Remembering
James Robison

You are viewing a page from our archive site. To browse the latest Christian TV content on The Stream, click here.

The Brew: JFK Assassination Remembered, and $6.2 Million for a Banana

By Al Perrotta Published on November 22, 2024

Happy Friday!

Today’s Brew opens in Dallas’s Dealey Plaza via CIA headquarters.

On Anniversary of JFK Assassination, Will Trump Keep Promise to Release Remaining Files?

November 22 is, of course, the sixty-first anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. The big question: Will incoming President Donald Trump keep to his word to release any and all remaining intelligence files on the assassination? At a rally last August with Kennedy’s nephew Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. by his side, Trump promised to establish a commission on assassination attempts that would be tasked with finally releasing the remaining files to the public.

The CIA in particular has been fighting hard to keep its secrets locked away. RFK, Jr. is convinced by “overwhelming evidence” that the Agency was in on the plot.

Capitol Hill Officer Who Killed Ashli Babbitt Has Long Record of Disciplinary and Weapons Issues

The House investigation into J6 has turned up some interesting information about the Capitol Hill police officer who shot the unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt. Just the News reports that Michael Byrd had a long disciplinary record, including several incidents involving the misuse of firearms.

  • In 2004, Byrd, who was off duty, fired his weapon at a stolen vehicle as it was fleeing his residential neighborhood;
  • In 2015, a fellow officer filed a complaint against Byrd accusing him of “conduct unbecoming an officer.” Byrd, who was off duty, confronted the complainant while he was working at a high school football game; the confrontation contained “racial overtones”;
  • In 2019, Byrd was suspended for 33 days for leaving his service weapon unattended in a public Capitol Hill bathroom;
  • Shortly after Jan. 6, 2021, Byrd failed to pass a routine background check while attempting to purchase a shotgun for home protection. The U.S. Capitol Police worked to provide Byrd a department-issued shotgun instead, but he failed the training.
  • There were also three other referrals to the Capitol Police Office of Professional Responsibility, for which records are reportedly missing.

A couple of items to note here: Despite this dismal record, Byrd was promoted to captain after January 6. Also, by “racial overtones” they mean Byrd called the Montgomery County cop he was confronting at the football game a “racist.”

Although an internal USCP investigation cleared Byrd of wrongdoing, the FBI and D.C. Metropolitan Police never got to interrogate him; audio recordings of J6 from Byrd obtained by The Epoch Times contradict his version of the story. Byrd falsely reported that day that he had been fired upon.

Please Support The Stream: Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.

Now that Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration for Attorney General, let’s hope Trump next names a human ferret; someone who is not only as determined to root out the corruption within the DOJ as Gaetz would be, but who will stop at nothing to dig out the truth about what happened on January 6.

Escalation: Russia Fires New Experimental Missile at Ukraine for First Time, Threatens U.S. Bases

Russia has for the first time fired an “experimental intermediate range missile” into Ukraine in response to Ukraine using American-made long-range missiles against targets in Russia.

“This was a new type of lethal capability that was employed on the battlefield, so that’s certainly a concern to us,” Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said. According to Fox news, she also noted that Russia gave the U.S. a brief head’s up on the launch through nuclear or risk reduction channels.

What’s more, Russia is now threatening to attack a new U.S. military base in Poland with “advanced weapons.” The installation near the Baltic coast is described as a ballistic missile defense base.

“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defense base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Before you rush to build a bomb shelter, Zakharova also said Thursday that Russia is “open to negotiations.”

“We are ready to consider any realistic, nonpoliticized initiative — of course,” Zakharova said. “The key word is taking into account the interests of our country, the current situation on the ground, and guarantees of compliance with relevant agreements.”

Why? Jaguar Releases Teaser Ad That Makes Dylan Mulvaney Look Like Hulk Hogan

Talk about “drag” racing. Jaguar has released a 30-second teaser for a new vehicle that doesn’t show the car, but does parade a bunch of men in drag and other assorted oddities.

Is this a plug for a sports car or a travel ad for The Hunger Games Capitol?

In the comment section — which Stream social media coordinator Gayle McQueary says is “very entertaining” — Jaguar promises that the ad is part of a bigger story. (Yeah, the story of how the transgender fad is taking over the advertising world when America is saying, “We’re done with this stuff.”)

On the other hand, if the idea was to draw eyeballs, it worked. As of 2 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, the online post had gained nearly 129.6 million views.

Banana Taped to Wall Fetches $6.2 Million at Art Auction

If you think the Jaguar item was bananas, wait until you get a load of this: A cryptocurrency entrepreneur has spent $6.2 million to win a conceptual art piece that is literally simply a banana taped to a wall with silver duct tape. Chinese-born crypto founder Justin Sun gets to hang that on his wall — or enjoy the banana in the most expensive bowl of cereal of all time.

Soethby’s handled the auction of the “work” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Comedian.”

I just stuck a strand of spaghetti on the wall and called it “Supermodel.” Where’s my $6.2 million?

Along the Stream…

John Zmirak talks to his old pal Eric Metaxas about the new movie based on his bestselling biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “This Weekend, Go See the Powerful Faith Story Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas Urges.”

The film is going up against the movie version of the smash musical Wicked. There is no flipping of evil characters for good in Bonhoeffer. On the other hand, there are no show-stopping musical numbers, either.

At 9 a.m. today, Brandon Aldinger will detail for us “A Logical Argument for the Supernatural.”

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.