Clean Up and Rebuilding Efforts In Fire-Ravaged Paradise, CA Have Come to a Standstill – Over Frogs

Chicks On The Right  "I’m sorry, but this is one of the most California things I have ever heard.

"As you probably remember, the town of Paradise, California was burned to the ground during the Camp Fire last year. People lost absolutely everything.  “The fire destroyed over 18,000 buildings and killed 85 people. Authorities were unable to account for roughly 1,200 other people. The fire burned down the town of Paradise, and its 27,000 residents were forced to leave to find new homes or rebuild.”
"Damages amounted at over 11 BILLION dollars.
"Now, efforts to clean up the rubble, and attempts to recover and rebuild have come to a standstill – over endangered frogs.
"According to Daily Caller: 

endangered frogs in California are making it difficult for state officials to decide on regulations that allow fire crews to clean up debris left from a deadly fire in the town of Paradise.

Clean-up crew[s] have been barred, however, from entering approximately 800 sites because of frog species that have halted rebuilding and clearing efforts as state and federal seek an agreement on environmental guidelines, The Sacramento Bee reported Friday.   . . .

Fears of harming an endangered frog species have forced crews to delay cleaning debris from about 800 properties in Paradise, angering some residents anxious to start rebuilding their homes.

. . . "In [a] statement calling the situation absurd, Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, and Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, lamented "that frogs, birds and waterways are causing work to stop in some areas."

" 'Survivors are anxious to rebuild or move on. Our neighbors have gone through hell in this disaster, and must be the priority," they said in a joint statement." . . .

Nadler’s Contempt

American Greatness  "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday held a press conference responding to the effort by Representative  Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for his testimony last week. McCarthy was relaxed and jovial as he approached the entrails of the self-destructing anti-Trump movement with a voracious appetite.

"For too long the media and their client Democrats in Congress have operated in an environment in which the rule of law meant only one law: “Get Trump.” That “law” made everything done in service to that goal “legal” and everything in opposition to the goal “illegal.” Cries of a “constitutional crisis” are simply rehashing the received wisdom that there is a new, unwritten amendment to the Constitution called the “Get Trump” provision.

"Thus, an exercise of delegated power by an elected president over the unelected subordinate branches could be called (without intended irony) an attack on democracy. The Obama era ushered in a convergence of power among the powerful federal agencies, the media, and the Democrats. In the early part of the Trump Administration, it even appeared strong enough to overcome the inconvenient election of a candidate who ran in opposition to the cabal." . . .

NBC accused of smearing Covington Catholic teen in 'Law & Order' episode. Law & Order update!

Washington Times

"If you watched “Law & Order: SVU” this week, you may have noticed that the teenage boy in the red cap locked in a faceoff in the middle of a rowdy crowd bears a strong resemblance to Nicholas Sandmann.

"A week after being sued by the Covington Catholic teen, NBCUniversal aired an episode Thursday of the long-running hit series with a scene that looked a lot like the 16-year-old Sandmann’s viral Jan. 18 encounter with an older Native American man at the Lincoln Memorial.

"Certainly the conservative Media Research Center thought so, posting an analysis Friday accusing the show of slandering Sandmann by perpetrating the debunked media narrative of a racist teen taunting a person of color — in this case, Nathan Phillips being replaced by a Muslim councilwoman.

"“It’s probably not the smartest idea to mock a group of people as bigots as they are currently suing you for $275 million dollars in a defamation lawsuit,” said a film critic on the “conservatarian” Society Reviews website." . . .

UPDATES: They do have a track record:
Rerun: "Law & Order": another TV show that sucker-punches half the American population  "We began watching a 2009 episode of "Law and Order" entitled "Fed" last night and I had to shut it off at the start. We saw people like ourselves - TEA par-tiers, portrayed as rifle-toting, hateful bigots. Only Hollywood is capable of inspiring dislike and outrage by the simple means of the skillful acting of those who portray people like you and me as despicable and violent. They give us the same treatment they give to pharmaceutical  and insurance companies.
"May God bless all courageous conservatives in our country trying to stem the socialist tide sweeping America because the left has such massive force to bring against them. And the propaganda is being spoon-fed to the American public. How do we stand a chance?"


More examples of this here.

Mike Pence Calls for Ilhan Omar to Be Removed from House Foreign Affairs Committee

Plus this bonus feature:  Muslim Ilhan Omar and Stalinist Angela Davis Form Mutual Adoration Society

. . . "We collectively must make sure that we are dismantling all systems of oppression…we’re the party of love, the party of compassion.” (Ilhan Omar expressing her lifelong adoration for Angela Davis, lifelong devotee of a system that conquered, enslaved, tortured and murdered many more human beings than Hitler’s Nazis.)"

PJ Media  

"Today, in an interview with Fox News, Vice President Pence called on the Democratic House leadership to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“ 'Ilhan Omar has made statements, anti-Semitic comments against our most cherished ally, Israel, that ought to be rejected by every American," Pence said in the interview. "And frankly the fact that very recently, she’s been trying to blame the United States of America for the deprivation and the poverty brought on by the dictatorship in Venezuela tells me … Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has no place on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Democratic leadership ought to remove her."

"This is not the first time Pence has called out Omar for her despicable views. “Anti-Semitism has no place in the United States Congress, much less the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Pence said of freshman congresswoman back in February. Democratic leaders have yet to hold her accountable for her anti-Semitism, and it’s unlikely they will now. Omar did offer a rather insincere apology for her statements, but hopes that the controversy surrounding her would fade away were lost when she managed to put her anti-Semitic foot in her mouth again, Rather than hold Omar accountable, Nancy Pelosi actually defended Omar’s anti-Semitism, claiming Omar "has a different experience in the use of words."

"The Democratic Party has a growing problem of tolerating anti-Semitism amongst its ranks, and failure to address it has allowed it to become mainstream in their party." . . .

. . . "Even if the Democrats did remove Omar, it would be over a public relations concern, not a genuine desire to oust the anti-Semites from their party."

Matt Margolis is the author of The Scandalous Presidency of Barack Obama and the bestselling The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. His new book, Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama's Legacy, will be published in July 2019.

Don't try posting the above in Denmark: Crackdown on Islam-Critics in Denmark

. . . "Shakespeare was right. There IS something rotten in the state of Denmark.

"I took a quick look at Steen’s Steen’s blog. He has posted — using a borrowed computer — about what happened. He’s not the only one who was rounded up this morning; evidently this was a big day for cracking down on “Islamophobes” in Denmark." . . .
"In Denmark! I thought Denmark was different, but evidently not." . . .

Via Gates of Vienna

Democratic Party dreck*: See how many you can recall

*Dreck: "Worthless, distasteful, or nonsensical material: "the dreck that generally passes for the modern sitcom' "

James Mullin  "The so-called party of the common man seems to have more than its share of trash.  One wonders if the Democrats below actually have had any time left over to represent the people. 
"If you can't recall or are unaware of any of these, don't forget to thank the mainstream media and social media and the internet tyrants. 

• Richard Blumenthal – publicly lied about Vietnam military service.
• Dianne Feinstein – had a communist Chinese spy on her staff for 20 years.
• Joe Biden – creeper extraordinaire; questionable business dealings in Ukraine; ties to Fast and Furious and Benghazi; plagiarism.
• Robert Menendez – publicly censored by his own Senate for corruption.
• Eric Holder – Obama attorney general, where the buck likely stops on Fast and Furious; withholding evidence in Sen. Ted Stevens investigation; illegal targeting and surveillance of reporter James Rosen.
• Loretta Lynch – Obama attorney general famous for illicit "tarmac meeting" with Bill Clinton.
• Bill Clinton – "I did not have sex with that woman."
• Hillary Clinton – Uranium One; Benghazi; Steele Dossier; contempt for the common man.
• Elizabeth Warren – AKA "Pocahontas," publicly lied about Native American ancestry and used such for Harvard position.
• Andrew Cuomo – "America was never that great," infanticide-celebrator.
• Keith Ellison – accused of domestic violence.
• "Beto" O'Rourke – DUI, leaving the scene, publicly lied about it.
• Kamala Harris – ask Willie Brown.

. . . Read the full list here.

Post–Mueller Report Reminder: The Russians Would Have Loved President Hillary Clinton

Remember Hillary's red "Reset" button?  Looking back it seems like something AOC would do with the Russian Ambassador.

American Thinker  . . . "Did Russia interfere in the 2016 election by other means?  That answer is assuredly "yes," but there was no organized scheme of coordination, conspiracy, or "collusion" with the Trump campaign.  It wasn't necessary and would pay no dividends.  Clinton was Russia's preferred candidate.

"So why would Russia interfere?  Quite simply, to sow (more) discord and acrimony among the political parties and voters to undermine American government, society, and leadership.  After the Trump victory, the Russian agitprop apparatus shifted to organizing anti-Trump demonstrations that American media all too obligingly covered.  For all that, Kremlin actors likely exchanged high fives and fist bumps for their handiwork's amplified effects.  You can bet they'll be back with more meddling in 2020.

"All 400-plus pages of the Mueller report — redacted or not — are now a historical document.  The more important question now is, whom does Russia — and whom do other global bad actors — wish to see in the White House come 2020?  Whom would Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping prefer to face in a stare-down with the stakes higher and the objectives being the Baltics, Central Asia, or the South China Sea?  Which candidate does Iran or North Korea prefer to see in the White House?  If our 2016 experience is prologue, such actors will both overtly and covertly default to the Democratic candidate.

Race Relations: If Democrats Would Get Out of Our Way

He speaks of his father's experience as the lone black firefighter in his station who, I feel, would be someone I would want to see have reparations. How sad that the experiences of his father would be cheapened by the likes of Al Sharpton or Maxine Waters. TD

Lloyd Marcus

"To keep blacks feeling like victims in a forever racist America, Democrats keep the flames of racial division burning. Blacks are only 12% of the population. This means white voters gifted the first black president two terms. Despicably, Democrats continue to tell blacks, “Keep voting for us to keep racist white America off your backs.” Contrary to the Democrats’ lie, we have come a long way baby in race relations in our country. Living, working, and playing together, a majority of Americans work out their racial issues. We need race-baiting Democratic politicians to get out of our way.

Read the sad account of his father's treatment by the firefighters at his station here.

. . . "Racism will exist along with every other sin until Jesus returns. Thanks to pioneers like my dad, blacks are thriving in every area of American life. We just need Democrats to stop scheming to divide us."

The US-China confrontation.

A (Trade) War with China is Inevitable  . . . "Since coming into office, Trump has targeted China for being an unfair, predatory trading partner. Trump has picked up the protectionist rhetoric that was traditionally the province of the Democratic Party, outflanking the pro-labor elements of the left and thereby gaining the support of the Rust Belt states in 2016. The defeat of Hillary Clinton was not only a defeat for the leading Democratic contender for the White House, but also marked the end of the comfortable and very corrupt consensus around supporting “free trade” with totalitarian police states like China.
"Each time that Trump has imposed tariffs on Chinese products or set a deadline for the ongoing negotiations, the financial markets have quavered in fear, reflecting the abhorrence investors have for disruptive change. But most investors looking at China also reflect an infantile naivete when it comes to the true nature of the communist state. “When the time comes to hang the capitalists, they will bid against each other for the sale of the rope,” Vladimir Lenin is reported to have said." . . .

U.S. Hikes Tariffs on China to 25 Percent as Trade Deficit Narrows, Negotiations Continue  . . . "On Friday, the U.S. hiked tariffs on China from 10 percent to 25 percent, a sharp increase worth more than $200 billion amid ongoing trade negotiations. At 9:00 AM EST, the world’s largest and second largest economies will resume talks.
“ 'Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner – there is absolutely no need to rush – as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products,” President Trump tweeted early Friday morning. “These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S.' ” . . .

. . . "The Chinese vowed to retaliate.

“China deeply regrets that it will have to take necessary countermeasures,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

"While Wall Street and D.C. have largely opposed President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, it is clearly working to reduce the trade gap between the two nations." . . .

Flashback Video: When Democrats Were Against Holding The AG In Contempt…

Weasel Zippers   2012: House holds Holder in contempt over Fast and Furious; Democrats charge racism  . . . "More than half of the House’s 191 Democrats marched out of the chamber before the first vote to protest the proceedings rather than cast ballots. Some accused the Republicans of racism for challenging Holder." . . .

There will be a theatrical show for the skulls full of mush out there.

Congress contempt citations pretty toothless, says Brit Hume. Eric Holder, Lois Lerner proved that.

Tony Branco

Dems Invite Controversial Imam Who’s Expressed Support For Hamas To Give Prayer On House Floor

Daily Caller  "A Muslim cleric who called for violence against Israel and expressed support for Hamas gave the opening prayer before the House of Representatives Thursday, angering several representatives.

Omar Suleiman, an imam and president of the Yaqeen Institute, delivered the invocation at the invitation of his congresswoman, Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, according to the Jewish Telegraph Agency. Republican New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, who is Jewish, decried the invitation in light of the fact that Suleiman has repeatedly called for a third Intifada against Israel, referred to Jews as “Zionists” and called them “enemies of God,” and defended the terrorist organization Hamas on social media.

"Suleiman has also openly supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel and Israeli businesses. The BDS movement has several financial and personal ties with Palestinian terror groups." . . .

The Little-Known Story Of Mary Jo Kopechne

Heavy.com

Powerline Blog  "I am so old, I actually remember when Chappaquiddick happened. Some years later, I looked into the facts and found that they are quite clear: Senator Ted Kennedy, then 37 years old, drove his car off a bridge and saved himself, leaving a young woman to die, when she could have been rescued if he had simply called for help like a normal human being. Instead, he tried to convince his cousin to take the fall and, failing that, lawyered up. Ted Kennedy is not history’s most contemptible man, but he is easily in the bottom one percent." . . .
. . . "There isn’t any doubt about that. But liberals like Ted Kennedy have always believed that some people are important, and others aren’t. Mary Jo Kopechne was in the latter category. She was collateral damage in the Left’s attempt to remake American society. If she is mostly forgotten today, it is because most news outlets shared Ted Kennedy’s political goals and were happy to cover up his craven cowardice." . . .

Progressives Face a Bleak Post-Mueller Landscape

Victor Davis Hanson

There will be no indictments of Trump for either collusion or the obstruction of justice during the investigation of that non-crime. So now what?

"Democrats have grown infuriated by Attorney General William Barr’s indifference to their hysteria over the Trump–Russia collusion narrative.

"Barr recently released a brief summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusions that Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians to warp the 2016 election. Barr added that Mueller had not found enough evidence to recommend that Trump be indicted for obstruction of justice for the non-crime of collusion.

"Progressives, who for 22 months had insisted that Trump was a Russian asset, were stunned. But only for a few hours.

"Almost immediately, they redirected their fury toward Barr’s summation of the Mueller report. Yet few rational people contested Barr’s synopses about collusion and obstruction.

"Both the Mueller report and Barr’s summation can be found on the Internet. Anyone can read them to see whether Barr misrepresented Mueller’s conclusions.

"Again, there have been few criticisms that Barr was wrong on his interpretation that there was no collusion and not enough evidence to indict on obstruction of justice." . . .