By Kevin Daley

Free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be featured in a Black Lives Matter collection at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, museum curators announced this weekend.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation’s longest-serving black justice, remains absent from the museum.

USA Today Sports reports items belonging to Kaepernick will be incorporated into the museum’s Black Lives Matter collection. The quarterback became a symbol of the nation’s complicated racial politics and social relations when he declined to stand for the national anthem during the 2016 NFL season. The quarterback said his gesture signaled solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture has nearly 40,000 items in our collection,” sports curator Damion Thomas told USA Today. “The Colin Kaepernick collection is in line with the museum’s larger collecting efforts to document the varied areas of society that have been impacted by the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Featured items will include shoes and a game-worn jersey.

The quarterback’s protest inflamed racial and political tensions around the country. He returned to San Francisco’s starting lineup in advance of its week six game against the Buffalo Bills in October 2016. Anti-Kaepernick displays outside the Bills stadium before the game prompted allegations of racism.

Kaepernick was released from his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017 and is currently a free agent. He finished the 2016 NFL season on 2,241 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The quarterback’s admission into the nation’s premier black history museum was fairly speedy relative to Thomas, only the second black man in American history to serve on the Supreme Court. The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Thomas was not included in the museum in 2016. His exclusion prompted …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Madyson Hutchinson

Many Arab countries have legal provisions that allow men accused or convicted of rape to avoid punishment.

Often called “marry-your-rapist” laws, these provisions generally state that a rapist will not be prosecuted if he marries his victim. Proponents believe that these laws protect women from stigmas surrounding rape.

However, most people—including some Arab leaders—view them as a major human rights violation.

The specific “marry-your-rapist” provisions are generally found in cultures where a woman’s chastity is tied to the honor of her family. They are not isolated to the Muslim world, although some interpretations of Islamic law and social attitudes make them more common there.

In most of these countries, rape is significantly underreported and often considered to be the victim’s fault as much as the perpetrator’s. Individual countries’ criminal codes often reinforce this belief.

Some countries have provisions that require a woman to prove she was raped by having multiple male witnesses. Even more egregious, a woman can actually face charges for illicit sex even if it was proven that the act took place against her will.

In other countries, someone who rapes a child can avoid punishment by marrying the victim.

Despite these antiquated attitudes, Arab countries are increasingly reexamining their criminal codes, repealing the “marry-your-rapist” laws, and in some cases instituting harsher penalties for perpetrators.

This is largely due to internal social pressure. For example, Bahrain is currently considering removing its “rape clause” and introducing stricter punishments against rapists.

Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia have all repealed their versions of the law. Jordan and Lebanon are now the latest Arab countries to follow this growing trend.

Jordan, a pro-Western but socially conservative kingdom, debated the repeal of their marriage rape law—Article 308—for four years.

Wafa Bani Mustafa, a female member of Parliament, first proposed the abolition of Article 308 in December 2013. Her proposal ignited …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Fred Lucas

The exit of White House chief strategist Steve Bannon doesn’t bode well for conservatives or those who just wanted to see President Donald Trump stick to the economic and foreign policy message that he ran on, some on the right fear.

“There is no question that Steve Bannon was one of the only people who could keep Trump true to Trumpism,” Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Daily Signal. “Without Bannon, you have mostly bankers, generals, and liberal Democrats in the White House. It could be a Hillary-lite administration.”

Trump was in line with some of the policies promoted by the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that backs enforcement of immigration laws. However it’s not just immigration where Krikorian fears President Trump could waiver from the policies of candidate Trump.

“Bannon pushed hard in the other directions to keep the president from drifting toward the establishment on foreign policy and trade or confronting China,” Krikorian said.

However, Tea Party Patriots President Jenny Beth Martin had a less dim view of the Bannon exit.

“We will miss Steve Bannon in the White House because he helped President Trump keep many of the promises he made on the campaign trail, like replacing the late Justice Antonin Scalia with a trusted conservative in Justice Neil Gorsuch,” Martin said in a statement. “President Trump is his own man and we are confident he will keep working to deliver on those promises and we will continue to advocate for the Trump agenda that propelled him to victory.”

After initial reports Friday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine general, and Bannon came to a mutual agreement that Bannon should leave his post. Bannon has returned to Breitbart News, a media …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Rachel del Guidice

An international Catholic charitable organization has announced a goal of saving one million unborn babies by expanding its ultrasound program.

“We know from experience that a woman who sees an ultrasound image of her child is highly likely to keep her baby,” Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, said at the organization’s 135th international convention in St. Louis on August 1-3.

In 2009, the Knights of Columbus began working with the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council in New Haven, Conn., to pay for 829 ultrasound machines for pregnancy centers or in mobile medical units.

Since 2009, Anderson says the program has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

When the ultrasound program gets to its 10th anniversary in 2019, Anderson hopes to have 1,000 machines in service.

“If each machine saves the lives of just four unborn children each week, the Knights will have saved more than one million lives,” Anderson said. “Let us continue this great effort by reaching the goal of 1,000 machines as quickly as possible.”

With almost 2 million members, the Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by the Rev. Michael J. McGivney.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, praised the goal of the Catholic charity organization.

“Ultrasounds are a window into the womb that give mothers the ability to see the life that is within them,” Perkins said in a statement provided to The Daily Signal, adding:

Ultrasounds make crystal clear the humanity of these children. Expectant mothers are much more likely to choose life for their babies once they get to see with their own eyes their babies in the womb. I applaud the Knights of Columbus for their efforts to provide ultrasounds for pregnancy care centers.

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Peter Parisi

The ideological and philosophical divide between Republicans and Democrats has seldom, if ever, been broader and deeper, and the divide between partisans in the degree of their aversion to swearing in feature films is just the latest manifestation of that.

A new Harris poll—commissioned by the makers of a forthcoming faith-based film, “Generational Sins,” that itself reportedly contains 32 profanities—found that Republicans are offended by swearing more than Democrats are, by a margin of nearly 2-to-1.

Nearly half (45 percent) of Republicans surveyed, compared with just one in four (25 percent) Democrats, find the “F-bomb” objectionable, for example, the poll found.

Among all respondents, however, the poll found the use of “Jesus Christ” as a profanity and “G.D.” both narrowly edged out the four-letter F-word as vulgar dialogue that would keep them from seeing a movie if they knew ahead of time they were used in the film.

One in three (33 percent) of those surveyed objected to using “Jesus Christ” as an expletive. Thirty-two percent said the same about “G.D.,” while 31 percent said “f—” would keep them from buying a ticket.

Among evangelical Christians, the corresponding numbers were 90 percent, 86 percent, and 74 percent, respectively.

The poll also found a divide along other demographic lines, with Christians, not surprisingly, objecting more than non-Christians. More women than men object to the use of the “F-bomb” in movie scripts than men (37 percent to 26 percent).

Objections also increased with age, with more than half of those over age 72 telling the pollster they would shun movies with strong profanity.

“Milder” profanities, among them “sh–,” “p—,” “damn” and “hell,” were found objectionable at lower rates across all demographics.

It’s all a far cry from the days of “Gone With the Wind,” when in 1939, producer David O. Selznick agonized over whether to tone down Rhett Butler’s famous …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By admin

Republican Party of Texas Vice Chair Amy Clark issued the following statement on the 97-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, establishing women’s right to vote:

“97 years ago today, the deciding vote was cast by a Republican lawmaker in the Tennessee State House that would change the course of American history forever. August 18, 1920 saw the 36th state ratify the 19th amendment, paving the way for women’s suffrage in the United States of America. The Republican Party of Texas is proud to celebrate this momentous day, as we salute our conservative women leaders across the state and this nation!”

The post RPT Vice Chair: Celebrating Women’s Suffrage appeared first on Republican Party of Texas.

…read more

From:: Texas GOP – Feed

By Romina Boccia

$269 billion. That’s a big number, and yet it’s not the amount the federal government spends on any of its major activities like Defense, Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security.

Rather, this is what the Congressional Budget Office currently projects the federal government will spend on interest payments on the debt for fiscal year 2017. This makes interest the fifth largest federal budget item behind Social Security, Defense, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Nothing to worry about, right?

Only if you’re fine with spending a growing percentage of the federal budget on something that provides no service to the American people, other than paying for past bills.

Paying the net interest on the national debt is nothing like paying the interest on your car loan or your mortgage. With the national debt, there is no shiny car or spacious house waiting for you at the other end.

Although even in terms of payments, we’ve been relatively fortunate. Interest payments have been fairly low, despite the massive size of the national debt.

Interest rates—which help determine the size of interest payments—have been kept low over the past few years, thanks both to sluggish economic growth, the U.S. maintaining its position as a highly desirable location for investment, and the experimental monetary policies of the Federal Reserve.

However, with the economy now looking up and the Fed’s decision to raise its interest rate target, the Congressional Budget Office now predicts interest rates will “rise gradually over the next few years.”

Though, like any projection, the Congressional Budget Office’s interest estimates carry uncertainty.

U.S. creditors may eventually demand higher interest rates if they believe that the risk of default over the long run has increased significantly.

After all, the U.S. faces unsustainable fiscal projections and an apparent lack of political will to address the key drivers of spending and debt growth …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By admin

‘Much work to be done, but encouraged that Legislature acted on these items related to RPT Platform,” Dickey says.

AUSTIN – With the close of this special session of the Texas Legislature, Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey has outlined the bills passed relating to the Republican Party platform:

“We are constantly working to advance the official Platform of the Republican Party of Texas, which is rooted in conservative principle. Following the special session, there is still much work to be done, but I’m encouraged that the Legislature acted on these important items that will help keep Texas free and prosperous.”

Protecting election integrity by cracking down on mail-in ballot fraud
“Election integrity is absolutely fundamental to our republic. That is why we are strong advocates for increased scrutiny and security in balloting by mail as specified in the Republican Party of Texas platform plank #59. Mail-in ballot fraud represents the first Republican platform item from the special session to become law.

“Senate Bill 5 increases penalties for fraudulent mail-in ballots and was signed by Governor Abbott on August 11, 2017. Thanks to Senator Kelly Hancock and Representatives Jodie Laubenberg and Craig Goldman for advocacy on this important issue, as well as to Governor Abbott for including this on the call for the special session.”

Preserving property ownership by through municipal annexation reform
“The Republican Party of Texas platform plank #37 expresses that property ownership must not be abridged or denied by government and that we support legislation that protects this bedrock right. Municipal annexation takes away control from property owners and places their property under the authority of government officials they did not elect. It then forces them to pay new taxes and be placed under new regulations that accompany moving to a new municipality.

“I applaud Senator Donna Campbell and Representative Dan Huberty’s efforts with …read more

From:: Texas GOP – Feed

By Robin Simcox

Not so long ago, scenes of death and carnage on the streets of major European cities were a rarity.

Not so any more. In this year alone, there have been major Islamist attacks in London (twice), Manchester, and Stockholm. We can now add Barcelona to that list.

Smaller scale acts of violence in France (on multiple occasions), Austria, and Italy have likely faded from most people’s memory, but they were inspired by the same ideology.

This is not the first time Spain has suffered from an Islamist attack. The most deadly terrorist incident of this kind to have taken place in Europe occurred in Madrid, in March 2004, when the bombing of trains killed almost 200 people.

That attack was tied to al-Qaeda. Yesterday’s attack was claimed by ISIS—a reminder, if one was needed, that battlefield victories in Raqqa and Mosul are welcome developments but not a panacea to the Islamist threat in Europe.

Unfortunately, Islamist ideology has now spread far and wide throughout Europe. Since 2014, there have been over 150 plots or attacks, and they have taken place in 15 different European countries.

This week’s Las Ramblas plot was the 42nd plot to have either taken place or been thwarted this year alone. Those plots average five a month.

Beyond all being adherents to Islam, there is no single profile of what kind of person partakes in these plots. There are homegrown terrorists, and then there are those who were born abroad. There are terrorists who are unemployed, and others who have jobs.

Some are very young, some are older. Some have received terrorist training abroad, some have not. Some rely on guns and knives, others on cars and bombs. Some are recruited via social media, others by personal contacts. Some target civilians, others the police or military.

So the problem is daunting in the extreme. …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By James Carafano

The odds of the U.S. pulling away from the fight in Afghanistan are near zero.

There are good reasons for that—all revolve around preventing the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups again.

The tougher challenge is crafting the right way forward after three terms of indifferent presidential leadership. Innovations in contractor support should be part of the mix, if done right.

Still a War to Be Won

In this war, winning means achieving a stable Afghanistan that can stand by itself rather than be a source of regional instability and a base for the global Islamist insurgency.

For the U.S. to walk away now is unthinkable. The pain would far outweigh the gain. It is not, as some say, a matter of sunk costs. What we must consider is the future.

Walking away would send the country in a time warp back to 2001. That would create significant regional instability, jeopardizing the United States’ most critical relationship in the South Asia-India region.

It’s hard to imagine how the U.S. and India can partner more on many common economic, security, and diplomatic interests if India is increasingly worried about a collapsing Afghanistan.

A U.S. withdrawal would also prompt Pakistan to turn increasingly to China. China’s long-term interests in Pakistan are clear. If Beijing has its way, Pakistan will become another vassal state.

China will use Pakistan to poke India when it pleases in the same way it uses North Korea to keep the U.S., Japan, and South Korea off balance in Northeast Asia.

Pulling back would also be a foreign policy disaster for President Donald Trump on the scale of President Barack Obama’s misstep of pulling out of Iraq in 2011, which opened the field for ISIS.

Having led the first substantive victory against the global Islamist insurgency in almost a decade, and with the ISIS “caliphate” now collapsing, …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed