From my friends at Power Line Blog:
Reply
Author Archives: granny g
Re-Evaluating Coastal Wind Energy
On Wednesday, The Washington Free Beacon posted an article about President Trump’s halting construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordering a sprawling review of existing offshore wind permits.
The re-evaluation of coastal wind energy is a good idea. One of the blades in the wind farm off of New England broke apart and contaminated oysters and mussels with hazardous fiberglass particles that can cause harm to humans (article here). Another windmill was hit by lightning, also causing damage to the environment.
The article at The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday to order foreign energy developer Equinor to cease all construction activities on its Empire Wind project, according to a memorandum obtained by the Free Beacon. Burgum said the Biden administration green-lit permits for the project and ultimately approved it without conducting proper analysis.
“Approval for the project was rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects from the project,” Burgum wrote. He said the halt on Empire Wind will be in effect indefinitely until further review is completed to “address these serious deficiencies.”
Burgum additionally ordered Interior Department staff to continue a review of federal wind permitting practices related to both existing and pending permits and approvals.
…But the memorandum Wednesday is a significant victory for the fishing industry, wildlife advocates, and local grassroots groups that have vociferously opposed offshore wind development. Critics argue the planned industrialization of American oceans will devastate marine-based industries, harm wildlife like whales, interfere with military operations, and disrupt scenic beach views that are critical for tourism revenue in coastal communities.
Heeding those arguments and following through on a central campaign promise, President Donald Trump paused new approvals, permits, leases, and loans for wind projects until the Department of the Interior completes a full assessment of how such projects were approved under the Biden administration. Burgum’s halt of the Empire Wind project represents the first action of its kind since Trump ordered that review three months ago.
There may come a day in the future when offshore wind energy is a good idea, but we are not there yet. The number of dead whales who washed ashore during the construction of wind farms should have been enough to stop their construction.
Good News About The American Economy
On Wednesday, CNBC reported that retail sales were up during the month of March.
The article reports:
Points
- The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% on the month, better than the 1.2% Dow Jones estimate and higher than the 0.2% increase in February.
- Excluding autos, the numbers also were stronger than expected, with sales up 0.5% compared with the 0.3% forecast.
Consumer spending was stronger than expected in March as demand remained high despite declining sentiment, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% on the month, better than the 1.2% Dow Jones estimate and higher than the 0.2% increase in February. The year-over-year rise was 4.6%, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality but not prices, while the monthly increase was the biggest since January 2023.
Excluding autos, the numbers also were stronger than expected, with sales up 0.5% compared with the 0.3% forecast. Economists expected the auto sales number to jump as buyers tried to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers reported a surge of 5.3% in sales.
The reading points to spending holding strong despite the crosscurrents of looming tariffs and expectations that the economy is weakening.
Obviously, part of the increase is due to the fear that as the tariffs kick in, prices will increase. However, it does indicate that Americans have enough trust in the future to buy things.
The article concludes:
The retail report counters multiple recent sentiment readings that show widespread fear that Trump’s tariffs will sink the economy into recession and spike prices. Last week, the closely watched University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey posted its second-lowest reading ever and expectations for one-year inflation were the highest since 1981.
Aside from the big move in auto-related sales, sporting goods, hobby and music stores saw a 2.4% increase, while building material and garden stores rose 3.3%. Food service and drinking places were up 1.8%, while gasoline stations reported a 2.5% decline as prices fell during the month.
As gas prices go down, consumers have more money to spend. That also may be part of the increase in retail sales.
Moving Left While The Voters Move Toward The Center
There is a political divide in America. There is also a political divide in the Democrat party. There are some Democrats who quietly support ending government waste and ending open borders, and there are some Democrats that want to continue to failed policies of President Biden and President Obama. Unfortunately, the party seems to have chosen to move further left, away from its base, rather than moving toward the center. The Democrats are no longer the party of the working man. They are the party of people traveling in private jets railing at the oligarchy and wanting to ‘tax the rich.’
On Wednesday, PJ Media reported:
…There’s been a slow-moving coup… but nobody’s noticed!
It’s tied to the larger political realignment nationally: Under the MAGA banner, the GOP has evolved into the party of the working man. The Bush-era days of country club conservatives has come and gone (assuming the club isn’t Mar-a-Lago, of course). We’ve gone from Wall Street to Main Street.
But the Democratic Party is realigning, too.
Liberals are frothing in furious rage — and not only at Republicans. A record number have lost faith in the Democratic Party. Its favorability has never been this dismal. Liberals are begging — pleading — for new leaders and a new direction. Even in New York, 53% of Democrats want to fire the Democrats’ Senate leader… who is FROM New York. (Sorry, Chuck Schumer.) This isn’t normal behavior.
There’s never been a better time for an outsider to seize control.
Our first big story is the Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) whistlestop tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). (In honor of Bernie Sanders, I hereby dub it the B.S. tour.) Although they’ve been generating headlines for the size of their enormous crowds — even in ruby-red districts — that’s not the most meaningful part.
There’s a consensus forming amongst their supporters: They want to go to war.
Liberals are demanding to be represented by a fighter. Among Democratic voters, an overwhelming majority — 72% — want someone “more aggressive” to battle Trump. Less than a third (28%) sought a “moderate” approach.
The liberal base will choose the most aggressive, fiery liberal candidate. Moderates need not apply.
The article notes that David Hogg, the current Vice-Chairman of the Democrat party, is planning to primary any moderate Democrat currently in office. The goal is a radical Democrat party with as its leader. It will be interesting to see how the voters react to this.
Changes To Social Security
Don’t freak out over that headline. The changes I am talking about are good news for everyone who is currently collecting or plans to collect social security in the future.
On Tuesday (updated Wednesday) The Epoch Times reported:
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on April 15 directing several federal agencies to take measures to prevent Social Security payments from going to ineligible people such as illegal immigrants and fraudsters.
The memorandum was directed at the Social Security Administration inspector general, the Social Security commissioner, the attorney general, and the secretaries of labor, health and human services, and homeland security.
Meanwhile, the commissioner is directed to cooperate with the attorney general to expand the SSA’s full-time fraud prosecutor program specifically targeting identity theft and beneficiary-side fraud to at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices by Oct. 1.
The memo also “establishes a Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution program in 15 U.S. Attorney offices,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing.
Department heads are ordered to prioritize the placement of prosecutors in both programs to the offices whose jurisdiction has been determined by Homeland Security to cover the top 10 largest known populations of illegal immigrants.
The memo also directs the inspector general of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to investigate earnings reports for individuals over the age of 100. Earlier this year the Department of Government Efficiency reported that hundreds of eligible Social Security recipients were found to be well over a century old.
In another article posted Tuesday (updated Wednesday), The Epoch Times reported another change to Social Security:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has rolled out “enhanced technology” to detect suspicious activity in telephone claims or banking changes. The new technology will strengthen identification verification, preventing fraud.
The SSA had initially planned to roll out new identity proofing policies in March, but pushback from beneficiaries and advocates delayed it. The policies have gone through two changes so far. So, what are these ID proofing policy changes, and how will they affect you?
The second article concludes:
Social Security benefits are often a target of thieves. And diverting benefits from a recipient’s account to a fraudulent one has been going on for many years.
The SSA is making an effort to stop the fraud by modernizing its phone system with enhanced technology. Using the new technology allows the agency to identify anomalies in the claimant’s account.
In addition, the use of the AVS will not only prevent fraudulent banking changes but also expedite processing. Overall, Social Security beneficiaries and new claimants will still have the convenience of phoning while still preventing fraud.
As someone who is married to a person in Information Technology (IT), I am suspicious of any change to a computer program. There are almost always glitches. I am hoping that the new fraud detection protocols have been thoroughly tested. If these new protocols are successful in eliminating the majority of fraud in the Social Security program, they will extend the lifespan of the program for years.
Dealing With The Leaks
The first Trump administration had a major problem with people in the administration leaking to the press. Generally these were not leaks that in any way helped the administration. Many of them were quite damaging. It seems as if the second Trump administration has learned some lessons from the first Trump administration.
On Tuesday, The Daily Wire reported:
Dan Caldwell, adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave pending an ongoing investigation into leaks in the Defense Department, The Daily Wire has confirmed.
An official within the Defense Department confirmed the report to Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan on Tuesday.
…Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has employed polygraph testing in her efforts to root out suspected leakers within the DHS. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’ assistant secretary for public affairs, issued a statement to Fox News Digital on that initiative, saying, “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has also taken a hardline stance on potential leakers in the intelligence community, saying in a statement, “Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.”
If you hold an important position in the government, you should not be leaking to the press. It is unprofessional and undermines the administration. There should be a more severe penalty than just losing your job.
There’s No Place Like Home
Author: Michael Speciale
If you have been alive recently, you have seen the chaos emanating from the left–riots when they do not get their way, protests when they do not get their way, and civil disobedience all around when they do not get their way.
According to Collinsdictionary.com, chaos is defined as a ‘state of complete disorder and confusion.
The Democrat Party is in chaos. They are discombobulated, confused, incoherent, and disordered with no clear positions on anything that matters to the bulk of the American people. They are leaderless and defiant, as well as uninformed and intolerant. The Democrat Party is full of racism, sexism, and other isms that are not in harmony with what Americans want from their government.
They protest without knowing what they are protesting, they disagree with anything that President Trump supports, and they have no plan or vision for the future of America. Hating Trump is not a plan, and working against everything that Trump is working for is not a vision.
In short, Democrats are in a quandary. What do they do to prepare for the mid-term elections in 2026, and how do they become competitive in the 2028 Presidential elections?
All indicators are that they will continue to pursue the far-left agenda, ignoring the wishes of the American people, and they will run candidates that are beholden to the woke policies that the left has espoused and implemented for the last four years under former President Biden (former President Biden is a phrase that I couldn’t wait to use).
America has given much to the world in the last 250 years, and our economy and military strength have emboldened other countries to stand up over the last two and a half centuries, set their economies in order, and supplement their military establishments.
Under the right leadership, America and our allies have made the world a better place to live. Things are not perfect, but Utopian societies do not exist, and will never exist until the second coming of Christ. However, technologically and otherwise, human beings around the world live better than they did a couple of centuries ago.
Those of us who have been to other countries and have seen what lies beneath the surface understand that we have it made here in America and that we all need to do our part to make life better for ourselves and for our neighbors. We need to remember that we, in the United States, are Americans, and our heritage is one of pride, achievement, and honor; and we cannot let that devolve into chaos and anarchy. We live free because of 600,000 American lives lost in the cause of ending slavery. We have saved the world from communism, put a man on the moon, found the cure for polio, and built a country along the way.
There are some things worth fighting for, and freedom and liberty will always be worth the fight, but freedom will also remain fragile and will require our support, our vigilance, and our dedication to upholding it, regardless of what the left believes, or how much they try to destroy it.
We need to consider all that America represents and all the problems we have overcome in the past. We will continue to overcome those problems in the future if we stand together and remember what freedom is and what liberty allows us to do to bring about prosperity and a better life for everyone.
In the end, there is no place like home!
From our friends at Townhall:
The Dangers Of Unlimited Immigration
The main reason for limiting immigration is to provide an opportunity for new citizens to assimilate. When large ethnic groups immigrate at the same time, they tend to group together and may have trouble assimilating. I once met a group of people from another country who had settled a particular area of an American city. Because they had not learned English (in their enclave it was not needed), the group included doctors and physicists working as factory workers. That is a serious waste of talent. Almost all European countries have been negatively impacted by the number of immigrants from Muslim countries that have arrived in their countries in recent years and do not share western values.
On Monday, The Gateway Pundit reported:
Once a land shaped by Viking lore and later defined by its austere Protestant ethos, Sweden is now undergoing a dramatic cultural shift, with the number of mosques soaring by 4,200% in less than 25 years—a transformation few could have imagined just a generation ago.
It’s worth noting that the definition of what constitutes a mosque remains unclear—implying the true number could be considerably higher than reported, according to a report by the Swedish news portal Samnytt.
The staggering rise of Muslim houses of worship in Sweden reflects not only shifting religious dynamics but also significant demographic changes. Once a predominantly Lutheran nation, Sweden now sees fewer than half of its population identifying with the Swedish Lutheran Church.
As churches close their doors and the native Swedish birthrate continues to decline, Sweden has seen the number of mosques rise precipitously, from just seven in 2000 to around 300 by 2025.
Another result of the influx of men from the Islamic culture is noted at stastica:
Number of sexual offenses in Sweden 2013-2023, by type
In Sweden, the total number of reported cases of sexual offences increased from 2012 to 2021, before falling somewhat again in 2022. Whereas a total number of over 16,000 sexual offenses were reported in 2013, this had increased to nearly 24,000 by 2023. The highest number of these were cases of sexual harassment, followed by rape. Especially the number of reported cases of rape increased over the period, from 6,000 in 2012 to 9,300 in 2023. This is probably down to an increased awareness about reporting.
The article also notes:
The mosque boom has also reignited debates over national security and integration. The Gothenburg mosque, backed by Saudi funds, has come under fire for promoting misogynistic content. Even more troubling, the Imam Ali mosque in Stockholm has hosted speakers who advocate martyrdom.
National-conservative politicians have seized on the issue. Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats, has called for mosques that promote anti-Swedish or anti-democratic messages to be swiftly shut down.
It will be interesting to see where Sweden is in five years.
More Lies From The Mainstream Media
Reading the headline on a recent article in The New York Times is not only misleading, it’s inaccurate.
On Monday, The Federalist reported:
The New York Times continues to cover up government corruption, on April 11 hitting FBI Director Kash Patel for suspending analyst Brian Auten nearly a decade after Auten helped Democrats frame Donald Trump as a Russian asset. The NYT headline reads, “F.B.I. Suspends Employee on Patel’s So-Called Enemies List,” not something accurate such as “FBI Suspends Employee Who Illegally Abused Government Power To Protect Democrat Presidential Candidates.”
Predictably, other corporate media outlets took the same corrupt angle, notably an April 12 NBC article by “Fusion Ken” Dilanian and Alexandra Marquez.
Actually, that is not what actually happened. Evidently Brian Auten pushed the use of the Steel dossier as a justification for surveillance of the Trump campaign despite being aware that the dossier was verified. The spying and inappropriate behavior by the Justice Department that surrounded the Trump campaign, Trump transition team, and Trump administration makes Watergate look like child’s play. Those responsible for the illegal surveillance need to be held accountable.
The article concludes:
Yet the same NYT that helped the FBI and other intelligence agencies lie to Americans about Spygate, Biden corruption, and numerous other items of public importance clownishly claims in its April 11 article that “The reasons for the suspension [of Brian Auten] remain unclear.” It further alleges Auten’s suspension is political retaliation rather than the potential beginnings of bringing justice to those who dangerously sought to turn the United States into an intelligence dictatorship.
The reporter bylining this article, Adam Goldman, is a Times national security reporter who “has been a journalist for more than two decades.” He cannot not know all of this background or he wouldn’t have this job, and he still wrote a ridiculously idiotic story claiming Auten’s firing is only explainable by political retribution.
This means Goldman is a paid shill for the world’s worst people, not a reporter of any kind. He’s not just a hack; he has no morals at all. New York Times, delenda est.
Hopefully the firing of Auten is only the beginning of holding people accountable for their misdeeds.
Time To Settle J6 Lies Once and For All (Part 2)
Author: Pastor Daimon – CCTA Chairman
I will begin with a correction to the last paragraph from part one last week, I changed the word “unlocked” to “locked” regarding Congressional chamber doors.
Now let us hear the conclusion of the matter.
My family and I first visited the US Capitol Building in 1972 during a school field trip. There was no special clearance to enter, no locked doors, no controlled entry. Visits years later did not have to be a guided tour, but you freely entered just like entering an art museum, no guided tour necessary unless requested.
The fact that the exterior doors were even locked that day spells set up for the “fake,” planned insurrection. It appears that all visits are currently guided tours, whereas that was not always the case. Nevertheless, you can still arrive without reservations by 2:30 and receive a pass to tour the building. Therefore, since it was a normal business day, it appears that Ms. Pelosi may have been correct in her statement caught on video that it was all her responsibility. But what was she talking about? The failure to tell the regular security staff of the Capitol that they were not supposed to open the doors at any time because she had a goon squad to stage a break-in? Or, was it her rejection of the thousands of National Guard to be present in the event of any upheaval?
The security officers on one side of the building heard the knocking, wondered why the doors were locked during business hours, and kindly let the people in and guided them through the building. This, of course, was the opposite side of the building away from the staged “insurrection.” Oh, you didn’t know? Yes…the staged violence was on one side, and most of the real Trump supporters and protester were on the other side. There is also video footage to prove this fact. Of course, I spoke to eyewitnesses and those who were there on J-6. Remember, as our friends were still marching from Mr. Trump’s speech, they were getting those calls of deep concern from family members watching the “insurrection” on television before they even arrived.
Remember this, a real insurrection is usually an armed uprising or revolt against civil authority or government with the purposeful intent of overthrowing that entity. How, may I ask, does one intend to overthrow any government or civil authority without weapons? Hmmm…Some reports say that no weapons were found. Others say that there were possibly 3 weapons found. What??? Three weapons out of tens of thousands of people does not constitute enough to claim that the visitors were armed for a resurrection. Let us be reminded of the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution. Therefore, it is not unusual to find a few guns among thousands of people. But, only 3 guns? The left should be ashamed to say that any weapons were found. Question: Was Ashley Babbit armed–the only individual shot at the Capitol building that day? There were “possibly” other deaths that occurred that day. One by way of heart-attack, another of a drug over-dose, and a few days later, some other heart issues. But no officers died that day as a result of the events at the Capitol building. Maybe we should just do our research, and stop believing the lies until all truth has been unfolded.
Visit: visitthecapital.gov and start your own investigation. You will be surprised.
When You Totally Fail To Read The Room
One of the problems facing the Democrat party is the loss of Democrat voters in Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012). In 2022, 46% of Generation Z voted, and they tended to vote for Democrats. In 2024, about 46% of Generation Z who voted voted for President Trump. Two Democrats, Bernie Sanders and are currently holding rallies around America to encourage Generation Z to become Democrat voters.
On Sunday, Red State reported:
On Saturday, in Los Angeles, faithful agitator and failed commune contributor Bernie Sanders performed his latest “Down With the Oligarchy” act. Joining octogenarian Bernie was his new Tanto, New York Dem Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Also on stage were octogenarian Joan Baez and 79-year-old Neil Young. Add up all those ages, and they’ve collectively lived more years than the USA has been a country.
The appearance of Bernie and AOC together evokes little interest in me. It’s like watching the same “pull my finger” joke. Bernie and his socialist sidekick sang the same tired folk fables about class warfare while lying about Musk and lying about Trump.
I just don’t think that Generation Z has the same hot buttons as the generation that listened to Joan Baez and later to Neil Young. Joan Baez represented the early 1960’s, beginning her professional career at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. Neil Young’s career reflected more of the late 1960’s. The generation that came of age during the 1960’s and early 1970’s was an idealistic generation that wanted to bring peace and happiness to everyone. They also wanted to throw off the shackles of conventional morality. I am not sure either of these goals resonates with Generation Z and the challenges they face. Generation Z has dealt with the Covid crisis–many of them missed out on their high school proms, graduations, etc., and now as young adults are struggling with inflation, high interest rates, and generally the cost of living.
It will be interesting to see how successful this Bernie Sanders/
A Step Forward
The “No Rogue Rulings Act”- has officially passed the U.S. House of Representatives! This law is a major step toward stopping activist judges from blocking the policies American voters voted for.
The law states:
Sec. 1370. Limitation on authority to provide injunctive
“(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any other provision of law, no United States district court shall issue any order providing for injunctive relief, except in the case of such an order that is applicable only to limit the actions of a party to the case before such district court with respect to the party seeking injunctive relief from such district court and non-parties represented by such a party acting in a representative capacity pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
“(b) If a case is brought by two or more States located in different circuits challenging an action by the executive branch, that case shall be referred to a three-judge panel selected pursuant to section 2284, except that the selection of judges shall be random, and not by the chief judge of the circuit. The three-judge panel may issue an injunction that would otherwise be prohibited under subsection (a), and shall consider the interest of justice, the risk of irreparable harm to non-parties, and the preservation of the constitutional separation of powers in determining whether to issue such an order.
Basically this bill brings us closer to Constitutional rule. A district judge does not have more power than an elected President. These judges have power in their own district–not across the entire country.
Hopefully this bill will get through the Senate in the near future.
Things Are Changing Very Quickly
On Sunday, Breitbart posted an article about one of the changes the Trump administration has made regarding the Panama Canal.
The article reports:
… Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had one mission on his trip to Panama — to secure a deal to get “first and free” passage for U.S. ships in the Panama Canal, a critical waterway for the United States’ economy and military that was at risk of falling under China’s control.
As the secretary and his team flew the down from Washington on Monday evening to meet with Panama’s leaders, such a deal with Panama was far from certain.
While the U.S. had built the canal in the early 1900s and maintained it for decades before handing it over to Panama, China had in recent years poured money into projects and infrastructure attached to it. As a passageway between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans that handles more than 40 percent of U.S. maritime trade, if China were able to close the canal, it would be a catastrophe for the U.S.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s mission was a success:
On Wednesday, Hegseth delivered opening remarks at the conference, which was co-hosted by the U.S. and Panama.
It was there that Hegseth announced that the U.S. and Panama would sign a declaration providing a framework for U.S. warships and auxiliary ships to travel “first and free” through the canal, in a huge win for the U.S.
Hegseth and Abrego also agreed to an expanded partnership to secure the canal and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperative security activities between the U.S. and Panamanian militaries, which will see the increase of U.S. troops in Panama.
Asked by Breitbart News if he had accomplished everything he wanted to on the trip, a triumphant Hegseth responded, “This trip not only met but exceeded our expectations. A warm welcome from Panama. Great partnership. Spent a lot of time with their troops. I want to thank Panama for what they’ve done in the Darien Gap as well.”
This is a much needed move by the Trump administration.
The Spies We Love?
On Saturday, The New York Post posted an article about Ming Xi Zhang, known as “Sushi John, Ya Ya Noodles in Montgomery Township, NJ. On March 24, Sushi John was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark.
The article reports:
Zhang was convicted in April 2024 of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and sentenced to three years’ probation. In May 2021, he pleaded guilty to having served as an agent of China in 2016 without notifying the U.S. Attorney General.
ICE says he legally entered the U.S. in 2000 but later “violated the terms of his lawful admission.”
…“Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage or export control against the United States is subject to deportation,” said ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.
Zhang met with Chinese security officials in the Bahamas in 2016 and delivered $35,000 to an unnamed individual in New Jersey, according to NJ.com. He also admitted to twice hosting a Chinese government agent at his Princeton home that fall.
He’s being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center awaiting immigration proceedings, a worker at his restaurant told the Post on Saturday.
“He’s doing good, I mean, given the circumstances,” the worker said. “But yeah, he’s just kind of waiting… to get let out.”
The community surrounding Zhang’s restaurant has apparently rallied around him and his restaurant in the days since his arrest.
“The whole town has been really supportive,” the worker said. “Everyone’s been coming in, offering phone numbers, talking to his family . . . everyone’s really supportive.”
What is wrong with Americans? The man was spying for a country that would very much like to eliminate America and its freedom. During World War II, would they have treated a Nazi spy this well?
The Numbers Keep Growing
On Saturday, Breitbart posted the latest numbers from the Department of Government Efficiency Audit (DOGE) of our federal government. It is very obvious that any oversight on government spending that was supposed to come from Congress or from various inspectors general has not happened.
The article reports:
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has saved U.S. taxpayers roughly $150 billion, according to the latest update.
DOGE updated its website again this week with the latest figures on massive savings for the American people. According to this update, U.S. taxpayer savings now reach $150 billion — up from $140 billion in the last update. That results in a savings of $931.68 per taxpayer.
…The latest wall of receipts displays 7,279 contract terminations totaling $25 billion in savings. For example, it shows a Department of the Interior contract listing Family Endeavors, Inc as the vendor. The description reads:
Office of Refugee Resettlement Influx Care Facility. Influx Care Facility (ICF) for up to 3,000 unaccompanied alien children (UAC). The contract provided facilities and full wraparound child care and case management services.
The cancellation of that contract resulted in $2,902,177,562 in savings, according to DOGE.
DOGE also showcases 9,283 grant terminations totaling $33 billion in savings, as well as 676 lease terminations totaling $400 million in savings.
At the time of this writing, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stood as the federal agency generating the most savings, followed by the Department of Education and General Services Administration. Those generating the least savings include the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, and Department of Veterans Affairs.
How has this waste and fraud continued for so many years without someone becoming aware of it and doing something about it?
The Center Of Fraud
On Saturday, Legal Insurrection posted an article about the location of a large part of the fraud found in unemployment claims.
The article reports:
On Thursday, the Department of Government Efficiency revealed that three deep-blue states—California, New York, and Massachusetts—were responsible for $305 million, or 80%, of the $382 million in fraudulent unemployment payments issued since 2020.
DOGE also reported that 68% of unemployment benefits paid to parolees flagged by Customs and Border Protection as being on the terrorist watchlist or having criminal records were issued in California.
The DOGE team found that $59 million in unemployment benefits was paid to 24,500 people listed as over 115 years old. Another $254 million went to 28,000 people between the ages of 1 and 5, while $69 million was distributed to 9,700 people with birthdates more than 15 years in the future.
It is interesting that California, New York, and Massachusetts were responsible for 80 percent of the fraud. Slightly less than one-third of Americans live in California, Texas, Florida or New York. Having a large population makes it more difficult to track every case and makes fraud easier.
The article also notes:
DOGE also reported this week that since 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol (under the Biden administration) has paroled over 6,300 individuals flagged on the FBI’s terrorist watchlist or with criminal records into the country with “minimal screening.” Though their paroles have now been revoked, all received Social Security numbers and could access federal benefits. Among them:
-
- 905 received Medicaid, including 4 on the terrorist watchlist ($276K paid out)
- 41 collected Unemployment Insurance ($42K total)
- 22 received federal student loans ($280K)
- 409 got tax refunds in 2024 ($751K)
- An undisclosed number received SNAP (food stamps)
I believe in helping people, but I also believe that charity begins at home and ideally does not involve the government. If I want to help my neighbor, good for me. However, for the government to take what I have earned and give it to someone who didn’t earn it is not a viable business plan for a nation. As Margaret Thatcher once stated, “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
From Midwestchick:
One Problem With America’s Financial Situation
On Friday, Breitbart posted an article about some of the abuses in Medicaid, food stamps and income tax returns.
The article reports:
A bombshell report from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) revealed that migrants on the federal government’s “Terrorist Watch List” were able to secure Medicaid after being released into the United States by former President Joe Biden’s administration.
According to DOGE officials, about 6,300 of Biden’s migrants — paroled into the U.S. interior with no immigration status — were either on the Terrorist Watch List or had criminal records and yet were still rewarded work permits and Social Security numbers.
The DOGE report found that 905 of the migrants, including four on the Terrorist Watch List, had been collecting Medicaid benefits totaling $276,000 in American taxpayer dollars. Another 41 were collecting unemployment benefits totaling $42,000.
Similarly, 22 of the migrants received tax refunds in 2024 totaling $751,000 and several more received food stamp benefits.
That’s more than a million dollars that taxpayers should not have had to spend. Americans cannot afford to continue giving money to people who are not American citizens.
As Milton Friedman once stated (article here):
A decade ago, Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Friedman admonished the Wall Street Journal for its idée fixe on open-border immigration policy. “It’s just obvious you can’t have free immigration and a welfare state,” he warned. This remark adds insight to the current debate over immigration in the U.S. Senate.
The article concludes:
This week, DOGE official Antonio Gracias said not only were Biden’s parole migrants taking taxpayer-funded benefits like Medicaid, but thousands were found on a handful of states’ voter rolls.
“We looked at voter rolls and we found that thousands are registered to vote in friendly states. And we looked even further in those friendly states and found that many of those people had actually voted,” Gracias said. “It was shocking to us. If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it … it is shockingly bad.”
The people who voted illegally need to be deported. They have broken the law in coming here illegally, and they have broken the law by voting.
NPR and PBS: What Should Be Done?
Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D
Congress has recently been holding hearings on the National Public Radio (NPR). The issue is whether NPR, and to a lesser extent, its related television organization Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), are politically biased and whether they should continue to receive federal taxpayer funding. President Trump has consistently maintained that these two media outlets are consistently against conservative principles and messages and are strongly biased towards supporting leftist ideology. Let’s take a look at some facts and see what should be done, if anything.
The NPR was created in 1967 by Democrat President Lyndon Johnson, and at the time was totally funded by the federal taxpayer. NPR consisted of a centralized program content and opinion service that was made available to local affiliated stations throughout the country. Their offices are in Washington, D.C. and in Culver City, CA, not exactly centers of conservative thought. Over the years, both NPR and PBS have reduced their dependence on federal taxpayer funding and now receive a majority of their funding from private corporations and individuals. Consequently, the actual burden on the taxpayer is minimal.
The issue of their left-wing bias is more dramatic and, in many ways, more problematic. An examination of their management structure is revealing. Most, if not all, of the members of the board of directors of NPR/PBS are registered Democrats and/or donors. Their current CEO, Katherine Mayer who testified before a Congressional committee, holds an undergraduate degree in Middle East and Islamic Studies and served in the Hillary Clinton State Department. The issue of NPR bias has been raised for many years. In fact, the Reagan administration and Congress in 1983 proposed steps to cease taxpayer funding of NPR because of anti-conservative bias complaints against NPR. Interestingly, over the years there have been surveys and studies showing that NPR does indeed have a bias as alleged. In fact, one of their own staff members, Business Editor, Uri Berliner, documented that bias on several occasions. One occasion was in 2016 when Trump first ran for the presidency. Another incident occurred during the 2020 election when NPR refused to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story, which many political pundits believe was a major factor in Biden being elected. Even the present CEO of NPR, Katherine Mayer, admitted during recent testimony that hiding the Hunter laptop story was an act of bias on the part of NPR and should not have happened. It should be noted that NPR left Twitter after Elon Musk purchased that platform and listed NPR as a government affiliated news source. Guess, they did not like the truth. There is also ample evidence to support the accusation that NPR has been pro-Hamas and the Palestinians, in the current conflict with Israel.
As far as the audience for NPR is concerned, a recent poll showed that 87% of listeners are Democrats and only 12% are Republicans. Clearly, the fact that the broadcast content is favoring one side of the political divide is obvious to the listeners. Of concern is that many of the local stations that broadcast NPR, are affiliated with universities and the listeners are predominantly college graduates/students.
So, what we have here is a leftist biased media platform that was originally started by the federal government that has morphed into a biased left wing media platform funded mostly by private sources. While they may be unduly influencing university students and younger people, the conservative audience appears fully aware of what ideology is supported by NPR; and has obviously chosen other media platforms. There appears to be two options for conservatives. The first is to cease all federal taxpayer funding as proposed in legislation by Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-TX; or second, to leave the funding in place and use it to apply pressure for a less biased and more balanced programming and content. Holding NPR accountable to the public as was done in the recent Congressional hearings may be the most effective. We will see what Congress decides.
Does Anyone Believe Her?
On Friday, The Daily Wire posted an article about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House of Representatives on Friday. The SAVE Act requires proof of American citizenship to vote and that all non-citizens be removed from the voting roles. The documents required to prove citizenship are listed in the bill.
Some of the documents listed include:
A form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States.
A valid United States passport.
The applicant’s official United States military identification card, together with a United States military record of service showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States.
A valid government-issued photo identification card issued by a Federal, State or Tribal government showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States.
Most people have at least one of these things. However, Hillary Clinton has declared that the bill will make it hard for married women to vote.
The article reports:
On Thursday, failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton faced blowback for claiming a GOP bill “threatens” voting access for millions of married women.
Clinton, who is also a former United States senator and first lady, reacted to the House passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which aims to require individuals to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in elections for federal office.
“Update: The House just passed the Republican voter suppression measure that threatens voting access for millions of Americans, including 69 million women whose married names don’t match their birth certificates,” Clinton said. “Make sure your senators know you expect them to stand against it.”
The article notes:
“Hillary Clinton argues that the SAVE Act ‘threatens voting access’ for ’69 million women whose married names don’t match their birth certificates,’” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who introduced a companion version of the bill in the Senate.
“If that were true — and it’s definitely not — the same women would be unemployable as they’d be unable to complete an I-9, which requires proof of citizenship,” he added. “Her argument proves too much, is refuted by the plain text of the bill, and cannot withstand review.”
With a post of his own, Roy alluded to how four Democrats voted in support of the bill and said, “Just show an ID. Why would you not want to verify citizenship?”
The only reason to oppose this bill is that it might limit cheating. Most married women know how to change their name on the appropriate documents when they get married.
Things We Were Told By The Environmentalists That Are Actually Myths
On April 9th, American Greatness posted an article about the things we have been told by the environmentalists that are simply not true.
This is the list:
(1) We are in a climate crisis – ...There is ample evidence that average global temperatures are not rapidly increasing, if they are even increasing at all. There is also strong evidence that extreme weather events are not increasing but rather that our ability to detect them has improved and that population increases have led more people to live in places that are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather.
(2) There are too many people – …The United Nations now estimates the total global population to top out at around 10 billion people, after which it is projected to decline.
(3) We are running out of “fossil” fuel –…According to the authoritative Statistical Review on Global Energy, based on current consumption, proven reserves could supply oil for 61 years, natural gas for 50, and coal for 208. This grossly understates the big picture, however, because proven and recoverable reserves are being expanded all the time.
(4) Biofuel is renewable and sustainable – …Worldwide, biofuel crops already consume an estimated 500,000 square miles while only offsetting 2 percent of the global consumption of transportation fuel.
(5) Offshore wind energy is renewable and sustainable – Absolutely not. Wind turbine blades, on land or offshore, routinely kill raptors, condors, and other magnificent endangered birds, along with bats and insects. Offshore, there are additional harmful impacts. Electromagnetic fields from undersea cables produce birth deformities in marine life and produce magnetic fields that disrupt the orientation abilities of some fish. Their low-frequency operational noise disrupts sounds made by fish for mating, spawning, and navigating.
(6) Renewables are renewable – …Just the consumption of natural resources to build these renewables is hardly sustainable. For example, using data from the International Energy Agency, geopolitical writer Peter Ziehan calculated the mineral requirements for power generation, comparing renewables to natural gas in terms of kilograms of minerals per megawatt of capacity. Offshore wind: 16,000 kg/MW, onshore wind: 10,000 kg/MW, solar photovoltaic: 7,000 kg/MW, and natural gas: 2,000 kg/MW. Compounding this disparity is the fact that natural gas power plants can operate for 60 years or more, whereas solar installations are operable for 30 years at most, and wind turbines substantially less than that, depending on where they’re situated.
Please follow the link above to read the rest of the myths. The world’s economy runs on fossil fuels, and until the free market (not government subsidies) comes up with something better, fossil fuels will be the center of the world’s economy.
The Latest Inflation Numbers
On Thursday, The Epoch Times posted an article about the latest inflation numbers.
The article reports:
Falling energy prices helped U.S. inflation cool in March, slowing to its lowest level in six months.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual inflation rate declined to 2.4 percent from 2.8 percent in February, the lowest reading since September.
Economists had penciled in a reading of 2.6 percent.
On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (CPI) fell by a better-than-expected 0.1 percent.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food prices, also eased to 2.8 percent. This is the first time that annual core inflation has been below 3 percent since early 2021.
The core CPI increased by 0.1 percent month over month, below the consensus forecast of 0.3 percent.
The article concludes:
Minutes from the March Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting revealed that policymakers are worried about tariff-driven inflation risks.
“Participants assessed that uncertainty around the economic outlook had increased, with almost all participants viewing risks to inflation as tilted to the upside and risks to employment as tilted to the downside,” the meeting summary, released on April 9, reads.
However, based on President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, many doom-and-gloom projections “can be dialed down a bit,” according to Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
“The so-called 90-day pause doesn’t remove all uncertainty or potential negative impacts but is helpful,” Hamrick said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
“Fears about a huge pickup in inflation and near-term recession risks can be dialed down a bit.”
The next major inflation report will be the March producer price index, which measures the prices businesses pay for goods and services. Economists pay attention to this gauge as it can serve as a precursor to future inflation trends.
Energy prices are one of the things that fuel inflation. As American becomes energy independent again, the cost of crude oil will continue to drop, gasoline prices will continue to drop, and inflation will gradually come down. Even if OPEC cuts production in an attempt to keep oil prices high, it is quite possible that America will be able to make up for the cut. At that point, OPEC may not want to continue losing revenue because of their production cuts. We are in a very interesting time economically right now. Stay out of debt and pay your bills on time!
From my friends at Townhall:
Didn’t These People See Jurassic Park?
On Wednesday, Breitbart reported that a group of scientists in Texas had successfully genetically engineered three dire wolf cubs. This is a breed of wolf that went extinct 10,000 years ago. The wolf breed is distantly related to the grey wolf, but considerably larger.
The article reports:
Podcast king Joe Rogan was blown away by the comeback of the dire wolf as he spoke to Ben Lamm, the co-founder of a company that has used genetic sequencing to give birth to three wolves with genetic relations to an animal that hasn’t been seen for 10,000 years.
The company Colossal Biosciences has wowed the world after using science to recreate the DNA of the dire wolf before bringing the legendary creature back to life in three animals named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
The article describes the wolves:
“They have this super thick fur, their tail is a little longer, they are taller. They’re 80 pounds right now, and a typical wolf is somewhere between 75 and 100 pounds, for a male, and that’s kind of on the high side. These will probably be 140 pounds, which is what we think. They are also significantly more muscular,” he said.
“Obviously, they’re Arctic white as well,” Lamm added. “You’ll see one of the things that we didn’t know is that we found in the genome that they are white. We did a lot of computational analysis and had a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 73,000-year-old skull. So, we had about 50,000 years of genetic divergence, so you could find things like coat colors and differences in their coat, which we engineered in. We didn’t know what those differences were going to look like, but when you see them, they almost have this mane to them.”
Colossal Biosciences insists that they next want to begin work on reviving long-lost species including the woolly mammoth, the dodo, and the Tasmanian tiger.
I am not totally comfortable with this idea. I remember the ‘don’t mess with mother nature’ commercials!