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p_s_h:
I think you mean affirmative action.
DEI is Marxist BS.
There are so many perspectives
To understand a topic
Why limit its growth
Good thing the band is so loud, you can't hear Lara sing. Does absolutely NOTHING ever embarrass a Trump? Sure looks festive as hell at Mar-a-Lago. lol
Lara Trump performs the hit single she ripped off from Tom Petty for her fans at Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/e7eWfAgwpe
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 2, 2024
DEI must die.
MLK was right and no one listens.
UKRAINE - “There’s NOTHING Left!” 600,000 Ukrainians DEAD! | Colonel Douglas Macgregor On The Ukraine War
Russell Brand
1.87M followers
UKRAINES POPULATION 45 MILLION PEOPLE BEFORE GENOCIDE MASS KILLING WAR OF DEPOPULATION MURDERS -
UKRAINE VERY NICE COUNTRY A BREAD BASKET FOR WE THE PEOPLE - BEFORE ALL
DESTROYED BY EVIL DEEP STATE NWO 666 ANTI-HUMANITY -
https://rumble.com/v4rosxb-bombshell-us-army-to-revolt-against-biden-stay-free-354.html?e9s=rel_v1_a
SOROS AND ROCKEFELLER ARE FUNDING LEFT WING STUDENT RADICALS AT NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAEL!!
https://www.bitchute.com/video/XGLgGMu0sw8j/
ARE WE RULED BY SEXUAL PREDATORS?
https://rumble.com/v4rq9h6-game-over.html
WORLD NEWS - About one in five mail-in ballots in the last election was fraudulent
https://twitter.com/i/status/1783979370811724167
Supreme Court justices discuss Trump’s presidential immunity claim
Good Morning America
4.98M subscribers
Now that's funny!!!
Dumber than a box of rocks.
Women turning against women. Where oh where are the pussy hats???
Megan Rapinoe Demands Trans Athletes Be Allowed to Compete Against Women – Remember When Her Team Faced Teenage Boys?
By Connor Cavanaugh, The Western Journal Apr. 27, 2024 11:20 am
Former soccer star Megan Rapinoe appears to not have learned her lesson whatsoever, advocating for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sporting events even though she lost to a team of teenage boys a few years ago.
On Tuesday, Rapinoe signed a letter along with numerous other athletes that called for the NCAA to ensure men claiming to be women would be able to compete against women.
“We, the undersigned, call upon the NCAA, a governing body meant to serve athletes and our wellbeing, to ensure that the lifesaving power of sport is accessible to all athletes who compete in championship and emerging sports at and for NCAA-member institutions – including transgender athletes,” the letter’s opening paragraph reads.
It goes on to say banning men from women’s sports would “severely [limit] the capacity of your member institutions to protect and support their athletes.”
The letter largely relies on emotional appeal while making broad, bogus claims such as that “studies used to justify the exclusion of transgender athletes are methodologically flawed and misinterpreted to further discrimination.”
“We call on you to be on the right side of history and affirm that sport is truly for us all. Do not ban transgender women from NCAA women’s sports,” the letter concludes.
Taking part in such an act is nothing new for Rapinoe, a lesbian LGBT activist who has generated headlines with her left-wing political posturing.
In March, she called out Christian U.S. soccer player Korbin Albert for sharing social media posts that said homosexuality and “feeling transgender” were immoral.
But as always, while Rapinoe and her fellow leftists wish to create a world where everyone is equal and nothing is set in stone, the reality is far from that.
In 2017, while she was still on the U.S. Women’s National Team, they faced the FC Dallas under-15 boys team to prepare for a friendly match against Russia, as CBS Sports reported at the time.
They lost.
While it was far from a shutout, losing 5-2 to a team of boys who can’t even drive a car yet shows just how big of a difference sex plays in physical ability.
Imagine the score if these boys were men. That’s a reality that could come about as more and more male athletes claiming to be women are allowed into women’s sports.
It will only ruin the ability of women to compete.
It’s shameful that as Rapinoe leaves the sport, she advocates for changes that will make it harder for other women to succeed.
As swimmer and women’s sports activist Riley Gaines wrote on X, “Megan Rapinoe, in typical virtue-signaling fashion, is pulling up the ladder behind her.”
“No one would know who Megan Rapinoe is [if] it weren’t for women’s sports lol,” she said.
Megan Rapinoe, in typical virtue-signaling fashion, is pulling up the ladder behind her.
No one would know who Megan Rapinoe is it weren’t for women’s sports lol https://t.co/SuNsTENbwr
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 25, 2024
Perhaps more women in sports — and the organizations that govern them — should reject Rapinoe and her woke nonsense.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/megan-rapinoe-demands-trans-athletes-allowed-compete-women/
Federal Agents Drag J6 Political Prisoner Ryan Samsel To The Hole and Isolation Immediately After The Gateway Pundit Releases Ray Epps’ FBI Call to the American Public
Earlier today, Alicia Powe at The Gateway Pundit exposed J6 insurrection leader James Ray Epps lying to the FBI in a leaked interview obtained by The Gateway Pundit.
After the release of this audio incriminating Epps, federal agents raided J6 political prisoner Ryan Samsel’s jail cell and dragged him to solitary confinement in the hole of the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn on Thursday night.
Epps repeatedly lied to authorities saying he was listening to President Trump’s speech at the Ellipse when there is numerous video clips proving Epps was not being truthful.
Ray Epps was directing Trump supporters to the US Capitol for hours before the protests on Capitol Hill. Epps later was one of the leading protesters who broke through the first and second set of barriers going to the US Capitol.
Hours after TGP published the leaked audio of Epps' phone call to the feds, Samsel was removed from his jail cell.
He is now being held in solitary confinement in one of the most notoriously dangerous jail systems in the country.
Samsel suspected he would face government retaliation for exposing the truth. He was right.
“I challenge the government. Even if they may retaliate and assault me for exposing the truth like they usually do — you can’t fear, folks. I’m curious as to why I am being treated like this, and guys like Ray Epps are free?" Samsel told TGP while reviewing the uncovered audio.
“Epps is a free man with his family at home when I’ve been constantly moved to dozens of different jails – I’ve been in New York; I've been in Philly, I’ve been in Virginia, moved everywhere --and each place I’ve gone I’ve been extremely mistreated. Still to this day, I haven’t gotten any medical treatment.
"I put God first. If they want to take my life, all they can do is destroy my body. I want to take care of it as best I can, but if they want to kill it, you can have it. Come get it. The soul — you can’t destroy my soul.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/breaking-federal-agents-drag-j6-political-prisoner-ryan/
Hi Al. Too bad the settlement wasn't 2.1 million each. Gotta make it really hurt!!
Nice clip of young Joe as a newscaster!
Hey bbotcs-
Right. She is going against the narrative.They never listen to common sense.
Exclusive: Rep. Keith Self Warns U.S. Constitutional Republic Can’t Survive ‘Fourth Obama Term’
JOSHUA KLEIN 27 Apr 2024 3:31
U.S. global influence is declining under President Joe Biden, whose presidency is a continuation of former President Barack Obama’s policies, according to Republican Congressman Keith Self, who warned that America could not survive a “fourth Obama term.”
He also blasted Biden’s weakening alliance with the Jewish State and the rise of anti-Israel protests on college campuses, which he attributed to socialist ideology fueled by “woke” academia, while advising that children be prepped with conservative values before entering higher education institutions.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Hungary 2024 on Friday, Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) lamented the “decline in the influence of the United States around the world” under Biden.
“It started with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Soon after that, people started testing us and Putin started moving troops into Ukraine within two months of the withdrawal,” he said. “And, frankly, that’s lightning speed when you talk about a nation making a decision to start moving troops toward combat.”
He then asserted that Biden’s term mirrors Obama’s while warning of the risks such policies pose to the country.
President Joe Biden (L) and former U.S. President Barack Obama (R) embrace on stage during a rally for Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro at the Liacouras Center on November 5, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mark Makela/Getty).
“This is the third Obama administration; let’s just admit it,” he said. “Every one of the Obama policies is being exacerbated, encouraged, and executed by the Biden administration.”
“So I don’t believe that our constitutional republic can survive a fourth Obama term,” he added:
He also described the current status of the long-held alliance between America and the Jewish State as being at a “pretty low point,” attributing it to Biden “doing everything he can to make Israel unsuccessful in their mission to destroy the Hamas infrastructure.”
“We’ve got to remember that Israel’s mission in Gaza is to destroy the infrastructure of Hamas,” he told Breitbart News.
Pointing to Hamas’s remaining battalions in southern Gaza, Self, who serves as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, insisted that Israel intends to “clean it out and finish the job.”
However, he noted, Biden is “throwing every obstacle he can in the way of that.”
“At the end of the day, I think Israel will probably do what they can to meet their objectives in spite of the Biden administration,” he stated.
Self then addressed the ongoing anti-Israel protests on college campuses throughout the U.S., describing them as the result of socialist propaganda.
“These [demonstrations] are the consequences of the incubator of socialism that our universities have become for decades now,” he said. “They are basically socialist in their belief, in their teaching, and in their policies, and we’re seeing the results of it now in the antisemitic, pro-Palestinian protests.”
According to Self, the matter should be “no surprise to us because we know that our universities have been woke for decades.”
As a result, he suggested preparing children with conservative values before they enter universities.
“If you’re going to send your child to a university, you need to make sure that they are well grounded in conservative principles and freedom,” he concluded.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/04/27/rep-keith-self-warns-us-constitutional-republic-cant-survive-fourth-obama-term/
Watching Howard Stern thanking President Biden for his incredible leadership & compassion is EVEN better than listening to it. Take a minute to watch & then share this video far & wide. From all of us: Thank you, President Biden. pic.twitter.com/jgdnl83F28
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) April 27, 2024
al44: The vast majority of Americans are NOT listening.
Ilhan Omar was right!
By Bill Hansmann
There are few more despicable individuals in the U.S. Congress than the so-called Squad, of which Ilhan Omar is a charter member. She and her confederates have garnered far too much attention for their idiotic views of our society and their attempts to remake our nation in the image of those horrendous banana republics from which people like Omar escaped. She even allegedly married her brother to aid in his escape from the Somali hellhole, which they so proudly, now that they’re gone, call their homeland.
Back in 2019, Omar tweeted that “it’s all about the Benjamins, baby,” regarding Israel’s influence on U.S. foreign policy. She later tried to walk back her antisemitic tweet, claiming that it was taken out of context. But that bell was rung, and the toothpaste was out of the tube. It was obvious that the snows of Minnesota were a hotbed of antisemitic sentiment.
So why are we now seeing some strong resistance to the antisemitic protests on our college campuses? I’d like to think that we, as a nation, are morally gut-punched by this display of derisiveness toward “Never Again,” the determination that nothing remotely resembling the Holocaust should ever again occur. But let’s look at whose pushback against the antisemitic protests is being heeded.
Sadly, there is far too little objection being raised by those one would expect to point out the outrageousness of the campus behavior, both the students and the administrations in many cases. That should be coming from the media and from our leaders. Instead, we see media sympathizing with the vile behavior and encouraging its acceleration. And our leaders are doing no better. President Biden has found it almost impossible to ask for civil behavior on the part of our college students. That should come as no surprise, since he has asked even less of the Iranians and Palestinians.
But our congressmen and senators, especially those of the Jewish faith, have been the most disappointing to the nation of Israel as well as the citizens of this country who sincerely mean “Never Again.” Jewish members of Congress have allowed Iran and the Palestinians to feed at our expense, both by appropriations to the Palestinians and the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran. They are “real Jews” just like how Joe Biden is a “real Catholic.”
The media, educated by and for leftist progressivism, have little reason to discourage the protesting students. This kind of thing is good for ratings, and good ratings are good for revenue. The few editorial writers who do decry the antisemitism are the exception rather than the rule we might hope for.
Where we have seen effective pushback is when wealthy donors, mostly but not all Jewish, cut off or threaten to cut off their often huge donations to their alma maters. When someone like Robert Kraft takes aim at Columbia University and ceases to donate, it hurts the university where it counts — in the wallet. There will be a decided reduction of Benjamins flowing into those institutions of higher learning.
So, as much as we would prefer to believe that moral outrage caused the pushback on the protesters, that is clearly not the case. The colleges that have allowed the police to clean up their mess have done nothing to make anyone proud. Their only concern was protecting their endowments. It really was “all about the Benjamins, baby.”
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/ilhan_omar_was_right.html
Anybody notice how many hardhats are rallying around Trump in New York?
By Monica Showalter
In the midst of trials, President Trump is campaigning, for president.
That's not how his legal persecutors planned it. Their idea with their rushed and perfectly timed prosecutions has always been to keep President Trump tied up in court and unable to campaign.
But that doesn't stop President Trump. Since he can't go anywhere while the trial is on, he's campaigning where he is, in deep blue New York City, making lemonade out of a load of very sour lemons.
And the results are shocking:
Leftists go nuts when they see this, but the fact is Donald J Trump is the most loved President in our lifetime 👇
pic.twitter.com/L9TLO22yKR
— Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) April 26, 2024
Donald Trump meets with construction workers who broke into chants of ‘USA!’ before ‘hush money’ trial https://t.co/cVxrQfBpxt pic.twitter.com/WtgALYpW1r
— New York Post (@nypost) April 26, 2024
Donald Trump meets with construction workers who broke into chants of ‘USA!’ before ‘hush money’ trial https://t.co/cVxrQfBpxt pic.twitter.com/WtgALYpW1r
— New York Post (@nypost) April 26, 2024
NY Union Leader: We're Changing Side.
Remarkable quotes from the Liberal Mecca known as New York City
Great Video by NEWSMAX pic.twitter.com/ilLOnCoFF9
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) April 26, 2024
Look at those hardhats. Those are working people, normal voters, the kind of people the left claims to champion.
With far-left pro-Hamas protestors overrunning big campuses in New York, campuses such as Columbia University and New York University, those workers greeting Trump create a weird deja vu feeling of the Hard Hat Riots of 1970, which spontaneously emerged to everyone's surprise in the wake of the far-left lunacy engulfing, yes, Columbia University, in those years earlier. The working men were sick of it, and rallied hard around Richard Nixon. Now the same damn thing is happening in New York, this time with the same stupid protestors running circles around their university and attacking the very idea of a Liberal (in the classical sense) education, while bloodthirsty prosecutors and judges attempt to destroy Trump legally, rendering him a victim. Now he's ramming a fist down that alligator's mouth and if he takes New York in November, it will be the greatest self-own comeuppance ever seen in American politics, all completely preventable from their point of view, but put into place by their own rage.
Chris Queen at PJMedia noticed the curious make-do quality of Trump's campaign:
Trump couldn't attend the SCOTUS arguments since Judge Juan Merchan is keeping him on a tight leash in New York City, but that's not stopping him from improvising some campaign appearances. Victoria told us about it:
Trump asked for the day off from the New York City trial of the incomprehensible bookkeeping case to attend the argument but was in effect ordered to sit down and shut up by the judge, who said his court was a "very big deal" too.
So, because he couldn't go to watch the oral arguments in D.C., Trump did what came naturally: he campaigned.
Before he went into the courthouse, he stopped to talk to construction workers and onlookers on the streets of New York. He signed hats and heard the crowd shout, "We love Trump!" and "USA! USA!"
Unable to go to places like Iowa, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida or Tennessee, where many Trump voters are, he's planning to go big in New York:
While he's in the Big Apple, Trump wants to create a rally to top all rallies, as Victoria explained:
Trump said he's ironing out details for the Madison Square Garden rally, though MSG reported they have not inked a deal as of yet. It's fair to say that you shouldn't bet against him, however. Nor should you dismiss his desire to stick his finger in the eye of official New York, whose governor has told conservatives to leave and admitted that the lawsuits against him are unique to him, and players at all state, borough, and city judicial levels are arrayed against all things Trump.
Even the New York Times is noticing that the courtroom persecutions are backfiring. In an op-ed written by a former operative of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, and probable #neverTrump, he warned Democrats they were showing off Trump to voters to his best advantage:
The Manhattan courtroom will be the setting for Mr. Trump to play the role of a familiar American archetype: the wronged man seeking justice from corrupt, powerful forces. The former president is good in this role, and that’s no small thing.
Presidential campaigns pay a great deal of attention to scheduling — where, when and how many events should a candidate do on any given day. But here’s the most important element of scheduling: putting a candidate in a setting that gives them a chance to excel. ...
Mr. Trump loves big rallies. He feeds off the crowd like a vampire at a blood bank. But his act is getting a little old. ... the trial gives Mr. Trump the benefits of renewed interest from voters and the media with no burden on his team to increase campaigning or produce a newsworthy event.
I feel like I have spent half my life in campaign headquarters, staring at a map and a calendar. The map is always too large, and the calendar too short. Time is the one resource allocated to campaigns in exactly the same amounts. But there’s a dirty little secret to presidential campaigns: Where you campaign may be of little consequence. A courthouse could be as valuable as the swingiest swing district in the swingiest swing state.
Seems it's getting obvious to everyone that Trump could put even New York into play, as well as all the states he wanted to campaign in.
If that happens, it will be Democrats' own fault. The intriguing thing is, they can't stop it. They can only sit by, paralyzed by their own venom as working Americans rally around Trump. That's coverage they don't want and there's not a thing they can do about it.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/anybody_notice_how_many_hardhats_are_rallying_around_trump_in_new_york.html
Shadow financiers of ‘spontaneous’ student campus protests
By Gerald McGlothlin
Recent revelations about the financial contributions of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to organizations like IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace have sparked debate about the nature of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses.
Over the past five years, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has donated significant sums — $100,000 to IfNotNow and nearly $500,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace. These organizations openly advocate for the cessation of U.S. support for what they describe as Israel’s "Apartheid" system.
Financial Support and Its Implications
The funding from such an established philanthropic entity raises questions about the grassroots nature of these student-led movements. Critics argue that the significant financial backing suggests these protests might not be as organic as they appear. The support from a major fund could be seen as bolstering the operational capabilities of these organizations, enabling more structured and widespread campus activities than might otherwise be possible.
The Educational Gap
There is also skepticism regarding the depth of understanding and commitment of the protestors themselves. Some critics speculate that many participants in these protests might lack basic geographical knowledge about Israel, perhaps not even being able to find Israel on a map. This critique points to a potentially superficial engagement with the complex issues at stake, possibly fueled by the organizational momentum provided by external funding rather than a deep personal conviction or understanding of the historical and political context.
The Role of Philanthropic Funding in Activism
The involvement of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund highlights a broader issue of how philanthropic funding influences activism. On one hand, such funding can empower voices that might otherwise struggle to be heard, amplifying important perspectives on international issues like human rights. On the other hand, it can lead to questions about the independence of these movements and whether financial dependencies might steer their agendas.
This begs the question: Are the current 'low information protestors' seeking true justice or are they being recruited and funded by a shadow agenda seeking to exploit and foment hate and rage in the form of impressionable young human capital, resulting in raw antisemitism?
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/shadow_financiers_of_spontaneous_student_campus_protests.html
Joe Biden flubs J6 date at a fundraiser because his brain is stuck in 1944
By Olivia Murray
At 2,000 illegal crossings a day, San Diego becomes new ground zero for Joe Biden's open border
By Monica Showalter
Texas has made it clear that it will do all it can to halt illegal border crossings.
That makes San Diego the new destination of choice for illegal aliens taking advantage of Joe Biden's open borders, given the hostile desert climate of Arizona, New Mexico and California's Imperial County. And sure enough, they are coming.
According to The Hill:
A San Diego official on Thursday dubbed his city the “new epicenter” for the border crisis and criticized California for “inflicting this upon ourselves.”
“San Diego is the new epicenter for migrants and illegal immigration,” San Diego District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond posted on the social media platform X. “The surge in illegal crossings has propelled San Diego to the unfortunate position of leading all nine southern border sectors in April, a trend unseen since the 1990’s.”
Desmond said Wednesday that in just one day, Border Patrol agents apprehended 2,000 people who were illegally crossing the border, “including 206 Chinese nationals.” Since October, there have been nearly 215,000 apprehensions from 75 different countries, his post said.
“People are just walking across the border. Border Patrol agents are not empowered to stop them,” Desmond said in an interview with NewsNation. “All they’re doing is processing them once they … walk across the border.”
Desmond, who's a rare and lonely conservative, one of the Reagan Country originals, couldn't be more correct about the disaster unfolding in this county.
Crime, for one, looks like this:
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The man who was arrested for breaking into a Linda Vista home and sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl appeared in court for the first time Wednesday afternoon.
Alejandro Confessor, 22, faces charges of sex crimes, burglary and trespassing. He pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations in court.
“These parents, these kids experienced something no one should have to,” Deputy District Attorney Eric Bodnar said after the arraignment Wednesday. “It truly is a parents’ worst nightmare.”
Confessor faces 25 years to life behind bars if convicted on all charges.
On Thursday, the suspect entered a residence located on Wellington St. through an open door, where he then assaulted the five-year-old while she was sleeping. He then fled the scene on foot.
Just a few days after the first incident, on Sunday, surveillance footage appeared to capture the same man again at the property on Wellington St. around 3:30 a.m. However, authorities said he did not enter into the home and no one was harmed.
Because he went back to the same residence, prosecutors argued in court that he should not be offered the $1 million bail that was previously set. The judge agreed.
And sure enough, reports are getting out that he's here illegally:
High-ranking officials are telling me that the person who raped a 5-year-old in Linda Vista is a known gotaway who illegally entered the country. The public must know if this is true.https://t.co/N5A0lDzk7g
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) April 26, 2024
Wellington Street, where the sick crime happened, is quite close to where I live. It's no border badlands outpost, nor is it a broken-window slum where all kinds of bad things happen. It's either at or next to an enclave of middle-class Navy housing, which is kept spic-and-span, if featureless, in its midcentury modern array, its lawns gleaming.
It doesn't surprise me that a door was left open at one of the homes for the monster to enter, because nothing ever happens in such a place -- that is, until Biden opened the border, which is 24.4 miles south.
Of course the crime is shocking, and that the dirtbag returned to the scene of his previous crime of invading an innocent five-year-old's bedroom and molesting that child is even creepier. Someone like that never should have been allowed into the country. But sure enough, he was.
But it doesn't stop at just pervert crime.
Wells, another rare conservative in this county, also notes that illegals get cold out there at the crossing points and they build fires:
Fire danger is the latest unintended consequence of an open border. The cartels are pushing people out east into fire country, and of course, it’s cold, so they are lighting fires. I remember the horrors of the Ceder fire. Many don’t even have fire insurance anymore because most… https://t.co/ylwpmigIuG
— Bill Wells (@MayorBillWells) April 26, 2024
Lots of fires. And this surge video from a guy with a car on his dashcam at night must be seen to be believed:
Hey @CALFIRESANDIEGO these are all illegal foreigners violating important fire laws on our side of the border AS SOON AS THEY GET INTO OUR COUNTRY in Boulevard, San Diego, CA.
If an American citizen were to do this, what would the penalty be?
Video from @CoryGoat pic.twitter.com/ZxV1yqLX4k
— rooted.wings (@BrittRooted) April 24, 2024
Little update: It's all fire country out here, the 2003 Cedar fire came within a couple miles of my home, as far as Clairemont, I remember how firefighters heroically stopped it before it could reach a string of gas stations.
The abundant canyonlands around here, even in the heart of the urban part of San Diego where I am all get dry as dust in summer but offer convenient refuge to illegals and homeless encampments, given the hostile terrain. Think any of them might now camp out in these parts and start a campfire among the tinder to rise upwards and take out a few canyonside homes?
It's more than likely it will happen.
Meanwhile, out on the surfer side of things, the illegal immigrant boats that surfers must dodge are now coming in two to three a day according to reports.
And of course, the cartels have been busy, stewmaking their rivals and taking their killing act as far north as La Jolla.
There's lots of Navy activity for incoming Chinese nationals to spy on and lots of state and NGO cash for those seeking free housing, free medical care, free food, free transport, free college and all the other things that migrants reportedly are coming for. What could go wrong?
It's interesting stuff because this is the first time we have seen the open borders migrant surge hitting a large, mostly blue, city in a direct hit, and it can't be anything other than Biden's open borders policy doing it. That's because San Diego is much further away from the parts of Mexico that migrants reach first on their cross-country journey up the belly of Mexico, which is Texas. You have to travel something like an extra 1,000 miles to get to the San Diego County borderline, but that's what they are doing, because obviously, Texas is making it much harder to enter in that state.
It sounds like these 2,000 migrants a day are just the start of a big wave of them, given the sharp acceleration in their numbers. Desmond says they're coming as it's the "path to least resistance." The crimes and mayhem now coming in with them are just the beginning of a long stream of events that will render San Diego as damaged and distressed as Texas's border communities.
Maybe the blue voters here will wise up, but don't bank on it. Most are fine letting the place turn into an unliveable county.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/at_2_000_illegal_crossings_a_day_san_diego_becomes_new_ground_zero_for_joe_biden_s_open_border.html
Did Biden’s big mouth just commit him to debate Donald Trump?
By Andrea Widburg
Go west, young student
By Mike McDaniel
Another unexpected Friday
By Silvio Canto, Jr.
Tulsi Gabbard tells hard truths
By Rick Amato
Radical Marxism, Islamism overtaking American universities
By Eric Utter
Ensuring a Republican Victory
By Joe Fried
Trump probably won in 2020, so he should have little difficulty winning in 2024. However, will he be certified, or will the honor go to Joe, Michelle, or Pretty Boy? The problem here is the massive ballot harvesting schemes used by Democrats.
Let me be clear: Most Democrats do not believe they are cheating: They are simply “empowering.” In their minds, helping people to vote is a public service, even if it requires obtaining, completing, correcting, and transporting the ballots on the voter’s behalf. Democrats did that openly in Wisconsin during the 2020 election.
In no fewer than 206 Madison City parks, Democrats held “Democracy in the Park” events, advertised by Joe himself. Hundreds of special ballot drop boxes were strategically placed, and a couple hundred election “inspectors” helped thousands of fellow Democrats decipher the complexities of voting. Make a mistake? No worry, the inspector will fix it. Need a witness for your signature? The inspector can do that too. No ID? Just say you are afraid of COVID. In a hurry? Hand your ballot to the inspector. She will make sure the ballot is cast -- and for the right candidate!
Basically, Wisconsin election officials operated a massive ballot harvesting operation in plain sight, and strictly in Democrat areas. The Trump team went to court, but in a partisan, 4 to 3 ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed the case on the basis of “laches” (filed too late). It was a ridiculous ruling, but don’t take my word -- I am just an accountant. Instead, consider the angry words of the three dissenting justices:
Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler:
“LACHES DOES NOT AND SHOULD NOT BAR THIS CASE... Once again, the majority imposes its definition of laches, which is tailored to its judicial preferences rather than based on well-established legal principles...The respondents cannot demonstrate that laches bars a single one of these claims...” [emphasis as written].
Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley:
“How astonishing that four justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be reminded that it is THE LAW that constitutes ‘the rule book’ for any election...” [emphasis as written].
Justice Patience Drake Roggensack:
“Once again, four justices on this court cannot be bothered with addressing what the statutes require...”
In other swing states the ballot harvesting was just as real, but much less obvious. Experienced harvesters plied their craft with skill and stealth. A great example of harvesting prowess was reported by Jon Levine in the New York Post. The reporter interviewed a harvester who operated a team of workers for 20 years in three states: New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Levine did not reveal the identity of the man (or woman), but he knows who it is, and Levine said it is a recognizable name in the world of politics.
The harvester told Levine that getting ballots “is easier than you think.” He and his associates would say they were from the county, and were picking up ballots as a public service. (I don’t think that would work in a Republican neighborhood, but there are places where people are accustomed to having the government do everything for them.) After the harvesters collected the ballots, they would steam them open, make sure the right candidates were selected, and distribute the ballots among several mail boxes.
There is only one way for Republicans to fight and win against this, and it’s called “canvassing.”
When the Cyber Ninjas started their audit of Maricopa County’s election, they planned to select a sample of voters, knock on doors, and ask a few basic questions: “Sir, the county voter rolls show that you were sent a mail-in ballot. Is that true?” That is called “canvassing,” and it would have effectively uncovered any harvesting operation.
Unfortunately, the canvassing never happened because of strong threats made by powerful Democrats, including Merrick Garland, Jaime Raskin, and Carolyn Maloney. They would not allow the Cyber Ninjas to talk with voters because it could -- somehow -- suppress the vote, even though the election had taken place months earlier. If you don’t understand how that works, watch the movie, Back to the Future.
It didn’t end there, however. A very good and large-scale canvassing operation was conducted by a private group of volunteers, led by a civic-minded resident of Maricopa County. I won’t reveal her name because she might not welcome the resultant “summer of love.”
Although the private canvassing was completed too late to be of use in the 2020 election, we can learn from the methodology employed, and the results that were obtained. Here are the steps followed by the Maricopa resident and her volunteers:
The voter database was obtained from the county. It is a list of all registered voters, and it shows who did and did not cast a mail-in ballot.
A large sample of addresses was selected from the population of people shown to have voted by mail.
Volunteers were recruited and trained in the procedures to use and the questions to ask.
Canvassing locations were assigned.
When a resident responded at the door the volunteers identified themselves as private citizens who were conducting voluntary election integrity research.
All residents received the same opening pitch: “We'd like to quickly go through each registered voter living at this address” and identify all potential voters living here.
Then, six questions were asked:
What method did you use to vote?
How many ballots did you receive in the mail for yourself?
How many ballots did you receive for person(s) who do not live here?
What did you do with any extra ballots received?
How many registered voters are there supposed to be at this address?
How many registered voters are there who voted in the November 2020 election?
When all data were received, the results were compiled and analyzed.
The Maricopa volunteers knocked on 11,708 doors and received responses from 4570 people. By any standards that is a massive survey. The results? Of those who had voted according to Maricopa, 5.7% said they did not vote. That number, which is just for Maricopa, is eight times Joe’s winning margin for the entire state. The canvass report stated that the accuracy was plus or minus 1.5% with 95% confidence.
To be useful, the results must qualify as lawsuit evidence:
Even though this sort of survey activity is legal in most areas, Democrats will furiously try to block any canvass activities, so lawyers must be assembled, ready, and familiar with election and solicitation laws for each community.
The survey must be completed within days after the election. Memories fade quickly, and people get confused if too much time elapses.
For each major county within a swing state, a bipartisan group of leaders should be selected. If possible, these leaders should be retired judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and accountants, and they should have unblemished credentials. They will select and supervise the volunteers.
The help of a professional statistician must be used, and he must select a sample large enough to achieve high confidence with a small margin of error. For most counties the required sample might range from 500 to 1,000.
Accurate records of all responses must be kept. If discrepancies are found, sworn affidavits should be obtained, if possible.
When done properly, the findings will be solid evidence that can be used in an election lawsuit. It won’t prove that a particular candidate won, but it can show that a new election must be held.
If you live in a swing state, please consider forwarding this article to any of your elected representatives who believe in election integrity.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/04/assuring_a_republican_victory.html
Republicans Wage War on Basic Income Schemes
Handing out free money is a sweet vote-getter.
by Andrew Moran | Apr 27, 2024
Millions of Americans enjoyed a taste of basic income during the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government, achieving bipartisan support at the time, handed out billions of dollars in “free money” for just sitting at home, and taxpayers are now stuck footing the bill for these reckless inflationary schemes. Because the cost of living is so high, vote-hungry politicians believe they could appeal to more of the electorate by proposing a guaranteed income program. But if the public thinks inflation is high now, wait until the government starts handing out piles of cash.
GOP Pans Basic Income
Several states and cities are considering introducing basic income initiatives. Years ago, Stockton, CA, launched a $500-a-month no-strings-attached scheme. Others are joining Stockton, including Nashville, TN; Louisville, KY; and Birmingham, AL. Minnesota could soon become the country’s first state to launch a something-for-nothing initiative, and Washington may not be far behind.
Republicans are starting to push back. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently filed a lawsuit against Harris County to block a pilot program that offers $500 per month to nearly 2,000 low-income individuals in Houston. But Democrats aren’t going quietly. In Arizona and Wisconsin, for instance, Democrat governors vetoed GOP-led bills that ban universal basic income (UBI).
Republican leaders, like South Dakota state Sen. John Wilk, say these proposals are designed to create a new generation of voters addicted to free money: “What did Ronald Reagan say, ‘The closest thing to eternal life on this planet is a government program’? So, if you get people addicted to just getting a check from the government, it’s going to be really hard to take that away.”
But the genie is out of the bottle, and there is a demand for this so-called anti-poverty measure. According to a February Lake Research Partners study, nearly two-thirds of voters support monthly cash payments of up to $1,000. Additionally, the poll revealed that most voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate supporting a basic income. Evidently, the writing is on the wall.
Economics of UBI
When the basic income idea was first introduced decades ago, advocates championed abolishing the welfare state and solely imposing monthly cash payments for everyone. In recent years, though, the concept has evolved into a complement rather than a substitute. If a basic income of $1,000 for every person in the United States were implemented, estimates suggest the gross cost would be approximately $4 trillion.
Funding a basic income would be a challenge. The US government spends roughly $7 trillion a year, and lawmakers are finding it a Herculean feat to pay its bills. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a non-partisan budget watchdog, projects that trillion-dollar-plus federal deficits are the new normal in Washington. As the national debt targets $35 trillion and interest payments become the third-largest budgetary item, how would the nation fund another entitlement program? Why, inflation, of course!
The US government is able to keep the lights on, hand out generous subsidies to domestic and foreign corporations, and fund foreign conflicts through inflationary practices. The Treasury is currently engaged in issuing trillions of dollars in new debt to global capital markets, while the Federal Reserve is thinking about slowing its balance-sheet reduction campaign. Put simply, the federal government sells bonds, the central bank purchases these securities, the printing press is turned on, and the public receives diluted currency and higher prices.
In addition, rampant price inflation happens when too much money chases the same level or diminished volume of goods and services. This was observed throughout the pandemic. Four years later, cumulative inflation is around 20%, and the consumer price index is struggling to slide below 3%. Policymakers then believe the panacea to this mess is even more inflationary pressures, be it a higher minimum wage or a guaranteed income. In other words, politicians started the fire, and they think dumping kerosene on it will help people cope.
Like Social Security, the UBI would become ensconced into Americans’ daily living standards. It would need to be adjusted for inflation. If it is means-tested, and not everyone has their fingers on the no-strings-attached cash, more voters would demand their share of the loot. Any recommendation to trim UBI benefits would be met with pitchforks and rage, like the famous Spencer Tracy jailhouse scene from Fury.
https://www.libertynation.com/republicans-waging-war-on-basic-income-schemes/
Blinken Meets Chinese Leaders in Shanghai and Beijing
US meets China, and the outcome is predictable.
by Dave Patterson | Apr 27, 2024
Diplomatic visits to China have not been fruitful for the Biden administration thus far. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave it the old college try again – but little has changed. Secretary Blinken visited Shanghai, China’s financial center, and Beijing, the nation’s capital, from April 24 to 26. There was no shortage of topics crucial to successful US foreign policy and national security. The relationship between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been on shaky ground since the Biden administration took office. Meetings began in Shanghai and concluded in Beijing. But was any progress made?
Blinken Searches for Progress
Blinken’s trip was promoted at the State Department as an opportunity to build on the progress made to improve the atmosphere between the two nations during China’s President Xi Jinping’s trip to San Francisco in November of last year. One positive outcome of the San Francisco meeting between Xi and President Biden was re-establishing US-PRC military-to-military meetings. Those meetings were discontinued following China’s sending a spy balloon over the Continental US.
During the stopover in Shanghai, the US chief diplomat met with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining. According to the meeting readout issued by State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller, the conversation was a “Constructive and candid exchange” centering on the US concerns about “PRC trade policies and non-market economic practices.” Blinken pointed out that the US “seeks a healthy economic competition with the PRC,” but there must be “a level playing field for US workers and firms operating in China.”
The PRC foreign ministry’s take on the issue of China’s maintaining a fair and level playing field for trade between the two nations is, of course, self-serving and predictable. “China carries out trade and economic cooperation in accordance with market principles, firmly supports the multilateral trade regime, and fully abides by WTO [World Trade Organization] rules,” the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. “We hope the US will respect the principle of fair competition, observe WTO rules too,” Wang said. When listening to the Chinese talk about such concepts as “economic cooperation” and “market principles,” understand what those words mean to them. Simply put, China establishes a trade environment where they win, you lose. If you want to do business in the PRC, your intellectual property is their intellectual property.
In Beijing, Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong. The discussion picked up on themes similar to those covered in Shanghai. However, as the State Department Readout described:
“The Secretary pressed for continued progress in implementing the leaders’ Woodside Summit commitments on key issues, including advancing counternarcotics cooperation to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs – including fentanyl and their precursor chemicals – into the United States, enhancing military-to-military communication to avoid miscalculation and conflict, and launching talks on managing the risk and safety challenges posed by advanced forms of artificial intelligence.”
What was missing from the conversation was persuading Xi to stop the flood of military-age Chinese illegal aliens streaming across the US southern border – over 24,000 in the first seven months of FY2024 – more than all of FY2023. To his credit, Blinken did not shy away from asserting the US’s firm position that China was responsible for “maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” He also reaffirmed the US one-China policy. Blinken expressed US concerns about the PRC’s aggressive naval engagements in the South China Sea and stressed the necessity of maintaining freedom of navigation in the region. The meetings closed with the standard rhetoric about the importance of keeping “open lines of communication at all times,” and the need to continue “high-level diplomacy and interaction.”
PRC Viewed the Meeting Different
The PRC readout on the meeting between Blinken and Xi had all the trappings of a charm offensive, but below the nuanced surface was the same old Chinese Communist Party (CCP) double-speak. Xi reiterated much of the boilerplate narrative he’s said before. Comments like “We live in an interdependent world and rise and fall together” give the impression the US and PRC are bosom buddies. When China catches a cold, the US sneezes.
Xi dipped into his book of wise Chinese sayings and came up with “Passengers in the same boat should help each other,” and “No progress means regress.” Who is he trying to kid? The US isn’t going to help the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) subjugate the islands belonging to the Philippines or Vietnam in the South China Sea. Nor is the US going to assist the PLAN in harassing Taiwan. “China is committed to non-alliance, and the US should not create small blocs,” Xi cautioned. In other words, the US should stop participating in NATO and dissolve multilateral relationships in the Indo-Pacific.
Those relationships keep the PRC in check. It’s never a bad thing for the US to engage enemies in dialogue, keeping in mind they are America’s top threat. China will not be persuaded to change its aggressive behavior if it perceives the US as weak or indecisive. Whether Secretary Blinken’s messages were persuasive, however, is debatable.
https://www.libertynation.com/blinken-meets-chinese-leaders-in-shanghai-and-beijing/
Washington Update From the US Oil and Gas Association - 4.26.2024
David Blackmon
Apr 27, 2024
Let the Good Times Roll
April 26, 2024
The Regulatory onslaught continues—powerplant edition
This week the Biden Administration finalized carbon dioxide regulations on new natural gas and coal-fired power plants. If courts uphold the regulation, new natural gas power plants that operate at least 40 percent of the time would need to install carbon capture systems by 2032 and existing coal plants would also need to install carbon capture systems by 2032.
Many parties are already preparing legal challenges to this regulation. The Clean Air Act requires EPA to utilize the “best system of emission reduction” that has been “adequately demonstrated.” Obama’s Clean Power Plan was struck down by the courts because it took a ridiculously expansive view the term a “system of emissions reduction” to include measures far from the power plants being regulated.
The Biden administration learned from the Obama Admin getting slapped down in court and this time states that CCS (carbon capture and sequestration) is the best system of emission reduction (along with co-firing green hydrogen). The problem for Biden’s EPA is the requirement that the emissions controls be “adequately demonstrated.”
Jeff Holmstead, the head of President Bush’s air office at EPA said recently that, “There isn’t a single commercial-scale gas-fired power plant anywhere in the U.S. — or as far as I know, anywhere in the world — that uses CCS to control its emissions,” he said. "This fact alone could make it hard for EPA to convince the courts that CCS has been adequately demonstrated."
It is hard to argue that something has been adequately demonstrated when it hasn’t been tried anywhere in the world at scale.
CCS hasn’t been adequately demonstrated for coal either, but it’s a closer call. CCS on coal plants has been tried in the United States, but it has failed repeatedly. Here are some examples:
American Electric Power Mountaineer – canceled in 2011
FutureGen 2.0 – canceled in 2015
Texas Clean Energy Project – canceled in 2016
Southern Company’s Kemper Project – canceled in 2017 so the plant could run on natural gas
Petra Nova – suspended in 2020 after three years of operation
With this history of failure, how can EPA argue to a court that the technology is adequately demonstrated? The actual demonstrations show that it is a failure.
I expect the courts will strike down this new powerplant rule, just as the courts struck down Obama’s powerplant rule and Biden’s people know this. This rule, along with the GHG regulations on cars and trucks, the new regulation banning fossil fuels in new federal buildings, and other rules are not legal.
But as we learned with student loan forgiveness, the law apparently doesn’t apply to bureaucrats trying to force change regardless of the law backed up by an Administration. That worked for Obama, and they are trying the same tactics again.
The model the Biden administration is following is the Obama Admins illegal Mercury and Air Toxics standards. That rule dramatically increased the cost of operating coal plants. After a couple of years of litigation, the rule was struck down by the Supreme Court. When asked about the regulation, EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, wasn’t concerned about losing in court. She said, “Most of [the powerplants] are already in compliance, investments have been made…”
In other words, they got the result they wanted with an illegal rule because utilities moved away from coal and invested in other things.
Following the law wasn’t important for the Obama administration and it isn’t important for the Biden administration. What is important is trying to achieve their climate goals regardless of the law. These same approaches will apply to our industry. The intent is to force movement away from fossil fuel production by regulation or a protracted legal process. They fully intend to wait the industry out.
Biden’s illegal ban on fossil fuel use in new federal buildings
I noted above that Biden has a new regulation banning fossil fuel use in new federal buildings. I’ll explain why it’s illegal here. Section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, requires that “[new federal] buildings shall be designed so that the fossil fuel-generated energy consumption of the buildings is reduced” by 55 percent by 2010, 90 percent by 2025, and 100 percent by 2030.
The first question people should ask about Biden’s rule is, “why did it take so long?” Why didn’t Obama promulgate a rule to comply with this requirement? They had eight years and the statutory language above was on the books the entire time. The reason, amazingly, is that the Department of Energy’s attorneys read the statutory language and couldn’t come up with a legal regulation.
The statutory language requires a reduction of “fossil fuel-generated energy consumption.” This obviously includes electricity that is generated off-site. Obama’s Department of Energy understood that the only buildings that could comply with this statutory language were buildings that would be completely off the grid because otherwise, the buildings would use electricity generated from fossil fuels. So, the Obama administration and the Trump administration after it, never implemented this statutory language.
The way the Biden administration got around this pesky statutory language is to pretend it says something different. They are pretending that Congress wrote, “on-site fossil fuel-generated energy consumption.” The problem is that “on-site” is not in the statute.
Once again, the Biden administration is not following what the law says.
EVs are struggling—Ford edition
CNN reports:
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to $1.3 billion, or $132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year, helping to drag down earnings for the company overall.
…
The EV unit, which Ford calls Model e, sold 10,000 vehicles in the quarter, down 20% from the number it sold a year earlier. And its revenue plunged 84% to about $100 million, which Ford attributed mostly to price cuts for EVs across the industry.
EVs are struggling—Tesla edition
While EVs are supposed to be taking over the world, Tesla is seeing its finances go the wrong direction:
Tesla reported a steeper-than-expected 55 percent plunge in profit for the first quarter but managed to avoid a major beating on Wall Street on Tuesday by declaring a flurry of bold commitments that appeared to satisfy investors: ramping up the production timeline of a more “affordable” car, doubling down on its fully autonomous “Cybercab” and outlining nearly $1 billion in cost savings from job cuts.
Analysts called Tuesday’s earnings report a “make or break moment” for the electric-vehicle maker as it continues to struggle with falling sales, stiff competition from China and uncertainty over its business outlook. Tesla’s earnings report was indeed grim: For the three months ended March 31, net income fell 55 percent from a year earlier to $1.13 billion while revenue fell 9 percent to $21.3 billion.
EVs are struggling—European edition
The EU needs to rethink its policies to make a 2035 ban on new petrol car sales feasible as electric vehicles (EVs) remain unaffordable and alternative fuel options are not credible, the EU's external auditor said, jeopardising its 2050 climate goals.
…
The EU wants to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars on European roads by 2030, or about 12% of the current car fleet. However, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) cautioned the bloc may create new economic dependencies and hurt its own industry.
As it stands, high EV production costs in Europe means the bloc will have to rely on cheap imports, mainly from China, if it sticks to the 2035 goal. China accounts for 76% of EV battery output compared with the EU that represents less than 10% of production globally.
"The EU faces a conundrum, how to meet goals without harming industrial policy and hurting consumers," Annemie Turtelboom, an ECA member, told reporters. She added that 2026 will be a key year for a policy review.
That’s the problem—how can the EU (or Biden) meet climate goals without harming industry or consumers? The EU is starting to see that it can’t achieve its climate goals without massive economic pain.
Biden declaring a climate emergency—a bad idea that refuses to go away
For the past few years, environmental activists have dreamed of Biden wielding dictatorial powers to stop oil and gas production and export merely by declaring a “climate emergency.”
The White House discussed the idea last year, and they are now discussing this idea again. Bloomberg reports on the latest discussions:
White House officials have renewed discussions about potentially declaring a national climate emergency, an unprecedented step that could unlock federal powers to stifle oil development.
Top advisers to President Joe Biden have recently resumed talks about the merits of such a move, which could be used to curtail crude exports, suspend offshore drilling, and curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because a final decision has not been made.
White House advisers are divided over the idea of declaring a climate emergency, with some saying it wouldn’t provide Biden with enough newfound authority to make substantial changes, the people said. Others, however, argue such an announcement would galvanize climate-minded voters.
If Biden declares a climate emergency, the only purpose will be to appeal to “climate-minded voters.” If Team Biden believes it will help him politically, he will declare a climate emergency, regardless of the dubious legality of such actions. As Biden has shown with his writing off student loans, he has no regard for the law if something could help him electorally.
The questions Team Biden are considering are when to declare a climate emergency and what will happen to gas prices. If Biden declares a climate emergency and takes actions that increase the price at the pump, this will backfire terribly on Biden because far more people vote based on gas prices and inflation than to vote based on climate.
I could easily see Biden declaring a climate emergency in the summer if a large hurricane strikes the United States. Hurricane forecasters are predicting a very active hurricane season and if a Katrina-like storm hits the U.S., that would give Biden the opening to declare a climate emergency and take some steps to reduce CO2 emissions. The limiting factor of Biden’s actions will be what does he think he can do without driving up gasoline prices too much. This is one reason why Biden’s advisors are already talking about new releases from the SPR.
U.S. could release more SPR oil to keep gas prices low, senior White House adviser says
Biden loves using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower the price at the pump. In 2022, Biden sold 180 million barrels of oil to help the Democrats' electoral chances in November 2022. Those massive releases succeeded in blunting higher gasoline prices and helped make Biden’s economic policies look as disastrous as they are.
The White House is already taking steps to release more oil from the SPR in the runup to the presidential elections this November. John Podesta stated earlier this week , “The president did it (release oil from SPR) before ... and I think he wants to keep the price of gasoline affordable, and he will do what he can to make sure that happens.”
If gasoline prices increase during the summer, then expect to see more releases from the SPR.
Climate policies bend back towards reality
The BBC is reporting that Scotland’s energy policies are slowly bending toward reality because people aren’t willing to make the lifestyle choices necessary to achieve the goals. The BBC reports:
The Scottish government is to ditch its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.
The final goal of reaching "net-zero" by 2045 will remain, but BBC Scotland News understands the government's annual climate targets could also go.
Ministers have missed eight of the last 12 annual targets and have been told that reaching the 75% milestone by the end of the decade is unachievable.
While no one outside of Scotland cares what Scotland does with their climate and energy policies, this is an example of how reality is asserting itself with climate goals. Countries, like Scotland, set aggressive CO2 emission reduction goals based on a lack of understanding about energy. Now the incredible difficulty in meeting these goals is starting to become apparent. The BBC continues:
The new legislation required ministers to set annual targets for reducing emissions.
In a sense it was a hostage to fortune with the yearly totals heavily influenced by the winter weather which determines how much gas we use to heat up our homes.
But the trend was clear as eight out of 12 of the targets were missed.
With the closure of Scotland's last coal-fired power station at Longannet in 2016, politicians conceded that the low-hanging fruit had all been picked and any future progress would require big changes to how we live our lives.
This portion in bold italics is key. People say they want to do something about climate change, but there is no interest in making any lifestyle changes. This is the reality of climate change policies. Policies that reduce CO2 emissions work if they are not costly and do not require people to change their lives.
That is all…
https://blackmon.substack.com/p/washington-update-from-the-us-oil-e99?publication_id=712558&post_id=144069680&isFreemail=false&r=rd9j8&triedRedirect=true
NY vs. Trump: Cross examination of DA Bragg's first witness unravels important truths
Shady dealings by a tabloid do not equal crimes committed
By Gregg Jarrett
Published April 27, 2024 7:00am EDT
"Cross-examination is the greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth."
Those words by legendary lawyer John Henry Wigmore in 1923 are derived from the Sixth Amendment. A defendant has the right to confront his accusers; to shine light on false statements by witnesses and dark distortions by overzealous prosecutors who hide the truth. It’s an effective method to test the veracity of evidence.
It was tested on Friday, and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg failed. But that won’t stop him in his dogged pursuit of former President Donald Trump in a legally perverse case.
Defense attorney Emil Bove vigorously cross-examined the prosecution’s first witness, David Pecker, the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer. Prosecutors sat uncomfortably, as important truths met sunlight.
Under questioning, Pecker confessed that his tabloid routinely suppressed negative stories and promoted positive ones involving candidates for political office because it was financially profitable. The witness agreed that other, more mainstream news organizations did the exact same thing. Paying for stories and sometimes killing them was commonplace at the Enquirer, he admitted, especially when celebrities were involved. It was not unique to Trump.
It may seem tawdry, but it’s not unlawful to quash stories. Nor is it illegal to pay someone for their silence.
This was something that Bragg and his team of prosecutors spent the better part of a week concealing from the jury on direct examination. The irony —and hypocrisy— is obvious. Bragg accuses Trump of suppressing information to win an election. But the D.A. suppressed vital testimony to win his case against Trump.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 21: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg accuses Trump of suppressing information to win an election. But the D.A. suppressed vital testimony to win his case against Trump.
Pecker also revealed on cross-examination that Trump did not want to buy the salacious story peddled by former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal that she once allegedly had an affair with Trump. Then-candidate Trump said that such scandals always come out.
On its own, the National Enquirer eventually doled out $150,000 to McDougal, but Pecker insisted that "cash wasn’t the primary focus of the agreement." Instead, she was hired to compose advice columns, blogs, and other articles for the tabloid.
Bear in mind that the entire McDougal saga has nothing to do with the criminal charges against Trump. He paid no money to her. Yet, prosecutors convinced Judge Juan Merchan to allow it under the theory of what’s called "similar bad acts." Translation: let’s smear Trump with irrelevant and prejudicial information. It’s the same dubious tactic that triggered this week’s reversal of Harvey Weinstein’s sex conviction.
Over four days on the witness stand, Pecker offered no direct evidence that Trump ever told him to kill stories. But even if he did, where is the crime in that? It may seem tawdry, but it’s not unlawful to quash stories. Nor is it illegal to pay someone for their silence.
Moreover, whatever money that was exchanged did not qualify as a campaign expenditure under relevant election laws, which makes a mockery of Bragg’s claim that Trump tried to influence an election by "unlawful means." That term is drawn from a state statute that is a mere misdemeanor and has no application to a federal election. But assuming for the sake of argument that it does, where is the unlawful act? There isn’t one.
Prosecutors have been shameless in tossing out incendiary words like "conspiracy" and "fraud." But as I argued in an earlier column, Trump is not charged with either. Bragg and his Assistant DAs are intentionally trying to hurl mud to fool the jury by implying otherwise. Predictably, the biased judge, Juan Merchan, is letting them get away with it.
Which brings us to the original 34 charges that Trump falsified business records, all of which are expired misdemeanors. Pecker, McDougal, and Stormy Daniels have no knowledge of the private bookkeeping. Yet, they have been at the center of Bragg’s three-ring circus during the first week. Shady dealings by a tabloid do not equal crimes committed.
It’s a clever subterfuge. Confuse the jury with jargon and create the appearance of illegality that doesn’t actually exist. It’s an unconscionable breach of ethics and a violation of a prosecutor’s principal duty to see that justice is done fairly and impartially. Sadly, too many prosecutors think their job is to gain a conviction, by hook or by crook. Bragg stands as the poster child for amoral ruthlessness.
Years ago, the FBI and prosecutors pressured Pecker. They dangled in front of him a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for his cooperation in testifying about payments to McDougal and Stormy Daniels. Out of fear and intimidation, he signed it. However, his signature on that document conceding there was a campaign violation was not a legal admission that there really was such a violation. It was simply a means to relieve the undue pressure.
Naturally, Bragg’s prosecutors misrepresented that document in front of the jury. That’s a dirty trick because any admission of wrongdoing by one person —even a faux admission like this— does not dictate the guilt of another person. It’s irrelevant and prejudicial. In a normal case, no responsible judge would permit it. But Judge Merchan is presiding over a parody of a trial.
Adversarial cross-examination, which has long been the centerpiece of our justice system, has so far proved useful for the defense in the Manhattan D.A.’s absurd case against Trump. Deceptions have been disassembled and distortions exposed.
But the question remains, can the jury wade through the ugly muck of the prosecution’s case and see the light of truth? At this early stage, it’s impossible to know.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/ny-trump-cross-examination-da-braggs-witness-important-truths
President Trump has announced that he wants >
to hold several surprise Trump rallies in his home state of New York.
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The proposed rallies would take place in the South Bronx and Madison Square Garden, and it’s no wonder why: the people of New York love President Trump.
Not the smarmy liberals who inhabit the high-rises in downtown Manhattan, but the working-class people in New York love the former President.
As a former New Yorker, I can confirm that the guy was seen as a hometown hero for decades. It was only when he ran for President and the mainstream media engaged in a coordinated propaganda campaign against him that attitudes changed.
I wouldn’t even say they changed so much per se, anti-Trump sentiment was manufactured by the MSM and the elites.
The former President made his surprise announcement from New York City on Thursday:
🚨 Trump says he wants to hold rallies in the South Bronx and at Madison Square Garden.
pic.twitter.com/WcgeIEIoKb
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 25, 2024
Newsmax had more on the proposed rallies:
Speaking outside a Manhattan courtroom Thursday, Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, said the rally at Madison Square Garden will honor police, firefighters, and teachers.
As you can see, President Trump has received an outpouring of support from the people of New York amid the coordinated lawfare being waged against him.
New York Union Manager Bob Bartels, says that President Trump is beating Joe Biden three-to-one in a poll of 9,000 construction worker members. People are waking up. pic.twitter.com/M8F57QitRU
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 26, 2024
“USA! USA! USA!”
Patriotic chants break out as President Trump visits union workers at a construction site in New York City. pic.twitter.com/Cjh4vyziXv
— GOP (@GOP) April 25, 2024
Hundreds of union members came out to support President Trump in New York City.
“We love Trump!’” pic.twitter.com/DxkbCxNN8i
— GOP (@GOP) April 25, 2024
Little kids in Harlem to President Trump as he visits their neighborhood:
“I love you, Trump!” ♥️ pic.twitter.com/G1CLOAjHXb
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) April 16, 2024
Fox Business featured this story about working-class union members in New York voicing their support for President Trump:
“I see it on the job. Everybody’s got Trump stickers on their hard hats,” Zuto’s colleague Ronald Dioguard added.
“They just see him as a passionate president for their country.
It’s undeniable how much he cares about the country. It’s not even a question.”
Smollett revisited:
Imagine if the roles were reversed!
https://thepostmillennial.com/black-athletic-director-of-baltimore-high-school-arrested-for-creating-ai-deepfake-of-white-principal-to-stage-race-hoax#google_vignette
The week in whoppers: The Squad’s Cori Bush flips reality on protests, NY Times begs for Trump’s conviction and more
By Post Editorial Board Published April 25, 2024, 6:15 p.m. ET
Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions
This tweet:
As a Ferguson activist, I know what it’s like to have agitators infiltrate our movement, manipulate the press, & fuel the suppression of dissent by public officials & law enforcement.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) April 23, 2024
We must reject these tactics to silence anti-war activists demanding divestment from genocide.
Trump is coming for your health care and Social Security.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 21, 2024
We won’t let it happen. pic.twitter.com/gbCSyILNWd
Her name is Kristi NOEM
She kills Puppies! And Bears. And Goats. And horses. Kristi Noem is a psycho and MAGAts want her to be Trump's VP. When Trump strokes out, she'll become president.
She kills things she hates and deems “worthless.”
— Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) April 26, 2024
Some Native communities saw bears as our coequals.
My heart breaks for this innocent bear and the poor little 14 month old puppy this sick, twisted woman murdered in cold blood. pic.twitter.com/h9aEo369pB
WHAT CONGRESS JUST DID MUST BE STOPPED!!
https://rumble.com/v4rq978-what-congress-just-did-must-be-stopped.html
SOROS AND ROCKEFELLER ARE FUNDING LEFT WING STUDENT RADICALS AT NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAEL!!
https://www.bitchute.com/video/XGLgGMu0sw8j/
ARE WE RULED BY SEXUAL PREDATORS?
https://rumble.com/v4rq9h6-game-over.html
PRAYERS TIA - About one in five mail-in ballots in the last election was fraudulent
https://twitter.com/i/status/1783979370811724167
Supreme Court justices discuss Trump’s presidential immunity claim
Good Morning America
4.98M subscribers
SOROS AND ROCKEFELLER ARE FUNDING LEFT WING STUDENT RADICALS AT NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAEL!!
https://www.bitchute.com/video/XGLgGMu0sw8j/
ARE WE RULED BY SEXUAL PREDATORS?
https://rumble.com/v4rq9h6-game-over.html
PRAYERS TIA - About one in five mail-in ballots in the last election was fraudulent
https://twitter.com/i/status/1783979370811724167
Supreme Court justices discuss Trump’s presidential immunity claim
Good Morning America
4.98M subscribers
Do you also shoot misbehaved dogs like Krist Knoem does? #SICK
One of Donald Trump's potential running mates is facing criticism for sharing a story in her memoir about how she killed her dog.
Kristi Noem, 52, the governor of South Dakota, wrote in her soon-to-be released memoir that the dog, Cricket, was "untrainable" and "dangerous".
After deciding she needed to be put down, Ms Noem led the dog to a gravel pit and shot her.
"It was not a pleasant job," she wrote. "But it had to be done."
The memoir, titled No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, is due for release on 7 May, though an excerpt was obtained by The Guardian.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68909801
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Assistants al44 |
It is Your Economy .. yours, mine, our family, friends and neighbors -- EVERYONE to some degree is touched by the markets and their behavior. So we should be aware of the various mechanisms that make the markets and our economy tick. We live in a new era where politics, rumor, weather and just about anything you can think of effects the markets and our economy in some way, shape or form. Like it or not we are globally tied at the hip and in this new era where the advent of technology and the internet pushes information to the edge of the envelope, we can only hope to keep up with the many challenges ahead and the speed at which they develop. Technology is a double-edged sword and unfortunately can be used for good as well as evil, it just depends on who is holding the sword. This board was created to follow news, markets, stocks, cycles, trends, indicators and most of all to communicate and share ideas. Humor and Cartoons are welcome here, it breaks up the monotony from time to time and I am alays game for a good joke. I enjoy data mining, especially for info that the MSM (Main Stream Media) fail to or are not allowed to report. We must see things from all angles and aspects in order to verify what is true and what is false, basically becoming more atune to separating the wheat from the chaff. Hopefully in the long run this will help us all to make better and more sound decisions. This board is/was basically an information board, but all are welcome to post, (actually I encourage it because looking through another's eyes gives more perspective on issues). We can never learn too much about these ever changing times and the economy at hand.
* I have only a couple of rules and that is if you should post; NO PURE POLITICS or RELIGION and as always expected, please PLAY NICE !!!
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NOTE: What is meant by "pure politics" as stated in this boards' iBox decriptiion is just that.., it has no real ties to the economy and is mainly a composition of political innuendo. As I assume most of you know, it is difficult at times to separate politics from the economy due to the fact that politics plays a very large part in our everyday lives; be it on an economical, personal or other level altogether. Therefore this has created problems in the discernment of which posts should stay or go due to their leaning too far toward the political side and are slight on economic issues. As hard as my assistants and I try, we cannot please everyone. But we do what we do and want to be fair, we do want what should stay as part of this forums curricular. Everyone has an opinion and/or wants to be heard and I will do whatever I can to help ensure that is what takes place and hopefully most will not feel as though they are being targeted or alienated.
In the end all I can ask is that you be patient if a post of yours has been deleted, yet it has economic undertones that state otherwise and you feel should remain. If you feel you have been wronged - relax, sit back and PM me and I will make a final judgement. I am rather liberal, therefore more times than not I most likely will restore your post if it has merit and/or fallen between the cracks. Things happen or are interpreted differently and sometimes incorrectly, we are human. So do NOT throw a hissy fit nor become a foul mouth fool. Also PM harassment is frowned upon and should carry a level of disciplinary action, but I will leave that up to iHub Admin. Besides all that life is too precious to spend in a tirade. These types of behavior will get you no where except a closer view of the exit.. Treat people as you would like to be treated and we can work through most issues. It all starts with civil dialogue, respect for another's opinion even if not agreed upon. An agreement to disagree is the way I like to see things conclude when minds cannot meld. Just because an agreement cannot be reached does not mean we automatically have to trash another for their views and/or opinions. Let's face it, we all want better, we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves and we all want to gain an edge in the game of life. This cannot be accomplished without an open mind and a certain level of tolerance for all that speak out.
As a matter of fact I encourage as many of you as possible to post, even if it is just once a month. You don't have to take the world by storm, it could be about something as simple as a neighborhood observation such as more homes up for sale than in months past or how empty the parking lots are at a traditionally known hot spot. Post an article or commentary that hits close to home, test the waters and see if others have seen similar events around the country. We have at our fingertips virtually 100s of libraries of information and cyber chat connections we can use to find out how different aspects of the economy are doing all around the nation. I truly believe we all have a lot to contribute and share and while we all will never see eye to eye on every subject or then again maybe none at all, but different points of view may enhance our own outlook or the way we see and do things. Right or wrong, the world is constantly evolving and technology will begin to pick up speed by leaps and bounds So we could serve each other better if we take what is posted for face value instead of an opportunity to lambaste someone that sees things in a different light than our own preconditioned mindset. When opposing views are met with hostile impositions it is of no service to anyone. I certainly would not want a cult following or a bunch of "yes" men setting the tone for this forum, I want diversity !!! Variety is the spice of life !!! You cannot expand your horizons if you automatically shut down and feel as though you have it all figured out. I got news for you, you don't and you won't until you are lying on your death bed. I do not care who you are or how worldly and educated you may be, we never stop learning unless we hold ourselves back with preconceived notions. Knowledge IS Power...
AND if you should feel the need to post on an otherwise different, yet similar stage:
Your Economy OT - Conspiracy, Politics, Religion, Terrorism, War (whatever else you can think of) (YE2OT)
It's open and ready for business. Over there you can post whatever you like to your hearts content, especially political/economic articles and commentary that does not quite fit in at YE1. So now you have 2 boards - One for economics, markets, trends, data, news, commentary, etc. - a more serious site for those who want the straight dope. And now the YE2OT board for everything else. I will play Moderator, but I am taking applications for an assistant who would control 90%+ of the interaction over there.
If people choose, they can travel between boards if they need a fix of some controlled chaos at YE2OT and then want some cold hard facts as (YE1) was intended.
I want everyone to have a voice, now you have a choice .. enjoy
WSJ MARKET DATA CENTER: http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/marketsdata.html
PEARCE FUTURES CENTER: http://sites.barchart.com/pl/pearce/default.asp?code=XPEARCE§ion=indices
KITCO PRECIOUS METALS: http://www.kitco.com/
BIOSPACE:: http://www.biospace.com/Default.aspx
MAJOR WORLD MARKET GRAPHS: http://forbestadvice.com/Money/Investing/Graphs/WorldMarketsDaily.html
INVESTOPEDIA: http://www.investopedia.com/
WORLD-O-METERS: http://www.worldometers.info/
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