TheFrontPageCover
~ Featuring ~
Top Foreign Threats Facing the U.S. in 2020
Thomas Gallatin
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Friday Top News Executive Summary
Media Editors: Above the Fold
https://patriotpost.us/articles/67677?mailing_id=4779&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4779&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body
TERRORIST NEUTRALIZED: Iran vows “harsh” response to U.S. killing of top general, Qassem Soleimani; meanwhile, Americans are implored to leave Iraq “immediately” (Associated Press)
SANITY: Marine Corps authorizes concealed carry on bases following recent shootings (National Review)
Government & Politics
CIRCLING THE WAGONS: Media struggle to explain recent wave of anti-Semitic attacks without blaming Jews, Trump (The Washington Free Beacon)
LIMITED VAPING BAN: Trump administration declares ban on mint, fruit-flavored vaping products (The Hill)
Virginia
GUN-GRAB PROPOSAL: Virginia governor’s call for 18-person gun-ban force comes under fire (Washington Examiner)
STOCKING UP: Guns and ammo “flying off the shelves” in Virginia as Democrats pursue confiscation (The Daily Wire)
REVISIONIST HISTORY: Ralph Northam calls for removing statue of Robert E. Lee from U.S. Capitol (The Daily Wire)
Culture
“A RADICALLY UNSETTLED PRECEDENT”: Two hundred members of Congress are urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade (The Daily Caller)
MOTHER, DOCTORS DISAGREE: Texas judge rules 11-month-old to be taken off life support against mom’s wishes (The Daily Wire)
“THE LIES … HAVE BEEN FOREVER EXPOSED”: First trans person to obtain legal “non-binary” sex status changes back to birth sex in blow to LGBT movement (PJ Media)
Closing Arguments
POLICY: Qassem Soleimani’s death a “major operational, psychological victory” for the U.S. (The Heritage Foundation)
POLICY: The surprisingly good news about American family life — for kids (American Enterprise Institute)
HUMOR: Racist Democrats kick another minority out of 2020 presidential primary (Genesius Times)
~The Patriot Posthttps://patriotpost.us/articles/67677?mailing_id=4779&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pp.email.4779&utm_campaign=snapshot&utm_content=body
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US assassinates Qasem Soleimani,
Iran's Khamenei warns of 'harsh revenge'
By OMRI NAHMIAS
{ jpost.com } ~ IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with at least 10 other people... were killed in an attack by US forces in Baghdad on Friday morning Israel time, according to reports confirmed by the Pentagon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). In a statement, the Pentagon said that the US killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis in an airstrike inside Baghdad International Airport. "At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," the Pentagon's statement read. According to the Pentagon, Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. "General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more," the Pentagon claimed, noting that the Iranian leader had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months, "including the attack on December 27th, culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. "General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week," the Pentagon added, clarifying that the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans."The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world," the statement concluded....
State Department urges U.S. citizens
to leave Iraq immediately
By Brie Stimson
{ foxnews.com } ~ The State Department issued a security alert early Friday morning urging Americans in Iraq to leave the country immediately... The warning comes hours after Iran promised “harsh retaliation” against the United States for an airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad International Airport. “Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, we urge U.S. citizens to depart Iraq immediately,” the State Department said in the alert. The alert also said all consular operations are suspended at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad “Due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the U.S. Embassy compound.” “U.S. citizens should not approach the Embassy," the alert said..
liar-Pelosi and McConnell begin
2020 in standoff over Trump trial
by Erik Wasson
{ personalliberty.com } ~ House Speaker liar-Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are locked in a stare-down over the terms of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial... which carries political risks for both sides if it continues deeper into January. The two-week congressional holiday break produced no new negotiations on the contours of the Senate trial, according to people familiar with the matter. liar-Pelosi is leaving the talks with McConnell up to Senate Democratic leader Chuck scumbag-Schumer, with whom she’s been coordinating, officials in the speaker’s office said. liar-Pelosi has held up delivering to the Senate the two articles of impeachment adopted by the Democratic-majority House, saying she wants to see a “fair” process for the trial. Officials in liar-Pelosi’s office said she and scumbag-Schumer are in lockstep on what that means: trial procedures that would include documents and testimony from witnesses that were blocked by Trump during the House’s impeachment inquiry. “Neither Senator McConnell, nor any Republican senator, has articulated a single good reason why the trial shouldn’t have these witnesses or these documents,” scumbag-Schumer said at a news conference Monday in New York. McConnell is showing no signs of shifting off his position that a vote on calling witnesses can be left until after the impeachment case is argued by House managers and Trump’s counsel. While most lawmakers won’t return to Washington until next week — when haggling over the trial process is likely to begin in earnest — McConnell is expected to deliver remarks on the Senate floor Friday criticizing the Democrats’ position. In the background is the 2020 election campaign that will decide control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, and that’s putting pressure on both sides in the impeachment drama... https://personalliberty.com/pelosi-and-mcconnell-begin-2020-in-standoff-over-trump-trial/ .
Pompeo Responds to Iran's Three Demands Following Their Attack on the
U.S. Embassy
by Beth Baumann
{ townhall.com } ~ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday night discussed the attacks on the United States' embassy in Baghdad with Fox News' Mike Emanuel... According to Pompeo, those who carried out the attacks are terrorists that are backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Well, what you say was Iranian-backed terrorists. Many of them are individuals that have been designated terrorists by the United States and others, coming to the American embassy and posing a risk to the American diplomats and personnel inside the embassy," Pompeo explained. "You saw President Trump direct a quick, decisive, prudent response by making sure that we had all the resources necessary to keep our people safe and to secure the compound as well." "Any plans to evacuate the embassy in Baghdad, sir?" Emanuel asked. "None," Pompeo replied. "Okay. Any plans to pull some of the 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq out?" Emanuel asked. "None," Pompeo replied. On Tuesday, the Pentagon deployed 750 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg that were sent to nearby military bases where they will wait until they are needed in Baghdad. Up to 5,000 troops from the 82nd are reportedly being sent overseas. Emanuel asked about the 82nd being used to "bolster forces in the region." According to the Secretary of State, more context has to be given to the situation. "This is 40 years of the Islamic Republic of Iran being engaged in global terror campaigns, nuclear weapons dreams and nuclear enrichment capability existing today," he explained. Pompeo said that when the Trump administration took over, they inherited a difficult situation. "The previous administration provided lots of money, lots of money that was used for that nuclear program, lots of money that had been used for terror all around the world, to develop their missile program," he said. "The Trump administration has taken a much different view." "We put real pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran," he explained. "We will continue to do so. And you saw the president say today we will continue to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable wherever we find their malign activity and we'll make sure we have the resources to do so." Although Pompeo refused to talk about specific actions that can and will be taken against Iran, he reiterated President Trump's stance that Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will feel America's power if the situation warrants it....
Trey Gowdy Shreds Democrats’ Impeachment
Case, Gives Update On Joining Trump Legal
Team After Playing Golf With Trump
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The Myth of Voter Suppression
by Jason Riley
{ youtube.com } ~ Do Republicans win elections by preventing minorities from voting? The Left says yes, but the data says no. In the latest short video from Prager University, Jason Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, settles the argument with hard evidence, separating fact from fiction. Don't miss it! .
Homeland Security Chief Orders Review of
State Laws Allowing Driver’s
Licenses for Illegal Aliens
by Jason Hopkins
{ dailysignal.com } ~ Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, ordered a review of state laws that allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses and restrict data sharing with federal immigration authorities... Wolf on Tuesday ordered all of the components of DHS to conduct a department-wide review of the state laws to determine how they affect their day-to-day operations, according to a memo obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The DHS chief’s directive indicates he is prepared to take aim against the state laws. “Accordingly, I am instructing each operational component to conduct an assessment of the impact of these laws, so that the Department is prepared to deal with and counter these impacts as we protect the homeland,” Wolf’s memo read. The memo follows implementation of New York’s “Green Light” law, and passage of a similar bill in New Jersey in December. Both laws not only allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses, but also restrict DMV data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. In New York, in particular, numerous county clerks have expressed reservation over the fact that illegal aliens can obtain a driver’s license with foreign documentation—arguing that such a policy paves the way for voter fraud, identity theft, and even terrorism. DHS had already voiced its opposition to a provision in the New York law that prohibits Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE, from accessing DMV information—even if the agency is investigating serious crimes... NY and NJ have looked the other way and disregarded the law against illegals..
Keystone State learning from Gosnell tragedy?
by Charlie Butts
{ onenewsnow.com } ~ Pennsylvania could soon consider legislation that would give women seeking an abortion more helpful information... The state has passed House Bill 2138 -- what Maria Gallagher of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation calls a "common sense measure" that calls for set standards and regular and surprise inspections of the state's abortion clinics. "Pennsylvania suffered a terrible tragedy with Kermit Gosnell and his house of horrors in West Philadelphia, where newborn babies were murdered and where women lost their lives," Gallagher notes. "So we need to make sure that our laws are as strong as possible." Gosnell, whose clinic was filthy and whose workers were not properly trained, is serving three consecutive life sentences for killing babies born alive after failed abortions. State Representative Timothy O'Neal (R) has introduced the bill that would require abortuaries to post the results of state health department inspection reports, as well as their plans for correcting any violations. "When you're talking about informed consent, it's important that the woman be apprised of all of the information that's available for a particular abortion facility, and this bill would guarantee that," Gallagher explains. The measure might also motivate poorly operated abortion clinics to work harder to meet the state's minimum requirements for abortion facilities..
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Top Foreign Threats Facing the U.S. in 2020
Thomas Gallatin: As we enter a new year and a new decade, Americans were reminded anew that our old geopolitical foes still present a significant threat to our nation and our way of life. In Baghdad, Iraq, the U.S. embassy was attacked by Iran-backed “protesters” angered at President Donald Trump’s authorization of air strikes against the Iran-backed terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah — a jihadi group that had killed an American civilian contractor. Trump was quick to send in the U.S. Marines to secure the embassy and prevent another Benghazi fiasco. He also warned, “Iran killed an American contractor wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible.”
Iran continues to be provocative in an effort to get Trump to back off his crippling sanctions, while the regime continues its pursuit of building a nuclear weapon. Thus far, Trump has avoided being pulled into a war with Iran, but as the Iranians get more desperate, expect an increase in the number of attacks against U.S. interests and allies.
At the same time, North Korea has once again ramped up its saber-rattling, with Kim Jong-un claiming to possess a “new strategic weapon” while also suggesting he will end the moratorium against testing long-rang missiles. For the moment, Trump seems content to hold the line on sanctions while continuing his charm offensive. He continues to avoid offering any heated criticism of Kim while effectively calling on Beijing’s puppet to uphold the denuclearization agreement “he did sign.”
Finally, the ongoing trade war with China. There was some recent positive news, as the White House announced that a “phase one” deal agreed to last month would be signed on January 15. The deal would cancel a new round of $156 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods as well as slash current tariffs on another $120 billion in goods. While it is undeniable that the trade war has hurt certain sectors of the U.S. economy, it has been necessary to fight against Chinese cheating. However, this fight is far from over, as Beijing would love nothing more than to see Trump lose his reelection bid with an aim to continue its unfair trade practices.
In short, as 2019 passes into 2020, there are some things that haven’t changed and will require continued American vigilance.
~The Patriot Post
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