Bidenomics At Work

Aside from what you are paying for groceries and gasoline, have you looked at mortgage rates and home sales right now?

On Monday, One America News reported the following:

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell more than expected in October, likely as higher mortgage rates reduced affordability, but the housing segment remains supported by a persistent shortage of previously owned properties on the market.

New home sales dropped 5.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 679,000 units last month, the Commerce Department said on Monday. September’s sales pace was revised lower to 719,000 units from the previously reported 759,000 units.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for a small share of U.S. home sales, would fall to a rate of 723,000 units.

New home sales are counted at the signing of a contract, making them a leading indicator of the housing market. They, however, can be volatile on a month-to-month basis. Sales increased 17.7% on a year-on-year basis in October.

The stock of previously owned houses on the market is nearly 50% below it’s pre-pandemic level, according to the National Association of Realtors, which last week reported that home resales plunged to more than a 13-year low in October. Most homeowners have mortgage rates under 3%, making many reluctant to sell, boosting demand for new construction.

According to The Mortgage Reports, the mortgage interest rate in 2021 was 2.96 percent. In 2022, it was 5.34 percent. The current mortgage rate, according to Nerd Wallet is about 7.5 percent. That is a significant increase. Interest rates were artificially kept low for a number of years. That was not sustainable. However, the rate of increase (the Federal Reserve’s attempt to curb inflation) has hurt real estate sales. At one point many years ago because of a job change, we were forced to take out a mortgage at 8.5 percent (giving up a mortgage of 4 percent). If you are sitting on a 3 or 4 percent mortgage right now, the last thing you want to do is move and take out a 7.5 percent mortgage. Bidenomics has hurt Americans across the board. We need a new President with a new approach to the economy.

Why I Oppose Humanitarian Aid To Gaza

Do you send coffee and donuts to a bank robber who is holding people hostage? If he has already killed hostages, do you send him food?

On Friday, One America News reported that two American hostages held by Hamas have been released. They reportedly released through Egypt and handed to the Red Cross. Their families have not yet received confirmation of their release.

The article also notes:

On Wednesday, Carmela Dan, 80, and her 12-year-old granddaughter Noya, were found deceased near the Israel-Gaza border after being taken hostage by the terrorist group while at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Noya was having a sleepover at her grandmother’s home when Hamas infuriated the kibbutz.

Noya, who had autism, was “a massive Harry Potter fan.” Israel’s account on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, shared her story. J.K. Rowling, the creator of the series, shared the post online.

As the ‘humanitarian’ aid flows into Gaza, we need to remember:

hudna is an Arabic term meaning a temporary “truce” or “armistice” as well as “calm” or “quiet”, coming from a verbal root meaning “calm”. It is sometimes translated as “cease-fire“. Historically, a hudna has been used by Islamists as a time to re-arm for the next battle. 

I have no doubt that Hamas is using the cover of ‘humanitarian aid’ to rearm before Israel attacks. This will result in more casualties on both sides and more civilian deaths on both sides. The current delay is unwise, but is caused by international pressure on Israel. Somehow the world has forgiven the slaughter of innocent people on October 7th and replaced it with concern for the terrorists who committed the atrocities.

No, It’s Not A Religion Of Peace

Anyone who has studied Islam understands that it is not a religion of peace. Muslims who truly believe the Quran are taught that it is not a crime to murder a non-Muslim. Hatred of non-Muslims is part of their doctrine.

On Wednesday, One America News posted an article reporting:

According to government officials and local residents, a large mob of Muslim men vandalized eight churches and several homes following accusations of blasphemy against Islam in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab on Wednesday, escalating tensions between local majority Muslim and minority Christian communities.

In an update on Wednesday, the National Commission for Human Rights stated that the number of churches burned “has risen to eight,” calling the situation “sad and shameful.”

A police report obtained by the press said that two Christian men in the town of Jaranwala were charged by local police with allegedly “desecrating the holy Quran and abusing the Prophet Mohammed.” According to the report, the men were charged with “blasphemy” under Pakistani law.

Pakistani Christian communities are routinely persecuted under the country’s strict blasphemy laws, which activists claim have historically been used to persecute minority groups and isolate them from public life.

According to Yasir Talib, who works for the Center for Social Justice, the crowd also vandalized and set fire to the home of one Christian man accused of making blasphemous general comments about Islam.

Talib told the press that multiple churches, including the town’s Catholic Church, Salvation Army Church, Pentecostal Church, and the local Christian colony, had been vandalized and set on fire.

The article concludes:

Pakistan is one country where blasphemy is a capital offense that is punishable by death.

In 2013, angry Muslim men in Lahore’s Badami Bagh community set fire to more than 100 homes of Christians after police arrested a 20-year-old man accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Three years earlier, a mother of five from Punjab was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death for defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed.

Asia Bibi was released from death row in 2018 after successfully appealing her conviction and death sentence.

Please follow the link to read the entire article. It includes a video of a young Muslim man explaining that he hates Christians and Jews in the name of Allah. Remember that the planes that hit the World Trade Center were crashed into those buildings in the name of Allah.

Another Blow To Free Speech

On Thursday, BizPacReview reported that AT&T has removed NewsMax from  AT&T’s DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse. Roughly a year ago, they removed One America News. It is becoming apparent that if you want to watch news that is less biased than the mainstream, you need a Roku.

The article reports:

At the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, more than 13 million customers of AT&T’s DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse were no longer able to tune into Newsmax, marking the second time in a year that AT&T has canceled a conservative news channel.

…Reports Newsmax:

Despite Newsmax being the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, a top 20 cable news channel overall, and watched by 25 million Americans on cable alone, according to Nielsen, DirecTV said it was taking the step as a “cost-cutting” measure and would never pay Newsmax a cable license fee.

DirecTV pays cable license fees to all top 75 cable channels and to all 22 liberal news and information channels it carries. Almost all of these channels are paid hefty license fees significantly more than Newsmax was seeking — and despite the fact that most of the channels have much lower ratings than Newsmax.

The article notes:

DirecTV has a different take on the dispute.

In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, a spokesperson for the service said, “On multiple occasions, we made it clear to Newsmax that we wanted to continue to offer the network, but ultimately Newsmax’s demands for rate increases would have led to significantly higher costs that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base.”

“Anyone, including our customers, can watch the network for free via NewsmaxTV.com, YouTube.com and on multiple streaming platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Google Play,” the statement continues. “We continually evaluate the most relevant programming to provide our customers and expect to fill this available channel with new content.”

That was the same line they used with One America News. It was a lie then, and it is a lie now. This is censorship, and Americans who want to know what is actually happening in the world are going to have to be a little creative in acquiring valid news sources.

Just a note, a friend of mine who has DirectTV told me that when she called the company to complain about NewsMax being dropped she was told that NewsMax would still be reinstated. Her comment was that she would give them a month. If NewsMax is not back on the network by then, she will find another cable provider.

This Is Not A Good Idea

On Tuesday, One America News reported that Maryland had voted to legalize recreational marijuana and possession up to 1.5oz for people 21+.

The article notes:

It will also create a path to expunge or re-sentence convictions. In MD, police are ~3x more likely to arrest Black people for marijuana despite equal use among white people.

The article includes the following tweet:

ChudsOfTikTok@ChudsOfTikTok
Missouri voted to decriminalize & have recreational sales of marijuana at a 6% sales tax!! Legalize, Tax, Regulate! Congrats Maryland & Missouri!

Image

This is NOT good news. In October 2018, I posted an article based on a New York Times story of a man who was addicted to marijuana. Please follow the link to read the entire article. This is not a harmless drug.

The article at rightwinggranny notes:

On October 6, Neal Pollack posted an opinion piece in The New York Times. The title of the opinion piece is, “I’m Just a Middle-Aged House Dad Addicted to Pot.”

The opinion piece details the author’s journey from using marijuana regularly in his 20’s to the realization that he was hooked on the drug.

Here are some highlights from the article:

I started smoking regularly in the ’90s, when I was in my mid-20s. Pot made everything better — food, music, sex, cleaning — and it made nothing worse. I got depressed less often. I laughed all the time.

But I also lost my temper for no reason. Did I yell at strangers in public? Probably. I barely remember, because I was stoned. But I do remember that once, high as a promotional blimp, I got into a bar fight with a former friend and broke his tooth with a beer bottle.

Back when my writing career was booming, I got invited a couple of times to do readings in Amsterdam, a bad gig for a pot addict. Once, after ingesting a couple of THC pills, I dumped a pitcher of water over my head and insulted the Iraqi representative to National Poetry Day Amsterdam. Another time, I pulled down my pants and flashed a crowd of several hundred. If I had any boundaries, weed erased them thoroughly. The boom ended fast.

…In early November (2017), I had the chance to fulfill my lifelong dream of attending a Dodgers World Series game. I spent way too much money on a ticket that turned out to be fake. So high that I couldn’t remember where I’d parked, I started screaming outside the stadium. If I’d been sober, I would have just called the vendor and gotten a refund. That’s what I ended up doing, eventually. But not before security guards surrounded me.

I looked into a car mirror and saw an old man, sobbing over a baseball game. That was the moment I accepted that I had a problem. Three weeks later, I quit.

The author goes on to say that he believes marijuana should be legal. I disagree.

In January 2019 Imprimis reported:

Most of all, advocates have told you that marijuana is not just safe for people with psychiatric problems like depression, but that it is a potential treatment for those patients. On its website, the cannabis delivery service Eaze offers the “Best Marijuana Strains and Products for Treating Anxiety.” “How Does Cannabis Help Depression?” is the topic of an article on Leafly, the largest cannabis website. But a mountain of peer-reviewed research in top medical journals shows that marijuana can cause or worsen severe mental illness, especially psychosis, the medical term for a break from reality. Teenagers who smoke marijuana regularly are about three times as likely to develop schizophrenia, the most devastating psychotic disorder.

After an exhaustive review, the National Academy of Medicine found in 2017 that “cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk.” Also that “regular cannabis use is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.”

Legalizing marijuana for any reason will not solve problems–it will only cause more problems.

Food Neutrality

When I read the One America News article, I wondered if it was from the Babylon Bee.

On Thursday, One America News posted an article about Los Angeles Unified School District releasing a video claiming that diets are an example of ‘food oppression.’ The video claims that we should tell our kids that we’ve lied to them and no one food is better for them than another food (oppressive food hierarchy).

The article reports:

The L.A. Parent Union drew attention to the presentation. The Union alleged that ‘food choice’ is the result of a false standard of health. Nutritionist, Kera Nyemb-Diop, and influencer Blair Imani, are featured in the video. The two ladies encouraged students to eat whatever they want as no nutritional choice is healthier than another.

Now that’s really interesting. I remember in junior high school seeing a video of an experiment on white mice. One group of mice was fed vegetables and protein and the other group of mice was fed potato chips and soda. The first group of mice thrived and the second group did not. I realize that we are not mice, but somehow I think there are some things we could learn from that experiment.

Obesity is a problem in America. What is in our food? How much real (natural) food do we eat? How much sugar or high fructose corn syrup do we consume? Do children who grow up drinking sweet tea have more cavities? Do children who eat a lot of sweets tend to weigh more?

I will admit that I have never heard the expression oppressive food hierarchy before. I also realize that some of the information we were given as children about what we should eat has turned out to be false. The food pyramid puts starches on the bottom as things we should eat a lot of and puts fats and oils on the top to be used sparingly. Studies have shown that certain oils (coconut oil, olive oil) have nutritional benefits. Studies have also shown that many Americans are gluten sensitive, so the pyramid does not work for them. Many nutritionists believe that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest way to eat, but according to the Los Angeles Unified School District that would be part of the oppressive food hierarchy.

At any rate, I think the introduction of the concept of oppressive food hierarchy sounds like something out of the Babylon Bee. We do know that Americans eat too much sugar and too much fat that those things are not good for you. Some foods are simply more healthy than others. Calling that concept oppressive food hierarchy does not change that fact.

When Reality Shows Up

One America News posted an article on Tuesday about what appears to be a change of attitude on the part of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. It seems that New York City is being overwhelmed by the surge of illegal immigrants looking to make a home in the city.

The article reports:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams sounded the alarm on the surge of illegal aliens coming to the Big Apple. During a press conference Sunday, Adams warned the city about the massive influx.

One of his campaign priorities was standing up for “undocumented New Yorkers” by making sure NYC remained a “sanctuary city.” He doubled down on that promise by informing residents that right now “this is an all hands on deck” moment.

Adams went on to say residents must all be on board after asking the administration for help last week while calling the migrants a “real burden on New Yorkers.” Border towns are familiar with NYC’s plight as more than 3 million migrants have surged into the country since Joe Biden took office.

Adams pleaded with the White House to provide aid to help accommodate the more than 2,800 people who recently entered the city’s shelter system. The Mayor was quick to blame migrants sent by Texas and Arizona, but also acknowledged federal migrant flights have contributed to the total sum. Adams listed a number of services for migrants he would like to be financed by federal tax dollars.

The problems New York City is encountering have been an everyday challenge for cities along America’s southern border since the Biden administration took office. These problems have been ignored by Democrat leaders in other parts of the country. Now that the illegal aliens are moving north, some Democrat leaders are beginning to notice the problem.

On July 17th, Fox News reported:

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss the persistent homelessness problem plaguing her city.

Host Margaret Brennan brought up a Washington Post report that suggested homeless shelters are now being filled with illegal immigrants being bused in from Texas and Arizona.

Bowser admitted that it’s a “significant issue” and called on the federal government to get more involved as she fears illegal immigrants are being “tricked” into traveling to her city.

On April 6th, I quoted a report from The New York Post:

The White House has quietly resumed its after-dark charter flights of underage migrants to a suburban airport north of New York City — after a Post expose led to their suspension last year.

The Post watched as a group of migrant teens got off an Avelo Airlines plane that arrived at the Westchester County Airport near White Plains at 9:25 p.m. Thursday. The group then boarded three waiting buses that drove off about 50 minutes later.

The Democrats are all for illegal immigration until it comes to their city.

 

Avoiding A Possible Solution

When America cut her energy production, the price of oil and gas soared. When the price of oil and gas soared, the amount of money going into Russia increased dramatically. Russian gas and oil money are now being used to fund the invasion of Ukraine. So what is the best way to end that invasion? Cut off the money.

On Friday, One America News reported:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged NATO leaders to take immediate action using the SWIFT international payments system to impact Russia’s President Putin and his regime, his office said following a call with NATO leaders on Friday.

Johnson urged leaders to take immediate action with SWIFT “to inflict maximum pain on President Putin and his regime,” his office said on Friday.

Not allowing Russia to use SWIFT would definitely stop the flow of money into Russia.

On Thursday, The Hill reported:

President Biden on Thursday defended maintaining Russia’s access to an international messaging system for banks despite pressure from Ukrainian leaders.

The U.S., United Kingdom and European Union on Thursday announced strict new penalties on the Russian economy, financial institutions and influential elites close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the Western allies did not bar Moscow from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), even after Ukrainian government officials urged them to do so Thursday morning.

“It is always an option, but right now that’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take,” Biden told reporters after announcing new sanctions Thursday.

…The Biden administration also announced plans to impose sanctions on individuals and entities in Belarus, accusing the nation of supporting and facilitating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Banks across the world use SWIFT to finalize transactions and transfers. Cutting Russia off from SWIFT would make it incredibly difficult for its banks to operate efficiently, but could also wreak economic havoc for European nations who depend on Russian oil and natural gas exports.

I would like to note that the European nations would not be dependent on Russian oil if the Biden administration had continued President Trump’s policy of American energy independence. There were a lot of bad decisions made by the Biden administration that led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

When The Cover-Up Unravels

On Saturday, American Greatness posted an article about the information labeled ‘misinformation’ at the beginning of the Covid crisis that has turned out to be true.

The article reports:

Tellingly, the demands to censor Joe Rogan rarely identify the supposed “misinformation” he peddled. Even more tellingly, the censors totally fail to acknowledge that Rogan-promoted “conspiracy theories” have a better track record than many of the articles of faith his critics promoted.

Let’s start at the beginning. In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, a “conspiracy theory” emerged suggesting that the dread COVID-19 virus actually escaped from the Wuhan virology lab that studied coronaviruses. Vox warned

With more and more people searching online for information about the coronavirus outbreak, they can easily encounter a barrage of misleading and potentially dangerous information. And the WHO, which has also released its own ‘myth-busting’ resources, is warning that misinformation about the novel coronavirus has caused harmful stigmatization and discrimination. In the US, for instance, there is a growing number of reports about misinformation fueling racism against Asian Americans.

Facebook and other social media then censored posts that suggested the virus originated in the Wuhan lab.

As Rogan recently noted, Newsweek and several other outlets later reported, “the pileup of circumstantial evidence pointing to the Wuhan lab kept growing—until it became too substantial to ignore,”

The article concludes:

Joe Rogan and Spotify aren’t in trouble for disseminating false information. They’re in trouble for embarrassing the media and government officials who themselves have pushed false information and bad policy. That’s why the powers that be are resorting to censorship instead of rebuttal. It’s easy to understand their panic. As I wrote in 2020, “If social media wants to play doctor, they should prepare to be sued for malpractice.” 

Hundreds of thousands of Americans died from COVID, some of whom might have lived if social media hadn’t blocked legitimate information about therapeutics. When COVID finally abates, they will no longer be able to justify censorship to “protect” public health. Let the lawsuits begin.

Meanwhile, a very short article appeared at One America News on Monday. The article reported:

MRNA technology inventor Dr. Robert Malone is questioning suspicious behavior by Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health care officials ahead of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a recent interview, Dr. Malone cited a report by the Epoch Times, which found Fauci and his colleagues had secret meetings in late 2019. They also reportedly had extensive conversations using burner phones at the time.

Interesting.

Good News From Texas

On January 5th, One America News posted an article about a new COVID-19 vaccine.

The article reports:

Texas scientists rolled out a new COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s patent-free and can be produced by any manufacturer in any country. The vaccine, called Corbevax, was developed by the Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.

It has successfully passed human trials as safe and effective. The new treatment is based off protein-based technology that has been used in other vaccines for decades and it does not use MRNA.

India has already authorized production of 100 million doses per month of the new vaccine. Meanwhile, Texas scientists say not-for-profit vaccines will help defeat COVID-19 quicker.

…The Corbevax vaccine was found to be at least 80 percent efficient against the Delta strain and it’s said to be as effective as other vaccines against Omicron.

This is great news. There are some questions about the risk involved in MRNA vaccines. It is also evident that the money from big pharma has been involved in some of the decisions regarding vaccines and treatments for Covid-19. Since there is no patent on this vaccine, it will be interesting to see what happens. The first thing to watch for is how widely the discovery is reported in the mainstream media.

Who Is In And Who Is Out At The White House Briefing Room

On December 17th, the new White House briefing room seating chart was unveiled. A website called Deadline posted the details. If this is the most transparent administration in history, they sure are transparent about removing press that does not follow the mainstream media narrative from the room.

The article reports:

On Friday, the White House Correspondents Association unveiled its new seating chart for the space, with such outlets as The Grio, The Washington Blade, local station groups and business networks are getting assigned seats. Outlets like One America News Network, BuzzFeed and The New York Daily News no longer have assigned seats compared to the last revision in 2017.

The changes will take effect as of Jan. 3.

In a letter to members, WHCA President Steve Portnoy wrote that criteria for seating assignments included long-standing service on the beat, “ensuring that the seats are dependably filled, as assigned” and “seeing to it that the briefing room reflects the country it covers.”

…“To enhance diversity in the briefing room, assignments have been given to organizations that target Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ audiences, as well as readership and viewership that lies across the ideological spectrum,” wrote Portnoy, White House correspondent for CBS News Radio. “The WHCA has also for the first time granted seat assignments to local television station groups, which reach viewers in markets across America.  Additionally, business networks that have covered the White House for years have finally been granted spots on our chart.”

The most visible seats are, obviously, in the first row, and those assignments have not changed: NBC News, FOX News, CBS News, AP, ABC News, Reuters and CNN. Nor has the second row: The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Radio, Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times and USA Today.

The organizations new to the seating chart from 2017: Telemundo, CNBC, The Grio, Fox Business, Nexstar, Newsy, Gray TV, EWTN, Cheddar, Hearst, Spectrum, Newsweek, The Daily Caller and The Washington Blade. All are sharing seats.

I wonder when the idea of diversity will actually include diversity of opinion.

Taking Down The Guardrails

As much as I have at times hated the Senate filibuster, I have come to regard it as a necessary evil. When the Senate is split between the two parties, the filibuster forces negotiations. Sometimes that does not end well–the pork flows–but other times a worthwhile compromise is reached or a radical piece of legislation is avoided. The filibuster does have some basic validity. However, there are those who would like to move it out of the way in order to pass a law that is obviously unconstitutional.

On January 3rd, One America News reported the following:

The U.S. Senate will vote this month on whether to change its rules to make it easier to pass a bill protecting voting rights, top Democrat Chuck Schumer said on Monday, days before the anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6 attack the Capitol building.

Schumer said the narrowly Democratic-controlled chamber needed to consider a change to its filibuster https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-10-06 rule after a wave of Republican-led states last year passed new restrictions on voting, inspired by Republican former President Donald Trump’s false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread fraud.

“Much like the violent insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly one year ago, Republican officials in states across the country have seized on the former president’s Big Lie about widespread voter fraud to enact anti-democratic legislation,” Schumer said in a letter to Democratic senators on Monday. “We can and must take strong action to stop this anti-democratic march.”

First of all, voter id requirements do not restrict voting. In America, 99.9 percent of Americans have some form of photo identification, and photo identification is violable free in states where it is required. This is not a voting rights bill–this is a protect-the-Democrat-majority bill.

Article I Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states:

SECTION. 4.

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for
Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each
State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at
any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as
to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and
such Meeting shall be [on the first Monday in December,]*
unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

The voting rights bill will protect voter fraud. I will be the end of our two-party system as mail in ballots will be universally used to create a Democrat majority whether it actually exists or not. This is a bad bill that needs to be stopped.

Vaccine Mandates In America

On Wednesday One America News reported that Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) has stated that a number of Democrats will be joining the efforts to strike down the vaccine mandates planned by the Biden administration. The Senator stated, “It gets every senator, every House member on record, so I think it’s going to make it tough for Biden to keep pushing forward when it was a bad idea to begin with.” We need to get every senator and every House member on the record for every vote. Transparency is part of the solution to our currently run-amok government.

The Senator also stated, “Any swing state senator, anybody that is listening to their people back home…this doesn’t poll when its vaccine or job and even when you say vaccine or get tested for a job, most of the people who are digging in, regardless of their reasons, aren’t viewing it as an option.”

The article concludes:

Braun cited a poll by Axios that found only 14 percent of Americans support vaccine mandates. He also highlighted the ongoing litigation to outlaw Biden’s mandates.

Opposing the mandates does not mean that you oppose the vaccine. It simply means that you oppose the concept of forcing people to take a shot they do not want. Also, the mandates make no allowance for natural immunity. If you are ‘following the science,’ that allowance needs to be made.

 

This Is Not A Surprise To Anyone Who Has Been Paying Attention

One America News is reporting the following today:

U.S. President Joe Biden’s global energy security adviser said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting close to using natural gas as a political tool if Russia is holding back fuel exports to Europe as it suffers an energy crunch.

“I think we are getting close to that line if Russia indeed has the gas to supply and it chooses not to, and it will only do so if Europe accedes to other demands that are completely unrelated,” Amos Hochstein, Biden’s adviser, told reporters, when asked if Putin was using gas as a weapon.

Hochstein said gas prices in Europe have been driven higher not just by events in the region but also by a dry season in China that has reduced energy output from hydropower and increased global competition for natural gas.

Still, while a number of factors have led to the European gas crisis, Russia is best placed to come to the aid of Europe, he said.

“There is no doubt in my mind, and the (International Energy Agency) has itself validated, that the only supplier that can really make a big difference for European energy security at the moment for this winter is Russia,” Hochstein said.

He said Russia can increase upstream production of gas, and should do it quickly through existing pipelines.

Under the Trump administration, America was approaching the point where its natural gas exports would be a counter to the energy blackmail Russia has historically practiced. Ending America’s energy independence will be looked on in the future as one of the biggest mistakes made by the Biden administration.

Some Good News For America

One America News is reporting today that on Friday Intel Corp broke ground in Arizona for two new factories.

The article reports:

The $20 billion plants – dubbed Fab 52 and Fab 62 – will bring the total number of Intel factories at its campus in Chandler, Arizona, to six. They will house Intel’s most advanced chipmaking technology and play a central role in the Santa Clara, California-based company’s effort to regain its lead in making the smallest, fastest chips by 2025, after having fallen behind rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd.

The new Arizona plants will also be the first Intel has built from the ground up with space reserved for outside customers. Intel has long made its own chips, but its turnaround plan calls for taking on work for outsiders such as Qualcomm Inc Amazon.com’s cloud unit, as well as deepening its manufacturing relationship with the U.S. military.

“We want to have more resilience to the supply chain,” Intel Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger, who earlier in the week attended a White House meeting on the global chip shortage, told Reuters in an interview. “As the only company on U.S. soil that can do the most advanced lithography processes in the world, we are going to step up in a big way.”

Gelsinger said it was too early to say how much of the new plants’ capacity would be reserved for outside customers. He said the plants would produce “thousands” of wafers per week.

Wafers are the silicon discs on which chips are made, and each can hold hundreds or even thousands of chips.

It’s time to bring chip manufacturing back to America (along with a lot of other manufacturing–pharmaceuticals, athletic shoes, steel, wallboard, pet food, covid masks, etc.). Experience has shown us that not all products manufactured in China live up to American manufacturing standards and are safe for consumption in America.

Trying To Establish Legitimacy

Yesterday One America News reported that the Taliban has asked to address the United Nations in New York this week. They have nominated Doha-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s UN Ambassador. There is a problem with that–Ghulam Isaczai is already Afghanistan’s UN Ambassador.

The article reports:

The Taliban have asked to address world leaders at the United Nations in New York this week and nominated their Doha-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s U.N. ambassador, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the request in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday. Muttaqi asked to speak during the annual high-level meeting of the General Assembly, which finishes on Monday.

Guterres’ spokesperson, Farhan Haq, confirmed Muttaqi’s letter. The move sets up a showdown with Ghulam Isaczai, the U.N. ambassador in New York representing Afghanistan’s government ousted last month by the Taliban.

Haq said the rival requests for Afghanistan’s U.N. seat had been sent to a nine-member credentials committee, whose members include the United States, China and Russia. The committee is unlikely to meet on the issue before Monday, so it is doubtful that the Taliban foreign minister will address the world body.

Eventual U.N. acceptance of the ambassador of the Taliban would be an important step in the hardline Islamist group’s bid for international recognition, which could help unlock badly needed funds for the cash-strapped Afghan economy.

Guterres has said that the Taliban’s desire for international recognition is the only leverage other countries have to press for inclusive government and respect for rights, particularly for women, in Afghanistan.

The Taliban letter said Isaczai’s mission “is considered over and that he no longer represents Afghanistan,” said Haq.

Until a decision is made by the credentials committee Isaczai will remain in the seat, according to the General Assembly rules. He is currently scheduled to address the final day of the meeting on Sept. 27, but it was not immediately clear if any countries might object in the wake of the Taliban letter.

The Taliban is a terrorist regime, but they are no less a terrorist regime than Iran. How many UN member countries are ruled by tyrants or dictators? The United Nations was supposed to be a beacon of freedom and peace. Instead it has become a place where terrorists and dictators come to be given legitimacy. It really is time for America to leave the United Nations and ask the United Nations to leave America.

Be Careful Of The Spin

I don’t claim to be able to predict the future, but I am reasonably good at observing trends in the media. The next step by the collective voice of the mainstream media will be to attempt to paint the Taliban of today as different from the Taliban that we have known historically. They will be portrayed as the kinder, gentler Taliban. Please note the video in the previous article. The reporter notes that the Taliban soldiers are shouting “death to America,” but they seem friendly at the same time. That is a foretaste of the mainstream media reporting to come. Expect to see an attempt to portray the Taliban as simply patriotic Afghani people in the near future.

Today, One America News posted an article with the headline, “Taliban tries to appear inclusive in first press conference since taking control.” The Taliban knows how to play the American media.

There are a few things that are noteworthy in the article:

Of the various networks that attended the conference, many conveyed the same message. That message was that the Taliban is trying to come off as more moderate and less violent than before.

Mujahid attempted to paint a picture of a simple bureaucratic shift as if the last several weeks of bloodshed was merely a political procedure used in place of democratic elections. “A new government is about to be founded,” said Mujahid. “After completing a series of political procedures, we will hold a meeting with the leaders of various political factions and witness the birth of a political agreement. Then a strong Islamic government acceptable to everyone shall be established.”

…He went on to claim that things would be different this time around and that the people of Afghanistan had nothing to fear. However, the people of Afghanistan and the rest of the nation have begged to differ.

Mujahid also claimed the treatment of women in the Afghan society would be different, stating they would not be subjected to violence and would be given the opportunity to even participate in the Taliban’s new government. Although, a former family court judge who fled the Taliban, Marzia Babakarkhail, said those are empty promises.

The Taliban leaders have also stated that women would be given rights within the scope of Sharia Law. Essentially that means that women will have no rights.

This is not a kinder, gentler Taliban. There is no such thing. Prepare yourself for horror stories about the atrocities committed by the Taliban as they take over Afghanistan.

Follow The Money

As I have previously stated, I have wondered why the emphasis in dealing with the coronavirus is on vaccines (and now booster shots) rather than treatments and the natural immunity people have from having recovered from the virus. I think I have found at least part of the answer to that question.

One America News posted an article today with the following headline, “Pfizer, Moderna seen reaping billions from COVID-19 vaccine booster market.”

The article reports:

Drugmakers Pfizer Inc, BioNTech and Moderna Inc are expected to reap billions of dollars from COVID-19 booster shots in a market that could rival the $6 billion in annual sales for flu vaccines for years to come, analysts and healthcare investors say.

For several months, the companies have said they expect that fully inoculated people will need an extra dose of their vaccines to maintain protection over time and to fend off new coronavirus variants.

Now a growing list of governments, including Chile, Germany and Israel, have decided to offer booster doses to older citizens or people with weak immune systems in the face of the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Late on Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a booster dose of vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc for people with compromised immune systems.

Pfizer, along with its German partner BioNTech, and Moderna have together locked up over $60 billion in sales of the shots just in 2021 and 2022. The agreements include supply of the initial two doses of their vaccines as well as billions of dollars in potential boosters for wealthy nations.

Going forward, analysts have forecast revenue of over $6.6 billion for the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and $7.6 billion for Moderna in 2023, mostly from booster sales. They eventually see the annual market settling at around $5 billion or higher, with additional drugmakers competing for those sales.

The vaccine makers say that evidence of waning antibody levels in vaccinated people after six months, as well as an increasing rate of breakthrough infections in countries hit by the Delta variant, support the need for booster shots.

Some early data suggests that the Moderna vaccine, which delivers a higher dose at the outset, may be more durable than Pfizer’s shot, but more research is needed to determine whether that is influenced by the age or underlying health of the people vaccinated.

As a result, it is far from clear how many people will need boosters, and how often. The profit potential of booster shots may be limited by the number of competitors who enter the market. In addition, some scientists question whether there is enough evidence that boosters are needed, particularly for younger, healthy people. The World Health Organization has asked governments to hold off on booster shots until more people worldwide receive their initial doses.

The article concludes:

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around how boosters would be rolled out in the United States. Still, it is possible or even likely that people will be boosted with different vaccines than they were originally vaccinated with. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is already testing mixed boosting, and other countries that have used so-called mix and match vaccination have not had problems with that strategy.

One factor that could curb prices is if the U.S. government continues paying for most or all of the shots administered in the country, rather than leave it in the hands of private health insurers. In that scenario, the government would still be negotiating prices directly with vaccine makers, and could use its buying power to stave off price increases.

Bijan Salehizadeh, managing director at healthcare investment firm Navimed Capital, said the U.S. government is likely going to want to keep paying in order to keep vaccination rates high and prevent new COVID surges, particularly if a Democratic administration is still in power.

“It’s going to be paid for until the virus disappears or mutates to be less virulent,” Salehizadeh said.

Whatever happened to herd immunity?

A Scary Statement

Yesterday One America News posted an article about a recent statement made by Charles Munger, Vice Chairman of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.

The article reports:

Charles Munger, Vice Chairman of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, has suggested the U.S. needs to act more like the Chinese Communist Party when it comes to banking. In an interview on Wednesday, the 97-year-old billionaire claimed American free enterprise led to mass suffering from the 2008 crash.

When asked about the mysterious disappearance of Alibaba CEO Jack Ma as an issue with Chinese economics, Munger doubled down on his pro CCP rhetoric.

“Well yes, but Jack Ma’s one of the swingers. So they just cut his, they said to hell with you,” he expressed. “He basically gave a speech when he said to one party state, you guys are a bunch of jerks, don’t know what you’re doing and I know what I’m doing and I’m going to do it better.”

…Munger went on to criticize the U.S. free-market economy by saying too many people have the ability to “go to this gross excess,” which he argued the Chinese Communist Party takes beneficial preventative measures against.

Mr. Munger needs to be reminded that it is not the government’s job to prevent “gross excess.” It should also be noted that it is very unlikely that Mr. Munger would be allowed to amass a billion dollars under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party or that he would be able to achieve success based on the merits of his own efforts rather than simply finding political favor. The man has obviously forgotten that the very freedom he is condemning is what allowed him to become the success that he became. Would Mr. Munger like to live under the policies of the  Chinese Communist Party as an ordinary citizen?

Preparing The Way For “The Ministry Of Truth”

One America News posted an article today with the following headline, “White House supports social media’s ability to silence ‘misinformation.'”

The article reports:

According to the White House, social media companies have the responsibility of shutting down misinformation. During a press conference Wednesday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about Facebook’s decision to uphold its ban of President Trump.

The obvious question here is, “Who decides exactly what is misinformation?”

The article continues:

Specifically, she was asked if Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle a former president, what’s to stop them from silencing anyone? Psaki said she had no comment on Trump, but said Joe Biden’s view is that the major platforms have the job to stop amplifying “untrustworthy content.”

“His view is that there’s more that needs to be done to ensure that this type of misinformation, disinformation, damaging, sometimes life threatening information is not going out to the American public,” stated the press secretary.

Remember–this is the same press secretary that has stated that President Biden is simply cleaning up the mess at the southern border that President Trump created. Has anyone bothered to censor her misinformation?

 

Not Surprising, But What Should Be Done About It?

One America News is reporting today that the ballot counters auditing the Presidential election in Arizona are finding evidence of systematic fraud.

The article reports:

On Sunday, forensic experts confirmed they are examining thousands of ballots cast in November as part of the audit in the Grand Canyon State. They are using ultra-violet lights to search for ballot watermarks and weed-out phony ballots.

Additionally, auditors have been split into several groups with some examining mail-in ballots and others inspecting ballot folders, envelopes along with other related items. Officials said evidence of systemic fraud has already started to show.

Democrat Party officials have tried to challenge the audit in court and they are deploying their operatives in the mainstream media in an attempt downplay the severity of election fraud as well as discredit Republican challenges to election security.

Arizona Republicans were able to continue the audit after thwarting Democrat attempts to derail the audit this weekend. On Friday, Democrats filed a temporary restraining order to stop auditors from counting the ballots. They later retreated from their position after a judge ordered them to pay $1 million if they lost their legal challenge.

The chair of the Arizona GOP, Dr. Kelly Ward, commented on the victory and gave insight into what’s to come. She said the state’s Supreme Court is set to make a decision to prevent Democrat attempts to stop the audit. The Arizona justices believe an audit is a constitutional right that protects election integrity and ensures the separation of powers.

The obvious question here is what should be done if provable fraud is found? Can actions be taken to prevent similar fraud in future elections? We need to find those responsible for the fraud and make an example of them. Serious jail time is in order.

The article concludes:

Meanwhile, Trump-era trade advisor Peter Navarro has been looking ahead to a similar audit in Georgia. He predicts an audit would likely reveal election fraud in the 2020 election just as it is in Arizona. Navarro added, the scale of voter fraud in Georgia is “much larger than in Arizona” and cited preliminary estimates.

The former Trump administration advisor believes election officials let fraud slide through due to collusion between Georgia officials and Democrat Party operatives. He stressed these audit will reveal patterns of systemic fraud that were used by Democrats in battleground states last year.

If we find systematic provable fraud, what is the next step?

Does A Country Have The Right To Protect Itself From Annihilation?

Yesterday One America News posted an article about a recent action by Israel regarding Iran’s nuclear program. There is little doubt that as soon as Iran has a reliable nuclear weapon with a reliable delivery system it will strike Israel. That would fit in perfectly with the religious leaders’ idea that they need to create chaos in order to hasten the return of ‘the mshdi,’ their Messianic figure.

The article reports:

Commemorating Israel’s independence day on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the fight against Iran’s nuclearization. This came after reports suggested Israeli hackers caused a blackout on Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility.

Iranian officials called the blackout an act of “nuclear terror.”

However, Netanyahu called Israel’s nuclear disarmament efforts a matter of national security and regional stability.

“The fight against Iran’s nuclearization and its proxies is a massive task. The situation that exists today doesn’t mean it will be the same situation tomorrow,” Netanyahu stated. “It is very difficult to explain what we have done here, in this transition from nothingness to being the world power, yes, world power which we’ve built here.”

Creating obstacles to Iran’s nuclear program is probably the only way Israel can hope to survive as a nation. They understand that they will be the first target. A successful strike on Israel will then become Iran’s ticket to blackmailing the rest of the world with the threat of another nuclear strike.

Congress Evidently Has It’s Own Concept Of Reality

Yesterday One America News posted an article about some recent comments by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Speaker Pelosi stated that she blames President Trump and climate change for the current border crisis (she refuses to call it a crisis–she refers to it as a “humanitarian challenge.”

The article reports:

She said the Biden administration inherited a broken system, and even went as far as to say migrants were fleeing Central America because of so-called “climate change.”

“My most recent trip to the Northern Triangle, that would be Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, you saw the impact of the climate change,” Pelosi stated. “Mind you, these people were leaving because of the drought they couldn’t farm.”

Critics are now pointing out how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been promising amnesty to illegal migrants, ultimately enticing the thousands of people to flood the United States in droves.

When you stop construction of the border wall and dangle amnesty in front of people in incredibly poor countries, they see hope for a better life by coming to America without waiting in line. I don’t blame them for wanting a better life, but breaking the law to enter a country is not a good way to start your life there. We are sending large amounts of money to the countries these migrants are from, and obviously the money is doing nothing to help the people in those countries. It is time not only to review our immigration policies but also to review our foreign aid policies. If the money we are sending is only going to corrupt leaders and not to the people who need it, why should we send money?

Voting As A Moderate Only When It Doesn’t Matter

One America News posted an article today about the vote on the Senate vote on the coronavirus relief package. The article notes that Senator Joe Manchin voted for the relief package despite the fact that he has stated in the past he would not support any bills based exclusively on his party affiliation. It is becoming obvious that Senator Manchin votes with the Democrats when it matters. He only votes with the Republicans when his vote has no impact on the outcome.

The article notes:

He also claimed to oppose partisan politics and called for a new era of bipartisanship. However, on Saturday, Manchin voted in favor of the $1.9 trillion bill, which passed the Senate in a 50-to-49 vote along party lines.

…Reports have also found Manchin allegedly only voted to support the stimulus package because the bill was changed to his liking and due to political pressure by the Biden administration.

The Covid Relief Bill is a bloated nightmare.

The Epoch Times reported the following yesterday:

Democrats rejected all but three Republican amendments to the $1.9 trillion relief bill, which cleared the Senate in a partisan vote on March 6.

One Republican amendment to be adopted as part of the marathon vote-a-rama session that lasted more than 24 hours was amendment #1092 on reducing the unemployment insurance plus-up from $400 to $300, introduced by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

Portman’s amendment, which provided the extra jobless benefit until July 18, was short-lived, however. About an hour later, Democrats passed their own related amendment, which overrode Portman’s by extending the benefits through Sept. 6.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) voted with all 49 Republican senators present to approve Portman’s amendment, although he later voted with his Democratic colleagues on the superseding amendment that additionally made the first $10,200 in unemployment benefits tax-free for some households.

The article at The Epoch Times concludes:

The Senate ultimately approved the $1.9 trillion stimulus package with all 50 Democrats voting for, and all present Republicans voting against. Alaska’s Dan Sullivan had to leave to go home for the funeral of his father-in-law.

The bill, also known as the American Rescue Plan or H.R. 1319, was approved by the House on Feb. 27 by a vote of 219–212, with all Republicans and two Democrats voting against it.

The bill will be returned to the House for reconciliation, which is expected to happen early this week.

This is a bad bill and will probably not be improved by the reconciliation process.