Headlines you never would have seen just a few short years ago

  Eric Utter  . . .All but two of these headlines were gleaned from one day's worth of perusing the news.  That's correct: ten of the twelve were from reports of December 1.  Any one of them illustrates a profound change in society from not so long ago and portends potentially dire consequences.

"Taken together, they are quite a snapshot of America (and the West in general) circa 2022.  None of these would have been thinkable in 1972.  Or 1982.  Probably not in 2012, either.

"So-called progressives are winning the culture wars in a rout.  But this doesn't look like "progress" to me.  It looks like a harbinger of chaos and disaster."

For example:

*In too deep: John Fetterman's wife claims that swimming is 'very racist' —MSN      

That's correct.  Every time I go for a swim, I'm really trying to stick it to BIPOCs!  You've gotta be kidding me.  Mrs. Fetterman can go jump in the lake!  (Except that would be racist.) 

Tucker Carlson's onetime 'Liberal Sherpa,' Cathy Areu, is arrested and in jail in Miami

  Peter Barry Chowka  

 "In the early days of Tucker Carlson’s prime time Fox News show (from shortly after its premiere in 2017 until around 2020), before it found its current footing, a frequent guest, dubbed the “liberal sherpa,” was Cathy Areu. She served as an outrageous foil for Carlson, who debated her on her outrageous claims of support for a variety of bizarre radical left positions.

"On Friday, December 9, Areu was arrested and jailed in Miami, Florida, according to the Daily Mail which broke the story, for “kidnapping her own mom TWICE and scamming her out of $224,000.”

"The Daily Mail article, published on December 9, goes into detail about the alleged crimes of Areu – felonies – which landed her in jail in Florida.

"According to the Daily Mail, which often breaks stories in the U.S. that other media fail to report:

Cathy Areu, 51, was arrested on Friday in Miami and faces numerous charges

Prosecutors say she defrauded her own 88-year-old mom for at least $224,000

Areu allegedly tried to drag her mother to a nursing home against her will. . .

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics, the politics and economics of health care, popular culture, and media for over five decades.  His web page with links to his work is http://peter.media. 

The Fourth Installment Of ‘The Twitter Files’ Is Released

 The Daily Wire  . . ."The first several tweets offered no new information and rehashed prior releases from The Twitter Files. The fourth set, released Saturday night, took place over a long-winded four-hour period and resulted in the release receiving the lowest engagement numbers compared to the other three releases.

"Even Twitter CEO Elon Musk did not seem overly thrilled by the release as he took 6 hours and 7 minutes to promote it on his Twitter account, a far cry from the other three releases, which he amplified after 10 minutes (Part I), 50 minutes (Part II), and 173 minutes (Part III).

"Starting with tweet #7, blogger Michael Shellenberger showed examples of pressure from major outside figures calling on the company to ban the former president. Shellenberger noted in tweets #8 and #9 that then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was on vacation at the time and that “Twitter’s staff & senior execs were overwhelmingly progressive.”

"Shellenberger then noted tweets from former Twitter Global Lead of Trust & Safety Yoel Roth that were derogatory towards conservatives, which has been public knowledge for years and has previously been reported on.

"The next several tweets showed internal discussions between Roth and other Twitter employees, who Shellenberger shielded by not disclosing their names, that showed Roth and his team were excited about “progress!” that the company was making toward taking action against Trump’s Twitter account.

"The next couple of tweets rehashed Twitter’s public statement about why the company ultimately decided to ban the former president.". . .

MSNBC Slammed Over ‘Disgusting Racist Rant’ Attacking Black Republican: ‘Unbelievably Insidious’

 Daily Wire

Becket Adams, commentator: “It’s a scandal of its own that not a single on-air personality at MSNBC has the balls even to suggest this stuff may be out of line.”

"MSNBC host Joy Reid and frequent guest Michael Eric Dyson faced backlash online late on Thursday evening after a video clip went viral from Reid’s show that was widely panned as blatantly racist.

"Dyson purportedly made the remarks about Virginia Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears, a Republican, who won her election on Tuesday night as Republicans dominated across the state.

Dyson said:

The problem is here they want, they want white supremacy by ventriloquist effect. There is a black mouth moving, but a white idea through the, running on the runway of the tongue of a figure who justifies and legitimates the white supremacist practices. We know that we can internalize in our own minds, in our own subconscious, and in our own bodies, the very principles that are undoing us. So, to have a black face, speaking in behalf of a white supremacist legacy is nothing new. And it is to the chagrin of those of us who study race that the white folk on the other side and the right wingers on the other side, don’t understand this is politics 101 and this is race, not even 101. What’s beneath 101? It’s the it’s the pre-K of race, you should understand the fact that if you tell black people, look, I support a negro Look, there is a person of color that I am in favor of and that person of color happens to undermine and undercut and subvert the very principles about which we are concerned, you do yourself no service by pointing to them as an example of your racial progressivism.

White Supremacist Plots to Blow Up Texas High School! No, Wait…

Robert Spencer

"The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said it again in a report it published in November, “The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism”: “National security agencies now identify domestic terrorism as the most persistent and lethal terrorist threat to the homeland. This increase in domestic terror attacks has been predominantly perpetrated by white supremacist and anti-government extremist individuals and groups.” Conspicuously lacking from this oft-repeated claim are actual white supremacist terrorists, but a recent case in Texas may help: a man who is most certainly not black or Hispanic plotted to blow up a high school in Amarillo. There’s just one catch: in a bracing little reminder of the actual terror threats that the Left’s propaganda and fantasies have obscured, he’s a Muslim, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran.

"Amarillo’s KVII reported Thursday that Erfan Salmanzadeh, 33, pleaded guilty on Monday to “use and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.” The “use” part of that stems from a July 2021 incident that brought Salmanzadeh to the attention of police. KVII noted Tuesday that Salmanzadeh “recorded multiple videos in which he referenced the high school.” In one of these videos, which Salmanzadeh recorded on July 22, 2021, he was “standing in his backyard speaking in a mixture of English and Farsi, said he was going to blow up Tascosa High School,” a public high school in Amarillo.". . .

So now we know: Twitter secretly erased conservative voices - and let terrorists and vile vermin tweet freely. It's savage proof the left fears ideas more than actual killers

Not my family's Democrat Party

What else did a few liberals in Silicon Valley deem off-limits for the rest of us?

 

UK Daily Mail   "If free speech is a pillar of democracy, then Twitter should be charged with sabotage, because they've taken sledgehammer to it. And every American has the right to be absolutely outraged.

"The latest 'Twitter Files' drop on Thursday night revealed that partisan extremists at one of America's most influential social media platforms wrapped a torniquet around the vein of free thought and wrenched it tight.

"And to add insult to injury, the whole time, Twitter was lying about it.

"Then-CEO Jack Dorsey told Congress that he had no idea why conservatives were moaning about being silenced – a.k.a. 'shadow banned.'

"Well, guess what? Conservatives were right.

"We learned that in addition to shutting down bombshell reporting, like the New York Post's exclusive on Hunter Biden's laptop, Twitter executives were also suppressing individual Americans who didn't blindly parrot liberal orthodoxy.

"The account of Stanford professor, Dr. Jay Battachyara's was muffled for sharing thoughtful criticism of COVID lockdowns.". . .

America's kids were kept out of school and in masks. Businesses were destroyed and churches shuttered, and our dying were kept from seeing family, but Twitter pronounced these ideas verboten.

No wonder famously unprofitable, woke Twitter had trouble making money. ". . .

Jackson Lee: Arms Dealer Freed in Griner Swap ‘Has Not Killed Americans’ — ‘His Weapons Might Have Been Used to Kill Americans’ Plus a RedState Update

A silly nation chooses silly leaders

Breitbart  "On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) stated that Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who was serving time in prison for agreeing to supply weapons to U.S. agents posing as Colombian terrorists to kill Americans, freed by the Biden administration in the prisoner swap to secure the release of Brittney Griner from Russia, is “a nasty, bad” person, but “He has not killed Americans.” Although, Jackson Lee noted that Bout’s “weapons might have been used to kill Americans.”

"Jackson Lee stated, “Let me say this, no one knows the story of Paul — of the weapons dealer, if you will. And — as the facts would tell them, he was sentenced to 25 years, he served 11 to 16 years, I don’t know the — I can’t remember the exact number. But in actuality, his weapons might have been used to kill Americans. He has not killed Americans. I’m not saying he’s not a nasty, bad guy. But I will tell you that I believe that Americans should know that the sovereignty of their nation will always be behind them and they’ll never be forgotten. Brittney Griner deserved this fight to be put forward. So does Paul Whelan.' ”. . .

According to an original article from NBC, the negotiations for the prisoner swap included an exchange for either LGBTQ+ hero Brittany Griner or U.S. former marine Paul Whelan.

The Russians would swap either U.S. citizen for the return of arms dealer Viktor Bout; however, the White House would have to decide which American they wanted in return.  The White House decided there was greater benefit to getting LGBTQ+ hero Brittany Griner returned, and left Paul Whelan in a Russian prison"

In the original version: “the Kremlin gave the White House the choice of either Griner or Whelan — or none.”

In the stealth revised version: “the Kremlin ultimately gave the White House the choice of either Griner or no one after different options were proposed.”

Even with the modified and carefully worded changes, it looks like Joe Biden chose the trans basketball player over the former U.S. marine, which, given the arc of history, does seem to make sense.

UPDATE:  Even Russian State TV Ridicules Biden and US for Lopsided Brittney Griner Trade

                                    Russia-1 anchor Margarita Simonyan (Credit: Russian Media Monitor/YouTube)

Russia TV quoted: “His first problem is that he is white,” Solovyova retorted, meaning that Whelan wasn’t given priority in negotiations because of his skin color. Simonyan continued:

"His second problem is he is a man. His third problem: He is a heterosexual.

"This is not something that can be forgiven today. It’s just a catastrophe. Yes, here Griner beats him in every aspect.". . .

. . ."Simonyan is a regime puppet, to be sure, and the YouTube site

 Russian Media Monitor (which uploaded the footage) points out several lies in the segment. I’m not here to be a cheerleader for the communist dictatorship or its lying media. The point is, however, that Biden and his cohorts have made a mockery out of the U.S. with this ill-considered trade because of their obsessive focus on “identity”–even when we’re dealing with dire geo-political events—all the while failing to negotiate the release of Whelan.". . .

UPDATE:Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on Russian Arms Dealer Viktor Bout: “In Actuality, His" Weapons Might’ve Been Used to Kill Americans, But He Has Not Killed Americans”  "Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, one of the dumbest women in Congress, appeared on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” with Joy Reid to discuss the Brittney Griner swap.

"Joe Biden on Thursday announced he traded the world’s most wanted fugitive, Russian Viktor Bout, for pot-smoking anti-American baller Brittney Griner.

"Meanwhile, Paul Whelan, a former Marine who is now 52, is still imprisoned in Russia.

"Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee defended the trade on Sunday.

“I 'n actuality, [Viktor Bout’s] weapons might’ve been used to kill Americans, but he has not killed Americans.” Sheila Jackson Lee said.". . .

Poll: Ron DeSantis Leads Donald Trump by 5 Points in Potential Matchup

 Breitbart

"Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) leads former President Donald Trump by five points in a potential 2024 Republicans primary matchup, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found Thursday.

"If the primary were held today, 47 percent of registered Republican voters would support DeSantis, while 42 percent say they would back Trump.

"According to YouGov polling, DeSantis has lost 13 points in recent weeks nationwide. YouGov polling from mid-November shows DeSantis was leading by 18 points (51-33 percent).

"When voters were asked, “If your state’s 2024 Republican primary for president were held today, who would you vote for?” Trump led DeSantis by five points (35-30 percent).

"Respondents were also asked, “Who do you think has a better chance of winning the 2024 general election for president?” Republicans notched Trump with a greater chance of winning the presidency than another Republican (48-38 percent).

"When the poll asked the same question specifically between Trump and DeSantis, 46 percent of Republicans said Trump. Forty-two percent said DeSantis.". . .

How Many Innocent People Are Going to Die Because of the Griner Deal?

 PJ Media

Anyone who doesn’t believe that “what” Griner is instead of “who” she is got her released for an international terrorist who enjoys killing Americans is being dishonest. Biden can spin Griner’s release all he wants, but the fact is, Putin and the Russians took Biden’s obsession with identity politics and threw it back in his face.

"Viktor Bout — “The Merchant of Death” or “The Lord of War” — is not a very nice man. He sells arms to groups that kill innocent people. And according to all accounts, he particularly loves killing Americans.

"Just before he was arrested in a brilliant sting operation by the DEA in 2008, Bout told the informants who were just about to rat him out “that he had been fighting the U.S. for about 15 years and that the U.S. is an enemy,” and that “He was very eager and anxious to carry out this arms deal to kill Americans.”

"Way to go, Joe.

"Viktor Bout sold arms to just about any enemy of America who had the cash to pay him, including militants in Africa, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. And now he’s free, and he owes Vladimir Putin and Russia big time.

"How do you think Russia is going to want to be paid back? Bout now belongs to Putin — lock, stock, and both barrels.

"Derek Maltz, a former Drug Enforcement Agency agent who helped lead the team that eventually took down Bout 14 years ago in Thailand, believes Bout now poses an even greater threat to Americans now than he did before his capture.

" 'The Lord of War is back in the game. He’s back out there with the ability to cause harm and destruction around the world,” Maltz said in an interview with Politico. “And now he’s going to be way smarter because he knows some of the techniques that have been used against him.”

"Maltz is happy Griner made it home, as most of us are. But Vladimir Putin is probably laughing behind his hand after getting the best of Joe Biden.". . .

 The Biden regime needed a win.  It didn't bat an eye.  It just sent an international arms merchant back to Putin's open arms and said, To hell with the Marine.

Image from Reality Bites by Broc Smith.

Brittney Griner Negotiator Says Putin Overruled Double Swap at Last Minute .

. . ."Richardson told CBC that he traveled to Russia to negotiate the prisoner exchange with Russian officials he had met during his official government roles, but said that "eventually in Russia every decision is made by Putin."

The supreme outrage of Biden's idiotic prisoner swap with Putin

. . .If it was truly a case of "our choice was Brittney or no one at all," as stated by Karine Jean-Pierre in a recent press briefing, for my money, any administration with any backbone and love for America would have chosen to walk away from a terrible deal that played into Putin's hands and gave him back a man — an asset known as "the Merchant of Death," with a river of blood on his hands — who is sure to now aid in helping Russia secure the best armaments for his war against the Ukrainians.  Getting Brittney Griner back was worse than getting no one back, since one can full well expect her to go right back to her anti-American activism on the basketball court after the shock of her experience wears off and relief sets in with the restored comfort of "home."  Viktor Bout will go back about his business of spilling gallons of blood across the world. . .

From The Babylon Bee: Biden Decides To Read 'Art Of The Deal' After Getting Ripped Off In Griner Trade

. . ." 'I mean look at this guy. He looks like he makes deals every day!" said Biden, holding the book up proudly. "I promise you I'm going to be just like him. A real go-getter!"

"Whelan's family initially expressed disappointment when American authorities first traded notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as "The Merchant of Death," for WNBA athlete Brittney Griner, but are now hopeful that a deal can be made. "If anyone can bring Paul home it's Donald Trump," said Paul's twin brother David." . . .

Brittney Griner Flees Back to Russia in Terror After Seeing American Flag

Several activists sided with Griner. "They let her sit in Russia for almost a year," said nonbinary LGBTQ activist Nicole Owens. "And they only traded her for one guy. That's an insult. She is worth at least seven Russian Arms dealers." Other activists blamed the WNBA. "She barely makes a living wage," said Women's Rights activist Lena Hogan. "Her WNBA contract is only for $220,000 a year. She has to go to Russia to make any real money."

Left-wing NBC Edits Brittney Griner Story to Benefit Biden White House

 Breitbart

NBC; MSNBC; the home of Joy Reid, Ali Velshi, Nicolle Wallace. Joy Reid and guests go all in on partisan hate, accuse conservatives of enabling terrorism, murder

"The former news agency called NBC was caught editing its story about Brittney Griner, and doing so, naturally, in a way that benefits the Biden White House.

"The original story is titled, “Family of Paul Whelan, American imprisoned in Russia, says they were warned about Brittney Griner’s release,” and lays out how the family of former Marine Paul Whelan is dealing with the news that he was not part of this prisoner swap. Whelan has been imprisoned by Russia since 2018.

"According to the story, Whelan’s family knew it would be Griner who was released in exchange for the notorious “Merchant of Death,” Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Bout has served about half of his 25-year U.S. prison sentence.

"Griner, a U.S. Woman’s Basketball Champion, has been imprisoned in Russia only since February. Griner pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis vape cartridges and was sentenced to nine years.

"For reasons no one needs to explain, people are outraged that it was Griner who was released as opposed to Whelan.". . .

Brinton Is Busted Again. What Exactly Are the Qualifications for Working for Biden? (Updated)

"PJ Media "And, here we go again. A felony arrest warrant for grand larceny has been issued for Department of Energy official Sam Brinton. Brinton is the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition. The reason for the warrant? Stealing luggage. Again. 8 News Now said that the latest theft occurred at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Brinton was placed on leave for stealing luggage at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this past September. He originally claimed the first incident was a mistake, but video footage emerged of him removing the tag from the luggage, according to the Washington Examiner. He was also seen using the bag from the first heist on two other trips.

"Along with his two thefts, the website LGBTQ Nation has called out Brinton for possibly lying about child abuse and traumatic conversion therapy. Brinton has also made headlines for being non-binary, his penchant for “puppy play,” and his participation in sex seminars.

"So how does such a man end up appointed to a position in the federal government? He’s non-binary. In the never-ending quest to upend everything in its sights, it would appear that the Biden administration wanted to make sure that, as it did with Dr. Rachel Levine, it was seen promoting LGBTQ people to important posts. This isn’t to say that an LGTBQ person couldn’t do those jobs. I’ve known plenty of LGBTQ people who were savvy and successful businessmen and women. They were literate, conversant, and honest. But the Biden administration wants to secure its place as the most left-wing presidency in history and out-Obama Obama.

"On PJ Media and across various websites, there are almost-daily stories on how White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has made such a hash of her job that she makes Harpo Marx look like Winston Churchill by comparison. While the Biden administration is eager to go as woke as possible, could it not find non-binary people, people of color, or women for those posts who have the requisite skill sets and basic values such as not stealing and lying? Or people without agendas? Or does character even matter, when color and sexuality are the first two qualifications?". . .

Non-Binary Biden Official Charged with Second Felony Suitcase Theft  

. . .Brinton, the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, allegedly stole luggage from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada on an unknown date. There is a federal warrant out for Brinton’s arrest on grand larceny charges for stealing property worth between $1,200 and $5,000, 8 News Now reported.". . .

‘Time to resign!’ Felony warrant issued for ‘non-binary’ Biden official who appears to have a real problem

UPDATE: