From my friends at Power Line Blog:
Monthly Archives: April 2024
The Value Of The Abraham Accords
On Monday, Robert Zimmerman posted an article at Behind the Black about the attack on Israel this past weekend. The article notes how the Abraham Accords, initiated during the Trump administration, helped protect the nation of Israel.
The article reports:
Over the weekend the Iranian attempt to bomb Israel drove home starkly the effectiveness of the Abraham Accords that Donald Trump pushed through during his term between Israel and a number of its Arab neighbors.
The effectiveness of the accords was not only illustrated by the moral and technical support given to Israel by the UAE and Bahrain (two accord signatories), the good will these agreements produced between Israel and the Arab world caused other Arab nations to add their own support as well.
First, when Iran tipped off several Arab countries of its intentions — which likely included both Jordan and Saudi Arabia (neither of which has signed the accords) — those countries then immediately passed that information to the United States, knowning full well it would then be passed to Israel. Iran had thought the Arab world was united with it, when in truth at least half the Arab world is now allied with Israel (either overtly or covertly).
Then Jordan denied Iran permission to use its airspace, and then followed this up by first opening its airspace to Israel and American fighter jets. All three then proceeded to shoot down Irans missiles and drones, preventing almost all from even reaching Israel.
The article concludes:
The situation of course remains very complex, but it will simplify enormously after Israel finishes Hamas off and then demonstrates its determination to rebuild Gaza as a sane place for both the Gazans and its neighbors. Despite the absurd screams of “genocide” by stupid Hama supporters, Israel’s neighbors very much want to get Hamas destroyed. They might mouth some complaints about the lose of civilian lifes in Gaza, but those protests are not to be taken very seriously. Hamas has done nothing for them except instill disorder and violence in the region. Remove it, and they know everyone will benefit.
The Trump administration was working toward peace in the Middle East. I am not sure what the Biden administration is working toward.
That Was Then; This Is Now
On Monday, the trial of President Trump for paying ‘hush money’ began. One of the points being made by the media and other left-wing sources is that keeping the story of Stormy Daniels quiet influenced the 2016 election causing Hillary Clinton to lose (yes, they said that). The money that was used to keep the story silent was put in bookkeeping entries as legal fees. That essentially is the crime that is being charged. But wait a minute–what about the money Hillary Clinton paid to create the Russia Hoax?
An article at PJ Media on April 15th notes:
Before the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton’s campaign denied that it had funded the infamous Steele dossier behind the debunked Russian collusion claims.
The funding was hidden as legal expenses by then-Clinton campaign general counsel Marc Elias. (The FEC later sanctioned the campaign over its hiding of the funding.). When a reporter tried to report the story, he said Elias “pushed back vigorously, saying ‘You (or your sources) are wrong.’” Times reporter Maggie Haberman declared, “Folks involved in funding this lied about it, and with sanctimony, for a year.”
Likewise, John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, was called before congressional investigators and denied categorically any contractual agreement with Fusion GPS. Sitting beside him was Elias, who reportedly said nothing to correct the misleading information given to Congress.
Yet, there were no charges stemming from the hiding of the funding, though it was all part of the campaign budget.
How is using campaign funds to pay for a fraud different from using campaign funds to hush up a damaging story?
This is the world we currently live in. The justice system in America has been corrupted to the point where it doesn’t matter what you did–it matters who you are. Unfortunately, because of an amendment to the FISA bill that was passed in the House of Representatives on Monday night, things are going to get worse for those of us who do not parrot what the mainstream media tells us. The Himes-Turner amendment to FISA dramatically expands the ability for the government to surveil Americans’ communications, updating the definition of electronic service provider to include “any other service provider who has access to equipment that is being or may be used to transmit or store wire or electronic communications.” This expands the number of businesses and employees who could be asked to spy on customers and provide warrantless access to their communications systems.
In the immortal words of the Chad Mitchell Trio, “If mommie is a commie, then you gotta turn her in.” Only today it’s, “If mommie does not support the Biden regime, you gotta’ turn her in.”
Protesting Is Legal; Civil Disobedience Should Have Consequences
On April 16th, Townhall posted an article illustrating how the pro-Palestinian protestors that tried to block roads on Monday were treated in Florida.
The article reports:
Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down major bridges, roads, and highways across the United States on Monday, with CNN reporting that over 150 arrests were made. But whether in Chicago, where demonstrators blocked a road to Terminal 1 at O’Hare, or in San Francisco, where protesters brought traffic to a halt on the Golden Gate bridge, there was generally tolerance of the disruptive and dangerous demonstrations by those tasked with upholding law and order.
…Traffic was also affected in two other areas in the Bay area by the protesters, with California Highway Patrol Chief Don Goodbrand saying “it was an orchestrated event.”
“They blocked three separate locations on freeways. They prevented law enforcement, paramedics, ambulances from getting to their points of destination,” he added.
The article includes a screenshot of how these protestors were treated in Florida (this is the address if you want to watch the video– https://twitter.com/i/status/1779976321629565433):
Protesting is legal under the First Amendment; blocking roads and bridges is not.
The Problem With The Statement
This is President Biden’s Statement regarding the attack on Israel (from Townhall):
Earlier today, Iran—and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq—launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.
At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.
I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.
Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack. My team will engage with their counterparts across the region. And we will stay in close touch with Israel’s leaders. And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.
There are a few problems with the statement. First of all, the attack was not simply against military facilities–it was also against civilians.
The article also notes that President Biden is demanding that Israel refrain from a military response to the attacks. What other nation in the world would be asked to do that?
Who Does Student Loan Forgiveness Benefit?
On Sunday, The American Thinker posted an article about President Biden’s plan to forgive approximately $5 billion more in student debt. The article reminds us that forgiving student debt is simply transferring wealth from those who could not afford to go to college to those who took out loans to go to college.
The article reports:
In a desperate attempt to win votes in the upcoming presidential election in November, President Biden has transferred $153 billion in wealth from middle and lower income-earners to the rich. How has he done that? Student loan forgiveness is the answer.
In January 2022, Forbes conducted a study that found that a significant portion of student debt belongs to high-wealth households. Additionally, an article from Brookings emphasizes that student loan forgiveness tends to be regressive, which benefits higher-income individuals more than lower-income ones. Some studies indicate that students from high-wealth families owe at least 60% of the total student debt.
Students from wealthy or affluent families can qualify for student loans more easily than those from less affluent families. In the past few years, Biden has forgiven $153 billion in student loans, mainly benefiting high-wealth households.
The article concludes:
So long as we have an authoritarian, Constitution-ignoring dictatorship running this country, we will have no control over our financial well-being. The Constitution provides that our elected officials rule with the consent of the people. I didn’t give my consent, nor did my representative in Congress, nor did anyone’s representative in Congress. This is an authoritarian act solely by President Biden without the consent of the Legislative or Judicial Branch of government. So much for checks and balances.
This administration continues to add more debt for us to pay and spends our money without limitation, increasing inflation and the national debt with every dollar spent. Remember, the government has no money of its own. What it spends is money it collects from the American taxpayer in the form of taxes. It just spent $153 million without consulting Congress, which the Supreme Court has ruled is unconstitutional.
In pre-Revolutionary times, the people declared that taxation without representation was tyranny. Will America wake up?
Standing Up For Women Athletes
On Friday, Zero Hedge posted an article about a soccer team in the NorthWest Association, a league in Australia.
The article reports:
Calling itself the “biggest LGBTQIA+ women’s and non-binary football club in the world,” the Flying Bats FC has made international headlines for fielding 5 self-identifying transgender players, with at least nine transgender players in the wider NorthWest Association.
Critics have said the Bat’s domination of the four-week pre-season Beryl Ackroyd Cup, which followed an undefeated season in 2023 that produced scorelines disproportionate to other teams’ results, was a direct result of the inclusion of male-born transgender players.
According to the feminist and pro-woman online news source, Reduxx, president of St. Patrick’s Football Club Frank Parisi said a March discussion over the Flying Bats FC’s ease of victories had prompted an informal meeting with stakeholders of the Northwest Sydney Football Association to address “concerns around how implausible it has become for any team to win against the Flying Bats as well as physical safety concerns.”
Incensed by the Flying Bats’ domination, other clubs asked the league’s governing body Football NSW to force them into playing in a mixed-sex league.
One club official told the Daily Telegraph, “Our girls are here to play for fun and expect to play in the female competition. They did not sign up for a mixed competition. It was so disheartening for them to see the huge difference in ability—they’re killing it.”
The involvement of transgender athletes in sports is a current hot-button issue, as policymakers grapple with how to balance the effects on women’s players, versus the “rights” of female-identifying players born as biological men
Any soccer team with biological males on it is going to beat a team composed of only biological women. Although there are occasionally women who have the muscle structure to compete with men, they are rare. This is totally unfair competition. It is like adding five professional baseball players to a high school team so that they can have a winning season. Kudos to the women who walked away from the unfair competition.
The ‘Chamberlain Approach’ Has Never Worked
Those of us who grew up before the age of ‘reconciliation’ with bullies know how to deal with bullies–you beat them up severely and they never bother you again. Unfortunately, America’s leaders forgot that principle shortly after World War II. Now, because they have forgotten that principle, they are on the verge of starting World War III. Neville Chamberlain was the Prime Minister of England from May 28, 1937, to May 10, 1940. In the Munich Agreement of September 30, 1938, he and Premier Édouard Daladier of France granted almost all of Hitler’s demand that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany. That agreement left Czechoslovakia defenseless. Neville Chamberlain returned to England after signing the Munich Agreement a popular hero, speaking of “peace with honour” (echoing an earlier prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli) and “peace for our time.” His intentions were good–he wanted to prevent war. However, it didn’t turn out well. Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939.
On April 14th, The U.K. Daily Mail reported the following:
- President Biden has made it clear to Benjamin Netanyahu that US forces will not join offensive operations against Iran, according to reports
- The comments were made by Biden during a phone call between the two leaders after Iran unleashed a drone and missile attack on Israel
- Biden released a statement following the call between the two leaders saying it had reaffirmed America’s ‘ironclad commitment to the security of Israel’
How can America have an ‘ironclad commitment to the security of Israel’ if we tell them not to attack the people who are attacking them?
The following was also noted at The Gateway Pundit on April 13th:
Tonight, as Iran launches attacks on Israel, it is important to remember that exactly one month ago the Biden administration granted new sanctions relief to Iran that gave the country access to billions.
The move was criticized by Republicans and downplayed by Democrats and the liberal media.
It’s just another reminder that Biden has a habit of making the exact wrong decision on foreign policy every single time.
It is very possible that America paid for the drones used against Israel.
This Is Called Changing The Subject
A lot of us are very unhappy that the law allowing warrantless surveillance of Americans was extended. FISA stands for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Most of us would be okay if the act was strictly used to surveil foreigners, but history tells us that it has been used illegally to spy on innocent Americans. The fact that many Republicans voted to extend the act is unfortunate. That is not what they were elected to do. Unfortunately, according to the list of people who voted for the extension that I have seen, our own Representative, Greg Murphy, voted for the extension. I can only assume that these Representatives were told that if there were a terrorist attack and the bill was not extended, they would be held responsible by the media. Knowing the intelligence community’s ability to stage false-flag events and the media’s ability to mislead the public, this might have been the tactic used. That is simply my opinion.
President Trump, who did not support the extension but wanted to save the day for the Republicans, held a press conference with Speaker Johnson at Mar-a-Lago.
On Friday, The Epoch Times reported:
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and former President Donald Trump are urging support for a bill aimed at preventing non-citizens from voting in federal elections.
At a Friday, April 12, press conference at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence, the Republican leaders announced the bill as part of larger efforts to bolster election integrity.
“What we’re going to do is introduce legislation to require that every single person who registers to vote in a federal election must prove that they are an American citizen first,” Mr. Johnson said.
This is a great idea, but will create some problems. What will be required of voters in order to prove their citizenship? I was talking to someone today who does not have a birth certificate–the person was born at home in rural America and the birth was recorded in the family Bible. How can that person prove that they are an American? How many elderly Americans do not have birth certificates, passports, or documents to prove they are Americans? Does your social security card prove you are an American (those can be counterfeited)? It will be interesting to watch what happens to this plan as it moves forward.
How Is This Helpful To Americans?
On Friday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article that illustrates the problem with treating people who are here illegally as if they are above the law. We need to remember that one of our founding principles as a nation was ‘equal justice under the law.’
The article reports:
ICE Boston said the Middlesex County Superior Court did NOT honor their detainer request and released into the community – without notice – a highly dangerous 53-year-old Brazilian illegal alien indicted on 10 counts of aggravated child rape in Massachusetts.
“This Brazilian national has been charged with some horrific and disturbing crimes,” said ICE Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “This is certainly not the type of person that we want interacting freely with the children of our neighborhoods. ERO Boston will continue to work tirelessly to arrest and remove noncitizen child sex predators from our New England communities.”
The article provides some background on the illegal alien:
“The Brazilian national was admitted to the United States in Miami, Florida, on Sept. 6, 2001, as a nonimmigrant with authorization to remain in the United States until March 5, 2002. He failed to leave the United States by that date.”- ICE said in a statement.
He was deported in 2008 and illegally reentered the US at an unknown date.
“On Feb. 12, 2008, a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge in Boston granted the Brazilian national voluntary departure from the United States to Brazil. The DOJ immigration judge gave him until June 11, 2008, to depart the country,” ICE said.
“He voluntarily departed the United States June 6, 2008. However, he unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official,” ICE said.
The illegal was arrested again in Everett, Massachusetts on December 20, 2021 for the charges of indecent assault and battery on a child and rape of a child.
However, the Middlesex County Superior court released him into the community.
“The Middlesex County Superior Court failed to honor ERO’s request and released the Brazilian noncitizen from custody Nov. 23, 2022.” ICE said.
An elite ICE unit tracked down the child rapist and took him into custody on March 28.
Not only does the illegal alien belong in jail until he is deported, but the person who released him should be arrested.
From my friends at Townhall:
Priorities?
At a time when many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, I question how Congress is spending our tax dollars.
On Thursday, Breitbart reported the following:
Non-profit theater companies across the country would receive a $5 billion taxpayer-funded bailout under a new plan being promoted by a group of Democrats in the Senate. The proposed bailout comes as prominent stages are facing unprecedented financial crises following their embrace of woke identity politics, which has alienated audiences and donors.
Among the companies poised to receive the new federal dollars would be New York’s Public Theater, which staged the gruesome stabbing death of President Donald Trump in its infamous 2017 production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) is leading the way with the legislation, which is called the Supporting Theater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy (STAGE) Act of 2024.
What about Americans who are facing ‘unprecedented financial crises’?
The article concludes:
The wave of unprecedented financial crises hitting prominent theaters comes as their far-left agendas continue to drive away loyal audiences and even some donors. Combined with Bidenflation that has caused their operating costs to soar, companies are facing catastrophic budgetary shortfalls and are resorting to layoffs and shutdowns.
Institutions hit hard by the perfect storm include The Public Theater in New York, Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Lookingglass Theater in Chicago, The Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
I realize that theatre is an important part of culture, but movies and theatre need to consider what their audiences want to watch. What we are seeing here is the free market at work, and as usual Congress is attempting to interfere with free market forces.
This Isn’t Going To End Well
American ‘Sanctuary Cities’ are going out of their way to feed, house, and clothe people who are here illegally. That makes no sense at all when Americans are homeless. We need to find a way to help America’s homeless before we take in someone else’s homeless. Some cities are doing amazing financial acrobatics in order to meet the needs of the influx of homeless, jobless, needy illegal immigrants.
On Thursday, The Daily Caller reported:
The Democratic-run city of Denver, Colorado, plans to defund its police department to pay for illegal immigrants.
Denver, which is commonly referred to as a “sanctuary city,” announced on Wednesday that it will spend $89.9 million on services for incoming illegal migrants, pulling some of the funding from roughly $45 million in public programs and services. Denver’s police department will be hit with an $8.4 million reduction — about 1.9% of its total operating budget, the city confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Denver became the top destination per capita for incoming migrants in 2023, having had more than 40,000 arrive that year alone — putting the total migrant population at roughly 710,000, according to NBC News. Denver already spent over $42 million in 2023 in housing and medical services for migrants and plans to spend over $100 million on similar costs in 2024.
The fire department will also suffer a $2.5 million reduction, or about 0.8% of its total operating costs, the city told the DCNF. Half of those reductions will also come from vacant positions.
Today, we shared a new budget and a more sustainable newcomer program.
Proud of our city for welcoming those most in need. Proud of our city teams who found ways to minimize budget without major impacts.
Note the use of the word ‘newcomer’ instead of illegal immigrant.
The article concludes:
Over 15,000 migrants have flooded into Denver since May 2023 as a result of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing effort. The Lone Star state sits at the epicenter of the illegal immigration crisis.
More broadly, illegal immigration in cities and states across the U.S. has surged under the Biden administration. There were roughly 1.6 million migrant encounters at the northern and southern border in fiscal year 2021, compared to over 2 million in fiscal year 2023 and roughly a million in the first five months of fiscal year 2024, according to Customs and Border Protection data.
Every state is becoming a border state, and every city is becoming a sanctuary city.
Time to Save America
Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.
Our country is faced with an election this fall of great importance. The outcome will determine the fate of this country for the present and future generations. Fortunately, we have two candidates for the presidency who both have a track record of what we can expect if they are elected. The decision must be made on their policies and actions, not on any other factors such as personality or a single issue. Since the end of WWII we have fought against worldwide communism/Marxism. We are now at a crossroad of whether or not we will remain a constitutional republic with unprecedented freedom, liberty and opportunity. Here are the documented differences between Trump and Biden. Your vote will decide the fate of this country.
Immigration: Trump secured the borders, built a wall, instituted a “remain in Mexico” policy. He favors legal immigration and will deport people here illegally. Biden has not only implemented an open border policy but is actively encouraging illegal entry by providing free housing, food, and medical care. The result is the largest influx of illegals in history (over 10 million), which is larger than the population of 40 states.
Inflation: Trump: Inflation was about 2% during his administration; mortgage rates 3%, gasoline $2 per gallon. Biden: Prices have increased at near record levels with food, energy and essential products up over 20% in just over three years and continuing to rise. Mortgage rates are at or near 7%, and gasoline is at $3+ per gallon. The average American’s standard of living has decreased substantially.
Safety: Trump: Lower domestic crime rates, supported law enforcement, no new foreign wars. Biden: Major cities not safe with crime at record levels, criminals released not prosecuted, law enforcement unable to fill vacant positions, cities overrun with drug addicts, major foreign wars with emboldened enemies like Russia, Iran and China, talk of a nuclear World War III not heard since the 1950s.
Constitutional Freedoms: Trump: Strong support for free speech, right to bear arms, and consumer choice through reduction of government regulations. Biden: Use of social media to restrict speech, using the Department of Justice to go after political opponents (especially Donald Trump), weaponizing the FBI against U.S. citizens, restricting consumer choice with electric vehicles, gas stoves, and so-called green energy.
Indoctrinating Children: Trump: Encouraged school choice and pro-American instruction, no transgender sports participation. Biden: Encouraged the teaching of Critical Race Theory, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, and transgender instruction in all public schools, opposes school vouchers/choice.
The above represents some of the most obvious differences between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. There are many others. The choice could not be clearer: America as we have known it or Marxism and the destruction of all we have fought to maintain since the founding of this great country. It is up to us to see very clearly what is at stake in this election. As Lincoln once said, “If America is to be destroyed, it will be by our own doing.” You know what to do!
Register to vote! Get out to the polls and save this country! It is time to take America back!
Will The Courts Uphold The Law?
There was a time in America when you were arrested when you did something illegal. That was then; this is now. Just for the record, crossing into America illegally is a crime. Technically, illegal aliens should be sent back to their home countries. It has been a while since we have seen that happen.
On Wednesday, The Daily Caller reported:
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Wednesday that will allow both state and local enforcement officials to arrest illegal immigrants who reentered the U.S., as well as authorizing state courts to deport them.
Bill SF 2340, which is expected to go into effect July 1, allows the state to enforce immigration laws and prevent illegal reentry into the state, according to a press release. If caught by officials within the state, illegal immigrants could potentially face up to two years in prison.
“The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk. Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet Biden refuses to deport them. This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books,” Reynolds stated.
The article concludes:
While the Iowa Legislature passed the bill last month, there appear to be questions and concerns over how officials should go about the new addition.
Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert told the Associated Press in March that immigration status is not a part of the department’s efforts to protect the community. Wingert told the outlet they were “not equipped, funded or staffed” to aid in the new responsibilities.
President of the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association and Linn County Deputy Sheriff Shawn Ireland told AP News in March that many officials would have to seek guidance from their county attorneys on how to properly implement and enforce the new legislation.
This will undoubtedly wind up in the courts. It will be interesting to see how they rule.
The March Inflation Numbers
On Wednesday, MSNBC posted the March Inflation Numbers. As any consumer can tell you, inflation is still and issue.
The article reports:
- The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 3.5% in March, higher than expectations and marking an acceleration for inflation.
- Shelter and energy costs drove the increase. Energy rose 1.1% after increasing 2.3% in February, while shelter costs were higher by 0.4% on the month and up 5.7% from a year ago.
- Following the report, traders pushed the first expected rate cut out to September, according to CME Group calculations.
The article notes:
Stocks slumped after the report while Treasury yields spiked higher.
Shelter and energy costs drove the increase on the all-items index.
Energy rose 1.1% after climbing 2.3% in February, while shelter costs, which make up about one-third of the weighting in the CPI, were higher by 0.4% on the month and up 5.7% from a year ago. Expectations for shelter-related costs to decelerate through the year have been central to the Fed’s thesis that inflation will cool enough to allow for interest rate cuts.
Food prices increased just 0.1% on the month and were up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. There were some big gains within the food category, however.
The measure for meat, fish, poultry and eggs climbed 0.9%, pushed by a 4.6% jump in egg prices. Butter fell 5% and cereal and bakery products declined by 0.9%. Food away from home increased 0.3%.
Elsewhere, used vehicle prices fell 1.1% and medical care services prices rose 0.6%.
The past three years or so have not been a good time for most Americans. Inflation has increased the cost of simply maintaining an average lifestyle. It will be interesting to see if inflation can be brought under control by November and if people will vote their pocketbooks.
From my friends at Townhall:
If I Leave A Jacket Behind In A Restaurant…
If I leave a jacket behind in a restaurant and don’t come back to claim it, what happens next? If the restaurant owners sell it at a second-hand shop, can they be put in jail? If I find a wallet on the street and take the money, can I be put in jail? I’m not talking about what should be the right thing to do–I am talking about the legal consequences. At a time when career criminals are being routinely let out of jail, the woman who found Ashley Biden’s diary under a mattress at a rehab facility and sold it will be spending a month in jail.
On Monday, The Gateway Pundit reported:
Aimee Harris, 41, was sentenced by Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) to prison, followed by a period of home confinement for her role in the alleged theft and distribution of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden.
As previously reported by The Gateway Pundit, Ashley Biden, Joe Biden’s youngest daughter, left her diary under a mattress at the Palm Beach rehab home following a stay at a treatment facility. Two individuals who found Ashley Biden’s diary at a halfway house later sold the diary to James O’Keefe and Project Veritas.
In a January 2019 entry, Ashley Biden recalled how she used to shower with her father, Joe Biden, and suggested it may have contributed to a sex addiction.
If you leave something behind and someone picks it up, is that stealing? It would have been nice to return it, but I can’t remember a similar case ever resulting in jail time. To me, this is just one more example of how skewed our justice system has become.
About Those Jobs Numbers
We have all read the reports of some major manufacturing companies and retail stores laying off employees and shutting down stores. So why is the Biden administration so enthusiastically touting their jobs numbers? Could it be that those numbers do not actually reflect what is actually happening?
On Wednesday, The Federalist reported the following:
Last week, the Labor Department issued its jobs report for March 2024. Democrats will tell you the report is rosy and bright, that the economy is heading in the right direction, and that your negative instincts and impressions about the economy are wrong. In reality, the report is abysmal. Below are the facts about employment that Democrats won’t mention: Fewer Americans have full-time jobs, and more of those with full-time jobs are also working part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Democrats claim that the economy added 303,000 jobs in March — but it added no full-time jobs at all in March. The economy actually shed 6,000 full-time jobs that month. In fact, full-time employment in the United States has dropped in each of the past four months. Since November, there are 1,787,000 fewer Americans with full-time employment.
So how do Democrats claim the economy added 303,000 jobs in March? What Democrats do not tell you is that the vast majority of these jobs — 75 percent — are second jobs. Under the Biden economy, the number of people who have had to simultaneously work both a full-time job and a second part-time job just to make ends meet has hovered at historical highs. In March, the number of people who added a second part-time job on top of their other full-time employment totaled 225,000. The Democrats’ “good news” is just you having to work longer and harder to survive.
The article also notes that there is much more growth in government jobs than jobs in the private sector. This is NOT good economic news.
The article reports:
The U.S. has faced another insidious problem for decades that gets little attention. There are more than 3,000 counties or county equivalents in the United States. Yet, half of the 10 wealthiest counties in the U.S., measured in terms of median household income, are suburbs of Washington, D.C. According to U.S. Census data, 50 years ago only five suburban D.C. counties made the list of the top 50 richest U.S. counties or equivalents. By 2020, this figure had more than tripled to 17.
It’s long past time to shrink government and cut taxes!
Listening To The People
I recently posted three articles (here, here, and here) about the renewal of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Section 702. Note that the law is called “foreign intelligence surveillance” act–not the spying on your political opponents act. Unfortunately the act has been used 278,000 times to conduct illegal searches on Americans. That is why I oppose the renewal of Section 702.
On Wednesday, The Hill reported:
A group of House Republicans on Wednesday tanked a procedural vote to begin debate on a bill to reauthorize the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers, leaving the chamber scrambling on how to address the important spy tool before it expires next week.
Nineteen Republicans joined Democrats in voting against a rule for legislation to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), blocking the measure from advancing 193-228.
The move comes after former President Trump on Wednesday urged Republicans to “KILL FISA” — throwing a wrench in an already contentious debate.
The failed vote marks yet another instance of members of the GOP tanking what is typically a routine party-line vote to protest legislation put forward by leadership.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, The Hill is part of the Operation Mockingbird media. The public has also urged Congress to kill FISA, but the author of the article chooses to overlook that.
On Wednesday, The Hill also reported:
Former Attorney General Bill Barr on Wednesday denounced former President Trump’s exhortation for Congress to kill the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as “crazy and reckless” and warned there will be “blood on people’s hands” if the intelligence community’s surveillance authority expires and there’s a terrorist attack on the United States.
Barr, who served in Trump’s Cabinet in 2019 and 2020, noted that Trump at one time supported the expanded surveillance powers authorized under Section 702 of FISA and warned that political “posturing” against extending that authority would be dangerous to national security.
“I think it’s crazy and reckless to not move forward with FISA. It’s our principal tool protecting us from terrorist attacks. We’re living through a time where those threats have never been higher, so it’s blinding us, it’s blinding our allies,” Barr told The Hill in an interview.
You mean those allies that aided in the Russia Hoax?
Section 702 is a step toward a government that can surveil its political opponents without any limitations. They don’t need a warrant and the people surveilled don’t have to know they are being watched. That is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which states:
Fourth Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Bill Barr is a lawyer. He is supposed to know the U.S. Constitution.
From my friends at Townhall:
This Is A Reminder
This is another reminder that Section 702 needs to be unauthorized instead of approved by April 19.
On Monday, Just the News posted the following:
Conservative lawmakers are calling for an end to warrantless surveillance of Americans ahead of a House floor vote on Wednesday to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The bill, titled the “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act,” would extend section 702 of FISA, which “authorizes the targeted collection of foreign intelligence information from non-U.S. persons located abroad,” according to the FBI.
Conservative Republicans and some Democrats such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, have teamed up to push for a warrant requirement as a condition for reauthorizing FISA. However, the legislation up for a vote on Wednesday does not include a warrant requirement in its current form.
“No matter how hard the deep state cries, Congress must NOT reauthorize FISA 702 without requiring a warrant to search U.S. citizens,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on X.
“The SAFE Act contains a warrant requirement, the Lee-Leahy reforms, language ensuring that our Fourth Amendment rights can’t be bought and sold, and a handful of other protections necessary to protect Americans’ privacy,” he also wrote.
The article concludes:
The Brennan Center for Justice and other organizations wrote a letter on April 5 urging lawmakers to vote in favor of amendments to the bill up for a vote that will require a warrant.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, a proponent of the legislation up for a vote on Wednesday, predicted the bill will pass.
“I think it will,” Turner said Sunday on CNN. “I think that those who mischaracterize this are small compared to those who understand that this goes to the heart of our ability to get intelligence. It allows us to be able to keep Americans safe. This is not a warrantless surveillance of Americans.”
Biggs argued that the bill Turner supports is “very modest, very incremental” and does not contain significant reforms to Section 702.
“Quite frankly, it’s going to be who’s watching the henhouse. It’s going to be the FBI still watching the henhouse,” he said.
It has become obvious that the people in charge cannot be trusted with warrantless surveillance. Let’s not give them the right to do warrantless surveillance.
The Sad Demise Of National Public Radio (NPR)
On Tuesday, Uri Berliner posted an article at The Free Press about his years at National Public Radio (NPR). The article states that the far-left worldview at NPR has not always been there–in recent years it has developed and gotten worse.
The article reports:
Back in 2011, although NPR’s audience tilted a bit to the left, it still bore a resemblance to America at large. Twenty-six percent of listeners described themselves as conservative, 23 percent as middle of the road, and 37 percent as liberal.
By 2023, the picture was completely different: only 11 percent described themselves as very or somewhat conservative, 21 percent as middle of the road, and 67 percent of listeners said they were very or somewhat liberal. We weren’t just losing conservatives; we were also losing moderates and traditional liberals.
An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.
That wouldn’t be a problem for an openly polemical news outlet serving a niche audience. But for NPR, which purports to consider all things, it’s devastating both for its journalism and its business model.
The article notes the coverage of the Russia Hoax:
Persistent rumors that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia over the election became the catnip that drove reporting. At NPR, we hitched our wagon to Trump’s most visible antagonist, Representative Adam Schiff.
Schiff, who was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, became NPR’s guiding hand, its ever-present muse. By my count, NPR hosts interviewed Schiff 25 times about Trump and Russia. During many of those conversations, Schiff alluded to purported evidence of collusion. The Schiff talking points became the drumbeat of NPR news reports.
But when the Mueller report found no credible evidence of collusion, NPR’s coverage was notably sparse. Russiagate quietly faded from our programming.
The article also mentions Hunter Biden’s laptop:
In October 2020, the New York Post published the explosive report about the laptop Hunter Biden abandoned at a Delaware computer shop containing emails about his sordid business dealings. With the election only weeks away, NPR turned a blind eye. Here’s how NPR’s managing editor for news at the time explained the thinking: “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.”
But it wasn’t a pure distraction, or a product of Russian disinformation, as dozens of former and current intelligence officials suggested. The laptop did belong to Hunter Biden. Its contents revealed his connection to the corrupt world of multimillion-dollar influence peddling and its possible implications for his father.
The laptop was newsworthy. But the timeless journalistic instinct of following a hot story lead was being squelched. During a meeting with colleagues, I listened as one of NPR’s best and most fair-minded journalists said it was good we weren’t following the laptop story because it could help Trump.
The article also mentions the political affiliations of the editorial staff at NPR:
So on May 3, 2021, I presented the findings at an all-hands editorial staff meeting. When I suggested we had a diversity problem with a score of 87 Democrats and zero Republicans, the response wasn’t hostile. It was worse. It was met with profound indifference. I got a few messages from surprised, curious colleagues. But the messages were of the “oh wow, that’s weird” variety, as if the lopsided tally was a random anomaly rather than a critical failure of our diversity North Star.
Please follow the link above to read the entire story. It’s a sad saga of failing to hold to journalistic principles. Unfortunately, we support this slanted media with our tax dollars.
Common Sense In College Athletics
On Monday, WND posted an article about a recent ruling by The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
The article reports:
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced Monday that only biological females would be allowed to play in women’s sports.
The organization’s Council of Presidents voted to approve a policy allowing “only students whose biological sex is female” in its women’s sports competitions, according to The Washington Post. The policy will go into effect on Aug. 1 in time for the 2024-2025 season.
“We are unwavering in our support of fair competition for our student-athletes,” Jim Carr, president and CEO of the NAIA, said, according to the Washington Post. “It is crucial that NAIA member institutions, conferences, and student-athletes participate in an environment that is equitable and respectful. With input from our member institutions and the Transgender Task Force, the NAIA’s Council of Presidents has confirmed our path forward.”
,,,The policy will allow biological females who identify as transgender to participate in the men’s categories. Female athletes who have begun “masculinizing hormone therapy” can participate in “all activities that are internal to the institution” and any “external competition that is not a countable contest as defined by the NAIA.”
It is interesting to me that women who are transitioning to men can compete in men’s sports, but men who are transitioning to women cannot compete in women’s sports. That might actually be an acknowledgement of the fact that there are basic biological differences between men and women that transitioning to the other sex does not change. It should also be noted that if a person transitions, they will be on medication for the rest of their life because the body will keep producing the chemicals that are appropriate to the sex of the person at birth.
I would have liked to see this ruling apply to anyone transitioning, but at least it prevents the unfair competition that has been occurring in women’s sports.
This Is NOT A Good Thing
On Sunday, Breitbart posted the following headline:
After U.S. Pressure, IDF Leaves Southern Gaza; Hamas Declares Victory
It is not good under any circumstances to encourage terrorists, and unfortunately recent acts and statements by the American government have done just that. This is the equivalent to feeding your friends to the alligator in the hopes that by the time it gets to you it won’t be hungry. News flash–terrorists are always hungry for more terror.
The article reports:
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday that it had withdrawn its forces from southern Gaza, following a demand from U.S. President Joe Biden last week for an “immediate ceasefire.” Hamas declared victory on the news.
The decision, coming on the day Israelis marked six months since the October 7 attack, came as a surprise, and as Israeli negotiators flew to Cairo for hostage negotiations. Hamas has demanded a ceasefire before any new deal.
The IDF will leave one brigade in Gaza, whose role will be to allow Israeli troops access to return as necessary. It will also carry out targeted operations, such as the successful raid at Shifa Hospital last month.
Note that the hostages are still being held. There are also questions as to whether or not the hostages have been or will be moved to Iran. I am not optimistic that any hostages that are still alive will ever be free. I also suspect that Hamas has no intention of letting us know how many hostages are alive and can be returned.
The article also notes:
As Breitbart News reported, Biden demanded an “immediate ceasefire” in response to the accidental killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers last Tuesday, when an IDF drone team mistook them for Hamas terrorists.
The incident was Hamas’s greatest success in the war: there is evidence that the terrorists deliberately confused the IDF about the vehicles. Hamas uses human shields and civilian casualties as part of its asymmetric war strategy.
Biden’s demand came after the U.S. had already allowed the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution that separated a ceasefire from a deal to return the remaining 130 or so Israeli hostages, adopting Hamas’s core demand.
Unfortunately, terrorists are not stupid, and some of our government officials are very vulnerable to propaganda coming out of the Middle East.