Month: January 2020

While a majority of the country experienced a decline in homelessness from 2018 to 2019, the state of California experienced a 16.4 percent increase, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

While California Gov. Gavin Newsom has attempted to blame the Trump administration, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said the homelessness “crisis” in California needs to be addressed from its roots.

According to the 2019 Annual Homelessness Report to Congress, the country as a whole saw a 2.9 percent increase of homelessness from 2018 to 2019. Almost all of that increase, however, was driven by the West Coast — specifically in California and Oregon.

California’s increase was “more than the total national increase of every other state combined,” according to Carson.

This troubling statistic led Carson to call on state and local officials to address the issue with “crisis-like urgency.”

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“As we look across our nation, we see great progress, but we’re also seeing a continued increase in street homelessness along our West Coast where the cost of housing is extremely high,” Carson said in a Dec. 20 HUD media release.

“In fact, homelessness in California is at a crisis level and needs to be addressed by local and state leaders with crisis-like urgency. Addressing these challenges will require a broader, community-wide response that engages every level of government to compassionately house our fellow citizens who call the streets their home.”

On Dec. 19, after the sixth Democratic presidential primary debate, Newsom predictably blamed HUD and the Trump administration for the rise in homelessness in his own state.

“They’re not serious about this issue,” he said. “They’re playing politics with it. Expect nothing but division coming and emanating from the folks at HUD and the Trump administration.”

In spin room at #DemDebate, @GavinNewsom slams Trump Administration and HUD for doing “nothing” on “housing first,” the priority to solve homelessness. pic.twitter.com/AQXRHUwZys

— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) December 20, 2019

Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren shared the tweeted video and implored Newsom to take responsibility for his own citizens.

“Take accountability, Gavin. This is your state and you and your democratic cohorts created this mess,” she wrote on Twitter. “You can’t blame @realDonaldTrump forever. Step away from the hair gel and get to work!!!”

The president responded to Lahren and Newsom’s remarks on Christmas Day.

“Governor Gavin N has done a really bad job on taking care of the homeless population in California,” Trump tweeted. “If he can’t fix the problem, the Federal Govt. will get involved!”

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Carson appeared on Fox News on Monday and said the homelessness crisis is the responsibility of the state and local officials, not the federal government’s.

“We have to realize these are fellow American citizens and many cases they are people that are incapable of taking care of themselves and other cases they’re people who have fallen on hard times,” Carson said, highlighting the humanity in the midst of an issue that Gov. Newsom has tried to use to attack the Trump administration.

“In either case, we do have the ability to take care of them, but it should be recognized that this is a state and local government responsibility,” Carson continued. “It is not the responsibility of the federal government.

“Federal government is quite willing to help, however, in these situations. And particularly given the fact that it’s reached crisis proportions in California, but it’s going to require local authorities and the state to cooperate — stop throwing fire bombs and wanting to actually to get this thing done.”

Carson suggested the solution to the crisis wouldn’t be a simple fix, but that by looking at facts and considering the root causes of homelessness, California could see success similar to what Texas has accomplished over the past decade.

“Look at Texas and how much their homelessness has gone down over the last year and over the last five to seven years. Significant decreases because the policies don’t encourage people to sleep on the streets,” he said. “They encourage people to go to the places where they can get the kind of help that will get them into the right situation.”

According to the 2018 Annual Homelessness Report to Congress, Texas saw a 27.9 percent decrease in homelessness since 2010.

Carson added that sensible solutions to address the mental health of those who are homeless is more compassionate than allowing them to “do anything they want to do.”

“I have to look at the way people treat people who are mentally ill,” he said. “Some people say it’s compassionate just to let them do anything they want to do.

“That’s not compassionate at all.

“What’s compassionate is helping people who cannot take care of themselves manage. And If we can get them into the right setting so they’re getting proper medications and counseling, many of them become quite functional at that point.”

Gov. Newsom has also been critical of the Trump administration for not taking a “housing first” initiative, but Carson argued that focusing on ideology such as “housing” first isn’t effective.

“Now people don’t mean to do bad things; don’t get me wrong. You know, housing first, for instance; it’s meant to be a good thing; just get people off the street, don’t have any requirements of them and you’ve done your job,” he said. “But I think it should be housing first, second and third.

“Housing second: You figure why they’re on the street in the first place; and housing third: You fix it.

“That’s where the real compassion comes in.”

Carson explained that the areas that are implementing a housing first approach have seen a decrease of 77,078 transitional beds even though the unsheltered homeless population has increased by 35,000.

“Do the math,” he said. “You have to really be able to look at all those facts; look at at the data. Then make your decisions on that, not on ideology. That is the key to fixing this problem.”

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A Texas woman says that when she read a story about a homeless artist nearly 18 years ago, she felt God lead her to reach out.

Because she followed that prompting, both of their lives completely changed.

Peggy Pasko told the San Antonio Express-News that she felt a strong connection to Michael when she first read his story in the newspaper.

The homeless artist was pictured next to an almost life-sized John Wayne wood carving that he crafted himself.

The story shared how much Michael had to sacrifice in order to pursue his dream of creating art; he said that he received little support from his parents as a child or from any of his three ex-wives.

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Michael had been living on the streets for over 20 years and, while he had struggled with substance abuse when he was younger, he gave up drugs to fully dedicate himself to his art.

He said he believes his talent is a gift from God.

As Peggy read Michael’s story, she felt God lead her to reach out to the journalist who wrote it.

“When God asks you to do something, you are to be obedient to his requests,” she said.

She hoped that she could be connected with the man pictured in the newspaper and help in some way. She enjoyed going to art museums herself and hoped to encourage the man who had given up his worldly possessions to chase his dream.

But she never could have guessed what was in store.

“I wish you everything in your endeavors on this journey in your life!” her first message to Michael said. “I felt a strong connection to you when I read the article.

“I hope of a ‘one man showing’ of your work in the near future. Perhaps you could do this at Blue Star during one of the First Friday Art Shows. If there is a way I may assist you, please let me know.”

It took three weeks for Michael to respond, during which time Peggy thought he had ignored her, but soon after he did the two became friends through their conversations about art and their faith.

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“That’s what drew me to Michael — his love for God,” Peggy said.

Soon their friendship blossomed into something more.

They began dating on New Year’s Eve, 18 years ago.

Through their relationship, Michael experienced true support from someone close in his life.

“I found out she loves God, she loved my John Wayne and right there, that’s a gift,” he recalled.

Peggy and Michael were married four months after their first date, according to the San Antonio Express-News, and they have built a beautiful life together full of love, art and God.

“The biggest and best investment someone can make is to take a chance on someone,” Michael said before looking at his wife. “Thank you for taking a chance on me, honey.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

The notorious Quds Force is a unit under Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps with the authority to carry out secretive foreign intervention operations. Its mandate includes unconventional warfare and intelligence activities.

Since 1998, the Quds Force was led by Major General Qassem Soleimani, 62. As most people were recovering from the 2020 new year celebration, Soleimani’s term came to an abrupt end. On January 3rd, he was targeted and killed in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad airport where he was busy planning attacks on U.S. diplomats and military forces, the Pentagon confirmed.

Unsurprisingly, media snowflakes and congressional Democrats were quick to criticize President Donald Trump for allegedly bringing us to the “brink of an illegal war.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, “we cannot put the lives of American service members, diplomats, and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions.”

Such critics need to be awoken to reality: Tehran has been at war with us for 40 years; we have just refused to fight back.

With the hostage-taking of U.S. embassy personnel after the embassy’s 1979 seizure, Tehran demonstrated it would ignore international law in dealing with the U.S. Releasing the hostages the day President Ronald Reagan took office for fear of retaliation, Iran waited three years to test us again. In 1983, it directed its Hezbollah proxy in Beirut to bomb the Marine barracks there, killing 241 Americans. As we did nothing to discourage further violence by Iran, it continues unabated today.

The war Iran has been fighting with us is put into context by the following: as it is estimated that by 2015 Tehran was linked to the deaths of more than 1000 Americans, Iran is most likely responsible for more American deaths than any other nation since the Vietnam conflict. In addition to American lives lost in Beirut in 1983, Tehran has increased this death toll either directly or indirectly by its actions in Iraq — all of which were coordinated through Soleimani.

Iran’s indirect involvement has included the provisioning of advanced mines and other weaponry to anti-U.S. militias during our occupation in Iraq. The author’s son served two tours in Iraq, defusing many of these devices which clearly carried Iran’s signature.

Direct involvement by Iran occurred in an incident 13 years ago this month. On January 20, 2007, twelve men, disguised as U.S. soldiers and speaking perfect English, entered into the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, Iraq, where Americans were conducting a meeting with local officials. All hell broke loose as the twelve-man team began shooting, wounding, and killing several of those present. Four Americans were taken hostage, handcuffed, and later murdered elsewhere. Five U.S. soldiers lost their lives that day in a raid, it is now believed, involving Iranian planning and participation.

But Soleimani’s death puts the mullahs on notice: the one-sided war they have been fighting has now officially come to an end.

The demise of Soleimani hits close to home for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Not only was the general the second most powerful person in Iran, reporting directly to Khamenei, the two were good friends. Khamenei even officiated at the wedding of Soleimani’s daughter.

As a division commander during the 1980-1988 Iraq/Iran war, Soleimani became an inspirational leader for his men. While emotionally embracing them prior to battle, he apparently lacked a similar sensitivity for the hundreds of Iranian children the mullahs gathered as cannon fodder to run through Iraqi minefields to prevent the loss of professional Iranian soldiers. But not until 2003 did Soleimani really come to the attention of U.S. commanders.

Soleimani became an icon to the imams and those supporting them when he began targeting U.S. forces. In 2008, General David Petraeus described him as “a truly evil figure” in a letter he wrote to then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Khamenei has called for three days of mourning, describing Soleimani as “the international face of resistance.” It might have been more appropriate for the Supreme Leader to describe him as “the face of international resistance” as Iran’s 1979 constitution is the only one in the world having extraterritoriality application — i.e., it is the basis for Tehran’s exporting the Islamic revolution outside its own borders. Critics worried about an escalation with Iran fail to grasp the fact as long as the mullahs remain in power, they are committed to spawning the Islamic Revolution, either peacefully or forcefully, around the world. No one was better at doing Khamenei’s eternal confrontation bidding in this regard than Soleimani.

A series of moves and counter-moves between the U.S. and Iran during the prior week preceded Soleimani’s death. Rocket attacks by the Hezbollah Brigades, an Iranian-controlled terrorist proxy group, conducted against a U.S. base in northern Iraq killed an American contractor and wounded US soldiers. Trump countered with air attacks in Syria and Iraq on five targets where the group stored weapons, killing 25 terrorists. At Iran’s instigation, locals in Baghdad, supporting Hezbollah, on New Year’s Eve launched a two-day attack against the U.S. embassy, only ending it after Trump ordered 750 troops there as back-up.

As both Iran and Iraq are majority Shia nations, initially the two worked together under Iran’s tutelage. However, ongoing riots in Iraq today reflect Iraqi resentment of Iranian influence. Intelligence revealed the time had come for Soleimani’s demise as recent intelligence indicated he had just arrived in Iraq to lead a coup, arrest the president, and take over the U.S. embassy. Just like Trump asserted there would be no repeat of Benghazi in Baghdad, by taking out Soleimani he was also making it clear there would be no repeat of the 1979 hostage crisis.

Recognizing Trump is no Barack Obama, the mullahs have been testing him to see how far they can push. The killing of Soleimani is causing them to fall back and re-group. While they suggest “harsh retaliation is awaiting,” they need to consider if Trump has been pushed to the limit. The strikes against Hezbollah and Soleimani were all outside Iran, but killing such a senior Iranian official must now have the mullahs in a panic, pondering if they might soon find themselves in Trump’s crosshairs as well.

Khamenei, confident during the U.S. embassy attack that Trump’s hands were tied by Democrats looking for any additional excuse to impeach him, taunted him claiming, “You can’t do anything.” Playing his trump card, the President has demonstrated there is something he could do. The mullahs would be well advised not underestimate him again.

Lt. Colonel James G. Zumwalt, USMC (Ret.), is a retired Marine infantry officer who served in the Vietnam war, the U.S. invasion of Panama and the first Gulf war. He is the author of “Bare Feet, Iron Will–Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam’s Battlefields,” “Living the Juche Lie: North Korea’s Kim Dynasty” and “Doomsday: Iran–The Clock is Ticking.” He frequently writes on foreign policy and defense issues.

A “devastated” Muslim man is demanding an apology and compensation after McDonald’s served him a “diabolical” Sausage McMuffin in Birmingham, England.

49-year-old Fida Hussain told MailOnline he purchases a breakfast of one Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and coffee from a McDonald’s drive-thru on Coventry Road, Small Heath, every morning — but on December 17th his daily routine took a “diabolical” turn.

“I trusted them. I was watching Judge Judy and bit into the McMuffin and knew instantly when I tasted it that it was meat,” he said of the fateful bite.

“I am a practising Muslim with a nice, long beard and proud of it so they knew,” insisted Mr Hussain, who MailOnline described as a “former self-employed courier” and father of four.

“I would like an apology and financial compensation. I’m devastated. It’s put me off McDonald’s and I’m mortified,” he added.

“It’s diabolical for a professional retailer that’s worldwide.”

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— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 11, 2019

Hussain said he returned the offending breakfast bun the same day, and was given an egg and cheese McMuffin replacement meal free of charge, but that neither this nor an offer of meal vouchers were enough to appease him.

“I’ve kept myself away from  [pork] all my life. McDonald’s is a big name, it’s a huge retailer. They shouldn’t make mistakes like this,” he insisted.

“We have a number of measures in place to avoid inaccurate orders and would like to apologise to the customer that we did not meet these standards on this occasion,” commented a spokeswoman for the fast food chain.

“We recognise it is unacceptable to serve meat when a vegetarian product has been ordered. As soon as it was brought to the attention of the restaurant, the customer was apologised to and offered a replacement order,” she explained.

“We understand the customer is currently in contact with our Customer Services Team to help find a resolution.”

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— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 24, 2017

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