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April 2015

Posted by Amy Miller on April 28, 2015 3 Comments
Earlier this month, we covered the anniversary of the mass abduction of 200 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram. Nigeria's new government made waves when it tacitly acknowledged that those kidnapped were most likely not coming home. Factoring in the time missing, and the nature of the captors, holding out hope was no longer a realistic option. For the girls taken last year, that's likely still the case; but today, hope remained alive for almost 300 other women and girls who were rescued by the Nigerian military. The captives were rescued during operations by the Nigerian military to seize four Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest in northeast Nigeria. From Fox News:
A military source who was in Sambisa told The Associated Press that some of the women rescued Tuesday fought back, and that Boko Haram was using armed women as human shields, putting them as their first line of defense. The Nigerian troops managed to subdue them and rounded them all up, and some said they were forced to fight for Boko Haram, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Boko Haram also has used girls and women as suicide bombers, sending them into crowded market places and elsewhere. A month ago the Nigerian military began pounding the Sambisa Forest in air raids, an assault they said earlier they had been avoiding for fear of killing the Chibok schoolgirls, or inciting their captors to kill them.

Posted by Amy Miller on April 28, 2015 13 Comments
We are head-first through the looking glass, people. The Ayatollah of Iran is trolling us on Twitter:
Addressing the 20th annual General Congress of Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Commanders and Staff on Sunday, Iran’s Supreme Leader criticized American police, saying their “authority is wrong and oppressive.” Khamenei took to Twitter to rail against U.S. law enforcement who he says utilize “power and tyranny” to “kill innocents” amid ongoing riots over the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. ... Khamenei, who is a Muslim Cleric, touted the religion of Islam for its balance of mercy and justice. “Power with cruelty isn’t favored by #Islam. #Police should embody justice and mercy while being potent,” he tweeted.
Behold, the power of the internet:

Posted by Amy Miller on April 28, 2015 79 Comments
No matter which way you come down on the issue of gay marriage, today was a big day at the Supreme Court. Those who wished to sit in the courtroom (and who weren't lucky enough to hold membership in the Supreme Court Bar, or the media) camped for several nights outside the courthouse, and today, protesters (both hopeful and defiant) gathered on the steps to make their voices heard. Obergefell v. Hodges is consolidated with three other cases, and the issues at hand are pretty simple compared to those contained in other cases we've covered:
1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? 2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?
So, here we are. "Finally," some would say. Is gay marriage an idea whose time has come, or an idea that should be left untouched by the government? Both parties had their day in court today, and the ebb and flow of oral arguments revealed a divide in the Court that has left many SCOTUS watchers hesitant to make a prediction.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on April 28, 2015 26 Comments
Through the course of my daily interneting, I read that President Obama thanked the Japanese for karate, karaoke, and emojis. Yes, the little happy faces you send in text messages. I chuckled to myself, figured it was parody, and went on my merry way. This afternoon I was horrified to learn it was not parody I encountered, oh no. President Obama in his infinite foreign policy wisdom (I'm assuming his narcissism believes as much), actually thanked Japan for emojis and karate (pronounced the same way he says Pakistan -- terribly). But then he also gave Queen Elizabeth II an iPod, so the bar is set pretty low here. "Today is a chance for Americans, especially our young people, to say thank you for all the things we love from Japan." said President Obama, who according to Politico, was speaking at an arrival ceremony with with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. And then things took a turn for the excruciatingly embarrassing, "like karate, karaoke, manga, and anime, and of course emojis," Obama continued.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 28, 2015 41 Comments
I know this has made the rounds quite a bit, but it's still worth playing. Kind of speaks for itself, but here's the story:
This Baltimore mom saw her son throwing rocks at police on television. That didn't sit well with her. The video shows the mother repeatedly striking her boy, chasing him as he tries to walk away.
Mom may have humiliated her son on national TV. And that may be the best thing that ever happened to him. I don't know the son's age, but would anyone be surprised that, if he's under 18, child services will come down hard on MOM? Here's the video:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on April 28, 2015 15 Comments
Earlier this morning, Al Arabiya reported Iranians boarded a U.S. ship. That report quickly changed to, "Iran has opened fire at a U.S. cargo ship and directed it to Bandar Abbas port on the southern coast of Iran." The BBC, Reuters, and the Telegraph picked up the story, regurgitating Al Arabiya's scoop. So what really happened? While the story is still developing, here's what we know thus far: The ship was not a U.S. cargo ship. The cargo vessel is part of the Maersk line.

Posted by Jay Caruso on April 28, 2015 22 Comments
Peter Schweizer's book, 'Clinton Cash' has not even been released yet, but has created quite a stir in the DC community. With Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign officially launched, the book is raising a lot of questions about Hillary's time as Secretary of State and the Clinton Foundation.  Schweizer says his book lays out a pattern when foreign interests - both government and business - made large donations to the Clinton Foundation and paid Bill Clinton large sums of money while having business before the state department. Schweizer was on Morning Joe today and was being peppered with questions from Mika Brzezinski and Mike Barnicle about "proof", "evidence" and a "smoking gun" (like George Stephanopoulos did) Schweizer tried to remind them he's just an author and doesn't have the ability to do the digging to establish a legal case. They continued to press and that's when Joe Scarborough had enough:

Posted by Amy Miller on April 28, 2015 31 Comments
The Baltimore riots are raging, which means that the parade of talking heads, activists, and local flacks has begun in force. Last night, Sean Hannity spoke to Adam J. Jackson, a Maryland activist and CEO of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, about whether or not what's happening in Baltimore is a movement anyone with a brain should be involved in. Jackson quickly got to his talking points, and made a valiant attempt at ignoring the issue at hand:
“Is this the type of protest you want to be a part of?” Hannity asked Jackson, as footage of burning looting debris played in the background.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 28, 2015 50 Comments
The delicate flowers at Georgetown who demanded "Trigger Warnings" for Christina Hoff Sommer's talk really should come to California. Here they will experience a political San Andreas fault, where progressive theory collides with daily reality....and Californians are hit with the falling debris. Bruce Jenner's public reveal has brought transgender issues into the national conversation, despite a myriad of urgent matters that could really use more attention. However, California has been enacting gender identification polices for years (to the point we have to have ballot measures demanding bathroom privacy rights). In preparation for life under Obamacare, I want to offer this example of what happens when public health care gets coupled with personal politics. It features a single mom, Cindy K., who recently took her 11-year old son for a simple physical exam required for middle school entry. After taking her son's vitals, she reports the doctor began to ask some really troubling questions about gender and sexual  identity:
...The doctor then proceeded to ask..."do you know what your gender identity is?" I looked at the doctor and said, "What are you asking my son?" She proceeded to explain to me that sometimes kids don't know and they like to help explain it to them. My son asked what the doctor was asking him and I said, "She wants to know if you are a boy or a girl?" My son looked at me funny and said, "I'm a boy", with a look of bewilderment on his face. The doctor then proceeded to ask if my 11 year old son new what his sexual identity is?" At this point I stopped again and said, "Why are you asking these questions?" The doctor's response was that not all parents have these conversations with their kids, so they want to be the one's to explain it to the kids. Again, my son asked me what the doctor was asking him. I said, "Well, the doctor wants to know if you would prefer to kiss boys or girls." My son had a look of disgust on his face and said, "A girl, of course".

Posted by Mike LaChance on April 28, 2015 17 Comments
The Clinton Foundation has admitted that it may have made "mistakes" with regard to their taxes and will refile five years of returns. The admission came after a Reuters report was published on Sunday:
Clinton Foundation admits making mistakes on taxes The Clinton Foundation's acting chief executive admitted on Sunday that the charity had made mistakes on how it listed government donors on its tax returns and said it was working to make sure it does not happen in the future. The non-profit foundation and its list of donors have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. Republican critics say the foundation makes Hillary Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, vulnerable to undue influence. After a Reuters review found errors in how the foundation reported government donors on its taxes, the charity said last week it would refile at least five annual tax returns. "So yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future," Clinton Foundation acting Chief Executive Officer Maura Pally said in a statement.
Watch Dana Loesch of The Blaze discuss the issue with Dinesh D'Souza. The Clinton Foundation's finances are so questionable that non-profit experts are calling it a slush fund.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on April 27, 2015 24 Comments
Baltimore called in reinforcements after riots that began Saturday night continued to devastate the city. What began as a march over the death of Freddie Gray who passed away from a spinal chord injury while in police custody, rapidly descended into a violent riot. So far, rioters have thrown rocks and bottles at cops, looted and set fire to a CVS pharmacy, and robbed a reporter. And, just like the Ferguson, Missouri protests, these riots include the anti-Israel mob. To give you an idea of what's going on there, this confrontation between rioters and local law enforcement sums it up pretty well:

#BREAKING: Demonstrators clash with police officers in #Baltimore. Watch LIVE VIDEO: abc15.com/live

Posted by ABC15 Arizona on Monday, April 27, 2015
The Baltimore Orioles game scheduled for this evening was postponed due to the unruly mob. The University of Maryland closed their Baltimore campus today because of local "activities." Essentially, Baltimore is out of control. Not to fear though, Al Sharpton is set to make an appearance. CBS Local live feed here:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 27, 2015 16 Comments
This is becoming a recurring theme. When there is a riot or other protest in the U.S., particularly if involving minority communities, "pro-Palestinian" activists try to hijack it and turn it into a criticism of Israel. We saw it in Ferguson where "pro-Palestinian" activists spread lies that Israel trained the Ferguson police, and actually embedded themselves in the protests to try to turn the protests into anti-Israel protests. The same thing has happened repeatedly with #BlackLivesMatters protests, most notably the dangerous blockade of the San Mateo - Hayward Bridge. This is part of the emerging theme of anti-Israeli activists trying to tie unrelated movements, such as fossil fuel divestment, to Palestinian issues. Now we are seeing it with the Baltimore riots. The usual suspects, like Max Blumenthal, were out in full force immediately, trying to establish a link between the Baltimore police and Israel because some police trained in an Israeli form of martial arts:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on April 27, 2015 31 Comments
Today marks Chipotles first "GMO free" menu day. The burrito chain announced they will no longer prepare food containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). According to the New York Times:
“This is another step toward the visions we have of changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, founder and co-chief executive of Chipotle. “Just because food is served fast doesn’t mean it has to be made with cheap raw ingredients, highly processed with preservatives and fillers and stabilizers and artificial colors and flavors.”
Finally! A GMO-free burrito! Oh, do you have gluten-free tortillas? And can I get extra ice in my coconut water? - A hipster somewhere, probably. So, yay! Chipotle, burgeoning champion of the GMO-free pander movement makes a bold stand. Sounds good, right? There's just one little problem though... Chipotle isn't actually going 100% GMO-free.

Posted by Amy Miller on April 27, 2015 9 Comments
When it comes to the Obama administration, George W. Bush doesn't want to talk about it. Correction: he doesn't normally want to talk about it. Since Bush left office, he has kept remarkably (and some say refreshingly) quiet about politics, policy, and the wrecking ball that is Team Obama. It's a testament to his class, and throws into sharp relief the grasping desperation of the "But BUSH" crowd. At a recent meeting with donors at the Republican Jewish Coalition, however, Bush let fly some long-held criticisms of Obama's policy toward Iran, the war against ISIS, and Vladimir Putin.
The former president...at first remarked that the idea of re-entering the political arena was something he didn’t want to do. He then proceeded to explain why Obama, in his view, was placing the U.S. in "retreat" around the world. He also said Obama was misreading Iran’s intentions while relaxing sanctions on Tehran too easily. According to the attendee's transcription, Bush noted that Iran has a new president, Hassan Rouhani. “He's smooth," Bush said. "And you’ve got to ask yourself, is there a new policy or did they just change the spokesman?”

Posted by Laurel Conrad on April 27, 2015 33 Comments
When I wrote my previous LI piece about Christina Hoff Sommers lecture at Georgetown, I hoped that the “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” were the end to the attempted censorship of Dr. Sommers’ speech. The Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute, for which I am the lecture director, sponsored the speech, and recorded it so that others could both hear Dr. Sommers and the people who questioned her. Unfortunately, I was wrong about the controversy being over. [caption id="attachment_125067" align="alignnone" width="556"][Photo Credit: Georgetown U. Republicans] [Image Credit: Georgetown U. Republicans][/caption]Now, Georgetown University itself is putting pressure on the Georgetown College Republicans to make CBLPI edit its video of the lecture. In an email, the assistant director for Georgetown’s Center for Student Engagement told the lecture student organizers that if CBLPI is “unwilling or unresponsive to the request, Georgetown will need to step in.”

Posted by Amy Miller on April 27, 2015 2 Comments
Earlier this month, officials with the United Nations had a delicate situation on their hands. The situation in Yemen was spiraling, and their best laid plans were quickly being turned to rubble as Saudi coalition airstrikes smashed through key territory in an effort to protect strategic port cities from the advance of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The international community was concerned. For both Saudi and Iran, the airstrikes represented a turning point in discussions that had spiraled from tense to impossible; the UN fired (he "resigned," officially) envoy and Moroccan diplomat Jamal Benomar, citing his apparent inability to get the warring factions to play nicely, and doubled down on the diplomacy narrative as world leaders began to express impatience with the bloodshed. Benomar has now opened up to the media, accusing Saudi of derailing an impending peace deal in Yemen and solidifying already-stubborn positions on who should be involved in Yemen's democratic political process. From the Wall Street Journal:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 27, 2015 12 Comments
The U.S. Supreme court has not yet decided whether to grant a petition for writ of certiorari to review a decision by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled the federal courts should not have issued an injunction halting the "John Doe" investigation targeting conservative groups in Wisconsin. The case was on the Supreme Court conference list for Friday, April 24, 2015, and a decision was expected to be part of Orders issued today, but there was no order. Andrew Grossman, one of the counsel for the petitioners, tweeted this morning: The case is O’Keefe v. Chisholm. You can find all the pleadings here. Since the vast majority of cases are not accepted by the Supreme Court, it's hard to know what, if anything, the delay means. The issue on which review was sought had little to do -- on the surface -- with the substance of the abuses in the John Doe case, but rather, focuses on a technical legal point as to whether and when federal courts can or should stop state investigations. Here's how ScotusBlog summarized the issues:
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