02 U.S. Politics

Blurb:

On Friday evening, President Donald Trump issued Iran’s mullahs a 48-hour deadline: Open the Strait of Hormuz or say goodbye to your power plants.

 

And then, this morning — just 12 hours before the deadline ended — the president abruptly pulled the plug:

But did you notice the timing?

Trump delivered the ultimatum on Friday evening, after the U.S. markets had closed for the week. And he canceled his ultimatum on Monday morning, just before the U.S. markets reopened.

And the new five-day deadline? Why, it conveniently begins after the U.S. markets close on Friday!

None of this was coincidental.

Meanwhile, Iran quickly claimed victory:

Blurb:

President Donald Trump on Monday floated the idea of joint control over the Strait of Hormuz and appeared uncertain about Iran’s current leadership while taking questions from reporters.

Speaking on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport before departing Florida following a weekend at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins who currently controls the critical waterway.

The president suggested a resolution could be near if ongoing negotiations with Tehran pan out.

Blurb:

Record-long security lines are snarling airports nationwide as the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags into its sixth week, and President Trump says reinforcements are on the way.

With TSA short-staffed after a surge of callouts, the White House plans to deploy ICE agents to 14 airports to help keep lines moving and reduce bottlenecks, according to administration officials. The move comes as travelers report arriving hours early just to have a shot at making flights.

Blurb:

Virginia Democrats have pushed through a sweeping package of gun control legislation that represents a major rollback of Second Amendment protections for millions of law-abiding citizens.

In just 60 days, the Virginia General Assembly advanced more than a dozen anti-gun measures, including SB 749 and HB 217.

The two identical bills target commonly owned semi-automatic firearms.

The legislation now sits on the desk of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who has already indicated she will sign the measures into law.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump said his two primary negotiators in dealing with Iran met with representatives from the Islamic Republic on Sunday night, hours before he postponed U.S. strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.

Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner spoke with their Iranian counterparts, Trump confirmed to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, who relayed the information to her audience Monday morning.

Trump’s comments came shortly after Iranian state media reported that there were no “direct or indirect” talks with his administration.

The president said he did not know what the state-run media outlets were talking about and suggested they did not know the latest information, according to Bartiromo.

“It’s hard to get any information there because the U.S. is blowing up so much of their infrastructure,” he told the Fox News host.

Blurb:

“I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc.”

President Trump said in a Sunday post that he supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers wearing masks during operations targeting “hardened criminals,” while also calling for agents to go without masks during their work at airports.

“I am a BIG proponent of ICE wearing masks as they search for, and are forced to deal with, hardened criminals, many of whom were let into our Country by Sleepy Joe Biden and his wonderful “Border Czar,” Kamala (she never even went to the Border!), through their absolutely INSANE Open Border Policy. I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc. Thank you! President DJT” the post read.

Agents were deployed to airports on Monday to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers as Democratic lawmakers continue to withhold full funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Blurb:

 

More than willing to hold Americans’ ease of travel hostage, Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and his Democratic allies in the U.S. Senate initiated a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security last month, conditioning the passage of the FY2026 DHS appropriations bill on restrictions to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations.

This Democratic denial of funding that has survived over four votes on theme has manifested in long lines and headaches at airports across the country — especially at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which urged travelers on Monday morning to “arrive at least 4 hours early” on account of Transportation Security Administration staffing constraints and the correlated “longer than normal wait times at security checkpoints.”

‘We thought we would be safe enough.’

Blurb:

President Donald Trump is demanding that any deal with Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security includes an agreement on requiring photo identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections

The demand merges two battles that Congress has failed to resolve.

“I don’t think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass ‘THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night.

“In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary.”

The SAVE America Act, if signed into law, would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.

Trump has called for the bill to include restrictions on transgender procedures for minors, transgender participation in women’s sports, and mail-in ballots.

Blurb:

 

This is straight out of Orwell’s Animal farm -“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Trust fund babies partied until dawn as the entire island of Cuba was plunged into darkness with yet another grid collapse.

Hunchbacks can’t see their own hunch. These evil clowns should not be allowed to return.

New York Post: Socialists from the US and Europe put on a concert in Cuba — just as the country was plunged into third blackout this month Saturday. A convoy of socialists — including streamer Hasan Piker, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, members of Code Pink and lefty Irish hip-hop group Kneecap — is in Cuba with the goal of supporting Cuba’s oppressive communist regime. But Piker and others have been dogged by criticism for staying in a 5-star hotel in Havana, and Kneecap played a concert in the capital city as the rest of the nation of 11 million people faced yet another major blackout. Kneecap previously was accused of supporting Hamas. At the group’s show, which appeared to be attended by only a handful of people, the rappers were filmed chanting “Free Cuba, f–k Trump, f–k Netanyahu. Code Pink founder Jodi Evans was pictured smiling in a pink keffiyeh as she posed for a picture with Piker in Cuba on Saturday. “This is like the Fyre Festival for humanities majors with trust funds,” one X user wrote, referencing 2017’s infamous fraudulent music festival. (New York Post)

Blurb:

Iran launched two missiles at the United Kingdom‘s base in Diego Garcia, missing but exposing greater missile capabilities than previously known.

After the U.K. announced it would allow the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran, Tehran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, over 2,000 miles away, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. Both missiles missed, with one failing and landing in the sea and a U.S. Navy warship firing an SM-3 interceptor at the other, though it’s not known if the interceptor made contact.

The missile launches, though unsuccessful, are hugely significant, likely changing many countries’ calculus regarding Tehran.

Blurb:

An illegal alien previously released twice before by sanctuary city Chicago is now in custody again and charged with murdering an 18-year-old woman on Thursday.

“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement released Sunday:

“According to local reports, 18-year-old Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed on Thursday morning around 1:00 am while she was walking in a park with friends. Medina-Medina is accused of approaching her while wearing a mask and armed with a gun.

“As she attempted to flee, he fired his gun and shot her. Gorman was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.”

Blurb:

James Talarico may have won the Democratic primary for Senate in Texas based on electability, but that’s only relative to his competition, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

In the past few weeks, Talarico — a state representative, former teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian — has had his past statements prove just how marginal the relative electability advantage really was.

In the latest of a trove of opposition research that’s gone over well with the left but will get played from now until Election Day for normal Texans, Talarico said that not only did he think positively of the illegal immigrant students he taught, but they were actually more American than Americans.

“Before I was a politician, I was a public school teacher in San Antonio, Texas, on the west side of the city, and I taught a lot of undocumented students, and those students tended to be my most patriotic students,” Talarico said in an interview last week.

“They understood something about this country that a lot of us who are native-born forget: that this is supposed to be the land of opportunity,” he continued.

Blurb:

 

The role of Israel’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime.

Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.

On Feb. 28, Israel vividly demonstrated the potential of such systems to be hacked and used against adversaries when Israel tracked down Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the help of Tehran’s own street cameras – despite repeated warnings that Iran’s surveillance systems had been compromised, according to interviews and an Associated Press review of leaked data, public statements and news reports.

Blurb:

In a lengthy Truth Social post on Friday, President Donald Trump laid out the U.S. objectives for winding down the conflict with Iran and re-opening the vital Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint responsible for handling 20 percent of global oil exports and large quantities of other valuable commodities.

“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” the president wrote. He went on to list a number of objectives for the operation, many of which have already been achieved, according to the Pentagon.

Blurb:

 

House Democrats blocked legislation to establish a “Women’s History Museum” because of an amendment requiring the new institution to only honor real women, not gender-confused men.

“The Museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women in the United States,” the bill states.

The legislation forbade the museum from depicting a “biological male as female.”

This drew the ire of members of the House Administration Committee, which considered the legislation yesterday, according to Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY).

Blurb:

The main U.S. indexes were on track to open higher on Monday after President Donald Trump said he would order the military to postpone strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure following “productive conversations” with Tehran.

Iran’s Fars News Agency, however, disputed Trump’s statement, citing a source who said there had been no direct communication with the United States, nor via intermediaries. Israel’s military said it was conducting strikes on Iran.

Still, global markets staged a sharp recovery after Trump’s comments, with Europe’s STOXX 600 and precious metals turning positive, while oil prices fell, signaling improving risk appetite.

Blurb:

Whenever the weather changes suddenly, or the skyline becomes shrouded in a windy haze, Fernanda Camarillo braces herself for an asthma attack.

Her condition has become more manageable, but the 27-year-old said it’s still scary when her chest tightens and she starts to wheeze. It was one of her first thoughts when she heard about plans to develop a massive data center next to her home in Imperial County, a farming community near the border of Mexico that struggles with poor air quality.

Blurb:

In the middle of a worship song on Sunday, the morning after Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed for a second time in six days, the preacher at Renewal in Christ Church in Havana said he had a message to share that came to him in a dream.

Sunlight splashed in through an open window to the right of the raised platform where he stood, as a battery-powered light affixed to the ceiling shone weakly over the pulpit. A row of desk fans, plugs dangling, lined the top of the concrete walls of the shadowed sanctuary.

Almost every plastic and metal chair was filled at this small evangelical church, built from two housing units along a block of row housing in East Havana, which, like most of the city on this morning, had no power.

“If you are thinking of giving up, don’t give up, keep going, keep going,” said Pastor Daniel Cisnero, sweat on his brow, eyes closed, his voice a shout.

“It’s not the time to give up, it’s the time to keep walking holding God’s hand.”

Blurb:

Canada and allies say in a joint statement they are willing to “contribute to appropriate efforts”  to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing war in Iran.

In a statement co-signed with the United Kingdom. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, the nations “call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.”

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” the statement reads.

The statement comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump called upon NATO and other U.S. allies to help secure the Strait from Iranian attacks.

Blurb:

In a significant escalation of U.S. military presence in the Middle East, the Pentagon has ordered the deployment of an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and attached Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), totaling roughly 4,000 service members. The latest deployment will include approximately 2,500 Marines and units specializing in amphibious operations, according to a report from Newsmax.

The report, which citied multiple U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Japan, along with the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, were initially redirected toward the region. This was done as part of a broader reinforcement, with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th MEU from the West Coast accelerating their deployment ahead of schedule to join operations.

Blurb:

Just days after the Trump Justice Department proposed a rule to combat the left’s use of “barfare” to destroy conservative lawyers, the legal disciplinary authority in the Department’s own backyard may have vindicated its effort by launching an attack on U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin.

On March 6, the Washington, D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed charges and initiated disciplinary proceedings against the MAGA stalwart in a case that could drag on for months or longer, waste precious taxpayer resources, and result in sanctions up to and including disbarment.

Joseph Foreman, who goes by the name Afroman, was sued by the Adams County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office for defamation. Foreman had published a video of the police raiding his home in search of drugs, a raid that proved fruitless.

The police sued the singer of “Because I got High” over defamation. A jury of Afroman’s peers found the singer not liable, delivering to the police department a stinging rebuke of their attempt to stifle the First Amendment rights of Americans.

Blurb:

Afroman found not liable in bizarre Ohio defamation case – nypost.com

The verdict was the icing on the cake.

Afroman did not defame Ohio cops in a satirical music video that featured footage of them fruitlessly raiding the rapper’s house, a jury found on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old “Because I Got High” rapper, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, held up his hands in triumph and hugged people in the courtroom after he was found not liable for defamation, or invasion of privacy false light publicity.

Foreman was sued by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office over a drug search at his home in August 2022 that resulted in no criminal charges.

Afroman was found not liable on Wednesday in a bizarre Ohio civil case in which cops accused him of defamation over a music video that featured footage of them fruitlessly raiding his house.

The hip hop star wrote the satirical song “Lemon Pound Cake” and made a music video with real footage of the raid taken from his home surveillance cameras to raise money for property damage caused during the search, he has said.

Moody Bible Institute has settled with the Chicago Public School District after suing them for barring students from participating in Moody’s student-teaching program. The settlement ends the school district’s requirement that Moody must hire employees, even if they are not Christian, in order for students in their program to be able to be teachers in their schools.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus stated in a press release, “Chicago desperately needs more teachers to fill hundreds of vacancies, and Moody’s students will be well-equipped and qualified to help meet that need.

“Moody holds its faculty and students to high standards of excellence, and we’re pleased to reach this favorable outcome that will allow it to participate in Chicago Public Schools’ student-teaching program. We’re hopeful other public officials will take note that they can’t inject themselves illegally and unconstitutionally into a religious non-profit’s hiring practices.”

Blurb:

Chicago Public Schools to Allow Bible College Students Into Teaching Program, Following Lawsuit – legalinsurrection.com

It’s amazing that it took a lawsuit to make this happen.

FOX News reports:

Chicago Public Schools will now allow Bible college students into its teaching program, after lawsuit

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will no longer bar students from a Bible college from participating in its student-teaching program after reaching a settlement Thursday in the college’s religious discrimination case.

Moody Bible Institute, a private Christian college in Chicago, sued the Chicago Board of Education in November, alleging CPS had unlawfully blocked its students from participating in the district’s student-teaching program because of the school’s religious hiring practices.

The lawsuit claims CPS excluded Moody students from its student teacher internship program after the college refused to abandon its policy of hiring employees who affirm the school’s statement of faith and agree to live according to its Christian beliefs, including on gender and sexuality.

“As a condition of participation, Chicago Public Schools insists that Moody sign agreements with employment nondiscrimination provisions that forbid Moody from employing only those who share and live out its faith,” the complaint stated. “Such a requirement is unlawful.”

Blurb:

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Mar 17) said the United States had been informed by most of its NATO allies that they did not want to get involved with the country’s military operation in Iran, a move he described as a “very foolish mistake.”

But Trump gave no indication that he plans to punish NATO allies for their stances, as he took questions from reporters in the Oval Office during the St. Patrick’s Day visit of Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

Trump said NATO countries were supportive of the joint US-Israeli war, which has now entered its third week, even as they did not want to get involved.

“I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” Trump said. “Everyone agrees with us, but they don’t want to help. And we, you know, we as the United States have to remember that because we think it’s pretty shocking,” he added.

Blurb:

Farm worker rights icon Cesar Chavez, who led the battle to unionize agricultural labor, is being accused of sexual abuse involving underage girls.

A report in The New York Times cited accounts from multiple women, several of whom were underage at the time, who were either intimidated or forced to have sex with Chavez.

The report led to calls for the legacy of the liberal icon to be reconsidered.