Students at the University of California, Irvine have voted to make their school a more “culturally inclusive” place by banning the American flag.

The Associated Students of University of California (ASUCI) passed a resolution March 3 that would remove the Stars & Stripes along with every other flag from the lobby of a complex housing the offices of the student government.

“Designing a culturally inclusive space aims to remove barriers that create undue effort and separation by planning and designing spaces that enable everyone to participate equally and confidentially,” read the resolution authored by Matthew Guevara.

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The resolution passed 6-4. Two people abstained. Let me break down the vote for you — six unAmerican students, four patriots and two individuals who could have a career in House Republican leadership.

Guevara’s resolution, which was in dire need of an edit, rambled on about “paradigms of conformity” and “homogenized standards” and blah, blah, blah.

It sounds like Mr. Guevara could have a future career in community organizing or the Democratic party.

“The American flag has been flown in instances of colonialism and imperialism,” he bemoaned. “Flags not only serve as symbols of patriotism or weapons for nationalism, but also construct cultural mythologies and narratives that in turn charge nationalistic sentiments.”

I know, folks. I know it’s California. But this is beyond bizarre even for the yoga and granola crowd.

I reached out to the university for a comment and a very nice spokesperson (who seemed anxious for the weekend) assured me the university did not endorse the resolution.

via Students at UC Irvine vote to ban American flag | Fox News.

Three New York City residents — two with Uzbekistan citizenship, and one a citizen of Kazakhstan — plotted to travel to Syria to join ISIS militants and ‘wage jihad,’ the Justice Department announced on Wednesday. 

One of the defendants also offered to kill the president of the United States if ordered to do so, the criminal complaint alleged. 

The men were identified in the complaint as Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev,  24, a resident of Brooklyn and a citizen of Uzbekistan; Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, a resident of Brooklyn and a citizen of Kazakhstan; and Abror Habibov, 30, a resident of Brooklyn and a citizen of Uzbekistan.

Federal prosecutors say two of the men came to the attention of law enforcement last summer after they expressed online support for the groups.

Saidakhmetov was arrested early Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he tried to board a plane headed to Istanbul, authorities said. Juraboev had plane tickets for March 29 and Habibov helped fund Saidakhmetov’s trip, the complaint said.

The two had hopes of joining the terror group and–if their travel plans were dashed– had intentions to commit terror in the U.S., the complaint said. Juraboev allegedly offered to kill the president if given the orders from ISIS. Saidakhmetov–if prevented from joining the terror group– wanted to purchase a machine gun and shoot law enforcement, the complaint said.

via 3 arrested in New York City for allegedly conspiring to support ISIS | Fox News.

For a while now, Miley Cyrus has been inching closer to pornography with her increasingly revealing outfits and scandalous dance moves. Now she’s going to appear in an actual pornography festival.

Cyrus’s short film, “Tongue Tied” — which depicts the almost-nude “Wrecking Ball” singer in bondage gear and sexually suggestive poses — will appear in the NYC Porn Film Festival, which begins in Bushwick on Feb. 27.

It’s not pure pornography — the video has no sex, and though she writhes around in her underwear, she keeps her nipples covered. But it’s full of bondage imagery: Cyrus dons a blindfold, has her legs constrained by straps and is tied to a chair with only black tape covering her nipples. It’s a touch “Fifty Shades” with a pinch of Madonna’s “Justify My Love” video.

“It’s a pop take on S&M,” festival founder Simon Leahy says. “She’s starting to become more of a contemporary artist.”

The video was released online in May, and Cyrus used it during her shows on her Bangerz Tour last year. Leahy says they contacted Cadence, the production company that made the film with director Quentin Jones. Leahy asked Cadence if he could include it in the festival. While she likely won’t be at the festival personally, Cyrus is no stranger to Bushwick: She was spotted — topless and twerking — at a secret Alexander Wang warehouse party in the neighborhood in September.

The NYC Porn Film Festival is sponsored by the free video site PornHub, and runs Feb. 27 through March 1 at Secret Project Robot, featuring amateur and professional work from international filmmakers

via Miley Cyrus to appear in porn film festival | New York Post.

The recent suspension of Brian Williams and spotlight on news personalities has caused a shake-up at MSNBC. The Daily Beast is reporting that the Rev. Al Sharpton may lose his nightly time slot. His show, “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton,” has been on the air since 2011 and has had a successful run. At issue is a steady slide in viewership that will cause news correspondent Chris Hayes to be replaced by the “Rachel Maddow Show.” Maddow’s show will move from its current 9 p.m. slot to 8 p.m., while a search is underway for a new host for the 9 p.m. time slot left by Maddow.

It is rumored that Sharpton’s show will move from its nightly 6 p.m. time slot to a weekend only show. Sharpton attracts a solid 35 percent Black audience and is considered a lightning rod of controversy because of his activism on behalf of the oppressed. The source at MSNBC stated it was also part of a change in the political mindset of the programming stating, “Going left was a brilliant strategy while it lasted, and made hundreds of millions of dollars for Comcast, but now it doesn’t work anymore…The goal is to move away from left-wing TV.”

There has been no word from the Sharpton camp on the rumored changes at MSNBC.

via MSNBC shake up: Al Sharpton to lose nightly show.

President Obama defended the “true peaceful nature of Islam” on Wednesday — saying terrorist groups like ISIS promote a “twisted interpretation of religion that is rejected by the overwhelming majority of the world’s Muslims.”

In an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times, the commander-in-chief provided a possible preview of a speech later at a White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, in which community leaders from across the country gathered to discuss how to protect people from “extremist ideologies.”

“The world must continue to lift up the voices of Muslim clerics and scholars who teach the true peaceful nature of Islam,” Obama wrote.

“We can echo the testimonies of former extremists who know how terrorists betray Islam. We can help Muslim entrepreneurs and youths work with the private sector to develop social media tools to counter extremist narratives on the Internet.”

“This week, we’ll be joined by people of many faiths, including Muslim Americans who make extraordinary contributions to our country every day,” he added.

“It’s a reminder that America is successful because we welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds.”

The president once again refused to utter phrases such as “Islamic terrorism” or “Islamic extremist” — instead referring to ISIS militants as “individuals from various religions” who practice “hateful ideologies.”

via Obama defends the ‘true peaceful nature of Islam’ | New York Post.

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is close to reaching a deal to sell $10 billion in wireline assets to Frontier Communications, reports Reuters, citing a person familiar with the talks.

News of a potential deal follows reports that Verizon would sell a package of assets, including its wireless towers and elements of its wireline business for about $15 billion.

There also was a rumor circulating that Verizon would sell its fiber networks in Florida, Texas and California, but that particular package was valued at only $5 billion.

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Although neither service provider has specified any details of a deal, Verizon could use the proceeds to fund its recent $10.4 billion purchase of AWS-3 wireless spectrum in the FCC’s Auction 97.

Frontier has been expanding its territory through targeted acquisitions over the past five years.

This would not be the only time Frontier and Verizon have conducted a wireline deal. In 2009, Verizon sold off its unwanted rural wireline assets in 14 states to Frontier for $6.8 billion. Later, Frontier purchased AT&T’s Connecticut wireline operations for $2 billion last October.

However compelling a potential sale could be for Frontier in terms of scaling the geographic reach of its business, Macquarie Research said in a report that it is concerned about the quality of the assets it would buying.

“We are surprised that FTR’s Board would approve such a big, binary bet on declining assets with cable competition set to strengthen with pending Comcast and Charter deals,” wrote Macquarie in a research report.

Verizon would not provide a comment to Reuters and Frontier did not respond to FierceTelecom.

News of a potential wireline asset sale emerged in January when Verizon’s CEO Lowell McAdam told investors during the Citi 2015 Global Internet, Media & Telecommunications Conference that “there are certain assets on the wireline side that we think would be better off in somebody else’s hands so we can focus our energy in a little bit more narrow geography.”

In related news, AT&T (NYSE: T) is also close to selling off $2 billion of its data center assets, but no particular deal has been struck yet.  

via Report: Verizon to sell $10B in wireline assets to Frontier – FierceTelecom.

65 million Twitter followers saw it. Before the halftime show of the recent (and most watched) Super Bowl, Pop Superstar Katy Perry quoted Psalm 118:24,

“Today is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Then according to her, this happened, “It’s funny, I was praying and I got a word from God and He says, ‘You got this and I got you.’ And then I was on top of the lion and a guy, a random guy, just looked on me with a headset that I’ve never communicated with before and he just looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You got this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is God confirming I can do this.”

The religious critics were unleashed! Like hounds they sniffed for the heresy of her words. And filled with righteous anger they said, “How could God speak to such a sensuous and evil person?” “Of course it wasn’t God! She’s a rebellious, divorced, LGBT defender who has abandoned the one true faith.” “She’s stupid and part of the Illuminati!”Maybe.

Maybe it was her own mind who made it up. Maybe it was the devil tricking her. Or maybe it was God. Because maybe (just maybe) He still speaks to those who are broken and afraid. Maybe God is still a father, and maybe He still likes to encourage. People will say that it is impossible for God to be nice to Katy Perry right before she was about to sing “I kissed a girl and I liked it” in front of millions of people. But if God refrained from speaking to humans based on the proximity of their next sin, trust me friend, no one would ever get to hear His voice.

Who knows? Maybe God said those things because, “His kindness leads us to repentance.”

I believe the God of the Bible is interested in being the God of the people. And Jesus proved that by not setting a new religious standard but actually signing for us, a new contract of relationship. It is very clear that Jesus came for the lost. That was His mission. (Maybe we should join Him, because that includes us.)

Katy Perry still has a tattoo that reads “Jesus” on her left wrist. She got the tattoo as a constant reminder of her religious upbringing, which will always be a part of her. In 2009 she told Katie Couric “I knew I wanted this on me because no matter how much changes around me or how much I change, there’s not really an eraser for this.” She says that when she plays the guitar, “It stares right back at me. It’s like ‘remember, you came from this, and you can always go back to it.’”

Yes she can–Always come back. But the better news is that God has never left her. He’s always available, to all His children, whether they are home or they are drifting.

And if we are so sure that Katy Perry can’t hear the voice of God then we need to question the Burning Bush for the murderer Moses, or the encounter on the road to Damascus for the terrorist Saul, or the multiple times the adulterous King David entered the presence of God. You see, Scripture is full of undeserving hearers who somehow (just before or after sinning) got to hear God’s voice, and their lives were changed forever.

Long before Katy was singing about kissing girls, she used her talents as a “Christian singer.” (And you can buy her Christian album as Katy Hudson in Amazon – for more than $100 dollars!) She once told Vanity Fair that as a child, her parents, both evangelical pastors, wouldn’t read any book to her other than the Bible and refused to let her listen to non-religious music. So she questioned Christianity from an early age.

In a 2013 interview Perry said that she no longer identifies with a specific religion, but still feels that she has a connection with God. “I’m not a Buddhist, I’m not a Hindu, I’m not a Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God,” Perry said. “I pray all the time for self-control, for humility. There’s a lot of gratitude in it. Just saying ‘thank you’ sometimes is better than asking for things.”

So I’m not sure, but I want to believe God spoke to Katy. I want to believe He’s still speaking to her right now! Because that’s my hope for everyone who is lost or broken or famous or perfect, that they will hear the vibrations of love and the sounds of Salvation Himself.

Perry’s dad, Keith Hudson, is a pastor in California, and has said that he’s proud of his daughter, despite previously criticizing the messages in her music. (And that’s probably similar to what God the Father would say.)

I believe Jesus wants to share so much redemption and beauty with Katy Perry. So I pray that she would continue to remember the good seeds planted by her mom and dad (and forgive all the bad ones). But most of all, I pray that we the church would continue to focus on the plank in our eye, instead of the speck in everyone elses.

Yes, I’m always tempted to judge the ridiculous excitement we feel when someone on TV says the word, “God”. But somehow I feel hopeful about this one. I don’t feel hopeful because I want her 65 million Twitter followers to hear about her, “Born Again Experience.” I feel hopeful because I know that God loves His daughter. I know that He’s been there when she’s ignored Him. And I know that His mercy has been new through her brokeness and shame.

Just as He has done for me. Just as He has done for you.

So let’s join sister Katy and declare with a smile,

“Today is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

Now maybe (just maybe) we will also get to hear His sweet encouraging voice.

Peace.

via When God speaks to Katy Perry – HAPPY SONSHIP.

President Obama praised the Dalai Lama and condemned the Islamic State during his annual address on faith at Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast.

The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leader who is an object of attack by the Chinese government, is “a good friend” and “a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion,” Obama said to warm applause.

He “inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings,” the president said.

China objects to any presidential meeting with the Dalai Lama, calling him a dangerous separatist. Obama and the Dalai Lama — who supports freedom for Tibet — have met privately at the White House; this was the first time they have appeared at the same public event.

A senior White House adviser — Valerie Jarrett —- sat at the Dalai Lama’s table during the president’s remarks.

via Obama praises Dalai Lama at prayer breakfast.

Six people were killed and 15 injured when a Metro-North train slammed into an SUV dashing across the tracks in Westchester Tuesday night, causing a massive explosion and fire that trapped rush-hour commuters inside, sources said.

The Harlem Line train was heading toward the Hawthorne station when a woman driving a black Jeep Cherokee tried to cross the tracks and was bulldozed.

The impact unhinged the electrified third rail, which pierced the lead car and caused a blast that ripped apart the passenger compartment, where five of the victims died, sources said. The driver of the Jeep also died.

via 6 dead after Metro-North train collides with SUV | New York Post.

Hillary Clinton is “furious” at husband Bill Clinton, according to Washington insiders, after his name came up in the latest sex scandal involving his disgraced former pal ­Jeffrey Epstein.

Sources at the funeral of Mario Cuomo also said they saw a peevish-looking Hillary angrily “storm” past the former president after he dutifully waited for her by the door of St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

“Talk in Washington is that Hillary is furious with Bill about all this new information on Jeffrey Epstein,” said a DC insider familiar with both Epstein and the Clintons.

Bill’s name has popped up in 2011 court documents relating to Epstein after a woman said to be Virginia Roberts filed a bombshell suit alleging she was Epstein’s teen “sex slave” and paid $15,000 to bed Epstein’s pal, Britain’s Prince Andrew.

The 2011 court docs reveal that 21 email ­addresses and phone numbers for Bill and an aide were found in Epstein’s electronic black book, and that Bill “frequently flew” with Epstein on his private plane from 2002 to 2005. But the papers say he then “suddenly stopped, raising the suspicion that the friendship abruptly ended, perhaps because of events related to Epstein’s sexual abuse of children.”

via Hillary ‘furious’ over Bill’s ‘part’ in latest sex scandal | Page Six.