Tag Archives: Breitbart

What History Says vs. What The Media Says

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On Friday, Breitbart posted an article about what the historical data says about the impact of tariffs.

The article reports:

A sweeping new analysis of tariff policy spanning 150 years suggests that the economic establishment may have fundamentally misunderstood how tariffs affect prices and employment, a finding with profound implications for understanding President Donald Trump’s trade policy and the proper response by the Federal Reserve.

Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco examined major tariff changes from 1870 through 2020 across the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Their conclusion challenges the conventional wisdom that dominated economic policy debates in recent years: when countries raise tariffs, prices actually fall, not rise.

The article concludes:

More importantly, the study removes the most potent intellectual weapon from the free-trade arsenal: the claim that tariffs inevitably raise consumer prices. For generations, this assertion ended policy debates before they could begin. Policymakers considering tariffs faced the accusation that they were imposing a regressive tax on consumers. Kamala Harris, in her failed bid for the presidency last year, repeatedly described Trump’s tariff proposals as a national sales tax that would increase consumer prices. Now that idea lies in tatters.

With the consumer price argument dismantled, the debate over tariffs can proceed on grounds better rooted in economic history and national purpose. Policymakers can weigh the benefits of protecting domestic industries, rebalancing trade relationships, and rebuilding manufacturing capacity against the effects on economic activity and employment. They can consider whether tariffs might encourage productive investment and industrial development, questions that have been largely off-limits in mainstream economic discourse.

The paper’s findings also call into question the Fed’s response to tariffs. If the main effects are lower inflation and higher lower employment, monetary theory would suggest that the Fed should cut interest rates when tariffs are imposed. Instead, the Fed this year took the opposite course, holding interest rates steady and only cutting hesitantly—moves that now look like a major policy mistake.

Unfortunately, in recent years, cutting interest rates has more to do with politics than economic data. When someone the fed likes is President, interest rates move lower quickly and stay low if at all possible (however, if inflation becomes too high and too obvious, they will raise them). When someone the deep state dislikes is President, interest rates tend to be lowered very slowly if at all.

What Have We Taught Our Children?

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On Friday, Breitbart reported:

Gallup reports that 40 percent of AWFLs* women aged 15 to 44 would like to flee America permanently. This is four times higher than the ten percent of AWFLs women who said the same in 2014. [*AWFL: Affluent White Female Liberal (Urban Dictionary)]

Back in 2014, the fact that ten percent of AWFLs women wanted out of America was not an outlier with the rest of the population or other demographics. Hell, if you ask me on the right day, like right after I’ve watched La Dolce Vita (1960) for the hundredth time, I’ll tell you I want to move to Rome.

But 40 percent!

Let’s see if we can diagnose this problem. Gallup reports:

The percentage of younger women wanting to move to another country first rose decisively in 2016, the final year of President Barack Obama’s second term. That year, Gallup surveyed the U.S. in June and July, after both parties’ presumptive nominees were set for the November election, which Donald Trump went on to win. Desire to migrate continued to climb afterward, hitting 44% in President Joe Biden’s last year in office and remaining near that level in 2025. This suggests a broader shift in opinion among younger women, rather than a solely partisan one.

The article suggests:

This is my suggestion to make everyone happy:

President Trump should offer these women, all 40 percent of them, the same thing he’s offering illegal aliens: a free plane ride to a country of their choice. Because these AWFLs women are citizens, he should throw in a $25,000 cash bonus to cover moving expenses. He should also offer to cover whatever it costs to safely ensure their cats and battery-operated appliances get through customs.

The AWFLs women win because they get what they want.

America wins because we have just rid ourselves of the most toxic, America-hating, useless, parasitic, crybabying demographic in our country.

To me, the obvious questions is “Where would they go and what do they think they will find there?” Are they not happy with the dating scene? America is not perfect by any means. We have a lot of challenges. In some areas we have some serious corruption. However, show me another country with the personal and economic freedom that we often take for granted.  Actually, I think the plane ticket is a really good idea.

Success Happens When The Department Of Justice Goes After Real Criminals–Not Political Enemies

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On Sunday, Breitbart posted an article about the arrest of two Alabama residents selling guns to the Mexican cartels.

The article reports:

Federal authorities charged two Alabama residents with trafficking hundreds of firearms after uncovering what officials are calling the largest weapons seizure at the Southwest border—more than 500 guns allegedly bound for a Mexican drug cartel, hidden in false-walled trailers intercepted at the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas. Authorities allege the pair intended to smuggle the weapons into Mexico on behalf of a Mexican drug cartel.

Emilio Ramirez Cortes, 48, a Mexican citizen who legally resides in the United States, and his son, Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz, are accused of attempting to smuggle weapons to Mexico on October 23. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested the pair after discovering the guns, magazines, and ammunition hidden within the walls of a trailer the duo was pulling as they attempted to make a border crossing into Mexico.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the pair made their initial appearances in Laredo federal court. They will remain in custody pending a detention hearing.

Both are charged with smuggling firearms, ammunition, magazines, and other firearm accessories, as well as trafficking weapons.

Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the arrest, saying, “Disrupting the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico is a key part of our whole-of-government approach to dismantling the cartels. This significant seizure represents our commitment to protecting Americans from brutal cartel violence.”

The article concludes:

The criminal complaint alleges authorities found false walls in both trailers. An inspection of the trailers resulted in the discovery of more than 300 rifles and pistols, as well as various caliber ammunition and magazines. In a Friday social media post on X, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated the total amount of firearms discovered was more than 500, calling the find “the largest weapons seizure at the Southwest land border.”

According to court records, the men were smuggling the weapons and related items in exchange for payment and had done so on multiple occasions.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agents, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.

According to the Department of Justice, this case is part of Operation Take Back America. This nationwide initiative marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Securing the border means keeping track of what comes into America and what is moved out of America.

The Shutdown Is Hurting Americans

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To me, one of the most annoying things about the current government shutdown is that Congress is getting paid while Americans go without. Admittedly, there are some serious scammers on various government programs, but there are also people who genuinely need help to pay their bills, have a place to live, and eat. North Carolina has a part of its budget process that I truly admire–if a new budget is not passed, the old budget remains. The state government is never at risk for a shutdown.

On Sunday, Breitbart reported:

As temperatures begin to drop around the U.S., Democrat lawmakers’ refusal to fund the government may impact the ability of some Americans to heat their homes.                

Jacqueline Chapman, a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by, presents the real-world example of someone impacted by the shutdown on pace to be the longest in U.S. history.

Chapman told Boston’s WCBB5 that she was already dealing with the loss of her food stamp, or SNAP, benefits when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that aid some 42 million Americans have also been delayed, although a federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday ordered the Trump administration to at least partially fund the program with money held in reserve.

“I feel like I’m living in scary time,” the 74-year-old senior told the news outlet. “It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do.”

Let’s clean up the fraud in the American ‘safety net’ and make sure help goes to the people who need it.

This Doesn’t Make Sense

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It would seem to me that allowing only citizens to vote in American elections would be an obvious thing. Our government was established to represent the interests of Americans. I don’t believe there is a county in the world that allows non-citizens to vote.

On Friday, Breitbart reported:

A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect election integrity by requiring proof of United States citizenship on voter registration forms, finding that Trump “lacks the authority to direct such changes.”

In a decision by U.S. District Judge Collen Kollar-Kotelly on Friday, Kollar-Kotelly “sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration” after the President issued an executive order in March entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” according to the Associated Press.

Kollar-Kotelly, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, claimed in her decision that “the proof-of-citizenship directive is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers,” and argued that “on matters related to setting qualifications for voting and regulating federal election procedures,” the U.S. Constitution doesn’t give a “direct role to the President in either domain,” according to the outlet.

“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” Kollar-Kotelly said.

The article concludes:

The order continues to note that “within 30 days of the date” of the executive order, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) “shall take appropriate action to require, in its national mail voter registration form issued under 52 U.S.C. 20508” proof of U.S. Citizenship.

Kollar-Kotelly’s decision comes after she “agreed to partially grant a preliminary injunction sought by three different groups of plaintiffs” in April, according to CBS News.

In her block in April, Kollar-Kotelly prevented the Trump administration from moving forward with enacting “two provisions of the executive order,” according to the outlet.

Why would someone want non-citizens to vote in an election if not to cheat?

One Fiscal Impact Of President Trump’s Immigration Policies

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On Sunday, Breitbart posted an article about the amount of money flowing out of America to other countries via Western Union.

The article reports:

In another example of the Trump effect, money transfer giant Western Union is reporting that its revenue from cash transfers to locations outside the U.S. has seen a 12 percent decline this year.

Migrants living in the U.S. both legally and illegally have traditionally been the greatest source of U.S. dollars flowing out of America and into foreign nations, even dwarfing the amount of foreign aid lavished on the world by the U.S. government. But with Donald Trump’s focus on immigration, Western Union is seeing far fewer customers needing their services.

The money that flows out of America through the hands of illegal immigrants is money that is not being put into the American economy. Having a large number of people working in America and sending their earnings out of the country puts a drag on the American economy.

The article notes:

“Recent policy changes have led to a substantial decline in border crossings and an increase in enforcement actions including workplace inspections and deportations which have created uncertainty and hesitation within migrant communities. These developments continue to impact customer behavior,” McGranahan (Western Union CEO Devin McGranahan) said during the call with investors.

The loss of business sent Western Union’s stock down 15 percent this year.

The article concludes:

In January 2025, Nicaragua received $373.5 million in remittances, for instance. A World Bank report found that remittances amounted to 27 percent of Nicaragua’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024.

Other nations receiving huge amounts in cash sent home by foreign nationals living in the U.S. include El Salvador ($8.479 billion in 2024), Peru ($4.945 billion), Ecuador ($6.54 billion), and India ($135.46 billion).

By contrast, the U.S. government only lays out about $80 billion a year in direct foreign aid.

While many criticize foreign aid doled out by Congress, claiming that the U.S. doesn’t really benefit from the expenditures, remittances are fully a detriment to America. It is money that does not go to benefit our local stores, our schools, our cities, or anything else. It is cash summarily sent away to benefit other countries.

This is not small change.

Following The Rules Saves Lives

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On Friday, Breitbart posted an article about the recent deadly crash allegedly caused by an illegal migrant truck driver from India.

The article reports:

Jashanpreet Singh, 21, was charged Thursday by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of DUI causing injury in the eight-vehicle pileup, ABC7 reported.

A Los Angeles County high school basketball coach and his wife were killed, with Pomona High School identifying the victims as Clarence Nelson and his wife, Lisa. The third victim’s identity was not publicly released by Friday. 

The article includes a statement by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy:

“My prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragedy. It would have never happened if Gavin Newsom had followed our new rules,” Duffy said in a statement obtained by Breitbart News. “California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized. These people deserve justice. There will be consequences.”

A report from the Department of Transportation (DOT) shows every step where California let Singh obtain his CDL against the department’s policies put in place following the state’s “significant compliance failures” revealed by a recent audit that found that 25 percent of non-domiciled CDLs sampled were issued improperly. 

The article notes:

On June 27, then 20-year-old Singh, claiming to be an asylum seeker, was issued a restricted, non-domiciled CDL. The license included a “K restriction,” which limited him to in-state operation, DOT said.  

On September 26, Duffy formally notified California of its compliance failures after a department audit revealed the staggering amount of improperly-issued CDLs. To fix the issue, DOT required California to pause issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, identify all unexpired non-domiciled CDLs that fail to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, and to revoke and reissue all noncompliant non-domiciled CDLs if they comply with the new federal requirements.

Please follow the link to read the entire article. Governor Newsom is attempting to put the blame on the federal government, but I don’t think that really works. The bottom line is that we have a lot of people in the country illegally who don’t speak English and are driving large trucks. That is not a good thing.

Let’s Just Stop Pretending All Judges Support Law And Order

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On Monday, Breitbart posted an article about a federal judge who has called for the arrest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) agents who are arresting illegals at the Cook County Courthouse if the agents do not have a warrant. Wait a minute, the judge is supporting ignoring the criminals and arresting those trying to enforce the law. Didn’t the judge take an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution? Are you surprised that the judge was appointed by former President Biden?

The article reports:

A Chicago-area judge has ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers can be arrested at Cook County courthouses if they violate his orders and arrest a migrant without a warrant.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered that ICE officers are barred from arresting migrants at courthouses if they don’t have a warrant. He also ordered that federal law enforcement can be arrested if they violate his orders.

The judge’s order aimed to prevent what are called “collateral arrests” of people whom ICE officers discover are illegal on the spot. These are migrants that ICE agents come across by happenstance while looking for someone they have a warrant to apprehend.

Cummings stated that courthouses must be places where witnesses and suspects feel safe.

“The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of civil arrest,” he said in his order.

Judge Cummings also cited in his ruling arrests that have been made recently outside county courthouses where ICE has taken “collateral” migrants into custody in the Chicago area.

The article concludes:

“We aren’t some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law,” DHS (U. S. Department of Homeland Security) said in a statement, according to WBBM-TV. “Nothing in the Constitution prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them.”

Crossing the border illegally or remaining in America after your visa or green card expires is a crime. The duty of law enforcement is to arrest those who commit crimes.

There Are Risks With The Current Technology

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On Sunday, Breitbart posted an article about a lithium battery fire on an Air China jet.

The article reports:

Passengers on an Air China flight witnessed a lithium battery burst into flames in luggage that had been placed in an overhead bin on Saturday.

The flight was on its way to Seoul but had to make an emergency landing in Shanghai when the incident happened, the New York Post reported.

…When the battery ignited, travelers began calling out for help to quell the flames.

“Two flight attendants sprinted down the aisle carrying fire extinguishers while others shouted for travelers to remain seated,” the Post article continued.

“A passenger quoted by local media said they heard a loud explosion moments before flames shot from the storage bin,” the outlet noted.

The article notes:

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, and local reports said the fire was believed to be caused by a power bank battery.

“The Federal Aviation Administration warns that lithium-ion batteries can undergo ‘thermal runaway,’ a self-heating reaction that can trigger explosions if a cell is damaged, overheated, overcharged or exposed to water,” the Post article said.

In August 2024, a house fire erupted at an Oklahoma family’s residence when their dog chewed on a lithium-ion battery.

A few months later, a lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Missouri caught fire and exploded. All 75 workers at the scene were able to escape, per Breitbart News.

More recently, a huge fire broke out at a California power plant in a building containing lithium-ion batteries, the outlet reported in January.

Handle your electronics carefully!

Keeping The Roads Safe

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On Wednesday, Breitbart posted an article about a three-day operation, conducted by ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to make our roads safer. Truck drivers who cannot read, speak, or understand English are a safety hazard. Many of the warning signs on our roadways are electronic signs in English. Not being able to read these signs creates a safety hazard.

The article reports:

A joint traffic enforcement blitz along I-40 in western Oklahoma led to the arrest of 120 immigration violators—91 of whom were operating commercial vehicles. The arrests underscore the public safety risks posed by unlicensed or unauthorized drivers on America’s highways. The three-day operation, conducted by ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, targeted criminal activity and threats to roadway safety through intensified patrols and records checks.

In three days in late September, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers made approximately 520 contacts. During the contact stops, ERO officers conducted records checks and arrested 120 illegal aliens. Of these, 91 non-domiciled drivers were operating commercial vehicles, according to information obtained from ICE by Breitbart Texas.

The article concludes:

Secretary Duffy said in his report announcement:

What our team has discovered should disturb and anger every American. Licenses to operate a massive, 80,000-pound truck are being issued to dangerous foreign drivers – often times illegally. This is a direct threat to the safety of every family on the road, and I won’t stand for it. Today’s actions will prevent unsafe foreign drivers from renewing their license and hold states accountable to immediately invalidate improperly issued licenses.

The secretary said California officials displayed “reckless disregard” in issuing CDLs without proper screening.

California must get its act together immediately or I will not hesitate to pull millions in funding. To every other state around the country – find all improperly issued CDLs and revoke their licenses now. We owe it to the American people to ensure only lawful, qualified drivers are operating big rigs on our highways.

He gave the state 30 days to come into compliance, or the federal government will begin withholding highway funds. California would lose approximately $160 million during the first year. The penalty would double in year two.

It’s time to enforce the law.

Let’s Hope This Is Possible

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On Saturday, Breitbart posted an article reporting that President Trump is attempting to make sure our military gets paid during the Sombrero Shutdown orchestrated by Senator Schumer.

The article reports:

President Donald Trump is taking steps to ensure that U.S. service members receive their paychecks next week despite the ongoing government shutdown, directing his administration to find and allocate available funds as congressional gridlock threatens military pay. 

…The government shutdown, now in its second week, began October 1 after Senate Democrats rejected multiple times a clean continuing resolution to maintain funding at prior levels. President Trump has consistently stated that essential national security personnel — including 1.3 million active-duty service members and hundreds of thousands of National Guard members — will remain on duty. However, congressional aides told Reuters that legislation must pass by Monday, October 13, for payroll to be processed in time for the standard mid-month pay date of October 15.

Trump’s post followed comments by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who told Punchbowl News “every day gets better” for Democrats during the shutdown. Trump responded, “I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”

The article concludes:

Despite these pressures, Senate Democrats have repeatedly voted to block a short-term funding bill that would reopen the government. Meanwhile, reports indicate that several members of the Democratic caucus plan to attend a Napa Valley retreat hosted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee set for Monday and Tuesday, October 13-14, prompting criticism from Republicans who contend the party is “vacationing during a shutdown.”

Trump’s latest action aims to bypass the impasse and ensure that military personnel are not left unpaid due to political disputes in Congress. “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” he wrote, “and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy.”

A number of pundits have stated that they expect the shutdown to end after the No Kings protest on October 18. This is a left-wing paid protest with a goal of destabilizing America. The theory is that if the Democrats open the government before the protest, they will be among the people and things protested against. Please understand that the majority of the protesters are paid to protest. This i s not grass roots–it’s AstroTurf!

Why I Don’t Trust The ‘Experts’

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On Thursday, Breitbart posted an article about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs. Generally speaking, the results of the tariffs is the exact opposite of what the experts predicted. We really don’t know if the predictions were so dire because President Trump was involved or if the experts really believed what they were writing.

The article reports:

In yesterday’s Breitbart Business Digest, we examined a new working paper from Jared Bernstein and Daniel Posthumus that documented the decline of U.S. manufacturing employment, particularly the devastating 2000-2010 “China Shock” period when 5.7 million factory jobs disappeared.

While the authors called this period “destructive” and urged preventing future shocks, they insisted that “sweeping” tariffs were not the right policy. Their reasoning was undermined by a significant contradiction: they claim tariffs would disrupt American manufacturing because we’re too dependent on foreign inputs, yet they simultaneously advocate for subsidies for sectors vulnerable to foreign export controls. They’ve essentially documented that our industrial base is dangerously hollowed out while arguing we’re too dependent to fix it.

As we explained, the real-world evidence further undermines their anti-tariff position. Despite President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed in April 2025, the predicted “tarifflation” never materialized. Prices on tariffed imports haven’t risen as economists predicted. In fact, prices on non-tariffed domestic goods rose more than tariffed imports, while domestic goods competing with tariffed imports are actually down since Liberation Day. There certainly has not been any widespread inflation created by tariffs. The central economic case against tariffs—that they raise consumer prices—has collapsed in the face of actual data.

What we’re actually seeing is something economists have long theorized as “optimal tariff theory.“ A country with a globally dominant consumer market can employ tariffs to force foreign manufacturers to lower prices to maintain their exports. It can also successfully pressure other countries to reduce their own import barriers by threatening even higher tariffs. Finally, the household sector can force a redistribution from the corporate sector by refusing to accept the pass-through of tariff costs.

The article concludes:

Meanwhile, Biden’s subsidy approach—implicitly endorsed by the paper—produced billions in spending, out-of-control inflation, a brief construction boom, and then declining factory employment.

The paper warns that tariffs raise input costs, but we’re currently so dependent on imported inputs that we’re vulnerable to devastating supply cutoffs. The paper warns about retaliation, but sweeping tariffs have proven less provocative than thought, and there’s every reason to believe that targeting other countries’ strategic sectors would ignite backlash. The paper warns about price increases, but the data shows prices on tariffed goods rising less than non-tariffed ones.

At every turn, the real-world evidence contradicts the theoretical objections. An open-minded reader of the paper will come away grateful American’s voted for Trump’s trade policies rather than the industrial policy favored by Bernstein, Postuhumus, and the Biden administration.

I guess the businessman in the White House had a better understanding of economics than the experts.

There Is Nothing Quite So Immortal As A Government Subsidy

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One of the reasons the Democrats are refusing to approve an continuing resolution to keep the government open is that they want to restore the spending that got eliminated in the Big Beautiful Bill. That spending includes a continuation of some of the money that was supposed to be temporary spending due to Covid. Just for the record, Congress has passed 36 continuing resolutions to fund the government rather than following the regular budget process since the senator took office in January 2009 (source here). So why is this continuing resolution different? It isn’t. However, the current politics of the Democrat party is different. The government shutdown is the result of the battle between the sane and insane elements of the Democrat party. The insane element is the socialist wing that keeps moving farther left. The sane wing is the old-school Democrat wing that will occasionally bend in order to keep things moving forward.

On Tuesday, Breitbart reported:

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) rejected a one-year extension of Obamacare subsidies, which Breitbart News has reported that Democrats essentially shut down the government over.

The Hill reported that while Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) is advocating for legislation that would “extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit” until the end of 2026, Jeffries criticized Republicans for thinking “Democrats are going to go along with a one-year extension” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies:

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) is pushing legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire on Jan. 1, through the end of 2026. The proposal has bipartisan support, and some political observers view it as a launching pad for securing a deal to reopen the government.

Jeffries, though, has other ideas, saying a one-year extension is “a non-starter.” He emphasized that President Trump and Republicans had adopted a permanent extension of tax cuts for the country’s wealthiest people earlier in the year. With that in mind, he’s demanding a similarly permanent extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies, which overwhelmingly help working class people.

Actually, if you really wanted to help working class people, you would get rid of the subsidies, let Obamacare die, and get the government out of healthcare. That would help everyone.

The article concludes:

While Democrats argue that “the loss of enhanced subsidies will result in the widespread loss of Americans’ health care,” Michael Cannon, the director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute explained that the enhanced subsidies “subsidize people making from $129,000 all the way up to $600,000 per year.”

Cannon described them as “Obamacare subsidies for the wealthy.”

It Begins With One

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On Thursday, Breitbart posted an article about the indictment of James Comey. The former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director is indicted on two counts–one for making false statements and one for obstructing justice. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to celebrate this. This is the equivalent of charging Al Capone with tax evasion. There is also the possibility, considering the political climate where he is being charged, that he will walk away scot free.

The article reports:

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice.

The charges were brought after the Trump administration replaced the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, with White House aide Lindsey Halligan, who sought an immediate indictment from the grand jury before the statute of limitations could expire next Tuesday.

Without mentioning Comey by name, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared in a post on X that the indictment serves to prove “no one is above the law.”

“No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case,” she said.

The article concludes:

“Comey’s deputy, Andrew McCabe, has said that Comey authorized him to leak information to the press, according to a 2018 Justice Department inspector general’s report. But the report also found that McCabe made multiple false or misleading statements,” it added.

In July, the FBI launched an investigation into former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey over their roles in the investigation surrounding President Donald Trump and Russia’s alleged collusion.

Although he played a major part in the politicization of the FBI, I believe that he acted in perfect harmony with the Department of Justice and the deep state. He was simply a pawn in a very illegal game.

Fighting A War With Economics

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On Friday, Breitbart reported that U.S. Department of the Treasury is targeting financial institutions and businesses involved in laundering money for the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The article reports:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury singled out several key leaders and businesses tied to the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including a former mayor in the Mexican state of Baja California. The move targets accounts and money laundering operations, including hotels, restaurants, and bars in the popular beach destination of Rosarito, Baja California.

In their most recent move, U.S. Treasury officials moved to sanction several key leaders of the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and their businesses. The sanctions not only freeze any accounts and assets they may have in the United States but also prohibit U.S. citizens and companies from doing business with them. In June, U.S. Treasury officials took similar actions against the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Sinaloa Cartel’s internal war erupted last year after Los Chapitos—sons of imprisoned kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán—allegedly orchestrated the arrest of longtime patriarch Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, triggering a violent split between the cartel’s two dominant factions and reshaping Mexico’s criminal landscape.

The Trump Administration has labeled the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization and accused it of being one of the leading producers and smugglers of fentanyl. Several members of the Sinaloa Cartel have pending indictments in the United States, not only for drug trafficking and money laundering charges, but specifically for fentanyl related cases.

In their most recent action, the U.S. Treasury listed Juan Jose “El Ruso” Ponce Felix as the leader and founder of the main armed wing of the Mayos. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of State announced a $5 million reward for his capture.

Cutting off the money flow is not going to end either drug sales or human trafficking. However, making those businesses less profitable might slow their growth slightly. The only way to end drug dealing and human trafficking is to dry up the market. We need to work on that.

Stumbling Toward A Government Shutdown

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On Friday, Breitbart reported that the House of Representatives had passed the Continuing Resolution (CR) and passed it on to the Senate. The CR would keep the government funded until November 21. There are two bills proposed in the Senate to keep the government open–one by the Democrats and one by the Republicans. Both bills are expected to fail because 60 votes are needed to pass either one. Personally, I think the possibility of a shutdown depends on whether or not the Democrats think the media will join them in blaming the Republicans. If the Democrats believe that they will be blamed for the shutdown, there won’t be a shutdown.

The article reports:

Now the bill moves on to the Senate where it faces strong headwinds.

The Senate is expected to vote on two bills: first, a Democrat alternative to the CR that is a non-starter for Republican majorities in the House and the Senate as well as the Republican White House, followed by the House-passed CR. This two-step approach is designed to give appropriators more time to reach a bipartisan deal.

Both bills are likely to fail, with the Senate expected to recess afterward until September 29 — hours before the deadline of October 1.

The short-term CR expires November 21, using a tactic often employed by Congressional leaders to schedule must-pass votes before Thanksgiving or Christmas to encourage recalcitrant members to vote yes and return home for the holidays.

I have hope that someday Congress will get back to the budget process the law requires them to follow.

Rewriting History

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On Wednesday, Breitbart posted an article about a recent statement by former President Barack Obama. The headline of the article is “Obama Implies Trump to Blame for Charlie Kirk Assassination: ‘Extreme Views Were Not in My White House.’” Wow! Talk about not reading the room.

The article reports:

Obama was interviewed onstage by Steve Scully at the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie, Pennsylvania.

He mourned Kirk’s death, saying it was “horrific,” but made sure to recite an (inaccurate) laundry list of Kirk’s more controversial statements, including a false claim that Kirk claimed black women were stupid.

Obama then said that Trump wanted to use Kirk’s assassination as “a rationale for trying to silence discussion around who we are as a country and what direction we should go.” He then claimed that when he had been in the White House, “those extreme views were not in my White House. I wasn’t embracing them. I wasn’t empowering them. I wasn’t putting the weight of the United States government behind extremist views.”

In fact, it was Obama who inaugurated an era of division and extremism. On the campaign trail in 2008, he encouraged his supporters to confront friends and neighbors, and “argue with them, get in their face.”

As president, Obama backed the violent Occupy Wall Street protests. Most significantly, he fanned the Trayvon Martin controversy into a racially divisive crisis, turning to radical Al Sharpton — a demagogue so toxic that Obama had once refused to have anything to do with him, until he needed black support. Obama also embraced the destructive Black Lives Matter movement, which would go on to cause nationwide chaos.

The article reminds us:

In his remarks on Tuesday, Obama also praised moderate Republicans as an alternative to Trump, such as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox — forgetting that he had spurned even moderate Republicans like Paul Ryan. When Ryan, then the chair of the House Budget Committee, proposed reforming entitlements, Obama invited Ryan to a speech on the subject, and then condemned him, to his face.

Obama later said he regretted doing so, and that he did not realize Ryan would actually be in the room. But today Obama shows no such contrition about contributing to a toxic political climate in which the left, more than the right, feels violence can be justified.

President Obama began his political career as a community organizer. He never really left that role.

A Really Bad Decision

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“Those who do not know history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them.” There is some question as to who said this so I won’t credit it to anyone, but the quote is extremely valid.

On Friday, Breitbart posted the following headline:

UN General Assembly Passes Resolution to Establish Palestinian State* (If Hamas Leaves)

Been there; done that.

In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, essentially setting up a Palestinian state. Israel did not govern Gaza in any way. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Parliamentary Election. Following that election, the International Quartet (United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the European Union) declared that in order for the then Hamas-run Palestinian government to continue to receive foreign aid, it must recognize the State of Israel, end terrorist activities, and adhere to all previous agreements. Hamas rejected these terms, and international aid was halted. The destruction of Israel is still part of the Hamas charter. How long do you think it will be if a Palestinian state is established before Hamas takes it over? How long will it be before there is another October 7th attack on Israel?

Breitbart reports:

As Breitbart News reported earlier:

The so-called “New York Declaration” would recognize a Palestinian state, even though Palestinians have made no commitment to democracy, have refused to negotiate key issues with Israel, and still hold hostages in flagrant violation of international law.

The text of the declaration reads like a wish list: a democratic state, elections within a year, and the release of hostages — as if Hamas would agree to these terms.

The Times of Israel reported:

One hundred and forty-two countries vote in favor of the non-binding resolution enshrining the New York Declaration, which also calls on Hamas to release all hostages and condemns the terror group’s October 7 onslaught.

Joining Israel and the United States in opposing the resolution were Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga. Twelve countries abstained.

I wonder if they would be voting this way if they were the ones who were attacked on October 7th and had hostages taken.

The article concludes:

The resolution is separate from a separate meeting to declare a Palestinian state — which happens to be scheduled for September 22, coinciding with the Jewish New Year.

The U.S. has denied the Palestinian leadership permission to travel to the U.S. for the occasion, because of existing peace agreements that say clearly that a Palestinian state can only be declared as the outcome of direct negotiations with Israel.

Does anyone believe the fact that this is happening on the Jewish New Year is a coincidence? This is just mean.

Another Reason To Enforce Border Laws

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On Thursday, Breitbart posted an article about a gruesome murder in Texas. A 37-year-old illegal alien from Cuba with a lengthy violent criminal history who was released by the Biden administration into Texas on January 13 — one week before Donald Trump was sworn in as president, according to ICE, brutally murdered a co-worker at a Dallas area motel.

The article reports:

The spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) provided the following statement:

On Sept. 10, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Officers assisted the Dallas Police Department in the interrogation of Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, an illegal criminal alien from Cuba who allegedly beheaded a man in front of the victim’s spouse and child. Cobos-Martinez did the unthinkable and proceeded to kick the head around like a soccer ball.  ERO Dallas swiftly lodged an immigration detainer on the suspect.

Cobos-Martinez has a lengthy criminal history that includes arrests and convictions for grand theft motor vehicle, false imprisonment, carjacking, and indecency with child through sexual contact. He was most recently in ERO Dallas custody at the Bluebonnet Detention Center until he was released on an order of supervision on Jan. 13, 2025, because there were no removal flights to Cuba under the Biden administration.

The article notes:

Dallas police investigators say that Yordanis Cobos-Martinez got into an argument with 50-year-old Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah at the Downtown Suites motel on September 10. He reportedly became angry when Nagamallaiah, an Indian national, gave instructions to a coworker to translate instead of speaking directly to him. Cobos-Martinez then allegedly pulled a machete “from his person” and began hacking at the victim, according to information published from an arrest affidavit by Fox 4 Dallas.

I don’t want to see this man deported–I want to see him convicted and sentenced to death.

Filling Out The Board Of Governors At The Fed

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On Wednesday, Breitbart reported that the Senate Banking Committee has approved the nomination of Stephen Miran to fill the vacancy on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve created when Andrea Kugler unexpectedly announced she would resign prior to the end of her term in January.

The article reports:

The committee voted 13-11 along party lines to advance Miran’s nomination to the full Senate, where it is expected to come up for a vote on Monday.

That would put Miran in place to vote at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on September 16 and 17. The FOMC is widely expected to announce an interest rate cut at the conclusion of that meeting.

…President Trump could nominate Miran to fill the subsequent 14-year term but he would need to be confirmed again by the Senate. Alternatively, Trump could appoint someone else to the seat, perhaps someone he expects to elevate to the chairmanship of the Fed later this year when Jerome Powell’s tenure expires. Miran would be able to hold the post until a new nominee is confirmed.

Miran currently chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He told senators at his confirmation hearing that he would take an unpaid leave of absence from that position while working at the Fed. Democrats attacked this arrangement, claiming it would compromise the independence of the Fed. Many Fed officials take similar leave of absence from private sector jobs while serving on the Fed but those have mostly been academic positions rather than roles in the White House.

I hate to be cynical (but I’m good at it!), but the Democrats would have found some way to attack the nomination and the arrangement proposed regardless of the details. The Democrats have created the greatest logjam in American history in the nomination process for President Trump’s nominees. I think I would have been surprised if they hadn’t objected.,

The Death Of A Warrior

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Many years ago when I taught Vacation Bible School, we sang a song that went, “I may never march in the infantry, ride with the cavalry, zoom in an airplane, but I’m in the Lord’s Army.” Charlie Kirk, who was shot yesterday, was part of the Lord’s Army. God chose him for the work he did, even as a teenager.

Yesterday, Breitbart posted Charlie Kirk’s email sent to Breitbart News in April 2012, shortly after Andrew Breitbart’s death.

This is the text of that email:

My name is Charlie Kirk and I was referred to you by … from the Chicago Tea Party rally. I am a high school student from Wheeling, Illinois and Co-Founder of a conservative youth group called SOS Liberty. [He] told me to contact you after I informed him about some of our activities and the blatant misinformation in our public school textbooks. For example, our District 214 AP Economics textbook is written by Paul Krugman and is littered with biased and subjective analysis. SOS Liberty wants to correct certain information and provide an alternative viewpoint to combat the liberal brainwashing that is taking place in our classrooms.

When we showed one chapter of Krugman’s textbook to the dad of one our SOS members, he was so outraged he couldn’t sleep and critiqued Krugman’s misinformation. Attached is one chapter of Krugman’s textbook (with the Dad’s notes written in the margins). For example, there is a reference to Reagan’s economic plan and Krugman concludes, “The Reagan tax cuts showed no sign of acceleration in economic growth.” In fact, the Reagan tax cuts produced one of the biggest expansions in our history, yet high school students are being brainwashed to believe that the Reagan’s tax cuts were not successful. We at SOS Liberty are committed to combating this sort of blatant and biased propaganda. It’s frightening to think that this Krugman’s book is likely being used by high schools throughout the nation. Is your organization aware of this Krugman textbook?

SOS Liberty sends student speakers throughout northern Illinois to present a video and power point presentation about our nation’s spiraling debts and deficits which is followed up with a question and answer period. We have spoken to various community organizations, tea party groups etc. and have received rave reviews including the endorsement of Congressman Joe Walsh. We have also appeared on local TV and our student activism has received coverage in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune. We just agreed to host a local radio show which will begin next week. SOS Liberty is trying to educate others that our generation will soon be drowning in debt. We are a group of passionate student activists who are crying out for help which is why we’re called SOS. As we make our voices heard, we are sounding the alarm to our peers to WAKE UP to the generational theft that is taking place!

Wow! He was eighteen when he wrote that letter. He had already co-founded a group to get the truth out to his fellow high school students.

The Bible tells us that God numbers our days even before we are born. With that in mind, I am grateful for the gift God gave us in having Charlie Kirk for 31 years.

My sympathies and prayers go out to his family.

Things Are Changing

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On Friday, Breitbart reported that Garfield New Jersey Mayor Everett E. Garnto, Jr. will be leaving the Democrat Party and endorsing Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor.

The article reports:

The announcement came during Ciattarelli’s Garfield Rally. Michael Casey, New Jersey State Director for Early Vote Action, reported on X that the rally was “standing room only as hundreds of Garfield residents were in attendance,” calling it a “MAJOR endorsement for @Jack4NJ in a city that has been a longtime Democrat stronghold.”

Garnto, a retired Garfield police officer who served 29 years on the force and 12 years as president of the local Police Benevolent Association, was elected to the city council in November 2024 as a Democrat. He later became mayor after his colleagues selected him for the position. The lifelong resident also served as a school board member and vice chair of the Garfield Housing Authority before winning elected office.

The party switch carries weight in Garfield, home to more than 30,000 residents and the fifth-largest municipality in Bergen County. Although Murphy narrowly carried the city by just over 150 votes in 2021, Donald Trump won Garfield by nearly nine points in 2024. Local voter registration trends and Garnto’s own admission that he supported Trump in the last presidential election underscore the city’s shifting political climate.

The article concludes:

Addressing attendees on Thursday, Ciattarelli said Democrats joining his effort demonstrates that voters across the political spectrum are dissatisfied with the state’s leadership. “It’s not just Republicans who are crying out for change,” Ciattarelli remarked. “It’s unaffiliated, independent voters and yes, even moderate Democrats who’ve come to the realization that this current administration has failed.” He added that his campaign’s focus remains on “getting up and down this state” to present voters with a vision for lowering costs and restoring affordability.

Aside for the high taxes, high cost of living, and congestion, New Jersey residents who leave the state have to pay a tax on the sale of their home. If they are not buying another house in New Jersey, they have to pay an exit tax. It is definitely time for a change.

A Voice Of Reason

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On Tuesday, Breitbart posted an article about crime in Chicago. During the Labor Day Weekend, 7 people were killed and 49 were wounded in shootings. 

The article reports:

On Monday’s broadcast of Newsmax TV’s “Newsline,” Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez said that “We need the National Guard to help take off the pressure from the Chicago Police Department” by guarding city assets the police are having to guard and said that he wants to see crime drop even more than it has in Chicago and he wants the same sort of crime reduction that Washington, D.C. has seen.

Lopez stated, “It’s very easy for Brandon Johnson to put together these orders that are meaningless. But we need the help. We need the National Guard to help take off the pressure from the Chicago Police Department, which is guarding some of the city’s assets. And we could better use their personnel, their intel., and their training in the neighborhoods.”

Bringing in the National Guard would help initially to stop crime, but the city also needs courts and judges who will punish the criminals. Chicago also needs to end its no-cash bail policy so that criminals who are arrested stay in jail until they are tried.

The National Guard can initially be used to get crime under control, but until the legal systems in our major cities work to combat crime, the National Guard will only be a temporary solution.

In Case You Were Wondering…

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Recently, there was a fatal traffic accident in Florida caused by an illegal immigrant who could not read or speak English. Many of us wondered how he managed to get his commercial drivers license (I believe that the test for this license is only given in English and Spanish–he was from India).

The dotdriverfiles reports the following:

Starting June 25, 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will begin strictly enforcing English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial drivers. While this regulation has existed for years under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2), the new enforcement approach means drivers who fail roadside language assessments will be immediately placed out-of-service (OOS).

On Friday, Breitbart reported:

Florida police have discovered how migrants who cannot speak English have been getting licenses to drive 18-wheelers on the nation’s highways.

With news breaking all across the country of major highway accidents that have killed Americans perpetrated by non-English speaking migrants behind the wheels of massive semi trucks, many have wondered how they could be getting their licenses. Investigators in Florida have discovered that one way is by using hidden cameras and ear pieces when they enter a drive’s license facility to take their commercial truck driving license (CDL) test, WTLV-TV reported.

Investigators from the Florida State Police have discovered that some foreign-born applicants are using a camera and an ear piece connected to someone outside the DMV facility who speaks their language to cheat on the tests. The applicant uses the camera to scan the test so his cohort can read the questions, then they tell the applicant how to answer the test questions over the ear piece. That way, the migrants can pass the test without having read a single question or understood any of the answers.

Recently, the State Police arrested and convicted several migrants who used this cheat to take CDL tests at a Jacksonville, Florida, DMV. One man arrested in April was sentenced to eight months in prison for the scheme to illegally obtain a Florida CDL, another was handed over to ICE for deportation, and three more satisfied court-ordered measures and their cases were dismissed.

This is a safety issue. Cheating puts all Americans at risk.

The article concludes:

The problem of non-English speaking drivers has skyrocketed since so many migrants took trucking industry jobs after entering the U.S. through President Joe Biden’s loose border policies, either at the southern border or at international airports.

With the spotlight on foreign CDL drivers after a horrendous and fatal accident in Florida this month, Florida officials announced that under a new immigration enforcement program, truck weigh stations in the state will be used as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) checkpoints.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also announced that agricultural inspection stations will also serve as immigration checkpoints going forward.

Hopefully these actions will make our highways safer.

The Impact of DOGE

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On Friday, Breitbart posted an article about some of the changes President Trump is making in the federal workforce.

The article reports:

New Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor told several news outlets, most recently the New York Times, that the federal workforce will drop from 2.4 million to 2.1 million employees, largely as the result of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts.

In a lengthy interview this week with Washington, DC, station WTOP, Kupor said that up to 80 percent of the reductions come from federal workers choosing to access buyouts or another program that paid them while they looked for other work.

The article concludes:

CNN has featured a tracker of employee reductions implemented by the Trump administration. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) dismissed some 10,000 employees when it was dismantled entirely.

Others, as Breitbart News reported,  include more than 20,000 employees reportedly cut or accepting buyouts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Some 7,300 have been dismissed at the Internal Revenue Service, according to the CNN tracker.

Kupor told the Times he doesn’t expect any significant new layoff announcements this year, Forbes reported.

Kupor, confirmed to his position in July, comes from the private sector, where he was a managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm.

He told the TV station he’s well aware of the personal consequences for some of those who no longer have federal jobs.

“I recognize and understand we’re talking about very serious things. Anytime we do layoffs or reductions, you know, that impacts people’s families, it impacts people’s friends, it impacts their ability to be contributing members to their community,” he said. “And look, we need to recognize and understand that is a difficult thing for people to live through.”