Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo challenged teacher’s union head Randi Weingarten to a public debate this week; labeling the progressive leader “the most dangerous person in the United States.”

“I tell the story often — I get asked ‘Who’s the most dangerous person in the world? Is it Chairman Kim, is it Xi Jinping?’ The most dangerous person in the world is Randi Weingarten,” Mike Pompeo told Semafor two weeks ago. “It’s not a close call.” Here, the former secretary of state and director of the CIA stands by his words and offers a challenge to Weingarten.

Pompeo penned an op-ed in the NY Post where he issued the challenge.

I fear America is on a path to disintegration due to persistent failures in our education system. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten and her fellow travelers have crippled our nation’s schools. The danger she presents to our nation is clear and real and exceeds that of all the bad guys I battled abroad for four years as secretary of state and CIA director. I said she’s the most dangerous person in America because it is true. Her power, her ideas and her anti-student policies must be confronted.

November 30, 2022 at 11:15AM - The First
LET THEM FIGHT! Pompeo Challenges ‘Most Dangerous Person in the US’ Randi Weingarten to Debate
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Senator Ted Cruz R-TX) unloaded on George P. Kent during a hearing on Tuesday; Kent was the Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing policy regarding Ukraine when there were all the questions about Hunter Biden, Burisma, and Joe Biden’s threats against the prosecutor, Red State reports.

“Do you think Joe Biden holding a billion dollars hostage to force the Ukrainian government to fire the prosecutor that is investigating the corrupt oligarch who’s paying his son a million dollars a year–Did getting that prosecutor fired benefit that oligarch?” Cruz asked Kent.

Watch the fiery exchange below:

November 30, 2022 at 10:04AM - The First
‘WELL, SON OF A BITCH!’: Watch Cruz Blast Dem on Joe and Hunter Biden’s Shady Flex on Ukraine
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Is DeSantis showing his hand?

According to a report from The Daily Wire, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is preparing to release his autobiography The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival in February, fueling speculation that the Sunshine State gov has his eye on the White House in 2024.

From The Daily Wire:

“The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” is expected to describe the 44-year-old leader’s journey from Sunshine State baseball diamonds to Yale, Harvard Law, service in the U.S. Navy, three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his current role. While DeSantis has not announced plans to challenge former President Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, books such as this often precede White House bids.

“He shares his thinking from when he was fighting back against COVID mandates and restrictions, critical race theory, woke corporations’ and what Broadside describes as ‘the partisan legacy media,” Broadside Books said in a statement.

The book is due out on February 28 from Broadside, a subsidiary of Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch’s HarperCollins Publishing.

More over at The Daily Wire:

DeSantis Pens Autobiography, Likely Fueling More 2024 Speculation https://t.co/jdNAymPzxo

— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) November 30, 2022

November 30, 2022 at 09:22AM - The First
BOOK REPORT: DeSantis Readies Autobiography, Fuels 2024 Speculation
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

New-old Disney CEO Bob Iger is already trying to right the ship.

According to a report from The Daily Wire, during a recent employee town hall, returning Disney CEO Bob Iger said he regrets that Disney was dragged into a battle with Florida and its governor.

“I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle. And I have no idea exactly what its ramifications are in terms of the business itself,” Iger said.

“What I can say is, the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida. That is something I’m extremely mindful of and will articulate if I get the chance.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) reacted to the soundbyte on Tuesday’s edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight.

“We didn’t drag them in, Tucker. They went in on their own, and not only opposed the bill. They threatened to get it repealed.”

“These are parents’ rights, important policies in our state that are very popular. And so they brought this on themselves,” he continued. “All we did was stand up for what’s right. And, yes, they’re a big, powerful company. But you know what? We stand up for our folks. And I don’t care what a Burbank-based California company says about our laws.”

Watch the clip below:

Gov. Ron DeSantis reacts to recent comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger: "They brought this on themselves." pic.twitter.com/t6CC6ieEM3

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 30, 2022

November 30, 2022 at 08:14AM - The First
DISNEY’S SORRY! Iger Regrets Company’s Battle With DeSantis, ‘Florida Very Important to Us’
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

China and Apple have a lot in common. They both run “walled garden” operations, hoarding data, secretive and inscrutable about their internal workings; they both clamp down hard on leaks and revolts. They share an economic footprint, where Apple makes iPhones in China and China makes or assembles its myriad parts better and cheaper than anyone else in the world could. They are both authoritarian, and they both operate in bad faith to protect their authority.

Recently, Apple quietly released IOS 16.1.1, but instead of listing specific features and fixes, it released only a terse “This update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” But users in China noticed their phones had been hobbled.

Hidden in the update was a change that only applies to iPhones sold in mainland China: AirDrop can only be set to receive messages from everyone for 10 minutes, before switching off. There’s no longer a way to keep the “everyone” setting on permanently on Chinese iPhones. The change, first noticed by Chinese readers of 9to5Mac, doesn’t apply anywhere else.

The “everyone” AirDrop mode was used by protesters in China to quickly distribute information phone-to-phone without passing through the censorious infrastructure run by the CCP. Though Apple claims to be heading toward a “global standard” to disable permanent “everyone” mode in 2023, Bloomberg reported, they certainly timed this undisclosed update to help China enforce its crackdown.

The protesters have few tools available to them. Apple frequently helps China’s authoritarian government by disabling, removing, or otherwise compromising features in its phones. China’s “Great Firewall” is as complete a walled garden as any nation the size and breadth of the world’s second biggest economy could muster. The CCP’s security forces are ready to use overwhelming force to tamp down dissent.

China’s president Xi Jinping has made himself, apparently, leader for life, remaking the CCP in his own image, and filled with his loyalists. He has focused on “zero COVID,” a public health vector, as his latest ploy to keep absolute control of China’s population. This despite the head of the UN’s WHO claiming the policy is unsustainable.

It’s against this state of seemingly permanent lockdown that protests have taken root. The people smell bad faith in their government, which is behaving less and less like a disciplinarian father, and more like a power-crazed tyrant. Toward the rest of the world, the Chinese government oozes bad faith. And Apple has been there with it, enabling and coddling that behavior.

This is not to say Apple is the only perpetrator of China duality. Disney has notoriously bowed to CCP pressure. A devastating report by Harvard International Review detailed how Disney has a long history of censoring its films so as not to offend China’s communist government. Its streaming service quietly omitted an episode of The Simpsons that dealt with Tiananmen Square from its Hong Kong market.

The CCP has enacted laws allowing it to control, or fine, tech firms that don’t share data with the government. The popular video sharing site TikTok’s data, despite company denials, is firmly in the hands of China’s authorities. One opinion writer, in The Hill, concluded “TikTok is China’s Trojan horse.”

China has long sought to infiltrate and capture American institutions, especially universities. Even the FBI has warned of “The China Threat.”

“The greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality, is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China.” — FBI Director Christopher Wray.

That Apple, in a disingenuous and freedom-hindering move, would sabotage the efforts of brave Chinese protesters, is terribly bad faith and unbecoming of a company that claims to be an American icon.

This was such a brilliant video I subtitled it so more people can watch it. Beijing students' response last night to accusations that there are 'foreign forces' at play in this weekend's protests

'The foreign forces you are talking about – are they Marx and Engels?' https://t.co/umdFaVhz2s pic.twitter.com/RoohkFaZgE

— Cindy Yu (@CindyXiaodanYu) November 28, 2022

But along with the bad faith, there’s good faith rising in China. Freedom is something tangible that China’s people can taste as their economic fortunes grow. There’s a hidden secret force that’s growing in China that will, one day, bring a new light and liberty to end the age of oppression.

While Christianity declines in the rich, disconnected West, in China, where it is ruthlessly persecuted, the Gospel’s influence continues to grow. Asia Harvest reports there are now more than 100 million practicing Christians in China, with some provinces well above 50% Christian.

And the growth rate continues to increase. Between 1949, when the communists took over, to 1992, the number of Christians grew from 1.3 million to nearly 10 million. From 1992 to 2004/05, this number doubled to 20 million. In 2020, they estimate nearly 110 million, and by 2030 that could double again, meaning China will have more Christians than any nation in the world.

As Christianity booms, communism ages. Since 2013, the percent of CCP members under 35 years old has been fairly steady, at 22-24%. But the share of members over 60 has increased from 23 to 27 percent, according to Statista. CCP’s ruling body, the Politburo, has always had an unofficial retirement age of 67. But this rule seems to have been ignored in the latest party congress, where more members are over 55, and Xi, who is 69, has given himself another 5 years. Many of the party leaders are well advanced in their late 60s.

The young are energized and bold in their protests and yearning for freedom. The older generation is entrenched and unflinching in its commitment to cling to power. One generation wraps itself in bad faith, and encourages foreign companies, institutions, and politicians to share that bad faith, as Apple has freely done.

But waiting in the wings is the good faith growing in China, ready to push out the old and usher in a real, authentic Christianity that’s not tied to politics, right or left, promoting baubles of fake prosperity, bashing favorite sins while protecting its own secret sin—i.e. how the American church misfunctions right now. The Christianity growing in China is born of persecution and trust. When it blooms, the leaders it produces could propel that nation into a beacon of everything it’s currently not.

When that happens—if it does—and we live to see it, we will learn how transparently bad our own faith in the companies and politics we love has been.

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman.

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

November 30, 2022 at 06:52AM - Steve Berman
BAD FAITH: China and Apple Conspire Against Freedom | Steve Berman
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

It was all on the line on Tuesday as the U.S. faced Iran in a loser-goes-home World cup showdown —and the U.S. came away with a big win, 1-0, to advance to the next around against the Netherlands.

From The New York Post:

In came Captain America to save the day, with Christian Pulisic sacrificing himself for the greater good in the USMNT’s 1-0 win over Iran that sends his nation to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup. 

After draws against Wales and England, the USMNT needed to win in order to reach the knockout round. With the win, they’ll face the Netherlands, who won Group A, on Saturday.

Pulisic has dreamt of this World Cup opportunity since he broke out as a teenager and then became the face of American soccer. Since he shouldered much of the blame for the USMNT not qualifying in 2018. Since he carried the Americans back to this year’s World Cup. 

The moment demanded bravery when it arrived. But Pulisic was courageous and would not let anything deny him, putting his body on the line as he scored the only goal of the game to push the US into second place in Group B. 

More over at The New York Post:

USA defeats Iran, advances to face Netherlands in World Cup knockout round https://t.co/MQzYkbezyr pic.twitter.com/8J8302FWJF

— New York Post (@nypost) November 29, 2022

November 29, 2022 at 03:36PM - The First
VICTORY! U.S. Soccer Team Defeats Iran 1-0, Advances to Face the Netherlands on Saturday
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) ripped into Apple for restricting certain iPhone functions for the protestors in China while also threatening to remove Twitter from the App Store in America; “Elon Musk is actually opening it up to free speech!”

Watch the governor’s statement below:

November 29, 2022 at 01:33PM - The First
BIG DeSANTIS ENERGY: Watch Florida Gov Blast Apple for Helping CCP, Censoring Americans
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Arizonians reported numerous setbacks in Maricopa County on Election Day earlier this month, including difficulties voting, broken machines, and long wait times. One volunteer went off during a recent county meeting; she says the entire process was a mess.

Watch the clip below:

November 29, 2022 at 12:21PM - The First
MAD IN MARICOPA: Watch Election Volunteer UNLOAD on County Official for Midterms Chaos
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

This is incredibly strange.

According to a Fox News report, President Biden’s rented Secret Service vehicles burst into flames in an airport parking lot after the Bidens left their Nantucket vacation.

From Fox News:

Biden spent Thanksgiving on the ritzy Massachusetts island with his family last week. The Secret Service rented five vehicles from Hertz to carry the president and his family, and all five of them caught fire in the parking lot, according to footage first obtained by the Nantucket Current.

Footage shows firefighters spraying down the smoldering remains of one vehicle’s engine block. The five vehicles included a Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX80, Ford Expedition, and a Jeep Gladiator.

The vehicles were parked at the Nantucket airport and the blaze reportedly spread to just 40 feet away from the facility’s jet fuel tanks. It is currently unknown what caused the fire. Fox News reached out to the  White House for information, but they did not immediately respond.

More over at Fox News:

Biden’s Secret Service rental vehicles burst into flames after he left Nantucket vacation https://t.co/VJV5qPGoCY

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 29, 2022

November 29, 2022 at 12:13PM - The First
FLAMING JOE’S: All Five of Biden’s Rented Secret Service Vehicles Burst Into Flames
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

According to a report from The Daily Wire, Chinese bots have been working overtime on social media channels to drown out news of the COVID lockdown protests —and they’re using pornography to do it.

From The Daily Wire:

Air-Moving Device, a Twitter account analyzing China through data graphs, showed charts indicating footage of widespread protests in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities were nearly hidden from Chinese citizens to access information about the mass demonstrations.

Thread: Search for Beijing/Shanghai/other cities in Chinese on Twitter and you'll mostly see ads for escorts/porn/gambling, drowning out legitimate search results.
Data analysis in this thread suggests that there has been a *significant* uptick in these spam tweets. pic.twitter.com/Ao46g2ILzf

— Air-Moving Device (@AirMovingDevice) November 28, 2022

“Data analysis in this thread suggests that there has been a significant uptick in these spam tweets,” the outlet said, sharing data retweeted by Stanford Internet Observatory.

Chinese bots are flooding Twitter with *escort ads*, possibly to make it more difficult for Chinese users to access information about the mass protests. Some of these acts have been dormant for years, only to become active yesterday after protests broke out in China. for example: pic.twitter.com/QRYLQu09Pq

— Mengyu Dong (@dong_mengyu) November 27, 2022

More over at Not The Bee:

China's dictators are flooding Twitter with porn bots to try to hide videos of mass protests across the nation https://t.co/IEUU9kN3v2

— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) November 28, 2022

November 29, 2022 at 10:22AM - The First
QUICK, DEPLOY THE PORN! China Floods Social Media Channels With Pornography to Drown Out COVID Protests
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV