Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Releases Statement: ‘My Heart Remains Heavy’ over ‘The Pain, Loss, and Horror Endured by the Jewish People’; Makes No Mention of the Atrocities Committed by Hamas Against Israel

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released a statement on Friday offering prayers for “anyone with loved ones endangered by the ongoing conflict” in the Middle East, failing to mention and condemn the atrocities committed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Israel.

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Republicans Demand Release of Marine Lt. Col. Jailed for Criticizing Afghanistan Withdrawal

Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller

Republican lawmakers in both houses of Congress are demanding that the United States Marine Corps release a Lieutenant Colonel who was jailed earlier this week for criticizing military leadership after the failed Afghanistan withdrawal, Breitbart reports.

A Marine spokesperson confirmed that Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller is currently in pre-trial confinement in the Regional Brig of Marine Corps Installations East, in Camp Lejeune, as he awaits an Article 32 hearing. Although he has not yet been formally charged, Scheller faces the possibility of being charged under a handful of articles, including “contempt toward officials” (Article 88), “willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer” (Article 90), “failure to obey lawful general orders” (Article 92), and “conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman” (Article 133).

Scheller first made his criticisms in a viral video he posted to Facebook on August 26th, the same day that a suicide attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in the capital city of Kabul claimed the lives of 13 American servicemembers, as well as hundreds of Afghan civilians. Scheller demanded accountability from military leadership for a withdrawal that has been universally viewed, both domestically and internationally, as a disaster.

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Judge Ruling Prevents Abbott from Closing Planned Entry Points Along Southern Border

Greg Abbott

A ruling from a federal judge on Thursday led Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to abandon his plan to close six entry points on the southern border amid a surge of migrants, the El Paso Times reported.

The U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia blocked President Joe Biden from turning away migrant families with children under 18, citing a health order related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the El Paso Times reported. The order will take effect in 14 days.

Abbott announced Thursday he had directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to close six entry points along the southern border in a statement obtained by Fox News.

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Black Lives Matter Issues Statement of Support for Cuba’s Communist Regime

Miguel Diaz-Canel

The official Black Lives Matter organization is facing widespread criticism after releasing a statement in support of the Communist dictatorship in Cuba, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation issued its statement earlier this week, amidst the sudden grassroots protests that broke out in Cuba against the incumbent regime. In it, the organization claims, with no evidence, that “the U.S. government has only instigated suffering for the country’s 11 million, of which 4 million are black or brown.”

BLM further claims that the ongoing American embargo on Cuba, which has been in effect since the Cold War, is “at the heart of the crisis,” and went on to praise Cuba’s “strong medical care.” The far-left group’s rhetoric closely matches that of Cuba’s current dictator, Miguel Diaz-Canel, who explicitly blamed the United States for the protests.

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Kasich Launches Broadside Against Trump After President’s Prime-Time Speech

Following President Donald Trump’s prime-time address to the nation Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) issued a blistering rebuttal of the president over his handling of the current government shutdown.  Though he was also critical of Democrats and Republicans, he specifically stated the problem was the result of a lack of “leadership.” The President needs to put the country ahead of politics. pic.twitter.com/ZyXZilJdfs — John Kasich (@JohnKasich) January 9, 2019 Kasich began by noting: The President and the Democrats need to learn how to compromise and put the American people first. It starts with the President putting the country ahead of his politics and being more flexible with his goals. The majority of media outlets have interpreted these comments as a direct attack on Trump. Though Kasich does go on to reaffirm his commitment to having “a secure border,” he ends his statement by saying that “our country needs real leadership to solve our problems. Right now it doesn’t look like that leadership exists in Washington, DC.” The president’s Tuesday night address was a brief and direct appeal to the American people to support his effort to secure funding for a border wall. He outlined the many lives that have been affected by illegal…

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