Happy Thursday!

Lots of stories percolating, so let’s get pouring.

Freedom Phone is Here (Well, Almost)

Let Freedom ring … before going to voicemail.

The Freedom Phone is here. A phone designed specifically to protect users from the prying and censorship of Big Tech. It’s the brainchild of 22-year-old Erik Finman, a Bitcoin millionaire. Finman told John Solomon Reports he was “basically creating something that is ‘unbannable,’ that is ‘uncensorable,’ that isn’t reliant on, you know the Apple or Google app stores … or left-wing infrastructure.”

According to Solomon’s Just the News, “The Freedom Phone runs on Android but completely gutted of Google, with added security features to protect users’ data from Big Tech.”

The Freedom Phone ships in August, but you can pre-order now. It’ll run you $499, but use the promo code JUSTTHENEWS and you get $50 off.

Says Finman in his sales pitch: “The Freedom phone: finally a phone that won’t put your voice on silent.”

Silent No More: Britney Gets Her Wish. A Lawyer Of Her Own Choosing

Britney Spears will be allowed to hire her own attorney, a judge ruled Wednesday. The singer has been fighting to free herself of the constraints of a conservatorship put in place after a mental breakdown 13 years ago.

The judge has accepted the resignation of Britney’s court-appointed lawyer Sam Ingham and has agreed to Britney’s choice, a former federal prosecutor named Mathew Rosengart.

Spears reportedly wants to retire from the music business. Which would be the most significant threat to the entertainment industry since the Civil War.

Arizona Senate Prez: Audit Count Number Doesn’t Match the Maricopa County Count

According to Maricopa County, 2,089,563 ballots were tabulated from 2,089,563 voters in the presidential election.

However, a hand recount of all the actual ballots in the Arizona audit has come up with a different number. Or so says Arizona Senate President Karen Fann. Cyber Ninja — the firm handling the audit — hasn’t yet released the actual number. “However,” Fann told KTAR radio host Mike Broomhead, “we do know that those numbers do not match with Maricopa County at this point.”

So is it a smidge off or a significant amount off? We’ll have to see. But the margin of “victory” in Arizona was less than 10,500 votes. So even a smidge off is significant. And if it’s a massive discrepancy — rumors say 10% — that will be a tsunami.

The discrepancy has led the Arizona Senate to purchase two new ballot counting machines to quickly run the ballots again. A “third data point,” Fann called it last week. That process was scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Maricopa County isn’t waiting to see the results. They are already looking to drop $3 million more into Dominion’s lap.

https://twitter.com/AuditWarRoom/status/1415317379446280195?s=20

Jussie Smollett Back in Court, Still Says He’s Innocent

Actor Jussie Smollett was back in court facing renewed charges stemming from his fake claim to have been attacked by two MAGA hat wearing white dudes. (Who turned out to be two not-so-white Nigerian brothers he was pals with.)

On the way into the courtroom Smollett again declared he is innocent.

Just after the alleged attack, I wrote how obviously dubious the claim was. “He’s Angry People Don’t Believe Trump Supporters Attacked Him. But Should They?” It’s a fun read. I mean, how many stories get to start, “About ten years ago, I nearly ran over Harrison Ford.”

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to remind people that the woman one stroke away from the presidency, totally bought Smollet’s lie. Or knew it was a lie and went along with it anyway. Either way, Smollett makes Kamala Harris look very bad.

Along The Stream

Speaking of Chicago, Nancy Flory has a wonderful, inspiration story of a faith-based program called By The Hand that is reaching at-risk kids. A key element, teaching the kids entrepreneurship. In fact, the students opened their own fresh produce and flower market last year. Check out “Student-Led Austin Harvest Gives Poor Communities a Future, Hope”

Holy Toledo! George Floyd Memorial Mural Destroyed … by Lightening

The George Floyd Memorial mural in Toledo, Ohio was destroyed Tuesday, not by vandals, but by an “act of God,” as the insurance folks would say. Lightning struck the mural, causing it to collapse.

The City of Toledo says it’ll be working with the arts commission and artist David Ross to either redo the mural or find a new location.

But let’s not avoid the elephant in the room. If an act of God destroyed a George Floyd memorial, is God a racist? No doubt that’s what you’ll be hearing.

The George Floyd Memorial mural at Summit and Lagrange in Toledo has come down. No word yet on the circumstances #13abc pic.twitter.com/SkB2eDhijB

— Shaun Hegarty (@Shaun_Hegarty) July 13, 2021

Yale might be next.

Yale Professor Wants Kids to See Sex Acts at Pride Parades to Combat “Racism and Homophobia.”

 The Federalist has a shocking story.

Yale associate professor Joseph L. Fischel is eager for your little children to see people have sex at Pride parades. Why? He claims (absurdly, sickeningly) in a Boston Review article that letting kids see naked people and watch sex acts will combat “racism and homophobia.”

No. It’s called grooming. Today, call for witnessing. Tomorrow, call for participating.

Worst Threat to Democracy Since the Civil War. Voter ID?

So Joe Biden thinks Voter ID requirements are the “most significant threat to democracy since the Civil War.”

Cuba being in the news makes Biden’s ridiculous comment even that much more outrageous. In October of 1962, we were on the brink. Nuclear missiles the Soviet Union placed in Cuba were poised to be fired at the United States at any moment. There were many hours when it looked as if the United States of America would not be here come morning.

The older among us remember the air raid sirens. The diving under the desks for drills. Please, Joe. Explain how the terror of nuclear annihilation is nothing compared to having to go search out a copy machine.

Finally, a Call on the Church to “Pray This Sunday for Cuba”

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Conference (NHCLC), has issued a call for all churches to “Pray this Sunday for Cuba.”

Sammy released a statement Wednesday in support of the “democratic uprising of the Cuban people as they fight for freedom and liberty, a God-given right that cannot, should not and will not be taken away by any government.”

NHCLC called on the Biden Administration to be “clear in its support of the democratic process, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble and freedom of thought in Cuba.”

It declared that “The Cuban government and the world must know that Christians will not stand idly by as evil regimes, governments and ideologies dishonor the image of God in our fellow men, women and children. We are asking every single church to pray this Sunday for Cuba — that God would supernaturally emancipate this nation from a 62-year totalitarian regime, once and for all.”

Amen.

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at Gab, Parler, MeWe and now GETTR.