Parents in Virginia can breathe a little sigh of relief.

According to Inside Nova, a new law proposed by Republican state Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. mandates that websites featuring pornographic material must use age verification technology to more accurately determine that users in Virginia are at least 18 years old before granting them access to the content. The law easily passed through the Virginia General Assembly and will go into effect on July 1.

But Pornhub, one of the most visited sites in the world, isn't willing to give up on destroying the minds of innocent young people so easily.

In a blatant attempt to blackmail the state, the pornography website has decided to block all viewers in Virginia from accessing the site, stating on its website that the law is not the most effective solution for protecting people visiting its site and even claiming the law puts children and user privacy at risk.

It's not taking a big leap to put forward that those who work at Pornhub are not concerned either with user privacy or putting children at risk.

If you try to access Pornhub from anywhere in Virginia currently, you will see a long sanctimonious message posted on their page.

Here’s the current landing page for PornHub if you live in Virginia.

Proud of the work we’ve done at @approject to help make this happen. This is a no-brainer to protect kids. Let’s get this done in a

ll 50 states! pic.twitter.com/RUXFAoNBGw

— Jon Schweppe (@JonSchweppe) June 30, 2023


"The safety of our users is one of our biggest concerns," the website reads. "We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials based on that identification.

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The message then turns from its hypocritical sermonizing to threats, writing, "Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Virginia."

And then come the demands as the purveyors of sin reach out to all their pervert and porn-addict followers, who are probably in mourning, asking them to please contact their representatives "before it is too late."

Too late for what?

Too late for Pornhub to destroy the children they have not got to yet?

According to the Christian website Focus On the Family, a study spanning 1995 through 2015 found that 64 percent of people aged 13 to 24 viewed pornography at least weekly and 49 percent of young people first viewed pornography before age 13.

Ninety percent of boys and 70 percent of girls younger than 18 admitted to having seen pornography at least once.

Focus on the Family also said children between the ages of 12 to 17 make up the largest group of internet porn users.

No wonder Pornhub is threatening Virginia with all or nothing.

Getting children addicted to porn at an early age ensures a steady and ever-increasing source of income for the filth website, and they're not willing to give it up, even if it means a short-term loss of revenue.

Pornhub demanding that their representatives re-allow children access to its den of sin "before it's too late" is like the lions asking God to open their mouths before it's too late to have Daniel for dinner.

Thankfully, the children of Virginia have a few angels who have fought long and hard to keep them safe.

Now it's time for other states to do the same.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The Biden administration -- an endless reservoir of unintentional comedy that would be funny in another context -- is at it again.

The White House's latest self-own appeared in the form of a graph posted to Twitter on Tuesday under the title "Inflation Has Fallen by More Than Half" -- followed by words in much smaller text: "Since Last Summer."

"Great news: Today's inflation report shows annual inflation is now at the lowest level since March 2021, and less than half of what it was last June," the White House tweet said.

"This is giving families real breathing room," it said.

Great news: Today’s inflation report shows annual inflation is now at the lowest level since March 2021, and less than half of what it was last June.

This is giving families real breathing room. pic.twitter.com/l5k3B9WU2t

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 13, 2023

With a mixture of facts and mockery, Twitter users quickly deciphered the graph's true meaning.

"Great news! We're stealing marginally less from your paycheck through inflation than we were stealing before," Grabien founder Tom Elliott said.

Great news! We're stealing marginally less from your paycheck through inflation than we were stealing before

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 13, 2023

Conservative commentator Steve Guest also mocked the White House's celebratory announcement, saying, "The admin points out that the moment Joe Biden took office, inflation took off!"

Great News: The admin points out that the moment Joe Biden took office, inflation took off! pic.twitter.com/0Uz7tntFmA

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 13, 2023

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania posted an identical chart under a different title: "Record Inflation Under President Biden," with the smaller text changed to "Since Entering White House."

The real story ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/qrcrwSJJML

— Guy Reschenthaler (@GReschenthaler) June 13, 2023

Many others responded to the graph with humor and scorn.

This is so dishonest! @WhiteHouse knows most don't understand inflation. Inflation going down does not mean there is more "breathing room." It means the rate of price increases is slowing, but still going up. We are paying more than ever! We need DEFLATION for prices to go down.

— Justin T. Haskins (@JustinTHaskins) June 13, 2023

Last year I gained 9 lbs. this year I only gained 4.
Am I losing weight?

— Edina dad (@Edina_Dad) June 13, 2023

You’re bragging about prices continuing to increase?

— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) June 13, 2023

Very misleading. The inflation rate is lower now than it was last summer, as measured by changes in the CPI. However, prices are still higher today than last summer. As I teach my middle school financial literacy students, prices do not come down unless you have deflation.

— PETROS (@PETROS_USA) June 13, 2023

pic.twitter.com/h2ueoZKlMY

— Cassie Cynical🐩 (@TuckerPoodleMA) June 13, 2023

you think the price of everything being 30-50% more than when you took office is doing a good job?

— Thomas J 🇺🇸 (@old4dis) June 13, 2023

All of these responses highlight the hilarious audacity with which the White House attempted to apply lipstick to a pig of a record.

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In 2022, administration officials equivocated on the issue of inflation, and their establishment media lapdogs talked as if nothing was wrong. Now, administration officials are happy to report that the thing their media allies told you was not a problem is getting better.

Alas, with a single line in the White House's tweet, the hilarity ends. "This is giving families real breathing room," it said.

The idea that the Biden administration or nearly anyone in Washington would claim to give a hoot about families strikes the average American as downright galling.

To the White House and its allies, thank you for the "real breathing room" we enjoy as you commit billions of dollars to the war in Ukraine.

Thank you for the "real breathing room" that comes with runaway national debt and the theft of our great-grandchildren's money.

Thank you for the "real breathing room" we feel as we watch the counties adjacent to the nation's capital grow wealthier and wealthier at our expense.

If it were not true, it would be funny.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Championship NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines dismantled Karine Jean-Pierre after the White House press secretary said Tuesday that criticizing men in women’s sports is “dangerous.”

Gaines had the misfortune of not only competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas but also was exposed to his genitals in a locker room last year.

Since working her entire life, only to lose to that man and later be forced to see him nude, Gaines has made it her mission to defend spaces for women and girls in sports.

She went on the offensive Tuesday evening after she came across a clip of Jean-Pierre telling a reporter there is no longer a debate about whether female spaces are sacred.

The press secretary went as far as to portray critics of men in women’s sports as harmful.

During her daily media briefing on Tuesday, a male reporter asked Jean-Pierre how President Joe Biden feels about parents who are afraid for their daughters.

“What would the President say to the parents out there who have daughters — say, in high school, for example — who are worried that their daughter may have to compete against a male, or a person born male, and there could be or directly in physical athletic competition — and worry about their daughter’s safety?” the reporter asked.

Jean-Pierre did not answer the question but rather attacked its premise.

Reporter: "What would the administration say to parents who are worried that their daughter may have to compete against a male and worried about their daughter's safety?"

Jean-Pierre: "What you're alluding to is that transgender kids are dangerous... That is a dangerous thing… pic.twitter.com/A0mokmQZSl

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 13, 2023

“So, look, what you’re alluding to is basically saying that transgender kids are dangerous,” she said. “It sounds like that’s what you’re saying.”

After the reporter repeated his question, Jean-Pierre scolded him.

“You’re laying out a kind of broad example or explanation of what could potentially happen,” she said.

She concluded, "That is dangerous. That is a dangerous thing to say. That, essentially, transgender kids -- we’re talking about -- are dangerous.”

While the debate about men in women’s sports might be settled in Jean-Pierre’s mind, Gaines let her have it.

She shared the clip on Twitter and commented, “When they say ‘inclusion,’ just know they really mean ‘exclusion.’”

Gaines concluded, “The message this sends to ALL women is that our safety doesn't matter. Nor does our privacy, our fairness, our equal opportunities, or our dignity. The misogyny is slapping us across the face.”

When they say "inclusion", just know they really mean "exclusion".

The message this sends to ALL women is that our safety doesn't matter. Nor does our privacy, our fairness, our equal opportunities, or our dignity. The misogyny is slapping us across the face. #SaveWomensSports https://t.co/DYqZDiQF7p

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 14, 2023

The 12-time NCAA champion has previously described how it felt to be violated by sharing a locker room with Thomas last year.

"Of course, in the locker room, especially, it's awkward. It's embarrassing. It's, again, it's this feeling of, the best word to describe it is traumatic," Gaines said last month during testimony before lawmakers, The Washington Examiner reported.

Gaines added, "No one protected us. No one stood up for us, and so, that's exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing."

Countless women and girls have since been exposed to men in their competitions and in their locker rooms.

The official White House position is to evade their parents’ valid concerns and try to gaslight them into being quiet about the issue.

While Democrats try to portray critics of the toxic gender ideology as extreme, threatening or even violent, this is a war they will not win. Not as long as brave women such as Riley Gaines continue to contribute to the discussion.

This is a battle only women can fight on their own behalf.

As of now, Gaines is the tip of the spear.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Global coffee giant Starbucks was slapped with some bad news on Monday as a New Jersey federal jury ordered the company to pony up a whopping $25.6 million to a former regional manager.

The jury deemed that Starbucks violated the manager's civil rights when it fired her after a highly publicized 2018 incident.

The specific civil rights violation? Shannon Phillips, who is white, was unjustly fired because of the color of her skin.

So how did Starbucks end up owing such a significant sum of money to Phillips?

As The New York Times noted, a seeming misunderstanding blew up into a cultural battle in April 2018 when two black men entered a Philadelphia Starbucks.

One of the men asked to use the restroom, but since neither of them had ordered anything, he was denied.

A confrontation ensued that ended with the two men being arrested and escorted off the premises.

The ugly incident blew up, with every leftist and his "birthing person" slamming Starbucks as racist.

Instead of scoffing at those idiotic claims, the leftist coffee chain buckled and actually groveled for forgiveness.

Posting a pathetic letter on social media and on its website, the company profusely apologized for the incident. According to the Times, Starbucks even temporarily closed 8,000 stores to "teach workers about racial bias."

We apologize to the two individuals and our customers for what took place at our Philadelphia store on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/suUsytXHks

— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) April 14, 2018

When one obnoxious Twitter user demanded more blood, Starbucks basically confirmed that Phillips had been let go.

That manager is no longer with the company, and we've reached an agreement with Mr. Robinson and Mr. Nelson that includes a financial settlement and the opportunity to participate in our College Achievement Plan. You can learn more at https://t.co/q93pfWqY5M.

— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) May 4, 2018

(It should also be noted that Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, the two black men at the center of this controversy, also received confidential financial settlements with the city of Philadelphia.)

To recap: A white woman (who wasn't even at the specific location at the time of the incident; in fact, the manager on duty was black) was fired because cops were called on two black men who were loitering.

Naturally, this case calls to mind the recent racially charged controversy surrounding the death of Jordan Neely after he was subdued by a Marine Corps veteran on a New York subway.

Daniel Penny, the former Marine, is in a world of potential trouble for little more than prioritizing safety while being white.

That's not a crime, no matter how much shrill leftists want to scream about it.

This has always been the direction that the left has been pushing America -- racial animus is their bread and butter, after all.

But now it appears that those leftists who think racism is a one-way street are learning -- in a rather public, costly and humiliating fashion -- that, legally speaking, racism is very much a two-way street.

It's not so fun when the rabbit's got the gun, is it?

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Chris Pratt is a remarkable example of faith.

Despite being one of the most well-known stars in the world, the actor has remained rooted in his Christian identity, boldly sharing his faith in God and his family values in an industry that is averse to both.

In a recent interview with Men's Journal, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star proved once again how different he is from most other Hollywood celebrities when he offered his views about how soon one should have kids.

"People say all the time, 'Don't rush to have kids,'" Pratt said. "I personally disagree. Rush. Have them. Of course, make sure you find a great partner, but don't wait."

"I was talking to Adam Sandler a while back and he said, 'Every day you wait is a day they don't get to have you in their life,'" Pratt continued.

"The younger you have kids, the more time they get to have with you. It's wild. Having kids is incredible. The things you normally take for granted in life are new.

"As they grow up, it becomes more about connecting with them as individuals and what makes them unique. The softness of their hearts. How their minds work. How they're the same as you. How they're different."

Pratt's views differ starkly from the "me-centric" sentiments you usually hear from Hollywood.

[firefly_poll]

Every day we are inundated with the message that the most important person in our lives is ourselves. "Love yourself. Live for yourself. Be happy, and that's all that matters," these messages say.

Yet Pratt's advice is different. He encouraged young men to have kids early and to find joy in watching them grow, to live for someone besides themselves.

FLASHBACK: Legendary Christian Marvel actor Chris Pratt says the exact OPPOSITE about FATHERHOOD that woke Disney wanted him to say in the middle of their massive Main Street USA Christmas Concert

The crowd’s reaction in deep-blue California will SHOCK you… pic.twitter.com/RwNHG4BZUW

— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) December 24, 2022


Pratt's wisdom comes from his faith in Jesus Christ, which began long before he was a household name.

In a 2014 interview, Pratt shared that as a rebellious teenager, he was approached by a complete stranger in Hawaii.

"He was like, 'I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you're destined for great things.' My friends came out, and I was like, 'Hey, I'm gonna go with this guy.' I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days," he said.

Now, Pratt is one of the most outspoken Christians in Hollywood.

A viral clip from his acceptance speech at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards is still making the rounds on the internet. Pratt had the crowd cheering when he declared, "God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do."

🔥🔥🔥

Chris Pratt at the MTV Movie Awards “God Is Real. God Loves you. God wants the Best for you. Believe that. I do.”

“Learn to Pray…”

“And like the Freedom we enjoy in this country, that was paid for with Somebody Else’s Blood. Do not Forget it. God Bless you.” 🙏🙏🙏❤️💯… pic.twitter.com/aDr513HVZu

— 𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝔼𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔻𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕣 🇺🇸 (@nomandatesco) May 16, 2023

Although Pratt's advice about having kids early is sure to be unpopular in many circles, it may be just what some young couples need to hear.

In April, the World Health Organization reported that infertility now affects 1 in 6 people worldwide. A major reason could be that the growing social consensus that people shouldn't rush to have children is leading couples to wait too long.

In an industry filled with actors and influencers who sound exactly alike, each parroting the same self-serving phrases, Pratt's faith, sound wisdom and down-home family values stand out, proving that it is still possible to be an influence for good, and God, even in the wokest place on earth.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

A new poll on the 2024 presidential election suggests that Americans know a banana-republic-style indictment when they see one.

According to the Premise survey, conducted in the days after former President Donald Trump announced his impending arrest on federal criminal charges, Trump would beat President Joe Biden in the general election, while Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, widely perceived as Trump's main primary challenger, would not.

Premise published the results of polling data collected Friday to Monday indicating Trump leads Biden by 6 percentage points, 43-37, while Biden maintains a 2-point edge over DeSantis, 36-34.

The survey's methodology raises questions about its accuracy: The answers came solely from people using an app that pays them for their opinions, and the respondents weren't likely voters -- the preferred sample for political polls. No margin of error was provided.

"These results are based on responses from 1,918 Americans collected between June 9th and June 12th via the Premise smartphone application," the pollster said. "Premise used stratified sampling of its opt-in panel members, along with post stratification weighting based on the American Community Survey to provide a representative sample. These results are weighted by Age, Gender, Region, and Education."

And, of course, all polls published 512 days before an election must be swallowed with an industrial-sized grain of salt.

On the other hand, the finding that Trump is doing better against Biden compared with DeSantis has been seen in other surveys.

For example, a USA Today/Suffolk University poll published Wednesday found both Republicans losing to the president in the general election if it were held today -- but Trump was closer than DeSantis.

Biden led the former president 34 percent to 32 percent -- a 2-point difference -- and had a 7-point lead over the governor, 33 percent to 26 percent, according to the poll.

The nationwide survey of 1,000 registered voters, taken June 5-9 by landline and cellphone, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points -- more than the gap between Trump and Biden.

It's worth noting that nearly 1 in 4 respondents to the USA Today poll said they would support a third-party candidate if the election were held today.

Of course, the election isn't being held today, and a lot can happen in the 17 months between now and Nov. 5, 2024.

At this point in the 2016 presidential race, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was the leading Republican candidate and Trump was in 11th place with the support of just 1 percent of respondents.

Still, the Premise poll is interesting for what it seems to reveal about the public's attitude toward the Trump indictment.

In the wake of the Durham report and all that has unfolded over the last seven-plus years, it seems that Americans recognize the Biden administration's Stalinist tactics for what they are.

The Department of Justice -- an ironic name if ever there was one -- wants to prosecute Trump, the leading candidate to face Biden in next year's general election.

Early polls suggest that many Americans view that effort as persecution.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

It might have been a hit for "The View" audience, but for most normal Americans, it was too much information.

During a discussion Monday about the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges related to classified documents in his Florida home, co-host Ana Navarro evidently had only one way to describe her sensations while taking it all in.

And it wasn't exactly the cold hard analysis of a turncoat Republican campaign strategist.

"I haven't had this much fun reading anything since I read 'Fifty Shades of Grey,'" she said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd. "I mean, this was the best reading you can imagine."

 

She went on to discuss the various failings of the Mar-a-Lago bathroom facilities where documents were allegedly stored -- and they were clearly not up to the Navarro standard.

"People, have you seen that toilet?" she said as a picture of the fixture flashed up onscreen. "They don't even sell those low-to-the-ground toilets anymore." For what it's worth, she also thought the Kleenex box by the sink without a cover was gauche.

It's possible Navarro's taste in bathroom decor is superior to her taste in literature. That first comment surely has more bearing on the Democratic fetish for attacking Trump.

For those who somehow missed it, "Fifty Shades of Grey" is a 2011 novel by E.L. James, the pen name of the British author Erika Mitchell.

The first of a trilogy, it details -- seriously details -- a relationship between a man and a woman that's billed as a romance but basically involves a great deal of sexually charged bondage and pain.

Well, hey, Ms. Navarro is welcome to whatever gets her through the night. (And it's probably just a coincidence that the character who is driven to heights of ecstasy by being subjected to exquisite pain is named Anastasia Steele -- "Ana" for short.)

But it's telling that one of the regulars on the hour of inanity known as "The View" -- a talk show all but explicitly in service to the Democratic Party -- not only likens her reaction to the latest pursuit of Trump to sexual pleasure but uses porn-as-literature to do it.

For the vast, vast majority of anti-Trump Americans, the hatred and scorn poured on the 45th president by the confluence of entertainment and politics has become an end in itself, a bizarre kind of gratification.

Of course, the malevolent brains behind the operation know full well that they're committing an assault on the constitutional order the Founders established -- the Merrick Garlands, the Clintons and Obamas, Joe Biden before, say, 1 p.m. some days.

But for the rest, there's really no explanation but a warped sort of pleasure and sense of belonging, with little understanding of the alternatives, and even less interest.

Nowhere in the country is the Democratic Party stronger than in the inner cities, where it is directly responsible for the decline in living standards, rising crime, and disgraceful public education that's dooming new generations of urban dwellers, largely minorities, to a life of underachievement.

But in election after election, emotional appeals to race and an increasingly distant past win the day.

One of the Democratic Party's strongest voting blocs is educated women -- a demographic whose members are regularly debased by progressives as a privileged class of "Karens," worthy of no real consideration or respect.

(It's not a coincidence that one of the biggest targets of the current transgender mania is Title IX protection for women's sports -- one of the crowning achievements of the women's equality movement in this country. Progressives have learned they can victimize women with impunity.)

And election after election, they turn out for Democrats because of emotional appeals to sexual freedom and the "choice" to destroy a human being in the womb.

In short, there's no real reason for a self-respecting, thinking American to support Democrats, but millions and millions do.

For those at the top -- the ones getting elected in politics and becoming ludicrously wealthy in business -- it's about power. For those below, it's about emotion.

Navarro is closer to the top financially and in terms of social status, but that crack about "Fifty Shades" probably means she's a lot closer to the bottom in terms of her actual motivations. And as a former Republican strategist rubbing elbows with leftists on a regular basis, she probably gets more than her share of self-abasement.

Unfortunately for Democrats, but fortunately for the future of the country, not all Americans are masochists.

Republicans -- very much including Donald Trump -- are going to have to prove that in 2024.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Government-funded PBS showed Americans its partisan, left-wing stripes on Tuesday as it aired comments from former President Donald Trump following his appearance in a Florida courthouse.

Trump was indicted by the Justice Department in the politically weaponized federal government’s latest attempt to interfere in the upcoming election and presumably jail Trump for the rest of his life.

PBS drew the ire of some viewers after it slapped a bizarre warning label for “context” as it aired his comments in full after he pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges -- some for alleged violations of the Espionage Act in regard to classified documents he stored at his home after he left the White House.

Trump discussed plans Tuesday to up corruption if he is elected next fall and shared his desire for equal application of the law.

PBS found it appropriate to warn viewers the comments were potentially dangerous.

A warning label read: “EXPERTS WARN THAT INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS OR PEOPLE IN POWER CAN PROMPT INDIVIDUAL ACTORS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”

"Defund PBS," The Post Millennial wrote.

Defund PBS. pic.twitter.com/VKI8LxfjSe

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 14, 2023

PBS did not explain which "experts" it was citing. But the label confirmed what many have felt about the once-great public television for some time: PBS is now an arm of the Democratic Party and a mouthpiece for the government:

PBS is the enemy of the people https://t.co/DgC80Rm9Ev

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 14, 2023

Does PBS put this warning label when Biden labels half the country white supremacists? pic.twitter.com/ezGfKGYE7T

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 14, 2023

I have never seen a news network put a graphic on the screen like this. What's your take? #pbs pic.twitter.com/RgESzMlyYP

— Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) June 14, 2023

Well, if this doesn't prove that Elon Musk was right about PBS. When was the last time you saw PBS put a context warning on any of Biden's dividing speeches? #DefundPBS pic.twitter.com/DksbCNjYvE

— charmane harbert ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@callme_Chari) June 14, 2023

PBS is already technically “state media” since it receives at least 15 percent of its funding from taxpayers, which Twitter CEO Elon Musk astutely noted after the platform designated the network as such earlier this year.

The network also relies on state governments to keep it on the air in various markets.

Its propaganda, fear-mongering and slanted coverage of news are made possible by people like you.

I can’t recall a single time PBS ever warned its viewers that rhetoric from President Joe Biden had the potential to stoke violence.

That included when the divider-in-chief stood in front of a blood-red backdrop last year and portrayed Republican voters as threats to democracy while surrounded by armed troops:

Nothing screams unity like a backdrop of blood red lighting and Marines positioned behind Biden as he shouts with raised clenched fists from the podium. pic.twitter.com/ZkjUPGF0WN

— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 2, 2022

PBS has been in the tank for Democrats for decades as its programming has become more and more biased.

The formerly-great institution also now pushes “woke” gender ideologies on vulnerable children.

It is high time to cut the network from the government dole and let it survive -- or fail -- on its own.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

On Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed six new bills designed to fight illegal immigration and secure the state's border with Mexico.

At the bill signing ceremony, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw made it clear which groups the new legislation targeted.

"Today, public enemy number one is the Mexican cartels, and they impact every community in Texas and the United States," Director McCraw said, according to a news release from the governor's office.

In September 2022, Gov. Abbott issued an executive order that designated Mexican drug cartels "foreign terrorist organizations."

Director McCraw's description of the cartels as "public enemy number one" both amplifies the governor's language and identifies the rationale for the new legislation.

Another important statement of Texas's determination came from the state's Adjutant General of Texas Major General Thomas Suelzer.

"Texas is extremely fortunate to have a Governor who is absolutely relentless in his actions to protect our state's sovereignty, secure our border, and preserve the rule of law," Suelzer said, according to the news release.

Our state's sovereignty.

In sounds not always pleasing to the ear, the phrase "state sovereignty" has echoed across more than two centuries of United States history. It has been used to justify abominations, such as slavery and segregation.

State sovereignty, however, does not mean slavery or segregation. It means that the sovereign people, in their wisdom, have given some power to the federal government and some power to the state governments, not as subordinates but as coordinate members of a federal union.

It also means that when the federal government threatens the liberties of the people, in this case by refusing to protect their national border, the people have recourse to the state governments, which, like the federal government, derive ALL authority from the sovereign people.

In 1798, only seven years after the adoption of the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Congress tried to eviscerate the First Amendment by passing the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison responded by urging the state legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia to take action on behalf of the people.

Jefferson and Madison argued that when the federal government, in clear defiance of its obligations, tramples the people's liberties, the states, individually or collectively, are duty-bound to intercede.

The federal government has a clear responsibility to protect the nation's borders. If the corrupt current occupants of federal elective offices refuse to carry out this responsibility, then the states must do so themselves.

Pleas to the Biden administration have gone unanswered.

Menaced by the drug cartels, the people of Texas have no choice but to protect themselves. They have both a natural and a constitutional right to do so.

As they do, they should take comfort in knowing that the doctrine of state sovereignty originated in a principled defense of liberty.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

A Denver City Council member who wished death on supporters of former President Donald Trump and proposed that only white people be taxed because they are racists has finally gotten her just deserts at the hands of voters.

Council member Candi CdeBaca, a true lunatic leftist, lost her bid for re-election last week -- and not by just a little, either.

CdeBaca was swamped by her opponent in the Denver election, losing to gay small-business owner Darrell Watson in the District 9 race by more than 3,500 votes, 60.7 percent to 39.3 percent.

True to form, despite losing by such a wide margin, CdeBaca refused to concede on Election Night on June 6. It wasn't until the next day that she finally did so, according to Westword.

The self-proclaimed socialist still tried to claim a "victory," of sorts, by saying she "succeeded" in her goal of bringing more socialists to the City Council with the election of leftist Shontel Lewis in District 8 and the advancement of leftist Shannon Hoffman to the runoff for District 10 -- though Hoffman lost the final vote.

CdeBaca blamed "the faceless Denver power brokers and big-money interests" for her crushing defeat Tuesday, claiming this cabal of monsters "spent an unprecedented amount of money to buy back this City Council seat -- over $888,000, most of it from dark money independent expenditures spreading disinformation and weaponizing misogyny and racism."

I’m so grateful for our community, for everyone who poured their hearts and souls into this movement. I will not stop fighting alongside my community for a city that truly cares for all of its people, because District 9 and Denver are my heart, always.❤️ pic.twitter.com/x9dwilpfOV

— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) June 7, 2023

Sure, honey.

This shadowy group of Denver racists was so racist and shadowy that it backed an openly gay black man to replace her. So very shadowy and racist of them.

Despite her attempt at face-saving and finger-pointing, though, the truth is her mouth and her actions -- not any cabal of "faceless" rich white people -- got her fired by the voters.

According to The Denver Gazette, one campaign consultant said city voters just got tired of hearing CdeBaca's wild-eyed proclamations.

"Thus far, it's looking like a real indictment on that style of politics in Denver," Democrat operative Kelly Maher told the paper. "My read is that people are just really kind of sick of all the superfluous stuff. They want to focus on what matters and Candi CdeBaca ran largely not necessarily on people's everyday [concerns] -- not what their commute to work looks like, not what their taxes look like, not what public safety looks like."

"She was running on a lot of these larger political theories that I think people are just frustrated with and sick of," Maher said.

It is likely that Maher is right. CdeBaca spent a lot of time going before cameras and screeching about things that the City Council had no business in addressing, not to mention spewing hate and crazed left-wingery.

Message for #Denver! Show up June 5&6 for gun violence prevention!!

✊🏽June 5: @4thekidsaction sit-in at the Capitol

🗳️June 6: VOTE in the muni election for #gunsense candidates like me, @Shontel4Council & @ShannonLovesD10 pic.twitter.com/idT2SQWxKl

— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) June 1, 2023

In one case, her mouth even made her a national story when she suggested that only white people should have to pay taxes because all whites are racists.

In May, CdeBaca thought it would be a good idea for the city to set up a special tax to be levied only on white businesses so that the money could be given to minority-owned businesses, KUSA-TV reported.

"Capitalism was built on stolen land, stolen labors and stolen resources," CdeBaca said during a candidate forum.

"You could be collecting those extra taxes from white-led businesses all over the city and redistributing them to black- and brown-owned businesses," she said.

Video of her obscene reparations policy plan got picked up by LibsofTikTok and was seen by millions of Americans.

Denver City Council member Candi CdeBaca, who is running for re-election, says white owned businesses should be taxed extra and redistributed to black owned businesses. pic.twitter.com/s9JhSdAmtj

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 5, 2023

That isn't the only national attention CdeBaca got for her foolishness. She also became the focus of condemnation when she seemingly hoped Trump supporters would get the coronavirus and die.

Back in February 2020, a leftist Twitter user posted a message saying if she got COVID-19, she would attend Trump events to spread the sickness to attendees.

“For the record, if I do get the coronavirus I’m attending every MAGA rally I can,” the woman said in the tweet, which she later deleted.

CdeBaca then added her own comment in response, saying, "#solidarity Yaaaas!!" followed by a string of laughing emojis.

#solidarity Yaaaas!! 🤣🤣🤣✊🏾👌🏾 https://t.co/PhgyQ0WmP0

— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) February 28, 2020

Granted, her antics earned her a much larger social media following than her opponent. CdeBaca had more than 4,000 Twitter followers to Watson's mere 400. Fortunately, social media doesn't necessarily get people elected.

Regardless, when even the leftists who vote in Denver can't stomach you, you have for sure gone way over the top. Let this serve as a warning to the extremist "progressive" set.

It is also evidence that you, the voters, can get rid of these wackos. Once they get in, they have no right to remain indefinitely. Your vote matters.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

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