Author: J.P. Knowles

President Joe Biden apologized Monday for the U.S.’ withdrawal from the Paris climate deal under former President Donald Trump.

“I guess I shouldn’t apologize, but I do apologize for the fact the United States in the last administration pulled out of the Paris accords and put us sort of behind the eight ball a little bit,” Biden said while at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow.

In 2017 when he announced the U.S. withdrawal from the accords Trump said “the bottom line is that the Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States.”

He also said that the deal “is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production.”

Biden rejoined the Paris accords when he entered office last January. He stated Monday that the U.S. is committed to achieving the goals set out in the accords, which include lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

“The American people, four or five years ago, weren’t at all sure about climate change, whether it was real,” he continued. “Well, they have, as they say in southern parts of my state, ‘seen the lord.’ They’ve seen what’s happened back home. The incredible changes that are taking place. And they’re now finally … seeing the sense of urgency that you all are.”

“The United States, if I have anything to do with it, will do our part,” Biden said. “Our success in my view hinges on our collective commitment to ramping up our momentum and strengthening our climate ambition.”

Biden said earlier on Monday that “right now, we’re still falling short. There’s no time to hang back, sit on the fence or argue amongst ourselves. This is the challenge of our collective lifetime — the existential threat to human existence as we know it. And every day we delay, the cost of inaction increases. So let this be the moment that we answer history’s call here in Glasgow.”

He said “the eyes of history upon us,” he continued “We only have a brief window before us to raise our ambitions and to meet the task that’s rapidly narrowing. This is a decisive decade in which we have an opportunity to prove ourselves.”

According to Biden, “We can keep the goal of limiting global warming to just 1.5 degrees Celsius within our reach if we come together. If we commit to doing our part with each of our nations with determination and with ambition.”

The presiden stated that the Glasgow climate summit “must be the kickoff of a decade of ambition and innovation to preserve our shared future.”

An Ohio man who was born in Iraq pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide support to ISIS and ISIS-K, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.

Naser Almadaoji, 22, of Beavercreek, Ohio, purchased a plane ticket for Oct. 24, 2018, then was arrested after checking in for his flight and getting a boarding pass, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Almadaoji intended to fly to Astana, Kazakhstan, then from there to be smuggled into Afghanistan where he would be trained by ISIS-K.

Almadaoji said he wanted “weapons experts training, planning and executing, hit and run, capturing high-value targets, ways to break into homes and avoid security guards. That type of training,” from someone he believed to be an ISIS supporter, according to the DOJ.

Almadaoji had already traveled to Egypt and Jordan in 2018 where he had hoped to join the ISIS affiliate group ISIS Wilayat Sinai but failed.

He contacted someone who he believed to be an ISIS supporter online about how to make a car bomb. Almadaoji said that he wanted to start a conflict between anti-government militias and the U.S. federal government. Almadaoji also told his “contact” that he was “always willing” to help with “projects” in the U.S.

Almadaoji made a recording of himself pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS and translated one of the terror organization’s Arabic documents to English, according to the DOJ. He told the contact who he believed to be part of ISIS, “don’t thank me … it’s my duty.”

Almadaoji is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 31 and will face up to 20 years in prison.

ISIS-K is an affiliate of ISIS that first emerged in Pakistan around 2015 and is made up of militants from other Pakistani groups including the Taliban. ISIS-K militants believe the Taliban is not pure and not extremist enough, the “K” stands for the Khorasan province in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Biden administration is considering a plan to pay $450,000 per person to illegal immigrants who were separated during the Trump administration, exceeding the payments given to some families of 9/11 victims and Gold Star families.

In response to a lawsuit by civil rights groups, the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments of $450,000 to individuals who crossed the border illegally with family then later separated. Payments could potentially amount to close to $1 million per family and $1 billion overall.

The plan, which is still under consideration, sparked immediate outrage from Republicans and former Trump officials at the possibility of using taxpayer money to turn illegal immigrants into millionaires.

Critics noted the amount would be more than received by families of those who’ve lost loved ones in military service, where the death gratuity is a single tax-free payment of 100,000. The military offers a life insurance program for service members that they must pay for through the Servicemember Group Life Insurance (SGLI) that maxes out at $400,000.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, pointed out the contrast between the payments proposed for illegal immigrants to the amount that is given to those families of loved ones lost in service to the country.

“Biden wants to pay illegal immigrants $450,000 for their hardship while breaking our laws,” Crenshaw, R-Texas, a Navy SEAL veteran, tweeted. “For perspective, if a service member is killed in action, their next of kin gets an insurance payment of $400,000. Let that sink in.”

Dozens of Republicans wrote to the heads of the various agencies on Friday voicing the same concern.

“The idea that we would give illegal foreigners who broke the law a check that exceeds the amount that our government supplies to our valiant and heroic Gold Star Families is shameful, reprehensible, and morally indignant,” they wrote.

Comparisons have been made to the payouts for 9/11 victims. A DHS attorney said the payouts could amount to more than what some families of 9/11 victims received. While some officials pushed back on the comparison, saying the U.S. government was not responsible for 9/11.

As the fund stands under current law, there is no overall cap on total benefits that can be paid; however, there is a cap for non-economic loss as a result of cancer at $250,000 and non-economic loss not resulting from cancer at $90,000. For cases where a 9/11-related health condition causes death, the presumed award provided in the fund’s regulations for noneconomic loss is $250,000 plus an additional $100,000 for the person’s spouse and each dependent.”

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said that the news was “another way President Biden is putting America last.”

“Lawyers in his own administration admit payouts to illegal immigrants could be more than the families of the fallen from 9/11 received,” he said. “Disgraceful.”

Meanwhile, advocates for 9/11 victims and their families said in a statement the news was a “shock” to them given they are working to persuade Congress and the administration to fund payments for those who they say were wrongfully kept from compensation.

Aaron Rodgers, QB for the Green Bay Packers for those who don’t know, took a monster hit Thursday night in his game against the undefeated Cardinals that ended with the Packers win of 24-21.

During the Packers’ 24-21 victory, the gifted quarterback took a massive hit just after throwing the ball for a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb. To all the viewers’ pleasure, the moment ended up becoming just pure football eye candy. The impact was so vicious that it nearly pulled Rodger’s helmet off that quickly sparked into becoming a meme over all the social media platforms.

https://twitter.com/FTBVids_YT/status/1453908001136386050

Whatever you want to say about Aaron Rodgers, that was a brave play. He maintained his position in the pocket, tossed the ball, and then absorbed a brutal hit from the Cardinals.

https://twitter.com/BoSportsEnjoyer/status/1453909084734955527

Most quarterbacks would have thrown up the towel, but Aaron Rodgers is not built like most quarterbacks.

Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals fell just five yards short of the 99 needed to win. Rasul Douglas intercepted Murray in the end zone, and Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers improved to 7-1 with a 24-21 Thursday Night Classic victory against Arizona.

With just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, it appeared as though the Packers had gained a two-possession lead, thus ending the game. However, the officials determined that Green Bay running back Aaron Jones was down before crossing the goal line, therefore overturning the on-field touchdown call.

Although Fox commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman believed there was insufficient evidence on the video to alter the ruling — and rules expert Mike Pereira agreed — the Green Bay offense was forced to re-enter the game. On second and goal, Jones was stuffed, Rodgers came within inches of the end zone on third down, and Devon Kennard intercepted Rodgers’ ball on fourth and goal.

Murray attempted to win the game with a pass to A.J. Green in the endzone with 15 seconds remaining and a second and goal from the five-yard line, but miscommunication between the seven-time Pro Bowler and Murray resulted in a game-winning interception by Douglas.

RASUL DOUGLAS INTERCEPTS MURRAY. #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/ZIDly9m0Bc

— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2021

“Miscommunication, obviously. I mean, we feel like it’s a safe throw if he knew the route to run,” Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “No question. … It was the right place to go with the ball. Just didn’t communicate on some level and then the guy made a good play.”

Green never turned around to locate the ball, leading Douglas — who was signed by Green Bay from Arizona’s practice squad just weeks ago — to have his Packers moment.

“You’re in a crazy mental state being in the league five years, never been on a practice squad before, and then one day you’re just on a practice squad,” Douglas said. “You feel like you’re working for nothing, kinda. And then you get a call and you’re somewhere else, and you’re just playing. So I’m just thankful.

“That was probably the first time I’ve won a game like that. So it was like a shocking feeling, like, ‘Oh snap, we just won off that play.’ I was like kinda surprised.”

It was a disappointing end to the night for Murray, who threw for 274 yards and no touchdowns, ending Arizona’s undefeated season.

Gloria Williams, 35, the mother of three siblings who were abandoned in a Texas apartment months ago beside their deceased sibling’s body, dared to argue that she checked on the children “every two weeks,” making her a caring “mom.”

According to CNN affiliate KHOU, Williams — who is currently doing time in prison for her role in the murder of her 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee — told the station that she “didn’t do it.” Williams said that she was unaware the infant had died. According to KHOU, court filings indicate that Williams “altered, destroyed, and disguised Kendrick’s corpse to conceal evidence.”

When questioned why she left the three children alone — ages 7, 10, and 15 — Williams stated she “checked in on them every two weeks.”

According to The Daily Wire, investigators believe that Brian Ward Coulter, 31, beat the boy to death and that his mother, Gloria Yvette Williams, 35, aided in the cover-up. The two adults are accused of abandoning the children many months before they were discovered.

Coulter was charged with felony murder, and the complaint accuses him of “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly commit the felony offense of injury to a child by intentionally, knowingly and recklessly causing serious bodily injury to Kendrick Lee, hereafter styled the Complainant, a child younger than 15 years of age, by striking the Complaint with the Defendant’s hand, and by kicking the Complainant with the Defendant’s foot, and while in the course of and furtherance of the commission of said offense did commit an act clearly dangerous to human life, to-wit: striking the Complaint with the Defendant’s hand and kicking the Complainant with the Defendant’s foot, and did thereby cause the death of Kendrick Lee.”

According to The Daily Beast, who branded the story a “house of horrors,” Williams transformed into “someone else” after meeting Coulter. Linda Smith, the grandmother of one of the apartment’s surviving children. Smith, whose son is the father of one of the children, claimed she temporarily housed Williams and her children in 2014. Smith stated that she finally requested Williams to leave due to her “promiscuous behavior,” but noted that Williams was a loving mother at the time. That, she stated, changed after Williams met Coulter, her current boyfriend.

“All of this happened after she met him,” Smith said. “When I saw her picture [on the news], she was like somebody else. I couldn’t imagine her ever being like that. I never saw her like that. She wasn’t like that when she was around me.”

New York City’s George Floyd statue has been defaced by a struggling actor who has apparently been in small roles on series such as “Parks and Recreation,” “CSI: New York,” and “That’s So Raven.” The actor was arrested and charged with defacing a George Floyd statue in the city.

Micah Beals, 37, was charged with criminal mischief in connection with an incident earlier this month involving the George Floyd monument, according to USA Today. According to the New York Police Department’s hate crimes Twitter feed, surveillance footage from the area shows “a guy on a skateboard sprayed gray paint over the face and base of a monument of George Floyd.” Beals was detained and charged with the offense on October 25, according to the story.

As previously reported by The Daily Wire, the monument was on display as part of Confront Art’s “SEEINJUSTICE” exhibition, which also included two other statues and was unveiled to the public last Friday evening. According to the New York Police Department, the Floyd statue was damaged with paint at 10 a.m. Sunday.

“There’s video footage police were able to ascertain,” detective Frances Sammon told CNN. “They show a male ducking down under one of the statues. He then mixes something together, and, as he skates away, he throws a container of paint at the statue.”

Volunteers gathered in record breaking time to remove the paint. By the time Andrew Cohen, co-founder of Confront Art, arrived, the statue had already been cleaned and was ready to be reinstalled.

“They went to the hardware and bought supplies out of their own pockets,” he told CNN. “This is inspiring teamwork and support from the community.”

One of those volunteers, Harmony Seaburg, told the outlet that cleaning the statue was “very emotional” for her.

“It was really hard to see this larger-than-life man like this,” Seaburg said. “We’re trying to get all the paint off his face, but it’s very emotional.”

Floyd became a household name on May 25, 2020, when he was assassinated by Minneapolis police officers during an attempted arrest. Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for Floyd’s murder.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sidestepped CNN anchor Jake Tapper during a Sunday morning interview, refusing to answer the host about her future plans.

Tapper pressed Pelosi about whether she planned to run for re-election and she danced around the question before saying that she would be discussing it with her family before the press.

Tapper shifted focus to the filibuster and the fact that President Joe Biden had indicated he would support a carve-out allowing for a new voting rights act to bypass the 60-vote threshold avoiding a Republican filibuster.

“It’s fundamental to our democracy. Now mind you, just to remind, when what’s his name was president was – and the Republicans were in power,” Pelosi replied.

“Donald Trump?” Tapper interjected but she ignored him.

“Mitch McConnell pulled back the filibuster to enable, with simple majorities, three justices to go to the Supreme Court for life. You would think that they could pull it back for the American people to have the vote in a way –”

“So you’re on board with that –” Tapper interjected.

“I’m on board, it’s the most important vote -” Pelosi responded.

“You’re leading the way… Are you going to run for re-election?” Tapper asked.

“You think I’m going to make an announcement right here and now?” Pelosi quipped.

“Yeah. Why not? You’re going to run for re-election, though, yes?” he asked and Pelosi laughed.

“Why would I tell you that now?” Pelosi said sarcastically, still laughing.

“It’s not just me, it’s the American people, the world, it’s an international show,” He pressed.

“I probably would have that conversation with my family first, if you don’t mind,” Pelosi said.

“Thank you so much. Best of luck with the legislation,” Tapper said, letting it go. “I know it’s a heavy lift.”

Everything looked good for Atlanta Braves ace in the hole pitcher Charlie Morton after reaching the mound in the bottom of the third inning of Game One of the World Series, he had a five-run lead, had fought his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, and had suffered a fractured right fibula.

One of the best pitchers the Braves has was forced to exit game one after only two and a third innings due to an injury sustained in the second inning on a one-hopper off the bat of Yuli Gurriel. Morton took a ground ball off his right thigh and proceeded to strike out the next two hitters in the second inning before undergoing an X-ray in between innings.

“That one got me good,” Morton told Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud after the second inning.

Morton returned for the third inning and struck out Astros second baseman Jose Altuve before being relieved. Another X-ray confirmed a fractured fibula, thereby terminating Morton’s season.

“RHP Charlie Morton underwent X-rays tonight that revealed a right fibula fracture. He will miss the remainder of the World Series and is expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2022,” the Braves said in a statement.

“I hate it for him,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s such a great person — great person and teammate. I really hate it for him because I know he’s really looking forward to this run with us. So we’ll move on.”

Morton’s teammates were floored by his performance and his toughness.

“It’s incredible that he even thought of going out there, and I bet you it was so A.J. [Minter] could have some more time to get ready. He sacrificed himself,” d’Arnaud said. “I don’t think he knew it was broken right away, but he knew it was hurting. For him to sacrifice himself to make sure A.J. was ready and for him to strike out Altuve is incredible.”

Despite the setback, Atlanta was able to win the first game 6-2, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and never looking back from that point on.

Jorge Soler hit a solo home run to start the game, becoming the first player in the history of the World Series to do it in the opening inning.

We've never seen a World Series open up quite like 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 pic.twitter.com/JP2WuOv56G

— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) October 27, 2021

President Joe Biden will be making his way to Capitol Hill Thursday to meet with the Democratic caucus in an effort to push for a vote on infrastructure legislation before leaving for Europe. He should arrive on Capitol Hill around 9 a.m. Thursday. The trip comes amid Democratic infighting over the infrastructure legislation, which the progressive wing of the party has been objecting to until members can see bill language for the party’s massive social spending program.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seemed confident that an agreement would be reached, announcing in a letter to Democrats that she was asking the House Rules Committee to hold a hearing Thursday to “advance this spectacular agenda For The People.”

“As we have insisted, we are close to agreement on the priorities and the top line of the legislation, which can and must pass the House and Senate,” Pelosi said in the letter. “At the same time, we are facing a crucial deadline for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework to pass.

But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., one of the most progressive members of the party, doubled down on her stance against the infrastructure legislation as is.

“I don’t see how ethically I can vote to increase U.S. climate emissions,” Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday, adding that a “framework” of Biden’s plan isn’t enough. “We have had a framework for six months. We need text.”

Unlike the social spending bill, the infrastructure legislation is completed and ready for a vote but progressives within the party have said they want to bundle both pieces of legislation which would ensure their priorities are included in the spending bill. Moderate Democrats are hoping that Biden can pressure progressives within the party to accept the framework Thursday so that a vote can be held this week on the infrastructure bill, which would also give Biden a legislative victory as he heads to the climate summit in Scotland.

However, some staffers on Capitol Hill say the two sides still aren’t close to an agreement.

“Not sure if she really thinks she can will this thing through, but the votes are not there,” a progressive aide said.