IDF review finds no strike carried out in Gaza aid convoy disaster

  The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

This should be a big disappointment to Rashida Tlaib and her Squad. TD

. . .“We want humanitarian aid to reach Gazan civilians in need,” Hagari asserted. “...Our war is not against the people of Gaza. Our war is against Hamas…It is Hamas who have caused immense suffering to civilians on both sides of the border,” Hagari said.

Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” Hagari reiterated that no strike was carried out on the aid convoy and that the majority of Palestinian casualties had been trampled to death by the stampede. 

"Hagari also claimed that the IDF had fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse the stampede and that IDF troops had begun retreating from the scene when looters began posing an immediate threat to the forces present. Hagari explained that it was due to this threat that IDF soldiers were forced to respond.

“ 'As a professional military committed to international law, we are committed to examining our operations thoroughly,” Hagari reassured. “We have opened an inquiry to examine the incident further, which will help reduce the risk of such a tragic incident from occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.

“ 'The incident will be examined in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism, an independent, professional and expert body. For the sake of transparency, we will share our updates as our examination develops, hopefully in the coming days.” . . .

Nooooooooo!

Tlaib, from Michigan, had a pretty bad day all around

. . ."The former US president also won the Missouri and Idaho Republican caucuses on Saturday, according to Edison Research.

"In all three states, Trump trounced Nikki Haley, his last remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination, moving him closer to becoming his party's White House standard-bearer and a likely general election rematch with President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

"In Michigan, Trump beat Haley in all 13 districts taking part in the nominating caucuses, according to the state Republican Party.

"Overall, Trump won with nearly 98% percent support: 1,575 votes to just 36 for Haley." . . .

The Disturbing End of Our Modern ‘Me’ Culture

  Intellectual Takeout

Common sense be damned, the message being sent by peak health bodies across the Western world is that the needs of children are of little consequence, so long as the adults in the picture are gratified.

"In his popular work Culture of Narcissism, Christopher Lasch wrote:

To live for the moment is the prevailing passion—to live for yourself, not for your predecessors or posterity. We are fast losing the sense of historical continuity, the sense of belonging to a succession of generations originating in the past and stretching into the future.

"Now, more than three decades after Lasch wrote those words, the consequences of this culture of narcissism are bearing rotten fruit. And no one is paying the price more than children.

"We need look no further than the news last week revealing that a trust of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) claimed that the nipple secretions of transgender-identifying men were “comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby.”

"The trust has previously advertised its pride in pioneering within the NHS vocabulary like “chestfeeding” instead of breastfeeding and “birthing parent” instead of mother.

"Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released guidance last July saying, “transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed).”

"What these medical bodies are far more reluctant to admit is the cocktail of drugs required to induce this “chestfeeding,” in addition to any hormone therapy already being undertaken by the adult in question. As highlighted by The Telegraph:

For a person born male to breastfeed, they must develop milk-producing glands by taking the hormone progestin.

A drug is required to lactate, such as domperidone, which is often prescribed to women struggling to breastfeed, and helps to stimulate the production of prolactin – a separate hormone that tells the body to produce milk.  . . .

Biggest takeaways after wild 2-day hearing on Fani Willis affair: 'What's done is done'

 Biggest takeaways after wild 2-day hearing on Fani Willis affair: 'What's done is done'

5 explosive moments from Fani Willis testimony in Trump Fulton County case | Fox News

Testimony Thursday seemingly contradicted Willis' claims about her personal relationship with a special prosecutor

 Attorney, citing Willis' church speech, says she 'needs to go'

Willis plays the race card and the God card:

Judge to decide Willis disqualification in Trump Georgia case within 2 weeks - The Washington Post   . . ."First, McAfee must determine who has told the truth. The nine defendants who are seeking Willis’s disqualification, including Trump, are heavily relying on text messages that Wade’s former law partner Terrence Bradley sent to one of the defense attorneys and the testimony of Robin Bryant-Yeartie, a former close friend of Willis who claimed the relationship with Wade began in 2019, long before Willis hired Wade in November 2021 to lead the case.

"That timeline is significant, defense lawyers argued, because it creates a clear appearance of impropriety for Willis to hire a romantic interest.

The conflict of interest only grew when Willis took several trips with Wade that he paid for, the lawyers argued." . . .

Fulton County hearing: Trump case hangs in balance as judge mulls DA Willis' disqualification - ABC News (go.com)  . . ."Gillen argued that her "deflection" strategy at the church merits disqualification because it could improperly "inject" race into the case, which might compromise the impartiality of the prospective jury pool.

""She chose to play the race card and the God card … to deflect away from the allegations" in the motion for disqualification, Gillen said. "She chose to inject race into the minds of the listeners."

"Judge McAfee initially appeared skeptical of this argument, asking Gillen directly whether he could cite other instances in Georgia where a prosecutor had been dismissed based on their public commentary on a case.

""Thank goodness it doesn't happen very often," Gillen replied. "Sadly, it's already happened here.' " . . .

"Prosecutors don't act like this, lawyers don't act like this … and they need to go," Gillen said." . . .

And finally, the Babylon Bee checks in with: Kamala Harris Moves To Second Place In ‘Worst Diversity Hire Of All Time’ | Babylon Bee 

. . ."Those close to Kamala Harris say her team is scrambling to prepare her to assume the role of President now that she is no longer the most embarrassing example of racial diversity efforts to ever live." . . .

"Race has nothing to do with corruption. The legal system is not an MSNBC show."

 Trump Lawyers Put Final Nails in Fani Willis's Coffin (townhall.com)  "The misconduct hearings on efforts to oust Fulton County DA Fani Willis from the Trump RICO case have come to a close. Both sides delivered final arguments Friday, each arguing where the bar should be set for the judge's looming disqualification decision.

"The defense is arguing that the undisclosed affair between Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, the Democrat district attorney's subordinate, constitutes a conflict of interest because she tapped her longtime lover to helm the prosecution. Meanwhile, the couple claims the affair started after she hired him in November 2021, but witness testimony from a former Willis staffer, Wade's cellphone data depicting late-night shenanigans, and texts sent by Wade's ex-divorce attorney say otherwise.

"Trump defense attorney Steve Sadow said an "appearance of impropriety" is "enough" to disqualify her under Georgia law." . . .

Compared to Sadow's calm and composed demeanor, Abbate was, at times, a fumbling mess reciting case law. Willis, who was passing notes to Abbate and signaling with nods, "looked like she wanted to jump up and argue this case herself," per WaPo

. . ."Sadow raised rhetorical questions about who has the strongest motive to lie: "Who has the best motive of anyone to lie? They do. Who has the most at stake to lie? They do. Who wants to stay on this case, for whatever the financial reason may be? They do."

"He also lambasted Willis for pulling out the race card at a black church in Atlanta where she claimed that Wade is under scrutiny simply because he's "a black man." Colloquially called "the church speech," which was part of a public conversation she had "with God," the Democrat DA's comments injecting race violated the professional rules of conduct, Sadow argued." . . .

Will the "racism" defense never stop? Let's see next week what "Jim Crow" Joy Reid has to say about this. TD

. . ."At one point, Willis was asked by a Trump lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, in a heated moment if she had any "proof" that she reimbursed Wade for vacations because the payments were in cash.

"The testimony of one witness is enough to prove a fact," Willis responded. "Are you telling me I'm lying?"

"I'm asking if you have any proof," the lawyer responded. And Willis shot back, "The proof is what I just told you." . . .

As a trial lawyer would Willis have accepted such testimony?

Joe Biden, His Alzheimer’s Disease and Jill Biden’s Coverup -

  The Lid (lidblog.com)

Take the article below as pure speculation based on empirical experiences, which of course does not rule out altheimers. TD

"After the disastrous Friday DOJ report on Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, he stood in front of the nation in a press conference to tell us that he talked to one world leader in Egypt thinking that leader was from Mexico. Biden made nonsensical gaffes, memory lapses, dropped sentences, misstatements and outright lies.

"The DOJ found him to be an “elderly man with a fading memory” who would not be prosecuted for his crimes. In the national interview, Biden said, “My memory is fine.” One major newspaper reported, “Biden’s memory is hazy, fuzzy and dull.”

"Immediately, ABC reported the latest poll on Biden’s popularity: 86 percent of Americans do not want Biden for a second term as president of the United States.” He’s too old, too feeble, too cognitively vacant, too unfit, and incapable of handling the rigors of a United States president.

"This journalist would add that Joe Biden’s lifetime of lies, plagiarism, racism, sniffing little girls’ hair, and shaking hands with the air has finally caught up to him.

"But what blows my mind stems from the fact that no one will pin the “reality tail” on the donkey of Joe Biden’s condition: he’s suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. If he took a cognitive test today, he wouldn’t score five out of 25 on that test.

"How do I know? Answer: my best friend suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. My best friend has been reduced to the intellect of a six year old. My best friend cannot tell time, does not understand money, doesn’t know what year it is, and cannot remember any friends’ names." . . .

Bill Maher ridicules Biden's age in merciless five-minute monologue - where he jokes that president 'walks like a toddler with a full diaper' and pretends to give State of the Union address using a walker | Daily Mail Online

. . ."The HBO Real Time host urged the 81-year-old Biden to 'lean into' his age and 'let his old fart flag fly.'  'If Democrats want to win the next presidential election, they need to find a way to make the Biden age issue work for them. Because you know what's really getting old about Joe Biden? Complaining about his age,' Maher started in his Friday night monologue." . . .

I see not just Biden's age but for years - since the Clarence Thomas hearings - have seen his lack of intelligence and wisdom. TD

Biden Administration Not Stopping Iran, Russia, China, the Houthis

  Gatestone Institute

"The US campaign against the Houthis appears to bear the hallmarks of many of these highly circumscribed, scrubbed campaigns of the past where we seek to avoid causing them actual pain." Sounds liberal to me. TD

 Houthi gunmen trample a US flag in Sanaa, Yemen on February 21, 2024.  Wait! They might be Democrats!

"In recent months, the Red Sea has become a battleground for attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen, with the Biden administration facing mounting criticism for its failure to quell the escalating violence. As the Houthi group continues to build its weapons stockpile in Yemen, supported by the Iranian regime, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. It is critical that the United States reevaluate its military strategy to effectively address this growing threat.

"The current approach, adopted by the Biden administration, is characterized by a reluctance to directly target Houthi leadership. The administration has opted instead to focus solely on destroying weapons and equipment.

"This approach, however, has proven ineffective in deterring the Houthis from launching further attacks. What is essential to remember is that the Houthis and other proxies of Iran are in all likelihood deeply apprehensive about the prospect of their senior leadership being targeted. By refraining from targeting Houthi leaders, the United States has inadvertently emboldened the group and allowed them to act with impunity.

"A former US military official, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, pointed out that the current campaign against the Houthis is similar to previous failed endeavors:

"The US campaign against the Houthis appears to bear the hallmarks of many of these highly circumscribed, scrubbed campaigns of the past where we seek to avoid causing them actual pain."

"The Trump administration's targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for instance, resulted in cessation of Iranian harassment of the US as long Trump was in office. If one wants to induce meaningful change in the behavior of the Houthis, unfortunately decisive blows will be necessary."

It's what Clinton and Obama would do. TD

Appeals Court Overturns Jan. 6 Defendant’s Sentence, Potentially Impacting Dozens of Cases

  The Epoch Times

Dozens of Jan. 6 cases might be impacted after the court’s ruling on Friday.

"An appeals court in Washington unanimously ruled that a Jan. 6 defendant’s sentence was improperly enhanced, a move that could impact numerous other Jan. 6 cases.  

"On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that Larry Brock, who was convicted for a range of crimes related to Jan. 6, improperly had additional charges of “interference with the administration of justice.” The judge who wrote the court’s opinion wrote that the charge doesn’t apply to a sentencing enhancement, however, and struck it down.

“ 'Brock challenges both the district court’s interpretation of Section 1512(c)(2)’s elements and the sufficiency of the evidence to support that conviction,” wrote the judge, Patricia Millett.

"The judge, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, concluded that any interference with Congress’ certification of the 2020 electoral votes isn’t tantamount to a sentencing enhancement.

“ 'Because Section 2J1.2’s text, commentary, and context establish that the ‘administration of justice’ does not extend to Congress’s counting and certification of electoral college votes, the district court erred in applying Section 2J1.2(b)(2)’s three-level sentencing enhancement to Brock’s Section 1512(c)(2) conviction,” the judge wrote.

" 'The judges, in siding with Mr. Brock, wrote that Congress’ function on Jan. 6 was not judicial but was only a part of the 2020 presidential election process." . . .

Full article here. | The Epoch Times

Report: Gaza Ceasefire Talks Stalled as Hamas Fails to Provide the List of Hostages Still Alive

 Israeli official: “There is no point in starting another round of talks until we receive the lists of which of the hostages are alive.” (legalinsurrection.com)

"Negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages appears to have been stalled as terrorist group Hamas refuses to hand over the names of captives who are still alive, the news website Axios reported Friday. More than one hundred Israeli hostages, including women and children, are believed to have been in terrorist captivity for nearly five months.

"Israel told Arab negotiators that it “will not hold another round of talks until Hamas presents a list of the hostages who are alive,” the Axios article added. In recent weeks, Israeli negotiators have been holding a fresh round of talks with their counterparts from Qatar and Egypt to secure the release of the hostages. The list of alive hostages in terrorist captivity is vital for any negotiations since Hamas is demanding the release of thousands of terrorists in return.

"Writing for Axios, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid disclosed:

Qatari and Egyptian officials spoke to Israeli officials in the last 24 hours and proposed holding another round of talks in Cairo next week. A senior Israeli official said that Israel refused the offer and clarified that until it receives answers from Hamas, it will be impossible to move forward in the negotiations.

“There is no point in starting another round of talks until we receive the lists of which of the hostages are alive and until Hamas gives its answer regarding the ‘ratio’ that defines how many prisoners will be released for each hostage,” an Israeli official said.

"The revelation comes days after President Joe Biden declared that a ceasefire between Israel and terrorist group Hamas might be reached ‘by Monday.’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, overseeing the talks, was taken by surprise by Biden’s bold claim, ABC News reported.

"Biden has since changed his tune, claiming that a deal was not yet in sight. He was still “hoping” for a ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan expected to begin on March 10, media reports on Friday suggest. “I’m hoping so, we’re still working real hard on it. We’re not there yet,” Biden told reporters at the White House." . . .

The Public Disservice Of The Hunter Biden Testimony –

  Issues & Insights (issuesinsights.com)

. . .The GOP erred by not playing hardball. It should have demanded cameras and when Biden’s handlers refused, asked over and over “what is Hunter Biden trying to hide?” . . .

"After initially, and arrogantly, evading an appearance before Congress, President Joe Biden’s son testified Wednesday in a deposition the public was unable to watch. Voters deserve better. The testimony should have been fully open to the media, with microphones hot and cameras rolling.

"Right from the top of Biden’s opening statement, the first son denied that he involved his father in his business.

“ 'Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never.”

"In a wholly expected development, the media protected him as if he were one of their own.

"Also entirely expected were his denials, and the contradictions of other witnesses’ statements. Not one person in this country anticipated otherwise, even those who are only superficially keeping up with the story.

"There are limits to what can be gleaned from the black-and-white of a transcript or “readout,” and the favorable-to-the-administration media reports of the six-and-a-half hour testimony. Americans should have been able to see the Biden family unctuousness at work, to judge for themselves how much the word of a Biden means. Hunter’s smug disposition and his telling body language are material to the upcoming election. An open forum would have been informative to on-the-fence voters.

"The smokey back-room conditions allowed the Democrats to freely put their misleading and rancid spin on the deposition. The ever-puerile Rep. Eric Swalwell of California claimed that “after six-plus hours of Hunter Biden testifying, we learned absolutely nothing,” and therefore “the Biden impeachment investigation is over and we just witnessed its last breath.”

"But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, said that “when pressure was placed on Hunter Biden he swung back to being, you know, a poor, pitiful addict. And then when he wanted to brag about things he was the smartest and most successful businessman in the room.”

"So which characterization is more accurate? We of course lean toward Greene’s description, because we’ve watched the Big Guy, Joe Biden, lie and lie and lie for decades, to bluster and exult in his own superiority. But who can say for sure without seeing the testimony for themselves?" . . .  

This pressure will cause Hunter to lapse back into his addictions and Democrats will blame Trump and Republicans. Think not? TD

229-Page Hunter Biden Deposition Transcript Released   "Hunter Biden spent 6 hours testifying on Capitol Hill Wednesday and giving obtuse answers to questions from a joint panel from the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committee." . . .

Omar and pals sneak off to Cuba

 Monica Showalter - American Thinker  

The secrecy of the trip is disturbing and merits a congressional inquiry as to what this group was really up to, given that they've been known to promote anti-American interests, which in fact is all they ever do. What was Omar doing in Cuba and why did she not want anyone to know about it? 

'Anti-American members': Nicole Malliotakis slams Reps Ilhan Omar
 and Pramila Jayapal over secret trip to Cuba on 'Fox & Friends'

 "When someone comes to America, land of the free, as a refugee, presumably to escape some awful homeland, does it seem funny that such a person then jumps on a flight to Cuba to advocate for its superior model?

"It does to me.

"According to the Miami Herald:

A delegation of the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus traveled to Cuba last week in a trip that has not previously been disclosed by the legislators nor reported in Cuban state media. The group of about a dozen people was led by Democratic U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal of the state of Washington and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. It included a congressional staffer from the office of California Rep. Barbara Lee’s office, sources with knowledge of the trip told the Miami Herald. Jayapal and Omar, members of the informal left-wing group of lawmakers known as “the squad,” did not reply to emails and messages seeking comment. Lee’s office also did not reply to a request for comment. . . .

'Anti-American members': Nicole Malliotakis slams Reps Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal over secret trip to Cuba on 'Fox & Friends'    . . ." 'These are anti-American members of Congress, okay? They are communist sympathizers, and they go to Cuba, which is not only a state sponsor of terrorism, but they side with our adversaries," the Congresswoman told co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Todd Piro.

" 'They are in bed with Iran, North Korea, communist China, Russia. They allow for them to operate spy bases 90 miles from our shores. They have harbored fugitives. They have harbored terrorists. And it's unconscionable that these members of Congress would go there trying to appease the government of Cuba. And then they go under the guise of wanting to do something about human rights."

"However, she went on to share the plight of the Cuban people, saying, "Do they know that the people in Cuba, including my relatives, earn about $15 a month, $15 a month? So they come here in the United States, they're preaching about fair wages. Everyone should make a living wage. And then they go and support a government that pays its people $15."

" 'And you know why? It's a farce. It's a farce because every single one of these members voted against the resolution standing with the Cuban people in 2021, when they were on the streets, fighting for their lives, fighting for freedom. The Socialist Squad and Jayapal, they all voted no to stand against the people and with the Cuban regime," she added." . . .

Omar is one of the fruits of the Somali refugees living in America. They neither know nor care about America's struggle against Communism; they care not for America's history nor can America's education system build this in them. Hence the Democrats we see in Washington today with their frowns and scowls. TD

Ilhan Omar Caught on Tape Saying Who She Thinks Her ‘Real’ President Is

Now we have only to wait to see what political movements will come from the multitudes entering during the current Democrat administration. TD

Hamas claims seven hostages killed in captivity in Gaza

 Could they have been hostages brutalized by Hamas that they did not want the world to see? TD

The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)  

"Hamas claims seven hostages killed in captivity in Gaza."

"Hamas claimed on its Telegram channel on Friday that seven hostages had been killed during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

"Hamas named three of the hostages that had been allegedly killed as Chaim Gershon Peri, 79, Yoram Itak Metzger, 80, and Amiram Israel Cooper, 85. The terrorist group said a later announcement would contain the names of the remaining four.

"All three men were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.

"The information provided by Hamas is unconfirmed, and Hamas has previously shared false information on the well-being of hostages as part of its use of psychological warfare. Hamas has previously named a hostage as killed only to later release them, as was the case of Hannah Katzir. 

Hamas's latest statement on the seven hostages

“ 'We have previously announced that our contact has been cut off with our mujahideen who are guarding a number of enemy prisoners,” Hamas announced on their Telegram, “and that we believe that a number of the prisoners have been killed as a result of the Zionist bombing.

“ 'After examination and scrutiny during recent weeks, we have confirmed the martyrdom of a number of our mujahideen and the killing of seven enemy prisoners in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Zionist bombing.' ”

. . .

"How Do I Balance Looking Left-Wing While Pro-Israel?"

Douglas Murray

"Nothing to say apart from what Douglas Murray says: Just tell the truth; act according to the truth. Thank you, Louisa. Thank you, Douglas - you are a treasure to us. Many of us would be in the depths of depression if not for Douglas and a few others such as Mosab Hassan Yousef and Yoseph Haddad."

Mr. Murray mentions Neturei Karta - Orthodox Jews United Against Zionism

Rashida Thaib, Michigan member of Congress: 

Full List of Democrats Who Voted to Censure Rashida Tlaib (newsweek.com)

Rashida Tlaib, Who Backed ‘Uncommitted’ Primary Vote, Is ‘Incredibly Scared’ Of A Second Trump Term (msn.com)

  

Rashida Tlaib’s Inflammatory Language - The Atlantic  . . ."But Tlaib is not helping anyone’s cause by amplifying activist rhetoric that, to many ears, casually deploys the language of annihilation."