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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 7:55:38 GMT -8
I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually, it came back to me. The China ConnectionA top Donald Trump campaign adviser — who apparently was shown classified documents by the former president — has a top post at a lobbying firm serving Chinese entities that potentially pose a national security threat and help Beijing commit human rights abuses. Susie Wiles works on Trump’s 2024 campaign and is co-chair of Mercury Public Affairs, which has taken millions of dollars in recent years from Chinese companies such as Yealink, Hikvision and Alibaba. Wiles, a veteran of several GOP campaigns including Ron DeSantis’ 2018 run for Florida governor, has also been identified as one of several people to whom the 45th president allegedly revealed sensitive material, ABC News reported late Wednesday. Trump 2024 aide who allegedly saw classified map works for China lobbying firm |
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:00:23 GMT -8
I Guess They Needed Those Stinkin' Badges
The U.S. Justice Department this week charged the top law enforcement official in Culpeper County, Virginia, with fraud, conspiracy and bribery, alleging he abused his authority by handing out deputy sheriff badges in exchange for cash to fund his re-election campaign.
In an indictment unsealed on Thursday in the Western District of Virginia, Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Howard Jenkins, 51, is accused of abusing his position by engaging in a scheme to appoint volunteers to serve as auxiliary deputy sheriffs in exchange for bribes.
Through this alleged scheme, prosecutors said he accepted at least $72,500. Three of the men who accepted deputy sheriff appointments - Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, of Great Falls; Fredric Gumbinner, 64, of Fairfax; James Metcalf, 60, of Manassas are also charged in the case.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:02:20 GMT -8
The QOP Doesn't Just Hate Gay Marriage. They Hate All Marriages.
We just got more bad news about marriage.
A record-high 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States were never married in 2021, according to sobering new statistics from the Pew Research Center. That statistic compares to just 6% of never-married 40-year-olds in 1980, underscoring marriage’s falling fortunes in recent decades.
Digging further into the Pew data reveals that this retreat from marriage and family life has hit vulnerable populations the hardest: minorities, the working class, and poor Americans. The upper classes continue to marry, forge stable unions, and enjoy a reasonably happy family life, while the lower classes drift into a world of relational chaos.
Against the backdrop of this bad news, a new tax proposal put forward by Republicans in the U.S. House would further erode and undermine the institutions of marriage and the family.
The “Tax Cuts for Working Families Act,” which recently passed the House Ways and Means Committee headed by Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), inexplicably penalizes marriage among the working class and subsidizes cohabitation — the exact opposite of what family-friendly policies should do in a day and age when marriage is in trouble.
The legislation also fails to extend the federal child tax credit. The value of the credit doubled — from $1,000 to $2,000 per child — under former President Donald Trump, but that increase is set to expire at the end of 2025. Remarkably, the bill in question does nothing to lock in the credit’s current value for families. For a proposal that purports to be about helping families financially, this is a serious miss.
Rather than explore ways to shore up the credit to support families in their key child-rearing years, the Tax Cuts for Working Families Act would simply increase the standard deduction for all households — $2,000 for singles, $3,000 for heads of household, and $4,000 for married couples. Most of the law’s benefits would flow to affluent households rather than to the middle- and working-class families who need the most help.
What’s worse, the way this revision of the standard deduction is set up imposes new marriage penalties and encourages couples to cohabit rather than tie the knot. As Ramesh Ponnuru pointed out in the Washington Post, under the proposal “two working people would pay more in taxes if they got married, at least if they have kids.”
As Patrick T. Brown of the Ethics and Public Policy Center noted, Republicans who trumpet their commitment to the family could at least make sure their family bill doesn’t penalize our nation’s most fundamental institution: marriage.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:06:04 GMT -8
Previous President's Potty Police
Reporters following Donald Trump's third run for the presidency are finding new restrictions in place as they follow him on the campaign trail, with aides to the former president yelling and threatening them if they try to talk to any of his supporters.
According to a report from the Daily Beast's Jake Lahut, journalists attending Trump events are having their movements monitored to the point where they can't go to the bathroom without an escort.
As the report notes, during a recent stop in New Hampshire, reporters were blocked from speaking with attendees at the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women luncheon which led to a confrontation with Trump's handlers.
"The grumbling was prompted whena staffer said that no reporters were allowed to interview any members of the GOP women’s group—nor were they allowed to roam freely outside the tight confines of the press pen. Ahead of Trump’s remarks, Trail Mix overheard a conversation between the Trump campaign and a representative for the women’s group reminding front-desk staff that members of the media would only be allowed inside the press pen during the luncheon," the report stated before noting one reporter was heard grumbling, "Do we need a f--king babysitter?”
The report adds that reporters who got out of line were warned, with one Trump aide cautioning, "They’re here to see the president, not you guys,” and another explaining, "We don’t want to have to tackle people.”
Lahut wrote that "another aide tasked with escorting members of the press to and from the bathrooms, however, confessed they had never in their career been asked to carry out such an assignment."
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:07:56 GMT -8
Campaign Chopper Creates ChaosWhen Ron DeSantis took a trip to the Texas-Mexico border on Monday, his campaign had the good sense to take and promote a photo of the Florida governor in front of a helicopter for an image ready-made for a political ad. But that photo—and the accompanying tweet—may end up costing DeSantis much more than he bargained for. That’s because the helicopter DeSantis posed in front of is property of the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. And experts say his use of Texas government resources for his own political purposes appears to constitute a campaign finance violation. How a Border Photo Stunt Could End Up Costing Ron DeSantis
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:09:44 GMT -8
Was Despotism a European Import?Recent archaeology emerging from ancient Mesoamerica is flipping the script of public understanding about the people and institutions that inhabited this world: the evidence tells us that cooperative and pluralistic government was at least as common as and more resilient than despotic states. This more complex picture and the achievements of Mesoamerica’s peoples are all the more impressive given the area’s rugged terrain and resource constraints. Compared to ancient Eurasia, the inhabitants of Mesoamerica—the region stretching from Costa Rica to central Mexico—lacked beasts of burden and wheeled transport, and the use of metals was generally limited. Until recently, our understanding of how most societies and early states developed was heavily grounded in interpretations of urban societies in Eurasia. Despotic, coercive rule was assumed (except for ancient Athens and republican Rome), the actions of the elite were ascribed great importance, and core functions of the economy were presumed to be in the hands of the ruler. Precolonial Mesoamerica doesn’t fit this cookie-cutter framework: neither was economic production or distribution centrally controlled by despotic rulers, nor was governance in societies with very large populations universally coercive. Archaeology is flipping the script on what we know about ancient Mesoamerica
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:11:26 GMT -8
These Weren't Ugly Americans
A man filmed carving names into a wall at Rome's ancient Colosseum amphitheatre last week is a tourist who lives in the UK, Italian police say.
They say they were able to identify him and the woman he was with from photos but did not name the couple.
Several UK media outlets say the pair are a couple who live in Bristol. They are believed to have left Italy.
The man faces a large fine or a jail term up to five years, if charged and convicted.
The incident in the Italian capital was filmed by another visitor who verbally reprimanded the man before handing the recording to security officials.
In the video, the man is seen carving "Ivan + Hayley 23" - believed to be the pair's names - on a Colosseum wall.
The incident prompted widespread condemnation in Italy and across the globe.
Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: "This act was offensive to everyone around the world who appreciates the value of archaeology, monuments and history."
The nearly 2,000-year-old Colosseum is one of the best-known symbols of Imperial Rome, and is Italy's most popular tourist site.
It is a protected Unesco World Heritage Site, meaning it is considered to be a place of "outstanding universal value".
Extradite His Ass!!
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:16:19 GMT -8
He Should Have Eaten Mor Chikin
Mumbai, India – He was buried on the same day he was born 32 years ago.
On the night of June 24, Mohammad Asgar, 38, received a call from police in Maharashtra state’s Nashik district, about 200km (124 miles) from his residence in Mumbai.
About three hours later, when Asgar reached the scene, he could not believe what he saw.
“My nephew’s face had turned green, he had a bruise on the forehead, his shoulder was dislocated and fingers broken,” he told Al Jazeera. “I froze when I saw his dead body.”
Ansari had been lynched by cow vigilantes while ferrying 450 kilogrammes (990 pounds) of meat from a vendor in Sangamner – a town 220km (136 miles) away from Mumbai.
On his way back, the vigilantes suspected it was beef and intercepted his car in Nashik. The vigilantes brutally assaulted him along with Nasir Hussain, 24, who was with him in the car.
Both men are residents of Qureshi Nagar in Mumbai’s Kurla locality. Hussain now has a brain injury and is in a critical condition at the city’s KEM Hospital.
Asgar needed a few minutes to gather himself before he took Ansari’s body home to Mumbai that rainy night. The family buried him in the early morning of June 25.
“It was supposed to be his birthday,” said Asgar. “His wife is inconsolable. He has two daughters aged six and four. He comes from a poor family. We are worried about their future.”
India and Hindu Extremism Have Gotten REALLY Ugly
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:18:51 GMT -8
SCOTUS Continues It's Campaign To Hurt Everyone Except Old White Men
A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loans for millions of Americans.
The 6-3 decision, with conservative justices in the majority, effectively killed the $400 billion plan, announced by President Joe Biden last year, and left borrowers on the hook for repayments that are expected to resume by late summer.
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The Supreme Court on Friday ruled for an evangelical Christian website designer in a case involving whether creative businesses can refuse to serve LGBTQ+ customers because of First Amendment free speech rights.
In a 6-3 decision for the conservative majority written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court said wedding websites are a form of speech and Colorado and its anti-discrimination law cannot force a designer to express something she does not wish to express.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:21:18 GMT -8
Why Biden's Bad Approval Numbers Don't Mean Squat
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:23:21 GMT -8
I Would Never Vote For Any of Them
What Do They Have Against Ramaswamy? Did He Eat Beef?
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:28:40 GMT -8
Has Gov DeathSentence Issued a Death Sentence for Flori-Dumb Drivers?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed what critics call a “radioactive roads” bill that would allow new highway construction to use radioactive mining waste tied to cancer.
The bill, which DeSantis signed on Thursday, lists phosphogypsum among “recyclable materials” that can be used for road construction.
Phosphogypsum, a waste byproduct of phosphate fertilizer mining, “emits radon, a radioactive gas,” and contains uranium, thorium and radium, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Radon is “potentially cancer-causing,” an EPA spokesperson told CBS News.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:33:29 GMT -8
Will He Claim He Was Just Out for a Walk with a Bomb?
A man armed with explosive materials and weapons, and wanted for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, was arrested late on Thursday in the Washington DC neighborhood where the former US president Barack Obama lives, law enforcement officials said.
Taylor Taranto, 37, was spotted by law enforcement a few blocks from the former president’s home and fled, though he was chased by Secret Service agents. Taranto has an open warrant on charges related to the insurrection, two law enforcement officials said. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing case and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
They said Taranto also had made social media threats against a public figure. He was found with weapons and materials to create an explosive device, though one had not been built, one of the officials said.
I wonder Where He Got Obama's Address. Let Me Guess.
A January 6 rioter on the run from the law who was arrested outside the Washington DC home of former President Barack Obama shared a social media post by ex-president Donald Trump revealing his predecessor’s address hours before he was detained.
Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot in early 2021. But he was also discovered to have several firearms and the materials needed to make a Molotov cocktail in the neighbourhood of the US capital where the Obamas live.
Only 11,999,999 Dangerous Wackos Left
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:35:45 GMT -8
Is Inflation Deflating?
An inflation index that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve tumbled last month to its lowest level since April 2021, pulled down by lower gas prices and slower-rising food costs.
At the same time, consumers barely increased their spending last month, boosting it just 0.1%, after a solid 0.6% gain in April.
The inflation index showed that prices rose 3.8% in May from 12 months earlier, down sharply from a 4.4% year-over-year surge in April. And from April to May, prices ticked up just 0.1%.
Still, last month's progress in easing overall inflation was tempered by an elevated reading of “core” prices, a category that excludes volatile food and energy costs. The increase underscored the Fed's belief that it will need to keep raising interest rates to conquer high inflation.
Core prices rose 4.6% in May from a year earlier, down slightly from the annual increase of 4.7% in April. It was the fifth straight month that the core figure was either 4.6% or 4.7% — a sign that the Fed’s streak of 10 rate hikes over the past 15 months hasn’t subdued all categories of prices. From April to May, core prices increased 0.3%, a pace that, if it lasts, would keep inflation well above the Fed’s 2% target.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 30, 2023 8:37:41 GMT -8
Hunter May Not Be a Crimal, But He's a First Class Jerk
Hunter Biden settled a child support case in Arkansas on Thursday with Lunden Roberts, the mother of one of his daughters, according to a filing in Arkansas state court.
Biden was ordered in 2020 to pay child support, though he sought to lower the payments to Roberts, who had his daughter Aug. 28, 2018. The child support amount was redacted from Thursday's agreement.
Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, also will have to continue reimbursing Roberts for the cost of health insurance for the child. He also will have to give the child multiple paintings, and the proceeds of any sales of his paintings will be wired to an account designated by Roberts, among other provisions in the settlement.
Roberts had sought to give the girl Biden’s last name, but she dropped the push as part of Thursday's order. She wanted the girl to have Biden’s last name because of the family’s political prominence and business success. Biden opposed the measure over the political backlash she could have faced, he said.
Roberts said in April court filings that Biden has "never seen or contacted" the child. She also said Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden "remain estranged" from her, CNN reported.
Roberts originally filed in May 2019 to determine Biden's paternity and obtain child support. Biden first resisted, but his paternity was established in 2020.
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