CLG News

Nancy Pelosi gets swift lesson in basic law after declaring Trump must 'prove innocence' after indictment | 31 March 2023 | Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) received a swift lesson in basic criminal law on Thursday over her backward response to former President Donald Trump being indicted. "The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence," Pelosi reacted. "Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right." The problem with Pelosi's response is obvious: The U.S. criminal justice system does not afford the accused "the right to a trial to prove innocence." Rather, Americans accused of crimes are assumed to be innocent. Prosecutors, who officially charge individuals, are responsible for proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. And if a jury unanimously agrees the government failed to meet that standard -- even if everyone "knows" the accused is guilty -- the criminal justice system dictates that the accused is not guilty.

Biden calls devastated Mississippi town Rolling Fork 'Rolling Stone' --Rolling Fork was hit by an EF4 tornado on Saturday | 31 March 2023 | Joe Biden accidentally referred to the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, as "Rolling Stone" on Friday, in the wake of tornadoes that have devastated parts of the Mississippi Delta. Rolling Fork was hit by an EF4 tornado last Saturday. The devastating whirlwinds killed at least 25 people in the region at the time, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The tornado began near Rolling Fork and moved 30 miles northeast through Silver City... "We're not just here for today, I'm determined that we're going to leave nothing behind. We're going to get it done for you," Biden said during the speech. "I'm making sure you got a place to sleep, food to eat, helping you rebuild your lives in Rolling Stone." 

Ron DeSantis says he will refuse any extradition request after Trump indictment: 'Questionable circumstances' --DeSantis slammed the charges against Trump as 'un-American' | 30 March 2023 | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said his state "will not assist" in any extradition request by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg amid what he called "questionable circumstances" while slamming the charges against former President Donald Trump as "un-American" and as a "weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda." The former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. "The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis tweeted Thursday. "It is un-American."

Army Black Hawk helicopters crash, killing 9 service members - official | 30 March 2023 | An Army official confirmed to Fox News on Thursday all nine service members aboard the two Black Hawk helicopters that crashed Wednesday night in Trigg County, Kentucky - near Fort Campbell - have died. Two HH60 Black Hawks of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were conducting a training exercise at approximately 10 p.m. when they crashed, Brendalyn Carpenter-Player, the director of the Fort Campbell Public Affairs, told Fox News Digital... Brig. Gen. John Lucas, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Deputy Commander, said Thursday that a team specialized in aircraft safety, from Fort Rucker in Alabama, is expected to arrive today to start looking at "every possible contributing factor" that led to the crash. Lucas said the helicopters went down in an open field next to a residential area.

Breaking: New York Grand Jury Votes to Indict Former President Trump --Trump has not yet been arrested but he will face arraignment on the charges, be fingerprinted, and may be handcuffed. | 30 March 2023 | A Manhattan grand jury has reportedly voted to indict former President Donald Trump over his alleged role in a payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016, making him the first former president to face criminal charges. The felony indictment is under seal but the exact charges are likely to be announced soon. A source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the indictment to Just the News. Trump has not yet been arrested but he will face arraignment on the charges, be fingerprinted, and may be handcuffed. The case involves a payment of $130,000 that Trump's then-personal attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels. Trump later paid the same amount to Cohen and listed that payment as a legal fee.

Senate Votes 68-23 to End Covid Emergency | 29 March 2023 | The Senate on Wednesday voted 68 to 23 to end the Covid emergency. The House already passed the resolution 229-197. Joe Biden is not expected to veto the resolution. The Hill reported: "The Senate on Wednesday passed a GOP-led resolution that would end the COVID-19 national emergency that's been in place since 2020. The measure passed the upper chamber 68-23. A similar resolution sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) passed the Senate last year, but did not advance in the Democratically-controlled House. This year it passed the House 229-197, with 11 Democrats joining all Republicans."

70-car train derails, spilling hazardous materials in North Dakota | 27 March 2023 | A 70-car Canadian Pacific Railway freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed outside of Wyndmere, N.D., officials said. Richland County Emergency Manager Brett Lambrecht said 31 of the cars derailed, according to local outlet KFGO. A Canadian Pacific spokesperson said there is no public safety threat, but some of the cars carrying hazardous materials are leaking.

Katie Hobbs's Press Secretary Resigns After Tweet Advocating Gun Violence Against 'Transphobes' on the Heels of Transgender Shooter Killing Six in Nashville | 29 March 2023 | Josselyn Berry, the press secretary for Arizona Governor [sic] Katie Hobbs, has resigned after a tweet advocating gun violence against "transphobes." The tweet came just hours after transgender woman killing six people at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. The tweet featured a gif of a woman holding two handguns, ready to fire, with the caption "us when we see transphobes." In the first tweet in the thread, Berry wrote: "If you work in the progressive community and are transphobic, you're not progressive. Period. End of story. It's not hard to understand but you're bigotry masquerading as feminism absolutely is." [Another grammatically challenged nut-job bites the dust. Berry should have resigned over her murder of the English language.]

'Pro-democracy' Arizona Democrats sue to block third party from ballot in bid to protect Biden's 're-election' chances | 30 March 2023 | After campaigning on fighting for democracy, the Arizona Democratic Party is reportedly suing to stop a third-party organization from accessing the state's presidential ballot in the 2024 election. The lawsuit targets No Labels, a centrist group that aims to give voters a non-extreme presidential option next year and has secured ballot access in three states, including Arizona. Democratic officials will file a complaint Thursday in state court in Phoenix alleging that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, erroneously accepted signature petitions from the group, The Washington Post reported. The lawsuit claims that accompanying affidavits from proposed electors were signed before all the petitions were gathered, in violation of state statute. "As a result, the Arizona Democratic Party claims the affidavits purporting to verify the petitions should be considered false and the petitions invalid," the Post reported.

Multiple fatalities expected after two Blackhawk helicopters crash near Fort Campbell | 30 March 2023 | Multiple military helicopters crashed Wednesday night in Trigg County, Kentucky - near Fort Campbell - leaving several people dead. Two HH60 Blackhawks of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were conducting a training exercise at approximately 10 p.m. when they crashed, Brendalyn Carpenter-Player, the director of the Fort Campbell Public Affairs, told Fox News Digital. "The crewmembers were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred. The status of the crew members are unknown at this time," Carpenter-Player said. "The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families."

More than two dozen Democrats join GOP in opposing Biden gas stove ban --"Clearly, the plan to ban gas stoves was already in the works even before federal bureaucrats said the quiet part out loud earlier this year." - Rep. Palmer | 29 March 2023 | The House of Representatives approved an amendment -- with help from several Democrats -- late Wednesday that would prevent the Department of Energy (DOE) from implementing strict new regulations on gas stoves that most stoves on the market today would not be able to meet. The House voted 251 to 181 in favor of the amendment from Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., to a larger energy policy bill, and 29 Democrats voted with the GOP. Republicans have been looking to defend the use of gas stoves ever since the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicated it could ban stoves for health reasons. That idea was scrapped, but it was followed by a proposed DOE regulation that would impose tough new energy efficiency standards for gas stoves.

'Trans Day of Vengeance' WILL go ahead at Supreme Court despite Nashville school trans shooter Audrey Hale killing six --Trans Radical Activist Network to hold demonstration outside Supreme Court | 29 March 2023 | An activist group is due to hold a "Trans Day of Vengeance" demonstration outside the Supreme Court on Saturday, warning against "astronomical amounts of hate from the world" and following the horrifying Nashville shooting which left seven dead on Monday. The Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN) will host the event in Washington, D.C., from 31 March until 2 April, starting Friday and marching on the Supreme Court at 11 a.m. on Saturday. On their website they cite gender-affirming care ban bills and the political climate as motives for the demonstration. But commentators are up in arms over the decision to go ahead with the protest as police say they are investigating the role of Nashville shooter Audrey Hale's gender identity and a sense of "resentment" that may have inspired the attack on the shooter's Christian former school.

After 6 people murdered at Christian school, media relentlessly smears prayer, religion | 29 March 2023 | Pastors and conservative leaders weighed in on reaction by journalists and entertainers who have mocked prayer and brought attention to Tennessee's drag show ban amid the Christian elementary school massacre that took six lives Monday. As the nation grapples with the murders of three adults and three children at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, faith leaders responded to the criticism by journalists, commentators, entertainers and activists who have mocked prayer and blamed conservatives for outlawing drag shows for kids and not guns. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins reiterated that people should still turn to prayer as a way to combat the "spiritual battle" that "is raging for our country and our culture" which "is targeting our children."

Active shooter calls believed to be hoax reported across Pittsburgh area | 29 March 2023 | (Update) Law enforcement from across the Pittsburgh area are responding to reported active shooter calls that are believed to be a hoax. Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus tells Channel 11 that there are no injuries and no evidence of any shootings at local schools. There was a massive police response at both Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic high schools in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, but Pittsburgh police said both schools have since been cleared and declared safe. Pennsylvania State Police in Uniontown said they also responded to Laurel Highlands Senior High School for an active shooter threat. State police said the threat is believed to be a "computer generated swatting call."

Taxpayers fund 'radical gender ideology to create psychopaths,' 2024 candidate says after Nashville shooting | 28 March 2023 | Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, called out the Department of Education for investing billions in "radical gender ideology to create psychopaths" while schools experience a lack of security after the tragic shooting in Nashville. On Monday afternoon, a shooter entered and opened fire inside The Covenant Christian School in Nashville. The shooter, a former student who identified as transgender, killed three 9-year-old students and three teachers in the horrific attack, before being killed by police... The GOP candidate highlighted the Education Department spending taxpayer dollars on what he called "gender ideology," even as school shootings are becoming more frequent in recent years. "We spend $80BN+ per year through the U.S. Dept of Education that helps fund radical gender ideology to create psychopaths, yet don’t protect kids in our schools from being killed by them. That’s wrong." Ramaswamy added that he would invest in school safety if elected in 2024.

'There's nothing left': Deep South tornadoes kill 26 --The tornado received a preliminary EF-4 rating, the National Weather Service office in Jackson said late Saturday in a tweet. | 25 March 2023 | Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, and flattening entire blocks as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. One person was killed in Alabama. The tornado devastated a swath of the Mississippi Delta town of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to piles of rubble, flipping cars on their sides and toppling the town's water tower. Residents hunkered down in bath tubs and hallways during Friday night's storm and later broke into a John Deere store that they converted into a triage center for the wounded. "There’s nothing left," said Wonder Bolden, holding her granddaughter, Journey, while standing outside the remnants of her mother’s now-leveled mobile home in Rolling Fork. "There's just the breeze that's running, going through -- just nothing."

Another U.S. chemical train derails --At least eight freight trains have crashed across the country since the beginning of February | 27 March 2023 | A Canadian Pacific Railway freight train derailed in North Dakota on Sunday, spilling hazardous liquid asphalt from containers. The crash is the latest in a spate of derailments across the U.S., one of which caused a devastating release of toxic chemicals. The incident took place near the town of Wyndmere shortly after 11pm on Sunday night, a Canadian Pacific spokesman told local media. Richland County Emergency Manager Brett Lambrecht said that 31 cars of the 70-car train left the track, some of which were carrying liquid asphalt. Liquid asphalt is a flammable petroleum-based product, but Lambrecht said that cold temperatures will allow the material to solidify and reduce the chance of fire.

Netanyahu suspends judicial reform --The move comes after months-long protests across Israel | 27 March 2023 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the suspension of the controversial judicial overhaul, after months of massive nationwide demonstrations. In a statement on Monday evening, Netanyahu said that he ordered a "timeout" on the controversial legislation until after the Knesset recess, in order "to give a real opportunity for real dialogue." He condemned "a minority of extremists that are willing to tear our country to shreds, leading us to civil war and calling for refusal of army service," which he called "a terrible crime." The announcement comes after Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who challenged the reform, arguing that it threatens national security. The move added fuel to the protests, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across the country.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says staff member 'brutally attacked,' sustained 'life-threatening' injuries --A suspect has been arrested, according to a DC Metropolitan Police report | 27 March 2023 | The office of Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul confirmed Monday that a member of his staff was "brutally attacked" on the streets of Washington, D.C over the weekend. "This past weekend a member of my staff was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Washington, D.C.," Paul said in a statement... Paul's office did not confirm the identity of the staff member who was attacked, however a press released issued by the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department on Monday afternoon said the victim was an adult male who had sustained "life-threatening injuries." The statement announced the arrest of a suspect, 42-year-old Glynn Neal, "in reference to an Assault with Intent to Kill (Knife) offense," and that the incident occurred on the 1300 block of H Stree, NE, less than 1.5 miles from the U.S. Capitol.

Professor Suspended After Writing That Killing 'Right-Wing' Speakers Is 'Admirable' | 27 March 2023 | A Wayne State University (WSU) professor was suspended with pay after writing on Facebook that it is more "admirable" to kill a right-wing speaker than it is to shout them down on a college campus, The New Guard reported. Steven Shaviro, a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences professor, wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that while he does not "advocating violating federal and state criminal codes," it is "far more admirable to kill a racist, homophobic, or transphobic speaker than it is to shout them down," according to the New Guard. The professor was reportedly placed on leave and the incident was reported to law enforcement agencies for review.

Delaware River spill: Philadelphia water safe to drink through Monday evening at 11:59 p.m. [What happens to the water at midnight?] | 27 March 2023 | The Philadelphia Water Department is now encouraging residents to store tap water -- instead of buying bottled water in stores -- after hazardous materials spilled into the Delaware River. The recommendation comes after officials said Sunday afternoon that water in the city will remain safe to drink through Monday evening at 11:59 p.m. "We advise people that they can drink their tap water. There's no need to buy water." Mike Carroll, deputy managing director for the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability [?] said in a virtual news conference Sunday evening. "If they want to store water, they should store water from their tap in a bottle or pitcher and they can stick it in their fridge or refrigerator and it will be fine for them to drink" It's the latest in a series of updates after residents were advised just hours earlier to drink bottled water until further notice after an estimated 8,000 gallons of a latex-based solution spilled into Otter Creek from a plant in Bucks County. The plant makes acrylic resins, which are often used in paints to prevent corrosion, and weather-proof manufactured items like cars.

Biden issues first veto as president, blocks measure by Congress on 'woke' investment | 21 March 2023 | Joe Biden issued his first veto Monday after Congress voted to block a Labor Department rule allowing retirement plans to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments -- a move Republicans say is a "woke" policy that hurts retirees' pockets. Senate Republicans, along with two Democrats, voted on the measure March 1, needing only a simple majority for it to pass. Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted with Republicans. Ahead of the bill going to his desk, Biden said he would veto it. A two-thirds majority of Congress would be needed to override Biden's veto.

With His First Veto, Biden Puts Woke Capitalism Before American Workers and Retirees | 27 March 2023 | Joe Biden issued his first veto against a bipartisan bill that sought to protect millions of Americans' retirement plans from woke investments. His action shows he prioritizes politics over Americans' financial security. Early this month, the U.S. House and Senate passed a bipartisan resolution to prevent fiduciaries of retirement plans from subordinating financial returns to woke causes. Biden chose to ignore all the concerns and warnings, including those from his own party. Instead, he used his first veto to preserve a so-called environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, rule that his administration adopted last year. His action confirms that despite his rhetoric of bipartisanship, he is an inflexible politician.

Nashville school shooter who killed three children was transgender woman, police say --Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, was killed by police at the scene and has since been confirmed as the shooter who killed six people at the Covenant School in Tennessee | 27 March 2023 | Police searched her house and found a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and evidence she had clearly done surveillance before the shooting. Authorities also described her as a "lone zealot," who had written a manifesto ahead of the attack. Hale is believed to be a former student at The Covenant School in Nashville, where used two assault rifles and a pistol to kill six. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said: "We have a manifesto, we have some writings we're going over that pertain to this day, the actual incident. We have a map drawn out of how this was all going to take place."

Christian school massacre suspect identified as transgender, police found maps, manifesto | 27 March 2023 | A shooting at a Tennessee private Christian grade school left three students and three adults dead, including the head of the school, Monday and the shooter was killed by police, authorities said. The victims were killed in the attack at the Covenant School, authorities said. Nashville police say officers engaged with and killed the shooter, identified as a 28-year-old female carrying two "assault-type rifles" and a handgun. The shooter was identified as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a Nashville resident, who identified as a transgender woman. Investigators were investigating a home connected to her. Nashville police Chief John Drake said Hale possibly prepared for the shooting, including having written a manifesto. "We have also determined that there were maps drawn of the school in detail of surveillance entry points. At one point she was a student at that school," he said.

New York Close to Passing Statewide Gas Stove Ban on New Homes | 26 March 2023 | New York state is reportedly close to enacting the nation's first legislative ban on gas stoves for most new construction, including single-family homes and commercial buildings. Amid a statewide uproar over the plan, the Democrat-led state legislature is set to advance the move as part of Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul's $227 billion budget blueprint... If passed as is, the measure would prohibit the installation of "fossil fuel equipment" and building systems in the construction of new one-family and smaller multi-family homes, beginning on Dec. 31, 2025. The same prohibition would apply to new larger multi-family homes and commercial buildings starting on Dec. 31, 2028... Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.), who chairs the New York State Republican Committee, called Hochul a hypocrite for not getting rid of gas stoves in her home in Buffalo and the governor’s mansion in Albany. "Is it any surprise that Queen Kathy cooks on her gas stove when she flies around on private planes? New Yorkers are so sick of phony climate-warrior hypocrites and their 'rules for thee but not for me,'" the congressman told the New York Post in January. "Our state is in a crime and economic free fall and she's waging war on appliances."

Adam Kinzinger Linked to Pro-Ukraine Organization Which Allegedly Scammed People Out of Millions of Dollars | 26 March 2023 | RINO Adam Kinzinger might be in serious hot water because a Ukraine-centered non-profit he is a board member of is being accused of scamming people out of millions of dollars. As reported by the Post Millennial, the story starts with a man named James Vasquez who formerly worked for Ripley’s Heroes. Vasquez boasted about joining the Ukraine army in 2022 to fight the Russians and bragged about his supposed exploits, including "taking out seven Russian tanks." This caught Kinzinger's attention and he started promoting Vasquez. He urged Twitter to verify his account and posed together with the supposed hero. There was just one problem: Vasquez lied about everything. Now Ripley's Heroes is being investigated by the federal government.

Another mysterious attack on the U.S. food supply: 5 killed, 2 missing after devastating chocolate factory explosion in Pennsylvania, officials say --There has been no official word on a cause of this blast | 26 March 2023 | A fifth person was confirmed dead and two people remained unaccounted for Sunday, two days after a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory shook a small Pennsylvania town. The blast happened around 5 p.m. Friday at the R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion coming from the candy factory, then saw flames shortly after. The damage is extensive. Officials say RM Palmer Building #2 is destroyed and there's damage at the neighboring Palmer building #1. There has been no official word on a cause of this blast, including whether it was caused by a gas leak.

Tornadoes tear through Mississippi killing at least 10 and leaving 100-mile destruction path | 25 March 2023 | A severe weather outbreak across several southern states Friday evening and Saturday morning produced at least one deadly tornado in Mississippi. FOX News Channel confirmed at least seven dead in Rolling Fork, Mississippi and three in Carroll County, Mississippi, after the storm pummeled across the state Friday evening, destroying buildings and knocking out power for thousands of residents. FOX Weather confirmed at least two people were injured, too. Those numbers are expected to rise. The severe line of storms prompted a tornado emergency to be issued in a few towns, which is the most dire of tornado-related alerts.

At least 11 dead after tornado-spawning storms roll through Mississippi. One town is 'gone,' resident says | 225 March 2023 | At least 11 people were killed after powerful storms and at least one tornado pummeled western Mississippi on Friday night, damaging homes and knocking out power for thousands, officials said Saturday morning. At least eight deaths were recorded in hard-hit Sharkey County, which is roughly 60 miles northwest of Jackson, according to county coroner Angelia Easton. Three others were killed and at least two people are in critical condition in Humphreys County, emergency management director Royce Steed told CNN early Saturday morning.