Image 01 Image 03

November 2018

Jim Acosta and CNN were granted a Temporary Restraining Order on Friday, November 16, 2018, restoring Acosta's White House "hard pass," to allow him privileged access to the White House grounds for press briefings and other events, pending further court action. The White House promptly announced that it would promulgate rules governing press conduct and discipline, to address the court's concern that Acosta was not afforded due process.

Will corporations never learn that knee-jerk reactions to online outrage are almost always factually vapid? Apparently not. Fast food chain Chipotle recently fired a manager after a viral video showed her refusing service to a group of young, black men. She also suggested the group of men did not have money to pay for their food, saying the last several times they frequented the restaurant, they didn't have money to pay. "You gotta pay because you’ve never had money when you come in here. We're not gonna make food unless you guys actually have money," she said.

In a highly unusual ruling, one of Israel’s chief rabbis has allowed a Palestinian Arab man to be buried in a special plot, reserved for those without religious faith, in the Jewish Har HaMenuchot cemetery in Jerusalem. At issue is the decision of Aryeh Stern, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, to enable the West Bank-based family of Ala’a Qarash (also spelled Alah Kirsh) to bury him at the Jewish cemetery as an “exception” because the “Muslims themselves are unwilling to bury him” and he was a “righteous gentile” who “showed good will” to Jews.

On Friday, November 16, 2018, the federal District Court in D.C. granted a temporary restraining order compelling the White House to reinstate CNN's Jim Acosta's "hard pass," that gives him privileged access to the White House for press briefings and events. As described in our coverage of the decision, there is no written opinion or transcript as of now that can be reviewed to understand the precise parameters and reasoning of the judge. As of this writing, we only have media reports as to the judge's stated reasons.

You have to wonder if Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) isn't kicking herself and hearing a constant refrain of "be careful what you wish for" drum through her head.  The House is back in Democrat hands as of January, but she's saddled with a rabble of socialist freshmen who are intent on shaking things up . . . starting with Pelosi's much-coveted prize, the House Speakership. Leading the socialist Democrat charge is newly-elected socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).  Not only is she hopelessly clueless about . . . pretty much everything, but she's so sure of herself that she's already attended a protest against her own party, specifically against Pelosi.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has conceded to Florida Governor Rick Scott (R).  Scott will become Florida's junior senator, making this the first time in over a century that Florida has had two Republican senators.  This flipped Senate seat will also strengthen the Republican majority in the Senate to 52-48.  Prior to the midterms, the GOP held a slightly slimmer majority of 51-49. Scott announced that Nelson, who has held public office since 1972, conceded in a phone call Sunday after the second mandatory recount showed Scott leading by approximately 10,000 votes.

As the #NeverTrump right joins forces with the progressive left to call on acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to recuse himself from the Mueller probe, President Trump appeared on Fox News Sunday and voiced his support for Whitaker's decisions regarding the investigation. Asked if he would be "okay" with any attempt by Whitaker to "limit or curtail" the Mueller investigation, Trump responded, "Look, it's gonna be up to him."