The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/30/2023

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You see I'm six foot one and I'm tons of fun......

You know how I often say I need three hours for my Sunday radio show? With all that's occurred this past week, I dunno if even three would be enough. Alas, I'll have to fit everything in within the normal two hours on today's edition of The Closer. We'll get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss the perpetual DFL lunacy, whether it's criminalizing speech, hiking taxes in the face of a record budget surplus or lauding one of their own for bullying tactics. 

Then in the 2:00 hour, I'll weigh in on Tucker Carlson moving on from Fox News as well as President Joe Biden officially announcing his reelection bid despite a vast majority of American believing he should step aside. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Minnesota sanctimony

Leftist networks have of late been propping up Democrat governors in an attempt to draw a contrast to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, perhaps the most popular GOP guv in America. 

On Friday, it was Minnesota's own Nebraska Fats Tim Walz. 

I’ll be live on @CNN momentarily to discuss how freedom, decency, and compassion are on the march in Minnesota. Tune in!

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) April 28, 2023

Freedom? You mean where literal speech you don't like should be criminalized? 

Decency? Like undermining the desires of parents by yanking from their homes their pre-adult children when the kids suggest they may be the wrong gender, thus allowing them to acquiesce to life-altering (and potentially harmful) treatments/surgeries? Or allowing the murder of babies literally moments before they're born? 

Compassion? By overtaxing hard-working, financially-struggling Minnesotans but then instead of returning the "surplus" to them, you use it to pay for pet "progressive" projects and then hike their taxes to boot? 

Just think if the 2022 campaign messaging from DFLers was actually reflective of their true intentions. 

I literally no longer have the mental energy to once again declare "WE TOLD YOU SO."

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DFL lunacy endures (UPDATE: a glimmer of sanity)

To summarize this week: 

-The Democrat majority in the Minnesota Legislature is looking to undermine First Amendment rights.

Rep. Vang has a provision in the Judiciary Bill that creates a government database of “hate incidents” (not crimes, which are already tracked).

Rep. Vang says “hate incidents” could include:

- Writing an article saying COVID came from China
- Wearing a “I ♥️ JK Rowling” shirt pic.twitter.com/7N2hjFBUME

— MN House GOP War Room (@MNHRCWarRoom) April 26, 2023

-The Dem majority is also looking to infringe upon Second Amendment rights. 

I’m not going to let anyone hide behind thoughts and prayers when what we need is action – now.

This session, we’re going to pass universal background checks and a red flag law to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

And I’m going to sign it into law. pic.twitter.com/vF4ZPiOP8X

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) April 26, 2023

-But the coup de grace of sanity is the Democrat majority looking to include pedophiles as a protected class. 

 

The DFL is looking to strike the highlighted language from state law.

We’re about to find out why. #mnleg pic.twitter.com/PdzGBcQRVk

— Elliott Engen (@elliottengenMN) April 26, 2023

 

via GIPHY

UPDATE: Sanity prevails?

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCX

 - The host of the most watched program on cable news is out of a job. 

Fox News on Monday ousted prime-time host Tucker Carlson, whose stew of grievances and political theories about Russia and the Jan. 6 insurrection had grown to define the network in recent years and make him an influential force in GOP politics.

Fox said that the network and Carlson had ''agreed to part ways,'' but offered no explanation for the stunning move, saying that the last broadcast of ''Tucker Carlson Tonight'' aired last Friday. Carlson ended the show by saying, ''We'll be back on Monday.''

Yet on Monday night, viewers tuned in to morning anchor Brian Kilmeade, who said that Carlson was gone, ''as you may have heard.''

''I wish Tucker the best,'' Kilmeade said. ''I'm great friends with Tucker and always will be.''

In an industry whose largest demographic has shifted to baby boomers, Carlson was seemingly an outlier in that he was bringing in a huge audience consisting of Gen X'ers and Millennials. That's an impressive feat given those groups have largely transitioned their consumption of political analysis/opinion to podcasts. While prog networks MSNBC and CNN have hemorrhaged viewers since Donald J. Trump left the White House, Fox News has consistently been a ratings juggernaut. But with the departure of Carlson, FNC may now endure a similar ratings dive. Carlson's success was not about the platform he was on but rather the content he delivered. As such, his viewers will go where he goes. 

So let the poo-flinging monkeys on the left enjoy their schadenfreude. They'll soon find out that being ousted from a highly rated cable TV news show isn't the death knell it was just a decade ago. 

- A President of the United States announcing he's seeking reelection is typically little more than a blip on the news radar. But when said POTUS is basically a walking cadaver whose approval ratings have been underwater the vast majority of his first term, such an announcement will definitely garner more scrutiny. 

Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours.

That’s why I’m running for reelection as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job. https://t.co/V9Mzpw8Sqy pic.twitter.com/Y4NXR6B8ly

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2023

Finish the job? Even though the vast majority of Americans no longer believe you should?

Very bad situation for our democracy. pic.twitter.com/axBHF2KU0f

— Anthony LaMesa (@ajlamesa) April 24, 2023

Sadly it appears we're headed toward a rematch featuring the crazed elder with a feeble mind versus Joe Biden. 

- From 1993 through 2022, the Green Bay Packers have had exactly two different quarterbacks start the opening game of each of season - a span of thirty years. 

For the first 15 seasons it was Brett Favre, who would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

The QB who was the starter the subsequent 15 seasons (who will also wind up in the Hall of Fame five years after he retires) now has a new home. 

For the second time in 15 years, the Green Bay Packers are trading an aging icon to the New York Jets.

The Packers agreed Monday to deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first-round pick (No. 15) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for New York's 2023 first-round pick (No. 13), a 2023 second-round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.

The Jets were a top 5 defensive unit in 2022, but ranked near the bottom in points scored. But now the Jets' offense is loaded for bear with a unit consisting of Rodgers, free agent WRs Allen Lazard (a teammate of Rodgers' for five seasons) & Mecole Hardman, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year in WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall (in 2022, he average nearly six yards per carry in 7 games before getting hurt). Oh, and the Jets' new Offensive Coordinator? That would be Nathaniel Hackett, who was Rodgers' O.C. in Green Bay in his back-to-back MVP seasons of 2020 and 2021.

I'm not ready to suggest the Jets are built to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs or Cincinnati Bengals as the teams to beat in the AFC. However, you'd have to be dabbling pretty heavily in Ayahuasca to underestimate their chances. 

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Box Score of the Week

Houston Astros at Cincinnati Reds - August 11, 1971. 

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The Reds scored five runs without a single batter recording a run batted in. That is the most runs scored in an MLB game by a team which chalked up zero RBIs.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/23/2023

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We'll go walking out while others shout of war's disaster......

Another Sunday, yet another edition of my radio show The Closer. Today's 2-hour blitz will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll weigh in on the DFL majority in the MN Legislature not letting up on the insane legislation. Also, Nebraska Fats Gov. Tim Walz is not welcome at the funeral of a slain Minnesota deputy. 

In national news, President Joe Biden continues to be the most divisive POTUS we've ever had (and yes, even more so than Donald Trump). I will also discuss Fox News Channel settling with Dominion Voting Systems in the latter's suit alleging FNC's lies about their voting machines. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Foxed up

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated trial involving a media company (i.e. Fox News Network) never got started as an out-of-court settlement was reached. 

Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787.5 million settlement agreement Tuesday afternoon, the parties announced, narrowly heading off a trial shortly after the jury was sworn in.

“Fox has admitted to telling lies,” John Poulos, Dominion’s CEO, said at a news conference after the trial ended.

Justin Nelson, lead attorney for Dominion, told NBC News he hopes the settlement will restore faith in elections.

“This alone can’t do it, right? But this shows that there is accountability, that we showed that if you are caught lying, you will be held responsible,” he said.

Absent from the settlement details shared with the public was an apology or any admission that the network had indeed defamed Dominion when it allowed baseless conspiracies to proliferate on air about the company's voting machines "rigging" 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. A statement from Fox about the agreement recognized the court's previous ruling that the claims Dominion had challenged in its defamation lawsuit were indeed without merit.

"We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false," the Fox statement said. “This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”

Given that Dominion's lawsuit was for about $1.5 billion, this would appear to be a clear admission by Fox that they had no credible defense for what was being alleged. 

The thing I don't understand is why Fox personalities bought into the notion of widespread voter fraud with no evidence other than crazed loser Donald J. Trump, Rudy Giuliani et al concocting fantastical conspiracy theories. It's one thing to allow Trump surrogates to spew their idiocy on air, but totally another to parrot those opinions as your own. 

National Review's Jim Geraghty saw this coming. 

(Delaware Superior Court judge Eric) Davis reviewed the filings of Dominion and the network and concluded that in 19 cases, Fox News hosts or guests had made comments that were false statements of fact, not assertions of opinion, and that could not be defended as standard, fair-minded inquiry.

Davis wrote, “Even if the neutral report privilege did apply, the evidence does not support that FNN ‘conducted good-faith, disinterested reporting. . . . Fox News Network’s failure to reveal extensive contradicting evidence from the public sphere and Dominion itself indicates its reporting was not disinterested.” As soon as the judge came to that conclusion, a key portion of the Fox News defense collapsed.

While the poo-flinging monkeys comprised of leftist politicos as well as competing cable stations CNN and MSNBC grew a collective stiffy that could be seen from Jupiter, even they were left wanting. Specifically they wanted the TV ratings boon that no doubt would have occurred with this trial. They were also a bit grumpy that part of the settlement didn't include Fox personalities apologizing on air for spreading lies. 

At the end of the day, this lawsuit wasn't about Dominion's duty to "saving democracy" as progs shrieked the goal should have been. No, the only obligation Dominion had was to protect its employees and stockholders who no doubt were adversely impacted by the damage done to the company's reputation. 

To recap: Over the past 29 months, you've had some Trump supporters face unconscionably long jail sentences for rioting at the U.S. Capitol and a prominent media company who performatively humped his leg and thus shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars as a result, all in the name of defending Trump's (to be charitable) dubious claims about the 2020 presidential elections. In short, anyone who looks to fervently stand up for the 45th POTUS gets damaged while Trump himself remains Teflon Don. Pretty tidy. 

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Increasing the temperature

When President Joe Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021, he declared that we need to "lower the temperature" given the bitter partisanship and divisiveness permeating America. Since the country was two weeks removed from the January 6th U.S. Capitol riots, this was a very prudent and reasonable suggestion. Sadly, Biden has not held himself to that standard, whether it's deriding all right-of-center elected officials as "MAGA Republicans" or dismissing GOP-sponsored voting legislation in Georgia as making "Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle." 

In his latest indulgence of gutter politics, Biden chose to use as a political prop a teenaged shooting victim.

Last night, I had a chance to call Ralph Yarl and his family.

No parent should have to worry that their kid will be shot after ringing the wrong doorbell. We've got to keep up the fight against gun violence.

And Ralph, we'll see you in the Oval once you feel better. pic.twitter.com/mPXiM1X6nK

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 18, 2023

Ralph Yarl is the young man who went to the wrong home when looking to retrieve his younger brothers. Upon ringing the doorbell, 84-year old resident Andrew Lester inexplicably shot at Ralph, hitting him in the head. As a result, Lester is being charged with two felonies for his actions.  

If that is literally all you knew about this incident, you may conclude that Mr. Lester overreacted and is deservedly being charged with multiple crimes. That, and you would also express sincere gratitude that a 16-year old wasn't senselessly killed. But when you ascertain that Lester is an old white guy and Ralph is a black kid, you can piece together why the gun-grabbing, race-hustling Biden and his media lapdogs are shouting about this case from the hilltops while two other recent shootings got little more than a cursory mention. 

Even though Biden signed into law just last year what he touted as the most significant "gun safety" legislation since 1994, it hasn't had the impact he and fellow gun grabbers desired. Seemingly out of solutions to persuade for additional legislation, Biden now looks to gaslight the American public by implying an old, white gun owner shooting a black kid is a pervasive issue in this society despite statistics showing literally the exact opposite. Nevertheless, it won't stop Biden from suggesting that only "MAGA Republicans" stand in the way of preventing more black kids being gunned down by whitey. And the grabbers' water carriers in the media will be all-too-willing accomplices.  

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While perusing Twitter on Monday.....

 .....I came across this tweet from Minnesota's junior U.S. Senator. 

President Biden knows how to get stuff done, plain and simple. That’s what the American people want — a President who cuts through the noise to deliver for them and their families.

Biden is the guy for the job — I hope he runs again (and think he will).https://t.co/HX8iQxzas0

— Tina Smith (@TinaSmithMN) April 17, 2023

I guess Tina is ignoring the fact that for 18 consecutive months the majority of Americans have disapproved of Biden's job performance, but I digress. 

Anyhow, the time stamp of that tweet was 8:43 AM Central Time on Monday. 

Well, 12 minutes later to be exact, Townhall journalist Katie Pavlich posted this: 

Must be busy crafting that announcement of his reelection campaign, eh?

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Box Score of the Week

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox - July 16, 2017.

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The Yanks' Didi Gregorius hit a 295-foot home run that snuck just inside Fenway Park's right field foul pole (aka the "Pesky Pole"). It is the shortest conventional homer hit in the "Statcast" era, and quite likely the shortest in MLB history.

 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/16/2023

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You always wanted me to be something I wasn't.....

Another Sunday, yet another edition of my radio show The Closer will hit the airwaves this afternoon. The 2-hour extravaganza will begin at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I will talk about the gaslighting campaign from Dems and their media allies regarding the gun debate. Given the high profile shootings in Nashville, TN and Louisville, KY, prog rhetoric has reached a fever pitch. 

Then in the second hour I will discuss abortion politics and the role it may play in the 2024 election cycle. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Crossroads

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade nearly a year ago, the debate over abortion has gotten that much more heated. Many on the pro abortion side of the aisle contended that banning something does not prevent that thing from occurring (many in that same "progressive" crowd don't seem to apply that logic to firearms purchases, but I digress). 

That said, what are we to make of some of the early post-Roe data? 

In the six months after the Supreme Court ruling that ended the federal right to an abortion, there were about 32,000 fewer abortions than expected in the United States, according to a new analysis.

There were about 5,000 fewer legal abortions each month, on average, than there were in the months before the ruling – a drop of about 6%.

In April and May, there were an average of about 82,000 abortions each month, according to the analysis. From July through December, that fell to an average of 77,000 abortions per month. The total number of abortions fluctuated month-to-month, but was always lower than it was in April.

The Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit focused on abortion and contraception, sponsored a research effort that collected data from abortion providers nationwide – including clinics, private medical offices, hospitals and virtual clinics. More than 80% of known providers responded. Self-managed abortions that occur outside of the formal health care system were not included in the analysis.

In the 13 states that enacted bans following the Supreme Court decision, abortions fell more than 95%, with just a few reported each month from July to December. But in the remaining set of states, the average number of abortions ticked up slightly. There were surges in some of those states, including Minnesota and Kansas, that suggest that individuals living in states with more restrictions may travel for care.

As we know, correlation does not necessarily imply causation. I'll be interested to see the numbers as we approach multiple years post-Roe.

In the aftermath of last year's SCOTUS decision, staunch pro life activists knew full well the fight wasn't over. If anything, it was merely the beginning of a more contentious battle. As soon as states could legitimately craft their own abortion legislation (many attempted to do so in previous years but were shot down in Federal courts when challenged), the battle for hearts and minds required a heightened sense of urgency. However, where we stand now is anti-abortion legislation with no exceptions is about as unpopular as abortion with no restrictions. So after decades of advocacy, is the pro life cause willing (or even able) to compromise? 

Erick Erickson believes we may have reached a point where such concessions are necessary. 

On abortion, I think the pro-life movement is going to have to decide if it wants to save the pro-life cause or see abortion on demand up until birth.

What I mean by that is that some states will go along with a six week ban. But a lot of states will not. If the GOP cannot accommodate the needs of voters in various states and make a cultural case to change the hearts of voters, it risks serious set back across the nation.

The upper Midwest is pretty supportive of expansionist abortion rights, even though those voters might accept a 15 or 20 week ban. But if you offer them six weeks or else, they are going with or else.

In the South, you can do a six week ban, but if you try an absolute ban, you might see voters revolt.

The reality of our times in our fallen world is we live in a hyper-individualistic, sexualized and licentious culture where people have been told for decades they can have sex without consequence. If you seek to change that legislatively without changing hearts and minds, you risk the voters changing the legislature.

I’d prefer zero abortions. I also know if I were to try to advance that in, say, Wisconsin, I’m getting Democrats elected.

Republicans moving rapidly to the abolitionist position may make them hold their head high and sleep well at night, but it is also risks Democrats elected in swing states that then enact abortion on demand until birth (we know that all too well in Minnesota - ed.).

Issues like this are the main reason I personally never aspired to run for elected office. There are a scant few items which I consider non-negotiable, and the life issue is at the top of the list. And the fact that the pro abortion crowd won't acquiesce to even tacit support of pregnancy resource centers tells me that reasoning with that lot is tantamount to urinating in a tornado. 

If indeed Republicans do budge on the life issue and support a ban only after, say, 13 weeks (first trimester of pregnancy), will that cause some pro lifers to completely disengage from the electoral process? After all, the life crowd has been a loyal voting block for the GOP for decades, so it would take only a small percentage to abstain from voting in order to put a significant dent in the base. I'm not necessarily endorsing that as a rational position for pro life voters but it's a not a far-fetched scenario. 

Regardless of how this debate shakes out, I (and many other pro lifers) can confidently state that there is no political prescription for resolving this dilemma in a dignified manner. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCIX

 - How do you know a high profile mass shooter was sympathetic to leftist causes? In the case of the guy who killed multiple people at Old National Bank in Louisville, KY on Monday, they get post mortem puff pieces.

BREAKING: 23-year-old Connor Sturgeon was a former varsity hoops star and finance grad-turned-banker who had reportedly been fired from his job in recent days.

One former friend described him as the popular kid in high school.https://t.co/EBBezAxyug

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 10, 2023

Ah, but laying a shooting at the feet of GOP politicians is one constant you'll always get with these incidents.

- Speaking of Urban Progressive Privilege.....

So this is a thing. I’m so happy we had the opportunity to talk about the gun violence problem on a national stage. We must act now. These young people (and their parents) want us to act now to save lives! pic.twitter.com/715WVXYv87

— Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) April 10, 2023

Those are the three Dem Tennessee legislators who broke House rules by disrupting a legislative session when they and members of the general public stormed the capitol building (seems kinda insurrection-y, no?). As such, the GOP majority voted to expel two of those three members from the Legislature. 

Gonna go out on a short sturdy limb and suggest that if these were Republican legislators, they would not have been anointed such martyrdom. But even if they had, a GOP rep's sordid past surely would not have been glossed over. 

- Amid all the chaos, division and downright hopelessness we're seeing in America today, there's only one practical solution. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Greg Laurie (@greglaurie)

Greg Laurie, whose journey to faith in Christ was chronicled in the phenomenal movie Jesus Revolution, conveyed what I've been feeling recently in that the decline of the American culture today parallels what was taking place in the late 1960s. As such, this country is ripe for another awakening. 

I would absolutely love to witness such a revival in my lifetime if only to see those who are in despair be awakened to the fact there truly is hope. 

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Box Score of the Week

Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins - April 2, 1996.

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In his 11th season in Major League Baseball, Detroit's Cecil Fielder steals his first career base. The 1,097 games it took Fielder to accomplish that is the longest duration a player had ever gone without a stolen base. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/9/2023

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Everybody's broke, Bobby's got a buck......

Happy Easter!

Despite my not being live on air today, I have an original broadcast rarin' to go from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll weigh in on the Donald Trump indictment. While it galvanized support among Republicans, it still leaves him no path to winning the 2024 general election. 

At 1:30 we'll play an interview I conducted with Joy Pullmann, who is Executive Editor of The Federalist. She'll discuss a piece from a few months back where she revealed that Minnesota public school teachers will be required to affirm students' transgender identities in order to be licensed. 

Then in the 2:00 hour, I will discuss the true spirit of the Easter holiday. 

You can listen in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page.

Until then.....

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Our perpetually corrupt media

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was charting his own course during the COVID-19 pandemic, it angered leftists and their media lapdogs. Since progs saw the pandemic as an opportunity to exploit a crisis, it would have upset their narrative terribly had Florida not had a high death rate or endure a cratering state economy despite DeSantis refusing to implement locking down the state. 

Ah, but that's where an employee of the Florida Dept. of Health by the name of Rebekah Jones came in. 

Jones was touted as a "whistleblower" for her claims that DeSantis ordered her to fudge COVID data so as to give appearances that the state was not suffering to the same degree as New York, New Jersey, etc. With little to no scrutiny assigned to Jones' claim, the media ran with it. Why? For literally no reason other than to make a conservative governor appear corrupt. Had journalists done a little digging into Jones' questionable background, they might have saved themselves a little embarrassment. 

You would think after that humiliating saga that the media would humble themselves and admit.......BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! 😂😂😂 Man, I crack myself up sometimes. 

Anyhow, I give you all that background to bring you to Wednesday's saga.

Again, given the source, such fantastical claims should be given further scrutiny.

I guess the Miami Herald couldn't be bothered with such standards. 

Naturally, progs on social media ran with this claim faster than Dom DeLuise at a Krispy Kreme last call (h/t Dennis Miller). 

I'm certain you'll be shocked, SHOCKED to learn that some key context was left out. 

An incident report released Thursday afternoon by the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office allege that the 13-year-old made repeated threats to shoot up Holley Navarre Middle School and to stab students who angered him.

Investigators interviewed multiple students who spoke with the teenager, as well as those who saw messages he posted on social media. In the messages to his friends, the teenager made the following statements, among others:

“I want to shoot up the school.”

If I get a gun I’m gonna shoot up hnms lol.”

“I’m getting a wrath and natural selection shirt so maybe but I don’t think many ppl know what the columbine shooters look like.”

“Okay so it’s been like 3-4 weeks since I got on my new antidepressants and they aren’t working but they’re suppose to by now so I have no hope in getting better so why not kill the losers at school.”

The teenager told one of his friends that he planned to shoot up the school the Thursday before Spring Break but there were too many things going on so he postponed it until March 31.

The students reported the claims to the school prior to that date and the investigation was launched.

The teenager was homeschooled at the time of the alleged threats.

Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office investigators called the boy’s mother, Rebekah Jones, who said the family was vacationing in Mississippi but would call investigators when she returned. During the interview, Rebekah Jones confirmed there were no guns in the residents and the only weapons were kitchen knives, which she has stored in a locked box.

That's not to say Jones' son was serious about carrying out the threats, but to say it was as benign as posting "memes" is an absurd mischaracterization. 

These days more than ever progs views DeSantis with greater disdain than they do Donald Trump given he would have a legitimate chance to be elected President were he to become the Republican nominee in 2024. As such, proggie media is willing to take the word of a confirmed fabricator like Jones as long as she spews things that cripple DeSantis (even though they're not true) . I believe this is what Jim Geraghty labeled nearly a decade ago as "narrative journalism" where straight facts are not the priority. This is not a healthy place to be in a supposed first world country. 

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Well past time to move on from Trump

I feel the need to once again trot out a quote attributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald - "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

OK, I'm not claiming I have any "first-rate intelligence" but I don't believe I'm alone in possessing these two contradictory thoughts: the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump is a political witch hunt and he should not run for President of the United States. 

Even one of Trump's most fervent critics concurs. 

My statement on the indictment announcement: https://t.co/xwP8Y2zi87

— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 4, 2023

First, the indictment. Former U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy underscores Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg's blatant abuse of power. 

The worst due-process abuse of Bragg’s indictment, however, is that . . . it’s not an indictment. The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment guarantees that Americans may not be accused of a serious crime — essentially, a felony — absent an indictment approved by a grand jury. The indictment has two purposes. First, it must put the defendant on notice of exactly what crime has been charged so that he may prepare his defense. Second, the indictment sets the parameters for the defendant’s closely related right to double-jeopardy protection, also set forth in the Fifth Amendment. That is, by stating the crime charged, the indictment enables the defendant to claim a double-jeopardy violation if the prosecutor attempts to try him a second time on the same offense.

Here, the indictment fails to say what the crime is. Bragg says he is charging Trump with felony falsification of records, under Section 175.10 of New York’s penal code. To establish that offense, Bragg must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump caused a false entry to be made in his business records, and did so with an intent to defraud that specifically included trying to “commit another crime or aid or conceal the commission” of that other crime.

Nowhere in the indictment does the grand jury specify what other crime Trump fraudulently endeavored to commit or conceal by falsifying his records. That is an inexcusable failure of notice. The indictment fails to alert Trump of what laws he has violated, much less how he violated them. If any prosecutor were ever daft enough in the future to accuse Trump of falsifying records to conceal, say, a federal campaign-finance crime, Bragg’s indictment would be useless for double-jeopardy purposes because it doesn’t specify what criminal jeopardy Trump is in.

While Trump expresses his obligatory outrage over attacks against him (though he actually owns the moral high ground in this instance), he certainly isn't shy about fundraising off this ordeal. As of Tuesday afternoon, he raised $8 million. 

Even though this indictment galvanized Trump's most staunch supporters, he still has no path to 270 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election. This is in large part due to a likely increase in the number of Republicans who will not back him even in a general, and also how independent voters have drifted leftward the past three election cycles since Trump won in 2016.

INDEPENDENTS IN SWING STATES:

NV: 721,985 (38% - plurality of reg. voters)

NC: 2,585,175 (36% - plurality)

AZ: 1,415,020 (34% of reg. voters)

PA: 1,270,230 (14.8%. in PA, Dems have a 5.5% voter registration advantage)

Republicans lost independents in 2018, 2020, and 2022. pic.twitter.com/Ug9mYcciKf

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) April 3, 2023

 

76% of independents believe politics played a part in the decision to indict Trump. 62% of independents still support it.

Independents, who happen to decide general elections, hate Trump. pic.twitter.com/pZcxpDEWBY

— AG (@AGHamilton29) April 4, 2023

And while people may poo-poo a State Supreme Court election as having any significant impact on a presidential race, Tuesday night's election of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court should alarm you if you're a Trump-kin. Not only did it change the balance of the Court from 4-3 conservative to now 4-3 "progressive" but it saw a resounding defeat of a candidate, Daniel Kelly, who was on record as saying the 2020 election was stolen. It's clear that many voters (especially independents) want to move on from 2020 as well as the January 6, 2021 riots. The fact that Trump still harps on those two sagas show how out of touch he is with the electorate. 

Wisconsin moved further left also.
There is no path for a GOP candidate without WI, AZ, GA, and PA.
I don't know why people ignore this. pic.twitter.com/VYAs2vSAAo

— Frog Capital (@FrogNews) April 5, 2023

Short of being convicted of a crime in his other (and actually legit) legal woes or his literally dying, Trump is plowing ahead with his 2024 campaign. Other GOP candidates and voters alike need to come up with a coherent strategy yesterday to ensure Trump is not the Republican nominee for POTUS. How that happens, I have no idea. But the plotting and planning better have started. 

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Box Score of the Week

Oakland Athletics at Toronto Blue Jays - May 25, 1977.

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Blue Jays starting pitcher Jerry Garvin picked off four base runners this game, which is a single game record. Even though pickoffs wasn't an official stat in 1977, Garvin finished the year with a record 26. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 4/2/2023

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So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out.............

Mitch said it yesterday, so I'll say it here: we could've used a third hour for our respective radio shows this weekend with all that's going on. Alas, I'll soldier on with my normal two hours on today's edition of The Closer. The 2-hour blitz will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll weigh in on some local issues, specifically a Pioneer Press story on a mass exodus out of Hennepin and Ramsey county suburbs. Also, despite a $17+ billion surplus, DFLers are still leaving certain interest groups holding the proverbial bag. 

Then in the second hour I will spend the duration talking about the Nashville Covenant school shooting and its aftermath. At 2:30, Archway Defense founder Peter Johnson will check in to share his perspective on how this incident could have easily been avoided (hint: it ain't gun control). 

 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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