Donald Trump is hiring an old associate from his reality TV days for a diplomatic post in his second administration.
Mark Burnett, the British producer who created NBC's The Apprentice, will serve as Trump's special envoy to the United Kingdom.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
The position is a separate from that of U.S. Ambassador to the U.K., for which Trump has nominated billionaire donor Warren Stephens.
Special envoy positions are more limited in scope and do not require Senate confirmation.
"Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges," Trump said.
In addition to The Apprentice, Burnett created hit shows like Shark Tank, Survivor, and the Voice, winning 13 Emmy awards in all.
Burnett said in a statement: "I am truly honoured to serve The United States of America and President Trump as his Special Envoy to the United Kingdom."
Trump was already an iconic real estate mogul when The Apprentice debuted in 2004. The series, in which Trump famously bellowed "you're fired!" to the losing contestant, further established his reputation as a tough, savvy businessman.
Trump's life, and the course of political history, were forever changed in 2015 when he ran for the presidency. He became a pariah in show business virtually overnight, as millions of American "deplorables" who had been dismissed by the political establishment embraced Trump as their champion.
Almost a decade after his first stunning upset against Hillary Clinton, Trump has defied the odds again in a spectacular comeback - and he is enjoying newfound popularity after surviving assassination and an avalanche of politically charged legal cases on his path back to the White House.
As he prepares for his second term, Trump is hiring primarily loyalists. When Trump first came to Washington as a political novice, he relied on insiders who frequently obstructed his agenda.
In 2010, Burnett gushed to the BBC about Trump, calling him "fearless" and "a big strong, tough guy."
"He is a very, very down-to-earth normal guy and he's a really, really loyal friend and, as I've seen him with many other people, not the kind of enemy you would want," said Burnett at the time.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In what may be one of the more gruesome financial arguments ever, a lawmaker in Scotland has argued that people who die through assisted suicide won't have many end-of-life care costs, and the savings will cover the expenses of those suicide drugs.
It is the Christian Institute that reported on the arguments from Liam McArthur, a lawmaker in Scotland who designed that nation's assisted suicide scheme.
McArthur told the Finance and Public Administration Committee of the government's legislature in Holyrood of the "potential savings" from a lower level of palliative care would mean his bill to expand assisted suicides would be "cost-neutral."
"Members of the committee questioned McArthur about the costings in his Financial Memorandum, published to accompany his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill," the institute reported.
His argument in his memorandum document states, "Community Pharmacy Scotland estimated that, as an example, one substance that may be used in such circumstances would cost an estimated £80 ($100) for each dose provided to a terminally ill adult to end their own life."
It continued, "On the basis of the estimate of 25 people having an assisted death in year one following the bill's enactment, rising to 400 by year 20 it can be estimated that the cost of the required substances would be around £2000 ($2,500) in year one, rising to £32,000 ($40,000) per year by year 20."
However, the documented explained that easily would be covered because of the fact the dead people would no longer require palliative care.
"McArthur informed MSPs the memorandum acknowledged that 'the legislation is likely to result in savings as well as costs and that broadly speaking it is anticipated to be cost neutral.'"
"This is because there is a cost associated with the processes involved in a person being assessed and potentially provided with assistance to end their own life, such as clinical and associated administration costs, and a commensurate cost-saving due to a person no longer receiving care for however long they may have lived."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Reaction on Monday turned white hot to Joe Biden's decision to deliver clemency to dozens of convicted murderers who now will not be executed but will spend the rest of their lives behind bars, with one senator accusing the Democrat of siding with "depraved criminals."
Fox News reported Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., didn't pull punches.
"Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency," he said on social media. "Democrats can't even defend Biden's outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn't commute the three most politically toxic cases. Democrats are the party of politically convenient justice."
Biden actually granted clemency to 37 convicts service time on federal death row.
The other end of the political spectrum was all in favor of Biden's agenda, with Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a far-left Democrat from Massachusetts, complaining that the convicts all were the victims of racism.
"The president's decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row is a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity," she claimed.
"The death penalty is a racist, flawed, and fundamentally unjust punishment that has no place in any society."
Actually, Biden left the death sentences standing for several select mass murderers.
Andy McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor , said the decision made by Biden actually should have been left to Congress.
He told "America's Newsroom" Biden interfered with the constitutional congressional role in issuing punishments for federal cases, and Biden's agenda was an "abuse of the pardon power."
"I think it's interesting, Julie [Banderas], that he didn't give commutations on the death penalty to the three death penalty or death row inmates that were dealt with by the Biden Justice Department and the Obama-Biden Justice Department. So with respect to those family members and the grief and pain they're going through, he couldn't look them in the eye and say 'oh, progressive principles don't allow us to go forward with the death penalty here.' But he wiped the slate clean on everyone else and he did it in a way that is a categorical change of the law. That's for Congress to make, it's an abuse of the pardon power to use it that way."
He explained in a commentary that Congress could choose to change the law and banish the death penalty.
"If, as progressives claim, the nation has evolved beyond the death penalty, there would be an easy way to make that manifest: Congress could enact a law prohibiting the death penalty. But it hasn't because, far from a consensus against capital punishment, the public broadly approves of it. Unable to get the constitutional or legislative change that aligns with his stated policy preference — a preference in the execution of which Biden, as he has been wont to do for a half-century, insults our intelligence — the president has abused the pardon power. He has usurped Congress's power to make the laws, which includes the authority to prescribe punishment for federal criminal offenses."
Among those benefitting from Biden's actions were Thomas Steven Sanders, convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old in Louisiana, and Richard Allen Jackson, convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder of a 22-year-old jogger in North Carolina.
Left standing were the death penalties for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 and Robert Bowers, on death row for the Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in 2018 that left 11 people dead.
Also Dylann Roof, convicted of killing members of a Bible study at an African American church in 2015.
Biden started off his clemency campaign by giving a get-out-of-jail free card to son Hunter, who was convicted on multiple gun felonies and pleaded guilty to tax felonies. He had been facing years in jail.
Then Biden crashed the prison doors with clemency actions for another 1,500 various criminals.
The Daily Caller News Foundation also reported the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) chapter representing officers in Columbus, Ohio, "slammed President Joe Biden's Monday decision to commute the death sentence of a man who murdered a Columbus police officer in 2005."
The convict was Daryl Lawrence, and he was facing a sentence for the killing of Columbus Division of Police Officer Bryan Hurst during an attempted bank robbery.
The FOP called Biden's decision an "inexcusable affront."
"The decision to commute the sentence of Daryl Lawrence is an inexcusable affront to the memory of Officer Bryan Hurst and the law enforcement community as a whole," said spokesman Brian Steele. "Bryan made the ultimate sacrifice, and this decision undermines the justice that was rightfully served for his murder. We owe it to Bryan and to all officers who put their lives on the line every day to continue advocating for justice."
The White House issued a statement claiming Biden has worked during his decades in politics for "ensuring a fair and effective justice system."
"He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder – which is why today's actions apply to all but those cases. When President Biden came into office, his administration imposed a moratorium on federal executions, and his actions today will prevent the next administration from carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice."
The statement confirmed Biden is not done yet, either.
"The president will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An illegal immigrant from Guatemala is now charged with murder in the horrific burning-alive death of a woman sleeping Sunday on a New York City subway.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is charged with first- and second-degree murder and arson.
He had already been deported once before during President Donald Trump's first term in office.
Zapeta was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol on June 1, 2018, after he crossed illegally into Sonoita, Arizona, and was deported by the Trump administration just days later on June 7, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Marie Ferguson told Fox News.
She noted Zapeta then re-entered the U.S. illegally "on an unknown date and location," and added that after Zapeta is charged and details of where he is being held are released, Enforcement and Removal Operations "will lodge an immigration detainer with the NYPD location where he is being held."
Police say the woman was burned alive while sleeping on an F train at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. Officials have not publicly named her, but social media speculation claims the victim is Amelia Carter, 29.
Officers there smelled smoke and observed the woman standing inside the subway car, engulfed in flames. Along with a transit worker, they used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames, but the woman died at the scene.
"Unbeknownst to the officers who responded, the suspect had stayed on the scene and was seated on a bench on the platform just outside the train car, and the body worn cameras on the responding officers produced a very clear, detailed look at the killer," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Sunday evening. "Three high school age New Yorkers called 9-1-1 to say that they recognize the suspect. They saw something and they said something, and they did something."
"The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice. This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
"Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe on our subways, and we will do everything in our power to ensure accountability in this case."
Ironically, just hours after the subway fire murder occurred, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., posted a message online praising her efforts to keeping the city's subway safe.
Cadbury chocolate, a particular favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has not been granted a royal warrant for the first time in 170 years.
A total of 100 companies were removed from the royal warrant list, which indicates global excellence.
The companies removed, including Cadbury, have one year to remove the royal seal from their packaging and marketing materials. Each royal warrant granted lasts for 5 years.
It is royal protocol not to give a reason for the removal.
It's possible that the removal was due to a request from Ukrainian campaigners that the brand not be given the royal seal because its U.S. parent company Mondelez had not stopped production in Russia amid the Ukraine war.
Other companies like Nestle and Bacardi that similarly did not stop production in Russia did get their royal warrants renewed, however.
The supply of Cadbury to the royal family has also dropped since the Queen's death.
She would request boxes of Bournville every year at Christmas.
It is the first set of royal warrants awarded by King Charles.
He renewed 386 titles his mother had bestowed on companies during her tenure as Queen.
He has been battling cancer as well as dealing with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have stopped being working royals and moved to the United States with their children.
At age 76, it's not certain how long his reign will be, especially with the health issues he has had recently.
Queen Elizabeth II had a long reign of 70 years and lived to be 96 years old.
His oldest son William is set to succeed him as King when the time comes.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) brushed off a comment by Elon Musk that he planned to fund moderates in heavily Democratic districts over the next two years in order to "get rid of those who don't represent them."
"When I worked for John Lewis back in the 60s, a lot of the money and power was against us. We did what we had to do. And I don’t know of a single Democrat who is afraid of Elon Musk’s money because we stay close to our constituents and we will outwork him," he said on CNN.
The media narrative in recent days and weeks has been to claim that Musk is the "real" president taking office and that he has some kind of power behind the scenes even though he wasn't elected.
That claim is rich considering that President Joe Biden has been in a diminished mental state since before taking office in 2021.
In reality, unelected officials have been running the country for the last four years, so why would they complain about that with Trump taking office?
Their woe-is-me attitude is almost humorous, as illustrated by this tweet.
The next two years sound awesome !!!
Quote:
“Can you imagine what the next two years are going to be like?”“there's a tweet from an individual ... who threatens members on the Republican side with a primary, they succumb?”pic.twitter.com/Nu7SOT7RC6
— Wall Street Mav (@WallStreetMav) December 20, 2024
As Scott Jennings of CNN pointed out, the Wall Street Journal this week began talking about Biden's diminished capacity during his presidency, giving several examples from three years ago in 2021 to describe his lack of function.
The report cited dozens of sources and gave specific details about the diminished nature of Biden's mental state.
It also said that handlers surrounding the president controlled who he spoke to, what his team said to him, and what information he received.
"Un-elected people have been running the government for the last four years. I hear Democrats criticizing the influence of billionaires on our politics when you've got this Soros punk running around collecting Democrat politicians like my kids collect Pokémon cards," Jennings said.
"I think all the criticism of Musk coming from the left is totally hypocritical, totally over the top," he added.
Of course, the White House is clinging to the party line that Biden is totally fine and sharp as a tack.
The denial of reality by the powers that be is one of the main reasons Democrats lost big in the election, and they are bound to lose more if they don't face facts.
Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump and former RNC chair, said Saturday that she is removing herself from consideration for Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) Senate seat.
"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote on X.
"I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida," Trump added.
She stepped down as RNC chair after the election and teased a big announcement in January.
The president-elect had initially pushed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to appoint his daughter-in-law to the Senate seat, which Rubio.
Later, however, he said that he didn't expect DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump as Senator when Rubio leaves to become Trump's Secretary of State.
"That's his choice," Trump said.
Rubio has two years left of his Senate term, which the appointee will fill.
Whoever ends up being appointed will have an advantage when re-election time comes, since they will be an incumbent.
Lara Trump previously said she was seriously considering the appointment, but wasn't sure it was right for her.
Because of her familial relationship with the President-elect, there may have been a perception of nepotism if she had been appointed.
She is the wife of Eric Trump, the president's son.
She reportedly failed to win the support of DeSantis to get the appointment.
DeSantis lost to Trump in the Republican primary in a tough race, but later expressed support for Trump in the general election.
President-elect Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was a top choice among MAGA supporters to fill the soon-to-be-vacant Florida Senate seat of Sen. Marco Rubio (R).
According to Breitbart, in a bombshell announcement, Lara Trump announced that she will be taking her name off the list of potential candidates to fill the seat after weeks of speculation that it was likely hers.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will select Rubio's replacement, per state laws.
Lara Trump, who served as a co-chair for the Republican National Committee (RNC), broke the news in an X post over the weekend, just days after her father-in-law, the president-elect, said there was no pressure on DeSantis to choose her for the position.
Lara Trump wrote a statement announcing her withdrawal from the selection process and thanked her supporters for backing her throughout the process.
"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote.
She added, "I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida. I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough."
After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate.
I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our… https://t.co/ARdvTQki9N
— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) December 21, 2024
Interestingly, she wrote that she'll have an "exciting" announcement in January, leading many to wonder what that could be.
"I do have a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned. I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment," the president-elect's daughter-in-law wrote.
Not surprisingly, many of her fans were sad to see her jumping off the list of potential candidates, but many wished her well in her endeavors.
"Too bad! You would have been a great choice!" Tom Fitton wrote on X.
Tammy Bruce wrote, "Whatever you decide to do, it will be great, and you will have everyone's support!"
Many believe Lara Trump will ultimately mount a Senate campaign in Florida next year. Only time will tell.
President-elect Donald Trump has been praised for his hardline approach to rebuilding America's military into what it was under his first watch -- more focused on warfighting preparedness rather than diversity initiatives.
Part of that approach involved the potential firing of some of the military's top leaders and commanders, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
However, according to Newsmax, NBC News reported that a conversation between Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the current JCS chairman, might have changed the president-elect's mind as far as firing him when he enters the White House in January.
The two men met during the second quarter of Saturday's Army-Navy football game in Landover, Maryland, where they reportedly had a good chat in the owner's box for about 20 minutes, sources revealed.
Until the meeting, it appeared that Gen. Brown was definitely on the chopping block as soon as Trump takes over the White House on Jan. 20.
NBC News noted that it was reported that Trump has changed "his tone" on firing Brown right away, meaning he could still serve out his stint as the Joint Chiefs chairman.
An NBC source reportedly told the outlet that during the game, Brown "congratulated Trump on his election and made it clear he was ready to work with the president."
Trump reportedly liked what Brown had to say.
Reuters had reported last month that Brown was slated to be one of the first top military commanders to receive his walking orders.
Newsmax noted:
Brown has served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 2023, when he replaced Gen. Mark Milley. His four-year term is due to expire in 2027.
Earlier this month, it was reported military leaders are rattled by a list of "woke" senior officers that a conservative group urged Trump's Defense Department nominee, Pete Hegseth, to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.
Brown definitely has powerful friends that wield some level of influence over Trump's decisions, including retired Air Force Gen. Terrence "T.J." O'Shaughnessy, who works with Elon Musk.
The retired general is one of several military commanders who have advocated for Trump to retain Brown during the upcoming transfer of power. Brown reportedly met with the Trump transition team this week.
"The chairman is actively supporting the transition team and the process," a defense official told the outlet. "He is focused on ensuring that the president-elect and folks on his national security team are well-informed about both existing and potential threats."
Only time will tell if Trump decides to keep him, but if he does, undoubtedly his mission within the military will drastically change.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There's free advice for Colorado's all-leftist state officials on how to save their taxpayers a million dollars. Or maybe more.
If they want.
It comes from Krista Kafer's Substack column and concerns the state's agenda to violate the U.S. Constitution – repeatedly – by mandating an official government message to which residents must subscribe.
It first showed up a decade back when state officials prosecuted baker Jack Phillips because, based on his Christian faith, he refused a customer's demand that he endorse same-sex marriage with his cake artistry.
State officials from the office of the Democrat governor, Jared Polis, on down to the state's civil rights commission, decided their "nondiscrimination" ideology trumped the Constitution, and such a Christian faith wasn't allowed in their state. They launched legal actions against Phillips, including an order that he undergo indoctrination into the beliefs of the state.
Of course, the U.S. Supreme Court not only handed Colorado a huge loss in that case, the justices publicly humiliated and scolded state officials for their intolerance of Christianity, their bigoted ideology. The state likely spent millions in staff salaries, legal expenses and more to lose the fight.
The state didn't learn, as its officials later took up virtually the same issue in their attacks on Lorie Smith's Christianity, ordering her to promote same-sex marriages with her web design business.
Again, the state lost at the Supreme Court and this time it came with a stinging bill of $1.5 million taxpayers are being forced to pay for the lawyers who brought Smith's successful case. And it had to pay its own expenses to lose again.
Now there's a third fight afoot, giving the state an opportunity to complete its strikeout.
The column points out that while the Constitution provides that the government neither can censor language with which it disagrees, or compel speech it likes, the state is still doing both.
The state law, adopted in 2019 "censors free speech between a mental health professional and his or her clients," the Substack explains.
"The law dictates that a therapist affirm a girl or boy's desire to transition to the opposite sex. The counselor cannot legally engage in conversation that will help the teen accept his or her body and biological gender identity. If she does, the therapist could be fined $5,000 per conversation or could even lose her license."
The lawmakers who adopted the ideological agenda, mostly have "no experience in the mental health field." But they insist that "gender confusion must be confirmed rather than challenged."
"For many mental health professionals, this is tantamount to treating anorexia by telling a patient she is right, she is too fat," the column explained.
The state has left mental health professions with the choice "no one in a free society ever should: they can do right by their patients and lose their license, speak only as the government demands against their professional judgement, or refuse to take clients with gender dysphoria who have come to them for help."
This fight now has been advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Colorado licensed counseling professional Kaley Chiles is challenging the state's speech censorship.
And she, the column explained, "is likely to prevail."
The column explained the state's choice:
"Gender identity is a contentious subject. Everyone cares about struggling teens but disagrees on how they can best be helped. Some people believe it is best to affirm the alternate identity through counseling and medical interventions; others contend the best choice is to help teens accept their bodies and gender identity. The debate over best practices shows no sign of abating. But the government cannot intervene and silence those with whom a bare majority of lawmakers disagree.
"Exit polling from the last election showed that many voters do not believe that human beings can change their sex or gender and they resent being shamed or silenced over their concerns about bathrooms, team sports, and treatment of teens with gender dysphoria. Democrats continue to push an aggressive trans agenda at its own political peril."
At the very least, Kafer said, Colorado lawmakers should repeal the law and "act in their best interest to save money and their political future."