Nikki Haley doesn't mention slavery while fielding question about cause of Civil War



Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley did not mention slavery while responding to someone who asked her about the cause of the U.S. Civil War.

Haley responded to the question by saying that she thought the cause "was basically how government was gonna run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do."

Haley said that "government was intended to secure" people's rights and liberties and should ensure that people have freedom rather than interfering in people's lives.

The questioner described it as "astonishing" that she would answer the question without bringing up slavery.

"What do you want me to say about slavery?" Haley asked.

VIRAL MOMENT: Nikki Haley Asked Point Blank By Voter: 'What Was The Cause Of The U.S. Civil War?' www.youtube.com

In a reference to Haley's comments, a post on President Joe Biden's @JoeBiden X account declared, "It was about slavery."

Haley served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during a portion of former President Donald Trump's White House tenure. She had also previously served as the governor of South Carolina.

Haley and the other candidates vying for the GOP presidential nod have been polling far behind Trump.

Haley has said the President Joe Biden is too old. The 81-year-old incumbent would be 86 at the end of a second term in office if re-elected.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Haley for president.

"REASON #25 I’m supporting @NikkiHaley for President: She’s on Santa’s ‘Nice’ List. It made putting my Christmas list together easy this year: A NIKKI HALEY WIN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE!" Sununu tweeted.

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Jason Aldean's anti-woke anthem shoots to #1 on iTunes, blowing past Taylor Swift and K-pop stars, following CMT drop

Jason Aldean's anti-woke anthem shoots to #1 on iTunes, blowing past Taylor Swift and K-pop stars, following CMT drop



Jason Aldean's song "Try That in a Small Town" and the accompanying music video rocketed to the top of the iTunes charts in less than 24 hours as outlets began reporting that the video had been pulled from country music channel CMT.

Louder with Crowder reported that the song had reached the top spot on the iTunes all-genre charts, beating out the massively popular Korean pop stars from the group BTS as well as fellow country artist Luke Combs.

In addition, Aldean's visuals made their way to the top of the music video chart, passing artist Taylor Swift, who is also a vocal left-wing activist.

The video, which was pulled by CMT on Monday, July 17, 2023, showed familiar clips of Antifa and BLM rioting. News coverage of looting, violent protests, and spitting on police were all featured in the video.

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Billboard reported that Aldean's video was released on a Friday and was in CMT's rotation through Sunday, but the outlet noted that CMT declined to comment on why it stopped playing the video by Monday. The Billboard report dropped Tuesday, and by 11 p.m. that night the music service had reported the song had reached number one on the charts.

At the time of Billboard's report on July 18, 2023, Aldean's music video had approximately 346,000 views on YouTube. At the time of this publication (about 14 hours later), that view count is well over 1.3 million.

Aldean said that he had been "accused of releasing a pro-lynching song," to which he responded that "these references are not only meritless, but dangerous."

"There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far," he added.

"Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief," Aldean explained.

The increase in views meant the video also found its way onto YouTube's trending music page.


Image via YouTube.com


The song was originally released in May 2023, but only reached #25 on the charts, as of the release of Billboard's same report.

At the same time, Aldean suffered from heat stroke and was forced to cancel a July 15, 2023, performance. The country music star called the bout of dehydration and exhaustion not that "serious," but noted "it was pretty intense last night at the show."

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Google bars Truth Social from its Play store



Google notified Truth Social on August 19 that former President Donald Trump's social media platform Truth Social, as it now stands and operates, is inadmissible to the Google Play store.

What is Truth Social?

Truth Social is a social media platform created by Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), an American company founded in October 2021 by former President Donald Trump.

Trump announced on October 20, 2021, his intention to publicly list TMTG with the aim of "creat[ing] a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight[ing] back against the 'Big Tech' companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America."

It launched on February 21. On the day of its release, it was #1 in the App Store.

Truth Social's U.S. ranking as of August 30 in Apple's App Store was #148 overall and #25 in the social networking category.

The former president stated: "I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced."

Why specifically did Google bar it from the Google Play store?

The reason for this rejection, according to the tech giant, is that Truth Social's current app submission violates the Google market's standard policies and lacks "effective systems for moderating user-generated content."

Axios first reported that Google's concerns relate to unmoderated content such as physical threats and incitements to violence. Unlike other approved platforms, Truth Social does not apply "sensitive content" banners on or before posts that some might find objectionable, violence-inciting, or misleading. It also is alleged not to have as stringent an approach to moderation as other approved apps.

An example of a reply on Truth Social that would constitute infringement, cited by Axios, read: "It's be nice if you people weren't just okay with the military and police stage a rebellion and framing civilians. Zero people trust the police and if the military comes in, we'll kill them. Someone admit this nation needs to be nuked because it's satanic."

The post, by Google's standards, would have at least required a label such as "This content may not be suitable for all audiences."

Truth Social acknowledged Google's grievances and reportedly indicated it would work to address these issues. TMTG is working with a San Francisco-based company called Hive to develop AI-based content moderation tools to flag pornographic content along with hate speech and violent rhetoric.

Parler, another free speech-oriented social media app, was banned from the Google Play store in 2021 for reasons similar to those now being cited by Google for barring Truth Social.

Does the same standard of moderation apply to Facebook and Twitter?

In May 2022, the video filmed by the gunman who perpetrated a ghastly mass shooting in Buffalo was widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook, despite the company's moderation teams and policies. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the social media platforms responsible, without naming any one in particular: "They can be in a sense an accomplice to a crime like this. Perhaps not legally, but morally. They created the platform to allow this hate to be spewed."

Elon Musk suggested earlier this year that Twitter was biased in its moderation, permitting what some have characterized as terroristic incitements and hate speech from leftist accounts.

Twitter also remained in the Google Play store despite permitting Taliban accounts on its platform.

Politico Europe reported last year that Islamic extremists manage to stay on Facebook, spreading extremist propaganda, photos of beheadings, and violent hate speech. Nevertheless, Facebook remains in the Google Play store.

What will the impact be?

Google's barring of the app from its store may have financial and political consequences.

This setback could affect the platform's momentum as TMTG is simultaneously being bogged down elsewhere.

Fox Business reported that one of TMTG's vendors, RightForge, is pressing the company for $1.6 million for hosting services, which it allegedly has been due in installments since March.

Truth Social's parent company, which filed a $6.5 million loss with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the first half of 2022, opens voting Tuesday on a potential yearlong delay for the merger between TMTG and the SPAC Digital World Acquisition Corp., which if successful, would have taken it public on September 8.

The platform also had its application for a trademark turned down earlier this month.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned issues, the company has suggested that dire pronouncements on Truth Social's wellbeing are "knowingly false bar talk," and that it has raised over $15 million and boasts enough operating capital to operate into the first quarter of 2023.

As for being denied access to the Play store, Truth Social may lose out on a massive influx of users. Approximately 44% of U.S. smartphone users won't be able to download the app as a result of Google's decision. Android users can, however, still access Truth Social directly through the platform's website.

In 2021, Trump was banned from Twitter, where he had roughly 88 million followers, and was suspended from Facebook, where he has 34 million followers. He was also banned from Google's YouTube, where he had over 2.77 million subscribers, on January 12, 2021. All three companies insinuated Trump had a role in the January 6 Capitol protests.

Trump presently has approximately 4 million followers on Truth Social.

Google's decision may greatly contain the former president's reach and influence ahead of the 2022 midterm and 2024 presidential elections.

These are the definitive recordings of 35 favorite Christmas carols: Don't argue, just listen



Because nobody doesn't love a list and everybody is an expert nowadays, I've compiled a list of the definitive recordings of 35 of the most loved classic Christmas carols.

Don't agree? That's OK — you're allowed to be wrong. (Spoiler alert: There are zero Josh Groban or Pentatonix songs on this list. If you find that upsetting, this probably isn't the list for you anyway. Just click on something else.)

Merry Christmas! And happy listening:

#1: SILENT NIGHT — Dean Martin


This one was a gimme — that way we don't start out the list fighting.


***

#2: HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS — Ella Fitzgerald


Yes, I know, I know, Judy did it first for "Meet Me in St. Louis"; however, that does not make it the best. If you think Garland's rendition is better than Ella's, you're probably also a Liza Minnelli fan.


***

#3: JOY TO THE WORLD — Whitney Houston


Now, a lot of people will tell you that Mariah Carey has cornered the market on this old hymn, but that's only because she was hitched to Sony's Tommy Mottola when she cut the holiday album that features the song. If Whitney were still around today and able to get the press Mariah does, I'm pretty sure everybody would be saying "Mariah who?" when it was time to drop the needle on "Joy to the World."


***

#4: IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR — Andy Williams


If you fight me on this one, we can't be friends.


***

#5: THE CHRISTMAS SONG — Nat King Cole


C'mon. Mel Torme wrote the song (with Bob Wells) and gave it to Cole to sing, knowing he was the guy to make this song unforgettable. Other people can roast their chestnuts all they want — many have done it well — but Cole's take will never be topped. Ever.


***

#6: HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING — Amy Grant


Truthfully, Jewel's arrangement of "Hark!" is superior, but the problem is ... Jewel, the woman who sings like she has marbles in her mouth and can't decide if she's going to do an adult voice or a little girl voice. Advantage: Grant.


***

#7: ADESTE FIDELES — Celine Dion


No one really knows who wrote "O Come, All Ye Faithful," but anyone with any sense knows who did best. (Though I have to give a nod to David Osmond's strong performance on Glenn Beck's "Believe Again" album.)


***

#8: WHITE CHRISTMAS — Bing Crosby


There's a reason this Crosby record is the best-selling single in the world — not just in the holiday genre, but best-selling single of all time. Nothing has ever topped it, and it's likely nothing ever will.


***

#9: RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER — Gene Autry


Yes, Burl Ives was the narrator for the TV special. Yes, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling from Ives' record. No, it's isn't the best version. That belongs to The Singing Cowboy.


***

#10: IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS — Johnny Mathis


Crosby and Como both killed it when they recorded this song, but the Mathis version has the edge — not just in quality but also culturally with its inclusion in "Home Alone 2," which gave it a massive surge in popularity.


***

#11: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS — Perry Como


Is there really any question? No. No there isn't.


***

#12: JINGLE BELLS — Frank Sinatra


Don't question this one either: Frank knows people who know how to hurt people. (Well, at least, he used to.)


***

#13: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN — Jackson 5


The Boss would say different. But you and I know the truth.


***

#14: ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH — Mormon Tabernacle Choir


The "Gloria, in excelsis Deo" chorus requires a powerful choir. Good luck finding a choir more powerful than the one the LDS folks put together.


***

#15: FROSTY THE SNOWMAN — Jimmy Durante


The Ronettes produced a very good version and it gets way more airplay, which is a shame: Durante's recording is a musical number Rankin & Bass actually got right.


***

#16: A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS — Burl Ives


This is Ives' song. No one else should even try to sing it.


***

#17: WINTER WONDERLAND — Perry Como


Admit it, you were expecting me to say Darline Love here. It's OK. It's a normal and fairly logical guess. But it also happens to be incorrect. Not only did Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass cut a version that was better (though wordless), both of Perry Como's versions (here and here) are objectively better. Here is the track from his 1946 album "Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music."


***

#18: LET IT SNOW! LET IS SNOW! LET IT SNOW! — Lena Horne


Lots of artists have made great "Let It Snow!" records (including Harry Connick Jr., who deserves a mention). But none of them ever reached the smoothness — and, frankly, sexiness — of Lena Horne's.


***

#19: THE FIRST NOEL — Third Day


It's a more modern version of an old hymn with some cool rhythm. It's also the best version ever recorded.


***

#20: SILVER BELLS — Elvis Presley


After The King walked out of the studio the day he laid this down, there was no reason for anyone to ever bother trying to do it better.


***

#21: SLEIGH RIDE — Ella Fitzgerald


You want me to say Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra. Not gonna happen. Lady Ella owns this — and always will.


***

#22: DECK THE HALLS — Ashley Hess


Ashley Hess is not likely a name you recognize at first. But if you're a Glenn Beck fan, you'll remember this after a quick listen. And then you'll agree.


***

#23: GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN — Barenaked Ladies


Here's one that had me going back and forth for hours. Everything Nat King Cole touched was superb, so I could easily put his recording here and be done with it. But ... the Barenaked Ladies put a spin on this classic that has just the edge needed to bump it ahead of Cole.


***

#24: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS — John Denver & The Muppets


The LP of this 1979 Christmas special (which has never been released on home video) is full of great music. The most notable is the Muppet Gang's clever rundown of the many gifts the writer's obnoxious "true love" gave him. Bah-dum-bum-bum.


***

#25: ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY — Julie Andrews


If you like Andrews' style, you'll absolutely love all of her Christmas songs. Her best Christmas record happens to also be the best version of that song.


***

#26: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? — Perry Como


I know he's already got a couple wins on this list, but I've got to give Como this one, too, with Andy Williams coming in a close second.


***

#27: IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR — MercyMe


Another modern take on a hymn. On first listen, you'll disagree with me on its ranking. But then you'll listen again and again and be forced to admit that, well, the fat Blaze editor was right once more.


***

#28: LITTLE DRUMMER BOY — Bing Crosby & David Bowie


It's a beautiful song — it's also the strangest Christmas song. Crosby and Bowie's awkward video didn't help make it less weird. But you can't argue with the talent they brought to the studio when it was time to record.


***

#29: WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS — Alvin and the Chipmunks


Every Christmas music list is required to include Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's scriptural.


***

#30: ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE — Leann Rimes


"Brenda Lee!" you're shouting as you read this. "You're nuts!" I'm shouting back. Lee's famous record doesn't have 1 percent of the feel (or talent, for that matter) that Rimes' does.


***

#31: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM — Andy Williams


I was torn on this one — all the way up until it was time to post this. My brain tells me to go with Mahalia Jackson's soulful version. But my heart says this is another song that The King of Christmas just nailed.


***

#32: WHAT CHILD IS THIS? — Vince Guaraldi Trio


Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas" album is arguably the best complete holiday album ever produced. No one has ever made "Greensleeves" sound better.


***

#33: GOOD KING WENCESLAS — Ames Brothers


Though a lot of folks will say The Velvet Fog's jazzy turn on this tale of a ruler who looked out for others should be tops, I've got a soft spot in my heart for the Ames Brothers' record. The majesty of the music sets the tone for understanding the lesson we can learn from Wenceslas.


***

#34: O HOLY NIGHT — David Phelps


Here's another hymn that could have gone to a couple artists. Critics have rightfully celebrated Celine Dion for her rendition, but David Phelps really brought it home. (Plus, Celine is Canadian, so the thought of giving her more than one song on this list was nauseating.)


***

#35: MY FAVORITE THINGS — Tony Bennett


No one has ever explained to me how this became a Christmas song. Julie Andrews really made it famous on "The Sound of Music," and since then, scads of very notable vocalists have covered it for Christmas — no one better than Bennett. (Barbra Streisand can get bent.)

This post originally ran Dec. 25, 2019.