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The Brew: White House Says Don’t Sweat the Drones; Selena Gomez’s Tears Soak Social Media

Plus, California finally gives up its efforts to jail the journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood's baby organ-selling operation.

By Al Perrotta Published on January 29, 2025

Happy Wednesday!

Today’s Brew includes a look at a celebrity boo-hoo gone viral. But first …

White House Update on New Jersey Drones: Ain’t No Big Thang

So what’s the story with those drones that plagued the skies over New Jersey late last year? It seems the answer provided yesterday begs the question, “Why the big mystery?”

The White House announced Tuesday that the drones were authorized by the FAA and the Biden administration “for research and various other reasons,” with curious hobbyists adding to the numbers as the phenomenon grew. “This was not the enemy,” said Trump Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1884307753138880999

So why did the Biden administration say it had no idea what was going on? Does it have to do with those “various other reasons”? Or was lying to the American public and keeping us in the dark so second nature to the people in charge that they didn’t even think about it with this issue?

On the plus side, it seems we can rule out enemy drones or the opening salvos of a space alien invasion.

California Drops Legal War Against Journalists Who Exposed Planned Parenthood’s Organ-Selling Operation

Journalists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt are American heroes. The pair spent three years undercover infiltrating the abortion industry before exposing in 2015, through undercover video and documentation, the way Planned Parenthood was illegally selling the organs of aborted babies to research firms. Its employees were even conducting partial-birth abortions to get better (i.e., more intact, and therefore more profitable) specimens.

However, rather than charge the abortionists, Kamala Harris and her successors in the California Attorney General’s office set out to destroy and jail Daleiden and Merritt and to keep their unreleased evidence of the vile deeds from seeing the light.

For nearly a full decade, they have been fighting criminal charges. Finally, the battle is won.

Daleiden and Merritt announced Monday that their criminal cases are over. California has agreed to a plea deal that involves no jail time or fines for them. Merritt will plead no contest to one felony count, which at sentencing will be turned to a misdemeanor, which will be expunged after a one-year probation. Daleiden’s plea deal, released in a tweet, are similar. And his lawyer, Harmeen Dillon, is now head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division — so it’d be a wise move for current California AG Rob Bonta to shed this case ASAP.

https://twitter.com/daviddaleiden/status/1884039717932654909

The Stream’s John Zmirak interviewed Daleiden back in 2017. Check out “How to Keep Your Soul Intact While Investigating Planned Parenthood.” The interview links to the series of articles covering the releases of Daleiden’s shocking videos. Who can forget that first one, with the Planned Parenthood honcho casually discussing selling baby organs over salad and wine?

I remember our rough-and-tumble gadfly from Queens being so shaken when covering the third or fourth video that he took the rest of the afternoon off to hug his beagles. The entire nation should have had that reaction — followed by outrage. Instead, the national press buried the story like a bone.

Actress Selena Gomez Mocked for Tearful Video Bemoaning Deportations

Former Disney princess Selena Gomez has been shredded for her now-deleted social media post, in which she sobbed her guts out for those criminal illegal immigrants now being deported.

The criticism is justified, given the fact that the people being rounded up are rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals. Where were the tears for their victims?

Is she truly that under the sway of legacy media propaganda? Does she not have anybody around her who could tell her that posting that video would be a mistake for a multitude of reasons? (Especially given the fact that she successfully transitioned from being known as Justin Bieber’s old girlfriend to respected comedic actress. Seriously, you don’t hold your own with Steve Martin and Martin Short in Hulu’s hit Only Murders in the Building unless you’ve got serious game.)

But let’s be generous today and look at this another way: Gomez is a former Disney princess who endured only God knows what as a child actor in that seedy sweatshop. At least she’s not swinging atop wrecking balls, sans clothing, the way Miley Cyrus did, going on crime sprees like Lindsay Lohan did, or entrapped in gender confusion like Demi Lovato was. A poor political take presented in an embarrassing manner is small potatoes compared to all that.

Retired ICE field office director John Fabbricatore told Newsmax, “I actually feel bad for her because she’s so misinformed.”

Let’s pray Gomez becomes better educated about what’s going on. (Our suggestion: Check out The Stream!) We should also pray that we don’t become mean-spirited towards those who do not yet know the score; it’s an easy temptation to which one might fall prey.

But that might be easier said than done in light of this next item.

Captain America Actor Doesn’t Think the Character Represents America

Move over, Selena. Actor Anthony Mackie has you beat.

While in Europe recently promoting Captain America: Brave New World, star Anthony Mackie seems to have trashed America and tanked the movie’s chances at the same time.

Mackie said: “Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity.”

What? Captain America doesn’t represent America? America has no honor, dignity, or integrity? Really?

The movie has already endured a very troubled production and was likely to bomb, but having the lead appear to trash America while playing Captain America should put the nail in the coffin. (The film will be released on Valentine’s Day.) However, we can expect the studio and Mackie to spin that what he was getting at, while talking to a foreign audience, was that honor, dignity, and integrity are not exclusively American traits.

You’d think that after the fiasco of new Snow White actress Rachel Zegler trashing the original Disney classic, the House of Mouse would ensure its actors avoid knee-capping their own films. Walt Disney must be spinning in his grave … or ice box.

UPDATE: Mackie has now released a statement on Instagram, clarifying his remarks:

Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.

Congratulations, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

The youngest White House Press Secretary in American history, Karoline Leavitt, held her first briefing yesterday. Leavitt is all of 27 years old. She swatted back the “gotcha” questions from reporters as if she was Serena Williams. (When I was 27 I was still nervous about fielding questions from waiters at restaurants.)

At least Leavitt didn’t have to worry about CNN’s Jim Acosta, who made life miserable for Trump’s press secretaries the first time around, being in the room. Rather than face a demotion to the midnight time slot, Acosta announced yesterday that he’s leaving the network.

Making America Laugh Again

Speaking of CNN … we interrupt The Brew for this moment from America’s Comic-in-Chief.

https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1884035512962539556

We’ve had some humorous presidents: Reagan and Lincoln, of course. Teddy Roosevelt. Bill Clinton also had the makings of a fine comedic actor.

Even Joe Biden (though it was hard to tell because of his diminished mental capacity) could be fairly amusing at times. However, Donald Trump may be the first who is a born stand-up comedian. A congresswoman is pushing to have his face added to Mount Rushmore, but he should have a place of honor at The Comedy Store in L.A. He’s as much Jay Leno as he is Thomas Jefferson.

Though we don’t elect presidents to be entertainers, having one who is a first-rate cut-up after the dourness of recent years, thanks to the way cancel culture’s stifled comedy, is a healthy thing for the spirit of the nation. Uncle Sam having a cheerful heart is good medicine.

But about this Mount Rushmore business: should Trump be so enshrined? Let’s say they carve a Mount Rushmore sequel: Who should be on it? It’d have to be bipartisan. Trump and Reagan are easy picks. You’d probably have to have JFK, too. But who gets that last slot? Andrew Jackson? FDR? Obama?

Seriously, I don’t see how you’d get away with not having America’s first black president enshrined somewhere. Plus he’s got a skinny face, which would more easily fit on a monument.

Along The Stream…

Stream contributor Albin Sadar muses about the way God seems to be “Restoring What the Locusts Have Eaten.”

The woke bishop who lectured Trump at the National Prayer Service gets a double dose of pushback, from both the Catholic and evangelical sides: Jules Gomes interviewed another bishop to bring us “Faithful Bishop Censures Woke Bishopess Who Abused Pulpit to Attack Trump,” while Shane Idleman shares a video clip from his sermon last weekend, “SoCal Pastor Rebukes Woke Bishop at National Cathedral.”

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington Bureau chief. He is also the creator of the soon-to-bloom Substack channel Bananas Republic.