Update - Two more whoas:
 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had passed an apparently normal day at the school Wednesday, according to a UMass official, working out at the gym, then sleeping in his single-unit room at the Pine Dale Hall dorm that night, while law enforcement officials were frantically scanning photos and video trying to identify him and his brother.School officials know he was there Wednesday because of card swipes, but it was not clear if he had been there earlier. He was described as good, typical student who played intramural soccer. A student, who didn’t want to be identified, said she saw Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at a party Wednesday night that was attended by some of his friends with whom he played intramural soccer. “He was just relaxed,” she said.  

Bomb a major city, kill an eight-year-old, then hit up a kegger with your bros two nights later.  It doesn't even compute.  One wonders if this kid was coached to return to his everyday life as to not arouse suspicion.  If so, coached by whom?  Let's US officials they capture him, for intel-gathering purposes.  Plus:
 

FBI now acknowledges they interviewed Tsarnaev 2 years ago at the request of a foreign country about possible extremist ties

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 19, 2013

Oh my.

Update - Boston has lifted its city-wide lockdown...even though authorities are openly admitting they have no idea where the second suspect is.  He reportedly escaped on foot last night, despite being involved in a massive firefight and at least one car crash.  (How?)  I'm not sure entire cities should be shut down due to a single manhunt, but this strikes me as a bizarre time to re-open the city.  "We don't know where he is, but TGIF, Boston!  Have fun."  Odd decision.


Update - A pair of jaw-dropping reports, presented without further comment:
 

From CBS'Bob Orr: FBIinterviewed Tamarlan Tsarnaev 2 yrs ago abt extremist ties, found nothing & closed file. More on CBS Evening News

— Major Garrett(@MajorCBS) April 19, 2013

And...
 

[Updated 4 p.m. Friday related to arrest versus conviction issue]: One of the Chechen terrorists who carried out the Boston Marathon bombings could have been deported years ago after a criminal arrest and/or conviction and the other was granted American citizenship on the 11th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old killed in a wild shootout with police, was a legal U.S. resident who nevertheless could have been removed from the country after a 2009 domestic violence arrest and conviction, according to a Judicial Watch source. That means the Obama administration missed an opportunity to deport Tsarnaev but evidently didn’t feel he represented a big enough threat. Other reporting confirms Tsarnaev’s arrest for domestic violence but we’re seeking confirmation of a conviction. Nevertheless he would have been subject to removal for the arrest itself.  

If either, or both, of these items prove to be true, oh my.
 

Update - Though some members of the Tsarnaev family appear to be in serious denial, here's some significant evidence of guilt from the deceased suspect himself, via their outraged uncle:
 

Hours before his death, Tamerlan called his uncle and asked for forgiveness - revealing the news of his young family. Alvi Tsarnaev told The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News that his nephew phoned him Thursday night for the first time in about two years.  The call came at 7 p.m., just a couple of hours before Tamerlan was shot dead. "He said, 'I love you and forgive me,' " said Alvi Tsarnaev, who lives in Montgomery Village, Md.  

Another thread of circumstantial, unconfirmed evidence: Someone calling himself, ahem, "Tamerlan Tsarnaev" created a YouTube account that featured a number of Islamist videos:
 

The account, listed under the name Tamerlan Tsarnaev and identified as active since August 2012, includes two videos under the sub-category “terrorists.” It also includes seven videos filed under “Islam,” five under “favorite videos” and three under “Timur Mucuraev,” a popular Chechen singer. Both of the videos filed under “terrorists” cannot be viewed as they have been removed from YouTube since the owner of the account had added them. An error page says that the account that had originally posted the videos has been terminated, a common YouTube response to hate speech videos of incitements to violence. The videos were likely removed long before Friday’s news.

So there's that.

Update: Seven IEDs have been recovered:

#Boston Manhunt: 7 IEDS recovered, 200 rounds exchanged in overnight gunfight bit.ly/YA91wL

— NBC 7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) April 19, 2013

Update: A profile of dead bombing suspect Tamarian Tsarnaev:

Update: Really? On campus?

Update: Per Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's alleged Twitter account, he was a 9/11 truther?

UPDATE: Media outlets are reporting a police search for a Green Honda Sedan--apparently it was found hours ago and authorities have not been looking for the vehicle.

Update: Via Buzzfeed, Russian-backed president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, apparently released a statement on Instagram blaming the US for the attitudes and beliefs the Tsarnaev brothers developed:

Tragic events have taken place in Boston. A terrorist attack killed people. We have already expressed our condolences to the people of the city and to the American people. Today, the media reports, one Tsarnaev was killed as [police] tried to arrest him. It would be appropriate if he was detained and investigated, and the circumstances and the extent of his guilt determined. Apparently, the security services needed to calm down the society by any means necessary.

Any attempt to draw a connection between Chechnya and Tsarnaevs — if they are guilty — is futile. They were raised in the United States, and their attitudes and beliefs were formed there. It is necessary to seek the roots of this evil in America. The whole world must struggle against terrorism — that we know better than anyone else. We hope for the recovery of all the victims, and we mourn with the Americans.

UPDATE: Victim Jeff Bauman helped authorities identify suspect:

Just before 3 p.m. on April 15, Bauman was waiting among the crowd for his girlfriend to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. A man wearing a cap, sunglasses and a black jacket over a hooded sweatshirt looked at Jeff, 27, and dropped a bag at his feet, his brother, Chris Bauman, said in an interview.

Two and a half minutes later, the bag exploded, tearing Jeff’s legs apart. A picture of him in a wheelchair, bloodied and ashen, was broadcast around the world as he was rushed to Boston Medical Center. He lost both legs below the knee.

“He woke up under so much drugs, asked for a paper and pen and wrote, ‘bag, saw the guy, looked right at me,’” Chris Bauman said yesterday in an interview.

UPDATE: NBC 4 New York has reportedly obtained travel records that reveal Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev flew from New York to Sheremetyevo, Russia. Tsarnaev left January 12, 2012 and returned July 17th, 2012. The documents show there is no record of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leaving the United States.

UPDATE: Buzzfeed seems to have found the at-large suspect's Twitter account. Click here to see examples of tweets, a few of which he sent post-bombings, even urging people to "stay safe" after the bombings.

UPDATE: Now that it has been confirmed that the suspect still on the loose is a current student at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the campus is now being evacuated. The most recent email from the college states "Students, staff and faculty have been asked to leave campus in a calm and orderly fashion. This action is in response to information that the person being sought in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing is a registered student. State, local, and campus police are on campus to assist with the evacuation and to conduct a full investigation." Look to our post on what it's like in Boston right now for more information.

Update: Here's an interview with the brothers' uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who was horrified to learn that his estranged nephews perpetrated the bombing, and urged the outstanding suspect to turn himself in. H/t HotAir

 

Update: Scenes of the house being surrounded in Watertown:

Update: The uncle spoke to reporters. His message to Dzhokhar: 'Turn yourself in and ask for forgiveness'. He also stressed that the two put shame on the family and on the entire Chechan ethnicity.

 

Update: Watch LIVE:

WATCH LIVE: Manhunt for #Boston bombing suspect in #Watertown bit.ly/NRZ9yw

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 19, 2013

Update: The Wall Street Journal has a profile of the Tsarnayev family, fleshing out the brothers' story a bit more and giving some details about their personalities. From the article:

The family, which included two boys and two girls, had come to America to seek refuge from the war in Chechnya, where an Islamist rebellion had been crushed by the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin. But soon after arriving their efforts to adapt quickly ran into headwinds.

Records indicate one or both of the bombing suspects had spent time in the Caucasus region since they first immigrated to the U.S. and then returned to the U.S., officials said.

The father, Anzor Tsarnayev, was a talented car mechanic and aspired to open his own garage, the friend said. But he never mastered English, the friend said, or opened his own workspace. He tried to make ends meet by doing odd repair jobs for $10 an hour.

About two years ago he was stricken with brain cancer, and departed to Germany last year for treatment, according to a friend of the family.

Both boys were good students, and the elder, Tamerlan, aspired to be a professional boxer, the family friend said. But he dropped out of community college and was soon drawn into religious matters, he said. Dzhokhar "had a gentler demeanor," the family friend said, but had also apparently taken a deeper interest in religious affairs.

Update: Police have recovered a gray Honda CRV, call off search for the car: car is empty, suspect whereabouts still unknown.

Update: Reaction from former classmates?

"But Tsarnaev wasn't a loner. I think he seemed to keep to himself in that he was kind of reserved, but his demeanor was always friendly and he would show up at the big social gatherings," Mazur said. "He was a familiar part of the community, he didn't isolate himself."

Update: Don't understand Americans...

#Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev: 'I don’t have a single American friend I don’t understand them'fxn.ws/Z4mUrQ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 19, 2013

Update: Boston suspects’ uncle says older brother was "a loser":

 

Via CBS Boston:

 

Tsarni was shocked when he was informed of the unfolding situation that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead in a shootout.

“He deserved his. He absolutely deserved his,” Tsarni said. “They do not deserve to live on this earth.”

UPDATE: Additional suspect? Bomb? Via MSNBC and police scanners:

"Authorities said they know the second suspect’s location. They also are now searching for a third accomplice who is believed to have taken a train to Connecticut from Boston’s South Station. The train has been stopped and surrounded in East Norwalk, Conn. Authorities fear that additional devices may have been planted."

UPDATE: The FBI have issued a wanted poster:

 

UPDATE: The Associated Press reports that the men's uncle has been talking to officers, and confirmed the identity of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as well as the fact that they are brothers. He also pointed out that both have been in the U.S. for a decade, meaning Dzhokhar, who is still on the loose, has been in the country since he was 9.

A U.S. law enforcement official and the uncle of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings are confirming that the name of the second suspect is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother of Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a gun battle with police in Massachusetts overnight.

Three law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, confirmed the bomb suspects were brothers. One of the officials and the men's uncle confirmed the identity of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

The uncle, Ruslan Tsarni of Montgomery Village, Md., told The Associated Press that the men lived together near Boston and have been in the United States for about a decade. They traveled here together from the Russian region near Chechnya.

Update V: Police have surrounded a house in Watertown, MA, and a police helicopter is reported to be overhead. No gunfire has been reported yet, however, and no confirmation about who is inside. Stay tuned as the situation continues to unfold.

 

 

UPDATE: In a press conference, Gov. Deval Patrick said that Boston is now an "expanded lockdown area," those in and around Boston to "shelter in place" as the "massive manhunt" for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev continues. Video:

Gov. Patrick: Suspect one is dead, suspect two is on the run, we have an MBTA officer who is seriously wounded and in surgery right now, we have an MIT security officer who has been killed. There is a massive manhunt under way, a lot of law enforcement involved in that, to assist that, we have suspended all service on the MBTA, our public transit service, and that will continue until we think it's safe to open all or some of that. We're asking people to shelter in place, in other words to stay indoors, with the doors locked, and not to open them for anybody other than a primarily identified law enforcement officer...and at this point, all of Boston. This is a serious situation, we are We've got every asset we can possibly muster on the ground right now...but we are going to need the public to help us help them stay save.

Police chief: As the governor said, this is a rapidly developing situation. In the last half hour, I have learned information which I have passed on to Mayor Menino. Mayor Menino has asked me to come here, and tell you, that the shelter in place recommendation has been extended to all of Boston. We are working very closely with Washington, we are examining all databases for leads....this is an ongoing situation.

UPDATE: One suspect is dead after the violent shootout with police. The other suspect is on the run, and has been identified as a Russian from near Chechnya:

The surviving suspect was identified as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., a law enforcement official said. Investigators believe that that both of the suspects were Chechens, a law enforcement official said.

The Boston region was in the grip of a security emergency as hundreds of police officers conducted a manhunt through the normally tranquil Boston suburbs.

The deceased suspect has been identified by the New York Times as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Dzhokhar is 19 years old, Tamerlan was 26 years old.

UPDATE - A new photo of the two men:

Stay tuned for much more as details unfold...

UPDATE - These men have been named, and tied to the bombings, according to the Boston Globe and Business Insider. The link:

One suspect in Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings has been captured, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation. Another remains on the loose in Watertown after a firefight with police. Authorities have established a 20-block perimeter as they search for him. A scene of chaos descended on Cambridge and Watertown late Thursday night and early Friday morning, as police confirmed an MIT police officer was shot and killed, and an apparent carjacking led police on a wild chase into Watertown.

One MIT police officer is dead after a wild shootout with a young man who may be one of the potential Boston bombings suspects. Officials say explosives were used during the incident. As of this writing, one man is in custody, while the other remains on the loose:

Police in Watertown, Mass., reportedly were searching for a heavily armed suspect who may have been involved in the shooting death of an MIT police officer after reportedly taking another suspect into custody early Friday. Police and federal authorities were investigating if the suspects are possibly tied to the Boston Marathon bombing. WCBV-TV said the suspects threw and detonated explosives during a car chase with police. Police were working to apprehend a young male with a hat on who was reportedly pulling on vehicle doors, according to police scanner traffic. An FBI official told Fox News early Friday that one person was in custody and an officer was down but said it was too early to tell if the police activity in Watertown or the MIT shooting were related to the Boston Marathon bombing. Dozens of officers and National Guard members descended on Watertown shortly after the shooting outside a building on MIT's campus in Cambridge, according to the Associated Press.

One man has been arrested, according to ABC News:

Police have a suspect in custody in Watertown, Mass., and the FBI are "aware of the law enforcement activity in the greater Boston area."

Though details are still sketchy, it seems possible, if not probable that this confrontation with authorities is related to Monday's bombings. The FBI released photos of two men wanted for questioning last night, which may have borne fruit. In light of the "pulling on car doors" detail in the story above, perhaps they were desperate to get out of town.

Townhall's Katie Pavlich has won the Blogger of the Year honor from the Conservative Political Action Conference, capping off an incredible conference and a huge award for Pavlich.

From the ACU's press release:

Katie Pavlich is news editor of Townhall.com, author of the New York Times Best Seller Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up, and a Fox News contributor. As a reporter, she has covered news stories ranging from Fast & Furious to the 2012 presidential election. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and is a National Review Washington Fellow. Pavlich is also an avid lover of the outdoors and highly respects the right to bear arms.

But of course, you knew all that already.

Congratulations, Katie!

Watch the NRA's Wayne LaPierre speak live at CPAC 2013: 

 

From all of us at Townhall, have a Merry Christmas. May the sacred day be filled with generosity, reflection, cheer, good feelings and family.

And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

-John 1:14

Merry Christmas to all from the Townhall team.

As Americans everywhere bow their heads in thanks today, the Townhall team wants to take the chance to do the same -- starting with you, our readers! You make it possible for us to do what we love to do each day, and we're all thankful you take the time to stop by our pages. So with an introduction from Abraham Lincoln, the Townhall editors share their gratitude.

I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S THANKSGIVING DAY PROCLAMATION, OCTOBER 3, 1863.

Katie Pavlich, News Editor:

This Thanksgiving and everyday, I am so grateful for all of the wonderful things I have been blessed with.

I am most thankful for my family, friends and good health. I am grateful I have been given the opportunity to work in a supportive environment with people who feel like family. I will forever be grateful for my liberty and ability to be whoever I want to be so long as I strive to achieve. Life is short, but so far I have an infinite amount of things to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. (P.S. I am also grateful for my new AR-15)

***

Leah Barkoukis, Web Editor:

I’m thankful for all of God’s blessings. I have the most supportive and loving parents in the world. A brother and sister I am fortunate enough to call my best friends, and Pete, who I’d be lost without. Aspen, my awesome Siberian Husky. Employment/having an amazing boss and coworkers. Greek Orthodoxy. My health. Working dogs. Having friends that will be there for me no matter what. U.S. citizenship. The Founding Fathers. Abraham Lincoln. My education. Townhall readers. All of life’s disappointments for pushing me in directions I would have never gone otherwise. And finally, since freedom is not free, I’m deeply grateful for all of our armed forces and their families that have sacrificed so much on behalf of this great country. Happy Thanksgiving!

***

Dan Doherty, Web Editor:

Of course I am thankful for my friends, my family, and all the selfless heroes in the American armed forces who preserve and defend the United States of America -- a nation Abraham Lincoln once described as “the last best hope of earth.” But one thing I am especially grateful for -- as cliché as it may sound -- is being born a US citizen. Perhaps Florida Senator Marco Rubio phrased it best when he said -- during a recent and deeply moving speech -- that “[In] 6,000 years of recorded human history, almost every person that has ever lived has been poor and disenfranchised.” “America is the exception,” he added, “not the rule.” In truth, this is not an exaggeration. Think about it: Untold billions have lived (and died) in abject poverty -- forced to make their way from cradle to grave under autocratic regimes where economic opportunity didn’t exist and upward mobility was impossible. And yet we live in a nation where anything is possible -- a place where even the most unlikely dreams and aspirations can come true. There is no country of its kind anywhere in the world, nor has there ever been or perhaps ever will be. And so to be born here -- in the land of opportunity -- is a blessing in it of itself … and one I hope I never fail to forget or appreciate.

***

Heather Ginsberg, Community Manager:

As we are all seated around the Thanksgiving table, I will tell my family (and Townhall readers) what I am thankful for this year. In May I graduated from college and was lucky to find a job quickly thereafter. As most of my friends have struggled with this task, I am thankful that Townhall saw something in me and was willing to take a chance on me! I feel truly honored to be part of a great staff and am thankful to be a part of history.

On one final note, I would also just like to say how grateful I am to have a loving family and great friends. All of your support over the last year has meant so much to me. So…Thanks!

***

Kate Hicks, Assistant Editor:

The word “home” encompasses more than just the door we open and the roof we step under; it’s also the cathartic sigh that says, “I am done with the outside world for today,” and the hug that replies, “We’re so glad you’re back.” To that end, home has been a summer bungalow on West Meadow Beach, Long Island, NY; a sorority house farther upstate in Hamilton, NY; a little cottage in the DC area, where there’s almost always a roommate, a glass of wine, and an episode of House Hunters waiting arrival.

But there’s no place that has a bigger piece of my heart than a lovely brick house in East Lansing, Michigan. It’s where I’m from, and where most of “my people” live, a place I always leave too soon and never go back soon enough. It’s where seven people and two dogs are spending this weekend going for hot chocolate walks, and watching lots of college basketball, and simply enjoying one another’s presence. Miranda Lambert said it best: it’s the house that built me, and this Thanksgiving, I’m more grateful for it – and the people who’ve made it home – than ever.

***

Elisabeth Meinecke, Managing Editor, Townhall Magazine:

What I'm thankful for: Laughter. The parents who can't wait to welcome you home for Thanksgiving. The sisters who make you feel lucky to share the same last name. The coworkers who turn long hours at the office into funny memories. Awesome friends. A First and Second amendment. Those who stands guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, rain or shine. That Notre Dame finally found its football team again.

***

Guy Benson, Political Editor:

I am thankful for a strong and supportive family, for loyal and amazing friends, for a loving and merciful God, for living in the greatest nation the world has ever known, and for my health. I'm also thrilled to work in an environment in which I can pursue my passion alongside an extremely talented team of colleagues. And I can't say I'm disappointed with an 8-3 Northwestern football season thus far. Happy Thanksgiving!

***

Kevin Glass, Managing Editor:

I am thankful to parents for providing me with every tool that I needed to be successful in life. I am grateful to friends for support when times are tough. Many thanks are due to those brave Americans in the past and present who work tirelessly to conserve the country that I love. And I’m thankful to those who both agree and disagree on matters of personal politics, as peaceful and tolerant discourse is a big part of what makes this country great and makes my professional life so rewarding.

***

Cortney O'Brien, Editorial Intern:

Let’s start with the big things. I’m thankful I still have a Hostess apple pie in my food pantry. I’m thankful Bieber is looking more his age. I’m thankful for Paul Ryan’s brilliant ability to crunch abs – er – I mean numbers.

Even though it didn’t go quite as I hoped, I’m thankful the 2012 election is over. I’m thankful I live in the greatest country on Earth. I’m thankful for the Townhall staff and their welcoming, encouraging attitude throughout my internship.

Most of all, I’m thankful to God, without whom I would have none of the above.

***

Mallory Carr, Editorial Intern:

These past few weeks, it’s been easy to see all that’s wrong with our country and our world. With a new crisis every day as chaos and violence envelopes every corner of the globe, I’m most thankful this Thanksgiving for living in America. To live in a nation where elections do not end in protests and turmoil but the results, however begrudgingly, are accepted is a beautiful thing. America is the exception in this world and I’m thankful for those who fight at home and abroad to preserve it.

I’m also incredibly thankful for the abundance of opportunities that God has blessed me with and the love He has brought into my life through my family, friends, and faith. I’m especially grateful this Thanksgiving for the opportunity to intern at Townhall and learn from all of the immensely talented editors. It has truly been a blessing.

***

And as always, thanks to you for being here! Feel free to share your gratitude with us, too, and have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

The Young Conservatives Coalition will award rising conservative stars with the Young Conservative Leadership “Buckley Award.” On Wed., November 14th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, the YCC will recognize five young professionals between the ages of 21-40 who contributed significantly to the conservative movement this past year. Congratulations to Townhall’s own News Editor Katie Pavlich, who provided extensive investigation into the Obama Administrations’ Fast and Furious scandal the mainstream media largely ignored. Her efforts culminated in a New York Times bestselling book, Fast & Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and its Shameless Cover-up.

The YCC awards are given in honor of the late William F. Buckley Jr., an icon in the conservative movement who founded National Review and wrote God & Man at Yale before turning 30. President Ronald Reagan was an avid reader of the National Review and commended Buckley for challenging the Left: “You didn’t just part the Red Sea — you rolled it back, dried it up and left exposed, for all the world to see, the naked desert that is statism.” America’s Future Foundation, The Young Republican National Federation, the College Republican National Committee and Allegiance Direct will cosponsor the ceremony.

2012 Winners:

Katie Pavlich – Townhall.com, News Editor & Author of bestseller Fast & Furious

Lila Rose - Live Action, President

Patrick Coyle - Young America's Foundation, Vice President

Alex Schriver - College Republican National Committee, National Chairman

Heather Pfitzenmaier - Heritage Foundation, Young Leaders Program Director

YCC President Christopher Malagisi praised these young conservatives for their efforts. “This is the third year the YCC has given out this award to deserving young professional conservatives who’ve advanced the conservative cause and showed courage under fire,” he said. “In a year of tough electoral challenges these rising stars played a critical role in helping advance conservatism this past year. We are proud to honor these individuals for their contributions to the conservative movement and the example they set for others.”

The Young Conservatives Coalition is a young professional conservative leadership organization based in Washington, D.C. It is dedicated to creating valuable professional relationships to advance the conservative movement. They organize numerous networking events throughout the year including Reaganpalooza, the largest annual gathering of young professional conservatives in D.C.

Many more seats would be open on the metro if some liberal environmentalists had their way. Left-leaning politicians, pundits and activists have often encouraged population control, for what they say is the solution to climate change and other planetary problems. In a recent interview with StarTalk Radio host Neil deGrasse Tyson, HBO Real Time host Bill Maher offered his suggestion.

"The planet is too crowded and we need to promote death.”

Maher isn’t alone in his extreme view. Here are some other like-minded personalities who think we need to control the number of people.

Canadian environmental activist Paul Watson:

“We need to radically and intelligently reduce human population to fewer than one billion. We need to eliminate nationalism and tribalism and become Earthlings. And as Earthlings, we need to recognize that all the other species that live on this planet are also fellow citizens and also Earthlings. This is a planet of incredible diversity of life-forms; it is not a planet of one species as many of us believe.”

New York Time's Columnist Thomas Friedman:

“Population growth and global warming push up food prices, which lead to political instability, which leads to higher oil prices, which leads to higher food prices, and so on in a vicious circle.”

University of Texas at Austin biology professor Eric R. Pianka:

“I do not bear any ill will toward people. However, I am convinced that the world, including all humanity, WOULD clearly be much better off without so many of us.”

Michael Fox, former vice-president of The Humane Society of the United States wrote:

"Mankind is the most dangerous, destructive, selfish and unethical animal on the earth."

Everyone’s favorite environmentalist, Al Gore:

"One of the things we could do about it is to change the technologies, to put out less of this pollution, to stabilize the population, and one of the principle ways of doing that is to empower and educate girls and women. You have to have ubiquitous availability of fertility management so women can choose how many children they have, the spacing of the children.

Bertrand Russell, in his book, "The Impact of Science on Society," wrote:

"At present the population of the world is increasing ... War so far has had no great effect on this increase... If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world once in every generation, survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full ... the state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant, but what of it? Really high-minded people are indifferent to suffering, especially that of others."

Merton Lambert, former spokesman for the Rockefeller foundation:

“The world has a cancer, and that cancer is man.”

For Lambert and other pundits, the “cure” for the cancer of men and women is to slow the human race down to a crawl.

Editors' Note: This post was authored by Townhall.com intern Cortney O'Brien

President Obama weighed in on another important issue today – the feud between American Idol judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

Speaking on Michael Yo’s radio show, Obama had high hopes the ladies would reconcile after cameras caught them cursing at one another during Idol auditions.

"I think that they are going to be able to sort it out," Obama said. "I am confident."

He continued:

"I'm all about bringing people together, working for the same cause," he said. "I think both outstanding artists are going to be able to make sure that they're moving forward and not going backwards."

Obama’s own “Forward” campaign has included a number of entertainment media stops, including an appearance on The View , The Late Show with David Letterman and an upcoming appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this Thursday.

Near the end of their significant interview, Yo tried to stump the president when he asked him if he had a favorite of the two dueling divas. "Mariah. She's actually done some events for us. I've gotten to know her and Nick [Cannon]. She's a wonderful lady. Nicki, I don't know, but I've got her on my iPod."

If only he and his administration could give such straightforward answers on Benghazi.

Let’s hope the president will continue to answer such tough questions at tonight’s debate.

Editors' note: This post was authored by Townhall.com intern Cortney O'Brien

Muslim human rights attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who successfully represented Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was imprisoned this weekend in one of Iran’s most infamous penitentiaries: Evin Prison.

The Iranian government previously sentenced Dadkhah to nine years in prison for defending Pastor Nadarkhani, who Iran accused of apostasy. The government also forbid Dadkhah to practice or teach law for ten years, fined him $1,900 and gave him the choice of either five lashes or an additional $450 fine. But, the attorney settled an agreement that allowed him to continue representing Pastor Nadarkhani, preventing him from facing punishment.

However, Iran has now sentenced him once again. Dadkhah is currently serving with 22 others in ward 350 of Evin prison – a prison notorious for its ill treatment of prisoners.

In May 2011, Syrian authorities jailed Al Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz in Evin after accusing her of spying. She shared chilling memories from her two week incarceration in an article for PBS.org,recalling, among other disturbing treatment, how she was blindfolded and subject to cruel interrogation. Parvaz stressed her experience was only one of several troubling tales.

“Ending up in Evin is every Iranian's nightmare,” Parvaz said. “Horror stories pouring out of Iranian prisons are in no shortage, and cases of torture and rapehave been reported by opposition and foreign media, as well as rights groups Dadkhah, along with Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, founded the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. His most well-known client, Pastor Nadarkhani, was sentenced to death for apostasy for questioning the Muslim religious instruction for children because he saw it as unconstitutional. In 2011, the Supreme Court said the charges would be dropped if he converted to Islam, but Pastor Nadarkhani refused.

Dadkhah continued to fight for Nadarkhani’s release and won it last month. Because the lawyer offers his services free of charge, the government often sees him as assisting his clients in their alleged crimes. Despite his treatment in Iran, Dadkhah has voiced his dedication to defending religious liberty.

My profession has allowed me to work for 30 years to defend human rights…I have always tried to perform my duties to the best of my abilities. The case file against me even stated that I did not charge students for my services. Is selling my service for free a crime?

The American Center for Law and Justice, along with Amnesty International, is calling for Dadkhah’s immediate release.

Editor's Note: This post was authored by Townhall.com intern Cortney O'Brien

Editors' note: this post was authored by Cortney O'Brien.

The 75th Governor of New Hampshire and current Romney adviser John Sununu had strong words for a recent WMUR/University of New Hampshire poll that shows Obama winning handily with 54 percent of the vote to Romney’s 39 percent.

On The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd on MSNBC, Sununu claimed the survey was skewed.

"I believe it's head-to-head in New Hampshire,” Sununu said. "I've seen enough other polls to tell you that that is a piece of garbage."

Sununu continued to dismiss the poll, expressing full confidence in his candidate.

"This race in New Hampshire will be won by Mitt Romney by 2 to 3 points," Mr. Sununu said. "I've said that all along, and I'm willing to say that publicly and stick by it, and I know that that poll [of] 15 points is absolutely invalid."

The former New Hampshire governor remained optimistic about Romney’s chances, referring to the Carter-Reagan 1980 campaign to show how elections can be won in the last couple of months, especially with three upcoming debates.

“There’s a lot that can happen in five weeks.”