More than half a million free ultrasounds were performed. More than 200‚000 tests for sexually transmitted diseases or infections were performed. More than 700‚000 free pregnancy tests were provided. More than 400‚000 people attended parenting education programs‚ and more than 600‚000 students attended sexual risk avoidance education. A whopping 4.3 million baby outfits were provided‚ along with millions of diapers and wipes and tens of thousands of new car seats‚ cribs‚ strollers‚ and packs of baby formula. Also‚ more than 19‚000 people received post-abortion support. There were more than 4‚700 licensed medical staff spread across the 2‚750 pregnancy centers‚ but nearly 45‚000 people volunteered their time. About 91% of Americans support pregnancy centers‚ according to a January Knights of Columbus-Marist poll. About 32‚000 more babies were born per year due to state abortion bans enacted since Roe v. Wade was overturned‚ according to an analysis last month by the Institute of Labor Economics. “In the Dobbs era‚ the demands upon pregnancy help centers have increased daily. Many states are responding with new funds and new policies to support the centers’ work‚” said Chuck Donovan‚ president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute. “At the same time‚ new attacks are launched daily by violent radicals and by politicians who should know better. Some would find these challenges daunting‚ but as our report shows‚ pregnancy help center leaders see in this situation new opportunities to serve generously with love and compassion for those in need‚” Donovan said. In 2020‚ there were more than 620‚000 abortions across 47 states and the District of Columbia‚ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Guttmacher Institute puts the national total significantly higher at more than 930‚000 abortions for 2020. Only half of Americans want abortion to be legal after 15 weeks‚ which is around the beginning of the second trimester‚ according to a June Associated Press poll.

There are two major problems with the notion of diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion (DEI). The first is the inherent discrimination in the concept: the belief that all aspects of success are due to exploitation and discrimination. This means‚ when applied to groups‚ statistically underperforming groups are to be considered “victimized‚” whether or not they are victims‚ and to be treated with special privileges; those who are members of statistically overachieving groups‚ whether or not they are victimized‚ are to be treated as villains.  The only possible exception to this hierarchy is white men‚ who are always to be treated as villains‚ whether their group is underperforming or overperforming in any given situation. This philosophy is how you get a holiday party for “Electeds of Color” thrown by Asian Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Apparently‚ this “Electeds of Color” party has been happening for a decade in Boston.  Obviously‚ this is discriminatory and wrong. If there were a white-electeds-only party‚ of course‚ that would be violative of federal discrimination law. But DEI insists you cannot be wrong so long as you’re a member of the victimhood hierarchy. So that’s the first problem with DEI: It’s racist. Then there’s the second problem‚ not disconnected to the first: mediocrity.  WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show If success is to be treated as sinful and failure as virtuous — because victimhood is virtue — then mediocrity is the happy middle wherein you can avoid being completely terrible at things and also escape censure for being good at them. So it is in academia‚ where racially diverse mediocrity is preferable to non-race-based meritocratic achievement. See‚ for example‚ Harvard‚ where President Claudine Gay‚ despite apparently being both a serial plagiarist and a soft-on-anti-Semitism leader‚ is still in her job. Or‚ see Chicago‚ where Mayor Brandon Johnson — the even worse successor to Lori Lightfoot — announced his plans to kill Chicago’s high-achieving selective-enrollment schools‚ since they weren’t racially diverse enough. Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez has put forth a resolution seeking “a transition away from privatization and admissions/enrollment policies and approaches that further stratification and inequity in CPS and drive student enrollment away from neighborhood schools.” Better that high-achieving students be trapped in the crappy local school than they be able to go to a better school. Mediocrity for all! And so it is at the White House‚ where equity prevails above all.  Now‚ when the Biden White House promised equity would be at the heart of all they do‚ they meant it. Which‚ presumably‚ is why Dr. Jill Biden — the greatest of all doctors — invited the Dorrance Dance company to perform a version of the “Nutcracker” ballet at the White House.  There’s nothing wrong with the concept here; the “Nutcracker” is a famous Christmastime piece of culture‚ and tap dance is a historically black American art form with a long and storied Hollywood history. Many if not most of the greatest tap artists in history have been black Americans‚ from the Nicholas Brothers to Bill “Bojangles” Robinson to Gregory Hines.  Now‚ of course‚ like most of what is amazing in America‚ tap has been adopted by people of all cultures — which is how you end up with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire‚ two of the greatest American artists of all time. So‚ there was plenty of history and quality for the Biden White House to choose from in picking their Christmas tap routine. But what the White House presented wasn’t good tap dancing. It wasn’t terrible. It was just … well‚ meh.  A bit of magic‚ wonder‚ and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance‚ performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy! 💕 pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o — Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 13‚ 2023 Now‚ why was Dorrance Dance picked to do this much-mocked routine? Presumably‚ it had something to do with the politics of the group. Michelle Dorrance‚ founder of the group‚ has dedicated the group to “antiracism.” Here is what she wrote on her website:  It is our job to tell the history of tap dance as a celebration of Black culture and also the never-ending struggle against systemic racism and white supremacy in this country – the origin story of appropriation in American culture. In 2020‚ I am a part of the way this story plays out. I am a white tap dancer with Black cultural ancestors in a society that privileges white people and whiteness. I am easy for white audiences wanting to access and experience elements of Black culture to swallow. Dorrance says that tap dance is “both a tradition born of subversion/revolution/protest and a powerful vehicle for social and political change” and adds that as a beneficiary of “white privilege that I invite you to join me in lifelong antiracism work. Understanding how deeply embedded white supremacy‚ racism‚ and colonialism is in our culture is paramount to understanding our role (as white people) in perpetuating it‚ and embracing our job to dismantle it.” Or‚ you know‚ you could just dance. Because here’s the reality of a free country: Quality improves everyone and everything. All the black tap artists I mentioned did more for racial comity and black Americans than Michelle Dorrance ever will — because they demonstrated‚ to anyone who would even think that race ought to define someone‚ that incredible artistry spans and transcends race. But when DEI is your goal‚ mediocrity is all too often the result.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has concluded that “Friends” star Matthew Perry died on October 28 as the result of the “acute effects of ketamine‚” which resulted in “cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.” Despite the fact that it is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any psychiatric conditions‚ ketamine infusion therapy has been used to treat depression and anxiety — and according to the medical examiner’s report‚ entertainment site Page Six noted that Perry was undergoing that particular type of therapy for treatment of depression. His last treatment‚ according to the Associated Press‚ took place about 1 1/2 weeks prior to his death. Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the drug ketamine‚ according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor. https://t.co/lPUBAybWGq — The Associated Press (@AP) December 15‚ 2023 Perry’s death was ruled “accidental‚” and other contributing factors listed on the autopsy report included drowning‚ coronary artery disease‚ and buprenorphine — an FDA-approved drug used for the treatment of opioid addiction. The “Whole Nine Yards” actor had struggled with addiction to both alcohol and Vicodin for decades‚ but was reportedly clean and sober at the time of his death. “Friends” costar Jennifer Aniston‚ in a recent interview for Variety‚ said that in addition to being clean and sober‚ Perry had been in a much better place — and had been absolutely dedicated to getting his life back on track. “He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning‚ funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy‚” Aniston said. “I want people to know he was really healthy‚ and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one‚” Aniston continued. “I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy‚ he made us laugh really hard … His way of speaking created a whole different world. We went with his lead‚ in a way. It just added something to our joy.”

'Corporations are collectively adopting and imposing'

The full federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30